Split (3)

train · 25k rows

text stringlengths 1.55k 332k	label int64 0 8
referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first , particularly , to fig1 a thereof , there is seen a first portion of an offset printing press 1 of in - line construction , including a feeder 2 holding a pile 3 of unprinted paper and four printing units 7 a - d for the four process colors . the four printing units 7 a to 7 d form a straight - printing portion of the press 1 , i . e . the portion that prints the front or first side of the sheets . the fourth printing unit 7 d is followed by a first reversing device 4 that operates in accordance with the three - drum reversing principle . the reversing device 4 is formed of a feed drum 4 a , a storage drum 4 b , and a reversing drum 4 c . a second portion of the press , i . e . the portion in which the back or second side of the sheets is printed , is shown in fig1 b . the drum 4 c is supported in side frames 18 a of a first perfecting unit 8 a following the reversing device 4 . the reversed sheet is transferred to an impression cylinder 108 a of the first perfecting unit 8 a . four perfecting units 8 a - d are followed by a first varnishing unit 9 a of the chambered doctor - blade type , i . e . the varnishing unit 9 a includes a screen cell roller 19 a and a chambered doctor blade 20 a containing aqueous dispersion varnish . reference numeral 22 a designates what is referred to as a “ screen roller star ”, which includes three further screen rollers with cells of different sizes . these three further screen rollers can be exchanged for the screen roller 19 a to determine the amount of varnish to be applied . the entire surface of the second side of the sheet is coated with an aqueous dispersion varnish in the varnishing unit 9 a . the varnishing unit 9 a is followed by a drying tower 10 a . the second side of the passing sheet is dried in the region of a cylinder 110 by hot air and ir light in the drying tower . downstream of the drying tower 10 a , as viewed in the direction of sheet travel , there is a second reversing device 14 that is of substantially identical construction to the first reversing device 4 . the reversing device 14 likewise includes three drums 14 a , b , and c . in this case , the reversing drum 14 c is supported in side walls 119 b of a second varnishing unit 9 b following the reversing device 14 and transfers the sheet to an impression cylinder 109 b of the varnishing unit 9 b . the varnishing unit 9 b is of the same type as the varnishing unit 9 a and is likewise used to coat the entire surface of the first side of the sheet with an aqueous dispersion varnish . the varnishing unit 9 b is followed by a delivery 5 of the printing press . the delivery 5 includes revolving gripper bars driven by a chain conveyor 15 . these gripper bars 16 take over the sheets that have been varnished in the unit 9 b and guide them through dryer sections 11 a , b , c and d , where the first side of the sheets is likewise dried by ir light and / or hot air to harden the dispersion varnish . the sheets , which have been varnished on both sides in this way , are then deposited on a sheet pile 6 in the delivery 5 . while the sheets are transported through the printing units 7 a - d and 8 a - d , the printed sheets do not come into contact with varnish . surfaces of sheet - guiding impression cylinders 108 a - d in the printing units 8 a - d and guide plates of the transfer devices disposed between the printing units 8 a - d may thus be coated with ink - repellent layers that are adapted to or optimized in terms of the properties of the oil - based offset inks . the viscous dispersion varnish that causes soiling is not introduced until the end of the press , when the process of printing with offset printing ink is completed . thus , compared to configurations wherein the varnishing unit is located upstream of the first reversing device 4 , the useful life of the cylinder jackets and the intervals between cleaning operations can be increased to a considerable extent . the reversing device 4 is convertible , i . e . it can be switched between straight or front - side printing mode and perfecting mode as described e . g . in german published patent application de 41 31 273 a1 . the same applies to the reversing device 14 . due to this variability , the printing press 1 can print a wide variety of different jobs . if both reversing devices 4 and 14 are switched to straight printing , a number of special or spot colors can be printed on the first side of the sheets in the printing units 8 of the perfecting module . the printing unit 8 d can additionally apply a transparent , oil - based dull varnish onto certain areas in the printed image , which will then be coated with two layers of a high - gloss dispersion varnish on top of each other in the varnishing units 9 a and 9 b . in this manner , high - quality paper board containers printed on one side may be produced , for example for packaging . once it has been switched to the straight printing mode , in particular the convertible reversing unit 14 disposed between the two varnishing units 9 a and 9 b also offers the possibility of applying a dispersion varnish as a primer in the first varnishing unit 9 a to cover or “ seal off ” the offset inks underneath to avoid direct contact and thus chemical reactions between the offset inks and the high - gloss uv varnishes that will be printed in the second varnishing unit . another possibility is the application of gold varnish , for example in the first varnishing unit 9 a , and the subsequent coating of the entire surface of the printed sheet with a protective varnish in the second varnishing unit 9 b . once switched to the straight printing mode , it is additionally possible to apply a clear varnish to the printed sheet in the first varnishing unit 9 a and to subsequently dry the clear varnish before metallic varnishes are applied in the second varnishing unit 9 b . this may be done to prevent the offset inks printed on the sheet from marking the varnishing plate in the varnishing unit . in the exemplary embodiment shown in fig2 , the perfecting portion of the printing press described above with reference to fig1 a and 1b has been modified . in fig2 , the drying tower 10 a of fig1 b has been eliminated , which means that the sheet exiting the varnishing unit 9 a is turned over in the reversing device 14 while it is still wet . downstream of the second varnishing unit 9 b , in which the first side is varnished , the sheet , which has now been varnished on both sides , passes through four dryer modules 21 a - h , in which the sheet is dried from both sides , i . e . from above and from below , by ir light and hot air . for this purpose , dryers 21 e to h , which are integrated into the sheet guiding system of the delivery 5 , may be used , as described in german published , non - prosecuted patent application de 10 2005 042 956 a1 . since the separate drying tower is dispensed with , the press is shorter and requires less floor space than the press described with reference to the exemplary embodiment shown in fig1 b . in the exemplary embodiment of fig3 , the last printing unit 8 d of the perfecting portion of the printing press 1 is followed by four varnishing units . the first varnishing unit 9 a is of the screen roller type and applies an effect varnish onto the second side that is to be varnished . the effect varnish is dried in the following drying tower 10 a . the latter is followed by a varnishing unit 29 a , for example for uv varnish , in which the entire surface of the second side of the sheet is coated with a high - gloss transparent protection varnish . the reversing device 14 is then followed by an identical configuration of a varnishing unit 9 b for effect varnish , a drying tower 10 b , and a varnishing unit 29 b , which applies the high - gloss protection varnish to the first side of the sheet . intermediate - level dryers 31 a and 31 b disposed directly above impression cylinders 129 a and 129 b of the varnishing units 29 a and 29 b harden the uv varnish by uv light of the appropriate wavelength . in this embodiment , the dryer sections in the delivery 5 can be dispensed with . when the reversing device 14 of this machine is converted from the perfecting mode to the straight printing mode , either the front side or the back side , depending on the setting of the first reversing device 4 , may be printed with four different layers of varnish on top of each other . thus , highly specialized high - quality printed products can be produced , for example by printing a dispersion varnish in the first varnishing unit to cover and seal off the entire surface of the sheet that has been printed with offset ink , then gold varnish onto the dispersion varnish , and subsequently , in the third varnishing unit , a dull varnish to create a dull finish . the dull varnish , like the gold varnish , may only be applied to certain areas of the image ( spot varnishing ). in the fourth varnishing unit , the entire sheet is subsequently coated with a high - gloss uv varnish . in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in fig4 , the last printing unit 8 d of the perfecting portion is followed by a first varnishing unit 39 a of the fountain - roller type . an applicator roller 49 a of this varnishing unit 39 a applies an aqueous dispersion varnish onto the second side of the sheet . an impression cylinder 59 a of the varnishing unit 39 a is followed by a transport drum 124 a , which also acts as a feeder drum of a reversing device 24 . an ir dryer 125 a , which applies ir light and hot air to the sheet resting on the drum 124 a or rather its concave inner side , is disposed inside the drum 124 a . the drum 124 a is constructed as a frame structure so that the radiation and , if applicable , the air used for the drying operation , can reach the surface of the sheet . the drum 124 a is then followed by a storage drum 24 b and a reversing drum 24 c of the reversing device 24 , which is followed by a second varnishing unit 39 b of the fountain - roller type having side walls 139 b supporting the reversing drum 24 c . a varnish applicator cylinder 49 b of the latter varnishing unit now varnishes the first side of the sheets . this varnishing unit 39 b is then followed by the delivery 5 , having gripper bars which take over the sheets that have now been varnished on both sides . the dryer modules 21 a - h in the delivery 5 act on both sides of the sheets to dry the first side and to expel any residual wetness in the layer of varnish of the second side of the sheet . the machine described in terms of this exemplary embodiment requires less floor space because the number of sheet - guiding cylinders can be reduced since the sheets are dried from inside the cylinder 124 a . in addition to the exemplary embodiments described herein , further modifications and variations are possible . depending on the type of varnish that is used , it is possible to use a varnishing unit with a fountain roller instead of a varnishing unit with a chambered doctor blade . moreover , it is of course possible to provide additional printing units for printing , for example , two spot or special colors on each side of the sheets rather than to have only four printing units for the four process colors both in the straight printing portion and in the perfecting portion of the press .	1
exemplary embodiments of the invention as described herein generally include systems and methods for de - tagging and removing virtual objects in a digitized image for computer aided detection and diagnosis . however , specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of describing example embodiments of the present invention . this invention may , however , be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein . accordingly , while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms , specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail . it should be understood , however , is that there is no intent to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed , but on the contrary , the invention is to cover all modifications , equivalents , and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention . like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description of the figures . it will be understood that , although the terms first , second , etc . may be used herein to describe various elements , these elements should not be limited by these terms . these terms are only used to distinguish one element from another . for example , a first element could be termed a second element , and , similarly , a second element could be termed a first element , without departing from the scope of the present invention . as used herein , the term “ and / or ” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items . it will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “ connected ” or “ coupled ” to another element , it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present . in contrast , when an element is referred to as being “ directly connected ” or “ directly coupled ” to another element , there are no intervening elements present . other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion ( i . e ., “ between ” versus “ directly between ”, “ adjacent ” versus “ directly adjacent ”, etc .). the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention . as used herein , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ” are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms “ comprises ”, “ comprising ”, “ includes ” and / or “ including ”, when used herein , specify the presence of stated features , integers , steps , operations , elements , and / or components , but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , integers , steps , operations , elements , components , and / or groups thereof . it should also be noted that in some alternative implementations , the functions / acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the flowcharts . for example , two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order , depending upon the functionality / acts involved . as used herein , the term “ image ” refers to multi - dimensional data composed of discrete image elements ( e . g ., pixels for 2 - d images and voxels for 3 - d images ). the image may be , for example , a medical image of a subject collected by computer tomography , magnetic resonance imaging , ultrasound , or any other medical imaging system known to one of skill in the art . the image may also be provided from non - medical contexts , such as , for example , remote sensing systems , electron microscopy , etc . although an image can be thought of as a function from r 3 to r , the methods of the inventions are not limited to such images , and can be applied to images of any dimension , e . g . a 2 - d picture or a 3 - d volume . for a 2 - or 3 - dimensional image , the domain of the image is typically a 2 - or 3 - dimensional rectangular array , wherein each pixel or voxel can be addressed with reference to a set of 2 or 3 mutually orthogonal axes . the terms “ digital ” and “ digitized ” as used herein will refer to images or volumes , as appropriate , in a digital or digitized format acquired via a digital acquisition system or via conversion from an analog image . furthermore , as used herein , the term de - tagging simply refers to a general technique according to an embodiment of the invention for removing any virtual object , referred to as a tagged object , and does not specifically mean removal of data that has been tagged by a contrast enhancing agent . most imaging systems , such as ct or mri systems , are not perfect optical systems . as a result , the signals processed by these systems undergo a certain degree of degradation . a simple example is projecting a small dot of light , a point , through a lens . the image of this point will not be the same as the original , as the lens will introduce a small amount of blur . if a lens had perfect optics the image of this point would be identical to the original point of light . however , lenses are not perfect so the relative intensity of the point of light is distributed across the image as shown by curved surface depicted in fig2 . this surface is a 2 - dimensional representation of a “ point spread function ” ( psf ), and represents intensity as a function of x - and y - image grid coordinates . an exemplary , non - limiting psf is essentially a gaussian , as depicted in fig2 . most blurring processes can be approximated by convolution integrals with respect to the psf . for discrete image processing , the convolution integral is replaced by a sum . the blurry image j ( n , m ) can be obtained from the original image i ( n , m ) by this convolution : j ⁢ ⁢ ( n , m ) = ∑ i = - ∞ + ∞ ⁢ ∑ j = - ∞ + ∞ ⁢ i ⁢ ⁢ ( n + 1 , m + j ) ⁢ ⁢ h ⁢ ⁢ ( - i , - j ) , where the function h ( n , m ) is the discrete psf for the imaging system . also of interest is the discrete fourier transform ( dft ) representation of the point - spread function , given by h ⁢ ⁢ ( u , v ) = ∑ n = 0 n - 1 ⁢ ∑ m = 0 m - 1 ⁢ h ⁢ ⁢ ( n , m ) ⁢ ⁢ exp ⁢ ⁢ ( - 2 ⁢ π ⁢ ⁢ i ⁢ ⁢ ( un n + vm m ) ) . h ( u , v ) defines a set of coefficients for plane waves of various frequencies and orientations , called spatial frequency components , that reconstruct the psf exactly when multiplied by the coefficients h ( u , v ) and summed . the function h ( u , v ) is referred to as the transfer function , or system frequency response . by examining \| h ( u , v )\|, one can quickly determine which spatial frequency components are passed or attenuated by the imaging system . fig1 is a block diagram of a virtual object removal method according to an embodiment of the invention . the input volume provided at step 10 is the input 3d volumetric dataset . every imaged dataset can be characterized by an implicit point spread function ( psf ). according to an embodiment of the invention , a generic gaussian psf is defined at step 11 to the input dataset for voxel identification and removal . this generic psf is formulated so that the value at the peak of the gaussian is 1 . 0 . one exemplary method of applying the generic psf to a whole dataset is to represent the dataset as a superposition of psfs , where each psf is centered on a grid point of the image . this dataset 10 is processed in step 12 to mark the object of interest , which identifies voxels for removing . this marking can be performed by a variety of techniques , as are well known in the art . one technique involves utilizing user interaction to mark the object of interest . a technique according to another embodiment of the invention performs an appropriate automatic or semi - automatic segmentation . according to an embodiment of the invention where voxels have been tagged , voxels to be removed can be identified by thresholding , since tagging increases the intensity of the voxels in the images data . a conservative threshold is used to detect and mark only the high intensity voxels in the dataset . an empirically determined threshold is used along with neighborhood information to determine whether or not a voxel should be detagged . in partial volume regions , the intensity by itself is not enough , and the neighborhood of a given voxel is checked to see if it is a partial volume area . here , partial volume refers to the region between 2 objects that do not include representative intensities of either of the 2 objects . the intensity is usually in between that of the 2 neighboring object intensities . if a voxel is in a partial volume , then the average intensity of tagged voxels in the neighborhood is used as the determination criterion . the marked voxels include all properly tagged voxels , but do not include voxels that are part of the partial volume , as those voxels have a lower intensity . when the virtual object of interest that has to be identified and removed has lower intensity than the objects surrounding it ( i . e ., the case is opposite to tagging ), the intensity of the entire image can be inverted , where the original low intensity object will now be a high intensity object and the surrounding material will now have low intensity . according to an embodiment of the invention , the psf is applied at step 13 to each voxel so marked . a new psf is defined for each voxel ( i , j , k ) to be removed according to psf new ( i , j , k )= psf ( i , j , k ) % i ( ij , k ), where i is the image intensity at the central voxel ( i , j , k ) that is to be removed . the goal is to subtract the psf new from the dataset , however , since the psf for each voxel covers multiple voxels , subtraction for each of them can lead to negative values . to avoid the negative values , the subtraction amount for each voxel as given by the psf is saved . since multiple psfs can be applied to each voxel , only the maximum psf subtraction value need be saved . once the psf has been applied to all voxels that are to be removed , the psf subtraction values are saved for each of the voxels in the dataset . the subtraction values are then subtracted from the original pixel values to produce the de - tagged dataset . if it is desired that the original dataset be preserved , the saved subtraction values are stored , and the subtraction is performed per - pixel as needed . according to another embodiment of the invention , a fuzzy object map is created at step 14 from the psf for the object of interest . this map defines the amount of the object that is contained in each voxel of the input volume . this map has a one - to - one correspondence with the voxels of the original input volume . an exemplary fuzzy map is created using the psf by applying the psf for all the voxels that need detagging . a map value of 1 . 0 indicates that the corresponding voxel in the input volume completely belongs to the object , whereas a map value of 0 . 0 indicates that the corresponding voxel in the input volume does not belong to the object at all . values between 0 . 0 and 1 . 0 indicate that the voxel partially belongs to the object , and the actual value is indicative of the degree to which a voxel belongs to the object . these fuzzy map values thus also determine the degree to which an object voxel is removed or ignored during visualizations . the input volume and fuzzy object map is then used at step 15 for visualization and computer aided detection and diagnosis . for example , a voxel whose fuzzy map value is 1 . 0 completely belongs to the object to be removed , and thus this voxel is completely ignored during a visualization procedure , such as volume rendering . on the other hand , a voxel whose fuzzy map value is 0 . 0 does not belong to the object to be ignores , and its value will be included in the visualization procedure . however , a voxel whose fuzzy map value p is between 0 and 1 will be partially included in the visualization procedure , according to the ratio p of the voxel &# 39 ; s intensity . one application of an embodiment of the invention is using data from one imaging modality to remove or mask objects or artifacts that appear in an image acquired through another imaging modality . for example , a ct image can be corrected based on a corresponding pet image . one can remove or mask out certain objects in a ct image that have intensities similar to certain other objects with known pet characteristics . by removing or masking out these objects in the ct image , a pet correction can be applied only to those objects with known pet characteristics . it is to be understood that various modifications to the preferred embodiment and the generic principles and features described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art . thus , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment shown but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein . furthermore , it is to be understood that the present invention can be implemented in various forms of hardware , software , firmware , special purpose processes , or a combination thereof . in one embodiment , the present invention can be implemented in software as an application program tangible embodied on a computer readable program storage device . the application program can be uploaded to , and executed by , a machine comprising any suitable architecture . accordingly , fig3 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing a method for de - tagging and removing virtual objects according to an embodiment of the invention . referring now to fig3 , a computer system 31 for implementing the present invention can comprise , inter alia , a central processing unit ( cpu ) 32 , a memory 33 and an input / output ( i / o ) interface 34 . the computer system 31 is generally coupled through the i / o interface 34 to a display 35 and various input devices 36 such as a mouse and a keyboard . the support circuits can include circuits such as cache , power supplies , clock circuits , and a communication bus . the memory 33 can include random access memory ( ram ), read only memory ( rom ), disk drive , tape drive , etc ., or a combinations thereof . the present invention can be implemented as a routine 37 that is stored in memory 33 and executed by the cpu 32 to process the signal from the signal source 38 . as such , the computer system 31 is a general purpose computer system that becomes a specific purpose computer system when executing the routine 37 of the present invention . the computer system 31 also includes an operating system and micro instruction code . the various processes and functions described herein can either be part of the micro instruction code or part of the application program ( or combination thereof ) which is executed via the operating system . in addition , various other peripheral devices can be connected to the computer platform such as an additional data storage device and a printing device . it is to be further understood that , because some of the constituent system components and method steps depicted in the accompanying figures can be implemented in software , the actual connections between the systems components ( or the process steps ) may differ depending upon the manner in which the present invention is programmed . given the teachings of the present invention provided herein , one of ordinary skill in the related art will be able to contemplate these and similar implementations or configurations of the present invention . while the present invention has been described in detail with reference to a preferred embodiment , those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and substitutions can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims .	6
refer now to fig1 , wherein is shown a simplified representation 1 of a conventional camera housing used in a veterinary setting . the prior art camera housing 1 is of the sort that uses two fixed mirrors , whose location and orientation are obscured in this view by the outer housing sides 4 and the top cover 6 , but which will become clear in connection with fig2 . the sides 4 and top cover 6 provide a light - tight enclosure . a digital camera 7 is protected from x - rays by a shield 8 . a scintillation screen 5 is located beneath the top cover 6 , and its scintillation image ( not shown ) is what is photographed by the camera 7 . this conventional arrangement has a fixed optical path between the camera 7 and the scintillation screen 5 , and in the absence of a zoom lens , or changing lenses , the smaller the target or subject ( not shown ), the smaller will be the image photographed by the camera . that is , the camera housing and camera arrangement shown in fig1 lacks the ability to maintain full camera resolution for small subjects . before leaving fig1 , however , note the pairs of rollers 2 and 3 . these run in tracks that are part of a cabinet , or table ( not shown in fig1 , but briefly see fig2 and 7 to appreciate the arrangement ) that also includes a work surface / table top , which supports the subject or target to be x - rayed and which occupies a plane just above that of top cover 6 . the idea is that the subject or target is placed on the work surface / table top , after which the camera housing 1 can be translated back and forth to afford the best view . we haven &# 39 ; t shown it , but it will be readily appreciated that the x - ray source itself can be moveable and mechanically coupled to the camera housing , so that it translates at the same time and by the same amount , thus keeping the x - ray irradiation centered on the center of the scintillation screen ( which is presumably also where the camera 7 is aimed ). a projected cross hair or other symbol of visible light originating at the x - ray source may fall on the subject , the better to allow the operator to tell just what part of fido he or she is about to x - ray . refer now to fig2 , wherein is shown a cut - away side view of the conventional prior art camera housing 1 of fig1 , as located in a standard veterinary cabinet , or x - ray table ( 15 ). note the track 13 that rollers 2 and the track 14 that rollers 3 operate in . also note the camera 7 and its lens 8 . they “ look into ” a secondary mirror 11 aligned by screws 12 to correctly re - reflect into the lens and camera the scintillation image reflected by a primary mirror 9 . the primary mirror 9 creates a reflected scintillation image from the ( original ) scintillation image ( not shown ) appearing on the underside of the scintillation screen 5 , according to the x - rays reaching it . an array of alignment screws 10 allows the precise angular adjustment of the primary mirror . it terms of the description that follows for the remaining figures , we would term the optical path used by the prior art of fig1 and 2 as “ long ” and for use with a “ large ” subject or target , and note that it does not afford “ full ” camera resolution when used with “ small ” subjects or targets . refer now to fig3 a , wherein is shown a partial perspective and partially exploded view of a “ long ” optical path arrangement of two mirrors with a lens and camera that , while it will accomplish the same photography as is possible with the prior art arrangement of fig1 and 2 , will also easily re - configure ( as in fig3 b ) to have a single mirror and a “ short ” optical path that does allow for “ full ” camera resolution for small subjects / targets . fig3 a , and its companion , fig3 b , are not offered as true pictorial representations , although , the shapes shown for the various elements actually are suggestive of their real counterparts . these particular figures are somewhat simplified and offered with the expectation that they will produce a rapid appreciation of “ how it works .” in particular then , let &# 39 ; s begin with the scintillation screen 20 . it may be a sheet of glass , or perhaps of aluminum , whose underside has received a coating of a suitable phosphor material ( not shown ). an x - ray source 16 ( not separately shown , either ) produces , when activated , a cone - like region of suitable x - rays 17 that are impeded by a ( in this example ) “ large ” subject / target 18 ( that owing to the nature of the view [ see orientation arrows 54 ] is hidden behind the tilted scintillation screen 20 ). the resulting x - ray shadow 19 is what we have termed a scintillation image , and which in this example is also a “ large ” scintillation image ( because the target is “ large ” and the image 19 is nearly identical in size as the target ). primary mirror 21 produces a first reflected scintillation image 22 , that is in turn re - reflected by a secondary mirror 24 . the secondary mirror 24 produces a second reflected scintillation image 23 that travels into a camera ( and lens ) 25 , where it is in due course photographed pursuant to commands or instructions from an operator . it is now appropriate to point out two things : first , for clarity the view in fig3 a is an exploded one , as indicated by jagged reference lines 55 and 56 . the horizontal distance apart of these lines is to be understood as the amount that the secondary mirror 24 and the camera ( with its lens , too ) have been “ exploded ” away from the other elements , such as primary mirror 21 . in this connection , lines 57 show the path that the secondary mirror 24 and the camera 25 would take to “ undo ” the explosion . second , as indicated by the legend in the figure , the camera 25 ( along with its lens ) and the secondary mirror comprise what we have termed a “ unitary mirror - camera assembly ” 27 . that is , ( and how this is accomplished is shown in later figures , such as fig6 , among others ), the camera 25 and the secondary mirror 24 are in a fixed physical and spatial relation to each other , as though they were one thing . that is , together they are a unitary assembly . as a unitary assembly they can be moved relative to other items ( e . g ., the scintillation screen 20 ), as for example , in a manner that can be produced by an axle and its axis of rotation 26 . indeed , the unitary mirror - camera assembly is , in a preferred embodiment , supported by the axle 26 . for the view shown in fig3 a the axle / camera / secondary mirror are where they are because the axle 26 has been rotated about its axis from another possible position “ s ” ( the subject of fig3 b ) until it is as shown , in position “ l ” ( which stands for “ large ” while “ s ” stands for “ small ”). it will be appreciated that the optical path of the arrangement shown in fig3 a is the same , or nearly so , as for fig2 . in fact , we may say that the primary mirror 21 of fig3 a corresponds to the primary 9 of fig2 , and that the secondary mirror 24 of fig3 a corresponds to the secondary mirror 11 of fig2 . so , when the axle 26 is rotated to the position “ l ” as shown , the system of fig3 a operates in essentially the same manner as does the one of fig1 and 2 . that is , the entire “ large ” scintillation image 19 is conveyed ( in two sequential reflections ) to the camera 25 for “ full ” camera resolution , and that entire image might represent a target 18 as large as 14 ″× 17 ″ in size . the situation changes abruptly , however , when we consider the arrangement shown in fig3 b . there is depicted the same apparatus as was shown in fig3 a , save that now the axle 26 has been rotated through approximately ninety - five degrees ( 95 °) to the “ s ” position , and a “ small ” subject / target 28 ( not visible ) has replaced the “ large ” target 18 of fig3 a . as can be seen from an inspection of fig3 b , the mirror 24 that was the secondary mirror has now been moved into a position where it intercepts the “ small ” scintillation image 29 before it reaches the ( old ) primary mirror 21 . that is , the mirror 24 is now functioning a “ new ” primary mirror . since the target 28 is “ small ” the smaller mirror 24 is nevertheless large enough to reflect an entire “ small ” scintillation image 29 , even when it represents a target that is 6 ″× 6 ″ in size . since the mirror 24 and the camera are each part of the same unitary mirror - camera assembly 27 , the optical path length leading to the camera has been drastically reduced , allowing “ full ” camera resolution . refer now to fig4 , wherein is shown a cut - away side view of a camera housing 31 constructed in accordance with what is shown in fig3 a and 3b , but configured to operate in the manner that fig3 a depicts . at the top of the figure is the scintillation screen 35 . a primary mirror ( 36 , 22 ) reflects any scintillation image on the screen 35 onto secondary mirror ( 37 , 24 ), from whence the re - reflected scintillation image is seen by the camera / lens assembly 33 , which is part of the unitary mirror / camera assembly 32 . finally , note the pivot pin 34 ; in terms of the description given for fig3 a , pivot pin 34 is the axle 26 and is in the “ l ” position . in view of the foregoing and the explanation given for fig3 a , it is believed that further remarks about fig4 are unnecessary . refer now to fig5 , which is a cut - away side view of the same camera housing 31 as was shown in fig4 , except that now the pivot pin 34 ( or axle 26 ) has been rotated to the “ s ” position to produce a shorter optical path ( as in fig3 b ) using only one mirror . that is , the ( old ) primary mirror ( 36 , 22 ) is now dormant . the old secondary mirror is now the “ new ” primary mirror ( 37 , 24 ), and in its rotated position intercepts the ( now presumably ) smaller scintillation image ( not shown ) before it reaches the old mirror ( 36 , 22 ). now , to be sure , this notion of large and small subjects / targets is one that depends heavily on the operator &# 39 ; s intent . the target might indeed be small ( e . g ., a kitten with a suspected dislocation ), or , it might be the right front “ wrist ” of a rather large dog who accidentally slid legs first into a wall with significant force , and now walks with a pronounced right front side limp . in this latter case , there is likely to be a lot of “ the - rest - of - the - dog ” scintillation image created on the scintillation screen , but it is not of interest . that part of the entire scintillation image that corresponds to just the right wrist will be intercepted by the “ new ” primary mirror ( 37 , 24 ) and is the scintillation imaging area selected by the translated location of the camera housing / x - ray source . that translation is performed by the operator , and is relative to where fido lays on the table with his right front leg strapped down so that it won &# 39 ; t move . this selected scintillation imaging area is what will be photographed at “ full ” camera resolution . it will be clear , then , that fig5 corresponds to the single mirror , short optical path , arrangement depicted in fig3 b . it will readily be appreciated that this circumstance has been produced by tipping , or rotating , the unitary mirror - camera assembly 32 about 95 ° clockwise , relative to where it was in fig4 . that said , there is some additional stuff shown in fig5 that , ( for clarity and in sympathy with the notion of ‘ one step at a time ’) has not appeared thus far in the figures . in particular , we now show a preferred ( because of its simplicity and ease of use ) way to produce the rotation of the unitary mirror - camera assembly 32 about the pivot pin 34 and between the “ l ” position ( fig3 a & amp ; 4 ) and the “ s ” position ( fig3 b & amp ; 5 ). that mechanism involves a scintillation imaging area push rod 38 coupled at a distal end to one end of a radius arm 39 that is coupled at its other end to the pivot pin 34 ( axle and axis of rotation 26 ). it is clear , then , that to produce the single mirror circumstances / configuration shown in fig5 , the scintillation imaging area push rod 38 has been pushed “ in ,” while pulling it “ out ” would create the two - mirror circumstances / configuration shown in fig4 . now consider the unitary mirror - camera assembly 40 shown in fig6 . note that a frame 41 carries the mirror ( 37 , 24 ), the lens 42 and the camera . the whole assembly 40 can rotate around pivot pins 34 , which themselves are carried by the camera housing ( see fig8 b or 8 c ). a counterweight 43 helps balance the weight of the lens ( as do cut - outs in the frame 41 ), while also shielding the camera from x - rays . recall that re - focusing of the camera / lens combination is necessary when switching between the “ l ” and “ s ” positions . in one embodiment represented by fig6 this change in focus is obtained by a sliding motion of the lens 42 back and forth along the optical axis ; that is , aside from the rotation , the camera and frame stay put , while the lens 46 moves , perhaps a few tenths of an inch toward or away from the camera body , via a telescoping sleeve equipped with adjustable stops . in connection with this movement , note tab 46 . we shall return to it during the discussion of fig8 a - c . meanwhile , refer now briefly to fig7 . here is shown a perspective view of a standard veterinary table with its top / work surface removed and nearest end removed , the better to see how the camera housing 31 translates back and forth via rollers and associated tracks . for clarity , the cover and scintillation screen of the camera housing have also been removed , which allows the rotatable unitary mirror - camera assembly 32 to be visible . in this view it is shown in the “ s ” position . note also the slot 44 in the front of the table . it is from within slot 44 that the scintillation imaging area push rod 38 and its knob extend outward ( refer back to fig5 ) and also translate back and forth in concert with translation of the camera housing 31 . the translation of rod 38 and its knob is easily appreciated , since the scintillation imaging area push rod 38 is coupled to the rotatable unitary camera - lens assembly 32 , which itself is carried by the camera housing 31 as it translates back and forth , as needed . now refer to fig8 a , which is a top view of the unitary mirror - camera assembly 27 . note that one end of the pivot pin / axle is shown as being carried by a portion of the camera housing 31 ( see also fig8 b and 8c ). the other end of the axle is also carried by the other side of the camera housing , although this has not been shown to avoid cluttering the drawings . what is most of interest in fig8 a - 8c is how a focus push rod 45 cooperates with the tab 46 , telescoping lens mount , and an eccentric coupling to the camera housing at a location different from where the pivot pin or axle is carried by the camera housing . see the focus push rod retention hole 47 in fig8 b . switching now to fig8 b , two things are apparent after considering fig8 a and 8b . first , consider captive springs 48 and 49 . they are essentially a resilient centering mechanism , in that the opposing ends of the two springs encounter a “ wide spot ” or other retainer ( e . g ., an e - ring carried by an annular grove along the push rod 45 ), forcing the tab 46 to “ find the center ” of the opposing ( spring ) forces acting on it . now , the tab 46 is rigidly affixed to the lens , and does not move , save that it is on the telescoping lens , which does move . so , if the rod 45 moves one way along the axis of telescoping , it will take the lens with it , up to the point where the stop in the telescope is encountered . similarly so , in the case where the push rod 45 moves in the other direction . what the springs 48 and 49 do is allow the push rod 45 to continue to move slightly more that the lens actually telescopes . this makes for positive but ‘ gentle ” forcing of the lens into its two extreme ( terminal ) positions , as determined by the telescope &# 39 ; s stops ( not shown ). those stops are initially adjusted to put the lens / camera into focus for the “ l ” position ( one extreme ) and the “ s ” position ( the other extreme ). second , it is the case that push rod 45 moves back and forth in a direction that is parallel to the axis of the lens &# 39 ; telescoping action . see fig8 a . how much it moves is determined by the degree of eccentricity at its coupling to the side wall of the camera housing 31 . that is , how far is the retention hole 47 from the center of the pivot pin 34 . in fig8 a and 8b the unitary mirror - camera assembly 27 is shown in the “ s ” position ( the lens is pushed by rod 45 toward the mirror ( 37 , 24 )). in fig8 c the unitary mirror - camera assembly is shown in the “ l ” position ( the lens is pushed by rod 45 away from the mirror ( 37 , 24 )). finally , refer now to fig9 . here is shown an alternate embodiment of a photographic system for taking “ full ” resolution photographs of larger or smaller regions of an image , say , that on the face of a document . the document might be a newspaper , page in a magazine , drawing or painting , a legal document , a map ( old or new ) or a photograph . the purpose for taking the photograph ( s ) of the document might be to archive it , enhance or restore it , reproduce all or just some part of it at the same or a different scale , or , to use it as the starting point for the creation of another document . to begin , note that fig9 is outwardly very similar to fig7 , and by extension , to portions of each of fig3 a - 8c . what is different is essentially these two things : first , the table that carries the camera housing 31 has an optically transparent top , preferably of tempered glass . various plastics might be suitable , but are not apt to be durable . glass can be very strong , resistant to scratching and ill - treatment by harsh cleaning chemicals . glass is also far less likely to turn cloudy or yellow with age . in keeping with the top of the table being optically transparent to visible light , note that the camera housing 53 has no top cover nor any scintillation screen . thus , the unitary mirror - camera assembly 32 sees the document placed face down on the glass top 50 . second , illumination for the photograph is provided by one or more lamps 51 disposed on the inside of the camera housing , but such that the lamps themselves are outside the field of view of the camera . it is , upon reflection , clear that the methods and various apparatus described herein are not limited to just two sizes , “ large ” and “ small .” “ intermediate ” and “ really small ” come to mind as being potentially of use , depending upon the application . since the camera housing is easily removed and replaced with another , a variety of “ full ” camera resolution imaging areas are readily available . while the lens for any particular imaging area size might stay with the camera housing , the camera back ( with its expensive sensors ) could well be removed ( especially in the case where a telescoping focus is used , and the lens is not firmly connected to the camera body . . . ) and used in another housing , thus saving the expense of multiple cameras . furthermore , it will be appreciated that the operation of the unitary lens - camera assembly can be altered to translate as well as rotate , thus giving rise to additional positions , while still having but two mirrors . in connection with any of the embodiments associated with fig3 a through fig9 , we note the pleasing ease of use that is afforded . as is conventional with digital cameras , just a few seconds after the shot is taken ( whether for x - ray or for photographing a document ) the stored image is made available for some external system ( e . g ., a computer or a television screen ) to display the captured image . this allows the operator the ability to reach an instant conclusion about the suitability of the shot just taken , and if a more desirable version is possible , simply re - shoot and take that one instead . the only cost for this convenience is actually the savings in time that it affords . there is no wasted film , toner or paper . it is perhaps worth noting that the x - ray embodiment needs to have focus adjustments performed . it turns out to be quite convenient to remove the scintillation screen from the camera housing carrying the mirror - camera assembly of interest and replace it with a thin sheet of glass or plastic covered by , for example , a page from a newspaper . ( newspaper is not particularly special , but it is inexpensive , readily available , large enough , and also thin so that it can be back - lit , and thus eliminate the need for illumination from within the camera housing during the focusing adjustments .)	6
fig1 shows a fluid supply line 10 with two trigger drinker units 20 having a first telescopically inter - fitting element 22 attached to supply line 10 . element 22 is ultra therefor sonically welded to supply line 10 at base section 23 . alternatively , a glue joint connection could be used to secure the components together . a second telescopically inter - fitting element 24 is inserted in the internal portion 25 of element 22 thereby forming a valve housing with an inlet valve chamber 26 and an outlet via trigger pin 60 . the bayonet - type lock is described in the detailed descriptions of u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 589 , 373 and 4 , 637 , 365 assigned to the same assignee and incorporated previously by reference . fig2 is a pictorial view of the u - shaped safety lock 30 providing a rotation limiting means for drinker units . lock 30 is a separate component from the trigger drinker 20 . the u - shaped safety lock 30 has a base portion 32 and two arms 34 extending outward from the base portion 32 . in a preferred embodiment the arms are tapered at the end distal from base 32 to form line 35 . the distal end portion of the arm resembles a wedge shape . the wedge shape includes inclined plane 36 on the outside portion 37 of arms 34 . a preferred safety lock 30 has a ledge 38 formed by a wider section of the arm 34 which is the broadest portion of the wedge shape . ledge 38 is used as a stop or holding portion when in contact with arm 62 of component 24 as seen in fig4 . this ledge 38 is also constructed with a slight chamfered edge to facilitate removal of the safety lock from the anti - rotational position . base portion 32 also has ledges 39 formed as a result of legs 34 being connected to base portion 32 inwardly from the width of the base . in other words , a lip remains on the base portion which acts as a stop . ledge or stop 39 engages the bottom of arms 62 of component 24 to prevent clip 30 from further insertion into the opening 65 in component 24 . fig3 illustrates the use of the two piece coupling system utilizing telescopic portions 22 and 24 in conjunction with safety lock 30 . as mentioned earlier , u - shaped safety lock 30 is a separate , removable component which restricts rotation of the cylindrical members 22 and 24 of the coupling system when inserted through opening 65 of component 24 . the coupling system includes a hook - like boss 50 on an outer surface 52 of the first coupler element 22 . the distance between arms 34 of safety lock 30 at the distal end is slightly larger in diameter than boss 50 . when lock 30 is inserted through opening 65 the inside portion of arms 34 surround boss 50 . ledges 41 on the inside portions of arms 34 provide a secondary stop to prevent the safety lock from being inserted beyond the designed location . ledges 41 also provide a weakened area of arms 34 for breaking at a predetermined torque . additionally , the ledges 41 allow the arms 34 to bend inward until the inner portion contacts boss 50 . at this location the distal end must bend outward to surround boss 50 . the second cylindrical element 24 , which includes the trigger drinker nipple 60 , has two arms 62 extending radially outward and substantially parallel to each other . these arms 62 are connected by a bight 63 thereby forming a u - shape portion . in the center of the u - shaped portion is a opening 65 which is directly below boss 50 when the coupler is properly positioned . the bight is connected to a resilient j - shaped hook 70 extending longitudinally which cooperates with the boss 50 of the first cylindrical element 22 to provide the initial two - piece coupler . frictional forces of boss 50 and hook 70 hold the bayonet type lock in position . in other words , the bayonet lock utilizes complimentary hooks on members 22 and 23 . the previously incorporated patents provide additional details to this aspect of the lock . the safety lock 30 cooperates with these features of the trigger drinker to restrict rotation and proved a more secure unit . specifically , safety lock 30 is inserted through opening 65 formed by the cylindrical drinker , the two parallel arms 62 and the connecting bight 63 . arms 34 are preferably flexible and resilient . when inserted through opening 65 inclined planes 36 force arms 34 to flex inward . arms 34 then spring back in position . ledge 38 is slightly chamfered so as to allow removal of safety lock 30 with appropriate force . boss 50 is partially surrounded on both sides by arms 34 of the safety lock 30 . opening 65 is filled by the outer portions 37 of arms 34 thereby restricting rotational motion of elements 22 and 24 . in other words , one arm prevents clockwise rotation while the other arm prevents counterclockwise rotation . as stated earlier , the safety lock 30 preferably includes a weakened portion 75 which will break at a pre - determined torque . as seen in fig4 the weakened portion 75 , including inclined plane , will fall from the drinker unit allowing the broken safety lock 30 to be easily replaced without substantial harm to the trigger drinker unit . as seen in fig2 protrusions 42 are used to position the safety clip 30 within the opening 65 . protrusions 42 also are used to limit horizontal motion if the opening 65 is substantially larger than the width of the safety lock 30 . additionally protrusions 42 can be designed for specific sizes of openings 65 . a preferred embodiment of safety lock 30 includes opening 44 in the base . opening 44 is constructed so that a tool arrangement ( not shown ) can be inserted within . opening 44 is small enough so that an adult chicken cannot force its beak into the opening and pull the safety clip from the trigger drinker unit . the present invention is a rotation limiting device . however , by limiting the rotation in the telescopic coupling system which utilizes the bayonet - type lock , the coupling system is prevented from telescopic movement as well . although the present invention has been described in detail , the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation . the spirit and scope of the present invention are to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims .	0
in fig2 to 4 the attenuation α in decibels ( db ) is plotted on the ordinate axis and the frequency f in hertz ( hz ) is plotted on the abscissa axis . fig1 shows one example of a cable structure according to the invention : a 0 . 6 mm thick layer of semiconductor composite material 1 and a 2 mm thick layer of dielectric material 2 surround concentrically the metal central core 3 of a 1 . 38 mm outside diameter cable . the ground return of the coaxial structure is provided by a metal braid 4 . the composite material layer 1 is not grounded , which prevents any interference current flowing in this layer . also , the skin thickness in the range of frequencies of interest ( δ = 1 . 6 . 10 - 2 m at 200 mhz ) is much greater than the thickness of the composite material layer , which reduces absorption of external interference . consequently , the efficacy of the semiconductor material layer as a shield is insufficient . the cable is manufactured by co - extrusion . a heat - shrink jacket 5 protects the cable and holds the structure together . the dielectric material is conventionally a low - density polyethylene ( atochem &# 34 ; lldpe at05600 &# 34 ;) with no peroxide . this material is a perfect dielectric in the frequency range of interest ( 100 khz to 1 ghz ). a cable with a structure similar to that shown in fig1 was manufactured using a conventional semiconductor layer based on carbon black as the composite material layer . the material comprised an insulative matrix based on a copolymer of ethylene and butyl acrylate ( eba ) loaded with acetylene black in a proportion of 25 % by volume . curve 1 in fig2 shows the measured signal attenuation as a function of frequency . the attenuation at 100 mhz was extremely low . a cable according to the invention with a structure similar to that shown in fig1 was made . the composite material comprised an insulative matrix of a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate ( eva ) (&# 34 ; elvax 260 &# 34 ;), containing 26 % vinyl acetate to favor sealing and loaded with de - doped polythiophene in a proportion of 30 % by volume . the eva matrix , different from the dielectric material , was chosen because it has a high load factor and its extrusion temperature is compatible with the intended load materials . curve 2 in fig2 shows the measured signal attenuation as a function of frequency . for a 3 . 7 m long cable the attenuation at 50 mhz was 3 db and the attenuation at 100 mhz was 5 db . a cable according to the invention with a structure similar to that shown in fig1 was made . the composite material , similar to that described for example 2 , comprised an eva insulative matrix loaded with de - doped polyaniline in a proportion of 30 % by volume . curve 3 in fig2 shows the measured attenuation of the signal as a function of frequency . the attenuation at 30 mhz was 3 db and the attenuation at 100 mhz was 10 db . a cable according to the invention with a structure similar to that shown in fig1 was made . the composite material , similar to that described for example 2 , comprised an eva insulative matrix loaded with a ferromagnetic copolymer of aniline and naphthalene in a proportion of 30 % by volume . curve 4 in fig2 shows the measured attenuation of the signal as a function of frequency . the attenuation was 3 db at 10 mhz . a cable according to the invention with a structure similar to that shown in fig1 was made . the composite material , similar to that described for example 2 , comprised an eva insulative matrix loaded with undoped ionic polymeric conductor in a proportion of 20 % by volume . the polymer was obtained by mixing a solution based on k + alkaline cation and polyoxyethylene (-- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- o --) n . the polyoxyethylene complexes the k + ion which provides the conductivity of the polymer obtained . curve 5 in fig3 shows the measured attenuation of the signal as a function of frequency . the attenuation was 3 db at 30 mhz . a cable according to the invention with a structure similar to that shown in fig1 was made . the composite material , similar to that described for example 2 , comprised an eva insulative matrix loaded with de - doped polymeric conductor in a proportion of 30 % by volume and 5 % of zwitterions in the molecular state . curve 6 in fig3 shows the measured attenuation of the signal as a function of frequency . the attenuation was 3 db at 20 mhz . a cable according to the invention with a structure similar to that shown in fig1 was made . the composite material , similar to that described for example 2 , comprised an eva insulative matrix loaded with de - doped polymeric conductor in a proportion of 30 % by volume and 10 % pvdf . curve 7 in fig3 shows the measured attenuation of the signal as a function of frequency . the attenuation was 3 db at 7 mhz . a cable according to the invention with a structure similar to that shown in fig1 was made . the composite material , similar to that described for example 2 , comprised an eva insulative matrix loaded with fullerenes in a proportion of 25 % by volume . the attenuation obtained was identical to that obtained in example 2 for polythiophene ( curve 2 in fig2 ). it is equally feasible to use grafted fullerenes , for example bromophenylfulleroids , nitrosated fullerene compounds , fullerene copolymers ( in particular xylylene ) and metallofullerenes . a cable according to the invention with a structure similar to that shown in fig1 was made . the composite material , similar to that described for example 2 , comprised an eva insulative matrix loaded with de - doped polythiophene in a proportion of 30 % by volume and 5 % doped polythiophene . curve 8 in fig4 shows the measured attenuation of the signal as a function of frequency . the attenuation was 3 db at 50 mhz . a cable according to the invention with a structure similar to that shown in fig1 was made . the composite material , similar to that described for example 2 , comprised an eva insulative matrix loaded with de - doped polythiophene in a proportion of 30 % by volume and 10 % of doped polythiophene . curve 9 in fig4 shows the measured attenuation of the signal as a function of frequency . the attenuation was 3 db at 40 mhz . of course , the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown , but is subject to variation by the person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention . in particular , the cable can be covered externally with one or more further layers such as an electromagnetic shielding layer , a colored identifying material layer , a fireproof protection layer , etc .	7
paramagnetic particles are widely used in automated immunoassay because they can be dispersed as colloids in solution and manipulated or collected using a magnetic field . these particles are also readily functionalized by immobilization of antibodies or antigens prior to or during analysis . recently , it has been demonstrated that magnetic fields can also pattern paramagnetic particles within microchannels and that these patterns can retain their form during liquid flow . it has also been demonstrated that magnetic fields can be used to line up the paramagnetic particles to form linear structures oriented parallel to the direction of the magnetic field . these structures can then be rotated within nanoliter volumes of fluid by rotating the magnetic field . the structures , which may be referred to as rotors , may be formed in accordance with the teachings of international publication no . wo 01 / 89985 a2 , the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference . the subject matter disclosed therein is commonly assigned with that of the present application to the arizona board of regents . briefly , the paramagnetic particles , which may be obtained from polysciences , inc . of warrington , pa ., u . s . a ., and from other vendors , have diameters in a range from 1 micron to 2 microns and a polystyrene surface matrix with amine groups . when suspended in colloidal solution and subjected to a magnetic field , the paramagnetic particles , each behaving like a small magnet when subjected to the field , become oriented in the direction of the field . in a short time , the paramagnetic particles assume the form of a linear structure by lining up end - to - end with one another due to mutual magnetic forces . such linear structures may ultimately reach a length of 80 microns or more . surprisingly , these linear structure can then be induced to rotate in solution by rotating the magnetic field , such as , for example , by rotating the permanent magnet used to line up the paramagnetic particles , without breaking up . therein lies the basis for the present invention . in brief , the present invention comprises the alignment of very small magnetizable particles to form a linear structure , which may be rod - like or spiral in form and should not be taken to be strictly linear , the linear structure being referred to as a rotor or microrotor ; spinning the rotors using a rotating magnetic field ; and processing signals coming from or generated due to this spinning structure to enhance signal - to - noise and to filter background noise . when used within a microchannel , the rotors open new applications in detection within nanoliter - to - subnanoliter scale fluid volumes . the principal of lock - in - amplifiers is used as part of the present invention in a detection strategy to greatly improve the signal - to - noise ratio , thereby to increase detection sensitivity in environmental and biological assays for rapid , miniaturized systems . for immunometric assays , this strategy may lead to quantitative point - of - care devices that are highly sensitive , while yielding a large dynamic range . the technique may also be used for a variety of sensing applications including , but not limited to , chemical detectors , biological contamination detection , and chemical and biowarfare agent monitoring . a very useful signal that can be monitored from the spinning rotor is fluorescence . fluorescent emissions from the rotor can be generated by attaching organic fluorescent molecules , quantum dots , fluorescent particles , and other materials . control and sensitivity of detection make fluorescence detection very desirable . fluorescence is a well - known signal - generating method and much effort has been devoted to incorporating fluorescence detection into miniaturized and microchip systems . while the present invention is being described in connection with the measurement of signals caused by fluorescence , it should be understood that other signal - generating methods could be used within the context of the present invention without departing from its scope . for example , other signal generation and detection methods may include , but are not limited to , magnetic property fluctuations , such as magnetoresistance , amperometric and voltametric methods , phosphorescence , other spatially resolved spectroscopic measurements , and inertial fluctuations . the present invention , then , may be practiced using any of these methods as that by which the signal to be measured is physically generated . when using fluorescence as the method by which the signals of interest are generated , the present invention involves the enhancement of the signals of interest , that is , fluorescence from molecules bound to the rotating rotors , relative to background signals or noise . essentially , the signal from the rotating rotors is periodic , namely , it is sinusoidally varying , while the background noise is constant . as the rotors are rotating at a frequency identical to that at which the magnetic field is rotating , which is the rate , for example , at which the permanent magnet is being rotated , the signal , viewed , for example , in the plane of rotation , generated by the rotors varies sinusoidally at a frequency double that of the rotation . in short , the signal coming from the rotors is boosted electronically by multiplication with a lock - in reference signal , having a frequency double that of the rotation , to separate the signal of interest from the background noise and to boost the signal - to - noise ratio . reference is now made to fig1 and 2 for a simple illustration of the lock - in amplifier principle . the fluorescence measured is due to the binding of fluorescent particles to the surface of the paramagnetic particles forming the rotors , simulating the type of signal that can be generated in an immunometric assay with the fluorescent particles representing the label on the secondary antibody . by multiplying a sinusoidal lock - in reference signal , based on twice the rotational frequency of the magnetic field , a dramatic phase - sensitive detector dc output shown as dashed dark lines in fig1 is obtained . the dc output can then be filtered using a low - pass filter , and further processed by adding a second phase - sensitive detector to generate a dual - phase lock - in yielding amplitude and phase angle information . the dramatic benefits of phase - sensitive detection for weak signals with noise are illustrated in fig2 . in this simple example , random noise of up to 100 % of the signal is added to the original signal . after phase - sensitive detection , the dc output yields maxima at nearly the same times as seen in fig2 showing the inherent capability of the technique to yield positive readings even in the present of a significant level of noise . the key technological issue in the employment of detectors and diagnostics is the accuracy and validity of the readings . as shown in fig1 and 2 , rotors , or microrotors , are advantageous over simply measuring the fluorescence from a specific spot or the entire field by tracking how the signal - to - noise ratio can be boosted . moreover , sensitivity issues aside , much effort is also spend on avoiding overshoot or false positive readings . while this can be caused by non - specific targeting or binding , it also can be due to taking readings near the level where the signal is at the same level as the noise . the invention described here can help minimize there false readings by expanding the detector range while filtering the background noise . out of the myriad immunoassay and related sensing techniques , the present invention offers several advantages over other methods . a solid - phase assay is employed to pre - concentrate the analyte by confining it to the surface of paramagnetic particles through high affinity , antibody / antigen interactions . antigen capture by immobilized antibodies is advantageous for sensitivity and quantitation , and thus many commercial systems use this as the basis of clinical and research immunoassays . while solid - phase capture offers this significant benefit , diffusion to a surface and boundary layers can pose kinetic limitations . in the present invention , this pitfall is virtually eliminated by creating a significant level of convective mass transfer of analyte and other reagents to the particle surface . laminar flow into the sample chamber , while stirring within the chamber using a rotating magnetic field , creates substantial mixing . while fluid motion is in the laminar region , it is believed that there is three - dimensional fluid mixing around the particle surface confining diffusional path lengths to very small distances within the rotor boundary layer . mixing also refreshes the surface layer frequently and maintains high driving forces for mass transfer to and from the particle surface . besides advantages in isolation and separation , the present invention also confers advantages in detection . lock - in signal amplification is well known to improve detection sensitivities in many systems by a hundredfold . more specifically , control over the frequency of the fluorescent signal being acquired so that background fluorescence can be filtered via signal processing is inherent in the present invention . moreover , light detection could also acquire sinusoidal signals from several independent rotors , all rotating in phase , thus simplifying operation and potentially improving reliability by interrogating more than one signal source . decoupling the signal from the noise created by the background of bulk fluid and chamber material fluorescence results in a simple method for troubleshooting . enhancements of this benefit can also be obtained by conducting lock - in amplification at different rotor rotational speeds . internal reflectance of light within microchannels can be a troublesome source of noise , but , by using a lock - in amplifier , this source can be virtually eliminated without resorting to complex arrays of filters , sophisticated light sources or optics , or simply being limited by a high level of noise . as noted above , the present invention employs a lock - in amplifier method for detecting the fluorescent signal from a rotor controlled by a varying magnetic field . the rotor is created by patterning paramagnetic particles using a strong magnetic field and by controlling field orientation with respect to the analyte volume , particle size and particle concentration . the rotor speeds may be in a range from 5 rpm to 600 rpm . rotor lengths using 1 - micron particles may be from 20 to 80 microns . the light being emitted from fluorescent molecules on the rotor can be tracked using a lock - in amplifier using the reference signal which is externally controlled by the speed at which the magnetic field is rotated . all background fluorescence not coming from the surface of the particles on the rotor is filtered out . lock - in amplifiers are well known to measure the amplitude and phase of signals buried in noise . they achieve this by acting as a narrow bandpass filter that removes much of the unwanted noise while allowing the signal which is to be measured to pass through . in fluorescence immunoassay , noise is generated primarily from background fluorescence of the solution and / or the container , and from non - specific binding of the signal - producing antibody or antigen . the present invention relies upon detecting the light emitted from paramagnetic particles patterned and rotating in a sub - nanoliter chamber using a lock - in amplifier . the frequency of the signal to be measured and hence the passband region of the filter is set by the rotating magnetic field acting as a reference signal , which is supplied to the lock - in amplifier along with the signal being measured . in the present invention , measurements could be speeded up by allowing data acquisition before the washing step that is routinely used to remove unbound signal antibody or antigen , these producing a signal that would become part of the noise whose effect is reduced by the practice of the invention . it is also important to note that particles patterned into rotors do not show an appreciable phase shift relative to the rotating magnetic field in an aqueous solution . viscous drag , however , does have an effect in viscous solutions , such as glycerol - water mixtures , but the resulting phase shift can be corrected for . several examples of the present invention will now be described , although it should be understood that the invention is not to be considered limited to these examples . in each example , the sample - analysis chamber is a trench below a flow microchannel where paramagnetic particles , sample and reagent solutions can be introduced by flow . the analysis chamber can be pre - filled with hundreds to thousands of paramagnetic particles by a sequence of steps combining flow and patterning resulting in a rod - like assembly , that is , the rotor . the rotors may range in length from 20 to 80 microns . the sample chamber has angled walls which trap the rotor at the bottom thereof to keep it from escaping through the flow channel as a consequence of the tendency of the rotor to grow lengthwise in an appropriately oriented magnetic field . the design of the sample chamber provides great flexibility in sample chamber volume and microchannel dimensions . sample chamber volumes from picoliters to nanoliters can be accommodated . it is also important to note that the number of active sites available for detection in a typical rotor can also be varied with the particles on the surface having sites usually on the order of 1 × 10 6 active sites per particle , which is equivalent to about 1 × 10 7 sites per square micrometer of exposed particle area . high surface densities of active antibody on the surface of the rotor can increase the amount of antigen capture and hence improve detection sensitivity . three examples of lock - in amplifier systems to detect fluorescent signals are given in fig3 a , 3b , 4 and 5 . each includes an excitation source , such as a light - emitting diode ( led ) or laser , and appropriate optical filtering , which are not shown . miniature mirroring and filtering systems for fluorescence measurements in microscopy and chips can be integrated with the examples . in the most sensitive type of assay , the immunometric or so - called sandwich immunoassay , a secondary antibody containing the fluorescent signal is introduced so that detection can occur after it binds to the captured antigen . however , because the fluorescent molecules are present in solution and are usually non - specifically bound to the surface of the chamber as well as specifically and possibly non - specifically bound to the surface of the particles , extensive washing is normally required . when the signal from the rotating particles is used in the lock - in amplifier system , the light noise emitted by the fluorescent molecules in solution or by molecules bound to the walls of the chamber will be substantially filtered out by the low pass filter . the trajectory of non - magnetic fluorescent particles resembles a random walk when the magnetic field is rotating as the rotor drags the fluid in a circular motion . such motion is of a frequency that is filtered out by the lock - in amplifier . moreover , loosely held fluorescent antibody molecules not specifically bound to captured antigen can be removed by vigorous mixing of the rotors . the detection schemes may allow the accurate measurement in shorter analysis times than those normally called for in assays that rely on washing . the approach of the present invention is similar to a basic lock - in amplifier system that can be split into four stages : an input gain stage , the reference circuit , a demodulator and a low - pass filter . for the input gain stage , a photomultiplier tube serves the high performance amplifier task of variable gain input stage preprocessing the signal by amplifying it to a level suitable for the demodulator . the reference circuit or signal is merely the externally controlled rotating magnetic field converted to a sinusoidal signal . phase shifting is a relatively inconsequential 0 . 3 degrees or less . in a lock - in amplifier , the demodulator is a multiplier which takes the input signal and the reference and multiplies them together . as the input signal to be measured and the reference signal are of the same frequency , the difference frequency is zero and a dc output proportional to the amplitude of the input signal and the cosine of the phase different between the signals , which cosine is essentially equal to one , is obtained . the noise signals will still be present at the output of the demodulator and may have very large amplitudes . however , as the various noise components on the input signal are at different frequencies compared to the reference signal , the sum and difference frequencies will be non - zero and will not contribute to the dc level of the output signal . this dc level , which is proportional to the input signal , can finally be recovered by passing the output from the demodulator through a low - pass filter . referring now to fig3 a and 3b for a first embodiment of the present invention , wherein fig3 a is a top plan view of a microchannel and a sample chamber , and fig3 b is a side view thereof , paramagnetic particles are formed into a rotor 10 within the sample chamber 12 below the microchannel 14 . a rotating magnetic field , caused for example by a spinning permanent magnet , spins the rotor 10 at a rate equal to that at which it is being spun . the angled walls 18 of the sample chamber 12 tend to keep the rotor 10 in the sample chamber 12 . fluorescence emission from the rotor 10 undergoes a sinusoidal variation when spinning based on the orientation of the light detector assembly 20 , which includes lenses , a photomultiplier tube ( pmt ) or a photodiode . led &# 39 ; s , not shown , are used to excite the fluorophores . the rotor surface can be used in fluorescence - based assays by well - established solid - phase assay techniques in immunology , molecular biology and environmental science . [ 0041 ] fig4 is a top view of a sample chamber 12 in a second embodiment . the sample chamber 12 has a dark or reflective coating with a window 22 ( or slit ). again , the rotor 10 rotates at the same frequency as the magnetic field . the window 22 ( or slit ) allows a time varying light signal , which generates a periodic signal waveform , to pass therethrough . the collected light is amplified using a photomultiplier tube 24 before sending the signal to a lock - in amplifier 26 . led or laser source and optical methods to excite particle surfaces and filter the excitation light are not shown . [ 0042 ] fig5 is a top view of a sample chamber 12 in a third embodiment . the sample chamber 12 is covered with a charge - coupling device ( ccd ) 28 , which enables an alternate signal collection using spatial interpretation of time - varying ccd images to generate a signal waveform at converter 30 . the rotating magnetic field is converted to a reference signal that is fed to the lock - in amplifier 26 . led or laser source and optical methods to excite particle surfaces and filter the excitation light are not shown . modifications of the above would be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art , but would not bring the invention so modified beyond the scope of the appended claims .	1
in the following description of the present invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof , and in which is shown , by way of illustration , exemplary embodiments illustrating the principles of the present invention and how it may be practiced . it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized to practice the present invention and structural and functional changes may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention . thermal conditions under normal operating cycles often result in degradation of optical performance due to stress - induced distortion or birefringence caused by a thermal coefficient of expansion mismatch among various components and encapsulation materials involved . the present invention therefore contemplates that two or more encapsulation substances are applied to surfaces of wire bonds on joining components to encapsulate them and protect the components , while providing a flexible interface that will reduce the effects of thermo - mechanical stresses . without conventional hard encapsulation of wire bonds , optical , imaging and multi - component opto - electronic systems that consist of two or more components requiring wire bond interconnection suffer from physical distortion , which can translate to optical distortion . in liquid crystal micro - displays , optical distortion occurs when the gap spacing between silicon and glass substrates , separated by some uniformly - sized spacer to define the distance between the two substrates , causes physically distortion relative to each other . this spacing is distorted by physical stress from the mismatched thermal coefficients of expansion of the materials systems . this stress - related optical distortion is typically measured as 1 micron of random distortion , or approximately 2 waves ( frequency cycles ). by encapsulating the wire bonds and wire connecting loop according the present invention , the optical distortion is reduced to a negligible amount , or less than 0 . 25 frequency cycles . on the other hand , when only a soft encapsulant , such as rtv ( room temperature vulcanizing ) is used to encapsulate the wire bonds of multi - component optoelectronic systems , the reliability of the wire bonds suffers due to the flexibility of the encapsulation . while providing protection against environmental elements such as dust and moisture , flexible encapsulation by itself allows the bonded joints to weaken during thermal cycles by allowing the joints to bend and stretch . in one embodiment , the present invention provides for the use of two ( or more ) materials with one material being applied primarily to the side of the wire bonds that attach to the bond pads on a silicon die , and the other material being applied primarily to the side of the wire bonds that attach to the bond pads on a circuit side . in general this circuit is usually a printed circuit which could be made from a flexible polymeric substrate , rigid polymer glass fiber substrate or ceramic substrate . by incorporating the methods described herein , net stress in thermal cycling of the assembly can be reduced by judicious selection of the two ( or more ) materials . as opposed to using one material as an encapsulant that may only be stress - matched to one of the components being assembled , this allows for an improved optimization taking into consideration the characteristics of the different materials being bonded together . fig1 is a perspective diagram of components of a circuit assembly configured to reduce net stress due to thermal cycling as a result of a mismatch in thermal coefficients of expansion between layers of the circuit assembly and the substrate onto which the first and second layers are mounted , according to one embodiment of the present invention . fig2 is a side perspective diagram of components of a circuit assembly according to the embodiment depicted in fig1 . referring to fig1 and fig2 , a circuit assembly 100 includes a first layer 110 and a second layer 120 . the first layer 110 may be a silicon die that is physically separated from the second layer 120 . the second layer 120 may be a flex cable that is electrically connected to the silicon die . the first layer 110 and the second layer 120 are mounted on a substrate 130 . in one embodiment , the substrate 130 is an aluminum mount . in another embodiment , the substrate 130 is a ceramic mount . in yet another embodiment , the first layer 110 is an integrated circuit chip . the first layer 110 includes a first plurality of wire bonds 140 which connect the first layer 110 to specific components thereon . the second layer 120 includes a second plurality of wire bonds 150 . between the first plurality of wire bonds 140 and the second plurality of wire bonds 150 is a connecting wire loop 160 . because of the mismatch in thermal coefficients of expansion between the first layer 110 , the second layer 120 , and the substrate 130 , in operation the circuit assembly 100 suffers from performance degradation due to temperature variations or thermal cycling . thermal cycling creates mechanical stress on circuit components that often results in circuit components being worn down due to the stress of high and low temperature testing . to reduce this stress , one or more substances are applied to the surfaces of wire bonds on circuit components and to the connecting wire loop 160 to encapsulate them to protect the components from the effects of different applications of temperature . accordingly , a circuit assembly 100 includes a first substance 170 encapsulating the first plurality of wire bonds 140 of the first layer 110 . the first substance 170 substantially encapsulates the surface areas of the first plurality of wire bonds 140 on the first layer 110 . each wire in the first plurality of wire bonds 140 is entirely encapsulated . the first substance 170 may be hard encapsulant . one example of a commercially available hard encapsulant is an adhesive such as hysol ®. other examples include uv epoxies such as those manufactured by norland products , inc . still further examples include two - part mixed epoxies . the circuit assembly 100 also includes a second substance 180 encapsulating the second plurality of wire bonds 150 on the second layer 120 . the second substance 180 substantially encapsulates the surface areas of the second plurality of wire bonds 150 on the second layer 120 . as with the first plurality of wire bonds 140 , each wire in the second plurality of wire bonds 150 must be entirely encapsulated . a third substance 190 encapsulates the wire connecting loop 160 . the wire connecting loop 160 connects wire bonds of the first plurality of wire bonds 140 and the second plurality of wire bonds 150 . on the substrate 130 , the first layer 110 and the second layer 120 are separated by a gap 200 , within which the wire connecting loop 160 is positioned . the third substance 190 is a flexible bridging material for filling the gap 200 between the first layer 110 and the second layer 120 . additionally , the third substance must entirely encapsulate the wire connecting loop 160 . the third substance 190 is a flexible material due to a mismatch between thermal coefficients of expansion between the first layer 110 , the second layer 120 , and the substrate 150 . in one embodiment , the third substance is a flexible silicone encapsulant such as rtv ( room temperature vulcanizing ) that does not shrink and harden during curing to cause optical distortion . rtv undergoes a process of thermal curing , such that one embodiment of the present invention includes curing silicone adhesives with moisture or a catalyst . fig3 is a perspective diagram of components of a circuit assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention . fig4 is a side diagram of components of a circuit assembly according to the embodiment depicted in fig3 . referring to fig3 and fig4 , a hard encapsulant , shown as the second substance 180 , is matched by thermal coefficient of expansion to the bond pad material on the second layer 120 . this hard encapsulant therefore is used to encapsulate the second plurality of wire bonds 140 on the second , or flex layer 120 . a flexible encapsulant shown as the third substance 190 is used to encapsulate the wire connecting loop 160 in the gap 200 between the silicon layer 110 and the cable 120 . in this embodiment , selection of the hard encapsulant used to encapsulate the second plurality of wire bonds 140 on the flex layer 120 and selection of the flexible encapsulant 190 is made so that matches in thermal coefficients of expansion reduce thermal cycling stress so that signal integrity is not compromised . in the present invention , one method of encapsulating circuit components with a selected substance includes first dispensing the substance onto the circuit component , and then curing the substance by application of heat . in another embodiment , curing can be accomplished by application of radiation to the substance . additionally , any other method of curing the selected substance to the desired circuit component so that the substance encapsulates the circuit component may also be used . therefore , in another embodiment of the present invention , the second plurality of wire bonds 150 of the second or flex layer 120 are encapsulated with a hard encapsulant , or second substance 180 . in a next step , the first substance 170 ( which also may be a hard encapsulant ) is dispensed onto the first or silicon layer 110 . the first substance 170 is cured on the first plurality of wire bonds 140 . in this embodiment , the first substance 170 may be uv epoxy and the second substance 180 may be hysol ®. however , hysol ® may also be the first substance 170 if dispensed carefully on the first layer 110 . once the wires of the first and second plurality of wire bonds 140 and 150 are entirely encapsulated by the first substance 170 and the second substance 180 , these first and second substances 170 and 180 are cured to a hard finish . the third substance 190 is then applied to the gap 200 between the first layer 110 and the second layer 120 and to cover the wire connecting loop 160 of the wire bonds . during the encapsulation process , dispensing the encapsulant onto the plurality of wire bonds requires precision so as not to further increase mechanical stress from thermal cycling . for example , when the first layer 110 surface is encapsulated , one must ensure that the first substance does not extend over a silicon edge of the first layer 110 . one must also ensure that the first substance 170 does not shrink during curing and cause further optical distortion . as discussed herein , the present invention contemplates that at least the first substance 170 be a hard encapsulant such as hysol ®) or uv curing adhesives manufactured by norland products , inc ., for example . these materials meet or exceed aggressive thermal cycling testing , which involves applying 10 cycles of rapid heating and cooling between 0 ° c . to 90 ° c . near the liquid crystal clearing temperature . use of such testing to determine an appropriate encapsulant is effective because the thermal cycle range spans the entire operating temperature range of a typical liquid crystal material used for display applications . additionally , when pressure is applied to the flex cable that exceeds what would normally break bonds on rtv encapsulated components , the materials can withstand physical stress without losing electrical connectivity while being heated to 75 ° c . it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . the foregoing descriptions of embodiments of the invention have been presented for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . accordingly , many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings . for example , many different materials can be used to encapsulate circuit components according to the present invention to further refine matching between thermal coefficients of expansion . additionally , multiple materials may be used to encapsulate particular wire bonds on the first or second layer depending on the heat characteristics of those components when connected to particular circuit components . it is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description .	7
fig1 is a simplified schematic of an offshore drilling site and associated communications and data processing network for monitoring a drilling operation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in the figure , sensors ( not shown ) located both on the drilling rig 10 and at a drill bit 11 produce data that are collected by a standard data collection service 12 also located on the drilling rig 10 . the collected data is then transferred , in real - time , as one or more digital data streams over a communications network 13 to a remote data analysis server 14 . the preferred transfer format and protocol is based on the industry witsml format , which uses xml as a data format and web services over https as a protocol . the data analysis server 14 runs a software application which monitors the incoming data and performs data analysis . existing software visualisation tools for keeping track of data from these drilling logs help the personnel to perform graphical comparisons through time - indexed or depth - indexed graphs . however , as powerful as these visualisation tools are , the drilling operation is fundamentally reliant on the experience and training of the individual drilling engineer to interpret the data and take appropriate action . as will be described in detail below , the data analysis server 14 in the present invention continuously forms situation descriptions and automatically matches against historic cases stored in a knowledge database 17 . the knowledge database 17 is shown as a part of the data analysis server 14 in this example . drilling engineers or other drilling operators use a client application running on a personal computer 15 or other computing device to connect from the drilling rig 10 site or an onshore operations centre 16 to the data analysis server 14 in order to receive and display the analysed data and matched cases . once connected , the client application is continuously updated with information from the data analysis server 14 until such a time as the client is closed . the preferred data analysis server 14 is a server program written in the java programming language , running on a windows or linux operating system . the preferred client application is also a java application , running on a windows or linux desktop operating system . the protocol between the client application and server application is based on regular polling by the client application using an encrypted http ( https ) connection . the present invention provides a system and associated software that can assist oil well personnel during drilling operations in improving the quality and efficiency of the drilling process . in a preferred embodiment , the system helps to avoid “ unwanted events ”, i . e . events that lead to a slower drilling progression than expected . in particular , data from earlier drilling operations are gathered in a case base . the case base is linked to a model of general domain knowledge . the preferred server - based system is linked online to an ongoing drilling process , supervises the process by continuously collecting numerical and symbolic data from a large number of parameter readings , interprets these readings , retrieves one or more past cases that match the current state of the drilling process , and on that basis delivers relevant advice via a client application about how to proceed in order to avoid a possible unwanted event . the client application extends the screen information of conventional visualisation tools to ensure better decisions . one extension is by giving explicit high - level well status information based on the interpretation of the data . this is done by identifying and displaying particular “ interpreted events ” attached to the data logs , as the drilling process proceeds . these events are high level interpretations that characterise the status of the well . the data analysis server 14 in fig1 also interprets numerical log data into symbolic features such as qualitative parameter values , trends , interpreted activities , interesting events , etc . for the purpose of identifying useful features for the retrieval of relevant past cases . the data analysis server 14 attempts to find a matching case ( or set of matching cases ) with a degree of match above a certain threshold . on the basis of an identified past case that is sufficiently similar to the current situation , actions are suggested to the drilling operator that should be taken to avoid the predicted event . referring now to fig2 , the system receives real - time drilling data 20 provided by the monitored drilling operation . the drilling data 20 is recorded both down - hole and on the oil rig by a data service company and is typically transferred over a dedicated optical fibre network or a satellite to an onshore real - time operations centre . the observed data provided by the monitored system is indexed on a time - based scale . some of these observed data are regarded as good indicators of the process and are thus used in a case description formation 21 to generate an input case 22 . such observed data used in the case description formation are referred to as observed indicators , and examples include equivalent circulating density ( ecd ) and bit depth . other important observed data monitored and reported in real - time include block position , bit depth , hook load , weight on bit ( wob ), flow rate , pump pressure , rate of penetration ( rop ), rotations per minute ( rpm ) and torque . these parameters are used as input to various functions processing the observed data . single parameter values are not generally indicative of the state of the drilling operation , and so other types of indicators are needed in addition to the observed indicators . in order to index information based on the state of the well , it is therefore necessary to produce indicators that more directly represent the state of the well than the observed indicators are able to do . these are referred to as processed indicators , resulting from a processing , of some kind , of the observed data . single - parameter functions 23 monitor pattern changes of a parameter , such as rate of change over specific time periods , trends , and moving averages . multi - parameter functions 24 combine a set of observed parameter values and can be rather complex . a simple example is the ratio between the pump pressure and mud flow . an activity interpretation function 25 interprets the current drilling activity from the observed parameters and the single - parameter 23 and multi - parameter 24 functions . examples of activities include drilling , tripping and reaming . context aware functions 26 take the drilling activity into account in addition to other indicators , both observed and interpreted , in order to sort out irrelevant parts of the data . an event interpretation function 27 attempts to recognise patterns of data across one or more parameters that signify an interesting event , symptom or problem , such as a pack off of the string , taking weight while tripping or a kick . when a new set of real - time data 20 is available from the drilling operation , typically at sampling intervals of between 1 and 20 seconds , each processed indicator is invoked to produce a value . the processed indicator may use both current and previous depth - indexed and time - indexed data . the results of the processed indicators can either be stored as depth - indexed data 28 , time - indexed data 29 or both . the activity interpretation function 25 does not produce a numeric value , but rather a symbolic value representing the activity going on in the well . the event interpretation function 27 is special in that it produces either no value ( if no event is detected ) or register an event at the current time and depth of a particular type ( e . g . tight spot or pack off ). thus , the processed indicators may also depend on other processed indicators , which mean the system must ensure that the processed indicators are produced in an order that ensures that all dependants are calculated before an indicator is called . to ensure this , each processed indicator has associated a list of other indicators it depends on . this list forms a partial ordering of processed indicators that is used to decide the order of execution . both the depth - indexed data in 28 and the time - index data in 29 is stored in a table data structure indexed on time and depth , respectively . in these tables , there is one column per observed data and observed indicators . whenever new data is produced , it is added to the table so that it contains all the data from the beginning of the operation . this allows the user to go back and examine past data through the graphical user interface . the depth - indexed data 28 is made available through a graphical user interface in a depth - indexed graph viewer 30 while time - indexed data 29 is made available through the time - indexed graph viewer 31 . thus , all observed parameters can be viewed in the time - indexed graph viewer 31 and processed indicators can be viewed in the depth - indexed graph viewer 30 , the time - indexed graph viewer 31 , or both . activity interpretations 25 are examples of data plotted on a time - indexed graph viewer 31 . interpreted events 27 are shown in a special column on both the time - indexed graph viewer 31 and depth - indexed graph viewer 30 . this means that the drilling operator directly can view and gain information from the processed indicators . a simplified screenshot from a graphical user interface ( gui ) for a client application illustrating the time line , two observed parameters ( mfi and rpm ) and two processed parameters ( activity code and interpreted events ) is shown in fig3 . processing functions may be made available through the gui shown in fig3 as if they were directly measured parameters from the operation . in fig3 , time increases downwards in the time - indexed graph viewer . mfi and rpm are observed data that vary with time and are plotted in the time - based graph viewer as a single numeric value for each time step . activity codes are plotted as symbolic values with names along the time scale , e . g . tripping in , condition and / or circulating , and reaming . interpreted events are plotted as symbols pointing at the exact point in time where detected . to avoid visual cluttering , interpreted events of the same type are grouped together in the column . also , interpreted events with different severity can have different colours . case - based reasoning ( cbr ) systems solve problems by reusing the solutions that solved historical problems stored in a case - base . a case stored in the case - base is comprised of a problem description and the solution solving the problem . a new case encountered by the system lacks the solution part , which is found by comparing the new case to all the historical cases stored in the case - base . the solution to , for instance , the most similar historical case is then used for solving the new problem . the main objective of the cbr system described here is to warn about unwanted situations , more specifically problems encountered during oil drilling . in real - time , the cbr system monitors the drilling process through both observed and processed indicators and continuously captures new cases describing the current situation and compares them to the historical cases stored in the case - base . as shown in fig2 , the result of the case description formation 21 is a case 22 . in addition to depth - indexed data 28 and time - indexed data 29 produced by the data analysis server 14 or received as real - time drilling data 20 , a case 22 contains static data 32 entered through a manual process by a drilling expert , or read from an input file , as part of the setup procedures when a new well section is about to be drilled . all symbolic data are represented in an ontology 33 . the ontology 33 is a description of both generic concepts and application - specific concepts , as well as the relations between them . thus , both the case structure and the case contents are described in the ontology . as shown in fig4 , a case 40 contains a situation description 41 , which captures the state of the monitored system at a given time , in addition to an advice portion 42 which provides advice for solving the described situation . the case 40 is a rich source of knowledge as it contains structured data in the form of parameter hierarchies . the parameters comprise numerical , symbolic , and textual information . all parameters and their possible symbolic values are described in the ontology 33 ( fig2 ). the situation description 41 contains both static data 43 and dynamic data 44 . the static data 43 describes the current configuration of the system , for example administrative data 45 , wellbore formation characteristics 46 and run specific information 47 , while the dynamic data 44 , which changes continuously over time , are represented by instant values 48 , trends 49 , activity codes 50 and sequential data 51 . sequential data 51 is represented along different scales . as will be described in detail below , in oil drilling , sequential data is preferably represented along both a time - based and a depth - based scale . this is because certain information can be detected at a particular depth , but be relevant when returning to the same depth . for instance , a hard stringer ( a thin , hard rock formation embedded in a softer formation ) can only be detected while drilling through the formation , but it is relevant information when the operator pulls the drill string up so that the drill bit goes through the depth where a hard stringer was previously identified . the information that is relevant when at the depth at a later time is indexed on the depth - scale , and the information that is only relevant around the time it happens is indexed on the time - scale . the advice part 42 of the case 40 contains the solution to the specific situation described by the situation description part 41 of the case . thus , a case 40 comprises a situation description 41 and advice 42 for that specific situation . the advice part 42 in an oil drilling case could contain one or more of a specific lesson 52 learned from a historical drilling situation , alternative response action 53 , pro - active measures in future drilling plan 54 , and general lessons 55 which may be linked to a best practice guideline for a certain type of situations . hence , the cbr system will advise the drilling operator on how to react to the current situation based on historical experiences stored in the case base . the case base contains human experiences covering solutions and advice to a rich set of situations . cases 40 stored in the case - base represent interesting situations that operators of the monitoring systems need to focus their attention to . interesting situations are found by inspecting human experience stored in daily drilling reports , best practices and other relevant documents . the advice part 42 and the static data 43 in a case 40 are made ( manually by experts ) using information stored in document knowledge management systems . the situation description part 41 is automatically generated using actual logs from past drilling operations . from the raw data stored in the logs , interpreted events and processing functions produce their output and the relevant data is put into the case . the manually input and the automatically generated data together comprise the finished case 40 . each stored case in the case base 34 is stored as an xml - structured file , within a file system or database system . below is an excerpt from an xml representation of case , taken from the start of the case , i . e . the static data part 44 . the system builds up a representation of the current situation , and a representation of a past case , read from the xml file , as the same type of internal data structure in memory . then the system is ready to match the two cases and assess their similarity . referring again to fig2 , the similarity between the case 22 , in which the current situation is captured , and the situations stored in a case - base 34 is measured by matching 35 the situation description of the current case with the cases stored in the case base 34 . determining the degree of match between two cases is a process of iteratively assessing the similarity between single parameters or group of parameters in the two cases . the matching of parameters can be done through symbolic similarity measures , numeric similarity measures , and various distance metrics . in order to tune the relative impact of each individual parameter in the matching process , each parameter or parameter group is assigned a weight between 0 and 1 . a total matching degree for all cases in the case base is computed on the basis of the number of matching parameters and their weights . the result of the matching process is one or more cases retrieved 36 from the case base . the set of retrieved cases 36 contain those cases for which the total matching degree to the case describing the current situation is above a certain threshold , which is pre - set . the retrieved case or cases is presented to the user by including it in its proper position on the case radar 37 ( see fig7 ). the ontology 33 can be utilized in the matching process by expanding a single parameter into a set of parameters through synonym relationships , subclass relationships , or other type of relationships . this enables two parameters to match even if they are represented as different terms , and hence are syntactically different , as long as the terms are linked in the ontology via one of the relevant relationships . sequential data can be represented using both symbolic and numerical representations . fig5 illustrates both symbolic and numerical data indexed along a time scale . the leftmost column represents a time scale and the other four columns are indexed along this time scale . a symbolic representation of events is illustrated in the column named events on time index ( severity ), where events have both a start time , end time and a number representing the severity . seven events are detected in the time span illustrated , but for illustrative reasons only the constrictions ( took weight and tight spot ) have been given severity and color . three levels of severity are used , where 1 is least and 3 is most severe . the two next columns , constrictions severity and ecd , illustrate numeric values along the time scale . the length of the time intervals depends on how often the measurements are done on the rig , current practices ranges from one to twenty seconds . typically , ecd is part of the real - time data provided during oil drilling while constrictions severity is a processed indicator . as illustrated in fig5 , constrictions severity , is computed as a normal distribution with mean at the center of the event . the rightmost column in fig5 is a numerical sequence representation of constrictions severity and ecd . for a given time interval , numerical values , like constrictions severity and ecd , are not represented as all the values , but as the mean of all the values in that time interval . the curves are represented as a straight line indicating the mean value of that time interval . fig6 shows the same sequential data as on fig5 , but indexed on depth rather than time . as with the time scale , the second column named events on depth index ( severity ) is a symbolic representation of events , but here they have a start depth and end depth . fig5 and 6 show an example where there is almost a one to one correspondence between a given time and a given depth , but this is not always the situation . every point in time corresponds to a unique depth , given the depth where the drill bit is at that time . however , the drill bit may be at the same depth several times so that there is no unique corresponding time to a given depth . when matching cases , sequences of events represented as symbols are matched using edit distance . both distance and difference in severity can be taken into account when measuring the similarity of the sequences . the distance between two sequences is the number of steps needed for transforming one sequence into the other . the penalty for transforming events of the same type with different severity is less than the penalty for transforming events of different types . a similar approach is used for matching numerical sequences . each time interval in a sequence is called a sequence section , and two sequence sections can be compared by comparing numerical parameters of the same type ( i . e . ecd ) against each other using , for instance , a linear metric combining them into a similarity for the sequence section as a whole . then , an edit distance metric can be used to find out how many transformations are needed in order to transform one of the sequences into the other . as shown in fig2 , the result of the case matching process is an ordered list of retrieved cases 36 and their associated degree of similarity to the input case . each case in the list has an associated similarity , which is a number between 0 ( no similarity ) and 1 ( total similarity ). from this list , all cases with a similarity above some threshold ( e . g . 0 . 7 ) is shown on a “ case radar ” 37 . as shown in more detail in fig7 , the case radar 60 displays this set of matched cases , with four dimensions of information about each case . a case 61 to 63 is represented as a dot on the radar . the radial position is determined by dividing the radar into sectors 64 to 66 based on some classification of the cases , for instance the root cause of the problem the case represents . within each sector 64 to 66 , the placement of the case is random but consistent , so that the same case will appear from the same radial position each time . the radial displacement from the centre is given by the degree of similarity to the current situation , such that a case with low similarity is closer to the edge of the radar and a case with high similarity is closer to the centre . the colour of the dot can indicate the severity of the situation the case represents . a high - severity situation may be represented as a red dot while a less severe situation is yellow or white , for example . an arrow 67 inside a dot shows the movement of the case over time . as the matching is performed continuously on real - time data , the situation slowly changes , which also affects the similarity of the retrieved cases . if the current situation develops in such a way that a retrieved case has become more similar , an arrow 67 pointing towards the centre of the radar is shown . if the retrieved case becomes less similar , the arrow 67 points towards the edge . if there is no significant movement , there is no arrow .	6
the present invention includes a process to produce a dialkanolamine such as dea from monoalkanolamine such as mea and alkylene oxide such as eo in a reactive distillation process . the invention can be practiced over a wide range of conditions . feed ratios of reactants can vary widely depending on the intended product distribution . while not required , catalysts such as ion exchange resins may be used in the practice of this invention . advantageously , the process provides a high selectivity to dea . reactive distillation typically takes place within the liquid hold - up on a distillation tray . the volume of the liquid hold - up may influence the extent of reaction on a given tray . it should also be appreciated that in practice , in order to calculate the reaction rates along the column , it is important to know the liquid hold - up . a given hold - up may be accomplished using distillation trays . with trays , the liquid hold - up can be established by changing the weir heights . however , packing may also be used and has the advantage of a lower pressure drop . in the practice of this invention , monoalkanolamine and alkylene oxide are combined in a column . the reactive distillation column may be comprised of a reaction zone ( top section ) and a stripping zone ( bottom section ). the particular type of tower employed is not critical , and many conventional columns may be used . in the reaction zone , mea and eo for example are contacted and allowed to react . in the stripping section , the mea is removed from the bottoms stream and returned to the reaction zone . the feed can be either pure mea or a mixed amine stream . the mea reacts with eo to form dea . the reaction between mea and eo is very fast and proceeds even at room temperature . thus , the reaction can be carried out over a wide range of temperatures . the upper end of the temperature range is likely set by the amount of by - products which can be tolerated . the temperature is typically in the range from about 100 degrees fahrenheit to about 400 degrees fahrenheit , with a temperature of at least 150 degrees fahrenheit being more typical . once formed , the heavier dea falls down the column preferably before it can react to form tea . the dea is easily separated to the bottom of the column since it is heavier than mea and eo , and is thus removed before further reaction with eo to form tea . selectivity for dea may be greater than about 90 %, with tea present in concentrations of about 10 % or less . the reactive distillation column may be comprised of a reaction zone ( top section ) and a stripping zone ( bottom section ). in the reaction zone , mea and eo are contacted and allowed to react . in the stripping section , the mea is removed from the bottoms stream and returned to the reaction zone . if a pure alkanolamine stream such as a pure mea stream is available , the stream may be fed anywhere in the column ( or &# 34 ; tower &# 34 ;) at or above the eo feed point . this may be illustrated in fig1 wherein , for instance , the mea is fed to column 20 via line 10 with the eo entering column 20 via line 11 . however , the preferable place to feed the mea is near the same point in the column as the eo , as illustrated in fig2 where mea is fed via line 11 and eo is fed via line 10 , with lines 10 and 11 combining to enter the column 20 at point 12 . thus , eo is fed somewhere in the middle of the column 20 and rises through the falling mea ( from the tower reflux ). the mea and eo react in the liquid phase to form dea . the eo is consumed nearly entirely in the tower so that essentially only mea is present in the reflux and overhead products of the tower . the heavier dea reacts with eo to form tea . in the stripping section 21 of the column 20 , any mea present is vaporized to return to the top of the column 22 ( the reaction zone ). such vaporization is facilitated through use of a reboiler at the lower end of the column . the lights that are removed overhead may be removed via conduit 33 , and may be recycled to column 20 if desired . the bottoms stream may exit via line 30 , with mea being distilled and returned to column 20 via conduit 32 . the dea - rich stream exits via line 31 , optionally for further processing . in another alternative , an impure stream of alkanolamine may be employed , such as effluent from a typical ethanolamine reactor ( after ammonia and water removal ) that may include mea , dea , and tea . in this alternative , the mea stream is fed to about the middle of the column . referring to fig1 if an impure stream of mea is used , the mea stream may be introduced , for example , via line 11 ( rather than vice versa as discussed above when using a pure mea stream ) and the eo is fed above the mea via line 10 . when the tower has trays , the eo is fed a few trays above the mea . the trays between the mea and eo lines served to separate the mea from the dea and tea . the section of trays above the eo feed is again the reaction zone and the area below the mea feed is the stripping zone . optionally , the process can further separate the dea from the tea . such a process could use a second distillation column in which the dea would be removed via a side - draw , mea would be taken overhead , and tea would be removed as the bottom stream . in a similar process , tea can be produced from dea with very little tea ( eo ) production . the overhead may be recycled back to the column to boost the initial mea : eo ratio fed to the column . the bottoms stream may be further purified using conventional methods such as vacuum distillation technology . the process of this invention may be operated at under a wide variety of pressures . however , in order to prevent mea from leaving in the bottoms stream from the column , it is important to operate the column under vacuum . any conventional column may be used in the practice of this invention . the combination of number of trays or packing height , column diameter , and hold - up on each tray / packing section may be used to determine the pressure that may be employed in the bottom of the column . in general , overhead pressures from about 0 . 1 to 50 torr ( mm hg ) may be used for columns with trays . such pressures result in sufficiently high temperatures in the mea / eo reaction zone . in general , the process is operated at a pressure in the range from about 0 pounds per square inch at gauge ( psia ) to about 1500 psia . the process of this invention may be automated using standard process control technology . the reactive distillation may be performed with two or more towers that are connected in parallel or in series . the process of this invention may be integrated into an overall scheme to make alkanolamines and may be configured to optimize its placement in a given chemical plant . advantageously , this invention may produce dialkanolamine , particularly dea , in a selectivity of at least about 75 %, preferably at least about 80 %, and more preferably at least about 85 %. the dea selectivity may be readily controlled by adjusting the reflux ratio of the tower . this invention provides higher selectivities to dea at a given mea : eo feed ratio , which is highly advantageous . in view of the foregoing it is seen that the present invention in one embodiment is a new process for the production of dea using reactive distillation of mea and eo . dea is produced with very high and adjustable selectivities . the process produces dea almost exclusive of mea and tea from essentially stoichiometric amounts of eo and mea . the invention is useful in the production of dea to the exclusion of mea and tea without the need to use high mea : eo ratios and providing for removal of mea from the reaction mass in a single step . the ability to use almost stoichiometric amounts of eo and mea yet get dea yields greater than 80 - 90 % ( the balance being tea ) is surprising and unexpected . the following examples are illustrative of this invention and are not intended to be limit the scope of the invention or claims hereto . unless otherwise denoted all percentages are by weight . the process has been simulated using kinetic data for the production of ethanolamines with aspen plus ™ software . table 1 shows material and energy balances from a simulation of the reactive distillation process . mea is fed to the top of a column and eo is fed to the middle . as the eo travels up the column due to its high volatility , it reacts with mea to form dea in the liquid supported by the distillation tray . the dea thus formed travels down the column out of the reaction zone . mea is also pushed up the column by the reboiler . in this way , reaction zone with a very high mea : eo ratio is created allowing for very selective production of dea . table 1______________________________________ eo - l - mea - stream id units bottoms feed overhead feed______________________________________temp . fahrenheit 388 . 9 100 . 0 205 . 3 250 . 0 pressure psi 1 . 55 60 . 0 0 . 97 60 . 0 vapor 0 0 0 0 fraction mole flow lbmol / hr 46 . 447 49 . 94 14 . 144 60 . 573 mass flow cuft / hr 83 . 178 41 . 537 14 . 622 63 . 425 enthalpy mmbtu / hr - 9 . 210 - 1 . 644 - 1 . 587 - 6 . 574 water trace eo trace 2200 0 . 815 nh3 trace mea 23 . 109 848 . 130 3700 dea 4458 . 859 24 . 841 tea 536 . 860 0 . 581 dga 5 . 883 0 . 032 eg trace trace tea - eo 0 . 89 & lt ; 0 . 001 mass fraction water trace eo trace 1 . 0 932 ppm nh3 trace mea 0 . 005 0 . 97 1 . 0 dea 0 . 887 0 . 028 tea 0 . 107 664 ppm dga 0 . 001 36 ppm eg trace trace tea - eo 177 ppm 310 ppb mole flow water trace eo trace 49 . 94 0 . 018 nh3 trace mea 0 . 378 13 . 885 60 . 573 dea 42 . 410 0 . 236 tea 3 . 598 0 . 004 dga 0 . 056 & lt ; 0 . 001 eg trace trace tea - eo 0 . 005 trace______________________________________ below the eo feed , an mea stripping section removes the unreacted mea from the bottoms product which consists of dea and a little tea . either packing or trays can be used in the tower design as a catalyst is not needed . in this example , 2200 pounds per hour (&# 34 ; lbs / hr &# 34 ;) of eo and 3200 lbs / hr mea are fed to the middle and top of a distillation column . the overhead product is 874 lbs / hr mea plus trace (& lt ; 1 lb / hr ) unreacted eo . the bottoms product is 4460 lbs / hr dea and 566 lbs / hr tea . the mea is recycled to either the column or a front - end reactor . the temperature of the reaction is controlled by the pressure of the column . the net yield of dea is 88 . 7 weight percent from essentially stoichiometric amounts of eo and mea . in a slight variation , accommodation can be made for any residual ammonia or water present from the reactor effluent by the use of a side draw . the overhead product ( a very small stream ) consists of ammonia , water , residual eo and some mea . the bulk of unreacted mea is taken as a side - draw . this eliminates the need for a de - watering tower . ( even in processes using anhydrous ammonia , some water is present in the feed ammonia and some is created in the reboilers due to decomposition of the ethanolamines , still other water results from condenser / reboiler leaks .) by comparison , the reaction of eo and mea will result in about equal amounts of dea and tea since the reaction rate between mea and eo is slightly slower than that of dea and eo . rapid removal of dea from the reaction zone allows for the high selectivity to dea . employing the configuration of fig2 material and energy balances were calculated for a 20 foot diameter column with 15 theoretical trays . the tower feed was 9000 and 5500 pounds / hour of mea and eo , respectively . the eo and mea are fed to tray 11 . the ( molar ) reflux ratio used is 20 . the hold - up per tray is set at 80 cubic feet ( ft 3 ) for trays 2 through 11 . this corresponds to an approximate weir height of 3 inches . for pressure drop calculations , trays 2 - 11 are taken as sieve trays , trays 12 - 14 are taken to be sulzer bx ™ wire mesh tower packing . in the feed to the tower , the molar ratio of mea : eo is 1 . 18 yet the selectivity to dea is 85 %. to achieve similar selectivity in a plug flow reactor , an mea : eo mole ratio of about 3 . 6 is required ( as per the calculations of lowe &# 39 ; s british patent number 763 , 932 ( 1956 )). one of the important features of this invention is that the selectivity to dea is adjustable via the reflux ratio . in this regard , fig3 shows the effect of reflux ratio on selectivity . the results of the calculations using the aspen plus ™ process simulator is shown in table 2 . table 2______________________________________ l - mea - stream id units bottoms eo - feed overhead feed______________________________________temp . fahrenheit 390 . 0 100 . 0 140 . 0 250 . 0 pressure psi 1 . 42 60 . 0 0 . 58 60 . 0 vapor 0 0 0 0 fraction mole flow lbmol / 112 . 168 124 . 849 35 . 218 147 . 339 hr volume flow cuft / hr 203 . 854 103 . 843 35 . 053 154 . 277 mass flow lb / hr 12343 . 159 5500 . 0 2156 . 841 9000 . 0 enthalpy mmbtu / - 22 . 567 - 4 . 110 - 4 . 010 - 15 . 990 hr mass flow water eo trace 5500 . 0 2 . 094 nh3 trace trace mea 14 . 031 2139 . 516 9000 . 0 dea 10420 . 319 15 . 127 tea 1889 . 065 0 . 084 dga 14 . 349 0 . 020 eg tea - eo 5 . 393 & lt ; 0 . 001______________________________________ the material and energy balances for a mixed amine feed were calculated using the aspen plus ™ process simulator . the feed contains 6200 , 3100 , 700 , and 3700 lbs / hour of mea , dea , tea , and eo , respectively . the feed is meant to correspond to that from a typical ethanolamines reactor operating with about a 5 : 1 nh3 : eo ratio combined with the overhead from the tower which is recycled to the feed . again a 20 foot diameter , 15 theoretical tray tower is used . the mixed amine is fed to tray 12 and the eo to tray 9 . the hold - ups for trays 2 - 12 are 80 cubic feet . trays 2 - 12 are taken as sieve trays and trays 13 - 14 are taken as sulzer bx ™ wire mesh packing for pressure drop calculations . fig4 shows the effect of reflux ratio on dea selectivity and reboiler duty . the results of the calculations are shown in table 3 . table 3______________________________________ l - mea - stream id units bottoms eo - feed overhead feed______________________________________temp . fahrenheit 390 . 0 100 . 0 140 . 0 250 . 0 pressure psi 1 . 53 60 . 0 0 . 68 60 . 0 vapor 0 0 0 0 fraction mole flow lbmol / 109 . 892 83 . 989 25 . 804 135 . 677 hr volume flow cuft / hr 200 . 125 69 . 858 25 . 668 165 . 215 mass flow lb / hr 12120 . 706 3700 . 0 159 . 293 10000 . 0 enthalpy mmbtu / - 22 . 135 - 2 . 765 - 2 . 936 - 18 . 328 hr mass flow water trace trace eo trace 3700 0 . 816 nh3 trace trace mea 56 . 971 1570 . 348 6200 dea 9997 . 207 8 . 086 3100 tea 2052 . 547 0 . 033 700 dga 9 . 583 0 . 011 eg tea - eo 4 . 399 trace______________________________________ further modifications and alternative embodiments of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description . accordingly , this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the manner of carrying out the invention . equivalent elements may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein , and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently of the use of other features , all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the invention .	8
the specific multi - layer pipe having an outer layer of pex and a tubular core of hdpe , whether sdr - 9 or non - sdr - 9 , is resistant to chlorine and hocl in water , and has substantially the same outer diameter as conventional pex pipe . the extrudate has a nominal diameter in the range from about 7 mm ( 0 . 25 ″) to 10 mm ( 0 . 375 ″) for non - sdr - 9 pipe having a wall thickness in the range from 1 . 57 mm ( 0 . 062 ″) to 1 . 78 mm ( 0 . 070 ″) respectively ; and has a nominal diameter in the range from 13 mm ( 0 . 5 ″) to 152 mm ( 6 ″) for sdr - 9 pipe having a wall thickness in the range from about 1 . 78 mm ( 0 . 070 ″) to 17 . 29 mm ( 0 . 681 ″) respectively as specified in astm f876 and f877 , the wall thickness depending upon the particular nominal diameter ; overall dimensions of the novel pipe meet the specifications set for its use in a chosen environment ; the thickness of the core , in each case , being sufficient to substantially negate oxidative degradation of the pex outer layer by oxidizing agents present in potable water . the wall thickness of the tubular core is measured in the radial direction and the wall thickness of the continguous outer sheath of pex , whether one or more layers of pex , is at least as thick as the minimum wall thickness mandated by the plumbing code for a pipe having the specified nominal diameter . referring to fig4 , there is shown the hoop stress measured as specified by astm d2837 for pipe made of various types of polyethylene through which water at 82 ° c . ( 180 f .) is held . it is seen that the continuous curve fitted through points representing the hoop stress of hdpe pipe at various intervals of time shows that the hoop stress declines visibly soon after the test is started , and has decreased 15 % after only 10 hr ; at the end of 40 hr the hoop stress at failure for hdpe is only 3 mn / m 2 after having started out with a hoop stress of close to 8 mn / m 2 . these results confirm those obtained by scott et al . ( supra ). referring now to the curve for the twin - layered pipe , it is seen that there is no visible decrease in hoop stress due to the inner core of hdpe , even after 1500 hr . in a preferred embodiment , the wall of the hdpe inner core is extruded from commercially available hdpe having a density in the range from about 0 . 95 to 0 . 96 g / cm 3 , the denser the hdpe the higher its crystallinity . the hdpe inner core contains known processing aids , stabilizers , antioxidants , antiozonants , and the like which may be present in an amount from 10 ppm to about 7 parts per hundred of the hdpe . preferred primary antioxidants are hindered phenols , including those commercially available as irganox ® 1010 , 1076 and b215 ; secondary antioxidants including those commercially available as irgafos ® 168 and irganox ® ps802 , function as thermal processing stabilizers ; pigments include titanium dioxide and carbon black ; and , lubricants including fluorinated flow aids . the pex outer sheath is preferably pex crosslinked to a gel level greater than 65 % as measured according to astm d2765 , and more preferably , pex crosslinked to a gel level greater than 70 %. cross - linking in the pex may be produced either chemically by reactive functional groups , or by free radical reaction ; the former is typically effected with silane cross - linking , while the latter is effected either by irradiation or with a peroxide cross - linking agent as for example in the engel process . irradiative cross - linking typically occurs at room temperature by electron bombardment with critical control . most preferred is cross - linking with vinylalkoxysilane groups grafted onto a pe backbone in a separate extrusion process . pellets of the grafted pe are mixed with a masterbatch containing a catalyst , stabilizer , pigment , processing aid , antioxidant , etc . and extruded to yield a partially cross - linked pe pipe . this pipe is further cross - linked by exposure to water . preferred processes for making pex are known in the art as the sioplas process and the monosil process , with the sioplas process being preferred . in the sioplas process , a polyethylene resin is melted and vinyltrimethoxysilane or vinyltriethoxysilane is added to the melted polyethylene along with a catalyst , such as a peroxide initiator . functional reaction sites are thereby formed on the polyethylene polymer chains at which crosslinking will occur , typically by exposure to moisture . the grafted resin is pelletized and stored for later use in containers such as foil - lined bags , to protect the resin from moisture . a masterbatch which contains catalyst (“ catalyst masterbatch ”) is prepared before it is mixed with the grafted resin . this masterbatch typically includes a predetermined amount of pe ; a catalyst , such as a dibutyl tin dilaurate ; a primary antioxidant , such as a hindered phenol commercially available as irganox ® 1010 , 1076 and b215 ; and a secondary antioxidant commercially available as irgafos ® 168 , and irganox ® ps 802 . additionally , a hindered amine light ( uv ) stabilizer such as tinuvin ® 111 and pigments such as titanium dioxide and carbon black may also be used . the catalyst masterbatch is typically pelletized for ease of mixing with the grafted resin in a conventional extruder . the grafted resin and catalyst masterbatch are usually combined in a specific ratio , melted and mixed together and extruded . when the grafted polyethylene resin and catalyst masterbatch are mixed together , crosslinking of the polyethylene at the silane graft sites accelerates . the material exits the extruder and is typically cooled . to produce the multilayer pipe of this invention , a co - extrusion process is used . in the co - extrusion process , two or more extruders are used , one extruder for each material or layer in the pipe . for a twin - layer pipe , two extruders are used ; and for a trilayer pipe , three extruders are used . the extruders are typically displaced 90 ° from each other . the plural extruders feed into a multi - layer pipe die head such as is commercially available from rollepaal and illustrated in their sales brochure . the temperature of each of the plural zones along the longitudinal axial length of the die head allows the temperature of each zone to be adjusted so as to gradually heat the laminate being formed . a first extruder flows pex into a first port in the die head , and a second extruder flows hdpe into a second port in the die head . from the second port , the hdpe flows into distribution branches which are in open communication with an inner annular zone , and then over a frustoconical mandrel . from the first port , the pex flows into distribution branches which are in open communication with an outer annular zone and then over the hdpe flowing over the mandrel . when the tubular inner core of hdpe contacts the inner surface of the outer pex pipe being formed , a twin - layer tubular laminate is formed in which the two layers are melt bonded together , or cohesively bonded , such than no adhesive is required . to retain its cylindrical shape and predetermined size , the twin - layer pipe is passed through sizing blocks as it is cooled below its melt temperature . the field of co - extrusion is a well known art and , for brevity , need not be described in greater detail in this specification . once the twin - layer pipe is extruded , the crosslinking for the pex layer is completed to the desired level ( usually about 70 – 85 % gel level ) by exposure to moisture . the exposure to moisture may be by atmospheric moisture ( humidity ); crosslinking can be accelerated by using hot water or steam . in the foregoing description , the material referred to as pex may be partially crosslinked at the time of mixing and extruding but is further crosslinked to the desired level after the pipe is formed . the invention will be better understood by referring to the drawings in which fig1 shows a twin - layer pipe 10 having an inner tubular core layer 12 of hdpe , and an outer sheath 14 of a single layer of pex . referring to fig2 , there is shown a tri - layer pipe 20 having an inner core 22 of hdpe and an outer sheath comprising successive contiguous melt - bonded first and second outer layers 24 and 26 respectively , of pex , each radially successively outward from the inner layer 22 , the second layer 26 of pex being outermost . the function of the outermost layer 26 , in addition to reinforcing the first layer 24 , is to differentiate one section of pipe for a particular application ( e . g ., hot water ) from another section for another application ( e . g ., cold water ). for example , it is desirable to use differently color - coded pex of substantially the same density , each pigmented with a pigment of chosen color , to produce the second layer 26 . the second layer 26 may be pigmented with red pigment to indicate a pipe for carrying hot water , and with blue pigment to indicate pipe for carrying cold water , thus facilitating installation of the pipe . referring to fig3 , there is shown an embodiment of a large diameter pipe 30 , typically greater than 25 mm ( 1 ″) nominal diameter , having five successive layers , each contiguous with the preceding layer , the core being innermost layer 32 of hdpe . an intermediate layer 34 of pex is melt - bonded to the outer surface of the core 32 , and an oxygen barrier layer 38 of evoh is adhesively bonded to the outer surface of the pex layer with an adhesive layer 36 . the evoh layer 38 attenuates migration of atmospheric gases , particularly oxygen , which is known to be harmful to a water boiler . to produce a multilayer pipe with an outer sheath of evoh , a co - extrusion process is used . in this co - extrusion process , four or five extruders are used , one extruder for each different material to be extruded as a layer . a specially designed die receives extrudates from five extruders each extrudate forming one of the five layers illustrated in fig3 . the design of the die is generally similar to the design of a rollepaal die . though evoh provides a convenient barrier layer 38 , the choice of material is not narrowly critical , any extrudable effective oxygen barrier material may be substituted for the evoh . for better protection , the evoh , or both layers 38 and 40 may be replaced with aluminum foil , or a material other than polyethylene which presents a barrier to diffusion of oxygen . alternatively , in addition to that provided by the evoh , aluminum foil ( not shown ) may be adhesively secured over the evoh with a suitable adhesive 40 which will bond the aluminum to the evoh . the multilayer pipe as shown in fig1 – 3 has a nominal diameter in the range of from 7 mm ( 0 . 25 ″ non - sdr - 9 ) to a maximum of about 152 mm ( 6 ″ sdr - 9 ) and a wall thickness in the range from about 1 . 57 mm ( 0 . 062 ″) to about 17 . 29 mm ( 0 . 681 ″), respectively . the nominal diameter of pipe as well as its inside diameter is dictated by plumbing codes , as is the minimum and maximum outside diameter of the pex for that nominal diameter pipe . therefore , the maximum wall thickness of the inner hdpe layer is dictated by the minimum inside diameter , the minimum thickness of pex , and the maximum outside diameter of the pipe , specified by the code . this can be better understood by referring to the dimensional conformance section below . the following dimensions ( given in inches in parentheses ) are specified by astm f - 876 and f - 877 for a particular sdr - 9 pex pipe having a wall of pex alone : nominal dia . outside dia . wall thickness 19 mm 22 . 22 mm ± 0 . 10 2 . 47 mm ± 0 . 25 ( 0 . 75 in .) ( 0 . 875 in . ± 0 . 004 ) ( 0 . 097 in . ± 0 . 010 ) the foregoing dimensions specify a minimum pex wall thickness of 2 . 47 mm and a maximum pex wall thickness of 2 . 72 mm ; thus , in a twin - layer pex / hdpe pipe the maximum wall thickness of the inner hdpe layer is 0 . 25 mm ( 10 mils ). the minimum wall thickness of hdpe will be dictated by the degree of protection sought and the technical feasibility of extruding the desired minimum substantially uniform wall thickness of hdpe desired . an example below provides two sections of pex pipe having the same nominal diameter , a first section having an inner hdpe layer 0 . 05 mm ( 2 mils ) thick , and a second section having an inner hdpe layer 0 . 010 mm ( 4 mils ) thick ; and the effect the thickness of each inner layer has when the required tolerances are to be maintained to be code - acceptable . the wall thickness of the tubular core inner layer of high density polyethylene measured in the radial direction , is preferably in the range from about 0 . 025 mm ( 1 mil ), typically for small diameter pipe less than 25 mm nominal diameter ., to about 0 . 50 mm ( 20 mils ) for larger diameter pipe up to about 152 mm in nominal diameter . the pex pipe is continuously extruded , therefore of arbitrary length which pipe is then coiled onto a large spool from which it is unwound and cut to a specified length ; alternatively , the extrudate is cut into sections of desired length . the pipe may be assembled using standard crimp type fittings as are commercially available and well known in the art . a twin layer pipe , illustrated in fig1 , is made by co - extruding an uncrosslinked hdpe inner layer and a pex outer layer . internal components of a 25 . 4 mm ( 1 ″) extrusion die were modified by configuring the plate to allow for a two - layer piping structure . the pipe structure was set to extrude a thin hdpe layer inside a thicker cross - linkable silane grafted pe outer layer . a commercially available silane grafted pe base resin ( flexet 5100 from at plastics ) having a density of 0 . 945 g / cm 3 measured according to astm d1505 and a melt index of 35 g / 10 min measured according to astm d1238 ( 190 ° c . and 21 . 6 kg ) was mixed with a commercially available catalyst masterbatch ( flexet 728 from at plastics ) having a melt index of 1 . 5 g / 10 min measured according to astm d1238 ( 190 ° c . and 2 . 16 kg ), and a density of 0 . 935 g / cm 3 measured according to astm d1505 . the mixture contained 96 wt . % silane grafted pe and 4 wt . % catalyst masterbatch . the blend was fed into a hopper located on a 2½ ″ davis - standard single screw extruder . the extruder was equipped with a general purpose polyolefin processing screw and breaker plate . processing conditions are set forth in table i below : a 1½ ″ davis - standard ( general designation ) single screw extruder was used to extrude the hdpe inner layer . the hdpe base resin had a density of 0 . 953 g / cm 3 measured according to astm d4883 . 0 . 044 weight percent of a blue color pigment was present in the hdpe . pellets of the hdpe are fed into a hopper located on the extruder . the extruder is equipped with a general purpose polyolefin processing screw and breaker plate . processing conditions are set forth in table ii below : a twin layer pipe was co - extruded at a rate of 40 kg / hr , having an average inner layer thickness of 0 . 006 ″ ( 0 . 15 mm ) and an average outer layer thickness of 0 . 108 ″ ( 2 . 74 mm ). the average outside diameter was 1 . 298 ″ ( 33 . 0 mm ). the co - extruded pipe is placed in a water bath set to 82 ° c . for 16 hours to further cross - link the pex outer layer . the final pipe thus has a pex outer layer that has a gel content greater than 70 % as measured according to astm d2765 . the twin layer pipe with protective hdpe inner layer was compared for oxidation resistance to a single layer pex pipe of identical formulation and similar dimensions . both samples were exposed for 2800 hours to a highly oxidative environment according to the nsf p171 chlorine resistance protocol at the following conditions : 105 ° c ., 57 psi , 4 . 0 ppm free chlorine and ph = 6 . 8 . radial shavings were cut from 0 . 020 ″ and 0 . 040 ″ depths in from the inner surface of the pipes . three samples were taken at 0 . 020 ″ depth and two samples at 0 . 040 ″ depth . these samples were then tested for oxygen induction time according to astm d - 3895 . the relative oxidative ratio ( oit of lined pipe at radial depth x / oit of unlined pipe at radial depth x ) are presented in the table iii below : the relative oxidative ratio being greater than 1 at both radial depths , is evidence that the hdpe - lined pipe has better oxidative resistance than the unlined pipe .	5
