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the invention will now be further described by way of reference only to the following non - limiting examples . it should be understood , however , that the examples following are illustrative only , and should not be taken in any way as a restriction on the generality of the invention described above . in particular , while the invention is described in detail in relation to cancer , it will be clearly understood that the findings herein are not limited to treatment of cancer . for example , cytotoxic agents may be used for treatment of other conditions ; methotrexate is widely used for treatment of severe rheumatoid arthritis . validation of human breast cancer tumours in nude mice and identification of hyaluronan receptors on the breast tumours in situ to establish an appropriate animal model for human breast cancer , it was necessary to perform pathological testing . for a tumour to be physiologically viable neovascularization is essential , because the capillary network supplies nutrients to the tumour . the presence of vascularisation , ductal invasion , necrosis , apoptosis , a high mitotic index and nuclear abnormalities are all characteristic of breast carcinoma . the human breast carcinoma cell line mda - mb - 468 ( american tissue culture collection , rockville , u . s . a ) was selected on the basis of its expression of the ha receptors , cd44 , rhamm and icam - 1 . cells were routinely grown and subcultured as a monolayer in 175 cm 2 culture flasks in leibovitz l - 15 medium supplemented with 10 % foetal calf serum ( fcs ) and 10 μg / ml gentamicin . for injection into mice cells were grown to 100 % confluency , trypsinised in 0 . 05 % trypsin / 0 . 01 % edta solution , washed twice by centrifugation in a beckman tj - 6 bench centrifuge ( beckman , australia ) at 400 g av for 10 min , counted using a model - zm coulter counter ( coulter electronics , england ), and resuspended in serum - free leibovitz l - 15 medium at 1 × 10 8 cell / ml . 85 athymic balb / c / wehi nude female mice ( walter and eliza hall institute of medical research , melbourne , australia ), 6 to 8 weeks old , were maintained under specific pathogen - free conditions , with sterilised food and water available ad libitum . ten million mda - mb 468 cells were prepared as described above , and directly injected into the fat pad under the nipple of each mouse . tumour growth was observed in 96 % of mice . when the tumour growth was visually detectable , the tumour progression was monitored by weekly measurements of the tumour volume . tumour volumes were calculated from 3 perpendicular diameters using the equation ; v is tumour volume ( in mm 3 ), d 1 is the first diameter of the tumour ( in mm ), d 2 is the second diameter of the tumour ( in mm ), and d 3 is the third diameter of the tumour ( in mm ) ( lamszus et al , 1997 ). eight weeks after tumour inoculation the mean tumour size was 482 . 2 mm 3 ( sem , 39 . 8 mm 3 ). approximately 8 weeks after tumour induction two tumour - bearing mice were given a lethal dose of nembutal . within 3 min of killing the mice , tumours were surgically removed and immediately fixed in 10 % buffered formalin for 12 hours . the fixed tumour was dehydrated overnight in a series of 70 - 100 % ethanol washes , followed by paraffin embedding from which 2 - 4 μm sections were cut . the sections were placed on slides , dewaxed , and brought to water . slides were washed 3 × 5 min in phosphate - buffered saline ( pbs ). heterophile proteins were blocked by incubation with 10 % foetal calf serum for 10 min , followed by a pbs rinse . the detection antibodies were applied for 60 min at room temperature ( rt ). the antisera or antibodies were directed against rhamm ( applied bioligands corporation ( manitoba , canada ), icam - 1 , cd44v6 , cd44v10 , total cd44h , and cae . all other detection antibodies were purchased from zymed ( california , u . s . a ). the slides were washed 3 × 5 min in pbs and endogenous peroxidase activity blocked by immersion in 0 . 3 % h 2 o 2 / methanol for 20 min . following a further pbs wash , peroxidase - conjugated pig anti - rabbit secondary antiserum ( dako , denmark ) was applied for 60 min at rt , followed by 3 × 5 min wash in pbs . sigma fast dab ( 3 , 3 ′- diaminobenzidine , sigma , st . louis , u . s . a ) tablets were prepared according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions and the dab solution was applied for 5 - 10 min at rt . the slides were washed in tap water for 10 min , counterstained with haematoxylin , dehydrated and mounted . examination of the haematoxylin and eosin - stained breast tumour sections demonstrated all of the usual features associated with viable tumours , as shown in fig3 and 4 , confirming that the animal host successfully maintained a grade ii human breast carcinoma . there are several features which are characteristic of malignancy . the section of the slides labelled ( b ) displays these features . all of the pathological features of malignancy observed are in section ( b ), ie it was concluded that a grade ii - iii level tumour was capable of being supported in the nude mouse model . a grade ii - iii level tumour generally gives a prognostic survival rate of about 47 % ( bloom and richardson , 1957 ). a grade ii - ii level tumour is characterised by : i ) moderate nuclear pleomorphism , hyperchromatin , and mitotic activity , features observed throughout the displayed section of tumour ; and large areas of necrosis ( n ) can be correlated with the tumour spread , which suggests a more aggressive invasive course ( carter , 1990 ). the infiltrating edge of the tumour is indicated by ( ). a major aim of this experiment was validation that the histological and cytological behaviour of the tumours established in these mice were comparable to those of such tumours in their natural human hosts . in achieving this aim we have also shown that the tumour cells in the mice are of human origin and that they express highly relevant ha receptors such as rhamm , cd44 and putative icam - 1 . since it was hypothesised that tumour targeting could occur via receptor - mediated internalisation or binding , it was necessary to confirm the expression of ha receptors , icam - 1 , cd44 and rhamm . fig5 b - d demonstrates that all these receptors were present . table 1 lists the degree of receptor expression on the two tumours tested . the human origin of the tumour cells was confirmed by staining the tumour and surrounding tissue with a human - specific cancer marker . the presence of cea clearly demonstrated that the tumour was human , while being maintained by the cardiovascular system of the murine host ( fig5 a ). the polyclonal cea antisera was selected , since it reacts exclusively with human cea . this micrograph demonstrates that the tumour was entirely of human origin ( h ), as shown by the brown staining . the surrounding tumour capsule and adipose tissue is definitely of mouse origin , as indicated by the lack of staining with the antisera ( m ). the brown staining demonstrates the high expression of rhamm on the tumour cells . the greatest intensity of staining can be noted on the areas surrounding tissue necrosis and tumour infiltration . having established the usefulness of the nude mouse model , it could now be used to test the effectiveness of a ha / mtx preparation . a stock solution of mtx was prepared by dissolving powdered mtx in 0 . 5 % w / v sodium carbonate ( ph 9 ), and brought to a concentration of 24 . 5 mg / ml with 0 . 9 % w / v nacl . the stock solution was filtered through a 0 . 22 μm filter to ensure sterility before addition of [ 3 h ] methotrexate and dilution to injection concentration with injection - grade sodium chloride . comparative data on the pharmacokinetics of mtx have already been published for the nude mouse and humans ( inaba et al , 1988 ), and were utilised in the design of this study , to simulate human therapeutic doses as closely as possible . individual injections were prepared according to individual mouse body masses , with the aim of delivering 15 mg / kg mtx in 50 μl ( equivalent to a human therapeutic dose of 0 . 42 mg / kg for a mean body weight of 60 kg ; inaba et al , 1988 ). desiccated ha ( modal mr 8 . 9 × 10 5 k da ) was added to a portion of the 24 . 5 mg / ml mtx stock solution and dissolved overnight with vortexing , to give a final concentration of 21 mg / ml . to ensure sterility gentamicin was added to a concentration of 50 μg / ml and incubated overnight at 4 ° c . following the addition of [ 3 h ] methotrexate the ha / mtx stock mixture was diluted to injection concentration with injection grade sodium chloride . injections were individually made according to mouse body masses , to deliver 15 mg / kg mtx and 12 . 5 mg / kg ha in 50 μl . with this quantity of ha injected into the body , saturation kinetics would be observed for the period of the experiment ( fraser et al , 1983 ). to ensure that the ha had maintained its molecular weight during the preparation of the methotrexate / ha injection mixture , the injection solution was analysed on a sephacryl s - 1000 size exclusion gel ( pharmacia , uppsala , sweden ) with column specifications of 1 . 6 cm × 70 cm , sample size 2 ml , flow rate 18 ml / h and 2 ml fraction size . fig6 shows that ha retained its molecular weight during the mixing procedure . mice were randomly divided into 2 groups of 40 animals . group i received mtx only , and group 2 received mtx / ha combination therapy . animals were individually placed in an injection box , and the injections were administered via the tail vein . tritiated methotrexate ( mean injected disintegration &# 39 ; s per minute ( dpm )± standard error of the mean ( sem ): 19 , 159 , 146 ± 1 , 336 , 819 ) contained within 15 mg / kg mtx ± 12 . 5 mg / kg ha was delivered in each injection . mice were individually housed in soft , non - wettable plastic enclosures so urine could be collected . at 30 min , 1 h , 2 h , 4 h or 8 h after injection mice were anaesthetised by 0 . 1 ml intra - peritoneal injection of nembutal ( glaxo , australia pty . ltd ., melbourne , australia ), and blood was collected from the heart or great vessels using a needle and syringe . after blood collection the animals were killed by cervical dislocation . blood was delivered into edta - coated glass tubes and plasma was prepared by centrifugation at 14 , 000 g av for 10 min . radioactivity was counted in 50 μl aliquot &# 39 ; s after decolourisation with 100 μl of 30 % v / v hydrogen peroxide and the addition of 3 ml hisafeii scintillant . to overcome chemi - and photoluminescence , samples were counted for 2 min in a wallac 1410 s - counter over a 3 , 7 or 20 d period , depending on the sample source . during the periods between counting , samples were stored in the dark at ambient temperature . all calculations were performed on stabilised samples from which all chemi - and photoluminescence had been removed . to determine the percentage of injected mtx in the plasma , it was necessary to calculate the total plasma volume of each mouse ( ml ), using the standard formula : the percentage of injected mtx in the plasma was then calculated : to ensure an accurate quantitation of the amount of mtx delivered to the blood stream , the injection site on the tail vein was dissected and the mtx quantitated . the mean percentage of the mtx injection remaining at the injection site was 3 . 78 % ( sem : 0 . 57 %). the amount of mtx delivered to the bloodstream ( mtx available for distribution to the tissues and tumour ) was calculated as : the amount of mtx delivered to the bloodstream henceforth will be referred to as the “ injected dose ”. in order to make accurate comparisons between the sample population and normalise slight variations in organ and tumour masses , the concentration of mtx in the body organs and tumour and body fluid was expressed as % of injected dose / gram of tissue . the mean percentage of the mtx injection remaining at the injection site was 3 . 78 % ( sem : 0 . 57 %). to normalise such variations , the percentage of dpm found in tumour and tissues was calculated as a percentage of the dpm injected minus the dpm found remaining at the injection site . this amount is henceforth referred to as the available dpm or available methotrexate . the results are summarised in table 2 . no statistically significant difference was noted in the plasma levels of mtx when the drug was co - injected with ha . the gross pharmacokinetics of mtx remained unaltered , with maximum mtx plasma levels reached within 0 . 5 to 2 h following intravenous administration ( mims , 1997 ). when possible urine was collected from the non - wettable plastic enclosures with a syringe and needle . the urine was cleared by centrifugation at 14 , 000 g av for 10 min . its radioactive content was measured after the addition of 3 ml hisafeii scintillant to samples ranging from 8 - 30 μl . despite the technical difficulties in accurately quantitating the volume of urine produced by each mouse we calculated the percentage of injected mtx dose in the urine by the following formula : it was not possible to collect urine from each mouse , because of variations in the micturition rate . when 3 or more urine specimens were available per time point per treatment non - parametric statistical analysis of the data at those time points was performed . at one hour after administration there was 50 % ( p = 0 . 043 ) more mtx in the urine of mice which received mtx / ha ( see table 2 ). immediately after killing the mouse the tumour , liver , heart , spleen , bladder , left and right kidneys , uterus , lungs , stomach , intestines , brain and lymph nodes were excised and analysed for total radioactivity . the total radioactivity in each tissue was determined by solubilising 100 - 400 mg of tissue in 3 - 6 ml of optisolv ( acc , melbourne , australia ) for 36 h , 22 ° c . on completion of solubilisation , radioactivity in the tissue was counted after adding 10 ml of hisafeiii scintillant . again to overcome chemi - and photoluminescence , samples were counted for 2 min in a wallac 1410 β - counter over a 3 , 7 or 20 d period depending on the sample source . during the periods between counting , samples were stored in the dark at ambient temperature . all calculations were performed on stabilised samples from which all chemi - and photoluminescence had been removed . figures represent median ± sem ( n = 8 ). it was important to establish that metabolically active organs such as the liver , spleen and kidneys did not experience a high level of drug targeting which could counter - act any positive aspects of increased tumour targeting . table 2 lists the methotrexate uptake of each tissue at the various time points tested . utilising the mann - whitney rank sum test and students τ - test there was no statistically significant difference in mtx concentration / g tissue when mtx was co - injected with ha . because of the small number of animals at each time point , the mann - whitney test became statistically invalid if one data point overlapped , but in the liver , uterus and intestine a definite trend could be observed . in the liver there appeared to be a short - term increase in the uptake of mtx when it was combined with ha , as shown in fig7 . at 30 min and 1 h the liver contained a median increase in mtx concentration of 65 % and 26 % respectively . at 2 h no difference was observed in the amount of mtx in the liver regardless of treatment . an interesting trend became apparent after 4 h , when less mtx was found in the liver when it was co - injected with ha ( 4 h : 68 % less mtx and 8 h : 75 % less mtx ), as shown in fig8 . there was a significant trend in the intestine , where the combination of ha and mtx resulted in a decreased uptake of the drug at every time point , as shown in fig9 . the intestine was fully homogenised , followed by solubilisation of approximately 400 mg of tissue in 3 - 6 ml of optisolv for 24 h at 22 ° c ., followed by the addition of 10 ml hisafe - 3 scintillant . to overcome chemi - and photoluminescence , samples were counted for 2 min in a wallac 1410 β - counter over a 3 , 7 or 20 d period depending on the sample source . during the periods between counting , samples were stored in the dark at ambient temperature . all calculations were performed on stabilised samples where all chemi - and photoluminescence had been removed . the figures represent median ± sem ( n = 8 ). analysing the data with the non - parametric randomization test for matched pairs demonstrated that the co - administration of ha significantly reduced the excretion of drug into the gi tract ( p = 0 . 031 , one - tailed test ). the decrease in mtx concentration ranged from 43 - 67 %. the non - parametric randomization test for matched pairs showed that the co - administration of ha significantly reduced the excretion of drug into the gastrointestinal tract ( p = 0 . 031 , one - tailed test ). in the lungs there was significantly less mtx present at 4 h when co - administered with ha , with a median decrease of 52 % ( p = 0 . 014 ). no differences were demonstrated at other time points , however , so that the significance of this observation remains uncertain . no observable trends were detected in the spleen , uterus , brain , heart , lymph nodes , stomach and kidneys . there are two possible mechanisms of ha targeting of methotrexate to tumour cells ( fig1 ). there was a significant targeting effect when ha was combined with mtx ( fig7 ). the greatest relative increase in tumour retention of drug was observed at 0 . 5 h ( mean 24 % increase ), 1 h ( mean 30 % increase ) and 2 h ( mean 119 % increase ), whereas at 4 h and 8 h the increase was negligible . because of the small population size and non - parametric distribution of the data the mann - whitney rank sum test test was used , and revealed a significant increase in tumour uptake of drug when ha was co - injected . at 1 h the statistical significance was p = 0 . 01 and at 2 h , p = 0 . 050 . the other time points did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference , but the trend in mtx concentration / g of tumour was consistently greater when co - injected with ha . the data shown in fig7 unequivocally demonstrate that co - administration with ha has greatly increased the uptake of mtx by the tumour within 30 min after injection . moreover , co - administration also sustains a distinctly higher level during the subsequent decay in the concentration of drug within the tumour . at 1 h the difference was significant at p = 0 . 021 ( n 1 = 8 , n 2 = 8 ), and at 2 h when p = 0 . 05 ( n 1 = 8 , n 2 = 8 ) as assessed by non - parametric tests . ha containing entrapped mtx binds to the receptors ( cd44 and / or i - cam - 1 ) and is internalised via receptor - mediated endocytosis , so releasing the drug into the tumour cell . the ha molecular mesh will act as an impediment to outward diffusion , so that after ha binds to receptors ( cd 44 , rhamm and / or icam - 1 ), the entrained mtx is able to diffuse into the tumour cells . while held at the surface of the cells by the ha matrix the mtx has increased availability to the active transport mechanism normally utilised for mtx transport into the underlying cell . the side - effects and the distribution of a drug to tissues other than the desired sites of activity can also be influenced by its association with ha . for example , ha is normally cleared from the bloodstream by receptor - mediated cellular uptake and catabolism in the liver ( 80 - 90 %), kidneys ( 10 %), spleen and bone marrow , with some minor species variation in the last two sites . as expected ha does seem to increase hepatic delivery of the drug at least for a short time . at 30 min and 1 h the liver showed a median increase in mtx concentration of 65 % and 26 % respectively . at 2 h no difference was observed in the amount of mtx in the liver , regardless of treatment . an interesting trend became apparent after 4 h , where less mtx was found in the liver when it was co - injected with ha ( 4 h : 68 % less mtx and 8 h : 75 % less mtx ). after intravenous administration mtx is widely distributed in body water , and can be retained in the liver for months ( mcevoy , 1988 ); therefore the decreased median concentration of mtx in the liver at 4 and 8 h when co - injected with ha could indicate an altered balance in the routes of pharmacokinetic clearance . considering that ha is rapidly metabolised within the liver endothelial cells ( lec ) it follows that mtx which is co - internalised with ha would be released within the liver sinusoidal lining cells , where it could either diffuse into hepatocytes to be secreted in the bile and subsequently the gastrointestinal tract , or be returned to the circulation for further distribution into body water and for urinary excretion , or both . there could be a therapeutic advantage of short - term hepatic - targeting . in the case of liver metastasis a rapid , high exposure to mtx could be beneficial , and since the observed targeting is only for 1 h this would counteract any long term toxicity problems . liver targeting could be utilised with drugs which require bio - activation , eg mitomycin c , doxorubicin , where the drug / ha mixture would be targeted to the lec . with the inactive drug concentrated in the lec it would be able to diffuse into the hepatocytes for activation , thus acting as an activation targeting mechanism . one of the major sites of toxicity of mtx is the gastrointestinal tract . co - administration of mtx with ha significantly diminished the amount of drug delivered to the gi tract . there may be several mechanisms associated with the decreased concentration of mtx in the gut . methotrexate is a very small molecule , which one would expect normally to pass through most capillary walls , whereas association with ha would greatly reduce its passage through this route . rapid degradation of ha in the liver endothelial cells resulted in a rapid release of mtx into the liver and return to the bloodstream , where it would undergo increased renal clearance , as indicated at 1 h , and which 50 % more mtx was excreted in the urine of mice receiving mtx / ha preparations . the main pathway for the final elimination of mtx from the body is urinary excretion . there seems to be little increase in renal content of the drug with ha , but we believe from other evidence that ha is taken up and catabolised very quickly by the kidneys , so that its residence time would be short and associated drug would be quickly released into the urine . the results reported here represent the first stage of a pre - clinical study to examine the proposition that administration of therapeutic agents together with hyaluronan will achieve their selective delivery to the desired target of pathological tissue ; thus achieving a higher and more effective concentration at that point . in this case methotrexate , a cytotoxic drug widely used in current treatment regimens for human mammary cancer and other human malignancies , and for rheumatoid arthritis , has been studied by the intravenous route of administration with and without hyaluronan . we have found that the nude mouse model is a particularly suitable model for the study of human breast cancer in a living host , and to resolve some fundamental matters in the use of ha to direct therapeutic agents to the sites of diseased tissue , and thus to enhance their beneficial effects . our results have been achieved with a drug of small molecular weight that shows no specific form of association with ha , demonstrating that ha can still deliver such a drug in enhanced amounts to pathological tissue when injected into the bloodstream . this study demonstrates that in the conditions prevailing in the body , the mtx is sufficiently retained with ha to effect a significant enhancement of delivery to human breast cancer , as well as potentially reducing the undesired side - effect of gastrointestinal toxicity . having established the usefulness of the nude mouse model for ha / paclitaxel , it could now be used to test the effectiveness of other chemotherapeutics . it was decided that , due to its therapeutic importance , paclitaxel ( also known as taxol ) would be used . paclitaxel is isolated from the western yew , taxus brevifolia , ( wani et al 1971 ), and is clinically active against advanced ovarian and breast cancer ( rownisky et al 1990 ; mcguire et al 1989 ) and is currently undergoing clinical trials for treatment of a variety of other cancers . however the main problem associated with paclitaxel is its extreme lipophilicity and consequent poor aqueous solubility . efforts to solve this problem have led to the synthesis of paclitaxel analogues and prodrugs along with extensive efforts to devise safe and biocompatible formulations . to date no prodrugs have shown sufficient stability , solubility or activity that would warrant clinical development ( mathew et al 1992 ; vyas et al 1993 ). however , semisynthetic taxanes are showing greater solubility and potency than paclitaxel ( bissery et al 1991 ) and one form taxotere has entered human trials ( bisset et al 1993 ). the current clinical formulation of paclitaxel employed for intravenous delivery utilises ethanol and cremophor el in a 1 : 1 ( v / v ) ratio with the drug at 6 mg / ml . cremophor el is actually polyethoxylated castor oil ; a clear , oily viscous , yellow surfactant . stability studies have shown that the original formulation has a shelf - life of 5 years at 4 ° c . the preparation is diluted before use with 0 . 9 % saline or 5 % dextrose to concentrations of 0 . 3 - 1 . 2 mg / ml and the physical and chemical stability of the material in these conditions is ca . 27 h . however , dilution of the vehicle to these levels can produce a supersaturated solution ( adams et al 1993 ) that may be prone to precipitation if used outside the established guidelines . therefore an in - line filter is required during administration as a safeguard against the infusion of particulates . it is also recommended that diluted paclitaxel solutions be used within 24 h of preparation . hazing of the above solutions has also been observed and has been attributed to the extraction of plasticisers by cremophor from the infusion bags and tubing ( waugh et al 1991 ). in addition to the problems of physical instability mentioned previously the most significant problem with cremophor is the fact that it is reported to have pharmacological activity . a variety of drugs are administered using cremophor el including cyclosporin , tacrolymus and teniposide . however , the dose of cremophor el given with paclitaxel is higher than with any other marketed drug . cremophor has been observed to cause serious or fatal hypersensitivity episodes . vehicle toxicity may also be largely responsible for fatal or life threatening anaphylactic reactions observed upon rapid infusion of paclitaxel into animals or humans ( dye & amp ; watkins 1980 ; lorenz et al 1977 ; weiss et al 1990 ). a stock solution of paclitaxel is prepared by and individual injections are prepared according to individual mouse body masses . desiccated ha ( modal mr 8 . 9 × 10 5 k da ) is added to a portion of the 24 . 5 mg / ml paclitaxel stock solution and dissolved overnight with vortexing , to give a final concentration of 21 mg / ml . to ensure sterility gentamicin is added to a concentration of 50 μg / ml and incubated overnight at 4 ° c . following the addition of [ 3 h ] paclitaxel the ha / paclitaxel stock mixture is diluted to injection concentration with injection grade sodium chloride . injections are individually made according to mouse body masses , to deliver 15 mg / kg paclitaxel and 12 . 5 mg / kg ha in 50 μl . with this quantity of ha injected into the body , saturation kinetics would be observed for the period of the experiment ( fraser et al , 1983 ). to ensure that the ha had maintained its molecular weight during the preparation of the paclitaxel / ha injection mixture , the injection solution is analysed on a sephacryl s - 1000 size exclusion gel ( pharmacia , uppsala , sweden ) with column specifications of 1 . 6 cm × 70 cm , sample size 2 ml , flow rate 18 ml / h and 2 ml fraction size . fig4 shows that ha retained its molecular weight during the mixing procedure . mice are randomly divided into 2 groups of 40 animals . group i received paclitaxel only , and group 2 receive paclitaxel / ha combination therapy . animals are individually placed in an injection box , and the injections are administered via the tail vein . tritiated paclitaxel ( mean injected disintegration &# 39 ; s per minute ( dpm )± standard error of the mean ( sem ): 19 , 159 , 146 ± 1 , 336 , 819 ) is delivered in each injection . mice are individually housed in soft , non - wettable plastic enclosures so urine can be collected . at 30 min , 1 h , 2 h , 4 h or 8 h after injection mice are anaesthetised by 0 . 1 ml intra - peritoneal injection of nembutal ( glaxo , australia pty . ltd ., melbourne , australia ), and blood is collected from the heart or great vessels using a needle and syringe . after blood collection the animals are killed by cervical dislocation . blood is delivered into edta - coated glass tubes and plasma is prepared by centrifugation at 14 , 000 g av for min . radioactivity is counted in 50 μl aliquots after decolourisation with 100 μl of 30 % v / v hydrogen peroxide and the addition of 3 ml hisafeii scintillant . to overcome chemi - and photoluminescence , samples are counted for 2 min in a wallac 1410 β - counter over a 3 , 7 or 20 d period , depending on the sample source . during the periods between counting , samples are stored in the dark at ambient temperature . all calculations are performed on stabilised samples from which all chemi - and photoluminescence had been removed . to determine the percentage of injected paclitaxel in the plasma , it is necessary to calculate the total plasma volume of each mouse ( ml ), using the standard formula : the percentage of injected paclitaxel in the plasma is then calculated : to ensure an accurate quantitation of the amount of paclitaxel delivered to the blood stream , the injection site on the tail vein is dissected and the paclitaxel quantitated . the mean percentage of the paclitaxel injection remaining at the injection site is also determined . the amount of paclitaxel delivered to the bloodstream ( paclitaxel available for distribution to the tissues and tumour ) is calculated as : the amount of paclitaxel delivered to the bloodstream henceforth is referred to as the “ injected dose ”. in order to make accurate comparisons between the sample population and normalise slight variations in organ and tumour masses , the concentration of paclitaxel in the body organs and tumour and body fluid is expressed as % of injected dose / gram of tissue . the mean percentage of the paclitaxel injection remaining at the injection site is calculated . to normalise such variations , the percentage of dpm found in tumour and tissues is calculated as a percentage of the dpm injected minus the dpm found remaining at the injection site . this amount is referred to as the available dpm or available paclitaxel . when possible urine is collected from the non - wettable plastic enclosures with a syringe and needle . the urine is cleared by centrifugation at 14 , 000 g av for 10 min . its radioactive content is measured after the addition of 3 ml hisafeii scintillant to samples ranging from 8 - 30 μl . immediately after killing the mouse the tumour , liver , heart , spleen , bladder , left and right kidneys , uterus , lungs , stomach , intestines , brain and lymph nodes are excised and analysed for total radioactivity . the total radioactivity in each tissue is determined by solubilising 100 - 400 mg of tissue in 3 - 6 ml of optisolv ( acc , melbourne , australia ) for 36 h , 22 ° c . on completion of solubilisation , radioactivity in the tissue is counted after adding 10 ml of hisafeiii scintillant . again to overcome chemi - and photoluminescence , samples are counted for 2 min in a wallac 1410 β - counter over a 3 , 7 or 20 d period depending on the sample source . during the periods between counting , samples are stored in the dark at ambient temperature . all calculations are performed on stabilised samples from which all chemi - and photoluminescence had been removed . 5 - fluorouracil is ( 5 - fu ) an antimetabolite that is commonly used in the treatment of breast and gastrointestinal tract cancers ( piper & amp ; fox , 1982 ). 5 - fu is converted to its active nucleotide form intracellularly where it interferes with both dna and rna synthesis . the drug functions via two mechanisms in vivo : ( i ) fdump binds tightly to thymidylate synthase preventing the formation of thymidylate , which is an essential precursor of deoxythymidine triphosphate ( dttp ) which is one of the four deoxyribonucleotides required for dna synthesis . the thymine - less state created by this inhibition is toxic to actively dividing cells ( pinedo & amp ; peters , 1988 ). ( ii ) the second way in which 5 - fu functions is that the incorporation of futp into rna interferes with rna function . the inhibition of thymidylate synthase caused by fdurd and 5 - fu incorporation into rna is capable of causing cytotoxic effects on cells . both the concentration and duration of exposure of 5 - fu are important determinants of cytotoxicity . as rna - directed effects are probably predominant with prolonged duration of exposure , where as dna - directed effects might be more important during short - term exposure of cells in s phase . several studies have examined the use of ha as a drug delivery system for anti - cancer drugs . coradini et al ( 1999 ) covalently bound sodium butyrate to ha , to determine whether this ha / sodium butyrate combination would enhance drug uptake by breast cancer cells in vitro . this study indicated that the mechanism of action of ha as a drug delivery vehicle may involve the ha - butyrate - ester derivative being carried to the cd44 receptors . the ha / drug complex was internalised , followed by cytoplasmic hydrolysis of the ha / drug complex , subsequently releasing the butyrate which exerted an anti - proliferative effect . one in vivo study has been performed which covalently linked mitomycin c to ha as a means of treating murine lewis lung xenografts ( akima et al , 1996 ). it was found that the ha - mmc complex resulted in anti - tumour activity at a low dose of 0 . 01 mg / kg where the sole agent , mitomycin c did not demonstrate anti - tumour activity . investigation of the synergistic action of 5 - fu and ha in human breast cancer cells human breast adenocarcinoma cell lines mda - mb - 468 , mda - mb - 435 and mda - mb - 231 were selected based on ha binding affinity ( culty et al , 1994 ) and the expression of the ha receptors of cd44 and rhamm ( wang et al , 1996 ). summaries of the cell line characteristics are shown in table 3 . it can be seen from table 4 that breast cancer cells grown in media containing 0 nm 5 - fu + 100 nm of ha did not demonstrate a statistically significant proliferative or cytotoxic effect when compared to untreated cells . therefore all results were expressed as a percentage of the 0 nm 5 - fu / 0 nm ha cell count . distinct differences in growth patterns were noted between cell lines , for example mda - mb - 231 and mda - mb - 468 cells demonstrated a poor plating efficiency , where numerous floating cells were present before application of the test media . the mda - mb - 435 cell line demonstrated a high plating efficiency and a very rapid growth rate . when ha was combined with 5 - fu a syngeristic cytotoxic effect was observed with the mda - mb - 468 cell line , but not with the mda - mb - 231 or mda - mb - 435 breast cancer cell lines . this is shown in fig1 . the ic 50 of 5 - fu alone was & gt ; 50 μm , but when combined with ha the ic 50 was 40 nm , a reduction in drug dosage of up to 1250 times . the results from the in vitro experiments demonstrated an increase in cell kill when 5 - fu was applied to the breast cancer cells in the presence of ha . the mda - mb - 468 cells showed the greatest susceptibility to the 5 - fu / ha therapy where the ic 50 was decreased from & gt ; 50 μm to 40 nm , whereas both the mda - mb - 231 and mda - mb - 435 were not greatly affected by the 5 - fu / ha combination . all of the breast cancer cell lines expressed high levels of the cd44 receptor with the mda - mb - 468 ( 60 - 80 %), mda - mb - 231 ( 40 - 60 %) and mda - mb - 435 ( 40 - 60 %) as determined by culty et al ( 1994 ). it has been demonstrated that the three cell lines used in these experiments are able to degrade ha , implying that the function of cd44 in tumour cells may be to mediate the degradation of ha ( culty et al , 1994 ). another factor to consider is the previous exposure of the cells to chemotherapeutic drugs . before a cancer cell line is isolated from a patient , the cancer sufferer has often undergone chemotherapy or radiation , which could result in the tumour containing treatment - resistant cells . in the case of mda - mb - 435 and mda - mb - 231 the patients from which the cell lines were derived had both been previously exposed to 5 - fu ( cailleau et al , 1974 ). since cancer cells contain several adaptation mechanisms to overcome drug cytotoxicity , it is very likely that the tumour mass that remained after treatment was resistant to 5 - fu , subsequently altering the susceptibility of the cells to the drug in vitro . with the view of extrapolating any in vivo data obtained mice to the treatment of human counterparts , the experimental model and design was carefully developed . to definitively demonstrate the in vivo targeting and therapeutic efficacy of 5 - fu / ha adjuvant therapy on human breast cancer xenografts , the following factors were examined : human breast cancer tumours were established in a well - validated walter and eliza hall institute strain of nude mouse , a widely accepted model for such studies which avoids an immune response against allogenic cells . comparative data on the pharmacokinetics of 5 - fu that have already been published for the nude mouse and humans ( inaba et al , 1988 ), and were utilised in the design of this study , to simulate human therapeutic doses as closely as possible . a major aim was validation that the histological and cytological behaviour of the tumours established in these mice were comparable to that of such tumours in their natural human hosts . in achieving this aim we have also shown that the tumour cells in the mice are of human origin and that they express highly relevant ha receptors such as rhamm and cd44 . a stock of ha solution ( 10 μm , 7 mg / ml ) was prepared by dissolving desiccated ha ( modal mr 7 × 10 5 kda ) in 0 . 9 % w / v pyrogen - free injection grade nacl . to ensure a homogenous solution the ha was dissolved overnight at 4 ° c . followed by thorough vortexing . to ensure that the ha had maintained its molecular weight during the preparation of the stock solution , the solution was analysed on a sephacryl s - 1000 size exclusion gel with column specifications of 1 . 6 cm × 70 cm , sample size 2 ml , flow rate 18 ml / h and 2 ml fraction size . the ha was used at a final concentration of 100 nm , with all dilutions made in the appropriate growth medium . the stock solution of 5 - fu was prepared by dissolving 5 - fu in 0 . 1m sodium hydroxide and brought to a concentration of 20 mg / ml with 0 . 9 % w / v pyrogen - free injection grade nacl . the stock solution was filtered through a 0 . 22 μm filter to ensure sterility before addition of [ 3 h ]- fu and dilution to injection concentration with injection grade sodium chloride . individual injections were prepared according to individual mouse masses , with the aim of delivering 30 mg / kg 5 - fu in 50 μl ( equivalent to human therapeutic dose of 10 . 5 mg / kg for a mean body weight of 60 kg ; inaba et al , 1988 ). a pyrogen - free , ha stock solution ( 10 mg / ml ; modal m r 7 × 10 5 da ) was added to a portion of the 20 mg / ml 5 - fu stock solution and incubated overnight with vortexing , to a final ha concentration equivalent to 12 . 5 mg / kg of mouse mass . injections were individually made according to mouse masses , to deliver 30 mg / kg 5 - fu and 12 . 5 mg / kg ha in 50 μl . with this quantity of ha injected into the body , saturation kinetics would be observed for the period of the experimentation ( fraser et al , 1983 ). to ensure that the ha had maintained its molecular weight during the preparation of the injection mixture , the injection solution was analysed on a sephacryl s - 1000 size exclusion gel with column specifications of 1 . 6 cm × 70 cm , sample size 2 ml , flow rate 18 ml / h and 2 ml fraction size . hyaluronan was detected in column fractions by the uronic acid assay . the uronic acid assay was used to detect the presence of hyaluronan qualitatively from the fractions collected from the gel filtration chromatography procedure . a 25 μl aliquot of each fraction was then transferred into a 96 well plate . 250 μl of a carbazole reagent ( 3m carbazole / 0 . 025m borate in h 2 so 4 ) was then added to these fractions . the 96 well plate was incubated for 45 - 60 min at 80 ° c . a dynatech mr7000 plate reader with a 550 nm filter was used to read the 96 well plate . the absorbance was considered to be significant when it was & gt ; 3 standard deviations above the background absorbance . the background was calculated by taking an equal number of sample points before and after v o and v t where the average number taken was 16 ( fraser et al . 1988 ). the formulation of ha and 5 - fu ( 10 mg / ml ha and 20 mg / ml 5 - fu in 0 . 5 % nacl , ph 8 . 9 ) did not demonstrate a degradative effect on the molecular weight of the ha . chromatographical analysis in a size exclusion gel indicated the maintenance of the modal molecular weight of 700 , 000 da . in designing drug titration experiments in vitro it is desirable to apply drug concentrations similar to the concentrations reached in plasma after intravenous administration . when 5 - fu is therapeutically administered by an intravenous route ( iv ) at 10 . 5 mg / kg ( 400 mg / m 2 ), the peak plasma level within 30 min is 8 μg / ml [ 61 μm , kubo , 1990 ). based on these plasma concentrations in vivo the following drug concentrations were selected ; 0 , 1 , 5 , 10 , 20 , 50 , 100 μm 5 - fu ± 100 nm ha . the cell lines mda - mb - 468 , mda - mb - 231 , and mda - mb - 435 were grown as specified above in examples 4 to 5 . when the cultures reached confluence the cells were removed from the flasks in 0 . 25 % trypsin / 0 . 05 % edta . the single - cell suspension was counted with a coulter counter ( zm1 model ) and cells were resuspended to 100 , 000 cells / ml in cell - specific media . cells were plated into 24 - well plates ( 2 cm 2 surface area ) by adding 0 . 5 ml of cell suspension per well , resulting in 50 , 000 cells / well . cultures were allowed to attach for 24 h , before the media was removed , monolayers washed with hbss and the test media ( 5 - fu + ha ) applied . after 4 days of growth in test media the cultures were washed with hbss , the cells removed from the well by trypsinisation with 0 . 25 % trypsin / 0 . 05 % edta and cells were counted with a coulter counter . based on the results from the drug sensitivity in vitro experiments as described in examples 5 to 7 , and the expression of the ha receptors of cd44 and rhamm , the human breast carcinoma cell line mda - mb - 468 was selected as the cancer cell inoculant for the generation of any nude mouse human tumour xenografts . cells were routinely grown and subcultured as a previously described in example 5 . for injection into mice , cells were grown to 100 % confluency , trypsinised in 0 . 025 % trypsin / 0 . 01 % edta solution , washed twice by centrifugation in a beckman tj - 6 bench centrifuge at 400 g av , for 10 min , counted using a model - zm coulter counter and resuspended in serum - free leibovitz l - 15 medium at 1 × 10 8 cells / ml . the athymic cba / wehi nude female mice , 6 to 8 weeks old , were maintained under specific pathogen - free conditions , with sterilised food and water available ad libitum . each mouse received one injection containing 5 × 10 6 cells in 50 μl . the cells were injected with a 26 gauge needle into the mammary fat pad directly under the first nipple ( lamszus et al , 1997 ). tumour measurements were made weekly by measuring three perpendicular diameters ( d 1 d 2 d 3 ). tumour volume was estimated using the formula : treatment with 5 - fu ± ha was commenced approximately 4 - 8 weeks after the cancer cell inoculation . the mean tumour size for mice used in each study is summarised in table 5 . to establish the tumorigenicity of breast cancer cell line mda - mb - 468 and its ability to generate tumours upon injection into an appropriate animal host , it was necessary to perform pathological testing . for a tumour to be physiologically viable neovascularisation is essential where the capillary network supplies nutrients to the tumour . the presence of vascularisation , ductal invasion , necrosis , apoptosis , a high mitotic index and nuclear abnormalities are all characteristic of breast carcinoma . examination of the haematoxylin and eosin stained breast tumour sections demonstrated all of these features , so confirming that the animal host successfully maintained a grade ii human breast carcinoma . approximately 8 weeks after tumour induction two tumour - bearing mice were given a lethal dose of nembutal . within 3 min of killing the mice , tumours were surgically removed and immediately fixed in 10 % buffered formalin for 12 h . the fixed tumour was dehydrated overnight in a series of 70 - 100 % ethanol , followed by paraffin embedding from which 2 - 4 μm sections were cut . the sections were placed on slides , de - waxed , and brought to water . slides were washed 3 × 5 min in pbs . heterophile proteins were blocked by incubation with 10 % foetal calf serum for 10 min , followed by a pbs rinse . the detection antibodies were applied for 60 min at rt . the detection antisera or antibodies were against rhamm , cd44h and cae . the slides were washed 3 × 5 min in pbs and endogenous peroxidase activity blocked by immersion in 0 . 3 % h 2 o 2 in methanol for 20 min . following a further pbs wash , the peroxidase - conjugated pig anti - rabbit secondary antiserum was applied for 60 min at rt , followed by 3 × 5 min washes in pbs . sigma fast 3 , 3 ′- diaminobenzidine tablets ( dab ) were prepared according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions and the dab solution was applied for 5 - 10 min at rt . the slides were washed in tap water for 10 min , counterstained with haematoxylin , dehydrated and mounted . the human origin of the tumour was confirmed by staining the tumour and surrounding tissue with a human - specific cancer marker . the presence of cea clearly demonstrated that the tumour was human , while being maintained by the cardiovascular system of the murine host . since it was hypothesised that tumour targeting could occur via receptor - mediated internalisation or binding it was necessary to establish the expression of ha receptors , cd44 and rhamm . table 6 lists the degree of receptor expression on the human breast cancer xenografts . mice were randomly divided into 2 groups of 25 animals . group 1 received [ 3 h ] 5 - fu only , and group 2 received the [ 3 h ] 5 - fu / ha combination . the treatments were quantitatively administered via the tail vein with weighing of the injection syringe before and after injection . tritiated 5 - fu ( mean injected dpm ± sem : 31 , 313 , 002 ± 131 , 348 ) contained within 30 mg / kg 5 - fu ± 12 . 5 mg / kg ha was delivered in each injection . to ensure an accurate quantitation of the amount of [ 3 h ] 5 - fu delivered to the blood stream , the injection site on the tail vein was dissected and its [ 3 h ] 5 - fu content measured . the amount of 5 - fu delivered to the bloodstream ( 5 - fu available for distribution to the tissues and tumour ) was calculated as : the amount of 5 - fu delivered to the bloodstream was referred to as the “ injected dose ”. in order to make accurate comparisons between the sample population and normalise slight variations in organ and tumour masses , the concentration of 5 - fu in the body organs and tumour and body fluid was expressed as % of injected dose / gram of tissue . mice were individually housed in soft , non - wettable plastic enclosures so urine could be collected . at 10 min , 20 min , 30 min , 1 h or 2 h after injection mice were anaesthetised by 0 . 1 ml intra - peritoneal injection of nembutal . upon anaesthetising the animals , blood was collected from the heart or great vessels using a needle and syringe . blood was collected into edta glass tubes and plasma was prepared by centrifugation at 14 , 000 gav for 10 min . radioactivity was counted in 50 μl after decolourisation with 100 μl of hydrogen peroxide , 30 % v / v and the addition of 3 ml hisafeii scintillant . to overcome chemi - and photoluminescence , samples were counted for 2 min in a wallac 1410 f - counter over a 3 , 7 or 20 d period depending on the sample source . during the periods between counting , samples were stored in the dark at ambient temperature . all calculations were performed on stabilised samples where all chemi - and photoluminescence had disappeared . to determine the percentage of injected 5 - fu in the plasma , it was necessary to calculate the total plasma volume of each mouse ( ml ). the standard formula was : the percentage of injected 5 - fu in the plasma was calculated by : when possible urine was collected from the non - wettable plastic enclosures with a syringe and needle . the urine was cleared by centrifugation at 14 , 000 gav for 10 min . its radioactive content was measured after the addition of 3 ml hisafeii scintillant to samples ranging from 8 - 30 ul . through the technical difficulties in accurately quantitating the volume of urine produced by each mouse the % of the injected 5 - fu dose in the urine was calculated by the following formula : once blood was taken , the mice were killed by cervical dislocation . immediately after killing the mouse the tumour , liver , heart , spleen , bladder , left and right kidneys , uterus , lungs , stomach , intestines , brain and lymph nodes were excised and analysed for total radioactivity . the total radioactivity per tissue was determined by solubilising 100 - 400 mg of tissue in 3 - 6 ml of for 36 h , 22 ° c . on completion of solubilisation the tissue was counted after adding 10 ml of hisafeii scintillant . the samples were counted as previously described to avoid chemiluminescence . as shown in fig1 , there was a significant targeting effect when combining ha with 5 - fu . the greatest relative increase in tumour retention of drug was observed at 10 min where the ha enhanced drug uptake by a factor of 2 . 42 ( p = 0 . 001 , students t - test ). at 20 min and 30 min after administration of the ha / 5 - fu statistically significant increases in the tumour uptake of 5 - fu was also noted , with increased drug uptake of 1 . 5 and 2 - fold respectively ( p & lt ; 0 . 001 , students t - test ). the other time points did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference between 5 - fu administered as a sole agent versus co - injection with ha . it was important to establish that metabolic organs such as the liver , spleen and kidneys did not experience a high level of drug targeting which could counter - act any positive aspects of increased tumour targeting . table 7 lists the [ 3 h ] 5 - fu uptake of each tissue at the various time points tested . these organs did not exhibit a significant increase in 5 - fu uptake when it was co - injected with ha . however , the kidneys did demonstrate a significant increase in 5 - fu targeting at 10 min after administration ( 1 . 8 - fold increase , p = 0 . 04 ) with ha . after this point , even though , not statistically significant , this trend of enhanced drug uptake continued until the end of the sampling period . the bladder , intestines and bone marrow did not demonstrate an increased uptake of 5 - fu . in tissues such as the uterus there was a short - term increase in drug uptake at 10 min ( 1 . 8 - fold increase , p = 0 . 032 ), but no differences were demonstrated at other time points , so the significance of this observation must remain uncertain . the stomach , brain and lungs did demonstrate increased 5 - fu uptake at one or two sampling points . however , due to the small number of animals at each time point ( n = 5 ) it was not possible to substantiate statistical significance , even though a definite trend could be observed as shown in fig1 a - c . at the later sampling points of 1 h and 2 h a significant decrease in cardiac 5 - fu was noted , where co - administration with ha resulted in a decrease of 59 % ( p = 0 . 003 ) and 53 % ( p = 0 . 021 ) respectively . it was not possible to collect urine from each mouse , through variations in the micturition rate ; therefore insufficient urine was collected to enable statistical analysis . when 5 - fu was co - injected with ha there was an early decrease in the circulatory levels of 5 - fu ( table 7 ). hyaluronan reduced plasma 5 - fu by 55 % ( p = 0 . 001 ). the pharmacokinetic plasma half - life was altered from 28 min to 56 min in mice receiving 5 - fu / ha as shown in fig1 . one of the most commonly used treatment regimens for human breast cancer is cyclophosphamide , methotrexate and 5 - fluorouacil which is administered on day 1 and 8 of a 28 day cycle . in human breast cancer the initial treatment regimen is for 6 cycles at which time the patient condition is re - assessed , therefore we tried to simulate the human treatment regimen as closely as possible by exposing the mice to 6 cycles ( 6 months ) of treatment in a long term efficacy study and a 6 cycles ( 6 week ) short term efficacy study . considering the life cycle of a mouse is approximately 2 years we commenced both short - term and long - term treatment protocols as shown in table 8 . mice were randomly divided into 7 groups of 8 animals per group for the short term study and 5 groups of 8 animals for the long term study ( refer to table 8 for dosage and treatment administration schedule ). the treatment was not extended over the 6 month regimen since it has been demonstrated that chemotherapy lasting more than six months has not generally been associated with greater benefit ( harris et al , 1992 ). animals were weighed and tumour volumes measured on the day of treatment application for long term study as described in example 8 . in the 6 - week study animals were weighed and tumour volumes measured on a daily basis . animals were individually placed in an injection box , and the injections were administered via the tail vein . it has been experimentally proven that stress can be a major factor in a patients response to chemotherapy ( shackney et al , 1978 ), therefore we ensured that equal numbers of mice were allocated to each cage , the animal number per cage varied from 5 - 8 depending on the stage of experimentation . the experimental end - point occurred when the animal had to be euthanised due to degree of disease progression or when the 6 month ( long term ) or 6 week ( short term ) treatment regimen was completed . due to the animal ethics guidelines the animals were monitored fortnightly by an independent animal ethics officer who assessed the degree of disease progression . as shown in fig1 , the following criteria were used to determine if an animal had reached the stage of experimental end - point of necessary death : 1 ). animal was not eating or drinking and had experienced dramatic weight loss ; 2 ). tumour size was greater than 10 % of body mass ( panel a ); 3 ). tumour mass was so large the animal was immobilised ( panel b ). at the experimental end - point the animals were anaesthetised by a 0 . 1 ml intra - peritoneal injection of nembutal ( 60 mg / ml ), blood was collected followed by killing of the animals using cervical dislocation . at the end of the 6 week study tumour mass was determined and both the 5 - fu and 5 - fu / ha therapies had significantly smaller tumours than the saline group ( p = 0 . 005 ) as seen in fig1 . there was not a significant difference in tumour volume between the 5 - fu and ha / 5 - fu treatment groups , indicating that both therapies displayed equal efficacy against the primary tumour . no statistical difference was noted between the primary tumour volume of saline and ha . immediately after killing the mouse the tumour , liver , heart , spleen , bladder , left and right kidneys , uterus , lungs , stomach , intestines , brain and lymph nodes were excised and placed in 4 % formalin buffered with 0 . 06m phosphate ph 7 . 5 , and cetylpyridinium chloride , 1 . 0 % w / v . the tissue was fixed for 16 - 24 h before histological processing . fixed tissue was dehydrated stepwise to 100 % ethanol and embedded in paraffin blocks from which 2 - 4 μm sections were placed on glass microscope slides . staining the tissue sections with a haematoxylin nuclear stain and eosin cytoplasmic stain highlighted any pathological features that could indicate treatment toxicity . nine to 11 lymph nodes were collected per animal , ensuring that all nodes which drained the tumour area were collected . there are currently two methods used for the detection of lymph node metastasis : both methods of metastasis detection were employed in this study . not all commercially available cea antibodies react with human breast cancer cells , so we tested the reactivity of 5 different antibodies ( dako , amersham and kpl ). the haematoxylin and eosin stained lymph nodes were examined by dr p . allen ( certified pathologist ) where each node was microscopically examined for the presence of tumour cells . the cea immunostained lymph nodes were microscopically examined , where any positively stained nodes were counted and considered positive for lymph node metastasis . tumour volume was monitored on a daily or weekly basis by calliper measurements and tumour volume calculated as previously described in example 8 . one of the most common toxic effects of 5 - fu is on the gastro - intestinal tract where haemorrhagic enteritis and intestinal perforation can occur ( martindale , 1993 ). animals were monitored daily for gi tract upset such as diarrhoea and weekly for more severe toxicity manifestations such as weight loss . weight loss was monitored by calculating net body weight as estimated by subtracting tumour weight , which was calculated as 1 g × tumour volume ( cm 3 ) as cited in shibamoto et al , 1996 . for demonstration of any weight changes the animal body weight was normalised to the body weight at the time of treatment commencement as : no daily gi tract upset such as diarrhoea was noted in any of the animals regardless of treatment regimen . severe gastro - intestinal toxicity for each treatment regimen was estimated using loss of body weight ( excluding the tumour weight ) as an indicator . at the time of death of each animal the percentage change in body mass was calculated as previously described . there was a statistically significant difference in the normalised body weight between the saline , ha , 5 - fu treatment groups as compared to the 5 - fu / ha group treatment group ( fig1 ). the mice receiving the 5 - fu / ha adjuvant therapy demonstrated a 16 % increase in body weight ( students t - test , p = 0 . 025 ) throughout the treatment in comparison to the untreated group which experienced a net increase of 2 % in weight . the combination of immunohistochemical detection of carcinoembryonic antigen ( cea ) with classical diagnostic pathology provided an excellent quantitation of lymph node metastasis . the average mouse contains 15 - 19 lymph nodes ( lamszus et al , 1997 ), therefore this study examined approximately 60 - 70 % of the animals lymph nodes . careful procedure was followed to ensure that all nodes that drained the mammary fat pad and chest region were removed and examined . as demonstrated in table 9a , all animals displayed lymph node metastasis . table 9a the effect of 5 - fu / ha adjuvant therapy on the growth and metastasis of human breast cancer xenografts in nude mice : 6 - week study % of animals number % of lymph node number of animal % change in treatment tdt with lymph of new involved per animal completing body weight group mean ± sem node metastasis tumours mean ± sem treatment mean ± sem 1 . saline 9 . 4 ± 1 . 1 100 3 94 . 2 ± 2 . 8 8 / 8 100 . 1 ± 0 . 61 2 . 5 - fu / ha 20 . 9 ± 2 . 7 100 0 12 . 1 ± 0 . 9 8 / 8 116 . 0 ± 0 . 56 3 . ha d1 , 2 27 . 7 ± 5 . 2 100 0 18 ± 4 . 1 8 / 8 102 . 5 ± 0 . 38 4 . 5 - fu d1 , 2 32 . 1 ± 3 . 5 100 1 14 . 3 ± 2 . 9 8 / 8 97 . 5 ± 0 . 73 5 . ha followed by 5 - fu 14 . 8 ± 3 . 7 to be assessed to be assessed to be assessed 8 / 8 101 . 8 ± 0 . 93 6 . ha d1 , 3 30 . 7 ± 4 . 9 to be assessed to be assessed to be assessed 8 / 8 100 . 9 ± 0 . 56 7 . 5 - fu d 2 , 4 15 . 3 ± 2 . 5 to be assessed to be assessed to be assessed 8 / 8 98 . 3 ± 0 . 73 fig1 a shows that the percentage of lymph node involvement ( number of metastatic nodes per animal ) was greatly affected by 5 - fu , 5 - fu / ha and ha treatment , where the saline group demonstrated a 6 - fold increase in the amount of lymph node involvement . once again , ha demonstrated that it could have therapeutic value . while dissecting the animal at the end of the study every tissue was microscopically and macroscopically examined for tumour nodules . with the exception of the mice receiving the ha / 5 - fu or ha therapy , new tumours were observed around the neck or underarm region of the area adjacent to the primary tumour . the incorporation of ha into the treatment regimen inhibited new tumour formation , as shown in fig1 b . there was not a significant difference in overall patient survival regardless of treatment ( table 9a ), where animals from all groups completed the treatment regimens . as one of the major toxicities associated with 5 - fu treatment is depression of the bone marrow and subsequent drop in white blood cells it was necessary to assess any treatment associated blood toxicity . upon anaesthetising the animals , blood was collected from the heart or great vessels using a needle and syringe . estimation of white blood cell number by making a 1 / 10 dilution of blood in mouse tenacity saline ( m ) and counting it on a haemocytometer . a differential blood count was performed by counting neutrophils , lymphocytes , and erythrocytes . the total estimation of blood cell subpopulations was compared to published data for mouse blood . to ensure that treatments did not induce organ atrophy or enlargement , the organs were removed and weighed during the post mortem . the mass of each organ was calculated as a % of the overall net body weight , and compared to the organ masses of the saline only group ( group 1 ). while this study is still on - going there are significant data being generated . the tdt is the time taken ( days ) for a tumour to double in mass or cell number , a parameter of tumour growth which is simple to measure and can be easily related to clinical tumour behaviour in conceptional terms ( shackney et al , 1978 ). by monitoring the tumour doubling time it is often possible to evaluate tumour chemotherapeutic response , as slowly growing tumours tend to respond poorly to chemotherapy ( schabel , 1975 ). the tumour doubling time for each treatment is shown in table 9b . table 9b the effect of 5 - fu / ha adjuvant therapy on the growth and metastasis of human breast cancer xenografts in nude mice : 6 - month study tdt experimental tumour pathology : treatment mean ± sem endpoint observations saline 13 . 0 ± 4 . 0 87 . 5 % immobilsed no specific 12 . 5 % metabolic characteristics stress 5 - fu 22 . 7 ± 2 . 9 62 . 5 % immobilsed no specific 37 . 5 % metabolic characteristics stress 5 - fu / ha 28 ± 2 . 6 25 % immobilsed small areas of 75 % metabolic necrosis appeared , stress followed by large areas of scab formation . 2 / 8 tumours fully necrosed and “ dropped off ” ha 26 ± 1 . 75 100 % immobilsed small areas of necrosis and scab formation ha 13 . 5 ± 0 . 63 37 . 5 % immobilsed no specific followed 62 . 5 % metabolic characteristics by 5 - fu stress there was not a significant difference in tdt between the 5 - fu / ha and 5 - fu treatment . as with the 6 - week study , the administration of ha also demonstrated a therapeutic effect on the primary tumour , demonstrating a tdt of 26 ± 1 . 75 versus the saline of 13 ± 4 days . the administration of ha 24 h before 5 - fu appeared to counteract any therapeutic value of 5 - fu in relation to retardation of tumour growth . tumour mass and volume are useful parameters in monitoring tumour treatment response and progression , but do not ultimately demonstrate the cytotoxic effects rendered by a therapy . we wanted to establish if the ha / 5 - fu therapy killed more tumour cells and the location of the cells . dying cells can be pathologically manifested by : scanning the entire tumour image into an mcid computer that calculated the entire tumour area quantitated the number of dying cells . the cells with fragmented nuclei or lysed cells were outlined and scanned , these areas which are then digitised and the exact area of dying cells calculated . the percentage of the tumour attributed to dead cells was calculated by : a viable cell contains more water than a dying or dead cell , therefore by determining the ratio of dry tumour mass to wet tumour mass it is possible to estimate the overall area of viable versus non - viable cells . the tumours were dissected bilaterally where half was processed for tumour pathology and the remaining half was weighed before and after drying at 50 ° c . for 48 h . the dry mass as a percentage of wet tumour mass was calculated by : the overall patient survival time was calculated as the time ( days or weeks ) that the animal lived after the commencement of treatment . the tumour doubling time for each treatment is shown in table 9a . there was not a significant difference in tdt between the 5 - fu / ha and 5 - fu treatments . however , the administration of ha demonstrated a therapeutic effect on the primary tumour , where the tdt was significantly greater than the saline group ( p , 0 . 05 , multiple comparison tukey test ). the administration of ha 24 before 5 - fu appeared to counteract any therapeutic value of 5 - fu in relation to retardation of tumour growth . the cited cure rate for 5 - fu is 26 % ( inaba et al , 1989 ), but the animals receiving 5 - fu did not experience a “ cure ”. two mice receiving the ha / 5 - fu adjuvant therapy experienced a “ cure ” where the tumours fully necrosed and dropped off after approximately 12 weeks of treatment . fig2 b shows the characteristic appearance of small scab formation on mice receiving treatment with ha and ha / 5 - fu , while fig2 c shows the appearance of small areas of necrosis followed by the formation of a large area of scab . one of the mice experienced the re - growth of a small nodule , but the second mouse was still tumour free at 22 weeks . as seen in fig2 a , mice receiving 5 - fu or saline had large tumours that ultimately ended with the animal dying due to mass of tumour burden ( table 9b ), but mice receiving ha ± 5 - fu displayed a characteristic tumour appearance , where a small area necrosed followed by the formation of a scab . at week 22 , 37 . 5 % of the 5 - fu / ha mice were still surviving , and the major cause of death for the 5 - fu / ha adjuvant therapy mice was loss of weight and metabolic stress ( table 9b ). there appears to be a significant difference in overall patient survival when ha ± 5 - fu is administered to mice bearing human breast cancer xenografts . at week 22 of a 24 week study the only surviving groups are the 5 - fu / ha and ha groups , as shown in fig2 . the data from the 5 - fu targeting show that there was a statistically significant increase in 5 - fu uptake by tumours when 5 - fu was injection with ha at the time points 10 , 20 and 30 minutes with a 2 . 4 , 1 . 5 and 2 fold increase respectively in 5 - fu uptake ( table 7 ). this indicated that 5 - fu was being targeted to the tumour by the ha . there are two possible mechanisms of ha targeting of 5 - fu to tumour cells : ha containing associated 5 - fu binds to the receptors ( cd44 ) and is internalised via receptor - mediated endocytosis , so releasing the drug into the tumour cell . the ha molecular mesh will act as an impedance to outward diffusion , so that after ha binds to receptors ( cd 44 and rhamm ), the entrained 5 - fu is able to diffuse into the tumour cells . while held at the surface of the cells by the ha matrix the 5 - fu has increased availability to the active transport mechanism normally utilised for 5 - fu transport into the underlying cell . the catabolism of ha mainly occurs in the lymph nodes ( fraser et al , 1988 ) and the liver ( laurent et al , 1986 ). ha is normally cleared from the blood stream by receptor - mediated cellular uptake and catabolism in the liver ( 80 - 90 %), kidneys ( 10 %), spleen ( 0 . 1 %) and bone marrow ( 0 . 1 %).” ( fraser et al , 1983 ). circulating ha is taken up by the metabolic receptor , also known as the liver endothelial cell ( lec ) receptor ( eriksson et al , 1983 ), whereas the cd44 receptor appears to be involved with ha internalisation associated with cellular processes instead of metabolism , while the rhamm receptor is only involved in cell motility . combining ha with 5 - fu could result in high levels of 5 - fu being targeted to the sites of ha or 5 - fu metabolism . the data from the targeting experiments ( table 6 ) shows that there was no significant increase in 5 - fu targeting to the liver when administered with ha . as no observed increased targeting to the liver was observed it could suggest that the lec receptor on the liver might have a lower binding affinity for ha in comparison to the cd44 receptor . another possibility is that the cd44 isoform expressed on liver cells ( stamenkovic et al , 1991 ) does not bind ha with a high affinity . as with the liver no increased targeting of 5 - fu was noted in the other metabolic organs of the spleen , bone marrow and lymph nodes . there was a significant 1 . 8 fold increase in 5 - fu targeted to the kidneys within a 10 min time frame . although the other four time points did not show a significant increase in 5 - fu uptake by the kidney when ha / 5 - fu was co - administered , there appeared to be a general trend occurring , where more 5 - fu delivered to the kidneys on administration with ha . the main pathway for the final elimination of 5 - fu from the body is urinary excretion . even though there seems to be little increase in renal content of the drug with ha , but we believe from other evidence that ha is taken up and catabolised - very quickly by the kidneys so that its residence time would be short and associated drug would be quickly released into the urine . in tissues such as the stomach , brain , lungs and uterus short - term targeting was noted at one or more time points . no consistent pharmacokinetic patterns were generated , which could indicate that we need to increase the population sample number , which could definitively indicate if these observations are genuine . in the case of the increased targeting to the brain at 10 - 30 min this could be explained by the previous observation that . ha has been associated with enhancing the ability of drugs to cross the blood - brain barrier ( nelson & amp ; falk , 1994 ). there was a significant increase levels of 5 - fu in the lungs on administration with ha at the time points min and 1 h . it has been reported that lung macrophages contain high levels of the ha - binding , cd44 isoform ( underhill et al 1993 ), which could account for the increased targeting . this could be associated with a therapeutic advantage in the treatment of carcinoma of the lung , where small and large cell lung carcinomas have been reported to contain an over expression of cd44 and rhamm ( horst et al , 1990 ). the was a significant decrease in 5 - fu targeted to the heart at the 1 and 2 h time points when ha was co - injected with 5 - fu . as 5 - fu administration can result in cardiotoxicity ( mims , 1997 ) administration of 5 - fu with ha may reduce the degree of toxicity to the heart compared to when 5 - fu is administered alone . when evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of the ha / 5 - fu adjuvant therapy several observations were consistent throughout both the long and short - term treatment protocols . mice receiving ha / 5 - fu or ha alone appeared to have more energy and maintain or increase body mass , observations supported by the increased survival times of ha / 5 - fu mice in the 6 - month study tumours of mice receiving 5 - fu / ha or ha developed areas of external necrosis , to the extent where 2 tumours dropped off the addition of ha to 5 - fu did not appear to have a significant effect on the volume of the primary treatment when the therapy was administered for 6 weeks , but this could be due to the vasculature of the tumour . tumours consist of three areas . when ha was administered with and without 5 - fu it would reach the tumour , enter the well vascularised and semi - necrotic areas via the large gap junctions of the damaged blood vessels . due to the ability of ha to absorb water this could result in an influx in extracellular fluid to the necrotic area of the tumour , subsequently increasing the volume of the tumour and causing further damage to tumour vasculature . this hypothesis is consistent with the observation that tumours treated with ha ± 5 - fu did routinely demonstrate necrosis and leakage of tumour intracellular fluid . when the calculation of the necrotic versus viable cell areas and the dry : wet mass ratio is completed we will be able to verify this hypothesis . the long - term efficacy study showed an increased survival rate for mice receiving ha / 5 - fu treatment as shown in fig2 . the mean tumour volume of these mice also appeared to be reduced compared to the other treatment group . it was also noted in the long term study that the cause of death for the ha / 5 - fu group was mostly due to metabolic stress whereas cause of death for the 5 - fu group was due more to immobilisation due to tumour size being to large . all the ha only mice died from immobilisation due to the tumour being too large not due to toxicity . thus ha does not appear to have any toxicity effects was administered . from the targeting results it was found that increased targeting of 5 - fu was occurring when combining ha with 5 - fu to the tumour ( fig1 ). the ability of ha to target 5 - fu to the tumour via ha binding to the ha specific receptors cd44 and rhamm , which have been showed to be present in increased amounts at tumours sites ( culty et al , 1994 ; wang et al 1996 ), may reflect that the use of ha with 5 - fu and other cytotoxic drugs may help overcome the problem of not enough drug reaching the tumour to have any therapeutic impact . it was also found that in the short term study that the 5 - fu / ha mice showed a significantly increase in body mass compared to all other groups ( fig2 ). consequently the targeting ability of ha to tumour sites may decrease the amount of 5 - fu going to other organs such as the intestines and in so doing reduce treatment side effects associated with 5 - fu therapy in particularly gastrointestinal toxicity . in comparison to the earlier evaluation of mtx / ha adjuvant therapy disclosed in examples 1 to 3 , we noted some distinct common results and differences as summarised table 10 . the main difference in the two studies was the starting mass of the tumours , where in the mtx / ha study the mean tumour volume 175 . 13 mm 3 compared to 61 . 63 mm 3 in the 5 - fu / ha study . through the dynamics of particle movement in to tumours and the response of a patient to the tumour bulk , this could account for the different results obtained in relation to the tdt estimations . one of the most commonly used treatment regimens for human primary and metastatic breast cancer is combination chemotherapy with cyclophospamide ( cyc ), mtx and 55 - fu which is administered on day 1 and 8 of a 28 day cycle . the combination therapy , often called cmf , is usually given in 6 cycles at which time the patient condition is re - assessed . the antitumour response rate with cmf therapy has been reported to be approximately 50 % ( bonadonna , 1981 ; bonadonna , 1988 ), but the therapy has many associated side - effects such as fatigue , nausea , leukopenia and vomiting ( bonadonna , 1976 ; meyerowitz , 1979 ). due to the success of utilising ha as a drug delivery vehicle for both mtx and 5 - fu we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy and toxicity of the ha / cmf adjuvant therapy over a 6 - week and 6 - month treatment regimen . the mtx and 5 - fu were prepared as previously described in examples 2 and 6 , respectively . the stock concentration of cyc was prepared by dissolving 1 g of lyophilized drug in 1 ml of injection grade pyrogen free distilled water and made up to 50 ml with injection grade 0 . 9 % sodium chloride . the stock solution was aliquoted into small volumes and frozen at − 20 ° c . until used . a cmf injection was prepared by taking the appropriate volume of the drug stock solution to achieve the final drug concentrations of : 30 mg / kg 5 - fu ( stock solution : 20 mg / ml ) 15 mg / kg mtx ( stock solution : 24 . 5 mg / ml ) 26 mg / kg cyc ( stock solution : 20 mg / ml ) 12 . 5 mg / kg ha ( stock solution : 10 mg / ml ) to establish the therapeutic efficacy and any possible toxicities of the cmf / ha adjuvant therapy , human breast tumour xenografts in nude mice were utilized . to simulate the human treatment regimen as closely as possible , mice were treated in 6 cycles ( 6 months ) of treatment in a long term efficacy study and a 6 cycles ( 6 week ) short term efficacy study . mice were randomly divided into 7 groups of 8 animals per group for the short term study and 5 groups of 8 animals for the long term study . mice were treated with 30 mg / kg 5 - fu ; 15 mg / kg mtx ; 26 mg / kg cyc ± 12 . 5 mg / kg on either days 1 and 2 of a 7 day regimen for 6 weeks , or on days 1 and 8 of a 28 day regimen for 6 months . control groups consisted of the administration of saline , 12 . 5 mg / kg ha or mice who had 12 . 5 mg / kg ha day 1 followed by cmf on day 2 . mice were monitored daily for any treatment toxicity and tumour mass was measured on a daily or weekly basis ( see table 11 ). 1 ). mice receiving a treatment regimen containing ha ( cmf / ha , ha followed by cmf or ha only ) displayed an increased survival of 50 % over the cmf only group . the mean survival time for the cmf treatment group was 40 . 4 days versus 42 for all of the other groups . 2 ). animals treated with a combination of ha and cmf all demonstrated a significant weight gain ( t - test , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ) over animals treated with cmf only or ha only and demonstrated an enhanced well being . ( see fig2 ). 3 ). tumour doubling time of the saline treated mice ( no treatment control group ) was significantly less than the other treatment groups ( t - test , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ), but there was no statistically significant difference between the other treatment groups ( see fig2 ). 4 ). there was a significant difference ( t - test , p =& lt ; 0 . 001 ) between cmf and cmf / ha treatment groups with regard to the end - point volumes of the primary tumours , where cmf resulted in a reduction in tumour mass in 7 / 8 animals , while cmf / ha reduced primary tumour bulk in only 3 / 8 animals . 5 ). no treatment toxicities were noted when mice were treated with ha ± cmf , while mice treated with cmf only demonstrated signs of fatigue , conjunctivitis , general poor health . when the cmf / ha or ha therapy was administered on day 1 and 8 of a 28 day cycle , the following was observed ; there was not a significant difference in survival times between treatment groups 1 ). there was not a significant difference in weight gain between treatment groups . 2 ). the primary tumour of mice receiving ha ± cmf exhibited small areas of necrosis and scab formation 3 ). in the treatment of the primary tumour , cmf as a sole agent did not demonstrate therapeutic efficacy over the saline and ha treatments . the addition of ha to cmf the effect of cmf / ha adjuvant therapy on the growth and metastasis of human breast cancer xenografts in nude mice : 6 - week study table 12b the effect of cmf / ha adjuvant therapy on the growth and metastasis of human breast cancer xenografts in nude mice ; 6 - month study primary tumour volume % of original body change (% of original tdt survival time mass at experimental tumour volume ) experimental tumour pathology : treatment mean ± sem mean weeks ± sem end - point mean ± sem mean ± sem endpoint observations saline 14 . 8 ± 1 . 1 18 . 1 ± 0 . 39 98 . 569 ± 3 . 31 494 . 7 ± 101 . 6 87 . 5 % immobilised no specific 12 . 5 % metabolic characteristics stress cmf 40 . 1 ± 4 . 0 10 . 5 ± 0 . 33 90 . 9 ± 5 . 44 392 . 8 ± 129 . 6 100 % metabolic no specific stress characteristics cmf / ha 23 . 5 ± 1 . 4 12 . 6 ± 0 . 21 93 . 6 ± 4 . 92 2100 . 5 ± 564 . 6 100 % metabolic small areas of stress necrosis by week 11 on 2 / 8 mice ; then large areas of scab formation . ha 24 . 7 ± 0 . 7 18 . 1 ± 0 . 45 104 . 6 ± 4 . 45 1929 . 1 ± 661 . 0 100 % immobilised small areas of necrosis & amp ; scab formation 55 . 6 ± 26 . 6 66 . 1 ± 30 . 0 1 ). the long - term administration ( 6 - month ) of ha / cmf adjuvant therapy does not demonstrate an increase in therapeutic efficacy or a reduction in treatment side - effects . 2 ). a short - term administration ( 6 - week ) administration of ha / cmf adjuvant therapy demonstrates numerous advantages over the administration of cmf as a sole treatment . 6 ). mice receiving ha did not exhibit any signs of toxicity . to further investigate the nature of the interaction between ha and chemotherapeutic drugs 1h nuclear magnetic resonance ( nmr ) spectroscopy was used . deuterium oxide ( 2 h 2 o ( 99 . 96 %)) was obtained from cambridge isotope laboratories . mtx was obtained from faulding pharmaceuticals and 5 - fu and ha stock solutions were prepared as described previously . spectra were recorded at 298 k on a brüker drx spectrometer operating at 600 mhz with a shielded gradient unit . the 2d experiments were recorded in phase - sensitive mode using time - proportional phase incrementation for quadrature detection in the t 1 dimension ( marion & amp ; wiithrich , 1983 ). the 2d experiments included tocsy sequence using a mlev - 17 spin lock sequence ( bax & amp ; davis , 1985 ) with a mixing time of 120 ms ; noesy ( kumar et al ., 1980 ) with mixing times of 250 and 400 ms and roesy spectrum with a mixing time of 250 ms . temperature calibration of the probe was achieved by comparison to ethylene glycol chemical shifts . all chemical shifts ( ppm ) were referenced to the methyl resonance of 4 , 4 - dimethyl - 4 - silapentane - 1 - sulfonate ( dss , 0 ppm ). solvent suppression of the water signal for noesy , roesy and tocsy experiments was achieved using a modified watergate sequence ( piotto et al ., 1992 ) in which two gradient pulses of 1 ms was applied on either side of a binomial 3 - 9 - 19 pulse . spectra was routinely acquired over 6024 hz with 4096 complex data points in f 2 and 512 increments in the f 1 dimension , with 32 scans per increment for the tocsy experiments and 80 scans for the noesy . slowly exchanging nh protons were detected by acquiring a series of one - dimensional ( 1d ) spectra acquired over 16k data points and with 32 scans . nmr diffusion experiments were acquired on a brüker amx spectrometer equipped with a gradient control unit operating at 500 mhz . all experiments were acquired with 16 or 64 scans at 298 k over 16k of data points and 7575 hz . a gradient strength of 15 . 44 g / cm was employed for the diffusion experiments . each diffusion experiment was obtained from a series of 12 pfgled spectra in which the delays ( τ = 20 ms , δ = 50 ms , t = 30 ms and t e = 14 ms ) and where the magnitude of g was held constant but the length of the field gradient pulse ( δ ) was incremented in 1 ms steps from 0 . 2 ms to 12 . 2 ms in the final spectrum . all spectra were processed on a silicon graphics indigo workstation using xwinnmr ( bruker ) software . for the 2d experiments the t 1 dimension was zero - filled to 2048 real data points , and 90 ° phase - shifted sine - bell window functions were applied prior to fourier transformation . the nmr experiments were designed to monitor the changes in the 1 h nmr spectrum of mtx on addition of ha . by monitoring specific changes in the spectrum of the drug mtx , such as the broadening or movement of peaks it is possible to see which regions of the drug molecule , if any , interact with ha . fig2 shows the 1 h nmr spectrum of the mtx dissolved in h 2 o . this spectrum readily identifies each group of hydrogens in the methotrexate . methotrexate has a number of functional groups that could potentially interact with the hyaluronan molecule . the primary amine moieties on the 2 , 4 - amino - pteridine aromatic ring of mtx could form an ionic association with the carboxyl groups on the hyaluronan molecule . hydrogen bonding interactions between amine groups on methotrexate and the hydroxyl group on the carbohydrate rings of hyaluronan are another possibility . hydrophobic interactions are also possible between the hydrophobic aromatic rings of mtx and hydrophobic patches on the folded hyaluronan polymer . these interactions are illustrated in fig2 . to address the question of whether there was a specific interaction between the methotrexate and ha nmr experiments were designed to monitor the changes in the 1 h nmr spectrum of mtx on addition of ha . fig2 shows the 600 mhz spectrum of hyaluronic acid at 600 mhz and 298 k . fig2 shows the 600 mhz 1 h nmr spectrum of mtx alone and mtx with increasing additions of ha ( 50 kda ) of 2 nmoles , 10 nmoles , 20 nmoles and 80 nmoles at 298 k . these spectra show that there is no change in the chemical shift position of any of the peaks in methotrexate . additional peaks appearing the spectrum as successive amounts of ha is added are entirely consistent with resonances due to hyaluronic acid . since there is no change in the chemical shift position of any of the resonances of mtx in these spectra it appears that there is no specific region of the mtx molecule that is interacting with the ha molecule . one way of determining if there is a strong interaction between the nh groups on the mtx and the acid groups on the ha is to measure the exchange rate of the nh protons . these hydrogens are labile and able to exchange rapidly with the bulk solvent . if however , they are involved in a strong interaction with the ha molecule then they would be protected from the bulk solvent and their exchange rate would be decreased . in this experiment the amine hydrogens of mtx exchange with the deuterium from the d 2 o and the rate of exchange should provide an qualitative estimate of the strength of the interaction between the mtx and ha . 1 h nmr analysis of a solution prepared by addition of deuterium oxide to a solution of mtx and ha dissolved in 0 . 5 % w / v na 2 co 3 ( ph 9 ) showed that within 4 minutes all amine hydrogens of mtx had exchanged with the deuterium in the sample . this result suggests that the amine hydrogens in mtx are not protected from exchange with the bulk solvent . the reason that the amine hydrogen peaks disappear from the 1 h nmr spectrum is because deuterium has a very different resonance frequency than hydrogen and therefore doesn &# 39 ; t appear in 1 h nmr spectra . analogous experiments are routinely used to test whether the backbone amide hydrogens in polypeptide and proteins are protected from solvent . when amide hydrogens of proteins are involved in the hydrogen bonding arrangements that stabilize α - helix and β - sheet secondary structure the exchange rate of these hydrogens is often decreased dramatically . in some cases the hydrogen signals involved in these interaction can persist for hours days or even months depending on the strength of the interaction and it &# 39 ; s protection from bulk solvent ( for instance in a hydrophobic core of a protein ). diffusion experiments were performed mtx alone and in the presence of the ha . these experiments could indicate whether the diffusion of the entrapped mtx is retarded by the presence of the ha framework . the results of duplicate 1 h nmr diffusion experiments indicated that for the vast majority of mtx molecules there was no retardation of the rate of mtx diffusion since there was negligible difference between the diffusion coefficients of mtx and mtx in the presence of ha . this finding could suggest that in the ha framework there are large solvent cavities between the ha molecules that allows the drug to diffuse freely in this medium . the diffusion experiments suggested that the bulk of the mtx molecules are free diffuse throughout the ha framework . this scenario does not take into consideration if a small proportion ( say 5 % of mtx molecules ) are interacting weakly in a non - specific manner to the ha molecules . from the previous experiments it is clear that mtx does not interact strongly with ha and the interaction , if any , is not specific . one way to test weakly binding ligands ( 10 − 3 - 10 − 7 m ) for non - specific binding is to run transferred noesy experiments . in these 2d experiments crosspeaks will appear if the ligand binds weakly to the macromolecule ha . a transferred noesy spectrum of mtx / ha showed no crosspeaks due to binding of the mtx to ha which suggests negligible interaction between mtx and ha . as a further check of whether a small proportion ( say 5 % of mtx molecules ) are interacting weakly in a non - specific manner to the ha molecules . the peaks in a roesy spectrum should show whether there is even a small proportion of mtx molecules in chemical exchange between free and bound states to the ha . a 250 ms roesy spectrum did not show any chemical exchange peaks which suggests that not even a small percentage of the mtx interacts with the ha . fig2 shows the 600 mhz 1 h nmr spectra of 5 - fu and 5 - fu ( 1 . 25 mg / ml , 1 . 6 mg / ml and 6 . 4 mg / ml ) with ha ( 750 kda , 3 mg / ml ) between 70 . 0 and 8 . 5 ppm , at 298 k . initial experiments to investigate whether there was an interaction were performed with 50 kda hyaluronic acid . no interaction was observed between the 5 - fu and ha ( data not shown ). to investigate whether an interaction was dependent on the molecular weight of ha used further titration experiments were performed with 750 kda hyaluronan . the concentrations of 5 - fu utilized are equivalent to the ha / 5 - fu adjuvant therapy kings college london formulation studies which were conducted in preparation for the swedish clinical trials . these concentrations were designed to simulate the concentrations used in mixing of ha / 5 - fu , in the infusion bag and also the ha / 5 - fu concentration estimated in plasma . unfortunately , the amine resonances of 5 - fluorouracil exchange rapidly with the bulk solvent water at the ph ( 8 . 8 to 9 . 1 ) of these formulations and therefore these resonances are not visible in the spectrum of the 5 - fu . only one resonance of c h is visible in the spectrum of 5 - fu . lowering of the ph of these solutions is not feasible since the 5 - fu will precipitate out of solution at lower ph values . these spectra show that there is no change in the chemical shift position of the c h peak of 5 - fu . these spectra indicate that the 5 - fu does not appear to be interacting with the ha molecule . diffusion experiments were performed 5 - fu alone and in the presence of the ha . the results of duplicate 1 h nmr diffusion experiments shown in table 13 indicate that 5 - fu diffusion is not retarded by the presence of hyaluronan because there is negligible difference between the diffusion coefficients of 5 - fu alone and 5 - fu in the presence of ha . nmr analysis of mtx and 5 - fu in the presence of hyaluronan has using titration experiments , deuterium exchange experiments , diffusion experiments and transferred noesy experiments for mtx , and titration experiments and diffusion experiments for 5 - fu have shown that no interaction could be detected between the chemotherapeutic drugs and hyaluronan . these results suggest that entrapment of the chemotherapeutic drugs by the hyaluronan network is sufficient to increase the amount of drug delivered to the pathological site . these results are in total agreement with previous studies using gel filtration chromatography , equilibrium dialysis and cd spectroscopy of the molecular interaction between hyaluronan and mtx and 5 - fu which also did not detect an interaction . adams j d , flora k p , goldspiel b r , wilson j w , finley r , arbuck s g and finley r , 1993 . j . natl . cancer . inst . monographs 15 : 23 - 27 . akima , k ., ho , h ., iwata , y ., matsuo , k ., watari , n ., yanagi , m ., hagi , h ., oshima , k ., yagita , a ., atomi , y & amp ; tatekawa , i . 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( editor : willoughby , d . a ) roy . soc . med . press . pp 37 - 53 wani m c , taylor h l and wall m e , 1971 . j . am . chem . soc 93 : 2325 - 2327 . waugh w , trissel l and stella v j , 1991 . am . j . hosp . pharm 48 : 1520 - 1524 . weiss r b , donehomer r c , weirnik p h , ohnuma t , gralla r j , leyland - jones b , 1990 . br . j . clin . oncol 8 : 1263 - 1268 . | 0 |
fig1 shows a network of locations with which is connected a protection system according to the invention . the system comprises a plurality of locations 2 , each connected by a channel 4 to a network operating means 6 . means 6 is e . g . an automatic switch in the case where the locations 2 are public phone booths , or a computer in the case where locations 2 are automatic bank note dispensers . each location comprises a group 8 formed by a single apparatus ( single phone booth ) or several apparatuses ( several phone booths ) and at least one detection means 1 for controlling the state , i . e . operating or faulty , of each apparatus of the group 8 . detection means 10 are designed so as to transmit messages on channels 4 to the operating means 6 for indicating that an apparatus of a location is faulty . several public phone booth remote monitoring systems are known . in the dahut system , a detection means detecting a faulty apparatus transmits a predetermined frequency signal on line 4 , said system being described in french pat . no . 2 499 437 . in the cactus system , the detection means comprises a microprocessor circuit able to communicate with a central alarm station accessible via the telephone network by dialling its telephone number . the dahut and cactus systems make it possible to transmit alarms from public phone booths and the supply of alarm messages to the alarm station of the operating means . these systems have no alarm storage means . the remote monitoring of public phone booths can also take place by using the alpha system , which has a means for storing all the faulty public phone booths at a given time . thus , this system permanently provides details on the state of the network . a description will now be given of the protection system according to the invention associated with the group or array of locations . this protection system 12 is connected to the network operating means 6 by a channel 11 so as to be able to receive from the latter information concerning the operating state of the different locations of said network . therefore the protection system has a monitoring means 14 connected to the network operating means 6 , as well as a processing means 16 having at least one processor and a memory containing the instructions which can be performed by the processor . processing means 16 communicates with the monitoring means by a channel 18 and is consequently informed in real time of vandalism affecting a random location in the network . the protection system according to the invention also comprises a storage means 20 connected to the processing means 16 by a channel 22 for the purpose of storing data defining the network , i . e . in particular the position of each location , the number and nature of each apparatus in each location , etc . finally , the protection system 12 comprises a display means 24 , which receives by means of a channel 26 data from the processing means 16 . this display means can be a printing terminal , a display terminal and in general terms any known systems usable for communicating to an operator the result of operations performed by the processing means 16 . fig2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the protection system according to the invention . in a first stage 28 , the system is in a standby condition awaiting a first vandalization of a location . for the protection system processing means 16 , this stage consists of communicating with the monitoring means 14 so that it can be informed of vandalization of a location within the network . when such a vandalization is detected , processing continues by a stage 30 of initializing the number s of vandalized locations and the number p of vandals each at the value 1 . the system is then again placed on standby awaiting further vandalization , said stage 32 being identical to stage 28 . when further vandalization is recorded at least one identification variable of the vandalized site is stored in the working memory of processing means 16 and variable s is incremented ( stage 34 ). following said stage , the working memory of the protection system contains at least two vandalized locations . it is therefore possible to study the trajectory of the vandal or the trajectories of the vandals . the processing carried out on said data contained in the working memory involves two successive stages , namely a stage of analysing the trajectory of each vandal to determine the characteristics of each trajectory if they exist . the second stage is the extrapolation of the trajectories to anticipate the movement of the vandals and thus protect the locations liable to vandalized . the analysis and anticipation operations performed by the processing means take account of the characteristics of each location and the characteristics of each given trajectory . the characteristics associated with a location can vary as a function of the type of network studied . for example , for the network of public phone booths , each location can be defined by the characteristics or attributes indicated in the following table i . table i______________________________________attributes symbol parameter______________________________________a1 ad address or space coordinates of the locationa2 ta access time to the location from the addressa3 nse number of elementary locationsa4 me status worda5 dp location vandalization dataa6 pp probability of vandalisma7 pa probability of belonging to a trajectory______________________________________ the values of attributes a1 , a2 and a3 are constants and can consequently be stored in the storage means of the protection system . the access time ta is not zero if the location is at a relatively protected point and the number nse of elementary locations indicates the number of telephones at the location . this number can differ from 1 , e . g . in the case of a location having a multi - telephone booth or a row of telephones on a wall ( e . g . in a station or airport ). conversely , the values of the attributed a3 to a7 are a function of the vandalization acts affecting the network . thus , these attributes are stored in the working memory of the processing means . the status word ( attribute a4 ) can e . g . assume four values : active location , vandalized location , location with plausible vandalization and location chosen for intervention . the diagram of the states of a location is shown in fig3 . this shows the four states and the possible transitions from one state to the other . these transitions are due either to an event , such as the detection of vandalism ( operation 28 or 32 in fig2 ), or to a decision resulting from processing , such as operation 40 of determining the possible paths , or operation 42 of taking the decision to abandon a followed trajectory , or operation 44 of taking a decision for requesting intervention . ( operations 40 , 42 and 44 will be described hereinafter ). the vandalization data dp ( attribute a5 ) is the effective data if the location is vandalized and plausible vandalization data if the location is liable to be vandalized . the vandalization probability value ( attribute a6 ) is only significant if the status word has as its value &# 34 ; plausible vandalization &# 34 ;. each location can consist of several elementary locations ( nse ≠ 1 ). for each elementary location is defined a vandalization duration tp , which is a theoretical time taken by a vandal on the elementary site and is fixed on the basis of experience . like the locations , the trajectories are defined by several characteristics or attributes . for example , in the case of public phone booth networks , the attributes associated with a trajectory can be as given in the following table ii . table ii______________________________________attributes symbol parameter______________________________________b1 nt nature of trajectoryb2 vp speed of vandalb3 tim average intervention time per elementary siteb4 cp vandal advance criterionb5 np nature of vandalismb6 me status word______________________________________ the trajectory can be of different natures ( attributes b1 ). it can be pseudo - random or linked with the topography of the environment . the attribute b3 defines the average time taken by a vandal on an elementary site . at the start of creating a trajectory , parameter tim is initialized at value tp . attribute b5 gives information on the nature of the vandalism , i . e . as to whether they affect pay - phone booths , card - operated booths or all booth types . the status word ( attribute b6 ) can assume three values for indicating an absence of trajectory , a created trajectory and an intervention requested on a trajectory . the diagram of the states of a trajectory is shown in fig4 . the transitions between these different states results either from an updating of a trajectory by adding the last vandalized location , or a decision to request intervention , or the abandoning of a trajectory . we will now return to the flowchart of fig2 . operation 36 of analysing the locations consists of updating the value of the attributes of the locations and the trajectory stored in the working zone of the processing means . the following operation ( stage 38 ) is the determination of the number of vandals , i . e . the number of trajectories . for this purpose , for each trajectory i ( 1 & lt ; i & lt ; p ) contained in the working memory is calculated the speed vi of movement of the vandal between the most recent vandalized location of trajectory i and the last vandalized location and said speed vi is compared with the mean speed vp i ( attribute b2 ) of the vandal on trajectory i . if the relative difference between these speeds is below a predetermined threshold , i . e . if vp i ·( 1 - b )& lt ; vi & lt ; vp i ·( 1 + h ), in which b and h are positive constants , the last vandalized location is added to path i . for example , it is possible to define the probability of a vandalized location belonging to a trajectory ( attribute a7 of a location ) in the following way . first of all a probability rate or ratio is defined ## equ1 ## for the cases where the location can belong to the trajectory i , together with a probability of belonging to said trajectory ## equ2 ## in which the sum on the index j relates to all the plausibility associated with the trajectories of index j able to contain the last vandalized location . if the group of trajectories is empty , a new trajectory is created and only contains the last vandalized location . stages 36 and 38 effect an update of the values of the characteristics of the locations and the trajectories contained in the working memory , as a function of the last location vandalized . the possible extensions for each trajectory is determined in a stage 40 on the basis of said data . these extensions are essentially made whilst taking account of the nature of the trajectory ( attribute b1 ) and the nature of the acts of vandalism b5 . the extension of a trajectory can lead to possible multiple paths , certain of which may join . the locations located on these paths pass from the active state to the plausible vandalization state ( cf fig3 ). for these locations , the presumed vandalization data ( attribute a5 ) and the probability of said vandalization ( attribute a6 ) are calculated . if a location in the plausible vandalization state belongs to several possible paths , its presumed vandalization data is the smallest , i . e . the closest in time of the presumed vandalization data resulting from the different paths and its vandalization probability is the sum of vandalization probabilities given by each possible path . the vandalization probabilities of the locations liable to be vandalized are calculated step by step for the locations of the same path . more specifically , if p k is the vandalization probability of a location on a path , the vandalization probability p j of a location j following location k on a path is equal to : ## equ3 ## in which the sum is extended to all possible locations m from location k and pr j is a preference function taking account of the position of the location j with respect to location k ( proximity , visibility , etc ). the number of analysed locations j or in other words the length of the possible paths extending the trajectories defined by the vandalized locations is chosen in such a way that the anticipation in time is at least equal to the intervention time ti representing the time considered necessary to bring abut effective intervention . the decision to abandon a trajectory ( operation 42 in fig2 ) can be taken after an intervention has taken place on one of the locations , on request or outside the protection system . it can also be taken when it is apparent that the trajectory is no longer compatible with the last vandalized locations . finally , the abandoning of a trajectory can be automatic if the time between the data of the last recorded vandalization act and the present data exceeds a maximum predetermined time dl . the decision to request intervention ( operation 44 in fig2 ) on a location liable to be vandalized is dependent both on the presumed time data of the act and the probability thereof . more precisely , the presumed time data for the act of vandalism must be after the present time increased by the predetermined time ti defining the time necessary for effectively intervening . moreover , the probability of vandalization must exceed a predetermined threshold si . it should be noted that if the trajectory of the vandal has only one possible extension , the probability of vandalization is equal to one . the decision to intervene is then only based on the presumed time data of vandalization . with reference to fig1 the protection system according to the invention is described and with reference to fig2 to 4 the operation of the processing means of said protective system . the different operations performed by said processing means have been described in general terms without referring to a particular network configuration . however , it is clear that certain operations performed by the processing means , such as the determination of possible paths are a function of the configuration of the studied network . for a better understanding of the operation of the protection system according to the invention , a description will now be given of the operation of the protection system processing means in two particular network examples . the network comprises public telephone booths installed in a city . fig5 diagrammatically shows the map of an area of said city and the position of six locations s 1 , s 2 . . . s 6 , each location having one or more public telephones . locations s 2 , s 3 , s 5 and s 6 are located on a main highway and location s 1 and s 4 in adjacent streets . the following table ii summarizes the values of attributes a3 to a6 of the locations in the absence of vandalism . attribute a7 has been omitted for simplification reasons ( a single trajectory ). it is also assumed that the locations are easily accessible , i . e . the access time ta ( attribute a2 ) is zero . finally , attribute a1 contains either an address ( number and name of street ), or space coordinates of the location in the plan . table iii______________________________________ number of elementary status vandalization locations word vandalization probabilitylocation ( nse ) ( me ) data ( dp ) ( pp ) ______________________________________s . sub . 1 1 active -- -- s . sub . 2 2 &# 34 ; -- -- s . sub . 3 2 &# 34 ; -- -- s . sub . 4 1 &# 34 ; -- -- s . sub . 5 2 &# 34 ; -- -- s . sub . 6 2 &# 34 ; -- -- ______________________________________ one of the essential parameters of the protection system according to the invention is the preference function pr , which has the function of determining in as correct a manner as possible , the probabilities of choice of a vandal . it must therefore take account of notions inherent to human behaviour . it can advantageously take account of at least one of the following notions : the directivities ; if the vandal intervenes on a major highway he has the tendency to follow it . in the example described , the following preference function is chosen : ## equ4 ## in which α + β · cos θ is a directivity function and 1 / d a proximity function 7 ; α and β being predetermined coefficients and θ measures the deviation between the direction of the extended path connecting a considered location liable to be vandalized and the preceding location on the path or trajectory and the direction of the path or trajectory terminating on said preceding location , whilst d is the distance between the considered location and the preceding location on the path or trajectory . for example , the following values are chosen for the different parameters of the protection system according to the invention : vs = 50 km / h , b = 0 . 7 ; h = 2 ; ti = 15 mn ; tp = 3 mn ; dl = 1 h ; si = 60 %; α = 0 . 6 ; β = 0 . 4 . for distances between locations , use is made of the following values d ( s 1 , s 3 )= 500 m ; d ( s 2 , s 3 )= 350 m ; d ( s 3 , s 4 )= 550 m ; d ( s 3 , s 5 )= 350 m ; d ( s 4 , s 5 )= 450 m ; d ( s 5 , s 6 )= 450 m . when no vandalization occurs , the protection system is on standby for the first act of vandalism . assuming that at time data t 0 = 21 h 00 mn , an alarm is given at location s 2 , then : ( a ) the system initializes at value 1 the variables s and p indicating the number of vandalized locations and the number of vandals , location s 2 being stored in the working memory -- its status word assuming the value &# 34 ; vandalized &# 34 ; and the vandalization time data dp the value 21 h 00 mn , ( b ) a first trajectory is created , its status word assuming the value &# 34 ; created &# 34 ;, tim being initialized at the value of tp , whilst the other trajectory attributes are empty . the system then awaits a further act of vandalism . assuming that it is detected at location s 3 at t 1 = 21 h 13 mn , then : ( a ) the value of the variable s is incremented , location s 3 is stored in the working memory and its status word assumes the value &# 34 ; vandalized &# 34 ; and its vandalization time data dp the value 21 h 13 mn , ( d ) the number of vandals remains equal to 1 because vp & lt ; vs , ( e ) determination of the possible paths : they are obtained by extending the trajectory between locations s 2 and s 3 , as shown in fig6 . the values of the angle θ are justified by the fact that locations s 3 , s 5 and s 6 are on the same highway and that to reach locations s 1 and s 4 it is necessary to follow a street perpendicular to the main highway , ( f ) probability of vandalization : locations s 1 , s 4 and s 5 are directly accessible from location s 3 . the calculation of the preference function pr for each of them gives pr 1 = 12 · 10 - 4 , pr 4 = 10 . 9 · 10 - 4 and pr 5 = 28 . 6 · 10 - 4 . from this is deduced the vandalization probability pp i , in which i = 1 , 4 , 5 by the relation pp i = pr i /( pr 1 + pr 4 + pr 5 ) i . e . pp 1 = 0 . 233 , pp 4 = 0 . 212 and pp 5 = 0 . 555 . since , in addition , location s 5 can be reached from location s 4 the vandalization probability of location s 5 is corrected by adding the vandalization probability of location s 4 , i . e . pp 5 = 0 . 555 + 0 . 212 = 0 . 767 . finally , a single path connects location s 6 to the other locations , i . e . pp 6 = pp 5 = 0 . 767 , ( g ) time data of plausible vandalization acts : it is calculated by the relation ## equ6 ## in which j relates to the considered location and i to its antecedent on the path . we obtain t 21 = 21 h 29 mn for location s 1 , t 24 = 21 h 30 mn for location s 4 , t 25 = 21 h 26 mn for location s 5 and t 26 = 21 h 41 mn for location s 6 . for location s 5 a calculation takes place of the vandalization data by path s 3 → s 5 and by path s 3 → s 4 → s 5 and the closest data is retained , ( h ) taking decision to abandon trajectory : the problem does not arise : there is only one trajectory and the time which has elapsed between the vandalization act at locations s 2 and s 3 is below the limit time dl fixed at 1 h , ( i ) taking decision to request intervention : it is simultaneously necessary for the plausible vandalization data to exceed the present data t 1 increased by the intervention time ti and that the vandalization probability exceeds threshold si . these conditions are only satisfied for location s 6 . table iv summarizes the value of the parameters me , dp and pp of the locations following processing . table iv______________________________________ state vandalization vandalizationlocation me time data dp probability pp______________________________________s . sub . 1 p . p . ( 1 ) 21h29 0 . 233s . sub . 2 vandalized 21h00 1s . sub . 3 vandalized 21h13 1s . sub . 4 p . p . ( 1 ) 21h30 0 . 212s . sub . 5 p . p . ( 1 ) 21h26 0 . 767s . sub . 6 s . c . p . i . ( 2 ) 21h41 0 . 767______________________________________ ( 1 ) = plausible vandalization ( 2 ) = location chosen for intervention . the protection system informs the network operator of the location chosen for the intervention and is placed on standby for a further act of vandalism up to the limit time data t 1 + dl , i . e . 22 h 13 mn . we will now assume that an act of vandalism affects location s 5 at t 2 = 21 h 32 mn , then : ( a ) the variable s is incremented , the status word of the location s 5 assumes the value &# 34 ; vandalized &# 34 ; and its vandalization data is equal to 21 h 32 mn , ( b ) the speed of the vandal between locations s 3 and s 5 is v = d ( s 3 , s 5 )/( t 2 - t 1 - nse · tim )= 1 . 6 km / h . thus , the relation vp ( 1 - b )& lt ; v & lt ; vp ( 1 + h ) is satisfied , ( c ) the average speed vp of the vandal on the trajectory is updated , calculation giving vp equals 2 . 4 km / h . the other attributes of the trajectory are unchanged , ( e ) determination of the possible paths : they are shown in fig7 . only locations s 4 and s 6 are liable to be vandalized bearing in mind the advance criterion ( attribute b1 of the trajectory ; the criterion being &# 34 ; closest location &# 34 ;), ( f ) probability of vandalism : the preference functions for locations s 4 and s 6 are respectively equal to pr 4 = 0 . 6 / 450 and pr 6 = 1 / 450 , which gives the vandalism probabilities pp 4 = 0 . 375 and pp 6 = 0 . 625 , ( g ) plausible vandalization data : the vandalization data on location s 6 is updated : ## equ7 ## ( i ) pp 6 still exceeds si , so that the request for intervention on location s 6 is not questioned . the network operator is informed of the latest plausible vandalization time data on location s 6 . this relates to part of a network formed from locations in a station at three levels . this station is diagrammatically shown in fig8 where the position of each location is defined . a location consists of several telephone booths , as indicated in table v . table v______________________________________ location nse______________________________________ s . sub . 1 1 s . sub . 2 2 s . sub . 3 2 s . sub . 4 3 s . sub . 5 2______________________________________ the station constitutes a particularly complex location , particularly with regards to the relationships between the locations which cannot be merely described by the distances between them . the movement time between two locations on the same level is 1 mn , the movement time between two locations in two consecutive levels is 2 mn , it will be assumed that a first act of vandalism affects location s 1 at t 1 taken as the time origin ( i . e . t 1 = 0 ) and that a second act of vandalism is detected at location s 2 at t 2 = 4 mn . the characteristics of the vandalized locations are stored in the same way as in example 1 . thus , a first trajectory containing locations s 1 and s 2 is created . the possible paths extending this trajectory are indicated in broken line form in fig9 . there can be four possible paths from s 2 , i . e . s 2 → s 3 → s 5 ; s 2 → s 3 → s 4 → s 5 ; s 2 → s 4 → s 3 → s 5 and s 2 → s 4 → s 5 . the vandalism probability pp for each location following said path is calculated on the basis of the preference function , as in example 1 . the vandalization time data dp is also calculated . the following values are obtained : for location s 3 from location s 2 : pp = 0 . 4 and dp = 12 mn , for location s 4 from location s 2 : pp = 0 . 6 and dp = 12 mn , for location s 4 from location s 3 : pp = 0 . 24 and dp = 19 mn , for location s 3 from location s 4 : pp = 0 . 3 and dp = 22 mn , for location s 5 : dp = 20 mn ( value for the fastest path ). taking account of the intervention time ti equal to 10 mn and the data for the second vandalization act occurring at t 2 = 4 mn , for an intervention request it is necessary to choose a location whose presumed vandalization data is in excess of 14 mn . fig8 shows that locations s 3 and s 4 are suitable . the intervention team must either record the offence , or wait , or move between the individual locations of level 1 , as a function of what takes place at t = 12 mn . | 6 |
according to fig1 the tube unit 10 of the present invention comprises of several tubes 12 , arranged alongside each other in one plane , being joined together by the pieces 14 . these pieces can have openings 16 . such tube units are much easier to handle than individual tubes , and they can be easily wound or folded . it is easy to assemble them into membrane modules , since several tubes can always be put in position at the same time . the pieces 14 , furthermore , act as spacers , so that the tubes cannot be forced together when the module is operating . the tube membranes comprise of two laminated layers of a microporous , oriented ptfe ( polytetrafluoroethylene ) membrane . a method for production of such membranes is described in , for example , u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 953 , 566 and 4 , 187 , 390 . thanks to the inert nature of the material and the hydrophobic surface , this material is exceptionally suitable for a number of material exchange systems . preferably , the material is stretched along one or two axes prior to the production of the tubes , so that it becomes permeable to gas from the resulting microporosity , yet remains liquid - tight . in order to seal up possible flaws of the membrane , the tubes can also include several membrane layers , laminated one on top of the other . one or more of the membrane layers can be coated either with a gas - selective coating , for example , or by one or more layers of another material , for example , a reinforcement in the form of a fiberglass wool or a textile , or filled with inorganic or organic materials like activated charcoal . a gas - selective coating may consist , for example , of massive fep ( fluoroethylenepropylene ), pfa , or nafion ®: ## str1 ## the membrane layers can also exhibit varying pore structures , such as ( for example ) a large - pore outer layer , with preferably 0 . 1 - 10 μm , and a smallpore inner layer , with preferably 0 . 01 - 0 . 1 μm pore diameter . the inner diameter of the tubes is preferably 0 . 1 - 2 mm . the tube unit shown in fig1 can be produced in a device that is shown schematically in fig2 . two flat bands 18 of a microporous , oriented ptfe membrane are introduced into the gap between two shaping rollers 20 . grooves 22 ( shown in fig3 ) are cut into the surface of the shaping rollers 20 , lying opposite each other , so that cavities with round cross section are formed , in which wires or mandrels 24 are arranged in stationary manner . the wires 24 have an outer diameter that is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cavity formed by the grooves 22 . the two flat bands 18 are drawn through the roller gap , becoming laminated together and laid around the wires 24 arranged in the region of the grooves 22 , so that the tubes 12 are formed . the bands are joined by means of the pressure produced by the shaping rollers 20 . the rollers are tightened with the torque wrench so that the space remaining between the rollers corresponds to the wall thickness of the tube membranes . in addition , one or more familiar bonding technologies , such as gluing , heat or laser radiation , can be used . thus , for example , glue applicator rolls can be placed in front of the shaping rollers 20 . the bands 18 can be heated either during their stay in the roller gap or after exiting from it . for this , either the shaping rollers , and / or the wires 24 can be heated or the bands can be conducted through a sintering bath or a hot air unit 26 . in this unit , the surface of the laminated membranes is melted and secured in this way . a dwell time of 2 - 3 seconds at a temperature of 350 - 400 ° c . in the sintering bath is preferable . the stripping off of the laminated flat bands from the wires 24 is done either upstream or downstream of the sintering station 26 . the latter has the advantage of reliably preventing a collapsing of the tubes during the heat treatment . the tube unit in the form of an endless band can then be wound in a spiral or folded and is available for further processing in the manufacture of the corresponding membrane modules . however , the band can also be cut into pieces and the individual end segments arranged in parallel and at a spacing from each other in the module . a fluid or solid can be conducted between the bands as the two flat bands are joined together . thus , it is possible to produce a tube unit in a simple and economical way , in which the tubes are immediately filled and do not have to be filled later on . of course , the invention is not confined to the ptfe membranes , mentioned here as being preferable , but rather other microporous polymer materials such as polyethylene and polypropylene can be used . it is not absolutely necessary that the polymer materials be porous . for example , polycarbonate and polyethylene exist in both porous and nonporous form , while fep is generally not porous . however , all these materials can be used in connection with the invention . the size relationships of the tubes mentioned here are only one particular embodiment of the inventive tube unit . of course , the tubes can also have a larger or smaller diameter , depending on their intended use . if it should be needed for a different application , it is also possible to again cut up the tube unit into individual membrane tubes . besides the continuous method described , the inventive tube unit can also be produced discontinuously , by placing a flat band in an essentially flat tool , provided with several parallel semicircular recesses with a spacing between them , and furthermore wires are placed in the hollows created in this way on the flat band , and finally a second flat band and a second correspondingly shaped element of the tool are placed on this arrangement . by applying pressure ( 5 - 500 n / cm 2 , preferably 10 - 100 n / cm 2 ) and temperature ( 300 - 400 ° c .) over a period of 2 - 100 seconds ( depending on the material and temperature ), the bands are pressed together at the pieces lying between the recesses and joined in this way . the bands are then sliced and the wires removed , producing a tube unit in flat form . the tool would basically correspond to that in fig3 . the inventive tube unit can be used advantageously for supplying gas to sludge ponds , swimming pools or fermenters in biochemistry by the use of one or more such tube unit . in this case , the tube units are placed on the bottom of the basin . gas ( e . g ., air , oxygen , or ozone ) is blown through the tubes with such pressure that the gas is blown into the sludge in the form of extremely tiny bubbles . in the basin , aerobic microorganisms are usually employed , which require oxygen in order to live . therefore , the more finely the air ( for example ) is distributed , the more effective the oxygen supply . at present , rubber tubes are still being used and the air bubbles produced by them are relatively large . furthermore , the tubes must be water - tight , for otherwise check valves would be necessary . it is also conceivable to design the tubes so that the lower layer consists of rubber or thermoplastic ( such as polypropylene or pvc ) and only the upper layer consists of microporous or other porous material . the two layers are joined by glue or move across a heated roller , which melts the surface of the thermoplastic . as an alternative , it is possible to install modules with a high packing density of tube units in a container filled with liquid . the gas is then conducted through the tubes with such pressure that the gas diffuses through the walls of the tubes ( i . e ., no bubbles are formed ). this is then taken up from the liquid , e . g ., by physical absorption . a further use of the tube unit produced by the method lies in the field of chemical reactors . thus , for example , it is possible to conduct a solution inside the tubes , which takes up a substance , for example , in gas form in a first module and surrenders , for example , a gaseous reaction product to a fluid in a second , subsequent module . in a third , subsequent module , another substance is taken up , and so on . since the modules are connected one after the other , a continuous reaction occurs . each module can be controlled separately and thus is used only when necessary . it is also possible to employ the tube unit for concentration of , for example , flushing solutions from a galvanic process . the solution being concentrated is conducted through the tubes , while a gas is conducted past the tube membranes . the solvent evaporates completely or partially and the concentrated substances remaining in the tubes can be again supplied to the reaction process . finally , the inventive tube unit can also be used advantageously in articles of clothing , either individually or in layers . it would serve as a kind of spacer and improve the water vapor permeability of the garment . the water vapor would diffuse from the body side through the walls of the tubes into their interior ( partial pressure gradient caused by differences in concentration , pressure or temperature ). from there , the water vapor would be pulled by convection through the walls of the tubes to the outside of the garment . this would have the advantage of transporting the water vapor away from the body . | 1 |
fig3 shows a light source 100 for a tof camera according to the principles of the present invention . a light emitter 110 is positioned in a rectangular reflector 112 that is formed in a frame 114 . in the current embodiment , the light emitter 110 is an led or laser diode . the reflector 112 comprises four angled triangular surfaces a , b , c , d of the substrate 114 that angle in obliquely toward the light emitter 110 to form a frusto pyramidal cut - out in the substrate 114 . in this embodiment , the reflector 112 has a rectangular cross section . in the preferred embodiment , the surfaces a , b , c , d of the frusto pyramidal reflector 112 are coated to be reflective such as with a metal coating to direct light from the light emitter onto a scene of interest . fig4 is cross section of a ray tracing using the example of an led light emitter 110 with the square - shaped reflector 112 formed in the substrate 114 . fig5 and 6 show a simulation of the far field intensity pattern for an led light source . the rectangle in fig5 shows the fov . in addition to the above - mentioned benefits , the preferred embodiment provides higher flexibility in adapting the foi to different applications / specifications . specially designed micro lenses are not required . instead , only the angles of the frusto pyramidal reflector 112 need to be adapted to the fov . fig7 shows a 3d tof camera . the substrate 114 that forms the front cover of the camera and comprises 6 frusto pyramidal reflectors 112 formed in the surface of the substrate 114 . in this embodiment , the reflectors 112 have a square cross section . at the bottom of each reflector 112 , a light emitter 110 is located . a center port 112 is formed in the substrate 114 . the front aperture 120 is located in the port 122 to collect light returning from the scene of interest and focus the light onto a tof detector chip . in later designs , the foi can easily be modified by simply replacing the reflector plate substrate 114 with one having different reflectors . the reflector surfaces are preferably metal coated to be mirror - like . fig8 and 9 show a simulation of the far field intensity pattern for an led light source showing a pincushion projection of the emitted light using a reflector - type . this design of a reflector takes into account the distorted fov of the camera . fig1 illustrates another possible embodiment of using the same reflector approach as illustrated in fig3 and 4 but adding another optical element , lens , 130 that further adjusts the foi to the requirements . fig1 shows the typical application of a 3d tof camera . for these cameras , led - type light emitters as light sources are disclosed in t . oggier et al ., “ an all solid - state optical range camera for 3d real - time imaging with sub - centimeter resolution ( swissranger ™)”, proc . spie vol . 5249 no . 65 , 2003 and t . oggier et al ., “ swissranger sr3000 and first experiences based on miniaturized 3d - tof cameras ”, 1st range imaging research day , eidgenossische technische hochschule zurich , 2005 or laser diodes light emitters as disclosed in acharya et al . “ system design of time - of - flight range camera for car park assist and backup application ”, cvpr workshop , 2008 . in more detail , the light emitter 110 produces modulated light 150 that is directed at the 3 - d scene 152 by the rectangular frusto pyramidal reflector 112 . the returning light 154 from the scene 152 is collected by the camera lens 120 , which includes a bandpass filter so that only light at the wavelength emitted by the light emitter 110 is transmitted . an image is formed on the tof detector chip 156 which is a two dimensional array of pixels . control electronics 158 coordinate the modulation of the light emitter 110 with the sampling of the tof detector chip 156 . this results in synchronous demodulation . a data output interface 160 is then able to reconstruct the 3 - d image representation using the samples generated by the chip 156 such that a range to the scene is produced for each of the pixels of the chip 156 . laser diodes have the advantage of possibly higher optical power per device , while leds are commercially available in surface mount technology and , in most cases , can be ordered with micro - lenses on top to for a given emission angle . it renders a better matching of the field of illumination ( foi ) of the light source and the field of view ( fov ) of the lens / camera . the complexity and cost to change the foi of an existing design is significantly reduced . while this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims . | 6 |
a postage meter 20 appears in fig1 . levers 36 extending into slots in the face of the meter are the means for setting the postage to be printed . the postage that has been set for printing is visible on a register seen through a window as indicated at 37 . passing a piece of mail through a slot 23 activates a postage printer in the meter to apply the selected amount of postage to the piece of mail . each application of postage in this fashion decrements a mechanical descending register 39 visible through a window 40 . the value appearing on the descending register 39 is the value of postage still available to be printed by the meter 20 . a running total of the postage printed can be seen on a mechanical ascending register 41 that is visible through a second window 42 . all of the above is conventional . the meter 20 is a mechanical meter , by which is meant a meter having mechanical ascending and descending registers as shown . other mechanical meters have electronic postage setting means such as a keypad , microprocessor , and display , but remain mechanical meters because the ascending and descending registers are mechanical . as will be seen , this invention relates only to mechanical meters . in an electronic meter the ascending and descending registers are electronic . in accordance with this invention , a &# 34 ; meter unit &# 34 ; 26 is the resetting device that makes possible resetting of the meter without carrying the meter to the post office . the meter unit 26 is physically attached to the meter 20 at the location of the entry door where manual resetting is ordinarily accomplished by a postal employee . an interlock incapacitates the meter if the resetting device 26 is removed without authority . electrically connected to the resetting device 26 , as by a cord 45 , a communications unit 27 is , in this case , a separately enclosed unit with a keypad 47 and an lcd display 48 . the communications unit 27 is used to request , from a central computer or &# 34 ; host &# 34 ;, resetting of the meter 20 with additional postage . the user enters identifying data at the keypad 47 as well as the amount of additional postage requested . the lcd display 48 prompts the user and indicates the status of the resetting operation . via its telephone line 33 , the communications unit 27 communicates with a central authorizing facility or host . the host verifies the availability of funds and authorizes resetting in a secure fashion . the communications unit 27 , the host , and the manner of secure communication between them are not part of this invention , which relates to the means and manner of effecting resetting once authorization has been received . relevant portions of the meter and its resetting device are illustrated in fig2 in block diagram form . the meter resetting device or meter unit 26 has electronics 49 that include a cpu 50 . the cpu may include a microprocessor , random access memory , and read only memory . it is in communication with the communications unit 27 of fig1 via the cable 45 . a register reset device or mechanism 51 connects with the cpu 50 of the meter unit via such interface circuits 52 and 53 as required . an enabling device 54 receives instructions from the cpu 50 via such interface circuit 56 as it may require . this mechanism 54 enables the register reset device 51 when appropriate . an output 58 from the register reset mechanism 51 is a mechanical output to increase the available postage in the mechanical descending register 39 of a postage meter . the communications unit 27 of fig1 is responsible for communicating with the remote host computer by modem , receiving information from the user via the keypad 47 , providing information to the user via the display 48 , and forwarding information to the meter unit 26 . the cpu 50 causes the descending register 39 to be reset when it receives an appropriate authorizing input such as a combination that it recognizes as appropriate . the cpu 50 receives the value of the variable amount of postage requested from the communications unit , where the user has input this value at the key pad 47 . when it has received an authorization input that it recognizes as valid , the cpu 50 begins the routine that will , first , enable resetting , second , add into the descending register the desired value of additional postage , and third , disable further resetting . the relationship of the resetting mechanism 51 and the enabling mechanism 54 is shown in fig3 in association with the mechanical descending register 39 . the resetting mechanism 51 includes a stepper motor 61 . the interface circuit 52 is its commercially available control circuit . this circuit converts inputs , on lines 67 , from the cpu 50 , or an intermediate register , if needed , and converts them to stepping motor inputs to the motor on line 62 , to control the amount of rotation of the motor . an encoder 64 is part of the resetting mechanism 51 . its commercially available output circuit is the interface circuit 53 that provides to the cpu 50 , or an intermediate register , if needed , an electrical output indication , on lines 66 , of the amount of rotation of the shaft 63 of the stepper motor 61 . the enabling device 54 includes a stepper motor 69 . its commercially available control circuit is the interface circuit 56 . input data to its commercially available stepper motor control circuit is on lines 72 from the cpu 50 or an intermediate register . the output shaft 63 of the stepper motor 61 extends through a motor mounting plate 74 . affixed to this end of the shaft 63 , a first member 76 of a slidable coupling 77 has a pair of laterally projecting pins 78 ( one shown ) secured to a reduced diameter portion 79 . a second member 81 is slidably mounted on the portion 79 , and receives the pins 78 in a pair of axially extending slots 83 ( one shown ). the second member 81 of the coupling 77 is movable axially while communicating rotary motion from the stepper motor shaft 63 . at its end 84 remote from the motor shaft 63 , the second coupling member 81 receives and is affixed to a descending register setting shaft 85 . the setting shaft 85 is movable axially from a locked position shown in fig3 to a resetting position . in the locked position of the shaft 85 , a descending register resetting gear 87 engages a fixed locking pin 89 secured to a fixed plate 91 in the meter . in this position , the gear 87 and shaft 85 are unable to rotate other than the very slight turning permitted by the clearance between the pin 89 and the gear teeth of the gear 87 . in the resetting position of the shaft 85 , the gear 87 has moved to the broken line position 87 &# 39 ; shown in fig3 where it engages a descending register gear 93 . this gear resets the register 39 when turned , increasing the value on the descending register . registers of the nature of the descending register 39 are known in the art , and indeed previous , manually resettable meters used descending registers of this kind , as well as the axially movable resetting shaft , the locking pin , and the shaft - mounted resetting gear for manual resetting by a postal worker . a descending register detent gear 94 affixed on the setting shaft 85 is engaged by a spring - biased pin 96 . the pin 96 is urged radially inward to reside between and in engagement with teeth of the detent gear when the register has been set . the detent pin 96 urges the detent gear 94 , the shaft 85 and the resetting gear 87 to a rotational position at which the gear 87 will pass smoothly back into engagement with the pin 89 . the detent gear 94 and the detent pin 96 are also conventional in manually resettable postage meters of the kind that are carried to the post office to be manually reset by a postal employee . automatic resetting of the descending register 39 is begun by the stepper motor 69 moving the setting shaft 85 to the setting position to enable resetting of the register . when instructed by an input to its circuit 56 , the motor 69 turns a lead screw 98 secured to an output shaft 99 of the motor . a lead screw nut 101 receives the lead screw 98 in threaded engagement . the nut 101 has secured thereto a pair of laterally extending pins 102 ( one shown ). a pair of levers 103 ( one shown ) is pivoted centrally at a fulcrum 106 on a mounting member 107 . slots 109 in the levers 103 receive the pins 102 . a bushing 111 on the second member 81 of the coupling 77 has a pair of laterally projecting pins 112 , one of which can be seen in fig3 . the bushing 111 is captive between shoulders formed by a pair of bosses 114 formed on the axially movable second member 81 of the coupling . one or both shoulders 114 can be a split ring of pliable metal enabling its being spread , placed over the movable coupling member 81 , and closed . the second member 81 is rotatable with respect to the bushing . each lever 103 has a slot 115 receiving one of the pins 112 of the bushing 111 . when the cpu 50 authorizes resetting , an enabling signal is supplied to the stepper motor 69 via its circuitry 56 to drive the lead screw 98 . in an iterative procedure described more fully below , the lead screw nut 101 is retracted towards the stepper motor 69 to pivot the levers 103 and drive the bushing 111 , the axially movable member 81 of the coupling 77 , and the setting shaft 85 of the meter to the left in fig3 . this , then , enables resetting of the descending register 39 by moving the resetting gear 87 into engagement with the descending register gear 93 . the gear 87 is now turned an amount determined by an input to the stepper motor 61 via its circuit 52 . when the output from the encoder 64 , via its circuit 53 , and the output line or lines 66 , confirm to the cpu 50 that the shaft 63 of the stepper motor 61 has turned an amount corresponding to the amount of postage to be set into the descending register 39 , the stepper motor 69 is signaled to rotate the lead screw 98 , moving the nut 101 to the left to move the shaft 85 to the right , withdraw the setting gear 87 from the descending register gear 93 , and once again lock the setting shaft 85 by engagement of the setting gear 87 with the pin 89 . thus the enabling mechanism 54 that includes the stepper motor 69 disables the resetting mechanism 51 that includes the stepper motor 61 . because the detent pin 96 is located between and in firm engagement with teeth of the detent gear 94 , the resetting gear 87 is properly positioned to move onto the pin 89 . the cpu 50 has a routine for assuring that the setting shaft 85 has been moved sufficiently to cause the setting gear 87 to clear the pin 89 and engage the descending register gear 93 when resetting is to begin . the flow chart of fig4 illustrates the routine . once the resetting has been authorized , the routine starts at 120 . the cpu 50 , at 121 , causes the electronics 56 of fig3 of the enabling motor 69 to deliver a series of pulses corresponding to x steps in the enabling direction sufficient to move the gear 87 a distance known to be less than enough to remove the gear from the pin 89 . at 123 , the cpu 50 retains an indication of the number of steps in ram . the cpu then causes , at 125 , the electronics 52 of the resetting motor 61 to deliver a series of pulses sufficient to cause the motor 61 to turn y steps , through an angle known to be more than the angle that the gear 87 can turn while it is in engagement with the pin 89 . the cpu receives z , the output from encoder 64 and its circuitry 53 , at step 126 . the cpu 50 then compares , at 129 , the rotation that it has directed the setting motor 61 to effect with the actual amount of rotation as indicated to it by the encoder 64 and its associated circuitry 53 . the cpu determines that the motor 61 has turned less than instructed and , by an output to the electronics 56 of the motor 69 , instructs the motor 69 to move the gear 87 a further distance x &# 39 ;, as indicated at 130 . the cpu updates x , adding x &# 39 ; to the previously stored x in memory at 123 , and again delivers to the circuitry 52 instructions to pulse the motor 61 a number y of pulses , at 125 . again the actual angle of rotation z is received , at 126 , and compared , at 129 , to the angle that the motor 61 was instructed to turn , and if z continues to be less than y , the preceding steps of causing motor 69 to turn x &# 39 ;, adding x &# 39 ;, instructing the motor 61 to turn y steps , receiving the actual steps z turned , and comparing are iterated , until the cpu learns that z = y and concludes that the gear 87 has cleared the pin 89 . the cpu instructs the motor 69 to move the gear a further minimum clearance distance m as indicated at 131 . the resetting gear 87 then is in engagement with the register gear 93 , and should be clear of the pin 89 . when the cpu concludes that the gears 87 and 93 are engaged , the cpu delivers , at 132 , to the resetting motor circuit 52 in fig3 instructions to step the motor 61 through an angle of rotation that corresponds to the desired variable amount v of postage to be added to the postage remaining in the descending register . at 134 , the cpu 50 receives the output v &# 39 ; from the encoder 64 and its circuit 53 at lines 66 representing the amount the motor 61 has actually turned . the cpu compares the two , v and v &# 39 ;, at 135 , to be sure that the correct amount of postage has been set into the register 39 . if the actual rotation v &# 39 ; differs from the desired rotation v by less than an amount j , the cpu continues with the resetting routine . the cpu may determine whether the actual amount turned v &# 39 ; is within a smaller tolerance k of the desired amount v , at 136 . if it is , then the resetting continues , but if it is not , as indicated by the &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; line from the decision block 136 , a slight further movement by motor 61 is effected at 137 , the new encoder output v &# 39 ; is compared with the desired value v and this continues until v = v &# 39 ; within the tolerance k . next , at 139 , the cpu instructs the enabling stepper motor 69 , via its electronics 56 , to retract the gear 87 an amount equal to x , as updated at 123 . for the next resetting , x is further updated , at 140 , to be a slight amount i less than the total movement ( σx + x &# 39 ;) that is the revised x so that initially the gear will not fully move off the blocking pin , but only a slight further movement will be needed . the resetting routine is then ended as indicated at 141 . by this approach , the resetting device is unaffected by mechanical tolerances and wear of the pin 89 , gear 87 , and gear 93 . another routine of the cpu 50 concerns the resetting shaft and the possibility it may become jammed during resetting . the jam clearing routine , illustrated in fig5 detects the jamming , frees the jam , completes loading of postage , re - establishes the reverse axial movement of the resetting shaft , and updates the minimum clearance amount to prevent future jamming . the mechanism is subject to jamming in two ways : the axial movement of the resetting shaft may be insufficient , leading to re - engagement of the resetting gear with the blocking pin , or the movement may be excessive so as to cause thrust jamming , i . e . by axial movement of the gear too far , into contact with a part other than the descending register gear 93 . in either case as inputs are directed to the stepper motor 61 to rotate the resetting shaft 85 and add postage , the actual rotation , if any , of the shaft will be less than the amount commanded , with the actual rotation amount being reported by the encoder 64 . the method detects the jamming by comparing , at 135 in fig4 the rotation v commanded to the rotation v &# 39 ; reported by the encoder . when these differ by more than a threshold amount , j , a jam is declared . at 150 in fig5 the jam clearing subroutine is initiated by receipt of the &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; decision 145 from decision block 135 of fig4 . the jam clearing routine frees the resetting shaft by directing inputs to stepper motor 69 to cause axial movement of the shaft 85 . first , at 153 , the difference , a , between the desired resetting value of shaft rotation v and the actual accomplished shaft rotation v &# 39 ; is calculated and stored . a small axial shaft movement , corresponding to a number of steps b of the motor 69 , is commanded in a selected direction , at 154 . at 155 this input is stored as the current σb . further rotation of stepper motor 61 is directed at 157 , and the encoder 64 output d is noted at 158 . if the commanded and reported rotation agree within a threshold , as detected at 161 , the jamming is declared freed , as indicted at the &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; path 163 from the decision block 161 . the cpu routine then moves ahead to a subroutine ending set of steps described below . if the commanded and the accomplished rotation are not the same at 161 , as indicated by the &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; path 164 , the try is counted at 166 . the number n of tries , one in this case , is compared to a desired maximum number of tries n , at 167 . if n has not yet reached n , the opposite direction of shaft movement is selected , and an axial movement twice as great as b is directed , at 170 . the input σb to motor 69 is updated at 155 . the amount of rotation is again checked at 157 and 158 . continued jamming , indicated by d being less than c at 161 , increases the count n , and if n is still less than n , a direction reversal with three times the axial movement b occurs at 170 . if jamming continues , reversal and four times the movement occurs , and so on , until either the jamming is freed or the cutoff number n of axial movements has been made . in the latter case , the mechanism is declared hopelessly jammed , and the resetting is aborted , at 169 . once it is determined that the jam has been cleared , the amount of shaft movement σb , necessary to clear the jam , has been stored , at 155 . additional inputs are directed to the stepper motor 61 , at 175 , corresponding to the amount of postage yet to be added the desired amount v minus the less - than - complete resetting amount v &# 39 ;, minus the amount d used to test whether the jam was cleared . the rotation command at 175 , corresponding to the desired amount of postage v , can be verified at 177 , by comparison with the encoder output received at 176 , and the actual rotation can be corrected at 176 , 177 , and 180 , if a slight error appears at 177 . whenever jamming has occurred , it is presumed that the axial movement of the resetting shaft was inhibited and did not keep a one - to - one relationship with the inputs directed to the stepper motor 69 ; hence the proper amount of reverse axial movement of the shaft after resetting is unknown . this amount is re - established approximately by first commanding a reverse axial movement of the resetting shaft by an amount e assumed sufficient to cause re - engagement of the resetting gear with the blocking pin , but not large enough for complete retraction . this occurs at 182 , where - e steps corresponds to e axial movement of the shaft in the gear retraction direction . axial direction is then changed , and the shaft is moved so as to disengage the blocking pin , with rotational checks for engagement being made as previously disclosed at steps 123 to 130 of fig4 indicated at 185 in fig5 . eventually the gear is just clear of the pin and the axial location of the resetting shaft is now known to within a small error . at 186 , inputs are directed to stepper motor 69 causing reverse axial movement of the resetting shaft . the amount of this movement , x steps , was determined earlier when ascertaining that the gear 87 had moved clear of the pin 89 , at steps 121 to 130 of fig4 . it is the accumulated movement that was determined to be necessary to take the shaft axially from its starting position to the point where the gear was clear of the blocking pin . the likelihood of future jamming is reduced by noting in which axial direction the resetting shaft was moved when jamming was freed , and causing , at 188 , updating of m to be used , at 131 in fig4 in subsequent resetting , by adding or subtracting the amount judged adequate to prevent a future jam . the routine is ended by returning to the fig4 resetting routine , which at 140 reduces the new m by i , the small amount that prevents the gear moving off of the pin initially in the next resetting . the resetting is then ended . while a specific preferred embodiment of the invention has been described , it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that variations therein may be made without departure from the invention , as described in the appended claims . for example , other steps may be included in the fig4 and 5 subroutines that are not important to this invention , but that accomplish other desired functions of the meter . | 6 |
a method according to the present invention is intended for use with yaw control systems which are typically implemented with electronically controlled hydraulically actuated or electrically actuated braking systems in automotive vehicles , however , the invention could easily be adapted for use in yaw control systems on other motor vehicles , such as watercraft and aircraft as well as on other vehicle systems , such as active tilt or active suspension where it would be desirable to know the underlying road bank angle . referring now to fig1 and 2 , various operating parameters and variables used by the present invention are illustrated as they relate to the application of the present invention to a ground based motor vehicle 10 . those skilled in the art will immediately recognize the basic physics represented by these illustrations , thereby make the adaptation to different types of vehicles easily within their reach . these parameters will be described in greater detail below . fig3 illustrates the component parts of a system in which the present invention has been implemented successfully . accordingly , a control module 14 receives inputs from steering wheel angle sensor 16 , yaw sensor 18 , wheel speed sensors 20 and lateral acceleration sensor 22 . although not illustrated , other sensors and accelerometers could be employed in addition to , or as substitutes for those illustrated , depending upon the system being controlled and the available system sensor set while still making use of the present invention . as an example , the present invention could be carried out with equivalent operability and functionality using data to generate estimates of yaw rate and lateral acceleration if the cost , complexity or other considerations made it worthwhile to eliminate the actual sensors . as previously noted , an exemplary application of the present invention includes a braking system having active yaw control capability . for instance , a vehicle equipped with an active yaw control capable electronically controlled hydraulic braking system would include a hydraulic control unit operatively connected to brake actuators in cooperation with wheel and tire assemblies . the hydraulic control unit and brake actuators may be constructed in a known manner such as that commonly employed on ford motor vehicles equipped with abs brakes in use today . those skilled in the art will appreciate in view of this disclosure that wheel speed sensors 20 could comprise any of a variety of devices or systems employed in automotive vehicles for determining individual wheel speeds as well as a longitudinal velocity of the vehicle . one type of automotive speed sensor suitable for use with the present invention comprises a speed module for receiving input from multiple wheel speed sensors adapted to indicate the speed of the individual wheels . the speed module derives a longitudinal vehicle speed signal by combining the signals from the individual wheel speed sensors . one such type of speed signal module is embodied in brake control modules presently used in ford motor company vehicles . the individual wheel speeds are ascertained using pulse generators disposed at each wheel . the control module 14 may output commands to a brake controller 24 which directly commands the hydraulic control unit and indirectly controls the individual brake actuators . those skilled in the art will appreciate in view of this disclosure that a processor within the control module and its associated peripheral equipment could be structured according to several different architectures . in a preferred embodiment , however , the processor is configured so that a control program is sequentially read for each unit command from a read - only memory ( rom ) 26 which stores preset control programs . unit commands are executed by a central processing unit ( cpu ) 28 . the processor integrally includes an input - output control circuit ( i / o ) 30 for exchanging data with external devices and a random access memory ( ram ) 32 for temporarily holding data while the data are being processed . referring back now to fig1 and 2 , the present invention determines an estimate of the vehicle bank angle , γ v , which represents the sum of the vehicle tilt , due to suspension compliance , and a road bank angle , γ r . this is accomplished by using three separately derived bank angle estimates to determine a bias created due to lateral dynamics . one of the bank angle estimates is then compensated in accordance with this bias and then used as the final bank angle estimate , γ final . by compensating the bank angle estimate in this manner , the bank angle can be accurately estimated for most dynamic lateral conditions a vehicle will encounter in a controlled situation , improving the overall yaw control performance in common dynamic lateral events . first , the principles of the present invention will be described so that it can be readily adopted to other types of vehicles . using equations of motion for a rigid body the following relationship can be obtained : a y = lateral acceleration measured by an accelerometer on the vehicle ; from this , if we assume that the time derivative of the lateral velocity , { dot over ( v )}, is approximately zero , we can set sin γ ^ v = a y - uw g we note that there will be error , primarily due to leaving { dot over ( v )} out , however , the vehicle bank angle estimate , { circumflex over ( γ )} v , will be valid when { dot over ( v )} would otherwise be zero , e . g ., lateral dynamics are steady state . this is what others have done , particularly the &# 39 ; 658 reference . to provide greater accuracy in determining a bank angle estimate when the lateral dynamics are not steady state , the bias introduced by this assumption must be considered . turning now to fig4 a logic flow block diagram capable of taking this bias into account in determining an estimate of the vehicle bank angle is shown and will now be further explained . at block 50 the processor starts the illustrated logic flow block diagram when the operator keys on the vehicle ignition . the processor then moves to block 52 where parameters and operating conditions of the vehicle are updated from various sensors , where the various sensors are read and their data input to the processor . if this is the first time through the algorithm all of the variables are initialized with predetermined values . the processor then steps to block 54 where three unique estimates of the vehicle bank angle , { circumflex over ( γ )} a , { circumflex over ( γ )} ω and { circumflex over ( γ )} v , are determined . the first bank angle estimate , { circumflex over ( γ )} a , is determined using measured or estimated lateral acceleration data according to the following relationship : { circumflex over ( γ )} a = a 1 − 1 ( a y − a 2 δ ) { circumflex over ( γ )} a = a bank angle estimate based on measured lateral acceleration ; a 1 = a transfer function relating bank angle to vehicle lateral acceleration , where : a 1 = - gl ( l + ku 2 ) a 2 = a transfer function relating steering wheel angle to vehicle lateral acceleration , where : a 2 = gu 2 l + ku 2 g = steering ratio relating actual tire angle , α , to steering wheel angle , δ ; the second bank angle estimate , { circumflex over ( γ )} ω , is determined using measured or estimated yaw rate data according to the following relationship : { circumflex over ( γ )} ω = b 1 − 1 ( ω − b 2 δ ) { circumflex over ( γ )} ω = bank angle estimate based on measured yaw rate ; b 1 = a transfer function relating bank angle to vehicle yaw rate , where : b 1 = gku ( l + ku 2 ) b 2 = a transfer function relating steering wheel angle to vehicle yaw rate , where : b 2 = gu ( l + ku 2 ) the third bank angle estimate , { circumflex over ( γ )} v , is determined using measured or estimated lateral acceleration and yaw rate data in a rearranged version of equation 2 from above , as follows : γ ^ v = sin - 1 [ 1 g ( a y - u ω ) ] { circumflex over ( γ )} v = vehicle bank angle estimate based on measured lateral acceleration and yaw rate data based on the simplified equation of motion . once the processor has the three estimates from above , it proceeds to block 56 and calculates the bank angle bias due to the lateral dynamics . the processor determines the bias by the following equation : bias = dncf + γ ^ v t dncf = a dynamics compensation factor , which is generally a function of the three estimates and the longitudinal velocity , which may take the following form : dncf = a 1 ({ circumflex over ( γ )} a −{ circumflex over ( γ )} v )+({ circumflex over ( γ )} ω −{ circumflex over ( γ )} v ); and the processor then proceeds to block 58 where bias is used to account for the error introduced from simplifying equation 1 into equation 2 . together , dncf and γ ^ v t account for how much change in lateral dynamics , or { dot over ( v )}, the vehicle may be experiencing . in step 58 , the frequencies of the third bank angle estimate is decomposed into a plurality of frequency layers . the number of layers depends on many things including the desired accuracy and system to which it is applied . in one constructed embodiment , three frequency layers were used . in step 60 , the dncf is filtered to obtain a frequency layer dynamic compensation factor corresponding to each of the frequency layers of the third bank angle determined in step 58 . the decomposed frequency bank angles of each layer is subject to a reduction in step 62 based on a multiplicative factor between zero and 1 that is a function of the dynamic compensation factor . the multiplicative factor in each layer is chosen to remove bias in that layer . the filtering of step 60 may , for example , be low pass filtering selected for the frequency ranges of decomposition performed in step 58 . the step 62 may further comprise the determination and use of the rate of change for the third bank angle estimate , v . in step 64 , the frequency layer reductions of step 62 are summed together in step 64 to form a final road bank angle estimate . by performing a reduction based on the dynamic compensation factor , a more accurate estimation of road bank angle may be determined . such a determination is believed to be extremely useful in maneuvers even on snow and ice while avoiding false or nuisance activation on a banked road . the processor then proceeds to block 64 and outputs the final bank angle estimate to the brake controller 24 so that adjustments can be made in the control calculations . finally , the processor returns through block 66 to block 52 , where it will repeat the bank angle estimation process until the vehicle ignition is turned off . various modifications will no doubt occur to those skilled in the arts to which this invention pertains . for example , the particular sensors used in conjunction with the disclosed method may be varied from those herein , as there are numerous possible methods for measuring or estimating the longitudinal velocity , yaw rate and lateral acceleration of a vehicle . additionally , the method may be practiced with significant changes to the various transfer functions described above while remaining within the calculational and logic flow scheme described herein . finally , it should be noted that if one desires an estimate of the lateral dynamics of equation 1v ., it can be calculated using the final bank angle estimate . these and all other variations which basically rely on the teachings to which this disclosure has advanced the art are properly considered within the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims . while particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described , numerous variations alternate embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art . accordingly , it is intended that the invention be limited only in terms of the appended claims . | 1 |
fig1 illustrates a cross - sectional view of a portion of a polishing head assembly 10 . polishing head assembly 10 is configured to rotate about a rotational axis 12 . a substrate 14 is positioned against a substrate carrier 16 in the lower portion of polishing head assembly 10 . substrate 14 can be any material requiring polishing , including a semiconductor substrate , a refractory metal substrate , a metal alloy substrate , and the like . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , polishing head assembly 10 is configured for polishing a semiconductor substrate having any of several different thin film materials thereon . for example , substrate 14 can be a semiconductor substrate having a thick dielectric material , such as silicon oxide thereon . further , semiconductor substrate 14 can be a semiconductor substrate having a semiconductive material , such as polycrystalline silicon , a refractory metal silicide , amorphous silicon , and the like thereon . also , substrate 14 can be a semiconductive substrate having electrically conductive metals , such as aluminum , aluminum - silicon alloys , copper , copper alloys , and the like thereon . also shown in fig1 is a portion of a polishing pad 18 . polishing pad 18 can be one of a number of different types of polishing pads commonly used in a ( cmp ) apparatus . for example , polishing pad 18 can be a polyurethane material and the like . generally , polishing pad 18 includes a support layer 20 and a polishing surface layer 22 . during operation , polishing pad 20 is engaged in relative motion to polishing head assembly 10 . for example , in one common cmp apparatus , polishing pad 18 moves in a lateral direction , as indicated by arrow 24 , while head assembly 10 rotates about rotational axis 12 . a slight downward pressure is exerted upon head assembly 10 to cause substrate 14 to come into contact with polishing surface layer 22 of polishing pad 18 . substrate 14 is positioned against a substrate support surface 26 of substrate carrier 16 . a substrate retainer 28 surrounds substrate support surface 26 and protrudes below substrate support surface 26 by an amount sufficient to form a continuous surface with substrate 14 . by extending below substrate support surface 26 of substrate carrier 16 , substrate retainer 28 cooperates with substrate carrier 16 to form a substrate receiving area in which substrate 14 is contained during polishing operations . substrate retainer 28 is positioned within an annular indentation 30 located at the perimeter of substrate carrier 16 . in one embodiment of the invention , substrate retainer 28 is attached to substrate carrier 16 by a torque pin 32 . although only one torque pin is shown , those skilled in the art will appreciate that two or more pins are typically used to couple the substrate retainer to the head assembly . torque pin 32 allows for relative movement of substrate carrier 16 relative to the remaining structure of polishing head assembly 10 . alternatively , substrate retainer 28 can be flexibly attached to substrate carrier 16 by a clip or other fastening mechanisms . shown in fig2 a is a cross - sectional view of substrate retainer 28 . substrate retainer 28 includes an annular member 33 having a recessed surface portion 34 . in accordance with the invention , annular member 33 also includes a cavity 36 that is formed in a portion of annular member 33 . as shown in the bottom view of fig2 b , cavity 36 resides in a recessed surface portion 34 and is formed by a lip 38 that extends about a portion of the perimeter of annular member 33 . annular member 33 defines a central opening 39 for receiving substrate 14 . an exploded view of a portion of annular member 33 is illustrated in cross - section in fig3 . lip 38 forms a distal wall surface 40 of cavity 36 on a first side and a portion of a perimeter surface 41 on a second side . annular member 33 also includes a face surface 42 that contacts polishing layer 22 during operation of the cmp apparatus . more importantly , lip 38 does not form a continuous surface with face surface 42 . as shown in fig3 by the line laterally extended from face surface 42 , the lower portion of lip 38 is offset from face surface 42 . the offset forms a gap 43 between the bottom of lip 38 and any flat surface coming into contact with face surface 42 . as will subsequently be described , gap 43 plays an important roll in the distribution of slurry during operation of the cmp apparatus . a bottom view of substrate retainer 28 in successive stages of rotation is illustrated in fig4 a - 4 c . in the illustrated embodiment , two cavities are formed in the substrate retainer . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , substrate retainer 28 has cavity 36 and a cavity 48 . cavity 36 is separated from cavity 48 by non - cavity portions 50 and 52 of substrate retainer 28 . in accordance with the invention , during operation of a cmp apparatus , a polishing slurry is introduced onto the polishing pad . a typical polishing slurry is an aqueous composition including an abrasive material , surfactants and can include chemicals that react with the thin film materials formed on the surface of substrate 14 . as illustrated in fig4 a - 4 c , the slurry is depicted as undergoing a translational motion relative to the rotational motion of substrate retainer 28 . as substrate retainer 28 rotates , a portion of the slurry is captured within first and second cavities 36 and 48 . by capturing a portion of the slurry , slurry reservoirs are created at the perimeter of substrate retainer 28 . first and second cavities 36 and 48 are configured such that slurry continuously flows from first and second cavities 36 and 48 onto the polishing pad . by providing the continuous flow of slurry , first and second cavities 36 and 48 assist in the distribution of the slurry during polishing operations . in particular , the continuous flow of slurry provided by first and second cavities 36 and 48 enables a more uniform polishing operation by uniformly distributing the slurry across the face of substrate 14 . a portion of substrate carrier 16 , substrate retainer 28 and polishing surface layer 22 are illustrated in cross - section in fig5 . as shown by the arrows , slurry generally flows along polishing surface layer 22 and into cavity 36 . cavity 36 cooperates with polishing surface layer 22 to provide a liquid reservoir in which a portion of the slurry is temporarily held . under the continual translational motion of polishing surface layer 22 and the rotational motion of substrate retainer 28 and substrate carrier 16 , the slurry flows from cavity 36 across face surface 42 of substrate retainer 28 and across an exposed surface 54 of substrate 14 . as the polishing process proceeds , the polishing action of polishing surface layer 22 and the slurry removes portions of substrate 14 at exposed surface 54 . the removed portions of exposed surface 54 are partially dissolved and entrained within the slurry . it is important to note that the thickness of the slurry layer is greatly exaggerated in fig5 for purposes of illustration . in practice , surfaces 42 and 54 are in substantially direct contact with polishing surface layer 22 . as described above , when face surface 42 comes into contact with polishing surface layer 22 , a gap 43 is formed between lip 38 and polishing surface layer 22 . gap 43 allows the used slurry that contains dissolved and entrained portions of exposed surface 54 to be removed from cavity 36 at the trailing edge of rotational cycle . cavity 36 is positioned at the trailing edge when substrate carrier 16 rotates cavity 36 into a downstream position with respect to the general direction of slurry flow ( shown by the directional arrows in fig5 ). in the absence of gap 43 , used slurry would become trapped in cavities 36 and 48 . by providing for the release of used slurry , a fresh reservoir of slurry can be maintained within the cavities for enhanced polishing uniformity . the cavity structure in the substrate retainer provides several advantages in a polishing operation . for example , the ability to hold a slurry reservoir at the perimeter of the substrate improves both the polishing removal rate and the substrate polishing uniformity . also , the continuous flow of slurry from the cavity can reduce the total slurry consumption during substrate polishing . further , the polishing variation associated with the placement of slurry delivery systems is reduced . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the functional aspects of the invention can be carried out with a variety of geometric configurations . for example , a plurality of cavities can be formed in the substrate retainer . the number of cavities used will depend upon several processing parameters , such as the diameter of the substrates being polished , the flow characteristics of the slurry , the slurry retention capability of the polishing pad , and the like . further , although the cavity has been illustrated having a particular cross - sectional geometry , those skilled in the art will appreciate that various cross - sectional geometries can be implemented . for example , a rectangular shaped cross - sectional geometry , a square shaped cross - sectional geometry , a circular cross - sectional geometry , and the like can be used . additionally , the invention provides a uniform disbursement of slurry across the polishing pad downstream from polishing head assembly 10 . this feature is important in a cmp apparatus that employs a pad conditioner in tandem with a polishing head assembly . by uniformly distributing slurry across the polishing pad downstream from the polishing head , the pad conditioner can more effectively condition the pad for subsequent polishing operations . thus , it is apparent that there has been described , in accordance with the invention , a polishing apparatus and substrate retainer ring providing continuous slurry distribution that fully provides the advantages set forth above . although the polishing apparatus has been described and illustrated with reference to specific illustrative embodiments thereof , it is not intended that the invention be limited to those illustrative embodiments . for example , the polishing pad can be placed in rotational motion as the rotating head assembly is brought into contact with the polishing pad . further , the cavity can be a plurality of circular depressions within the face surface of the substrate retainer . those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . it is , therefore , intended to include within the invention all such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof . | 1 |
referring first to fig1 and 2 which are , respectively , a top elevational view and a sectional view of a hollow rubber fender in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , the fender includes a hollow frusto - conical support portion 1 , a cylindrical buffer portion 2 extending integrally from the smaller - diameter end of the support portion 1 coaxially with the latter , and a mounting portion 3 extending integrally from the larger - diameter end of the support portion 1 along a radial plane perpendicular to the axis of the latter . the inside diameter r 1 of the larger - diameter end of the support portion 1 is determined in relation to the outside diameter r 2 of the buffer portion 2 so as to meet the condition of r 1 ≧ 1 . 0r 2 . namely , the inside diameter r 1 of the larger - diameter end of the support portion 1 is selected to be equal to or greater than the outside diameter r 2 of the buffer portion 2 . with this arrangement , the region p -- p &# 39 ; where the contact pressure load is applied is always positioned at the inner side of a plane y -- y &# 39 ; passing the support points q , q &# 39 ; at the bottom of the support portion 1 during the deformation of the fender , that is , from the beginning of the period of application of the load until the end of the deformation at which the deformed support portion 1 comes into contact with the ship &# 39 ; s side . as a consequence , the generation of excessively large reaction forces is avoided advantageously . in another embodiment shown in fig4 the mounting portion 3 includes a heel - like portion la formed to integrally project radially inwardly from the larger - diameter end of the support portion 1 as indicated by broken line . in such a case , the inner diameter r 3 of the heel - like portion or flange 1a and the outer diameter r 2 of the top end of the buffer portion 2 are preferably selected to meet the condition of r 3 ≧ 0 . 75r 2 . furthermore , since the buffer portion 2 of the fender of the invention is generally in a cylindrical form , the fender is deformed in the initial period of application of load by the ship &# 39 ; s side approaching the quay such that the boundary portion between the buffer portion 2 and the support portion 1 is contracted towards the axis . as a consequence , the angle θ of inclination of the buffer portion 1 is decreased . in other words , the inclination of the buffer portion 1 with respect to the axis line is increased , so that the initial reaction force exerted by the fender is decreased correspondingly . the results of an experiment indicate that about a 10 % decrease of reaction force is attained by the adoption of the cylindrical buffer portion . in the fender shown in fig1 the outside diameter r 2 of the buffer portion 2 is determined in relation to the overall height h of the fender . more specifically , the outside diameter r 2 equals to 1 . 27 h . after making the initial compression deformation in which the reaction force rises comparatively moderately as explained above , the fender of this embodiment starts to make a bending deformation in which the support portion 1 expands radially outwardly . finally , the support portion 1 is buckled such that the inner surface of the upper end portion makes contact with the inner surface of the lower end portion thereof as shown in fig3 . in this state , however , the outer surface of the buckled support portion 1 does not contact yet with the ship &# 39 ; s side 4 because the buffer portion 2 projects from the smaller - diameter end of the support portion 1 in the axial direction by a considerable axial height . this makes , in combination with the structural feature that the inside diameter r 1 of the larger - diameter end of the support portion 1 is greater than the outside diameter r 2 of the buffer portion 2 , the line ( f ) of force run in the oblique direction as indicated by arrows in fig3 . this permits the buckled buffer portion 2 to be further deformed in the radial direction . in this embodiment , since the buffer portion 2 has a cylindrical form , the support portion 1 can be inclined to a greater extent so that the force ( f ) acts to further deform the buffer portion 2 radially outwardly . according to the results of a test conducted by the present inventors , about a 10 % increase of the deformation amount was achieved by the above - explained deforming action . in the fender of the described embodiment , about a 10 % increase of deformation amount is achieved simultaneously with about a 10 % reduction in the reaction force . a calculation in accordance with a theoretical formula using these values showed that about a 2 % increase in the energy absorption is achieved in the fender of the described embodiment . thus , the described embodiment affords the design of a fender which exhibits lower reaction force without being accompanied by a reduction in the energy absorption . the numerical values of reaction force , deformation amount and energy absorption mentioned before are only illustrative and are varied by changes in sizes of various parts of the fender . as will be understood from the foregoing description , according to the invention , it is preferred that the buffer portion 2 has a generally cylindrical form and that the cylindrical buffer portion 2 projects from the smaller - diameter end of the support portion 1 in a direction parallel to the axis by a considerable height . the results of an experiment showed that the projection height ( h ) of the buffer portion is preferably determined in relation to the overall height ( h ) of the fender to meet the following condition . a reinforcing iron plate 5 is embedded in the mounting portion 3 . also , a reinforcing iron plate 5 &# 39 ; is embedded as required in the top end of the buffer portion 2 . this reinforcing iron plate 5 &# 39 ; serves not only as a stiffener for imparting rigidity to the buffer portion 2 but also as a base for attaching a buffer plate of a large area to the top of the buffer portion 2 . the reinforcing plates may be constructed as shown in fig5 . fig6 shows another embodiment of the invention in which the inner surface of the support portion 1 presents an outwardly bending portion located closer to the larger - diameter end of the support portion 1 and spaced by a suitable distance from the bottom surface of the fender . by so doing , it is possible to ensure that the bending deformation occurs always at the bent portion of the support portion 1 . fig4 shows in section a cylindrical fender in accordance with another embodiment of the invention . as described in the above , this fender is distinguished from the fender of the first embodiment in that the buffer portion 2 is inclined inwardly at an angle of 10 ° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the fender . other portions are materially identical to those of the first embodiment . this specific structural feature of the buffer portion is adopted for the reason explained hereinunder . according to the invention , it is preferred that the inside diameter r 1 of large - diameter end of the support portion 1 is equal to or greater than the outside diameter r 2 of the buffer portion 2 . however , when the wall thickness ( t ) of the support portion 1 is increased as shown by broken lines to increase the reaction force within the allowable range , the outside diameter r 2 of the buffer portion 2 may exceed the inside diameter r 1 of larger - diameter end of the support portion 1 . to avoid such an inconvenience , in this embodiment of the invention , the inner peripheral surface of the buffer portion 2 is inclined at about 10 ° to the axis . by so doing , it is possible to make the outside diameter r 2 of the buffer portion 2 smaller than the inside diameter r 1 of larger - diameter end of the support portion 1 at least at the top surface of the buffer portion 2 . furthermore , in the fender of the invention , the buffer portion 2 is deformed to reduce its diameter when subjected to a compression load . the outside diameter r 2 of the buffer portion 2 , therefore , satisfies the condition of r 1 ≧ 1 . 0r 2 . in this embodiment of the invention , both the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface of the buffer portion 2 are inclined with respect to the axis ( x ). this , however , is not exclusive and it suffices only that the outer peripheral surface of the buffer portion 2 is inclined . as has been described , according to the invention , it is possible to obtain a hollow rubber fender which exhibits a smaller reaction force yet achieves higher energy absorbing performance . although the invention has been described in specific terms , it is to be noted that the described embodiment is only illustrative and various changes and modifications may be imparted thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 5 |
referring now to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the various figures thereof , there is shown in fig1 a general top plan view of a landing bridge or floating roadway assembly which establishes vehicle communication between a shore region 2 and a ship or vessel 3 . in order to provide some degree of protection and added support for the floating roadway 1 the surf region at the coast line from which the roadway 1 extends is provided with large stones or tetrapods 4 of steel concrete which extend from the shore region 2 . at its side or end remote from the shore region 2 , the landing bridge or roadway 1 is enlarged so as to form a platform area 1a from which a ramp 5 constructed in a conventional manner provides access to the holds of a ship or other vessel 3 . the landing bridge 1 is composed of a number of pontoons 6 which may be made of steel concrete . the pontoons 6 are shown in greater detail in fig2 - 4 . the pontoons 6 are formed as square blocks with a bottom plate 7 , a cover plate 8 longitudinal walls 9 and end walls 10 . the end walls 10 are generally thicker than the longitudinal walls 9 and in the upper region thereof line above the water line the walls 10 are formed with a cutout 12 . within the cover plate 8 there may be arranged a passage opening 23 . the pontoons 6 are joined together by carrying members or rods 13 which extend longitudinally along the length of the bridge or roadway 1 on opposite sides thereof . the carrying rods 13 extend through the end walls 10 of the pontoons 6 and are embedded therein . thus , it will be seen that the carrying rods 13 penetrate through the end walls 10 and through the cut out portions 12 on opposite sides of each pontoon and extend within the region of the end walls 10 lying above the water line . the carrying members 13 may be formed of steel rods having hot - rolled ribs 11 lying in a helical arrangement thereabout in order to form a partial thread thereon . in order to maintain the longitudinal mobility , or relative longitudinal movement between the rods 13 and the pontoons 6 , the rods 13 are arranged within the interior of the end wall 10 to extend within a pair of encasing tubes 19 and 20 which are made of plastic material . the encasing tubes 19 and 20 are arranged concentrically with each other with the tubes being longitudinally displaceable or movable relative to each other . the annular space defined between the steel rod 13 and the inner encasing tube 20 is tamped or filled with a hardening material such as cement mortar 21 . thus , the steel rods 13 are affixed in the transverse direction relative to the end wall 10 of the pontoon 6 so that transverse forces may be transmitted from one pontoon to the next . the longitudinal mobility of the steel rods 13 relative to the pontoons 6 is achieved in that each of the steel rods 13 forms a unit with the respective inner encasing tube 20 and the tamping material 21 which may expand as a whole and shift in relation to the respective outer encasing tube 19 which is embedded or firmly affixed in the concrete of the pontoon end wall 10 . as best in seen in fig5 the carrying rod 13 extends from one pontoon 6 to another with the spacing or interspace between the two pontoons 6 within the region surrounding the steel rod 13 being sealed by seal rings 22 made of soft rubber . within the region of the cut outs 12 , the steel rods 13 are joined together by couplings 14 and lock nuts 15 which are best seen in fig5 . the steel rods 13 are secured against the opposite end walls 18 of the cut out region 12 by nuts 16 and washers 17 . however , this is accomplished without obtaining a bracing of adjacent pontoons which is prevented by the seal rings 22 . the individual pontoons are thus strung on the steel rods 13 an though upon an elastic steel band . with pontoons 6 having dimensions of approximately 9 . 0 m in length by 4 . 5 m in width and with a height of 2 . 3 m , the weight of the pontoons will be no more than about 50 t so that the pontoons will not exceed the carrying capacity of a normal ship crane . the special linking of the pontoons 6 makes it possible for vehicles weighing up to 100 t to travel along the floating landing bridge . the sag under load of the bridge will then be about 0 . 27 m , and the transvers inclination for a usual 32 - ton semi - trailer when one of the two lanes of the bridge is loaded will be about 1 . 30 %. the pontoons 6 may be produced at any point in the vicinity of the coast line and they may be transported to their destination either singly or already assembled as a floating landing bridge . as the bridge may be pulled out of the water with a force of about 100 t engaging at one end in a vertical direction , without suffering inadmissible tensions , it can be pulled to land upon a sandy beach with a moderate horizontal force to establish a connection from the ship to the land . while specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles , it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles . | 4 |
referring now to the drawing , fig1 illustrates a vertical panel delineator 10 constructed in accordance with the invention . the delineator 10 comprises a highway safety cone 12 having a conical body portion 14 , which includes a top end 16 and a base end 18 . the conical body portion 14 has a minimum diameter at the top end 16 and expands conically to a maximum diameter at the bottom end 18 . at the bottom end , a lip portion 20 ( fig5 ) flares outwardly to form a horizontal support base for the cone body 14 , and to provide a means for assembling the cone 12 to a weighted support base ( gravity anchor ) 22 . the illustrated support base 22 is constructed of a solid dense material , preferably rubber , but could also comprise a hollow plastic ballasted member , as is discussed in the co - pending parent application ser . no . 08 / 195 , 119 entitled safety delineators , and filed on feb . 10 , 1994 . both such bases are available commercially from the assignee of the present application . the cone body 14 itself , between the top end 16 and the lip portion 20 , is conventional in construction and is preferably fabricated of a resilient plastic using known molding techniques . an advantageous and important feature of the invention is the addition of a handle 24 to the cone 12 , which enables a user to quickly and easily grip the cone in order to transport it between locations . the handle 24 is preferably molded to be integral with the cone body 14 , extending upwardly from the top end 16 , and is configured to generally resemble a doorknob . in its preferred configuration , the handle includes a first transition fillet 26 , a necked down generally cylindrical shaft portion 28 , and a generally hemispherical knob portion 30 . the first fillet 26 transitions the handle 24 between the diameter of the top end 16 ( approximately 4 inches in the preferred embodiment ) and that of the cylindrical shaft 28 . the diameter of the shaft 28 is small enough to be comfortably gripped by the hand of an average adult ( approximately 1¼ inches in the preferred embodiment ). a second transition fillet 32 ( fig2 ) transitions the handle 24 between the diameter of the shaft 28 and the diameter of the knob 30 , which in the preferred embodiment is about 2¾ inches . the purpose of the knob is primarily to prevent a user &# 39 ; s hand from slipping off of the end of the shaft 28 . of course , the actual configuration and dimensions of the handle 24 may be varied in accordance with particular design and manufacturing considerations , as long as it functions to permit easy and convenient gripping of the cone . preferably , the handle shaft portion 28 includes a plurality of spaced circumferential ribs 34 ( fig1 and 2 ), which primarily function to improve a user &# 39 ; s grip on the shaft by preventing slipping of his or her hand thereon . in the preferred embodiment , they are blended out at the mold parting line for ease of fabrication ( not shown ). any number of ribs may be employed , but they may also be eliminated if desired , or replaced by an alternate non - skid surface , such as rubberized tape or the like . still another desirable feature is the employment of a plurality of circumferentially spaced stiffeners 36 , best seen in fig3 of which there are preferably four , although a different number may be used . the stiffeners 36 , which are molded protrusions , extend axially through the first transition fillet 26 , functioning to reinforce it and to prevent it from buckling because of downward pressure on the handle 24 , which is commonly applied in the ordinary course of utilizing the cone 12 . a key feature of the present invention is the use of the safety cone 12 as a convenient platform for supporting one or more vertical panels 38 . the vertical panels 38 are conventional , in that they are rectangular in configuration , preferably fabricated of polyethylene sheeting or some other flexible , resistant material , and preferably have a minimum frontal surface area of 270 square inches , in order to meet current governmental regulations . in a preferred embodiment , they are approximately 8 inches in width and 36 inches in length . the frontal surface of each panel 38 ( only one of which is shown ) has a plurality of alternating contrasting stripes 40 and 42 , which are preferably orange and white , respectively . each vertical panel 38 is preferably attached to the body portion 14 of the safety cone 12 using metal tubular rivets 44 ( best seen in fig4 ), in combination with low profile washers 45 ( fig4 ). alternatively , plastic push rivets could be utilized . the tubular rivet is pushed through a corresponding hole 46 in the body portion 14 , as well as through the vertical panel 38 . once fully through both pieces , the washer 45 secures the attachment , the head 50 of the rivet being flush with the vertical panel 38 . in the preferred embodiment , four such tubular rivets 44 are employed to secure each vertical panel 38 . of course a different number of rivets could be employed if desired , or other known fastening means could be alternatively utilized . the use of the safety cone 12 as a standardized supporting platform for the vertical panels 38 greatly increases the versatility and fnuctionality of the vertical panels . the cone 12 , when used in combination with the weighted support base 22 , easily withstands gusts caused by high speed traffic and prevailing conditions to remain in position . furthermore , because of the handle 24 on the cone 12 , the vertical panels 38 are conveniently carried by a worker for placement in a desired location . the cones 12 are more durable and lighter than the supporting platforms typically used for vertical panels in the prior art , many of which are metallic , because of their resilient plastic construction . finally , and perhaps most significantly , the use of standardize cones 12 as platforms for the vertical panels 38 enables the panels 38 to be much more easily transported and stored , because of their stacking ability . as discussed above in the background of the invention portion of the specification , safety cones of the type herein disclosed , as well as many other types of traffic safety delineators and channelizers , are typically stacked for compact storage and for ease of transportability between locations . however , the prior art cones generally available in the prior art tend to stick and jam together when stacked , thereby making it difficult to separate them for use . this invention solves that problem because of the unique handle configuration at the top of each cone 12 , which makes the cones self - spacing . thus , when two or more cones are stacked together , as shown in fig5 the top of the knob portion 30 of the lower cone abuts the interior surface 52 of the transition fillet 26 of the upper cone , thereby creating a stop which prevents further relative stacking motion between the two cones , i . e . further collapsing of the upper cone onto the lower one . advantageously , the relative stacking motion is stopped by the abutment of the lower cone knob 30 on the upper cone interior surface 52 before the upper cone has descended onto the lower cone sufficiently to create a jamming or sticking problem . as illustrated in the drawing , the cones 12 may be stacked with the vertical panels 38 attached thereto ; i . e . the vertical panel delineators 10 may be stacked without removing the vertical panels . this is possible because the vertical panels 38 are made of a flexible material ( preferably polyethylene sheeting ), so that as the upper cone 12 descends onto the lower one during the stacking process , the vertical panel 38 on the lower cone merely rolls about the circumference of the lower cone , as illustrated , so that substantially all of the reverse side of the vertical panel contacts the circumferential surface of the cone . in other words , the vertical panel 38 wraps around the cone as the upper cone slides over it . in order to enhance this “ rolling ” or “ wrapping ” action , the two upper corners 54 and 56 of each vertical panel 38 are preferably rounded . the rounding of the corners 54 and 56 causes them to better engage the inner surface of the upper cone as it descends , so that they “ plow in ”, thereby enhancing the desired “ rolling ” or “ wrapping ” action . thus , even when the vertical panels are attached , the stacked delineators do not stick and are rotatable about one another . accordingly , although exemplary embodiments of the invention have been shown and described , it is to be understood that all the terms used herein are descriptive rather than limiting and that many changes , modifications , and substitutions may be made by one having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 4 |
referring to fig1 , an embodiment of a stretching machine 10 is shown . the stretching machine 10 may include a bench 12 for a user to lie or sit on . the bench 12 may be supported by one or more supports or base members , such as the two depicted base members 14 , 15 . the stretching machine 10 may also include a cam 16 that may be coupled to and supported by at least one base member 14 . the cam 16 may be coupled to a stretching arm 18 at a first end 20 . a second end 24 of the stretching arm 18 may include an extremity attachment device 22 , which may be configured to secure an extremity 23 , such as an arm , an elbow , a wrist , a foot , an ankle or a calf / lower leg , to the stretching arm 18 . the stretching machine 10 may further include an actuator 26 that may be disposed between , and may be coupled to , the at least one base member 14 and the cam 16 . operation of the actuator 26 may control the movement of the cam 16 , which may in turn control the movement of the stretching arm 18 . a control mechanism 28 may control the operation of the actuator 26 so that a user 29 may control the movement of the stretching arm 18 . the stretching machine 10 may also include a stretching arm support member 30 . the stretching arm support member 30 may provide support to the second end 24 of the stretching arm 18 . the stretching arm support member 30 may , at least in part , maintain the stretching arm 18 in an elevated position and may prevent the stretching arm from moving laterally . in this manner , the stretching arm support member 30 may allow the stretching arm 18 to move in response to the operation of the actuator 26 , and may allow the stretching arm 18 to move in an essentially horizontal plane when the stretching machine 10 is in the depicted orientation . in one embodiment the stretching arm support member 30 may be a piston . furthermore , the stretching arm support member 30 may be pivotally coupled to the bench 12 such that it may move back and forth with the movement of the stretching arm 18 . the extremity attachment device 22 may be adjustably coupled to the second end 24 of the stretching arm 18 . that is , the adjustable coupling of the extremity attachment device 22 relative to the second end 24 of the stretching arm 18 may enable positioning of the extremity attachment device 22 along the stretching arm to accommodate the height and orientation of a user &# 39 ; s 29 leg . the extremity attachment device 22 may include a variety of different structures or configurations . for example , the extremity attachment device 22 may include a unshaped harness , a hook and loop fastener , a circular harness , a foot rest , a foot harness , an arm rest , a wrist harness , or similar structures , which may be configured to secure at least a portion of a user &# 39 ; s 29 extremity 23 to the stretching arm 18 . referring also to fig2 , the first end 20 of the stretching arm 18 may be pivotally coupled to the cam 16 . the pivotal coupling may enable the stretching arm 18 to extend away from the cam 16 as the actuator 26 moves the cam 16 downward . similarly , the cam 16 may be pivotally coupled to at least one base member 14 such that the cam 16 may have a generally semi - circular range of motion for moving the stretching arm 18 between an extended position and back to an at - rest position . the actuator may include a driving device , such as an electric motor 32 . in other embodiments , the actuator 26 may include a pneumatic piston or a similar device suitable for moving the cam 16 and stretching arm 18 . the control mechanism 28 may electronically control the operation of the actuator 26 , e . g ., by transmitting commands from a user 29 to the driving device 32 . the control mechanism 32 may be coupled to the actuator , e . g ., via a hardwired connection , or may be a remote control 34 , e . g ., utilizing an radio or infrared communication channel , for remotely or wirelessly controlling the operation of the actuator 26 . the stretching machine 10 may also include a strap 36 that may aid in keeping the user &# 39 ; s 29 body flat on the bench 12 , or otherwise held in position relative to the bench . for example , the strap 36 may allow the user &# 39 ; s non - stretching leg , torso , or waist , to be secured to the bench 12 . maintaining the user 29 in position relative to the bench 12 may allow better stretching , e . g ., of the hamstring muscles in the stretching leg . the strap 36 may include securement features , e . g ., hook and loop - type fastener or friction buckles , for ease of use . a user 29 desiring to stretch his hamstring muscles using the stretching machine 10 may begin with the stretching arm 18 in the at - rest position , as shown in fig1 . after securing or resting his or her lower leg or ankle to the extremity attachment device 22 , the user 29 may lie flat and facing upward on the bench 12 . the user 29 may also secure his non - stretching leg to the bench 12 using the strap 36 . the control mechanism 28 or 34 may be used to operate the actuator 26 , which may in turn move the cam 16 downward , thereby moving the stretching arm 18 into an extended position , as shown in fig2 . the rate of operation of the actuator 26 , and thereby the cam 16 and stretching arm 18 , may be controlled to provide safe operation , e . g ., by relatively slowly moving the stretching arm 18 from the at - rest position toward the extended position . as the cam 16 moves the stretching arm 18 into the extended position , the user 29 may feel tension in his hamstring muscle . the user 29 may then decide when to stop the extending of the stretching arm 18 depending on his level of comfort . the stretching arm 18 may be held in the extended position or returned to the at rest position according to the user &# 39 ; s 29 control through the control mechanism 28 , 34 . in a related manner , a user 29 desiring to stretch his shoulder muscles with the stretching machine 10 may begin with the stretching arm in the at rest position , as shown in fig1 . after securing or resting his or her arm or elbow to the extremity attachment device 22 , the user 29 may sit on the bench 12 at an angle to the stretching arm 18 . the control mechanism 28 or 34 may be used to operate the actuator 26 , moving the cam 16 downward , thereby moving the stretching arm 18 slowly into an extended position , as shown in fig2 . as the cam 16 moves the stretching arm 18 into the extended position , the user 29 may feel tension in his upper arm and shoulder . the user 29 may decide when to stop the movement of the stretching arm 18 depending on his level of comfort . the user 29 may hold the stretching arm 18 in the extended position or return the stretching arm 18 to the at rest position using the control mechanism 28 , or 34 . a number of implementations have been described . never the less , it will be understood that various modifications may be made . accordingly , other implementations are within the scope of the following claims . | 0 |
in the following , an embodiment of a wiring board according to a specific example of the present invention is described with reference to the drawings . as shown in fig1 a , wiring board 19 according to a specific example of the present invention has a different thickness on one edge from that on the other edge . the number of layers in the section having a different thickness ( thicker section ) differs from the number of layers in the thinner section . namely , wiring board 19 has thick multi - layer section 13 and a relatively thin fewer - layer section 14 . multi - layer section 13 is formed by laminating two layers ; first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 . fewer - layer section 14 has first substrate 1 which is extended from multi - layer section 13 . thus , as used herein , the term “ multi - layer section ” means 2 or more layers or boards , while the term “ fewer layer section ” means one or more layers or boards . as shown in fig1 a and 1b , first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 have the same width and different lengths , and one end of first substrate 1 and one end of second substrate 2 are aligned . first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 are each made of non - pliable base material such as epoxy resin . on the surfaces ( mounting surfaces ) of first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 , connecting pads to connect electronic components are formed ; on the surfaces ( mounting surfaces ) and inner surfaces of first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 , wiring patterns to structure electrical circuits are formed . on the mounting surfaces of first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 , electronic components 7 , 8 are arranged and connected to connecting pads according to their requirements . electronic components 7 , 8 are connected with each other through connecting pads and wiring patterns . wiring board 19 is placed , for example , in the casing of a cell phone device . in such a circumstance , electronic component 7 placed in fewer - layer section 14 is structured , for example , with the keypad of a keyboard ; and electronic component 8 placed in multi - layer section 13 is structured with an electronic chip , ic module , functional components and others . also , in the step portion formed by multi - layer section 13 and fewer - layer section 14 , for example , a thin - type battery is placed . next , a detailed structure of wiring board 19 having the above overall structure is described in reference to fig2 . as illustrated , first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 are laminated by sandwiching base substrate 3 between them . one end ( the left end as illustrated in the drawing ) of base substrate 3 is made to be flush with first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 . base substrate 3 is made of a highly rigid material such as glass epoxy resin . base substrate 3 is made 50 - 100 μm , preferably about 100 μm . base substrate 3 is formed to be shorter than second substrate 2 , and between first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 , groove ( hereinafter referred to as “ interlayer groove portion ”) 11 is formed . interlayer groove portion 11 is an aperture . the groove may be filled with elastic material such as silicon gel and silicon oil or viscous material or others . when wiring board 19 receives an impact from being dropped , the groove aperture or silicon gel or silicon oil that is filled in the interior portion of the groove cushions the impact as a shock - absorbing layer . therefore , by being structured as such , tolerance to impact from being dropped may be improved . first substrate 1 has a structure of laminated multiple insulation layers ( 1 a , 1 b , 1 c ). each insulation layer is made of epoxy resin or the like with a thickness approximately 10 μm - 60 μm . on the upper surface of insulation layer ( 1 a ), between epoxy - resin layers ( 1 a ) and ( 1 b ), between insulation layers ( 1 b ) and ( 1 c ) and on the lower surface of insulation layer ( 1 c ), wiring patterns ( 111 a , 111 b , 111 c , 111 d ) are each formed . each wiring pattern ( 111 a , 111 b , 111 c , 111 d ) electrically connects required portions inside the circuit substrate . second substrate 2 also has a structure of laminated multiple insulation layers ( 2 a , 2 b , 2 c ) made of epoxy resin or the like with a thickness of approximately 10 μm - 60 μm . on the lower surface of insulation layer ( 2 a ), between epoxy - resin layers ( 2 a ) and ( 2 b ), between insulation layers ( 2 b ) and ( 2 c ) and on the upper surface of insulation layer ( 2 c ), wiring patterns ( 211 a , 211 b , 211 c , 211 d ) are each formed . each wiring pattern ( 211 a , 211 b , 211 c , 211 d ) electrically connects required portions inside the circuit substrate . on the exposed portion of the lower surface of first substrate 1 and the exposed portion of the upper surface of the second substrate , adhesion prevention layers 12 are formed as a protective insulation layer . at the step portion created when laminating first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 , conductive pattern ( 111 d ) is formed . also , to the right of conductive pattern ( 111 d ) formed at the step portion , another conductive pattern ( 111 d ) is formed . keypad 7 is placed on the conductive pattern formed on the surface of fewer - layer section 14 . further , using solder 9 , electronic chip 8 is anchored and connected to wiring patterns and built - up via 4 through connecting pads 10 . for solder 9 , sn / ag / cu may be used . moreover , through - hole 63 is formed , penetrating base substrate 3 and connecting wiring pattern ( 111 b ) of first substrate 1 to wiring pattern ( 211 c ) of second substrate 2 . the inner surface of through - hole 63 is plated to electrically connect wiring patterns . the area enveloped by plated through - hole 63 may be filled with resin such as epoxy resin . in first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 , multiple built - up vias 4 are formed . built - up vias 4 are structured by stacking vias 44 formed in each insulation layer ( 1 a - 1 c , 2 a - 2 c ). built - up vias 4 connect required portions of wiring patterns ( 111 a - 111 d ) and also connect required portions of wiring patterns ( 211 a - 211 d ). on the inner surface of each via 44 forming built - up via 4 , a conductive layer made of plated - copper or the like is formed . thus , as used herein , the term via refers to an opening formed in a substrate such as the insulating layer . as shown in fig3 , the interior portion of each via 44 is filled with conductor such as copper . however , as shown in fig4 , the interior portion of via 44 ( in the lower right portion of the drawing ) may be filled with resin such as epoxy resin . wiring board 19 having the above structure , for example , transmits operational signals from keypad 7 to an ic chip through built - up vias 4 , wiring patterns ( 111 a - 111 d ) and through - hole 63 , and the signals are then processed at the ic chip . by doing so , varieties of signal processing may be conducted . also , as described above , wiring board 19 is structured with multi - layer section 13 and fewer - layer section 14 and has a step portion . and at the lower portion of fewer - layer section 14 , a large - volume component such as a cell - phone battery may be placed . base substrate 3 is made of highly rigid material such as glass - epoxy resin . multi - layer section 13 , because of base substrate 3 placed there , is highly rigid compared with fewer - layer section 14 . on the other hand , fewer - layer section 14 is relatively flexible compared with multi - layer section 13 . thus , it is possible to place electronic components on either section 13 or 14 according to the reliability level they require . also , for example , when the electronic device is dropped and an impact or the like is exerted on wiring board 19 , due to the relative flexibility of fewer - layer section 14 compared with multi - layer section 13 , fewer - layer section 14 vibrates as shown by arrow 37 in fig5 . since portions of fewer - layer section 14 vibrate , the impact from being dropped or the like is converted to vibration movement energy , and the impact is absorbed accordingly . as a result , the wiring connecting the electronic components mounted on wiring board 19 may seldom rupture . also , built - up via 4 is structured as a stacked via made by laminating multiple vias 44 . by making such a stacked interlayer connection structure , the wiring length may be shortened , and thus preferable for mounting electronic components requiring large amount of electricity . moreover , built - up via 4 has a certain degree of mobility . therefore , for example , when the electronic device is dropped and an impact is exerted on wiring board 19 , the impact may be absorbed at built - up via 4 through the movement of built - up via 4 as shown by arrows 38 , 39 in fig6 . as a result , the wiring connecting the electronic components mounted on wiring board 19 may seldom rupture . in addition , if solid material or the like is filled in interlayer groove portion 11 , when the impact of being dropped or the like is exerted on the wiring board , interlayer groove portion 11 cushions the impact as a shock - absorbing layer . accordingly , when interlayer groove portion 11 is formed , by improving tolerance to impact from being dropped , the wiring connecting the electronic components mounted on the wiring board may seldom rupture . also , in certain circumstances , two wiring boards of the present invention may be combined and sold in such a way that each fewer - layer section 14 is closely placed to provide compact shipment of the boards as will be further discussed with respect to fig7 v below . here , if a wiring pattern is formed at the step portion created when first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 are laminated , in the circumstance when a user such as a device manufacturer uses the combined wiring boards of the present invention separately , warping of the wiring boards may be prevented . namely , multi - layer section 13 , because of base substrate 3 deposited there , is rigid compared with fewer - layer section 14 . thus , when a user separates the combined wiring boards of the present invention , warping does not occur at multi - layer section 13 . on the other hand , fewer - layer section 14 is flexible compared with multi - layer section 13 . thus , when a user separates the combined wiring boards of the present invention , warping could possibly occur at fewer - layer section 14 , especially at the step portion of fewer - layer section 14 created when first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 are laminated . however , if a wiring pattern is formed at the step portion , even when a user or the like uses the combined wiring boards of the present invention separately , warping may be prevented . in the following , a method of manufacturing wiring board 19 according to the present invention is described . first , as shown in fig7 a , dummy core 52 which later forms adhesion prevention layer 12 is prepared . dummy core 52 is , for example , formed with a c - stage epoxy resin . on dummy core 52 , copper foil 51 is deposited . next , as shown in fig7 b , by patterning copper foil 51 , conductive pattern ( 111 d ) is formed at a predetermined position . then , as shown by arrows in fig7 c , dummy core 52 is cut by a laser or the like ( represented by the arrows in fig7 c ) to adjust its length to a length preferred for use in wiring board 19 . as seen in fig7 c , the dummy core 52 is cut into dummy cores 52 a and 52 b , which will be used to form separate wiring boards as described below . in addition , as shown in fig7 d , core 55 , which later functions as base substrate 3 , is prepared . core 55 is made , for example , of highly rigid material such as glass - epoxy resin . on both surfaces of core 55 , copper foil 54 is deposited . next , as shown in fig7 e , by patterning copper foil 54 , conductive patterns ( 111 d , 211 a ) are formed to structure wiring patterns . next , as shown by an arrow in fig7 f , in core 55 using a laser or the like , a hole to insert dummy core 52 is formed . next , as shown in fig7 g , cut - out dummy cores ( 52 a , 52 b ) are placed in such a way that conductive pattern ( 111 d ) are laminated facing inward . then , laminated dummy cores ( 52 a , 52 b ) and cut core 55 are horizontally connected . further , on the top and bottom of dummy cores ( 52 a , 52 b ) and core 55 , prepreg ( 62 a , 62 b ) are laminated . for prepreg ( 62 a , 62 b ), low - flow prepreg impregnated with low - flow epoxy resin is preferred . then , on the surfaces of prepreg ( 62 a , 62 b ), copper foils ( 61 a , 61 b ) are deposited . next , as shown in fig7 h , the laminated layers shown in fig7 g are pressure - pressed as represented by the arrows in fig7 h . pressure pressing is , for example , conducted by hydraulic power using hydraulic pressing equipment under conditions calling for temperature of 200 ° c ., pressure of 40 kgf and pressing time of three ( 3 ) hours . by doing so , resin leaks from the prepreg , and the prepreg ( 62 a , 62 b ) and core material 55 will be integrated . at this time , since dummy core 52 is made of a c - stage epoxy resin , the materials in dummy cores ( 52 a , 52 b ) are not integrated with each other . for pressure pressing , vacuum pressing may be employed instead of hydraulic pressing . by vacuum pressing , bubbles may be prevented from being mixed into the resin that structures the insulation layers . vacuum pressing is conducted , for example , for an hour . peak heating temperature is set , for example , at 175 ° c . ; and vacuum - pressing pressure is set , for example , at 3 . 90 × 10 6 [ pa ]. next , in the laminated layer shown in fig7 h , holes are bored using a drill . by doing so , as shown in fig7 i , through - holes 63 are formed . further , plating 63 a may be formed on an interior surface of the through - hole 63 . when forming an ivh ( interstitial via hole ), a co 2 laser beam is provided from co 2 laser processing equipment to bore a hole in insulation layers . then , at a via - forming step described later referring to fig7 m , vias may be stacked at both ends of the ivh . the term ivh means a conductive structure which is formed by a hole that penetrates a base substrate or insulating layers , for example , but does not penetrate through a multilayered printed board itself , and plating the hole to electrically connect two or more conductive layers . an ivh occupies a space required for a connection , and includes , for example , a blind via hole structure formed in an outer layer of a multilayered printed wiring board and a buried via hole structure formed in an inner layer of the multilayered printed wiring board . next , as shown in fig7 j , by removing the unnecessary portions of copper foil 61 , an inner - layer pattern 63 b is formed . next , as shown in fig7 k , epoxy resin ( 72 a , 72 b ) is further laminated to form inner layers . on surfaces of epoxy resin ( 72 a , 72 b ) copper foil ( 71 a , 71 b ) is deposited . next , as shown in fig7 l , after the lamination in reference to fig7 k , pressure pressing is conducted as represented by the arrows in fig7 l . pressure pressing may be conducted , for example , by hydraulic power using hydraulic pressing equipment , or may be conducted by vacuum pressing . portions of epoxy resin 72 are filled in through - holes 63 . next , as shown in fig7 m , vias 44 are formed . namely , in epoxy resin ( 72 a , 72 b ) made of insulation resin , via - hole openings are formed . those openings may be formed by a laser beam . and , to remove resin residue remaining on the side and bottom surfaces of the openings formed by beaming a laser , a desmear treatment is preferably carried out . the desmear process is performed using an oxygen plasma discharge treatment , a corona discharge treatment , an ultra - violet laser treatment or an exima laser treatment . in the openings formed by the laser beam , for example , conductive material is filled to form filled - via holes . for conductive material , a conductive paste or metal plating formed by electrolytic plating process is preferred . for example , vias 44 are filled with conductor such as copper plating . to reduce the manufacturing cost and improve productivity by simplifying the filled - via forming step , filling with a conductive paste is preferred . for example , a conductive paste ( such as thermo - set resin containing conductive particles ) may be printed by screen - printing , filled in vias 44 and set . by filling the inner portion of vias 44 with the same conductive paste material , connection reliability when thermo - stress is exerted on vias 44 may be improved . on the other hand , regarding connection reliability , metal plating formed by an electrolytic plating process is preferred . especially , electrolytic copper plating is preferred . next , as shown in fig7 n , by removing the unnecessary portions of copper foils 71 , inner - layer patterns are formed . next , as shown in fig7 o , after inner layers and vias are further formed , epoxy resin ( 81 a , 81 b ) is laminated to form outer layers . on surfaces of epoxy resin ( 81 a , 81 b ), copper foil ( 82 a , 82 b ) is deposited . here , a copper foil sheet with resin ( resin copper film : rcf ) may be deposited and pressed . next , as shown in fig7 p , in the rcf , vias 81 c are formed . further , using copper plating or the like , the interior portions of the vias are filled with conductor 81 d . also , according to requirements , by patterning the surface copper foil , a conductive pattern is formed . thus , as shown in fig7 q , by removing the unnecessary portions of copper foils ( 82 a , 82 b ), outer - layer patterns are formed . next , as shown in fig7 r , solder - resists 83 are formed . here , the solder resist indicates heat - resistant coating material , which is used when applying solder to cover the portions where the solder is to be kept from adhering . for solder - resist varieties , photo - setting type solder resist and thermo - setting type solder resist may be used . for a coating method , a screen - printing method or curtain - coating method may be used . next , as shown in fig7 s , to protect outer - layer patterns , gold plating 91 is performed by chemical plating . other than chemical plating , methods such as fusion plating and electrical plating may be used . moreover , materials other than gold plating , such as alloy plating for example may be used . next , as shown by arrows 40 in fig7 t , laser beams from laser processing equipment , for example co 2 laser , are irradiated using conductive patterns ( 111 d ) as a stopper to cut insulation layers and the copper foil sheet with resin ( rcf ). here , the thickness of conductive patterns ( 111 d ) is preferred to be made approximately 5 - 10 μm : if too thin , laser beams penetrate the pattern ; and if too thick , conductive patterns with a fine line width are difficult to form . meanwhile , by laser cutting as shown in fig7 t , interlayer groove portions ( 11 a , 11 b ) are also formed . namely , by laser cutting , using adhesion prevention layer 12 formed in first substrate 1 and adhesion prevention layer ( 12 a , 12 b ) formed in second substrate 2 as groove side - walls , and one surface of base substrate 3 as groove bottom , interlayer groove portions ( 11 a , 11 b ) are formed . lastly , as shown in fig7 u , electronic components 92 are mounted . electronic components 92 are an electronic chip 8 and keypad 7 . further , in interlayer groove portions ( 11 a , 11 b ), elastic material , viscous material or the like may be filled as depicted by the darkened portion shown in the interlayer groove portions in fig7 u . further , as shown in fig7 v , wiring board ( 19 a ) and wiring board ( 19 b ) are used separately . in such a circumstance , since adhesion prevention layers ( 12 a , 12 b ) are formed , wiring board ( 19 a ) and wiring board ( 19 b ) may be separated by a simple process to be used separately . regarding a wiring board according to the present invention , when an electronic device such as a cell phone receives an impact from being dropped or the like , connection breakage of electronic components or the like mounted in the wiring board may be prevented . also , when being shipped to a user , the wiring board may be handled compactly , and when being used by the user , the combined wiring boards may be separated easily . as shown in fig8 , in the second embodiment , at the portion where adhesion prevention layer 12 is made flush with the edge of second substrate 2 , opening 5 is formed . also in this embodiment wiring patterns 111 d serving as stop layers are faced outward as will be further discussed below . the rest of the structure is the same as in the first embodiment . under opening 5 , part of wiring pattern ( 111 d ) is positioned . inside the groove formed with opening 5 and wiring pattern ( 111 d ) placed underneath is an aperture . the groove may be filled with elastic material such as silicon gel or silicon oil or viscous material . when wiring board 19 receives an impact from being dropped , the aperture inside the groove or silicon gel or silicon oil filled in the groove cushions the impact as a shock - absorbing layer . therefore , by making such a structure , tolerance to impact from being dropped may be improved . also , if solid material or the like is filled in opening 5 , the filled solid material or the like may play a role in decreasing warping at the juncture of multi - layer section 13 and fewer - layer section 14 where the number of layers is reduced . accordingly , at the juncture of multi - layer section 13 and fewer - layer section 14 , cracks may be prevented . furthermore , if opening 5 is filled with , for example , solid material such as resin , the filled solid material plays a role in protecting conductive pattern ( 111 d ) mounted on first substrate 1 . therefore , tolerance to corrosion of conductive pattern ( 111 d ) may be improved . the method of manufacturing a wiring board according to the second embodiment is the same as the method of manufacturing a wiring board according to the first embodiment in reference to fig7 a - 7f . however , fig9 a shows how the method of the second embodiment deviates from fig7 g of the first embodiment . as shown in fig9 a , cut - out dummy cores ( 52 a , 52 b ) are placed in a way so that conductive pattern ( 111 d ) are laminated facing outward ( rather than inward as shown in fig7 g ). the method of the second embodiment then progresses in the same way as shown in fig7 h - 7t of the first embodiment . however , fig9 b shows how the method of the second embodiment deviates from fig7 u of the first embodiment . as shown in fig9 b , opening 5 is filled with viscous material such as silicon oil , for example . however , other materials may be provided in holes 5 . in the first embodiment , base substrate 3 was made of glass - epoxy resin . however , as shown in fig1 , in the third embodiment , base substrate 3 is made containing base material of resin - impregnated inorganic fiber . by being structured as such , since base substrate 3 contains base material of resin - impregnated inorganic fiber , tolerance to warping may be improved . the base material made of resin - impregnated inorganic fiber is formed by setting a prepreg . prepreg is made by impregnating glass - cloth of inorganic fiber with epoxy resin , then preliminarily thermosetting the resin to advance the level of setting . the resin used to form the prepreg is preferred to have low - flow characteristics ; however , those having regular flow characteristics may be used as well . also , the prepreg may be formed by reducing the amount of epoxy - resin impregnated in the glass - cloth of inorganic fiber . as for the inorganic fiber , it is not limited to glass - cloth , but for example , alumina fiber , carbon fiber ( carbon fiber ), silicon carbide fiber or silicon nitride fiber may be used . the method of manufacturing a wiring board according to the third embodiment is the same as that of fig7 a - 7u of the first embodiment except that , referring to fig7 d , as the material to form core 55 , base material of resin - impregnated inorganic fiber is used . the rest of the process is the same as the method of manufacturing a wiring board according to the first embodiment . in the above - described first embodiment , base substrate 3 was made of glass - epoxy resin . first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 are made of epoxy resin . however , the combination of material for base substrate 3 and material for first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 is not limited to the above . as shown in fig1 , in the fourth embodiment , base substrate 3 is made containing base material of resin - impregnated inorganic fiber ; and first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 are made containing inorganic filler composite resin . by structuring such , since base substrate 3 contains base material of resin - impregnated inorganic fiber , tolerance to warping may be improved . accordingly , when an electronic device such as a cell phone receives an impact from being dropped or the like , the wiring connecting electronic components mounted in the wiring board may seldom rupture . an inorganic filler composite resin may be made by combining silica filler or glass filler with epoxy resin . in addition to epoxy resin , or other than epoxy resin , polyimide , polycarbonate , polybutylene - telephtarate or polyacrylate may be used . for silica filler , fused silica ( sio 2 ) or crystalline silica ( sio 2 ) may be used . also , for glass filler , aluminum oxide ( al 2 o 3 ), magnesium oxide ( mgo ), or boron nitride ( bn ), aluminum nitride ( aln ) may be used . furthermore , for inorganic filler , it is not limited to silica filler or glass filler , but antimony trioxide , antimony pentaxide or magnesium hydroxide may be used . the method of manufacturing a wiring board according to the fourth embodiment , referring to fig7 d , as the material to form core 55 , a base material of resin - impregnated inorganic fiber is used . in addition , referring to fig7 g , 7 k and 7 o , for the resin to be laminated , inorganic filler composite resin is used . the rest is the same as the method of manufacturing a wiring board according to the first embodiment . in the above - described first embodiment , base substrate 3 is made of glass - epoxy resin . and first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 were made of epoxy resin . however , the combination of material for base substrate 3 and material for first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 is not limited to the above embodiment . as shown in fig1 , in the fifth embodiment , base substrate 3 is made containing inorganic filler composite resin ; and first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 are made containing a base material of resin - impregnated inorganic fiber . by such structuring , since at least either first substrate 1 or second substrate 2 is reinforced with inorganic fiber , tolerance to warping may be improved . accordingly , when an electronic device such as a cell phone receives an impact from being dropped or the like , the wiring connecting electronic components mounted in the wiring board may seldom rupture . above - described inorganic material such as inorganic fiber or inorganic filler has small thermo - expansion rates and low coefficient of elasticity compared with resin of an organic material . therefore , when inorganic material such as inorganic fiber or inorganic filler is combined , alignment gaps between connecting lands may be reduced . in the method of manufacturing a wiring board according to the fifth embodiment , referring to fig7 d , as the material to form core 55 , inorganic filler composite resin is used . in addition , referring to fig7 g , 7 k and 7 o , as the material to be laminated , base material of resin - impregnated inorganic fiber is used . the rest is the same as the method of manufacturing a wiring board according to the first embodiment . in a wiring board according to the first embodiment of the present invention , first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 are in a stratum structure having a rectangular outline . however , they are not limited to such , but may be in a stratum structure having a circular , hexagonal , or octagonal outline . also , in the first embodiment , first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 are made of epoxy resin . however , first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 are not limited to such , but may be made of polyimide , polycarbonate , polybutylene - telephtarate or polyacrylate . in addition , if first substrate 1 and second substrate 2 are made of epoxy resin , naphthalene - type epoxy resin , dicyclo - penta - diene - type epoxy resin , biphenyle - type epoxy resin or bisphenole - type epoxy resin may be used . in the first embodiment , as solder 9 , sn / ag / cu was used . however , solder 9 is not limited to such ; solder containing antimony , tin , lead , indium or copper may be used . also , eutectic crystal metals such as sn / sb , sn / ag , sn / pb or sb / cu may be used as well . among such eutectic crystal metals , to avoid having a bad influence on the substrates , using those having relatively low melting temperatures , 250 ° c . or lower , is preferred . in the first embodiment , in interlayer groove portion 11 , silicon gel of viscous silicon is filled . however , filling interlayer groove portion 11 is not limited to such , and solid material may also be used . as solid material to be filled in interlayer groove portion 11 , high - polymer rubber is preferred as a solid material having viscosity and elasticity . specifically , butyl - rubber , isoprene rubber , butadiene rubber , styrene - butadiene rubber or ethylene - propylene rubber may be used . moreover , interlayer groove portion 11 may be filled with a gas . as the gas to be filled in interlayer groove portion 11 , a rare gas such as argon , or nitrogen or oxygen may be used . in the second embodiment , in opening 5 , silicon gel of viscous silicon is filled . however , the material to be filled in opening 5 is not limited to such , but solid material may be filled in opening 5 . as solid material to be filled in opening 5 , high - polymer rubber as solid material having viscosity and elasticity is preferred . specifically , butyl - rubber , isoprene rubber , butadiene rubber , styrene - butadiene rubber or ethylene - propylene rubber may be used . as the material to be filled in opening 5 , a liquid or solid material is preferred , but a gas may also be filled . in such a case , as the gas to be filled in opening 5 , a rare gas such as argon , or nitrogen or oxygen may be used . in addition , first substrate 1 may not need to be formed single - layered , but may be formed multi - layered . namely , first substrate 1 may be structured with a lower - layer insulation layer and an upper - layer insulation layer . here , a lower - layer insulation layer indicates the insulation layer formed close to base substrate 3 ; and an upper - layer insulation layer indicates an insulation layer formed on the outer surface of the wiring board . furthermore , first substrate 1 may be structured with a lower - layer insulation layer , an upper - layer insulation layer and an intermediate insulation layer placed in between . the intermediate insulation layer may be made multi - layered . in the first embodiment , the lower - layer insulation layer corresponds to epoxy - resin layer ( 1 c ), the intermediate insulation layer corresponds to epoxy - resin layer ( 1 b ) and the upper - layer insulation layer corresponds to epoxy - resin layer ( 1 a ). also , the second substrate may not need to be formed single layered , but may be formed multi - layered . and second substrate 2 may also be structured with a lower - layer insulation layer and an upper - layer insulation layer . furthermore , second substrate 2 may be structured with a lower - layer insulation layer , an upper - layer insulation layer and an intermediate insulation layer placed in between . in the first embodiment , the lower - layer insulation layer corresponds to epoxy - resin layer ( 2 a ), the intermediate insulation layer corresponds to epoxy - resin layer ( 2 b ) and the upper - layer insulation layer corresponds to epoxy - resin layer ( 2 c ). on top of the upper - layer insulation layer and lower - layer insulation layer , conductive patterns are formed . and , those conductive patterns may be connected with each other through vias 44 . the present invention may be employed in a wiring board which can mount electronic components , specifically , in a wiring board which can mount electronic components for a compact electronic device . obviously , numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein . | 7 |
in referring to the drawings , and in particular fig1 , therein is shown a prior art style of nozzle construction 1 , which as known , includes a housing 3 having an inlet 4 and an outlet 6 generally at the location of the formation and location of the spout 7 to the nozzle . the nozzle includes a main valve 8 that includes a poppet valve 9 that rests upon a valve seat 10 , with the poppet valve having a poppet stem 11 that extends downwardly through the nozzle body , as at 12 . usually , the handle lever 5 includes a hand gripping portion 13 which is configured in a rather s shape , having an intermediate portion 14 and a forwardly extending integral portion 15 that secures by a pinned connection , as at 16 , to the bottom of the automatic shutoff stem 17 for the shown nozzle . thus , when the handle lever 5 is elevated , it pushes the poppet stem 11 upwardly , at the location of 18 , to provide for an opening of the poppet valve and the flow of fuel through the nozzle , for dispensing into a vehicle fuel tank ( not shown ). to retain the handle lever 5 in a opened position , a latch plate 19 engages with a lock plate 20 to maintain the handle in an opened condition , until such time as the handle lever is released from its latch plate connection , through the release of the lock plate 20 , to allow the nozzle poppet valve to quickly enter into closure . this is normally achieved through the automatic shutoff means , in a manner as known in the art , being released , so that its stem 17 will abruptly drop , releasing the lock plate , to allow the handle to drop downwardly , allowing the poppet stem 11 to allow the poppet valve to enter into prompt closure , immediately shutting off any further fuel flow through the nozzle . as generally can be seen , with the location of the handle lever 5 , that extends all the way integrally to its pinned connection , as at 16 , with the shutoff stem 17 , there is significant distance from the end of the hand lever , as at 21 , to the pinned connection 16 , and further distance between the pinned connection 16 , to the bottom of the poppet stem , as at 18 , so that the fulcrum for the handle lever to open the nozzle , against the pressure of the poppet spring , is significant , and as previously summarized , generally somewhere in the vicinity of 8 - 10 lbs , or more , of pressure that is required to open the hand lever for dispensing of gasoline . one of the significant improvements of the current invention , as can be seen in fig2 , 5 and 6 , is the usage of a particular designed poppet valve gasket , as at 22 , which is truncated of shape , having a downwardly sloping edge , as at 23 , so that when the poppet valve is opened , as can be seen in fig6 , a much greater spacing , as at 24 , is provided between said gasket and the valve seat , that allows for a more abundant flow of the fuel to pass through the nozzle , as at f , at the location of the poppet valve , to provide for a more accelerated flow of fuel through the nozzle , during dispensing . it can be seen how the gasket 22 and its downwardly sloping compound contoured surfaces 23 seat within the opening 24 of the nozzle , as noted in fig5 , where the poppet valve is shown in closure . nevertheless , when opened , as noted in fig6 , it provides an abundant flow path through which the vehicle fuel can pass , through the nozzle , for accelerating the fill - up of the vehicle fuel tank , to which the nozzle is applied . the hand lever mechanism and its associated components for this invention are disclosed in fig7 . the hand lever 5 , with its hand gripping portion 13 , is formed to the unique shape as further reviewed , having an intermediate portion 14 and a forwardly and integrally extending portion 15 , as explained . the latch plate 19 can be seen , and it has a forwardly extending portion 25 and the rearwardly extending latch plate 26 which includes a series of ridges , as at 27 , and into which the end of the lock plate 20 can temporarily engage , when the handle lever is raised to allow for automatic dispensing of fuel through the nozzle , and is held into an opened position , due to such engagement . the handle lever 5 further includes the handle link 28 whose upper surface 29 is what contacts the bottom of the poppet stem 11 , to hold it into an opened condition , during fuel dispensing . the assembly of these various parts can be described as follows . the lock plate 20 is secured by means of the pivot pin 30 through the pin seat apertures 31 which also holds , within the handle , the biasing spring 32 which normally urges the lock plate to pivot upwardly , during normal disengagement of it from the latch plate 26 . thus , when the handle lever 5 is raised , the user of the nozzle must pivot the lock plate 20 downwardly , to engage it within the ridges 27 of the latch plate 19 , to keep the poppet valve open , as can be understood . the handle link 28 has an aperture 33 at one end , and it is secured for pivotal movement , by means of the pivot pin 34 seating within the apertures 35 of the hand lever . that allows for the link to pivot relative to the handle lever , as can be understood . the opposite end of the latch plate 19 includes forwardly extending arms , as at 36 , and these arms are secured to the pivot point 16 at the bottom of the automatic shutoff stem 17 , to attain pivotal movement relative thereto . the opposite end of the link 28 secures by the pin 37 through the latch plate apertures 38 , and the pin arranges these arms to either side of the enlarged end 39 , of the hand lever , with the pin extending also through the elongated slots 40 of said handle lever , as can be noted . thus , when the handle lever is raised , its forward end 39 shifts downwardly , the front end of the link , as at 41 , as pinned therein , shifts upwardly within the elongated slots 40 , and since the shutoff stem 17 is secured in its upward position , as can be seen in fig3 , the link 28 biases against the poppet stem 11 , raises it , opening the poppet valve , and its gasket 22 into an opened condition , during fuel flow . thus , because of the slotted arrangement 40 , within the hand lever , this shifts the length of the fulcrum of the contact of the valve stem 17 with the link , closer to the hand levers pivotal connection , as at 16 , to the bottom of the shutoff stem 17 . the shorter that distance , and the longer the distance between that pivotal point 16 to the end of the handle , increases the fulcrum power of the hand lever , when opening the nozzle , and provides for a lesser force requirement to attain the opening of the nozzle , than has heretofore been achieved in nozzle construction . as can be calculated through the various formulations provided within this disclosure , that lessening of force is approximately 50 % less than the force usually required for opening the prior art style of nozzle ( as in fig1 ), and therefore , reduces that force below 5 lbs of pressure , which has been determined through research and experimentation . such can also be calculated from the various formulations as identified and shown in the summary of this particular invention . then , when the automatic shutoff means 42 is rendered operative , as when fuel fills up the vehicle fuel tank , and the fuel blocks the tip end of the nozzle spout , the automatic shutoff means is actuated , provides for an immediate drop in its stem 17 to a lower position , which automatically releases the lock plate 20 from engagement with its latch plate 19 , and allows the poppet valve 9 to drop with the valve stem 11 , into closure , in the manner as shown in fig5 . thus , as previously reviewed , the concept of this invention is to provide for a lesser force requirement to open the poppet valve , during its usage , and at the same time , to increase fuel flow , because of the unique shape and construction of its poppet valve , and the associated gasket , of the shown nozzle . variations or modifications to the subject matter of this invention may occur to those skilled in the art upon review of this invention , as described . such variations , within the scope of this invention , are intended to be encompassed within the scope of any claims to patent protection issuing hereon . the description of the preferred embodiment , and its depiction in the drawings , are primarily set forth for illustrative purposes only . | 1 |
a metal and / or anomaly detector can be employed to identify a presence of an object . the detector can include a high - q tuned loop antenna to use for metal / anomaly detection . the detector can measure a return loss and / or a voltage standing wave ratio and through this measurement the detector can detect a frequency notch . phase and / or amplitude response can be monitored to provide object detection . this phase and / or amplitude monitoring technique can be used to ground balance the detector . as a metal object is moved along the longitudinal axis of the loop antenna a substantial shift in the frequency notch ( e . g ., phase and / or amplitude of the notch ) occurs that the detector detects . for metal targets , the frequency shift can be positive and for ferrite and other targets the frequency shift can be negative . this frequency shift can be created by the proximity of the target causing a change in the impedance of the loop antenna . long - range detection can occur with relatively low power requirements . in one example , the loop antenna is a singular loop with one winding can be used to transmit and receive . however , multiple loops and / or multiple windings can also be employed . the loop can function at a high to very high frequency ( hf to vhf ). the detector can use a simple high - q tuned loop antenna design with a canonical architecture . the loop antenna can be connected with a matching network with a particular arrangement that resonates with the loop antenna and produces an appropriate response of a reflection coefficient notch . the matching network is driven by a 50 ohm source and 50 ohm coaxial cable . the matching network can transform the loop impedance to 50 ohm so that there is a notch with respect to frequency of the reflection coefficient looking into the matching network . the matching network can be designed so that the frequency of the notch shifts in a predictable manner when an object is placed in an aperture of the loop antenna . the impedance looking into the loop antenna can be defined as r + jx , where the resistance r is relatively independent of the presence of the target . the reactance x , however , can be relatively dependent on the target . with a metal target , x can become more capacitive and with a dielectric target x can become more inductive . a ferrite target can become more inductive and loss can also increase significantly . the detector can be calibrated without a target and function with the matching network . after calibration , a change in the reflection coefficient for a metal target can increase the frequency of the reflection coefficient notch . similarly , a change in the reflection coefficient for the non - metal target can decrease the frequency of the reflection coefficient notch and loss can increase significantly . thus , employing aspects disclosed herein can combine a small reactance shift along with a significant frequency shift . the following includes definitions of selected terms employed herein . the definitions include various examples . the examples are not intended to be limiting . “ one embodiment ”, “ an embodiment ”, “ one example ”, “ an example ”, and so on , indicate that the embodiment ( s ) or example ( s ) can include a particular feature , structure , characteristic , property , or element , but that not every embodiment or example necessarily includes that particular feature , structure , characteristic , property or element . furthermore , repeated use of the phrase “ in one embodiment ” may or may not refer to the same embodiment . “ computer - readable medium ”, as used herein , refers to a medium that stores signals , instructions and / or data . examples of a computer - readable medium include , but are not limited to , non - volatile media and volatile media . non - volatile media may include , for example , optical disks , magnetic disks , and so on . volatile media may include , for example , semiconductor memories , dynamic memory , and so on . common forms of a computer - readable medium may include , but are not limited to , a floppy disk , a flexible disk , a hard disk , a magnetic tape , other magnetic medium , other optical medium , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a memory chip or card , a memory stick , and other media from which a computer , a processor or other electronic device can read . in one embodiment , the computer - readable medium is a non - transitory computer - readable medium . “ component ”, as used herein , includes but is not limited to hardware , firmware , software stored on a computer - readable medium or in execution on a machine , and / or combinations of each to perform a function ( s ) or an action ( s ), and / or to cause a function or action from another component , method , and / or system . component may include a software controlled microprocessor , a discrete component , an analog circuit , a digital circuit , a programmed logic device , a memory device containing instructions , and so on . where multiple components are described , it may be possible to incorporate the multiple components into one physical component or conversely , where a single component is described , it may be possible to distribute that single component between multiple components . “ software ”, as used herein , includes but is not limited to , one or more executable instructions stored on a computer - readable medium that cause a computer , processor , or other electronic device to perform functions , actions and / or behave in a desired manner . the instructions may be embodied in various forms including routines , algorithms , modules , methods , threads , and / or programs including separate applications or code from dynamically linked libraries . fig1 illustrates one embodiment of a system 100 comprises a loop 110 and a detection component 120 . the loop 110 can operate at a frequency of about 100 kilohertz or greater . a tuner component can be employed to tune a quality level ( q ) of the loop to a desired bandwidth range . in addition , the loop 110 can be configured to emit a magnetic field along a longitudinal axis of the loop . the detection component 120 can be configured to detect a presence of an object through an analysis of the magnetic field . in one embodiment , the loop receives a returned magnetic field that is a returned version of the magnetic field that is emitted by the loop 110 . the detection component 120 can be configured to detect the presence of the object through identification of a phase change between the emitted magnetic field and the returned magnetic field . in one example , absent an object being present the returned magnetic field is substantially unchanged from the emitted magnetic field . this is because nothing is present to change the returned magnetic field . conversely , if an object is present ( e . g ., metal or dielectric ), then that object influences the magnetic field and the returned magnetic field is substantially changed from the emitted magnetic field . the detection component 120 can make a comparison of the two magnetic fields and determination that the object is present . in one embodiment , the detection component 120 can be configured to detect the presence of the object through a recognition of an impedance plot change between the emitted magnetic field and the returned magnetic field . in one embodiment , the detection component 120 performs identification of the impedance plot change through use of a reflection coefficient chart ( e . g ., a smith chart ). fig2 illustrates one embodiment of a system 200 comprising a real portion recognition component 210 and an imaginary portion recognition component 220 . the real portion recognition component 210 can be configured to recognize a real part of the impedance plot change by way of a first tone that is emitted by the loop 110 of fig1 . along with the first tone the loop can 110 of fig1 can emit a second tone that is different from the first tone . the imaginary portion recognition component 220 can be configured to recognize an imaginary part of the impedance plot change by way of the second tone . the recognition of the impedance plot change by the detection component 220 of fig1 can occur through use of the real part and the imaginary part . in one example , with the imaginary part and the real part recognized , the detection component 220 of fig1 can look - up a value for a combination of the real part with the imaginary part and this combination an indicate presence of the object and / or provide specific information on the object ( e . g ., the combination an indicate if the object is a metal or dielectric ). in one embodiment , the real portion recognition component 210 and / or the imaginary portion recognition component 220 are part of the detection component 120 of fig1 . fig3 illustrates one embodiment of the loop 110 , tuning and matching circuits 310 , and the detection component 120 . the tuning and matching circuits 310 ( e . g ., a set of tuning and matching circuits that comprise one or more tuning and matching circuit ) can be a set of capacitors that are configured to match an impedance of the loop 110 with impedance of a power supply that supplies power to the loop . the impedance for the system 300 can be represented by ( when the tuning and matching circuits 310 comprise three capacitors c 1 , c 2 , & amp ; c 3 ): with r being the real part recognized by the real portion recognition component 210 of fig2 and l being the imaginary part recognized by the imaginary portion recognition component 220 of fig2 . the impedance can be determined as looking into the loop 110 . fig4 illustrates one embodiment of a system 400 comprising the loop 110 , the tuning and matching circuits 310 , a selection component 410 , and the detection component 120 . the selection component 410 can be configured to select a value set for the tuning and matching circuits 310 . the tuning and matching circuits 310 , when implemented with the value set , can cause the impedance to match the impedance of the power supply discussed in fig3 . the loop 110 and the power supply can be evaluated and based on a result of this evaluation the selection component 410 can select the value set such that impedances match . fig5 illustrates one embodiment of a system 500 comprising the loop 110 , the detection component 120 , and a classification component 510 . the detection component 120 can be configured to detect the presence of the object through detection of a frequency notch shift of a frequency notch associated with the frequency of the loop 110 . the classification component 510 can be configured to make a classification for the object based , at least in part , on a location of the frequency notch shift . the frequency notch can be a graphical illustration of the frequency and the shift can be an illustration of the frequency change . the frequency notch shift can be produced from the object changing an impedance of the loop 110 . in one embodiment , the classification can be as a metal when the frequency notch shift is at a first value . similarly , the classification can be as a non - metal ( e . g ., dielectric ) when the frequency notch shift is at a second value different from the first value . in one example , the classification component 510 can have access to a look - up table . entries in the look - up table can show correspondence between values and classifications . for example , a first range of values can be given for a metal classification and a second range of values can be given for a non - metal classification . a value can be identified by the classification component 510 and the classification component 510 can find the value in the first range or the second range . based on a result of this finding the classification component 510 can determine if a metal or non - metal object is present . in one embodiment , absent the presence of the object the frequency notch can be at a base value . the classification component 510 can make the classification of a metal when the base value of the frequency notch increases . in addition , the classification component 510 can make the classification of a non - metal when the base value of the frequency notch decreases . in one embodiment , the selection component 410 of fig4 can select values for the tuning and matching circuits 310 of fig4 such that the base value of the frequency notch is at a desired value . in one example , a desired base value of the notch can be at about 24 . 052 mhz ( megahertz ). the capacitors can be set such that c 1 is equal to about 7 . 752349 pf while c 2 and c 3 can be set to about 33 . 4 pf . at its base value when no object is present the impedance of the loop can be equal to about 50 ohms . the frequency notch can increase to about 24 . 135 mhz and as such the impedance can change to about 60 . 2 + j82 . 9 ohms . this change in the notch and / or the impedance can be indicative of an object being present . similarly , the frequency notch can decrease to about 23 . 885 mhz and as such the impedance can change to about 30 . 5 − j127 . 5 ohms . this change in the notch and / or the impedance can be indicative of an object being present . the detection component 120 can identify one of these changes to identify presence of the object . fig6 illustrates one embodiment of a system 600 comprising a transmission loop 610 , a reception loop 620 , and the detection component 120 . the loop 110 of fig1 can function as the transmission loop 610 . the reception loop 620 can be configured to receive the magnetic field from the transmission loop 610 . the detection component 120 can be operatively coupled to the reception loop 620 and / or the transmission loop 610 . the detection component 120 can detect the presence of the object through use of the magnetic field that is received by the reception loop 620 from the transmission loop 610 . in one embodiment , the presence is detected when the object passes between the transmission loop 610 and the reception loop 620 . in this , the magnetic field can transfer from the transmission loop 610 to the reception loop 620 . when the magnetic field sent by the transmission loop 610 is disturbed by the object , the magnetic field received by the reception loop 620 can be different from the magnetic field sent by the transmission loop 610 . the detection component 120 can compare the sent and received magnetic fields and based on the comparison determine that the object is between the loops 610 and 620 . the system 600 can function such that the object is detected when the object is not between the loops 610 and 620 . fig7 illustrates one embodiment of a system 700 comprising the loop 110 , an identification component 710 , the classification component 510 , and an output component 720 . the loop 110 can be a singular loop ( one loop ), multiple loops ( two or more loops ), a loop set ( one or more loops ) with wire winding , etc . the loop 110 can function concurrently as the transmission loop 610 of fig6 ( e . g ., to emit the magnetic field ) and as the reception loop 620 of fig6 ( e . g ., to receive the magnetic field ), function as the transmission loop 610 of fig6 , or function as the reception loop 620 of fig6 . in one embodiment , the system 700 can comprise the tuning and matching circuits 310 of fig3 that are configured to match an impedance of the loop 110 with a power supply ( e . g ., a power supply that operates at about 1 mhz or greater with a source impedance of about 25 ohms or less ) that supplies power to the loop 110 . the loop 110 can operate at a frequency of about 100 khz or greater ( e . g ., 1 mhz or greater , at least about 100 khz and not more than about 1 gigahertz ) and be configured to emit a magnetic field along a longitudinal axis of the loop 110 . the identification component 710 can be configured to identify a new location for a frequency notch associated with the frequency based on reception of the magnetic field . the frequency notch moves from a base location to the new location resulting in a location change for the frequency notch . absent the presence of the object the frequency notch can be at the base location . the frequency notch can shift from the base location to the new location due to the object changing an impedance of the loop 110 . the location change for the frequency notch can be from the base location to the new location . the location change can indicate an anomaly associated with the magnetic field , such as indicating the presence of the object . the classification component 510 can be configured to determine that the anomaly is the presence of the object and / or be configured to determine a classification for the object based , at least in part , on the new location . the classification can be of a metal when the new location increases from the base location . additionally , the classification can be of a non - metal when the new location decreases from the base location . based on a specific value of the new location the classification component 510 can determine a metal or non - metal type . the output component 720 can be configured to cause an output associated with the classification . in one example , a light can flash on portion of a metal detector handle and / or a sound can emit from a speaker when the anomaly is detected . in one example , text can be presented on a display that indicates the classification . the classification can be as a metal or non - metal ( e . g ., text reads ‘ metal ’) as well as be more specific ( e . g ., list a non - metal type ). other information can be provided as well by the output component , such as a depth of the object if the object is underground . fig8 illustrates one embodiment of a system comprising the loop 110 and an application area 810 . the application area 810 can be a hardware box that retains various items , such as the tuning and matching circuits 310 of fig3 as three capacitors — c 1 , c 2 , and c 3 . these three capacitors can form an impedance matching network that appropriate translates a reactive shift presented by the loop 110 . further , the application area 810 can retain various other hardware disclosed herein , such as the processor 1010 and / or the non - transitory computer - readable medium 1020 discussed below with regard to fig1 . in one example , the application area is able to locate a hot spot around the loop 110 where detection performance can greatly increase . the hot spot can be at different locations depending on the object . fig9 illustrates one embodiment of a smith chart 900 with example responses based on potential presence of the object . four example responses for the smith chart 900 are provided : no object ( combination dashed and dotted line ), a ferrite object ( shorter dashed line ), a metal ( longer dashed line ), and a polyethylene ( dotted line ). the smith chart can have an increasing frequency , such as through a clockwise rotation ( e . g ., the arrows of the responses travel clockwise ). the smith chart 900 can be configured such that positive values converge to the right and negative values converge to the left . the detection component 120 of fig1 can employ the smith chart 900 to determine if an object is present and / or what specific object is present . as an example use of the smith chart 900 the loop 110 of fig1 can be tuned to , and thus operate at , a frequency of 24 . 052 mhz . with no object the zin can be 50 ohms while the zin can be 1 . the zin can be the actual value while the zin can be a scaled version to a base of 1 . the ferrite object can have a zin of 113 + j 160 ohms and a zin of 2 . 26 + j3 . 2 . similarly , the polyethylene can have a zin of 44 − j2 . 6 ohms and a zin of 0 . 88 − j0 . 05 . conversely the metal can have a zin of 40 − j47 ohms and a zin of 0 . 8 − j0 . 94 . thus , the zin and zin go in one direction for the metal as compared to no object and in another direction with the ferrite while the polyethylene can have little effect on the frequency response . the smith chart 900 can be retained in a memory . fig1 illustrates one embodiment of a graph 1000 that shows the frequency notch . the frequency notch ( e . g ., a reflection notch ) can be where a maximum return loss for the loop 110 of fig1 occurs . in one embodiment , the frequency notch can move left if a non - metal object is detected and move to the right if a metal object is detected . fig1 illustrates one embodiment of a system 1100 comprising a processor 1010 and a non - transitory computer - readable medium 1120 . in one embodiment the non - transitory computer - readable medium 1120 is communicatively coupled to the processor 1010 and stores a command set executable by the processor 1110 to facilitate operation of at least one component disclosed herein ( e . g ., the detection component 120 of fig1 ). in one embodiment , at least one component disclosed herein ( e . g ., the tuner component discussed with regard to fig1 ) can be implemented , at least in part , by way of non - software , such as implemented as hardware by way of the system 1100 . in one embodiment the non - transitory computer - readable medium 1120 is configured to store processor - executable instructions that when executed by the processor 1110 cause the processor 1110 to perform a method disclosed herein ( e . g ., the method 1200 discussed below ). fig1 illustrates one embodiment of a method 1200 comprising five actions 1210 - 1250 . at 1210 values can be set for the capacitors c 1 , c 2 , and c 3 as discussed above . this can be done in constructing a system and / or be changed mechanically or electronically though use of a variable capacitor . at 1220 the loop 110 of fig1 can be supplied a current ( e . g ., a current of about 1 amp or greater ) which can cause emission of a magnetic field from the loop 110 of fig1 . emission of this magnetic field can be in the longitudinal direction . at 1230 the loop 110 of fig1 can capture a return of the magnetic field . at 1240 the detection component 120 of fig1 can determine the presence of the object based on the return of the magnetic field , such as through comparison of the frequency notch from the emitted field against the returned field . the presence can be further specified at 1250 , such as a determination of a non - metal / metal or further specificity such as between a ferrite object and a polyethylene . | 6 |
while this invention may be embodied in many different forms , there are described in detail herein a specific preferred embodiment of the invention . this description is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiment illustrated as shown in fig1 , the propeller mechanism according to the present invention comprises , a propeller ( 1 ) having a number of blades ( 3 ) radially arranged around a hub ( 2 ), bearings ( 5 ) disposed in holes being at the center of the hub ( 2 ) of the propeller ( 1 ), and a shaft ( 4 ) running through the hole at the center of the bearings ( 5 ), the shaft transmitting the rotational motion from the motor to the propeller ( 1 ). the propeller ( 1 ) is therefore borne through the bearings ( 5 ) on the shaft ( 4 ). the shaft ( 4 ) is borne preferably by two distantly located bearings ( 5 ). the bearings ( 5 ) are of the type that allows rotation only in one direction , and is locked for the other direction of rotation . a recess ( 11 ) which is coaxial with the shaft ( 4 ) axis is formed at the distal end of the shaft , away from the motor . a threaded portion ( 9 ) is formed by opening female threads along a certain distance to the circular surface of the recess ( 11 ) in the shaft axis direction . the threaded portion ( 9 ) of the shaft and a connection hub ( 6 ) with a male threaded portion ( 10 ) formed on the outer surface are screwed to each other , according to the direction of rotation of the shaft ( 4 ), so that power transmission can occur between these members . it is to be appreciated that the threads opened on the shaft ( 4 ) may be male , and those on the connection hub ( 6 ) may be female . the connection hub ( 6 ) is a longitudinal component like a small shaft , and the cross - section of the connection hub ( 6 ) at its unthreaded side is of a polygon form , such as hexagonal or pentagonal . the connection hub ( 6 ) is connected with a tapering component ( 7 ) at the side of the unthreaded end . this tapering component ( 7 ) is in rigid connection with the hub ( 2 ) by means of bolts ( 15 ). it is to be appreciated that the tapering component ( 7 ) can be integrated with the hub ( 2 ) if desired . the external form of the tapering component ( 7 ) becomes more tapered as it is away from the hub ( 2 ), so the resistance force on the propeller of the water flowing over the outer surface of the tapering component ( 7 ) is minimized . a shaft recess frontal face ( 19 ) lies at the side where the shaft cavity ( 11 ) ends towards the motor side and a spring ( 8 ) extending along the shaft ( 4 ) axis is placed between the frontal face ( 19 ) and the connection hub ( 6 ). being between the connection hub ( 6 ) and the frontal face of the shaft recess ( 19 ), the spring ( 8 ) continuously pushes the connection hub ( 6 ) towards the tapering ( 7 ) side . since the threads at the threaded portion ( 9 ) of the shaft are compatible with the threads at the threaded portion ( 10 ) of the connection hub , the connection hub ( 6 ) is screwed to the shaft ( 4 ) in one direction of rotation of the shaft ( 4 ), and in the other direction of rotation of the shaft ( 4 ), the connection hub ( 6 ) is released from the screw connection with the shaft ( 4 ). therefore , the connection hub ( 6 ) can be displaced in the axial direction within the shaft recess ( 11 ) and so within the tapering recess ( 16 ). the cross - sectional form of the tapering recess ( 16 ) is compatible with the polygonal cross - sectional form of the connection hub ( 6 ) at the unthreaded side i . e . cross - sectional form of the tapering recess ( 16 ) is the same with the cross - sectional form of the connection hub ( 6 ) at the unthreaded side . therefore , the tapering recess ( 16 ) bears the connection hub ( 6 ). as the bearings ( 5 ) allow rotation in single direction , power is transmitted over the shaft ( 4 ) to the propeller ( 1 ) in the direction where the bearings ( 5 ) are locked , thus the propeller enables the marine vehicle to move forwards . the rotational direction where the bearings ( 5 ) are locked , is the direction of rotation where the connection hub ( 6 ) is released from the screw connection to the shaft . in this case , while the power from the motor is transmitted over the shaft ( 4 ) ( and over the locked bearings ( 5 )) to the propeller , no rotational motion is transmitted to the connection hub . as the bearings ( 5 ) will not be locked by the rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction , no power will be transmitted over the shaft ( 4 ) to the propeller ( 1 ), however in this case , the threads of the hub ( 10 ) screw with the threads on the shaft ( 4 ) and thus the propeller rotates in the opposite direction to enable the backwards movement of the marine vehicle . when the motor is stopped during the forward movement of marine vehicle , the shaft ( 4 ) is terminated to rotate , so the bearings ( 5 ) become unlocked , but the propeller continues to rotate for a while due to its kinetic energy , because as soon as the motor stops there remains no reason to prevent the rotation of the propeller ( 1 ). thus , the rotational speed of the propeller is smoothly reduced , which eliminates the sudden reaction force that occurs by stopping the motor . this is similar to shifting down in a car being driven in high - speed to shift to a low - speed cruise . in case the motor is non - operative , the torque transmission to the motor side through the propeller that is dragged in water by the forward movement of a marine vehicle is prevented by the propeller mechanism of the present invention . when dragged in water , the propeller rotates freely in the direction the bearings ( 5 ) can rotate , therefore no power transmission occurs over the bearings ( 5 ) to the shaft ( 4 ). power transmission does not occur over the connection hub ( 6 ) too , because the rotational direction of the propeller ( 1 ) is the direction where the threads at the threaded portion ( 10 ) of the connection hub are not screwed to the threads at the threaded portion ( 9 ) of the shaft . as can be seen in the figures , the mechanism that provides the rotation of the propeller ( 1 ) for a while when the motor is stopped and at the same time prevents the transfer of the reverse torque to the motor side when the motor is non - operative , is arranged in the propeller hub ( 2 ). the propeller mechanism according to the invention also comprises a lubrication arrangement for the lubrication of the bearings ( 5 ) in the hub ( 2 ) and the shaft ( 4 ) and connection hub ( 6 ) threads . accordingly , a lubrication channel ( 13 ) is provided at the hub ( 2 ), radially from the outer circular surface of the hub ( 2 ) down to a hub opening where the shaft ( 4 ) is located . the diameter of the hub opening is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft ( 4 ) and the oil from the lubrication channel ( 13 ) is transferred to the bearings ( 5 ), through the gap between the hub opening and the outer diameter of the shaft . oil is also transferred to the threaded portion ( 9 ) of the shaft and to the threaded portion ( 10 ) of the connection hub to provide the lubrication of the threads . in order to check if a sufficient amount of oil was put into the hub ( 2 ), a connection hub oil transfer channel ( 17 ) opened along the axis of the connection hub ( 6 ) and an oil discharge channel ( 14 ) opened to the tapering ( 7 ) along the axial direction are formed . lubricating can be terminated when the excess oil put into the lubrication channel ( 13 ) start to be drained from the oil discharge channel ( 14 ). the exit hole of the oil discharge channel ( 14 ) and the entry hole of the lubrication channel ( 13 ) are covered with plugs ( 18 ) to avoid any more draining of oil during operation . also , o - rings ( 12 ) are fitted in various suitable parts of the propeller mechanism , to prevent any oil leakage after lubrication is made . this completes the description of the preferred and alternate embodiments of the invention . those skilled in the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiment described herein which equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto . | 1 |
an embodiment of a case where the present invention is applied to a data projector apparatus of the dlp ( registered trademark ) system will be described below with reference to the drawings . fig1 is a block diagram showing the schematic functional configuration of an electronic circuit provided in a data projector apparatus 10 according this embodiment . a reference symbol 11 in fig1 denotes an input / output connector section , which includes , for example , a pin - jack ( rca ) type video input terminal , d - sub 15 type rgb input terminal , and universal serial bus ( usb ) connector . image signals of various standards to be input from the input / output connector section 11 are input to an image conversion section 13 through an input / output interface 12 , and system bus sb . the image conversion section 13 converts the input image signals into image signals of a predetermined format suitable for projection , appropriately writes the image signals onto a video ram 14 which is a buffer memory for display , thereafter reads the written image signals , and transmits the read image signals to a projection image processing section 15 . at this time , data such as symbols or the like indicating various operational states for on screen display ( dsd ) are superimposed on the image signals read from the video ram 14 as the need arises , and the resultant image signals are written onto the video ram 14 again . thereafter , the processed image signals are read and transmitted to the projection image processing section 15 . the projection image processing section 15 display - drives a micromirror element 16 which is a spatial light modulation ( slm ) element by time - division drive of higher speed obtained by multiplying a frame rate conforming to a predetermined format , for example , 120 frames / second by a division number of color components , and display gradation number in accordance with image signals transmitted thereto . the micromirror element 16 forms a light figure by the light reflected therefrom by individually subjecting each of inclination angles of a plurality of minute mirrors arranged in an array corresponding to , for example , xga ( 1024 pixels in the lateral direction × 768 pixels in the longitudinal direction ) to an on / off operation at high speed . on the other hand , primary - color light components of red , green , and blue are cyclically emitted from a light source section 17 by time division . each of the primary - color light components of red , green , and blue from the light source section 17 is reflected from a mirror 18 , and is applied to the micromirror element 16 . further , a light figure is formed by the reflected light of the micromirror element 16 , and the formed light figure is projection - displayed on a screen ( not shown ) which is a projection object through a projector lens unit 19 . the light source section 17 the specific optical configuration of which will be described later , includes two types of light sources , i . e ., a semiconductor laser 20 emitting blue laser light , and led 21 emitting red light . the blue laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser 20 is reflected from a mirror 22 , is thereafter transmitted through a dichroic mirror 23 , and is then applied to one point on the circumference of a color wheel 24 . the color wheel 24 is rotated by a motor 25 . on the circumference of the color wheel 24 irradiated with the laser light , a green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g and blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b are jointly formed into a ring - like shape . when the green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g of the color wheel 24 is located at the irradiation position of the laser light , green light is excited by the irradiation of the laser light , the excited green light is reflected from the color wheel 24 , and is thereafter reflected also from the dichroic mirror 23 . thereafter , the green light is further reflected from a dichroic mirror 28 , is formed into a light flux having substantially uniform luminance distribution by an integrator 29 , is thereafter reflected from a mirror 30 , and is then sent to the mirror 18 . further , when the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b of the color wheel 24 is located at the irradiation position of the laser light as shown in fig1 , the laser light is transmitted through the color wheel 24 while being diffused by the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b , and is thereafter reflected from each of mirrors 26 and 27 . thereafter , the blue light is transmitted through the dichroic mirror 28 , is formed into a light flux having substantially uniform luminance distribution by the integrator 29 , is thereafter reflected from the mirror 30 , and is then sent to the mirror 18 . furthermore , the red light emitted from the led 21 is transmitted through the dichroic mirror 23 , is thereafter reflected from the dichroic mirror 28 , is formed into a light flux having substantially uniform luminance distribution by the integrator 29 , is thereafter reflected from the mirror 30 , and is then sent to the mirror 18 . as described above , the dichroic mirror 23 has the spectral characteristics of transmitting the blue and red light therethrough , whereas reflecting the green light . further , the dichroic mirror 28 has the spectral characteristics of transmitting the blue light , whereas reflecting the red and green light . the light emission timing of each of the semiconductor laser 20 and led 21 of the light source section 17 , and rotation of the color wheel 24 by the motor 25 are controlled by a projection light processing section 31 in a unifying manner . the projection light processing section 31 controls the light emission timing of each of the semiconductor laser 20 , and led 21 , and the rotation of the color wheel 24 in accordance with the timing of the image data supplied from the projection image processing section 15 . a cpu 32 executes a control operation in the data projector apparatus 10 by using a main memory 33 constituted of a dram , and program memory 34 constituted of an electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory in which an operation program , various standardized data items are stored . the cpu 32 executes various projection operations in accordance with key operation signals from an operation section 35 . the operation section 35 includes a key operation section provided on the main body of the data projector apparatus 10 , and laser reception section configured to receive infrared light from a remote controller ( not shown ) to be exclusively used for the data projector apparatus 10 , and directly outputs a key operation signal based on the key operated by the user by using the key operation section of the main body or the remote controller to the cpu 32 . the operation section 35 is provided with , together with the above - mentioned key operation section and remote controller , for example , a focus adjustment key ( focus ), zoom adjustment key ( zoom ), input image switching key ( input ), menu key ( menu ), cursor (←, →, ↑, and ↓) key , set key ( enter ), cancel key ( esc ), and the like . the cpu 32 described above is further connected also to a sound processing section 36 through the system bus sb . the sound processing section 36 is provided with a sound source circuit such as a pcm sound source or the like , converts the sound data supplied thereto at the time of the projection operation into analog data , drives a speaker section 37 to loudspeaker - release the sound or generate beep sound or the like as the need arises . next , a specific configuration example of the optical system of the light source section 17 is mainly shown by fig2 . fig2 is a view expressing the configuration of the periphery of the light source section 17 in the plane layout . for example , three semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , having the same light - emitting characteristics , are provided . the laser light of each of these semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c is blue and , for example , the emission wavelength is about 450 nm . the blue light oscillated by each of these semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c is made substantially parallel with each other through each of lenses 41 a to 41 c , is then reflected from each of mirrors 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , is passed through lenses 42 and 43 , is thereafter transmitted through the dichroic mirror 23 , then is transmitted through a lens group 44 , and is then applied to the color wheel 24 . in this embodiment , the lenses 42 and 43 , and lens group 44 constitute a light - condensation optical system configured to condense the substantially paralleled blue light at the position of the color wheel 24 on the optical axis . on the color wheel 24 , as described above , the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b , and green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g are positioned to constitute a ring on the same circumference . when the green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g of the color wheel is located at the irradiation position of the blue light , green light of a wavelength range centering on a wavelength of about 530 nm is excited by the irradiation . the excited green light is reflected from the reflection surface of the color wheel 24 , and is thereafter reflected also from the dichroic mirror 23 through the lens group 44 . the green light reflected from the dichroic mirror 23 is further reflected from the dichroic mirror 28 through the lens 45 , and is guided to the integrator 29 through a lens 46 . in this embodiment , the lens group 44 , lens 45 , and lens 46 are designed to form a light guiding optical system 1 configured to guide the green light excited at the color wheel 24 to the integrator 29 in which the beam size of the green light fits in the aperture size of the integrator 29 . the magnifying power of the light guiding optical system is designed to substantially coincide with the ratio of the aperture size of the integrator 29 to the irradiation size of the light to be applied to the color wheel 24 . further , the green light is formed into a light flux having substantially uniform luminance distribution by the integrator 29 , is thereafter reflected from the mirror 30 through a lens 47 , and is sent to the mirror 18 through a lens 48 . the green light reflected from the mirror 18 is then applied to the micromirror element 16 through a lens 49 . further , a light figure of the green component is formed by the reflected green light , and is projected on the outside through the lens 49 , and projector lens unit 19 . further , when the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b of the color wheel 24 is located at the irradiation position of the blue light , the blue light is transmitted through the color wheel 24 while being diffused by the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b with lower diffusion characteristics than the green light excited by substantially perfect diffusion light . furthermore , the blue light is reflected from the mirror 26 through a lens 50 located on the back side . the motor 25 configured to rotate the color wheel 24 is arranged on the same side as the lens 50 configured to condense the blue light transmitted through the color wheel 24 . the blue light transmitted through the color wheel 24 has lower diffusion than the green light reflected from the color wheel 24 , and hence it is possible to make the size of the lens 50 smaller than the lens group 44 configured to condense the green light reflected from the color wheel 24 . furthermore , the blue light is reflected from the mirror 27 through a lens 51 , is passed through a lens 52 , is then transmitted through the dichroic mirror 28 , and is guided to the integrator 29 through the lens 46 . in this embodiment , the lenses 50 , 51 , 52 , and 46 are designed to form a light guiding optical system configured to guide the blue light transmitted through the color wheel 24 to the integrator 29 in which the beam size of the blue light fits in the aperture size of the integrator 29 . the magnifying power of the light guiding optical system is designed to substantially coincide with the ratio of the aperture size of the integrator 29 to the irradiation size of the light to be applied to the color wheel 24 . further , the blue light is formed into a light flux having substantially uniform luminance distribution by the integrator 29 , is thereafter reflected from the mirror 30 through the lens 47 , and is sent to the mirror 18 through the lens 48 . the blue light reflected from the mirror 18 is then applied to the micromirror element 16 through the lens 49 . further , a light figure of the blue component is formed by the reflected blue light , and is projected on the outside through the lens 49 , and projector lens unit 19 . on the other hand , the led 21 emits red light of , for example , a wavelength of 620 nm . the red light emitted from the led 21 is transmitted through the dichroic mirror 23 through a lens group 53 , is thereafter reflected from the dichroic mirror 28 through the lens 45 , and is further guided to the integrator 29 through the lens 46 . in this embodiment , the lens group 53 , lens 45 , and lens 46 are designed to form a light guiding optical system configured to guide the red light emitted in the emission size of the led 21 to the integrator 29 in which the beam size of the red light fits in the aperture size of the integrator 29 . the magnifying power of the light guiding optical system is designed to substantially coincide with the ratio of the aperture size of the integrator 29 to the emission size of the led 21 . further , the red light is formed into a light flux having substantially uniform luminance distribution by the integrator 29 , is thereafter reflected from the mirror 30 through the lens 47 , and is sent to the mirror 18 through the lens 48 . further , the led 21 is arranged near the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , and in a direction in which the optical axis thereof is parallel with those of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c . by arranging the led 21 in this way , it becomes easy to integrate , although not shown , a heat sink provided on the back side of the led 21 , and configured to cool the led 21 , and heat sink provided on the back side of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , and configured to cool the semiconductor lasers with each other , and it is further possible to reduce the size of the overall apparatus , and reduce the number of pieces of the components . the red light reflected from the mirror 18 is then applied to the micromirror element 16 through the lens 49 . further , a light figure of the red component is formed by the reflected red light , and is projected on the outside through the lens 49 , and projector lens unit 19 . in this embodiment , as shown in fig3 a , the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b constituting the color wheel 24 is arranged on a part of the circumference having a central angle of about 150 ° at a position of 0 ° to about 150 ° in the rotational phase corresponding to the image frame . on the other hand , the green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g is arranged on a part of the circumference having a central angle of about 210 ° at a position of about 150 to 360 ° ( 0 °) in the same rotational phase . here , it is assumed that it is possible to switch the mode between the normal mode and green - emphasized mode as two color modes . in the normal mode , as shown in fig3 b , the continued time ratio of periods in which the primary color images of blue , red , and green constituting one frame of the color image to be projected are projected is made 1 : 1 : 1 . the periods in which the primary color images of blue , red , and green are projected are defined as the b -, r - and g - fields , respectively . that is , the continued time ratio b : r : g of the b -, r - and g - fields becomes 120 °: 120 °: 120 ° in terms of the central angles of the color wheel 24 with respect to 360 ° corresponding to one rotation of the color wheel 24 rotating at a constant rotational speed . in the green - emphasized mode on the other side , as shown in fig3 c , the continued time ratio of periods in which the primary color images of blue , red , and green constituting one frame of the color image are projected is made 10 : 11 : 15 . that is , the continued time ratio b : r : g of the b -, r - and g - fields becomes 100 °: 110 °: 150 ° in terms of the central angles of the color wheel 24 with respect to 360 ° corresponding to one rotation of the color wheel 24 rotating at a constant rotational speed . all the operation control concomitant with the switching of the color mode is executed by the projection light processing section 31 under the centralized control of the cpu 32 . fig3 b shows the relationship among the color of the light figure formed at the micromirror element 16 at the normal mode time , emission timing of the led 21 , emission timing of each of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , and output of the color wheel 24 . at this normal mode time , at the beginning of one frame , in the period of the b - field corresponding to 120 ° in terms of the central angle of the color wheel 24 , blue light is emitted by the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c as shown by the cw output of fig3 b . further , the blue light transmitted through the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b of the color wheel 24 , and diffused is applied to the micromirror element 16 . at this time , an image corresponding to the blue light is displayed by the micromirror element 16 , whereby a blue light figure is formed by the reflected light thereof , and is projected onto an external projection object through the projector lens unit 19 . during this period , the led 21 is kept in the off - state . thereafter , the on - state of the led 21 is started in synchronization with a temporary stop of the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c . after that , in the period of the r - field corresponding to 120 ° in terms of the central angle of the color wheel 24 , red light is emitted by the on - state of the led 21 , and is applied to the micromirror element 16 as shown by r - led of fig3 b . at this time , an image corresponding to the red light is displayed by the micromirror element 16 , whereby a red light figure is formed by the reflected light thereof , and is projected onto the external projection object through the projector lens unit 19 . during this period , the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c is temporarily stopped . accordingly , even when the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b or green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g of the color wheel 24 exists at the position on the optical axis , the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c is temporarily stopped , and hence neither blue light nor green light is generated as the light - source light . thereafter , in synchronization with turning - off of the led 21 , the oscillation at the semiconductor laser 20 a , 20 b , 20 c is resumed . after that , in a period of the g - field corresponding to 120 ° in terms of the central angle of the color wheel 24 , green reflected light excited at the green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g of the color wheel 24 is applied to the micromirror element 16 as the light - source light . at this time , an image corresponding to the green light is displayed by the micromirror element 16 , whereby a green light figure is formed by the reflected light thereof , and is projected onto the external projection object through the projector lens unit 19 . furthermore , the color wheel 24 rotates to terminate the g - field and one - frame periods . thereafter , when the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b is positioned again on the optical axis from the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c in place of the green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g , the b - field period of the next frame is started . as described above , the oscillation - timing and turning - on - timing of each of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , and led 21 are controlled in synchronization with the rotation of the color wheel 24 on which the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b and green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g are formed . as a result of this , the green and blue light resulting from the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , and red light resulting from the on - state of the led 21 are cyclically generated by time division , and are applied to the micromirror element 16 . next , an operation at the green - emphasized mode time will be described below . fig3 c shows the relationship among the color of the light figure formed at the micromirror element 16 at the green - emphasized mode time , emission timing of the led 21 , emission timing of each of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , and output of the color wheel 24 . at this green - emphasized mode time , at the beginning of one frame , in the period of the b - field corresponding to 100 ° in terms of the central angle of the color wheel 24 , blue light is emitted by the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c as shown by the cw output of fig3 c . further , the blue light transmitted through the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b of the color wheel 24 , and diffused is applied to the micromirror element 16 . at this time , an image corresponding to the blue light is displayed by the micromirror element 16 , whereby a blue light figure is formed by the reflected light thereof , and is projected onto an external projection object through the projector lens unit 19 . during this period , the led 21 is kept in the off - state . thereafter , the on - state of the led 21 is started in synchronization with a temporary stop of the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c . after that , in the period of the r - field corresponding 110 ° in terms of the central angle of the color wheel 24 , red light is emitted by the on - state of the led 21 , and is applied to the micromirror element 16 as shown by r - led of fig3 c . at this time , an image corresponding to the red light is displayed by the micromirror element 16 , whereby a red light figure is formed by the reflected light thereof , and is projected onto the external projection object through the projector lens unit 19 . during this period , the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c is temporarily stopped . accordingly , even when the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b or green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g of the color wheel 24 exists at the positions on the optical axis , the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c is temporarily stopped , and hence neither blue light nor green light is generated as the light - source light . thereafter , in synchronization with turning - off of the led 21 , the oscillation at the semiconductor laser 20 a , 20 b , 20 c is resumed . after that , in a period of the g - field corresponding to 150 ° in terms of the central angle of the color wheel 24 , green reflected light excited at the green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g of the color wheel 24 is applied to the micromirror element 16 as the light - source light . at this time , an image corresponding to the green light is displayed by the micromirror element 16 , whereby a green light figure is formed by the reflected light thereof , and is projected onto the external projection object through the projector lens unit 19 . furthermore , the color wheel 24 rotates to terminate the g - field and one - frame periods . thereafter , when the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b is positioned again on the optical axis from the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c in place of the green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g , the b - field period of the next frame is started . as described above , the oscillation - timing and turning - on - timing of each of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , and led 21 are controlled in synchronization with the rotation of the color wheel 24 on which the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b and green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g are formed . as a result of this , the green and blue light resulting from the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , and red light resulting from the on - state of the led 21 are cyclically generated by time division , and are applied to the micromirror element 16 . furthermore , the r - field resulting from the on - state of the led 21 is arranged in synchronization with the timing of the border between the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b , and green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g each constituting the color wheel 24 , and the emission timing of each of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , and led 21 is controlled as shown at the normal mode time , and green - emphasized mode time described above , whereby it is made possible to adjust the time length of each of the b -, r - and g - fields in the one frame period . as described above , according to this embodiment , although the above - mentioned optical system is an optical system using a color wheel , it becomes possible to arbitrarily adjust the time length to be assigned to each color component , and respond to desired color environment such as color balance , brightness of the projection image , or the like , as needed . particularly , in the green - emphasized mode , the projection time of the green image based on the green light closer to the luminance component than the other primary color components is set longer . as a result of this , not only an image in which the green light is simply emphasized as a whole is obtained , but also the luminance of the overall image is improved , and a brighter image is projected . it should be noted that in the above embodiment , as a light source configured to generate blue and green light by using a color wheel 24 , semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c are used , whereby it becomes possible to realize a stable operation particularly excellent in response speed and light intensity . furthermore , it is possible to enhance the marketability by using an element more suitable for the light source of the data projector apparatus . in addition to the above , with the fluorescent substance practically used at present , the efficiency of the wavelength conversion of converting the blue laser light to red laser light is low , and sufficient emission luminance cannot be obtained . thus , by using a red led as the second light source element , and making it possible to adjust the period of each of the primary color image fields as described above , it becomes possible to realize projection - display of the red image having sufficient emission luminance . next , another operation example according to this embodiment will also be described below . in this operation example too , it is assumed that as shown in fig4 a , while a blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b constituting a color wheel 24 is arranged on a part of the circumference having a central angle of about 150 ° at a position of 0 ° to about 150 ° in the rotational phase corresponding to the image frame , a green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g is arranged on a part of the circumference having a central angle of about 210 ° at a position of about 150 to 360 ° ( 0 °) in the same rotational phase . here , it is also assumed that it is possible to switch the mode between the normal mode and luminance - emphasized mode as two color modes . in the normal mode , the continued time ratio of periods in which the primary color images of blue , red , and green constituting one frame of the color image to be projected are projected is made 1 : 1 : 1 . that is , the continued time ratio b : r : g of the b -, r - and g - fields becomes 120 °: 120 °: 120 ° in terms of the central angles of the color wheel 24 with respect to 360 ° corresponding to one rotation of the color wheel 24 rotating at a constant rotational speed . in the luminance - emphasized mode on the other side , in addition to the primary color images of blue , red , and green constituting one frame of the color image , an image of yellow is also projected . the continued time ratio of periods in which the primary color images of blue , red , green , and yellow are projected is made 1 : 1 : 1 : 1 . the period in which the primary color image of yellow is projected is defined as a y - field . that is , the continued time ratio b : r : g : y of the b -, r -, g - and y - fields becomes 90 °: 90 °: 90 °: 90 ° in terms of the central angles of the color wheel 24 with respect to 360 ° corresponding to one rotation of the color wheel 24 rotating at a constant rotational speed . all the operation control concomitant with the switching of the color mode is executed by a projection light processing section 31 under the centralized control of a cpu 32 . fig4 b shows the relationship among the color of the light figure formed at the micromirror element 16 at the normal mode time , emission timing of the led 21 , emission timing of each of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , and output of the color wheel 24 . at this normal mode time , at the beginning of one frame , in the period of the b - field corresponding to 120 ° in terms of the central angle of the color wheel 24 , blue light is emitted by the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c as shown by the cw output of fig4 b . further , the blue light transmitted through the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b of the color wheel 24 , and diffused is applied to the micromirror element 16 . at this time , an image corresponding to the blue light is displayed by the micromirror element 16 , whereby a blue light figure is formed by the reflected light thereof , and is projected onto an external projection object through the projector lens unit 19 . during this period , the led 21 is kept in the off - state . thereafter , the on - state of the led 21 is started in synchronization with a temporary stop of the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c . after that , in the period of the r - field corresponding to 120 ° in terms of the central angle of the color wheel 24 , red light is emitted by the on - state of the led 21 , and is applied to the micromirror element 16 as shown by r - led of fig4 b . at this time , an image corresponding to the red light is displayed by the micromirror element 16 , whereby a red light figure is formed by the reflected light thereof , and is projected onto the external projection object through the projector lens unit 19 . during this period , the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c is temporarily stopped . accordingly , even when the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b or green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g of the color wheel 24 exists at the position on the optical axis , the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c is temporarily stopped , and hence neither blue light nor green light is generated as the light - source light . thereafter , in synchronization with turning - off of the led 21 , the oscillation at the semiconductor laser 20 a , 20 b , 20 c is resumed . after that , in a period of the g - field corresponding to 120 ° in terms of the central angle of the color wheel 24 , green reflected light excited at the green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g of the color wheel 24 is applied to the micromirror element 16 as the light - source light . at this time , an image corresponding to the green light is displayed by the micromirror element 16 , whereby a green light figure is formed by the reflected light thereof , and is projected onto the external projection object through the projector lens unit 19 . furthermore , the color wheel 24 rotates to terminate the g - field and one - frame periods . thereafter , when the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b is positioned again on the optical axis from the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c in place of the green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g , the b - field period of the next frame is started . as described above , the oscillation - timing and turning - on - timing of each of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , and led 21 are controlled in synchronization with the rotation of the color wheel 24 on which the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b and green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g are formed . as a result of this , the green and blue light resulting from the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , and red light resulting from the on - state of the led 21 are cyclically generated by time division , and are applied to the micromirror element 16 . next , an operation at the luminance - emphasized mode time will be described below . fig4 c shows the relationship among the color of the light figure formed at the micromirror element 16 at the luminance - emphasized mode time , emission timing of the led 21 , emission timing of each of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , and output of the color wheel 24 . at this luminance - emphasized mode time , at the beginning of one frame , in the period of the b - field corresponding to 90 ° in terms of the central angle of the color wheel 24 , blue light is emitted by the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c as shown by the cw output of fig4 c . further , the blue light transmitted through the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b of the color wheel 24 , and diffused is applied to the micromirror element 16 . at this time , an image corresponding to the blue light is displayed by the micromirror element 16 , whereby a blue light figure is formed by the reflected light thereof , and is projected onto an external projection object through the projector lens unit 19 . during this period , the led 21 is kept in the off - state . thereafter , the on - state of the led 21 is started in synchronization with a temporary stop of the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c . after that , in the period of the r - field corresponding 90 ° in terms of the central angle of the color wheel 24 , red light is emitted by the on - state of the led 21 , and is applied to the micromirror element 16 as shown by r - led of fig4 c . at this time , an image corresponding to the red light is displayed by the micromirror element 16 , whereby a red light figure is formed by the reflected light thereof , and is projected onto the external projection object through the projector lens unit 19 . during this period , the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c is temporarily stopped . accordingly , even when the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b or green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g of the color wheel 24 exists at the position on the optical axis , the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c is temporarily stopped , and hence neither blue light nor green light is generated as the light - source light . thereafter , in synchronization with turning - off of the led 21 , the oscillation at the semiconductor laser 20 a , 20 b , 20 c is resumed . after that , in a period of the g - field corresponding to 90 ° in terms of the central angle of the color wheel 24 , green reflected light excited at the green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g of the color wheel 24 is applied to the micromirror element 16 as the light - source light . at this time , an image corresponding to the green light is displayed by the micromirror element 16 , whereby a green light figure is formed by the reflected light thereof , and is projected onto the external projection object through the projector lens unit 19 . furthermore , the color wheel 24 rotates to terminate the g - field . thereafter , the on - state of the led 21 is further started without subsequently stopping the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c . after that , in the y - field period corresponding to 90 ° in terms of the central angle of the color wheel 24 , red light is emitted by the on - state of the led 21 as shown by r - led of fig4 c . accordingly , yellow light resulting from the color mixture of the red light based on the on - state of the led 21 , and green light based on the reflection at the green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g is applied to the micromirror element 16 . at this time , an image corresponding to the yellow color is displayed by the micromirror element 16 , whereby a yellow light figure is formed by the reflected light thereof , and is projected onto the external projection object through the projector lens unit 19 . furthermore , the color wheel 24 rotates to terminate the y - field and one - frame periods . thereafter , when the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b is positioned again on the optical axis from the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c in place of the green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g , the b - field period of the next frame is started . as described above , the oscillation - timing and turning - on - timing of each of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , and led 21 are controlled in synchronization with the rotation of the color wheel 24 on which the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b and green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g are formed . as a result of this , the green and blue light resulting from the oscillation of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , red light resulting from the on - state of the led 21 , and yellow light resulting from the color mixture are cyclically generated by time division , and are applied to the micromirror element 16 . furthermore , the r - field resulting from the on - state of the led 21 is arranged in synchronization with the timing of the border between the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b , and green fluorescent reflection plate 24 g each constituting the color wheel 24 , and the emission timing of each of the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , and led 21 is controlled as shown at the normal mode time , and luminance - emphasized mode time described above , whereby it is made possible to adjust the time length of each of the b -, r -, g - and y - fields provided as the need arises all of which are in the one frame period . as a result of this , in this operation example too , it becomes possible to respond to desired color environment such as color balance , brightness of the projection image , or the like , as needed . particularly , in the luminance - emphasized mode shown in another operation example described above , the projection time of the yellow image based on the yellow color closer to the luminance component owing to the color mixture of the green and red light than the other primary color components each of which singly uses each light source is newly provided , and hence it is possible to significantly improve the luminance of the overall image , and project a bright image . it should be noted that although not shown in the above operation example , a period may be provided in which red light based on the led 21 is emitted simultaneously with the timing at which the blue light transmission diffusion plate 24 b of the color wheel 24 is present on the light path from the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , magenta light is generated by the color mixture , and a corresponding light figure is formed . further , when attention is paid to the turning - on period of the led 21 shown by r - led of fig4 c , the on - state and off - state of the led 21 are provided in two cycles for the two fields including the r - and y - fields in each of which the on - state of the led 21 is required in one frame . by increasing the drive frequency of the led 21 , and shortening the continuous on - time as described above , it is possible to maintain emission drive at stable and high luminance while taking the characteristics of the led 21 that the emission luminance is lowered by the thermal resistance due to continuous drive into consideration . it should be noted that the above embodiment has been described on the assumption that while the blue laser light is oscillated by the semiconductor lasers 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , and the blue and green light are generated by the color wheel , the red light is emitted from the led 21 . however , the present invention is not limited to this and , for example , the led 21 may be changed to a semiconductor laser configured to oscillate red laser light . in this case , it becomes necessary to provide a diffusion plate configured to diffuse red laser light to generate red light at a position on the optical axis of the semiconductor laser configured to oscillate the red laser light . that is , when the luminance balance of primary color light which can be emitted by using one light source is not suitable for practical use , the present invention can be applied to a light source section in which a plurality of types of light sources are used to compensate the above drawback by using another light source , and a projection apparatus using such a light source section . further , in the above embodiment , the case where the present invention is applied to a data projector apparatus of the dlp ( registered trademark ) system has been described . however , the present invention can also be applied to a liquid crystal projector or the like configured to form a light figure by using a transmission type monochrome liquid crystal panel in the same manner . furthermore , the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above , and can be variously modified in the implementation stage within the scope not deviating from the gist of the invention . further , the functions carried out in the above - mentioned embodiment may be appropriately combined with each other to the utmost extent to be implemented . various stages are included in the above - mentioned embodiment , and by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements with each other , various inventions can be extracted . for example , even when some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiment , if an advantage can be obtained , the configuration from which the constituent elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention . additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art . therefore , the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein . accordingly , various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first , particularly , to fig1 thereof , there is shown a seat 1 which is provided with two adjusting devices 2 . it should be pointed out here that in fig1 only one possible exemplary embodiment of the use of the adjusting device 2 according to the invention is illustrated . further possible uses of the adjusting device 2 according to the invention are disclosed , for example , in the figures of german patent no . de 32 01 309 c2 . reference is expressly made hereby to these uses and german patent no . de 32 01 309 c2 is expressly made the subject matter of the present application . otherwise , however , uses are also possible which are not shown in the above - mentioned german patent , for example for the adjustment of pivoted flaps in aircraft or else in conjunction with office furniture . the adjusting device 2 is used for the rotational adjustment of two centrically mounted adapter elements 3 , 4 . in the exemplary embodiment illustrated , the adapter elements 3 , 4 are fitting parts which are fastened , on the one hand , to the backrest 5 and , on the other hand , to the seat part 6 of the seat 1 . as revealed in fig2 and 4 , the adjusting device 2 has a planetary gear 7 . the planetary gear 7 here has a sun wheel 8 and three planet wheels 9 meshing with the sun wheel 8 . furthermore , the planetary gear 7 has a first internal toothing 10 and a second internal toothing 11 . in this case , the first internal toothing 10 is provided on a first housing part 12 while the second internal toothing 11 is provided on a second housing part 13 . the housing parts 12 , 13 are in each case of cup - like design and not only form the gear housing 14 of the planetary gear 7 , but also the housing of the adjusting device 2 itself . the gear housing 14 is configured overall in such a manner that the housing parts 12 , 13 can be rotated relative to each other and are held captively on each other in the axial direction . it is essential , first of all , that the two housing parts 12 , 13 each have an edge flange 15 , 16 and that a separate retaining ring 17 is provided which engages over the edge flanges 15 , 16 and holds the housing parts 12 , 13 together . the retaining ring 17 is configured in such a manner that it holds the two housing parts 12 , 13 together both in the axial and in the radial direction . through the use of the retaining ring 17 holding the two housing parts 12 , 13 together , a modular constructional unit is produced , to which the adapter elements 3 , 4 , which are configured as separate components , can be fastened . in the present case , the two adapter elements 3 , 4 are laser - welded to the housing parts 12 , 13 . fig6 shows a laser welding connection 18 with regard to the adapter element 3 . the adapter element 4 is welded in a similar manner . alternatively or in addition , a screw connection may be provided , which is schematically indicated as a dashed line 69 in fig8 . the retaining ring 17 is , as is revealed in particular in fig4 crimped at its two edges over the edge flanges 15 , 16 . the retaining ring 17 is thus not directly fastened to any of the housing parts . furthermore , in contrast to the illustration according to fig2 in which the end edges of the retaining ring 17 have already been bent downward , the retaining ring 17 can also be configured as a simple pipe section whose one outer end edge is initially angled . in a later process step , the other end edge is also angled . this will be discussed in greater detail below . as is also revealed in particular in fig2 the edge flanges 15 , 16 are of encircling design . fig4 makes it clear that the housing parts 12 , 13 are identical in terms of their outer shape . the housing parts 12 , 13 each have a solid surface on their outer flat sides 19 , 20 , with the exception in each case of a central opening 21 , 22 for the insertion of an actuating element into an engagement opening 23 in the sun wheel 8 of the planetary gear 7 . the actuating element 24 may be a torque rod , the ends of which are used in the manner of a square for insertion into the engagement opening 23 . in the present case , the internal toothings 10 , 11 of the planetary gear 7 are of integral design with the housing parts 12 , 13 , in other words the internal toothing and the housing part forms a one - piece element . the housing parts 12 , 13 themselves are deep - drawn parts , the internal toothings 10 , 11 also having been deep - drawn during the deep - drawing process for producing the cup shape of the housing parts 12 , 13 . in this connection , it should be pointed out that the number of teeth of the first internal toothing 10 is not equal to the teeth of the second internal toothing 11 . in the exemplary embodiment illustrated , the number of teeth of the second internal toothing 11 is greater by 3 than the number of teeth of the first internal toothing 10 . in the case of the adjusting device 2 , provision can be made for all of the forces and moments at the tooth which is in engagement to be neutralized , at least substantially in any case . the freedom from forces is achieved by using a toothing with ever constant engagement ratios , the operating pressure angles always being the same . the freedom from moments is achieved by the operating pitch circles of the internal toothings 10 , 11 being identical , i . e . the toothings also having the same pitch points . with regard to the details of this configuration of the adjusting device 2 which is essentially free from forces and moments , reference is expressly made to german patent no . de 32 01 309 c2 which is hereby made part of the present application in this respect . otherwise , in the case of the adjusting device 2 , the planet wheels 9 and the internal toothings 10 , 11 can in each case have the same pitch , i . e . the same module , so that there are no pitch errors . as furthermore results from the individual figures , toothing regions 24 are provided on the outer flat sides 19 , 20 of the housing parts 12 , 13 . toothing regions 25 , 26 corresponding to the toothing regions 24 are provided on the adapter elements 3 , 4 . it should be pointed out that it goes without saying that , instead of the toothing regions , regions configured in a different manner are also possible , the regions ensuring a form - fitting connection in the radial and circumferential direction between the adapter elements 3 , 4 and the housing parts 12 , 13 . the use of toothing regions 24 on the housing parts 12 , 13 and the corresponding toothing regions 25 , 26 on the adapter elements 3 , 4 is therefore particularly appropriate , since during the deep - drawing of the housing parts 12 , 13 together with the respective internal toothings 10 , 11 , the outer toothing regions 24 are in any case produced on the outer flat sides 19 , 20 . in the case of the invention , these toothing regions 24 are used as a fitting aid for the adapter elements 3 , 4 and for absorbing tangential forces while the respective laser welds 18 for the adapter elements 3 , 4 can be of correspondingly smaller dimensions , since the laser welds 18 merely have to absorb axial forces . furthermore , the adjusting device 2 has a device for the self - locking of the planetary gear 7 . for this purpose , in principle at least one spring device is provided which acts on the sun wheel 8 and / or on at least one planet wheel 9 . in this particular case , a disk spring 27 is provided as the spring device , the disk spring being arranged between a housing part , in the present case the housing part 12 , and the sun wheel 8 . for this purpose , a recess 28 in this regard , into which the disk spring 27 is inserted , is provided in the housing part 12 . the depth of the recess 28 is selected in such a manner that the disk spring 27 acts on the sun wheel 8 with a comparatively small spring force , so that the torque on the sun wheel and therefore on the particular actuating element ( handwheel or electric motor shown schematically as drive device in fig7 ) is only increased a little . furthermore , the spring loading of the sun wheel 8 prevents an axial movement of the sun wheel in the gear housing 14 . there is therefore freedom from play in the axial direction . the planet wheels 7 engage in the internal toothings 10 , 11 and in the sun wheel 8 in a manner free from play or backlash . the freedom from play is obtained by the sun wheel 8 and / or the planet wheels 9 being selected by measuring and pairing them . otherwise , it is illustrated that the individual toothings of the planetary gear 7 are configured as a spur toothing . however , it is also possible to select a helical toothing or even a herringbone toothing . the installation or the assembly of the adjusting device 2 according to the invention takes place in such a manner that first of all an annular or tubular retaining ring is beveled at one end on the edge . the first housing part 12 is then inserted into the beveled ring . the flange 15 then rests on the tilted part of the retaining ring 17 . subsequently , the disk spring 27 is inserted into the recess 28 . the sun wheel 8 and the planet wheels 9 are then inserted into the cup - like , first housing part 12 . the gear housing 14 is then closed by placing on the second housing part 13 . subsequently , the retaining ring 17 is crimped at its other end around the edge flange 16 of the second housing part 13 . the adapter elements 3 , 4 are then positioned depending on the intended application , the toothing regions 24 , on the one hand , and 25 , 26 , on the other hand , engaging in one another . the laser welding of the adapter elements 3 , 4 onto the housing parts 12 , 13 then takes place . in fig7 and 8 , 40 denotes a planetary gear which essentially has a sun wheel 42 , three planet wheels 44 , 46 , 48 and two internally toothed ring gears 50 , 52 . arranged on the outer circumference of the circular symmetrical ring gears 50 , 52 is a retaining ring 54 which holds the latter against each other , but permits relative rotations . furthermore , fittings 56 , 58 are fastened to the ring gears 50 , 52 , the one fitting 56 of which is formed in a fixed position , for example on a vehicle seat , and the other fitting 58 of which is formed on a backrest belonging to the seat . the ring gears 50 , 52 are provided with a centric hole 60 , 62 in which a drive shaft is mounted rotatably , the drive shaft driving the sun wheel 42 during adjusting movements via a polygonal socket 64 in the sun wheel 42 . clamped between the sun wheel 42 and the hub projection 50 a of the ring gear 50 as a friction brake is a disk spring 66 which prestresses the sun wheel 42 against the opposite ring gear 52 . the planet wheels 44 , 46 , 48 , which are distributed in each case at 120 degrees over the circumference of the sun wheel 42 and are arranged without a mounting or a planet wheel web , mesh , on the one hand , with the sun wheel 42 and , on the other hand , in each case with half of their tooth width , with the internal toothings 50 b and 52 b . the difference in the number of teeth of the internal toothings with respect to each other is three here , corresponding to the number of planet wheels . the toothings ( teeth 68 ) of the sun wheel 42 and planet wheels 44 , 46 , 48 and the internal toothings 50 b and 52 b of the ring gears 50 , 52 are preferably produced here without cutting as involute toothings and spur toothings , the internal toothings 50 b , 52 b being shaped out of the disk - shaped ring gears 50 , 52 by precision stamping , while the toothings of sun wheel 42 and planet wheels 44 , 46 , 48 are manufactured by punching them out of a blank . in fig9 and 10 , the engagement ratios between the one planet wheel 44 and the one ring gear 50 and its internal toothing 50 b ( fig9 ) and the second ring gear 52 and its internal toothings 52 b can be seen . it can readily be seen that the degree of contact ( engagement factor ) is ε α & gt ; 1 ; furthermore , the operating pressure angle α w1 on the front flank 68 a of the relevant tooth 68 on the ring gear 52 ( fig1 ) is approximately 14 . 5 degrees , and the operating pressure angle α 0 w2 on the rear flank 68 b of the relevant tooth 68 is approximately 29 . 5 degrees . this is achieved by the profile corrections on the two ring gears 50 , 52 and by the different pitch circles d w . it is characteristic in this case that in spite of a large difference in the number of teeth of the two ring gears 50 , 52 of , for example , three , and therefore the greatly different base circles d b2 in fig9 and d b2 in fig1 , the base circle of the planet wheels 44 , 46 , 48 d b1 intersects the two base circles of the ring gears 50 , 52 , so that lines of engagement are produced as tangents on the two base circles d b1 - d b2 ( in fig9 ) and d b1 - d b2 ( in fig1 ). through the use of a selected tooth - head height of the planet wheels 44 , 46 , 48 , a profile contact with the two ring gears 50 , 52 of ε α & gt ; 1 is achieved . the profile correction of the planet wheels 44 , 46 , 48 is selected in such a manner that a profile contact ε α & gt ; 1 is also produced for the gear wheel pairing of sun wheel 42 and planet wheels . a uniform , functionally reliable tooth - wheel drive is therefore implemented here . | 1 |
shown in fig1 are examples of signals recorded in this way during the first , sixth and twelfth pass on a foundation consisting of non - cohesive soil . owing to the dynamic interaction between the various parts of the roller and the foundation the signal will increasingly deviate in shape from the sinusoidal form obtained when the roller moves across a soft and completely resilient foundation as the rigidity of the foundation increases . this deviation from sinusoidal form is -- if all roller parameters are constant -- related to the dynamic properties of the foundation and primarily its rigidity . the magnitude 1 - t1 / t2 or t2 / t1 - 1 as in fig1 shows good significance when correlated with the degree of compaction according to studies that have been conducted . an advantage of this quantity is also that it can be calculated to a high degree of accuracy with a comparatively simple electronic device . in practice , the parameter value is calculated as a mean value of a certain number of periods of the oscillation in order to get away from the effect of cyclic variations in the zero level of the signal and random variations in the signal . fig2 shows the parameters 1 - t1 / t2 ( curve a ) and t2 / t1 - 1 ( curve b ) as a function of the number of passes calculated from the recorded signals as shown in fig1 . the respective parameters have here been calculated as mean values over two periods . the result shows a parameter value increase which in principle corresponds to the compaction degree increase with an increasing number of passes completed . certain combinations of roller parameters produce oscillation sequences like those in fig3 which may be due to the drum performing double jumps or entering a state of rocking oscillation . in the latter case this effect can be eliminated for the most part by recording the acceleration of both sides of the drum simultaneously and carrying out the analysis on the mean value of the two signals ; i . e . the movement of the center point of the drum is analysed . in these cases it is under all circumstances important to calculate the parameter in question as the mean value of two periods or a multiple of two periods . normally , the parameter is calcuated as a mean value of a large number of periods in order to reduce the risk of random variations . a device which calculates and presents the result according to the invention can be arranged in several different ways . two different main versions may be distinguished , one which is based solely on analogue signal processing and one in which the actual calculation of the relevant parameter takes place digitally . fig4 shows in block diagram form the configuration of a device according to this latter version . an electrical signal which describes the movement of the drum is generated in transducer ( 1 ), which may suitably consist of an accelerometer mounted vertically on the vibrating part of the compaction tool . in certain cases it may be advantageous for two transducers to be averaged in such a manner that a signal corresponding to the vertical movement of the centre of gravity of the vibrating portion is generated . disturbing low - frequency and high - frequency oscillations are filtered out in block ( 2 ). low - frequency oscillations arise by the compaction tool travelling over an uneven surface , for example , or by the frame of the tool entering a state of oscillation . high - frequency disturbances arise as a result of reasonance in the structure and bearing play . block ( 3 ) detects passages through the zero point in the signal . this block also contains a device which blocks the zero detector for a length of time corresponding to half the shortest period that can occur . this is to avoid spurious zero detection occurring on account of superposed high - frequency disturbances remaining after ( 2 ). two outgoing signals which control two gates ( 5 ) and ( 6 ) go out from ( 3 ). gate ( 5 ) is open and allows pulses from the clock ( 4 ) to pass through when the signal from ( 2 ) is above the zero level and gate ( 6 ) lets through clock pulses when the signal level is below zero . the pulses from the gates are counted for a definite period of time and stored in two registers ( 10 ) and ( 11 ). after the predetermined time the contents of the registers are transferred to a digital divider section , following which the registers are reset to zero and begin to count pulses afresh . the predetermined time for forming the mean value can be generated by the transducer signal so that it comprises a definite multiple of the periodicity of the main oscillation , which can be implemented with a counter ( 7 ) or , alternatively , the average time is determined by the clock via a counter ( 8 ) so that mean value formation takes place for a definite time asynchronously with the periodicity of the oscillations of the compaction tool . in the divider section the two digital values are divided by each other , following which the parameter value ( 1 - ratio ) is calculated in block ( 12 ). the digital parameter value is presented on a display and / or a printer (( 13 ) and ( 14 )). the digital parts of the device ( 15 ) can be constructed from standard ttl or cmos components but may to advantage consist of a microprocessor . so far it has been assumed that the output signal from a transducer which senses a part of the movement of the compaction tool at least after a certain signal processing comprises a distorted sinusoidal signal , in which the distortion is due to the rigidity , etc of the foundation . theoretically , other transducers are conceivable which generate a sinusoidal signal superposed on a constant or nearly constant signal . in theory at least , such a signal could in electrical form always be of the same polarity but of varying amplitude . theoretically , it is also conceivable that a superposed signal arises on account of the compaction tool moving up or down an incline . in such cases the passages through the zero point of the signal , to the extent that they occur , naturally do not constitute a good point of departure for measuring the degree of compaction . according to the invention , however , the same technique can be applied as in the case of the distorted sinusoidal signal if times when the submovement signal coincides with a reference value or when it rises above or falls below a reference value are sensed or detected instead of the passages through the zero point of the signal . the requirement here is that the reference value comprises the arithmetical mean value of the sub - movement signal calculated or obtained over suitable length of time . one method of ensuring that such a reference value coincides with zero is of course high - pass filtration of the sub - movement signal . the pass - band of the high - pass filter should then allow signals with a considerably lower frequency than the fundamental frequency of the vibration to pass through , and preferably also signals with a frequency which is a fraction of the fundamental frequency of the vibration . on the other hand , zero frequency and direct current components , i . e . chiefly stationary components of the sub - movement signal , should be filtered out effectively . the simplest version of a procedure or a device according to the invention is based on the quantity 1 minus the relationship between the magnitudees of two consecutive time intervals . the transducer should preferably be oriented so that the polarity of the signal will be as in the example in fig1 . the ratios t1 / t2 and t3 / t4 will then be less than one if t1 and t3 are defined as times during which the signal level is above zero and a certain reference value respectively and t2 and t3 are defined as times during which the signal level is below the said level . in certain connections it is preferable to measure several time intervals and form subquantities as above . the quantity used as a measure of the degree of compaction is then formed as an arithmetical and / or geometrical mean value of the subquantities . alternatively , all time intervals during which the signal is above zero or a reference value and the corresponding time interval during which the signal is below the said value can first be summed individually for a definite period of time or a definite number of cycles , following which the desired quantity is calculated as 1 minus the ratio between the two sums . a more complicated version of the invention than those so far described is based on also measuring and utilizing the relative amplitudes of the acceleration motion as well . the relative amplitudes of the acceleration motion are understood in this connection to be the size relationship h between the maximum amplitudes of the motion , or deviations from the mean value in the event that the mean value is not zero over an entire period , during the time interval between consecutive passages through the zero point and times when the momentary value coincides with the mean value respectively in the said cases . in fig1 the absolute amplitudes a1 and a2 during the time intervals t1 and t2 respectively are shown . according to the invention , although the absolute values a1 and a2 in the accelerometer signal are measured , it is the relative magnitude h = a1 / a2 which is of significance for the degree of compaction . several different functions of h and the relative magnitude of time intervals t1 and t2 are conceivable as an output quantity and measure of the degree of compaction achieved , for example ## equ1 ## other powers of h and t1 / t2 besides 1 are also conceivable . shown in fig2 as an example is the quantity ( h · t2 - t1 )/ t1 as curve c . one version of an alternative version is described below . the movement of the drum is sensed and filtered by means of a transducer 16 and a filter 17 as in fig5 in the manner described with reference to the version as in fig4 . passage of the signal through the zero point or other reference level is detected by a threshold detector 18 . the maximum value of the signal between two passages through the signal zero point is determined in a peak value detector 19 which is reset every time the signal passes the reference level which is detected by the threshold detector 18 . the maximum value is converted into a digital value by analogue - to - digital converter 20 . in a corresponding manner the minimum value of the signal between two passages of the reference level is sensed in block 21 . the minimum value is converted by the analogue - to - digital converter 22 into a digital value . detected passages through the reference level in the form of pulses from 18 reset the maximum value detector 19 and the minimum value detector 21 to zero . the pulses from threshold detector 18 and the digital values from the converters 20 and 21 are connected to a processor 23 . the value of the output quantity in question is calculated in processor 23 , after which the value is presented on display unit 24 . it is easy for the expert to construct a device or carry out a procedure according to the invention with commercially available discrete components and integrated circuits . from manuals , data sheets and other information supplied by manufacturers and / or sellers of electronic components such as texas instruments , fairchild , motorola , etc it is evident which components can be used , such as threshold detectors , comparators , counters , dividers , multipliers , filters , amplifiers , clocks , etc . it is also evident which modifications and additions are needed to adapt the components to different frequency ranges . from information supplied by manufacturers and / or sellers of vibrating compaction tools such as vibratory rollers the data which the expert needs in order to apply the invention when compacting with them will be evident . from the aforementioned patents it is evident how transducers for sensing the movement of the compaction tool can be mounted . from these , examples of usable transducers are also evident as well as how more than one transducer can be used simultaneously in order to reduce the effect of certain disturbances . it is therefore probably unnecessary to specify components and circuits in detail . | 4 |
an exemplary embodiment of the bed - bike in accordance with the present invention will now be described in conjunction with the attached figures . the described embodiment is intended to be merely illustrative of various features in accordance with the present invention , and not limiting to the described example . in fact , after reading the following description , it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art ( s ) how to implement the following invention in alternative embodiments . [ 0019 ] fig1 and 2 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the bed - bike in operation , in accordance with the present invention . as shown in fig1 in a first mode of operation , as used , for example with an adjustable bed or other support 1 , a user 2 , such as a bed - ridden patient , performs leg exercises ( e . g ., leg pedaling ) using the device 3 positioned and adjusted for leg exercise use . in a second mode of operation , as shown in fig2 a user 2 on a flat bed or other support 20 performs arm exercises ( e . g ., arm pedaling ) using the device 3 positioned and adjusted for arm use . in one embodiment , both the leg and the arm pedaling devices may be simultaneously installed and used , as described further below with reference to fig5 - 7 . as described further below , the exemplary embodiments shown in fig1 and 2 include the following components / portions : an anchoring base unit ; a top - side unit ; a foot - pedal unit ; and a hand - pedal unit . [ 0021 ] fig3 and 4 show close up profile and perspective views , respectively , of an example anchoring base unit portion of a bed - bike , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig3 the anchoring base unit 30 includes a frame portion 31 , such as a rectangular hollow steel frame , that is positioned beneath and is stabilized ( e . g ., by friction and / or pinning ) at , for example , the foot end of a bed mattress or other user support ( e . g ., mat , table , or like platforms ) 20 . as further shown in fig3 and 4 , the base unit 30 also includes attachment sections 32 , perpendicularly oriented longitudinally a to plane b of the frame portion 31 , as shown in fig3 which , when used , for example , with a mattress 20 , abut an end 21 of the mattress 20 . the attachment sections 32 also serve as a connectors for a connecting top - side unit , further described below , with regard to fig5 and 6 and accompanying text . [ 0023 ] fig5 and 6 present close up profile and perspective views , respectively , of an example top - side unit portion of a bed - bike , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig5 the top - side unit 50 includes frame components , such as rectangular hollow steel portions . in one embodiment , a support section 51 of the unit 50 is designed to rest on the surface of a mattress or other user support 20 . connecting sections 52 , perpendicularly oriented c longitudinally relative to the plane d of the support section 51 , as shown in fig5 are attachable to the attachment sections 32 of the anchoring base unit 20 . these sections 52 , 32 may be connected in a variety of ways known in the art . for example , each of the sections may be constructed of rectangular hollow steel portions , with one section ( e . g ., 52 ) being shaped and / or sized such as to be insertable as a male portion into a corresponding female portion of the other section ( e . g ., 32 ). the sections may also optionally be lockably connected , as is know in the art , such as by pins , frictional fitting , or other locking mechanisms and / or techniques . as also shown in fig5 and 6 , a mounted housing 54 , perpendicularly extending relative to the planar direction of the support section 51 , is centered on the frame 50 with one or more pedal extension receiving features 55 , 56 such as tubular sockets for receivably seating foot - pedal and hand pedal shafts , as known in the art and as described further below with regard to fig7 and accompanying text . in one embodiment , both a foot pedal and an arm pedal are usable simultaneously via , for example , use of a foot pedal unit , as described further below with regard to fig7 inserted into a first pedal receiving feature 55 , and use of an arm pedal unit , as described further below with regard to fig7 inserted in a second pedal receiving feature 56 . [ 0026 ] fig7 is a diagram of an example foot - pedal or hand - pedal unit , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig7 a foot - pedal or hand - pedal unit 70 is attachable to or via a pedal extension receiving feature 55 , 56 , as shown in greater detail in fig5 and 6 . in one embodiment , the unit 70 includes one or more shaft portions 71 , 72 . for example , in one embodiment , a first shaft portion 71 , such as a hollow steel shaft , is fittably and slidably receivable ( or otherwise receivable , as is known in the art ) into a socket pedal receiving feature 55 , 56 . to provide for adjustment of the length of the shaft , in this embodiment , a second shaft portion 72 is telescopingly slidably receivable in the first portion 71 ( or receivable vice versa ), and optionally lockable at a preferred position , such as via use of pins or other locking features known in the art . attached to the one or more shaft portions 71 , 72 at an end opposite the end of the shaft portions 71 , 72 attached to the pedal receiving feature 55 , 56 is a rotatable or otherwise reciprocating pedal portion 75 for allowing pedaling motion by a user . as is known in the art , the pedal portion may optionally include features , such an adjustable frictional contact device contacting the central pedal shaft , to allow variable resistance to be provided to pedaling . use of a longer shaft or shafts 71 , 72 or adjustment of the shafts 71 , 72 to lengthened positions allow use by the user &# 39 ; s arms , as shown in fig2 while use a shorter shaft or shafts 71 , 72 or adjustment of the shafts 71 , 72 to shortened positions allow use by the user &# 39 ; s legs , as shown in fig1 . while various embodiments of the present invention have been described above , it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example , and not limitation . it will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art ( s ) that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . thus , the present invention should not be limited by any of the above - described exemplary embodiments , but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents . further , the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the u . s . patent and trademark office and the public generally , and especially the scientists , engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology , to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application . the abstract is not intended to be limiting as to the scope of the present invention in any way . | 0 |
hereinafter , the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings . in the present invention , the material of bristles of a toothbrush is a polyester , for example , polybutylene terephthalate ( pbt ), polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ), polytrimethylene terephthalate ( ptt ) and polypropylene terephthalate ( ppt ). such polyester bristles have superior water resistance ability and durability , compared with nylon bristles . however , if polyester bristles are not tapered , the bristles are not suitable as toothbrush bristles due to the excessively high stiffness . in a grinding process of the present invention , bristles , which are set in a toothbrush , are cut to desired lengths and are partially tapered using a finishing m / c . here , the bristles are partially tapered such that the thickness of the end points ranges from 0 . 06 to 0 . 12 mm , preferably , from 0 . 08 to 0 . 10 mm . furthermore , the bristles are partially tapered such that the length of the tapered portions ranges from 0 . 5 to 2 . 2 mm , and preferably from 1 . 0 to 2 . 0 mm . such a partial tapering process is completed by rubbing bristles with a mesh paper 220 times or more or by grinding bristles using a drum grinder for 10 to 15 seconds . thereafter , when the partially tapered bristles are immersed in an acid or alkali chemical , the bristles are formed in the same shape as that obtained when immersing a bundle of bristles in a chemical , but the bristles are not formed in a bottle shape as in fig1 . furthermore , the thickness of end points of the bristles becomes relatively even . here , in the case of bristles which are previously treated by the grinding process , the immersion time of bristles in a chemical is reduced by 30 % or more , compared with bristles which are not treated . furthermore , it is preferable that the bristles be tapered such that the thickness of the end points ranges from 0 . 01 to 0 . 03 mm and the length of the tapered portions ranges from 4 to 9 mm . the method of the present invention is suitable for the manufacture of an anchorless toothbrush , but may be applied to a toothbrush having anchors . however , to apply the method to the toothbrush having anchors , the material of the anchors is changed to a material having superior chemical resistance . as several examples of material having superior chemical resistance , there are nickel , gold - plated brass and plastic . the method of the present invention can be applied to a toothbrush having bristles which are set in a mountain shape , which is shown in fig3 , making it hard for bristles to be tapered using conventional techniques . in the present invention , bristles are partially tapered by a grinder and , thereafter , end portions of the bristles are immersed in a chemical in the same manner as that of conventional arts . here , preferably , the bristles are immersed such that ends of short bristles are also immersed in a chemical . in the case of the bristles produced through the above - mentioned steps , the lengths of tapered portions of the bristles differ from each other , but the thicknesses of the end points are relatively even . furthermore , the method of the present invention may be applied to a toothbrush having one - sided needle - shaped bristles . a one - sided needle - shaped bristle is a bristle which has one end tapered and the other end not tapered , and is set in a toothbrush body after being folded in half . typically , the one - sided needle - shaped bristle is set in the toothbrush body such that the tapered end is longer than the not tapered end by 2 - 4 mm ( see , fig4 ). the toothbrush having such one - sided needle - shaped bristles has the advantage of having both penetration ability and cleaning ability . however , in the case of the toothbrush having one - sided needle - shaped bristles , because the portions of bristles , which are not tapered , may injure the gums of a user , it is preferable that the portions of bristles , which are not tapered , be briefly immersed in a chemical before being set in the toothbrush so that ends of the bristles are rounded . in the present invention , normal bristles , which are not tapered , may be set in a toothbrush body such that a height difference of 2 - 4 mm exists between a longer part and a shorter part of each bristle . thereafter , longer parts and shorter parts of the bristles are partially tapered using a grinder . subsequently , if ends of the longer parts of the bristles are immersed in a chemical , the longer parts are completely tapered while the ends of the shorter parts are rounded . as such , in the present invention , the toothbrush can be manufactured through a simple process . furthermore , in the present invention , normal bristles having end points different in thickness may be combined together . in this case , bristles having end points different in thickness , which are combined together , are set in a toothbrush body and , thereafter , they are tapered . then , the bristles having end points different in thickness and tapered portions different in length are combined together in the toothbrush . in the present invention , the term ‘ after a bristle setting process ’ means both ‘ after bristles are set in a toothbrush body ’ and ‘ after bristles are set in a head insert ( see , fig5 )’. in the case that bristles are set in the head insert , because the head insert is smaller than a toothbrush body , the efficiency of a process of immersing the bristles in a chemical is increased . bristles , which have end points of 0 . 19 mm in thickness and are made of pbt , are set in a mold mounted to a bristle setting injection molding machine ( model name : aft cnc ) which was produced by boucherie company of belgium . thereafter , portions of the bristles protruding into a cavity of the mold are thermally welded , and resin is injected into the cavity of the mold , thus manufacturing a toothbrush such that the bristles are integrated with a toothbrush body . subsequently , the bristles of the manufactured toothbrush are cut using a finishing machine to a desired height . thereafter , the bristles are partially tapered by a drum grinder having protrusions such that the bristles have end points of 0 . 08 mm in thickness and tapered portions of 1 . 5 mm in length . the manufactured toothbrush is fastened to a holding jig and , thereafter , the bristles are immersed for 16 minutes into a reaction flask in which 40 % sodium hydroxide solution is maintained at 120 ° c . subsequently , the bristles are washed in water , neutralized and dried , thus completing the tapering process . as a result , the thicknesses of the end points of the bristles of the toothbrush range from 0 . 01 to 0 . 02 mm . the lengths of the tapered portions of the bristles range from 5 to 8 mm ( see , fig6 ). before a tapering process of the first example , bristles are cut such that the set bristles form the mountain shape shown in fig3 . these bristles of the toothbrush are tapered through the same process as that of the first example . as a result , the thicknesses of the end points of the bristles of the toothbrush range from 0 . 01 to 0 . 05 mm . the lengths of the tapered portions of the bristles range from 4 to 8 mm . bristles , which have end points of 0 . 19 mm in thickness and are made of pbt , are set in setting holes after being folded in half . at this time , twenty - six bristles are set in each setting hole such that a height difference of 3 - 4 mm exists between a longer part and a shorter part of each bristle . after the bristle setting process , the bristles are tapered such that the longer parts and the shorter parts of the bristles have end points of 0 . 08 mm in thickness and tapered portions of 1 . 5 mm in length . thereafter , the bristles are tapered such that the longer parts of the bristles are lightly immersed in a chemical for 15 minutes . as a result , the thicknesses of the end points of the longer parts of the bristles range from 0 . 01 to 0 . 02 mm . the lengths of the tapered portions of the longer parts range from 4 to 7 mm . the thickness of the end points of the shorter parts of the bristles is maintained at 0 . 08 mm . normal bristles ( which are not tapered ), which have end points 0 . 203 mm thick and are made of pbt , are partially tapered using a grinder before being set in a head insert using a bristle setting machine which has a line grinder and was produced by boucherie company described in the first example . thereafter , the bristles are thermally welded to the head insert . after the head insert , to which the bristles are welded , is fastened to a holding jig , the bristles are immersed for 15 minutes in a reaction flask in which 35 % sodium hydroxide solution is maintained at 125 ° c . subsequently , the bristles are washed in water , neutralized and dried , thus completing the tapering process . thereafter , the head insert having the tapered bristles is seated into a head insert seat of a toothbrush body and is then bonded to the toothbrush body using ultrasonic waves , thus a toothbrush is obtained . as a result , the thicknesses of the end points of the bristles of the toothbrush range from 0 . 01 to 0 . 02 mm . the lengths of the tapered portions of the bristles range from 5 to 8 mm . normal bristles , which have end points 0 . 18 mm thick and are made of pbt , are set in a circular head part of an electric toothbrush such that the heights of the bristles range from 6 to 10 mm . thereafter , the bristles , set in the circular head part , are partially tapered using a grinder in the same manner as that of the first example . the thicknesses of the end points of the partially tapered bristles range from 0 . 08 to 0 . 1 mm . the lengths of the tapered portions are 1 . 5 mm . the head part , in which the partially tapered bristles are set , is fastened to a holding jig , and the bristles are immersed for 15 minutes in a reaction flask in which 40 % sodium hydroxide solution is maintained at 110 ° c . subsequently , the bristles are washed in water , neutralized and dried , thus completing the tapering process . the circular head part having the tapered bristles is coupled to a handle part of the electric toothbrush . furthermore , the thicknesses of the end points of the bristles range from 0 . 03 to 0 . 05 mm . the lengths of the tapered portions of the bristles range from 3 to 4 mm . three kinds of bristles , which have end points of 0 . 152 mm , 0 . 178 mm and 0 . 203 mm in thickness and are made of pbt and polyester elastomer mixed at a weight ratio of 7 : 3 , are set in a head insert , which is made of plastic . here , the bristles having end points 0 . 152 mm thick are set in a central portion of the head insert . the bristles having end points 0 . 178 mm thick are set in an intermediate portion of the head part . the bristles having end points 0 . 203 mm thick are set in an edge portion of the head insert . thereafter , the bristles , set in the head insert , are partially tapered using a grinder in the same manner as that of the first example . as a result , bristles having end points from 0 . 07 to 0 . 09 mm thick , bristles having end points from 0 . 09 to 0 . 1 mm thick , and bristles having end points from 1 . 2 to 1 . 4 mm thick are combined together . the lengths of the tapered portions of the bristles range from 1 . 5 to 2 mm . thereafter , the head insert having the partially tapered bristles is fastened to a holding jig , and the bristles are immersed for 17 minutes in a reaction flask in which 35 % sodium hydroxide solution is maintained at 115 ° c . subsequently , the bristles are washed in water , neutralized and dried . as a result , a toothbrush , in which bristles having various end points 0 . 01 to 0 . 04 mm thick and tapered portions of 3 to 6 mm in length are set , is obtained . | 0 |
the present invention is a simple device designed to utilize the basic mechanical characteristics of an inclined plane to lift a lift - tab lever on a typical lift - tab - type beverage container and move the same in an intended manner to open the container . as shown in fig1 the illustrated preferred embodiment is presented as a manual version of the present invention . in this embodiment , the invention comprises a puck shaped body portion 2 preferably having a single continuous hemispherical spiral inclined plane channel 4 formed in the body portion 2 and , rising from an opening b thereof to an apex region m of a hemispherical internal cavity a . the channel 4 is defined by a minimum radius r 1 , and a maximum radius r 2 . the difference in the radii constitutes the depth of the actuating hemispherical spiral inclined plane surface 6 and the non - actuating hemispherical spiral inclined plane surface 6 b . the depth of the actuating hemispherical inclined plane surface 6 is configured and dimensioned to sufficiently maintain and permit sliding engagement with a lift - tab lever . the block material between successive spirals of the channel 4 may be a complementary hemispherical spiral web 10 having a projecting surface 10 a adjacent to the hemispherical spiral inclined plane surfaces 6 and 6 b , defined by the minimum radius r 1 . the effective bottom of the channel 4 at its termination at the apex region aa is preferably an area 8 where the web 10 is removed to the level of the maximum radius r 2 and to a width w 2 that may be slightly wider than the width of a conventional lift - tab lever . a concentric groove 12 is provided to slidingly accommodate a circular crimped edge located on top of a beverage container to align the body portion 2 and to locate planar surface 16 in close apposition with the top surface of a beverage container . the entry of the channel 4 , and in particular the actuating hemispherical spiral inclined plane surface 6 , progresses to a thin section 14 at the planar surface 16 and is configured and dimensioned to enhance the capture of the lift - tab lever of a beverage container . the non - actuating hemispherical spiral inclined plane surface 6 b eventually merges into the planar surface 16 at which point they converge 6 a . the body portion 2 may be constructed from any suitable material , including plastic , metal , glass , ceramic or any suitable combination thereof . [ 0030 ] fig2 depicts the successive spirals of the hemispherical web 10 . the successive spirals are defined by the minimum radius r 1 from its origin at the entry 14 of the channel 4 to its termination near the apex region aa of the hemispherical internal cavity a , and the convergence 6 a of the non - actuating hemispherical spiral inclined plane surface 6 b of the channel 4 and the planar surface 16 . the circular nature of the groove 12 preferably aligns and slidingly engages a circular crimped edge of a top of a beverage container . as illustrated in fig3 the single continuous hemispherical spiral inclined plane channel 4 may be constructed in a mirror image fashion , and therefore may dictate a direction of rotation r for the operation of the invention . [ 0032 ] fig4 is a cross section view of the invention showing the angular relationship a 1 at centerline cl 2 of the single continuous hemispherical spiral inclined planar channel 4 , at an arbitrary point along its progression , and the plane surface 16 . the range of the angle a 1 of the single continuous hemispherical spiral inclined plane channel 4 , varies from approximately zero degrees at its convergence , as exemplified in fig1 and 2 , with the planar surface 16 , to approximately 90 degrees at its termination at the apex region m . the angle a 1 progressively increases from approximately 0 to 90 degrees as a function of the position , in whole turns , t of the body portion 2 . the relationship between angle a 1 and the number of turns t constitutes the rate of incline of the continuous hemispherical spiral inclined plane channel 4 per unit of turns of the body portion 2 , and therefore describes the number of turns of the body portion 2 required to lift a lift - tab lever to operate the invention . this relationship can be expressed as : a 1 = angle of the continuous hemispherical spiral inclined plane groove as the value of ri increases , the number of turns t of the body portion 2 required to effect the complete operation of the invention decreases . conversely , as the value of ri decreases , the number of turns t of the body portion 2 required to effect the complete operation increases . in the embodiment shown , the value of ri is approximately 25 , or 3½ turns . ri can vary according to application or operational preference . the width w 1 of the single continuous hemispherical spiral inclined plane channel 4 is sufficiently larger than the effective thickness of a lift - tab lever to permit the lift - tab lever to slide freely at any location along the single continuous hemispherical spiral inclined plane channel 4 . the centerline cl 1 of the body portion 2 at the intersection of the plane surface 16 constitutes the origins of the minimum radius r 1 , and a maximum radius r 2 . [ 0040 ] fig5 illustrates a preferred mode of operation of the present invention and shows the body portion 2 applied to a typical lift - tab container 32 as it begins to affect the opening of the same . the concentric groove 12 of the invention is aligned and slidingly engaged with the circular crimped edge 18 of the top of the beverage container 32 . rotation of the body portion 2 , shown by the arrow r , allows the engagement of the actuating hemispherical spiral inclined plane surface 6 of the single continuous hemispherical spiral inclined plane channel 4 with the longer portion of the lift - tab lever 20 . as the rotation of the body portion 2 begins , the lift - tab lever 20 engages and slides along the actuating hemispherical spiral inclined plane surface 6 and is forced upward in the direction of the arrow u . this in turn forces the shorter portion of the lift - tab lever 26 downward in the direction of the arrow d by virtue of the rivet 22 , a component of the common integrated lift - tab lever mechanism , which acts as a fulcrum . the shorter portion of the lift - tab lever 26 is in contact with area 28 of the plane surface of the beverage container 24 . when sufficient downward force is applied by the shorter portion of the lift - tab lever 26 , the area 28 ruptures as intended at point 30 , thereby initiating the opening of the container . as the rotation of the invention 2 proceeds , the complete opening of the container 32 is accomplished by the continued upward movement u of the lift - tab lever 20 , as shown as 20 a , 20 b , 20 c , which produces a corresponding downward movement d of the shorter portion of the lift - tab lever 26 a , 26 b , 26 c and also areas 28 a , 28 b , 28 c , as shown . because of the gently rising angle of the actuating hemispherical spiral inclined plane surface 6 , and the inherent friction of both the attachment of the rivet 22 and the contact of the shorter portion of the lift - tab lever 26 with the pre - scribed area 28 , the lift - tab lever 20 does not rotate with respect to the container 32 and thereby moves only in a hemispherical arc as intended . once the lift - tab lever 20 reaches the end of the single continuous hemispherical spiral inclined plane channel 4 at its termination at the apex region aa of the hemispherical internal cavity a , created where the web 10 is removed , acts to limit any further upward movement u , or constraint of the lift - tab lever 20 , and any further rotation of the body portion 2 is of no consequence . it should be pointed out that counter - rotation of the body portion 2 results in urging the lift - tab lever 20 downwardly towards the plane surface 24 of the beverage container due to the non - actuating hemispherical spiral inclined plane surface 6 b . furthermore , it should be noted that due to the configuration of the apex region aa of the hemispherical internal cavity a , the invention has an inherent fail - safe design that prevents distortion of the lift - tab 20 if the body portion 2 is persistently rotated beyond its operating range and contains effervescent eruptions . as shown in fig6 and 7 , alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown each having a modification to the construction of the single continuous hemispherical spiral inclined plane channel 4 . in the embodiment of fig6 the radius r 1 , progressively increases towards the apex region aa . alternatively , in the embodiment as shown in fig7 both r 1 and r 2 are configured and dimensioned so as not to define a hemispherical arc as they rise from the plane surface 16 to the apex region aa , thereby progressively reducing the contact of a lift - tab lever 20 on the actuating hemispherical spiral inclined plane surface 6 until there is no longer any engagement of the channel 4 and the lift - tab lever . [ 0045 ] fig8 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention having an electromechanical configuration applied to the container 32 . a housing 34 with an alignment skirt sk encloses a motor 36 with a drive gear 38 that engages one or more planetary gears 40 , which in turn engage an integrated ring gear g in the body portion 2 . the motor is energized by a battery 42 when the switch 44 is closed by upward movement of the body portion 2 when it is applied to the container 32 , and affects an opening of the container 32 as described earlier . the retaining clip 46 contains the body portion 2 in the housing 34 . [ 0046 ] fig9 shows a manual - mechanical preferred embodiment of the present invention applied to the container 32 . a housing 48 preferably includes an alignment skirt sk and a plurality of internal helical grooves 50 that engage a complimentary plurality of pins 52 mounted in the body portion 2 . upon application of a downward force d on the housing 48 , the body portion 2 moves in rotating movement in a relatively upwardly direction relative to the housing 48 , and is guided by the engagement with the helical grooves 50 thereby causing an opening to form along the top surface of the container 32 . a spring 54 returns the body portion 2 to a ready state when the downward force on the housing 48 is removed . it will be understood that the above described embodiments of the invention are illustrative in nature , and that modifications thereof may occur to those skilled in the art . accordingly , this invention is not to be regarded as limited to the embodiments disclosed herein , but is to be limited only as defined in the appended claims . | 1 |
in fig1 and 2 is seen an embodiment of a retroreflector of the present invention such being designated herein in its entirety by the numeral 20 . retroreflector assembly 21 is seen to comprise a reflector 21 and a backer assembly 22 , the reflector 21 and the backer assembly 22 each being formed of a single piece of molded plastic . reflector 21 is preferably comprised of a substantially completely transparent resin , such as an acrylic resin , a polycarbonate resin , or the like . the backer assembly 22 is preferably formed of an opaque plastic , such as an abs resin , a nylon resin , a polyester resin , or the like . backer assembly 22 is provided with an upturned outer flange 23 around the perimeter of the outer edges thereof , and reflector 21 is provided with an inturn flange 24 around its outer perimeter . the relationship between reflector 21 and backer assembly 22 is such that flange 24 is received within the flange 23 and the terminal portions of flange 24 abut against the inside face of the backer assembly 22 . the terminal end portions of the flange 24 are sealingly engaged with adjacent portions of the backer assembly 22 so as to provide , in effect , a moisture proof compartment 26 between the reflector 21 and the backer assembly 22 so as to protect the back face 27 of reflector 21 from contamination by atmospheric and environmental materials . back face 27 has formed therein a plurality of cube corner type retroreflective units , which , in the embodiment shown , are of a type and character as illustrated in fig3 through 7 . the back face 27 is in spaced generally parallel ( grossly ) relationship to a front face 29 of reflector 21 . front face 29 has a generally smooth , flattened central region , as shown in fig1 and 2 , and assembly 20 is provided with a ridge 31 which is integral with the outer edge of front face 29 which serves to rigidify and strengthen the reflector 21 ; such a ridge 31 is an optional feature for a reflector of this invention . in general , reflectors 21 of this invention may be associated with any particular type of backer assembly and can have any particular type of configuration and any particular type of cube corner retroreflective units defined in a back face thereof so long as such units have a character as defined and set forth in the present invention . referring to fig3 it is seen that the back or rear face 27 has defined therein a plurality of rows here numbered for convenience consecutively as rows 32 through 37 for illustration purposes , and each such row 32 through 37 is comprised of a plurality of adjacent cube corner retroreflective units 28 , the units 28 in row 32 being numbered specifically herein for convenience and discussion purposes as units 28a , 28b , 28c , and 28d . the retroreflective units 28 comprising each row 32 through 37 are substantially identical to each other . thus , in an individual row 32 , each cube corner retroreflective unit 28a , 28b , 28c and 28d is defined by three flat faces 29 , 40 and 41 which are arranged circumferentially about an optical axis 42 associated with each unit 28 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig3 through 7 , each optical axis 42 extends perpendicularly to the face 29 of reflector 21 , and hence in fig3 show only as points . as can be seen by reference to fig3 through 7 , each of the faces 29 , 40 and 41 is inclined at a similar angle 43 relative to optical axis 42 . also , the faces or facets 39 , 40 and 42 join at an apex point 44 which is along and coincident with the optical axis 42 . in each unit 28 , the relationship between facets 39 , 40 and 41 and their associated optical axis 42 is generally such that , in a molded reflector 21 , a ray of incident light striking one of the faces 26 , 27 and 28 after first striking the front face 29 , then passing through the body of reflector 21 , and striking one of the three such faces 39 , 40 , and 41 within a predetermined range of angles relative to the optical axis 42 , is deflected successively against the other two of such faces and then is substantially retroreflected away from the unit 28 and out through the front face 29 of reflector 21 . the reflective units 28 comprising each row such as row 32 through 37 have substantially parallel respective optical axes 42 and has substantially coplanar respective apex points 44 . in any given reflector such as reflector 21 , the apex points , such as points 44 , of one row , such as row 32 , are generally positioned so as to be substantially coplanar with the apex points of the other rows comprising the row plurality employed in any given such reflector . in each row , such as row 32 , the individual reflective units , such as units 28a , 28b , 28c , and 28d , are so arranged that a common edge such as edge 46a , 46b , and 46c exists between each adjacent pair of such reflective units , such as pairs 28a and 28b , pairs 28b and 28c , and pairs 28c and 28d , respectively . preferably each unit 28 in reflector 21 is hexagonally shaped , as shown . preferably in each row , such as row 32 , each unit 28 is so oriented that a pair of opposed corners 47 and 48 as in unit 28a coincide with the spaced parallel sides , such as sides 50 and 51 of row 32 . in each row , such as row 32 , the individual reflective units , such as units 28a , 28b , 28c and 28d , are so arranged that spaces between side edge portions of the respective such units in each such row , and the side edge portions of each row , such as side edges 50 and 51 of row 32 , are occupied by fractions of cube corner type unit faces . characteristically such face fractions comprise either one half faces , such as faces 52 in row 32 , or one quarter faces , such as faces 53 in row 32 , when each unit 28 is hexagonal in perimeter configuration . as between adjacent rows , such as rows 32 and 33 , it is preferred to have an alignment between such fractions of reflective unit faces , and also such an orientation between such faces , that some retroreflection results of the cube corner type , as illustrated , in , for example , fig3 through 7 , especially fig3 by the combination of half faces 52 with quarter faces 54 ( the former being associated with row 32 , the latter being associated with row 33 ). since the respective faces involved are not of equal size , such as is achieved in an individual unit 28 , the amount of retroreflection achieved therefrom inherently is reduced compared to that achieved from a unit 28 , as those skilled in the art will appreciate . typically , as in the embodiment illustrated in fig3 through 7 , the combination of quarter faces and half faces does not result in a true retroreflective unit of the character as employed in , for example , units 28 because , as illustrated in fig4 and 5 , ledges 56 and 57 exist between adjacent rows , such as rows 36 and 37 in this illustration . turning to fig8 through 12 , there is seen an illustration of the rear or back face 61 of an alternative embodiment of a cube corner retroreflector of this invention , such assembly for present illustrative purposes being considered to be similar in front and side face characteristics to those of reflector 21 , but , as those skilled in the art will appreciate , any desired configuration of such a reflector embodiment may be utilized incorporating a back face comparable to back face 61 as herein illustrated and described . back face 61 is seen to be defined by a plurality of rows which are numbered for convenience as rows 62 through 67 in , for example , fig8 . each of such rows 62 through 68 is comprised of a plurality of cube corner retroreflective units 70 . each such row , such as rows 62 , is defined by a pair of spaced parallel sides 71 and 72 . the retroreflective units , such as specific units 70a , 70b , 70c and 70d comprising each row , such as row 62 , are substantially identical to each other . each unit 70 in an individual such row 62 - 68 is defined by three flat faces 71 , 72 , and 73 which are arranged circumferentially about an optical axis 74 extending therethrough . the three faces 71 , 72 and 73 are inclined at a similar angle relative to optical axis 74 . also , the three faces 71 , 72 and 73 meet at an apex point 75 along such optical axis 74 . the interrelationship between the three faces 71 , 72 and 73 and their associated optical axis 74 is such that a ray of incident light striking the front face ( not shown ) of a reflector using back face 61 , passing through the reflector body , reaching the back face 61 and striking one of such three faces 72 , 73 , and 74 within a predetermined range of angles relative to the optical axis 74 is deflected successively against the other two of such faces and then is substantially retroreflected away from such unit and out through the front face portion thereof . the retroreflective units 70 comprising each row , such as row 62 , have substantially parallel respective optical axes 74 , and all retroreflective units in back face 61 have substantially coplanar respective apex points 75 . the units 70 differ from the units 28 in that the respective optical axes 74 of the units 70 are inclined at an angle with respect to the plane defining the apex points 75 in comparison to the perpendicular orientation of optical axes 42 to the plane defining the apex points 44 . as those skilled in the art will appreciate , units 28 result in a type of cube corner retroreflection termed &# 34 ; standard &# 34 ; in this art , and , typically , an incident ray of light striking against the front face 29 of reflector 21 up to an angle of about 30 ° on each side of optical axis 42 is retroreflected . when the optical axis of a cube corner retroreflective unit is angled , such as the optical axis 74 of unit 70 , retroreflectivity approaching 90 ° with respect to the plane of apex points may be achieved , depending upon the angle of inclination of the optical axis 74 and other factors having to do with the design criteria of an individual reflector , as those skilled in the art will appreciate . when a reflector has retroreflective capability at angles up to about 50 ° or even more with respect to a normal to such plane of apex points , such reflector is termed a wide angle reflector in this art . back face 61 represents , for present illustrative purposes , a reflector having wide angle retroreflective capability . in back face 61 , each unit , such as 70a , terminates in adjacent relationship to the adjoining unit , such as unit 70b , so as to have a side 77 coincident with each of the respective units 70a and 70b . each unit 70 has a pair of opposed face corners , such as corners 78 and 79 in unit 70a terminating at the perimeter of the associated unit , here unit 70a , and also coinciding substantially with a different one of the row sides 81 and 82 , for example , of row 62 . cube corner type reflectors of the present invention involving angled , particularly wide angle , cube corner type retroreflective units display an upturned facet region 83 of illustrative unit 70x . because such a spike - like projection in region 83 can cause plastic material hang - ups during mold operations utilized in the formation of reflectors of the present invention , it is preferred in the present invention to remove such a spike like projection from the mold surface and to produce thereby during molding such a region 83 . region 83 , is thus a small flat surfaced region 84 , as shown in unit 70a , for example , which region 83 , though itself not part of a cube corner unit , is so small as not to seriously impair the retroreflective efficiency of an entire back face 61 . region 83 permits the passage of light normally therethrough which is advantageous when a back face 61 is being used in a vehicular tail light or the like . techniques for the manufacture of mold assemblies suitable for use in the manufacture of reflectors of the present invention are disclosed and described in my copending application filed on even date herewith as above referenced . in the practice of the present invention , it is preferred to utilize in reflectors of this invention wide angle retroreflective units in rows as herein detailed for the primary reason that , in a given row , such as in row 62 , one side thereof , such as side 82 of row 62 , can be readily prepared so as to have incorporated thereinto no quarter faces , half faces or other fractional faces as a unit , such as unit 70 , and such an elimination of face fractions is achieved with very little loss in retroreflective efficiency of an individual wide angle retroreflective cube corner unit , such as a unit 70 . the opposed side of a row , such as side 81 of row 62 does have inherently incorporated thereinto fractional faces , such as the approximately quarter faces 86 in the row 62 . by comparison , as can be seen by reference to back face 27 of reflector 21 as shown in fig3 through 7 , a so - called standard row of units 28 of this invention inherently has fractional facets on each opposed side thereof . a back face , such as back face 61 , represents a preferred wide angle configuration of cube corner units for use in the practice of the present invention for the reason that such an arrangement permits one to accomplish within a single region of wide angle retroreflectivity of the cube corner type both a left hand and a right hand pattern of wide angle retroreflectivity which is not possible and not achievable in the prior art using a single electroform body . thus , in back face 61 , all of the optical axes of units 70 in a row , such as row 62 , are inclined in one direction relative to the plane of apex points 75 , whereas all of the optical axes of the units 70 in the adjacent row 63 are inclined in an opposite direction , but at an equal number of degrees , relative to the plane of apex points 75 . the type of row arrangement employed in back face 61 produces a symmetrical left hand and right hand combined pattern of retroreflection . by varying the structure and the type of bodies employed into such a back face 61 , one may produce non - symmetrical left hand and right hand patterns of angled retroreflectivity using cube corner type retroreflective units . thus , one may incorporate into a given back face adjoining rows such as shown in fig2 wherein the respective individual unit members comprising a given row such as 86 and 87 have respective optical axes 88 and 89 which are not complimentary or opposed to an equal extent relative to one another . wide angle cube corner reflectors of this invention can be fabricated wherein all of the rows of wide angle elements are inclined to give retroreflection in a given angle relative to a vertical instead of being symmetrical with respect to a vertical as shown , for example , in fig8 through 12 . two different fields of angled , retroreflected light in a single given direction can be utilized if desired . a particularly advantageous embodiment of the present invention is illustrated by back face 91 shown in fig1 through 19 . in back face 91 two different types of rows are employed . thus , rows 92 , 93 , and 94 may be considered to be identical in character and structure to the rows 32 through 37 in back face 27 earlier discussed while rows 96 , 97 , 98 and 99 may be considered to be identical in form and structure to , for example , rows 62 , 63 , 64 and 65 , respectively , of back face 61 . the respective rows 92 , 93 and 94 , and 96 , 97 , 98 and 99 are interdigitated so that each three adjacent rows provides a full prechosen desired field of cube corner type retroflectivity proceeding from a left to a right hand direction transversely with respect to the direction in which the rows are arranged by using a plurality of rows interdigited generally in the manner previously indicated a total region of retroreflectivity can be obtained of size as desired to which two or three different types of retroreflective units are incorporated or more as desired and yet such units are not arranged into discrete groups as taught in the prior art . | 6 |
an embodiment of a scanner device as an image reading device of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig3 through fig1 . first , the configuration of the scanner device will now be described with reference to fig3 , fig4 ( a ), fig4 ( b ) and fig5 ( a ) through fig5 ( d ). fig3 shows perspective views of a scanner 10 and a scanner guide 20 constituting he scanner device of the present embodiment . fig4 ( a ) and fig4 ( b ) are a plane view and a side view of the scanner guide 20 , respectively . fig5 ( a ), fig5 ( b ), fig5 ( c ) and fig5 ( d ) are a plan view , a front view , a bottom view and a side view of the scanner 10 , respectively . as shown in fig3 fig5 ( b ) and fig5 ( d ), the scanner 10 is in a substantially cylindrical form . the numeral 11 designates an image reading window which is formed to be continuous on the bottom and front surfaces as shown in fig5 ( b ) and fig5 ( c ). therefore , when an image is read at the bottom surface , the user can check the image being read by looking down at it through the image reading window 11 . the numeral 12 designates a read button which is held down by a user to perform a reading operation while image information is being read . the numerals 13 and 14 designate rollers for supporting the scanner 10 and for linearly moving the scanner 10 in the vertical scanning direction . the numerals 15 and 16 designate a slide groove and a stopper abutting portion , respectively , which will be described later . an image reading mechanism in the scanner 10 has the configuration as schematically shown in fig6 . a light emitting portion 31 constituted by , for example , an led is disposed in the image reading window 11 , and the light from the light emitting portion 31 is directed through the image reading window 11 at the bottom to a piece of paper p on which image reading is to be performed and , more particularly , to an image drawn on the piece of paper p . the light reflected therefrom is taken in through the image reading window 11 , reflected by mirrors 32 and 33 , and directed through a lens 34 to a light - receiving element 35 constituted by a ccd line sensor . image data obtained by the light - receiving element 35 are supplied to a signal processing circuit ( not shown ) to be converted into digital data which are output through a cable c to a predetermined apparatus . the scanner guide 20 is in the form of a substantially flat rectangle as shown in fig3 fig4 ( a ) and fig4 ( b ). the numeral 21 designates a guide frame which is disposed in a position corresponding to two sides of the rectangle . the numeral 21a designates a guide frame provided in parallel with the horizontal scanning direction of the scanner 10 , and 21b designates a guide frame provided in parallel with the vertical scanning direction of the scanner 10 . the guide frame 21a and the guide frame 21b are formed so that they connect with each other to be substantially l - shaped as shown in fig4 ( a ). the numeral 22 designates a transparent plate which is in the form of a flat plate and is mounted to the bottom of the guide frame 21 . as shown in fig4 ( b ), the transparent plate 22 is disposed between the guide frames 21a and 21b so that it is flush with the bottom surfaces of the guide frames 21a and 21b . markers 23 and 24 are provided on the guide frame 21 and the transparent plate 22 , respectively . the marker 23 serves as a mark indicating the range of the image which can be read as image data by the scanner 10 . the range of the image which can be read as image data is the range of the image as the quantity of data which can be stored by an image memory of an apparatus fetching the image data through the scanner 10 or the scanner itself , i . e ., the quantity of data as one image . the inner edge of the guide frame 21b constitutes a slide edge 25 , and the inner edge 21a of the guide frame 21a constitutes a stopper edge 26 . the slide edge 25 abuts the slide groove 15 of the scanner 10 , and the stopper edge 26 abuts the stopper abutting portion of the scanner 10 . an image reading operation performed by a scanner device constituted by the scanner 10 and scanner guide 20 as described above will now be described with reference to fig7 ( a ) through fig1 . an example will now be presented , wherein a paper p on which an illustration d as shown in fig7 ( a ) is drawn is prepared and the illustration d is read as image data . as shown in fig7 ( b ), the scanner guide 20 is placed on the paper p and is positioned so that the illustration d falls within a readable range indicated by the markers 24 provided on the transparent plate 22 . specifically , image information which is actually read by the scanner 10 is the image in the area indicated by the markers 24 in this state . this allows the user to clearly confirm the image to be read prior to the reading operation of the scanner 10 . in other words , a desired image can be set in an information reading range through setting of the position in which the scanner guide 20 is placed . when the position of the scanner guide 20 is set as shown in fig7 ( b ), and the scanner 10 is set on the scanner guide 20 as shown in fig8 ; the slide groove 15 of the scanner 10 abuts the slide edge 25 and the stopper edge 16 of the scanner 10 abuts the stopper edge 26 . with the scanner 10 thus set on the scanner guide , the guide frame 21 defines a read start position for the scanner 10 . in such a state , the user manually moves the scanner 10 in the vertical scanning direction as shown in fig9 with the read button 12 held down . the scanner is further moved as shown in fig1 . an operation to read image information in the horizontal scanning direction is performed by the light - receiving element 35 of the scanner 10 within the range in the vertical scanning direction indicated by the markers 24 , the operation being checked by the user through the reading window 11 . when the scanner 10 has been slid to the position shown in fig1 , the image reading operation of the scanner 10 is complete . at this point , image data which includes the illustration d on the draft p at the center of a screen has been fetched into an image memory of a predetermined apparatus to which the scanner 10 is connected . in the embodiment as described above , the scanner guide 20 is first placed on an image to be read , and the scanner 10 is moved on the scanner guide 20 to read the image through the transparent plate 22 . thus , the sliding operation of the scanner 10 can be always preferably performed regardless of the material of the object on which the image is drawn and the like . for example , a pattern , design or the like drawn on glass , stone , cloth or the like can be preferably read . further , since the transparent plate 22 tightly holds the object on which the image is drawn , image reading will not become troublesome even for an image drawn on a soft material such as cloth or a wet object . in addition , since an image is read through the transparent plate 22 , dust on the piece of paper to be read , if any , will not be brought into direct contact with the scanner 10 . this provides a function of protecting the scanner 10 . as previously mentioned , the user can have an idea about how the image will be read when the scanner guide 20 is placed on the image to be read . therefore , if the position setting is made in conformity with the idea , there will be no need for repeated reading operations using the scanner 10 to obtain the image that agrees with the idea . when the scanner 10 is slid , the position at which the sliding operation is started is defined by the guide frames 21a and 21b , and the sliding operation is guided by the guide frames 21a and 21b . this allows the sliding operation to be easily and accurately performed . as a result , there is no possibility that the image information is read in an oblique direction or along a skewed path . although the guide frame 21 is constituted by two edges in the present embodiment , it may be constituted by three or four edges . the range in which image can be read may be indicated in various manners other than the use of the above - described markers 23 and 24 . for example , the marker may be in the form of a frame indicating the image - readable range . alternatively , the image - readable range may be made distinguishable by making the transparent plate 22 transparent only at that range , with the portions surrounding it made semitransparent or opaque . the indication of the image - readable range such as the above - described marker 24 provided on the transparent plate 22 , are preferably of a color included within the spectrum of the beam of light emitted by the light emitting portion 31 of the scanner 10 or in a color which can not be detected by the scanner 10 . such a setting will prevent the markers 24 from being detected as image information even when the scanner 10 passes over the markers 24 . thus , the user can scan the scanner 10 without worrying about the markers 24 . for example , if the light from an led as the light emitting portion 31 is yellow , the marker 24 is provided in green or yellow . then , the marker 24 will not absorb the yellowish green light and reflects most of it . therefore , if the sensitivity of the scanner 10 is properly adjusted , marker 24 can not be distinguished by the scanner 10 from other colors , whitish colors in most cases . in other words , it can not be detected as an image . colors are categorized into self - luminous colors which emit light by themselves and object colors which transmit or reflect light to appear as colors . the marker 24 under discussion is in an object color . object colors are categorized into transparent colors which appear when light passes through certain objects and reflection colors which appear when light is reflected by the surfaces of certain objects . in the present invention , the color of the marker may be either a transparent or reflection color . when light passes through a transparent color , it allows spectral components of predetermined colors to pass therethrough and cuts off spectral components of other colors . for example , if a beam of light in white ( a beam of light including red , green and blue appears white .) is directed to an object of a green transparent color , spectral components of green pass therethrough while spectral components of red and blue are cut off . as a result , the light transmitted is green . in the case of reflected light , when light is reflected by the surface of an object , only spectral components of predetermined colors are reflected and spectral components of other colors are absorbed . therefore , when a beam of light in white is directed to an object of a green reflection color , spectral components of green are reflected while spectral components of red and blue are absorbed . as a result , the reflected light is green . fig1 ( a ) through fig1 ( f ) show spectra of blue , green , red , yellow , magenta , and cyan , respectively . as apparent from fig1 ( d ), the spectrum of yellow includes spectral components of green and red . as shown in fig1 ( e ), magenta includes spectral components of blue and red . cyan includes spectral components of blue and green . in terms of the actions of transparent and reflection colors as described above , since the yellow spectrum includes spectral components of green and red , green and red are transmitted or reflected but blue is cut off or absorbed . such characteristics are utilized in the present embodiment such that if the light output by the light emitting portion 31 is yellowish green , the marker 24 is provided in a transparent or reflection color of green or yellow . if the marker 24 is in a green or yellow transparent color , the scanner 10 can not detect the marker 24 because the yellowish green light passes through the transparent color . if the marker 24 is in a green or yellow reflection color , the yellowish green light is reflected and becomes indistinguishable from the white background of an image , i . e ., the marker 24 is determined to be the white background and can not be detected as an image . now a user does not need to worry about the marker 24 during operation and there is no possibility that the marker 24 is erroneously detected as an image . although the scanner device in the present embodiment is a combination of the scanner 10 and the scanner guide 20 , it goes without saying that the scanner 10 may be slid directly on a piece of paper or the like . while the scanner guide described is constituted by the guide frames and the transparent plate , the scanner guide may be constituted only by the guide frames . in this case , the scanner is slid on a piece of paper or the like in direct contact therewith . while the present invention has been shown and described with reference to the foregoing operational principles and preferred embodiment , and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims . | 7 |
referring now to fig1 there is shown a schematic representation of the operation of the apparatus of the present invention in its broadest embodiment . in this figure , the apparatus 10 is deployed ( fig1 a ) from an aircraft 12 with a parachute 14 to reduce the rate of fall . the device 10 generally comprising a shipping / deployment member 16 , has sufficient buoyancy to float ( fig1 b ) on the surface 18 of the body of water . soon after deployment into the water , the shipping / deployment member 16 &# 34 ; opens &# 34 ; ( fig1 c ) and the sensor package 20 is released therefrom . the sensor package 20 is provided with an anchor 22 attached by anchor line 24 which causes the sensor package to sink at a predetermined rate and which maintains the sensor package on the floor of the body of water for a period of time . upon the occurrence of a predetermined event , the anchor 22 is released ( fig1 d ) from the sensor package , which then floats to the surface 18 of the water . the sensor package 20 remains in a substantially vertical attitude at all times after deployment , and descends and ascends at a predetermined rate . the data acquired while the sensor package descends ( fig1 c ), ascends ( fig1 d ) or remains on the bottom or surface of the ocean is transmited to a satellite 26 ( fig1 e ) or other receiving station . the various components of the invention will be explained in greater detail in the sequence they were described above . initially , it should be appreciated that the anchor disclosed herein is merely a preferred embodiment , and that any means providing buoyancy regulation may be utilized . for example , the sensor package 20 may be provided with negative buoyancy , and therefore sink to the bottom upon deployment . an inflated balloon ( inflated from on - board compressed gasses ) may then provide the positive buoyancy necessary to ascend and float on the surface . the parachute 14 drag system retards the fall velocity of the device so as to limit the impact loading when it strikes the water . the parachute 14 is stored inside the shipping / deployment member 16 , explained in greater detail below . any conventional parachute design can be used , subject only to the space constraints imposed by storage within the shipping / deployment member . of course , when the apparatus is deployed from a ship rather than from an airplane , the parachute 14 will not be necessary , and the apparatus may be deployed directly into the body of water . as illustrated in fig2 the shipping / deployment member 16 is divided into a pair of mated halves 30 , 32 , which enclose the sensor package 20 therein . the halves 30 , 32 are preferably separated along a longitudinal axis of the apparatus , and hinged at one end . the annular space between the sensor package 20 and the shipping / deployment member 16 is filled with a shock - absorbing material 34 , as is one end 36 of the shipping / deployment member . the parachute 14 is retained within a cavity 38 at one end of the shipping / deployment member 16 . at an opposite end of the shipping / deployment member is the anchor 40 . the anchor 40 is affixed to the sensor package with an anchor line 44 . the sensor package 20 is deployed from the shipping / deployment member 16 as illustrated in fig1 c . the two halves 30 , 32 of the shipping / deployment member 16 are releasably retained in a &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; configuration with means which release upon contact with water . for example , water soluble tape 46 can be secured around the anchor end of the apparatus , so that when sufficiently wetted , it fails ( at 48 ), permitting the two halves 30 , 32 of the shipping / deployment member to separate from one another . the halves 30 , 32 may be forced apart by an anchor spring member 50 . the anchor spring 50 is &# 34 ; loaded &# 34 ; into the position of fig2 and retained with , e . g ., water soluble tape 46 . when the tape 46 fails , either the force of the spring 50 ( if present ) or the weight of the anchor 40 causes the two halves 30 , 32 of the shipping / deployment member to separate from one another . when the halves of the shipping / deployment member are separated from one another at the anchor end , the anchor 40 falls free , causing the anchor line 44 to be uncoiled . the anchor line 44 may preferably be about 10 feet in length . a preferred embodiment of an anchor 40 is illustrated in fig1 c . the weight may be on the order of 10 pounds . as illustrated in fig3 the shipping / deployment member may be provided with a &# 34 ; live &# 34 ; hinge 64 , permitting the halves 30 , 32 to separate in a &# 34 ; clamshell &# 34 ; arrangement . it is to be understood that any inexpensive and failure - proof hinge mechanism may be utilized . fig4 illustrates a cross - sectional view of the apparatus of fig2 . while not required , the shipping / deployment member 16 may be constructed with the halves 30 , 32 provided with ribs 66 for added structural strength and support . each end of the sensor package may be provided with end caps and protective fairings . for example , as illustrated in fig5 lower end cap 42 is provided with sensors encased in fairing 52 . the fairing 52 is provided with water inlet ports 68 to admit sea water 69 to the interior 70 of fairing 52 , thereby allowing water to flow through and out of the fairing 52 . a temperature and / or conductivity sensor 72 and a pressure transducer 74 transmit data to the sensor package ( described below ). optional sensors , such as an oxygen or optical sensor 76 can be included herein . the upper end of the sensor package is provided with a fairing 78 affixed to the upper end cap 79 ( fig6 ). as in the lower end , the end cap 79 may be advantageously made from machined titanium or other corrosion - resistant material , while the fairings may be constructed of plastic or ceramic materials . the fairing 78 is affixed to end cap 79 at seal member 80 . a releasable clip means 81 maintains the seal between fairing 78 and end cap 79 . sensors , such as temperature / conductivity sensor 82 and pressure sensor 83 are provided in the end cap 79 within the interior of fairing 78 . when manufactured , the interior of fairing 78 is filled with an inert fluid with a small compressible void space , such as for instance , distilled deionized water , through a plug 84 , which is inserted after the fairing is filled . a coiled , spring - like antenna 85 is affixed to the end cap 79 within fairing 78 . an electrically conductive wire 86 is interconnected to the on - board power source ( below ) and terminates within plug 84 . the wire 86 is soluble and is adapted to dissolve when sufficient voltage is applied thereto . alternatively , the entire plug 84 may be constructed so as to dissolve when voltage is applied thereto through the wire 86 . it should be appreciated by those skilled in this art that the particular sensor package , and the individual sensors , are not the point of novelty herein . rather , there are numerous commercially available sensors on the market which may be used herein , and this invention is limited to neither the sensor itself or its control mechanism . with that in mind , fig7 illustrates schematically the electronics of a representative sensor package of this invention . the various sensors 88 and the anchor release mechanism 90 ( described more fully below ) are interconnected to the analog section 92 of the electronic package . the analog section 92 is in turn interconnected to the controller 94 , which in a preferred embodiment is a microprocessor . the controller 94 controls sampling by the sensors , computes variables , and stores the data in memory for eventual transmission . lastly , the controller 94 actuates the transmitter 96 to send the stored data via antenna 85 to a satellite or other receiving station . an on board power source , such as lithium batteries 98 , powers the controller 94 and associated electronics , and provides electricity to wire 86 inside fairing 78 . after a period of deployment on the floor of the ocean , the anchor 22 is released , and the sensor package floats to the surface of the water . while any number of release mechanisms may be utilized to effect release of the anchor ( such mechanisms include explosive cutters , electromagnetic solenoid , hydrostatically activated detent , etc . ), applicants have found a particularly effective mechanism to comprise an anchor line having accelerated corrosion when an electric potential is applied to the anchor line . for example , as illustrated in fig5 a small portion 100 of anchor line 44 is exposed to the sea water within lower fairing 52 . when an electric potential from batteries 98 is applied to an interior portion of anchor line 110 , the electric current flows from exposed portion 100 to grounding electrode 112 , completing the circuit . the anchor wire 100 is made from any metal which is subject to accelerated corrosion under such conditions . it is anticipated that under most conditions , failure of the anchor line 100 will occur within about 5 minutes from the onset of continuous electric current being applied thereto . just prior to release of the anchor , the upper fairing 78 is ejected from the sensor package , thereby exposing the upper set of sensors 82 , 83 to ambient seawater conditions . prior to this time , only the lower set of sensors ( fig5 ) have been activated by exposure to seawater . it is believed advantageous to hold one set of sensors &# 34 ; in reserve &# 34 ; until deployment to the surface , since exposure to seawater tends to have a deleterious , corrosive effect on such sensitive instruments . therefore , at the time the anchor is released , electric current is also applied to the wire 86 , causing it to dissolve . the removal of the wire 86 from plug 84 results in a pinhole in plug 84 ( or , alternatively , dissolution of the plug itself ), admitting seawater ( under pressure ) inside fairing 78 . the equalization of pressure within fairing 78 , in combination with the loaded spring antenna 85 , ejects the fairing 78 from sensor package 16 . while a number of mechanisms may be utilized , applicants have found that the clip 81 ( applied when the apparatus is assembled to maintain pressure on seal 80 so that fluid is retained within fairing 78 ) may passively be removed by the compression of fairing 78 ( due to the hydrostatic pressure of seawater at great depths ) against seal 80 , thereby allowing fairing 78 to subsequently be removed by the inrush of seawater through plug 84 and the uncoiling of spring antenna 85 . during ascent , both the upper ( fig5 ) and lower ( fig6 ) sensor arrays will monitor water characteristics . likewise , while floating on the surface , both sensor arrays will collect and transmit data . applicants have identified a number of preset conditions which can be programmed into the controller to trigger anchor line failure . by way of example only , such conditions may be : ( a ) lapse of a predetermined period of time from deployment of the apparatus , ( b ) change in one or more predetermined hydrographic conditions ( such as temperature , conductivity , pressure , etc . ), ( c ) time passage to a particular date irrespective of date of deployment or ( d ) transient fluctuation in pressure or tilt of the shipping / deployment member . events such as those in ( b ) and ( d ) above may indicate significant environmental changes to which the apparatus should not be subjected . once the apparatus reaches the water surface , transmission of stored data can begin , either to a satellite or to other receiving units or stations . the controller can be programmed to initiate sensors at intervals during descent and ascent . these intervals can be activated by time interval sequence or by any other measurable variable , such as pressure ( depth ). the controller can likewise be programmed to activate the sensors on timed intervals while on the ocean floor or while on the surface , until failure of the batteries . the apparatus of the invention may be better understood with reference to the following example . an expendable oceanographic sensor was constructed and deployed during tests at the marine sciences laboratory of battelle pacific northwest laboratories in sequim , wash . an apparatus constructed in accordance with the figures herein ( and especially fig2 ) resulted in the following data : ______________________________________height of drop into water 15 feetshock load ( horizontal orientation ) & gt ; 50 g . shock load ( vertical orientation ) 5 - 25 g . water descent rate 5 . 5 ft / secwater ascent rate 4 . 6 ft / secanchor - mushroom type , 10 lbsshipping / deployment member 5 &# 39 ; length , 5 &# 34 ; i . d . weight 28 lbs______________________________________ ______________________________________ responsesensor range accuracy time______________________________________pressure 0 - 6000 dbar 0 . 5 % 10 msconductivity 10 - 70 ms / cm 0 . 02 ms / cm 20 mstemperature - 2 to 30 ° c . 0 . 02 ° c . 20 ms______________________________________service depth ( est ) 6000 mmax . deployment ( est ) 24 mo . data capacity 6000 scans of ctdcurrent demand standby - 200 μa transmit - 60 ma ( ave ) ctd on - 70 mamemory ram 128k std 1 megabyte optional______________________________________ while a preferred embodiment has been described herein , it should be appreciated that various changes in details , materials , steps and arrangement of parts can be made without departing from the invention disclosed herein . those skilled in the art should determine the scope of this invention only with reference to the appended claims . | 6 |
with references to fig1 and 2 , printing press 1 has printing units 1 . 1 through 1 . n , which are connected by a gear train 2 . the main or master motor 3 is connected to a first printing unit , while the second motor 4 is connected to another . master motor 3 is controlled by a control system having a speed summation node 5 , a closed loop speed control 6 , a closed loop current control 7 , and an output amplifier 8 . speed summation node 5 has a first input for accepting a reference speed signal n set on line 9 which is connected to a conventional speed control system which may be programmed as required in accordance with desired operation of the press 1 . the second input to the speed summation node 5 is a signal which represents the actual speed n actual on line 10 . this data are generated by tachometer 11 , which is coupled to the master motor 3 as known in the art . the output of speed summation node 5 , which is typically a difference voltage signal representing the deviation between the set and actual speeds , is directed to closed loop speed control element 6 , which may be an amplifier , and whose output is directed to current control 7 . the output of current control 7 , which is a current signal related to the difference between actual and set speed values , is passed through amplifier 8 to main motor 3 . accordingly , a closed loop control system is developed for the motor 3 . current control 7 includes a setting input 14 . this input allows variation of a second current output for the control 7 , which is used to control the second motor 4 . the setting input 14 allows the second output to be set in relation to the control current for the first motor . as shown , i 1 is the current to be applied to master motor 3 , while i 2 is the current to be applied to second motor 4 . the ratio of currents set by input 14 is typically related to the operational characteristics of the press system and the location of the motors therein , and is generally of the form i 2 / i 1 = number of printing units beyond the position of motor 2 / total number of printing units . once a ratio is set when the system is placed into service it normally is not readjusted . in a first embodiment , the second output of current control 7 is fed to a current limiter 12 , which may be adjustable through input 15 , which provides a maximum current limitation for the motor 4 . the output of the limiter is fed through amplifier 13 and then to the second drive motor 4 . preferably , the motor 4 is coupled to the printing press through an elastic - type drive or coupler 17 , such as an elastic pulley , which can absorb and moderate torque differences as applied by the motor 4 and as present in the press system through main motor 3 . in the embodiment of fig2 the second output of the current control 7 is coupled to the motor 4 through a lowpass filter 16 and the amplifier 13 . lowpass filter 16 may be of a known composition , containing operational amplifiers and the like , which eliminates high - frequency transients which may be developed in the main motor control loop . this has the further effect of smoothing torque changes to the second motor 4 . in operation , a difference between the adjusted reference speed n set and the present actual speed n actual generated at speed summation node n generates a signal for the speed control 6 . the output of the speed control 6 is used to control both the voltage as well as current and torque for both motors 3 and 4 . control of voltage and current are independent or &# 34 ; uncoupled &# 34 ; from each other allowing speed to be set separate and apart from torque consideration . voltage control is performed in the known manner and is not further shown . in addition , however , the output of speed control 6 is further controlled and proportioned by current control 7 whereby the necessary motor currents to maintain the proper motor torques at the chosen speed are outputted between its first and second outputs . typically , the currents are set in accordance with a current ratio as set by the control 14 . the master motor 3 operates with current i 1 , while the current i 2 is fed to second motor 4 . in the embodiment of fig1 the current fed to the second motor passes through to current limiter 12 , which prevents extreme currents , resulting perhaps from an improperly set control 14 , from reaching the second motor 4 . in addition , the current limiter prevents high current glitches or pulses from being passed to the motor . with the elimination of such pulses and glitches , additional or spurious vibrations are not generated by motor 4 ; the load in the coupling gear train is thus smooth and decreased . further disruptions which may occur as the torque is transferred to the printing press are avoided by coupling the motor 4 through the elastic component 17 , which similarly serves as a mechanical lowpass filter . the lowpass filter 16 in the embodiment of fig2 may further include integrating circuitry , as known in the art to further filter peaks and valleys in the secondary current . by smoothing the motor , &# 34 ; soft &# 34 ; control of motor current and thus torque is accomplished . by proper choice of the lowpass filter components , gradual motor current changes may be achieved at predefined speed ranges . such soft control allows for modulation of the current to the second motor 4 even if the actual reference current supplied by tachometer 11 is subject to variation by vibrations caused by operation of the press . such modulation helps insure a steady and stable run of the press drive . | 1 |
refer to fig1 - 5 and reference numbers 10 - 28 for an illustration of the preferred embodiment . as shown in fig1 the automatic pet feed device generally denoted as the numeral 8 , is a self contained modular unit . this device sequences every 12 hours under control of the timer / motor mechanism 22 , 23 as depicted in fig2 , and 4 . this modular feeding device 8 consists of a lid 10 with feed opening 11 , food tray 12 with a plurality of individual food compartments 15 separated by partitions 16 , and a base unit 19 . this lid 10 fits over the food tray 12 and snugly on the base unit 19 , and can be easily removed without the use of tools . the food tray 12 is generally in the shape of a truncated cone with a perimeter skirt 30 depending from the periphery of the base . the food compartments 15 are formed in the slanted wall 31 of the cone shaped food tray 12 , open to the slanted wall 31 , and equally spaced apart circumferentially of the cone shaped food tray 12 . the food compartments 15 depend from the slanted wall 31 and the bottom of the compartments are generally in the plane of the peripheral edge of the perimeter skirt 30 . the truncated top 14 of the food tray 12 includes means 13 for engaging a drive lug 17 operatively associated with the driven shaft 26 of the motor 22 . the drive lug engagement means 13 is shown best in fig2 and 3 as a downwardly open pocket having a rectangular peripheral shape located at the geometric center of the truncated top 14 of the food tray 12 . the drive lug 17 is also rectangular in peripheral shape and is sized to nest in registration within the pocket 13 with a slide fit . the food tray rests on top of the drive lug 17 which is attached to the motor driven shaft 26 and is held in place by set screw 18 . the base unit 19 consists of a central module support 21 having cylindrical side wall 32 , a closed top 21a integral with the cylindrical slide wall , and an open bottom 33 defining an enclosure for the timer / motor mechanism 22 , 23 . a circumferential flange 34 is integral with the side wall 32 and projects radially outwardly from the circumferential edge of the cylindrical side wall 33 defining the open bottom 33 of the central module support 21 . the closed top 21a further includes an annular bearing 35 concentric with the top 21a and raised above the top 21a . as shown , the annular bearing 35 is integrally formed with the closed top 21a . the food tray 12 rides on and is supported by the annular bearing 35 of the module support 21 . more particularly , the underside of the truncated top 14 of the food tray 12 rests on the annular bearing 15 . in addition , the vertical distance from the circumferential flange 34 of the base unit 19 to the bearing surface of the annular bearing 35 is greater than the vertical distance from the peripheral edge of the perimeter skirt 30 to the underside of the truncated to 14 of the food tray 12 so that the peripheral edge of the perimeter skirt 30 is spaced from the circumferential flange 34 of the base unit 19 . the top 21a of the base module 21 contains a hole at the center of the top 21a for receiving the motor shaft 26 and mounting holes for the timer / motor mounting bracket 29 . the food tray 12 is driven directly by the motor via the engagement of the drive lug 17 in the pocket 13 in the top 14 of the food tray 12 and requires no belts , pulleys , or gears for coupling purposes . the base unit 19 rests on support feet 20 formed in the circumferential flange 34 , providing support for the food tray unit . the drive lug 17 motor shaft arrangement provides a superior approach to powering the food tray since it is a direct drive method and requires no gears for speed reduction or belts that can slip with age or stretch in time . in addition , this method provides accuracy and repeatability so that a compartment pair is precisely under the lid opening at all times . the timer / motor mechanisms 22 , 23 are contained on a mounting bracket 29 which fits inside the central module support 21 of base unit 19 as shown in fig2 . a base closure 27 fits underneath the base unit 19 over the bottom opening 33 of the central module support 21 and includes an opening 28 for the power cord 24 . the base closure 27 is cemented to the bottom of the base unit 19 and thus seals the entire timer / motor mechanisms 22 , 23 inside the central module support 21 preventing access by the pet or pet owner . with reference to fig1 and 3 , the lid 10 is also in the shape of a truncated cone with a perimeter skirt 36 depending from the periphery of the base of the cone . the circumference of the skirt 36 of the lid 10 is larger than the circumference of the skirt 30 of the food tray 12 , and the slope of the slanted wall 37 of the lid 10 is essentially the same as the slope of the slanted wall 31 of the food tray 12 . the feed opening 11 is formed in the slanted wall 31 of the lid 10 and is sized and configured to expose two adjacent food compartments 15 . the lid 10 fits coaxially over the base unit 19 with the peripheral edge of the perimeter skirt 36 of the lid 10 registering with and supported on the circumferential flange 34 of the base unit 19 . the perimeter skirt 36 of the lid 10 circumferentially and concentrically overlaps the perimeter skirt 30 of the food tray 12 , and the slanted wall 37 of the lid 10 is generally parallel to and spaced a small distance from the slanted wall 31 of the food tray 12 . in addition , the truncated to of the lid 10 is spaced from and parallel to the truncated top 14 of the food tray 12 . as depicted in fig4 and 5 , the drive mechanism consists of two standard components ; an ac motor 22 and a pulsed timer unit 23 . fig5 shows the electrical schematic diagram of the control circuit . the ac drive motor turns at a rate of one rpm . the ac drive motor 22 is pulsed every twelve hours by the timer unit 23 . the timer unit 23 pulses on the ac drive motor for exactly ten seconds . the motor then turns exactly 60 degrees and stops . the ac motor output shaft 26 is coupled to the food tray via drive lug 17 . the timer 23 is powered by a standard household 110 vac source via a power cord 24 and provides ac power to the ac motor by closing an internal set of contracts and applying electrical energy via the pair of control wires 25 . the number of food and water compartments , and the timer / motor relationship thus eliminates the need for belts , pulleys , gear reduction to accomplish indexing . the preferred embodiment has been described and illustrated in detail herein . this invention may be modified , altered , or adapted by those skilled in the art either by increasing or decreasing the number of or volume of the food and water pairs , and the relationship to the timer / motor operation . however , those variations are to be understood to be within the scope and spirit of this invention and the following claims . | 0 |
unlike the aforementioned prior art systems that measure longitudinal or shear ultrasonic waves traveling along the length of a rope using probes or tappers in physical contact with the rope , the present invention relies on the generation and measurement of acoustic signals propagating transversely through the longitudinal axis of the rope and transversely around the perimeter of the rope using non - contact means . referring initially to fig1 a - 1 c , a non - contact acoustic signal propagation property evaluation system 10 according to the present invention monitors and evaluates a synthetic fiber rope 12 ( or cable ; only the term “ rope ” is used herein for simplicity ) moving along a longitudinal axis 14 . the system 10 includes a first transducer pair 16 operating in a through - transmission mode with radially - aligned transducers 18 , 20 positioned on opposite sides of the rope 12 . the system 10 further includes a combined signal generator and receiver unit 22 ( e . g ., an ultrasonic signal generator and receiver unit ) and a signal processing circuit 24 ( e . g ., an analog to digital converter ). the system 10 further includes a software application operating on a processor 26 ( e . g ., a personal computer ) to collect signal propagation property data . in some embodiments , the software application uses the data , in addition to other parameters , to evaluate the structural health of the rope 12 . suitable non - contact transducers include commercially available ultrasonic transducers . a preferred non - contact transducer has an active area of one inch by one inch , a 100 - 300 khz resonant frequency , a 200 khz nominal frequency , and is positioned a quarter inch from the rope 12 . an alternative preferred non - contact transducer has an active areas of four inches by two inches , a 50 khz resonant frequency , and is positioned four inches from the rope . a suitable signal generator , receiver , and converter includes a commercially available ultrasonic testing pci board mounted in a pc chassis with an ultrasonic toneburst pulser / receiver unit and high speed analog to digital converter . a preferred pulser / receiver unit has a 0 - 300 v peak to peak sinusoidal or square wave output , a 20 khz to 6 . 5 mhz pulse frequency , and a 0 - 15 pulse cycles capability . if additional signal strength is needed to overcome environmental noise or highly attenuative synthetic media , an amplifier can be used to increase the pulsing voltage to 1200 v . a preferred analog to digital converter has up to a 100 mhz sampling resolution . a suitable software application for collecting and extracting rope data includes the uterminal or utomography software package commercially available from fbs , inc . of state college , pa . other suitable software applications can be off the shelf data acquisition programs that can be configured to acquire and interpret ultrasonic data in accordance with known phenomena , such as found in “ ultrasonic waves in solid media ” 1999 by joseph l . rose , the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference . in the embodiments described in the previous paragraph , the software application running on the pc 26 triggers the pulser / receiver unit 22 to generate an electrical pulse which is transmitted to the first air - coupled transducer 18 . alternatively , a windowed sinusoid of a particular frequency may be used . the first transducer 18 converts the electrical excitation pulse into an acoustic energy wave , i . e ., ultrasonic pulse signal 28 , directed towards the rope 12 . the ultrasonic pulse signal 28 travels through an air gap 30 surrounding the rope 12 , reaches a near surface 32 and propagates into the rope 12 . a large acoustical impedance mismatch between the air gap 30 and the rope 12 causes a portion of the ultrasonic signal 28 to be reflected back from the rope 12 and another portion to travel around the rope 12 . signal losses are minimized by reducing the size of the air gap 30 , using focused transducers , matching the size of the transducer 18 with the width of the rope 12 , adjusting the signal frequency or amplitude of the pulse signal 28 , and using high resolution receiving hardware ( e . g ., hardware having a high sample rate , a high digitizing rate , etc .). the portion of the ultrasonic signal 28 that propagates into the rope 12 is further divided into various elastic waveforms including shear waves , not illustrated , travelling through the rope 12 along the axis 14 and surface waves , not illustrated , that travel circumferentially along the surface of the rope 12 . some of the energy traveling around the rope does not interact with the rope 12 and only travels through the air . all of these ultrasonic signals , the waves traveling through the rope , on the surface of the rope , or in the air around the rope , can be received by the receiving transducer 20 , recorded , and analyzed to aide in predicting the structural health of the rope 12 . of particular interest , however , is the pulse signal 28 that propagates through the rope 12 laterally , or transverse to the rope &# 39 ; s longitudinal axis 14 . upon reaching a far surface 34 of the rope 12 , the propagating pulse signal 28 continues through the air gap 24 and is received by the second , receiving air - coupled transducer 20 . the receiving transducer 20 is triggered to collect the ultrasonic signal 28 by the pulser / receiver unit 22 at a predetermined time interval or when the portion of the rope 12 of interest is at a particular position to allow for measurement . in a preferred embodiment , ninety - nine pulse signals 28 , occurring over one and a half seconds , are received over a given length of the rope 12 and spatially averaged together . the averaged analog signal is filtered and amplified by the pulser / receiver unit 22 and converted into a digital signal by the analog to digital converter 24 . the digital signal , representing the data point for one cycle , or , alternatively , one particular position , is collected and stored in memory of the pc 26 . the software application extracts information , including amplitude and arrival time , from each data point and can be plotted against a measure of the cycle life of the rope 12 . to extract the amplitude of each data point , a time - based window of the received radio frequency ( rf ) waveform is selected and the peak value of the signal is extracted . fig2 is an exemplary graph of the signal amplitude of each data point at one specific location of the rope plotted as a function of rope life percentage . to extract the arrival time of each data point , a time window in the rf waveform is first selected for evaluation . the peak of the signal in this window is then determined and followed back to the preceding “ zero crossing ”. the time corresponding to that zero crossing is extracted and plotted as a function of cycle number or position along the rope . fig3 is an exemplary graph of the arrival time of each data point plotted as a function of rope life percentage . other data point properties that may be further analyzed include the total received energy and signal frequency content . the above data can be used in variety of manners . in some embodiments , the software application measures changes in the signal propagation property data of the rope 12 to evaluate the structural health of the rope 12 . one key physical property of the rope 12 is the elastic modulus which is known to change over time in response to fiber fatigue . the amount of energy transmission and speed of the propagating pulse signal 28 is a factor of the density and modulus of the rope 12 . accordingly , the change in travel time of ultrasonic pulse signals over a range of frequencies can be used to determine the change in the modulus of the rope 12 . changes in the properties of the ultrasonic signals passing through and around the rope 12 over time can also be used to determine changes in the modulus , and thus the fatigue or wear of the rope 12 . alternatively , in the case where there is no previously collected data for a particular rope , the data can be compared to a known reference value to approximately determine the modulus , and thus the fatigue or wear of the rope 12 . two other parameters known to affect ultrasonic signal propagation properties are “ thinning ”, or diameter reduction , and the temperature of the rope . rope diameter reduction could cause changes in the ultrasonic wave arrival time and amplitude at the receiving transducer 20 . likewise , the modulus of the rope 12 is affected by the internal rope temperature , which could change the ultrasonic signal propagation properties . non - contact methods for measuring these variables include , but are not limited to , an infrared thermometer or an optical pyrometer for measuring temperatures and air - coupled transducers in pulse - echo mode to measure the diameter of the rope 12 . these and other physical parameters may be monitored , with these or other measurement techniques , and used to establish correction factors , if needed , for the received ultrasonic pulse signals . the software application may operate in a rope health mode whereby an initial reference data set acquired for the rope 12 prior to , or immediately after , being put in service is used as a reference data set . subsequent data sets are then compared to the reference data set . the health of the rope 12 is determined based on changes in the signal properties over time . the software may also operate in a non - destructive testing mode whereby the data sets are compared to predetermined threshold values to determine the health of the rope 12 . the threshold values are stored in a database and may be determined by scanning a set of rope samples under known conditions . furthermore , the software application may provide the ultrasonic signal propagation data as another parameter for the retirement criteria for a rope 12 in a particular application . that is , the ultrasonic signal propagation properties of a rope may be monitored , along with other parameters , such as , but not limited to , the tension the rope has been under , the number of cycles over a sheave , the time the rope has been in service , to determine when a rope should be taken out of service . in such a case , the software application may operate in one or both of the above modes , and the rope 12 is taken out of service and replaced based on a predetermined retirement criteria based on all the factors listed herein . pattern recognition routines may be employed by the software application to help analyze the received signals , evaluate ultrasonic signal propagation properties , and , in some cases , monitor the health of the rope . signal properties and features can be statistical or probabilistic in nature such as the skewness , kurtesis , or mean . properties can also be drawn from time and / or frequency domains and from other sources such as a hilbert transform , pulse duration , and / or rise or fall time . in addition , physical based properties derived from wave mechanics , e . g ., wave velocity or arrival time as a function of frequency or at a particular frequency , frequency shifting compared to reference data , attenuation as a function of frequency , and the like , could be evaluated by the routines . in cases in which the software application evaluates the structural health of the rope , the benefit of using pattern recognition routines depends on the selection of meaningful signal properties for monitoring . pattern recognition algorithms utilizing a linear discriminate approach , nearest neighbor rule , or measured neural net could be used . the system 10 described above may be modified without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , instead of using piezoelectric - based transducers , other non - contact transducers may be used , such as electromagnetic and laser - based acoustic transducers . as another example , the system 10 could be water - sealed and use water - coupled transducers ( e . g ., hydrophones ), particularly for underwater applications including subsea rope inspections and evaluations . further still , acoustic transducers can be designed to work in other types of mediums , e . g ., oil , and could also be considered depending on the application . an alternative transducer arrangement for the system 10 is shown in fig6 . as shown , additional transducer pairs 16 are provided and angularly spaced about the rope 12 to provide a “ ring ” arrangement . such an arrangement may provide enhanced single point or spatial averaging via pulsed array operation . another alternative transducer arrangement for the system 10 is shown in fig7 . as shown , additional transducer pairs 16 are provided and longitudinally spaced along the rope 12 . with such an arrangement , multiple data values may be obtained for a single point of the moving rope 12 and averaged together . in each of these alternative arrangements , each transducer pair 16 could operate at a different frequency . furthermore , these alternative arrangements could be combined to provide transducer rings at multiple longitudinal locations along the rope 12 . referring to fig8 a and 8 b , the above transducer arrangements may be used in connection with a support fixture 40 having a passageway 42 through which the rope extends . the support fixture 40 includes a plurality of elongated supports 44 ( e . g ., extruded aluminum bars ) that connect to angle bracket mounts 46 to support the transducers 18 , 20 . the transducers 18 , 20 may be supported by different elongated supports 44 . furthermore , each transducer pair may be angularly offset ( e . g ., by 120 degrees ) and longitudinally spaced from the other transducer pairs ( i . e ., positioned in different planes ). the support fixture 40 also includes end plates 48 ( e . g ., aluminum plates ) that mount the elongated supports 44 . two of the elongated supports 44 are preferably connected by hinges 50 that permit the fixture 40 to open , be placed around the rope , and connected to rope handling hardware ( not shown ). in each of the above embodiments the transducer pair 16 may be fixed in place while the rope 12 moves relative to the transducers 18 , 20 . this suitable for applications such as , but not limited to , cranes and winches , where the rope 12 moves during use . alternatively and in each of the above embodiments , the transducers 18 , 20 are fixed relative to each other and move relative to a stationary rope 12 . this suitable for applications such as , but not limited to , mooring , where the entire rope 12 is stationary . although the illustrated system 10 utilizes a through - transmission arrangement , other non - contact setups , such as a pulse / echo or shear wave arrangement , may be utilized . for example , a pulse / echo arrangement would allow for a reflection - coefficient evaluation method . in this case , a correlation between the amount of reflected ultrasonic waves and the integrity of the rope 12 could be developed and utilized . such a method may be preferred in applications with significant rope thinning or if fewer transducers are desired . several 0 . 75 ″ diameter high - modulus polyethylene ( hmpe ) fiber ropes were cycled at six cycles per minute at a load of 7 , 000 pounds using a setup substantially as illustrated in fig1 . the rope typically failed and broke after 3 , 800 cycles . all the data was collected at the same location in each of the ropes used for the experiments . fig2 and 4 shows the amplitude of the data points of two separate samples . the data shows a consistent and predictable pattern . fig3 and 5 shows the arrival time from the data points for the same ropes as used for fig2 and 4 , respectively . as with amplitude , arrival time changed in a consistent and predictable pattern . given that the plots are generated using thousands of data points , the patterns are statistically significant . from the above description , it should be apparent that the system according to the present invention uses non - contact ultrasonic transducers to measure the acoustic propagation properties through a synthetic rope . furthermore , the acoustic propagation properties change in a measurable way as the rope or cable wears . this data can be used in conjunction with other factors to adjust retirement criteria for synthetic fiber rope . the system can be deployed in an onboard environment , such as on a marine vessel or oil rig , to measure changes to the physical properties , such as modulus , of the ropes used thereon . in some embodiments , the system includes a waveform generator , a first transducer for generating ultrasonic signals , a second transducer for receiving longitudinal ultrasonic signals propagated transversely through the rope and around the perimeter of the rope , and a processor utilizing algorithms to evaluate the acoustic propagation properties of the rope . in some embodiments , the non - contact and real - time measurements obtained by the system enables high - speed and reliable rope integrity determinations not possible with conventional visual inspection and history - of - use methods . in some embodiments , the present invention provides a system that transmits , measures , and analyzes ultrasonic signals propagated transversely through the rope and around the perimeter of the rope . specific features of the ultrasonic signal may be monitored over time to detect flaws or measure changes in the physical properties of the rope to , among other things but not limited to , predict remaining service life . alternatively , specific features of the ultrasonic signal may be extracted and compared to a known reference value to detect flaws or estimate the current state of physical properties of the rope to , among other but not limited to , predict remaining service life . signal features that could be used include , but are not limited to , signal amplitude , total received energy , signal arrival time or rope wave velocity , and signal frequency content . the use of one feature , or combinations of several features , may also be used to evaluate the physical properties of synthetic rope . preferred embodiments of the invention has been described in considerable detail . although some attention was given to various alternatives within the scope of the invention , it is anticipated that one skilled in the art will likely realize alternatives that are now apparent from disclosure of embodiments of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention is not limited by the above disclosure . | 6 |
an embodiment of a forklift according to the present invention will be described below with reference to attached drawings . the forklift includes a lift cylinder for driving a folk that holds a load along with a flow control valve . fig2 is a schematic view showing the flow control valve of the present invention . as shown in fig2 , the flow control valve 1 includes a direction switching valve 2 , a check valve 3 and a pressure compensating valve 5 . the flow control valve 1 further includes a plurality of lines for guiding hydraulic oil to transmit oil pressure . the plurality of lines is composed of a pump pressure line 11 , a pump pressure line 12 , a load pressure line 13 , a compensating pressure line 14 and a drain line 15 . the pump pressure line 11 connects the direction switching line 2 to a pump not shown and guides hydraulic oil supplied by the pump . the pump pressure line 12 connects the direction switching valve 2 to the check valve 3 . the load pressure line 13 connects between the check valve 3 , the lift cylinder 4 and the pressure compensating valve 5 . the compensating pressure line 14 connects the pressure compensating valve 5 to the direction switching valve 2 . the drain line 15 connects the direction switching valve 2 to a tank 6 and the oil pressure of the drain line 15 is substantially zero ( 0 ). the check valve 3 prevents hydraulic oil from flowing from the load pressure line 13 to the pump pressure line 12 . that is , the check valve 3 connects the pump pressure line 12 to the load pressure line 13 when the oil pressure of the pump pressure line 12 is larger than that of the load pressure line 13 , and the check valve 3 does not connect the pump pressure line 12 to the load pressure line 13 when the oil pressure of the load pressure line 13 is larger than that of the pump pressure line 12 . the check valve 3 may be omitted from the flow control valve 1 . the lift cylinder 4 is an actuator for lifting and lowering the fork of the forklift according to the present invention . that is , the lift cylinder 4 lifts the fork of the forklift when hydraulic oil is supplied from the load pressure line 13 and lowers the fork of the forklift when hydraulic oil is discharged into the load pressure line 13 . at this time , the oil pressure of the load pressure line 13 varies depending on the weight of a load held by the fork of the forklift and becomes larger as the load is heavier . the pressure compensating valve 5 controls the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 14 so as to become a set pressure . that is , the pressure compensating valve 5 enlarges the opening area of a variable orifice between the load pressure line 13 and the compensating pressure line 14 when the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 14 is smaller than the set pressure , and narrows the opening area of the variable orifice when the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 14 is larger than the set pressure . the direction switching valve 2 includes a relief valve 21 , an inlet side line 22 and an outlet side line 23 . the relief valve 21 prevents the oil pressure of the inlet side line 22 from exceeding a set pressure by providing the set pressure . the set pressure of the relief valve 21 is larger than that of the pressure compensating valve 5 . that is , the relief valve 21 connects the line 22 to the outlet side line 23 when the oil pressure of the inlet side line 22 is larger than that of the set pressure , and does not connect the line 22 to the outlet side line 23 when the oil pressure of the inlet side line 22 is smaller than that of the set pressure . the direction switching valve 2 can occupy one of a neutral position , a meter - in position and a meter - out position . that is , operated by the user , the direction switching valve 2 is switched from the neutral position to the meter - in position , from the neutral position to the meter - out position , from the meter - in position to the neutral position and from the meter - out position to the neutral position . at the meter - in position , the direction switching valve 2 connects the pump pressure line 11 to the pump pressure line 12 , closes the compensating pressure line 14 and closes the drain line 15 . at the meter - out position , the direction switching valve 2 closes the pump pressure line 11 , closes the pump pressure line 12 and connects the compensating pressure line 14 to the drain line 15 . at the neutral position , the direction switching valve 2 closes the pump pressure line 11 , closes the pump pressure line 12 , connects the compensating pressure line 14 to the inlet side line 22 and connects the line 23 to the drain line 15 . that is , at the neutral position , the direction switching valve 2 performs control such that the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 14 does not exceed the set pressure set for the relief valve 21 . at the meter - out position , the direction switching valve 2 may connect the compensating pressure line 14 to the inlet line 22 and the line 23 to the drain line 15 . that is , at the meter - out position , the direction switching valve 2 may perform control such that the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 14 does not exceed the set pressure set for the relief valve 21 . the tank 6 stores hydraulic oil flowing through the drain line 15 therein . the hydraulic oil stored in the tank 6 is supplied to the pump pressure line 11 by a pump not shown . fig6 is a schematic perspective view showing the forklift with the flow control valve of the present invention . the forklift 7 includes the flow control valve 1 , the fork 8 and the lift cylinder 4 . the flow control valve 1 is included in a hydraulic circuit ( not shown ) mounted on the forklift 7 . the lift cylinder 4 is connected between the flow control valve 1 and the fork 8 . the fork 8 lifts and lowers a load . the lift cylinder 4 drives the folk 8 along with the flow control valve 1 . the fork 8 , for example , is composed of an outer mast 8 c , an inner mast 8 b and a fork body 8 . the inner mast 8 b is lifted up and down to the vertical direction guided by the outer mast 8 c . the fork body 8 a is lifted up and down supported by the inner mast 8 b in an integrated manner to the inner mast 8 b . the inner mast 8 b is driven to lift up and down by the lift cylinder 4 . fig3 is a cross sectional view showing the flow control valve main unit including the flow control valve 1 . the flow control valve main unit 30 includes a spool chamber 31 and a spool 32 which constitute the direction switching valve 2 . that is , the spool chamber 31 has a cylindrical sliding surface therein . the spool 32 is provided so as to internally touch the sliding surface of the spool chamber 31 and be slidably inserted thereinto in the direction parallel to a direction a . in the flow control valve main unit 30 , a pump pressure chamber 33 , a load pressure chamber 34 , a compensating pressure chamber 35 and a drain chamber 36 are provided in the spool chamber 31 . the pump pressure chamber 33 is connected to the pump pressure line 11 . the drain chamber 36 is connected to the drain line 15 . by sliding in the direction parallel to the direction a , the spool 32 is set at any of the neutral position , the meter - in position and the meter - out position . that is , the spool 32 is set at the meter - in position by moving from the neutral position in the direction a , and is set at the meter - out position by moving from the neutral position in the direction opposite to the direction a . the spool 32 is mechanically connected to a lever operated by the operator through a link mechanism and moves in the direction parallel to the direction a in proportion to an operation quantity of the lever . the spool 32 may be replaced with the other spool moved by the other moving mechanism . an electric hydraulic pilot mechanism is exemplified as the moving mechanism of the spool . the electric hydraulic pilot mechanism further includes a potentiometer and a solenoid valve . the potentiometer detects an operation quantity of the lever operated by the operator and outputs a current corresponding to the operation quantity to the solenoid valve directly or through a control device not shown . the solenoid valve applies a pressure to the hydraulic oil such that the hydraulic oil has a pilot pressure corresponding to the current . the spool 32 of the direction switching valve 2 is pressed by the hydraulic oil with the pilot pressure to be directly operated . the spool chamber 31 and the spool 32 include a variable orifice 38 and a variable orifice 37 . the variable orifice 37 closes connection between the pump pressure chamber 33 and the load pressure chamber 34 when the spool 32 is set at the neutral position or the meter - out position , and connects the pump pressure chamber 33 to the load pressure chamber 34 when the spool 32 is set at the meter - in position . when the spool 32 is set at the meter - in position , the orifice area of the variable orifice 37 becomes larger as the spool 32 moves toward the direction a . the variable orifice 38 closes connection between the compensating pressure chamber 35 and the drain chamber 36 when the spool 32 is set at the neutral position or the meter - in position , and connects the compensating pressure chamber 35 to the drain chamber 36 when the spool 32 is set at the meter - out position . when the spool 32 is set at the meter - out position , the orifice area of the variable orifice 38 becomes larger as the spool 32 moves toward the direction opposite to the direction a . the spool 32 includes a spool chamber 41 , a spool 42 and a spring 43 which constitutes the relief valve 21 . the spool chamber 41 has a cylindrical sliding surface . the spool 42 is provided so as to internally touch the sliding surface of the spool chamber 41 and be slidably inserted thereinto in the direction parallel to a direction a . the spring 43 presses the spool 42 in the direction opposite to the direction a . in the spool 32 , a pressure chamber 44 is provided between the spool 42 and the spool chamber 41 . the hydraulic oil of the pressure chamber 44 presses the spool 42 by its oil pressure in the direction a . that is , the spool 42 moves in the direction a when the oil pressure of the pressure chamber 44 is larger than the set pressure set by the spring 43 . the spool 32 further includes a hole 45 and a hole 46 . the hole 45 is connected to the pressure chamber 44 . the hole 45 is not connected to the compensating pressure chamber 35 when the spool 32 is set at the meter - in position and is connected to the compensating pressure 35 when the spool 32 is set at the neutral position or the meter - out position . the hole 46 is connected to the drain chamber 36 . the hole 46 is connected to the pressure chamber 44 when the spool 42 moves in the direction a , that is , when the oil pressure of the pressure chamber 44 is larger than the set pressure and is not connected to the pressure chamber 44 when the spool 42 does not move , that is , when the oil pressure of the pressure chamber 44 is smaller than the set pressure . the flow control valve main unit 30 further includes a spool chamber 52 , a spool 51 and a spring 53 which constitute the pressure compensating valve 5 . that is , the spool chamber 52 has a cylindrical sliding surface . the spool 51 is provided so as to internally touch the sliding surface of the spool chamber 52 and be slidably inserted thereinto in the direction parallel to a direction a . the spring 53 presses the spool 52 in the direction opposite to the direction a . in the flow control valve main unit 30 , the spool chamber 52 includes a load pressure chamber 54 , a compensating pressure chamber 55 and a pressure chamber 56 . the load pressure chamber 54 is connected to a load pressure line 13 . the compensating pressure chamber 55 is connected to the compensating pressure chamber 35 . a hole 57 is formed on the spool 51 . the hole 57 connects the compensating pressure chamber 55 to the pressure chamber 56 . the hydraulic oil of the pressure chamber 56 presses the spool 52 by its oil pressure toward the direction a . the spool chamber 52 and the spool 51 include a variable orifice 58 . the variable orifice 58 narrows or closes the opening area between the load pressure chamber 54 and the compensating pressure chamber 55 when the spool 52 moves toward the direction a and enlarges the opening area when the spool 52 moves toward the direction opposite to the direction a . operations of the flow control valve 1 include the meter - in operation , the neutral operation and the meter - out operation . the meter - in operation is the operation performed when the direction switching valve 2 is switched from the neutral position to the meter - in position by the user . the neutral operation is the operation performed when the direction switching valve 2 is switched from the meter - in position or the meter - out position to the neutral position by the user . the meter - out operation is the operation performed when the direction switching valve 2 is switched from the neutral position to the meter - out position by the user . in the meter - in operation , hydraulic oil is supplied from the pump pressure line 11 to the lift cylinder 4 through the direction switching valve 2 , the pump switching line 12 , the check valve 3 and the load pressure line 13 . the lift cylinder 4 lifts the fork when the hydraulic oil is supplied . in the neutral operation , since no hydraulic oil is supplied or discharged to the lift cylinder 4 , lifting and lowering of the fork is stopped . the load pressure varies according to the weight of the load held by the fork of the forklift and becomes larger as the load is heavier . the hydraulic oil of the load pressure line 13 is supplied to the compensating pressure line 14 through the pressure compensating valve 5 . the pressure compensating valve 5 prevents the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 14 from becoming the set pressure or more by closing connection between the load pressure line 13 and the compensating pressure line 14 when the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 14 is raised to the set pressure of the pressure compensating valve 5 . when the load pressure is larger than the set pressure , the pressure compensating valve 5 gradually leaks the hydraulic oil from the load pressure line 13 to the compensating pressure line 14 through a gap between the spool chamber 52 and the spool 51 with time even when connection between the load pressure line 13 and the compensating pressure line 14 is closed , and raises the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 14 . when the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 14 is raised to the set pressure of the relief valve 21 , the relief valve 21 connects the compensating pressure line 14 to the drain line 15 to flow the hydraulic oil of the compensating pressure line 14 to the drain line 15 and lowers the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 14 to the set pressure . in the meter - out operation , the hydraulic oil is discharged from the lift cylinder 4 to the drain line 15 through the load pressure line 13 , the pressure compensating valve 5 and the direction switching valve 2 . when the hydraulic oil is discharged , the lift cylinder 4 lowers the fork . at this time , the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 14 is controlled to be the set pressure through the pressure compensating valve 5 irrespective of the weight of the load held by the fork . for this reason , in the meter - out operation , irrespective of the weight of the load held by the fork , the flow control valve 1 can associate the flow of the hydraulic oil discharged from the lift cylinder 4 to the drain line 15 with the operation quantity of the direction switching valve 2 on one - to - one basis . in other words , the forklift according to the present invention can associate the lowering speed of the fork with the operation quantity of the direction switching valve 2 on one - to - one basis , thereby improving operability of the fork . in the case that the pressure of the compensating pressure line 14 is much higher than the set pressure , when the compensating pressure line 14 is connected to the drain line 15 , the hydraulic oil rapidly flows from the compensating pressure line 14 to the drain line 15 . the rapid flow generates shock or hunting in the operation of the lift cylinder 4 . the flow control valve 1 controls the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 14 in the neutral operation such that the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 14 may not exceed the set pressure of the relief valve 21 . thus , the flow control valve 1 can prevent the hydraulic oil from rapidly flowing from the compensating pressure line 14 to the drain line 15 when the direction switching valve 2 is switched from the neutral position to the meter - out position . therefore , the flow control valve 1 can prevent shock or hunting from occurring in the operation of the lift cylinder 4 . that is , the forklift according to the present invention can prevent shock or hunting in the fork from occurring when the fork is lowered . fig4 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of a flow control valve according to the present invention . the flow control valve 61 includes a direction switching valve 62 , a check valve 63 , a pressure compensating valve 65 , a direction switching valve 67 and a relief valve 68 . the flow control valve 61 further includes a plurality of lines for guiding hydraulic oil and transmitting oil pressure . the plurality of lines is composed of a pump pressure line 71 , a pump pressure line 72 , a load pressure line 73 , a compensating pressure line 74 , a drain line 75 , a compensating pressure line 77 and a drain line 78 . the pump pressure line 71 connects the direction switching valve 62 to a pump not shown and guides the hydraulic oil supplied by the pump . the pump pressure line 72 connects the direction switching valve 62 to the check valve 63 . the load pressure line 73 connects between the check valve 63 , the lift cylinder 64 and the pressure compensating valve 65 . the compensating pressure line 74 connects between the pressure compensating valve 65 , the direction switching valve 62 and the direction switching valve 67 . the compensating pressure line 77 connects the direction switching valve 67 to the relief valve 68 . the drain line 75 connects the direction switching valve 62 to the tank 66 . the oil pressure of the drain line 75 is substantially zero ( 0 ). the drain line 78 connects the relief valve 68 to the tank 66 . the oil pressure of the drain line 78 is substantially zero ( 0 ). the check valve 63 prevents the hydraulic oil from flowing from the load pressure line 73 to the pump pressure line 72 . that is , the check valve 63 connects the pump pressure line 72 to the load pressure line 73 when the oil pressure of the pump pressure line 72 is larger than that of the load pressure line 73 , and does not connect the pump pressure line 72 to the load pressure line 73 when the oil pressure of the load pressure line 73 is larger than that of the pump pressure line 72 . the lift cylinder 64 is an actuator for lifting and lowering the fork of the forklift according to the present invention . that is , the lift cylinder 64 lifts the fork of the forklift when hydraulic oil is supplied from the load pressure line 73 and lowers the fork of the forklift when hydraulic oil is discharged into the load pressure line 73 . at this time , the oil pressure of the load pressure line 73 varies depending on the weight of a load held by the fork of the forklift and becomes larger as the load is heavier . the pressure compensating valve 65 performs control such that the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 74 is a set pressure . that is , the pressure control valve 65 enlarges the opening area of a variable orifice between the load pressure line 73 and the compensating pressure line 74 when the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 74 is smaller than the set pressure , and narrows the opening area of the variable orifice when the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 74 is larger than the set pressure . the spool of the direction switching valve 62 can occupy one of the neutral position , the meter - in position and the meter - out position . that is , the direction switching valve 62 includes a potentiometer and a solenoid valve not shown . the potentiometer detects an operation quantity of the lever operated by the operator and outputs a current corresponding to the operation quantity to the solenoid valve directly or through a control device not shown . the solenoid valve applies a pressure such that the hydraulic oil has a pilot pressure corresponding to the current . the hydraulic oil is composed of two hydraulic oils . one is a hydraulic oil for pressing the spool of the direction switching valve 62 from right to left . the other is a hydraulic oil for pressing the spool of the direction switching valve 62 from left to right . the spool of the direction switching valve 62 is moved by being pressed by the hydraulic oil with the pilot pressure to be switched from the neutral position to the meter - in position and from the neutral position to the meter - out position . at the meter - in position , the direction switching valve 62 connects the pump pressure line 71 to the pump pressure line 72 , closes the compensating pressure line 74 and closes the drain line 75 . at the meter - out position , the direction switching valve 62 closes the pump pressure line 71 , closes the pump pressure line 72 and connects the compensating pressure line 74 to the drain line 75 . at the neutral position , the direction switching valve 62 closes the pump pressure line 71 , closes the pump pressure line 72 , closes the compensating pressure line 74 and closes the drain line 75 . the flow control valve 61 further includes a pilot pressure line 79 . the pilot pressure line 79 presses the spool of the direction switching valve 67 from left to right to transmit the pilot pressure of the hydraulic oil for moving the spool from the neutral position to the meter - in position to the direction switching valve 67 . the pilot pressure is raised when the spool of the direction switching valve 67 is moved from the neutral position to the meter - in position , and is not raised when the spool of the direction switching valve 67 is moved to the neutral position or the meter - out position . when the pilot pressure is raised , the spool of the direction switching valve 67 is pressed by the pilot pressure to close connection between the compensating pressure line 74 and the compensating pressure line 77 . when the pilot pressure is not raised , the spool of the direction switching valve 67 is pressed by the pilot pressure to connect the compensating pressure line 74 to the compensating pressure line 77 . that is , the direction switching valve 67 closes connection between the compensating pressure line 74 and the compensating pressure line 77 when the spool of the direction switching valve 67 is set at the meter - in position , and connects the compensating pressure line 74 to the compensating pressure line 77 when the spool of the direction switching valve 67 is set at the neutral position or the meter - out position . the relief valve 68 performs control such that the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 77 does not exceed the set pressure . the set pressure of the relief valve 68 is larger than the set pressure of the pressure compensating valve 65 . that is , the relief valve 68 connects the compensating pressure line 77 to the drain line 78 when the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 77 is larger than the set pressure , and does not connect the compensating pressure line 77 to the drain line 78 when the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 77 is smaller than the set pressure . the tank 66 stores hydraulic oil flowing through the drain line 75 and the drain line 78 therein . the hydraulic oil stored in the tank 66 is supplied to the pump pressure line 71 by a pump not shown . as shown in fig6 , the flow control valve 61 is mounted on the forklift 7 of the present invention . the forklift 7 includes the flow control valve 61 , the fork 8 and the lift cylinder 64 . the flow control valve 61 is included in a hydraulic circuit ( not shown ) mounted on the forklift 7 . the lift cylinder 64 is connected between the flow control valve 61 and the fork 8 . the fork 8 lifts and lowers a load . the lift cylinder 64 drives the folk 8 along with the flow control valve 61 . operations of the flow control valve 61 include the meter - in operation , the neutral operation and the meter - out operation . the meter - in operation is an operation performed when the direction switching valve 62 is switched from the neutral position to the meter - in position by means of the user &# 39 ; s operation . the neutral operation is an operation performed when the direction switching valve 62 is switched from the meter - in position or the meter - out position to the neutral position by means of the user &# 39 ; s operation . the meter - out operation is an operation performed when the direction switching valve 62 is switched from the neutral position to the meter - out position by means of the user &# 39 ; s operation . in the meter - in operation , the hydraulic oil supplied by the pump is supplied from the pump pressure line 71 to the lift cylinder 64 through the direction switching valve 62 , the pump pressure line 72 , the check valve 63 and the load pressure line 73 . when the hydraulic oil is supplied , the lift cylinder 64 lifts the fork . in the neutral operation , since no hydraulic oil is supplied or discharged between the lift cylinder 64 and the load pressure line 73 , lifting or lowering of the fork is stopped . the load pressure varies depending on a load held by the fork of the forklift and becomes larger as the load is heavier . the hydraulic oil of the load pressure line 73 is supplied to the compensating pressure line 74 through the pressure compensating valve 65 . the pressure compensating valve 65 closes connection between the load pressure line 73 and the compensating pressure line 74 , when the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 74 is raised to the set pressure of the pressure compensating valve 65 , thereby preventing the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 74 from exceeding the set pressure . the direction switching valve 67 connects the compensating pressure line 74 to the compensating pressure line 77 . when the load pressure is larger than the set pressure , the pressure compensating valve 65 gradually leaks the hydraulic oil from the load pressure line 73 to the compensating pressure line 74 through a gap between the spool chamber and the spool with time even when connection between the load pressure line 73 and the compensating pressure line 74 is closed , and raises the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 74 . when the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 77 is raised to the set pressure of the relief valve 68 , the relief valve 68 connects the compensating pressure line 77 to the drain line 78 to flow the hydraulic oil of the compensating pressure line 77 to the drain line 78 and lowers the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 77 to the set pressure . in the meter - out operation , the hydraulic oil is discharged from the lift cylinder 64 to the drain line 15 through the load pressure line 73 , the pressure compensating valve 65 , the compensating pressure line 74 and the direction switching valve 62 . when the hydraulic oil is discharged , the lift cylinder 64 lowers the fork . at this time , the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 74 is controlled by the pressure compensating valve 65 to be the set pressure irrespective of the weight of the load held by the fork . for this reason , in the meter - out operation , irrespective of the weight of the load held by the fork , the flow control valve 61 can associate the flow of the hydraulic oil discharged from the lift cylinder 64 to the drain line 75 with the operation quantity of the direction switching valve 62 on one - to - one basis . in other words , the forklift according to the present invention can associate the lowering speed of the fork with the operation quantity of the direction switching valve 62 on one - to - one basis , thereby improving operability of the fork . like the flow control valve 1 in the above - mentioned embodiment , the flow control valve 61 controls the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 74 in the neutral position is controlled so as to be smaller than the set pressure of the relief valve 68 . the flow control valve 61 has more complicated configuration than the flow control valve 1 in the above - mentioned embodiment since the direction switching valve 67 is provided . however , similarly to the flow control valve 1 in the above - mentioned embodiment , the flow control valve 61 can prevent shock or hunting from occurring in the operation of the lift cylinder 64 . that is , the relief valve 68 performs control such that the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 74 in the neutral position does not exceed the set pressure . the relief valve 68 can be installed inside or outside of the direction switching valve operated by the operator and thus no attention is paid to the installation position . fig5 is a schematic view showing still another embodiment of a flow control valve according to the present invention . the flow control valve 81 includes a direction switching valve 82 , a check valve 83 and a pressure compensating valve 85 . the flow control valve 81 further includes a plurality of lines for guiding hydraulic oil and transmitting oil pressure . the plurality of lines is composed of a pump pressure line 91 , a pump pressure line 92 , a load pressure line 93 , a compensating pressure line 94 and a drain line 95 . the pump pressure line 91 connects the direction switching valve 82 to a pump not shown and guides the hydraulic oil supplied by the pump . the pump pressure line 92 connects the direction switching valve 82 to the check valve 83 . the load pressure line 93 connects between the check valve 83 , the lift cylinder 84 and the pressure compensating valve 85 . the compensating pressure line 94 connects the pressure compensating valve 85 to the direction switching valve 82 . the drain line 95 connects the direction switching valve 82 to the tank 86 and the oil pressure of the drain line 95 is substantially zero ( 0 ). the check valve 83 prevents the hydraulic oil from flowing from the load pressure line 93 to the pump pressure line 92 . that is , the check valve 83 connects the pump pressure line 92 to the load pressure line 93 when the oil pressure of the pump pressure line 92 is larger than that of the load pressure line 93 , and does not connect the pump pressure line 92 to the load pressure line 93 when the oil pressure of the load pressure line 93 is larger than that of the pump pressure line 92 . the lift cylinder 84 is an actuator for lifting and lowering the fork of the forklift according to the present invention . that is , the lift cylinder 84 lifts the fork of the forklift when hydraulic oil is supplied from the load pressure line 93 and lowers the fork of the forklift when hydraulic oil is discharged into the load pressure line 93 . at this time , the oil pressure of the load pressure line 93 varies depending on the weight of a load held by the fork of the forklift and becomes larger as the load is heavier . the pressure compensating valve 85 performs control such that the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 94 is a set pressure . that is , the pressure control valve 85 enlarges the opening area of a variable orifice between the load pressure line 93 and the compensating pressure line 94 when the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 94 is smaller than the set pressure , and narrows the opening area of the variable orifice when the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 94 is larger than the set pressure . the direction switching valve 82 can occupy one of the neutral position , the meter - in position and the meter - out position . that is , the direction switching valve 82 is switched from the neutral position to the meter - in position , from the neutral position to the meter - out position , from the meter - in position to the neutral position and from the meter - out position to the neutral position by the user &# 39 ; s operation . at the meter - in position , the direction switching valve 82 connects the pump pressure line 91 to the pump pressure line 92 , closes the compensating pressure line 94 and closes the drain line 95 . at the meter - out position , the direction switching valve 82 closes the pump pressure line 91 , closes the pump pressure line 92 and connects the compensating pressure line 94 to the drain line 95 . at the neutral position , the direction switching valve 82 closes the pump pressure line 91 , closes the pump pressure line 92 , closes the compensating pressure line 94 and closes the drain line 95 . the tank 86 stores hydraulic oil flowing through the drain line 95 therein . the hydraulic oil stored in the tank 86 is supplied to the pump pressure line 91 by the pump not shown . as shown in fig6 , the flow control valve 81 is mounted on the forklift 7 of the present invention . the forklift 7 includes the flow control valve 81 , the fork 8 and the lift cylinder 84 . the flow control valve 81 is included in a hydraulic circuit ( not shown ) mounted on the forklift 7 . the lift cylinder 84 is connected between the flow control valve 81 and the fork 8 . the fork 8 lifts and lowers a load . the lift cylinder 84 drives the folk 8 along with the flow control valve 81 . operations of the flow control valve 81 include the meter - in operation , the neutral operation and the meter - out operation . the meter - in operation is an operation performed when the direction switching valve 82 is switched from the neutral position to the meter - in position by means of the user &# 39 ; s operation . the neutral operation is an operation performed when the direction switching valve 82 is switched from the meter - in position or the meter - out position to the neutral position by means of the user &# 39 ; s operation . the meter - out operation is an operation performed when the direction switching valve 82 is switched from the neutral position to the meter - out position by means of the user &# 39 ; s operation . in the meter - in operation , the hydraulic oil is supplied from the pump pressure line 91 to the lift cylinder 84 through the direction switching valve 82 , the pump pressure line 92 , the check valve 83 and the load pressure line 93 . when the hydraulic oil is supplied , the lift cylinder 84 lifts the fork . in the neutral operation , since no hydraulic oil is supplied or discharged between the lift cylinder 84 and the load pressure line 93 , lifting or lowering of the fork is stopped . the load pressure of the hydraulic oil of the load pressure line 93 varies depending on a load held by the fork of the forklift and becomes larger as the load is heavier . the hydraulic oil of the load pressure line 93 is supplied to the compensating pressure line 94 through the pressure compensating valve 85 . the pressure compensating valve 85 closes connection between the load pressure line 93 and the compensating pressure line 94 , when the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 94 is raised to the set pressure of the pressure compensating valve 85 , thereby preventing the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 94 from becoming the set pressure or more . in the meter - out operation , the hydraulic oil is discharged from the lift cylinder 84 to the drain line 95 through the load pressure line 93 , the pressure compensating valve 85 , the compensating pressure line 94 and the direction switching valve 82 . when the hydraulic oil is discharged , the lift cylinder 84 lowers the fork . at this time , the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 94 is controlled by the pressure compensating valve 85 to be the set pressure irrespective of the weight of the load held by the fork . at this time , in the meter - out operation , irrespective of the weight of the load held by the fork , the flow control valve 81 can associate the flow of the hydraulic oil discharged from the lift cylinder 84 to the drain line 95 with the operation quantity of the direction switching valve 82 on one - to - one basis . in other words , the forklift according to the present invention can associate the lowering speed of the fork with the operation quantity of the direction switching valve 82 on one - to - one basis , thereby improving operability of the fork . in the case of high pressure of the compensating pressure line 94 , when the compensating pressure line 94 is connected to the drain line 95 , the hydraulic oil rapidly flows from the compensating pressure line 94 to the drain line 95 . the rapid flow generates shock or hunting in the operation of the lift cylinder 84 . since the flow control valve does not control the oil pressure of the compensating pressure line 94 in the neutral operation , when the direction switching valve 82 is switched from the neutral position to the meter - out position , the hydraulic oil cannot be prevented from rapidly flowing from the compensating pressure line 94 to the drain line 95 . although the forklift to which the flow control valve 81 is applied cannot prevent shock or hunting from generating in the fork when the fork is lowered , it is better than that the lowering speed of the fork cannot be associated with the operation quantity of the direction switching valve 82 on one - to - one basis . a flow control valve according to the present invention can improve operability of a hydraulic actuator . it is apparent that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment , that may be modified and changed without departing form the scope and spirit of the invention . | 1 |