as shown in fig1 through 3 , a preferred form of our invention when set up for use is a chair with a generally horizontal rectangular seat panel 24 , and generally vertical rectangular front and rear panels 3 and 7 - 25 - 31 - 32 respectively . the chair also has generally vertical trapezoidal left and right side panels 1 and 5 respectively . ( all references to lateral direction in this description are as viewed from in front of the chair .) these are the four rectangular panels first - mentioned in the brief description above . the upper portions of the sides of the chair ( the portions above the seat 24 ) are double walled , having inner side panels 29 - 30 on the left side and 26 - 27 on the right . these inner side panels 29 - 30 and 26 - 27 are continuous with the outer side panels 5 and 1 respectively , being folded over at double folds 19 , and they suspend the seat 24 . as shown in fig3 the seat also rests upon an internal cross - panel 11 ( the &# 34 ; fifth panel &# 34 ; mentioned earlier , which is stabilized by a right - angle fold 15 at the base of its extension panel or stiffening - angle tab 14 . thus the seat is triply supported -- in compression by the front panel 3 and internal panel 11 , and in tension by the inner side panels 29 - 30 . it will be appreciated that the major part of the weight of a person occupying the seat typically will be borne by the internal cross - panel 11 . the front panel 3 typically bears the next largest fraction of the weight . the tension effect of the inner side panels 29 - 30 in suspending the seat 24 normally comes into play only if the occupant enters the seat in such a way as to slightly damage the internal cross - panel 11 or to slightly disrupt the stiffening effect provided by the right - angle fold 15 -- or if the occupant sits in the seat in a skewed fashion that tends to slightly lift the seat away from the internal cross - panel 11 . the chair has a handhole 17 for convenience in carrying . it also has a hand - access slot 21 for use in preparing the chair for shipment , storage , or disposal as will be explained shortly . in the rear panel , the upper portions 25 - 31 - 32 of the erected chair are generally coplanar with the lower portion 7 , and the same is true of these portions even when the chair is folded flat for shipment , storage or disposal . nevertheless , the upper portions 25 - 31 - 32 are separated from the lower portion 7 by a horizontal fold line 16 ; and the upper central portion 25 is separated from the upper side portions 31 and 32 by diagonal fold lines 18 . similarly the inner side wall upper portions 26 and 30 are separated from the corresponding generally coplanar lower portions 27 and 29 by intermediate diagonal fold lines 20 . all these fold lines are provided for purposes to be made clear below . the preferred form of our invention can also assume the flattened or &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; configuration of fig4 . in this condition it is extremely compact . more specifically , the overall thickness is only at maximum three layers of the fiberboard or other material , while the overall &# 34 ; height &# 34 ; ( that is , the lengths of the glued edges 8 , 33 ) is only equal to the height of the back panel of the erect chair . furthermore , the width of the flattened chair is the sum of the widths of only two panels -- e . g ., front panel 3 and side panel 1 , as shown . in fig4 the chair , though still in its &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; configuration , is on edge -- as if , for example , it has just been removed from a horizontal disposition on a shipping pallet , and rotated ninety degrees onto its edge . fig5 through 7 represent three configurations of the chair . these configurations are intermediate between the flattened or &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; condition of fig4 and the opened condition of fig1 through 3 . in the first intermediate configuration , the flattened or &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; chair of fig4 is still erect , but now partially unfolded , or &# 34 ; folded open ,&# 34 ; into a parallelogram - shaped tube . to obtain this condition from that of fig4 one first allows the natural springiness of the 180 - degree folds 4 and 33 to very slightly open the tube from its completely flattened or &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; condition , so that the bottom two panels 5 and 7 are no longer substantially coplanar -- and similarly with the top two panels . it will be understood that this &# 34 ; first step &# 34 ; takes virtually no time at all . it occurs , without effort on the part of the person assembling the chair , as soon as the chair is placed on edge or even earlier . next one moves the fold line 4 that is at the left edge of the flattened or &# 34 ; closed &# 34 ; chair ( as viewed in fig4 and 5 ) toward the right relative to the glued seam 8 , 33 that is at the right edge . the latter part of this motion is indicated by the arrows 41 and 42 . as can be seen in fig5 the internal &# 34 ; fifth panel &# 34 ; 11 ( with its extension panel 14 ) is parallel to the front and back panels 3 - 24 and 7 . consequently the fifth panel 11 , 14 folds open in parallelogram fashion along with the front and back panels 3 - 24 and 7 . fig5 also illustrates the manner of attachment of this panel 11 to the left side panel 5 by a glue tab 13 and to the right side panel by intermediate panel 9 . by continuing to unfold the parallelogram - shaped tube until the angles between adjacent panels ( e . g ., at the principal fold lines 2 , 4 and 6 and at the glue seam 8 - 33 ) are all substantially right angles , one eventually brings the chair to the substantially rectangular - tube condition shown in fig6 . the chair is now already standing on its bottom end . next , as shown in fig7 the seat panel 24 is pushed backward , inward and downward to approach the position represented in fig1 . the height of the seat panel 24 above any supporting surface is of course equal to the difference between the overall height of the chair and the length of the seat panel 24 -- i . e ., its vertical length before it is pushed back . since the seat panel 24 spans the front - to - back depth of the chair , its length substantially equals the common widths of the side panels 1 and 5 . ( the angle of the double - fold lines 19 to the horizontal is thus forty - five degrees ). the height of the seat panel above any support surface is therefore , as previously mentioned , generally equal to the difference between the overall height of the chair and the front - to - back depth of the chair . it will be appreciated that if the upper portions 29 - 30 and 26 - 27 of the left and right side panels 5 - 29 - 30 and 1 - 26 - 27 respectively were rigid , and if each were maintained coplanar as in fig4 through 6 , it would not be physically possible to move the seat panel 24 from its fig6 position to its fig1 position . this is so even though , as previously mentioned , the left and right inner side panels 26 - 27 and 29 - 30 are respectively coplanar after the chair has been erected . the reason is that the left and right edges of the seat panel 24 must pass directly adjacent to the upper diagonal double fold lines 19 , but rigid upper side portions 29 - 30 and 26 - 27 would force the seat panel 24 away from the fold lines 19 in the intermediate portions of the motion . to permit lowering of the seat , the upper side - panel portions 26 - 27 and 29 - 30 are separated by respective auxiliary or intermediate fold lines 20 , which allow the upper side - panel portions 26 - 27 and 29 - 30 to buckle outward as indicated in fig7 . the rear panel is also provided with diagonal fold lines 18 and a horizontal fold line 16 . these fold lines allow some flexing of the seat in response to application of a user &# 39 ; s weight , to more comfortably accommodate the user &# 39 ; s back . it will now be seen that the entire assembly process reduces to just three simple motions : standing the tube on end , opening it to rectangular form , and pushing the seat into place . there is no slot - and - tab fitting step . accordingly , unskilled personnel can perform this entire final - assembly or erecting procedure in just three seconds , or perhaps as much as five seconds . moreover they can do so after only a few minutes &# 39 ; training -- which generally consists of being shown the procedure once . it will be understood that there is great variability among individuals in the ability to understand and imitate a simple mechanical procedure involving &# 34 ; normal &# 34 ; manual dexterity and &# 34 ; typical &# 34 ; spatial - relations sense . accordingly our invention is not necessarily limited or defined in terms of the amount of assembly effort or time needed by any particular individual or individuals , except to the extent ( if any ) specified in the appended claims . ( at various points in this document we have mentioned several figures for assembly time , and duration of training , for our invention and for the geneve invention . we mean these primarily as comparative values to aid in appreciation of the character of our invention , and to aid in appreciating the advance represented by our invention over the prior art . we consider the recited assembly and training intervals to be representative of typical unskilled personnel .) furthermore , such personnel can even more rapidly refold the chair for shipment , storage and / or disposal by simply reversing the procedure just described . that is , the seat 24 and extension 14 are first folded forward and upward , and the seat 24 outward , to regain the fig6 rectangular - tube structure . the hand - access slot 21 in the seat 24 facilitates this process . this slot makes it unnecessary to reach through the chair from the bottom to start the seat 24 and extension panel 14 upward from their horizontal positions of fig1 through 3 and fig9 . the rectangular structure is then simply allowed to collapse . it passes through the parallelogram condition of fig5 to the flattened condition of fig4 . as will be understood , the fig4 starting point of the final - assembly process shown in fig4 through 7 is a structure that has already been preliminarily assembled . the preliminary steps include partial folding , securing of the tab 13 to the inside of the lower left - hand side panel 5 , and securing of the inside of the right - hand side panel 1 to the intermediate panel 9 . we prefer to perform such securing by the use of glue , and preferably by automatic machinery which can fold and glue the blank to obtain the flattened form of fig4 . the securing may alternatively , however be effected by use of heat - sensitive or chemically sensitive construction materials , staples , or any other apt means of attachment , whether known in the art at this writing or developed later . fig8 and 9 illustrate how the entire chair of our invention can be folded up from a single blank of sheet material . they thus implicitly show also how the flattened form of fig4 of our invention can be prepared from such a blank . the relationship between fig8 and 9 may be conceptualized as follows . in essence , the rear panel 7 - 25 - 31 - 32 remains in position while the other panels are folded &# 34 ; forward &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; upward &# 34 ; out of the plane of fig8 and then transversely above the plane of fig8 toward one another to obtain the enclosed forms of fig9 . more specifically , the intermediate strip 9 , the &# 34 ; fifth panel &# 34 ; 11 with its extension 14 , and the glue tab ( or more generally &# 34 ; securing tab &# 34 ;) 13 are all folded forward in two right angles at the right - rear - corner vertical fold line 8 and the right - internal - corner vertical fold line 10 . as a consequence the &# 34 ; fifth panel &# 34 ; 11 and extension 14 are parallel to and directly forward of the back panel 7 - 25 - 31 - 32 . the glue tab 13 is folded either in the same or ( as illustrated ) the opposite sense in another right angle at the left - internal - corner vertical fold line 12 . hence the glue tab 13 and intermediate strip 9 are mutually parallel , but at right angles to the rear panel 7 and &# 34 ; fifth panel &# 34 ; 11 . on the other side of the rear panel 7 , the side panels 1 and 5 and the front - and - seat panel 3 - 24 are all folded forward in three right angles along the left - rear - corner vertical fold line 6 and the two front - corner vertical fold lines 2 and 4 . one result is that the inside of the left side panel 5 meets the glue tab 13 to form a parallel joint . another result is that the front panel is directly in front of and parallel with both the back panel 7 - 25 - 31 - 32 and the &# 34 ; fifth panel &# 34 ; 11 . yet another result is that the inside of the right side panel 1 meets the intermediate strip 9 to form another parallel joint . in the latter case the far left - hand edge 33 of the blank as shown in fig8 meets the right - rear corner fold 8 , as shown in fig4 through 6 . the foregoing five paragraphs are directed to the conceptual relationship between fig8 and 9 . a more practical presentation of assembly procedures leading to the flattened configuration of fig4 may also be helpful . the sheet stock should first be printed by a silkscreen or direct - printing process , and then die - cut , scored and perforated from the &# 34 ; inside .&# 34 ; after that , glue is applied to the tab 13 on the inside of the sheet , and then the blank is folded over along the right edge 8 of the rear panel 7 - 16 - 17 - 25 - 31 - 32 to glue the tap 13 to the left side panel 5 . next , glue is applied to the right side panel 1 in a stripe along its rear edge 33 . finally , the blank is folded along the corner 4 between the left - side panel 5 and the front - and - seat panel 3 - 24 , to secure the right side panel 1 to the outside of the intermediate strip 9 . we prefer to have the blank shown in fig8 made from double - wall corrugated fiberboard with a mullen test of 275 to 360 pounds per square inch bursting strength or liner - weight combination of 110 to 126 pounds per thousand square feet . it is further our preference to specify b - type medium fluting toward the outside of the glued tube , and to specify c - type fluting toward the inside of the tube . of course the dimensions of the preferred embodiment of our invention will vary with the sizes of people to be accommodated . in mass production for use by the general population , however , we prefer the following : overall height of the blank ( that is to say , length of edge 33 , and of fold lines 2 , 4 , 6 and 8 ), 71 . 1 centimeters ( 28 inches ); width of the chair ( that is , the fold - centerline - to - fold - centerline length of fold lines 22 , 16 and 15 ), 43 . 2 centimeters ( 17 inches ); front - to - back depth of the chair ( that is , the fold - centerline - to - fold - centerline width of panels 1 and 5 ), 28 . 4 centimeters ( 113 / 16 inches ); height of the seat above a support surface ( that is , the fold - centerline - to - cut - edge length of that portion of the fold lines 2 and 4 that is below the fold line 22 ; or the height of the bottom portion 3 of the front panel ) 43 . 2 centimeters ( 17 inches ); and width of the glue tab 13 ( cut - edge - to - fold - center - line ), 4 . 6 centimeters ( 113 / 16 inches ), but dependent upon the type of glue ( or of course other securing means ) employed . the width of the intermediate strip 9 and of the front - to - back length ( when horizontal ) of the extension 14 can be adjusted between rather liberal limits . very generally speaking , the &# 34 ; fifth panel &# 34 ; 11 should be midway between the front and rear panels 3 and 7 . within this very broad constraint , however , we strongly prefer to select these two dimensions so that the &# 34 ; fifth panel &# 34 ; 11 is somewhat closer to the rear panel 7 . the reason for this preference is that in typical or normal use the user &# 39 ; s torso and hence the greater fraction of applied weight are placed behind the front - to - back central plane of the chair . we thus prefer to make the intermediate strip 9 approximately 13 . 3 centimeters ( 51 / 4 inches ). as mentioned above , we have recently developed certain refinements in the details of the stiffening - angle tab which permit optimization of a tradeoff between structural stabilization and user comfort . a portion of our invention lies in our having recognized that in this type of chair it possible to have too much stability , and that such excess stability in fact degrades the comfort of users . this recognition is particularly important in regard to protracted use , as for example at sporting events that continue for more than two or three hours . our refinements make use of this recognition at a critical site in the structure of our chair -- namely , along the line of seat support by the vertical &# 34 ; fifth panel .&# 34 ; here , we have found , it is possible to introduce a structural feature that moderates the stiffening action provided by the stiffening - angle tab . the amount of this moderating can be quantitatively controlled by selection of the precise dimensions of this feature , so that by trial and error it is possible to optimize the comfort of a user of specified dimensions and weight . this optimization can simply be performed for a typical adult user . if preferred , however , for users of a variety of heights and weights a corresponding variety of optimal dimensions can be worked out . blanks for making our chairs with a variety of dimensions can be prepared for use by different groups of people , when it is feasible to determine in advance the sizes and weights of people who will be using the chairs . the refinements here under discussion , illustrated in fig1 and 11 , include : ( 1 ) increasing the height of the stiffening - angle tab 114 so that when folded horizontal it just contacts the rear wall panel 107 -- as does the folded - down seat panel 124 ; ( 2 ) adding at the tip of the stiffening - angle tab 114 a notch 114n , which when the chair is assembled will be aligned generally with the notch 121 in the edge of the seat panel 124 ; and ( 3 ) providing a through - cut 115c that is shaped to have a relatively long segment 115o which is offset from the geometric extension of the fold line 115 . in fig1 and 11 , but for the refinements here under discussion , the features illustrated are substantially the same as in the previously discussed drawings . for convenience of reference , the reference numerals used in fig1 and 11 are the same as in the other illustrations with the addition of a one - hundred series prefix &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. the through - cut 115c advantageously can be formed with two short end segments 115e , relatively sharply angled to the fold line 115 , that substantially connect the through - cut cut 115c to the fold line 115 . the through - cut 115c if preferred can be instead tapered back to the fold line 115 . the configuration of the cut which we prefer is a hybrid of these two possibilities -- a five - segment path . a central segment 115o parallels the fold line 115 , two very short end segments 115e are perpendicular to the fold line 115 , and two intermediate very shallowly tapered segments 115t connect the short end segments 115e with the central segment 115o . it is not absolutely necessary that the connection of the through - cut 115c to the fold 115 be completed by die - cutting ; reliance can instead be placed on a very slight amount of tearing or buckling to complete this connection . we prefer , however , to control the manner and location of this connection by die - cutting the through - cut back to the fold line . as can be seen from the drawings , when the seat is folded for use the offset through - cut creates a short forward horizontal extension 115f of the horizontal panel 114 , and a shallow declivity or cavity 115d in the top of the associated vertical panel 111 . the user &# 39 ; s weight is supported in part on the combined horizontal surface 115f - 114 of the fifth panel . this combined horizontal surface spans the declivity or cavity 115d . in use the user &# 39 ; s weight deforms the seat panel 124 and the combined horizontal surface 115f - 114 . in this deformation the user &# 39 ; s weight presses the combined horizontal surface 115f - 114 partly or completely ( depending upon the user &# 39 ; s weight and dimensions ) downward into the declivity 115d . to some extent -- particularly for users of medium or greater size and weight -- the chair by this deformation conforms to the user &# 39 ; s shape , which promotes the user &# 39 ; s comfort . to some extent -- particularly for smaller and lighter users -- the combined horizontal surface does not &# 34 ; bottom out &# 34 ; in the declivity 115d and thus instead retains some springiness , which likewise promotes the user &# 39 ; s comfort . the previously mentioned five - segment cut configuration causes the declivity in the vertical portion 111 of the fifth panel to be gently tapered for comfortable conformance to the body of a middle - size , middle - weight user , but still provides a small vertical drop at each end of the declivity to create a springy &# 34 ; span &# 34 ; effect for smaller , lighter users . while we offer some analysis of a theory by which our invention may work , observation of the deformation of the chair in use is difficult or impossible . the invention does not depend on the accuracy of such analysis or theory . the dimensions of the form of our invention shown in fig1 and 11 are generally the same as already presented for the form of the invention previously discussed . one exception is in the front - to - back length ( when horizontal ) of the extension 114 -- which as will now be clear should be approximately 13 to 13 . 3 centimeters ( 5 to 51 / 4 inches ) to roughly match the intermediate strip 109 . for adults in a normal range of size and weight , we prefer to make the length of the offset cut 115c approximately 23 centimeters ( 9 inches ), and the maximum offset roughly 1 . 8 centimeters ( 11 / 16 inch ). the finger notch 121 in the back panel can be approximately 4 . 4 centimeters ( 13 / 4 inches ) wide , and the corresponding notch 114n in the stiffening - angle tab 114 can be approximately 5 . 7 centimeters ( 21 / 4 inches ) wide . both notches can be approximately 1 . 9 centimeters ( 3 / 4 inch ) deep . it is possible to adjust the chair design for users &# 39 ; size and weight . in very general terms , depending upon the effects desired , we believe that both the length of the offset cut 115c and the maximum offset distance ( the distance from the offset segment 115o of the cut and the extension of the fold line 115 ) may be progressively decreased for relatively larger , heavier people . we are not theoreticians , but it seems that such users tend to create slight deformation of the structure for themselves , without the need for a built - in stiffening - moderation ( or &# 34 ; weakening &# 34 ;) feature . for such people it is accordingly preferable to trade away some comfort - producing potential , to gain greater stability of support . the foregoing disclosure is intended to be merely exemplary , not to limit the scope of the invention -- which is to be determined by reference to the appended claims .	0
fig1 first shows an object slide 1 with biochips 2 arranged thereon . in that , the object slide 1 has ten reaction fields 3 , which compared to the remaining surface of the object slide 1 are executed as small depressions . the biochips 2 are arranged on the reaction fields 3 . in principle , it is conceivable to provide one or even several biochips 2 on one reaction field 3 . in this connection , it is self - evidently possible to adjust the size of the reaction field 3 in a suitable manner . the biochips 2 are small slides with biological material , which were manufactured by coating of a standard cover slip with a tissue section and subsequent fragmentation of the cover slip . while a standard cover slip is an about 100 μm to 200 μm thin , rectangular or round glass platelet , which usually has an area of 18 × 18 mm 2 , biochips 2 are cover slip fragments coated with suitable biological material , which thus have a much smaller surface . depending on the respective examination profile as well as the customer request , on an object slide 1 , a multitude of reaction fields 3 can be provided for respective biochips 2 . in that , it is likewise conceivable to provide more than one biochip with different tissues on one reaction field 3 . during an examination at the laboratory , the tissue sections arranged on the reaction fields 3 of the object slide 1 and covered with tissue are incubated with different fluids , in particular a patient sample . following completion of incubation and prior to using the microscope , the incubated tissue section is coated with ph - buffered glycerin as a mounting medium and covered with a cover slip 4 . the cover slip 4 is arranged such that though it is located at a secure distance from the surface of the tissue section , viewing with the microscope is still possible without any problem . fig2 shows a highly enlarged sectional view of a reaction field 3 of an object slide 1 . on the reaction field 3 of the object slide 1 , a biochip 2 coated with part of a tissue section 6 is located . the tissue section is coated with a mounting medium 5 and covered by a cover slip 4 . on the side facing the microscope , the surface of the biochip 2 carrying the tissue section 6 is provided with labeling 7 in the form of lines . in addition to that , in fig3 , the biochip 2 arranged on the reaction field 3 of the object slide is shown in a top view . the lines used as the labeling 7 are arranged on the surface in groups of several concentric circles . upon using the microscope , the labeling 7 can be detected by means of an apparatus for automatic focusing of the biological material 6 located on the biochip , and focusing is performed . optionally , the extension of the labeling 7 in the z - direction is considered during the focusing process in order to achieve an optimization of focusing . thus , the labeling provided on the biochip 2 serves detection of the focus level . it is essential for the labeling 7 not to react with the biological material 6 located on the biochip 2 . alternatively to the version of the labeling 7 in the form of groups of concentric circles represented in fig3 , it is conceivable to apply parallel lines or a grid pattern onto the surface of the biochip 2 . likewise , two - dimensional labeling 7 , in particular with a metal or dielectric , is possible . furthermore , labeling 7 provided according to the invention can either be provided on the top side of the biochip 2 , i . e . on the side facing the tissue 6 located thereon , or on the rear side , i . e . on the surface facing the object slide 1 . it is respectively essential that the labeling 7 can be reliably detected by the apparatus for automatic focusing of the biological material 6 located on the biochip 2 . furthermore , depending on the version and arrangement of the labeling 7 , the extension of the labeling 7 in the z - direction and / or the thickness of the biochip 2 carrying the tissue are considered in determining the focus level . for examination of a patient sample , an object slide 1 according to fig1 is provided , equipped with a multitude of biochips 2 covered with a cover slip 4 . in that , different tissues 6 or biological material , respectively , are located on the various biochips 2 . the object slide 1 with the biochips 2 is placed on the cross table 9 of a microscope 8 and fixed there . in this connection , it is conceivable that the object slide 1 is positioned on the cross table 9 manually or by means of a handling apparatus 13 . in particular for microscopes 8 , which are operated at an at least partially automated laboratory , the incubated object slides 1 with the biochips 2 are stored in suitable object slide boxes 12 and moved in an automated fashion between these and the cross table 9 by means of a handling apparatus 13 . a suitable handling apparatus 13 preferably has a gripper , wherein the gripper is mobile either relative to the cross table 9 or together with the cross table . in any case , the object slides 1 have markings 14 in the form of an inscription or a code , which enable exact identification of the patient sample located on the biochips 2 as well as preferably also of the tissue types located on the biochips 2 . fig4 shows a schematic representation of a fluorescence microscope 8 with a transmitted - light device , a vertically movable cross table 9 , and a digital camera 17 for image recording . furthermore , an excitation light device with a dichromatic beam splitter 18 and an excitation light source 16 is provided . the beam splitter 18 reflects the excitation light emitted by the excitation light source 16 in the direction towards the biological material 6 arranged on the biochip 2 . contrary to that , the transmitted - light emitted by the transmitted - light source 15 and redirected by a deflecting mirror 23 from the direction of the biochip 2 with the biological material 6 is being let through . the dichromatic beam splitter 18 is preferably executed as a reflection pass filter and reflects all wavelengths below 510 nm . expressed in a simplified manner , the dichromatic beam splitter 18 thus acts as a deflecting mirror for the excitation light , while the light with the wavelength of fluorescence passes the beam splitter 18 unhinderedly . in addition to the beam splitter or the reflection pass filter 18 , respectively , which completely reflects the excitation light , a long pass blocking filter 19 is preferably also provided , which filters out light with wavelengths below 510 nm . in the embodiment described here , the fluorescent dye fluorescein is used , the absorption maximum of which lies at 485 nm and the emission maximum at 514 nm . one substantial aspect of the technology described must be seen in the fact that the digital camera 17 , arranged behind the long pass blocking filter 19 in the direction of the beam path , must record images in the fluorescence mode as well as images in transmitted - light mode . for this reason , the transmitted - light source 15 is executed as a led with a wavelength of 520 to 535 nm . light of this wavelength passes the beam splitter 18 as well as the blocking filter 19 . for the focusing process , the transmitted - light device generates light with a wavelength in the range of the emission wavelength of the fluorescent dye by means of the transmitted - light source 15 . for that , the light emitted by the transmitted - light source 15 is focused by suitable optics 22 and subsequently deflected vertically upward by the deflecting mirror 23 in order to radiate through the biochip 2 with the biological material 6 located thereon from below . the material 6 applied on the biochip 2 is , for example , cultivated human epithelial cells , to which antibodies against cell cores are bound , which were stained with fluorescein - marked anti - human antibodies . since the absorption maximum , i . e . the excitation wavelength of the fluorescein , is 485 nm , the dye is not excited for fluorescence by the transmitted light . as can be further retrieved from fig4 , the transmitted light emitted by the transmitted - light source 15 in the horizontal direction , is first bundled by the optics 22 , and thereafter deflected in the vertical direction by the deflecting mirror 23 . the transmitted light passes the biochip 2 with biological material 6 arranged on the cross table 9 , is bundled by the object lens 20 of the microscope 8 , and passes , unhinderedly , the dichromatic beam splitter 18 as well as the long pass blocking filter 19 , in order to then get to the sensor of the digital camera 17 . the digital camera 17 records the image of the cell walls of the biological material 6 generated with the transmitted light with a relatively short exposure period of about 10 ms . in order to minimize the number of images required for focusing in the transmitted - light mode recorded at various levels vertical to the z - axis , the biochip 2 has labeling 7 on its surface , and the microscope 8 is provided with a device for detecting this labeling . prior to the start of the focusing process in the transmitted - light mode , now first the distance of the labeling 7 from the object lens 20 and / or its location relative to the object lens 20 is determined . for that , a light or beam source , respectively , emitting light is provided , which light is finally reflected by the labeling 7 and detected by a suitable sensor . considering the runtime and / or the beam path , the distance of the labeling 7 from the object lens 20 and / or its location relative to the object lens 20 is determined . optionally , in the determination of the distance and / or the location stated above , the thickness of the labeling 7 , i . e . its extension in the z - direction , too , is considered . considering the determined distance of the labeling 7 from the object lens , the cross table 9 is moved in the z - direction by means of a motor 24 such that focusing in the transmitted - light mode is only performed within a certain target range . within this target range , which represents a distance interval of a few micrometers in the z - direction , in the transmitted - light mode , a few , preferably three images are recorded at different levels . subsequent thereto or at least partially simultaneously , values for the respective sharpness of each individual image are determined by a connected data processing system ( not shown ), using the known sum - modulus - difference ( smd ) method . that image , for which this value is the maximum , is identified as the sharpest image , and the associated vertical position ( in the z - direction ) of the cross table is determined as the focus level . independent of the type and version of the labeling on the biochip , areas of the images , mapping the near - field of the labeling , are preferably not considered in the determination of the focus level . this takes place in order to ensure that parts of the biological material 6 located on the biochip 2 , which could be affected by the labeling , are not considered in the evaluation . once the transmitted - light source 15 was switched off , the cross table 9 is moved to the focus level determined in the transmitted - light mode . in order to generate a fluorescence image , the excitation light source 16 executed as a led is then switched on . the emitted light is focused by suitable optics 21 and hits the dichromatic beam splitter 18 already described , which reflects the excitation light downwardly , and thus deflects it through the object lens 20 onto the biological material 6 on the biochip 2 . there , the excitation light hits the fluorescent dye , which due to this excitation emits diffuse light with a main wavelength of 514 nm . a small part of this fluorescent radiation is emitted in a vertically upward direction , runs through the object lens 20 , and passes the dichromatic beam splitter 18 as well as the long pass blocking filter 19 , in order to be recorded by the digital camera 17 . due to a long exposure time of about 500 ms , the camera 17 generates a fluorescence image . since the location of the fluorescence varies within the height of the biological material 6 , the focus level in the fluorescence mode may deviate compared to the focus level found in the transmitted - light mode . in order to determine the exact focus level , now a number of fluorescence images are also recorded in a search area , which has a size of only a few micrometers . thus , just like in the transmitted - light mode , the cross table position is changed using a motor in the vertical direction ( z - direction ) for each image . using the sum - modulus - difference ( smd ) method , the fluorescence image with the highest sharpness is determined . due to the initially undertaken focusing in the transmitted - light mode , the area , in which the focus level in the fluorescence - mode must be determined , is comparatively small . in this manner , the time in which the fluorescent dye is excited to emit radiation and therefore at least partially consumed , can be minimized . in addition to that , the exposure times in the transmitted - light mode are considerably shorter than in the fluorescence mode . in order to achieve a further reduction of the time required for auto - focusing , using the labeling 7 provided on the biochip , it is ensured that only few , preferably 3 images must be recorded in the transmitted - light mode . without providing respective labeling , about 100 images are usually recorded in the transmitted - light mode during focusing . thus , considering the respective exposure time , the duration of transmitted - light focusing is reduced from 100 × 10 ms = 1 s to 3 × 10 ms = 30 ms . if the entire auto - focusing process was executed in fluorescent light , the duration of focusing would even increase to about 200 × 500 ms = 100 s . even when due to the long exposure time in the fluorescence mode the calculations for the image sharpness ( smd ) can take place in parallel to image recording , and therefore image recording can be interrupted as soon as the sharpest image was found , on average , a summed up exposure time of about 50 s would still be required . fig5 , 6 and 7 respectively show a fluorescence microscope 8 for automated examination of biological samples 6 . equal components are provided with the same reference numbers . the microscope 8 represented is equipped with a device for automatic focusing of the biological material 6 , which is executed such that it detects labeling 7 provided on the biochips 2 arranged on the object slides 1 , and on the basis of this detection determines a target range in the z - direction , within which the focus level is located . for exact determination of the focus level , only few image recordings are required , so that compared to known systems , automatic focusing can be considerably accelerated . the fluorescence microscope 8 has a take - up , at which an object slide box 12 can be fastened , which serves storing and providing several object slides 1 . using a handling apparatus 13 , which is executed as a gripper fastened to the cross table 9 , the object slides 1 required for an examination can be taken from the object slide box 12 in a targeted fashion and subsequently returned there . the object slide box 12 as well as the individual object slides 1 have a marking in the form of an inscription or a code in order to respectively guarantee clear identification . provision , processing and examination of the samples are controlled using laboratory software , via which the examination results are saved and issued , too . for preparation of the microscope process , a so - called carrier 25 , in which the required object slides 1 are held , is taken from the object slide box 12 and fixed in the desired position on the cross table 9 using the handling apparatus 13 . an example of the design of the carrier 25 is shown in fig8 . the carrier 25 shown is executed in a frame shape and has five take - ups for object slides 1 . the object slides 1 with the biochips 2 arranged thereon on respectively ten reaction fields 3 , are safely held by the carrier 25 and in this manner can be reliably stored and transported . following removal of a carrier 25 from the object slide box 12 by the handling apparatus 12 in the form of a gripper , positioning takes place such that ultimately the biochip 2 intended for examination is located underneath the object lens 10 of the microscope . above the object lens 20 , the digital camera 17 is located , using which the required images are recorded . the arrangement of the transmitted - light source as well as the excitation light source 15 , 16 as well as the further optical elements corresponds to that explained in connection with the description of fig4 . the auto - focusing process described already , including detection of the labeling 7 on the biochips as well as recording of images at different levels , first takes place in a central area of the respectively examined biochip . subsequent to that , further focusing and image recording associated therewith is undertaken in two further areas of the biochip 2 , which are located to the left or right , respectively , of the centre . for that , the cross table 9 is respectively moved in the horizontal direction . it is respectively essential that upon focusing , first the labeling 7 on the biochips 2 is detected , in order to thus restrict the horizontal area , where the focus level is to be expected , in a reasonable manner , and to optimize the automated focusing process in respect of the time required . the specification incorporates by reference the disclosure of de 10 2010 035 104 . 0 , filed aug . 23 , 2010 , as well as international application pct / ep2011 / 004227 , filed aug . 23 , 2011 . the present invention is , of course , in no way restricted to the specific disclosure of the specification and drawings , but also encompasses any modifications within the scope of the appended claims .	6
reference will now be made to the drawings in which the various elements and preferred embodiments of the present invention will be discussed . illustrated in fig2 a , 2 b and 2 c is a component 1 with embedded microchannels 15 , 15 ′. this component 1 comprises a substrate 3 , a grating region g and a coating region c . the grating region g comprises first structure domains 5 and second structure domains 7 . the first structure domains 5 comprise materials different from air . the first structure domains 5 can comprise either a dielectric material or a combination of dielectric material layers or a metal or a combination of different metal layers . it can comprise as well a combination of dielectric layers and metal layers . the second structure domains 7 comprise the lower part of microchannels 15 , 15 ′. on top of the first structure domains 5 within the coating region c is a coating 9 . as can be seen from fig2 a - 2 c , at least the upper part of the side walls of the first structure domains 5 are covered by side wall covers 11 . with respect to the cover 9 and the side wall covers 11 the first structure domains form central bodies at least partly encapsulated . the first structure domains 5 together the side wall covers 11 in the grating region g and the coating 9 in the cover region c form microstructures . adjacent microstructures form the side walls of the microchannels 15 , 15 ′. the side walls of the microchannels 15 , 15 ′ within the grating region g which are at least in the upper part formed by the side wall covers 11 are continuously extended into the cover region c , forming the side walls of the upper part of the microchannels 15 , 15 ′. the cross section of the upper part of the microchannels 15 , 15 ′ has the shape of a cross section of the shoulder of a bottle . in fig2 a the bottlenecks are completely closed and therefore the microchannels 15 are separated from the environment . however , as shown in fig2 b the microchannels 15 also can be connected to the environment by connection channels 17 . in any case width of the microchannels 15 , 15 ′ varies as a function of distance to the substrate and is continuously decreasing with increasing distance to the substrate 3 within at least one distance - interval . a high number ( more than 5 ) of spaced apart microstructures applied to the substrate , wherein the distance of adjacent microstructures is at most several microns , form an array of microchannels 15 , 15 ′. at least the upper part of the side walls of the first structure domains 5 are coated with the side wall covers 11 . coating the bottom of the microchannels 15 , 15 ′ and even coating the lower parts of the first structure domains 5 can be avoided with the process for producing such components according to the present invention . as already mentioned the microchannels 15 , 15 ′ can be connected to the environment by connection channels 17 , as shown in fig2 b . the microchannels 15 , 15 ′ can be filled with a fluid if a droplet of the fluid is applied to the top of the cover region , covering at least two of the microstructures and therefore sealing at least one connection channel 17 . capillary forces then drag the fluid into the at least one microchannel 15 , 15 ′. this fluid , as an example can be a melt of a metal or a biological essay . the width of the connection channels 17 determines the size of the particles allowed to enter the microchannels 15 , 15 ′. this filtering effect can be used in analytical applications as will be explained further down . further shown in fig2 b is the possibility to let the cover region c comprise a structured multilayer stack 9 ′. this is particularly interesting if the component according to the present invention is an optical component . this structured multilayer stack 9 ′ can be designed in such a way that it acts as an antireflection layer . it is worth mentioning that in most cases it is favorable to use transparent glass substrates such as quartz or bk7 or transparent plastic substrates such as polycarbonate or pmma . another possibility would be to realize a color filter or neutral density filter on the structure . in the case where the dimensions of the microstructures and microchannels 15 , 15 ′ are in the order of magnitude or below the wavelength of the electromagnetic fields impinging on the optical component rigorous diffraction theory or effective medium theories can be applied in order to simulate the optical characteristics and to optimize the layout of the coating structure . if the connection channels 17 are closed , as shown in fig2 a the structured multilayer stack could be covered by an unstructured multilayer stack . in addition components comprising additional multilayer stacks between the substrate 3 and the grating region g can be realized . in fig2 c shown is a component where the bottom of the second structure domains 7 is coated in such a way that the microchannels 15 ′ form thin , elongated channels . here again capillary forces can be used to fill these channels with a fluid . as discussed above prior art teaches that standard sputter techniques applied to small and deep structures in many cases lead to hollow spaces ( de 197 02 388 ) and the person skilled in the art tries to avoid these hollow spaces . it is subject matter of the present invention to control the angular distribution of the particle deposition rate on the substrate in such a way , that a well defined shape of these hollow spaces , leading to microchannels 15 , 15 ′ is realized . the angular distribution of the coating particles depends on a various number of coating parameters . the angular distribution depends on the target structure , whether it is crystalline , polycrystalline or amorphous . it depends also on the geometry of the target , whether it is flat or curved . the angular distribution depends as well on how particles generally are excited from the target source , for example by a collimated or focused excitation - beam and whether the angle of incidence of the excitation beam is obtuse or acute . the angular distribution of the coating particles further depends on what kind of excitation beam , if any , is used : gas , ions , electrons , laser light is possible among others . once the particles are excited from the target , there is a certain probability of scattering , depending on the gas pressure , the atom mass of the gas used , the flux of the gas and , up to a certain extend , the orientation of the flux of the gas . the probability of scattering depends as well on the path a particle has to propagate before hitting the substrate . in coating procedures where the substrate with the first structure domains 5 to be coated passes the target in close distance ( see fig3 a - 3 c ), power modulation or modulation of plasma frequency allows to influence the angular distribution of coating particles impinging on the first structure domains 5 on the substrate . this angular distribution determines the final geometry of the microstructures and therefore the geometry of the microchannels 15 , 15 ′. shadowing effects of the side walls of the first structure domains 5 play an important role for this process . as an example we investigate a substrate with a surface grating structure . the grating structure comprises lamellar first structure domains 5 where the grating region g is 500 nm thick and the first structure domains 5 as well as the second structure domains 7 have a width of 250 nm . the second structure domains 7 have an aspect ratio of 500 nm / 250 nm = 2 . ( the aspect ration is the ratio of feature height to feature width ). we define the non - conical plane to be the plane which is spanned by the grating vector and the normal on the surface of the substrate . the propagation vector of coating particles which are impinging on and in the grating region g can have a vector - component parallel to the non - conical plane . if we restrict the coating to coating particles where this vector - component is tilted 45 ° or more to the normal on the surface of the substrate only the upper half of the side walls are coated . this is because the lower half of the side walls are shadowed by the opposing side wall of the adjacent microstructure . this effect is even self - attenuating because with increasing coating thickness of the upper half of the side walls the distance between the coated side walls decreases and as a consequence the shadowing effect increases . fig3 shows with three typical coating snapshots how the shadowing effect can be practicably realized : the coating source 21 comprises a target producing coating particles . the structured substrate 23 is fixed on a rotating substrate mount 27 in such a way that in position 3 b of the rotating mount the structured surface faces the coating source and the grating lines are at least almost parallel to the rotation axis of the rotating mount . the coating process can be switched off as long as the substrate is directly in front of the target ( see fig3 b ). switching on the coating process during positions according to fig3 a and fig3 c results in predominantly coating the side walls of the first structure domains 5 in a symmetric way as well as the top of the first structure domains 5 . switching on the coating process in positions according to 3 a only or 3 c only results in an asymmetric coating of the side walls . note that switching on the coating process during all three positions 3 a 3 b and 3 c also can result in to shadowing effects if the aspect ratio of the second structure domains 7 is high enough , in particular is above 1 . different deposition rates can be chosen in a continuous way , which means that the process is not limited to an on - off step function : the deposition rate is rather a continuous function to choose . moreover for asymmetric coatings one material could be coated on one side and another material could be coated on the other side , if e . g . two different targets are used ( not shown ). this opens the possibility to fabricate for example effective blazed gratings ( e . g . asymmetric gratings ). in order to control the deposition rate power modulation techniques can be applied . another possibility would be to vary the plasma frequency . the inventors found that increasing the plasma frequency up to a certain upper frequency limit reduces the deposition rate , and above that limit ( 100 khz or more ) the deposition rate is essentially zero . since a fast change in deposition rate is required ( synchronous to the movement of the substrate ) it is of advantage to use this high frequency effect . note that in contrast to u . s . pat . no . 6 , 210 , 540 no masking of the target is required . once the possible angular distributions of coating particles for different process parameters have been evaluated it is possible to simulate , for example based on particle propagation , scattering and deposition models , the deposition on the substrate as a function of position on the surface of the structured substrate to be coated . different process parameters result in different coating geometries , said geometries also depending on the actual geometry of the microstructure in the substrate . based on these simulations it is possible to decide on the optimum coating strategy , possibly including dynamical adjustments of the angular distribution of the particles deposition rate . therefore the type of coating materials and the energy of their particles is adopted during the coating process together with the active and dynamic control of the angular distribution of the coating particles deposition rate to realize the desired coating geometries . for example for optical components comprising grating structures with grating periods well below the wavelength of the electromagnetic field the component is illuminated with ( zero order gratings ) the optical performance in most cases shows weak dependence on the grating period as long as the period is well below the wavelength . therefore the grating period can be chosen relatively free and adopted to the coating requirements . smaller grating periods together with the same thickness of the grating region g result in higher aspect ratios of the first structure domains . there are a high number of systems applying the components comprising embedded microchannels . it is possible to distinguish between systems where the microchannels remain filled with air and such components where the component comprising the microchannels filled with air is an intermediate product and in the final system the microchannels are filled with a material different from air . in optical coating technology the range of useful optical coating materials is limited . the lower limit for index of refraction for useful hard coating materials is about 1 . 38 for mgf 2 . there are materials with lower index , however those result in generally soft coatings and are not widespread in use . for dielectric submicron grating structures it is well known that if the grating period is considerably smaller than the wavelength of the light used , the grating layers act as an artificial material with an artificial index of refraction . this index of refraction is something like an average of the materials indices in use in this grating layer . the known “ effective medium theory ” ( in the context of zero order gratings ) allows to determine the artificial index of refraction . by this stable artificial coating layers with index of refraction considerably below the index of mgf 2 are possible . consider a zero order binary grating structure on a substrate with lamellar first domain structures and lamellar second domain structures . the first domain structures are filled with mgf 2 and the second domain structures are empty or filled with air . the artificial index of refraction will be well below the index of pure mgf 2 , depending on the duty cycle , which is the ratio of the first domain structure to the grating period of the grating . these structures are well known , however up to now it was not practicable to fabricate multilayer structures based on such a very low index material , because of the difficulty to overcoat the surface structures without filling the second domain structures . with the procedure according to the present invention it is now possible to realize embedded microchannels . most of the parts of the second domain structures remain empty or filled with air . since the structure can be completely closed it is possible to apply additional continuous or structured layers . for one - dimensional zero order grating structures the previously mentioned effective medium theory leads to an orientation dependent effective index . the effective index parallel to the grating lines is different from the effective index perpendicular to the grating lines . based on the present invention it is now possible to realize multilayer stack birefringent layers . this allows to design and fabricate broadband polarizing beam splitters which are not angular dependent , non - polarizing color filter and dielectric mirror showing no angular dependency . as a more specific example the possibility to create a polarizing beam splitter which is not angular dependent is discussed . for non - conical incidence the light can be orthogonally separated in tm - polarized light and te - polarized light . for tm - polarized light the electric field vector oscillates in the plane of incidence , which is the non - conical plane as defined before . for te - polarized light the electric field vector oscillates perpendicular to the plane of incidence . basis of the polarizing beam splitter is a quartz substrate with index of refraction of 1 . 48 . on this quartz substrate a dielectric zero order grating based on tio 2 is realized , the duty cycle of which is chosen in such a way that for tm polarization the artificial index corresponds to n ( tm )= 1 . 48 . as this is a one - dimensional grating structure the artificial index of te - polarized light will be well above . according to the procedure of the present invention this grating structure is covered with an sio 2 coating with index of refraction close to n = 1 . 48 . another tio 2 grating is applied to the system with preferably the same duty - cycle as before leading to the same artificial indices . with such a method a multilayer stack can be built . the tm - polarized light will always face an index of refraction close to n = 1 . 48 , in case the cover material also is quartz . the te - polarized light in contrast will propagate in a multilayer system with alternating high and low index layers . the thickness of these layers can be adjusted so that the te - polarized light is reflected very efficiently , whereas the tm - polarized light will transmit very efficiently . it is clear that the thicknesses of the layers can be designed in order to reflect only part of the incoming light , leading to wavelength dependent polarizing beam splitters , useful for example for an image projection apparatus . other transparent substrate materials such as glass , particularly bk7 , sf1 , sf2 ; or plastic can be used . if so , the layout of the structures and the layers needs to be adjusted . it is a widespread problem that micron or submicron surface structures which are open to the environment are easily ruined due to dust scratches or other environmental influences . this is particularly true for the so called wire grid polarizers based on one - dimensional zero order grating structures with thin metal wires filling the fist structure domains and the second structure domains remaining filled with air . coating the wire grids according to the prior art affects directly the optical performance of the polarizer , since this fills the second structure domains with coating material . coating these wire grid polarizers with an overcoat according to the present invention protects these structures almost without filling the second structure domains . taking the overcoat into account during the design of the layout with respect to optical characteristics even has potential to improve the optical performance , especially if the overcoat comprises a multilayer stack , typically a dielectric stack of alternating materials . another aspect is that silver would be the material of choice for these metal grids . however silver without protection exposed to the environment degrades in a very short time leading to minor optical performance . this is the reason why typically aluminum is used for the wire grids . the possibility of coating silver gratings without filling the second structure domains or without filling them completely in order to environmentally protect the silver enables the use of silver wire grids in such applications . in this case it can be helpful to extend the ( thin ) side wall covers 11 down to the bottom of the microchannels 15 , 15 ′ in order to additionally protect the silver containing first structure domains . b ) applications , where the component according to the present invention is an intermediate product . the possibility of realizing microchannels within a grating structure , connected to the environment via thin connection channels opens the possibility to fill the microchannels with fluids . the filling process can be based on capillary forces . as shown in fig2 , there are different possible layouts for the microchannels 15 , 15 ′. in some cases their shape is close to the optimum of the shape a metal wire should have in order to transmit one polarization effectively while the other polarization is reflected . such a preferred shape is a structure where the wire at the top forms a long connection channel 17 and the bottom has the shape of one or more sharp edges 19 , as indicated in fig4 a for the microchannels . note that the material of the first structured domain 5 , the coating material and the substrate material can be the same . a melt of metal or a solvent can now be applied on the top of the device sealing the connection channels 17 , so capillary forces drag this fluid into the microchannels . therefore the microchannels are now filled with fluid 37 which form wire grids having the preferred geometry , as shown in fig4 b . once the fluid 37 is in the microchannel it can be changed to its solid sate , for example by cooling a melt , if given . the same capillary forces can be used to pull a liquid ( or more generally chemical reagents or reaction products ) from spot a to spot b on a two dimensional component ( see fig5 a and 5 b ). spot a can be functional in one way , i . e . its function can be to confine a reagent e . g . realized by a hydrophobic overcoat over the grating according to the invention where a drop or liquid can be deposited onto . it can further act as a filter , e . g . to filter solid components of blood or precipitated peptides from a liquid that is to be analyzed . the grating structure with microchannels thereby acts as a transport medium to spot b where a chemical reaction takes place . here the surface can e . g . be covered by a chemical that can react with the liquid and be detected , e . g . in a fluorescence detection scheme . in a preferred embodiment the overcoat of the grating and the chemical sensibilization of the surface are distinct from each other in spot a , and spot b or additional spots on the device . this is , of course , not limited to two spots a and b with transport region in between but is extended to an array of spots . the size of the spots can be chosen from 0 . 05 mm typical dimension to 5 mm typical dimension . of course this can be extended to other than biological chemical reactions . to give a more specific example an analytical platform for filtering particles in fluids is described ( see fig5 a and 5 b ). the possibility of choosing the width of the connection channels opens the possibility of filtering particles 35 dispersed in a fluid 33 . if for example a droplet containing particles 35 with size larger than the width of the entrance channel is dispersed on the device , due to capillary forces the fluid 33 will be attracted into the channels and spread out , along the channels in areas away from the originally position of the droplet . on the device the remaining larger particles can be analyzed . the pure fluid in the channels can be analyzed separately . the width of the connecting channels can be chosen very accurately . therefore it is possible to separate large particles which are blocked at the connection channels from smaller particles which can enter the microchannels . with the production process according to the present invention it is possible to realize gradient characteristics along the microchannels . there are different possibilities to realize this : one possibility is to realize domain structures 5 on the substrate which are long elongated elements with empty second domain structures 7 in between , the width and / or depth of the second domain structures 7 being in the range of several micrometers or below and the width of the second domain structures continuously varying along at least part of the length of the elongated elements . coating the first domain structures 5 according to the present invention results in microchannels with variable width along at least part of the length of the microchannels . another possibility is to realize the variation of the width of the microchannels by introducing a gradient in the coating parameters as a function of position on the substrate along the elongated elements and thereby introducing with respect to the position on the substrate along the elongated elements a dependence of the angular distribution of the coating particles . this realization of gradient characteristics in the microchannels allows for example to further separate particles of different size from each other . in another application of the present invention the analytic component is used as stabilization means for membranes , in particular biological membranes , the stabilization providing free standing areas of the membrane in air or in fluids . in order to achieve this an analytical platform according to the present invention is used with connection channels 17 of well - defined width . the membrane is positioned directly or indirectly on top of the cover layer c of the analytical platform . parts of the membrane are connected to or at least indirectly in contact with the surface of the cover 9 . free standing parts of the membrane cover the connection channels 17 . in some cases it is even possible to stabilize the membrane on the uncoated first structure domains , however coating the first structure domains according to the present invention allows a direct and accurate control of the width of the free standing part . if the free standing parts comprise proteins or receptors or other functional means of membranes and in particular biological membranes it is possible to investigate the reactions and / or the dynamics of an almost unperturbed system . fluids can be applied to the free standing part membrane on both sides : on the side connected to the microchannels and on the other side of the membrane opposite to the microchannels . the fluid on the one side can differ from the fluid on the other side . for example different concentrations of ions can be realized and diffusion processes can be investigated . in some biological processes the penetration of a specific substance on one side of the membrane leads to a specific reaction on the other side of the membrane . coupling for example a specific substance to the membrane from the environment can for example in a messenger substance leaving the membrane diffusing into the microchannel which can be analyzed . in some cases this leads to a change of the ph - value which can result in a change of the color of the fluid which can be detected with different optical methods . different optical schemes can be used for analyzing purposes . for example the first structure domains 5 could form waveguides . these waveguides can be designed in such a way that light propagating in this waveguide establishes an evanescent field in the microchannels 15 , 15 ′. in fig5 b shown in addition are coupling gratings 31 for coupling light in or out of the waveguides . gratings can be used as well to couple light out of the hollow spaces . in general this allows for example the detection of particles labeled with fluorescence markers . even more general this device enables label detection as well as label free detection . it has been shown , how components with embedded microchannels can be realized on the basis of submicron structures . typically such structures are periodic structures with typical feature sizes between 20 nm and 1 μm . the depth ranges typically from 5 nm to 3 μm . however these numbers represent only typical values ; other dimensions are possible as well . the basic idea to choose the layout of optical and / or analytical components adapted to practicably producible microchannel geometries has been described in different examples throughout this disclosure . in addition it was explained how the geometry of the microchannels can be influenced by using special coating techniques . examples have been given for applications of such components with the microchannels filled with air as well as filled with some other materials . this was mentioned to be possible because of the capillary forces . however it is clear that other forces could be applied as well , such as pressure , magnetic or electrical forces . in addition to capillary forces it is possible to use centrifugal forces by rotating the device with a rotation axis parallel to the surface normal in order to drag the fluids within the microchannels away from the point where they entered the microchannels . it is clear that the scope of the present invention goes beyond the examples given for illustrative reasons . clearly in the scope of the present invention is the possibility to have single or multilayer stack between the substrate 3 and the grating region g as well as on the backside of the substrate 3 or on top of the cover region c . these stacks can be used to introduce stress compensating layers , to enhance optical performance , to introduce conducting layers or other electrical , optical , mechanical and / or chemical effect .	8
an exemplary embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure is described below with reference to the attached drawings . fig1 and 2 illustrate a headlight and a peripheral structure of the headlight . fig1 is a right side view and fig2 is a perspective view taken along line ii - ii of fig1 . fig1 and 2 show the right - side configuration of a vehicle . the left - side configuration of the vehicle may be symmetrical to the configuration showing in fig1 and 2 with respect to the center of the vehicle . as shown in fig1 , a headlight 2 may be provided at a front end portion of a fender ( e . g ., a front fender ) 1 . in particular , a cut portion 3 may be formed at the fender 1 . cut portion 3 may extend from an upper surface of the front portion to a side surface of the front portion . headlight 2 may be inserted to cut portion 3 . as shown in fig2 , headlight 2 may have a peripheral surface including a right peripheral surface 2 a ( on the left side in fig2 ) and a rear peripheral surface 2 b . the fender 1 has an edge ( hereinafter , referred to as a fender edge 1 a ) arranged near the right peripheral surface 2 a . the headlight 2 serves as a first exterior part . the fender 1 serves as a second exterior part . the peripheral surface 2 a of the headlight 2 serves as a coupling portion of the first exterior part . the fender edge 1 a of the fender 1 serves as a coupling portion of the second exterior part . as shown in fig3 , an elastic member 4 may be interposed between the fender edge 1 a and the peripheral surface 2 a of the headlight 2 . the elastic member 4 may be a narrow band , and , in selected embodiments , may have a substantially inverted l shape when viewed from the above . the elastic member 4 may be arranged to be in contact with the right peripheral surface 2 a and the rear peripheral surface 2 b of the headlight 2 . fig4 is an enlarged view showing view iv in fig2 . as shown in fig4 , the peripheral surface 2 a of the headlight 2 upwardly protrudes with respect to the fender edge 1 a of the fender 1 . the peripheral surface 2 a of the headlight 2 has a protruding portion 5 at an upper portion thereof . the protruding portion 5 protrudes toward the outside in a vehicle width direction . the fender edge 1 a may be downwardly bent and arranged below the protruding portion 5 . that is , when viewed from the above , the fender edge 1 a overlaps the protruding portion 5 . item b denotes an amount of overlap of protruding portion 5 over fender edge 1 a . a gap may be provided between the fender edge 1 a and the peripheral surface 2 a of the headlight 2 . that is , the fender edge 1 a may be arranged apart from the peripheral surface 2 a . as described above , the fender 1 may include the downwardly bent fender edge 1 a . the fender 1 may have an upwardly bent portion which may be located near the fender edge 1 a and near the outside in the vehicle width direction with respect to the fender edge 1 a . the upwardly bent portion defines the highest position of the fender 1 , that is , it defines a topmost portion p . the topmost portion p may be arranged near the outside in the vehicle width direction with respect to the position of an end portion of the protruding portion 5 provided at the headlight 2 . in other words , a vertical line l passing through the topmost portion p may be located near the outside ( in the vehicle width direction with respect to the end portion ) of the protruding portion 5 . although not shown , the protruding portion 5 may also be provided at an upper portion of the peripheral surface 2 b of the headlight 2 ( see fig3 ). the fender edge 1 a facing the peripheral surface 2 b may be downwardly bent , and this bent fender edge 1 a may be arranged below the protruding portion 5 . a gap may be provided between the fender edge 1 a facing the peripheral surface 2 b and the peripheral surface 2 b . that is , the fender edge 1 a may be arranged apart from the peripheral surface 2 b . as shown in fig4 , a protruding amount of the protruding portion 5 may be referred to as a step width a . the step width a may be determined when the headlight 2 is designed . also , a length of the downwardly bent portion of the fender edge 1 a , which may be a length h 2 in the vertical direction from the topmost portion p to a lower tip of the fender edge 1 a of the fender 1 , may be determined when the headlight 2 is designed . the overlap amount b of the protruding portion 5 and the fender edge 1 a may be desirably small , more particularly , 2 mm or smaller ( in a range of from 0 to 2 mm ). if the overlap amount b is above 2 mm , the protruding portion 5 may become hooked onto the fender edge 1 a when the headlight 2 collides with an obstacle m ( see fig6 ) and the headlight 2 is only slightly displaced toward the inside of the vehicle body ( downwardly ). thus , it is difficult to sufficiently reduce the impact force . the elastic member 4 may be made of rubber , polypropylene , or any other material known to those having ordinary skill in the art . in selected embodiments , the rigidity of the elastic member 4 may be in a range of from 0 . 01 to 2 gpa . in selected embodiments , the rigidity of rubber may be about 0 . 01 gpa , and the rigidity of polypropylene may be about 2 gpa . also , at least the surface of the elastic member 4 may be black , so as to be less noticeable when viewed from the outside . the protruding portion 5 may be provided at the peripheral surfaces 2 a and 2 b of the headlight 2 , and the fender edge 1 a may be arranged below the protruding portion 5 so as to be overlapped by protruding portion 5 . accordingly , when the headlight 2 collides with the obstacle m as shown in fig6 , the headlight 2 may be easily displaced toward the inside of the vehicle body until the protruding portion 5 comes into contact with the fender edge 1 a . as a result , the impact force against the obstacle m can be sufficiently reduced . fig6 illustrates a state where the headlight 2 collides with the obstacle m and the headlight 2 may be displaced downward . in addition , the peripheral surfaces 2 a and 2 b of the headlight 2 may be arranged apart from the fender edge 1 a . accordingly , when the headlight 2 is displaced toward the inside of the vehicle body , the peripheral surfaces 2 a and 2 b of the headlight 2 would not be rubbed on the fender edge 1 a . hence , the coating of the surface ( e . g ., paint ) of the fender edge 1 a may be prevented from being removed . fig5 illustrates a state where the headlight 2 is downwardly displaced , and thus the elastic member 4 may be deformed . at this time , the overlap amount b of the protruding portion 5 and the fender edge 1 a may be smaller than that in fig4 . as shown in fig7 , the elastic member 4 may have a rectangular cross section . with the rectangular cross section , the headlight 2 may be easily displaced toward the inside of the vehicle body when the headlight 2 collides with the obstacle m . an upper surface s 1 of the elastic member 4 may be in contact with the protruding portion 5 of the headlight 2 , whereas a side surface s 2 thereof located near the outside in the vehicle width direction may be in contact with the fender edge 1 a . a horizontal plane d passing through an intersection c of the upper surface s 1 and the side surface s 2 may be located at an angle θ from side surface s 2 . in selected embodiments , angle θ may be greater than or equal to 60 degrees . in embodiments having an angle θ 60 degrees or larger , headlight 2 may be easily displaced toward the inside of the vehicle body when the headlight 2 collides with the obstacle m . furthermore , in selected embodiments , the elastic member 4 may satisfy the following conditions : where d 1 ( shown in fig7 ) is a width of the upper surface s 1 in the horizontal direction , and h 1 is a height of the side surface s 2 in the vertical direction . dimension a refers to the step width of fig4 , and dimension h 2 refers to the vertical height between topmost portion p and fender edge 1 a of fig4 . the cross section of the elastic member 4 does not have to be rectangular , and may be trapezoidal ( e . g ., fig8 ), or triangular ( e . g ., fig9 ). even with the elastic member 4 having a trapezoidal or triangular cross section , the headlight 2 may be easily displaced toward the inside of the vehicle body when the headlight 2 collides with the obstacle m . as shown in fig8 or 9 , the angle θ may still be 60 degrees or larger , d 1 ≈ a , and h 1 ≧ h 2 . next , described here is the setting of the rigidity of the elastic member 4 in a range of from 0 . 01 to 2 gpa . fig1 illustrates a relationship between stress and strain of the elastic member 4 when an external force is be applied thereto . herein , e 1 may be set to a value allowing the overlap amount b ( see fig4 ) to be small when the headlight 2 may be displaced toward the inside of the vehicle body upon collision with the obstacle m and the elastic member 4 interferes with the fender edge 1 a . for example , e 1 shown in fig1 may represent an embodiment where the elastic member 4 is made of rubber ( e . g ., rigidity : about 0 . 01 gpa ), the step width a is 10 mm , and the overlap amount b is 0 mm . e 2 may represent an embodiment where the stress - strain relationship prevents the coating of the fender edge 1 a from being removed due to the contact pressure between the fender edge 1 a and the elastic member 4 in a normal state ( not in a collision state ). if the headlight 2 is made of polycarbonate , the material of the elastic member 4 may be polypropylene ( rigidity : about 2 gpa ) having a rigidity smaller than that of polycarbonate . thus , e 2 may represent a case where the elastic member 4 is made of polypropylene . a region r defined between e 1 and e 2 may therefore represent a rigidity region for elastic member 4 , capable of reducing the impact force against the obstacle m , thereby providing both satisfactory appearance and coating protection . with this embodiment , because the elastic member 4 may be arranged below the protruding portion 5 , the gap between the peripheral surfaces 2 a , 2 b of the headlight 2 and the fender edge 1 a may be filled . thus , the appearance may be satisfactory . although the fender edge 1 a may be rubbed on the elastic member 4 when the headlight 2 is displaced toward the inside of the vehicle body , the object to be rubbed is elastic . thus , the coating of the fender edge 1 a would not be removed . because the topmost portion p of the fender 1 may be located near the outside in the vehicle width direction with respect to the end portion of the protruding portion 5 of the headlight 2 , the protruding portion 5 of the headlight 2 is hardly hooked onto the fender edge 1 a upon the collision of the obstacle m . thus , the topmost portion p would not disturb the reduction of the impact force against the obstacle m . in selected embodiments , as the rigidity of the elastic member 4 may be in the range of from 0 . 01 to 2 gpa , the headlight 2 may be displaced toward the inside of the vehicle body upon the collision with the obstacle m without removing the coating of the fender edge 1 a . furthermore , while fender edge 1 a may be shown in selected embodiments in contact with side surface s 2 of elastic member 4 in the normal state , it should be understood that a gap s may be provided between the fender edge 1 a and the side surface s 2 of the elastic member 4 as shown in fig1 . furthermore , embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure may be applied not only to the fender and the headlight , but also to combinations of fenders , bumpers , headlights , etc . advantageously , a structure of coupling portions of exterior parts may be capable of reducing an impact force against an obstacle when an exterior part such as a headlight collides with the obstacle . furthermore , the structure may be capable of preventing the headlight or the like from being rubbed on an edge of a fender or the like which is an exterior part arranged around the headlight or the like when the headlight is displaced toward the inside of a vehicle body to reduce the impact force . while the disclosure has been presented with respect to a limited number of embodiments , those skilled in the art , having benefit of this disclosure , will appreciate that other embodiments may be devised which do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure . accordingly , the scope of the disclosure should be limited only by the attached claims .	1
referring now to the drawings , a completed flashlight assembly incorporating the reverse - acting switch mechanism and sealed flashlight head of the present invention is generally indicated at 12 in fig1 - 3 a . while the sealing assembly is shown incorporated into a flashlight in the description of the preferred embodiment , the present disclosure provides that the sealing assembly as described can be incorporated into a variety of other devices that require a sealed lighting assembly having the same or similar operational characteristics . as will hereinafter be more fully described , the present invention provides a fully contained waterproof inline flashlight assembly that provides improved operating features , higher durability and easier assembly as compared to similar flashlights in the prior art . the entire assembly is contained in a simple housing to provide a useful , novel and improved light source . the flashlight 12 generally includes an elongated housing 14 , batteries 16 disposed in the housing 14 , and a flashlight head portion 10 . the flashlight head 10 has an outer enclosure 18 that at least partially encloses at least one light emitting diode ( led ) 20 , and a circuit component 22 , as well as the reverse switch assembly . the reverse switch assembly is best shown in fig2 and includes a spring 24 , an insulator disk 26 , a contact spring 28 , a plunger 30 , a contact tube 32 , and a switch housing 34 . the flashlight head 10 further includes a lower enclosure 36 assembled in a permanent fashion to the outer enclosure 18 to enclose both the switching assembly and light source 20 of the flashlight 12 inside the flashlight head 10 . turning to fig1 an assembled view of the flashlight 12 of the present invention is shown . the outer shape of the flashlight 12 is formed by the battery housing 14 and the outer enclosure 18 of the flashlight head 10 where the battery housing 14 also serves as the handle for the flashlight 12 . both the battery housing 14 and the outer enclosure 18 are formed of a metallic material such as milled aluminum or stainless steel . this allows both of these components to be electrically conductive and employed as components of the overall circuitry of the flashlight 12 as will be further described below . fig2 shows the flashlight 12 and the flashlight head 10 of the present invention in an exploded perspective view , illustrating the general relationship between all of the components in the overall device . the battery housing 14 is generally tubular in shape having a closed bottom and an open top . the battery housing 14 is generally hollow with an opening 38 that is of a diameter particularly suited to receive batteries 16 . in the preferred embodiment , the battery housing 14 is shown of a dimension to accept two batteries 16 , however , the present invention will operate equally well using one , three , four or more batteries 16 and the length of the battery housing 14 will be adjusted accordingly to accommodate the number of batteries 16 used . the inner surface of the open end 38 of the battery housing 14 has female threads 40 that are designed to engage corresponding male threads 42 on the lower enclosure 36 thereby maintaining the flashlight 12 in an assembled condition and allowing the head portion 10 to be rotated relative to the battery housing 14 . rotation of the head 10 relative to the housing 14 selectively adjusts the relative positions to one another . when the batteries 16 are installed into the battery housing 14 one contact of the battery 16 is in electrical communication with the bottom of the battery housing 14 . since the battery housing 14 is metallic , electricity is therefore conducted from the battery 16 contact , through the bottom of the battery housing 14 and up through the battery housing 14 into the flashlight head 10 as will be further described below . the head 10 portion of the flashlight 12 has an outer enclosure 18 that receives and houses all of the switching components and the light source of the flashlight . the outer enclosure 18 is also formed of a machined metallic material that is electrically conductive , such as machined aluminum or stainless steel . the outer enclosure 18 is cylindrically shaped , having an opening at one end into which all of the remaining components are installed and several smaller openings 44 at the other end through which the installed led lamps 20 protrude . circuit assembly 22 is typically a printed circuit board onto which the led lamps 20 are mounted . the circuit assembly 22 has circuit traces connecting one pole of each led 20 to a metal connection tab 46 and the other pole of each led 20 to a central connection point 52 on the bottom surface of the circuit assembly 22 . once the led lamps 20 are installed onto the circuit assembly 22 , it is slid into the opening in the outer enclosure 18 , so that the led lamps 20 protrude through the openings 44 in the outer enclosure 18 . the connection tab 46 is in electrical communication with the wall of the outer enclosure 18 , thereby completing a path of electrical conductivity from the first contact of battery 16 , through the battery housing 14 up into the outer enclosure 18 of the head and into the circuit assembly 22 through connection tab 46 . the remaining portion of the electrical circuit is completed through the switch components as will be discussed below . in addition to providing paths of conductivity to each of the led lamps 20 , the circuit assembly 22 may also include additional circuitry for controlling the flow of current through the led lamps 20 or to provide additional functionality , such as flashing , to the flashlight 12 . as can be seen , the circuit board 22 is inserted into the rear opening in the outer enclosure 18 with the led lamps 20 extending through the openings 44 in the front thereof . in this manner , the circuit board 22 and outer enclosure 18 cooperate to form interior cavity . once the circuit board 22 is fixed in place the sealant 60 is injected into the interior cavity to substantially fill the cavity and provides a monolithic seal between the circuit board 22 , the outer enclosure 18 , the led lamps 20 and the openings 44 in the front of the outer enclosure 18 . as can be best seen in fig2 an opening 21 is provided in the circuit board 22 to provide a location where the sealant 60 can be injected into the interior cavity . while the opening 21 is shown as being provided in the circuit board 22 , the opening may also be provided in the side or front walls of the outer enclosure 18 as well . in accordance with the objectives of the method of the present invention , the critical steps reciting method of assembly of the flashlight head 10 are further provided in detail below . the method includes the following steps that are necessary to provide a sealed led flashlight head 10 assembly . first , an outer enclosure 18 is provided . the outer enclosure 18 includes a tubular outer wall and a front wall with apertures 44 provided therein for receiving the leds 20 . second , a circuit board 22 is provided with leds 20 mounted thereon . the circuit board 22 may further include an opening 21 therein to facilitate injection of the sealant 60 as will be further described in a later assembly step . the circuit board 22 with the leds 20 mounted thereon is then placed into the outer enclosure 18 through the open end opposite the front wall . the circuit board 22 is slid into the outer enclosure 18 until the leds 20 extend through the apertures 44 provided within the front wall of the outer enclosure 18 . finally , a sealant material 60 is placed into the interior cavity formed between the outer enclosure 18 and the circuit board 22 to substantially fill the cavity and seal the space between the leds 20 , the apertures 44 in the front wall and the outer walls of the outer enclosure 18 . further , the aperture 21 in the circuit board 22 may also be provided in the front or side wall of the outer enclosure 18 as required by the manufacturing process used . the principal component of the switch mechanism is plunger 30 . the plunger 30 is substantially cylindrical and formed from a metallic material such as machined brass . one end of the plunger 30 is in contact with the second contact end of the battery 16 when the flashlight 12 is fully assembled . the opposite end of the plunger has a raised shoulder 48 . the raised shoulder 48 serves to retain contact spring 28 in an operative position on the plunger 30 . during assembly , the contact spring 28 is slid onto the plunger 30 and is pressed onto the raised shoulder 48 so that the spring is frictionally retained and in firm electrical communication with the plunger 30 . further , insulator disk 26 is attached to the end of the plunger 30 opposite the battery 16 contact . this sub - assembly ( plunger 30 , contact spring 28 and insulator disk 26 ) is then slid into contact tube 32 . contact tube 32 is a cylindrically shaped tube that is open on the top end and has a bottom wall . the bottom wall has an opening 54 that has a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the plunger 30 . the remaining portion of the bottom wall forms switch contact 50 . the plunger 30 , contact spring 28 and insulator disk 26 are slid into the open end of the contact tube allowing the contact end of the plunger to protrude through the opening 54 in the bottom wall of the contact tube 32 without making physical or electrical contact with switch contact 50 . in this regard , the insulator disk 26 is sized to have a diameter that is only slightly smaller than the diameter of the contact tube 32 . this allows the insulator disk 26 to slide freely up and down inside the contact tube 32 while supporting the plunger 30 in the center of the contact tube 32 and preventing the plunger 30 from contacting the sides of the contact tube 32 . the insulator disk 26 is formed from a non - conductive material and is preferably a plastic material . biasing spring 24 is then installed into the contact tube 32 behind the insulator disk 26 . the biasing spring 24 has a diameter that is also only slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the contact tube 32 and is in electrical communication with the inner walls of contact tube 32 and with the central connection point 52 on the circuit assembly 22 when the entire flashlight head 10 is assembled . the contact tube 32 including the switch components described above is installed into the switch housing 34 , which consists of cylindrical support housing that is electrically insulative and designed to isolate contact tube 32 from the rest of the flashlight head assembly 10 . the switch housing 34 , after the above - described assembly , is then placed into the lower enclosure 36 . the lower enclosure 36 is a metallic component having an opening in its center into which the entire switching assembly is placed . the lower enclosure has an opening in its center to allow the plunger 30 to protrude and contact the battery 16 in an assembled position . the lower enclosure 36 also has male threads 42 that correspond to the female threads 40 on the interior of the battery housing 14 . to complete the assembly of the head 10 , the lower enclosure 36 containing all of the switching components , is pressed into the outer enclosure 18 using a hydraulic press ( not shown ) or similar method known in the art . this provides a completed flashlight head 10 that is sealed , having no parts that are accessible by the user . the head 10 is then threaded into the battery housing 14 , which already contains batteries 16 to complete the assembly of the flashlight 12 . to further seal the flashlight assembly 12 and prevent water infiltration , an o - ring gasket 56 is provided in a groove 58 in the side of lower enclosure 36 . the o - ring gasket 56 serves to seal the operable junction between the flashlight head 10 and the battery housing 14 prevent infiltration of water or other contaminants . additionally , sealant 60 in the preferred embodiment is a uv curable potting compound , but may be any suitable sealant such as silicone , epoxy , rubber or any other sealant well known in the relevant art , is installed in the gap between the led lamps 20 and the openings 44 in the outer enclosure 18 to further prevent infiltration to the interior of the flashlight 12 . as can be seen , the circuit board 22 is inserted into the rear opening in the outer enclosure 18 with the led lamps 20 extending through the openings 44 in the front thereof . in this manner , the circuit board 22 and outer enclosure 18 cooperate to form interior cavity . once the circuit board 22 is fixed in place the sealant 60 is injected into the interior cavity to substantially fill the cavity and provides a monolithic seal between the circuit board 22 , the outer enclosure 18 , the led lamps 20 and the openings 44 in the front of the outer enclosure 18 . as can be best seen in fig2 an opening 21 is provided in the circuit board 22 to provide a location where the sealant 60 can be injected into the interior cavity . while the opening 21 is shown as being provided in the circuit board 22 , the opening may also be provided in the side or front walls of the outer enclosure 18 as well . turning to fig3 and 3 a a section is shown of the flashlight 12 of the present invention in the operational state . fig3 shows the flashlight 12 in the normally open , off state , and fig3 a shows the flashlight 12 in the closed , on state . in fig3 the flashlight head 10 is shown threaded completely into the battery housing 14 . in this state , as can be seen , there is a gap between contact spring 28 and the bottom surface of the switch contact 50 . this gap is a break in the electrical circuit of the flashlight 12 and prevents the batteries 16 from energizing the led lamps 20 . while plunger 30 is spring biased by the force of spring 24 in the direction of the batteries 16 , it is not allowed to move in the direction of the batteries 16 because of the proximity of the batteries 16 to the flashlight head 10 . in other words , when the flashlight head 10 is screwed entirely onto the battery housing 14 , the batteries 16 force the plunger upwardly against spring 24 . because the spring 28 is connected to the top of the plunger , the contact spring 28 is moved out of electrical contact with the bottom of the contact tube 50 . in fig3 a , the battery housing 14 is shown as being slightly unscrewed from the flashlight head 10 as indicated by the arrow 62 , or vice versa , the head 10 is unthreaded from the body 14 . this displacement of the battery housing 14 results in displacement of the batteries 16 from the flashlight head 10 by the same distance . since the plunger 30 is spring biased in the direction of the batteries 16 by spring 24 , this linear displacement of the batteries 16 allows the spring 24 to expand and thus displace the plunger 30 rearwardly by the same distance as the battery housing 14 and the batteries 16 . once the distance of displacement of the plunger 30 is sufficient , the contact spring 28 comes into contact with switch contact 50 . when this contact is made it can be seen that a complete electrical circuit is provided starting at the top battery 16 contact through the plunger 30 , the contact spring 24 , switch contact 50 , contact tube 32 , secondary spring 24 , central contact 52 , into the circuit assembly 22 and the led lamps 20 , through contact tab 46 , back into the outer housing 18 , through the lower housing 36 , into the battery housing 14 and finally to the bottom contact of battery 16 . therefore , by translating the battery housing 14 in a rearward direction 62 from the flashlight head 10 an electrical circuit is completed thereby energizing the flashlight 12 . it can also be seen in fig3 a that at the point where contact spring 28 initially contacts switch contact 50 , the contact spring 28 is not compressed . since the spring force in the secondary spring 24 is greater than the spring force in the contact spring 28 , further displacement of the battery housing 14 and batteries 16 in the rearward direction 62 allows the plunger 30 to also be further displaced in the rearward direction 62 . as the plunger 30 is further displaces by secondary spring 24 , contact spring 28 is further compressed allowing the plunger 30 to remain in contact with the battery 16 until the contact spring 28 is completely compressed . the use of the contact spring 28 and secondary spring 24 in this manner provide for the extended operational range provided for under the present invention . it can therefore be seen that the instant invention provides a compact inline flashlight switching mechanism that is fully enclosed and sealed against infiltration of water of other contaminants . it can be further seen that the present invention provides a novel reverse acting switch design that provides for smooth operation and an extended operational range through the use of spring contacts . for these reasons , the instant invention is believed to represent a significant advancement in the art , which has substantial commercial merit . while there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention , it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims .	5
the practice of the present invention will employ , unless otherwise indicated , conventional methods of chemistry , cereal chemistry and biochemistry , within the skill of the art . such techniques are explained fully in the literature . see , e . g ., industrial gums : polysaccharides and their derivatives , eds . whistler r . l . and bemiller j . n . ( academic press ), oats : chemistry and technology ed . webster , f . h . ( american association of cereal chemists , st . paul , minn . ), and beynon , r . j . and easterby , j . s . the basics : buffers solutions . all publications , patents and patent applications cited herein , whether supra or infra , are incorporated by reference in their entirety . as used in this specification and the appended claims , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ”, and “ the ” include plural references unless the content clearly indicates otherwise . thus , the term “ a beta glucan ” can include more than one beta glucan . in describing the present invention , the following terms will be employed , and are intended to be defined as indicated below . by “ cereal ” is meant any of several grains such as , but not limited to , cultivars of barley , oat , wheat , rye , sorghum , millet , and corn . by “ beta glucan ” is meant a glucan with a β ( 1 → 3 )- linked glucopyranosyl backbone , or a β ( 1 → 4 )- linked glucopyranosyl backbone , or a mixed β ( 1 → 3 )( 1 → 4 ) linked glucopyranosyl backbone . a “ cereal beta glucan ” or a “ cereal beta glucan extract ” is a beta glucan or beta glucan extract , respectively , which is derived from a cereal source . by “ biological buffer ” is meant a buffer with zwitterionic properties . such buffers provide a temperature coefficient ( pka / c ) that ensures the variation of ph with temperature to create a destabilizing effect during formulation , specifically the reversal of hydrogen bonding polarities and the transition through a zero polar , neutral state . further , these buffers provide a stabilizing effect as a solution nears the critical freezing point . such buffers include , but are not limited to , n -[ 2 - hydroxyethylpiperazine - n ′-[ 2 - ethanesulfonic acid ] ( hepes ), 3 -[ n - morpholino ] propanesulfonic acid ( mops ), n - tris [ hydroxymethyl ] methyl - 2 - aminoethanesulfonic acid ( tes ), n , n - bis [ 2 - hydroxyethyl ]- 2 - aminoethanesulfonic acid ( bes ), - n -[ carbamoylmethyl ]- 2 - aminoethanesulfonic acid ( aces ), piperazine - n , n ′- bis [ 2 - ethanesulfonic acid ] ( pipes ), n -[ 2 - acetamido ]- 2 - iminodiacetic acid ( ada ) and 3 -[ n , n - bis ( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) amino ]- 2 - hydroxypropanesulfonic acid ( dipso ); 2 -[ n - morpholino ] ethanesulfonic acid ( mes ); 3 -[ n - morpholino ]- 2 - hydroxypropanesulfonic acid ( mopso ); 3 -[ n - tris ( hydroxymethyl ) methylamino ]- 2 - hydroxypropanesulfonic acid ( tapso ); - n -[ 2 - hydroxyethyl ] piperazine - n ′-[ 2 - hydroxypropanesulfonic acid ] ( heppso ); piperazine - n , n ′- bis [ 2 - hydroxypropanesulfonic acid ] ( popso ); - n ′-[ 2 - hydroxyethyl ] piperazine - n ′-[ 3 - propanesulfonic acid ] ( epps ); triethanolamine ( tea ); n - tris [ hydroxymethyl ] methylglycine ( tricine ); n , n - bis [ 2 - hydroxyethyl ] glycine ( bicine ); n - tris [ hydroxymethyl ] methyl - 3 - aminopropanesulfonic acid ( taps ); 3 -[( 1 , 1 - dimethyl - 2 - hydroxyethyl ) amino ]- 2 - hydroxypropanesulfonic acid ( ampso ); 2 -[ n - cyclohexylamino ] ethanesulfonic acid ( ches ); 3 -[ cyclohexylamino ]- 2 - hydroxy - 1 - propanesulfonic acid ( capso ); 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol ( amp ); and 3 -[ cyclohexylamino ]- 1 - propanesulfonic acid ( caps ). preferably , the buffer is hepes , mops , tes , bes , aces , pipes , ada or dipso , with hepes preferred . all of the above buffers are readily commercially available from , e . g ., sigma ( st . louis , mo .). by “ good buffer ” is meant a buffer as defined by n . e . good ( good , n . e ., et al . biochemistry 5 : 467 ( 1966 ); good , n . e . and izawa , s . meth . enzymol . 24 : part b 53 ( 1972 ); ferguson , w . j . and good , n . e ., anal . biochem . 104 : 300 ( 1980 )) including : mes ; pipes ; bes ; mops ; tes ; hepes ; epps ; tricine ; bicine ; caps ; taps . by “ gelation ” is meant the art - recognized process by which monomeric particles , such as particles present in a hydrosol ( a dispersed and solubilized viscous aqueous preparation ) combine with the continuous phase to form a polymeric hydrogel ( an elastic material or infinite viscosity and essentially infinite weight average molecular weight ). thus , for purposes of the present invention , gelation is the process of forming a colloid in which the dispersed phase is combined with the continuous phase to produce a viscous jelly - like product . by “ retarding gelation ” is meant a lowering of gel formation in the solution treated according to the invention as compared to gelation exhibited by a control solution which has not been treated with a biological , zwitterionic buffer as described herein . for example , solutions treated under the invention will typically withstand several freeze / thaw cycles , preferably at least 2 - 5 freeze / thaw cycles , as detailed in the examples , without appreciable gelation , precipitation , or deterioration of product quality . the term “ retarding gelation ” does not require that gelation be 100 % inhibited . by a “ stabilized beta glucan solution ” is meant a beta glucan solution treated under the invention which displays less gelation than a control solution which has not been treated with a biological , zwitterionic buffer as described herein . as explained above , such a solution will typically withstand at least 2 - 5 freeze / thaw cycles , without appreciable gelation , precipitation or deterioration of product quality . by “ dispersed hydrocolloidal solution ” is meant a hydrocolloid preparation including solvated beta glucan particles distributed throughout an aqueous solution . by “ clarified beta glucan solution ” is meant a beta glucan solution having a turbidity of less than 100 ftu ( formazine turbidity unit ), preferably less than 50 ftu , more preferably , less than 25 ftu , even more preferably less than 12 ftu , and most preferably less than 5 ftu . see , e . g ., national field manual for the collection of water - quality data . book 9 , section a6 . 7 us geological survey ( 1998 ) for a discussion of turbidity and measurements thereof . central to the present invention is the discovery of a simple and efficient method for producing stable solutions of beta glucan . the solutions typically display reduced gelation when cooled to temperatures of 10 ° c . or less , as compared to untreated counterparts . the methods also provide for decreased precipitation of beta glucans out of solution during purification and allow for the use of cruder starting materials . for example , methods described herein allow the use of higher molecular weight beta glucans which display increased viscosity . the methods of the invention employ a biological buffer , which as shown herein , provides for increased stability and retards the formation of gels . the solution may be clarified to provide a clear solution for use in cosmetics and pharmaceutical preparations . using the methods of the present invention , it is possible to formulate beta glucan solutions in the range of 0 . 01 to 4 % beta glucan : solvent ( w / w ), more usually 0 . 01 to 2 %, even more usually , 0 . 1 to 1 . 5 % beta glucan : solvent ( w / w ), and preferably solutions in the range 0 . 5 to 1 % beta glucan : solvent ( w / w ). thus the method described herein serve to provide for the preparation of solutions of pure beta glucan with exceptional stability and extended shelf - life . beta glucan from any of several known cereal sources can be used in the process of the present invention . such cereals include , without limitation , any of the cultivars of e . g ., barley , oat , wheat , rye , corn , sorghum , and millet , with barley and oat preferred because of their high beta glucan content . beta glucan is available in powdered form from commercial suppliers , for example , sigma chemical co . ( st . louis , mo .) and nurture ( mt ). canamino inc . ( saskatoon , sk ) supplies oat beta glucan . it is preferred that beta glucan powder of more than 85 % purity and low salt content be employed in the present invention . methods to remove protein are known to those skilled in the art , e . g . gel filtration or acid hydrolysis . methods of removing salts are also known and are frequently employed in beta glucan preparation e . g ., ethanol precipitation or ethanol washing . for purposes of the present invention , the beta glucan can either be dispersed directly in the biological buffer , prior to further purification , or can be added to the biological buffer further downstream in the purification process , such as after a clarified and concentrated beta glucan solution has been produced . for example , providing the biological buffer in the early stages of the process allows the use of lower temperatures to disperse the beta glucan without the problem of gelation and precipitation during the purification process and provides increased stability of the purified product . alternatively , the biological buffer may be used later in the process , also to provide enhanced stability of the ultimate product . generally , the buffer strength is in the range of about 0 . 1 mm to about 20 mm , more usually about 0 . 1 mm to about 10 mm , preferably about 0 . 5 mm to about 5 mm , more preferably about 1 . 0 mm to about 5 mm , most preferably about 2 . 5 mm . the ph of the buffer is selected to provide a neutral to slightly alkaline ph at 20 ° c . and will usually be in the range of about ph 6 . 5 to about ph 8 . 5 , preferably about ph 7 to about ph 8 , even more preferably about ph 7 . 0 to about ph 7 . 5 , and most preferably ph 7 . 2 . the biological buffer may also contain auxillary components , such as preservatives . for example , in one embodiment , the beta glucan is dispersed and hydrated directly in the biological buffer at ambient temperature . it has been found that swelling times from 1 - 24 hours , more usually 4 - 16 hours at 10 - 25 ° c . provide for full hydration of the beta glucan . alternatively , if the biological buffer will be provided at a later stage , the beta glucan is dispersed and hydrated in a suitable aqueous solution , such as deionized water . by monitoring viscosity to a stable end - point , using techniques well known in the art , full hydration may be assured . following swelling , the dispersed and hydrated beta glucan is heated to dissociate the individual carbohydrate molecules by disrupting intermolecular bonds . it has been found that heating to about 54 ° c . to about 100 ° c ., preferably about 60 ° c . to about 90 ° c ., preferably about 65 ° c . to about 85 ° c ., most preferably about 75 ° c . to about 85 ° c ., dissociates the glucan molecules . heating time is for about 0 . 5 to about 12 hours , preferably about 0 . 5 to about 6 hours , and most preferably about 1 to about 2 hours . after heating , it is preferable to clarify the beta glucan solution by removing large clumps of undispersed beta glucan . this may be done by filtration . for a clear product it is preferable to remove particles of the size more than 10 microns in diameter , preferably more than 4 microns in diameter , and most preferably more than 1 micron in diameter . microparticle removal may be achieved by clarification through filters coated with a filter - aid , for example celite . in selecting any filtration media , care must be taken not to introduce salts into the dispersed glucan solution . this requires filter pre - washing with high purity water and more preferably the use of the highest grade filter media . the clarity of the beta glucan solution is determined by assessing turbidity . in this regard , turbidity of the filter eluent is preferably monitored until a reading of less than 100 ftu ( formazine turbidity unit ), preferably below 50 ftu , more preferably , below 25 ftu , even more preferably below 12 , and most preferably below 5 ftu , is obtained . see , e . g ., national field manual for the collection of water - quality data . book 9 , section a6 . 7 us geological survey ( 1998 ) for a discussion of turbidity and measurements thereof . following clarification , the beta glucan solution may be concentrated using any of several methods known in the art , such as by dialysis and / or diafiltration or ultrafiltration , in order to achieve a beta glucan solution in the range of about 0 . 01 - 4 % beta glucan : solvent ( w / w ), as described above . for example , filtration using a filter with a molecular weight cutoff of about 100 , 000 daltons , will provide a final product with the desired purity . the beta glucan content of the final extract can be determined using a number of methods , known to those skilled in the art . for example , beta glucan content can be assessed calorimetrically and / or by standard analytical techniques such as size exclusion chromatography and hplc . see wood et al ., cereal chem . ( 1977 ) 54 : 524 ; wood et al ., cereal chem . ( 1991 ) 68 : 31 - 39 ; and wood et al ., cereal chem . ( 1991 ) 68 : 530 - 536 . beta glucans can also be analyzed enzymatically using commercially available kits , such as megazyme ( ireland ) employing the techniques of mccleary and glennie - holmes j inst . brew . ( 1985 ) 91 : 285 . below are examples of specific embodiments for carrying out the present invention . the examples are offered for illustrative purposes only , and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention in any way . efforts have been made to ensure accuracy with respect to numbers used ( e . g . amounts , temperatures , etc .) but some experimental error and deviation should , of course be allowed for . methods to disperse gums are well known in the art , see industrial gums : polysaccharides and their derivatives , eds . whistler , r . l . and bemiller , j . n . ( academic press ) 3rd edition p . 18 . specialized equipment is also available from manufactures specifically for the dispersion and hydration of gels e . g ., henkel corp . and quadro , inc . viscosities are measured with a rotational , shear - type viscometer such as the brookfield syncrolectric or the haake rotovisco . methods of using the instrument are known to those skilled in the art . routinely , measurements are made at four speeds of disc rotation at a constant temperature of 20 ° c . hepes buffer ( acid and potassium salt ) was obtained from sigma chemical co . ( st . louis , mo .). one hundred times concentrated buffer stock solutions were prepared following the formulas provided by dr . r . j . beynon umist , manchester , uk see beynon r j and easterby j s . the basics : buffers solutions . a preservative system consisting of killatol ™ solution was purchased from collaborative labs ( nj ). filter media celite hyflo super - cel and acid washed super - cel was obtained from world minerals ( ca ). specialized filters and filtration media were obtained from hilliard star systems division ( nc ). a freeze / thaw system for evaluating colloidal solution stability was developed . a 25 ml sample of the colloidal solution or gel was placed in a − 18 ° c . freezer and left in the freezer until frozen solid . the sample was next allowed to warm to ambient temperature (+ 18 ° c .). after reaching ambient temperature the sample was examined for gelling and / or syneresis . the number of cycles to produce gelling / syneresis was recorded . a sample of 1 % beta glucan formulated in 10 mm phosphate buffer was utilized as a positive control . this sample gelled in one cycle of freeze thawing . commercial samples of ostaro glucan 1a ( oat beta glucan formulated in water ) obtained from canamino inc . gelled in a maximum of three cycles . oat beta glucan powder , more than 85 % pure , was obtained from canamino inc . ( saskatoon , sk , canada ). the beta glucan was sieved through a 450 micron screen and only material passing through the sieve was used for solution preparation . the amount of beta glucan to produce a final concentration of 1 % was calculated accounting for purity and moisture content in the powder . the required volume of 2 . 5 mm hepes buffer ph 6 . 0 was placed in a beaker and a vortex established with an overhead mixer . a preservative system of 2 . 5 % killitol ™, a formulation consisting of 42 . 5 % glycerin , 42 . 5 % butylene glycol , 7 . 5 % chlorphenesin , and 7 . 5 % methyl paraben and 0 . 4 % potassium sorbate was added , resulting in a solution ph of 7 . 2 . the beta glucan powder was slowly sifted into buffer and allowed to mix for two hours . without adjusting the vortex , the solution was heated to 55 - 60 ° c . for one hour . the 1 % beta glucan solution was allowed to cool . the solution had a translucent appearance and a ph of 7 . 2 . samples were subjected to freeze / thaw testing using a control of 1 % beta glucan in 10 mm phosphate ph 7 . 0 . results indicated that the control beta glucan solution gelled after one freeze / thaw cycle . the stabilized beta glucan solution underwent five cycles without deterioration of product quality . the preparation proceeded as described in example 1 with the exception that the solution was filtered after the completion of the heating step . the filtration consisted of a standard laboratory vacuum filtration apparatus . the filter bed was prepared to ensure purity of the final product . the filter consisting of celite hiflo super - cel was prewashed with distilled water . the warm beta glucan solution was filtered through the filter bed twice . the resulting solution had a turbidity of less than 11 ftu . the solution had a translucent appearance and a ph of 7 . 2 . samples were subjected to freeze / thaw testing using a control of 1 % beta glucan in 10 mm phosphate ph 7 . 0 . results indicated that the control beta glucan solution gelled after one freeze / thaw cycle . the stabilized beta glucan solution underwent five cycles without deterioration of product quality . a production flow diagram is illustrated in fig2 . oat beta glucan powder , more than 85 % pure , was obtained from canamino inc . ( saskatoon , sk , canada ). the beta glucan was sieved through a 450 micron screen and only material passing through the sieve was used for solution preparation . the amount of beta glucan to produce 200 liters of a beta glucan solution with a final concentration of 0 . 5 % was calculated accounting for purity and moisture content in the powder . the required volume of 2 . 5 mm hepes buffer ph 8 . 0 was placed in a mixing tank equipped with a side mounted , overhead stirrer . a vortex was established and the preservative system of 2 . 5 % killitol ™, a formulation consisting of 42 . 5 % glycerin , 42 . 5 % butylene glycol , 7 . 5 % chlorphenesin , and 7 . 5 % methyl paraben and 0 . 4 % potassium sorbate was added resulting in a solution ph of 7 . 2 . the beta glucan powder was added using a powder dispersal unit and macerator ( fitted with close fitting macerator heads ) placed in series . the solution was allowed to mix and hydrate for four hours . without adjusting the vortex , the solution was heated to 60 - 65 ° c . for one hour . a plate and frame filter press was prepared with pre - coat of celite hiflo super - cel following the instructions supplied by world minerals inc . the bed was washed with plant process water until a turbidity of less than 5 ftu was obtained . the filter bed was then washed with a further two bed volumes of reverse osmosis purified water . a “ feed ” of pharmaceutical grade celite hiflo , consisting of an equal weight of celite to the initial weight of beta glucan powder , was added to the beta glucan solution in the mixing vessel and dispersed by mixing for 10 minutes . the solution was then pumped through the filter bed and cycled until a turbidity of less than 5 ftu units was obtained . samples were then subjected to freeze thaw cycling . results indicated that the control beta glucan solution prepared in 10 mm phosphate buffer ph 7 . 0 gelled after one freeze / thaw cycle . the stabilized beta glucan solution underwent five cycles without deterioration of product quality . a product - ion flow diagram is illustrated in fig3 . oat beta glucan powder ( 68 % purity ) with a molecular weight more than 1 , 000 , 000 , was sieved through a 0 . 85 mm screen ( us # 20 sieve ) and only material passing through the sieve was used for solution preparation . the amount of beta glucan to produce 60 liters of a beta glucan solution with a final concentration of 1 . 0 % was calculated accounting for purity and moisture content of the powder . all equipment was sanitized prior to use using standard chemical reagents following fda requirements and the us code of federal regulations . the required volume of deionized water to produce a 0 . 2 % beta glucan working solution ( 300 liters ) was placed in a mixing tank equipped with a centermounted , overhead mixer , and provision for heating . the beta glucan was added to the powder holder of a quadro “ zc ” powder dispersion unit and dispersed into the deionized water . tank mixing to filly hydrate the glucan was continued for one hour at ambient temperature (˜ 20 ° c .). mixing speed was adjusted to a maximum without forming a vortex . the ph of the preparation was measured at ph 7 . 4 . after full hydration was obtained , the temperature of the mixture was increased to approximately 85 ° c . and maintained for one hour . mixing was continued as maximum without forming a vortex . after one hour the beta glucan was fully dissolved . a plate and frame filter press ( hilliard , star ® systems division ) was prepared for filtration using 6 micron and 0 . 5 micron filters placed in series , and then pre - heated to approximately 75 ° c . the beta glucan solution was passed through the filter press into a staging tank maintained at 85 ° c . the plate and frame filter was equipped with star systems 0 . 4 micron glisten - n - glo ® filters ; the filters were washed with 25 liters of plant process water , and then equilibrated by recirculating hot deionized water through the filter system until a turbidity of less than 5 ftu was obtained and the temperature of the unit reached approximately 75 ° c . the beta glucan solution was pumped through the filter - press at minimal pressure . in this manner a turbidity of less than 10 ftu was obtained . diafiltration was utilized to concentrate the beta glucan to a 1 % w / w solution . a de danske sukkerfabrikker ultrafiltration system was equipped with polysulphone membranes with an approximate cut - off value molecular weight of 100 , 000 . operating at a temperature of 65 ° c . the beta glucan solution was concentrated to 1 . 1 %. to complete the formulation , 250 mm hepes buffer solution ph 7 . 2 was added to the glucan solution to produce a final hepes concentration of 2 . 5 mm , ph 7 . 2 . the preservative system of 2 . 5 % killitol ™, a formulation consisting of 42 . 5 % glycerin , 42 . 5 % butylene glycol , 7 . 5 % chlorphenesin , and 7 . 5 % methyl paraben and 0 . 4 % potassium sorbate was added next . quality control samples were taken for microbiological analysis , turbidity measurement , and ph check . an additional sample was taken and subjected to freeze - thaw cycling . the preparation showed stability through five cycles of freeze - thaw . the above - described procedure allows the use of a high viscosity beta glucan starting material to produce a 1 % solution and employs dilute solutions for the salvation and filtration steps . this method may be used to increase the final concentration to up to 4 % glucan . the method also allows for the use of low percentage beta glucan solutions as the feedstock since the diafiltration allows for buffer exchange and concentration , as well as the loss of contaminating protein with molecular weights higher than 100 , 000 daltons . thus , novel methods for producing beta glucans are disclosed . although preferred embodiments of the subject invention have been described in some detail , it is understood that obvious variations can be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	2
it will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration , where appropriate , reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements . in addition , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein . however , it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , methods , procedures , and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described . also , the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein . the drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts have been exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure . the present disclosure , including the accompanying drawings , is illustrated by way of examples and not by way of limitation . several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented . it should be noted that references to “ an ” or “ one ” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment , and such references mean “ at least one .” furthermore , the term “ module ”, as used herein , refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware , or to a collection of software instructions , written in a programming language , such as , java , c , or assembly . one or more software instructions in the modules can be embedded in firmware , such as in an eprom . the modules described herein can be implemented as either software and / or hardware modules and can be stored in any type of non - transitory computer - readable medium or other storage device . some non - limiting examples of non - transitory computer - readable media include cds , dvds , blu - ray , flash memory , and hard disk drives . the term “ comprising ” means “ including , but not necessarily limited to ”; it specifically indicates open - ended inclusion or membership in a so - described combination , group , series , and the like . fig1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of an electronic device 1 with an antenna control function . the electronic device 1 includes , but is not limited to , a processor 10 , a storage device 20 , and an antenna 30 . in at least one exemplary embodiment , the electronic device 1 can be a smart phone or a tablet computer . fig1 illustrates only one example of the electronic device 1 , other examples can include more or fewer components than as illustrated , or have a different configuration of the various components in other exemplary embodiments . in at least one exemplary embodiment , the storage device 20 can include various types of non - transitory computer - readable storage mediums . for example , the storage device 20 can be an internal storage system , such as a flash memory , a random access memory ( ram ) for temporary storage of information , and / or a read - only memory ( rom ) for permanent storage of information . the storage device 20 can also be an external storage system , such as a hard disk , a storage card , or a data storage medium . the at least one processor 10 can be a central processing unit ( cpu ), a microprocessor , or other data processor chip that performs functions of the electronic device 1 . referring to fig1 and fig2 , in at least one exemplary embodiment , the antenna 30 is a loop antenna . the antenna 30 includes , but is not limited to , a feeder point 31 , a first antenna path 32 , a second antenna path 33 , a first switch device 34 , a second switch device 35 , and a ground end 36 . in at least one exemplary embodiment , one end of the first switch device 34 is connected to the feeder point 31 , the other end of the first switch device 34 is connected to the first antenna path 32 . one end of the second switch device 35 is connected to the ground end 36 , the other end of the second switch 35 is connected to the first antenna path 32 . in at least one exemplary embodiment , the first switch device 34 and the second switch device 35 can be single - pole , double - throw ( spdt ) switches . in at least one exemplary embodiment , the first antenna path 32 is arranged in a left frame of a shell of the electronic device 1 , the second antenna path 33 is arranged in a right frame of the shell of the electronic device 1 . when a user holds the electronic device 1 by his right hand , a palm of the user mainly contacts and shields the right frame of the electronic device 1 , thereby performance of the second antenna path 33 arranged in the right frame is easily influenced by the right palm of the user . when a user holds the electronic device 1 by his left hand , the palm of the user mainly contacts and shields the left frame of the electronic device 1 , thereby performance of the first antenna path 32 arranged in the left frame is easily influenced by the left palm of the user . as illustrated in fig1 , the electronic device 1 includes an acquiring module 101 , a switching module 102 , a determining module 103 , a communication module 104 , and a detecting module 105 . the modules 101 - 105 can be collections of software instructions stored in the storage device 20 of the electronic device 1 and executed by the processor 10 . the modules 101 - 105 also can include functionality represented as hardware or integrated circuits , or as software and hardware combinations , such as a special - purpose processor or a general - purpose processor with special - purpose firmware . in at least one exemplary embodiment , the antenna 30 adopts by default the first antenna path for communication . when the first switch device 34 and the second switch device 35 are connected to the first antenna path 32 , the acquiring module 101 is used to acquire a first transmission power of the antenna 30 . the switching module 102 is used to control the first switch device 34 and the second switch device 35 to switch to the second antenna path 33 . when the first switch device 34 and the second switch device 35 are connected to the second antenna path 33 , the acquiring module is further used to acquire a second transmission power of the antenna 30 . the determining module 103 is used to determine whether the second transmission power is greater than or equal to the first transmission power . when the determining module 103 determines that the second transmission power is greater than or equal to the first transmission power , the communication module 104 is used to control the antenna 30 to adopt the second antenna path 33 for communication . in at least one exemplary embodiment , when the second transmission power is greater than or equal to the first transmission power , the performance of the first antenna path 32 is indicated as weaker than the performance of the second antenna path 33 , due to blocking out or interference by objects . when the determining module 103 determines that the second transmission power is less than the first transmission power , the switching module 102 is further used to control the first switch device 34 and the second switch device 35 to switch to the first antenna path 32 . the communication module 104 is further used to control the antenna 30 to adopt the first antenna path 32 for communication . in at least one exemplary embodiment , when the second transmission power is less than the first transmission power , the performance of the second antenna path 33 is indicated as weaker than the performance of the first antenna path 32 . under adoption of the first antenna path 32 or the second antenna path 33 for communication , the detecting module 105 detects an instant transmission power of the antenna 30 . in other exemplary embodiments , the detecting module 105 also can detect the transmission power of the antenna 30 at predetermined time intervals , the predetermined time interval can be one second . the determining module 103 is further used to determine whether the transmission power of the antenna 30 is reduced according to the transmission power detected by the detecting module 105 . when the determining module 103 determines that the transmission power of the antenna 30 is reduced , if the first switch device 34 and the second switch device 35 are connected to the second antenna path 33 , the switching module 102 controls the first switch device 34 and the second switch device 35 to switch to connect to the first antenna path 32 instead , and the communication module 104 control the antenna 30 to adopt the first antenna path 32 for communication . conversely , the antenna 30 can be changed to adopt the second antenna path 33 for communication . in at least one exemplary embodiment , when the transmission power of the antenna 30 is reduced , the antenna 30 is changed to adopt another antenna path for communication , thus avoiding deterioration in performance of the antenna 30 . in at least one exemplary embodiment , the antenna 30 further includes a third switch device 37 and a number of matching circuits 38 . one end of the third switch device 37 is connected to the second switch device 35 , the other end of the third switch device 37 is connected to one of the matching circuits 38 . the number of matching circuits are connected to the ground end 36 . in at least one exemplary embodiment , the third switch device 37 can be a single - pole multi - throw ( spmt ) switch , the matching circuits can be impedance matching circuits which are used for determining a working band of the antenna 30 . in at least one exemplary embodiment , the antenna 30 is connected to one of the number of matching circuits and works in a predetermined band range . when the working band of the antenna 30 needs to be changed , for example , when the electronic device 1 changes carrier operators , the switching module 102 is further used to control the third switch device 37 to switch to a corresponding matching circuit 38 , thus , the working band of the antenna 30 can be changed . fig3 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of an antenna control method . the method is provided by way of example , as there are a variety of ways to carry out the method . the method described below can be carried out using the configurations illustrated in fig1 , for example , and various elements of these figures are referenced in explaining the example method . each block shown in fig2 represents one or more processes , methods , or subroutines carried out in the example method . furthermore , the illustrated order of blocks is by example only and the order of the blocks can be changed . additional blocks may be added or fewer blocks may be utilized , without departing from this disclosure . the example method can begin at block 101 . at block 101 , when a first switch device and a second switch device are connected to a first antenna path , an acquiring module acquires a first transmission power of an antenna of an electronic device . at block 102 , a switching module controls the first switch device and the second switch device to switch to a second antenna path . at block 103 , when the first switch device and the second switch device are connected to the second antenna path , the acquiring module further acquires a second transmission power of the antenna . at block 104 , a determining module determines whether the second transmission power is greater than or equal to the first transmission power . if the second transmission power is greater than or equal to the first transmission power , the process jumps to block 105 . if the second transmission power is less than the first transmission power , the process jumps to block 106 . at block 105 , a communication module controls the antenna to adopt the second antenna path for communication . at block 106 , the switching module further controls the first switch device and the second switch device to switch to the first antenna path . at block 107 , the communication module further controls the antenna to adopt the first antenna path for communication . in at least one exemplary embodiment , the method further includes detecting an instant transmission power of the antenna , determining whether the transmission power of the antenna is reduced according to the detected transmission power , when determining that the transmission power of the antenna is reduced , if the first switch device and the second switch device are connected to the second antenna path , controlling the first switch device and the second switch device to switch to the first antenna path , and controlling the antenna to adopt the first antenna path for communication . in at least one exemplary embodiment , the method further includes controlling a third switch device to connect to a corresponding matching circuit to change a working band of the antenna . it is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description , and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure or sacrificing all of its material advantages , the examples hereinbefore described merely being exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure .	7