fig1 illustrates a front view of an isolated fiberoptic union adapter 20 mounted to a wall plate 16 attached to wall surface 26 . the connectorized end of a fiber optic patchcord 10 - 2 may be inserted into the front receptacle 21 of union adapter 20 to optically interface this patchcord 10 - 2 to a critical fiber optic drop cable 10 - 1 located within the plenum of a wall 26 . fig2 illustrates a side cutaway view of this same configuration , wherein the critical terminated end 17 - 1 of fiber 10 - 1 is inserted into the back receptacle 21 ′ of adapter 20 . during the initial build - out of the fiber optic network , the jacket at the end of drop cable 10 - 1 is typically stripped to expose tight buffered optical fiber 10 - 3 of 900 micron diameter . an excess fiber length 10 - 5 is spooled after the fiber 10 - 1 is terminated with a polished connector 17 - 1 , by use of a partial spool mandrel formed in the plastic injection molded interface plate 15 . this polished connector 17 - 1 is produced either by an on - site polishing process or by fusion splicing a polished connector pigtail to the drop fiber 10 - 1 . the polishing process and the fusion splicing process requires considerable skill and costly equipment to perform adequately . therefore , the protection of connector 17 - 1 from damage during routine plugging and unplugging of fiber optic connectors into receptacle 21 over the service life of the network is important . should a patchcord 10 - 2 and connector 11 - 2 with damaged or dirty ferrule tip 5 - 2 be inserted into the front receptacle 21 of union adapter 20 , a replaceable , isolated union adapter 20 ( detailed in cross section in fig3 ) with internal isolation fiber stub 9 would protect the polished ferrule tip of critical termination 11 - 1 . the union adaptor 20 would be damaged , but this device is designed to be sufficiently low cost such that it can be replaced by a simple and economical process . replacement of isolated union adapter 20 is facilitated by use of a spring clip mechanism 17 to attach to interface plate 15 , for example . the restoration of the network simply requires that cable 10 - 2 and fiber stub 9 of isolated union adapter 20 be replaced in a simple exchange of relatively inexpensive components . this eliminates the need for a costly service call by a repair technician 11 - 1 . fig3 details in cross section a plug - in type isolated union adapter with fiber stub 9 including a length of single mode ( e . g ., smf - 28e fiber from corning inc .) or multimode ( e . g ., 50 / 125 micron infinicor from corning inc .) fiber 10 - 4 along the longitudinal axis with ultra - physical polish ( upc ) endfaces 4 ′. the endfaces have a slight radius of curvature ( dome ) to provide physical contact . the optical characteristics such as core diameter of fiber 10 - 4 are selected to be nominally identical to that of fibers 10 - 1 and 10 - 2 . the angle and curvature of the polished surfaces 4 ′ are provided in accordance with the standards developed for pc ( physical contact ), upc ( ultra - physical contact ) or apc ( angled physical contact ) type connectors . this surfaces 4 ′ typically have a large radius of curvature ( typically 20 mm ) to produce a slight “ dome ” on the end face . on the scale of fig3 , this radius is sufficiently large that the dome is not apparent . the end faces typically have a slight circumferential bevel that extends in about 100 to 300 microns radially from the outer diameter of the stub . within body 11 lies the precision split sleeve 8 held longitudinally and radially by a two part outer sleeve 7 - 1 and 7 - 2 . the fiber stub 9 , including embedded fiber 10 - 4 is epoxied within split sleeve 8 . fig3 depicts a single connector ( sc style , simplex type ); however , this approach can be extended to duplex or multi - fiber type connectors . the split sleeve is typically fabricated of ceramic or phosphor bronze and the housing 11 is typically fabricated of injection molded plastic . the elements comprising a typical isolated union adaptor are illustrated in exploded view in fig4 . a typical application of this isolated union adapter is at locations in the network wherein the network user interconnects to the building &# 39 ; s embedded fiber infrastructure . fig5 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the union adapter integrated with a wall mount enclosure and standard electrical cover plate 16 . the dimensions of such a wall mount enclosure are typically 2 . 4 by 4 . 5 inches by 0 . 5 inches deep . one or more adapters 20 mount within housing 15 by use of a spring clip 17 which allows for simple replacement of the expendable adapters . in a further embodiment of the invention , fig6 illustrates a cross sectional view of an fc - apc type fiber optic union adapter for joining two male fiber optic connector ends . note that the st - type union adapter would be similar , but connectors attach by a push and twist attachment rather than a screw - on attachment . the housing flange 6 - 1 of the connector body 11 - 1 allows the union to be mounted to a wall plate , patch panel or panel mount 30 ′ by use of mounting screws , for example . within housing 6 - 1 lies a precision split sleeve 8 held longitudinally and radially by a two piece outer sleeve 7 - 1 and 7 - 2 . sleeve 7 - 2 is fixed within body 6 - 1 by a friction fit , for example . within split sleeve 8 is a fiber stub 9 including an embedded optical fiber 10 - 4 and having angle polished surfaces 4 . as illustrated in the front view of fig7 , the union 20 includes a slot 6 - 3 , which engages and aligns a mating key on the cable connector body as the connector is inserted into receptacle 21 to align the angle polished surfaces 4 relative to the angle polished ferrules of the connectorized cables inserted into the union . fiber stub 9 can be permanently fixed by epoxy , can be held by friction fit , or can slide within the split sleeve to allow a damaged fiber stub to be removed and replaced . alternately , multiple fiber stubs 9 within the adapter may be utilized . should the outermost first stub be damaged during routine use , the adapter can be restored by simply removing this first stub to reveal a second internal stub . by maintaining sub - micron concentricity of the core of fiber 10 - 4 with the outer diameter of fiber 10 - 4 , and sub - micron concentricity of the ferrule 9 inner diameter and outer diameter , the excess insertion loss due to the isolated union adapter is typically less than 0 . 25 db . note that the average insertion loss for a large number of different cable pairs connected by an isolated union adapter would be about equal to twice the average insertion loss for a large number of different cable pairs connected by a standard union adapter . this is a consequence of having two optical interfaces within the adapter rather than one . the sleeves 7 - 1 and 7 - 2 and the connector body 11 - 1 are typically formed by a computer numerical control ( cnc ) screw machine and fabricated of plated brass . the split sleeve 8 is typically fabricated of zirconia , ceramic or phosphor bronze that conforms to the 2 . 5 mm or 1 . 25 mm outer diameter of the fiber stub . the fiber stub is typically fabricated of zirconia , ceramic or fused silica , with an embedded fused silica optical fiber of 125 microns or 80 microns outer diameter . the length of the fiber stub is typically 2 . 5 mm to 4 . 5 mm long for the 2 . 5 mm diameter stub . the core of optical fiber 10 - 4 is typically 1 0 microns in diameter and propagates single spatial mode radiation at wavelengths of 1550 or 1310 nm with extremely low optical loss , or core diameter is typically 50 , 62 . 5 microns for propagation of multi - mode radiation in the range of 800 nm to 1600 nm . fig8 illustrates a cross sectional view of the fc - apc fiber optic union adapter 20 including connectorized fiber 10 - 1 inserted into receptacle 21 ′ and connectorized fiber 10 - 2 inserted into receptacle 21 . fiber 10 - 1 is terminated at ferrule 5 - 1 within connector body 17 - 1 with a screw on cap 19 - 1 that maintains the connector attached to union housing 11 - 4 . fiber 10 - 2 is terminated at ferrule 5 - 2 within connector body 17 - 2 with a screw - on cap 19 - 2 that attaches the connector to union housing 11 - 4 . the flange of connector body 6 - 1 allows the union to be mounted to a wall plate or panel mount , for example . inside body 6 - 1 is the precision split sleeve 8 within two - piece sleeve 7 - 1 and 7 - 2 . sleeve 7 - 2 is fixed within body 11 - 1 by a friction fit , for example . the fiber stub is epoxied within split sleeve 8 . the ends of fiber stub 9 are prepared with angle polished faces 4 in this example , but flat polished faces 4 ′ are also used in those applications less sensitive to backreflections . end faces 4 , 4 ′ may optionally be antireflection coated to minimize wavelength dependent transmission and phase ripple due to multi - path interference or etalon effects . standard multilayer dielectric antireflection coatings can reduce the reflection strength to & lt ;− 25 db . in an alternate embodiment , a union adapter can be provided to interconnect a male - to - female fiber optic termination . fig9 illustrates a cross sectional view of the fiber stub - ferrule subassembly for a fiber optic male - to - female adapter . the housing is not shown . this configuration enables the adapter to be inserted between the male end of a fiberoptic cable and a female termination incorporated in the housing of an optical transceiver , for example . the adapter introduces low excess loss by utilizing low optical attenuation single mode or multi - mode fiber within the isolating fiber stub . in this particular example , the adapter includes a split sleeve 8 within holder 7 - 2 . the mounting sleeve 7 - 3 is attached to fiber stub 9 . fiber stub 9 has polished end faces 4 and embedded optical fiber 10 - 4 , one end of which is internal to split sleeve 8 . end faces 4 may optionally be antireflection coated to minimize any transmission ripple . optical fiber 10 - 4 may exhibit single mode or multi - mode propagation characteristics . the housing body may be of the fc , st , sc , lc , mtrj or other industry standard connector styles , in a simplex or duplex configuration . the polished end faces 4 can be the apc , pc , upc or other industry standard types . in a particular example , the male - to - female isolating adapters are used to isolate the fiber optic ports of a fiber optic transceiver module , an example of which is illustrated in fig1 . this module may be a fiber optic ethernet transceiver transmitting at rates up to 10 gbit / sec and including electrical signal conversion / communication via connector 34 . the transceiver module 33 is packaged within a housing 32 and includes integrated duplex , female - type fiber optic receptacles 31 . these receptacles 31 are of the sc - upc type with either multi - mode or single mode fiber interfaces , for example , and with alignment channels 35 . damage to the internal fiber interfaces within receptacle 31 is not readily repaired . to protect this interface from damage , we disclose herein a transceiver unit with integrated isolating adapter 20 ′ which insert into a mating cavity within transceiver housing 32 . the adapter 20 ′ prevents the ferrules 5 of external terminated fiber optic cables 17 - 2 from contacting the receptacles 31 in the transceiver unit 33 . in this way , should a cable 10 - 2 with damaged or contaminated ferrule 5 be inserted into 20 ′, damage is restricted to the inexpensive , replaceable adapter 20 ′ rather than the transceiver 33 . the adapter is attached to the housing by semi - permanent means , such as screws 34 which hold adapter 20 ′ to enclosure 32 . this attachment prevents the user from exposing the receptacles 31 during routine use . repair of transceiver 33 requires a simple replacement of adapter 20 ′. the internal structure of adapter 20 ′ including a fiber stub 9 and alignment sleeve 8 is illustrated in fig9 . in certain fiber optic network deployments , it may be advantageous to utilize bend insensitive fiber within the customer &# 39 ; s premises so that fiber optic patchcords incorporating this fiber are more robust under bending and routine handling . in many cases , the fiber drop cable 10 - 1 entering the customer &# 39 ; s premises is standard single mode optical fiber . directly interfacing connectorized single mode fiber and connectorized , bend insensitive fiber can result in relatively high insertion loss (& gt ; 0 . 5 db ) and signal degradation . in an additional embodiment of this invention , low loss interconnection between dissimilar fiber types is provided by utilizing a fiber stub element within a union adapter including an adiabatically tapered waveguide transition . a low optical loss transition between fibers with dissimilar core diameters , as is the case for standard and bend insensitive fiber , can be achieved by utilizing an adiabatic taper of the core diameter to smoothly and continuously transition from one fiber diameter to the other within a longitudinal distance greater than the beat note length determined from the difference in propagation constants between the two fibers . this distance is typically between 10 and 1000 microns , depending on the fiber core diameters and wavelength of operation . this range of lengths enables the fiber to be packaged within the stub in a compact fashion . the stub length is typically 4 mm . the adiabatic taper within the isolating fiber stub may be fabricated by partially diffusing out the core at one end of a bend insensitive fiber to match the mode field diameter of a particular single mode fiber and fusion splicing this end to the particular single mode fiber . the adiabatic taper is formed longitudinally adjacent to the fusion splice and is part of a continuous length of fiber which can be epoxied into a ferrule to produce a fiber stub with different core diameters at the opposite end faces . this fiber stub is fixed at the center of the union adapter . in this case , a standard single mode fiber cable termination can be attached to a bend insensitive , single mode fiber cable with low insertion loss (& lt ; 0 . 10 db ). fig1 details the fiber stub including fusion - spliced optical fibers with an adiabatic taper . bend insensitive fiber 10 - 5 has a core 12 - 1 of generally smaller diameter than standard single mode fiber 10 - 6 with core 12 - 2 . the diameter of core 12 - 1 is typically 6 to 8 microns and the diameter of core 12 - 2 is typically 9 - 10 microns . in a particular example ( fig1 ), the adiabatic waveguide taper within the bend insensitive fiber is formed by using a fusion splicer &# 39 ; s electrical pre - arcing ( heating before fusion splicing ) or post - arcing ( heating after fusion splicing ) process , for example , to heat the end of the bend insensitive fiber and diffuse out the core to enlarge the mode field diameter locally . pre - or post - arcing functionality is available on standard fusion splicers such as the alcoa - fujikura model 50fs . alternate approaches to diffusing the core include localized heating with a co 2 laser emitting at a wavelength of 10 . 6 microns or with mini - torches such as the hydrogen gas - type used to fabricate fused couplers . fiber cleaving can be provided by use of standard precision cleavers manufactured by alcoa - fujikura or sumitomo . the two fibers are contacted and heated to form a fusion splice with interface 13 and adiabatic taper 12 - 3 . the fibers 10 - 5 and 10 - 6 are subsequently inserted and bonded into the fiber ferrule to form a fiber stub 9 assembly . the end faces 4 of the fiber stub 9 are polished to mate with standard angle polished or flat polished connectors . fig1 illustrates the flow chart outlining the process steps to produce a fiber stub including an adiabatic transition . fiber optic networking equipment such as transceivers , modems and patch panels typically include large numbers of fiber optic unions or adapters to mate connectorized fiber optic cables . these unions join fibers in locations where permanent fusion splices are inappropriate because of the need to periodically reconfigure or replace fiber optic cables . a great limitation in prior art devices is the fact that if one cable &# 39 ; s ferrule is dirty or damaged , it will likely transfer damage to the mating ferrule because the union physically contacts the polished enfaces of both ferrules to one another . in many cases , the damaged mating ferrule is part of a critical cable deeply embedded within the fiber optic plant . replacing such a critical cable is a costly process . to eliminate this damage , we have disclosed the use of an inexpensive component consisting of an isolating fiber stub embedded within the adapter . in this fashion , the damaged ferrule would not damage the mating ferrule of the critical cable . the disposable fiber optic adapter isolates critical fiber optic terminations from damage . those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention . accordingly , the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims . | 6 |
the description and operation of the invention will be best described with reference to fig1 . fig1 illustrates a gun rack of the present invention which will hereinafter be referred to simply as rack 11 of the present invention . rack 11 is shown in place with respect to two structures of a sports vehicle , including a seat back 13 , and a rear storage surface 15 . rear storage surface 15 is also fitted with a series of four tie downs , including front tie downs 17 and 19 and rear tie downs 21 and 23 . a seat front 25 is shown as intersecting with the seat back 13 . the rack 11 is made of steel wire , preferably about 0 . 25 inches in diameter . the finish is preferably painted , dipped , or powder coated to insure a smooth finish . rack 11 includes an upper portion 27 and a lower portion 29 , which will pivot with respect to each other . the upper portion 27 includes an elongate right loop support 31 and an elongate left loop support 33 . at the end of the loop supports 31 and 33 are a pair of loops 35 and 37 which loop about an axis common to each other . an upper portion , downwardly directed lip 39 is shown extending over the seat back 13 . lip 39 is preferably integrally formed with elongate right loop support 31 , elongate left loop support 33 , and pair of loops 35 and 37 , although it is not mandatory . attached to the underside of the upper portion 27 are several structures . a tie - down loop 41 is supported by right loop support 31 , and a tie - down loop 43 is supported by left loop support 33 . both of the tie - down loops 41 and 43 are downwardly directed with respect to the rack 11 . a series of rifle barrel supports 45 are supported across the width of the upper portion 27 at their lower ends by a lower rifle barrel support strut 47 . the rifle barrel supports 45 are supported across the width of the upper portion 27 at their upper ends by an upper rifle barrel support strut 49 . rifle barrel supports 45 are preferably in the shape of a set of partially folded loops . the effective width of the barrel supports 45 is about an inch and a quarter to an inch and a half , wide enough to accommodate the barrel of a rifle or shotgun , but narrow enough to prevent the upper portion of the stock , or magazine or other structure from fitting therethrough . this dimensional arrangement insures that the rifle or shotgun will not slide upwardly through the loop even if the vehicle in which the rack 11 is mounted experiences decelerative forces . also , noting the angle of the barrel supports 45 , they can be configured to represent a nearly vertical , barrier to the beginning of the relatively wider portion of the gun stock . note that in the configuration shown in fig1 that the tie - down loops 41 and 43 , and the lower rifle barrel support strut 47 are formed of a single length of steel wire . the upper rifle barrel support strut 49 is affixed between the elongate right and left loop supports 31 and 33 . a front tie - down strap 51 extends from a front tie - down 17 , through the tie - down loops 43 and 41 and then to the front tie - down 19 . it is understood that the tie - down loops 43 and 41 may engage separate tie down straps rather than the tie down strap 51 . the tie down strap 51 is fitted with a quick - release buckle 53 , and also may have hooks 55 at its opposite ends ( one of which is shown ) for engaging the tie downs 17 and 19 . lower portion 29 has an elongate right loop support 61 and an elongate left loop support 63 . at the end of the loop supports 61 and 63 are a pair of loops 65 and 67 which loop about a pair of axes which are parallel to each other , and orthogonal to the axes of loops 35 and 37 . the loops 65 and 67 are somewhat &# 34 ; p &# 34 ; shaped , and enable the engagement of the loops 35 and 37 about the lower horizontal support of the &# 34 ; p &# 34 ; structure . the upper portion of the &# 34 ; p &# 34 ; structure prevents complete rotation of the loops 35 and 37 about the lower horizontal members of the respective &# 34 ; p &# 34 ; shaped loops 67 and 65 . this is the mechanism which limits the complete near 360 ° rotation of the upper portion 27 with respect to the lower portion 29 and limits this rotation to about 180 °. in fig1 the rack 11 is shown in open position . the loops 35 , 37 , 65 , and 67 will enable the rack 11 to fold in the direction where both the upper portion 27 and the lower portion 29 are brought downwardly to each other . note the stability of this design . the rigidity of the loops 35 and 37 with respect to each other , and especially with the axis of the loops being coaxial , will prevent the loops from occupying any portion of the loops 65 and 67 except for the lower portion of the horizontal structure of their &# 34 ; p &# 34 ; shape . the stability of this configuration eliminates the need for specialized bracing , either along either of the elongate right and left loop supports 31 and 33 with respect to the elongate right and left loop supports 61 and 63 or with respect to each other . further , no cross bracing is required anywhere near the middle two thirds of the rack 11 . as can be seen with respect to the rifles which are shown in phantom and labeled 69 , their scopes extend freely below . further , the absence of cross struts also enables the rifles 69 to be carried lower with respect to the rack 11 . with respect to the remaining features of the rack 11 , the transition from the elongate right and left loop supports 61 and 63 includes an upwardly directed lip 70 which rises from a curved transition at the rear storage surface 15 . upwardly directed lip 70 is also preferably integrally formed with elongate right loop support 61 , elongate left loop support 63 , and pair of loops 65 and 67 , although it is not mandatory . attached to the upper side of the lower portion 29 are several structures . a pair tie - down loops 71 and 73 are supported by the right and left sides of the lip 70 . tiedown loops 71 and 73 are shown as being separately attached , but may be attached to any of the lower portion 29 structures mentioned or to be discussed . a series of rifle butt supports 75 are supported across the width of the lower portion 29 at their lower ends by the width of lip 70 . rifle butt supports 75 and rifle barrel supports 45 act as receiving structures for objects to be supported by said rack 11 . the rifle butt supports 75 are supported across the width of the lower portion 29 at their upper ends by an upper rifle butt support strut 79 . upper rifle butt support strut 79 is shown extending upwardly from the lower portion 29 to insure clearance of the upper part of the stocks of the rifles 69 from the rear storage surface 15 , if such is necessary . it is understood that the transition from the elongate right and left loop supports 61 and 63 to the lip 70 may include additional structure underneath to provide the additional clearance . rifle butt supports 75 are also preferably in the shape of a set of partially folded loops . the effective width of the barrel supports 45 is about two inches , wide enough to accommodate the rear stocks of a rifle or shotgun . the supports 75 may be padded , dipped , or coated to ensure that they will not scratch the rifle 69 or other finish . note that the supports 75 and 45 may be welded to their adjacent supporting structures , or affixed by any other manner , including brackets and the like . a rear tie - down strap 81 extends from a rear tie - down 21 , through the tie - down loops 73 and 71 and then to the rear tie - down 23 . it is understood that the tie - down loops 73 and 71 may engage separate tie down straps rather than the tie down strap 81 . the tie down strap 81 is fitted with a quick - release buckle 83 , and also may have hooks 55 at its opposite ends ( one of which is shown ) for engaging the tie downs 21 and 23 . referring to fig2 a perspective view of the rack 11 is given from an opposite angle , and looking in from the underside , and without its sport vehicle environment and rifles 70 , to emphasize the operation of the pivoting connections , including loops 35 and 37 and their engagement with loops 65 and 67 as a contrast to fig1 to better complete the understanding of their operation . referring to fig3 the front of the seat back 13 is shown engaging the lip 39 of the rack 11 . a conventional seat belt 85 is shown threaded through and engaging the lip 39 . it is understood that the front edge of the lip 39 need not be straight and that lip 39 may be fashioned to center or fix the engagement of the seat belt 85 with respect to rack 11 . seat belt 85 acts to anchor the rack 11 with respect to its upper portion 27 . referring back to fig1 note that the downward pull from the tie - down loops 43 and 41 helps to engage upper portion 27 onto the seat back 13 , and puts some pressure onto the transition points between the upper portion 27 and 29 . thus , the engagement with the seat belt 85 of fig3 acts to further stabilize by providing additional downward pressure onto the upper portion 27 . referring to fig4 a side view gives some additional idea of the profile and clearances had with respect to the seat back 13 and rear storage surface 15 . note how the upper rifle butt support strut 79 &# 34 ; raises &# 34 ; the level of the rifle 69 stock and helps prevent the stock coming near the rear storage surface 15 . in the rifle 69 shown , the upper portion of the stock has a gentle taper , but other rifles 69 may have a more severe taper . an optional strap 87 and quick release buckle 89 may be used to secure the rifles 69 onto the rack 11 by simply encircling the rack 11 and rifles 69 when the rifles 69 are in place with respect to the rack 11 . referring to fig5 an optional over cover 91 is shown . the over cover 91 may have fitted ends to better fit around the rack 11 while the rifles 69 are in place . the over cover 91 may be decoratively printed to simulate and suggest a baby carriage , back pack , or other structure . the upper end of the over cover 91 may be made in the form of a pouch to fit around the barrel ends of the rifles 69 . further , instead of an outer , independent strap 87 , the edges of the over cover 91 may have strapping sewn to it , with tension on the strapping creating tension on the mid section of the over cover 91 . this is shown in fig5 where strap portions 95 are joined by a quick release buckle 97 . the over cover 91 also further acts to prevent motion of the rifles 69 in a direction forward with respect to the rack 11 . the bottom of the over cover 91 may or may not be of fitted shape , and where not fitted , may be tucked under the bottom of the rack 11 . referring to fig6 the rack 11 is shown in a position where it is completely folded up , where the under sides of the structure shown in fig1 - 5 are brought together . this folded rack 11 structure may be easily transported and stored when not used . it is suggested , as is shown in fig6 that the width of the lower portion 29 , having the &# 34 ; p &# 34 ; shaped loops 67 and 65 be made slightly wider than the upper portion 27 to facilitate the partial interfitting of the extreme ends of the upper portion 27 into the lower portion 29 to further conserve space in the folded condition . further note that the embodiment shown in fig1 - 3 illustrate the capacity of four rifles 70 . the rack 11 may be made of any width to accommodate from one to as many rifles 70 as are needed . while the present invention has been described in terms of a foldable , portable gun rack and securing over cover , one skilled in the art will realize that the structure and techniques of the present invention can be applied to such appliances . the present invention may be applied in any situation where sturdy , safe , protected and encased support is needed for valuable and delicate objects . although the invention has been derived with reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof , many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . therefore , included within the patent warranted hereon are all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of this contribution to the art . | 1 |
in one embodiment , the method of this invention is performed by reacting technetium - 99m ( in an oxidized state ) with a water - soluble ligand in the presence of a reducing agent to form a stable complex between technetium - 99m in a reduced state ( e . g ., iv or v valence state ) and the ligand and then reacting the complex with an antibody or antibody fragment which contains one or more sulfhydryl groups . in the preferred embodiment for labeling a sulfhydryl - containing antibody with technetium - 99m , aqueous sodium 99m - pertechnetate is mixed with a aqueous solution of a stannous reducing agent and saccharic acid ( or a salt thereof ) to form a 99m tc - saccharate complex . the complex is then contacted with an fab &# 39 ; fragment and incubated for a period of time and under conditions which allow an exchange of technetium - 99m from the complex to the fab &# 39 ; fragment to form a technetium - labeled fab &# 39 ; fragment . the entire procedure can be conducted in less than one hour at room temperature and at a ph of about 5 - 9 . under these conditions an essentially complete transfer of technetium - 99m ( from the 99m - tc - saccharate complex to the antibody protein ) can be attained without significant loss of antibody immunoreactivity . the various reagents used in the method and the parameters of the method are discussed in detail below . in general , the ligands useful in the method of this invention are water - soluble ( or can be made water soluble ) chelators which are capable of complexing technetium - 99m or any of the rhenium radioisotopes in their reduced state to form a stable metal ion / ligand complex . the complex is capable of exchanging the technetium - 99 with a sulfhydryl containing antibody or antibody fragment . some of the ligands which can be used in the labeling method of this invention are represented by compounds ( including physiologically acceptable salts thereof ) having the general formula : ## str1 ## where x and y are oh or nh 2 ; r and r &# 39 ; independently h , cooh , or ch 2 oh or r and r &# 39 ; taken together can form a ring or bi - or multidentate ligand ; m and n are 0 - 10 , such that m + n is at least 2 ; r 1 and r 2 are independently h , lower alkyl , substituted lower alkyl , aryl and lower alkylaryl ; and p is 0 or 1 provided that , when p is 1 , m and n independently are at least 1 . some of the preferred water soluble ligands for use in the method are represented by the formula : wherein r and r &# 39 ; are cooh or ch 2 oh , and n = 2 - 10 among the ligands represented by this formula , polyhydroxydicarboxylic acids having a molecular weight of less than about 10 , 000 daltons are most preferred . some specific examples of these types of ligands are saccharic acid , glucoheptonic acid , tartaric acid , galactaric acid , arabonic acid , and salts thereof . the particularly preferred ligand for use in this method is saccharic acid . as mentioned , saccharic acid complexes with technetium - 99m quickly to form a stable technetium - 99m - saccharate complex . upon contact with a sulfhydryl - containing antibody or antibody fragment , substantially quantitative transfer of technetium - 99m from the complex to the protein is achieved rapidly and under mild conditions . as described below , it is believed that the technetium - 99m is preferentially transfered to favored binding sites on the protein molecules . this preferential transfer results in a labeled antibody or fragment which is immunoreactive and exceptionally stable in vivo . reducing agents for use in the method are physiologically acceptable for reducing technetium - 99m from its oxidized state to the iv or iv oxidization state or for reducing rhenium from its oxidized state . examples of reducing agents which can be used in the method are stannous chloride , stannous fluoride , stannous tartarate , and sodium dithionite ; the preferred agents are stannous reducing agents especially stannous chloride . the source of technetium - 99m should preferably be water soluble . preferred sources are alkali and alkaline earth metal pertechnetate ( tco 4 - ). the technetium - 99m is most preferably obtained in the form of fresh sodium pertechnetate from a sterile technetium - 99m generator ( e . g ., from a conventional 99mo / 99mtc generator ). any other source of physiologically acceptable technetium - 99m , however , may be used . rhenium radioisotopes ( the isotopes 186 , 188 , 189 and 191 ) in the form of perrhenate salts can be produced by suitable reactor technology or made by a suitable generator . the perrhenate salts are stable , soluble salts and behave similarly to pertechnetate . perrhenate requires a slightly greater reduction potential to reduce , and tends to return to perrhenate in the presence of oxygen more readily than pertechnetate . for this reason , different conditions may be required to reduce and stabilize rhenium in its reduced state . these can be ascertained empirically by a person of ordinary skill in the art . the sulfhydryl containing whole antibodies or lower molecular weight antibody fragments can be labeled by the method of this invention . it is believed that sulfhydryl groups constitute at least a part of favored binding sites which exist on molecules and that by the method of this invention , the radiometals are preferentially exchanged from the radiometal - ligand complex to these favored sites on the molecules . the preferential labeling of these sites on the antibodies molecules results in labeled antibodies of exceptional stability . whole antibodies ( e . g . igg ) can be provided with sulfhydryl groups by reducing the antibodies with a reducing agent such as dithiothreitol dtt . treatment with dtt exposes the sulfhydryl groups by reducing disulfide bridges . for most immunodiagnostic procedures , antibody fragments are preferred reagents . antibody fragments have a number of advantages over whole antibodies for imaging procedures including , in general , more rapid distribution and accumulation at target site and less immunogenicity . fab &# 39 ; fragments are monovalent antibody binding which contain free sulfhydryl groups ( when maintained under nonoxidizing conditions ). these fragments can be labelled efficiently by the method of this invention . fab &# 39 ; fragments can be prepared from whole antibodies as follows : an antibody molecule is first treated with an endopeptidase such as pepsin to remove the fc portion of the antibody molecule . the resultant f ( ab )&# 39 ; 2 fragment is treated with a reducing agent such as dtt or cysteine to break disulfide bonds present on the f ( ab )&# 39 ; 2 fragment resulting in exposed the sulfhydryl groups present on the molecules and thereby producing two fab &# 39 ; molecules for each antibody molecule . the amount of reducing agent is the amount necessary to reduce the technetium to provide for the binding to the ligand in a reduced state . in a preferred mode , stannous chloride ( sncl 2 ) is the reducing agent and can range from 1 - 1 , 000 ug / ml preferably about 30 - 500 ug / ml . the amount of saccharic acid ( as potassium saccharate ) can range from about 0 . 5 mg / ml up to the amount maximally soluble in the medium . preferred amounts of saccharic acid range from 30 - 15 ug / ml . the amount of antibody ( or fragment ) can range from 0 . 01 to about 30 mg / ml preverably about 0 . 17 to about 1 . 5 mg / ml . finally , technetium - 99m in the form of pertechnetate can be in amounts used up to about 500 uci / ml preferably about 1 - 50 mci / ml . the amount of mci per mg of antibody is preferably about 3 - 150 . the reaction between the and the metal ion - transfer ligand complex is preferably carried out in an aqueous solution at a ph at which the protein is stable . by &# 34 ; stable &# 34 ;, it is meant that the protein remains soluble and retains its biological activity . normally , the ph for the reaction will be a ph from about 5 to 9 , the preferred ph being about 6 - 8 . the metal ion - transfer chelate complex and the antibody are incubated , preferably at a temperature from about 20 ° c . to about 60 ° c ., most preferably from about 20 ° c . to about 37 ° c ., for a sufficient amount of time to allow transfer of the metal ion from the ligand complex to the antibody . generally , less than one hour is sufficient to complete the transfer reaction under these conditions . the reagent for performing the labeling method can be assembled in kits for convenient performance of the method in the clinic . at minimum , a kit for radiolabeling antibody or antibody fragments with the radiometals can consist of a one component a via ( sealed and sterile ) containing a reducing agent ( preferably stannous ions ) and saccharic acid or a salt thereof . these kits can be used when the antibody or antibody fragment is provided by the user . kits may also include a second vial containing the sulfhydryl - containing antibody or antibody fragment to be labeled . two component kits would include : kits can be designed to contain the appropriate antibody or antibody fragment ( s ) for any particular immunodiagnostic or immunotherapeutic procedure ( some of which are discussed below ). the reagents in the kit can be provided in aqueous , lyophilized or from form . lyophilized preparations can be diluted with aqueous medium upon use . the amount of reagents in each vial can vary according to the chosen parameters of the method ( see above under reaction conditions ). when reagents are provided as a two component kit , as described , the labeling procedure can be performed simply as a two vial technique . technetium - 99m ( for example , in the form of aqueous sodium pertechnetate ) is added to the vial containing the reducing agent and the water - soluble ligand in aqueous solution . the contents of the two vials are then mixed and incubated for a time sufficient to effect labeling of the antibody or antibody fragment . the radiolabeled antibody or antibody fragment can then be used immediately without purification . technetium - 99m labeled antibodies or antibody fragments can be used in immunoscintigraphy . one important use is in the imaging of tumors . as mentioned , antibody fragments are preferred for most immunoscintigraphic techniques . labeled fab &# 39 ; fragments of tumor specific antibodies can be prepared and used to image primary or secondary tumors . in general , the technetium - 99m labeled antibody fragment is prepared by forming an aqueous mixture of ( i ) 99m tc ; and ( ii ) a reducing agent and a water - soluble ligand ; and contacting the mixture with an fab &# 39 ; fragment specific for the tumor . the labeled fab &# 39 ; fragment can then be injected parenterally ( preferably intraveneously ) into a subject . after injection , sufficient time is allowed for the labeled fab &# 39 ; fragment to accumulate at the site of the tumor . the subject is then scanned with a gamma camera to detect the gamma emission of the technetium - 99m and to thereby to obtain an image of the tumor . in this way the tumor can be localized and its size can be determined . tumor - specific antibody fragments for use in these procedures can be derived from anticolorectal cancer antibody , antilung cancer antibody antiovarian cancer antibody , antibreast cancer antibody , and antiprostate cancer antibody . some specific examples of tumor specific antibodies which can be labeled by the method of this invention and used to image tumors are the monoclonal antibodies 17 - 1a and 19 - 9 ( gastrointestinal ), ca 125 ( ovarian ) and 103d2 ( breast ). antibodies labeled by the method of this invention can be used to label myocardial infarcts . the imaging of myocardial infarcts to determine their size and location is described by haber , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 421 , 735 . in brief , employing the labelling method of this invention , an image of a mycocardial infarct in a subject can be obtained by first preparing a tc - 99m labeled myosin specific fab &# 39 ; fragment by first forming an aqueous mixture of ( i ) 99m tc and ( ii ) a reducing agent and a water soluble ligand for 99m tc ; and then contacting the mixture with a myosin specific fab &# 39 ; fragment . the labeled myosin specific fragment is then intraveneously injected into a subject ( for example , after coronary occlusion ). the labeled fragment is allowed to localize at the site of the infarct and an image of the infarct is obtained by scanning the area of the heart with a gamma camera . a preferred antibody for production of labeled myosin - specific fab &# 39 ; fragments is the monoclonal antibody r11d10 . in addition , fibrin - specific fab &# 39 ; fragments can be labelled by the procedure of this invention to provide reagents for imaging blood clots . a tc - 99m labeled fibrin - specific fragment is prepared by forming an aqueous mixture of ( i ) 99m tc and ( ii ) a reducing agent and a water soluble ligand for 99m tc and contacting the mixture with a fibrin specific fab &# 39 ; fragment . the 99m tc - labeled fibrin specific fragment is injected into the subject . after allowing the fragment to localize at the site of the blood clot , the subject is scanned to obtain an image of the clot . fibrin - specific antibodies which are not cross - reactive with fibrinogen are the preferred antibodies for this imaging technique . antibody fragments specific for bacteria can be used in immunoscintigraphic techniques for obtaining an image of a bacterial abscess in a subject . for this purpose , anti - bacterial or anti - macrophage antibody fragments are employed . antibodies against a common determinant of gram - negative bacteria ( e . g ., anti - lipid a antibody ) can be used to image an abscess caused by a gram - negative microorganism . the antibody is labeled with technetium - 99m as described above injected into the subject and allowed to localize at the abscess . the subject is then scanned with the photoscanning equipment to obtain an image of the abscess . rhenium - labeled antibody or antibody fragments can be used to selectively deliver rhenium radioisotopes to target cells in vivo . for example , rhenium labeled antibodies can selectively seek out and destroy cancer cells . for this purpose , tumor specific antibodies , such as those described above , can be labeled by the method of this invention and the resulting labeled antibody can be injected parenterally into a subjected afflicted with the tumor . radiolabeling of antimyosin antibody r11d10 fab &# 39 ; with technetium - 99m using 99m tc - saccharate monopotassium saccharate ( 25 mg ) was dissolved in 0 . 2m bicarbonate ( 1 . 0 ml ) at ph 8 . 0 . to 500 μl of saccharate solution was added 40 μl of stannous chloride ( 2 . 5 mg / ml ) in 0 . 1m acetic acid followed by 500 ul of tc - 99m generator eluate (≧ 60 mci / mg protein ). the resulting solution was allowed to stand for 5 minutes at room temperature and then analyzed for radiochemical purity by paper chromatgraphy ( whatman 3mm , 60 % ch 3 cn : 40 % h 2 o ). antimyosin monoclonal antibody r11d10 f ( ab &# 39 ;) 2 5 mg / ml in 40 mm tris ph 7 . 0 was reduced with 10 mm dtt for 60 minutes at room temperature and then passed through a sephadex g - 25 column to remove the reducing agent . the resulting solution contained ≧ 80 % fab &# 39 ; fragment by gel - filtration hplc . antimyosin antibody r11d10 fab &# 39 ; ( 500 μl of a 1 mg / ml solution ) in 50 mm phosphate , 0 . 35 mm zncl 2 , ph 6 . 5 was mixed with 500 ul of 99m tc - saccharate solution and allowed to stand at room temperature for 5 - 60 minutes . the resulting 99m tc - labeled protein was analyzed for radiochemical purity by paper chromatography ( whatman 3mm ; 60 % ch 3 cn : 40 % h 2 o ) and gel - filtration hplc , and for immunoreactivity using a myosin affinity column . the effect of saccharate concentration on the formation of 99m tc - saccharate 99m tc - saccharate was prepared as described in example 1 using different concentrations of potassium saccharate ( 0 . 09 - 12 . 25 mg / ml ). the products were analyzed by paper chromatography ( whatman 3mm , 60 % ch 3 cn / 40 % h 2 o ; 99 mtco 4 - rf = 1 . 0 , 99m tc - saccharate , rf = 0 . 4 ; 99m tco 2 . x h 2 o , rf = 0 ). the data in table i show that a concentration of 6 mg / ml potassium saccharate in 0 . 2m bicarbonate is sufficient to completely stabilize the reduced technetium . samples of 99m tc - saccharate prepared from 6 and 12 mg / ml potassium saccharate were analyzed over a period of 7 hours . the results ( table ii ) indicated that the preparation from 12 mg / ml saccharate was more stable and was stable for a period of about 2 hours . the effect of antibody concentration on the labeling of r11d10 fab &# 39 ; using 99m tc - saccharate 99m tc - labeled r11d10 fab &# 39 ; was prepared as described in example 1 using various protein concentrations up to 1250 μg / ml . after 1 hour , the reaction mixtures were analyzed by paper chromatography and hplc . the results ( table iii ) showed that the radiochemical yield was dependent upon the concentration of the protein and that quantitative labeling could be obtained in 1 hour using at least 340 μg / ml . evaluation of the transfer of technetium from 99m tc - saccharate to non - reduced antibody / fragments compared to fab &# 39 ; fragments 100 ul of whole antibody ( 2 mg / ml ), f ( ab &# 39 ;) 2 ( 2 mg / ml ), fab &# 39 ; ( 1 mg / ml ) of antimyosin antibody r11d10 , antipancreatic antibody 19 - 9 and anticolorectal antibody 17 - 1a were incubated with 100 ul 99m tc - saccharate solution at room temperatures for 1 and 3 hours . the resulting products were analyzed by paper chromatography . the results ( table iv ) showed that the labeling of non - reduced antibody / fragments was less than 5 % versus quantitative labeling of the fab &# 39 ; fragments . labeling of r11d10 fab &# 39 ; using 99m tc - glucoheptonate to non - reduced antibody / fragments compared to fab &# 39 ; fragments r11d10 fab &# 39 ; ( 1 mg / ml ) was incubated with 99m tc - glucoheptonate at room temperature for one hour . analysis by paper chromatography indicated quantitative transfer of the technetium to the antibody . both antibody fragments were prepared and labeled as described in example 1 . gel filtration hplc analysis of the products after three hours at room temperature shows that for the 17 - 1a 35 % of the protein was in the form of f ( ab &# 39 ;) 2 and 65 % fab &# 39 ; whereas for r11d10 23 % was in the form of f ( ab &# 39 ;) 2 and 77 % as fab &# 39 ;. however , radioactive detection showed that 80 % of the radioactivity was associated with the fab &# 39 ; peak for both antibodies . these results shows that the 99m tc - saccharate preferentially labels the fab &# 39 ; fragments . 99m tc - labeled 17 - 1a fab &# 39 ; and r11d10 fab &# 39 ; were incubated at 37 ° c . for 1 hour in the presence and absence of human plasma . the results ( table v ) showed that 80 % of the technetium remained bound to the antibody for over 20 hours even in the presence of plasma . immunoreactivity of 99m tc - r11d10 fab &# 39 ; preparation was determined using a myosin affinity column . 99m tc - 17 - 1a was used as a control to estimate non - specific binding . each labeled protein was incubated at 37 ° c . in the presence of human plasma . as shown in table vi , the 99m tc - labeled r11d10 fab &# 39 ; was nearly 80 % immunoreactive after 3 hours and 70 % immunoreactive after 20 hours . the latter corresponded to 80 % retention of immunoreactivity found immediately after labeling . detection of myocardial infarct in the dog using 99m tc - r11d10 fab &# 39 ; mongrel dogs ( n = 6 ) were anesthetized with i . v . pentobarbitol ( 30 mg / kg ), and respiration maintained on a harvard respirator . left thoracotomy was performed , the heart suspended in a pericardial cradle and a segment of the left anterior descending coronary artery approximately two thirds the distance from the apex to the base was dissected free . the lad was then occluded with a silk ligature . after three hours of lad occlusion , the occlusive ligature was removed and reperfusion was established . at 15 minutes of reperfusion , 200 uci of indium - 111 labeled r11d10 fab - dtpa was injected and 30 seconds later , 10 mci of technetium labeled r11d10 fab &# 39 ; was injected . serial imaging with a gamma camera was initiated immediately upon tracer administration . fig1 shows the gamma scintigrams of a dog after 35 min . ( upper left ), 1 . 5 hours ( upper right ), 2 . 5 hours ( lower left ) and 5 hours ( lower right ) of antibody injection . fig2 shows the gamma images of the same dog as shown in fig1 right lateral ( upper left ), posterior anterior ( lower right ) views . clear myocardial infarct images were observed in all views except the posterior position . more importantly , this figure shows no significant liver uptake 3 hours after injection of tc - r11d10 - fab &# 39 ;. biodistribution studies of technetium - 99m labeled r11d10 fab &# 39 ; and of the indium - 111 labeled r11d10 fab - dtpa in mice biodistribution studies were carried out in balb / c mice . the mice ( 4 mice per group ) were injected i . v . with either 150 μci of technetium - 99m labeled r11d10 fab &# 39 ; ( 4 μci / ug ) or 10 μci of indium - 111 labeled r11d10 fab - dtpa ( 4 μci / ug ). groups of mice were sacrificed at 1 , 4 and 8 hours after receiving the injections and organs removed , weighed and counted . table vii summarizes the percent injected dose per gram obtained for each preparation . the 99m tc - r11d10 fab &# 39 ; cleared rapidly from both the blood and liver . the percent of injected dose for tc - r11d10 fab &# 39 ; in the blood at 1 hour was 13 . 6 % and dropped to 2 . 0 % after eight hours . a similar drop in radioactivity was observed in the liver at the latter time point ( 6 . 4 % in 1 hour and 2 . 4 % in eight hours ). however , the indium - 111 labeled preparation showed much higher radioactivity in both liver ( 10 . 8 %) and blood ( 5 . 1 %) at the eighth hour after injection . monopotassium arabonate ( 20 mg ) was dissolved in 0 . 1m na ( 1 . 0 ml ) at ph 10 . 0 . to 500 μl of arabonate solution was added 500 μl of tc - 99m generator eluate ( approx . 60 mci / mg protein ) followed by 40 ul of stannous chloride ( 2 . 5 mg / ml ) in 0 . 1m acetic acid . the resulting solution was allowed to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes and then adjusted to ph 7 using 1 . 0m hydrochloric acid . the sample was analyzed for radiochemical purity by paper chromatography ( whatman 3mm , 60 % ch 3 cn : 40 % h 2 o ). the same procedure as outlined in example 1 was employed for preparation of r11d10 fab &# 39 ;. antimyosin antibody r11d10 fab &# 39 ; ( 500 ul of a 1 mg / ml solution ) in 50 mm phosphate , 0 . 35 mm zncl 2 , ph 6 . 5 was mixed with 500 ul of 99m tc - arabonate solution and allowed to stand at room temperature for 60 minutes . the resulting 99m tc - labeled protein was analyzed for radiochemical purity as previously noted in example 1 . the results showed quantitative transfer of 99m tc to the protein under these conditions . radiolabeling of antimyosin r11d10 fab &# 39 ; with technetium 99m using 99m tc - tartarate disodium tartarate ( 230 mg ) was dissolved in 0 . 1m na 2 co 3 ( 1 . 0 ml ) at ph 10 . 0 . to 500 ul of tartarate solution was added 500 ul of tc - 99m generator eluate ( approx . mci / mg protein ) followed by 40 ul of stannous chloride ( 2 . 5 mg / ml ) in 0 . 1m acetic acid . the resulting solution was allowed to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes and then adjusted to ph 7 using 1 . 0m hydrochloric acid . the sample was analyzed for radiochemical purity as previously outlined in example 1 ( see page 13 ). the same procedure as outlined earlier in example 1 was used to prepared r11d10 fab &# 39 ;. antimyosin antibody r11d10 fab &# 39 ; ( 500 μl of a 1 mg / ml solution ) in 50 mm phosphate , 0 . 35 mm zncl 2 , ph 6 . 5 was mixed with 500 ul of 99m tc - tartarate solution and allowed to stand at room temperature for 60 minutes . the tc - 99m protein labeled product was analyzed as previously outlined in example 1 . the results showed quantitative transfer of 99m tc to the protein under these conditions . table 1______________________________________percent of . sup . 99m tco . sub . 2 and . sup . 99m tc - saccharate afterincubation at room temperature for 1 hr . at variousconcentrations of saccharic acid as analyzed bypaper chromatography . saccharic acid ( mg / ml ) % . sup . 99m tco . sub . 2 % . sup . 99m tc - saccharate______________________________________12 . 25 . 0 100 . 06 . 12 . 0 100 . 03 . 06 11 . 5 88 . 51 . 53 19 . 5 80 . 50 . 76 24 . 4 75 . 60 . 38 30 . 0 70 . 00 . 19 41 . 0 59 . 00 . 09 57 . 0 43 . 0______________________________________ table ii______________________________________stability of . sup . 99m tc - saccharate at room temperaturetime 6 . 12 mg / ml 12 . 24 mg / mlhours % tc - sacc % tco . sub . 4 . sup .- % tc - sacc % tco . sub . 4 . sup .- ______________________________________1 95 5 95 53 76 24 82 185 45 55 62 387 36 64 60 40______________________________________ table iii______________________________________percent of . sup . 99m tc - labeled r11d10 fab &# 39 ; after labelingwith . sup . 99m tc - saccharate at different protein concentrationas analyzed by paper and hplc gelfiltration chromatography . proteinconcentration % . sup . 99m tc - labeled ( μg / ml ) ab % . sup . 99m tc - saccharate______________________________________1250 100 . 0 0340 100 . 0 0165 72 . 0 28 . 0133 66 . 2 33 . 8100 67 . 0 33 . 0 33 53 . 0 47 . 0 0 0 . 0 100 . 0______________________________________ table iv______________________________________evaluation of the transfer of . sup . 99m technetium as . sup . 99m tc - saccharate to reduced vs . non - reducedantibody / fragments . % labeling at % labeling atab ( 1 hr ) ( 3 hr ) ______________________________________r11d10 igg 3 . 6 3 . 6r11d10 f ( ab &# 39 ;). sub . 2 1 . 6 1 . 0r11d10 fab - dtpa 4 . 4 3 . 2r11d10 fab &# 39 ; 100 . 0 100 . 019 - 9 igg 4 . 0 4 . 119 - 9 f ( ab ). sub . 2 4 . 3 2 . 419 - 9 fab &# 39 ; 100 . 0 100 . 017 - 1a igg 2 . 7 1 . 517 - 1a f ( ab &# 39 ;). sub . 2 3 . 0 1 . 417 - 1a fab &# 39 ; 100 . 0 100 . 0______________________________________ table v______________________________________stability of . sup . 99m tc - labeled 17 - 1a fab &# 39 ; and . sup . 99m tc - labeled r11d10 fab &# 39 ; in the absence and presence of humanplasma % tc - labeled ab 3 hours 20 hours absence presence absence presence h . plasma h . plasma h . plasma h . plasma______________________________________17 - 1a fab &# 39 ; 82 85 93 84r11d10 fab &# 39 ; 82 83 86 86______________________________________ table vi______________________________________immunoreactivity of tc - labeled r11d10 fab &# 39 ; % of binding 0 hours 3 hours 20 hours______________________________________tc - 17 - 1a fab &# 39 ; 1 . 2 2 . 2 3 . 3r11d10 fab &# 39 ; 81 79 70______________________________________ table vii__________________________________________________________________________biodistribution in % injected dose per gram of indiumlabeled r11d10 fab - dtpa and technetium - 99m labeled r11d10fab &# 39 ; at 1 , 4 , and 8 hours post injection in mice . four hours eight hoursone hour 99mtc - in - 111 - 99mtc - in - 111 - 99mtc - in - 111__________________________________________________________________________tissueblood13 . 62 ± 04 . 52 06 . 92 ± 00 . 64 04 . 82 ± 01 . 00 05 . 11 ± 00 . 49 02 . 02 ± 00 . 48spleen03 . 36 ± 01 . 51 03 . 26 ± 01 . 53 04 . 51 ± 03 . 04 04 . 97 ± 01 . 11 02 . 31 ± 01 . 17stomach02 . 34 ± 00 . 83 02 . 07 ± 00 . 25 00 . 89 ± 00 . 35 01 . 51 ± 01 . 04 00 . 31 ± 00 . 23intestine02 . 74 ± 01 . 00 02 . 72 ± 00 . 18 01 . 49 ± 00 . 04 02 . 53 ± 00 . 07 00 . 75 ± 00 . 24kidney115 . 00 ± 32 . 30 36 . 88 ± 09 . 38 81 . 10 ± 15 . 40 58 . 90 ± 05 . 10 57 . 67 ± 22 . 61liver06 . 44 ± 01 . 87 08 . 82 ± 00 . 91 03 . 68 ± 00 . 52 10 . 79 ± 00 . 36 02 . 36 ± 00 . 95lung 07 . 89 ± 03 . 32 05 . 62 ± 01 . 60 03 . 60 ± 00 . 93 03 . 74 ± 00 . 87 01 . 61 ± 00 . 57heart08 . 77 ± 04 . 16 03 . 00 ± 00 . 28 03 . 00 ± 01 . 13 03 . 10 ± 00 . 80 01 . 33 ± 00 . 05muscle01 . 31 ± 00 . 17 01 . 53 ± 00 . 16 00 . 83 ± 00 . 32 01 . 82 ± 00 . 5 00 . 42 ± 00 . 11bone 00 . 63 ± 00 . 24 -- 00 . 90 ± 00 . 17 -- 00 . 92 ± 00 . 38__________________________________________________________________________ -- not available those skilled in the art will recognize , or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation , many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein . such equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the following claims . | 8 |
the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which preferred embodiments of the invention 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 . 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 . fig1 shows an exemplary cdma system configuration for the purpose of illustrating embodiments of the invention configured to perform soft - weighted subtractive cancellation . in the present example , a k th user terminal 100 receives communications from sources ( e . g ., base stations ) 101 and 102 via signal paths 111 and 112 , respectively . in an alternative embodiment not shown , the sources 101 and 102 may correspond to two propagation paths from one base station . the sources 101 and 102 employ orthogonalizing ( e . g ., walsh ) codes w j with pn / scrambling code covers p where j = 1 or 2 . the orthogonalizing codes spread the symbol transmission by a factor of n . a data symbol for a k th user of a j th base - station may be represented by a jk . a received signal r [ n ] at the k th user terminal 100 for an n th chip and a symbol duration that spans n chips is expressed by where w jk [ n ] denotes the n th chip of the k th user from the j th source , and u [ n ] is additive white gaussian noise of variance σ u 2 . although this exemplary embodiment excludes pulseshape filtering effects , alternative embodiments that consider pulse shaping may be provided . the variables k 1 and k 2 denote the number of user channels multiplexed by the 1 st and 2 nd transmit sources , respectively . if both sources correspond to the same base station , then k 1 = k 2 . the values c j are complex channel gains corresponding to the signal from the j th base station to the receiver . although a single path per base station is described , embodiments of the invention may be configured to account for multiple paths from each base station . if the first base station 101 transmits a signal of interest , then transmissions from the second base station 102 may comprise interference . interference cancellation , such as subtractive and / or projective cancellation may be employed . according to one aspect of the present invention , a receiver may synthesize interference from a combination of soft - weighted and hard - coded pre - processed symbol estimates . a synthesized interference signal s 2 [ n ] corresponding to the second base station 102 may be expressed by where ã 2k [ l ] is a pre - processed soft estimate of a k th user &# 39 ; s symbol on symbol period l , and λ 2k ( ã 2k [ l ]) is a companding function acting on the estimated symbol ã 2k [ l ]. although the expression for the synthesized interference s 2 [ n ] may assume perfect channel estimates c 2 , uncertainty in the channel estimates may be factored into the functions λ 2k ( ã 2k [ l ]). the receiver may subtract the synthesized interference s 2 [ n ] from the received signal r [ n ]. an interference - cancelled version of the first path 111 , { circumflex over ( r )} 1 , is given by each chip of a corresponding pn - stripped output x 1 [ n ] is given by where * denotes a complex conjugate and the identity p 1 *[ n ] p 1 [ n ]= 1 is enforced . this step is followed by matching to an m th code for a user of interest . the result of this operation , â 1m , is has been enforced , and ρ mk is the correlation between the m th code of the first base station 101 and the k th code of the second base station 102 that includes the effects of the pn covers : symbol estimates ã 1m [ l ] for the m th user signal from the first base station 101 are is modeled as a complex random variable with zero mean and variance σ w 2 , and e 1m is the expected value of | a 1m | 2 . the post - processed sinr is maximized by minimizing the expectation terms per subchannel ( e . g . walsh channel ). this is accomplished by decomposing the function λ 2k ( ã 2k ) into its real and imaginary components and differentiating with respect to each component . the minimizing function is the real scalar weighting λ 2k ã 2k . the symbol estimates ã 2k may be assumed to be uncorrelated symbol estimates , which have mean a 2k and variance σ k . the post - processed sinr m for a particular subchannel m may be maximized by selecting weights for the other subchannels as where e 2k = e | a 2k | 2 is the average energy of subchannel k for source 2 , e | ã 2k | 2 = e 2k + σ 2k 2 , and is the pre - processed sinr . if e 2k is known , the soft weight λ 2k may be estimated as where avg (.) denotes an average of the variable (.) over a sequence of symbol transmissions . this average may be quite general , and it may be based on prior knowledge or probability models for e 2k and / or σ 2k 2 . if e 2k is unknown and σ 2k 2 is known , then λ 2k may be estimated as if { circumflex over ( λ )} 2k is quantized to zero or one , such as for selecting active subchannels , then { circumflex over ( λ )} 2k is where z is a predetermined threshold value . in one embodiment of the invention , the threshold value z = 2 may be used . if neither e 2k nor σ 2k 2 is known , then σ 2k 2 may be estimated from another subchannel having a common value σ 2m 2 = σ 2k 2 known e 2m , and known symbols . then λ 2k may be estimated as or with a corresponding quantized version . in some cases , avg ( σ 2k 2 ) can be obtained from avg ({ tilde over ( σ )} 2k 2 ) as an estimate of σ 2m 2 = e | ã 2m −√{ square root over ( e 2m )} a 2m | 2 , where a 2m is a known symbol on a pilot channel . similarly , other channels having known values of a 2m and √{ square root over ( e 2m )} may be used . if there is prior information about the distribution of e 2k , then λ 2k may be estimated as the posterior mean , given a sequence of symbol estimates { ã 2k [ l ], l = 1 , 2 , . . . , l }: { circumflex over ( λ )} 2k = e [ λ 2k ∥ ã 2k | 2 [ l ], l = 1 , 2 , . . . , l ] the expectation is over the posterior distribution of e 2k , given the sequence { ã 2k [ l ]}. when the posterior mean is intractable to compute , it may be numerically approximated to produce estimates of λ 2k = e | ã 2k | 2 /( e | ã 2k | 2 + σ 2k 2 ) that are companded versions of | ã 2k | 2 /(| ã 2k | 2 + σ 2k 2 ) or companded versions of (| ã 2k | 2 − σ 2k 2 )/| ã 2k | 2 . in some embodiments , hard decisions may be made for the pre - processed symbol estimates when λ 2k exceeds a predetermined threshold . the derivation for the sinr in such embodiments is described in the co - pending application , entitled “ soft - weighted subtractive interference cancellation systems ,” which is hereby incorporated by reference . some embodiments may employ weighted soft decisions on some subchannels and hard decisions on others . in one such embodiment , all subchannels having a preprocessed sinr ( 1 ) between two predetermined thresholds employ soft weighted ( e . g ., companded ) estimates for interference synthesis . subchannels having values of sinr ( 1 ) below the lower threshold may be zeroed . subchannels having values of sinr ( 1 ) above the upper threshold may be hard - coded to a nearest constellation point ( i . e ., hard decisions are used ). a cdma2000 system in which symbols are drawn from a single qpsk constellation may use a combination of soft and hard decisions based on predetermined thresholds . however , in a system where w - cdma and hsdpa coexist , constellations for various users may differ . thus , the constellations of interfering users are typically unknown at the receiver , making hard decisions impractical , unless constellation classification is performed per user . however , the estimation of e 2k + σ 2k 2 remains unchanged . other embodiments may quantize the weighting of soft estimates . fig2 a is a block diagram that shows a receiver embodiment of the invention that may be employed in a cdma system . the receiver includes a baseband receiver 201 coupled to an sinr - estimation module 202 and a companding module 204 . a thresholding module 203 is coupled between the sinr - estimation module 202 and the companding module 204 . the companding module 204 is coupled to an interference synthesizer 205 , followed by a channel emulator 206 , and a canceller 207 . the baseband receiver 201 provides pre - processed symbol estimates for subchannels of a received baseband signal . for example , a rake receiver may be employed for producing pre - processed estimates for all of the received cdma subchannels . in another embodiment , symbol estimates may be chosen per rake finger . in some embodiments , the baseband receiver 201 may comprise an equalizer receiver . the pre - processed estimates are coupled into the sinr - estimation module 202 , which estimates a pre - processed sinr ( 1 ) for each subchannel . sinr estimates may be extracted from evms . alternatively , the noise - plus - interference variance may be measured on a representative subchannel ( e . g ., a pilot channel ) and used for all subchannels . the value avg (| ã 2k | 2 ) may be used to estimate e 2k + σ 2k 2 directly without resolving onto a constellation . the thresholding module 203 compares estimated sinr to a predetermined threshold for determining whether soft or hard decisions are to be used for generating interference - symbol estimates for each subchannel . the companding module 204 generates the hard decisions and / or weighted soft decisions for each pre - processed symbol estimate . the companding module 204 may employ filtering for each subchannel to estimate user amplitudes , and amplitude scaling may be employed prior to hard decisions . the estimated sinr may be used to generate weights used to soft weight symbol estimates for each subchannel . the interference synthesizer 205 performs source - specific operations on the symbol estimates ( which may be soft and / or hard symbol estimates ) to produce a synthesized interference signal . for example the interference synthesizer 205 may perform an inverse fast walsh transform ( ifwt ) to respread user symbol estimates , followed by a pn covering that provides for pn / scrambling cover codes . a transmitter pulse - shaping filter may be used to shape the scrambled , code - multiplexed signal . the channel emulator 206 , which may optionally be part of the interference synthesizer 205 , adds channel distortions to the synthesized interference signal . in one embodiment , a path of interest is selected from a multipath signal . for example , the first signal path 111 from base station 101 corresponding to a first finger of a rake receiver may be denoted as the path of interest . in this case , the channel emulator 206 may convolve the synthesized interference with a channel profile that excludes the channel effects corresponding to the first finger ( i . e ., the first signal path 111 ). this enables a canceller ( e . g ., canceller 207 ) to remove effects of other multipath components from the path of interest ( i . e ., signal path 111 ). receiver embodiments of the invention may be configured to remove any number of multipath components from a path of interest . furthermore , when multiple transmit sources are present , signals from sources other than the source corresponding to the path of interest may be removed . the canceller 207 may include a subtractive canceller or a projective canceller configured to remove interference from the received baseband signal , which may be obtained from a receiver pulse - shaping filter ( not shown ). thus , the interference synthesizer 205 or the channel emulator 206 may optionally emulate the effects of receiver pulse - shaping for the synthesized interference . in some embodiments of the invention , the canceller 207 may provide for a scale factor α to adjust the amount of interference that is removed . in some cases , the received signal and the synthesized interference are not to scale . for example , walsh codes and pn codes typically are not normalized . walsh stripping and walsh insertion together introduce a scale equal to the code length n , and pn code stripping and insertion together introduce an additional factor of 2 . furthermore , mrc combining for m paths results in a scaling factor given by where b i is a weighting factor employed for an i th finger . for example , | b i | 2 =| c i | 2 or | b i | 2 =| c i | 2 / σ 2 . the normalizing factor in this case is the term α may also represent a projective cancellation factor that accounts for path correlations , an example of α for such a case is given by where p s is a projection operator p s = ss h / s h s . interference - cancelled signals output by the canceller 207 may be coupled to one or more rake fingers . in an exemplary rake receiver configured to process four multipath components , interference - cancelled signals in which the effects of a third and a fourth path are removed may be coupled to fingers configured for processing first and second multipath components . a comparator ( not shown ) may optionally be employed for selecting one of the interference - cancelled signal and the uncancelled signal for processing by a rake receiver , embodiments of the invention may be configured for receivers having more than one receive antenna . for example , in fig2 b , each of a plurality n of rake receivers 201 . 1 - 201 . n corresponding to a different receive antenna ( not shown ) may include an interference canceller 207 . 1 - 207 . n , respectively . a generalized combiner may be used to combine paths that are common to two or more receive antennas . a combiner 211 may perform maximal ratio combining across the rake 201 . 1 - 201 . n fingers . alternative types of combining may be performed . pre - processed soft estimates are output by the combiner 211 and used to produce synthesized interference , such as described previously . the synthesized interference is coupled to a plurality of channel emulators 206 . 1 - 206 . n , wherein each channel emulator 206 . 1 - 206 . n has an associated rake receiver 201 . 1 - 201 . n . in an exemplary two - antenna system configured for receiving two multipath components from a single transmit source , a first channel emulator produces two interference signals corresponding to the two paths received by the first antenna . similarly , a second channel emulator produces two interference signals corresponding to the two paths received by the second antenna . in this case , the receiver may include four rake fingers , each matched to one of the four paths . the first finger may be assigned to the signal received by the first antenna , wherein interference due to the second path is removed via subtractive or projective cancellation . the second finger may be assigned to the signal received by the first antenna wherein the interference due to the first path is removed . similarly , the third and fourth fingers may be matched to the multipath components received by the second receive antenna . in “ data optimized ” cdma , such as high - speed downlink packet access ( hsdpa ), multiple subchannels transmitting high data rates have the same frequency - selective fade and each of these coded subchannels has the same transmission amplitude . these subchannels coexist with voice channels , which have a lower data rate . unlike the high - rate subchannels , these low - rate channels may have different amplitudes . in such systems , only one weight may be calculated for each of the k subchannels carrying high data rates . signal amplitudes may be averaged over time and / or across subchannels , and the noise power may also be averaged over subchannels to obtain a single sinr estimate . in one embodiment of the invention , an sinr estimate may be compared to a predetermined threshold for determining whether to perform hard decisions , weighted soft decisions , or zeroing for all of the high data rate subchannels . fig3 is a flow chart that illustrates a cancellation method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . rake synthesis 301 . 1 processes a received baseband signal to produce soft symbol estimates for data symbols modulated on subchannels by a first source ( e . g ., a first base station ). similarly , rake synthesis 301 . n produces soft symbol estimates for data symbols modulated on subchannels by an n th source . the rake synthesis steps 301 . 1 - 301 . n may optionally be cross - coupled if source diversity is present for at least some of the subchannels , such as may typically occur during a soft hand over . for each source , an sinr estimate or a vector magnitude is made from the soft symbol estimates 302 . 1 - 302 . n . these measurements are used to determine the reliability of the soft symbol estimates . based on this reliability determination , either a hard decision or a weighted soft - decision is produced for each soft symbol estimate 303 . 1 - 303 . n . this companding process 303 . 1 - 303 . n may implement subchannel selection , such as by discarding subchannels that have a signal energy that falls below a predetermined threshold . interference synthesis ( such as providing for pn covering , walsh covering , pulse shaping , and channel emulation ) 304 . 1 - 304 . n is performed to synthesize interference received from each source ( i . e . each base station and / or multipath ). interference for a particular rake finger is synthesized 305 using synthesized multipath signals from each of the first source to the n th source . scaling 306 may optionally be used to scale interference received from the different sources . some form of interference cancellation 307 ( such as subtractive cancellation , weighted subtractive cancellation , projective cancellation , or weighted projective cancellation ) is provided for cancelling interference from a predetermined path of interest . rake finger input selection 308 is performed to select between an interference - cancelled signal and the original received baseband signal ( depending on which signal has the highest value of estimated sinr or an alternative figure of merit ) prior to coupling the resulting selected signal into a rake finger . rake synthesis 309 produces soft estimates for each subchannel . signal and noise powers are measured 310 , followed by another selection process 311 configured to select either soft estimates produced by some combination of rake synthesis 301 . 1 to 301 . n or soft estimates produced by rake synthesis 309 , the selected signals may be output for further processing . those skilled in the art should recognize that method and apparatus embodiments described herein may be implemented in a variety of ways , including implementations in hardware , software , firmware , or various combinations thereof . examples of such hardware may include application specific integrated circuits ( asics ), field programmable gate arrays ( fpgas ), general - purpose processors , digital signal processors ( dsps ), and / or other circuitry . software and / or firmware implementations of the invention may be implemented via any combination of programming languages , including java , c , c ++, matlab ™, verilog , vhdl , and / or processor specific machine and assembly languages . computer programs ( i . e ., software and / or firmware ) implementing the method of this invention may be distributed to users on a distribution medium such as a sim card , a usb memory interface , or other computer - readable memory adapted for interfacing with a consumer wireless terminal . similarly , computer programs may be distributed to users via wired or wireless network interfaces . from there , they will often be copied to a hard disk or a similar intermediate storage medium . when the programs are to be run , they may be loaded either from their distribution medium or their intermediate storage medium into the execution memory of a wireless terminal , configuring an onboard digital computer system ( e . g . a microprocessor ) to act in accordance with the method of this invention . all these operations are well known to those skilled in the art of computer systems . fig4 a illustrates a method for estimating subchannel symbols as part of an interference - cancellation technique . for a given pre - processed sinr , hard decisions are employed if the sinr is higher than a first predetermined threshold 401 . weighted soft decisions may be employed for an intermediate range of sinrs defined by an upper bound ( e . g ., the first predetermined threshold ) and a lower bound 402 ( e . g ., a second predetermined threshold ). subchannel symbol values may be discarded ( e . g ., set to zero ) if the pre - processed sinr falls below the second predetermined threshold 403 . in a related embodiment , an interference cancellation circuit may be turned off if the measured sinr falls below a predetermined threshold , since , in some embodiments of the invention , it is known that interference cancellation may not be as useful as power conservation at lower pre - processed sinrs . fig4 b illustrates a method for estimating subchannel symbols for a given system that employs different signal constellations corresponding to different data rates . a system identification 400 is performed for each subchannel . for example , system identification 400 may distinguish between hsdpa subchannels and non - hsdpa subchannels , which have a lower data rate . for subchannels ( e . g ., hsdpa subchannels ) having a higher data rate , some predetermined strategy may be used to estimate subchannel symbols based on whether the symbol constellation for those subchannels is known or unknown . weighted soft estimates may be employed or cancellation may be bypassed for hsdpa subchannels in which the constellation is unknown . if the constellation is known , hard decisions 411 , weighted soft decisions 412 , and / or no cancellation 413 may be performed . for non - hsdpa ( e . g ., wcdma ) subchannels , it is assumed that the constellation is known . thus , hard decisions 421 , weighted soft decisions 422 , and / or no cancellation 423 may be performed . the functions of the various elements shown in the drawings , including functional blocks labeled as “ modules ” may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware , as well as hardware capable of executing software in association with appropriate software . when provided by a processor , the functions may be performed by a single dedicated processor , by a shared processor , or by a plurality of individual processors , some of which may be shared . moreover , explicit use of the term “ processor ” or “ module ” should not be construed to refer exclusively to hardware capable of executing software , and may implicitly include , without limitation , digital signal processor dsp hardware , read - only memory ( rom ) for storing software , random access memory ( ram ), and non - volatile storage . other hardware , conventional and / or custom , may also be included . similarly , the function of any component or device described herein may be carried out through the operation of program logic , through dedicated logic , through the interaction of program control and dedicated logic , or even manually , the particular technique being selectable by the implementer as more specifically understood from the context . the method and system embodiments described herein merely illustrate particular embodiments of the invention . it should be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements , which , although not explicitly described or shown herein , embody the principles of the invention and are included within its spirit and scope . furthermore , all examples and conditional language recited herein are intended to be only for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the invention . this disclosure and its associated references are to be construed as applying without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions . moreover , all statements herein reciting principles , aspects , and embodiments of the invention , as well as specific examples thereof , are intended to encompass 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 . | 7 |
as shown in fig1 , a method of microwave annealing for enhancing the properties of an organic electronic device 20 is disclosed , comprising : providing an organic electronic device s 10 ; and microwave annealing the organic electronic device s 20 . provide an organic electronic device s 10 ; the organic electronic device 20 may be an organic solar cell , an organic light detector , an organic light emitting diode , or an organic thin film transistor . as shown in fig2 a , the organic electronic device 20 comprises a substrate 21 having a first conductive layer 22 formed thereon , the organic electronic device 20 is fabricated from forming an organic active layer 23 on the substrate 21 , and then forming a second conductive layer 24 on the organic active layer 23 , so that the organic electronic device 20 is formed as a sandwich structure in which the order of layers is “ the first conductive layer 22 — the organic active layer 23 — the second conductive layer 24 ” from the bottom up . the substrate 21 may be a glass substrate or a plastic substrate . the material of the plastic substrate may be polyethylene teraphthalate ( pet ) or polycarbonate . the organic electronic device 20 made from plastic substrates has advantages such as flexibility , light in weight , low cost , and may be manufactured in the form of large surface area at low temperature . the first conductive layer 22 may be selected from the group consisting of transparent conductors and semi - transparent conductors , whereas the second conductive layer 24 may also be selected from the group consisting of a transparent conductor and a semi - transparent conductor . the transparent conductor is selected from the group consisting of indium tin oxide ( ito ) and indium zinc oxide ( izo ), while the semi - transparent conductor may be a thin metal layer , and the metal of the thin metal layer is selected from the group consisting of silver , aluminum , titanium , nickel , copper , gold , and chromium . referring to fig2 b , microwave annealing the organic electronic device s 20 is resulted from exposing the organic electronic device 20 to a microwave 31 generated from a microwave generator 30 in a microwave field 32 ; the microwave field 32 may be in an open space or a microwave chamber . after organic molecules in the organic active layer 23 has absorbed energy from the microwave 31 and begun to vibrate , the organic molecules are rearranged into a more refined arrangement during the vibration , which in turn enhances the arrangement of the organic molecules . because the organic molecules are more compactly arranged , the speed of transmitting electrons and holes in the organic active layer 23 is increased , and thus quantum efficiency of the organic active layer 23 is elevated , thereby enhancing the properties of the organic electronic device 20 . in the embodiment of the invention , the organic electronic device 20 that has been through the packaging process may be placed in the microwave field 32 in order to undergo microwave annealing ; or the step of microwave annealing may be carried out after the organic active layer 23 has been formed on the substrate 21 . the organic electronic device 20 may undergo further processes after microwave annealing has been completed . the operational bandwidth of the microwave 31 generated from the microwave generator 30 may range between 13 . 55 mhz and 13 . 57 mhz , 300 mhz and 300 ghz , 902 mhz and 928 mhz , 2 . 4 mhz and 2 . 5 mhz , 5 . 725 ghz and 5 . 875 ghz , or 24 . 025 ghz and 24 . 275 ghz . the preferable operational bandwidth for the microwave 31 is 13 . 56 mhz , 915 mhz , 2 . 45 ghz , 5 . 8 ghz , or 24 . 15 ghz . the microwave power for the microwave 31 ranges between 300 watts and 1200 watts , and the preferable microwave power for the microwave 31 is between 500 watts and 700 watts . during the process of microwave annealing , the microwave 31 may target the organic active layer 23 only , and thus other parts of the organic electronic device 20 will not be affected by the microwave annealing ; further , the energy of the microwave 31 is concentrated on the organic active layer 23 , which not only saves energy but also allows the annealing process to be completed quickly . the time required for microwave annealing is generally 20 seconds or more , and the preferable time for microwave annealing is between 85 seconds and 95 seconds . in addition , because the microwave annealing process is non - contact and may target only the organic active layer 23 , it may be combined with the batch - type fabrication process in order to speed up the annealing process and subsequently increase productivity in actual production , while also enhancing the properties of the organic electronic device 20 at the same time . to facilitate better understanding toward the effects of the invention , an embodiment of the invention is provided for this purpose , in which an organic solar cell having an organic active layer 23 made of poly ( 3 - hexylthiophene )/ 1 -( 3 - methoxycarbonyl )- propyl - 1phenyl -( 6 , 6 ) c 61 ( p3ht / pcbm ) is used as an example . referring to fig3 , the organic solar cell was respectively annealed via thermal annealing by using a 200 ° c . hot plate , and annealed via microwave annealing by using a microwave 31 with a power of 600 watts and an operational bandwidth of 2 . 45 ghz . to carry out thermal annealing by using the hot plate , the substrate 21 needs to be heated beforehand , so that the heat is passed on from the substrate 21 to the organic active layer 23 via heat conduction , which subsequently anneals the organic molecules in the organic active layer 23 , and required a longer time to complete the annealing process . with respect to microwave annealing , the organic molecules in the organic active layer 23 are vibrated via the energy of the microwave 31 , so that the organic molecules are rearranged and this consequently further refines the arrangement of the organic molecules ; because the energy of the microwave 31 is directly focused on the organic active layer 23 , the time for annealing may be significantly reduced . therefore , in the circumstance of obtaining the same temperature in the organic active layer , the method of microwave annealing achieves the goal faster than that of the method of thermal annealing . in other words , the method of microwave annealing of the invention achieves the effect of annealing more quickly . fig4 shows the results of x - ray diffraction to the organic active layer annealed via different methods of annealing ; the process of x - ray diffraction was carried out by using an x - ray diffractometer of the model x ′ pert pro from panalytical , and the organic active layer is made of p3ht / pcbm that was either unannealed , annealed via thermal annealing for 30 minutes , or annealed via microwave annealing for 90 seconds . it should be noted that when the two - fold incident angle ( 2θ ) of the x - ray diffraction is 5 . 4 degrees and the lattice orientation is [ 100 ], microwave annealing for 90 seconds showed the strongest intensity of diffraction , which indicates that the arrangement of organic molecules in the organic active layer 23 resulted from microwave annealing was the most refined . in other words , the arrangement of organic molecules in the organic active layer 23 may be enhanced most quickly by using the method of microwave annealing of the invention . when the load resistance of the organic solar cell is infinitely large , which means the external current is cut off ( with a current value of zero ), and the resulted voltage is called the open - circuit voltage ( v oc ); on the other hand , when the voltage is zero , the resulted current density is called the short - circuit current density ( j sc ). moreover , in the curve that shows the current density - voltage property of the organic solar cell , the output power ( p ) of any operating point is resulted from multiplying the voltage ( v ) by the current density ( j ); wherein a operating point ( v m , j m ) has a maximum output power ( p m , p m = v m × j m ). the division of the maximum output power by the product of the open - circuit voltage and the short - circuit current density results in the filling factor ( ff , ff =( v m × j m )/( v oc × j sc )). a preferable organic solar cell has to have not only high open - circuit voltage and short - circuit current density , but also a value of the filling factor which is close to 1 . this is because the filling factor indicates how close the maximum output power is to the product of the open - circuit voltage and short - circuit current density . furthermore , the quantum efficiency ( η , η =( v oc × j sc × ff )/ p in ) of the organic solar cell is defined as the ratio between the outputted energy and the inputted light energy ( p in ), which means the closer the value of the filling factor is to 1 , the higher the quantum efficiency of the organic solar cell . referring to fig5 and 6a , it should be noted that the open - circuit voltage of the organic solar cell did not decrease relatively as the time of microwave annealing was increased . this indicates that the microwave annealing did not damage the first conductive layer 22 and the second conductive layer 24 ; hence the open - circuit voltage of the organic solar cell is maintained . referring to fig6 b , 6 c , and 6 d , which show that the short - circuit current density and the filling factor of the organic solar cell increased along with the increment in the time of microwave annealing . this indicated that microwave annealing also enhances the properties of the organic solar cell , whereas the quantum efficiency of the organic solar cell also increased relatively ; the preferable time of microwave annealing is between 85 seconds and 95 seconds , and the most preferable time of microwave annealing is 90 seconds . when the time of microwave annealing is 90 seconds , the quantum efficiency of the organic solar cell increased from 1 % to 4 . 1 %. by implementing the method of microwave annealing according to the invention , the properties of the organic solar cell are effectively enhanced in a short period of time . therefore , when the method of the invention is applied to other organic electronic device 20 , the properties of the organic electronic device 20 are also quickly enhanced . although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described for purposes of illustration , it is understood that various changes and modifications to the described embodiment can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims . | 8 |
the exemplary embodiments of this invention will be described in relation to sharing resources in a wired and / or wireless communications environment . however , it should be appreciated , that in general , the systems and methods of this invention will work equally well for any type of communication system in any environment . the exemplary systems and methods of this invention will also be described in relation to multicarrier modems , such as dsl modems and vdsl modems , and associated communication hardware , software and communication channels . however , to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention , the following description omits well - known structures and devices that may be shown in block diagram form or otherwise summarized . for purposes of explanation , numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . it should be appreciated however that the present invention may be practiced in a variety of ways beyond the specific details set forth herein . furthermore , while the exemplary embodiments illustrated herein show the various components of the system collocated , it is to be appreciated that the various components of the system can be located at distant portions of a distributed network , such as a telecommunications network and / or the internet , or within a dedicated secure , unsecured and / or encrypted system . thus , it should be appreciated that the components of the system can be combined into one or more devices , such as a modem , or collocated on a particular node of a distributed network , such as a telecommunications network . as will be appreciated from the following description , and for reasons of computational efficiency , the components of the system can be arranged at any location within a distributed network without affecting the operation of the system . for example , the various components can be located in a central office modem ( co , atu - c , vtu - o ), a customer premises modem ( cpe , atu - r , vtu - r ), a dsl management device , or some combination thereof . similarly , one or more functional portions of the system could be distributed between a modem and an associated computing device . furthermore , it should be appreciated that the various links , including communications channel 5 , connecting the elements can be wired or wireless links , or any combination thereof , or any other known or later developed element ( s ) that is capable of supplying and / or communicating data to and from the connected elements . the term module as used herein can refer to any known or later developed hardware , software , firmware , or combination thereof that is capable of performing the functionality associated with that element . the terms determine , calculate and compute , and variations thereof , as used herein are used interchangeably and include any type of methodology , process , mathematical operation or technique . fci block and latency path are used interchangeably herein as well as transmitting modem and transmitting transceiver . receiving modem and receiving transceiver are also used interchangeably . fig1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a transceiver 100 that utilizes shared resources . it should be appreciated that numerous functional components of the transceiver have been omitted for clarity . however , the transceiver 100 can also include the standard components found in typical communications device ( s ) in which the technology of the subject invention is implemented into . according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention , memory and processing power can be shared among a plurality of transmitter and / or receiver latency paths , in a communications transceiver that carries or supports multiple applications . for example , the transmitter and / or receiver latency paths of the transceiver can share an interleaver / deinterleaver memory and the shared memory can be allocated to the interleaver and / or deinterleaver of each latency path . this allocation can be done based on the data rate , latency , ber , impulse noise protection requirements of the application , data or information being transported over each latency path , or in general any parameter associated with the communications system . likewise , for example , the transmitter and / or receiver latency paths can share a reed - solomon coder / decoder processing module and the processing power of this module can be allocated to each encoder and / or decoder . this allocation can be done based on the data rate / latency , ber , impulse noise protection requirements of the application data or information being transported over each latency path , or in general based on any parameter associated with the communication system . in accordance with an exemplary operational embodiment , a first transceiver and a second transceiver transmit to one another messages during , for example , initialization which contain information on the total and / or shared memory capabilities of each transceiver and optionally information about the one or more latency paths . this information can be transmitted prior to determining how to configure the latency paths to support the application requirements . based on this information , one of the modems can select an fci configuration parameter ( s ) that meets the transmission requirements of each application being transported over each latency paths . while an exemplary of the embodiment of the invention will be described in relation to the operation of the invention and characteristics thereof being established during initialization , it should be appreciated that the sharing of resources can be modified and messages transmitted between a two transceivers at any time during initialization and / or user data transmission , i . e ., showtime . fig1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a transceiver 100 . the transceiver 100 includes a transmitter portion 200 and a receiver portion 300 . the transmitter portion 200 includes one or more latency paths 210 , 220 , . . . . similarly , the receiver portion 300 includes one or more latency paths 310 , 320 , . . . . each of the latency paths in the transmitter portion 200 includes a framer , coder , and interleaver designated as 212 , 214 , 216 and 222 , 224 and 226 , respectively . each of the latency paths in the receiver portion includes a deframer , decoder , and deinterleaver designated as 312 , 314 , 316 and 322 , 324 , and 326 , respectively . the transceiver 100 further includes a shared processing module 110 , a shared memory 120 , a parameter determination module 130 , a path module 140 , an allocation module 150 , and a shared resource management module 160 , all interconnected by one or more links ( not shown ). in this exemplary embodiment , the transceiver 100 is illustrated with four total transmitter portion and receiver portion latency paths , i . e ., 210 , 220 , 310 , and 320 . the shared memory 120 is shared amongst the two transmitter portion interleavers 216 and 226 and two receiver portion deinterleavers 316 and 326 . the shared processing module 110 , such as a shared coding module , is shared between the two transmitter portion coders 214 and 224 and the two receiver portion decoders 314 and 324 . while the exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described in relation to a transceiver having a number of transmitter portion latency paths and receiver portion latency paths , it should be appreciated that this invention can be applied to any transceiver having any number of latency paths . moreover , it should be appreciated that the sharing of resources can be allocated such that one or more of the transmitter portion latency paths are sharing a shared resource , one or more of the receiver portion latency paths are sharing a shared resource , or a portion of the transmitter portion latency paths and a portion of the receiver portion latency paths are sharing shared resources . moreover , any one or more of the latency paths , or portions thereof , could also be assigned to a fixed resource while , for example , another portion of the latency path ( s ) assigned to a shared resource . for example , in latency path 210 , the interleaver 216 could be allocated a portion of the shared memory 120 , while the coder 214 could be allocated to a dedicated processing module , vice versa , or the like . in accordance with the exemplary embodiment , a plurality of transmitter portion or receiver portion latency paths share an interleaver / deinterleaver memory , such as shared memory 120 , and a coding module , such as shared processing module 110 . for example , the interleaver / deinterleaver memory can be allocated to different interleavers and / or deinterleavers . this allocation can be based on parameters associated with the communication systems such as data rate , latency , ber , impulse noise protection , and the like , of the applications being transported . similarly , a coding module , which can be a portion of the shared processing module 110 , can be shared between any one or more of the latency paths . this sharing can be based on requirements such as data rate , latency , ber , impulse noise protection , and the like , of the applications being transported . for example , an exemplary transceiver could comprise a shared interleaver / deinterleaver memory and could be designed to allocate a first portion of the shared memory 120 to an interleaver , such as interleaver 216 in the transmitter portion of the transceiver and allocate a second portion of the shared memory 120 to a deinterleaver , such as 316 , in the receiver portion of the transceiver . alternatively , for example , an exemplary transceiver can comprise a shared interleaver / deinterleaver memory , such as shared memory 120 , and be designed to allocate a first portion of shared memory 120 to a first interleaver , e . g ., 216 , in the transmitter portion of the transceiver and allocate a second portion of the shared memory to a second interleaver , e . g ., 226 , in the transmitter portion of the transceiver . alternatively , for example , an exemplary transceiver can comprise a shared interleaver / deinterleaver memory and be designed to allocate a first portion of the shared memory 120 to a first deinterleaver , e . g ., 316 , in the receiver portion of the transceiver and allocate a second portion of the shared memory to a second deinterleaver , e . g ., 326 , in the receiver portion of the transceiver . regardless of the configuration , in general any interleaver or deinterleaver , or grouping thereof , be it in a transmitter portion or receiver portion of the transceiver , can be associated with a portion of the shared memory 120 . establishment , configuration and usage of shared resources is performed in the following exemplary manner . first , and in cooperation with the path module 140 , the number of transmitter and receiver latency paths ( n ) is determined . the parameter determination module 130 then analyses one or more parameters such as data rate , transmitter data rate , receiver data rate , impulse noise protection , bit error rate , latency , or the like . based on one or more of these parameters , the allocation module 150 allocates a portion of the shared memory 120 to one or more of the interleaver and / or deinterleavers , or groupings thereof . this process continues until the memory allocation has been determined and assigned to each of the n latency paths . having determined the memory allocation for each of the latency paths , and in conjunction with the shared resource management 160 , the transceiver 100 transmits to a second transceiver one or more of the number of latency paths ( n ), the maximum interleaver memory for any one or more of the latency paths and / or the maximum total and / or shared memory for all of the latency paths . three examples of sharing interleaver / deinterleaver memory and coding processing in a transceiver are described below . the latency paths in these examples can be in the transmitter portion of the transceiver or the receiver portion of the transceiver . a first transmitter portion or receiver portion latency path may carry data from a video application , which needs a very low ber but can tolerate higher latency . in this case , the video will be transported using an latency path that has a large amount of interleaving / deinterleaving and coding ( also known as forward error correction ( fec ) coding ). for example , the latency path may be configured with reed - solomon coding using a codeword size of 255 bytes ( n = 255 ) with 16 checkbytes ( r = 16 ) and interleaving / deinterleaving using an interleaver depth of 64 ( d = 64 ). this latency path will require n * d = 255 * 64 = 16 kbytes of interleaver memory at the transmitter ( or deinterleaver memory at the receiver ). this latency path will be able to correct a burst of errors that is less than 512 bytes in duration . a second transmitter portion or receiver portion latency path may carry an internet access application that requires a medium ber and a medium amount of latency . in this case , the internet access application will be transported using a latency path that has a medium amount of interleaving and coding . for example , the latency path may be configured with reed - solomon coding using a codeword size of 128 bytes ( n = 128 ) with 8 checkbytes ( r = 8 ) and interleaving using an interleaver depth of 16 ( d = 32 ). this latency path will require n * d = 128 * 32 = 4 kbytes of interleaver memory and the same amount of deinterleaver memory . this latency path will be able to correct a burst of errors that is less than 128 bytes in duration . a third transmitter portion or receiver portion latency path may carry a voice telephony application , which needs a very low latency but can tolerate ber . in this case , the video will be transported using an latency path that has a large amount of interleaving and coding . for example , the third transmitter portion or receiver portion latency path may be configured with no interleaving or coding which will result in the lowest possible latency through the latency path but will provide no error correction capability . according to the principles of this invention , a system carrying the three applications described above in example # 1 , would have three latency paths that share one memory space containing at least ( 16 + 4 )= 20 kbytes . the three latency paths also share a common coding block that is able to simultaneously encode ( in the transmitter portion ) or decode ( in a receiver portion ) two codewords with n = 255 / r = 16 and n = 128 / r = 8 . according to an exemplary embodiment of this invention , the latency paths can be reconfigured at initialization or during data transmission mode ( also known as showtime in adsl and vdsl transceivers ). this would occur if , for example , the applications or application requirements were to change . if instead of 1 video application , 1 internet application and 1 voice application , there were 3 internet access applications then the transmitter portion and / or receiver portion latency paths would be reconfigured to utilize the shared memory and coding module in a different way . for example , the system could be reconfigured to have 3 transmitter portion or receiver portion latency paths , with each latency path being configured with reed - solomon coding using a codeword size of 128 bytes ( n = 128 ) with 8 checkbytes ( r = 8 ) and interleaving using an interleaver depth of 16 ( d = 32 ). each latency path will require n * d = 128 * 32 = 4 kbytes of interleaver memory and each block will be able to correct a burst of errors that is less than 128 bytes in duration . based on the example of carrying the three internet access applications described , the three latency path share one memory space containing at least 3 * 4 = 12 kbytes . also the three latency paths share a common coding block that is able to simultaneously encode ( on the transmitter side ) or decode ( on the receiver side ) three codewords with n = 128 / r = 16 , n = 128 / r = 8 and n = 128 / r = 8 . the system could be configured to carry yet another set of applications . for example , the latency paths could be configured to carry 2 video applications . in this case only 2 transmitter portion or receiver portion latency paths are needed , which means that the third latency path could be simply disabled . also , assuming that the memory is constrained based on the first example above , then the maximum shared memory for these 2 latency paths is 20 kbytes . in this case , the system could be reconfigured to have 2 latency paths , with each block being configured with reed - solomon coding using a codeword size of 200 bytes ( n = 200 ) with 10 checkbytes ( r = 10 ) and interleaving / deinterleaving using an interleaver depth of 50 ( d = 50 ). each latency path will require n * d = 200 * 50 = 10 kbytes of interleaver memory and each block will be able to correct a burst of errors that is less than 250 bytes in duration . this configuration results in 20k of shared memory for both latency paths , which is the same as in the first example . in order to stay within the memory constraints of the latency paths , the error correction capability for each latency path is decreased to 250 bytes from 512 bytes in example # 1 . another aspect of this invention is the how fci configuration information is transmitted between a first modem and a second modem . fci configuration information will depend on the requirements of the applications being transported over the dsl connection . this information may need to be forwarded during initialization in order to initially configure the dsl connection . this information may also need to be forwarded during showtime in order to reconfigure the dsl connection based on a change in applications or the application requirements . according to one embodiment , a first modem determines the specific fci configuration parameters , e . g ,. n , d , r as defined above , needed to meet specific application requirements , such as latency , burst error correction capability , etc . in order to determine the fci configuration parameters , the first modem must know what are the capabilities of a second modem . for example , the first modem must know how many latency paths ( fci blocks ) the second modem can support . also the first modem must know the maximum amount of interleaver memory for each transmitter latency path . in addition , since the transmitter latency paths may share a common memory space the first modem must know the total shared memory for all transmitter latency paths . this way the first modem will be able to choose a configuration that can meet application requirements and also meet the transmitter portion latency path capabilities of the second modem . for example , using values from examples above , a first transceiver could send a message to a second transceiver during initialization or during showtime containing the following information : number of supported transmitter and receiver latency paths = 3 max interleaver memory for latency path # 1 = 16 kbytes max interleaver memory for latency path # 2 = 16 kbytes max interleaver memory for latency path # 3 = 16 kbytes maximum total / shared memory for all latency paths = 20 kbytes based on this information , and the application requirements , the first transceiver would select latency path settings . for example , if the applications are 1 video , 1 internet access and 1 voice application , the first transceiver could configure 3 latency paths as follows : latency path # 1 — video : n = 255 , r = 16 , d = 64 latency path # 2 — video : n = 128 , r = 8 , d = 32 latency path # 3 — video : n = 0 , r = 0 , d = 1 ( no coding or interleaving ) this would result in a total interleaver memory of 20 kbytes . alternatively , if for example , there are only 2 video applications , the first transceiver could configure 2 latency paths as follows : latency path # 1 — video : n = 200 , r = 10 , d = 50 latency path # 2 — video : n = 200 , r = 10 , d = 50 latency path # 3 — video : n = 0 , r = 0 , d = 1 ( no coding or interleaving ) this would also result in a total interleaver memory of 20 kbytes . alternatively , the second transceiver can determine the specific fci configuration parameters , e . g ., n , d , r as defined above , needed to meet specific application requirements , such as latency , burst error correction capability , etc . as described above for the first transceiver , in order to determine the fci configuration parameters , the second transceiver must first know what are the capabilities of the first transceiver . in this case , the first transceiver would send a message to the second transceiver containing the information described above and based on this information and the application requirements the second transceiver would select latency path settings . fig2 outlines an exemplary method of allocating shared memory in a transceiver . more specifically , control begins in step s 200 and continues to step s 210 . in step s 210 , one or more of shared interleaver / deinterleaver memory and / or shared coder / decoder processing resources are allocated to one or more latency paths , in a transceiver . control then continues to step s 220 where the control sequence ends . fig3 outlines an exemplary method of exchanging shared resource allocations according to an exemplary embodiment of this invention . in particular , control begins in step s 310 . in step s 310 , a maximum amount of shared memory that can be allocated to a specific interleaver or deinterleaver of a plurality of interleavers or deinterleavers in a transceiver is determined . next , in step s 320 , the determined maximum amount for one or more of the deinterleavers and / or interleavers is transmitted to another transceiver . messages containing additional information can also be transmitted to the other transceiver and / or received from the other transceiver . control then continues to step s 330 where the control sequence ends . fig4 outlines an exemplary procedure for resource sharing according to an exemplary embodiment of this invention . in particular , control begins in step s 400 and continues to step s 410 . in step s 410 , the number of latency paths are determined then , in step s 420 , the latency path information ( fci block information ) is transmitted to another transceiver . messages containing additional information can also be transmitted to the other transceiver and / or received from the other transceiver . this information can be used to , for example , assist with the determination of memory allocation in the transceiver . moreover , the messages received from the other transceiver could specify what the memory allocation is to be based on , for example , the number of latency paths , memory allocation in the remote transceiver and required applications . control then continues to step s 430 . in step s 430 , and for each latency path , the steps in step 440 are performed . in step s 440 , and while monitoring of allocation of resources is being performed , steps 450 and 460 are performed . more specifically , in step s 450 , one or more parameters associated with the communication system are determined . then , in step s 460 , shared resources are allocated based on one or more of the communication parameters . control then continues to step s 470 . in step s 470 , the allocation of shared resources is communicated to another transceiver . next , in step s 480 , a determination is made as to whether there is a change in communications that would require the adjustment of the shared resource allocation . examples of changes in communications conditions include a change in applications being transported over the system and / or changes in the channel condition , etc . if adjustments are required , control jumps back to step s 410 . otherwise , control jumps to step s 490 where the control sequence ends . the above - described system can be implemented on wired and / or wireless telecommunications devices , such a modem , a multicarrier modem , a dsl modem , an adsl modem , an xdsl modem , a vdsl modem , a linecard , test equipment , a multicarrier transceiver , a wired and / or wireless wide / local area network system , a satellite communication system , a modem equipped with diagnostic capabilities , or the like , or on a separate programmed general purpose computer having a communications device or in conjunction with any of the following communications protocols : cdsl , adsl2 , adsl2 +, vdsl1 , vdsl2 , hdsl , dsl lite , idsl , radsl , sdsl , udsl or the like . additionally , the systems , methods and protocols of this invention can be implemented on a special purpose computer , a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and peripheral integrated circuit element ( s ), an asic or other integrated circuit , a digital signal processor , a hard - wired electronic or logic circuit such as discrete element circuit , a programmable logic device such as pld , pla , fpga , pal , a modem , a transmitter / receiver , any comparable means , or the like . in general , any device capable of implementing a state machine that is in turn capable of implementing the methodology illustrated herein can be used to implement the various communication methods , protocols and techniques according to this invention . furthermore , the disclosed methods may be readily implemented in software using object or object - oriented software development environments that provide portable source code that can be used on a variety of computer or workstation platforms . alternatively , the disclosed system may be implemented partially or fully in hardware using standard logic circuits or vlsi design . whether software or hardware is used to implement the systems in accordance with this invention is dependent on the speed and / or efficiency requirements of the system , the particular function , and the particular software or hardware systems or microprocessor or microcomputer systems being utilized . the communication systems , methods and protocols illustrated herein can be readily implemented in hardware and / or software using any known or later developed systems or structures , devices and / or software by those of ordinary skill in the applicable art from the functional description provided herein and with a general basic knowledge of the computer and telecommunications arts . moreover , the disclosed methods may be readily implemented in software that can be stored on a storage medium , executed on programmed general - purpose computer with the cooperation of a controller and memory , a special purpose computer , a microprocessor , or the like . in these instances , the systems and methods of this invention can be implemented as program embedded on personal computer such as an applet , java ® or cgi script , as a resource residing on a server or computer workstation , as a routine embedded in a dedicated communication system or system component , or the like . the system can also be implemented by physically incorporating the system and / or method into a software and / or hardware system , such as the hardware and software systems of a communications transceiver . it is therefore apparent that there has been provided , in accordance with the present invention , systems and methods for sharing resources . while this invention has been described in conjunction with a number of embodiments , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications and variations would be or are apparent to those of ordinary skill in the applicable arts . accordingly , it is intended to embrace all such alternatives , modifications , equivalents and variations that are within the spirit and scope of this invention . | 7 |
fig1 illustrates an embodiment of a plastic siding panel 1 according to the present invention . the plastic siding panel 1 is monolithic and is prepared by molding a thermoplastic resin selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin , a polycarbonate , polyvinyl chloride , and mixtures and copolymers thereof . preferably , the thermoplastic resin is a polyolefin , with polypropylene being especially preferred . conventional additives used in siding panels can be present in the siding panel of the present invention and include fillers , pigments , uv inhibitors , anti - oxidants , etc . the thermoplastic resin can be formed into the monolithic plastic siding panel of the present invention by conventional molding processes such as injection molding , compression molding , transfer molding , extrusion molding , blow molding , etc ., with injection molding being preferred . as illustrated in fig1 , the monolithic molded plastic siding panel 1 of the present invention comprises a rectangular shaped body portion 2 and a strip - shaped attachment portion 3 provided immediately above and adjacent to the body portion 2 . as illustrated in fig1 and 3 , an embodiment of an attachment portion 3 of the present invention is provided with a plurality of apertures 15 which sequentially become more horizontally elongated as they are positioned away from a center position on the attachment portion 3 . the apertures 15 serve as nail slots for fastening the plastic siding panel 1 to a wall structure . the varying widths of the apertures 15 eliminate the need to initially fasten the panel through a center nail slot and will prevent the siding panel 1 from distorting in dramatic temperatures regardless of the width of the panel . it is only necessary that the fastener be placed at the center of the aperture or nail slot 15 . markings can be provided on the attachment portion 3 to indicate the center of the nail slots 15 and / or the nail slots may be formed to guide the fasteners into the proper position . a continuous top interlocking mechanism 5 is provided on an upper portion of the siding panel 1 , preferably on the attachment portion 3 immediately below the apertures 15 . the top interlocking mechanism 5 is adapted to engage with a bottom interlocking mechanism 10 provided on an adjacent panel to align the panels on the wall structure during installation . as illustrated in fig1 , the top interlocking mechanism 5 comprises a plurality of spaced - apart ledge portions 6 which extend laterally from the attachment portion 3 . the spaced - apart ledge portions 6 are joined by a continuous side wall portion 7 which is joined to and extends downwardly from the ledge portions 6 . alternatively , the continuous top interlocking mechanism 5 can be provided on the attachment portion 3 above the apertures 15 without departing from the scope of the present invention . at a lower portion of the body portion 2 , a bottom interlocking mechanism 11 is provided . the bottom interlocking mechanism 10 comprises a continuous ledge portion 11 which extends laterally along the length of the body portion 2 in a direction opposite to the ledge portions 6 and a continuous lip portion 12 which extends upwardly from the continuous ledge portion 11 . the bottom interlocking mechanism 10 is adapted to resiliently engage with the top interlocking mechanism 5 through the resilient engagement between the continuous side wall 7 and the continuous lip portion 12 . as with conventional siding panels , a longitudinally extending groove can be provided in one of the side surfaces of the body portion 2 and a longitudinally extending ridge can be provided in the opposite side surface which is adapted to engage with a longitudinally extending groove provided in an adjacent siding panel . another embodiment of the top interlocking mechanism 5 of the present invention is illustrated in fig2 . in this embodiment , the attachment portion 3 is molded to form a first connection member 16 containing a space 17 defined by a bottom wall 18 and inwardly extending lips 19 which is adapted to receive a plug portion 21 of a second connection member 20 . the second connection member 20 is an extruded part which extends laterally continuously along the width of the attachment portion 3 and together forms the top interlocking mechanism 5 with the first connection member 16 when the plug portion 21 is engaged in the space 17 . the plug portion 21 has a bottom wall 24 which flush engages with the bottom wall 18 of the space 17 and outwardly extending lips 25 having a top surface which sealingly engages with the bottom surface of lips 19 to firmly attach the second connection member 20 to the first connection member 16 and form another embodiment of the continuous top interlocking mechanism 5 of the present invention . fig9 illustrates another embodiment of the top interlocking mechanism 5 of the present invention wherein a conventional top interlocking mechanism 30 made up of a plurality of “ l - shaped ” spaced - apart locking members 31 is converted to a continuous top interlocking mechanism of the present invention by inserting a continuous “ u - shaped ” member 32 by inserting u - shaped member 32 under the l - shaped member 31 along the entire width of the attachment portion 3 . fig4 - 8 all illustrated different embodiments of the nail slots 15 provided on an attachment portion 3 of the present invention . in fig4 , the nail slots 15 progressively become wider as they are provided in the leftward direction on the attachment portion 3 . fig5 illustrates an embodiment of an attachment portion 3 of the present invention in which the nail slots 15 progressively become wider as they are provided in the rightward direction along the attachment portion 3 . fig6 illustrates an attachment portion 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention where the nail slots 15 have a constant size at the right side of the attachment portion 3 and then become progressively wider as they are provided in the leftward direction along the attachment portion 3 . fig7 illustrates another embodiment of an attachment portion 3 of the present invention where the nail slots 15 have a constant size at the left side of the attachment portion 3 and then become progressively wider as they are provided in the rightward direction along the attachment portion 3 . fig8 illustrates an attachment portion 3 according to another embodiment of the present invention wherein the nail slots 15 have a constant size at a central portion of the attachment portion 3 and become progressively wider as they are provided outwardly from the central portion of the attachment portion 3 . by providing the attachment portion 3 with nail slots 15 having a different width , it is not necessary for a center nail slot of an attachment portion to be centered on a nail stud during installation of the plastic siding as the varying widths of at least some of the nail slots 15 allow them to be used as the center nail slot and still give the siding panel the ability to compensate for thermal expansion and reduction . additionally , the attachment portion of the present invention having nail slots of varying widths are especially suitable for use in non - nail based sheathing applications using rigid foam , gypsum , etc . where the varying widths of the nail slots allow the nails slots to be easily located over a framing member without the need for a center nail hole to be provided over a framing member , or in installations where a sheathing member is not used . the body 2 of the siding panels of the present invention can be provided with a decorative pattern characteristic of conventional roofing and siding materials such as shake shingles , tile , brick or the like and the color of the siding panel can be evenly distributed throughout the resin , painted on the siding panel or achieved by a combination thereof . moreover , since the monolithic plastic siding panels of the present invention are molded in one molding process step , there is no need for hinges or other attached components as is typically required with the prior art plastic siding panels . although the present invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments , it is not limited to the particular constructions herein disclosed and shown in the drawings and also comprises any modifications or equivalents within the scope of the appended claims . | 4 |
the hub interface unit of this invention provides improved interface between the transfer controller of an enhanced dma ( edma ) and the application unit interfaces ( aui ) serving external peripherals . fig2 illustrates a basic high - level functional diagram of hub interface unit 104 providing the interface between transfer controller 102 and peripheral units . hiu 104 includes command queue 223 controlling and synchronizing the read and write command operations and hiu read response queue 230 controlling and synchronizing read information returned from the application unit interface ( aui ) 232 back to transfer controller 102 . the operational protocol of command queue 223 and read response queue 230 form the heart of the present invention . hiu 104 receives read commands from transfer controller 102 via input 202 and processes these read commands in read commands block 214 . read command block 214 drives read command queue 217 via path 208 . read command queue 217 stores all read commands issued by transfer controller 102 . data to be read from aui 232 via path 226 is stored in hiu read data fifo 200 . hiu 104 receives write commands from transfer controller 102 via input 203 and processes these write commands in write commands block 213 . write command block 213 drives write command queue 218 via path 209 . write command queue 218 stores all write commands issued by transfer controller 102 . data to be written from transfer controller 102 via path 207 to the application unit interface 232 via path 227 is first stored in hiu write data fifo 201 . synchronizer block 231 performs the timing interface between the hiu and the aui clock domains . this invention provides a means to upgrade hiu designs to fully utilize the priority information that transfer controller 102 supplies when issuing a transfer request . previously , in a typical hiu , when either a read or the write command is issued to the hiu and passed to the aui , the peripheral acknowledges the command . after the final command acknowledge the hiu simply switches to the next command regardless of priority . operations performed by command queue 223 and read response queue 230 utilize pointers rather than the entire command field . there is a one - to - one correspondence between a pointer and the specific command to which it refers . with command reordering , the next command that is issued by hiu 104 to the aui is the command ( read or write ) that has the highest priority among the remaining commands . pointer manipulation takes place in hiu 104 , both in command queue block 223 and in read response block 230 to issue the transfer with the highest incoming priority and to properly handle the data from a read operation . fig3 illustrates the implementation of command queue block 223 in the absence of command reordering . fig3 also illustrates response queue pointer list 370 processing in the absence of command reordering . command insert control block 350 directs the selection of input write commands 213 in write insert multiplexer 353 and directs the selection of input read commands 214 in read insert multiplexer 354 . in a given clock cycle one read command or one write command is selected by multiplexer 351 and is passed via line 361 to command pointer generator / register block 356 . signal path 352 informs the response queue pointer list block 370 when any read command has been issued . command pointers are issued via path 362 for write commands or read commands passing to aui 232 . write commands may be inserted into the command queue only when write command valid signal 343 is active and read commands may be inserted into the command queue only when read command valid signal 344 is active fig4 illustrates the implementation of command reordering of this invention in command queue block 423 and in hiu read response queue block 430 . command insert control block 450 directs the selection of input write commands by write insert multiplexer 453 and the selection of input read commands by read insert multiplexer 454 . in a given clock cycle one read command or one write command is selected by multiplexer 451 and is passed via line 461 to command pointer reorder logic 456 . in command pointer reorder logic 456 the command pointers are reordered according to a priority protocol . the reordered pointers are reassembled in command pointer generator / registers block 457 . signal path 452 informs the response queue pointer list block 470 when any read command has been issued . command pointers are issued via path 462 for write commands or read commands passing to aui 232 . commands received by aui 232 are acknowledged via path 464 . referring again to fig2 , for the write command hiu 104 has write reservation stations which store write data . each reservation station is devoted to storing the full complement of command data corresponding to one specific write command . write command queue 218 contains reservation station hardware to accomplish the complex housekeeping required of the edma . reservation stations are composed of a number of registers that store , track and control the transfer of data in situations where several data transfers are proceeding at more than one priority level . hardware for reservation stations tracking and control is included in write command queue 218 and in write command block 213 . hardware for reservation station data storage is provided in hiu write data fifo 201 . a write command 215 informs hiu 104 the number of words that will be written by the edma for that write command . the maximum words that can be written are based on the maximum write burst size for that hiu . once all the words are written for that write command , hiu 104 puts that write command in write command queue 218 . this command will be issued next by write command queue 218 to the peripheral , provided the command issue by edma to hiu 104 is complete and this write command has the highest priority among all the commands in the hiu command queue . read command reordering is more complex . in a typical hiu when a read command 202 is sent by transfer controller 102 to the hiu , command 212 is issued to the aui on a later clock cycle . the peripheral returns read data 226 . this read data 226 is stored in hiu read data fifo 200 . hiu read response queue 230 controls sending data back to transfer controller 102 . the order in which the data returns to transfer controller 102 is the order in which transfer controller 102 issued the read command to the hiu . however with the command reordering of this invention , the data that is sent back to the hiu based on priority . the order of data returned to transfer controller 102 is the order in which the read command was issued to the aui . so hiu response queue 230 is modified to accept the data from the peripheral in the order in which the command was issued to the aui and not in the order in which transfer controller 102 issued the read command . a shadow register is added in the read response queue 230 to allow for buffering and re - issuing read pointers in the re - ordered sequence . fig4 illustrates command reordering in read response queue 430 . read response queue 430 observes the following rules : 1 ) write commands 213 and read commands 214 are issued by the tc to the hiu . 2 ) for write commands 213 , when the reservation station is full , the write command enters write command queue 218 . 3 ) for read commands 214 , when there is space in the read response queue 430 to accept the read data ( 226 of fig2 ) returned by the aui , the read command 214 is put in read command queue 217 . 4 ) when the final read / write is issued to the aui for a particular read / write command and the aui has issued the final command acknowledge 464 , the next command is issued to the aui . this next command is the command with the highest priority of the remaining commands . 5 ) if there are read and write commands with the same highest priority , the write command takes precedence and is issued to the peripheral . 6 ) within the same priority level , the order of issue from tc 102 is maintained . fig5 illustrates in greater detail the functional diagram of the command queue 423 of the hub interface unit of fig4 including command reordering in the command queue . command queue insert logic 500 includes the write insert multiplexer 453 , the read insert multiplexer 454 , and command select multiplexer 451 of fig4 . inputs from command queue insert logic 500 are passed to command pointer queue pre - reordering 501 with new commands simply inserted at the bottom of the queue irrespective of priority . new commands are passed to the channel ( priority ) extractor 502 , which in turn passes the extracted priority information to the re - ordering control logic 504 . re - ordering control logic 504 also receives issued command information from aui acknowledge input 464 previously stored in issued command information block 503 . the two inputs , issued command information and channel priority information form the basis for control of command pointer reorder logic 457 . command pointer reorder logic 457 sorts all remaining command pointer entries by the prescribed sorting algorithm described in the six rules above . the re - ordered command pointer queue is stored in registers in command queue pointer queue ( post reordering ) 505 . the command queue pointer queue ( post reordering ) 505 passes the next command pointer to be issued to next command pointer generator / register 456 which passes next pointers to the aui via path 462 . fig6 illustrates in greater detail the functional diagram of the read response queue 430 of the hub interface unit of fig4 . this includes the required response queue re - ordering which takes into account that commands issued to the aui and hence the read responses are in a different order than received in an non - re - ordered hiu . the original pointer list stored in response queue pointer list 470 receives new commands from command queue insert logic 500 . issued read commands are reported at input 434 from the aui . on the same clock cycle read pointer information on the issued read command are passed to read response queue 430 via path 608 . this read pointer information is stored in register pointer information on read issued block 603 and passes to the response queue pointer list reorder control logic 601 . response queue pointer list reorder control logic 601 drives the transfer of the original pointer information of response queue pointer list 470 to be stored in response queue shadow register pointer list 471 . response queue shadow register pointer list 471 contains the read responses re - ordered to meet the sequence in which the read commands were actually issued to the aui . read response generator / register 604 supplies the read responses one per clock cycle in the required order at output 610 . interface blocks 605 and 607 along with handshake logic block 606 are required to execute the proper timing of the read response transfer through the hiu . input to the handshaking logic path is via line 609 to sync / aui to hiu interface 607 and output signal from handshaking to the transfer controller is via path 611 from hiu to tc interface 605 . fig7 illustrates an illustrative example of read / write command reordering from the viewpoint of the command queue 223 . fig7 illustrates a number of read and write commands entering the hiu . at any given time there can be a tc read command or a tc write command or both . on the peripheral side only one command , a read or a write may be active at a given time . fig7 illustrates the status of the original command queue , the re - ordered command queue and the command queue after hiu read for various time intervals 701 to 719 . at time 701 , the transfer controller ( tc ) issues a read command of priority 2 ( r 2 ) to the hiu . both the command queue and the re - ordered command queue have this single entry r 2 . at time 702 , the tc issues a write command of priority 2 ( w 2 ) to the hiu . the commands are reordered in the re - order command queue so that the priority 2 write command ( w 2 ) is placed ahead of the priority 2 read command ( r 2 ). this invention gives writes precedence over reads of the same priority . at time 703 , the tc issues a read command of priority 0 ( r 0 ) to the hiu at lowest level . this read command r 0 has the highest priority . the original command queue maintains commands in order of receipt while the re - ordered command queue reorders commands to the proper priority order r 0 , w 2 , r 2 . at time 704 , no new command enters the hiu command queue . hiu issues read command r 0 to the application unit ( au ). the command queue after hiu read becomes w 2 , r 2 . at time 705 , the tc issues both a read of priority 3 ( r 3 ) and a write of priority 1 ( w 1 ) to the hiu . the commands are re - ordered in the re - ordered command queue to become w 1 , w 2 , r 2 , r 3 . at time 707 , the tc issues a second read command of priority 3 ( 2 r 3 ) to the hiu . this read command is placed at the bottom of the command list below the r 3 command previously entered in step 705 . no reordering is required because these last commands are of the same priority and will be handled in order of receipt . at this point the re - ordered command queue is w 1 , w 2 , r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 . at time 709 , the tc issues no new commands to the hiu command queue . the hiu issues the command w 1 to the au . the command queue after hiu read becomes w 2 , r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 . at time 711 , the tc issues a read command of priority 1 ( r 1 ) to the hiu . the hiu is simultaneously ready to issue a command and it issues this same r 1 command directly to the au . at this point the command queue priority after read remains : w 2 , r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 as in 709 . at time 712 , the tc issues a read command of priority 2 ( 2 r 2 ) to hiu . in the original command queue this command 2 r 2 is inserted appropriately behind previous entries to become w 2 , r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 , 2 r 2 . upon re - ordering this command is inserted behind the previous priority 2 commands and ahead of the previous priority 3 commands . thus the re - ordered command queue becomes w 2 , r 2 , 2 r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 . at time 714 , the tc simultaneously issues a read of priority 0 ( r 0 ) and a write of priority 0 ( w 0 ) to the hiu . the re - ordered command queue becomes . w 0 , r 0 , w 2 , r 2 , 2 r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 . also at time 714 , the hiu issues the command w 0 directly to the hiu leaving the command queue after hiu read r 0 , w 2 , r 2 , 2 r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 . at time 717 , the tc issues a read priority 1 ( r 1 ) to the hiu . in the re - ordered command queue this r 1 command is inserted following the r 0 command and before all the priority 2 commands . thus the re - ordered command queue becomes r 0 , r 1 , w 2 , r 2 , 2 r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 . also at time 717 , the hiu issues the command r 0 directly to the au and the command queue after hiu read becomes r 1 , w 2 , r 2 , 2 r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 . at time 718 , the hiu issues the command r 1 to the au and the command queue after hiu read becomes w 2 , r 2 , 2 r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 . at time 719 , the hiu issues the command w 2 to the au and the command queue after hiu read becomes r 2 , 2 r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 . fig8 illustrates an example of read command reordering from the viewpoint of the hiu read response queue . a number of read commands entering the hiu are shown . at any given time there can be a tc read command . on the aui side only one read command may be active at a given time . fig8 illustrates the status of the original command queue , the re - ordered command queue and the command queue after hiu read for various time intervals 801 to 817 . at time 801 , the tc issues a read command of priority 2 ( r 2 ) to the hiu . at time 803 , the tc issues a read command of priority 0 ( r 0 ) to the hiu . the original command queue is r 2 , r 0 . the commands are reordered so that the priority 0 read ( r 0 ) is placed ahead of the priority 2 read ( r 2 ) and the re - ordered read queue becomes r 0 , r 2 . at time 804 , the hiu issues the priority read command r 0 to the au . the read queue after hiu read becomes r 2 . at time 805 , the tc issues a read command of priority 3 ( r 3 ) to the hiu . the original read command queue becomes r 2 , r 3 . these commands are already in priority order so the re - ordered read queue is also r 2 , r 3 . at time 807 , the tc issues another read command of priority 3 ( 2 r 3 ) to the hiu . the original read command queue becomes r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 . these commands are already in priority order so the re - ordered read queue is also r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 . at time 809 , the hiu issues the priority 2 read command ( r 2 ) to the au . read queue after hiu read becomes r 3 , 2 r 3 . at time 811 , the tc issues a read command priority 1 ( r 1 ) to the hiu . also at time 811 , the hiu issues this read command ( r 1 ) directly to the au . the read queue after hiu read becomes r 3 , 2 r 3 . at time 812 , the tc issues a read command of priority 2 ( r 2 ) to the hiu . the original read queue is r 3 , 2 r 3 , r 2 . the priority 2 read command r 2 is advanced before the other commands and the re - ordered read queue becomes r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 . at time 814 , the tc issues a read command of priority 0 ( r 0 ) to the hiu . also at time 814 , the hiu issues this read command ( r 0 ) directly to the au . in the re - ordered read queue the read command r 0 advances to the head of the queue and becomes r 0 , r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 . the read queue after hiu read becomes r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 . at time 817 , the tc issues a read command of priority 1 ( r 1 ) to the hiu . also at time 817 , the hiu issues this read command ( r 1 ) directly to the au . in the re - ordered read queue the read command r 1 advances to the head of the queue and becomes r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 . the read queue after hiu read becomes r 2 , r 3 , 2 r 3 . | 6 |
the present invention is a technique of sharing files with the person or device that one is connected to in a voice call as shown in fig1 . this is accomplished by establishing a direct ip connection between the two devices 102 , 107 that are connected in a voice call 110 without the need for either device to hang up . once a direct ip connection 126 is established , the users can send files back and forth to each other , such as pictures , sound clips , music , video , or any other file . one such method of making the direct ip connection possible is through the ip multimedia subsystem or ims 106 . ims 106 is a system by which mobile operators can offer discrete services , usually available on the internet , alongside currently offered services . these services can include music , games , picture downloads , direct multimedia sessions , text messaging , or direct voice connections . an ims enabled cellular telephone 102 can be assigned an ip address , which other devices on the internet 107 can use to connect to the cellular telephone through gateways 105 . these other devices 107 can be computers , servers , other ims enabled cellular telephones , or many others . this means a multimedia session between two ims users , between an ims user and a user on the internet , and between two users on the internet is established using the same protocol . the registration of a cellular telephone with ims to receive an ip address is shown in fig2 . the user &# 39 ; s device , or user equipment , ue 202 , receives its ip address from ims upon request . from a cellular telephone , this request is first sent from the ue 202 to the nearest tower 203 . the tower 203 then relays the request to a server 204 . the server 204 then makes a connection with the ue 202 where it obtains authentication . once authenticated , the ue 202 then tries to open a packet delivery protocol , or pdp , connection to the internet to receive an ip address . this request is relayed from the tower 203 to the server 204 and then to a gateway 205 , where the pdp packet is sent to the internet . the internet allocates an ip address and relays that address back through the gateway 205 , server 204 , and tower 203 . the pdp response is received by the ue 202 , which then allows it to send and receive ip datagrams . an ip datagram is a packet of information , which gets translated into a pdp by the gateway 205 before reaching the ue 202 . prior to the voice call , both of the ue &# 39 ; s 202 are either sip capable or ims capable , which means they register to an ims network and are given an ip address . after registration , the ue &# 39 ; s 202 should be able to perform sip based calls to each other and communicate with each other using their sip addresses . the process of setting up the direct connection 326 is illustrated in fig3 . first , a voice call 310 is initiated between user a 301 and user b 308 . accompanying the request to set up the voice call 310 can be a request to check the parameters of each of the ue &# 39 ; s 302 , 307 to determine if they are capable of transferring data between the two . the instruction request 310 would be a request for a voice call and content call request . once the voice call 310 is setup , an sip invitation 312 is sent from user a &# 39 ; s ue 302 to user b &# 39 ; s ue 307 inviting user b 308 to the ip address of user a &# 39 ; s ue 302 . user b 308 receives the request in the background , because there is no reason to have guaranteed bandwidth dedicated to it . the invitation 312 travels from user a &# 39 ; s ue 302 to the nearest tower 303 where it is relayed to a server 304 . the server 304 then relays the invitation through a gateway 305 where it is translated into an ip datagram , a form ims 306 can understand . once it has been translated ims 306 finds the ip address of user b &# 39 ; s ue 307 . if ims 306 is successful in finding the ip address of user b &# 39 ; s ue 307 it sends a message 315 to user a &# 39 ; s ue 302 immediately telling user a 301 that ims is trying to connect to user b 308 . the invitation is relayed back through the gateway 305 , server 304 , and tower 303 nearest user b &# 39 ; s ue 307 and user b 308 receives the invitation 314 with an option to accept or decline . if user b 308 declines , then the direct connection 326 is dropped but the voice call 310 still continues . if user b 308 accepts , then an acceptance message 317 , 318 is sent back through the system to user a &# 39 ; s ue 302 . this acceptance message 317 , 318 not only sends simply the message of acceptance but also tells user a &# 39 ; s ue 302 what type ( s ) of media it is capable of receiving , such as video , audio , or pictures . the acceptance message 317 , 318 is followed by a handshake between the two ue &# 39 ; s 302 , 307 over a primary pdp connection . when user a 301 is ready to send a file , user a 301 selects a file to send from a menu on the device 319 . a message is sent to user b &# 39 ; s ue 307 where user b 308 can either accept or reject the file . if user b 308 accepts , then a secondary pdp connection is established to send the media through a dedicated quality of service or qos 320 . user a &# 39 ; s ue 302 sends a message to user b &# 39 ; s ue 307 opening the secondary pdp connection for file transfer . user b &# 39 ; s ue 307 negotiates with user a &# 39 ; s ue 302 to find an acceptable speed of transfer and packet size . this is normally the fastest speed the devices can handle in their current location subject to provider limitations , such as the data plan user b 308 pays for . after this negotiation 321 , 322 is complete the file is sent through and is received on user b &# 39 ; s ue 307 . once the transfer is completed , the secondary pdp connection is dropped . these steps are repeated , starting with the file selection , for each file user a 301 wishes to send . user b 308 may select and send any file as well using the same steps as user a 301 . while transferring files , a user may need to send a sensitive file . if this is the case the user has the option of sending the file over a secure connection . user a 301 would simply select another option from his device to secure the connection for this or any number of files . as the file is transferred it will be encrypted on user a &# 39 ; s ue 302 and decrypted on user b &# 39 ; s ue 307 . their ue &# 39 ; s 302 , 307 can be equipped with any of the many forms of encryption that exist . once all the file transfers have completed , the session can be released , as shown in fig4 . user a 401 selects to release the session from a menu on the device 411 . a message 412 is sent from user a &# 39 ; s ue 402 to user b &# 39 ; s ue 407 either asking for a release in the session , or forcing a release in the session . if user b 408 accepts the release , a message 414 is sent back to user a &# 39 ; s ue 402 to close the connection . if the release is accepted or forced , user a &# 39 ; s ue 402 closes the connection 415 with the server 404 immediately . user b 408 can request or force a session release as well using the same steps as user a 401 . this technique works for many cellular networks , and has many applications . once such embodiment of this invention is a cellular telephone on a gsm / gprs network connecting to another cellular telephone on a gsm / gprs network . gsm stands for global standard for mobile communication , and is the technology behind many mobile carriers today . gprs stands for general packet radio service , and is the standard for sending data in packets across the gsm network , allowing multiple users to send data using the same channel . the cellular telephones connect in a voice call over the gsm network . once established , the first user pushes the keys on his cellular telephone to send a request to the other user to initiate the file sharing session . this request is sent through the tower to a gprs server known as a serving gprs support node or sgsn . from the sgsn the request is relayed through a gprs gateway known as a gateway gprs support node or ggsn . once the request is received by the other user &# 39 ; s cellular telephone , she can opt to accept it or reject it . if accepted , the cellular telephones attempt to connect to each other using the gprs tunneling protocol or gtp , the defining ip protocol for the gprs system . gtp is used for the primary pdp connection , which is the basic constant connection for sending requests and the secondary pdp connection , which opens once a file starts transferring . another embodiment of the present invention is a cellular telephone on a gsm / gprs network connecting to a personal computer using a voip connection . the first user &# 39 ; s cellular telephone is connected over the gsm network which is translated through a gateway to the second user &# 39 ; s internet service provider , which then relays the signal to the ip address of the second user &# 39 ; s personal computer . the first user or the second user can initiate the file transfer session by simply pressing a key or pattern of keys . the first user &# 39 ; s cellular telephone has already registered with ims and has been given an ip address . the cellular telephone and personal computer can use each other &# 39 ; s ip addresses to find each other over the internet and establish a primary direct connection . once established , the users are free to send multimedia files to each other using a secondary connection while still talking . the foregoing disclosure of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure . the scope of the invention is to be defined only by the claims appended hereto , and by their equivalents . further , in describing representative embodiments of the present invention , the specification may have presented the method and / or process of the present invention as a particular sequence of steps . however , to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the particular order of steps set forth herein , the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described . as one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate , other sequences of steps may be possible . therefore , the particular order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be construed as limitations on the claims . in addition , the claims directed to the method and / or process of the present invention should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written , and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention . | 7 |
as shown in fig1 and 2 , in a typical installation , a thick wall vessel indicated generally at 10 has the walls 11 , made of steel . on one side of the vessel there is a fast neutron source indicated generally at 14 and supported on suitable brackets 15 relative to the vessel . the shell 14a for the fast neutron source provides protection from direct contact with source 14e . any shielding may have a suitable neutron transparent &# 34 ; window &# 34 ; 14d in a neck 14c , to direct the fast or high energy neutrons across vessel 10 . in the embodiment shown , a 500 milli - curie ( mci ) ambe source 14e is normally used or other sources such as cf 252 , pu 244 be may also be employed and this source may be selected in laboratory tests in relation to the vessel and the parameter to be sensed as shown . source 14e is disposed in the outer shell 14a such that neutrons pass through the window 14d in neck 14c and are directed outwardly therefrom . the fast neutron source directs neutrons diametrically across the vessel 10 , and across the interior space or chamber indicated at 16 which contains a measurand material 18 . in the form shown , the level of material 18 is to be detected . the fast neutrons are transmitted through wall 11 on one side of vessel 10 , through material 18 , and then through the wall 11 on the other side of vessel 10 to a fast neutron detector system indicated generally at 20 that is in an outer housing 21 supported on suitable brackets 22 with respect to the vessel 10 . an access cover 23 is suitably held in place on the housing 21 . the high energy or fast neutron detection system 20 enclosed within the explosion proof housing or enclosure 21 is shown in cross section in fig2 and shows a plurality of individual ion chamber detectors 25 ( three or more are generally used ), which , as shown , are boron trifloride ion chambers . boron trifloride or he 3 proportional counters , or thermal neutron sensitive scintillation counters also can be used . outer housing 21 has an internal lining of relatively thick panels of thermalizing material such hydrogen , or carbon as in polyethylene , indicated at 26 . the panels 26 surround the detectors 25 and the fast or high energy neutrons transmitted through the vessel and will pass through the steel outer housing 21 and as they pass through the panels 26 will be changed to thermal neutrons . the change to thermal neutrons occurs after entering the detector package . the neutrons received are thus detected as thermal neutrons by detectors 25 . an outer shield or layer of cadmium ( or other neutron shielding material ) indicated at 30 may be placed around the panels 26 , and just inside ( lining ) the walls of housing 21 to encapsulate the panels 26 and detectors 25 . the cadmium or other shield layer 30 blocks external thermal neutrons to thereby insure that only transmitted fast neutrons from source 14 are transmitted to the panels 26 and detectors 25 . the very thick vessel walls , the large distances between the detection system and the source shown , and other configuration factors will provide a means of precluding the detectors 25 from receiving unwanted thermal neutrons which are converted from transmitted fast neutrons from the source 14 before they reach the panels 26 . as shown , the cadmium shield layer 30 further obviates transmission of thermal neutrons into the interior of the detector system . detectors 25 , such as boron trifluoride ionizing chambers , generate small electrical d . c . currents when activated by the received fast neutrons which by then have been converted by panels 26 to thermal neutrons . the signal level is a function of neutron flux levels , and such currents from the individual detectors 25 , are summed and provided along an output line indicated at 32 to a d . c . amplifier 33 of conventional design . the circuitry for receiving the signals from detectors 25 is also used in gamma ray detector circuitries previously described and sold by kay - ray , inc ., such as in the kay - ray ® model 4700f level measurement system . amplifier 33 amplifies the signal and provides an output to output circuitry indicated at 34 of suitable design to indicate the magnitude of fast neutron transmission through the vessel walls and the measurand material 18 in the interior chamber 16 of the vessel which may intercept or scatter the transmitted neutrons . the transmitted fast neutrons are at low flux density , and thus , to obtain an adequate output , the area of the active detection system facing the source 14 is selected so as to be large enough to provide usable signals . there is a substantial area of detectors 25 for receiving neutrons from source 14 . the present invention is particularly suitable for sensing hydrogenous material , but the presence of other materials in vessel 10 having a suitable mass can be detected as well . non - hydrogenous material will scatter a portion of the fast neutrons and thus the presence of such material can also be detected because the number of fast neutrons reaching the detection system 20 will change even when a non - hydrogenous material in the vessel is between the source and detection system . the basic system has been found experimentally to work well with a 500 mci ambe source , which will provide an output of 9 pico amperes at one meter through air when radiated with that source . the fast neutrons from source 14 have high penetrating proportional to the detector output is directly proportional to the transited fast neutron field generated by the fast neutrons which have transited through measurand material 18 . when a material to be measured is located between the source and detector , the detector output is easily related to the product level , its composition , or to interfaces between two products . the output may be used for on / off switching applications or for indicating a narrow band , continuous level , as desired . in the present application , the vessel shown has walls approximately 6 inches thick , as shown . the term &# 34 ; thick wall &# 34 ; is meant to be a steel wall two and one - hald inches or more thick or a wall of refactory brick or concrete having equivalent fast neutron absorbtion properties . however , for use with larger vessels than that shown herein , the following examples can be considered : a system for monitoring a 10 inch thick steel wall vessel , 3 meters in diameter in an empty condition , a foam filled condition , and a liquid filled condition are provided as examples . the output is proportional to the inverse of the square of the distance . ( 1 ) detector output at 3 m : ## equ1 ## 1 pa in air . 20 &# 34 ;/ 10 &# 34 ;= 2 one half values or a radiation intensity reduction of 4 the detector current for an empty vessel is thus 1 / 4 that of air or a current of 0 . 25 pa . assume by experimental data an absorption by foam of three half values or a reduction factor of 8 . detector current vessel filled with liquid is thus less than 0 . 01 pa . from the above analysis , it can be seen that by setting the range of input currents of 0 to 0 . 25 pa , the amplified output can be calibrated to indicate an empty vessel , a foam filled vessel , and a liquid filled vessel . this output current level is well within the measurement capabilities of existing amplifiers and associated electronics . the sensing area of the detectors is positioned to provide maximum sensed neutron flux levels . by having the detector shielded to prevent receiving anything except the high energy neutrons ( by geometry , space , or a thermal neutron shielding layer ), a direct measurement of the transmission of high energy neutrons is obtained , and indications of product level , the presence of a foam on top of a liquid , or merely air in the chamber can be indicated . the device provides a very accurate detection system , which is not susceptible to the normal problems involved with gamma ray measurements , and far exceeds the capabilities of any system making direct measurements of the thermal neutron flux . the example cited above would not be possible by non - contacting , non - intrusive measurement of the thermal neutron flux since the thermal neutrons would be incapable of penetrating the 10 &# 34 ; steel walls to be measured . gamma radiation could be used to make the measurement but a cs 137 radioactive source at least five hundred thousand times larger would be required . the detectors 25 are preferably ionization chamber type detectors . they each comprise a concentric anode and cathode mounted in a chamber filled with boron trifluoride . the chamber is defined within a steel casing 25a as shown in the drawings . when thermal neutrons penetrate casing 25a , alpha particles are released from the boron causing ionization of the gas and causing an electrical current flow between the anode and cathode in proportion to the neutrons which penetrate the casing . the anode and cathode are connected to the sensing circuitry which measures the current flows . these detectors are known and reliable , and provide appropriate output for use with the present system . the location and number of the detectors 25 can be changed to suit desired applications . as shown in fig2 simple level and interface signals can be provided . as the level within the vessel changes , the output of the detectors will also change in proportion to the level of product , which converts part of the neutrons transmitted to thermal neutrons . utilizing a suitable summing circuit it can be determined when the material has reached a preselected level . interface detection between two different products is carried out using the same arrangement , in that the number of fast neutrons transmitted by different products having different characteristics is different . thus , one material between the source and detector provides a known signal , and when the interface with the second material is reached the output of the detectors 25 will change . the arrival of the interface can be determined as to position by proper calibration . the output levels of the detector can be compared to a reference signal and a suitable summing circuit set so that at a null position , or at any other desired value , it is known that the interface is adjacent a selected level . conversely , the detectors 25 and source 14 can be mounted to be moved along a vessel , and the position encoded with respect to a reference plane , such as one end of the vessel . when the output of the circuit is at a null or some desired calibration level it will indicate that the interface between two products has been detected and is at the location reached by the source and detector . in level sensing applications , that is , applications where the level of a product in a vessel is being monitored . the detector system would include detectors that are elongated along the longitudinal axis of the vessel , or in the direction in which level is to be sensed . for example , more than one detector can be placed along the measurement axis and provide a single output signal . the output is proportional to the level of the material , in that the higher the level of material , the less fast neutrons that are transmitted across the vessel causing a lower output signal from the detectors . the output can be used to drive a level indicator that provides an indication of the level . if a narrow band of material level is to be determined , a detector such as that shown in fig2 may be used , and the output is proportional to the length of the detectors 25 that is covered by product between the source and detector . the particular application for determining product interface , continuous level , high and low levels are presently carried out with gamma ray detectors as shown in a product brochure of kay - ray inc ., the assignee of this application , for their model 4760 level measurement system . referring to fig3 a schematic diagram illustrating operation of the present invention is shown . the radiation source 14 is shown on one side of a thick walled vessel 10 having wall 11 defining an interior chamber 16 in which product is placed . the detector system 40 is shown as being elongated along the longitudinal axis of the vessel , and is shown only schematically . it is the same type of detector system as previously explained , or may be another suitable radiation detector that will provide an output along a line 41 proportional to the fast neutrons that have transited vessel 10 . the path of transmitted fast neutrons is represented by lines from the source to the detector system 40 . the output line 41 is connected to a suitable amplifier 42 , and provides an amplified output on line 43 that is proportional to the fast neutrons that are received by the detector system 40 . the fast neutrons are sensed as previously explained . in this form of the invention the output on line 43 is fed to a summing circuit 44 that has an adjustable reference input 45 , so that an output from the summing circuit along a line 46 will be scaled to a set reference point . if , for example , a particular level of product ( as indicated by the dotted line 50 ) is to be detected , the output on line 46 could be nulled at that time , providing a signal through an amplifier 51 along a line 52 to an alarm circuit 53 or directly to a readout system 54 . the output signal will vary as a function of the neutron flux being received by the detector system 40 , and thus if the level of material is lower than line 50 , such as that indicated by dotted line 56 , the output signal along line 41 will be increased because more fast neutrons will be received by the detector system , and this will provide a signal on line 46 that is representative of the neutron flux . the signal is amplified by amplifier 51 and can be provided to read out system 54 which can be calibrated to indicate the material level . the signal also can be provided along an output line 57 , to a controller , such as a conventional two wire controller indicated at 58 which is used to control process variables indicated by block 60 so that the product level can be restored to a desired level , controlled at a desired level , or when the material has reached or is held at a particular level , additional operations in the process can be accomplished . low product or material level can also be detected by having a separate fast neutron source and detector system at the lower end of the vessel , and if desired detectors can be placed at both the upper end and lower end of a vessel to determine when high range and low range levels have been reached . the present system can , if desired , also be used for determining moisture of a product , although the most important advantages are achieved when the present invention is used in connection with thick walled vessels for determing single point or continuous levels . another example of a typical use is determining ammonia levels within an ammonia reactor vessel . another typical application is for determining material levels in a sulfite digester used in paper making processes . these applications involve thick walled vessels containing the product , and the levels can be quickly and easily determined , without modifying the vessel walls . the fast neutron source 14 and detection system 20 are easily mounted on existing thick walled pressure vessels , conduits , vertical stacks or the like without the need to modify the thick walls or otherwise change the vessel or stack . the fast neutron source is placed in a desired location on one side of such vessel or stack in any desired manner and the detection system 20 is placed on the opposite side . the fast neutron will be transmitted through existing thick walls , of steel , refactory brick or concrete ( or composite walls made of steel lined with another dense material such as refactory brick ) and the detection system will change in output when material within such vessel or stack is present at a location between the source and detection system . although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments , workers skilled in the art will recongize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
the present invention concerns a process that can be used to prepare energy storage materials . specifically , the process is aqueous deposition , and the materials are conductive metal oxides . the present invention also concerns a process to prepare films of conductive metal oxides with controllable surface area and electrical properties . one embodiment of the process of this invention can be described as follows . ruthenium ( iii ) nitrosyl nitrate , ru 31 . 96 % ( from alfa aesar ) was chosen for making high surface area ruo 2 films . deionized water was used to dissolve this chemical and the final concentration was typically around 10 % ruthenium by weight . more generally , concentrations from about 1 % ruthenium by weight to about 20 % ruthenium by weight can be used . the conductive metal oxide films can include metals such as ruthenium , rhodium , rhenium , osmium , iridium , or combinations of metals such as of lithium and cobalt , lithium and nickel or lithium and manganese . ruthenium is especially preferred as the metal for preparation of ruthenium oxide films . licoo 2 films has been prepared from combinations of lithium and cobalt . the surface area can be controlled by the following approach . a dispersion of colloidal silica can be mixed with the aqueous solution of a metallic compound and can result in a variable viscosity in the resultant solution . a typical concentration of silica within the dispersion can be around about 20 % of silica by weight , remainder the liquid medium . the liquid medium can be an organic liquid such as methanol , ethanol , propanol , isopropanol , butanol and the like or may be water . various ratios of the mixture of the metal , e . g ., ruthenium , and colloidal silica solution can be used and such ratios can generally range from about 10 : 1 to about 1 : 5 by weight for making the metal oxide films . the silica particles can be spherical , can be elongated with an aspect ratio of up to about 15 : 1 . the typical particle size of spherical silica particles within a dispersion can generally be in the range of from about 10 nanometers ( nm ) to about 100 nm in greatest cross - sectional dimension . elongated particles can typically have lengths from about 40 nm to about 300 nm and widths of from about 5 nm to about 20 nm although the dimensions can be varied if desired . then , this homogenous solution was spun coated onto a suitable substrate from among glass , quartz , indium - tin oxide ( ito ), titanium foil , laalo 3 , silicon and a composite of gold and silicon , i . e ., a commercial silicon wafer with a layer of gold sputtered thereon . selected polymers may also be used as the substrate depending upon the particular annealing temperature and melting point of the polymer . the spin speed can generally be from about 3000 rpm to 6000 rpm , although lower and higher spin rates may also be employed . although the homogenous solution is preferably spin coated on the substrate , various alternative methods of applying the homogenous solution to a substrate are contemplated , including spray coating , dip coating , brushing , doctor blading , and the like . thick metal oxide films can be made by spin coating on the substrates several times . finally , the coated silica - ruthenium composite films can be calcined at a temperature in the range of about 150 ° c . to about 300 ° c ., more preferably from about 150 ° c . to about 260 ° c ., for periods of time up to several hours to yield the resultant films with the desired crystallinity such as amorphous or microcrystalline . lower temperatures are preferred to obtain the amorphous structure . such an amorphous structure is generally preferred for electrochemical capacitor applications . high surface area metal oxide films can be achieved by etching or leaching the silica . such etching or leaching can be accomplished by immersion or soaking in a dilute hydrofluoric acid ( hf ) solution or in a dilute solution of hf buffered with , for example , ammonium fluoride ( nh 4 f ) commonly referred to as buffered hf . alternative methods may include dry etching , flushing , or rinsing the calcined structure with dilute hydrofluoric acid . in other alternative methods , the leaching reagents need not be restricted to hydrofluoric acid , but may comprise any other reagents , so long as it dissolves the silica at least in part without impacting the metallic oxide . contemplated leaching reagents may include nf 3 , and solvents according to the formula ch z f 4 − z , wherein z = 0 - 3 , and the formula c 2 h x f y , wherein x is an integer between 0 and 5 , and x + y is 6 . in this example , the hydrofluoric acid reacts and disintegrates the silica , resulting in dissolving or leaching the silica from the film and thus forming pores . moreover , porous metal oxide powder such as ruo 2 powder can be prepared in a similar manner . the existing approaches to prepare conductive oxides for electrodes of electrochemical capacitors suffer from the high cost of the setup , the less control of surface area , and the difficulty for coating on irregular surface . in comparison to the sol - gel process ( see u . s . pat . no . 5 , 600 , 535 ), this invention is more controllable and reproducible . the ability to control the surface area of the ruthenium oxide film , which is very important to maximize the energy storage per unit weight of metal oxides , is more readily available by the process of this invention as compared to other processes . the surface area of the resultant metal oxide can be controlled by choosing the weight percentage , the size , and / or the shape of the silica colloids . this invention itself provides a cost - effective approach to grow conductive metal oxides . the combination of the process and the formation of high surface area conductive oxides used for electrodes of electrochemical capacitors should find tremendous application where high power density is needed such as power for electric vehicles , power for mobile telecommunications , and power for other stand - alone electronic devices . the present invention is more particularly described in the following examples which are intended as illustrative only , since numerous modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art . colloidal silica in methanol ( ma - st - up , from nissan chemical industries , sio 2 20 % wt ) was added in ruthenium ( iii ) nitrosyl nitrate aqueous solution ( containing 10 % by wt ruthenium ). the silica particles were elongated with a width of from about 5 nm to about 20 nm and a length of from about 40 nm to about 300 nm . the weight ratio of ruthenium : silica was maintained at about 1 : 2 . a metal - colloid composite film was formed by coating the solution onto the gold surface of a gold / silicon composite wafer at a spinning speed of 3000 rpm over 30 seconds . the substrates were heated to 260 ° c . and kept at this temperature for 10 minutes to immobilize this metal - colloidal thin film by drying . this process was repeated 10 times in order to fabricate a thick ruo 2 / sio 2 composite films . the final coated substrate was heated at 260 ° c . for 3 hours . subsequently , the coated substrate was dipped in a 5 % hf solution for one hour or more whereupon the colloidal silica was removed completely by the hf . a metallic conductive ruthenium oxide thin film with a porous structure was thus obtained . fig1 shows the x - ray diffraction of the porous ruo 2 film . sem and tem examination of the films also revealed the porous structure . the thermal treatment temperature was 260 ° c . it is clear that the film shows the ruo 2 phase . the very weak and broad peak ( note the log scale ) is due to the microcrystalline nature or the small grain size of the film . in comparison , the fig2 shows the x - ray diffraction pattern of a film annealed at 500 ° c . the sharper and narrower diffraction peak , compared to fig1 indicated the crystalline nature and / or large grain size of the film annealed at higher temperatures . fig3 shows the cyclic voltammetry ( cv ) results , the interfacial capacitance was about 0 . 04 f / cm 2 for the films annealed at 260 ° c . during the measurement , the current ( i ) was measured when the voltage ( v ) was linearly scanned . the capacitance ( c ) is calculated based on c = dq / dv =( dq / dt )/( dv / dt )= i / s , where q is the charge and s is the voltage scan rate . symmetrical oxidation and reduction current was obtained . higher annealed temperature , which leads to polycrystalline or large ruo 2 grain size , reduces the energy storage capacity . colloidal silica in isopropanol ( ipa - st , from nissan chemical industries , sio 2 30 % wt ) was added in ruthenium ( iii ) nitrosyl nitrate aqueous solution ( containing 10 % by wt ruthenium ). the silica had a sphere - like shape and the particle size was from about 10 nm to about 20 nm . the weight ratio of ruthenium : silica was maintained at about 1 : 4 . a metal - colloid composite film was obtained by coating the solution onto the gold surface of a gold / silicon composite wafer at a spinning speed of 3000 rpm over 30 seconds . then , the substrate was heated to 260 ° c . and kept at this temperature for 10 minutes to immobilize this metal - colloidal thin film by drying . this process was repeated 10 times in order to fabricate a thick ruo 2 / sio 2 composite film . finally , the coated substrate was heated at 260 ° c . for 3 hours . subsequently , the coated substrate was dipped in a 5 % hf solution for one hour or more whereupon the colloidal silica was removed completely by the hf . a metallic conductive ruthenium oxide thin film with a porous structure was thus obtained . from cyclic voltammetry ( cv ) results , the interfacial capacitance was about 0 . 038 f / cm 2 ( see fig4 ). colloidal silica in water ( snowtex - up , from nissan chemical industries , sio 2 20 % wt ) was added in ruthenium ( iii ) nitrosyl nitrate aqueous solution ( containing 10 % by wt ruthenium ). the colloidal silica particles were elongated with a width of about 5 nm to about 20 nm and a length of about 40 nm to about 300 nm particles . the weight ratio of ruthenium : silica was maintained at 1 : 3 . this ratio can be changed from 10 : 1 to 1 : 5 for making ruo 2 powder . then , the solution was dried in a container or on any surface under atmosphere . the powder sample was heated to 260 ° c . for 3 hours . subsequently , the coated substrate was dipped in a 5 % hf solution for one hour or more whereupon the colloidal silica was removed completely by the hf . a metallic conductive ruthenium oxide powder with a porous structure was thus obtained . colloidal silica in water ( snowtex - o , from nissan chemical industries , sio 2 20 % wt ) was added in ruthenium ( iii ) nitrosyl nitrate aqueous solution ( containing 10 % by wt ruthenium ). the silica particle size was about 10 nm to about 20 nm . the weight ratio of ruthenium : silica was maintained at 1 : 3 . this ratio can be changed from 10 : 1 to 1 : 5 for making ruo 2 powder . then , this solution was dried in a container or on any surface under atmosphere . the powder sample was heated to 260 ° c . for 3 hours . subsequently , the coated substrate was dipped in a 5 % hf solution for one hour or more whereupon the colloidal silica was removed completely by the hf . a metallic conductive ruthenium oxide powder with a porous structure was thus obtained . fig5 shows the cyclic voltammetry ( cv ) results . the specific capacitance based on the powder weight was about 64 f / g . colloidal silica in water ( snowtex - o , from nissan chemical industries , sio 2 20 % wt ) was dried in a container or on any surface under atmosphere . the silica particle size was about 10 nm to about 20 nm . ruthenium ( iii ) nitrosyl nitrate aqueous solution ( containing 10 % by wt ruthenium ) was then dropped on silica powder and part of ruthenium solution was adsorbed into the powder . the weight can be increased up to 3 times . finally , this powder sample was heated to 260 ° c . for 3 hours . subsequently , the powder was dipped in a 5 % hf solution for one hour or more whereupon the colloidal silica was removed completely by the hf . a metallic conductive ruthenium oxide powder with a porous structure was thus obtained . although the present invention has been described with reference to specific details , it is not intended that such details should be regarded as limitations upon the scope of the invention , except as and to the extent that they are included in the accompanying claims . | 7 |
the invention will now be illustrated by way of example only with reference to the following non - limiting examples , comparative examples and the accompanying figures , in which : fig1 depicts plasma h2g levels as a function of time in cynomolgus monkeys administered with a compound of the invention or with an alternative prodrug derivative of h2g , as further explained in biological example 3 ; and fig2 depicts survival as a function of time for herpes simplex infected mice administered with various doses of a compound of the invention or a prior art antiviral , as further explained in biological example 4 . h2g ( 5 g , 19 . 7 mmol ) was dissolved in dmf ( 300 ml ) under heating and was cooled to room temperature before addition of n - t - boc - l - valine ( 5 . 58 g , 25 . 7 mmol ), dmap ( 0 . 314 g , 2 . 57 mmol ) and dcc ( 6 . 52 g , 31 . 6 mmol ). the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 24 h and was then filtered . the product was chromatographed on silica gel and eluted with ch 2 cl 2 / meoh to give 2 . 4 g of the desired intermediate product . 1 h - nmr ( 250 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 95 ( d , 6h ), 1 . 47 ( s , 9h ), 1 . 5 – 1 . 8 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 96 – 2 . 20 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 40 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 91 ( t , 1h ), 4 . 05 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 21 ( t , 2h ), 4 . 89 ( t , 1h ), 6 . 6 ( br s , 2h ), 7 . 27 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 75 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 7 ( br s , 1h ). the product from step a ) ( 185 mg , 0 . 41 mmol ) was dissolved in pyridine ( 5 ml ), the solution was cooled in an ice bath and stearoyl chloride ( 179 μl , 0 . 531 mmol ) was added . the solution was kept in the ice bath for 2 h , then at room temperature for 1 h . it was then evaporated and chromatographed on silica gel . it was eluted with dichloromethane / methanol to give 143 mg of the desired intermediate product . the product from step b ) ( 138 mg , 0 . 192 mmol ) was cooled in an ice bath and trifluoroacetic acid ( 5 ml ) was added . the solution was kept in the ice bath for 45 minutes and was then evaporated to give an oil . water ( 0 . 5 to 1 ml ) was added and evaporated twice . the residue was once more dissolved in water ( 5 ml ), filtered and freeze - dried to give 148 mg of the desired product as the bistrifluoracetate salt . 1 h nmr ( 250 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 97 ( t , 3h ), 1 . 05 ( dd , 6h ), 1 . 34 ( br s , 28h ), 1 . 59 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 80 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 25 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 36 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 50 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 98 – 4 . 18 ( m , 5h ), 4 . 35 ( t , 2h ), 6 . 6 ( br s , 2h ), 8 . 0 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 4 ( br s , 3h ), 10 . 9 ( br s , 1h ). the titled compound was obtained as the bistrifluoracetate salt in a manner analogous to example 1 using myristoyl chloride instead of stearoyl chloride in step b ). 1 h nmr ( 250 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 97 ( t , 3h ), 1 . 05 ( dd , 6h ), 1 . 34 ( br s , 20h ), 1 . 57 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 78 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 24 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 35 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 51 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 97 – 4 . 20 ( m , 5h ), 4 . 36 ( t , 2h ), 6 . 8 ( br s , 2h ), 8 . 2 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 5 ( br s , 3h ), 11 . 1 ( br s , 1h ). the titled compound was obtained as the bistrifluoroacetyl salt in a manner analogous to example 1 using oleoyl chloride instead of stearoyl chloride in step b ). 1 h nmr ( 250 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 96 ( t , 3h ), 1 . 05 ( dd , 6h ), 1 . 35 ( br s , 20h ), 1 . 59 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 76 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 09 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 24 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 35 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 50 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 97 – 4 . 17 ( m , 5h ), 4 . 35 ( t , 2h ), 5 . 43 ( t , 2h ), 6 . 7 ( br s , 2h ), 8 . 0 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 5 ( br s , 3h ), 11 . 1 ( br s , 1h ). dcc ( 110 mg , 0 . 53 mmol ) was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 10 ml ) and butyric acid ( 82 mg , 0 . 93 mmol ) was added . after 4 hours at room temperature the mixture was filtered and the filtrate was evaporated . the residue was dissolved in pyridine ( 5 ml ) and ( r )- 9 -[ 4 -( n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - l - valyloxy )- 2 - hydroxymethylbutyl ] guanine ( 200 mg , 0 . 44 mmol ) ( example 1 , step a ) was added . the mixture was stirred for 120 hours at room temperature . according to tlc the reaction was incomplete and more anhydride was made using the procedure above . this anhydride was added and the mixture was stirred for an additional 20 hours . the reaction mixture was evaporated and chromatographed first on silica gel and then on aluminium oxide , in both cases eluted with dichloromethane / methanol to give 79 mg of the intermediate product . the intermediate product of step a was deprotected in a manner analogous to example 1 , step c to give 84 mg of the desired product as the bistrifluoracetate salt . 1 h nmr ( 250 mhz , d 2 o ): δ 0 . 88 ( t , 3h ), 1 . 06 ( dd , 6h ), 1 . 53 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 93 ( q , 2h ), 2 . 25 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 60 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 06 ( d , 1h ), 4 . 14 – 4 . 30 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 43 ( m , 4h ), 8 . 99 ( br s , 1h ). the titled compound was obtained as the bistrifluoroacetate salt in a manner analogous to example 1 using decanoyl chloride instead of stearoyl chloride in step b . 1 h nmr ( 250 mhz , d 2 o ): ( 0 . 90 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 01 ( d , 6h ), 1 . 28 ( br s , 12h ), 1 . 5 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 8 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 3 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 5 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 04 . 4 ( m , 7h ), 8 . 1 ( br s , 1h ). the titled compound was obtained as the bistrifluoroacetate salt in a manner analogous to example 1 but using in step b the dmap / dcc conditions of example 1 , step a ) in conjunction with docosanoic acid in place of the stearoyl chloride and a mixture of dmf and dichloromethane as solvent . 1 h nmr ( 250 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 97 ( t , 3h ), 1 . 05 ( dd , 6h ), 1 . 34 ( br s , 36h ), 1 . 58 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 77 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 24 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 35 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 50 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 97 – 4 . 17 ( m , 5h ), 4 . 35 ( t , 2h ), 6 . 7 ( br s , 2h ), 8 . 1 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 4 ( br s , 3h ), 11 . 0 ( br s , 1h ). h2g ( 2 g , 8 mmole ) was coevaporated with dry dmf two times and was then suspended in dry dmf ( 120 ml ) and pyridine ( 1 ml ). to the suspension was added dropwise t - butyldiphenylchlorosilane ( 2 . 1 ml , 8 . 2 mmole ) in dichloromethane ( 20 ml ) at 0 ( c over a period of 30 min . the reaction mixture became a clear solution at the completion of the dropwise addition . the reaction continued at 0 ° c . for two hours and was then kept at 4 ° c . overnight . methanol ( 5 ml ) was added to the reaction . after 20 min at room temperature , the reaction mixture was evaporated to a small volume , poured into aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate solution and extracted with dichloromethane two times . the organic phase was dried over sodium sulphate and evaporated in vacuo . the product was isolated by silica gel column chromatography using a methanol / dichloromethane system with a stepwise increasing meoh concentration . the product was eluted with 7 % meoh in ch 2 cl 2 to yield 1 . 89 g . ( r )- 9 -[ 2 - hydroxymethyl 4 -( t - butyldiphenylsilyloxy ) butyl ] guanine ( 2 . 31 g , 5 mmole ) was coevaporated with dry pyridine twice and dissolved in pyridine ( 20 ml ). to the solution was slowly added dropwise stearoyl chloride ( 1 . 86 ml , 5 . 5 mmole , technical grade ) in dichloromethane ( 2 ml ) at − 5 ° c . the reaction was kept at the same temperature for 1 hr and then at 5 ° c . for 2 hr . the reaction was monitored by tlc . additional stearoyl chloride ( 0 . 29 ml ) at − 5 ° c . was added due to incompletion of reaction . after 30 min at 5 ° c ., methanol ( 3 ml ) was added and the reaction mixture stirred for 20 min . it was then poured into aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate solution , and extracted with dichloromethane . the organic phase was dried and the product purified by silica gel column chromatography with stepwise increasing meoh , eluting with 3 . 5 % meoh in ch 2 cl 2 . ( yield 2 . 7 g ). ( r )- 9 -[ 2 -( stearoyloxymethyl )- 4 -( t - butyldiphenylsilyloxy ) butyl ] guanine ( 2 . 7 g , 3 . 56 mmole ) was dissolved in dry thf ( 30 ml ) and hydrogen fluoride - pyridine ( 1 . 5 ml ) added to the solution . the reaction was kept at 4 ° c . overnight and monitored by tlc . the reaction reached about 80 % conversion . additional hf - pyridine was added ( 0 . 75 ml ). after 4 hr , tlc showed that the starting material had disappeared . the reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo without raising the temperature and more pyridine ( 5 ml ) was added and evaporated again . the product was isolated by silica gel column chromatography . ( yield 1 . 26 g ). ( r )- 9 -( 4 - hydroxy - 2 -( stearoyloxymethyl ) butyl ( guanine ( 135 mg , 0 . 26 mmole ) and n - boc - l - isoleucine ( 180 mg , 0 . 78 mmole ) were coevaporated with dry dmf twice and dissolved in the same solvent ( 3 . 5 ml ). to the solution was added 1 , 3 - dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 160 mg , 0 . 78 mmole ) and 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 4 . 8 mg , 0 . 039 mmole ). after reaction for 18 hours , the reaction mixture was filtered through celite and worked up in a conventional manner . the product was isolated by silica gel column chromatography , eluting at 5 % meoh in ch 2 cl 2 . ( yield 160 mg ). ( r )- 9 -[ 4 -( n - boc - l - isoleucyloxy )- 2 -( stearoyloxymethyl ) butyl ] guanine ( 150 mg , 0 . 205 mmole ) from step d ) was treated with trifluoroacetic acid ( 3 ml ) at 0 ° c . for 20 min . the solution was evaporated in vacuo . the residue was coevaporated with toluene twice and kept under vacuum for several hours . the residue was dissolved in meoh ( 2 ml ) and evaporated to give the trifluoracetate salt as a glass - like product . ( yield 191 mg ). 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 + d 2 o ): δ 8 . 35 ( s , 1h , base ), 4 . 21 ( t , 2h , h - 4 ), 4 . 10 ( d , 2h ) 3 . 96 ( d , 2h ), 3 . 90 ( d , 1h , isoleucine ), 2 . 48 ( m , 1h , h - 2 ), 2 . 15 ( 2h , stearoyl ), 1 . 85 ( m , 1h , isoleucine ), 1 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 48 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 68 ( m , 28h ), 0 . 81 ( m , 9h ). the title compound was obtained as the bistrifluoroacetate salt in a manner analogous to example 7 using decanoyl chloride instead of stearoyl chloride in step b ). 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 11 . 1 ( s , 1h , nh ), 8 . 35 ( s , br , 3h ), 8 . 28 ( s , 1h , base ), 6 . 75 ( s , 2h , nh2 ), 4 . 23 ( t , 2h ), 4 . 07 ( d , 2h ), 4 . 05 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 4 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 21 ( t , 2h ), 1 . 83 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 66 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 39 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 22 ( s , 12h ), 0 . 84 ( m , 9h ). the title compound was obtained as the bistrifluoroacetyl salt in a manner analogous to example 1 using n - boc - l - isoleucine instead of n - boc - valine in step a ) and myristoyl chloride instead of stearoyl chloride in step b ). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 10 . 99 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 34 ( br s , 3h ) 8 . 15 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 67 ( br s , 2h ), 4 . 23 ( t , 2h ), 4 . 05 ( d , 2h ), 3 . 97 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 48 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 20 ( t , 2h ), 1 . 85 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 65 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 41 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 23 ( s , 20h ), 0 . 85 ( m , 9h ). the titled compound was obtained as the bistrifluoroacetate salt in a manner analogous to example 1 but using in step b ) the dcc / dmap conditions of example 1 , step a ) in conjunction with 4 - acetylbutyric acid instead of stearoyl chloride . 1 h - nmr ( 250 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): 61 . 05 ( dd , 6h ), 1 . 77 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 19 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 24 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 36 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 44 – 2 . 60 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 95 – 4 . 20 ( m , 5h ), 4 . 36 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 8 ( br s , 2h ), 8 . 3 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 5 ( br s , 3h ), 11 . 1 ( br s , 1h ). the titled compound was obtained as the bistriflouroacetate salt in a manner analogous to example 1 using dodecanoyl chloride instead of stearoyl chloride in step b ). the titled compound was obtained as the bistriflouroacetate salt in a manner analogous to example 1 using palmitoyl chloride instead of stearoyl chloride in step b ). 1 h - nmr ( 250 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 97 ( t , 3h ), 1 . 05 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 35 ( br s , 24h ), 1 . 58 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 78 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 25 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 35 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 51 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 97 – 4 . 18 ( m , 5h ), 4 . 35 ( t , 2h ), 6 . 7 ( br s , 2h ), 8 . 1 ( br s , 1h ), 8 . 5 ( br s , 3h ), 11 . 0 ( br s , 1h ). to a solution of ( r )- 9 -( 2 - stearoyloxymethyl - 4 -( n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - l - valyloxy ) butyl ) guanine from step b of example 1 ( 646 mg , 0 . 9 mmole ) in acetonitrile were added tetramethylammonium chloride ( 427 mg , 2 . 7 mmole ), n , n - diethylaniline ( 0 . 716 ml , 4 . 5 mmole ) and phosphorous oxychloride ( 0 . 417 ml , 4 . 5 mmole ). the reaction was kept under reflux and the progression monitored by tlc . after 3 hours the reaction mixture was evaporated in vacuo and the residue was dissolved in dichloromethane , then poured into cold sodium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution . the organic phase was evaporated and purified by silica gel column chromatography . yield : 251 mg . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 7 . 76 ( 1h , h - 8 ), 5 . 43 ( br , 2h , nh2 ), 4 . 45 – 4 . 00 ( m , 7 ), 2 . 53 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 28 ( t 2h ), 2 . 12 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 75 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 59 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 43 ( 9h ), 1 . 25 ( m , 28h ), 0 . 96 ( d , 3h ), 0 . 87 ( m , 6h ). to the solution of ( r )- 2 - amino - 9 -( 2 - stearoyloxymethyl - 4 -( n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - l - valyloxy ) butyl )- 6 - chloropurine ( 240 mg , 0 . 33 mmole ) in methanol / ethyl acetate ( 6 ml , 3 : 1 v / v ) were added ammonium formate ( 105 mg , 1 . 65 mmole ) and 10 % palladium on carbon ( 15 mg ). the reaction was kept under reflux for 1 hour and recharged with ammonium formate ( 70 mg ). after one hour more the tlc showed completion of the reaction and the mixture was filtered through celite and washed extensively with ethanol . the filtrate was evaporated and purified by silica gel column . yield : 193 mg . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ 8 . 69 ( s , 1h , h - 6 ), 7 . 74 ( s , 1h , h - 8 ), 5 . 18 ( br , s , 2h , nh2 ), 4 . 45 – 4 . 01 ( m , 7h ), 2 . 55 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 28 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 10 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 75 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 60 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 43 ( s , 9h ), 1 . 25 ( s , 28h ), 0 . 96 ( d , 3h ), 0 . 87 ( m , 6h ). ( r )- 2 - amino - 9 -( 2 - stearoyloxmethyl - 4 -( n - tert - butoxycarbonyl - l - valyloxy ) butyl ) purine ( 180 mg , 0 . 26 mmole ) was treated with trifluoroacetic acid ( 5 ml ) at 0 ° c . for 40 min . it was then evaporated in vacuo and coevaporated successively with toluene and methanol . the residue was freeze - dried overnight to give 195 mg of the desired product . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 8 . 78 ( s , 1h , h - 6 ), 8 . 32 ( br , 3h ), 8 . 29 ( s , 1h , h - 8 ), 4 . 27 ( t , 2h ), 4 . 13 ( d , 2h ), 3 . 98 ( t , 2h , 2h ), 3 . 89 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 47 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 18 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 43 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 23 ( 28h ), 0 . 93 ( m , 6h ), 0 . 85 ( t , 3h ). potassium tert - butoxide ( 141 . 8 g , 1 . 11 equiv .) was dissolved in dry dmf ( 1 l ). diethyl malonate ( 266 ml , 1 . 54 equiv .) was added over 5 minutes . bromoacetaldehyde diethylacetal ( 172 ml , 1 . 14 mole ) was added over 5 minutes . the mixture was heated to 120 ° c . ( internal temperature ), and stirred at 120 ° c . for 5 hours . the mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature , poured into water ( 5 l ), and extracted with methyl tert - butyl ether ( mtbe , 3 × 600 ml ). the organic solution was dried over mgso 4 , filtered , concentrated , and distilled ( 0 . 5 mm , 95 – 140 ° c .) to yield the desired diester ( 244 g , 78 %) as a colorless oil . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 1 . 19 ( t , 6h ), 1 . 28 ( t , 6h ), 2 . 22 ( dd , 2h ), 3 . 49 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 51 ( t , 1h ), 3 . 65 ( m , 2h ) 4 . 20 ( qd , 4h ), 4 . 54 ( t , 1h ). libh 4 ( purchased solution , 2m in thf , 22 . 5 ml ) and the product of example 14 step a ) ( 5 g in 15 ml of thf , 18 . 1 mmol ) were combined and warmed to 60 ° c . and stirred at 60 ° c . for 4 hours . the reaction mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature and the reaction vessel was placed in a cool water bath . then triethanolamine ( 5 . 97 ml , 1 equiv .) was added at such a rate that the temperature of the reaction mixture was maintained between 20 – 25 ° c . brine ( 17 . 5 ml ) was added at a rate such that gas evolution was controlled and the mixture was stirred for 45 minutes at room temperature . the layers were separated , the organic layer was washed with brine ( 2 × 15 ml ). the combined brine washes were extracted with mtbe ( methyl tert - butyl ether , 3 × 20 ml ). the combined organic extracts were evaporated and the residue was dissolved in mtbe ( 50 ml ) and washed with brine ( 25 ml ). the brine layer was back - extracted with mtbe ( 3 × 25 ml ). the combined organic extracts were dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered , and concentrated to yield the desired diol ( 3 . 36 g , 15 . 5 mmol , 97 %) as a colorless oil . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 1 . 22 ( t , 6h ), 1 . 73 ( dd , 2h ), 1 . 92 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 67 ( bs , 2h ), 3 . 52 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 69 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 72 ( m , 4h ), 4 . 62 ( t , 1h ). into a 10 ml 1 neck round bottom flask was charged the product of example 14 step b ) ( 3 . 84 g , 20 mmol ), followed by addition of vinyl acetate ( 2 . 6 g , 30 mmol ) and finally lipase ps 30 ( 69 mg , purchased from amano , lombard , ill .). the mixture was allowed to stir at ambient temperature for 16 hours . progress of the reaction was closely monitored by tlc ( 2 / 1 hexane - etoac ; stained with ce 2 ( so 4 ) 3 and charred on hot plate ; r . f . of diol is 0 . 1 , monoacetate is 0 . 3 , bis acetate is 0 . 75 ). the reaction mixture was diluted with ch 2 cl 2 and filtered through a 5 micron filter . the filter was washed with additional ch 2 cl 2 . the filtrate was then concentrated in vacuo to afford the desired product . into a 100 ml 1 - neck round bottom flask , equipped with a magnetic stir bar and septum under n 2 was charged the crude product of example 14 step c ) ( 4 . 62 g , 19 mmol ), dry ch 2 cl 2 ( 20 ml ) and et 3 n ( 5 . 62 ml , 40 mmol ). to this solution was added tosyl chloride ( 4 . 76 g , 25 mmol ). the resulting mixture was stirred at ambient temperature for 4 hours . charged h 2 o ( 0 . 27 g , 15 mmol ) and stirred vigorously for 4 hours . the reaction mixture was diluted with 80 ml etoac and 50 ml h 2 o and the aqueous layer was separated . to the organic layer was added 75 ml of a 5 % aq . solution of kh 2 po 4 . after mixing and separation of the layers , the aqueous layer was removed . the organic layer was washed with 50 ml of saturated nahco 3 solution , dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered and concentrated in vacuo to a constant weight of 7 . 40 g of the desired product . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 1 . 17 ( t , 6h ); 1 . 62 ( m , 2h ); 1 . 94 ( s , 3h ); 2 . 19 ( m , 1h ); 2 . 45 ( s , 3h ); 3 . 42 ( m , 2h ); 3 . 6 ( m , 2h ); 4 . 03 ( m , 4h ); 4 . 51 ( t , 1h ); 7 . 36 ( d , 2h ); 7 . 79 ( d , 2h ). into a 50 ml 1 neck round bottom flask was charged the product of example 14 step d ) ( 3 . 88 g , 10 mmol ), anhydrous dmf ( 20 ml ), 2 - amino - 4 - chloro - purine ( 2 . 125 g , 12 . 5 mmol ) and k 2 co 3 ( 4 . 83 g ). the resulting suspension was stirred at 40 ° c . under a n 2 blanket for 20 hours . the mixture was concentrated to remove most of the dmf on a rotary evaporator . the residue was diluted with etoac ( 50 ml ) and h 2 o ( 50 ml ). the reaction mixture was transferred to a separatory funnel , shaken and the aqueous layer was separated . the aqueous layer was extracted with etoac ( 25 ml ). the organic layers were combined and washed with 5 % kh 2 po 4 ( 75 ml ). the organic layer was separated and washed with h 2 o ( 75 ml ), brine ( 75 ml ), dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered and concentrated in vacuo to afford 3 . 95 g of crude product . the crude product was slurried with 40 ml of methyl - t - butyl ether . this mixture was stirred overnight at 4 ° c . and the mixture was filtered . the filtrate was concentrated to afford 3 . 35 g of the product as an oil ( containing 2 . 6 g of the desired product based upon hplc analysis ). 300 mhz 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 1 . 19 ( m , 6h ); 1 . 69 ( 2h ); 1 . 79 ( s , 1h ); 2 . 03 ( s , 3h ); 2 . 52 ( m , 1h ); 3 . 48 ( m , 2h ); 3 . 62 ( m , 2h ); 4 . 04 ( m , 2h ); 4 . 16 ( m , 2h ); 4 . 61 ( t , 1h ); 5 . 12 ( bs , 2h ); 7 . 81 ( s , 1h ). into a 500 ml 1 neck round bottom flask was charged benzyl alcohol ( 136 ml ), cooled to 0 ° c ., followed by portionwise addition of ko - t - bu ( 36 g , 321 mmol ). the temperature was allowed to warm to 40 ° c ., and the mixture was stirred 20 minutes . to this mixture was added at 0 ° c . the crude product of example 14 step e ) ( 24 . 7 g , 64 . 2 mmol ) dissolved in 25 ml anhydrous thf and benzyl alcohol ( 30 ml ). the temperature was allowed to slowly warm to 8 ° c . over 2 hours . the reaction mixture was poured into 500 ml ice and was extracted with 500 ml mtbe . the organic layer was washed with 250 ml of brine , dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered and concentrated in vacuo to afford 193 g of a benzyl alcohol solution of the desired product . hplc analysis indicated that the solution contained 25 . 96 g of the desired product . 300 mhz 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 1 . 22 ( m , 6h ); 1 . 55 ( 2h ); 2 . 18 ( m , 1h ); 3 . 15 ( m , 1h ); 3 . 40 ( m , 1h ); 3 . 51 ( m , 2h ); 3 . 70 ( m , 2h ); 4 . 25 ( m , 2h ); 4 . 63 ( t , 1h ); 4 . 90 ( bs , 2h ); 5 . 25 ( m , 1h ); 5 . 58 ( s , 2h ); 7 . 35 ( m , 3h ); 7 . 51 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 72 ( s , 1h ). ms =( m + h ) + = 416 ( cl ). into a 100 ml 1 neck round bottom flask was charged the crude product of example 14 step f ) ( 9 . 65 g of the benzyl alcohol solution , containing 1 . 30 g , 3 . 13 mmol of the product of example 14 , step f ) dissolved in absolute etoh ( 20 ml ). to this was added 0 . 45 g of 10 % pd / c slurried in 5 ml absolute etoh . the reaction flask was evacuated and charged with h 2 three times with a balloon of h 2 . the reaction flask was pressurized with 1 atm . h 2 and the reaction mixture was stirred overnight . the reaction mixture was filtered through a pad of diatomaceous earth to remove pd / c . the volatiles were removed in vacuo . the residue was mixed with 25 ml of isopropyl acetate and then concentrated in vacuo . the residue was diluted with etoac ( 10 ml ), seeded with the desired product , heated to reflux and then ch 3 cn ( 2 ml ) and mtbe ( 35 ml ) were added . the mixture was stirred for 30 minutes . the precipitate was filtered and dried to a constant weight of 600 mg of the desired product . 300 mhz 1 h nmr ( d 6 - dmso ) δ 1 . 16 ( m , 6h ); 1 . 45 ( m , 1h ); 1 . 61 ( m , 1h ); 2 . 16 ( m , 1h ); 3 . 45 ( m , 2h ); 3 . 40 ( m , 1h ); 3 . 62 ( m , 2h ); 4 . 02 ( m , 2h ); 4 . 53 ( t , 1h ); 4 . 85 ( t , 1h ); 6 . 55 ( bs , 1h ); 7 . 75 ( s , 1h ). ms =( m + h ) + = 416 ( cl ). into a 25 ml 1 neck round bottom flask was charged the product of example 14 step g ) ( 0 . 650 g , 2 . 0 mmol ), pyridine ( 4 ml ) and ch 2 cl 2 ( 2 ml ), dmap ( 10 mg ). the mixture was cooled to − 5 ° c . and stearoyl chloride ( 790 mg , 2 . 6 mmol ) dissolved in ch 2 cl 2 ( 0 . 5 ml ) was added over 5 minutes . the resulting mixture was stirred 16 hours at − 5 ° c . absolute etoh ( 0 . 138 g , 3 . 0 mmol ) was added and the mixture was stirred an additional 1 hour . the reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo . toluene ( 30 ml ) was added to the residue and then the mixture was concentrated in vacuo . again , toluene ( 30 ml ) was added to the residue and then the mixture was concentrated in vacuo . to the residue was added 1 % kh 2 po 4 ( 25 ml ) and this mixture was extracted with ch 2 cl 2 ( 60 ml ). the organic layer was separated and was dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered and concentrated in vacuo to a constant weight of 1 . 65 g . the crude product was chromatographed on 40 g of sio 2 , eluting with 95 / 5 ch 2 cl 2 - etoh , affording 367 mg of the desired product . 300 mhz 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 0 . 89 ( t , 3h ); 1 . 26 ( m , 30h ); 1 . 65 ( m , 3h ); 2 . 32 ( m , 1h ); 3 . 45 ( m , 1h ); 3 . 60 ( m , 2h ); 4 . 08 ( m , 2h ); 4 . 60 ( m , 1h ); 6 . 0 ( bs , 2h ); 7 . 53 ( s , 1h ). into a 25 ml 1 neck round bottom flask was charged the product of example 14 , step h ) ( 0 . 234 g , 0 . 394 mmol ) dissolved in thf ( 1 . 7 ml ). to this solution was added triflic acid ( 0 . 108 g ) in h 2 o 180 mg . the mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature . to the reaction mixture was added saturated nahco 3 solution ( 10 ml ), thf ( 5 ml ), ch 2 cl 2 ( 2 ml ) and nabh 4 ( 0 . 10 g ). this mixture was stirred for 30 minutes . to the reaction mixture was added a 5 % solution of kh 2 po 4 ( 30 ml ). this mixture was extracted with 2 × 15 ml of ch 2 cl 2 . the organic layers were combined and dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered and concentrated in vacuo to a constant weight of 207 mg . this material was recrystallized from etoac ( 8 ml ) and ch 3 cn ( 0 . 5 ml ) affording 173 mg of the desired product . 300 mhz 1 h nmr ( d 6 - dmso ) δ 0 . 82 ( t , 3h ); 1 . 19 ( m , 30h ); 1 . 41 ( m , 4h ); 2 . 19 ( t , 2h ); 2 . 32 ( m , 1h ); 3 . 40 ( m , 2h ); 3 . 9 ( m , 4h ); 4 . 49 ( m , 1h ); 6 . 4 ( bs , 2h ); 7 . 61 ( m , 1 . 5h ); 9 . 55 ( m , 0 . 5h ). ( r )- 9 -[ 2 -( stearoyloxymethyl )- 4 -( t - butyldiphenylsilyloxy ) butyl ] guanine ( 45 g ) and thf ( 950 ml ) were combined in a 2 l flask . then boc - l - valine ( 3 . 22 g , 0 . 25 eq ) was added , followed by tetrabutylammonium fluoride ( 1 m in thf , 89 . 05 ml ) over 10 minutes . the clear reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours and 50 minutes with monitoring of the reaction progress by tlc ( 90 / 10 ch 2 cl 2 / meoh ). to the reaction mixture was added boc - l - valine ( 35 . 43 g , 2 . 75 eq ), dcc ( 36 . 67 g , 2 . 75 eq ) and dimethylaminopyridine ( 1 . 1 g , 0 . 15 eq ) in thf ( 25 ml ). the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 24 hours . dcu was filtered off and washed with ch 2 cl 2 . the filtrate was concentrated , and the residue was taken up in 2 liters of ch 2 cl 2 and washed with 2 l of 1 / 2 saturated sodium bicarbonate and brine solutions . on drying and evaporation , approximately 100 g of crude product was obtained . the material was purified by silica chromatography ( 6000 ml of silica ) using 3 % meoh / ch 2 cl 2 to 5 % meoh / ch 2 cl 2 to obtain 38 . 22 mg of the desired product . h2g ( 450 . 0 g , 1 . 78 mol ) and n , n dimethylformamide ( 6 . 4 kg ) were charged into a bucchi evaporator and the mixture warmed to dissolve the solid . the solution was concentrated to dryness under vauum at no more than 90 ° c . the resulting powder was transferred to a 22 liter flask with stirrer , addition funnel and and temperature probe . n , n - dimethylformamide ( 1 . 7 kg ) was added followed by pyridine ( 3 . 53 kg ). the resulting suspension was cooled to − 10 ° c . under nitrogen and stirred at − 5 °± 5 ° c . as t - butylchlorodiphenylsilane ( 684 g , 2 . 49 mol ) was added dropwise . the resulting mixture was stirred at − 5 °± 5 ° c . until the reaction was complete ( as monitored by tlc ( 10 : 1 methylene chloride / methanol ) and hplc ( 4 . 6 × 250 mm zorbax rxc8 ( 5 micron ); 60 : 40 acetonitrile - aq . nh 4 oac ( 0 . 05 m ) at 1 . 5 ml / min ; uv detection at 254 nm )). water ( 16 kg ) was added and the mixture was stirred for 30 minutes to precipitate the product , then the mixture was cooled to 0 ° c . for 30 minutes . the solid was isolated by filtration and the product cake was washed with cold water and sucked dry with air to provide the crude product as an off - white solid . the crude solid was taken up in pydridine ( 3 kg ) and concentrated under vacuum at 60 ° c . to remove water . the dry solid residue was slurried with methanol ( 10 kg ) at 60 ° c . for 1 – 2 hours and filtered while hot . the filtrate was concentrated under vacuum and the solid residue was refluxed with isopropyl acetate ( 7 kg ) for 30 minutes . the mixture was cooled to 20 ° c . and filtered . the filter cake was dried under vacuum at 50 ° c . to provide the title compound as a white solid ( 555 g ). the product of example 16 , step a ) ( 555 g , 1 . 113 mol ) was charged to a 50 litre buchi evaporator . pyridine ( 2 . 7 kg ) was added dropwise to dissolve the solid and the mixture was distilled to dryness under vacuum at 60 ° c . the residue was taken up in fresh pyridine ( 2 . 7 kg ) and transferred to a 22 litre flask with stirrer , addition funnel and temperature probe . the solution was cooled to − 5 ° c . under nitrogen . a solution of stearoyl chloride ( 440 g , 1 . 45 mol ) in methylene chloride ( 1 . 5 kg ) was added so as to maintain a temperature below 0 ° c . 4 -( n , n - dimethylamino ) pyridine ( 15 g , 0 . 12 mol ) was added and the mixture was stirred at − 5 – 0 ° c . for 2 – 4 hours until conversion was complete ( as monitored by tlc ( 10 : 1 methylene chloride / methanol ) and hplc ( 4 . 6 × 250 mm zorbax rxc8 ( 5 micron ); 60 : 40 acetonitrile - aq . nh 4 oac ( 0 . 05 m ) at 1 . 5 ml / min ; uv detection at 254 nm )). at the end of the reaction , acetonitrile ( 8 . 7 kg ) was added and the mixture was stirred for not less than 15 minutes to precipitate the product . the slurry was cooled to 0 ° c . for 2 hours and the solid isolated by filtration and the filter cake washed with acetonitrile ( 2 kg ). the desired product was obtained as a white solid ( 775 g ). a solution of the product of example 16 , step b ) ( 765 g , 0 . 29 mol ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 10 kg ) was prepared in a reactor . a solution of tetra ( n - butyl ) ammonium fluoride in tetrahydrofuran ( 1 . 7 kg of 1 m solution , 1 . 7 mol ) was added and the resulting clear solution was stirred at 20 °± 5 ° c . for 4 hours . water ( 32 kg ) was added and the resulting slurry was stirred for 1 hour and then cooled to 0 ° c . for 30 minutes . the precipitate was isolated by filtration and the filter cake was washed successively with water ( 10 kg ) and acetonitrile ( 5 kg ). after drying under vacuum at 25 ° c ., 702 g of crude product was obtained . the crude product was dissolved in refluxing thf ( 4 . 2 kg ) and water ( 160 g ), then cooled to 40 ° c . and treated with methylene chloride ( 14 . 5 kg ). the mixture was allowed to cool to 25 °± 5 ° c . for 1 hour , then it was cooled to 5 °± 5 ° c . for 1 hour to complete precipitation . the slightly off - white powder was isolated by filtration and dried under vacuum at 40 ° c . to yield the desired product ( 416 g ). a solution of n - cbz - l - valine ( 169 g , 0 . 67 mol ) in dry thf ( 750 ml ) was prepared in a 2 litre flask with mechanical stirrer , thermometer and addition funnel . a solution of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 69 . 3 g , 0 . 34 mol ) in thf ( 250 ml ) was added over 5 minutes and the resulting slurry was stirred at 20 °± 5 ° c . for 2 hours . the slurry was filtered and the filter cake was washed with thf ( 300 ml ). the filtrate and wash were charged to a 3 litre flask with stirrer and thermometer . the product of example 16 , step c ) ( 116 g , 0 . 22 mol ) was added as a solid , with a rinse of thf ( 250 ml ). 4 -( n , n - dimethylamino ) pyridine ( 2 . 73 g , 0 . 022 mol ) was added and the white slurry stirred at 20 °± 5 ° c . within 15 minutes , the solids were all dissolved and the reaction was complete within 1 hour ( as determined by hplc : 4 . 6 × 250 mm zorbax rxc8 column ; 85 : 15 acetonitrile - 0 . 2 % aq . hclo 4 at 1 ml / min . ; uv detection at 254 nm ; starting material elutes at 4 . 1 min . and product elutes at 5 . 9 min .). the reaction was quenched by addition of water ( 5 ml ) and the solution was concentrated under vacuum to leave a light yellow semisolid . this was taken up in methanol ( 1 . 5 liters ) and warmed to reflux for 30 minutes . the solution was cooled to 25 ° c . and the precipitate was removed by filtration . the filtrate was concentrated under vacuum to leave a viscous , pale yellow oil . acetonitrile , ( 1 l ) was added and the resulting white suspension was stirred at 20 °± 5 ° c . for 90 minutes . the crude solid product was isolated by filtration , washed with acetonitrile ( 2 × 100 ml ) and air - dried overnight to provide the desired product as a waxy , sticky solid ( 122 g ). this was further purified by crystallization from ethyl acetate ( 500 ml ) and drying under vacuum at 30 ° c . to provide the desired product as a white , waxy solid ( 104 g ). a solution of the product of example 16 , step d ), ( 77 g ) in warm ( 40 ° c .) ethanol ( 2 . 3 l ) was charged to an hydrogenation reactor with 5 % pd - c ( 15 . 4 g ). the mixture was agitated at 40 ° c . under 40 psi hydrogen for 4 hours , evacuated and hydrogenated for an additional 4 – 10 hours . the catalyst was removed by filtration and the filtrate was concentrated under vacuum to provide a white solid . this was stirred with ethanol ( 385 ml ) at 25 ° c . for 1 hour , then cooled to 0 ° c . and filtered . the filter cake was dried with air , then under vacuum at 35 ° c . to yield the title compound as a white powder ( 46 g ). h2g ( 506 mg ; 2 . 0 mmol ) was dissolved in dry n , n - dimethylformamide ( 40 ml ) with pyridine ( 400 mg ; 5 . 06 mmol ) and 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 60 mg ; 0 . 49 mmol ). stearoyl chloride ( 1500 mg ; 4 . 95 mmol ) was added and the mixture kept overnight at room temperature . most of the solvent was evaporated in vacuo , the residue stirred with 70 ml ethyl acetate and 70 ml water , and the solid filtered off , washed with ethyl acetate and water and dried to yield 680 mg of crude product . column chromatography on silica gel ( chloroform : methanol 15 : 1 ) gave pure title compound as a white solid . 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 0 . 86 ( t , 3h ); 1 . 25 ( s , 28h ); 1 . 51 ( qui , 2h ); 1 . 62 ( m , 2h ); 2 . 06 ( m , 1h ); 2 . 23 ( t , 2h ); 3 . 34 ( d , 2h ); 3 . 96 ( abx , 2h ); 4 . 07 ( dd , 2h ); 6 . 30 ( br s , 2h ); 7 . 62 ( s , 1h ); 10 . 45 ( s , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 13 , 8 ( c18 ); 22 . 0 ( c17 ); 24 . 4 ( c3 ); 27 . 7 ( c3 ′); 28 . 4 – 28 . 8 ( c4 – 6 , c15 ); 28 . 9 ( c7 – 14 ); 31 . 2 ( c16 ); 33 . 5 ( c2 ); 38 . 0 ( c2 ′); 44 . 0 ( c1 ′); 60 . 6 / 61 . 8 ( c4 ′, c2 ″); 116 . 5 ( guac5 ); 137 . 7 ( guac7 ); 151 . 4 ( guac4 ); 153 . 5 ( guac2 ); 156 . 7 ( guac6 ); 172 . 7 ( coo ). a mixture of n - boc - l - valine ( 528 mg ; 2 . 1 mmol ) and n , n ′- dicyclohexyl carbodiimide ( 250 mg ; 1 . 21 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 20 ml ) was stirred over night at room temperature , dicyclohexylurea filtered off and extracted with a small volume of dichloromethane , and the filtrate evaporated in vacuo to a small volume . ( r )- 9 -[ 2 - hydroxymethyl - 4 -( stearoyloxy ) butyl ] guanine ( 340 mg ; 0 . 654 mmol ), 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 25 mg ; 0 . 205 mmol ), and dry n , n - dimethylformamide ( 15 ml ) were added and the mixture was stirred for 4 h at 50 ° c . under n 2 . the solvent was evaporated in vacuo to a small volume . column chromatography on silica gel , then on aluminum oxide ( ethyl acetate : methanol : water 15 : 2 : 1 as eluent ) gave 185 mg ( 39 %) pure title compound as a white solid . 1 h nmr ( chcl 3 ) δ 0 . 85 – 1 . 0 ( m , 9h ) 18 - ch 3 , ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ; 1 . 25 ( s , 28h ) 4 – 17 - ch 2 ; 1 . 44 ( s , 9h ) t - bu ; 1 . 60 ( qui , 2h ) 3 - ch 2 ; 1 . 74 ( qua , 2h ) 3 ′- ch 2 ; 2 . 14 ( m , 1h ) 2 ′- ch ; 2 . 29 ( t , 2h ) 2 - ch 2 ; 2 . 41 ( m , 1h ) ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ; 4 . 1 – 4 . 3 ( m , 6h ) c1 ′- ch 2 , c2 ″- ch 2 , c4 - ch 2 ; 5 . 4 ( d , 1h ) αch ; 6 . 6 ( br s , 2h ) guanh 2 ; 7 . 73 ( s , 1h ) guah8 ; 12 . 4 ( br s ). 13 c nmr ( chcl 3 ) δ 13 , 9 ( c18 ); 17 . 5 / 18 . 9 ( 2 val ch 3 ); 22 . 4 ( c17 ); 24 . 7 ( c3 ); 28 . 1 ( c3 ′); 28 . 9 – 29 . 3 ( c4 – 6 , c15 ); 29 . 4 ( c7 – 14 ); 30 . 7 ( val βc ); 31 . 7 ( c16 ); 34 . 0 ( c2 ); 35 . 9 ( c2 ′); 43 . 9 ( c1 ′); 58 . 7 ( val αc ); 61 . 4 / 63 . 6 ( c4 ′, c2 ″); 79 . 9 ( cme 3 ); 116 . 4 ( guac5 ); 137 . 9 ( guac7 ); 151 . 7 ( guac4 ); 153 . 7 ( guac2 ); 155 . 7 ( conh ); 158 . 8 ( guac6 ); 172 . 1 ( chcoo ); 173 . 5 ( ch 2 coo ). chilled trifluoroacetic acid ( 2 . 0 g ) was added to ( r )- 9 -[ 2 -( n - boc - l - valyloxymethyl )- 4 -( stearoyloxy ) butyl ] guanine ( 180 mg ; 0 . 25 mmol ) and the solution kept at room temperature for 1 h , evaporated to a small volume , and lyophilized repeatedly with dioxane until a white amorphous powder was obtained . the yield of title compound , obtained as the trifluoracetate salt , was quantitative . 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 0 . 87 ( t , 3h ) 18 - ch 3 , 0 . 98 ( dd , 6h ) ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ; 1 . 25 ( s , 28h ) 4 – 17 - ch2 ; 1 . 50 ( qui , 2h ) 3 - ch 2 ; 1 . 68 ( qua , 2h ) 3 ′- ch 2 ; 2 . 19 ( m , 1h ) 2 ′- ch ; 2 . 26 ( t , 2h ) 2 - ch 2 ; 2 . 40 ( m , 1h ) ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ; 3 . 9 – 4 . 25 ( m , 7h ) c1 ′- ch 2 , c2 ″- ch 2 , c4 - ch 2 , αch ; 6 . 5 ( br s , 2h ) guanh 2 ; 7 . 79 ( s , 1h ) guah8 ; 8 . 37 ( br s , 3h ) nh 3 +; 10 . 73 ( br s , 1h ) guanh . 13 c nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 14 . 2 ( c18 ); 17 . 9 / 18 . 3 ( 2 val ch3 ); 22 . 3 ( c17 ); 24 . 6 ( c3 ); 27 . 7 ( c3 ′); 28 . 7 – 29 . 1 ( c4 – 6 , c15 ); 29 . 2 ( c7 – 14 ); 29 . 5 ( val βc ); 31 . 5 ( c16 ); 33 . 7 ( c2 ); 35 . 0 ( c2 ′); 44 . 1 ( c1 ′); 57 . 6 ( val αc ); 61 . 6 / 65 . 2 ( c4 ′, c2 ″); 116 . 1 ( guac5 ); 116 . 3 ( qua , j 290 hz , cf3 ); 137 . 9 ( guac7 ); 151 . 5 ( guac4 ); 154 . 0 ( guac2 ); 156 . 7 ( guac6 ); 158 . 3 ( qua , j 15 hz , cf 3 coo ) 169 . 1 ( chcoo ); 173 . 1 ( ch 2 coo ). h2g ( 7 . 60 g , 30 mmol ) was heated to solution in dry dmf ( 200 ml ). the solution was filtered to remove solid impurities , cooled to 20 ° c . ( h2g cystallized ) and stirred at that temperature during addition of pyridine ( 9 . 0 g , 114 mmol ), 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 0 . 46 g , 3 . 75 mmol ) and then , slowly , stearoyl chloride ( 20 . 0 g , 66 mmol ). stirring was continued at room temperature overnight . most of the solvent was then evaporated off in vacuo , the residue stirred with 200 ml ethyl acetate and 200 ml water and the solid filtered off , washed with ethyl acetate and water and dried to yield crude product . as an alternative to recrystallization , the crude product was briefly heated to almost boiling with 100 ml of ethyl acetate : methanol : water ( 15 : 2 : 1 ) and the suspension slowly cooled to 30 ° c . and filtered to leave most of the 2 ″ isomer in solution ( the 2 ″ isomer would crystallize at lower temperature ). the extraction procedure was repeated once more to yield , after drying in vacuo , 6 . 57 g ( 42 %) of almost isomer free product . the product of example 16 , step c ) ( 20 . 07 g , 32 . 5 mmol ) was dissolved in absolute ethanol ( 400 ml ) with heating , filtered , and further diluted with ethanol ( 117 . 5 ml ). to this solution was added water ( hplc grade , 103 . 5 ml ), and the mixture was allowed to cool to 35 – 40 ° c . after the mixture was cooled , water ( hplc grade , 931 . 5 ml ) was added at a constant rate over 16 hours with efficient stirring . after all the water was added , stirring was continued for 4 hours at room temperature . the resulting precipitate was filtered through paper and dried under vacuum at room temperature to obtain the title compound as a white , free flowing crystalline powder ( 19 . 43 g , 97 %), m pt 169 – 170 ° c . a ) to a solution of 9 - r -( 4 -( tert - butyldiphenylsilyloxy )- 2 -( hydroxymethyl ) butyl ) guanine ( 695 mg , 1 . 5 mmole ) in dmf ( 30 ml ) were added n - boc - l - valine ( 488 mg , 2 . 25 mmole ), 4 - dimethylamino pyridine ( 30 mg , 0 . 25 mmole ) and dcc ( 556 mg , 2 . 7 mmole ). after 16 hr , the reaction was recharged with n - boc - l - valine ( 244 mg ) and dcc ( 278 mg ), and was kept for an additional 5 hours . the reaction mixture was filtered through celite and poured into sodium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution , and then it was extracted with dichloromethane . the organic phase was evaporated and purified by silica gel column chromatography , giving 950 mg of the n - protected monoamino acyl intermediate . b ) the above intermediate ( 520 mg , 0 . 78 mmole ) was dissolved in thf ( 15 ml ). to the solution was added hydrogen fluoride in pyridine ( 70 %/ 30 %, 0 . 34 ml ). after two days , the solution was evaporated and coevaporated with toluene . purification by silica gel column chromatography gave 311 mg of the protected monoamino acyl compound . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 10 . 41 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 59 ( 1h ), 6 . 26 ( br s , 2h ), 4 . 32 ( t , 1h ), 3 . 95 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 41 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 06 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 39 ( s , 9h ), 0 . 90 ( d , 6h ). c ) the product of step b ) ( 95 mg , 0 . 21 mmole ) was treated with a mixture of trifluoroacetic acid ( 4 ml ) and dichloromethane ( 6 ml ) for 1 hr . the solution was evaporated and freeze - dried , to give 125 mg of the unprotected monoaminoacyl product . 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ): δ 8 . 88 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 32 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 96 ( d , 1h ), 3 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 63 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 22 ( m , 1h ), 1 , 73 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 00 ( m , 6h ). a ) to a solution of ( r )- 9 -( 2 - hydroxymethyl - 4 - hydroxybutyl ) guanine ( 2 . 53 g , 10 mmole ) in dmf ( 250 ml ) were added n - boc - l - isoleucine ( 2 . 77 g , 12 mmole ), 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 61 mg , 0 . 6 mmole ) and dcc ( 3 . 7 g , 18 mmole ). after reaction for 16 hr at 0 ° ( c , n - boc - l - isoleucine ( 1 . 3 g ) and dcc ( 1 . 8 g ) were recharged , and the reaction was kept overnight at room temperature . the reaction mixture was filtered through celite and the filtrate was evaporated and purified by silica gel column chromatography , giving 1 . 25 g of the n - protected monoamino acyl intermediate . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): 610 . 56 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 62 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 43 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 75 ( t , 1h ), 4 . 15 – 3 . 80 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 25 ( m , 2h ) 2 . 05 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 80 - 1 - 05 ( m , 14h ), 0 . 88 ( m , 6h ). b ) the intermediate from step a ) ( 100 mg , 0 . 21 mmole ) was treated with trifluoroacetic acid ( 3 m ) and for 30 min at 0 ° c . the solution was evaporated and freeaze - dried , to give the titled unprotected mono - aminoacyl product in quantitative yield . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 + d 2 o ): δ 8 . 72 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 15 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 90 ( d , 1h ), 3 . 42 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 09 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 83 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 61 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 15 ( m , h ), 0 . 77 ( d , 3h ), 0 . 71 ( t , 3h ). the product of example 1 , step a ) was deprotected with trifluoroaacetic acid in the same manner as example 1 , step c ) 1 h - nmr ( 250 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): 61 . 04 ( dd , 6h ), 1 . 55 – 1 . 88 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 21 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 48 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 00 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 13 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 34 ( t , 2h ), 6 . 9 ( br s , 2h ), 8 . 21 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 5 ( br s , 3h ), 11 . 1 ( br s , 1h ). application of the technique described in example 1 , step a ), but using 2 . 7 eqs , 0 . 28 eqs , and 3 . 2 eqs of n - boc - l - valine , dmap , and dcc , respectively , resulted in the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 250 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ0 . 95 ( m , 12h ), 1 . 42 ( br s , 18h ), 1 . 8 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 14 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 47 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 0 – 4 . 4 ( m , 8h ), 6 . 5 ( br s , 2h ), 7 . 67 ( s , 1h ). the titled compound was obtained as the tris - trifluoroacetate salt from the intermediate of example 23 step a ) by deprotection in a manner analogous to example 1 step c ). 1 h nmr ( 250 mhz , d 2 o ) δ 1 . 0 ( m , 12h ), 1 . 89 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 29 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 62 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 02 ( dd , 2h ), 4 . 38 ( m , 6h ), 4 . 89 ( br s , ca . 10h ), 8 . 98 ( s , 1h ). the titled compound is prepared according to steps a ) to c ) of example 7 . 1 h nmr ( 250 mhz , dmso - d 6 ): δ 10 . 52 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 62 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 39 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 50 ( t , 1h ), 3 . 93 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 42 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 45 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 23 ( t , 2h ), 1 . 48 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 22 ( s , 28h ), 0 . 89 ( t , 3h ) the titled compound is prepared by the procedure of example 17 , step a ). 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 0 . 86 ( t , 3h ); 1 . 25 ( s , 28h ); 1 . 51 ( qui , 2h ); 1 . 62 ( m , 2h ); 2 . 06 ( m , 1h ); 2 . 23 ( t , 2h ); 3 . 34 ( d , 2h ); 3 . 96 ( abx , 2h ); 4 . 07 ( dd , 2h ); 6 . 30 ( br s , 2h ); 7 . 62 ( s , 1h ); 10 . 45 ( s , 1h ). dry h2g ( 252 mg , 1 mmol ), 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 122 mg , 1 mmol ) and n - cbz - l - valine p - nitrophenyl ester ( 408 mg , 1 . 1 mmol ) were dissolved in dry dimethyl formamide ( 16 ml ). after stirring at 23 ° c . for 30 hours , the organic solvent was removed and the residue carefully chromatographed ( silica , 2 %– 7 % methanol / methylene chloride ) to afford the desired product as a white solid ( 151 mg , 31 %). a solution of stearoyl chloride ( 394 mg , 1 . 3 mmol ) in dry methylene chloride ( 2 ml ) was added slowly dropwise under nitrogen to a solution of the product of step a ) ( 243 mg , 1 mmol ) and 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 20 mg ) in dry pyridine ( 5 ml ) at − 5 ° c . the reaction mixture was stirred at that temperature for 12 hours . methanol ( 5 ml ) was added and the reaction stirred for 1 hour . after removal of the solvent , the residue was triturated with acetonitrile and chromatographed ( silica , 0 – 5 % methanol / methylene chloride ) to afford the desired product ( 542 mg , 72 %). the product of step b ) ( 490 mg , 1 mmol ) was dissolved in methanol ( 30 ml ) and 5 % pd / c ( 100 mg ) added . a balloon filled with hydrogen was placed on top of the reaction vessel . after 6 hours at 23 ° c ., tlc showed the absence of starting material . the reaction mixture was filtered through a 0 . 45 micron nylon membrane to remove the catalyst and the solvent was removed to afford the desired product as a white solid ( 350 mg , 99 %) which was identical ( spectral and analytical data ) to example 16 . ( r )- 9 -( 4 -( l - valyloxy )- 2 -( l - valyloxymethyl ) butyl ) guanine from example 23 step b ) ( 100 mg , 0 , 126 mmole ) was dissolved in 0 . 1 n naoh aqueous solution ( 6 . 3 ml , 0 . 63 mmole ) at room temperature . at intervals , an aliquot was taken and neutralized with 0 . 5 n trifluoroacetic acid . the aliquots were evaporated and analyzed by hplc to monitor the progress of the reaction . after 4 hours , 0 . 5 n trifluoroacetic acid solution ( 1 . 26 ml , 0 . 63 mmole ) was added to the solution and the reaction mixture was evaporated . the desired product was purified by hplc , ( ymc , 50 × 4 . 6 mm , gradient 0 . 1 % tfa + 0 – 50 % 0 . 1 % tfa in acetonitrile , in 20 minutes , uv detection at 254 nm . yield : 13 . 6 % 1 h - nmr ( d 2 o ): δ 8 . 81 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 36 ( m , 4h ), 4 . 01 ( d , 1h ), 3 . 74 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 64 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 25 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 73 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 03 ( dd , 6h ). hplc separation of the reaction solution from example 27 gave the titled compound in 29 . 2 % yield . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 8 . 38 ( s , 3h ), 8 . 26 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 83 ( br s , 2h ), 4 . 23 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 06 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 91 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 40 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 19 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 8 – 1 . 40 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 95 ( dd , 6h ). the product of example 16 , step d ) ( 360 mg , 0 . 479 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixture of methanol ( 10 ml ) and ethyl acetate ( 10 ml ). to the solution was added 10 % pd / c ( 100 mg ) and 1 n hcl ( 520 microlitres ). the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours under 1 atm . h 2 . the reaction mixture was filtered and the solvent evaporated from the filtrate to provide the desired product as a crystalline solid ( 300 mg ). the product of example 14 , step e ) ( 200 g ) was dissolved in methanol ( 670 ml ) and 20 % aqueous k 2 co 3 ( 43 g k 2 co 3 in 166 ml h 2 o ) was added . the mixture was stirred at 25 ± 5 ° c . for 30 minutes . the reaction mixture was then cooled to 0 – 5 ° c . for about 20 minutes , when a precipitate formed . water ( 500 ml ) was added and the slurry was mixed at 5 ± 5 ° c . for 15 minutes . the resulting solid was isolated by filtration and the filter cake was washed with water ( 100 ml ) and dried under vacuum at 20 ° c . to provide the desired product as a pale yellow powder ( 81 g ). m . p . 156 – 158 ° c . 300 mhz 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 1 . 04 ( m , 6h ); 1 . 36 ( m , 1h ); 1 . 55 ( m , 1h ); 2 . 10 ( m , 1h ); 3 . 40 ( m , 6h ); 4 . 06 ( m , 2h ); 4 . 48 ( t , 1h ); 4 . 78 ( t , 1h ); 6 . 93 , ( br s , 2h ); 8 . 10 ( s , 1h ). to the product of example 30 , step a ) ( 22 . 5 kg , 65 . 4 moles ) was added an aqueous solution of koh ( prepared by dissolving 12 . 9 kg of koh in 225 kg of water ). this mixture was refluxed for 16 hours . the reaction was cooled to about room temperature and filtered into a larger reactor equipped with a ph electrode standardized to ph 7 – 10 . the filtered solution was cooled to 5 ° c . and the product precipitated by slow addition of dilute acetic acid solution ( prepared by mixing glacial acetic acid ( 12 . 6 kg , 210 moles ) with 75 kg of water and cooling the mixture to 5 ° c .) until the ph is between 7 . 5 and 9 . 0 ( target 8 . 5 ). the resulting slurry was immediately filtered and the filter cake was recharged back to the reactor . the reactor was charged with 225 kg of distilled water . the mixture was heated to not more than 50 ° c . for 30 minutes , then cooled to 15 ± 10 ° c . and stirred for 30 minutes . the resulting precipitate was filtered by vacuum filtration , rinsed with 50 kg of distilled water and dried in a vacuum oven at not more than 45 ° c . for not less than 8 hours to provide the desired product as a tan solid . to 22 . 4 kg of stearic acid ( 78 . 7 moles ) in 156 . 4 kg of toluene was added 8 . 2 kg of triethylamine ( 81 . 0 moles ). the internal temperature of the resulting slurry was lowered to − 5 ° c ., then 9 . 52 kg of pivaloyl chloride ( 79 . 0 moles ) was slowly added maintaining an internal temperature of not more than 5 ° c . the slurry was stirred for 2 hours at 5 ° c ., then warmed to 20 ° c . and stirred for 4 hours . the triethylammonium hydrochloride precipitate was filtered and washed with 36 . 6 kg , 35 . 5 kg and 37 . 9 kg of toluene . the filtrate was concentrated at not more than 60 ° c . internal temperature and 61 . 1 kg of heptane was added , followed by cooling the slurry to − 15 to − 10 ° c . after 4 hours of stirring , the resulting solid was collected by vacuum filtration , blown dry for 1 hour with nitrogen and dried in a vacuum oven at room temperature for 1 . 5 hours to provide the desired product as white crystals ( 18 . 9 kg ). a further 2 . 7 kg of the desired product was obtained by concentrating the mother liquors under vacuum and adding 41 . 1 kg of heptane . the resulting slurry was cooled to − 15 to − 10 ° c . for 4 hours , filtered , blown dry with nitrogen for 1 hour and the product dried in a vacuum oven at room temperature . the product of example 30 , step b ) ( 3 . 9 kg , 11 . 9 moles ), the product of example 30 , step c ) ( 5 . 2 kg , 13 . 6 moles ) and 300 g of 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 2 . 4 moles ) were combined in 103 . 3 kg of thf at room temperature . after mixing for 16 hours , water ( 3 kg ) was added . after mixing for 45 minutes , the solution was distilled at not more than 45 ° c . internal temperature . ethyl acetate ( 62 . 9 kg ) was charged and the solution was redistilled at not more than 45 ° c . internal temperature . acetone ( 56 kg ) was then added and the slurry heated to reflux ( 56 ° c .) for 15 minutes . the resulting clear solution was cooled to room temperature ( not more than 15 ° c ./ hour ). after 4 hours at room temperature , the resulting precipitate was filtered and rinsed with acetone ( 17 kg ). the mother liquors were concentrated under vacuum at not more than 45 ° c . ethyl acetate ( 260 kg ) and water ( 72 . 1 kg ) were charged . the biphasic mixture was stirred and then allowed to settle . the organic phase was separated and was distilled . ethyl acetate ( 200 kg ) was added and the solution was redistilled . acetone ( 101 kg ) was charged , the solution heated to reflux ( 56 ° c .) for 15 minutes and then the solution was cooled to room temperature ( not more than 15 ° c ./ hour ) and the precipitate was filtered . the product was washed with acetone ( 19 kg , 15 kg and 15 kg ), blown dry with nitrogen for 1 hour and then dried under vacuum at not more than 40 ° c . for approximately 6 hours to yield the desired product ( 3 . 1 kg ). the product of example 30 , step d ) ( 3 . 0 kg ) was slurried in thf ( 46 l ) at 20 ° c . a solution of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid ( 2 . 25 kg ) in 2 . 25 kg of water ( prepared by slowly adding the acid to cold water ) was added and the reaction mixture was stirred at 22 ° c . for 2 hours . the reaction mixture was cooled to 15 ° c . and quenched with a solution of nahco 3 ( 1 . 5 kg ) in water ( 5 . 3 kg ). borane t - butylamine complex ( powder , 340 g ) was added in four portions and then the reaction temperature was increased to 35 ° c . and stirred for 12 hours . the reaction mixture was added to a solution of 320 g of concentrated hcl ( 37 % aq .) in 115 kg of tap water at 5 ° c . this mixture was stirred for 30 minutes and the resulting precipitate was filtered and washed with acetonitrile ( 15 kg ). the solids were reprecipitated once or twice from acetone ( 35 kg ). a final precipitation was accomplished by dissolving the product in thf ( 24 kg ) at 65 ° c ., adding water ( 1 . 3 kg ), cooling to 30 ° c . and then adding methylene chloride ( 105 kg ). the resulting slurry was cooled to 10 ° c . and the precipitate was filtered to provide the desired product . a solution of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 1500 g , 7 . 27 moles ) in thf ( 7 l ) was added to a reactor containing a mixture of n - carbobenzyloxy - l - valine ( 3630 g , 14 . 5 moles ) in thf ( 20 l ). the resulting mixture was stirred at 20 ± 5 ° c . for 1 – 2 hours . the product of example 30 , step e ) ( 2500 g , 4 . 81 moles ) and 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 59 g , 0 . 48 moles ) were charged to a second reactor . to this second reactor was filtered the thf mixture from the first reactor , followed with a rinse of thf ( 15 l ). the resulting mixture was stirred at 20 ± 5 ° c . for 1 – 3 hours . water ( 600 ml ) was added and the solution was concentrated under vacuum at not more than 45 ° c . the residual oil was taken up in ethyl acetate ( 14 l ) and filtered . the filtrate was washed successively with 10 % aqueous sodium bicarbonate ( 2 × 14 l ) and 10 % brine ( 14 l ). the organic phase was concentrated under vacuum and the residue was dissolved in methanol ( 10 kg ) at 50 – 60 ° c . the warm solution was added gradually to a mixture of acetonitrile ( 30 kg ) and water ( 13 kg ) at ambient temperature . the mixture was stirred 1 hour at 15 ° c ., then filtered to isolate the crude product , which was dried at 40 ° c . under vacuum to provide the desired product as a white solid ( 3 . 9 kg ). a hydrogenation reactor was charged with 10 % pd — c ( 400 g ) and the product of example 30 , step f ) ( 2 . 4 kg ). absolute ethanol ( 52 l ) was added and the mixture was warmed to 40 ° c . and hydrogenated at 30 – 40 psi for 3 – 5 hours . on completion of the reaction , the catalyst was removed by filtration through diatomaceous earth and the filter cake was rinsed well with ethanol ( 30 l ). the combined filtrates were concentrated under vacuum at not more than 60 ° c . to leave a white solid residue . this was dissolved in isopropanol ( 15 l ) and isopropyl acetate ( 60 l ) at reflux and then allowed to cool to room temperature over 4 hours . after cooling for 3 hours at 15 ± 10 ° c ., the precipitate was isolated by filtration , washed with isopropyl acetate ( 6 l ) and dried under vacuum at 40 ° c . to provide the desired product as a white powder ( 864 g ). vinyl stearate ( 17 . 76 g . 0 . 057 moles ) was charged to a 100 ml round bottom flask with a magnetic stir bar . the flask was immersed with stirring in a 35 ° c . oil bath . the product of example 14 , step b ) ( 10 . 0 g , 0 . 052 moles ) and lipase amano ps - 30 ( 0 . 20 g ) were added and stirred for four hours at 35 ° c . the reaction was diluted with hexane ( 260 ml ) and mtbe ( 115 ml ) and filtered through celite . the filtrate was washed twice with water ( 100 ml ), dried with na 2 so 4 , and concentrated to provide the desired product ( 26 . 21 g ) as a clear oil that forms a wet solid on standing at room temperature . the product of example 31 , step a ) ( 26 . 21 g , 0 . 057 mol ) was dissolved in methylene chloride ( 75 ml ) and charged into a 250 ml 3 necked flask equipped with a magnetic stir bar , condenser , n 2 inlet , and temperature probe . triethylamine ( 14 . 4 g ) was added followed by p - toluenesulfonyl chloride ( 16 . 3 g ). the flask was purged with n 2 and heated to reflux ( 46 ° c .). the reaction was stirred at reflux 6 hours . the reaction was cooled to room temperature . water ( 10 ml ) was added and the reaction was stirred vigorously for 16 hours . the reaction mixture was poured into a 1 l separatory funnel containing ethyl acetate ( 350 ml ) and water ( 350 ml ). the organic layer was separated and washed with 7 % ( w / w ) aq . sodium bicarbonate ( 100 ml ). the organic layer was then washed with 23 % ( w / w ) aq . sodium chloride ( 100 ml ). the organic layer was dried with na 2 so 4 and filtered . the solution was concentrated to give the desired product ( 29 . 4 g ) as an oil that formed a wet solid when cooled to room temperature . the product of example 31 , step b ) ( 29 . 38 g , assayed at 23 . 12 g , 0 . 037 moles ) was dissolved in thf ( 90 ml ) and charged into a 250 ml round bottomed flask equipped with a magnetic stir bar and a temperature probe . charged water ( 38 ml ) and cooled to 10 ° c . trifluoroacetic acid ( 55 ml ) was poured in and the mixture was stirred for 25 minutes . the reaction mixture was poured into a 2 l separatory funnel containing 20 % ( w / w ) k 2 co 3 solution ( 690 g ), ice ( 600 g ), and ethyl acetate ( 500 ml ). the upper organic layer was separated . the aqueous layer was extracted a second time with ethyl acetate ( 500 ml ). the combined organic extracts were washed with 23 % ( w / w ) nacl solution . the organic layer was separated , dried with na 2 so 4 and filtered . the solution was concentrated to 21 . 5 g of an oil , dissolved in heptane ( 150 ml ), and stirred slowly ( crystals formed after 10 minutes ). the slurry was stirred 15 hrs . at ambient temperature , filtered and washed with ambient heptane ( 20 ml ). the desired product was obtained as white crystals which were dried to a constant weight of 12 . 3 g . the product of example 31 , step c ) ( 11 . 91 g , 0 . 022 mol ) was charged to a 250 ml shaker bottle . thf ( 120 ml ) and rani ( 17 . 8 g ) were added . the reaction was pressurized to 4 atm . with h 2 . the reaction was shaken for 1 . 5 hours . the reaction was filtered and washed with 20 ml thf . the filtrate is diluted with 100 ml of ch 2 cl 2 , dried with na 2 so 4 , filtered , and washed with 25 ml ch 2 cl 2 . the filtrate was charged to a 500 ml 3 necked flask equipped with a magnetic stir bar and n 2 inlet . n - cbz - l - valine ( 13 . 88 g , 0 . 055 moles ), 1 , 3 - dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 11 . 37 g , 0 . 055 moles ), and 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 0 . 40 g , 0 . 003 moles ) were added and the reaction was stirred for 1 hr . the reaction mixture became heterogeneous after several minutes . the reaction was filtered and washed with ch 2 cl 2 ( 50 ml ). the filtrate was diluted with ethyl acetate ( 600 ml ) and washed twice with 7 % ( w / w ) nahco 3 solution ( 100 ml ). the organic layer was then washed twice with 5 % ( w / w ) kh 2 po 4 solution ( 100 ml ). the organic layer was washed with 7 % ( w / w ) nahco 3 solution ( 100 ml ), then dried with mgso 4 and filtered . the solution was concentrated to 19 . 46 g of oily solids . the solid was dissolved in 30 ml of 8 : 2 hexanes : ethyl acetate and chromatographed in two parts . each half was chromatographed on a flash 40m silica gel cartridge ( 90 g of 32 – 63 μm , 60 å silica 4 . 0 cm × 15 . 0 cm ) and eluted with 8 : 2 hexanes : ethyl acetate at 25 ml / min . 25 ml fractions were collected . fractions were analyzed by tlc . fractions 10 – 22 contained pure product in the first run and fractions 9 – 26 contained pure product in the second run . the fractions were combined and concentrated to provide the desired product as a clear viscous oil ( 12 . 58 g ). 60 % sodium hydride in mineral oil ( 2 . 36 g , 0 . 059 moles ) was charged to a 500 ml 3 - neck flask equipped with magnetic stirring , temperature probe , condenser , and n 2 inlet . toluene ( 250 ml ) was added . benzyl alcohol ( 50 ml ) was added dropwise over 30 minutes . after addition of benzyl alcohol , the reaction was stirred 10 minutes . then 6 - chloro - 2 - aminopurine ( 5 . 00 g , 0 . 029 moles ) was added and the reaction mixture was heated to reflux ( 115 ° c .) for 4 . 5 hours . the reaction mixture was filtered hot through a coarse glass fritted funnel and 11 . 65 g of wet off - white solids were obtained . the wet solids were triturated with ch 2 cl 2 ( 100 ml ) and water ( 100 ml ). after 10 minutes of stirring the solids had dissolved . the aqueous layer was separated and the ph was lowered to 9 over 3 minutes with 6 m hcl . a white solid precipitate formed . the slurry was filtered , washed with water ( 50 ml ), and dried ( in vacuo at 50 ° c .) to a constant weight to provide the desired product as off - white crystals ( 5 . 15 g ). the product of example 31 , step e ) ( 2 . 40 g , 0 . 0099 moles ) was charged to a 100 ml round bottom flask equipped with magnetic stirring and a n 2 inlet . dmf ( 6 ml ) and potassium carbonate ( 6 . 27 g ) were added . the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes . the product of example 31 , step d ) ( 7 . 02 g , 0 . 0091 moles ) was dissolved in dmf ( 21 ml ) and added to the mixture . the flask was immersed in a 70 ° c . oil bath and stirred 24 hours . the reaction was cooled to ambient temperature and poured into a 500 ml separatory funnel containing ethyl acetate ( 135 ml ) and 5 % ( w / w ) kh 2 so 4 solution ( 135 ml ). the top organic layer was kept and washed with 7 % ( w : w ) nahco 3 solution ( 100 ml ). the organic layer was dried with mgso 4 and filtered . the solution was concentrated to 9 . 79 of oily solids . this was triturated in 50 ml of 1 : 1 hexanes : ethyl acetate , filtered , and concentrated to 9 . 10 g of yellow oil . the oil was dissolved in 20 ml of 1 / 1 hexanes - ethyl acetate and chromatographed on a flash 40m silica gel cartridge ( 90 g of 32 – 63 μm , 60 å silica , 4 . 0 cm × 15 . 0 cm ) eluted with 6 : 4 hexanes : ethyl acetate at 25 ml / min . 25 ml fractions were collected . fractions were analyzed by tlc . fractions 27 – 92 contained pure product by tlc . the pure fractions were combined and concentrated to yield the desired product as an oil ( 2 . 95 g ). the product of example 31 , step f ) ( 2 . 63 g , 0 . 0031 moles ) was dissolved in ethanol ( 50 ml ) and charged into a 500 ml round bottom flask . 10 % pd / c ( 0 . 5 g ) was slurried in ethanol ( 20 ml ) and added to the flask . the reaction was stirred under h 2 ( 1 atm from balloon ) for 1 . 5 hours . the slurry was heated briefly to dissolve any solids , filtered through celite , and washed with hot ethanol ( 50 ml ). the filtrate was concentrated to give 1 . 752 g of white solid . the solid was dissolved in isopropyl alcohol ( 10 ml ) and isopropyl acetate ( 42 ml ) at 70 ° c . the solution was cooled to 15 ° c . over 2 hours and stirred at 15 ° c . for 12 hours . the solution was cooled to 0 ° c . over 30 minutes and stirred for 1 hour . the slurry was filtered and washed with isopropyl acetate ( 10 ml ). the solid was dried in vacuo at 50 ° c . to provide the desired product ( 0 . 882 g ). the mother liquors were concentrated to give 0 . 55 g of white solid which was dissolved in isopropyl alcohol ( 3 ml ) and isopropyl acetate ( 16 ml ) at 75 ° c . the solution was cooled to 15 ° c . for 2 hours , then filtered and dried as above to to provide an additional 0 . 181 g of the desired product . to a suspension of sodium ethoxide ( 20 g , 0 . 294 moles ) in dimethylformamide ( 68 g ) was added diethyl malonate ( 49 g , 0 . 306 moles ) during 13 minutes . after the addition was complete , the mixture was heated to 110 ° c . and bromoacetaldehyde diethyl acetal ( 40 g , 0 . 203 moles ) was added over 1 hour and 45 minutes . after the addition was complete , the mixture was heated at 110 ° c . for 7 hours . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and methyl t - butyl ether ( 160 g ) and water ( 100 g ) were added and the mixture was stirred for 15 minutes . the organic layer was separated and treated with 7 % aqueous potassium hydroxide solution ( 155 g ). the layers were separated and the organic layer was washed with water ( 100 g ) and then with brine ( 60 g ). the organic layer was concentrated to give the crude desired product . the crude product was heated under house vacuum ( approximately 45 mm of hg ) at 160 – 170 ° c . ( bath temperature ) to distill off the volatile impurities , providing 43 . 6 g of the desired product . to a 100 ml one neck flask was added the product of example 30 a ) ( 5 g , 0 . 0145 moles ), followed by the addition of a solution of koh ( 2 . 05 g , 0 . 0445 moles ) in water ( 20 ml ). the mixture was stirred at reflux for 16 – 20 hours . then the reaction mixture ( at reflux ) was adjusted to ph 7 . 0 by the addition of acetic acid . the reaction mixture was then cooled to room temperature and stirred for 30 minutes . the resulting precipitate was collected by filtration and washed with water ( 5 ml ). the resulting solid was dried overnight at not more than 50 ° c . to provide 4 . 45 g of the desired product . in a 250 ml round bottom flask was placed the product of example 14 i ) ( 13 . 0 g ) and ( 1s )-(+)- 10 - camphorsulfonic acid ( 5 . 85 g ). heptane ( 50 ml ) was added and the mixture was stirred for 15 minutes . then tetrahyrofuran ( thf ; 50 ml ) was added and the mixture was stirred for 5 hours . the resulting precipitate was collected by filtration and washed with heptane ( 100 ml ). the resulting solid was dried under vacuum at 45 ° c . to provide the desired product ( 11 . 3 g ). hplc analysis of the product indicated 98 . 76 % e . e . a 50 ml round bottom flask was charged with the product of example 14 h ) ( 1 . 0 g , 1 . 7 mmol ), thf ( 20 ml ), h 2 o ( 1 ml ), and amberlyst 15 resin ( 1 . 0 g ). the solution was then heated to 65 ° c . for 3 hours . the solution was then filtered hot and the resin was washed with thf ( 2 × 10 ml ). the solvent was then removed under vacuum to give the desired product ( 0 . 74 g , 84 %). a 100 ml round bottom flask was charged with the product of example 14 h ) ( 2 . 45 g , 4 . 14 mmol ), thf ( 25 ml ), h 2 o ( 1 ml ) and amberlyst 15 resin ( 2 . 5 g ). the solution was then heated to 65 ° c . for 3 hours . the solution was then filtered hot and the resin was washed with thf ( 2 × 15 ml ). the solution of the crude aldehyde was cooled to room temperature and a solution of borane t - butylamine complex ( 0 . 3 g , 3 . 45 mmol ), in thf / h 2 o ( 1 / 1 20 ml ) was added dropwise to the aldehyde solution . the solution was stirred at room temperature for 1 . 5 hours , and the reaction was then quenched by addition of h 2 o ( 100 ml ). after stirring at room temperature for an additional 30 min ., the precipitate was isolated by filtration and dried to give 1 . 00 g ( 47 %) of the desired product . a solution of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 5 kg , 24 moles ) in acetonitrile ( 17 . 5 kg ) was added to a reactor containing a solution of n - carbobenzyloxy - l - valine ( 12 . 5 kg , 50 moles ) in acetonitrile ( 200 kg ). the mixture was stirred at 5 +/− 5 ° c . for 6 hours and the resulting solid was filtered off . the filtrate was concentrated under vacuum at not more then 45 ° c . and the residue was dissolved in toluene ( 50 kg ) at 40 ° c . heptane ( 50 kg ) was added and the mixture was cooled to 15 +/− 5 ° c . the precipitate was filtered off and dried to give 10 . 2 kg of the desired product . a mixture of ( r )-(-[ 4 - hydroxy - 2 -( stearoyloxymethyl ) butyl ] guanine ( 5 . 2 kg , 10 moles ), n - cbz - l - valine anhydride ( 6 . 3 kg , 13 moles ), 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 60 g , 0 . 5 moles ) and tetrahydrofuran ( 67 kg ) was stirred for 2 – 4 hours at 25 +/− 5 ° c . water ( 2 kg ) was added and the mixture was concentrated under vacuum at not more then 45 ° c . the residue was dissolved in ethyl acetate ( 58 kg ) and extracted with 10 % aqueous sodium bicarbonate ( 2 × 50 kg ) and water ( 1 × 50 kg ). the ethyl acetate solution was concentrated under vacuum and the residue was dissolved in methanol ( 20 kg ) at 50 +/− 5 ° c . the solution was cooled to 20 +/− 5 ° c . and diluted with acetonitrile ( 50 kg ) and water ( 3 kg ). the precipitate was filtered off and dried under vacuum to give the desired product ( 5 . 3 kg ). to a stirred solution of stearic acid ( 1 . 05 g ) and n - mehtylmorpholine ( 0 . 62 g ) in thf ( 13 ml ) at 0 – 4 ° c . was added a solution of p - tosyl chloride ( 0 . 67 g ) in thf ( 2 ml ) at − 3 to − 4 ° c . the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 3 hours . the product of example 14 g ) ( 1 . 0 g ) and 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( 75 mg ) were added and the slurry was stirred at room temperature for 5 days and quenched with 135 ml of water . the mixture was stirred overnight and the precipitate was filtered and washed with water . the wet filter cake was dried under vacuum ( 40 ° c .) to give the desired product ( 1 . 3 g ) as a light yellow powder . the product of example 30 a ) ( 10 . 0 g , 29 . 1 mmoles ) was added to a solution of sodium hydroxide ( 2 . 33 g , 5 . 82 mmoles ) in water ( 200 ml ). a solution of trimethylamine ( 6 . 61 ml of 40 wt . % solution in water , 43 . 6 mmoles ) was charged to the suspension . the heterogeneous mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight . the reaction was diluted with water ( 50 ml ) and then extracted with ethyl acetate ( 200 ml ). the water layer was charged with a saturated solution of ammonium sulfate ( 300 ml ). the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 hours and the resulting precipitate was filtered . the filter cake was washed with ethyl acetate ( 100 ml ). the product was dried in a vacuum oven ( high house vacuum , 45 ° c .) overnight to provide the desired product ( 7 . 88 g ). a 50 gallon stainless steel reactor was purged with nitrogen and charged with the product of example 30 a ) ( 13 . 5 kg ) and dmap ( 0 . 48 kg ). to the solids was added methyl t - butyl ether ( 108 kg ), followed by triethylamine ( 4 . 0 kg ). acetic anhydride ( 4 . 64 kg ) was added last . the resulting mixture was stirred at ambient temperature for 30 minutes . distilled water ( 56 kg ) was charged to the reactor and the contents were stirred for 30 minutes . after allowing the mixture to settle for 30 minutes , the lower layer was drained and 50 kg of saturated brine was added to the reactor . the contents of the reactor were stirred for 30 minutes and let settle for 30 minutes . the lower layer was drained and a karl fischer reading was done on the organic layer to assure that the water content was less than 2 . 5 %. the organic layer was stirred at ambient temperature for 24 hours . the resulting precipitate was filtered off and the filtrate was concentrated under vacuum , followed by a methanol ( 22 kg ) chase . to the resulting residue was added methanol ( 49 kg ) and 10 . 8 kg of a 50 % aqueous koh solution . the mixture was heated to relux for one hour . the methanol was removed by distillation and the distillation residue was diluted with distilled water ( 112 kg ) and 9 . 2 kg of a 50 % aqueous koh solution . the resulting mixture was heated to reflux for 16 hours . the contents of the reactor were cooled to 25 ° c . and were then adjusted to ph 7 . 0 using 37 % aqueous acetic acid solution . the internal temperature of the reactor was then adjusted to 10 ° c . and the contents stirred for 30 minutes . the resulting slurry was centrifuged and the resulting wet cake was charged back to the reactor . to the cake was charged distilled water ( 70 kg ). the internal temperature was adjusted to 50 ° c . and the contents were stirred for 30 minutes . then the internal temperature was adjusted to 20 ° c . and the contents stirred for 30 minutes . the resulting slurry was centrifuged and the cake rinsed once with distilled water ( 15 kg ). the cake was transferred to dryer trays and dried at 45 ° c . under vacuum for 18 hours to provide the desired product as a pale yellow powder ( 8 . 6 kg , 99 % ee ). to a 2 liter round bottom , 3 - neck flask equipped with a nitrogen inlet , temperature probe , rubber septum and mechanical stirrer was charged stearic acid ( 25 . 0 g ), thf ( 525 ml ) and triethylamine ( 12 . 2 ml ). the resulting solution was cooled to 3 0 ° c . using an ice / salt bath . pivaloyl chloride ( 10 . 3 ml ) was added slowly via a syringe , maintaining the reaction temperature at less than 5 ° c . the resulting slurry was stirred at 0 ± 5 ° c . for 2 hours . the ice bath was removed and the reaction allowed to warm to room temperature . the resulting precipitate was filtered and the filter cake was rinsed with thf ( 100 ml ). the resulting clear filtrate was added to a 3 liter 3 - neck flask ( equipped with a nitrogen inlet and mechanical stirrer ) charged with the product of example 40 ( 22 . 5 g ) and dmap ( 1 . 7 g ). the reaction mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature . the reaction mixture was then cooled to 18 ° c . and a room temperature solution of 1 : 1 aqueous triflic acid ( 27 . 5 g triflic acid ) was added slowly , maintaining the temperature at less than 23 ° c . the resulting solution was stirred at approximately 22 c for 4 . 5 hours . then the reaction mixture was cooled to 18 ° c . and diulted with water ( 70 ml ). sodium bicarbonate was added to adjust the ph to 6 – 7 ( target 6 . 5 ). the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes . the bath temperature was set at 35 ° c . and the borane - t - butylamine complex ( 4 . 52 g ) was added in several portions over 50 minutes . the reaction mixture was stirred at 35 ° c . overnight . an additional portion of borane - t - butylamine ( 200 mg ) was added and the mixture stirred for an additional 3 hours . the reaction mixture was quenched by pouring it into a cold solution of 5 ml of hcl in 625 ml of water . the resulting ph was 5 – 6 ( target less than ph 6 ). the resulting mixture was stirred for 3 hours at room temperature and then filtered . the filter cake was dried overnight under house vacuum at 35 ° c . the filter cake , optionally , can be washed with acetonitrile prior to drying . the dried solid was suspended in acetone ( 1100 ml ) and heated to reflux . the slurry was held at reflux for 30 minutes and then cooled to room temperature . after stirring at room temperature for one hour , the mixture was filtered . the filter cake was air - dried on the filter funnel for 30 minutes and then suspended in thf ( 350 ml ). the thf mixture was heated to reflux and water ( 35 ml ) was added . the flask containing the mixture was removed from the heating bath and allowed to cool . when the temperature reached less than 30 ° c ., ethyl acetate ( 1050 ml ) was added and the mixture was stirred for one hour at room temperature . the resulting slurry was filtered and the filter cake was dried overnight at 35 ° c . to provide the desired product as a white powder ( 30 . 4 g ). the product of example 31 c ) ( 6 . 00 g ) was dissolved in thf ( 60 ml ). borane t - butylamine comlex ( 0 . 48 g ) was added neat at room temperature . the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 . 25 hours . the ph was adjusted to 7 – 8 by addition of 5 % aqueous hcl . the reaction mixture was diluted with thf ( 60 ml ) and was washed with 20 % brine ( 40 ml ) and then again with saturated brine ( 30 ml ). the organic solution was filtered through a pad of silica gel , dried over magnesium sulfate ( 6 . 0 g ) for one hour and filtered . the filtrate was added to the product of example 37 a ) ( 7 . 0 g ) and dmap ( 70 mg ). the mixture was stirred under nitrogen at room temperature for about 3 hours . an additional amount of the product of example 37 a ) ( 0 . 5 g ) was added and the mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature . an additional amount of the product of example 37 a ) ( 0 . 5 g ) was added and the mixture was stirred overnight . the reaction mixture was diluted with ethyl acetate ( 90 ml ) and washed with half - saturated sodium bicarbonate ( 90 ml ), with brine ( 60 ml ), with 5 % kh 2 po 4 ( 60 ml ) and brine ( 60 ml ). the organic solution was dried over sodium sulfate and concentrated to provide the desired product as a yellow oil ( 6 . 88 g ). a 100 ml round bott0m 3 - neck flask was charged with lithium hydride ( 58 mg , 7 . 3 mmol ) and dmf ( 10 ml ). 2 - amino - 6 - chloropurine ( 1 . 14 g , 6 . 72 mmol ) was added al at once at room temperature . the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 40 minutes under nitrogen . the product of example 31 d ) ( 5 . 2 g , 6 . 72 mmol ) as a solution in dmf ( 10 ml ) was added dropwise . after complete addition , the reaction mixture was stirred at 40 – 50 ° c . under nitrogen for 27 hours . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and poured into a separatory funnel containing ethyl acetate ( 100 ml ) and 5 % aqueous kh 2 po 4 ( 100 ml ). the organic layer was separated and washed with saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate ( 50 ml ) and brine ( 50 ml ). the organic phase was concentrated under vacuum . the crude product was dissolved in methylene chloride ( 5 ml ) and chromatographed on flash silica gel ( 10 g ) ( eluent : 1 % methanol / methylene chloride ( 1000 ml ), 5 % methanol / methylene chloride ( 250 ml )) to provide the desired product ( 3 . 06 g ). a 25 ml round bottom flask was charged with the product of example 43 ( 0 . 2 g , 0 . 26 mol ), triethylamine ( 0 . 20 ml of 40 % aq . solution ), thf ( 4 ml ) and water ( 1 ml ). the resulting solution was stirred at room temperature for 20 hours . the solvent was removed under vacuum and the residue was dissolved in ethyl acetate ( 20 ml ). this solution was dried over sodium sulfate and the solvent was evaporated under vacuum . the crude product was chromatographed on flash silica gel ( 10 g ) ( eluant : 1 / 10 methanol / methylene chloride ( 400 ml )) to give the desired product as a colorless oil ( 0 . 15 g ). the product of example 43 ( 145 mg , 0 . 188 mol ) was dissolved in glacial acetic acid ( 1 . 9 ml ) and the solution was heated to 110 ° c . for 3 hours . the solution was then cooled to room temperature and the acetic acid was removed by distillation under reduced pressure . the residue was dissolved in ethyl acetate and washed with water , aqueous sodium bicarbonate and bringe . the organic solution was evaporated under reduced pressure to give the desired product ( 134 mg ). dbu ( 36 . 8 g , 0 . 24 mol ) was added to a suspension of 2 - amino - 6 - chloropurine ( 41 g , 0 . 24 mol ) in dmf ( 340 ml ) at room temperature under nitrogen . after 5 minutes , the product of example 14 d ) ( 85 g , 0 . 22 mol ) was added . the mixture was stirred at 40 – 45 ° c . for 15 – 20 hours . then the mixture was diluted with methyl t - butyl ether ( 340 ml ), toluene ( 340 ml ), water ( 340 ml ) and brine ( 340 ml ). after mixing for 15 minutes , the organic layer was separated and the aqueous layer was extracted with toluene ( 2 × 300 ml ). the combined organic layer was washed with water ( 500 ml ) and concentrated under vacuum at 60 ° c . bath temperature . the resulting oil was diluted with methanol ( 260 ml ) and cooled to 5 ° c . a solution of k 2 co 3 ( 16 g , 0 . 12 mol ) in water ( 65 ml ) was added over 15 minutes maintaining the reaction mixture temperature below 10 ° c . the mixture was stirred at 10 ° c . for 1 hour . then the mixture was diluted with brine ( 500 ml ) and stirred for 30 minutes . the resulting solid was filtered , washed with 5 % methanol in water ( 50 ml ) and the filter cake was dried to give the desired product as a white solid ( 39 g ). 2 - amino - 6 - chloropurine ( 0 . 6 g , 3 . 6 mmol ) and tert - butylimino - tri ( pyrrolidino ) phosphorane ( 1 . 1 g , 3 . 6 mmol ) were mixed in anhydrous thf ( 4 ml ) for 10 minutes at 40 ° c . the product of example 14 d ) ( 1 . 16 g , 3 . 0 mmol ) was added and the mixture was stirred at 41 – 43 ° c . overnight . the thf was removed by evaporation under vacuum and the residue was diluted with methyl t - butyl ether ( 10 ml ), water ( 5 ml ) and brine ( 5 ml ). the organic layer was separated and the aqueous layer was extracted with toluene ( 2 × 10 ml ). the combined organic layer was washed with water ( 25 ml ) and concentrated under vacuum . the residue was slurried with methyl t - butyl ether ( 12 ml ) and water ( 0 . 1 ml ) and filtered . the filtrate was concentrated under vacuum and slurried with hexane ( 10 ml ) and methyl t - butyl ether ( 1 ml ). the resulting solid was filtered and dried to provide the desired product ( 0 . 73 g ). the title compound was prepared following the procedure of example 47 , but substituting the product of example 31 d ) for the product of example 14 d ). the title compound can be prepared following the procedure of example 48 , but substituting dbu for tert - butylimino - tri ( pyrrolidino )- phosphorane . to a 2 liter single - neck round bottom flask with a mechanical stirrer was charged 2 - amino - 6 - chloropurine ( 41 . 0 g , 242 mmol ). the flask was cooled in an ice - water bath . the the reaction flask was charged hi ( 47 % solution , pre - cooled in a refrigerator , 250 ml ) in one portion . the resulting suspension was stirred for 16 hours at ice - water bath temperature . water ( 500 ml ) was charged to the reaction flask . the suspension was stirred at 0 ° c . for 1 hour . the precipitate was filtered and washed with water ( 3 × 250 ml ). the filter cake was transferred to a 250 ml filtration flask . 6 m naoh solution ( 85 ml ) was added to the solid through the filter to rinse out residual solid and wash into the filter flask . the solution obtained was added slowly to a boiling solution of acetic acid ( 25 ml ) and water ( 250 ml ). the resulting suspension was cooled to room temperature and stirred at room temperature for 2 hours . the solid was collected by centrifugation , washed with water ( 2 × 250 ml ), followed by heptane ( 250 ml ). the solid was first spin - dried on the centrifuge for 30 minutes and then dried in a vacuum oven overnight to provide the desired product ( 61 . 3 g ). to a 50 ml single neck round bottom flask was charged the product of example 31 d ) ( 2 . 0 g , 2 . 58 mmol ), 2 - amino - 6 - iodopurine ( 0 . 742 g , 2 . 84 mmol ), dbu ( o . 425 ml ) and dmf ( 10 ml ). the reaction mixture was stirred for 20 hours at 40 ° c . ethyl acetate ( 30 ml ) was added to the reaction mixture and stirring continued for 30 minutes . the reaction mixture was filtered and the filtered solid was washed with ethyl acetate ( 2 × 30 ml ). the filtrate and washings were combined and washed with water ( 3 × 25 ml ). the organic solution was evaporated under vacuum . the residue was redissolved in ethyl acetate ( 50 ml ) and again evaporated under vacuum to azeotropically remove any residual water , providing the desired product ( 2 . 1 g ). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , d 6 - dmso ): δ 8 . 06 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 36 ( br s , 5h ), 6 . 78 ( br s , 2h ) 3 . 85 – 4 . 2 ( m , 9h ), 2 . 15 ( t , 2h ), 0 . 8 – 1 . 7 ( m , 43h ) the desired product was obtained following the procedure of example 51 a ) with the replacement of dbu by k 2 co 3 ( 1 . 5 g ). the product of example 51 a ) ( 3 . 4 g , 3 . 94 mmol ), acetonitrile ( 45 ml ), water ( 35 ml ), acetic acid ( 45 ml ) and sodium acetate ( 3 . 05 g ) were mixed and heated to reflux ( 86 – 87 ° c .) for 30 hours . the volatile solvent was revoed by evaporation under reduced pressure . the aqueous layer was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 200 ml ). the combined extracts were mixed with saturated sodium bicarbonate ( 2 × 100 ml ) for 30 minutes . the organic layers were separated and washed with saturated sodium bicarbonate ( 100 ml ), followed by water washes ( 3 × 100 ml ). the organic solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure . to the residue was added anhydrous ethyl acetate ( 3 × 200 ml ), with evaporation of the solvent each time under reduced pressure , to provide a solid . the solid was recrystallized from refluxing acetonitrile ( 50 ml ). after cooling the acetonitrile mixture to room temperature , it was allowed to stand at room temperature overnight and then was cooled to − 13 ° c . for 30 minutes . the resulting solid was collected by filtration , washed with acetonitrile ( 2 × 10 ml ) and dired in a vacuum oven to provide the desired product ( 2 . 4 g ). to a 100 ml single neck round bottom flask was charged the product of example 14 d ) ( 9 . 3 g , 23 . 9 mmol ), 2 - amino - 6 - iodopurine ( 4 . 8 g , 18 . 4 mmol ), dbu ( 3 . 6 ml , 24 . 0 mmol ) and dmf ( 50 ml ). the mixture was stirred for 16 hours at 45 ° c . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and ethyl acetate ( 250 ml ) was added and stirring continued for 30 minutes . the reaction mixture was filtered and the filtered solid was washed with ethyl acetate ( 2 × 125 ml ). the filtrate and washings were combined and washed with water ( 4 × 50 ml ). the organic solution was evaporated under reduced pressure . ethyl acetate ( 50 ml ) was added to the residue and evaporated under reduced pressure . methyl t - butyl ether ( 300 ml ) was added to the residue and stirred . the resulting solid was filtered and dried to provide the desired product ( 8 . 8 g ). ( k 2 co 3 can be used in place of dbu in the above procedure to provide the desired product ). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 7 . 81 ( s , 1h ), 5 . 12 ( br s , 2h ), 4 . 61 ( t , 1h ), 4 . 16 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 04 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 62 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 48 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 52 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 03 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 79 ( s , 1h ), 1 . 69 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 19 ( m , 6h ). to a 500 ml round bottom flask was added the product of example 30 e ) ( 10 . 4 g , 20 . 0 mmol ), the product of example 37 a ) ( 11 . 7 g , 24 . 2 mmol ), dmap ( 52 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ) and thf ( 170 ml ). the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 4 hours . water ( 10 ml ) was added and the solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure ( bath temperature of approximately 45 ° c .). residual thf was chased with ethyl acetate ( 40 ml ). the residue was dissolved in ethyl acetate ( 200 ml ) and the solution was washed with saturated sodium bicarbonate ( 3 × 100 ml ) and then water ( 100 ml ) and the organic solution was evaporated under reduced pressure ( bath temperature of approximately 45 ° c .). residual ethyl acetate was chased with isopropanol ( 25 ml ) to provide the desired product in crude form as 14 g of an orange , sticky solid . to the flask containing the crude product of example 53 a ) was added isopropanol / thf ( 4 / 1 , 100 ml ) and the mixture was heated to 45 – 50 ° c . to dissolve the solids . the solution was cooled to room temperature . to a separate 500 ml round bottom flask was added 10 % pd / c ( 1 . 00 g ) and the flask was evacuated and back - filled with nitrogen three times . then isopropanol / thf ( 4 / 1 , 25 ml ) was added . the solution of the product of example 53 a ) was then added to the catalyst flask , along with two 35 ml isopropanol / thf ( 4 / 1 ) rinses . the reaction flask was then evacuated and back - filled with hydrogen three times . the solution was then heated to 40 – 45 ° c . for 16 hours . then the hydrogen - filled balloon was replaced with a condenser and the reaction mixture was heated to 65 ° c . for 25 minutes . the reaction mixture was then filtered through celite ( 6 . 05 g ) and the filter cake was washed with isopropanol / thf ( 4 / 1 , 2 × 50 ml ). the filtrate was concentrated under vacuum ( bath temperature 45 ° c .) and residual thf was chased with isopropanol ( 50 ml ). to the flask was added isopropanol ( 50 ml ) and the mixture was heated to about 80 ° c . to dissolve the solids . isopropyl acetate ( 150 ml ) was added and heating was continued to dissolve the solid which formed . once all solids were dissolved , the solution was cooled to room temperature and stirred for 12 hours . the resulting solid was filtered and dried to provide a light gray solid ( 9 . 0 g ). this solid was added to a 500 ml round bottom flask , along with activated carbon ( 2 . 25 g ) and isopropanol ( 200 ml ). the mixture was heated to 60 – 65 ° c . for 1 hour and then filtered through celite ( 6 . 00 g ). the celite cake was washed with hot isopropanol ( 65 ° c ., 2 × 50 ml ) and the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure ( bath temperature of 50 ° c .). isopropanol ( 40 ml ) was added to the residue and the mixture was heated to 80 ° c . to dissolve the solids . isopropyl acetate ( 120 ml ) was added and heating was continued to dissolve the precipitate which formed . the solution was cooled to room temperature and stirred for 12 hours . the resulting solid was filtered and dried to give the desired product as a white solid ( 7 . 7 g ). alternatively , the crude product of the hydrogenation reaction was mixed with isopropanol ( 50 ml ) and the mixture was heated to 65 – 70 ° c . to dissolve the solids . acetonitrile ( 65 ml ) was added dropwise via an addition funnel at a rate to maintain , the temperature above 55 ° c . during addition of the acetonitrile , a fluffy gray precipitate formed . after addition of the acetonitrile was complete , the mixture was heated at 65 ° c . for 30 minutes and then filtered through a pad of celite in a steam jacketed funnel . the filtrate was concentrated and residual acetonitrile was chased with isopropanol ( 70 ml ). the resulting solid was recrystallized from isopropanol / isopropyl acetate ( 30 / 90 ml ) and after stirring at room temperature for 6 hours , the solid was filtered and dried to give the desired product as a white solid ( 6 . 72 g ). to a 50 ml round bottom flask was added 2 - n - acetyl - 6 - o - diphenylcarbamoylguanine ( 1 . 10 g , 2 . 83 mmol ) and anhydrous dmf ( 10 ml ). dbu ( 423 μl , 2 . 83 mmol ) was added and the solid dissolved after stirring for 5 minutes . a solution of the product of example 14 d ) ( 1 . 0 g , 2 . 6 mmol ) in anhydrous dmf ( 5 . 0 ml ) was added and the resulting solution was stirred at 45 ° c . under nitrogen for 28 hours . after cooling to room temperature , the reaction mixture was diluted with ethyl acetate ( 40 ml ) and water ( 20 ml ). the organic layer was separated and washed with a 5 % khso 4 solution , a saturated sodium bicarbonate solution and brine and then dried over sodium sulfate . the solvent was evaporated under vacuum to provide a light yellow oil , which was chromatographed on silica gel ( 5 % heptane in ethyl acetate ) to provide the desired product as a light yellow solid ( 460 mg ). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) — 1 . 05 – 1 . 18 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 55 – 1 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 92 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 40 – 2 . 52 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 47 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 32 – 3 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 48 – 3 . 62 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 89 – 4 . 02 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 10 – 4 . 25 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 52 ( t , j = 5 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 05 – 7 . 42 ( m , 10h ), 7 . 91 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 11 ( s , 1h ) to the product of example 54 a ) ( 100 mg , 0 . 165 mmol ) in a 25 ml round bottom flask was added koh ( 62 mg , 0 . 972 mmol ) and water ( 10 ml ). the suspension was refluxed for 20 hours . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and acidified to ph 5 using acetic acid . the solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure to provide the desired product as a white solid . to a 50 ml round bottom flask was added 2 - n - acetyl - guanine ( 547 mg g , 2 . 83 mmol ) and the product of example 14 d ) ( 1 . 0 g , 2 . 6 mmol ). anhydrous dmso ( 10 ml ) was added , folowed by dbu ( 430 μl , 2 . 88 mmol ). the resulting solution was stirred at 40 ° c . under nitrogen for 24 hours . after cooling to room temperature , the reaction mixture was diluted with chloroform ( 50 ml ) and water ( 20 ml ). the organic layer was separated and washed with water ( 2 ×) and brine and then dried over sodium sulfate . the solvent was evaporated under vacuum to provide a light yellow oil , which was chromatographed on silica gel ( 10 % methanol in ethyl acetate ) to provide the desired product as a white foam ( 280 mg ). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) — 1 . 10 – 1 . 31 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 62 – 1 . 85 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 06 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 44 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 50 – 2 . 68 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 40 – 3 . 56 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 57 – 3 . 73 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 96 – 4 . 20 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 32 – 4 . 55 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 62 ( t , j = 5 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 82 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 60 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 40 ( s , 1h ). to a 500 ml 3 - neck round bottom flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer and a temperature probe was added the product of example 30f ) ( 5 . 5 g ), thf ( 65 ml ) and isopropanol ( 65 ml ). the clear solution was purged three times with nitrogen and 5 % pd / baco 3 ( 0 . 6 g ) was added . the mixture was stirred at 40 ° c . under a hydrogen filled balloon for 16 hours . the reaction mixture was filtered through celite and the filtrate was evaporated to dryness to provide a white solid . the solid was dissolved in isopropanol ( 25 ml ) at 70 ° c . and isopropyl acetate ( 100 ml ) was added . the resulting mixture was cooled to room temperature and stirred for 1 hour . the resulting solid was filtered and dried under vacuum to provide the desired product as a white solid ( 3 . 39 g ). to a 500 ml 3 neck round bottom flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer , temperature probe and nitrogen inlet was added 2 - amino - 6 - chloropurine ( 20 g ), sodium hyroxide ( 28 g ) and benzyl alcohol ( 200 ml ). the mixture was stirred for 20 minutes and then heated at 100 ° c . for 2 – 3 hours . the reaction mixture was then cooled to room temperature and partitioned between methyl t - butyl ether ( 300 ml ) and water ( 300 ml ). the aqueous layer was separated and the ph was adjusted to 7 – 8 with 6 m hcl . the resulting solid was filtered , washed with water ( 50 ml ) and dried under vacuum at 50 ° c . for 20 hours to provide the desired product as a pale yellow solid ( 24 . 3 g ). to a 1 liter 3 neck round bottom flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer , temperature probe and nitrogen inlet was added the product of example 31 b ) ( 40 g ) and thf ( 320 ml ). the solution was cooled to 20 ° c . and a solution of trifluoromethane sulfonic acid ( 20 g ) and water ( 20 g ) was added . after stirring for 2 – 3 hours , the reaction mixture was quenched with sodium bicarbonate ( 12 . 0 g ), followed by addition of methyl t - butyl ether ( 500 ml ). the organic layer was separated and washed with saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution ( 200 ml ), water ( 200 ml ) and brine ( 200 ml ) and then was dried over sodium sulfate . the organic solution was evaporated to dryness under vacuum to give a pale yellow oil which was dissolved in hexane ( 300 ml ) and stirred overnight . the resulting solid was filtered and dried under vacuum to give the desired product as a white solid ( 25 . 6 g ). to a 100 ml 3 neck round bottom flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer , temperature probe and a nitrogen inlet was added the product of example 31 b ) ( 6 . 5 g ), acetic acid ( 30 ml ) and formic acid ( 20 ml ). after stirring at room temperature for 20 minutes , water ( 20 ml ) was added to the mixture and stirring was continued at room temperature for 30 minutes . the resulting precipitate was filtered and dried for 1 . 5 hours . the solid was added to a 100 ml flask , followed by addition of hexane ( 90 ml ). the mixture was stirred overnight . the resulting solid was filtered and dried at 40 ° c . udner vacuum for 20 hours to provide the desired product as a white solid ( 4 . 6 g ). a solution of n - benzyloxycarbonyl - l - valine ( 20 . 0 g ) in isopropyl acetate / toluene ( 1 : 1 . 80 ml ) was cooled to 0 ° c . a solution of dcc ( 8 . 2 g ) in toluene ( 20 ml ) was added slowly , at a rate such that the internal temperature of the reaction mixture was kept below 10 ° c . the addition funnel was washed with toluene ( 20 ml ). the reaction mixture was stirred for 1 hour and then allowed to warm to room temperature and stirred for another 1 hour . the reaction mixture was filtered and the filter cake was washed with toluene ( 20 ml ). heptane ( 120 ml ) was added to the filtrate and the resulting solution was cooled to 0 – 5 ° c . and stirred for 1 hour . the resulting solid was filtered and washed with heptane ( 20 ml ) and then dried under vacuum at 35 ° c . for 18 hours to provide the desired product as a white solid ( 17 . 0 g ). vinyl stearate ( 3202 g , 9 . 375 moles ) was charged to a 12 liter 4 neck morton flask with nitrogen inlet and mechanical stirring . heating was applied via a 50 ° c . water bath . as the vinyl stearate melted , the water bath temperature was decreased to 35 ° c . and stirring was started . heating and stirring was continued until the vinyl stearate was completely melted . then the product of example 14 b ) ( 1800 g , 9 . 375 moles ) and lipase ps30 ( 45 g , 2 . 5 wt %) were added . the suspension was stirred at 35 – 37 ° c . for 22 hours . the reaction mixture was quenched by additoin of 37 . 5 % methyl t - butyl ether in heptane ( 2 . 5 l ). the mixture was then filtered through celite and the celite was washed with 37 . 5 % methyl t - butyl ether in heptane ( 12 l ). the organic filtrates were combined and washed with water ( 10 l ) and 23 % nacl solution ( 10 l ). the organic solution was evaporated and methylene chloride was aded ( 4 l ). the solution was evaporated to about half of its original volume . an additional 4 l of methylene chloride was added and the solution was allowed to stand at 5 ° c . overnight : the methylene chloride product solution resulting from example 61 a ) was added to a 50 l round bottom flask equipped with mechanical stirring , water condenser , nitrogen inlet and a temperature probe . an additional 4 l of methylene chloride was added , followed by triethylamine ( 2349 g , 23 . 2 moles ) and p - toluenesulfonyl chloride ( 2654 g , 13 . 92 mol ). the reaction mixture was stirred for 6 hours without external heating or cooling . water ( 1 . 8 l ) was added to the reaction mixture and stirred vigorously for 17 hours . the organic layer was separated and washed with water ( 10 l ). the aqueous layer was extracted with methylene chloride ( 1 l ). the combined organic layers were washed with 7 % sodium bicarbonate solution ( 10 l ) and 23 % nacl solution ( 10 l ). the solvent was evaporated to provide the desired product as a thick oil ( 5947 g ). a suspension of the product of example 61 c ) ( 4573 g , 7 . 47 mol ) in acetonitrile ( 4 l ) was added to a 50 l reactor equipped with a thermocouple and nitrogen inlet . an additional 13 l of acetonitrile was added and the suspension was heated to 37 ° c . with steam . a solution of triflic acid ( 1253 ml , 14 . 16 mol ) in water ( 7 . 6 l ) was added over 20 minutes . then the mixture was stirred at 39 – 42 ° c . for 1 hour . the reaction mixture was quenched by adding it to 20 l of 23 % aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution and 35 l of methyl t - butyl ether . the reaction flask was rinsed with 5 l of methyl t - butyl ether and an additional 20 l of 23 % aqueous sodium bicarbonate was addded . this mixture was stirred for 10 minutes and the layers were separated . the organic layer was washed with a mixture of 25 l of 23 % aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution and 15 l of 7 % nacl solution . then the organic layer was washed with 25 l of 7 % nacl solution . the solvents were removed on a batch concentrator to provide a thick slurry . heptane ( 32 l ) was added to the slurry and then evaporated . additional heptane ( 12 l ) was added and evaporated . a further amount of heptane ( 40 l ) was added and the suspensin was heated to 44 ° c . in 60 minutes , causing complete dissolution . the reaction flask was cooled to 40 ° c . in 10 minutes by running cold water over the surface of the flask . the solution was then allowed to slowly cool to 35 ° c ., where cyrstallization occurs . the resulting thick mixture was stirred for 14 hours . the precipitate was filtered and rinsed twice with 4 l of heptane and then dried on the filter funnel for 2 hours and then in a vacuum oven with nitrogen purge for 60 hours at room temperature . the resulting solid ( 3200 g ), heptane ( 30 l ) and methyl t - butyl ether ( 1 . 6 l ) were combined and heated with stirring to dissolution . the resulting solution was cooled over 1 hour to 42 ° c . and the resulting suspension was stirred for 20 hours while cooling to room temperature . the precipitate was filtered and dried in a vacuum oven with nitrogen purge for 20 hours at room temperature to give the desired product ( 2860 g ). a solution of the product of example 61 c ) ( 511 g , 950 mmol ) in thf ( 2 . 55 l ) was stirred at ambient temperature in a high - pressure reactor with raney ni ( 383 g wet weight ) under a 40 psi atmosphere of hydrogen for 2 hours . the suspension was filtered and the filtrate was swirled with magnesium sulfate ( 250 g ) for 1 hour . the organic solution was filtered and added to n - cbz - l - valine anhydride ( 598 g , 1 . 23 mol ) and dmap ( 5 . 8 g , 47 . 5 mmol ) and stirred at ambient temperature for 20 hours . the reaction mixture was poured into 5 % kh 2 po 4 ( 2 . 5 l ) and extracted with methyl t - butyl ether ( 2 . 5 l ). the organic layer was washed with 10 % potassium carbonate ( 2 × 2 . 5 l ) and then 23 % nacl solution ( 2 . 5 l ). the volatiles were evaporated and methyl t - butyl ether ( 1 l ) was added . the volatiles were again evaporated and this procedure repeated ( usually about three times ) until the karl - fischer test indicated less than 1 mole % water . the organic solution was then concentrated and stored as an approximately 65 % w / w solution of the desired product . to a 500 ml flask equipped with a stir bar and a nitrogen inlet was added ( 2s )- 4 - n - carbonylbenzyloxy - l - valinyloxy - 2 - stearoyloxymethyl - butyl toluenesulfonate ( 21 . 8 g , 28 . 2 mmol ), 2 - amino - 6 - iodopurine ( 9 . 73 g , 37 . 3 mmol ) and potassium carbonate ( 11 . 88 g , 86 . 1 mmol ) slurried in dmf ( 155 ml ). the resulting mixture was stirred for 16 hours at 50 ° c . the mixture was then cooled to room temperature and poured into 400 ml of ethyl acetate and washed with water ( 3 × 400 ml ). the aqueous washes were combined and extracted with isopropyl acetate ( 50 ml ). the organic extracts were combined , washed with brine ( 200 ml ), dried over magnesium sulfate and concentrated under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in acetonitrile ( 150 ml ) and washed with heptane . the bottome layer was separated and concentrated . the residue was dissolved in methylene chloride ( 200 ml ). silica gel ( 60 g ) was added and stirred for 10 minutes . this mixture was poured into a funnel containing 40 g of silica gel . the product was eluted off of the silica gel by washing with 4 / 1 methyl t - butyl ether / heptane . the filtrate was concentrated to provide the desired product ( 19 . 6 g ). into a 300 ml fisher - porter bottle ( stirbar / nitrogen ) was placed the product of example 61 e ) ( 12 . 36 g , 14 . 34 mmol ) dissolved in acetonitrile ( 98 ml ) and glacial acetic acid ( 98 ml ), followed by addition of sodium acetate trihydrate ( 11 . 70 g , 86 mmol ). the resulting mixture was stirred at 120 ° c . for 4 hours . the mixture was cooled to room temperature and poured into 400 ml of methyl t - butyl ether . the mixture was washed with 5 % aq . nacl ( 2 × 300 ml ), 2 m potassium carbonate ( 150 ml ), 1 % nahso 3 ( 100 ml ) and brine ( 100 ml ). the organic layer was concentrated under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in heptane ( 150 ml ) and extracted with acetonitrile ( 2 × 100 ml ). the top layer ( heptane ) was concentrated to give the desired product as a thick syrup ( 8 . 98 g ). into a 100 ml shaker was placed ( r )- 9 -[( 2 - stearoyloxymethyl )- 4 -( n - benzyloxycarbonyl - l - valyloxy ) butyl ] guanine ( 4 . 53 g , 6 . 03 mmols ) dissolved in isopropanol ( 45 ml ), followed by addition of 4 % pd / c ( 450 mg ). the resulting mixture was shaken under a 5 psi hydrogen for 3 days . the mixture was filtered and concentrated under vacuum to provide a waxy solid . this material was dissolved in hot isopropanol ( 12 ml ) and isopropyl acetate was added ( 24 ml ). the mixture was slowly cooled to 40 ° c . and then stirred at 0 ° c . for 1 hour . the precipitate was filtered and washed with isopropyl acetate ( 5 ml ) and then dried to provide the desired product ( 1 . 53 g ). a solution of the product of example 61 c ) ( 3 . 10 g , 5 . 75 mmol ) in thf ( 50 ml ) was stirred at ambient temperature in a high - pressure reactor with raney ni ( 5 g wet weight ) under a 5 psi atmosphere of hydrogen for 3 hours . the suspension was filtered and the filtrate was swirled with magnesium sulfate ( 8 g ). the organic solution was filtered and n - boc - l - valine anhydride ( 3 . 11 g , 7 . 47 mmol ) was added , followed by dmap ( 0 . 105 g ). the resulting mixture was stirred at ambient temperature for 30 minutes . the mixture was cooled to 0 ° c . and treated with n , n - dimthylethylenediamine ( 125 mg ). the resulting solution was stirred for 20 minutes and poured into methyl t - butyl ether ( 100 ml ) and was washed with 5 % kh 2 po 4 ( 100 ml ), 1 m potassium carbonate ( 100 ml ) and then 27 % nacl solution ( 20 ml ). the organic solution was then concentrated under vacuum to provide the desired product ( 3 . 67 g ). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 88 ( m , 6h ), 0 . 95 ( d , 3h ), 1 . 25 ( m , 30h ), 1 . 45 ( s , 9h ), 1 . 55 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 70 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 1 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 21 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 46 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 94 – 4 . 2 ( m , 6h ), 5 . 0 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 37 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 78 ( m , 2h ). mass spec .= 740 ( m + h ) +. to a 100 ml flask equipped with a stir bar and a nitrogen inlet was added the product of example 62 a ) ( 3 . 67 g , 4 . 97 mmol ), 2 - amino - 6 - iodopurine ( 1 . 68 g , 6 . 46 mmol ) and potassium carbonate ( 2 . 05 g , 14 . 9 mmol ) slurried in dmf ( 27 ml ). the resulting mixture was stirred for 16 hours at 50 ° c . the mixture was then cooled to room temperature and poured into 100 ml of ethyl acetate and washed with kh 2 po 4 ( 100 ml containing 20 ml of brine ). the organic phase was washed with brine ( 2 × 75 ml ), dried over magnesium sulfate , filtered and concentrated under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in acetonitrile ( 20 ml ) at 50 ° c . the mixture was cooled to room temperature and stirred for 2 hours . the precipitate was filtered , washed with acetonitrile ( 2 × 5 ml ) and dried to provide the desired product ( 2 . 79 g ). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 87 ( m , 6h ), 0 . 95 ( d , 3h ), 1 . 25 ( m , 30h ), 1 . 43 ( s , 9h ), 1 . 6 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 74 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 1 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 28 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 52 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 1 – 4 . 4 ( m , 6h ), 5 . 03 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 22 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 73 ( s , 1h ). mass spec .= 829 ( m + h ) + into a 4 ml vial ( stir bar / nitrogen ) was placed the product of example 62 b ) ( 0 . 076 g , 0 . 092 mmol ) dissolved in acetonitrile ( 0 . 444 ml ) and glacial acetic acid ( 0 . 444 ml ), followed by addition of sodium acetate trihydrate ( 0 . 031 g ). the resulting mixture was stirred at 100 ° c . for 16 hours . hplc analysis of the mixture indicated that the desired product had been obtained , by comparison with authentic product obtained as described in example 17 b ). into a 20 ml vial ( stir bar / nitrogen ) was added ( r )- 9 -[( 2 - stearoyloxymethyl )- 4 -( n - t - butyloxycarbonyl - l - valyloxy ) butyl ]- guanine ( 0 . 218 g , 0 . 29 mmol ) dissolved in methylene chloride ( 3 . 1 ml ) and trifluoroacetic acid ( 0 . 33 ml ). the resulting mixture was stirred at 25 ° c . for 14 hours . the mixture was diluted with methylene chloride ( 10 ml ), washed with 7 % sodium bicarbonate , dried over magnesium sulfate and concentrated under vacuum to provide the desired product ( 161 mg ). a solution of the product of example 61 c ) ( 15 . 0 g , 27 . 7 mmol ) in thf ( 100 ml ) was stirred at ambient temperature in a high - pressure reactor with raney ni ( 16 g wet weight ) under a 5 psi atmosphere of hydrogen for 3 hours . the suspension was filtered and the filtrate was swirled with magnesium sulfate ( 8 g ). the organic solution was filtered and n - alloc - l - valine anhydride ( 13 . 82 g , 43 . 3 mmol ) was added , followed by dmap ( 0 . 203 g ). the resulting mixture was stirred at ambient temperature overnight . the mixture was diluted with methyl t - butyl ether ( 120 ml ) and was washed with 5 % kh 2 po 4 ( 25 ml ), 1 m potassium carbonate ( 100 ml ) and then 27 % nacl solution ( 20 ml ). the organic solution was then concentrated under vacuum to provide the desired product ( 20 . 6 g ). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 88 ( m , 6h ), 0 . 95 ( d , 3h ), 1 . 25 ( m , 30h ), 1 . 55 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 70 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 12 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 20 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 46 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 94 – 4 . 25 ( m 6h ), 4 . 57 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 20 – 5 . 35 ( m , 3h ), 5 . 90 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 79 ( m , 2h ). to a 500 ml flask equipped with a stir bar and a nitrogen inlet was added the product of example 63 a ) ( 18 . 43 g , 25 . 4 mmol ), 2 - amino - 6 - iodopurine ( 8 . 61 g , 33 . 0 mmol ) and potassium carbonate ( 10 . 51 g , 76 . 2 mmol ) slurried in dmf ( 137 ml ). the resulting mixture was stirred for 16 hours at 50 ° c . the mixture was then cooled to room temperature and poured into 394 ml of isopropyl acetate and washed with water ( 3 × 400 ml ). the organic phase was washed with brine ( 200 ml ), dried over magnesium sulfate , filtered and concentrated under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in acetonitrile ( 200 ml ). the mixture was stirred for 3 hours at room temperature . the precipitate was filtered , washed with acetonitrile ( 2 × 25 ml ) and dried to provide the desired product ( 12 . 28 g ). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 89 ( m , 6h ), 0 . 98 ( d , 3h ), 1 . 29 ( m , 30h ), 1 . 6 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 74 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 13 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 28 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 52 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 9 – 4 . 4 ( m , 6h ), 4 . 58 ( d , 2h ), 5 . 20 – 5 . 35 ( m , 3h ), 5 . 90 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 76 ( s , 1h ). ic mass spec .= 813 ( m + h ) + . into a 60 ml sealed tube ( stir bar ) was placed the product of example 63 b ) ( 1 . 00 g , 1 . 23 mmol ) dissolved in acetonitrile ( 6 . 0 ml ) and glacial acetic acid ( 6 . 0 ml ), followed by addition of sodium acetate trihydrate ( 1 . 00 g ). the resulting mixture was stirred at 120 ° c . for 4 hours . the mixture was cooled to room temperature and poured into 15 ml of methyl t - butyl ether , washed with 5 % nacl ( 2 × 15 ml ), 2 m potassium carbonate ( 2 × 20 ml ), 1 % nahso 3 ( 2 × 15 ml ) and brine ( 15 ml ). the organic phase was concentrated under vacuum . the residue was chromatographed on silica gel ( 9 / 1 methylene chloride / methanol ) to provide the desired product as a wax ( 0 . 67 g ). 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , d 6 - dmso ): δ 0 . 85 ( m , 9h ), 1 . 21 ( m , 30h ), 1 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 62 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 99 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 22 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 35 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 8 – 4 . 0 ( m , 4h ), 4 . 12 ( t , 2h ), 4 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 15 – 5 . 3 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 88 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 38 ( b s , 2h ), 7 . 63 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 52 ( b s , 1h ). ic mass spec .= 703 ( m + h ) + . into a 4 ml vial ( stir bar / nitrogen ) was added the product of example 63 c ) ( 0 . 07 g , 0 . 10 mmol ) dissolved in thf ( 1 . 0 ml ) and triphenylphosphine ( 1 . 6 mg ) and pd 2 ( dba ) 3 ( 1 . 4 mg ) and pyrrolidine ( 0 . 071 g ). the resulting mixture was stirred at 25 ° c . for 14 hours . the mixture was concentrated under vacuum , diluted with isopropanol and stirred at 4 ° c . the resulting precipitate was filtered to provide the desired product ( 33 mg ). the following ingredients are screened through a 0 . 15 mm sieve and dry - mixed 10 g ( r )- 9 -[ 2 -( stearoyloxymethyl )- 4 -( l - valyloxy ) butyl ] guanine 40 g lactose 49 g crystalline cellulose 1 g magnesium stearate a tabletting machine is used to compress the mixture to tablets containing 250 mg of active ingredient . the tablets of formulation example a are spray coated in a tablet coater with a solution comprising 120 g ethyl cellulose 30 g propylene glycol 10 g sorbitan monooleate add 1 000 ml distilled water are dry - mixed and granulated with an aqueous paste of povidone . magnesium stearate ( 0 . 5 g ) is added and the mixture compressed in a tabletting machine to 13 mm diameter tablets containing 500 mg active agent . the compound of the invention is dispersed in the lecithin and arachis oil and filled into soft gelatin capsules . the bioavailability of compounds of the invention were compared to the parent compound h2g and other h2g derivatives in a rat model . compounds of the invention and comparative compounds were administered , per oral ( by catheter into the stomach ), to multiples of three individually weighed animals to give 0 . 1 mmol / kg of the dissolved prodrug in an aqueous ( example 4 , 5 , comparative example 1 – 3 , 5 , 8 ), peanut oil ( comparative examples 4 , 9 , 10 ) or propylene glycol ( example 1 – 3 , 6 – 12 , 17 , comparative example 6 , 7 ) vehicle dependent on the solubility of the test compound ingredient . the animals were fasted from 5 hours before to approximately 17 hours after administration and were maintained in metabolic cages . urine was collected for the 24 hours following administration and frozen until analysis . h2g was analysed in the urine using the hplc / uv assay of stahle & amp ; oberg , antimicrob agents chemother . 36 no 2 , 339 – 342 ( 1992 ), modified as follows : samples upon thawing are diluted 1 : 100 in aq dist h 2 o and filtered through an amicon filter with centrifugation at 3000 rpm for 10 minutes . duplicate 30 μl samples are chromatographed on an hplc column ; zorbax sb - c18 ; 75 × 4 . 6 mm ; 3 . 5 micron ; mobile phase 0 . 05m nh 4 po 4 , 3 – 4 % methanol , ph 3 . 3 – 3 . 5 ; 0 . 5 ml / min ; 254 nm , retention time for h2g at meoh 4 % and ph 3 . 33 , ˜ 12 . 5 min . bioavailability is calculated as the measured h2g recovery from each animal averaged over at least three animals and expressed as a percentage of the averaged 24 hour urinary h2g recovery from a group of 4 individually weighed rats respectively injected i . v . jugularis with 0 . 1 mmol / kg h2g in a ringer &# 39 ; s buffer vehicle and analysed as above . comparative example 1 ( h2g ) was from the same batch as used for preparation of examples 1 to 12 . the preparation of comparative example 2 ( monoval - h2g ) and 3 ( dival - h2g ) are shown in examples 20 and 23 . comparative example 4 ( distearoyl h2g ) was prepared by di - esterification of unprotected h2g in comparable esterification conditions to step 2 of example 1 . comparative examples 5 & amp ; 8 ( val / ac h2g ) were prepared analogously to example 4 using acetic anhydride with relevant monovaline h2g . comparative example 6 ( ala / stearoyl h2g ) was prepared analogously to example 6 using n - t - boc - l - alanine in step 4 . comparative example 7 ( gly / decanoyl ) was prepared analogously to example 5 but using the step a ) intermediate made with n - t - boc - l - glycine . the preparation of comparative examples 9 and 10 is shown in examples 24 and 25 respectively . the results appear on table 2 below : comparison of the bioavailabilities of the compounds of the invention with the comparative examples indicates that the particular combination of the fatty acids at r 1 / r 2 with the amino acids at r 1 / r 2 produces bioavailabilities significantly greater than the corresponding diamino acid ester or difatty acid ester . for example , in this model , the compound of example 1 displays 55 % better bioavailability than the corresponding divaline ester of comparative example 3 . the compound of example 4 displays 25 % better availability than the corresponding divaline ester . it is also apparent , for instance from comparative examples 5 , 6 and 7 that only the specified fatty acids of this invention in combination with the specified amino acids produce these dramatic and unexpected increases in pharmacokinetic parameters . a plasma concentration assay was done in male sprague dawley derived rats . the animals were fasted overnight prior to dosing but were permitted free access to water . each of the compounds evaluated was prepared as a solution / suspension in propylene glycol at a concentration corresponding to 10 mg h2g / ml and shaken at room temperature for eight hours . groups of rats ( at least 4 rats in each group ) received a 10 mg / kg ( 1 ml / kg ) oral dose of each of the compounds ; the dose was administered by gavage . at selected time points after dosing ( 0 . 25 , 0 . 5 , 1 , 1 . 5 , 2 , 4 , 6 , 9 , 12 , 15 , and 24 hours after dosing ), heparinized blood samples ( 0 . 4 ml / sample ) were obtained from a tail vein of each animal . the blood samples were immediately chilled in an ice bath . within two hours of collection , the plasma was separated from the red cells by centrifugation and frozen till analysis . the components of interest were separated from the plasma proteins using acetonitrile precipitation . following lyophilisation , and reconstitution , the plasma concentrations were determined by reverse phase hplc with fluorescence detection . the oral uptake of h2g and other test compounds was determined by comparison of the h2g area under the curve derived from the oral dose compared to that obtained from a 10 mg / kg intravenous dose of h2g , administered to a separate group of rats . the results are depicted in table 1b above . the compounds of example 1 and comparative example 3 ( see biology example 1 above ) were administered p . o . by gavage to cynomolgus monkeys . 150 mg dissolved in 6 . 0 ml propylene glycol , corresponding to 25 mg / kg or 0 . 0295 mmol / kg . 164 mg dissolved in 7 . 0 ml water , corresponding to 23 . 4 mg / kg or 0 . 0295 mmol / kg . blood samples were taken at 30 min , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 10 and 24 hours . plasma was separated by centrifugation at 2500 rpm and the samples were inactivated at 54 ° c . for 20 minutes before being frozen pending analysis . plasma h2g levels were monitored by the hplc / uv assay of example 30 above . fig1 depicts the plasma h2g recovery as a function of time . although it is not possible to draw statistically significant conclusions from single animal trials , it appears that the animal receiving the compound of the invention experienced a somewhat more rapid and somewhat greater exposure to h2g than the animal which received an alternative prodrug of h2g . herpes simplex virus - 1 ( hsv - 1 )- infected mouse serves as an animal model to determine the efficacy of antiviral agents in vivo . mice inoculated intraperitoneally with hsv - 1 at 1000 times the ld 50 were administered either with a formulation comprising the currently marketed anti - herpes agent acyclovir ( 21 and 83 mg / kg in a 2 % propylene glycol in sterile water vehicle , three times daily , p . o .) or the compound of example 29 ( 21 and 83 mg / kg in a 2 % propylene glycol in sterile water vehicle , three times daily , p . o .) for 5 consecutive days beginning 5 hours after inoculation . the animals were assessed daily for deaths . the results are displayed in fig2 which charts the survival rate against time . in the legend , the compound of the invention is denoted ex . 29 and acyclovir is denoted acv . the percentage of mice surviving the hsv - 1 infection was significantly greater following a given dose of the compound of the invention relative to an equivalent dose of acyclovir . the foregoing is merely illustrative of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the disclosures made herein . variations and changes which are obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope and nature of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 2 |
in describing the invention illustrated in the drawings , specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity . however , the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected , and it is to be understood that each specific term selected includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose . as illustrated in fig1 the present invention comprises a battery assembly 10 , including a thin cell laminar battery 26 , shown in phantom , enveloped by a multilayered air and water occlusive protective sheet film material 28 which is heat sealed around its periphery 30 . connected to battery 26 are electrodes 32 and 34 , which , as will be discussed in greater detail with respect to fig4 are respectively electrically connected to the anode and cathode of battery 26 . while batteries in accordance with this invention may be of any desired electrochemical type , such as nickel cadmium , nickel hydroxide , leclanche , or lead acid , for purposes of illustration and in accordance with a preferred embodiment , the battery is of the lithium anode type . laminar thin - cell batteries containing lithium anodes are known to the art , and those skilled in the art will appreciate that the laminar batteries can include a single cell , or a plurality of cells . furthermore , the cells also can include various constructions such as bifaced or bipolar cell designs . other examples of cell constructions include a jelly roll or a fan folded laminate strip design , both of which are illustrated in u . s . patent application ser . no . 238 , 071 filed aug . 30 , 1988 , which is hereby incorporated by reference . referring to fig2 battery 26 is a cell laminate which includes an anode 12 , first and second layers of an ionically conductive electrolyte 14 , 16 which contact anode 12 on opposite sides respectively , and first and second cathode layers 18 , 20 which contact the sides of electrolyte 14 and 16 which are not in contact with anode layer 12 . current collectors 22 and 24 respectively contact the sides of cathode layers 18 and 20 which are not in contact with electrolyte layers 14 and 16 . the laminate shown in fig2 is actually a bi - faced structure to maximize the use of anode 12 . the materials used for forming the different layers of battery are known in the art . for example , in one preferred embodiment , battery 26 comprises a portion of a secondary cell having an alkali metal foil anode 12 having a typical thickness of about 100 - 150 microns , the ionically conducting polymeric electrolyte layer 14 and 16 containing an ionizable alkali metal salt having a typical thickness of about 10 to 75 microns , cathode layers 18 and 20 including a finely divided transition metal oxide having a typical thickness of about 50 to 100 microns , and current collectors 22 and 24 which typically take the form of metal foils having a typical thickness of about 5 to 25 microns . in a particularly effective embodiment , anode 12 comprises a lithium foil , electrolyte layers 14 and 16 comprise a radiation polymerizable compound , the cathode layers 18 and 20 comprise a composite of finely divided vanadium oxide ( v 6 o 13 ), carbon black or an electronically conductive polymer and a solid electrolyte material , and the cathode current collecting layers 22 and 24 , comprise nickel , stainless steel , aluminum foils , metal coated polymers or electrically conductive polymeric materials such as a thin film of polyethylene terephthalate having electrodeposited thereon a layer of nickel metal . more specifically , a typical anode material 12 is lithium foil , an alloy of lithium , or lithium coated foil such as nickel or copper foil having a layer of lithium deposited on its front or front and back surfaces lithium is preferred because it is very electropositive , passivates and is light in weight when using lithium materials as anode layers to produce a laminar battery because of their high reactivity , it is necessary to maintain the lithium materials in a water and air free environment to prevent any undesirable chemical reaction from occurring . electrolyte layers 14 and 16 , which are ionically conductive in nature , may be formed by preparing a mixture of a liquid monomeric or prepolymeric radiation polymerizable compound , a radiation inert ionically conducting liquid , and an ionizable alkali metal salt . the alkali metal salt is preferably comprised of a lithium salt , such as licf 3 so 3 , liasf 6 , liclo 4 , libr , lii , libo 4 or lipf 6 . radiation inert ionically conductive liquids are preferably bi - polar aprotic solvents and include propylene carbonate γ - butryrolactone , dimethoxyethane , 1 , 3 - dioxolane and 2 - methyl - tetrahydrofuran . radiation polymerizable compounds may be obtained by reacting a polyethylene glycol with acrylic or methacrylic acid . other examples include acrylated epoxies , e . g ., bisphenol a epoxy diacrylate , polyethylene acrylates , copolymers of glycidyl ethers and acrylates or a vinyl compound such as n - vinylpyrrolidone . the monomers which are selected do not substantially adversely react with the anodic metal after polymerization , as the anodic metal tends to be highly reactive . other electrolyte materials which are not radiation curable may also be used in accordance with the present invention such as solid electrolytes or electrolytes comprising a solid solution of an alkali metal salt in a polymeric matrix such as liclo 4 / peo electrolytes . the cathode layer comprises a metal oxide intercalation compound , an electrically conductive material such as carbon or metal particles , and an electrolyte material . while v 6 o 13 is the preferred active material for cathode layers 18 and 20 , the active cathode component may alternatively include metal chalcogenides such as nbse 3 , v 2 o 5 , mno 2 , tis 2 , moo 2 , mos 3 , cr 3 o 6 , li x v 3 o 8 , v 3 o 8 , vs 2 , nbse 2 , feocl , crobr , tincl , zrncl , hfnbr , nis 2 , fes 2 , fes , nis , nis 3 , wo 2 , or electronically conducting organic polymers such as polypyrrole and polyacetylene . other appropriate materials for the cathode current collecting layers 22 and 24 , besides metal foils are conductive metals , conductive polymers , metal coated polymers , screens , grids , foamed metals and the like . the battery is produced by laminating the respective layers together to form a unitary structure . the lamination process may include coating the cathode layers 18 , 20 and the electrolyte layers 14 , 16 onto the cathode current collecting layers 22 and 24 by doctor blade continuous casting , solvent evaporation technique , extrusion or other coating methods . although battery 26 is referred to as a cell laminate , it should be noted that there are in fact two cells in the strict sense of the term , each having a cathode in an ion exchange relation with a commonly shared anode . where the anode material is lithium foil , a substantial economic savings is realized when the lithium foil is commonly shared by dual electrolyte and cathode layers , although those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention could be constructed with a single anode layer in an ion exchange relation with a single cathode layer if desired . the electrochemical cell shown in fig2 will function as a single cell if the two cathode layers 20 and 18 are always joined by a single cathode current collecting substrate or are otherwise joined electrically . fig3 ( a ) and 3 ( b ) show the steps for manufacturing an alternative battery similar to that shown in fig2 . referring to fig3 ( a ), laminate assembly 100 includes current collecting substrate 124 , which is overcoated with a layer of cathode material 120 , which in turn is overcoated with a layer of electrolyte material 116 . cathode 120 and electrolyte compositions 116 , if polymerizable , are then partially or totally cured by heat or exposure to radiation . if they are solvent based compositions , they are set by drying . lithium anode 112 is placed onto approximately one half of electrolyte 116 . the length of lithium anode 112 is less than one half of the length of electrolyte 116 to enable electrolyte 116 to be folded over anode 112 as will be discussed with respect to fig3 ( b ). electrically conductive terminal 132 is then placed onto anode 112 . terminal 132 is preferably a flat metal or metal wire . suitable materials include copper , nickel , other conductive metals , conductive polymers and metal coated polymers . where terminal 132 is copper , a strong bond is formed between terminal 132 and the lithium anode 112 and no adhesive is required to adhere the two elements together . as shown in fig3 ( b ), the laminate assembly 100 is folded longitudinally upon itself along axis a -- a to cause electrolyte 116 to surround anode layer 112 . anode layer 112 , should have a smaller length than the length of one half of electrolyte layer 116 to ensure that the anode layer 112 does not contact cathode layer 120 . alternatively , instead of folding laminate assembly 100 longitudinally along axis a -- a , assembly 100 could be cut along line b -- b , or originally fashioned in the two such similar sections , and the two sections placed one upon the other to form an assembly very similar to that of fig3 b so long as the current collector layer 124 is made electrically continuous between its upper and lower halves to utilize the electrical energy of both the upper and lower cells . when folded along axis a -- a , despite retaining flexibility , there may exist some deterioration in the integrity of the layers at the fold line . this will not affect the operation of the cell . even if the layers do not remain continuous at or about the fold line , the cell will continue to function , as it is in essence a dual cell design comprising an upper cell and a lower cell which share a common anode . as indicated above , as long as the current collector layer 124 , links the upper and lower cathode layers 120 , both the upper and lower cells will function even if there is some degradation of the electrolyte layer 116 and / or cathode layer 120 , at or about the fold line . still referring to fig3 ( b ), a second terminal 134 is attached at one end to the outside of cathode current collecting layer 124 by any means known in the art such as applying electrically conductive adhesives , soldering or spot welding . electrode 134 is of a length sufficient to permit the end not attached to protrude from beyond cathode current collecting layer 124 . electrode 134 is made from the same materials as electrode 132 . the cell laminate is then pressed or rolled together to assure uninterrupted contact between the layers , and taken together constitutes a battery collectively referred to as device a . where cathode 120 and electrolyte compositions 116 are polymerizable but have been only partially cured , the compositions will retain flexibility to permit folding with minimal deterioration at or about the fold line . additionally , the partially cured cathode 120 and electrolyte 116 layers will also exhibit a tackiness that will cause the layers to adhere to one another and to anode layer 112 . this can additionally provide a more intimate contact between the layers . the partially cured polymerizable components may then be completely cured . the cathode current collector layer 124 may be designed to extend on the two parallel sides adjacent and perpendicular to the fold line beyond the cathode material layer 120 thereon , so that a bead of adhesive material may be applied at or near the edge of the perimeter of the interior surface of cathode current collecting layer 124 . in this manner , when laminate assembly 100 is folded onto itself , the bead of adhesive will assist in securing assembly 100 together until it is ultimately enveloped by a heat - sealed moisture impermeable multilayered film . additionally , the individual layers of laminate assembly 100 may be optionally slit at or about the fold to assist in maintaining laminate assembly 100 as a unitary structure by reducing its tendency to separate at the fold . device a is not completely resistant to environmental attack . this is because cathode current collector 124 typically contains interstitial apertures having diameters of 10 microns or more through which atmospheric contaminants , primarily air and water , may enter and destroy device a . therefore , device a is inserted into a protective material and sealed as illustrated in fig4 . fig4 shows a completed laminar battery assembly generally designated 180 . assembly 180 includes laminar battery device a , which is enveloped in a heat sealed moisture impermeable multilayered material represented by elements 128 and 129 except for electrodes 132 and 134 , which slightly protrude from beyond material 128 and 129 to enable connection of the assembly to an external device . to manufacture the assembly shown in fig4 while maintaining an oxygen and moisture - free environment , device a is placed between two sheets of the multilayered material 128 and 129 so that the sheets of material 128 and 129 completely surround device 100 except for electrodes 132 and 134 , which protrude from beyond sheets 128 and 129 . each of the four edges of the respective sheets of material are then heat sealed to fuse the edges of the respective materials to each other . sealing is accomplished by utilizing a multivac vacuum packing machine from sepp . haggenmueller , kg allgau , w . germany , which operates by utilizing heated platens which are maintained at sufficient heat and pressure to melt and seal the polymeric edges which envelop the battery device . for example a temperature of 100 ° c . to 200 ° c . at a pressure of 20 - 40 psi is typically used . in practice , each pair of respective edges desired to be sealed together are inserted between the two heated platens and the sealing apparatus is actuated to cause the platens to move towards each other until the edges to be sealed are in intimate contact . pressure and heat are applied to the edges for a sufficient time period ranging from about 1 second to about 5 seconds . the sealing procedure is repeated for each of the other three pairs of edges to be sealed to produce an assembly such as shown in fig1 and 4 . alternatively , up to all sides can be sealed at once . particular care must be utilized when sealing the edges containing electrodes 132 and 134 to prevent them from inadvertently breaking off during the sealing process . however , a sufficient pressure must be applied to the edges to seal around the electrodes to ensure an air and water impermeable seal . a further feature is that the sealing operation be conducted in a vacuum atmosphere having a pressure as low as possible , i . e . 4 to 40 mm hg . the sealing under a vacuum accomplishes several purposes when the sealing operation has been completed , the vacuum enables the multilayered material to tightly adhere to the laminar cell to prevent the cell from moving within the sealed enclosure and to prevent delamination of the component layers . as a result , the battery assembly is much more resistant to physical damage caused during shipment and transportation . further , the tight adhesion of the multilayered material to the cell enables the surface area of the battery to be maintained in a minimal volume . accordingly , this enables the production of a small , thin battery . the primary purpose of multilayered material is to effectively envelop device a and to protect device a from oxygen or moisture an example of one material suitable for use is shown in fig4 . multilayered film materials 128 and 129 , having an overall thickness of approximately 100 microns , include a first inner insulating , adhesive , heat - sealable layer 142 and 144 ; a second thermoplastic layer 146 and 152 ; a third layer 148 and 154 , consisting of an air and water occlusive metal foil ; and a fourth outer protective layer 150 and 156 , consisting essentially of a polyester polymer , i . e . polyethylene terephthalate . primer and / or adhesive films required to bond one layer to another , not pictured , are utilized when necessary . the first inner thermoplastic layer 142 and 144 has an approximate thickness of 25 to 50 microns , and functions as an electronic insulator , a heat - sealable material and as an adhesive between dissimilar surfaces . electrical insulating properties are required in this first inner layer 142 and 144 , because s electrodes 132 and 134 extend from device a a direct short would be produced across the metal foil layer 148 and 154 if both electrodes were permitted to directly contact metal foil layer 148 and 154 . this first inner layer 142 and 144 must also be sealable upon the application of pressure and heat , at sufficiently low temperatures and pressures so as not to degrade device a . when the sealing operation is performed , first inner layer 142 and 144 becomes fusible to enable upper and lower surfaces 128 and 129 of the multilayered film to be sealed together on the edge from which electrodes 132 and 134 will protrude , the heat - sealable material must flow around the electrodes to achieve a continuous seal between the upper and lower surfaces of the multilayered film 128 and 129 and the electrodes . additionally , first inner layer 142 and 144 must also possess an adhesive quality that will enable it to bind together the dissimilar surfaces consisting of electrodes 132 and 134 , and the second thermoplastic layer 146 and 152 , ( or between electrodes 132 and 134 and the third metal foil layer 148 and 154 , in the event that a second thermoplastic layer 146 and 152 is not included .) examples of suitable materials for the first inner layer include a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid , surlyn ( an extrudable ionomer resin which is defined as a metal salt of an ethylene / organic acid copolymer available from dupont company of wilmington , delaware , hereinafter designated &# 34 ; surlyn &# 34 ;), and any other suitable materials known in the art . ethylene and acrylic acid copolymers and surlyn are preferred because each exhibits the necessary insulating , heat - sealing and adhesive properties discussed above . the amount of heat and pressure required to seal the multilayered film 128 and 129 , wherein the first insulating layer is ethylene acrylic acid will vary depending upon the chosen thickness and composition of all layers in the multilayered film 128 and 129 . however , as a general approximation temperatures in the range of 100 °- 200 ° c . are required , as well as pressures of approximately 20 - 40 psi for a time period of approximately 1 - 5 seconds where the ethylene and acrylic acid copolymer is about 25 microns thick . caution must be exercised with the choice of composition of the first inner layer 142 and 144 , and with the amount of heat and pressure to be applied . the first inner layer 142 and 144 must be permitted to flow , but not to achieve so high a degree of liquidity that the composition will escape from the area wherein sealing is desired , or that will permit the electrodes 132 and 134 to traverse through the first inner layer 142 and 144 and the second thermoplastic layer 146 and 152 to cause the terminals to simultaneously contact the metal foil layer 148 and 154 and create a short . from fig4 it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the first inner layer 142 and 144 needs to exhibit the ability to act as an adhesive between dissimilar surfaces only along the edge from which the electrodes 132 and 134 protrude , and specifically only in the area bounded by the electrodes 132 and 134 . therefore , in another embodiment of the present invention , the first inner layer may be limited to the area at or about the electrodes . in still another embodiment , the material which acts as an adhesive may be coated , primed , or otherwise deposited on electrodes 132 and 134 . in either embodiment , the additional layer provides both insulating and heat sealing capabilities throughout the remainder of the inner surface of the multilayered film . where the first inner layer 142 and 144 provides all necessary insulating , heat sealing and adhesive properties , the second thermoplastic layer may be omitted . however , where the first inner layer 142 and 144 is provided only in or about the area bounded by electrodes 132 and 134 , the second thermoplastic layer 148 and 154 is required in order to provide both insulating and heat - sealing abilities throughout the remainder of the inner surface of the multilayered film . even where the first inner layer 142 and 144 provides all needed properties , additional benefits are derived from the inclusion of the second thermoplastic layer 146 and 152 in that additional mechanical and chemical protection is provided and in that this type of multilayered film is commercially available , such as product i . d . # ksp - 150 - imb from kapak corporation of minneapolis , minn . which , while lacking the required adhesive properties described above , does provide insulating and heat - sealing capability . still referring to fig4 second thermoplastic layer 146 and 152 is utilized to exhibit these properties . suitable second thermoplastic layer materials include polyethylene and polypropylene . it is the purpose of the third layer 148 and 154 and fourth outer protective layer 150 and 156 to provide a barrier for excluding air and water from the battery and to provide rigidity to protect the battery during physical handling . where the third metal layer contains small ( approximately 10 micron ) holes which permit air and water to contact the battery , the fourth outer polymeric protective layer will cover or plug those microscopic holes , providing additional air and water occlusion protection . in some cases two metal layers separated by a bonding film may be needed to provide sufficient air and water occlusion . in the preferred embodiment , the third layer is preferably a metal such as aluminum foil and the fourth outer protective layer is a polymeric material such as polyethylene terephthalate . protective sheet material comprised of multilayered films , is available commercially . for example , product number 41748u30 available from bell fibre incorporated , is a five layered film consisting of a first layer of surlyn , which is bonded to a second layer of polyethylene which is bonded to a third layer of aluminum foil which is bonded to a fourth layer of polyethylene which is bonded to a fifth layer of polyester . also available from bell fibre , is product number 41750u30 which is a five layered material comprising a first layer of surlyn film which is bonded to a second layer of surlyn which is bonded to a third layer of aluminum foil which is bonded to a fourth layer of polyethylene which is bonded to a fifth layer of polyester . another example of protective sheet material suitable for use with the present invention is available from james river flexible packaging incorporated under the product name standard flex guard . the james river product is a six layered film material comprised of a first layer which is a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid , which is bonded to a second layer of polyethylene or polypropylene which is bonded to a third layer of the copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid , which is bonded to a fourth layer of aluminum foil which is bonded to a fifth layer of the copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid , which is bonded to a sixth layer of nylon ( saran ). these commercial products are examples of the types of protective sheet materials that may be successfully used in the present invention . any protective sheet material which exhibits the ability to be heat sealable , air and water occlusive , and resistant to physical and environmental degradation will satisfy the requirements for the present invention . having illustrated electrodes 32 and 34 projecting from assembly 10 in fig1 those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous electrode configurations are possible as long as a seal of the multilayered film 128 and 129 is maintained in or about the area where the electrodes are accessible from the multilayered film . fig5 shows assembly 200 , including battery 170 , shown in phantom , electrodes 178 and 180 , in a heat and vacuum sealed moisture impermeable multilayered film 172 , which is sealed along the periphery 182 . apertures 174 and 176 have been provided in the upper surface of the multilayered film 172 , either before or after sealing , to expose electrodes 178 and 180 . assembly 200 exhibits the advantages that as electrodes 178 and 180 are nearly completely enveloped by film 172 , the electrodes will have a high degree of protection from physical abuse and are not exposed along the same line at or near the point of sealing . having a staggered orientation at or near the point of sealing will reduce the possibility of any accidental electrical contact between electrodes 178 and 180 . having described the invention in detail and by reference to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims . | 7 |
to facilitate an understanding of the present disclosure , a number of terms and phrases are defined below : throughout this document , certain systems have been described for use with cng , or lng cylinders or vessels . it should be noted that these concepts would be usable for high pressure or cryogenic vessels containing any pressurized and / or liquefied gaseous fuel including hydrogen . iso tank module : intermodal tank system with an iso specified frame for stacking with other intermodal containers . the first portion of the detailed description relates to a locomotive underframe cng fuel storage system . fig1 illustrates a cng storage system 1 that is composed of one crashworthy enclosure 2 and at least one cng cylinder module 3 . in this embodiment , cng storage system 1 incorporates four cng cylinder modules 3 . the second portion of the detailed description relates to a crashworthy enclosure . the crashworthy enclosure 2 is a semi monocoque structure configured in such a way as to withstand and / or distribute external loads allowing it to meet the structural and crashworthiness requirements while maintaining the integrity and maximizing the storage volume of the cylinders within it . because the cng cylinder modules 3 have combined plumbing that can be accessed from one side , it allows the crashworthy enclosure 2 to have one removable side panel and one permanent side panel . this permanent side panel is welded in place and offers more structural rigidity than the removable side panel on the opposite side from it . this will either add strength or allow thinner and lighter materials to be used in the enclosure structure . in fig1 crashworthy enclosure 2 is shown with its removable door not present in order to illustrate removal of cng cylinder module 3 . as removable door panels are common in the art of enclosures no further discussion is needed . fig1 further illustrates the removal of cng cylinder module 3 . also visible are six bolts 6 that are used to retain each cng cylinder module 3 to the crashworthy enclosure 2 . less or more than six bolts 6 may be needed for cng cylinder module 3 retention depending on the particular design . fig2 a is a side view of the cng storage system 1 , again with the removable side panel missing from crashworthy enclosure 2 . in this view the 2 left cng cylinder modules 3 are removed . because this embodiment of crashworthy enclosure 2 can hold four cng cylinder modules 3 , there will be 3 thin vertical walls 9 and two outer thicker vertical walls 9 ′. also visible are gussets 8 that help support the top and bottom of the thin vertical walls 9 by shortening their center span where the thin material can easily deflect and the thin vertical wall 9 can buckle allowing crashworthy enclosure 2 to collapse . each cng cylinder module 3 will have its own set of six bolts 6 . when bolts 6 are in place they offer additional stiffness to the thin vertical walls 9 to help prevent buckling this could allow the fixed vertical walls 9 to be made from thinner material . fig2 b is a detail view of fig2 a . it illustrates the anti - buckling contact point 10 where the horizontal plate of the cng module frame 4 is in close proximity of the neighboring vertical wall , either thin vertical wall 9 or thicker vertical wall 9 ′. this helps to prevent any of the vertical walls from buckling by connecting them together along this plane formed by the cng module rack 4 horizontal plates . the third portion of the detailed description relates to a cng tank module . fig3 illustrates a cng tank module 3 that contains two cng cylinders 5 mounted to the module frame 4 . visible are the tank mounting straps 6 that are installed at a 45 degree angle for compactness . it is apparent that the fasteners required to attach straps 6 would be challenging to manipulate if the module frame 4 was permanently installed into crashworthy enclosure 2 . in that case the spacing between thin vertical walls 9 would need to be several inches greater . in this embodiment the cng tank module 3 contains a pair of cng cylinders 5 . cng tank module 3 can be composed of 1 or more cng cylinders fixed to the module frame 4 in such a way as to make the cng tank module 4 compatible with and mountable in a crashworthy enclosure . the removable cng tank module 3 has several advantages besides providing an efficient use of space while still allowing service access to the tanks : the primary advantage is structural as the vertical stacking of the pair of 16 ″ or 17 ″ diameter cng cylinders 5 allows a vertical structural wall 9 every 18 ″ or so . these vertical walls of the frame allow the enclosure to withstand the crushing loads that the tank would suffer in a derailment without the larger vertical load passing through and possibly compromising the cng cylinders 5 . the plumbing can be significantly simplified , as both cng cylinders 5 in each cng cylinder module 3 can be plumbed on the rack to one high pressure outlet fitting and one vent fitting . during a cng cylinder module 3 installation and removal only the single pressure and vent line need to be connected or disconnected in the field . each pair of cng cylinders 5 could be connected to a single prd valve with a pair of temperature sensors on each rack . the fourth portion of the detailed description relates to a locomotive underframe lng fuel storage system . fig4 a illustrates a possible underframe locomotive lng tank system that is crashworthy , simple and high capacity . in this design siamese pressure vessel 33 is slid into crashworthy enclosure 35 on six movable supports 34 . after that end plate 32 is welded into place becoming an integral part of crashworthy enclosure 35 . this creates a vacuum insulation cavity between the crashworthy enclosure 35 and siamese pressure vessel 33 . fig4 b is a detail view of fig4 a illustrating lng feed pipe 41 and vent pipe 40 which are both welded to siamese pressure vessel 33 . in this embodiment both of these are corrugated for flexibility . when end plate 32 is welded to crashworthy enclosure 35 , end plate 35 is also welded to lng feed pipe 41 and vent pipe 40 . these two metallic pipes are the only non insulated direct heat path between the siamese pressure vessel 33 and the crashworthy enclosure 35 . if the tank system had 3 independent tanks , there would be 6 of these heat paths instead of 2 . fig4 c is a detail view of fig4 b illustrating one of the 6 mounting points for the siamese pressure vessel 33 . in direct contact with the surface of the pressure vessel 33 is an insulator block 42 , and captured inside insulator block 42 is support pivot 43 . insulator block 42 is captured by locating features on siamese pressure vessel 33 and is made from some hard but insulating material such as resin impregnated phenolic cloth . support pivot 43 will be subject to a concentrated load so it is likely to be made of a metallic material such as steel . fig5 a is a cross section view of the tank assembly . inside of siamese pressure vessel 33 are 3 shared vertical walls 36 and multiple baffle plates 38 . fig5 b is a detail view of fig5 a illustrating one of the six movable supports 33 and the components that locate and transmit load through it . directly contacting each end of movable support 33 are support pivots 43 . capturing each support pivot 43 is an insulator block 42 . this set of components is designed to transmit load with a minimal transfer of heat between the siamese pressure vessel 33 and crashworthy enclosure 35 . there is a set above and below siamese pressure vessel 33 . there are also four angled sets of these parts that not only transmit vertical force , but due to their opposing angles , they locate siamese pressure vessel 33 laterally inside of crashworthy enclosure 35 . the pressure induced stresses in siamese pressure vessel 33 are carried by arched plates 37 that make up the exposed surface of pressure vessel 33 and by the vertical plates 36 which are shared by the neighboring siamese pressure chambers . due to geometric conditions inherent in pressure vessels shared , vertical wall 36 should be at least twice the thickness of arched plates 37 . the vertical load paths created by movable supports 3 are transmitted to pressure vessel 33 and carried through the pressure vessel 33 by the shared vertical wall 36 . fig6 a is an isometric view of the internal structural components of siamese pressure vessel 33 . this illustrates how multiple baffle plates 38 will help prevent the 3 shared vertical walls 36 from buckling when subject to the very high vertical loading forces during a derailment accident . this is when the locomotive has derailed and the locomotive fuel tank bottom is resting on a piece of track rail and supporting the weight of the locomotive . fig6 b is a detail view of fig6 a illustrating how the vertical load path generated by an angled movable support is still transmitted directly through a vertical wall 36 . the fifth portion of the detailed description relates to vertical siamese lng tank modules . fig7 a is an isometric view of a siamese pressure vessel 51 . there is a shared wall 54 in the middle of the two siamese cylindrical pressure vessels that form one pressure vessel cavity . shared wall 54 will have holes in it that connect the two cylindrical pressure vessel shapes into one sealed pressure vessel cavity . support pivot 55 runs along the bottom sides of siamese pressure vessel 51 . support pivot 55 may be made up of multiple components so that is can absorb a concentrated vertical load as it support the weight of the siamese pressure vessel 51 while transferring as little heat as possible . fig7 b is an end view of the vertical siamese tank module 50 . shown are the main vertical supports 53 that vertically support the weight of the siamese pressure vessel 51 . around siamese pressure vessel 51 is the outer pressure vessel 52 . in between siamese pressure vessel 51 and outer pressure vessel 52 is a vacuum cavity needed to keep the cryogenic lng liquid from boiling off too rapidly . movable support 53 support contacts support pivot 55 and transfers the weight of siamese pressure vessel 51 to the outer pressure vessel 52 which is then attached to the rail vehicle that the vertical siamese tank module 50 is installed in . not shown are other structural connections between the siamese pressure vessel 51 is the outer pressure vessel 52 that will absorb the axial and side loading on the tank and help the outer pressure vessel 52 maintain its shape . these supports will typically be placed in a direction normal to the outer pressure vessel 52 wall and will be much smaller in cross section and offer less of a heat leak potential . these standard lightly loaded supports are common in the art and not detailed here . the sixth portion of the detailed description relates to a cng tender car frame . fig8 illustrates a side view of cng tender car 56 . in this embodiment cng tender car 56 is built upon a rail car 57 with a structural bulkhead 58 in the middle . rail car 57 is similar in construction to an intermodal well car in that it has long slender walls that maximize internal volume for installing cargo or equipment while providing the axial structure needed to transmit the axial coupling loads of a railcar in a train . bulkhead 58 will connect the left and right walls together to stiffen the long slender side walls by cutting the effective length in half this adds significantly to the crashworthiness of the cng tender car 56 . for fuel storage crashworthiness , fra regulations require that a locomotive fuel system be able to withstand a side impact from a class 8 truck . bulkhead 58 also supports one end of each cng cylinder 59 . in the preferred embodiment , each cng cylinder 59 would have a fixed mount at bulkhead 58 and a sliding mount at the opposite end of the cng cylinder 59 . this sliding mount allows the cng cylinder 59 to expand axially act as it is filled to a high pressure . this embodiment of cng tender car 56 contains twelve cng cylinders 59 . the upper 8 would be approximately 33 feet long and the lower four would be 25 feet long . it would be possible to make these tender cars using lincoln &# 39 ; s standard 38 foot tanks replacing the 33 foot tanks in a longer rail car . modern diesel electric locomotives have been produced up to 98 feet in length . this would add an additional 16 % of fuel storage at a tender car length of approximately 85 ′. with the larger diameter cng cylinders designed for 4500 psi operating pressure , the tender car will be capable of storing 10 , 000 dge of cng fuel . this is only ⅔ of what an lng rail car can carry , but is enough fuel to get two main line freight locomotives the distance they can now travel on their existing diesel tanks currently the larger mainline diesel electric locomotives carry 5000 gallons of diesel fuel . as the railroad industry converts to natural gas over the next few years it will be using dual fuel locomotives that can only consume 50 - 70 % natural gas so it would be capable of taking 3 or 4 locomotives the full distance on natural gas and would still have at least 30 % of its diesel fuel remaining the seventh portion of the detailed description relates to an intermodal well car based lng tender tank module . fig9 illustrates a locomotive consist with two locomotives 60 connected to an lng tender car 63 that is built from a conventional intermodal well car 61 with a modified intermodal tank module 62 . fig1 illustrates an iso intermodal tank container modified for lng tender car service . iso lng module 62 is built from an iso intermodal tank container and modified for crashworthiness by incorporating a structural feature that acts as a bulkhead . this structural feature connects the outer frame structure 64 to the outer pressure vessel shell 68 . with the structural bulkhead added . in this case there is only one bulkhead added at the center of the tank . in some cases there may be multiple bulkheads used to create even shorter zones for the side wall to resist buckling fig1 b illustrates a preferred embodiment of the structural bulkhead feature ; it could be constructed from steel plates 65 and steel c - channel 66 . these components would be welded to both the outer frame structure 64 and the steel outer pressure vessel 68 . there are many different ways this bulkhead could be constructed , this is an economical and practical one . another embodiment is to add another metal hoop of steel around the tank that fits close to the outer pressure vessel shell 68 . this second hoop may or may not be welded to the outside of the pressure vessel . the bulkhead could be welded to this hoop instead of the outer wall . in any case the outer wall of the pressure vessel is still acting as a structural element as it prevents the second hoop from collapsing . it is the structural bulkhead feature utilizing the outer pressure vessel wall as part of its structure that makes this unique . this allows the structural bulkhead feature to act as a virtual solid wall without passing any of the potential side impact loads to the more critical inner pressure vessel that contains the hazardous lng fuel . the eighth portion of the detailed description relates to plate mounting of large type 4 cng cylinders . fig1 illustrates a type 4 cng cylinder 71 with a mounting plate mount 72 at each end . the mounting plate 72 act as springs allowing the cng cylinder 71 to expand and contract without the need for a sliding surface . the mounting plates 72 could have tapered spring arm sections 73 designed as depicted . these would offer the appropriate lateral stiffness needed to handle vehicle side loads , but would minimize the torque load applied to the cng cylinder 71 metal tank insert when the mounting plates 72 flexed . the mounting plates 72 will have to flex when the tank grows in length during filling or contracts as it is emptied . also visible is a cng fuel line protector 74 . with the tank pilot and mount plate design it is possible to minimize or eliminate the exposure of the cng lines and valves past the end of the cng cylinder and its mount structure . this embodiment of the cng line protector will cover an exiting cng line as it crosses the pilot at the end of the tank . once it crosses this area is can be routed back behind the mounting plate so that it is protected from crushing and cutting by intrusion of material from past the tank in an incident . this cng line protector could take many shapes including a complete cover of the recessed area for further protection . fig1 a is a cross section of one end of the cng cylinder 71 further illustrating the recessed area 75 for the valves and the low profile of the cng fuel line protector 74 . in this case the recessed area 75 is part of a cng tank end fitting 76 and has a standard 1 . 125 - 12 threaded hole that would be machined into the boss of a standard cng cylinder . cng tank end fitting could also be redesigned so that a valve assembly could be bolted in with an o - ring . this valve assembly could be an on off valve that was electrically or air operated and would automatically shut off with a loss of power or pressurized air in a catastrophic event . in fig1 a the cng tank end fitting 76 is shown as a solid piece , it would most likely be cast or machined to have structural webbing making the part lighter and leaving more internal space for compressed gaseous fuel . fig1 b is a detail view of fig1 a illustrating how the cylinder pilot feature 77 is captured by the piloting hole in mounting plate 72 , and the two components are held together by bolts 78 . this direct bolting arrangement solves another mounting issue that strap mounting systems can suffer from . each time a strap mounted cng cylinder expands and contracts slightly during a fill and empty cycle , it can pivot slightly in its mounts . as rail equipment stays in service for many decades , this possible pivoting of tanks over time that can &# 39 ; t be seen inside of a protective enclosure could be a problem . pivoted far enough it could pinch or rupture a cng fuel line . the ninth portion of the detailed description relates to an lng pump module . fig1 a a locomotive 85 is shown fitted with lng tank assembly 86 and the lngpm 87 . the lngpm 87 can be mounted directly to the lng tank as shown or mounted remotely in applications where necessary to do so . in fig1 b the lngpm 87 is shown connected to the lng pressure vessel 88 through the fill port 93 and the vent port 89 . the fill port 93 connects to the lngpm 87 at the pump manifold 92 ; lng is then pumped from the pump manifold into the riser tube 91 that is contained within a vacuum sealed pressure vessel 90 . fig1 illustrates a functional block diagram of the preferred embodiment of the lngpm 87 . with the possible exception of the sensors 99 and controller 98 , these components are built into a compact , insulated “ module ” that can be mounted locally or remotely making it easily integrated into various mobile applications . the pump manifold 92 can serve as the primary structure of the lngpm 87 and can contain the motor 97 , inlet pump 95 and main pump 96 . the inlet and mounting interface on the pump manifold 92 can be the side face of the side face of the pump manifold 92 allowing it to be mounted near or directly to the end of an lng storage tank . the top surface of the manifold can have the necessary provisions to house the riser tube 91 inside a vacuum insulated sealed pressure vessel 90 . the pressure vessel 90 will contain the output port and vent port interfaces necessary to attach and interface with vent port 89 and the locomotive 85 fuel system . the pump manifold 92 can contain an the electric motor 98 which in this embodiment is to be a “ wet ” electric motor sealed within the pump manifold 92 to avoid the need for mechanical seals that present reliability issues . the motor 98 can be sized and configured within the pump manifold 92 such that it may drive the main pump sufficiently to generate the necessary flow and pressure . an inlet pump 95 can be included to address low inlet pressure conditions and serve to prime the main pump 96 by filling the riser tube 91 within the pressure vessel 90 above the pump manifold 92 . the bearings for the motor 97 will be selected based on the load , temperature and lubrication conditions . the two pump stages can be positive displacement type ( gerotor or gear ) as the flow and pressure of the pumps is directly proportional to the speed and torque applied to the inlet pump 95 and main pump 96 through direct or indirect interface with the shaft of the motor 97 . control and monitoring of the lngpm output flow and pressure is to be managed via external interface with the controller 98 . controller 98 can be software configurable to allow the pump to provide user defined lng flow and pressure over its operating range by varying the motor 97 speed . it should be noted that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art . such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages . | 5 |
fig2 shows a first embodiment of the present invention , rejuvenator 22 , which may be used to revitalize a “ dried out ” dry erase marker . rejuvenator 22 preferably comprises two detachable components — actuator 26 and reservoir 24 . actuator 26 includes boss 30 and receiver 28 , which opens into the interior of boss 30 . receiver 28 is configured to accept tip 14 and neck 20 of dry erase marker 10 as seen in fig4 . actuator 26 nests on top of reservoir 24 ( in the orientation shown in the view ) overlapping a portion of reservoir 24 . in the present view , the top of reservoir 24 is covered by the bottom portion of actuator 26 . directional terms such as “ top ” and “ bottom ” will be understood to refer only to the orientation of the device as shown in the drawing views and not as limitations . a section view of rejuvenator 22 is provided in fig3 . the reader will observe that actuator 26 and reservoir 24 are made as separate pieces in this embodiment . they are preferably connected by a detachable connection such as threaded engagement 42 . as shown in fig7 and fig8 , female thread 60 on actuator 26 engages male thread 58 on reservoir 24 . there can be many different ways to attach actuator 26 and reservoir 24 together , however . for example , reservoir 24 could attach to actuator 26 by a snapping engagement or by a key turn engagement . actuator 26 and reservoir 24 could also be made a single , integral piece . thus , the details set out in this description should be viewed simply as one example selected from many possibilities . returning to fig3 , reservoir 24 contains solvent 48 within solvent chamber 50 . solvent 48 can be any fluid that when introduced to the tip of a dry erase marker will restart the flow of ink through the tip . the solvent can be carried to the spray chamber by a variety of devices . one approach is to use a conduit as shown . the base of conduit 38 is submerged into solvent 48 and extends upward away from the base of reservoir 24 , through the middle of bellows 40 to nozzle 36 . bellows 40 extend upward from the top of solvent chamber 50 . bellows 40 are made of a material such that bellows 40 are compressed when pressure is applied . bellows 40 reform to their original shape when pressure is released . an alternative embodiment of the present invention could comprise a spring mechanism located in place of bellows 40 . one skilled in the art will recognize that the spring mechanism would act in the same manner as bellows 40 . spray chamber 44 is provided proximate nozzle 36 . spray chamber 44 can be formed in any shape configured to accept tip 14 of dry erase marker 10 . spray chamber 44 opens upward to tapered entry 46 and receiver 28 . the receiver and spray chamber can likewise be a single cavity of uniform shape , but the configuration shown in fig3 is believed to be advantageous . turning to fig4 , the reader will observe that receiver 28 and tapered entry 46 accept tip 14 and neck 20 of dry erase marker 10 . when a user exerts a force on dry erase marker 10 neck 20 of marker 10 contacts receiver 28 of actuator 26 . when that force is applied to actuator 26 outer actuator wall 34 slides down vis - à - vis outer reservoir wall 32 . this causes bellows 40 to compress , decreasing the total volume of solvent chamber 50 , as seen in fig5 . the compression exerts pressure on the top of solvent 48 and causes solvent 48 to travel through conduit 38 . solvent 48 reaches nozzle 36 and disperses through nozzle 36 into spray chamber 44 as a mist , stream or spray . when tip 14 of dry erase marker 10 is inserted as shown the solvent will soak tip 14 , thereby allowing the ink to begin to reflow . the terms “ mist ,” “ stream ,” and “ spray ” may be used interchangeably throughout to describe the discharge of solvent from the reservoir to the tip of the marker . the reader should understand that the solvent may be discharged at various flow conditions . the term “ spray ” is intended to be inclusive of any such flow condition in which solvent is discharged through an orifice . another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in fig6 . in this embodiment , the width of actuator 26 is only slightly wider than the width of receiver 28 . because of the narrow dimensions of actuator 26 and reservoir 24 , rejuvenator 22 is approximately the size of dry erase marker 10 but operates in the same manner as the larger version . this embodiment allows the user to easily transport rejuvenator 22 in a pocket , backpack , briefcase or purse , which is a good example of the same structure being realized in a very different shape . fig7 and 8 show the embodiment originally presented in fig2 . as the reader will observe in fig7 and fig8 , reservoir 24 can be detached from actuator 26 . this allows a user to replace reservoir 24 or refill reservoir 24 with solvent 48 . fig7 illustrates reservoir 24 independent of actuator 26 . nozzle 36 rests on top of male thread 58 . when solvent chamber 50 is empty , reservoir 24 can be refilled with solvent 48 by removing nozzle 36 and pouring solvent 48 into the opening . alternatively , the entire reservoir 24 could be replaced . turning to fig8 , the reader will appreciate how male thread 58 of reservoir 24 engages female thread 60 of actuator 26 . still another alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig9 . as the reader will observe , an optional o - ring 56 can be installed at the base of tapered entry 46 in order to seal the spray chamber 44 upon entry of tip 14 into receiver 28 . the sealing of spray chamber 44 ensures that solvent 48 does not escape from spray chamber 44 and that only tip 14 of dry erase marker 10 contacts solvent 48 . it may be necessary in this embodiment to install a lateral vent , or similar means , to allow air to escape actuator 26 . yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig1 . clip 52 can attach to the base of rejuvenator 22 in order to engage whiteboard 54 or some other suitable surface . in this embodiment , clamp 62 is used to attach rejuvenator 22 to the ledge of whiteboard 54 . fig1 is just one example selected from many possibilities of a means of connecting rejuvenator 22 to whiteboard 54 . another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in fig1 . in this embodiment , actuator 74 and reservoir 70 are a single , unified component joined by bellows 68 . actuator 74 has receiving orifice 76 for receiving the tip of the marker . nozzle 66 is provided at the base of spray chamber 64 . conduit 72 extends from the bottom of reservoir 70 to nozzle 66 . as with the previous embodiment , when actuator 74 is pressed downward ( toward reservoir 70 ) the solvent contained within reservoir 70 is pressurized . the pressurized solvent is forced up conduit 70 and through nozzle 66 where it is sprayed into spray chamber 64 . actuator 74 may be pressed down by contact with the marker ( when the marker is inserted through receiving orifice 76 ) or independently ( such as by applying a downward force directly on actuator 74 with the user &# 39 ; s hand ). the preceding description contains significant detail regarding the novel aspects of the present invention . it should not be construed , however , as limiting the scope of the invention but rather as providing illustrations of the preferred embodiments of the invention . as an example , reservoir 24 and actuator 26 could be formed into many different shapes or sizes . in addition , other devices may be used to pressurize the solvent . in one embodiment , bellows 40 could be replaced by a pump mechanism similar to those found in spray bottles . alternatively , the solvent may be pre - pressurized as an aerosol with a carrier or gas or may be pressurized by the consumer with assistance of a pressurized carbon dioxide cartridge or other device . furthermore , colored dyes or other additives may be added to the solvent ( such as a blue dye for use with blue markers ). such variations would not alter the function of the invention . thus , the scope of the invention should be fixed by the following claims , rather than by the examples given . | 1 |
in general , the amount of space available for power sources and for the aforementioned safety mechanisms in submunitions self - destruct fuze is very small , making the use of chemical reserve batteries very difficult and costly , and nearly impractical . the use of active chemical batteries is not possible in submunitions due to the up to 20 years of shelf life requirement and also due to safety concerns that an active battery would generate . a typical volume available for a power source and its safety mechanisms is shown in fig1 together with typical dimensions of this available space ( see for example u . s . pat . no . 5 , 387 , 257 by m . tari , et al .). as can be observed , the available volume is very small and in many cases is a complex shape . a method and apparatus are provided for power sources that could be designed to fit inside the available volume of the geometrical shape shown in fig1 or other similarly complex shapes . in one embodiment , the power sources have substantially zero power prior to firing and begin to generate power after the projectile has been fired . in another embodiment , the power sources have substantially zero power prior to firing , post projectile firing until submunitions expulsion from the projectile has occurred . in this method , the firing acceleration is used to deform at least one elastic element , thereby causing mechanical energy be stored in the at least one elastic element . in one embodiment , the stored mechanical energy causes vibration of the elastic element coupled with certain inertial elements , which may be integral to the elastic element . the mechanical energy is then harvested from the vibration system and converted into electrical energy using piezoelectric materials based elements . the harvested electrical energy is then used directly by the self - destruct fuze electrical / electronic circuitry and / or stored in electrical energy storage devices such as capacitors for use in said electrical / electronic circuitry and for detonation of self - destruct fuze charges . in another embodiment , the aforementioned deformed at least one elastic element ( and its accompanying inertial element ) is locked in its deformed position by certain mechanical locking mechanism and released only by the expulsion acceleration caused by the detonation of charges onboard the projectile during the flight . once the at least one elastic element and its accompanying inertial element are released , the mechanical energy stored in the said elastic elements is harvested as described above for the previous embodiment . as a result , the aforementioned power sources have zero power prior to firing ( or prior to firing and prior to expulsion ). these characteristics of the power sources ensure safe handling and storage during various stages of submunitions production and assembly into the cargo projectile as well as storage of the projectile and accidental expulsion of the assembled submunitions from the stored projectile . it is noted that the aforementioned safety features are integrated into the design of the power source , which may also be supplemented by other electrical / electronic safety features / logics , etc ., to provide for additional safety . the schematic of the first embodiment 10 of the power source with integrated safety mechanism is shown in fig2 . the power source 10 is positioned within the available space 5 . the power source consists of an element mass 15 , to which is attached at least one ( primary ) spring 12 . in the schematic of fig2 a second spring element 14 is also shown to be attached to one side of the mass element 15 . the spring 14 is designed for primarily lateral deformation to allow the motion of the mass element 15 in the direction of the arrow 25 , which is the primary direction of deformation ( axial deformation in the case of the helical spring 12 shown in the schematic of fig2 ) of the primary spring 12 . it is noted that the mass element 15 and the primary spring 12 ( and the spring 14 , when present ) may be integral . in addition , the spring 12 may be an elastic element of an appropriate shape to provide the required deformation to displacement ( spring rate ) in the direction of deformation as indicated by the arrow 25 . during the projectile firing , the direction of acceleration action on the power source is in the direction of the arrow 26 . during the expulsion , the firing charge onboard the projectile accelerates the submunitions out of the back of the projectile , with the direction of the acceleration acting on the power source being in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow 26 . the mass element 15 is attached to the primary spring 12 . the opposite end of the primary spring 12 is then attached to at least one piezoelectric element 11 ( which can be a stacked type of piezoelectric element ). the piezoelectric element is in turn attached to the submunitions self - destruct fuze structure at the surface 17 ( the self - destruct fuze structure not shown in fig2 ). the mass element 15 is provided with a sloped surface 24 , which is engaged with a matching surface 27 of the element 16 . the element 16 is positioned between the mass element 15 on one side ( at its sloped surface 27 ) and the surface 21 of the submunitions self - destruct fuze structure , with which it is in contact with the surface indicated as 22 . the element 16 is constrained to motions that are essentially in the direction of the arrow 26 which is provided by either guide on the surface 21 of the submunitions self - destruct fuze structure ( not shown for clarity ), or by the use of elastic elements ( flexures ) that provides such guided motions , or other means that are well known in the art . the element 16 may also be provided by elastic elements ( such as of the bending type ), not shown in fig2 , that provides a bias force that keeps pushing the element 16 downward ( in the opposite direction to the arrow 26 ), pushing the sloped surface 27 of the element 16 against the sloped surface 24 of the mass element 15 . while a projectile that houses the submunitions with the self - destruct fuze with the present power sources are being fired , the entire submunitions self - destruct fuze assembly is accelerated in the direction of the arrow 26 in the gun barrel . during this period , the firing acceleration will act on the mass of the element 16 and causes it to be pushed down ( in a direction opposite that of the applied acceleration , i . e ., in a direction opposite to the direction of the arrow 26 ). this force , if large enough , will overcome the force exerted by any biasing force provided by the aforementioned biasing ( such as of the bending type ) elastic elements and frictional forces , springs 12 and 14 ( if any ) and will begin to move downward , thereby causing the mass element 15 to move to the right , thereby deforming the spring 12 in compression . if other elastic elements such as the element 14 shown in fig2 are also present , they would also deform in their designed manner ( in the case of the elastic element 14 in bending ) and store additional potential energy . the aforementioned biasing forces ( particularly those provided by the aforementioned elastic biasing element of the element 16 and the springs 12 and 14 ) can be designed to minimize the aforementioned motion of the element 16 as a result of accidental events such as dropping of the device or round or vibration and shock during transportation or the like . if the acceleration level is high and long enough , which it is when the projectile is fired by a gun , then the element 16 is pushed down past the mass 15 and is pushed to the bottom of the available submunitions self - destruct fuze structure space 5 into the position indicated as 28 in the schematic of fig3 . the mass element 15 and the spring 12 ( and other elastic elements such as the element 14 — if present ) assembly will then begin to vibrate . during each cycle of this mass - spring assembly vibration , the primary spring 12 applies a cycle of compressive and tensile forces on the piezoelectric element 11 . the force applied to the piezoelectric element would then generate a charge proportional to the applied force by the spring 12 ( cyclic with the frequency of vibration of the aforementioned mass - spring assembly ) in the piezoelectric element that is then harvested using a number of well known techniques and used directly in the self - destruct fuze circuitry or stored in a capacitor for later use . if the acceleration level is not high and / or long enough , such as may occur if the submunitions or its self - destruct fuze is accidentally dropped , or if the assembled projectile itself is dropped , or if the submunitions are accidentally or due to a nearby explosion expelled from the projectile , then the force acting downward on the element 16 is either not large enough or is not applied long enough to cause the element 16 to be pushed down past the mass 15 and free the mass 15 and primary spring 12 ( and other elastic elements such as the element 14 — if present ) assembly to begin to vibrate . this feature provides for safe operation of the submunitions self - destruct fuze , i . e ., essentially zero power prior to firing of the projectile . it is noted that the ( generally small amounts of ) pressure exerted on the piezoelectric element 11 during the aforementioned events as the element 16 is pushed down slightly would still generate a small and short duration pulse of charges , which can be readily differentiated from the charges generated during the vibration of the mass - spring ( elements 15 and 12 — and 14 if present ) assembly . a number of such methods of differentiating short duration ( pulse ) charges from vibratory charges and or differentiating the maximum ( peak ) voltage levels reached as the element 16 passes the mass 15 during projectile firing , or by measuring the total amount of electrical energy harvested ( e . g ., by measuring the voltage of a capacitor that is charged by the harvested electrical energy and providing a small amount of leakage to prevent the charges to be accumulated over a relatively long period of time ), or the like are available and well known in the art . it is also noted that once the element 16 has been pushed down to the position 28 , fig3 , the biasing force provided by the aforementioned biasing ( such as of the bending type ) elastic elements ( indicated as the element 29 in fig3 ), will hold it down in its position 28 , thereby prevent it from interfering with the vibration of the mass 15 and spring 12 ( and spring 14 — if present ) assembly . in fig3 , the biasing elastic element 29 is shown to be of a bending type , which is attached to the element 16 on one end and to the submunitions self - destruct fuze structure at the point 30 . other types of elastic elements may also be used instead of the bending type 29 shown in fig3 . the biasing element 29 may also behave elastically while the element 16 is engaged with the mass element 15 and once it has moved down past the mass element 15 , it enters its plastically deforming range and thereby is forced to stay substantially in its position 28 . the biasing elastic element 29 may be integral to the element 16 . in another embodiment , a “ latching ” element ( not shown in fig3 ) is provided on the structure of the submunitions self - destruct fuze to which the biasing elastic ( with or without plastically deforming characteristic ) is locked once it nears its position 28 , and is thereby prevented from returning to its original position shown in fig2 or interfering with the vibration of the mass element 16 . it is noted that locking latching elements are very well known in the art and is used extensively to lock various components together , particularly components made with relatively elastic materials such as plastics . it is also noted that the piezoelectric element 11 can be preloaded in compression . this is a well known method of using piezoelectric elements since piezoelectric ceramics are highly brittle and can only withstand low levels of tensile forces . preloading of the piezoelectric element 11 can be made , for example , by either the spring 14 or by adding a separate spring that is fixed to the submunitions self - destruct fuze structure and presses on the piezoelectric element 11 at its free end ( not shown ), where it is attached to the primary spring 12 . any other method commonly used in the art may also be used to preload the piezoelectric element in compression . the amount of preload can be to a level that prevents the piezoelectric element to be subjected to tensile loading beyond its tensile strength , for example not more than around 10 percent of its compressive strength . the schematic of another embodiment 40 of the power source with integrated safety mechanism is shown in fig4 . the embodiment 40 has all the components described for the embodiment 10 shown in fig2 and 3 , with the following additional features . the power source 40 has an additional member 44 , which can be in the form of a beam that is fixed to the submunitions self - destruct fuze structure at the point 45 via a hinge joint 46 , which can be a living joint , that allows the member 44 to rotate upwards and downwards in the direction of the arrow 26 . the free end of the member 44 is provided with a downward bended portion 47 . the mass element 41 in turn is provided with a step 48 that could engage the bended portion 47 of the member 44 if the mass element 41 and the member 44 are both appropriately positioned . similar to the embodiment 10 shown in fig2 and 3 , the mass element 41 is also provided with a sloped surface 42 , which is engaged with a matching surface 27 of the element 16 . while a projectile that houses the submunitions with the self - destruct fuze with the present power sources are being fired , the entire submunitions self - destruct fuze assembly is accelerated in the direction of the arrow 26 in the gun barrel . during the projectile firing , the direction of acceleration action on the power source is in the direction of the arrow 26 . during the expulsion , the firing charge onboard the projectile accelerates the submunitions out of the back of the projectile , with the direction of the acceleration acting on the power source being in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow 26 . during the firing , the firing acceleration will act on the mass of the element 16 and causes it to be pushed down ( in a direction opposite that of the applied acceleration , i . e ., in a direction opposite to the direction of the arrow 26 ). the force resulting from the firing acceleration and acting on the element 16 will then overcome the force exerted by any biasing force provided by the aforementioned biasing ( such as of the bending type ) elastic elements 29 ( shown in fig5 but not shown in fig4 for clarity ), frictional forces , and spring 12 ( and spring 14 — if present ) and will begin to move the element 16 downward , thereby causing the mass element 41 to move to the right , thereby deforming the spring 12 in compression . if other elastic elements such as the element 14 shown in fig2 are also present , they would also deform in their designed manner ( in the case of the elastic element 14 in bending ) and store additional potential energy . if the acceleration level is high and long enough , which it is when the projectile is fired by a gun , then the element 16 is pushed down past the mass element 41 and is moved to the bottom of the available submunitions self - destruct fuze structure space 5 into the position indicated as 28 in the schematic of fig5 . the element 16 is then held in its position 28 by the element 29 as was described for the embodiment of fig2 and 3 . in the meantime , as the mass element 41 is pushed back enough by the element 16 during its downward motion , the downward bended portion 47 of the element 44 engages the step 48 of the mass element 41 , and as the element 16 passes the mass element 41 towards its position 28 , the mass element 41 is prevented from rebounding to its original position ( fig4 ) by the force of the compressed spring 12 ( and spring 14 — if provided ). if the acceleration level is not high and / or long enough , such as may occur if the submunitions or its self - destruct fuze is accidentally dropped , or if the assembled projectile itself is dropped , or if the submunitions are accidentally or due to a nearby explosion expelled from the projectile , then the force acting downward on the element 16 is either not large enough or is not applied long enough to cause the element 16 to be pushed down past the mass 41 . this feature provides for safe operation of the submunitions self - destruct fuze , i . e ., essentially zero power prior to firing of the projectile . it is noted that the ( generally small amounts of ) pressure exerted on the piezoelectric element 11 during the aforementioned events as the element 16 is pushed down slightly would still generate a small and short duration pulse of charges . these events are , however , readily differentiated from the charges generated during the vibration of the mass - spring ( elements 41 and 12 — and 14 if present ) assembly . a number of such methods of differentiating short duration ( pulse ) charges from vibratory charges and or differentiating the maximum ( peak ) voltage levels reached as the element 16 passes the mass element 41 during projectile firing , or by measuring the total amount of electrical energy harvested ( e . g ., by measuring the voltage of a capacitor that is charged by the harvested electrical energy and providing a small amount of leakage to prevent the charges to be accumulated over a relatively long period of time ), or the like are available and well known in the art may be employed for this purpose . at some point during the projectile flight , submunitions expulsion charges are detonated , and the submunitions are accelerated out of the back of the projectile in the direction shown by the arrow 49 as shown in fig6 , which is in a direction opposite to the projectile firing acceleration as indicated by the arrow 26 in fig4 . the expulsion acceleration of the submunitions in the direction of the arrow 49 will then act on the mass ( inertia ) of the member 44 , causing it rotate upwards , thereby releasing the mass element 41 . the mass element 41 and the spring 12 ( and other elastic elements such as the element 14 — if present ) assembly will then begin to vibrate . during each cycle of this mass - spring assembly , the primary spring 12 applies a cycle of compressive and tensile forces on the piezoelectric element 11 . the force applied to the piezoelectric element would then generate a charge proportional to the applied force by the spring 12 ( cyclic with the frequency of vibration of the aforementioned mass - spring assembly ) in the piezoelectric element that is then harvested using a number of well known techniques and used directly in the self - destruct fuze circuitry or stored in a capacitor for later use . the positioning of the member 44 can be biased downward , which can be by the living joint 46 and its own beam - like member , such that while its downward bent portion 47 is engaged with the step 48 of the mass element 41 , incidental accelerations in the direction of the arrow 49 , fig6 , or incidental decelerations in the direction of the arrow 26 , fig4 , would not cause the member 44 to release the mass element 41 . it is noted that in many projectiles , the projectiles are accelerated in rotation during the firing using rifled barrels to achieve a desired spinning rate upon exit to achieve stability during the flight . in such cases , the spinning acceleration during the firing and the centrifugal forces generated due to the spinning speed of the projectile during the flight can also be considered when calculating the spring rates for the spring 12 ( and the spring 14 — if present ) and their preloading levels for the proper operation of the power source and its safety features . the above factors can also be considered during the design of the remaining components of the power source and its safety mechanisms to ensure their proper operation . while there has been shown and described what is considered to be preferred embodiments of the invention , it will , of course , be understood that various modifications and changes in form or detail could readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . it is therefore intended that the invention be not limited to the exact forms described and illustrated , but should be constructed to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims . | 5 |
fig5 shows the response when a 16 - point fft is inserted in the system shown in fig3 , with the maximum signal selector superimposed . the number of correlators p = 8 , and their length x = 25 , remain unchanged . it can be seen that effectively there are more fft output lobes in the same range of doppler frequency uncertainty and therefore the scalloping loss is reduced . in order to quantify the difference this padding effects , consider a signal with a doppler offset of 28 khz . this lies directly between two bins of the 8 - point fft shown in fig4 . the normalised magnitude response at this offset is approximately 0 . 46 . however , when the 16 - point padded fft ( fig5 ) is employed the normalised response increases to approximately 0 . 7 . it is clear that further levels of padding will further reduce the scalloping loss which occurs , however the rate of improvement decreases rapidly with increasing amounts of padding . for this scheme it is apparent that no further increase will be seen above a 64 - point fft . the approach discussed above is an improvement of the swivelling correlator described by sust et al . in sust et al , the inclusion of fft processing was seen as an additional burden on the processor , and therefore the fft was kept as small as possible . implementing a large fft will not necessarily present such a problem in third generation terminals . the earlier discussion neglected the impact of the hard limiter 3 which is placed at the input of the correlators . this has the effect of constraining the input to the first correlator to be either +/− 1 . this causes the statistics of the signal at the input to the correlators to be binomial , and when no signal is present this limiter constrains the variance of the noise . if the interference statistics can be assumed to be gaussian , the hard limiter will result in a loss of approximately 2 db . the simulation results presented below confirm this . in lightly loaded cdma channels the interference statistics cannot be assumed to be gaussian , and this loss will probably increase further . a worst case was highlighted by sust et al , in which there are only two users with unbalanced power . the limiter will have the effect of suppressing the weaker user , although receiver dither can be successfully used to combat this problem . despite these limitations , the limiter 3 is still attractive from a digital signal processing perspective . the use of hard limiting allows single bit quantisation , and therefore cheap digital correlators can be employed as opposed to more costly analogue or high resolution digital processors . the simulation results presented herein include the impact of the hard limiter , however the more detailed problems highlighted in the above paragraph are not considered . in order to quantify the possible improvements which can be gained by employing a padded fft , some approximate theoretical expressions for the performance of the fft based acquisition system are derived below . in particular , three performance measures are considered : false alarm probability , probability of detection and mean acquisition time . in this section , the probability of false alarm , p fa , is derived , assuming that the desired signal is not present . the false alarm probability will depend upon the statistics of the noise at the input to the detector , and upon the threshold level employed in the detector . as a result of the limiter at the input to the correlators , the noise will have a binomial distribution , with unit variance and zero mean . if the correlators are assumed to be sufficiently long , the central limit theorem can be applied to show that the signals at the input to the fft are uncorrelated and have gaussian statistics . if each correlator is of length x , then each output will have variance x and mean zero . if there are p correlators , then the outputs of a zero padded n - pt fft ( i . e . n & gt ; p ) will have variance px (= m , the code length ) and zero mean . the magnitude of the outputs of the fft are used in the detector — these amplitude signals will be rayleigh distributed with probability density function ( pdf ) given by p ( r ) = r m ⅇ - r 2 2 m ( 2 ) f ( r ) = 1 - ⅇ - r 2 2 m ( 3 ) the probability that any one fft output is greater than some threshold level t , is given by p [ output & gt ; t ] = ⅇ - r 2 2 m ( 4 ) all of the fft outputs have the same distribution , and therefore the probability of any one of the n outputs exceeding the threshold ( and hence the probability of false alarm ) is given simply by p fa = 1 - ( 1 - ⅇ - r 2 3 m ) n ( 5 ) the derivation of the probability of detection follows that of the false alarm probability . in this case it is assumed that the desired signal and corrupting noise are present at the input to the acquisition system . again the noise at the inputs to the fft is assumed to be decorrelated and gaussian with variance x and mean zero . if the mean desired signal level at the input to the acquisition system is x , then the mean signal level ( in bin 0 at frequency 0 hz ) will be pxα = mα . the output noise variance is m as before . at the output of the fft , the amplitudes of the signals are taken , thus the statistics of the output of some fft bin i are rician , with pdf given by p i ( r ) = r m ⅇ - ( r 2 + s i 2 2 m ) i 0 ( rs i m ) ( 6 ) where i o is the zero - th order modified bessel function , and s i is the summation of the mean of the signals on the inphase and quadrature branches for bin i , f ( r ) = 1 - ⅇ - ( r 2 + s i 2 2 m ) ∑ m = 0 ∞ ( s i r ) m i m ( rs i m ) ( 8 ) the probability that the amplitude of bin i is greater than some threshold t is given by p i [ output & gt ; t ] = ⅇ - ( r 2 + s i 2 2 m ) ∑ m = 0 ∞ ( s i r ) m i m ( rs i m ) ( 9 ) signal acquisition is assumed if any of the output bins is greater than the threshold . each of the n fft output bins has the same distribution , and therefore the probability of any one of the n outputs exceeding the threshold ( and hence the probability of detection ) will be given by p d = 1 - ∏ i = 0 n ( 1 - p i [ output & gt ; t ] ) ( 11 ) the present analysis considers a single dwell detector . the acquisition model can be summarised as follows . suppose there are q cells to be searched ( through a combination of both code phase and doppler uncertainty ). assume that if a hit is detected ( i . e . the magnitude of any output of the fft is greater than some threshold ), the system goes into a verification mode that may include an extended dwell period and a code tracking loop period . the false alarm penalty of entering the verification mode when the desired signal is not present is modelled as kτ d , where the dwell or integration time is given by τ d . the mean acquisition time for such a single dwell system has been derived as t _ acq = ( 2 - p d ) ( 1 + kp fa ) 2 p d ( g τ d ) ( 12 ) in order to aid comparison between different systems , the mean acquisition time is often normalised to the integration time t d as follows t _ acq τ d = ( 2 - p d ) ( 1 + kp fa ) 2 p d ( q ) ( 13 ) the mean acquisition time results presented below use values of p fa and p d derived from simulation , for a selection of false alarm penalty values . the theoretical performance of the fft acquisition scheme of the invention is now compared with monte carlo simulation results . the simulations investigate the effect of using increasingly larger padded ffts on the three variables for which the theoretical values were derived above . for simplicity and consistency , the same system parameters are used as in the previous examples . to recap , a data rate of 8 khz is assumed , with random codes of length m = 200 which leads to a chip period of 625 ns . the partial correlators are of length x = 25 , which means that there are 8 inphase and quadrature inputs to the fft block . the received sequence with the carrier offset of 28 khz which was highlighted earlier is also considered below . this will clearly illustrate the improvement achieved by zero padding in the fft . the first set of results concerns the probability of false alarm . fig6 presents the results from monte carlo simulation of four different fft sizes . the acquisition system was simulated with only noise present , and the simulation was terminated when either the equivalent of 1 million data bits had been transmitted , or 500 false alarm errors were collected . the dotted lines in fig6 depict the theoretical false alarm probability as computed by ( 5 ) against the threshold level in the detector . it is apparent that increasing the fft size results in an increase in the probability of false alarm , since with more output bins there is an increased probability of any one individual bin exceeding the threshold . the theoretical curves assume that each of the n output bins of the fft are independent and equally likely to exceed the threshold . however , there are only 8 non - zero and independent inputs to the fft , which means that the output bins will not be truly independent . this effect is seen in the “ saturation ” observed in the simulated points — as the fft size is successively increased the false alarm probability quickly reaches a maximum value . it will become apparent from the next set of results that it is possible to compensate for the increased probability of false alarm by improving the probability of detection . the theoretical probability of detection can be computed from ( 11 ) through the markum q function . a q function evaluation algorithm was used to evaluate the theoretical curves for fig7 and 8 . the markum q function is the infinite sum in ( 11 ), i . e . q ( s i σ , t σ ) = ⅇ - ( r 2 + s i 2 2 m ) ∑ m = 0 ∞ ( s i r ) m i m ( rs i m ) ( 14 ) the algorithm computes the value of q (•, •) by using a truncated series approximation . fig7 compares the theoretical and simulated values of probability of detection for an 8 point fft for three threshold values at a doppler offset of 28 khz . the graph shows that as the threshold value is decreased the probability of detection is increased , andthat as the signal - to - noise ratio ( snr ) increases the probability of detection also increases . it is also possible to see the impact of hard limiting on the performance of the detector . the limiter quantises the received signal into either +/− 1 values , so that the individual outputs of the partial correlators have integer , rather than real values . therefore , the rotating phasors which are observed at the partial correlator outputs are quantised in value , rather than following their theoretically continuous pattern . provided the correlators are sufficiently long , and the noise is dominant , this quantisation error will be small . when gaussian noise corrupts the input to a hard limiter , it has the effect of linearising the limiter &# 39 ; s operating characteristic . at higher snr values , the characteristic is more nonlinear ( when no noise is input the limiter characteristic is extremely nonlinear ), so that the impact of the quantisation is only seen at higher snr values . the theoretical curves , shown dotted in fig7 , do not include the operation of the limiter to illustrate the loss in performance due to this quantisation error . the next set of results considers the improvement which can be achieved by zero padding the fft to increase the frequency resolution . fig8 contrasts four fft sizes , for a detection threshold of 60 . as was predicted , the probability of detection increases as the fft size increases . however , a similar saturation effect can be seen as was observed in the false alarm probability results . this occurs because the theoretical curves assume that each output bin of the fft has an equal probability of containing the desired signal , however the outputs of a padded fft are weakly dependent and this is evidenced in the lack of improvement in the detection probability above fft sizes of around 64 . despite this saturation effect , the addition of zero — padding to the fft has improved the probability of detection by a factor of approximately 3 . again , the doppler offset is 28 khz and the dotted theoretical curves neglect the effect of hard limiting . the mean acquisition results use ( 13 ) with values for p d and p fa derived from the earlier simulation studies . the results presented here consider the two false alarm penalty values , k = 1 , 50 . these values represent two different extremes , and so help to illustrate the dependence between the increased false alarm rate and improved probability of detection . fig9 and 10 depict the mean acquisition time as a function of snr , with k = 1 and k = 50 , respectively . it is apparent that the use of the larger ( padded ) fft results in a decrease in the mean acquisition time for both false alarm penalty values . the improvement is most dramatic for higher threshold values . with a detection threshold of 60 and k = 1 , the mean acquisition time for the 64 point fft is approximately one third that of the 8 point fft . however , for a threshold of 40 with k = 50 there is little difference in mean acquisition time between the two fft sizes . fig1 shows that at high snr values it would be preferable to impose a larger detection threshold , since the large value of false alarm penalty makes false alarms more dominant in the acquisition time . the present invention thus provides an improved acquisition scheme for direct sequence spread spectrum communications . the technique reuses fft hardware available from other functions to simultaneously search all code doppler offsets , and thereby reduce the mean acquisition time . the reuse of hardware ( for example ofdm receiver hardware ) in a manner similar to this will prove vital to the success of future third generation communication terminals . when the code doppler shift of the desired sequence falls between two bins of the fft , zero padding of the fft block can lead to reductions in the acquisition time . zero padding results in a slight increase in the false alarm probability , however this is compensated for by an increase in the probability of detection . the method of the invention holds promise for implementation in future reconfigurable terminals in mobile and satellite communications systems . | 7 |
hereinafter , embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings : fig1 shows an example of a fundamental format of an optical disc to which an information recording medium of the present invention is applied . in this embodiment , in a reflective type optical disc 1 having a diameter of 120 mm ( pits are formed on a reflecting surface of an optical beam in the form of physical concaves or convexs ), a pit string is recorded at a track pitch of 1 . 6 μm in the clv mode . all information is recorded as a shift quantity of eight steps of edge positions of a front edge ( rise ) and a rear edge ( fall ) of a pit arranged every constant period of 1 . 67 μm . a unit shift quantity δ which constitutes one unit of this shift quantity is set to 0 . 05 μm . since the respective three - bit digital information can be recorded by the eight - step shift quantity of the edge positions of each pit thus arranged , a line recording information density in a direction of a pit string is 0 . 28 μm / bit which is more than twice as high as that of the current cd system . in the cd system , even in the case where a linear velocity is 1 . 2 m / s of an upper limit , data bits of eight bits to be recorded are modulated into channel bits of 17 bits in total consisting of information bits of 14 bits and margin bits of 3 bits by the efm modulation ( eight to fourteen modulation ), and then are recorded in the pits on the disc . therefore , taking the efm modulation into consideration , the linear recording information density is approximately 0 . 6 μm / bit . that is , since the shortest pit of approximately 0 . 9 μm corresponds to the channel bit having three - bit quantity , the linear recording information density is represented as follows : here , as shown in fig2 a - 2c , the edge position of the pit recorded on the optical disc 1 is shifted from a reference position of the center of the pit step - by - step in accordance with digital information to be recorded . a shift period ts (= δ × 7 ) is set within a range corresponding to a period shorter than a rise period tr or a fall period tf which is a transition period ( a period except for a stationary state of a 0 level or a saturated level ) of the rf signal ( a reproduced signal ) determined in accordance with the transfer characteristics of an optical detecting system . the rf signal is outputted from a pickup 3 of a reproducing apparatus which will be described later , and the transition period is determined in accordance with the transfer characteristics of the pickup 3 . in general , the transfer characteristics of an optical system is regulated by an mtf ( modulation transfer function ) which is an absolute value of the transfer function ( otf : optical transfer function ), and the mtf is determined depending upon a numerical aperture na of a lens and a wavelength λ of a laser . if the unit shift quantity δ is shifted by a unit quantity still smaller than 0 . 05 μm during the shift period ts , the change of , for example , sixteen steps can be recorded on the pit edge . because information of four bits can be represented by sixteen steps , the recording density can be further enhanced . at the reference position of the center of the pits thus recorded , the reproduced levels l0 to l7 corresponding to the shift quantity 0 to 7 of the edge position of the pit can be obtained by subjecting the rf signal to a / d conversion at the timing of , for example , the rise edge of the phase - synchronous sample clock signal sp . thus , in the transition period tr or tf of the rf signal , the condition where the reproduced levels l0 to l7 can be detected by only one sampling is satisfied by : here , it is preferable that the sampling timing by the sample clock signal sp is a timing corresponding to the center of the shift period ts , and with this timing , the reproduced level can be detected over the entire range of the transition period of the rf signal . further , in this embodiment , the disc 1 is constituted by a so - called reflective type optical disc in which the pits are formed on the reflecting surface of the light beam in the form of the physical concaves or convexs . however , the present invention can be also applied to a so - called mo ( magneto optical ) disc ( photo - magnetic disc ) in which pits ( marks ) are formed by partially inverting the magnetization of a photo - magnetic film , or the like . the digital information recorded on the optical disc 1 is cut into three - bit units , and recorded in the n - th pit as recording data an and bn . fig3 shows a state where the front edge of the pit is set to any of eight shift positions of from 0 to 7 in accordance with the recording data an . likewise , the position of the rear edge is set to any of eight shift positions of 0 to 7 in accordance with the recording data bn . the pitch a of the respective shift positions is 0 . 05 μm as mentioned above . as a result , each pit comes to have the shortest length lp = 0 . 5 μm when the recording data an and bn is formed on the edge of the shift position 0 . returning to fig1 again , in the optical disc 1 , between the data region consisting of 43 data pits formed in correspondence with the recording data and other data regions , a servo region consisting of six servo bits p1 to p6 for servo is inserted . among six pits recorded in the servo region , the pit p6 is an education pit whereas the pits p0 to p5 are reference pits . a front edge of the education pit p6 at the left side of the figure is set to a position m of any of eight step shift positions of 0 to 7 , and a rear edge thereof at the right side of the figure is also set to a position n of any of eight step shift positions of 0 to 7 . the combination of the position m of the front edge and the position n of the rear edge of the education pit p6 are set regularly in each of the servo regions so that the servo regions have a different combination thereof , respectively . that is , m and n are ( 0 , 0 ) in an initial servo region , and ( 0 , 1 ) in a succeeding servo region . similarly , the combination of the positions m and n are set regularly such as ( 0 , 2 ), ( 0 , 3 ), . . . ( 7 , 6 ), ( 7 , 7 ). consequently , in the 64 (= 8 × 8 ) servo regions , there comes to prepare all possible different combinations of the front and rear edge positions of the education pit p6 . the reference pits p2 to p4 are pits for obtaining data of reference positions ( 0 , 0 ) and ( 7 , 7 ). the reference position data can be logically formed , for example , on both edges of the pit p1 . however , in such a case , because the rate of interference of the adjacent data regions with the reference pit is changed in accordance with the recording data , it is preferable that the reference position data is formed in the pits p2 to p4 between the dummy reference pits p1 and p5 ( their data is always fixed ) as in the embodiment . fig4 is a diagram used for briefly explaining the plan structure of the optical disc 1 . since a signal recorded at a track pitch of 1 . 6 μm is recorded in the clv mode , the pit positions between the adjacent tracks are out of phase , and as shown in the figure , the pits are recorded on the disc at a disordered phase . fig5 is a block diagram showing a structure of an optical disc reproducing apparatus to which the information recording medium reproducing apparatus of the present invention is applied in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . an optical disc 1 is disposed so as to be rotated by a spindle motor 2 . in the optical disc 1 , digital information is recorded on the basis of the principle shown in fig1 and 2 . that is , at least one position of the front and rear edges of the pit is shifted from a predetermined reference position step - by - step so as to record the digital information . then , the servo regions are formed on the optical disc 1 in a constant period , and the reference pits p1 to p5 and the education pit p6 are formed in the servo region . the data pits are originally formed in the data region . the pickup 3 applies a laser beam to the optical disc to reproduce a signal recorded on the optical disc 1 from the reflected light . the rf signal outputted from the pickup 3 is amplified by a head amplifier 4 and then supplied to a focus tracking servo circuit 5 , an apc circuit 6 , a pll circuit 7 and a spindle servo circuit 8 . the focus tracking servo circuit 5 generates a focus error signal and a tracking error signal from an input signal to execute focus control operation and tracking control operation on the basis of the error signals . the apc circuit 6 subjects the optical disc 1 to servo control so that the power of a laser beam applied to the optical disc 1 is kept constant . the pll circuit 7 is provided to extract the clock component from the input signal . the pll circuit used in the ordinary cd system or the like reproduces the clock signal by use of all the rf signals , but in this embodiment , reproduces the clock signal by use of only the rf signal in the servo region . that is , since the servo region is not modulated by the recording data , a stable clock signal can be reproduced without any influence of the recording data . the details will be described later . the spindle servo circuit 8 controls the spindle motor 2 so that the optical disc 1 rotates at a constant linear velocity , the details of which will be described later . on the other hand , the rf signal outputted from the head amplifier 4 is inputted to an a / d converter circuit 9 so as to be a / d converted into digital data ( reproduced level ) representative of 256 levels of eight bits at a rise timing of the sample clock signal sp . after this eight - bit data is supplied to a bias removing circuit 10 so that a bias component is removed by the bias removing circuit 10 , it is supplied to a two - dimensional decoder 11 and a controller 15 . the controller 15 includes a cpu for executing various operation and a program rom for storing programs to be executed by the cpu , and the like , and executes a mapping process and the like required in the two - dimensional decoder 11 . the two - dimensional decoder 11 decodes a signal supplied from the bias removing circuit 10 , and outputs a signal to a 6 - 8 bit convertor circuit 12 . after the 6 - 8 bit converter circuit 12 stores four pairs of six - bit data , the circuit 12 converts the data into three pairs of eight - bit data , and then outputs it to an error correcting circuit 13 . the error correcting circuit 13 corrects an error of input data , and thereafter outputs a signal to a d / a converter circuit 14 . the d / a converter circuit 14 converts input data into an analog signal , and then outputs the signal to , for example , an analog audio amplifier which is not shown . here , the operation of the bias removing circuit 10 and the two - dimensional decoder 11 will be described briefly . as enlarged and shown in fig6 the bias removing circuit 10 is to subtract a reproduced level of a combination ( 0 , 0 ) of a rear edge of the reference pit p2 and a front edge of the reference pit p4 from reproduced levels of the respective data pits . as a result , the fluctuation of the d . c . component can offset . further , the two - dimensional decoder 11 is to plot a point regulated by the reproduced levels of a pair of edges an and bn of a data bit ( refer to fig3 ), respectively on a two - dimensional plane to decode these values ( 0 , 0 ), ( 0 , 1 ), . . . , ( 7 , 7 ). on the two - dimensional plane , 64 pairs of data ( 0 , 0 ), ( 0 , 1 ), . . . , ( 7 , 7 ) obtained by reproducing the education pits p6 are mapped as points . the reproduced data is decoded as data corresponding to the nearest point ( an education data point ) on the two - dimensional plane . fig7 shows a structural example of the spindle servo circuit 8 . when starting of the optical disc 1 is instructed , the controller 15 ( fig5 ) switches a switch 37 of the spindle servo circuit 8 over to a contact b side . the spindle motor 2 is driven through an amplifier 38 , thereby to allow the rotation of the optical disc 1 to start . the pickup 3 reproduces the pits recorded on the optical disc 1 , and outputs a reproduced rf signal . the head amplifier 4 amplifies the rf signal and supplies it to a frequency detector circuit ( frequency - to - voltage converter circuit ) 31 . the frequency detector circuit 31 converts a frequency of the input rf signal into voltage , and outputs voltage of a value corresponding to the frequency . as described above , the pits are formed on the optical disc 1 in the constant period ( interval of 1 . 67 μm ), and when the rotational speed of the optical disc 1 attains a regular speed , its frequency comes to 720 khz . in the case where the rotational speed of the optical disc 1 is slow , its frequency becomes a value smaller than 720 khz . therefore , voltage outputted from the frequency detector circuit 31 is also small . a subtracter 32 subtracts voltage outputted from a generator circuit 31 for generating voltage corresponding to a desired rotational speed from voltage supplied from the frequency detector circuit 31 , and outputs its error voltage . immediately after starting , because a switch 36 is switched over to the contact b side , its output voltage is nearly zero . therefore , the output signal of the subtracter 32 is supplied from the contact b of the switch 37 through an adder 33 to the amplifier 38 so that the spindle motor 2 is driven in correspondence with this voltage . because the optical disc 1 has not yet attained the desired rotational speed , the output voltage of the subtracter 32 becomes a relatively large value . for that reason , the spindle motor 2 drives the optical disc 1 so as to rotate the latter 1 at a higher speed . when the rotational speed of the optical disc 1 is gradually increased in this way , thereby to attain a value close to the reference speed , the switch 36 is switched over to a contact a side . as a result , a phase servo loop is added to the above - mentioned so - called frequency servo loop . that is , the phase detector circuit 34 compares the phase of the rf signal outputted from the head amplifier 4 with that of the predetermined reference signal , thereby to output its phase error signal . a subtracter 35 subtracts a signal outputted from a generator circuit 40 for generating a signal corresponding to a desired phase from the error signal . the signal outputted from the subtracter 35 is supplied to an adder 33 through a contact point a of the switch 36 so as to be added to the error signal of the frequency servo loop outputted from the subtracter 32 . therefore , since then , the rotation of the optical disc 1 is controlled by the servo operations of both the frequency servo loop and the phase servo loop . the frequency voltage conversion generally has a dependency on a temperature , and when the circumferential temperature is changed , an output voltage is changed even though the same frequency is inputted . therefore , by thus executing the phase servo , the rotational speed can be controlled with higher accuracy . on the other hand , the pll circuit 7 extracts a clock component from the rf signal outputted from the head amplifier 4 , and generates a system clock signal synchronous with the clock component to output the system clock signal to a not - shown circuit . a lock detector circuit 16 detects whether the pll circuit 7 is locked or not on the basis of the output signal of the pll circuit 7 . when detecting that the pll circuit 7 is locked , the switch 37 is switched over to the contact a side directly or through the controller 15 . therefore , since then , the rotation of the optical disc 1 is controlled so that the clock signal generated by the pll circuit 7 has a regular frequency and a regular phase . fig8 shows a structural example of the frequency detector circuit 31 in more detail . in this embodiment , the rf signal outputted by the head amplifier 4 is largely amplified and then binary - coded by a binary coding circuit 41 . the binary - coded signal is inputted to a frequency - to - voltage converter circuit ( f / v ) 42 so that the signal is converted into voltage corresponding to a frequency . when the speed of the optical disc 1 does not yet attain a regular speed , then a switch 47 is switched over to a contact b side . therefore , the voltage outputted by the frequency - to - voltage converter circuit 42 is supplied to the subtracter 32 as an output signal of the frequency detector circuit 31 . therefore , even - though no sensor is provided for obtaining radius information , the optical disc 1 can be controlled to a rotational speed inverse - proportional to a radius of the optical disc 1 . when the optical disc 1 is being rotated at the regular speed , the reproduced rf signal outputted by the head amplifier 4 has a spectrum as shown in fig9 . that is , because the pits recorded on the optical disc 1 are recorded in the constant period ( the interval on the disc is 1 . 67 μm as shown in fig1 ), a peak exists at a frequency of 720 khz corresponding to the period . however , because the positions of the front and rear edges of each pit are shifted in correspondence with recording data , the rf signal has a waveform , for example , as shown in fig1 . that is , the rf signal is constituted by a sine wave having a basic frequency of 720 khz . however , the phase of the rf signal is always changed in correspondence with the recording data . further , the rf signal contains the fluctuation of a d . c . component and the asymmetric property of a signal . therefore , even though the reproduced signal is binary - coded by the binary - coding circuit 41 and its frequency is converted into voltage by the frequency - to - voltage converter circuit 42 thereby to drive the spindle motor 2 , it is difficult to control the rotational speed of the spindle motor 2 to the regular speed with accuracy . in view of the above , in this embodiment , a band pass filter ( bpf ) 43 allows only a frequency component of 720 khz to be extracted from the reproduced rf signal outputted by the head amplifier 4 . that is , the bpf 43 has a characteristic , for example , as shown in fig1 . as a result , the output level of the bpf 43 is rapidly increased when the rotational speed of the optical disc 1 approaches the regular speed . a carrier detector circuit 46 detects the output level of the bpf 43 , and when the level exceeds a predetermined reference value , the switch 47 is switched over to a contact a side directly or the controller 15 . the waveform of the signal outputted by the bpf 43 is a relatively fine sine waveform having a frequency of 720 khz , as shown in fig1 . therefore , when the output signal of the bpf 43 is binary - coded by a binary coding circuit 44 and then converted into voltage corresponding to the frequency by a frequency - to - voltage converter circuit 45 , the voltage comes to voltage relatively accurately corresponding to the rotational speed of the optical disc 1 . accordingly , if the rotation of the spindle motor 2 is controlled in accordance with this voltage , the rotation of the optical disc 1 can be frequency - controlled with accuracy . fig1 shows a structural example of the phase detector circuit 34 in detail . in this embodiment , a bpf 51 extracts the frequency component of 720 khz from the reproduced rf signal outputted by the head amplifier 4 . as described above , in the stage where the phase detector circuit 34 is operated , because the frequency servo is effected by the frequency detector circuit 31 , the rotational frequency of the optical disc 1 is a value close to the regular frequency . therefore , likewise as in the bpf 43 shown in fig8 the bpf 51 having the frequency characteristics shown in fig1 outputs a signal as shown in fig1 . then , the output signal of the bpf 51 is inputted to a binary coding circuit 52 so as to be binary - coded . therefore , because the bpf 51 and the binary coding circuit 52 correspond to the bpf 43 and the binary coding circuit 44 in the frequency detector circuit 31 , these circuits can be commonly used . the output signal of the binary coding circuit 52 is inputted to a frequency divider circuit 53 so as to be divided into a frequency of 1 / n . then , the output signal of the frequency divider circuit 53 is supplied to a phase difference detector circuit 54 . also , to the phase difference detector circuit 54 , a reference clock signal having a constant frequency outputted by a reference clock oscillator circuit 54 is inputted to a frequency divider circuit 56 so as to be divided into a frequency of 1 / m , and thereafter is supplied . the phase difference detector circuit 54 detects a phase difference between a signal inputted by the frequency divider circuit 53 and a signal inputted by the frequency divider circuit 56 to output a phase error signal . as a result , the optical disc 1 is effected by the phase servo so that a frequency corresponding to a period of the pits is synchronous in phase with the reference clock signal . the signal outputted by the bpf 51 and the reference clock signal outputted by the reference clock oscillator circuit 55 are not directly compared in phase with each other , but after they are divided by the frequency divider circuits 53 and 56 , they are compared . as a result , although a phase detection sensitivity is lowered , it is prevented that the phase difference exceeds 2π and the return of the phase error occurs as a result of which the phase error per se has no effect , even though a time axis is distorted by influence of eccentricity or the like . thus , the accurate phase error can be always obtained . further , in this embodiment , an error detector circuit 57 detects a level of the error signal of the frequency servo outputted by the subtracter 32 . when the level of the error signal falls within a predetermined reference value which has been preset , a contact of the switch 36 is switched from a contact b side to a contact a side directly or through the controller 15 . alternatively , it is possible that the level of the error signal by the frequency servo usually becomes a sufficient small value when a predetermined time is elapsed after starting , the switch 36 is switched from the contact b side to the contact a side at a timing when the predetermined time which has been preset is elapsed after the frequency servo starts ( after starting ). fig1 is a block diagram showing a structural example of the pll circuit 7 . in the figure , when a servo area pattern judging circuit 171 detects a pattern ( for example , patterns ( 7 , 0 ), ( 0 , 0 ), ( 7 , 7 ), ( 0 , 7 ), ( 0 , 7 ) of both edges of the reference pits p1 to p5 ), which is expected to be a servo region from the rf signal , it generates a servo region detecting pulse . here , there is a possibility that the same pattern as the servo region appears in the data region , and the pulse is not always correct . first of all , assuming that this is correct , a lock detector circuit 172 supplies a reset pulse to a counter 173 in accordance with that signal to reset the counter 173 . if this is a correct servo region , the detection pulse must be always outputted from the servo area pattern judging circuit 171 at the same timing since then . the lock detector circuit 172 detects this fact and judges whether the pll circuit 7 stands in a lock state or not . that is , data regarding a succeeding detection pulse generating timing is supplied from a decoder 181 for monitoring a count value of the counter 173 to the lock detector circuit 172 . the lock detector circuit 172 suspends the generation of a succeeding reset pulse until this timing , and when the circuit 172 inputs the detection pulse at that timing , it outputs the reset pulse again . what is previously inputted from the servo area pattern judging circuit 171 is not a correct detection pulse , since the succeeding detection pulse is not inputted even after a constant time is elapsed , then the reset pulse is outputted again in synchronism with the detection pulse to be succeedingly inputted , and the above - mentioned operation is repeated . after the servo region is correctly detected , since the counter 173 is reset at the correct timing , the timing at which the succeeding servo region appears can be nearly accurately expected by decoding the count value of the counter 173 . using this principle , a timing signal appearing at a specific pit in the servo region is produced to be supplied to an and gate 176 as a gate signal , as shown in fig1 ( d ). for the purpose of removing any influence of data recorded on both sides of the servo region , the timing of the gate signal is adjusted so that a pit positioned in the center of the servo region is selected possibly . as shown in figs . 15 ( a ) and 15 ( d ), in this embodiment , the gate signal is generated between the reference pits p2 and p3 . the rf signal shown in fig1 ( b ) is differentiated by a differentiating circuit 174 , and a zero - cross detection signal ( fig1 ( c )) is produced by a zero - cross detector circuit 175 . among those signals , what passes through the and gate 176 is a phase comparing pulse ( fig1 ( e )) and supplied to a sampling / holding circuit 177 . that is , in this embodiment , a zero - cross point between the reference pits p2 and p3 is detected as an edge of a clock pit ( virtual pit ). the sampling / holding circuit 177 immediately samples and holds a level of a saw - tooth wave ( fig1 ( f )) generated by a sawtooth generator circuit 178 at a timing of the pulse inputted from the and gate 176 in correspondence with the count value of the counter 173 , thereby to detect a time difference ( phase error ) between a clock signal ( an output signal of a voltage control oscillator circuit ( vco ) 180 ) counted up by the counter 173 and a specific pit existing in the servo region on the optical disc 1 ( virtual clock pit )( a timing of a zero - cross of the rf signal between the reference pits p2 and p3 ). the phase error signal is fed back to a vco 180 as a drive voltage ( control voltage ) after it passes through a filter 179 , and the pll is operated so that the specific pit existing in the servo region on the optical disc 1 and the clock signal ( an output signal of the vco 180 ) always keep a correct phase relationship . the output signal of the above - mentioned counter 173 is decoded by the decoder 181 thereby to generate various timing clock signals having a predetermined phase relationship , which are supplied to the a / d converter circuit 9 , the bias removing circuit 10 and the two - dimensional decoder 11 shown in fig5 and the like . in the case where the servo pattern of the servo region is formed as shown in fig1 , the servo area pattern judging circuit 171 in fig1 is relatively difficult to detect the servo pattern . therefore , a servo pattern shown in fig1 can be formed . fig1 ( a ) to 16 ( e ) show such a format that the servo pattern can be more easily detected . in this embodiment , as shown in fig1 ( a ), the opposed edges of the reference pits ( synchronous pits ) p4 and p5 are shifted at a position which cannot be a shift position corresponding to the recording data . that is , each edge of the data pit is shifted at any position of 0 to 7 in correspondence with the recording data , and the rear edge of the pit p4 and the front edge of the pit p5 are shifted at the position of 8 , respectively . the edge at the position of 8 ( synchronous data ) exists not in the data region , but only in the servo region . accordingly , by detecting the synchronous data , the servo region can be readily detected . fig1 shows a structural example of the servo area pattern judging circuit 171 in the case where such synchronous data is formed in the servo region . that is , in this embodiment , the rf signal ( fig1 ( b )) outputted by the head amplifier 4 is supplied to an a / d converter circuit so that its level is detected . as described above , in a state where the pll circuit 7 is not yet locked , it is necessary that the servo area pattern judging circuit 171 judges the servo region . therefore , sampling operation cannot be performed by the a / d converter circuit 304 , using a clock signal produced by the pll circuit 7 . for that reason , in this embodiment , in order to generate the sampling clock signal of the a / d converter circuit 304 , the following operation is made . that is , the rf signal is inputted to a bpf 301 so that the above - mentioned frequency component ( fig1 ( c )) of 720 khz is extracted from the rf signal . a zero - cross comparator 302 compares a level of a sine wave signal outputted by the bpf 301 with a zero level , thereby to generate a clock signal ( fig1 ( d )) of a h level when the output level of the bpf 301 is larger than the zero level , but a l level when the former is not larger than the latter . the clock signal is delayed for a predetermined time of period by a mono - multiple vibrator ( mm ) 303 to produce a clock pulse ( fig1 ( e )) of the a / d converter circuit 304 . the clock signal ( fig1 ( d ) outputted by the zero - cross comparator 302 corresponds to a period of the pit recorded on the optical disc 1 , and the clock signal ( fig1 ( e )) outputted by the mm 303 is a clock signal whose rise edge is at a timing corresponding to the synchronous pattern . that is , as shown in fig1 ( b ), a level p of the rf signal at a timing corresponding to the synchronous pattern is always larger than a level at any other positions ( a level in the case where the shift position of the edge is at any position of 0 to 7 ). accordingly , if a maximum value is detected from the output signal of the a / d converter circuit 304 by a maximum value detector circuit 305 , its timing becomes a timing for detection of the synchronous pattern . thus , the positions of the opposed edges of two reference pits p4 and p5 are set to positions different from those corresponding to the recording data , whereby a difference in level between the rf signal corresponding to the recording data and the rf signal corresponding to the synchronous data can be enlarged with the result that the synchronous data can be detected with accuracy and stability . fig1 shows another structural example of the servo area pattern judging circuit 171 . in this embodiment , the output signal of the a / d converter 304 is directly supplied to a subtracter 314 and also supplied thereto through three cascade - connected d - type flip flops ( ff ) 311 to 313 . the subtracter 314 subtracts an output signal of the ff 313 at the final stage from an output signal of the a / d converter circuit 304 to output a signal to the maximum value detector circuit 305 . that is , as shown in fig1 ( a ), in the servo region shown in this embodiment , the opposed edges of the reference pits p1 and p2 are shifted to a position of 0 ( a position of a bias reference , respectively . therefore , a level q of the rf signal between the reference pits p1 and p2 comes to the smallest level . as is apparent from fig1 ( a ) and 16 ( b ), an interval between a level p and the level q of the rf signal is apart by three clocks when converting the pits outputted by the mm 33 into clocks . because the ffs 311 to 313 output newly inputted data to a succeeding stage every one clock , at a timing at which the a / d converter circuit 304 outputs the level p of the reproduced rf signal , the ff 313 outputs a signal corresponding to the level q . as a result , the subtracter 314 outputs a value subtracting the level q from the level p . the level q is the highest level in the reproduced rf signals , but its absolute value is changed due to the dispersion of the optical disc 1 , or the like . however , in this case , since the level q as well as the level p is changed , a value subtracting the level q from the level p is not caused by the dispersion of the optical disc 1 or the like , but becomes a nearly constant value . for that reason , the output signal of the subtracter 314 is compared with a predetermined reference value which has been preset in the maximum value detector circuit 305 , whereby its maximum value , that is , the level p can be detected surely regardless of the bias fluctuation . therefore , a difference between the synchronous data 8 and the recording data 7 can be made small , and as much , the width ( interval of 0 to 7 ) of change of the recording data is increased , thereby being capable of making the margin of decoding the recording data large . fig1 shows another structural example of the maximum value detector circuit 305 . in this embodiment , a signal outputted by the subtracter 314 is supplied to a digital magnitude comparator 321 so as to be compared with a comparison reference level outputted by a comparison reference level generator circuit 324 . as described above , the level of the signal outputted from the subtracter 314 is smaller than the comparison reference level at a timing except for the level p corresponding to the synchronous data . therefore , the comparator 321 usually outputs a signal of an l level . when the subtracter 314 outputs the level p , the comparator 321 outputs a signal of an h level ( synchronous pattern ( data ) detection signal ). a frequency counter 322 resets a count value when inputting a signal of the h level from the comparator 321 , and executes the count operation of a built - in fixed clock until it newly inputs a signal of the h level . that is , the frequency counter 322 counts a period of the synchronous data ( the inverse number of a frequency ). a judging circuit 323 monitors the count value of the frequency counter 322 , and outputs an up signal when the count value of the frequency counter 322 is shorter than a period of the pit ( 720 khz when converting it into a frequency )( when the frequency is higher than 720 khz ), but outputs a down signal when the count value is longer than the period of the pit ( when the frequency is lower than 720 khz ). the comparison reference level generator circuit 324 makes the generated comparison reference level up when inputting the up signal from the judging circuit 323 , and makes it down when inputting the down signal . that is , in the case where the comparison reference level is too small , because the signal having the h level is outputted from the comparator 321 even at a timing except for the synchronous data , a period detected by the frequency counter 322 is made short ( the frequency becomes high ). therefore , in this case , the comparison reference level is elevated . inversely , in the case where the comparison reference level is too large , the comparator 321 does not come to output the detection signal of the h level . for that reason , the period detected by the frequency counter 322 is made long ( the frequency is made low ). therefore , in this case , the comparison reference level is made small . in this way , the comparison reference level is automatically controlled so that the frequency of the detection signal having the h level outputted by the comparator 321 is set to 720 khz . because the pits of the optical disc 1 are different for every disc , when the comparison reference level is fixed , it is necessary to adjust its value to every disc . however , according to this embodiment , since the value is automatically controlled , the adjustment of the comparison reference level is unnecessary . in the above - mentioned embodiment , the synchronous data is set to the shift position of 8 larger than any value of 0 to 7 . also , it is possible to set the synchronous data to a position of a still larger value 9 , 10 or the like , or inversely to a position of - 1 , - 2 or the like smaller than 0 . further , in the above - mentioned embodiment , the position of the reference pit is shifted to a position at which the pit cannot be arranged by modulation of the recording data , thereby to constitute the synchronous data . for example , as shown in fig2 , one pit p4 of the position to be arranged is removed , thereby being capable of constituting the synchronous pattern ( data ). in this case , because the rf signal is most lowered at that position , the synchronous pattern can be detected by detecting it . however , if the formation of the pit is thus omitted , a principle by which the pits are always formed in a constant period is broken . therefore , as shown in fig1 ( a ), it is preferable to form the synchronous pattern . fig2 shows a preferred process together when the optical disc 1 is started in the above - mentioned embodiment . as shown in the figure , initially in step 1 , the reproduced rf signal is converted into a voltage corresponding to its frequency in the frequency - to - voltage converter circuit 42 ( fig8 ) thereby to drive the spindle motor 2 . then , in step s2 , when the level ( carrier level ) of a frequency of 720 khz outputted from the bpf 43 exceeds a predetermined reference value which has been preset , the spindle motor 2 is driven in accordance with the output signal of the frequency - to - voltage converter circuit 42 until judgment is made by the carrier detector circuit 46 . subsequently , in step s2 , when the carrier detector circuit 46 judges that the output signal of the bpf 43 is larger than the predetermined reference value , the process advances to step s3 , thereby to switch the switch 47 over to the contact a side . therefore , the spindle motor 2 is driven in accordance with a signal resulting from subjecting the carrier having a frequency of 720 khz extracted from the bpf 43 to frequency - to - voltage conversion by the frequency - to - voltage converter circuit 45 . then , after the spindle servo is started in accordance with the signal obtained by frequency - to - voltage converting the carrier of the pit recorded in the constant period , in step s4 , when it is judged that a preset constant time of period is elapsed , process advances to step s5 . alternatively , in step s4 , as was described with reference to fig1 , when the error detector circuit 57 judges that the level of the signal outputted from the subtracter 32 is reduced to less than a predetermined range , the process may advance to step s5 . in step s5 , the switch 36 is switched from the contact b side to the contact a side , thereby to execute the spindle servo in accordance with the phase error signal detected by the phase detector circuit 34 . subsequently , in step s6 , it is judged whether the pll circuit 7 is locked or not , and when the lock detector circuit 16 judges that the pll circuit 7 is locked , the switch 37 is switched from the contact b side to the contact a side . that is , the output signal ( that is , a control voltage inputted to the vco 180 ) of the filter 179 of the pll circuit 7 shown in fig1 is supplied to the amplifier 38 through the contact a of the switch 37 , and is further supplied from the amplifier 38 to the spindle motor 2 . as a result , the spindle motor 2 is driven so that the clock signal outputted from the vco 180 is made equal to the predetermined reference value which has been preset , thereby allowing the optical disc 1 to rotate . sequentially , in step s8 , until it is judged that the completion of reproduction ( or recording ) is instructed , the spindle servo is executed by the pll circuit 7 . finally , an embodiment of a recording apparatus for the above - mentioned optical disc 1 having a high recording density will be described . in fig2 , an information source 201 converts , as a signal to be recorded , an audio signal into a digital signal to output it . an ecc circuit 202 adds an error correcting code to digital audio data supplied from the information source 201 to output it to a converter circuit 203 . the converter circuit 203 converts input data into data having three bits as a unit . that is , in this embodiment , the edge position of each pit is set to any of eight positions of 0 to 7 . for that reason , in order to specify the position of each edge , data of three bits is necessary . in the converter circuit 203 , the three - bit data is produced . a clock information generator circuit 205 generates data ( data &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; corresponding to the rear edge of the reference pit p2 and data &# 34 ; 7 &# 34 ; corresponding to the front edge of the reference pit p3 in fig1 ) required for generating a clock signal necessary for reading data stored in the optical disc 1 . a bias gain information generator circuit 206 generates data representative of a bias point ( data &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; corresponding to the rear edge of the reference pit p2 , data &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; corresponding to the front edge of the reference pit p4 , or data representing that both positions of the front and rear edges are 0 as in p2 , in fig6 ), and data setting gain ( data representing a reference point ( 7 , 7 ) and also representing that both positions of the front and rear edges are 7 , as in the reference pit p3 of fig6 ). a pll drawing signal generator circuit 207 generates synchronous data for drawing the pll ( data &# 34 ; 8 &# 34 ; corresponding to the rear edge of the reference pit p4 and data corresponding to the front edge of the reference pit p5 in fig1 ). an education data generator circuit 208 generates data which makes the edge position ( an , bn ) of the front and rear edges of the education pit p6 in fig6 to correspond to the edge positions of ( 0 , 0 ) to ( 7 , 7 ). any data outputted from the clock information generator circuit 205 , the bias gain information generator circuit 206 , the pll drawing signal generator circuit 207 , and the education data generator circuit 208 is supplied to an adder 204 so as to be added to data supplied from the converter circuit 203 ( time division multiplex ). an output signal of the adder 204 is supplied to a recording edge position calculator circuit 209 , and an output signal of the recording edge position calculator circuit 209 is supplied to an edge modulator circuit 210 . then , an output signal of the edge modulator circuit 210 is supplied to a mastering unit 211 to perform such processes as cutting , developing , plating process , transfer , aluminum vapor deposition , protective film coating , etc . for preparation of the optical disc 1 . in the above - mentioned structure , the edge modulator circuit 210 generates a timing signal representative of a timing corresponding to data outputted from the recording edge position calculator circuit 209 to output it to the mastering unit 211 . the edge modulator circuit 210 is constituted , as shown in fig2 so as to generate a timing signal of a timing at which the edge positions of the front and rear edges of each pit are shifted from the reference position in the center of the pit at eight steps in accordance with digital information to be recorded . the shift period ts of the edge position of each pit is set to fall within a range corresponding to a period smaller than a transition period ( a rise period tr or a fall period tf ) of the rf signal which is determined in accordance with the transfer characteristics of an optical detecting system ( pickup 3 ) on a reproducing unit side . the mastering unit 211 cuts a photosensitive film coated on a recording plate by application of a laser beam in synchronism with the timing signal supplied from the edge modulator circuit 210 . the cut recording plate is developed , subjected to plating , thereby to produce a stamper . subsequently , the pits formed on the stamper is transferred to a replica . the replica is then subjected to aluminum vapor deposition , and coated with a protective film , thereby to manufacture the optical disc 1 . in the above - description , a case where the present invention is applied to the optical disc and the reproducing apparatus therefor was described , however , the present invention is applicable to a photo - magnetic disc , other information recording media , and reproducing apparatuses therefor . as was described above , in the information recording medium in accordance with the present invention , since at least one edge of the pit is located in correspondence with synchronous data in a predetermined period at a position different from that in the case of modulation by the recording data , the synchronous data can be readily detected . in this case , because a pit always exists every constant period , the deterioration of the formability of the pit and the deformation of the pit are suppressed in comparison with a case where no pit is recorded for a long period of time or inversely a specially large pit are recorded . also , in the information recording medium in accordance with the invention , since the positions of the opposed edges of two adjacent pits are changed in correspondence with the synchronous data , a difference between the rf signal of the data region and the rf signal of the synchronous data can be enlarged , thereby to improve the accuracy in detection of the synchronous data . as a result , the synchronous data can be more stably detected . further , in the information recording medium reproducing apparatus in accordance with the invention , since the edge corresponding to the predetermined recording data is disposed at a position apart by a given distance from the edge corresponding to the synchronous data , the synchronous data can be stably detected regardless of the bias fluctuation of the recording medium by calculating a difference therebetween . as a result , a difference between the synchronous data and the recording data can be reduced , and therefore the width of change in the recording data is increased as much , thereby to enlarge the margin when demodulating . still further , in the information recording medium reproducing apparatus in accordance with the invention , since the timing corresponding to the edge of the synchronous pit is detected on the basis of the level corresponding to the synchronous pit and the level corresponding to the reference pit , the timing corresponding to the edge of the synchronous pit can be detected with accuracy and stability regardless of bias fluctuation of the information recording medium . yet still further , in the information recording medium reproducing apparatus in accordance with the invention , since the level of the synchronous pit is detected on the basis of the clock signal generated from the frequency component corresponding to a constant period of the pits , the timing corresponding to the edge of the synchronous pit can be detected with accuracy before the recording speed of the recording medium attains a regular speed . yet still further , in the information recording medium reproducing apparatus , since the reference value of the comparison means is controlled to be a predetermined frequency of the timing signal corresponding to the edge of the synchronous bit , even though the pits formed in the information recording medium are dispersed , the edge corresponding to the synchronous pit can be detected accurately without any adjustment . yet still further , in the information recording medium reproducing apparatus in accordance with the invention , a signal resulting from binary - coding a reproduced rf signal is subjected to frequency - to - voltage conversion so as to control the rotational movement of the information recording medium , the rotational speed of the information recording medium can be readily controlled to a value which is inverse - proportional to the radius of the recording medium . in this case , no sensor for obtaining radius information is necessary , thereby being capable of realizing a device at the low costs . yet still further , in the information recording medium reproducing apparatus in accordance with the invention , since the frequency component corresponding to a constant period of the pit is extracted from reproduced rf signal , even though a d . c . component in the reproduced signal from the information recording medium fluctuates or an asymmetric property or the like exist in the signal , the rotational speed of the information recording medium can be accurately controlled . yet still further , in the information recording medium reproducing apparatus in accordance with the invention , since the rotational movement of the information recording medium is controlled in accordance with a phase difference between the signal extracted from the extraction means and the reference signal , even if the frequency - to - voltage conversion characteristics are changed due to the circumferential temperature or the like , the rotational movement of the information recording medium can be controlled with accuracy . the foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed , and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto , and their equivalents . | 6 |
in fig1 an exemplary leadframe 12 is shown positioned within the target area of an adhesive application apparatus 10 of the present invention . leadframe 12 includes a die - attach paddle 14 and leadfingers 16 ( see fig3 ), in this instance the paddle 14 being downset from the fingers 16 , as known in the art . the adhesive application apparatus 10 is comprised of a containment hood 18 and a vacuum system 20 . the containment hood 18 , as shown , has a tapered configuration , being wider near the leadframe 12 and narrowing toward its distal end , where it is connected to air feed duct 22 , which provides air from a source exterior to the containment hood . the containment hood 18 could have any configuration , as long as the adhesive application process can be suitably focused and contained . the containment hood 18 has an adhesive port 24 , through which a delivery tube 26 extends . the delivery tube 26 communicates with an adhesive reservoir 28 at its first end 30 and a nozzle 32 at its second end 34 . the nozzle 32 is preferably an atomizer nozzle capable of dispersing adhesive 36 supplied by the adhesive reservoir 28 at a particle size of 50 - 100 μm . adhesive may be supplied under pressure by use of a pressurized gas as a propellant , a positive - displacement pump , or by other means known in the art . air feed duct 22 , above containment hood 18 , is connected to a positive - or ambient - pressure clean ( filtered and of controlled humidity ) air supply , as known in the art , so that air 40 can enter the containment hood 18 and carry the atomized adhesive 38 downward . the air 40 and atomized adhesive 38 mix in a mixing chamber 42 formed by the containment hood 18 . an aperture panel or mask 44 covers portions of the leadframe 12 , such as the leadfingers 16 in fig1 where atomized adhesive 38 is not desired . below the leadframe 12 , the vacuum system 20 provides a negative pressure zone such that atomized adhesive 38 is quickly drawn downward onto leadframe 12 , with the excess pulled into the vacuum system 20 so that only the upper side of the leadframe is coated with adhesive by reduction of backspatter , and to reduce lateral overspray potential . the vacuum system 20 is shown to have a plenum 21 , similar in shape to the containment hood 18 , but may have any configuration suitable to draw the atomized adhesive 38 through the leadframe 12 . the negative pressure can be as great or as little as desired , dependent upon various process parameters such as cycle time , adhesive particle size , and desired thickness of adhesive layer . moreover , as the vacuum system 20 collects the excess or over - sprayed atomized adhesive 38 , the unapplied adhesive can be recycled to the adhesive reservoir 28 by recycling system 39 , as known in the art , through tube 41 . in addition to the air 40 provided by air feed duct 22 , a gas purge 46 fed from a compressed or pressurized gas source of adequate quality may be incorporated into or above the containment hood 18 , as shown , to provide puffs or bursts of air to accelerate and directionalize the atomized adhesive 38 toward the leadframe 12 and minimize lateral dispersion of the mist . the gas purge 46 may be necessary to further reduce cycle times . the containment hood 18 may also include a shutter 48 positioned at or near the bottom of the mixing chamber 42 and above the leadframe 12 . shutter 48 may be laterally translatable and may comprise a two - panel arrangement extendable and retractable from opposing sides of containment hood 18 for more rapid closure . the shutter 48 is positionable over the leadframe 12 to prevent additional atomized adhesive 38 from being deposited onto the die - attach paddle 14 after a predetermined period of time . thus , the nozzle 32 atomizes the adhesive 38 , the atomized adhesive 38 is drawn onto the die - attach paddle 14 by the air 40 and , if desired , driven by the gas purge 46 . after a desired volume or layer thickness of the atomized adhesive 38 is deposited on the die - attach paddle 14 , the shutter 48 closes until another leadframe 12 is positioned within the adhesive application apparatus 10 . the containment hood 18 , aperture panel 44 , and shutter 48 may also collect and recycle excess atomized adhesive 38 using drainage channels attached to , or formed in , their surfaces . aperture panel 44 and shutter 48 may be combined . as shown , the lower edge 50 of the containment hood 18 and the upper edge 52 of the vacuum system plenum 21 are provided , respectively , with resilient or flexible seals 54 and 56 . seals 54 and 56 may comprise , for example , flexible skirts or compressible elastomers . the seals 54 and 56 respectively engage with the upper and lower surfaces of leadframe 12 when the adhesive application apparatus 10 is in a closed position , such that the adhesive application process is substantially contained within a defined area . as such , components and equipment external to the containment hood 18 and vacuum system 20 are not exposed to atomized adhesive 38 , and atomized adhesive 38 is not exposed to stray air currents in the assembly area . the leadframe 12 or a strip of frames may be carried into the target area under the containment hood 18 on a carrier to protect ( mask ) the lower surface against backspatter during adhesive coating . a strippable polymer film might also be employed to cover that surface . the leadframe might also be superimposed over or even placed on a backspatter barrier . the upper surface of the barrier is cleaned , or the barrier replaced , when contaminated by adhesive . element 15 of fig1 shown in broken lines , depicts placement of such carrier , film or barrier with respect to leadframe 12 . referring to fig2 the relative size and shape of the containment hood 18 and vacuum system plenum 21 in relation to an exemplary loc leadframe 62 of one embodiment of the present invention is shown . as shown in dashed lines , the adhesive application location or footprint 58 extends around the leadfingers 60 , such that only those portions of the loc leadframe 62 where atomized adhesive 38 is desired are exposed to the adhesive application process of the present invention . the footprint 58 may also extend to the dam bars 55 or side rails 57 to enhance sealing with containment hood 18 and vacuum system plenum 21 . if so , an aperture panel or mask 44 would be desirable to shield selected portions of the loc leadframe 62 . as shown , the containment hood 18 has an opening 63 to allow lateral insertion and retraction of the shutter 48 , it being understood that a sliding seal would be provided between the periphery of opening 63 and shutter 48 . similarly , fig3 shows an exemplary footprint 58 of a containment hood 18 in relation to an exemplary leadframe 12 with a die - attach paddle 14 . as shown , the footprint 58 may extend to the side rails 65 and dam bars 67 to achieve the best seal . flow area 66 , between peripheral hood footprint 58 and die - attach paddle 14 , should be carefully considered with the pressure balance of the system to provide for adequate fluid flow past leadframe 12 . fig4 shows a cam 70 and linkage structure 72 attached to the containment hood 18 and vacuum system 20 to open and close the adhesive application apparatus 10 . the linkage structure 72 is comprised of an l - shaped member 74 linking the containment hood 18 to the cam 70 and an l - shaped member 76 linking the vacuum system 20 to the cam 70 . between the cam 70 and the containment hood 18 , the l - shaped member 74 is translatably attached to elongate support members 78 and 80 by pins 82 and 84 , respectively . likewise , between the cam 70 and the containment hood 18 , the l - shaped member 76 is translatably attached to elongate support members 78 and 80 by pins or bushings 86 and 88 , respectively . at their proximal ends 92 and 94 , the l - shaped members 74 and 76 are attached to rollers 96 and 98 , respectively . in addition , the l - shaped members 74 and 76 are biased toward each other by springs 90 . cam 70 may be driven between two positions , as shown , by a pneumatic , hydraulic or electric ( linear motor ) cylinder 93 through a rod and pivot linkage 95 , as shown . the cam 70 may also be driven by a rotary electric motor or a pneumatic or hydraulic drive system that is capable of varying speeds and / or incremental rotation . in either such arrangement , as the cam 70 rotates , depending on the position of the cam 70 relative to the rollers 96 and 98 , the containment hood 18 and the vacuum system plenum 21 are either in a closed or open position . other methods and structures known in the art can be used to engage and disengage the containment hood 18 and the vacuum system 20 in a cyclic manner . in addition , those skilled in the art will appreciate that it may not be necessary to move both the containment hood 18 and / or the vacuum system 20 , depending on the system employed to position leadframes 12 at an adhesive application location . for example , a conveyor system may be able to simply move leadframes through the apparatus without having to raise and lower upper and lower components if , for example , movable seals are employed at the inlet and outlet sides of the target area . fig5 shows another preferred embodiment in which a translatable nozzle 100 directs an adhesive spray 102 within target area 103 onto the desired device component 104 , in this case an uncut wafer 104 held on a working platen 105 having a vacuum retention system . the nozzle 100 may be translatable within a spray containment surround 106 in both an x and y direction , that is , across the entire surface 108 of the wafer 104 , and may comprise multiple nozzles on a spray bar ( shown in broken lines ) translatable in one or more directions . one or more optical or mechanical alignment sensors 125 , as known in the art , may also be used to properly align the wafer 104 and / or the stencil 110 with respect to the wafer 104 ( if not preassembled before placement in the target area ), if required . as shown , the wafer 104 is covered by a stencil 110 that allows adhesive 112 to deposit on desired locations 114 of the wafer 104 while being blocked by the stencil 110 . a vacuum system 116 below target area 103 may optionally provide a negative pressure such that any excess spray of the adhesive 102 is removed from the target area . this negative pressure , however , is not required and if used , is not of great enough magnitude to cause turbulent flow across the stencil 110 . after adhesive application , the wafer 104 can be indexed through the opening 124 and another inserted through opening 126 by , for example , a mechanical arm 128 or other conveyor mechanism . the stencil 110 as employed in fig5 and shown from above in fig6 superimposed on wafer 104 has a semicircular outer surface 118 with a flat 120 across one end to match the wafer flat . the stencil 110 has openings 122 sized , shaped and positioned to match the individual die locations of the wafer 104 . the stencil 110 is positioned over the wafer 104 by a mechanical arm or other means known in the art . an optical or mechanical alignment sensor 125 , as known in the art , may be employed to ensure exact alignment of stencil 210 with wafer 104 . the same type of directed or aimed spray nozzle or nozzles 100 can be used to apply adhesive 102 to a leadframe 130 , shown schematically in fig7 as an loc leadframe . as shown , a leadframe 130 ( which may also comprise a strip comprised of multiple frames ) is conveyed by a conveyor system 132 comprised of a first conveyor guide rail 134 and a second conveyor guide rail 136 . conveyor guide rails 134 and 136 are preferably u - shaped with their open ends receiving the side edges of the leadframe or multiple - frame strips . both the first and second conveyor guide rails 134 and 136 have associated transfer - mechanism elements and alignment pins 138 that may engage the tooling or indexing holes 140 in the leadframe 130 responsive to the output of a sensor 135 detecting the presence or position of the leadframe . as such , the conveyor system 132 can properly position the leadframe relative to a nozzle 100 , which is configured such that the periphery of spray pattern 142 , as shown in broken lines , only extends to the inner ends of leadfingers 144 . of course , a mask may also be used to delineate the spray pattern . any spray that falls between the leadfingers 144 can be collected by a vacuum system 116 , reducing the necessity for , and frequency of , cleaning . if one desires to simultaneously apply adhesive to multiple frames of a leadframe strip ( see fig2 ), a multi - aperture mask or stencil 150 , as shown in fig8 may be useful . as shown , the stencil can be positioned over a leadframe strip such that only the leadfingers 152 ( or die - attach paddles , if a conventional leadframe ) are exposed through the openings or apertures 154 of the stencil 150 . thus , adhesive spray 102 can be applied to multiple leadframes simultaneously , requiring fewer cycles of the adhesive application apparatus 10 . it should be understood that various epoxies and other adhesives may be suitable for use in this apparatus . preferable adhesives which may be formulated for use with the invention include polyimides and siloxane polyimides ( also termed polyimide siloxanes ), the latter providing enhanced adhesion and increased flexibility in comparison to the former . moreover , the orientation of the apparatus as shown in the preferred embodiments is for illustration only and , while preferred to take advantage of gravitational forces , may therefore be altered , as desired , without departing from the scope of the accompanying claims . having thus described in detail preferred embodiments of the present invention , it is to be understood that the invention defined by the appended claims is not to be limited by particular details set forth in the above description , as many apparent variations thereof are possible without departing from the spirit or scope thereof . | 7 |