the block diagram of the tracking front end is shown at fig1 . the off air signal fed through the antenna is commutated by a switch with the program content from the audio modulator . a coupler that allows the signals from the sweep synthesizers to feed into the radio antenna input follows the switch . there is an equalizer that can adjust the input signal attenuation . there are invasive and non - invasive ways to obtain signal feedback signal from the car speakers . this non - invasive implementation can be considered a magnetic coupling to the speaker signal or an acoustically listening to the speakers . as invasive feedback can be considered direct contact to the wires or using an adaptor . the feedback signal from the speakers is multiplexed if necessary and detected . the detector verifies the tone signature and sends logic level to the processor when the tone is detected . the microprocessor monitors the speaker feedback and programs pll device . the pll has a dual function of providing sweep carrier to the sweep tone generator and / or providing a carrier for the audio modulator . the sweep tone generator can be realized as two or one tone sweep as described below . the audio modulator provides amplitude and / or frequency modulation upon the frequency band where the radio is tuned . the flowchart ( fig2 ) showing algorithm by using two synthesizers — tracking and content represents the most common case of the tracking front - end . when the device is on the frequency table ( map ) is created and the tones continuously loaded from the microprocessor to the first synthesizer , which starts the sweep . if there is no tone detected at the first frequency stop the synthesizer is programmed with the next value from the frequency map and so on until there is a detected tone signature . then the current frequency value is used to program the second ( content ) synthesizer , which is the source of the modulation carrier feeding the audio modulator . the detected channel frequency is extracted from the frequency map . the first synthesizer continues to sweep along the rest of the frequencies in the look up table . when the radio station is changed and the first synthesizer finds the channel , the microprocessor programs the second synthesizer to the new frequency and reinstates the frequency table as also extract the new channel frequency from there . the first synthesizer continues the sweep or hop along the rest of the frequencies while looking for a new station change . the flowchart ( fig3 ) shows an algorithm based on three synthesizers which allow twice shorter tracking time . there are two synthesizers that read from the same look up table . they may have different tones modulated on them as signatures . the algorithm is identical . when the device is on the sweep starts . the first synthesizer sweeps from the top to the bottom and the second from the bottom to the top of the frequency band . if there is no tone detected , new frequencies are assigning to the synthesizers . the sweep continues until there is a tone detected . when the tone is detected the tone is analyzed for its signature and analyzed from which synthesizer it comes . when the synthesizer recognized the channel is being located . the microprocessor programs the third synthesizer with the recovered channel frequency and disables it from the look up tables . the sweep continues until the device is on . when the radio station is changed and one of the synthesizers find the channel , the microprocessor programs the third synthesizer to the new frequency and reinstates the frequency table as also extract the new channel frequency from there . the first and second synthesizers continue the sweep along the rest of the frequencies while looking for a new station change .	7
in the accompanying drawings , identical or similar parts or components have been designated by the same reference numerals . with reference first to the above figures , it will be noted that a tire changing machine according to the invention , generally designated by the reference numeral 1 , is constituted by : a support frame 2 , a mandrel assembly 3 acting as a rotating support for a wheel rim 4 , a fitting tool 6 securable to a tool supporting arm 7 , which is adjustable in position and is supported by the support frame 2 , a pair of rollers : a front one 8 and a rear one 9 , which are arranged at diametrically opposite positions with respect to the wheel rim 4 when it is supported on the mandrel assembly 3 , said rollers being arranged on opposite sides with respect to the wheel rim 4 ; and a hydraulic assembly 5 and a gearmotor assembly 26 for actuating the movable components of the machine . the support frame 2 , in the illustrated embodiment , comprises a base 2 a which can be preferably fixed to the floor by means of lateral lugs 10 formed with an anchoring hole 11 . a shaped platform 12 is provided at the front side of the base , and a wheel rim 4 or a wheel with a tire 13 on it located and held in position to a certain extent owing to a recess 12 a which is substantially axially aligned with the mandrel assembly 3 . two front uprights 14 and 15 and two rear uprights 16 and 17 extend upwards from the base 2 a and are secured at the top thereof , to a stiffening frame 18 . advantageously , the axis of the mandrel assembly 3 extends so as to form a relatively small angle , of the order of 15 - 30 degrees , with respect to the horizontal , i . e . its front end , which is adjacent to the front uprights 14 and 15 , is at a higher level from the ground than its rear end . moreover , in order to allow the mandrel assembly 3 to be adjusted to meet various sizes of the wheels and their respective wheel rims , the mandrel assembly can be raised and lowered along the front uprights 14 and 15 , which are thus correspondingly inclined backward with respect to the vertical . to this purpose , along the internal side of each front upright 14 and 15 there are provided two mutually opposite and parallel guides 19 and 20 , along which a slide or a carriage 21 provided with four sliding rollers 23 is slideably mounted ( fig3 ). the carriage 21 rotatably supports , e . g . by interposition of suitable bearings ( not shown in the drawings ), the mandrel assembly 3 , which can also be raised and lowered owing to the action of a double - acting hydraulic jack 24 ( fig4 ) extending parallel to the front uprights and having one end thereof anchored to the base 2 a and its other end connected to the slide 21 . the actual mandrel 3 is preferably of telescopic type and is controlled to extend or retract by a double - acting hydraulic jack 25 which is preferably coaxial to said mandrel , whereby the mandrel can extend forward or retract with respect to the front uprights 14 and 15 in order to adjust itself to different types of wheel rim 4 , e . g . a flanged wheel rim or an inverted - channel rim or a multi - bead rim . an assembly 26 , including an electric motor me and a reduction unit ri for the mandrel 3 is arranged between the front and rear uprights , comprises a chain drive 27 between the reduction unit and the mandrel and a belt drive 27 a between the electric motor and the reduction unit , and can be of any suitable type , as is known to a person skilled in the art . at its front end the mandrel 3 has a flange 28 having steps 29 ( fig3 ) for supporting a wheel rim 4 , which must then be fixed onto the mandrel by means of a plate 31 which can be screwed onto the threaded front end of the mandrel . if desired , the flange 28 is provided with expanding arms 30 ( fig1 ) for engaging and locking the internal flange of the wheel rim 4 . the forward elongation of the mandrel 3 is utilized in combination with the possibility of moving up and down in order to adjust the mandrel to wheel rims 4 having different diameters , with or without a tire 13 . each wheel rim , in the case of a stepped flange 28 located on the platform 12 , once it has been engaged at its central hole by the mandrel 3 inserted therein , is raised by the mandrel and , owing to the backward inclination of the mandrel , comes at rest against the flange 28 and is then rigidly secured to the mandrel by screwing onto it a locking plate 31 . more particularly , again owing to the inclination of the mandrel 3 with respect to the horizontal , the wheel rim 4 , once it has been raised by the mandrel 3 , cannot fall forward with respect to the machine , which would be dangerous for the operator , but is urged immediately to rest against the flange 28 even before being fixed in position by means of the plate 31 , thus making the entire operation completely safe against accidents , which are not infrequent with conventional machines , since the wheel rims and wheel assemblies involved are usually of large dimensions and thus quite heavy . preferably , the frame 18 extends forward cantileverwise well beyond the front uprights 14 and 15 and supports , on the opposite side with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the machine , two rotating shafts 32 and 33 and a pivot 35 , all of which extend parallel to the mandrel 3 and are , for example , supported by suitable brackets 36 , 37 , 38 and 39 ( fig6 ) which are welded to the frame 18 . shaft 32 is supported by the two brackets 36 and 37 and , in turn , supports a rotating sleeve 40 which is rigidly coupled , at its distal end , to a lug 41 which extends upward and is formed with a through hole 42 . two forks 43 and 44 are fixed , e . g . welded , to the sleeve 40 and spaced from one another and extend downwards . one end of an l - shaped arm 45 is articulated to the fork 44 , and at its other end a front roller 8 , which is preferably substantially a truncated cone in shape , is cantileverwise mounted for rotation , whereas one end of a linear actuator , such as a pneumatic double - acting jack 46 is linked to the fork 43 , the other end thereof being articulated to a transverse pivot 47 which is carried at the lower end of the arm 45 , e . g . by means of two lugs 48 welded to said arm . with this configuration , when the hydraulic jack 46 is being elongated , the arm 45 , and thus the front roller 8 , are caused to be retracted in a direction substantially parallel to the vertical plane containing the mandrel 3 , whereas when said jack is being shortened the roller is pushed forward . similarly , the shaft 33 is supported by the pair of brackets 38 and 39 and , in turn , supports a rotating sleeve 49 which is rigidly coupled , at its proximal end , to a toothed sector 50 . two mutually spaced and downwards extending forks 51 and 52 are fixed , e . g . welded , to the sleeve 49 . one end of an l - shaped arm 53 ( fig7 ) is articulated to the fork 51 , whereas at its other end the rear roller 9 , which is preferably substantially a truncated cone in shape , is cantileverwise mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation in common with a cylindrical roller 9 a . one end of a linear actuator , e . g . a hydraulic double - acting jack 54 , is linked to the fork 52 , whereas the other end of said actuator is articulated to a transverse pivot 55 which is supported at the lower end of the arm 53 , e . g . by means of two lugs 56 welded to said arm . with this configuration , when the hydraulic jack 54 expands , the arm 53 , and thus the rear roller 9 , are pushed forwards in a direction substantially parallel to the vertical plane containing the mandrel 3 , whereas when said jack contracts itself , the roller 9 is shifted backwards against the tire 13 , as is better shown in fig7 . the toothed sector 50 , rigid with the sleeve 49 , meshes with a toothed sector 57 ( fig2 , 3 and 7 ) which is pivoted at 58 to the frame 18 or to the bracket 39 and has an arm 59 which is linked to one end of a hydraulic double - acting jack 60 which is arranged above and astride the frame 18 , the other end of said jack being linked to the lug 41 rigid with the sleeve 40 on the other side of the machine . thus , when the jack 60 is being elongated , the two arms 45 and 53 are caused to move closer to one another near a respective side of the machine or the mandrel 3 , whereas when said jack is being shortened , said arms , and thus their respective rollers carried on them , are moved mutually apart , i . e ., moved away from the sides of the machine or from the mandrel 3 . as is more clearly shown in fig3 two lugs 61 are secured , e . g . welded , to the sleeve 49 which extend downwards and support therebetween a nut or female thread 62 into which a threaded shaft 63 controlled by a handwheel 64 can be screwed . when the shaft 63 is screwed into the female thread 62 , it will protrude from it to abut against the frame 18 and act as a retainer for the arm 53 , which is then stopped while the jack 60 is being shortened , whereas , by reaction , the arm 45 can proceed , for a certain extent , with its stroke away from the mandrel 3 , as further explained hereinafter . preferably , the front arm 45 ( fig1 to 4 ) supports , also in a forward position quite comfortable for an operator , two knobs 65 and 66 which are provided with control buttons 67 and supported , e . g . by a u - shaped support 68 which , in turn , carries a control panel 69 and is supported at one end of a cantilever arm 70 whose other end is fixed to the arm 45 . the fitting tool 6 can be arranged at the free end of the tool holder arm 7 , whose other end is articulated to the pivot 35 so that it can perform forward and backward sliding strokes in order to adapt itself to various widths of wheel rims 4 . more particularly , the arm 7 ( fig6 ) is formed by a first section 7 a which is linked , at one end thereof to the pivot 35 and terminates , at its other end , with a fork 7 b , to which one end of a second section 7 c , is pivoted , which is e . g . l - shaped and provided with a control knob 7 d . the arm 7 thus structured allows the tool 6 to be moved , as shown more clearly in fig1 to a working position which is offset by approximately 90 degrees with respect to the working position of the roller 8 and on the same side with respect to a wheel rim 4 fitted on the mandrel assembly 3 but on the opposite side with respect to the rear roller 9 . on its part designed to contact the edge of the wheel rim 4 , the tool 6 is coated with , or has otherwise applied thereto , a layer of a suitable , tough , self - lubricating plastic material , e . g . nylon ( registered ™) reinforced with glass fiber , thereby avoiding deforming or otherwise damaging the wheel rim 4 . the operation of the above - described tire changing machine is as follows . a distinction should be made between two main operations , namely mounting of a tire and bead breaking and removal of an already - mounted tire . for a tire mounting operation , the tool 6 and the front roller 8 are used as shown in fig1 and 6 . it will be noted that tool 6 is angularly spaced from the working position of the roller 8 of about 90 degrees . the wheel rim 4 is located in position by causing it to roll or by placing it in the recess 12 a of the platform 12 . the operator , by acting on the buttons 67 of the knobs 65 and 66 , controls by following a suitable control sequence the jacks 24 and 25 , thereby causing the mandrel 3 to be lowered or raised to the level of the central hole in the wheel rim 4 located on the platform 12 and inserted into it to positively engage it . the mandrel 3 is then raised and the wheel rim 4 is lifted with it , so that the wheel rim , owing to the inclination of the mandrel with respect to the horizontal , rests against the flange 28 and is lifted . the operator then locks the wheel rim on the mandrel assembly by screwing the plate 31 onto the mandrel , thus clamping the wheel rim 4 against the flange 28 so that it becomes rigid in rotation with the mandrel . a tire 13 is then drawn near to the wheel rim and rests with its bead on it . the mandrel assembly is further lifted , together with the tire , until the tire 13 is raised above the platform 12 . by acting on controls 67 , the front roller 8 is then located in such a way as to push the tire 13 ( fig6 ) beyond the edge of the wheel rim 4 . the tool 6 is then located in its working position by acting on the knob 7 d , at 90 degrees with respect to the roller 8 and by inserting the tip of the tool between the edge of the wheel rim and the bead of the tire 13 . the operator by energizing electric motor me sets then the mandrel in rotation in the direction of the arrow a in fig6 . simultaneous combined action of the roller 8 , which presses against the sidewall of the tire 13 to push it inwards , i . e ., toward the flange 28 , and of the tool 6 , which causes the tire bead to move to the inside edge of the wheel rim , results in a rapid mounting of the tire 13 onto the wheel rim 4 . for a bead breaking or release and removal operation , reference should be made in particular to fig7 which shows two rollers , i . e ., front roller 8 and rear roller 9 , being used . the said rollers are arranged in diametrically opposite working positions on opposite sides with respect to the tire 13 to be removed . in other words , one roller acts on the front sidewall and the other roller acts on the rear sidewall of the tire , thus applying a powerful and effective unseating action onto the tire . it will be noted , in this regard , that the wheel rim with the tire is caused to rotate in the direction of arrow b , and that the roller 9 a assists the action of the mainly bead - breaking roller 9 by applying pressure in a region which is at a diametrically larger distance from , and therefore more effective on , the sidewall of the tire , thereby forcing it to come out of the wheel rim 4 . once removal has been completed , the mandrel 3 is lowered in order to move away the removed tire from the wheel rim which is then ready to possibly receive another tire to be mounted onto it . the disclosures in italian patent application no . vr99a000033 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference .	1
fig2 is a section view of a transformer 10 in a first embodiment of the invention . the transformer 10 is a three - phase / two - phase rotary transformer . the transformer 10 comprises two single - phase rotary terminals , namely a transformer 11 and a transformer 21 . a body 12 made of ferromagnetic material in the form of a ring of axis a and having a slot 14 formed therein that is open towards the axis a ; an n ′ 1 - turn toroidal coil 16 of axis a in the slot 14 ; a body 13 made of ferromagnetic material , in the form of a ring of axis a surrounded by the body 12 about the axis a and having formed therein a slot 15 that is open towards the slot 14 ; and an n 2 - turn toroidal coil 17 of axis a in the slot 15 . the bodies 12 and 13 are movable in rotation relative to each other about the axis a . a body 22 made of ferromagnetic material , in the form of a ring of axis a and having formed therein a slot 24 that is open towards the axis a ; an n ′ 1 - turn toroidal coil 26 of axis a in the slot 24 ; a body 23 made of ferromagnetic material , in the form of a ring of axis a , surrounded by the body 22 about the axis a and having formed therein a slot 25 that is open towards the slot 24 ; and an n 2 - turn toroidal coil 27 of axis a in the slot 25 . the term “ toroidal ” is not used restrictively in the sense of a solid generated by rotating a circle about an axis . on the contrary , as in the example shown , the section of a toroidal coil may , in particular , be rectangular . the coil 26 is made up of two half - coils 26 a and 26 b each having n 1 / 2 turns . the bodies 22 and 23 are movable in rotation relative to each other about the axis a . in the transformer 10 , the bodies 12 and 22 and the coils 16 and 26 are stationary relative to one another . the coils 16 and 26 may be connected to a three - phase source . the bodies 12 and 22 and the coils 16 and 26 thus form parts of a three - phase portion 31 of the transformer 10 . likewise , the bodies 13 and 23 and the coils 17 and 27 are stationary relative to one another . the coils 17 and 27 may be connected to a two - phase source . the bodies 13 and 23 and the coils 17 and 27 thus form parts of a two - phase portion 32 of the transformer 10 . the three - phase portion 31 and the two - phase portion 32 are movable in rotation about the axis a relative to each other . for example , the three - phase portion 31 may be a stator and the two - phase portion 32 a rotor , or vice versa . in a variant , both the three - phase portion 31 and the two - phase portion 32 are movable in rotation relative to a stationary reference frame ( not shown ). furthermore , the magnetic circuit of the transformer 11 as formed by the bodies 12 and 13 is separated from the magnetic circuit of the transformer 21 as formed by the bodies 22 and 23 by a space 33 . in other words , said transformers 11 and 12 are magnetically segregated . fig2 also shows the magnetic core 18 of the transformer 11 and the magnetic core 28 of the transformer 21 . the term “ magnetic core ” is used to mean a portion of the magnetic circuit in which the same - direction flux created by a coil is the greatest . fig3 a is an electric circuit diagram showing the way the coils 16 and 26 are connected . ap , bp , and cp , which are the terminals of the coils 16 , 26 b , and 26 a , respectively , that are connected to the three - phase network ; oap , obp , ocp , which are the terminals of the coils 16 , 26 b , and 26 a , respectively , that are opposite from the terminals ap , bp , and cp ; iap , ibp , and icp , which are the three - phase currents entering the terminals ap , bp , and cp , respectively ; pa , which is the magnetic potential in the magnetic core 18 corresponding to the current iap ; pb which is the magnetic potential in the magnetic core 28 corresponding to the current ibp ; and pc which is the magnetic potential in the magnetic core 28 corresponding to the current icp . as shown in fig3 a , the terminal oap of the coil 16 is connected to the terminals obp and ocp of the coils 26 b and 26 c , which thus constitutes the midpoint of the coil 26 . furthermore , fig3 a shows the winding directions of the coils 16 , 26 a , and 26 b by means of black dots , using the following convention : if the black dot is on the left and the current enters on the same side as the black dot , then the corresponding magnetic potential goes to the right ; if the black dot is on the left and the current enters from the side opposite from the black dot , then the corresponding magnetic potential goes to the left ; if the black dot is on the right and the current enters on the same side as the black dot , then the corresponding magnetic potential goes to the right ; and if the black dot is on the right and the current enters from the side opposite from the black dot , then the corresponding magnetic potential goes to the left . given the winding directions of the coils 26 a and 26 b , it can thus be seen that the magnetic potentials pb and pc in the magnetic core 28 are in opposite directions . fig3 b shows a variant for the winding directions , that likewise makes it possible to obtain magnetic potentials pb and pc in opposite directions . below , v 1 , i 1 , v 2 , and i 2 designate the two - phase voltages and currents in the coils 17 and 27 . it can be seen that the transformer 10 is a scott connection three - phase / two - phase rotary transformer . in similar manner to the scott connection three - phase / two - phase stationary transformer 1 of fig1 , the primary voltages are in quadrature , and the same applies to the secondary voltages v 1 and v 2 . for a ratio n ′ 1 =(√ 3 / 2 ) n 1 , the secondary voltages v 1 and v 2 have the same value and are in quadrature . the ratio of the currents is given by : resistances are balanced by appropriately selecting the sections for the conductive materials of the coils 16 , 26 a , and 26 b : the sections of the coils 26 a and 26 b are equal if their mean distances from the axis of rotation are equal . the section of the coil 16 is √ 3 times the section of the coils 26 a and 26 b for the same mean distance from the axis of rotation . if it is desired to conserve balanced resistances in the phases , the longest phase must also have a larger section in order to compensate for its greater length . the magnetic coupling performed by the magnetic circuit of the single - phase rotary transformer 21 possesses two phases , thereby making it possible to obtain a coupling coefficient of √ 3 for the fluxes created compared with a single - phase transformer per phase . this coefficient makes it possible either to reduce the number of coil turns per phase , or else to reduce the magnetizing current that is absorbed . the transformer 10 presents several advantages . it makes it possible to transfer energy or signals between a three - phase source and a two - phase source in reference frames that are rotating relative to each other , and to do so without contact and in balanced manner . furthermore , the volume and the weight of the transformer 10 , corresponding to the volumes and to the weights of the two single - phase rotary transformers 11 and 21 , can be reduced compared with the three - transformer solution mentioned in the introduction , in which the three - phase / two - phase transformation is performed by a first transformer that is stationary , and then the change of reference phase is performed by two single - phase rotary transformers . finally , it requires only toroidal coils of axis a , which are particularly simple in structure . in fig2 , the coils 26 a and 26 b are shown as being one beside the other , however other positions may be suitable . for example , in the slot 24 , the coils 26 a and 26 b may be one beside the other in the axial direction , one around the other relative to the axis a , or they may be mixed together . the transformer 10 may be considered as a u - shaped variant in which the three - phase portion surrounds the two - phase portion relative to the axis a . in a variant , the two - phase portion may surround the three - phase portion relative to the axis a . fig4 is a section view of a transformer 110 in a second embodiment of the invention . the transformer 110 is a three - phase / two - phase rotary transformer and it may be considered as being an “ e - shaped ” or a “ pot - shaped ” variant of the “ u - shaped ” transformer 10 . in this variant , the three - phase portion and the two - phase portion are situated one beside the other in the direction of the axis a , and the slots 14 and 15 are open towards each other in the direction of the axis a . in fig4 , the same references as in fig2 are used again without risk of confusion for designating elements that correspond , and a detailed description is therefore not necessary . in known manner in the field of transformers , a transformer may have a plurality of secondaries . thus , a transformer in accordance with the invention may comprise for its primary , a three - phase portion of the same type as the three - phase portion 31 of the transformer 10 or 110 , and for its secondary , a two - phase secondary portion of the same type as the two - phase portion 32 of the transformer 10 together with at least one set of additional three - phase or two - phase coils . this makes it possible to power an arbitrary number of loads in balanced manner from a three - phase source . for example , in order to power 11 loads , it is possible to use three loads on the three - phase secondary and two loads on the two - phase secondary ( 11 = 3 * 3 + 2 ). fig5 shows an example of a transformer 210 having a plurality of secondaries . the transformer 210 may be considered as a variant of the transformer 10 and it further comprises a set of three - phase coils for its secondary . elements corresponding to embodiments of the transformer 10 are designated by the same references , without risk of confusion . the transformer 210 also has an n √ 3 - turn toroidal coil 40 of axis a in the slot 15 and an n 3 - turn toroidal coil 41 of axis a in the slot 25 . the coil 41 is made up of two half - coils 41 a and 41 b , each having n 3 / 2 coils . the coils 40 , 41 a , and 41 b are connected to one another and to the secondary three - phase source in a manner that corresponds to the connection of the coils 16 , 26 a , and 26 b . in corresponding manner , fig6 shows another example of a transformer 310 having a plurality of secondaries . the transformer 310 may be considered as being a variant of the transformer 110 , and it further comprises a set of three - phase coils for its secondary . elements that correspond to elements of the transformer 110 are designated by the same references , without risk of confusion . the transformer 310 also has an n √ 3 - turn toroidal coil 50 of axis a in the slot 15 , and an n 3 - turn toroidal coil 51 of axis a in the slot 25 . the coil 51 is made up of two half - coils 51 a and 51 b , each having n 3 / 2 turns . the coils 50 , 51 a , and 51 b are connected to one another and to the secondary three - phase source in a manner that corresponds to the connection of the coils 16 , 26 a , and 26 b .	7
a basic configuration of the present invention is shown in fig1 . reference numeral 1 designates a light source made up of a light - emitting diode , numeral 2 a photo - detector for receiving direct light made of pin - type si photo - diode , and numeral 3 a photo - detector for receiving scattered light . a slit 4 is arranged before the photo - detector 2 to regulate the amount of light entering the photo - detector 2 . that part of the light radiated from the light - emitting diode 1 which enters the photo - detector 3 is very small in amount . therefore , in order to keep the output of the photo - detector 3 equal to that of the photo - detector 2 , the width of the slit 4 must be reduced greatly . according to the present invention , this problem is solved by using a si photo - diode having a front light - receiving surface of a pattern as shown in the plan view in the drawing as the photo - detector 2 . specifically , the photo - detector 2 is so constructed that a metal member 7 ( aluminum or gold ) functioning as an electrode and a mask are deposited by evaporation at the same time on the whole surface of an si photo diode , and a part of it is trimmed ( by etching ) to make up the light - receiving surface 8 , thereby reducing the sensitivity of the photo - detector 2 . a sectional view of the photo - detector 2 is shown in fig3 . in this way , the width of the slit 4 can be increased . also , the change in the sensitivity of the photo - detector 2 is reduced as compared with the change in the slit width , thus facilitating the adjustment . fig4 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a specific configuration of a photo - electric smoke detector according to the present invention , and fig5 a longitudinal sectional view along line v -- v &# 39 ; in fig4 . numeral 9 designates a smoke detector proper of a construction adapted to be mounted on the ceiling of the interior of a car . slits 10 providing a smoke entrance are formed in the side wall and the lower side of the detector . numeral 1 designates an infrared light - emitting diode ( hereinafter referred to as led ), numeral 2 an si photo - diode ( hereinafter referred to as sipd ) for receiving direct light from the light source 1 , and numeral 3 an sipd for receiving light scattered by smoke . both the sipds are secured to a base plate by fittings 13 , 14 , 15 . a screw 12 for regulating the amount of light entering sipd 2 is provided forwardly of sipd 2 . sipd 2 is integrated with the metal member 7 shown in and described with reference to fig2 and 3 above . sipd 3 , on the other hand , has a construction shown in fig6 ( front view ) and fig7 ( sectional view ). these sipds are fabricated in the same processes as an ordinary sipd of pin type . the difference between sipd 2 and sipd 3 lies in the shape of the electrode 7 on p layer side made of al or av . sipd 3 is constructed of the light - receiving surface 8 for the most part thereof , while the greater part of sipd 2 is covered with the electrode 7 . sipd 2 , which receives only the light entered by way of the light - receiving surface in the form of slits , is lower than sipd 3 in sensitivity . sipds 2 and 3 , which are different only in the shape of the electrode 7 , have exactly the same temperature characteristic and frequency response , and are therefore used advantageously against temperature changes or modulated light . sipd 2 , as shown in fig8 is mounted on the fitting 14 in such a manner that the longitudinal direction of the light - receiving surface 8 in slits concides with the direction of driving the screw 12 . in this mounting position , the output of the sipd 2 is changed linearly with the movement of the screw thereby to secure accurate adjustment . a block diagram of the detector circuit of the smoke detector is shown in fig9 . numeral 16 designates a drive circuit for causing led 1 to emit light , numeral 17 an amplifier circuit for sipd 2 , numeral 18 an amplifier circuit for sipd 3 , numeral 19 a comparator , and numeral 20 a switching circuit operated in response to signals from the comparator 19 . the operation of the first embodiment will be described below . in the absence of smoke , the light emitted from led 1 enters sipd 2 while part of the light is reflected on the inner wall or like of the detector 9 and is applied to sipd 3 . if the amount of light which enters sipd 2 is adjusted to make the outputs of the amplifiers 17 and 18 equal to each other , under this condition , the detector is not actuated as the comparator 19 is not operated . according to the present invention , sipd 2 is lower in sensitivity than sipd 3 , and therefore the amount of change in the output of sipd 2 is small as compared with the amount of feed of the screw 12 for adjusting the amount of light , thus greatly facilitating the adjustment . further , the adverse effect of movement of the screw by vibrations of the car is minimized . now assume that cigarette smoke or like flows into the detector through the slits 10 . the light 6 scattered by the smoke enters sipd 3 , so that the output of the amplifier 18 exceeds the output of the amplifier 17 , thus activating the comparator 19 thereby to start the detector . a sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig1 . led 1 , sipd 2 and sipd 3 are equivalent to those included in the first embodiment . slits 21 are formed before sipd 2 to make sure that the longitudinal direction of the light - receiving surface 8 in slits is identical to the direction of opening and closing of the slits 21 by which the amount of light entering sipd 2 is regulated . the operation of the detector in this case is quite the same as that of the first embodiment . a third embodiment of the present invention will be explained . the sipd 2 of a construction as shown in fig1 is used in the third embodiment . specifically , small holes are formed as the light - receiving surface 8 , and the remaining parts are covered fully by the metal member 7 . also in this case , only the light entering by way of the parts 8 lacking the metal member 7 is detected and therefore the sensitivity is reduced . this sipd may be used in quite the same way as those of the first and second embodiments . if the holes are arranged densely along the direction of screw feed or the direction in which the slit width is changed , the output of sipd changes almost linearly with the slit width , thereby facilitating adjustment . it will thus be understood from the foregoing description that according to the present invention , there is provided a smoke detector in which part of the electrode of the photo - detector for receiving direct light is trimmed in order to reduce the sensitivity thereof , and therefore the means for reducing the sensitivity can be integrated with the photo - detector , so that the detection capacity is prevented from deteriorating by vibrations or like .	6
a solution to the problems that have been encountered in precisely placing a microdevice in living tissue is to monitor the position of the implant device continuously by observing the muscle response to electrical stimulation during implantation of the microdevice , between the time when the probe is removed and when the microdevice is released . loeb , et al . describe an alternative approach to placing a microstimulator near a nerve . see u . s . pat . no . 6 , 214 , 032 , which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference . see also u . s . pat . no . 6 , 345 , 202 , which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference , which discusses verifying the location of the insertion needle by electrical stimulation of a removable trochar [ sic ] within the hollow sheath of the needle . a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in fig1 - 5 , wherein fig1 illustrates the electrode probe 2 locating the nerve 6 by electrically stimulating the nerve 6 and observing the muscle response . the electrical signal is generated by the electrical stimulator 12 , e . g ., a pulse generator . it is obvious that the electrode probe 2 could be a detector and electrical stimulator 12 could be a signal amplifier . the signal passes along electrode probe wire 10 , along electrically insulated electrode probe 2 to conducting tip 14 . return electrode probe wire 11 preferably completes the electrical path by connecting between the skin 4 and electrical stimulator 12 . electrode probe 2 is electrically insulated along its entire length , except that the conducting tip 14 is not insulated , allowing the electrical signal to pass into the living tissue . visual observation of the contracting muscle indicates when the conducting tip 14 is located next to nerve 6 . location marks 28 , that circumscribes electrode probe 2 , provides a visual indication of the precise location of the nerve . after the nerve 6 is located , electrode probe wire 10 is detached from the electrode probe 2 and an outer sheath 16 , as illustrated in fig2 is slid over and along the electrode probe 2 , to penetrate the living tissue . the outer sheath 16 is inserted until it aligns with depth indicator 29 , a selected one of the location marks 28 . the outer sheath 16 contains a sheath lead wire 20 , which is electrically insulated along its length . the sheath lead wire 20 passes along the length of outer sheath 16 , preferably on its inner diameter along the wall . the lead wire 20 terminates at the sheath electrode 18 , which is preferably located on the end of the outer sheath 16 that contacts the nerve 6 . the sheath electrode 18 preferably receives an electrical signal from the electrical stimulator 12 by a current that passes along sheath lead wire 20 to the sheath electrode 18 . a return electrode is preferably attached to the skin 4 and the electrical circuit is completed by return electrode probe wire 11 . the outer sheath 16 is inserted to align with an electrode location mark 28 such that the sheath electrode 18 is located near the nerve 6 . the position of the sheath 16 is optimized by electrically pulsing the nerve 6 and observing the response of the associated muscle . when electrode probe 2 is removed , the position of the outer sheath 16 is confirmed by electrically pulsing the nerve 6 , as previously discussed . once the electrode probe 2 is removed from the outer sheath 16 , fig3 the outer sheath 16 is ready to receive the microstimulator 22 ( see fig4 ). alternatively as previously discussed , the microstimulator 22 may be a sensor of signals from the living tissue . fig4 illustrates the outer sheath 16 with the microstimulator 22 being pushed into the outer sheath 16 with blunt - end push rod 24 . the push rod 24 is inserted to a location mark 25 such that the microstimulator 22 is located at the end of outer sheath 16 , near the nerve 6 . the position of the microstimulator 22 can be verified by testing it before the outer sheath 16 is removed . if a problem is discovered , then the microstimulator 22 may be easily removed with the outer sheath 16 . if no problem is discovered and if it is desired to implant the microstimulator 22 , then the outer sheath 16 is removed , as illustrated in fig5 by holding the microstimulator 22 in position near the nerve 6 with the push rod 24 while the outer sheath 16 is removed . an alternative embodiment of the invention is illustrated in fig6 - 9 . fig6 illustrates the electrode probe 102 locating the nerve 106 by electrically stimulating the nerve 106 . the response of the associated muscle is observed . electrode probe 102 is electrically insulated along its length , but conducting tip 114 is not insulated , allowing the electrical signal to pass into the living tissue . the location marks 128 that circumscribe electrode probe 102 provide a precise location of the nerve depth . the electrical signal is generated by the electrical stimulator 112 . the electrical stimulator 112 may be hand - operated or it may be operated by a foot - control lever 113 that is moved by the foot of the surgeon or an assistant . the signal passes along electrode probe wire 110 , along electrically insulated electrode probe 102 to conducting tip 114 . return electrode probe wire 111 preferably completes the electrical path by connecting between the skin 4 and electrical stimulator 112 . after the nerve 106 is located , electrode probe wire 110 is detached from the electrode probe 102 ( see fig6 ) and sheath lead wire 120 is attached to sheath electrode 118 ( see fig7 ). then , an inner sheath 108 and outer sheath 116 are slid along the electrode probe 102 , as shown in fig7 . the inner sheath 108 is sharp and enters the skin 104 and other living tissue at insertion point 26 , enlarging the hole for the implantation , until the top of inner sheath 108 aligns with depth indicator 129 on electrode probe 102 ( a selected one of the location marks 128 ), thereby indicating that the tip of the inner sheath 108 is aligned with and is next to the nerve 106 . the electrode probe 102 is then removed from the inner sheath 108 . next , the inner sheath 108 is removed from the outer sheath 116 . the location of the outer sheath 116 , with respect to the nerve 106 , is determined by passing an electrical signal from the electrical stimulator 112 along electrode probe wire 120 , which is preferably embedded in the interior wall of the outer sheath 116 , as illustrated in fig7 . alternately , the electrode probe wire 120 may pass along the outside of outer sheath 116 or it may be embedded in the wall of outer sheath 116 . outer sheath 116 is preferably electrically insulated or is comprised of a nonconductive material , such as plastic , to ensure that the electrical pulsing signals that are used to locate the nerve pass into the living tissue and not into the outer sheath 116 . after the electrode probe 102 and the inner sheath 108 have been removed from the outer sheath 116 , the outer sheath 116 can no longer be readily relocated because the outer sheath 116 is not designed to penetrate living tissue . saline solution is injected into outer sheath 116 to ensure that electrical conductivity is established when the microstimulator 122 is placed in outer sheath 116 ( see fig8 ). outer sheath 116 contains a plurality of holes 117 that are located to facilitate electrical contact between the microstimulator 122 and the living tissue . as described in the incorporated patents , the microstimulator 122 preferably has an axial dimension of less than 60 mm and a lateral dimension of less than 6 mm . in a preferred embodiment , the microstimulator 122 has microstimulator electrodes 123 located on each end . the sheath electrode 118 may be electrically pulsed to ensure that the location of outer sheath 116 has not changed significantly , relative to the nerve 106 , while the microstimulator 122 is placed in the outer sheath 116 . [ 0049 ] fig8 illustrates the microstimulator 122 as it has been placed inside outer sheath 116 and urged toward nerve 106 by blunt - end push rod 124 . blunt - end push rod 124 contains push rod location marks 125 , which indicate the position of the microstimulator 122 during insertion . push rod depth indicator 130 ( a selected one of the location marks 125 ), which indicates when the microstimulator has arrived at the end of outer sheath 116 , and is therefore near nerve 106 . alternatively , the microstimulator may be urged along outer sheath 116 by the electrode probe 102 or by inner sheath 108 . it is beneficial that any alternative push rod have location marks to indicate when the microstimulator 122 has arrived at the end of the outer sheath 116 . before the microstimulator 122 is ejected from the outer sheath 116 , its position may be confirmed by stimulation of the sheath electrode 118 . furthermore , the function of the microstimulator 122 may be checked by causing stimulation pulses to be emitted from the electrodes of the microstimulator . once its position and function are confirmed , the microstimulator 122 is ejected from the outer sheath 116 , fig9 by holding the push rod 124 in place as the outer sheath 116 is withdrawn away from the nerve 106 and out of the living tissue at insertion point 26 . typically , this apparatus implants the microstimulator 122 a distance from the nerve 106 that is approximately equal to the distance from the sharp tip of the inner sheath 108 to the tip of outer sheath 116 . an alternative embodiment of the invention is presented in fig1 - 14 . fig1 provides a side view of the electrode probe 2 , which is used to initially locate the nerve 6 ( and / or muscle tissue ) by means of inserting the probe 2 into the living tissue , preferably at an angle to the skin 4 through an insertion point 26 in the skin 4 and into the living tissue . the electrode probe 2 is a sharp device that is electrically insulated along its length but that is not electrically insulated at its conducting tip 14 . the electrode probe 2 is used to electrically stimulate the living tissue near the tip 14 , thereby locating the desired nerve 6 by eliciting a specific response , such as contraction of a nearby muscle . it is understood that this approach can equally well be used to stimulate muscle tissue . the electrode probe 2 is attached by electrode probe wire 10 to an electrical stimulator 12 , which can be pulsed manually to locate the nerve 6 . the electrical path is completed by return electrode probe wire 11 , that is preferably attached to skin 4 . it is preferred that the electrical stimulator 12 be controlled by foot control 13 , although it may be controlled by a hand control in the alternative . the electrode probe 2 location with respect to the nerve 6 and / or the muscle tissue is determined by observing the muscle response when the electrode probe 2 is electrically stimulated . after the electrode probe conducting tip 14 is optimally located , the inner sheath 8 is slid along the electrode probe 2 to enlarge the opening in the tissue ( see fig1 ). in an alternative embodiment , the inner sheath 8 and outer sheath 16 may be simultaneously slid along the pre - positioned electrode probe 2 into the living tissue . in a preferred embodiment ( see fig1 ), the electrode probe 2 is held in close proximity to the nerve 6 while a cylindrically hollow outer sheath 16 is slid over the inner sheath 8 . the inside diameter of inner sheath 8 has a diametral dimension that is preferably slightly larger than the outer diameter of electrode probe 2 , e . g ., by 5 % to 20 %, while the outside diameter of inner sheath 8 preferably is approximately equal to the outside diameter of microstimulator 22 , e . g ., within about 5 % ( see fig1 ). a thin electrically conductive sheath lead wire 20 , having a diameter of about one - thousandth of an inch , is located in the wall of outer sheath 16 connecting the sheath electrode 18 and the electrical stimulator 12 . the sheath electrode 18 is located on the end of the outer sheath 16 that is nearest the nerve 6 . this device offers the additional improved feature that both the outer sheath 16 and the inner sheath 8 are near the nerve 6 , thus allowing the ultimate position of the implanted microdevice to be near the nerve 6 . the closer the implanted microdevice is to the nerve , generally , the less power is consumed in its operation and the longer the device will survive without battery replacement . as shown in fig1 , the electrode probe 2 and inner sheath 8 are removed from the living tissue while the position of the outer sheath 16 is maintained next to the nerve 6 by electrically pulsing the nerve 6 with a current from sheath electrode 18 and observing the response of the muscle associated with the nerve 6 . in order to ensure that there is no interference with electrical stimulation of the nerve 6 , both the inner sheath 8 and the outer sheath 16 must be non - conductors or must be electrically insulated from the living tissue . accordingly , in a preferred embodiment , the inner sheath 8 and the outer sheath 16 are made of plastic . the sheath lead wire 20 may be located in alternative locations in or along the wall of the outer sheath 16 . the sheath lead wire 20 may be located in the wall , which is preferred , or along the outside of the hollow outer sheath 16 , or inside the outer sheath 16 , e . g ., in a groove . the sheath lead wire 20 can then be used to conduct an electrical signal to stimulate the nerve 6 and to confirm the position of the outer sheath 16 relative to the nerve 6 . prior to insertion of the microstimulator 22 , the outer sheath 16 may be flushed with saline solution . holes 17 are located in the outer sheath at locations to ensure good electrical contact between the microstimulator 22 , after it is inserted into the outer sheath 16 , and the living tissue . a microstimulator 22 ( see fig1 ) is typically a small tubular device that contains an electronic package and communication means , for modifying or affecting a body parameter , when it is located near a nerve 6 or muscle to be stimulated . in a preferred embodiment , the microstimulator 22 has microstimulator electrodes 23 located on each end . [ 0060 ] fig1 illustrates the microstimulator 22 being inserted into the outer sheath 16 using the blunt - end push rod 24 . alternately , the microstimulator can be inserted into the outer sheath 16 by using the electrode probe 2 or inner sheath 8 . the blunt - end push rod 24 has location mark 28 that circumscribes the push rod 24 such that the location of the microstimulator 22 in the outer sheath 16 can be ascertained by reference to the location mark 28 . once the microstimulator 22 is placed in contact with the nerve 6 , by passing the microstimulator 22 down the length of the inner sheath 8 , the microstimulator 22 is activated and powered via an externally provided rf signal and the muscle that responded before is observed to see if it is still responding when stimulated by the microstimulator 22 . in an alternative embodiment , the microstimulator 22 may be activated by an rf signal or powered by means other than via an rf signal , such as by an internal battery . if the muscle is responding properly , the outer sheath 16 is pulled back while restraining the microstimulator 22 with the blunt - end push rod 24 ( see fig1 ). the microstimulator 22 is free of the outer sheath 16 and both the outer sheath 16 and blunt - end push rod 24 are removed from the living tissue . the microstimulator 22 remains in position next to the nerve 6 and at the base of insertion point 26 , as illustrated in fig1 , after the outer sheath 16 and the blunt - end push rod 24 have been removed . in a preferred embodiment , the microstimulator 22 ( see fig1 ) contains removal loop 30 , e . g ., an eyelet , on the end nearest the skin 4 to facilitate attachment of removal string 32 to the microstimulator 22 . the removal string 32 may be left in the living tissue near the insertion point 26 ( see fig1 ) or it may be left outside the living tissue . the removal string may be used to locate and / or to remove the microstimulator by pulling on it . this technique is effective for a few days post - surgery to remove the microstimulator 22 without risking further damage or trauma to the implant area , until the tissue begins to heal and adheres to the microstimulator . an alternative embodiment to the removal system using the removal string 32 connected to the removal loop 30 on the microstimulator 22 ( see fig1 and 14 ) is to place the microstimulator 22 in a porous , non - soluble , biocompatible fabric tube 100 ( see fig1 ). a preferred material for biocompatible fabric tube 100 is a silk tube , which is essentially a “ sock ” or closed end tube . silk is a preferred material because it is biocompatible and does not bond readily to the living tissue . as an alternative to silk , any closely woven material made of non - soluble material may be used . alternatives include dialysis membrane materials . the ideal material is porous to allow solute materials to penetrate and flood the microstimulator surfaces for optimum electrical contact , however the structure of the materials must be so fine that the body &# 39 ; s connective tissue cannot penetrate and lock the fabric tube 100 into place . should the microstimulator 22 need to be removed , then the end of the fabric tube 100 is located either protruding from the skin 4 or implanted beneath the skin 4 near insertion point 26 , and slowly withdrawn from the living tissue with the microstimulator 22 inside . f . two - part system with expanding aperture for placement of a microstimulator a further embodiment of an insertion system for placing a microstimulator or microsensor into living tissue is presented in fig1 - 18 . in an analogous process to that previously discussed the electrically insulated electrode probe 202 is first inserted in the living tissue through the skin 204 at insertion point 26 in order to locate a nerve 206 by electrically stimulating the nerve 206 and visually observing the muscle response . the electrical signal is generated by an electrical stimulator 212 and the signal passes along a wire ( not illustrated ) to the electrode probe 202 and to the exposed electrically conductive tip 214 of the electrode probe 202 . the circuit is completed by return electrode probe wire 211 that is preferably attached to the skin 204 . the insulated wire 210 is removed from the electrode probe 202 after the probe 202 has located the nerve 206 . as illustrated in fig1 , the dilator outer sheath 216 is inserted over electrode probe 202 and into the living tissue until the aperture tip 230 of the dilator outer sheath 216 is approximately aligned with the conducting tip 214 of the electrode probe 202 . the dilator outer sheath 216 has a sharp end to facilitate insertion into the living tissue . the sharp end forms aperture 230 . the proper alignment is achieved by visually aligning the dilator outer sheath 216 with the location mark 228 . the electrode probe 202 is removed and the location , relative to the nerve 206 , of the dilator outer sheath 216 is confirmed by passing an electrical signal from the electrical stimulator 212 along the electrically insulated wire 210 , which in a preferred embodiment extends along the inside wall of the dilator outer sheath 216 . the insulated wire 210 terminates in sheath electrode 218 , which is located near aperture 230 . the circuit is completed by return electrode probe wire 211 that is preferably attached to the skin 204 . in alternative embodiments , the wire 210 may be located along the outside wall or may be replaced with a conductive path along the outside wall of the dilator outer sheath 216 or along the inside wall of the dilator outer sheath 216 . the nerve 206 is pulsed with an electrical signal from the sheath electrode 218 and the response of the muscle is observed . preferably , the dilator outer sheath 216 is electrically insulated to avoid conduction of electricity into the dilator outer sheath 216 and away from nerve 206 . the dilator outer sheath 216 is preferably comprised of plastic . dilator outer sheath 216 preferably contains a plurality of holes 217 that pass through the wall near the aperture 230 ( see fig1 ). the holes 217 are preferably located to provide an electrically conductive path between the living tissue and the microstimulator 222 . [ 0069 ] fig1 illustrates the dilator outer sheath 216 with the microstimulator 222 inserted therein and next to the aperture 230 that is next to the nerve 206 . the microstimulator 222 is shown inserted part way along the inside of the dilator outer sheath 216 in fig1 . in a preferred embodiment ( see fig1 ), the microstimulator 222 has microstimulator electrodes 223 located on each end . the microstimulator 222 will be inserted until the nerve - end of the microstimulator 222 is approximately even with the aperture 230 formed by dilator outer sheath 216 . when the microstimulator 222 is fully inserted in dilator outer sheath 216 , the microstimulator 222 is near nerve 206 . the inside diameter of the dilator outer sheath 216 is preferably larger than the outside diameter of the microstimulator 222 , e . g ., by 5 % to 20 %, allowing the microstimulator 222 to pass along the length of the dilator outer sheath 216 with moderate pressure from the blunt - end push rod 224 . in a preferred embodiment , the microstimulator 222 is positioned by using the blunt - end push rod 224 , although the electrode probe 202 or another comparable probe with location marks can be used . since the dilator outer sheath 216 may move after electrode probe 202 is removed and during the insertion of microstimulator 222 , the location of the dilator outer sheath 216 , and more particularly the aperture 230 , next to the nerve 206 is verified by preferably pulsing nerve 206 with a current from conducting tip 218 and observing the response of the muscle . prior to removing dilator outer sheath 216 and leaving the microstimulator 222 implanted next to nerve 206 , the function of the microstimulator 222 is confirmed by checking its electrical functions . if there is a problem with the microstimulator 222 or if the dilator outer sheath 216 moved and is no longer located next to the nerve 206 , then the microstimulator 222 may be removed by withdrawing the dilator outer sheath 216 from the living tissue . if it is desired to implant the microstimulator 222 , then the dilator outer sheath 216 is removed from the living tissue by holding the microstimulator 222 in place with the blunt - end push rod 224 and moving the dilator outer sheath 216 along the push rod 224 and out of the living tissue ( see fig1 ). aperture 230 enlarges as microstimulator 222 is forced through the aperture . the microstimulator 222 , shown in fig1 , has been partially ejected from dilator outer sheath 216 . the aperture 230 expandably conforms to the outside diameter of microstimulator 222 during the ejection process . in a preferred embodiment , the dilator outer sheath 216 is comprised of an electrical insulator , such as plastic , that conforms to allow ejection of the microstimulator 222 . the microstimulator 222 is completely ejected by removing the dilator outer sheath 216 from the living tissue and leaving the microstimulator 222 in place next to the nerve 206 . placement of a microstimulator 322 in living tissue may be facilitated by using the implantation tool 300 of fig1 . this implantation tool 300 enables one - handed placement of a microstimulator 322 near a nerve ( not illustrated ). the procedure begins with electrode probe 302 being used to locate the desired nerve by using electrical stimulation , as previously described . electrode probe 302 is electrically insulated along its length to eliminate electrical shorts and is electrically conductive at its tip to pass an electrical signal to the stimulating site near the nerve . the implantation tool 300 is then slid over electrode probe 302 . the electrode probe 302 is held steady until the aperture 330 is next to the nerve , as determined by observing the mark 304 on the electrode probe 302 . the electrode probe 302 is removed from the implantation tool 300 and the position of implantation tool 300 relative to the nerve ( not illustrated ) is determined by observing the muscle response when the nerve is stimulated by pulsing the electrical stimulator 312 ( see fig2 ). the electrical signal passes along sheath electrode wire 310 , which passes down the length of implantation tool 300 along outer sheath 316 and to sheath electrode 318 , which is located at the end of the implantation tool 300 , next to the nerve being stimulated . the electrical stimulator 312 is preferably controlled by a foot control . a return electrode probe wire 311 , attached from the skin to the electrical stimulator 312 near the implantation site , completes the electrical circuit . saline is preferably injected into the implantation tool 300 . the saline facilitates obtaining a good electrical connection between the nerve , living tissue , and the microstimulator 322 which is about to be implanted . in a preferred embodiment ( see fig2 ), the microstimulator 322 has microstimulator electrodes 323 located on each end . the plunger 360 is withdrawn from the implantation tool 300 ( see fig2 ) by moving ratcheting lever 350 with respect to handle 348 , until the microstimulator 322 is moved into ejection position by ejection spring 306 . the plunger 360 is then moved into the implantation tool 300 by reversing the direction set switch ( not illustrated ) and then moving ratcheting lever 350 with respect to handle 348 . when plunger 360 is moved to a predetermined position , as indicated by a mark 308 on the plunger 360 , then the microstimulator 322 is next to the aperture 330 , as illustrated in fig2 . in a preferred embodiment , the outer sheath 316 and the plunger 360 are made of an electrically non - conductive material , such as plastic . the outer sheath 316 and plunger 360 must be insulated or must be nonconductors to ensure that the electrical pulsing signals that are used to locate the nerve are not electrically shorted . the holes 317 , that are preferably located near the tip of the implantation tool 300 nearest the nerve , pass through the wall of the outer sheath 316 . the holes 317 are located to correspond with the microstimulator 322 when it is ready to be ejected from the implantation tool 300 , as illustrated in fig2 , to enable electrical contact between the microstimulator 322 and the living tissue . the electrical functions of the microstimulator 322 are preferably verified while it is retained in the outer sheath 316 , near the nerve ( see fig2 ). the microstimulator 322 is ejected by continuing to move ratcheting lever 350 to force the microstimulator 322 through the aperture 330 by means of the plunger 360 . during the ejection process , the implantation tool is slowly withdrawn from the living tissue and the microstimulator 322 is ejected to remain at the same relative position to the nerve . the outer sheath 316 is removable from the implantation tool 300 by disassembling disconnect 370 . this allows the outer sheath 316 portion of the implantation tool 300 to be removed and discarded or cleaned separately from the rest of the tool 300 . [ 0083 ] fig2 depicts an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein there is a ring electrode 418 that is attached circumferentially at the sharpened tip of outer sheath 416 that is nearest the nerve 406 . the outer sheath 416 passes through the skin 404 at the insertion point 426 . the outer sheath 416 contains holes 417 which are located in the wall of the outer sheath 416 to facilitate electrical contact between the microstimulator ( not shown ) and the living tissue during insertion of the microstimulator in the tissue , but before the microstimulator has been ejected from the outer sheath 416 . an electrical signal is generated by the electrical stimulator 412 that passes along sheath lead wire 420 to ring electrode 418 . ring electrode 418 is a conductive material that may be plated , deposited , mechanically bonded , or attached by any of the known processes for making a conductor that is integrally bonded to or a part of the sharpened tip of outer sheath 416 . an advantage of having a ring electrode 418 over a single point electrode is that the possibility of damaging the nerve 406 with an electric pulse is reduced when the size of the electrode is increased . [ 0084 ] fig2 additionally depicts an alternative embodiment for a ring return electrode , wherein the ring return electrode 422 is located circumferentially around the outside of sheath 416 . the ring return electrode 422 preferably acts as the cathode return element and completes the electrical circuit via the return electrode probe wire 411 , which in turn connects to the electrical stimulator 412 . a benefit of utilizing the ring electrode 418 in conjunction with the ring return electrode 422 is that by locating ring return electrode 422 a distance from ring electrode 418 that approximates the distance between the electrodes on the microstimulator ( not illustrated ), the electrical resistivity that the microstimulator will encounter after being implanted in the living tissue can be measured before the microstimulator is ejected from the outer sheath 416 . this allows a prediction of the battery life of the implanted microstimulator and gives the surgeon an opportunity to modify the implantation location , if the predicted life or performance of the microstimulator is not adequate . the following nonlimiting example sets forth an exemplary procedure for implantation of a miniature implantable stimulator or sensor , e . g ., the bion ® that is available from advanced bionics corporation , by using an embodiment of the present invention . 3 . anesthetize the skin and subcutaneous tissue with 1 % xylocaine / 1 : 100 , 000 epinephrine at and around the insertion site in the neck . 4 . anesthetize one nostril and the nasopharynx with topical lidocaine / oxymetazoline solution and insert a laryngoscope to observe tongue movement during hypoglossal nerve stimulation . 5 . mark the midpoint of the hyoid bone and mark a point about 1 cm anterior / superior to the hyoid with a sterile pen . make an incision about 1 cm wide parallel to the hyoid extending down into the subcutaneous tissue about 5 mm mid center over the 1 cm anterior point . use an intravenous sedative as required . 6 . attach the electrical stimulator cathodal connecting lead to the proximal end of the blunt tipped electrode probe . the electrical stimulator anode lead is attached to a surface electrode placed on the exposed shoulder . 7 . insert the probe into the incision about 5 - 6 mm off the midline at a right angle to the skin . advance the probe slowly inward at about 15 degrees laterally off the perpendicular toward the hypoglossal nerve . 8 . turn the electrical stimulator on ( at approximately 30 pulses / sec , 3 ma , 200 μsec ) and advance the probe slowly inward toward the hypoglossal nerve ( hgn ) until a contraction of the tongue is observed . increase the stimulation current to 5 - 10 ma for brief periods , if required , to optimally position the probe . check with the patient to ensure comfort at this level . 9 . remove the cathodal connecting lead from the probe . connect the sheath lead wire to the electrical stimulator . slide the inner sheath and outer sheath near the tip of the probe by observing location marks on the probe . 10 . turn the electrical stimulator on ( at approximately 30 pulses / sec , 3 ma , 200 μsec ) and advance the inner sheath and the outer sheath slowly toward the optimum position near the hypoglossal nerve ( hgn ) until a contraction of the tongue is observed . it may be necessary to increase the stimulation current to 5 - 10 ma for brief periods while searching for the optimum location for the best response of the muscle . check with the patient to ensure comfort at this level . 11 . while holding the inner sheath and outer sheath , pull the probe gently out of the inner sheath . detach the outer sheath from the inner sheath . holding the outer sheath , withdraw the inner sheath 3 - 4 cm . 12 . attach a 5 ml syringe , filled with normal sterile saline ( 0 . 9 % nacl ), to the inner sheath and inject a few drops into the inner sheath , then remove the inner sheath . then , insert the microstimulator into the outer sheath . the microstimulator is positioned by pushing it with the inner sheath , which is marked on its shaft to indicate when the tip microstimulator is at the tip of the outer sheath . add more saline into the outer sheath through the inner sheath , ensuring that the anode will make electrical connection to the tissue through the small holes in the outer sheath &# 39 ; s wall . 13 . to ensure proper microstimulator position , turn the electrical stimulator on and confirm that a contraction of the tongue is observed when it is stimulated with the sheath electrode . then activate the microstimulator external coil and controller . if the microstimulator does not contract the genioglossus muscle ( ggm ) adequately , then withdraw the microstimulator while it is still in the outer sheath . then reposition the microstimulator using the outer sheath and sheath electrode to determine the optimum position . if the response is similar to that evoked using the electrical stimulator and probe , then pull the outer sheath gently up to the second mark on the inner sheath , while holding the inner sheath and microstimulator stationary in the fixed position , so the microstimulator is extruded and placed in position . after the microstimulator is extruded , remove the outer sheath and inner sheath from the patient , and then test the microstimulator again for position near the nerve using the external coil and controller . if the microstimulator has moved after being extruded from the outer sheath ( verified by stimulation and poor ggm response while the microstimulator pickup electrodes indicate good coupling ), then withdraw the microstimulator by the attached removal loop , and reintroduce using steps 10 - 13 . 14 . if the microstimulator is in the correct location and is able to stimulate the ggm satisfactorily , then the emerging removal loop is threaded onto a small curved needle and sewn to the subcutaneous tissues . close the subcutaneous layer with dissolvable sutures and the skin with monofilament nylon sutures . keep the skin sutures in place for approximately 10 days . obviously , many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . for example , while the examples have generally referenced implantation of devices for nerve stimulation to invoke muscle stimulation , it is recognized that the muscle may be stimulated directly . thus , any stimulation or sensing of any neuromuscular pathway , i . e ., nerve or muscle , with a microdevice , i . e ., a microstimulator or microsensor , is applicable to the present invention . it is therefore to be understood that , within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described .	0
the term &# 34 ; lower alkyl &# 34 ; as used herein means straight chain alkyl radicals containing from one to six carbon atoms and branched chain alkyl radicals containing three or four carbon atoms and includes methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , isobutyl , pentyl , hexyl and the like . the term &# 34 ; lower alkoxy &# 34 ; as used herein means straight chain alkoxy radicals containing from one to six carbon atoms and branched chain alkoxy radicals containing three or four carbon atoms and includes methoxy , ethoxy , isopropoxy , butoxy , hexanoxy and the like . the term &# 34 ; lower alkanoyl &# 34 ; as used herein means straight chain alkanoyl radicals containing from two to six carbon atoms and a branched chain alkanoyl radical containing four carbon atoms and includes acetyl , propionyl , isobutyryl , hexanoyl and the like . the term &# 34 ; lower alkanol &# 34 ; as used herein means both straight and branched chain alkanols containing from one to four carbon atoms and includes methanol , ethanol , isopropanol , butanol and the like . the term &# 34 ; halo &# 34 ; as used herein means halogens and includes fluorine , chlorine , bromine and iodine , unless stated otherwise . the term &# 34 ; organic proton acceptor &# 34 ; as used herein means the organic bases , or amines for instances , triethylamine , pyridine , n - ethylmorpholine , 1 , 5 - diazabicyclo [ 3 . 4 . 0 ] nonene - 5 and the like . the term &# 34 ; complex metal hydride &# 34 ; as used herein means the metal hydrides , including lithium aluminum hydride , lithium aluminum hydride - aluminum chloride , aluminum hydride - aluminum chloride , borane , borane - methyl sulfide , sodium borohydridealuminum chloride , diisobutylaluminum hydride and the like . the basic compounds of formula i are capable of forming acid addition salts with therapeutically acceptable acids . the acid addition salts are prepared by reacting the base form of the appropriate compound of formula i with one or more equivalents , preferably with an excess , of the appropriate acid in an organic solvent , for example , diethyl ether or an ethanol - diethyl ether mixture . these salts , when administered to a mammal , possess the same pharmacologic activities as the corresponding bases . for many purposes it is preferable to administer the salts rather than the base compounds . examples of suitable acids to form these salts include : the common mineral acids , e . g ., hydrohalic , sulfuric or phosphoric acids ; the organic acids , e . g ., formic acetic , maleic , malic , citric , or tartaric acid ; and acids which are sparingly soluble in body fluids and which impart slow - release properties to their respective salts e . g ., pamoic acid , tannic acid or carboxymethyl cellulose . the addition salts thus obtained are the functional equivalent of the parent base compound in respect to their therapeutic use . hence , these addition salts are included within the scope of this invention and are limited only by the requirement that the acids employed in forming the salts be therapeutically acceptable . also included in this invention are the stereochemical isomers of the compounds of formula i . such stereochemical isomers are obtained in substantially pure form by classical separation techniques and by sterically controlled synthesis and have arbitrarily been named as isomers a and b , respectively . individual optical enantiomers , which can be separated by fractional crystallization of the diastereometric salts thereof , for instance , salts with d - or l - tartaric acid or d -(+)- α - bromocamphor sulfonic acid , are also included . the antihypertensive effect of the compounds of formula i or therapeutically acceptable acid addition salts thereof is demonstrated in standard pharmacological tests , for example , in tests conducted in the spontaneously hypertensive rat ( shr ) such as described by i . varva , et al ., can . j . physiol . pharmacol ., 51 , 727 ( 1973 ). more specifically exemplified , the compounds of formula i are shown to be effective antihypertensive agents by using the testing method described in the latter publication . the latter test method is modified so that the test compound is administered to the rat by gastric gavage and the systolic blood pressure is measured by the tail - cuff method before administration of the compound and 1 . 0 to 4 hours thereafter . using this method , the following representative compounds of formula i are effective for reducing the systolic blood pressure ( bp ) in the spontaneously hypertensive rat ( the amount of test compound and its reduction in bp are indicated in the parentheses ): 1 , 10b - dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one ( at a dose of 25 mg / kg of body weight causes a 8 to 14 % reduction in bp at 1 to 4 hours , described in example 2 ), 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one ( at a dose of 50 mg / kg of body weight causes a 8 to 11 % reduction in bp at 1 to 4 hours , described in example 3 ) and 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydropyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one ( at a dose of 25 mg / kg of body weight causes a 8 to 14 % reduction in bp at 1 to 4 hours , described in example 5 ). the compounds of formula i of this invention are used alone or in combination with pharmacologically acceptable carriers , the proportion of which is determined by the solubility and chemical nature of the compound , chosen route of administration and standard biological practice . for example , they are administered orally in solid form i . e . capsule or tablet . they can also be administered orally in the form of suspensions or solutions or they may be injected parenterally . for parenteral administration they can be used in the form of a sterile solution containing other solutes , for example , enough saline or glucose to make the solution isotonic . the tablet compositions contain the active ingredient in admixture with non - toxic pharmaceutical excipients known to be suitable in the manufacture of tablets . suitable pharmaceutical excipients are , for example , starch , milk sugar , certain types of clay and so forth . the tablets can be uncoated or they can be coated by known techniques so as to delay disintegration and absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and thereby provide a sustained action over a longer period . the aqueous suspensions of the compounds of formula i contain the active ingredient in admixture with one or more non - toxic pharmaceutical excipients known to be suitable in the manufacture of aqueous suspensions . suitable excipients are , for example , methylcellulose , sodium alginate , gum acacia , lecithin and so forth . the aqueous suspensions can also contain one or more preservatives , one or more coloring agents , one or more flavouring agents and one or more sweetening agents . non - aqueous suspensions can be formulated by suspending the active ingredient in a vegetable oil , for example , arachis oil , olive oil , sesame oil , or coconut oil , or in a mineral oil , for example liquid paraffin , and the suspension may contain a thickening agent , for example beeswax , hard paraffin or cetyl alcohol . these compositions can also contain a sweetening agent , flavouring agent and antioxidant . the dosage of the compounds of formula i as antihypertensive agents will vary with the form of administration and the particular compound chosen . furthermore , it will vary with the particular host as well as the age and condition of the host under treatment . generally , treatment is initiated with small dosages substantially less than the optimum dose of the compound . thereafter , the dosage is increased by small increments until the optimum effect under circumstances is reached . in general , the compounds of this invention are most desirably administered at a concentration level that will generally afford effective results without causing any harmful or deleterious side effects . the effective antihypertensive amount of the compounds usually ranges from about 0 . 1 mg to about 250 mg per kilogram body weight per day , although as aforementioned variations will occur . however a dosage level that is in the range of from about 1 . 0 mg to about 100 mg per kilogram body weight per day is employed most desirably in order to achieve effective results . the compound of formula i , or a therapeutically acceptable salt thereof , also can be used to produce beneficial effects in the treatment of hypertension , peripheral and cerebral vascular diseases and related disorders when combined with a therapeutically effective amount of a diuretic and / or antihypertensive agent commonly used in antihypertensive therapy . such antihypertensive therapeutic agents include , for example , the thiazide diuretics for instance , chlorothiazide or hydrochlorothiazide ; mineralocorticoid antagonizing diuretic agents , e . g ., spironolactone ; and other diuretics such as triamterene and furosemide . examples of still other suitable antihypertensive agents are prazosin , hydralazine and centrally active antihypertensive agents such as methyldopa , clonidine , and reserpine ; as well as the β - adrenergic blocking agents , for instance , propranolol . in this instance , the compound of formula i , or its therapeutically acceptable acid addition salt can be administered sequentially or simultaneously with the antihypertensive and / or diuretic agent . preferred antihypertensive therapeutic agents are the antihypertensive agents such as the thiazides , mineralocorticoid antagonizing diuretic agents and the β - adrenergic blocking agents . a combination of the foregoing antihypertensive and / or diuretic agents , e . g . propranolol and hydrochlorothiazide , can be substituted for a single agent . suitable methods of administration , compositions and dosages of the above described diuretic and / or antihypertensive agents are well known in the art ; for instance , &# 34 ; physicians &# 39 ; desk reference &# 34 ;, 32 ed ., medical economics co ., oradell , n . j ., u . s . a ., 1978 . for example , the agent propranolol is administered daily to humans in a range of 80 to 640 mg , usually in the form of unit doses of 10 , 20 , 40 or 80 mg . when used in combination , the compound of formula i , or its therapeutically acceptable salt is administered as described previously . the process for the preparation of the compounds of formula i is illustrated by the following description of the different embodiments of this invention . reaction scheme 1 illustrates a process for the preparation of the compounds of formula ib in which r 3 and r 4 each is hydrogen , lower alkoxy , lower alkyl , halo or hydroxy ; or r 3 and r 4 together form a och 2 o chain ; r 14 , r 16 and r 17 are hydrogen ; and r 15 is hydrogen or lower alkyl . the starting materials of formula xv in which r 3 , r 4 and r 15 are as defined herein are obtained by the appropriate conversion of a 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - acetic acid derivative , which also is known as a 1 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 2h - isoindole - 1 - acetic acid derivative . the latter compounds are either known , for example 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - acetic acid is described by f . m . rowe et al ., j . chem . soc ., 1098 ( 1936 ), or can be prepared by an analogous process to that described in the latter reference . one conversion of the 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - acetic acid derivatives is the reaction of the latter compound with four to six molar equivalents of a lower alkyl lithium in an inert organic solvent , preferably tetrahydrofuran and / or diethyl ether , at 20 ° to 30 ° c . for two to five hours to obtain the corresponding compound of formula xv in which r 3 and r 4 are as defined herein and r 15 is lower alkyl . another conversion of the 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - acetic acid derivative is the reduction of the latter compound to obtain the corresponding aldehyde of formula xv in which r 3 and r 4 are as defined herein and r 15 is hydrogen . it is necessary to convert the compound of formula xv to the corresponding amine of formula xvii . a preferred method of achieving this conversion is to react the compound of formula xv with about two molar equivalents of hydroxylamine hydrochloride and about three molar equivalents of potassium hydroxide in a mixture of water and ethanol at 80 ° to 100 ° c . for five to 30 minutes to obtain the corresponding oxime of formula xvi in which r 3 , r 4 and r 15 are as defined herein . the latter compound is reduced , preferably with nickel - aluminum alloy and sodium hydroxide in a mixture of water and ethanol at 20 ° to 30 ° c . for one to four hours , to obtain the corresponding amine of formula xvii in which r 3 , r 4 and r 15 are as defined herein . in addition to the above described process for preparing an amine of formula xvii , other processes are available for preparing an amine of formula xvii . for instance , a preferred process for preparing an amine of formula xvii in which r 3 and r 4 are as defined herein and r 15 is hydrogen is the hydrogenation of a corresponding derivative of 3 - cyanomethylenephthalimidine with hydrogen under a pressure of 700 psi at 70 ° c . in the presence of raney - nickel catalyst in a solvent of ethanol saturated with ammonia . the 3 - cyanomethylenephthaimidine derivatives are either known , for example , 3 - cyanomethylenephthalimidine is described by j . kranz , chem . ber ., 100 , 2261 ( 1967 ), or can be prepared by an analogous process to that described in the latter reference . once again , returning to a reaction scheme 1 , the amine of formula xvii is condensed with three to five molar equivalents of formaldehyde , preferably in the form of 37 % aqueous formaldehyde , in an inert organic solvent , preferably ethanol , at 80 ° to 100 ° c . for two to five hours to obtain the corresponding compound of formula ib in which r 3 , r 4 and r 15 are as defined herein , and r 14 , r 16 and r 17 are hydrogen . in addition to the process illustrated in reaction scheme 1 , another process for the preparation of the compounds of formula ib in which r 3 , r 4 , r 14 and r 15 are as defined herein , and r 16 and r 17 are hydrogen or r 16 and r 17 together form an imine is illustrated in reaction scheme 2 . in other words , with regard to the imine , when r 16 and r 17 are joined together forming a bond , a cyclic imine is provided . with reference to reaction scheme 2 , the starting materials of formula xviii are obtained from the appropriate 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - acetic acid derivative . for instance , reduction of the latter compound with a complex metal hydride , preferably lithium aluminum hydride or borane , in an inert organic solvent , preferably tetrahydrofuran or diethyl ether , at 0 ° to 30 ° c . for one to five hours gives the corresponding compound of formula xviii in which r 3 and r 4 are as defined herein , and r 14 and r 15 are hydrogen . in another preparation of a compound of formula xviii , the 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - acetic acid derivative is esterified with a lower alkanol in the presence of an acid catalyst , preferably p - toluenesulfonic , at 60 ° to 80 ° c . for three to five hours to obtain the corresponding 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - acetic acid lower alkyl ester derivative . reaction of the latter compound with about two to ten molar equivalents of a lower alkyl magnesium halide , e . g . a lower alkyl magnesium chloride , bromide or iodide , in an inert organic solvent , preferably tetrahydrofuran and / or diethyl ether , at 30 ° to 50 ° c . for 3 to 30 hours gives the corresponding compound of formula xviii in which r 3 and r 4 are as defined herein , and r 14 and r 15 each is the same lower alkyl . the compounds of formula xv , described above and illustrated in reaction scheme 1 , are also useful for preparing the alcohols of formula xviii . for example , the compound of formula xv in which r 3 and r 4 are as defined herein and r 15 is lower alkyl are reduced with a complex metal hydride , preferably lithium aluminum hydride or sodium borohydride , to obtain the corresponding compound of formula xviii in which r 3 and r 4 are as defined herein , r 14 is hydrogen and r 15 is lower alkyl . another useful conversion of the compound of formula xv in which r 3 and r 4 are as defined herein and r 15 is lower alkyl is the reaction of the latter compound with about one to five molar equivalents of the grignard reagent , r 14 - magnesium halide , i . e . r 14 - magnesium chloride , bromide or iodide , wherein r 14 is lower alkyl , in the same manner as described above , to obtain the corresponding compound of formula xviii in which r 3 and r 4 are as defined herein , and r 14 and r 15 each is lower alkyl . with reference to reaction scheme 2 , the alcohol of formula xviii is reacted with 1 . 5 to 2 . 0 molar equivalents of sodium cyanide in the presence of about 20 to 40 molar equivalents of sulfuric acid in a solvent of acetic acid at 20 ° to 30 ° c . for two to six hours to obtain the corresponding compound of formula xix in which r 3 , r 4 , r 14 and r 15 are as defined herein . dehydration of the compound of formula xix , preferably with 5 to 15 molar equivalents of thionyl chloride at 70 ° to 80 ° c . for one to five hours gives the corresponding hydrochloride salt of the compound of formula ib in which r 3 , r 4 , r 14 and r 15 are as defined herein , and r 16 and r 17 together form an amine . if desired , the latter salt can be dissolved in a dilute solution of an aqueous alkali , preferably sodium hydroxide or sodium bicarbonate , and the solution is extracted with a water immiscible organic solvent , preferably ethyl acetate or chloroform , to obtain the corresponding compound of formula ib in which r 3 , r 4 , r 14 and r 15 are as defined herein , and r 16 and r 17 together form an amine . reduction of the latter compound of formula ib with a complex metal hydride , preferably with three to five molar equivalents of sodium borohydride in an inert organic solvent , preferably methanol , at 50 ° to 70 ° c . for one to three hours , gives the corresponding compound of formula ib in which r 3 , r 4 , r 14 and r 15 are as defined herein , and r 16 and r 17 are hydrogen . the compounds of formula ib , prepared as described above , can be transformed to ther compounds of formula ib . for this transformation , the compound of formula ib in which r 16 and r 17 are hydrogen is reacted with about 1 . 1 to 1 . 5 molar equivalents of a compound of formula x - co -( ch 2 ) n - 1 - x 1 wherein n is an integer from two to six , and x and x 1 each is chloro , bromo or iodo in the presence of an organic proton acceptor , preferably triethylamine , in an inert organic solvent , preferably benzene , at 20 ° to 30 ° c . for 10 to 30 hours to give the corresponding intermediate having the radical co -( ch 2 ) n - 1 - x 1 in which n and x 1 are as defined herein . subsequently , the latter intermediate is reacted with about 5 to 15 molar equivalents of an amine of formula hnr 12 r 13 in which r 12 and r 13 each is hydrogen or lower alkyl in an inert organic solvent , preferably tetrahydrofuran , at 20 ° to 60 ° c . for one to ten hours to obtain the corresponding compound of formula ib in which r 3 , r 4 , r 14 and r 15 are as defined herein , r 16 is a radical of formula co ( ch 2 ) n - 1 nr 12 r 13 wherein n , r 12 and r 13 are as defined herein , and r 17 is hydrogen . the latter compound of formula ib can be reduced with a complex metal hydride , preferably with about five to ten molar equivalents of borane in an inert organic solvent , preferably tetrahydrofuran or dioxane , at 60 ° to 70 ° c . for 15 to 30 hours to obtain the corresponding compound of formula ib in which r 3 , r 4 , r 14 and r 15 are as defined herein , r 16 is a radical of formula ( ch 2 ) n nr 12 r 13 wherein n , r 12 and r 13 are as defined herein , and r 17 is hydrogen . 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro - 2 - methylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one ( ib : r 3 , r 4 , r 14 , r 16 and r 17 = h , and r 15 = me ) methyl lithium ( 104 ml of 2 . 2 m in diethyl ether ) is added dropwise to a solution of 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - acetic acid ( described by f . m . rowe et al ., j . chem . soc ., 1098 ( 1936 ), 10 g , 0 . 0524 mol ) dissolved in 600 ml of dry tetrahydrofuran with stirring at room temperature . the reaction is stirred for 3 hr and poured into 200 ml of cold 10 % hydrochloric acid . most of the tetrahydrofuran is removed by evaporation and the residue is extracted with chloroform . the chloroform extract is washed with 5 % sodium bicarbonate and water , dried and evaporated . the residue is chromatographed on silica gel using 30 % acetone in benzene and the eluates are evaporated . the residue ( 5 g ) is crystallized from benzene - petroleum ether to obtain 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - propane - 2 &# 39 ;- one , mp 140 °- 142 ° c ., anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 11 h 11 no 2 : c , 69 . 82 % h , 5 . 86 % n , 7 . 4 % and found : c , 69 . 97 % h , 5 . 95 % n , 7 . 13 %. a mixture of the latter compound ( 10 g , 0 . 053 mol ), 7 . 5 g of hydroxylamine hydrochloride and 9 . 16 of potassium hydroxide in 610 ml of ethanol and 110 ml of water is refluxed for 10 min . the reaction is cooled with ice and most of the ethanol is removed by evaporation . the aqueous solution is extracted with chloroform . the chloroform extract is washed with water , dried and evaporated to afford 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - propane - 2 - one 2 - oxime ( 8 . 4 g ). to the latter compound ( 8 . 46 g , 0 . 0415 mol ) in 200 ml of ethanol is added 12 . 7 g of nickel - aluminum alloy and 212 ml of 2n sodium hydroxide while cooling , keeping the temperature during the addition of the sodium hydroxide at 20 °- 30 ° c . the reaction is stirred vigorously at room temperature for 1 . 5 hr , filtered through diatomaceous earth . most of the ethanol is removed by evaporation and the residue is extracted with chloroform . the chloroform extract is washed with water , dried and evaporated to afford a yellow solid of 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 -( α - methyl ) ethylamine ( 5 g ), mp 118 °- 120 ° c . a solution of the latter compound ( 5 . 0 g , 0 . 0263 mol ) and 2 . 5 ml of 37 % aqueous formaldehyde in 62 ml of ethanol is refluxed for 2 . 5 hr . the reaction is evaporated to dryness and the residue is chromatographed on silica gel using 2 % methanol in chloroform . the eluates are evaporated and the residue ( 5 . 3 g ) is crystallized from benzenepetroleum ether to give the title compound , mp 120 °- 121 ° c ., anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 12 h 14 n 2 o : c , 71 . 26 % h , 6 . 98 % n , 13 . 85 % and found : c , 71 . 17 % h , 6 . 98 % n , 13 . 55 %. the title compound is treated with a solution of hydrogen chloride in diethyl ether . the precipitate is collected and crystallized from ethanol - diethyl ether to obtain the hydrochloride salt ( 3 . 3 g ) of the title compound , mp 275 °- 280 ° c ., anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 12 h 14 n 2 o . hcl : c , 60 . 37 % h , 6 . 33 % n , 11 . 74 % and found : c , 60 . 24 % h , 6 . 33 % n , 11 . 60 %. 1 , 10b - dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one ( ib : r 3 and r 4 = h , r 14 and r 15 = me , and r 16 and r 17 together form an imine ) a solution of 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - acetic acid ( described by f . m . rowe et al ., supra , 130 g , 0 . 682 mol ) in methanol ( 1300 ml ) containing 6 . 5 g of p - toluenesulfonic acid is refluxed with stirring for 3 . 5 hr . most of the methanol is evaporated and the residue is dissolved in chloroform . the solution is washed with 5 % aqueous sodium bicarbonate and water , dried and evaporated . the residue ( 125 g ) is crystallized from isopropanol to give methyl 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - acetate , mp 136 °- 138 ° c . a solution of the latter compound ( 7 . 2 g , 0 . 035 mol ) in 250 ml of tetrahydrofuran is added dropwise to a solution of methyl magnesium iodide ( prepared from magnesium , 4 . 11 g , 0 . 075 gram - atoms and methyl iodide , 23 . 8 g , 0 . 168 mole , in 200 ml of diethyl ether ). the reaction is refluxed for 18 hr with stirring , cooled and poured into 350 ml of ice - cold 10 % sulfuric acid . the solution is extracted with chloroform and the chloroform extract is washed with 5 % aqueous sodium bicarbonate and water , dried and evaporated . the residue is crystallized from benzene to give 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 -( 2 - hydroxy - 2 - methylpropyl )- 1h - isoindol - 1 - one , which also is known as 1 , 3 - dihydro - 3 -( 2 - hydroxy - 2 - methylpropyl )- 2h - isoindole - 1 - one , ( 4 . 8 g ), mp 122 °- 123 ° c ., anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 12 h 15 no 2 : c , 70 . 22 % h , 7 . 37 % n , 6 . 82 % and found : c , 70 . 11 % h , 7 . 37 % n , 6 . 96 %. a solution of the latter compound ( 11 . 0 g , 0 . 0586 mol ) and sodium cyanide ( 5 . 4 g , 0 . 11 mol ) in 75 ml of acetic acid is stirred at 60 ° c . while a solution of 121 g of sulfuric acid and 66 ml of acetic acid is added dropwise . when the addition is complete , the reaction is stirred at room temperature for 4 hr . the reaction is poured into ice - water ( 1000 ml ) and the solution is extracted with chloroform . the chloroform extract is washed with 5 % aqueous sodium bicarbonate and water , dried and evaporated . the residue is chromatographed on silica gel using 50 % acetone in benzene and the eluates are evaporated to give 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro - 4 - hydroxy - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one ( 5 . 5 g ), nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 1 . 55 ( d ), 1 . 7 - 2 . 8 ( m ), 4 . 6 - 4 . 9 ( m ), 6 . 5 - 6 . 7 ( m ) and 7 . 3 - 8 . 3 ( m ). a mixture of the latter compound ( 3 . 0 g , 0 . 0129 mol ) and 10 ml of thionyl chloride is refluxed with stirring for 2 hr and evaporated . the residue ( 2 . 5 g ) is crystallized from isopropanol to give the hydrochloride salt ( 1 . 85 g ) of the title compound , mp 285 °- 295 ° c . ( dec ), anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 13 h 14 n 2 o . hcl : c , 62 . 29 % h , 5 . 63 % n , 11 . 18 % cl , 14 . 15 % and found : c , 61 . 92 % h , 5 . 99 % n , 11 . 13 % cl , 13 . 97 %. in the same manner but replacing 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - acetic acid with an equivalent amount of 6 - ethyl - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - acetic acid , 6 - propoxy - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - acetic acid , 5 - trifluoromethyl - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - acetic acid , 5 - pentyl - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - acetic acid or 6 - bromo - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 3 - oxo - 1h - isoindole - 1 - acetic acid , the following compounds of formula ib are obtained , respectively : 9 - ethyl - 1 , 10b - dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindole - 6 ( 2h )- one , 9 - propoxy - 1 , 10b - dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindole - 6 ( 2h )- one , 8 - trifluoromethyl - 1 , 10b - dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ]- isoindole - 6 ( 2h )- one , 8 - pentyl - 1 , 10b - dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindole - 6 ( 2h )- one and 9 - bromo - 1 , 10b - dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one . 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one ( ib : r 3 , r 4 , r 16 and r 17 = h , and r 14 and r 15 = me ) sodium borohydride ( 4 . 4 g , 0 . 126 mol ) is added portionwise to a stirring solution of 1 , 10b - dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one ( described in example 2 , 8 . 0 g , 0 . 032 mol ) in 150 ml of methanol . the mixture is refluxed for 1 . 5 hr and evaporated . water is added and the solution is extracted with chloroform . the chloroform extract is washed with water , dried and evaporated . the residue is crystallized from benzene to give the title compound ( 6 . 9 g ), mp 155 °- 156 ° c . the title compound is treated with a solution of hydrogen chloride in diethyl ether . the precipitate is collected and crystallized from isopropanol to obtain the hydrochloride salt of the title compound , mp 303 °- 306 ° c ., anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 13 h 16 n 2 o . hcl : c , 61 . 77 % h , 6 . 78 % n , 11 . 08 % cl , 14 . 03 % and found : c , 61 . 81 % h , 6 . 81 % n , 11 . 06 % cl , 13 . 85 %. in the same manner but replacing 1 , 10b - dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one with an equivalent amount of another compound of formula ib , described in example 2 , the following compounds of formula ib are obtained , respectively : 9 - ethyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindole - 6 ( 2h )- one , 9 - propoxy1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindole - 6 ( 2h )- one , 8 - trifluoromethyl1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - dihydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindole - 6 ( 2h )- one , 8 - pentyl - 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - dihydro2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindole - 6 ( 2h )- one and 9 - bromo - 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - dihydro2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindole - 6 ( 2h )- one . 3 -( n , n - dimethylaminoacetyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol6 ( 2h )- one ( ib : r 3 , r 4 and r 17 = h , r 14 and r 15 = me , and r 6 = coch 2 nme 2 ) bromoacetyl bromide ( 10 . 86 g , 0 . 0537 mol ) in 100 ml of benzene is added dropwise to an ice - cold stirring mixture of 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one hydrochloride ( described in example 3 , 9 . 2 g , 0 . 0426 mol ) and triethylamine ( 7 . 0 g , 0 . 0693 mol ) in 500 ml of benzene . the reaction is stirred at room temperature for 18 hr and water is added . the organic phase is collected , washed with 5 % hydrochloric acid , 5 % sodium bicarbonate and water , dried and evaporated . the residue is chromatographed on silica gel using 30 % acetone in benzene and the eluates are evaporated to give 3 -( 2 - bromo - 1 - oxoethyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one ( 9 . 9 g ), nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 1 . 5 ( s ), 1 . 6 ( s ), 2 . 0 ( m ), 4 . 1 ( d ), 4 . 7 ( d ), 4 . 65 ( d ), 5 . 85 ( d ) and 7 . 7 ( m ). a solution of the latter compound ( 9 . 9 g , 0 . 0294 mol ) in 600 ml of tetrahydrofuran is added dropwise to 100 ml of a stirring solution of 40 % aqueous dimethylamine . the solution is stirred at 60 ° c . for 2 hr . most of the tetrahydrofuran is removed by evaporation and water is added . the solution is extracted with chloroform and the chloroform extract is washed with 5 % sodium bicarbonate and water , dried and evaporated to afford the title compound ( 9 . 8 g ). the maleate salt of the title compound , melts at 156 °- 160 ° c ., anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 17 h 12 n 3 o 2 . c 4 h 4 o 4 : c , 60 . 42 % h , 6 . 52 % n , 10 . 07 % and found : c , 60 . 33 % h , 6 . 49 % n , 10 . 16 %. in the same manner but replacing dimethylamine with an equivalent amount of ethylamine , dibutylamine , n - ethyl - n - propylamine or pentylamine and replacing bromoacetyl bromide with an equivalent amount of 4 - chlorobutionyl chloride , the following compounds of formula ib are obtained , respectively : 3 -[ 4 -( ethylamino )- butionyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one , 3 -[ 4 -( n , n - dibutylamino ) butionyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol6 ( 2h )- one , 3 -[ 4 -( n - ethyl - n - propylamino )- butionyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one and 3 -[ 4 -( pentylamino )- butionyl ]- 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one . similarily , by replacing 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one with an equivalent amount of another compound of formula ib , described in example 3 , the following compounds of formula ib are obtained , respectively : 9 - ethyl - 3 -( n , n - dimethylaminoacetyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one , 9 - propoxy - 3 -( n , n - dimethylaminoacetyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one , 8 - trifluoromethyl - 3 -( n , n - dimethylaminoacetyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h ) one , 8 - pentyl - 3 -( n , n - dimethylaminoacetyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one and 9 - bromo - 3 -( n , n - dimethylaminoacetyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydro - 2 , 2 - dimethylpyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one . 1 , 3 , 4 , 10b - tetrahydropyrimido [ 6 , 1 - a ] isoindol - 6 ( 2h )- one ( ib : r 3 , r 4 , r 14 , r 15 , r 16 and r 17 = h ) a mixture of 3 - cyanomethylenephthalimidine ( described by j . kranz , chem . ber ., 100 , 2261 ( 1967 ), 19 . 2 g , 0 . 113 mol ) and raney nickel catalyst in ethanol saturated with ammonia is hydrogenated at 70 ° c . and 700 psi for 24 hr . the mixture is filtered and the filtrate is evaporated to give 3 - aminoethyl - 1 - oxoisoindole , nmr ( cdcl 3 ) δ 2 . 4 ( m ), 3 . 0 ( m ), 4 . 9 ( t ) and 7 . 7 ( m ). the hydrochloride salt ( 1 . 94 g ) of the latter compound melts at 243 °- 248 ° c . a solution of the latter salt ( 19 . 4 g , 0 . 0915 mol ) and 37 % aqueous formaldehyde ( 9 ml ) in ethanol ( 320 ml ) is refluxed for 2 . 5 hr and the ethanol is removed by evaporation . aqueous sodium bicarbonate ( 5 %) is added and the solution is extracted with chloroform . the chloroform extract is washed with water , dried and evaporated . the residue is chromatographed on silica gel using 10 % methanol in chloroform and the eluates are evaporated to give the title compound ( 8 . 7 g ). the title compound is treated with a solution of hydrogen chloride in diethyl ether . the precipitate is collected and crystallized from isopropanol to obtain the hydrochloride salt of the title compound , mp 228 °- 235 ° c ., anal . calc &# 39 ; d . for c 11 h 11 n 2 o . hcl : c , 58 . 80 % h , 5 . 83 % n , 12 . 47 % cl , 15 . 78 % and found : c , 58 . 78 % h , 6 . 15 % n , 12 . 45 % cl , 15 . 89 %.	2
referring now to the drawings in detail in which like numerals indicate the same or similar elements in view , fig1 depicts a particle analyzer 20 according to the present invention . the apparatus 20 includes an inlet device 30 through which particles enter a differentially pumped chamber 60 . chamber 60 is generally maintained at a pressure of at least approximately 10 - 3 torr by a vacuum pumping system 70 . pumping system 70 is selected from any device capable of maintaining vacuum in the desired range , including , but not limited to , mechanical pumps , diffusion pumps , cryogenic pumps , turbomolecular pumps , and combinations thereof . inlet device 30 includes capillary 50 fabricated from materials which provide a smooth interior surface , such as fused silica . typically , the inner diameter of inlet device 30 is on the order of 0 . 05 to 0 . 53 mm with a length of approximately 0 . 1 to 10 meters for particle analysis in the submicron range . the use of an inlet capillary of these dimensions assists in collimating the particle - laden gas stream and advantageously eliminates the need for mechanical pumping along the path of the capillary . further , the small capillary size greatly reduces the velocity of the particle - laden gas stream . as a result of the slower gas stream speed , there is a higher probability that a given particle will reside in a laser spot during a laser pulse ; resulting in a higher percentage of particles being analyzed . the volume of particle - laden gas flow is typically less than about 2 milliliters / second . the reduced gas stream velocity also reduces the gas load on the pumping system for chamber 60 , permitting use of smaller pumping systems or using pumping system 70 for plural pumping functions . one problem associated with the use of a capillary is that the capillary vibrates or oscillates in response to the vibration of the apparatus . if the cross - sectional area of the laser spot is small , the vibrations and oscillations of the capillary can cause the particle stream to become out of alignment relative to the laser beam . if the particle beam is out of alignment relative to the laser beam , fewer particles are ionized than if the particle beam remained in alignment . in the method and apparatus of the present invention , a lens that focuses the laser beam in an area of a plane through which the particles are likely to pass is used . in determining the focus area , factors such as capillary vibration , capillary diameter , and distance between the focus area and the capillary outlet are considered . to ionize the particles injected through capillary 50 , a laser 10 is positioned such that the focused laser beam passes through an opening in chamber 60 and intersects the particle - laden gas stream adjacent chamber entrance 62 . in a preferred embodiment , the edge of the laser beam cross - section at its focus is positioned on the order 0 . 05 - 1 . 0 mm from the chamber entrance . in an exemplary embodiment , the beam edge is positioned 0 . 1 mm from the chamber entrance . as depicted in fig2 the particle - laden gas stream 90 begins to disperse immediately upon entering chamber 90 . as a result of this dispersion , the further away from chamber entrance 62 that the laser beam 12 intersects particle - laden gas stream 90 , the smaller is the subtended angle of the dispersion . further , smaller particles are more easily carried by the expanding gas to a larger radius , while larger particles , e . g ., particles greater than one micron , are concentrated in the center of the particle stream . as a result , positioning the focal plane of the laser beam beyond the chamber entrance will tend to discriminate more heavily against analysis of smaller sized particulates . consequently , a smaller percentage of the total number of particulates is ionized and analyzed for laser / gas stream intersection at any appreciable distance beyond chamber entrance 62 . for the described configuration of the fig1 analyzer , approximately 1 out of every 100 particles is analyzed . as illustrated in fig2 the laser beam 12 intersects the particle - laden gas stream 90 a certain distance from the chamber entrance 62 . fig2 does not depict the focus of the laser beam , and is provided as a schematic illustration of the intersection of the laser beam and the particle - laden gas stream . in the present invention the laser beam is transmitted through a lens that focuses the laser beam such that the laser beam has a cross sectional area in a plane that intersects the particle beam that is at least as large as the cross - sectional area of the particle - laden gas stream at the point of intersection . this is illustrated in fig3 a , which is a view in a plane that intersects particle laden gas stream 90 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig3 a , a cylindrical lens 63 is used to focus the laser beam 12 . in a cylindrical lens , the laser beam focuses in the horizontal plane ( fig3 a ) and not in the vertical plane ( fig3 b ). thus , the lens depicted in fig3 a and 3b does not focus the laser beam in the vertical plane . however , in a cylindrical lens , a second lens focuses the laser beam in the vertical plane but not the horizontal plane ( the opposite of the situation depicted in fig3 a and 3b ) as illustrated in fig4 a - b . for reference , since horizontal and vertical are relative terms , the horizontal plane is the plane substantially perpendicular to the capillary opening . the vertical plane is the plane relatively parallel to the capillary opening . one example of a suitable cylindrical lens is a fused silica lens that is transparent to radiation at a wavelength of 532 nm ( the wavelength of the spectra physics dcr ii laser described below ). for the two cylindrical lenses , the first lens has a focal length of 100 mm and the second lens has a second focal length of 300 mm . such a combination of lenses is commercially available from newport , of irvine , calif . the focal lengths described above are just examples . one skilled in the art will appreciate that other lens combinations having focal lengths other than the focal lengths specified above will be suitable for use in the present invention . a spherical lens is also contemplated as suitable for use in the present invention . in a spherical lens , the focus in the horizontal and vertical planes is the same . however , the focus of a spherical lens is adjustable to provide a focused laser beam that has an area cross section in the plane of intersection with the particle - laden gas stream that is at least about the same as the cross section of the particle - laden gas stream at the plane of intersection . however , if a spherical lens is used in the process of the present invention , the focal length of the lens is required to be about 200 mm or less in order for the laser beam to have the power density required by the process . in the process of the present invention , the amount of focal length adjustment is limited by the power density requirement for the laser beam when it intersects the particle - laden gas stream . in the embodiment of the present invention wherein the lens is a spherical lens , it is noted that there is a smaller window of adjustment available than in the embodiment wherein the lens is a set of two cylindrical lenses . in one embodiment , the desired spatial relationship among capillary 50 , chamber entrance 62 , and laser beam 12 , is created through use of a precision x - y - z manipulator ( not shown ). it is emphasized that use of an x - y - z manipulator is illustrative . any arrangement , adjustable , or fixed , which ensures the proper spatial relationship among these components can be used with the particle analyzers of the present invention . capillary 50 is positioned within the manipulator and set to the desired distance from the laser beam . in a further embodiment , the position of the lens is also adjustable , thereby providing for more degrees of adjustment . using these adjustments , a laser beam with both the requisite cross - section in the plane of intersection with the particle laden gas stream and the requisite power density is provided . the vibrations of the capillary cause the capillary opening to move relative to the focus of the laser beam . consequently , these vibrations move the exiting particle stream relative to the focus of the laser beam . in the present invention , a lens system that provides a wider focus for the laser beam is used to provide a broader region of overlap between the particle stream exiting from the vibrating capillary tube and the focus of the laser beam . laser 10 is selected from pulsed lasers having a short pulse width , a high peak power , a moderate spot size , and a high repetition rate . for the embodiment shown in fig1 laser 10 has a pulse frequency in the range of 10 hz to 100 khz with a frequency of from 1 to 10 khz being exemplary . the laser power is at least approximately 10 mj with a power density on the order of at least 1 . 0 × 10 10 w / cm 2 with power densities of greater than 1 . 0 × 10 12 w / cm 2 , and , more particularly , greater than 1 . 0 × 10 13 w / cm 2 , being exemplary . laser spot sizes are determined by the selected laser power and power density . typically , laser spot sizes range between 0 . 003 to 0 . 1 mm 2 . the use of high laser power densities ensures the ability to fully characterize the particle - laden gas stream . high laser power densities ensure ionization of high ionization potential elements . additionally , smaller particles , which are more difficult to ionize since they transfer heat more efficiently than larger particles , ionize more readily at the higher laser power densities used in the present invention . acceptable commercially - available lasers include a lambda physik excimer laser , model emg 202 , and a spectra physics dcr ii neodymium yag laser . upon introduction of the particle - laden gas stream 90 into capillary 50 , laser 10 is turned on and continuously fired . as the particle - laden gas stream enters chamber 60 , it passes through the laser beam . the laser beam fragments a particle and ionizes the fragments , forming a plasma . for the high power densities of the present invention , the particle fragments yield positive ions . a time - of - flight mass spectrometer ( tof / ms ) 120 , particularly a time - of - flight mass spectrometer including a reflectron , obtains the mass spectra provided by particles ionized by laser 10 . while a time - of - flight mass spectrometer is depicted in fig1 it is understood that this spectrometer is illustrative . a variety of mass spectrometers can be employed in the particle analyzers of the present invention including , but not limited to , quadrapole , magnetic , sector , and quadrapole ion trap spectrometers , and penning ion trap spectrometers such as fticr spectrometers . time - of - flight mass spectrometer 120 is a positive time - of - flight mass spectrometer . pump system communicates with the spectrometer to maintain a pressure of less than approximately 10 - 4 torr . optionally , pump system 130 is combined with pump system 70 through a plural port system , reducing the number of pumping elements and hence the overall size and cost of the system . due to the high laser power densities employed in the present invention , the ionized particle fragments in the plasma are positive species . the spectrometer counts each fragmentation incident and measures the masses and yields of the positive ions produced when the particle contacts the laser beam . the mass of the ions correlates to the travel time required for the ionized particle fragment to contact the mass spectrometer . a jordan associates dual time - of - flight mass spectrometer can be employed as spectrometer 12 . optionally , a positively charged grid ( not shown ) is positioned opposite spectrometer 120 to accelerate the positively charged ions toward the spectrometer . information from the spectrometer is transmitted to recording portion 200 . in an exemplary embodiment , recording portion comprises a transient recorder 160 , such as a digital oscilloscope , which records the mass spectra . processor 220 , such as a computer , analyzes and displays the information received from oscilloscope 160 . optionally , the processor itself included in recorder 160 . it is understood that recording portion 200 is exemplary and that any device capable of recording , displaying , or otherwise processing information from spectrometer 120 is employable as element 200 . the apparatus and methods of the present invention are able to detect very small particles , such as those with a diameter of less than 0 . 03 micron . these very small particles produce a small number of ions . this small number results in a low ion density which reduces ion spreading during their flight time . reduced ion spreading significantly contributes to an increase in the mass resolution of the time - of - flight mass spectrometer . the mass resolution relates to the width of the arrival time of ions with the same mass . also , particle fragmentation and ionization time must be short ; high laser power densities facilitate particle fragmentation and ionization in time periods less than the laser pulse width . ions from these very small particles produce pulse widths of less than 2 nanoseconds . for the above - described system , an ultrahigh mass resolution of greater than 30 , 000 at ion mass 180 is achieved . currently , such resolutions are attained only by massive , costly , magnet - based mass spectrometers . the ability to achieve these resolutions with time - of - flight mass spectrometers represents a considerable cost and size reduction over prior art systems . advantageously , the laser - assisted particle analyzers of the present invention substantially completely fragment and ionize the incident particles due to high laser power density . in contrast , low power densities do not completely ionize fragments , so complete particle information is not obtained . by completely fragmenting and ionizing an incident particle , the ionized fragments yield an accurate representation of the parent particle . consequently , ion measurements yield the amount of particular elements in the particle and the mass of material present in the particle can be directly determined from ion intensities . other particle techniques typically determine a particle diameter and assume an ideal spherical shape . mass is derived from the assumed shape using an estimated density . this approximation is especially poor for irregularly - shaped particles and those particles which are porous . the present invention permits real - time detection and analysis of particles . real - time analysis is particularly useful for evaluation of particles whose existence is transitory . for example , mechanical devices , when moved , generate a burst of particles for only a short time . gas transport through a conduit can cause particles to be shed from inner surfaces , especially during pressure changes . evaluating the composition of these particles , especially those smaller than 0 . 1 micron in diameter , is made possible through the apparatus and techniques of the present invention . additionally the present invention is useful for the analysis of the particulate contents of liquid samples . while foregoing invention has been described in terms of the exemplary embodiments , it will be readily apparent that numerous modifications such as those suggested above , but not limited thereto , are considered to be within the scope of the claimed invention .	6
fig1 shows a tlb 10 that is used in embodiments of the present invention . tlb 10 stores mappings of physical address to a virtual address pages . each entry in the table stores one mapping . each mapping comprises a virtual address tag , a corresponding physical address tag and other attribute information concerning the state of the processor when the mapping was stored . this comprises among other things an address space identifier or asid and a global identifier . the asid indicates an address space and as an application typically runs within a particular address space it may be used to indicate an application that was running when this mapping was stored . the global identifier indicates whether or not the mapping is applicable to all address spaces or is address space specific . in other words it generally represents whether or not the mapping was generated when the kernel of the system was running rather than a specific application . this is because the kernel is responsible for supervising the various applications and is generally not restricted to a particular address space . in some embodiments , multiple applications use the same memory space . in such cases although they are different applications they will share an asid . a virtual address can be split into different portions . one portion is the index and another portion is the tag . in the tlb , the index determines the line it is stored in and the tag is stored in that line along with the tag of the corresponding physical address . the virtual addresses are mapped in the tlb as pages . the size of the tags that are stored depends on the size of the page . for larger pages the tag will be smaller as it is only a few of the upper bits that are mapped whereas the smaller pages will have tags that are larger as more bits are mapped . in some tlbs pages of multiple sizes may be mapped . virtual address 12 shows the size of the tag and index where a large page size is mapped . in this case the va tag is relatively small and the index is a few high number bits . virtual address 14 is mapped on a smaller page size and thus the va tag is larger and the index is different lower bits of the virtual address . in this embodiment , tlb 10 is stored in a set associative way with multiple ways for each index . in such an arrangement a virtual address entry can only be stored in a line indicated by its index . however , it can be stored in any of the different ways . thus , in this embodiment the virtual addresses 12 and 14 each have two possible storage locations in the table , a line indicated by index 1 or by index 2 respectively and in either of the two ways . it should be noted that data for a particular address may be mapped by pages of different sizes and this can provide a potential number of different indexes where the mapping might be found . however , one address will only be mapped by one sized page at any one time . although in this embodiment two ways are shown for ease of drawing it should be appreciated that in many embodiments there will be more ways than this . fig2 shows a memory management unit 70 comprising address translation control circuitry 30 , a tlb 10 and page table walk logic 50 . memory management unit 70 receives a request for a virtual address 12 and this is input to address translation control circuitry 30 which looks to see if it is stored in the tlb 10 . if it is , the corresponding physical address 20 is output . if it is not then page table walk logic 50 is triggered to go and look for the virtual address to physical address mapping which will be stored in a page table in memory 60 . when the mapping has been retrieved from the page table in memory 60 the page table walk logic 50 provides the mapping to address translation control circuitry 30 via update circuitry 35 and the address translation control circuitry outputs the physical address 20 . update circuitry 35 then acts to update the tlb 10 with this new mapping . in order to store the new mapping in tlb 10 a currently stored mapping will need to be overwritten . in this embodiment tlb 10 is a set associative data store with several ways . thus , there are a plurality of entries that are indexed by the virtual address that can store this particular mapping . the update logic looks at these potential entries and determines which one it wishes to overwrite in dependence upon properties of the processor state that generated the current virtual address . as mentioned previously mappings in tlb 10 contain in addition to the physical address and virtual address tags , information regarding the state of the processor when the mapping was stored . this information will also be available with the incoming mapping which is going to be stored in tlb 10 . in this embodiment , this information is retrieved by the update logic 35 from control registers 40 within the mmu 70 that store information relating to the state of the processor . in some embodiments the control registers 40 will not be in the mmu but this information will be sent to the mmu from the processor as control signals . the update logic 35 considers whether the current virtual address access request has been generated by the kernel in which case the global identifier in control registers 40 will be set and / or whether it has been generated by or relates to a particular address space . it then uses this information to preferentially select an entry to overwrite . table 1 below shows a preferential list of entries that it is most desirable to replace and those that it is least desirable to replace for incoming entries that either have their global identifier set and those that don &# 39 ; t . thus , embodiments of the present invention recognise that the information regarding the state of the processor when mappings in the tlb were created is stored alongside these mappings and this information is relevant to how likely it is that the mapping will be used again . thus , this information is used to determine which entries to overwrite with a new entry . in this respect , if the incoming entry has the global identifier set then it has been generated by the kernel and it is using a memory space that is applicable to all applications and all address spaces . it will also have an asid identifier associated with it , and this may indicate that the data that is being manipulated by the kernel is relevant for that particular address space . thus , the entries that it is most desirable to replace are those that have the global clear and the asid non - matching . in other words they are using memory space that is applicable to a different address space and not the address space that the incoming entry relates to . the next most desirable is if the global is clear and the asid is matching and then the least desirable is the global set . these criteria are used to differentiate between entries in the first place . it may be that all the entries have the same global and asid identifiers or at least some of them do and that a single entry cannot be selected in this way . in such a case , the entries it is most desirable to keep are eliminated from the possibility of being overwritten and then the final entry can be selected in a number of different ways . it may be selected randomly , it may be selected on the basis of being the oldest entry , i . e . the last one to have been updated , or it may be selected on the basis of being the one least recently used . in regards to selecting it in all cases except for the random case , additional information needs to be stored alongside tlb 10 , such that the correct entry can be selected according to the particular criterion . if the incoming entry has global clear , i . e the global identifier is not set then this means it was produced by a particular application . in this case , the mapping that it is most desirable to replace is a mapping with global clear and the asid non - matching , following this it is one with the global set as if the global identifier is set , this means it was produced by the kernel and is applicable to all address spaces and the final most desirable one to keep is one where the global is clear but the asid is matching . this is because this mapping was produced by an application running in the same address space as the application that is currently running and thus , it is likely that future virtual address accesses will be in this memory space . once again , if the selection cannot be narrowed down to a single entry then the final selection is made using one of the conventional methods . fig3 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method according to an embodiment of the present invention . initially an access request is received which targets a particular virtual address . it is then determined if there is an entry in the tlb mapping this virtual address . if there is then the physical address that is mapped by this mapping is output and that is the end of the process . if there isn &# 39 ; t a mapping in the tlb for this virtual address then the page table in memory is accessed and the relevant mapping retrieved from there . it should be noted that this can be done by page table walk logic or it can be done by software or in a number of other known ways . the physical address that is mapped by the retrieved mapping is then output and entries in the tlb that are indexed by the virtual address and that can therefore be used to store the new mapping are read . initially it is determined if any of these are invalid entries , these might be present following reset for example when the tlb is yet be full . if there are any invalid entries then one of these is selected to be overwritten . if there are no invalid entries , as would usually be the case , it is determined if the global identifier is set for the incoming entry . if it is then the right hand side of the lower part of the flow chart is followed . firstly it is determined if any of the possible entries have non - matching address space identifiers and global clear . these are the next most desirable entries to overwrite and if there is a match for this then it is determined if there is more than one entry . if there is only one of these entries then this entry is selected as the entry to overwrite with the retrieved mapping . if there is more than one then other entries are eliminated and one entry from the several entries is selected randomly . if there are no entries having asid non - matching and global clear then it is determined if there are any entries having global clear and asid matching . once again if there are , it is determined if there are more than one and if there are then one of these entries is selected randomly . if there is only one of these entries then this entry is selected . if there are none of these entries then an entry is selected randomly from the possible entries . if the global identifier is not set for the incoming entry then the left hand side of the lower part of the flow chart is followed . initially it is determined whether or not any entries have non - matching asids and the global clear . if they do then it is determined if there is more than one . if there is only one then this entry is selected to be overwritten by the incoming entry . if there is more than one then the other entries are eliminated and one of these entries is selected randomly as the entry to be overwritten . if none of the possible entries have non - matching asids and global clears it is then determined if any of the entries have a global set . if they do it is determined if there is more than one , if there isn &# 39 ; t then that entry is selected to be overwritten . if there is more than one then the other entries are eliminated and a selection is made from those entries randomly . if none of the entries have global set an entry is selected randomly from the possible entries . although in this embodiment entries are selected randomly between entries having address space identifiers and global identifiers that are the same it will be clear to a skilled person that other means of selecting between the remaining entries would also be possible . in effect embodiments of the present invention use information stored as additional data with a mapping to determine its future relevance and if it is deemed to have properties in common with an incoming entry then that stored mapping is preferentially retained in the tlb and a different entry without these properties will be selected to be overwritten . although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments , and that various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	6
the detailed description of the present invention illustrates the principles , characterization and manipulation of capacity in advanced power sources used in iontophoretic drug delivery systems . as previously stated , the application of the principles encompassed by the present inventive concept , however , are much broader and , in reality , a great number of configurations and procedures of the concept are possible . thus , while the power sources disclosed may be particularly well suited to iontophoresis , other uses for such devices are also contemplated . accordingly , the descriptions and accounts given herein are intended as examples and not limitations . [ 0032 ] fig1 a and 1b are schematic representations of a galvanic power source , generally at 20 , for use in a wearable iontophoretic device such as illustrated in fig9 and 10 . fig1 a represents the power source in top view and fig1 b depicts a side elevational cross section of the device of 1 a . the power source includes a flexible non - conductive support or substrate layer 22 defining electrodes 24 and 26 and an intermediate portion 28 and capable of carrying a variety of conductive over - layer materials such as the layer of conductive material 30 , which may be a printed layer of silver paste . electrode 24 is characterized by a top layer of electroactive reducible material 32 such as agcl paste printed over a pre - determined portion of the conductive material 30 . electrode 26 , shown as an area slightly smaller than electrode 24 , is constructed using a layer of electroactive oxidizable material species 34 , such as zn paste printed over a different section of pre - determined area of the conductive material 30 . when zn and agcl materials are used as electroactive species , a 1 - volt potential is generated between electrodes 24 and 26 , with a coulombic capacity dictated by the minimum quantity ( in equivalent weight ) of zn and / or agcl used . in fig2 an electrolytic power source is depicted generally at 40 in which a reducible species 42 is separated from oxidizable species 44 by an electrolyte layer 46 . electrolyte layer 46 is tonically conductive , and is typically constructed by the incorporation of inorganic salts , such as ammonium chloride , into a porous support matrix . an electrically conductive layer 48 serves to connect the power source to separate electrodes ( not shown ). as with the galvanic power supply , the voltage generated by the power source is directly related to the oxidizable and reducible species selected , and the coulombic capacity dictated by the minimum quantity of oxidizable and / or reducible species ( in equivalents ) present . it will also be that additional layers of oxidizable and reducible species may be alternated in serial sandwich construction in the manner of the layers shown in order to increase the potential of the electrolytic power source . the cell stacking technique is considered within the knowledge of those skilled in the art and can be used in an embodiments incorporating the principals of the present invention . the power sources of the present invention may be fabricated by conventional means using paste type materials in conjunction with well known screen printing and baking processes . while this enables generally accurate layer thicknesses to be produced , the results can vary somewhat from batch to batch and also across the area of the same batch . thus , as discussed above , though the power sources are intended to be built to a particular capacity , it is generally necessary to test samples to characterize and verify actual coulombic capacity of the power sources when manufactured in lot quantities . [ 0035 ] fig3 a and 3b depict schematics of test fixtures for use with a galvanic power source , using series and parallel resistors 50 and 52 , respectively . a data acquisition station 54 , is used to measure current flow as a function of time , and is typically a combination of an ammeter or voltmeter , software and computer station . electrode 56 represents an oxidizable electrode to be tested and electrode 57 represents a reducible species electrode to be tested . for evaluation only of oxidizable electrodes of a given lot , electrode 57 may be a “ dummy ” electrode having an excess reducible species coulombic capacity . for evaluation of only reducible electrodes of a given lot , electrode 56 may be a “ dummy ” electrode having an excess oxidizable species coulombic capacity . interconnection means 58 is provided and is typically an ionically conductive aqueous solution , such as provided by emersion of oxidizable and reducible electrodes in a 1 %- 10 % solution of sodium chloride . resistor 50 is optional and serves to reduce or limit the level of current ( thereby increasing discharge time ) if desired . for indirect measurements of current flow , resistor 52 must be of known resistance so as to ascertain current flow from the voltage across the resistor 52 by an ohm &# 39 ; s law relationship . total coulombic capacity is determined by the integrated quantity of current over time , from the time of initial current flow until the battery capacity is fully consumed . testing of electrolytic power sources may be accomplished in fixtures such as depicted in fig4 a and 4b . the multi - layer power source structure 40 containing both oxidizable and reducible species is evaluated by data acquisition device 54 by measurement of current flow , as with the devices of fig3 a and 3b , in a circuit optionally containing a series connected resistor 60 ( fig4 a ) or the voltage across parallel connected resistor 62 ( fig4 b ). as with the testing of galvanic power sources , total coulombic capacity is determined by the integrated quantity of current over time using data acquisition station 54 , from the time of initial current flow until the time at which battery capacity is fully consumed . from a statistical sampling of power sources from manufactured lots , average coulombic capacity can be determined for the lot , as well as such statistical measures as range , standard deviation , drift , etc . from this comparison , it can be determined whether or not the lot requires further processing for it to fall within desired specifications . if the measured average coulombic capacity deviates from the “ target ” coulombic capacity ; all or a selected portion of that lot can be further processed as described below . if the measured lot capacity exceeds that desired , further processing can reduce the capacity as required . for a planar power source configuration ( galvanic or electrolytic ) measured capacity can be normalized to its x - y area . for example , for a 100 sq . mm . power source electrode measured at an average coulombic capacity of 108 1 ma - minutes , capacity can be normalized to 1 . 08 ma - min / sq . mm . in order to adjust that lot of power source electrodes to 100 ma - min , 7 . 4 sq . mm of each electrode must be removed or otherwise electrically isolated ( such as by masking ) fig5 a and 5b represents this step for a galvanic power source electrode , where removed areas 70 and 72 serve to reduce the total coulombic capacities of reducible electrode 24 and oxidizable electrode 26 , respectively . fig6 a and 6b illustrate adjustment of electrolytic power sources , where removed area 74 is a preselected proportion of total area 76 . those skilled in the art will recognize that “ additive ” processing of a lot can be accomplished , using similar calculations but incorporating an additional layer ( or layers ) of active material appropriately dimensioned and electrically connected . for example , if it is determined that lot capacity falls below that desired , further processing can increase that capacity as required . for example , for a 100 sq . mm . power source electrode measured at an average coulombic capacity of 92 ma - minutes , capacity can be normalized to 0 . 92 ma - min / sq . mm . in order to adjust that lot of power source electrodes to 100 ma - min , additional material of equivalent to about 0 . 08 ma - min / sq . mm can be additionally added onto , or otherwise electrically connected to , the existing electrode material . it will be appreciated that the material of conductors and electrodes may be applied using any appropriate film technology . thus , material can be added when an electrocapacity is found to be in need of adjustment by the addition of more material . [ 0041 ] fig7 shows an alternate embodiment of the galvanic power source 20 in which the capacity has been adjusted by the isolation of a fraction 80 of electrode 24 and a fraction 82 of the electrode 26 . as was the case in fig5 the fractions 80 , 82 represent known portions of the area of each electrode which , when removed from the active electrode area , provide the necessary adjustment in the capacity to bring it into a desired range . the separation gaps 84 , 86 extend down to the substrate 22 thereby severing the respective fragments 80 , 82 from participation in the galvanic couple . [ 0042 ] fig8 a and 8b illustrate a galvanic power source 20 after subjection to yet still another technique for capacity adjustment in which a designated portion of the electrodes at 88 , 89 has been isolated by masking using a non - conducting over - layer mask . the masked portion of each electrode is isolated as it cannot contact the electrolyte solution when the device is activated for iontophoresis . [ 0043 ] fig9 represents an exploded view depicting the assembly of one possible configuration of a wearable iontophoretic patch device utilizing a power source in accordance with the present invention . the patch includes an impervious non - conducting flexible backing layer 90 which can be constructed , for example , using porous elastic polyurethane non - woven type 3m 9907t manufactured by 3m company of saint paul , minn ., or other such material . the backing layer 90 has a smooth bottom or outer surface and the upper or inner surface 92 is provided with a layer of adhesive material to which an impermeable barrier shape 94 which may be , for example , 3m # 1526 polyethylene tape is adhered but which leaves a perimeter of exposed adhesive materials surrounding the barrier shape 94 when assembled . a power source in accordance with the present invention is shown at 96 as a galvanic power source but which , it will be recognized , could also be an electrolytic device . a fig8 - shaped foam barrier is illustrated at 98 which may be 3m # 1773 material and which provides a recess for holding a pair of absorbent pads 100 which are in the form of hydrophilic absorbent layers designed to retain electrolyte fluid in contact with the electrodes 102 and 104 of the power source 96 when the device is activated . the hydrophilic layers 100 can be any material which retains an aqueous solution such as , for example , polyacrymalide , cotton , gauze or any other suitable such material . finally , a release liner also in the form of a fig8 configuration is shown at 106 which , in the assembled patch , releasably adheres to the perimeter of the adhesive layer 92 of the flexible backing layer 90 outside of or beyond the barrier 94 and is designed to be removed when the patch is applied to the skin of a patient . [ 0044 ] fig1 represents a schematic diagram of another multiple - cell or multiple - couple embodiment of the power source or battery design of the present invention in an iontophoresis patch shown generally at 110 with release paper liner and absorbent electrolytic pads removed and including an oval section 112 which contains separate oxidizable and reducible species zones 114 and 116 on a substrate ( not shown ). these are designed to operate as an electrolytic cell couple when an absorbent electrolyte pad ( not shown ) containing a salt solution is placed over the entire center oval 112 . if zn is the oxidizable species and agcl is the reducible species , for example , this results in an electrolytic battery or cell that produces one volt . to this is added an additional oxidizable species source 120 connected to reducible source 116 by a conductor 122 and an additional source of reducible material 124 is connected to the source of oxidizable material 114 by another conductor 126 . the couple 120 - 124 represents a galvanic cell that also produces one volt when the oxidizable species is zn and the reducible species is agcl . this galvanic cell or couple , of course , is additive with respect to the electrolytic source at 112 resulting in an overall total system that will theoretically produce a two - volt source in which the entire configuration may be contained on a common substrate 118 as previously described . the system also depicts a foam barrier layer 118 , impermeable barrier layer 128 , and a flexible backing layer 130 which carries an adhesive layer ( not shown ). thus , not only can galvanic and electrolytic couples be utilized separately in power sources adjusted in accordance with the present invention , hybrid power sources that combine both types of cells may be utilized to adjust the desired output voltage of the composite cell or battery . it will also be recognized that a plurality of cells or couples of the same type ( galvanic , electrolytic ) can also be used . the cells or couples , in any event , may use the same or different species in the couple . it will be appreciated that by increasing the potential or voltage output of the power source using multiple couples or cells of benign components , the wear time associated with the delivery , of a given mamin related dose can be greatly reduced . wear time for a given patch capacity is an important factor to be considered in the use of iontophoretic patches and an ability to deliver a more effective treatment ( higher dosage ) of a medication or other therapeutic agent safely and in less time using a higher potential represents another advantage . other configurations of power sources are illustrated and described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 613 , 984 entitled “ rate adjustable drug delivery system ” which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for any purpose . dosages of patches of the class typically vary in stepped mamin increments as 20 , 40 , etc . with respect to the adjustment of power source charge capacity according to the present invention , any range desired , perhaps plus or minus 10 %, or some other amount , may be picked as acceptable limits . accuracy achieved using the present invention enables many more power sources in a batch to equal or exceed the desired measure of uniformity . the capacity of each of the elements of the composite system can be adjusted in the same manner as has been previously described for the separate systems . as was the case with earlier galvanic cells or couples , the material of the outer electrodes 120 and 124 is carried on additional amounts of conductors as substrate layers so that the entire amount of material is initially available to the power source . this invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use embodiments of the example as required . however , it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different devices and that various modifications can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself .	0
for convenience , the embodiments and claims refer to the invention in a vertical position ; but , horizontal or other positions are within the scope of the invention . referring first to fig1 and 1 a , directed spray mast 30 is shown positioned in access port 25 which is formed in wall 24 of a tank or containment vessel . in this position , the mast 30 is held by the bail connector 8 ( fig1 a ). conveniently , a crane may be used to raise , lower , and hold the spray mast . cover plate 21 surrounds the mast 30 to cover the opening to the access port 25 and rubber gasket 22 seals the cover plate on the vessel wall . this cover plate prevents back spray from leaving the vessel during a cleaning operation . spray mast 30 comprises the support mast pipe 4 or the outer protective cover or jacket of the upper portion of the directed spray mast . this pipe may have a diameter of ¾ ″ in a preferred embodiment . this allows the directed spray mast to be readily inserted into access ports having diameters as small as 2 ″. the mast pipe and other piping and connectors described herein are preferably constructed of stainless steel , but other strong , non - corrosive metals or plastics may be used . another advantage to the design of the spray mast and the use of stainless steel is that it can be readily cleaned itself . center water supply pipe 2 extends the length of the support mast pipe 4 and is a pipe which will withstand at least 3 , 000 psi pressure . coupling 3 is for securing fastening extensions of the water supply pipe 2 to be added and coupling 10 allows for additional lengths of support mast pipe 4 . in the embodiment being described herein , total lengths of up to 25 and even greater than 40 feet can be accommodated at these pipe diameters . ( the water supply pipe is preferably about ⅜ ″ diameter ). all of the water pipes , lines and couplings should be able to withstand 3 , 000 psi . such pipes and connections are readily available and well - known to those skilled in the art . at its upper end the support mast pipe 4 terminates in swivel assembly 31 which comprises support pipe collar 15 which is held by pressure pipe collar clamp 16 . extending through this area is the upper portion of water supply pipe 2 which terminates in elbow 5 with nipple 6 that fastens into 45 ° elbow 7 for high pressure water supply line or hose 23 . a high pressure pump delivers water to this line but is not shown . such pumps are well - known in the art and pressures up to 3 , 000 psi are preferred for this embodiment . turning now specifically to fig1 a , the lift bail assembly which carries the directed spray mast and which is used for rotating the lift bail connector will be seen . the support pipe collar 15 is threaded to the support pipe at the pipe &# 39 ; s upper end . the water supply or pressure pipe 2 is clamped by the pressure pipe clamp 16 . the conical surface 16 ′ of collar 16 is provided with orifices ( not shown ) so that the pneumatic lines and cable threaded through the space between the water pressure pipe 2 and support pipe 4 may exit here passing through clamp 16 and be connected to air pressure and viewing screen means . continuing again with fig1 , the lower part of the directed spray mast 30 will be described . pneumatic actuator 9 which is a push - pull pneumatic cylinder with actuating piston therein is shown with the upper supply line 32 and lower supply line 33 to push or pull the piston within the pneumatic cylinder 9 . these two lines are threaded inside and protected by the support pipe 4 at the lower end of the support pipe . likewise , camera cable 34 is connected to the camera 17 which is a submersible camera as shown here in the partial section as it is threaded above this region into the support pipe 4 for protection . connecting rod 37 of pneumatic cylinder or actuator 9 is connected to the spray nozzle support pipe 35 at pivot 27 . camera 17 is carried on the nozzle support tube 35 beyond or below the pivot 27 . ( refer to fig2 to see the arrangement along the support tube 35 .) in fig1 the directed spray mast 30 is shown in its compact or closed position where the spray nozzle 1 is at the extreme distal or lower end of the spray mast 30 . camera 17 is located on the support tube 35 and is held in place by the video camera screw 11 . the function of the spray nozzle assembly can be appreciated by referring to fig2 where the spray mast is in expanded position so that the nozzle 1 can be directed to spray an identified area or an area which has been selected by viewing through camera 17 . in this position the connecting rod 37 is withdrawn into the actuator 9 to lift the support tube 35 through the pivoted connector 27 which lifting is caused by the introduction of air through pneumatic supply line 33 into the lower portion of the cylinder 9 to force the piston upwardly and withdraw the connecting rod 37 to the position shown . in this position the bail handle 8 at the upper end of the spray mast can be rotated by guidance from the camera 17 so that the spray can be directed to any portion of the interior of the vessel 24 . the pressures in the pneumatic supply lines 32 and 33 are controlled to change the angle of the support tube 35 and nozzle 1 as can be directed by viewing through the camera 17 . in this manner a contaminated or soiled area of the interior of the pressure vessel can be identified and only enough high pressure water spray need be used to remove the contaminants . by so controlling the direction of the spray the amount of contaminated water that must be disposed of after a cleaning operation is limited because the operator can periodically stop the flow , observe the progress of the cleaning and then determine if additional cleaning and water must be used . turning to fig3 , a view of the spray nozzle assembly is seen from the side of the spray mast which illustrates the coupling arrangement of the connector hose and water supply pipe . this is the lower portion of the directed spray mast and this assembly comprises the pneumatic cylinder 9 , with its connecting rod 37 and pivotal connector 27 to support tube 35 which carries spray nozzle 1 at its outer end and is secured to the lower portion of the mast support plate 12 at stabilizing pivot 36 . this view shows the water supply pipe connection to the flexible high pressure hose coupling 29 where it connects the bottom of supply pipe 2 to the support tube 35 . support tube 35 is fastened to support arm 35 ′ that carries the tube 35 in cooperation with the pivot connection 36 . the connection between hose 29 and supply pipe 2 is made by connector nut 38 which is screwed into the bottom of extended water pipe 2 . support plate 12 is attached to and carried by pipe 2 . also associated with and carried by plate 12 is pivotal support assembly 26 for the pneumatic cylinder 9 . assembly 26 includes clamping collar 26 ′ to pipe 2 which also fastens to plate 12 . the stabilizing or securing pivot 36 for support arm 35 ′ and , hence , support tube 35 is anchored in the lower end of support plate 12 . the pipe connector 38 ′ associated with nut 38 is also attached to plate 12 . this arrangement shortens the length required for high pressure connecting hose 29 . thus , minimum flexing is required for the elbow formed by the hose and minimum outward bending is required so that the slender , compact profile of the directed spray mast is accomplished . the hose , pneumatic lines , camera cable and housing are the only non - metallic parts so that there is a minimum of surface area on the directed spray mast to provide sites for containment collection . cleaning is readily done , especially of the stainless steel . thus , the mast itself presents minimal clean - up problems . as mentioned , suitable pressure pumps for supplying pneumatic pressure to said supply lines with switches to control the flow of pressurized air are well known to those skilled in the art as is also camera cable connections to a video display to see the camera &# 39 ; s view from within a vessel or tank . cameras with low light capabilities are known in the art and a light source may also be associated with said camera to spot contaminated areas . cleaning chemicals may be added for more effective removal of debris and the pump can be pulsated or the nozzle configuration changed or adjusted for larger or smaller streams of spraying . appropriate changes may be made in the hoses and pipe to accommodate higher pressures if such should be needed . however , the compact nature of the invention in which the support pipe , water supply pipe , support plate , and support tube are in substantial vertical alignment and are substantially parallel in direction , provides uses in numerous other cleaning functions where it is difficult to see the surface which needs to be cleaned . persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing specification will realize the many advantages of this invention . while one preferred embodiment has been described herein the scope of this invention is not limited to this embodiment but is limited only by the claims which follow :	1
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . an electron gun for a cathode ray tube according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig2 . similarly to the related art electron gun , an electron gun for a cathode ray tube according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a cathode k that emits electron beams , a first electrode 11 that controls the electron beams emitted from the cathode k , a second electrode 12 that accelerates the electron beams , a pre - focus lens of third , fourth and fifth electrodes 13 , 14 and 15 that control an emitting angle of the electron beams , and fifth and sixth electrodes 15 and 16 that constitute a main lens part . in the first embodiment according to the present invention , the third electrode 13 is arranged to oppose and be adjacent to the fourth electrode 14 . the fourth electrode 14 is arranged to oppose and be adjacent to the fifth electrode 15 . the third electrode 13 , the fourth electrode 14 , and the fifth electrode 15 have different electron beam through holes 311 , 411 and 511 , respectively . for example , the electron beam through hole 411 of the fourth electrode 14 may be greater than the electron beam through hole 311 of the third electrode 13 . the electron beam through hole 511 of the fifth electrode 15 may be greater than the electron beam through hole 411 of the fourth electrode 14 . alternatively , the electron beam through hole 311 of the third electrode 13 and the electron beam through hole 411 of the fourth electrode 14 may be smaller than the electron beam through hole 511 of the fifth electrode 15 . in this case , an emitting angle α of the electron beam and the size of the electron beam in the main lens part may easily be varied . the principle of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to fig3 and 4 . referring to fig3 and 4 , a lens l 1 denotes an emitting lens by the third and fourth electrodes , a lens l 2 denotes a focus lens by the third , fourth , and fifth electrodes , and a lens l 3 denotes an emitting lens by the fourth and fifth electrodes . in fig3 , the electron beam through hole 411 of the fourth electrode 14 is greater than the electron beam through hole 311 of the third electrode 13 . the electron beam through hole 511 of the fifth electrode 15 is greater than the electron beam through hole 411 of the fourth electrode 14 . in this case , the intensity of the lens l 2 becomes more robust than that of the related art electron gun ( the electron beam through hole 311 & lt ; the electron beam through hole 411 = the electron beam through hole 511 ). thus , the emitting angle α of the electron beam to the main lens and the size db of the electron beam in the main lens can decrease . a decrease of the emitting angle α of the electron beam and the size db of the electron beam reduces the spherical aberration , thereby reducing the size of a spot on a screen . if the emitting angle α of the electron beam and the size db of the electron beam in the main lens depart from an optimal value , the size of the electron beam through hole 411 of the fourth electrode 14 is adjusted appropriately . that is , if the electron beam through hole 411 of the fourth electrode 14 becomes great , the intensity of the lens l 2 is weaker than the intensity of the lenses l 1 and l 3 . thus , the emitting angle α of the electron beam and the size db of the electron beam in the main lens become great . on the other hand , if the electron beam through hole 411 of the fourth electrode 14 becomes small , the intensity of the lens l 2 becomes more robust than the intensity of the lenses l 1 and l 3 . thus , the emitting angle α of the electron beam and the size db of the electron beam in the main lens become small . meanwhile , the electron beam through holes 311 , 411 , and 511 are not limited to shapes suggested in the present invention . that is , the electron beam through holes may have a circular shape , a rectangular shape , or the like . as shown in fig6 , if the electron beam through hole 411 of the fourth electrode has a rectangular shape , it is preferable that its vertical length 411 h is different from its horizontal length 411 w . this is because the emitting angle α of the electron beam in vertical and horizontal directions and the size db of the electron beam in the main lens can be adjusted . an electron gun for a cathode ray tube according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig5 . in the above embodiment , while the third and fourth electrodes 13 and 14 have plate shapes , they are not limited to plate shapes . that is , the third electrode 13 and / or the fourth electrode 14 may have a cylindrical shape . the third electrode 13 may have a first through hole 311 a opposite to the second electrode 12 and a second through hole 311 b opposite to the fourth electrode 14 . in this case , it is preferable that the size of the first through hole 311 a is different from the size of the second through hole 311 b . more preferably , the size of the first through hole 311 a is smaller than the size of the second through hole 311 b . the fourth electrode 14 may also have a first through hole 411 a opposite to the third electrode 13 and a second through hole 411 b opposite to the fifth electrode 15 . meanwhile , it is preferable to satisfy the relation of { the size of the electron beam through hole 511 of the fifth electrode × 0 . 1 }≦ the size of the electron beam through hole 311 of the third electrode 13 ≦{ the size of the electron beam through hole 511 of the fifth electrode × 0 . 5 }. this is because the assembly of the electron gun is not easy if the size of the electron beam through hole 311 of the third electrode is smaller than { the size of the electron beam through hole 511 of the fifth electrode × 0 . 1 } while aberration of a tripod increases to increase the size of the spot on the screen if the size of the electron beam through hole 311 of the third electrode is greater than { the size of the electron beam through hole 511 of the fifth electrode × 0 . 5 }. furthermore , it is preferable to satisfy the relation of { the size of the electron beam through hole 511 of the fifth electrode × 0 . 5 }≦ the size of the electron beam through hole 411 of the fourth electrode 14 ≦{ the size of the electron beam through hole 511 of the fifth electrode }. this is because that the emitting angle decreases considerably to depart from an optimal emitting angle , thereby increasing the size of the spot on the screen if the size of the electron beam through hole 411 of the fourth electrode is smaller than { the size of the electron beam through hole 511 of the fifth electrode × 0 . 5 } while assembly of the electron gun is not easy if the size of the electron beam through hole 411 of the fourth electrode is greater than { the size of the electron beam through hole 511 of the fifth electrode }. as aforementioned , the electron gun for a cathode ray tube according to the present invention has the following advantages . it is easy to design the emitting angle of the electron beam to the main lens and the size of the electron beam in the main lens . that is , the emitting angle and the size of the electron beam can be reduced by adjusting the respective size of the electron beam through holes of the third to fifth electrodes . this can reduce the spherical aberration and can prevent the spot on the screen from being degraded . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention . thus , it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents .	7
[ 0022 ] fig1 shows a schematic illustration of a system having a confocal microscope . it is clear that the present invention also applies to conventional fluorescence microscopes or any other application which detects , with two detectors , signals that differ in wavelength . the description in conjunction with a confocal microscope is not regarded as a limitation . the microscope comprises an illumination system 2 that generates a light beam l . incident light beam l is directed by an optical device 4 to a scanning device 6 . scanning device 6 comprises a scanning mirror system 7 , which is moveable such that light beam l is scanned across a specimen 10 . before light beam l reaches specimen 10 , the light passes through an optical system 8 . the light reflected from the specimen and the fluorescent light each travel along beam path l back to optical device 4 . positioned after optical device 4 are a first and a second detector 12 and 14 , each of which receives light of different wavelengths . detectors 12 and 14 convert the received light into a first and second electrical signal i 1 and i 2 respectively , which is proportional to the power of the light received from the specimen . first electrical signal i 1 is fed to a first input port 16 1 . second electrical signal i 2 is fed to a second input port 16 1 . first input port 16 1 and second input port 16 2 are part of a control and processing unit 16 . finally , the output from control and processing unit 16 is sent to a display unit 18 which provides , besides other data in visual form , visual user guidance . control and processing unit 16 is realized with a plurality of fpga ( field programmable gate array ) units . to achieve online processing of scan signals , it is advantageous to digitize the analog signals i and p as soon as possible and to process the data with a programmable digital logic system . the advantage of fpga electronics is absolute real - time processing , which allows a nanosecond accuracy . [ 0024 ] fig2 depicts , in enlarged fashion , the unit made up of the two detectors 12 and 14 together with the processing electronics . this represents acquisition and coding on the basis of a multivariate detector model . the first and second detectors respectively receive first and second signals i 1 and i 2 first and second signals i 1 and i 2 arrive via corresponding electrical connections in control and processing unit 16 , which is configured as a polar coordinate quantizer . each two of the values received by the various detectors 12 and 14 can be combined into a vector . first signal i 1 is conveyed to a first input port 16 and second signal i 2 is conveyed to a second input port 16 2 vector i is shown in equation 1 . equation 2 shows the ratio as a function of a vector that results from dividing first signal i 1 by second signal i 2 . r  ( i ⇀ ) = i 1 i 2 ( equation 2 ) it is apparent that all the r ( i )= const in the i 1 − i 2 diagram ( of the type shown in fig3 ) define a straight line g ( r ): s 1 2 r . each process that brings about a change in the ratio r must be associated with a change in the first and second signals equivalent to δ   i ⇀ = ( δ   i 1 δ   i 2 ) ( equation 3 ) in which δi 1 and δi 2 represent the changes in the first and second signals i 1 , i 2 , respectively . this change δi can be separated into two perpendicular components : in a direction parallel to g , no change in the ratio can occur ; in a direction perpendicular to the straight line g ( corresponding to ∇ r ), a maximal change in the ratio occurs . since this applies equally to all points , it is an obvious step to expand into polar coordinates as shown in equation 4 , in which r indicates the radius and φ - the angle for representing the first and second signals i 1 and i 2 in polar coordinates : ( r ϕ ) = ( i 1 2 + i 2 2 arctan  ( i 1 i 2 ) ) = ( r arctan  ( r ) ) ( equation 4 ) as is evident from equation 4 , only angle φ contains the relevant information . in a scanning microscope ( e . g . in a confocal microscope ), the signals i 1 and i 2 obtained from first and second detectors 12 and 14 are necessarily discrete . in the simple case in which both variables are quantized in identical fashion in q steps , the result is q 2 distinguishable steps for the ratio signal . if identical probabilities are assigned to these steps , the number of bits shown in equation 5 is needed in order to code the ratio . b ratio = id ( q 2 ) bits = 2 id ( q ) bits ( equation 5 ) this corresponds to a doubling of the memory space as compared to the two acquired variables ( first and second signals i 1 and i 2 ). coding of the angle φ is determined by the number of vectors / that can be resolved on a circle of radius r for an angle φ from 0 ° to 90 ° . assuming that r : 0 & lt ; r ≦{ square root } 2 q is constant , an upper limit the number of states can be indicated on the discrete space for each radius . this upper limit is defined by the length of the circular segment in equation 6 : q r is an upper bound for this value . this is an overestimate of states along oblique sections . this property is typical of discrete topologies . the maximum for this upper limit q r limit is obtained , for r = r { square root } 2 q , from equation 7 : q r , limit = π   2  q 2 ( equation 7 ) coding the states of this path ( assuming an equal probability for all states ) then requires a quantity b r of bit states ( equation 8 ): b r = ld  ( q r , limit )  bits = ld  ( π   2  q 2 )  bits = [ ld  ( π   2 2 ) + ld  ( q ) ]  bits = [ ldq + 1 . 15 ]  bits ( equation 8 ) this can be used directly for coding , and is approximately one bit more than for the acquired data ; note that this form of coding is nonlinear . looking further at small signal changes around the working point /, the change in the ratio r is then obtained from equation 9 : δ   r ≈ ∇ r  ( i _ )  δ   i _ = 1 i 2  δ   i 1 - i 1 ( i 2 ) 2  δ   i 2 ( equation 9 ) the resolution of a small signal around the working point therefore depends on the position of the working point i : the working point i has a controlling influence on the measurement . the resolution is higher for large detected values than for small values , the deciding factor being the particular radius on which the working point i lies . for this reason , the coding indicated above ( equation 8 ) is rather conservative . in fluorescence microscopy , the influence of the working point i is unpredictable , and is superimposed on a trend over time toward lower values due to phototoxic effects ( e . g . bleaching ). the purpose of determining a ratio between the first and second signals i 1 and i 2 is precisely to eliminate these time - related influences , which cannot be done completely because of the influence of the working point i . in practice , every measurement extending over a period of time suffers from a loss of resolution over time . the resolution defined by the ratio is therefore only a theoretical magnitude , and cannot be achieved in practice . an obvious choice here is to work with an expected ( in the statistical sense ) working point . if the input variables ( first and second signals i 1 and i 2 ) are equally distributed , the result is the condition depicted in equation 10 : e  [ i ⇀ ] = e  [ ( i 1 i 2 ) ] = 1 2  ( q q ) = ( q expected q expected ) ( equation 10 ) coding the states ( assuming an equal probability for all states ) then requires a quantity b r of bit states ( equation 11 ): b r = ld  ( q r , expected )  bits = ld  ( π  2  q expected 2 )  bits = [ ld  ( π  2 4 ) + ld  ( q ) ]  bits = [ ldq += 0 . 15 ]  bi . ( equation 11 ) this can be coded with approximately the same memory depth as for the two original signals . the method necessary for implementation of the above - described coding uses substantially the system depicted in fig2 . first and second detectors 12 and 14 and control and processing unit 16 can easily be incorporated into the structure of existing units , for example into confocal or other scanning optical microscopes ( cf . fig1 ). control and processing unit 16 is configured in the form of a polar coordinate quantizer . the polar coordinate quantizer can be implemented or configured in several ways . one possibility is to perform the requisite processing of the data using analog electronics . first and second detectors 12 and 14 supply first and second detector signals i 1 and i 2 . detector signals i 1 and i 2 are converted into the polar coordinates by way of an analog circuit , and then the polar coordinates are quantized . this method is laborious but , in principle , possible . another possibility is to use digital circuits . quantization of first and second signals i 1 and i 2 by first and second detectors 12 and 14 , and processing , occur in the digital realm . some possibilities for doing so include field programmable gate arrays ( fpga ), personal computers ( pc ), or digital signal processors ( dsp ). this usually allows for more economical implementation . additional possible configurations are 2d lookup tables ; coordic algorithms ( fpga or pc ); direct calculation using division , adders and multipliers , and lookup tables ; and approximation via a digital neural network . the separation of physiological signals from non - physiological interference can also be applied here . the formulas presented in the documentation of c . r . bright et al ., methods in cell biology , vol . 30 , pages 157 to 192 , academic press inc ., for the calibration of physiological signals are all based on titration experiments . the in vitro calibration using ca 2 + ions is reproduced by equation 12 , the ph value by equation 13 , and camp by equation 14 : [ ca 2 + ] = k  r - r min r max - r , ( equation 12 ) [ ph ] ~ log  r - r min r max - r ( equation 13 ) [ camp ] = k  ( r - r min r max - r ) 1 n ( equation 14 ) in which r min is the measured ratio without calcium ions and r max the measured ratio with the maximum concentration of calcium ions . all the underlying processes are delimited by one r min and one r max . when measuring r min and r max with fluorescent dyes , consideration must also be given to unbound and saturation states , meaning that in one case a maximum first signal i 1 is received and in the other case a maximum second signal i 2 is received . these values must necessarily be measured with the same detectors , and are absolute operating limits . in i 1 − i 2 diagram 24 ( cf . fig3 ), this information can be used to define a working region ( in this case ignoring any background fluorescence , which essentially causes a displacement of the origin ), within which a physiological signal must remain . white region 20 marked in i 1 − i 2 diagram 24 is referred to as the “ permitted region .” region 22 marked with crosshatching is not physiological in origin , and is not utilized for measurement . any measurement point that is received in the gray region is unequivocally a measurement error . this can be used to validate the measurement results ( e . g . by coloring points in the image red ). in addition , this delimitation could also be used to reduce memory even further ( although this is not discussed further here ). the oblique operating boundaries can advantageously be verified in the transformation space that is described ( boundary angles ), and saturation intensities can be verified in the non - transformed space . here again , an implementation in analog electronics , digital electronics , or software is possible . the segmented signal can be visualized directly ; in an image , for example , all physiological components can be coded green , and all invalid components red . calibration and validation of physiological phenomena : white region 20 depicted in fig3 is the aforementioned working region , which is of high quality when it has the greatest possible opening angle and the largest possible surface area in i 1 − i 2 diagram 24 . this quality criterion can easily be verified , and is particularly favorable for use in an automated system adjustment method . one example is the definition of the external corner points while at the same time displaying the i 1 − i 2 plane in a derived form . fig4 shows a configuration that is suitable for visualizing the aforementioned criteria . first and second signals i 1 and i 2 are delivered to control and processing unit 16 . also provided upstream from control and processing unit 16 are a first and a second branching point 30 and 32 , which feed first and second signals i 1 − i 2 and to first and second comparison elements 34 and 36 , respectively . angle coordinate φ of the polar coordinate of the particular measurement point is similarly fed to a third comparison element 38 , which defines the lower limits of angle coordinate φ . angle coordinate φ is additionally fed to a fourth comparison element 4 0 , which defines the upper limits of angle coordinate φ . each of the comparison elements has an output , such as 34 a , 36 b , 38 a , and 40 a , through which the signals are sent to a validation unit 42 . the corresponding signals are sent from validation unit 42 out to display 18 , and presented to the user in the visual form . [ 0046 ] fig5 shows a schematic depiction of the invention which illustrates the correlation among the individual subprocesses . the data to be processed are sent to a first stage 50 . the data are derived , for example , from a corresponding receiving unit 50 a . as described above , the data contain a particular coding of the amplitudes of signal pairs . this consists in a transformation of the amplitude vectors followed by quantization ( see description of fig2 ). the result of the transformation is to separate the usable signal and interference signal . the transformation simplifies the system design and results in lower manufacturing costs , since after the transformation usually only a scalar variable needs to be processed . the transformation maps the original two - dimensional signal space onto a compact region in a one - dimensional signal space ( compactness ). as a result of this property , the usable signal can be coded and memory can be efficiently economized . the resolution of the transformed , coded signal pair corresponds exactly to the degrees of freedom of the generating process . virtual but unachievable resolutions , which characterize other methods , are thus avoided . the data , transformed in first stage 50 , are fed to a second stage 52 . because of the coding described with regard to first stage 50 , the acquired image data are directly accessible to visualization . the data can be presented directly on display 18 . an amplitude vector can distinguish 65 , 536 states with currently standard 8 - bit wide a / d converters , and 16 , 777 , 216 states at 12 bits . human perception , however , is limited to about 200 colors and 500 brightness levels ( see mallot , “ sehen und die verarbeitung visueller information ” [ vision and the processing of visual information ], pages 108 - 109 , braunschweig , vieweg , 1998 ). the coding defined in first stage 50 greatly decreases the number of stages , and reduces the visualization to the essential information . the technical and human components are adapted to one another . the coded visualization is optimal in the sense that very small changes are mapped onto color changes that are just perceptible ( optimization in terms of perceptual theory ). at small signal amplitudes , coloring using a conventional 8 - bit lookup coloring table is possible . at large signal amplitudes , pseudocoloring ( see lehmann , “ bildverarbeitung f ú r die medizin ” [ i mage processing for medicine ], pages 356 - 358 ) can still be used . there is no need for parameterization of the system by the user for specific selection of the information to be displayed . the entire system is easier to handle with improved ergonomics . in a third stage 54 , the biophysical models of physiological processes are linked to the data of the multivariate detector model from first stage 50 . this allows plausibility to be verified based on the acquired signals . the signal pair is segmented into a physiological and a non - physiological component . the details are described above in the section entitled “ signal separation ( physiological and non - physiological ).” this approach can be used to reduce human error during an experimental run , and serves to validate the experiments that have already been performed . the data necessary for validation are obtained in a validation module 54 a that is connected to third stage 54 . the data obtained and ascertained in the second and third stages 52 and 54 are fed to a fourth stage 56 . calibration is then performed in fourth stage 56 using a calibration module 56 a . the physiological data obtained in third stage 56 can be checked during execution , and concurrently visualized in second stage 54 . this approach eliminates operating uncertainties , and reduces human error during an experimental run , providing a user of the microscope with a guide . a further effect is to improve ergonomics and working effectiveness . an automation unit acts on the fourth stage . the method can be optimally incorporated into the system design by way of computer - aided help functions . this results in direct guidance of the user by software . the necessary settings can be automated relatively easily . [ 0050 ] fig6 shows a graphic depiction of the entire system . the system is subdivided into two subsystems , separated from one another by a dashed line 62 . a first subsystem 60 comprises electronic and optical means ( not depicted ) used to obtain signals . a second subsystem 61 is implemented in the form of hardware or software . a combination of electronic components with software is also possible . first subsystem 60 comprises first and second detectors 12 and 14 and their control systems ( not explicitly depicted ), such as gain and offset , which are necessarily implemented in the unit as hardware . possibilities for this are , for example , a microscope , cell sorter , spectral camera , etc . first detector 12 receives the fluorescent light of wavelength λ 1 , symbolized by an arrow 63 , emitted from the specimen . second detector 14 receives the fluorescent light of wavelength λ 2 , symbolized by an arrow 64 , emitted from the specimen . first and second detectors 12 and 14 also must be calibrated . the parameters are the gain and the zero point of detectors 12 and 14 . an arrow 65 depicts the effect of the parameters gain g 1 and zero point o 1 on first detector 12 . an arrow 66 depicts the effect of the parameters gain g 2 and zero point o 2 on second detector 14 . the simplest form of calibration has an input mask ( not depicted ) on display 18 for the gain ( g 1 , g 2 ) and zero point ( o 1 , o 2 ). adjustments can be made , for example , with a slider or a panel box ( not depicted here ). the signals received by the detectors are forwarded to control and processing unit 16 , where the transformation described above is performed . a first output 67 of control and processing unit 16 supplies a signal for angle coordinate 4 of the polar coordinates . angle coordinate φ is fed to a quantizer 70 . from there the quantized signals can be conveyed to a memory unit 71 , from which they can also be retrieved at any time . a second output 68 of control and processing unit 16 supplies a signal for local coordinate r of the polar coordinates . local coordinate r can be fed to a canceler 69 , which allows attractive visualization in the case of conventional ratiometric applications . second stage 61 also comprises a segmenter 72 into which the signals from quantizer 70 and from first and second detectors 12 and 14 are fed . the quantized signals can also be retrieved from memory unit 71 . an arrow 73 indicates calibration parameters r min and r ma which represent the influencing variables for segmenter 72 . an arrow 74 indicates calibration parameters i min and i max that also represent influencing variables for segmenter 72 . segmenter 72 performs a validation . the corresponding signal is then conveyed to a visualization unit 75 . also acting on visualization unit 75 is a color adaptation unit 76 , with which the user can adjust the image on display 18 . visualization unit 75 additionally contains the quantized signals of quantifizer 70 . the color information is adapted to the expected measured values . the algorithms implemented in visualization unit 75 are not specified further here . all algorithms benefit from the improved signal dynamics that can be used with control and processing unit 16 . for image data , an accumulation technique or filters ( for “ attractiveness ” purposes ) could be integrated . for volumetric data ( for example in confocal microscopy ), a volume renderer can be used . [ 0053 ] fig7 shows one possible presentation of the data on display 18 after segmentation . the segmentation model of itself , however , can be visualized by way of a geometric analogy and presented to the user . this can be done with a presentation as in fig7 similar to a cytofluorogram . first signal i 1 is plotted on the ordinate , and second signal i 2 on the abscissa . the individual measurement points are depicted as a cloud between the coordinate axes . what is depicted is the i 1 − i 2 space as in fig3 together with frequency information indicating how often each particular combination of the first and second signals ( i 1 and i 2 ) occurs in an image . this space can also be used to visualize the segmentation polygon . [ 0054 ] fig8 shows an exemplary embodiment for adjusting a segmentation polygon 80 on display 18 . the simplest form of calibration has an input mask for r min , r max i min , i max . the gain and zero point are set by way of the system ( generally using a panel box or slider , which is depicted correspondingly on the screen ). a corner 82 of segmentation polygon 80 located opposite the coordinate origin can be adjusted using a first slider 84 on the abscissa and a second slider 86 on the ordinate . a third slider 88 on the abscissa and a fourth slider 87 on the ordinate make it possible to adjust the upper limit i 1 - max of first signal i 1 and the upper limit i 2 - max of second signal i 2 . all the values can be read off directly from a diagram of this kind . at the same time , it is possible in this fashion to determine the quality of the measurement , which depends on the surface area of polygon 80 . in addition , as in the case of a cytofluorogram , the image information can also be presented as a point cloud and the outlines those points lying outside polygon 80 are directly visible . this information can be used accordingly for calibration , which is done by displaying the image and the diagram ( fig8 ) side by side on display 18 . the average intensities in this polygon 80 yield the sharp corner of the polygon close to the origin of the coordinate system . the cell of interest could also be defined by a polygon 80 in the image . the averaged intensities inside this polygon correspond to a second point . [ 0055 ] fig9 a through 9 h are a graphic depiction of the calibration procedure for determining the polygon . fig9 a shows the first step in calibration . in diagram 90 , a region h representing the background is defined . a region f represents , for example , the cell being examined or the cell of interest . the polygon can then be constructed sequentially using these two regions ( or points ) h and f . as shown in fig9 b , images are continuously received and the user adjusts the zero points of first and second detectors 12 and 14 until region h is located in the vicinity of origin 92 . region h ( bounded by a dashed line in fig9 b ) then migrates toward the origin as indicated by arrow 91 . the ion of interest in the specimen is bound by chemical intervention . as fig9 c shows , region f migrates as indicated by an arrow 93 . region f is characterized by an increased intensity in diagram 90 . in fig9 d , the gain of first detector 12 is adjusted so as to reach almost the end of the detector sensitivity / resolution . region f moves in the direction of an arrow 94 away from the abscissa of diagram 90 . as is evident from fig9 e , from the positions of region h and region f it is already possible to define a first and a second line 95 and 96 of the segmentation polygon . first line 95 connects regions h and f , and second line 96 passes through region f and runs parallel to the abscissa of diagram 90 . in fig9 f the ion of interest is now released by intervention . region f migrates in the direction of an arrow 97 away from the intersection of first and second lines 95 and 96 . the intersection is identified by a dotted box . in fig9 g , the gain of second detector 14 is adjusted so as to reach almost the end of the detector sensitivity / resolution . region f migrates in the direction of an arrow 98 parallel to the abscissa of diagram 90 . as is evident from fig9 h , the final position of region f allows a third and fourth line 99 and 100 to be defined . third line 99 connects region h and region f . the fourth line passes through region f and is parallel to the ordinate of diagram 90 . this algorithm maximizes the surface area of the resulting polygon , can serve as an explanatory component , and encompasses almost all the calibration parameters . these can subsequently be saved and reused when necessary ( similar cells , similar environment ). the steps described in fig9 b , 9 d , 9 e , 9 g , and 9 h can be performed automatically . each step in itself is relatively simple . the steps described in fig9 d and 9 g can be performed either by directly modifying the gain on the panel box or also by dragging region f on display 18 .	6
referring to fig1 a schematic diagram of a phase lock loop utilizing the preferred phase detector is shown . the phase lock loop functions to maintain the frequency of a voltage control oscillator ( vco ) 40 output frequency at a desired point . the vco 40 is controlled by a current source in a phase detector 20 which has its outputs connected to the input of the adaptive loop filter 30 . adaptive loop filter 30 is a transimpedance type , in which current is received at the input port and voltage is provided at the output port . the current sources of the phase detector vary the voltage in the adaptive loop filter 30 by sourcing or sinking current . the output voltage of the adaptive loop filter 30 is connected to the input of the vco 40 . the vco 40 is an oscillator whose output frequency is responsive to the input voltage from the adaptive loop filter 30 . the output of the vco 40 is applied to a loop divider 50 . the divided output of the loop divider 50 , f v , is applied to the phase detector 20 . the output signal of a reference oscillator 10 , f r is also applied to the phase detector . the phase lock loop maintains f v in phase with f r by producing a signal at the phase detector output which manipulates the vco 40 to correct for differences between f v and f r . referring to fig2 a preferred phase detector 20 is shown . during the normal mode of operation for the phase lock loop , shown in fig1 a dual state phase detector 28 is used to compare the difference between the vco frequency and the reference frequency and provide a corresponding output 38 . while the use of a single dual state phase detector 28 has been described , if desired to provide frequency steering of the dual state phase detector , on arrangement such as illustrated in my copending u . s . patent application ser . no . 357 , 912 , filed may 30 , 1989 , can be utilized . this application utilizes two dual state devices to provide extended range , the application is hereby incorporated by reference . however , when a need arises for the fast change of the characteristics of the phase lock loop , a conventional tri - state phase detector cell 32 , with an inverter 34 connected to its reference input port , is used to compare the difference between the vco frequency and reference frequency and provide the corresponding output 42 . the tri - state phase detector cell 32 is designed to provide a higher output current than the dual state phase detector 28 . this allows the phase detector 20 , when necessary , to steer more rapidly . rapid steering is achieved , by increasing the current provided to or from the phase detector 20 to the adaptive loop filter 30 , resulting in the filter charging or discharging voltage at a more rapid rate . a tri - state phase detector cell is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 764 , 737 , issue aug . 16 , 1988 , that provides rapid steering , the patent is hereby incorporated by reference . a control means selects the output of either the dual state phase detector cell 28 or the output of the tri - state phase detector cell 32 , depending on the needs of the phase lock loop . an external source , usually a microprocessor , provides an input signal to the control input 2 that activates the control means . the control means includes : a control input 2 , an inverter 8 , and and gates 12 , 14 , and 16 . the control means acts to disable one of the phase detectors 28 or 32 which is not in use during a particular mode of operation . the output includes : a current source 18 , a current sink 22 , a current source 24 , and a current sink 26 . the output current sources of the dual state phase detector are 18 and 22 . one of dual state phase detector output current sources has a fixed current of value i / 2 and the other current source has a switched current of value i . the two current sources are arranged in a pair in which one is a source and the other is a sink . when the dual state phase detector cell is at steady state , the inputs 4 and 6 are of equal frequency and 180 ° phase offset . current source 18 is on 50 % of the time and the net charge transfer at output 38 is zero over one cycle . the output 42 of the tri - state detector cells is provided by current sources 24 and 26 . when on , the output 42 of current sources 24 and 26 is higher than the output 38 of the dual state phase detector 28 , provided by current sources 18 and 22 . this allows the tri - state phase detector to provide rapid steering in the pll . assuming the inverter 8 receives a high logic signal from the control input 2 , a logic low signal is provided from the inverter 8 and received by one of the input ports of the and gate 12 . if the &# 34 ; up &# 34 ; port of the dual state phase detector cell 28 provides a logic high signal that is received by the other input port of the and gate 12 , then the and gate 12 does not provide a logic high signal to activate the active high current source 18 . current source 18 is unable to provide current to output 38 . in addition , the logic low signal provided by the inverter 8 not does activate the current sink 22 , therefor , the output of the dual state phase detector cell 28 is disabled . conversely , assuming the inverter 8 receives a low logic signal from the control input 2 , a logic high signal is provided from the inverter 8 and received by one of the input ports of the and gate 12 . if the &# 34 ; up &# 34 ; port of the dual state phase detector cell 28 provides a logic high signal that is received by the other input port of the and gate 12 , then the and gate 12 provides a logic signal to activate the current source 18 . current source 18 provides a current to output 38 . current source 22 is enabled . assuming control input 2 receives a logic high signal , a l logic high signal is provided to one of the input ports of the and gate 14 . if the &# 34 ; down &# 34 ; port of the tri - state phase detector cell 32 provides a logic low signal that is received by the other input port of the and gate 14 , then the and gate 14 does not provide a logic signal to activate the current sink 26 . if the &# 34 ; down &# 34 ; port of the tri - state phase detector cell 32 is high , current sink 26 is enabled . conversely , assuming control input 2 receives a logic low signal , a logic low signal is received by one of the input ports of the and gate 14 . if the control input 2 receives a logic low signal , current sink 26 is off whether the &# 34 ; down &# 34 ; port of the tri - state phase detector is high or low . assuming control input 2 receives a logic high signal , a logic high signal is received by one of the input ports of the and gate 16 . if the &# 34 ; up &# 34 ; port of the tri - state phase detector cell 32 provides a logic high signal that is received by the other input port of the and gate 16 , then the and gate 16 provides a logic high signal to activate the active high current source 24 . the current source 24 provide current to the output 42 . conversely , assuming control input 2 receives a logic low signal , a logic low signal is received by one of the input ports of the and gate 16 . if the &# 34 ; up &# 34 ; port of the tri - state phase detector cell 32 provides a logic high signal that is received by the other input port of the and gate 16 , then the and gate 16 does not provide the logic signal to activated the current source 24 . the current source 24 does not provide a current to output 42 . therefor , when the control input 2 receives a low signal , the tri - state output current sources are disabled . referring to fig3 a schematic diagram of the adaptive loop filter 30 is shown . an input 44 is connected to the output 38 of the phase detector while input 46 is connected to the output 42 . a gate 64 , controlled by the adapt signal of input 2 , is used to switch the input 46 directly to the output of the loop filter and thereby directly charge output capacitor 62 . a resistor 48 couples input 46 to a capacitor 56 . input 44 is coupled in a conventional manner by parallel connected resistor 52 and capacitor 54 to capacitor 56 , and by resistor 58 to the filter output . in normal practice , capacitor 62 is much smaller in size than capacitor 56 . therefore , capacitor 56 is the primary storage element in the adaptive loop filter 30 . the charged stored across capacitor 56 is the steady state voltage used to set the vco frequency . referring to fig4 a preferred dual state phase detector cell 28 is shown . the dual state phase detector cell 28 comprises d flip - flops 70 and 80 . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the flip - flops 70 and 80 are edge triggered flip - flops , and respond to a leading edge transition at their clock ( clk ) input . a logic high or a logic low in the preferred embodiment may be any suitable voltage potential , such as + 5 v for a logic high and 0 v for a logic low . a logic high at the reset ( r ) input will provide a logic low at the q output and a logic high at the q bar output of the flip - flops . a first digital signal 6 , which may be a reference frequency signal for a pll circuit is received at f r , and is applied to the clock inputs of the flip - flop 70 . a second digital signal 4 , which may be a divided down vco signal , is received at f v , and is applied to the clock inputs of the flip - flop 80 . the d inputs of the flip - flop 70 and 80 coupled to a logic high . operation of of the dual state phase detector cell 28 may be best understood by assuming that the phase difference between the leading edge of the first input signal 6 and the second input signal 4 is less than 360 degrees , and that the leading edge of the first signal 6 occurs before the leading edge of the second signal 4 . under this condition , the second signal 4 has only one leading edge occurring within one cycle of the first signal 6 . in this case , the leading edge of the first signal 6 forces the q output 74 of the flip - flop 70 to a logic high . the q bar output of flip - flop 70 presents a logic low to the reset input of flip - flop 80 . upon the occurrence of the leading edge of the second signal 4 , a logic high on the q output of the flip - flop 80 resets the flip - flop 70 and forces the output 74 to a logic low . accordingly , the duty cycle of the output 74 which is the &# 34 ; up &# 34 ; signal to and gate 12 , is proportional to the phase difference between the first and second signals . moreover , a logic high on the q bar output of the flip - flop 70 resets the flip - flop 80 forcing the q output of this flip - flop to a logic low . the logic low on the q output of the flip - flop 80 allows the flip - flop 70 to be responsive to the subsequent leading edge of the first signal 6 . this configuration allows the dual state phase detector 28 to be responsive to the leading edge transition , and not to be affected by the pulse width of the first and second input signals 6 and 4 . while the use of a single dual state phase detector 28 has been described , if desired to provide frequency steering of the dual state phase detector , on arrangement such as illustrated in my copending u . s . application ser . no . 357 , 912 , filed may 30 , 1989 , can be utilized . this application utilizes two dual state devices to provide extended range , the application is hereby incorporated by reference .	7
the slide structure , whose front part is shown in fig1 and 2 , comprises two metal slides 1 , 2 , and a locking lever 3 provided with a wire - like return spring 4 and shifting means 5 . it is adapted to constitute the left half of a vehicle front seat mount . the inner slide 1 is adapted to be fixed to the floor of a vehicle . it has a generally u - shaped cross - section and a flat bottom 6 which has a fixing aperture 7 at each end . as shown in dot - dash lines in fig4 the branches of the u have inwardly offset recesses roughly at mid - height so as to form two raceways 8 and are bent inwardly at a right angle at their ends so as to form horizontal flanges 9 . the outer branch of the u has a series of openings 10 which are equally spaced apart in a part of the length of the slide structure . the outer slide 2 is adapted to be fixed along the left lower edge of a vehicle front seat . it has an inverted u - shaped cross - section and is fitted on the inner slide 1 . the branches of the u are outwardly bent at roughly mid - height so as to form two raceways 11 which are in facing relation to the raceways 8 . balls 12 , shown in dot - dash lines in fig4 are trapped in the two passageways formed by the raceways 8 and 11 and axially retained therein by bosses ( not shown ) which are press - formed in the two slides at suitable places . the bottom of the u is flat only adjacent the ends of the slide structure where fixing apertures 7a are provided . in its body part , this bottom has a median groove 13 . welded to the lower face of the latter , is a horizontal plate 14 whose edges are engaged under the flanges 9 of the inner slide . in the vicinity of the front end of the slide 2 , in a region of the front end of the groove 13 , a generally rectangular tab 15 has been cut out on three sides from the left upper corner of the u and has been folded outwardly to a horizontal position . more precisely ( fig3 ), the tab 15 has in plan the shape of a rectangle whose front free corner has a right - angled notch so as to form a longitudinal shoulder 16 . a circular aperture 17 is provided in the rear part of the tab 15 near to its free longitudinal edge . the folding over of the tab 15 leaves in the corner of the slide 2 an opening 18 whose dimensions are slightly larger and whose part which is located in the bottom of the u has a rectangular shape ( fig3 ). the locking lever 3 is generally located in a vertical plane and has a constant thickness ; its general shape is planar but it has in its front part 19 a cranked portion 20 ( fig5 and 6 ). this part 19 is provided with a longitudinal slot 21 . the median part 22 of the lever 3 , which has a slightly greater height , is provided with an opening 23 which has the general shape of a right - angled trapezium . more precisely , the contour of this opening is formed by a lower horizontal side 24 , a small base 25 on the front side , a large curvilinear base 26 on the rear side and an oblique upper side 27 . the side 24 has the same length as the part of the tab 15 provided with the aperture 17 , the base 25 is equal to the thickness of this tab , and the base 26 is formed by an arc of a circle which is centered on the upper end of the base 25 downwardly extended by a vertical straight segment . the angle between the straight sides 24 and 27 is small , for example of the order of 5 °. the lever 3 is forwardly extended by a rectangular tail portion 28 provided with a rearwardly oriented press - formed projection 29 . the spring 4 has roughly the shape of a planar j having one end 30 which is curved transversely of its plane and an opposite end which has a cranked portion 31 . to mount the lever 3 on the slide 2 , it is sufficient to slip the rear part of the tab 15 into the opening 23 until the lever 3 abuts against the shoulder 16 . the aperture 17 then appears alongside the lever and the end of the spring 4 provided with the cranked portion 31 is passed therethrough from above so as to position the lever transversely of its plane . by stressing the spring 4 , the end 30 of the latter is made to bear against the upper edge of the tail portion 28 of the lever 3 ; the latter thus constantly tends to raise its front part 19 and bring the side 24 of the opening 23 against the lower face of the tab 15 , as shown in fig1 . this normal position of the lever 3 corresponds to the locking of the slide 2 in translation relative to the slide 1 . for this purpose , the slide structure is provided with a conventional transverse lock member 32 which is mounted on a small cylinder 40 retained for pivotal movement formed by raceways 8 - 11 as shown in fig7 . the lock member 32 extends through a slot of the slide 2 and its outer part is maintained in the slot 21 of the lever 3 . the other end of this lock member forms an arcuate nose portion 42 which is capable of entering or withdrawing from an opening 10 of the slide 1 located in confronting relation thereto according to the position of lever 3 . the vehicle seat ( not shown ) is mounted on two symmetrical slide structures of the type described hereinabove . the two levers 3 are interconnected by shifting means 5 which shifts them in synchronism . these means 5 comprise a u - shaped tubular stirrup whose ends are flattened and fitted on the two tail portions 28 . each end has an upper ramp 33 and a lateral opening 34 . when it is fitted on the associated tail portion 28 , the ramp 33 raises the end 30 of the spring 4 and the projection 29 of the lever clips into the corresponding opening 34 . consequently , the stirrup 5 is readily placed in position . the transverse part of the stirrup 5 projects from the front part of the seat . in order to release the seat for movement in translation , this transverse part is raised and this raises the two tail portions 28 and causes the levers 3 to pivot in the clockwise direction as viewed in fig1 in opposition to the action of their springs 4 , about pivots which are defined by the front upper corners of the openings 23 . the front parts of the two levers thus descend until the oblique sides 27 of the openings 23 abut against the upper face of the respective tabs 15 . this causes the locking nose portions of the lock members 32 to rise and disengage from the openings 10 . it is then possible to adjust the longitudinal position of the seat ; when the stirrup 5 is released , the springs 4 return the levers 3 to their original angular position and the nose portions of the lock members 32 are engaged in the confronting openings 10 . the locking device described hereinabove is very cheap to produce and very easy to assemble while it perfectly guides the pivotal levers 3 . it will be understood that it is applicable to any type of slide structure ; for example , the stirrup 15 may be replaced by a single lever , in particular by an extension of the lever 3 ; the latter could actuate two lock members 32 which are longitudinally spaced apart in the slot 21 or itself terminate in a bent locking nose portion ; the lever 3 could pivot in a horizontal plane , in which case the tab 15 would be vertical .	1
fig1 illustrates an apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the invention . apparatus 100 includes an array of cables 102 connected to a frame 104 . in this embodiment , each cable 102 is a coaxial cable . also , in this embodiment , a mating face 106 of apparatus 100 is configured to mate with a corresponding mating face of a printed circuit board ( e . g ., to mating face 202 of printed circuit board 200 , which is shown in fig2 ). referring now to fig2 , fig2 illustrates a portion of a printed circuit board 200 with which apparatus 100 is designed to mate . as shown in fig2 , circuit board 200 includes an array of signal pads 210 , each of which may be completely surrounded by a dielectric 215 (“ anti - pad ” 215 ). dielectric 215 may be air or other dielectric . as also shown , each signal pad 210 may be generally elongate ( i . e ., having a length greater than its width ), be oval or rectangular in shape , and have a hole 217 (“ via ” 217 ) located at one end of the pad . referring now to fig3 , fig3 shows frame 104 without the array of cables 102 attached thereto . as illustrated in fig3 , frame 104 may include a plurality of alignment holes 302 for facilitating proper alignment when mating with circuit board 200 . as shown , in fig2 , circuit board 200 may have corresponding alignment holes 230 . frame 104 also includes an array of cable receiving holes 304 and an array of ground pads 306 . preferably , the grounds pads 306 are raised to create points in a spatial array across the face 106 to facilitate adequate ground return path for the cable 102 to the circuit board 200 . that is , each ground pad 306 projects outwardly from mating face 106 . in one embodiment , the distance between mating face 308 of ground pad 306 and mating face 106 of frame 104 may be between about 0 . 01 inches and 0 . 1 inches . preferably , the distance between mating face 308 of ground pad 306 and mating face 106 of frame 104 may be about 0 . 015 inches . also , it is preferred that each ground pad is raised the same amount so that the face of each is coplanar with the face of the others . as shown in fig3 , the array of cable apertures 304 may be disposed within the array of ground pads 306 . that is , in the embodiment shown , the array of holes 304 forms a plurality of rows , the array of pads 306 forms a plurality of rows , and each row of holes 304 is disposed between two rows of pads 306 . each cable aperture 304 is sized to receive an end portion of a cable 102 and each ground pad 306 is configured to contact a ground plane of a corresponding printed circuit board . referring back to fig1 , fig1 shows an end portion of each cable 102 being inserted into a corresponding cable aperture 304 . as also shown in fig1 , a contact 108 is connected to each end of each cable 102 , and the tip of the contact 108 extends beyond the mating face 106 so that is it not coplanar with mating face 106 . however , in one embodiment , the mating face of each contact 108 is coplanar with the mating faces of the raised ground pads 306 . preferably , the diameter of contact 108 and holes 304 are sized to produce a system impedance of 50 ohms . in one embodiment , air is used to electrically insulate contact 108 from frame 104 , which may be constructed from an electrically conducting material or coated with an electrically conducting material . in another embodiment , a bead of dielectric material ( e . g ., rexalite or other dielectric ) may be placed in hole 304 to stabilize and facilitate concentricity of contact 108 with respect to hole 304 . referring now to fig4 and 5 , fig4 is a perspective , cross - sectional view of apparatus 100 and fig5 is a cross - sectional view of apparatus 100 and both show apparatus 100 being connected to circuit board 200 . in the embodiment shown in fig4 and 5 , cables 102 are coaxial cables . as shown in fig4 and 5 , an end portion of each cable 102 is inserted into a cable aperture 304 ( e . g ., cable 102 a is inserted into aperture 304 a and cable 102 b is inserted into aperture 304 b ). in one embodiment , an end portion of the inner conductor 402 of each cable 102 extends beyond the insulator 404 and shielding 406 of cable 102 . in one embodiment , this end portion ( e . g ., tip ) of inner conductor 402 is physically and electrically attached to contact 108 ( e . g ., in one embodiment the end portion is inserted into a cavity of contact 108 and an adhesive , such as solder , is used to maintain the end portion within the cavity and to facilitate electrical contact ). as discussed above , and as shown in fig4 and 5 , air may be used to electrically insulate contact 108 from frame 104 , however , it is contemplated that a bead of dielectric material may be placed in hole 304 . as also discussed above and as shown in fig4 and 5 , the mating face 602 ( see fig6 ) of contact 108 is positioned beyond mating face 106 of frame 104 . thus , when apparatus 100 is mated with circuit board 200 , mating face 602 of each contact 108 may press against a corresponding signal pad 210 . similarly , each ground pad 306 of frame 104 presses against a ground plane 212 of circuit board 200 . in some embodiments , a first type of solder is used to bond contacts 108 with signal pads 210 , a second type of solder is used to bond contacts 108 with the signal conductors of cables 102 , and , in the case cable 102 is a coaxial cable , a third type of solder ( or other conductive adhesive — e . g ., a conductive glue , tape , etc .) is used to fasten the outer conductor 406 of cable 102 to frame 104 . in such an embodiment , the first type of solder may have the lowest melting point , the second type of solder may have the highest melting point , and the third type of solder may have a melting point between the melting point of the first and second types of solder . as shown , solder 513 is used to connect outer conductor 406 to frame 104 , and solder 523 is used to connect contact 108 to signal pad 210 . in some embodiments , elements other than solder may be used for bonding contacts 108 to signal pads 210 , contacts 108 to the signal conductors and / or the outer conductor 406 to frame 104 , including : an epoxy adhesive ( e . g ., a two part , temperature curing , silver filled epoxy adhesive or other epoxy ), a stensil to screen and attach , and other bonding mechanism . referring now to fig6 , fig6 illustrates contact 108 according to one embodiment . as illustrated , contact 108 may include a cylindrical body portion 690 and a cylindrical distal end portion 680 , and the outer diameter of body portion 690 may be greater than the outer diameter of end portion 680 . as further illustrated , the proximal end 675 of body portion 690 forms a solder cup 670 for receiving the end portion of inner conductor 402 and for receiving solder , which is used to physically fasten contact 108 to conductor 402 and to electrically connect contact 108 with conductor 402 . solder cup 670 may have an aperture 660 in a wall thereof for allowing some solder to flow out of and / or into solder cup 670 . the diameter of body portion 690 is sized to achieve a desired system impedance . while various embodiments / variations of the present invention have been described above , it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only , and not limitation . thus , the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above - described exemplary embodiments . further , unless stated , none of the above embodiments are mutually exclusive . thus , the present invention may include any combinations and / or integrations of the features of the various embodiments .	7
in one aspect , a room temperature fiber rolling technique is described that allows fabrication of multilayer fibers with hundreds of layers from a wide range of polymeric material combinations that would not be realizable by conventional thermal fiber drawing . the fibers &# 39 ; band - gap center frequency can be tuned by adjusting the individual film thicknesses of the two constituent layers prior to the rolling process , which allows shifting of the fibers &# 39 ; tuning range within the visible range and into the near uv or near ir . the optical properties of the rolled photonic fiber can be further modified during the rolling process to allow changes in the periodicity of the windings . chirped multilayer fibers can be realized by applying an appropriate force on the elastic bilayer during rolling of the multilayer cladding . internal structures that break axial symmetry are created by incorporating microscopic objects or micro - to nano - scale patterns in or on the bilayer prior to rolling of the fibers . in one aspect , micron - scale multilayer - wrapped fibers are fabricated at room temperature from a wide range of soft organic and also inorganic materials with varying optical and mechanical properties that are not restricted to a translational symmetry along the fiber axis as in thermally drawn fibers . in exemplary embodiments , the fibers comprise two elastomeric dielectrics , polydimethylsiloxane ( pdms ) and polyisoprene - polystyrene triblock copolymer ( pspi ), two inexpensive materials that are commercially available in industrial quantities and provide a sufficiently high refractive index contrast ( n pdms = 1 . 41 ± 0 . 02 , n pspi = 1 . 54 ± 0 . 02 , determined by ellipsometry ). multilayer fibers are produced by initially forming a bilayer of the two constituent materials , which is subsequently rolled up onto a thin glass fiber , polymer fiber or elastomer diameters ranging from 10 μm to 500 μm ) to form the multilayer cladding . refractive index differences as small as 0 . 01 between the fiber materials can induce the multilayer interference necessary for the photonic effect described herein to occur , provided the number of layers in the cladding is scaled accordingly . the smaller the refractive index contrast , the higher the number of layers required to induce a pronounced effect . larger refractive index contrasts of the constituent materials provide fibers with wider band - gaps . in exemplary embodiments , the difference in the refractive index is greater than 0 . 01 , or greater than 0 . 05 , or greater than 0 . 1 , or greater than 0 . 15 , or greater than 0 . 2 , or greater than 0 . 25 . in other embodiments , the difference in the refractive index is between 0 . 01 and 1 . 0 , or between 0 . 05 and 0 . 5 or between 0 . 1 and 0 . 25 . any combination of these ranges is contemplated as suitable ranges for the generation of appropriate interference effects resulting from light reflection of the optical interfaces between the layers . effective refractive index differences can in general result from a difference in the real part of the refractive index or alternatively a different in the imaginary part , which describes the absorption strength of a material . in some embodiments , the refractive interference difference can be higher than 1 . 0 , for example combinations of teflon components ( for instance teflon af ) and metal oxides ( for instance titanium oxide ). fabrication of a photonic multilayer - wrapped fiber is shown in fig1 a . the polymer layers can be selected for optical properties , e . g ., the two layers can have a high refractive index contrast , and mechanical properties , e . g ., the polymer layers are elastic or can be stretched and retracted . a first polymer layer is generated by casting a solution of the appropriate polymer or polymer precursor onto a substrate . in one or more embodiments , the layer is cast using a spin coater , however , other methods for casting films can be used . spray coating or blade coating , two industrially well - established techniques that are compatible with roll - to - roll processing , are viable alternatives for the bilayer production on a larger scale . the fiber cladding can be formed from a polymer bilayer but can also be made by rolling up a trilayer or a stack of any multiple of different thin films . any organic material with a desirable dielectric or mechanical property that can be processed with the techniques outlined above is suitable for use in the rolled photonic fibers described herein . non - limiting examples include polystyrene , poly ( methyl methacrylate ), polyisoprene , polystyrene - polyisoprene block co - polymers , polydimethylsiloxane , polybutadiene and various photoresists . in one or more embodiments , the soft organic material is an elastomer , for instance polyisoprene - polystyrene block co - polymers , polyisoprene , or polydimethylsiloxane . other dielectric materials can be used in the fiber manufacture including thermoplastics , for instance polystyrene and poly ( methyl methacrylate ). in one or more embodiments , thin metal films can be incorporated into the bilayer . such metal layers can be included as an additional layer , e . g ., forming a trilayer structure for winding , or can be used as one of the two layers that form the photonic structure . in one exemplary system , polydimethylsiloxane ( pdms ) is dissolved in heptane and spun onto a silicon substrate . a sacrificial water soluble layer can be first deposited on the silicon substrate to assist release of the layer during the rolling step . annealing in an oven at 120 ° c . for one hour leads to crosslinking of the pdms which makes it resistant to toluene , the solvent used for the polyisoprene - polystyrene triblock ( pspi ) copolymer . annealing can happen at a variety of temperatures under varying conditions . pspi copolymer is subsequently spun onto the pdms layer . the resulting layer thicknesses can be optimized to maximize the distributed bragg reflector ( dbr ) reflectivity in any desired part of the visible spectrum . this is done following the bragg relation for ideal multilayers ( at normal light incidence ) d i = λ c /( 4n i ) that provides the optimum thickness of layer i for a given material with refractive index n i for a desired reflection band center wavelength λ c . in this particular example , the micro - phase separation of the polystyrene component in the pspi copolymer leads to nanoscopic glassy minority domains in a polyisoprene matrix , which act as cross - links , rendering the curing of the polyisoprene rubber unnecessary . the optical properties of this material system provide for the controlled reversible tuning of the fiber &# 39 ; s optical performance , which is demonstrated below . the fiber rolling technique can produce concentric multilayers on core fibers of only ˜ 10 μm diameter using elastic materials . fibers have been rolled on cores with diameters as small as 10 μm up to 500 μm . such multilayer fibers with curvature on the microscale display optical properties that are distinctly different from materials produced on macroscopic rolls , whose radius of curvature more closely mimics planar structures . it has been determined that rolled fibers having a fiber core greater than 1 mm tend to have properties that are consistent with planar photonic devices . to form the rolled photonic fiber , strips of the bilayer are released from the substrate and positioned floating on the surface of a water bath . this can be accomplished by slow lowering the supported bilayer into a water bath , as shown in fig1 b , or by raising the water level up to the bilayer for it to be released from the substrate . the sacrificial water layer dissolves to detach the bilayer from the substrate . a thin fiber , which will form the core of the final photonic fiber is lowered on to the upper surface of the floating bilayer . once contacted to the surface , it adheres sufficiently strongly to permit the bilayer films to be rolled into a fiber having a ‘ jelly - roll ’ structure . the ‘ jelly roll ’ structure can be defined by a number of characteristics . the wound fiber will have a number of ‘ layers ’ or ‘ windings ’, each layer or winding being a length of the bilayer that makes one circumvention of the axis . the layers or windings also demonstrate a periodicity , which is defined by the thickness of the bilayer as is wraps around the central axis . the thicknesses of the windings are uniform along the length of the bilayer ( and hence across the radial dimension of the rolled fiber ), the periodicity is uniform . the thicknesses of the windings vary along the length of the bilayer ( and hence across the radial dimension of the rolled fiber ), the periodicity is non - uniform or there can be regions of different periodicities . the individual thicknesses of the two films in the initial bilayer can be tuned during the film deposition . consequently , the spectral position of the reflection band of the fibers can be freely adjusted . in addition , while a bilayer is described , it is contemplated that three or more layers of different dielectric properties may be used to provide a more complex photonic response . three fibers with high reflectivity in different color ranges of blue , green and red , respectively , and the corresponding complementary color in transmission are shown in fig1 b - 1d . the thicknesses for each individual constituent layer are smallest for the blue fiber (˜ 75 nm ), larger for the green one (˜ 90 nm ) and larger yet for the red one (˜ 105 nm ). in all three fibers the cladding consists of around 80 bilayer windings and fibers of up to 150 bilayer windings have been produced . scanning electron micrograph images of the cross - section of a green fiber from fig1 c visualize the concentric multilayer cladding with 80 periods wrapped around the core glass fiber ( fig1 e and 1f ). in addition , small modifications in the process of rolling the multilayer cladding onto the core fiber permit the realization of different internal geometries in the fiber . attachment of the core fiber at the end of a free floating bilayer results in a fiber with one periodicity throughout the whole cladding . fig2 a illustrates this rolling protocol and the side view of the rolled fiber ( not drawn to scale ) shows the uniform periodicity of the photonic fiber . in another embodiment , claddings with two distinct multilayer periodicities can be realized . fig2 b illustrates a method of preparing a rolled photonic fiber by attaching the core fiber a certain offset distance away from the edge of the bilayer film . in this case , the inner section of the multilayer cladding has twice the periodicity of the outer section and the ratio of layer numbers in the inner and outer section can be controlled by controlling the distance between bilayer edge and fiber attachment line . in another embodiment , the periodicity of the rolled photonic fiber can vary across the diameter . chirped multilayer claddings with a gradient in periodicity are realized by fixing the distance between the core fiber and the far edge of the bilayer during rolling leading to a successive stretching of the bilayer and a corresponding thinning of the rolled - up layers . as expected , such chirped multilayer fibers have a silvery appearance due to a wide reflection band . fig2 c illustrates a method of introducing varying periodicity into the rolled photonic fiber by stretching or relaxing the bilayer strip during rolling . in another embodiment , the internal structure of the photonic fiber can be modified by incorporating micro - scale elements , such as fibers or colloidal particles , or patterns obtained by nano - embossing or photolithography onto the initial bilayer ( or multilayer ) film that is rolled onto the core fiber . fig2 d illustrates a method of introducing patterns into the fiber by inclusion of a fiber element while assembling the photonic fiber , which breaks the axial symmetry of the rolled fibers . in one or more embodiments , the glass fiber that can act as the substrate for the multilayers in the rolling process can be removed from the fiber , for example , by dissolution in hydrofluoric acid or by simply pulling it out of the multilayer cladding . once the glass core is removed , the fiber , remaining multilayered being composed of two elastomers , can be elastically deformed by stretching it along its axis . in one or more embodiments , the fiber that acts as the substrate for the multilayers in the rolling process can be made of a stretchable polymer , such as pdms . in this way , the resulting rolled photonic fiber can be elastically deformed by stretching it along its axis . an elongation along the fiber axis leads to a compression perpendicular to it , causing a decrease of its overall diameter and a reduction of the thickness of each individual layer . due to the comparable poisson &# 39 ; s ratio of the constituent elastic materials the thickness ratio and the reflection intensity remain constant while the reflection band blue - shifts . this way , the reflected and transmitted color can be reversibly tuned by axial extension of the fibers . the core fiber can be produced from elastomeric , absorbing materials ( such as pdms - carbon nanoparticle composites ) to provide strong absorption in the fiber core , which suppresses transmitted colors and thereby purifies the reflected colors . this gives the fibers a superior color brilliance especially in environments with multiple light sources and light reflecting surfaces that result in complex illumination environments . the incorporation of gold or silver layers into the concentric multilayer offers potential for the development of novel micron - scale fiber - based meta - materials . asymmetric structures or chirality could be incorporated into the fibers by patterning of the initial bilayer prior to the rolling , promising additional interesting optical properties . removal of glass fiber core from inside the multilayer cladding or rolling of the cladding on elastic core fiber permits mechanical deformation of fibers to more than twice their original length , which causes a tuning of the band - gap and a spectral blue - shift of over 200 nm . i one or more embodiments , the rolled photonic fiber incorporates a flexible core fibers . the flexibility in the choice of constituent materials for the multilayer fibers and their unique combination of mechanical and optical properties holds great potential for applications in mechanically tunable light guides or optical strain sensing . the fibers &# 39 ; mechanical flexibility and elasticity , in addition to the demonstrated color brilliance and tunability , can make them a versatile novel material for smart , color - dynamic textiles . the reported multilayer fiber manufacturing process can in principle be applied to a wide range of synthetic materials with varying optical and mechanical properties . large area deposition of the initial bilayer can be achieved by spraying or blade coating in a roll - to - roll process before final rolling of the multilayer fibers . hollow photonic fibers providing good thermal insulation can be produced by employing hollow polymeric micro - tubing as the inner fiber core . exposure of the fibers to different solvents in the vapor or liquid phase would result in varying degrees of swelling and a corresponding reflection peak red - shift endowing the fibers or textiles made thereof with optical solvent sensing capacities . the final formation of the multilayer rolls could in principle also be achieved by self - induced rolling of the bilayer caused by directional stresses , which can be induced by gradually swelling one of the bilayer phases selectively . fibers prepared according to one or more embodiments show a pronounced reflection in a finite wavelength range imposed by the multilayer periodicity of the multilayer windings and a corresponding drop in transmission . fig3 a is an optical photomicrograph of a fiber ( having layer thicknesses of ˜ 75 nm , around 80 layers ) in reflection mode showing blue color and fig3 b is its reflectivity spectrum showing up to 90 % reflection in the blue region of the visible spectrum . fig3 c is an optical photomicrograph the same fiber in transmission mode , and fig3 d is its transmissivity spectrum showing a corresponding dip in the blue region of the visible spectrum . it has been observed that fibers rolled with multilayer claddings of up to 150 periods provide a reflectivity of more than 90 % in their reflection band and a bandwidth varying from 70 nm to 30 nm , decreasing with increasing number of layers in the cladding . in one or more embodiments , the optical performance of the photonic fibers can be tuned by mechanical deformation . due to the comparable poisson &# 39 ; s ratio of the constituent elastic materials used in the rolled photonic fibers , the thickness ratio and the reflection intensity remain constant while the reflection band blue - shifts . this way , the reflected and transmitted color can be reversibly tuned by axial extension of the fibers fig4 a shows optical micrographs of a fully elastic fiber showing the color tuning upon mechanical deformation induced by elongation along the fiber axis . in this fiber , the stiff glass core was removed from the fiber by pullout before stretching . the observed color transitions from green to blue through the visual color spectrum with increasing strain . the corresponding variation in the reflection spectrum is shown in fig4 b , with like numbering referring to similarly numbered optical photograph in fig4 a . the bottom spectrum is shown on absolute scale ( this particular fiber showed a peak reflectivity of over 70 %) and subsequent spectra are offset from the previous one by 0 . 15 . fig4 d shows the color tuning of a second fiber with different layer thickness where the glass core was removed by a hydrofluoric acid etch . the fiber color can be tuned throughout the whole visible spectrum . the variation of peak wavelength λ peak with applied strain & amp ; is reported in fig4 c . the open circles of different color correspond to three observed reflection peaks ( labeled in 4 b with corresponding open circles ). the lines represent fits based on a power law that results from considering the fiber to be isotropically elastic , with the fit parameter ν representing the fiber &# 39 ; s poisson &# 39 ; s ratio . the error bars shown for a selection of data points correspond to the standard deviation of the peak positions obtained for five consecutive stretch runs at different positions along the fiber . a reversible peak wavelength shift of over 200 nm has been recorded for axial elongations of a fiber to over 200 % of its original length ( see , fig4 b and 4c ). in a different fiber with an elastic core , the tuning from red to blue color is obtained without removing the core ( fig5 a ). the reflectivity in this fiber amounts to over 95 % and is conserved upon tuning of the fiber reflection color ( fig5 b ). from poisson &# 39 ; s ratio and the proportionality between the thickness of individual layers in the cladding and the spectral band - gap position , the reflection peak center wavelength λ peak is predicted follow the relation λ peak = λ peak 0 ( 1 +∈) − ν , where λ peak 0 represents the reflection peak centre wavelength at zero axial strain , ∈ the applied axial strain and ν the fibre &# 39 ; s poisson &# 39 ; s ratio . fitting the experimental data with this relation yields a poisson &# 39 ; s ratio of ν = 0 . 46 ± 0 . 02 for the stretchable multilayer fibers matching the poisson &# 39 ; s ratios of the constituent rubber materials ( fig4 c ). in one or more embodiments , stress / strain sensors based on photonic fibers are contemplated . the tunable photonic fibers can be used in applications where it is desirable to have information regarding stress , strain and / or compression , or sensing of compressive or tensional compressive strains in a device for compressive stress / strain sensing the fibers are oriented perpendicularly to the direction of acting stresses and resulting strains , which leads to a compression of the layers in the fiber cladding resulting in a variation of color to shorter wavelengths ( blue - shift ). in tensile stress and strain sensing applications the fibers are aligned with the direction of stress and strain . a longitudinal expansion will result in a lateral compression of the layers in the cladding , leading to a color variation from higher to lower wavelengths . light levels necessary for obtaining visual information about mechanical forces from such mechano - responsive optical fiber sensors can originate from environmental light ( in well and homogeneously lit environments ) but also can be imposed by an internal light source ( for instance leds ). qualitative read - out can be based on a visual assessment with the human eye or suitable imaging devices , while quantitative read - outs are achieved with appropriately calibrated photodiodes or ccd arrays . in one aspect , the photonic fibers can be incorporated into threads used as sutures . small sections of photonic fibers can be spliced into conventional suturing filaments . fibers can be co - wound around suturing filaments . alternatively , the fibers can be the suturing filaments . the resultant stress / strain - sensitive sutures can provide information regarding the strain applied to the suture , for example , during suturing operations . this information can be useful , for example , for suturing operations in robotic surgery , providing information about the amount of stress and strain exerted on the filament by the robotic tool that performs the suture and also providing information about the forces exerted by the suture on the bonded biological tissue . in other embodiments , the stress / strain sensors based on photonic fibers can be used for the structural health monitoring of buildings , bridges or other infrastructure . in other aspects , the photonic fibers can be incorporated into devices that provide a visual indicator of compressive forces . pressure sensors can incorporate photonic fibers that are capable of registering a pressure / compression via a color change resulting from lateral compression of the layers . in one embodiment , the photonic fibers can be incorporated into compression bandages . application of the fibers in compression bandages can give medical staff a direct visual read - out for the force and amount of compression employed by the bandage . in other embodiments , the photonic fibers can function as solvent sensors . the photonic fibers can be made of polymers that swell in the presence of specific solvents . the swelling of fibers in solvent vapor atmosphere will generate compressive forces on the fiber that lead to a predictable change in color . the invention is illustrated in the following examples , which are presented for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be limiting of the invention . a thin polydimethylsiloxane ( pdms , sylgard 184 , dow corning ) film was spun from a 4 % wt solution in heptane onto a sacrificial water - soluble polystyrene - sulfonic acid layer on a silicon wafer . the pdms film was cross - linked by curing it on a hotplate for 2 h at 70 ° c . subsequently , a bilayer was formed by spin - coating a polystyrene - polyisoprene - polystyrene triblock copolymer ( pspi , sigma aldrich , 14 % wt content polystyrene ) film on top of the cross - linked pdms layer from a 4 % wt solution in toluene . the bilayer was then released from the wafer onto the surface of a water bath . this was achieved by immersing the sample slowly into the water at an angle varying between 30 - 45 ° allowing the water to dissolve the sacrificial water - soluble film between the elastomer bilayer and the substrate , thereby detaching the bilayer from the substrate . a thin glass , polymer or elastomer fiber was then lowered onto the end of the floating bilayer , where it adhered to the pspi film , the top layer in the bilayer . once the core glass fiber had attached it was rotated at a speed of 10 - 20 turns per minute rolling up the bilayer to form the multilayer cladding . images were obtained by scanning electron microscopy ( hitachi s - 3200n sem ). for imaging , the samples were coated with a 3 nm thick film of a gold / palladium alloy . cross - sections of the fibers were obtained by cryo - fracture . fractured fibers were coated with a 3 - 5 nm thick platinum film to avoid charging artifacts during imaging and visualized using a field emission scanning electron microscope ( zeiss supra55vp ). simultaneous imaging and micro - spectroscopic spatial reflection / transmission intensity mapping of the fibers was performed in a modified optical microscope . the samples were illuminated in the area of interest with a halogen lamp in reflection or transmission . via an additional microscope port , a fraction of the reflected light was collected confocally and guided by a fiber to a spectrometer . the detection spot size depends on the diameter of the fiber and the magnification of the objective lens . measurements with a 50 × objective ( na = 0 . 55 ) and a fiber with 50 μm core diameter resulted in a spatial resolution of 1 μm . all spectra are referenced against a flat silver mirror of ≧ 95 % reflectance in the wavelength range of 400 - 800 nm . in order to acquire spatially and spectrally resolved intensity distributions of a specific area on a sample , the sample was translated step - wise in the focal plane of the microscope with a minimum step size of 1 μm using an automated , remote - controlled stage . individual spectra were acquired after each scanning step resulting in a complete map of the spectrally - resolved intensity distribution of the samples in reflection or transmission . it will be appreciated that while a particular sequence of steps has been shown and described for purposes of explanation , the sequence may be varied in certain respects , or the steps may be combined , while still obtaining the desired configuration . additionally , modifications to the disclosed embodiment and the invention as claimed are possible and within the scope of this disclosed invention .	6
referring now to the drawings , and more particularly to fig1 - 3 , inclusive , there is shown a rotary tiller generally indicated at 10 which is adapted to be towed behind a tractor 12 . rotary tiller 10 includes a plurality of tines 14 which are rotatably driven by a power take - off from tractor 12 . in the view of fig1 rotary tiller 10 is shown raised to a &# 34 ; transport &# 34 ; position in which rotatable tines 14 are elevated above the ground surface g in a nontilling position . the power take - off which rotatably drives tines 14 includes a drive belt ( not shown ) which passes through a belt guard 16 ( fig1 and 2 ), the drive belt engaging a drive pulley mounted within the upstanding housing 18 on rotary tiller 12 . rotary tiller 10 is connected to upper and lower hitch points 26 and 30 , respectively , ( fig1 ) of the tractor by an upper hitch linkage assembly generally indicated at 20 and by a lower hitch linkage assembly generally indicated at 22 . upper hitch linkage assembly 20 is pivotally connected at 24 to the body of rotary tiller 10 and is pivotally connected at hitch point 26 to tractor 12 . lower hitch linkage assembly 22 is pivotally connected at point 28 to the lower portion of the body of rotary tiller 10 and is pivotally connected at hitch point 30 to the lower end of tractor 12 . as best seen in the exploded view of fig3 the upper hitch linkage assembly generally indicated at 20 comprises a front link subassembly generally indicated at 32 for pivotal connection to tractor 12 and a rear link subassembly generally indicated at 34 for pivotal connection to rotary tiller 10 . front link subassembly 32 of upper hitch linkage 20 includes a link 36 which is rigidly secured , as by welding , to a front clamp member 38 . clamp member 38 includes a cup - like recess portion indicated at 38a adapted to receive resilient or elastic cylinders generally indicated at 40 and specifically indicated at 40a and 40b formed of a suitable resilient elastic material such as rubber or of other suitable rubber - like or elastomeric material . hereinafter in this specification for simplicity in description , the cylinders 40 will be referred to as &# 34 ; rubber cylinders . &# 34 ; however , it will be understood , as just mentioned , that cylinders 40 may be formed not only of rubber , but also of any suitable resilient or elastic material such as , for example , rubber - like or elastomeric material . front clamp member 38 also includes oppositely extending upper and lower flange portions 38b and 38c , respectively , on either side of u - shaped center clamp portion 38a . to retain rubber cylinder members 40a and 40b in cup - like recess 38a , a pair of web portions such as those indicated at 38d are provided at each of the opposite ends of cup - like central portion 38a of front clamp member 38 . a brace member 42 is provided with a centrally located aperture 42a ( fig1 ) which permits brace member 42 to be received on front link 36 in abutting relation to the forwardly facing surface of front clamp 38 . the rearwardly facing surface of brace member 42 is welded to the forwardly facing surface of front clamp 38 . brace member 42 is also welded to the surface of link member 36 , whereby front clamp member 38 , brace member 42 and front link 36 are all rigidly secured together . in describing the various parts of the hitch linkage , the terms &# 34 ; front &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; rear &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; forward &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; rearward &# 34 ; are all relative to the orientation of the various parts of the hitch linkage relative to tractor 12 . thus , for example , &# 34 ; front &# 34 ; link 36 is closer to tractor 12 than &# 34 ; rear &# 34 ; links 50 . as best seen in fig1 front link 36 is received in a sleeve - like member 44 which , in turn , is rigidly secured to or integral with a bell - crank type lift arm 46 which is pivotally mounted at hitch point 26 to the tractor structure . front link 36 is detachably secured within sleeve 44 by means of a detachable pin member 48 , whereby to facilitate either the connection or the disconnection of upper resilient hitch linkage 20 relative to tractor 12 . in the view of fig1 lift arm 46 is shown rotated about tractor hitch point 26 in a counterclockwise direction whereby to raise rotary tiller 10 to a &# 34 ; transport &# 34 ; position in which tines 14 of rotary tiller 10 are elevated to a nontilling position above ground surface g . a link member 47 is pivotally connected to the upper end of lift arm 46 , and a cable 49 is connected to link member 47 and also to a suitable operating means actuated by an electric motor ( not shown ) mounted on tractor 12 . when it is desired to pivotally move lift arm 46 about tractor hitch point 26 to the transport position shown in the view of fig1 the electric motor is activated to cause cable 49 to move lift arm 46 in a counterclockwise direction relative to the view of fig1 about pivot point 26 to reach the &# 34 ; transport &# 34 ; position shown in fig1 . however , when it is desired to begin the tilling operation , cable 49 is released , permitting the force of gravity to move tiller 10 downwardly so that tines 14 are in ground - engaging position , lift arm 46 moving correspondingly in a clockwise direction ( relative to fig1 ) about pivotal connection 26 on the tractor . during the entire tilling operation , lift arm 46 is free to pivotally move about tractor hitch point 26 in accordance with the movements of upper hitch linkage 20 , as caused by vertical movement of rotary tiller 10 due to undulations in the ground contour over which tiller 10 passes , or as caused by impact or shock loads on tiller 10 . if desired , cable 49 may be released by a controlled amount for the tilling operation or rotary tiller 10 whereby to limit the downward movement of rotary tiller 10 to a predetermined desired maximum . this would , of course , correspondingly limit to a predetermined maximum the clockwise pivotal movement ( relative to fig1 ) of lift arm 46 about tractor hitch point 26 . however , except for this maximum limitation in a clockwise direction relative to fig1 lift arm 46 would otherwise be able to freely pivot about tractor hitch point 26 in accordance with the undulations of the ground surface over which rotary tiller 10 moves . any other suitable mechanical , electrical or hydraulic means or suitable combinations thereof , and which form no part of the present invention , may be operatively connected to lift arm 46 to pivotally move lift arm 46 to the transport position shown in fig1 and to retain lift arm 46 in the transport position of fig1 as long as required , and to permit free pivotal movement of lift arm 46 about tractor hitch point 26 during the normal operation of the towed implement , such as the rotary tiller . rear link subassembly 34 of upper hitch linkage assembly 20 comprises a pair of laterally spaced link members each indicated at 50 which are respectively rigidly secured , as by welding , to the opposite ends of a square tube 52 having opposite upper and lower surfaces respectively indicated at 52a and 52b and oppositely disposed side wall surfaces respectively indicated at 52c and 52d ( see fig1 ). as will be explained hereinafter , square tube 52 defines a multi - sided bearing member having a plurality of external flat surfaces against which a plurality of resilient or elastic members such as rubber cylinders 40 are pressed by clamp members 38 and 58 whereby to provide a resilient connection 25 between the respective front and rear links 36 and 50 of upper hitch linkage assembly 20 . the rearwardly facing ends of the oppositely disposed links 50 of rear link subassembly 34 are each adapted to be pivotally connected at 24 ( fig1 ) to laterally spaced sides of a mounting bracket 54 ( fig1 and 2 ) which is mounted on upper wall 56 of rotary tiller 10 . upper hitch linkage assembly 20 also includes a rear clamp member 58 which is adapted to be clamped into engagement with front upper clamp member 38 as best seen in the view of fig1 . rear clamp member 58 is similar to front clamp member 38 and includes a generally u - shaped central portion 58a which is adapted to receive the two cylindrical - shaped rubber cylinders generally indicated at 40 and specifically indicated at 40c and 40d . rear clamp member 58 includes oppositely disposed upper and lower flange portions 58b and 58c and web portions 58d at the opposite axial ends of u - shaped central portion 58a for the purpose of retaining rubber cylinders 40c and 40d against axial displacement relative to central portion 58a of rear clamp member 58 , in the same manner as in the case of front clamp member 38 . upper front link subassembly 32 including link 36 , the attached front clamp 38 and brace 42 and the rubber cylinders 40a and 40b retained by front clamp 38 are secured in assembled relation with respect to upper rear link subassembly 34 and rubber cylinders 40c and 40d as shown in the view of fig1 by securing upper flange portions 38b and 58b of upper front and rear clamps 38 and 58 together by means of bolts 59a and , similarly , by securing lower flange portions 38c and 58c of the respective upper front and upper rear clamps 32 and 58 together by means of bolts 59b , as best seen in fig1 . during the assembly process just described , rubber cylinders 40a , 40b , 40c and 40d are placed under compression with rubber cylinders 40a - 40d , inclusive , being deformed in the assembly process . with the upper front and rear linkage subassemblies connected to each other as shown in fig1 rubber cylinders 40a and 40b respectively bear against flat surfaces 52c and 52b of &# 34 ; square tube &# 34 ; 52 , and rubber cylinders 40c and 40d respectively bear against flat surfaces 52a and 52d of square tube 52 . the resilient connection between upper front link subassembly 32 and upper rear link subassembly 34 is defined by the cooperating front and rear clamps 38 and 58 , the &# 34 ; square tube &# 34 ; 52 , and the plurality of rubber cylinders 40 which are squeezed between the clamps and the square tube . the resilient connection just defined is generally indicated at 25 . the upper front and rear link subassemblies 32 and 34 are so angularly positioned with respect to each other that resilient connection 25 is offset from the straight line connecting the respective pivotal connections 26 and 24 of the upper hitch linkage to the tractor and to the implement , this offset condition prevailing at least under normal operating conditions ( i . e ., in the absence of shock or impact loads ). in fact , depending upon the degree of &# 34 ; stiffness &# 34 ; of resilient connection 25 , and upon the degree of offset of resilient connection 25 under normal operating conditions , the resilient connection 25 may remain in an offset relation even under shock or impact load conditions . the lower resilient hitch linkage assembly generally indicated at 22 comprises a front link subassembly generally indicated at 60 which is pivotally connected to tractor 12 along the pivotal axis 30 and a rear link subassembly generally indicated at 63 which is pivotally connected to rotary tiller 10 along the pivotal axis 28 . front link subassembly 60 comprises a link member generally indicated at 66 of u - shape including a pair of laterally spaced link elements 66a and 66b which are pivotally secured to tractor 10 along the pivotal hitch connection axis 30 ( fig1 ). link elements 66a and 66b are joined at the rear portions thereof by an integral bridging portion 66c . it should be noted that the use of the two link elements 66a , 66b to connect lower hitch linkage 22 to tractor 12 along hitch connection axis 30 is a stabilizing factor which prevents sidewise swaying or swinging of the towed apparatus such as rotary tiller 10 with respect to tractor 12 . front link subassembly 60 also includes an upper plate member 66d and lower plate member 66e which respectively lie in parallel planes to each other , with upper plate member 66d being in abutting relation to the upper edges of both link element 66a and 66b , and with lower plate member 66e being in abutting relation to the lower edges of both link elements 66a and 66b . upper and lower plate members 66d and 66e are rigidly secured , as by welding to the u - shaped link member 66 . a first and a second clamp member respectively indicated at 68 - 1 and 68 - 2 are rigidly secured as by welding to the rearward edges of the respective upper and lower plate members 66d and 66e . it can therefore be seen that u - shaped link member 66 including the link elements 66a , 66b and the integral connecting portion 66c , together with the upper and lower plates 66d and 66e , and the two clamp members 68 - 1 and 68 - 2 are all one rigidly interconnected unitary subassembly . clamp member 68 - 1 includes a cup - like u - shaped portion 68 - 1a and a pair of oppositely disposed upper and lower flanges 68 - 1b and 68 - 1c . similarly , the other clamp member 68 - 2 is provided with a cup - like centrally located u - shaped recess 68 - 2a and oppositely disposed upper and lower flanges 68 - 2b and 68 - 2c . each of the respective clamp members 68 - 1 and 68 - 2 is provided with a pair of web - like portions such as those indicated at 68 - 1e and 68 - 2e is bounding relation to the axial ends of the u - shaped portions 68 - 1a and 68 - 2a of the respective clamp members 68 - 1 and 68 - 2 to prevent axial displacement of rubber cylinders 40 received by the u - shaped portions of the respective clamps . u - shaped recess 68 - 1a of clamp 68 - 1 is adapted to receive a pair of rubber cylinders 40e and 40f , and u - shaped recess 68 - 2a of clamp 68 - 2 is adapted to receive a pair of rubber cylinders 40g and 40h . rear linkage subassembly 63 of lower hitch linkage assembly 22 comprises a pair of laterally spaced link members each indicated at 67 and each pivotally connected to a corresponding one of the opposite end walls 62 of rotary tiller 10 about the pivotal axis 28 . the forward end of the oppositely disposed spaced links 67 ( i . e ., the end of the links 67 closest to tractor 18 ) are rigidly secured to a &# 34 ; square tube &# 34 ; 69 . as in the case of square tube 52 of upper hitch linkage assembly 20 , square tube 69 of the lower hitch linkage assembly 22 defines a multi - sided bearing member having a plurality of flat external surfaces against which a plurality of rubber cylinders 40 are pressed or squeezed by clamp members 68 - 1 , 68 - 2 , 70 - 1 , 70 - 2 whereby to provide a resilient connection 27 between the respective front and rear links 66 and 67 of lower hitch linkage assembly 22 . lower resilient hitch linkage assembly 22 also includes a second pair of clamp members respectively indicated at 70 - 1 and 70 - 2 which are similar to clamps 68 - 1 and 68 - 2 . clamp 70 - 1 is adapted to receive rubber cylinders 40j and 40k , and clamp 70 - 2 is adapted to receive rubber cylinders 40l and 40m . clamp 68 - 1 , with rubber cylinders 40e and 40f received therein , and clamp 70 - 1 with rubber cylinders 40j and 40k received therein , are clamped together by means of bolts 59c , as best seen in the view of fig1 with the respective rubber cylinders 40e and 40f being squeezed between clamp 68 - 1 and the surfaces 69c and 69b of square tube 69 and with the respective rubber cylinders 40j and 40k being squeezed between clamp 70 - 1 and the respective surfaces 69a and 69d of square tube 69 . in a similar manner , clamp 68 - 2 with rubber cylinders 40g and 40h received in the u - shaped portion thereof is clamped by means of bolts 59d into engagement with clamp 70 - 2 which has rubber cylinders 40l and 40m received in the u - shaped portion thereof , so that the respective rubber cylinders 40g and 40h are squeezed between clamp 68 - 2 and the respective surfaces 69c and 69b of square tube 69 , and so that the respective rubber cylinders 40l and 40m are squeezed between clamp 70 - 2 and the respective surfaces 69a and 69d of square tube 64 . ( see fig1 ) the resilient connection between lower front link subassembly 60 and lower rear link subassembly 63 is defined by the cooperating front and rear clamps , such as 68 - 1 and 70 - 1 , the &# 34 ; square tube &# 34 ; 69 , and the plurality of rubber cylinders 40 which are deformably squeezed between the clamps and the square tube . the resilient connection just defined is generally indicated at 27 . resilient connection 27 of the lower resilient hitch linkage is offset from a straight line between the pivotal connections 30 and 28 connecting the lower hitch linkage to the tractor and to the rotary tiller , in the same manner as described in connection with resilient connection 25 of the upper resilient hitch linkage . when the mounted implement such as rotary tiller 10 , for example , is acted upon by an impact force which would result , for example , when rotary tiller 10 strikes an object embedded in the ground , the reaction is transmitted to tractor 12 through upper and lower hitch linkages 20 and 22 . since upper and lower linkages 20 and 22 function in the same manner , the cycle of operation will be described only for the lower hitch linkage 22 . the reaction force transmitted from rotary tiller 10 to tractor 12 is through the pivotal connections 28 and 30 of lower hitch linkage 22 to the rotary tiller and to the tractor , respectively . since the resilient connection 27 between front link subassembly 60 and rear link subassembly 63 is offset from a straight line through the pivots 28 and 30 , a force applied at pivots 28 and 30 will create a moment about resilient connection 27 causing the front and rear link subassemblies 60 and 63 to rotate about resilient connection 27 in such manner as to attempt to &# 34 ; straighten out &# 34 ; the lower hitch linkage . that is , front and rear link subassemblies 60 and 63 rotate relative to each other about an axis passing through the resilient connection 27 and extending transverse of the front - to - rear axis of the connected tractor and rotary tiller . the rotation of front and rear link subassemblies 60 and 63 about resilient connection 27 is resisted by the force required to deform rubber cylinders 40e , 40f , 40g , 40h , 40j , 40k , 40l and 40m , which form part of resilient connection 27 and which are confined under pressure between square tube 69 and the clamps 68 - 1 and 70 - 1 and 68 - 2 and 70 - 2 ( fig4 ). the resistance of resilient connection 27 to the rotation of front and rear link subassemblies 60 and 63 about resilient connection 27 creates a torsional reaction force which cushions the impact loads between the pivots 28 and 30 . resilient connection 27 also minimizes the transmission of vibrations from rotary tiller 10 to tractor 12 . the rate of the torsional reaction spring force or &# 34 ; stiffness &# 34 ; ( i . e ., the degree of deformation of the resilient members obtained for a given impact force ) provided by the resilient connection 27 can be varied by varying ( 1 ) the geometry of rubber cylinders 40 , such as the length or volume thereof ; ( 2 ) by varying the amount of preload applied to rubber cylinders 40 . the amount of preload on rubber cylinders 40 is controlled by the spacing between the clamps and the &# 34 ; square tube ,&# 34 ; which therefore determines the extent to which rubber cylinders 40 are squeezed between the clamps and the &# 34 ; square tube .&# 34 ; the spacing between the clamps and the &# 34 ; square tube &# 34 ; can be determined by controlling the manufacturing dimensions or shape of the clamps and can also be controlled during the assembly operation by controlling the degree to which the clamps are tightened into engagement with each other , as , for example , by the use of shims between the oppositely disposed clamps such as clamps 68 - 1 and 70 - 1 which are bolted into engagement with each other ; and ( 3 ) by varying the distance by which the resilient connection 27 is offset from the straight line through the pivots 28 and 30 . the offset distance between resilient connection 27 and the straight line connecting pivot points 28 and 30 can be changed by varying the angle between front link 66 and rear link 67 . this can be done , for example , by changing the angle at which rear links 67 are welded to the end of &# 34 ; square tube &# 34 ; 69 . the rate of the torsional reaction spring force provided by resilient connection 25 of upper hitch linkage assembly 20 can be varied in a similar manner as just described for resilient connection 27 . oscillation of the respective resilient connections 25 and 27 in cushioning impact or shock loads is resisted by the inherent dampening effect of rubber cylinders 40 . in the foregoing specification , while reference has been made principally to the value of the resilient hitch linkage of the invention in minimizing the transmission of impact or shock loads and / or vibrations from the towed implement such as the rotary tiller to the towing apparatus such as the tractor , it is evident that the transmission of such forces will also be minimized in the opposite direction , namely , from the towing apparatus of the towed apparatus . from the foregoing detailed description of the invention , it has been shown how the objects of the invention have been obtained in a preferred manner . however , modifications and equivalents of the disclosed concepts such as readily occur to those skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of this invention .	1
the following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention , and is provided in the context of particular applications and their requirements . various modifications to the exemplary embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . thus , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown , but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein . fig1 illustrates an optical isolator 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention . optical isolator 100 includes substrate portion 101 , first waveguide portion 102 , and second waveguide portion 103 . substrate portion 101 comprises a low index material c . in one embodiment , material c has a permittivity of 2 . 13ε 0 where ε 0 is the permittivity in a vacuum . first waveguide portion 102 comprises a non - magnetic material a . in one embodiment , the non - magnetic material a has a permittivity of 12 . 25ε 0 . second waveguide portion comprises magnetic material b +. in one embodiment , the permittivity tensor { tilde over ( ε )} for material b + in the embodiment of fig1 ( referenced as an “ up down ” or “ ud ” arrangement ) is given by : the z and y axis are shown in fig1 and the x axis is orthogonal to the z y plane . the waveguide of optical isolator 100 ( comprising portions 102 and 103 ) has a height dimension h and a width dimension w . in one embodiment the ratio of h / w is 3 / 4 . in another embodiment , the ratio is 1 . the preferred ration may depend on whether the mode is a te or a tm mode . in some embodiments , the ratio is 1 / 2 for te modes and 2 / 1 for tm modes . however , other ratios may be used with preference given to those that help obtain a single guided mode in the desired frequency range . fig2 illustrates an optical isolator 200 in accordance with a more particular embodiment of the invention . the embodiment of fig2 is a more specific example of the embodiment of fig1 . in particular , optical isolator 200 comprises a substrate 201 , a first waveguide portion 202 , and a second waveguide portion 203 . material for substrate 201 comprises gadolinium gallium garnet (“ ggg ”). material for first waveguide portion 202 comprises titanium dioxide (“ tio 2 ”). material for second waveguide portion 203 comprises bismuth iron garnet (“ big ”). in one embodiment , the big and tio 2 layers are grown separately and wafer bonded together . fig3 illustrates an optical isolator 300 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention . optical isolator 300 comprises a rib waveguide structure and comprises substrate 301 , a first waveguide portion 302 , and a second waveguide portion 303 . material for substrate 301 comprises ggg . material for first waveguide portion 302 also comprises ggg . material for second waveguide portion 303 comprises big . in one embodiment , isolator 300 is fabricated by growing big on ggg and etching the waveguide with a mask . fig4 illustrates an optical isolator 400 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention . optical isolator 400 comprises a substrate 401 , a first waveguide portion 402 , and a second waveguide portion 403 . material for substrate 401 comprises ggg . material for first waveguide portion 402 comprises big . material for second waveguide portion 403 comprises tio 2 . fig5 illustrates an optical isolator 500 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention . optical isolator 500 comprises substrate portion 501 , first waveguide portion 502 and second waveguide portion 503 . substrate 501 comprises a low index material c . first waveguide portion 501 comprises a magnetic material b − and second waveguide portion 503 comprises a magnetic material b +. with respect to each other , material b − and b + have anti - parallel magnetizations . in a particular embodiment , material b + has the permittivity tensor as given above for material b + in reference to fig1 , and material b − has a permittivity tensor given by : with the off - diagonal coefficient f = 1 . in one embodiment , materials b − and b + both comprise big and are obtained by growing a first big layer on a substrate and treating it to obtain the magnetic characteristics corresponding to b − as indicated above and then growing a second big layer on top of the first big layer and treating it to obtain the magnetic characteristics corresponding to b + as indicated above . preferably , a structure with anti - parallel magnetic regions provides a “ compensation wall ” separating the two magnetic regions . forming such a structure with a compensation wall is performed as follows : the bottom layer of big is grown and annealed . then , more big is grown and annealed under different conditions to reverse the sign of the magnetization compared with the bottom layer . for left - right structures , si masks are used : a mask is placed on the left side and the right side is annealed ; then a mask is placed on the right side and the left side is annealed under different conditions . for more details on this process please see : j . - p . krumme and p . hansen , “ new magneto - optic memory concept based on compensation wall domains ,” appl . phys . lett ., vol . 23 , no . 10 , pp . 576 - 578 , 1973 . fig6 illustrates an optical isolator 600 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention . optical isolator includes a substrate 601 , a first waveguide portion 602 and a second waveguide portion 603 . the materials used for waveguide 600 are similar to the materials used for waveguide 100 of fig1 and include a low - index material c for substrate 601 , a magnetic material b + for first waveguide portion 602 and a non - magnetic material 603 for second waveguide portion 603 . however , in optical isolator 600 , the first and second waveguide portions are provided side - by - side on substrate 601 instead of one on top of the other ( as in fig1 ). in one embodiment , the ratio of dimensions h / w is 3 / 4 and in another embodiment the ratio is 1 . however , other ratios may be used , preferably being selected to obtain a single mode in the desired frequency range . in one embodiment , the permittivity tensor { tilde over ( ε )} for material b + in the embodiment of fig6 ( referenced as a “ right left ” or “ rl ” arrangement ) is given by : fig7 illustrates an optical isolator 700 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention . optical isolator 700 comprises substrate portion 701 , first waveguide portion 702 and second waveguide portion 703 . substrate 701 comprises a low index material c . first waveguide portion 702 comprises a magnetic material b + and second waveguide portion 703 comprises a magnetic material b −. with respect to each other , material b − and b + have anti - parallel magnetizations . in a particular embodiment , material b + for portion 702 has the permittivity tensor as given above for material b + in reference to fig6 , and material b − for portion 703 has a permittivity tensor given by : with the off - diagonal coefficient f = 1 . in another embodiment , the permittivity tensors for the b + and b − materials are given by : in one embodiment , the h / w ratio is 3 / 4 . in another embodiment , it is 1 / 2 . in another embodiment , it is 1 . fig8 illustrates the dispersion curves of an isolator that satisfies the cutoff frequency conditions preferable for some embodiments of the invention . solid lines are the lowest and 2 nd lowest modes for a waveguide that lacks nonreciprocal material — the off - diagonal permittivity components are zero . when appropriate non - zero off - diagonal components δε are included , the time - reversal degeneracy of modes is lifted , i . e . forward wave has different dispersion from backward wave as seen in fig8 . waves are guided in a waveguide if the operation point ( β 0 , ω 0 ) is below the light line where β 0 and ω 0 are normalized propagation constant ( ak x / 2π ) and angular frequency ( ωa / 2πc ), respectively . the parameter a is scaling length . the intersection of a mode with the light line defines the cut - off frequency . below the frequency , the mode is unguided and the waveguide loses energy . the isolation range is shown in fig8 , and in this frequency range optical isolation is realized . the position - dependent permittivity tensor is given by the addition of two permittivity tensors : the tensor { tilde over ( ε )} is hermitian , and δ { tilde over ( ε )} is considered as a perturbation term . the propagation constant shift is written , using equation ( 1 ), as : where ω is the angular frequency , e ( y , z ) is the normalized electric field , and x is the propagation direction and given the electric field e ( y , z ) and dispersion ω ( β ) of an un - perturbed mode and small perturbation δ { tilde over ( ε )} ( y , z ), we can obtain the dispersion relation ω ( β ± δ β ) of forward (−) and backward (+) propagating waves from equation ( 2 ). the isolation frequency range can be maximized by maximizing δβ . in a relatively narrow frequency range , δβ is proportional to the isolation frequency range . fig9 a and 9 b illustrate the dispersion diagrams for the embodiment of fig7 assuming a h / w ratio of 3 / 4 . in the negative k x region , the forward propagation bands with positive k x are drawn by setting − k x , i . e . the bands are flipped about k x = 0 . the dispersion diagrams indicate single - mode optical isolation operation , as the lowest forward - propagating mode ( dashed line ) lies below the cutoff frequency of the lowest backward - propagating mode ( lower solid line ). the frequency separation between the dashed line and the lower solid line indicates the isolation bandwidth . fig1 a - 10 c illustrate several different optical isolators consistent with alternative embodiments of the invention . the isolator of fig1 a comprises a rib waveguide structure and comprises substrate 10 a - 1 , first waveguide portion 10 a - 2 , and second waveguide portion 10 a - 3 . in one embodiment , the ratio of the dimensions h / h ′/ w is 3 / 2 . 8 / 4 . substrate 10 a - 1 comprises material c . first waveguide portion 10 a - 2 comprises material b +. second waveguide portion 10 a - 3 comprises material a . the isolator of fig1 b comprises substrate 10 b - 1 , first waveguide portion 10 b - 2 , and second waveguide portion 10 b - 3 . the waveguide portions together comprise a trapezoidal arrangement characterized by angles θ 1 and θ 2 substrate 10 b - 1 comprises material c , first waveguide portion 10 b - 2 comprises material b + and , second waveguide portion 10 b - 3 comprises material a . in one embodiment , θ 1 = θ 2 = 120 °. in other embodiments , the angles are not necessarily equal . the isolator of fig1 c comprises substrate 10 c - 1 , first waveguide portion 10 c - 2 , second waveguide portion 10 c - 3 and third waveguide portion 10 c - 4 . substrate 10 c - 1 comprises material c , first waveguide portion 10 c - 2 comprises material b +, second waveguide portion 10 c - 3 comprises material a , and third waveguide portion 10 c - 4 comprises material b −. various embodiments disclosed herein include non - homogenous waveguides that include magnetic and non - magnetic portions . one specific example for the magnetic material b referenced herein is big ( see , e . g ., fig2 - 4 ). however , those skilled in the art will appreciate that in some embodiments , other magnetic materials might be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . some examples of magneto - optic media that might be used as material b in a particular embodiment include big , yig ( yttrium iron garnet ), magnetic glass , mnas , gaas : mn , magnetic gaas , magnetic si , cdmnte , ni , co , fe , and magnetic tio 2 . in some embodiments , these materials may be used in combination . for example , yig can be used in conjunction with big and ggg . the permittivity values for the various materials referenced herein can be varied from the above values as one skilled in the art can appreciate . for example , in the examples set forth above , the magnitude of the permittivity coefficient for material a is 12 . 25 , which is the same value as the diagonal elements of the permittivity tensor for materials b − and b + in many of the various up - down and right left configurations referenced above . however , in alternative examples , material a might have a different permittivity value than the diagonal values of the b + and b − permittivity tensor matrices . and the values along the diagonal of the permittivity tensor matrices may , in other examples , have values different than 12 . 25 . as another example of variation , the zero values shown in the various matrices above might , in alternative examples , be non - zero without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . the value “ f ” shown in the matrices should be non - zero . in analyzing the performance of various configurations , key quantitative values include : the off - diaganol permittivity tensor values , the propagation constant k ( x - axis of dispersion diagrams ), and the frequency bandwidth for single mode operation . the range of single mode isolation for the waveguide is thus defined by δ k x = δk ( a / 2π ) and δ ω = δω ( a / 2πc ). the value of δ ω is the isolation range ; see fig1 . table 1 displays a summary of the numerical data of some analyzed configurations . note that the maximum isolation bandwidth in the below table for the waveguides is δ ω / ω mid = 8 . 17 % for the right - left waveguide with the dimensions { w b − / a = 0 . 3 , w b + / a = 0 . 3 where a is a scaling factor . we use δ ω / ω mid as a normalized optical isolation width . also , the off - diagonal permittivity coefficient f for material b +/− is 1 in the structures analyzed in table 1 . the isolation frequency range can be increased by increasing each component i ij as given above in equations ( 2 ) and ( 3 ). we increased isolation frequency range by increasing the field overlap with magneto - optic media . table 1 , shows results for two rl ( b − b +) structures . we found strong linear correlation between the value of and the normalized isolation range δ ω / ω mid in rigorous plane wave expansion (“ pwe ”) simulations . the electric field outside the waveguide does not overlap with magneto - optic media in these figures , but this problem can be resolved by choosing appropriate single - mode waveguide geometries so that a majority of the field overlaps with magneto - optic media . for example , the waveguide can be embedded in a low - index magneto - optic medium to increase the isolation frequency range . note that the drawings are not intended to necessarily suggest a particular proportion of materials . for example , fig6 does not necessarily suggest that exactly half the w dimension includes material a and the other half includes material b +. rather , the relative amounts of each material may vary in particular embodiments . however , it is preferable that the materials are arranged in proportions that will support single mode operation . the scheme of rejecting reversely - propagating waves is based on cutoff frequencies so the reverse isolation is high . if necessary , an absorption layer can be added somewhere in substrate c and / or above the waveguide so that only unguided waves are absorbed . embodiments of the invented optical isolator can be used in integrated optics . some embodiments of the invented isolator can be useful for suppressing unwanted noise generation and laser frequency shifts . for more information , please also refer to tang , drezdzon , and yoshie , “ single - mode waveguide optical isolator based on direction - dependent cutoff frequency ” in optics express vol . 16 no . 20 , sep . 29 , 2008 and drezdzon and yoshie , “ on - chip waveguide isolator based on bismuth iron garnet operating via nonreciprocal single - mode cutoff ” in optics express vol . 17 , no . 11 , may 25 , 2009 . while the present invention has been particularly described with respect to the illustrated embodiments , it will be appreciated that various alterations , modifications and adaptations may be made based on the present disclosure and are intended to be within the scope of the present invention . while the invention has been described in connection with what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but , on the contrary , is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims .	6