as shown in fig1 , 3 , 4 and 9 , a jacket ( 10 ) is provided comprising ( a ) a fabric shell ( 12 ), ( b ) an electroluminescent film lamp ( 14 ), ( c ) a battery ( 16 ), and ( d ) an inverter ( 18 ). the shell includes ( i ) a body section ( 20 ) and ( ii ) a pair of sleeves ( 22 ) extending from the body section ( 20 ). the body section ( 20 ) includes ( a ) an internal pocket ( 24 ) ( which may have a protective flap ( 25 )) and ( b ) a retainer ( 26 ) for releasable retaining the film ( 14 ) in a position adjacent the shell ( 12 ). the jacket ( 10 ) may be a pull - over type as shown in fig1 and 2 or may have a zipper ( not shown ) in the front center of the jacket ( 10 ). the retainer ( 26 ) and film ( 14 ) preferably extend horizontally around the perimeter of the jacket ( 10 ) and are preferably located immediately below the lowest point ( 28 ) of the attachment ( corresponding to the armpit ) of the sleeves ( 22 ) to the body section ( 20 ). the body section ( 20 ) is attached to the sleeves ( 22 ) at arm holes ( 30 ) as is well known . the jacket further includes a collar ( 32 ). the shell ( 12 ) has a pair of shoulders ( 34 ), a bottom edge ( 36 ), a left extremity ( 38 ) and a right extremity ( 40 ) ( as experienced by the wearer ( not shown )). the pullover styled jacket ( 10 ) may have a v - neck extending down the front ( 44 ) of the jacket ( 10 ) from the collar ( 32 ). fig2 shows the back ( 46 ) of the jacket ( 10 ). as shown in fig3 and 9 , the jacket ( 10 ) preferably has a power unit ( 48 ) which comprises a ( i ) housing ( 50 ), ( ii ) a battery ( 16 ) and ( iii ) an inverter ( 18 ). the housing ( 50 ) preferably comprises a thermoplastic box and a lid ( 54 ). the box ( 52 ) may contain a polymeric foam ( not shown ) for stable retention of the inverter ( 18 ) and battery ( 16 ). the lid ( 54 ) may be designed to snap on or slide on , and serves to provide access to the battery ( 16 ) for replacement thereof when necessary . a pair of electrical conductors ( tabs ) ( 56 ) provide electrical communications between the battery ( 16 ) and inverter ( 18 ). a pair of wires ( 58 ) serve as electrical conductors from the inverter ( 18 ) to the film ( 14 ) for providing electrical communication therebetween . a female connector ( 60 ) and male connector ( 62 ) may be utilized to couple the wires ( 58 ) of the power unit ( 48 ) with the film ( 14 ) for supplying alternating current from the inverter ( 18 ) of the power unit ( 48 ) to the film ( 14 ) to cause the film ( 14 ) to emit light . alternatively , the wires ( 58 ) may be directly connected to the film ( 14 ) thereby eliminating the need for the connectors ( 60 , 62 ). access of the film ( 14 ) which is positioned on the exterior ( 66 ) of the jacket ( 40 ) to the power unit ( 48 ) which is positioned on the interior of the jacket ( 10 ) for electrical communication therebetween may be achieved through slit ( 64 ). the housing ( 50 ) is preferably of a small size to permit easy positioning within the jacket ( 24 ), and most preferably has a length of between 2 and 4 inches , a width of between 1 . 5 and 3 inches , and a depth of between 0 . 5 and 1 inches . the wires ( 58 ) are suitably insulated . as shown in fig5 , 7 , 8 and 9 , the retainer ( 26 ) includes an upper flap ( 70 ), a lower flap ( 72 ) and a back section ( 74 ). the flap ( 70 ) is held in position by stitching ( 76 ), and the flap ( 72 ) is held in position by stitching ( 78 ). the upper flap ( 70 ) extends downwardly and has a downward most horizontal edge ( 80 ), and the lower flap ( 72 ) extends upwardly and has an upward most horizontal edge ( 82 ). when the flaps ( 70 , 72 ) are within closed positions with the edges ( 80 , 82 ) adjacent the back section ( 74 ) and film ( 14 ), the spacing between the edges ( 80 , 82 ) is less than the width of the film ( 14 ), and preferably is between 0 . 25 and 0 . 75 inches . the film ( 14 ) preferably has a width of between 0 . 50 and 1 . 50 inches and has a length of between 20 inches and 50 inches depending on the size of the jacket ( 10 ). the width of the back section ( 74 ) is greater than that of the film ( 14 ), and is preferably between 1 . 0 and 2 . 0 inches from ( i ) an upper crease ( 84 ) where upper flap ( 70 ) is foldably connected to back section ( 74 ) at the upper end thereof to ( ii ) a lower crease ( 86 ) where lower flap ( 72 ) is foldably connected to back section ( 74 ) at the lower end thereof . the stitchings ( 76 , 78 ) are located adjacent the creases ( 84 , 86 ) respectively to avoid interference with the retainer &# 39 ; s retention of the film ( 14 ). each flap ( 70 , 72 ) preferably has a width of between 0 . 25 inches and 0 . 75 inches as measured from the creases ( 84 , 86 ) to the flap edges ( 80 , 82 ) respectively . the pocket ( 24 ) preferably has a width of between 3 and 6 inches and a depth of between 4 and 6 inches , wherein the width of the pocket ( 24 ) is greater than the width of the power unit ( 48 ). the length of the power unit ( 48 ) may be greater than , equal to or less than the depth of the pocket ( 24 ). the flaps ( 70 , 72 ) overlap respective outer portions ( 88 , 90 ) of the film ( 14 ) thereby retaining the film ( 14 ) between the flaps ( 70 , 72 ) and the back section ( 74 ). the gap between the flap ( 70 ) and flap ( 72 ) effectively exposes a light emitting central strip zone ( 92 ) for view by others . the central zone being located between the spaced apart outer portions ( 88 , 90 ) and integral therewith . in operation , the power unit ( 48 ) is located in the pocket ( 24 ) and the film ( 14 ) is held in the retainer ( 26 ). the power unit ( 48 ) supplies power to the film ( 14 ) and causes the film ( 14 ) to emit light which can then be reviewed by passersby . in more detail , the battery ( 16 ) supplies direct current to the inverter ( 18 ) which converts the direct current to alternating current . the inverter ( 18 ) supplies the alternating current to the film ( 14 ) thereby causing the film ( 14 ) to emit light . in order to wash and heat dry the jacket ( 10 ), the wearer simply needs to remove the power unit ( 48 ) and film ( 14 ) from the jacket ( 10 ). the power unit is easily removed from the jacket ( 10 ), and the film ( 14 ) easily pulls loose from retainer ( 26 ), and the shell ( 12 ) may then be subjected to water and heat in the washing and drying processes . after washing and drying the shell ( 12 ), the power unit may be returned to the pocket ( 24 ) and the film ( 14 ) may be easily reinserted under the flaps ( 70 , 72 ). the slit ( 64 ) allows for insertion of the film ( 14 ) therein for connection to the power unit ( 48 ). the flaps ( 70 , 72 ) may be bent away from the back section ( 74 ), but are biased to a position adjacent the back sections ( 74 ) and substantially parallel therewith . the battery ( 16 ) is preferably a 3 to 12 volt battery which provides direct current . the inverter ( 18 ) preferably converts the direct current to alternating current having a voltage of between 110 volts and 600 volts and a frequency of 200 hertz to 2000 hertz . an electrical power cut - off device may be used to prevent the alternating current voltage from short circuiting . the power unit may be supplied with an on / off switch ( not shown ) to control delivery of power to the film ( 14 ). the electroluminescent film lamp ( 14 ) is flexible and preferably has a rear aluminum foil electrode preferably 0 . 002 inches thick , a dielectric resin layer preferably 0 . 001 inches thick , a phosphor resin layer preferably 0 . 001 inches thick and a transparent film layer preferably 0 . 002 inches thick . the film ( 14 ) preferably includes a plastic envelope which discloses the layers and protects them from moisture . as shown in fig1 and 11 , a bag ( 100 ) is provided comprising ( a ) a fabric envelope ( 102 ), ( b ) an electroluminescent film strip ( 104 ), ( c ) a battery ( 16 ) and ( d ) an inverter ( 18 ). the envelope ( 102 ) comprises a retainer ( 106 ) comprising a pair of retaining flaps ( 108 , 110 ) which releasable retain the film strip ( 104 ). the bag ( 100 ) preferably comprises a secondary pouch ( 112 ) attached to the front ( 114 ) of the envelope ( 102 ) wherein the pouch ( 112 ) is smaller in volume carrying capacity then the envelope ( 102 ). the bag ( 100 ) preferably also comprises a handle ( 116 ) attached to an upper portion ( 118 ) of the bag ( 100 ). the envelope ( 102 ) has two halves ( 120 , 122 ) which are selectively interconnected by a zipper ( 124 ) which can be operated for total enclosure of the envelope ( 102 ) ( and total interconnection of the edges ( 126 , 128 ) of the two halves ( 120 , 122 )) or can be opened for access to the interior of the envelope ( 102 ). the zipper ( 124 ) is preferably in an inverted u - shape running up one vertical side ( 130 ) of the envelope ( 102 ), across the top ( 132 ) of the envelope and down the other side ( 134 ) of the envelope . the envelope ( 102 ) has a front ( 114 ) and a back ( 136 ) which are spaced apart and which are connected together by the sides ( 130 , 134 and top 132 ) when the zipper ( 124 ) is closed . the pouch ( 112 ) is preferably attached to the front ( 114 ) of the envelope ( 102 ) and is positioned beneath the horizontal retainer ( 106 ). the position of the retainer ( 106 ) on an upper section of front ( 114 ) of the envelope ( 102 ) positions the film for maximum visibility . the pouch ( 112 ) preferably has a front half ( 138 ) and a back half ( 140 ) which are interconnected ( at least partially ) by an upside down u - shaped zipper which runs up on side ( 144 ) of the pouch ( 112 ), across the top ( 146 ) of the pouch ( 112 ) and down the other side ( 148 ) of the pouch ( 112 ). the pouch ( 112 ) may further contain a frontal subpouch ( 150 ) which may be zipped open or shut with a horizontal linear zipper ( 152 ). as shown in fig1 , the front half ( 120 ) of the envelope ( 102 ), in the interior ( 154 ) of the envelope ( 102 ), has a pocket ( 158 ) which carries a battery ( 16 ) and an inverter ( 18 ), preferably in the form of a power unit ( 48 ). the power unit ( 48 ) is shown in more detail in fig3 and 4 . the pocket preferably has an upper cover for receiving and removing the power unit ( 48 ) therefrom , and preferably has a small side opening for receiving and removing the wires ( 58 ) and the connector ( 60 ). the retainer ( 106 ) of the bag ( 100 ) may be made as shown in fig8 or as shown in fig1 , 11 , 12 and 13 . the retainer ( 106 ) may be a separate piece of fabric single ( or double as shown in fig1 ) stitched ( as shown in fig1 ) to the front side ( 114 ) of the envelope ( 102 ) by stitches ( 162 ). the retainer ( 106 ) is similar in description to that of fig8 except that a separate piece of fabric was utilized for the retainer ( 106 ) in fig1 . the film ( 104 ) like film ( 14 ) has a connector ( 62 ), outer portions ( 88 , 90 ) and central strip zone ( 92 ). the flaps ( 108 , 110 ) overlap respective outer portions ( 88 , 90 ). the retainer has a back section ( 164 ). the width of the back section ( 164 ) is greater than that of the film ( 104 ), and is preferably between 1 . 0 and 2 . 0 inches from ( i ) an upper crease ( 166 ) where upper flap ( 108 ) is foldably connected to back section ( 164 ) at the upper end thereof to ( ii ) a lower crease ( 168 ) where lower flap ( 110 ) is foldably connected to back section ( 164 ) at the lower end thereof . the stitchings ( 162 ) are located adjacent the creases ( 166 , 168 ) respectively to avoid interference with the retainer &# 39 ; s ( 106 ) retention of the film ( 104 ). each flap ( 108 , 110 ) preferably has a width of between 0 . 25 inches and 0 . 75 inches as measured from the creases ( 166 , 168 ) to the flap edges ( 170 , 172 ) respectively . the bag ( 100 ) may be in the form of a back pack , a tote bag , a sports bag , a book bag or other suitable fabric bags which are carried in the evening hours . smaller light strips ( 200 ) may also be used wherein a film ( 202 ) is adhered to a backing ( 204 ) which may be in the form of either rigid or flexible , but is preferably a rigid flat rectangular plastic substrate having a pair of spaced apart pins ( 206 , 208 ) depending from the backing on the side opposite the side that is adhered to the film ( 202 ). the pins have pointed ends for extending through the fabric of the jacket or bag , and are releasably received by clip type fasteners ( 210 , 211 ) respectively which retain the backing ( 204 ) against the fabric . the film ( 202 ) has a pair of male type connectors ( 212 ) for electrical communication with a power unit as set out above . the film ( 14 ) as best shown in fig6 preferably has a series of outwardly extending projections ( 174 , 176 ) which extend from outer portions ( 88 , 90 ) respectively . the projections are preferably triangular in shape for resisting unintentional sliding motion within the retainer ( 26 ). the projections on a given outer portion ( 88 , 90 ) are preferably equally ( horizontally ) spaced apart , and most preferably are spaced apart between 0 . 5 and 1 . 0 inches from the next closest projection . preferably , the projections on opposing outer portions ( 88 , 90 ) are immediately opposite each other to provide a point to point width sufficient to simultaneously engage the stitchings ( 76 , 78 ) thereby resisting unintentional slippage of the film ( 14 ) within the retainer , as best shown in fig7 . fig5 shows an exploded view of the retainer and film . | 0 |
referring now in more detail to the exemplary drawings for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the invention , wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding or like elements among the several views , referring first to fig2 and 4 , the personal water filtration cup apparatus of the present invention includes , generally , a pair of inner and outer containers 21 and 23 forming , respectively , a cup device and a fluid receptacle 21 and 23 . the cup device 21 includes in its lower extremity a through filter device , generally designated 25 , for flow of liquid upwardly through a grill 27 to lift a flapper 29 of an isolation device , generally designated 31 , off the grill for flow of liquid into the upper cup 33 to provide filtered water . when pressurization of the filter device is diminished , the flapper 31 will lay down over the grill 27 as shown in fig3 to prevent backflow of liquid into the filter device . the receptacle 23 is conveniently constructed of readily available plastic material and is formed in its lower portion with a peripheral rib 41 ( fig4 ) to elevate the bottom wall 43 slightly . the bottom wall 43 is formed with a through - port 45 which receives the stem 47 of a poppet valve , generally designated 49 , that serves to vent air into the receptacle when the plunger - type cup apparatus is elevated . the upper portion of the receptacle 23 is formed with an upwardly and readily outwardly tapered flange 52 configured for convenient receipt of a turnback engagement flange 53 formed in the upper extremity of the cup apparatus . the cup apparatus 21 is configured in its lower portion with an integral transverse wall defining the grill 27 ( fig1 ) to form a plurality of through - ports 49 arrayed thereabout and covering the majority of the transverse cross - section of the cup 33 to thereby provide for a high - volume combined flow area to provide minimal resistance to flow of fluid . the grill 27 may take numerous different forms , and in the preferred embodiment provides a combined flow area of at least 50 % of the overall cross - sectional area of the cup and preferably approximately 60 % of the overall flow area to thereby provide for the desired structural integrity while still minimizing the resistance to fluid flow upon pressurization of the filter device . with continued reference to fig1 , the grill 27 is spaced a distance upwardly about one - fifth the length of the overall cup apparatus from the bottom end 51 thereof , and is formed in its upper extremity with coarse internal female threads 53 . an upwardly opening filter cup , generally designated 57 , is received in the lower extremity of the cup apparatus and is formed with a cylindrical wall configured in its upper extremity with male threads 61 for meeting with the lower extremity of the filter cup is configured with a radially outwardly projecting rib 65 to complement a fit within a cross section of the receptacle . the filter cup 57 is formed with a lower wall defining a grill generally designated 67 . also configured throughout the majority of its transverse area with a plurality of flow ports 69 which provide a combined flow area in excess of 25 % of the overall transverse cross section of the cup apparatus and in the preferred embodiment provide a combined cross - sectional flow in excess of 50 % of the overall transverse cross - section of the cup apparatus . the grill 27 is formed centrally with an enlarged bore 60 which receives a downwardly projecting compressible stem 62 of the isolation device 31 . the stem 62 is formed on its lower extremity within an enlarged cross - section stop 64 to cooperate in securing the isolation device to the grill . the filter apparatus includes a cylindrical filter 71 which may be constructed of any desirable commercially available filter media for filtration of water such as conventional charcoal filter . the filter 71 is sandwiched between a pair of felt retainer disks 73 and 75 to provide for containment against any possibly dislodged particles , but to allow for free flow of fluid as introduced from the lower grill 67 and to pass through the upper grill 27 . the interior wall of the cup above the grill 27 is preferably formed with a cylindrical peripheral retainer rib 40 configured to cooperate with the peripheral edge of the flapper to provide for protection of the thin peripheral edges thereof . the flapper itself is in the form of a circular plate and is configured to taper radially outwardly from a thick central section to a thin peripheral edges to thereby , in the manner dictated by well - known plate stress formulas , provide for a memory tending to maintain the flexible flapper 29 by its downwardly into contacting relationship over the pores 49 of the grill 27 to provide for sealing engagement therewith , but , to , upon application of pressure from the filter chamber on the order of 15 psi or so , provide for bending of the flapper to allow the peripheral edges to be raised for high volume flow therepast to provide for rapid flow of the newly filtered liquid . the isolation device is selected and configured to provide for effective sealing thereof as described above while providing for ready flexing under upward acting pressure to thereby provide for efficient flow . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , the flapper is to be constructed of material which is relatively tough and resistant to high temperatures on the order of 450 degrees fahrenheit and more , as would be consistent with washing in a dishwasher or the like and to yet provide for the operation dictated by the disciplines of the present invention . a material found successful for this operation is floor silicone material , but may be one of several food - safe elastomeric materials known to those skilled in the art . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art the outer receptacle and cup apparatus may be molded of pc material and the filter cup 57 of an abs or abs blend material . in manufacture , these components may be molded separately and available for ready assembly . in one preferred embodiment , a pouring closure in the form of a cap device , generally designed 81 ( fig1 - 14 ) may be provided for snap fit onto the personal filter body assembly of the present invention as shown in fig1 . the cap device 81 is formed with a domed closure 83 configured in its lower peripheral wall with a gland 85 configured to be friction - fit over the exterior of the lip to set on the top of the combined apparatus . the cap assembly 83 may be constructed of , for instance , abs , and will be formed with an upwardly open stub drinking tube 87 covered by a friction fit plug 89 carried from a strap 90 hinged at a pivot pin 91 of an upstanding stem 93 for convenient opening and closure of the tube 87 . in manufacture , it will be appreciated that there are a minimum number of assembly steps . as an example , referring fig3 , the disk 75 may be nested down into the filter cup 57 overlying the grill 67 , the filter stacked up thereon and the disk 73 placed thereover , and the combination then fitted up into the bottom end of the cup apparatus and the filter cup 57 rotated to engage the respective threads 61 and 53 to tighten the assembly in position to slightly compress the filter media to maintain a slight pressure thereon and maintain some force on the engaged threads to facilitate closure of the filter cup into the cup apparatus . an o - ring 99 will be fitted down over the filter cup 57 to nest on the peripheral rib 65 . the umbrella isolation device 31 may be then introduced to the cup assembly from the top end thereof and the stem 62 inserted through the bore 60 to drive the conical holer 64 downwardly through such bore to compress the sides thereof , and , upon clearing the lower edge of the lower surface of the grill 27 , expand and maintain the isolation device in place . it will be appreciated that a relief bore 98 is formed in a center top of the filter to provide clearance for the fastener 64 . it will be appreciated that the diameter of the cup apparatus is of a size sufficiently smaller than the inside diameter of the receptacle such that the cup apparatus will telescope efficiently into the receptacle without binding , it being further appreciated that the o - ring 99 will provide a dynamic seal with the wall thereof . thus , the components may be easily separated and the receptacle 23 filled with , for instance , tap water , and the cup apparatus 21 introduced thereinto as guided by the flare of the bell section so as to slide conveniently downwardly in plunger fashion to contact the lower extremity thereof with the water in the receptacle as shown in fig9 and 10 . as the cup apparatus is plunged downwardly , the o - ring will prevent escape therepast of water . thus , as the apparatus is forced downwardly , causing the water to flow upwardly through the opening 69 in the grill 67 and into and through the filter device 71 to flow upwardly through the top felt discs 73 and through the ports 49 to apply a pressure underneath the reduced in thickness peripheral portions of the flap 29 , thereby applying a bending force to the diametrically outer portions thereof to thus bend the flapper and raise the edges thereof a shown in fig1 to permit a high volume flow of water as depicted by the directional arrows 101 upwardly into the cup 33 . as the full volume of water is passed upwardly through the filter device 71 , as for instance 16 ounces thereof , while the cup device is pressed downwardly through its full stroke , the cup 33 will be filled with filtered water ready for consumption . as the end of the downward stroke is reached , the other portion of the lip 51 will flex and snap over the upper edge of the bell section 51 to draw the cup apparatus into place within the receptacle for a secure joinder . the filtered water is then available for ready consumption , and , if desirable , the cap 81 ( fig1 and 14 ) may be snapped down into place over the lip 53 to close the top of the cup portion while making the filtered water available for consumption by merely lifting the lever 91 to unplug the stub tube 87 for ready access to the water . in the meantime , it will be appreciated that when the pressure in the filter chamber has been reduced , the memory of the material in the flapper will cause it to return to its horizontal position shown in fig4 to be disposed in overlying sealing relationship over the ports 49 to thus act somewhat as a check valve to prevent flow of water back downwardly and to the filter compartment . thus , in those many instances where users add energy or flavoring substances to the filtered water , the filter will be isolated from those substances to thus prevent contamination and clogging of the filter and protect the long life thereof . if desirable , the cup apparatus may be removed from the exterior receptacle and will be available for transporting the filtered water about as desired by the user . it should also be noted that , when the cup apparatus is retained in the receptacle 23 as shown in fig4 , once the filtered water has been consumed , the cup assembly 21 may be rapidly withdrawn by the user grasping the overhang of the rib 53 to draw it vertically upwardly as the wall of the cup defining the bell mouth 51 is flexed inwardly to allow for release , thereby freeing the cup assembly to be lifted relative to the receptacle . it will be appreciated that this action will cause a partial vacuum to be generated beneath the lower grill 67 , thereby applying a pressure differential across the poppet valve 49 , causing such poppet valve to be raised off its seat for introduction of atmospheric air to thereby break the partial vacuum and free the cup assembly to be drawn quickly and rapidly upwardly to be removed from the receptacle for refill of the receptacle itself . when the apparatus is emptied and it is desired to wash the cup apparatus , it can be placed directly in an automatic dishwasher or the like and tests have proven that the isolation device , filter and components will accommodate the heat and environment of such a dishwasher and will be available for subsequent . from the foregoing it will be appreciated that the self - filtering portable bottle apparatus of the present is economical to manufacture , efficient to use and offers the flexibility of allowing the user to supplement his or her drink with additives and supplements without concern for clogging the filter to thereby provide for a long and trouble free life . the invention may be embodied in other forms without departure from the spirit and essential characteristics thereof . the embodiments described therefore are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive . although the present invention has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments , other embodiments that are apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art are also within the scope of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention is intended to be defined only by reference to the appended claims . | 0 |
the present invention relates to a novel versatile clothing system for a woman that includes five basic components a , b , c , d and e . these are a . a tank dress , b . a tube dress , c . a large scarf , d . leggings and e . a long sleeve jacket . these basic components expand into at least forty - one different combinations suitable for many different types of activities . each of the five components can be used in different modes . for example , the scarf can be used for accent , as at top and as a skirt . the dresses can be worn long or short , and the long sleeve jacket can be worn different ways . fig1 shows the first basic component , a tank dress that will be called a . as can be seen , this is a typical sleeveless tank dress with thin shoulder straps . fig2 shows the second basic component , a tube dress that will be called b . this is a typical tube that can be worn short or long . fig3 shows the third basic component , a scarf that will be called c . this is a fairly wide , long scarf that is large enough to also act as a top or skirt . fig4 shows the fourth basic component , leggings that will be called d . this is a standard pair of leggings or pants . fig5 shows the fifth basic component , a long sleeve jacket or shirt that will be called e . this component can be used to cover the arms whenever that feature is needed . it is used in most of the evening wear combinations . while all the combinations of the present invention can be made from these five components , there are other possible combinations not shown . any combination whatsoever of these five components is within the scope of the present invention . in some cases , a small extra component can be added to any of the combinations presented . these cases are also within the scope of the present invention . fig6 shows a cami outfit made from a + d . the tank worn long is paired with the leggings . fig7 shows a twist leg set made from c + d . the scarf is used as a twisted top ( wrapped left to right and around ) paired with the leggings . fig8 shows a twist ord set made from c + d + e . the scarf is used as a twist top to the leggings as in fig7 . the long sleeve jacket is added for evening or when arm covering is needed . fig9 shows a sunny day outfit made from a + c + d . the tank is worn long with the leggings . the scarf is used for accent . fig1 shows a crop legger set made from c + d + e . the scarf is used as a cropped tube top . this is paired with the leggings covered with the long jacket . fig1 shows a legger set made from c + d + e . the scarf is used as a un - cropped tube top paired with the leggings and the long jacket . fig1 shows a lavea set made from c + d + e . the long sleeved jacket is used as a shirt paired with leggings and accented with the long scarf . fig1 shows a vacation set made from d + e . the long sleeved jacket is used as a shirt paired with the leggings . fig1 shows a shoulder set made from d + e . the long sleeved jacket is worn off one shoulder paired with the leggings . fig1 shows a combo travel set made from a + d + e . the tank is pared with leggings covered by the long sleeved jacket . fig1 shows a leg tank set made from c + d . the scarf is used as a tube top paired with the leggings . fig1 shows an ord set made from c + d . the scarf is used as a tube top paired with the leggings . fig1 shows versago jr set made from b + c . the scarf is worn short as a tube top with the paired with the tube dress worn short . fig1 shows a jr . islander set made from b + c + e . the scarf is worn short as a tube top with the paired with the tube dress worn short combined with the long sleeve jacket . fig2 shows a jr . fashion travel set made from b + c + e . the scarf is worn as a long tube top with the tube dress worn short and the long sleeved jacket . fig2 shows a jr . dress made from b + c . the scarf is worn as a long tube top with the tube dress worn as a short skirt . fig2 shows a jr . twist set made from b + c . the scarf is worn as a twist top with the tube dress worn as a short skirt . fig2 shows jr . twist dress made from b + c . the scarf is worn as a twist top with the tube dress worn long . fig2 shows a short dress made from c + b . the tube dress is worn as a short dress with the scarf as accent . fig2 shows a jr . short dress using b alone . this is the same as fig2 with no scarf . fig2 shows a jr . jacket set made from b + c + e . the tube dress is worn short with the scarf covered with the long jacket . fig2 shows an athena set made from b + e . the tube dress is worn short with the long jacket . fig2 shows a cami girl set made from b + c + e . the tube dress is worn short with the scarf as a belt covered by the long jacket . fig2 shows a katie set made from b + e . the tube dress is worn long paired with the long sleeved jacket . fig3 shows a cami scarf set made from a + b + c . the tank top is used with the tube dress worn short accented with the scarf . fig3 shows a versago tank made from b + e . the long sleeve jacket is worn off one shoulder as a shirt with the tube dress worn short . fig3 shows an original travel dress made from b + c + e . the tube dress is worn long covered by the long sleeved jacket with the scarf for accent . fig3 shows a cami belt set made from a + b + c . the tank dress is worn as a top with the tube dress worn short and the scarf as a belt . fig3 shows a happy skirt made from a + c . the tank dress is worn as a top with the scarf as a skirt . fig3 shows tube dress made from b alone . the tube dress is worn alone long . fig3 shows a happy skirt made from a + c + e . the tank is worn as a top with the scarf as a skirt covered by the long sleeved jacket . fig3 shows a tube run dress made from b + c . the tube dress is worn long with the scarf as a belt . fig3 shows a twist dress made from b + c . the scarf is worn as a twist top with the tube dress worn long . fig3 shows a versago dress made from b + c + e . the scarf is worn as a twist top with the tube dress worn long as in fig3 covered with the long sleeved jacket . here the scarf and the tube dress both cover the top . fig4 shows an island dress made from b + e . the tube dress is worn long with the long sleeved jacket . fig4 shows a travel dress made from b + c + e . the tube dress is worn long with the scarf as a belt covered by the long sleeved jacket . fig4 shows a combo athena cami made from e + b . the long sleeved jacket is worn as a long skirt open showing the tube dress worn as a short skirt . fig4 shows a tye set made from d + e . the long sleeve jacket is worn as a top with the leggings . fig4 shows a love set made from a + e . the tank dress is worn as a top with the long sleeved jacket worn as a long skirt . fig4 shows a sun fun set made from c + e . the scarf is worn as a top with the long sleeved jacket as a skirt . fig4 shows a scarf set made from e + c . the scarf is worn as a skirt with the long sleeved jacket as a top . as the above descriptions show , there are many variations and themes that can be worn from the five basic components useful for all types of wear from the beach to evening wear . it should be noted that there are many other combinations that can be made from the five basic components which have not been shown . these are within the scope of the present invention . the present invention allows a woman traveler to pack only 5 items for weeks of fun . for extended trips , the present invention is particularly useful because some of the basic components can be worn while others are being laundered . these can then be switched so the that the remaining components can be laundered . several descriptions and illustrations have been presented that aid in understanding the present invention . one with skill in the art will realize that numerous changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . each of these changes and variations is within the scope of the present invention . | 0 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a customer problem is the difference between the customer &# 39 ; s expectation and the provider &# 39 ; s or the product &# 39 ; s performance . total customer satisfaction can be achieved by the elimination of customer problems . an exemplary customer satisfaction system is shown in fig1 and referred to by reference numeral 100 . system 100 includes query module 10 , analysis module 20 , storage 34 , report generating module 32 , and one or more problem solvers 50 . in this embodiment , the customer satisfaction system 100 communicates with customers 40 via the internet . alternatively , the customer satisfaction system 100 could be installed on a local intranet , for example , if a business unit such as the information technology group wished to measure satisfaction of its internal corporate customers . in system 100 , query module communicates with customers using email . query module 10 automatically sends out queries in the form of an email to customers according to a predetermined schedule . the predetermined schedule may be any period , such as weekly ( for new accounts ), monthly ( for established accounts ), every fifteen days , etc . the query asks the customer if they have any problems . query module 10 receives responses from customers which are then sent to the analysis module 20 . analysis module 20 determines if a customer has a problem . if the customer has a problem , the analysis module 20 sends the problem to an appropriate problem solver 50 . the problem solver is responsible for finding a solution to the customer &# 39 ; s problem . the problem solver may be requested to commit to a particular date for problem solution , which date may be transmitted to the customer . when the problem solver has a solution , the problem solver sends the solution to the analysis module , which records the solution and time of completion . the analysis module then sends the solution to the query module which sends it to the customer . alternatively , the problem solver could transmit the solution directly to the customer , with a copy to the analysis module for tracking . the analysis module 20 schedules a follow up to be sent by the query module 10 to the customer to verify that the solution has been sent if the problem solver transmitted it directly and if the solution solved the customer &# 39 ; s problem . if the customer responds that the problem has not been solved or portions still remain unsolved , the query module forwards the follow up response to the analysis module , which forwards it to the problem solver for further solution . the customer satisfaction system may be implemented using standard helpdesk type software , uniquely modified to periodically contact product or service users , gather , record , and route problems immediately to designated problem solvers , register their commitment to a solution date , confirm their solution on that date ; and then verify solution with the user reporting the problem . system 100 includes storage 34 for storing a record of all queries , customer responses , solutions , follow up , verifications and any other information appropriate to the customer . from storage 34 , system 100 can generate reports in report generator 32 of customer problems , solutions , time of resolution and other information pertinent to the customer . information stored in storage 34 can be used by other organizations in the provider . for example , an engineering group could search the problems in storage 34 for similarities , identifying possible problems in a particular area of the product . management could use the stored information to verify that problem solvers are working effectively , to identify needs for new or different types of problem solvers . a method of ensuring customer satisfaction is shown in fig2 . in step 202 , an account representative or owner contacts the customer to ask if the customer wants to participate in the customer satisfaction system . depending on the owner of the customer satisfaction system , participation may be voluntary or not . in step 204 , the customer must provide an email address where he / she may be contacted . in step 206 , the provider sends an email survey to the customer . it is anticipated that in most cases , all customers will be sent email surveys . fig3 is an exemplary initial email survey . this survey provides a simple yes or no response ( by clicking the on the face icons ). if the customer clicks on the no problems icon , that response is sent to the provider ( step 212 ) and a thank you screen is presented to the customer ( see fig6 ). the email survey shown in fig3 has html links so that the customer can go directly to online help , by clicking the http :// www . heyxerox . com link . if the customer has a problem and clicks on the problems icon , the customer is presented with a welcome screen as shown in fig4 . alternatively , if the customer clicks on the http :// www . heyxerox . com link , the same screen may be presented . this link may be used by the customer at any time , not just in response to a query ( step 210 ). the customer clicks on the “ click here to tell xerox about your problem ” link and the survey form shown in fig5 is displayed . this survey requests the customer to fill out information : name , address , email , account number , category of problem , make / model of product , severity of problem and a description in the customer &# 39 ; s own words of the problem . when the customer completes the form and clicks on the ok button , the thank you screen ( fig6 ) is displayed . in step 214 , the customer &# 39 ; s problem is routed via email to a problem solver . fig7 is an exemplary email transmitting a customer problem to a designated problem solver , which contains the date and description of the customer &# 39 ; s problem . when the problem solver solves the problem , the problem is reported ( step 216 ) both to the user and to the provider . in step 218 the solution is verified by the customer . most problem solvers will have many problems on their “ docket ” to solve . to facilitate communication and follow up on the customer satisfaction system , each problem solver is provided with an online account in which the system and problem solver can track progress on solutions . when a problem solver enters the system , an opening screen , such as shown on fig8 is displayed . the problem solver must enter a login name and password . after clicking on the ok button , a problem solver entrance page is displayed as shown in fig9 . this page lists the number of tickets ( i . e ., customer problems ) outstanding as well as other administrative items . for example , a search box is provided so the problem solver can search for various items , such as tickets having the same keyword , call up a particular ticket , etc . [ 0027 ] fig1 and 11 show a problem solver ticket update page for the problem reported in fig5 . this update page provide fields for the problem solver to track the problem , its progress , internal analysis , history of correspondence , etc . when the problem solver receives a new problem , a problem solver ticket is created . when the problem solver has solved the problem , he will enter the system and click yes to problem solved . this will generate an email to the customer stating that original problem , the problem solver &# 39 ; s solution and asking if the problem is now solved , yes or no . if the customer responds yes , the ticket is closed . if the customer responds no , the system will generate a new ticket with all the previous information attached and sends the ticket to the problem solver . referring again to fig2 when customer surveys are received ( step 214 ), these surveys can be used by the service or product provider for various purposes . the surveys may be used , for example , as an input to another system of information generation . for example , the customer surveys can be sent to a pattern recognition system 230 which can be used to select the particular problem solver to send the problem . however , the pattern recognition system can also use the customer survey information as input to a policy management system 250 , which provides input to a bonus system 252 and to a business policy adoption system 240 . account activity files 232 can also be used as input to the pattern recognition system 230 . survey information can also be input to a customer relations management ( crm ) database 324 , a problem reporting system 236 and a custom reporting system 238 . the customer satisfaction system ensures customer satisfaction by first identifying problems , solving the customer problems and having the customer verify that the problem has been solved . in addition to providing customer satisfaction , the customer satisfaction system offers the product and service provider a large amount of data which can be used to further the provider &# 39 ; s business . information outputs of the customer satisfaction system can be used to generate summary indexes of satisfaction ; problem prevalence and profiling ; problem solver performance ; problem clustering . for example , summary indexes of problems can be compared by problem type , by account , by entity , by product . problem solver performance can be compared ( e . g ., the percentage of reported problems solved by each problem solver ). problems can be analyzed for prevalence based on problem characteristics . additionally , the information from the customer satisfaction system can be used for problem valuation ; solution validation ; pattern insights . for example , solution validation can be used to determine the average revenue among accounts reporting problems solved . it is anticipated that with problems being solved , revenue would increase due to increased customer satisfaction . solutions to problems may be logged and analyzed for organizational learning . a direct link may be made from the customer to the account team without any filters . the account team will be able to have a direct effect on customer satisfaction . the customer satisfaction system ensures satisfied customers ; generates learning through direct contact ; fosters revenue ; encourages use of the information ; maximizes the value of the information ; minimizes costs through automation , enhances the provider &# 39 ; s image , and provide renewed employee ( provider ) morale . periodically , customers are surveyed and asked if they have any problems with the sponsoring vendor . if not , they are recorded as satisfied . if no , they are asked to openly describe their problem . each problem description is then conveyed to a designated problem solver , who responds until the problem is reported solved by the customer in a follow - up survey . conveyed problems and specified solutions are then reported by the system to the product or service provides , on a standard or customized basis . recurring patterns may be recognized to suggest fundamental policy improvements . problems may be codes as to type ( and other categories ). both problems and customer responses may be analyzed by a pattern recognition system ( such as one employing a neural net model ) to suggest proven solutions to problem solvers , and to identify patterns that should suggest preventative improvements in fundamental policies ; procedures ; organizational actions ; technology investments ; marketing strategies ; etc . the customer satisfaction system provides the unique ability to materially prove to customers its determination to ensure any reported problems will be documented and resolved rapidly , consistently , and systematically to their satisfaction ; and that recurring problems will be recognized and eliminated by prevention . this unique ability should increase customer confidence in the provider , loyalty to the provider and resulting in improved profits for the provider . the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments for convenience only . modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding this specification taken together with the drawings . the embodiments are but examples , and various alternatives , modifications , variations or improvements may be made by those skilled in the art from this teaching which are intended to be encompassed by the following claims . | 6 |
referring now to fig1 , shaft wall ( 2 ) that forms shaft ( 1 ) for lifting the car is set inside a building , and opening portion ( 2 a ) is formed as an exit / entrance to the car on shaft wall ( 2 ) at the height corresponding to each floor . inside shaft ( 1 ), a pair of first guide rails ( 3 a ), ( 3 b ) is set and fixed in the vertical direction with car ( 8 ) arranged between them for lifting movement . said pair of first guide rails ( 3 a ), ( 3 b ) has nearly t - shaped cross sections . said first guide rails ( 3 a ), ( 3 b ) are fitted in a freely sliding way in the corresponding slots of slotted guide shoes ( not shown in the figure ) and installed on the upper side and lower side of said car ( 8 ). as shown in fig1 , said pair of first guide rails ( 3 a ), ( 3 b ) are not set in a left / right symmetrical configuration with respect to car ( 8 ). instead , they are placed at approximately diagonal positions with car ( 8 ) arranged between them . consequently , first guide rail ( 3 a ) need not be set between car ( 8 ) and counterweight ( 5 ). as a result , the width of the shaft can be reduced corresponding to the thickness of first guide rail ( 3 a ) for a given car size . additionally , on the side of car ( 8 ), counterweight ( 5 ) is arranged so that it can rise freely via a pair of second guide rails ( 4 a ), ( 4 b ). said second guide rails ( 4 a ), ( 4 b ) also have approximately t - shaped cross sections . said second guide rails ( 4 a ), ( 4 b ) are fitted in a freely sliding way in the slots of slotted guide shoes ( not shown in the figure ) and installed on the upper side and lower side of counterweight ( 5 ). connecting platform ( 12 ) is arranged near the upper end portion of said pair of second guide rails ( 4 a ), ( 4 b ) with means for connecting and supporting said second guide rails ( 4 a ), ( 4 b ). hoist machine ( 10 ) is also supported on connecting platform ( 12 ). one end of each of the three drive ropes ( 7 ) is fastened to support member ( 6 ) that extends in the horizontal direction on the upper portion of first guide rail ( 3 b ). fig2 illustrates the structure of this area . reinforcing plate ( 13 ) is joined to first guide rail ( 3 b ) by means of plural bolts ( 14 ), and support member ( 6 ) is joined via reinforcing plate ( 13 ) on the upper portion of first guide rail ( 3 b ). support member ( 6 ) has a cantilevered structure . first joining portion ( 15 ) for holding one end of each of the three drive ropes ( 7 ) and upper sheave ( 19 ) of a governor for operating an emergency stopping device when the car falls at an abnormal speed are set on support member ( 6 ). because support member ( 6 ) has a cantilevered structure , for reinforcement , the two ends of brace member ( 17 ) are joined to reinforcing plate ( 13 ) and support member ( 6 ). because one end of each drive rope ( 7 ) is fastened through first joining portion ( 15 ) to support member ( 6 ) joined to first guide rail ( 3 b ), a bending load is applied on first guide rail ( 3 b ). however , since first guide rail ( 3 b ) and support member ( 6 ) are joined by means of brace member ( 17 ), the generation of bending deformation of first guide rail ( 3 b ) is reduced . as shown in fig1 ( b ), said drive rope ( 7 ) is wound on drive sheave ( 10 a ) of hoist machine ( 10 ) on connecting platform ( 12 ) through a pair of pulleys ( 9 a ), ( 9 b ) mounted on the lower side of car ( 8 ). the other end of drive rope ( 7 ) is wound on pulley ( 11 ) arranged on the upper portion of counterweight ( 5 ), and it is then fastened to the lower side of said connecting platform ( 12 ) through second joining portion ( 18 ). according to the present invention , a flat rope having a flat cross section is used as drive rope ( 7 ). by means of said flat rope , it is possible to reduce the outside diameters of drive sheave ( 10 a ) and pulley ( 11 ). since the outside diameters of drive sheave ( 10 a ), etc . are reduced , it is possible to reduce the size of hoist ( 10 ) and the brake ( not shown in the figure ). as a result , it is possible to reduce the dimensions of shaft ( 1 ). the flat rope has a flat cross section and is prepared by embedding a core material made of metal or synthetic fibers in a synthetic resin . it is lightweight , has long service life , and low extensibility . in addition , since the contact area between the flat rope and the drive sheave is large , the friction between them is high , so that there is no need to form slots on drive sheave ( 10 a ) to increase the friction . also , since there are no grooves , the load applied to the drive rope and drive sheave is reduced , and there is less wear than on a drive rope of the prior art made of metal with an approximately circular cross section . also , since the flat rope is lightweight , it is possible to reduce the adjusted load of the weight balance between the car and the counterweight in consideration of the weight of the drive rope when the lifting path becomes larger . also , one of said pair of first guide rails ( 3 a ), ( 3 b ) is arranged near one of said pair of second guide rails ( 4 a ), ( 4 b ) with counterweight ( 5 ) arranged between the rails . consequently , it is possible to share the joining members for fixing said guide rails in shaft ( 1 ), so that it is possible to reduce the number of the joining members and the manufacturing cost . also , by joining and integrating these guide rails , it is possible to increase their strength . by means of combining a constitution in which a pair of first guide rails ( 3 a ), ( 3 b ) are arranged at approximately diagonal positions with car ( 8 ) arranged between them , and a constitution in which a flat rope with a flat cross section is used as drive rope ( 7 ), it is possible to reduce the dimensions of shaft ( 1 ) in 2 stages , so that the dimensions of shaft ( 1 ) can be further reduced . referring now to fig3 , second embodiment of the present invention will be described . in this embodiment , as can be seen by comparing fig3 ( b ) and 1 ( b ), connecting platform ( 12 ) with hoist ( 10 ) is arranged in the space between the shaft wall and the space for lifting movement of car ( 8 ). this elevator differs from that shown in fig1 in that hoist machine ( 10 ) is absent in the space traversed by the lifting movement of car ( 8 ) and the space of its extended region . the height at which hoist ( 10 ) is set is such that when car ( 8 ) is positioned on the uppermost floor , said hoist is lower than the ceiling of car ( 8 ). as a result , it is possible to reduce the overhead dimensions , that is , the height from the floor surface of the uppermost floor of the building to the top of the shaft . also , maintenance personnel on top of the car can more easily service the hoist machine ( 10 ). in addition , as shown in fig3 ( b ), deflector wheel ( 21 ) is arranged on drive rope ( 7 ) between hoist machine ( 10 ) and counterweight ( 5 ). as a result , there is no danger of interference between drive rope ( 7 ) with other structural members set near the hoist machine ( 10 ). also , as another structural example , deflector wheel ( 22 ) may be set on drive rope ( 7 ) between the hoist machine ( 10 ) and car ( 8 ) as shown in fig4 ( a ), or deflector wheels ( 21 ), ( 22 ) may be arranged between hoist machine ( 10 ) and counterweight ( 5 ) and between hoist machine ( 10 ) and car ( 8 ), respectively , as shown in fig4 ( b ). fig5 is a diagram illustrating car frame ( 24 ) of car ( 8 ) according to the present invention . car frame ( 24 ) is composed of four upper frames ( 25 a )-( 25 d ) and four lower frames ( 26 a )-( 26 d ), and four vertical frames ( 27 a )-( 27 d ), and it has an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape . also , for reinforcement , brace member ( 28 ) is set in the diagonal direction of the upper frame portion , brace members ( 29 a ), ( 29 b ) are set in the diagonal direction of the vertical frame portion , and brace members ( 30 a ), ( 30 b ) are set in the lower frame portion . guide shoes ( 31 a ), ( 31 b ) and guide shoes ( 32 a ), ( 32 b ) are installed on the upper and lower sides in the approximately diagonal positions of car frame ( 24 ), and are fitted to first guide rails ( 3 a ), ( 3 b ) to slide freely . also , guide members ( 33 a ), ( 33 b ) with slots for fitting of the third guide rail ( 23 ) for preventing derailment are installed on the upper and lower sides of car frame ( 24 ). ( 9 a ), ( 9 b ) are pulleys installed on the left and right sides of the lower portion of car frame ( 24 ). an elevator car body ( not shown in the figure ) is contained inside car frame ( 24 ) with the aforementioned constitution to form car ( 8 ). as a result , even when first guide rails ( 3 a ), ( 3 b ) are set at approximately diagonal positions with car ( 8 ) arranged therebetween , it is possible to keep car ( 8 ) dimensionally stable against deviated load due to shifting cargo in car ( 8 ), etc . also , the number of drive ropes is not limited to three . four or more drive ropes may be used in correspondence to the length of the lifting path and the load of the car . as explained above , in the elevator of the present invention , by combining a constitution which has a pair of first guide rails arranged at approximately diagonal positions with the car arranged between them and a constitution using a flat rope with a flat cross section as the drive rope , it is possible to reduce the dimensions of the shaft in two stages , that is , it is possible to further reduce the dimensions of the shaft . | 1 |
as already mentioned , the use of adamantane derivatives is possible or conceivable in many cases of diseases of the inner ear . preferably , adamantane derivatives can be used in the case of inner ear diseases in which troublesome ear noise , so - called tinnitus occurs , especially in the case of treating such forms of tinnitus as chronic tinnitus , subacute tinnitus or also acute permanent tinnitus , since it is just these patients that require intensive therapy . in addition to other inner ear diseases those in which tinnitus occurs often involving loss of hearing ( deafness ) are concerned . in a tinnitus occurrence this loss of hearing lies in the frequency range of the tinnitus , the impaired hearing being associated with a so - called positive recruitment and / or ( amplitude ) reduction or failure of otoacoustic emissions . the so - called positive recruitment is a phenomenon in audiometry when a comparison of the loudness is undertaken in the case of one - sided deafness . in the case of positive recruitment a slight amplification is needed in the ear impaired in hearing to prompt the same loudness sensitivity as for the healthy ear , i . e . the loss in hearing is compensated by increasing loudness . the so - called otoacoustic emissions are noise events occurring in the external canal having to do with the condition of the middle ear or inner ear . otoacoustic emissions may occur spontaneously , i . e . without the ear receiving external stimulation or also being evoked externally , for example with the aid of a sound emitter . both the occurrence of positive recruitment and the reduction or failure of otoacoustic emissions can be measured and thus an inner ear dysfunction assigned to the patients concerned . should a patient be inflicted simultaneously with a tinnitus and a reduction in hearing in the corresponding frequency range of the tinnitus associated with a positive recruitment and / or reduction or failure of otoacoustic emissions , it can be concluded that an impairement or dysfunction of the outer hair cells and its cochlear amplifier is involved . since this dysfunction is improved or eliminated by the use in accordance with the invention a new active mechanism must be at the bottom of it all which is not in keeping with applications for adamantane derivatives known hitherto . it is known that , for example , no nmda receptors exist on the outer hair cells thus eliminating any antagonistic effect for such receptors . a glutamate otoneurotoxicity as postulated by ehrenberger / felix does not come into question since glutamate is non - toxic for hair cells . one possible explanation may be that the adamantane derivatives directly affect other receptors present on the outer hair cells , for example , purine receptors and acetylcholine receptors . in addition to this , there are indications as to a further mechanism which relates to the effect of adamantane derivatives with subsequent steps in stimulation transmission by which the adamantane derivatives may obstruct the cation transporter relaying the return transport of neurotransmitters from the synaptic gap in the presynapse , resulting in a depletion of the neurotransmitter in the efferent presynapsis and thus ( indirectly ) in reduced stimulation of receptors . this mechanism developing at the presynapse , i . e . before the synaptic gap could be effective in the form described along the full hearing passage up to the auditory cortex . formula i adamantane derivatives can be employed as described by the formula or preferably in the form of their pharmaceutically acceptable salts , hydrobromides , sulphates , acetates , succinates , tartrates , for example , or , more particularly , the hydrochlorides belonging to these additional salts . likewise , other salts as usual may be represented and employed . the quantity of the adamantane derivatives used is normally not critical , it materializing for the person skilled in the art as usual from values gained from experience or by implementing trial and error tests prior to application . expediently the quantities used are typically between approximately 0 . 01 and approximately 100 mg / kg body - weight , preferably from approximately 0 . 1 to approximately 1 mg / kg body - weight , whereby quantities of approximately 0 . 1 to approximately 0 . 5 mg / kg body - weight are preferred in the last - mentioned range . as mentioned , the invention covers the use of all formula i amino adamantanes for treatment of diseases of the inner ear . examples of such compounds are listed , for example , in ep - b1 - 392059 , the contents of which are accordingly made that of the present description . preferred formula i compounds are those in which r1 and r2 signify hydrogen h and compounds in which r5 and , more particularly , additionally r1 and r2 signify the hydrogen residue . in the already cited preferred compounds and also in other formula i compounds the residues r3 and r4 are optionally a methyl or ethyl residue . one particularly preferred compound employable in accordance with the invention is memantine , i . e . 1 - amino - 3 . 5 - dimethyladamantane or the hydrochloride thereof , memantine hcl . this compound or its salt is particularly suitable for the treatment of diseases of the inner ear , especially in treating tinnitus . the invention otherwise involves also a method of treating diseases of the inner ear in which an effective quantity of an adamantane derivative having the general formula i is administered . a corresponding method is suitable , more particularly , for the treatment of tinnitus , reference being made to the particular aspects of the administration already described as regards the compounds employable and the quantities used . one preferred embodiment of the use in accordance with the invention materializes from the description of a clinical application example described in the following , whereby the individual features resulting therefrom may be achieved singly or in combination with each other . in a prospective clinical case control study 104 patients were treated with a drug containing the adamantane derivative 1 - amino - 3 . 5 - dimethyl adamantane ( memantine ). all patients suffered from a cochlear tinnitus associated with deafness in the frequency range in which the tinnitus occurred . a positive recruitment and a significant amplitude reduction or failure of otoacoustic emissions existed as diagnosed by usual audiometric methods . the treated group of patients totalling 104 in number comprised patients having chronic tinnitus , subacute tinnitus and acute permanent tinnitus . the medicament used was the preparation akatinol memantine &# 34 ; of the company merz & amp ; co ., gmbh & amp ; co , frankfurt am main . the active substance of this preparation is memantine hcl along with lactose , magnesium stearate , polyaminoethacrylate , among other things , as the usual pharmaceutical media and expedients . such pharmaceutical media and expedients may be present , of course , as usual in all embodiments of the invention so that they can be administered , for example , in the form of tablets , dragees , sterile solutions or injections . in the clinical study the patients were administered the active substance initially by infusions . up to the 5th day they received typically a quantity of 10 mg / d ( daily ), this quantity being increased to 20 mg / d as of the 6th day . depending on the patient concerned an abrupt improvement in the complaints occurred between the 6th and 8th day in the group of those responding to treatment . the infusion treatment was continued until the 10th day with a quantity of 20 mg / d . as of the 10th day two tablets , each containing 10 mg of the active substance memantine hcl were administered . in some cases the dose was higher , without , however , ever exceeding a quantity of maximally 30 mg / d . in the study long - term compensation of tinnitus was achieved in the case of approximately 72 % of patients having chronic tinnitus , 82 % having subacute tinnitus and in all patients having acute permanent tinnitus . although in the majority of the cases two 10 mg tablets needed to be administered daily continually to maintain the effect a few patients remained free of symptoms even after ceasing application of the preparation . the study already clearly shows , however , a considerable improvement as compared to known attempts of therapy indicating as a rule only a temporary relief despite permanent medication . in this context the advantages of the invention are evident directly in comparison with a control group of patients treated with the preparation lidocaine as already mentioned . this group too , showed the inner ear dysfunction with chronic tinnitus , subacute tinnitus or acute permanent tinnitus . thus , the proportion of patients in which a significant improvement occurred between the 6th and 10th day was significantly less in the case of lidocaine administration . | 0 |
one example ocr device for which retrieval performance needs to be improved is a proprietary “ projectorbox ” system . the principles that apply to the projectorbox in the description below , however , can also apply to other types of ocr devices . the projectorbox was created to automatically capture lectures for students , instructors , and educational institutions . after capturing lectures , the projectorbox indexes and manages presentation multimedia . it operates continuously to record the red - green - blue ( rgb ) information sent from presentation devices , such as an instructor &# 39 ; s laptop or display devices such as a projector , for example . the projectorbox system consists of two main components , the capture component and the server . the capture component seamlessly captures high - resolution slide images , text , and audio . in addition to the video and audio capture hardware , the capture component consists of a software application that periodically transmits data to the server for further analysis and storage . the capture component sends images to the server , and audio clips are recorded from an external microphone and stored on the server as a compressed mp3 file . a web - based user interface on the server allows students to browse , search , replay , and export captured presentations . the projectorbox allows students to retrieve lectures based on content and access captured media non - linearly , as opposed to having to play through sequential video . captured media is accessed non - linearly through the use of queries on the web - based user interface . as a result , ocr is applied to slide images to extract text and create a full - text index to enable searching and non - linear access by the students . fig1 illustrates example histograms of the number of slides that match “ hilbert ” and “ hubert ” for an example corpus of slides , according to embodiments . the projectorbox has acquired and performed ocr on almost 200 , 000 images using ocr software . systematic errors in recognition exist for ocr text from the projectorbox . the occurrence of terms as recognized by the projectorbox can be charted over time as a histogram . in the example of fig3 , the term “ hilbert ” appears in many of the slides in the corpus of slides . the term “ hubert ” does not appear in the slides , however . the top row of histograms shows the number of slides that the projectorbox correctly matched as “ hilbert .” the bottom row of histograms shows the number of slides containing “ hilbert ” that the projectorbox incorrectly matched as “ hubert .” “ hilbert ” is much more often misrecognized by the projectorbox software as “ hubert ” ( 307 times ) instead of the correct “ hilbert ” ( 46 times ). in this particular example , a user querying ocr data captured by the projectorbox with the query term “ hilbert ” would miss most of the relevant results . the material captured by the projectorbox system is different than that captured by the related art in several ways . first , most queries ( 89 %) sent to projectorbox contain only one or two terms . out of 3275 queries received by projectorbox in 2005 , 1619 ( 49 %) had one term ( 40 %) had two terms . second , the “ documents ” used with the projectorbox are very short because they are slides , such as slides used for microsoft powerpoint ® presentations in classroom lectures . fig2 illustrates on an example graph showing the average number of words on a slide per year for the fig1 example corpus of slides used with the projectorbox for eight years , according to embodiments . the example corpus contains 50 , 917 slides . from the graph , it can be seen that the average number of words per slide is thirty - two . third , terms routinely appear only once in a document . the lack of redundant terms in the slides means that for each term , the ocr is likely processing the term for the first time . thus , this lack of term redundancy does not improve the effective ocr performance . fourth , identical , or nearly identical , documents are common . this means that the size and position of text boxes within a slide can be used to associate recovered text boxes from multiple slides . the associated text boxes can be grouped together for presentation to the user who performed a query . to improve image retrieval accuracy , query size matters because longer queries make it possible for the search engine to match documents in which one or more of the query terms can be found , even if not all terms in the query are found in a particular document . query size is the number of terms in the query . further , document size matters . if the user searches for “ information ,” a long document is more likely to contain many instances of “ information ,” and thus it is more likely that some of these instances are being correctly recognized . in the case of the projectorbox , terms generally occur only once per document because slides are generally short documents . thus , if a document contains just one instance of “ information ,” the document will not be retrieved for the user if the only instance of “ information ” is misrecognized by the ocr software . in order to correct the problem of misrecognized words in an image document by an ocr software , text converted from image documents run through the ocr software is first indexed using n - grams . an n - gram is a sub - sequence of a number “ n ” items from a given sequence of items . for example “ a big cat ” can be decomposed into the following ten bigrams , or “ 2 - grams ,” for indexing : “ _a ”, “ a_ ”, “ _b ”, “ bi ”, “ ig ”, “ g_ ”, “ _c ”, “ ca ”, “ at ”, and “ t_ ”, where “ _ ” represents a word boundary . when a user performs a query for “ a big cat ,” for example , n - gram indexing improves recall , meaning that n - gram indexing increases the number of correctly retrieved documents containing the query terms . for these same query terms , however , n - gram indexing also unfortunately lowers precision because n - gram indexing also increases the number of incorrectly retrieved documents . again , the precision loss is not large if the query size , meaning the number of words in the query , is large enough . the larger the query size , the more evidence there is that the query succeeded in retrieving the right document . in embodiments , however , most of the queries are very short . n - gram indexing is also used in phonetic - based search engines used to retrieve sound and speech . in fig1 , without the n - gram indexing , a user searching for “ hilbert ,” would see an under - estimation of the distribution of the term “ hilbert ” in the corpus . with n - gram indexing , the user would see an over - estimation of the distribution of the term “ hilbert ” in the corpus . although bigram indexing is used in the example above , in embodiments , n - gram indexing can be used for any positive number “ n .” it is unreasonable to expect the user to craft searches that can overcome this problem , as it is very unlikely that the user will think about using “ hubert ” instead of “ hilbert .” thus , it would be desirable if the system could automatically suggest alternatives . spelling - checker systems have been designed to do just that . these systems suggest likely alternates to a misspelled word . with alternate words , the query can then be expanded to retrieve more documents , thus potentially improving recall of the system . however , to keep precision high , the suggested terms must be well chosen . choosing the right suggestion is not a problem if the query terms are simply misspelled by the user , and if the corpus contains the right spellings for the query terms . for example , if a user performs a query using the term “ lettice ,” which is not in the corpus , and if the corpus contains the term “ lettuce ,” a system can choose the suggestion “ lettuce ” and present it to the user as a suggested query term . users often have no problem realizing that their query was misspelled , and they can easily pick the right suggestions . for the projectorbox , however , the query terms are likely well spelled , but the corpus is likely to be “ noisy ” with misrecognized words . for example , if a user performs a query “ hilbert ,” the projectorbox will not retrieve misrecognized instances of hilbert in the corpus , and not all of the documents containing hilbert will be retrieved for the user . the projectorbox could make suggestions to the user , but many of these suggestions will be nonsense words because they are misrecognized words , such as “ iformtion ” for “ information .” it can be very difficult for the user to decide whether or not the suggestions make sense . fig3 shows example text suggestions as recognized by projectorbox ocr software from the example corpus of fig1 for the query term “ hilbert ,” according to embodiments . the number that appears after the text suggestion is the number of times the term appears in the corpus . if a user performs a query for “ hilbert ,” suggestions the projectorbox might make are shown in fig3 . many nonsense words appear in these suggestions , such as “ kimber ,” “ 1 - filbert ,” “ ilbert ,” and “ dhiibert ” in the first two rows . a user can not possibly pick the “ correct ” suggestions if the text of these suggestions is shown . fig4 shows example word image versions of some of the fig3 text suggestions , according to embodiments . the projectorbox presents these word images to the user as suggestions instead of presenting to the user text suggestions that correspond to correctly recognized and misrecognized words . a word image is basically a portion of ocr data that shows a word in a single slide . the ocr software provides the position of the text word on the slide images so that a cropped region around the text word can be displayed to the user instead of the entire original image and instead of the text word as recognized by the ocr software . for a user presented with the list of word images in fig4 , selecting the correct suggestions is arguably much easier than selecting the correct text suggestions of fig3 . the user is still overwhelmed with many images , however . fig5 shows an example larger set of word image versions of the fig3 text suggestions , according to embodiments . fig5 shows that many of the misrecognized text suggestions for “ hilbert ” of fig3 can be correctly shown as “ hilbert ” word images in fig5 . fig5 also shows that others of the suggestions are correctly recognized words other than “ hilbert ,” such as “ dogbert ” and “ alpert ” from fig3 , that are presented to the user as word image suggestions . for the “ hilbert ” query example , fig5 also shows an example 467 word image suggestions that a user would have to sort through if the word images are not grouped . ocr software can misrecognize a given word in many ways . the number of misspellings also increases with the word length . for example , “ information ” is misrecognized in more ways than “ add .” showing all the word image suggestions for longer words can then be overwhelming for a user , as the software can typically present the user with hundreds of word image suggestions . the ocr software groups several suggestions under the same image representation , effectively reducing the list of word images that the user needs to browse . to find the similarity between word images , grouping is performed using several similarity measures . fig6 shows example resulting word image suggestions after grouping the fig5 word image suggestions by location , according to embodiments . after grouping word image suggestions by location , the number of images the user has to review is greatly reduced , from 467 in fig5 to 107 in fig6 . this first similarity measure is based on position of the word image within a slide . two word images are similar if their strings are recognized by the ocr software as identical and their bounding box positions overlap on their respective slides by more than a given threshold . the bounding box is the box around the word image , or the cropped region of the slide image that includes the text word . the bounding box position is defined by ( x , y ) coordinates of the center of the word image within the slide image , in addition to the height and width of the word image . in embodiments , eighty percent is the given threshold , but this percentage can be any percentage . fig7 shows example resulting word image suggestions after grouping the fig6 word image suggestions by textual context , according to embodiments . this second similarity measure reduces the number of word image suggestions from the example 107 in fig6 to the example 39 in fig7 . this second similarity measure is based on the textual similarity of the word images in the context of their respective slides . for example , because “ david hilbert ” and “ david hilbert ” share the same left context “ david ,” the grouping of the corresponding two word images “ hilbert ” is performed . in another example , because “ don hilbert is ” and “ david hilbert does ” do not share either left or right contexts , the grouping of the corresponding two word images “ hilbert ” is not performed . fig8 shows example resulting word image suggestions after grouping the fig7 word image suggestions by image similarity , according to embodiments . this third similarity measure reduces the number of word image suggestions from the example 39 in fig7 to the example 33 in fig8 . current techniques can be used to perform image similarity . for example , in embodiments , two images are considered similar if their total pixel - by - pixel difference is less than some threshold . in another example , in embodiments , two images are considered similar if the number of pixels differing between the images is less than some proportion of the total pixels . in embodiments , a pixel is considered to differ between two images if the mean square difference between the pixels exceeds some threshold . in embodiments , for performance reasons , word images and their similarities can be pre - computed for frequent words or frequently queried words . in other embodiments , the list of word image suggestions can further by reduced if grouping is allowed across misrecognized words . in this case , grouping using the textual context works best . for example , suppose a misrecognized word is “ txt ” instead of “ text .” suppose “ txt ” appears in “ the txt is good ” in a first slide and also appears in “ the txt is good ” in a second slide . the word image for “ txt ” is shown for only one of the two slides , not both of them . the assumption is that these two “ txt ” terms are very likely to be the same terms because they were surrounded by the same context (“ the ” . . . “ is good ”) in both slides . thus , if the user chooses to correct the word image , the user only need to correct one of the two word images because only one of the word images is shown to the user . fig9 a and 9b show example resulting word image suggestions after scaling the fig7 word image suggestions , according to embodiments . before presenting the word images to the user , the word images are first scaled to the same size , allowing faster skimming by the user of the word images . in fig9 a , the boxes from fig7 have been scaled to the same width and height . the boxes from fig8 could have been used in fig9 a instead , but for illustrative purposes , the boxes from fig7 were used in this example . in fig9 b , the boxes from fig7 have been scaled to the same height only . for illustrative purposes , however , only a representative selection of the boxes from fig7 is shown in fig9 b . fig1 shows an example reduced number of resulting word image suggestions after choosing a representative word image suggestion for each distinct suggestion of fig9 a , according to embodiments . the 39 images of fig9 a correspond to 17 different suggestions , as shown in fig1 . by picking one image word for each suggestion , we can further reduce the number of images shown to the user . in embodiments , the user interface allows users to see the actual list of images inside each group and expand the group if needed . the grouping of images can be imperfect , which is a good reason for the popup window . in fig1 , for example , the grouping of images was imperfect , as can be seen in the popup window , showing different suggestions “ hilbert &# 39 ; s ” and “: hilbert .” visualizing the group can be done using a popup window upon the user moving the mouse over the group representative . visualizing the group can also be implemented by linking the mouse position to images in the group . if a user clicks on a group , the images inside each group are expanded into the flat list , or layout , at the mouse position , in a similar manner as adding words to a sentence using a word processor . in embodiments , word images can be sorted using different criteria , then displayed to the user in a particular order based on the sorting . in embodiments , the sorting criteria can be based on the number of slides that map to a specific word image , as users are probably more interested in suggestions that have the highest impact on recall . in embodiments , the sorting criteria can be based on the size of the image words on the actual slide / document . users might be less interested about suggestions for tiny word images , as they might be less important in the context of the slides than larger word images . in embodiments , the system ranks the suggestions and displays the number of slides or documents that contain a particular suggestion . a word image suggestion that will result in retrieving a hundred more images , for example , if the user selects it has more “ impact ” on the system than a word image suggestion that will result in retrieving only one additional image , for example . because the user &# 39 ; s task is to quickly improve recall of the system by selecting suggestions , it is useful to indicate to the user what effect on recall a particular suggestion will have . the ranking of the suggestions allows the user to determine the most important suggestions in terms of their direct effect on recall because the rank numbers show the number of slides or documents that will be added to the query results after the user chooses a particular suggestion . the sorting of suggestions also helps the user determine the most important suggestions . the user interface of the projectorbox software allows users such as students to interface with the projectorbox through the interne on their home computers or laptops . through the user interface , users can query the system for their instructors &# 39 ; slides , select word image suggestions , and retrieve a resulting group of their instructors &# 39 ; slides , as discussed above . a user can click on a word image suggestion to select it and can click again on a word image suggest to deselect it . fig1 shows an example screenshot of the projectorbox user interface that allows users to exclude misrecognized terms from a query result list , according to embodiments . the users can also include correctly recognized terms from the query result list using the projectorbox user interface . when a user interacts with the projectorbox user interface 110 , there are cases where the user wants to exclude slides from the results of a query . for example , the user performs a query using the search term “ hubert ” in the query text field 120 of the projectorbox user interface 110 . if the query returns to the user some slide images containing “ hilbert ,” such as image 130 , the user quickly sees that the slide is about “ hilbert ,” not “ hubert .” the user can choose to exclude these misrecognized images from their results . the user can exclude this term from the result list by clicking directly on the highlighted part of the image thumbnail “ hilbert ” 140 . fig1 shows how an example “ rubber band ” tool selects a subset of example word image suggestions , according to embodiments . a user can select images for a result set of word image suggestions by clicking on them or by dragging a “ rubber band ” to select more than one image , as shown by the dotted box selecting the first five word image suggestions of fig1 . query results selected by the user are added to the result set . alternatively , “ accept ” and “ reject ” buttons or checkboxes are associated with suggestion images to allow both adding and excluding of suggestion result images . in embodiments , the system can keep track of users &# 39 ; selected suggestions . information regarding query terms , associated user - excluded word image suggestions , and associated user - included word image suggestions can be saved to the system . in embodiments , the system can automatically correct the text based on these selected suggestions . for the “ hilbert ” query term example , for all instances of “ hilbert ” that the system misrecognizes as “ hubert ,” if a user selects a “ hilbert ” suggestion that corresponds to text “ hubert ,” the system can replace misrecognized text “ hubert ” with “ hilbert .” suggestions selected by users can be used to re - rank the list of suggestions . over time , the quality of the corpus increases , and users spend less time selecting suggestions . fig1 illustrates an example table showing for multiple query terms the slides in which they were found , according to embodiments . when a user &# 39 ; s query contains multiple terms , the suggestion technique is applied to each term . because the default behavior in projectorbox is to perform an and of query terms , suggestions are eliminated that do not co - occur with the suggestions of all other terms , where suggestions include the original spellings of the query terms . for example , if the query is “ information retrieval ,” the projectorbox returns suggestions for variations of “ information ” and for variations of “ retrieval .” fig1 shows that original query term “ information ” appears , or occurs , on slide number 7 . suggestion “ nformation ” appears on slide numbers 1 , 2 , and 5 . suggestion “ foriiation ” appears on slides 4 and 6 . similarly , original query term “ retrieval ” appears on slide number 1 . suggestion “ retrlval ” appears on slides 2 , 4 , and 8 , and suggestion “ retrival ” appears on slides 3 and 7 . fig1 illustrates an example table showing for the multiple query terms of fig1 , which slides are eliminated from query results , according to embodiments . only the candidates from slides that match a suggestion for each term are kept . in this example , slide numbers 3 , 5 , 6 , and 8 match a suggestion for only one of the original query terms . slide numbers 3 and 8 do not match a suggestion for “ information ,” as shown in column 2 . slide numbers 5 and 6 do not match a suggestion for “ retrieval ,” as shown in column 3 . thus , slides 3 , 5 , 6 , and 8 are eliminated from the query results . as shown in the fourth column , slide numbers 1 , 2 , 4 , and 7 are presented to the user as the results of the user &# 39 ; s query for “ information retrieval .” although the above solution was designed to improve retrieval for the ocr data captured by the projectorbox system , the solution can also be applied to other scanned document types . further , the solution can also be applied to data captured by other systems other than the projectorbox system . fig1 shows an example projectorbox system , according to embodiments . the system 200 typically includes one or more memories 210 , one or more processors 220 , and one or more storage devices or repositories 230 of some sort . the system 200 further includes software 240 that automatically captures multimedia from an instructor &# 39 ; s laptop or from a projector 250 , for example . the system 200 stores multimedia slide images 260 , text 270 , and audio 280 in the storage devices 230 . software 240 also indexes and manages presentation multimedia . further , software 240 includes a web - based user interface with which student users can interact from their home computers or laptops 290 through the internet to query the system for their instructors &# 39 ; slides , select word image suggestions , and retrieve a resulting group of their instructors &# 39 ; slides . embodiments of the present invention can include computer - based methods and systems which can be implemented using a conventional general purpose or a specialized digital computer ( s ) or microprocessor ( s ), programmed according to the teachings of the present disclosure . appropriate software coding can readily be prepared by programmers based on the teachings of the present disclosure . embodiments of the present invention can include a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform any of the features presented herein . embodiments of the present invention can include a computer readable medium , such as a computer readable storage medium . the computer readable storage medium can have stored instructions which can be used to program a computer to perform any of the features presented herein . the storage medium can include , but is not limited to , any type of disk including floppy disks , optical discs , dvds , cd - roms , microdrives , and magneto - optical disks , roms , rams , eproms , eeproms , drams , flash memory or any media or device suitable for storing instructions and / or data . the present invention can include software for controlling both the hardware of a computer , such as a general purpose / specialized computer ( s ) or microprocessor ( s ), and for enabling them to interact with a human user or other mechanism utilizing the results of the present invention . such software may include , but is not limited to , device drivers , operating systems , execution environments / containers , user interfaces , and user applications . embodiments of the present invention can include providing code for implementing processes of the present invention . the providing can include providing code to a user in any manner . for example , the providing can include transmitting digital signals containing the code to a user ; providing the code on a physical media to a user ; or any other method of making the code available . embodiments of the present invention can include a computer implemented method for transmitting the code which can be executed at a computer to perform any of the processes of embodiments of the present invention . the transmitting can include transfer through any portion of a network , such as the internet ; through wires , the atmosphere or space ; or any other type of transmission . the transmitting can include initiating a transmission of code ; or causing the code to pass into any region or country from another region or country . a transmission to a user can include any transmission received by the user in any region or country , regardless of the location from which the transmission is sent . embodiments of the present invention can include a signal containing code which can be executed at a computer to perform any of the processes of embodiments of the present invention . the signal can be transmitted through a network , such as the internet ; through wires , the atmosphere or space ; or any other type of transmission . the entire signal need not be in transit at the same time . the signal can extend in time over the period of its transfer . the signal is not to be considered as a snapshot of what is currently in transit . 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 . for example , steps performed in the embodiments of the invention disclosed can be performed in alternate orders , certain steps can be omitted , and additional steps can be added . it is to be understood that other embodiments of the invention can be developed and fall within the spirit and scope of the invention and claims . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application , thereby enabling others of ordinary skill in the relevant arts 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 following claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
the invention is based on the effect produced by a wedge when a force f acts on an inclined plane forming a certain angle to it ( fig1 ). the horizontal component fh of the force f causes the “ wedge ” ( which rests on a plane surface ) to slide in the same direction as the component fh . this movement will really take place provided that the sliding force ( f multiplied by the sliding coefficient between the wedge and the plane surface ) is smaller than the component fh , i . e . when the condition of movement of the main shaft is : in the motor mechanism of the invention , the force fh causes the main shaft of the motor to turn . the force f is generated in each of the engine &# 39 ; s pistons and is equal to : where p is the mean internal pressure of a piston , being d its diameter . based on this simple effect , in fig2 . it can be seen that , unlike conventional crankshafts which are angled , the proposed engine is mainly formed by a main shaft 1 which is in a straight line . on this straight shaft , there is a “ revolving track ” 2 at a certain angle to it , upon which the pistons transform their alternating straight line movement into a circular shaft movement . in fig3 point 3 is the position in which the piston 4 is at top dead center , whilst piston 5 is at bottom dead center 6 . when this occurs , pistons 7 and 8 are at the mid - point of their respective upward or downward strokes whilst the shaft turns clockwise . therefore , in fig3 the relative positions of a four - stroke engine with four cylinders are schematically shown . it may be seen that the sequence is such that , while two pistons , e . g . 4 and 7 are in their expansion stroke , the other two pistons 5 and 8 are in their exhaust stroke . while the pistons move in their expansion cycle in a straight line , they transmit their power through the rods 9 and the “ revolving track ” 2 , which , being firmly attached to shaft 2 , urges it to turn one way only . after a { fraction ( 1 / 2 )} turn of the drive shaft the expansion cycle of one piston is completed and the cycles of exhaust , intake and compression start . since there is a 90 ° angle difference between each piston , the 4 - stroke cycle of the following piston starts after the engine has made a { fraction ( 1 / 4 )} turn . summarizing , in the internal combustion engine of fig3 of the present invention , the novelty is based on the fact that it consists of one straight main drive shaft 1 , which revolves when driven by the alternate movement of the pistons 4 , 5 , 7 and 8 , which transmit their power through the contact of the rods 9 and an engaging part , the “ revolving track ”, the principal plane of which is inclined at a certain angle with respect to the geometric axis of the shaft of motor 1 . in the graph shown in fig4 it can be seen that , when a piston has completed its full cycle of intake — compression — expansion — exhaust , the drive shaft has made two complete turns . in this figure the letters pms stand for top dead center and pmi stand for bottom dead center . in fig5 a first embodiment can be seen in which the “ revolving track ” 2 is flat and forms a certain angle with the drive shaft 1 , which will preferably be within a range of 15 ° to 85 ° with respect to the geometric axis of the drive shaft 1 . in a preferred embodiment , the simple and easy construction of this “ track ” is based on a hollow cylinder with an interior diameter equal or less than the one of the drive shaft . two parallel cuts forming an angle with the central shaft of the cylinder are made in this hollow cylinder . the resulting solidly united connecting piece 2 ( the “ revolving track ”) is then fixed to the main drive shaft 1 by any known fixing process such as arc welding or alike . with this arrangement for the mentioned track , with each turn of the shaft a piston will have moved from its upper dead center to its lower dead center , i . e . it will have made one complete stroke . in fig6 another preferred embodiment is shown . since the stroke of the version with a straight “ track ” takes a certain time , a time reduction is attempted by means of a track that instead of being straight has the curvature of a cycloid 10 . it has been mathematically proved that the cycloid curve optimizes this application , being a brachistochrone . in the mathematical definition of the different possible curves , a cycloid is defined as a brachistocrone according to the following criteria : if two spheres 11 are allowed to drop at the same time from point 12 ( fig7 ) the sphere which runs along the cycloid curve 10 will reach point 14 before the sphere which runs along the straight line 15 . the property of being a brachistrochrone means that the cycloid is the fastest curve path and the function which determines its profile is obtained by a mathematical analysis calculation or from practical experience and which will not be demonstrated here as being beyond the scope of the present patent application . more details referred to these particular curves may be found in the encyclopedia britannica under the chapter of “ the isoperimetric problem ”, which may be consulted through the internet at the corresponding licensed website www . britannica . com . the special feature of this type of curve is that the piston would move quicker if the “ revolving track ” were to have the shape of a cycloid curve 10 . in this way the shaft would revolve quicker , resulting in higher engine power and performance . in any case , whichever the geometric form of the revolving track may be , the mechanism 16 connecting the piston connecting rod 9 with the revolving track 2 should be such so as to allow the free alternative straight - line sliding of the connecting rod 9 and the rotary movement of the shaft 1 , as well as an adequate contact with the “ revolving track ” 2 . for this purpose the mechanism must have a cardan - joint - like movement 17 , or alternatively a hinge - joint 18 or other similar mechanism . for an engine with the pistons placed all on one side , the shapes would be of the type indicated in fig8 a and 8b . in the preferred embodiments the fact that the pistons are placed around a circumference has the advantage that the camshaft 19 driving the inlet and exhaust valves of all the cylinders can also have a simplified circular shape fig9 illustrates a possible shape for a camshaft 19 for a four cylinder engine . there , it can be observed that the cams 20 and 21 , which in the drawing are shown at 90 ° out of phase to each other , may also be mounted sharing one central shaft so as to allow whatever type of valve crossing is desired . in fig1 it can be seen that this is easily achieved by simply turning the cam 20 with respect to the other cam 21 , allowing a variable regulation of the inlet and exhaust valves . in this way , a single cam shaft with two cams could drive the inlet and exhaust valves of all the cylinders at the required moment . moreover , it would not be necessary to have a cam for each valve , with a consequent saving in material proportional to the number of cylinders , as well as the energy - saving resulting from the movement of the simplified cam shaft . of course , this implies that the inlet and exhaust valves would also be arranged in a circular fashion even though both would be driven from different planes . the important feature of placing the cylinders in a circle round the central shaft would make possible to use a larger number of cylinders 24 , as is shown in fig1 . there , an engine with sixteen pistons 25 facing each other in pairs is shown ; the inlet and exhaust valves of which are operated by a camshaft for each group of eight cylinders . another example of a multi - cylinder engine is shown in fig1 . this engine may have up to thirty two cylinders 24 , with pistons 25 which all finally deliver power to a single drive shaft 1 . another example of a configuration with opposed cylinders , in accordance with the present invention , is shown in fig1 . the outline drawing in fig1 shows a multi - cylinder engine with opposed pistons 25 , although it could also be built with pistons placed on one side only . here , on the main drive shaft , a sphere 26 mounted concentrically to the drive shaft may be seen . this sphere has the “ revolving track ” 2 firmly attached , so that the pistons transmit the power to rotate the main drive shaft . placing the sphere in this position makes it possible to have a higher number of pistons 25 around it , and also serves as a flywheel for the engine . this highly preferred embodiment of the invention has the special feature of allowing a simple design for the ball and socket joint which connects the rod with the “ revolving track ”, leading to a reduction in cost and higher engine output . additionally , if this sphere 26 is made hollow , it can serve as a container for lubricating oil 27 for lubricating the parts in contact with the “ revolving track ” 2 and for lubricating the hinge joint 28 which transmits power to and from the pistons 25 . the lubricating oil can enter the sphere by any of the known methods and once there , through centrifugal force , it will be impelled towards the contact area of the rotating hinge - joint and also towards other points of difficult access for lubrication . the main drive shaft 1 can have other embodiments of “ revolving tracks ” 2 as shown in fig1 to 20 . fig2 shows another embodiment of main drive shaft , the construction of which is particularly simple and easy to build . fig2 is a simplified drawing of different positions which can be adopted by the connecting parts (“ revolving tracks ”) and also the practically unlimited number of “ revolving tracks ” which can be installed on one shaft . fig2 is a simplified side perspective view of a preferred embodiment which allows the “ revolving track ” 2 , whatever its shape may be , to vary its inclination angle with respect to the main drive shaft and in this way modify the compression ratio of the engine . the photographs of fig2 a and 24b show other perspective views of another didactic model of the engine . the figures show a better view of particular features of the piston rods 9 and a set of supports 29 which are of great importance for the invention . in order to avoid a rotation of each of the piston rods 9 around their own longitudinal axis , they may adopt different transverse sections s ( see also fig1 ) other than circular , i . e . they may be manufactured with sections such as : elliptic , ovoid , triangular , rectangular , square , etc . or any other shape that may avoid rotation . the piston rods 9 run through the fixed supports 29 and these have the same general shape as the piston rods . these fixed supports avoid the rotation of the piston rods and also avoid miss - alignment of the piston rods , since they absorb the lateral force component which is appears when the axial piston force is decomposed at the engaging revolving track . in the foregoing specification , the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof . it will , however , be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention . the specification and drawings are , accordingly , to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense . | 5 |
referring to fig1 , the cot 10 of the present invention has four vertical support members 20 and a cot wall comprising four fabric side walls 30 . each of the vertical support members 20 is connected to the side walls via intermediate connection members 11 , which act as attaching means for attaching the walls to the cot frame . referring to fig2 , one of the vertical support members 20 is shown , connected to two of the side walls 30 , using an intermediate connection member 11 . each of the side walls 30 of the cot comprises a separate rectangular piece of fabric . the intermediate connection member 11 consists of a cord 13 wrapped in a cover 12 , forming a long cylindrical portion ( the cord 13 ) with an extending planar portion 14 . the cover 12 is an elongate rectangular piece of flexible pvc or strong fabric . preferably the cover is extruded around the cord so that the cord is disposed in the cover , with its axis parallel to the long axis of the cover . alternatively the cover is wrapped around the cord and glued to the cord . the overlapping edges of the cover are glued to each other . the cord is a flexible , fibrous cord or rope . a rod of plastic or metal could of course be used in place of the cord and preferably the rod would be made of a flexible material . the rod would preferably have a uniform cross - section , and is preferably cylindrical , but a rod of non - circular cross - sectional shape could be used . the edge of each of the side walls 30 is stitched onto the planar part 14 of the intermediate connection member 11 , one on each side of the cover 12 , such that the edge of the side walls 30 and the planar part 14 . the side walls 30 are secured to the intermediate connection member 11 by a seam of stitching 21 . the fabric of the side walls 30 could alternatively be glued onto the planar part of the intermediate connection member 11 . the cot walls 30 can be attached to the intermediate connection members 11 in a different manner from that shown in fig2 . for example , the four cot walls 30 may be formed from a continuous piece of fabric , the four intermediate connection members being glued or stitched to the outside surface of the fabric at the required locations . referring to fig3 , the vertical support bar 20 is a hollow , cylindrical , extruded tube . the bar 20 has a groove 23 along its axis , on one side of the bar , such that the bar 20 has a lune - shaped cross - section . the groove 23 has a circular cross - section . the cross - section of the groove 23 is just larger than the cross - section of the cord part 13 of the intermediate connection member 11 . the width w of the opening of the groove is narrower than the cord &# 39 ; s cross - sectional diameter . the cord part 13 of the intermediate connection member 11 can therefore be inserted in the end of the vertical support bar 20 , and is retained in the groove 23 by the opening . the diameter of the cord 13 is larger than the width w of the opening , so that the cord 13 is retained in the groove 23 . to attach the intermediate connection member 11 to the vertical support bar 20 , one end of the cord part 13 can be inserted into the groove 23 , at the end of the bar 20 . the cord part 13 of the intermediate connection member 11 can then be fed along the groove 23 . the cord 13 is flexible , therefore it can easily be inserted in the groove 23 of the vertical support bar 20 . the cord 13 has a high tensile strength along its length , therefore it can withstand the loads exerted on it due to a child standing or jumping up and down inside the cot . when a child is in the cot , forces are also exerted on the cord 13 perpendicular to its length , tending to pull the cord against the sides of the opening . the cord 13 is able to withstand these forces due to its compressive strength perpendicular to its length , and therefore the cot can withstand reasonable loads without risk of the cot walls becoming detached from the frame . the opening in the bar 20 must also be sufficiently strong and rigid , so that it does not deform and allow the cord 13 to come out of the opening , when forces are exerted on it . preferably the diameter of the cord part 13 of the intermediate connection member and the diameter of the corresponding groove 23 in the bar 20 are such that the cord 13 fits firmly in the groove 23 , and there is friction control during fitting of the connection member in the groove . referring to fig4 , one vertical support bar 20 is shown , with two side walls 30 attached , via the intermediate connection member . the planar part 14 of the intermediate connection member is visible , as is the line of stitching 21 . a corner cover 50 can be secured to the top end of each vertical support bars 20 . this can be used to ensure that the cord 13 cannot slide out of the top of the groove 23 . similarly , at the bottom of each vertical support member there is a foot 24 ( shown in fig1 ), which supports the cot and also prevents the cord 13 from sliding out of the bottom end of groove 23 . means ( not shown ) may be provided for securing the top of the intermediate connection member 11 to the top of the bar 20 , so that the cord 13 does not slide down the groove 23 when a child is placed in the cot . referring to fig1 and 4 , through using an intermediate connection member 11 , having an extending planar part 14 , to attach the cot walls to the vertical support bars 20 , the bars 20 are located a distance d away from the inner vertical edges of the cot 31 . in this way , a baby placed in the cot is protected from banging against the bars 20 , and injuring itself . when a baby is in the cot , if the baby touches or bangs against the inner walls or inner edges of the cot , the baby will not come into contact with the vertical support bars 20 . intermediate connection members may be used to attach the cot walls 30 to the upper and lower horizontal bars in the cot support frame , as well as to the vertical support bars . each of the horizontal bars in the frame will have a groove into which intermediate connection means are inserted , to secure the fabric of the cot to the frame . use of intermediate connection members provides a strong connection between the fabric cot walls and the support frame . this allows the cot fabric to withstand greater loads without becoming detached from the frame . the intermediate connection means described could be used to attach the cot walls to any type of cot frame . grooves could be included in the support members of any type of cot frame , for insertion of the intermediate connection means , to attach the cot walls to the frame . alternative embodiments using the principles disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art upon studying the foregoing description and the drawings . it is intended that such alternatives are included within the scope of the invention , which is limited only by the claims . | 0 |
in order to identify selectively purified tanshinone compound containing extracts from the root of a salvia spp , a number of alternative methodologies were examined . initially , a super critical fluid extraction ( scfe ) and an ethyl acetate extraction ( eae ) were conducted : put the pulverized dry raw material of salvia miltiorrhiza into the sce - co2 extractor . set up the pressure at 20 mpa and temperature at 45 degree c . add 30 % ( relative to the raw material ) ethanol ( 95 %) as the entrainer to the system . set the flow rate at 1 ml / min and continuously extract for 60 min . the dark red crystal obtained was code numbered sme - 1 . the eae methodology used is that set out with reference to fig1 . the danshen raw material ( 50 g ) is crushed and subjected to an ethanol extraction with 95 % ethanol ( added to four times volume ) and left for about 1 hour . the process was repeated 3 times and the solvent extracts combined . any residue was subjected to a water extraction ( added to four times volume ) and left for about an hour . repeat twice . the ethanol extract underwent a percolation extraction in which the extract was dissolved in 15 ml of water and extracted with petroleum ether . the process was repeated three times adding 15 ml of water each time . the water fraction was then extracted with ethyl acetate ( 15 ml ), and the process repeated three times . the resulting ethyl acetate fraction is referred to generally as sme - 2 . the resulting extracts were tested for their antimicrobial activity by the national institute for the control of pharmaceutical and biological products ( nicpbp ), national center for drug resistance of bacteria beijing , pr china . the extracts were tested for antimicrobial activity against 401 strains , over 95 % of which were clinical isolates with drug resistance including 41 strains of mrsa and 17 strains of mrcns . a high activity against gram - positive bacteria , and a low activity against gram - negative bacteria with a strong selective antibacterial action . the samples had a strong action against staphylococcus aureus and staphylococcus epidermidis . the information and numbers of the tested strains are listed in table 1 and the mic50 value and range for the important strains are listed in table 2 . 1 mg of dihydrotanshinone , 1 mg of cryptotanshinone , 1 mg of tanshinone , and 2 mg of tanshinone iia , put them all into a 10 ml flask , add 8 ml of the mixed solution of methanol - methylene dichloride ( 9 : 1 ), ultrasound for 5 minutes , add the methanol - methylene dichloride ( 9 : 1 ) solution to volume , shake thoroughly and allow to stand . measure appropriate amount of bc - sme 1 ( co 2 extract ) and bc - sme 2 ( ethyl acetate extract ) respectively , put them into two 10 ml flasks , add 8 ml of the methanol - methylene dichloride ( 9 : 1 ) solution , dissolve with ultrasound , add the methanol - methylene dichloride ( 9 : 1 ) solution to volume , shaking and filter . the subsequent filtrate was taken as a sample solution . measure precisely 5 μl of each of the reference solution and the sample solution . carry out the hplc as described above . according to the two gradient conditions mentioned above , the peaks of the different tanshinone indicators achieved baseline separation . gradient 2 was used due to the advantage of a shorter detection time , and the saving of solution . the hplc fingerprints of the referent samples are shown in fig2 a and fig2 b ( under the different gradient conditions ) and those of the two extracts are shown with reference to fig3 a and 3 b ( bc sme i ) and fig4 a and 4 b ( bc sme ii ). from left to right the peaks are : the content assay for the samples is given in table 5 below . ( gradient 1 was used for the content assay .) from the hplc content assay , it was found that the total tanshinone content was 48 . 5 % in bc - sme 1 , much higher than that in bc - sme 2 . this result can explain the dissolvability difference of the two samples in polar solvents . the content of tanshinone iia was as high as 39 . 40 % in bc - sme 1 , but the antibacterial activity level was low . the contents of dihydrotanshinone and cryptotanshinone in bc - sme 2 were higher than those in bc - sme 1 , so it is presumed that the better antibacterial activity level of bc - sme 2 is due to the presence of these compounds . all supplied by national institute for the control of pharmaceutical and biological products . methanol : chromatographic pure ( us fisher ), water : re - distilled , and the rest was analytical pure . take 15 mg each of bc - sme 1 and bc - sme 2 , add 10 ml of the methanol - methylene dichloride ( 9 : 1 ) mixture , dissolve with ultrasound and filter . take 1 mg each of dihydrotanshinone , cryptotanshinone , tanshinone i and tanshinone iia , add 2 ml of the methanol — methylene dichloride ( 9 : 1 ) mixture respectively for the mixed solution standards . following the tlc method ( chinese pharmacopoia 2005 version vol . i appendix vi b ) take 50 of each the test solutions , together with 3 μl each of the above - mentioned mixed solution standards , place them respectively on the same silica gel g plate , using petroleum ether — tetrahydrofuran — methanol ( 10 : 2 : 1 ) as the developing system , examine under the sunlight . put the sample drops on the same silica gel g plate with the reference drops . the spots corresponding to the reference compounds showed the same color at the same positions . the tlc experiment was repeated three times . the results are shown in fig5 a , 5 b and 5 c lane 1 : sme - 1 , lane 2 : sme - 2 and lane : reference compounds . reading bottom to top these are : from the experimental results under these chromatographic conditions , the separation of the mixed reference compounds and samples of the tanshinone compounds were very good , and the clear spots of the reference compounds could be seen in the samples of bc - sme 1 and bc - sme 2 . tanshinone compounds are lipid - soluble , so a high concentration ethanol ( 95 % ethanol ) was used as an extraction medium . a comparison between reflux and percolation extraction was made with a view to determining if a commercially scalable process giving a higher yield rate of cryptotanshinone and reduced impurity could be attained . soak 70 g of danshen raw material in 95 % ethanol for 12 hours and extract with 12 times its volume of 95 % ethanol . the colature was collected and the ethanol recovered . the resulting extract was then dried with a vacuum concentrator and weighed . 40 mg of the dry solid extract was weighed and put it into a 50 ml volumeteric flask , dissolved with the mobile phase solution , diluted to volume , filtered and analysed with hplc . reflux 70 g of danshen raw material with 6 times its own volume of 95 % ethanol twice , for 1 . 5 hours on each occasion . the ethanol was recovered and the extract dried with a vacuum concentrator and weighed . 40 mg of the dry solid extract was placed into a 50 ml volumeteric flask ; dissolved with the mobile phase solution , filtered and analysed with hplc . the results showed that the extraction by using the percolation methods can raise the content and the conversion rate of cryptotanshinone but its yield rate was lower than that with the reflux methods . the different percolation methods selected , the yield rates , and the content and conversion rates of the extracts produced by the two different methods are set out in table 6 below . from the results it can be seen that percolation results in a significantly greater content ( on a mg / g of extract basis ) than reflux . furthermore it is advantageous in that it uses simple equipment , is safe to operate , and is energy efficient . the extraction at room temperature also reduces damage to the active components , which are heat and light sensitive , and easily degraded . in order to optimize the process parameters of percolation extraction an orthogonal test was carried out and the conversion rate of cryptotanshinone used as an investigation indicator . an orthogonal test was designed to determine what factors might influence the conversion rate of cryptotanshinone . ( a ) solvent consumption , ( b ) soaking time , and ( c ) outflow velocity . the conversion rate of cryptotanshinone was selected as the investigation indicator ; analysis was carried out by using direct - vision methods and analysis of variance ( anova ). measure 9 portions , 70 g each of the crude powder of danshen raw material . each portion was soaked respectively in an appropriate quantity of 95 % ethanol for half an hour . carry out the percolation under the conditions set out in table 7 . the respective solutions were collected and dried with vacuum concentration . the ethanol was recovered from each resulting solution and the extracts were dried under vacuum at 60 ° c ., and weighed . 40 mg of dried extract was weighed into a 50 ml volumetric flask , dissolved into the mobile phase solution to volume , and filtered . the solutions were used for hplc analysis . from the analysis of variance ( anova ), three factors affected the conversion rate of cryptotanshinone ; the 3 influence degrees were a & gt ; c & gt ; b . the optimization grouping was a2b3c2 , that is , in the conditions of 95 % ethanol of 12 folds its volume , soaking for 24 hours , outflow velocity : 15 ml / min based on the results of the orthogonal test , three validation tests were carried out for the optimized process . the results are illustrated in table 9 the applicant sought a methodology to selectively enhance the content of tanoshinone compounds in the extract and the methodology in this example demonstrates a process which , in the first instance increases the content of tanoshines approximately two fold but significantly increases the relative content of cryptotanoshinone content by an even greater factor . this is particular advantageous from a pharmaceutical activity perspective . the process is illustrated in fig6 and comprises the following steps : 1 . extract danshen raw material with 95 % ethanol with percolation and concentrate using vacuum drying ; select 106 . 5 g of clean raw material and crush to a powder . soak in an appropriate quantity of 95 % ethanol for 24 hours , distribute it well into the percolator , and extract with percolation with a flow rate of 15 ml / min . collect the colature of 12 times the raw material , i . e . 1280 ml . recover the ethanol under vacuum . vacuum dry at 70 ° c . to get the final extract , 10 . 2 g . the final percolation extract of danshen was given a batch number — sl0601 . take the final extract of danshen mentioned in 5 . 1 . 1 above , add 100 ml water and extract it with 150 ml ethyl acetate twice ; combine the two ethyl acetate solutions and dehydrate . wash it with 100 ml and 50 ml water respectively and dehydrate . concentrate the ethyl acetate extract under vacuum to obtain 5 . 765 g of a solid extract which was given a batch number — yy0601 . measure 2 . 0022 g of danshen ethyl acetate extract ( as 5 . 1 . 2 ), dissolve it with acetone , mix it fully with silica gel and remove the solvent . apply the sample to a silica gel column , elute with petroleum ether — acetone in different proportions . collect 50 ml eluate in each fraction each fraction was applied on silica gel tlc plates , and petroleum ether — acetone was used as the developing system . examination was under natural sunlight . the tlc fingerprints are shown in fig7 based on the tlc result a number of consecutive fractions were merged as follows : 2nd and 3rd ; 5th to 8th ; 10th to 13th ; 14th and 5th ; 16th to 18th ; 19th to 21st ; 23rd and 24th ; 25th and 26th ; 28th to 30th ; 31st to 34th ; 35th and 36th . the resulting 20 new fractions were analyzed with silical gel tlc and the results are shown in fig8 . the fractions showing the highest contents of cryptotanshinone and dihydrotanshinone , i . e . the 7th to the 13th samples , were combineed as “ purified tanshinones ” ( 0 . 420 g ). this purified tanshinone containing compound extract was given a batch number : jz0601 . the ethyl acetate extract of danshen ( lane 1 ), the purified tanshinones ( lane 2 ) and the mixed tanshinone standards were examined with silica gel tlc . the tlc fingerprint is shown in fig9 . the compounds from bottom to top are respectively : the chromatographic conditions were as described in 3 . 1 . 3 above ( table 3 gradient 1 ). danshen percolation extract , sl0601 , danshen ethyl acetate extract , yy0601 , and purified tanshinones , jz0601 , were additionally subjected to hplc chromatographic analysis as described in 3 . 1 . danshen percolation extract 50 . 8 mg , danshen ethyl acetate extract 19 . 3 mg and purified tanshinones 11 . 9 mg , put them into a 10 ml volumetric flask respectively ; add 8 ml of the methanol - methylene dichloride ( 9 : 1 ) solution , dissolve with ultrasonication , add the methanol — methylene dichloride ( 9 : 1 ) solution to volume , shake thoroughly and filter . carry out hplc analysis . the resulting hplc fingerprints are shown in fig1 a to 10 d . : fig1 a is an hplc chromatogram of a percolation extract under conditions as set out in table 3 ( gradient 1 ) ( sl0601 ); fig1 b is an hplc chromatogram of a ethyl acetate purified extract under conditions as set out in table 3 ( gradient 1 ) ( yy0601 ); fig1 c is an hplc chromatogram of a silica gel purified extract under conditions as set out in table 3 ( gradient 1 ) ( jz0601 ); and the comparator fig1 d is an hplc chromatogram of reference compounds under conditions as set out in table 3 ( gradient 1 ). the content of each compound from hplc analysis is shown in table 11 . silica gel column chromatography was demonstrated to be an effective method for purifying cryptotanshinone . the content of cryptotanshinone rose significantly to eliminate the non - active compounds from the ethyl acetate extraction . this purified tanshinones fraction was further studied for its antibacterial activity . test lab : national institute for the control of pharmaceutical and biological products ( nicpbp ), national center for drug resistance of bacteria beijing , pr china . 1 . place 6 . 40 mg of the sample into a 50 ml volumetric flask and add 15 ml dmf solution ( n , n - dimethylformamide ) 2 . ultrasonicate for 10 minutes . 3 . add 15 ml of water to dilute the solution and ultrasonicate immediately for 5 minutes . 4 . add water to the volume and shake well , then ultrasonicate for another 5 minutes to obtain the testing solution of 0 . 128 mg / ml ( 30 % dmf concentration ). 107 strains collected and kept by national monitoring center for antibiotic resistant bacterial ( china ) were used to test the activity . the strains were evaluated with the phoenix - 100 automated microbiology system . the testing strains included : 87 strains of staphylococcus aureus ( sa ) including 52 strains of methicillin resistant sa ( mrsa ) and 35 strains of methicillin susceptible sa ( mssa ); 23 strains of coagulase - negative staphylococci ( cns ) ( mrcns 4 and mscns19 ); and 7 strains of streptococcus ( 5 strains of streptococcus pneumoniae ). a microtitre broth dilution method ( mh broth , oxoid ltd uk ) was used in the testing . the minimum inhibitory concentrations ( mics ) of flucloxacillin / ampicillin on the isolated strains were tested based on the methods described on america clsi / nccls antimicrobial susceptibility testing ( ast ) ( 2006 ) 1 . the mic of penicillin against staphylococcus aureus , ( atcc 29213 ) and streptococcus pneumoniae ( atcc49619 ) were conformed to clsunccls ( 2006 ). 2 . the mics of jz0601 against staphylococcus and streptococcus were as set out in tables 12 . jz0601 showed good activity against staphylococcus including methicillin susceptible and resistant strains , as well as streptococcus , particularly streptococcus pneumoniae . the mics of jz0601 on all strains are as set out in tables 13 - 16 : the above data demonstrates the benefits of using an extract which is not only characterized by its high tanoshinone compounds content but more particularly one with enhanced levels of particularly cryptotanoshinone . however , the methodology described to obtain this highly purified extract was not suitable for scale up and accordingly an alternative scalable methodology had to be developed . this is described below : the preferred commercial scale production process for obtaining a selectively purified tanshinone compounds containing extract from the root of salvia spp , and more particularly one specifically enriched in cryptotanshinone , is set out with reference to fig1 2 . soak it with a sufficient volume of high concentration , typically 95 %, ethanol for a time sufficient to solubilise the desired compounds , typically 24 hours ; 3 . place the material into a percolator and extract using a percolation method ; 4 . collect the ethanol solution with , typically , 12 times volume of its raw material at the desired percolation speed , preferably , 15 ml · min - 1 ; 5 . concentrate the liquid extract under vacuum and recover the ethanol to obtain the ethanol extract . 1 . dissolve the ethanol extract with about 10 times of water , the yield rate is about 40 % and the content of the total tanshinones is about 20 %. 3 . dissolve the precipitates with 60 % ethanol and place the material onto an ab - 8 macroporous resin column . 4 . elute with 60 % ethanol and dispose of the fraction 5 . elute with 70 % ethanol to obtain the selectively purified fraction containing tanshinones . the resulting purified extract has a specification as set out in table 17 inject 5 μl each of both the test solution and the reference solution respectively into an hplc column and run . the profile for the extract is illustrated in fig1 and compared to the reference sample fig1 from this the four tanshinones were calculated to be 42 . 89 % of the extract , calculated as : dihydrotanshinone ( 3 . 65 %), cryptotanshinone ( 18 . 95 %), tanshinone i ( 3 . 82 %), and tanshinone iia ( 16 . 47 %) to evaluate the in vitro activity of a selectively purified tanshinone compounds containing extract against the anaerobic bacteria propionibacterium acnes ( p . acnes ). a selectively purified tanshinone compounds containing extract was added to wells containing p . acnes ( atcc 6919 ; 1 × 10 4 to 5 × 10 5 cfu / ml ) in culture , grown under controlled conditions ( reinforced clostridial medium , 37 ° c .). final inoculum concentration was determined by reference to a standard optical density curve and adjusted as necessary . wells were incubated for 48 hours at 37 ° c . and examined for growth of culture . wells were scored positive (+) for inhibition of growth , or negative (−) for no effect on growth . eight different concentrations ranging from 0 . 03 μg / ml - 100 μg / ml were screened . ampicillin was run at a concentration of 0 . 1 μg / ml as a positive control . mic and mbc were calculated . the extract was tested at half - log concentrations of 0 . 03 μg / ml to 100 μg / ml for potential bactericidal activity against p . acnes . from this , a minimum inhibitory concentration ( mic ) of 10 μg / ml was determined , and a minimum bactericidal concentration ( mbc ) of 30 μg / ml was calculated . the results are shown in table 18 . this experiment was conducted to test for the rapid development of resistance in staphylococcus aureus in the presence of sub - inhibitory doses of the active extract . oxford staphylococcus aureus ( nctc 6571 ) and 3 clinical isolates of mrsa were tested , t3 , 102 and mrsa 99 . all clinical strains were from the royal london , st bartholomew &# 39 ; s or newham hospitals in london . each strain had been identified as an mrsa . the standard method using dmf was used . manufacturer &# 39 ; s method using dmf where the solution was unfiltered prior to use . solution — 640 mg / 1 was added to 3 ml dmf , sonicated in a sonic water bath then made up to 10 ml with water as per instructions . high concentrations of organisms ( 10 7 cfu / m1 − 1 ) were grown in sub — inhibitory concentrations 0 , 2 and 8 mg l − 1 of the active extract . mics had been determined previously as 16 mg l −‘ . organisms were sub - cultured into fresh active extract media at day 4 and again at day 7 . mics were checked weekly using standard methods . subcultures were carried out in triplicate . no change in mic was observed over the 3 week test period . no growth indicates the mic level . three mrsa clinical isolates have been tested and control strain oxford staphylococcus aureus tables 19 , 20 , 21 and 22 . table 23 shows the comparative development of resistance with ciprofloxicin and table 24 for gentamicin . there was no development of resistance for the active extract or gentamicin . the mics to ciprofloxacin increased after 2 weeks treatment . the extract is active against mrsa at inhibitory levels of 16 mg l − 1 and above . there was no change in the mic level over the test period for the strains tested . no rapid development of resistance occurred and the test period was beyond that used by boos m . et al . ( in vitro development of resistance to six quinolones in streptococcus pneumoniae , streptococcus pyogenes , and staphylococcus aureus . antimicrob . agents chemother . 45 , 938 - 942 ) to demonstrate a seven fold increase in resistance to quinilones within 10 days . 9 . 0 experiment to determine activity of pyn 6 in a gel formulation a number of different gel formulations containing extracts of the invention were prepared and tested on clinical mrsa isolates to determine the suitability of the active extract for topical delivery . agar diffusion tests ( based on bsac standard methods ) were used to compare the relative activity of different gels against mrsa . zones of inhibition around each 100 μl sample were compared . pyn6 was prepared by dissolving in dmf and then water , final concentration 500 mg / l . fig1 illustrates graphically of the effect of pyn6 in water and in gel formulations against 10 different strains of mrsa all gels showed activity at a level of 500 mg / l . all were comparable to the activity of 500 mg / l pyn6 in water . pyn6 works in gel or water formulation and has potential as a topical antimicrobial against mrsa . 10 . 0 experiment to determine activity of pyn 6 against individual compounds minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal activities ( mic and mbc ) of pyn6 were determined for 2 strains of mrsa using standard microtitre well methods . mics were determined by measuring growth over 201us using spectroscopy at 490 nm . mbcs were determined by subculture from these microtitre plates onto solid media after 20 hrs and determining survival of bacteria grown in the presence of pyn6 . test 1 mic and mbc comparing pyn6 to a , b , c and d against mrsa 98 test 2 mic and mbc comparing pyn6 to a , b , c and d against mrsa 2 the results demonstrate that pyn 6 an extract enriched in cryptotashinone and dyhydrotashinone ( compared to tashinone i and iia - table 5 ) performed very effectively . | 0 |
this water column choke comprises a universal main valve body 100 , which accommodates both a reaming assembly 120 fig1 and a compression rod assembly 220 fig2 . in actual practice , the main valve body 110 , consists of a 5 inch schedule 80 steel pipe 112 threaded one inch npt at one end and bored 1 . 04 inches in diameter 1 inch deep at the opposite end 112 &# 39 ;. extensions 114 and 116 of the valve body are threaded , as shown . the pipe 112 is provided with an air vent 118 to the exterior ( fig1 and 7 ), the same being provided with an external petcock 118 &# 39 ;, this vent 118 together with an external steel coupling and petcock 118 &# 39 ; being disposed intermediate the pipe 112 and its packing gland extension 112 &# 39 ;. the vent hole and cock valve are provided to facilitate purging air from the water column when refilling the water column and to prevent admittance of air into the boiler . it is also useful in checking for proof of closure of a gate valve located between the choke assembly valve body and the boiler vessel before disconnecting the valve body from the boiler to prevent accidental scalding of personnal . as previously indicated , the valve body 110 is defined as universal in that it is adapted to use either as a mount for the reaming assembly 120 or the choke assembly . referring to fig1 the reaming assembly when mounted on the universal valve body 110 , comprises reaming rod , said rod being conically expanded in cross - section at 122 and having threaded extension 122 &# 39 ; ( not shown ) to secure a reaming head 124 . slots 126 formed in the reamer and adjacent abutment 122 provide for the by - pass of sediment through the reamer head , the slots having open communication with the reamer interiat . before shaping the reaming rod , appropriate sealing and securing elements are slidably disposed along the shaft between the ends 122 and the handle . these include the packing gland plate 130 , said plate having apertures to accommodate the shank of the reaming rod in the center and the threaded extensions 116 of the universal valve body on either side thereof . as indicated in fig1 the packing gland plate 130 may be forceably disposed against the packing gland compression ring 134 by means of steel nuts 132 . which engage the threaded extensions of the valve body . the packing gland compression ring 134 is disposed to the right of the packing gland compression plate 132 and appropriate graphite rope packing 136 or other appropriate packing , follows in its disposition along the shank of the reaming rod , all to the right of the packing gland compression ring , the same being terminated by the washer 138 . it will be appreciated that as the packing gland plate 130 is forced by means of the external nuts 132 against the packing gland compression ring , a suitable friction fit between the shank of the reaming assembly 120 and the packing 136 may be affected within the cavity of the universal valve body 110 , permitting sealed movement of the reaming assembly as it is progressively rotated within the valve body to clean the water column and / or associated parts . as indicated in fig3 & amp ; 4 , the entire valve identified as a water column choke , in either its reaming function or choke and reaming function may be adapted to water columns of variant size by changing reaming heads and choke from one size to another wherein a bell reducer or reducing device and nipple may be adapted to the respective reaming and / or assemblies . referring to fig2 like numerals refer to equivalent parts of the fig1 embodiment . the choke assembly is operatively mounted within universal valve body 110 as follows . a compression rod 240 is threaded at ends , the compression rod securing reamer 124 at one extreme , retaining the flexible rubber choke 124 &# 39 ; intermediate the reamer and a compression rod sleeve 250 . the compression rod sleeve 250 is tapered at ends and threaded , the righthand threading being adapted to engage in corresponding threading of the rubber choke 124 &# 39 ; and the lefthand end thereof to engagement by a compression rod sleeve nut 254 . it will be appreciated that as and at the time of assembly , the compression applied between the reamer and compression rod sleeve nut 254 by the choke assembly wrench 230 and adaptor 260 turning down or tightening the compression rod nut 256 , will effect an expansion of the rubber choke 124 &# 39 ; sufficiently to effect an effective seal in the water column under maintenance . when it is necessary to remove the valve body leaving the choke assembly in place , sealing the water column , the compression rod sleeve nut 254 must first be removed allowing the compression rod nut 256 to shoulder directly against the end of the compression rod sleeve 250 . this will allow the remaining parts of the choke assembly to pass through the valve body packing gland . the configuration of the compression rod assembly hand wrench 230 may not be apparent from the drawings , but it is to be noted that the righthand end of the compression rod assembly hand wrench comprises a spanner the dogs of which engage appropriately the compression rod sleeve nut 254 cavities which are formed in one end thereof coaxially with the center . the inner left end of the hand wrench 230 is that of a square slot and engages the outer square shoulders of the compression rod 240 together as a unit . the compression rod sleeve 250 is prevented from rotating while the compression rod nut 256 is being rotated to either engage or disengage the choke by the locking effect of projections formal exteriorly at the compression rod sleeve nut 254 and projections formed on the rod assembly return lever . in addition , the compression rod assembly is provided with a safety plate 250 &# 34 ;. this lever is s - shaped in end - view so that when rotated against the housing bolts , one end locks under one bolt whereas the other locks against the top side of the second bolt on the opposite side . in addition , the compression rod assembly is provided with a safety plate 250 &# 39 ;, the same being adapted to the exterior of the water column choke by means of safety plate nuts 252 which engage the threaded extensions 116 of the universal valve body 110 . with reference to fig3 & amp ; 4 of the drawings , alternate means are provided for establishing reamer and choke elements of increased diameter relative to the piping of the universal valve body and the water column . with reference to fig3 . it will be noted that the construction is adapted to the same valve body 110 and reamer rod 120 as illustrated in fig1 . the working end of the rod 120 , nonetheless , is provided with a conical element 122 &# 39 ;, which , together with the enlarged reamer 124 forms at least one elongate slot 126 . preferably three such slots are disposed at 120 degree intervals around the circumference of the respective elements and they each open into the reamer interview for exhaust of scale cuttings and sediment . a nipple to accommodate the increased diameter of the water column is designated 310 , said nipples securing by threaded engagement into the bell reducer 320 . as indicated , the reamer head is cut with a back angle to conform to the incline of the reamer back angle cone 122 &# 39 ;. the reamer itself may be secured to the rod 120 by means of a compression washer and nut assembly , not shown , engaging the protruding threaded portion of the rod , as aforesaid . the fig4 configuration illustrates accessory compression - reamer components for use in water columns of increased diameter , reference fig2 aforesaid . in this construction the same compression rod sleeve and compression rod as illustrated in fig2 is employed . in this instance however , the flexible choke 124 &# 39 ; is provided with a small back angle incline to compensate for increase in diameter relative to its counterpart in fig2 . the securing of the components is essentially the same as previously described . in fig5 means are illustrated for providing together with the fig2 compression rod assembly 250 means for turning of the compression rod not 256 by reaching through the safety plate 250 &# 39 ; as and when it may be necessary to disengage or re - engage same . the end dogs on the wrench head 232 are adapted to engage cavities 262 within the adaptor 260 , said adaptor having a hollow extension 264 which may pass through the center apertures of the safety plate to engage the compression rod nut for purposes mentioned hereinbefore . as indicated after thus increasing the diameter of the end components to accommodate a larger diameter water column of fig3 reference element 310 , the complete choke assembly would apparently require removal from the water column under maintenance to change from reamer to choke or visa versa . the removal of the valve body 110 out over the end of the compression rod sleeve 250 and rod 240 may still be possible as the larger diameter components would remain inside the column piping . this operation also permits complete removal of the column &# 39 ; s vertical leg as long as the chokes are set beyond the unions in both upper and lower horizontal legs on the vessel side of the unions . for varying wall thicknesses from the use of different pipe schedules , diameters of the plug or choke nd reamers should be made proportional to keep clearances between them and internal surfaces of piping to a minimum . this would help prevent problems such as pushing the choke material over the outer leading edge of a given back angle , a condition which may result in locking the device into the column &# 39 ; s piping . also , by keeping relatively close clearances , one greatly reduces the amount of take - up required to set the choke . after the universal valve body has been secured to the water column of a hot water heating boiler or the like , and as the choke assembly is inserted into the water column , it should be rotated in a clock - wise direction only as a gentle inward pressure is applied thereby to preclude accidentally unscrewing the reamer head . as heavy resistance may be encountered by virtue of excessive scaling and the like , while getting the combination reamer and choke into place , this is an indication that the column under maintenance is excessively clogged and / or burrs may still exist in the pipe ends from the time the water column was installed . should an extremely dirty column be met , the separate reaming assembly is desirably installed into the valve body and used , as a reamer head attached to the choke assembly is primarily for providing a smoother surface inside the column for seating of the rubber choke per se . should internal surfaces of the column be found to be heavily scaled , all connecting legs of the water column must be cleared ; furthermore , if the internal surfaces of the column piping are found to have badly deteriorated , this invention will permit such detection . from the aforesaid it will be obvious that the choke is capable os satisfactorily plugging either schedule 40 or 80 - pipe . for a given boiler &# 39 ; s water column to accommodate the water column choke valve body it will require a rearrangement of fittings on the conventional 4 way cross fittings connecting the vertical leg of the column to the upper and lower horizontal legs . this will require replacing the steel plugs in the 4 way crosses horizontal openings with a nipple and gate valve each . this then provides the means of installing the assemblies onto the column . gate valves located in this position are outside of the circulatory path of the water column and when not in use should be plugged with steel plugs or nipples and caps to seal them . the schematic of fig6 illustrates manner in which a conventional boiler system may be modified to accommodate the tools of the invention . it will be noted that to the conventional crosses 410 and unions 420 and water column blowdown valve 430 have been added the full opening gate valves 440 . within this modified water column the plugs for sealing the valves when in service are located to the outside of these newly added valves and upon removal of the plugs ( not shown ), one or the other of assembled tools 100 and 200 are attached for operation . | 5 |
fig1 schematically illustrates an example of a complex structure that known devices and machines are unable to produce by filament winding without successive transfers of the article in question . this toroidal article , formed of two semicircular portions a and c , comprises a diametrical portion b . there is partially represented a winding e that it is wished to provide over portion a , then over c , then over b , before continuing again over a , c , etc . a device with a reel carrying frame of the kind described in fr - a 2 225 372 , when placed around portion a , will be able to perform winding up to the obstacle constituted by the crossmember b . in order to go over to portion c , it will thus be necessary to open the frame in order to displace it or to use another frame around c which would take up the thread at the obstacle in order to cause it to travel over portion c . then a new obstacle a presents itself if it is wished to transfer from c across b , another when transferring from b to a , etc . each obstacle thus necessitates a transfer of the winding , which makes the operation technically very difficult when using known devices . the invention described with reference to fig2 to 10 would permit the production , in particular , of this type of structure . fig2 shows an l - shaped frame 1 serving as a support for a toroidally shaped mandrel 2 . on the base of frame 1 are mounted two slides 3 along which can move two yokes 4 each bearing two rollers 5 driven in rotation by a motor 6 through the intermediary of a shaft 7 . it will be noted that each of the two rollers 5 can move away from the other more or less as a function of the thickness of the mandrel supported by them , an automatic return mechanism , not shown , tending to bring them together to imprison the mandrel . on the vertical part of the frame 1 is fixed a jib 8 capable of moving along vertical slides 9 , said jib being provided at its end with a yoke 10 bearing two supporting and guiding rollers 11 , also capable of moving away from one another along their spindle 12 . the weight of the jib or a vertical force exerted thereon in the direction of arrow 13 maintains a constant pressure on the apex of the mandrel 2 , even if its external rolling surface is not regular , owing to its mobility along slides 9 . it will be appreciated that , in this position , the mandrel rests vertically on the sets of rollers 5 which cause it to rotate , while remaining held in position by the upper guiding rollers 11 . the spindle holding device illustrated in fig2 could be designed differently , for example as represented in fig4 with the help of arms 14 , at least four in number , which grip mandrel 2 by holding rollers 15 , the arm - mandrel assembly being able to rotate about a shaft 16 which is mobile in relation to the adjacent support frame . a mechanism would be provided to ensure that the arms retract each in turn at the time of depositing the thread . an arm 14 taking up a retracted position at such a time is shown in dashed lines . it is thus necessary to provide for at least a certain number of arms to hold the mandrel and to cause it to rotate without being unbalanced when one of the arms retracts . the mandrel being thus held , for example , by means of the supports in fig2 a description will now be given of the device for applying the filament winding thereto . the principle applied , illustrated in fig3 is analagous to that used when putting a bandage around a limb , the natural gesture of the user being to pass the rolled bandage from one hand to another , at the same time unrolling the said bandage to apply it by winding around the limb . in the case in point , the device for applying the filament winding has to reproduce these movements , and so it uses at least two robot arms 16 , 17 , controlled by a preprogrammed device , which support each in turn a fibre dispensing cassette 18 , each of the arms performing part of the winding on the mandrel , before the cassette is taken up by the other arm to provide the other part of the complete winding , the combination of the movement of the two arms and the transfer of the cassette from one to the other permitting continuous application of fibres to the mandrel 2 in the plane of rotation 19 . the ends of the robot arms 16 and 17 are shown in greater detail in fig5 . they end in a rotary sleeve 20 on which is mounted a pincer 21 with preprogrammed opening and closing designed to seize one of the two gripping spindles of a cassette . on the sleeve of the upper arm 17 , the pincer is shown open , while , one the sleeve of the lower arm 16 , it is shown closed . each pincer 21 comprises two semi - circular portions 23 capable of moving apart or of coming together , which portions are carried by a rotary support 24 with which they cooperate by means of a sliding link 25 ; the closure or the opening is commanded by a mechanism not shown . thus , when the pincer of one arm closes , the other opens and the cassette can pass from one arm to the other . this operation can take place with the cassette halted and the mandrel halted . however , advantageously , the transfer can take place without the cassette being immobilized , the latter remaining in movement as shown in the diagram in fig6 illustrating the transfer . it can be seen that the cassette has to rotate continuously over the winding path 19 , about the mandrel 2 . while the arm 17 performs its part of the winding between point p 1 and point p 3 which is diametrically opposite , i . e . by covering half of the path 19 and , consequently , half of the mandrel , the other arm will have returned without a cassette from point p 2 to point p 3 at a higher speed to be in position at point p 3 to seize the cassette released by arm 17 . the two arms , 16 and 17 travel together , one above the other , over a short common path between p 3 and p 4 . during this travel , the pincer of arm 16 closes on one gripping spindle of the cassette , then the other pincer of arm 17 opens , releasing the other spindle . starting from p 4 , the cassette , drawn by arm 16 up to point p 2 , carries out the other half of the winding . arm 17 having returned to p 1 , the transfer of the cassette from arm 16 to arm 17 will take place in an analogous manner over the common path between p 1 - p 2 . there is thus obtained continuous rotation of cassette 18 about the mandrel , at a constant speed , and indexed to the rotation of the said mandrel . as the dispensing cassettes cannot contain an inexhaustible quantity of thread , when major winding operations are involved , it is appropriate to provide for the replacement of an empty cassette by a full one . it is necessary at that moment to ensure the joining of the thread applied to the mandrel to that of the new cassette . this takes place at the joining station illustrated in fig7 to 9 . the station essentially comprises a plate 26 framed by two grippers 27 capable of pressing the thread 28 and of maintaining it against the plate . in the vicinity of one of the grippers 27 is placed a thread cutter 29 . when it is wished to join a thread 28 from the article to be wound ( mandrel 2 ) to the thread from a new cassette , held by a robot arm , the first step is to press a section of the thread 28 against plate 26 with the gripper 27a the further away from the mandrel ( fig7 ). then , the end of thread left over between the gripper and the cassette is cut using the thread cutter 29 . the empty , or almost empty , cassette 18 held by the robot arm 17 can then be removed to a place of storage provided for this purpose . during this time , another robot arm 16 seizes a full cassette from a presenting means and brings it to the joining station . the end of the free thread hanging from this cassette will be brought onto the plate , up to the other gripper 27b , closer to mandrel 2 to be held there , and this portion of thread will thus rest on the preceding portion , a guide means possibly being used to help superpose them ( fig8 ). the two threads being thus superposed , the second thread also being held , moreover , by the cassette itself , a roller 30 serving as the applicator member then rolls over the threads to ensure their bonding together , for example by distributing between them an appropriate adhesive . then grippers 27a and 27b withdraw from the plate 26 . the new cassette 18 then moves away from plate 26 ( fig9 ) which makes it possible to complete the bonding of the threads , by means of roller 30 , over the entire length of the joining station . arm 16 and its cassette can then return to the winding , reincorporating the portion of the bonded thread thanks to an built - in spring system with which the cassette is fitted . the winding of the article can thus continue until the time of the next reel change . thanks to the device described above , all types of winding operation can thus be performed . the universal winding machine as presented by way of example in fig1 makes it possible to adapt to several types of mandrel and to carry out winding by applying the device described . in this figure can be seen the l - shaped frame 1 enabling the mandrel 2 to be supported as described with reference to fig2 . each of the two robot arms , 16 and 17 , is mounted on a support base 31 that can move along rails 32 , enabling the arms to be positioned correctly in relation to the mandrel . a thread joining station 33 , which can also be moved between the two robot arms , can be advanced into the vicinity of the mandrel when it is wished to join threads together . the plate 26 and the grippers 27 are provided on one side of station 33 . finally , there are provided near at hand a magazine 34 of empty cassettes and another magazine , 35 , of full cassettes , likewise displaceable to be able to approach station 33 at the time of thread joining . the machine is preprogrammed and controlled from a fixed monitoring and control station 36 . this machine can thus be used to perform all types of winding of hollow articles of any geometrical shape desired : toric , spherical , cylindrical with dished ends , rectilinear or curved tubes . it is thus possible to obtain any type of article for which it is necessary to release a reel of thread and take it up again after going round a possible obstacle . | 1 |
referring now to the drawings in detail , and particularly to fig1 and 2 , there is shown a rapid thermal processor device 10 for the treatment of semiconductor wafers 62 , utilized primarily in the electronics industry . the rapid thermal processor device comprises a process chamber 14 , a wafer feeding arrangement 16 , an elevator arrangement 18 , a vacuum generator 19 a vacuum plenum apparatus 20 , and a shutter apparatus 22 . rapid thermal processing is critically defined as a temperature heat - up rate of at least 50 degrees centigrade per second and a cool down rate of at least 25 degrees centigrade per second , the upper limits of that range being about 1400 degrees centigrade . the process chamber 14 is shown in more detail , in cross - section in fig2 and 3 . the process chamber 14 comprises an extended vertically disposed chamber 24 having a base 26 . a reflector insulator dish 28 is disposed upon the base 26 . the dish 28 may be made from a material such as quartz , alumina , or other material which can withstand high temperatures , and act as a thermal insulator and heat reflector . the dish 28 may also be coated with an inert reflective material such as gold . a heated plate 30 , having a large mass compared to the anticipated workpieces ( wafers etc .) is arranged within the chamber 14 , as shown in fig2 and 3 . the heater plate 30 may be fabricated from material such as silicon carbide , quartz , inconel , or other material which will not react at the processing temperatures 300 degrees centigrade to about 1400 degrees centrigrade , with any ambient gases in the chamber 14 or with the material comprising the workpiece , depending on the temperature requirements of the application . a heat source 32 , such as a resistive heating element or other such conductive / radiant heat source , is disposed between the heated plate 30 , and the dish 28 , as shown in both fig2 and 3 . the heat source 32 has a power conduit 34 connected to a proper power source , not shown . a thermocouple 36 is disposed in a conduit 38 , disposed through the base 26 and dish 28 , and extends into the heated plate 30 . the process chamber 14 has vertical walls 40 and an upper cover 42 , which have cooling means 44 arranged externally or internally , as shown in fig2 and 3 . the inside surface of the upper cover 42 may be coated with a radiation - absorbing layer of material 46 such as black chrome or black nickel , to aid in cooling of any close wafer being treated therein . the cover 42 alternatively , may be hingedly attached to the walls 40 or completely removable for loading workpieces such as wafers 62 , manually into the chamber 14 . the preferred embodiment includes an automatic loading and discharge means 50 , as shown schematically in fig2 and 3 , and more particularly in fig4 located at an upper portion of the vertical walls 40 . the loading and discharge means 50 comprises a gate having a door 52 which is displacable to permit passage of a robotic transport arm 54 , shown in both fig1 and 4 . the gate 52 has a narrow conduit 56 which defines a long flow path in comparison to its cross - section , to minimize the backstreaming of atmosphere from outside of the process chamber 14 . only a shortened conduit 56 is shown for clarity in fig1 and 2 . the gate 52 may be opened and closed by proper circuitry , to permit the transport arm 54 to deliver and retrieve any wafers , to and from a plurality of displacable support pins 60 extending through the base 26 of the chamber 14 . the support pins 60 are the preferred means utilized to raise and lower the semiconductor wafers 62 away from and towards the hearer plate 30 . the pins 60 , three of which are shown in the drawings , are thin diameter distally tapered members constructed from quartz , aluminum oxide , silicon carbide , or other high temperature resistant materials . an arrangement of tubular conduits 64 of inconel or other heat and oxidation resistant material , are disposed through the heated plate 30 , the heat source 32 , the dish 28 and the base 26 . each conduit 64 has a flanged seal 65 and a cooled channel 66 disposed around it , beneath the base 26 , each of the channels 66 being in fluid communication with one another , and a proper cooling fluid source , not shown . each conduit 64 has a lower end 70 sealed from the cooling channels 66 and which is in fluid communication with a vacuum source not shown , through a manifold 72 . the pins 60 extend through each lower end 70 of the each conduit 64 in a slidingly sealed manner , and are attached to the elevator means 18 , as shown in fig2 and 3 . the elevator means 18 shown more particularly in fig1 comprises an elevator base 74 with powered lead screw 76 , or a hydraulic or other lift means with which to move the support pins 60 . in the embodiment of my invention which is adapted for chemical vapor deposition , such as shown in fig3 a vacuum plenum 80 is disposed about the bottom of the base 26 . the plenum 80 is in fluid communication with the inside of the chamber 14 and has a discharge conduit 81 connected to a proper vacuum source 19 , shown in fig1 . an extended chemical vapor discharge nozzle 82 is arranged on the inside periphery of the walls 40 of the chamber 14 , at about the mid - level thereof , as shown fig3 . the nozzle 82 has at least one delivery conduit 84 for supplying the gaseous ambient , such as nitrogen , silane or oxygen , during chemical vapor deposition processes . an insulator support strip 110 , composed of quartz or other insulation material capable of withstanding high temperatures , is disposed about the periphery of the heater plate 30 , overlapping the edge thereof , as shown in fig3 . the support strip 110 has an outer periphery 112 which is arranged to rest upon a water cooled metal channel 114 . the water cooled channel 114 , having proper supply and discharge conduits 115 and 117 , is disposed upon the upper periphery of the reflector dish 28 . a shutter receiving compartment 90 , represented only in fig1 and 4 , is arranged through the side wall 40 , slightly vertically displaced beneath the height of the loading and discharge gate 52 . the compartment 90 is adapted to permit a shutter 92 to be moved by a proper means , across the process chamber 14 beneath any wafer supported on the receiving support surface 130 on the outer end of the robotic transport arm 54 . the shutter 92 preferably is of plate - like configuration having cooling means therein , not shown . the shutter 92 , the heater plate 30 and chamber 14 may be configured to conform to the geometric shape of a workpiece . in another embodiment , as seen in fig1 the shutter 92 may have several narrow slots 94 disposed partway across it . the pins 60 mate with the slots 94 to permit movement of the shutter 92 across the chamber 14 , as the pins 60 as aforementioned , are supporting a wafer in its cooling mode , near the upper portion of the chamber 14 , thus isolating the wafer from the heater plate 30 . the heater plate 30 , in the atmospheric or vacuum ( nonchemical vapor deposition ) processing embodiment thereof shown in fig2 has a thin upstanding wall 102 , disposed around the periphery thereof , for about one - half of the height of the wall 40 of the process chamber 14 . the upstanding wall 102 permits a decreasing temperature gradient to react with one wafer as it is elevated on the support pins 60 away from the heater plate 30 . the upstanding wall 102 minimizes excessive thermal stresses that might otherwise occur at the edges of the wafers , because of their cooling faster , from the high temperature of the heater plate 30 . also shown in fig2 is an inlet tube 104 , connected to a proper valve , not shown , to allow selected gas flow into the process chamber 14 . an outlet tube 106 , with a check valve , may be disposed at a lowermost location diagonally across from the inlet valve 104 , to facilitate ideal gas flow across the chamber 14 and prevent backstreaming of atmosphere from outside of the chamber . when the process chamber 14 is utilized to treat wafers with a chemical vapor deposition , as shown in fig3 the support pins 60 are retracted beneath the upper surface of the heater plate 30 , and the periphery of the wafer 62 rests on the edge of the insulator support strip 110 . in another embodiment for chemical vapor deposition , the wafer may lie within the insulator support strip 110 . when the process chamber 14 is utilized in the atmospheric pressure / contact mode represented by fig2 a vacuum may be drawn down the conduits 70 which contain the support pins 60 , to facilitate drawing the wafer 62 against the surface of the heater plate 30 , to help the wafer 62 more fully receive the heat from the plate 30 . when the process chamber 14 is utilized in the atmospheric pressure / proximity mode , the support pins may maintain the wafer 62 a short distance above the heater plate 30 . in this embodiment , the conduits 70 may be used to supply purge gas of the same kind as utilized in the chamber , in order to maintain gas ambient integrity in the process chamber 14 . the wafer feeding arrangement 16 , partially shown in fig1 and represented more particularly in fig4 shows the transport arm 54 having the receiving support surface 130 disposed on its distal end . the receiving support surface 130 may have a plurality of fingers 132 which are adapted to let the support pins 60 pass through it when the transport support surface 130 supplies and retrieves wafers 62 from the pins 60 . the transport arm 54 is articulable so as to remove untreated wafers from a wafer supply 136 , as shown in fig4 deliver the wafer 62 on the distal end of the support pins 60 to their fully extended location , and retrieve the treated wafer 62 therefrom . thereupon , a fresh untreated wafer is loaded onto the free ends of the support pins 62 by the support surface 130 from the water supply 136 , and the pins 60 are then retracted toward the hot heater plate 30 to enable the wafer to be heat treated , and then recycled toward the top of the chamber 14 , cooling the wafer down , and removing the wafer for storage in the wafer supply 136 . a further embodiment is contemplated , where the heater plate 30 , the heat source 32 and the reflector / insulator dish 28 , are disposed at the top of the chamber 40 , instead of at the bottom as they are shown in fig2 and 3 . the support pins 60 in such a top heater arrangement , would be attached to a single shaft , not shown , extending through the base 26 of the process chamber 14 , and cooling of any wafers thereon would be effected by withdrawing of the heated / treated semiconductor ( wafers ) workpieces downwardly towards the base , which would have the radiation absorbent material thereon , facilitating cooling of that wafer . in yet a further embodiment for the support pins 60 , in a top heater arrangement , the shaft attached to the support pins 60 could be rotated , thus effectuating further improvements in the uniformity of heat and gas flow to the wafers treated thereon . summarizing the heating modes for this rapid thermal processing device , a workpiece may be heated : ( a ) &# 34 ; initially &# 34 ; in the proximity of the heater plate ( no contact ) followed by direct contact heating , for atmospheric pressure processing ; ( b ) initial direct contact followed by proximity heating for medium temperature ( about 500 - 600 degrees centigrade ) vacuum processes where the workpiece to be heated is relatively transparent to infrared radiation at low temperatures ; ( c ) direct contact heating for low temperature chemical vapor deposition processing where the workpiece to be heated is relatively transparent to infrared radiation at low temperatures ( about 400 - 500 degrees centigrade ); and ( d ) proximity heating for atmospheric pressure processing when the operating temperature would cause reaction between the heater surface and the workpiece , for high temperature ( about 600 - 1200 degrees centigrade ) vacuum processing , and for higher temperature ( about 500 - 900 degrees centigrade ) chemical vapor deposition processing . thus what has been shown and described is a novel apparatus for the rapid thermal processing of semiconductor wafer material and flat panel display devices utilizable for a number of heating and proximity / contact modes , and wherein a heating and wafer support mechanism are enclosed in a novel processing chamber to efficiently and uniformly treat wafers in a vacuum or a gaseous ambient , with the facility to cool the treated waters rapidly while minimizing thermal gradient problems heretofore associated with thermal processing . | 8 |
the purpose of this invention is to enhance the audio output of existing sonar systems in order to provide an exaggerated doppler shift and echo gain which can then be more easily detected . sonar systems at present output unprocessed , doppler shifted echoes which for many low - doppler conditions are undetectable by the human ear because the echoes are often buried in the noise of the system and the reverberation in the echo signal . the techniques of this invention provide a method for exaggerating the doppler shift thereby making it more detectable to the human operator . in addition , reverberation noise is de - emphasized while level - dependent gain is given to echo components to further enhance target detectability . conventional signal timing , i . e ., the signal is not sped up nor slowed down , is maintained so that maximum use can be made of the existing visual displays in conjunction with improved audio output . consequently , real time analysis remains feasible . the preferred embodiment described concentrates on using this technique for developing an enhanced audio signal . however , the output of this technique is equally applicable to feeding a visual display which shows the enhanced echoes separated from masking reverberation noises and more clearly displayed in recognizable form at low doppler level signals . fig8 shows an aural enhancement unit as installed in a navy sonar system . the output of the sonar system is processed for enhancing the acoustical signal which is then fed to the earphones used by an operator . the system concept depicted shows the output from an aqa - 7 sonar processor input into aural enhancement unit 60 which in turn outputs to the phones of the operator . the aural enhancement is partially achieved by artifically increasing the doppler shift by a factor of about eight , for low doppler targets . this makes low level , low doppler echoes detectable by the human ear . adaptive reverberation notching and signal - based gain also contribute to the enhancement . a dicass sonobuoy has a doppler sensitivity of about 5 hz per knot . since the typical human ear cannot readily perceive a frequency shift of less than 20 hz at a center frequency of 800 hz ( the output frequency for the aqa - 7 unit ), an operator cannot usually detect target echoes with less than four knots of doppler shift with this system . by aural enhancement the doppler signal is exaggerated to a frequency which gives the operators the ability to detect target echoes with doppler velocity as low as about 0 . 5 knots . there are likely to be cases in which the ear may outperform the eye , since the signal processing used for aural enhancement takes into account the non - white nature of the reverberation . such cases occur when the echo has such a small doppler shift that it is actually riding on the skirts of the reverberation . consequently , the aural detectability can be brought up to exceed the existing visual detectability which is often based upon a less - sophisticated process , and the possibility for synergistic interaction of the two senses arises to provide better detectability than the use of either alone . the key features of the invention are : the utilization of one or a combination of algorithms implemented to spread the frequency spectrum in the low doppler shift region ; the reduction or removal of reverberation noise which interferes with target detectability ; and the application of gain to signal echo components . fig2 through 7 display plots which reflect the effect of various possible algorithms for converting acoustic signals centered at an input frequency of 800 hz to an enhanced output signal . fig2 shows a comparison plot displaying algorithms which represent : linear stretching with the output frequency centered at 800 hz ; linear stretching with the output frequency centered at 1 , 600 hz ; a warp procedure ( meaning to bend a curve into some warped shape ) with output centered at 800 hz ; and the generally unenhanced curve for the input signal as exists . fig3 presents the linear stretch type algorithm where the output frequency is set at 800 hz . fig4 shows the linear stretch algorithm with the output frequency set at 1 , 600 hz and , as shown in fig3 an eight - to - one stretching is implemented over the linear range . fig5 shows the warp curve with the output frequency set at 800 hz . this figure applies only to the positive doppler region . stretching varies from region to region with certain regions having applied a thirtytwo - to - one linear stretching factor and other regions a sixteen - to - one linear stretching factor . fig6 shows the warp algorithm plotted for the region of negative doppler . depending on the frequency range linear stretching ratios have been used on different segments , said stretching ratios ranging from one - to - one up to twenty - to - one . fig7 presents the plot of a symmetric logarithmic warp with the output frequency set at 800 hz . eight to one stretching is accomplished in the region near the 800 hz input frequency . this stretching factor logarithmically approaches a one - to - one ratio within plus or minus 200 hz about the center frequency . the choice of the algorithm to be used will depend upon the particular circumstances of operation of the sonar system . implementation of these frequency stretching algorithms occurs in the frequency domain . the technique presented in fig7 is particularly suited for simultaneous aural and visual enhancement , since the latter cannot deal with frequencies outside the ± 200 hz range . basically , the method involves taking the time domain signal from the existing sonar system , digitizing it , filtering it , converting it to the frequency domain , applying a frequency stretching algorithm , processing to remove undesired reverberation noises , applying signal dependent gain , reconversion to the time domain , and outputting for reception by earphones of the operator . all of this must take place such that the output signal essentially occurs in real time coincident with the physical process being monitored . fig9 and 10 show visual representations of signal echoes as output in the original and the enhanced forms . in fig9 a frequency range of plus or minus 200 hz about the center frequency , 800 hz for the given navy sonar system , is plotted along the ordinate axis . the abscissa axis represents range . also plotted on the ordinate axis is a scale of doppler velocities in knots . signal echo t1 is observed as occurring within the cross hatched area which represents that frequency range lying between plus and minus 20 hz that is usually undetectable to the human ear . echo return t2 occurs at approximately 55 hz referring to a target with a negative doppler velocity of about thirteen knots . noise effects have not been taken into consideration in these figures . only the effect of frequency detectability to the human ear has been illustrated , wherein the cross hatched area identifies that region which is generally undetectable . in contrast with fig9 fig1 shows the same doppler targets after enhancement has been applied . the algorithm applied for fig1 has been the algorithm presented in fig7 of the symmetric log warp method . maximum stretching occurs near the zero knot axis and falls off to less stretching as one gets out to plus or minus forty knots ( plus or minus 200 hz ). in fig1 echo t1 now occurs in a frequency range that is easily detected aurally . echo t2 which was originally detectable in fig9 has been stretched somewhat but less than target t1 and is still within the nominally considered detectable region of interest ( plus or minus 200 hz ). clearly , it can be recognized that this process to stretch or magnify echo frequencies away from the zero knot axis to frequency levels more easily detected by the human ear , to adaptively notch the reverb , and to apply signal - dependent gain , can also be utilized to output a signal which can be presented in a visual display in lieu of or in combination with the acoustical output that will more effectively help identify low speed targets . the output of this method , therefore , may be utilized either to feed the earphones for an operator or to feed a system for visually displaying the stretched frequency results in a visual display similar to fig1 . fig1 is a block diagram showing the essential components of the enhancement system . the time domain signal from an existing sonar system is input 10 into an analog - to - digital converter 12 . the signal is digitized therein and passed to a translator 14 where the center frequency is complex - translated to baseband at 0 hz . for the particular embodiment shown the center frequency of the input signal is at 800 hz . after translation to 0 hz baseband the digitized time domain signal is low - pass filtered and decimated to a new sample rate of 512 hz , 18 . the signal is then subject to a variable notch filter 20 which is adaptively controlled through a multi - level threshold controller 16 . the multi - level threshold controller 16 monitors the amplitude of the signal output from a to d converter 12 . based upon this amplitude , multi - level threshold controller 16 is preprogrammed to adjust variable notch filter 20 to a preselected attenuation level . notch filter 20 , for example , will then apply a 45 db attenuation at 0 hz , plus or minus a preset frequency bandwidth . the purpose is to reduce the intensity of the reverberation within the selected filtered bandwidth . the time domain , digitized signal is then subjected to a discrete fast fourier transform 22 which converts the signal to the frequency domain with 512 point blocks overlapped 75 percent . the frequency coefficients are converted to magnitudes by taking their absolute values 24 and discarding the phases . this frequency domain signal is then again subjected to variable notch filtering 26 . the variable notch filter 26 is also controlled by multi - level threshold control 16 . as a general case , it is possible to carry out the method without the use of variable notch filter 26 . however , the method is considerably improved operationally by applying notch filtering both to the time domain signal and to the frequency domain signal under the control of multi - level threshold 16 . variable notch filter 26 also works to notch the reverberation within a controlled frequency bandwidth . the bandwidths of both notch filters can be adjustable , to be selected by the operator or automatically . the following table presents the adjustment criteria used for the notch filters in this embodiment . ______________________________________revert type i ( deep ) reverb type 2 ( shallow ) time time freq . time freq . after domain domain domain domainping notch notch notch notch ( sec ) ( db ) ( multiplier ) ( db ) ( multiplier ) ______________________________________0 - 3 - 45 0 - to - 1 - 45 0 - to - 13 - 8 - 30 . 5 - to - 1 - 45 . 5 - to - 1 8 - 16 - 15 1 . 0 - 30 . 5 - to - 1______________________________________ the time domain notches are flat between 0 and ± 4 hz relative to the center frequency , and have transitions to non - notch condition between ± 4 - 22 hz ). the frequency domain notches are linear - sloped from 0 hz to ± 22 hz . these notch characteristics are also subject to variation , and can be narrowed or widened to fit different reverberation width conditions ( as well as attenuation characteristics ). the signal output from notch filter 26 is then subjected to separate parallel paths . along one path the signal undergoes automatic line integration 30 . each coefficient is smoothed by exponential averaging which keeps 75 percent of the previous value and adds 25 percent of the new value to it . the signal is then fed to noise whitener 34 wherein an estimate of the average noise background level is made . this average noise level is determined at each frequency by comparing that frequency to a small frequency band centered about that frequency . the output signal after being subject to noise whitener 34 is then compared 28 against the second parallel path signal fed directly from notch filter 26 . comparison is made of the frequency domain data from the smoothed &# 34 ; signal - only &# 34 ; file output from noise whitener 34 with the frequency domain data from the unsmooth notch - filtered &# 34 ; signal + noise &# 34 ; file output from notch filter 26 . the &# 34 ; signal - only &# 34 ; coefficients are raised to the third power ( cubed ), and then multiplied by the corresponding &# 34 ; signal + noise &# 34 ; coefficients from the previous transform ( 1 / 4th second earlier ). if this product exceeds a preset maximum threshold , then the result is limited or reduced , but otherwise is used as the output quantity . the effect is to provide a large signal gain when the signal is present , but very little or no gain when it is not . the &# 34 ; no - gain &# 34 ; condition prevails when the &# 34 ; signal - only &# 34 ; coefficient fails to exceed a minimum threshold . the signal is now subject to doppler remapping 36 . remapping accomplishes four main purposes . ( 1 ) it moves the coefficients which are near 0 - doppler to positions much farther away from 0 - doppler , preserving sign (&# 34 ; up &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; down &# 34 ; doppler ) in relative position . this allows the human ear to discriminate much more easily those frequencies which would otherwise be too close to 800 hz to differentiate from reverberation . ( 2 ) it randomizes the sign of the frequency coefficients , keeping the sign constant over time ( over successive transforms ). this helps to minimize boundary clicks when the inverse transform waveforms are abutted to achieve the composite output . ( 3 ) it constructs an anti - symmetric version of the coefficients such that the subsequent inverse transforms will result in a real ( not complex ) sequence of values whose zero - crossings occur at the transform boundaries . ( 4 ) it offsets the coefficients away from baseband ( zero frequency ) as the first step in achieving the final 800 hz reconstructed center frequency for 0 - doppler . it is the function of doppler remap 36 to apply the specific stretching algorithm for moving frequency coefficients away from near 0 - doppler positions . phase is added 38 to minimize boundary clicks when the inverse fourier transform waveforms are connected together . added phase 38 reintroduces phases with random sign prior to the complex inverse discrete fourier transform process . a 1024 inverse fourier transform 40 is performed on the data output from doppler remapping . the signal has now been reconverted into the time domain and pieced together sequentially in a manner to reduce boundary clicks and to present a smooth time domain function for further processing . the signal in the time domain is then subjected to translation of the center frequency from baseband up to 800 hz 42 . each of the sixty four input records is repeated once and abutted next to its neighbors to achieve a continuous , composite output . the earlier 75 percent overlap accounts for a factor of four , the 1024 - point transform length for a factor of 2 , and the once - repeated records for a factor of 2 , so that the resulting file has sixteen times as many sample values as the baseband files prior to the forward fourier transform . thus , when these are played back in the sixteen - second original time interval , a sample rate of 8192 hz is achieved , and the 100 hz 0 - doppler bin is heard at the center frequency of 800 hz ( the 1024 - point records now amount to one - eighth second ). after translation the enhanced signal output is then mixed together with some of the original reverberation 44 . signal output from analog to digital converter 12 was subject to attenuation 32 and is made available at the reverberation mixing stage 44 for this process . this provides the user with a reference so that signals can be recognized to be either above or below the 0 - doppler characteristic frequency . it also gives a reliable indication for the start - of - ping time . after reverberation mixing the signal is fed to a digital to analog converter 46 with a 1 , 600 hz low pass filter . following this filtering and conversion the signal is output to either earphones for the sonar operator or to further processing for visual display . it is to be understood that the numerical parameters used and presented before in the various steps or elements of the method or system can be altered and chosen otherwise . the above values were specifically selected for tailoring to the particular sonar system for which the preferred embodiment was applied . for example , sampling rates and the ratio of decimation may be selected other than presented in the above text . an alternative to attenuator 32 acting upon the digitized time domain signal output from a to d converter 12 would be to inject at reverberation mixer 44 a standard library of reverberation signals with particular characteristics useful for the purpose at hand . in this case the library reverberation signal would be fed directly into reverberation mixer 44 to interact with the output of the signal from translator 42 . obviously , many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described . | 6 |
fig1 shows a method 100 for increasing a lifetime of a plurality of blocks of memory , in accordance with one embodiment . as shown , at least one factor that affects a lifetime of a plurality of blocks of memory is identified . see operation 102 . additionally , the plurality of blocks to write is selected , based on the at least one factor . see operation 104 . in the context of the present description , the lifetime of the memory may include any duration during which the memory exhibits any desired degree of usability . for example , in various embodiments , such lifetime may include , but is certainly not limited to a desired lifetime , an actual lifetime , an estimated lifetime , etc . further , the degree of usability may refer to any usability - related parameter such as a percentage of components ( e . g . blocks , cells , etc .) that are still operational , a reliability of the memory or components thereof , and / or any other parameter for that matter . additionally , in various embodiments , the memory may include , but is not limited to , mechanical storage devices ( e . g . disk drives , etc . ), solid state storage devices ( e . g . dynamic random access memory ( dram ), flash memory , etc . ), and / or any other storage device . in the case that the memory includes flash memory , the flash memory may include , but is not limited to , single - level cell ( slc ) devices , multi - level cell ( mlc ) devices , nor flash memory , nand flash memory , mlc nand flash memory , slc nand flash memory , etc . in one embodiment , the nonvolatile memory device may include at least one of a single - bit per cell nor flash memory , a multi - bit per cell nor flash memory , a single - bit per cell nand flash memory , and a multi - bit per cell nand flash memory . furthermore , in the context of the present description , the factor may include any factor that may affect a lifetime of memory blocks either directly , or indirectly . for example , in various embodiments the factors may include , but are not limited to , a number of errors ( e . g . detected , corrected , etc .) during a read operation involving at least one of the blocks of memory , a duration between a program operation and read operation involving at least one of the blocks of memory , a number of times at least one of the blocks of memory is erased , a duration required to erase at least one of the blocks of memory , a duration required to program at least one of the blocks of memory , a number of retries required to program at least one of the blocks of memory , a number of intervening reads of a page of at least one of the blocks of memory , a number of intervening reads in a neighboring page , structure and organization of memory , and / or any other factors that meet the above definition . as an option , a history of use of the blocks of memory may be stored . in this case , the history of use may be utilized to determine the factor . more illustrative information will now be set forth regarding various optional architectures and features with which the foregoing framework may or may not be implemented , per the desires of the user . it should be strongly noted that the following information is set forth for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting in any manner . any of the following features may be optionally incorporated with or without the exclusion of other features described . fig2 shows a technique 200 for increasing a lifetime of a plurality of blocks of memory , in accordance with another embodiment . as an option , the present technique 200 may be implemented in the context of the details of fig1 . of course , however , the technique 200 may be implemented in any desired environment . it should also be noted that the aforementioned definitions may apply during the present description . as shown , an endurance 202 of a plurality of memory blocks 204 may be monitored . in this case , the bars in fig2 represent the number of writes for a particular block 204 . in the context of the present description , the endurance 202 refers to the number of write and erase cycles for each memory block 204 . thus , the endurance 202 corresponds to a usage of the memory blocks 204 . in one embodiment , the number of writes and / or erases may be monitored and logged . by monitoring the number of writes of the blocks 204 , it may be determined which blocks have been utilized more frequently . in one embodiment , the monitoring may be used to determine whether the number of writes for any of the blocks 204 has exceeded a threshold 206 . additionally , such monitoring may allow an equalization of the usage such that when the number of writes for certain blocks reach the threshold 206 , other blocks below the threshold 206 may be utilized for writes . for example , an order on which blocks are written and recycled may be changed to minimize any difference in endurance values between blocks . in operation , at least one factor that affects a lifetime of the plurality of blocks of memory 204 may be identified and / or monitored . a plurality of blocks to write may then be selected based on the at least one factor . in various embodiments , there may be multiple factors indicating a state of the blocks 204 from a lifetime perspective . in one embodiment , the factor may include a number of corrected errors associated with each of the blocks 204 . such corrected errors may correspond to a reading of the data , for example . in various cases , the factor may be impacted by a plurality of other factors . for example , the number of corrected errors may be impacted by how much time has lapsed from a program operation to a read , and by how many reads were executed . additionally , a number of times a block is erased and programmed may also impact the number of errors corrected . of course , many other factors may also impact the number of errors corrected . in various embodiments , the factors may correspond to a period of time of usage of the blocks 204 , a frequency of writes , a rate of the operations , a total permitted number of the operations , and a duration of the lifetime , etc . of course , such exemplary aspects are set forth for illustrative purposes only as the factor may correspond to any aspect that may affect a life expectancy of a block of memory . in one embodiment , a score may be utilized as to determine whether to change the order of which the blocks 204 are written and recycled . for example , each block 204 may have a corresponding score function that is based on at least one factor . the score function may be utilized to determine a score for each of the blocks 204 . this score may be utilized to minimize a difference in values between score functions of the blocks 204 . as an option , the score may be based on one factor that affects a lifetime of the blocks 204 . as another option , the score may be based on a plurality of factors that affect a lifetime of the blocks 204 . for example , in the case of two memory blocks , one memory block may have a score over the threshold 206 and one may have a score below the threshold 206 . in this case , each of the scores may correspond to at least one factor that affects the lifetime of the blocks . it should be noted that , the scores may correspond to any number of factors , as noted above . in one embodiment , the scores may be indicative of a value corresponding to at least one factor relating to a life expectancy of the blocks . in this case , the difference in the values may reflect a difference in a lifetime expectancy of the blocks . thus , the two blocks may be equalized . in one embodiment , the equalization may include utilizing ( e . g . writing ) the block below the threshold 206 while the block that is above the threshold 206 is not utilized . this may occur until a point when the two blocks correspond to equal or near equal values . at that point , the threshold 206 may be increased and either memory block may be utilized . initially all blocks 204 may be below the threshold 206 . when a block exceeds the threshold 206 , it may be labeled , or otherwise identified as a block above the threshold 206 . the blocks 204 under the threshold 206 may then be utilized until they reach or exceed the threshold 206 . this may continue until all blocks 204 below the threshold 206 are exhausted . at this point , a new threshold may be set such that all existing blocks 204 are below the new threshold . this may repeat throughout the lifetime of the blocks 204 . as an option , a count percentage of free space may be utilized during the equalization the variation between the blocks 204 , in order to minimize a total amount of blocks 204 that are erased and written . additionally , various other techniques may be utilized to minimize a total amount blocks that are erased and written in conjunction with equalizing the variation between the blocks block reclamation ). furthermore , various other equalizing techniques may be utilized to equalize the variation between the blocks 204 . in one embodiment , multiple memory modules may be utilized in a system . in this case , the memory modules may include memory modules with different lifetimes . as such , the total memory lifetime of the system may be up to the sum of the lifetime of the memories , as opposed to being limited to a memory module with the minimum lifetime . in one embodiment , a lifetime estimator module may serve to receive commands communicated to a controller of a system via a storage bus . the lifetime estimator module may compute an estimated lifetime assuming that the commands received through the bus were executed . in one embodiment , the lifetime estimator may be utilized to monitor the number of writes and / or other factors affecting the lifetime of the memory blocks 204 . strictly as an option , the lifetime estimator module may be utilized to set the threshold 206 . of course , the threshold 206 may be set using a variety of techniques . in one embodiment , the threshold 296 may be a pre - determined threshold . in another embodiment , the threshold 206 may be set dynamically . as an option , the threshold may correlate directly to a lifetime ( e . g . expected , desired , etc .) of a device associated with at least one of the memory blocks 206 . in one embodiment , an intra - storage device redundancy capability may be utilized for reducing cost and improving performance . in such embodiment , data may be moved between the individual storage devices , based on any factor associated with a lifetime thereof . for instance , a situation may involve a first one of the storage devices including a set of data that is more frequently overwritten with respect to the data of a second one of the storage devices . in such case , after threshold of at least one factor associated with lifetime is exceeded , such data may be moved from the first storage device to the second storage device , and henceforth the first storage device or one or more blocks / modules thereof may be used to store less - frequently written data or retired from further use . to this end , storage device lifetime may be distributed appropriately to avoid one storage device or a portion of a storage device from failing at a point in time that is vastly premature with respect to other storage devices of the group . of course , the present technique may be applied not only among different storage devices , but also portions thereof . to this end , the lifetime of any memory components may be managed in such a manner . fig3 shows a method 300 for increasing a lifetime of a plurality of blocks of memory , in accordance with another embodiment . as an option , the present method 300 may be implemented in the context of the functionality of fig1 - 2 . of course , however , the method 300 may be carried out in any desired environment . it should also be noted that the aforementioned definitions may apply during the present description . as shown , a threshold is defined such that all blocks of memory are below the threshold . see operation 302 . in one embodiment , the threshold may correspond to a usage of the blocks . for example , as blocks are used a value of usage associated with the blocks may approach the threshold . in another embodiment , the threshold may correspond to at least one other factor associated with a life expectancy of the set of blocks . for example , the threshold may correspond to a number of corrected errors for the blocks . in this case , as blocks are used a value the number of corrected errors associated with the blocks may approach the threshold . of course , the threshold may correspond to any number of factors affecting the lifetime of the blocks . once an initial threshold is identified which the blocks are below , it is determined whether a block needs to be reclaimed . see operation 304 . for example , if factors indicate that a block or group of blocks is above the threshold or have been used disproportionately to other blocks , it may be determined that the block or blocks need to be reclaimed . in the context of the present description , block reclaiming , which may be triggered by garbage collection , read disturbs , scrubbing , number of corrected errors , or other event , refers to equalizing a variation between block , based on at least one factor . for example , in various embodiments the block reclaiming may include equalizing a variation between the blocks based on a number of errors detected during a read / write , a number of errors corrected during a read / write , a length of time to erase a block , a length of time for a block to program , a number of entries utilized during programming , a number of intervening reads of a page , a number of intervening reads in a neighboring page , a number of erases and program cycles of a block , and / or any other factors . if it is determined that a block needs to be reclaimed , blocks in a block set below the threshold are allocated to be written . see operation 306 . for example , blocks below a threshold may be utilized in a memory operation as opposed to the block or blocks in a block set which is above the threshold . once block ( s ) in a block set below the threshold are allocated to be written , it is then determined whether any blocks exceed the threshold . see operation 308 . for example , the blocks in the block set below the threshold may be written until it is determined that a block exceeds the threshold . if it is determined that a block has exceeded the threshold , the block may be placed into the set of blocks corresponding to blocks over the threshold . see operation 310 . if the block has not exceeded the threshold , the block may remain in the block set below the threshold and may continue to be utilized . it is then determined whether all of the blocks below the threshold are exhausted . see operation 312 . in other words , it is determined whether all blocks in the set of blocks corresponding to blocks below the threshold have been included in the set of blocks corresponding to blocks above the threshold . if all blocks below the threshold have been exhausted , a new threshold is set and all existing blocks are defined to be below the new threshold . see operation 314 . once a new threshold has been set , it is again determined whether blocks need to be reclaimed . as an option , this may continue over the lifetime of the memory blocks . it should be noted that the new and the initial thresholds may be set based on various criteria . for example , the threshold may be set based on an expected usage of the blocks . in one embodiment , the threshold may be a predetermined threshold . in another embodiment , the threshold may be determined based on the memory block usage . fig4 shows a method 400 for writing data to different storage devices based on a write frequency , in accordance with one embodiment . as an option , the present method 400 may be implemented in the context of the functionality and architecture of fig1 - 3 . of course , however , the method 400 may be carried out in any desired environment . it should also be noted that the aforementioned definitions may apply during the present description . as shown , a frequency in which data is written is identified . see operation 402 . additionally , a plurality of storage devices of different types are selected from to write the data , based on the frequency . see operation 404 . in one embodiment , the selection may be based on a threshold . for example , if the frequency in which data is written exceeds a threshold , a certain storage device may be selected to write the data . as an option , the different types of storage devices may include an sic and an mlc device , an mlc and mlc with different endurance . six and dram , mlc and dram . of course , in various other embodiments , the different types of storage devices may include any number of devices , including a variety of different types of memory . in another embodiment , at least two different types of memory may be integrated in one device . for example , flash mlc and slc memory may be combined on one device . as another example , two different types of flash mlc may be integrated in one device . in yet another example , a mix of memory types in one device may be determined programmatically . in one case , a portion of the storage device associated with slc flash memory may be determined and a portion of the storage device associated with the mlc flash memory may be determined . as a specific example , it may be determined that data from a particular application or program is written with a high frequency . in this case , an six device may be selected to write the data . on the other hand , it may be determined that data from a particular application or program , or particular location of disk , or from particular access pattern are written with a low frequency . in this case , an mlc device may be selected to write the data . of course , this is merely an example , as any number of devices may be selected based on the identified frequency . in one embodiment , a lifetime estimator module may serve to receive commands communicated to a controller of a system via a storage bus . the lifetime estimator module may monitor a frequency as well as computing an estimated lifetime assuming that the command ( s ) received through the bus was executed . of course , the frequency may be determined in a variety of ways and is not limited to being identified by the lifetime estimator module . it should be noted that , in various embodiments , the memory mentioned in the foregoing embodiments may include a mechanical storage device ( e . g . a disk drive including a sata disk drive , a sas disk drive , a fiber channel disk drive , ide disk drive , ata disk drive , ce disk drive , usb disk drive , smart card disk drive , mmc disk drive , etc .) and / or a non - mechanical storage device ( e . g . semiconductor - based , etc .). such non - mechanical memory may , for example , include volatile or non - volatile memory . in various embodiments , the nonvolatile memory device may include flash memory ( e . g . single - bit per cell nor flash memory , multi - bit per cell nor flash memory , single - bit per cell nand flash memory , multi - bit per cell nand flash memory , multi - level and / or multi - bit per cell nand flash , large block flash memory , resistive memory , phase change memory , magnetic memory , etc ). while various examples of memory are set forth herein , it should be noted that the various principles may be applied to any type of memory a lifetime for which may be reduced due to various operations being performed thereon . fig5 illustrates an exemplary system 500 in which the various architecture and / or functionality of the various previous embodiments may be implemented . for example , the exemplary system 500 may represent the computer set forth in some of the previous embodiments . still yet , the various apparatuses set forth above may even be a component of the system 500 . as shown , a system 500 is provided including at least one host processor 501 which is connected to a communication bus 502 . the system 500 also includes a main memory 504 . control logic software ) and data are stored in the main memory 504 which may take the form of random access memory ( ram ). the system 500 may also include a graphics processor 506 and a display 508 , i . e ., a computer monitor . the system 500 may also include a secondary storage 510 . the secondary storage 510 includes , for example , a hard disk drive and / or a removable storage drive , representing a floppy disk drive , a magnetic tape drive , a compact disk drive , etc . the removable storage drive reads from and / or writes to a removable storage module in a well known manner . computer programs , or computer control logic algorithms , may be stored in the main memory 504 and / or the secondary storage 510 . such computer programs , when executed , enable the system 500 to perform various functions . memory 504 , storage 510 and / or any other storage are possible examples of computer - readable media . in one embodiment , the architecture and / or functionality of the various previous figures may be implemented in the context of the host processor 501 , graphics processor 506 , secondary storage 510 , an integrated circuit ( not shown ) that is capable of at least a portion of the capabilities of both the host processor 501 and the graphics processor 506 , a chipset i . e . a group of integrated circuits designed to work and be sold as a module for performing related functions , etc . ), and / or any other integrated circuit for that matter . still yet , the architecture and / or functionality of the various previous figures may be implemented in the context of a general computer system , a circuit board system , a game console system dedicated for entertainment purposes , an application - specific system , and / or any other desired system . for example , the system 500 may take the form of a desktop computer , tap - top computer , and / or any other type of logic . still yet , the system 500 may take the form of various other devices including , but not limited to a personal digital assistant ( fda ) device , a mobile phone device , a television , etc . further , while not shown , the system 500 may be coupled to a network [ e . g . a telecommunications network , local area network ( lan ), wireless network , wide area network ( wan ) such as the internet , peer - to - peer network , cable network , etc .] for communication purposes . while various embodiments have been described above , it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only , and not limitation . thus , the breadth and scope of a preferred embodiment should not be limited by any of the above - described exemplary embodiments , but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
in the following detailed description , reference is made to the accompanying drawings , which form a part hereof . in the drawings , similar symbols typically identify similar components , unless context dictates otherwise . the illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description , drawings , and claims are not meant to be limiting . other embodiments may be utilized , and other changes may be made , without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here . it will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure , as generally described herein , and illustrated in the figures , can be arranged , substituted , combined , and designed in a wide variety of different configurations , all of which are explicitly contemplated and make part of this disclosure . fig1 schematically illustrates a flow chart of a method 100 for responding a message . in s 101 , a first communication system receiving a first message from a second communication system . fig2 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a first communication system 200 according to one embodiment . in some embodiments , the first communication system 200 may include a processing device 201 , a communication device 203 , an input device 205 and a display 207 . in some embodiments , the first communication system 200 may be a mobile device carried by a user , such as a mobile phone , a tablet computer , or the like . the mobile device may receive the first message from the second communication device through a mobile network . for example , a mobile phone may receive a short messaging service ( sms ) message through a cellular network , or a tablet computer may receive a piece of web information from a website server through a 3g network . in some embodiments , the first communication system 200 may be a vehicle mounted head unit . some vehicle may be equipped with a head unit with mobile communication components , such as a 3g module . therefore , the vehicle mounted head unit may receive the first message from the second communication system . in some embodiments , the first communication system 200 may include a vehicle mounted head unit and a mobile device , where the vehicle mounted head unit may provide the processing device 201 , the input device 205 and the display 207 , and the mobile device may function as the communication 203 . therefore , information can be presented to the user using the head unit , and instructions can be input by operating the head unit . besides , even if the head unit does not have a communication device for receiving and sending a message through a mobile network , the method 100 can still be implemented with assistance of the mobile device , such as a mobile phone . in some embodiments , a data connection may be established between the head unit and the mobile phone through wireless connection , such as through bluetooth , wi - fi , etc . in some embodiments , the data connection may be established between the head unit and the mobile phone through wired connection , such as through usb , ieee 1394 , etc . such that , when the mobile device receives the first message , it can send the first message to the head unit . the head unit may implement several processing to form a message for responding the first message and send the formed message to the mobile device , such that the mobile device can forward the formed message to the second communication system . hereinafter , embodiments of implementing the method 100 using a communication system including a vehicle mounted head unit and a mobile phone will be illustrated in detail . other embodiments of implementing the method 100 using a mobile device or a head unit can be conceived in light of the descriptions below . in some embodiments , the first message may include event information and sender information , and the first communication system may obtain both the event information and the sender information . for example , the first message may be a short message . once the mobile phone receives the short message , it may transmit contents of the short message and sender identification number of the short message to the head unit . the sender identification number may be a phone number . in some embodiments , if the sender identification number is related to a contact name in the mobile phone , the mobile phone may further transmit the contact name to the head unit . the head unit may present the first message in a visible way or an audio way . for example , the processing device 201 of the head unit may control the display 107 to show the first message , or control an audio system mounted on the vehicle to broadcast the first message . in some embodiments , the head unit may give a reminder indicating that the first message is received . if the user chooses to learn about the first message and input a corresponding instruction , the head unit may present the first message , or else , the head unit won &# 39 ; t present the first message . in some embodiments , the reminder may include the sender information , such that the user can determine whether to learn about the event information or not based on the sender information . fig3 schematically an example of an interface 300 of the head unit . the interface 300 may be shown on the display 207 . the interface 300 may illustrate a reminder of the first message , which shows the sender information of the first message . the interface 300 may further provide several options to deal with the reminder . for example , if the user wants to know the contents of the first message , he / she may click a tag 301 to input an instruction to play event information , or else , he / she may click an tag 303 to input an instruction to cancel the reminder . user instruction ( s ) may be input through the input device 205 by the user to instruct the head unit to conduct certain operation ( s ). in some embodiments , the input device 205 may include at least one button . the tag 301 or the tag 303 may be clicked , i . e ., corresponding user instruction may be input , by actuating the at least one button . in some embodiments , the input device 205 and the display 207 may be integrated in a touch screen . the touch screen may present the first message and some tags , and corresponding instructions may be input by pressing the tags . in s 105 , the first communication system providing a plurality of options each of which represents obtaining a corresponding piece of information . to respond the first message , some information may be used . the head unit may provide a plurality of options , such that the user can select what kind of information to be sent for responding the first message . in some embodiments , the processing device 201 may control the display 207 to present the plurality of options . in some embodiments , the display 207 may show a plurality tags each of which represents one of the plurality of options , such that the user can know what kind of information can be used to respond the first message . by inputting a corresponding user instruction through the input device 205 , the user can select at least one piece of information to be sent . in some embodiments , the user instruction may be input by actuating at least one button , or clicking one or more tags shown on the display 207 if it &# 39 ; s a touch screen . in some embodiments , the at least one button may be mounted on a steering wheel of the vehicle , such that the user can operate the at least one button conveniently . fig4 schematically illustrates an interface 400 . the interface 400 may be presented on a touch screen . the interface 400 may provide a plurality of tags 401 , 403 , 405 , 407 , 409 , 411 and 413 . the tags 403 , 405 , 407 , 409 and 411 may represent the plurality of options . the tag 403 may represent an option for obtaining a current position of the head unit , i . e ., the current position of the vehicle . the tag 405 may represent an option for obtaining an estimation of arrival time . the tag 407 may represent an option for obtaining traffic condition . the tag 409 may represent an option for obtaining weather condition . and the tag 411 may represent an option for obtaining information of the music the user is listening to . user instructions may be input by pressing one or more tags of the interface 400 . specifically , if the user presses the tag 411 , a user instruction of cancelling message responding may be input . if the user presses any one of the tags 403 , 405 , 407 , 409 and 411 , a user instruction of obtaining a piece of information corresponding to an option represented by the selected tag may be input . the user may press more than one tag of the tags 403 , 405 , 407 , 409 and 411 , such that a user instruction of obtaining more than one corresponding piece information may be input . the processing device 201 may receive the user instruction ( s ) and conduct certain processing accordingly . in s 107 , the first communication system obtaining at least one piece of information according to a user instruction . in some embodiments , the head unit may obtain a current position of itself , i . e ., current position of the vehicle according to the user instruction . the current position may be obtained from a vehicle - mounted navigation device , such as a global position system . in some embodiments , the position information may include a name of the location such as the name of a street , a building etc . it may be obtained based on gps signal and a digital map . in some embodiments , the head unit may obtain an estimation of arrival time , i . e ., an estimation of when the head unit will arrive at a predefined destination . in some embodiments , the arrival time may be a time point of arriving the predefined destination or a time period from now to the time point of arriving the destination . the estimation of arrival time may be obtained from the vehicle - mounted navigation device or a server . in some embodiments , the head unit may further obtain traffic information , weather information or information of music played in the vehicle from a server and / or a vehicle - mounted component . in s 109 , the first communication system composing a second message using the obtained at least one piece of information . the processing device 201 may add obtained information into a predefined message pattern to form the second message . in some embodiments , the head unit may present the second message , so the user can know the contents of the second message and decide whether or not to send the second message . referring still to fig4 , the interface 400 further provides an example of the second message . it could be seen that the second message shown on the interface 400 includes current position , estimation of arrival time , traffic information and weather information , which are obtained according to user instructions input by pressing the tags 403 , 405 , 407 and 409 . a user instruction of sending the second message may be input by pressing the tag 413 . in s 111 , the first communication system sending the second message to the second communication system . the head unit may send the second message to the mobile phone , such that the mobile phone can forward the second message to the second communication system . in some embodiments , the mobile phone may forward the second message to the sender of the first message , i . e ., the second communication system . in some embodiments , the head unit may determine at least one address according to a user instruction or a predefined scheme , and transmit the determined address to the mobile phone together with the second message , such that the mobile phone can forward the second message to the determined address . it should be noted that , the disclosure may not be limited to responding a sms message . in some embodiments , sending a message initiatively may be implemented . specifically , an address list may be pre - stored in the head unit . the display 207 may present the address list , such that the user can select an address from the list through the input device 205 . a message formed by the head unit may be sent to the mobile phone together with the selected address , and the mobile phone may forward the message to the address . there is little distinction left between hardware and software implementations of aspects of systems ; the use of hardware or software is generally a design choice representing cost vs . efficiency tradeoffs . for example , if an implementer determines that speed and accuracy are paramount , the implementer may opt for a mainly hardware and / or firmware vehicle ; if flexibility is paramount , the implementer may opt for a mainly software implementation ; or , yet again alternatively , the implementer may opt for some combination of hardware , software , and / or firmware . while various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein , other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art . the various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting , with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims . | 7 |
the compound of this invention may be synthesized by the reaction represented by the following equation : ## str6 ## wherein x - is oh - or an acid group . each of the derivatives of choline which are represented by the general formula ( iii ) and may be used as the starting materials for the compound of this invention has the group x - which is oh - or an acid group . examples of the acid are inorganic acids , such as hydrogen chloride , hydrogen bromide , sulfuric acid , phosphoric acid and nitric acid , carboxylic acids , such as acetic acid , propionic acid , lactic acid and citric acid , and sulfonic acids , such as methanesulfonic acid and benzenesulfonic acid . when x - is oh - , the compound of this invention may be synthesized at high purity by reacting saccharin represented by formula ( ii ) with a starting material ( iii ). when x - is an acid group , a base is required for neutralization . examples of bases which may be used for this purpose include hydroxides of alkali metals , such as sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide , hydroxides of alkaline earth metals , such as calcium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide , and carbonates of alkali metals , such as sodium carbonate and sodium hydrogen carbonate . from the economical point of view and reactivity , sodium hydroxide is preferred . alternatively , sodium salt of saccharin may be used in lieu of the combination of saccharin and a base . when x - is an acid group and a base is used for neutralization , a corresponding salt is formed as a byproduct . accordingly , when it is desired to prepare the compound of this invention in a highly pure state , it is advisable to use a starting material wherein x - is oh - . the use of a solvent is desirous for the reaction . usable solvents include protonic solvents , such as water , methanol , ethanol and propanol , ketone solvents , such as acetone and methyl ethyl ketone , and non - protonic solvents , such as acetonitrile , n , n - dimethylformamide , dimethylsulfoxide and n - methylpyrrolidone . it is preferred that a protonic solvent be used . generally , the reaction proceeds approximately at room temperature . however , the reaction mixture may be heated to accelerate the reaction or to dissolve the starting materials in the solvent used . when x - of the starting material ( iii ) is oh - , the reaction is completed at room temperature within a short time . the solvent is then distilled off by concentration , and the concentrated product is dried in vacuum , whereby the compound of this invention is obtained as a hygroscopic crystal at a substantially stoichiometric yield . the compound of this invention may be used directly as a plant protection agent for control of fungi and bacteria . however , it is a common practice either to dissolve or suspend it in an appropriate liquid carrier , for example , an organic solvent or to mix it with or have it adsorbed by a solid carrier , for example , a diluent or filler as is appropriate for the intended use . a variety of auxiliary agents , such as emulsifiers , stabilizers , dispersing agents , suspending agents , wetting agents and penetrating agents may be added , as desired , to form emulsions , wettable powders , granules or powders . the compound of this invention is applied generally in an amount of 2 g to 2000 g per 10 ares , preferably in an amount of 10 g to 300 g per 10 ares . for the purpose of reducing the labor for application thereof or for preventing further blights caused by various fungi and bacteria , other germicides or insecticides may be mixed therewith . when the compound of this invention is applied in an amount of effective component of 2 to 2000 g in the nursery pots or nursery beds for rice plants before they are transplanted to the paddy field , the appearance of rice blast and bacterial leaf blight can be prevented for a long time after they are transplanted to the paddy field . these blights of rice plants can be prevented for a long time after the compound of this invention is directly applied to the soil or in the water on the paddy field on which the rice plants are transplanted . the present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to some examples thereof . however , it is to be noted here that the invention is not limited only to the following examples . 1 . 48 g ( 8 . 1 millimoles ) of saccharin was added to 10 ml of methanol , and to the mixture added 2 g of an approximately 49 % aqueous solution of choline hydroxide ( containing 0 . 98 g ( 8 . 1 millimoles ) of choline hydroxide ) under agitation . after agitation at room temperature for about 10 minutes , all of the added saccharin was dissolved and the reaction was completed . the solvent was removed by concentration under a reduced pressure , followed by drying in vacuum , to obtain 2 . 36 g ( containing some moisture ) of the compound of this invention in the form of light brown hygroscopic crystals . the crystals were dissolved in acetone , to the solution added activated carbon , and then the mixture filtered . hexane was added to the filtrate to precipitate an oily substance . the solvents were removed by decantation , and the obtained oily substance was dried in vacuum to obtain 1 . 71 g of the compound of this invention in the form of white hygroscopic crystals . the crystals were pulverized and thoroughly dried in vacuum . the melting point of the product was 77 ° to 79 ° c . ( in a sealed tube ). infrared absorption spectrum ν kbr , cm - 1 : 3370 , 1630 , 1580 , 1475 , 1455 , 1333 , 1260 , 1150 , 950 nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum ( d 2 o ) δ : ( internal standard : sodium 3 -( trimethylsilyl ) propanesulfonate ) 3 . 19 ( 9h , s ), 3 . 53 ( 2h , m ), 4 . 05 ( 2h , m ), 7 . 74 ( 4h , s ) result of elementary analysis : c 49 . 3 %, h 6 . 5 %, n 9 . 6 % calcd . value as c 12 h 18 n 2 o 4 s · 0 . 3h 2 o : c 49 . 4 %, h 6 . 4 %, n 9 . 6 % 1 . 48 g ( 8 . 1 millimoles ) of saccharin was added to 10 ml of water , and to the mixture added 2 g of an approximately 49 % aqueous solution of choline hydroxide ( containing 0 . 98 g ( 8 . 1 millimoles ) of choline hydroxide ) under agitation . after agitation at room temperature for about 20 minutes , all of the added saccharin was dissolved and the reaction was completed . the reaction mixture was concentrated under a reduced pressure , and the concentrated product was dissolved in 30 ml of acetone . activated carbon was added to the solution , and then the mixture was filtered . hexane was added slowly to the filtrate under agitation , and seed crystals were added when the solution became slightly cloudy , whereby crystals were separated . additional hexane was added slowly to complete separation of crystals . the crystals were collected on a glass filter and rapidly dried in vacuum to obtain 1 . 07 g of white hygroscopic crystals . the crystals were dissolved again in acetone , and to the solution added hexane dropwisely under agitation to give crystals . they were collected and dried in vacuum to obtain the compound of this invention having a melting point of 78 ° to 79 ° c . ( in a sealed tube ). result of ultimate analysis : c 49 . 5 %, h 6 . 6 %, n 9 . 6 % calcd . value as c 12 h 18 n 2 o 4 s · 0 . 3h 2 o : c 49 . 4 %, h 6 . 4 %, n 9 . 6 % 2 . 05 g ( 10 millimoles ) of sodium salt of saccharin was added to 10 ml of methanol , and to the solution added 1 . 40 g ( 10 millimoles ) of choline chloride . after boiling for about one hour , the major portion of methanol was recovered under a reduced pressure . 15 ml of dichloromethane was added to the residue and the mixture agitated sufficiently . undissolved sodium chloride was filtered off , and the filtrate was concentrated under a reduced pressure to remove the solvents , followed by drying in vacuum , to obtain the compound of this invention in the form of white hygroscopic crystals . yield was 2 . 80 g . the product was pulverized and dried thoroughly in vacuum . the product had a melting point of 76 ° to 78 ° c . ( in a sealed tube ). 30 parts (&# 34 ; part &# 34 ; stands for &# 34 ; part by weight &# 34 ; throughout the following description ) of the compound of this invention were mixed with 2 parts of white carbon and further mixed with 3 parts of sodium alkylethersulfonate and 2 parts of sodium alkylnaphthalenesulfonate acting as wetting agents . the mixture was further mixed with 63 parts of clay acting as a filler , and the admixture was mixed and then pulverized to prepare wettable powders . 8 parts of the compound of this invention were mixed with 62 parts of clay and 26 parts of bentonite , and further mixed with 0 . 5 parts of alkylbenzenesulfonate and 3 . 5 parts of sodium ligninsulfonate , the latter - mentioned two compounds acting as disintegrators . to the mixture was added an appropriate amount of water , while mixing continuously , and then the obtained mixture granulated and dried , followed by sieving of grains to prepare granules . rice plants ( rice plant species : koshihikari ) were grown in synthetic resin pots each having a diameter of 6 . 5 cm until they were grown to the 3 - leaf stage . one plot for each test included 4 pots in which 40 rice plants were grown . onto the surface of the soil in each pot was applied 10 ml of a diluted formulation which was prepared by diluting wettable powders of example 4 with water to a predetermined concentration . after the lapse of 14 days from the application of the chemicals , a suspension of rice blast fungus spores was sprayed uniformly to the rice plants for inoculation . after placing the pots in a humidified chamber maintained at 25 ° c . for one night , the pots were transferred to a room in which the environment was controlled artificially . after the lapse of 7 days from the inoculation of rice plant fungus spores , the number of lesions was counted and the preventive value was calculated from the following equation . ## equ1 ## table 1______________________________________ amount of effective preven - component tive chemical applied value damage totested chemicals ( g / 10a ) (%) rice plant______________________________________compound of the invention 100 95 nonecompound of the invention 60 88 nonecompound of the invention 15 83 noneoryzemate 100 78 nonesodium salt of saccharin 100 84 somewhat under - developed growthuntreated plot -- 0______________________________________ rice plants ( rice plant species : koshihikari ) of the 3 - leaf stage transplanted to one pot of 100 cm 2 were subjected to test . one plot for each test included 5 pots in which 30 rice plants were grown . each pot was filled with water so that the depth of water was about 3 cm , and a diluted formulation which was prepared by diluting wettable powders of example 4 with water was placed on the surface of water so that the amount of chemical in the pot was adjusted to the value as shown in the following table 2 . the water in each pot was allowed to leak out to reduce the water depth by 1 cm per 1 day , and water was supplemented once a day throughout the test period . the rice plants were grown for 28 days , and then a suspension of rice blast fungus spores was sprayed at the 29th day so that the rice plants were inoculated with the spores . immediately after the inoculation , the pots were transferred to a humidified chamber , and maintained therein for 24 hours . after the lapse of 24 hours , the pots were transferred to a greenhouse . at the day after 7 days from the inoculation of the spores , the number of lesions appearing on the leaves of the rice plants was counted . the preventive value was calculated similarly as in example 6 . simultaneously , the number of tillers was checked , and the ratio of the number of tillers found in each treated plot applied with one of the chemicals to the number of tillers found in the untreated plot applied with no chemical was calculated . table 2______________________________________ ratio of amount of number of effective preven - tillers component tive ( vs . un - applied value treatedtested chemicals ( g / 10a ) (%) plot ) (%) ______________________________________compound of the invention 60 92 115compound of the invention 15 76 103oryzemate 60 51 102oryzemate 15 48 98sodium salt of saccharin 60 27 76sodium salt of saccharin 15 10 89untreated plot -- 0 100untreated plot -- 0 100______________________________________ test for appraisal of effectiveness when applied to rice plant grown in nursery box rice plants ( rice plant species : koshihikari ) were grown in a thin nursery box of 20 cm × 30 cm until they were grown to the 3 - leaf stage . the concentration of the chemical was adjusted to have a predetermined concentration , and the chemical was applied over the surface of the soil in a nursery box in which the rice plants were grown . after 8 days the rice plants were drawn out of the nursery box , the roots thereof were washed and then transplanted in a 100 cm 2 pot containing soil which had not been applied with any chemical . each test plot included 4 pots in which 24 rice plants were grown . after the lapse of 17 days from the transplantation , a suspension of rice blast fungus spores was sprayed to the rice plants for inoculation . after being placed stationarily in a humidified chamber for 24 hours after the inoculation , the pots were transferred to a greenhouse . after the lapse of 7 days from the inoculation , the number of lesions appearing on the leaves was checked and the preventive value of each chemical was calculated similarly as in example 6 . table 3______________________________________ amount of effective preven - component tive chemical applied value damage totested chemicals ( g / 10a ) (%) rice plant______________________________________compound of the invention 1000 97 nonecompound of the invention 100 94 nonecompound of the invention 10 90 nonesodium salt of saccharin 1000 97 poor tilleringsodium salt of saccharin 100 86 somewhat poor tilleringsodium salt of saccharin 10 65 somewhat poor tillering______________________________________ test for appraisal of effectiveness to bacterial leaf blight of rice plants rice plants ( rice plant species : kinnanpu ) were grown in a 1 / 5000 are pot for one and a half months , and a predetermined amount of a 8 % granulated formulation as prepared in example 5 was applied over the water surface of the pot . after the lapse of 5 days from the application , xanthomonas oryzae was inoculated using a needle on leaves of rice plants . on the 21st day after the inoculation of xanthomonas oryzae , the length of each lesions on the leaves of the rice plants was measured . table 4______________________________________ amount of average effective length component of the chemical applied lesions damage totested chemicals ( g / 10a ) ( cm ) rice plant______________________________________compound of the invention 500 1 . 2 nonecompound of the invention 240 2 . 4 noneuntreated plot -- 10 . 1______________________________________ the compound of this invention is thus effective to prevent rice blast and bacterial leaf blight , both being serious problems in the growing of rice , for a long time without damaging rice plants . it exhibits marked effectiveness for the prevention of spread of such blights either by application to the soil of the paddy field ( including application to the water surface ) or by application to nursery pots or nursery beds . the compound of this invention has only slight toxicity to fishes , and therefore is of great practical utility . | 0 |