referring to fig1 there is there shown , designated generally by the numeral 2 , an unformed or unblocked hat having a crown portion 3 and a brim portion 4 . as indicated previously , the hat may be assumed to be fabricated from felt - like material which may be formed into any selected style by the application of steam heat to the fiber mat forming the hat and then shaping the hat while the fiber is in a &# 34 ; no memory &# 34 ; condition as a result of such steam heating . as indicated previously , the particular style into which a hat is shaped is conventionally done by hand , so that each hat , even when it is intended that it be formed in the same style , is somewhat different , or lacking in uniformity with other such hats of the same style . this occurs because when styling is effected by hand and without using any kind of a guide , there are bound to be dissimilarities in the ultimate shape to which the hat is formed . to obviate such dissimilarities , and to insure that each hat shaped into a particular style will be exactly the same as others , the subject matter of this invention comprises a rigid hat - shaped blocking structure designated generally by the numeral 6 in fig2 and including a crown portion 7 and a brim portion 8 . in this instance , the crown portion of the hat blocking structure is provided with a top surface 9 that is centrally depressed as illustrated in fig5 and 6 , the depressed surface 9 being surrounded by a rolled portion 12 which extends completely around the depressed portion and which is somewhat greater in depth adjacent the rear of the hat as seen on the right hand side in fig2 through 6 , and gradually decreasing in depth as the top surface 9 approaches the forward end of the hat as viewed on the left hand side of the figures in fig2 through 6 , so that the forward portion of the crown of the hat blocking structure for this style crown normally projects somewhat higher than the rear portion of the crown as illustrated . the crown portion of the hat - shaped blocking structure is also provided with generally ovate walls 13 tapering upwardly to merge smoothly with the top surface 9 . as illustrated in fig2 and 4 , the two opposite sides of the ovate walls 13 are depressed toward each other to provide a recess 14 on each side of the crown portion . formed integrally with the lower end of the ovate wall 13 is a radially inwardly extending annular mounting member 16 the outer periphery 17 of which is integral with the lowermost edge of the ovate wall 13 , while the inner periphery 18 of the annular mounting member 16 defines an aperture opening into the hollow interior of the crown portion of the hat - shaped blocking structure . as illustrated in fig5 and 6 , the radially inwardly extending mounting member 16 is provided with a pair of apertures 19 adjacent the front and rear of the hat - shaped blocking structure for purposes which will hereinafter be explained . it will thus be seen that the crown portion of the hat shaped - blocking structure , without more , constitutes a rigid structure , preferably fabricated from an appropriate synthetic resinous material reinforced , for instance , with fiberglass , and on its exterior surface 21 , conforms to the shape of a desired hat style . thus , the crown portion of the hat - shaped blocking structure may be utilized to effectively provide a form on which the crown of an unblocked or unshaped hat may be supported so as to initially provide a desired crown shape , or to reconstruct one that has become misshapen . however , for maximum utility , the crown portion of the hat - shaped blocking structure is utilized in conjunction with a detachable brim portion designated generally by the numeral 8 and including a centrally disposed mounting flange portion 22 having an outer periphery 23 and an inner periphery 24 as shown . also provided in the mounting flange portion 22 , which is preferably in the form of an annulus that conforms to the configuration of the annular mounting flange member 16 associated with the open end of the crown portion , are a plurality of apertures 26 positioned in the mounting flange member 22 so as to be in alignment with the apertures 19 in the mounting flange member 16 associated with the crown portion . thus , when the apertures 19 and 26 are aligned , the inner and outer peripheries of the two mounting portions 16 and 22 are generally in registry with each other and the two mounting portions may then be detachably secured together by an appropriate bolt 27 dimensioned to pass snugly through the apertures 19 and 26 , and which may be secured therein so as to provide a clamping action between the two mounting portions by an appropriate thumb nut 28 . extending radially outwardly from and integral with the outer periphery 23 of the brim mounting flange 22 , is a brim support portion 29 formed , like the mounting portion 22 and the crown portion previously discussed , from a rigid synthetic resinous material , preferably reinforced with glass fiber . the brim support portion 29 is sculptured to provide on its top surface 31 the configuration desired for a particular style of hat brim . thus , as illustrated in fig3 in use the hat - shaped blocking structure which includes the crown portion and the brim portion detachably bolted together as illustrated in fig6 is appropriately supported on a flat surface such as a table top 32 with or without a pedestal 33 extending between the table top and the under side of the brim mounting portion 22 to firmly support the hat - shaped blocking structure on the table top . an unblocked or unshaped hat 2 is then lowered over the crown portion as illustrated in fig3 until the brim of the hat comes to rest on the hat brim support portion 29 . at this point , the hat draped over the hat - shaped blocking structure is subjected to the application of hot steam , as illustrated in fig4 so as to soften the fibers and cause them to lose their &# 34 ; memory .&# 34 ; it will be seen that as soon as sufficient moist heat has been applied to the hat , the crown of the hat may be molded by hand so that it conforms exactly to the depression formed in the top surface of the crown portion of the blocking structure , while the sides of the crown may be depressed to fill the depressions 14 formed in the ovate walls 13 . in like manner , the brim of the hat may be molded so that it conforms to the configuration of the upper surface 31 of the brim support portion 29 . once the desired style has been achieved by causing conformation of the hat to the shape of the hat - shaped blocking structure , the heat is removed and the hat is permitted to dry and cool while remaining on the hat - shaped blocking structure . this generally requires only a few minutes , especially if warm air , such as from a fan or hair dryer type apparatus is used to accelerate cooling and drying . it will of course be seen that any selected style of crown portion may be detachably interconnected with any selected style of brim support portion . accordingly , as viewed in fig8 a different style crown and different style brim are constructed in essentially the same manner , the crown portion and the brim portion being fabricated from a hard synthetic resinous material ; preferably reinforced with fiberglass , and adapted to be detachably secured as previously discussed . in this way , a customer who purchases a hat has a greater range of styles to choose from , while the owner of the hat store is provided the facility of blocking the purchased hat in whatever style is selected . having thus described the invention , what is sought to be protected by letters patent of the united states is as follows :	0
the present invention relates to a system ( method and apparatus ) for vital ( fail - safe ) control of a operating component in response to messages identifying the component and commanding the operation thereof , and more particularly to a railway signaling system for controlling components , such as track switches and the like , in a vital manner in response to digital messages which are transmitted over a radio communications link . the invention is especially adapted for use in a radio - based railway track switch control system which is described in detail below as the exemplary embodiment of the invention . an important aspect of the invention is in the verification of the integrity of data identifying the component which is to be controlled , and specifically , with respect to a track switch , the address of that switch which identifies it uniquely among other track switches and other components in the railroad territory . the address verification aspect of the invention may find application in other control systems wherein addresses of components are important to their successful operation . in traditional railroad practice , track switches or other powered components are controlled from a central office , usually where the train dispatcher is located . in order to operate a switch , the dispatcher operates a mechanism on a control machine in the office which generates a message to the switch instructing it to move to the requested position ; normal where the switch allows the train to travel along the main line and reverse where the switch directs the train to a siding or other track . the office logic will normally not allow this message to be generated and sent unless the requested switch movement is safe under existing conditions . these office logic checks are non - vital and cannot be relied upon for safety . system safety is guaranteed by vital field logic along the railway right of way which will only allow power to be applied to the switch when conditions will safely allow the switch to be thrown . the field logic vitally insures that a switch cannot be thrown in front of an approaching train or under a train occupying the switch . such field logic systems are in general use and are implemented using safety relays or vital processing techniques ; for example , as described in the following u . s . pat . nos . : smith , hoelscher and petit , 4 , 498 , 650 ; sibley , 4 , 181 , 842 ; sibley 4 , 090 , 173 ; and murray , 3 , 976 , 272 . a vital radio - based railway signaling and traffic control system which is not dependent upon track circuits is described in auer and petit , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 711 , 418 . such systems are known as the grs ( general railway signal ) &# 34 ; spacerail &# 34 ; system . in the spacerail system , track circuits and signals are replaced by a system of wayside markers ( beacon transponders ), and data communication between the train and the control office over a radio link . vital processing is performed by the system which has in vital form information concerning train location and operating conditions ( e . g ., train speed ). the spacerail system also provides for track switch control over the radio link . when the dispatcher requests a specific switch alignment , the central office processor determines if such a control can be safely issued . if conditions permit , a vital message is generated and sent to a switch controller which decodes the message and uses it as its authority to reposition the switch . since there is very little ancillary equipment along the right of way , reliance is placed on the vital nature of the message which is sent to the switch controller . when the switch has been repositioned , the switch controller sends a secure message to the office confirming its status . the office uses the receipt of this message to confirm that the switch has indeed been aligned in the desired position and that the trains can be routed over the switch . the absence of such an acknowledgement message within a period of time alerts the dispatcher to a problem in the switch or the controller . the vital message contains the address of the switch as well as the instructions to position the switch . within each switch in the railroad territory , the message is received and the address information is used to determine whether the message is for that particular switch . if the message is not for that switch , it is disregarded . the address of the switch has heretofore been hard wired . it is desirable to address different switches in the field rather than the factory . it is also desirable to change the address when a switch is moved to a new location . hard wiring of addresses makes difficult efficient and flexible maintenance of computerized track switches and other equipment which must be addressed in order to send messages thereto . such other equipment may , for example , be control units in the locomotives or control units for other railway hardware , such as wayside signals . it is especially desirable to enable the addresses to be programmed in the field by personnel equipped with portable terminals . once the address is programmed is it is necessary to verify that the address has not been modified or the system is affected by a failure mode which allows the modification of the address , for example by inadvertance or by external electrical fields . it is the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved system ( method and apparatus ) for verification of data identifying a component ( viz ., the address of that component ) so that the component cannot be operated if the integrity of the address is impaired . it is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved radio - based signalling and traffic control system wherein the address of each operating component , such as the track switches , is verified to insure the vital operation thereof . it is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved track switch control system which is vital in operation both as to the addressing and operational aspects of the system . it is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved radio - based railway control system having components , such as track switches , which may be programmed with identification addresses in the field by personnel with portable terminals from which address data can be entered into the components , and wherein the address is verified every time a message for operating the component is received . briefly described , a system for controlling a railway track switch or other component by data transmitted over a communications link which addresses the component and instructs it to carry out a requested operation has a non - volatile memory which is programmed with address data corresponding to the address of the component . this address data can be programmed when the controller is manually enabled . for example when personnel in the field having a terminal equipped for generating and entering the address operates a manual electrical switch . the controller is operative to store in the non - volatile memory at least one and preferably a plurality of check words for the address . the component is caused to operate only when the data which is transmitted corresponds to the programmed address in the memory and when words corresponding to the check words are produced by writing at least one check value message into a check register while presenting that check value to the memory to supplant the check word therein . it is only when a failure mode enables writing of the check value into the memory that the memory accepts the check value . the memory address data ( either the proper address if there has been no failure mode or the check value if a failure mode has occurred ) are combined , preferably by applying corresponding bits of the check value in the check register and the address , or the check value if accepted , from the memory to exclusive or gates . the check words in the memory are coded , preferably to have a value equal to the value of the check word exclusive ored with the check value . then , if the address is correct , the exclusive or operation returns the check word which verifies the integrity of the address . the detection of the check word enables the carrying out of vital processing which turns on vital power for operating the component . in the case of the track switch , the vital power aligns the switch to the requested position ( either normal or reverse ). the foregoing objects , features and advantages of the invention as well as a presently preferred embodiment thereof , and the best mode now known for practicing the invention , will become more apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which : fig1 is a block diagram of a radio - based railway signaling and control system , in accordance with the invention , embodying a track switch controller which is field programmable with address information ; fig2 is a block diagram showing the switch controller of the system illustrated in fig1 ; fig3 is block diagram of the system for addressing and verifying the address of the switch which is utilized as part of the nonvolatile memory element of the system shown in fig2 ; fig4 is a more detailed schematic diagram of the system shown in fig3 ; and fig5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the track switch controller . referring more particularly to fig1 there is shown a radio - based railway signaling and traffic control system which is similar to that described in the above - referenced auer and petit u . s . pat . no . 4 , 711 , 417 . this patent is incorporated herein by reference and like parts of the system shown in fig1 and the system described and shown in the auer and petit patent are identified with like reference numerals herein . the system shown in fig1 is provided with an improved switch controller 11 for the switch machine 24 which operates the track switch 22 . below the track switch is an over switch track circuit 13 connected to the rails beyond each end of the switch 22 . the over switch track circuit (&# 34 ; ostc &# 34 ;) is described in greater detail below in connection with fig2 . it provides an input to the switch controller representing occupancy of the track switch vicinity or the lack of occupancy thereby enabling the switch 22 to be realigned . the switch controller is programmable from a portable terminal indicated as the hand held terminal (&# 34 ; hht &# 34 ;) 15 . this terminal has a keyboard 17 and a display , such as a lcd display 19 . it is plugged into the switch controller when the switch controller is to be programmed with its address in the field . a connector 21 , part of which is attached to the switch controller 11 and part to a cable from the hht 15 is used for this purpose . when programming is to be done , a manually operated electrical switch for enabling the programming of the address ( pae sw ) 23 on the switch controller is actuated . only when the switch 23 is thrown to the position to enable addressing can the address be programmed into the switch controller . this switch is shown in greater detail in fig3 . it has two positions pae and pae not ( the not is designated by a stroke (/) in the drawing and is so designated in fig4 and elsewhere in the specification . the pae position is with the switch thrown upwardly and the pae / position is with the switch thrown downwardly . in order to guard against a failure in the pae switch 23 or other failure modes which effect the address and cause it to change or to enable a writing into the address locations in the memory of the switch controller 11 , the verification of address integrity system which is illustrated in fig3 and more specifically in fig4 is utilized . the verification system is part of the switch controller 11 shown in fig2 . the controller has a central processing unit ( cpu ) 25 which interfaces with the radio 28 and the track circuit 13 and other components of the controller 11 over an address and data bus ( adb , db ). the cpu contains memory and port circuits as well as a microprocessor chip such as the type 8088 available from intel corporation . a non - volatile memory unit 27 , which is preferably on a separate circuit board from the cpu , contains the address verification system ( fig3 and 4 ). input and output circuits 29 and 31 are also preferably on their own circuit boards , as is a power supply 33 . an optional control panel 35 and a local control panel 37 connected to the input and output circuits 29 and 31 . other devices 39 such as track circuits , broken rail detectors , etc . can also be monitored by the switch controller 11 . the output circuits 31 interface directly to the switch machine 24 under control . the drive signal to the switch machine 24 is a bipolar voltage which is applied to the switch machine contactors to drive the switch normal or reverse . to drive the switch normal , a voltage of one polarity is generated , and to drive the switch reverse a voltage of the opposite polarity is generated in the output circuits 31 . a bipolar signal is returned from the switch machine to the input circuits 29 to indicate the switch position . this voltage has one polarity when the switch is mechanically locked in one position and it has the other polarity when the switch is locked in the other position . no voltage is present whenever the switch is not mechanically locked . the optional local control panel 37 is useful to provide a local display of the switch position and to allow for local control of the switch ( viz ., at the switch machine rather than from the central office or from the locomotive ). in the preferred embodiment of the invention a radio link is shown for exchange of messages between the office ( base station ), the locomotive of the train , and the switch controller . it will be appreciated that other communication links , such as satellite , microwave , optical or wire links may be utilized and are comprehended by the term &# 34 ; radio &# 34 ;. in a preferred embodiment the cpu contains the microprocessor with its associated clock and reset logic , a peripheral interrupt controller ( pic ), six sixteen bit timers , 8k of ram , 64k of rom , two serial ports , a modem for interfacing with the radio 28 and bus drivers and receivers to connect to the other boards of the controller 11 . one serial port is used for communication locally to the hht 15 . the other may be a spare . the modem may consist of a universal synchronous - asynchronous transceiver ( usart ), a manchester encoder / decoder and modem chip . the input circuits 29 contain bus interface circuits which allow the input circuits 29 to respond when addressed by the cpu 25 . non - vital inputs are intended for use with the optional local control panel 37 but may be used to monitor the external devices 39 . a bipolar input circuit monitors the position of the switch machine 22 , as discussed above . there may be other inputs connected to terminals for use during maintenance . these inputs may be vital using vital port logic such as described in hoelscher , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 611 , 291 and rutherford , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 740 , 972 . the output circuits 31 include bus interface circuits similar to those on the input circuits 29 . there may be several , say ten non - vital outputs and one vital output . the non - vital outputs may be used to drive lamps on the local control panel 37 or other local devices ( such as a snow melter ). the vital output produces the bipolar output voltage for driving the switch 22 normal or reverse . this voltage is generated when the controller determines that a message addressed to the switch has been received and all processing indicates that the message is vital including the verification of the address of the switch . such vital processes are described in rutherford , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 831 , 521 . the os track circuit 13 may consist of bus interface circuits , a dc to dc converter and a hall effect current sensor . a track circuit operates in a pulse mode . periodically , the controller turns on the dc to dc converter which applies a low voltage ( e . g ., 2 volt ) signal to the track . if a train is not present , this signal travels down the rails and into the hall effect current sensor which detects the current verifying that no train occupies the vicinity of the switch . when a train enters the track circuit vicinity , its wheels short the rails and keep the pulses from reaching the hall effect sensor . failure to detect the pulses indicates the presence of a train . the hall effect current sensor can be periodically checked with test currents to verify its continual functioning . the nonvolatile memory board 27 contains as shown in fig3 and in fig4 an electronically erasable programmable read - only memory ( eeprom ) 41 . only lower order bytes of the eeprom are used to store the address of the switch controller 11 and its check messages as will be discussed more fully below . there are only thirteen bytes which are utilized . however , thirty - two bytes are allocated for ease of selection with binary logic . the remainder of the eeprom can be read from and written into at any time as normal memory . the pae switch 23 and write enable logic ( we logic ) 43 enable address information to be read into the lower order bytes ( locations ) in the eeprom memory 41 . addressing in enabled only when the pae switch 23 is set to the address mode ( upwardly as shown in fig3 ). in this mode , the identification or location address of the switch machine and its controller can be programmed . when the pae switch 23 is not set to the address mode ( pae /- downwardly ), writing to the address locations is inhibited . instead , check register load logic 45 enables the data to be clocked into a one byte check register or latch 47 . the write enable ( we ) logic 43 and the check register load logic ( ck reg load logic ) 45 together with the transmit / receiver logic 49 , an input buffer 51 and an output buffer 53 causes data which is read from any of the address bytes not to be read directly , but only indirectly as data exclusively ored in exclusive or gates 55 with bytes stored in the check register 47 . there are locations in the memory 41 for the address data ( a 16 - bit number which may be stored in the two lowest order bytes of the eeprom memory 41 ) and check words which are generated based upon the address data and unique check value words ( c - bytes ) which are stored in a read - only memory ( rom ) 57 . each of the check word locations in memory 41 is addressed , after a received message is decoded and recognized as addressed to the switch controller . such recognition is accomplished after the signal is received by a modem 59 and decoded by a decoder / encoder 61 in the cpu 25 . then , the c - bytes from the rom 57 ( check values ) are presented via the data bus ( db ), the input buffer ( in buff ) 51 and the internal data bus ( idb ) to the eeprom . if there is no failure mode , writing of the check values is disabled . however , the check values will instead be stored in the check register 47 . after each attempt to write , the location into which the attempt is made is read out of the memory 41 via the idb to the exclusive or gates 55 together with the check value from the check register 47 . as noted above , the check values are different for each address location . therefore each time an address byte is read , a check is made to verify that it is not possible to write into the address bytes . if the address bytes in the memory 41 are written into , their value will be the same as the value in the check register and the exclusive or gates will output a zero value byte which will be transferred via the output buffer 53 to the cpu 25 . the check words written into the check word locations in the memory 41 are generated from the addresses using tables corresponding to different bit positions in the address data . when the bit in a particular position is a zero , data is taken from the zero table . when the bit is a one , the data is taken from the one table . the table values are exclusively ored in an iterative manner to provide a four - byte &# 34 ; offset &# 34 ; check word and a seven - byte ( 49 bit ) &# 34 ; check sum &# 34 ; check word . reference may also be had to auer , sibley and stewart u . s . pat . no . 4 , 617 , 662 for a system for generating the check words which may be stored together with the address data in the lower bytes of the memory 41 . a 32 - bit offset check word is utilized in order to verify whether the message received over the radio is valid . the 7 - bit check sum is used to transmit a check sum together with messages generated in the switch controller either to the central office ( base station ) or to the trains . for purposes of address data verification , the offset bytes and the check sum bytes each have a different , unique check value added thereto . accordingly , the exclusive or operation returns to the cpu 25 , via the output buffer 53 and the data bus d 13 , the offset and the check sum values when the address data is verified . otherwise a zero value or some other value than that of the bytes of the offset or check sum will be returned . the cpu , by virtue of vital processes , as described in the rutherford u . s . pat . no . 4 , 831 , 521 , allows the message to be processed as a vital message and to generate vital power via the output circuits 31 for operating the switch machine 24 only when check words are returned . in summary , each time an address byte is read a check is made to verify that it is not possible to write into the locations of the address bytes . if it is possible , the writing of the value will wipe out the date as stored in the address location and data can never be read correctly from the address locations . the switch machine will then not operate and a message indicating that the switch machine has moved the switch to its requested position will not be returned to the locomotive or central office . a problem is then indicated . in no event will the switch 22 be operated in the event of a failure in the switch controller , such as a faulty address or any other failure . thus vital operation is provided for . fig4 identifies in detail the various components of the address verification logic which is illustrated in fig3 and described above . suitable parts are shown in fig4 solely for purposes of providing an exemplary configuration of the address check logic . the operation of the switch controller is shown in the flowchart of fig5 . the start up utilizes a routine which resets all latchable logic and counters and clears all memory locations . there is a main loop which repeats as long as the switch controller 11 operates . the programming of the cpu provides for logical expression evaluation as discussed in the rutherford u . s . pat . no . 4 , 831 , 521 . the expressions determine the conditions under which the track switch 22 is to be thrown . the program proceeds by testing all inputs , and based upon the results of testing , variables in a logical expression which describes the system performance are set . these expressions are evaluated , and , based upon the results of the evaluation , the outputs are applied to the switch or are transmitted to the locomotive or central office . thus , there are messages of two types , namely messages to be transmitted and the vital output which creates power to drive the switch machine 24 . the controller program , as shown by the loop after start up , runs repeatedly , constantly monitoring conditions under which the switch can be thrown and operating the track switch 22 if a message requesting switch operation is received , and transmitting acknowledgment and response messages . at the beginning of each cycle , a check is made to determine whether the system is in the address mode ( i . e . whether the pae switch 23 is in the pae or pae / position . see fig3 ). if the system is in the address mode , a new address can be programmed into the non - volatile memory ( the eeprom ) 41 . address programming is carried out by means of the hht 15 . as long as the pae switch is up , all processing other than attempts to update the address will stop . as explained above , the address check logic ( fig3 and 4 ) ensures that the system must not be in the address mode in order that normal reading of the address be permitted . since it is physically impossible to read the address while in the address mode , processing must stop since no messages can be received or transmitted . when the system is not in the address mode , the inputs are read . the vital input check is accomplished by circulating 32 bit values through the vital input circuits in a manner similar to that described in hoelscher u . s . pat . no . 4 , 611 , 291 . briefly , if power is present at a vital input , the 32 bit value is complemented and returned . this value is confirmation that the vital power is present at the input . the value is used to establish the logic state of a logical variable associated with the vital input . the link between inputs , both vital and non - vital and their associated logic variables is a data table in rom in the cpu which describes each input and specifies its associated variable . if vital power is not present at the vital input , the circulated value is not returned and a false value is taken from the rom data tables corresponding to the input being processed and is used to set the corresponding logical variable false . then , upon expression evaluation , the conditions for switch operation will not be present and the switch will not operate , thereby providing for vital operation thereof . non - vital inputs are processed by setting a variables in data corresponding to these inputs true or false in accordance with the state of the non - vital input when it is tested or sampled . the processing of non - vital timers then occurs . these timers are used for system timing functions such as switch operation time limiting and for repeating of unacknowledged messages . when the timer is active , the timer -- interrupt handler , shown in the upper right hand portion of fig5 counts down an associated register which was initialized to a specified count upon starting the timer . the counter is decremented once each time a timer interrupt occurs . after a certain number of interrupts the count reaches zero and the timer interrupt handler sets a corresponding flag . the non vital timer routine monitors flags associated with the timers and when one is set , an associated true value is taken from the rom data tables and used to initialize an associated variable indicating the passage of the allotted time . when the flag is not set the variable is initialized with a false value taken from the timer rom data tables . messages are received under interrupt control by the radio interrupt handler which is also shown on the upper right hand portion of fig5 . the decoded message is formed in a received message buffer in cpu memory and a flag is set . the decode new message routine which follows the non vital timer routine processes the received message when the complete message is formed and the flag is set . the routine first causes non - vital checks to be performed to verify that the address and check sum are correct . if a received message passes these tests , processing continues . a logic variable in the control expression corresponds to each message received by the controller system . the link between the received message and the associated logic variable is provided in a received message rom data table . when a valid message is received , the corresponding logic variable is set true . the true value is not stored , but is calculated from the newly received message . received messages consist of a message part and a check sum as discussed in the spacerail u . s . pat . no . 4 , 711 , 418 issued to auer et al and mentioned above . the security of the message lies in its check sum which is unique for each message received by the switch controller 11 . to create the true value which verifies that a message has been received , the message check sum is passed through a polynomial divider . the remainder left after the polynomial division is the true value used to initialize the corresponding variable . this process has the advantage that it destroys the message in the process of using it thereby guaranteeing that a message can only be used once . the polynomial division process is described in the rutherford u . s . pat . no . 4 , 831 , 521 . the read inputs , non - vital timer and decode new message processes enable the logic equations which describe the system performance to be solved . the process of evaluating the logic expressions is as follows : each variable in the system has two parts -- a flag which non - vitally indicates if it is true or false , and the value which is set to one unique number when the variable is true and a different unique number when it is false . each expression is in a sum - of - products form . where a * b is the product of the variables a * b , and x is true if a and b are true or if c and d are true and otherwise it is false . if all variables in any one product term ( a * b or c * d ) are true , then the expression is true and the corresponding expression variable is set true . otherwise the expression evaluates false . as soon as one product term is found to evaluate true , processing of that expression can stop because no matter how the remaining product terms evaluate , the expression results is true as is apparent from the above boolean equation . to evaluate a product term , each variable in the product term is first examined to see if it appears true . this is done by checking the flag of each variable in the product term . if the flag is set , the term is true , and the expression is evaluated . the actual expression is evaluated by a process of polynomial division similar to that used in the decoding of the received messages . the value of each variable in the product term is fed in sequence into a polynomial divider . the remainder left in the polynomial divider following this process is used to set the value of the variable which becomes true as a result of the evaluation of this expression . as with the decoding of received messages , the value is never stored in the system but is calculated . the calculation uses the values for each variable in the product terms and each of these values must be true to correctly calculate the true value of the expression . each variable value used in the process is the result either of a previous expression evaluation or of an input operation . accordingly , vital operation is insured since each result or operation depends upon the previous result of operation being true . to further enhance the vital operation of the system , the calculated expression values and the values created during the reading of inputs and the reception of messages can be different on alternate cycles through the loop . during odd cycles , one set of values is calculated and during even cycles a totally different set of values of calculated . both sets are required in order to obtain correct results which represent vital operation of the system ( each process of the system operating vitally ). this operation insures that values cannot be retained from one cycle to the next and that a failure to update an expression results in an invalid or unuseable result . the logical expressions which describe the system operations are , as noted above , defined by data tables stored in rom . the tables contain an entry for each expression . the entry describes a number of product terms in each expression , the number of variables in each product term and the memory location of each variable . also each expression entry contains the address of the variable which is to be assigned as a result of the expression evaluation and the false value to be assigned in the event that none of the product terms evaluate true . the expression evaluation takes place once each cycle . since the tables describe the complete system logic , the system operation can be completely redefined by changing the data in the tables . after expression evaluation is complete the outputs are processed . this process is carried out to update the system output to reflect the state of the variables in the output data . a rom table is used to link the logic variables in the output data to specific hardware outputs . for non - vital outputs , the output routine simply checks the state of each variable listed in the output rom table and sets or resets the corresponding outputs . as noted above , certain of the variables evaluated during the expression evaluation authorize the transmission of specific messages by the system . a rom data table makes the connection between these variables and the specific message to be sent . the conditions under which each message is transmitted are then determined by the system expressions as defined in the rom tables . the transmit message routine searches the transmit rom tables checking each variable named in the table . when a variable is found to be true , the transmission of the corresponding message is started . this routine sends only the first message byte and all subsequent bytes are transmitted under interrupt control . the system contains only one vital output , and that is the signal which causes the track switch machine 24 to be operated and the switch 22 to be thrown . this output is generated by a vpc or vital power controller process . one of the variables evaluated during expression of valuation is the vpc variable . when expression evaluation indicates that the conditions ar such that the track switch can be thrown , this variable is true . then the vpc can create vital power for one system cycle at the end of which the variable must be reevaluated to be true or the power stops . the vpc routine is similar to that described in rutherford u . s . pat . no . 4 , 740 , 972 . briefly , when the vpc routine is running , it creates short bursts of a vital signal which is a square wave at a specific frequency . this signal is filtered and rectified to create positive and negative voltages which are in turn used to power the input stages of a dc to dc converter . the output of the dc to dc converter is the power which operates the track switch machine . the switch drive power is therefore only created when the vpc routine creates the vital drive signal and this routine only creates the vital drive signal when the vpc variable evaluates true . the output circuits switches the polarity of the voltage depending upon whether the switch is to be thrown normal or reverse as discussed above . this polarity reversal circuitry can be non - vital and receives its power completely from the vital power controller . preferably the vpc does not run constantly but instead runs periodically under interrupt control when active . the resulting vital drive signal then appears as bursts of a fixed frequency square wave . the circuitry is designed such that the repeated bursts are sufficient to create continuous vital power . the cycle time check measures the time expended in each pass through the loop . as long as this time is within specified limits ( within the expected cycle time ), the system will continue to function . if the time is out of limits , the cycle time routine will cause the system to stop , forcing a hardware reset . the radio interrupt handler processes interrupts from the radio interface circuitry ( the modem and decoders 59 , 61 , fig3 ). for incoming messages , each new character is placed in sequence in the receive buffer . when a complete message is present , a flag is set requesting service from the decode new message process . similarly the radio interrupt handler oversees the transmission of messages one character at a time . the hand held terminal 15 also has an interrupt handler process which performs a similar function for messages from the hand held terminal 15 when it is in use . as noted above , the timer interrupt handler runs the non - vital timers which generate the non - vital time delays . the switch controller can be used to operate a powered truck switch machine or a hand throw track switch . for a hand throw track switch , the switch controller will either operate an electrical switch lock as discussed in the spacerail u . s . pat . no . 4 , 711 , 418 or light a panel indicator to show that it is permissible to manually operate the switch from the local control panel . there ar three modes of operation for the switch controller , namely normal , office block and local block . during normal mode the switch is controlled only from the central office . in office block mode the office turns over control of the switch to trains in the switch vicinity . in this mode the switch controller can accept commands from any train ( one at a time ). this mode is intended for low speed switching movements such as encountered in the setting out of cars on a siding . while in this mode , the office logic must guarantee that the switch cannot be used in a normal high speed movement . finally local block mode is entered whenever a designated shorting strap is removed from the switch controller chassis . in this mode the switch can only be controlled from its local control panel . local block is intended for the protection at maintenance personnel . in normal mode , the switch controller will accept commands only from the office . when a message is received to throw the switch , the switch controller will first determine the present switch position . if it is already locked in the requested position , the controller will respond with a message verifying the position . if it is not in the requested position , and it is not in local block mode , and its os track circuit is not occupied , it will accept to operate the switch to the requested position . if these conditions are not met , the switch controller will respond with a message indicating that it cannot operate the switch and the reason why . when the controller does attempt to throw the switch , a time limit is placed on the switch operation . if the operation is not completed within the designated time , the switch controller will stop attempting to throw the switch and send a message to the office indicating that the switch is not in the requested position and that a time out has occurred . when the office senses that a train is approaching a switch , it will send a message to the switch which identifies the approaching train . at this point the office has cleared a route over the switch . the switch will then constantly monitor its position , and if any unexpected changes of state are encountered , it will send an emergency message both to the office and to the approaching train to provide warning of the condition . also when the switch controller senses an output from the ostc 13 drop indicating occupancy , it will send a message to the office and the approaching train . the train can then determine whether it has occupied the ostc vicinity itself or whether the ostc shows occupancy for another reason and take appropriate action . in normal operation , as a train crosses the switch , the switch controller will sense the output ( dropping and repicking ) of the ostc 13 for appropriate minimum periods of time . it will then send a message to the assigned train and discard the train &# 39 ; s identity upon completion of the message interchange . this message indicates to the train that its trailing end has cleared the switch . this feature enables location of the rear of cabooseless trains , for which it is presently difficult to verify that the train has cleared the switch when it takes a siding . to place the switch controller in office block mode , the office must send an authorizing message to the switch controller . once this message is sent , the office can no longer clear routines over the switch until it removes the switch from office block and receives confirmation that the switch has returned to normal mode . in office block mode , a switch controller is free to accept control messages from any train or the office . once a train gains control of a switch , the switch will not accept control messages from other trains for a designated period of time or until the switch senses the passing of the train by the normal drop and pick of the os track circuit . if a train does not cross the switch within the designated time interval , the switch will release from that train and accept control by other trains . once the switch controller accepts a message from a train , it will perform checks and a time out similar to those used in normal mode before commands are executed . there will be no emergency messages during office block mode because the low speed switching moves will not entail a safety hazard . when a train sends a control of a second train , the switch will respond with a message indicating that it is not available . to enter local block mode , a shorting strap will be removed from the local control panel . with this strap removed the switch will not be able to be controlled from either the office or a train . it will only respond to inputs from the local control panel . hand - throw track switches will operate similarly to power switches . when the office intends to clear a route over a hand - throw switch , it will first query the switch for its position . if the switch is aligned as desired , the switch operation will proceed as for a power switch . if the switch is not aligned as desired , the office will give the train a stop aspect at the switch . when the train stops at the switch , the office will determine if conditions permit the switch to be thrown , and if so , it will transmit a message to the switch authorizing the movement . this message will cause a flashing indication on the control panel to indicate to the crew that they are permitted to operate the switch . in the event that the switch is equipped with an electric switch lock this message will unlock the switch and allow it to be thrown . not all hand - thrown switches will be equipped with a ostc , and in such cases the ostc cannot be used to indicate the passage of a train over the switch . in this case the office will release a switch from an assigned train once the office senses that the train has cleared the switch . in office block mode , switches without a ostc will only release from a capturing train after the time - out . from the foregoing description it will be apparent that improved railway control system has been provided which enables verification of the integrity of identification addresses . while the invention as described embodied in a radio based track switch control system , other applications and uses of the invention as well as modifications in that system will become apparent to those skilled in the art . therefore , the foregoing description should be taken as illustrative and not in a limiting sense .	1
the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure , its application , or uses . for purposes of clarity , the same reference numbers will be used in the drawings to identify similar elements . as used herein , the phrase at least one of a , b , and c should be construed to mean a logical ( a or b or c ), using a non - exclusive logical or . it should be understood that steps within a method may be executed in different order without altering the principles of the present disclosure . as used herein , the term module refers to an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), an electronic circuit , a processor ( shared , dedicated , or group ) and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs , a combinational logic circuit , and / or other suitable components that provide the described functionality . electronic transmission range selection is used in a vehicle to enable a user of the vehicle to select a gear range , such as park , neutral , reverse , drive , low , and overdrive . a shifter module detects actuation of a driver input . an engine control module translates the actuation into a range request . for example , actuation of a lever may be detected by the shifter module . the position of the lever is sent to the engine control module where it is translated into a range request . the engine control module transmits the range request to a transmission control module that controls a transmission based on the range request . previously , a shifter interpretation module translated the actuation of the driver input into a range request . the shifter interpretation module also transmitted the range request to the transmission . in the present disclosure , the shifter interpretation module has been eliminated from the system and its functionality incorporated in the engine control module . by doing this , the system may become more reliable because it reduces the number of components that may fail within the system . also , it may reduce vehicle cost because the shifter interpretation module is not used . referring now to fig2 , a functional block diagram of an exemplary electronic transmission range selection system according to the principle of the present disclosure is shown . electronic transmission range selection may be performed by connecting a shifter module 202 directly to an engine control module ( ecm ) 204 as shown in fig2 . in various implementations , the shifter module 202 may be directly connected to the ecm 204 , such as via a network , cabling , or wirelessly . for example only , the connection may be made with a network such as a controller area network ( can ) or local interconnect network ( lin ). the shifter module 202 includes a driver input 206 that may include a lever , button , or paddle . the driver input 206 may be used by a driver to select a gear range , such as park , reverse , neutral , drive , low , or overdrive . the shifter module 202 may also include a sensor 208 , an encoding module 210 , and a transmitting module 209 . the sensor 208 may be used to detect use of the driver input 206 . for example , the driver input 206 may include a lever and the sensor 208 may measure an angle of the lever . the output from the sensor 208 may be transmitted to the encoding module 210 which may be located within the shifter module 202 . the encoding module 210 may encode the output from the sensor 208 . the encoding module 210 may then transmit an encoded signal to the transmitting module 209 . the transmitting module 209 receives the signal from the encoding module 210 and relays the signal to the ecm 204 or , more particularly , to a receiving module 211 that may be located within the ecm 204 . the signal is received by the receiving module 211 . the receiving module 211 may then transmit the signal to a decoding module 212 where the signal is decoded . the decoded signal is then transmitted to an interpretation module 214 . the interpretation module 214 may read , diagnose , and interpret the decoded signal to determine the range request . there are various methods to encode , decode , and interpret the signals , such as with software or hardware . for example , single edge nibble transmission ( sent ) may be used to encode the sensor signal . sent is a method that uses analog to digital converters and pulse width modulation techniques as an alternative to digital buses . the encoded signal may then be diagnosed and interpreted within the ecm 204 . the interpretation module 214 transmits the range request to a transmission control module ( tcm ) 216 , a monitoring module 217 , and a backup tcm module 222 . the tcm 216 controls a transmission 219 based on the range request . both the tcm 216 and the monitoring module 217 may transmit the range request to a body control module ( bcm ) 218 to be displayed in a driver information center ( dic ) 220 . this is done by the monitoring module 217 as a backup in cases where a component may not be functioning properly . for example , if the tcm 216 is not functioning properly , the system may continue operating because the requested range is still known by the monitoring module 217 . the monitoring module 217 monitors the range request as well as status signals from vehicle components . for example , an engine 213 may include engine sensors , such as a revolutions per minute ( rpm ) sensor 215 , that the monitoring module 217 monitors . the tcm 216 may also be monitored . if the tcm 216 in working order , then the monitoring module 217 may transmit the range request to the body control module 218 . if the tcm 216 is not functioning properly , then the ecm 204 may enter limp home mode . in limp home mode , the vehicle may be driven until the engine is turned off . for example only , the range request may be used by another controller , such as the ecm 204 or the backup tcm module 222 , to control the transmission in case of a failure by the tcm 216 . for example , the backup tcm module 222 may control other functions in the vehicle and when the tcm 216 fails , it may receive the range request and control the transmission 219 . in various implementations , the functionality of the backup tcm module 222 may be incorporated within the ecm 204 . when the vehicle is in limp home mode , the monitoring module 217 may transmit a message signal to the body control module 218 to be displayed in the dic 220 . the dic 220 may notify the driver that the vehicle is in limp home mode . after the engine is turned off , the vehicle may not be driven until the tcm 216 is functioning properly or replaced . if the ecm 204 is not functioning , the system may still be secure . for example , if the driver attempts to start the car when the ecm 204 is not functioning properly , the engine may be unable to turn on . the transmission 219 may rely on hydraulic pressure to shift and may be unable to shift out of park because the engine is not running . if the engine is running when the ecm 204 fails , the engine may immediately shut down , causing the transmission 219 to revert to park . referring now to fig3 , a flowchart depicts exemplary steps performed in range selection based on connecting a shifter module to the ecm . control begins in step 300 , where the position of the driver input is determined . for example only , the position may be the position of a lever or an actuation of a button or paddle . control then transfers to step 302 , where the current position is compared to the previous position . if it is different , then control transfers to step 304 ; otherwise , control returns to step 300 . at step 304 , the new position is encoded for transmission to the engine control module . control then transfers to step 306 , where the new position is transmitted to the engine control module . the next step is 308 , where a determination of the engine control module &# 39 ; s functionality is made . if the ecm is functioning , then control transfers to step 310 ; otherwise , control transfers to step 328 . at step 328 , the engine is turned off . after step 328 , control transfers to step 330 , where the transmission reverts to park . at step 310 , the new position is decoded . the decoded signal is then translated to a range request at step 312 . then control transfers to step 314 , where the status of the tcm is received . control then transfers to step 316 , where the tcm is checked to determine if it is functioning properly . if the tcm is functioning properly , control transfers to step 318 ; otherwise , control transfers to steps 317 . at step 318 , the tcm adjusts the transmission according to the range request . control then transfers back to step 300 . if the tcm is not functioning properly at step 316 , control transfers to step 317 , where a backup controller , such as the ecm , takes over control of the transmission . control then transfers to step 320 , where the status and / or error of the tcm is transmitted to the bcm . the next step is 322 , where the dic indicates the status and / or error . control then transfers to step 324 , where a check is made to determine if the engine is running . if it is running , the next step is 326 , where control waits for the driver to select park ; otherwise , control transfers to step 330 and the transmission reverts to park . after step 326 , the engine is turned off at step 328 . after step 328 , control continues to step 330 and the transmission reverts to park . those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms . therefore , while this disclosure includes particular examples , the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings , the specification , and the following claims .	5
standard computer tomography inversion algorithms are based on the filling of radon space . if the radon space for any particular test object is not properly filled , the reconstructed image suffers from various artifacts . the methodology below describes a technique for filling in radon space locations which are not filled in by the discrete source positions of a particular scan path from the x - ray source object to the test object . the radon space filling is accomplished by interpolating appropriate detector locations and using the resultant interpolated information as input to the known computer tomography inversion algorithm which generates the image . by interpolating detector locations , the number of data acquisition position / locations required for a complete radon space filling is dramatically reduced . this leads to shorter sample array data acquisition times , a reduction in necessary x - ray dosage and a significant enhancement of image quality given any fixed data set . fig1 shows a simplified perspective view of a tomography apparatus 10 on which the method of the invention may be employed . tomography apparatus 10 includes an x - ray source 15 which exposes a test object 20 to x - rays . test object 20 is situated on a rotatable pedestal 30 . test object 20 is rotated , angular step by angular step , and a respective sample array is detected by detector 25 at each angular step . alternatively , test object 20 can remain stationary while x - ray source 15 and detector 25 are rotated in step fashion . fig2 is a flow chart which depicts the steps of the method of the invention in general form . as indicated at block 100 , multiple views of test object 20 are acquired by rotating the object or rotating the x - ray source and the detector . detector data is thus obtained . whereas prior approaches required a very large number of sample steps to be taken with a corresponding very fine angular spacing between steps of approximately 0 . 25 degrees , for example , the present method advantageously employs much coarser values within the range of 0 . 5 to 1 . 0 degrees , for example , in one embodiment . then , in block 105 , the detector data is interpolated between different adjacent views of the object to effectively generate detector data corresponding to a virtual view between two adjacent actual views as will be explained in more detail later . the radon values are subsequently generated in radon space in block 110 . in other words , the radon space is filled using the actual detector data together with the interpolated virtual detector data . once the data is obtained in the interpolation step of block 105 , filling radon space is done in the conventional manner and thus this step need not be described in detail . with the radon space thus filled , a radon inversion is performed on the radon space using a conventional computer tomography inversion algorithm in block 115 to reconstruct the image of the object . for purposes of the subsequent discussion , it will be assumed that the x - ray source and detector are rotated in step fashion to obtain a plurality of detector arrays rather than rotating the test object . fig3 a - 3c illustrate in simplified fashion how interpolation is applied in accordance with the present invention to linear detector data in the 2d case . fig3 a shows a side view of tomography apparatus 10 including x - ray source 15 , test object 20 and detector array 25 . a first set of samples s 1a , s 1b , s 1c , s 1d and s 1e is taken by detector 25 when test object 20 is oriented at a first relative angle with respect to source 15 and detector 25 . each sample is shown in fig3 a by a small black circle . the first set of samples form a linear array of samples which is designated s 1 . the source and detector are then stepped to a second angle and a second set of samples , linear array s 2 , namely s 2a , 2 2b , s 2c , s 2d and s 2e is taken ( see fig3 b ) by detector 25 when test object 20 is oriented at a second relative angle with respect to source . 15 and detector 25 . subsequently , the source and detector are then stepped to a third angle and a third set of samples , linear array s 3 , namely s 3a , s 3b , s 3c , s 3d and s 3e is taken ( see fig3 b ) by detector 25 when test object 20 is oriented at a third relative angle with respect to source 15 and detector 25 . interpolation is then used to generate virtual linear arrays of samples between adjacent actual linear arrays of samples . for example , a virtual linear array of samples ( s 1 , 2 ) is generated between actual linear array s 1 and actual linear array s 2 as seen in fig3 c . similarly , a virtual linear array of samples ( s 2 , 3 ) is generated between actual linear array s 2 and actual linear array s 3 . many different approaches can be used to accomplish the interpolation set forth generally above in simplified fashion . for example , fig4 illustrates in more detail one particular interpolation approach which may be employed to carry out interpolation in the 2d case . in fig4 the following labels are employed : for the 2d case , the interpolation involves two interpolation stages . in the first stage , an interpolation is conducted for each view ( i . e ., each linear sample set ) in the radial direction to obtain a virtual detector value at the particular angle for that view . thus , this is a radial interpolation step which generates a virtual detector value ( v or □) at the desired radial location in each view as seen in fig4 . by each view , we mean that to generate the actual linear sample sets ( of measured detector values m or .) we are stepping through a series of angles . 0 . j and taking a sample set at each angle . each angle . 0 . j corresponds to each detector view at which detector 25 takes a plurality of linear samples r i , r i + 1 , . . . r i + n ( measured detector values m or .). the first stage thus involves an interpolation in each view in the radial direction . more particularly , with reference to fig4 v is a virtual detector sample value at a particular radius r and at a particular angle . 0 .. m is a measured or actual detector sample value at a particular radius r and at a particular angle . 0 ., and λ r =( r i + 1 - r )/( r i + 1 - r i ). the second stage of interpolation in the 2d case involves an interpolation of the virtual detector values ( v or □) at the desired radial location in the angular direction to generate the virtual detector value at the desired location . the second stage thus involves an interpolation in the angular direction between adjacent virtual detector values ( v or □) in adjacent views to obtain a desired virtual detector value x . more particularly , with reference to fig4 v is a virtual detector sample value at a particular radius r and at a particular angle . 0 . ; the actual measured detector values and desired virtual detector values obtained by this interpolation process are mapped into radon space . the process described above is repeated a multiple number of times at different views until the radon space is filled with enough actual values and virtual values to enable a radon space inversion to be performed that will result is a relatively high resolution 2d image . a much coarser step angle can be used in the disclosed process than in prior 2d tomography image processes . for example , it has been found that a relatively coarse angular step within the range of approximately 0 . 5 to approximately 1 . 0 degrees for angle . 0 . j produces acceptable results whereas the relatively fine angular step for earlier tomographic image processes was typically 0 . 25 degrees or less . fig5 a shows a perspective view of tomography apparatus 10 including x - ray source 15 , test object 20 and detector array 25 on which the 3d tomography method of the present invention will be practiced . in accordance with the method , at each view angle . 0 . through which the apparatus steps , detector 25 detects a planar array of samples . for example , planar arrays of samples p1 , p2 and p3 are detected at respective view angles as illustrated in fig5 b . again , the step angle through which the apparatus steps while taking these planar arrays of samples is relatively coarse as compared with earlier tomographic imaging processes . interpolation is employed to generate a virtual planar array of samples between adjacent actual planar arrays of samples . for example , as illustrated in fig5 c , a virtual planar array of samples , p 1 , 2 is generated by interpolation between the p 1 and p 2 actual sample arrays . similarly , a virtual planar array of samples , p 2 , 3 is generated by interpolation between the p 2 and p 3 actual sample arrays . this interpolation process continues at multiple view angles as generated by stepping the test object through a plurality of angles as determined by the selected step angle size . the radon space is then sufficiently filled with actual planar arrays of samples and virtual arrays of samples to enable an inversion in accordance with known radon inversion techniques to generate the resultant image . many different approaches can be used to accomplish the interpolation set forth generally above in simplified fashion for the 3d case . fig6 illustrates in more detail one particular interpolation approach which may be employed to carry out interpolation in the 3d case . in fig6 the following labels are employed : x designates the desired virtual detector value from angular interpolation at location , ( r ,. 0 ., z ). for the 3d case , the interpolation of the measured detector values involves three interpolation stages , that is , one more stage than the 2d case . the measured detector values are located at ( r i , . 0 . j , z k ) where i , j and k are integers . the first stage begins by interpolating the measured values two times in each view . by each view , we mean a planar array of measured detector values at a discrete angular position , . 0 . j . each view encompasses a planar array of values referenced by a discrete radial position , r i and a discrete height , z k . the z direction interpolation generates two virtual detector locations (∘) in each view at the desired z location as seen in fig6 . in the example of fig6 a total of four virtual detector locations or values (∘) are thus generated ( two for each view ). the second stage interpolates the two virtual detector values at the desired z location in each view in the radial direction . this radial interpolation step generates a virtual detector value (□) at the desired z location and the desired radial location for each view . in this manner , a total of two virtual detector values (□) are generated , one for each view . the third stage interpolates the virtual detector value at the desired z location and the desired radial location of each view in the angular direction to generate a virtual detector value at the desired location , x . the above described three stage interpolation process is repeated with different adjacent detector views as apparatus 10 steps through different angular detector positions in the manner described earlier . the actual measured detector values and desired virtual detector values obtained by this interpolation process are mapped into radon space . in other words , for the 3d case , the process described above is repeated a multiple number of times at different views until the radon space is filled with enough actual values and virtual values to enable a radon space inversion to be performed that will result is a relatively high resolution 3d image . a much coarser step angle can be used in the disclosed process than in prior 3d tomography image processes . for example , it has been found that a relatively coarse angular step within the range of approximately 0 . 5 to approximately 1 . 0 degrees for angle . 0 . j produces acceptable results whereas the relatively fine angular step for earlier tomographic image processes was typically 0 . 25 degrees or less . the foregoing has described a method for processing data in 2d and 3d computed x - ray tomography wherein the number of sample arrays taken can be much fewer than conventional approaches . moreover , a method of computed tomography is provided wherein the angular steps employed to obtain the sample arrays can be much coarser than conventional techniques . further , the provided method results in significantly less exposure of the test object to x - rays while generating a relatively high resolution image with a minimum number of artifacts . while only certain preferred features of the invention have been shown by way of illustration , many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art . it is , therefore , to be understood that the present claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes which fall within the true spirit of the invention .	8
referring initially to fig1 a central data processing unit 11 is shown connected to a particular remote terminal 13 by a pair of polling and data lines 15 , 17 and a pair of data lines 19 and 21 . the polling lines 15 and 17 , in a typical application , are unidirectional lines which enable the central data processing unit 11 to sequentially interrogate and send data to a plurality of remote terminals 13 , 23 , 25 , etc . to determine which of these remote terminals require servicing . it will be understood throughout the remainder of the specification in this application that a large number of remote terminals may be connected to a single central processing unit 11 and that each of the remote terminals 23 and 25 performs substantially the functions described below with reference to the remote terminal 13 . it should be understood that the lines 15 , 17 are a line pair , the line 17 , for example , providing a return for the line 15 . similarly , the line 21 provides a return for line 19 . polling signals and data which initiate at the central processor 11 are communicated to the remote terminal 13 on the line pair 15 , 17 . similarly , data signals produced at the remote terminal 13 are communicated to the central processor 11 on the line pair 19 , 21 . it will be appreciated that words communicated on the line pairs 15 , 17 and 19 , 21 are most advantageously connected within the central and remote units 11 , 13 to shift registers 27 - 33 . thus , data sequentially clocked from register 27 onto lines 15 , 17 may be self - clocked , as shown by line 35 into shift register 29 . similarly , data sequentially clocked from the shift register 33 may be self - clocked , as shown by the connection 37 , into the shift register 31 . although the details of a line integrity monitoring system are not shown in fig1 ( in order to maintain the clarity of this disclosure ), such a system is typically included in the communication system between the central processing unit 11 and the remote terminal 13 , and is shown in fig1 as a first line integrity monitor 39 within the remote terminal 13 interconnected between the shift registers 29 and 33 , and a second line integrity monitor 41 in the central processing unit 11 interconnected between the shift register 31 and the shift register 27 . the details of the line integrity monitoring circuits 39 and 41 are described in patent application ser . no . 827 , 994 , filed aug . 26 , 1977 , mentioned previously . for the purpose of the present application , it is sufficient to understand that the line integrity monitoring system 41 causes the shift register 27 to sequentially poll the remote terminals 13 , 23 , 25 , etc . by sending a polling signal on the lines 15 and 17 . the remote terminals 13 , 23 , 25 , etc ., through the line integrity monitoring circuitry 39 , respond to these polling signals by providing a calculated , predetermined response which is transmitted by way of the shift register 33 and data lines 19 and 21 to the shift register 31 . this data returned from the remote terminal and placed in a shift register 31 is compared by the line integrity monitoring circuit 41 to determine whether an appropriate response has been received from the remote terminal and to thus verify the integrity of the lines 15 , 17 , 19 , 21 . it will be understood by those skilled in this art that the continued integrity of these data and communication lines is extremely important , since systems built in accordance with the present invention are used to limit personnel access and the line integrity monitoring circuit 39 , 41 can provide an alarm , for example , at the central processor 11 , whenever an intruder ( or other cause ) has interfered with the communication line network . it is important to recognize at the outset of this disclosure that the remote terminal 13 is designed to operate as a stand - alone unit as well as a remote terminal for a central processor 11 , and that it can therefore be utilized without the data communication lines 15 through 21 , as described below . a card reader or sensor 43 , located in the remote terminal 13 , substantially is described and claimed in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 686 , 479 and 3 , 717 , 749 , is used to sense magnetically encoded data on a card or badge inserted into the card reader 43 . this data is transmitted , as by a line 45 , to a buffer or storage register 47 . in a typical system , the buffer 47 provides storage for five decimal digits , each of which can be any integer between zero and nine . the communication of these five digits requires four binary digits each , so that the interconnecting line 45 , as well as the buffer 47 , must be a 20 - bit wide device . data from the card inserted into the card reader 43 and supplying the 20 bits of information is typically placed into the register in the system of the present invention , this data will either be compared with data in a memory 49 ( in the remote unit 13 ) to determine whether the five - digit identification number is present in the memory 49 , or will be compared with data stored in the central processor 11 , if it is connected . a degraded mode sensor 42 is typically connected in series between the buffer 47 and the memory 49 and is used to selectively send data from the buffer 47 via the shift register 33 to the central processor 11 or directly to the memory 49 , depending upon the mode of operation of the terminal 13 . if the terminal 13 is used as a stand - alone terminal , the degraded mode sensor 42 is bypassed so that the buffer 47 is linked directly to the memory system within the remote terminal . alternatively , if the terminal 13 is used with a central processor , the degraded mode sensor 42 normally transmits data from the buffer 47 to the central processor unit via shift register 33 but can be used when the communication lines are degraded to transfer data from the buffer 47 directly to the memory 49 within the remote terminal . the degraded mode sensor may be substantially as described and claimed in patent application ser . no . 830 , 002 , filed sept . 1 , 1977 , and referenced above . if the memory 49 is being used , and stores an identification number identical to that in buffer 47 , it will store , in conjunction with the number , a time code . this time code will be supplied by a memory control circuit 63 , associated with the memory 49 , to a real - time sensor circuit 51 which provides real - time input for the remote terminal 13 . if the real - time input from the circuit 51 corresponds with the time data from the memory 49 , the real - time circuit 51 will enable a gate 53 to provide access at the remote location , as through a door access control circuit 54 . in this system it is possible to provide , in addition to the memory 49 , a secondary means for screening personnel for access . this mechanism includes a keyboard 55 attached to a buffer 57 and a circuit 59 , referred to in fig1 as an idec circuit . the idec circuit 59 is described in detail in patent application set . no . 830 , 004 , filed sept . 1 , 1977 and referred to previously . for the purpose of the present application , it is sufficient to understand that the idec circuit 59 requires that the person requiring access at the door 54 must input a sequence of numbers at the keyboard 55 , which is identical to a plurality of numbers read by the card reader 43 , but altered in sequence . the idec circuit responds to the data from the buffer 47 as well as the data from the buffer 57 to assure that the proper digits in the proper sequence are input at the keyboard 55 . an output from the idec circuit 59 on line 61 is required at the gate 53 , along with the output from the time of day circuit 51 , in order to provide access at the door 54 . it should be noted that the idec system 59 within the terminal 13 may be used regardless of whether the memory 49 or the central processor 11 memory is used for identification number comparisons . it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the buffer 47 does not communicate directly with the memory 49 , but rather is connected to a memory control 63 which accesses data to and from the memory and organizes the data in memory . this memory control 63 is connected to the keyboard 55 for programming purposes , as shown by line 65 , which is connected in series with a supervisor &# 39 ; s access circuit 67 . the supervisor &# 39 ; s access circuit 67 is connected to the buffer 47 and assures that , unless a supervisor &# 39 ; s card has been inserted in the card reader 4 , 3 , the keyboard 55 cannot be used to change the identification numbers or time zones stored in the memory 49 . thus , the keyboard 55 is connected to the idec circuit 59 at all times , but is connected to the memory control circuit 63 only when a supervisor &# 39 ; s card is used . the supervisor &# 39 ; s access module 67 is described and claimed in patent application ser . no . 827 , 993 , filed aug . 26 , 1977 , and referred to above . although not shown in detail in fig1 it will be understood from the description in that application that the circuit 67 compares data from the buffer with a register to determine whether a supervisor &# 39 ; s card has been inserted at the card reader 43 , and permits access to the write logic incorporated in the memory control 63 . as has been common in the prior art , the central processor 11 may include a memory 69 and memory control 71 as well as a keyboard 73 . thus , the central processor , by monitoring data received from the remote unit 13 and placed in the shift register 31 , may be used to grant or deny access through appropriate polling signals supplied from the memory 69 to the shift register 17 . while the use , in general , of such a system at the central processor 11 forms a part of the present invention , the details are well known . thus , the programming of the memory 69 utilizing the keyboard 73 and control 71 may be substantially identical to the programming described below for the memory 49 utilizing the memory control 63 and keyboard 55 at the remote unit . furthermore , it should be understood that , using the techniques for programming which are described below , and well known communication techniques , it is possible through the communication lines 15 - 21 to interconnect the keyboard 73 with the memory control 63 in a standard fashion , so that the keyboard 73 may be used to program the memory 49 in one of the remote units 13 . it will also be understood that it is common at the central processor 11 to include a printer 73 , typically connected to the memory control 71 , for making a permanent record of access authorizations and denials at each of the remote units 13 , so that the flow of personnel throughout the security system can be monitored . referring to fig2 the details of the memory 49 , the memory control 63 as well as the real - time sensor and its connections to the gate 53 and door access control 55 , will be described . the memory 49 is shown schematically in fig2 to include five columns of card identification data digits and a single column of time code digits . the memory 49 stores in numerical sequence the five - digit identification numbers corresponding to the cards or badges of those personnel who are to be granted access at this remote terminal . following each such identification number is a time code between 1 and 8 delineating the times of day when that particular individual is to be granted access . this time of day control will be understood in more detail through the description which follows . the memory 49 is a read and write memory , or ram memory , as is commonly used in digital circuits and is accessed by means of an address buffer 77 which forms a part of the memory control 63 . a data buffer 79 is directly connected to the memory 49 and is used to access data from the memory 49 in accordance with the address 77 . in the simplest utilization of the memory 49 , data from the card reader buffer 47 is supplied on a line 81 to a comparator 83 which is also supplied with data from the data buffer 79 . the comparator 83 is designed to provide a signal on a plus line 85 whenever the number accessed from the card reader buffer 47 is smaller than the data from buffer 79 , to provide a signal on a 5 minus line 87 whenever the data from the buffer 47 is larger than the data from the buffer 79 and to supply a signal on a zero line 89 when the data from the card reader buffer 47 is identical to the card identification data read from the data buffer 79 . it will be understood that , since the time code data is not available from the buffer 47 , only the card identification number portion , that is , the most - significant five digits , from the memory 49 is compared in the comparator 83 . if the identification number from the buffer 47 is identical to the identification number accessed from the memory 49 , indicating that the identification number from the card is present in the memory 49 , a gate 93 is enabled to transfer the last four binary bits , conducted from the data buffer 79 on line 91 , to the real - time sensor 51 . this line 91 carries the decimal digit 1 through 8 which identifies the time code when access is to be permitted for this particular individual . the signal on line 89 enables the gate indicating that the user &# 39 ; s identification number is stored in memory . it can be seen that the signal on line 89 is used to enable the gate 93 to access the time code data to the real - time sensor 51 . except on rare coincidences , the line 89 will not provide a signal , however , until a search for this identification number has been completed . a search is accomplished as follows . in all cases , the address buffer 77 is initially accessed to the center location of the memory 49 . this is accomplished by a shift register 95 which includes nine bit positions , eight of which are filled by consecutive zeroes and one of which 5 is filled by a one . the binary 1 is in the most - significant bit position at the beginning of any data search . thus , the binary number 1 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 is accessed on a line 97 from the shift register 95 and ored in a gate 99 with a temporary address buffer 101 which , at the beginning of the search , stores the nine - digit binary number 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 . this address is supplied to the address buffer 77 and selects the center position in the memory 49 . in response to this accessing , the data buffer 79 is supplied with the center word in the memory 49 , and 5 this word is automatically compared with the identification number from the card data buffer 47 . if the identification number , accessed at this central point from the memory 49 , is smaller than the card identification number from the buffer 47 , a signal will be produced on line 85 which will enable a gate 103 to supply the data from the address buffer 77 to the temporary address buffer 101 . the temporary address buffer 101 in this instance will contain the word 1 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , designating the center location in memory 49 . the signal on line 85 is also supplied through an or gate 105 to a delay 107 which in turn clocks the shift register 95 . the shift register 95 is made recirculating by the connection 108 , and the 1 in the most - significant bit position is thus clocked to the second most - significant bit position . if , on the other hand , the number accessed at the central location in the memory 49 is larger than the identification number from the buffer 47 , a signal will be produced on line 87 which will recirculate ( using gate 105 and delay 107 ) by one bit the shift register 95 , but will not enable the gate 103 . the number in the address buffer 77 will thus not be supplied to the temporary address buffer 101 . this searching routine continues so that each time that the comparator 83 produces a plus or minus output signal on line 85 or 87 , the binary number in the shift register 95 is circulated by one count . the circulated number in this register 95 is ored with the temporary address buffer 101 , to change the address buffer 77 and thus address a new location in the memory . at the same time , the temporary address buffer is supplied with the additional digit from the shift register 95 only if the output from the comparator 83 indicates that the data is at a higher address location in the memory 49 . thus , the search continues , one bit at a time , in a normal binary search fashion . at each step , the next most - significant bit of the address buffer 77 is made a one if the data is at a higher address in the memory 49 . alternatively , the next most - significant bit of the address buffer 77 is made a zero if the data is at a lower address in the memory 49 . this selective addressing is accomplished by either enabling or not enabling , respectively , the gate 103 . ultimately , this search process will locate the position in memory 49 at which the data from the buffer 47 should be stored , and if such data is stored in the memory 49 , the data buffer 79 will store the same card identification number as is accessed on line 81 , so that a zero signal will be produced on line 89 to gate the time code to the real - time sensor 51 . alternatively , if the search is completed , so that a binary one exists in the least - significant bit position of the shift register 97 , this bit will be shifted on the last signal from the delay 107 to the most - significant bit position . as the one digit is thus shifted by the line 108 , it is coupled by line 109 to temporarily disable a gate 111 which temporarily prohibits signals from the or gate 105 from again actuating the shift register 95 , and the search is thus terminated . this same signal on line 109 is used to clear the temporary address buffer 101 . if the search terminates without a zero signal being provided on line 89 from the comparator 83 , no signals are produced which will enable the gate 93 , and access will not be permitted to the card holder . obviously , at any time during the search that a zero signal is produced , the search stops , since no signal is supplied to the or gate 105 , and access is immediately permitted if the time of day code compares favorably with the real time , as will be explained in more detail below . the remainder of the circuitry associated with the memory control circuit 63 is utilized primarily for programming the memory 49 to add or delete identification numbers from the memory 49 or to search the memory 49 for programming purposes , so that the system user may provide access at this remote location for only selected personnel . as previously explained , a supervisor &# 39 ; s card is utilized to provide program access , and this access supplies keyboard data from the program access control circuit 67 to a buffer 113 , shown in fig2 . in a number of cases , the programmer will utilize the keyboard to place an identification number in the buffer 113 , followed by a code indicating the operation to be conducted . thus , for example , the programmer may place an identification number in the buffer 113 and utilize an additional keystroke to indicate that this identificationnumber is to be inserted into the memory , so that an additional employee will be granted access . alternatively , the additional keystroke may be used to delete this number from memory or simply to search the memory for this member . in some cases , only a single keystroke is used , as , for example , when the programmer wishes to simply increment or decrement the memory address register 77 . whenever signals are present on line 67 indicating that program access control has been granted , a line 115 coupled to line 67 enables a display 117 , the first five digits of which , that is , the identification number digits of which , are provided by the buffer 113 . the last digit , reserved for the time code digit from the memory 49 , is supplied by the line 91 to the display 117 . thus , the programmer can see the identification number that the keys into the buffer 113 , but his last keystroke which indicates the operation he wishes to perform , will not operate the display 117 . rather , the last keystroke will begin a search or other operation which will result in dam being placed in the data buffer 79 . ultimately , the last digit of the display 117 will indicate the results of the search or other step by displaying the last digit from the data buffer 79 . the identification number from the buffer 113 is coupled by a line 119 to the comparator 83 , while the least - significant bit is coupled by a line 121 to a plurality of comparators . if the least - significant keystroke identifies a memory address incrementing step , data identical to the keystroke is supplied by a buffer 123 so that a comparator 125 supplies a signal on line 127 to an adder 129 which adds unity from a register 131 to the current value of the address buffer 77 , as supplied on line 133 , and supplies the sum back to the address buffer 77 on line 135 . thus , each time that this keystroke is entered , the address in register 77 is incremented by one location , as required by the programmer . in a similar fashion , a decrementing keystroke will compare favorably in a comparator 137 with data from a buffer 139 to provide a signal on mine 141 to add a minus one in a buffer 143 to the value in the address buffer 77 , as accessed on line 145 , so that an adder 147 provides on line 149 a decremented address , permitting the programmer to decrement the memory location address in register 77 for programming purposes . if the programmer utilizes a keystroke which requires a search of the memory 69 , after first introducing an identification number into the buffer 113 , a search routine will be implemented which will search the memory 49 to determine whether the identification number in the buffer 113 exists in the memory 49 and , if so , during what time zones that individual is allowed access . this is accomplished by first comparing the keystroke data with a search keystroke indication in a buffer 151 , that a comparator 153 provides a signal on line 155 to enable a gate 157 which supplies the identification number from the butter 113 to the comparator 83 . the comparator 83 then initiates a search routine in a binary fashion , as previously described , to ultimately provide on lines 91 the decimal digit indicating the time access code for this particular identification number , which time access code will be displayed on the display 117 along with the identification number which was searched . if the identification number is not in the memory 49 , a zero output signal on line 89 will not be produced by the comparator 83 , and the gate 93 will not be enabled . thus , no display will appear in the least - significant bit position of the display 117 . alternatively , the system could be designed to provide a zero in the least - significant bit position of the display 117 if the searched identification number is not present in the memory 49 . if , as the least - significant bit after the insertion of an identification number in the buffer 113 , the programmer depresses a key which provides an instruction to insert this identification number as a new or additional identification number in the memory 49 , a comparator 159 will provide an output signal because of identity between the keystroke data and data from a buffer 161 , the signal being provided from the comparator 159 on line 163 to initiate the operation of a counter 165 . this operation is initiated by placing the pulse on the clocking input 167 of the counter 165 so that the counter counts to its first position , placing an output signal on a 1 count line 169 . when a signal is present on line 169 , a comparator 171 compares a delimiter register 173 with a register 175 which stores a count equivalent to the last storage location in the memory 49 . the delimiter register 173 , as will be understood through the following description , is continuously updated so that it stores a number equal to the number of words stored in the memory 49 . when the number in the delimiter register 173 is equal to the number stored in the register 175 , this is an indication that the memory 49 is full and the comparator 171 will produce a signal on line 177 to energize a front panel display 179 indicating to the programmer that the memory is full , and that no additional identification numbers should be inserted without first deleting some identification numbers . furthermore , the full memory indication is not connected to clock the counter 165 , so the insert routine will not continue . if the memory 49 is not full , the comparator 171 will produce a signal on line 181 indicating that the registers 173 and 175 did not store equal numbers . this signal on line 181 is used for clocking the counter 165 to its second count position , producing a signal on line 183 . the programmer will have been told that , prior to an insert operation , a search operation should be conducted using the comparator 153 so that , at the time the insert operation is conducted , the address buffer 77 will be addressing the memory 49 at a location immediately preceding or immediately following the location where the new identification number should be inserted . at the end of the search routine , the comparator 83 will provide a plus signal on line 85 if the new data word should immediately precede the present location of the address buffer 77 or a minus signal if it should immediately follow this word . during the insert routine , the output lines of the comparator 83 are checked at the second clock position by anding the line 183 in gates 185 and 187 with the minus line 87 and plus line 85 , respectively , from the comparator 83 . if the minus line 87 contains a logic signal , the and gate 185 produces an output signal on line 189 to again clock the counter 165 to produce an output signal on its 3 - count line 191 . if , on the other hand , the plus line 85 is at a positive level , the and gate 187 will provide a signal on line 193 to a buffer 195 enabling that buffer 195 to input on a plurality of lines 197 to the counter 165 a 6 - count , so that the counter 165 will jump from its 2 - count position to its 6 - count position . this latter step is necessary so that if the new data word is to be stored at the next data position in memory 49 ( a plus signal on line 85 ), a routine will be implemented which skips a data position in the memory 49 . if , on the other hand , the present data position where the address buffer 77 presently points is not to be skipped ( since the new data word is to go at this present position ), the next series of steps between count 2 and count 6 of the counter 165 are used for removing and temporarily storing the presently addressed word from the memory 49 , as will be seen from a description of these steps . when the signal on line 189 clocks the counter 165 to its three count , the signal on line 191 enables a gate 194 so that data from the data buffer 79 is accessed in parallel to a temporary storage buffer 196 . this step is used to save the identification number in the current memory location . it will be seen as this description follows that the current memory location is stored in the next lower memory location , while the word from that lower position is , in turn , stored in the next succeeding lower position . thus , when a new word is placed in memory 49 , the counter 165 is used to sequence a repeating routine which shifts the remaining data in the memory 49 toward the bottom of the memory 49 by one step , making room at the proper location in numerical order for the newly added data word . once the current identification number has been stored in the temporary register 196 , a delay 198 connected to the line 191 is used to clock the counter 165 to its 4 - count position . this 4 - count position provides a signal on line 201 which enables a gate 203 connecting the buffer 113 to write logic 205 associated with the memory 49 . thus , at count 4 , the data previously stored in the current memory location is automatically erased and the new identification number is written in this storage location . a delay circuit 207 connected to the line 201 is used to again clock the counter 165 at the completion of this writing operation so that the counter produces a 5 - count output on line 211 which accesses the data word from the temporary buffer 196 into the buffer 113 , erasing the number previously stored in the buffer 113 , by enabling a gate 213 interconnecting these buffers . this places the number previously stored in the memory 49 ( which was removed to make room for the new word ) into the buffer 113 , so that , on the next circulation of the counter 165 , it can be written into the next successive location in the memory 49 . a delay 215 connected to line 211 clocks the counter 165 after the data has been accessed into the buffer 113 and the counter 165 then provides a 6 - count output on line 217 which is connected to line 127 to increment the addressed location in the memory 49 as previously described . the line 217 is additionally connected through a delay 219 to clock the counter 165 to its seventh and final output position . it will be recognized that , at the sixth count position , the signal on line 217 incremented the memory 49 location so that the next successive memory word is being accessed . this memory word should be larger than the word currently in the buffer 113 , unless we have reached the end of the data in the memory 49 , in which case the new word would be 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 and thus smaller than the word stored presently in the buffer 113 . thus , the signals on lines 85 and 87 can be utilized to determine whether the insert routine should stop . the signal on line 221 , indicating count 7 , is anded with the signal on line 85 in and gate 223 and with the signal on line 87 in and gate 225 . if the and gate 223 produces an output signal , this signal is connected to an incrementing circuit 227 which is , in turn , connected to increment the delimiting register 173 adding one count to this register . if , on the other hand , the memory transfer operation has not been completed , the output signal from gate 225 will be used , through a delay 229 , to clock the counter 165 back to its 3 - count position by utilizing a 3 - count register 231 to place a count of three in the counter 165 . thus , the sequence continuously loops through counts 3 through 7 until each of the words in the memory 49 has been shifted down one count , and the delimiter register 173 has been incremented . this entire insert routine is shown in the flow chart of fig3 . it can be seen from that low chart that each element of memory data is shifted toward the end of the memory by one position to make room for the new element . the delimiter is then incremented and the process comes to a stop . a similar process is generated by a keyboard keystroke which provides on line 121 a delete signal which compares favorably with a delete word stored in a buffer 233 . this sequence is shown in the flow chart of fig4 and can be followed there as well as in the schematic diagram of fig2 . signals from the comparator 238 connected to the buffer 233 indicate that a keystroke demanding a dam element deletion from the memory 49 has been made . this signal on line 237 is used to provide the initial input to a counter 245 used to sequence the deletion process . during the data deletion process , it is desired to delete the element of data located during a search operation and to shift all of the remaining data within the memory 49 to close the gap . thus , the remaining data in the memory 49 must be moved up in the memory by one data position , and the delimiter 173 must be decremented by one count . this is accomplished by utilizing the signal on 237 to initially increment the address buffer 77 by providing a signal on line 127 . a delay 239 is used to assure that this incrementing has been accomplished , and then provides a signal on line 241 to enable a buffer 243 storing a 2 - count to input this 2 - count into the counter 245 used for sequencing the deletion process . in response to the 2 - count from the buffer 243 , the counter 245 provides a 2 - count output on line 247 which reads the data word at the incremented location into the temporary buffer 196 by enabling gate 194 . in addition , through a delay 249 , the signal 247 increments the counter 245 at its clocking input 251 . the counter 245 then provides a 3 - count output on line 253 which is connected to line 141 to decrement the address in the buffer 77 . line 253 is additionally connected through a delay 255 to clock the counter 245 to a 4 - count position producing a signal on line 257 . this signal is used to enable gates 213 and 203 to access the data from the temporary buffer 195 to the write logic 205 . this logic 205 then writes the word in the temporary buffer 195 into the memory location addressed by the buffer 77 in the memory 49 . the signal on line 257 , in addition , provides a delayed output from a delay circuit 259 to clock the counter 245 to its 5 - count position which provides a signal on line 261 . line 261 is connected to the line 127 to increment the address buffer 77 . this signal is also delayed in a delay circuit 263 to provide an additional clocking input to the counter 245 . in response to this additional clocking input , the counter 245 provide a 1 output on line 267 which is connected to line 127 to increment the address buffer 77 a second time , and is additionally anded in gates 269 and 271 with the plus signal 85 and minus signal 87 . if a minus signal 87 is present , the end of search has been reached and the delimiter register is decremented by decrementer 272 . if a plus signal is present , the gate 269 provides , through a delay 273 , a clocking input to the counter 245 to repeat the data shifting process on the next data word . it can thus be seen that the counter 245 is used to sequence a repeating cycle of steps which are used as a looping function to shift all of the data words in the memory one step toward the beginning of the memory in order to close the gap in the memory which results from deleting a data word therefrom . the flow chart of fig4 diagrams this process utilizing element numbers from the schematic of fig2 . when , in the course of a searching operation , an identification number is located , it was explained previously that the data buffer 79 provides , through gate a 4 - bit output indicating the time of day when access is to be provided for the person having this identification number . this number is accessed by the real - time sensor 51 which , as shown in fig2 includes three separate clocks , 301 , 303 , and 305 , each of which can provide the closure of switch in response to a particular time of day setting . thus , for example , the clock 301 may be set to provide a switch closure from 8 : 00 a . m . to 5 : 00 p . m ., the clock 303 from 5 : 00 p . m . to midnight , and the clock 305 from midnight to 8 : 00 a . m . these three clock switches are accessed to a comparator 307 which is , in turn , provided with signals from the gate 93 . if the signals from gate 93 conform to the switch closures from the clocks 301 through 305 , access is permitted by placing a signal from the comparator 307 on line 309 to gate 53 . in a typical arrangement , the comparator 307 will provide an output signal on line 309 if any one of the clock 301 - 305 is providing a switch closure and the signal from gate 93 has a 1 - bit on the corresponding line indicating that this employee is to be provided access at the time of day indicated by this switch closure . it can be seen that by setting the clocks 301 - 305 and by giving a particular employee access at combinations of times from 1 , 2 , or 3 of these clocks , total flexibility in timing control can be achieved . furthermore , by providing a time code on the fourth line from the gate 93 , the comparator 307 can be made to provide an output signal on line 309 at any time of day , irrespective of the condition of the clocks 301 through 305 , so that , for example , supervisory personnel can be granted access at all times . referring once again to fig1 it bears repeating that the remote terminal 13 of the present invention will operate utilizing its own memory 49 and memory control 63 in the manner described . alternatively , this same remote unit can be utilized by accessing data directly from the buffer 47 through the degraded mode sensor 42 , shown in fig1 and comparable so that described in patent application ser . no . 830 , 002 , filed sept . 1 , 1977 , and referenced above . this degraded mode sensor 42 will limit access at this remote terminal in accordance with data stored in the memory 69 in the main processing unit 11 until such time as the communication lines are degraded . at that time , the memory 49 and its memory control 63 will be utilized for limiting access . it can be seen , therefore , that the terminal 13 of the present invention can be used either as a stand - alone terminal by bypassing the degraded mode sensor 42 , or may be used as a remote terminal with a central processor system 11 , utilizing the degraded mode sensor 42 to impose stand - alone operation only if data lines are degraded . the present invention permits the same data to be stored in the memory 69 and the memory 49 so that , even during degraded mode operation , although one of the printer 75 may be lost ( so that personnel flow data is no longer available ), nevertheless the same limited number of personnel may be granted access at this remote location , so that security is not degraded . the preceding embodiment described in reference to fig1 through 4 is illustrative of a hardwired circuit for performing the functions of the present invention . in the preferred embodiment , the functions of the remote units 13 are performed by a microprocessor , as illustrated in fig5 . this microprocessor includes a central processing unit 401 , such as a motorola 6800 , which is connected with a memory unit 403 , such as an ami model sf101 . in addition , a scratch pad memory 405 can provided , such as a motorola 6810 . the central processing unit 401 is also connected to a read only memory 407 in a typical fashion to store the control steps for the central processing unit . as is typical , the central processing unit 401 interfaces with a communication interface unit , such as a motorola 6850 , 409 , for communicating with the central processor 11 , and may interfere , in addition , with the card sensor 43 and real - time sensor 51 , similar to those shown in fig1 . a peripheral interface adapter 411 , such as a motorola 6820 , is used to connect the central processing unit 401 to the door access control 54 , such as a door strike . the keyboard 55 of fig1 may also be connected to the central processing unit 401 through the main data and control bus 413 . it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the data processing unit , shown in fig5 is typical of many other similar data processing units . what makes this processing unit unique is a program stored in the read - only memory 407 for controlling the operation of the central processing unit 401 . this program , written for the motorola 6800 , is as follows : ## spc1 ##	6
in general , according to a solid state imaging apparatus in an embodiment , a cell , an amplifying transistor , a reset transistor , and a row scanning circuit are provided . the cell is provided with k ( k is an integer equal to 2 or greater ) pixels . the amplifying transistor is shared by the k pixels in the cell and amplifies a signal read from the pixels . the reset transistor is shared by the k pixels in the cell and resets a signal read from the pixels . the row scanning circuit drives the drains of the reset transistors in different rows separately . solid state imaging apparatuses according to the embodiments will be described below with reference to drawings . however , the present invention is not limited by these embodiments . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating an outline configuration of a solid state imaging apparatus according to a first embodiment . in fig1 , the solid state imaging apparatus has a cell uc 1 arranged in a matrix form in a row direction and a column direction . the cell uc 1 is provided with two photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 , two read transistors td 1 , td 2 , one reset transistor tc , one floating diffusion fd , and one amplifying transistor tb . each of the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 can convert light from an object to be imaged into an electric signal in units of pixel . the read transistors td 1 , td 2 can read a signal photoelectrically converted by the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 respectively . the reset transistor tc is shared by the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 and can reset a signal read from the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 . the floating diffusion fd is shared by the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 and can cause detection of a signal read from the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 . the amplifying transistor tb is shared by the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 and can amplify a signal read from the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 . the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 are vertically arranged side by side and the photodiode pd 1 can be arranged in an m ( m is a positive integer )- th row and the photodiode pd 2 can be arranged in an ( m + 1 )- th row . the floating diffusion fd is shared by the drains of the read transistors td 1 , td 2 . sources of the read transistors td 1 , td 2 are connected to the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 respectively . the source of the reset transistor tc is connected to the floating diffusion fd . the cell uc 1 is arranged in such a way that a mirror image is formed with respect to cells adjacent to each other in the vertical direction . the drain of the reset transistor tc and the drain of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 are shared by different cells adjacent to each other in the vertical direction . for example , the drain of the reset transistor tc can be made to be shared with the adjacent cell above the cell uc 1 and the drain of the amplifying transistor tb can be made to be shared with the adjacent cell below the cell uc 1 . the solid state imaging apparatus is provided with a row scanning circuit 1 that scans pixels in units of row and also a vertical signal line vl that transmits a signal read from each pixel in units of column . a drain power source line hd , a reset control line hs , and read control lines hr 1 , hr 2 are connected to the row scanning circuit 1 . the read control lines hr 1 , hr 2 are provided for each row and connected to the read transistors td 1 , td 2 respectively . the reset control line hs is provided for every two rows and connected to the gate of the reset transistor tc . the two reset control lines hs can be arranged adjacent to each other for every four pixels in the vertical direction . the drain power source line hd is provided for every four rows and connected to the gate of the reset transistor tc . the drain power source line hd can be arranged between the two reset control lines hs arranged adjacent to each other . the row scanning circuit 1 can drive the drains of the reset transistors tc in different rows separately . the row scanning circuit 1 can also drive the drain of the reset transistor tc and the drain of the amplifying transistor tb separately . for example , the row scanning circuit 1 can drive the drain of the reset transistor tc from row to row . however , if the drain of the reset transistor tc is shared by two pixels adjacent to each other in the vertical direction , the drain of the reset transistor tc can be driven for every two rows . if the drain of the reset transistor tc is shared by four pixels adjacent to each other in the vertical direction , the drain of the reset transistor tc can be driven for every four rows . the gate of the amplifying transistor tb is connected to the floating diffusion fd , the source of the amplifying transistor tb is connected to the vertical signal line vl , and the drain of the amplifying transistor tb is connected to a drain power source avdd . the drain power source avdd can commonly be connected to the drains of the amplifying transistors tb of all the cells uc 1 in the solid state imaging apparatus . the voltage of the drain power source avdd can be set to a fixed value . fig2 is a timing chart illustrating a read operation of the solid state imaging apparatus in fig1 . in fig2 , if , for example , signals are to be read from pixels in the m - th row , the reset transistor tc is turned on and a charge of the floating diffusion fd is reset by a reset signal reset 2 being provided to the reset control line hs . then , with the voltage in accordance with a reset level of the floating diffusion fd being applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb and the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb being followed by the voltage of the vertical signal line vl in an n ( n is a positive integer )- th column , a pixel signal vsig 1 of the reset level is output to the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column . incidentally , the amplifying transistor tb can configure a source follower together with a load transistor connected to the vertical signal line vl . next , the read transistor td 1 is turned on by a read signal read 3 being provided to the read control line hr 1 and a charge detected by the photodiode pd 1 is transferred to the floating diffusion fd . then , with the voltage in accordance with a signal level of the floating diffusion fd being applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb and the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb being followed by the voltage of the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column , the pixel signal vsig 1 of the signal level is output to the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column . next , the reset transistor tc is turned on by the reset signal reset 2 being provided to the reset control line hs . at this point , the potential of the floating diffusion fd is set to an l level by a drain pulse drain 1 being provided to the drain power source line hd in the m - th row . if the potential of the floating diffusion fd is set to the l level , the amplifying transistor tb is turned off and each pixel is cut off from the vertical signal line vl . thus , after the signal from each pixel being read , the vertical signal line vl can be prevented from being driven based on a signal from a pixel other than the pixels to be read by setting the potential of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 to the potential of the power source . by driving the drain power source line hd separately in different rows , the load of the drain power source of the reset transistor tc can be reduced . also , the capacity load of the vertical signal line vl can be reduced by separating the drain power source line hd from the drain power source avdd so that a high - speed operation can be realized and also the drain potential of the amplifying transistor tb can be fixed , leading to reduced noise by minimizing fluctuations in potential of the vertical signal line vl . by making different cells adjacent to each other in the vertical direction share the drain of the reset transistor tc and the drain of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 , the layout area can be reduced while pixels in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction enabling to be equally spaced . also by making cells adjacent to each other in the vertical direction share the drain of the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 1 , cells adjacent to each other in the vertical direction can be made to share the drain power source line hd so that the number of the drain power source lines hd can be reduced by half . fig3 is a plan view illustrating a layout configuration of a pixel array unit of the solid state imaging apparatus in fig1 . in fig3 , the two photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 are vertically arranged side by side in units of the cell uc 1 on a semiconductor substrate . then , the floating diffusion fd is arranged adjacent to the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 . a gate electrode g 1 is arranged between the photodiode pd 1 and the floating diffusion fd and a gate electrode g 2 is arranged between the photodiode pd 2 and the floating diffusion fd . the gate electrodes g 1 , g 2 can configure the read transistors td 1 , td 2 respectively . an impurity diffusion layer f 1 is arranged in a boundary region with the adjacent cell on the upper side and a gate electrode g 0 is arranged between the floating diffusion fd and the impurity diffusion layer f 1 . the gate electrode g 0 can configure the reset transistor tc . an impurity diffusion layer f 2 is arranged adjacent to the floating diffusion fd in the vertical direction and an impurity diffusion layer f 3 is arranged adjacent to the impurity diffusion layer f 2 in the vertical direction . a gate electrode g 3 is arranged between the impurity diffusion layers f 2 , f 3 . the gate electrode g 3 can configure the amplifying transistor tb . the reset transistor tc and the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 are arranged between the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 in the n - th column and the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 in the ( n + 1 )- th column . the floating diffusion fd is connected to the gate electrode g 3 via a wire h 1 . the impurity diffusion layer f 2 is connected to the vertical signal line vl via a wire h 2 . the drain power source line hd is connected to the impurity diffusion layer f 1 . the reset control line hs is connected to the gate electrode g 0 . the read control lines hr 1 , hr 2 are connected to the gate electrodes g 1 , g 2 respectively . a power source line vd is connected to the impurity diffusion layer f 3 . the power source line vd can supply the drain power source avdd . incidentally , the read transistors td 1 , td 2 , the reset transistor tc , the floating diffusion fd , and the amplifying transistor tb are arranged on the front side of the semiconductor substrate and the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 are arranged on the back side of the semiconductor substrate . for such a back - side illumination type , wires such as the reset control line hs , the read control lines hr 1 , hr 2 , and the power source line vd can be arranged overlapping with the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 so that flexibility of the wire layout can be increased . incidentally , the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 may also be arranged on the front side of the semiconductor substrate together with the read transistors td 1 , td 2 , the reset transistor tc , the floating diffusion fd , and the amplifying transistor tb . for such a front - side illumination type , wires of the reset control line hs , the read control lines hr 1 , hr 2 , and the power source line vd can be arranged while avoiding the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 so that the incidence of light into the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 is not prevented . by making the drain diffusion layer of the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 1 and the drain diffusion layer of the reset transistor tc of the adjacent cell on the upper side shared and the drain diffusion layer of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 and the drain diffusion layer of the amplifying transistor tb of the adjacent cell on the lower side shared , the layout area can be reduced while pixels in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction enabling to be equally spaced . fig4 is a block diagram illustrating the outline configuration of a solid state imaging apparatus according to a second embodiment . in fig4 , the solid state imaging apparatus has a cell uc 1 arranged in a matrix form in the row direction and the column direction . the configuration of the cell uc 1 in fig4 is similar to the configuration of the cell uc 1 in fig1 . however , a cell uc 1 ′ in the ( n + 1 )- th column in fig4 is arranged by being shifted upward in the vertical direction by one pixel with respect to the cell uc 1 in the n - th column and a cell uc 1 ″ in the ( n + 1 )- th column in fig4 is arranged by being shifted downward in the vertical direction by one pixel with respect to the cell uc 1 in the n - th column . a drain power source line hd ′ and a reset control line hs ′ are provided in the cell uc 1 ′ in the ( n + 1 )- th column separately from the drain power source line hd and the reset control line hs of the cell uc 1 in the n - th column . in addition , the drain power source line hd ′ and a reset control line hs ″ are provided in the cell uc 1 ″ in the ( n + 1 )- th column separately from the drain power source line hd 1 and the reset control line hs 1 of the cell uc 1 in the n - th column . the drain power source line hd ′ is shared by the cells uc 1 ′, uc 1 ″. the reset control line hs ′ is connected to the gate of the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 1 ′ in the ( n + 1 )- th column . the reset control line hs ″ is connected to the gate of the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 1 ″ in the ( n + 1 )- th column . the drain power source line hd ′ is connected to the drains of the reset transistors tc of the cells uc 1 ′, uc 1 ″ in the ( n + 1 )- th column . in the cell uc 1 ′ in the ( n + 1 )- th column , the read control line hr 1 is connected to the gate of the read transistor td 2 and the read control line hr 2 is connected to the gate of the read transistor td 1 . in this solid state imaging apparatus , instead of the row scanning circuit 1 in fig1 , a row scanning circuit 2 is provided . the drain power source lines hd , hd ′, the reset control lines hs , hs ′, hs ″, and the read control lines hr 1 , hr 2 are connected to the row scanning circuit 2 . the row scanning circuit 2 can drive the drains of the reset transistors tc from row to row separately from the drain of the amplifying transistor tb . when a signal is read from a pixel in the m - th row , the drain power source lines hd , hd ′ can be driven as a set . fig5 is a timing chart illustrating the read operation of the solid state imaging apparatus in fig4 . in fig5 , if , for example , a signal is to be read from a pixel in the n - th column and the m - th row , the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 1 is turned on and a charge of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 is reset by a reset signal reset 2 being provided to the reset control line hs . then , with the voltage in accordance with the reset level of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 being applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 and the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 being followed by the voltage of the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column , the pixel signal vsig 1 of the reset level is output to the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column . at this point , the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 1 ′ is turned on and a charge of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 ′ is reset by a reset signal reset 3 being provided to the reset control line hs ′. then , with the voltage in accordance with the reset level of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 ′ being applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 ′ and the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 ′ being followed by the voltage of the vertical signal line vl in the ( n + 1 )- th column , a pixel signal vsig 2 of the reset level is output to the vertical signal line vl in the ( n + 1 )- th column . next , the read transistor td 1 of the cell uc 1 is turned on by the read signal read 3 being provided to the read control line hr 1 and a charge detected by the photodiode pd 1 of the cell uc 1 is transferred to the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 . then , with the voltage in accordance with the signal level of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 being applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 and the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 being followed by the voltage of the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column , the pixel signal vsig 1 of the signal level is output to the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column . also , the read transistor td 2 of the cell uc 1 ′ is turned on by the read signal read 3 being provided to the read control line hr 1 and a charge detected by the photodiode pd 2 of the cell uc 1 ′ is transferred to the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 ′. then , with the voltage in accordance with the signal level of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 ′ being applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 ′ and the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 ′ being followed by the voltage of the vertical signal line vl in the ( n + 1 )- th column , the pixel signal vsig 2 of the signal level is output to the vertical signal line vl in the ( n + 1 )- th column . next , the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 1 is turned on by the reset signal reset 2 being provided to the reset control line hs . at this point , the potential of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 is set to the l level by the drain pulse drain 1 being provided to the drain power source line hd . also , the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 1 ′ is turned on by the reset signal reset 3 being provided to the reset control line hs ′. at this point , the potential of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 ′ is set to the l level by a drain pulse drain 2 being provided to the drain power source line hd ′. next , if a signal is to be read from a pixel in the n - th column and the m - th row , the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 1 is turned on and a charge of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 is reset by the reset signal reset 2 being provided to the reset control line hs . then , with the voltage in accordance with the reset level of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 being applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb and the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 being followed by the voltage of the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column , the pixel signal vsig 1 of the reset level is output to the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column . at this point , the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 1 ″ is turned on and a charge of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 ″ is reset by a reset signal reset 4 being provided to the reset control line hs ″. then , with the voltage in accordance with the reset level of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 ″ being applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 ″ and the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 ″ being followed by the voltage of the vertical signal line vl in the ( n + 1 )- th column , the pixel signal vsig 2 of the reset level is output to the vertical signal line vl in the ( n + 1 )- th column . next , the read transistor td 2 of the cell uc 1 is turned on by a read signal read 4 being provided to the read control line hr 2 and a charge detected by the photodiode pd 2 of the cell uc 1 is transferred to the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 . then , with the voltage in accordance with the signal level of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 being applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 and the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 being followed by the voltage of the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column , the pixel signal vsig 1 of the signal level is output to the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column . also , the read transistor td 1 of the cell uc 1 ″ is turned on by the read signal read 4 being provided to the read control line hr 2 and a charge detected by the photodiode pd 1 of the cell uc 1 ″ is transferred to the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 ″. then , with the voltage in accordance with the signal level of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 ″ being applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 ″ and the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 ″ being followed by the voltage of the vertical signal line vl in the ( n + 1 )- th column , the pixel signal vsig 2 of the signal level is output to the vertical signal line vl in the ( n + 1 )- th column . next , the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 1 is turned on by the reset signal reset 2 being provided to the reset control line hs . at this point , the potential of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 is set to the l level by the drain pulse drain 1 being provided to the drain power source line hd . also , the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 1 ″ is turned on by the reset signal reset 4 being provided to the reset control line hs ″. at this point , the potential of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 1 ″ is set to the l level by the drain pulse drain 2 being provided to the drain power source line hd ′. hereafter , a similar operation is caused when signals are read from the next row . the layout of greens can be made symmetrical by arranging cells being shifted in the vertical direction between the n - th column and the ( n + 1 )- th column so that variations in color can be reduced . fig6 is a plan view illustrating the layout configuration of a pixel array unit of the solid state imaging apparatus in fig4 . in fig6 , the layout configuration of the cell uc 1 of the solid state imaging apparatus is similar to the layout configuration in fig3 . however , the reset transistor tc , the floating diffusion fd , and the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 in the ( n + 1 )- th column are arranged by being shifted in the vertical direction by two pixels with respect to the reset transistor tc , the floating diffusion fd , and the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 in the n - th column . accordingly , even if the cell uc 1 is arranged in a staggered configuration , by making the drain diffusion layer of the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 1 and the drain diffusion layer of the reset transistor tc of the adjacent cell on the upper side shared and the drain diffusion layer of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 and the drain diffusion layer of the amplifying transistor tb of the adjacent cell on the lower side shared , the layout area can be reduced while pixels in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction enabling to be equally spaced . in the example of fig6 , the wire layout of a back - side illumination type cmos sensor is taken as an example , but the present embodiment may also be applied to a front - side illumination type cmos sensor . fig7 is a block diagram illustrating the outline configuration of a solid state imaging apparatus according to a third embodiment . in fig7 , the solid state imaging apparatus has a cell uc 2 arranged in a matrix form in the row direction and the column direction . each of the cells uc 2 is provided with four photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 , four read transistors td 1 to td 4 , one reset transistor tc , one floating diffusion fd , and one amplifying transistor tb . each of the photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 can convert light from an object to be imaged into an electric signal in units of pixel . the read transistors td 1 to td 4 can read a signal photoelectrically converted by the photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 respectively . the reset transistor tc is shared by the photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 and can reset a signal read from the photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 . the floating diffusion fd is shared by the photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 and can cause detection of a signal read from the photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 . the amplifying transistor tb is shared by the photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 and can amplify a signal read from the photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 . the photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 are vertically arranged side by side and the photodiode pd 1 can be arranged in the m - th row , the photodiode pd 2 can be arranged in an ( m + 1 )- th row , the photodiode pd 3 can be arranged in an ( m + 2 )- th row , and the photodiode pd 4 can be arranged in an ( m + 3 )- th row . the floating diffusion fd is shared by the drains of the read transistors td 1 , td 2 . the sources of the read transistors td 1 to td 4 are connected to the photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 respectively . the source of the reset transistor tc is connected to the floating diffusion fd . the cell uc 2 in the n - th column is arranged point - symmetrically with respect to a cell uc 2 ′ in the ( n + 1 )- th column . the drain of the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 2 in the n - th column and the drain of the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 2 ′ in the ( n + 1 )- th column are shared . also , the drain of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 2 in the n - th column and the drain of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 2 ′ in the ( n + 1 )- th column are shared . the solid state imaging apparatus is provided with a row scanning circuit 3 that scans pixels in units of row and also a vertical signal line vl that transmits a signal read from each pixel in units of column . a drain power source line hd , reset control lines hs 1 , hs 2 , and read control lines hr 1 to hr 4 are connected to the row scanning circuit 3 . the read control lines hr 1 to hr 4 are provided for each row and connected to the gates of the read transistors td 1 to td 4 respectively . the reset control lines hs 1 , hs 2 are provided for every four rows , the reset control line hs 1 is connected to the gate of the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 2 in the n - th column , and the reset control line hs 2 is connected to the gate of the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 2 ′ in the ( n + 1 )- th column . the drain power source line hd is provided for every four rows and connected to the gate of the reset transistor tc . the row scanning circuit 3 can drive the drains of the reset transistors tc in different rows separately . the row scanning circuit 3 can also drive the drain of the reset transistor tc and the drain of the amplifying transistor tb separately . if , for example , the drain of the reset transistor tc is shared by four pixels adjacent to each other in the vertical direction , the drain of the reset transistor tc can be driven for every four rows . the row scanning circuit 3 can drive the reset control line hs 1 of the cell uc 2 in the n - th column and the reset control line hs 2 of the cell uc 2 ′ in the ( n + 1 )- th column as a set . the gate of the amplifying transistor tb is connected to the floating diffusion fd , the source of the amplifying transistor tb is connected to the vertical signal line vl , and the drain of the amplifying transistor tb is connected to a drain power source avdd . the drain power source avdd can commonly be connected to the drains of the amplifying transistors tb of all the cells uc 2 in the solid state imaging apparatus . the voltage of the drain power source avdd can be set to a fixed value . fig8 is a timing chart illustrating the read operation of the solid state imaging apparatus in fig7 . in fig8 , if , for example , signals are to be read from pixels in the ( m + 2 )- th row , each of the reset transistors tc of the cells uc 2 , uc 2 ′ is turned on and a charge of each of the floating diffusions fd of the cells uc 2 , uc 2 ′ is reset by reset signals reset 1 , reset 2 being provided to the reset control lines hs 1 , hs 2 respectively . then , with the voltage in accordance with the reset level of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 2 being applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 2 and the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 2 being followed by the voltage of the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column , the pixel signal vsig 1 of the reset level is output to the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column . next , the read transistor td 3 is turned on by the read signal read 3 being provided to the read control line hr 3 and a charge detected by the photodiode pd 3 is transferred to the floating diffusion fd . then , with the voltage in accordance with a signal level of the floating diffusion fd being applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb and the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb being followed by the voltage of the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column , the pixel signal vsig 1 of the signal level is output to the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column . next , each of the reset transistors tc of the cells uc 2 , uc 2 ′ is turned on by the reset signals reset 1 , reset 2 being provided to the reset control lines hs 1 , hs 2 respectively . at this point , the potential of the floating diffusion fd is set to the l level by the drain pulse drain 1 being provided to the drain power source line hd . hereafter , a similar operation is caused when signals are read from the next row . by driving the drain power source line hd separately in different rows , the load of the drain power source of the reset transistor tc can be reduced also in the 4 - pixel shared structure . by arranging the cell uc 2 in the n - th column point - symmetrically with respect to the cell uc 2 ′ in the ( n + 1 )- th column , the drain of the reset transistor tc and the drain of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 can be made to be shared with different adjacent cells while ensuring symmetry of the arrangement of the floating diffusion fd in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction . therefore , the layout can be set so that parasitic capacitances between the floating diffusions fd are mutually equal to prevent an occurrence of stepwise noise between the cells uc 2 . fig9 is a plan view illustrating the layout configuration of a pixel array unit of the solid state imaging apparatus in fig7 . in fig9 , the four photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 are vertically arranged side by side in units of the cell uc 2 on a semiconductor substrate . then , the impurity diffusion layer f 3 is arranged adjacent to the photodiodes pd 1 , pd 2 and the floating diffusion fd is arranged adjacent to the photodiodes pd 3 , pd 4 . a gate electrode g 11 is arranged between the photodiode pd 1 and the impurity diffusion layer f 3 , a gate electrode g 12 is arranged between the photodiode pd 2 and the impurity diffusion layer f 3 , a gate electrode g 13 is arranged between the photodiode pd 3 and the floating diffusion fd , and a gate electrode g 14 is arranged between the photodiode pd 4 and the floating diffusion fd . the gate electrodes g 11 to g 14 can configure the read transistors td 1 to td 4 respectively . the impurity diffusion layer f 1 is arranged in a boundary region with the adjacent cell uc 2 ′ in the horizontal direction and a gate electrode g 10 is arranged between the floating diffusion fd and the impurity diffusion layer f 1 . the gate electrode g 10 can configure the reset transistor tc . the impurity diffusion layer f 2 is arranged adjacent to the floating diffusion fd in the vertical direction and an impurity diffusion layer f 4 is arranged in a boundary region with the cell uc 2 ″ adjacent to the cell uc 2 ′ in the vertical direction . a gate electrode g 15 is arranged between the impurity diffusion layers f 2 , f 4 . the gate electrode g 15 can configure the amplifying transistor tb . the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 2 and the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 2 ′ are arranged point - symmetrically with respect to the impurity diffusion layer f 1 . the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 2 and the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 2 ″ are arranged point - symmetrically with respect to the impurity diffusion layer f 4 . the reset transistors tc and the amplifying transistors tb of the cells uc 2 , uc 2 ′, uc 2 ″ are arranged between the photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 in the n - th column and the photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 in the ( n + 1 )- th column . the floating diffusion fd is connected to the impurity diffusion layer f 3 via a wire h 11 . the floating diffusion fd is connected to the gate electrode g 15 via a wire h 12 . the impurity diffusion layer f 2 is connected to the vertical signal line vl via a wire h 13 . the drain power source line hd is connected to the impurity diffusion layer f 1 . the reset control line hs 1 is connected to the gate electrode g 10 of the cell uc 2 and the reset control line hs 2 is connected to the gate electrode g 10 of the cell uc 2 ′. the read control lines hr 1 to hr 4 are connected to the gate electrodes g 11 to g 14 respectively . a power source line vd is connected to the impurity diffusion layer f 4 . the power source line vd can supply the drain power source avdd . incidentally , the read transistors td 1 to td 4 , the reset transistor tc , the floating diffusion fd , and the amplifying transistor tb are arranged on the front side of the semiconductor substrate and the photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 are arranged on the back side of the semiconductor substrate . for such a back - side illumination type , wires such as the reset control lines hs 1 , hs 2 , the read control lines hr 1 to hr 4 , and the power source line vd can be arranged overlapping with the photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 so that flexibility of the wire layout can be increased . incidentally , the photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 may also be arranged on the front side of the semiconductor substrate together with the read transistors td 1 to td 4 , the reset transistor tc , the floating diffusion fd , and the amplifying transistor tb . for such a front - side illumination type , wires such as the reset control lines hs 1 , hs 2 , the read control lines hr 1 to hr 4 , and the power source line vd can be arranged while avoiding the photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 so that the incidence of light into the photodiodes pd 1 to pd 4 is not prevented . by separating the reset control lines hs 1 , hs 2 between the cells uc 2 , uc 2 ′ adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction , the layout can be set so that parasitic capacitances between the floating diffusions fd are mutually equal even if the drain diffusion layer of the reset transistor tc and the drain diffusion layer of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 1 are made to be shared with adjacent cells . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating the outline configuration of a solid state imaging apparatus according to a fourth embodiment . in fig1 , the solid state imaging apparatus has the cell uc 2 arranged in a matrix form in the row direction and the column direction . the configuration of the cell uc 2 in fig1 is similar to the configuration of the cell uc 2 in fig7 . however , the cell uc 2 ′ in the ( n + 1 )- th column in fig1 is arranged by being shifted upward in the vertical direction by two pixels with respect to the cell uc 2 in the n - th column and the cell uc 2 ″ in the ( n + 1 )- th column in fig1 is arranged by being shifted downward in the vertical direction by two pixels with respect to the cell uc 2 in the n - th column . while the arrangement relationship between the reset transistor tc and the amplifying transistor tb in the vertical direction is mutually reversed in the cell uc 2 in the n - th column and the cell uc 2 ′ in the ( n + 1 )- th column in the solid state imaging apparatus in fig7 , the arrangement relationship between the reset transistor tc and the amplifying transistor tb in the vertical direction is mutually equal in the cell uc 2 in the n - th column and the cell uc 2 ′ in the ( n + 1 )- th column in the solid state imaging apparatus in fig1 . in this solid state imaging apparatus , instead of the row scanning circuit 3 in fig7 , a row scanning circuit 4 is provided . the drain power source lines hd 1 , hd 2 , the reset control lines hs 1 , hs 2 , and the read control lines hr 1 to hr 4 are connected to the row scanning circuit 4 . the row scanning circuit 4 can drive the drains of the reset transistors tc in different rows separately . the row scanning circuit 4 can also drive the drain of the reset transistor tc and the drain of the amplifying transistor tb separately . if , for example , the drain of the reset transistor tc is shared by four pixels adjacent to each other in the vertical direction , the drain of the reset transistor tc can be driven for every four rows . the row scanning circuit 4 can drive the reset control line hs 1 of the cell uc 2 in the n - th column and the reset control line hs 2 of the cell uc 2 ″ in the ( n + 1 )- th column as a set . fig1 is a timing chart illustrating the read operation of the solid state imaging apparatus in fig1 . in fig1 , if , for example , a signal is to be read from a pixel in the n - th column and the ( m + 2 )- th row , the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 2 is turned on and a charge of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 2 is reset by the reset signal reset 2 being provided to the reset control line hs 1 . then , with the voltage in accordance with the reset level of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 2 being applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 2 and the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 2 being followed by the voltage of the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column , the pixel signal vsig 1 of the reset level is output to the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column . at this point , the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 2 ″ is turned on and a charge of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 2 ″ is reset by the reset signal reset 3 being provided to the reset control line hs 2 . then , with the voltage in accordance with the reset level of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 2 ″ being applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 2 ″ and the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 2 ″ being followed by the voltage of the vertical signal line vl in the ( n + 1 )- th column , the pixel signal vsig 2 of the reset level is output to the vertical signal line vl in the ( n + 1 )- th column . next , the read transistor td 3 of the cell uc 2 is turned on by the read signal read 3 being provided to the read control line hr 3 and a charge detected by the photodiode pd 3 of the cell uc 2 is transferred to the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 2 . then , with the voltage in accordance with the signal level of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 2 being applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 2 and the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 2 being followed by the voltage of the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column , the pixel signal vsig 1 of the signal level is output to the vertical signal line vl in the n - th column . also , if the read signal read 3 is provided to the read control line hr 3 , the read transistor td 1 of the cell uc 2 ″ is turned on and a charge detected by the photodiode pd 1 of the cell uc 2 ″ is transferred to the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 2 ″. then , with the voltage in accordance with the signal level of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 2 ″ being applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 2 ″ and the voltage applied to the gate of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 2 ″ being followed by the voltage of the vertical signal line vl in the ( n + 1 )- th column , the pixel signal vsig 2 of the signal level is output to the vertical signal line vl in the ( n + 1 )- th column . next , the reset transistor tc of the cells uc 2 is turned on by the reset signal reset 2 being provided to the reset control line hs 1 . at this point , the potential of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 2 is set to the l level by the drain pulse drain 1 being provided to the drain power source line hd 1 . also , the reset transistor tc of the cell uc 2 ″ is turned on by the reset signal reset 3 being provided to the reset control line hs 2 . at this point , the potential of the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 2 ″ is set to the l level by the drain pulse drain 2 being provided to the drain power source line hd 2 . hereafter , a similar operation is caused when signals are read from the next row . fig1 is a plan view illustrating the layout configuration of a pixel array unit of the solid state imaging apparatus in fig1 . in fig1 , the layout configuration of the cell uc 2 of the solid state imaging apparatus is similar to the layout configuration in fig9 . however , the cells uc 2 , uc 2 ′, uc 2 ″ are arranged in a staggered configuration by the wire h 11 connecting the impurity diffusion layer f 3 and the floating diffusion fd of the cell uc 2 in the n - th column being shifted in the vertical direction by two rows in the ( n + 1 )- th column . accordingly , the drain diffusion layer of the reset transistor tc and the drain diffusion layer of the amplifying transistor tb of the cell uc 2 can be made to be shared with different adjacent cells while ensuring symmetry of the arrangement of the floating diffusion fd in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction also when the cells uc 2 , uc 2 ′, uc 2 ″ are arranged in a staggered configuration . in the example of fig1 , the wire layout of a back - side illumination type cmos sensor is taken as an example , but the present embodiment may also be applied to a front - side illumination type cmos sensor . while certain embodiments have been described , these embodiments have been presented by way of example only , and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions . indeed , the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms ; furthermore , various omissions , substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions . the accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions .	7
referring now generally to fig1 , in some aspects of the present invention , a socially interactive card - game with a board game variant 10 is provided , which includes one or more decks of cards 20 and a set of rules for playing the socially interactive game ( not illustrated ), and in some aspects a game board 30 with a plurality of playing spaces 32 having a starting position 32 a and a finishing position 32 a ′ and optional designated places for the one or more decks of cards 34 , a plurality of player pawns 40 , a plurality of answer sheets or pads 50 for each answering player / team , and one or more chance determining device such as a die 60 . before describing in detail a method of playing the socially interactive game of the present invention , a description regarding the one or more decks of cards 20 will first be provided . in some aspects , a first deck 20 a is labeled or categorized as “ the male ” deck as illustrated in fig2 , as the characteristics or descriptions are directed to the male gender . in some aspects , the first deck may be labeled with a masculine gender description such as “ guy ,” “ men ,” “ boys ,” etc . in some aspects , a second deck 20 b is labeled or categorized as “ the female ” deck as also illustrated in fig2 , as the characteristics or descriptions are directed to the female gender . in some aspects , the second deck may be labeled with feminine gender description such as “ gal ,” “ women ,” “ girls ,” etc . in some aspects , the front side of each playing card provides a certain described situation ( i . e . for the male deck of cards 20 a “ a guy at a costume party dressed up as . . . ” and for the female deck of cards 20 b “ a gal at a costume party dressed up as . . . ”) and the reverse side or back side of the respective card contains the characteristic or description for the respective gender . the back side of the card may contain one or more characteristics or descriptions ( i . e ., for the male deck of cards 20 a “ a golf club ,” “ a plumber ,” and “ a tree ” and for the female deck of cards 20 b “ a librarian ,” “ a cowgirl ,” and “ a pool table .”). each of the other respective playing cards will have other characteristics or descriptions , for example a fictional character , a professional , an object , an animal , a celebrity , an athlete , a politician , a historical person and / or the player / team &# 39 ; s choice . it is also contemplated that the front side of the playing cards 20 may provide other particular locations and situations ( i . e ., a nightclub , a funeral , a sporting event , a first date , etc .). in some aspects of the present invention , replacement decks of cards ( male or female ) are contemplated that can replace the first and second decks of cards , which may occur after the first and second decks of cards are exhausted through repeated play . in some aspect of the present invention , one team ( i . e ., a single player or two or more players on a team ) is the “ roller ” who during game play picks by his / her / their choice one card from the first deck and one card from the second deck to put into play ( i . e ., a male at a costume party dressed as ( front side of the respective card from the first deck ) a pirate ( provided on the back side of the respective card from the first deck , whether as the only characteristic or description provided or one picked from a list ), and a female at a costume party dressed as ( front side of the respective card from the second deck ) a witch ( provided on the back side of the respective card from the first deck , whether as the only characteristic or description provided or one picked from a list )). the roller &# 39 ; s choices are announced to all teams ( i . e . a single player or two or more players on a team ), and the rest of the players then write the read characteristics or descriptions ( i . e ., pirate and witch ) down in the appropriate space on an answer sheet or pad 50 . in some aspects , variations to the general game are provided that involve drawing multiple cards from the same gender labeled deck ( i . e ., drawing two cards from the first deck “ the male ” cards ). in some aspects , all players , with the exception of the roller , then write down a creative , clever and / or catchy phrase ( i . e ., flirtatious conversation ) that may be used or overheard in the particular recited situation ( i . e ., costume party ) between the two recited characteristics or descriptions provided by the reader ( i . e ., the two people dressed up in said costumes ), and then each player / team provides a means for identification ( i . e ., initials or name ) on their submission in the space provided on the answer sheet or pad 50 . submissions are collected by the reader who , when all submissions are collected , randomly reads them aloud for all to hear . the roller then makes guesses out loud ( roller not allowed to view the submissions ) in an attempt to match the submitted phrase with the correct person whom submitted the phrase . with each guess the reader marks in the appropriate area on submitted answer pads whether the roller guessed correctly or not . after guesses are made and before the author for each is revealed the roller picks their favorite submission . points are then awarded ; one point to the roller for each correct guess , one point to every player who the roller did not guess correctly , and two points to the player who authored the roller &# 39 ; s favorite submission . the number of awarded points to each team is kept track until a team reaches a designated number of points . in some aspects , the number of awarded points is kept track until a designated number of plays or rounds of plays . in some alternative aspects of a board - game variant , players / teams move their respective pawn 40 the appropriate spaces 32 on the game board 30 corresponding to the number of points awarded , one space per point awarded . rounds are repeated until one or more players moves from the start space 32 a the number of spaces 32 on the game board 30 until the finish square 32 a ′ is reached , who then is deemed the winner ( s ). in some embodiments , such as shown in fig1 , the game starts by laying out the game - board 30 and each player / team choosing a colored pawn / marking piece 40 for use in marking movement along the spaces 32 of the game board 30 for the duration of the game , and an answer sheet or pad 50 in which to write answers for submittal to the reader for each round . while the number of players is not fixed , 4 to 8 teams ( a team being a single player or two or more players per team ), is most desirable . fun and successful game play with multiple teams of up to 4 players on a team ( creating large group play ) are contemplated by the present invention . a determination is made to establish which player will become the first roller and first reader , which may be designated as the player to the immediate right of the roller . once established , the roller determines which cards to be drawn through a roll of the die 60 ( or other chance determining device ) and draws the appropriate cards as compelled them by the rules of the game . the roller then picks , of their choice , one characteristic or description on the back of the card / list 20 and reads them aloud to all players as it relates to the particular situation ( i . e ., costume party , dressed up as . . . ). in an alternative aspect , the playing card or list 20 may contain six listed characteristics or descriptions and the role of the die 60 determines which of the characteristics or descriptions are to be picked ( i . e ., a role of a 4 determines the fourth listed characteristic or description to be picked ). in another alternative aspect , the playing card or list 20 contains five listed characteristics or descriptions and the role of the die 60 determines which of the characteristics or descriptions to be picked , with a role of “ 6 ” being a free choice or the roller creating their own characteristic or description . once the roller reads the characteristic or description aloud , all players , with the exception of the roller , then write down a creative , clever and / or catchy phrase ( i . e ., flirtatious conversation ) that may be used or overheard in the particular recited situation ( i . e ., costume party ) between the two recited characteristics or descriptions provided by the reader ( i . e ., the two people dressed up in said costumes ), and then each player / team puts a means for identification ( i . e ., initials or name ) on their submission in the space provided on the answer sheet or pad 50 . submissions are collected by the reader who , when all submissions are collected , randomly reads them aloud for all to hear . the roller then makes guesses out loud ( roller not allowed to view the submissions ) in an attempt to match submitted answers with the correct author . with each guess the reader marks in the appropriate area on submitted answer sheet 50 whether the roller guessed correctly or not . after guesses are made and before the author for each is revealed the roller picks their favorite submission . points are then awarded ; one point to the roller for each correct guess , one point to every player who the roller did not guess correctly , and two points to the player who authored the roller &# 39 ; s favorite submission . players then move their pawn 40 the appropriate space ( s ) 32 on the game board 32 , one space per point awarded . rounds are repeated until one or more players reach the finish square , who are then deemed the winner ( s ). as the socially interactive game of the present invention may be played as described above , there are variations that warrant distinguishing for altered versions of the game that may be successfully played . scoring : a compact version for circumstances where space is limited ( preventing use of a game board ), or for players that choose not to have organized seating ( creating a more relaxed atmosphere ), successful scoring may be kept in the following ways : score sheet : players may be listed on a provided score sheet and hash marks are kept for points for each player . turns are then determined by following the list of players in order , allowing for the moving about by players during game play while still keeping order and organization . game can be played until a player ( s ) either reaches a predetermined point level or ; a predetermined number of cards read or rounds are played , with the winner being the player ( s ) with the highest point total . chip markers : players may receive a chip or marker for each point awarded with the winner being the player ( s ) who either reaches a predetermined marker total or , a predetermined number of cards read or rounds being played , with the winner being the player ( s ) with the highest marker count . character determination : in some embodiments , the first and / or second deck of cards may be replaced by printed lists ( i . e ., list of costume options ). it is contemplated that a comprehensive list may be developed that includes numerous characteristics or descriptions that ( i . e ., objects , people , professions , animals , television / movie roles or characters , cartoon and comic characters and so on and so forth ) that the roller refers to and simply chooses from to determine the two ( or sometimes more ) characteristics or descriptions to announce for game play . roller authors a submission : in some embodiments , the authoring of phrases ( i . e ., flirtatious ) is one of the most alluring aspects of the game . in some aspects , the roller also offers a submission . when guessing , the roller may guess their own submission , and depending on a determination before the game is played , may or may not receive points for guessing their own submission . in some aspects , the favorite point ( s ) are awarded through a poll of all players ( except the reader , who has viewed and knows the author of all the submissions ). players may vote for their own submission but do not get credit for that vote . designated reader : in some aspects , the enjoyment of the socially interactive game of the present invention may be enhanced when one player who has a knack for reading and delivering the submissions with precise timing and emphasis reads all of the submissions ( except for when they become roller ). in some aspects , the enjoyment of the socially interactive game of the present invention may be enhanced when one player who is perceived to be shy reads and delivers all the submissions . if either of these variations are used , scoring in the above game description and variations must be altered as to not provide a disadvantage to the said reader , such as being able to vote and score on their own submission when voting for ‘ favorite ’ points , etc . another objective of the present invention is to set forth a series of other variations or embodiments that may be played with the exact same game play ( players write submissions and scorer guesses ) and rules ( scoring ) as previously described , with the difference being the drawn item ( cards ). the following described game - play variations are provided for example purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention . while all of the following described game - play variations provide socially interactive game play that is both fun and amusing , they have been given generic names for example purposes only . flirt ! : a first “ male gender ” deck of cards 20 a and a second “ female gender ” deck of cards 20 b are provided . the certain described situation on the front side of each of the cards in the first and second deck pertains to the respective gender dressed up at a costume party ( i . e ., a guy / gal at a costume party dressed up as . . . ) and then the back side of the respective card having one or more characters ( i . e ., categories of characters may include a fictional character , a professional , an object , an animal , a celebrity , an athlete , a politician , a historical person and / or the player &# 39 ; s choice ). the players / teams then write down a clever or catchy flirtatious phrase that may be heard between the two or more characters ( i . e ., a pirate ( male card ) and a witch ( female card )). the flirtatious phrase or line heard between the two or more characteristics or descriptions may be a pick - up line , put - down , or other general statement that may be heard in a flirtatious conversation between the chosen characters . scoring and other game - play may be followed as previously described . captions ! : an image or photo is substituted for the drawn card decks for the previous described embodiments . the roller then chooses an image or picture and presents it to the other players , who then write a clever caption as their submission to the reader . again , play and scoring may be the same as the previously presented embodiments , including the flirt ! game - play embodiment . images may be a hard copy photo , or photo / image from a multi - media source such as an internet site , cellular phone application , or a data / information storage and retrieval device ( flash drive or memory stick ). favorank ! : two decks of cards replace the decks from the previous described embodiments . one deck of cards is labeled with ‘ top 5 ’ on one side of each card and a category of favorites ( ex . top 5 favorite foods ) on the reverse side . the other deck of drawn cards is labeled ‘ rank &# 39 ; em ’ on one side of each card and a categorical list ( i . e ., music groups : led zeppelin , boston , ac / dc , bon jovi , abba ) on the reverse side of each card . the roll of a die ( or other chance determining device ) decides which deck the roller chooses from . if drawn from the ‘ top 5 ’ deck , the roller presents the category to the other players who then write their top five favorites for that category and submit to the roller to be read . if drawn from the ‘ rank &# 39 ; em ’ deck , the players list ( rank in order of preference , 1 being the highest preference ) the subjects listed on the card . the players then submit to the reader their preferred lists , to which the roller tries to guess who authored each list . scoring and other game - play may be followed as previously described . sin taxing ! : the two decks from the previously described embodiments are replaced with one deck labeled on one side of each card with the games name and a list of peculiar words on the reverse side . the roller draws a card , and chooses from the list a word they then present to the other players . the other players then must use that word in a sentence , write that sentence as their submission and give to the reader to be read aloud . the chooser then guesses who authored each submission . the hilarity and enjoyment comes from the chosen words that may be in various languages , and have a peculiar syntax associated with them . scoring and other game - play may be followed as previously described . best and worst of life or the worst board game : the two decks used in the previously described embodiments are replaced with one deck labeled ‘ the best ’ on one side of each card and a situation or category ( i . e ., place to vacation , movie , etc .) on the reverse side of the card ; and one deck labeled ‘ the worst ’ on one side of each card and a situation or category ( i . e ., place to vacation , movie , etc .) on the reverse side of the card . the roll of a die ( or other chance determining device ) decides which deck the roller chooses from . the roller draws a card and presents the subject to the other players who then write a submission . for example , should the situation or category be “ the best place to vacation ?” a player may write “ alaska ,” or if the situation or category is “ the worst movie ?” a player may write “ rocky iv .” the written submissions are given to the reader to be read aloud . again , the roller then guesses at which player authored each submission . scoring and other game - play may be followed as previously described . yo ( blankety blank )! or ad ( bleeping ) libs : a single deck of drawn cards replaces the two decks used in the previously described embodiments . the deck labeled ‘ yo !’ or ‘ bleep !’ on one side of each card and a character and related adjective in a certain described situation on the reverse side of the card ( i . e ., your sister is such a bad driver that . . . ). the roller draws a card and presents the subject to the other players who simply finish the sentence ( i . e ., situation may be “ your sister is such a bad driver that ” with the answer being “ her car is encased in bubblewrap ”). the written submissions are provided to the reader to be read aloud . the guesser again tries to choose which player authored each submission . scoring and other game - play may be followed as previously described . a variation has the players filling in the blanks ( instead of “ your sister ”, they may fill in a blank that may be labeled (( person in room ) is such a bad ( adjective ) that . . . ) and then they finish the sentence to complete their submission . acronyms or acromotto : a single deck of drawn cards replaces the two decks used in the previously described embodiments . the deck labeled ‘ acronym ’ on one side of each card and an acronym on the reverse side of the card ( i . e ., fbi ). the roller draws a card and presents the acronym to the other players to provide a submission of what the acronym might also stand for . in some aspects , the acronym may be chosen from a list . after all of the player &# 39 ; s submissions , the submissions are read aloud by the reader . the chooser then guesses who authored each submission . the hilarity and enjoyment comes from the submitted answers . scoring and other game - play may be followed as previously described , and an additional point may be awarded for providing a motto assigned to give submission .	0
with reference to fig1 a , 2 b and 3 a , there is shown an architecture for delivering healthcare communications services ( e . g ., cpoe ) to the point of care ( poc ) for healthcare users ( e . g ., physicians , nurses , orderlies , etc .). the architecture comprises a host processing entity 100 ( hereinafter “ host ”), which consists of one or multiple instantiations , based on size , capacity , physical partitioning , and other factors , disposed between a core hospital network 114 and a plurality of end user devices 104 . examples of a poc where a fixed - wire end user device 104 may be employed include a patient bedside or a ward , an operating theater and an examination room . on the other hand , the use of a wireless end user device 104 allows the healthcare user a greater deal of flexibility , whereby the actual location of the poc will be governed by movement of the healthcare user . both scenarios , as well as variations and combinations thereof , are within the scope of the present invention . with specific reference to fig1 , the core hospital network 114 comprises a secure healthcare information network ( shin ) 160 , as well as a general hospital information system 170 . these two networks may be physically separate or the secure hospital information network may be protected from the general hospital information system 170 by a degree of separation involving firewalls , additional security , gateway functions , dedicated vpn &# 39 ; s and the like . the secure healthcare information network 160 is connected to the host 100 via a communication link 123 . the secure healthcare information network 160 interconnects various hospital entities , such as radiology ( connected to a pacs system ), diet , scheduling , pharmacy , cardiology , billing , laboratories , local electronic health records , etc . the secure healthcare information network 160 also maintains a healthcare aaa database 162 , which contains information allowing healthcare users to be authenticated . in an embodiment , the healthcare aaa database 162 comprises a collection of healthcare user identities and securely held corroborating evidence , along with an associated access profile for each healthcare user , which will include a dynamic patient access list based on the hospital &# 39 ; s admissions database together with a specific mapping of who has what accessible data , based upon professional qualifications , status and allocation to patient treatment teams , which itself may be dynamic , especially for shift workers such as nurses . the secure healthcare information network 160 may further interconnect to other hospital information systems via a firewall . the cpoe - at - the - poc architecture of fig1 a , 2 b and 3 provides authenticated healthcare users with real - time bidirectional access to a suite of clinical tools and databases which can assist their productivity and accuracy while interacting with the patient and making decisions about the patient &# 39 ; s condition and treatment . this is achieved by providing access to a suite of clinical services and applications in the host 100 which can interact with the secure hospital information network 160 under the direction of authenticated users in order to permit access to records of the patient , including historical records , results from recent / ongoing tests , previous / ongoing treatments and drug regimens , etc ., while also allowing the authenticated healthcare user to capture his / her decision on patient condition , diagnosis , treatment orders and drug orders to the pharmacy , etc ., in a direct - entry process proven to reduce the incidence of clinical errors . this approach allows the use of real - time decision information support tools ( dist ) which can reside in the hospital core network 114 or which might reside as a service on an application server in the host 100 . such tools provide validation of clinician orders , for instance by checking medical records for other drug prescriptions that are in effect which might lead to a drug interaction with the newly prescribed drug and cause an adverse drug reaction ( adr ). naturally , the healthcare user is first authenticated to be who he / she claims to be , and then the healthcare user is admitted on a limited basis to the host 100 and the core hospital network 114 , based upon his / her access profile . the healthcare user can then access the necessary clinical tools to access patient data for those patients they are authorized to access to a level of read , read / write or write access as allocated from an aaa server located in the hospital core network 114 . the host 100 communicates with each end user device 104 via a respective communications link 138 , which may be either an entirely fixed - wire link ( fig2 a ) or a partly fixed - wire and partly wireless link ( fig2 b ) or even a completely wireless link , depending on the nature of the end user device 104 and the intermediate access transmission system . the communications link 138 may be implemented as a physical end - to - end link or it may be in series with a virtual encrypted link over an interposed general purpose network . suitable non - limiting examples of fixed - wire cabling for the communications link 138 include coaxial cable , as well as twisted pair ( e . g ., access - side pbx , cat 2 - 3 or cat 5 ). in another embodiment , the host 100 is connected via ethernet connections ( e . g ., native ethernet or ethernet over dsl ) to wireless base stations or access points to provide wireless lan service to areas ( such as examination rooms ) throughout the hospital . with specific reference to fig2 a , there is shown a first variant of the host 100 , which is used to communicate over fixed - wire links 138 with fixed - wire end user devices 104 . the host 100 comprises an interface ( i / f ) 142 , a session controller 120 , a routing entity ( e . g ., a router or switch ) 112 , a plurality of application servers 144 a , . . . , 144 n , a healthcare authentication entity 116 , an operating system server 180 and a second interface ( i / f ) 141 . the routing entity 112 interconnects the various components of the host 100 . the interface 141 connects the routing entity 112 to the secure healthcare information network 160 via link 123 . the interface 142 connects the session controller 120 to the end user devices 104 . in a specific embodiment , the interface 142 may comprise a plurality of dedicated ethernet ports . with specific reference to fig2 b , there is shown a second variant of the host 100 , which is used to communicate over partly fixed - wire , partly wireless links 138 with end user devices 104 that are mobile . in addition to the components described above in the context of the fixed - wire scenario , there are some differences in the scenario of fig2 b since the connectivity between individual ports at the interface 142 and the end user devices 104 accessing those ports is no longer static , with both mobility ( different terminals attaching to the same port ) and roaming ( terminals moving between ports ) being possible . specifically , there is provided a network of wireless lan access points ( only one of which is shown at 192 ) that is connected to the interface 142 over a fixed - wire link and that communicates over a wireless link to one or more end user devices 104 . since the wireless lan access point 192 can simultaneously service multiple remote terminals , this requires that multiple concurrent but entirely separate sessions to multiple end user devices 104 ( operating under different users and authentications ) be accommodated on a single port into the interface 142 . the leads to the requirement that multiple concurrent and / or overlapping sessions , each with a potentially unique user access policy , be supported on a common port . it is the role of a wireless security switch ( wss ) 190 ( an available entity associated with the control of wlan users and security ), to meet these requirements by handling the multiple connections to various end user devices , as well as authentication at a device level . in addition , the wireless security switch 190 handles to wide variety of security threats and attacks not encountered in fixed - wire solutions . of course , other variants of the above architectures exist and do not limit the scope of the present invention . these include , for example , scenarios where the communication links 138 are fully wireless , or where the end user devices are wireless but not necessarily portable ( e . g ., computer on wheels — cow ), etc . the application servers 144 a , . . . , 144 n are responsible for running and executing healthcare applications ( such as cpoe services , decision information support tools — dist , prescription drug order entry services , radiology image viewing services , etc .) and storing temporary medical data ( volatile or otherwise ) required by those applications under the direction of the authenticated user . one or more of the application servers 144 a , . . . , 144 n may also be responsible for data gathering from the core hospital network 114 , which is achieved by communicating with a topology database ( not shown ) in the secure healthcare information network 160 via the routing entity 112 and the interface 141 or a specific server in the host 100 equipped with physician request / database mining software . this may require access to the secure healthcare information network 160 and therefore the particular healthcare application may comprise a data mining sub - function which places data requests to the secure healthcare information network 160 and receives the requested data in return . in a small hospital the application servers 144 a , . . . , 144 n might be implemented on a single computing device . however , in a larger hospital deployment with perhaps hundreds of terminals , a single computer - based server may be inadequate . in this case , the application servers 144 a , . . . , 144 n evolve into an application server “ complex ” with various specialized servers interconnected by a router or switch and with one server providing the master sequencing and data display formatting . the use of a server complex has several advantages . firstly , multiple application servers can provide some form of protection against failure so that , in the event of a server failure , the system slows down but does not fail , with other servers picking up the traffic load of the failed server . also , a centralized suite of servers makes application software upgrades much smoother and easier , especially relative to trying to upgrade such software if it were resident in mobile terminals , some of which are guaranteed not to be on - site at the time of upgrade , in addition to the sheer number of machines to upgrade . additionally , an individual server can be taken out of service for an upgrade or for application suite upgrade without taking the system down , and that upgrade can be exhaustively checked before returning the server to the system . the end user devices 104 may take many forms based upon the nature of the communications link 138 ( fixed - wire in fig2 a , wlan in fig2 b , etc . ), and whether the end user devices 104 are fixed ( e . g . workstations in fig2 a ) or mobile ( e . g . tablet pc &# 39 ; s , pda &# 39 ; s in fig2 b ). the end user devices 104 may contain their own operating systems in non - volatile storage . alternatively , parts or all of the operating system and applications ( if any ) may be downloaded from the operating system server 180 into a volatile memory store on start - up or network attachment . this latter option has various advantages , one of which is that the need for a hard drive or similar non - volatile memory store is eliminated ( although those skilled in the art will appreciate that the size of the downloaded operating system or the downloaded portions of the operating system should be kept relatively small in order to make the attachment time reasonable ). a second advantage of having all or part of the operating system downloaded from the operating system server 180 into volatile memory is that the end user device 104 will be rendered incapable of operation in the absence of the hospital network after it is detached from the specific hospital network or has been through a detached power - down cycle . this latter reason makes the unit less valuable to a thief and the terminal can truthfully be labeled with “ this terminal will not operate outside this hospital ”. of course , to enable the operating system to be downloaded into volatile memory of the end user device 104 , the host 100 needs to recognize that such a download is required . accordingly , the interface 142 provides a terminal identifier functional unit ( tifu ) 199 , which may be implemented as a processing unit or as an application - specific integrated circuit and whose role it is to recognize the capabilities of the end user device 104 in a variety of ways . these include the possibility of integrating a specific identifier built in to the end user device being attached , which can be interrogated by the tifu 199 early in the terminal attachment process . for example , the terminal identifier functional unit 199 is operable to recognize whether a particular end user device 104 is of the type that requires the operating system to be downloaded from the operating system server 180 or it may be operable to identify which parts of which operating system will be required to be downloaded to the terminal in order to render it operable , based upon the identifier received from the end user device and on a look - up table map relating the terminal type code to the required download components , this table residing either in the tifu 199 or in the operating system server 180 . even without any or part of an operating system , the end user device 104 may run boot code from rom which , on attachment or power - up , notifies the terminal identifier functional unit 199 of its type and basic capabilities so that the correct settings can be made within the operating system server 180 . in some embodiments , all of the operating system from may need to be downloaded from the operating system server 180 into the volatile memory of the end user device 104 , whereas in other embodiments , only part of the operating system may need to be downloaded into the volatile memory of the end user device 104 . these are examples of a “ thin client ” architecture , where the end user device functionality is strictly contained , where minimal ( or no ) autonomous processing occurs in the device so as to render it a dependent entity of the host 100 . as has been mentioned , however , the use of the operating system server 180 is not required , as where the operating system is stored in non - volatile memory on the end user devices 104 . in such cases ( e . g ., when the end user device 104 has full workstation capability ) the terminal identifier functional unit 199 may still be used , but merely for the purposes of setting up the scope and nature of future session - related data from the application servers 144 a , . . . , 144 n to the end user device 104 . thus , if used , the operating system server 180 comprises operating system software for the end user devices 104 in order to allow the end user terminals to contain reduced non - volatile memory resources than standard terminals . the operating system download process is illustrated by the numeral 260 in fig2 a and 2b . basic non - volatile boot code running on the end user devices 104 connects with the terminal identifier functional unit 199 and then with the download server 180 , to cause the appropriate operating system to be downloaded from the operating system server 180 into a volatile memory store on the end user device 104 . a further variation would be to have the operating system server 180 download to the terminal 104 just enough operating system code to allow the end user device 104 to formulate and transmit an initial “ authentication request message ” to the host 100 . upon authentication ( to be described later on ), the user of the end user device 104 is known and it is now possible , based on the access profile of the user , to download to the end user device 104 the remainder of the appropriate operating system for that end user device 104 ( and for the user associated therewith ). this permits customized operating system downloads to the end user device 104 , depending on both the operational characteristics of the end user device and the customization preferences of the end user , which is advantageous from the point of view of flexibility . other advantages of the multi - stage operating system download are apparent from the following scenario . consider the case where a clinician , who has been operating a remote portable device that has exhausted its battery charge , places that unit into a charger and picks up a replacement charged unit . at power - up , the boot code in the new end user device 104 causes a negotiation with the tifu 199 which allows a download of just enough operating system code to formulate and transmit an authentication request message containing the user &# 39 ; s authentication primitives . after successful authentication of the user , the operating system server 180 downloads the same operating system and customizations as the old device , which , due to the volatile nature of its operating system store , has reverted to being a generic non - functional unit awaiting a new operating system load . it is noted that the above advantages apply particularly to the case where the end user device 104 is a mobile device , which allows a hard drive to be dispensed with , hence eliminating a source of power consumption , cost , weight , shortened battery duration and security risk ( in case clinical information should be written to that hard drive ). nonetheless , certain advantages can be gained even if the end user device is equipped with a hard drive for storing part of the operating system . to achieve these advantages , the main enablers of the operating system as well as the end user device customizations could be placed into volatile memory and those elements would ideally be constrained to such a size as to allow a rapid download . in the context of 802 . 11a wlan communications , and assuming no more than 25 % of the wlan access point 192 capacity is consumed in the “ squirt ” of a terminal load , then the maximum load that can be delivered per second would be around 6 mbps ( i . e ., 25 % of 25 mbps — which is the maximum actual payload rate of “ 54 mb / s ” 802 . 11 ). this would allow 750 kilobytes worth of operating system or operating system customization files to be delivered per one second . it is noted that , for portable and hand - held devices , these numbers allow very large operating systems and operating system customization files to be downloaded in a relatively short period of time that would be imperceptible to a user accustomed to a ordinary “ warm - up times ” on the order of 1 - 5 seconds . the authentication process , shown by numeral 250 in fig2 a and 2b , is controlled by the session controller 120 in conjunction with the healthcare authentication entity 116 . specifically , the session controller 120 , which can be implemented in a non - limiting way as a general purpose computing entity having a routing functionality , is operative to detect an authentication request message ( i . e ., a request for a new session with a particular one of the healthcare application servers 144 a , . . . , 144 n ) received from one of the end user devices 104 . the session controller 120 then performs a high - level validation of the authentication request message . for instance , the session controller 120 may ensure that the proper parts of authentication request message are present and consistent with the expected message structure , and that each part &# 39 ; s content is properly structured , but without concern for whether the specific user is a valid or authorized user . the session controller 120 then sends the validated authentication request message to the healthcare authentication entity 116 . since the session controller 120 only outputs validated authentication request messages to the healthcare authentication entity 116 , it may throttle message rates from specific terminals to 116 . this frees 116 from having to deal with bogus , poorly formatted or incomplete messages and prevents denial of service attacks from reaching the healthcare authentication entity 116 and hence the healthcare aaa database 162 . the healthcare authentication entity 116 communicates with the healthcare aaa database 162 in the core hospital network 114 via the routing entity 112 in an attempt to authenticate the user . the healthcare authentication entity 116 , which can be implemented as a computing entity , performs authentication of healthcare users based on a validated authentication request message received from the end user device 104 via the session controller 120 , which , as described above , detects the presence of an authentication request message in the traffic flow from the terminal 104 , and then extracts and validates the message format but not its contents . the remainder of the authentication process 250 can then take on one of many forms , including but not limited to the following two examples . under a first possibility , on reception of a validly formatted authentication request message from 120 , the healthcare authentication entity 116 sends a query containing all the received parameters of the authentication request message to a server in the secure healthcare information network 160 where the healthcare aaa database 162 is contained , in an attempt to allow that server to authenticate the user . the server in the secure healthcare information network 160 extracts , from user credentials carried in the authentication request message , an indication of who the user is claiming to be ( i . e ., user identity ) in addition to proof ( i . e ., corroborating evidence ) that the user is who he or she is claiming to be . the user identity is used to index the healthcare aaa database 162 which contains stored corroborating evidence for each healthcare user . if the stored corroborating evidence stored in the healthcare aaa database 162 corresponding to the user identity matches the corroborating evidence in the authentication request message , then the authentication is said to have been successful . the server in the secure healthcare information network 160 provides the healthcare authentication entity 116 with an indication that the authentication process 250 has been successful in addition to an “ access profile ” which indicates , e . g ., the permissions given to the user with respect to the application servers 144 a , . . . , 144 n and / or the set of resources in the secure healthcare information network 160 . the use of an access profile permits control of the healthcare information and resources being made accessible to different healthcare users . for example , the access profile for a healthcare user who is a clinician or nurse may list the patients forming his or her case load , together with selective permissions for accessing specific levels or areas of information regarding those patients , dependent upon the user &# 39 ; s authentication credentials and actual task assignments . under a second possibility , the healthcare authentication entity 116 itself extracts the user identity and the corroborating evidence from the user credentials in the authentication request message . the user identity is supplied to the healthcare aaa database 162 in the secure healthcare information network 160 , which returns stored corroborating evidence corresponding to the user identity , as well as the access profile associated with the user . the healthcare authentication entity 116 then compares the returned corroborating evidence with the corroborating evidence extracted from the user credentials carried in the authentication request message . if there is a match , then the authentication process 250 is said to have been successful . these two variants described above result in different partitions of workload and therefore one approach may be preferred over the other , depending on operational requirements . those skilled in the art will be familiar with yet other variants of the authentication process 250 that are within the scope of the invention . upon successful authentication , the session controller 120 establishes a communication channel between the end user device 104 and the chosen one of the healthcare application servers 144 a , . . . , 144 n , allowing the chosen healthcare application server to open a healthcare “ session ” with the user . at this point , the healthcare application servers 144 a , . . . , 144 n begin configuring data for the end user device 104 , at a level dependent upon the needs of the end user device 104 . these needs may be different for a basic thin client / display emulation terminal than for a fully featured workstation , at the level of display characteristics , screen presentation , graphics , active information , input boxes , etc . the knowledge of the end user device configuration is obtained during the initial procedure 260 described above , whereby the terminal identifier functional unit 199 learns of the terminal characteristics of the end user device 104 . a page formatter is an example of an application in the application servers 144 a , . . . , 144 n that can provide data for the end user device 104 in pages that are pre - formatted for display in the event that the terminal is a wholly dependent thin client or display emulating terminal . now , at any time during the session and for a variety of reasons , the session controller 120 may need to instruct the end user device 104 to take action to preserve the confidentiality of sensitive healthcare information stored therein . for example , this may arise in the event of forced or voluntary session termination , or when the authenticated user is detected to have traveled far from the end user device 104 ( as determined from a triangulation operation , for example , involving multiple wireless access points 192 ), or again if no user activity has been detected for a specific duration of time . depending on the circumstances , the action to be taken by the end user device 104 may range from “ mild ” ( e . g ., causing the terminal screen to go blank or taking other reversible steps to put the session temporarily into stasis or reversibly removing various forms of access to the session ) to “ severe ” ( e . g ., causing a complete and permanent end to that particular authorized session and fully removing components of the session stored in the volatile memory , by erasing the contents of the volatile memory 212 ). it is expected that various forms of “ mild ” and “ severe ” responses will be taken in response to various “ at - risk ” conditions during a session . for instance , and purely as an illustration , the absence of a clinician input may make the screen blank after 30 seconds . after a further minute of no input a password will be required to unblank the screen . after another five minutes the screen and keyboard will remain locked out unless the authentication primitives are re - entered . after 20 minutes or after the entry of a different authentication primitive the session is erased . note that the data is held secure from view by anyone except the authenticated person after the first 30 seconds , but that the authenticated clinician can retrieve and continue the session at any time up to 20 minutes after the last input . furthermore , optionally the session can be archived for retrieval by the clinician in a central location within the host 100 . more details regarding the actions taken by the end user device 104 will be provided following a description of various embodiments of the end user device 104 with reference to fig3 , 5 and 6 . with reference first to fig3 , the end user device 104 comprises a network interface 208 , a main processor 214 , a message formulator 210 , a set of i / o devices 202 , an authentication device 204 , a volatile memory store ( e . g ., ram ) 212 and a session data control module 228 . other embodiments including a non - volatile memory store , an encryption module and an rf - id reader will be described later with specific reference to fig4 and 6 , respectively . for the purposes of this description , and by way of example only , the end user device 104 could be a fixed - wire device or a mobile wireless device . the network interface 208 is connected to the main processor 214 via a link 304 , to the session data control module 228 via a link 302 and to the message formulator 210 via a link 306 . the network interface 208 may comprise a multiplexer . in a downstream direction ( host 100 to end user device 104 ), the network interface 208 recognizes messages destined for the main processor 214 as well as messages destined for the session data control module 228 . the network interface 208 has the capability to discern the various types of messages and route them to the proper functional element via link 302 or 304 , as appropriate . in the upstream direction ( end user device 104 to host 100 ), the network interface 208 receives messages destined for the host 100 as received from the message formulator 210 via link 306 and from the main processor 214 via link 304 . the network interface 208 has the capability to combine these messages and transmit them to the host 100 along the communications link 138 . in a specific embodiment , the network interface 208 does not have the capability to connect outgoing messages on link 304 from the processor onto link 302 , the line to the session data control module 228 , which is required only to be accessible to / from the host 100 , in order to ensure control security , should the main processor 214 become contaminated with illicit software code by means - unknown . furthermore , formatted messages generated in the message formulator 210 are only visible to the host 100 and it is required that the network interface 208 be incapable of making these messages visible on link 304 back into the main processor 214 , preventing the main processor 214 and its memory ( some of which may be non - volatile ) from reading and storing these messages , which would be a security leak if authentication request messages could be recovered by the physical theft of the terminal or from spyware downloaded into the end user device 104 by means / people unknown . the authentication device 204 may include one or more of , for example , a magnetic card reader , a bar code scanner ( e . g ., for reading a user &# 39 ; s bracelet ), a biometric ( e . g ., fingerprint , iris ) scanner , etc ., the operation of which may or may not be augmented by a password or pin . the authentication device 204 receives authentication primitives input by the user . the authentication device 204 supplies these authentication primitives to the message formulator 210 via a link 314 . the i / o devices 202 may include , for example , a keyboard / mouse arrangement with a display having a built - in touch screen . the i / o devices 202 receive input ( e . g ., physician order entries and responses , etc .) which is provided to the main processor 214 via a link 316 for transmission to the host 100 via the network interface 208 . the i / o devices 202 also receive data from the main processor 214 via the link 316 which is to be output to the user ( e . g ., in the form of an image or sound ). the i / o devices 202 may also receive some of the authentication primitives ( e . g ., user name and password or pin ) input by the user . if this is the case , the i / o devices 202 provide these authentication primitives to the message formulator 210 via a link 320 . the message formulator 210 is responsible for formulating authentication request messages based on the authentication primitives received from the authentication device 204 ( via link 314 ) and possibly the i / o devices 202 ( via link 320 ). the message formulator 210 is operable to send the generated authentication request messages to network interface 208 via link 306 . the message formulator 210 is also operable to detect when the user has requested to terminate or suspend the current session , either explicitly by an end - of - session command or series of commands interpreted from the keyboard inputs or from the withdrawal of an enabling element , such as an authentication device 204 , or implicitly by specifying a new set of authentication primitives . such a message indicative of session termination or suspension is sent via link 308 to the session data control module 228 , which will take appropriate action as described herein below . the volatile memory store 212 stores data required for the main processor 214 to run a session with one of the application servers 144 a , . . . , 144 n , for a particular user of the end user device 104 . this data may include a downloaded operating system , i / o drivers and software for human - machine interface ( hmi ), display formatting and data collection . in addition , the data to be stored in the volatile memory store 212 includes sensitive healthcare information ( e . g ., clinical data ), which may be delivered in pages formatted in the host 100 for display via one of the i / o devices 202 , analogous to web pages . the portions of the data corresponding to sensitive healthcare information may be stored in a predetermined portion of the volatile memory store 212 . the data being written to and read from the volatile memory store 212 by the main processor 214 is carried along a link 322 . the volatile memory store 212 is connected to the session data control module 228 by a link 310 having the potential to carry a signal which at times causes the volatile memory store 212 to render the sensitive healthcare information inaccessible to the user of the end user device 104 . this result can be achieved in a variety of ways , including erasing , scrambling or resetting a section of the memory , etc . the main processor 214 manages the processing load presented by the operating system , and runs local applications which are primarily associated with data collection , formatting and display . for example , the main processor 214 may implement a web browser for receiving user input from the i / o devices 202 via link 316 , displaying still images and interacting with the user via input boxes for applications which have been centralized in the host 100 . the main processor 214 may also implement an mpeg decoder or media player for display of video images , and a voice codec for audio input / output . the main processor 214 accesses the volatile memory store 212 via link 322 . in addition , the main processor 214 is connected to the session data control module 228 by a link 312 having the potential to carry messages from the session data control module 228 instructing the main processor 214 to enable / disable the screen display , keyboard input functions and other i / o devices 202 . the session data control module 228 is connected to the message formulator 210 via link 308 , to the network interface 208 via link 302 , to the terminal processor 314 via link 312 and to the volatile memory store 212 via link 310 . in some embodiments , it may be advantageous to implement the session data control module 228 as a hardware or software module external to the main processor 214 , allowing a separate messaging channel to be maintained between the session controller 120 and the session data control module 228 via the network interface 208 . such an implementation prevents the session data control module 228 from being influenced or corrupted by nefarious code arriving at the main processor 214 and also this overcomes some start - up sequencing issues , especially with the multi - stage operating system download described earlier . moreover , actions can be taken to preserve the confidentiality of sensitive healthcare information , irrespective of the state of the main processor 214 . still , it is within the scope of the invention to implement the session data control module 228 as a hardware or software module internal to the main processor 214 . the session data control module 228 receives stimuli from the host 100 ( via the network interface 208 and link 302 ) and from the user ( via the message formulator 210 and link 308 ). examples of stimuli received from the host 100 via the network interface 208 and link 302 include but are not limited to “ pilot ” messages which indicate that a session is ongoing and not yet terminated , as well as messages that require the session data control module 228 to preserve confidentiality of the sensitive healthcare information . such messages may be session termination messages , or messages indicating that the user has been detected to be a certain distance away from the end user device 104 ( as determined from a triangulation operation , for example , involving multiple wireless access points 192 ). examples of stimuli received from the user via the message formulator 210 via link 308 include messages indicative of a user request to terminate the current session ( either explicitly or implicitly by specifying a new set of authentication primitives ) or to suspend the current session . the purpose of the session data control module 228 is to apply a policy ( either preconfigured or securely downloaded from the host 100 ) in order to assemble the stimuli received from various sources with a view to determining whether action needs to be taken to preserve the confidentiality of the sensitive healthcare information stored in the volatile memory store 212 . the actions taken by the session data control module 228 can range from severe ( e . g ., irreversible , which is useful when a session is terminated or a connection is lost ) to mild ( e . g ., reversible , which is useful when a session is temporarily interrupted or suspended ). fig7 shows an example of a policy resulting in “ severe ” action to preserve confidentiality of sensitive healthcare information stored in the volatile memory 212 . specifically , such action is taken if any of the following conditions is met : either a pilot message has not been received for a predetermined amount of time ( box 702 , which represents loss of a connection with the host 100 ), or there are instructions received from the user to terminate the session ( box 704 ) without contrary instructions from the host 100 ( box 708 ), or there are instructions from the host 100 to terminate the session ( box 706 ), regardless of there being no instructions from the user to terminate of the session . each of these circumstances leads to box 712 , which represents the determination that severe action is required to preserve confidentiality . if , on the other hand , none of the above conditions is reached , then box 710 applies , i . e ., no specific action is taken as regards preservation of confidentiality of the sensitive healthcare information stored in the volatile memory store 212 . examples of severe action to preserve confidentiality of sensitive healthcare information stored in the volatile memory 212 include the session data control module 228 sending a signal to the volatile memory store 212 via link 310 , to which the volatile memory store 212 responds by deleting or writing over the portion of memory containing the sensitive healthcare information . fig8 shows an example of a policy resulting in “ mild ” action to preserve confidentiality of sensitive healthcare information stored in the volatile memory 212 . specifically , if instructions to suspend the session are received from the host 100 or the user ( box 802 ), then mild action is taken ( box 806 ). as mentioned above , the mild action is reversible and this is illustrated by box 804 , which represents receipt of instructions from the host 100 to unsuspend the previously suspended session , resulting in reversing the mild action at box 810 . if , on the other hand , none of the above conditions is satisfied , then box 808 applies , i . e ., no specific action is taken as regards preservation of confidentiality of the sensitive healthcare information stored in the volatile memory store 212 . it is noted that in order to reverse , at box 810 , the mild action taken at box 806 , it may be useful to require that such instructions be received from the host 100 and not the user , as it would prevent hacking on the part of the user . examples of mild action to preserve confidentiality of sensitive healthcare information stored in the volatile memory store 212 include the session data control module 228 sending a message to the main processor 214 via link 312 instructing it to disable the screen display , keyboard input functions or other i / o devices 202 , without necessarily affecting the contents of the volatile memory store 212 . this is useful in circumstances where the user has temporarily stepped away from the end user device and may soon thereafter wish to re - access the contents of the volatile memory store 212 . in order to reverse the mild action taken in box 806 , the session data control module 228 sends a similar message to the main processor 214 via link 312 , instructing it to enable the affected i / o devices 202 . still more complex policies can be applied , in which mild action to preserve confidentiality of the sensitive healthcare information could be followed by severe action if a given condition is satisfied . for example , if a certain amount of time elapses following the mild action , then the severe action could be taken . in another example , if the distance between the user and the end user device ( which can be determined by triangulation , for example ) exceeds a first threshold , then the mild action could be taken and if the distance exceeds a second threshold , then the severe action could be taken . or severe action could be taken if the distance between the user and the end user device continuously exceeds a predetermined threshold for a predetermined amount of time . a first variant of the end user device 104 of fig3 is shown in fig4 , where there is provided a non - volatile memory store 220 ( such as a hard drive ) in addition to the volatile memory store 212 . the use of the hard drive 220 to store sensitive healthcare information may not always be recommended , since power - off of the end user device does nothing to affect availability of the data . nonetheless , when a hard drive 220 is used , it may be desirable to employ a mechanism such as that described above in order to preserve the confidentiality of sensitive healthcare information stored thereon . the hard disk 220 may assume some of the functionality of the previously described volatile memory store 212 and thus may be used to store data required for the main processor 214 to run a session with one of the application servers 144 a , . . . , 144 n , for a particular user of the end user device 104 . this data may include a downloaded operating system , i / o drivers and software for human - machine interface ( hmi ), display formatting and data collection . the hard disk 220 may also store a clinical application processes sensitive healthcare information ( e . g ., clinical data ). the sensitive healthcare information may be stored in a predetermined portion of the hard drive 220 . the data being written to and read from the hard drive by the main processor 214 is carried along a link 324 . the hard drive 220 is connected to the session data control module 228 by a link 410 which at times carries a signal that causes the hard drive 220 to render the sensitive healthcare information inaccessible to the user of the end user device 104 . this result can be achieved in a variety of ways , including erasing , scrambling or resetting a section of the hard drive 220 , etc . basically the same functional description as the one above applies in respect of taking action to preserve confidentiality of sensitive healthcare information , with the additional feature that the part of the hard drive 220 comprising sensitive healthcare data is to be erased or otherwise rendered inaccessible to the user of the end user device 104 . specifically , with reference to fig7 , if application of the policy leads to box 712 , representing the determination that severe action is required to preserve confidentiality , the session data control module 228 may , in addition to ( or instead of ) the signal sent to the volatile memory store 212 along link 310 , send a signal to the hard drive 220 via link 410 , to which the hard drive 220 responds in the manner described in the previous paragraph . in another embodiment , with reference to fig8 , if application of the policy leads to box 806 , representing the determination that mild action is required to preserve confidentiality , the session data control module 228 may send a message to the main processor 214 instructing it to disable the screen display , keyboard input functions or other i / o devices 202 . again , a combination of these and other policies is also possible . a second variant of the end user device 104 of fig3 is shown in fig5 , where there is provided additional security against tampering with sensitive healthcare information stored in the volatile memory store 212 and / or the hard drive 220 ( collectively “ the memory 212 , 220 ”). specifically , the end user device 104 comprises an encryption module 224 connected to the memory 212 , 220 via a data bus 508 . the encryption module 224 uses an encryption key to encrypt data intended to be written to the memory 212 , 220 . the encryption key is supplied by the host 504 via a separate channel 504 established by the network interface 208 . the encryption key may be kept in a volatile or non - volatile memory store within the encryption module 224 . a decryption key , which may be the same as or different from the encryption key , is used by the encryption module 224 to decrypt data read from the memory 212 , 220 . in order to write sensitive healthcare information into the memory 212 , 220 , the main processor 214 releases a write command towards the memory 212 , 220 . the write command may pass through the encryption module 224 and thus may be provided along link 322 . the write command is accompanied by sensitive healthcare information which is provided to the encryption module 224 along link 322 . the sensitive healthcare information is encrypted , using the encryption key , by the encryption module 224 . an encrypted version of the sensitive healthcare information is thus written to the memory 212 , 220 along the data bus 508 . in order to read sensitive healthcare information from the memory 212 , 220 , the main processor 214 releases a read command towards the memory 212 , 220 . the read command may pass through the encryption module 224 . the memory 212 , 220 responds to the read command by providing an encrypted version of the desired sensitive healthcare information onto the data bus 508 . the encrypted information arrives at the encryption module 224 , where it is decrypted , using the decryption key , prior to being fed to the main processor 214 along link 322 . of course , it should be understood that a segment or portion of the memory 212 , 220 could be reserved for storing unencrypted data , specifically data in respect of which it is not necessary to preserve confidentiality . in fact , it may be advantageous to limit the amount of data stored in the volatile memory store 212 in an encrypted manner in order to render cracking the encryption / decryption key more difficult and also to reduce the delay with which data is written to / read from the memory 212 , 220 by the main processor 214 . to this end , the end user terminal is provided with a selection module 502 that is disposed between the main processor 214 and the encryption module 224 . the main processor 214 is equipped with the ability to control the operational state of the selection module 502 by means of a control signal , which controllably causes the selection module 502 to exchange unencrypted data either with the encryption module 224 or with the memory 212 , 224 via a link 506 that bypasses the encryption module 224 . the gate 502 is operated by the clinical context as - seen by the clinical application , whether resident within the host 100 or the end user device 104 . one way this can be done is for all clinical data files to carry a readable field ( or word or header component ) that denotes the file to be one requiring encryption . this field is read by the switch element in the gate 502 which routes that particular file through to the encryption module 224 . on reading stored files , the gate 502 can read both the direct path output and the decrypted path output . if it sees the reconstruction of an “ encryption required ” header or flag on the decrypted path output , then the gate 502 selects that path and routes the file to the main processor 214 ( and / or the processor &# 39 ; s volatile cache memory for its working files ). otherwise , the gate 502 selects the non - encypted path from the volatile memory store 212 . note that the gate 502 does not require knowledge of the encryption or decryption key , and thus its operation does not have to be kept secure ( other than to prevent it from being disabled ). this is readily accomplished by placing a watchdog on link 506 , which watches for the “ encryption - required ” field ( or word or header ) message in the data . detection of this is an indication of a malfunction within the gate 502 which can cause an alarm or the termination of the session , or a memory wipe upon the termination of that particular session or the initiation of “ spy - hunter ” software to check the validity of the terminal software load as a background task . those skilled in the art will appreciate that in some embodiments , the encryption module 224 , gate 502 may be implemented on the same application - specific integrated circuit ( asic ) as the main processor 214 , which renders the link 322 between the encryption module 224 and the main processor 214 more difficult to intercept than the data bus 508 between the encryption module 224 and the memory 212 , 220 , as long as the main processor 214 cannot read the downloaded encryption key ( i . e . has no access to link 504 ). specifically , if a thief intercepts the data bus 508 by means of an electronic equivalent to an “ extension cord ” ( e . g . by coupling into an empty expansion slot for additional memory modules ), this will yield information of little value to the thief , as the data so accessed has been encrypted by the encryption key that remains safely stored in the encryption module 224 , and which is inaccessible due to its location on the same asic as the main processor 214 . in order to preserve the confidentiality of sensitive healthcare information stored in the memory 212 , 220 , various options are possible in addition to those discussed above in respect of fig3 and 4 . for example , because the sensitive healthcare information stored in the memory 212 , 220 is encrypted , it is not necessary to expressly erase its contents in order to render it inaccessible to the user . rather , the same net effect is achieved by simply changing or resetting the decryption key used by the encryption module 224 . to this end , should the session data control module 228 conclude that mild or severe action is required to preserve confidentiality of sensitive healthcare information stored in the memory 212 , 220 , it can generate a message to the encryption module 224 along link 510 , containing a new ( or blank ) decryption key or containing a command to erase or change the decryption key . the effect will be that subsequent accesses to the memory 212 , 220 will be of little value to the end user , the sensitive healthcare information stored therein having effectively been rendered inaccessible . in order to reverse the mild action ( step 810 in fig8 ), the previous version of the decryption key can be restored to the encryption module 224 . this of course assumes that the previous version of the decryption key was stored before it was changed . a third variant of the end user device 104 of fig3 is shown in fig6 , where there is provided a radio frequency identification ( rf - id ) reader 610 , which is capable of reading a code on a passive tag worn by a user . the rf - id reader 610 is connected to the session data control module 228 by a link 602 . the degree of match between the code detected by the rf - id reader 610 and a code obtained from the host 100 can be interpreted as an indication of the distance between the user and the end user device 104 . if this distance exceeds a certain threshold ( or if the degree of match falls below a certain threshold ), then the rf - id reader 610 generates a message along link 602 in order to inform the session data control module 228 that the user has distanced himself / herself from the end user device 104 . such message may also be generated as a result of a more complex condition , such as when the distance between the user and the end user device 104 continuously exceeds a predetermined threshold for a predetermined amount of time or a running integral of the distance between the user and the end user device 104 over time exceeds a predetermined threshold . in order to preserve the confidentiality of sensitive healthcare information stored in the memory 212 , 220 , the receipt of a message along link 602 provides yet another stimulus that needs to be considered by the session data control module 228 when applying its policy to determine whether action needs to be taken to preserve the confidentiality of the sensitive healthcare information stored in the memory 212 , 220 . in this case , fig7 would be modified to include a step of verifying whether a message was received from the rf - id reader 610 along link 602 . if so , this should be interpreted by the session data control module 228 as there being a requirement to preserve confidentiality of sensitive healthcare information , unless it is in receipt of a pilot message from the host 100 and it has not received instructions to terminate the session . the session data control module 228 then sends a signal to the memory 212 , 220 , which reacts in the way described above . of course , combinations of the above embodiments could be used . for example , the use of the encryption module 224 with the rf - id reader 610 allows a more complex policy to be applied , in which mild action to preserve confidentiality of the sensitive healthcare information could be followed by severe action if a given condition is satisfied . for example , if the distance between the user and the end user device ( which can be determined by the rf - id reader 610 based on the degree of match between a detected code and the code corresponding to the authenticated user ) exceeds a first threshold , then the mild action could be taken and if the distance exceeds a second threshold , then the severe action could be taken without the possibility of reversing the mild action . while specific embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	7
with reference to fig1 a length of the plurality of longitudinal optic fibres 24 of a fibre ribbon 22 are unsheathed and are held by epoxy adhesive in an array of parallel v - grooves 26 formed on the undersurface of a planar silicon block 20 , hereinafter referred to as the silicon v - block . the silicon v - block includes an etched slot 32 through which a 1 mm length at the end of each of the unsheathed optic fibres 24 is exposed whilst leaving a pair of arms 33 of the block that extend longitudinally beyond the ends of the optic fibres . the slot helps to reduce the risk of any damage to the ends of the waveguides in the assembly process and also facilitates a first “ light ” stage of the optical alignment process . the final , accurate alignment of the ends of the optic fibres with the ends of the waveguides at the side edge of the optic chip may be carried out by a standard active process with about a 5 micron gap between the end of each waveguide and the respective optic fibre end . once the alignment process is complete , the silicon v - block is secured to the optic chip by curing a layer of epoxy adhesive provided between the planar undersurface of the arms 33 and the corresponding planar portion of the top surface of the optic chip . the arms 33 , which are a monolithically integral part of the silicon block , extend by about 5 mm beyond the side edge over the optic chip . there is no need for any epoxy adhesive in the optical path between the ends of the optic fibres and the ends of the waveguides for the purpose of securing the silicon v - block to the optic chip , as is required in the conventional technique , for which there are fears that a reduction in optical power will arise over a period of time as a result of degradation and discolouring of the epoxy in the optical path . however , the present invention does not exclude the additional use of epoxy between the ends of the fibres and the waveguides . for example , an epoxy of index matching gel may be used if required . in this case , the epoxy can be optimised for its optical function since the bond between the arms of the silicon block and the upper surface of the optic chip provides by itself the degree of mechanical strength required for the connection between the silicon block and the optic chip . an epoxy connection between the ends of the fibres and the waveguides may provide some mechanical strength , but this secondary to the primary source of mechanical strength provided by the bond between the arms of the silicon block and the upper surface of the optic chip . the above - described technique allows for a relatively rugged interface . it can also provide a chip / block assembly having a relatively low profile because the ribbon fibre and the optic chip can be parallelly arranged , which in turn enables the design of a relatively flat package . in this example , the optic chip 28 is a silicon - on - insulator chip , with the waveguides defined by ribs etched into the epitaxial silicon layer . in the system shown in fig1 the optic chip is prepared in advance by dry etching a vertical facet into the side edge at which the waveguides terminate . this can be carried out at “ wafer - scale ” during the process of etching to define the basic optic elements such as the rib waveguides 30 before the wafer is diced into a plurality of optic chips . the step of forming the vertically etched facet 36 leaves a step 37 approximately 200 microns below the top surface of the chip , over which the exposed end lengths of the fibres extend in the assembled product . the vertical etched facet defining the ends of the waveguides is coated with a nitride anti - reflection coating ( not shown ). this preparation of the side edge has an advantage over the conventional polishing process of involving considerably less chance of damage to the chip . on the optic fibre side , the end of each optic fibre is cleaved , preferably at an angle ( i . e . other than 90 °) to the axis of the optic fibre . this can be achieved using a laser and renders the end of each optic fibre in a suitable condition for presentation to the vertically etched facet 36 defining the ends of the waveguides . the laser cleaving may be carried out after attaching the fibres to the silicon v - block . the v - block acts as an accurate silicon jigging tool ensuring that the fibres are presented in the correct position for the cleaving process . furthermore , the fibres are also partially protected by the v - block once the cleaving operation is completed , making both handling and storage safer . if the slot in the silicon v - block is formed in a precise relationship to the optic fibres ( as can be achieved in an accurate wafer fabrication process ), the process of alignment can be facilitated by adding fiducial alignment marks to the top of the optic chip , which when aligned with the edge of the silicon v - block defining the slot indicate at least a light level of alignment of the ends of the optic fibres with the waveguide ends . the provision of such fiducial marks may also allow accurate alignment to be carried out passively without the need for a subsequent active alignment step . alternatively , light alignment could , for example , be carried out by connection of a visible hene laser . according to one variation , alignment can be facilitated by the provision of complementary mating elements on the upper surface of the optic chip and the undersurface of the arms . for example , such mating elements could be provided as shown in fig1 . a v - groove 70 is etched into the undersurface of each arm of the silicon block for receiving a cylindrical element 74 ( such as a small length of optic fibre ) secured by adhesive 76 in a u - groove 72 etched into the upper surface of the optic chip by dry etching . the v - shaped grooves 70 and complementary cylindrical elements 74 facilitate alignment whilst the surrounding planar portions of the undersurface of the arms and the upper surface of the optic chip provide for a strong adhesive bond 78 between the silicon block and the optic chip . the use of u - grooves 72 is advantageous in that their orientation is not limited by the orientation of the crystal planes . in one variation , the silicon v - block may also be used in combination with a matching lower v - block to enhance good fibre positioning in the v - grooves 26 . in another variation , the slot may be replaced by a window . a system including a silicon v - block incorporating a window and a lower v - block is shown in fig4 and 5 . the system shown in fig4 to 6 differs from the system shown in fig1 to 3 in the following respects . firstly , the silicon v - block 20 is provided with a window 42 rather than a slot for exposing an end length of each of the optic fibres 24 . secondly , a lower v - block 40 is provided with the optic fibres sandwiched for support between matching v - grooves on the mating surfaces of the two v - blocks . the preparation of the side edge of the optic chip is also somewhat different as shown in fig6 . the etched facet section 36 is reduced in width to give enclosing walls on the edge of the optic chip after dicing of the wafer . the side edge of the optic chip and the fibre support including the upper and lower silicon v - blocks are thus adapted such that when assembled in an optically aligned condition the front face of the lower silicon v - block abuts with a portion of the side edge of the optic chip , such that when the window is closed off after alignment using a silicon lid 44 provided with a locating protrusion 46 on its undersurface the ends of the optic fibres and the ends of the waveguides are isolated in a silicon “ box ”. the floor and sides of the box are defined by the dry etched facet 36 , the front faces of the lower v - block 40 and the etched walls of the window 42 in the upper silicon v - block 20 . this allows the ends of the optic fibres and the waveguides to be protected and shielded without the need for epoxy in the gap between the ends of the waveguides and the optic fibres . this has an advantage in a non - hermetic packaging application ( pre - moulded application ), in that it provides protection against dust or mould particles . in another embodiment shown in fig7 there is also employed a fibre support of the type shown in fig4 and 5 including upper and lower silicon v - blocks 20 , 40 with a window 42 provided in the upper silicon v - block 20 . however , in this embodiment , the optic chip is provided with a recess 60 that extends right through the optic chip including the underlying silicon substrate such that upon assembly of the fibre support and the optic chip in an aligned condition , the rear face of the fibre support is continuous with a side edge of the optic chip . this reduces the package footprint of the product . as in the embodiment shown in fig4 and 5 , the window is closed with a lid after securing the fibre support to the optic chip in an optically aligned condition to protect the cleaved ends of the optic fibre from contamination . also as in the embodiment shown in fig4 and 5 , registration of the lid to the top of the upper silicon v - block is facilitated by etching a protrusion 46 to fit into the window in the upper silicon v - block . the recess 60 can be formed by etching in wafer fabrication , but should be wide enough to account for variation in the dicing width of the v - block and for the roll alignment and search algorithms the alignment equipment may need to perform . as shown in fig8 the lower v - block used in the embodiments shown in fig4 to 7 may be modified to include an extension 70 protruding longitudinally beyond the rear end of the upper silicon block to support the fibre ribbon and reduce the stress on the fibres at the point where they enter the v - grooves on the upper and lower silicon v - blocks . the variations discussed for the embodiment shown in fig1 to 3 are also applicable to the embodiments shown in fig4 to 7 . the applicant draws attention to the fact that the present invention may include any feature or combination of features disclosed herein either implicitly or explicitly or any generalisation thereof , without limitation to the scope of any definitions set out above . in view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention .	6
fig1 is a simplified elevational view of a printing apparatus ; in this case a production - speed xerographic printer . the print engine 100 is of a type generally familiar in the art : a photoreceptor 102 rotates past imaging stations 104 , one imaging station for each cmyk primary color , and each including ( not shown ) a charge device , laser , and development unit . each imaging station , controlled by digital data supplied thereto , places toner according to a color separation of a desired image on the photoreceptor 102 , and the total color image is then transferred to a print sheet at transfer station 106 . the print sheet then moves in a process direction p through a fusing station 108 , and continues , at a constant velocity , past what can be called a “ photosensor ” 200 . photosensor 200 , which may include an associated light source , is positioned to read at least a strip of each sheet substantially immediately following fusing , fusing being considered in this embodiment the end of the printing process . fig2 is a plan view of a single sheet s as would emerge from the fuser 108 and move past the photosensor 200 as in fig1 . as shown in the figure , the sheet s is approaching the photosensor 200 along process direction p . the photosensor 200 , in this embodiment , is of a width ( perpendicular to p ) of about 1 cm - 3 cm , and is disposed to read a strip of comparable width on sheets s moving therepast . the overall function of the disclosed system is that , when it is desired to perform a calibration , or other test routine involving one or more test patches , on a print engine 100 , the print engine is simply caused to print , on one or more sheets , a machine - readable “ trigger ” code , plus one or more test patches . following printing , the sheet moves at a substantially constant velocity past the photosensor 200 . when the photosensor 200 reads and recognizes the trigger code , an associated control system , generally indicated as 300 , is programmed to expect inputs from one or more test patches . the reflected light from the test patches is received by the photosensor 200 for purposes of calibration or other control . in one embodiment , the velocity of a sheet does not appreciably change between receiving an image , such as at transfer station 106 or fuser 108 , and the reading by photosensor 200 . as shown in fig2 , a sheet s that is printed for purposes of calibration bears an image created by the print engine 100 , the image including a portion of machine - readable trigger code indicated as c , placed on sheet s to be viewable by photosensor 200 as the sheet s moves therepast . immediately adjacent the machine readable code c is what is here a white space ( with no marking material ), but what can be broadly considered a control or “ white balance ” area for establishing a control reflection from the light source associated with the photosensor 200 . following the control area , as sheet s moves past photosensor 200 , a series of test patches t is then positioned sequentially past the photosensor 200 for recording according to a predetermined image - quality procedure . with a high - speed print engine 100 , or a test routine involving a large number of necessary test patches , the test patches associated with a test routine initiated by a trigger code c may have to be spread among a plurality of sheets s . fig3 is a plan view of two sheets , s 1 and s 2 , as would emerge from the fuser 108 and move past the photosensor 200 as in fig1 . the first sheet to emerge from the print engine 100 , indicated as s 1 , includes the machine - readable code and a predetermined length of control area ; the second sheet s 2 includes the test patches t . in various embodiments , the length along the process direction p of the control area of each test patch will be determined by the overall process speed of sheets emerging from the print engine 100 , as well as the responsivity of the control systems associated with photosensor 200 ( each of which affects a “ dwell time ” each patch must remain under the photosensor 200 ). a control system such as 300 is programmed to fit test patches on whatever size sheets happen to be emerging from the machine at a given time : whereas the sheet s in fig2 is on a relatively large , short - edge - fed stock , the sheets s 1 , s 2 are on smaller , long - edge - fed stock . since the smaller sheets cannot fit all the necessary test patches on each sheet , multiple sheets are printed . control system 300 configures test patches on one or multiple sheets depending , for instance , on the size of the stock on which the last previous set of images was printed ( such as by taking information relating to a recent print job ). in this way , the printer would not have to momentarily switch , such as in the middle of a long print run , to a different input tray just to output one or two sheets for the test routine . another parameter control system 300 takes into account is the number of individual test patches required for a particular test triggered by the immediate machine - readable code c . the machine - readable code c must be of a configuration that is recognizable by photosensor 200 at process speeds : familiar bar - code technology can be used , but less sophisticated machine - recognizable images can be used as well . a control system can be provided that associates different machine - readable codes with performing different types of test routines , causing the photosensor 200 to “ expect ” different types of test patches depending on the specific machine - readable trigger code . in one embodiment , the printing of the test sheet such as s , having the machine - readable trigger code thereon , is the primary channel for initiating image - quality test routines . in other words , in a practical application , an overall control system governing the engine 100 initiates each of various possible test routines by directly influencing the job queue or other source of image data controlling the engine 100 , causing the engine to output one or more images including the desired trigger machine - readable code and related test patches . the particular test routine is initiated only when the photosensor 200 detects the trigger code , and generally not through any other channel to the control system 300 . when the photosensor 200 is used as the primary channel for initiating test routines , test routines can be scheduled through the same channels through which print jobs are scheduled , such as shown in fig1 as computer 400 . ( in a practical application , computer 400 can be one of any number of stand - alone computers that are capable of sending print jobs to engine 100 .) in one strategy , a computer acting as a source of print jobs can schedule various desired tests as print jobs , scheduling the test routines between print jobs as needed , e . g ., at the beginning of a shift , or following a set of jobs adding up to a total number of prints within a predetermined range . in another strategy , for instance , a test routine is scheduled following every 10 , 000 prints : the counting of prints can be carried out via the print - queue software , and , in response to hitting the 10 , 000 count , an “ interrupt job ” including the test sheets is scheduled as an interrupt to whatever job is being printed at the time ; but even in this case , the test routines are scheduled through the print - queue software . ( interrupt jobs are a familiar concept and utility in many types of job scheduling software .) the feedback loop controlling the engine 100 based on test patch data collected from photosensor 200 thus operates largely independently of software sending image data to the engine 100 . fig4 is a simplified plan view of the light - sensitive portions of a photosensor 200 . in one embodiment , the photosensor is capable of distinguishing images suitable for recognizing machine - readable code such as a bar code , and also of accurately measuring reflected colors from the test patches , in effect acting as a spectrophotometer . as shown in the figure , one embodiment of such a photosensor includes three linear arrays 202 r , 202 g , and 202 b of photosites , each linear array including one rgb primary - color filter . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 148 , 268 ( and patents referenced thereby ) gives a description of a photosensitive chip suitable for such a purpose . alternatively , a photosensor arrangement such as shown and described in fig1 and 2 of u . s . pat . no . 6 , 639 , 669 can be used . although the area viewed by the photosensor 200 in the figures is relatively narrow compared to the width of sheets being printed upon , it may be desirable in some circumstances to provide a photosensor that extends the full width of the sheet path . although engine 100 is shown as a color xerographic printing machine , the above - described embodiment can be readily adapted for any kind of printing technology , such as monochrome xerography , or ink - jet or offset printing . the described system can be embodied in hardware , software , or a combination thereof . the claims , as originally presented and as they may be amended , encompass variations , alternatives , modifications , improvements , equivalents , and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein , including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated , and that , for example , may arise from applicants / patentees and others .	6
superplastic metals can undergo large uniform strains prior to failure . the ability of a metal to deform superplatically depends primarily on its composition , grain size , strain rate , and deformation temperature . metals that behave superplastically usually have a grain size less than about 10 micrometers and they are deformed within the strain rate range of 10 − 5 to 10 − 1 per second at temperatures greater than about half of their absolute melting temperature ( 0 . 5 t ). the fine grain size is believed to allow grain boundary sliding and grain rotation to contribute to the large superplastic strains . therefore , in order to deform superplastically , an aluminum alloy or other superplastic alloy of , for example , titanium , copper or magnesium must first be capable of being processed into a fine grain structure that is resistant to grain growth during deformation . this invention is applicable to superplastic sheet metal alloys that are statically recrystallized to a fine grain structure prior to a forming operation . the practice of the invention will be illustrated in connection with magnesium - containing aluminum sheet alloys , specifically aa 5083 . production of the alloy sheet includes a combination of hot rolling , cold rolling and a final heat treatment to develop small recrystallized grains of aluminum - magnesium solid solution with dispersed insoluble particles . aa5083 , aluminum sheet alloy is suitably received from a supplier in the heavily cold - worked ( e . g ., h18 temper designation ) condition . as stated above regarding the rashid et al &# 39 ; 588 patent , in actual manufacturing operations the sheet material has been recrystallized at a relatively slow heating rate as it is preheated , usually on an open hot pre - bending tool . the heating process often takes 10 minutes or more to suitably recrystallize the sheet material . it has now been discovered that the recrystallizing can be accomplished at a much faster rate provided suitable heating techniques are provided . in accordance with the invention , a combination of convection heating and infrared radiation heating is employed to rapidly heat a suitably cold worked sheet metal blank . the heat is controlled to recrystallize the microstructure of the blank for uniform deformation and to heat it to a forming temperature suitable for the manufacturing process . the heat treated sheet material is then subjected to its intended forming operation before cooling to ambient temperature . reference is made to fig1 and 2 to illustrate a preferred embodiment of the process . an incoming cold - worked sheet metal blank 10 is positioned on a support table 12 or conveyor just upstream of heat treating oven 14 . a blank for an automotive vehicle body panel may , for example , have dimensions of 1625 mm ( 64 inches )× 1117 mm ( 44 inches )× 1 . 6 mm . it is often coated on one or both sides with a film of boron nitride lubricant particles . oven 14 is sized to accommodate at least one such panel and enclose heating means described below . when the oven 14 is available , the blank 10 is pushed or otherwise suitably transported through slideable door 16 in the entrance end 18 of oven 14 onto a hearth 20 in the lower portion of oven 14 . when the blank is positioned in oven 14 , it is identified as 10 ′. hearth 20 is suitably formed of a ceramic or refractory material can be supported for example on beams 22 on the floor 24 of oven 14 as illustrated schematically in fig2 . hearth 20 may have a slightly convex upper surface so that edges of the flat sheet 10 ′ do not lie on the hearth and can be used for suitable movement of the blank in and out of oven 14 . for example , the edges of the blanks may be guided in rails ( not shown ) or gripped by robots with suitable end effectors ( not shown ) for transporting the blank 10 ′. in this embodiment of the invention , the thin sheet 10 ′, typically 1 to 4 mm thick , is heated by convection and radiation principally through its exposed upper surface as seen in fig1 and 2 . however , the hearth 20 is heated in the oven and provides a hot backing for sheet 10 ′. it will be appreciated that other arrangements for supporting sheet 10 could be devised such as for heating from both sides . however , for simplicity of oven construction , the fig1 and 2 embodiment is preferred . blank 10 is heated in oven 14 by a combination of recirculating hot air convection heating and infrared radiant heating . as best seen in fig2 a plurality ( six shown ) of infrared heating rods 26 extend substantially the length of oven 14 . they are aligned parallel to each other along the length of sheet 10 as it is supported on hearth 20 in oven 14 . they are also positioned parallel to the upper surface of blank 10 ′ and separated from it by a distance of about two and a half to three inches . rods 26 are suitably commercially available , high wattage electrical resistance heaters for emission of infrared energy . heating rods 26 are connected through lead 27 to electrical power source 28 . power source 28 is operated by controller 30 in performance of the heating process of this invention . a preferred operating temperature of the rods during their heating mode for the aa5083 blanks is about 1500 to 1700 ° f . in addition to the infrared radiant heating elements 26 , convection heating is used . convection heating is used both to supplement the rapid heating by the infrared heaters and to control the highest temperature of the sheet 10 ′. heated air is circulated through oven 14 using blower 32 ( see fig1 ). blower 32 draws air from the return plenum of oven 14 through insulated hot air duct 34 . the hot air thus exhausted from oven 14 is drawn over electrical resistance heaters ( powered , e . g ., by a 480 v , 3 - phase , 60 hz source ) located in air heater 36 . blower 32 propels the heated air through duct section 38 back into oven 14 . a suitable hot air circulation rate for a body panel as described may be about 8000 cubic feet per hour . the heated air is introduced into oven 14 at its supply plenum 50 near the top 42 . the hot air flow is directed downwardly against the sheet metal stock 10 ′ resting on the hearth 20 . by way of example , a plenum 50 along the top of oven 14 carries the incoming heated air along the full length of the oven and directs flow downwardly through outlets spaced regularly along the length . thus hot air is directed generally perpendicularly against sheet 10 ′. a plurality of parallel , air return plenums 44 are positioned parallel to the length of the oven . three are seen in cross - section in fig2 . each hot air return plenum 44 has a tapered inlet portion 46 extending between two infrared heating rods 26 . hot air rebounds from the surface of sheet 10 ′ and is drawn by blower suction into inlets 46 . the return air flows in each plenum 44 to the end of the oven where the separate return streams are gathered in a manifold , not shown , and channeled into return duct 34 . when a new sheet 10 is moved through door 16 into oven 14 on hearth 20 the hot air flow is started and power is supplied to the infrared heaters . an exemplary goal for this heating process may be to heat the cold worked sheet to a temperature of , 900 ° f . in less than 150 seconds . this heating program is to transform the microstructure from severely strained , cold worked grains to a recrystallized fine grain , pseudo single phase , soft ( e . g ., o temper ). and the sheet is to be heated to a temperature at which it can be stretched and / or drawn into a body panel or the like product of complex shape . if the desired final temperature of the sheet is 900 ° f . the hot air temperature impinging the sheet will be suitably controlled to 900 to 910 ° f . the infrared heaters , powered by supply 28 under controller 30 will be at , for example 1500 ° f . the high temperature radiant heaters rapidly heat sheet 10 ′ toward its specified temperature . the sheet is typically coated with a thin film of boron nitride particles which serves as a lubricant between the surface of the sheet and the surface of the tool over which the sheet will be stretched or drawn . the white bn film raises the emissivity of the somewhat reflective aluminum sheet and the overall emissivity of the coated sheet may be about 0 . 2 . as the temperature of the sheet is approaching 900 ° f . the radiant heaters are tuned off to prevent overheating or even localized melting of the sheet . the timing is critical to maximize heating rate without excessive heating . unless a reliable heating model for the oven , heating system , and work pieces is available , the time for radiant heater shut off will be determined experimentally on test panels . for example , it may be determined to shut off the radiant heaters 26 after they have been operating for 100 seconds . thereafter , the flow of heated air continues to heat and / or cool portions of the sheet to bring sheet 10 ′ to a uniform temperature of 900 ° f . as quickly as practical . the flowing air also cools the radiant heaters 26 to help lengthen their useful life . the heated sheet 10 ′ is removed from oven 14 by pulling , sliding or lifting it through exit door 52 onto surface 48 . the hot sheet can then be placed on a forming tool to utilize its softened and formable condition . since the removed heated sheet 10 ″ is at its forming temperature it is transferred without undue delay to the forming tool . if some delay and cooling is anticipated it may be desired to heat the sheet 10 ′ to a slightly higher temperature to tolerate such cooling before forming . thus , a controlled combination of radiant heating and convection heating is used to rapidly transform ( recrystallize ) a cold worked sheet of suitable metal alloy to a highly formable microstructure and heat it to a suitable forming temperature to utilize the newly acquired formability . in the case of a cold worked aa5083 sheet the heating period is less than 150 seconds , often 60 to 90 seconds . the formability of the aa 5083 sheet typically exceeds 300 + % elongation by standard tensile test . while the practice of the invention has been illustrated in terms of its application to certain aluminum alloys , it is recognized that it is also applicable to other aluminum alloys and other cold worked sheet metal alloys , especially those that be recrystallized to a superplastic forming condition . accordingly , the scope of the invention is not limited by the exemplary description .	2
fig1 illustrates a vector - based representation 100 of a lens flare . in general , vector - based representation 100 includes one or more vector objects representing a halo , one or more rings , and , optionally , one or more rays . the halo can be represented as one or more circles 110 centered on a center point 120 . rings can be represented as circles 130 centered along an invisible line 140 that passes through the center 120 of the flare . rays can be represented as visible lines 150 that also extend through the center point 120 . each of these flare elements can be further defined by one or more parameters as will be described in more detail below . fig2 shows a method 200 for generating a vector - based representation of a lens flare based on a set of flare parameters . this method , and the other methods and systems described herein , can be implemented in conventional image - processing program such as adobe illustrator , available from adobe systems incorporated of san jose , calif . the method 200 begins by generating one or more vector objects defining a halo based on a set of halo parameters ( step 210 ). next , vector objects defining one or more rings are generated based on a set of ring parameters ( step 220 ). finally , vector objects defining one or more rays may optionally be generated based on a set of ray parameters ( step 230 ). in one implementation , these objects include a set of properties that define the visual characteristics of the corresponding lens flare element , such as location , shape , color , transparency , and the like , based on parameter values obtained from a user or other source , such as from a data file , database or other memory location storing predetermined or default lens flare parameters . optionally , one or more of the flare parameter values can be randomly - generated ; for example , the size of the largest ring can be a user - specified parameter while the size of the remaining rings can be randomly determined . in a preferred implementation , the flare parameters include a parameter defining a location within an image for a center point 120 of the flare . other flare parameters can include parameters relating to the overall size of the flare , the flare center , and the halo , rings and / or rays that characterize the visual appearance of the flare . parameters relating to overall flare size can include , for example , width parameters and length parameters . width parameters can define the size of the flare center . length parameters can determine the length of the flare — for example , the distance from center point 120 to an end point 160 . optionally , some elements of the flare , such as one or more rings , may extend beyond the end point 160 . additionally , a proportionality parameter can be provided to enable a user to specify whether the width and length of the flare are interdependent . thus , for example , in one implementation a user can specify a length or width and a proportionality factor , and the other parameter ( i . e ., width or length ) will be automatically calculated based on the proportionality factor . alternatively , a proportionality parameter can be a simple binary property , such that where proportionality is selected , a user may edit just one of the length or width of the flare , and the other property will be automatically calculated to preserve an existing relationship . parameters relating to the flare center can include , for example , opacity , color and brightness parameters . opacity parameters can define the opacity ( or transparency ) of the flare center , and may be expressed as values in a range from 0 % opacity ( e . g ., fully transparent ) to 100 % opacity ( e . g ., fully opaque ). color parameters can define a color value or values ( e . g ., a set of three values between 0 and 255 in rgb color space ) for the flare center . brightness parameters can define the brightness of the flare center , and may be expressed as values in a range from 0 % brightness to 100 % brightness . parameters relating to the flare halo can include , for example , opacity , color , gradient and brightness parameters as defined above , as well as other parameters defining , e . g ., halo size and fuzziness . opacity , color and brightness parameters can define the opacity ( or transparency ), color and brightness of the circle or circles representing the halo . size parameters can define the radius of a circle or circles representing the halo . fuzziness parameters can define an amount of feathering to be applied to the halo during rendering . feathering is an effect which blends the foreground image with the background image and is characterized by a gradual fading of the edges into transparency . if no feathering is applied , the halo will simply look solid . gradient parameters can define a fill that consists of one color gradually changing into another color . for example , the color at the center of the halo could be white but gradually take on a pinkish tint that finally turns into red at the outer edge of the halo . parameters relating to the flare rings can include , for example , opacity , color , gradient and brightness parameters defining the opacity , color and brightness of one or more flare rings . ring parameters can also include parameters specifying the number of rings , the size of each ring , the size of the largest ring , the direction of rings ( e . g ., the orientation ( s ) of the invisible line or lines 140 along which the rings are centered ), the location of the center point of each ring along the lines 140 , and the fuzziness or feathering to be applied to each ring . finally , parameters relating to flare rays can include , for example , opacity , color and brightness parameters defining the opacity , color and brightness of one or more flare rays . ray parameters can also include parameters specifying the number of rays , the length of each ray , the location ( e . g ., the orientation relative to the center point 120 of the flare ) of each ray , length of the longest ray , and the fuzziness or feathering to be applied to each ray . preferably , the vector objects defining the various elements of a lens flare are grouped . the grouping can be implemented by defining associations between each of the vector objects . these associations can identify the vector objects as being part of the lens flare representation , thereby enhancing the editability of the representation . the associations enable the vector objects to be treated as a collective group of objects , instead of as individual , unrelated objects . for example , the entire group can be moved , resized or otherwise edited as one object instead of ( or in addition to ) object by object . the associations can also create dependencies between the vector objects , further enhancing the editability of the representation by enabling changes to one or more of the vector objects to result in corresponding changes to other vector objects . dependencies can include , for example , fixing the center of each ring to a point along the line 140 which in turn is locked onto the center point 120 . with the vector objects associated in this fashion , when the location of center point 120 is moved , line 140 and its associated rings move as well such that line 140 passes through the new location of center point 120 . other dependencies can include , for example , dependencies between the halo and the center point 120 and between the rays and the center point 120 . in one implementation , a group of vector objects can be generated as an adobe illustrator plug - in or other software module that can store vector objects and associations between the vector objects . the vector objects can be implemented as adobe illustrator paths which define the location , shape and gradient of the vector object . the path can also include one or more handles that can be manipulated by a user to change the shape of the path . the vector - based representation of the lens flare can be displayed to a user — for example , as a rasterized representation on a conventional output device such as a computer monitor . in general , the display will preferably include a visual representation of a plurality of lens flare elements , which can include a halo ( which may include one or more circles ), one or more lens flare rings , and optionally one or more lens flare rays . in implementations , the various lens flare elements can be displayed as they are generated , such that as soon as one flare element is generated , that portion is immediately displayed to the user . alternatively , the lens flare may not be displayed until all lens flare elements have been defined ( signified , for example , by a user selection of an “ ok ” or “ generate flare ” button in a graphical flare definition interface ). in implementations , further processing can be performed on the lens flare representation , during or after generation or display — for example , the visual representation of the lens flare can be cropped to so that certain portions of the lens flare appear to extend beyond the boundaries of the display . in general , the vector - based lens flares described herein are displayed by superimposing the lens flare upon a background image . in a preferred implementation , the display of a vector - based lens flare will result in a change in the color or colors of the background image in the vicinity of the lens flare as a result of the blending of the various visual lens flare elements into the background image ( based , e . g ., on the opacity , color , brightness and feathering parameters of the respective lens flare elements ). thus , for example , the display of a typical white lens flare can result in the lightening or brightening of a portion or portions of the background image under and near the elements of the lens flare . a method 300 for editing a vector - based representation of a lens flare is illustrated in fig3 . the method begins when a vector - based representation of a lens flare — generated , for example , according to the method 200 as described above — is displayed to a user ( step 310 ). the method receives user input editing the vector - based representation ( step 320 ). the user input typically includes electronic data representing the addition , deletion or alteration of one or more parameters for the displayed vector - based representation of the lens flare , such as a changed width and / or length parameter corresponding to a resizing of the lens flare , or a change in the location of the lens flare within the image . more generally , the lens flare can be edited by changing any of the lens flare parameters , such as those described above — for example , by adding or removing one or more lens flare rings or rays , changing the location of rings or rays within the lens flare , changing the opacity , color or brightness of one or more lens flare elements , or the like . in response to the user input , the corresponding parameters are changed ( e . g ., by changing the corresponding property or properties of the appropriate vector objects ) ( step 330 ). the edited vector - based representation of the lens flare is displayed ( step 340 ), which may occur concurrently with the editing process or after editing is complete , as discussed above . to provide for interaction with a user , the present invention can be implemented on a computer system having a display device such as a monitor or lcd screen for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device such as a mouse or a trackball by which the user can provide input to the computer system . the computer system can be programmed to provide a graphical user interface through which computer programs interact with users . the graphical user interface typically accepts gestural input with the aid of a pointing device such as a mouse and converts such gestures to graphic representations in the document , typically displayed on a screen or monitor . fig4 shows an exemplary graphical user interface 400 including a flare tool 410 that is controlled by a pointing device such as a mouse . in one implementation , a vector - based representation of a lens flare can be generated in response to an user input defining a location for the lens flare in an image . the user input can consist of a single mouse click , performed , for example , when a cursor representing the flare tool 410 has been positioned at a desired location in an underlying image , which may correspond , for example , to the location of the center point 120 of the flare as described above . upon receiving the user input , the user may be prompted to specify values for one or more parameters for the lens flare , such as through a dialog box 420 having data fields 430 for a set of parameters . optionally , a flare can be automatically generated and displayed in response to a single input , such as a single mouse click , defining the location , based on predefined or default parameter values . in implementations , the display can be a wireframe representation 440 of the flare , including handles that the user can select and drag to alter the appearance of the lens flare . in another implementation , a vector - based lens flare can be generated in response to a click and drag operation . to define a halo , the user clicks and holds the mouse to establish the center point 450 and then drags the mouse to define the size of the center 480 and of the halo 490 . for example , the center size can be determined based on where the dragging stops and the halo size can be calculated as a percentage of the center size . a wireframe representation 440 of the flare is displayed on the computer screen , including a center handle 460 positioned on the center point 450 of the flare . to define rings or rays , the user can click at a point 470 in the image to define a line extending from the flare center 450 to point 470 . the length and direction of the line can be changed by selecting a handle at the endpoint 470 and dragging the handle to a desired location . rings can be generated along the line by clicking at a point on the line and dragging to define a ring radius . a line with no defined rings can be treated as a ray . the invention can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or with firmware or software embodied in hardware . apparatus of the invention can be implemented in a computer program product tangibly embodied in a machine - readable storage device for execution by a programmable processor ; and method steps of the invention can be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions of the invention by operating on input data and generating output . the invention can be implemented advantageously in one or more computer programs that are executable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from , and to transmit data and instructions to , a data storage system , at least one input device , and at least one output device . each computer program can be implemented in a high - level procedural or object - oriented programming language , or in assembly or machine language if desired ; and in any case , the language can be a compiled or interpreted language . suitable processors include , by way of example , both general and special purpose microprocessors . generally , a processor will receive instructions and data from a read - only memory and / or a random access memory . the essential elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and a memory . generally , a computer will include one or more mass storage devices for storing data files ; such devices include magnetic disks , such as internal hard disks and removable disks ; magneto - optical disks ; and optical disks . storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non - volatile memory , including by way of example semiconductor memory devices , such as eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks ; magneto - optical disks ; and cd - rom disks . any of the foregoing can be supplemented by , or incorporated in , asics ( application - specific integrated circuits ). a number of embodiments of the invention have been described . nevertheless , it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , the steps of the methods described herein need not be performed in the order described . additionally , as described above , the vector - based representation could be cropped or framed to enhance the visual appearance . accordingly , other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims .	6