referring now to fig1 - 2 , a support base 10 is illustrated with a pair of parallel upright brackets 12 . the upright brackets support a gimbal ring 14 by means of a pair of pivot members 16 . the pivot members 16 define a pivot axis 18 for the gimbal ring 14 , the pivot axis 18 being aligned with a diameter of the gimbal ring 14 . the gimbal ring 14 in turn pivotably supports an enclosure or frame 20 for a rotating mass , or gyroscope , 22 by way of pivot members 24 . the pivot members 24 support the gyroscope enclosure or frame 20 within the gimbal ring 14 along a pivot axis 26 which is angularly disposed 90 ° away from the pivot axis 18 of the gimbal ring 14 relative to the support brackets 12 . any convenient means can be used for spinning the gyroscope 22 at high velocity such as , for example , an electric motor 28 coupled to the gyroscope hub shaft , not shown , the latter being journalled in appropriate bearing members fitted in the end plates 29 of the gyroscope enclosure or frame 20 . the spin axis 30 of the gyroscope 22 is therefore substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the two pivot axes 18 and 26 , when the enclosure or frame 20 and the gimbal ring 14 are in a neutral position , i . e ., when they are concentric to each other and co - planar . a pair of return springs , such as shown at 32 , may be used to urge the gyroscope enclosure or frame 20 and the gimbal ring 14 to the neutral position wherein the spin axis 30 of the gyroscope 22 is substantially orthogonal to the plane of the pivot axes 18 and 26 . the gimbal ring 14 and the gyroscope frame or enclosure 20 are capable of oscillating in unison about the pivot axis 18 of the gimbal ring , relative to the support bracket members 12 . oscillating motion is applied to the gyroscope and gimbal assembly by an input connecting link 34 having an end 36 connected through a socket and ball bearing to the projecting end of the pivot member 24 , pivotably supporting the gyroscope enclosure or frame 20 relative to the gimbal ring 14 , such that reciprocation of the input connecting link 34 is transmitted to the gimbal ring 14 and , through the pivots 24 , to the gyroscope enclosure or frame 20 in a plane defined by the pivoting axis 26 and the gyroscope spinning axis 30 . in the example of structure illustrated , the input connecting link 34 is reciprocated as a result of its other end 38 being fastened , by means of a ball and socket bearing member , to crank pin 41 on an eccentric 40 driven by a pulley 42 which is driven in rotation by the output shaft 44 of an electric motor 46 mounted on the support base 10 , the output shaft 44 of the electric motor 46 driving the pulley 42 via a pulley 48 keyed on the end of the motor output shaft 44 and a belt 50 . it is readily apparent that the eccentric 40 could be driven directly from the output of an electric motor or other prime mover . it is also readily apparent that a pair of input connecting links could be connected to the gimbal ring 14 , at diametrically opposed positions along the axis 26 , each connecting link being oscillated by a separate prime mover or by a single prime mover , through appropriate shaft and eccentric means . a pair of output connecting links 52 are pivotally attached at an end 54 to the gyroscope enclosure or frame 20 , by means of a ball and socket connecting means . the other end 56 of each output connecting link 52 is connected , by means of a ball and socket means , to an eccentric crank pin 58 projecting from the housing of a one - way clutch 60 mounted on an output shaft 62 journalled through the support brackets 12 . in this manner , any reciprocating motion of the output connecting links 52 is converted by the one - way clutches 60 into an intermittent unidirectional rotation of the output shaft 62 thus converting the torque applied to the output connecting links 52 into a torque applied to the output shaft 62 . although a single output connecting link 52 could be used , for the purpose of balance and for a better application of torque forces to the output shaft 52 , in the example of the invention here illustrated a pair of output connecting links 52 are provided , one of which has its end 56 pivotably attached to the crank pin of a one - way clutch 60 on one side of the output shaft 62 and the other has its end 56 pivotably attached to the crank pin of a one - way clutch 60 angularly disposed on the other side of the output shaft 62 , such as to balance the load on the journal bearings of the output shaft 62 . oscillation of the gimbal 14 and of the gyroscope enclosure or frame 20 about the pivot axis 18 causes , through precessional force action , and its reaction applied through the pivot members to the support brackets 12 and the base 10 , a force tending to rotate the direction of the gyroscope spinning axis 30 in a plane containing the pivot axis 18 . consequently , the precessional force is exerted as a torque having an axis of pivoting corresponding to the free axis of pivoting of the gyroscope enclosure or frame 20 within the gimbal ring 14 , that is about the pivot axis 26 , 90 ° in angular position away from the gimbal pivot axis 18 relative to the support brackets 12 . therefore , reciprocation of the input connecting link 34 is transformed into reciprocation , in opposite directions , of the output links 52 which , through the one - way clutches 60 , is converted into a rotary motion of the output shaft 62 . a considerable torque can be transmitted to the output of the power transmission system of the invention , with very low input power . for a given power input , a given mass and angular velocity of the gyroscope 22 , the torque at the output of the system can be calculated as follows : spinning gyroscopes develop a precessional force according to the following equation : l is the length of the lever arm through which the precessional force , r , is applied ; w 1 is the angular velocity of the force applied to the gyroscope and tending to displace its spinning axis direction , therefore the angular velocity expressed in rad / sec of the input connecting link ; and w 2 is the angular velocity of the gyroscope wheel in rad / sec . the inertia of the gyroscope about its spin axis is given by the equation : wherein w is the weight of the gyroscope , r is the effective radius of the gyroscope wheel , and g is the gravitational acceleration , or 32 ft / sec 2 . assuming , for example a gyroscope wheel 22 having a weight of 6 lbs . and an effective radius of 6 in ., and 1 being equal to 6 in ., and assuming further that the gyroscope frame 20 , together with the gimbal ring 14 , is driven by the input connecting link 34 plus and minus 15 ° about the pivot axis 18 , for a total of 30 ° deflection , the gyroscope enclosure or frame 20 is moved through 60 ° during a single revolution of the eccentric 40 . 60 ° is equivalent to π / 3 radians . if the input eccentric 40 is rotated at 3 , 000 rpm , or 50 rev / sec , w 1 is therefore 50π / 3 rad / sec . with a gyroscope 22 rotating at 18 , 000 rpm , or 300 rev / sec ., w 2 equals 300 × 2π or 600π rad / sec . by replacing i in equation ( 1 ) by its value obtained from equation ( 2 ), and by resolving equation ( 1 ) as a function of r , the following equation is obtained : ## equ1 ## with a crank pin 58 of the one - way clutches 60 having its axis 3 in ., or 0 . 25 ft ., from the axis of the output shaft 62 , the torque applied to the output shaft is consequently equal to 9252 . 7525 lbs . × 0 . 25 = 2313 . 1881 ft - lbs . it will therefore be readily appreciated that the apparatus of the invention is capable of developing at its output a very substantial torque , in spite of a relatively small size of the diverse elements , as shown by the numerical example hereinabove , given for illustrative purposes only . in view of the high torque developed at the output of the power transmission apparatus of the present invention , it will also be readily apparent that the invention has many applications in various apparatus . for example , the output can be utilized to operate a hoist , a crane , an elevator , a winch or the like . torque is increased at the output by increasing w 1 or w 2 , or both until the torque overcomes gravity or frictional loads . therefore , the load displaced by the output is accelerated at a controlled and progressive rate . the apparatus of the invention can be adapted to provide individual drive for each powered wheel of a multiple - wheel drive motor vehicle . as torque is applied to each wheel individually , there is no need for a differential . as the oscillating or reciprocating input to the power transmission of the present invention does not require a fixed length of stroke , the input connecting rod can be driven by a free - piston internal combustion engine , of the spark ignition type , compression ignition type or stirling - cycle type . in power transmission application requiring remote control , such remote control may be carried out in most cases by merely adjusting either the angular velocity w 1 of the input or the angular velocity , w 2 , of the gyroscope , or both . the present invention can readily be adapted to driving a hydrostatic or hydrokinematic transmission . such an arrangement is schematically illustrated at fig3 and 4 . at fig3 the output shaft 62 is shown connected , through a coupling 64 , to the input shaft 66 of a rotary - type fluid pump 68 , such as a vane - type pump or a lobe - type pump . it is readily apparent that the output connecting links 52 may alternatively be connected directly , each through a one - way clutch to an input shaft of a pump . fig4 illustrates schematically an arrangement wherein the end 56 of each output reciprocating connecting link 52 is connected to the reciprocable element 70 of a reciprocating pump 72 . such reciprocable element 70 may be a rod connected to a reciprocable piston or , in the alternative , to the reciprocable cylinder of a pump provided with a stationary piston . having thus described the present invention by way of an example of a structural practical embodiment thereof , modifications whereof will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , what is claimed as new is as follows : | 6 |
locally straining transistor channel regions may be accomplished by selective epitaxial deposition of source and drain regions with materials that impart a strain in a mos transistor &# 39 ; s channel region . such process flows may involve etching the substrate material from the source - drain regions of the transistor in one process operation using an etch reactor . a subsequent operation may involve replacing the removed material with si alloy material in a deposition reactor . the etch reactor and deposition reactor may be physically different and separate . thus the substrate must be removed from the etch reactor and exposed to atmospheric pressure environments before initiating the si alloy deposition process . the si alloy may be pure si or si 1 - x ge x or si 1 - x c x and can be undoped or doped with p - type or n - type dopants . the deposition process may be selective or non - selective . according to embodiments provided herein , the etch reactor and deposition reactor may be physically the same . for example , fig1 is a schematic cross - sectional view of a portion of a substrate having a well , gate dielectric , gate electrode , and tip material . fig1 shows apparatus 100 including substrate 120 having gate dielectric 144 formed on top surface 125 of substrate 120 over well 124 . gate electrode 190 is formed on gate dielectric 144 and has spacers 112 and 114 formed on its side surfaces . etch mask 142 is formed on gate electrode 190 . electrically insulating material 130 is also shown to electrically isolate well 124 from surrounding regions 128 . surface 170 and surface 180 are shown adjacent to gate electrode 190 . apparatus 100 , and components thereof described above may be further processed , such as in a semiconductor transistor fabrication process that involves one or more processing chambers , to become or be parts of a p - mos or n - mos transistor ( e . g ., by being parts of a cmos device ). for example , substrate 120 may include , be formed from , deposited with , or grown from silicon , polycrystalline silicon , single crystal silicon , or various other suitable technologies for forming a silicon base or substrate , such as a silicon wafer . for example , according to embodiments , substrate 120 may be formed by growing a single crystal silicon substrate base material having a thickness of between 100 angstroms and 1000 angstroms of pure silicon . alternately , substrate 120 may be formed by sufficient chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) of various appropriate silicon or silicon alloy materials to form a layer of material having a thickness between one and three micrometers in thickness , such as by cvd to form a thickness of two micrometers in thickness . it is also considered that substrate 120 may be a relaxed , non - relaxed , graded , and / or non - graded silicon alloy material . as shown in fig1 , substrate 120 includes well 124 , such as an n - type well having an electrically negative charge on a p - type material having an electrically positive charge formed by doping substrate 120 during formation or after formation of substrate 120 . specifically , to form well 124 , top surface 125 may be doped with phosphorous , arsenic , and / or antimony to form an n - type well of a p - mos transistor ( e . g ., a p - mos device of a cmos device ). doping as described herein may be performed , for example , by angled doping , such as to implant ions or atoms of the above - noted dopants into a material , such as substrate 120 or a material formed in or on substrate 120 . for example , doping may include ion implantation performed by an ion “ gun ”, or an ion “ implanter ” to bombard surfaces of a substrate with accelerated high velocity ions to implant ions to form doped material . the accelerated ions may penetrate through the surface of the material and scatter into the material below to form a depth of doped material . for example , top surface 125 may be selectively doped , such as by placing a mask over the non - selected area or areas to block the introduction of the dopant from entering the non - selected are or areas , while allowing the dopant to dope well 124 . alternatively , to form well 124 , top surface 125 may be doped with boron and / or aluminum to form a p - type well of a n - mos transistor ( e . g ., a n - mos device of a cmos device ). thus , well 124 may be a material suitable for forming a “ channel ” of a transistor device . for example , a transistor device channel maybe defined as a portion of the material of well 124 under top surface 125 and between surfaces 170 and 180 , or junctions formed adjacent to , consuming portions of , and / or including surfaces 170 and 180 . fig1 shows electrically insulating material 130 between well 124 and surrounding regions 128 . material 130 may be various appropriate electrically insulating materials and structures sufficient for electrically isolating well 124 from surrounding regions 128 . for example , surrounding regions 128 may be well regions of adjacent or related transistor devices . specifically , material 130 may be shallow trench isolation ( sti ) formed between an n - type well of a p - mos device ( e . g ., where well 124 has an n - type well ) and other regions of substrate 120 to electrically isolate the n - type well from the other regions . similarly , material 130 may be sti formed between a p - type well of a n - mos device ( e . g ., where well 124 is a p - type well ) and other regions of substrate 120 . thus , material 130 may isolate well 124 from other regions of substrate 120 to provide for functionality of a transistor formed on top surface 125 ( e . g ., to isolate well 124 from an adjacent well of an associated device paired with well 124 to form a cmos device ). in one example , where well 124 is an n - type well , one of regions 128 may be a related p - type well of an n - mos device paired with a p - mos device formed on top surface 125 to form a cmos device . alternatively , where well 124 is a p - type well , one of regions 128 may be a related n - type well of a p - mos device paired with a n - mos device formed on top surface 125 to form a cmos device . material 130 may be formed by doping through a layer of material located above material 130 , and / or may be formed before or after forming well 124 . as shown in fig1 , gate dielectric 144 has width w 2 . gate electrode 190 is shown formed on gate dielectric 144 with width w 1 . the thickness of gate dielectric 144 may be generally consistent throughout and conform to the topography of top surface 125 along width w 2 . moreover , gate dielectric 144 may be formed of a material having a relatively high dielectric constant ( e . g ., a dielectric constant greater than or equal to that of silicon dioxide ( sio 2 ), or of a material having a relatively low dielectric constant . a thickness of gate dielectric 144 may be between one and five nanometers in thickness . gate dielectric 144 may be formed by deposition , such as by cvd , atomic layer deposition ( ald ), blanket deposition , selective deposition , epitaxial deposition , ultra high vacuum ( uhv ) cvd , rapid thermal ( rt ) cvd , reduced pressure ( rp ) cvd , molecular beam epitaxy ( mbe ), and / or other appropriate growing , depositing , or forming processes . gate dielectric 144 may have an appropriate p - type work function for apparatus 100 , such as where apparatus 100 is a p - mos device . alternatively , gate dielectric 144 may have an appropriate n - type work function for apparatus 100 , such as where apparatus 100 is an n - mos device . specifically , gate dielectric 144 may be formed of dielectrics such as silicon dioxide ( sio 2 ), hafnium oxide ( hfo ), hafnium silicate ( hfsio 4 ), zirconium oxide ( zro ), carbon doped oxide ( cdo ), cubic boron nitride ( cbn ), phosphosilicate glass ( psg ), silicon nitride ( si 3 n 4 ), fluorinated silicate glass ( fsg ), silicon carbide ( sic ), etc . gate electrode 190 may be formed , such as by processes described above with respect to forming gate dielectric 144 . moreover , gate electrode 190 may be formed of various semiconductor or conductor materials , such as silicon , polysilicon , crystal silicon , and / or various other appropriate gate electrode materials . also , gate electrode 190 may be doped during or after formation . for example , gate electrode 190 may be doped with boron and / or aluminum to form a p - type gate electrode having an electrically positive charge ( e . g ., for a p - mos device , which may be part of a cmos device ). conversely , it is also contemplated , that gate electrode 190 may be doped with phosphorous , arsenic , and / or antimony to form a n - type gate electrode having an electrically negative charge ( e . g ., for a n - mosn - mos device , which may be part of a cmos device ). gate electrode 190 may have a thickness appropriate for a p - mos or n - mos device , such as when apparatus 100 is a p - mos or n - mos device . for example , gate electrode 190 may have a thickness to cause a transistor formed on substrate 120 to have a threshold “ on ” voltage between 0 . 1 and 0 . 5 volts . in some cases , gate electrode 190 may have a thickness of , for example , between 150 and 2000 angstroms ( e . g ., between 15 and 200 nanometers ( nm )). gate electrode 190 may have a work function for responding to a gate electrode of a p - mos device ( e . g ., where apparatus 100 is a p - mos device ). alternatively , gate electrode 190 may have a work function for responding to a gate electrode of a n - mos device ( e . g ., where apparatus 100 is a n - mos device ). fig1 shows spacer 112 and spacer 114 formed on surfaces of gate electrode 190 and gate dielectric 144 . specifically , spacer 112 and spacer 114 may be formed on sidewall surfaces of gate electrode 190 and on a top surface of gate dielectric 144 ( e . g ., a surface opposite from substrate 120 ). spacers 112 and 114 may be a dielectric material such as silicon nitride ( si 3 n 4 ), silicon dioxide ( sio 2 ), and / or various other appropriate semiconductor device spacer materials . fig1 also shows etch mask 142 formed on gate electrode 190 . etch mask 142 may be a “ hard ” mask formed of silicon nitride ( si 3 n 4 ), where other material mentioned above for forming gate dielectric 144 . for example , etch mask 142 may be used when forming gate electrode 190 , gate dielectric 144 and / or spacers 112 and 114 . specifically , portions corresponding to the shape of mask 142 or area around mask 142 may be removed or etched away from above , using mask 142 as an etch stop . for example , spacers 112 and 114 may be formed by first depositing dielectric material , similar to dielectric materials described above for gate dielectric 144 , conformally along surfaces of substrate 120 , sidewall surfaces of gate electrode 190 , and a top surface etch mask 142 . then the formed or deposited dielectric material may be patterned and etched to create spacers 112 and 114 . according to embodiments , portions of well 124 and substrate 120 , such as at surfaces 170 and surface 180 , may be removed to form a junction regions in substrate 120 adjacent to gate electrode 190 . for example , junctions adjacent to gate electrode 190 may be formed by removing portions of substrate 120 at surfaces 170 and 180 to form junction regions or recesses in substrate 120 , and then forming or depositing a junction material into the junction regions . such removal may include “ source - drain recess ” etching , so that the junction regions extend under gate dielectric 144 . for example , fig2 is the schematic substrate of fig1 after forming junction regions having tip regions . fig2 shows junction region 270 , such as a recess formed in surface 170 of substrate 120 adjacent to gate electrode 190 and source - drain recess below a bottom surface of gate dielectric 144 . similarly , fig2 shows junction region 280 , such a recess formed in surface 180 of substrate 120 adjacent to gate electrode 190 , and source - drain recess below a bottom surface of gate dielectric 144 . junction region 270 defines substrate surface 222 ( e . g ., a base surface of junction region 270 ), facet 220 , and tip region 276 . tip region 276 is between facet 220 and the bottom surface of gate dielectric 144 . for instance , it can be said that tip region 276 defines facet 220 having angle a 1 between facet 220 and the bottom surface of gate dielectric 144 similarly , junction region 280 defines substrate surface 232 , facet 230 , and tip region 286 . tip region 286 is between facet 230 and the gate dielectric 144 . thus , tip region 286 defines facet 230 having angle a 2 between facet 230 and bottom surface of gate dielectric 144 . according to embodiments , preferred angles a 1 and / or a 2 may be angles of between 52 ° ( degrees ) and 57 °. for example , angles a 1 and a 2 may both be approximately 52 °, 53 °, 54 °, 54 . 7 °, 54 . 74 °, 54 . 739137 °, 54 . 8 °, 55 °, 56 °. this range of angles corresponds roughly to alignment with the { 111 } family of planes as described using conventional miller index nomenclature . alternative embodiments allow the a 1 and a 2 angles to be in the range 0 ° to 90 °, and excluding the preferred range listed above . according to embodiments , tip regions 276 and 286 may extend under spacer 112 , spacer 114 , and / or gate electrode 190 . for example , tip regions 276 and 286 may extend along top surface 125 under the bottom surface of gate dielectric 144 from a width equal to width w 2 to a width of less than width w 2 , such as a width of greater than zero . thus , facets 220 and 230 may contact the bottom surface of gate dielectric 144 adjacent to top surface 125 of substrate 120 to form a channel under top surface 125 between facets 220 and 230 ( e . g ., a channel of a transistor formed in apparatus 200 ), where facets 220 and 230 may each extend under gate dielectric 144 by a distance of between zero and one - half of width w 2 . thus , portions of substrate 120 may be removed to form facets 220 and 230 contacting and extending under the bottom surface of gate dielectric 144 to contact the bottom surface of gate dielectric 144 under spacer 112 , spacer 114 , and / or gate electrode 190 . it is contemplated that junction region 270 and / or 280 may have a depth below top surface 125 between 800 angstroms and 1300 angstroms . moreover , junction region 270 and / or 280 may have a width or size appropriate for depositing material into those regions to form junction of a transistor device ( e . g ., a p - mos or n - mos device of a cmos device ). junction region 270 and / or 280 may be referred to as “ source - drain regions ” or “ diffusion regions .” also , when an appropriate material is formed , deposited , or grown in junction regions 270 and 280 , the resulting material may be referred to as a “ junction ,” a “ source ,” a “ drain ,” or a “ diffusion region .” according to embodiments , junction regions 270 and 280 may be formed by removing undesired portions of substrate 120 , such as at surfaces 170 and 180 . for instance , a patterning two operation process may be used where in the first operation , a photo - resist is used to define regions of a hardmask to be removed ( e . g ., a hardmask layer over apparatus 100 of fig1 ). those regions of the hardmask are then etched away . after that etching , the photo - resist is removed , and a recess etch is performed to form junction regions 270 and 280 by removing undesired portions of substrate 120 ( e . g ., etching away the undesired exposed portions , not covered by the remaining hardmask ). photolithographic patterning using an etch stop , dielectric material , photo resist , or other suitable material for masking and etch processing ( e . g ., a negative photo - resist mask , positive photo - resist mask , silicon dioxide sio 2 ), or silicon nitride si 3 n 4 ) may also be used to define an area to be protected while source - drain recess etching to form junction regions 270 and 280 , as shown in fig2 . suitable non - plasma etch chemistries for removing undesired portions of substrate 120 , such as at surfaces 170 and 180 to form junction regions 270 and 280 include chlorine ( cl 2 ), hydrochloric acid ( hcl ), fluorine ( f 2 ), bromine ( br 2 ), hbr and / or other etch processes capable of removing portions of substrate 120 . plasma etches including chemistries of sf 6 , nf 3 or the like are possible as alternative embodiments . typical epitaxial deposition equipment types available today ( e . g ., chambers or reactors ) can perform the above noted non - plasma etches with little or no modification . a change to enable plasma etching as noted above and cvd deposition in the same reactor is possible , but adds a great deal of complexity to the hardware ( e . g ., chambers or reactors ). suitable chambers for etching junction regions 270 and 280 include a cvd chamber , an ald chamber , a uhvcvd chamber , an rtcvd chamber , an rpcvd chamber , an mbe chamber , a “ batch ” uhv cvd chamber , a cold - wall uhv cvd chamber , an atmospheric pressure ( ap ) cvd chamber a low - pressure ( lp ) cvd chamber , or a chamber reactor that combines the functionality of one or more of these chambers or reactors . moreover , etching to form junction regions 270 and 280 may be performed at a pressure of between 1e - 4 torr and 1 , 000 torr ( e . g ., at a pressures within a one decimal range of 1e - 3 , 1e - 2 , 0 . 1 , 1 . 0 , 10 , 100 , or 1000 torr ) in either a “ cold - wall ” or “ hot - wall ” reactor . also , etching to form junction regions 270 and 280 may be performed at typical epitaxial silicon alloy deposition temperatures , for example from 500 to 900 ° c . a “ cold - wall ” reactor may be described as a reactor having vessel walls that , during deposition or etching , are at room temperature . a “ cold - wall ” reactor may have vessel walls fabricated from metal . alternatively , a “ hot - wall ” reactor may have vessel wall fabricated from quartz or other ceramics that are at a temperature greater than room temperature during deposition or etching . for example , junction region 270 and / or 280 may be formed by removing or etching portions of substrate 120 with etchant gas that may contain mixtures including : chlorine ( cl 2 ), hydrochloric acid ( hcl ), hydrogen ( h 2 ), and / or nitrogen ( n 2 ). specifically , an etchant or gas including one or more of the above - noted gases may flow into a chamber in which apparatus 100 is housed at a rate of between five standard cubic centimeters per minute ( sccm ) and ten sccm , at a temperature of between 500 degrees celsius (° c .) and 800 ° c . ( e . g ., a temperature of 500 , 525 , 540 , 550 , 560 , 575 , 600 , 625 , 650 , 675 , 700 , 750 , or 800 ° c .) for between 30 and 90 minutes ( e . g ., a period of 30 , 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 , 55 , 60 , 65 , 75 , 85 , or 90 minutes ) to etch portions of substrate 120 at surfaces 170 and 180 . according to embodiments , junction region 270 and / or 280 may be formed at a pressure of between 3e - 3 torr and 7e - 3 torr ( e . g ., 3e - 3 , 3 . 5e - 3 , 4e - 3 , 4 . 5e - 3 , 5e - 3 , 5 . 5e - 3 , 6e - 3 , 6 . 5e - 3 , or 7e - 3 ). in some cases , chlorine gas is used to etch junction regions 270 and 280 in a chamber as described above , at a temperature of 650 ° c . and at a pressure of between 3e - 3 torr and 7e - 3 torr , in a 300 millimeter ( mm ) uhv cvd cold - wall single wafer reactor . for example , fig3 a shows the substrate of fig2 after forming thickness of a material in the junction regions to form junctions . fig3 a shows apparatus 300 having material 370 formed in junction region 270 and material 380 formed injunction region 280 . material 370 and / or material 380 may be described as a junction , source , drain , or diffusion region . in addition , material 370 may be formed to have junction top surface 372 that is superior to top surface 125 of substrate 120 . specifically , material 370 may be a thickness of silicon germanium material having a lattice spacing greater than a lattice spacing of the material of substrate 120 . likewise , material 380 may be formed to have junction top surface 382 that is also superior to top surface 125 . for example , material 370 may be thickness t 4 of an epitaxial thickness of crystalline silicon - germanium alloy , geranium , or silicon material ( e . g ., sige , such as si x ge 1 - x ), where the size and / or thickness t 4 is sufficient to cause a compressive strain in substrate 120 . the material may be pure or doped with p - type dopants such as b and a 1 . alternatively , material 370 may be thickness of t 4 of an epitaxial thickness of crystalline silicon - carbon alloy material ( e . g ., si x c 1 - x ), where the size and / or thickness of t 4 is sufficient to cause a tensile strain in substrate 120 . the material may be pure or doped with n - type dopants such as p , as and sb . for example , material 370 may be a thickness of silicon - carbon alloy ( si x c 1 - x ) having a lattice spacing smaller than a lattice spacing of substrate 120 . similarly , material 380 may be a thickness t 5 of an epitaxial thickness of crystalline silicon - germanium alloy ( si x ge 1 - x ) having sufficient size and / or thickness t 5 to cause a strain in substrate 120 . for example , as shown in fig3 a , material 370 may cause compressive strain 374 towards a portion of substrate 120 under top surface 125 , and material 380 may cause compressive strain 384 towards the same portion of substrate 120 . thus , strain 374 may cause compressive strain 392 and strain 384 may cause compressive strain 394 in a channel of substrate 120 between material 370 and material 380 ( e . g ., a compressive strain between p - type junction material formed injunction regions 270 and 280 and in the channel of apparatus 300 , where apparatus 300 is a p - mos device ). it can be appreciated that compressive strains 392 and 394 may be strains between facets 220 and 230 sufficient to increase carrier mobility ( e . g ., mobility of holes in the channel of well 124 ) between material 370 and material 380 . in other words , a channel in substrate 120 may be under a compressive strain caused by a lattice spacing of material 370 and / or material 380 ( e . g ., where material 370 and material 380 are silicon - germanium alloy material ) being larger than a lattice spacing of the material of substrate 120 . in another example , material 370 and material 380 may cause a tensile strain in a channel of apparatus 300 ( e . g ., if the direction of strains 374 , 384 , 392 , and 394 were reversed ). in this case a tensile strain in the channel of apparatus 300 , where apparatus 300 is a n - mos device may be a strain between facets 220 and 230 sufficient to increase carrier mobility ( e . g ., mobility of electrons in the channel of well 124 ) between material 370 and material 380 . correspondingly , a channel in substrate 120 may be under a tensile strain caused by a lattice spacing of material 370 and / or material 380 ( e . g ., where those materials are silicon - carbon alloy ) being larger than a lattice spacing of new material of substrate 120 . material 370 and material 380 may be deposited by chemical vapor deposition or other processes described above for forming gate dielectric 144 . for example , material 370 and material 380 may be formed in a chamber as described above for forming junction regions 270 and 280 , and for forming gate dielectric 144 . suitable chambers for forming , growing , or depositing materials 370 and 380 include equipment capable of selective deposition of silicon - based elemental or alloyed films . for instance , some suitable chambers for forming material 370 and material 380 include a cvd chamber , an ald chamber , a uhvcvd chamber , an rtcvd chamber , an rpcvd chamber , an mbe chamber , a “ batch ” uhv cvd chamber , a cold - wall uhv cvd chamber , an atmospheric pressure ( ap ) cvd chamber a low - pressure ( lp ) cvd chamber , or a chamber reactor that combines the functionality of one or more of these chambers or reactors . suitable deposition techniques include thermal decomposition of hydride or chlorinated hydride precursor gases on silicon wafers . deposition pressure may be between 1e - 4 torr and 1000 torr ( e . g ., at a pressures within a one decimal range of 1e - 3 , 1e - 2 , 0 . 1 , 1 . 0 , 10 , 100 , or 1000 torr ). deposition may occur in a cold - wall or hot - wall reactor . specifically , material 370 and 380 may be formed by selective deposition of silane , disilane , dichlorosilane , and / or methylsilane gas to chemically bond a thickness of silicon alloy or silicon elemental material to surfaces of junction region 270 and 280 to form junctions therein . in an alternative embodiment , this can be performed by non - selective deposition using trisilane as the silicon precursor , and the same alloy and dopant precursor gases mentioned below . in some process , deposition is performed in a 300 mm epitaxial uhv cvd cold - wall single wafer reactor . appropriate temperatures for forming material 370 and 380 include room temperature , or a temperature of between 500 and 800 ° c ., and at a pressure of between 300 e - 3 torr and 7 e - 3 torr ( e . g ., 3e - 3 , 3 . 5e - 3 , 4e - 3 , 4 . 5e - 3 , 5e - 3 , 5 . 5e - 3 , 6e - 3 , 6 . 5e - 3 , or 7e - 3 ). in some examples , material 370 and 380 is formed by introducing disilane at between seven standard cubic centimeters per minute ( sccm ) and 20 sccm , and introducing methylsilane at between 10 sccm and 300 sccm . for example , thickness t 4 and / or t 5 may be a thickness of between 1000 angstroms and 1500 angstroms , such as a thickness of 1050 , 1100 , 1150 , or 1200 angstroms . material 370 and 380 may be doped during formation and / or doped after formation . in some embodiments , material 370 and / or 380 may be alloyed or doped during deposition when the silicon precursor flow is accompanied with germane , methylsilane , acetylene , diborane , boron chloride , phosphine , arsine , and / or stibnite . for instance , during or after formation , material 370 and 380 may be doped , such as by boron and / or aluminum to form p - type junction material having an electronically positive charge . in one embodiment , material 370 and material 380 may be formed as boron and / or aluminum doped epitaxial crystalline silicon - germanium alloy material in junction regions 270 and 280 , and then subsequently doped with additional boron and / or aluminum . alternatively , during and / or after formation , material 370 and 380 may be doped , such as by phosphorous , arsenic , and / or antimony to form an n - type junction material having an electrically negative charge . in one embodiment , material 370 and 380 may be silicon carbon alloy epitaxial crystalline material formed in junction regions 270 and 280 , and subsequently doped with additional phosphorous , arsenic , and / or antimony . thus , material 370 and 380 may be ( si x ( ge ) 1 - x :( b , al ) for p - mos and si x c 1 - x :( p , as , sb ) for n - mos . subsequent to forming material 370 and 380 , apparatus 300 may be thermally treated , such as by annealing . moreover , according to embodiments , forming of junction regions 270 and 280 , and forming , depositing , or growing of material 370 and material 380 may occur in the in the same chamber , in the same reactor , at the same pressure , at the same temperature , in the same setting , and / or in a chamber or reactor without breaking a seal or vacuum of the chamber or reactor . the process consists of an initial set of etch gas flows , followed by a set of deposition gas flows . thus , forming material 370 and 380 may be performed in - situ with forming junction regions 270 and 280 . it can be appreciated that forming of junction regions 270 and 280 in the same chamber used to deposit material 370 and 380 , may reduce undesired impurities including carbon , oxygen and nitrogen in surfaces of junction regions 270 and 280 , and material 370 and 380 . a suitable chamber for forming of junction regions 270 and 280 , and for forming material 370 and 380 includes chambers described above for forming junction regions 270 and 280 . for instance , some suitable chambers for forming of junction regions 270 and 280 , and for forming material 370 and 380 in the same chamber include a cvd chamber , an ald chamber , a uhvcvd chamber , an rtcvd chamber , an rpcvd chamber , an mbe chamber , a “ batch ” uhv cvd chamber , a cold - wall uhv cvd chamber , an atmospheric pressure ( ap ) cvd chamber a low - pressure ( lp ) cvd chamber , or a chamber reactor that combines the functionality of one or more of these chambers or reactors . deposition mode may be selective or non - selective . moreover , forming of junction regions 270 and 280 and depositing material 370 and 380 can be performed in the same chamber in the same vacuum ( e . g ., without opening the chamber , opening a seal of the chamber or exposing the inside of the chamber to air from outside of the chamber ). for example , junction regions 270 and 280 , and material 370 and 380 can be formed in a chamber having a pressure of between 1e - 4 torr and 1000 torr ( e . g ., at a pressures within a one decimal range of 1e - 3 , 1e - 2 , 0 . 1 , 1 . 0 , 10 , 100 , or 1000 torr ) without opening the chamber , opening a seal of the chamber or exposing the inside of the chamber to air from outside of the chamber . in one example , a process to perform in - situ recessed source drain etch ( e . g ., performing junction regions 270 and 280 ) followed immediately by deposition of source drain material ( e . g ., deposition of material 370 and 380 ) is performed in a uhv cvd chamber ( e . g ., a 300 mm epitaxial uhv cvd cold - walled single - wafer reactor . this process uses a set of etch gases and a set of deposition gases to form junction regions having facets 220 and 230 , and then to selectively deposit silicon or silicon alloy material to form junctions on those facets . moreover , hydrogen ( h 2 ) and / or nitrogen ( n 2 ) may be used as carrier gases during the etch and / or deposition processes . it is observed that the deposition of materials 370 and 380 may follow the etching of regions 270 and 280 immediately , such as by occurring as the next operation in the processing of apparatus 200 , occurring before a seal or vacuum of the chamber is opened , occurring within 30 minutes of forming a recess in regions 270 and 280 , and / or occurring after a “ pump out ” of the chamber to remove the etchant or gas used to form regions 270 and 280 . in one example , an etch process using a flow rate of pure chlorine gas of between five and ten sccm for a period of between ten and 300 minutes ( e . g ., a period of 30 , 40 , 50 , 60 , 70 , 80 , 90 , 100 or 120 minutes ) is used to form regions 270 and 280 . following pump - out of the pure chlorine gas , a deposition process occurs to form materials 370 and 380 in regions 270 and 280 , in the same chamber , without exposing the inside of the chamber to the outside air . the deposition process may include a flow rate of between seven and 20 sccm of disilane and between ten and 30 sccm of methylsilane for a period of between ten and 200 seconds ( e . g ., a period of 10 , 15 , 20 , 25 , 30 , 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 , 60 , 70 , 80 or 90 seconds ), the disilane and methylsilane are then pumped out during a five - second period , this pump - out period is followed by introduction of a pure chlorine gas at a flow rate of between five and 15 sccm for a period of between ten and 200 seconds ( e . g ., a period of 10 , 15 , 20 , 25 , 30 , 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 , 60 , 70 , 80 or 90 seconds ). the chlorine gas is then pumped out for a period of 5 seconds . the introduction of disilane , methylsilane , and subsequent chlorine etch are repeated between 50 and 100 time ( e . g ., by repeating 70 times , 75 times , 80 times , 85 times , or another number of times between 50 and 100 times ) to form material 370 and 380 . in one example , recessed source drain etch is performed in - situ with deposition of the source drain material in a 300 millimeter ( mm ) wafer uhv cvd cold - wall single wafer reactor . first , junction regions 270 and 280 are formed by removing or etching portions of substrate 120 with pure chlorine flowing into the chamber at a rate of between five standard cubic centimeters per minute ( sccm ) and ten sccm for one hour while the reactor is kept at a temperature of 650 degrees celsius . junction regions 270 and 280 are formed to a depth of 1000 angstroms . next , material 370 and 380 are formed in regions 270 and 280 “ immediately ” after etching ( e . g ., no other processing is performed between pumping out the chlorine etchant and depositing material 370 and 380 ) by a standard mos integration while the reactor is kept at a temperature of 650 degrees celsius . for instance , material 370 and 380 are formed or deposited by introducing pure disilane at a flow rate of between seven and 20 sccm and ten percent methylsilane in h 2 at a flow rate of between 10 and 30 sccm for a period of 30 seconds , and the pumping out for a period of five seconds . the pump - out period is followed by introduction of pure chlorine gas at a flow rate of between five and 15 sccm for a period 30 seconds , and the pumping out for a period of five seconds . the sequence of introducing disilane and methylsilane , pumping out , introducing chlorine and pumping out is repeated 75 times to form material 370 and 380 of si — c alloy with one atomic percent of c and a thickness of 1100 angstroms . moreover , it can be appreciated that the seal or vacuum of the reactor can be kept intact during the 75 iterations . similarly , the pressure of the chamber and a temperature of 650 degrees celsius may be maintained during the 75 iterations . thus , material 370 and 380 may be formed as an epitaxial layer of si — c alloy with an atomic percent of c of between 0 . 1 and two percent ( e . g ., one percent ) of carbon and a thickness of 1100 angstroms . alternatively , material 370 and 380 may be formed of a sige alloy with an atomic percentage of ge of between 10 and 40 percent ( e . g ., 20 percent ) and a thickness of 100 angstroms . it can be appreciated that by forming junction regions 270 and 280 , and material 370 and 380 by processes described above and / or in the same chamber without breaking vacuum or a seal of the chamber forms very high - quality epitaxial film junction region material 370 and 380 in junction regions 270 and 280 without interfacial contaminants , and strained channels for increased electron or hole mobility , as well as increased drive current in at least the following four ways : 1 . facets 220 and 230 may be well defined high quality interfaces for the epitaxial material at the junction location due to high purity . for example , the formation of regions 270 and 280 ( including facets 220 and 230 ) and the formation of material 370 and 380 in a single chamber as described above may decrease the interface resistance due to impurity ( e . g ., by decreasing the amount of carbon , nitrogen , oxygen in the interface ) contamination at the location of the initial substrate - epi - layer interface ( e . g ., between facets 220 and 230 and material 370 and 380 ), leading to better interface control , lower r external and higher drive current . similarly , such formation may decrease in interface impurity contamination in material 370 and 380 allowing for higher dopant concentrations in material 370 and 380 ( e . g ., such as boron , aluminum , phosphorus , arsenic and / or antimony ), and providing lower resistance within the source / drain region itself , thus causing better interface control , lower r external and higher drive current . 2 . the shape of the source - drain recess with facets 220 and 230 angled near 54 ° provides optimum current spreading . for example , the angle , alignment , and planar characteristics of facets 220 and 230 formed as described above may provide optimal tip shapes and orientations that allow current to spread through the facets and tips ( e . g ., current flowing between material 370 and 380 and the channel region ) more evenly and easily ( e . g ., in greater overall magnitude or amount ) causing lower resistance of the region between the channel region and material 370 and 380 ( i . e . the tip region ), leading to lower r external and higher drive current . 3 . facets 220 and 230 angled near 54 ° also provide maximum resistance to dopant over - run that can cause shorts below the channel , as well as short channel effects . the recess and tip regions 376 and 486 can be placed in closer proximity to the channel without fear of short channel effects or shorting . 4 . strain relaxation by formation of misfit dislocations is enhanced when interface contamination is present . this invention allows use of higher strain in deposited films without relaxation . for instance , the formation of regions 270 and 280 ( including facets 220 and 230 ) and the formation of material 370 and 380 in a single chamber as described above may allow for higher germanium or carbon concentrations in material 370 and 380 , leading to higher amounts of strain in the channel causing higher carrier mobility and drive current during transistor use . moreover , when forming junction regions 270 and 280 , and material 370 and 380 by processes described above , the native oxide build - up at the junction / substrate interface is reduced ( e . g ., the interface between material 370 and 380 and well 124 of substrate 120 ); the carbon , oxygen , and / or nitrogen contamination at those interfaces is reduced ; the need for wet cleans ( e . g ., and processing queue time restrictions required for the cleans ) is not necessary ; the number of tool types required during processing is reduced ; loading in nested regions is reduced ; planar , smooth , and appropriately oriented tip profiles ( e . g ., for tips 376 and 386 ) with ( 1 , 1 , 1 ) facets are produced ; electron and / or hole mobility in the channel is improved due to strain from ( si x ge 1 - x ): b , al for p - mos and ( si x c 1 - x ): p , as , sb for n - mos within junction regions ); reduces r external is reduced due to the high concentration of dopants allowable ( e . g ., phosphorous or boron doped in the junctions during and / or after epitaxial deposition to form ( si x ge 1 - x ): b , al for p - mos and ( si x c 1 - x ): p , as , sb for n - mos . in addition , the concepts described above can be applied to form a transistor having junction regions ( e . g ., source drain regions ) that extend under the spacers but not under the gate electrode . in such a case , tip implants ( e . g ., doped substrate material ) may be formed adjacent to the junction regions under the gate electrode . for instance , fig3 b shows the substrate of fig2 after forming a thickness of material in junction regions having tip implants to form junctions . fig3 b shows junction regions 270 and 280 ( e . g ., source drain regions ) extending under spacers 112 and 114 but not under the gate electrode 190 . also shown , tip implants 354 and 364 ( e . g ., doped substrate material ) may be formed adjacent to the junction regions under the gate electrode . tip implants 354 and 364 may be formed by standard process in the industry , such as by doping substrate 120 during formation or after formation of substrate 120 . specifically , to form well 124 , top surface 125 may be doped with boron and / or aluminum to form p - type tip implants of a p - mos transistor . after doping the surface of substrate 120 to form the p - type material of the tip implants , portions of the p - type material may be removed or etched to form junction regions 270 and 280 as described above with respect to fig2 . thus , as shown in fig3 b facets 320 and 330 may be described as having tips ( e . g ., tip implants ) fabricated from deposited material formed under the bottom surface of the gate dielectric . similar to fig3 a , fig3 b , shows that material 370 may cause compressive strain 374 towards a portion of substrate 120 under top surface 125 , and material 380 may cause compressive strain 384 towards the same portion of substrate 120 . thus , strain 374 may cause compressive strain 392 and strain 384 may cause compressive strain 394 in a channel of substrate 120 between tip implants 354 and 364 . it can be appreciated that compressive strains 392 and 394 may be strains between facets 220 and 230 and tip implants 354 and 364 sufficient to increase carrier mobility ( e . g ., mobility of holes in the channel of well 124 ) between material 370 and material 380 and tip implants 354 and 364 . in another example , material 370 and material 380 may cause a tensile strain in a channel of apparatus 300 ( e . g ., if the direction of strains 374 , 384 , 392 , and 394 were reversed ). in this case a tensile strain in the channel of apparatus 300 , where apparatus 300 is a n - mos device may be a strain between facets 220 and 230 and tip implants 354 and 364 sufficient to increase carrier mobility ( e . g ., mobility of electrons in the channel of well 124 ) between material 370 and material 380 . for example , fig4 shows a representative cmos structure . fig4 shows cmos device 400 having p - mos device , such as a p - mos embodiment of apparatus 300 as described above with respect to fig3 a and 3b , connected to n - mos transistor device 478 in typical fashion . substrate 120 includes p - type well 422 related to n - type well 124 for forming cmos device 400 , such that p - type well 422 is part of n - mos transistor device 478 formed on a second area of substrate 120 and defining a different second interface surface 425 of substrate 120 adjacent to n - type well 124 . specifically , for instance , n - mos device 478 may be formed adjacent to p - mos apparatus 300 by having n - mos device 478 electrically isolated from p - mos apparatus 300 by electrically insulating material 130 as described herein . moreover , n - mos device 478 may include a channel below gate dielectric 444 which is below gate electrode 490 , and between n - type junctions 470 and 480 . n - mos device 478 is also shown with spacers 412 and 414 . n - mos device 478 may be an n - mos embodiment of apparatus 300 as described above with respect to fig3 a and b . thus , cmos device 400 has ground gnd , input voltage v in output voltage v out , and bias voltage v dd . according to embodiments , the technology and processes described above with respect to fig1 - 4 , may or may not be combined with a process for blanket or non - selective deposition of an epitaxial thickness of crystalline material into junction regions to form junctions and a conformal thickness of an amorphous material over a gate electrode , such as during formation of a transistor device . for example , the technology and processes described above with respect to fig1 - 4 , may or may not be combined with the processes and devices described below with respect to fig5 - 12 . fig5 is the schematic cross - sectional view of a portion of a substrate having a well , gate dielectric , gate electrode , and junction regions having tip regions . fig5 shows apparatus 500 including substrate 505 having gate dielectric 544 formed on top surface 525 of substrate 505 over well 524 . gate electrode 590 is formed on gate dielectric 544 and has spacers 512 and 514 formed on its side surfaces . etch mask 542 is formed on gate electrode 590 . electrically insulating material 510 is also shown to electrically isolate well 524 from surrounding regions 528 . junction regions 570 and 580 are shown adjacent to gate electrode 590 . apparatus 500 , and components thereof described above may be further processed , such as in a semiconductor transistor fabrication process that involves one or more processing chambers , to become or be parts of a p - mos or n - mos transistor ( e . g ., by being parts of a cmos device ). features , of fig5 may or may not “ correspond ” to features of fig1 as described above ( e . g ., “ correspond ,” such as by having corresponding or similar features , materials , doping , widths , lengths , depths , thicknesses , and functionality ; being formed in corresponding or similar chambers or reactors , and / or being formed by corresponding or similar processes ). for example , in fig5 , substrate 505 may correspond to substrate 120 , etch mask 542 may correspond to etch mask 142 , spacers 512 and 514 may correspond to spacers 112 and 114 , width w 51 may correspond to width w 1 , width w 52 may correspond to width w 2 , and top surface 525 may correspond to top surface 125 of fig1 , as described above . moreover , in fig5 , well 524 may correspond to a p - type well of a n - mos transistor as described above with respect to well 124 of fig1 . specifically , to form well 524 , top surface 525 may be doped with boron and / or aluminum to form a p - type well of a n - mos transistor ( e . g ., a n - mos device of a cmos device ). thus , well 524 may be a material suitable for forming a “ channel ” of an n - mos transistor device . for example , a transistor device channel maybe defined as a portion of the material of well 524 under top surface 525 and between junction regions 570 and 580 , or junctions formed therein . also , in fig5 , material 510 may correspond to material 130 , and surrounding regions 528 may correspond to surrounding regions 128 , of fig1 . specifically , material 510 may be shallow trench isolation ( sti ) formed between a p - type well of a n - mos device ( e . g ., where well 524 has a p - type well ) and other regions of substrate 505 to electrically isolate the p - type well from the other regions ( e . g ., where one of other regions 528 is an n - type well of a p - mos device in substrate 505 ). next , gate dielectric 544 of fig5 may correspond to gate dielectric 144 of fig1 as described above . for instance , gate dielectric 144 may have an appropriate n - type work function for apparatus 500 , such as where apparatus 500 is an n - mos device . furthermore , in fig5 , gate electrode 590 may correspond to gate electrode 190 of fig1 as described above . thus , gate electrode 590 may be doped with phosphorous , arsenic , and / or antimony to form an n - type electrode material having an electrically negative charge ( e . g ., for a n - mos device , which may be part of a cmos device ). gate electrode 590 may have a thickness appropriate for a p - mos or n - mos device , such as when apparatus 500 is an n - mos device . gate electrode 590 may have a work function for responding to a gate electrode of an n - mos device ( e . g ., where apparatus 500 is an n - mos device ). fig5 shows junction region 570 , such as a recess formed a surface of substrate 505 adjacent to gate electrode 590 and source - drain recess below a bottom surface of gate dielectric 544 . similarly , fig5 shows junction region 580 , such a recess formed in a surface of substrate 505 adjacent to gate electrode 590 , and source - drain recess below a bottom surface of gate dielectric 544 . portions of well 524 and substrate 505 of fig5 may be removed to form recesses such as junction regions 570 and 580 in substrate 505 adjacent to gate electrode 590 . for example , junctions adjacent to gate electrode 590 may be formed by forming or depositing a junction material into junction regions 570 and 580 . such removal may include “ source - drain recess ” etching as described above with respect to forming junction regions 270 and 280 of fig2 , so that junction regions 570 and 680 extend under gate dielectric 544 . junction region 570 defines substrate surface 522 ( e . g ., a base surface of junction region 570 ), facet 520 , and tip region 576 . tip region 576 is between facet 520 and the bottom surface of gate dielectric 544 . similarly , junction region 580 defines substrate surface 532 , facet 530 , and tip region 586 . tip region 586 is between facet 530 and the bottom surface of gate dielectric 544 . according to embodiments , tip regions 576 and 586 may extend under spacer 512 , spacer 514 , and / or gate electrode 590 . for example , tip regions 576 and 586 may extend along top surface 525 under the bottom surface of gate dielectric 544 from a width equal to width w 52 to a width of less than width w 52 , such as a width of greater than zero . thus , facets 520 and 530 may contact the bottom surface of gate dielectric 544 adjacent to top surface 525 of substrate 505 to form a channel under top surface 525 between facets 520 and 530 ( e . g ., a channel of a transistor formed in apparatus 500 ), where facets 520 and 530 may each extend under gate dielectric 544 by a distance of between zero and one - half of width w 52 . thus , portions of substrate 505 may be removed to form facets 520 and 530 contacting and extending under the bottom surface of gate dielectric 544 to contact the bottom surface of gate dielectric 544 under spacer 512 , spacer 514 , and / or gate electrode 590 . junction region 570 and / or 580 may be referred to as “ source / drain regions ” or “ diffusion regions .” also , when an appropriate material is formed , deposited , or grown in junction regions 570 and 580 , the resulting material may be referred to as a “ junction ,” a “ source ,” a “ drain ,” or a “ diffusion region .” suitable chambers for etching junction regions 570 and 580 include those mentioned above with respect to forming gate dielectric 144 . specifically , suitable chambers for etching junction regions 570 and / or 580 include a cvd chamber , an ald chamber , a uhvcvd chamber , an rtcvd chamber , an rpcvd chamber , an mbe chamber , a “ batch ” uhv cvd chamber , a cold - wall uhv cvd chamber , an atmospheric pressure ( ap ) cvd chamber a low - pressure ( lp ) cvd chamber , an etch chamber , a high - purity high - flow hydrogen ( h 2 ) purge reactor , a chlorine ( cl 2 ) etch chamber , a trisilane deposition reactor , a disilane deposition reactor , or a chamber reactor that combines the functionality of one or more of these chambers or reactors . consequently , in fig5 , junction regions 570 and 580 may or may not correspond to junction regions 270 and 280 , surfaces 522 and 532 may or may not correspond to surfaces 222 and 232 , facets 520 and 530 may or may not correspond to facets 220 and 230 , and tip regions 576 and 586 may or may not correspond to tip regions 276 and 286 of fig2 , as described above . specifically , in fig5 , junction regions 570 and 580 may or may not be formed by chlorine etching or other etching as described above with respect to junction regions 270 and 280 . likewise , deposition of material into junction regions 570 and 580 of fig5 may or may not occur in the same chamber as the chamber in which junction regions 570 and 580 were formed or etched . next , facets 520 and 530 of fig5 may or may not form an angle with respect to surfaces 522 and 532 similar to angle a 1 and angle a 2 as described with respect to fig2 . fig6 is the schematic substrate of fig5 after forming a thickness of a crystalline material in the junction regions and a thickness of amorphous material on the gate electrode . fig6 shows apparatus 600 having conformal thickness 610 of amorphous material formed over etch mask 542 , spacers 512 and 514 , gate electrode 590 , and gate dielectric 544 . herein , etch mask 542 , spacers 512 and 514 , gate electrode 590 , and gate dielectric 544 may be referred to as a “ gate structure ” ( e . g ., the gate structure of apparatus 500 ). conformal thickness 610 is shown having thickness t 610 above etch mask 542 , thickness t 612 beside spacer 512 and thickness t 613 besides spacer 514 . fig6 also shows epitaxial thickness 620 of a crystalline material in junction region 570 and having thickness t 620 . likewise , epitaxial thickness 630 is formed injunction region 580 and has thickness t 630 . according to embodiments , thickness 610 ( e . g ., such as an amorphous layer ) and epitaxial thickness 620 and 630 may be formed “ simultaneously ,” such as by deposition of those materials on apparatus 500 during the same period of time , by blanket deposition , and / or by non - selective deposition to form thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 of apparatus 600 . moreover , during simultaneous formation , the rate of forming conformal thickness 610 may be faster than the rate of forming epitaxial thicknesses 620 and 630 for example , conformal thickness 610 and epitaxial thicknesses 620 and 630 may be formed by non - selective or “ blanket ” chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) of the crystalline and amorphous materials . it is contemplated that epitaxial thickness 620 and 630 may be a silicon alloy or a silicon element material having a lattice spacing different than the lattice spacing of substrate 505 . in some embodiments , thicknesses 620 and 630 may be an epitaxial thickness of crystalline phosphorous and / or a silicon - carbon alloy material having a size , thickness , and lattice spacing to cause a tensile strain in substrate 505 . it is also contemplated that thicknesses 620 and 630 may be doped with phosphorous , arsenic , and / or antimony during or after formation , such as to form a n - type material having an electrically negative charge . thus , thickness 620 and thickness 630 may cause a tensile strain in a channel of apparatus 600 , such as a region of substrate 505 below top surface 525 and between junction regions 578 and 580 . conformal thickness 610 may be an amorphous material of the same silicon alloy or silicon element material used to form thickness 620 and 630 . specifically , instead of being a epitaxial thickness , conformal thickness 610 may be a conformal thickness of the same material that forms thickness 620 and 630 . as such , conformal thickness 610 may be an amorphous layer with no definite arrangement of atoms in contrast to the very regular arrangement of atoms and crystalline material of thickness 620 and 630 . also , conformal thickness 610 may have a lattice spacing that is different than that of the material etch mask 542 , spacers 512 and 514 , gate electrode 590 , and / or gate dielectric 544 ( e . g ., the gate structure of apparatus 500 ). thus , conformal thickness 610 may cause a tensile strain in gate electrode 590 and / or other components of the gate structure of apparatus 500 . for example , thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 may be formed ( e . g ., in the case where apparatus 600 is or will become a n - mos transistor or device ) of a silicon - carbon alloy film blanket or non - selective deposited over the active area of a transistor ( e . g ., deposited over apparatus 500 ). the deposition may be a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) using trisilane , methylsilane , and hydrogen ( e . g ., a h 2 carrier gas ) had a deposition temperature of less than 550 ° c . ( e . g ., at a temperature of 450 , 500 , or 550 ° c .). in such a setting , epitaxial thickness 620 and 630 are rendered epitaxial on the exposed silicon or surface of junction regions 570 and 580 . specifically , an epitaxial layer is formed on surface 522 , facet 520 , surface 532 , and facet 530 . alternatively , in such a setting , an amorphous thickness is formed on the dielectric , oxide , or nitride of etch mask 542 , spacers 512 and 514 , gate electrode 590 , and gate dielectric 544 ( e . g ., the gate structure of apparatus 500 ). the epitaxial crystalline material formed as thickness 620 and 630 may be in - situ doped with phosphorous or arsenic during or after deposition to form n - type electrically negatively charged material . according to embodiments , thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 may be formed by introducing trisilane at between 25 milligrams per minute ( mg / min ) and 200 mg / min , and introducing monomethyl silane at between 15 standard cubic centimeters ( sccm ) and 45 sccm , and introducing ph 3 ( e . g ., by introducing 1 percent ph 3 in a hydrogen ( h 2 ) carrier gas ) at between 400 sccm and 800 sccm . in another example , forming thicknesses 610 , 620 , and 630 may include introducing between 50 and 100 mg / min of trisilane , 30 sccm of monomethylsilane , and 600 sccm of ph 3 . in one embodiment , in a single wafer 300 mm rt cvd reactor , a chemistry of 20 sccm of trisilane , 30 sccm of mono - methyl silane , 20 slm of h 2 , at 550 ° c ., and 15 torr pressure for 12 minutes produces a 500 nano - meter silicon - carbon alloy film with a fully substituted carbon concentration of 3e20 cm cubed as epitaxial thickness 620 and 630 . conformal thickness 610 of an amorphous material is formed in regions not in contact with the surfaces of junction regions 570 and 580 ( e . g ., regions not in contact with surface 522 and 532 or facet 520 and 530 ). thus , conformal thickness 610 may be formed on etch mask 542 , spacers 512 and 514 , gate electrode 590 , and / or gate dielectric 544 . one reason for the formation of the crystalline material on surfaces 522 and 532 and facets 520 and 530 is that , on these surfaces , the silicon continues to grow by epitaxially expanding the existing lattice . however , since there is no existing silicon lattice to support growth on surfaces of etch mask 542 , spacers 512 and 514 , gate electrode 590 , and gate dielectric 544 , material formed there is of an amorphous nature . in some embodiments , epitaxial thickness 620 and 630 may be or include a silicon material having a substitutional - carbon concentration of between 0 . 13 percent and 2 . 0 percent . also , in some embodiments , epitaxial thickness 620 and 630 may be or include a silicon material having a phosphorous concentration of between 5e13 atoms per centimeter cubed ( atoms / cm ) and 5e20 atoms / cm 3 . for example , epitaxial thickness 620 and 630 may be a silicon alloy or silicon elemental material having a substitutional - carbon concentration of between 0 . 13 percent and 2 . 0 percent , and having a phosphorous concentration of between 5e13 atoms per centimeter cubed ( atoms / cm ) and 5e20 atoms / cm 3 . often , when blanket or non - selective deposition over the active area of a transistor ( e . g ., deposition over apparatus 500 ) is continued thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 may be formed such that thickness 610 expands into the tip regions and / or onto the bottom surface of the gate electrode before thickness 620 and 630 expand to those locations . specifically , if the deposition process described above with respect to fig6 is continued , it is possible that thickness t 612 and t 613 will continue to grow and that amorphous material of thickness 610 will expand into tip regions 576 and 586 ( see fig5 ) and or onto bottom surface b 1 or bottom surface b 2 of gate dielectric 544 ( see fig7 ). having amorphous material of thickness 610 in the tip regions and / or on the bottom surface of the gate electrode inhibits performance of the transistor . moreover , after thickness 620 and 630 have been formed to a height above surface 525 , etching away or removal of amorphous material of thickness 610 in the tip regions and / or on the bottom surface of the gate electrode leaves a device that does not function properly . however , according to embodiments , epitaxial thickness 610 , 620 and 630 may be etched back prior to further deposition of material to expand thickness 610 , 620 and 630 . for instance , fig7 shows the substrate of fig5 after removing a thickness of the crystalline material and a thickness of the amorphous material . fig7 shows apparatus 700 , such as an apparatus corresponding to apparatus 600 after a thickness of conformal thickness 610 and epitaxial thickness 620 and 630 are removed . for example , the amorphous material of conformal thickness 610 and the crystalline material of epitaxial thickness 620 and 630 may be removed simultaneously during a process , such as an etch process to form conformal thickness 710 and epitaxial thickness 720 and 730 , as shown in fig7 . conformal thickness 710 as thickness t 710 above etch mask 542 , thickness t 712 adjacent to spacer 512 , and thickness t 713 adjacent to spacer 514 . also , epitaxial thickness 720 has thickness t 720 , and epitaxial thickness 730 has thickness t 730 . according to embodiments a rate of removing or etching epitaxial thickness 720 and 730 may be slower than a rate of removing or etching conformal thickness 710 . for example , an etch chemistry may be selected that etches the crystalline material of thickness 720 and 730 slower than it etches the amorphous material of thickness 710 . thus , removal of thicknesses 710 , 720 and 730 may continue until a remaining vertical thickness of thickness 710 is less than a remaining thickness of thickness 720 and 730 . specifically , thickness t 710 may be less than thickness t 720 or thickness t 730 . however , it is also contemplated that thickness t 710 may be equal to or greater than thickness t 720 and / or thickness t 730 . moreover , according to embodiments , forming thickness 710 may include removing a thickness of thickness 610 sufficiently so that a subsequent forming or deposition of conformal material over thickness 710 does not extend onto or below bottom surface b 1 or bottom surface b 2 of gate dielectric 544 . for example , thickness t 712 and thickness t 713 may be sufficiently thin so that subsequent deposition of conformal thickness or amorphous material onto thickness 710 does not extend below or onto bottom surfaces b 1 and b 2 . thickness t 720 and / or thickness t 730 may be a thickness of crystalline material between 0 . 5 nano - meters ( nm ) and 2 nm , such as 0 . 8 , 0 . 9 , 0 . 95 , 1 . 0 , 1 . 05 , 1 . 1 , 1 . 15 , 1 . 2 , 1 . 3 , or 1 . 4 nm . specifically , the net affect of forming thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 , and removing thicknesses thereof to form thickness 710 , 720 and 730 may define a formation rate of approximately 1 . 05 angstroms per second ( e . g ., 10 nm per minute ) for epitaxial thickness 720 and 730 . a similar net effect may occur or the thickness 710 in the lateral direction , and may be a little higher in the vertical direction ( e . g ., in the direction of thickness t 710 ). furthermore , in embodiments , removal of thicknesses of thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 may occur at a rate , for a duration , or with an etchant such that thickness t 712 and t 713 is less than thickness t 720 or thickness t 730 . for example , removal of thicknesses of thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 may include etching with hydrochloric acid , chlorine , or other appropriate etchants or gases . specifically , such etching may include etching with a hydrochloric acid gas a flow rate of between 100 sccm and 200 sccm , such as at a flow rate of 140 , 145 , 150 , 155 , or 160 sccm . it is also contemplated that a dry resist etch , chlorine etch , cf 4 , plasma , sputter , and / or other etch chemistry or gas capable of removing thicknesses of thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 may be used . moreover , according to embodiments , forming of thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 , and removal of thicknesses thereof to form thickness 710 , 720 , and 730 may occur in the same chamber for reactor without breaking a seal , vacuum , pressure , ambiance , of the chamber or reactor , and / or without exposing the inside of the chamber or reactor to the outside atmosphere or air . thus , removal of thickness of material to form thickness 710 , 720 , and 730 may be performed in - situ with forming of thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 . specifically , the simultaneous forming and removal of the thicknesses may occur at the same pressure , at the same temperature , in the same ambiance , in the same atmosphere , and / or during the same seal or vacuum of a chamber or reactor . for instance , some suitable chambers for forming of thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 , and removal of thicknesses thereof to form thickness 710 , 720 , and 730 in the same chamber include a cvd chamber , an ald chamber , a uhvcvd chamber , an rtcvd chamber , an rpcvd chamber , an mbe chamber , a “ batch ” uhv cvd chamber , a cold - wall uhv cvd chamber , an atmospheric pressure ( ap ) cvd chamber a low - pressure ( lp ) cvd chamber , an etch chamber , a high - purity high - flow hydrogen ( h 2 ) purge reactor , a chlorine ( cl 2 ) etch chamber , a trisilane deposition reactor , a disilane deposition reactor , or a chamber reactor that combines the functionality of one or more of these chambers or reactors . further , appropriate chambers include chambers for performing deposition of epitaxial thicknesses of silicon , silicon alloy , and / or silicon elemental materials ; chambers for deposition of conformal thickness of amorphous material ; chambers for deposition of crystalline material , chambers for forming blanket or non - selective deposition ; chambers for forming selective deposition , chambers for depositing doped material , chambers for depositing silicon germanium ( sige ) and / or chambers for depositing silicon - carbon alloy ( si x c 1 - x ) material . in some embodiments , forming thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 and removing thicknesses thereof may occur in the same cvd chamber , at a temperature of between 500 and 750 ° c . ( e . g ., at a temperature of 500 , 550 , 600 , 650 , 700 , or 750 ° c . ), and at a pressure of between 12 and 18 torr ( e . g ., at a pressure of 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , or 18 torr ). also , forming thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 and removing thicknesses thereof may occur in the same cvd chamber at a pressure of between 1e - 4 and 1000 torr ( e . g ., at a pressures within a one decimal range of 1e - 3 , 1e - 2 , 0 . 1 , 1 . 0 , 10 , 100 , or 1000 torr ). in some cases , forming thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 and removing thicknesses thereof may occur in the same cvd chamber at a pressure of between 3e - 3 torr and 7e - 3 torr ( e . g ., 3e - 3 , 3 . 5e - 3 , 4e - 3 , 4 . 5e - 3 , 5e - 3 , 5 . 5e - 3 , 6e - 3 , 6 . 5e - 3 , or 7e - 3 ). moreover , there may be a hydrogen ( h 2 ) ambient flow of between ten standard liters per minute ( slm ) and 30 slm during the forming and removing . in some embodiments , forming , depositing , or growing thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 ; and then removing , or etching a thickness of thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 as described above with respect to fig6 and 7 may describe one iteration or deposition / removal sequence of a multiple iteration process . thus , the iteration or deposition / removal sequence of fig6 and 7 may be repeated . for example , fig8 shows the substrate of fig7 after forming a subsequent thickness of a crystalline material in the junction regions and a subsequent thickness of the amorphous material on the gate electrode . fig8 shows apparatus 800 , such as apparatus 700 after reforming or redepositing additional conformal thickness of amorphous material on thickness 710 to form thickness 810 , redepositing or depositing additional epitaxial thickness of crystalline material on thickness 720 to form thickness 820 , and redepositing or depositing additional epitaxial thickness of crystalline material on thickness 730 to form epitaxial thickness 830 . thus , thickness t 810 of conformal thickness 810 may be thicker than thickness t 610 or t 710 . similarly , thickness t 812 may be thicker than thickness t 712 or t 612 . likewise , thickness t 813 may be thicker than t 713 or t 613 . similarly , thickness t 820 of epitaxial thickness 820 may be thicker than thickness t 720 or t 620 . likewise , thickness t 830 of epitaxial thickness 830 may be thicker than thickness t 730 or t 630 . it is contemplated that conformal thickness 810 may include material , be formed by a process , have a functionality , and cause strains as described above with respect to conformal thickness 610 . similarly , epitaxial thickness 820 and 830 may correspond to material , be formed by processes , cause strains , and have functionality as described above with respect to epitaxial thickness 620 and 630 . subsequent to forming apparatus 800 , thicknesses of thickness 810 , 820 , and 830 may be removed , such as by etching . for example , fig9 shows the substrate of fig8 after removing a thickness of the crystalline material and the amorphous material . fig9 shows apparatus 900 , such as apparatus 800 after removing thicknesses of thickness 810 , 820 , and 830 to form conformal thickness 910 of amorphous material , epitaxial thickness 920 of crystalline material , and epitaxial thickness 930 of crystalline material . thus , materials , processes , functionality , and strains of thickness 910 , 920 , and 930 may correspond to those described above with respect to thickness 710 , 720 , and 730 . it can also be appreciated that the relationship between thickness 910 , 920 , and 930 , as compared to thickness 810 , 820 , and 830 may correspond to the relationship between thickness 710 , 720 , and 730 as compared to thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 . specifically , processes for forming apparatus 800 from apparatus 700 and subsequently forming apparatus 900 from apparatus 800 may correspond to those described above for forming apparatus 600 from apparatus 500 and subsequently forming apparatus 700 from apparatus 600 . moreover , according to embodiments , processes for forming apparatus 600 , 700 , 800 , and 900 may occur in the same chamber , such as without breaking a seal or vacuum of a chamber , and / or under other settings or conditions as described above with respect to forming apparatus 700 from apparatus 600 . thus , formation of apparatus 600 and 700 may be defined as a first iteration , and forming apparatus 800 and 900 may be defined as a second iteration in a process for deposit / removal iterations . such iterations may be continued until a desired or selected thickness of an epitaxial crystalline material is formed in the junction regions of the transistor device . also , such iterations may be continued until a desired or selected thickness of a conformal amorphous material over the gate structure of a transistor device . in some cases , such iterations may be repeated between five and ten times , such as by being repeated five times , six times , seven times , eight times , nine times , or ten times . it is also contemplated that such iterations may terminate with a deposition or a removal process ( e . g ., a process corresponding to forming apparatus 600 or apparatus 700 ). likewise the deposition or removal portions of the iteration may occur over a period of between five seconds and five minutes , such as where each deposition and / or removal process occurs over a period of ten seconds , 20 seconds , 25 seconds , 30 seconds , 35 seconds , 40 seconds , 45 seconds , 50 seconds , 60 seconds , or 90 seconds . in one example , forming of thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 may be performed in - situ with removal of thicknesses of material to form thickness 710 , 720 , and 730 in cvd chamber . first , thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 are formed or deposited by introducing trisilane at between 50 mg / min and 100 mg / min , introducing monomethyl silane at 30 sccm , and introducing ph 3 ( e . g ., one percent ph 3 in a h 2 ) at 600 sccm for 30 seconds while of h 2 is introduced into the chamber at a flow of 20 slm , the chamber is kept at a temperature of between 600 and 650 degrees celsius , and the chamber is at a pressure of 15 torr . next , thickness 710 , 720 , and 730 are formed “ immediately ” after deposition of thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 ( e . g ., no other processing is performed between pumping out the deposition gases used to form thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 and etching thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 to from thickness 710 , 720 , and 730 ). for instance , thickness 710 , 720 , and 730 are formed by etching thickness 610 , 620 , and 630 by introducing hcl at 150 sccm into the chamber for 30 seconds while of h 2 is introduced into the chamber at a flow of 20 slm , the chamber is kept at a temperature of between 600 and 650 degrees celsius , and the chamber is at a pressure of 15 torr . the sequence of introducing trisilane , monomethyl silane , and ph 3 , pumping out , and then introducing hcl is repeated 7 times to form about 1 . 05 angstroms / sec in thickness ( deposition minus etch ) for crystalline material of thickness 720 , and 730 . the thickness of thickness 710 of amorphous material is about the same in the lateral direction ( e . g ., thickness t 712 and t 714 ), but is a little more in the vertical direction ( e . g ., thickness t 710 ). moreover , it can be appreciated that the seal or vacuum of the chamber can be kept in tact during the 7 iterations . similarly , the conditions where h 2 is introduced into the chamber at a flow of 20 slm , the chamber is kept at a temperature of between 600 and 650 degrees celsius , and the chamber is at a pressure of 15 torr may be maintained during the 7 iterations . thus , it is possible to repeat iterations of forming and removal of the conformal and epitaxial thicknesses until a top surface of the epitaxial thicknesses is superior to top surface 525 , and / or until the epitaxial thicknesses cause a selected strain in substrate 505 . for example , fig1 shows the substrate of fig9 after forming a thickness of crystalline material in the junction regions to form junctions , and after forming a thickness of amorphous material on the gate electrode . fig1 shows apparatus 1000 having conformal thickness 1010 of amorphous material over the gate structure and epitaxial thickness 1020 and 1030 injunction regions 570 and 580 . thickness 1020 has top surface 1022 superior to top surface 525 , and thickness 1030 has top surface 1032 superior to top surface 525 . fig1 also shows thickness 1020 having thickness t 1020 , and thickness 1030 having thickness t 1030 . it can be appreciated that conformal thickness 1010 may be formed of a material by processes , have a functionality and cause strains as described above with respect to conformal thickness 610 . similarly , epitaxial thicknesses 1020 and 1030 may be formed of a material , by a process , have a functionality , and / or cause strains as described above with respect to epitaxial thickness 620 and 630 . for example , thickness 1020 and 1030 may be a sufficient thickness or size of a crystalline material having a lattice spacing different than the lattice spacing of new material of substrate 505 to cause a strain in substrate 505 , such as a strain in the channel of apparatus 1000 ( e . g ., where the channel may be defined as the portion of substrate 505 below top surface 525 and between thicknesses 1020 and 1030 ). moreover , thickness 1020 and 1030 may be epitaxial thicknesses of crystalline phosphorous and / or silicon - carbon alloy material , sufficient to cause a tensile strain in substrate 505 . specifically , as shown in fig1 , thickness 1020 may cause tensile strain 1074 away from a portion of substrate 505 under top surface 525 , and thickness 1030 may cause tensile strain 1084 away from the same portion of substrate 505 . thus , strain 1074 may cause tensile strain 1092 , and strain 1084 may cause tensile strain 1094 in a channel of substrate 505 between thickness 1020 and 1030 ( e . g ., a tensile strain in the channel of apparatus 1000 , or apparatus 1000 is a n - mos device ). according to embodiments , tensile strains 1092 and 1094 may be sufficient strains to increase carrier mobility ( e . g ., mobility of electrons in the channel of well 524 ) between thickness 1020 and 1030 . in other words , a channel in substrate 505 may be under a tensile strain caused by the lattice spacing of a phosphorous and / or silicon - carbon alloy material in thickness 1020 and 1030 being larger than the lattice spacing of the substrate material . also , as described above , with respect to conformal thickness 610 , conformal thickness 1010 may cause a tensile strain in the gate structure of apparatus 1000 , such as a tensile strain in gate electrode 590 . fig1 also shows epitaxial thickness 1020 filling tip region 576 , and epitaxial thickness 1030 filling tip region 586 . for example , thickness 1020 may be in contact with and / or atomically bonded to bottom b 1 and facet 520 . similarly , thickness 1030 may be attached to and / or atomically bonded bottom b 2 and / or facet 530 . it is also considered that thickness 1020 and thickness 1030 may be doped during or after formation with phosphorous , arsenic , and / or antimony to form an n - type material having an electrically negative charge . for example , once a sufficient or selected thickness of material is deposited or formed as thickness 1020 and 1030 ( e . g ., after a deposition or etch portion of an iteration ) conformal thickness 1010 may be removed . thus , conformal thickness 1010 of fig1 may be removed from the gate structure of apparatus 1000 , such as by selective wet etch . moreover , a conformal amorphous thickness ( e . g ., thicknesses 610 , 710 , 810 , 910 and 1010 described above , may be left on isolation material ( e . g ., material 510 ) as well . these conformal amorphous thicknesses may also be removed , such as by selective wet etch , thus resulting in a tensile strained n - channel transistor which has increased electron mobility and drive current . for example , fig1 shows the substrate of fig1 after removing the amorphous materials . fig1 shows apparatus 1100 , such as apparatus 1000 after removing or etching conformal thickness 1010 from the gate structure of apparatus 1000 . for example , conformal thickness 1010 may be selectively or non - selectively etched using an etch chemistry that leaves an appropriate thickness of epitaxial material in junction region 570 and 580 , such as thickness 1120 and 1130 . in some embodiments , etching conformal thickness 1010 from the gate structure includes etching a thickness of between five percent and 35 percent of the thickness of thickness 1020 and 1030 . thus , after etching conformal thickness 1010 from the gate structure thickness 1120 and 1130 may be 75 , 80 , 75 , or 90 percent as thick as thickness 1020 and 1030 as described above for fig1 . similarly , top surface 1122 and 1132 may correspond to top surface 1022 and 1032 as described above for fig1 . furthermore , thickness t 1120 and t 1130 may correspond to thickness t 1020 and thickness t 1030 as described above for fig1 . after removal of thickness 1010 , the remaining transistor ( e . g ., apparatus 1100 ) may have strains 1174 , 1184 , 1192 , and 1194 which may correspond to or be greater in magnitude than strains 1074 , 1084 , 1092 , and 1094 of fig1 . it is also appreciated that strains 1174 , 1184 , 1192 , and 1194 may correspond to or have directions similar to strains 1074 , 1084 , 1092 , and 1094 of fig1 . specifically , strains 1174 , 1184 , 1192 , and 1194 may correspond to or be within thirty percent in magnitude and ten degrees direction of strains 1074 , 1084 , 1092 , and 1094 of fig1 . thus , strains 1174 , 1184 , 1192 , and 1194 may cause a sufficient tensile strain in the channel of apparatus 1100 to increase electron mobility and drive current . moreover , strain 1192 and 1194 may be uniaxial tensile strain caused by increased phosphorous and substitutional - carbon concentration in epitaxial thickness 1120 and 1130 . also , increased phosphorous doping in epitaxial thickness 1120 and 1130 may be greater than the 2e20 cm cubed . specifically , apparatus 1100 may be a n - mos transistor with a sufficient increased phosphorous and substitutional - carbon concentration in epitaxial thickness 1120 and 1130 to increase carrier mobility and reduce r external . overall , a transistor similar to apparatus 1100 may have improved saturation current and improved device speed due to the gain in carrier mobility and due to decreased sheet resistant in epitaxial thickness 1120 and 1130 . thus , apparatus 1100 may be an n - mos device of a cmos device . for example , fig1 shows a representative cmos structure . fig1 shows cmos device 1200 having n - mos device 1202 , such as an embodiment of apparatus 1100 as described above with respect to fig1 , connected to p - mos device 1204 in typical fashion . substrate 505 includes p - type well 524 related to n - type well 1224 for forming cmos device 1200 , such that n - type well 1224 is part of p - mos transistor device 1204 formed on a second area of substrate 505 and defining a second different interface surface 1225 of substrate 505 adjacent to p - type well 524 . specifically , for instance , p - mos device 1204 may be formed adjacent to n - mos device 1202 by having p - mos device 1204 electrically isolated from n - mos device 1202 by electrically insulating material 510 as described herein . moreover , p - mos device 1204 may include a channel below gate dielectric 1244 which is below gate electrode 1290 , and between p - type junctions 1220 and 1230 . p - mos device 1204 is also shown with spacers 1212 and 1214 . fig1 also shows compressive strains 1274 , 1284 , 1292 , and 1294 and p - mos device 1204 . for example , junctions 1220 and 1230 may cause compressive strains 1274 and 1284 towards a portion of substrate 505 under top surface 1225 . thus , strains 1274 and 1284 may cause compressive strains 1292 and 1294 in a channel of p - mos device 1204 . it can be appreciated that compressive strains 1292 and 1294 may be sufficient to increase carrier mobility ( e . g ., mobility of holes in the channel of well 1224 ) between junctions 1220 and 1230 . specifically , junctions 1220 and 1230 may be formed of a material having a lattice spacing larger than a lattice spacing of substrate 505 ( e . g ., by being formed of sige , which may or may not be doped with boron and / or aluminum to form a p - type electrically positive charged material ). finally , cmos device 1200 has ground gnd , input voltage v in , output voltage v out , and bias voltage v dd . in the foregoing specification , specific embodiments are described . however , various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of embodiments as set forth in the claims . the specification and drawings are , accordingly , to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense . | 7 |
referring to fig2 , a series - shunt switch 200 in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention will now be discussed in terms of its structure . an rf terminal 201 is coupled along a series path 211 through a series n - fet group switch 210 to an antenna 202 , and is connected along a shunt path 221 through a first blocking capacitor 241 in series with a shunt p - fet group switch 220 to an ac ground or shunt terminal 203 . the series n - fet group switch 210 is made up of a plurality of n - type fet transistors , while the shunt p - fet group switch 220 is made up of a plurality of p - type fet transistors . each fet group switch 210 , 220 is connected in series with the respective path from the rf terminal 201 to the antenna 202 or from the rf terminal 201 to the shunt terminal 203 . each fet group switch 210 , 220 also has a respective associated group of source / drain resistors 215 , 225 . each n - fet of the series n - fet group switch 210 , except for the last n - fet on the rf end of the series n - fet group switch 210 and the last n - fet on the antenna end of the n - fet group switch 210 has a respective resistor of the associated source / drain resistors 215 coupled across its source and drain . each p - fet a the shunt p - fet group switch 220 , except for the last p - fet on the shunt end of the p - fet group switch 220 has a respective resistor of the associated source / drain resistors to 25 coupled across its source and drain . the gates of the n - fets of the series n - fet group switch 210 are biased by a series gate biasing terminal 212 with a voltage v g , and the gates of the p - fets of the shunt p - fet group switch 220 are biased by a shunt gate biasing terminal 222 with a voltage v g ′ which is set equal to the voltage applied to the series gate biasing terminal 212 , namely , v g . although the value of v g will change as the switch 200 changes mode , the same value v g or voltage values substantially similar to v g will always be simultaneously applied to both the series gate biasing terminal 212 and the shunt gate biasing terminal 222 i . e . either v g = v g ′ or v g ≈ v g ′. at all times and in any mode of the switch &# 39 ; s 200 operation , the backgates of the n - fets of the series n - fet group switch 210 are biased by a series backgate biasing terminal 214 with a voltage v lo = 0 . 0v , while backgates of the p - fets of the shunt p - fet group switch 220 are biased by a shunt backgate biasing terminal 224 with a voltage v hi = 2 . 5v . in the embodiment depicted in fig2 , the antenna 202 and rf terminal 201 are both pulled to 0 . 0v . the shunt terminal 203 is set to a voltage of v shunt which is set to v hi = 2 . 5v and serves as ac ground . to connect the rf terminal 201 to the antenna 202 and put the switch 200 into series mode , the series gate biasing terminal 212 and the shunt gate biasing terminal 222 are both set to v g = v g ′= 2 . 5v . setting v g = v g ′ to this value ensures that the n - fets of the series n - fet group switch 210 are fully on while the p - fets of the shunt p - fet group switch 220 are fully off , within the reliability / breakdown limits of operation . it is noted that as a result of this biasing configuration , all of the sources / drains of the n - fets and of the p - fets of the fet group switches 210 220 are biased at 0 . 0 v , with only the exception of the source / drain of the shunt p - fet group switch 220 adjacent the shunt terminal 203 . to connect the rf terminal 201 to the shunt terminal 203 and put the switch 200 into shunt mode , the series gate biasing terminal 212 and the shunt gate biasing terminal 222 are both set to v g = v g ′= 0 . 0v . setting v g = v g ′ to this value ensures that the n - fets of the series n - fet group switch 210 are fully off while the p - fets of the shunt p - fet group switch 220 are fully on , within the reliability / breakdown limits of operation . it is noted that as a result of this biasing configuration , all sources / drains of the n - fets and of the p - fets of the fet group switches 210 220 are biased at 2 . 5 v , with only the exception of the source / drain of the series n - fet group switch 210 adjacent the rf terminal 201 and the source / drain of the series n - fet group switch 210 adjacent the antenna 202 . as with the configurations of the prior art , this embodiment according to the invention fully biases each fet group switch in the forward or the reverse direction ensuring respectively low insertion loss and high isolation which are very important when dealing with high - power signal transmission . moreover , the drawbacks of negative voltage generation and blocking capacitors along the series path are mitigated . unlike the series - shunt switch 100 of fig1 a which utilizes a negative power supply , the series - shunt switch 200 of fig2 utilizes only positive voltage supplied at 2 . 5v or 0 . 0v . the drawbacks of the series shunt switch 100 of fig1 a , namely that it requires oscillators , charge pump circuitry , a negative voltage regulator , large area occupying negative supply filtering , and pseudo - random bit sequence ( prbs ) generator are avoidable . the absence of additional components means that noise , spurious tones , and spurious spectral emissions that they create , the large percentage of ic ( integrated chip ) die area they tend to occupy , and the extra dc power they would consume are also avoided . unlike the series - shunt switch 150 of fig1 b , which utilizes blocking capacitors along the series path 181 , the series shunt switch 200 of fig2 utilizes blocking capacitors only to isolate rf terminal 201 and the antenna 202 from the nonzero effective biasing of the source / drains of the n - fets of the series n - fet group switch 210 and the p - fets of the shunt p - fet group switch 220 which occurs in shunt mode . since a signal traversing the series path 211 does not encounter a blocking capacitor , the insertion loss along the series path 211 of the series - shunt switch 200 of fig2 is less than that of the series path 161 of the known series - shunt switch 150 of fig1 b . the absence of blocking capacitors along the series path typically also improves switching times . the blocking capacitors 241 , 243 of the switch 200 of fig2 also do not bear the full brunt of any esd event since the source / drain breakdown of the n - fets at the ends of the series n - fet group switch 210 clamps the voltage of the blocking capacitors 241 , 243 so as to protect them . as such , the switch 200 is much more robust to forms of esd event damage . the switch 200 also does not require a dc - dc boost converter circuit as required by prior art configurations . in addition to requiring fewer blocking capacitors , the switch 200 of fig2 may use blocking capacitors 241 , 243 which are not as large as those 181 , 182 , 183 , 184 of the known switch 150 of fig1 b . reduction in both the size and number of blocking capacitors translates to reduction in ic die area usage for integrated blocking capacitors and / or reduction in board area and cost imposed by the use of off - chip capacitors . the switch 200 in addition to reducing or avoiding altogether the various drawbacks of known switch architectures described above also is controllable in an elegant and uncomplicated manner , namely , by control of the gate biasing voltage v g = v g ′. when it is desired that the switch 200 function in series mode , v g = v g ′ is set to 2 . 5v and when it is desired that the switch 200 function in shunt mode , v g = v g ′ is set to 0 . 0v . since isolation along the shunt path 221 is not as important as that along series path 211 , the p - fets may be used along the shunt path without any serious detriment to the circuit &# 39 ; s 200 performance . as long as the p - fet transistors are situated along the insertion loss insensitive paths , and as long as they provide a relatively low impedance to an ac ground , they may be advantageously used to allow biasing voltages on the drain and source of the various fet group switches to move between supply and ground . although each embodiment has been described as utilizing fet group switches comprising n - type and p - type mosfets it should be understood that other implementations may utilize any suitable number and combination of complementary n - type and p - type transistor switches , including unipolar devices such as standard cmos , soi cmos , mos with depletion mode devices , phemt , mesfet , jfet , etc . although in the embodiment of fig2 , the same voltage v g is shown as being applied to all the gates of the fets of the various fet group switches , in some embodiments the bias voltage applied to the gates of the p - fets of the shunt p - fet group switch 220 , namely , v g ′ may only be substantially similar or approximately equal to the voltage applied to the gates of the n - fets of the series n - fet group switch 210 , namely , v g , i . e . v g ′≈ v g . although in embodiments described above the high voltage level for biasing has been chosen to be 2 . 5v , other values of positive voltage for v hi and the gate biasing voltages may be appropriate in specific instances . the embodiments presented are exemplary only and persons skilled in the art would appreciate that variations to the embodiments described above may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . the scope of the invention is solely defined by the appended claims . | 7 |
as illustrated in fig1 a and 1b , a medical instrument according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a bending portion 3 which is a deformable portion , a non - bending portion 5 , and a wire 4 ( hereafter , referred to as a control wire ). the wire receives driving force from a driving pulley 6 which is a driving unit . a tactile sensor 7 which is a load detecting unit is provided at a tip of the bending portion 3 . an inserting portion 1 includes the bending portion 3 and the non - bending portion 5 . in response to an instruction from an unillustrated drive control unit , driving force is transmitted to the wire from the driving unit and the wire is driven . load applied to the deformable portion may be detected by the load detecting unit . when the load exceeds a threshold value , the drive control unit controls the driving unit to retain posture of the deformable portion . that is , when the load exceeds a threshold value , the inserting portion is controlled to retain posture at the time when the load exceeds the threshold value . the load detecting unit may be , for example , a measuring unit which measures pressure , a measuring unit which measures size of a driving current , or a measuring unit which measures tension . a single or a plurality of load detecting units may be provided . a means to retain posture may be , for example , to continuously transmit the same driving force as the driving force applied when the load exceeds the threshold value to the driving unit . hereinafter , a medical device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to a preferred embodiment . the medical instrument according to the present embodiment includes a configuration illustrated in fig1 a and 1b . relationships among components of the medical device of the present invention are illustrated in the side view of fig1 a . the medical instrument of the present embodiment includes an inserting portion 1 which may be inserted in a narrow space , such as a body cavity . the inserting portion 1 includes a tip portion illustrated as a point a . the inserting portion has an elongated cylindrical shape in the direction from the point a to a point b . hereafter , the side of the point a will be referred to as a tip side and the side of the point b , which is the side opposite to the point a , will be referred to as a base end side . the inserting portion 1 may be used as an endoscope in which an image pickup unit , an illuminating unit and the like are mounted at the tip portion thereof or may be used as an electrophysiological catheter in which an electrode is disposed at the tip portion thereof . if the inserting portion 1 is used as an endoscope which includes an image pickup optical system at the tip thereof , the tip includes a portion for taking light information of an object . the image pickup optical system which takes the light information may be , for example , an objective lens , optical fiber and a light transmission window for observation . light guided by the image pickup optical system of the endoscope is picked by an image pickup element disposed inside or outside of a medical instrument body . it is also possible to provide an image pickup element , such as a semiconductor image sensor , at the tip and perform image pickup at an observation unit . the illuminating unit of the endoscope may use light which is emitted from a light source disposed inside or outside of the medical instrument body and is guided by , for example , optical fiber . alternatively , the illuminating unit may include , for example , an led at the tip thereof for illumination . the tactile sensor 7 which detects that the tip portion has brought into contact with a peripheral portion is provided at the tip portion . the tactile sensor has four divided areas along a circumferential direction of the tip portion and the direction and a value of the applied load may be calculated on the basis of values detected in the four areas . one end of the control wire 4 is fixed to the tip portion and the other end of the control wire 4 is fixed to a driving unit 2 . the control wire 4 is a wire material which is bendable and by which tension may be transmitted . the control wire passes through the inserting portion 1 as illustrated by the broken lines . an unillustrated guide hole is formed in the inserting portion 1 at the portion of the control wire 4 illustrated by the broken line so that the control wire 4 may be moved in the longitudinal direction thereof . the position in which the control wire 4 is inserted is disposed in the inserting portion outside the center of a section of the inserting portion 1 . the control wire may be disposed along a surface of the inserting portion . the driving unit 2 is connected to an unillustrated power source . in this manner , tractive force from the power source is transmitted to the control wire 4 via the driving unit 2 . the inserting portion 1 includes the bending portion 3 and the non - bending portion 5 . the bending portion 3 is a portion which is bent by the wire 4 . the non - bending portion 5 is a portion which is not bent even when the wire 4 is drawn . although the bending portion 3 is disposed at the tip side and the non - bending portion 5 is disposed at a base end side in the illustration , arrangement thereof are not limited to the same . alternatively , a plurality of bending portions may be provided via or not via the non - bending portion . the non - bending portion 5 may be a rigid portion which is hardly deformed or may be a bendable flexible portion ( rigidity in the bending direction is greater than that of the bending portion 3 ). the driving mechanism 20 includes the wire 4 and a driving pulley 6 as a driving unit . the driving pulley 6 is connected to a driving source . when the driving pulley 6 is rotated , the wire 4 may be taken up and drawn . the driving force provided to the wire is not limited to tractive force . in a case in which the wire is an electronic device of which longitudinal dimension is changed by a current , the driving force may be a current . the wire 4 is made of a member which transmits tractive force . the wire 4 may be a wire material which is bendable and by which tension is transmitted . the driving unit 2 may have other configuration which transmits tractive force from the driving source . for example , the driving unit 2 may be a column - shaped member which may be pressed and drawn . next , a bending operation of the medical instrument according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig1 b . the driving pulley 6 takes the wire 4 up in the direction of an arrow e and the wire 4 is drawn . the wire 4 is fixed to the tip portion a of the inserting portion . in addition , the wire 4 is inserted in the deformable portion outside the center of a section of the deformable portion . therefore , tension produced when the control wire 4 is drawn becomes torque which causes the bending portion 3 to be bent in the direction of an arrow d . the bending portion 3 is bent as illustrated due to the bending torque . the size of the bending torque may be controlled by controlling an amount of rolling up of the driving pulley 6 . in this manner , the bending operation of the bending portion 3 may be controlled . desirably , the medical instrument according to the present embodiment further includes an inserting portion shape detecting unit . since it is possible to detect the shape of the inserting portion , usability is increased . the entire configuration of one embodiment of the medical instrument of the present invention will be described with reference to a block diagram of fig2 . a load detecting unit 11 which is , for example , a tactile sensor , is provided at the tip of the inserting portion 1 . the load detecting unit 11 sends load information 14 at the tip of the inserting portion to a controller 13 which controls the entire system . during normal operation , the controller 13 calculates a driving control signal 18 on the basis of position information ( not illustrated ) regarding a position at which the tip portion should exist and an inserting portion shape signal 15 sent from an inserting portion shape detecting unit 12 , and then issues an instruction to a drive control unit 17 . in response to the instruction , the drive control unit 17 sends a driving signal 19 to a driving mechanism 20 and drives the pulley 6 of a driving mechanism 20 illustrated in fig1 so that the tip of the inserting portion is moved to a target position . the controller 13 monitors an output of the load detecting unit 11 at the tip of the inserting portion , determines whether dynamic load at the tip of the inserting portion is equal to or smaller than a tolerance , and controls an operation of the inserting portion in accordance with the determination result . next , with reference to flowcharts of fig4 and 6 , an operation in a case in which an output of the inserting portion load detecting unit 11 exceeds a tolerance while the tip of the inserting portion is being moved will be described . a target position is input from an input device ( not illustrated ) connected to the controller 13 ( step 41 ) and the inserting portion 1 starts movement toward the target position ( step 42 ). the controller 13 monitors the output of the load detecting unit 11 at the tip of the inserting portion and determines whether dynamic load at the tip of the inserting portion is equal to or smaller than the tolerance ( step 43 ). here , in a case in which the tip of the inserting portion is not in contact with a peripheral portion or , in a case in which contact pressure is equal to or smaller than a tolerance even if the tip of the inserting portion is in slight contact with the peripheral portion ( step 43 : no ), it is determined whether the current position has been the target position on the basis of the information about the inserting portion shape detecting unit 12 ( step 44 ). if the current position has not been the target position ( step 44 : no ), the movement toward the target position is continued . the inserting portion shape detecting unit 12 is incorporated in a driving mechanism 20 which drives the tip of the inserting portion and calculates the position of the tip of the inserting portion and the shape of a middle portion on the basis of a driving amount of the wire . the detecting unit of the driving amount of the wire may be , for example , a means to provide a physical scale on the wire and to optically detect a moved amount of the wire . alternatively , the detecting unit of the driving amount of the wire may be a means to add an encoder to a pulley which drives the wire or to a motor for driving and to calculate the driving amount of the wire . another method for detecting the shape of the inserting portion may include , for example , a magnetic field system in which the shape of the inserting portion is detected directly and the position is known . fig3 illustrates a state in which guidance of the inserting portion has not been performed precisely due to , for example , difference between a preoperative image at the tip of the inserting portion and an actual position and the inserting portion has been in contact with the peripheral portion . the tip of the inserting portion should be at the position of the point a ′ in a normal situation , but is pressed in the direction of an arrow c due to the contact with peripheral tissue 31 and has been at the position of the point a . the drive control unit 17 controls the inserting portion so that the position of the tip of the inserting portion becomes the position of a ′ and , therefore , larger load than usual is applied to the tip of the inserting portion . therefore , a wire 4 b on the extension side of the driving mechanism 20 is drawn by the external force and there is a possibility of cutting of the wire 4 b . at this time , the tactile sensor 7 provided at the tip of the inserting portion receives force from the direction of the arrow c . in a case in which the load detecting unit is a measuring unit which measures pressure , it is desirable that a plurality of the load detecting units are disposed at the tip of the deformable portion . the plurality of the load detecting units are arranged spaced from one another . such a configuration is desirable because information about the direction in which the load is applied may be obtained by the plurality of load detecting units . an exemplary configuration in which a plurality of load detecting units are provided is illustrated in a cross - sectional view of fig5 in which the tactile sensor 7 is provided at the tip of the inserting portion . the tactile sensor 7 is made of a conductive resin material which has four areas 51 , 52 , 53 and 54 along the circumferential direction at the tip of the inserting portion . resistance values of the four areas are changed in accordance with load applied thereto . detected values , i . e ., the amount of change of resistance , of each area are measured . the direction and the value of the applied load may be computed by calculating in an internal computing unit ( not illustrated ) of the controller 13 . an output of the tactile sensor 7 is transmitted to the controller 13 by conductive members 55 , 56 , 57 and 58 which pass through the medical instrument . the reference sign 50 denotes a conductive member for common power supply for tactile sensors 51 , 52 , 53 and 54 , 59 denotes an optical fiber bundle for image observing , 60 denotes optical fiber for illumination , 61 , 62 , 63 and 64 denote wire guides and 65 denotes a sheath body . although the tactile sensor 7 here is a sensor which uses resistance change with respect to pressure , the system of the tactile sensor 7 is not particularly limited . for example , a sensor using the mems technique and the change in electric capacity may also be used . the tactile sensor 7 corresponds to the load detecting unit 11 in the block diagram of fig2 . if the load applied to the inserting portion exceeds a tolerance when , for example , the inserting portion is brought into contact with a peripheral portion , an output of the load detecting unit 11 is calculated in an overload determination unit ( not illustrated ) which is incorporated in the controller 13 and it is determined that the size of the load has exceeded a predetermined tolerance ( step 43 : yes ). almost at the same time , when it is determined , by the overload determination unit which is incorporated in the controller 13 , that the size of the load has exceeded the tolerance , the controller 13 instructs the drive control unit 17 to stop the movement ( step 45 ). here , a parameter necessary to retain the current posture is calculated in a posture retaining unit 16 on the basis of information 15 from the inserting portion shape detecting unit 12 and current position information is obtained ( step 46 ). the obtained current position information is set to be the target position ( step 47 ). an instruction is issued to the drive control unit on the basis of the parameter necessary to retain the posture . the driving unit is controlled so that the current posture of the insert portion is kept and the insert portion is stopped at the current position . next , an operation in a case in which the peripheral portion has moved due to a certain change of state while the inserting portion is in a stationary state and is controlled to fix the position thereof will be described . in a state in which the posture of the deformable portion is retained by the drive control unit , when the load detected by the load detecting unit exceeds the threshold value , it is desirable that the drive control unit causes the deformable portion to deform so as to reduce the load . at this time , the load detecting unit is desirably a measuring unit which measures pressure . during an operation of the change in the shape of the inserting portion , when the inserting portion is brought into contact with the peripheral portion , retention of the posture may avoid problems in a case in which the peripheral portion is not moved ; but in a case in which the position of the peripheral portion is varied , a collision avoidance operation is necessary since retention of the current posture is insufficient to avoid problems . an operation when overload is applied while the inserting portion is in a stationary state will be described with reference to a flowchart of fig6 . the flowchart of fig6 illustrates a state in which the inserting portion is in a stationary state ( i . e ., a state under control to keep a predetermined posture ). a target position in the stationary state is set ( step 66 ) and the stationary state is kept by controlling the inserting portion to move toward the target position ( step 67 ). next , it is determined whether the load at the tip is equal to or greater than a tolerance ( step 68 ). if the load is below the tolerance ( step 68 : no ), the state is kept and the position of the tip of the inserting portion is controlled to be the target position ( step 69 , loop 70 ). if the load at the tip of the inserting portion is equal to or greater than the tolerance ( step 68 : yes ), the detection result of the sensor which is divided into four constituting the tactile sensor 7 is calculated by a calculating unit ( not illustrated ) which is incorporated in the controller 13 as described above and the strength and the direction of the force applied to the tip of the inserting portion are calculated ( step 71 ). although the procedure in this process is described to calculate the strength and the direction of the force for every loop in the present embodiment , it is also possible to always perform the calculating operation to obtain the strength and the direction of the force all the time . in that case , data about the strength and the direction of the force applied to the tip portion is obtained in step 71 . when the strength and the direction of the force applied to the tip of the inserting portion are determined , a direction in which the tip of the inserting portion is moved is set to be the direction opposite to the direction of the force applied to the tip of the inserting portion . that is , it is determined that the tip of the inserting portion is moved in the direction in which the external force applied at the tip of the inserting portion becomes small , i . e ., in the direction of a vector which includes no component of the direction opposite to the component of the direction which the vector of the external force applied to the tip of the inserting portion includes and , preferably , in the same direction as the direction which the vector of the external force applied to the tip of the inserting portion includes ( step 72 ). then a predetermined target distance is set and the tip of the inserting portion is controlled to move ( step 73 ). in this manner , the driving unit is controlled to deform the deformable portion so that the load detected by the load detecting unit becomes small . the load detecting unit is disposed at the tip of the inserting portion in the present embodiment . however , also in a case in which the load detecting unit is disposed between the tip and the base end of the deformable portion as in a sixth embodiment which will be described later , the driving unit may be controlled in the manner described above to deform the deformable portion in the direction in which the load detected by the load detecting unit becomes small . the distance here is preferably set in accordance with details of treatment and sites to which the medical instrument according to the present embodiment is applied , and other environmental conditions . after the inserting portion is moved , the load applied to the tip portion is determined ( step 74 ). if the load applied to the tip portion is increased and the load exceeds the tolerance , the routine returns to step 71 again and the same control is repeated . if the load becomes smaller than the tolerance ( step 75 : no ), current position information of the tip is obtained ( step 76 ), the current position is set as a target value of the position to be controlled of the tip of the inserting portion ( step 77 ), and the position of the tip of the inserting portion is controlled to keep the position ( step 78 ). although the load detecting unit is a tactile sensor which is directly provided at the tip of the inserting portion in the first and the second embodiments , the load detecting unit is not limited to the same . in the present embodiment , the load detecting unit is a measuring unit which measures a driving current for driving the driving unit . fig7 illustrates a state of the wire when external load is applied thereto . the tip of the inserting portion should be at the position of the point a ′ in a normal situation , but is pressed in the direction of the arrow c due to the contact with peripheral tissue and has been at the position of the point a . the drive control unit 17 controls the inserting portion so that the position of the tip of the inserting portion becomes the position of a ′ and , therefore , larger load than usual is applied to the tip of the inserting portion . in the case in which the wires 4 a and 4 b are at positions and shapes as illustrated in fig7 , the wire 4 a has been drawn and the wire 4 b has been taken out both under certain tension . as described in fig3 and fig7 , the wires 4 a and 4 b are configured to be taken up and drawn by pulleys 6 a and 6 b , respectively . as illustrated in fig8 , each of the pulleys 6 is attached to a reducer 80 and a motor 81 , both of which are driving sources . the motor is connected further to a driving circuit 82 for driving . a driving current detecting unit 83 is provided in the driving circuit 82 to detect a driving current of the motor 81 . when the external force is applied in the direction of the arrow c , tension in the driving wire 4 a is reduced and the driving current is reduced and , on the other hand , since the driving wire 4 b is drawn and tension in the driving wire 4 b is increased , the driving current is increased . the driving current detecting unit 83 detects the reduction and increase in the driving current and the controller 13 determines that the reduction and the increase respectively have exceeded predetermined threshold values to know overload has been applied at the tip of the inserting portion . the present embodiment is the same with other embodiments except that the load detecting unit is a tension meter which measures tension . with a tension sensor 94 which has a configuration illustrated in fig9 , overload at the tip of the inserting portion may be detected by detecting an event in which tension applied to each of the wires 4 a and 4 b has exceeded predetermined thresholds . in fig9 , rollers 90 a , 90 b , 91 a , 91 b , 92 a and 92 b are disposed on paths of the wires 4 a and 4 b and the force of the rollers 92 a and 92 b in the direction of arrows f and g are detected by force detecting units 93 a and 93 b . therefore , tension applied to the wires 4 a and 4 b may be detected . in the case of the tension applied to the wire 4 b becomes low , the force in the direction of an arrow c is reduced and the case of the tension applied to the wire 4 a becomes high , the force in the direction of the arrow c is increased . on the basis of the detected tension information , the controller 13 determines that the tension applied to the wires 4 a and 4 b has exceeded the threshold value , respectively , and detects overload at the tip of the inserting portion . another embodiment in which external load is applied as illustrated in fig7 will be described . in this case , in spite of having been driven under a driving condition in which the tip of the inserting portion should be positioned at the position of a ′ in response to the instruction from the controller , the position represented by the inserting portion shape detecting unit 12 is a . it is also possible to determine that the inserting portion is not able to arrive at the target position due to physical load applied at the tip thereof by obtaining tip position and posture information of the inserting portion on the basis of information detected by the inserting portion shape detecting unit 12 and detecting difference between the target instructed position and the actual position . a flowchart in this case is illustrated in fig1 . a target position is input from an input device ( not illustrated ) connected to the controller 13 ( step 101 ) and the inserting portion 1 starts movement toward the target position ( step 102 ). next , the controller 13 calculates the tip position of the inserting portion on the basis of the information from the inserting portion shape detecting unit 12 at predetermined time intervals with respect to time necessary for the movement to the target position , and compares an error between the calculated position information and the position information equivalent to the predetermined time ( step 103 ). here , if the error between the calculated position information and the position information equivalent to the predetermined time is not equal to or smaller than a tolerance ( step 103 : no ), it is determined that the load has exceeded the tolerance in an overload determination unit ( not illustrated ) which is incorporated in the controller 13 . almost at the same time , when it is determined , by the overload determination unit which is incorporated in the controller 13 , that the size of the load has exceeded the tolerance , the controller 13 instructs the drive control unit 17 to stop the movement ( step 105 ). here , a parameter necessary to retain the current posture is calculated in a posture retaining unit 16 on the basis of information 15 from the inserting portion shape detecting unit 12 and current position information is obtained ( step 106 ). the obtained current position information is set to be the target position ( step 107 ). an instruction is issued to the drive control unit on the basis of the parameter necessary to retain the posture . the tip of the inserting portion is controlled so that the current posture of the insert portion is kept and the insert portion is stopped at the current position . in the present embodiment , the load detecting unit is disposed at any position between the tip and the base end of the deformable portion . except for that , the present invention is the same as any of the first to the fifth embodiments . since the load detecting unit is disposed at any position between the tip and the base end of the deformable portion , when load is applied from the peripheral tissue to between the tip and the base end of the deformable portion , an operator or an automatic control unit may recognize that the load has been applied and may manipulate the deformable portion so that the load from the peripheral tissue becomes small . note that “ manipulating the deformable portion so that the load from the peripheral tissue becomes small ” includes manipulating the deformable portion to avoid collision with the peripheral tissue . desirably , the load detecting unit is disposed at the extreme value when the deformable portion is deformed . the extreme value is a portion at which the deformable portion is easily brought into contact with the peripheral tissue . in particular , as illustrated in fig3 and 7 , when the deformable portion is bent in one direction like the character of “ c ,” the load detecting unit is disposed at a position corresponding to the extreme value of the character of c . when the deformable portion is bent in two directions like the character of “ s ,” the load detecting unit ( s ) are disposed at one or both of positions corresponding to the two extreme values of the character of s . when the load detecting units are disposed at both of the positions corresponding to the two extreme values of the character of s , a plurality of load detecting units are disposed between the tip and the base end of the deformable portion . if the plurality of load detecting units are disposed , it is easy to specify the location to which the load is applied . the load detecting unit ( s ) are disposed at the extreme value ( s ) in the present embodiment . however , as long as the load detecting unit ( s ) are disposed between the tip and the base end of the deformable portion , the load detecting unit ( s ) are not necessarily disposed at the extreme value ( s ). in addition to the portion between the tip and the base end of the deformable portion , the load detecting unit ( s ) may be disposed at the tip or at the tip and the base end . the load detecting units may be arranged spaced apart one another along a direction from the tip toward the base end . if the deformable portion includes a plurality of extreme values , the deformable portions may include two kinds ( three or more kinds if there are three or more portions equivalent to the extreme values ) of wires of different lengths . in such a case , one end of a shorter wire is connected to a position between the tip and the base end of the deformable portion and the other end of the shorter wire is connected to the driving unit , and one end of a longer wire is connected to the tip and the other end is connected to the driving unit . while the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments . the scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions . this application claims the benefit of japanese patent application no . 2012 - 124505 , filed may 31 , 2012 and no . 2012 - 169756 , filed jul . 31 , 2012 which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entity . | 0 |
the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . with reference now to fig1 , a portion of a dual clutch transmission is illustrated and generally designated by the reference number 10 . it should be appreciated that while the invention is described and illustrated in conjunction with a dual clutch transmission , the invention has broad application in other types of transmissions such as mta applications and a broad array of other hydraulically actuated or controlled devices . the transmission 10 includes a housing 12 which surrounds , supports and protects various components such as a counter shaft or layshaft 14 which freely rotatably supports a pair of distinctly sized gears , a first , smaller gear 16 and a second , larger gear 18 . disposed between the first gear 16 and the second gear 18 on the countershaft or layshaft 14 is a synchronizer clutch assembly 20 having an opposed pair of synchronizers 22 and opposed sets of face clutch or gear teeth 24 which mutually exclusively cooperate with face clutch or gear teeth 26 on the first gear 16 and the second gear 18 . an annular shift collar 30 includes a circumferential channel or groove 32 and a first detent mechanism 34 . the circumferential channel or groove 32 of the shift collar 30 receives a shift fork 36 which is secured to and translates with a shift rail 38 . the shift rail 38 is constrained for axial bidirectional movement in one or more openings or passageways 40 in the housing 12 ( or a feature of the housing 12 such as a bracket or extension ) and may be detented by one or a pair of second detent mechanisms 42 . also attached to the shift rail 36 by , for example , cooperating grooves and snap rings 44 is an apply finger 46 . a belleville or wave washer 48 may also be utilized to ensure a positive though slightly resilient connection between the shift rail 36 and the apply finger 46 . referring now to fig1 and 2 , the apply finger 46 is bi - directionally translated by a three position hydraulic actuator assembly 50 . specifically , the three position hydraulic actuator assembly 50 includes a housing 52 . for ease of manufacture and assembly , the housing 52 may comprise a cylindrical portion 54 defining a first or left inlet port 56 a and a second or right inlet port 56 b . it should be appreciated that while characterized as “ inlet ports ,” since that is their primary operational function , because there are no other passageways leading into or out of the housing 52 , the ports 56 a and 56 b also function as outlet or exhaust ports during certain phases of operation . the housing 52 also includes a first or left end plate 58 a and a second or right end plate 58 b . the end plates 58 a and 58 b may be identical and may be secured to the cylindrical portion 54 of the housing 52 by any suitable means such as , for example , threaded fasteners 62 . the cylindrical portion 54 of the housing 52 includes an internal circumferential shoulder 64 that defines a stepped cylinder 66 that slidingly and sealingly receives a master piston 70 . the master piston 70 includes a centrally disposed radial passageway 72 that receives and engages the apply finger 46 . one end of the master piston 70 is stepped and defines an external circumferential shoulder 74 . the smaller diameter region of the master piston 70 adjacent the external circumferential shoulder 74 receives an annular neutral or center position piston 76 . the neutral or center position piston 76 cooperates with the master piston 70 to achieve , with suitable application of pressurized hydraulic fluid through the two inlet ports 56 a and 56 b , three positions of the master piston 70 : a position to the left , adjacent the first or left inlet port 56 a , a center or neutral position as illustrated in fig2 and a position to the right , adjacent the second or right inlet port 56 b . inasmuch as those skilled in the art of hydraulic actuators will be familiar with such a configuration and its operation , this aspect of the three position hydraulic actuator assembly 50 will not be further described . the end of the neutral or center position piston 76 proximate the left inlet port 56 a itself includes a first circumferential shoulder 78 a defining a first reduced diameter portion 82 a of the center position piston 76 and the adjacent end of the center position piston 76 includes a first plurality of radially oriented channels 84 a . both the first reduced diameter portion 82 a and the first plurality of radially oriented channels 84 a facilitate rapid filling of a first or left chamber 86 a of the stepped cylinder 66 notwithstanding the leftmost disposition of the master piston 70 and the center position piston 76 which might otherwise momentarily interfere with fluid flow through the first or left inlet port 56 a and into the first or left chamber 86 a . the end of the master piston 70 adjacent the second or right inlet port 56 b similarly includes a second circumferential shoulder 78 b defining a second reduced diameter portion 82 b of the master piston 70 and the adjacent end of the master piston 70 includes a second plurality of radially oriented channels 84 b . the second reduced diameter portion 82 b and the second plurality of radially oriented channels 84 b function as described directly above to facilitate rapid filling of a second or right chamber 86 b notwithstanding the rightmost disposition of the master piston 70 . the master piston 70 also includes a first longitudinal passageway and port 90 a that provides fluid communication between the first or left chamber 86 a and a first retarding cylinder or chamber 92 a . slidingly and sealingly received within the first retarding chamber 92 a is a first side pin assembly 100 a . the first side pin assembly 100 a cooperates with the first retarding chamber 92 a and functions as a piston . the first side pin assembly 100 a includes a first hollow cylindrical body 102 a having male threads 104 a on an enlarged portion of the first cylindrical body 102 a which are complementary to female threads 106 b in an opening 108 b in the second or right end plate 58 b . the first hollow cylindrical body 102 a receives a first end plug 110 a defining a first orifice 112 a sized to provide a controlled fluid flow as will be described subsequently . the first end plug 110 a is maintained in its position at the inner end of the first hollow cylindrical body 102 a by a first compression spring 114 a which , in turn , is retained within the first hollow cylindrical body 102 a by a first end cap 116 a which may be press fit into the first hollow cylindrical body 102 a or retained there by a snap ring ( not illustrated ). one or a plurality of first radial passageways 118 a provide fluid communication between the interior of the first hollow cylindrical body 102 a and the second or right chamber 86 b . the three position hydraulic actuator assembly 50 is essentially symmetrical in both structure and operation . thus it will be appreciated that the master piston 70 also includes a second longitudinal passageway and port 90 b communicating between the second or right chamber 86 b and a second retarding cylinder or chamber 92 b . likewise , slidingly and sealingly received within the second retarding chamber 92 b is a second side pin assembly 100 b . the second side pin assembly 100 b cooperates with the second retarding chamber 92 b and functions as a piston . the second side pin assembly 100 b includes a second hollow cylindrical body 102 b having male threads 104 b which are complementary to female threads 106 b in an opening 108 b in the first or left end plate 58 a . the second cylindrical body 102 b receives a second end plug 110 b defining a second orifice 112 b sized to provide a controlled fluid flow as will be described subsequently . the second end plug 110 b is maintained in its position at the inner end of the second cylindrical body 102 b by a second compression spring 114 b which , in turn , is retained within the second cylindrical body 102 b by a second end cap 116 b . one or a plurality of second radial passageways 118 b provide fluid communication between the interior of the first hollow cylindrical body 102 b and the first or left chamber 86 a . as noted above , operation of the three position hydraulic actuator assembly 50 is essentially symmetrical and thus only operation ( translation ) from its center or neutral position illustrated in fig2 to a position to the right as illustrated in fig3 to engage the second gear 18 ( illustrated in fig1 ) will be described , it being understood that translation to the left involves the same operational steps . to translate the master piston 70 to the right to engage the second gear 18 , pressurized hydraulic fluid is supplied to the first or left inlet port 56 a while the second or right inlet port 56 b and the second or right chamber 66 b is exhausted . pressurized hydraulic fluid in the first or left chamber 66 a commences to translate the master piston 70 to the right in fig2 and it also flows through the first longitudinal passageway and port 90 a and fills and pressurizes the first retarding chamber 92 a . as the master piston 70 continues to translate to the right , the end of the first cylindrical body 102 a of the first side pin assembly 100 a will close off the first longitudinal passageway and port 90 a . additional motion of the master piston 70 will increase the pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the first retarding chamber 92 a , thereby beginning to slow the master piston 70 . the volume and thus the pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the first retarding chamber 92 a is controlled by the first orifice 112 a , specifically , its size . the size of the first orifice 112 a is chosen to essentially be a compromise between noise ( clunk ) reduction and shift speed , that is , a larger first orifice 112 a will allow shifts to be completed more rapidly whereas a smaller first orifice 112 a will result in greater noise reduction . during certain operating conditions , typically at low temperatures , an otherwise desirable size of the first orifice 112 a may not provide sufficient hydraulic fluid flow , pressures may reach a high level and shifts may not be completed in what is considered to be an acceptable time . in such conditions , the hydraulic pressure will compress the first compression spring 114 a and the first end plug 110 a will move off its seat , allowing a rapid flow of hydraulic fluid into the interior of the first cylindrical body 102 a , out the first radial passageways 118 a and into the right chamber 86 b from which it is exhausted through the second or right inlet port 56 b . it will thus be appreciated that the hydraulic actuator assembly 50 according to the present invention provides both rapid and quiet travel of the master piston 70 and gear engagement for a dual clutch transmission , in mta applications or other transmissions . the actuator assembly 50 achieves this goal without complex electronic controls and modulatable control valves which have been utilized in the past to provide fluid pressure profiling to decelerate the actuator piston as it approaches the ends of its stroke . it should also be appreciated that the hydraulic actuator assembly 50 according to the present invention and the associated shift rail 36 , the shift fork 34 and the synchronizer clutch assembly 20 will typically be utilized in groups of three or four in vehicle transmissions having , for example , five or more forward gears and reverse . finally , it should also be appreciated that although the hydraulic actuator assembly 50 according to the present invention having reduced operating noise has been described above as a three position ( double acting ) actuator having a defined center position and two end positions , the noise reduction feature of the present invention is equally suitable for use in a single acting actuator . in this instance , the master piston 70 would require only a single longitudinal passageway and port , for example , the first longitudinal passageway and port 90 a , as well as only one retarding cylinder or chamber , for example , the first retarding chamber 92 a and one slide pin assembly , for example , the first slide pin assembly 100 a . the annular neutral or center position piston 76 can , of course , be eliminated in a single acting device . the foregoing listing is not and is not intended to be exhaustive but rather to present the more important components necessary to achieve noise reduction in a single acting hydraulic piston and cylinder assembly . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the following claims . | 8 |
while the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications , it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto . those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications , applications , and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the present invention would be of significant utility . fig1 displays a top view of an open fiber - optic cable attenuator implemented in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . an outer casing 100 is shown . internal to the outer casing 100 is a first partition 102 and a second partition 104 . the first partition 102 separates a first end chamber 106 and a central chamber 108 . the second partition 104 separates the central chamber 108 and a second end chamber 110 . the outer casing 100 includes restraining brackets 134 to maintain a pressure seal and to secure a fiber - optic cable in the fiber - optic cable attenuator of fig1 . in addition , a restraining bracket lock 130 is shown . the restraining bracket lock 130 engages the restraining bracket 134 . in one embodiment , one restraining bracket lock 130 engages each restraining bracket 134 . an entry 112 is shown in the outer casing 100 for receiving a fiber - optic cable . a fiber - optic chamber is initially placed through the entry 112 to begin the alignment of the fiber - optic cable . in the alternative , a fiber - optic cable is positioned across entry 112 to align the fiber - optic cable . an exit 118 is also shown . the exit 118 provides an outlet or egress point for the fiber - optic cable from the outer casing 100 . a fiber - optic cable is placed through the exit 118 to complete the alignment of the fiber - optic cable . in the alternative , a fiber - optic cable is positioned across exit 118 to align the fiber - optic cable . in one embodiment , the entry 112 and the exit 118 are aligned to enable the straight alignment of a fiber - optic cable . it should be appreciated that any entry 112 and / or exit 118 which is positioned to facilitate the introduction of the cable into the fiber - optic cable attenuator and the exit of the cable from the fiber - optic cable attenuator is an entry 112 and an exit 118 within the meaning of the present invention . in another embodiment , the entry 112 and the exit 118 may be offset from each other and do not have to be exactly aligned . for example the entry 112 and exit 118 may be offset so that the fiber - optic cable will be taught when it is positioned in the entry 112 and the exit 118 . a grommet is an article used to position and align the fiber - optic cable in the fiber - optic cable attenuator . a variety of different interfaces are provided for mating with a grommet . for example , an opening 114 , an opening 116 , a grommet retainer 136 , and a grommet retainer 138 are each grommet interfaces for mating with a grommet and creating an air tight seal in the central chamber 108 . it should be appreciated that any fixture capable of mating and or retaining a grommet may be considered a grommet interface within the scope of the present invention . an opening 114 is shown in first partition 102 and an opening 116 is shown in second partition 104 . in one embodiment , the opening 114 and the opening 116 are both aligned with the entry 112 and the exit 118 . in another embodiment , the opening 114 and / or the opening 116 are each offset from the entry 112 and / or the exit 118 . a first grommet retainer 136 is shown in the first partition 102 and a second grommet retainer 138 is shown in the second partition 104 . an exhaust 132 is fitted through the outer casing 100 and positioned within the central chamber 108 . pressurized air is supplied into the central chamber 108 through the exhaust 132 . the pressurized air is stored in a canister of pressurized air 128 . the pressurized air is controlled by a regulator 126 , which is connected between the canister of pressurized air 128 and the exhaust 132 . a pressure release valve 124 is fitted into the outer casing 100 and is interjected into the central chamber 108 . the pressure release valve 124 facilitates the release of pressurized air in the central chamber 108 . a first indenter 120 and a second indenter 122 are shown fitted in outer casing 100 . the first indenter 120 and the second indenter 122 are positioned to engage a fiber - optic cable positioned in the fiber - optic cable attenuator shown in fig1 . the first indenter 120 and / or the second indenter 122 may be implemented as a plunger that will engage a fiber - optic cable or a screw device that can be lowered to engage and bend a fiber - optic cable . it should be appreciated that any apparatus , air device , etc . that will disturb the continuity of the fiber - optic cable may be considered an indenter within that is within the scope of the present invention . fig2 displays a planar view of a split grommet implemented in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . the split grommet 200 is used to position the fiber - optic cable in the fiber - optic cable attenuator shown in fig1 . the split grommet 200 includes a central opening 202 for retaining the fiber - optic cable . a split 204 facilitates the separation of the split grommet 200 and the placement of a fiber - optic cable in the central opening 202 . the operation of the fiber - optic cable attenuator depicted in fig1 will be discussed using fig1 and fig2 . during operation of the fiber - optic cable attenuator , a fiber - optic cable is placed in the split grommet depicted in fig2 . in one embodiment , two split grommets 200 are used for operation . moving to fig1 as a reference , each split - grommet 200 would mate with a grommet interface . in one embodiment , each split - grommet 200 may mate with the opening 114 and the opening 118 to form an airtight seal in central chamber 108 . in this embodiment , a sealing compound may be used to form the airtight seal . in another embodiment , each split grommet 200 would mate by being placed in a split grommet retainer ( 136 , 138 ). for example , a first split grommet 200 would be placed in the first split grommet retainer 136 and a second split grommet 200 would be placed in the second split grommet retainer 138 . in one embodiment , placing the split grommet 200 into the split grommet retainers ( 136 , 138 ) would create an airtight seal between the central chamber 108 and the end chambers ( 106 , 110 ). in a third embodiment , after placing the split grommet 200 into the split grommet retainers ( 136 , 138 ), an adhesive or fitting may be used to create an airtight seal between the central chamber 108 and the end chambers ( 106 , 110 ). the first split grommet 200 is placed in the first split grommet retainer 136 and a second split grommet 200 is placed in the second split grommet retainer 138 . the fiber - optic cable is positioned down the center of the fiber - optic cable attenuator shown in fig1 . for example , the fiber - optic cable would enter the outer casing 100 of the fiber - optic cable attenuator at entry 112 , run though the split grommet 200 positioned in the first split grommet retainer 136 , run through the split grommet 200 positioned in the second split grommet retainer 138 and exit the outer casing 100 through the exit 118 . in one embodiment , after positioning the fiber - optic cable down the center of the outer casing 100 , a cover ( not shown in fig1 ) is placed on the outer casing 100 and the restraining bracket 134 is placed over the cover and interlocks with the restraining bracket lock 130 . once the restraining bracket lock 130 interlocks with the restraining bracket 134 , an airtight seal is created in the central chamber 108 . an operator may use the canister of pressurized air 128 to deliver air under pressure through the regulator 126 and through the exhaust 132 into the central chamber 108 . the regulator 126 will allow air at a predetermined pressure , through the exhaust 132 , and into the central chamber 108 causing constriction of the fiber - optic cable and attenuating the fiber core of the fiber - optic cable . as a result , an otdr will be able to locate and measure the fault during initial reference data collection or when an operator is attempting to geographically identify the cable . after collecting the reference data or identifying the geographical location of the cable , a pressure release valve 124 may be used to release air in the central chamber 108 and as a result , release the air pressure in the central chamber 108 . once the pressure has been released , the fiber - optic cable enclosed in the split grommets 200 may be removed . after removal , the split grommets 200 may be disconnected from the fiber - optic cable . using this method , the fiber - optic cable can quickly be tested and placed back into operation without the need for splices , etc . in another embodiment , after positioning the fiber - optic cable down the center of the outer casing 100 , a cover ( not shown in fig1 ) is placed on the outer casing 100 and the restraining bracket 134 is placed over the cover and interlocks with the restraining bracket lock 130 . once the restraining bracket lock 130 interlocks with the restraining bracket 134 , an airtight seal is created in the central chamber 108 . an operator may then use one or both of the indenters 120 and 122 to deflect the fiber - optic cable . for example , if the indenter ( 120 , 122 ) is implemented with a screw apparatus , the indenter ( 120 , 122 ) may be lowered slowly ( i . e ., by turning a screw handle ) until the indenter ( 120 , 122 ) makes contact with the fiber - optic cable . after contact with the fiber - optic cable , the indenter ( 120 , 122 ) may be slowly moved until the fiber - optic cable deflects enough to allow a reading with the otdr . as a result , an otdr will be able to locate and measure the fault during initial reference data collection or when an operator is attempting to geographically identify the cable . after collecting the reference data or identifying the geographical location of the cable , a pressure release valve 124 may be used to release air in the central chamber 108 . once the pressure has been released , the fiber - optic cable enclosed in the split grommets 200 may be removed . after removal , the split grommets 200 may be disconnected from the fiber - optic cable . using this method , the fiber - optic cable can be quickly tested and placed back into operation without the need for splices , etc . it should be appreciated that a combination of the two previously discussed methods may also be used . for example , a combination of using the pressurized air and the indenter are within the scope of the present invention . fig3 displays a top view of a covered fiber - optic cable attenuator implemented in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . in fig3 , the cover 300 of the fiber - optic attenuator is shown . in addition , the restraining bracket 134 is shown deployed across the cover 300 . in the position shown in fig3 , the cover 300 is in a locked position and the fiber - optic cable attenuator has an airtight seal . in addition , a fiber - optic cable 302 is shown positioned down the core or center of the fiber - optic cable attenuator . while the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications , it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto . those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications , applications , and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the present invention would be of significant utility . it is , therefore , intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such applications , modifications , and embodiments within the scope of the present invention . | 6 |
looking first at fig1 , the skilled reader will recognise portions of two adjacent zig - zag stenting rings 2 , 4 and a single connector 6 of those two adjacent rings , central in the drawing figure . that connector 6 shows a serpentine form , resembling the letter “ s ” lying on its side and with the base of the letter s contiguous with one of the two zig - zag stenting rings 2 , 4 and the top of the letter s contiguous with the other of the two stenting rings . self - evidently , the serpentine form of the connector 6 provides the stent matrix with capacity to undergo strain , somewhat additional to the capacity it would have if the serpentine connector 6 were to be replaced by a short straight link connecting the two zig - zag stenting rings 2 , 4 . turning to fig2 , we see diagrammatically a stent 10 composed of four zig - zag stenting rings 14 , 16 , 18 and 20 like the zig - zag rings shown in fig1 . the longitudinal straight lines 22 and 24 indicate the general form of the annulus of the stent . now looking at fig3 , we can recognize that the annular stent matrix has undergone some strain , especially in the connector struts ( not shown ) between zig - zag ring 16 and zig - zag ring 18 and in the struts next to these connector portions . on the outside of the bend , at position 26 , the tensile strain is accommodated by bending of the struts and , on the inside of the bend , at position 28 , compressive stresses are likewise accommodated by bending of the struts . ideally , the stent has sufficient flexibility to continue in the fig3 disposition to deliver radially outwardly resistive force , even while it is bent into the arcuate shape of fig3 , away from the relatively more relaxed straight disposition of fig2 . one way to achieve good increases in bending flexibility without sacrificing much radial force delivered by the stent matrix would be to reduce the wall thickness of portions of the stenting ring struts immediately adjacent to the ring connector portions . fig4 represents a situation in which the lumen in which the stent has been placed exerts a greater radially inward compressive force on zig - zag stenting rings 14 and 16 than on rings 18 and 20 . in this situation , connector struts between zig - zag rings 16 and 18 suffer shear stresses which would bend them into a lazy s - shape such as is apparent from fig4 at positions 30 and 32 . again , the connector portions of the stent matrix should exhibit enough flexibility in the zone between stenting ring 16 and 18 to permit the stent to take up a disposition as shown in fig4 . for this , one needs a significant degree of flexibility in the connectors linking stenting loops 16 and 18 . we turn now to fig5 and 6 to reveal how such flexibility can be provided . looking first at fig5 , a cross - section of a known connector strut t is shown with connector struts r , s of reduced cross - section overlaying it . the connector struts r and s are exemplary embodiments of the present invention . the reduced cross - section provides flexibility , as is explained below . it is important to grasp that the drawing is schematic . a moment &# 39 ; s thought from the reader will reveal that the trapezium t with sides 50 , 52 , 54 and 56 is not an accurate representation of a sector of a transverse section through an annular workpiece which is the precursor of the stent matrix . sides 52 and 56 are correctly shown as straight lines , being in a plane that passes through the longitudinal axis of the annular workpiece , straight line 50 ought to be arcuate , being a portion of the luminal wall of the cylindrical lumen defined by the annular workpiece . likewise , straight line 54 ought to be an arc of a circle with a somewhat larger radius than that of the luminal surface of the annular workpiece , to correspond with a portion of the abluminal surface of that workpiece . however , showing sides 50 and 54 as straight lines serves the objective of clarity . readers will know that , when laser cutting an annular workpiece , with the beam of the laser on the axis of the annulus , planar flat surfaces , represented by lines 52 and 56 , are the usual result . however , once the possibility is taken up , to orient the laser beam “ off - axis ” so that the beam direction does not pass through the longitudinal axis of the annular workpiece and instead passes through a lumen of the workpiece , but offset from the longitudinal axis , then connector portions or strut cross - sections that are much smaller in area can readily be produced . fig5 shows two examples , marked r and s , of such connector struts , in cross - section . the connector strut section r is bounded by four cut - lines of the off - axis laser , namely , lines 60 , 62 , 64 and 66 . this strut cross - section is truly a diamond rather than a sector of an annulus . cross - section s is another possibility , with off - axis laser cut - lines 70 , 72 , 74 and 76 . in both cases , these connector strut cross - sections are symmetrical about a plane that extends through the longitudinal axis of the annulus of the workpiece , and the luminal apex 68 where cut - lines 64 and 66 intersect , and the abluminal apex 69 where cut - lines 60 and 62 intersect . in section s , the luminal apex is marked 78 and the abluminal apex is marked 80 . in both cases , the luminal apex 68 , 78 is further away from the longitudinal axis of the annulus than the luminal surface of the workpiece , and the abluminal apex 69 , 80 is closer to the longitudinal axis than the abluminal surface of the annular workpiece . a reduction in the radial thickness has a particularly strong contribution to increasing flexibility . the flatter of the two connector struts marked s may , therefore , be more advantageous if flexibility is key . finally , turning to fig6 , we start with the same sector of the same annular workpiece , referenced with the same numbers , but show within it an asymmetric connector cross - section q defined by laser cut - lines 90 , 92 , 94 and 96 . just as in fig5 , the intersection of cut - lines 94 and 96 produces a luminal apex 98 and the intersection of cut - lines 90 and 92 is at an abluminal apex 99 . however , the plane that extends through these two apices 98 and 99 , when extended radially inwardly , does not pass through the longitudinal axis of the annular workpiece . one distinctive aspect of stent technology is how the strut matrix responds to expansion from a radially compact transluminal delivery disposition to a radially expanded deployed disposition . reverting back to fig1 to 4 , zig - zags in the compact disposition are linear struts separated by slits , with the slits and struts all lined up with the long axis of the stent whereas , in the deployed position , the zig - zag rings have opened out as shown in each of fig1 to 4 . interesting is how stresses are distributed during the process of expansion from the delivery to the deployed disposition . the reader will appreciate that use of an asymmetric connector form such as shown in fig6 might yield a useful performance enhancement , in bringing peaks and valleys of zig - zag stenting rings into opposition , as opposed to a less attractive “ peak - to - peak ” design such as is apparent from fig1 . in fig1 , peaks ( points of inflection ) of adjacent zig - zag stenting rings are facing each other , with the consequence that these peaks are liable to impinge on each other when a deployed stent is forced into an arcuate configuration such as is evident from fig3 , on the inside of the bend , at position 28 . by contrast , use of an asymmetric cross - section connector as shown in fig6 , offers the potential to “ skew ” the stresses undergone by the stent matrix , when expanding into the deployed configuration , to such an extent as to displace facing peaks of the zig - zag rings circumferentially with respect to each other , by just enough to carry each peak into a position between two facing peaks of the next adjacent zig - zag stenting ring , the better able to accommodate strain on the inside of a bend such as at position 28 in fig3 . in some applications of stents , a high degree of plaque control is called for . stents for the carotid artery is an example . control is achieved by use of closed cell matrix structures , with a small mesh size and a relatively large number of connectors between adjacent stenting turns . an increasing number of connector struts reduces stent flexibility . the present invention offers a way to mitigate the flexibility problem without reducing the number of connector struts and thus can be particularly helpful in such applications . the method of manufacture takes an appropriately sized tubular workpiece . stenting turns are cut from this workpiece using a laser in the conventional way . that is , the laser beam follows a predetermined design pattern to form stenting struts to produce the stenting turns . in producing the stenting struts , the laser beam will be aimed to pass through the longitudinal axis of the tubular workpiece . the connector struts are cut by aiming the laser beam in an offset manner from the longitudinal axis of the workpiece . the cut is such that the radial wall thickness is reduced as compared to the radial wall thickness of the stenting struts . this may be achieved as in embodiments discussed above by creating a luminal or abluminal apex . readers of this specification are persons skilled in the art of stent design , who will find many other embodiments , once given the concept of the present invention in the description above . the description above is exemplary , but not limiting . where undulations are embodied in the form of zig - zag struts , the zig - zag struts may include a repeating pattern made of a unit of four generally linear members that extend oblique to the longitudinal axis to intersect each other at three apices spaced apart circumferentially and axially . also , the prosthesis can utilize not only the circumferential bridges but also other bridge configurations in combination . alternatively , the bridge directly connects a peak of one circumferential section to another peak of an adjacent circumferential section . in yet another alternative , the bridge may connect a peak of one circumferential section to a trough of an adjacent circumferential section . in a further alternative , the bridge can connect a trough of one circumferential section to a trough of an adjacent circumferential section . moreover , the undulations can be wave - like in pattern . the wave - like pattern can also be generally sinusoidal in that the pattern may have the general form of a sine wave , whether or not such wave can be defined by a mathematical function . alternatively , any wave - like forms can be employed so long as it has amplitude and displacement . for example , a square wave , saw tooth wave , or any applicable wave - like pattern defined by the struts where the struts have substantially equal lengths or unequal lengths . and as used herein , the term “ implantable prosthesis ” is intended to cover not only a bare stent but also coated , covered , encapsulated , bio - resorbable stent or any portion of similar stents . bio - active agents can be added to the prosthesis ( e . g ., either by a coating or via a carrier medium such as resorbable polymers ) for delivery to the host &# 39 ; s vessel or duct . the bio - active agents may also be used to coat the entire stent . a material forming the stent or coupled to the stent may include one or more ( a ) non - genetic therapeutic agents , ( b ) genetic materials , ( c ) cells and combinations thereof with ( d ) other polymeric materials . ( a ) non - genetic therapeutic agents include anti - thrombogenic agents such as heparin , heparin derivatives , urokinase , and ppack ( dextrophenylalanine proline arginine chloromethylketone ); anti - proliferative agents such as enoxaprin , angiopeptin , or monoclonal antibodies capable of blocking smooth muscle cell proliferation , hirudin , and acetylsalicylic acid ; anti - inflammatory agents such as dexamethasone , prednisolone , corticosterone , budesonide , estrogen , sulfasalazine , and mesalamine ; antineoplastic / antiproliferative / anti - miotic agents such as paclitaxel , 5 - fluorouracil , cisplatin , vinblastine , vincristine , epothilones , endostatin , angiostatin and thymidine kinase inhibitors ; anesthetic agents such as lidocaine , bupivacaine , and ropivacaine ; anti - coagulants , an rgd peptide - containing compound , heparin , antithrombin compounds , platelet receptor antagonists , anti - thrombin antibodies , anti - platelet receptor antibodies , aspirin , prostaglandin inhibitors , platelet inhibitors and tick antiplatelet peptides ; vascular cell growth promoters such as growth factor inhibitors , growth factor receptor antagonists , transcriptional activators , and translational promoters ; vascular cell growth inhibitors such as growth factor inhibitors , growth factor receptor antagonists , transcriptional repressors , translational repressors , replication inhibitors , inhibitory antibodies , antibodies directed against growth factors , bifunctional molecules consisting of a growth factor and a cytotoxin , bifunctional molecules consisting of an antibody and a cytotoxin ; cholesterol - lowering agents ; vasodilating agents ; and agents which interfere with endogenous vascoactive mechanisms . ( b ) genetic materials include anti - sense dna and rna , dna coding for , anti - sense rna , trna or rrna to replace defective or deficient endogenous molecules , angiogenic factors including growth factors such as acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors , vascular endothelial growth factor epidermal growth factor , transforming growth factor alpha and beta , platelet - derived endothelial growth factor , platelet - derived growth factor , tumor necrosis factor alpha , hepatocyte growth factor and insulin like growth factor , cell cycle inhibitors including cd inhibitors , thymidine kinase (“ tk ”) and other agents useful for interfering with cell proliferation the family of bone morphogenic proteins (“ bmprs ”), blvfip - 2 , bmp - 3 , bmp - 4 , bmp - 5 , bmp - 6 ( vgr - 1 ), bmp - 7 ( 0p - 1 ), bmp - 8 , bmp - 9 , bmp - 10 , bmp - 1 , bmp - 12 , bmp - 13 , bmp - 14 , bmp - 15 , and bmp - 16 . desirable bmp &# 39 ; s are any of bmp - 2 , bmp - 3 , bmp - 4 , bmp - 5 , bmp - 6 and bmp - 7 . these dimeric proteins can be provided as homodimers , heterodimers , or combinations thereof , alone or together with other molecules . alternatively or , in addition , molecules capable of inducing an upstream or downstream effect of a bmp can be provided . such molecules include any of the “ hedgehog ” proteins , or the dna &# 39 ; s encoding them . ( c ) cells can be of human origin ( autologous or allogeneic ) or from an animal source ( xenogeneic ), genetically engineered if desired to deliver proteins of interest at the deployment site . the cells may be provided in a delivery media . the delivery media may be formulated as needed to maintain cell function and viability . ( d ) suitable polymer materials as a coating or the base material may include polycarboxylic acids , cellulosic polymers , including cellulose acetate and cellulose nitrate , gelatin , polyvinylpyrrolidone , cross - linked polyvinylpyrrolidone , polyanhydrides including maleic anhydride polymers , polyamides , polyvinyl alcohols , copolymers of vinyl monomers such as eva , polyvinyl ethers , polyvinyl aromatics , polyethylene oxides , glycosaminoglycans , polysaccharides , polyesters including polyethylene terephthalate , polyacrylamides , polyethers , polyether sulfone , polycarbonate , polyalkylenes including polypropylene , polyethylene and high molecular weight polyethylene , halogenated polyalkylenes including polytetrafluoroethylene , polyurethanes , polyorthoesters , proteins , polypeptides , silicones , siloxane polymers , polylactic acid , polyglycolic acid , polycaprolactone , polyhydroxybutyrate valerate and blends and copolymers thereof , coatings from polymer dispersions such as polyurethane dispersions ( for example , bayhdrol fibrin , collagen and derivatives thereof , polysaccharides such as celluloses , starches , dextrans , alginates and derivatives , hyaluronic acid , squalene emulsions . polyacrylic acid , available as hydroplus ( boston scientific corporation , natick , mass . ), and described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 091 , 205 , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference , is particularly desirable . even more desirable is a copolymer of polylactic acid and polycaprolactone . while the invention has been described in terms of particular variations and illustrative figures , those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the variations or figures described . the method used in the present invention is not limited to the preferred method discussed above , as will be apparent from the claims . further , the improved flexibility of the stents of the present invention may be achieved by methods other than the preferred one given above , as will be apparent to the skilled person . in addition , where methods and steps described above indicate certain events occurring in certain order , those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the ordering of certain steps may be modified and that such modifications are in accordance with the variations of the invention . additionally , certain of the steps may be performed concurrently in a parallel process when possible , as well as performed sequentially as described above . therefore , to the extent there are variations of the invention , which are within the spirit of the disclosure or equivalent to the inventions found in the claims , it is the intent that this patent will cover those variations as well . finally , all publications and patent applications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually put forth herein . | 0 |
one embodiment includes a method of electronically changing colors produced by a display that corresponds to a recognized or established color standard . the method may be implemented such that correction of a color gamut can be accomplished in real time , thereby allowing a display to conform to various standards . the desired standard may be selected by a display user . the standard may be an arbitrary color gamut or a specific known standard . the method allows for a display to be periodically re - calibrated , either externally or internally . another embodiment is a method that enables an image , graphic , video and / or data to be reproduced identically on many separate displays . the displays may be identical or different in function and attributes . for example , methods described herein may enable a clinician to go into different rooms and view the same image reproduced identically on multiple displays . another embodiment allows a clinician to view images , graphics , videos and / or data in a visually proper manner . accordingly , a display &# 39 ; s color space may be modified and white point may be modified in an image , graphic , and video . another embodiment provides a method allowing enhanced viewing of human organs , body parts or body functions in a particular color space . for example , color addition , enhancement , or correction in an image may indicate a level of oxygen in ones blood . yet another embodiment provides a method of selecting a particular color space to view images , graphics , videos and data in that color space . accordingly , one aspect of the invention is a real - time method to modify an electronic input to a display so that the resultant colors match those of a “ golden ” or reference display , or alternatively , the colors of a recognized standard . the input signal modification may be based on both the standard and the actual display color primaries . there are several areas in the surgical image pipeline ( from image acquisition to display , from site to site , and through an image storage and retrieval process ) where standardization of a color gamut can be applied . the standardized color gamut may additionally be customized to a display firmware specific to a surgical procedure ( e . g ., lapro , gi , arthro , etc .). color settings for specific modalities in a surgical pipeline may be standardized . the color standardization may be made retrievable from the user controls or remotely . the color standardization may allow input descriptions to be renamed as a modality . when an input is defined as a modality , auto - select may be used for the pre - stored modality configuration when the modality input is selected . moreover , standardized display - to - display color consistency is important in clinical settings . the color consistency can be utilized in surgery to surgery settings . color settings may be normalized in all surgical displays to a “ standard ” color gamut . bt . 709 , smpte - c , adobe rgb , and ntsc are a few examples of specific types of industry standards that define red , green , blue , white , and gamma values . luminance may be normalized in all surgical displays to a “ standard ” luminance ( e . g ., 400 cd / m 2 ). the color consistency may also be utilized in surgical displays that can standardize the lcd panels inside . the color consistency may also be utilized in surgery to radiology ( color displays ) settings . standardization between surgical images and color radiology images is also important . new dicom standards may be required for color standardization . the color and luminance adjustment and other methods shown in this application may be applied to standardization . in one embodiment , a method of adjusting color can include a gamma transform adjustment to produce “ standard ” colors on a non - standard or “ target ” display . this color adjustment method may be used to calculate , in real - time , a corrected set of red , green , and blue values for output to a display . the calculation may be based on display measurements , on which all of the resulting calculations can be derived . a set of formulas , as illustrated in fig4 and fig5 , can achieve this goal , and the calculations can be based on obtained parametric measurements . fig4 illustrates the general concept of one embodiment of the invention that a set of r in , g in , b in inputs can produce a set of “ base ” r out , g out , b out outputs if the inputs are unaltered , but alternatively , can produce a set of “ target ” r out , g out , b out outputs if the inputs are transformed according to some desired or calculated “ standard ” color gamut . this technique will be further described with respect to fig5 and the description below . one embodiment of a color correction method is outlined in the following steps : referring now to fig5 , the first step of the method , ( labeled as equations “ 1 ” in fig5 ) comprises calculating the red , green , blue , and white ( the sum of red , green , and blue ) luminances that would be produced on a “ standard ” display when driven by a specific input signal . in fig4 and 5 , r in , g in , and b in represent an input signal to the display . ga b represents the gamma of a standard display . gamma is an exponent of the relationship between a display &# 39 ; s input signal and the resultant luminance . other variables in the first step are defined below in table 1 . in particular , a red , green , blue input signal is raised to a power of gamma , which is then multiplied by a color luminance ( i . e ., red luminance , green luminance , blue luminance ). l rb , l gb , and l bb represent the amount of red , green , blue light respectively . l w represents the overall brightness . step two of the method ( labeled as equations “ 2 ” in fig5 ) comprises calculating the color that would be produced on a “ standard ” display when driven by the specific input signal ( i . e ., r in , g in , and b in ). the color can be represented in x , y ( cie 1931 ) or u , v ( cie 1960 ), or u ′, v ′ ( cie 1976 ) color spaces . the x , y ( or other counterparts ) represent unique color values within a color gamut , as provided in fig1 . step three of the method ( labeled as equations “ 3 ” in fig5 ) can comprise calculating the luminances of red , green , and blue of the “ target ” display that will yield the same “ standard ” color calculated in step two . the values of k , n , p , q , v and w are intermediate values calculated in accordance with the variables shown in table 1 and described above . l rt , l gt , l bt represent the amount of red , green , blue light respectively of a target display . the fourth step ( labeled as 4 in fig5 ) can comprise calculating r out , g out , and b out signals that would produce the luminances in the “ target ” display that were calculated in step three . since the unique luminances and color of the “ standard ” display are known , the formulas in this method can be used to inversely determine how to adjust a specific red , green , blue input to produce a “ standard ” color and luminance on a non - standard or “ target ” display . these four steps are shown in detail in the formula flow chart ( fig5 ). in the formulas shown in fig5 , the values are either measureable or are determined from recognized standards . the correction effect based on the color and luminance adjustment method is illustrated in fig6 a and fig6 b . fig6 a is without the adjustment while fig6 b is with the adjustment . fig6 a illustrates that without correction , various combinations of red , green , and blue produce resultant colors that fill the gamut of a “ target ” display . these are represented by the white “ o ” in triangle 600 of fig6 a . the combinations of red , green , and blue in a “ standard ” panel are shown by the black “+” in triangle 602 of fig6 a . when the color adjustment correction method described above is applied to the red , green and blue inputs of the “ target ” panel ( fig6 b ), the resultant colors shift to match exactly those of the “ standard ” panel . the matching is illustrated by the superimposition of “ o ” on “+” ( e . g ., by shifting triangle 600 of fig6 a to match triangle 602 of fig6 a ). magnified sections of the above charts show the correction effect in more detail in fig7 a and 7b . fig7 a and 7b illustrate a detailed part of the color gamut chart in fig6 a and 6b . fig7 a and 7b shows x values ranging from 0 . 100 to 0 . 400 and y values ranging from 0 . 200 to 0 . 500 . as is shown in fig7 a and 7b , resultant colors match exactly those of the “ standard ” panel . the matching is illustrated by the superimposition of “□” on “⋄.” this color and luminance adjustment method may be applied to any display device that creates images based on three primary colors . it may not be required that the colors be red , green and blue . since this method modifies a display &# 39 ; s color input signals , it can be applied to any transmissive , emissive , or projected display type including lcd , plasma , crt , oled , and dlp . a sensor may be placed to keep the display calibrated to a color / luminance standard or a particular color gamut . the methods above may allow color change as an alternative or in addition to a color filter . the calculation methods may be implemented in a fpga , asic or a microprocessor of any sort . fig8 illustrates one embodiment of a color and luminance correction system . correction device 800 can be configured to receive an input from input 802 and adjust the input to display a standardized color gamut ( e . g ., bt . 709 ) to non - standard display 804 . correction device 800 can include hardware and input / output terminals to enable connection to a wide variety of input devices ( e . g ., cameras , video cameras , ct machines , mri , etc , computer graphics cards ) and to a wide variety of displays ( e . g ., crt monitors , lcd monitors , lcd tv &# 39 ; s , plasma tv &# 39 ; s , etc , dlp displays , amoled displays ). additionally , correction device 800 can include hardware ( such as cpu &# 39 ; s , memory , power supplies , etc ) and software or firmware configured to execute the formulas and method steps described above for color and luminance correction . in one embodiment of the color and luminance correction system , input 802 and display 804 are connected to correction device 800 . if uncorrected , the color and luminance input received by correction device 800 from input 802 would provide a “ non - standard ” color on display 804 . thus , correction device 800 is configured to automatically and in real - time correct the input from input 802 to display a “ standard ” color scheme on display 804 . the correction device 800 can include an input circuit configured to receive an input from input 802 and an output circuit configured to send an output to the display 804 . as for additional details pertinent to the present invention , materials and manufacturing techniques may be employed as within the level of those with skill in the relevant art . the same may hold true with respect to method - based aspects of the invention in terms of additional acts commonly or logically employed . also , it is contemplated that any optional feature of the inventive variations described may be set forth and claimed independently , or in combination with any one or more of the features described herein . likewise , reference to a singular item , includes the possibility that there are plural of the same items present . more specifically , as used herein and in the appended claims , the singular forms “ a ,” “ and ,” “ said ,” and “ the ” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . it is further noted that the claims may be drafted to exclude any optional element . as such , this statement is intended to serve as antecedent basis for use of such exclusive terminology as “ solely ,” “ only ” and the like in connection with the recitation of claim elements , or use of a “ negative ” limitation . unless defined otherwise herein , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . the breadth of the present invention is not to be limited by the subject specification , but rather only by the plain meaning of the claim terms employed . | 7 |
for the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention , reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same . it will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended , and alterations and modifications in the illustrated device , and further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein are herein contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates . as disclosed above , the present invention provides novel tongue cleaning devices , and systems , packages and related methods for dispensing them . the devices and packages of the invention are conveniently used and allow for disposability , easy storage and portability during travel . with reference now to fig1 , shown are details of an individual &# 39 ; s face with tongue extended in a position typical of a cleaning operation . the individual includes a mouth 100 through which solid and liquid nutrients are consumed . the mouth 100 includes several anatomical sites including the tongue 200 , teeth 201 , and the gums 202 . these three parts of the mouth are the most important in terms of oral hygiene . while the shape of the tongue may vary from individual to individual , its main features include the dorsum or upper surface of the tongue body , and the cecum , from which the thyroid gland originates . the dorsum of the tongue has several types of papillae bearing numerous taste buds . these are usually arranged in a v - shape . one type of papillae , called the fungiform papillae , also contains numerous taste buds which help to identify taste , touch , pain and temperature of any materials touching the same . to optimize the sense of taste , touch , pain and temperature , the papillae must be clean and free from plaque deposits that may form during normal eating habits . with reference now to fig2 , shown is a tongue cleaning device 300 of the invention . the device 300 has two ends 301 which may or may not be identical to one another . the device 300 further includes a body or central portion 302 connected to the end portions 301 by a neck region 308 . in accordance with the invention , neck region 308 can be either a sharp transition or a gentle radius as shown in the illustrated embodiment . in certain embodiments , the ends 301 are wider than the central portion of the body 302 . the ends 301 are used as handles during use of the device 300 . further , ends 301 may have extrusions , protrusions or other proturbences 303 on either one end or on both ends 301 . the proturbences facilitate gripping by a user of the device , for example between the index finger and the thumb . such surface gripping features assist in maintaining the user &# 39 ; s grasp of the device during an operation wherein the body or central portion 302 is passed over the tongue in a scraping motion . in certain embodiments of the invention , typical dimensions of the device 300 and similar devices described herein are about 100 millimeters to about 125 millimeters ( i . e . about four inches to about five inches ) in total length , about 5 millimeters ( i . e . about 0 . 2 inches ) in breadth along the central portion 308 , and less than about 1 millimeter in width ( thickness ), for example about 0 . 5 millimeters ( i . e . about 0 . 02 inches ) in width . the breadth of the ends or handle portions 301 may be the same as , or vary from , the breadth of the central portion 302 . preferably , the breadths of the end portions 301 will be greater than that of the central portion 302 . it will be understood that these dimensions are illustrative of preferred embodiments and that the dimensions of devices of the invention may vary as determined by ergonomics , manufacturing concerns , and other similar factors . with reference now to fig2 along with fig2 a and 2b , as discussed above , the handles 301 desirably include gripping surface features such as extrusions or protrusions 303 or other proturbences . it will be understood that the depicted handles 301 and protrusions or extrusions 303 are illustrative in nature , and that they need not be symmetrical about the body or central portion 302 of the device 300 in accordance with the invention . such extrusions can be of linear , cross - hatched , oblique or curved design , or any other pattern or configuration that provides for the grip needed between the index finger and the thumb to help in the scraping motion when the device 300 is used on the tongue . additionally , other gripping features on handle portions of the devices may include non - skid laminations or secondary layers adhered to the handle surface , optionally using bonding agents such as medical grade glue . with reference particularly to fig2 a , shown is a cross - sectional view of the body or central portion 302 of the device 300 . the central portion 302 presents two edges which are configured to be smooth to help prevent injury to the tongue during use of the device 300 . at the same time , at least one of these edges is radiused or otherwise adapted to present an edge that is effective in scraping debris from tongue surfaces . in one embodiment , both edges of the central portion 302 can be so adapted . generally , tongue cleaning devices of and used in packages and systems of the invention will be free of any sharp edges or corners that could cause injury to tongue or other tissues during handling and use . tongue cleaning devices of and used in the invention can be made of any suitable biocompatible material having a ductility and yield strength sufficient to prevent breakage during use , including for example a plastic ( e . g . a soft plastic such as silicone ) a or metal that is not susceptible to rust . if made of plastic , devices of the invention may be manufactured in various colors and designs . further , plastic used in tongue cleaning devices of the invention can be impregnated or coated with flavoring agents such as mint , spearmint , bubblegum , fruit flavors , etc ., and / or with coloring agents , including the provision of varying color , art design , or patterns on the device , to make the device more appealing to adult , adolescent or child users . with reference now to fig3 , shown is device 300 of the invention in use . in particular , device 300 is used in a scraping operation upon the tongue . typically , the device 300 will be used to scrape the tongue in a top to bottom ( or back to front ) fashion as indicated by arrows 305 . the body or central portion 302 of the device 300 may be deformed to a curved condition across the tongue using the handles 301 . as shown in fig3 , the tongue is extended out from the mouth in a generally flat position , which allows for more complete scraping of the tongue with the central portion 302 . one or more scraping motions from top to bottom are performed to remove debris . the number of scraping motions or repetitions required may depend upon the duration between cleaning of the tongue and the kinds of foods that the individual eats or drinks , as excessively fatty foods may build plaque quicker than other foods . it is expected that at least three such motions will at times be needed to help remove plaque buildup on the tongue . lesser repetitions may be used if a regular tongue scraping habit is developed . the result of good scraping is evidenced by the exposure of the underlying pink tissue of the tongue and the exposure of the taste buds contained in the numerous papillae on the tongue . the device 300 of the invention can be effectively used to clean substantial portions of the tongue without choking or other difficulties such as gagging , with trial and error by the user establishing the most effective and comfortable range of tongue cleaning . for children or adolescents , some supervision may be needed until safe and comfortable habits are established . with continued reference to fig3 , the illustration assists in understanding the effective design of the device 300 . as can be seen , central portion 302 is curved over and in contact with the tongue for effective scraping . central portion 302 is of sufficient length to traverse the tongue and as shown is desirably sufficiently long to space handles 301 from the tongue for effective gripping by the user . after an initial scraping of the tongue , the user can rinse the invention with water , optionally soapy water , and then use the device again for continued cleaning of the tongue . in addition , the device 300 may be inverted to use the opposite edge of the central portion 302 in similar fashion for tongue cleaning . the device 300 may then be disposed of after the cleaning operation is complete . referring now to fig4 , shown is an article of manufacture including a strip containing multiple devices 300 of the invention . the strip may contain , for example , fifteen or thirty devices 300 , which can thereby be packaged together . it will be understood that the number of devices in the strip or otherwise packaged together may vary and that systems containing two or more devices for tongue cleaning are considered as within the broader aspects of the invention . with reference to fig4 a , the devices 300 are attached in sequence by two or more slender filaments 307 on the end of a first device 300 and two or more slender filaments 306 on an end of a second device 300 , with the filaments made of the same material as the devices 300 . the filaments 306 and 307 extend from the end of one device handle 301 to the end of another device handle 301 . intentional notches 309 , providing breakaway points , are made on the slender filaments 306 and 307 . the filaments 306 and 307 are designed such that there is a predetermined force to failure of the filaments at the notched area 309 . this force to failure helps the user to separate one device of the invention 300 from the remaining devices of the invention in the strip . these notched and other breakable areas that are relatively weaker against breakage than adjacent areas are contemplated for use in the present invention , including for example thinned wall areas , perforations , scores , or the like . as explained below , a dispensing packaging system for the devices may also include an adaptation to aid in the separation of devices 300 from one another . in the illustrated embodiment , the filaments 306 and 307 are manufactured as a part of the devices 300 and in particular the handles 301 . other methods of attachment of devices 300 to one another such as removable glue , static attachment , etc ., are also contemplated as within the present invention , wherein such attachments can be similarly used in the convenient sequential dispensing or presentation of devices from packages . fig5 provides a perspective view of a container or package 400 providing a dispensing system for devices for cleaning tongue surfaces . the container or package 400 contains features including a lid 401 , body 402 , lid handle 403 , closure rim 408 , and standing legs 407 . lid 401 allows the container to be opened and closed as needed , which operation is facilitated by the lid handle 403 . lid 401 helps to prevent dust and other debris from entering and contaminating the devices 300 stored within the container 400 . lid 401 interacts with the body 402 and in particular the closure rim 408 to create a closure seal for such purposes . the standing legs 407 may be provided in any number or configuration to allow for stable package standing during storage . at the same time , the legs 407 should not be of a size or dimension that interferes with normal and easy storage of the container 400 . with reference to fig5 a , shown is a cross - sectional view of the device 400 of fig5 taken through the center of the container , generally along the plane defined by line d - d . lid 401 of device 400 is also cutaway in the view of fig5 a . fig5 a shows an interior mechanism by which a dispensing system functions to provide a user with devices 300 as needed . the internal mechanism includes a spindle 406 which can optionally be placed centrally within the container 400 as shown . the spindle 406 is free to move about its central axis in a rotational fashion . a strip containing a plurality of devices 300 attached together by means of thin filaments 306 and 307 ( see fig4 and 4a ) is wound around the spindle . particularly , the dotted or phantom line indicates the strip containing about fifteen to thirty devices 300 wound around the spindle 406 . again , it will be understood that the number of devices in the strip may vary from this number in the present invention . the winding of devices 300 around the spindle provides a reel of devices 300 that can be conveniently stored and dispensed . as discussed further herein below , the plurality of devices 300 may be stored in the package and other arrangements including stacking on top of one another or other configurations that provide a convenient , preferably sequential , presentation of the devices for use . referring now to fig5 b , shown is a perspective view of the package of fig5 , with lid 401 cut away . an end 301 of a first device 300 is looped through the outlet opening 404 of the container 400 . the outlet opening 404 may be of optimal shape and size to allow for the easy passage of the device 300 . the outlet opening 404 may be padded with soft material if desired to prevent damage to the device 300 during removal . the location of outlet opening 404 may vary depending upon the location needed to provide efficient mechanical dispensation of devices from the container 400 . in the illustrated embodiment , the outlet opening 404 is located on the top right of the container body 402 . this provides convenient mechanical action since the devices 300 are wound about the spindle 406 in a counter - clockwise direction in the view presented . if the devices 300 were wound about the spindle in a clockwise direction , the outlet could conveniently be placed on the top left corner of the container body 402 in the view presented . as shown in fig6 a and 6b , the end 301 of a first device 300 is looped through the outlet opening 404 and passed through the cutting element 405 . the cutting element 405 may be made of a harder plastic material than that of the device 300 , or made of a metal such as steel that is not susceptible to rust . cutting element 405 may optionally include a knife edge on one of its corners to help the user to separate the device 300 from other devices 300 in the strip at the breakaway notch 309 ( see fig5 a ). when used , the knife or other cutting edge may be placed in such a position where the user intends to separate the devices 300 at the notches 309 of filaments 306 and 307 . in this fashion , the knife edge may assist the user in applying the predetermined load to separate the devices at the notch 309 of the filaments 306 and 307 . in other embodiments , break assist elements other than knife edges may be used , including for example a cutting element having a serrated edge made , for example , of metal . the design of the cutting or other break assist element will take into consideration the safety of the user to prevent injuries during a separation of device 300 from the strip in which it is contained . in addition , where cutting element 405 is adapted to sever a plastic or other material susceptible to cutting , a plurality of devices may be provided in the strip even where the strip is a continuous or uninterrupted web of material of sufficient length to provide multiple tongue cleaning elements . thus , breakaway portions or other weakened areas are not necessary in such embodiments of the invention . preferably , the cutting element is an integral part of the container body 402 . in addition , the outlet opening 404 may include an anti - slip mechanism that restricts the device 300 and devices within the container from unintentionally retracting into the body of container 402 whereby they would be inaccessible or only difficulty accessible to the user . such an anti - slip mechanism may include the creation of friction between the walls or edges of the outlet opening 400 and the strip of devices 300 , or other similar friction mechanisms . further , the spindle mechanism 406 may include a spring mechanism to provide tension on the strip of devices 300 to help in the ease of dispensing and / or preventing retraction of the devices by the user . suitable spring mechanisms for these purposes are known to those skilled in the art . where the width of device 300 varies along its length , the design of the outlet and cutting element will take this into account . further , anti - slip and tension springs on the spindle 406 may help in accommodating such variations while achieving a smooth and convenient dispensing operation . as discussed above , the lid tab 403 is used to help the user open the lid and to expose the dispensing mechanism . once the user has successfully removed a device 300 , the lid 401 can be closed to protect the remaining devices 300 . if desired , the dispensing container or package 400 can be completely or partially made of transparent material to expose the mechanisms of the dispensing system . this may assist the user in determining the quantity of devices remaining for use and whether replenishment is necessary . a closure rim 408 that cooperates with the lid 401 to create a seal , as discussed above , is optional and especially useful in environments that are more susceptible to dust and debris . the lid 401 is optionally hinged to the body 402 and can be hinged either along the long or short axis of the container , as defined by ergonomic or manufacturing needs . with reference now to fig6 , shown is a cross - sectional view of an alternate package 500 for dispensing tongue cleaners of the invention . package 500 includes a container having an opening and cutting element similar to that of package 400 described hereinabove . however , within package 500 there is contained a strip containing a plurality of devices 300 in a stacked configuration , rather than a wound configuration . in particular , a plurality of devices 300 are interconnected at their ends to one another and stacked in a zigzag or alternating direction fashion within a container 501 . to accomplish this stacking , the devices are folded over one another , with the fold - point residing in the filaments 506 and 507 and at the notched area 509 . optionally , filaments 506 and 507 can be manufactured as non - linear elements having a bend or corner therein , as illustrated , to assist in the fold and stacking of the device 300 ( see fig6 a ). it will be understood that package 500 can otherwise contain elements similar to those of package 400 , including lids , closures , standing legs , etc . with reference now to fig7 , shown is another embodiment of the invention in which a strip containing a plurality of tongue cleaning devices presents devices 510 having a substantially constant height along their length , thus having a substantially constant height among their central portions 511 and handle portions 512 . devices 510 also include proturbences such as protrusions or extrusions 513 on handle portions 512 , on at least one face and optionally both faces of the device 510 . as shown , devices 510 are interconnected with notched filaments as in previously - described and depicted embodiments . with reference to fig8 , shown is another embodiment of the invention in which a strip of tongue cleaning devices presents a plurality of devices 520 each having a scraping body portion 521 and handle body portion 522 connected to one another at the ends thereof . scraping body portion 521 includes at least one edge adapted to scrap debris from tongue surfaces , optionally two edges ( one on each side ), and handle body portion 522 is adapted to serve as a handle during a top to bottom scraping motion of the body portion 521 across the tongue . body portions 521 and 522 are connected for example by welding or other means at locations such as those depicted at 523 , and are also optionally heat welded or otherwise connected to one another along filaments 524 and 525 in which breakaway notch 526 is located . handle portion 522 and scraping body portion 521 are designed as flexible elements , wherein handle body portion 522 can be bowed outwardly during a scraping motion , thus increasing the level of curvature in scraping body portion 521 during the scraping motion . as depicted , the periphery of scraping body portion 521 defines a scraping edge 527 that is arcuate . this arcuate edge 527 assists in maintaining contact with the tongue surface across its lateral dimension during the scraping motion . thus , scraping edge 527 can be adapted to facilitate following the contours of the generally rounded tongue surface to improve the removal of debris from the surface . as illustrated , devices 520 are arranged sequentially and interconnected on the strip . in this fashion , devices 520 can be dispensed from wound or stacked configurations such as those depicted in the prior figures for packages 400 and 500 . strips containing devices 520 can be manufactured in any convenient fashion . in one fashion , separate strips containing a plurality of scraping body portions 521 and handle body portions 522 can be aligned with one another and appropriate connections such as welds made along their length to form a plurality of interconnected devices 520 . with continued reference to fig8 , tongue cleaning device of the invention 520 can also be adapted and used as a double - edged tongue scraper , in which body portions 521 and 522 each have at least one edge ( and optionally both edges ) adapted to scrape tongue surfaces , and the user grips the device 520 at handle portions presented at 523 , which handle portions may have surface gripping features as described herein . body portion 521 would then trail body portion 522 across the tongue during the scraping motion , providing a double scraping function with a single back - to - front pass of the device 520 . in this fashion , a more rapid , effective cleaning of tongue surfaces is facilitated . it will be understood that more than two such body portions could also be provided , for example three or four such body portions , to provide more scraping functions per pass of the device . thus , in general , another embodiment of the invention provides tongue cleaning devices having two or more scraping edges adapted to pass in concert over the tongue during a single pass of the device . such multi - edge tongue cleaning devices of the invention are desirably , but not necessarily , presented in multiple - device strip form , or in convenient dispensing packages as described herein . with reference to fig9 , 9 a and 9 b shown is another package 600 for dispensing tongue cleaning devices of the invention . package 600 includes a container 601 having a generally rectangular shape . a plurality of tongue cleaning devices 610 are contained within container 601 . devices 610 are similar to those devices depicted in fig7 as 510 , except devices 610 are in individual rather than strip form , and do not contain filaments interconnecting them . container 601 includes an opening 602 for dispensing the tongue cleaning devices 610 . container also includes therein a spring device 603 positioned beneath a stack of devices 610 and adapted to bias the stack upwardly in the container 601 . container 601 has an inner chamber containing the devices 610 . the walls of such inner chamber are sufficiently correlated to the dimensions of the exterior perimeter of devices 610 to maintain a relatively orderly stack of devices 610 for dispensing . with reference now to fig9 b , the dispensing adaptations and operation of the package 600 will be more particularly described . opening 602 includes a first position 604 presenting through the upper surface of container 601 and a second portion 605 presenting through a side wall of container 601 . in this fashion , the user may employ a thumb , finger or other implement to initiate contact with the presented device 610 ( the uppermost device in the stack in the illustrated embodiment ), and apply lateral force to the device 610 to dispense the device 610 laterally through the second ( side wall ) portion 605 of opening 602 . an upper surface 607 of the chamber defined in container 601 is provided at a height which presents the uppermost tongue cleaning device 610 having its lower surface positioned at a level such that lateral dispensing from the container through second ( side wall ) opening 605 is possible . at the same time , upper surface 607 , along with the uppermost device 610 , retain the next underlying device 610 at a level wherein an inner surface 606 of a side wall of container 601 protects against any ejection of the underlying device 610 as the uppermost device 610 is dispensed . in the illustrated embodiment , devices 610 contain extrusions , protrusions or other proturbences 611 , as in prior - described tongue cleaning devices . these protrusions 611 serve not only for gripping during tongue scraping , but also serve as a friction enhancement during lateral dispensing of the uppermost device 610 , and as an effective spacer between devices 610 to improve assurance that underlying devices 610 are positioned sufficiently beneath the uppermost device 610 to contact inner wall surface 606 and thus prevent ejection or dispensing of the underlying device 610 as the uppermost device 610 is dispensed . while the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description , the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character , it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected . | 0 |
in the following description , reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and design changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . fig1 presents block diagram depicting a system for generating interactive video content according to one embodiment of the present invention . as illustrated , the system 100 includes a plurality of client devices 102 and a plurality of advertisers 104 coupled to a network 106 . in the illustrated embodiment , a given client device 102 and advertiser 104 may include a general purpose user computer having a central processing unit , memory unit , permanent storage , optical drive ( s ), universal serial bus port ( s ), audio / video output devices , etc . in one embodiment , client devices 102 are operative to request and receive data from a content provider 108 . in certain embodiments , data received from a content provider 108 may include graphic or video data including , but not limited to , images , audio , video or combinations thereof . content provider 108 includes a content server 110 which is operative to receive requests from a plurality of client devices 102 and advertisers 104 across network 106 . requests may include requests for content from a plurality of client devices 102 ( e . g ., a request for video content from content provider 108 ). alternatively , or in conjunction with the foregoing , requests may include requests for advertising data ( e . g ., bids on advertising items ). in one embodiment , advertisers 104 may be operative to place advertising bids on advertising elements provided by content provider 108 as will be described in further detail below . content server 110 is communicatively coupled to video data store 112 operative to store video data . in one embodiment , content server 110 may be operative to receive video data from a data provider ( not shown ) and store the received video data within video data store 112 for further processing . content server 110 is additionally coupled to product data store 114 operative to store information related to products . for example , this may be price or sale information , hyperlinks to more data or any other suitable type of data usable as described herein . video data store 112 and product data store 114 are both communicatively coupled to digitizer 116 . in the illustrated embodiment , digitizer 116 is operative to receive video data from video data store 112 . as described in further detail below , processes are preformed on this video to effectuate context commerce applications . digitizer 116 includes an element extractor 118 operative to extract elements from a received video data object . extraction includes product recognition using any number of available techniques , such as edge detection for example or a user using a software application to manually recognize products , as another example . in one embodiment , extracting elements from a video data object may include extracting product elements from a video data object based on a known or anticipated shape of the product . for example , video data from video data store 112 may contain a plurality of elements including an advertising element such as a soda can present in a given scene of the video data . product data may identify that the soda can present within the video data includes an interactive element within the video data . element extractor 118 is operative to identify this soda can element and extract the element from the video data for further processing . in one embodiment , extracting an element may include separating the element from the original video data and placing the extracted element on a layer separate from the original video data . in particular embodiments , extracted elements may include only the extracted elements , that is , the boundaries of a given element are limited to the natural outline of the extracted element , as opposed to a generic shape surrounding an entire element ( e . g ., creating a square “ hotspot ” around a curvilinear , form - fitting object versus a box , oval , amorphous field , etc .). digitizer 116 further includes an element generator 120 operative to generate a plurality of elements based upon element identification received from element extractor 118 . in one embodiment , element identification received from the element extractor 118 may include an indication of the outline of a given identified element , as well as ancillary information such as that received from product data store 114 . element generator 120 is operative to add additional data to the received elements such as visual effects ( e . g ., a “ glow ” filter , “ knockout ” filter )/ or identifying indicia ( e . g ., “ id ” tags , symbol names ). the elements can be stand - alone elements including this additional data , known in an implementation vernacular as dwelements . as described in further detail below , these stand - alone elements are utilized in conjunction with the original video . digitizer 116 further includes a merger device 122 operative to merge the generated elements with the original video data . in one embodiment , merger device 122 may be operative to load a plurality of external video data files containing the previously identified elements and merge the plurality of external video data files with the original video data to generate a final interactive video data file . alternatively , or in conjunction with the foregoing , merger device 122 may receive a plurality of cue - points indicating the start and end position of a given interactive element within the original video data file . merger device 122 may further be operative to assign a plurality of cursor event handlers to the interactive elements including , but not limited to , “ onclick ”, “ onrelease ”, “ onmouseover ”, “ onmouseout ” and “ onmousedown ” handlers , for example . it should be noted that the term “ mouse ”, when used in event handlers such as “ onmousedown ” may refer to any generic cursor or pointing device , and is not intended to be limited to only a mouse device . as described in further detail below , the merger device 122 may also be the browser or viewer application when the incoming browser or viewer data feed includes the separate feeds of the original video and the interactive elements . digitizer 116 transfers finished , merged video data files to the digitized data store 126 in this embodiment . in the illustrated embodiment , digitized data store 126 may be a persistent storage device operative to store data subsequent retrieval at a later date . although illustrated as residing within content provider 108 , digitized data store 126 may reside in a device outside of content provider 108 . additionally , digitized data store 126 may be distributed across a plurality of remote devices ( not shown ) accessible via the medium 106 . digitized data store 126 is further coupled to interaction database 124 . interaction database 124 is operative to store information regarding user interaction within data stored within digitized data store 122 . examples of data stored within interaction database 124 include , but are not limited to , indication of clicks per data items , indication of dwell time on data items , load counts of data items and product conversion data for data items . alternative embodiments exist wherein interaction database 124 may be coupled additionally to the content server 110 . fig2 presents a flow diagram for generating interactive video content according to one aspect of the present invention . as illustrated , the method 200 first receives video content , step 202 . in one embodiment , received video content may include raw video content such as a commercial or other advertisement . for example , video content may include a non - interactive mpeg formatted video or similar video content . in one embodiment , a next step , step 204 , includes formatting the video . the format step includes converting various aspects of the video to a usable format consistent with design parameters for subsequent video processing operations . for example , formatting may relate to a defined size of the video , a quality level of the video , an encoding format , optimization routines or any other suitable formatting as recognized by one skilled in the art . the method 200 selects a product , step 206 , and converts a product to an interactive element , step 208 . in the illustrated embodiment , an interactive element may be a digital representation of a product associated with the received video content . a digital representation may include video representations of a product , the video representations corresponding to the video representations of the product in the original received content . as described above , the product selection can be performed in any number of a possible techniques including product recognition software routines , edge detector operations , software - based user or manual operations , etc . in one embodiment , the conversion of the product to an interactive element , step 208 , may include the association of the related information as well as a recognition of the tracking aspects of the object . from a tracking perspective , different techniques may be utilized for different levels of accuracy . for example , one technique may include frame by frame recognition and placement definition of the recognized product . this frame by frame data may include a time - based indicator for each associated frame and within the associated frame , location information such as x , y , and z axis information . other levels of information are also recognized , such as associated z - order information for other objects within a frame , such as the detection of partial or full occlusion . it is also recognized that outside of occlusion , other aspects affect visibility of elements , such as tracking the size of the object between frames , for example an object being in the frame forefront at a first time and in the back of a frame later time , with a significantly reduced visibility level in later frames . while the object technically is not occluded in this example , this additional element information relates to aspects of visibility . other tracking aspects mat include different degrees of movement of the object , potential shape - morphing , resizing , etc . the interactive element may also include a unique identifier assigned to it . this unique identifier may use any suitable type of naming nomenclature usable for additional processing operations as well as usable for subsequent video presentation options and options relating to advertisement or financial aspects associated with the object , as discussed in further detail below . the unique identifier is also useful because the interactive element is subsequently a self - contained data element that is independent of the video , its independence made possible based on location and movement information from the frame - by - frame analysis . it is also recognized that based on the independence of data streams between the interactive element and the original video , it is possible to have a separate interactive element not apart of the original video , but rather an additional visual element added at a later point in time . one example may be a bug or static logo placed in a particular spot on the video . another example may be the insertion of a new or replacement element , such as one example of including a new product placement in a video frame or another example being converting an object from a first product to a second product , e . g . converting a soda can from a coke ® can to a pepsi ® can . the method 200 then generates an outline of the interactive element , step 210 . in one embodiment , generating an outline of an interactive element includes “ cutting ” a product out of an original video , that is , selecting a product using a curvilinear , form - fitting path , as opposed to a polygonal path to approximate the area . in one embodiment , generating an outline of an interactive element may be performed manually ; although alternative embodiments exist where generating an outline of an interactive element is preformed automatically by an image recognition or edge detector technique relative to the data acquired in the frame by frame analysis . the method 200 then assigns a plurality of control parameters to the interactive element , step 212 . in one embodiment , control parameters include , but are not limited to , parameters such as event handlers , element ids , element hyperlinks , etc . examples of event handlers may include , but are not limited to , “ onclick ”, “ onrelease ”, “ onmouseover ”, “ onmouseout ” and “ onmousedown ” handlers . alternatively , or in conjunction with the foregoing , control parameters may include parameters controlling the appearance or navigation of an interactive element ( e . g ., tween path , visual effects such as a halo effect or colored effect or the absence of a visual effect , that is , an invisible halo allowing the element to blend into the original video ). in step 214 , the method 200 includes the determination if there are any products remaining to be converted into interactive elements from the video . this step may be a step performed by a user controlling a software application . in another embodiment , an automated technique may include a list of noted products for a particular video and the determination consists of a binary check if all the products have been determined . by way of example may be a video relating to a portion of a reality tv show and the video is to be analyzed for four product placements , therefore step 214 may even be the determination if all four products have been processed . if the answer to step 214 in the affirmative , meaning more products remain , the method reverts back to step 206 . else , step 216 includes the later step of integrating the interactive elements with the video . as noted above , the interactive elements can be stand - alone elements , therefore the integration includes a browser or other type of viewer application that allows for the visible overlay of these two components , the original video and the interactive elements . based on the accuracy of the original position recognition and the other data of the interactive element , the overlay should be a seamless operation whereby if the visual queue is included , the user can see the differences , else the interactive elements are in the same position of as original elements , presenting the same video display as the original video . it is the noted here it may be the display of the video that is similar , but the overlay with the interactive elements provides a significant level of improved user interactivity allowing a user to perform different contextual operations on these interactive elements , for example click on the element and be presented with a chance to directly purchase the item . fig3 presents a flow diagram for embedding interactive elements within existing video content according to one aspect of the present invention . according to the illustrated embodiment , the method 300 converts a video file to a suitable format , step 302 . exemplary formats include , but are not limited to , mpeg , wmv , avi , etc . in one embodiment , features formatted in step 302 may comprise size , quality , encoding and internet optimization aspects of the received video file . the method 300 then divides the video into a plurality of sections , step 304 . in one embodiment , dividing a video into a plurality of sections may include dividing a video into a plurality of section based on a predetermined partitioning scheme ( e . g ., a fixed duration section time ). in an alternative embodiment , sections may correspond to scenes of the original video ( e . g ., sections sharing a common theme or background ). in yet another embodiment , a section may correspond to a section of video determined to fall within two events ( e . g ., sections of video in between commercials ). the method 300 then selects a video section , step 306 , and identifies video elements within the selection and assigns each video element with a unique id , step 308 . in one embodiment , identifying video elements may include manual identification of video elements in accordance with a plurality of video elements identified by a video creator . for example , company a may provide the discussed video and additionally may indicate what aspects of the video comprise an interactive element . in response , a human editor may manually identify the provided elements within the video and assign the element a unique id . the method 300 then determines if any sections of the video remain , step 310 . if sections remain , the method repeats steps 306 and 308 for the remaining sections . if all sections have been analyzed , the method 300 tracks the frame by frame movement of the identified elements , step 312 . in one embodiment , tracking an element frame by frame may include recording data frame by frame related to the elements movement and storing the data within the video file . for example , for each frame an element is in , data corresponding to the “ z - order ” of the element may be stored ; this data indicates when the element is visible or possibly occluded . additionally , data corresponding to the frame by frame movement may comprise data identifying potential shape - morphing , re - sizing and other changes known in the art . the method 300 then merges the identified elements with the original video , step 314 . in one embodiment , merging the identified elements may include layering the identified elements onto the original video . for example , identified elements may reside within a separate video file associated with each element . in the merging process , the separate videos are aggregated and combined to form the final video . in one embodiment , the merger of these two data streams ( the interactive elements and the original video ) may be done before hand prior to transmission to the viewer or in another embodiment the viewer may include the capability to actively display both data streams in a seamless presentation . the method 300 then executes processing operations based on user viewing and interactions , step 316 . executing processing operations based on user viewing and interactions may comprise providing a merged video to a user and recording data to a remote server based upon user interaction ( e . g ., view time , number of clicks , elements clicked , etc .). fig4 presents a flow diagram for providing an advertising framework for use with interactive video content according to one embodiment of the present invention . according to the illustrated embodiment , the method 400 selects an interactive element , step 402 . in the illustrated embodiment , an interactive element may include an interactive video element such at the interactive element discussed with respect to fig2 and 3 . the method 400 then receives a plurality of bids from a plurality of advertisers , step 404 . in one embodiment , receiving a plurality of bids may include receiving a plurality of bids from advertisers through an electronic communications channel over a network such as the internet . for example , an advertiser may place a bid by accessing a website using an internet browser and selecting the interactive element he or she wishes to bid on . it is also recognized that the system can provide for different advertising cost structure techniques to be bid upon . for example , bidding may be based upon a cost per click , a cost per view , a permanent placement of an interactive element ( e . g . a bug ), or any other suitable cost structure recognized by one skilled in the art . the method 400 then selects a maximum bid , step 406 . in one embodiment , upon selecting a maximum bid , the method 400 may alert bidders as to the maximum bid and may re - check the plurality of bids to determine if any bids have been updated , step 408 . in one embodiment , alerting bidders about the maximum bid may include alerting the bidders via a dynamic webpage loaded into an advertiser &# 39 ; s browser . alternatively , or in conjunction with the foregoing , alerting a bidder may include sending the bidder a message via phone , sms , e - mail or any other communication means known in the art . if the method 400 determines that the maximum bid has been obtained ( step 408 ), the method 400 associates the highest bidder with the selected interactive element , step 410 . in one embodiment , associating a bidder with an interactive element includes storing a database record indicating the association between bidder and element . in an alternative embodiment , associating a bidder with an interactive element includes storing bidder information within the parameters associated with an interactive element . association data indicating the association between bidder and element may include , but is not limited to , bidder name , bid price and bidder billing information . the method 400 then displays the interactive element , step 412 . although illustrated as occurring immediately after the step of associating a bidder with an element , it is recognized that this step occurs when a video is being viewed . in one embodiment , displaying the interactive element includes displaying the interactive element within the context of a video presentation , e . g . such as when the video and overlay data is downloaded from a storage web location and viewed by a browser application . in one embodiment , link information is stored in a database that allows for tracking of payments and top bids in a bidding process , as well as the location of links associated with the interactive elements . in a network environment , existing interconnectivity and routing protocols may be used to track click activities with the tracking of this information , such as tracking the number of times an element is selected for an accounting for a cost per click advertisement cost structure . the method 400 includes detecting the selection of a selected interactive element , step 414 , and update advertising data upon the selection of the interactive element , step 416 . in one embodiment , detection of an interactive element includes , but is not limited to , detecting user interaction such as cursor clicks , cursor downs and / or cursor overs . as previously described , the method 400 is operative to update advertising data upon selection of the interactive element . advertising data may include any data related to the management of advertising clients and revenue . for example , advertising data may track the number of times an item was clicked , the conversion ( e . g . sale ) rate of a given item and the revenue generated by the interactive element for billing purposes . aside from the detection , the selection of the link also generates user - beneficial operations , such as presenting the customer with more information on a product , advancing the user to a check - out scenario for immediate purchasing , adding the item to an electronic shopping cart , by way of example . it is also recognized that the distribution of the video with interactive elements is not strictly limited to web - based transmissions . for example , with the functionality of the selectability of the interactive elements through a browser , the data feed may be provided from any suitable type of storage device , such as a promotional dvd included with product , for example a complimentary copy of a television show sold with a product that includes product placements in the television show , such that as the user is watching the complimentary dvd , the user can engage in commercial activities , in the example where the user is watching the dvd on a computer connected to the internet . another distribution example may be the broadcast of content to a television set top box using existing bi - directional data feed operations such as found in current digital cable installations . an additional embodiment may include further resultant operations based on the user selection of an interactive element . while not expressly illustrated in the figures , this embodiment may include additional back - end directions or instructions associated with the interactive elements , in this embodiment the directions relating to additional aspects of a story . stated another way , the interactive elements may provide for a user to engage in an interactive story - telling operation , a computerized “ choose your own adventure .” in this embodiment , a storyline may be interspersed with various optional or user - selectable scenes . the interactive elements may be generated in a fashion consistent with the technique described above and the user selection of the interactive elements may redirect the storyline , e . g . cause the presentation and display of a selected scene . this embodiment includes the interactive element being linked to a new set of interactive displays , e . g . the selection of the interactive element may access particular scenes or storylines . by way of example , a scene may include two doors ( by way of example an outside door and interior door ), both doors being interactive elements . the selection of one door may direct the storyline in a first direction , for example in the story the person walks through the outside door . the storyline may lead in another direction if the person walks through the interior door , e . g . selecting the interactive element of the interior door . the underlying scene structure , for example a branch or tree structure , may use known linking technology , but the present embodiment uses the interactive elements to provide an additional interactivity whereby the viewer can direct the story line navigation . fig5 a - c illustrate screen diagrams illustrating a system for providing interactive video content to a user according to one embodiment of the present invention . fig5 a illustrates an application 502 comprising a video 504 . in the illustrated embodiment , application 502 may be a flash - based animation comprising a plurality of interactive items 506 . in alternative embodiments , the present invention may only provide the video element 504 to a user . fig5 b illustrates an interactive video 508 containing an interactive product element 510 . in the illustrated embodiment , interactive element 510 includes a curvilinear , form - fitting element responsive to user interaction . in one embodiment , the interactive element 510 may be a flash object ( e . g ., a movie clip ) embedded within a larger flash application including a flv - encoded video . the interactive element may be assigned a plurality of even handlers to respond to user interaction such as clicks , mouseovers and mouseouts . in the illustrated embodiment , it should be noted that video 508 containing product element 510 appears identical to a non - interactive version of video 508 . the interactive element 510 may appear identical to the original video , but in the video 508 , this element is an interactive element 510 merged into the video display 508 . fig5 c illustrates an interactive application in response to user interaction . as illustrated , the application contains an interactive video 512 containing an interactive product element 514 , as previously discussed with respect to fig5 b . fig5 c illustrates an embodiment of a response to user interaction with interactive element 514 . as illustrated , in response to the selection of interactive element 514 , a product icon 516 is placed within product area 518 . additionally , a shopping cart icon 520 is presented to the user . in one embodiment , in response to the selection of shopping cart icon 520 , a user may be given an option to purchase the selected product icon 516 . fig1 through 5 are conceptual illustrations allowing for an explanation of the present invention . it should be understood that various aspects of the embodiments of the present invention could be implemented in hardware , firmware , software , or combinations thereof . in such embodiments , the various components and / or steps would be implemented in hardware , firmware , and / or software to perform the functions of the present invention . that is , the same piece of hardware , firmware , or module of software could perform one or more of the illustrated blocks ( e . g ., components or steps ). in software implementations , computer software ( e . g ., programs or other instructions ) and / or data is stored on a machine readable medium as part of a computer program product , and is loaded into a computer system or other device or machine via a removable storage drive , hard drive , or communications interface . computer programs ( also called computer control logic or computer readable program code ) are stored in a main and / or secondary memory , and executed by one or more processors ( controllers , or the like ) to cause the one or more processors to perform the functions of the invention as described herein . notably , the figures and examples above are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention to a single embodiment , as other embodiments are possible by way of interchange of some or all of the described or illustrated elements . moreover , where certain elements of the present invention can be partially or fully implemented using known components , only those portions of such known components that are necessary for an understanding of the present invention are described , and detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components are omitted so as not to obscure the invention . in the present specification , an embodiment showing a singular component should not necessarily be limited to other embodiments including a plurality of the same component , and vice - versa , unless explicitly stated otherwise herein . moreover , applicants do not intend for any term in the specification or claims to be ascribed an uncommon or special meaning unless explicitly set forth as such . further , the present invention encompasses present and future known equivalents to the known components referred to herein by way of illustration . the foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveals the general nature of the invention that others can , by applying knowledge within the skill of the relevant art ( s ) ( including the contents of the documents cited and incorporated by reference herein ), readily modify and / or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments , without undue experimentation , without departing from the general concept of the present invention . such adaptations and modifications are therefore intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments , based on the teaching and guidance presented herein . it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation , such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance presented herein , in combination with the knowledge of one skilled in the relevant art ( s ). while various embodiments of the present invention have been described above , it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example , and not limitation . it would be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art ( s ) that various changes in form and detail could be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . thus , the present invention should not be limited by any of the above - described exemplary embodiments , but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents . | 7 |
dialkyl phthalates used as plasticizers include the following compounds : di -( 2 - ethylhexyl ) phthalate ; di -( heptyl , nonyl , undecyl ) phthalate ; di - n - octyl phthalate ; dibutyl phthalate ( dbp ); dicapryl phthalate ( dcp ); dicyclohexyl phthalate ( dchp ); didecyl phthalate ( ddp ); diethyl phthalate ( dep ); diethylhexyl phthalate ( dehp ); diheptyl phthalate ( dhp ); dihexyl phthalate ( dhxp ); diisobutyl phthalate ( dibp ); diisodecyl phthalate ( didp ); diisoheptyl phthalate ( dihp ); diisohexyl phthalate ( dihxp ); diisononyl phthalate ( dinp ); diisooctyl phthalate ( diop ); diisopentyl phthalate ( dipp ); diisotridecyl phthalate ( ditdp ); dimethyl cyclohexyl phthalate ; dimethyl phthalate ( dmp ); dinonyl phthalate ( dnp ); dioctyl phthalate ( dop ); dipentyl phthalate ; ditridecyl phthalate ( dtdp ); diundecyl phthalate ( dup ); heptylundecyl phthalate ( hup ); hexyl octyl decyl phthalate ( hxodp ); nonyl undecyl phthalate ( nup ); and octyl decyl phthalate ( odp ). the coal fly ash used in this research was from an electric power plant . diethyl phthalate ( reagent grade ) was purchased from a chemical supplier and was used without further purification . phthalic acid ( s grade ), ethyl benzoate ( s grade ), benzoic acid ( reagent grade ) and sodium hydroxide ( s grade ) were purchased from a chemical supplier and were also used without further purification . deionized distilled water was used as a solvent . two aqueous solutions of diethyl phthalate were prepared in concentrations of 1 . 0 × 10 − 4 mol / l and 1 . 0 × 10 − 3 mol / l , respectively . basic solutions of diethyl phthalate , phthalic acid , ethyl benzoate , and benzoic acid ( all at a concentration of 1 . 0 × 10 − 4 mol / l ) were prepared using a naoh aqueous solution with a naoh concentration of 0 . 10 mol / l . sample # 1 was prepared by placing 3 . 0 ml of the aqueous solution of diethyl phthalate having a concentration of 1 . 0 × 10 − 4 mol / l and 0 . 10 g of fly ash into an optical quartz cell ( path length 10 . 0 mm ). the diethyl phthalate solution and the coal fly ash were divided by a glass filter ( advantec gs - 25 ) in order to avoid the suspension of the fly ash . it was ascertained that the diethyl phthalate solution permeated through the glass filter and that the adsorption of diethyl phthalate onto the glass filter was negligible . this 3 . 0 ml sample was allowed to stand at room temperature in the dark . uv - vis absorption spectra of the solution were measured using a hitachi u - 3210 spectrophotometer . sample # 2 and sample # 3 were prepared by making suspensions consisting of 30 . 0 ml of the diethyl phthalate aqueous solution in concentrations of 1 . 0 × 10 − 4 mol / l and 1 . 0 × 10 − 3 mol / l and 1 . 0 g of the fly ash . thus , sample # 2 consisted of 30 . 0 ml of diethyl phthalate having a concentration of 1 . 0 × 10 − 4 mol / l and 1 . 0 g of the fly ash . sample # 3 consisted of 30 . 0 ml of diethyl phthalate having a concentration of 1 . 0 × 10 − 3 mol / l and 1 . 0 g of the fly ash . the samples were prepared in air - tight vessels and allowed to stand at room temperature in the dark . these suspensions were then filtered to separate the solution from the fly ash by using a membrane filter ( advantec c020a ) after various exposure ( reaction ) times . gas chromatography - mass spectrometry ( gc - ms ) of the solutions was performed using a shimadzu gcms - qp5000 . the resulting two aqueous sample solutions were injected into the gas chromatograph without extraction . blank tests showed that little organic substance was eluted from the coal fly ash by water alone . optimal molecular geometries and transition energies for diethyl phthalate , phthalic acid , ethyl benzoate , benzoic acid , and anions of phthalic acid and benzoic acid in water were calculated using the pm3 ( parametric method 3 ) and indo / s ( intermediate neglect of differential overlap / spectroscopic parametrization ) methods for the purpose of spectral assignment . the uv - vis absorption spectra of sample # 1 ( consisting of an aqueous solution of 1 . 0 × 10 − 4 mol / l diethyl phthalate exposed to the fly ash ) were observed as a function of reaction time . fig1 a shows the changes in the spectra of sample # 1 and fig1 b the changes in absorbance of sample # 1 at 218 nm , 235 nm , and 276 nm . in fig1 a , the spectrum observed just after preparation ( at time ( 1 ) of 0 hours ) of sample # 1 shows the typical absorption spectrum of diethyl phthalate and exhibits two maxima at 235 nm and 276 nm . as shown in fig1 b , the intensity of absorbance at 235 nm and 276 nm gradually decreased with time while the absorbance at 218 nm increased gradually with time . the band found at 276 nm shifted to the shorter wavelength side with time and became broader than the band for diethyl phthalate . the degree of change of the spectrum became smaller after time ( 7 ) 60 hours of reaction time with the fly ash . [ 0024 ] fig2 shows a comparison of the absorption spectra of diethyl phthalate ( spectrum 1 ) and ethyl benzoate ( spectrum 2 ) in water , and of phthalic acid ( spectrum 3 ) and benzoic acid ( spectrum 4 ) in aqueous naoh solutions . according to the results of the indo / s calculations , the absorption bands at 235 and 276 nm of diethyl phthalate ( spectrum 1 ) are due to some transitions having different characters . the main contributions are homo ( highest occupied molecular orbital ) to lumo ( lowest unoccupied molecular orbital ) ( 75 %) and next homo to next lumo ( 16 %) configurations for the 235 nm band and homo to next lumo ( 38 %) and next homo to lumo ( 48 %) configurations for the 276 nm band , respectively . the transitions neglected included the n − π * character for the 276 nm band because its contribution was small and the n − π * level tends to be estimated lower in the case of aromatic carboxyl compounds . the assignments for diethyl phthalate essentially coincide with those for ethyl benzoate , phthalic acid and benzoic acid . phthalic acid and benzoic acid exist as their carboxylate anions in the basic solutions . on the other hand , diethyl phthalate and ethyl benzoate were gradually hydrolyzed to form the carboxylate anions of phthalic acid and benzoic acid in such basic solutions , respectively . the transition characters for the anions of phthalic acid and benzoic acid are different from the neutral phthalic acid and benzoic acid , and the esters , diethyl phthalate and ethyl benzoate . the broad bands at around 230 nm and 270 nm for the phthalic acid dianion , which are blue - shifted from those of diethyl phthalate , consist of homo to next lumo ( 57 %) and next homo to lumo ( 35 %) configurations for the 230 nm band and homo to lumo ( 58 %) and next homo to next lumo ( 35 %) configurations for the 270 nm band , respectively . the assignments for the phthalic acid dianion essentially coincide with those for the benzoic acid anion . the major spectral change shown in fig1 a explains the transformation from diethyl phthalate to the anion of phthalic acid , supposedly , via the ethyl phthalate anion . in practice , the ph range of the solution was 10 - 11 . this value indicates that such weak acid exists as an anion in the aqueous solution including the fly ash , which supports these results . the spectrum observed after 170 hours , however , has a shoulder around 220 nm and somewhat different shape from the anion of phthalic acid . inclusion of the benzoic acid anion and some other constituents due to the decomposition of phthalic acid anion makes the difference . these results indicate that the adsorption of phthalic acid on the surface of the fly ash particles occurred first and then some chemical reactions took place . [ 0027 ] fig3 a shows the gas chromatography - mass spectrometry ( gc - ms ) chromatograms of diethyl phthalate solutions having a concentration of 1 . 0 × 10 − 4 mol / l ( sample # 2 ) after being exposed to the fly ash for ( 1 ) 0 hours , ( 2 ) 24 hours , and ( 3 ) 170 hours . in fig3 a , the peaks located at 7 . 8 and 10 . 8 minutes can be assigned to benzoic acid ( ba ) and diethyl phthalate ( dep ), respectively . the peak intensity at 10 . 8 minutes became smaller with the progress of the reaction compared to that observed just after the sample preparation . the peak attributed to benzoic acid ( ba ) was observed in the sample runs after 24 hours of exposure to the fly ash and almost disappeared after 170 hours of exposure to the fly ash . these changes in the graph indicate that benzoic acid ( ba ) was produced in the decomposition of diethyl phthalate ( dep ) and then decomposed . the decomposition of diethyl phthalate ( dep ) and the production of benzoic acid ( ba ) correspond to the results of spectral measurements . phthalic acid , which is the intermediate product of the reaction from diethyl phthalate ( dep ) to benzoic acid ( ba ), was hardly detected in the runs . the disappearance of benzoic acid ( ba ) indicates a possibility of the production of volatile compounds , which are difficult to detect . [ 0028 ] fig3 b shows the gas chromatography - mass spectrometry ( gc - ms ) chromatograms of the diethyl phthalate solution having a concentration of 1 . 0 × 10 − 3 mol / l ( sample # 3 ) after being exposed to the fly ash for ( 1 ) 0 hours , ( 2 ) 24 hours , and ( 3 ) 170 hours . in fig3 b , the peaks located at 7 . 6 , 7 . 8 and 10 . 8 min can be assigned to ethyl benzoate ( eb ), benzoic acid ( ba ), and diethyl phthalate ( dep ), respectively . the diethyl phthalate ( dep ) peak became smaller with the progress of the reaction in the same way of fig3 a . the peaks attributed to ethyl benzoate ( eb ) and benzoic acid ( ba ) were observed in the sample runs after being exposed to the fly ash for 24 hours ( time 2 ) and 170 hours ( time 3 ). these results indicate the decomposition of diethyl phthalate ( dep ) and the production of ethyl benzoate ( eb ) and benzoic acid ( ba ). ethyl benzoate ( eb ) and benzoic acid ( ba ) were produced from ethyl phthalate anion and phthalic acid anion , respectively , which were the products from the hydrolysis of diethyl phthalate ( dep ). in the case of this 1 . 0 × 10 − 3 mol / l diethyl phthalate ( dep ) sample ( sample # 3 ), it took longer time to hydrolyze from diethyl phthalate ( dep ) to phthalic acid anion than in the case of the 1 . 0 × 10 − 4 mol / l diethyl phthalate ( dep ) sample ( sample # 2 ), so that there was a certain amount of ethyl phthalate anion to change into ethyl benzoate ( eb ). ethyl phthalate and phthalic acid , however , were not detected by the gc - ms analysis . it is probable that the anions of ethyl phthalate and phthalic acid in aqueous phase were efficiently adsorbed on the fly ash during the filtration before the gc - ms analysis because the membrane filter , having quite small pores ( 0 . 2 μm ), was clogged by the fly ash particles . the neutral ethyl phthalate and phthalic acid were actually detected from solutions extracted with an organic solvent . the coal fly ash consists of sio 2 ( 50 . 5 % by wt . ), al 2 o 3 ( 22 . 7 % by wt . ), cao ( 9 . 6 % by wt .) and na 2 o ( 1 . 4 % by wt .). the cao and na 2 o react with h 2 o and form ca ( oh ) 2 and naoh , which are dissolved in the aqueous solution . the diethyl phthalate solution including the fly ash indicated basic . considering the solubility of ca ( oh ) 2 in water , half of that included in the fly ash are not dissolved in the solution . the ca ( oh ) 2 sites existing on the surface of the fly ash particle act as a strong base . while not desiring to be bound by this theory , it is believed that the alkaline constituents hydrolyzed diethyl phthalate in the liquid phase suspending the fly ash to form ethyl phthalate and / or phthalic acid , which were adsorbed on the fly ash and then decarboxylated on the surface of the fly ash . the pathways of these reactions are shown in fig4 . the carboxylic groups of ethyl phthalate and phthalic acid interacted with the ca ( oh ) 2 sites and were decarboxylated to form ethyl benzoate ( eb ) and benzoic acid ( ba ), respectively . then these compounds were desorbed into the liquid phase . in the case of the 1 . 0 × 10 − 4 mol / l sample ( sample # 2 ) ( fig3 a ), ethyl benzoate ( eb ) was hardly detected because the hydrolysis capacity of the fly ash is high compared with the concentration of diethyl phthalate needed to change ethyl phthalate into phthalic acid . the peak intensities of ethyl benzoate ( eb ) and benzoic acid ( ba ) in the gas chromatograms are relatively weak compared to the extent of the decrease in that of diethyl phthalate ( dep ), suggesting that other hardly - detected chemicals were also produced . on the other hand , the absorption spectra of the samples reacted for long time have a band in the wavelength range less than 220 nm , indicating the existence of benzene , benzene derivatives , and / or other volatile compounds of lower molecular weight . though the results are not shown here , the benzenes were also detected in the gas phase of the gas - tight vessel containing the samples . alkaline constituents eluted from the coal fly ash in the liquid phase gradually hydrolyzed diethyl phthalate to produce ethyl phthalate anion and / or phthalic acid anion . the carboxylic groups of the ethyl phthalate and the phthalic acid , which were adsorbed on the fly ash , interacted with the basic ca ( oh ) 2 sites and were decarboxylated to form ethyl benzoate ( eb ) and benzoic acid ( ba ), respectively . these products were gradually desorbed to the liquid phase . the formation of ethyl benzoate ( eb ) and benzoic acid ( ba ) was followed by the decomposition into benzenes and / or the other volatile compounds of lower molecular weight . thus , coal fly ash is able to decompose dialkyl phthalates , which are endocrine disruptors . the process can be performed wherein the concentration of the dialkyl phthalate is from 1 . 0 × 10 − 5 mol / l to 1 . 0 × 10 − 2 mol / l and from 1 . 0 × 10 − 4 mol / l to 1 . 0 × 10 − 3 mol / l . the dialkyl phthalate can be di -( 2 - ethylhexyl ) phthalate ; di -( heptyl , nonyl , undecyl ) phthalate ; di - n - octyl phthalate ; dibutyl phthalate ( dbp ); dicapryl phthalate ( dcp ); dicyclohexyl phthalate ( dchp ); didecyl phthalate ( ddp ); diethyl phthalate ( dep ); diethylhexyl phthalate ( dehp ); diheptyl phthalate ( dhp ); dihexyl phthalate ( dhxp ); diisobutyl phthalate ( dibp ); diisodecyl phthalate ( didp ); diisoheptyl phthalate ( dihp ); diisohexyl phthalate ( dihxp ); diisononyl phthalate ( dinp ); diisooctyl phthalate ( diop ); diisopentyl phthalate ( dipp ); diisotridecyl phthalate ( ditdp ); dimethyl cyclohexyl phthalate ; dimethyl phthalate ( dmp ); dinonyl phthalate ( dnp ); dioctyl phthalate ( dop ); dipentyl phthalate ; ditridecyl phthalate ( dtdp ); diundecyl phthalate ( dup ); heptylundecyl phthalate ( hup ); hexyl octyl decyl phthalate ( hxodp ); nonyl undecyl phthalate ( nup ); and / or octyl decyl phthalate ( odp ). the ph can be 9 to 12 and the ph can be 10 to 11 . the time of exposure to the coal fly ash can be from 1 to 200 hours and the time of exposure to the coal fly ash can be from 50 to 170 hours . from 10 grams to 50 grams of coal fly ash can be used for each liter of aqueous solution containing the dialkyl phthalate . and 20 grams to 40 grams of coal fly ash can be used for each liter of aqueous solution containing the dialkyl phthalate . one practical application for the present process is to decompose dialkyl phthalates which have been dissolved in water and removed from articles made of polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ), polyvinylidene chloride , and / or other synthetic resins , where dialkyl phthalates are used as plasticizers , such as in medical products and children &# 39 ; s toys . unless indicated otherwise , in stating a numerical range for a compound or a time or other process matter or property , such a range is intended to specifically designate and disclose the minimum and the maximum for the range and each number , including each fraction and / or decimal , between the stated minimum and maximum for the range . for example , a range of 1 to 10 discloses 1 . 0 , 1 . 1 , 1 . 2 . . . 2 . 0 , 2 . 1 , 2 . 2 , . . . and so on , up to 10 . 0 . similarly , a range of 500 to 1000 discloses 500 , 501 , 502 , . . . and so on , up to 1000 , including every number and fraction or decimal therewithin . “ up to x ” means “ x ” and every number less than “ x ”, for example , “ up to 5 ” discloses 0 . 1 , 0 . 2 , 0 . 3 , . . . , and so on up to 5 . 0 . while several embodiments of the invention has been illustrated and described , it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 0 |
this is an invention of an improved pharmaceutical dosage form for oral administration to human being or animal host which is comprised of : ( a ) a core granulation formed by dry mixing an acid - unstable drug or its salt and an alkaline substance or pharmaceutical excipient without using an aqueous granulating solution ; ( b ) said dry core granulation can then be quantitatively filled into a proper size empty hard gelatin capsule shell using this shell as a barrier and hence eliminating the process of applying a protective coating layer onto the granulation . in other words , this hard gelatin capsule shell constitutes simultaneously a barrier between said core granulation and the outer enteric coating of said capsule during the processing to complete the capsule dosage form ; and ( c ) an enteric coating can then be applied onto said capsule to prevent the capsule from releasing the acid - unstable drug in a low ph environment ( i . e . stomach ) and then to deliver the drug in a higher ph environment ( i . e . small intestine ). as used herein , core granulation is a mixture of a pharmaceutically acceptable granulated alkaline substance and , or excipient , and a drug active ingredient that can be processed into uniform spherelike or regularly shaped aggregates for the improvement of flowability and compressibility . the manufacturing processes may employ one , or a combination of , four established methods : these methods are described in “ the theory and practice of industrial pharmacy , 1986 , lea & amp ; febiger , philadelphia , pa ., usa , edited by lachman , l ., lieberman , h . a ., and kanig , j . l . this invention also includes an improved pharmaceutical dosage form for oral administration to human being or animal host which consists of : ( a ) a core granulation formed by dry mixing an acid - unstable drug or its salt , and an alkaline substance or pharmaceutical excipient , without using an aqueous granulating solution , and which can be directly compressed into a tablet ; ( b ) said tablet can then be filled into an empty , hard gelatin capsule shell using this shell as a barrier and hence eliminating the process of applying a protective layer onto the tablet . in other words , this hard gelatin capsule shell constitutes simultaneously a barrier between the said tablet and an outer enteric coating of said capsule during the processing to complete the capsule dosage form ; and ( c ) an enteric coating can then be applied onto said capsule to prevent the capsule from releasing the acid - unstable drug in the low ph environment ( i . e . stomach ) and then to deliver the drug in a higher ph environment ( i . e . small intestine ). also included in this invention is an improved pharmaceutical dosage form for oral administration to human being or animal host which consists of : ( a ) a core granulation formed by dry mixing an acid - unstable drug or its salt , and an alkaline substance or pharmaceutical excipient , without using an aqueous granulating solution , which can then be directly compressed into a tablet ; ( b ) said tablet can then be coated with a non - ionic protective coating in an orgainc solvent as a barrier : ( 1 ) to separate the acid - unstable active drug in the tablet from the outer enteric coating and , ( 2 ) to protect the outer enteric coating from the permeation of generated alkaline solution formed by any existed water in the core tablet ; and ( c ) an enteric coating then can be applied onto said tablet to protect it from releasing the acid - unstable drug in a low ph environment ( i . e . the stomach ) and to deliver the active in a higher ph environment ( i . e . the small intestine ). the protective coating can be applied by a standard film coating procedure in a suitable coating machine using a non - aqueous solution . the non - ionic protective polymer is selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose , hydroxyethyl cellulose , hydroxypropyl cellusose , and polyvinylpyrrolidone . the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of isopropyl alcohol , methanol and ethanol . other appropriate non - ionic protective polymer may be similarly used . the plasticizer for protective coating includes , but is not limited to , triethyl citrate , propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol 6000 . in a preferred embodiment , the drug active ingredient comprises omeprazole , salt of omeprazole — selected from the group consisting of sodium , potassium , calcium and ammonium salts , lansoprazole or salt of lansoprazole . in another embodiment , the alkaline substance of dosage form mentioned above comprises one or any combination of the following : ( a ) alkaline metallic salt of carbonic acid : calcium carbonate , granulated calcium carbonate ; ( b ) dicalcium phosphate anhydrous , dibasic sodium phosphate anhydrous , tricalcium phosphate , anhydrous ; ( c ) sodium carboxymethylcellulose , calcium carboxymethylcellulose ; ( d ) magnesium aluminum silicate ; ( e ) sodium lauryl sulfate ; ( f ) sodium bicarbonate ; and ( g ) microcrystalline cellulose , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose , hydroxyethylcellulose . also in another embodiment , the pharmaceutical excipient mentioned in the above dosage forms may be selected from one or any combination of the group consisting of dextrose , sorbitol , mannitol , starch , dextrin , maltodextrin , lactose , magnesium stearate , calcium stearate , talc , microcrystalline cellulose , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and hydroxyethylcellulose . also in another embodiment , the pharmaceutical excipient mentioned in the above dosage forms may be selected from one or any combination of the group consisting of dextrose , sorbitol , mannitol , starch , dextrin , maltodextrin , lactose , magnesium stearate , calcium stearate , talc , microcrystalline cellulose , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and hydroxyethylcellulose . other appropriate excipients may be similarly used . in a separate embodiment , the enteric coating comprises : ( a ) cellulose acetate phthalate , ( c - a - p ) cellulose acetate trimellitate ( c - a - t ), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate ( hpmcas ), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate ( hpmcp ), polyvinyl acetate phthalate ( pvap ), anionic phthalate polymers based on methacrylic acid and methacrylic acid esters ; ( b ) compounds either alone or in any combination in organic solvent , ( i . e isopropyl alcohol , methanol , ethanol or ethyl acetate ) containing at least one plasticizer ( i . e . triethyl citrate , polyethylene glycol 6000 or glycerol monostearate , as a coating solution ; ( c ) the group of compounds in ( a ) either alone or in any combination in aqueous dispersion containing at least one plasticizer can be an alternative coating solution ; and ( d ) the process to apply the coating solution or dispersion to said capsules or tablets is a conventional pharmaceutical method . the coating procedures are performed in a suitable coating machine . this invention provides a process for manufacturing the capsule dosage form of above described drug which comprises steps of : ( a ) preparing the granulation by preferably dry mixing the active ingredient and alkaline substance ( s ) or by non - aqueous wet granulation method using only the pharmaceutically acceptable organic solvent , preferably methanol , ethanol or isopropyl alcohol as wetting solution and drying the granulation ; ( b ) filling the capsule with the dried granulation ; and ( c ) coating the capsules with an enteric coating solution or dispersion solution described above . this invention provides a aqueous - free process for manufacturing the tablet dosage form that comprises steps of ( a ) preparing the granulation by preferably dry mixing the active ingredient and alkaline substance or pharmaceutical excipients ; ( b ) directly compressing the granulation into a tablet by a conventional method ; ( c ) filling the tablet into an empty hard gelatin capsule shell and ; ( d ) coating the capsule with an enteric coating . this invention provides an improved pharmaceutical dosage form for oral administration to human being or animal host containing an acid - unstable drug active ingredient which comprises : ( a ) a core tablet formed by dry mixing drug or its salt with alkaline substance and pharmaceutical excipient or excipients and directly compressing , which can be coated with a protective layer as a barrier to : ( i ) separate the acid - unstable active drug in the core from the outer enteric coating ; and ( ii ) protect the entered coating from the permeation of alkaline solution formed by water in the core tablet ; and ( b ) an enteric coating disposed on said protectively coated tablet to protect it from releasing the acid - unstable drug in the stomach and to deliver the active to the small intestine . in an emobodiment of the above process for manufacturing the improved pharmaceutical dosage form , the core granulation is prepared by dry mixing , direct tablet compressing , subcoating the tablet with organic solvent base protective coating ; and coating the subcoated tablets with an enteric coating solution or dispersion . this invention provides an improved pharmaceutical dosage form for oral administration to human being or animal host containing an acid - unstable drug active ingredient which comprises : ( a ) a core tablet formed by dry mixing drug or its salt with alkaline substance and pharmaceutical excipient or excipients and directly compressing , which can then be coated with a protective layer as a barrier to : ( i ) separate the acid - unstable active drug in the core from the outer enteric coating ; and ( ii ) protect the enteric coating from the permeation of alkaline solution formed by water in the core tablet ; ( b ) an enteric coating disposed on said protectively coated tablet to prevent it from releasing the acid - unstable drug in the stomach andto deliver the active to the small intestine ; and ( c ) this tablet is then filled into an empty hard gelatine capsule shell to form a final dosage form . in an embodiment of the above process for manufacturing the improved pharmaceutical dosage form , the core granulation is prepared by dry mixing , direct tablet compressing , subcoating the tablet with organic solvent base protective coating , coating the subcoated tablets with an enteric coating solution or dispersion and filling the said enteric coated tablet into an empty hard gelatin capsule . a . ten grams of omeprazole were granulated with 10 ml . of ethyl alcohol with agitation . the moist granules were dried and screened to obtain a uniform granule size . b . a suspension of omeprazole being 10 grams in 50 ml . of ethyl alcohol was added into 100 grams of an alkaline inert compound being calcium carbonate granules ( delavau , philadelphia , pa .) with agitation to mix homogeneously the liquid and solids . the moist granules were dried and screened for uniform and adequate granule size . c . same as example 1 . b ., except the alkaline substance is calcium carbonate 90a ( particle dynamics , inc ., st . louis ., mo .) d . a mixture of 16 grams of omeprazole and 10 grams of povidone usp was dispersed in 15 ml . of ethyl alcohol . the rest of the procedure is same as example 1 . b . above except that the dispersion was used to replace the suspension for 84 grams of alkaline substance . e . ten grams of sodium carboxymethylcellulose was dispersed in 10 ml . of ethyl alcohol . this liquid was then used to granulate a mixture of 2 grams of omeprazole and 5 grams of calcium carbonate 90a ( same as that used in example 1 . c .). the remaining portion of the procedure is the same as example 1 . b . above . a . ten grams of omeprazole were mixed with an alkaline substance being tricalcium phosphate anhydrous usp / nf and then passed through a screen to obtain a homogenous granule size . b . same as example 2 . a . above except the alkaline substance is pharmaceutical excipient microcrystalline cellulose usp / nf . c . same as example 2 . a . above except the alkaline substance is pharmaceutical excipient lactose , anhydrous usp . d . same as example 2 . a . above except the alkaline substance is pharmaceutical excipient maltodextrin . e . same as example 2 . a . above except the alkaline substance is calcium carbonate 90a ( same as example 1 . c . above ). f . same as example 2 . a . above except the alkaline substance is calcium carbonate granules ( same as example 1 . b . above ). g . same as example 2 . a . above except the alkaline substance is sodium carboxymethylcellulose . the individual core granulation was mixed with 2 % to 5 % talc used as a lubricant , and then quantitatively encapsulated in hard gelatin capsules by known pharmaceutical techniques . a . the individual core granulation was mixed with lactose and talc or magnesium stearate , and compressed into tablets by known pharmaceutical techniques . the hard gelatine capsules obtained from example 3 . above were enteric coated in a conventional film coating machine with the following coating solutions by known pharmaceutical techniques . eudragit l - 100 ® ( methacrylic acid copolymer ) 600 grams isopropyl alcohol 8 , 600 grams triethyl citrate 60 grams fd & amp ; c or d & amp ; c aluminum laks 300 grams purified water 400 grams the tablets obtained from example 4 . were coated in a conventional film coating machine with the following coating solution by known pharmaceutical techniques . methocel e15 ® ( hydroxypropylmethylcellulose ) 500 grams polyethylene glycol e400 110 grams ethyl alcohol 10 , 000 grams the coated tablets obtained from example 6 . a . were enteric coated in a conventional film coating machine with the coating solution being the same as that used in example 5 . by a known pharmaceutical technique . the coated tablets obtained from example 6 . b . were encapsulated in empty hard gelatin capsules to form a capsule product . several formulations were placed in ambient room temperature conditions for stability studies . the color changes of the core granulations were observed . some of the formulations are assayed using usp high pressure liquid chromatographic ( hplc ) methods to determine the amount of drug remaining . the results are shown on table 1 . below . | 0 |
referring to fig1 a vehicle 10 having a satellite radio receiver , such as an s - dars receiver , employs an antenna module 11 for receiving satellite and terrestrial rf broadcast signals . satellites 12 and 13 broadcast identical programming in respective frequency slots assigned to the satellite radio service . a terrestrial tower 14 is installed on a building 15 for broadcasting in an s - dars service as a gap filler where satellite reception may be degraded . if in the same s - dars service as the one being broadcast by satellites 12 and 13 , then the signal broadcast by tower 14 contains identical programming . if belonging to the other s - dars service , then the tower signal is uncorrelated with the satellite signals . antenna module 11 includes a satellite antenna having a reception pattern 16 generally oriented vertically ( i . e ., having its highest gain in the direction toward the locations of satellites 12 and 13 ). antenna module 11 also includes a terrestrial antenna for receiving the terrestrial signals and having a reception pattern 17 generally oriented horizontally ( i . e ., having its highest gain in the direction toward tower 14 ). generally , the satellite and terrestrial signals can be separately received with a high degree of isolation between the signals since the satellite antenna is not sensitive to signals arriving from the direction of tower 14 . as vehicle 10 approaches building 15 , however , the actual direction to tower 14 can become nearly vertical . thus , the satellite antenna can pick up significant amounts of rf energy from terrestrial tower 14 . since the rf gain of the satellite signal chain is optimized for the relatively lower power received in the satellite broadcasts , the relatively strong signals from tower 14 can overload the rf amplifier in the satellite signal chain . [ 0026 ] fig2 shows an attenuator intended to avoid saturation of the rf amplifier for a satellite signal . a satellite antenna element 20 and a terrestrial antenna element 21 feed attenuators 22 and 25 , respectively . the output of attenuator 22 is coupled to a fixed gain rf amplifier 23 , the output of which is coupled for further amplification and processing in the rf front end . the output of rf amplifier 23 is also coupled to a level detector 24 which measures the signal level and uses the measured magnitude to control attenuators 22 and 25 . thus , an average rf voltage level of the output of amplifier 23 can be kept to below a selected voltage . nevertheless , it has been found that amplifier saturation still occurs under certain conditions , resulting in distorted or lost satellite reception . furthermore , level detector integrated circuit components are relatively expensive and many of the presently available ic &# 39 ; s are not qualified for operation in an automotive environment where many s - dars receivers are used . [ 0027 ] fig3 shows an improved receiver for avoiding saturation of the rf amplifier stages while decreasing cost and improving reception under all signal conditions . satellite antenna signals are coupled through an attenuator 30 to an rf amplifier 31 . a range of attenuation of about − 30 db may be provided . an integrated circuit such as the at - 119 voltage variable absorptive attenuator available from m / a - com , inc ., can be utilized . more than a single stage of rf amplification may be used , but at least one stage preferably provides automatic gain control ( agc ) as is known in the art . thus , an agc control block 32 is coupled to rf amplifier 31 to provide a substantially constant output level from rf amplifier 31 . if a fixed gain rf amplifier is driven by the output of attenuator 30 , then a gain of about + 8 db ( and an output compression point , p 1 db , of at least 0 dbm ) should be provided . if gain of the fixed rf amplifier exceeds about + 8 db then a fixed attenuator at the output of the rf amplifier may be provided . the variable gain can alternatively be controlled by signal processing further down the signal chain , such as in the if section of the receiver or in the demodulator . the amplified rf signal from amplifier 31 is mixed down to an intermediate frequency ( if ) in a mixer 33 . the if signal is amplified by an if amplifier 34 in conjunction with an if agc block 35 . after being digitized in an a / d converter and having its frequency down - converted in a digital downconverter ( not shown ), the if signal is then demodulated in a demodulator 36 . the demodulated signal preferably includes a digital audio signal and auxiliary digital information ( e . g ., song titles ) broadcast by the service provider . the demodulated signal from this satellite path is coupled to one input of a combiner 37 for combining with the outputs of redundant signal paths in order to increase the probability of receiving an acceptable s - dars signal at all times . thus , a second satellite signal ( e . g ., broadcast on a separate frequency within the allocated frequency band ) may be separated out by the digital downconverter into a second satellite path 38 . the second satellite signal is demodulated and provided to combiner 37 . likewise , the terrestrial antenna signal is processed in a terrestrial path 39 and provided to a respective input of combiner 37 . for purposes of controlling attenuator 30 , a quality monitor 40 is coupled to demodulator 36 for measuring a quality parameter of the demodulated satellite signal , such as the signal - to - noise ratio ( snr ) exhibited by the demodulated signal . the reception quality of either or both of the satellite signal paths can be monitored . in one preferred embodiment , the satellite radio receiver may include an s - dars chip set manufactured by agere systems , inc ., known as the sirius s - dars chipset which includes the dsp - arm processor known as the agere cdapt - sdc - im - db . the dsp - arm processor provides snr measured values over a signal bus in response to electronic requests ( e . g ., from a main microcontroller of the receiver ). the snr values generated by the chipset can be averaged over time periods specified in the requests . quality monitor 40 is coupled to a main controller and interface 41 which also receives input signals from agc blocks 32 and 35 . based primarily on the snr values from quality monitor 40 and secondarily on the gain values from agc blocks 32 and 35 , controller 41 sets an appropriate attenuation value in attenuator 30 . in particular , the present invention takes advantage of the snr versus attenuation characteristic 42 shown in fig4 whenever a strong interfering rf signal is present . at lower attenuation levels , the power level of the interfering signal reaching the rf front - end circuitry causes nonlinear operation ( i . e ., saturation ). this results in intermodulation distortion which decreases the snr of the demodulated signal . by increasing attenuation , the snr of the demodulated signal improves because the nonlinear operation of the rf amplification is reduced . the snr reaches a peak and then declines with increasing attenuation as the remaining power level of the desired satellite signal becomes weaker . thus , the present invention controls the attenuation level to maintain the snr in a region of optimal attenuation 43 . a general method for controlling attenuation in response to snr is shown in fig5 . from starting point 50 , a main loop of an overall control algorithm is entered at step 51 , from which an attenuator subroutine is periodically entered . in step 52 , a check is made to determine whether the rf gain is in a low gain state . for example , the rf gain can be forced into its lowest gain state by a baseband decoding controller when the received signal power is high . the rf gain state is an indication of the total signal power within the passband of the rf amplifier , including both the desired and undesired signals . if the received signal power is high enough to cause the rf amplifier to go into its lowest agc gain , then it is assumed that an interfering signal may be present . thus , if the rf front end is not in a low gain state , then a return is made to main loop 51 . if a low gain state is detected in step 52 , then an snr parameter of the demodulated satellite signal is obtained in step 53 . the snr value is preferably a numeric value but is not necessarily an absolute snr value ( e . g ., the snr value may vary between 0x00 and 0xff for computational purposes on an arbitrary scale within the receiver ). in step 54 , an attenuation value corresponding to the snr parameter is determined ( e . g ., based on a look - up table ). the attenuation value is set in the attenuator in step 55 based on the voltage control characteristic of the attenuator . the snr value is re - determined in step 56 and is checked for an acceptable level . if not acceptable , then a new attenuation value is obtained in step 54 . if acceptable , then a return is made to main loop 51 . a more detailed method wherein attenuation is changed in predetermined steps in order to control satellite snr is shown in fig6 . following a start 60 , a long time - constant snr value is read in step 61 . for example , the agere chipset mentioned above responds to requests for snr measurements averaged over a period of time as specified in a request . a long time - constant snr value represents a historical snr performance under the reception conditions of up to several seconds and provides a statistical prediction of expected snr performance . as an alternative to queries to the chipset for snr values having a long time constant , the controller of the present invention can request instantaneous snr values ( e . g ., 1 millisecond averaging or less ) and perform the long term averaging within the controller itself . a check is made in step 62 to determine whether rf gain is at a minimum . for example , rf gain may have a number of discrete gain settings , such as low , medium , and high . if rf gain uses a continuous or more finely graded control , then a range of gain at the lower end may be employed . if rf gain is not at the minimum , then action to address an interfering signal is not necessary . thus , attenuation is set to its minimum value in step 63 and a return to the main loop is made at step 64 . if the check in step 62 determines that rf gain is at the minimum , then a short time - constant snr value is read in step 65 . the short time constant may preferably be about one or two orders of magnitude less than the long time constant , so that the short time - constant snr value provides an estimate of the instantaneous snr . in step 66 , a check is made to determine whether the instantaneous snr shows a predetermined drop in snr . for example , the two snr values are used to obtain a time derivative d ( snr )/ dt by dividing the difference in snr values by the time of the short time constant and then the value of the derivative may be compared to a predetermined slope . if the predetermined drop in snr is detected , then attenuation is increased by a predetermined step size in step 67 . if the snr / attenuation characteristic is on the left half of the curve in fig4 then snr improves with the increased attenuation , otherwise snr may decrease . thus , the instantaneous snr is re - checked in step 68 and compared with the previous short time - constant snr value . if snr did not improve , then the attenuation is decreased by the predetermined step size in step 72 ( i . e ., the previous attenuation value is restored ). following the adjustment of the attenuation , the if amplifier gain for the satellite signal path is read in step 70 and a return is made to the main loop in step 71 . the if gain value that is read in step 70 provides a reference during the adverse signal conditions so that an improving signal condition can be detected later . if the check in step 66 determines that there has not been a predetermined drop in snr , then a check is made in step 73 to determine whether attenuation is already at the minimum . if it is , then a return is made to the main loop in step 74 . if attenuation is not at minimum , then the instantaneous if gain value is determined and checked in step 75 against the value it had at step 70 . if the if gain has not increased , then the strong interfering signal is still present and a return is made to the main loop in step 76 without changing the attenuation value . if if gain has increased , then the interfering signal has reduced in strength . therefore , the attenuation is decreased by the predetermined step size in step 77 and a return is made to the main loop in step 78 . [ 0043 ] fig7 and 8 illustrate further embodiments of the invention wherein the controller constructs an estimate of the characteristic curve of snr versus attenuation as shown in fig4 in view of the rf conditions existing at a particular time so that an optimal attenuation can be identified . in fig7 when step 52 identifies that the front end is in the low gain state , then an alternate embodiment of determining an attenuation value proceeds as follows . snr information ( e . g ., an instantaneous or very short term average value ) is extracted from the s - dars chipset in step 80 using an initial attenuation value . for a predetermined number of sampling iterations , the attenuation value is adjusted in step 81 . based on a sample count 82 , a return is made to step 80 to resample the snr information . for example , a predetermined set of attenuation values may be obtained from a lookup table or may be dynamically determined based on how the snr changes as the attenuation value is adjusted . after the predetermined number of sampling iterations have been conducted , a series of data points of snr versus attenuation have been obtained to which a curve can be fit in step 83 in order to estimate the characteristic of fig4 . using the estimated curve , an attenuation value for optimizing the snr is calculated ( i . e ., the attenuation level corresponding to the highest possible snr value ). then the attenuator is set to this calculated attenuation value in step 84 . step 56 checks whether the snr is acceptable ( e . g ., whether the value of d ( snr )/ dt is above or below a predetermined threshold ) and returns to step 80 if the snr is not acceptable . these same modifications are included in steps 90 - 95 of a further embodiment as shown in fig8 such that an appropriate amount of attenuation can be quickly and accurately determined . as a result of the foregoing method , satellite reception in the presence of strong interfering signals is greatly improved . reception of the desired signal is maintained over a wider variety of conditions than with previous systems that controlled attenuation based on rf signal level . furthermore , a typical receiver already has a capability of measuring signal - to - noise ratios , so that no additional components are required to implement the present invention . | 7 |
referring now to the drawings , there is illustrated in fig1 an air float machine tool table 18 located in front of a machine tool 20 . table 18 , although modified in accordance with the present invention , is generally of the type described in the aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 4 , 058 , 885 , and has a planar upper surface 22 provided with a plurality of openings 24 distributed over the surface of the table 18 , and having ball check valves 26 mounted therein , the check valves 26 being shown in detail in fig4 . referring now to fig4 it will be seen that valves 26 are threaded into openings connected with a fluid passageway network 28 , which is connected to a source of pneumatic pressure , such as an air compressor , ( not shown ). each valve 26 comprises a valve body 30 , which is threaded into the upper portion of passage 26 and the top of body 30 is disposed beneath the upper surface 22 of table 18 . captive in the upper end of body 30 is a steel ball 32 , which projects slightly above surface 22 such that it will be contacted by the fixture 34 when fixture 34 is positioned over it . a spring 36 continuously urges ball 32 into its closed position against valve seat 38 . when fixture 34 , which is in the form of a large steel plate having a generally planar lower surface 40 , is moved on table 18 until its downwardly facing lower surface 22 engages ball 32 , the ball will be depressed as shown in fig4 and admit fluid under pressure from passageway network 28 through the bore of valve body 30 and around ball 32 to the space between surfaces 22 and 40 . the pressure of the fluid is selected such that a fluid film will be established between the surfaces , which will floatingly support fixture 34 and a workpiece mounted thereto ( not shown ) so that the fixture - workmember combination can easily be moved about on table 18 to any desired position . sufficient openings 24 and valves 26 are provided to supply pneumatic pressure over the entire area of table 18 which is to be employed . since it is essential that the fixture 34 occupy precisely located positions so that the workpiece in the fixture will be presented properly to the tool or tools which are to perform work thereon , a dual centering pin 42 and a plurality of locating pins 44 are provided in table 18 . one of the locating pins 44 and one of its locating bushings 46 are illustrated in fig5 . pins 44 may be hydraulically , pneumatically or spring actuated to protrude above the table surface 22 and engage correspondingly tapered sleeves or bushings 46 in the lower surface 40 of fixture plate 34 so as to accurately locate fixture plate 34 and the workpiece ( not shown ) mounted thereon in position for machining by tool 20 . more specifically , the locating pin and socket combinations 44 and 46 each comprise a bushing 48 within which pin 44 is slidably received , and the lower end of pin 44 is connected to piston 50 . piston 50 reciprocates within bore 52 and is biased upwardly by spring 54 , bore 52 being closed at its lower end by vented plate 56 . in order to retract pin 44 , fluid pressure is admitted to bore 52 through passageway 58 thereby causing piston 50 to be driven downwardly carrying with it pin 44 . fixture 34 is provided with a plurality of accurately located bushings 46 having tapered inner surfaces 60 adapted for the seating of pin 44 therein . it should be noted that locating pins 44 and bushings 46 must be very accurately placed on table 18 and fixture 34 , respectively , since it is through them that accurate positioning of fixture 34 is accomplished . any number of locating pins 44 and bushings 46 may be provided , depending on the number of located positions of fixture 34 which are desired . table 18 is also provided with one or more translation or centering pins 42 , one of which is illustrated in detail in fig6 . pin 42 may be of the dual centering type as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 143 , 868 . centering pin 42 comprises an outer pin 62 which is slidably received in bore 64 , and an inner pin 66 comprising a smaller diameter upper portion 68 on a flange 70 , which is provided with an annular seal 72 . inner pin 66 , by virtue of flange 70 which serves as a piston , is reciprocatingly received within bore 74 and is extended by fluid pressure , either hydraulic or pneumatic , admitting into bore 74 through fluid line 76 . a compression spring 78 is disposed between flange 70 and a counter bore 80 in outer pin 62 , and serves to extend outer pin 62 upwardly when inner pin 66 is also extended . outer pin 62 may be retracted by admitting hydraulic or pneumatic pressure through line 77 . outer pin 62 is received within slot 82 in the lower surface 40 of fixture 34 , which slot 82 comprises a pair of orthogonally related , intersecting branches . in the upper surface 84 of slot 82 are provided a plurality of recesses 86 , which accommodate inner pin 68 . thus , fixture 34 may be guided as it moves on the upper surface 22 of table 18 by slot 82 , which is adapted to capture outer pin 62 . if it is desired to rotate fixture 34 about a fixed center , fluid pressure is admitted to bore 74 through line 76 thereby extending inner pin 68 , and fixture 34 is moved until one of the centering openings 86 is positioned above inner pin 68 . due to the fluid pressure beneath it , inner pin 68 will then project into the opening 86 and enable fixture 34 to be rotated about this point . pins 62 and 68 are preferably slightly tapered on their distal ends to compensate for any misalignment with the translation slot 82 and centering openings 86 on the lower surface 40 of fixture 34 . as discussed briefly above , the present invention is concerned with an automatic clamping system for both guiding the fixture 34 in its movement on table 18 and clamping it in position once it has been accurately located . referring to fig1 and 3 , one embodiment of the present invention will now be described . the clamping system comprises a plurality of clamp units 88 mounted within table 18 at fairly accurately located positions therein . each clamp unit comprises a cylinder housing 90 received within an opening 92 in table 18 and secured thereto by screws 94 , which pass through corresponding openings in a flange portion 96 of housing 90 . received within housing 90 for vertical rectilinear sliding movement is a t - clamp 98 comprising a cylindrical shank 100 , a generally cylindrical enlarged head 102 integral with shank 100 and having a diameter greater than shank 100 , and a piston 104 secured to shank 100 by screw 106 . shank 100 is slidably received within a bore 108 in housing 90 , which is positioned beneath a cylindrical recess 110 in housing 90 adapted to receive head 102 such that , when t - clamp 98 is fully retracted , head 102 is positioned below the surface 22 of table 18 . end plate 112 , which is secured to housing 90 by screws 114 , serves to seal the end of cylinder 116 , within which piston 104 reciprocates . t - clamp 98 is extended through the combined action of spring 118 and pneumatic or hydraulic fluid under pressure admitted to cylinder 116 through a line 120 . t - clamp 98 is retracted by exhausting line 120 and admitting hydraulic or pneumatic pressure through line 122 above piston 104 , thereby driving piston 104 and t - clamp 98 downwardly against the force of return spring 118 . although t - clamp 98 has been shown as having a cylindrical shank 98 and head 102 , other shapes and constructions are not precluded by the present invention . for example , clamp 98 could be l - shaped rather than t - shaped as in the present application , although this construction would not normally be preferred because a particular radial orientation of the head would be necessary to enable engagement with the fixture 34 . with particular reference to fig3 it will be seen that the fixture plate 34 comprises a plurality of t - slots 124 and 125 on the lower surface 40 thereof . it will be noted that slots 124 are orthogonally related to slots 125 . each of the slots 124 and 125 comprises a pair of entry openings 126 on the ends thereof , which openings are sufficiently large in diameter to accommodate the insertion of t - clamp head 102 therein . referring to fig2 t - slots 124 and 125 each comprise a first portion 128 having generally vertical sidewalls and opening out onto surface 40 , and a second portion 130 , which is generally rectangular in cross section and wider than portion 128 . it will be seen that portions 128 are dimensioned so as to accommodate shank 98 , and portions 130 are dimensioned to accommodate head 102 . with t - clamp 98 received within slot 125 , when piston 104 is retracted , head 102 will be pulled downwardly against the shoulder 132 formed between portions 130 and 128 of slot 125 . this will effect clamping of fixture 34 to table 18 . in operation , fixture 34 is loaded on table 18 such that outer translation pin 62 is received within slot 82 . fixture 34 is then supported on a cushion of air between it and table 18 as taught in the aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 4 , 058 , 885 , and is manually moved on the table until the four t - clamps 98 are positioned beneath respective entry openings 126 for slots 125 , for example . assuming that fluid pressure is admitted to cylinder 116 through pressure line 120 before this time , when the heads 102 of clamps 98 are located beneath entry openings 126 they will project upwardly into slots 125 . at this point , fixture 34 can be guided on table 18 in a generally rectilinear direction of movement along the longitudinal axes of slot 125 . locating pins 44 are forced upwardly by spring pressure against the lower surface 40 of fixture 34 , when they are aligned with their respective tapered bushings 46 , and project upwardly into bushings 46 , and when then actuated by air pressure , will accurately locate fixture 34 on table 18 . fluid pressure will then be admitted to cylinder 116 through line 122 so as to retract clamps 98 thereby clamping fixture 34 to the upper surface 22 of table 18 . to be able to move fixture 34 rectilinearly in the other direction , the locating pins 44 are retracted , the clamps 98 released and fixture 34 is moved until the heads 102 of t - clamps 98 are positioned over entry openings 126 , fluid pressure is admitted to cylinder through line 122 thereby retracting t - clamps 98 , and fixture 34 is moved until t - clamps 98 are located over the entry openings 126 of t - slots 124 . then , the same sequence of events as discussed previously is accomplished . it wil be noted that translation slot 82 is provided with suitably positioned branches for translation pin 42 so that rectilinear motion of fixture 34 in the other direction is possible . if it is desired to rotate fixture 34 about one of the centers of rotation defined by centering openings 86 , all of the t - clamps 98 and locating pins 44 are retracted below the surface 22 of table 18 , and inner rotation pin 68 is extended into the desired centering opening 86 . it should be noted that in all cases where movement of fixture 34 on table 18 is effected , a cushion of pressurised air must be established between fixture 34 and the upper surface 22 of table 18 . after fixture 34 has been located , the cushion of pressurized fluid is exhausted , and clamping can be accomplished . once fixture 34 has been engaged by t - clamps 98 , both the inner and outer centering pins 68 and 62 can be retracted . with reference now to fig7 and 9 , a different arrangement of the t - slots and t - clamps is illustrated . for the sake of clarity , the same reference numerals will be employed for components which are identical to those shown in fig1 through 6 . modified fixture 134 comprises a translation slot 137 having centering recesses 86 therein , a plurality of locating bushings 46 on the lower surface thereof , and two concentric rings of arcuate t - slots 136 and 138 , respectively . each of the t - slots 136 and 138 is provided with a pair of entry openings 140 on the opposite ends thereof , which are adapted to receive t - clamps 98 . t - clamps 98 are positioned such that , when fixture 134 is in the position shown in fig8 they are capable of being received within the inner ring of arcuate t - slots 138 . centering pin 42 is positioned such that inner pin 68 will be received within the center centering opening 86 . thus , with locating pins 44 retracted , fixture 134 is capable of being rotated about the center of rotation defined by centering pin 42 , and since t - slots 138 are arcuate and lie in a circle having as its center of rotation the center opening 86 in slot 36 , fixture 134 will slide around t - slots 138 . fixture 134 can be clamped in any location simply by retracting t - clamps 98 . if it is desired to accurately locate fixture 134 in the position shown , locating pins 44 are urged upwardly against the lower surface of fixture 134 , which is then rotated from side to side until locating pins 44 project into their respective tapered bushings 46 . at this point , fixture 134 can be clamped to table 18 by retracting t - clamps 98 . if it is desired to move fixture 134 closer to tool 20 to the position shown in fig9 t - clamps 98 are released , the cushion of supporting air is again established between fixture 134 and table 18 , fixture 134 is rotated until clamps 98 are located above entry openings 140 , t - clamps 98 are retracted , and inner pin 68 is retracted out of the center opening 86 . fixture 134 is then pushed toward tool 20 until the inner centering pin 68 is aligned with the lowermost centering opening 86 , at which point it will project therein . t - clamps 98 are then projected upwardly against the lower surface of fixture 134 , which is turned until the upper two t - clamps 98 and the lower two t - clamps 98 are aligned with and project into the entry openings 140 for the outer ring of arcuate t - slots 136 . fixture 134 is then rotated from side to side until the next lower pair of tapered bushings 46 are aligned with locating pins 44 , which have already been activated and will snap into place . with the fixture 134 now accurately located in the position shown in fig9 air pressure is exhausted between fixture 134 and table 18 and the t - clamps 98 are retracted so as to apply clamping pressure . of course , a number of other positions for fixture 134 could be achieved depending on the number of locations of t - clamps 98 and locating pins 44 . fig1 and 11 illustrate yet another modified form of fixture plate 142 , which is provided with a continuous , circular t - slot 144 having as its center a single centering opening 146 adapted to receive the inner pin 68 of dual centering pin 42 . four t - clamps 98 are provided , and are spaced equally distantly about dual centering pin 42 . t - slot 144 is provided with four entry openings 148 adapted to receive the heads 102 of t - clamps 98 . by virtue of this arrangement , fixture 142 is capable of being rotated to any position about centering pin 42 and then clamped in place in that position by retracting t - clamps 98 . a pair of locating pins 44 and a plurality of tapered bushings 46 enable fixture 142 to be accurately indexed to any position . as shown in fig1 , 13 and 14 , a circular t - slot 150 may be combined with a plurality of straight t - slots 152 , thereby providing rotary and rectilinear movement capability for fixture 154 . in this case , the entry openings 156 are provided on circular t - slot 150 and the center straight t - slot 152 . fig1 and 14 illustrate how fixture 154 can be shifted rectilinearly toward and away from tool 20 . this would enable one side of the workpiece ( not shown ) mounted to fixture 154 to be moved close to tool 20 for machining and then , by withdrawing and rotating fixture 154 one hundred and eighty degrees , enable the opposite side to be brought close to tool 20 for machining . similarly , one of the elongated sides could be machined close to the spindle 20 , then rotated 90 °, and translated backward away from the spindle 20 to enable the ends to be machined . a multiplicity of indexed rotary positions can also be achieved by capturing the circular t - slot with the appropriate t - clamps . a fixture 154 having this type of arrangement provides a tremendous amount of machining flexibility . obviously , rectilinear movement in the other orthogonal direction can be achieved by providing a plurality of orthogonally related t - slots as shown in fig1 . referring now to fig1 and 16 , a dual indexing table arrangement is disclosed . this comprises a pair of air float tables 158 and 160 including pressurized air supply means 162 and 164 for providing cushions of air to their respective surfaces through check valves 26 . fourt - clamps 98 mounted within lower table 158 are received within a continuous circular t - slot 166 in the lower surface 168 of upper table 160 . four locating pins 44 engage corresponding tapered sockets 46 so as to accurately locate upper table 160 on lower table 158 in any of four rotary positions . upper table 160 is provided with a single action centering pin 170 , which engages a tapered centering opening 172 formed in the lower surface 176 of fixture 178 supported on table 160 . a similar single acting centering pin 180 is provided in upper table 160 and aligned with a corresponding centering opening in the lower surface of a second fixture 182 . locating pins 244 mounted in upper table 160 each are positioned to engage four tapered locating bushings 46 in the lower surfaces 176 of fixtures 178 and 182 thereby providing four index positions for each of these fixtures 178 and 182 . pressurized air is established between upper and lower tables 160 and 158 , and upper table 160 is accurately positioned by engaging locating pins 44 and tapered locating bushings 46 in the lower and upper tables , respectively . t - clamps 98 are then retracted so that the upper table 160 is firmly held in place . each of the four sides of fixture 182 is presented to tool 20 by establishing fluid pressure between upper table 160 and fixture 182 , rotating fixture 182 to the desired orientation whereupon locating pin 244 will lock into the appropriate locating bushing 46 , exhausting the pressurized air between fixture 182 and upper table 160 , and then clamping the fixture 182 in place . clamping could be accomplished by means of the previously discussed prior art t - clamp arrangement wherein t - slots are provided on the upper surface of upper tables 160 , by the bayonet clamping system disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 174 , 828 , or by means of a circular t - slot and automatically retracted t - clamps as shown in fig1 . alternatively , shorter , arcuate t - slots as shown in fig8 may be utilized wherein the t - clamps are permitted to enter the arcuate slots through respective enlarged entry openings as described earlier . when all four sides of the workpiece ( not shown ) mounted to fixture 182 have been machined , upper table 160 can be turned 180 ° on lower table 158 by unlocking t - clamps 98 , establishing fluid pressure between tables 158 and 160 , retracting the locating pins 44 in lower table 158 , turning upper table 160 180 ° on lower table 158 until locating pins 44 again engage the respective locating bushings 44 , exhausting fluid pressure between upper and lower tables 160 and 158 , and retracting t - clamps 98 to clamp upper table 160 in place . the other fixture 178 can then be indexed to its four ( or more ) positions for machining of the workpiece mounted thereto . a dual centering pin 42 comprising outer pin 62 and inner pin 68 is mounted in lower table 158 . outer pin 62 engages an elongated slot 174 in lower surface 168 of upper table 160 and inner pin 68 is positioned to engage a plurality of recesses 184 in the lower surface 168 of table 160 . this enables upper table 160 to be translated on lower table 158 and to be accurately located in three different positions relative to tool 20 . clamping in these positions is accomplished by t - clamps 98 and elongated t - slots 186 . locating bushings 188 in upper table 160 cooperate with the upper left hand locating pin 344 to provide accurate location in each of the three translation positions enabled by slot 174 . although certain specific arrangements of the t - slots and t - clamps have been shown in connection with various embodiments of the invention , it should be understood that any number of configurations could be employed depending on the situation . furthermore , the present invention is not limited to machine tool environments , but could be utilized in other instances where accurate location and clamping are required . while this invention has been described as having a preferred design , it will be understood that it is capable of further modification . this application , is therefore , intended to cover any variations , uses , or adaptations of the invention following the general principles thereof and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and fall within the limits of the appended claims . | 1 |
referring first to fig1 the first embodiment of the apparatus is indicated generally by the reference 10 and includes an enclosure 12 , in the apparatus . in the drawings , this is identified as a hytef - fc15 enclosure . within the enclosure 12 , there is a fuel stack 14 comprising , in known manner , a plurality of pem fuel cells , and described in greater detail in relation to fig4 . for the stack 14 , a main fuel supply line 16 is provided for hydrogen . the fuel line 16 extends into the enclosure 12 and continues as a main supply line 18 including a respective flow control valve 24 and a solenoid - operated valve 25 . as shown , a stack purge outlet at 26 enables excess hydrogen to be purged from the fuel cell stack 14 . a respective solenoid controlled valve 27 , controls purging of the hydrogen gas . again , as is known , this prevents accumulation of contaminants and impurities in the hydrogen fuel , within the fuel cell stack 14 . the purged hydrogen through the purge outlet 26 can be recycled for consumption . the stack can comprise an air - breathing stack , including a plurality of channels extending through the fuel cell stack for permitting free flow of ambient air as the oxidant through the fuel cell stack , there being at least one channel for each fuel cell , wherein the catalytic reaction is mounted below the fuel cell stack . the catalytic converter is configured to receive air as an oxidant through the second inlet thereof in excess of the stoichiometric quantity of air required for combustion of fuel within the catalytic reaction , whereby heated and humidified air is discharged from the outlet of the catalytic reaction . the outlet of the catalytic reaction is mounted below the channels of the fuel cell stack , whereby heated and moistened air flows upwardly through the channels of the fuel cell stack from the catalytic reactor . the catalytic reactor can be either generally tubular or it can be disk - shaped , configured for flow of fuel and oxidant generally along the central axis of the reactor . the fuel cell stack 14 in fig1 is a closed stack . hydrogen fuel flows through the anode side of each individual fuel cell in known manner . correspondingly , an air inlet 34 is provided , connected to an air line 38 . a pump 36 for the air is provided , and an air exhaust indicated at 43 . in accordance with the present invention , the fuel or hydrogen supply line 16 is connected to a catalytic reactor 50 , which includes a catalytic reactor bed 57 ( fig3 ), comprising , for example reticulated aluminum ; this material is chosen for its thermal conductivity , cost and ease of use . a separate air inlet 41 is provided , connected via a pump 40 and an air supply line 42 to the catalytic reactor 50 . non - return valves 58 prevent back flow of air and fuel , and a flash arrestor 59 is provided for the fuel cell . the catalytic reactor 50 is generally tubular , has respective inlets 52 and 54 for hydrogen and air , and a tubular outlet 56 . a flow of heated , humidified fuel exits from the tubular outlet 56 , and will then flow to the fuel inlet of the fuel cell stack . reference will now be made to fig2 which shows a third embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment of the invention again can have an enclosure , as indicated at 60 , and again includes a fuel cell stack , here indicated at 62 . the stack 62 here is a closed stack , and is provided with an air pump or blower 64 connected by a main supply line 66 to an inlet of the fuel cell stack 62 , and excess air exhausts from the fuel cell stack 62 as indicated at 68 . on the hydrogen side , a hydrogen supply line 70 can include a pressure gauge and a flow meter ( not shown ), and comprises a main hydrogen supply line 72 to the fuel cell stack 62 and a secondary supply line 74 to the catalytic burner or reactor . a solenoid valve 73 is provided in the main supply line 72 , and a solenoid valve 75 , a flash arrestor 76 and a non - return valve 77 are provided in the secondary line 74 . a fuel purge valve 78 with a controlling solenoid valve 79 are provided as for the first embodiment . the tubular , catalytic reactor 50 is again provided and the hydrogen inlet 52 is again provided at the side of the reactor . an air supply line for the catalytic reactor 50 is indicated at 80 and includes a pump or meter 82 , and a respective non - return valve 84 . the air supply line 80 is connected to a respective inlet 54 . optionally , a pressure gauge and a flow meter can be provided . the outlet 56 of the tubular reactor 50 is connected by a line 85 , to two branch lines 86 and 87 , which are connected by respective solenoid valves 88 and 89 to the supply line 72 and to the air supply line 66 . although not shown , the stack 62 can optionally include a recirculation pump . excess hydrogen can , in a known manner , be purged through the outlet 68 or purge line 78 , to prevent build - up of contaminants . the tubular reactor 50 can be run to provide either a humidified and heated flow of air or a humidified and heated flow of hydrogen . these two modes of operation are detailed below . to generate a flow of heated and humidified air , excess air is delivered by the pump 82 , relative to the hydrogen flow through the line 74 . in the tubular reactor 50 , the oxygen reacts with the hydrogen to generate heat and moisture . this results in a heated and moistened air flow exiting through the outlet 56 . then , the valve 88 is maintained closed and the valve 89 is opened , so that the heated and moistened air flow passes through to the main air supply line 66 , to be entrained into the air flow passing to the fuel cell stack 62 . correspondingly , to generate a heated hydrogen flow , the valve 88 is opened and the valve 89 closed . then , excess hydrogen is supplied through the line 74 , as compared to air supplied through the main fuel line 82 . the flow is dead ended and is only exhausted during purging when the exhaust solenoid is open . however , the flow can be controlled using control valves when not operated in dead - ended mode . in the tubular reactor 50 , the oxygen in the air reacts with some of the hydrogen to generate heat and moisture . the flow of hydrogen , with residual nitrogen , together with heat and moisture , then exits from the outlet 56 . this flow of heated and humidified nitrogen and hydrogen gas passes through valve 88 into the main fuel line 72 . it will be appreciated that where heated and humidified hydrogen is supplied to the fuel line 72 , and as air is used as the oxidant , this does result in nitrogen being injected into the fuel gas supply . for this reason , the purge line 78 will need to be used , to prevent the build - up of nitrogen within the fuel cell stack 62 . alternatively , a flowing system can be used at all times . it is important that , in the tubular , catalytic reactor 50 , complete reaction takes place . in other words , it is essential that , in the two modes of operation , residual hydrogen is not delivered to the main air line 66 , nor residual oxygen delivered to the hydrogen supply line 72 . this could result in potentially flammable gas mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen being delivered to the fuel cell stack 62 , which is dangerous . to ensure complete reaction , proper topology and morphology of the reactor must be designed , essentially to ensure adequate residence time over the full range of flow rates . it will also be understood that it is possible to heat and humidify both of the fuel and air supply lines . because of the different requirements of the two supply lines , this would require the provision of two separate tubular reactors , each of which would be configured to operate in one of the two modes outlined above . turning to fig3 this shows , in detail , the tubular reactor 50 . it is to be appreciated that this is an early version of the tubular reactor 50 , and in particular , the housing of the tubular reactor 50 is made from conventional , off - the - shelf components . it is anticipated that the overall configuration of the tubular reactor 50 can be enhanced to give a design which both has better performance characteristics , and is more economical to manufacture . the tubular reactor 50 comprises a tubular reactor housing 51 . at the lower end thereof , a t - connector 100 is provided . the t - connector 100 has three coupling flanges 102 , one of which is connected to the tubular housing 51 , and the two others of which provide connections for the hydrogen supply lines . at the top end , the tubular reactor 50 includes a connector 104 , again provided with connection flanges 106 , one of which is connected to the tubular housing 51 and the others of which provide connections to supply lines . while a housing 51 of circular cross - section is shown , it will be understood that any suitable cross - section , for example a square cross - section , could be used . reference will now be made to fig4 . this shows a plan view of , for example five pairs of flow field plates making up five individual fuel cell elements in the fuel cell stack 62 . thus , there are oxidant flow field plates indicated at 110 . fuel flow field plates are indicated at 112 . between each pair of oxidant and fuel flow field plates 110 , 112 , there is located a respective membrane electrode assembly ( mea ) and gas diffusion media 114 . between the oxidant flow field plates 110 and the mea 114 , there are defined oxidant channels 116 , and fuel flow hydrogen channels 118 are defined between the fuel flow field plates 112 and the mea 114 . cooling channels 120 are provided in the back of the oxidant flow field plates 110 , against the fuel flow field plates 112 . these cooling channels 120 are , like the oxidant channels 116 , simply channels extending vertically ( not necessarily vertical ) through the stack 62 , to provide free flow of ambient air through the channels . in known manner , other constructional details of the stack , e . g . elements holding the various flow field plates together , are not shown , but these can be conventional . | 7 |
the present inventive method of printing customized price information tags includes providing : a digital press capable of printing very high resolution multi - color pictures / photographs / graphics at high speed ; a data management system with computer hardware connected for internet access ; a database of stored information such as pictures , photographs , and symbols ; and a supply of sheets having a suitable stiffness ( i . e ., that resist folding , bending , and wrinkling , and that are durable for good long term appearance ) and having a high surface quality ( i . e ., that provide good appearance of digitally printed fonts and pictures ) for use as price information tags attached to a store shelf . updated information is received electronically via the internet , and combined with selected elements from the stored information using a data management system to generate customized tag data , which is communicated to the digital press to print customized multi - color price information tags and displays . the tags are cut to size and cut to include integral attachment tabs / barbs . the customized tag data is arranged to print tags in a series corresponding to product arrangement ( i . e ., “ plan - o - gram ” arrangement ) of particular store shelves . the customized price information tags can be printed , cut and shipped on a just - in - time basis and in a predetermined sequence within just a very few hours , such as within 24 hours of receiving the “ real - time ” digital information off the internet . fig2 shows a system embodying the present invention , where box 100 illustrates a site with store employees ( such as buyers or decision makers at a corporate headquarters ) input price information / basic tag data via an internet connection 101 to a printer company / site 102 with digital presses . the printer company also has ( or has access to ) a database 103 of pictures , photographs , symbols , and images ; and combines the tag information from the store employees to generate customized price information tags 15 ( or displays ) on a just - in - time basis . the high - resolution tags 15 and / or signs are delivered daily to the different retail store locations . the management of data is controlled by a web software 104 based on an industry standard , such as by using accessvia ™ software , hp yours truly ™ software , printable technologies ™ software or xmpie ™ software . the software 104 is commercially available and the industry standards for communication are known in the art by those skilled in this art , such that they do not need to be described in detail in this application for an understanding of the present inventive concepts . fig3 shows additional detail of the data management software , which includes the internet connection 101 , a “ sign request ” form 105 for filing out by the end user , an administrator user 106 ′ having templates / rules for managing the data and a background control software such as by using the web software 104 . the manipulated “ massaged ” customized tag data is routed to the digital press ( es ) 106 and through in - house control systems for maintaining a particular sequential order of the price information tags 15 . the tags 15 are cut to shape , packaged , and shipped to individual retail store locations in quantities as ordered . notably , it is contemplated that any digital press could work in the present system , and that digital presses are commercially available , such as hp indigo ™ digital presses , and xerox i - gen digital presses . fig4 shows additional details of the software management tool , including its design and assembly stage 108 and its publishing stage 109 . the design and assembly stage 108 includes steps such as template authoring , content management , template management , event construction , staging and proofing , as well as integration of various elements such as stored data , timing , customer and event controls . the publishing stage 109 includes a publishing engine that permits viewing as a display prior to viewing as a printed product . fig5 discloses the system components working in and around the system database , including inputs and outputs to the basic system . in particular , input comes from a file - transfer - protocol web site at the print site 102 as ascii data , and is manipulated and then fed to the software 104 . the software 104 accesses a sign data manager and image data to generate customized tag data based on an authorizing software , generating a pdf image data ( i . e ., customized price information tag data ) which is fed to the digital press . fig5 a shows a high speed sign ( and tag ) production apparatus and system capable of receiving and assembling data from archived and internet - received and other data sources , and capable of providing same to digital presses to create on a very short turn - around basis a variety of high quality printed signs and price information tags and other display products . the apparatus is highly automated , and capable of provided printed signs and tags potentially in less than 30 minutes of receiving data input from a customer , and more preferably as low as within 8 minutes of receiving data input through the internet by a client company . the illustration of fig5 a shows both data flow and inter - relationship / interaction of components . a customer archival tool / software 270 is maintained on a sql server 272 ( sql means standard query language ), and allows for quality analysis ( qa ) such as high speed troubleshooting and data analysis , and includes digital data transmission software ( dts ). the archival software 270 generates an update query 271 for updating an item library of information in a main sql server 272 . the main sql server 272 is run by commercially available database control / manager software 273 , includes a database server 272 a , multiple web / print servers 272 b , and distiller workstations 272 c . notably , these components can be added via simple edits to the manager software 273 , and do not require a major re - design or reconfiguration of the interconnected system , such that the present system is “ scalable ”. ( in other words , components can be added on a modular basis , and the apparatus / system does not require major redesign for each expansion and increase in system capability .) sign data manager software 273 ( such as accessvia . db ) controls the main sql server 272 and imports and profiles incoming data , converts it to an acceptable format , creates collated batches , and generates reports via the main sql server 272 . the sign data manager software 273 manages customer images 274 and proprietary images 274 ′ in creating the collated batches and reports . the manager software 273 inputs arranged data to web - interface software 275 , which in turn generates pdf files 276 that are communicated to the product flow control hardware 277 and to the digital presses 278 and 279 . fig5 b illustrates the automated operation of the sql server 272 and the related software . the main sql server 272 is controlled via an administration station 280 to generate manual reports 281 and automatic reports 282 . the main sql server 272 inputs data to a data load balancer 296 ( see fig5 c ), which balances data flow by automatically creating a web interface and printing data “ stream ” 278 ′ and 279 ′ for respective automatic distillers 278 and 279 , which in turn transfer the data “ streams ” in file transfer steps 286 and 287 to the product flow control hardware and software 277 and to the digital presses 278 and 279 . it is noted that balancers are known in the computer industry and are used in large data processing systems , such that a more detailed explanation is not required . fig5 c shows the hardware and inter - connection of items in fig5 a and 5b . a file transfer protocol ( ftp ) server 290 inputs data received at the ftp web site from the internet and makes it available on the internal intranet 291 . designer workstations with pcs 292 are connected to the intranet 291 and programmed with commercially available software . also operably connected are a staging server 293 , a staging database server 294 , a production database server 295 , a load balancer 296 , production distiller workstations 297 , and an sql database server 298 . the load balancer 296 is operably connected to web / print servers 299 and to digital presses 278 - 279 . notably , the present system is scalable without major reconfiguration nor system adaptation . in other words , the present system can be increased in size and capability relatively easily and without major system redesign by adding additional designer workstations , production distiller workstations , and additional web / print servers . the apparatus and system of fig5 a - 5c are relatively automated . a modified system ( fig5 d ) is contemplated . the appearance and system of fig5 d is similar to that of fig5 b , but the modified system does not include a balancer , nor an automatic sql server . further , the web i / f and printing step , the distilling step , and the file transfer steps are manual . notably , components 280 a , 278 a , 278 a ′, 279 a , 279 a ′, 286 a , 287 a , and 277 a in fig5 d are similar in function and arrangement to components 280 , 278 , 278 ′, 279 , 279 ′, 286 , 287 , and 277 in fig5 b , but in fig5 d they are programmed for manual operation . this system is still considered to be a high speed sign ( and tag ) production system . by way of comparison to the system of 5 b , this system &# 39 ; s capability ( i . e ., the system of fig5 d ) can provide printed signs ( and price information tags ) from a digital press within about 30 minutes of receiving data input through the internet by a client company . the illustration shows both data flow and inter - relationship / interaction of components . fig6 - 7 show two different sheets with customized price information tags 15 printed thereon . notably , the printed tags are each different from each other . several tags include very high quality / high resolution printing and pictures / photographs / symbols printed in multiple colors . they are arranged to be cut into individual price information tags , fig6 having nine tags ( each about 3 ″× 5 ″), fig7 having 10 tags ( each about 2 ″× 3 . 5 ″). the two sheets can be printed immediately after each other . the tags each include an eye - catcher section , such as “ save $ 1 ” or “ sale ,” and also each include price information and product information . several of the tags also include the above - noted high quality photographs of the product . where desired , attachment structure is cut into the tags 15 ( such as by forming top and / or bottom barbs or tabs , see fig8 - 9 ) and / or adhesive or other attachment structure ( see tags 20 , fig1 ). the tags 15 are preferably printed in order so that they are sequentially ordered to match a particular store product arrangement (“ plan - o - gram ”) on store shelves . fig8 - 9 show a particular price information tag . the illustrated tag 15 is made from a sheet of 4 mm thick rigid pvc plastic material . however , the tag 15 can be made from another material of sufficient stiffness to form attachment barbs , such as 80 # to 100 # paper , cardboard or laminate ). the sheet material is sufficiently stiff to be snappingly - attached ( i . e ., using the flexible attachment barbs ) for attachment to a shelf - mounted channel ( see fig1 and 13 ), with the integrally formed attachment barbs 16 and 17 engaging tops and bottoms of the channel . the illustrated top barb or tab 16 is elongated . the illustrated bottom barbs 17 are triangularly shaped with a flexible point 18 . the barbs 17 are spaced apart to form with top barb 16 a three - point attachment matrix that stably engages a shelf - mounted channel ( 11 ). fig1 shows a tag 15 ( similar to the tag shown in fig8 - 9 ) configured to attach to a channel 11 ( also called a “ holder ” or “ bracket ”) on a shelf 10 . the tag 15 ( fig1 - 12 ) is sheet of 4 mm thick rigid pvc plastic material 21 cut to size . a plurality of hooks or tabs 22 ( three being shown ) are die - cut into the blank 21 . adhesive 23 is placed along a top portion of the tab if desired . indicia 24 are printed on a front surface of the tag . the top edge of the tag 15 can be linear or have protrusions ( see the tag in fig8 - 9 ). the present tag 15 can be attached in three different ways as shown in fig1 . in the first way , the tag 15 includes a top edge 25 tucked inside a top groove in the channel 11 and the tabs 22 are pushed to snap into the bottom groove in the channel 11 . the attachment is extremely quick . the tag is very simple , with no additional attachment structure required ( which provides significant cost savings for those stores having shelf - mounted channels 11 ). also , the attachment is very secure . in the second attachment method , a different channel 12 is attached to a face of the shelf 10 . the channel 12 includes a finger - like front tab 13 forming a friction abutment with a back surface of the channel 12 . the top edge 25 of the tag 15 slips under the friction member for retention . in the third method , the tag 15 includes the adhesive 23 which is adhered directly to a front surface of the shelf 10 , thus eliminating the need for a channel . it is contemplated that the tag 15 can include all three of the above - mentioned attachment structures or can include just one or two , or can include other known attachment structure such as holes , apertures , and / or various arrangements of attachment tabs . by the above system , the inventor &# 39 ; s study showed that an existing known company could cut printing costs by over one million dollars per year . further , employee productivity is improved considerably , such as 40 % for many employees , both when setting / hanging tags , and also for productivity in general manpower for managing / handling / printing tags . also , the need for pre - printed stock is substantially eliminated . still further , in - store errors are reduced , due to the use of sequentially arranged price information tags as supplied to the individual retail outlet stores . problems associated with out - of - stock items are reduced , due to the shortened lead times required for supplying the present customized price information tags . also , “ false fronts ” and mis - information is reduced or eliminated . also , there are faster “ resets ,” where old tags are replaced with new updated price information tags , such as up to 40 % faster resets where sequentially arranged price information tags are supplied . there is expected to be a considerably faster stocking , with substantial reduction in mis - stocks and mis - information on stocked items . also , the present system will greatly reduce the need for consumer price checks and will greatly improve correct posting of product - to - price identification . still further , high quality multi - color photographs and color images are on the price information tags , resulting in higher sales volumes based on consumer attraction to the signage ( based on recent marketing studies ). there will be improved quality over b & amp ; w toner commonly used in black laser printers , and improved paper quality due to the printing capabilities of the digital presses . there is a reduced need for toner cartridges and laser printer consumables and maintenance . also , signs will be cut by high - volume accurate cutters , as opposed to less accurate local cut or tear systems now used at many retail outlets . also , signs will be shipped in “ plan - o - gram ” order according to the layout of a particular store , promoting efficient installation , less wasted manual time , and improved accuracy of sign postings . a price information tag 200 ( also called a “ price tag ”) ( fig1 - 16a ) includes a body 201 made from a sheet of material similar to that of tag 15 ( fig8 - 9 ), and is printed and die cut similar to the processes noted above for tags 15 . price tag 200 improves on tag 15 and provides yet additional attachment structure . the illustrated bottom barbs 202 are cut into the body 201 and are formed from a continuous wavy slit to have three spaced - apart downwardly - extending barbs 202 . each barb 202 has a short flat bottom edge which tends to better hold its shape and retaining qualities better than a pointed barb . a length of the flat bottom edge can be varied , depending on the durability needed and depending on the material of body 201 used . a score 203 ( or slit ) is cut about half way into the material at a location about ⅛ th to 3 / 16 inch down from a top of the body 201 , and more preferably about 5 / 32 inch down from the top of the body 201 , leaving a thin section of material 203 a forming a living hinge . notably , it is contemplated that a slight fold will also work , or a dashed cut line . this creates a top counter - engaging attachment flange 204 that can be folded , as illustrated in fig1 - 16a . the attachment flange 204 is particularly well adapted for positive and secure attachment to the prior art holder 150 illustrated in fig1 , as discussed below and shown in fig1 . a discussion of the prior art holder 150 is found earlier in this disclosure . the price tag 200 ( fig1 ) can be upwardly inserted into the front throat 158 a with a quick upward movement of the price tag 200 . when thus inserted , the folded attachment flange 204 snaps into engagement with the inner flange 160 and holds the price tag 200 very securely and also squarely in position in the holder 150 on the store shelf . a reason for the sureness of engagement by the attachment flange 204 is because the integral hinge material 203 a of body 201 ( i . e ., that part not cut by slit 203 ) remains sufficient to bias the attachment flange 204 outwardly away from the body 201 at a reverse angle , such that it effectively locks the price tag 200 in a secured position . the folded attachment flange 204 is short enough to easily snap over the holder &# 39 ; s flange 162 , but long enough such that it prevents the price tag 200 from moving to an angled position ( which has a poor appearance on a store shelf . . . and which is a precursor to the price tag simply falling out ). at the same time , the price tag 200 can be pulled out of holder 150 by a simple downward pull . this is because the attachment flange 204 , when pulled with a conscious “ tug ,” causes the tag 200 to bend and flex enough to “ let go ” without damaging or destroying the flanges 160 , 161 , or ridge 162 of the holder 150 , and without leaving remnants of the price tag 200 in the retention area on the holder 150 . as a result , the retention of the price tag 200 is positive and secure , but releasable . notably , any of the additional attachment structures shown in fig1 can also be used on the price tag 200 . a price information tag 250 ( fig2 - 21 ) includes a body 251 made from a sheet of material similar to that of tag 15 ( fig8 - 9 ) and tag 200 ( fig1 - 17 ), and is printed and die cut similar to the processes noted above for tags 15 . for example , the body 251 can be a paper of 80 # or 100 # weight . the body 251 of tag 250 has a window 252 cut therein , as defined by perimeter material 253 . the perimeter material 253 can include a bendable attachment flange 254 similar to the attachment flange 204 if desired . in a preferred form , a clear plastic sheet 255 is attached to a back side of the body 251 covering the window 252 . a similar clear plastic sheet can also be attached to a front of the body 251 if desired so as to provide a smoother front region around the window 252 . it is contemplated that a clear double - sided tape can also be adhered or laminated to a back of the clear plastic sheet 255 , or that a one - sided clear tape ( not shown ) can be secured to the body 251 in place of the plastic sheet 255 , with the tape &# 39 ; s adhesive facing rearward ( such as if a sticky second attachment structure for adhering to a shelf front is desired on the price tag ). as shown in fig2 ( and fig2 a ), this allows the price information tag 250 to be attached to the holder 150 , but allows the base tag 156 to continue to be visible through the window 252 . it is noted that the window - type price information tag 250 provides a significant cost advantage over other window - type tags , because the price information tag 250 is primarily a lower - cost paper ( or stiff plastic film ), while the more expensive clear plastic with adhesive extends only a length of the window area on the price tag 250 . this is seen to be a great price advantage , when one considers that literally millions of these window - type price tags are used each year . the window price information tag 250 con also be used on a more traditional price holder channel 11 on a shelf 10 , as shown in fig2 - 24 . the channel 11 is c - shaped , and includes top and bottom lips for engaging top and bottom edges of a “ main ” price information tag 156 . the window 252 of tag 250 ( with or without clear panel 255 ) allows the main price tag 156 to be seen , yet displays information printed on its body 251 , such as for indicating in - store specials . the tag 250 includes a top edge for engaging the top lip of channel 11 , and includes bottom barbs 202 for engaging the bottom lip of channel 11 in a position overlaying the main price information tag 156 . it is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of the present invention , and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise . | 6 |
embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings . a fingerprint authenticating system according to an embodiment of the present invention is invented by paying attention to the following point . that is , the registration of a fingerprint is carried out in only the first trial when a usage of an apparatus including this fingerprint authenticating system is started , and the collation of the fingerprint is carried out for each usage of the apparatus that is , the registration of the fingerprint is carried out only one time . thus , even if the sweep reading operation for reading the fingerprint while sliding a finger with respect to a fingerprint sensor is carried out , this operation does not impose a burden on a user . also , the deposition of contaminant caused by the operation for sliding the finger is little . on the other hand , the fingerprint of the entire finger is obtained by the sweep reading operation . hence , it is possible to obtain the fingerprint picture ( image ) having much information . on the other hand , the collation of the fingerprint carried out for each usage of the apparatus does not impose the burden on the user , since a still reading operation is carried out for making the finger static with respect to the fingerprint sensor and then reading the fingerprint . also , there is no deposition of the contaminant caused by the operation for sliding the finger . moreover , the fingerprint picture having the much information is registered . hence , at the time of the collation , even if the information amount is not much such as the partial fingerprint of the finger obtained by the still reading operation , it is possible to carry out the collation at a high precision . so , in the fingerprint authenticating system according to the embodiment of the present invention , as shown in fig3 at the time of the registration of the fingerprint , the sweep reading operation is carried out to generate and register the entire fingerprint picture of the finger . at the time of the collation of the fingerprint , the still reading operation is carried out to obtain the fingerprint picture having the shape of rectangular strips ( hereafter , referred to as [ slice picture ( image )]) as shown in fig1 . then , this slice picture and the registered fingerprint picture are collated to thereby solve the conventional problems . [ 0064 ] fig1 is a view showing the configuration of the fingerprint authenticating system according to the embodiment of the present invention . this fingerprint authenticating system is provided with a fingerprint sensor 10 and a fingerprint processing unit 20 . the fingerprint sensor 10 is composed of a sweep type of a fingerprint sensor . as this fingerprint sensor 10 , it is possible to use a device that reacts to a light , a heat , a capacitance , a pressure and the like . the outer shape of this fingerprint sensor 10 has a size of , for example , about 10 × 5 mm . this is the size that can be installed in a small apparatus , for example , such as a portable telephone and the like . this fingerprint sensor 10 is designed such that a reading ( scanning ) speed can be changed on the basis of an instruction from the fingerprint processing unit 20 . this fingerprint sensor 10 reads ( scans ) the fingerprint of a portion on which a finger is pushed , and then transmits as the slice picture having the shape of the rectangular strips shown in fig1 , to the fingerprint processing unit 20 . the fingerprint processing unit 20 is composed of : an interface ( if ) 21 , a central processing unit ( hereafter , referred to as [ cpu ]) 22 , a read only memory ( hereafter , referred to as [ rom ]) 23 , a random access memory ( hereafter , referred to as [ ram ]) 24 , a memory 25 and a bus 26 through which they are connected . the bus 26 is used to transmit and receive an address , a data , a control signal and the like between the interface 21 , the cpu 22 , the rom 23 , the ram 24 and the memory 25 . the interface 21 controls the transmission and the reception of the signal between this fingerprint processing unit 20 and the fingerprint sensor 10 . that is , this interface 21 transmits the control signal transmitted through the bus 26 to the fingerprint sensor 10 , and transmits a fingerprint picture transmitted by the fingerprint sensor 10 to the bus 26 . incidentally , in fig1 the interface 21 is configured so as to be connected to the bus 26 . however , as shown by a dashed line in fig1 it can be configured so as to be connected to the cpu 22 . the cpu 22 executes the process for re - configuring the fingerprint picture transmitted by the fingerprint sensor 10 , the process for collating the fingerprint , and the like . the detailed operation of this cpu 22 will be described later with reference to a flowchart . the rom 23 stores a program through which the cpu 22 is operated . the cpu 22 sequentially reads out the program from this rom 23 , and executes the process for reconfiguring the fingerprint picture , the process for collating the fingerprint , and the like . the ram 24 is used as a work region when the cpu 22 carries out the process in accordance with the program . a counter , a register , a flag , a table and the like are defined in this ram 24 . the memory 25 is composed of , for example , a hard disc ( hdd ) and a flash rom ( from ). this memory 25 stores user information . a part or whole of this memory 25 can be placed outside the fingerprint processing unit 20 . in this case , as necessary , the user information is read from the memory 25 and transiently stored in the ram 24 . then , the user information stored in this ram 24 is used to carry out the process . in case that this fingerprint authenticating system is applied to an apparatus essentially requiring the miniaturization , for example , such as a portable telephone , phs and pda , from as the memory 25 is applied to the apparatus . in case that it is applied to an apparatus that does not require the miniaturization so far , such as a personal computer and the like , hdd can be configured so as to be used . the configuration of the software installed in this fingerprint authenticating system will be described below with reference to fig2 . this software is composed of a fingerprint process control unit 30 , a database 40 , a fingerprint sensor control unit 50 , a picture re - configuration unit 60 and a fingerprint collating unit 70 . the fingerprint process control unit 30 interprets a command transmitted from a high order unit or a high order application ( ap ), and controls the database 40 , the fingerprint sensor control unit 50 , the picture re - configuration unit 60 and the fingerprint collating unit 70 , and then instructs them to execute an authenticating process . also , it transmits the result of the authenticating process executed by the database 40 , the fingerprint sensor control unit 50 , the picture re - configuration unit 60 and the fingerprint collating unit 70 , to the high order unit or the high order application . the high order unit designates the apparatus to which this fingerprint authenticating system is applied , and the high order application designates the program using the result of the authenticating process . the database 40 stores a user information , a personal information and the like . this database 40 is prepared in the memory 25 . the database 40 stores the user information , such as each person , id , a fingerprint information and a personal information related to each person . the operations for reading , writing and deleting the user information from , to and from this database 40 are carried out in accordance with the instruction from the fingerprint process control unit 30 . the fingerprint sensor control unit 50 is composed of a sensor setting unit 51 and a slice fingerprint reading unit 52 . the sensor setting unit 51 responds to the instruction from the fingerprint process control unit 30 , and carries out an operational setting of the fingerprint sensor 10 . this operational setting contains the setting of the reading ( scanning ) speed . the slice fingerprint reading unit 52 controls the fingerprint sensor 10 , reads ( scans ) the slice picture , and then stores in the ram 24 . the picture re - configuration unit 60 is composed of a sweep existence judging unit 61 , a slice moving amount judging unit 62 and a slice coupling unit 63 . the sweep existence judging unit 61 calculates the difference between a plurality of slice pictures stored in the ram 24 , and thereby judges whether or not a sweep is carried out . the slice moving amount judging unit 62 collates two slice pictures with each other , and thereby calculates their moving amounts . the slice coupling unit 63 couples the slice pictures in accordance with the moving amounts calculated by the slice moving amount judging unit 62 , and thereby reconfigures into the entire fingerprint , and then stores in the ram 24 . the fingerprint collating unit 70 is composed of a picture pre - processor 71 , a feature extracting unit 72 , and a fingerprint collating judging unit 73 . the picture pre - processor 71 carries out the removal of noise in the fingerprint picture coupled by the slice coupling unit 63 and the like , and works into the fingerprint picture in which the feature is easily extracted . the feature extracting unit 72 extracts a feature information from the fingerprint picture worked by the picture pre - processor 71 . the fingerprint collating judging unit 73 collates the feature information extracted by the feature extracting unit 72 with the feature information stored in the database 40 , and thereby judges whether they are equal or different . the operation of the fingerprint authenticating system configured as mentioned above will be described below . at first , when this fingerprint authenticating system registers a fingerprint to be carried out at only the first trial ( primary registration ), a plurality of slice pictures read by the sweep reading operation are coupled to thereby re - configure the picture of the entire fingerprint of the finger and then store in the database 40 . in this case , the feature of a fingerprint picture is extracted to thereby register the feature information indicative of the feature of the fingerprint . incidentally , the database 40 can register the fingerprint picture itself of the re - configured entire finger . or , it can be configured so as to convert the fingerprint picture into a numeral , a character and the like and then register . the operation for re - configuring the fingerprint of the entire finger in the registration of this fingerprint is equal to the processes at steps s 15 to s 18 in a process for authenticating a fingerprint , which will be described later with reference to fig4 a and 4b . here , that explanation is omitted . the authenticating operation in this fingerprint authenticating system will be described below with reference to a flowchart shown in fig4 a and 4b . incidentally , the fingerprint of the entire finger is assumed to be that already registered in the database 40 . when the fingerprint authenticating system is actuated and a command for an authentication start is received from the high order unit or the high order application , the fingerprint process control unit 30 firstly actuates the slice fingerprint reading unit 52 of the fingerprint sensor control unit 50 . this slice fingerprint reading unit 52 becomes firstly at a state waiting for a fingerprint input ( step s 10 ). next , whether or not a finger is put on the fingerprint sensor 10 is judged ( step s 11 ). here , if it is judged that the finger is put on the fingerprint sensor 10 , the operation returns back to the step s 10 . while the steps s 10 and s 11 are repeated , this continues the state waiting for the fingerprint input . at this state waiting for the fingerprint input , if it is judged at the step s 11 that the finger is put on the fingerprint sensor 10 , a plurality of slice pictures are read ( step s 12 ). in this case , a direction on which the finger is put may be any of a longitudinal direction ( symbol a of fig3 ) of the fingerprint sensor 10 and a direction ( symbol b of fig3 ) orthogonal to this longitudinal direction . however , if the fingerprint of a static finger is read and collated , as shown by the symbol a of fig3 the manner in which the finger is put on the longitudinal direction of the fingerprint sensor 10 is desirable from the viewpoint that the area of the fingerprint read by the fingerprint sensor 10 becomes wider . after that , the slice fingerprint reading unit 52 returns the control back to the fingerprint process control unit 30 . next , the fingerprint process control unit 30 actuates the sweep existence judging unit 61 of the picture re - configuration unit 60 . the sweep existence judging unit 61 firstly examines the degree of the change in the read picture ( step s 13 ). this is carried out by calculating the difference between the plurality of slice pictures read from the fingerprint sensor 10 and then examining whether or not this calculated difference is equal to or more than a predetermined value . here , if it is equal to or more than the predetermined value , namely , if the degree of the change is high , the finger is judged to be slid ( step s 14 ). the sweep existence judging unit 61 returns the control back to the fingerprint process control unit 30 . then , the fingerprint process control unit 30 again actuates the slice fingerprint reading unit 52 of the fingerprint sensor control unit 50 . this slice fingerprint reading unit 52 stores the previously read slice picture in the ram 24 ( step s 15 ). next , whether or not the finger is separated from the fingerprint sensor 10 , or whether or not the number of the obtained pictures is maximum is examined ( step s 16 ). if it is judged as [ no ] at this step s 16 , the slice picture is then read ( step s 17 ). after that , the sequence returns back to the step s 15 . after that , until it is judged as [ yes ] at the step s 16 , the processes at the steps s 15 to s 17 are repeatedly executed . in the course of the repeated execution , if it is judged as [ yes ] at the step s 16 , the slice fingerprint reading unit 52 returns the control back to the fingerprint process control unit 30 . then , the fingerprint process control unit 30 actuates the slice moving amount judging unit 62 and the slice coupling unit 63 of the picture re - configuration unit 60 . thus , the process for re - configuring the picture is executed ( step s 18 ). at this process for re - configuring the picture , the slice moving amount judging unit 62 collates the two slice pictures and calculates their moving amounts . the slice coupling unit 63 couples the slice pictures to each other in accordance with the moving amounts calculated by the slice moving amount judging unit 62 , and thereby re - configures into the entire fingerprint , and then stores in the ram 24 . after that , the slice coupling unit 63 returns the control back to the fingerprint process control unit 30 . at the step s 13 , if the calculated difference is not equal to nor more than the predetermined value , namely , if the degree of the change is low , the finger is judged to be static ( step s 19 ). one of the plurality of slice pictures read at the step s 12 is stored in the ram 24 ( step s 20 ). after that , the sweep existence judging unit 61 returns the control back to the fingerprint process control unit 30 . next , the fingerprint process control unit 30 actuates the picture pre - processor 71 of fingerprint collating unit 70 . the picture pre - processor 71 carries out a pre - process for carrying out the removal of the noise in the fingerprint picture which was previously read and stored in the ram 24 , and the like , and then working into the fingerprint picture in which the feature is easily extracted . then , it reads the fingerprint picture of the entire finger registered in the database 40 ( step s 21 ). after that , the picture pre - processor 71 returns the control back to the fingerprint process control unit 30 . the fingerprint process control unit 30 next actuates the feature extracting unit 72 . thus , the feature extracting unit 72 executes the feature extracting process ( step s 22 ). after that , the feature extracting unit 72 returns the control back to the fingerprint process control unit 30 . the fingerprint process control unit 30 next actuates the fingerprint collating judging unit 73 . this fingerprint collating judging unit 73 collates the feature information of the fingerprint picture of the entire finger read from the database 40 with the feature information extracted at the step s 22 ( step s 23 ). in this collating process , the strict collation is carried out in the case of the picture re - configured by reading the slid finger through the sweep reading operation , and the collation in which the degree of the strictness is dropped , is carried out in the case of the picture in which the static finger is read through the sweep reading operation . the collation is carried out , for example , by examining whether or not the similarity is a certain value or more . if the fingerprint picture itself is registered in the database 40 , the feature extracting process at the step s 22 is skipped . then , there may be a case that the collating process at the step s 23 collates the fingerprint pictures with each other or collates the features after the feature extraction with each other . also , if the data in which the fingerprint picture is converted into the numeral and the character is registered in the database 40 , at the step s 22 , a process is carried out for converting the fingerprint picture read for the collation into the numeral , the character and the like . the collating process at the step s 23 collates the numerals with each other and the characters with each other . as the collated result at this step s 23 , if it is judged that they are not coincident , the fingerprint collating judging unit 73 transmits a data indicative of [ authentication ng ], namely , indicative of the failure in the pass of the authentication , to the fingerprint process control unit 30 . the fingerprint process control unit 30 receiving this data indicative of [ authentication ng ] transmits the data indicative of its fact to the high order unit or the high order application , and ends the fingerprint authenticating process . on the other hand , if they are judged to be coincident at the step s 23 , whether the fingerprint picture used for the fingerprint collation is the picture re - configured by reading the slid finger through the sweep reading operation or the picture in which the static finger is read through the still reading operation is then examined ( step s 24 ). at this step s 24 , the fingerprint collating judging unit 73 , if judging that it is the picture in which the static finger is read through the still reading operation , recognizes [ authentication ok at easy authentication ], namely , the pass in the authentication under the collation in the dropped strictness , and transmits the data indicative of its fact to the fingerprint process control unit 30 . on the other hand , the fingerprint collating judging unit 73 , if judging that it is the picture in which the slid finger is read through the sweep reading operation , recognizes [ authentication ok at strict authentication ], namely , the pass in the authentication under the strict collation , and transmits the data indicative of its fact to the fingerprint process control unit 30 . the fingerprint process control unit 30 receiving the data indicative of [ authentication ok at easy authentication ] and [ authentication ok at strict authentication ] transmits the data indicative of its fact to the high order unit or the high order application , and ends the fingerprint authenticating process . as mentioned above , according to the fingerprint authenticating system based on this embodiment , the sweep type of the fingerprint sensor 10 is used as the fingerprint sensor 10 . thus , it is possible to configure the fingerprint sensor 10 at the cheap cost and reduce its outer shape . consequently , it can be installed even in the small apparatus and the cheap apparatus . the leakage of the personal information can be protected even in those apparatuses . also , it is enough that the operation for contacting the finger with the fingerprint sensor 10 and sliding it is carried out one time at the time of the registration in the typical usage condition . thus , the new work of sliding the finger for each authentication request is not forced on the user . hence , it is possible to carry out the conventional fingerprint authentication for contacting the finger with the fingerprint sensor 10 . consequently , this solves the problem that the contaminant such as the sebum and the dirt of the finger is deposited around the fingerprint sensor 10 . also , since the sweep reading operation can be carried out at the time of the authentication , this can cope with the case in which the strict authentication is required . moreover , in this fingerprint reading system , it is only the one trial at the time of the registration that needs the re - configuration of the picture read by the fingerprint sensor . the re - configuration is not needed when the typical fingerprint authentication is performed . thus , the authentication can be carried out in a short time . as a result , the processing unit having the high performance need not be installed in the apparatus . hence , the apparatus including the fingerprint reading system can be designed at the cheap cost . the above - mentioned embodiment has been explained under the assumption that the reading speed of the fingerprint is constant however , it can be designed such that the reading speed is different between the sweep reading operation and the still reading operation . in this case , if it is judged to be slid at the step s 14 , the fingerprint process control unit 30 actuates the sensor setting unit 51 and sets the reading speed of the fingerprint sensor 10 to a high speed . on the other hand , if it is judged to be static at the step s 19 , the fingerprint process control unit 30 actuates the sensor setting unit 51 and sets the reading speed of the fingerprint sensor 10 to a low speed . this configuration enables the sweep reading operation to be set to the high speed , which results in the improvement of the operability . moreover , the electric power consumption can be reduced by carrying out the still reading operation at the low speed . the example in which the fingerprint authenticating system having the above - mentioned configuration is applied to an apparatus will be described below . hereafter , the operation for reading the fingerprint of a static finger is referred to as [ still input ], and the operation for reading the fingerprint of a moving finger is referred to as [ sweep input ]. the fingerprint authenticating system according to the present invention can be used for a portable telephone , as shown in fig5 . the still input is used for the authentication of the action in which although the strict authentication is not required , a light authentication operation is required , for example , [ action for releasing dial lock ], [ action for turning on power supply ] and the like . in this case , the period between the time when the user desires to use the portable telephone and the time when it can be used can be made shorter than that of the conventional technique . thus , this has a merit that stress does not occur . on the other hand , the sweep input is used for the authentication when [ money on - line action ], such as a mobile on - line shopping or a mobile on - line banking which requires the strict authentication since money is treated , is carried out . this case has a merit of improving a safety . also , the fingerprint authenticating system according to the present invention can be used for an apparatus including cpu whose performance is poor , for example , such as pda , as shown in fig6 . the still input is used for the authentication at a time of log - on in [ typical user ] since the log - on in the typical user is usually carried out in many cases . thus , the fingerprint authenticating function can be lightly used in even the cpu having the poor performance . on the other hand , the sweep input is used for the authentication at the time of the log - on under a manager right . hence , since the strict authentication is carried out , a security level can be kept high . also , the fingerprint authenticating system according to the present invention can be used for a remote control unit of a set top box ( media server ) as shown in fig7 . the still input is used for the authentication when the typical action is carried out . consequently , for example , it is possible to protect a mischief of a child and the like . on the other hand , the sweep input is used for the authentication when an action for releasing a pair rental lock , an action related to money such as a toll content contract or the like is carried out . thus , since the strict authentication is carried out , it is possible to reserve the safety at a high level . the fingerprint authenticating system according to the present invention can be used for an entering / leaving control unit of a door , as shown in fig8 . the still input is used for the authentication when a typical door is opened and closed . the entering / leaving control unit is the apparatus used by many users . thus , the fingerprint sensor and the periphery thereof are easily contaminated . however , the opportunity of the sweep is reduced to thereby suppress the contamination . on the other hand , the sweep input is used for the authentication , for example , when it proceeds to a manager right mode to change the setting of the apparatus . consequently , since the strict authentication is carried out , it is possible to reserve the safety at the high level . moreover , the fingerprint authenticating system according to the present invention can be used for a personal computer , as shown in fig9 . the still input is used for the authentication when the personal computer under the typical user right is logged on . consequently , the authentication of the high speed can be carried out to thereby reduce the waiting time of the user . also , the user having the account for the manager right and the typical user right , if carrying out the still input , can log on under the typical user right without separately indicating the usage under the typical user right . thus , the convenience is excellent . on the other hand , the sweep input is used for the authentication when the personal computer under the manager right is logged on . in this case , when the manager logs on , the strict authentication associated with the sweep input is carried out . thus , the security level can be kept high . also , the user having the account for the manager right and the typical user right , if carrying out the sweep input , can log on under the manager right without separately indicating the usage under the manager right . thus , the convenience is excellent . moreover , the apparatus using the fingerprint authenticating system according to the present invention can be designed such that a first application is executed in the still input , and a second application is executed in the sweep input . it can be designed such that a first command is inputted in the still input , and a second command is inputted in the sweep input . or , it can be designed such that a first character string is inputted in the still input , and a second character string is inputted in the sweep input . those designs enable a plurality of roles to be assigned to one key , if the fingerprint sensor 10 is considered as one key . as a result , even if it is applied to the small apparatus such as the portable telephone and pda , the increase in the number of the keys can be suppressed to thereby contribute to the miniaturization of the apparatus . as detailed above , according to the present invention , it can provide the fingerprint authenticating system , the fingerprint authenticating method and the fingerprint authenticating program , which can reduce the operation to be carried out by the user in order to read the fingerprint , and can reduce the contaminants deposited around the fingerprint sensor , and can be further applied to the small cheap apparatus . | 6 |
in the following discussion , numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be practiced without such specific details . in other instances , well - known elements have been illustrated in schematic or block diagram form in order not to obscure the present invention in unnecessary detail . additionally , for the most part , details concerning network communications , electro - magnetic signaling techniques , and the like , have been omitted inasmuch as such details are not considered necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the present invention , and are considered to be within the understanding of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art . it is further noted that , unless indicated otherwise , all functions described herein may be performed in either hardware or software , or some combinations thereof . in a preferred embodiment , however , the functions are performed by a processor such as a computer or an electronic data processor in accordance with code such as computer program code , software , and / or integrated circuits that are coded to perform such functions , unless indicated otherwise . generally , the circuit 100 can restore duty cycle information in a divided signal . this signal can , for example , be used during manufacturing testing to measure the duty cycle of an undivided signal . in one embodiment , the circuit is wholly digital or firmware , making it suitable for applications in advanced digital cmos technology . furthermore , unlike analog based implementations , this approach is robust against process - induced mismatches . in other words , there are many more process variation tolerances than a fully analog approach . finally , with very little modification , this circuit can be used both to extract duty cycle information as well as to correct duty cycles . the circuit 100 has a input high frequency clk_in . a first divider , divide - by - n (/ n ) 110 is coupled to the clk_in signal . a second divider , a divide - by - k 120 (/ k ) is coupled to the output of divider 110 . a reset for the n - bit counter 145 is coupled to the output of the divider 120 that can count from 1 to 2 n . a first low pass filter 130 ( lpf 1 ) is coupled to the clk_in pulse . a digital duty cycle correction circuit ( digital dcc ) 140 is coupled to the output of divider 110 and the counter 145 . the output of the dcc 140 is coupled to a lpf 2 150 . the output of the dcc 140 also becomes the clk_out signal . the output of the lpf 1 130 and lpf 2 150 are coupled to the comparative inputs of a comparator 160 . the output of the comparator 160 is coupled to the up / down counter , as a function of the output of the comparator . the n bit counter 145 is controlled both by the divide - by - k (/ k ) divider 120 and the output of the comparator 160 . the counter 145 increments / decrements its values on a specified edge of the output of the divide - by - k (/ k ) divider 120 . when there exists no trigger signal from the divider 120 , the counter 145 maintains its last value . increment / decrement of the counter 145 is determined by the value output by the comparator 160 . in one embodiment , when the comparator 160 output is high , the counter 145 increments , and when comparator 160 output is low , counter 145 decrements . the lpfs 130 , 150 can be simple filters that can be realized using on chips resistors and capacitors . the comparator 160 can be a simple op amp or other input sensitive regenerative circuit . the divide - by - n (/ n ) and divide - by - k (/ k ) dividers 110 , 120 can be basic digital dividers . the n output bits of the counter 145 select one of the 2 n ‘ delay elements ’ in the digital dcc . each delay element slows or makes faster , in the time domain , an edge of the input signal to the digital dcc 140 , thereby changing the duty cycle , but not the overall frequency . the output of the dcc 140 therefore will be a duty cycle corrected version of the input to the digital dcc 140 . for purposes of illustration , a very high frequency signal clk_in is applied in the circuit 100 . that signal is input to lpf 1 130 . lpf 1 130 then outputs onto node b , which is one input of the comparator 160 , a low frequency ( dc ) signal that is representative of the duty cycle of clk_in . in one embodiment , lpf 1 130 has an output voltage such that when the duty cycle is 50 %, node b is at vdd / 2 , where vdd is the power supply voltage . when the duty cycle is 100 %, then node b is at vdd and when the duty cycle is at 0 %, node b is at ground . any duty cycle between 0 % and 100 % can be linearly interpolated between ground and vdd . for ease of illustration , an example is that the duty cycle of the high frequency clk_in signal be equal to 70 %. a divided version of clk_in as a function of the divider 110 is input into the digital dcc 140 . the input to the digital dcc 140 is labeled node a . due to the division performed by divider 110 , there is no guarantee that the duty cycle at node a is the same as that of clk_in . this is because most dividers operate on the rising or falling edges of clocks , and , as a result , their output will not preserve the duty cycle information of their input . for instance , even though the duty cycle of clk_in can vary , the duty cycle of the divider 110 is typically fixed . the counter 145 has n bits of output , so it can count from 1 to 2 n . for ease of illustration , the counter is initialized at 2 n − 1 . in other words , this is the output at node f . also the digital dcc 140 has 2 n different delay elements . the delay element of the dcc 140 corresponding to count 2 n − 1 is one that makes no duty cycle correction . for ease of illustration , delay elements above 2 n − 1 will push out the falling edge of signal at node a in increasing increments , to result in increased duty cycle . for ease of illustration , delay elements below 2 n − 1 will push in falling edge of the signal at node a in increasing increments to result in reduced duty cycle . in one embodiment , the frequency division (/ n ) is an even division and as a result the frequency signal at node a is output at 50 % duty cycle . the counter 145 is triggered by the signal at node e . the signal at node e is slow in frequency compared to that of node a . the comparator 160 can operate as follows . when the signal at node b is larger than that at node c , comparator 160 output at node d is high . when the signal at node b is smaller than that of node c , comparator 160 output at node d is low . the counter 150 is also controlled by node d . on a specified edge of node e , if node d is high , counter 145 increments on its previous value . on a specific edge of node e , if node d is low , counter 145 decrements on its previous value . for example , node b is initially at a value corresponding to 70 % duty cycle , while node c is at a value corresponding to 50 % duty cycle . that is , clk_out will initially have 50 % duty cycle . therefore , the comparator 160 output will be high . on the next rising edge of node e , the counter 160 increments its value to 2 n − 1 + 1 . this will pass the signal at node a through a different delay element in the digital dcc 140 . this can increment the duty cycle of clk_out to 50 %+ δ , where δ is the duty cycle increment introduced by the digital dcc 140 . clk_out is then fed to lpf 2 150 , which will generate the corresponding low - frequency voltage on node c . the comparator 160 then compares nodes b and node c again , and this results in a new output at node d . if on the next rising edge of node e , the value of node d is still high , the counter 145 will increment its value to 2 n − 1 + 2 , and the duty cycle of clk_out will be 50 %+ 2δ . this process will then continue until the duty cycle of clk_out is as close as possible to the duty cycle of clk_in within the resolution of the digital dcc increments . generally , for any lpf to operate appropriately , it will need multiple cycles of an input signal to perform sufficient averaging operation . in the circuit 100 , the edges of node e rise and fall at a much slower rate than those at node a , due to the divider 120 divide - by - k (/ k ) value . as a result , the rate at which the counter 145 increments or decrements its output value at node f is much slower than that of the signal at node a . consequently , having divider 120 allows lpf 2 150 to have sufficient time to perform the averaging . in the circuit 100 , the digital dcc 140 has discreet increments of duty cycle . in one embodiment , the duty cycle of clk_in is not an exact match to any one of these duty cycle values . such offsets can also be caused by mismatches in lpf 1 130 and lpf 2 150 , and also by offsets and dead zones associated with the comparator 160 . for example , for a given count ( x ) of the counter 145 , clk_out will have a 68 % duty cycle , and at count x + 1 of the counter 145 , clk_out will have a 72 % duty cycle . let clk_in have a 70 % dc . in this case , the counter 145 will be banging back and forth between count x and count x + 1 , and consequently clk_out will be moving back and forth between duty cycle of 68 % and 72 %, every time there is a transition at node e . this could raise an alarm in terms of introducing jitter to clk_out . however , consider the following case . for ease of illustration , clk_in is a signal at 5 ghz and node a ( and subsequently clk_out ), are to be used for test purposes and are much slower , perhaps 100 mhz . for ease of illustration , the digital dcc circuit 140 increments / decrements falling edges in very coarse increments of 100 pico - seconds . such a large increment can also include any process induced mismatches . therefore , the error in extracting the duty cycle information of clk_in by looking at clk_out is as follows : therefore , from this crude measurement , the duty cycle of clk - in can be calculated within ± 1 % accuracy . the accuracy of the above circuit 100 then depends on the frequency of clk_out , and the discrete duty cycle steps available from the digital dcc circuit 140 . in a further embodiment , the circuit 100 can be used to fix the duty cycle of clk_out to any arbitrary duty cycle value . node b is therefore coupled to a voltage potential corresponding to a desired duty cycle value . next clk_in is tied to node a , such that clk_in is undivided . therefore , clk_out will have the same frequency as clk_in . however , its duty cycle will be determined by the voltage at node b . turning now to fig2 , illustrated is a typical output from the counter 145 . for fig2 , the counter 145 was designed such that it will count from − 8 to + 8 with increments of 1 . the digital dcc circuit 140 generates a duty cycle of 20 % at − 8 , and 84 % at 8 , with increments of 4 % duty cycle per unit counter increment / decrement . divide - by - n (/ n ) of the divider 110 is set to divide - by - 100 (/ 100 ) while divide - by - k (/ k ) of the divider 120 is set to divide - by - 20 (/ 20 ). the duty cycle of clk_in is set 78 %. for illustrative purposes , the duty cycle of clk_in is intentionally made so that it falls outside the duty cycle values provided by the digital dcc circuit . the nearest duty cycle values available from the digital dcc 140 are 76 % and 80 %. fig2 shows output from the counter 145 . initially , the counter value is set at 0 . this corresponds to 50 % duty cycle . on every rising edge of node e of fig1 , the counter 145 value is incremented . eventually the counter starts to bang back and forth between 6 and 7 . 6 corresponds to duty cycle of 76 %, and 7 corresponds to duty cycle of 80 %. turning now to fig3 , illustrated are the outputs of lpf 1 130 and lpf 2 150 in fig1 . the output of lpf 1 130 corresponds to the duty cycle of clk_in . in the illustrated example , the steady state output of lpf 2 150 oscillates above and below that of lpf 1 130 . this is because the duty cycle of clk_in ( 78 %) lies in between the available discrete duty cycle steps of 76 % and 80 %. it is understood that the present invention can take many forms and embodiments . accordingly , several variations may be made in the foregoing without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention . the capabilities outlined herein allow for the possibility of a variety of programming models . this disclosure should not be read as preferring any particular programming model , but is instead directed to the underlying mechanisms on which these programming models can be built . having thus described the present invention by reference to certain of its preferred embodiments , it is noted that the embodiments disclosed are illustrative rather than limiting in nature and that a wide range of variations , modifications , changes , and substitutions are contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and , in some instances , some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features . many such variations and modifications may be considered desirable by those skilled in the art based upon a review of the foregoing description of preferred embodiments . accordingly , it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention . | 7 |
fig1 shows an elevator system 1 having at least one elevator car support 2 that can be displaced in a travel space 3 provided for the travel of the elevator car support 2 . the travel space 3 is provided in an elevator shaft 4 of a building . several floors 5 , 6 are provided , which represent stopping points 5 , 6 . the floors 5 , 6 are hereby the two lowest floors of the elevator system 1 . there are usually a larger number of other floors or stopping points above the floors 5 , 6 . in this exemplary embodiment , the elevator car support 2 has a first elevator car support part 7 and a second elevator car support part 8 . the elevator car support 2 has sheaves 9 , 10 which are attached to the second elevator car support part 8 . a traction means 11 is guided around the sheaves 9 , 10 . the traction means 11 moreover runs around a drive pulley 12 of a drive motor unit 13 . according to the current direction of rotation of the drive pulley 12 driven by the drive motor unit 13 , the elevator car support 2 is displaced upwards or downwards through the travel space 3 . the elevator car support 2 with the two elevator car support parts 7 , 8 can thus travel through the travel space 3 . the elevator car support 2 holds a first elevator car 15 and a second elevator car 16 . the first elevator car 15 is hereby arranged on the first elevator car support part 7 and connected to it . moreover , the second elevator car 16 is arranged on the second elevator car support part 8 and connected to it . the first elevator car 15 has an exit level 17 . the second elevator car 16 also has an exit level 18 . a distance 19 is defined between the two exit levels 17 , 18 . in the base position shown in fig1 , a minimum base distance 20 between the two elevator cars 15 , 16 is provided , so that the distance 19 is also minimal . the distance 19 is hereby set to the usual distance between floors that is needed for the higher - situated floors . the distance 19 is , however , smaller than an inter - floor distance 21 between the floors 5 , 6 which are the lowest floors . in order to move to the floors 5 , 6 , the elevator car support 2 is moved to a lower end region 22 by corresponding actuation of the drive pulley 12 in such a way that the exit level 18 of the second elevator car 16 is positioned at the floor 6 . in this position of the elevator car support 2 , shown in fig1 , the exit level 17 of the first elevator car 15 is , however , situated above the floor 5 because the distance 19 is smaller than the inter - floor distance 21 . when the second elevator car 16 stops at the floor 6 , the first elevator car 15 , which is arranged in the first elevator car support part 7 , is situated in the lower end region 22 of the travel space 3 . the elevator shaft 4 has a pit 23 below the second elevator car support part 8 . a hydraulic adjusting element 24 , which has a cylinder 25 and a piston , guided in the cylinder 25 , with a piston rod 26 , is arranged in the pit 23 . the piston rod 26 can hereby be adjusted upwards in a direction 27 or downwards in a direction 28 . in the position of the elevator car support 2 which has been shown , the piston rod 26 has been adjusted upwards in the direction 27 until a plate - vice end piece 29 connected to the piston rod 26 bears against the underside 30 of the first elevator car support part 7 . the plate - like end piece 29 can hereby also already be positioned in this position so that the elevator car support 2 travels as far as the plate - like end piece 29 . the elevator system 1 has a connecting and locking device 35 . the connecting and locking device 35 is arranged on the elevator car support 2 . in this exemplary embodiment , the connecting and locking device 35 is arranged on the second elevator car support part 8 and connected to the second elevator car 16 . moreover , the elevator system 1 has a braking and / or retaining device 36 for the second elevator car 16 . the braking and / or retaining device 36 in this exemplary embodiment is hereby connected to the second elevator car support part 8 . a guide rail 37 , on which the elevator car support 2 is guided in a suitable fashion , is arranged in the elevator shaft 4 . specifically , guidance during actuation by the drive motor unit 13 is ensured thereby . moreover , the two elevator car support parts 7 , 8 can each be guided independently on the guide rail 37 . further guide rails can hereby also be provided . the braking and / or retaining device 36 interacts with the guide rail 37 . the braking and / or retaining device 36 hereby ensures that the second elevator car 16 , which is arranged in the second elevator car support part 8 , is fixed to the guide rail 37 and thus relative to the travel space 3 . the design of the elevator system 1 is described in more detail below with reference to fig2 . fig2 shows the elevator system 1 of the exemplary embodiment , when the connecting and locking device 35 is in an open state and when the braking and / or retaining device 36 is in an activated state . in contrast , fig1 shows the elevator system , when the connecting and locking device 35 is in a closed state and when the braking and / or retaining device 36 is in a deactivated state . when the first elevator car 15 is supported on the hydraulic adjusting element 24 via the first car support part 7 , the braking and / or retaining device 36 is actuated , the unactuated state of the braking and / or retaining device 36 is hereby shown in fig1 and the actuated state in fig2 . a pair of brake shoes of the braking and / or retaining device 36 hereby interacts with the guide rail 37 , for example . as a result , the second elevator car support part 8 is fixed to the second elevator car 16 immovably in the travel space 3 . the connecting and locking device 35 has connecting elements 38 , 39 . in the closed state , the connecting elements 38 , 39 are extended so that they connect the elevator car support parts 7 , 8 together . the connecting element 38 hereby interacts with the first elevator car support part 7 at a connection point 40 , and with the second elevator car support part 8 at a connection point 41 . through bores can , for example , hereby be provided at the connection points 40 , 41 in the elevator car support parts 7 , 8 , into which through bores the connecting element 38 engages . in a corresponding fashion , connection points 42 , 43 are also provided on the elevator car support parts 7 , 8 for the connecting element 39 . in the closed state , the connecting element 39 interacts with the connection points 42 , 43 . when the braking and / or retaining device 36 is activated , the connecting and locking device 35 is switched into the open state , the connecting elements 38 , 39 being retracted . the retracted state is illustrated in fig2 . the elevator car support parts 7 , 8 are disconnected as a result . the piston rod 26 with the plate - like end piece 29 then moves downwards in the direction 28 . this is achieved by the controlled draining of a pressurized fluid from the cylinder 25 . the first elevator car support part 7 hereby moves downwards with the first elevator car 15 . the distance 19 hereby increases . when the distance 19 is the same as the inter - floor distance 21 , the first elevator car support part 7 with the first elevator car 15 stops . the exit level 17 of the first elevator car 15 is now situated at the floor 5 . a distance 44 between the elevator cars 15 , 16 has hereby increased with respect to the minimum base distance 20 . in the situation shown in fig2 , people can enter and leave the two elevator cars 15 , 16 from the respective floor 5 , 6 to which they have moved . it is thus also possible for people to enter and leave the two elevator cars 15 , 16 at the same time in the case of the inter - floor distance 21 which differs from the usual inter - floor distance of the other floors in the elevator shaft 4 . after people have entered and left the elevator cars 15 , 16 , the piston rod 26 is adjusted in the direction 27 . this is achieved by feeding pressurized fluid into the cylinder 25 by means of a pump . the distance 44 hereby decreases . when the distance 44 has reached the minimum base distance 20 , the connecting and locking device 35 is actuated in order to connect the two elevator car support parts 7 , 8 together via the connecting elements 38 , 39 . the braking and / or retaining device 36 is then deactivated . the situation shown in fig1 then reoccurs . the whole elevator car support 2 with the two elevator cars 15 , 16 can then be displaced through the travel space 3 by the drive motor unit 13 . the two elevator cars 15 , 16 are then moved to their destination floors . the minimum base distance 20 between the elevator cars 15 , 16 is hereby predetermined in such a way that the distance 19 then corresponds again to the usual inter - floor distance . as a result , people may also enter and leave both elevator cars 15 , 16 at the same time at the other floors . because the connecting and locking device 35 is arranged on the second elevator car support part 8 , its mass or its weight does not need to be moved or raised by the hydraulic adjusting element 24 . the same applies for the braking and / or retaining device 36 attached to the second elevator car support part . as a result , the design of the hydraulic adjusting element 24 can be optimized . this also affects other components , in particular a pump . on the other hand , the hydraulic adjusting element 24 is arranged immovably in the pit 23 so that the mass of the hydraulic adjusting element 24 does not need to be moved by the drive motor unit 13 . the hydraulic adjusting element 24 is connected to a base 45 of the pit 23 . as a result , forces are transmitted advantageously , because the piston rod 26 is oriented parallel to the direction in which the weight of the first elevator car support part 7 with the first elevator car 15 acts . in this exemplary embodiment , the hydraulic adjusting element 24 forms a hydraulic adjusting device 24 . depending on the design of the elevator system 1 , multiple hydraulic adjusting elements 24 can also be provided for forming the hydraulic adjusting device 24 . the two elevator cars 15 , 16 can thus have a minimum base distance 20 in a ready - to - travel state in which the elevator car support 2 can move through the travel space 3 . in the unlocked state , in which the elevator car support parts 7 , 8 are disconnected , a distance 44 between the elevator cars 15 , 16 can be achieved that is greater than the minimum base distance 20 . the second elevator car 16 can hereby be fixed by the braking and retaining device 36 . the first elevator car 15 can be adjusted with a high degree of efficiency . the adjustment by means of the hydraulic adjusting element 24 has minimal vibration and is very smooth . a high degree of comfort is achieved as a result . in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes , the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment . however , it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope . | 1 |
in each of the illustrated embodiments of the jack of the invention shown , the jack is connected to a winding 10 of a transformer 12 , another winding of which 14 is connected to a driver / receiver d / r for receiving signals from and delivering signals to a cable connected to the jack . in the prior art example shown in fig1 the bnc jack b comprises a barrel shaped contact member 20 within which is mounted a central contact element 22 . element 22 is supported in a post 24 of dielectric material and is tubular in shape to receive the central conductor 26 of a bnc plug a . the plug a includes a hollow cylinder 30 of dielectric material which fits over the post 24 and conductive coupling 32 which fits over and electrically contacts the barrel 20 of the jack when the two are mated , all as is well known in the art . in the typical circuit shown , the central contact element 22 of the jack is connected via a conductor 34 to one terminal 36 of transformer winding 10 , and the barrel element 20 is connected via conductor 38 to the other terminal 40 of that winding . usually , the barrel 20 is grounded , as indicated at 42 , and therefore , the connection to the transformer is termed &# 34 ; unbalanced &# 34 ;. the plug is usually mounted on the end of a coaxial cable ( fig4 ), with the central or pin element 26 of the plug constituting an extension of the center conductor of the cable , and the coupling 32 being connected to the outer or shield conductor of the cable . in each of the embodiments of the invention shown in fig2 and 3 , a new jack and a corresponding new plug enable use in a balanced system such as is suitable for a twisted pair cable . this is accomplished by providing an additional contact element which , in the preferred embodiments of the invention , is in the form of an additional barrel , intermediate contact within but electrically isolatable from the outer barrel contact of the jack . in each case the new , twisted pair cable plug engages the center , intermediate and outer barrel elements to provide first and second connections for a twisted wire pair and , via the outer barrel , a ground connection for the cable shield , if present . moreover , in each of the preferred embodiments shown in fig2 and 3 , the new jack of the invention can receive the standard bnc plug of fig1 and has switch elements which couple the additional and outer barrel contacts of the jack so as to function in the same way as a standard bnc plug and jack combination for use in a conventional unbalanced coaxial cable system . referring now more particularly to fig2 the jack c the invention has a conductive barrel 20 &# 39 ; which has outer dimensions which are identical to those of the barrel 20 of fig1 . mounted with the barrel 20 &# 39 ; is a dielectric post 24 &# 39 ;, which like the post 24 of fig1 carries an axial tubular contact element 22 &# 39 ; which is identical to the tubular element 22 of fig1 . in accordance with the invention the post 24 &# 39 ; carries an additional barrel including metallic sleeve element 50 , the outer diameter of which is of the same order as that of the similarly positioned post 24 of a standard bnc jack ( fig1 ), but in no event larger than the inner diameter of the hollow dielectric cylinder 30 of the standard bnc plug of fig1 . the base of the sleeve element 50 , fig2 carries one or more contactor elements 60 , 62 which are deflectable into contact with an inwardly projecting ring portion 64 carried by the outer barrel 20 &# 39 ; but are normally clear thereof so as to constitute normally open switch means therewith . the center contact 22 &# 39 ; of the jack of fig2 may be connected via a wire 34 &# 39 ; to one terminal 36 &# 39 ; of a winding 10 &# 39 ; of a transformer 12 &# 39 ; for coupling to a driver / receiver d / r , similarly to the connections of fig1 . however , in this case the other terminal 40 &# 39 ; of the winding 10 &# 39 ; is connected to the intermediate barrel contact 50 . when a standard bnc plug such as the plug a of fig1 is inserted in the jack c of fig2 of the invention , the cylinder 30 of the plug bears against the contactor elements 60 , 62 , deflecting them into conductive engagement with the ring portion 64 of the outer barrel 20 &# 39 ;. thus , an electrical condition obtains which is identical to the plug - jack function of fig1 . that is , the outer barrel 20 &# 39 ; of fig2 is connected via the switch means 60 , 62 , 64 to the conductor 38 &# 39 ; and terminal 40 &# 39 ; to one end of the winding 10 &# 39 ; and the other end of that winding is connected via the other terminal 36 &# 39 ; and conductor 34 &# 39 ; to the center pin of the coaxial plug . it is a primary feature of the invention that when the plug e of the invention shown in fig2 is inserted into the jack c of fig2 that , instead of an unbalanced coaxial connection being made , a balanced twisted pair type hook - up is achieved . as shown in fig2 the plug shown has a cylinder 30 &# 39 ; which is generally similar to the cylinder 30 of a bnc plug of fig1 with two important exceptions : it is shorter , as indicated at 70 , and it carries an internal conductive sleeve 72 . because the cylinder 30 &# 39 ; is shorter , it does not operate to close the normally open switch means 60 , 62 , 64 , and because it carries the sleeve 72 , it makes contact with the intermediate contact 50 of the jack of the invention shown in fig2 . accordingly contact is made from the plug sleeve contact 72 to the jack intermediate or additional barrel 50 . at the same time , the center pin contact 26 &# 39 ; engages conductively the axial sleeve contact 22 &# 39 ; of the jack and thus an electrical connection is made via wire 34 &# 39 ; to terminal 36 &# 39 ; of winding 10 &# 39 ;. since the intermediate barrel 50 is isolated from the grounded outer barrel 20 &# 39 ;, the connection to the winding 10 &# 39 ; can be a balanced one without change of the driver / receiver . moreover , the connection from the outer coupling 28 &# 39 ; of the plug to the outer barrel 20 &# 39 ; is identical to that of those parts of a bnc connector system ( such as one of fig1 ). therefore , the outer ground shield of the twisted pair cable , if such shield is provided , is terminated to ground via the jack barrel 20 &# 39 ; as indicated at 42 &# 39 ;. fig3 shows an alternate embodiment of the plug and jack combination of the invention . in this configuration , the switch means 80 , 82 are located externally of the jack outer barrel 20 &# 34 ; and have separate logical functions . the jack f structure is otherwise like that of fig2 and similar parts are given similar numbers , except that they are distinguished by a double prime , (&# 34 ;) for example the outer barrel of the jack is numbered 20 &# 34 ; and the inner or intermediate barrel is numbered 50 &# 34 ; ( 50 having been a new number if fig2 the drawings have no 50 &# 39 ;). externally of the barrel shaped contact element 20 &# 34 ; are the pair of spring contact elements 80 , 82 insulated from the barrel 20 &# 34 ; as indicated at 84 , 86 . contact element 80 is connected by a resistor or other suitable impedance 88 to one terminal 40 &# 34 ; of winding 10 &# 34 ; of transformer 12 &# 34 ;. terminal 40 &# 34 ; of the transformer winding 10 &# 34 ; is also connected to the second outer spring contact 82 and also to the intermediate barrel contact 50 &# 34 ;. the outer barrel shaped contact 20 &# 34 ; is connected to ground as indicated at 42 &# 34 ; and is dimensioned to be the same as the usual outer cylindrical contact of a bnc coaxial cable jack . when a standard bnc plug a as shown in fig1 is connected into the jack f of fig3 the outer barrel of the bnc plug a engages over the contact barrel 20 &# 34 ;, of the jack f and is locked thereon by means of the screw grooves of the usual bnc configuration . moreover , the outer barrel of the bnc connector a bears against both contact elements 80 and 82 , thereby connecting those elements 80 , 82 to the outer conductor of the coaxial cable connected to the bnc plug . as of result , the terminal 40 &# 34 ; of the transformer is connected to the outer shell of the bnc via contact 82 and the other transformer terminal 36 &# 34 ; is connected to the center conductor of the bnc plug via the center contact 22 &# 34 ; of the jack and conductor 34 &# 34 ;. in addition , terminal 40 &# 34 ; is connected to the outer shell of the bnc plug via contact 80 and impedance 88 . this allows impedance matching and also provides a point at which a signal can be developed , that , is a signal across impedance 88 , which can be utilized for control purposes which form no part of the present invention . a special plug d in accordance with the invention is provided as shown in fig3 for use with a shielded twisted pair cable . when the plug is engaged on the outer contact 20 &# 34 ; of the jack f , a different circuit configuration results . the plug outer shell 28 &# 34 ; is configured to function like the outer shell of a bnc plug as aforedescribed except that it does not contact the outer spring terminals 80 , 82 . this can be accomplished by making at least the end portion 90 of the plug shell 28 &# 34 ; of non - conductive material . like plug e of fig2 the plug d of fig3 has an extra cylindrical shaped contact 72 &# 34 ; which slides over and makes contact with cylindrical shaped intermediate contact 50 &# 34 ; of the jack , and this provides the terminal for one wire of a twisted wire pair of the cable connected to the plug . the other wire of the twisted pair is connected to a pin 26 &# 34 ; of the plug which engages the central conductor contact 22 &# 34 ; of the jack . accordingly , one twisted pair conductor is connected via 26 &# 34 ; to contact 22 &# 34 ; and thus to terminal 36 &# 34 ; of the transformer while the other twisted pair wire is connected via 72 &# 34 ; and 50 &# 34 ; to the other terminal 40 &# 34 ; of the transformer , and neither contact 80 or 82 is electrically engaged . if the twisted pair cable is shielded , at least part of the element 28 &# 34 ; is made of metal and provides a contact to ground at 42 &# 34 ; via the outer barrel 20 &# 34 ; of the jack . it will be appreciated that , if desired , one of the switch elements 60 or 62 of fig2 could operate isolated from the intermediate barrel 50 and connected similarly to element 80 of fig3 . fig4 shows the various ways in which standard bnc plugs a can be used with a standard bnc jack b or the jack c of fig2 or the jack f of fig3 to provide coaxial cable connections . similarly , that figure shows the plug e of fig2 , coupled with the jack c of that figure and the plug d of fig3 coupled with the jack f of fig3 to accommodate wire pair ( such as shielded or unshielded twisted wire pairs ) systems . for illustrative purposes , the driver / receiver is shown transformer coupled to facilitate balanced or unbalanced operation . it will be understood that this would not be needed in all cases , especially where the driver / receiver is of the type that sense whether barrel connection 38 , 38 &# 39 ; or 38 &# 34 ; is grounded or not and automatically switches between unbalanced and balanced operations . in summary , the foregoing examples illustrate ways in which a fundamental principle of the invention can be carried into effect . that principle is that a hybrid jack can be provided that will mate with a bnc plug as if it were a bnc jack and thus provide a coaxial type unbalanced circuit connection , and that the same hybrid jack can mate with a special plug designed for it to provide a twisted pair type balanced circuit connection , the hybrid jack having a third contact for this purpose and switch means to connect that third contact alone or the outer bnc -- fitting part of the jack in circuit with an output terminal in response to a conductive difference or length difference in the hybrid plug as compared to the bnc plug , which difference co - acts with the hybrid jack to make or break a circuit connection . | 7 |
fig1 is a system diagram depicting an exemplary mobile device 100 including a variety of optional hardware and software components , shown generally at 102 . any components 102 in the mobile device can communicate with any other component , although not all connections are shown , for ease of illustration . the mobile device can be any of a variety of computing devices ( e . g ., cell phone , smartphone , handheld computer , personal digital assistant ( pda ), etc .) and can allow wireless two - way communications with one or more mobile communications networks 104 , such as a cellular or satellite network . the illustrated mobile device 100 can include a controller or processor 110 ( e . g ., signal processor , microprocessor , asic , or other control and processing logic circuitry ) for performing such tasks as signal coding , data processing , input / output processing , power control , and / or other functions . an operating system 112 can control the allocation and usage of the components 102 and support for one or more application programs 114 . the application programs can include common mobile computing applications ( e . g ., email applications , calendars , contact managers , web browsers , messaging applications ), or any other computing application . one of the applications shown is a menu filtering application , as described further below . the illustrated mobile device 100 can include memory 120 . memory 120 can include non - removable memory 122 and / or removable memory 124 . the non - removable memory 122 can include ram , rom , flash memory , a hard disk , or other well - known memory storage technologies . the removable memory 124 can include flash memory or a subscriber identity module ( sim ) card , which is well known in gsm communication systems , or other well - known memory storage technologies , such as “ smart cards .” the memory 120 can be used for storing data and / or code for running the operating system 112 and the applications 114 . example data can include web pages , text , images , sound files , video data , or other data sets to be sent to and / or received from one or more network servers or other devices via one or more wired or wireless networks . the memory 120 can be used to store a subscriber identifier , such as an international mobile subscriber identity ( imsi ), and an equipment identifier , such as an international mobile equipment identifier ( imei ). such identifiers can be transmitted to a network server to identify users and equipment . the mobile device 100 can support one or more input devices 130 , such as a touchscreen 132 , microphone 134 , camera 136 , physical keyboard 138 and / or trackball 140 and one or more output devices 150 , such as a speaker 152 and a display 154 . other possible output devices ( not shown ) can include piezoelectric or other haptic output devices . some devices can serve more than one input / output function . for example , touchscreen 132 and display 154 can be combined in a single input / output device . a wireless modem 160 can be coupled to an antenna ( not shown ) and can support two - way communications between the processor 110 and external devices , as is well understood in the art . the modem 160 is shown generically and can include a cellular modem for communicating with the mobile communication network 104 and / or other radio - based modems ( e . g ., bluetooth or wi - fi ). the wireless modem 160 is typically configured for communication with one or more cellular networks , such as a gsm network for data and voice communications within a single cellular network , between cellular networks , or between the mobile device and a public switched telephone network ( pstn ). the mobile device can further include at least one input / output port 180 , a power supply 182 , a satellite navigation system receiver 184 , such as a global positioning system ( gps ) receiver , an accelerometer 186 , and / or a physical connector 190 , which can be a usb port , ieee 1394 ( firewire ) port , and / or rs - 232 port . the illustrated components 102 are not required or all - inclusive , as any components can deleted and other components can be added . fig2 shows an exemplary flowchart of a method for displaying a filtered menu . in process block 210 , a list of food criteria can be stored on the mobile device . the food criteria can include a list of ingredients or other filter parameters , such as price . as explained further below , the list of ingredients can be received by the mobile device in numerous ways , such as by a user through a user interface , generated by the mobile device based on the user &# 39 ; s medical information , etc . generally , the list of ingredients can include ingredients to which the user has an allergy or can be ingredients that exacerbate a medical condition or even ingredients that the user does not like ( e . g ., raisons ). any of these ingredients can be considered problematic or undesirable ingredients for the user . in process block 220 , menu data can be received from a restaurant or other eating establishment . the menu data can include the names of dishes ( e . g ., food items ), ingredients , pricing , quantity , etc . associated with the dishes . in process block 230 , the menu data can be filtered using the stored list of food criteria . for example , an automatic comparison can be made between the ingredients in the menu data and the ingredients stored in the list of food criteria . when an ingredient in the menu data matches the list of food criteria , that associated menu item is filtered out or otherwise excluded from a final list of menu data . as a result , a reduced list ( or transformed list ) of menu data is included in the filtered list . in process block 240 , the filtered menu data is displayed . thus , the filtered menu data is a subset of the menu data received from the restaurant so that the user has less information to review . fig3 is an exemplary system that can be used for displaying menu data received from a restaurant in a mobile device 302 . the restaurant can have a kiosk 304 with a short - range communication standard , such as near - field ( nfc ), blue tooth technology , etc ., for communicating with the mobile device , as illustrated at 306 . the restaurant kiosk can have stored data 308 , which can include menu items ( e . g ., names ) and ingredients used in those menu items . other data can also be used , such as pricing , quantity , etc . when the mobile device 302 is within a predetermined distance from the kiosk 304 , a communication can be established between the two and the menu data 308 can be downloaded to the application . additionally , the stored list of food criteria can be sent to the restaurant server or kiosk , so that the restaurant server can send , in return , further recommendations based on the list . an application 310 can access food criteria stored locally in memory 312 on the mobile device . additionally , the application 310 can support a translation of the menu items . for example , the application 310 can access device settings 316 through an api 318 . the device settings 316 can include a stored display language 330 and a user locale 332 . the display language 330 can be set by the user and can include the language that is displayed by the operating system for standard mobile device features . the user locale 332 can be stored data based on the current geographic location of the mobile device , such as the country in which the mobile device currently resides . an operating system 350 can be used to access the device settings 316 and pass such settings to the api 318 . additionally , the application 310 can communicate menu data to be displayed through the operating system 350 for display using a text rendering engine 352 . if translations are needed , the application 310 can access an internet translation service 360 . based on the display language ( used as a destination language ) and a source language of the menu data , the internet translation service 360 can provide translations of data supplied by the application 310 . in one example , menu data 308 can be passed to the translation service 360 via the application 310 along with a destination language obtained from display field 330 . the source language can also be determined by the internet translation service 360 through analysis of the menu data , as is understood in the art , or the source language can be passed to the service 360 using the user locale data 332 . fig4 is an exemplary flowchart of a method for displaying filtered menu items . in process block 410 , a list of menu items and associated ingredients can be received in a mobile device . additional information can also be provided , such as pricing , a quantity of the ingredients , etc . for example , additional information could specify that a cup of sugar is used or a percentage of sugar as part of a menu item . for illustrative purposes , only the ingredients will be described , but it is well understood that any of the additional information can be used instead , or in addition to , the ingredients . as previously described , the list can come from a network device through near - field technology , blue tooth , wi - fi , etc . in process block 420 , the list of ingredients can be compared against a stored list of ingredients . the stored list of ingredients can include ingredients that are undesirable or medically prohibited for use by the user . in decision block 430 , if a match is found between the received list of ingredients and the stored list , then in process block 440 , the matched menu item is excluded from the filtered list . otherwise , in process block 450 , the unmatched menu item is included in the filtered list . in process block 460 , the comparison can be repeated for the received list of menu items and ingredients . thus , process blocks 420 - 450 are repeated to generate a filtered list of menu items . in process block 470 , the filtered list of menu items can be displayed . by displaying a filtered list of menu data , the user can much easier discern the menu items that are available for the user at the restaurant . fig5 is a flowchart of a method for translating menu data . in process block 510 , the menu data is received from a restaurant . in process block 520 , language settings are retrieved from the mobile device . the language settings can be used as the destination language . in process block 530 , a source language is determined . the source language can be received from the user interface , such as by the user entering the source language . alternatively , a geographic location can be retrieved from settings on the mobile device . finally , a language comparison can be performed for automatic determination of the source language . in process block 540 , a translation is performed from the source language to the language associated with the stored language settings . fig6 shows an exemplary flowchart for generating a stored list of ingredients on the user &# 39 ; s mobile device . in process block 610 , a user input is received regarding dietary concerns including ingredients that should be avoided . a variety of different user interfaces can be used for inputting such data including check boxes that the user can select . input other than dietary concerns can also be used . in process block 620 , the mobile device can also receive user input regarding medical conditions . for example , a user can check a box indicating that they have diabetes . other medical conditions ( e . g ., high cholesterol ) can also have check boxes associated therewith . in process block 630 , a list of ingredients can be automatically generated based on the medical conditions . for example , based on selection of diabetes as a medical condition , foods that are high in sugar and starch can be avoided . the generated list can also include percentages of ingredients used as a threshold amount , so that if the threshold percentage is exceeded , then the menu item can be filtered out of the menu . thus , for example , some salt in a menu item can be acceptable until it exceeds a predetermined percentage or quantity . in process block 640 , a final list of ingredients is stored and can be a merged list between the user input generated ingredients and the automatically generated ingredients . fig7 shows another exemplary embodiment of a system that can be used for filtering menu items . at process block 702 , a user arrives at an eating establishment . at process block 704 , the user &# 39 ; s mobile device connects with a network associated with the eating establishment , such as by using nfc , smart tags , etc . once a connection is established , digital menu data 706 can be passed to the mobile device . at 708 , user selection criteria is entered through a predefined user interface . in process block 710 , menu items can be filtered and / or translated . at decision block 712 , a decision is made whether the results meet with the user &# 39 ; s criteria . for example , the user can set parameters , such as a threshold number of menu items that should be available after filtering and , if the number is below the threshold , answering decision block 712 in the negative . in process block 720 , a user is advised to find an alternative restaurant . suggestions can also be provided . if process block 712 is answered in the positive , then the user is provided an opportunity to make menu selections in process block 722 . additionally , although not shown , if the customer &# 39 ; s criteria is satisfied , coupons can automatically be generated by the restaurant and sent to the mobile device . such coupons can then be displayed on the user &# 39 ; s phone . selection history can be stored in process block 724 , for future use . fig8 illustrates a generalized example of a suitable implementation environment 800 in which described embodiments , techniques , and technologies may be implemented . in example environment 800 , various types of services ( e . g ., computing services ) are provided by a cloud 810 . for example , the cloud 810 can comprise a collection of computing devices , which may be located centrally or distributed , that provide cloud - based services to various types of users and devices connected via a network , such as the internet . the implementation environment 800 can be used in different ways to accomplish computing tasks . for example , some tasks ( e . g ., processing user input and presenting a user interface ) can be performed on local computing devices ( e . g ., connected devices 830 , 840 , 850 ) while other tasks ( e . g ., storage of data to be used in subsequent processing ) can be performed in the cloud 810 . an example cloud service can be a translation service for a menu . in example environment 800 , the cloud 810 provides services for connected devices 830 , 840 , 850 with a variety of screen capabilities . connected device 830 represents a device with a computer screen 835 ( e . g ., a mid - size screen ). for example , connected device 830 could be a personal computer , such as desktop computer , laptop , notebook , netbook , or the like . connected device 840 represents a device with a mobile device screen 845 ( e . g ., a small size screen ). for example , connected device 840 could be a mobile phone , smart phone , personal digital assistant , tablet computer , or the like . connected device 850 represents a device with a large screen 855 . for example , connected device 850 could be a television screen ( e . g ., a smart television ) or another device connected to a television ( e . g ., a set - top box or gaming console ) or the like . one or more of the connected devices 830 , 840 , 850 can include touchscreen capabilities . touchscreens can accept input in different ways . for example , capacitive touchscreens detect touch input when an object ( e . g ., a fingertip or stylus ) distorts or interrupts an electrical current running across the surface . as another example , touchscreens can use optical sensors to detect touch input when beams from the optical sensors are interrupted . physical contact with the surface of the screen is not necessary for input to be detected by some touchscreens . devices without screen capabilities also can be used in example environment 800 . for example , the cloud 810 can provide services for one or more computers ( e . g ., server computers ) without displays . services can be provided by the cloud 810 through service providers 820 , or through other providers of online services ( not depicted ). for example , cloud services can be customized to the screen size , display capability , and / or touchscreen capability of a particular connected device ( e . g ., connected devices 830 , 840 , 850 ). in example environment 800 , the cloud 810 provides the technologies and solutions described herein to the various connected devices 830 , 840 , 850 using , at least in part , the service providers 820 . for example , the service providers 820 can provide a centralized solution for various cloud - based services . the service providers 820 can manage service subscriptions for users and / or devices ( e . g ., for the connected devices 830 , 840 , 850 and / or their respective users ). although the operations of some of the disclosed methods are described in a particular , sequential order for convenient presentation , it should be understood that this manner of description encompasses rearrangement , unless a particular ordering is required by specific language set forth below . for example , operations described sequentially may in some cases be rearranged or performed concurrently . moreover , for the sake of simplicity , the attached figures may not show the various ways in which the disclosed methods can be used in conjunction with other methods . any of the disclosed methods can be implemented as computer - executable instructions stored on one or more computer - readable storage media ( e . g ., non - transitory computer - readable media , such as one or more optical media discs , volatile memory components ( such as dram or sram ), or nonvolatile memory components ( such as hard drives )) and executed on a computer ( e . g ., any commercially available computer , including smart phones or other mobile devices that include computing hardware ). any of the computer - executable instructions for implementing the disclosed techniques as well as any data created and used during implementation of the disclosed embodiments can be stored on one or more computer - readable media ( e . g ., non - transitory computer - readable media ). the computer - executable instructions can be part of , for example , a dedicated software application or a software application that is accessed or downloaded via a web browser or other software application ( such as a remote computing application ). such software can be executed , for example , on a single local computer ( e . g ., any suitable commercially available computer ) or in a network environment ( e . g ., via the internet , a wide - area network , a local - area network , a client - server network ( such as a cloud computing network ), or other such network ) using one or more network computers . for clarity , only certain selected aspects of the software - based implementations are described . other details that are well known in the art are omitted . for example , it should be understood that the disclosed technology is not limited to any specific computer language or program . for instance , the disclosed technology can be implemented by software written in c ++, java , perl , javascript , adobe flash , or any other suitable programming language . likewise , the disclosed technology is not limited to any particular computer or type of hardware . certain details of suitable computers and hardware are well known and need not be set forth in detail in this disclosure . furthermore , any of the software - based embodiments ( comprising , for example , computer - executable instructions for causing a computer to perform any of the disclosed methods ) can be uploaded , downloaded , or remotely accessed through a suitable communication means . such suitable communication means include , for example , the internet , the world wide web , an intranet , software applications , cable ( including fiber optic cable ), magnetic communications , electromagnetic communications ( including rf , microwave , and infrared communications ), electronic communications , or other such communication means . the disclosed methods , apparatus , and systems should not be construed as limiting in any way . instead , the present disclosure is directed toward all novel and nonobvious features and aspects of the various disclosed embodiments , alone and in various combinations and subcombinations with one another . the disclosed methods , apparatus , and systems are not limited to any specific aspect or feature or combination thereof , nor do the disclosed embodiments require that any one or more specific advantages be present or problems be solved . in view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the disclosed invention may be applied , it should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are only preferred examples of the invention and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention . rather , the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims . we therefore claim as our invention all that comes within the scope of these claims . | 6 |
the present invention takes advantage of the position of the coronary sinus being close to the mitral annulus . this makes repair possible by the use of current catheter - guided techniques by deploying one element in the coronary venous vasculature that applies a load to , and reshapes , the adjacent posterior portion of the mitral annulus . the coronary veins drain blood from the myocardium to the right atrium . the smaller veins drain blood directly into the atrial cavity , and the larger veins accompany the major arteries and run into the coronary sinus which substantially encircles the mitral orifice and annulus . the coronary sinus runs in the posterior atrioventricular groove , lying in the fatty tissue between the left atrial wall and the ventricular myocardium , before draining into the right atrium between the atrial septum and the post - eustachian sinus . fig1 is a cross - sectional view through the heart area of posterior atrioventricular groove 1 , which is filled with fatty tissue . it shows posterior leaflet 2 of the mitral valve and adjoining parts 3 , 4 of the atrial myocardium and the ventricular myocardium . coronary sinus 5 is shown close to mitral annulus 6 and behind attachment 7 of posterior leaflet 2 . since coronary sinus 5 substantially encircles mitral annulus 6 , a reduction of the radius of curvature of bent coronary sinus 5 also will result in a diameter and circumference reduction of mitral annulus 6 . in an adult , the course of coronary sinus 5 may approach within 5 – 15 mm of the medial attachment of posterior leaflet 2 of the mitral valve . preliminary measurements performed at autopsies of adults of normal weight show similar results , with a distance of 5 . 3 ± 0 . 6 mm at the medial attachment and about 10 mm at the lateral aspect of posterior leaflet 2 . the circumference of coronary sinus 5 was 18 . 3 ± 2 . 9 mm at its ostium ( giving a sinus diameter of the septal aspect of the posterior leaflet of 5 . 8 ± 0 . 9 mm ) and 9 . 7 ± 0 . 6 mm along the lateral aspect of posterior leaflet 2 ( corresponding to a sinus diameter of 3 . 1 ± 0 . 2 mm ). in accordance with the principles of the present invention , devices and methods for treating mitral insufficiency are provided , wherein the circumference of the mitral valve annulus is reduced when the device is deployed and / or actuated in at least a portion of the coronary sinus . devices constructed in accordance with principles of the present invention may comprise one or more components suitable for deployment in the coronary sinus and adjoining coronary veins . the device may be configured to bend in - situ to apply a compressive load to the mitral valve annulus with or without a length change , or may include multiple components that are drawn or contracted towards one another to reduce the circumference of the mitral valve annulus . any of a number of types of anchors may be used to engage the surrounding vein and tissue , including hooks , barbs , flanges , partial or completely through - wall tee structures , or biological anchoring . where multiple components are provided , reduction of the mitral valve annulus may be accomplished during initial deployment of the device , or by biological actuation during subsequent in - dwelling of the device . with respect to fig2 and 3 , a device that experiences shortening during deployment is described as comprising an elongate body 8 made of memory metal , e . g . nitinol , or other similar material which has a memory of an original shape , illustrated in fig3 , and which can be temporarily forced into another shape , illustrated in fig2 . elongate body 8 comprises one , two or more memory metal strings 9 of helical or other shape so as to fit together and be able of to permit the movements described below . along elongate body 8 , plurality of hooks 10 are fastened so as to extend radially out therefrom . hooks 10 are covered by a cover sheath 11 in fig2 . elongate body 8 is forced into a stretched or extended state by means of stabilizing instrument 12 shown in fig4 . instrument 12 has two arms 13 at distal end 14 of rod 15 and locking means 16 at proximal end of rod 15 . the distance between the ends of rod 15 corresponds to the desired length of elongate body 8 when being inserted into coronary sinus 5 . arms 13 are free to move between the position shown in fig4 and a position in alignment with rod 15 , as shown in fig6 . locking means 16 has two locking knobs 17 , which are pressed radially outwards from rod 15 by two spring blades 18 . thus , elongated body 8 can be pushed over rod 15 of stabilizing instrument 12 , then stretched between arms 13 and knobs 17 , and finally locked in its stretched state on stabilizing instrument 12 between arms 13 and knobs 17 , as illustrated in fig5 . rod 15 may be a metal wire which is relatively stiff between distal end 14 and locking means 16 but still so bendable that it will follow the shape of coronary sinus 5 . proximally of locking means 16 the metal wire of stabilizing instrument 11 is more pliable to be able to easily follow the bends of the veins . the above - described elongate body 8 is positioned in the coronary sinus 5 in the following way : an introduction sheath ( not shown ) of synthetic material may be used to get access to the venous system . having reached access to the venous system , a long guiding wire ( not shown ) of metal is advanced through the introduction sheath and via the venous system to coronary sinus 5 . this guiding wire is provided with x - ray distance markers so that the position of the guiding wire in coronary sinus 5 may be monitored . elongate body 8 is locked onto stabilizing instrument 12 , as shown in fig5 , and introduced into long cover sheath 11 of synthetic material . this aggregate is then pushed through the introduction sheath and the venous system to coronary sinus 5 riding on the guiding wire . after exact positioning of elongate body 8 in coronary sinus 5 , as illustrated in fig8 where mitral valve 19 is shown having central gap 20 , cover sheath 11 is retracted to expose elongate body 8 within coronary sinus 5 . this maneuver allows hooks 10 on elongate body 8 to dig into the walls of coronary sinus 5 and into the heart . elongate body 8 is still locked on to stabilizing instrument 12 such that hooks 10 engage the walls of coronary sinus 5 in the stretched or extended state of elongate body 8 . catheter 12 , shown in fig6 , is pushed forward on the guiding wire and rod 15 , to release elongate body 8 from locking means 16 by pressing spring blades 18 toward rod 15 . this movement releases knobs 17 as well as arms 13 from engagement with elongate body 8 , which contracts elongate body 8 as illustrated in fig9 , thereby shortening the radius of curvature of coronary sinus 5 . as a result , mitral valve annulus 6 shrinks moving the posterior part thereof forward ( shown by arrows in fig9 ). this movement reduces the circumference of mitral valve annulus 6 and thereby closes central gap 20 . fig7 illustrates a part of an arrangement of wires 9 and hooks 10 along a peripheral part of elongate body 8 , whereby elongate body 8 will be asymmetrically contracted resulting in a bending thereof when interconnecting parts 13 of at least some of hooks 10 are shortened to an original shape . fig1 and 11 illustrate an alternative embodiment of an elongate body 8 ′ which does not experience shortening during deployment . elongate body 8 ′ comprises a solid wire in the shape of an open u - shaped ring that will engage the wall of coronary sinus 5 most adjacent to mitral valve annulus 6 when inserted into coronary sinus 5 . elongate body 8 ′ consists of a memory metal material which when reverting to its original shape will bend as illustrated in fig1 . the return of open ring 8 ′ to its original shape may be initiated in several ways , as is obvious to one skilled in the art . further embodiments comprising two or more stent sections that are coupled by a system of wires and eyelets are described in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 775 , 677 (“ the &# 39 ; 677 application ”), filed feb . 5 , 2001 , u . s . patent application publication no . 2001 / 0018611 , which is incorporated herein by reference . in the embodiments described therein , individual proximal and distal stents are first deployed in the coronary sinus , and a cinch mechanism , illustratively comprising a wire and eyelets , is used to draw the proximal and distal stent sections towards one another , thereby reducing the circumference of the mitral valve annulus . referring now to fig1 , a further alternative embodiment is described , wherein the proximal stent section includes a flange that can be deployed to abut against the coronary ostium . apparatus 56 comprises device 58 disposed within delivery sheath 60 . device 58 comprises proximal stent section 62 joined to distal stent section 64 via wire 66 and cinch mechanism 67 . proximal and distal stent sections 62 and 64 illustratively are self - expanding stents , but alternatively may comprise balloon expandable stents , coiled - sheet stents , or other type of stent . stents 62 and 64 are disposed within delivery sheath 60 with a distal end of push tube 68 contacting the proximal end of proximal stent section 62 . proximal stent section 62 comprises deployable flange 69 . deployable flange 69 is initially constrained within delivery sheath 60 , as shown in fig1 a , and preferably comprises a shape memory material , e . g ., nitinol , so that flange 69 self - deploys to a predetermined shape upon retraction of delivery sheath 60 . wire 66 and cinch mechanism 67 may comprise a combination of wires and eyelets as described in accordance with any of the embodiments in the &# 39 ; 677 application , or any other arrangement that permits the wire to be tightened and locked into position , as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill . wire 66 includes a proximal portion that remains outside of the patient &# 39 ; s vessel for manipulation by a physician , and is configured to reduce the distance between proximal and distal stent sections 62 and 64 . apparatus 56 is navigated through the patient &# 39 ; s vasculature with stents 62 and 64 in the contracted state and into coronary sinus c . the distal end of sheath 60 is disposed , under fluoroscopic guidance , at a suitable position within the coronary sinus , great cardiac vein , or adjacent vein . push tube 68 is then urged distally to eject distal stent section 64 from within delivery sheath 60 , thereby permitting distal stent section 64 to self - expand into engagement with the vessel wall , as shown in fig1 b . delivery sheath 60 is then withdrawn proximally , under fluoroscopic guidance , until proximal stent 62 is situated extending from the coronary sinus . push tube 68 is then held stationary while sheath 60 is further retracted , thus releasing proximal stent section 62 . once released from delivery sheath 60 , proximal stent section 62 expands into engagement with the wall of the coronary sinus , and flange 69 abuts against the coronary ostium o , as shown in fig1 c . delivery sheath 60 ( and or push tube 68 ) may then be positioned against flange 69 of proximal stent section 62 , and wire 66 retracted in the proximal direction to draw distal stent section 64 towards proximal stent section 62 . as will of course be understood , distal stent section 64 is drawn towards proximal stent section 62 under fluoroscopic or other type of guidance , so that the degree of reduction in the mitral valve annulus may be assessed . as wire 66 is drawn proximally , cinch mechanism 67 prevents distal slipping of the wire . for example , wire 66 may include a series of grooves along its length that are successively captured in a v - shaped groove , a pall and ratchet mechanism , or other well - known mechanism that permits one - way motion . catheter 60 and push tube 68 then may be removed , as shown in fig1 d . flange 69 may comprise a substantially circular shape - memory member , as illustrated , a plurality of wire members , e . g ., manufactured using nitinol , that self - deploy upon removal of sheath 60 and abut ostium o when proximally retracted , or other suitable shape . referring to fig1 , a preferred method for using apparatus 56 of fig1 to close a central gap 72 of mitral valve 70 is described . in fig1 a , proximal and distal stent sections 62 and 64 are deployed in the coronary sinus so that flange 69 of proximal stent section 62 engages coronary ostium o . distal stent section 64 is disposed at such a distance apart from proximal stent section 62 that the two stent sections apply a compressive force upon mitral valve 70 when wire 66 and cinch 67 are actuated . in fig1 b , cinch 67 is actuated from the proximal end to reduce the distance between proximal and distal stent section 62 and 64 , e . g ., as described hereinabove . when wire 66 and cinch mechanism 67 are actuated , distal stent section 64 is pulled in a proximal direction and proximal stent section 62 is pulled in a distal direction until flange 69 abuts coronary ostium o . the reduction in distance between proximal and distal stent sections 62 and 64 reduces the circumference of mitral valve annulus 71 and thereby closes gap 72 . flange 69 provides a secure anchor point that prevents further distally - directed movement of proximal stent section 62 , and reduces shear stresses applied to the proximal portion of the coronary sinus . referring now to fig1 , a further aspect of the present invention is described , in which the distal stent section of the embodiment of fig1 is replaced with an anchor that is disposed within or through the myocardium . as will be appreciated , this feature of the device of the present invention may be used either separately or in conjunction with the flange feature described hereinabove . device 90 comprises proximal stent section 92 coupled by wire 94 and cinch mechanism 95 to distal anchor 96 . proximal stent section 92 may include flange 93 . optional coil section 98 extends distally from proximal stent section 92 to distal anchor 96 , and serves to distribute compressive forces created by wire 94 to a larger area of the venous vessel wall . device 90 is loaded into delivery apparatus 100 comprising curved stylet 102 , push wire 104 and delivery sheath 106 . curved stylet 102 preferably comprises a shape memory alloy capable of being straightened , but adopting a curved shape when extended beyond a distal end of delivery sheath 106 . curved stylet 102 includes sharpened distal tip 101 capable of piercing the left ventricular myocardium , and is disposed in lumen 105 of delivery sheath . push wire 104 is slidably disposed in lumen 103 of curved stylet 102 , and may be advanced distally to eject distal anchor 96 into the left ventricular myocardium or the left ventricle . as depicted in fig1 a , distal anchor comprises a tee - shaped bar to which wire 94 is coupled . optional coil section 98 also may be coupled to distal anchor 96 , and is contracted around curved stylet 102 when device 90 is loaded into delivery sheath 106 . distal anchor 96 is disposed within lumen 103 of curved stylet so that wire 94 and coil section 98 exit through lateral slot 107 in the stylet . push wire 104 is disposed in lumen 103 of stylet 102 abutting against the proximal face of distal anchor 96 . in fig1 a , device 90 is shown loaded into delivery apparatus 100 . delivery apparatus 100 has been disposed in the coronary sinus using conventional guidance and visualization techniques . the distal end of delivery apparatus 100 is advanced into the coronary venous vasculature to a desired location , and then stylet 102 is advanced distally beyond the end of delivery sheath 106 , thereby causing the stylet to regain its curved shape . further advancement of stylet 102 causes the distal end of the stylet to pierce the coronary vein and extend into the left ventricular myocardium . push rod 104 is then advanced distally to eject distal anchor 96 into the myocardium , or within the left ventricle , as shown in fig1 b . stylet 102 and push wire 104 are then withdrawn , and delivery sheath 106 is retracted until the proximal stent section is disposed extending out of the coronary ostium . by selection of the length of wire 94 fed through cinch mechanism 95 , proximal stent section 92 may be deployed simply by retracting delivery sheath 106 , because distal anchor 96 and wire 94 will prevent further proximal movement of proximal stent section 92 . in any event , when proximal stent section 92 is released from delivery sheath 106 , it self - expands to engage the vessel wall while flange 93 contacts the coronary ostium , as shown in fig1 c . the proximal end of proximal wire 94 extends through lumen 105 of delivery sheath 106 and may be manipulated by a physician . as in the previous embodiment , once the proximal stent section is deployed , wire 94 may be pulled proximally , with cinch mechanism 95 taking up any slack . the distance between distal anchor 96 and proximal stent section 92 may therefore be reduced a desired amount , causing a corresponding reduction in the circumference of the mitral valve annulus . optional coil section 98 , if present , assists in redistributing the compressive forces applied by wire 94 to the interior surface of the venous vessel . referring to fig1 a and 15b , device 90 of fig1 is illustrated in a deployed state to treat mitral insufficiency . flange 93 is deployed abutting coronary ostium o , e . g ., within right atrium a . proximal stent section 92 and optional coil section 98 are deployed within the coronary sinus and great cardiac vein c . distal anchor 96 is disposed within myocardium m , or alternatively , may extend into the left ventricle or another suitable region , as will be obvious to those skilled in the art . it should further be appreciated to those skilled in the art that while anchor 96 is illustrated as a cylindrical bar , it may comprise square , circular or other configurations , e . g ., a plurality of barbs . the proximal end of wire 94 extends through cinch mechanism 95 and is manipulated to impose tension on wire 94 , thereby reducing the distance between proximal stent section 92 and distal anchor 96 . this in turn reduces the circumference of coronary sinus c accordingly , as shown in fig1 b . upon completion of the procedure , i . e ., when gap 72 is sufficiently closed , apparatus 100 is removed from the patient &# 39 ; s vessel . advantageously , the use of distal anchor 96 is expected to reduce the shear stress imposed on coronary sinus c relative to the use of a proximal stent section alone as described for the embodiment of fig1 and 13 . referring now to fig1 and 17 , another embodiment of a device suitable for repairing mitral valve insufficiency is described . in this embodiment , device 110 comprises a balloon expandable stent 112 , which may be tapered along its length . stent 112 is disposed on balloon 114 at the distal region of balloon catheter 113 . balloon 114 is capable of assuming a curved shape when inflated . as depicted in fig1 a , stent 112 and balloon catheter 113 are disposed in the patient &# 39 ; s coronary sinus through the coronary ostium . once the position of stent 112 is determined , for example , by fluoroscopy , balloon 114 is inflated via to expand balloon 114 to its predetermined curved shape . inflation of balloon 114 causes stent 112 to be plastically deformed in accordance with the predetermined shape of balloon 114 . as will be of course be appreciated , the degree of mitral valve regurgitation may be monitored during the step of inflating balloon 114 , so that stent 112 applies only so much compressive load on the mitral valve annulus as is required to reduce the regurgitation to a clinically acceptable level . catheter 113 is removed from the patient &# 39 ; s vessel upon completion of the stenting procedure . referring to fig1 a and 17b , the distal region of a balloon catheter suitable for use in the embodiment of fig1 is described . balloon catheter 113 has proximal and distal ends , and comprises balloon 114 , and inflation lumen and guidewire lumens , as is per se known . in accordance with the principles of the present invention , balloon 114 includes an anchor element 116 , such as a strand of wire , affixed to its interior surface , so that when the balloon is inflated , it adopts a predetermined shape , as shown in fig1 b . anchor element 116 may comprise a radiopaque material or radiopaque coating to facilitate proper positioning of stent 112 within coronary sinus c . when balloon 114 is deflated , the balloon assumes a straight configuration , shown in fig1 a , thus permitting stent 112 to be crimped to its outer surface . in an alternative embodiment of the device of fig1 – 17 , anchor element 116 may be omitted and balloon 114 may be pre - shrunk on one side , thereby causing the balloon to deploy to the shape depicted in fig1 b . in yet another embodiment , the configuration of cells 117 of stent 112 may be varied to encourage the stent to assume a convex shape upon deployment . for example , the side of the stent adjacent mitral valve annulus 71 may expand less than the side of the stent opposing the mitral valve annulus , thereby imparting a convex curvature upon the stent , as shown in fig1 b . to ensure proper alignment of stent 112 within the coronary sinus prior to deployment of the stent , an intravascular ultrasound transducer or , alternatively , radiopaque marker bands may be used to align the correct side of the stent adjacent the mitral valve annulus . the use of such imaging modalities are described , for example , in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 916 , 394 (“ the &# 39 ; 394 application ”), which is u . s . patent application publication no . 2002 / 0019660 , hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety . additionally , further techniques for providing a curved stent in accordance with methods of fig1 – 17 also are described in the &# 39 ; 394 application . referring now to fig1 a – 19c , another alternative embodiment of the present invention is described , in which the device comprises proximal and distal stent sections joined by a central section capable of undergoing foreshortening . device 120 comprises proximal stent section 122 , distal stent section 124 and central section 126 . further in accordance with the principles of the present invention , device 120 includes one or more biodegradable structures 128 , such as sutures , disposed on central section 126 to retain that section in the contracted shape for a predetermined period after placement of the device in a patient &# 39 ; s vessel . in fig1 a , device 120 is depicted with its proximal and distal stent sections radially expanded , but with central section 126 restrained in the contracted position . fig1 b depicts device 120 with all three stent sections contracted as if disposed in a delivery catheter . fig1 c shows all three stent sections fully expanded . in a preferred embodiment , all three sections are integrally formed from a single shape memory alloy tube , e . g ., by laser cutting . the stent sections then are processed , using known techniques , to form a self - expanding unit . device 120 has a contracted delivery configuration , wherein the device is radially contracted within a delivery sheath , and a deployed expanded configuration , wherein at least the proximal and distal sections self - expand to engage the interior surface of the coronary sinus or adjoining veins . further in accordance with the present invention , the biodegradable structures may be designed to biodegrade simultaneously or at selected intervals . unlike the preceding embodiments , which may include either a proximal flange , distal anchor , or both , and which rely upon drawing the proximal and distal stent sections together at the time of deploying the device , this embodiment of the present invention permits the proximal and distal stent sections 122 and 124 to become biologically anchored in the venous vasculature before those sections are drawn together by expansion of central section 126 to impose a compressive load on the mitral valve annulus . in particular , as depicted in fig1 a – 19d , device 120 is loaded into delivery sheath 121 and positioned within the patient &# 39 ; s coronary sinus . the device is then ejected from the delivery sheath , so that the proximal and distal stent sections 122 and 124 radially expand into engagement with the vessel wall . at the time of deployment , central section 126 is retained in a contracted state by biodegradable structures 128 , illustratively biodegradable sutures , e . g ., a poly - glycol lactide strand or vicrel suture , offered by ethicon , inc ., new brunswick , n . j ., usa . over the course of several weeks to months , the proximal and distal stent sections 122 and 124 will endothelialize , i . e ., the vessel endothelium will form a layer e that extends through the apertures in the proximal and distal stent sections and causes those stent sections to become biologically anchored to the vessel wall , as depicted in fig1 c . this phenomenon may be further enhanced by the use of a copper layer on the proximal and distal stent sections , as this element is known to cause an aggressive inflammatory reaction . other techniques for enhancing an inflammatory reaction , such as coatings or layers , will be apparent to those skilled in the art . over the course of several weeks to months , and preferably after the proximal and distal stent sections have become anchored in the vessel , biodegradable structures 128 that retain central section 126 in the contracted state will biodegrade . eventually , the self - expanding force of the central section will cause the biodegradable structures to break , and release central section 126 to expand . because central section 126 is designed to shorten as it expands radially , it causes the proximal and distal stent sections 122 and 124 of device 120 to be drawn towards one another , as shown in fig1 d . the compressive force created by expansion of central section 126 thereby compressively loads , and thus remodels , the mitral valve annulus , as depicted . as suggested hereinabove , biodegradable structures 128 may be designed to rupture simultaneously , or alternatively , at selected intervals over a prolonged period of several months or more . in this manner , progressive remodeling of the mitral valve annulus may be accomplished over a gradual period , without additional interventional procedures . in addition , because the collateral drainage paths exist for blood entering the coronary sinus , it is expected that the device will accomplish its objective even if it results in gradual total occlusion of the coronary sinus . referring now to fig2 a – 20b , another alternative embodiment of the present invention is described . in fig2 a , apparatus 180 comprises a plurality of interlocking segments 181 . each interlocking segment 181 preferably comprises a proximal section having socket 184 , a distal section having ball 182 , and a central section 183 extending therebetween . each interlocking segment 181 further comprises lumen 185 configured to permit cinch wire 187 to pass through lumen 185 . cinch wire 187 having proximal and distal ends preferably comprises ball 188 affixed to the distal end so that ball 188 engages a distalmost interlocking segment 181 when retracted proximally . the retraction of cinch wire 187 enables a ball 182 to interlock with a socket 184 of an adjacent segment 181 . apparatus 180 of fig2 a preferably is used in combination with apparatus 190 of fig2 b . a preferred use of apparatus 180 and 190 in combination is described in fig2 hereinbelow . apparatus 190 comprises proximal ball segment 202 , distal ball segment 200 , and connecting segment 204 having a plurality of sockets 205 separated by humps 209 . proximal ball segment 202 comprises proximal and distal ball segments 212 and 210 , respectively , each having lumens extending therethrough , and hollow rod 211 extending therebetween . similarly , distal ball segment 200 comprises proximal and distal balls 208 and 206 , respectively , each having lumens extending therethrough , and hollow rod 207 extending therebetween . distal ball 210 of proximal segment 202 initially is configured to engage the most proximal socket 205 within connecting segment 204 , while proximal ball 208 of distal segment 200 initially is configured to engage a distalmost socket 205 . proximal and distal ball segments 202 and 200 are capable of relative rotational and telescoping movement . such movement may be achieved using a cinch wire configured to pass through each segment 200 and 202 , as shown in fig2 a . in fig2 a , cinch wire 218 comprises distal ball 220 that is larger than a lumen of hollow rod 207 and is configured to abut distal ball 206 when a proximal end of cinch wire 218 is retracted proximally . cinch wire 218 preferably is used in combination with push tube 216 that may stabilize or distally advance proximal segment 202 . by varying the maneuvers of push tube 216 and cinch wire 218 , a range of telescoping and rotational motions between proximal and distal segments 202 and 200 may be achieved , as shown in fig2 b . in fig2 b , a push force applied to ball 212 allows ball 210 to overcome the resistive forces provided by hump 209 . as illustrated , the push force applied to ball 212 has advanced proximal segment 202 by two sockets relative to distal segment 200 . also , as shown in fig2 b , distal segment 200 has been retracted by one socket with respect to proximal segment 202 , e . g ., by proximally retracting cinch wire 218 . ball 208 also has been rotated at an angle , which in turn rotates distal segment 200 with respect to proximal segment 202 . referring to fig2 c , an alternative method for providing relative telescoping and rotational motion for apparatus 190 of fig2 b is described . apparatus 190 further comprises push tube 216 and wire loop 225 . wire loop 225 extends through a lumen within proximal and distal segments 202 and 200 , then loops around the distal end of distal segment 200 and back into opening 227 of push tube 216 . a physician then may manipulate a proximal portion of wire loop 225 to provide a range of telescoping or rotational motions between proximal and distal segments 202 and 200 . at least one hook or eyelet 231 may be coupled to an exterior surface of connecting segment 204 to serve as a guide for wire 225 , and to facilitate controlled actuation of proximal and distal segments 202 and 200 . referring now to fig2 , a combination of apparatus 180 and apparatus 190 are used to provide a range of motion within vessel v , e . g ., the coronary sinus . as described hereinabove , the present invention aims to treat mitral insufficiency by shortening the radius of curvature of the coronary sinus , which in turn applies a compressive force upon the mitral valve . in fig2 , the combination of apparatus 180 and apparatus 190 first may engage a wall of vessel v , e . g ., via barbs or hooks ( not shown ) affixed to apparatus 180 and 190 , and then the relative telescoping or rotational motion of segments may be used to bend vessel v to apply a compressive load on the mitral valve annulus . in a preferred embodiment , mitral insufficiency apparatus 179 comprises a proximal and distal section comprising apparatus 180 , and a plurality of sections comprising apparatus 190 disposed therebetween . cinch wire 218 and push tube 216 of fig2 preferably are used to manipulate relative rotational and telescopic motion of all of the components . in a first preferred step , the balls of apparatus 180 are coupled to their respective sockets , e . g ., by proximally retracting cinch wire 218 . then , in a next step , balls 240 and 250 which connect apparatus 180 to apparatus 190 are rotated within sockets of connective segment 204 to allow apparatus 180 to be angled relative to apparatus 190 by angles α and β , as illustrated in fig2 . this in turn applies a desired compressive load on the mitral valve annulus . then , in a final step , the balls of apparatus 190 may be advanced incrementally in a longitudinal direction within sockets 205 of connective segments 204 to reduce distance x . when vessel v is the coronary sinus , reducing the distance x will apply a compressive force to the mitral valve to treat mitral insufficiency . while preferred illustrative embodiments of the invention are described above , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention . the appended claims are intended to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . | 0 |