in one embodiment of the invention , the method and apparatus disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for three dimensional inspection of objects having electronic leads . fig1 a shows the apparatus of the invention for three dimensional inspection . the apparatus includes a camera 10 with a lens 12 and a reticle 20 . the reticle 20 includes a central region 22 for receiving a part 30 having a lead 50 for imaging by the camera . the camera 10 is located below the central region 22 of the reticle 20 to receive an image of the part 30 . the reticle 20 includes optical elements 40 to provide additional perspectives of the part 30 . the optical elements 40 are attached to the reticle and are located around the central region 22 to provide multiple side views of the part 30 to the camera 10 . in one embodiment of the invention , the optical elements 40 may comprise prisms . in an alternate embodiment of the invention , the optical elements 40 may comprise mirrors . the camera 10 is located to receive the image of part 30 and the additional perspectives provided by the optical elements 40 . the camera 10 includes a frame grabber board 18 to capture the image . the optics of the camera 10 have a depth of focus encompassing the optical paths of the bottom view from the reticle 20 and the side views provided from the optical elements 40 . the camera 10 provides an image data output to a processor 14 to perform a three dimensional inspection as described in conjunction with fig2 a and 2b . the processor 14 may store the image in a memory 16 . fig1 b shows an example image acquired by the system shown in fig1 a . the image 60 obtained by the camera 10 includes a bottom view 70 obtained by the view through the reticle 20 . the bottom view 70 shows an image of the part 32 and the leads 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 . the image 60 further includes four side views 80 , 82 , 84 , 86 obtained by the view through reticle 20 and reflected off the optical elements 40 . the side views 80 , 82 , 84 , 86 show a respective side view of the part 32 and the corresponding leads 53 , 55 , 57 , 59 . for example , lead 53 in side view 82 corresponds to lead 52 in bottom view 70 , lead 55 in side view 84 corresponds to lead 54 in bottom view 70 , and so on . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , the invention will work with any number of side views . for example , one view may be used for inspecting a single row of leads . two views may be used for two rows of leads . refer now to fig1 c which shows a method for three dimensional inspection of electronic leads from a single image . the method starts by providing a transparent reticle having a top surface in step 101 . the method then places a part having electronic leads for inspection on a central portion of the top surface of the transparent reticle in step 102 . the method then provides fixed optical elements for providing a side perspective of the part in step 103 . the method then provides a camera located beneath the transparent reticle to receive an image of the part and the additional perspective provided by the fixed optical elements wherein the camera provides image data in step 104 . the method then processes the image data with a computer to provide a three dimensional analysis of the part in step 105 . fig2 a and 2b show a flow diagram of the three dimensional inspection loop of the invention . the process begins in step 110 by waiting for an inspection signal . when the signal changes state , the system initiates the inspection . the processor sends a command to a frame grabber board 18 to acquire an image of a part having leads from the camera in step 110 . in step 120 , the camera 10 captures an image comprising pixel values and the processor stores the image in memory . the image comprises information from both a bottom view of the part and a number of side views as shown in fig1 b . in step 130 , the inspection system sends a signal to a part handler shown in fig9 b , 9c and 9d that the part may be moved off the inspection reticle and that the next part may be put into place . the handler may proceed with part placement while the inspection system processes the stored image data . the inspection system processes the pixel values of the stored image in step 140 to find a rotation , x placement , and y placement of the part relative to a center point found during calibration of the inspection system using the reticle mask shown in fig4 . the processor determines these placement values finding points on four sides of the body of the part . in step 150 , the processor employs a part definition file that contains measurement values for an ideal part . by using the measurement values from the part definition file and the placement values determined in step 140 , the processor calculates an expected position for each lead of the part for the bottom view portion of the image . the processor employs a search procedure on the image data to locate the position of the lead closest to the expected position in the bottom view . the processor then determines the lead &# 39 ; s x and y position in pixel values by finding edges on three sides of each lead with a sub - pixel image processing method as shown in fig1 a - 10d . the processor proceeds in step 160 to calculate an expected position of each lead in the side view of the image using the known position of the side view as determined during a calibration procedure as described in fig6 and the position of the lead found in the bottom view . the processor employs a sub - pixel procedure to determine the z position of the lead in pixel values as described in greater detail in conjunction with fig3 a . after the processor locates the leads , the inspection loop flows to step 170 to determine a reference edge for each lead . the processor determines a closest reference edge for each lead found in the side view . in one embodiment , the juncture of the optical elements with the reticle may serve as a reference edge . in an alternate embodiment , a reference edge may be located on the transparent reticle . in another alternate embodiment , a virtual line of pixels may define the reference edge . the processor converts pixel values to world locations for each lead in step 180 by using the pixel values and parameters determined during calibration . the world locations represent physical locations of the leads in relation to the reference edge . the processor measures d s and d b dimensions and computes the z dimension for each lead as further described in fig3 a and 3b . the processor then converts the world values to part values using the calculated part rotation , x placement , and y placement in step 190 to define coordinates for the ideal part . the part values represent physical dimensions of the leads , such as lead length and lead width . in step 200 , these part values are compared to the ideal part values defined in the part file to calculate the deviation of each lead in three dimensions from the ideal location . in one example embodiment of the invention , the deviation values may include : tip offset , skew , bent lead , width and coplanarity . the processor compares these deviation values to predetermined thresholds with respect to the ideal part as defined in the part file in step 210 to provide an electronic lead inspection result . in one embodiment , the predetermined tolerance values include pass tolerance values and fail tolerance values from industry standards . if the measurement values are less than or equal to the pass tolerance values , the processor assigns a pass result for the part . if the measurement values exceed the fail tolerance values , the processor assigns a fail result for the part . if the measurement values are greater than the pass tolerance , but less than or equal to the fail tolerance , the processor designates the part to be reworked . the processor reports the inspection result for the part in step 220 , completing part inspection . the process then returns to step 110 to await the next inspection signal . fig3 a shows one method of the invention used to provide a three dimensional location of an object . using parameters determined from the calibration procedure as shown in fig6 and a single image , the processor computes a three dimensional location . the processor locates a reference line on the plane of the reticle 20 formed by the juncture of the optical element 40 with the plane of the reticle 20 . ray 300 shows the optical path from reference edge 302 to the camera 10 . rays 300 , 310 and 320 are parallel with an axis of the camera 10 . the processor measures a distance d s as the distance between the reference edge 302 and the reflected view of the object 330 of the reflective face 312 of the optical element 40 as shown by optical path 310 . in one example embodiment , the angle of the reflective face 312 and the reticle 20 is 42 °. one skilled in the art will realize that any angle may be used that will provide a view of the leads to the camera 10 . the processor determines the distance d b as the distance between the reference edge 302 and the view of the object 330 as indicated by the optical path 320 . using the angle θ 340 defined by optical path 310 and a plane parallel to the reticle plane intersecting object 330 , the processor determines the distance z 350 of the object 330 above the reticle plane . fig7 shows an example calculation of θ during a calibration of the system . the processor calculates the z dimension using the equation : d s = distance from the reference edge to the side view of the object ; d b = distance from the reference edge to the bottom view of the object ; θ = angle formed by the ray emanating from the object reflected by the optical element and received by the camera and the plane intersecting the object parallel to the reticle plane ; and fig3 b shows an alternate method of the invention used to locate an object in three dimensions . in this method , the processor 14 begins by locating a reference line 360 located on the reticle 20 . in one embodiment , an attachment of the optical element 40 with the reticle 20 may provide the reference line 360 . the processor 14 determines an angle θ 340 that is dependent upon the angle of the face 312 of the optical element 40 to the plane of the reticle 20 . the angle θ 340 is determined by using two points 332 and 334 . the processor 14 determines a distance between points 332 and 334 by measuring the distance between two rays 333 and 335 that are parallel to the axis of the camera and extending downward from points 332 and 334 . the processor then examines the side view for the corresponding rays 370 and 372 received by the camera from the optical element 40 . the distance between these two rays 370 and 372 in the side view is measured as δz . θ is determined using the following equation : ## equ1 ## the process then determines an offset r where r is a measure of a distance from the intersection 382 of the face 312 of the optical element and the plane of the reticle 20 and the edge of the reference line 360 . the offset r is determined according to the following equation : ## equ2 ## where : d s = distance from a reference edge to the side view image of the object , which is the distance from rays 380 and 370 ; d b = distance from a reference edge to the bottom view image of the object , which is the distance between rays 380 and 333 ; θ = angle formed by the ray emanating from the object reflected by the fixed optical element and received by the camera and the plane intersecting the object parallel to the reticle plane ; and r = offset of reference line 360 and the intersection 382 between a reflective face of the optical element 40 and the transparent reticle 20 . the processor then determines the height z of an object above the upper surface of the reticle 20 , using the following equation : where z equals the distance along the z axis from the reticle plane to the object . in one embodiment of the invention , the system is calibrated by placing a pattern of calibration dots of known spacing and size on the reticle plane . fig4 shows one embodiment of a calibration dot pattern as viewed by the camera 10 with four side optical elements , fewer or more side optical elements may also be used . the camera receives an image including a bottom view and four side views from the optical elements located on the reticle plane . the calibration dots appear as direct images 410 and reflected images 420 . fig5 shows the relationship between the direct image 410 , the reflected image 420 and the reference edge 302 and the values of d s and d b . fig6 shows a method of the invention used to calibrate the system using the reticle mask 400 . the method begins at step 600 by finding the calibration dots . the processor finds a location and size of each dot visible directly from the bottom view and stores these results in memory . by comparing these results to known values stored in memory , the processor calculates the missing state values for the bottom calibration in steps 610 and 620 . for example , in step 610 the processor determines camera distortion and roll angle and in step 620 the processor measures pixel width and height . these state values include pixel width and pixel height , pixel aspect ratio , optics distortion , and camera orientation with respect to the dot pattern . the processor then stores these results in memory . these results provide conversion factors for use during analysis to convert pixel values to world values . the process flows to step 630 where the processor finds calibration dots visible in side views and reference edges . from these values , the processor determines the side view angles of the optical elements 40 in step 640 as shown in fig7 . the processor begins by finding the missing state values for each side mirror calibration from the data . these include the position of the mirror to the reticle plane . the state values are stored in memory . fig7 shows how the system determines angle θ 710 for the optical element 720 using d s and d b . the system locates a reference edge 730 and uses a reflected image 740 of the object 750 to determine a distance d s 760 . d b is determined by the distance from the reference edge 730 and the object 750 . the angle calculation for angle θ 710 may be determined by the following calculation : ## equ3 ## where d s = distance from a reference edge to the side view image of the object , which is the distance from rays 380 and 370 ; d b = distance from a reference edge to the bottom view image of the object , whcih is the distance between rays 380 and 333 ; and θ = angle formed by the ray emanating from the object reflected by the fixed optical element and received by the camera and the plane intersecting the object parallel to the reticle plane . once angle θ is known , the inspection system may use these known values to determine the three dimensional location of an object in space . fig8 shows one embodiment of a method of the inspection system of the invention to determine a three dimensional position of an object in space . the method begins in step 800 by finding an object from the bottom view . using a search method , the processor determines coordinates for the object . in one embodiment , the processor may employ a subpixel method as shown below in fig1 a - 10d to find a repeatable position . the method then proceeds to step 810 to find the object in a side view . the processor determines a subpixel location for the object in the same manner as for the bottom view . the processor finds a reference edge to a subpixel location in step 820 , and then computes the observed values for d s and d b in step 830 . from these known values , the processor may determine the x , y and z positions of the object in step 840 . fig9 a , 9b , 9c and 9d show alternate embodiments of the part holder , optical elements and illumination elements of the invention . in fig9 a , a pedestal 910 is attached to the central portion of the reticle 920 . a part 900 may be received on the pedestal 910 for analysis . light sources 904 provide illumination . an overhead light reflective diffuser 902 is fixed above the reticle 920 and is positioned to receive illumination from the light sources 904 and provides diffused illumination for backlighting for the bottom view of part 900 . in one preferred embodiment , the light sources 904 comprise light arrays mounted on four sides of the reticle 920 to provide even illumination for each view . in fig9 b , a vacuum holder 950 is used to suspend a part 900 above the top surface of the reticle 920 . the vacuum holder 950 suspends the part 900 substantially parallel to the face of the reticle 920 . an overhead light reflective diffuser 906 may be mounted on the vacuum holder 950 to receive light from the light sources 904 . fig9 c shows a vacuum holder 950 suspending a part 900 above a reticle 920 where a central portion 922 of the reticle has been cut out . the central portion 922 of the reticle 920 has been cut out so that an inward face 942 of a prism 940 is substantially in line with the cut out portion of the reticle 920 . fig9 d shows a configuration similar to that shown in fig9 c , except that a mirror 952 is used in place of the prism 940 . refer now to fig1 a - 10d which show one embodiment of the subpixel lead dimension measurement method . the processor begins with known parameters determined from the bottom view to find an ideal location center for a lead 50 having a lead tip 51 . depending on the size of a part and other parameters such as lighting conditions , the ideal location center of the lead tip 51 may vary . the processor defines a region of interest , 11 × 19 pixels for example , around the ideal location center , shown in fig1 a as the coordinates nx , ny . for example , the camera is a ccd camera that contains 1024 × 1024 pixels with a pixel representing approximately 1 . 6 thousandths of an inch of the lead . other optical systems and camera types may be used without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention . the size of the region of interest is chosen such that only one lead is contained in the region so that no other adjacent lead is contained in that region of interest . using nw , an expected width in pixels , and nl , an expected length available of the lead 50 up to the body of the part , an expected lead dimensions are found as shown in fig1 a . within the region of interest , a processor finds a lead tip 51 by moving from the outside edge opposite the lead tip 51 toward the lead tip 51 one pixel at a time . the processor determines the pixel having the maximum gradient to be the edge of the lead tip dt . the gradient for each pixel is found by subtracting a gray scale value of the pixel from the gray scale value of the next pixel . to reduce the possible effects of noise , the processor may proceed by averaging groups of three or more pixels , as an example , rather than using individual pixels . when the lead tip 51 is found , the processor determines the two lead tip edges &# 39 ; positions , ds 1 and ds 2 by moving five pixels , for example , into the lead along an axis parallel to the lead as defined by the ideal part . then the method moves toward each of the side edges along a line perpendicular to the lead until a maximum gradient is found along the line . the pixel with the maximum gradient ds 1 and ds 2 are defined as the side positions . the processor then performs a subpixel operation as shown in fig1 b to find a more accurate seed position for a second subpixel operation . the processor defines a small 3 × 5 box around each position dt , ds 1 and ds 2 . the subpixel operation begins on dt by averaging the three pixels in each column moving left to right and finding a more repeatable seed position dt . likewise , more accurate seed positions ds 1 and ds 2 are found for the side locations moving from the non - lead edge into the lead while averaging the pixels in each row . once these new seed pixels have been determined , the processor determines tip position using the new seed point dtip and defining a large subpixel box of size 2 nw × 2nw where the tip point is centered left to right on dt , and centered top to bottom on ( ds 1 and ds 2 )/ 2 as shown in fig1 c . once again , the processor moves from left to right from a non - lead edge into the lead while averaging the pixels in each column to find dtip as the tip position . by using a larger box having more pixels , a more repeatable result is obtained . likewise , as shown in fig1 d , the side positions are found using the seed positions ds 1 and ds 2 with a subpixel box of dimensions nl × nw . for one box the seed position is ds 1 and ( dtip + nl / 3 ). for the second box the seed position is ds 2 and ( dtip + nl / 3 ). the processor moves towards the lead averaging the pixels in each row , and using the subpixel process shown below , determines a subpixel location of the lead edges as dside 1 and dside 2 . the width of the lead is then computed as dside 1 - dside 2 . one example of subpixel edge detection implemented in the c language is shown below . ______________________________________void iml . sub .-- findhorzedge ( int nxseed , int nyseed , int nwidth , int nlength , double * dedge ) int nxstart = nxseed - ( nlength - 1 ) / 2 ; int nystart = nyseed - ( nwidth - 1 ) / 2 ; int nxstop = nxstart + nlength ; int nystop = nystart + nwidth ; int * narray max . sub .-- length ! ; double d1 , d2 , d3 ; double dl = nlength ; double dm1 = 0 . 0 ; double dm2 = 0 . 0 ; double dm3 = 0 . 0 ; double dm11 ; for ( int x = nxstart ; x & lt ; nxstop ; x ++){ d1 = 0 . 0 ; narray x - nxstart ! = 0 ; for ( int y = nystart ; y & lt ; nystop ; y ++){ narray x - nxstart ! += get . sub .-- pixel ( x , y );} d1 = narray x - nxstart ! ; d2 = d1 + d1 ; d3 = d2 + d1 ; dm1 += d1 ; dm2 += d2 ; dm3 += d3 ;} dm1 /= dl ; dm2 /= dl ; dm3 /= dl ; dm11 = dm1 + dm1 ; double ds1 = dm3 - dm1 * ( 3 . 0 * dm2 - 2 . 0 * dm11 ); double ds2 = ( dm2 - dm11 ) * sqrt ( fabs ( dm2 - dm11 )); if ( ds2 == 0 . 0 ) ds2 - 1 . 0 ; double ds3 = ds1 / ds2 ; double dp = 0 . 5 - ds3 /( 2 . 0 * sqrt ( 4 . 0 + ds3 * ds3 )); double de = dp * dl + 0 . 5 ; if ( narray 0 ! & gt ; narray nlength - 1 ! )* dedge = ( double ) nxseed - ( double ) ( nlength + 1 )/ 2 . 0 + de ; else * dedge = ( double ) nxseed + ( double ) ( nlength + 1 )/ 2 . 0 - de ;} © 1997 scanner technologies , inc . ______________________________________ refer now to fig1 a - 11e which show an embodiment of the invention . in one embodiment , an attachment of the optical element 1040 , which may comprise a prism , with the reticle 1004 may provide the reference line 1020 . however , the attachment , which may be made with glue , may not provide a precise line . in an alternate embodiment , the reference line 1020 is located on the reticle 1004 at the intersection of the transmissive face 1043 of the optical element 1040 and the reticle 1004 . the width of the reference line 1020 is chosen to be sufficiently narrow so as not to obscure the view of the part 1000 , which may comprise a lead tip of the lead of an electronic component , from the camera 1015 off the reflective surface 1041 of the optical element 1040 . the width of the reference line 1020 may be selected to obscure the intersection of the transmissive face 1043 and the reticle 1004 and extend beyond the upper overhang of the optical element 1040 . imprecision may be introduced by an uneven line in the intersection of the transmissive face 1043 and the reticle 1004 caused by an adhesive used to attach the optical element 1040 to the reticle 1004 . the width of the reference line allows for measurement without the imprecision introduced by the attachment of the optical element 1040 to the reticle 1004 . fig1 a shows an actual position of the part 1000 located a distance c 1002 which represents the distance above the plane of the reticle 1004 of the part 1000 . the distance c 1002 represents the distance in the z dimension of the part 1000 above the plane of the reticle 1004 . ray w 1006 shows an optical path of a ray passing perpendicularly through the plane of the reticle 1004 , reflecting off a back plane 1041 of the optical element 1040 and passing through the location of the part 1000 . ray u 1008 shows the optical path of a ray passing upward perpendicularly through plane of the reticle 1004 reflecting off the back plane 1041 of the prism 1040 and passing through the point directly below part 1000 . ray u 1008 is parallel to ray w 1006 and is separated by distance c from ray 1006 in the z dimension . the reflection of rays w 1006 and u 1008 off the back plane 1041 of the prism 1040 form an angle b 1013 and angles of incidence a 1014 and reflection a 1016 . angle θ 1012 is defined as the angle formed at the intersection of ray u 1008 and plane of the reticle 1004 . the distance t 1018 is the distance from the part 1000 and the ray u 1008 where t 1018 is perpendicular to the ray u 1008 . d b 1034 is the distance along the x or y dimension from the leading edge of the reference line 1020 and the z projection intersection of the part 1000 and the plane of the reticle 1004 . fig1 b shows a reduced illustration of the relationships between angle θ 1012 , distance c 1002 and distance t 1018 . the following equations illustrate the relationships between these values . ## equ4 ## refer to fig1 c which shows a detailed illustration of relationships formed by reference line 1020 and the location of the part 1000 . the distance s is the distance from the leading edge of the reference line 1020 and the ray u 1008 along a path parallel to the distance t 1018 . the distance dp 1024 is the sum of the two distances t 1018 and s 1022 . thus , optical path 1026 is formed by the reflection of a ray passing perpendicular through the plane of the reticle 1004 reflecting off the back plane 1041 of the prism 1040 and passing through the leading edge of the reference line 1020 . the distance ds 1028 is a measure of the distance in the plane of reticle 1004 of ray w 1006 from ray 1026 after reflection off the back plane 1041 of the prism 1040 . the distance e 1030 is a measure of the distance of the points of intersection of the ray w 1006 from ray 1026 on the back plane 1041 of the prism 1040 . the angle d 1032 is the angle of the back plane of the prism 1040 and the plane of the reticle 1004 . using these measures , the following relationship is determined . fig1 d reduces the relationships of e 1030 , angle a 1014 , angle d 1032 and ds 1028 . therefore , ## equ5 ## fig1 e shows the relationships of the distance s 1022 , ray u 1008 , angle θ 1012 and d b 1034 . ## equ6 ## now using fig1 f , which shows an illustration of the reduced relationship between the distance e 1030 , d p 1024 , angle a 1014 and angle b 1013 , an equation to solve for the position c 1002 of the part 1000 in the z - dimension is derived as follows : ## equ7 ## the invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use such specialized components as are required . however , it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different equipment and devices , and that various modifications , both as to the equipment details and operating procedures , can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself .	7
in preferred embodiments of the present invention , the dished endoscope compartment within the reusable tray may be of other regular or even irregular outline in plan view , but it is most conveniently of generally - rectangular outline . the dimensions of the tray must be sufficient to accommodate therein substantially all sizes of flexible medical endoscope in a coiled state without undue stress being applied to the flexible portions thereof . however , the tray must also be sufficiently small to permit it to be easily carried by a person . therefore , it is preferred that the external dimensions of the tray are : a length of about 21 in ( 525 mm ), a width of about 17 in ( 425 mm ), and a depth of about 4 . 2 in ( 105 mm ). the corresponding internal dimensions of the endoscope compartment within the tray are preferably : a length of about 18 . 8 in ( 470 mm ), and a width of about 14 . 8 in ( 370 mm ). so that the endoscope may be safely coiled within the endoscope compartment without any undue danger of resultant damage to its flexible parts , it is highly desirable that all the corners and intersections between the walls of the endoscope compartment and with its base shall be smoothly curved rather than sharply angular , so that they merge imperceptibly with one another and with the base of the endoscope compartment . this provides the endoscope compartment with smooth internal surfaces wherein the junctions between each wall and its next adjacent walls and also the junctions between each wall and the base are all in the form of rounded corners having a large radius of curvature . this moreover has a further important advantage , because the fact that the junctions between the walls and with the base are all smoothly rounded eliminates any sharply angular nooks or crannies which otherwise might harbour dirt and bacteria . the cleaning and disinfection of the reusable tray are therefore greatly facilitated by thus providing it with smooth internal surfaces . the tray is preferably formed from moulded plastics material , most preferably a . b . s . preferably the tray is formed so as to have a sheet thickness of about 0 . 16 in ( 4 mm ). the open - faced pouch of the liner needs to be such as will loosely adapt itself to the contours of the endoscope compartment in the underlying tray . the pouch itself therefore will in a sense be defined by opposed generally - vertical walls surrounding a generally - horizontal basal area roughly coextensive with the planar base of the tray . the upper ends of the walls define the open face of the pouch , where they meet with or form the margins of the tray - liner at the level of the rim of the underlying tray . the lower ends of the side walls then come together to define the closed bottom of the pouch . it would perhaps be ideal ( at least from the viewpoint of appearance ) if the lower ends of the vertical side walls were to be interconnected by a horizontal flat sheet of material more or less coextensive with the planar base of the underlying tray , so that the liner fits snugly within the tray compartment . however it must be remembered that the tray - liner is a single - use , disposable thing , with little need for an aesthetic appearance . any form of pouch that will serve its intended purpose can therefore be adopted , irrespective of aesthetics . bearing that in mind , it may be most appropriate to adopt a more ill - fitting construction of pouch which however is simpler and therefore more economic to manufacture . in one embodiment of liner for use in the present invention , the lower ends of the side walls proper are further extended and gathered together , with suitable folding and pleating , to meet more or less centrally of the bottom of the pouch and are there integrated with one another at a junction point or more usually a junction seam . this kind of less aesthetic but more economic construction of pouch is indeed illustrated in the accompanying drawings in relation to an endoscope compartment in the tray and correspondingly a pouch in the liner both of generally rectangular outline , and as there appears the side and end walls proper are notionally further extended downwards but in fact are folded and pleated together , to meet at a seam more or less centrally of the pouch bottom . when thus constructed and in free - hanging posture ( rather than supported within the endoscope compartment of the underlying tray ) of course the pouch bottom will tend to sag down , and the side and end walls will appear to taper inwards until they are gathered and integrated together into a relatively deep and rather baggy pouch . in an alternative , and currently preferred , embodiment of the present invention , the tray - liner is made by a so - called “ thermo - forming ” process , from a single piece of flexibly deformable sheet material , and thus has no apparent seams . preferably , the sheet material is a plastics material , and most preferably is high density polythene ( hdp ). for ease of handling , the protective cover may be pre - attached on or around the margins of the liner so as thereby to form a flap of the liner , either attached to or integral with the liner along a side of the margins corresponding to one of the walls of the pouch therein . in this embodiment of the present invention , the pouch - closing cover of the liner may be provided with fixing means along a free side thereof , preferably the free side remote from the line of attachment / integration between liner and cover . in use , this enables said free side of the cover to be detachably secured to another side of the pouch when supported in the endoscope compartment . it is in fact greatly preferred that the cover should be provided with fixing means along at least two or even all the free sides thereof . the fixing means may be any of any suitable kind , for instance a zip ®- fastener , a velcro ®- fastener or a press - stud closure , but these are relatively expensive for a single - use , disposable item , and so with economy in mind the fixing means is preferably an adhesive strip . however , for reasons of economy of manufacture , amongst other things , it is generally preferred that the protective cover be provided as a separate component , to be temporarily secured at or around the margins of the liner when in use . where the protective cover is a separate component of the kit of parts , it should be so shaped and dimensioned as in use to embrace , and thereby be detachably secured to , the top of the endoscope compartment in a snug - fitting arrangement . this may be achieved by the provision of an elasticated skirt around the perimeter of the cover . in a further preferred embodiment of the present invention , the protective cover is reversible and carries an indication on either side thereof of the status of the endoscope contained within the tray . in practice , this may be no more than the printing of the words “ clean ” and “ contaminated ” ( or similar ) on either side of the reversible cover . the reversible cover must of course by capable of being temporarily secured to an upper portion of the walls of the endoscope compartment in both its normal and reversed positions . the cover , when provided as a separate component is preferably formed of a plastics material , most preferably low density polythene ( ldp ). in a still further embodiment of the present invention , there is provided a rigid lid adapted to fit snugly over the top of the protective cover when fitted on the tray , so as to provide protection against accidental piercing of the flexible cover . alternatively , the cover , or indeed the entire liner , may advantageously be formed from a self - sealing plastics material , such as a suitable grade of so - called “ cling film ”, thus eliminating the need for the separate provision of fixing means . the liner should be capable of co - operating with the tray in such a way that the margins thereof may be folded over externally of the endoscope compartment to engage with the peripheral lip - portion ( s ). when using a generally - rectangular tray of the preferred dimensions , it is as regards the liner preferred that it should have an overall length of about 20 . 8 in ( 520 mm ), a width of about 15 . 2 in ( 380 mm ), and a depth of about 14 . 4 in ( 360 mm ). the liner cover then preferably has a width of about 20 . 4 in ( 510 mm ) so as to extend across the endoscope compartment . in a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention , the material ( s ) from which the tray , the liner and / or the protective cover is / are formed will preferably be impregnated with an anti - bacterial or other biocidal or biostatic agent . the peripheral lip - portions around the walls of the tray are intended not only for anchoring the tray liner therein but also to serve as a kind of handle for carrying the tray manually . in a further preferred embodiment of the present invention , there is further provided a trolley having support points adapted to receive and support the peripheral lip - portion ( s ) of one or more trays . a particular embodiment of endoscope transportation device according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying fig1 to 4 . referring first to fig1 and 2 , there is shown a tray 10 , having a downwardly - dished inner endoscope compartment , generally indicated 11 therewithin . the endoscope compartment is defined by a generally rectangular base 12 with surrounding walls 13 upstanding therefrom . each wall 13 is curved at each end and at the bottom thereof , such that each wall 13 merges imperceptibly with each next adjacent wall 13 , and with the base 12 . thus , the junctions 14 between adjacent walls 13 , and the junctions 15 between each wall and the base 12 , take the form of rounded corners having a large radius . the upper edges of the end walls 13 are curled over to form a peripheral lip portion 16 externally around the walls 13 . a brim 19 around the tray 10 is defined at the uppermost point of the walls 13 . as is best shown in fig2 the walls 13 which define the endoscope compartment 11 , comprise a pair of opposed side walls 17 , and a pair of opposed end walls 18 . the endoscope compartment 11 is required to be large enough to accommodate substantially all sizes of flexible medical endoscope therewithin without undue stress being applied to the flexible portions thereof , yet must at the same time be small enough to permit the tray 10 to be easily carried by a person . in order to achieve this result , the side walls 17 have a length of about 21 in ( 525 mm ), whilst the end walls have a length of about 17 in ( 425 mm ). the depth of the endoscope compartment 11 , ( that is to say the height of the walls 13 ) is about 4 . 2 in ( 105 mm ). referring now to fig3 there is shown a disposable liner 20 for use in conjunction with the tray 10 to form the endoscope transportation device of the present invention . the liner 20 has a pouch , generally indicated 21 , defined by a pair of opposed side walls 22 and a pair of opposed end walls 23 . the upper edges of the opposed side walls 22 and the opposed end walls 23 form a rim 24 defining the open end of the pouch 21 , whilst the lower edges of the opposed side walls 22 in this embodiment meet at a seam 25 which defines the closed end of the pouch 21 . the opposed end walls 23 are provided with fold lines 26 , and taper inwards to meet the seam 25 . however , as noted above , it is currently preferred that the liner 20 be formed so as to have no apparent seams . the liner 20 has margins 33 adjacent the open end of the pouch 21 , which although shown in fig3 as distinct , though still integral , components of the liner 21 , may conveniently be no more than the upper portions of the walls 22 , 23 defining the pouch 21 . a cover 30 is provided along a side of the rim 24 corresponding to one of the opposed side walls 22 . the cover 30 is provided with an adhesive strip 31 adjacent its free end 32 . whilst the cover 30 in this embodiment is integral with the liner 20 , it may preferably be provided as a separate component of the present invention . as is best shown in fig4 in use the liner 20 is placed into the tray 10 . the margins 33 of the liner 20 are folded over the brim 19 of the tray 10 , to engage with the peripheral lip 16 around the tray 10 . the liner 20 is formed of a flexibly deformable sheet material such as high density polythene , so that it may be conformed to the contours of the underlying tray 10 . thus , the pouch 21 takes on the general shape of the endoscope compartment 11 , with the side walls 22 of the liner 20 corresponding to the side walls 17 of the tray 10 , and the end walls 23 of the liner 20 corresponding to the end walls 18 of the tray 10 . the seam 25 defining the closed end of the pouch 21 is located against the base 12 of the tray 20 . the length of the liner 20 ( i . e . : the length of the side walls 22 ) should be substantially equal to the corresponding length of the tray 10 , whilst the width of the liner ( i . e . : the length of the end walls 23 ) should be somewhat shorter than the corresponding width of the tray 10 . this enables the liner 20 to be gently stretched across the width of the tray 10 , thus holding the liner 20 in a state of tension . therefore , in the preferred embodiment , the length of the side walls 22 of the liner is about 20 . 8 in ( 520 mm ), whilst the length of the end walls 23 is about 15 . 2 in ( 380 mm ). the preferred depth of the liner 20 is about 14 . 4 in ( 360 mm ). the margins 33 of the liner 20 , when engaged with the lip 16 of the tray 10 , are located some way below the brim 19 of the tray . it is therefore necessary that the length of the cover 30 be substantially greater than the width of the tray 10 . this enables the cover 30 to be folded along a fold line 34 co - incident with the brim 19 of the tray , and to extend across the width of the tray 10 to be secured on the opposed side wall 17 / 22 thereof , by means of the adhesive strip 31 . in use , a clean liner 20 is engaged with the tray 10 as described above . a cleaned and disinfected endoscope ( not shown ) may then be placed in the lined endoscope compartment 11 / 21 . the cover 30 is then folded across the top of the lined tray 10 / 20 and secured at the opposite side 17 / 22 by means of the adhesive strip 31 , so as to isolate the endoscope from any potential airborne contamination . the lined tray 10 / 20 with the endoscope enclosed therein may then be transported to the procedure room , either by being manually carried , using the lip 16 as a handle , or using a trolley ( not shown ) having connection points adapted to receive the lip 16 of one or more trays . when the endoscope is to be used , the cover 30 is detached from its fixing point , and the endoscope may then be removed from the lined endoscope compartment 11 / 21 . once the endoscopy procedure is complete , the endoscope may be placed back into the lined endoscope compartment 11 / 21 , and the cover 30 is re - sealed by means of the adhesive strip 31 . the lined tray 10 / 20 is then transported back to the cleaning room , where the cover 30 is again detached from its fixing point , and the endoscope removed for cleaning and disinfecting . the used liner 20 is then removed from the tray 10 , disposed of as contaminated waste , and replaced with a clean liner 20 .	0
description will now be given of preferred configurations , with reference to the accompanying drawings , which is to explain in detail enough that those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs can easily practice the disclosure . it should not be construed to limit the technical scope and spirits of the present disclosure . fig8 is a perspective view illustrating a locking device for an operating mechanism of a gas insulated switchgear in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure , fig9 is a disassembled perspective view of a locking unit in fig8 , fig1 is a view illustrating a locked state of a link assembly , and fig1 is an operation view of the locking device for the operating mechanism of the gas insulated switchgear in accordance with the some embodiments of the present disclosure . hereinafter , description will be given in detail of a locking device for an operating mechanism of a gas insulated switchgear in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure , with reference to the accompanying drawings . ( here , a disconnecting switch and earthing switch unit and an operating mechanism , except for a link assembly and a locking unit , have the same configuration to those according to the related art , so description thereof will be omitted . also , the same reference numerals are used for the similar or same components to those in the related art , so they can be understood with reference to those drawings of the related art .) the locking device for the operating mechanism of the gas insulated switchgear according to the some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a driving shaft lever 11 connected to the operating mechanism to perform a rotation motion , first and second link rods 20 and 25 coupled to upper and lower ends of the driving shaft lever 11 , respectively , to perform a rotation motion and a parallel motion , a driven shaft lever 30 including upper and lower ends connected to the first and second link rod 20 and 25 , respectively , to perform rotation motion , and provided with stopping grooves 31 , 32 and 33 formed at a part thereof , a supporter 41 installed at a tank ( enclosure ), a locking lever 50 coupled to the supporter 41 to perform a rotation motion or a parallel motion and restricting a motion of the driven shaft lever 30 when being inserted into the stopping grooves 31 , 32 and 33 , and a driven shaft 8 rotated by a force transferred by the driven shaft lever 30 . the locking device for the operating mechanism of the gas insulated switchgear according to the some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a link assembly 10 and a locking unit 40 restricting a motion of the link assembly 10 . the link assembly 10 may be configured as a quadric link . the link assembly 10 may include a driving shaft lever 11 and a driven shaft lever 30 provided on left and right ends , respectively , and first and second link rods 20 and 25 provided on upper and lower ends thereof . the driving shaft lever 11 may be formed in the shape of a flat plate . the driving shaft lever 11 may be rotatably coupled to one ends of the first and second link rods 20 and 25 , respectively . the driving shaft lever 11 may be connected to the driving shaft 6 of the operating mechanism 9 and rotated by the driving force of the operating mechanism 9 . the first and second link rods 20 and 25 may be coupled to the upper and lower ends of the driving shaft levers 11 , respectively . the one ends of the first and second link rods 20 and 25 may be coupled to the driving shaft lever 11 by coupling members 12 , such as pins , rivets , bolts and the like , in a rotatable manner , not in a fixed manner . split slits 21 and 26 in which the driving shaft lever 11 or the driven shaft lever 30 is inserted may be formed at both end portions of the first and second link rods 20 and 26 , respectively . the split slits 21 and 26 may be formed at the both end portions of the first and second link rods 20 and 25 , respectively , in a lengthwise direction . when viewing the first and second link rods 20 and 25 from a top , the first and second link rods 20 and 25 may be symmetrically formed , respectively , on the basis of the split slits 21 and 26 . as the driving shaft lever 11 is inserted into the split slits 21 and 26 , the coupled state between the first and second link rods 20 and 25 and the driving shaft lever 11 can be stably maintained , and a loss of the driving force transferred from the driving shaft lever 11 can be minimized . the first link rod 20 and the second link rod 26 may be arranged in parallel to each other . the driven shaft lever 30 may be rotatably coupled to another ends of the first and second link rods 20 and 25 , respectively . the first link rod 20 may be coupled to an upper end of the driven shaft lever 30 , and the second link rod 25 may be coupled to a lower end of the driven shaft lever 30 . the coupling characteristic between the driving shaft lever 11 and the first and second link rods 20 and 25 can be similarly or equally applied to the coupling between the driven shaft lever 30 and the first and second link rods 20 and 25 . the driven shaft lever 30 may be formed in the shape of a flat plate . a shaft hole 35 to which the driven shaft can be coupled may be formed through the driven shaft lever 30 . the driven shaft lever 30 may have an outer surface that protrudes into a semicircular shape . a plurality of stopping grooves 31 , 32 and 33 may be formed on the outer surface of the driven shaft lever 30 . the plurality of stopping grooves 31 , 32 and 33 may separately be referred to as a first stopping groove 31 , a second stopping groove 32 , and a third stopping groove 33 , from top to bottom . here , the stopping grooves 31 , 32 and 33 may be formed to correspond to three positions ( a ds - closed position , a neutral or trip position and an es - closed position ) of the three - position switch . the stopping grooves 31 , 32 and 33 may be located at positions spaced apart from one another by a uniform angle ( e . g ., 60 °). that is , at a neutral position as illustrated in fig8 , the driven shaft lever 30 may be in a state without being brought into contact with both of the disconnecting switch and the earthing switch ( i . e ., the neutral or trip state ), and the locking unit 140 may be inserted into the second stopping groove 32 . if the driving shaft 6 is rotated by 60 ° in a counterclockwise direction , the first link rod 20 may be moved to left and the second link rod 25 may be moved to right such that the driven shaft lever 30 can be rotated by 60 ° in the counterclockwise direction . in this instance , the locking unit 40 can be inserted into the first stopping groove 31 . if the driving shaft 6 is rotated by 60 ° in a clockwise direction , the first link 20 may be moved to right and the second link rod 25 may be moved to left such that the driven shaft lever 30 can be rotated by 60 ° in the clockwise direction . in this instance , the locking unit 40 can be inserted into the third stopping groove 33 . the locking unit 40 may be disposed to lock or unlock the movement of the link assembly 10 . in detail , the locking unit 40 may be inserted into one of the stopping grooves 31 , 32 and 33 of the driven shaft lever 30 to lock the movement of the link assembly 10 in a specific state , and unlock the link assembly 10 when it is not inserted into any of the stopping grooves 31 , 32 and 33 . as one embodiment of the locking unit 40 , the locking unit 40 may include as core components a supporter 41 and a locking lever 50 . also , the locking unit 40 may further include components , such as a lever pin 55 for coupling the locking lever 50 to the supporter 41 , a fixing plate 60 for restricting a motion of the locking lever 50 , a lock 70 , a wing bolt 66 , and the like . the supporter 41 may be installed at the tank 1 and support the locking lever 50 such that the locking lever 50 can perform a parallel motion or a rotation motion . the supporter 41 may include a base plate 42 coupled to the tank 1 , and a pair of side walls 43 coupled with the locking lever 50 . the base plate 42 may be provided with a plurality of fixing holes 42 a for coupling the base plate 42 to the tank 1 . each of the side walls 43 may be provided with a pin hole 43 a through which the lever pin 55 is inserted . a ring 44 through which the lock 70 is latched may be provided at an upper portion of one of the side walls 43 . the locking lever 50 may be installed at the supporter 41 and inserted into the stopping grooves 31 , 32 and 33 . the locking lever 50 is a component which directly locks the driven shaft lever 30 . the locking lever 50 may be formed in the shape of a plate . the locking lever 50 may be provided with a pin hole 51 formed therethrough such that the lever pin 55 can be inserted therethrough . a protrusion 52 which is insertable into the stopping grooves 31 , 32 and 33 may protrude from a part of the locking lever 50 . the protrusion 52 may be formed in various shapes , taking into account of an operation characteristic of the locking lever 50 , shapes of the stopping grooves 31 , 32 and 33 , and the like . the lever pin 55 may be provided to rotatably install the locking lever 50 at the supporter 41 . the lever pin 55 may be inserted sequentially through one of the pin holes 43 a of the side walls 43 , the pin hole 51 of the locking lever 50 and the other of the pin holes 43 a . the locking lever 50 may be rotatable centering on the lever pin 55 as a shaft . when the locking lever 50 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction centering on the lever pin 55 as the shaft , the protrusion 52 which has been inserted in one of the stopping groove 31 , 32 , 33 may be separated from the one stopping groove ( see fig8 ). on the other hand , when the locking lever 50 is rotated in a clockwise direction , the protrusion 52 may be inserted into one of the stopping groove 31 , 32 , 33 ( see fig1 ). meanwhile , the fixing plate 60 which restricts the motion of the locking lever 50 may be disposed on an upper surface of another of the side walls 43 . a pin hole 61 may be formed through a part of the fixing plate 60 such that the fixing plate 60 can be fixed to the another side wall 43 by a fixing pin 65 . a lock hole 62 may be formed through a part of the fixing plate 60 such that the lock 70 can be latched therethrough . in the meantime , a screw hole 43 b may be formed through a part of at least one of the side walls 43 . the wing bolt 66 may be inserted through the screw hole 43 b and lock the locking lever 50 . although not illustrated separately , another embodiment may be implemented in a manner that the locking lever 50 is formed in a shape of a rod to be movable in parallel between the side walls 43 . in this instance , the locking lever 50 may be inserted into or separated from the stopping groove 31 , 32 , 33 of the driven shaft lever 30 by the parallel motion . hereinafter , description will be given of an operation of the locking device for the operating mechanism of the gas insulated switchgear according to some embodiments , with reference to fig1 to 14 . when the driving shaft lever 11 is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise by the driving force transferred from the driving shaft 6 , the first and second link rods 20 and 25 coupled to the upper and lower end portions of the driving shaft lever 11 are responsively moved . the first link rod 20 and the second link rod 25 are moved in opposite directions to each other to allow the driven shaft lever 30 to be moved clockwise or counterclockwise . in response to the movement of the driven shaft lever 30 , the driven shaft 8 is rotated and accordingly the movable contact 5 a is moved . operation positions of the movable contact 5 a may be three positions of a ds - closed position , a neutral or trip position , and an es - closed position . that is , the movable contact 5 a may be located at a position contactable with the fixed contact 3 a of the disconnecting switch ds , a position without being contactable with the fixed contacts 3 a and 4 a , and a position contactable with the fixed contact 4 a of the earthing switch es . accordingly , a primary circuit may be switched into a conductive state , a short - circuit state , and an earthed state . here , the closed position of the disconnecting switch ds , the neutral or trip position and the closed position of the earthing switch es may be positions at which the locking lever 50 of the locking unit 40 is insertable into the first stopping groove 31 , the second stopping groove 32 and the third stopping groove 33 , respectively . accordingly , the locking lever 50 of the locking unit 40 can be inserted into one of the stopping grooves 31 , 32 and 33 at each position to fix the link assembly 10 and lock the locking unit 40 using the lock 70 or the wing bolt 66 . this may allow for locking the link assembly 10 and also determining whether or not the operating mechanism properly operates by being placed correctly at each contact state . although not illustrated separately , a controller ( not shown ) may be provided to control an operating position of the movable contact 5 a . the controller may control a driving force of the driving shaft 6 of the operating mechanism such that each of the stopping grooves 31 , 32 and 33 of the driven shaft lever 30 can be accurately aligned with the position of the locking lever 50 of the locking unit 40 . for example , the controller may control the locking lever 50 to be moved exactly by 60 ° each so as to be located at the ds - closed position , the neutral or trip position or the es - closed position . fig1 illustrates a normal operating state among the operating states of the locking device for the operating mechanism of the gas insulated switchgear in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure . fig1 illustrates a state that the driven shaft lever 30 is rotated exactly by 60 ° in the clockwise direction such that the movable contact 5 a is brought into contact correctly with the fixed contact 4 a of the earthing switch and the locking lever 50 is insertable into the third stopping groove 33 . that is , the third stopping groove 33 of the driven shaft lever 30 is aligned with the locking lever 50 in a straight line . fig1 illustrates an incomplete operating state among the operating states of the locking device for the operating mechanism of the gas insulated switchgear in accordance with the some embodiments of the present disclosure . fig1 illustrates that the third stopping groove 33 of the driven shaft lever 30 is not aligned with the locking lever 50 of the locking unit 40 in the straight line . in this manner , when a rotation angle of the driven shaft lever 30 does not match ( correspond to ) a predetermined angle , the locking lever 50 may not be inserted into the stopping groove 31 , 32 , 33 and also the lock 70 cannot be latched . in addition , this may facilitate a user or operator to check with eyes that the movable contact 5 a may not be in contact accurately with the fixed contact 4 a of the earthing switch due to an inaccurate operation of the operating mechanism 8 . fig1 illustrates a state that the locking lever 50 of the locking unit 40 is released from the link assembly 10 , among the operating states of the locking device for the operating mechanism of the gas insulated switchgear in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure . even in the released state , the lock 70 can be latched and thus the released state can be maintained and a loss of the lock can be prevented . fig1 is a planar view illustrating a locking device for an operating mechanism of a gas insulated switchgear in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure . this embodiment illustrates that the locking unit 40 has the same configuration as that illustrated in the foregoing embodiment , excluding that the fixed plate 60 and the lock 70 are not employed and a wing bolt 67 is further provided to secure an inserted state of the locking lever 50 . in a locking device for an operating mechanism of a gas insulated switchgear according to some embodiments of the present disclosure , a locking unit provided at one side of a link assembly can lock a state of the link assembly , which may prevent a change in a contact state even by a user &# 39 ; s operation made randomly or by mistake , resulting in ensuring stability of an electric power system . a normal operating state of a disconnecting switch / earthing switch can be determined on the basis of a coupled state between the link assembly and the locking unit . a current state of the operating mechanism can be recognized on the basis of the coupled state between the link assembly and the locking unit , thereby preventing an operation made by mistake . the locking unit may be provided with locking devices , such as a lock , a wing bolt and the like to fix a specific state , thereby preventing a random operation . in addition , for repairing or replacing the operating mechanism which is currently operating , a situation that a movable contact is freely moved due to a detachment or removal of a driving shaft can be prevented , so as to prevent an abnormal contact between the movable contact and fixed contacts along which current flows , resulting in prevention of casualty or facility damage . it should also be understood that the above - described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description , unless otherwise specified , but rather should be construed broadly within its scope as defined in the appended claims , and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims , or equivalents of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims .	7
an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a view showing network topology of handoff between a cdma 1 × evdo network and a wireless lan . as shown in fig1 , a mobile station ms performs registration in the cdma 1 × evdo network through an access point ap and a gateway pdsn . the gateway pdsn has a foreign agent ( fa ) function . the mobile station can also perform registration in a wireless lan ( wlan ) through an access point ap and a gateway pdif . the gateway pdif also has a foreign agent ( fa ) function . an aaa ( authentication authorization and accounting ) server not shown in fig1 serves as a radius ( remote authentication dial - in user service ) server for chiefly performing authentication and accounting of the mobile station . various kinds of wireless interfaces such as w - cdma and blue - tooth as well as cdma 1 × evdo and wireless lan may be used as network interfaces in this invention . a web site “ 3rd generation partnership project 2 ” is a good guide to control signals and data processes for cdma 2000 1 × evdo . fig2 is a view showing control signal protocol stacks on the wlan side . the mobile station supports pppoe ( point to point protocol over ethernet ) and performs authentication through the aaa server . mobile ip protocol stacks which support an application layer of the mobile station performs handoff between the 3g network and the wlan . the wlan access point is only a layer - 2 network device , so that a flow of all control signals and data are open to the ap . on the other hand , the gateway pdif terminates pppoe and supports authentication . this is because the pdif has a function of a foreign agent which can communicate with the home agent on the basis of mobile ip information . fig3 is a view showing data flow protocol stacks on the wlan side . data are transmitted between the pdif and the home agent ha through ip in ip tunnels , so that the data finally reach the mobile station . when the mobile station changes the 1 × evdo network to the wireless lan side , ppp connection between the pdsn and the mobile station is continued until the ppp connection is cut off by timeout , unless the mobile station dynamically cuts off the ppp connection . in this invention , mobile ip registration request information rrq sent from the mobile station to the home agent ha is extended to thereby indicate the current wireless connection of the mobile station and notify the home agent ha of the interruption of ppp connection . fig4 is a schematic view of mobile ipv4 registration request information including a c / w extension field . the signal shown in fig4 contains items and extended items such as type , duration , local address , home agent , care of address , identification , etc . in this invention , extended contents shown in fig5 are used as definitions of extended items . fig5 is a schematic view showing contents of the c / w extension field in the mobile ipv4 registration request information ( fig4 ) according to the invention . in fig5 , the “ type ” means a numerical value such as 149 , the “ length ” means a length expressed by a numerical value such as 16 , the “ c / w flag ” means mark bits such as 8 bits , and the “ ppp disconnection ” means the mobile station &# 39 ; s requirement for ppp disconnection . in this embodiment , “ c ” in “ c / w flag ” means a cdma network , and “ w ” in “ c / w flag ” means a wireless lan . the “ c ” and “ w ” are not limited thereto and may mean other networks . when ppp disconnection is asserted , the home agent ha needs to notify the pdsn of the mobile station &# 39 ; s requirement for ppp disconnection . the “ ppp disconnection ” is only one example . the “ ppp disconnection ” may be replaced by a selection item such as “ stop of accounting ” or “ release of resources ”. next , a registration table for the home agent ha will be described with reference to fig6 . each record of the registration table includes a home address hoa 601 , a care - of - address coa 602 , an identification 603 , and a lifetime 604 , which belong to the mobile station to be registered . each record of the registration table is registered according to the mobile ipv4 registration request which format is shown in fig4 . on this embodiment , the mobile ipv4 registration table is extended so that the home agent ha is notified of whether the current registration is derived from the cdma 2000 1 × evdo network or from the wireless lan . the “ c / w ” flag 605 is added to the registration table , so that registration is performed while classified into the cdma 2000 1 × evdo network and the wireless lan with the character “ c ” or “ w ”. fig7 is a view showing a control signal process for handover between the cdma 2000 1 × evdo network and the wireless lan . first , the mobile station 8 starts ppp connection to the gateway pdsn 6 ( 701 ). the gateway pdsn 6 allocates a home address hoa to the mobile station 8 through authentication by the aaa server 16 on the basis of nai ( network access identifier ) information of the mobile station 8 ( 702 ). at the same time , the gateway pdsn 6 performs registration in the home agent ha 3 by using the home address hoa of the mobile station 8 and the ip address of itself ( 703 and 704 ). in this manner , data sent from a correspondent node 17 ( cn not shown in fig1 ) to the mobile station 8 pass through the mobile ip tunnel between the gateway pdsn 6 and the home agent ha 3 and reach the mobile station 8 ( 705 ). as the mobile station 8 comes into a wireless lan region ( 706 ), the mobile station 8 first performs negotiation with the wireless lan access point ap 13 . the user can acquire basic information such as fee , bandwidth , signal strength , service quality , etc . from the wireless lan side on the basis of this negotiation . after the negotiation between the mobile station 8 and the gateway pdif 4 , the mobile station 8 acquires the same home address hoa from the aaa server 16 in order to obtain network pppoe access authentication by using the same mobile station nai ( 707 , 708 and 709 ). when the user decides a network to be connected in accordance with the user &# 39 ; s situation , that is , when , for example , connection to the wireless lan is decided ( 710 ), the mobile station 8 sends rrq information with new c / w extended options proposed by this invention to the gateway pdif 4 for the wireless lan ( 711 ). upon reception of the information , the home agent ha 3 changes the network connection from “ c ” to “ w ” in accordance with its own registration table information ( 712 and 713 ) and sends the rrq information back to the mobile station 8 through the gateway pdif 4 ( 714 and 715 ). then , the home agent ha 3 sends ha - fa ( home agent — foreign agent ) information and notifies the gateway pdsn 6 of the requirement for the termination of ppp connection ( 716 and 717 ). finally , the data flow is sent to the mobile station 8 through the tunnel between the home agent ha 3 and the gateway pdif 4 ( 718 ). the functional block configuration of each device in this invention will be described below . fig8 is a view showing functional blocks of the mobile station 8 . the mobile station 8 is a dual mode terminal which has an evdo card 804 used for 1 × evdo connection , and a wireless lan card 805 used for wireless lan connection . a handover trigger function 803 is an option for deciding whether the user performs handoff or not , and which wireless connection is used . the mobile ip mn ( mobile node ) 802 is the mobile ip function for the mobile station 8 . the mobile station 8 needs to support the c / w extension function 801 of the mobile ip . fig9 is a view showing functional blocks of the home agent ha 3 . the c / w extension of the home agent registration table permits the judgment as to which wireless network is currently connected with the home agent , that is , the judgment as to which of 1 × evdo or wireless lan is used currently . at the same time , the home agent 3 must support the c / w extended options of the mobile ip as the c / w extension function 901 . the mobile ip ha ( home agent ) 902 is the mobile ip function for the ha 3 . the registration table 903 is a basic registration table of the mobile ip . finally , the home agent 3 notifies the gateway pdsn 6 of the requirement for ppp disconnection . fig1 is a view showing functional blocks of the gateway pdsn 6 . the pdsn 1004 is a basic function of the pdsn 6 . besides basic functions , c / w extension must be supported by the gateway pdsn 6 as the c / w extension function 1001 so that the gateway pdsn 6 communicates with the home agent ha 3 in order to find whether the mobile station 8 is connected through the cdma network or whether registration is performed through the wireless lan . the pdsn 1004 must support ha - fa information so that ppp connection with the mobile station is cut off on the basis of the ha - fa information . the mobile ip fa ( foreign agent ) 1002 is the mobile ip function for the pdsn 6 . the registration table 1003 is a basic registration table of the mobile ip . fig1 is a flow chart showing a control process in the home agent ha 3 . the process corresponds to sequence from 711 to 714 of fig7 . after the home agent ha 3 receives rrq information through the gateway pdif 4 ( s 1101 ), the home agent ha 3 updates its own registration table ( s 1102 ) and sends standard rrp back to the gateway pdif 4 ( s 1103 ). then , the home agent ha 3 makes a decision on the basis of the c / w extended options as to whether the gateway pdsn 6 is notified of the requirement for ppp disconnection or not ( s 1104 ). if the c / w extended option is “ w ” ( means yes ), the home agent ha 3 notifies the gateway pdsn 6 of the requirement for ppp disconnection ( s 1105 ). fig1 is a flow chart showing a control process in the gateway pdsn 6 . the process corresponds to sequence from 716 to 717 of fig7 . after the gateway pdsn 6 receives registration information from the home agent ha 3 ( s 1201 ), the gateway pdsn 6 first judges based on the received registration information whether network resources are to be deleted or not ( s 1202 ). when , for example , the judgment is “ yes ” in the case of ppp , ppp connection is cut off ( s 1203 ). when the information is invalid , the gateway pdsn ignores the information . fig1 is a flow chart showing a control process in the mobile station 8 . the process corresponds to sequence 711 of fig7 . when the mobile station 8 sends rrq information ( s 1301 ), the mobile station 8 first judges by , for example , the handover trigger function whether the mobile station is currently connected to the wireless lan or to the 3g network ( s 1302 ). when the mobile station 8 is currently connected to the wireless lan , “ w ” is identified in this extended option ( s 1304 ). when the mobile station is currently connected to the cdma ( 3g ) network , “ c ” is identified in this extended option ( s 1303 ). at the same time , the rrq with the c / w extended option is sent from the mobile station 8 ( s 1303 , s 1304 ). the rrq with the c / w extended option works to release ( delete ) the network resouces ( such as ppp connection ) assigned to the mobile station 8 before the handover . fig1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the home agent ha 3 . the home agent ha 3 includes a communication unit 1401 , a processing unit 1403 , and a database unit 1404 . of these units , the communication unit 1401 receives handoff request information from the mobile station 8 and performs handoff from one wireless interface to another wireless interface . for example , the request information has an extension for specifying the termination of connection between the network side server and the access point before handoff . a process executed by the processing unit contains a basic process 1406 , and a ppp c / w process 1407 . upon detection of received information , the communication unit 1401 generates a signal and notifies the wireless network gateway of the requirement for the interruption of wireless connection . accordingly , the processing unit 1403 can process the ppp disconnection request and add a c / w connection identifier , etc . to the registration table . the database unit 1402 includes a basic registration table 1404 and a c / w extension table 1405 . general communication data are stored in the basic registration table 1404 . the registration table of the home agent ha shown in fig6 is stored in the basic registration table 1404 and the c / w extension table 1405 . fig1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the gateway 4 and 6 . the gateway includes a communication unit 1501 , a processing unit 1503 , and a database unit 1502 . the functions of the respective units are like those of the home agent ha 3 . in addition thereto , the processing unit 1503 can execute a ppp disconnection process and delete network resources of the mobile station 8 assigned before handover . fig1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the mobile station 8 . the mobile station 8 includes two types of communication units 1601 and 1602 , a processing unit 1604 , and a database unit 1603 . the functions of the respective units are like those of the home agent ha . in addition thereto , the processing unit 1604 can add an extended function , inclusive of a request for the deletion of network resources of the home agent before handoff such as a ppp session , into the mobile ip registration information and add a 3g / wlan network connection identifier to the registration table of the home agent . it should be further understood by those skilled in the art that although the foregoing description has been made on embodiments of the invention , the invention is not limited thereto and various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims .	7
the present invention collects a variety of kinds of data related to the battery of a mobile device , and compares this data to the recharging patterns of the user of the mobile device . data is collected periodically , and over time a statistical model is trained based on the user &# 39 ; s habits . if the user frequently charges the battery of the mobile device in the same place , at the same time , or prefers to switch to spare batteries , these events will be recorded in the statistical model . every time new information comes in , the information is first used to decide a hypothesis of whether it is a good time for the user to recharge the battery based on the statistical model . the new information itself is then combined into the model . after the user uses the mobile device for some time , the mobile device learns the user &# 39 ; s recharging preferences and can issue a recharging alert if the user forgets to recharge the battery . please refer to fig1 . fig1 is a block diagram of a mobile device 10 according to the present invention . the mobile device 10 contains a memory 14 , which stores a statistical model 15 , a recharging alert hypothesis subsystem ( rahs ) 16 , and system software 18 . the rahs 16 analyzes data measured by the mobile device 10 , compares the data with records contained in the statistical model 15 , and generates an alert with an alert module 20 if the rahs 16 determines that it is currently a suitable time for recharging a battery 13 of the mobile device 10 . the mobile device 10 also contains a controller 12 for controlling operation of system hardware 22 of the mobile device 10 and for executing the system software 18 . the disclosure below describes several data collecting devices of the mobile device 10 which utilize different kinds of data for determining if it is a suitable time for recharging the battery 13 of the mobile device 10 . for convenience , a mobile phone will serve as an example of the mobile device 10 for use with the present invention . please note that the present invention may also be used in a variety of other mobile devices besides mobile phones so long as the mobile devices contain one or more of the data collecting devices explained below . please refer to fig2 . fig2 is a block diagram of a mobile device 10 a with a data collecting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention . an analog - digital converter ( adc ) 32 converts an analog value ( such as the voltage of the battery 13 ) representing the remaining capacity of the battery 13 into a digital value . the adc 32 then provides this digital value to a main battery capacity subsystem ( mbcs ) 30 . the mbcs 30 compares the digital value to values stored in a lookup table , and determines the estimated remaining capacity of the battery 13 . the remaining capacity of the battery 13 is used in determining if it is a suitable time for recharging the battery 13 . for example , the battery 13 would ordinarily not be recharged when the capacity is still full . please refer to fig3 . fig3 is a block diagram of a mobile device 10 b with a data collecting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention . the mobile device 10 b contains a location service subsystem lss 46 for determining the location of the mobile device 10 b . the lss 46 receives location data from a location service circuit 44 . the location service circuit 44 calculates the location of the mobile device 10 b based off of measurements from the nearest base stations . alternatively , the public line mobile network ( plmn ) may provide the location data to the mobile device 10 b directly . in either situation , the location data is received through communication hardware 40 of the mobile device 10 b , and provided to the location service circuit 44 through communication software 42 . instead of receiving location data from the plmn or by calculating using base station signals , a global positioning system ( gps ) circuit 48 may also be used to provide the location of the mobile device 10 . a dotted line connecting the gps circuit 48 and the lss 46 indicates that the gps circuit 48 is optional . the location information is a good indication of recharging availability because a user usually only recharges the battery 13 in a few different places like the home or the office . please refer to fig4 . fig4 is a block diagram of a mobile device 10 c with a data collecting device according to a third embodiment of the present invention . most mobile phones , and many mobile devices have a real time clock ( rtc ) circuit 50 built into the hardware . the rtc circuit 50 runs continuously , and is synchronized with the local time when the mobile device 10 c receives radio signals from a base station . the communication hardware 40 receives the time data from the base station , and passes this time data on to the rtc circuit 50 using the communication software 42 . the rtc circuit 50 provides the time information to a time service subsystem ( tss ) 52 . a user &# 39 ; s recharging activity is often very closely correlated with a particular time of day . a user may have a preferred time of the day to recharge the battery 13 , such as during the night , and knowing this information helps to decide the best time to alert the user . please refer to fig5 . fig5 is a block diagram of a mobile device 10 d with a data collecting device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention . the mobile device 10 d makes use of battery chargers 66 and 68 that transmit radio signals periodically to identify themselves . the battery charger 66 may be a wall mounted charger that is plugged into a wall outlet 67 . the battery charger 68 may be a car charger that is plugged into a cigarette lighter of a car 69 . the radio signal strength of each of the battery chargers 66 and 68 is preferably set such that the radio signals will only be received by the mobile device 10 d when the mobile device 10 d is within a short distance , such as 50 m , of the battery chargers 66 and 68 . when the mobile device 10 d receives the radio signals from one or more of the battery chargers 66 and 68 , the mobile device 10 d knows that a charger is nearby . the mobile device 10 d will then analyze information contained in the radio signal to determine if the charger is compatible with the battery 13 of the mobile device 10 d . the mobile device 10 d contains a radio frequency ( rf ) receiver 64 for receiving the radio signals from the battery chargers 66 and 68 . the rf receiver 64 send the radio signals to detection hardware 62 , which analyzes the information stored in the radio signals . finally , the detection hardware 62 provides information about the battery chargers 66 and 68 to a charger detection subsystem ( cds ) 60 . when a charger is charging the battery 13 , it will inform the mobile device 10 d . in some mobile device designs , the charger is directly connected to the mobile device 10 d for recharging the battery 13 . for this kind of design , the mobile device 10 d controls the recharging process and already knows when the recharging begins and ends . in other designs , the charger only connects to the battery 13 . in that case , the charger needs to transmit a radio signal to inform the mobile device 10 d of the recharging status . please refer to fig6 . fig6 is a block diagram of a mobile device 10 e with a data collecting device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , a spare battery 72 will broadcast radio signals . the rf receiver 64 of the mobile device 10 e receives these radio signals , and provides the signals to the detection hardware 62 . the detection hardware 62 analyzes information contained in the radio signals to determine if the spare battery 72 is compatible with the mobile device 10 e . the detection hardware 62 provides this information to a spare battery detection subsystem ( sbds ) 70 . if one or more spare batteries 72 are in close proximity to the mobile device 10 e , the spare batteries 72 will identify themselves and their remaining capacity . since batteries , unlike chargers , are limited in energy , they will transmit radio signals at lower signal strength and for a much longer period . if the spare battery 72 is already out of energy , it will not have the power to transmit radio signals . this is not a problem because the mobile device 10 e does not distinguish between an exhausted spare battery and no spare battery at all . please refer to fig7 . fig7 is a block diagram of a mobile device 10 f with a data collecting device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention . the rahs 16 collects data from the mbcs 30 , the lss 46 , the tss 52 , the cds 60 , and the sbds 70 , compares this data with records contained in the statistical model 15 , and generates an alert with the alert module 20 if the rahs 16 determines that it is currently a suitable time for recharging a battery 13 of the mobile device 10 . using the statistical model 15 , one of two hypotheses is chosen when new information comes in . the two hypotheses are , h 0 and h 1 , where h 0 represents that it is currently not a good time for the user to recharge the battery and h 1 represents that it is currently a good time for the user to recharge the battery . the rule used to choose between these two hypotheses is called neyman - pearson decision rule . to use this rule the user needs to select a maximum value α for a false positive probability p f . p f is the probability that h 1 is chosen when h 0 should be chosen , which for this invention means the likelihood that the user is alerted to recharge when it is actually not a good time for recharging . by decreasing α , the user can elect to be bothered less by the mobile device 10 e at the expense of missing more recharging opportunities , and vice versa . the algorithm performed by the rahs 16 can be described in the following steps : 1 . at time t , the rahs 16 reads data vector x t containing collected data from the mbcs 30 , the lss 46 , the tss 52 , the cds 60 , and the sbds 70 . 2 . at time t , the rahs 16 reads h t , which is an observed outcome , from the cds 60 about whether there is recharging taking place . 3 . collected data x 0 , x 1 , . . . , x t - 1 and observed outcomes h 0 , h 1 , h t - 1 are combined to establish two conditional probabilities , p ( x \| h 0 ) and p ( x \| h 1 ). 4 . a decision rule outcome d γ is determined to be h 1 when { p ( x t \| h 1 )/ p ( x t \| h 0 )}& gt ; γ and determined to be h 0 when { p ( x t h 1 )/ p ( x t \| h 0 )}& lt ; γ . the threshold γ is chosen such that p f = p ( d γ = h 1 \| h 0 )& lt ; α and p ( d γ = h 0 \| h 1 )& lt ;= p ( d = h 0 \| h 1 ) are always true for x 0 , x 1 , . . . , x t - 1 and h 0 , h 1 , . . . , h t - 1 . 5 . the rahs 16 initiates the recharging alert if d γ = h 1 , and does nothing if d γ = h 0 . the above algorithm for determining when to alert the user of opportunities to charge the battery 13 is given as an example only . it will be appreciated that numerous other algorithms can also be used that take into account collected data received from one or more of the mbcs 30 , lss 46 , tss 52 , cds 60 , and sbds 70 subsystems . in summary , the present invention alerts the user of the mobile device when it is a suitable time for charging the battery in response to data collected . the decision to alert the user is based on the current battery level , the location of the mobile device , the current time , and the location of nearby charging devices or spare batteries . by consulting the user &# 39 ; s past recharging behavior when making alerting decisions , the mobile device can intelligently inform the users of optimum and convenient times to recharge the battery of the mobile device . 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 .	7
referring more specifically to the pomological details of this new and distinct variety of apricot tree , the following was observed during the 2007 and 2008 growing seasons under the ecological conditions prevailing at the orchards located near the town of elne , pyrénées - orientales departement , france . all observations have been done on rootstock cultivar . the rootstock was a franc inra montclar ® ( non - patented ) tree . more particularly , observations relative to tree , trunk , branches , were done during summer 2008 on trees in their third growing season ; observations relative to leaves and fruit were done during summer 2008 on trees in their fourth growing season ; observations relative to flowers were done in march 2007 on trees in their fourth growing season . all major color code designations are by reference to the r . h . s . color chart ( fourth edition ) provided by the royal horticultural society of great britain . generally .— considered large as compared to other common commercial apricot cultivars . trees reached about 250 cm during the first growing season . new shoots grew of about 100 cm every following year . trees were pruned every year after the second growing season to a height of approximately 250 cm . spread : approximately 200 cm . the whole orchard was oriented to a central leader organisation , with tree lines spaced of 4 . 0 meters and trees spaced of 1 meter in a same tree line . vigor : considered vigorous . the present variety reached approximately 250 cm in height during the first growing season . for second and following seasons , the variety was pruned to an approximate height of 250 cm . theses characteristics are dependant on prevailing climatic conditions , cultural practices and soils fertility . productivity : very productive . fruit set is spaced by thinning . however , the new variety only requires a medium thinning to obtain marketable size fruits . form : the ‘ asfcot0404 ’ variety has naturally a semi - spread to semi - upright shape . fertility : self - fertile . tests were done under sterile bags and confirmed in orchard . chilling requirement : the present tree was grown and evaluated in france . the variety appears to be hardy under the central pyrénées - orientales departement typical climatic conditions . experimentations on different sites with winter chilling requirement comprised between 350 hours and 1200 hours showed a good behaviour of the tree in all cases . the tree also seems to have a good resistance to frosty springtime weather . diameter : approximately about 8 . 0 cm in diameter when measured at a distance of approximately 30 cm above the soil level . bark texture : considered smooth to rough when numerous lenticels are present . bark coloration : the bark has orange - brown ( rhs greyed orange 166 a ) and green - grey ( rhs greyed green 197 a ) colorations . color .— a light grey ( rhs greyed white group 156 a ) density .— about 5 lenticels per square cm . size .— lenticels are approximately 1 . 0 millimeters wide , and 4 . 0 millimeters long . size : current season shoots are considered medium for the variety and mature branches are considered medium to thick diameter : average as compared to other apricot varieties . the current season shoots have a diameter of about 6 . 0 millimeters , and branches of observed trees have a diameter comprised between 25 . 0 and 30 . 0 millimeters . surface texture : new growth smooth . mature growth medium rough , roughness increases with age . crotch angles : the crotch angles are generally between 50 degrees and 70 degrees from the horizontal axis . color of mature branches : orange brown to green brown ( rhs greyed orange 166 a to greyed green 197 b ). color of current seasons shoots : orange brown ( rhs greyed orange 165 a to b ) on exposed areas to grey - brown ( rhs grey brown 199 a ) on non - exposed areas , turning to mature branches color when aging . color .— a light grey ( rhs greyed white group 156 a ). density .— about 5 lenticels per square cm , particularly on mature branches . size .— slightly smaller than trunk &# 39 ; s lenticels , they are approximately 0 . 8 millimeters wide , and 3 . 0 millimeters long . upper leaf surface .— green ( rhs green 136 a ). lower surface .— green ( rhs green 139 b ). mid - vein thickness : approximately 1 . 5 millimeters when measured at the base of the leaf . size .— generally large . length .— between 38 . 0 and 44 . 0 millimeters . diameter .— approximately 1 . 5 millimeters . surface .— smooth . color .— depending on climatic conditions , the antocyanic coloration on petiole &# 39 ; s upper face can be very present and varies from red ( rhs red group 53 b ) to red purple ( rhs red purple group 59 b ). size .— considered small . length .— about 0 . 7 millimeters . width .— about 0 . 7 millimeters . number .— generally 1 to 4 glands per leaf , usually 3 . type .— round . position .— located alternatively on upper portion of petiole , also located on lower portion of leaf blade . color .— generally greyed orange ( rhs greyed orange 165 a ). generally .— at pre - floral stage of development , the floral buds are conic in form with a very rounded tip . their form is evolving until blooming , with variables dimensions . just before blooming , floral buds are approximately between 12 . 0 and 14 . 0 millimeters wide and approximately 18 . 0 millimeters long . color .— this characteristic is dependent upon the proximity to bloom . at pre - floral stage of development , the bottom of the flowers buds , formed by the sepals , is of purple - brown color ( rhs greyed purple 183 b to c ); the corolla , formed by the petals , is generally of white color with slight pink touches ( rhs white n 155 b to c ). hardiness : no winter injury was noted during the last several years of evaluation in the central pyrénées - orientales departement , with winter temperatures as low as − 10 degrees celsius in january . blooming time : considered early season in relative comparison to other commercial apricot cultivars . flower size : flower diameter at full bloom is approximately 21 . 0 to 26 . 0 millimeters . bloom quantity : considered very abundant , flowers are generally found in bunches . flower bud frequency : generally 1 flower bud or several flower buds per groups of 2 to 3 appear per node . generally .— considered small for the species . length .— generally about 15 . 0 millimeters . width .— generally about 15 . 0 millimeters . petal color : petal color evolves from a very light pink at popping stage , to white ( rhs white group n 155 b to c ). length .— approximately 4 . 0 to 5 . 0 millimeters . diameter .— approximately 1 . 5 millimeters . color .— generally yellow - green ( rhs yellow green 145 c ), with highlights of red ( rhs red 46 d ). size .— generally small . sepal count .— 5 . form .— triangular , apex slightly pointed . color .— purple - brown ( rhs greyed purple 183 b to c ). texture .— glabrous . average number of stamens per flower .— approximately 30 stamens per flower . length .— average . size .— approximately 9 . 0 to 14 . 0 millimeters in length . color .— considered white ( rhs white group n 155 b ) number .— usually 1 . length .— approximately 15 . 0 to 20 . 0 millimeters including the ovary ; generally at the same level or slightly longer than anthers . color .— considered a very pale green ( varying from rhs yellow green 150 d to rhs yellow green 151 d ). pubescence .— present . pollen production .— pollen is abundant , and self - fruitful . color .— orange yellow color ( rhs yellow orange 16 d ). internal surface texture .— glabrous . color .— the outer surface of the calyx is considered of purple ( rhs greyed purple 183 b ) color becoming lighter toward the base , the inner surface of the calyx is orange ( rhs yellow orange group 22 a ). date of last picking : jun . 19 , 2006 . the date of harvest varies slightly with the prevailing climatic conditions . the ‘ asfcot0404 ’ variety has an early to semi - early date of picking . generally .— considered large . length .— approximately 55 . 0 to 60 . 0 millimeters . width .— approximately 55 . 0 millimeters . thickness .— approximately 45 . 0 millimeters . generally .— round , slightly oblate toward both fruit apex and fruit base . the fruit is considered to be symmetrical . generally .— slightly marked , extending from the base to the apex . no apparent callousing or stitching exists along the suture line . color .— the suture has generally a color similar to the whole fruit color , an orange red blush ( rhs orange red group 34 a to rhs orange red group n 34 a ) on an yellow orange ( rhs yellow orange group 17 a ) background . ventral surface form .— rounded . stem cavity : shallow . average depth of the stem cavity is about 0 . 5 cm . average width is about 1 . 0 cm . size .— generally small . stem length is about 4 . 0 millimeters and stem diameter about 2 . 5 millimeters . color .— stem color is green varying from rhs yellow green 145 b to rhs green group 143 c . thickness .— considered average . texture .— smooth . pubescence .— present but very fine . tendency to crack .— none observed . blush color .— the blush color is an orange red ( rhs orange red group 34 a to rhs orange red group n 34 a ). the red blush covers 40 % to 70 % of the fruit skin surface . the darker blush color within the described range appears on fruits exposed to sunlight . ground color .— the ground color is considered a yellow orange ( rhs yellow orange group 17 a ). adherence to flesh .— very adherent . taste .— mildly acid . sweet . ripens .— evenly . texture .— fine and firm . very melting at end of maturity . fibers .— generally none observed . aroma .— pronounced . firmness .— firm . holds firmness over the time . eating quality .— considered very good , sweet . flavor .— considered very good . good balance between sweetness and acidity , very aromatic . juice .— good juiciness , increasing with maturity . brix .— usually between 13 . 0 and 15 . 0 degrees but can be higher . this characteristic varies slightly with the number of fruits per tree ; prevailing cultural practices ; and the surrounding climatic conditions . flesh color .— orange ( rhs orange group n25 d ) color .— orange ( rhs orange group 26 a to b ). length .— between 25 . 0 and 30 . 0 millimeters . type : free , although can be attached to the flesh through stone &# 39 ; s base . length .— approximately between 25 . 0 and 30 . 0 millimeters . width .— approximately between 18 . 0 and 25 . 0 millimeters . thickness .— approximately between 12 . 0 and 15 . 0 millimeters . stone color : the color of the dry stone is generally considered a greyed orange ( rhs greyed orange 164 a to b ). fruit use : the subject variety ‘ asfcot0404 ’ produces fruits useful for all type of consumption , uncooked or cooked . they are also useful for both local markets and long distance shipping . keeping quality : good . fruits stored well during 3 weeks after harvest in a cold atmosphere . they stayed firm and kept their eating quality . fruits are considered to have a long shelf life after harvesting , without alteration . shipping quality : the fruit of the new apricot variety showed very little skin scarring or flesh bruising in picking , packing and shipping trials . resistance to insects and disease : no susceptibilities were noted . under close observation during planting , growing and harvesting of fruit , no particular plant / fruit disease resistance or susceptibility has been observed . any variety observed during indexing of plant characteristics with abnormal fungus , bacterial , virus or insect susceptibility is destroyed and eliminated from our breeding program . although the new variety of apricot tree possesses the described characteristics noted above when grown under the ecological conditions prevailing near elne , pyrenees - orientales departement , france , it should be understood that variations of the usual magnitude and characteristics incident to changes in growing conditions , fertilization , pruning , pest control and horticultural management are to be expected .	0
a pulse oxymetry sensor operates with the light wavelengths 660 nm , 805 nm and 940 nm . in the case of the two wavelengths 660 nm and 940 nm the measured variable ω is ascertained according to the following equation : ## equ4 ## for the two perfusions p1 and p2 calibration curves ( see fig2 ) are ascertained for the measured variable ω . the amount of perfusion of the tissue is established from the strength of the light attenuation la at 805 nm ( isobestic point ). ## equ5 ## where : εr , εr : coefficient of extinction in the case of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood as in the present case the coefficient of extinction for oxygenated blood is identical to that of deoxygenated blood , the light attenuation al1 in the case of perfusion p1 can be allocated directly to perfusion p1 and the light attenuation al2 in the case of perfusion p2 directly to the perfusion p2 . as shown in fig2 in the case of the perfusion p1 an oxygen saturation sao 2 of approx . 0 . 6 is obtained for ω = 1 . 5 , in contrast thereto in the case of perfusion p2 the sao 2 amounts to only 0 . 38 . by ascertaining in accordance with the invention the perfusion , it is therefore possible to avoid an error of 22 % oxygen saturation . the level of perfusion can also be ascertained in this case approximately by establishing the light attenuation al at the wavelength 940 nm , since the influence of the oxygenation is low here in comparison to the perfusion , or by way of a weighting of the light attenuations over all three wavelengths . in the case of a greater level of pigmentation and pilosity it is possible to determine the perfusion in the tissue by , for example , measurements being taken in the case of light wavelengths at two isobestic points ( e . g . 560 nm and 850 nm ). the following applies for light attenuation : since the coefficient of absorption a is known for the blood and the pigmentation and the pilosity , then the measurement for the blood layer density and perfusion δ blood can be ascertained from the light attenuations . if the three light wavelengths 660 nm , 740 nm and 940 nm are used , then the following two measured variables are formed : ## equ6 ## if a value of 1 is obtained for a measurement for ω1 , then it can be assumed with a greater degree of accuracy that the oxygen saturation amounts to approximately 75 % ( as shown in fig2 ), since the number of calibration curves intersect at this point . the intersection point of the number of curves for ω2 lies likewise in the case of a value of approximately 1 , however , here the oxygen saturation value amounts to approximately 40 % ( as shown in fig3 ). owing to the fact that in order to obtain an initial signal for the oxygen saturation in the case of high saturation values ω1 is weighted more greatly than ω2 and at low saturations ω2 is weighted more greatly than ω1 , it is possible to increase the measuring accuracy using the pulse oxymetric measuring technique . note : the diagrams in fig2 and fig3 are only of qualitative importance . deviations can occur if the geometry of the sensors is different . it is difficult to calibrate a pulse oxymeter on human beings where the oxygen saturation is low , since low oxygen saturation is damaging for the tissue and a reduction in the saturation by , for example , binding an arm prevents the arterial pulsation which is necessary in order to carry out the pulse oxymetric measurement . it is possible to obviate this difficulty by injecting medical dyes in test probands . methylene blue for example absorbs the light to a maximum at approximately 660 nm . oxygenated blood absorbs light at 660 nm approximately ten times less than deoxygenated blood . thus , it is possible by injecting methylene blue to simulate the deoxygenation of the blood at 660 nm . if as a second wavelength a transmitter is used having a light wavelength of 805 nm , a wavelength at which methylene blue absorbs hardly any light and the light absorption of the haemoglobin is not dependent upon the level of oxygenation , then calibration can take place -- after taking blood samples from the tissue and carrying out a photometric analysis on said samples -- over the entire oxygen saturation range . the influence of the haemoglobin content in the tissue on the calibration process can be determined , for example , by raising and lowering body parts and the resultant change in the blood in the tissue . the resultant change in perfusion is ascertained by virtue of determining the light attenuation la through the tissue .	0
the following examples are given to further illustrate the present invention . the scope of the invention is not , however , meant to be limited to the specific details of the examples . in a suitable glass - reaction vessel fitted with a variable speed paddle agitator and a side - wall scraper is placed 150 ml . of distilled water and 6 . 9 gm . of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose is slowly added . the mixture is warmed , stirred , and when complete solution is achieved , the heat is removed but the temperature and stirring are maintained so that the solution is in a fluid state , and 60 gm . of propylene glycol is added . in another vessel containing 100 ml . of distilled water is added 4 . 5 gm . of povidone - iodine and the mixture stirred until dissolved . when complete solution has been achieved , 1 . 5 gm . of glycerin is added . the povidone - iodine solution is then carefully mixed with the colloidal solution of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose . should it be desired to buffer the lubricating gel , then the well known compatible buffer salts such as citric acid and dibasic sodium phosphate may be used in sufficient amounts which are well known to the art . these buffer salts are added to the aqueous solution of povidone - iodine and prior to its addition to the hydroxypropylmethylcellulose solution . the preferred ph range for the new gel is between ph 4 . 5 and ph 5 . 5 . should it be desired to include a surfactant agent to reduce the interfacial tension of the colloid gel , then any pharmaceutically acceptable surface active agent may be used in sufficient quantity to reduce the surface tension of the gel to below 35 dynes / cm 2 at 25 ° c . and generally requires from 0 . 05 % to 0 . 25 % by weight of the surface active agent to achieve this preferred surface tension . the volume of the new composition is brought to 300 ml , with distilled water and the whole allowed to set at room temperature . the resultant brown , transparent , homogenous colloid gel contains 0 . 15 % of available iodine and has a viscosity of about 40 , 000 cps with an accepted range of from not less than 30 , 000 cps and not more than 50 , 000 cps , when determined with the brookfield rvt viscometer at 25 ° c . the formed gel is then packaged into unit containers to obtain germicidal lubrication of catheters and devices intended to be inserted into body cavities . in a suitable reaction vessel fitted with a stirring device is placed 100 ml . of distilled water and 1 gm . of methylcellulose is added and the whole stirred until complete dispersion is achieved . when the dispersion is uniform , then 2 gm . of povidone are added and the mixture stirred until complete solution is achieved . to this composition is added 0 . 2 gm . of finely - divided iodine crystals , in small increments , with stirring to avoid elevated temperature . successive increments of iodine are added after the preceding portion has been dissolved . the colloid dispersion is stirred for at least one hour , or until it is determined that a carbon tetrachloride extract of a sample of the composition does not give a positive iodine test and the vapor pressure determined for the respective sample of the preparation is essentially zero . to this composition is now added 20 gm . of propylene glycol and 0 . 1 gm . of glycerin . a small quantity of about 0 . 1 % by weight of a suitable non - ionic surface active agent , such as nonylphenoxypoly ( ethylenecoxy ) ethanol , which is known in the trade as igepal , a compound marketed by the gaf corporation , chemical division of new york , n . y . which amount is sufficient to lower the surface tension of the composition to 28 dynes / cm 2 . the volume of the composition is now brought to 200 ml . with a solution containing 0 . 07 % of sodium dibasic phosphate and 0 . 035 % of citric acid . two drops of 5 % sodium hydroxide solution are added to adjust the ph of the composition of ph 5 . the resultant composition is a brown , transparent , homogenous colloid gel with a viscosity of 38 , 000 cps containing 0 . 2 % of available iodine in stable homogenous colloid dispersion . the formed gel is packaged into unit containers , each containing 10 gm . of the newly formed germicidal colloidal lubricating gel , which is now ready for use to lubricate catheters and instruments . when it is desired to use alginic acid as the colloid gelling agent to prepare the microbicidal lubricating gel , then from 2 % to 5 % of alginic acid is utilized . a preferred form of alginic acid is sodium alginate and a small quantity of calcium ions is added to stabilize the gel - forming properties of sodium alginate solutions so that a solid , firm gel results . such calcium salts as calcium gluconate , calcium tartrate , calcium citrate , calcium salicylate or any other salt capable of yield calcium ions may be used . magnesium ions also may be used to enhance the gelling properties of sodium alginate and such magnesium salts as are capable of yielding magnesium ions may be utilized for this purpose . optimal magnesium salts for this purpose are the double salt magnesium and choline salicylate , magnesium salicylate , magnesium sulfate and magnesium chloride . to prepare the new germicidal lubricating colloid gel with sodium alginate , approximately 0 . 1 gm . of calcium gluconate is dissolved in about 100 gm . of water , and to this is added 2 gm . of sodium alginate , and 0 . 5 gm . of propylene glycol . the mixture is stirred until a uniform disperson results , then 1 gm . povidoneiodine usp is added . the mixture is brought to volume of 200 ml . with water and the whole set aside until the gelling stage has been completed . the resultant gel is amber - colored and transparent , with a viscosity of 32 , 000 cps and contains 0 . 1 % available iodine . the new gel is stable for prolonged periods of time and possesses desirable antimicrobial properties against all classes of microorganisms . a particular advantage of the new alginic and colloid gel base is that it may be buffered to be within the acid range in contrast to conventional sodium alginate ointment bases , which are not stable below ph 4 . 5 and most often are formulated to be above ph 6 , a ph range incompatible with iodine . an alternate compound to alginic acid as a gelling agent is the propylene glycol ester of alginic acid and the glycerin ester of aglinic acid , both of which compounds are used in a sufficient quantity to yield a concentration of alginic acid of from 3 % to 5 % by weight of the finished product . when the propylene glycol ester of alginic acid or the calcium ester of alginic acid is used , it is not necessary to add propylene glycol or glycerin as a bodying agent . the remainder of the steps are the same and the resulting product possesses the same properties as described for the products obtained as a result of examples 1 and 2 above . in place of the hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and the carboxymethylcellulose described in examples 1 through 3 above , there may be added suitable cellulose derivatives , as for example , hydroxymethylcellulose , hydroxyethylcellulose , hydroxypropylcellulose and carboxymethylcellulose which name is also used for its sodium salt , sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose . the range in concentration of the respective cellulose derivative selected is not less than 0 . 5 % and not more than 7 . 5 % by weight of the toral weight of the composition being prepared . mixtures of the cellulose derivatives may be used but the total concentration range as described above remains the same . the formed germicidal lubricating colloid gels prepared with the respective cellulose derivatives possess the same physiologic and germicidal properties described above and the essential differences amoung the respective formed gels in the resultant viscosity of the finished gel . thus , it may be desirable to use a cellulose derivative forming a more viscous colloid gel in southern geographic regions wherein the temperature is necessarily higher than that of the northern regions . care should be taken when the upper limit of concentration of the cellulose substance is used in a particular product formulation in that the temperature during manufacture is not elevated about room temperature , since heat will tend to coagulate the more concentrated , viscous colloid gel dispersions in the presence of iodine . when the germicidal lubricating gels prepared as described above were stood for prolonged periods , there were no stratification or separation into layers and also , the integrity of the available iodine content was maintained , thus insuring the germicidal antimicrobial activity of the preparation . furthermore , the iodine content was complexed in a form that it could not be extracted by carbon tetrachloride and the vapor pressure of the product was essentially zero to establish the combined complexed state of the new compositions . in place of the pevidone - iodine used in examples 1 , 3 and 4 above , there may be added a surfactant iodophor compound such as nonylphenoxypoly -( ethyleneoxy ) ethanol iodine complex , or polyoxypropylene poly -( oxypropylene )- polyoxyethylene copolymers , which are known by the generic name , iolyxamers , and which are marketed by wyandotte chemical corporation of midlands , mich ., in the range of concentration from 0 . 3 parts by weight to 4 parts by weight of the surfactant iodopher compound for each part of carbohydrate polymer used to prepare the gel . the critical determirant for the overall ratio of the amount of surfactant iodopher compound used is the concentration of iodine complexed to the respective carrier moiety . the concentration of iodine in these iodopher preparations may be as high as 40 % and as low as 0 . 1 % by weight . when the surfactant iodophor compounds are used to prepare the new germicidal lubricating colloid gel , then the use of a surface active agent to enhance the spreading qualities of the formed lubricating gel is not necessary since the surface tension of the formed composition will be below 30 dynes / cm 2 . the order of mixing of the respective compounds remains the same as described above . the resultant formed lubricating gels have a viscosity of between 30 , 000 cps and 50 , 000 cps and are stable for prolonged storage periods , retaining their advantageous broad spectrum antimicrobial properties . in place of the alginic acid , and / or the propylene glycol esters of alginic acid , and / or the glycerin ester of alginic acid as the gelling agent described in example 3 , there may be substituted an equivalent part by weight or tragacanth and / or gum karaya as colloidal gelling agents . however , when such substances are used as gelling agents it may be found desirable to add a gelling accelerator of from 0 . 1 part to 0 . 3 parts by weight of such cellulose - gelling agents as described in examples 1 , 2 and 4 above . the remainder of the manufacturing steps are the same , and the resulting germicidal lubricating colloid gels possess the same advantageous properties as the preparations described above . when it is desired to utilize the new formed germicidal lubricating colloid gel to facilitate the insertion of a catheter and / or instrument into the urethra , then the following procedure is utilized . ( a ) the patient is surgically prepared and the anogenital area is aseptically cleansed with a germicidal soap ; the surrounding skin areas cleansed with a suitable topical germicide and the area draped . ( b ) the sterile device is then coated with the newly formed germicidal lubricating colloid gel and carefully introduced into the urethra into the bladder . since trauma contributes to the development of infection , the appropriate catheter size should be used and the catheter and / or instrument should not be forced if any resistance is encountered . the balloon catheter is the preferred retention catheter with the balloon inflated to hold the catheter in the bladder . ( c ) after the insertion of the retention catheter , an antiseptic germicidal ointment is placed around the catheter to help minimize infection by the catheter conduit route . ( d ) a closed sterile drainage system is imperative and urine cultures with colony counts should be obtained periodically . the urine container should be lower than the catheter and the drainage system supplied with a valve to prevent the reflux flow of urine . at least , a daily change of container is imperative and this should be done more often if contamination is evident . it is important that the prophylactic use of systemic antibiotics be avoided , unless these are specially required , since relatively innocuous organisms have shown to be replaced by virulent pathogens . indwelling catheters must be changed at least every 7 to 10 days . when the above procedure is conducted with the newly formed germicidal lubricating colloid gel , the incidence of posttreatment infection is virtually eliminated , and the procedure is essentially without tissue trauma in contrast to the known injuries experiences reported after similar procedures , using older lubricating gels . while the invention has been illustrated with respect to particular compositions , it is apparent that variations and modifications can be made .	0
referring generally to fig1 an exemplary quick stop device generally indicated as 10 is shown to include a spindle mount 12 and a cutter holder 14 . spindle mount 12 is adapted for connection to a machine 16 , such as a machine tool , having a rotatable spindle 18 . cutter holder 14 is securely attached to a support structure 20 that may be connected to the base of machine 16 . generally , spindle mount 12 includes a universal mount 22 having a mounting plate 24 from which extends a shank 26 in a generally transverse direction . shank 26 is configured for insertion into spindle 18 for coincident rotation therewith . mounting plate 24 is attached to a housing 28 , preferably by a plurality of fastener brackets 30 . each fastener bracket 30 includes a metal plate 32 extending across the joint between mounting plate 24 and housing 28 . metal plates 32 may be securely attached to housing 28 and mounting plate 24 by a plurality of bolts 34 threaded into the side of mounting plate 24 and housing 28 . housing 28 is connected to a workpiece holder 36 configured to hold a workpiece 38 illustrated in phantom lines in fig1 . workpiece holder 36 further includes at least one stop and preferably a pair of stops 40 . stops 40 are designed to interact with cutter holder 14 when the rotation of workpiece holder 36 is selectively terminated with respect to the rotation of housing 28 and spindle 18 . cutter holder 14 includes a base 42 securely attached to support structure 20 . preferably , base 42 is attached to support structure 20 by a plurality of brackets 44 that include bolts 46 threaded into support structure 20 and base 42 , respectively . however , other attachment methods , such as welding , can also be used to attach base 42 to support structure 20 . housing 28 is shown in detail in fig2 and 3 to include a longitudinal axis 48 about which it rotates . housing 28 also preferably includes a hollow interior 54 receiving at least a portion of workpiece holder 36 . workpiece holder 36 is connected to housing 28 by at least one and preferably at least a pair of break - away members , such as pins 52 , e . g . shear pins , extending between housing 28 and workpiece holder 36 . pins 52 may be disposed generally perpendicularly to longitudinal axis 48 through corresponding bores 55 in housing 28 and into adjacent bores 56 formed in workpiece holder 36 . pins 52 are preferably held in place by fasteners , such as bolts 58 , extending through a shear pin cap 60 and threaded into housing 28 . workpiece holder 36 and housing 28 are separated by a pair of bearings 62 , such as annular ball bearings or other bearings that would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art . bearings 62 are retained in a pair of annular ridges 64 disposed along the hollow interior 54 of housing 28 . annular ridges 64 cooperate with a pair of external annular ridges 66 disposed along the outer perimeter of workpiece holder 36 . the spacing of external annular ridges 66 may be adjusted by a shim 68 and a threaded ring 70 to securely hold bearings 62 between annular ridges 64 of housing 28 and annular ridges 66 of workpiece holder 36 . in this embodiment , threaded ring 70 includes one of the external annular ridges 66 . ring 70 is threaded onto a radially recessed portion 72 of workpiece holder 36 . thus , by sliding shim 68 over the recessed portion 72 and threading ring 70 thereon , shim 68 is trapped between ring 70 and an upper wall 74 of radially recessed portion 72 . this establishes the distance between external annular ridges 66 , but permits this distance to be adjusted by interchanging one shim 68 with another shim having a different thickness . workpiece holder 36 further includes an internal cavity 76 for receiving workpiece 38 . workpiece 38 may be held in place by a variety of methods , but preferably workpiece 38 includes threaded bores 78 sized to receive set screws 80 inserted through radially extending bores 82 and 84 in workpiece holder 36 and housing 28 , respectively . workpiece holder 36 also has at least one and preferably at least two stops 40 extending longitudinally downward for cooperation with cutter holder 14 . stops 40 may include grooves , such as semi - circular grooves 86 . cutter holder 14 incorporates a trigger system 88 having at least one biased plunger 90 and preferably at least two plungers 90 disposed to move into cooperation with stops 40 . trigger system 88 further includes an actuator mechanism 92 that may be selectively triggered to permit the movement of plungers 90 into the annular path along which stops 40 move during rotation . plungers 90 may be biased by a variety of methods , such as pneumatic pressure , mechanical leverage , or springs , such as coil springs 94 illustrated in fig2 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig2 each plunger 90 has a bottom plate 96 disposed for reciprocation within an opening , such as a cylinder 98 , disposed in the interior of base 42 . plunger 90 also includes an extension 100 , such as a cylindrical pin , connected to bottom plate 96 disposed generally transversely thereto . each extension 100 is adapted for reciprocable movement through a longitudinal bore 102 formed in the top of base 42 . each coil spring 94 is located on the opposite side of the corresponding bottom plate 96 from extension 100 . thus , each coil spring 94 is compressed between its corresponding bottom plate 96 and support structure 20 to provide a force that biases each plunger upwardly towards stops 40 . springs 94 are held in their compressed state and selectively released by actuator mechanism 92 . in the preferred embodiment , actuator 92 is a pin slidably disposed in a transverse bore 104 that extends generally perpendicularly to longitudinal bores 102 . actuator mechanism 92 includes a handle 106 connected to a pin 108 that slides within transverse bore 104 . pin 108 has contoured openings 110 through which extensions 100 pass . in this embodiment , extensions 100 each include an annular recessed area 112 having a ridge 114 . contoured openings 110 are configured to interfere with ridge 114 to prevent upward movement of plungers 90 when actuator mechanism 92 is in the unactuated position shown in fig2 . however , contoured openings 110 are formed with an expanded area permiting longitudinal movement of plungers 90 when actuator mechanism 92 is moved to its actuated position as illustrated in fig3 . when actuator mechanism 92 is moved to the actuated position , springs 94 rapidly move plungers 90 upward into the annular path along which stops 40 move . thus , stops 40 , and particularly the surface of grooves 86 , engage plungers 90 preventing further movement of workpiece holder 36 . the force of the rotating spindle 18 and housing 28 break shear pins 52 to permit continued rotation of spindle 18 and housing 28 while prohibiting further rotation of workpiece holder 36 or workpiece 38 . this action abruptly stops further cutting of workpiece 38 by cutter 15 . the abrupt stoppage leaves a chip root in workpiece 38 representative of the chip root continuously formed during the actual dynamic cutting of the material of workpiece 38 by a specific cutter 15 . this allows examination of the metallurgical properties of the chip root formed during a dynamic cutting operation . cutter 15 is typically a drill bit mounted to the top of base 42 by a tool holder 116 . in the preferred embodiment , tool holder 116 may include a floating reamer holder 118 , such as the model no . t19 - 5 / 8 no . st007967 distributed by hardinge brothers inc . of elmira , n . y . cutter drill bit 15 is physically held in place by a tool holder bushing 120 , such as the model no . hdb2 1763 - 00 - 19 tool holder bushing distributed by hardinge brothers inc . of elmira , n . y . tool holder bushing 120 is securely attached to floating reamer holder 118 by a set screw 122 . thus , by loosening set screw 122 , different tool holder bushings may be inserted to allow the use of cutters having different diameters . in an actual test situation , housing 28 is connected to workpiece holder 36 by pins 52 . workpiece 38 , of a given material , is then mounted within workpiece holder 36 by set screws 80 . shank 26 of spindle mount 12 is inserted into spindle 18 of machine 16 and secured thereto . an appropriate test cutter 15 is selected and mounted in tool holder bushing 120 and secured to cutter holder 14 . machine 16 rotates spindle 18 and moves the spindle longitudinally downwardly until workpiece 38 contacts cutter 15 and the cutting operation begins . at a desired time , trigger system 88 is actuated or triggered by actuator mechanism 92 . this permits springs 94 to drive plungers 90 longitudinally upward into the annular path of rotation followed by stops 40 . as soon as stops 40 rotate into plungers 90 , pins 52 break and workpiece holder 36 abruptly stops , while housing 28 and spindle 18 continue to rotate . bottom plates 96 preferably include a damper cushion 123 to limit the vibrational effects of plates 96 contacting housing 20 . it will be understood that the foregoing description is of preferred exemplary embodiments of this invention and that the invention is not limited to the specific forms shown . for example , the plungers may be of a variety of configurations ; there may be one or more stops and corresponding plungers ; the cutter may be stationary or movable ; the workpiece holder may be mounted internally or externally with respect to the housing ; and the shear pins may be mounted in a variety of orientations . these and other modifications may be made in the design and arrangement of the elements without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims .	1
referring now to the drawings , which are for purposes of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention only , and not for purposes of limiting the invention , fig1 shows an exploded perspective view of a vertical drive shaft lawn edger 2 . the vertical drive shaft edger 2 has a frame 10 that accepts an engine 11 within a center hole 12 . the frame 10 supports the engine 11 and has downturned front and rear portions 14 , 16 . with reference to fig2 a rear axle 30 extends through the side portions 18 , 20 of the frame 10 . the rear axle 30 has first and second ends 32 , 34 . a set of rear wheels 40 , 41 are mounted to the axle 30 using a washer 42 and push cap 43 . a front wheel 44 is pivotally mounted to the frame 10 by a pivotal mounting bracket 46 . the front wheel 44 is displaced longitudinally and latitudinally with respect to a longitudinal line travelling through the midpoint of the rear axle 30 . the midpoint is located halfway between the first and second ends 32 , 34 . in the preferred embodiment , outer peripheries 38 , 39 of the rear wheels 40 , 41 are equal to the outer periphery 37 of the front wheel 44 . with reference to fig1 the engine 11 mounts to the frame 10 via engine mounts 22 and is secured by screws 23 . a vertical drive shaft 13 of the engine 11 extends vertically downward within the hole 12 of the frame 10 . a drive pulley 64 is mounted to the drive shaft 13 and includes a v - belt 66 to drive an edging means 50 . the drive shaft 13 drives the drive pulley 64 as well as the later - described flywheel 62 . the operator controls the movement of the lawn edger by a handle 26 . the frame 10 has handle rest portions 24 whereby arms 28 of the handle 26 are mounted . screws 29 along with saddle washers 27 secure the arms 28 to the frame 10 . the edging means 50 comprises a blade guard 52 , a blade guide 54 and blade 56 . the blade guide 54 is secured to the blade guard 52 by screws 51 . a spacer 53 , a screw 71 and nut 55 secure a belt edger guard 70 , the driven pulley 68 , the bearing housing 72 , the blade guard 52 and the blade guide 54 as a unit . the engine 11 has a vertical drive shaft 13 that extends into a center hole 61 of a combination flywheel / pulley 60 . the flywheel / pulley 60 is securely mounted to , and rotated by , the drive shaft 13 . the flywheel / pulley 60 comprises the flywheel 62 and the drive pulley 64 . in the preferred embodiment , the pulley 64 is located below the flywheel 62 . the pulley 64 is mounted to the bottom 67 of pulley 64 . also , in the preferred embodiment , the flywheel / pulley combination 60 is an integral piece . however , the flywheel 62 and pulley 64 can be individually mounted , as separate pieces , to the drive shaft 13 . the v - belt 66 extends around the drive pulley 64 and around a driven pulley 68 . the drive pulley 64 , through the use of the v - belt 66 , drives the driven pulley 58 . therefore , the power from the engine 11 is transmitted via the drive shaft 13 to the drive pulley 64 to the driven pulley 68 and thereafter to the edging means 50 . the edging means 50 contains a blade 56 which performs the cutting for the edger 2 . the blade 56 is contained within the edging means 50 . the driven pulley 68 and a portion of the belt 66 are contained within a belt edger guard 70 . the belt edger guard 70 protects the driven pulley 68 as well as a substantial portion of the belt 66 from flying debris and the like . a screw 71 secures the belt edger guard 70 to the driven pulley 68 . the edging means 50 is secured to a bearing housing 72 . a spacer 73 and bearings 74 are seated within the bearing housing 72 . the combination flywheel / pulley 60 is a separate item and is mounted on the drive shaft 13 . a screw 63 and washer 65 secure the flywheel / pulley 60 to the drive shaft 13 . the flywheel / pulley 60 is rigidly mounted to the drive shaft 13 . the flywheel / pulley 60 must be mounted to the drive shaft 13 so as to rotate with the drive shaft 13 and to drive the drive pulley 64 and thereafter , the edging means 50 . therefore , in addition to screws 63 and washers 65 , the flywheel / pulley 60 is mounted by methods known within the art , such as welding , etc . since the flywheel / pulley 60 is removable , it is also replaceable . unlike the prior art , the flywheel / pulley 60 is not attached to the drive shaft 13 by the engine manufacturers . rather , the flywheel / pulley 60 is mounted by the edger manufacturer . this leads to interchangeability of flywheels and / or pulleys whose selection may depend upon various factors , such as , the size or horsepower of the engine 11 . in addition , by not requiring the flywheel / pulley 60 to be permanently attached to the drive shaft 13 , the flywheel / pulley 60 can be replaced when worn or inoperative . in its preferred embodiment , the combination flywheel / pulley 60 , has the drive pulley 64 mounted to the bottom 67 of the flywheel 62 . however , where more distance is needed between the drive shaft 13 and the flywheel 62 , the drive pulley 64 can be mounted to the top side 69 of the flywheel 62 , as shown in fig3 . the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment . obviously , modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of the specification . it is intended by applicant to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof .	0