referring to fig1 , a financial institution 110 , such as a commercial or retail bank , conducts business with a number of customers 112 and is regulated by one or more regulators 116 . one type of business conducted by the institution is the extending of credit to its customers . as an example , the financial institution may be regulated by a national government agency , which requires the financial institution to provide regular regulatory reports 114 . the regulators 116 issue regulations 118 according to which the financial institution 110 must operate . for example , the regulations may relate to the management of risks related to the extending of credit to the customers . one aspect of management of risk related to the extending of credit to customers involves the capital reserves that are used by the institution to offset possible losses related to default by the customers . one basic approach to calculation of the required credit reserves is to assign a risk factor to different classes of extended credit , and to accumulate a total “ risked weighted assets ” ( rwa ) by summing the product of the amount of credit in each class and its risk factor ( e . g ., 100 % for an unsecured loan , 50 % for real estate loans , 0 % for a government - backed bond ). the capital requirement is then a percentage of the computed rwa , for example 8 % of the rwa . internally , the financial institution 110 maintains a data system 130 , which holds data related to the its operations and relationships with its customers , and a data processing system 120 , which is used to process information in the data system . among the many different types of information processing , the data processing system 120 performs a “ risk weighted assets ” ( rwa ) calculation . the data processing system 120 is also used to produce internal reports 124 for use in management of the financial institution , as well as regulatory reports 114 , which are made public and / or provided to regulators 116 . the basel ii capital accord is an example of the regulations 118 , or the basis of more specific regulations , according to which the financial institution operates . the requirements of basel ii are split into three parts , referred to as the three “ pillars ” of the accord . pillar i , capital charge calculation , relates to acceptable ways of computing capital reserves . pillar ii , supervisory , relates to the information required for the decision making with the organization . pillar iii , reporting , relates to the information required for reporting to regulatory organizations or within the organization . basel ii also allows for different methodologies for performing calculations within each of the pillars . the first level involves a “ standardized ” calculation in which the regulators supply generic parameters , such as an industry - standard probability of default and the percentage of rwa required to the held in a capital reserve . the accord also provides for two methodologies that are more complex : an “ internal ratings ” based approach , and an “ advanced ” approach that is based on detail historical analysis . a financial institution may prefer to use the more complex methodologies , for example , because they result in a less conservative capital reserve requirement that is more sensitive to the details of the risks associated with the credit it has extended to its customers . however , the more complex methodologies require recording of data and performing of calculations that may not be necessary for the standardized or more basic approaches , and therefore an institution seeking to make use of the more complex methodologies may face relatively complicated modification of its internal record keeping and data analysis . this difficulty may be exasperated by the operation of the institution in a number of relatively separate or independent business units , as certain requirements relate to the institution as a whole rather than to specific business units , and relatively high credit risk related to one business unit may be offset by low credit risk or high capital reserves in another business unit . referring still to fig1 , the financial institution 110 makes use of an ldm system 140 to analyze its compliance or possibility of compliance with regulations 118 , such as compliance with basel ii . ( note that the use of the term “ ldm ,” which is an acronym for “ logical data model ,” in the name “ ldm system ” generally relates to the use of an explicit data model 142 within ldm system 140 and is not intended to imply any particular characteristics of the system .) the data model 142 explicitly represents various data elements and relationships between the data elements and between the data elements and specific provisions of the regulations 118 . in the discussion below , regulations 118 include the provisions of basel ii . these provisions , which span a number of separate publications , have been manually analyzed and interpreted to determine the requirements of the provisions in terms of the overall spirit of the regulation and the types of data that would be required to meet the requirements ( or even the spirit of the requirements if their are not explicit ). note that the basel ii regulations are not always explicit in terms of what data is required , and therefore is subject to interpretation . a result of the analysis and interpretations is the data model 142 , which explicitly identifies the various data elements that may be implicitly or explicitly required to support computations required by the accord . the relationship between the regulations 118 and the data model 142 is indicated in the figure by a dotted arrow a . the data model is comprehensive in that , based on the analysis and interpretation of the accord , the model identifies all the data elements that may be required for different calculations related to the accord . that is , any particular financial institution may not necessarily be required to perform all the different calculations and therefore may not make use of the entire data model . each element in the data model 142 includes a number of pieces of information about the element , which can include the meaning ( semantics ) of the element , its relationship to particular sections of the regulations , and textual documentation related to the use of the element . the elements relate , for example , to transactions , counterparties , and collateral . the ldm is further customizable to suit specific reporting or other requirements of the financial institution . the ldm system 140 includes a number of components that are all based in some way on the data model 142 . these components include a data representation 148 , and components that involve data processing : a gap analysis 144 and a calculation validation 152 . the data representation 148 includes information about the data available in the institution &# 39 ; s data system 130 that may be useful for calculations required by the regulations . that is , the data representation does not itself include the values of the data , but rather it identifies what information is recorded by the financial institution , and where in the data system 130 ( e . g ., in which database systems , in which tables and which fields , within which business unit , etc .) the data is stored . this data representation allows a user associated with the financial institution to capture physical data definitions across the various parts of the institution to ensure all definitions are consistent and suitable for all different instances where data is referenced or stored within the system . the gap analysis component 144 is a diagnostic tool that uses the information in the data representation 148 and the information in the data model 142 to identify the additional data that must be provided in order to support particular computation or reporting requirements of the regulations . for the basel ii regulations , the ldm system 140 supports the different levels of sophistication permitted by the accord . one use of the gap analysis is to identify the data that would be required in order for the institution to be able to perform the calculations and reports required by more advanced levels . the use of the advanced levels may be advantageous to the institution for example by reducing the total capital allocation required to offset its credit exposure . an output of the gap analysis 144 is a gap report 146 , which identifies the information that is required in order to support various requirements of the regulations . it may be that the required information is already being recorded in the data system 130 of the institution . after the required information is added to the data specification 150 , which is provided to the data representation component 148 of the ldm system 140 , a new gap report 146 can be generated showing that the required information is available . each data element description has provided with it an associated business and technical descriptions ( somewhat like a dictionary definition ) to assist with learning and application or the accord . the gap analysis component 144 can provide in the gap reports 146 a specific list of data elements that need to be provided . for a financial institution that has separate business units , a separate gap report can be generated for each specific business unit identifying the data that needs to be provided by that business unit . the gap report can also identify what data elements are currently being collected , and where the gaps are to meet a desired level of calculation . the gap analysis 144 also identifies reporting system gaps in the institution &# 39 ; s reporting procedures . for example , the regulations may require reporting the value or liquidity of collateral , and the gap analysis can identify if certain data is not recorded that would be needed to satisfy the reporting requirements . a specific example relates to the type of collateral that is encoded using a classification ( e . g ., income producing real estate , gold , cash , bonds ) that does not provide sufficient distinctions in type of collateral . in that case , the gap analysis may identify that a more fine - grained classification of collateral is needed . the calculation validation component 152 implements calculations implicitly or explicitly specified by the regulations 118 . note that the ldm system 140 does not generally have the computation capacity ( e . g ., computation speed and / or data handling capacity ) to perform all of the computations for the institution required by the regulations . such calculations are performed in the institution &# 39 ; s data reporting system 120 . however , implementation of the calculations may not be straightforward . for example , the computation may be incorrectly implemented , or they may be based on incorrect elements in the data system . therefore , the calculation validation component 152 of the ldm system 140 provides a previously validated implementation ( i . e ., a reference implementation ) of the required calculations . the calculation validation relies on data values 151 retrieved from the data system 130 . this retrieval may be automated based on the information in the data representation component 148 or may be based on a manual extraction of the data values . the calculation validation produces validation data 154 , which can then be compared to the results of calculations performed by the data processing system 120 . if the results differ , then an error in the implementation in the data processing system 120 is likely . referring to fig2 , internally the ldm system 140 makes use of a database engine 210 , which includes a microsoft access ® relational database management system ( dbms ). this database engine is used to access entity - relationship data 230 , which is used to store the information for the data model 142 . the database engine is also used to access the data representation information 240 used by the data representation component 148 . the ldm system 140 also includes a calculation engine 220 , which includes a microsoft excel spreadsheet system . the calculations that are preformed by the calculation validation component 152 are encoded in calculation representation data 250 , which includes excel spreadsheets or spreadsheet templates that implement the required calculations . referring to fig3 , the financial institution 110 may be organized with a central administration 310 and a number of separate business units 320 . the ldm system 140 can be used to produce separate gap reports 146 for each of the units 320 , and in return , each of the units prepares data specifications 150 , which are passed back into the ldm system . in this way , the ldm system provide a mechanism for collecting information from the various business units , and identifying for each of the units the additional information that is needed . referring to fig4 , the entity - relationship data 230 ( see fig2 ) includes relatively fine - grain entities . only a portion of the entity - relationship data 230 for the basel ii version of the ldm system is shown in the figure . there are 36 retail data entities and 48 non - retail data entities . these entities include an exposure class and a rating grade . there are over 210 data elements for retail and 400 non - retail transactions , including collateral type ( which may affect its liquidity ) and credit derivative . there are over 70 relationships between entities or data elements . for example , a facility id may be related to an attribute “ in default ” or can be related to a geographic location of the facility . as shown in the figure , a particular instrument is associated with an instrument type and an exposure , and the exposure is associated with a currency of that exposure . referring to fig5 , the ldm system 140 generates templates of the information related to credit and operational risk that is needed for various types of retail or non - retail transactions . the completed templates that include specific data values are then used to populate the data system 130 , and can be used by the calculation validation component of the ldm system . these microsoft excel ®- based templates are used to confirm the availability of the necessary data items with various business units of the financial institution . the ldm system dynamically generates these templates to support the data collection process . the templates are sent to appropriate business units to identify the necessary information technology changes that are needed to institute collection and storage ( e . g ., for historical analysis ) of the required data . the ldm system 140 may be hosted on a variety of different computation platforms . in one implementation , the system is hosted on a microsoft access ® platform ( i . e ., a computation platform that hosts a microsoft access database system ). this implementation can be ported to other computation platforms , which for not necessarily support microsoft access , and which may not necessarily support any particular form of database system . the system may be implemented in software stored on a computer readable medium associated with a general - purpose computer . the instructions can be for separate applications , or can be used to augment ( e . g ., as plug - ins for ) existing software applications . the system may also be implemented in a distributed architecture , for example , with some components being hosted on different computers that other components . although aspects of the system are described above with reference to the basel ii capital accord , the approach is more general and is not limited to such specific regulations . nor is the approach limited to regulation of financial institutions . for example , accounting regulations that are applied to corporations in general could be supported by a system of the general structure of the ldm system . as another example , it is possible to customize the ldm to support client specific data elements and contexts , for example , to reflect levels of granularity in the organization structure of the institution . in other embodiments , not all of the capabilities of the ldm system 140 are required to co - exist in a single system . for example , only one of the gap analysis or the computation validation components could be used without both being implemented . in the approach described above , the requirements of basel ii were analyzed and interpreted manually . in general , depending on the form of the regulations , some or all of this step may be automated to form the data model . for example , future regulations may provide some or all of the information needed for the data model in a form suitable for automated processing . it is to be understood that the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the invention , which is defined by the scope of the appended claims . other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims . | 6 |
in fig3 , an example of an embodiment of an apparatus for the deposition of reinforcing elements of vehicle tyres in accordance with the present invention is wholly indicated with reference numeral 100 . the apparatus 100 is part of a work station of the type described in document wo 01 / 36185 to the same applicant . in the described example of embodiment , the apparatus 100 is adapted to make a reinforcing structure , operatively associated with annular anchoring structures 2 of a carcass structure 3 in the region of the bead of a tyre ( fig2 a ). the reinforcing structure comprises at least one reinforcing layer 1 formed from one or more reinforcing elements 5 ′ deposited as described hereafter . the specific axial position of each reinforcing layer 1 with respect to the annular anchoring structures 2 can vary according to the requirements of the product ; in particular , the reinforcing structure can comprise a single reinforcing layer 1 made directly on the carcass structure 3 , or else between two layers of annular anchoring structures 2 , or else in an axially outer position with respect to the annular anchoring structures 2 . it is also possible to provide a reinforcing structure comprising many reinforcing layers 1 operatively associated , in different axial positions , with the annular anchoring structures 2 . the manufacture of the reinforcing structure , of the annular anchoring structures 2 , of the carcass structure 3 , as well as of the other components of the tyre , is advantageously carried out on a toroidal support 60 , having an outer surface configured substantially according to the inner configuration of the tyre to be made . the toroidal support 60 , not described in detail here since it can be made in any convenient way by the man skilled in the art , is preferably supported by an anthropomorphous robotised arm 61 ( only partially visible in fig3 ), for example of the type described in the aforementioned document wo 01 / 36185 to the same applicant . each reinforcing element 5 ′ is formed from a piece 5 of predetermined length obtained through cutting operations carried out in sequence on at least one continuous reinforcing band - like element 4 and then suitably deposited along a predetermined deposition path 7 defined on the toroidal support 60 ( fig2 and 2 a ), as shall be described in detail hereafter , with reference to a preferred embodiment of the process of the invention . the continuous band - like element 4 and , consequently , the pieces 5 obtained from it , preferably each comprise a plurality of thread - like reinforcing elements 6 ( shown only in fig1 for the sake of clarity ) made from metallic material or textile incorporated in a matrix of elastomeric material . such thread - like reinforcing elements 6 extend parallel to each other , along a direction of longitudinal extension g of the continuous band - like element 4 and of the pieces 5 ( fig1 ). throughout the present description and in the subsequent claims “ direction of longitudinal extension ” of the continuous band - like element 4 — and , consequently , of the pieces 5 — is defined as the line defining the longitudinal direction of the continuous band - like element 4 and passing through the middle point of an end side thereof . the width of the continuous band - like element 4 is preferably between about 10 mm and about 50 mm , wherein about 25 mm is a particularly preferred operative value . as schematically represented in fig3 , the apparatus 100 comprises a feeding device 20 of the continuous band - like element 4 , for example a drawing and / or calandering device or else a feed reel , a cutting device 30 adapted to carry out cutting to size operations on the continuous band - like element 4 to make the pieces 5 , and a gripping device 40 to grip the pieces 5 and deposit them on the toroidal support 60 . in accordance with the invention , the gripping device 40 , in addition to grip and deposit the pieces 5 , is adapted to deform such pieces 5 to adapt them to respective deposition parts of the deposition path 7 . as can be seen in particular in fig4 , the gripping device 40 preferably comprises two gripping elements 41 and 42 rotatably associated with a fixed body 43 which in turn is connected to a moving arm 44 ( fig3 ) of the gripping device 40 . the gripping elements 41 , 42 , identical to each other , can rotate in a plane coinciding with or substantially parallel to a gripping plane π of the piece 5 , about respective pin axes x 1 and x 2 ( of which only x 1 can be seen in the perspective view of fig4 ) substantially perpendicular to the gripping plane π . the pin axes x 1 and x 2 are defined by corresponding connection pins ( only one of which , indicated with reference numeral 54 , is shown in fig3 ) between the fixed body 43 and the gripping elements 41 , 42 . the rotation of the gripping elements 41 , 42 is carried out through the rotation about respective rotation axes y of suitably shaped rotatable arms 45 , actuated through conventional actuators 46 . both the actuators 46 and the rotatable arms 45 are firmly connected with the fixed body 43 of the gripping device 40 . through their rotation , the rotatable arms 45 thrust corresponding abutment elements 47 firmly connected with the gripping elements 41 , 42 , thus determining their rotation about the respective pin axes x 1 , x 2 with respect to the fixed body 43 . each of the gripping elements 41 , 42 , as well as the abutment element 47 , comprises a skid 48 carrying , at a face thereof facing towards the gripping plane π , a plurality of needles 49 adapted to penetrate into portions of the piece 5 to obtain the gripping thereof . the needles 49 are arranged aligned along a longitudinal direction of the skid 48 . the needles 49 are operatively associated with respective small pneumatic cylinders 50 capable of independently controlling the vertical movement of each needle . in particular , each small pneumatic cylinder 50 , in addition to move the respective needle 49 , can slide with respect to it , thus allowing the possible detachment of the reinforcing element 5 ′ to be counteracted at the end of the deposition , when the needles 49 lift up . the small pneumatic cylinders 50 in each skid 48 are preferably in fluid communication with each other , so as to be subjected to substantially the same pressure by an appropriate pressurised fluid . the skids 48 are associated with respective sliding guides 51 ( only one of which can be seen in the perspective view of fig4 ) that allow the longitudinal sliding thereof , independently from each other , with respect to the fixed body 43 . an adjustment unit 52 firmly connected with the fixed body 43 allows the longitudinal position of each skid 48 to be adjusted with respect to the fixed body 43 . in particular , it allows a longitudinal staggering of the skids 48 to be set according to the longitudinal staggering of the gripping sides of the piece 5 due to the fact that the piece 5 is obtained by cutting the continuous band - like element 4 with a cutting angle different from 90 ° with respect to a feeding direction of the continuous band - like element 4 . the gripping device 40 preferably also comprises a permanent magnet 53 firmly connected with the fixed body 43 and arranged facing towards the gripping plane π between the two gripping elements 41 , 42 . such a permanent magnet 53 contributes in particular to the gripping of the piece 5 when it comprises thread - like reinforcing elements 6 made of steel . by means of the moving arm 44 , the gripping device 40 as a whole can be moved between a first position near to the cutting device 30 , in which the gripping of the pieces 5 takes place , and a second position near to the toroidal support 60 , in which the deposition of the pieces 5 takes place . the gripping device 40 can be moved between these two positions according to two directions of translation substantially perpendicular to each other , indicated in fig3 through the double arrows a and b . the deposition apparatus 100 preferably also comprises a pressing member ( not shown in the figures ) of the conventional type and known to the man skilled in the art , which can act upon the deposited pieces 5 so as to ensure that they completely stick to the underlying structures of the tyre being processed . such a pressing member can be firmly connected with the gripping device 40 and act upon each piece 5 individually , immediately after the deposition thereof , or else it can be independent from the gripping device 40 and act upon the reinforcing layer 1 once the deposition thereof has ended . with reference to fig1 , 2 , 2 a and 3 a preferred embodiment of the deposition process of the invention that can be carried out through the deposition apparatus 100 described above shall now be described . reference shall be made in particular to the deposition of reinforcing elements 5 ′ on a deposition path 7 extending along an annular portion of the toroidal support 60 , in the region of the bead of the tyre being processed . such an annular portion is substantially circular , with centre lying on a rotation axis of the toroidal support 60 and inner radius preferably between about 200 mm and about 350 mm . in a first step of the process , a piece 5 is cut to size from the continuous band - like element 4 fed by the feeding device 20 . feeding takes place along a feeding direction f substantially parallel to the direction of longitudinal extension g of the continuous band - like element 4 . the piece 5 is cut according to a cutting angle α of between about 0 ° and about 70 °, more preferably between about 20 ° and about 65 °, said cutting angle α being defined between the perpendicular to the direction of longitudinal extension g and a cutting direction c . in a subsequent step , the piece 5 is gripped , through the gripping elements 41 , 42 of the gripping device 40 , at two opposite sides 5 a , 5 b thereof parallel to the feeding direction f , in the gripping plane π ( which in fig1 coincides with the plane of representation , whereas in fig3 it is perpendicular to the plane of representation ). the grip is ensured by the penetration of the needles 49 into the material of the piece 5 and preferably occurs in such a way that the row of needles 49 of each gripping element 41 , 42 is positioned on the inside with respect to at least the first thread - like reinforcing element adjacent to each of the sides 5 a , 5 b . preferably , the grip is achieved in such a way that the needles 49 are at a distance d of between about 1 . 5 mm and about 2 . 5 mm from the outer edges of the sides 5 a , 5 b . preferably , moreover , the grip takes place in such a way that the pin axes x 1 , x 2 of the gripping elements are at corresponding end areas of the sides 5 a , 5 b . such end areas are intended to be deposited at radially inner areas of the deposition path 7 . in a subsequent step of the process , the piece 5 is deformed through rotation of the gripping elements 41 , 42 about the pin axes x 1 , x 2 by respective predetermined angles of rotation γ 1 , γ 2 away from each other . deformation occurs substantially in the plane in which the piece 5 lies , coinciding with or substantially parallel to the gripping plane π . in this way a substantially “ fan - shaped ” deformation of the piece 5 is achieved , in which the portion of piece transversal to the two sides 5 a , 5 b that is nearest to the position of the pin axes x 1 , x 2 substantially is not subjected to deformations , whereas the transversal portions farther from the pin axes x 1 , x 2 are subjected to stretchings , wherein the magnitude of this stretchings increases as the distance of these transversal portions from the position of such axes increases ( fig1 ). in fig1 and 2 for comparison the shape that the reinforcing elements 5 ′ would assume by depositing non - deformed pieces 5 , represented with dotted and dashed lines , along the deposition path 7 , is also illustrated . it is clear that , without deformation , between one piece 5 and the adjacent ones empty spaces would remain such as to alter the uniformity of the reinforcing elements 5 ′ forming a reinforcing layer 1 . the extent of the angles of rotation γ 1 , γ 2 , and therefore the extent of the deformation of the piece 5 , is determined based upon the curvature of the deposition part on which each piece 5 is intended to be deposited , upon the cutting angle α of the piece 5 ( fig1 ) and upon a deposition angle β of the piece 5 ( fig2 ), the latter being defined as the angle between a radial direction r of the toroidal support 60 passing , at the moment of deposition , through a radially inner point of the piece 5 and belonging to the direction of longitudinal extension g of the piece ( 5 ), and the same direction of longitudinal extension g . typically , the cutting angle α and the deposition angle β are preset and remain constant during the entire deposition process of the reinforcing layer 1 , whereas the curvature of the deposition path can , in general , vary , requiring corresponding variations of the angles of rotation γ 1 , γ 2 from one piece to the other . in the specific case illustrated here , however , since the deposition path 7 is a circular ring , the curvature is constant and therefore the angles of rotation γ 1 , γ 2 are the same for all of the pieces 5 . preferably the angles of rotation γ 1 , γ 2 , are equal to each other , and have a width of between about 1 ° and about 10 °. in alternative embodiments , it is also possible to foresee that the pieces 5 undergo “ asymmetrical ” deformations , obtained by rotating just one of the gripping elements 41 , 42 whereas the other is or is kept fixed . the aforementioned deformation step is carried out at the same time as the piece 5 is moved between a first position at the feeding device 20 and a second position at said toroidal support 60 . in a subsequent step of the process , the piece 5 deformed as described above is deposited at the respective deposition part of the deposition path 7 . as stated above , the deposition of each piece 5 is carried out according to the deposition angle β , of between about 0 ° and about 35 °, and in such a way that the end areas of the piece 5 at which the pin axes x 1 , x 2 of the gripping elements 41 , 42 pass are deposited at radially inner areas of the deposition path 7 . the aforementioned cutting , deformation and deposition steps of pieces 5 are repeated for a predetermined number of times , each time changing the deposition part so as to deposit a plurality of such pieces 5 in side - by - side relationship , so as to cover the entire deposition path 7 , thus completing the formation of the reinforcing layer 1 . a step of passing a pressing member on the deposited pieces 5 is also preferably foreseen , so as to ensure that they completely stick to the underlying structures of the tyre being processed . such a step can be carried out after the deposition of each piece 5 and onto each of them individually , or else at the end of the deposition of all of the pieces 5 , onto the entire reinforcing layer 1 . | 1 |
before describing an embodiment of an electrostatic motor according to the present invention , the following considerations concerning the source of the electric force must be understood . when having two plates of 50 by 50 cm square being 1 cm apart from each other with a 25 kv of potential difference (+ 12 . 5 and − 12 . 5 kv respectively ), the exerted force on each plate is equal to approximately 6 . 9 newtons . obviously , this provides a negligible work over a 1 cm distance . consequently , the exerted force on the plates must not be considered . instead , the stored energy made available in the electric field between the fixed plates must be used . accordingly , a third moving plate , of same size than the other two that can freely move between both two fixed plates while remaining parallel to the latter and allowing for an electric contact with either of the fixed plates when the moving plate reaches it , is added . when the moving plate touches one of the fixed plates , the anode (+) or the cathode (−), it will reach the same electric charge as the latter , being − 12 . 5 kv by touching the cathode , for example . at this moment , there is repulsion from the cathode on the moving plate and attraction toward the anode . then the moving plate leaves the cathode with this negative charge heads for the anode to ultimately touch the latter , the charge of the mobile plate therefore changes and the opposite displacement starts toward the cathode . the moving plate oscillates this way from a fixed plate to the other as long as the electric voltage source supplies the necessary charges to maintain a constant potential difference between both fixed plates , consequently , a constant electric field between the two poles . therefore , the moving plate oscillates between both the anode and the cathode with a constant force of 6 . 9 newtons , exactly the same force as the one exerted on both anode and cathode . in this manner , 100 % of the available energy in the electric field is directly transferred into a mechanical power and movement . as the moving plate continuously changes charge , the same result could conceivably be obtained by either isolating the fixed anode (+) and cathode (−) plates from the moving one and applying an alternating voltage on the moving plate , or applying either a positive or a negative static charge on the moving plate and alternating the potential difference between the fixed plates . the above principles allow for realizing electrostatic piston motors by coupling different moving plates to a crankshaft . even though this is interesting in theory , the electrostatic piston motor comprises volume constraints and is mechanically complicated ; but there is way to have a lot better and simpler . starting from this simple motor utilizing a moving plate oscillating between two fixed plates , the same principle can be adapted to provide efficient electrostatic motors , as explained hereinafter . to realize efficient motors with above principles , it is required to get a continuous movement of the moving plate rather than a forward - backward oscillating motion and to keep the moving plate substantially parallel to the fixed plates . this could be made possible by having a physical plate pass “ through ” a plurality of successive ones . furthermore , if a plate , or plane , is charged and fixed , any other moving plane of opposite charge and facing it will inevitably be attracted by this fixed plane . if that moving plane could pass “ through ” the first one and produce an electric exchange such as a spark at the crossing , once on the other side , it would be of a same charge as the fixed plane , would then be repealed by the latter and continue accelerating . by arranging successive fixed planes with alternating positive and negative charges to provide continuous unidirectional displacement of the moving plane , an efficient motor can be produced . referring to fig1 to 13 , there is shown a first embodiment 20 of an electrostatic motor according to the present invention . the motor 20 , as any standard motor , consists of a fixed section , the stator member 22 , preferably surrounding a moving section , the rotor member 24 fixedly secured to a shaft member 25 . the term “ standard motor ” refers to any ac or dc motor that uses the magnetic field as driving power . both stator 22 and rotor 24 are preferably cylindrical in shape and essentially formed by a plurality of respective poles 26 , 28 axially oriented and circumferentially equally spaced apart around their respective cylinders 30 , 32 that are coaxial . as explained above , in order to have the rotor poles 28 forming so - called moving planes passing through each of the stator poles 26 being the fixed planes , all the planes are in the form of combs . each comb - pole 26 , 28 generally consists of a plurality of similar , coplanar and parallel respective teeth 34 , 36 , preferably elongated and cylindrical in shape , equally spaced apart from each other and held together at a base extremity 38 via a substantially respective rigid member 40 , 42 . preferably , the spacing between every two adjacent teeth 26 , 28 varies form 105 % to 120 % of their diameter in such way that each tooth 36 of a moving comb - pole 28 can freely pass inbetween two facing adjacent teeth 34 of a fixed comb - pole 26 without any physical contact . for the dc motor , an even number of stator comb - poles 26 that are respectively alternately connected to the positive and negative polarities of a constant voltage source , as illustrated in fig5 . all teeth 34 of a same stator comb - pole 26 are made out of an electrically conductive material and are electrically connected to each other via a stator conductor member 46 , 46 ′ ( primed numerals refer to another polarity or phase , for clarity purposes ). as shown in fig5 and 6 , the stator comb - poles 26 are preferably inwardly radially protruding from the inner surface 48 of the electrically insulating hollowed cylinder 30 ; such that the conductor members 46 , 46 ′ are axially oriented and preferably positioned at the radially outermost extremities of the teeth 34 . as an example , twenty - four ( 24 ) stator and rotor comb - poles 26 , 28 are shown on fig5 and 7 respectively . the teeth 34 of each stator comb - pole 26 are preferably radially inwardly inserted through the hollowed cylinder 30 acting as the rigid member 40 and are electrically linked to the respective axial conductor member 46 , 46 ′ preferably located inside a respective axial groove 50 machined on the outer surface 52 of the cylinder 30 . as shown on fig2 , 9 and 13 , axial conductor members 46 , 46 ′ are preferably alternately slightly protruding out from a respective axial extremity of the cylinder 30 and electrically connected to a conductive ring member 54 , 54 ′ respectively preferably embedded into a respective cover 56 adapted to close that extremity of the cylinder 30 . each conductive ring 54 , 54 ′ is in - turn connected to a polarity of the voltage source . similarly , the rotor 24 consists of an insulating cylinder 32 ( see fig7 and 8 ) acting as the rigid member 42 from which the teeth 36 of the different comb - poles 28 are preferably outwardly radially protruding from an outer surface 58 . preferably , the quantity of comb - poles 28 is the same of that of stator comb - poles 26 . the rotor 24 is axially inserted into the stator 22 to ensure that rotor comb - poles 28 are aligned in such a way that they pass through the stator comb - poles 26 , as shown in fig9 . preferably , all teeth 36 of a same rotor comb - pole 28 are electrically insulated from each other and independently electrically “ floating ”. each tooth 36 can independently be seen as a rod that is repealed by the stator comb - pole 26 that it has just passed through , from which it has obtained its electric charge and that is attracted by the following in - line comb - pole 26 it is heading to . each rotor tooth 36 obtains its charge by passing between two stator comb - pole teeth 34 . as explained hereafter , the electric exchange occurs without physical contact between the teeth 34 , 36 . since the voltage source provides the charges to each rotor tooth 36 independently via the stator comb - poles 26 by a tiny electric spark , the rotor teeth 36 therefore act at the same time as part of the usual collector devices , without any friction . the above principle is better described by fig1 showing a circumferential distribution view of the electric field created between the adjacent stator comb - poles 26 . in this figure , there is shown a negative stator comb - pole 26 inbetween two adjacent positive ones with the electric fields therebetween represented by solid lines ( for clarity , the cylinders 30 , 32 are not shown ). the stator axial conductor members 46 , 46 ′ are shown as being alternately protruding at both extremities of the stator 22 . the radially outermost extremity , the tip 60 , of the teeth 36 of the each rotor comb - pole 28 heads in the direction of the arrows r such that each tooth 36 is of the same charge than the respective stator comb - pole 26 it moves away from . as the field lines of a same stator comb - pole 26 strongly repeal each other from adjacent teeth 34 but on the other hand are attracted by the adjacent comb - poles 26 , the field between the poles 26 quickly becomes uniformly distributed in a central zone 62 therebetween . in these zones 62 , that approximately occupy 80 % of space between adjacent poles 26 , the moving teeth 36 of the rotor 24 are subjected to a constant force , whatever their speed may be . in order to get an efficient size of zone 62 where the field is uniform , the diameter of teeth 36 is preferably less than 10 % of the distance between adjacent comb - poles 36 . in the region closer to the poles 26 , the field lines converge toward the teeth 34 . this produces an increase of the electric field intensity in this region thereby enhancing the electric exchange between each rotor tooth 36 and its close comb - pole 26 without real physical contact . due to the fact that both the charge of the rotor teeth 36 does not change during their respective displacement between two stator comb - poles 26 and that the electric field is uniform , the voltage between a rotor tooth 36 and the next comb - pole 26 decreases as the tooth 36 approaches the latter . but when the electric field increases in close proximity to the comb - pole teeth 34 , the voltage stops decreasing . the electric exchange substantially occurs at this moment . the intensity of the field close to the comb - pole teeth 34 tends to be twice as elevated as it is in zone 62 . therefore , the minimum operating voltage is essentially the voltage required to produce an electric exchange between the rotor teeth 36 and the stator comb - poles 26 while crossing each other . the stator comb - pole teeth 34 are entirely covered with a thin insulating coat material 64 ( shown in hatched area in fig1 ) except at their base extremity 38 close to inner surface 48 of the cylinder 30 left uncovered . the axial conductor members 46 , 46 ′ are also preferably covered with some insulating material at the outer surface 52 of the cylinder 30 . this additional insulating coat material 64 eliminates any losses due to air ionization losses and allows for operating the motor 20 at higher voltages . the uncovered base extremity 38 forces the spark to occur at that location that is preferably of less than 1 mm in length . the electric charges that are carried by the rotor comb - poles 28 generate the electric current . since the motor 20 operates at high voltages , the current is essentially very low for a given power , in the order of a few micro - amps per watt . considering the fact that there are hundreds of teeth 34 for a given rotor 22 , each one of them therefore carries a current of a few nano - amps per watt . this current does not really circulate but is rather carried by the stator teeth 34 . this allows the motor 26 not to heat during operation . the electrostatic motor 20 of the present invention can turn in both directions of rotation . the required direction of rotation is therefore imposed by either by a slight swing before applying the voltage to the motor 20 or for example , by leaving uncovered preferably only a same circumferential half side of the base extremity 38 of the teeth 34 , on which the spark will occur . the rotor teeth 36 will then move away from that uncovered half circumference at the base 38 , thereby inducing a direction of rotation . the motor 20 of the present invention is capacitive rather than inductive like standards motors , the most complex aspect is to determine its capacitance . in order to obtain the latter , it is necessary to know first the capacitance formed between two teeth 34 of adjacent comb - poles 26 . for two conductors of length l , of diameter d and at a distance d from each other , it is known that the capacitance c in farads is : where er is the dielectric constant and equals 1 for air . as the teeth 34 are not perfectly parallel to each other and their circular cross - section , the distance between their respective axis at mid - length is considered for the value of d . the following is all calculated from this capacitance c . first , the motor total capacitance cm is the capacitance c between two teeth 34 multiplied by the number of teeth nt per pole , multiplied by the total number of comb - poles 26 , 28 np divided by two ( 2 ). in practice , the measured total capacitance is slightly higher than the one calculated in theory . the difference is due the parasitic capacitance of the axial conductor members that feed the comb - poles 26 as well as the dielectric constant of the cylinder 30 . with the motor capacitance cm , the current i is calculated for a given voltage u and a rotation speed v . the electrical power is determined with this current . it is known that the electric current is equal to the quantity of charges q , in coulombs , carried in one second . as there is electric exchange at each crossing of the rotor comb - poles 28 through the stator ones 26 , this is equivalent to alternately charging and discharging cm . so , at each complete rotation , cm will be charged as many times as the total number of rotor comb - poles 28 divided by two ( 2 ). as charge q is equal to the voltage u multiplied by the capacitance cm , then the current i equals the voltage u multiplied by cm , multiplied by the total number of comb - poles np divided by 2 , multiplied by the rotation speed v in rpm ( rotations per minute ) divided by sixty ( 60 ) ( conversion to rotations per second since the current is defined in coulombs per second ). it is also known that the mechanical power pm equals the rotation speed v in rpm multiplied by the torque t in n * m ( newton - meter ) multiplied by 0 . 10472 , a factor taking units into account . since the formula giving the torque t is t = f * r with the average radius r measured from the center of the rotor 24 to the center of the stator teeth 34 . the force f is obtained from cm using the following formula : the following provides an example of typical dimensions and resulting torque and mechanical power using the above described formulas . the motor 20 of the above example may seem big considering its output power when compared to an equivalent standard motor . however , it is significantly lighter since it is preferably essentially made out of aluminum teeth 34 , 36 and two plastic cylinders 30 , 32 . the rotor cylinder 32 can also preferably be hollowed and that available space may be wisely used . also , the quantity of rotor comb - poles 28 could preferably be modified to optimize the motor output power to volume ratio . the optimum ratio depends on dimensions , source voltage and required output power . moreover , if the quantity of rotor comb - poles 28 is not a multiple of the quantity of stator comb - poles 26 , for example there is one more comb - pole 28 on the rotor 24 , the simultaneous comb - poles charging / discharging occurrences will be avoided . the comb - poles 26 would successively charge in turn thus avoiding current surges ; thereby reducing electrical noise in the power source as well as electromagnetic interference ( emi ). for an optimum output power / volume ratio and a high efficiency electrostatic motor 20 , the following considerations , also applicable to the ac motor described further unless otherwise specified , are recommended , as preference . as shown on fig1 , the axial conductor members 46 in grooves 50 of the outer surface 52 of outer cylinder 30 are preferably covered with the insulating coat material 64 . the rotor teeth 36 are preferably also fully covered with an insulating coat material 64 except for the radially outermost tip extremity 60 region left uncovered . by insulating the rotor teeth 36 , any “ bridge ” effect that a rotor tooth 36 could create when being inbetween two stator comb - poles 26 is avoided . preferably , the innermost extremity base 38 region of the rotor teeth 36 do not inwardly protrude from the preferably hollowed inner cylinder 32 to eliminate any possible electric sparks . all the teeth 34 , 36 are preferably made out of aluminum , substantially cylindrical and smooth with rounded exposed extremities prior to additional application of an insulating coat material 64 , to minimize any point effect ionization . aluminum , in addition to its lightweight , is a non - ferromagnetic material that reduces any induction and eddy current losses . any other non - ferromagnetic material would also be acceptable . the distance between a rotor tooth 36 and a stator tooth 34 when they cross each other is preferably as small as possible , without touching each other , to reduce the minimum operating voltage . the inner 48 and outer 58 surface of the outer 30 and inner 32 cylinder respectively are preferably slightly wavy to decrease the risk of leak surface currents that might be created thereon . the insulating parts , such as both cylinders 30 , 32 and insulating coat material 64 are preferably made out of high dielectric constant and lightweight materials such as acrylic based materials and the like . materials such as ceramics could also be used for the teeth insulation ; for high voltage , ceramics are acceptable and provide an excellent electric insulation with a very thin coat . as it would be obvious to anyone skilled in the art , standard motor covers , ball bearings 66 and common shaft 25 are preferably used to properly structurally , along with safety consideration , complete the electrostatic motor 20 . as shown in fig1 , the rotor 24 also preferably includes cylinder extremity covers 68 that fixedly support the shaft 25 . the shaft 25 could also be an integral part of the inner cylinder 32 . as the rotor 24 is unusually light and the motor 20 produces a constant torque whatever the rotation speed is , it is required to pay attention to an eventual racing of the motor when the latter will operate without any load . as shown in fig1 , the cylinder covers 56 of the stator 22 carry respective ball bearings 66 to rotatably jointly support the rotor 22 and the shaft 25 members . the conductive rings 54 , 54 ′ embedded into their respective cover 56 are also shown . this motor 20 is supplied with a voltage source applied to these two rings 54 , 54 ′ at its two extremities . based on the above , it is obvious that in order to ensure a highly efficient electrostatic motor 20 , high precision machining of the different parts is preferable . referring to fig1 and 15 , there is shown a second embodiment 20 a of an electrostatic motor according to the present invention . this motor is adapted to be supplied with a standard three - phase alternating voltage source . the major difference from the first embodiment 20 mainly relates to the power supplying the stator comb - poles 26 a . instead of alternately connecting the stator comb - poles 26 to positive (+) and negative (−) voltage supplies , the latter are alternately distributed in three phases ø 1 , ø 2 and ø 3 by feeding of course the same number of comb - poles 26 a for each phase . to better visualize this embodiment 20 a , fig1 schematically represents only one trio of stator comb - poles 26 a ø 1 , ø 2 and ø 3 and two rotor comb - poles 28 a . the different schematics show the three comb - poles 26 a identified with ø 1 , ø 2 and ø 3 along with the timely variations of the electric field created between the latter three with respective intensity (“ a ” is the maximum peak voltage of any phase of the voltage source ) and direction symbolized with curved arrows , at twelve different moments “ t 0 ” to “ t 11 ” equally dividing a full 360 ° cycle of ø 1 in twelve intervals of 30 ° each , as shown in dashed lines in the corresponding graph of the three sinusoidal voltage phases . the observation the field variation at the twelve moments “ t 0 ” to “ t 11 ” shows that this electric field does rotate around the axis . the concept of rotating field , being commonly used for standard three - phase motors , is not described herein . however , it is important to mention that the present rotating electric field is perpendicular to the comb - poles 26 a , 28 a or tangential , and not radial , as opposed to standard three - phase motors . therefore , the rotor comb - poles 28 a , once electrically charged , are being “ pushed ” by the rotating field , thus inducing rotation of the rotor 24 a . the direction of rotation reverses by switching any two phases of the voltage source , similarly to standard three - phase motors . the rotor 24 a is represented in fig1 with a solid circle at the center of the stator 22 a and two rotor comb - poles 28 a , one positive and one negative . only two comb - poles 28 a are preferably represented since at least one pair of comb - poles 28 a at the rotor 24 a is required for each trio of comb - poles 26 a at the stator 22 a . for example , if the stator 22 a contains thirty - six comb - poles 26 a alternately connected in three groups , the rotor 24 a preferably includes twenty - four comb - poles 28 a . this allows for the force exerted on the rotor comb - poles 28 a to always be in the same direction ( clockwise in this example of fig1 ) and never have any comb - pole 28 a inbetween two adjacent stator comb - poles 26 a when the electric field is nil ( n ). the positive and negative static charges on the rotor comb - poles 28 a are preferably acquired in two different methods , as described below . firstly , similarly as in the dc motor 20 , via tiny sparks between stator 26 a and rotor 28 a comb - poles , with the difference that as the rotor 24 a speeds up or accelerates , the sparks frequency decreases , until the rotor 24 a reaches the speed of the rotating field . this method provides , by analogy with the standard motors , an asynchronous motor 20 a . this embodiment 20 a is physically very similar to the first embodiment 20 above described , besides the preferably 3 / 2 stator - to - rotor comb - poles ratio , and a third conductive ring member 54 a ( see fig1 ) preferably located axially inbetween the other two rings 54 , 54 ′ to supply the third phase from the alternating voltage source to the third group of comb - poles 28 a . secondly , in electrically isolating the teeth 36 of the rotor 24 a from the stator comb - poles 26 a by fully covering all teeth 34 , 36 to eliminate any possibility of spark between the two . as shown in fig1 , axial rotor conductor members 70 , 70 ′ electrically connect the all innermost base extremities 38 of all teeth 34 of a same rotor comb - pole . preferably , these conductor members 70 , 70 ′ are alternately slightly protruding out on their respective axial extremity of cylinder 32 to electrically connected to a respective conductive ring member 72 , 72 ′ preferably embedded into its respective inner cylinder cover 68 . the two ring members 72 , 72 ′ being respectively statically electrically charged by a positive and a negative charge via a respective electrical contact preferably reachable through the stator covers 56 . besides the rotor charge current at ignition , once the teeth 36 are charged , there should not be any current circulating in these rings 72 , 72 ′ if the rotor 24 a and its comb - poles 28 a are properly insulated . this method provides , still by analogy with standard motors , a synchronous motor 20 a ′. this requires that this motor 20 a ′ needs to be brought to synchronous speed with the rotating field before applying the alternating voltage source when used as motor . these electrostatic motors 20 , 20 a , 20 a ′ of the present invention do totally operate differently than the standard motors . for example , for the dc motor 20 , if we stall the rotor 24 , the current drops to zero as opposed to the conventional motor . as a matter of fact , everything is exactly the opposite as it is for inductances versus capacitors . principles are quite complementary . the following is short comparison between standard and electrostatic dc motors . so , the dc electrostatic motor 20 is inevitably more advantageous in certain situations such as when a constant torque is required independently of the rotation speed . whatever the rotation speed , the torque always remains the same , allowing for reaching significant output powers considering the lightweight that these motors 20 will be . this dc motor 20 efficiently converts any electrostatic source into mechanical power . as any natural electric source is in electrostatic form , it is obvious that this becomes interesting as a directly usable source of energy . an example of a particularly interesting application of such an electrostatic motor 20 would be in the aerospace technology for the conversion of the high energy potentials accumulating on metallic surfaces under the photoelectric effect , from the electromagnetic radiation from the sun and deep space . the dc motor 20 would be used in conjunction with an electrostatic synchronous machine 20 a ′ used as generator . the lightweight of these motors 20 , 20 a , 20 a ′ associated with their higher available output power , especially under vacuum condition , are obvious reasons to seriously consider them for multiple aerospace applications as simple dc or ac motors . the present high efficiency ac and dc electrostatic motor has been described with a certain degree of particularity . it is to be understood that the disclosure has been made by way of example only and that the present invention is not limited to the features of the embodiments described and illustrated herein , but includes all variations and modifications within the scope and spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed . | 7 |
the inventors have used whole exome sequencing of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors to identify tumor suppressor genes and to illuminate the genetic differences between the two major cancers of the pancreas . the mutations may be used to aid prognosis and provide a way to prioritize patients for therapy with mtor inhibitors . samples from patients can be tested to determine an appropriate therapy , to predict outcome or course of disease , and to identify a pancreatic tumor or tumor type . suitable samples for genetic testing include tumor cells , tumor tissues , biopsy samples , circulating tumor cells , circulating plasma dna from cancer cells , archived samples , nucleic acids shed into a body fluid , such as gastroduodenal fluid or lymph . collection and preparation of such samples for genetic testing is known in the art and any such techniques may be used . mutations can be identified in any available genetic material , including , for example , genomic dna , cdna , and rna . techniques for testing for mutations are legion and any such techniques may be used . mutations can be identified by sequencing , by hybridization to probes , by amplification using specific primers , by primer extension , by ligation assay , etc . combinations of such techniques can be used as well . any technique can be selected and applied using the ordinary skill level in the art . identified mutation can be used as a personal marker of the tumor , for example , for monitoring disease . other uses are discussed below . the mutations may be in an gene of the pathway , including but not limited to rheb , ampk , mtor ( frap1 ), tsc1 , tsc2 , irs1 , pi3kca , akt , pten , erk1 / 2 , p38mapk , mk2 , lkb1 , gsk3β , rps6kb1 ( s6k1 ), and 4e - bp1 . identification of mutations in this pathway can be used to identify patients that are likely to benefit most from use of mtor inhibitors such as evorolimus , rapamycin , deforolimus , and temsirolimus . mutations in other genes , particularly men1 , daxx , and atrx , have been found . to be positive prognostic indicators . these appear to be tumor suppressor genes because of their mutational spectra . they also appear to be strong prognostic indicators of longer survival , either alone or in combination , nucleic acids can be used as probes or primers for mutations identified . typically these probes or primers are oligonucleotides of at least 18 , 20 , 25 , or 30 bases in length . typically they are less than 100 , 50 , or 40 bases in length . if they contain one of the mutated bases they can be used as specific primers or probes for the mutation . specific mutations are identified in table 1 . the oligonucleotides can optionally be labeled with a detectable moiety , such as a radioactive or fluorescent moiety . alternatively , primers can be used which do not contain a mutation but may bracket a mutation , so that an amplicon is formed that contains the mutation . adjacent primers to a mutation may also be used in assays employing a single base extension reaction . amplicons may be of any size , but typically will be less than 500 base pairs , less than 250 bp , or less than 100 bp . typically an amplicon will be greater than 35 bp , greater than 50 bp , or greater than 75 bp . identification of any of the specific mutations listed in fig3 or 4 ( tables 1 or s1 ) can be used to identify a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor . the nucleic acid probes or primers may be used to identify them or other methods such as sequencing may be used . interestingly , different mutation spectra have been found for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas . mutations in certain genes are highly characteristic of each type of pancreatic cancer . in the case of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors , mutations in men1 , daxx , and atrx occur frequently , but almost never in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas . conversely , mutations in kras , cdkn2a , tgfbr1 , smad3 , and smad4 occur frequently in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas , but almost never in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors . mtor mutations occur much more frequently , but not exclusively , in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors than in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas . mutations in tp53 occur far more frequently , but not exclusively , in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas than in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors . thus these distinct mutation patterns can be used to distinguish these two tumors of the pancreas . these mutation patterns can be determined using nucleic acid based tests , using protein and / or antibody based tests , or using a combination of such tests . for example , immunohistochemical assays can be used to detect inactivating mutations in men1 , daxx , and atrx . absence of labeling indicates an inactivating mutation , the above disclosure generally describes the present invention . all references disclosed herein are expressly incorporated by reference . a more complete understanding can be obtained by reference to the following specific examples which are provided herein for purposes of illustration only , and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention . to gain insights into the genetic basis of this tumor type , we determined the exomic sequence of ˜ 18 , 000 protein - coding genes in a discovery set of ten well - characterized sporadic pannets . a clinically homogeneous set of tumors of high neoplastic cellularity is essential for the successful identification of genes and pathways involved in any tumor type . thus , we excluded small cell and large neuroendocrine carcinomas and studied only samples that were not part of a familial syndrome . we macrodisected them to achieve a neoplastic cellularity of & gt ; 80 %. dna from the enriched neoplastic samples and from matched non - neoplastic tissue from ten patients was used to prepare fragment libraries suitable for massively parallel sequencing . the coding sequences were enriched by capture with the sureselect enrichment system and sequenced using an illumina gaiix platform ( 10 ). the average coverage of each base in the targeted regions was 101 - fold and 94 . 8 of the bases were represented by at least 10 reads ( table s1 ). we identified 157 somatic mutations in 158 genes among the ten tumors used in the discovery set . the mutations per tumor ranged from 8 to 23 , with a mean of 16 ( table s2 ). there were some obvious differences between the genetic landscapes of pannets and those of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas ( pdac , ref . 11 ) first , there were 60 % fewer genes mutated per tumor in pannets than in pdacs . second , the genes most commonly affected by mutation in pdacs ( kras , tgf - β pathway , cdkn2a , tp53 ) were rarely altered in pannets and vice versa ( table s3 ). third , the spectrum of mutations in pdac and pannet were different , with c to t transitions more common in pdacs than in pannets , and c to g transversions more common in pannets than in pdacs ( table s4 ), this suggests that pannets are exposed to different environmental carcinogens or that they harbor different repair pathways than pdacs . four genes were mutated in at least two tumors in the discovery set : men1 in five , daxx in three , pten in two , and tsc2 in two . somatic mutations in each of these genes were confirmed by sanger sequencing , the sequences of these genes were then determined by sanger sequencing in a validation set consisting of 58 additional pannets and their corresponding normal tissues ( fig1 a , b ). although a trx was mutated in only one sample in the discovery set , it was included in the list of genes for further evaluation in the validation set because its product forms a heterodimer with daxx and therefore is part of the same pathway . similarly , pik3ca was included because it is considered to be part of the mtor pathway that includes pten and tsc2 ( 12 - 14 ), in total , somatic mutations in men1 , dax2c , atrx , pten , tsc2 , and pik3ca were identified in 44 . 1 %, 25 %, 17 . 6 %, 7 . 3 %, 8 . 8 %, and 1 . 4 % pannets , respectively ( table 1 ). of the 30 mutations in men1 , 25 were inactivating mutations ( 18 insertions or deletions ( indels ), 5 nonsense and 2 splice - site mutations ), while five were missense . at least 11 were homozygous ; in the others , the presence of “ contaminating ” dna from normal cells made it difficult to reliably distinguish heterozygous from homozygous changes . men1 encodes menin which is a nuclear protein that acts as a scaffold to regulate gene transcription by coordinating chromatin remodeling . it is an essential component of the mll set1 - like histone methyltransfarase ( hmt ) complex ( 15 - 19 ). daxx was mutated in 17 and atrx in 12 different pannets out of the 68 tested ; thus , 42 . 6 % of pannets had mutations in this pathway . there were 11 insertions or deletions ( indels ) and 4 nonsense mutations in daxx , and six indels and 3 nonsense mutations in atrx . the three atrx missense mutations were within the conserved helicase domain and the daxx missence mutations were non - conserved changes . five daxx and four atrx mutations were homozygous , indicating loss of the other allele . the high ratio of inactivating to missense mutations in both genes unequivocally establishes them as pannet tumor suppressor genes . loss of immunolabeling for daxx and atrx correlated with mutation of the respective gene ( fig1 c , d and table s5 ). from these data , we assume that both copies of daxx are generally inactivated , one by mutation and the other either by loss of the non - mutated allele or by epigenetic silencing . we also assume that both copies of atrx are inactivated , one by mutation and the other by chromosome x inactivation . recently , it has been shown that daxx is an h3 . 3 - specific histone chaperone ( 20 ). atrx codes for a protein that at the amino - terminus has an add ( atrx - dnmtt3 - dnmt3l ) domain and a carboxy - terminal helicase domain . almost all missense disease - causing mutations are within these two domains ( 21 ). daxx and atrx interact and both are required for h3 . 3 incorporation at the telomeres and atrx is also required for suppression of telomeric repeat - containing rna expression ( 22 - 24 ). atrx was recently shown to target cpg islands and g - rich tandem repeats ( 25 ), which exist close to telomeric regions . we identified five pten mutations , two indels and three missense ; six tsc2 mutations , one indel , one nonsense and three missense ; and one pik3ca missense mutation . previously published expression analyses have suggested that the pik3ca / akt / mtor axis is altered in most pannets ( 26 ). our data suggests that at least at the genetic level , only a subset of pannets have alterations of this pathway . this finding may have direct clinical application through prioritization of patients for therapy with mtor pathway inhibitors . everolimus ( afinitor , rad - 001 , 40 - o -( hydroxyethyl )- rapamycin ) has been shown to increase progression - free survival in a subset of pannet patients with advanced disease ( 27 ). if the mutational status of genes coding for proteins in the mtor pathway predicts clinical response to mtor inhibitors , it should be possible to select patients who would benefit most from an mtor inhibitor through analysis of these genes in patients tumors ( 29 , 30 ). all 68 tumors evaluated in this study were from patients undergoing aggressive intervention ( table s6 ) and included patients undergoing curative resection as well as those with metastatic disease . interestingly , mutations in men1 , daxx / atrx or the combination of both men1 and daxx / atrx showed prolonged survival relative to those patients without these mutations ( fig2 a and table s7 ). this was particularly evident in patients with metastatic disease and with mutations in both men1 and daxx / atrx : 100 % of patients with these mutations survived at least ten years while over 60 % of the patients without these mutations died within five years of diagnosis ( fig2 b ). one possible explanation for the difference in survival is that mutations in men1 and daxx / atrx identify a biologically specific subgroup of pannets . fresh - frozen surgically resected tumor and normal tissues were obtained from patients under an institutional review board protocol . genomic dna libraries were prepared following illumina &# 39 ; s ( illumina , san diego , calif .) suggested protocol with the following modifications . ( 1 ) 3 micrograms ( μg ) of genomic dna from tumor or normal cells in 100 microliters ( μl ) of te was fragmented in a covaris sonicator ( covaris . woburn , mass .) to a size of 100 - 500 bp . to remove fragments shorter than 150 bp , dna was mixed with 25 μl of 5 × phusion hf buffer , 416 μl of ddh2o , and 84 μl of nt binding buffer and loaded into nucleospin column ( cat # 636972 , clontech , mountain view , calif .). the column was centrifuged at 14000 g in a desktop centrifuge for i min , washed once with 600 μl of wash buffer ( nt3 from clontech ), and centrifuged again for 2 min to dry completely . dna was eluted in 45 μl of elution buffer included in the kit . ( 2 ) purified , fragmented dna was mixed with 40 μl of h2o , 10 μl of end repair reaction buffer , 5 μl of end repair enzyme mix ( cat # e6050 , neb , ipswich , mass . ), the 100 μl end - repair mixture was incubated at 20 ° c . for 30 min , purified by a pcr purification kit ( cat # 28104 , qiagen ) and eluted with 42 μl of elution buffer ( eb ). ( 3 ) to a - tail , all 42 μl of end - repaired dna was mixed with 5 μl of 10 × da tailing reaction buffer and 3 μl of klenow ( exo -)( cat # e6053 , neb , ipswich , mass .). the 50 μl mixture was incubated at 37 ° c . for 30 min before dna was purified with a minelute pcr purification kit ( cat # 28004 , qiagen ), purified dna was elated with 25 μl of 70 ° c . eb . ( 4 ) for adaptor ligation , 25 μl of a - tailed dna was mixed with 10 μl of pe - adaptor ( illumina ), 10 μl of 5 × ligation buffer and 5 μl of quick t4 dna ligase ( cat # e6056 , neb , ipswich , mass .). the ligation mixture was incubated at 20 ° c . for 15 min . ( 5 ) to purify adaptor - ligated dna , 50 μl of ligation mixture from step ( 4 ) was mixed with 200 μl . of nt buffer and cleaned up by nucleospin column . dna was eluted in 50 μl elution buffer . ( 6 ) to obtain an amplified library , ten pcrs of 50 μl each were set up , each including 29 μl of h2o , 10 μl of 5 × phusion hf buffer , 1 μl of a dntp mix containing 10 mm of each dntp , 2 . 5 μl of dmso , 1 μl of illumina pe primer # 1 , 1 μl of illumina pe primer # 2 , 0 . 5 μl of hotstart phusion polymerase , and 5 μl of the dna from step ( 5 ). the pcr program used was : 98 ° c . 2 minute ; 6 cycles of 98 ° c . for 15 seconds , 65 ° c . for 30 seconds , 72 ° c . for 30 seconds ; and 72 ° c . for 5 min , to purify the pcr product , 500 μl . pcr mixture ( from the ten pcr reactions ) was mixed with 1000 μl nt buffer from a nucleospin extract h . kit and purified as described in step ( 1 ). library dna was eluted with 70 ° c . elution buffer and the dna concentration was estimated by absorption at 260 nm . human exome capture was performed following a protocol from agilent &# 39 ; s sureselect paired - end version 2 . 0 human exome kit ( agilent , santa clara , calif .) with the following modifications , ( 1 ) a hybridization mixture was prepared containing 25 μl of sureselect hyb # 1 , 1 μl of sureselect hyb # 2 , 10 μl of sureselect hyb # 3 , and 13 μl of sureselect hyb # 4 . ( 2 ) 3 . 4 μl ( 0 . 5 μg ) of the pe - library dna described above , 2 . 5 μl of sureselect block # 1 , 2 . 5 μl of sureselect block # 2 and 0 . 6 μl of block # 3 ; was loaded into one well in a 384 - well diamond pcr plate ( cat # ab - 1111 , thermo - scientific , lafayette , colo . ), sealed with microamp clear adhesive film ( cat # 4306311 ; abi , carlsbad , calif .) and placed in geneamp pcr system 9700 thermocycler ( life sciences inc ., carlsbad calif .) for 5 minutes at 95 ° c . then held at 65 ° c . ( with the heated lid on ). ( 3 ) 25 - 30 μl of hybridization buffer from step ( 1 ) was heated for at least 5 minutes at 65 ° c . in another sealed plate with heated lid on . ( 4 ) 5 μl of sureselect oligo capture library , 1 μl of nuclease - free water , and 1 μl of diluted rnase block ( prepared by diluting rnase block 1 : 1 with nuclease - free water ) were mixed and heated at 65 ° c . for 2 minutes in another sealed 384 - well plate . ( 5 ) while keeping all reactions at 65 ° c ., 13 μl of hybridization buffer from step ( 3 ) was added to the 7 μl of the sureselect capture library mix from step ( 4 ) and then the entire contents ( 9 μl ) of the library from step ( 2 ). the mixture was slowly pipetted up and down 8 to 10 times . ( 6 ) the 384 - well plate was sealed tightly and the hybridization mixture was incubated for 24 hours at 65 ° c . with a heated lid . after hybridization , five steps were performed to recover and amplify captured dna library : ( 1 ) magnetic beads for recovering captured dna : 50 μl of dynal myone streptavidin c1 magnetic beads ( cat # 650 . 02 , invitrogen dynal , as oslo , norway ) was placed in a 1 . 5 ml microfuge tube and vigorously resuspended on a vortex mixer . beads were washed three times by adding 200 μl of sureselect binding buffer , mixed on a vortex fur five seconds , then removing and discarding supernatant after placing the tubes in a dynal magnetic separator . after the third wash , beads were resuspended in 200 μl of sureselect binding buffer . ( 2 ) to bind captured dna , the entire hybridization mixture described above ( 29 μl ) was transferred directly from the thermocycler to the bead solution and mixed gently ; the hybridization mix / bead solution was incubated an eppendorf thermomixer at 850 rpm for 30 minutes at room temperature . ( 3 ) to wash the beads , the supernatant was removed from beads after applying a dynal magnetic separator and the beads was resuspended in 500 μl sureselect wash buffer # 1 by mixing on vortex mixer for 5 seconds and incubated for 15 minutes at room temperature . wash buffer # 1 was then removed from beads after magnetic separation . the beads were further washed three times , each with 500 μl pre - warmed sureselect wash buffer # 2 after incubation at 65 ° c . for 10 minutes . after the final wash , sureselect wash buffer # 2 was completely removed . ( 4 ) to elute captured dna , the beads were suspended in 50 μl sureselect elution buffer , vortex - mixed and incubated for 10 minutes at room temperature . the supernatant was removed after magnetic separation , collected in a new 1 . 5 ml microcentrifuge tube , and mixed with 50 μl of sureselect neutralization buffer . dna was purified with a qiagen minelute column and eluted in 17 μl of 70 ° c . eb to obtain 15 μl of captured dna library . ( 5 ) the captured dna library was amplified in the fallowing way : 15 pcr reactions each containing 9 . 5 μl of h2o , 3 μl of 5 × phusion hf buffer , 0 . 3 μl of 10 mm dntp , 0 . 75 μl of dmso , 0 . 15 μl of illumina pe primer # 1 , 0 . 15 μl of illumina pe primer # 2 , 0 . 15 μl of hotstart phusion polymerase , and μl of captured exome library were set up . the pcr program used was : 98 ° c . for 30 seconds ; 14 cycles of 98 ° c . for 10 seconds , 65 ° c . for 30 seconds , 72 ° c . for 30 seconds ; and 72 ° c . for 5 min , to purify pcr products , 225 μl pcr mixture ( from 15 pcr reactions ) was mixed with 450 μl nt buffer from nucleospin extract ii kit and purified as described above . the final library dna was eluted with 30 μl of 70 ° c . elution buffer and dna concentration was estimated by od260 measurement . captured dna libraries were sequenced with the lumina gaiix genome analyzer , yielding 150 ( 2 × 75 ) base pairs from the final library fragments . sequencing reads were analyzed and aligned to human genome hg 18 with the eland algorithm in casava 1 . 6 software ( illumina ) a mismatched base was identified as a mutation only when ( i ) it was identified by more than three distinct tags ; ( ii ) the number of distinct tags containing a particular mismatched base was at least 16 % of the total distinct tags ; and ( iii ) it was not present in & gt ; 0 . 5 % of the tags in the matched normal sample . snp search databases included http :// www . ncbi . nlm . nih . gov / projects / snp / and http :// browser . 1000genomes . org / index . html . for the atrx , daxx , men1 , pik3ca , pten , tp53 and tsc2 genes , the coding region was sequenced in a validation set , comprising a series of additional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and matched controls . pcr amplification and sanger sequencing were performed following protocols described previously ( 1 ) using the primers listed in table s8 . immunohistochemical labeling for atrx and daxx proteins was performed on formalin - fixed , paraffin - embedded sections of pannets . heat - induced antigen retrieval was performed in a steamer using citrate buffer ( ph 6 . 0 ) ( vector laboratories ) for 30 min followed by 10 min . of cooling . endogenous peroxidase was blocked for 10 min with dual endogenous enzyme - blocking reagent ( dako ). serial sections were then incubated with primary antibody ; anti - atrx ( 1 : 400 dilution ; catalog no . hpa001906 . sigma - aldrich ) and anti - daxx ( 1 : 75 dilution ; catalog no . hpa008736 , sigma - aldrich ) for 1 h at room temperature . the sections were then incubated for 30 min with secondary antibody ( leica microsystems ) followed by detection with 3 , 3 ′- diaminobenzidine ( sigma - adrich ) for 8 min , sections were washed with phosphate - buffered saline with 0 . 1 % tween - 20 . finally , sections were counterstained with harris hematoxylin , subsequently rehydrated and mounted . only nuclear labeling of either protein was considered positive . at least 50 % of the cells needed to have nuclear labeling for the marker to he considered positive . internal controls included islets of langerhans and endothelial cells ( including within intra - tumoral vessels ) which demonstrated strong nuclear labeling for both atrx and daxx . clinical information on the patients evaluated in this study were obtained from the johns hopkins hospital and the memorial sloan - kettering comprehensive cancer center in the context of approved irb protocols . clinical data were collected retrospectively and compared with mutational status . overall survival was calculated from the time of diagnosis until death . patients who were alive at the time of analysis were censored at the date of last observation . survival curves were plotted by the kaplan - meier method and compared using the mantel - cox log - rank test ( prism , graphpad software , la jolla , calif .). 1 . r . h . wuhan , m . b . pitman , d . s . klimstra , tumors of the pancreas . atlas of tumor pathology ( american registry of pathology and armed forces institute of pathology , washington , d . c ., ed . fourth series , fascicle 6 , 2007 ). 2 . m . fredrich , a . reisch , r . b . lifting , exp brain res 195 , 241 ( 2009 ). 3 . s . ekeblad , b , skogseid , k . dunder , k . oberg , b . eriksson , clin cancer res 14 , 7798 ( 2008 ). 4 . p . francalanci et al ., am j surg pathol 27 , 1386 ( 2003 ). 5 . v . corbo et al ., endocr relat cancer 17 771 ( 2010 ). 6 . p . capelli et al ., arch pathol lab med 133 , 350 ( 2009 ). 7 . d . c , chung et al ., cancer res 58 , 3706 ( 1998 ). 8 . g . floridia et al ., cancer genet . cytogenet . 156 , 23 ( 2005 ). 9 . w . hu et al ., genes cancer 1 , 360 ( 2010 ). 12 . d . w . parsons et al ., nature 436 , 792 ( 2005 ). 13 . d . a . guertin , d . m . sabatini , cancer cell 12 , 9 ( 2007 ). 14 . r . j . shaw , l . c . cantley , nature 441 , 424 ( 2006 ). 15 . c . m . hughes et al ., mol cell 13 , 587 ( 2004 ). 16 . a . yokoyama et al . mol cell biol 24 5639 ( 2004 ). 17 . j . grembecka , a . m . belcher , t . hartley , t . cierpicki , j biol chem . october 20 epub ahead of print ( 2010 ). 18 . h . kim et al ., cancer res . 63 , 6135 ( 2003 ). 20 . p , w . lewis , s . j . elsaesser , k . m . noh , s . c . stadler , c . d . allis , proc natl acad sci u s a 107 , 14075 ( 2010 ). 21 . r . j . gibbons et al ., human mutation 29 , 796 ( 2008 ). 22 . p . drane , k . ouararhni , a . depaux , m . shuaib , a . hamiche , genes dev 24 , 1253 ( 2010 ). 23 . a . d . goldberg et al ., cell 140 , 678 ( 2010 ). 24 . l . h . wong et al ., genome res 20 , 351 ( 2010 ). 25 . m . j . law et al ., cell 143 , 367 ( 2010 ). 26 . e . missiaglia et al ., j clin oncol 28 , 245 ( 2010 ). 27 . c . w . chiu , h . nozawa , d . hanahan , j clin oncol 28 , 4425 ( 2010 ). 28 . p . liu , h . cheng , t . m . roberts , j . j . zhao , nat rev drug discov 8 , 627 ( 2009 ). 29 . d . a . krueger et al ., n engl j med 363 , 1801 ( 2010 ). | 2 |
the solution proposed by the present invention permits a combination of the advantages of the two principles without the disadvanteages thereof . a light concentrator is used which is based on a fluorescent layer . sunlight is collected in a layer transparent per se which contains fluorescent centers . the fluorescent centers absorb the radiation in a predetermined wavelength range , convert it into longer - wave radiation and re - emit it . since the radiation is re - emitted into all directions , a very large portion of this radiation by virtue of total reflection remains in the layer and is transmitted in the layer plane . when the fluorescent coloring substance is selected in such a way that absorption and emission bands have as little overlapping as possible , the absorption length of the re - emitted light is very large , i . e ., large concentrator surfaces are possible . the concentrator may consist of plastics or glass in which the fluorescent molecules are dissolved , or also of a liquid solution which is contained between two transparent panels . in fig1 it has been illustrated how a light beam 1 impinges a fluorescent molecule of a concentrator 2 , is emitted wavelength displaced after absorption and arrives at the edge of the concentrator 2 by total reflection . there it encounters , preferably through the intermediary of an optical contact substance 3 , such as e . g . highly viscous silicon oils , an absorber 4 through which a liquid heat transportant 5 flows . fig2 shows an embodiment where the concentrators 2 1 are reflectively coated at their faces 6 and where the light is concentrated on the absorbers 4 in which the heat transportants 5 not illustrated flow . it has proved to be advantageous when the light is absorbed in more than one concentrator panel , as illustrated in fig3 . the concentrators 2a and 2b each select a portion of the incident light and pass it to the absorber 4 . with two concentrator panels arranged superimposed , four spectrum ranges of incident light are able to be passed to the absorber . a difference over the photovoltaic use is the spectral distribution of the emission wavelengths . since the wavelength is not limited upwardly by the absorption edge of a semi - conductive material , the long - wave portion of the sun spectrum is also able to be jointly used . a further difference is the temperature of the absorber . since the efficiency of solar cells decreasing with increasing temperature here does not have to be taken into account , the absorber is able to be operated at much higher temperatures and thus more efficiently . further advantages over the conventional collectors described initially are to now be described hereinafter : 1 . higher concentration . even with reflector collectors only concentration ratings up to 10 are possible with reasonable investment , while with fluorescent layers concentration ratings of between 50 and 100 bring about no difficulties . thus , an efficient operation of heat power machines and air conditioning systems appears to be possible . at high absorber temperatures , it has to be prevented that the fluorescent molecules and their solution medium come too close to the absorber . this can be prevented with an arrangement like that shown in fig4 : the absorber 4 is surrounded by a heat insulation 7 . the fluorescent centers are embedded in a liquid or solid transparent layer 8 which is surrounded by glass layers 9 . when the solution medium and the glass generally have the same index of refraction , the light is also transmitted in the glass . thus , a glass intermediate layer is provided between the fluorescent medium and abosrber . 2 . separation of collector and absorber . in conventional collectors , the collector is at the same time the absorber , like with the flat collector , or it at least has to absorb radiation over its entire surface , like with the reflector collector . this gives rise to heat insulation problems . the solution of these problems is possible , but complex , e . g . by vacuum installation of the absorbers as well as by selectively absorbing layers on shielding glasses . with the fluorescent collector , the light passes into small - area absorbers at the faces of the collectors , the absorbers themselves not having to be used for a direct radiation receiving . therefore , the absorbers are able to be well heat - insulated ( fig4 ), and thus heat losses are able to be reduced . 3 . low thermal inertia . in case of rapidly changing cloud conditions like they frequently occur in middle europe , the thermal inertia of the system absorber - collector plays a decisive role . with flat collectors , a pipe system containing water is exposed to the sun . the water quantity contained in the collector should be as low as possible since thereby the heat - up time is reduced and thus the efficiency averaged on a time basis increases . the fluorescent collector on the other hand itself heats up only immaterially , while the absorber contains a heat capacity low relative to the total surface . because of the low thermal inertia of the system a very quickly reacting pump system must adapt the coolant flow through the absorber to radiation conditions . a control most conveniently is effected by a solar cell or a photo - electric cell scanning the incident radiation . as a further embodiment of the apparatus of this invention , by way of example , reference is had to the possibility of additionally combining light concentrators of the type described with solar cells for the higher - energetical portions of the fluorescent radiation for generating electrical energy . water under high pressure or other higher boiling liquids , e . g . oil , may for instance serve as heat transportant . as an absorber , any surface black for fluorescence having a good heat transmission may be used , e . g . metal pipes painted black . the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof . the embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive . | 8 |
an exemplary ribbon and print head combination that exhibits the principal feature of the invention as to the ribbon itself is shown in fig1 a , wherein ribbon 100 has a substrate 102 onto which have been disposed a number of ink or dye panels 104 , 106 , 108 which may , e . g ., constitute respective yellow , magenta and cyan thermal transfer color panels . disposed along one side of substrate 102 is a marking field 110 that is placed thereon at the time of manufacture of ribbon 100 , and comprises a coating of material that , like panels 104 , . . . , 108 , responds to the application thereto of a form of energy such as heat , light or a magnetic field . in this case , however , the pattern of energy so imposed is not for the purpose of transferring an image from ribbon 100 , but rather to record desired information onto ribbon 100 . thus , the material of marking field 110 should respond to an imposition of energy as stated , but should not cause the transfer of ink or dye therefrom . the information so conveyed in this aspect of the invention lies in identifying which portions of ribbon 100 ( i . e ., which panels such as panels 104 , 106 , 108 , etc ., and which portions of those panels ) have been used for printing . more exactly , fig1 a further shows a print head 112 which , it may be noticed , extends beyond the transverse extension of color panels 104 , 106 , 108 , etc . to be disposed also over the region of marking field 110 . using a thermal transfer print head as an example , it is known that such devices incorporate a series of writing elements that , when heated , will cause the transfer of ink from media such as any of the panels 104 , 106 , 108 , etc . of ribbon 100 onto an underlying substrate . it is also known to use an or gate to generate a separate signal at any time that any one of the series of such elements that extends length - wise along the print head has been activated , i . e ., the print head has been used for printing . by connection of such an or gate between the signal lines that operate the thermal elements disposed over the color panels ( and are thus used for printing ) and another group of thermal elements disposed over marking field 110 , the material of marking field 110 will then exhibit in some way the fact that such energy was received at the former group of elements . thus , any use of ribbon 100 for printing at some particular location will correspondingly place a mark in marking field 110 at the same longitudinal location therealong . a sensor ( e . g ., a simple led 114 and photodetector 116 arrangement as shown in fig1 a ) disposed above marking field 110 can then detect by a change in the reflective properties of marking field 110 that the portion of ribbon 100 in question has been used . a magnetic detector or similar means ( which corresponds to the means by which the marks are made in marking field 110 ) can also be used . by using the methods of ribbon control described hereinafter , the printer can be instructed to bypass those regions of ribbon 100 that are thus shown to have been used , and to continue traversing through ribbon 100 until an unused portion is found . however , it will be shown below that in a preferred embodiment of the invention , marking field 110 or the equivalent can also be used for other purposes , specifically , to provide encoded markings that identify the characteristics of the ribbon as a whole , the particular location of the ribbon at any time through sequence markings , the nature and identity of the particular panel that at the moment lies under the print head , and so on . therefore , use of the procedure just described must in such a case take account of the presence within marking field 110 of other marks . thus , other methods to be noted below may be used , or the procedure as described above can be carried out , e . g ., by recording such usage data along a different path ( i . e ., a different distance from the edge of ribbon 100 ) within marking field 110 , or by providing a separate marking field ( not shown ) for usage data on the opposite side of ribbon 100 from marking field 110 . as shown in fig1 b , in a preferred embodiment the device incorporates a separate write head 118 and an associated read head 119 disposed above marking field 110 at a point prior to print head 112 &# 39 ;, by which is meant that every point on a ribbon 100 moving in the direction of arrow d will pass under write head 118 and read head 119 before passing under print head 112 . by the use of a separate write head 118 it becomes possible to use a shorter and less expensive print head 112 &# 39 ; as shown in fig1 b , since the latter now need not extend over marking field 110 . as noted above , for writing by thermal means the material of marking field 110 will preferably be of a type such as the thermal paper used in many fax machines that responds to heat or light , etc ., but by means , e . g ., of a change in color and not a loss of material . write head 118 of an optically readable embodiment may comprise a separate thermal head or perhaps a group of semiconductor laser diodes . in either case , in order for the mark that is to indicate ribbon ( or panel , etc .) usage to be easily detected , it is preferable that write head 118 form a mark on marking field 110 of significant size and in a distinctive pattern , e . g ., as in a 20 × 20 dot matrix , or preferably at least 20 dots in one dimension and more than 20 dots in the other dimension . an additional aspect of ribbon 100 in fig1 a and 1b lies in the two types of marks 120 ( double ) and 122 ( single ) shown in fig1 a , 1b to be disposed lengthwise along and within marking field 110 at fixed relationships to the start of each of panels 104 , 106 , 108 . it is well known , in the case that ribbon panels have been divided into sets , e . g ., of yellow , magenta , and cyan , to use such marks to indicate by a double mark the start of such a three - panel set , and then to use a single mark to indicate the start of each of the panels that is not also the first panel in a set ( of which in this example there would be two ). in the example of fig1 a , 1b , therefore , assuming that the aforesaid color sequence was employed , panels 104 , 106 , 108 would be identified respectively as yellow , magenta , and cyan . a preferred apparatus for writing usage marks onto the ribbon and for reading the same thereafter is shown in greater detail in fig2 ( a and b ), which is an adaptation of fig1 of the parent application so as to incorporate the apparatus and associated electronics of the present invention . ( the cassette system of the parent application is not shown . also , a method of numbering the components of fig2 ( a and b ) that is analogous to that used in the parent application is used , i . e ., the parent application uses a 9xx series while fig2 ( a and b ) uses a 2xx series . one consequence is that corresponding elements within fig1 ( a and b ) and 2 ( a and b ) herein will have different numbers , but to a minimal extent so that there should be no confusion .) specifically , ribbon control system 200 comprises an electronic system 220 , a printer control system 230 , a read system 240 , and a write system 280 . electronic system 220 further comprises microprocessor 222 , memory 224 ( which can include both ram and rom ), and user interface 226 , all of which are connected to common bus 228 . except where otherwise stated with reference to some particular aspect of the invention , the various components of electronic system 220 are entirely conventional in nature and will not be additionally described . printer control system 230 connects with electronic system 220 through bus 228 as shown in fig2 a , and further comprises controller 232 which connects with each of ribbon control 234 , print control 236 and substrate control 238 . through ribbon control 234 , printer controller 232 acts to move the ribbon to desired locations and to accept ribbon and position information therefrom as will be described below . through print control 236 , printer controller 232 acts to transmit print data ( and indicate to ribbon control 234 when printing has occurred ) and to raise and lower the energy source ( where necessary , as with a thermal print head ). through substrate control 238 , printer controller 232 acts to advance the image receiving substrate through such means as were described in the parent application . the printer operator is enabled to monitor and control all of such operations by interface 226 which may , e . g ., be a conventional set of push buttons and leds or the like . memory 224 serves to accumulate data as to the nature of the installed ribbon and the portions thereof that have been used ( i . e ., &# 34 ; usage data &# 34 ;). through common bus 228 , and on the basis of instructions received from the operator by way of interface 226 , microprocessor 222 executes control of the aforesaid functions in the usual manner . read system 240 provides means for reading double and single marks such as marks 120 , 122 of fig1 a and 1b as well as usage marks as will be described in connection with fig2 ( a and b ). such a system would conventionally employ a light source , sensor , amplifier , a / d converter and register . in the parent application , a read system was described in terms of a bar code scanner and digitizer . the embodiment of fig2 ( a and b ), however , illustrates the invention through the use of magnetic means to communicate information concerning the ribbon and the accumulated usage thereof . more specifically , read system 240 comprises a magnetic sensor 242 that connects through read control 244 to ribbon control 234 . as shown in fig2 b , read control 244 further comprises at the input from magnetic sensor 242 an amplifier 246 connected to a differentiator 248 , a filter 250 on the output of differentiator 248 , a pulse generator 252 leading from filter 250 , two and gates 254 0 leading from pulse generator 252 , and finally a register 256 leading from and gates 254 . this circuitry is analog in nature for the reason that the signal received by magnetic sensor 242 in passing by magnetically imprinted data within marking field 110 is analog in nature . the circuitry of read control 244 thus acts in essence as an a / d converter , in the sense that the analog signal first received by magnetic sensor 242 is amplified by amplifier 246 , differentiated into a quasi - pulse by differentiator 248 , and then filtered into a more &# 34 ; clean &# 34 ; pulse by filter 250 . if necessary , filter 250 can be designed to distinguish the desired signal ( i . e ., either double or single panel markers , or usage data ) from any other signals received by magnetic sensor 242 as a consequence of other information that may have been encoded into marking field 110 . the resultant quasi - digital data then passes into pulse generator 252 which through and gates 254 places a block of data into register 256 which indicates that the particular location on ribbon 100 of fig1 ( and similarly on ribbon 260 in fig2 a ) has been written to ( as will be discussed below ). read system 240 functions in relation to an installed ribbon 260 , which is the kind shown in fig1 a , 1b and generally one of the &# 34 ; combination &# 34 ; ribbons described in the parent application . ribbon 260 is further shown conceptually in fig2 a as having a base 262 including a leader region 264 and a base strip 266 onto which deposited color panels 268 , 270 , 272 or shorter dimension than the width of base 262 . ( panels 268 , 270 , 272 are analogous to panels 104 , 106 , 108 of fig1 ( a and b ), and for present purposes base strip 266 is analogous to marker region 110 of fig1 ( a and b ).) in base strip 266 , marking fields 300 , 302 , 304 for panel 268 and 306 , 308 and 310 for panel 270 are coating of magnetic , heat or light sensitive material . panel markers 278a , 278b are also in the base strip 266 . in leader region 264 of base 262 and ( in fig2 a ) at one side thereof , and consistent with the disclosure of the parent application , ribbon 260 includes in magnetic code an identification marker 274 that identifies which one , of a number of ribbon varieties that the printer can accommodate , that the particular ribbon constitutes . within the printer , memory 224 incorporates ( e . g ., within a rom portion thereof ) a pre - established look - up table that contains relevant information concerning that ribbon variety , and also concerning each of the other varieties of ribbon that the printer can accommodate , e . g ., whether the ribbon employs conventional thermal transfer , dye diffusion or some other technology in which panels , how many panels it has , what are the colors , lengths , and relative disposition of each , and so on . on the basis of such information and correlated information preestablished within memory 224 ( including the locations on the ribbons of each panel and the colors and dimensions of each , etc . ), microprocessor 222 is enabled , e . g ., to adjust through print control 236 the amount of force with which a print head should be urged against the ribbon , and the power labels , pulse widths and repetitions per pixel of the data signals to be sent to the particular type of energy source . the thickness of ribbon over the width of the ribbon need to be uniform so that the ribbon is uniformly wound on the ribbon roll and there are no creases on the ribbon because of uneven diameter of the ribbon roll . the thickness of these marking fields 300 , 302 etc . can be different than the panel of thermal transfer material coated on the base 262 . for example , thickness of the thermal transfer material is 2 to 15 microns . if the thickness of the magnetic material is 4 micron and thickness of the marking fields 300 , 302 etc . is twice , then according to this invention the uncoated length between marking fields 300 , 302 etc . is equal to the length of marking field 300 , 302 etc . so that the average diameter of ribbon roll in the area of the marking field will be about same as average diameter of the ribbon roll where the panel exists . in terms of ascertaining and controlling the location of ribbon 260 as it passes through the printer ( in the direction of arrow 276 ), a series of double and single panel location marks 278a and 278b ( corresponding to marks 120 , 122 of fig1 ( a and b )) that would have been placed thereon at the time of manufacture is disposed along the side of base 262 bearing base strip 266 and which is aligned with read system 240 as shown in fig2 a . marks 278a , 278b are shown in fig2 a as being disposed on the surface of ribbon 260 that is opposite read system 240 ( i . e ., on the top side of ribbon 260 rather than the under side ), but since in this example marks 278a , 278b are magnetic they will be readable . again , panels 268 , 270 , 272 may , e . g ., constitute the first of a number of sets of yellow , magenta and cyan color panels , and since fig2 a shows the particular part of ribbon 260 that is immediately after the leader 264 , double and single marks 278a , 278b identify the panels as yellow ( the first panel of the set as shown by double marker 278a , said set being established within the printer as actually being yellow , magenta and cyan by virtue of identification marker 274 ), and then as magenta and cyan ( by the two panels single - marked by marks 278b following the double marked panel .) such panel identification information is also passed through microprocessor 222 to memory 224 and is accumulated over time so as to establish the position of the ribbon at any particular time . ( in the parent application , the information contained within a set of three corresponding marks ( which were designated as 276a , 276b and 276c in that application ) specifically identified the panel set , e . g ., as : 276a -- set 1 , yellow ; 276b -- set 1 , magenta ; 276c -- set 1 , cyan .) if the ribbon characteristics information is held in memory 224 , upon read system 240 and memory 224 having established that ribbon 260 is at some particular location , if some other location is desired in order to carry out a printing operation that would not result from use of the ribbon as so positioned , the desired ribbon movement can be brought about through interface 226 , either directly by the operator as in &# 34 ; go to panel set 100 ,&# 34 ; or indirectly ( through microprocessor 222 and memory 224 ) as in either &# 34 ; go to next black panel &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; print the next sequence in black &# 34 ; ( using various pre - programmed and automated printing procedures ). the location along ribbon 260 of that &# 34 ; next black panel &# 34 ; relative to the current location of ribbon 260 will also be stored within memory 224 , having been ascertained from identification of the variety of ribbon actually present by way of identification marker 274 , and then by the look - up tables previously mentioned , and microprocessor 222 then ascertains what that location is and instructs ribbon control 234 to move ribbon 260 accordingly . except for the method of reading marks on ribbon 260 as will be discussed below , the foregoing description is similar to that of the invention set forth in the parent application . as already noted and as shown in fig2 a herein , however , the present invention also includes within that printer structure a write system 280 . specifically , write system 280 comprises a write head 282 disposed on the &# 34 ; under &# 34 ; side of ribbon 260 , analogous in that respect to the position of read system 240 , but as shown in fig2 a at a point &# 34 ; downstream &# 34 ; therefrom so that as ribbon 260 moves in the direction of arrow 276 , any particular portion thereof will pass by read system 240 before passing by write head 282 . write head 282 connects to write control 284 and thence to ribbon control 234 . write system 280 may be designed to generate any kind of energy such as heat , light or a magnetic field , but for exemplary purposes ( and to be consistent with the description of read system 240 ), write system 280 will be described in terms of a magnetic embodiment . in such case , marking field 110 of fig1 which corresponds in position with what is described as base strip 266 of ribbon 200 in fig2 a , constitutes a magnetically sensitive stripe . in that case , at any time that printing occurs ( as shown by use of an or gate as previously described or on the basis of a secondary output from the original print data provided by print control 236 ), a signal is also sent to write head 282 by means of write control 284 . write control 284 shown in fig2 b comprises , in connected sequence leading from ribbon control 234 , a buffer register 286 , a d - flip - flop 288 , and a write driver 290 which leads into write head 282 . buffer register 286 acquires a write signal ( i . e ., a digital signal that printing is occurring ) from ribbon control 234 which in turn receives the same in any convenient manner as mentioned above from the print head signal circuitry ( not shown ) and passes the same into d flip - flop 288 . the use of digital circuitry permits encoding of that write signal and hence of the corresponding signal that enters d flip - flop 288 . it is the function of d flip - flop 288 to pass a gated digital signal on to write driver 290 , such signal being encoded , if necessary , so as to distinguish the resultant writing within marking field 110 from panel type information that has already been recorded therein as was previously described , and also from sequence data now to be described . fig2 a can be seen to include along base strip 266 a series of marking fields 300 , 302 , 304 , 306 , 308 , 310 and 312 . in this aspect of the invention , base strip 266 is to be considered as a portion of the complete base 262 onto which , instead of color panels 268 , 270 , 272 , there are deposited at the time of manufacture the series of marking fields 300 , 302 , 304 , 306 , 308 , 310 and 312 , together with the panel markers 278a , 278b . marking fields 300 , . . . , 312 comprise magnetically sensitive regions that are deposited in fixed relationships with particular portions of each of color panels 268 , 270 , 272 , e . g ., as shown in fig2 a , so as to define respective 1 / 3 regions . the purposes of marking fields 300 , . . . , 312 are ( 1 ) to provide sequence numbers corresponding to respective particular absolute positions along ribbon 260 , and ( 2 ) to accept the writing of usage data thereon by write system 280 as previously described . upon installation in a printer of a ribbon 260 that has not been provided with the sequence data hereinafter described , in this aspect of the invention microprocessor 222 has been programmed to generate sequence numbers ( e . g ., digits 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , etc .) and write them into marking fields 300 , . . . , 312 . ( alternatively , such sequence numbers may have been placed into marking fields 300 , . . . , 312 at the time of manufacture of ribbon 260 , albeit with a substantial increase in cost of ribbon manufacture .) by establishing such sequence numbers on ribbon 260 itself so as to be readable by read system 240 , it is no longer necessary to track the movement of ribbon 260 by counting through microprocessor 222 the number of panel markers 278a , 278b that have been traversed . ( on the other hand , if those sequence numbers are not pre - written at the time of manufacture , panel markers 278a , 278b must be present at the time the sequence numbers are in fact written onto ribbon 260 within the printer if the beginning of each set of panels is to be identified so that such number marking can be carried out .) a map of such numbers ( whether pre - written at the time of manufacture or written by the printer itself as just described ) is also provided within memory 224 as a part of the information that characterizes the particular ribbon 260 . it is thus known , for example , that marker field &# 34 ; 5 ,&# 34 ; which corresponds to marking field 308 in fig2 a , is the middle one - third portion of the second ( magenta ) panel within the first panel set on ribbon 260 . ( the illustration which relates just three marking fields to each panel is of course exemplary only .) in the course of using ribbon 260 , there will eventually also appear within marking field 208 an indication as previously described that that portion of that particular panel has been used , and hence is no longer available for use . in the process of carrying out an automated printing procedure , in this example microprocessor 222 and memory 224 will then cause ribbon 260 to be moved , when desired , to some other magenta panel or portion thereof . through the use of marking fields 300 , . . . , 312 , and of read system 240 and write system 280 , it thus becomes possible to utilize all of the printing regions of ribbon 260 more economically , i . e ., waste of ribbon 260 is minimized . it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that other arrangements and disposition of the aforesaid components , the descriptions of which are intended to be illustrative only and not limiting , may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , which must be identified and determined only from the following claims and equivalents thereof . thus , it is possible to provide a 20 × 20 dot matrix mark or the like within the printing portion of ribbon 100 ( or 260 ) by disposing a read head and a write head adjacent to that printing portion and transferring the ink or dye to a platen roll . in such a thermal transfer embodiment , at least the &# 34 ; write head &# 34 ; must become pressed against the ribbon at the time of writing , while the read head can be disposed at any convenient location at which it will have readable access to such writing . similarly , the sequence numbers to be written as described above can also include in themselves further information such as the panel color . moreover , in printers such as that described in this inventor &# 39 ; s appl . ser . no . 08 / 047 , 144 filed apr . 12 , 1993 and mentioned above , wherein it is possible to carry out printing separately on the left - hand or right - hand sides of a sheet of substrate , those sequence numbers and usage marks can also indicate on which side of a sheet ( and hence of the ribbon ) that printing had been conducted . for the types of document often required that provide mainly text but with a color print inserted into one small area , a high resolution print head for color may be of a smaller size , e . g ., 4 inches , while the print head for text may be 8 inches . since in this case the color image need extend only part way down the substrate , the amount of yellow , magenta and cyan ( y , m , c ) color ribbon required for each sheet will be less . a narrower y , m , c color ribbon having panels of that smaller longitudinal dimension can be used , or each panel set of a y , m , c color ribbon having larger panels can be used for two or more images . a document 320 of the type just described is shown in fig3 in which a first image region 302 comprises text as indicated by the horizontal dashed line , and a smaller second image region 304 in one corner of document 320 and indicated by vertical dashed lines comprises a full color image ( e . g ., a company logo , or photograph of a person or the like ). ( the size of second image region 304 relative to that of first image region 322 , i . e ., approximately one - half of the horizontal dimension of document 320 and one - third of the vertical dimension thereof , is of course only one possible example .) in the upper portion of document 320 , first image region 322 extends only part way across document 320 , i . e ., through the subregion of first image region 322 that is labelled 324 and separated by ghost lines . the text of subregion 324 extends approximately one - half the width and one - third the length of document 320 , thereby providing space for second image region 326 , while in the lower two - thirds of region 322 the text extends the full width thereof . of course , the foregoing description must be regarded as being illustrative only , in that it is not necessary that first and second image regions 322 , 326 must be separated : when precise registration is not required and using an appropriately colored panel ribbon as second ribbon for example , second region 326 may be for the purpose of providing highlighting to black text . applicant &# 39 ; s copending application , ser . no . 08 / 047 , 144 , describes a method of printing a document such as that illustrated in fig3 by using multiple print heads , for example where one print head extends across the full width of the document , and a second , narrower print head is provided for printing the color portion 326 . such a print head is illustrated in fig4 a as print head 402 . serial no . 047 , 144 also teaches repositioning the small print head along a shaft 406 for locating it where color printing ( where use of an alternative narrow ribbon ) is desired . referring again to fig3 subregion 324 can also be printed by a full width black ribbon just as is region 322 , and region 326 can be printed using a full width y , m , c ribbon . however , when using a ribbon for full color printing of a size to encompass the full width of document 320 , i . e ., of the same size as that used to print the text in first image region 322 , to print only the smaller second image region 326 would leave one - half of the width of such a ribbon unused . ribbon usage can be recorded so that unused portions of a ribbon can be located at a later time for use . in brief , ( 1 ) each ribbon panel ( and set of which the panel is a member ) is identified by a marker , as are distances within each panel ; ( 2 ) the markers are read by a sensor as the ribbon is transported from roll to roll so that a continuing record is kept of the position of the ribbon ; ( 3 ) the corresponding periods during which printing was actually carried out are recorded by one of several alternative means ; and ( 4 ) a microprocessor analyzes those events and has provision for locating unused ribbon portions . those procedures can also be applied in the present context for recording which transverse portions of a ribbon would have been used , e . g ., to print a series of images of the type of second image region 326 , so that unused transverse portions of the ribbon can similarly be identified for later use . thus , if print images of the type of second image region 304 , by also recording in which position print head had been placed during such printing , a usage record is obtained that applies only to that portion of the ribbon that was so used , and similarly with respect to other placements of print head 402 ( e . g ., as shown in fig4 b ), so that the ribbon could be used later for printing in other regions . cassette system 950 shown in fig5 further comprises cable 952 connected at one end to ribbon control 234 within printer control system 230 and at the other end to memory chip 954 attached to cassette 956 . ( cassette 956 contains a ribbon .) the purpose of cassette system 950 , and especially of memory chip 954 , is to receive data similar to that accumulated by memory 924 , as will be hereinafter described , concerning the ongoing usage of the ribbon . memory chip 954 may comprise any type of non - volatile memory , e . g ., as powered by battery ( not shown ), in order that such accumulated ribbon usage data will not be lost if it becomes necessary to remove cassette 956 from the printer ( e . g ., for purpose of overnight data security , an exchange of ribbon , or the like ). | 1 |
fig1 b illustrates that by creating a medium whose resistance is lower than the resistance of the surrounding soil , which medium in fig1 b is called “ air guiding layer ” under the impermeable layer the stripping gas will have a different flow pattern and will flow through a larger area of soil , and hence , will allow remediation of contaminated soil in areas where without the placement of a medium whose resistance is lower than the resistance of the surrounding soil such remediation would not be achieved . in a process for removing contaminants from soil with the aid of a stripping gas , in which process a medium is created whose resistance is lower than the resistance of the surrounding soil and wherein the stripping gas is injected at the depth of or beneath the contaminant as a result of which the contaminant with the stripping gas is volatized and subsequently rises to the surface via the medium whose resistance is lower than the surrounding soil it is also possible to apply in or at the ground surface a layer that contains either activated carbon or both biological material and activated carbon . pre - loaded filters are particularly suitable for applying activated carbon and / or biologically active material . an advantage of the process according to the invention is that it can be applied while construction takes place on the surface above the contaminated soil , and that it can also be used after construction has taken place . in areas where the soil is susceptible to subsidence and hence not stable enough to allow construction of e . g . buildings or roads that will remain stable over time , poles which rest on sub surface layers which provide the desired stability are often used to build the foundation on . typically , foundations resting on poles are made of concrete . by placing a foundation a space is created between the ground surface and the underside of the foundation . in the process according to the invention , such a space , if present , is used as the medium where the resistance of the soil is lower than the resistance in the surrounding soil . in an embodiment , a biologically active layer is created on one or more sides of the foundation , with a depth that ensures there is direct contact between the space beneath the foundation and the biologically active layer . subsequently a gas , usually air , is injected in or underneath the contaminated soil . because the space present under the foundation is a medium whose resistance is lower than that of the surrounding soil , the gas will preferentially flow to that space ( see also fig1 b for illustration for the gas flow pattern ), and after passing through said space will flow to the biologically active layer . thus , using the space that is created under a foundation resting on poles allows the process according to the invention to be carried out after construction has taken place . in areas where the soil is stable enough to allow construction so - called shallow foundations are typically used . under this type of foundation there is no space available that can be used as the medium where the resistance of the soil is lower than the resistance in the surrounding soil . in an embodiment of the process according to the invention , this problem is solved by installing a mat in or on the ground prior to laying the foundation , which mat is gas permeable and has a low resistance and yet is strong enough to allow construction on top of it . such mats are known in the construction of for example dams where they serve to prevent erosion . the use in remediation projects , however , is novel and is nowhere taught or suggested . examples of commercially available materials that can be used in the process according to the invention are enkamat ® or enkadrain ®, from colbond geosynthetics , in the netherlands . however , any product that is strong enough to allow construction on top of it which construction will over time remain stable and that has a resistance to gas lower than the soil underneath it , is suitable to be used in this embodiment of the invention . to ensure that the gas containing the contamination flows toward the biologically active layer , the upper surface and if desirable also the one or more sides of the mat must be sealed with an impermeable material , or at least with a material that presents such a high resistance to the gas that the gas will flow in the desired direction , which is towards the biologically active layer that has been placed adjacent to the mat on at least one side of the mat . biologically active layers typically are not solid enough to allow any type of heavy construction , e . g . buildings or roads , on top of it . by using a mat as described above , which mat on its upper surface is gas impermeable or is covered by a gas impermeable material , a road can for example be constructed on top of the mat , and contaminants present in the soil under the mat may still be removed by the process according to the invention , if the sides of the mat are either sealed or in contact with the biologically active layer . a special problem is the decontamination of a slope . it is hard to reliably use a biologically active layer in a slope e . g . because as the result of wind erosion the biologically active layer is reduced in thickness , or because the slope is intended to reinforce a dam applying a biologically active layer in the slope would weaken the slope . however , by placing a mat as described above in the slope , and placing biologically active material in the slope in direct contact with the upper edge the mat , contaminants present in the stripping gas can be converted by biologically active material in a slope , without affecting the slope in a way that is detrimental to its purpose . a different process for removing a contaminant from soil with the aid of a stripping gas and with a biologically active layer being present in or on the soil is one wherein in a first step a biologically active layer is placed in or on the soil and in a second step a mat is placed on top of the biologically active layer , which mat has a high porosity , and which mats &# 39 ; upper surface has been made impermeable , e . g . by placing an impermeable top sheet over the mat . this embodiment presents a cost effective process for removing both aerobically removable contaminants such as aromatic compounds and contaminants that are not aerobically convertible , such as chlorinated products . in known processes , this combination of contaminants is removed by the use of a combination of injection of a stripping gas and extraction of air from the soil . this combination of techniques is very expensive . by using the mat , the stripping gas containing both types of contaminant will first pass the biologically active layer , whereby the aerobically convertible contaminant is at least partially converted , and then collected in the open space of the porous mat present on top of the mat . by sealing the sides of the mat , except for one of more exit points , one or more pumps can easily be connected and used to pump the gas which contains the contaminant that cannot be converted aerobically to e . g . a filter containing activated carbon . thus , the mat allows easy collection of gas over the whole surface of the biologically active layer , and from there , easy transport to any desired storage tank or purification unit . | 1 |
in the practice of the present invention , a brass component of the type described which customarily comes into contact with water is first treated in a hot caustic wash . as used herein , the caustic wash is an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide and preferably sodium or potassium hydroxide having a ph above 10 , and preferably above 12 . in general , the concentration of alkali metal hydroxide in the aqueous solution is an amount sufficient to remove substantially all of the hydroxide - leachable lead from the brass part . in general , use can be made of caustic solutions containing from about 10 to about 50 percent alkali metal hydroxide , although higher and lower amounts of caustic may be used , depending somewhat on the treatment time desired . in general , the more concentrated the alkali metal hydroxide in solution , the shorter is the treatment time necessary to remove at least 50 percent of the leachable lead . another parameter affecting the treatment time for the caustic solution is the temperature . in general , higher temperatures favor shorter treatment times while lower temperatures generally necessitate longer treatment times . best results are obtained when the temperature of the caustic solution is at least 80 ° f ., and preferably ranges from about 100 ° f . to about 200 ° f . it is also frequently desirable to employ ultrasonic agitation of the caustic bath or the parts therein to insure maximum contact between the caustic solution and the brass . good results are typically obtained when the entire caustic bath is subjected to ultrasonic agitation . for example , it has been found that , using ultrasonic agitation , nearly all of the hydroxide - leachable lead can be removed from the brass components in the first several minutes of treatment . good results are obtained , depending somewhat on the temperature , the concentration and the degree of agitation , when the treatment time ranges from about one minute to about 60 minutes . after the component has been treated with the hot caustic wash , it is then rinsed with water , and preferably deionized water , to remove any dirt adhering to the surfaces of the components as well as to remove excess alkali metal hydroxide and any lead present on the surface of the parts . the rinsing time can be varied within wide limits , but generally a rinse extending from about 0 . 5 to about 30 minutes is sufficient . thereafter , the brass component is treated with carboxylic acid to remove substantially all of the leachable lead remaining on the component . use is preferably made of a water soluble carboxylic acid containing from 1 to 8 carbon atoms and from 1 to 4 carboxyl groups . representative of such acids are acetic acid , propionic acid , butyric acid , iso - butyric acid , citric acid , and the like . the concentration of the acid in aqueous solution can be varied within relatively wide ranges , depending again on the temperature of the acid treatment and the duration of the acid treatment . good results are usually obtained when the concentration of the carboxylic acid ranges from about 0 . 01 to about 1 . 0m . once again , at least 50 percent of the acid - leachable lead is removed from the brass component during the first several minutes of treatment . in general , however it is preferred to employ acid treatment times ranging from about one minute to about 45 minutes . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , the use of additional treatment times is useful in the cleaning of the parts to remove deposits remaining from casting of the parts using well - known core casting techniques . best results are typically obtained when the acid employed is acetic acid , although citric acid likewise provides highly beneficial results . as with the caustic bath , it is also frequently desirable to employ ultrasonic agitation of the carboxylic acid bath or the parts therein to insure maximum contact between the carboxylic acid solution and the brass . good results are typically obtained when the entire carboxylic acid bath is subjected to ultrasonic agitation . it has been found that the combination of caustic followed by acid treatment removes substantially all of the leachable lead from the part . it has been found that the removal rate of lead can be up to two times greater in the caustic treatment step compared to that achieved for subsequent acid washing steps . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , both the caustic and acid treatment steps can either be carried out in a single step in which the brass component is contacted with either the caustic solution or acid solution . as an alternative , however , it is possible , and sometimes desirable , to use a series of caustic and / or acid treatment steps . it has been found that the use of the series of treatment steps has the advantage of providing increased rates of lead removal , particularly where the treatment solutions are more dilute . without limiting the invention as to theory , it is believed that the concentration driving force between the lead in the part and lead contained in the solution is greater when use is made of a series of caustic and / or acid treatment steps to thermodynamically drive the reactions . one of the advantages in the practice of the invention is that the sequence of caustic and acid treatment of the brass components exhibits no wholesale attack on the brass . on the contrary , the treatment process is limited primarily to lead removal , although there can be observed some removal of zinc during the caustic wash step . once again , without limiting the invention as to theory , the removal of zinc can be attributed to the solubility of zinc complexes at high ph and possible surface enrichment of zinc during casting of the parts . in the optional final step of the process , the components are treated with a phosphorus - containing acid , acid salt or salt derived from alkali metal , and preferably phosphoric acid . also suitable are alkali metal salts of phosphoric acid and alkali metal acid salts of phosphoric acid ( e . g ., trisodium phosphate , monosodium phosphate and disodium phosphate ). without limiting the invention as to theory , it is believed that the treatment with the carboxylic acid chemically etches the brass component , leaving a weak electrical charge . when that weakly charged brass component is rinsed with phosphoric acid , for example , most of the remaining residual trace amounts of lead , if any , are removed , and the brass component is passivated , with residual lead , if any , forming a relatively insoluble lead - phosphate . it has been found that insoluble lead phosphate is relatively impervious to the action of water . furthermore , the phosphate passivates the metal against corrosion , effectively minimizing any further leaching of metals from the brass component into water coming in contact with the brass component . that , in turn , assures that any water coming in contact with the treated brass component contains very low levels of lead , generally below 11 parts per billion and typically below 5 parts per billion of lead in water . as with the caustic and carboxylic acid bath , it is also frequently desirable to employ ultrasonic agitation of the phosphorus - containing acid bath or the parts therein to insure maximum contact between the phosphorus - containing acid solution and the brass . good results are typically obtained when the entire phosphorus - containing acid bath is subjected to ultrasonic agitation . in accordance with another alternative embodiment of the invention , it has been found advantageous , and particularly where the plumbing fixtures to be treated are formed from red brass , to employ a chemical milling pretreatment step by which surface metal is removed from the interior of such plumbing fixtures preparing the brass component for more effective removal of the leachable lead . as indicated , it is frequently preferred to employ a strong acid to remove surface metal from the interior of plumbing parts . various acids can be used for that purpose , although it is preferred that the acid not be of such a strength as to cause excessive metal removal . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , the metal removal is determined not only by the acid employed , but also by its concentration , the time of immersion and the temperature . in general , use can be made of mineral acids such as hydrochloric acid , sulfuric acid , or nitric acid , either alone , or in combination with organic acids and preferably carboxylic acids . it has also been found that performance of such acids can , in appropriate cases , be enhanced through the use of oxidizing agents , and most notably peroxides ( e . g ., h 2 o 2 ). it has been found that the use of such a chemical milling pretreatment step is particularly advantageous where , as a result of the casting operations , the interior of the plumbing fixtures undergoing treatment have a relatively high degree of surface roughness and residue . in the preferred practice of the invention , it is also frequently desirable to rotate the various parts undergoing treatment during the treating operation . for example , such rotation can be effected during the time that the part is undergoing treatment during either the caustic or acidic treatment steps to remove air pockets which may be formed within the interior of the parts undergoing treatment . thus the rotation of the parts during treatment ensures a more uniform treatment of the brass parts . having described the basic concepts of the invention , reference is now made to the following examples which are provided by way of illustration , and not by way of limitation , of the practice of the present invention . brass fixture components were treated by submerging in a sequence of chemical baths designed to leach lead from the components . fixtures were held on racks that allowed free flow of solution into each fixture . the baths were prepared in tanks with ultrasonic generators and electric heater coils as described below . the first bath contained 10 % sodium hydroxide and deionized water . two ultrasonic generators and one electric heater coil were installed . the temperature of the caustic solution was maintained at 150 deg . f . fixtures were submerged for half of the specified duration , lifted from the tank , rotated 180 degrees along the vertical axis and submerged for the remainder of the duration . the second bath was a water rinse at ambient temperature with no ultrasonics , however air agitation was used . fixtures were submerged for a period of approximately 1 minute . the third bath contained a 0 . 1m acetic acid pre - soak solution at ambient temperature . parts were submerged for approximately 1 minute . no ultrasonics were used , however air agitation was used . the fourth bath contained 0 . 1m acetic acid solution with four ultrasonic generators and two electric heater coils . bath temperature was maintained at 120 deg . f . fixtures were submerged in the bath for the specified duration then lifted out of the tank and rotated 180 degrees about the vertical axis . fixtures were again submerged for the remainder of the specified duration . the final three tanks were deionized water counter flowing rinses with air agitation used in the second tank and ultrasonics in the final tank with two ultrasonic generators and an electric heater coil . the final tank bath temperature was maintained at 140 deg . f . three yellow brass castings each with a cold mix volume of 0 . 085 liters were treated with the above procedure . castings were submerged for five minutes in a caustic bath , five minutes in an acetic acid bath and five minutes in the final rinse of deionized water and phosphoric acid . the castings were then tested with procedures required by nsf standard 61 , section 9 . the q statistic was then determined by formulas contained in nsf standard 61 , section 9 . ______________________________________ lead detected ug ! ln ugday 1 2 3 1 2 3______________________________________ 3 2 . 21 2 . 30 2 . 64 0 . 79 0 . 83 0 . 97 4 1 . 62 1 . 62 1 . 79 0 . 48 0 . 48 0 . 58 5 1 . 28 1 . 19 1 . 45 0 . 25 0 . 17 0 . 3710 0 . 85 0 . 84 1 . 02 - 0 . 16 - 0 . 17 0 . 0211 0 . 68 0 . 72 0 . 85 - 0 . 39 - 0 . 33 - 0 . 1612 0 . 65 0 . 70 0 . 65 - 0 . 43 - 0 . 36 - 0 . 4317 0 . 41 0 . 54 0 . 59 - 0 . 89 - 0 . 62 - 0 . 5318 0 . 26 0 . 27 0 . 29 - 1 . 35 - 1 . 31 - 1 . 2419 0 . 43 0 . 37 0 . 43 - 0 . 84 - 0 . 99 - 0 . 84average - 0 . 28 - 0 . 25 - 0 . 14mean - 0 . 23std dev 0 . 08q test statistic 0 . 97______________________________________ three red brass castings each with a cold mix volume of 0 . 116 l liters were treated with the same procedure as above . castings were submerged for sixty minutes in a caustic bath , thirty minutes in an acetic acid bath and five minutes in the final rinse of deionized water and phosphoric acid . the castings were then tested with procedures required by nsf standard 61 , section 9 . the q statistic was then determined by formulas contained in nsf standard 61 , section 9 . ______________________________________ lead detected ug ! ln ugday 1 2 3 1 2 3______________________________________ 3 12 . 76 13 . 92 13 . 92 2 . 55 2 . 63 2 . 63 4 15 . 08 12 . 76 13 . 92 2 . 71 2 . 55 2 . 63 5 11 . 60 15 . 08 16 . 24 2 . 45 2 . 71 2 . 7910 8 . 93 15 . 08 11 . 60 2 . 19 2 . 71 2 . 4511 5 . 92 6 . 50 7 . 19 1 . 78 1 . 87 1 . 9712 5 . 57 6 . 03 6 . 15 1 . 72 1 . 80 1 . 8217 7 . 54 7 . 42 8 . 35 2 . 02 2 . 00 2 . 1218 19 . 72 7 . 08 5 . 92 2 . 98 1 . 96 1 . 7819 7 . 77 5 . 68 6 . 73 2 . 05 1 . 74 1 . 91average 2 . 27 2 . 22 2 . 23mean 2 . 24std dev 0 . 03q test statistic 10 . 10______________________________________ three red brass castings each with a cold mix volume of 0 . 116 liters were treated with the same procedure as above . castings were submerged for sixty minutes in a caustic bath , thirty minutes in an acetic acid bath and five minutes in the final rinse of deionized water . the castings were then tested with procedures required by nsf standard 61 , section 9 . the q statistic was then determined by formulas contained in nsf standard 61 , section 9 . ______________________________________ lead detected ug ! ln ugday 1 2 3 1 2 3______________________________________ 3 6 . 15 6 . 73 7 . 42 1 . 82 1 . 91 2 . 00 4 4 . 64 6 . 73 4 . 99 1 . 53 1 . 91 1 . 61 5 4 . 18 6 . 15 4 . 99 1 . 43 1 . 82 1 . 6110 3 . 02 3 . 71 15 . 08 1 . 11 1 . 31 2 . 7111 2 . 44 3 . 25 3 . 02 0 . 89 1 . 18 1 . 1112 2 . 20 2 . 90 3 . 25 0 . 79 1 . 06 1 . 1817 2 . 32 3 . 71 3 . 02 0 . 84 1 . 31 1 . 1118 5 . 10 2 . 09 4 . 87 1 . 63 0 . 74 1 . 5819 1 . 86 4 . 06 2 . 44 0 . 62 1 . 40 0 . 89average 1 . 18 1 . 40 1 . 53mean 1 . 37std dev 0 . 18q test statistic 6 . 26______________________________________ it will be understood that various changes can be made in the details of procedure , formulation and use without departing from the spirit of the invention , especially as defined in the following claims . | 2 |
in the figures , identical elements are provided with the same reference signs and are described only once . fig1 refers to a schematic view of a power window device 2 in a side door 4 of a motor vehicle which is not depicted in detail . the power window device 2 is provided in the present embodiment to raise and lower a movable element in the form of a window pane 6 in a frame 8 ; thus enabling the size of a window opening 10 to be adjusted . the window pane 6 can be moved by means of an electric motor 12 which is switched on and off via an operating device 14 by means of a start signal 15 . force is transmitted from the electric motor 12 to the window pane 6 to be moved via a draw cable 16 . the electric motor 12 is thereby actuated by means of a control device 18 , which shall be explained in more detail with the aid of fig2 . in the present embodiment , the control device 18 comprises a current converter 20 which , actuated by means of a pulse width modulation unit 22 that is referred to below as pwm unit 22 , converts dc voltage into an ac voltage in a manner known to the person skilled in the art . in so doing , the pwm unit 22 can be switched on and off by means of the operating device 14 . the dc voltage , which in the present embodiment is correspondingly configured as the operating voltage 24 and as ground 26 , is thereby tapped between a first supply potential 24 and a second supply potential 26 . the ac voltage is tapped between the center taps 28 , 30 of two half bridges 32 , 34 , the corresponding half bridge branches of which are designed as field effect transistors 36 , 38 , 40 , 42 which are actuated by the pwm unit 22 . the exemplary embodiment is explained below on the basis of an actuation of the operating voltage - side field effect transistors 36 of the first half bridge and the ground - side field effect transistor 42 of the second half bridge 34 by means of the pwm unit 22 . to this end , the pwm unit 22 emits a first control signal 44 to the operating voltage - side field effect transistor 36 of the first half bridge 32 and a second control signal 46 to the ground - side field effect transistor 42 of the second half bridge 34 . the second control signal 44 has a dc voltage form 48 predefined by the pwm unit 22 ; thus enabling the ground - side field effect transistor 42 of the second half bridge to be activated statically and the electric motor 12 to be permanently connected to the ground potential 26 via the ground - side field effect transistor 42 of the second half bridge 34 . the first control signal 44 has an ac voltage form 50 predefined by the pwm unit 22 ; thus enabling the operating voltage - side field effect transistor 36 of the first half bridge 32 to be cyclically switched in a manner known to the person skilled in the art in order to generate a certain output potential curve at the center tap 30 of the first half bridge 32 . this certain output potential drops across the electric motor 12 and drives said electric motor , for example , in a counterclockwise rotating manner . in addition , the ground - side field effect transistor 38 of the first half bridge 32 can likewise be cyclically switched in a non - depicted manner antipodally to the operating voltage - side field effect transistor 36 of the first half bridge 32 in order to bypass an intrinsic free - wheeling diode in the operating voltage - side field effect transistor 36 of the first half bridge in a manner known to the person skilled in the art and to reduce the power loss . if , however , the ground - side field effect transistor 38 of the first half bridge 32 is short circuited due to a defect , an output potential at the center tap 30 of the first half bridge 32 generated by means of the operating voltage - side field effect transistor 36 of the first half bridge 32 would then lead to a short - circuit current through the first half bridge 32 which could also possibly damage or even destroy the operating voltage - side field effect transistor 36 of the first half - bridge . in order to prevent this from happening , provision is made within the scope of the present embodiment for a plausibility check of the output potential at the center tap 30 of the first half bridge 32 to be performed on the basis of the first control signal 44 . this ensues from the fact that the output potential at the center tap 30 of the first half bridge 32 should have the same form as the first control signal 44 when viewed over time unless said output potential is permanently connected to ground as a result of a faulty short circuit of the ground - side field effect transistor 38 of the first half bridge . for that reason , the output potential 52 at the center tap 30 of the first half bridge 32 is conducted across a protective resistor 54 to a monitoring device 56 which counts the pulses in the output potential 52 with a first counter 58 over a time duration 62 predefined by a timer 60 . the pulses in the first control signal 44 are counted over the time duration 62 by means of a second counter 64 . only if the first number of pulses 66 derived from the output potential 52 over the time duration 62 equals the second number of pulses 68 from the control signal 44 is the ground - side field effect transistor 38 of the first half bridge 32 free of short circuits . otherwise a comparison 70 of the two number of pulses 66 , 68 would lead to the difference in the number of pulses 66 , 68 , on the basis of which the pwm unit 22 and therefore the current converter 20 can be switched off . if the ground - side field effect transistor 42 of the second half bridge 34 is cyclically switched instead of the operating voltage - side field effect transistor 36 of the first half bridge 32 , a short circuit in the operating voltage - side field effect transistor 40 of the second half bridge 34 would then permanently connect the center tap 28 of the second half bridge 34 to the potential of the operating voltage 24 and would lead to a first number of pulses 66 which would be different from a second number of pulses 68 , this time , in the second control signal 46 . thus , a short circuit could be found in each individual field effect transistor 36 , 38 , 40 , 42 , wherein the lines depicted in a broken up fashion correspondingly represent necessary control lines to the pwm unit 22 and measurement lines to the monitoring device 56 , which have not been completely delineated for the sake of clarity . the present exemplary embodiment was described with the aid of a two - phase inverter as a current converter 20 . said embodiment can , however , easily be expanded to include any multi - phase current converter . | 7 |
an example embodiment of the storage controller and the firmware updating method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . the embodiment will be described with respect to the configuration and features or the like of the present invention by way of an exemplary disk array unit . the present invention can be effectively applied to various storage units such as hard disk units , optical disk units , and tape drive units , semiconductor storage units , as well as to disk array units . an example configuration of a disk array unit 10 according to an example embodiment will first be described . fig1 illustrates a configuration of the disk array unit 10 according to an example embodiment . as shown in fig1 , redundancy in structure is provided in the disk array unit 10 , which has channel adapters 11 a and 11 b , controller modules ( hereinafter referred to as cms ) 12 a and 12 b , disk control sections 13 a and 13 b and a drive enclosure 14 . in the following description , “ cm 12 ” is used as a general term for cms 12 a and 12 b . the channel adapter 11 a is an interface for connection to a host computer or the like which exchanges inputs / outputs with the disk array unit 10 . the channel adapter 11 a is connected to the cm 12 a . similarly , the channel adapter 11 b is an interface for connection to a host computer or the like which exchanges inputs / outputs with the disk array unit 10 . the channel adapter 11 b is connected to the cm 12 b . the cms 12 a and 12 b are control modules ( storage controllers ) for performing various kinds of control such as input / output control , which are connected to each other . each of the disk control sections 13 a and 13 b , which are control sections for controlling disks 14 a to 14 c housed in the drive enclosure 14 , is connected both to the cm 12 a and to the cm 12 b . the drive enclosure 14 is a housing unit in which the disks 14 a to 14 c including a disk array are housed . the cm 12 a has a memory 121 a , an i / o control section 122 a , a cache control section 123 a and an active exchange control section 124 a . similarly , the cm 12 b has a memory 121 b , an i / o control section 122 b , a cache control section 123 b and an active exchange control section 124 b . the memory 121 b , the i / o control section 122 b , the cache control section 123 b and the active exchange control section 124 b are sections similar to the memory 121 a , the i / o control section 122 a , the cache control section 123 a and the active exchange control section 124 a and , respectively therefore , a detailed description of them is omitted . the memory 121 a is a storage section used as a firmware area used by pieces of firmware for realizing various functions of the cm 12 a , and as a cache area for holding input / output data as cache data for the purpose of increasing the input / output processing speed . the i / o control section 122 a is a control section which controls input / output processing according to a request transmitted from a host computer or the like through the channel adapter 11 a . the cache control section 123 a is a control section which controls cache data . more specifically , control operations performed by the cache control section 123 a include preparing an empty entry by invalidating old cache data in the event of a lack of an entry for storing cache data , selecting between a write - back mode and a write - through mode , writing cache data to the disks 14 a to 14 c when the delay time for the data becomes equal to or longer than a predetermined time during operation in the write - through mode , and performing cache data mirroring . the write - through mode is a mode in which when a data write request is sent from a host computer or the like , write to the disks 14 a to 14 c is immediately performed and a notice of the completion of the write is sent back to the requester . in the write - through mode , the throughput is considerably reduced because the host computer or the like cannot obtain a response to the write request until write to the disks 14 a to 14 c is completed . on the other hand , the write - back mode is a mode in which when a data write request is sent from a host computer or the like , a notice of the completion of the write is immediately sent back to the requester . data to be sent according to the request is held as cache data in a cache area of the memory 121 a and is written to the disks 14 a to 14 c , for example , at the end of a lapse of a predetermined time or when a lack of an entry for storing cache data occurs . in the write - back mode , the throughput is considerably improved because the host computer or the like can obtain a response to the write request without waiting for the completion of write to the disks 14 a to 14 c . in a case where write requests with respect to the same data occur in succession , only the data at the final request may be written to the disks 14 a to 14 c . as a result , the number of writes is reduced and the load on the disk array unit 10 is reduced . description will be made of cache data mirroring . fig2 illustrates cache data mirroring . as shown in fig2 , a portion of the memory 121 a is used as firmware areas such as firmware areas 1 to 4 , and the other portion is used as cache areas such as cache areas 1 to 3 . similarly , a portion of the memory 121 b is used as firmware areas such as firmware areas 1 ′ to 4 ′, and the other portion is used as cache areas such as cache areas 1 ′ to 3 ′. if a version of a piece of firmware introduced into the cm 12 a and a version of a piece of firmware introduced into the cm 12 b are identical to each other , the offsets of the corresponding areas of the memory 121 a and the memory 121 b coincide with each other . for example , in the example shown in fig2 , the offset of cache area 1 of the memory 121 a coincides with the offset of cache area 1 ′ of the memory 121 b , and the offset of firmware area 2 of the memory 121 a coincides with the offset of firmware area 2 ′ of the memory 121 b . assuming that the offsets of areas coincide with each other as described above , the cache control sections 123 a and 123 b perform mirroring of data about to be written to the disks 14 a to 14 c ( hereinafter referred to as “ dirty data ”) during operation in the write - back mode . more specifically , each of the cache control sections 123 a and 123 b receiving a write request from a host computer or the like stores dirty data in a cache area in the cm to which it belongs , and copies the dirty data to the same location in the memory space of the other cm . for example , in the example shown in fig2 , data 1 stored in cache area 1 ′ of the memory 121 b is copied to the same location in the memory 121 a . also , data 3 stored in cache area 3 is copied to the same location in the memory 121 b . duplicately holding a dirty cache in this way ensures that even in the event of a fault in one of the cms , operation can be normally continued by using the dirty cache held in the other cm . if dirty data is mirrored at the same locations in the opposed memories as described above , a large amount of dirty data can be mirrored at a high speed without a need of complicated control . instead of mirroring to the same location in a cm counterpart , dirty caches in a pair of cms may be mirrored to corresponding locations with different offsets set as desired . each of the cache control sections 123 a and 123 b copies all dirty data held in the memory of the cm to which it belongs to the same location in the memory of the other cm when the other cm is rebooted for some reason . fig3 illustrates a case where after the cm 12 b has been rebooted for some reason , the cache control section 123 a copies all dirty caches held in the memory 121 a to the same locations in the memory 121 b . thus , even when one of the two cms is rebooted , operation can be normally continued by transcribing dirty caches to the rebooted cm . referring back to fig1 , the active exchange control section 124 a is a control section which performs control for updating firmware without stopping the operation of the disk array unit 10 . firmware updating processing is performed following a procedure of updating firmware in the cm in one line of the redundant structures in which the operation is stopped while the operation in the other line is being continued , starting the line whose firmware has been updated while stopping the operation in the other line , and updating firmware in the cm in the line in which the operation is stopped . at the stage at which updating of the firmware in only one of the cms is completed , the version of the firmware introduced in the cm 12 a and the version of the firmware introduced in the cm 12 b differ from each other . if the versions of the introduced pieces of firmware differ from each other , the area that has been used as a cache area on one of the memories may be used as a firmware area or , conversely , the area that has been used as a firmware area on one of the memories may be used as a cache area , and there is a possibility of the equality between the offsets of the areas in the memories 121 a and 121 b being lost . fig4 illustrates an example of a situation where an area which used to be a cache area is now used as a firmware area as a result of firmware update . fig4 shows a state at a point in time when firmware update in the cm 12 b is first completed , and a portion of an area which used to be cache area 31 in the memory 121 b is now used as firmware area 5 ′. in this case , if the cache control section 123 a performs the ordinary operation to copy all dirty data held in the memory 121 a to the same location in the memory 121 b after the completion of firmware update in the cm 12 b and rebooting of the cm 12 b , dirty data such as data 2 and data 3 would be written to firmware area 5 ′, resulting in area destruction . to prevent occurrence of such area destruction , according to the conventional method , a transition from the write - back mode to the write - through mode is made before the cm 12 b is rebooted after the completion of firmware update in the cm 12 b to avoid holding dirty data in the memory . however , this handling entails a problem in that the performance is reduced due to operation in the write - through mode . to solve this problem , the active exchange control section 124 a may temporarily stop boot - up of the cm 12 b at a stage before determination of the offsets of areas in the memory 121 b and a start of processing using a cache area in the memory 121 b after firmware update is completed in the cm 12 b and rebooting of the cm 12 b is started . the active exchange control section 124 a then obtains the offsets of the areas in the memory 121 b . the active exchange control section 124 a performs cache area alignment on the basis of the obtained offset information . cache area alignment is a process for resetting the offsets so that only portions used as cache areas in both the memories 121 a and 121 b are used as cache areas . fig5 illustrates an example of alignment processing in a case where an area which used to be a cache area is now used as a firmware area as a result of firmware update . fig5 illustrates a case corresponding to that in fig4 . in this case , the active exchange control section 124 a changes the start offset of cache area 3 from offset 1 before updating to offset 2 at the same location as the start offset of cache area 3 ′ on the basis of updated offset information , and writes all dirty data ( data 2 and 3 in the example shown in fig5 ) held in the area that is no longer used as cache area 3 to disks 14 a to 14 c . all the dirty data held in the area that is no longer used as cache area 3 may be moved to a valid cache area ( e . g ., cache area 3 higher in location relative to offset 2 ) instead of being written the data to the disks 14 a to 14 c . moving dirty data in the memory in this way is effective in preventing a reduction in performance due to write processing . fig6 illustrates an example of alignment processing in a case where an area which used to be a firmware area is now used as a cache area as a result of firmware update . a state at a point in time when firmware update in the cm 12 b is first completed is illustrated . an area which used to be firmware area 3 ′ and firmware area 4 ′ in the memory 121 b is now used as part of cache area 3 ′. in this case , the active exchange control section 124 b changes the start offset of cache area 3 ′ from offset 1 to offset 2 ′ at the same location as the start offset of cache area 3 on the basis of updated offset information . cache area alignment is thus performed to enable mirroring of dirty data to be safely performed after the completion of boot - up of the cm 12 b . operation in the write - back mode is thus enabled even with operations on different versions of firmware in the cms during firmware update . an area prohibited from being used as a result of cache area alignment ( e . g . a hatched portion in fig6 ) is made usable after the completion of updating of all pieces of firmware in the cm 12 . with cache areas lower in location ( with smaller offsets ) relative to the cache area having the offset changed ( cache areas 1 and 2 in the example shown in fig5 ), there may be an offset misalignment . therefore , all dirty data in such cache areas may be written to the disks 14 a to 14 c , followed by prohibition of use of the cache areas . if priority is given to safety , use of cache areas interposed between firmware areas may be prohibited and all dirty data in such cache areas may be written to the disks 14 a to 14 c before firmware update is started . also , when the cm 12 whose firmware has been updated is rebooted , the areas in the memories may be rearranged to increase continuous cache areas . an example configuration of the active exchange control section 124 a will be described in detail . fig7 illustrates a configuration of the active exchange control section 124 a . as shown in fig7 , the active exchange control section 124 a includes an update instruction section 21 a , an update execution section 22 a , a cache control instruction section 23 a , an area setting section 24 a , an area information obtaining section 25 a , and an area information transmitting / receiving section 26 a . the active exchange control section 124 b includes , as sections having the same functions as those of the sections in the active exchange control section 124 a , an update instruction section 21 b , an update execution section 22 b , a cache control instruction section 23 b , an area setting section 24 b , an area information obtaining section 25 b , and an area information transmitting / receiving section 26 b . the arrows between the sections shown in fig7 indicate the directions of actions when firmware update in the cm 12 b is performed under the control of the active exchange control section 124 a . the update instruction section 21 a is a processing section which provides instruction to perform processing necessary for updating firmware . the update instruction section 21 a performs processing including instructing the update execution section 22 b to update firmware in the cm 12 b and instructing the cm 12 b to reboot . the update execution section 22 a is a processing section which executes processing for reading a predetermined file in which a piece of firmware is stored , and writing the contents of the file to a nonvolatile memory ( not shown ), and processing for reading out a piece of firmware from the nonvolatile memory after reboot processing , and updating the firmware by loading the firmware in the memory . the cache control instruction section 23 a controls the cache control section 123 a and the cache control section 123 b according to instructions from the update instruction section 21 a . the cache control instruction section 23 a makes each cache control section select between the write - back mode and the write - through mode and perform write - back acceleration processing for reducing the time period during which dirty data is held in the memory 121 . the area setting section 24 a is a processing section which performs cache area alignment . the area setting section 24 a performs cache area alignment by comparing area information on each of areas in the memory 121 a obtained by instructing the area information obtaining section 25 a and area information on each of areas in the memory 121 b obtained through the area information transmitting / receiving section 26 a . the area information obtaining section 25 a is a processing section which obtains area information on each area in the memory 121 a . the area information transmitting / receiving section 26 a is a section which exchanges area information with the area information transmitting / receiving section 26 b . area information is information indicating the location of an area assigned in the memory 121 . in an example embodiment , the location of an area is indicated by the offset of a start location . however , the location of an area may be designated not with an offset , which is a relative value , but with an address , which is an absolute value . area information may include information indicating the locations of a plurality of areas . a processing procedure at the time of firmware update will be described with reference to fig8 a to 8d . in the following description , the cm 12 a is referred to as cm # 10 and the cm 12 b as cm # 11 . before firmware update is started , as shown in the figures , cm # 10 is in a state of being ready for accepting an input / output request , while operated in the write - back mode and in a state of being a master of cm # 11 . cm # 11 is also in a state of being ready for accepting an input / output request , while operated in the write - back mode and in a state of being a slave of cm # 10 . each of cm # 10 and cm # 11 has its firmware already rewritten and is in a state of being ready for operating by the updated firmware after being rebooted . when firmware update is started , the cache control instruction section 23 a of cm # 10 set as a master requests , according to an instruction from the update instruction section 21 a , the cache control section 123 a and the cache control section 123 b to set the kind of operation at the time of write - back processing to write back acceleration processing which saves the time during which dirty data is held in the memory 121 ( operation s 101 ). as a result , write - back acceleration processing is performed by the cache control section 123 a and the cache control section 123 b ( operations s 102 and s 103 ), and a notice of the completion of write - back acceleration processing is returned to the cache control instruction section 23 a ( operation s 104 ). as a result , if dirty data exists , cm # 10 and cm # 11 enter the accelerated write - back mode . in the accelerated write - back mode , dirty data is written to the disks 14 a to 14 c in a short time period . therefore , the amount of dirty data held on the memory 121 is reduced . even in a case where cache area alignment is performed and a need arises to perform processing for writing dirty data in an area to be prohibited from being used to disks 14 a to 14 c , write of a small amount of dirty data suffices if the write - back mode is accelerated , thus reducing the time required for writing dirty data and reducing the processing time for firmware update processing . the update instruction section 21 a starts cm # 11 disconnection processing ( operation s 105 ) and transmits a disconnection control request to cm # 11 ( operation s 106 ). cm # 11 , having received the request , performs disconnection control , stops input / output request acceptance and returns a connection control reply ( operation s 107 ). the update instruction section 21 a then ends cm # 11 disconnection processing ( operation s 108 ). the update instruction section 21 a transmits a reboot request to cm # 11 ( operation s 109 ). cm # 11 returns a reboot reply ( operation s 110 ) and starts rebooting ( operation s 111 ). by starting rebooting , the write - back mode of cm # 11 is initialized and returned to the non - accelerated state . when a communication between cm # 10 and cm # 11 is established during rebooting ( operation s 112 ), the update instruction section 21 a starts installation first - half processing in cm # 11 ( operation s 113 ) and transmits an installation first - half control request to cm # 11 ( operation s 114 ). cm # 11 , having received the request , performs installation first - half control , causes rebooting to advance to a stage before determination of offsets of areas in the memory 121 b and a start of processing using a cache area in the memory 121 b , and returns an installation first - half control reply ( operation s 115 ). the update instruction section 21 a then ends installation first - half processing in cm # 11 ( operation s 116 ). the cache control instruction section 23 a requests , according to an instruction from the update instruction section 21 a , the cache control section 123 b to set the kind of operation at the time of write - back processing to write - back acceleration processing ( operation s 117 ). cm # 11 sets the kind of operation at the time of write - back processing to write - back acceleration processing according to the request ( operation s 118 ) and returns a notice of the completion of the setting to the cache control instruction section 23 a ( operation s 119 ). thereafter , cm # 11 operates in the accelerated write - back mode . when the area setting section 24 a requests cm # 11 through the area information transmitting / receiving section 26 a to compute cache areas ( operation s 120 ), the area information obtaining section 25 b of cm # 11 obtains area information on each area in the memory 121 b and returns the area information to the area setting section 24 a through the area information transmitting / receiving section 26 b and the area information transmitting / receiving section 26 a ( operation s 121 ). the area setting section 24 a requests , if necessary , the area setting section 24 b through the area information transmitting / receiving section 26 a and the area information transmitting / receiving section 26 b to perform cache area alignment ( operation s 122 ), and performs cache area alignment processing by itself ( operation s 123 ). when requested to perform cache area alignment , the area setting section 24 b executes cache area alignment processing ( operation s 124 ) and , after completing cache area alignment processing , returns a notice of the completion of cache area alignment processing ( operation s 125 ). after cache area alignment has been completed in the above - described way , there is no need for writing dirty data from an unusable area to the disks and , therefore , the update instruction section 21 a instructs the cache control instruction section 23 a to make cm # 10 and cm # 11 switch from the accelerated write - back mode to the normal write - back mode ( operations s 126 to s 129 ). the update instruction section 21 a starts installation second - half processing in cm # 11 ( operation s 130 ) to complete boot - up of cm # 11 , and transmits an installation second - half control request to cm # 11 ( operation s 131 ). cm # 11 , having received the request , performs installation second - half control , causes rebooting to advance to the end , and returns an installation second - half control reply ( operation s 132 ). the update instruction section 21 a then ends installation second - half processing in cm # 11 ( operation s 133 ). at this point in time , cm # 11 enters a state of being ready for accepting an input / output request . cm # 11 has been ready for accepting an input / output request , and consequently , cm # 10 and cm # 11 are now operated by different versions of firmware . according to the present invention , however , mirroring of dirty data can be performed even in such a state to further improve the reliability of the apparatus . after booting of cm # 11 has been completed in the above - described way , the update instruction section 21 a reverses the master - slave relationship to enable cm # 11 to operate by the updated firmware ( operations s 134 to s 137 ). thereafter , the update instruction section 21 b of cm # 11 conducts a sequence of processing for updating firmware in cm # 10 ( operations s 138 to s 154 ). since the version of firmware running on cm # 10 after rebooting is the same as the version of firmware running on cm # 11 , there is no need for cache area alignment and write - back acceleration processing in the process of rebooting cm # 10 . also , since an area which has become unusable as a result of cache area alignment is made usable , the update instruction section 21 b executes cache area alignment cancel processing in a stage before rebooting cm # 10 to make usable the area that has become unusable as a result of cache area alignment ( operation s 141 ). in other respects , the procedure in this case is the same as the above - described procedure and the same description of the procedure will not be repeated . the above - described processing procedure includes no procedure for making the cm 12 switch to the write - through mode . that is , the firmware updating method according to an example embodiment enables nonstop update of firmware while maintaining the cm 12 in the write - back mode and enables prevention of a considerable reduction in performance during firmware update . an example of a processing procedure for cache area alignment processing will be described with reference to fig9 a and 9b . the description will be described by assuming that dirty data held in cache areas other than the uppermost cache areas has already been written to the disks 14 a to 14 c ; only the uppermost cache areas are valid ; and cache area alignment is performed by aligning the start offsets of the uppermost cache areas , and that if an unusable area is produced as a result of cache area alignment , dirty data held in the area is not written to the disks 14 a to 14 c but moved into a valid cache area . in the following description , the cm 12 controlling firmware update is referred to as “ main cm ” and the cm in which firmware is updated is referred to as “ sub cm ”. as shown in fig9 a and 9b , the main cm searches for the sub cm ( operation s 301 ) and ends processing in an abnormal ending manner if the sub sm is not found ( no in operation s 302 ). if the sub sm is found ( yes in operation s 302 ), the area setting section 24 of the main cm requests , through the area information transmitting / receiving section 26 , the sub cm to compute the offset of a valid cache area ( operation s 303 ). the area information obtaining section 25 of the sub cm , having received the request , computes the offset of the valid cache area in the cm to which it belongs ( operation s 401 ) and returns the computed offset to the main cm through the area information transmitting / receiving section 26 ( operation s 402 ). when the area setting section 24 of the main cm receives the reply ( yes in operation s 304 ), it compares the offset of the valid cache area in the cm to which it belongs obtained by the area information obtaining section 25 and the offset of the valid cache area of the sub cm in the reply . if the offsets are equal to each other ( yes in operation s 305 ), there is not need to perform cache area alignment and the process ends . if the offsets are not equal to each other ( no in operation s 305 ), the area setting section 24 of the main cm sets the valid cache area so that the offset corresponding to the higher location becomes a start offset ( operation s 306 ), thereby moving dirty data lower in location relative to the valid cache area into a valid area , i . e ., an area higher in location relative to the start offset set in operation s 306 ( operation s 307 ). the area setting section 24 of the main cm then transmits the start offset set in operation s 306 to the sub cm through the area information transmitting / receiving section 26 and makes a request for alignment of the offset of the valid cache area ( operation s 308 ). the area setting section 24 of the sub cm , having received the request , sets the valid cache area so that the designated offset becomes a start offset ( operation s 501 ) and returns a notice of the setting of the valid cache area to the main cm through the area information transmitting / receiving section 26 ( operation s 502 ). when the area setting section 24 of the main cm receives the reply ( yes in operation s 309 ), it ends the process . the processing procedure shown in fig9 a and 9b corresponds to operations s 120 to s 125 in the processing procedure shown in fig8 b . an example of a processing procedure for cache area alignment cancel processing will be described with reference to fig1 . the example of a processing procedure for cache area alignment cancel processing described below corresponds to the cache area alignment processing shown in fig9 a and 9b . it is assumed that cache area alignment cancel processing is executed at a point in time before the main cm on which firmware is running after being updated reboots the sub cm on which firmware before updating is running , as in the processing procedure shown in fig8 c . as shown in fig1 , the area setting section 24 of the main cm cancels the setting of the valid cache area to make all the cache areas usable ( operation s 601 ). the areas in the memory 121 of the sub cm coincide in offset to those in the memory 121 of the main cm because the version of firmware operating on the sub cm as a result of rebooting is identical to the version of firmware operating on the main cm . in an example embodiment , as described above , cache area alignment is performed at the time of firmware update , so that mirroring of caches can be normally executed even during firmware update . also , the storage unit is thereby enabled to operate in the write - back mode with safety even during firmware update , thus enabling prevention of degradation in the performance of the storage unit during firmware update . while example embodiments of the present invention have been described as an example of an application of the present invention to a storage unit having two cms . the present invention can also be applied effectively to a storage unit having three or more cms . performing cache area alignment as in the firmware updating method according to present embodiment is also effective in updating firmware by making a transition to the write - through mode . a processing procedure for firmware update in the case of making a transition to the write - through mode will be described with reference to fig1 a to 11f as shown in fig1 a , cm # 10 conducts the operations of cm # 10 and cm # 11 in the accelerated write - back mode in order to reduce the amount of dirty data written to the disks 14 a to 14 c at the time of transition to the write - through mode ( operations s 701 to s 704 ). an operator disconnects the connection path to cm # 11 to inhibit a host computer or the like from accessing cm # 11 ( operations s 705 to s 706 ). subsequently , cm # 10 makes itself and cm # 11 switch to the write - through mode ( operations s 707 to s 710 ) and resets to an initial value the time period during which dirty data is held in the memory 121 in the write - back mode ( operations s 711 to s 714 ). cm # 10 then disconnects cm # 11 ( operations s 715 to s 718 ) and makes cm # 11 reboot ( operations s 719 to s 721 ). when a communication is established between cm # 10 and cm # 11 in the course of rebooting ( operation s 722 ), cm # 10 temporarily stops boot - up of cm # 11 at a stage before the offsets of areas on the memories are determined and before processing operations using cache areas in the memories are started ( operations s 723 to s 726 ), and makes cm # 11 operating in the write - back mode by rebooting switch to the write - through mode ( operations s 727 to s 729 ). cm # 10 then performs cache area alignment ( operations s 730 to s 735 ). at this point in time , each cm is operating in the write - through mode , so that no dirty data is held on the memories . cm # 10 makes cm # 11 complete boot - up ( operations s 736 to s 739 ) and thereafter makes itself and cm # 11 switch to the write - back mode ( operations s 740 to s 743 ) to make itself and cm # 11 operate in the accelerated write - back mode ( operations s 744 to s 747 ). thereafter , the operator connects the connection path to cm # 11 to enable the host computer or the like to access cm # 11 ( operations s 748 to s 749 ). after completing cm # 11 firmware update processing in the above - described way , cm # 10 changes cm # 11 into the master in order to update firmware in itself ( operations s 750 to s 753 ). the operator then disconnects the connection path to cm # 10 to inhibit the host computer or the like from accessing cm # 10 ( operations s 754 to s 755 ). the procedure from operations s 748 to s 755 includes a number of operations in which the operator participates . a great part of the time required for updating firmware is thought to be occupied with these operations of the procedure the procedure in these operations . making cm # 10 and cm # 11 switch to the write - back mode in the above - described operations s 740 to s 743 is performed for the purpose of preventing degradation in performance during the above - described long time period required to execute the procedure . at this stage , since cache area alignment has already been completed , mirroring of dirty data can be performed with safety between the cms to prevent loss of dirty data . processing for updating firmware in cm # 10 by cm # 11 may be performed ( operations s 756 to s 786 ) by the same procedure as that described above . the description of the same procedure will not be repeated . the embodiments can be implemented in computing hardware ( computing apparatus ) and / or software , such as ( in a non - limiting example ) any computer that can store , retrieve , process and / or output data and / or communicate with other computers . the results produced can be displayed on a display of the computing hardware . a program / software implementing an example embodiments may be recorded on computer - readable media comprising computer - readable recording media . the program / software implementing an example embodiments may also be transmitted over transmission communication media . examples of the computer - readable recording media include a magnetic recording apparatus , an optical disk , a magneto - optical disk , and / or a semiconductor memory ( for example , ram , rom , etc .). examples of the magnetic recording apparatus include a hard disk device ( hdd ), a flexible disk ( fd ), and a magnetic tape ( mt ). examples of the optical disk include a dvd ( digital versatile disc ), a dvd - ram , a cd - rom ( compact disc - read only memory ), and a cd - r ( recordable )/ rw . an example of communication media includes a carrier - wave signal . further , according to an aspect of an example embodiments , any combinations of the described features , functions and / or operations can be provided . the many features and advantages of an example embodiments are apparent from the detailed specification and , thus , it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of an example embodiments that fall within the true spirit and scope thereof . further , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the inventive embodiments to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described , and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to , falling within the scope thereof . | 6 |
the present invention describes a system and method for analyzing the ability of a video - based fire detection system to detect the presence of fire . for instance , the present invention may be used during installation of the video - based fire detection system to assess the ability of the system to detect the presence of fire . the analysis may include computing many of the same features used by the video - based system in detecting the presence of fire , and analyzing these features to determine whether based on the environment in which the video detector is operating , the video - based fire detection system will be capable of detecting the presence of fire . for instance , in situations in which the background includes very little color ( e . g ., in a tunnel ), there may be insufficient color data available to detect the presence of fire ( in particular , the presence of smoke ). by providing feedback at the installation stage , steps can be taken to modify the orientation of the camera , or the overall background to improve the ability of the video - based fire detection system to detect the presence of fire . in addition , the present invention may be used to assess the ability of video - based fire detection system to detect the presence of fire during the operational stage ( i . e ., after installation ), in which the system is actively being used to detect the presence of fire . during this stage , analysis is performed on the acquired video input to detect video quality degradation that inhibits the ability of video - based fire detection system to detect the presence of fire . for example , if the video detector becomes out of focus over time , then the video input provided by the video detector may be sufficiently blurry to prohibit the video - based fire detection system from detecting the presence of fire . by automatically monitoring the quality of the video input provided for analysis , problems associated with the video data may be identified and corrected . throughout this description , the term fire is used broadly to describe the presence of flame and / or smoke . where appropriate , specific embodiments are provided that describe the detection of either flame or smoke . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of video - based fire detection system 10 , which includes at least one video detector 12 , video recognition system 14 , and one or more of a plurality of outputs , including user display 16 , video quality alarm 18 , and fire alarm 20 . video images captured by video detector 12 are provided to video recognition system 14 . the provision of video by video detector 12 to video recognition system 14 may be by any of a number of means , e . g ., by a hardwired connection , over a shared wired network , over a dedicated wireless network , over a shared wireless network , etc . hardware included within video recognition system 14 includes , but is not limited to , a video processor as well as memory . software included within video recognition system 14 includes video content analysis software capable of performing the functions illustrated . the provision of signals by video recognition system 14 to user display 16 , video quality alarm 18 , or fire alarm 20 may be by any of a number of means , e . g ., by a hardwired connection , over a shared wired network , dedicated wireless network , over a shared wireless network , etc . video detector 12 may be a video camera or other type of video data capture device . the term video input is used generally to refer to video data representing two or three spatial dimensions as well as successive frames defining a time dimension . in an exemplary embodiment , video input is defined as video input within the visible spectrum of light . however , the video detector 12 may be broadly or narrowly responsive to radiation in the visible spectrum , the infrared spectrum , the ultraviolet spectrum , or combinations of these broad or narrow spectral frequencies . during operation of video - based fire detection system 10 , video recognition system 14 employs computer vision techniques to analyze the video data provided by video detector 12 . a variety of computer vision techniques are well - known in the art and may be employed alone or in combination to detect the presence of fire . in the event video recognition system 14 determines that the video data indicates the presence of smoke and / or flames , video recognition system 14 generates an output that triggers fire alarm 20 . in addition to the traditional computer vision techniques employed by video - based fire detection systems , the present invention includes computer vision techniques employed to assess the ability of video - based fire detection system 10 to accurately detect the presence of a fire . results of the analysis are provided to user display 16 and / or video quality alarm 18 . in particular , during the installation stage , results of the analysis performed by video recognition system 14 are provided to user display 16 to allow a technician to determine in real - time the effectiveness of video - based fire detection system 10 . during the operational stage , results of the analysis performed by video recognition system 14 may also be provided to user display 16 . in addition , if analysis of the video data indicates the presence of video quality degradation , then video recognition system 14 generates an output that triggers video quality alarm 18 . fig2 is a block diagram illustrating functions performed by video recognition system 14 in analyzing video data to assess the ability of video - based fire detection system 10 to detect the presence of fire . video recognition system 14 includes a combination of hardware and software necessary to perform the functional steps shown within video recognition system 14 . in an exemplary embodiment , the functions shown in fig2 are performed during installation of video - based fire detection system 10 to detect any environmental factors that may adversely affect the ability of the system to detect the presence of fires . the functions described with respect to fig2 ( as well as those described with respect to fig5 ) are in addition to functions typically performed by video recognition system 14 in analyzing video data to detect the presence of fire . although there may be overlap between the features calculated to detect the ability of the system to detect fire , and features calculated to actually detect the presence of fire , for the sake of simplicity the functions described with respect to assessing the ability of video - based system 10 to detect fire are described as a stand - alone system . functions performed with respect to fig2 include storing video frames to a buffer ( step 22 ), calculating background features associated with each frame ( step 24 ), applying decisional logic to the calculated background features to determine the ability of video - based fire detection system 10 to detect the presence of fire ( step 26 ), and generating results to be displayed to a user ( step 28 ). at step 22 , frames of video data provided by video detector 12 are stored to a buffer . the frame buffer may retain one frame , every successive frame , a subsampling of successive frames , or may only store a certain number of successive frames for periodic analysis . the frame buffer may be implemented by any of a number of means including separate hardware or as a designated part of a video capture card or computer memory . at step 24 , one or more “ background features ” are calculated with respect to each frame of video data . the term “ background feature ” is used generally to refer to features that characterize the environment within the field of view of the video detector . in an exemplary embodiment , video recognition system 14 calculates one or more background features characterizing the color content , spatial frequency content , edge content , motion - based content , illumination content , contrast content , and combinations thereof generated with respect to the video data . these features may also be employed by video recognition system 14 during the operational stage to detect the presence of fire . during this stage , however , these features are employed to determine whether the video - based fire detection system is capable of detecting the presence of fire in light of the environmental or background features . in addition , during the installation stage , features associated with the quality of the video data may also be generated for analysis ( as described with respect to fig5 ), but in general a technician or installer of the video - based fire detection system will be capable of manually assessing the quality of the video data upon installation . for purposes of this description , the features used to assess the ability of the video - based fire detection system to detect the presence of fire at installation are described as background features . for example , color - based features and edge - based features are commonly used , to detect the presence of smoke . in particular , color - based features are often used to detect the presence of “ turbulent smoke ”. video recognition system 14 calculates one or more color - based features to monitor the color content associated with a particular area , and looks for a characteristic loss of color indicative of the presence of smoke . in environments in which the background lacks color , the color - based features calculated at step 24 can be used to assess whether based on the lack of color , the algorithms typically employed by video recognition system 14 to detect the presence of smoke will be successful . edge - based features are also commonly employed to detect the presence of smoke . in particular , edge - based features are often used to detect the presence of “ obscuring smoke .” video recognition system 14 may calculate one or more edge - based features . once again , video recognition system 14 analyzes the edge - based features for a loss or degradation of edge - based data indicative of the presence of smoke . in environments in which the background lacks defined edges , the edge - based features calculated at step 24 can be used to assess whether based on the lack of edge data , algorithms typically employed by video recognition system 14 to detect the presence of smoke will be successful . these features , as well as others , may be similarly employed to assess the ability of video recognition system 14 to accurately detect the presence of flame . background features may be represented as a singular value , or may be represented as a distribution that can be used in analyzing the background content . at step 26 , the background features are analyzed by decisional logic to assess the ability of video - based fire detection system to detect the presence of fire . for example , with respect to color - based features , a determination is made whether the background includes sufficient color to allow video recognition system 14 to detect the presence of fire . with respect to edge - based features , a determination is made whether the background includes sufficient edge content to allow video recognition system 14 to detect the presence of fire . analysis of the background features at step 26 may include analysis of each feature independently , or may include analysis of the background features in combination , to determine whether the combination of available features can be used to accurately detect the presence of fire . in an exemplary embodiment , the decisional logic employed at step 26 compares the calculated background features to thresholds or constraints to assess the ability of video - based fire detection system 10 to detect the presence of fire . this may include comparing the calculated background features to thresholds defining minimum background feature requirements for the detection of fire ( including different thresholds for the detection of flame and smoke , respectively ) as well as additional thresholds that may be used to define various levels of capability associated with the ability of the video - based fire detection system 10 to detect the presence of fire . decisional logic may be implemented with a variety of well - known classifiers or algorithms , including fuzzy - based inference systems , training - based systems , neural networks , support vector systems , or other well - known classifiers . at step 30 , an output is generated in response to the analysis performed at steps 24 and 26 . in an exemplary embodiment , the output may be a binary output indicating whether , based on the background features extracted , video recognition system 14 is capable of detecting the presence of fire . in other exemplary embodiments , the output is more detailed , providing a technician or operator with additional information regarding the ability of video recognition system 14 to detect the presence of fire . for example , the output may be graphical in nature , illustrating an assessment of the ability of video - based fire detection system to detect the presence of fire within each area of the field of view of video detector 12 . in another example , the output is real valued and represents the certainty or the ability of video recognition system 14 to detect the presence of fire . for instance , the real - valued output may be a percentage indicating the certainty with which the video - based fire detection system can be expected to detect the presence of fire . in another example , the output includes recommendations on how to improve the ability of fire detection system 10 to detect the presence of fire . for example , recommendations may relate to the orientation and / or position of the camera as well as recommendations regarding physically modifications that may be made to the background to improve the ability of video - based fire detection system 10 to detect the presence of fire . fig3 a and 3b are examples illustrating analysis performed by video recognition system 14 in assessing the ability of the video - based fire detection system to detect the presence of fire ( in particular , smoke ). in particular , fig3 a is a sample image received from a video detector , and fig3 b is the resulting output generated by video recognition system 14 illustrating the ability of the video - based fire detection system to detect the presence of fire . in this example , the video detector is positioned to monitor a tunnel as shown in fig3 a . in fig3 b , the resulting analysis generated by video recognition system 14 identifies regions that have insufficient edge and color content ( illustrated by region 32 ), regions that have sufficient edge content ( illustrated by cross - hatched region 34 ), regions that have sufficient color content ( illustrated by cross - hatched region 36 ), and regions that have sufficient edge and color content ( illustrated by cross - hatched region 38 ). the display presented to a user may be color - coded to alert the user to the status of a particular region within the field of view of the video detector . for example , regions determined to contain insufficient edge and color content ( e . g ., region 32 ) may be displayed to the user with a first color . regions having sufficient edge content ( e . g ., region 34 ) or sufficient color content ( e . g ., region 36 ) may each be displayed with different color ( s ), and areas in which video recognition system 14 is unable to determine whether there is regions in which both the edge content and the color content is sufficient ( e . g ., region 38 ) may be displayed with yet another color . as a result of the analysis performed by video recognition system 14 , some regions ( e . g ., region 32 ) may be identified as lacking the background features necessary to detect the presence of fire ( i . e ., fire detection system 10 will be unable to detect the presence of fire ). other regions ( e . g ., regions 34 and 36 ) may be identified as having a reduced capability to detect the presence of fire . for instance , region 34 lacks sufficient color content to detect the presence of fire , but does provide sufficient edge content to detect the presence of fire . in particular , due to the lack of color content in region 34 , video - based fire detection system 10 may be unable to detect the presence of turbulent smoke indicative of fire . region 34 may therefore be classified as providing a reduced or somewhat diminished ability to detect the presence of fire . likewise , region 36 lacks sufficient edge content to detect the presence of fire , but does provide sufficient color content to detect the presence of fire . in particular , due to the lack of edge content in region 36 , video - based fire detection system 10 may be unable to detect the presence of obscuring smoke indicative of fire . once again , region 36 may be classified as providing a reduced or somewhat diminished ability to detect the presence of fire . in this particular example , analysis indicates that large areas of the tunnel ( illustrated by region 32 ) have relatively little edge or color content that can be used to detect the presence of fire . based on the output generated by video recognition system 14 , steps can be taken to either re - orient the video detector to locate a background having sufficient edge or color content or physically alter the background to add additional edge or color content to those areas identified as insufficient . in the example shown in fig3 a and 3b , reflective lines may be added to portions of the background identified as having insufficient edge content . fig4 a and 4b illustrate another example of analysis performed by video recognition system 14 in assessing the ability of the video - based fire detection system to detect the presence of fire . in this example , regions identified by video recognition system 14 as containing insufficient color and edge content are illustrated by cross - hatched region 40 , regions identified as containing sufficient edge content are illustrated by cross - hatched region 42 , regions identified as containing sufficient color content are illustrated by cross - hatched region 44 , and regions identified as containing both sufficient color and sufficient edge content are illustrated by cross - hatched region 46 . based on the output generated by video recognition system 14 , steps can once again be taken to either re - orient the video detector to locate a background having sufficient color content or physically alter the background to add additional color content to those areas identified as insufficient . in this example , significant portions of the background do contain significant color content and / or sufficient edge content . in addition to the graphical output indicating the sufficiency of the color content and the edge content in the background , video recognition system 14 may also generate a value representing the certainty or the ability of video recognition system to detect the presence of fire . fig5 is a block diagram illustrating functions performed by video recognition system 14 to automatically monitor the quality of the video data provided by video detector 12 in assessing the ability of video - based fire detection system 10 to detect the presence of fire . in this way , video recognition system 14 continually monitors the quality of the video data provided by video detectors 12 and automatically detects video quality degradation . in particular , video recognition system 14 calculates features that indicate a decreased ability of video - based fire detection system 10 to detect the presence of fire . in response to a determination that the ability of video - based fire detection system to detect the presence of fire has degraded , a notification signal or alarm is triggered to alert supervisors of the system . in the embodiment shown in fig5 , functions performed by video recognition system 14 include storing video frames to a buffer ( step 48 ), calculating video quality features associated with each frame ( step 50 ), optionally storing one or more of the video quality features calculated with respect to each frame ( step 52 ), applying decisional logic to detect video quality degradation that may adversely affect the ability to detect the presence of fire ( step 54 ), and generating results to be displayed to a user ( step 56 ). at step 48 , frames of video data provided by video detector 12 are stored to a buffer . the frame buffer may retain one frame , every successive frame , a subsampling of successive frames , or may only store a certain number of successive frames for periodic analysis . the frame buffer may be implemented by any of a number of means including separate hardware or as a designated part of computer memory . at step 50 , one or more “ video quality features ” are calculated with respect to each frame of video data . the term “ video quality features ” is used generally to refer to both the background features described with respect to fig2 , as well as other features used to assess the quality of the video data provided to video recognition system 14 . in particular , the features calculated at step 50 characterize aspects of video quality such as signal strength , noise , signal to noise ratio , on - line computable video quality metrics such as those used to detect compression artifacts , lighting sufficiency , saturation , video detector shaking or movement , video detector focus , video detector alignment , and other features associated with video quality . in an exemplary embodiment , one or more of the video quality features calculated upon installation of the video - based fire detection system or during operation of the video - based fire detections system are stored to memory or a buffer , as shown at step 52 . the stored video quality features are used as a benchmark with which to compare video quality features calculated with respect to subsequent frames of video data . at step 54 , the video quality features are assessed by decisional logic to detect video quality degradation that would affect the ability of video - based fire detection system 10 to detect the presence of fire . for example , decisional logic analyzes the video quality features calculated at step 50 to detect conditions such as excessive noise , presence of compression artifacts , insufficient lighting , over saturation , shaking of the video detector , out - of - focus , misalignment , loss of contrast , and loss of video input . part of the analysis related to video quality degradation may include distinguishing between video quality degradation and situations indicative of fire . in an exemplary embodiment , slow changes brought on by video quality degradation are distinguished from sudden changes ( typically associated with the propagation of fire ) by storing video quality features over time to detect gradual changes in the features . for example , the loss of edge data associated with an out - of - focus video detector may be mistakenly classified as indicative of smoke . however , by storing and comparing video quality features associated with out - of - focus over defined intervals , the gradual or slow progression of the video detector from being in - focus to out - of - focus can be used by decisional logic to distinguish between a video quality problem and the presence of a fire . in an exemplary embodiment , the decisional logic employed at step 54 is a fuzzy - based inference system that compares the calculated video quality features to thresholds or constraints to detect video quality degradation that affects the ability of video - based fire detection system 10 to detect the presence of fire . in other embodiments , the decisional logic also employs the stored video quality metrics ( e . g ., baseline video quality metrics stored at installation of the system , video quality metrics calculated at defined intervals ) to detect gradual changes in the quality of the video data indicative of video quality degradation . in another exemplary embodiment , video - quality metrics calculated during installation ( e . g ., at a time which video - quality is typically considered sufficient for detection of fire ) is used to generate a target - based distribution . in an exemplary embodiment , the target - based distribution is generated by dividing an image ( e . g ., an image captured during installation ) into discrete sub - images . for example , the image may be divided into a 3 × 3 grid of equally sized sub - images . a distribution associated with the video - quality feature ( s ) is calculated for each sub - image , and the collection of distributions defines the target - based distribution . in this way , the target - based distribution represents a benchmark that can be used to gauge the video - quality of subsequent frames of video data . a similar distribution is calculated as part of the video - quality metrics calculated at step 50 with respect to a current frame of video data . for example , the current frame of video data may be divided into a plurality of sub - images ( e . g ., a grid of 3 × 3 equally sized sub - images ) and a distribution can be generated with respect to each sub - image based on one or more video - quality features . decisional logic then compares the video quality - based distributions with the target - based distribution . in an exemplary embodiment , an entropy value is calculated based on the comparison of the background - based distribution and the target - based distribution , wherein the entropy represents the difference between the two distributions . in this way , decisional logic can assess the quality , and thus the ability of video - based fire detection system to accurately detect the presence of fire . at step 56 , an output is generated in response to the analysis performed at steps 50 and 54 . in an exemplary embodiment , the output may be a binary output indicating , based on the calculated video - quality features , whether video quality degradation has affected the ability of video - based fire detection system to detect the presence of fires . in this embodiment , the output automatically triggers video quality alarm 18 ( as shown in fig1 ), alerting a supervisor or others of the detected video quality degradation . in other embodiments , additional information including the type of video quality problems detected or specific values associated with the calculated video quality features may be provided along with the triggering of the video quality alarm . in another example , the output is real valued and represents the certainty of the ability of video recognition system 14 to detect the presence of fire . in this way , the present invention provides a system and method for assessing the capability or ability of a video - based fire detection system to detect the presence of fire . this includes assessing environment factors ( such as lack of color edge information , etc . in the background ) as well as video quality problems ( such as out - of - focus conditions , camera shaking , etc .) that may prevent video - based fire detection system from accurately detecting the presence of fire . in this way , the present invention is able to assess the ability of video - based fire detection system to detect the presence of fires . although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments , workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
a probe , examples of which may include but are not limited to a thermocouple , a chemical sensor , an optical sensor , or a pressure sensor , inserted in a hole that is oriented downward from the outside of a vessel wall to the inside of a vessel wall reduces slag flow into the hole by the force of gravity . the vessel lining grows upwards and outwards radially during thermal expansion ; because the angled hole is oriented in the same direction as the lining growth , the angled hole moves with the lining as it expands and contracts . therefore , the angled probe requires less additional space to allow for the expansion and contraction of the refractory lining . as the size of the hole in the lining is reduced , the amount of slag that penetrates the hole is also reduced . an angle of about 15 to about 45 degrees from the plane orthogonal to the vessel centerline may be implemented for the angled thermocouple probe in some embodiments . the reduction in the size of the hole is dependent on the penetration angle of the probe . a hole oriented perpendicular to the vessel wall may have a diameter of about 50 mm ( 2 inches ). for an example hole at an angle of 45 degrees , the hole size may be reduced by as much as approximately 12 mm ( 0 . 5 inch ), yielding an angled hole diameter of approximately 38 mm ( 1 . 5 inches ), reducing slag fill volume by about 40 %. fig1 shows an embodiment of a vessel 100 with an angled probe . one probe is shown in the embodiment of fig1 for illustrative purposes ; a slagging vessel may comprise any appropriate number of probes . the vessel wall 108 comprises three layers : outer shell 103 , outer refractory layer 102 , and inner refractory layer 101 . although three layers are shown in the embodiment of fig1 , a vessel wall may comprise any appropriate number of layers . probe 104 extends through a hole ( shown below in fig2 ) that is oriented downward from outer shell 103 through the refractory layers 101 and 102 to hot inner surface 106 . angle 107 between the plane 109 orthogonal to the vessel center line 105 and the probe 104 may be about 15 to about 45 degrees in some embodiments . angle 107 reduces slag flow into the hole , as slag does not flow significantly against gravity . angle 107 is oriented in the same direction as the movement of the slagging vessel refractory lining layers 101 and 102 during thermal expansion . refractory lining layer 101 is at a higher temperature than refractory lining layer 102 during operation of the vessel ; therefore , the upward and outward expansion of refractory lining layer 101 may be greater than the expansion of refractory lining layer 102 . the angle of angled probe 104 allows angled probe 104 to move with the expansion of the refractory lining layers 101 and 102 . because the angled probe 104 is oriented in the same direction as the movement of the lining , the probe opening may move with the lining as the lining expands and contracts . this reduces the likelihood of breakage of the probe 104 caused by lining layers 101 and 102 expanding differently at high temperatures , extending the life of probe 104 . referring to fig2 , which shows an embodiment of a hole in a refractory layer of a vessel wall for an angled probe , hole 201 the refractory layer 202 contains probe 203 , with extra space 204 to allow for expansion and contraction of refractory layer 202 . additional space 204 may be reduced by about 40 % by volume for angled probe 203 , as the angle probe moves in the same direction as the refractory layer 202 during thermal expansion . the reduction of additional space 204 reduces the amount of slag that may flow into hole 201 . reduced slag infiltration into the refractory layers results in reduced damage to the refractory lining and extended life of a probe . increasing the probe life contributes to increased reliability for the vessel by allowing for accurate monitoring of the conditions inside the vessel . increased probe life also reduces planned and unplanned maintenance outages and vessel shutdowns , saving costs associated with loss of production and maintenance . fig3 shows an embodiment of a method 300 for operating a vessel having an angled probe . in block 301 , a hole in the vessel wall is defined that is angled downward from the outer surface of the slagging vessel wall to the inner surface of the vessel wall is provided through the vessel wall . in block 302 , a probe is placed in the angled hole . the angle of the hole may be about 15 to about 45 degrees from the plane orthogonal to the vessel centerline in some embodiments . in block 303 , slag buildup is prevented on the probe during operation of the vessel . although an angled probe has been discussed above in the context of a gasifier for illustrative purposes , an angled probe may be incorporated into any type of vessel , examples of which may include , but are not limited to , a slagging vessel , a coal - fired boiler , a solid waste incinerator , a shaft furnace , or a thermal oxidizer . while the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments , it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments . rather , the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations , alterations , substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described , but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention . additionally , while various embodiments of the invention have been described , it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments . accordingly , the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description , but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims . | 5 |
turning now to fig3 there is shown an example of an stm interexchange network 200 interfacing with atm network 300 for the purpose of transporting voice - band signals from switch 105 to switch 110 of stm network 200 and vice - versa . typically , the switches , e . g ., switches 105 and 110 , form an stm network in which the switches may be , e . g ., the well - known no . 5ess ( trademark of at & amp ; t ) switch . it may also be a private network comprising a plurality of customer premises equipment e . g ., private branch exchange . atm network 300 , on the other hand , includes a plurality of atm equipments , two of which are shown in the fig ., namely switches 310 and 320 . switches 310 and 320 are interconnected to one another via a high speed transmission path 315 . the network also includes equipment for performing a number of different signal processing functions on atm cells carrying digitized voice - band signals . as mentioned above , one such function is echo cancellation , as illustrated by echo cancelers ( ec ) 305 and 325 . it is seen from the fig . that stm / atm converter 20 is interposed between stm switch 105 and atm network 300 via four - wire connection 106 . similarly , stm / atm 30 converter is interposed between switch 110 and atm network 300 via four - wire connection 111 . specifically , converter 20 packs stm voice signals that it receives via path 106 - 1 into an atm cell having a payload of 48 octets of voice information , as mentioned above . converter 20 then supplies the resulting atm cell via path 301 - 1 and ec 305 to a switch 310 . conversely , converter 20 &# 34 ; unpacks &# 34 ; an atm cell that it receives via path 302 - 1 and supplies each of the 48 unpacked octets forming the cell payload to path 106 - 2 for delivery to network 200 . converter 30 performs a similar function with respect to stm and atm formatted signals exchanged between networks 200 and 300 via path 111 . specifically , assume that an atm cell that is presented to ec 305 via path 301 - 1 contains an echo of a voice signal which originated as a result of a voice signal that is transmitted by station $ 2 to switch 110 via two - wire path 113 and hybrid 75 , which converts path 113 to four - wire path 109 . the voice signal is then transmitted over a connection through switch 110 , network 300 and switch 105 and thence to hybrid 50 via path 104 - 1 of four - wire path 104 . similarly , hybrid 50 converts four - wire path 104 to two - wire path 103 . due to imperfect impedance matching , a portion of the voice signal transmitted by station s2 and presented to hybrid 50 via path 104 - 1 is coupled to path 104 - 2 , which is returned via the opposite path as the aforementioned echo . a portion of the voice signal is also coupled to two - wire path 103 extending to station s1 . ec 305 , upon receipt , via path 301 - 1 , of the atm cell carrying the echo signal , immediately subtracts an estimate characterizing the echo from an atm cell carrying a voice signal via path 302 - 2 . ec 305 derives such an estimate using a particular algorithm , as will now be discussed below in conjunction with fig4 . in particular , ec 305 includes a high pass filter ( hpf ) 401 which removes ( filters ) dc components that might be present in the voice - band signal in the atm cells that are received via path 302 - 2 . the filtered signal is then stored immediately in buffer 402 to await receipt of an atm cell carrying a voice signal via path 301 - 1 . it is also supplied immediately to path 302 - 1 so as to not delay the delivery of the contents of the cell to its ultimate destination , e . g ., station set s 1 . a cell received via path 302 - 2 is formed at stm / atm converter 30 ( fig3 ) and transported to ec 305 independently of a cell received via path 301 - 1 , which is formed at stm / atm converter 20 ( fig3 ). accordingly , an atm cell may not arrive via path 302 - 2 at the same time that a cell arrives via path 301 - 1 . to deal with that problem , an atm cell that is received via path 302 - 2 is stored in buffer 402 that is sufficiently large to guarantee that it will be available for immediate processing when a cell arrives via path 301 - 1 . when an atm cell does arrive via path 301 - 1 via high pass filter ( hpf ) 414 , it is loaded immediately in parallel into buffer 410 and then immediately &# 34 ; clocked out &# 34 ; by clock signal clkg . buffers ( registers ) 402 and 410 , more particularly , operate at a clock rate which may be different from the clock rate that is associated with the arrival of a cell via path 302 - 2 and 301 - 1 , respectively . that is , the contents of those registers is processed at a clock rate clkg , which may be different than the clock rate associated with the arrival rate of a cell via path 302 - 2 or 301 - 1 . buffer 410 is required only if the rate of clock clkg is different than from the rate that cell arrival . specifically , the receipt of a cell via path 301 - 1 triggers the gate function 412 , which , in turn , enables one input of logic and gate 413 . the other input of and gate 413 connects to oscillator 411 , which generates a high - speed clock signal , e . g ., a 56 mhz clock signal . the enabling of and gate 413 thus allows the output of gate 413 to effectively replicate the high speed clock signal on lead clkg , which is presented to a number of other circuits contained within the ec , as shown in the fig . buffer 410 responsive to each cycle of the clock signal on lead clkg outputs an octet , or voice sample , of the atm cell stored therein to conventional summing circuit 407 arranged as a subtracter circuit . subtracter circuit 407 , in turn , subtracts from the value of the octet received from buffer 410 the estimate of the echo ( y ) that is derived in a conventional manner on the fly from a corresponding one of the cell octets stored in buffer 402 , and the previous n octets that are stored in shift register 404 . the result of the subtraction is then supplied to nonlinear processor ( nip ) 408 and to the e input of coefficient generator 409 . coefficient generator 409 , more particularly , updates the value of each of the tap coefficients h0 through hn - 1 based on the previous values of those coefficients derived from path 302 - 2 , the normalized gain of the ec , current value of e and value of the respective octet , as shown by the following relationship . thus , generator 409 generates a new set of tap coefficients for corresponding octets respectively stored registers 402 and 410 . buffer 402 , more particularly , and responsive to clock signal clkg , outputs an octet of the atm cell stored therein to shift register 404 . the contents of the storage locations forming register 404 are then presented to respective multiplier circuits 405 - 1 through 405 - n , where n is derived from the value of the maximum echo - return - path delay that the ec is designed to process . for example , where the latter delay is 32 milliseconds , then n would be a value of 256 . the current values of the filter tap coefficients h0 through hn - 1 are presented as multiplier coefficients to multiplier circuits 405 - 1 through 405 - n , respectively . the results of each such multiplication is then presented to summing circuit 406 . the output of summing circuit 406 is then supplied as the aforementioned estimate of the echo to subtracter 407 . the foregoing processing continues for each atm octet stored in buffer 410 and proceeds at the clkg rate . thus , if the clkg rate is 50 mhz , then corresponding octets respectively stored in buffers 402 and 410 are processed during an approximately 8 microsecond clkg period and continues until the last atm octet stored in register 410 is supplied to subtracter 407 . at that point , logic and gate 413 is disabled , thereby disabling the high - speed clock signal outputted by oscillator 411 from passing to lead clkg . accordingly , the foregoing processing is discontinued until the next atm cell is received via path 301 - 1 . after having processed a number of such corresponding cells , the ec converges on an estimate of the echo such that an echo arriving via path 301 - 1 is effectively &# 34 ; canceled &# 34 ;, which means that the energy value of the resulting signal ( octet ) that subtracter 407 outputs to path 301 - 2 via nlp 408 is minimized . ( nonlinear processor 408 mentioned above removes residual echo e which is left after the fir filter 420 has subtracted its estimate e of the incoming echo via lead 301 - 1 . this is done only when the value of residual echo e is below a predetermined threshold value , e . g ., 12 db relative to the signal received via path 302 - 2 .) it can be appreciated that an atm cell may be lost before it is received via path 301 or 302 . we deal with the loss of a cell , when it is so detected , by substituting a &# 34 ; dummy &# 34 ; or default , cell in place of the lost cell . for example , if a cell is not received via path 302 - 2 ( fig3 ) then a dummy cell is stored immediately in buffer 402 and is also launched over path 302 - 1 . similarly , if a cell is not received via path 301 - 1 ( fig3 ), then a dummy cell is stored immediately in buffer 410 and gate 412 is activated , thereby starting the processing of the dummy cell . a cell loss event may be detected by the tracking of the sequence numbers associated with arriving cells . if the sequence number of a received cell is out of sequence , then it is likely that an intervening cell was lost . if the worst case cell jitter is small , e . g ., 2 msec , compared with the nominal intercell spacing of six msec , then the call loss event can also be detected by noting that a cell has not arrived after the lapse of a period equal to six msec plus worst case jitter . as mentioned above , other signal processing functions may be performed in accord with an aspect of the invention . one such signal processing function may be the detection of conventional dtmf tones characterizing a network 200 service request that a subscriber , such as the subscriber associated with station s2 , may enter by pressing a particular station s2 keypad button . for example , assume that the station s2 subscriber presses the star sign (*) to request a particular telephone service . then station s2 transmits the dtmf tone ( signal ) characterizing the star sign over the associated telephone connection . stm network 200 , e . g ., switch 110 , digitizes the signal and outputs the result for transport to the far end of the connection . assuming that an atm network is interposed in the connection as shown in fig5 then the digitized signal is then formed into atm cells for transport via the atm network . upon receipt of a cell via path 302 - 2 , the cell payload is passed through hpf filter 401 and storm in buffer 402 . immediately upon storing the cell in buffer 402 , the octets are clocked out by clock signal clkg and presented to the array of digital signal processors ( dsp ) 430 - 1 through 430 - n , which also employ the clkg signal in the processing of the octets , as shown in fig5 . each such dsp processes the octet that it receives to determine the level of energy and frequency ( or frequencies ) represented by the digital value of the octet . when each dsp completes its respective task , it then supplies the result ( s ) of its determination to processor 435 . processor 435 , in turn , processes the result that it receives from each dsp 430 . if processor 435 , as a result of such processing , determines that the payload of the cell stored in buffer 402 represents a dtmf tone characterizing a service request , then processor 435 stores that determination in its internal memory . if processor 435 reaches the same determination after a number of successive cells received via 302 - 2 have been similarly processed , then processor 435 outputs a message identifying , inter alia , the service request and originator of the request . the outputted message may then be delivered to an associated atm switch or delivered upstream to stm network 200 . in the above process , clock signal clkg is enabled upon receipt of an atm cell via path 302 - 2 and is disabled after the last octet in the cell has been processed . another such signaling processing function involves enhancing the quality of voice signals , for example , voice signals having frequencies within the range of 100 hz to 300 hz . such enhancement includes , for example , &# 34 ; boosting &# 34 ; the levels of the latter voice signals , as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 195 , 132 issued mar . 16 , 1993 to d . w . bowker et al . as disclosed in that patent , the enhancement is performed in an stm network . however , the enhancement may also be performed , in accord with an aspect of the invention , in an atm network , as shown in fig6 . specifically , if an atm cell is representative of voice signals , then the octets forming the cell payload are multiplexed at the clkg clock rate by multiplexer 245 - 1 to respectives ones of dsps 440 - 1 through 440 - n for processing . if that is not the case , then the cell passes directly through multiplexers 245 - 1 and 245 - 2 ( as represented by the dashed line 246 ) to path 302 - 1 . as mentioned , each dsp 440 processes a respective octet of a voice cell and does so by determining if the frequency represented by the value of the octet is within the aforementioned range of frequencies . if it is , then the dsp &# 34 ; boosts &# 34 ; the level of the voice sample by changing the value of the associated octet . the dsp then outputs the octet to multiplier 245 - 2 , which then multiplexes the octet with respect to its position in the associated cell to path 302 - 1 at the clkg clock rate . if the octet does not represent a voice signal within the aforementioned range of frequencies , then the dsp outputs the octet to multiplexer 245 - 2 without changing the value of the octet . it is noted that the signal processing functions illustrated in the examples of fig4 and 6 is done typically using linear pcm words , e . g ., 14 bit words . accordingly , any reference to octets in the discussion of fig4 and 6 represents linear pcm . instances should be thought of as representative of the linear pcm . in addition , conversion between the encoded signal used in the cell ( e . g ., μ - law pcm , adpcm ) and linear pcm is not explicitly shown . thus , as seen from the foregoing , signals generated in the stm domain may , in accord with an aspect of the invention , be processed in the atm domain without sequentially processing each octet forming the cell , in turn , at a 125 microsecond clock rate . the foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention . those skilled in the an will be able to devise numerous arrangements , which , although not explicitly shown or described herein , nevertheless embody those principles that are within the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , although the echo cancellation function is shown in the figs . as being external to an atm switch , it is clear that such echo cancellation may be readily disposed within an atm switch or within some other atm equipment . as another example , although the foregoing was discussed in terms of a cell payload of 384 bits being filled with a segment of a 64 kbps pcm encoded voiceband signal , this may not always be the case . for example , a cell payload may be filled with a segment of a 32 kbps adpcm encoded signal , in which case the packetization delay will be 12 milliseconds rather than 6 milliseconds . as another example , the cell payload may be only partially filled with the digitized voice signal from a single conversation , in which the remainder of payload may be used for some other purpose or filled with dummy bits . for example , consider the case where the cell payload is partially filled with 160 bits . in that case then the packetization delay is reduced to 2 . 5 milliseconds for 64 kbps encoded signals and 5 . 0 milliseconds for 32 kbps signals . as another example , there may not be any stm networking between the hybrid and the atm network . that is , there may be a 4 - wire analog to a 4 - wire atm converter which digitizes the incoming analog signal and places it into an atm cell , and vice - versa . as another example , although the foregoing was discussed in terms of a fixed size packet ( namely an atm cell with a 5 octet header and a 48 octet payload ), it is clear that our invention may be employed in a network that uses a non - fixed size packet or a packet having a header of n bytes and a payload of j bytes , where n and j may be any value greater than one . | 7 |
fig1 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a pwr reactor pressurizer , equipped with a water level measuring apparatus according to the invention . pressurizer 1 is in the form of a vertical cylinder having a diameter of approximately 2 m and a height of approximately 12 m . within it , the water and vapour are in thermodynamic equilibrium at a temperature equal to the saturation temperature corresponding to a nominal pressure of the primary circuit . the function of the pressurizer is to maintain this pressure substantially constant during temporary charge or load conditions . this is carried out by heating or cooling systems . the pressure is increased by vaporizing the water and decreased by condensing the vapour . the function of the apparatus according to the invention is to measure the water level in pressurizer 1 , which makes it possible to obtain an instantaneous measurement and follow variations in level 8 . the apparatus comprises a source s , located in the vicinity of the pressurizer wall 2 and outside said pressurizer . source s is located within a lead container 9 , which protects the external environment against the emitted radiation . for example , source s is a gamma source with an intensity of 200 ci . also outside wall 2 and diametrically opposite to source s , there are n radiation detectors d 1 to d n . the detectors are located on the same vertical generatrix and are arranged equidistantly . in the presently described embodiment , there are 18 sensors with a 20 cm spacing . thus , the apparatus makes it possible to monitor the level of liquid 8 over a height of 3 . 4 m . the detectors are numbered from that located closest to source s . preferably , source s is 50 cm above the highest detector , i . e . detector d 1 and the mean angle of the beam with the horizontal plane is approximately 40 °. these conditions make it possible to optimize the useful signal . the source s and the n detectors associated therewith form assembly e . each detector d 1 is connected to an amplifier a 1 , which amplifies the signals received by this detector . the gains of amplifiers a 1 are substantially equal , when the detectors are equidistant . however , the latter may not be equidistant . in this case , a relative modification of the different gains would make it possible to reconstitute the correct operation of the apparatus . following amplification , these signals are passed into a dividing circuit e i , which forms the quotient of the signal from detector d i by the signal from detector d i + 1 . the quotient q i is passed to operator 16 , which determines the index of the detector corresponding to the highest value of quotient q i . finally , operator 16 displays this information for the user . operator 16 can have a maximum determination circuit , e . g . a maximum detector , or a series of threshold comparison circuits , each associated with a dividing circuit e i , and a display device , e . g . a series of indicator lights , whereof one is covered to indicate the level under the control of the maximum determination circuit . in a simplified version , each dividing circuit e i is associated with a measuring apparatus and the user determines the signal maximum with the naked eye . the response speed of the apparatus is a few dozen microseconds . it makes it possible to instantaneously follow water level variations . it should also be noted that there is no need to provide a collimator between source s and each of the radiation detectors . fig2 shows a curve giving the amplitude 18 of quotients q 1 to q 17 emitted by each of the dividing circuits . thus , there are 18 radiation detectors d 1 to d 18 , but only 17 dividing circuits corresponding to each of the 17 20 cm segments in which the height to be monitored , which is 3 . 40 m , is subdivided . as can be gathered from fig2 the maximum amplitude signal corresponds to dividing circuit e 11 . thus , the level of the liquid is between detector d 10 and detector d 11 . preferably , the apparatus according to the invention has n - 2 subtracting circuits , designated s 1 to s n - 2 . the quotients q 1 to q n - 1 from the n - 1 dividers e 1 to e n - 1 are subtracted in pairs . in this way , the difference q i - q i + 1 = t i is obtained . each of these differences t 1 is introduced into an operator 24 , identical to operator 16 . fig3 shows the amplitude 26 of signals t i as a function of the vertical distance 20 . as can be seen , the signals t i have two opposite peaks , whose detection makes it possible to locate the two - phase layer . the zone 28 corresponds to the liquid water and zone 30 to the two - phase layer , whose lower part is formed by the vapour bubbles present in the water and whose upper part is formed by water droplets in the vapour . zone 32 represents the vapour . in order to increase the sensitivity of the measuring apparatus described hereinbefore , it is possible , although this is not indispensable , to place a collimator between source s and each of the radiation detectors d i . the presence of a collimator permits a better discrimination of the radiation from the activated water and the radioactive deposits on the enclosure walls 2 . thus , the peaks shown in fig2 and 3 are more prominent . fig4 and 5 show a collimator , which can be used with the invention . fig4 is a cross - section through pressurizer 1 passing through source s and a collimator 38 . the lead shielding 33 ensures the necessary biological protection , but as can be seen in the vertical direction in fig1 the opening angle is sufficiently open to enable the radiation emitted by the source to reach each of the detectors and the source is not far from the pressurizer wall . no collimation is necessary in the horizontal direction , unlike in the case of the french patent application referred to hereinbefore , which makes it possble to reduce the overall dimensions of the shielding . detector d i is located on the same diameter of pressurizer 1 . this detector can be a sodium iodide scintillator and is located in shielding 36 . between detector d i and wall 2 , there is a collimator 38 , formed by metal plates parallel to the incident radiation , i . e . directed towards source s and whose section can e . g . be in grid form . this grid is constituted by a system of metal sheets , as can be seen in fig5 . for example , the spacing of the sheets is 1 cm , but the length of the collimator 38 does not have to be as great as in the case of french patent application no . 79 22218 . for example , it can be 50 cm , which makes it possible to reduce the overall dimensions of the apparatus . when the level variations are to be monitored over a significant height , it is possible to provide several apparatuses like that described with reference to fig1 to 5 . they are superimposed , in the manner diagrammatically shown in fig6 and 7 . fig6 is a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional view of a pressurizer 1 having three superimposed assemblies e 1 , e 2 , e 3 . fig7 is a cross - section through pressurizer 1 , which shows that each of these assemblies e 1 to e 3 is disposed in a secant diametral plane . this arrangement serves to ensure that the radiation emitted by a source , e . g . source s 1 , does not reach the radiation detectors of a different assembly . in fig7 the planes which contain assemblies e 1 to e 3 are at 120 ° from one another . however , this arrangement is only preferred . the angle of the planes does not influence the accuracy of the measurements from the moment when these planes are secant . the signals from the detectors of each of the assemblies e 1 to e 3 are processed by transmitted signal processing means t 1 to t 3 , identical to those described with reference to fig1 to 3 . the signals from each detector d i are amplified by an amplifier circuit a i . the signals μ i are introduced in pairs into a dividing circuit e i , which forms the quotient μ i / μ i + 1 . these quotients q i are introduced at operator 16 , which extracts the highest level signal corresponding to the water level in the pressurizer . moreover , these signal processing means are preferably supplemented by n - 2 subtracting circuits , which form the differences t i = q i - q i + 1 . these differences are introduced into an operator 24 , which extracts the two opposite peak values defining a zone corresponding to the two - phase layer . in the described embodiment , each assembly e has 18 radiation sensors . to make it possible to follow the level variations without any discontinuity , there is a partial overlap of the areas monitored by assemblies e 1 and e 2 on the one hand , and assemblies e 2 and e 3 on the other . the overlap areas can consist of two detectors , as shown in fig6 or possibly three detectors . detectors d n - 1 and d n of assembly e 1 are located at the same vertical heights as detectors d 1 and d 2 of assembly e 2 . however , their position in a horizontal plane differs , as is shown in fig7 . the same applies in thc case of the overlap area of assemblies e 2 and e 3 . detectors d n - 1 and d n of assembly e 2 are located at the same vertical heights as detectors d 1 and d 2 of assembly e 3 . this overlap makes it unnecessary to take account of intensity differences between the sources of the different assemblies . thus , in the case of the apparatus according to the invention , such intensity differences are liable to produce spurious peaks with a size comparable to the useful peaks . it is pointed out that in the case of the apparatus described with reference to fig6 and 7 , the presence of collimators , e . g . like that described with reference to fig4 and 5 , is indispensable . thus , it is necessary that the radiation detectors of one assembly are not influenced by the radiation source of another assembly . consequently , whereas in the case of the embodiment of fig1 the presence of collimators was only preferred , it is indispensable here . in the preceding description , it has been stated that the radiation detectors are diametrically opposite to the radiation source with which they are associated . this arrangement is preferred , because it minimizes the effect of absorption by the walls of the radiation from the sources and it leads to the best possible averaging out of level disturbances . it is particularly recommended in the case of pwr pressurizers which , having to withstand high pressures , have a thick wall and in which the transition between the liquid phase and the vapour phase is not clearly defined . however , any other arrangement is possible and does not prejudice the operation according to the invention . | 6 |
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