disclosed are various embodiments for a portable actuator capable of being remotely operated to actuate a circuit breaker . in the following discussion , a general description of the system and its components is provided , followed by a discussion of the operation of the same . with reference to fig1 , shown is a portable actuator 200 according to various embodiments . the portable actuator 200 may be affixed to a circuit breaker 100 and configured to actuate the circuit breaker 100 . in one embodiment , the portable actuator 200 includes a protective covering 201 that protects a gearbox configured to actuate the circuit breaker 100 , as will be described . in addition , a set of geometric dimensions of the portable actuator 200 may correspond to the geometric dimensions of the circuit breaker 100 . for instance , the length and width of the portable actuator 200 may correspond substantially to the length and width of a front dimension of the circuit breaker 100 . in one embodiment , the portable actuator 200 may engage the breaker pull handle 130 to initiate affixing to the circuit breaker 100 . for instance , engaging the breaker pull handle 130 may ensure that the portable actuator 200 is properly aligned with the circuit breaker 100 to effectively actuate the circuit breaker 100 . the portable actuator 200 may be affixed to the circuit breaker 100 by aligning a bottom portion of the portable actuator 200 with the breaker pull handle 130 at an acute angle , as shown in fig1 . then , as shown in fig1 , by rotating a top portion of the portable actuator 200 in a clockwise direction until the top portion engages the front dimension of the circuit breaker 100 , the portable actuator 200 may be affixed to the circuit breaker 100 . in one embodiment , proper alignment with the circuit breaker 100 may ensure that the gearbox being protected by the protective covering 201 is properly positioned over the circuit breaker controls 110 / 120 . moving now to fig2 , shown is an under - side view of the portable actuator 200 according to various embodiments . in one embodiment , magnets 205 , 206 , and 207 may be used to secure the portable actuator 200 onto the circuit breaker 100 once the portable actuator 200 is aligned properly against the circuit breaker 100 . in another embodiment , any other form of securing mechanism may be used , such as , for instance , adhesives , velcro , screws , nuts and bolts , and / or any other securing mechanism . further , the number of magnets 205 / 206 / 207 may correspond to the geometric dimensions of the portable actuator 200 . for instance , a larger set of geometric dimensions may require a higher number of magnets 205 / 206 / 207 to effectively secure the portable actuator 200 onto the circuit breaker 100 . in one embodiment , the portable actuator 200 may also include openings for portions of the motor to interact with controls 110 / 120 ( fig1 ) of the circuit breaker 100 . for instance , a portion of an actuator arm 225 and an anti - friction roller 230 may interact with the circuit breaker 100 through an insert to perform various functions , as will be described . additionally , a portion of a trip pushrod 255 and a portion of a safety interlock 300 may be visible on the under - side of the portable actuator 200 to perform various functions , as will be described . further , in one embodiment , the portable actuator 200 may also include status openings 140 / 150 to ensure the ability to view status indicators appearing on the circuit breaker 200 when the portable actuator 200 is secured against the circuit breaker 200 . next , in fig3 a , shown is a right - side view of the portable actuator 200 according to various embodiments . as shown in fig3 a , the portable actuator 200 is in a neutral position as exhibited by the actuator arm 225 being positioned such that there is no contact with the control button 120 . for instance , in this example , the control button 120 is a “ close ” button 120 . in addition , the actuator arm 225 being in a neutral position allows for a magnetic interaction between the safety interlock retention magnet 325 and the safety interlock ferrous target 320 . in one embodiment , the magnetic interaction between the safety interlock retention magnet 325 and the safety interlock ferrous target 320 overcomes a rotational force exhibited by a safety interlock actuating spring 330 to function as a safety locking mechanism and prevent the installation of the portable actuator 200 onto to the circuit breaker 100 , as will be described with respect to fig9 . in one embodiment , the actuator arm 225 is controlled by a gear motor output shaft 220 which can be rotated in either a clockwise or counter - clockwise direction based on a received signal . as viewed from the right side of the actuator , the gear motor output shaft 220 may rotate in a clock - wise direction if a “ neutral ” command is received . by rotating in a clock - wise direction , the gear motor output shaft 220 rotates the actuator arm 225 away from the “ close ” button 120 thereby placing the portable actuator 200 in a “ neutral ” position . for example , the actuator arm 225 cannot actuate the “ close ” button 120 without being in contact with the “ close ” button 120 . in one embodiment , the gear motor output shaft 220 may always keep the actuator arm 225 in a “ neutral ” position unless a “ close ” command or a “ trip ” command is received . in fig3 b , shown is a right - side view of the portable actuator 200 according to various embodiments . as shown in fig3 b , the portable actuator 200 is in a “ close ” position as exhibited by the actuator arm 225 being in contact with the close button 120 . in addition , the safety interlock 300 is not secured by any magnetic attraction between the safety interlock retention magnet 325 and the safety interlock ferrous target 320 . in one embodiment , upon receiving a signal to “ close ” the circuit breaker 100 , the gear motor output shaft 220 rotates in a counter - clockwise direction causing the actuator arm 225 to press against the close button 120 with a predetermined amount of rotational force to actuate the close button 120 . for instance , an anti - friction roller 230 attached at one end of the actuator arm 225 actuates the close button 120 when the actuator arm 225 is rotated towards the portable actuator 200 . in one embodiment , the gear motor output shaft 220 provides a predetermined amount of rotational force to actuate the close button 120 . for example , the gear motor output shaft 220 may provide a sufficient amount of force to depress the close button 120 for a predetermined amount of time . in addition , the gear motor output shaft 220 may retain the actuator arm 225 in position such that the anti - friction roller 230 is actuating the close button 120 until a “ close ” signal is no longer received . next , in fig4 a , shown is a left - side view of the portable actuator 200 according to various embodiments . as shown in fig4 a , the portable actuator 200 is in a “ neutral ” position as exhibited by a tip of the trip pushrod 255 being in position along a same plane as the portable actuator 200 . in one embodiment , the gear motor output shaft 220 pushes the trip pushrod 255 through an insert in the plane of the portable actuator 200 thereby breaking the plane of the portable actuator 200 . the gear motor output shaft 220 may push the trip pushrod 255 a predetermined amount in order to actuate the “ trip ” button 110 ( fig1 ) upon receiving a “ trip ” signal , as will be described . in one embodiment , as viewed from the left side of the actuator , the gear motor output shaft 220 rotates in a counter clock - wise direction causing the trip pushrod 255 to actuate the trip button 110 upon receiving a “ trip ” signal to trip the circuit breaker 100 . for instance , a gear motor 245 energizes the gear motor output shaft 220 which initiates the process to push the trip pushrod 255 using an actuating cam 260 , a cam follower 250 , and a pushrod support 280 , as will be described with respect to fig4 b and 4c . moving now to fig4 b , the trip pushrod 255 is depicted in a neutral position shown from the left side , according to various embodiments . in one embodiment , an actuating cam 260 is adjoined to the gear motor output shaft 220 . as such , the actuating cam 260 rotates in either a clockwise direction or a counter - clockwise direction along with the gear motor output shaft 220 . thus , if the gear motor 245 causes the gear motor output shaft 220 to rotate in a clockwise direction , the actuating cam 260 also rotates in a clockwise direction at the same speed . further , also shown in fig4 b , is a pushrod return screw 275 comprising a pushrod return spring 270 and a pushrod screw flange nut 285 . the pushrod return screw 275 functions with the pushrod support 280 to actuate the trip button 110 ( fig1 ) using the trip pushrod 255 , as will be described in fig4 c . next , in fig4 c , the trip pushrod 255 is depicted in a trip position shown from the left side . in this example , the trip pushrod 255 is pushed in a linear manner thereby causing the trip pushrod 255 to break the plane of the portable actuator 200 and actuate the trip button 110 ( fig1 ), as described above . in one embodiment , the gear motor 245 receives a “ trip ” command causing the gear motor output shaft 220 to rotate in a counter - clockwise direction . as such , the actuating cam 260 also rotates in a counter - clockwise direction while acting upon the cam follower 250 . in one embodiment , the rotating actuating cam 260 causes the trip pushrod 155 to pull on the pushrod return screw 275 thereby compressing the pushrod return spring 270 between the pushrod screw flange nut 285 and the pushrod support 280 . while pulling on the pushrod return screw 275 , the trip pushrod 255 moves in a linear direction towards the circuit breaker 100 with the aid of the trip actuating cam 260 . as such , the trip pushrod 255 moves in a linear direction to depress the trip button 110 on the circuit breaker 100 while being spring loaded via the pushrod return spring 270 . then , in one embodiment , when the gear motor 245 stops receiving a “ trip ” signal and / or receives a “ neutral ” signal , the gear motor 245 reverses direction causing the gear motor output shaft 220 to rotate in a clockwise direction . as such , the trip actuating cam 260 also rotates in a clockwise direction causing the compressed pushrod return spring 270 to begin decompressing by pushing against both the pushrod support 280 and the pushrod screw flange nut 285 . thus , the trip pushrod 255 returns to the neutral position as shown in fig4 a by moving in a linear direction away from the circuit breaker 100 . as shown in fig5 a , shown is a top view of the portable actuator 200 in a neutral position . in the neutral position , the safety interlock 300 allows for the portable actuator 200 to be affixed to the circuit breaker 100 . in one embodiment , the safety interlock retention magnet 325 displaced on one end of the actuator arm 225 is magnetically connected to the safety interlock ferrous target 320 displaced on one end of the safety interlock 300 . in this example , the magnetic attraction between the safety interlock retention magnet 325 and the safety interlock ferrous target 320 is sufficient to overcome any rotational forces produced by the safety interlock actuating spring 330 ( fig3 a ). as such , the safety interlock 300 remains in position despite the rotational forces of the safety interlock actuating spring 300 . thus , the magnetic attraction between the safety interlock retention magnet 325 and the safety interlock ferrous target 320 functions to hold the safety interlock 300 in position while the portable actuator 200 is in a neutral position . next , in fig5 b , shown is a top view of the portable actuator 200 in a trip position . in the trip position , the safety interlock prevents the portable actuator 200 from being affixed to the circuit breaker 100 . in this embodiment , the safety interlock retention magnet 325 is no longer magnetically connected to the safety interlock ferrous target 320 . here , the magnetic attraction between the safety interlock retention magnet 325 and the safety interlock ferrous target 320 is no longer sufficient to overcome the rotational forces exhibited by the safety interlock actuating spring 330 ( fig3 a ). as such , the safety interlock 300 rotates approximately ninety degrees in a clockwise direction and protrudes from the portable actuator 200 , thereby prohibiting installation of the portable actuator 200 . thus , the safety interlock 300 may prevent any inadvertent operation of the circuit breaker 100 by preventing the portable actuator from being affixed to the circuit breaker 100 when the portable actuator 200 is not in a neutral position . moving now to fig6 and 7 , shown is one embodiment of a portable actuator 200 affixed to a circuit breaker 100 , according to the embodiments described above . in fig6 , a protective covering 201 protects the components energized by the gear motor 245 ( fig4 a ), as described above . additionally , a remote control 500 is shown as providing input signals to the portable actuator 200 . for instance , the signals may be indicative of a command to trip the circuit breaker 100 , close the circuit breaker 100 , place the portable actuator 200 in a neutral position , and / or any other type of input signal . in fig7 , the protective covering 201 of fig6 is removed to reveal the protected components of the portable actuator 200 . in this example , the portable actuator 200 is viewed from the right side . next , shown in fig8 a is a block diagram of one embodiment for a bidirectional system of communication between the remote control 500 and a circuit board control system 400 . in one embodiment , the bidirectional communication between the remote control 500 and the circuit board control system may be accomplished using a communication cable 505 , radio communication as shown in fig8 b and infrared communication as shown in fig8 c , and / or any other form of communication medium . as an example , the circuit board control system 400 receives input signals from the remote control 500 , such as , for example , trip , close , and / or neutral , and transmits a command to the motor driver electronics component 440 based on the received signal . for instance , the circuit board control system 400 may transmit a command to the motor driver electronics component 440 to energize the gear motor 245 if a trip signal is received from the remote control 500 . in one embodiment , a power supply 450 provides energy to power the circuit board control system 400 and the motor driver electronics component 440 . in addition , an optional vibration sensor 420 may be employed to sense an operation of the circuit breaker 100 ( fig1 ). for instance , the vibration sensor 420 may sense a vibration caused by the circuit breaker 100 opening and / or closing and may then transmit a command to the circuit board control system 400 to turn off the motor driver electronics component 440 and / or indicate to a user that the circuit breaker 100 has operated . in another embodiment , a shaft position sensor 405 may transmit a signal to the circuit board control system 400 based on angular position of the gear motor 245 . for instance , the circuit board control system 400 may transmit a command to the motor to rotate in a clockwise direction and / or a counter clockwise direction based on the signal received from the remote control 500 . in another embodiment , the circuit board control system 400 may monitor the gear motor 245 to sense whether the portable actuator 200 is operating . for instance , the circuit board control system 400 may monitor a current level of the gear motor 245 to determine when the trip pushrod 255 is in operation and / or when the trip pushrod 255 ceases operation . similarly , the circuit board control system 400 may also monitor the current level to determine when the actuator arm 225 is in and out of operation . in another embodiment , the circuit board control system 400 may measure any other component of the gear motor 245 to monitor the operating state of the portable actuator 200 . it should be emphasized that the above - described embodiments of the present disclosure are merely possible examples of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure . many variations and modifications may be made to the above - described embodiment ( s ) without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure . all such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims .	7
the present invention is a method and apparatus for copy protecting audio - visual ( a / v ) content . through the utilization of a sequence counter , viewing of content stored in a recording device may be significantly restricted . in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , a first source device ( e . g ., set top box ( stb )) is provided with a device identifier and a sequence counter , and a sink device ( e . g ., digital television ( dtv ), etc .) is equipped to store the device identifier and sequence counter values for the associated sink device . by comparing the sequence counter values transmitted by the first source device with sequence counter values stored in the sink device , protection of content may be accomplished . [ 0021 ] fig1 shows a system 100 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention . the system 1100 comprises a content source 105 , a sink device 110 , such as a digital television ( dtv ), a first source device 120 , such as a set top box ( stb ), digital versatile ( or video ) disc ( dvd ) player , or personal video recorder ( pvr ), and a second source device 130 which permits recording , such as a digital videocassette ( dvcr or dvhs ) player / recorder , a digital versatile ( or video ) disc ( dvd ) player / recorder , or a pvr . as is well known in the art , a dvcr , a pvr or a dvd player / recorder will permit recording of content on a digital medium . in the exemplary embodiment shown in fig1 the sink device 110 also preferably includes integrated therein a recording device 117 for executing a ‘ video pause ’ function . the first source device 120 preferably includes a first secure module 121 which contains a sequence counter value generator . the sequence counter value generator may be of any suitable size , but is preferably 32 bit ( generating 32 bit sequence counter values ). of course , those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that any bit size may be used for the sequence counter values ( e . g ., 40 bit , 56 bit , 64 , bit etc . ), depending on the desired security and relative complexity of the system . in accordance with the present invention , the first secure module generates sequence counter values and appends theses values to content which is transmitted by the first source device 120 . in the first exemplary embodiment , the second source device 130 comprises a means for playing and recording content , such as a dvd player / recorder or a dvhs / dvcr player / recorder . those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the second source device 130 may also include a secure module with a sequence counter , however , such is not necessary in the exemplary embodiment shown in fig1 because it is assumed that all content which is recorded and played back by the second source device comes from the first source device 120 ( and thus already contains the sequence counter values embedded therein ). if the second source device 130 were to receive secured content from other outside sources , a secure module with sequence counter would be required in order to prevent unauthorized viewing of the content . preferably , the first source device 120 and the second source device 130 also have respective device identifiers ( device ids ) associated therewith . the device id may be , for example , the serial number value of the respective source devices 120 , 130 . these device ids are used in the present invention to identify content with respect to the particular source device which originally supplied the content . the sink device 110 preferably includes a second secure module 111 which checks the sequence counter values as they are transmitted with content from either the first source device 120 or the second source device 130 . the second secure module 111 also updates respective sequence counter databases corresponding to each source device coupled to the sink device ( e . g ., source devices 120 , 130 , etc .) each time a new value is transmitted . when content is transmitted from the first source device 120 , the sequence counter values generated in the first secure module 121 are embedded in the content . it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the embedding of the sequence counter values in the content should be done in a secure manner so as to prevent a user from tampering with the sequence counter values . for example , the sequence counter value may be included as a data field in the entitlement control message ( ecm ) that carries control words ( cws ) for the content . this insures that any recording device ( e . g ., 130 or 117 ) will need to store the original counter values rather than replacing them . at periodic intervals ( e . g ., every 10 seconds ), the sequence counter generator of the first secure module 121 is incremented and the new value is used in the content stream which is sent from the first source device 120 . when the sink device 110 receives the sequence counter values , they are stored in respective sequence counter databases corresponding to each source device coupled to the sink device ( e . g ., source devices 120 , 130 ). for example , the first sequence counter value transmitted with the content may be “ 0001 ”, and successive sequence counter values may be “ 0002 ”, “ 0003 ” and so on . if the sink device 110 is coupled to more than one source device ( such as shown in fig1 ), the sink device 110 preferably retains ( e . g ., in a memory or otherwise ) a list of all source devices from which it receives content as well as a list of the device ids for each source device . in the above - described exemplary system 100 , the sink device 110 would need to store the device id for the first source device 120 and the device id for the second source device 130 , if both devices have the ability to receive secure content into the network to the sink device . for example , the sink device 110 may store device id 1 corresponding to the first source device 120 in a first memory location , and device id 2 corresponding to the second source device 130 in a second memory location . when the sink device 110 is about to render content ( e . g ., display the content on a display screen of the sink device or a display screen coupled to the sink device ) the sink device decrypts the ecms to get the proper cws for decryption of the content . as the decryption of the ecms proceeds , the sink device 110 also recovers the sequence counter value embedded in the ecm and compares the value to the last value stored in the respective sequence counter for that source device . if the received sequence counter value is equal to or greater than greatest value that has already been transmitted by the particular source device ( e . g ., source device 120 ), the sink device 110 renders the content . if the sequence counter value is less than the greatest value that has already been transmitted by the particular source device ( e . g ., source device 120 ), the sink device 110 will not render the content ( i . e ., the sink device will not display the content on a display screen of the sink device or a display screen coupled to the sink device ). further , if the sequence counter value is higher than the greatest value that has already been transmitted by the particular source device ( e . g ., source device 120 ), the sink device also updates the stored sequence counter value for the respective source device ( e . g ., source device 120 ). for example , if source device 120 transmits program a directly to the sink device 110 or second source device 130 for viewing , the first sequence counter value received by the sink device may be 0001 . if the user engages the ‘ video pause ’ feature ( recording device 117 ) of the television ( sink device 110 ) before the next sequence counter value is received , the television continues - to receive content with higher sequence counter values ( e . g ., 0002 , 0003 , etc . ), but the sequence counter value within the second secure module 111 of the sink device 110 is not updated . thus , when the user returns and ‘ unpauses ’ the television , the content continues from the pause point and the sequence counter value is updated accordingly as the user watches the recorded version of the program . once the user has watched the ‘ paused ’ version of the program , he may not go back and watch the program again even though the program may remain stored in sink device 110 . this is because the sequence counter value stored in second secure module 111 and associated with the source device 120 will have a reached a value corresponding to the end of the program ( e . g ., 0100 ), and thus will not permit re - viewing of portions with sequence counter values less than this value . the result of the above is that pausing of content may occur , but recording of content for a long period is effectively prevented . the second source device 130 may also be used in the same manner as the recording device 117 to record programs for later viewing , and the first secure module 121 will provide protection therefor . for example , if the first source device 120 transmits program a to the second source device 130 for recording , the first sequence counter value received by the second source device may again be 0001 . if the program has sequence counter values through 0100 , and the user records the entire program , the user will be able to watch the recorded program on the sink device 110 at any later time , provided the user has not previously viewed the program on the sink device 110 ( e . g ., the user watched the program while recording it ). accordingly , the above - described system 100 permits the following actions : ( 1 ) live viewing of content , ( 2 ) paused viewing , ( 3 ) viewing a short piece of the content over and over ( provided that the sequence counter does not increment in the span that is being played ), ( 4 ) pausing a program , watching something from another source device and then un - pausing the original program , and ( 5 ) watching one program on a first sink device and then watching the program again on another sink device . as far as the content provider is concerned , numbers ( 3 ) and ( 5 ) above are not optimal results , however , the content provider will likely submit to these results given the benefits provided by numbers ( 1 ), ( 2 ), and ( 4 ). for example , consider two programs , movie a and movie b . both movie a and movie b are transmitted from the same source device ( e . g ., source device 120 ) and are rendered on the same sink device ( e . g ., sink device 110 ). movie a is transmitted with sequence counter values from 0001 - 1000 and movie b is transmitted with sequence values from 1001 - 2000 . if a recording of movie a is made in the sink device 110 ( e . g ., using the ‘ video pause ’ feature ) while movie a is also being viewed on the sink device , and the user ‘ pauses ’ the movie (“ paused viewing ”; example ( 2 ) discussed above ) at sequence counter value 573 , the user may go back and watch portions of movie a with sequence counter values equal to and above 573 ( e . g ., 573 - 1000 ). portions of movie a which have sequence counter values from 1 - 572 may not be viewed . similarly , if the user watches all of movie a ( through sequence counter value 1000 ), the user may not go back and watch any portion of the movie which was recorded in the sink device 110 ( or recorded in an external device such as sink device 130 ) because each portion of the movie has a sequence counter value lower than the maximum stored value ( e . g ., 1000 ). additionally , if the user ‘ pauses ’ movie a , watches movie b , and then attempts to finish viewing movie a , the user will not be permitted to watch the rest of movie a as the sequence counter value for the sink device is now at the last sequence counter value in movie b ( e . g ., 2000 ), and the unwatched portions of movie a have lower sequence counter values . although this result may not be ideal for consumers ( i . e ., because they have paid for all of movie a and have only been permitted to watch part of it ), the content provider prefers this result , as it prevents long - term storage of the recorded ( paused ) content ( in this case movie a ). [ 0034 ] fig2 shows a system 200 according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention . the system 200 is similar to system 100 described above , and like reference numerals denote like elements . the main difference between systems 100 and 200 is that , in system 200 the recording device 240 is disposed outside the sink device 110 ( as opposed to being internal to the sink device ). the system 200 comprises a content source 205 , a sink device 210 , such as a digital television ( dtv ), a first source device 220 , such as a set top box ( stb ), digital versatile ( or video ) disc ( dvd ) player , or personal video recorder ( pvr ), and a second source device 230 which permits recording , such as a digital videocassette ( dvcr or dvhs ) player / recorder , a digital versatile ( or video ) disc ( dvd ) player / recorder , or a pvr . as is well known in the art , a dvcr , a pvr or a dvd player / recorder will permit recording of content on a digital medium . the system 200 also includes a recording device 240 for executing a ‘ video pause ’ function . the system 200 operates substantially similarly to the system 100 described above , and therefore a detailed description is omitted here . although the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments , it is not limited thereto . rather , the appended claims should be construed broadly , to include other variants and embodiments of the invention which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range of equivalents of the invention .	7
embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems for measuring or monitoring formation properties at different radial distances from the wellbore . for example , near - wellbore and far - field reservoir properties may be determined or monitored using sensors , e . g ., pressure sensors , disposed in the wellbore and / or in the formation . in accordance with embodiments of the invention , such measuring or monitoring typically are performed within the same sedimentation layers or zones . fig2 illustrates a formation property monitoring system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention . as shown in fig2 , a wellbore 20 is drilled in the formations 10 . the wellbore 20 penetrates a production zone 10 a . in order to monitor the properties of the zone 10 a , a sensor 21 is deployed in the wellbore 20 and another sensor 22 is disposed in the formation ( e . g ., in the production zone 10 a ). while the sensor 21 is shown to be disposed in the wellbore , it may also be disposed in a casing , a production tubing , or the wellbore wall for measuring pressures in the wellbore . furthermore , a flow rate measuring device 23 is shown to be disposed in the wellbore 20 . note that the flow rate measurements may also be performed on the surface , i . e ., the flow rate measuring device 23 may be deployed on the surface in accordance with some embodiments of the invention . in accordance with some embodiments of the invention , the flow rates in the wellbore 20 may be varied ( e . g ., by changing the pump rates ), and the flow rate changes may be measured by using the device 23 . the pressure changes in response to such flow rate changes may be recorded or detected in the wellbore using the sensor 21 and in the formation using sensor 22 . for example , the production rate may be increased to create a transiently lower pressure in the wellbore 20 , similar to performing a drawdown . in response to the lower pressure transient , the fluid flow from the formation will increase until a new steady state is reached . alternatively , the pump may be shut off after the pressure perturbation to create a shut - in . during the shut - in period , the pressure will gradually buildup in the wellbore when the fluids from the formation flow into the wellbore . the pressure changes in the wellbore ( sensor 21 ) and the formation ( sensor 22 ) may be monitored during the drawdown and buildup periods for later analysis . note that the flow rate ( or pressure ) changes may also be achieved with other methods , e . g ., by a flow or pressure pulse . the pressure measurements recorded by each sensor may be analyzed separately as in a conventional approach . such analysis typically involves the use of a plot in a form of pressures versus the log of shut - in time . such a curve is conventionally referred to as a homer curve . in addition , a homer curve may be analyzed as a derivative with respect to time , which produces a bourdet curve . in a radially extending reservoir without boundaries , the homer curve exhibits a gradual increase of the pressure until the pressure reaches that of the formation pressure . in the bourdet curve , the rates of pressure changes will gradually decrease to approach zero when the buildup is complete . in accordance with some embodiments of the invention , the measurements recorded by the sensor in the wellbore ( sensor 21 ) and in the formation ( sensor 22 ) may be analyzed together . for example , the pressures ( or the rate of pressure changes ) detected by these two sensors may be compared , either as ratios or as differences . fig3 shows one example , in which the pressures ( or pressure changes ) measured by the sensor in the wellbore ( sensor 21 ) and in the formation ( sensor 22 ) are analyzed as differences . as shown in fig3 , there is a significant difference at the beginning of the monitoring period , i . e ., right after the perturbation created by flow rate changes . this difference eventually settles down to a steady state value as the pressures in the system eventually reach an equilibrium , illustrated as the baseline 31 . the spikes up and down 32 are from transient changes in the flow , e . g ., due to pump stoppage or gassing out in the fluids . the steady - state value , represented by the baseline 31 in fig3 , relates to the hydraulic resistance in the near wellbore region . accordingly , this values may be used as a near wellbore production index ( nwpi ). the nwpi is a good indicator of how well the near wellbore region perform under the production conditions because the far - field effects are removed in the difference . the near wellbore production index ( nwpi ) is different from the conventional production index because the conventional production index measures how the well performs as a unit , i . e ., there is no distinction between the near wellbore , matrix , and far - field effects . conventional production index is typically expressed as the volume delivered per psi of drawdown at the surface ( bbl / psi ). the nwpi is useful because it can inform the operator that slow production may be due to problems in the near wellbore region . in that case , remedial measures may be taken to improve the well performance . note that while fig3 shows difference in the measurements made with the sensors in the wellbore and in the formation , one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that one may also analyze the measurements as ratios . such ratios will also reflect near wellbore effects because the far - field effects ( which is minimally perturbed by the flow rate changes in the wellbore ) is factored out in the ratios . thus , the near wellbore production index ( nwpi ) may also be based on ratios . the system shown in fig3 uses two sensors . this may be referred to as a two - node system . embodiments of the invention may use two or more nodes ( sensors ). with more nodes , more sophisticated analysis becomes possible . for example , fig4 shows a three - node system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention . in this particular example , sensor 41 is disposed in the wellbore 40 , while sensors 42 and 43 are disposed in the formation ( e . g ., production zone 10 a ) such that they are in different radial directions from the wellbore , i . e ., sensors 42 and 43 are disposed at different azimuthal angles ( locations ). in this particular example , sensors 42 and 43 are separated by about 180 ° in azimuthal angles . however , in accordance with some embodiments of the invention , these sensors may be separated with azimuthal angles other than 180 °. furthermore , in accordance with some embodiments of the invention , more sensors ( more than 3 nodes ) may be used and are disposed at various azimuthal angles and / or different radial distances . in accordance with embodiments of the invention , the sensors in the formation ( e . g ., sensors 42 and 43 ) may be disposed at the same or different radial distances from the wellbore . with such a set up , it is possible to assess separate near - wellbore effects at different locations ( i . e ., different azimuthal angles ), by analyzing measurements in pairs ( e . g ., sensors 42 and 41 as a pair , or sensors 43 and 41 as a pair ) as described above with reference to fig3 . in addition , measurements obtained with such a multi - node system may be analyzed to derive the far - field effects , e . g ., reservoir boundaries . thus , in accordance with some embodiments of the invention , multiple nodes may be used to detect orientation and relative distance of reservoir boundaries to the wellbore . one exemplary approach is illustrated in fig5 and fig6 . fig5 shows an illustrative set up with a three - node system , similar to that shown in fig4 . in addition , a near reservoir boundary 58 ( about 1 , 500 ft or 500 m from the well ) and a far reservoir boundary 59 ( about 3 , 000 ft or 1 , 000 m from the well ) are shown to be present in that zone . in this particular example , sensor 51 is disposed in the wellbore at about 0 . 2 ft ( 6 cm ) from the center of the well , while sensors 52 and 53 are disposed about 12 ft ( 4 m ) into the formation from the well . sensor 52 is closer to the near reservoir boundary 58 , while sensor 53 is closer to the far reservoir boundary 59 . note that the illustration in fig5 is not to the scale . furthermore , one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that the particular dimensions and configuration are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention . using the three sensors shown in fig5 , the three sets of measurements obtained by the three sensors 51 , 52 , 53 may be analyzed separately , as shown in fig6 . the curves shown in fig6 are homer curves ( 61 h , 62 h , 63 h ) and bourdet curves ( the derivatives of homer curves ) ( 61 b , 62 b , 63 b ) for the three sensors 51 , 52 , 53 , respectively . as shown in fig6 , the homer curves 61 h , 62 h , 63 h show the typical gradual increase in the pressures . it is relatively difficult to discern any pressure changes , besides the typical buildup , from these homer curves . on the other hand , the bourdet curves can reveal more details about the pressure changes that may result from far - field effects , e . g ., reservoir boundaries . referring to the bourdet curves 61 b , 62 b , 63 b , there is a significant difference between curve 61 b and those of 62 b , 63 b during the initial time period ( e . g ., up to 0 . 1 hr ). this is because the drawdown lowers the pressure inside the wellbore substantially more than in the formation . all three curves eventually merge in the middle time period ( about 0 . 1 to 10 hours ), indicating that the buildup is approaching completion and the system is reaching a steady state . in the later time period ( greater than 10 hours ), perturbations to the steady state is apparent . these perturbations indicate late events that originate from far fields have been detected by the sensors . as shown in the expanded inset , all three curves 61 b , 62 b , 63 b show a dip 68 during this late time period . this dip results from the impact of the near reservoir boundary 58 . although the fluid “ waves ” arising from the effects of the near boundary 58 are felt almost simultaneously by all three sensors , careful analysis reveals that the curve 62 b ( corresponding to sensor 52 , which is closer to the near boundary 58 ) starts to decrease before other curves 61 b and 63 b . curve 62 b also starts to recover before the other two curves . this observation indicates that the near boundary 58 is closer to sensor 52 than to sensor 53 . after the first dip 58 , all three curves 61 b , 62 b , 63 b show another dip when the impact of the far boundary 59 is felt by the three sensors . this time , curve 63 b ( corresponding to sensor 53 , which is closer to the far boundary 59 ) starts to dip first . curve 61 b ( corresponding to the sensor 51 in the wellbore ) dips next , followed by curve 62 b ( corresponding to sensor 52 ). these results indicate that the far boundary effects are first felt by sensor 53 , and , therefore , the far boundary 59 is closer to sensor 53 than to sensor 52 . the above example clearly shows how a three - node system can be used to detect the relative locations and distances of reservoir boundaries in accordance with embodiments of the invention . as noted above , embodiments of the invention may include more then three nodes . such systems may be used to further pinpoint the orientations and distances of the boundaries . in addition to the “ qualitative ” analysis illustrated above , the data may also be analyzed for quantitative information . for example , the relative arrival times ( to the sensors ) is a function of the distances from the boundaries to the sensors . because the pressure waves disperse out in “ spheres ,” it takes four times longer for the waves to travel twice the distance , i . e ., the distance correlates with square root of time ( d correlates with t 1 / 2 ). thus , if it takes four times longer for the far boundary to reach the sensors than does the near boundary , then it can be concluded that the far boundary is about twice farther , as compared with the near boundary , from the sensors . for detailed analysis , please see u . s . pat . no . 5 , 548 , 563 issued to slevinsky . note that while the analysis shown in fig6 uses the homer and bourdet curves . in accordance with some embodiments of the invention , these data may also be analyzed as differences ( as illustrated above in reference to fig3 ) or ratios . for example , in the above example , the measurement data from sensors 52 and 53 may be used to derive the differences and / or ratios , which may then be used to determine the orientations and relative distances of the boundaries . in particular , ratios may provide a more sensitive indicators as to the relative orientations of the boundaries . embodiments of the invention may use any suitable pressure sensors known in the art . for example , u . s . pat . no . 7 , 140 , 434 , issued to chouzenoux et al ., discloses sensors for installation in an underground well having a casing or tubing installed therein . this patent is incorporated by reference in its entirety . a sensor , as disclosed in this patent , comprises a sensor body , sensor elements , and communication elements . the sensor body can be installed in a hole formed in the casing or tubing so as to extend between the inside and outside of the casing or tubing , while the sensor elements are located within the body and capable of sensing properties of an underground formation surrounding the well . the communication elements are also located within the body and capable of communicating information between the sensor elements and a communication device in the well . these sensors may be deployed in the wellbore , casing , and formations using any suitable methods known in the art . for example , u . s . patent application pub . no . 20050217848 , by edwards et al ., discloses methods of installing a sensor located in a chamber on the outside of a casing . this application is incorporated by reference in its entirety . furthermore , u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 028 , 534 and 6 , 943 , 697 issued to ciglenec et al . disclose methods for installing sensors in the formation . according to the teaching in these patents , remote sensing units may be set during open - hole operations . alternatively , the remote sensing units may be deployed from a drill string tool that forms part of the collars of the drill string , similar to that disclosed in the edwards et al . described above . in another approach , the remote sensing units may be deployed from an open - hole logging tool . the sensors or sensing units can be positioned within the formation of interest by any suitable means , as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 028 , 534 issued to ciglenec et al . for example , a hydraulically energized ram can propel the sensor from the drill collar into the formation with sufficient hydraulic force for the sensor to penetrate the formation by a sufficient depth for sensing formation data . alternatively , apparatus in the drill collar can be extended to drill outwardly or laterally into the formation , with the sensor then being positioned within the lateral bore by a sensor actuator . as a further alternative , a propellant energized system onboard the drill collar can be activated to fire the sensor with sufficient force to penetrate into the formation laterally beyond the wellbore . the sensor is appropriately encapsulated to withstand damage during its lateral installation into the formation , whatever the formation positioning method may be . fig7 illustrates a method 70 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention . first , a pressure perturbation is created in a wellbore ( step 72 ). as noted above , such pressure perturbations may be created by varying the pump rates . next , with a selected duration while the buildup is occurring , the pressures or pressure changes in the wellbore and in the formations are recorded ( step 74 ). the measurement data , both from the wellbore and from the formation , are then analyzed , as described above , to provide a formation property ( e . g ., near wellbore production index , reservoir boundaries , etc ) ( step 76 ). advantages of the present invention may include one or more of the following . embodiments of the invention provide methods that can be used to probe formation properties with respect to the near wellbore effects and far field effects . the methods of the invention may also be used to detect the reservoir boundaries in terms of the relative distance and orientations . these methods may be practiced with any suitable sensors and techniques known in the art . while the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments , those skilled in the art , having benefit of this disclosure , will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised that do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein . accordingly , the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims .	4
a christmas tree stand designated throughout by 2 in fig1 and 2 essentially comprises a base 4 , which in the represented embodiments consists of a base plate 6 and a peripheral wall 8 encompassing the base plate and having a certain vertical elevation in order to conceal the components located inside the christmas tree stand 2 from view . on or in the base 4 or in the peripheral wall 8 , respectively , a receiving part 10 for the trunk of a christmas tree is arranged . in the represented embodiments , the receiving part 10 is made up of another wall 12 projecting from the base plate 6 in parallel and concentrically with the peripheral wall 8 serving as mounting wall for retaining elements , as shall be explained in the following . concentrically with the circles defined by the walls 8 and 12 , a centering spike projects 14 from the base plate 6 which pierces into the lower free end of the christmas tree trunk . peripherally along the mounting wall 12 , a plurality of retaining elements are arranged at equal distances . in the represented embodiments altogether four retaining elements 16 , 18 , 20 and 22 are provided at a respective angular distance of 90 °. the retaining elements 16 to 22 are slidingly guided in the mounting wall 12 in correspondingly formed mounting openings . the movement of the retaining elements 16 to 22 thus takes place inside a plane coinciding with the plane of the drawing or extending in parallel with it . the retaining elements 16 to 22 according to fig1 and fig2 are essentially pin - shaped or bolt - shaped and each comprise two end portions , namely end portions 24 , 26 , 28 and 30 facing an axis of symmetry which is perpendicular to the plane of the drawing and extends through the spike 14 , and end portions 32 , 34 , 36 and 38 facing away from the axis of symmetry while pointing radially to the outside . the end portions 24 to 30 are provided with a point in the manner shown in the drawing in order to obtain better retention of a christmas tree trunk to be clamped , as will be explained further on . furthermore in the area of the end portions 24 to 30 on the retaining elements 16 to 22 there are stops 40 , 42 , 44 and 46 , which prevent the retaining elements 16 to 22 from slipping from their corresponding guide means in the mounting wall 12 . the stops 40 to 46 are preferably disk - shaped , thus e . g . lock washers which are held in corresponding circular grooves at the retaining elements 16 to 22 . insofar the two embodiments of fig1 and fig2 are identical . in the first embodiment according to fig1 the radially external end portions 32 to 38 of the retaining elements 16 to 22 are acted upon by a load transmission element which , in the preferred embodiment , is a flexible connecting part having tensile strength , in particular a cable 48 . the cable 48 is captively guided in the end portions 32 to 38 of the retaining elements 16 to 22 , e . g . held in bores formed there or guided through eyes arranged at the end portions 32 to 38 . the cable 48 enters -- in a given case through an opening 50 in the peripheral wall 8 -- into the inside of the base 4 , passes through a first deflecting eye 52 , from there extends to the retaining element 20 or its end portion 36 , respectively , and then clockwise in the drawing to the end portions 38 , 32 and 34 of retaining elements 22 , 16 and 18 . the cable 48 -- as already mentiond -- passes through bores or eyes in the end portions 32 to 38 . coming from the end portion 34 of the retaining element 18 , the cable 48 passes through another deflecting eye 54 and then exits again from the area of the base 4 -- in a given case through the opening 50 . on at least one of the retaining elements , in the case of the represented embodiment on the retaining element 22 , a spring element 56 is located , which in the represented embodiment is a coil spring wound around the outer circumference of the retaining element 22 and supported between the outer wall of the mounting wall 12 and a stop 58 . owing to the spring 56 , the retaining element 22 is biased towards the outside , i . e . towards the left in the drawing . in the mounting area of the retaining elements 16 to 22 , i . e . in the area where the retaining elements 16 to 22 pass through the mounting wall 12 , locking mechanisms 60 , 62 , 64 and 66 are provided . the locking mechanisms 60 to 66 are effective unilaterally , i . e . in the activated state they block a movement of the retaining elements 16 to 22 radially to the outside , whereas a movement of the retaining elements 16 to 22 radially to the inside towards the axis of symmetry or towards the spike 14 is essentially not impeded by the locking mechanisms 60 to 66 . examples for the locking mechanisms 60 to 66 shown in simplified schematic representation in the drawing are e . g . unilaterally acting positive engagement locking mechanisms comprising teeth , or friction locking mechanisms as e . g . used for so - called injection cartridges for sealants on silicon basis . the locking mechanisms 60 to 66 associated with the retaining elements 16 to 22 can , if necessary , be released in order to allow a radial movement of the retaining elements 16 to 22 towards the outside , for example in order to release a clamped christmas tree trunk or to prepare the receiving part 10 for receiving a christmas tree trunk . the design of the locking mechanisms 60 to 66 may be such as to be releasable one by one , e . g . by hand , or they may simultaneously be released by means of a central release device 84 , e . g . a ring coaxial with the mounting wall 12 and resting on the upper surface thereof , which upon pressure simultaneously acts downwards on the locking elements 60 to 66 and releases them . the function of the christmas tree stand 2 of the invention according to fig1 is as follows : fig1 shows the christmas tree stand 2 with the retaining elements 16 to 22 in their released positions projecting in an outward direction from the mounting wall 12 while the cable 48 is loosened , with the washers 40 to 46 in a given case contacting the inside of the mounting wall 12 . the space inside the receiving part 10 , i . e . the space confined by the mounting wall 12 , is free for receiving a christmas tree trunk to be clamped . in this position of the retaining elements 16 to 22 , the christmas tree trunk is placed into the receiving part 10 , with the spike 14 digging into the bottom surface of the trunk . the two ends of cable 48 projecting from the base 4 or from the opening 50 of the peripheral wall 8 , respectively , ate now grasped , with the two cable ends in a given case being provided with a grip element or a t - handle in order to better grasp the two ends of the cable 48 with one hand . while the christmas tree is vertically aligned with one hand , a pulling force or tensile stress is applied to the cable 48 with the other hand such as to tauten and shorten it , with this shortening of the cable 48 having the effect that the retaining elements 16 to 22 are moved radially towards the inside to approach the axis of symmetry and -- essentially simultaneously in the case of a perfectly round tree , one by one in the case of a tree trunk having an irregular contour -- contact the trunk surface . this movement of the retaining elements 16 to 22 is not or only slightly impeded by the unilaterally acting locking mechanisms 60 to 66 . if another pulling force is now applied to the cable 48 , the retaining elements 16 to 22 are moved further inward in a radial direction from all sides with an identical force , with the pointed tips of end portions 24 to 30 finally digging into the material of the tree trunk and clamping the latter . while the cable 48 is tightened , a weight force is preferably furthermore applied onto the base 4 to enable application of sufficient pulling forces to the cable 48 without the christmas tree stand being lifted . for example , a person pulling the cable 48 stands with one foot on the base plate 6 . as soon as suitable rocking motions have shown that the generated retaining forces are sufficient , the cable 48 is released and the clamped christmas tree may also be released for it is now reliably clamped in the christmas tree stand 2 . even though tensile stress is not present any more in the cable 48 after it was released , which is to say that forces directed towards the inside are not present any more in the single retaining elements 16 and 22 , the unilaterally effective locking mechanisms 60 to 66 will block any radial return movement of elements 16 to 22 towards the outside such that the christmas tree trunk remains clamped . the length of cable 48 projecting from the base may be inserted into the space between the walls 8 and 12 such that this length of cable is virtually invisible from the outside and the christmas tree stand 2 has an optically appealing appearance . as concerns the specific effective principles enabling clamping of the christmas tree in an upright vertical position despite a crooked trunk , reference is made to de - ps 39 32 473 by the same applicant where these effective principles are explained and described in detail . the contents disclosed there are herewith fully incorporated by way of reference . it may turn out under practical circumstances that the forces applicable to the retaining elements 16 to 22 by means of the cable 48 are not sufficient where the cable 48 is merely tightened by hand . in order to obtain greater tensile forces in the cable 48 and thus greater retaining forces of the retaining elements 16 to 22 , a power amplification device 80 may be provided , which preferably has the form of a tackle due to the fact that the connecting part is a cable 48 . for this purpose , the cable 48 may be immobilised unilaterally in the area of the base 4 , for example at the deflection eye 52 . starting from the eye 52 , the cable 48 is again guided clockwise across the end portions 36 , 38 , 32 and 34 , passes through the deflection eye 54 , and is then guided through a tackle 80 arranged between the mounting wall 12 and the peripheral wall 8 to then exit from the area of the base 4 -- in a given case through the opening 50 . owing to this interposed tackle 80 , the tensile forces applicable to the cable 48 may be considerably increased , such that correspondingly greater retaining forces may also be obtained . due to its arrangement between the mounting wall 12 and the peripheral wall 8 , the tackle 80 is concealed from sight such that the outer appearance of the christmas tree stand 2 according to the invention is not impaired by the tackle . in case the clamped christmas tree trunk is to be released from the christmas tree stand 2 , the locking mechanisms 60 to 66 -- either one by one , or simultaneously by means of a central release device 84 -- are released , with then at least one of the retaining elements ( in the represented embodiment the retaining element 22 ) being moved radially to the outside by the force of spring 56 . if all the retaining elements 16 to 22 are provided with a spring corresponding to spring 56 , all of the retaining elements 16 to 22 return to their final positions shown in the figure , wherein the christmas tree trunk is released by the retaining elements 16 to 22 and can be taken from the christmas tree stand 2 . if , in accordance with the representation in the drawing , only one of the retaining elements is provided with the pressure spring 56 acting radially towards the outside , then only this one retaining element will return to its released position in accordance with the representation . as a general rule , however , this is enough to get the christmas tree free from the retaining elements still applied to the trunk by repeated tilting movements in the direction of these retaining elements , to extract it from the christmas tree stand 2 . in the second embodiment according to fig2 the radially inner end portions 24 to 30 of the retaining elements 16 to 22 are acted upon by the load transmission element preferably being a cable . the cable 48 is captively guided in the end portions 24 to 30 of the retaining elements 16 to 22 , for example held in bores formed there , or guided through eyes attached to the end portions 32 to 38 . one of the retaining elements -- in fig2 the retaining element 20 -- includes two bores or eyes in its radially inner end portion . the cable 48 enters -- in a given case also through an opening or a slot in the peripheral wall 8 and in the mounting wall 12 -- into the inside of the base 4 , passes through an eye or a ring 49 and is from there guided to the first bore in the end portion 28 of the retaining element 20 . from here it extends to the retaining element 22 or its end portion 30 , respectively , and then in the drawing clockwise to the end portions 24 and 26 of the retaining elements 16 and 18 . as already mentioned , the cable 48 passes through bores or eyes in the end portions 28 to 26 . coming from the end portion 26 of the retaining element 18 , the cable 48 passes through another bore or eye in the end portion 28 of the retaining element 20 and is here fastened by cable sockets 68 etc . other than in the embodiment represented in fig1 in fig2 only a cable portion 70 of the cable 48 exits from the base 4 . on at least one of the retaining elements , in the represented embodiment on the retaining element 22 , a spring element 56 is located , which in the represented embodiment is a coil spring wrapped around the outer circumference of the retaining element 22 and supported between the cuter wall of the mounting wall 12 and a stop 58 . the spring 56 causes the retaining element 22 to be biased outwardly , i . e . towards the left side in the drawing . the cable portion 70 of the cable 48 is acted upon by a unilaterally acting locking mechanism 82 which prevents movement of the retaining elements 16 to 22 from their retaining positions to their released positions . the locking mechanism 82 may be arranged inside or outside the peripheral wall 8 or fastened thereto . the specific design of the locking mechanism 82 lastly depends on the retaining forces to be generated and the design of the christmas tree stand . the basic function to be fulfilled by the locking mechanism 82 is to immobilise the retaining elements in their respective retaining positions after these have been reached , i . e . to block a movement of the retaining elements 16 to 22 radially to the outside , whereas a movement of the retaining elements 16 to 22 radially towards the inside in the direction of the axis of symmetry or of the spike 14 , i . e . a pulling movement at the cable portion 70 is not to be essentially impeded by the locking mechanism 82 . it is to be understood that the locking mechanism 82 acting on the cable portion 70 must be releasable if necessary in order to allow a movement of the retaining elements 16 to 22 radially to the outside , for example to release a clamped christmas tree trunk or prepare the receiving part 10 for receiving a christmas tree trunk . the function of the christmas tree stand 2 according to the invention in the embodiment of fig2 is as follows : fig2 shows the christmas tree stand 2 with the retaining elements 16 to 22 in their released positions , projecting radially to the outside from the mounting wall 12 while the cable 48 is loosened , with the washers 40 to 46 in a given case contacting the mounting wall 12 . the inner space of the receiving part 10 , i . e . the space confined by the mounting wall 12 , is free for receiving a christmas tree trunk to be clamped . in this position of the retaining elements 16 to 22 , the christmas tree trunk is placed in the receiving part 10 , with the spike 14 digging into the bottom surface of the trunk . the cable portion 70 of the cable 48 projecting from the base 4 or from an opening provided in it is grasped , with the end of the cable portion 70 in a given case being provided with a grip element or a t - handle in order to better grasp the end of the cable portion 70 with one hand . while the christmas tree is vertically aligned with one hand , a pulling force or tensile stress is applied to the cable portion 70 with the other hand such as to tauten and shorten it , with this shortening of the cable 48 having the effect that the cable portion extending between the end portions 24 to 30 shortens whereby the retaining elements 16 to 22 are moved radially towards the inside to approach the axis of symmetry and -- essentially simultaneously in the case of a perfectly round tree trunk , one by one in the case of a tree trunk having an irregular contour -- contact the trunk surface . this movement of the retaining elements 16 to 22 is not or only slightly impeded by the locking mechanism 82 unilaterally acting on the cable portion 70 . if another pulling force is now applied to the cable 48 , the retaining elements 16 to 22 are radially moved further towards the inside from all sides with an identical force , with the pointed tips of end portions 24 to 30 finally digging into the material of the tree trunk and clamping the latter . while the cable portion 70 is tightened , preferably another weight force is applied onto the base 4 to enable application of sufficient pulling forces to the cable portion 70 without the christmas tree stand being lifted . for example , the person pulling the cable portion 70 stands with one foot on the base plate 6 . as soon as suitable rocking motions have shown that the generated retaining forces are sufficient , the cable portion 70 is released and the clamped christmas tree may also be released for it is now reliably clamped in the christmas tree stand 2 . even though tensile stress is not present any more in the cable 48 , which is to say that forces directed towards the inside are not present any more in the single retaining elements 16 and 22 after the cable portion 70 was released , the unilaterally acting locking mechanism 82 in the cable portion 70 will prevent a radial return movement of elements 16 to 22 towards the outside such that the christmas tree trunk remains clamped . the length of the cable portion 70 projecting from the base may be inserted into the space between the walls 8 and 12 whereby this length of cable is virtually invisible from the outside and the christmas tree stand 2 has an optically appealing appearance . concerning the specific effective principles enabling clamping of a crooked christmas tree in an upright vertical position despite a crooked trunk , reference is again explicitly made to de - ps 39 32 473 by the same applicant . it may turn out under practical circumstances that the forces applicable to the retaining elements 16 to 22 by means of the cable portion 70 are not sufficient where the cable portion 70 is merely tightened by hand . in order to obtain greater pulling forces in the cable portion 70 and thus greater retaining forces of the retaining elements 16 to 22 , a power amplification device 80 may also be provided in the embodiment of fig2 which also preferably has the form of a tackle . under certain circumstances , the locking mechanism 82 for the cable portion 70 may be combined with the tackle or another power amplification device 80 . in case the clamped christmas tree trunk is to be relased from the christmas tree stand 2 , the locking mechanism 82 is released , with then at least one of the retaining elements ( in the represented embodiment the retaining element 22 ) being moved radially to the outside under the force of spring 56 . if all the retaining elements 16 to 22 are provided with a spring corresponding to spring 56 , all of the retaining elements 16 to 22 return to their final positions shown in fig2 wherein the christmas tree trunk is released by the retaining elements 16 to 22 and can be taken from the christmas tree stand 2 . if , in accordance with the representation in the drawing , only one of the retaining elements is provided with the pressure spring 56 acting radially towards the outside , then only this one retaining element will return to its released position in accordance with the representation in the drawing . as a general rule , however , this is enough to get the christmas tree free from the retaining elements still applied to the trunk by repeatedly tilting it in the direction of these retaining elements to extract it from the christmas tree stand 2 . it should be appreciated that the above description made by reference to the drawing should be taken to be merely for illustrative purposes but not restricting . thus e . g . the number of the retaining elements is not restricted to four ; rather , three or more than four such retaining elements may be used . as mentioned above , two , three , or even all of the retaining elements may furthermore be provided with the pressure acting radially to the outside . in the place of the closed peripheral mounting wall for the retaining elements , single mounting lugs or shackles associated with the respective retaining elements may be provided which project vertically upwards from the base plate of the base and serve for slidingly guiding the retaining elements as well as for receiving or holding the locking mechanisms dienen . in any of these cases , the result is a christmas tree stand permitting speedy and reliable vertical positioning of a christmas tree by a single person , with this christmas tree stand having a simple construction and thus saving costs and weight while having an appealing optical appearance .	0
referring to fig1 , trellis system 20 generally includes frame structure 22 and mounting structures 24 . in the depicted example embodiment , frame structure 22 generally includes front tube 26 , back tube 28 , end tubes 30 and center tubes 32 . frame structure 22 and mounting structures 24 may be formed from aluminum , aluminum alloys , steel or other materials of sufficient strength and rigidity to perform the structural requirements . referring to fig1 and 2 , back tube 28 , when installed , abuts vertical structure 34 . end tubes 30 extend outwardly away from back tube 28 generally in a horizontal orientation . center tubes 32 also extend outwardly away from back tube 28 in a generally horizontal orientation and abut front tube 26 which is secured to end tubes 30 and center tubes 32 by fasteners , welding or other known techniques . referring now to fig3 - 7 , mounting structures 24 generally include end mounting structures 36 and center mounting structures 38 . referring particularly to fig3 - 5 , according to an example embodiment , center mounting structure 38 generally includes mounting bracket 40 and spacer 42 . in the depicted example embodiment , spacer 42 removably engages mounting bracket 40 at a lower edge 44 thereof . mounting bracket 40 engages back tube 28 as well as center tube 32 in addition to spacer 42 . mounting bracket 40 generally includes flange portion 46 and web portion 48 . in the depicted embodiment , flange portion 46 is generally quadrilateral in structure and is pierced by flange mounting holes 50 . web portion 48 extends outwardly away from flange portion 46 generally at an approximately right angle . flange portion 46 and web portion 48 may be formed as a unitary , for example extruded , structure . web portion 48 in the depicted embodiment is a generally quadrilateral structure pierced by web fastener holes 52 . referring particularly to fig3 and 5 , spacer 42 is a generally rectangular structure having spacer body 54 defining web receiving slot 56 therein . in the depicted embodiment , web receiving slot 56 runs longitudinally along spacer body 54 . web receiving slot 56 is sized and shaped to receive web portion 48 at least partially therein . spacer body 54 is sized and shaped to fit within center tubes 32 in close fitting apposition to the interior thereof . web portion 48 is sized and shaped to be received within center tube 32 in close fitting apposition when combined with spacer 42 at a lower edge 44 thereof . mounting bracket 40 may be formed for example of metal such as steel or aluminum . in one example embodiment , spacer 42 is formed of a material similar to mounting bracket 40 though this should not be considered limiting . referring now to fig6 and 7 , end mounting structure 36 is depicted . end mounting structure 36 generally includes end mounting bracket 58 and end spacer 60 . end mounting bracket 58 generally includes end flange portion 62 and end web portion 64 . end mounting bracket 58 is a generally unitary structure and can be formed from an extrusion such as an appropriate sized angle . end mounting bracket 58 may also be a fabricated structure or may be formed from several pieces of material . end flange portion 62 is pierced by end flange mounting holes 66 . end web portion 64 is pierced by end web fastener holes 68 . end web portion 64 , when combined with end spacer 60 is sized to fit in close fitting apposition within end tube 30 . end spacer 60 is sized to fit within end tube 30 horizontally . referring to fig8 and 9 , another embodiment of trellis system 20 is depicted . according to this further example embodiment , trellis system 20 , similar to the previously described embodiment includes frame structure 22 and mounting structures 24 . frame structure 22 is similar in that it includes front tube 26 , back tube 28 , end tubes 30 and center tubes 32 . similar to the earlier described embodiment , mounting structures 24 are secured to vertical structure 34 adjacent and / or within back tube 28 . referring to fig1 - 13 , an example embodiment of top plate mounting bracket 70 and top plate end mounting bracket 72 are depicted . referring to fig1 and 11 , top plate mounting bracket 70 is a generally unitary structure including flange portion 74 , web portion 76 and top plate portion 78 . flange portion 74 and web portion 76 are similar in structure to flange portion 46 and web portion 48 described above . top plate portion 78 is coupled to the top of flange portion 74 and web portion 76 generally by welding . however , top plate portion 78 may be coupled to flange portion 74 and web portion 76 by other techniques . flange portion 74 presents flange mounting holes 80 that are configured to receive fasteners ( not depicted ). unlike web portion 48 , web portion 76 is not pierced by holes in this depicted embodiment . in some applications web portion 76 may be pierced by holes to receive fasteners for coupling as well as top plate portion 78 . top plate portion 78 presents top mounting holes 82 . in the depicted embodiment , center tube 32 includes corresponding center tube mounting holes 84 . referring to fig1 and 13 , top plate end mounting brackets 72 generally includes end flange portion 86 , end web portion 88 and end top plate portion 90 . end web portion 88 and end top plate portion 90 are similar in structure to end web portion 64 and end flange portion 62 as discussed above . end top plate portion is secured to the top of end web portion and end flange portion for example , by welding , though other securing techniques may be utilized . end flange portion 86 presents end flange fastener holes 92 . end top plate portion 90 presents end top mounting holes 94 . end top plate portion 90 and end web portion 98 are sized to fit into end tube 30 in close fitting apposition . end tube 30 presents corresponding end tube mounting holes 96 . referring now to fig3 and 4 , back tube 28 is a generally rectangular structure in section and presents back wall 98 , front wall 100 , top wall 102 and bottom wall 104 . back wall 98 presents and defines flange opening 106 . flange opening 106 is sized to receive flange portion 46 or flange portion 74 therethrough . front wall 100 presents and defines web opening 108 therethrough . web opening 108 is sized and shaped as a generally vertical slot to receive web portion 48 therethrough or , in the case of top plate mounting bracket 70 , to receive web portion 76 and top plate portion 78 therethrough . in this case , web opening 108 includes vertical slot portion 114 and horizontal slot portion 116 . this is depicted in fig1 . referring to fig4 and 11 , front wall 100 further presents and defines fastener openings 110 therethrough . fastener openings 110 are positioned to align substantially with flange mounting holes 50 and flange mounting holes 80 . fastener openings 110 are sized and shaped to receive fasteners ( not depicted ) as well as a wrench such as a socket wrench ( not depicted ). according to another embodiment of the invention , the invention further includes a method of installing a trellis structure 22 . the method includes securing at least one internal mounting bracket 42 to a vertical structure 34 by securing flange portion 46 of mounting bracket 42 to vertical structure 34 with fasteners ( not shown ) such that web portion 48 of mounting bracket 40 extends outwardly , orthogonally from flange portion 46 and from vertical structure 34 . the method further includes placing back tube 28 over mounting bracket 40 such that web portion 48 extends outwardly through web opening 108 in front wall 100 . flange portion 46 is received in a flange opening 106 in back wall 98 of back tube 28 . flange opening 106 is sized to receive the flange portion 46 therein . the method further includes securing at least one center tube 32 extending outwardly relative to back tube 28 . center tube 32 is coupled to web portion 48 by fasteners ( not shown ). the method further includes placing spacer 42 or top plate portion 78 within center tube 32 in close fitting relation to the interior of center tube 32 . according to another example embodiment of the invention , mounting bracket 40 is utilized along with spacer 42 . according to an alternative example embodiment of the invention , mounting bracket 40 includes top plate portion 78 integrally formed therewith or secured thereto . according to another example embodiment of the method , web receiving slot 56 is formed to be a vertical slot sized to receive web portion 48 therethrough . according to another example embodiment of the method , web receiving slot 56 includes a vertical slot portion and a horizontal slot portion sized and shaped to receive top plate portion 78 therethrough . according to another example embodiment , the method further includes securing at least one end mounting bracket 58 to at least one end tube 30 wherein end mounting bracket 58 includes an integral structure having end flange portion 86 and end web portion 88 . according to another example embodiment , the method further includes coupling structurally separate end spacer 62 to end web portion 88 at a bottom edge thereof . according to another example embodiment , the method further includes securing end top plate portion 92 end web portion 88 . in operation , trellis system 20 is mounted to vertical structure 34 by securing mounting brackets 40 and end mounting brackets 58 spaced at appropriate distances . the same is true of top plate mounting bracket 70 and top plate end mounting bracket 72 . back tube 28 is then placed over mounting bracket 40 and mounting bracket 58 or top plate mounting bracket 70 and top plate end mounting bracket 72 so that flange opening 106 and web opening 108 align with the appropriate brackets . once center mounting structures 38 are secured to the wall with fasteners ( not depicted ), center tubes 32 may be placed over center mounting structures 38 and secured thereto with fasteners . in doing so , mounting bracket 40 and spacer 42 are placed within center tubes 32 . end tubes 30 are then placed over end mounting bracket 48 or top plate end mounting bracket 72 and secured thereto with fasteners . front tube 26 is then secured to back tubes 28 and end tubes 30 . various embodiments of systems , devices , and methods have been described herein . these embodiments are given only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed inventions . it should be appreciated , moreover , that the various features of the embodiments that have been described may be combined in various ways to produce numerous additional embodiments . moreover , while various materials , dimensions , shapes , configurations and locations , etc . have been described for use with disclosed embodiments , others besides those disclosed may be utilized without exceeding the scope of the claimed inventions . persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that the subject matter hereof may comprise fewer features than illustrated in any individual embodiment described above . the embodiments described herein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways in which the various features of the subject matter hereof may be combined . accordingly , the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations of features ; rather , the various embodiments can comprise a combination of different individual features selected from different individual embodiments , as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art . moreover , elements described with respect to one embodiment can be implemented in other embodiments even when not described in such embodiments unless otherwise noted . although a dependent claim may refer in the claims to a specific combination with one or more other claims , other embodiments can also include a combination of the dependent claim with the subject matter of each other dependent claim or a combination of one or more features with other dependent or independent claims . such combinations are proposed herein unless it is stated that a specific combination is not intended . any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such that no subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicit disclosure herein . any incorporation by reference of documents above is further limited such that no claims included in the documents are incorporated by reference herein . any incorporation by reference of documents above is yet further limited such that any definitions provided in the documents are not incorporated by reference herein unless expressly included herein . for purposes of interpreting the claims , it is expressly intended that the provisions of 35 u . s . c . § 112 ( f ) are not to be invoked unless the specific terms “ means for ” or “ step for ” are recited in a claim .	4
fig1 shows a portable irrigating appliance 10 for enabling personal lavage according to at least one aspect of the invention . the portable irrigating appliance 10 may comprise a housing 12 which serves as a structural platform for supporting other components . the housing 12 may be generally cylindrical and when standing on a horizontal environmental surface ( not shown ) such as a floor of a building , may be considerably higher than wide or deep . on top of the apparatus there may be a recess 15 to be utilized as a handle for the user to conveniently transport the lavage . visible at the exterior of the housing 12 are a flexible conduit 14 terminating in a nozzle assembly 16 , and a clip 18 . the clip 18 is capable of releasably holding the nozzle assembly 14 so that the nozzle assembly 14 is maintained in close proximity to the housing 12 . of course , it would be possible to provide a clip ( not shown ) which engages the flexible conduit 14 to accomplish a similar function . fig2 shows the flexible conduit 14 removed from the clip 18 and extended , as it might be for use for example . the upper portion of the housing 12 defines a reservoir 20 for storing liquids associated with the housing 12 . as employed herein , “ associated with ” will be understood to signify that the item that is associated with the housing 12 is attached to the housing 12 either internally or externally , in a manner either permanently or integrally connected , or alternatively may be removably attached thereto . in either case , the item associated with the housing 12 is held in close proximity to the housing 12 to the extent that carrying the housing 12 about and changing the location of the housing 12 will move at least part of the item associated therewith . casual or limited moving or repositioning of the housing 12 will move cause consequential motion of all components of the appliance except the nozzle 62 ( described hereinafter ) and components of the nozzle 62 , since the nozzle 62 is connected to the housing 12 by the flexible conduit 14 , which could accommodate minor motion and repositioning without transferring such motion and repositioning to the nozzle 62 . the reservoir 20 may be at least partially light transmissive , so that a water level or liquid level within the reservoir 20 may be readily discerned . the reservoir 20 may include a receptacle portion ( not separately shown ) and a closure 22 which is manually removable for example to replenish the receptacle of the reservoir 20 . the closure 22 may fit by friction for example to the receptacle of the reservoir 20 , or in any other suitable way . it should also be noted that the recessed handle 15 , may or may not be attached to the closure 22 . the receptacle portion of the reservoir 20 may be integral with the housing 12 . the housing 12 may extend below the receptacle portion to house additional components such as a pump 24 and a rechargeable battery 26 within a lower portion 28 . a vertical riser 30 extends along the housing 12 to enclose a portion of the flexible conduit 14 . the battery 26 may be recharged by a stand - alone battery charger 32 well known type which may comprise a plug 34 , a power adapter 36 disposed for example to transform 120 volt ac power to dc power of voltage lower than 120 volts , and a power cord 38 terminating in a terminal 40 . the portable irrigating appliance 10 may be provided with a power port ( not shown ) which is matingly compatible with the terminal 40 , to conduct power to the battery 26 . rechargers , such as the battery charger 32 , are well known , and their structure and electrical connection ports usable therewith need not be set out in further detail herein . turning now to fig3 , the closure 22 is seen to provide an outlet 42 located so that the flexible conduit 14 , which may extend upwardly within the vertical riser 30 from the pump 24 , may exit the housing 12 at a point which is relatively high on the housing 12 . the closure 22 may also support an indicator light 44 which is disposed to illuminate when the battery charge of the battery 26 falls below a predetermined voltage threshold . the portable irrigating appliance 10 includes a liquid circuit associated with the housing 12 and disposed in fluid communication with the reservoir 20 . the liquid circuit may comprise the reservoir 20 , the pump 24 , which will be understood to include an electric motor ( not separately shown ) drivably coupled to the pump 24 , the flexible liquid conduit 14 , and the nozzle assembly 16 . referring now to fig4 and 5 , the nozzle assembly 16 will be described in greater detail . the nozzle assembly 16 terminates the flexible liquid conduit 14 , and may be made from a constituent material displaying form holding rigidity . form holding signifies that the element so described has sufficient rigidity to maintain its form in the absence of outside forces other than those imposed by the mass and , where provided , elasticity of the constituent materials of the nozzle assembly 16 . rigidity is sufficient to cause at least the exteriorly exposed components to individually or collectively assume the form described herein . it would be possible for the constituent materials to be selectively flexible to deform elastically under outside forces , such as manual handling , but where this is the case , the constituent materials would have sufficient elasticity to reassume the original form when the outside forces are removed . the nozzle assembly 16 may comprise a two part body comprising a first section 46 and a mating second section 48 ( fig4 ), which collectively include a proximal end 50 ( fig5 ) dimensioned and configured to pass therethrough the flexible conduit 14 , and a distal end 52 . the distal end 52 may be dimensioned and configured to enable interfitting engagement of a nozzle wand 54 the proximal end 56 of the nozzle wand 54 . the proximal end 56 of the nozzle wand 54 may include dogs 59 a , 59 b which are resilient and tend to expand outwardly after being inwardly compressed as the proximal end 56 is inserted into engagement with the distal end 52 of the two part body . the dogs 59 a , 59 b engage corresponding notches or depressions 60 a , 60 b formed in the distal end 52 of the nozzle wand 54 to retain the nozzle wand 54 in place . of course , a friction fit , a snap fit , a twisting motion , such as that using helical threads or bayonet connection or the like , and other manual connections , may be provided as alternatives . also , the relative locations of the actual connecting components , such as the dogs 59 a , 59 b and their corresponding notches 60 a , 6 b may be exchanged . the nozzle wand 54 may be elongated so that the two part body may serve as a handle , with the nozzle 62 spaced conveniently well away from the handle by a wand conduit 58 borne at the distal end 64 of the nozzle wand 54 . the nozzle 62 may comprise an enlarged head 66 having a groove 69 for receiving a removable outlet cover 68 . the outlet cover 68 is removable to enable for example cleaning of the nozzle 62 , and for ready replacement of the outlet cover 68 itself if desired . the outlet cover 68 may have a plurality of discharge orifices such as the discharge orifice 70 enabling liquids under pressure from the pump 24 to be ejected as a spray ( shown representatively as arrows a , b ) from the nozzle 62 . the nozzle assembly 16 may house a connection of the flexible conduit 14 to the nozzle wand 54 . connection may be enabled by provision of an interface connector 72 contained within the two part body . the interface connector 72 may have a barbed fitting 73 for securely engaging the flexible conduit 14 and a grommet 74 for engaging a conduit stub 76 formed in the nozzle wand 54 . the grommet 74 may be made from a flexible or resilient material such as a silicone rubber for example . the remaining components of the two part body of the nozzle assembly 16 and the nozzle wand 54 may be made from polymeric materials for example , which are substantially rigid so as to enable manual engagement of the nozzle wand 54 to the two part body of the nozzle assembly 16 . a seat 78 may be formed in the two part body of the nozzle assembly 16 for receiving and holding the interface connector 72 and the grommet 74 in place . a power circuit is provided and is connected to the battery 26 as well as to the indicator light 44 , as will be further explained hereinafter . the portable irrigating appliance 10 has a flow controller disposed to control flow from the reservoir 20 to the nozzle 62 . the flow controller may comprise the pump 24 and the power system serving and operating the pump 24 , or may comprise a valve ( not shown ) or both . the pump 24 may be operated using a power circuit connected to provide operating power from the battery 26 to the pump 24 . fig6 shows a representative power circuit 80 , which may include the battery 24 , the motor 26 a associated with the pump 26 , a switch 82 , and the indicator light 44 . the switch 82 is in this example a manual switch which controls operating power provided to the pump 26 . the power circuit 80 also includes hardwired electrical conductors , shown representatively by reference numeral 84 . the electrical conductors 24 will be understood to be potentially discontinuous as they connect intervening components such as the battery 24 , the motor 26 a , and the switch 82 . the switch 82 may be a variable speed switch located on the nozzle assembly 16 , such as a resistor type switch having a slide operator 88 ( see fig5 ). where the switch 82 is located on the nozzle assembly 16 , the electrical conductors 84 may include a hardwired electrical conductor 84 a ( fig5 ) extending in close proximity to the flexible liquid conduit 14 from the switch 82 to the housing 12 and further to the battery 24 . the flexible liquid conduit 14 and the electrical conductor 84 a may be covered by a protective braided sheath 90 . turning now to fig7 , as an alternative to the hardwired circuit of the power circuit 80 , a power circuit 100 incorporating a wireless link may be provided to operate a pump , such as the pump 26 . in the power circuit 100 , a battery such as the battery 124 supplies power to the pump motor such as the pump motor 126 a . the battery 124 and the pump motor 126 a may be structural and functional counterparts of the respective battery 24 and pump motor 26 a , and need not be further detailed herein . a switch 182 may be disposed on a flexible conduit or on a nozzle assembly , which may respectively be the functional counterparts of the flexible conduit 14 and the nozzle assembly 16 for example . this switch 182 may incorporate a radio frequency signal generator ( not separately shown ), which signal generator may operate according to a protocol such as that of bluetooth for example , and may generate a radio frequency signal 102 responsive to operation of a manual operator 188 , which , apart from controlling a wireless signal generator , may be the functional equivalent of the slide operator 88 . the radio frequency signal 102 is received by a transducer 104 which in turn operates a relay 106 to make and break that portion of the circuit 100 connected to the motor 126 a . if desired , the transducer 104 and relay 106 may be modified , replaced or both to provide variable speed control of the motor 126 a . circuitry will be understood to comprise the number of conductors , and specific connection schemes necessary to carry out the described functions , as well as supporting apparatus such as switches , connectors , relays , transducers , circuit breakers and fuses , transformers , and voltage dividers , among others . referring again to fig3 , the portable irrigating appliance 10 may have the following proportions and characteristics to enable usage as a self - supporting , stand - alone device which may stand erect on a floor or other flat horizontal environmental surface ( not shown ) with its length projecting upwardly while occupying floor space of diameter not exceeding one third of the height of the portable irrigating appliance 10 . to these ends , the housing 12 may have a vertically oriented central axis 94 and a base 96 having a flat bottom surface for stably resting on the flat horizontal environmental surface . the base 96 will be understood to be generally perpendicular to the central axis 94 of the housing 12 . it will be seen that the flat bottom surface of the base 96 , the battery 26 , the pump 24 , and the reservoir 20 are generally aligned vertically along the central axis 94 , and are located along the housing 12 in the order just recited . the reservoir 20 is dimensioned and configured such that its length is also generally aligned along the central axis 94 . it should be noted at this point that orientational terms such as vertical and others refer to the referenced drawing figure as viewed by an observer . therefore , orientational terms must be understood to provide semantic basis for purposes of description , and do not limit the invention , its component parts in any particular way , or usage of any of these in any way . the present invention is susceptible to modifications and variations which may be introduced thereto without departing from the inventive concepts . for example , although the invention has been described with respect to limited examples , it is to be understood that for example components presented in the singular may be provided in the plural . where feasible , it would be possible to provide a single component rather than a plurality of components . also , locations of components as described herein may be modified to suit . while the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the disclosed arrangements , but is intended to cover various arrangements which are included within the spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent arrangements which are possible .	0
the principal field of use of the present invention is the deep - drawing forming of sheet metals . thereby , they are supplied in form of successive plate - like cuttings or in form of an endless strip to a not shown deep - drawing press . the example illustrated in fig1 is based on processing of sheet metal plates . the sheet metal plates 1 are successively accommodated uniformly spaced from each other on an advancing device 2 which is here formed as a conveyor belt and associated with the not shown deep - drawing press , said advancing device being drivable by means of an associated driving unit 3 . with each working cycle of the deep - drawing press one sheet metal plate 1 is formed . the sheet metal plates 1 must therefore be supplied to the deep - drawing press with a cycle which is harmonized with its working cycle . the same applies of course to the advance movement of an endless strip during processing of it . the driving unit 3 associated with the advancing device 2 is therefore activated and deactivated , respectively , in the desired cycle , the advancing device 2 being first accelerated from standstill to a maximum rate of advance and then again decelerated until standstill . the rate of the advancing movement during a step of advance is accordingly not constant but proceeds over the time according to the diagram shown in fig2 comprising an acceleration phase a , a constant phase b and a deceleration phase c . between two steps of advance with such a rate of advance a standstill phase d may be provided . the material to be subjected to a deep - drawing process is usually coated on the opposed surfaces with a lubricant forming a coating 4 shown in fig1 by broken lines . for simplification of the illustration in the shown example only the top surface of the sheet metal plates 1 is provided with a lubricant coating 4 . in practice , the plates are usually coated on both surfaces . the coating forming the lubricant application 4 is sprayed by means of an application device 5 . the application device 5 comprises at least one spray valve 6 . since with one spray valve 6 generally not the total width of the sheet metal may be coated , usually several spray valves 6 are provided arranged in form of a line traversing the width of the sheet metal , in fig1 only the front valve of said spray valves may be seen . the spray valves 6 arranged side by side are held on a cross bar 7 of a machine framework , not shown , traversing the width of the advancing device 2 . the spray valves 6 comprise , as may best be seen from fig3 a chamber 9 which may be charged via a supply line 8 with pressurized lubricant , said chamber 9 having an outlet formed as a conical valve seat 10 . a valve needle 11 is associated with the valve seat 10 which may be pressed to the associated seat surface for closing the outlet and which may be lifted from it for opening the outlet . the lubricant supplied to the chamber 9 is constantly pressurized in said chamber 9 . as soon as the valve needle 11 is lifted from the associated seat and a nozzle opening with a certain discharge area is accordingly exposed , a lubricant jet ejecting from the chamber 9 is generated . said jet is atomized by air jets 12 so that a spray jet 13 results being formed by fine lubricant particles . for achieving said atomization a ring chamber 14 is provided surrounding said chamber 9 chargeable with lubricant , said ring chamber 14 being supplied with compressed air via a supply line 15 and comprising several , here obliquely downwardly directed , discharge nozzles 16 for the generation of air jets 12 . the valve needle 11 is pressed by an associated closing spring 17 to the associated valve seat 10 . for lifting the valve needle 11 from the associated valve seat 10 , the valve needle 11 is provided with a piston 19 arranged within a cylinder 18 , said piston separating the interior space of the cylinder 18 into two chambers 20 , 21 . the closing spring 17 is arranged in the chamber 20 opposite to the valve seat 10 and is supported on the one hand at the piston 19 and on the other hand at the cylinder front wall opposed to it . the chamber 21 near to the valve seat forms a working room which may be supplied with a controlling pressure means , preferably compressed air , via a supply line 22 . as soon as said controlling pressure means is provided in the chamber 21 , the valve needle 11 is lifted from the valve seat 10 by the force generated hereby and acting upon the piston 19 against the force of the closing spring 17 , thereby forming a nozzle opening the discharge area of which corresponds to the area of the ring chamber between the valve seat 10 and the valve needle 11 . the above mentioned supply lines 8 and 15 and 22 , respectively , may advantageously branch from the associated main lines laid in the cross bar 7 which are provided with appropriate connections . for limiting the stroke of the valve needle 11 a stroke limiting device 23 is provided . hereto , the valve needle 11 is provided with a rearward pin 24 surrounded by the closing spring 17 , the end of which projecting out of the cylinder 18 being enclosed by a stop and may be contacted with it by the force acting upon the piston 19 . for formation of said stop a rotatable cam 25 is provided , the driving unit of which being connected with the driving unit of the advancing device 2 in a certain manner , said cam having a certain contour which is described below in more detail . the cam 25 enables a continuous adjustment of the stroke during operation . the cams 25 of the spray valves 6 arranged side by side in the form of a line are hold on a cam shaft 26 traversing the width of the advancing device 2 . said cam shaft may rest , as may be seen from fig1 onto supports 27 projecting from cross bar 7 , resulting in a compact construction . the cam shaft 26 is derivable , as may further be seen from fig1 by means of an associated driving unit 28 which may be controlled by an associated control device 29 . the driving unit 28 may be formed as a servo motor with a subsequent gear , preferably a planet gear , having no or less clearance . the control device 29 may be formed as a freely programmable control device comprising a computer and associated memories . if the substrate formed here by the sheet metal plates 1 is coated as mentioned above from above and below , an upper and a lower application device 5 is provided , the upper and lower cam shaft may be associated with own driving units 28 . they are practically controlled by means of a common control device 29 . the driving unit 3 associated with the advancing device 2 is practically also controlled by the control device 29 . the control device 29 may hereto comprise a control circuit associated with the driving unit 3 , the velocity target values may be available as a table . the cyclization is generated by an actuating signal provided by the not shown deep - drawing press , as is indicated by an associated signal input 30 of the control device 29 . of course , it would also be possible to provide the driving unit 3 with an own control device . the thickness of the coating 4 produced by means of the application device 5 depends on the rate of advance of the advancing device 2 and of the discharge rate of the lubricant out of the spray valve 6 , i . e . the lubricant throughput per time unit through the opened nozzle opening . the discharge rate in turn depends on the viscosity of the lubricant , the pressure of the lubricant in the chamber 9 , and from the size of the discharge area of the nozzle opening which may be adjusted continuously by the stroke limiting device 23 . the pressure and the viscosity shall be constant in the illustrated example . only the size of the discharge area is changed . depending on the position of the cam 25 a bigger or smaller discharge area of the nozzle opening results . the coating 4 shall have a uniform thickness all over . for ensuring this also in the areas of the sheet metal plates 1 passing below the application device 5 during the acceleration phase a and the deceleration phase c , the contour of the cam 25 is formed in such a way that during the acceleration phase a an increase of the effective discharge area of the nozzle opening corresponding to the increase of the velocity and during the deceleration phase c a decrease of the effective discharge area , of the nozzle opening corresponding to the decrease of the velocity results . with the increase and decrease , respectively , of the effective discharge area the discharge rate is accordingly increased and decreased , respectively . thus , a dynamic adjustment of the discharge rate to the rate of advance results in such a way that the outlet rate during the acceleration phase a increases according to the increase of the velocity and decreases during the deceleration phase c according to the decrease of the velocity so that a coating 4 having a constant thickness is achieved . thus , the driving velocity of the cam 25 is harmonized in such a way with the contour of the cam that at any time the desired circumferential area of the cam 25 cooperates with the pin 24 of the valve needle 11 . the cam radius associated with the basic position of the cam 25 during the standstill phases d is such that the valve needle 11 is pressed against the associated valve seat 10 , and therewith the outlet of the chamber 9 being kept closed . as soon as the driving unit 3 associated with the advancing device 2 is started , the driving unit 28 associated with the cam 25 is also started , the cam 25 being rotated in such a way that the discharge area of the nozzle opening increases . when reaching the maximum rate of advance , i . e . during the constant phase b , the driving unit 28 may be stopped . as soon as the deceleration phase c begins , the driving unit 28 is activated in an opposite direction so that the cam 25 is rotated in such a way that the size of the effective discharge area of the nozzle opening decreases with the rate of advance . at the end of the deceleration phase d , i . e . at the end of the advance movement , the initial position of the cam 25 is again reached with which the spray valve 6 is closed . the necessary increase and decrease , respectively , of the cam is practically distributed over a circumference of 90 °- 210 °. thereby , it is ensured that on the one hand the cam increase is not too steep , and on the other hand not too weak , thereby on the one hand undesired accelerations of the valve needle 11 and on the other hand an undesired high driving velocity of the cam 25 may be avoided as well as a smooth continuous adjustment of the needle stroke and therewith a high accuracy may be achieved . the cam standstill during the constant phase ensures that no cam circumference is needed for it and thus , the contour associated with the acceleration and deceleration phase , respectively , may be arranged on a comparably big circumferential area . the dependency between the rate of advance following from fig2 and the related angle position of the cam , i . e . the dependency between rate of advance and discharge rate may be stored in form of a table in the control device 29 as is indicated in fig1 by an appropriate input 31 . in the same way , the velocity diagram of the advance movement may simply be stored in the control device 29 and may be used for calculation of the desired angle position of the cam 25 . this may be applied if the advance movement always takes the same course . however , for achieving an especially high accuracy , it is advantageous to detect the actual value of the advance rate , as is indicated by an appropriate actual value input 32 of the control device 29 , and to determine from said actual value of the velocity by means of a stored table of angles the associated position of the cam . further aggregates contributing to the coating process , preferably the compressed air supply of the ring chamber 14 supplying the air jets 12 , may also be controlled by the control device in addition to the driving units 28 and 3 . for reducing the consumption of compressed air the supply of compressed air to the ring chamber 14 during the standstill phases d may be turned off . the supply of controlling pressure means of the working chamber 21 associated with the piston 19 may also be turned of during the standstill phases d . these measures are advantageously used if the standstill phase d is longer than a certain minimum value . for achieving a high degree of accuracy , the supply of the working chamber 21 and of the ring chamber 14 , respectively , must again be activated in advance , preferably 100 milliseconds in advance , before the beginning of the next advance movement . the control device 29 accordingly comprises appropriate memories for the reception of the necessary information and connections . in the illustrated embodiment only the size of the effective discharge area of the nozzle opening is continuously changed dynamically adapted to the rate of advance . it would also be possible to change one or several of the further parameters influencing the discharge rate dynamically adapted to the rate of advance . however , the largest influence has a change of the size of the effective discharge area of the nozzle opening so that with a device of the kind described above good results may be achieved in a simple manner .	1
the structure of the invention includes an electrical discharge machining head 10 as shown best in fig1 operable in accordance with the method of the invention and in conjunction with the electrical circuit 11 shown best in fig1 and flushing structure 13 to machine small holes 12 in an electrically conductive workpiece 14 such as a diesel engine fuel nozzle with a wire electrode 16 . the electrical discharge machining head 10 is adapted to be secured to and supported by an electrical discharge machine [ not shown ] but which includes electrical power circuits as shown in fig1 for the movement of the electrical discharge machining head 10 and for accomplishing electrical discharge machining by providing appropriate pulses of electric spark discharge energy between the workpiece 14 and the wire electrode 16 . the electrical discharge machine to which the electrical discharge machining head 10 is secured also includes the flushing means 13 as shown diagramatically in fig2 and 11 for flushing between the workpiece 14 and electrode 16 with water , light , oil or the like . bolts [ not shown ] may be passed through the electrical discharge machining head 10 at surface 18 as desired for mounting the electrical discharge machining head 10 on an electrical discharge machine . electrical discharge machines of this general type are disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 533 , 289 ; 3 , 601 , 572 and 3 , 614 , 371 . reference is made to these patents for disclosure of early basic structure for and methods of machining small holes in electrically conductive workpieces by electrical discharge machines . the electrical discharge machining head 10 of the invention includes a body member 20 for supporting a slide 22 for reciprocal movement therealong in the direction of arrows 24 . an extension plate 26 is secured to the slide 22 for movement therewith and supports a wire cartridge 28 . motor housing 30 , shown in rear view in fig3 is secured to end 32 of the body member 20 and supports motor 34 having shaft 36 connected by flexible coupling 38 to the screw and nut drive means 40 connected between the body member 20 and slide 22 . a support arm 42 for supporting an electrode guide holder 44 and electrode guides 46 and 47 are secured to the opposite end 48 of the body member 20 . a plastic wire electrode spool support 50 is secured to the extension plate 26 adjacent end 52 of slide 22 for receiving a spool 54 of electrical discharge machining electrode wire 16 . front and rear electrode guide plates 56 and 58 are secured to the wire carriage as best shown in fig4 . a wire feeder block 60 is positioned between the front and rear guide plates 56 and 58 on the wire cartridge 28 . front and back electrode clamps 62 and 64 are secured to the wire guide holder 44 and to wire cartridge 58 through front guide plate 56 respectively . more specifically , the body member 20 shaped as shown in fig1 through 7 slidably supports the slide 22 thereon . body member 20 includes the flange or partition 68 for supporting bearings 70 and 72 of the screw and nut structure 40 . aligned openings 74 and 76 are provided in the partition 68 and the end 32 of the body member 20 for receiving the screw 78 of the screw and nut structure 40 and the shaft 36 of the motor 34 respectively . axially extending cylindrical opening 80 is also provided in the end 32 of body member 20 for receiving a linear variable differential transformer 242 which will be considered subsequently and which is operable to relative position of the body member 20 and slide 22 . slide 22 again , shaped as shown best in fig1 through 7 is supported on linear bearings 84 and 86 for sliding movement of the carriage 22 axially of the body member 20 in the direction of arrows 24 previously indicated . slide 22 also includes a partition 94 having an opening 96 extending therethrough for receiving the end 98 of the screw 78 . partition 94 supports the nut 100 of the screw and nut structure 40 as shown best in fig2 . a recess 102 is provided in the slide 22 as best shown in fig1 for receiving a support member 103 for a portion of the linear voltage differential transformer structure 242 operable to sense relative position between the slide 22 and body member 20 as will be considered in more detail subsequently . the extension plate 26 is carried in the axially extending recess 104 in the top of the slide 22 . extension plate 26 is rigidly secured to the slide 22 by convenient means such as bolts 106 or the like . wire cartridge 28 is rigidly secured to extension plate 26 again by convenient means such as bolts [ not shown ] and supports front and rear electrode guide plates 56 and 58 , having t - shaped sections with stem portions 90 and 92 extending into recesses 108 and 110 in wire cartridge 28 . the feeder block structure 60 is secured in the recesses 138 and 140 in the wire cartridge 28 as shown best in fig9 and 10 and the back electrode clamp 64 is secured to the wire cartridge 28 through the front guide plate 56 , and cover plate 57 therefore to which it is secured by convenient means such as bolts 111 . as shown best in fig1 , the guide plates have a t - shaped cross section including a stem portion mating with the recesses 108 and 110 in the wire cartridge 28 . guide plates 56 and 58 are constructed of plastic and plastic cover sheets 57 and 59 as shown in fig1 are provided thereover . v - shaped grooves 114 and 115 are provided in the upper surface of the guide plates 56 and 58 for guiding the wire electrode 16 in its travel from the spool 54 to the wire guides 46 and 47 . feeder block structure 60 as shown best in fig9 and 10 is also constructed of plastic and includes a pair of spaced apart shafts 128 and 130 mounted in recesses 138 and 140 in the wire cartridge 28 . a feeder block body member 136 is mounted on the shafts 128 and 130 for sliding movement axially of the wire cartridge 28 with the shafts 128 and 130 extending through the openings 132 and 134 in the feeder block body member 136 . a top member 142 of the feeder block structure 60 is provided with a recess 144 therein and an opening 146 therein extending into the recess 144 shown . the top member 142 of the feeder block structure 60 is secured to the body member 136 thereof by convenient means such as bolts 148 . a wire grip 150 shaped as shown in fig9 is positioned in the recess 144 and is urged away from wire electrode 16 extending through feeder block 60 by spring means 152 to allow the wire electrode 16 to move freely through the feeder block 60 when manual feeding is not desired . feeder block 60 serves to permit feeding the wire electrode 16 by hand if desired and facilitates gripping of the wire for such manual feeding on depressing of the wire grip 50 with reduced danger of bending or crimping the electrode wire . the support arm 42 shaped as best shown in fig1 through 7 and shown in section in fig8 is secured to the body member 20 of the electrical discharge machining head 10 by convenient means as bolts 160 . the vertical position of the support arm 42 is adjustable due to vertically enlarged slots 162 in the support arm 42 in cooperation with the bolts 160 . the vertically adjusted position of the support arm 42 is determined by the vertical adjusting screw and nut structure 164 shown best in fig2 and 4 . as shown best in fig8 the support arm 42 is provided with a dual diameter recess 166 in surface 168 in which a plurality of annular piezeoelectric crystals 170 are positioned . the crystals 170 and a weight 172 are secured in recess 166 by bolt 174 . the crystals 170 are polarized to provide maximum expansion and contraction axially of the bolt 174 on an alternating electrical signal being applied thereto . in operation an alternating electrical signal at ultrasonic frequency is supplied to the crystals 170 from the source of electrical energy 171 . the alternating electrical signal produces ultrasonic vibration of the end 176 of the support arm 142 to ultimately supply ultrasonic vibration of the wire electrode 16 in use in accordance with the invention . guide holder 44 again shaped as best shown in fig1 through 6 is supported on the support arm 42 by convenient means such as bolts [ not shown ]. in turn the guide holder 44 supports the wire electrode guides 46 and 47 which are also secured thereto by convenient means [ not shown ]. wire electrode guides 46 and 47 are provided with an opening 49 therethrough through which the wire electrode 16 passes . the front and back electrode clamps 62 and 64 are pneumatically actuated piston and cylinder structures which are secured respectively to the guide holder 44 and the front guide plate 56 by convenient means such as bolts 111 . the cylinders 62 and 64 include tips 180 which when the cylinders are actuated grip the wire electrode 16 passing therebeneath to securely hold the wire electrode 16 at a front or back position . the wire electrode 16 is wound on wire spool 54 . wire spool 54 is mounted for rotation about axis 184 on axle 186 . the spool 54 is supported from the extension plate 26 by the bracket 188 including bracket members 190 and 192 which are connected to each other and to the extension plate by convenient means such as bolts [ not shown ]. the carriage 22 is mounted on the body member 20 of the electrical discharging machine head 10 for reciprocal sliding in the direction of arrows 24 as indicated above . the movement of the carriage 22 on the body member 20 is effected by the screw and nut structure 40 . the screw 78 is a precision screw having a very fine pitch and is mounted for rotation in the bearings 70 and 72 secured in a fixed position on the body member 20 on opposite sides of the partition 68 . as shown best in fig1 the screw 78 is provided with an annular flange 187 therearound for urging the bearing 70 into contact with the partition 68 and threads 189 are provided on the end 190 of the screw 78 to receive a locking nut 192 for securing the other bearing 72 against the partition 68 . the end 190 of the screw 78 is secured to the motor shaft 36 by means of the spiral coupling 38 therebetween . coupling 38 is provided to couple the shaft 36 to the screw 78 without applying transverse forces to the screw 78 . to this end , the coupling 38 is provided with spiral slot 193 therein so that it is somewhat flexible transversely of screw 78 . the nut 100 of the nut and screw structure 40 is initially a rather loose fit on the screw 78 . a settable plastic material 196 under pressure is injected between the nut 100 and screw 78 in mesh whereby substantially all clearance is removed between the nut 100 and screw 78 . that is to say substantially no clearance exists between the nut and screw 78 which is not taken by the settable plastic injected between the nut and screw . the nut 100 is then mounted on the partition 94 of the carriage 20 by convenient means such as bolts . rotation of the motor 34 to rotate shaft 36 thus provides movement between the carriage 22 and body member 20 under control of nut and bolt structure 40 to provide relatively cheap , efficient and very accurate controlled movement of the carriage . the motor housing 30 as previously indicated houses the motor 34 including shaft 36 which extends through the front wall 198 of the motor housing 30 to which the motor 34 is . secured by convenient means not shown . electrical connections to the electrical discharge machining head 10 are made through the motor housing 30 . to this end , the back 201 of the housing 30 supports the motor shaft centrally thereof in bearing receptical 200 and is provided with a motor power plug , electrical connections to the linear voltage differential transformer and electrical discharge machining energy plugs 202 , 204 , and 206 respectively , shown in fig3 . overall operation of the electrical discharge machining structure of the invention in accordance with the method of the invention will be considered in conjunction with the electrical diagrams of fig1 through 16 and the flow chart in fig1 . the control circuit 208 for the electrical discharge machining head 10 illustrated in fig1 through 10 as shown in fig1 includes a central processing unit 210 which in a preferred embodiment of the invention is a sbc 80116 microprocessor obtainable from intel instruments corporation of california . the microprocessor 210 is readily programmable by those in the art to effect operation in accordance with the method of the invention as set forth in the flow chart of fig1 . a specific program will not therefore be considered in detail herein . the control circuit 208 further includes the multibus interface circuit 212 operable to interface signals between the microprocessor 210 and the other circuit elements . thus , in the usual manner the multibus interface 212 receives information from the microprocessor 210 in the form of electrical energy signals which must be varied before being presented to the other circuit elements and receives similar but different electrical energy signals from the other circuit elements which also must be changed in energy content and / or form before being transmitted to the microprocessor 210 . as shown in fig1 the multibus interface circuit 212 includes a data section 211 for operating on sensor data received from and transmitted to the control circuits over conductors 213 and on data received from and passed to the central processing unit 210 over conductors 215 . section 217 of circuit 212 is a decoder which selects an address for each data bit transmission over conductors 219 in accordance with an address code provided from the central processing unit on conductors 221 . section 223 of the multibus interface circuit 212 which is a comparator provides control of sections 211 and 217 in accordance with the program of the central processing unit 210 and instructions received from the central processing unit over conductors 225 . the analog to digital converter and digital to analog converter , position measuring and servoing circuit 214 performs similar functions in that it receives a signal from and passes signals to the multibus interface curcuit 212 and itself converts between analog and digital signals from the multibus interface circuit 212 and the other components of the control circuit 208 in the analog to digital converter 227 and in the digital to analog converter 229 to permit proper operation of the other elements of the electrical discharge machining circuit 208 under control of the microprocessor 210 . comparator 231 compares a desired position signal from the digital to analog converter 229 through resistor 331 as programmed from the central processing unit 210 to an actual position signal from the linear voltage differential transformer sensor 242 through resistor 233 and conductor 235 to provide a position error signal effective to move carriage 22 toward a desired position therefore . circuit 237 is a track and hold circuit effective to hold electrical signals steady while they are being read to ensure desired operation of circuit 214 . such interface converter , comparator and track and hold structure is again well known in the art as to both its form and function . the linear voltage differential transformer , exciter and demodulator circuit 240 as shown in detail in fig1 , besides the linear voltage differential transformer 242 includes the potentiometer sensitivity control 239 and the amplifier 241 offering control of the output signal of the linear voltage differential transformer . again , such circuits for providing an output signal on conductor 243 proportional to the relative position of the body member and carriage are in themselves known . the variable direct current electrical power supply 216 obtains a direct current signal from the rectifier 218 provided with an alternating current signal from the normal industrial electrical supply lines 220 serviced by a public utility or the like . as shown best in fig1 the input signal from rectifier 218 is limited across power amplifier 245 and driver amplifier 247 . the voltage regulator 251 protected by zener diode 249 determines the maximum voltage available for electrical discharge machining from circuit 216 . as referred to above , voltage divider 253 is provided to permit control of electrical discharge machining voltage in two volt increments between one hundred and one hundred seventy five volts to precisely control hole size . control of the machining voltage through the voltage divider is accomplished from the central processing unit 210 over conductors 255 , signal holding circuit 257 amplifiers 259 and relay switches 261 . the power supply 216 under the control of the central processing unit 210 will energize relay 222 to close the switches 224 as desired . similarly , the polarity relay 226 may be energized through the power supply 216 on command of the central processing unit 210 to change the position of the switches 228 to reverse the polarity of electrical signals applied between the electrode 16 and workpiece 14 . electrical discharge machining energy is provided over conductors 232 and 234 from the resistance , capacitance power supply 216 . in accordance with the invention , the output parameters of the power supply 16 on conductors 232 and 234 may be varied under the control of the microprocessor 210 to provide for example 100 to 175 volt electrical discharge machining energy in two volt increments as set forth above while the capacitance of the capacitor 263 may be varied in one - thousandths of a microfarad between one one - thousandth and four one - hundredths microfarads . similarly , current in the electrical discharge machining circuit 208 on conductors 232 and 234 and the speed of the servo motor 34 which controls the speed of advance of the carriage 22 relative to the body member 20 of the electrical discharge machining head 10 may be varied under the control of the central processing unit 210 through the servo and spark sensor circuit 236 . in addition to a normal electrical discharge machining servo drive circuit 265 fed through amplifier 250 , the servo and spark sensor circuit 236 as shown in fig1 includes a multi - vibrator fed a reset signal over conductor 269 and a set signal through amplifier 271 and a spark sensor circuit 267 operable to provide and output pulse on conductor 236 to the circuit 273 on occurance of the first spark between the electrode 16 and workpiece 14 as sensed across conductors 232 and 234 . in operation as shown in fig1 , a count is entered in the central processing unit 210 if it is not already programmed into the unit . the count indicates the number of holes to be electrical discharge machined in a particular workpiece . the electrical discharge machining circuit 208 is then provided with electrical discharge machining power automatically under the control of the central processing unit 210 . the switch 246 is switched from the position error mode to the electrical discharge machining mode . this may be done automatically by the central processing unit 210 through the circuit 216 or may be accomplished by manually actuating the switch 246 . the multi - vibrator or flip - flop 267 in the servo and spark sensor circuit 236 is reset by a clock pulse from the central processing unit 210 and the state of the multi - vibrator in the servo and spark sensor circuit 236 is repeatedly checked until it is found to be set , that is until its condition has changed , indicating that the electrode 16 and workpiece 14 have approached sufficiently close to each other to cause a spark therebetween . on the occurance of a spark between the electrode 16 and a workpiece 14 as sensed by the servo and spark sensor circuit 236 the position of the carriage 22 relative to the body member 20 is sensed by the central processing unit through the linear voltage differential transformer exciter demodulator circuit 240 and interface 212 . this temporary position of the carriage is then recorded by the central processing unit and the temporary position plus the depth of the electrical discharge machining required are utilized in the central processing unit to provide a final depth which is equal to the temporary position plus the depth of the electrical discharge machining cut desired . the linear voltage differential transformer exciter demodulator circuit 240 provides an output signal to the analog to digital and digital to analog converter and position measuring and servoing , circuit 214 through amplifier 244 representative of the relative positions of the body member 20 and carriage 22 . switch 246 is operable by means of solenoid 248 under control of the central processing unit 210 through the variable direct current power supply circuit 216 and latch 257 to place the electrical discharging machining head 10 in either a position error mode as shown in fig1 or in an electrical discharge machining mode with switch 246 in its alternative position not shown in fig1 . with switch 246 as shown in fig1 , that is with the electrical discharge machining head 10 in the position error mode , a signal is provided through amplifier 250 to the motor 34 to drive the carriage 22 along the body member 20 in accordance with the position sensed by the linear variable differential transformer 242 and the desired position as programmed in the central processing unit 210 . with the switch 246 in an electrical discharge machining mode the motor 34 is actuated in accordance with the electrical signal across the gap between the electrode 16 and workpiece 14 in the usual manner through amplifier 250 . electrical discharge machining then proceeds with the central processing unit periodically checking the position of the carriage relative to the body member 20 through the linear voltage differential transformer 242 to determine if the relative position of the carriage 22 and body member 20 is the final desired relative position thereof at the end of the desired electrical discharge machining . when the central processing unit 210 senses the final depth of electrical discharge machining cut , that is the temporary depth plus the depth of cut desired , the switch 246 is automatically placed in the positioning mode , that is , as shown in fig1 and the electrode 16 is moved away from the workpiece 14 to the temporary depth plus clearance or home or start position which is originally set in the central processing unit , to permit indexing of the workpiece to a position for an additional hole to be electrical discharge machined in the workpiece . the central processing unit then counts its previous count plus one and the total count is checked against the number of holes it is desired to electrical discharge machine in the workpiece . if the count is not equal to the count programmed into the central processing unit at the initiation of work on the particular workpiece , the switch 246 is again returned to the electrical discharge machine mode the spark sensing flip - flop is reset and the above procedure is repeated to machine an additional hole in the workpiece . if the count at the end of electrical discharge machining a hole in the workpiece is equal to a count programmed into the central processing unit indicating that all of the holes are machined in the workpiece , the front clamp 62 is applied to grip the electrode 16 against the guide holder 44 and the back clamp 64 is released . the carriage 22 is then driven to its home position under control of the central processing unit and the rear clamp is again actuated to secure the electrode and the front clamp 62 is released . feeding of the electrode 16 is thus accomplished and the electrical discharge machine of the invention is ready to execute the above sequence of operation again on a different workpiece . it will be understood that in accordance with a particular program in the central processing unit , feeding of the wire electrode 16 may be accomplished after each hole is electrically discharge machined into the workpiece 14 . further , it will be understood that during the cutting of an opening 12 in the workpiece 14 that the cutting parameters that is electrical discharge machining voltage , current , reactance [ particularly capactive reactance ], and servo speed may be varied as desired under control of the central processing unit 210 to provide a particularly efficient electrical discharge machining operation . as desired and again under the control of the central processing unit 210 the polarity relay 226 may be energized to reverse the polarity of cutting between the electrode 16 and the workpiece 14 at the start of an electrical discharge machining operation whereby the tapered end of the wire electrode 16 may be rapidly burned away to provide an electrode which has a desired configuration for electrical discharge machining as set forth above . also , during electrical discharge machine with the structure of the invention and as set forth above , an alternating electrical signal at ultrasonic frequency may be applied to the piezoelectric crystals in the support arm 52 to ultimately produce ultrasonic vibration of the wire guides 46 and 47 electrode 16 to further increase the efficiency of the electrical discharge machining and reduce friction on the wire electrode . flushing is carried on during electrical discharge machining , in accordance with the method of the invention at a low velocity so as not to displace the wire electrode due to flushing . the following is an implementation in the forth computer programming language of the above method with the structure of the invention . ______________________________________edm software - constant , variables , primitives 5 constant holes [ set to 5 holes in each part ] 200 constant depth [ the holes have depth value of 200 ] 500 constant home [ the home position is 500 ] variable start [ storage for start of hole ] variable final [ storage for end of hole ] the following are descriptions of simple primitiveroutines required to run the actual system hardware . edm - on [ turns on the edm cutting power ] edm - off [ turns off the edm cutting power ] posn [ switches the servo to positioning ] edmng [ switches the servo to edmming ] clamp - fwd [ sets forward clamp and releases rear clamp ] clamp - rear [ sets rear clamp and releases forward clamp ] where [-- n ] [ reads the voltage from the lvdt circuit ] set - posn [ n --] [ moves the slide to the given position ] spark - reset [ resets the spark sensing flip - flop ]? spark [-- f ] [ reads the spark sensing flip - flop ] edm software - main program - ] holes 0 [ set up loop ] doedm - on edmng spark - [ start cutting ] resetbegin ? spark until [ wait for contact ] where dup start ! [ read position and ] depth + final ! [ set depth of cut ] begin where final @ & gt ; [ look for final depth ] untilposn start @ set - posn [ back out of hole ] indexloopclamp - fwd home @ set - posn [ return to home ] clamp - rear ; [ position , pulling ] [ out more electrode ] ______________________________________ while one embodiment of the invention has been considered in detail , it will be understood that other embodiments and modifications thereof are contemplated by the inventor . it is the intention to include all such modifications and embodiments of the invention as are defined by the appended claims within the scope of the invention .	1
in the following description of preferred embodiments of the present invention , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances well known methods , procedures , components , and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present invention . some portions of the detailed descriptions which follow are presented in terms of procedures , logic blocks , processing , and other symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a computer memory . these descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . a procedure , logic block , process , step , etc ., is here , and generally , conceived to be a self - consistent sequence of steps or instructions leading to a desired result . the steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities . usually , though not necessarily , these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored , transferred , combined , compared , and otherwise manipulated in a computer system . it has proven convenient at times , principally for reasons of common usage , to refer to these signals as bits , values , elements , symbols , characters , terms , numbers , or the like . it should be borne in mind , however , that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities . unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussions , it is appreciated that throughout the present invention , discussions utilizing terms such as “ processing ” or “ computing ” or “ calculating ” or “ determining ” or “ displaying ” or the like , refer to the action and processes of a computer system , or similar electronic computing device , that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical ( electronic ) quantities within the computer system &# 39 ; s registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage , transmission or display devices . fig1 illustrates a representative workstation or server hardware system in which the present invention may be practiced . the system 100 of fig1 comprises a representative computer system 101 , such as a personal computer , a workstation or a server , including optional peripheral devices . the workstation 101 includes one or more processors 106 and a bus employed to connect and enable communication between the processor ( s ) 106 and the other components of the system 101 in accordance with known techniques . the bus connects the processor 106 to memory 105 and long - term storage 107 which can include a hard drive , diskette drive or tape drive for example . the system 101 might also include a user interface adapter , which connects the microprocessor 106 via the bus to one or more interface devices , such as a keyboard 104 , mouse 103 , a printer / scanner 110 and / or other interface devices , which can be any user interface device , such as a touch sensitive screen , digitized entry pad , etc . the bus also connects a display device 102 , such as an lcd screen or monitor , to the microprocessor 106 via a display adapter . the system 101 may communicate with other computers or networks of computers by way of a network adapter capable of communicating with a network 109 . example network adapters are communications channels , token ring , ethernet or modems . alternatively , the workstation 101 may communicate using a wireless interface , such as a cdpd ( cellular digital packet data ) card . the workstation 101 may be associated with such other computers in a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the workstation 101 can be a client in a client / server arrangement with another computer , etc . all of these configurations , as well as the appropriate communications hardware and software , are known in the art . the system 101 may communicate with other computers or networks of computers by way of a network adapter capable of communicating with a network 109 . example network adapters are communications channels , token ring , ethernet or modems . alternatively , the workstation 101 may communicate using a wireless interface , such as a cdpd ( cellular digital packet data ) card . the workstation 101 may be associated with such other computers in a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the workstation 101 can be a client in a client / server arrangement with another computer , etc . all of these configurations , as well as the appropriate communications hardware and software , are known in the art . fig2 illustrates a data processing network 200 in which the present invention may be practiced . the data processing network . 200 may include a plurality of individual networks , such as a wireless network and a wired network , each of which may include a plurality of individual workstations 101 . additionally , as those skilled in the art will appreciate , one or more lans may be included , where a lan may comprise a plurality of intelligent workstations coupled to a host processor . still referring to fig2 , the networks may also include mainframe computers or servers , such as a gateway computer ( client server 206 ) or application server ( remote server 208 which may access a data repository ). a gateway computer 206 serves as a point of entry into each network 207 . a gateway is needed when connecting one networking protocol to another . the gateway 206 may be preferably coupled to another network ( the internet 207 for example ) by means of a communications link . the gateway 206 may also be directly coupled to one or more workstations 101 using a communications link . the gateway computer may be implemented utilizing an ibm eserver zseries ® 900 server available from ibm corp . software programming code which embodies the present invention is typically accessed by the processor 106 of the system 101 from long - term storage media 107 , such as a cd - rom drive or hard drive . the software programming code may be embodied on any of a variety of known media for use with a data processing system , such as a diskette , hard drive , or cd - rom . the code may be distributed on such media , or may be distributed to users from the memory or storage of one computer system over a network to other computer systems for use by users of such other systems . alternatively , the programming code 111 may be embodied in the memory 105 , and accessed by the processor 106 using the processor bus . such programming code includes an operating system which controls the function and interaction of the various computer components and one or more application programs . program code is normally paged from dense storage media 107 to high speed memory 105 where it is available for processing by the processor 106 . the techniques and methods for embodying software programming code in memory , on physical media , and / or distributing software code via networks are well known and will not be further discussed herein . in the preferred embodiment , the present invention is implemented as one or more computer software programs 111 . the implementation of the software of the present invention may operate on a user &# 39 ; s workstation , as one or more modules or applications 111 ( also referred to as code subroutines , or “ objects ” in object - oriented programming ) which are invoked upon request . alternatively , the software may operate on a server in a network , or in any device capable of executing the program code implementing the present invention . the logic implementing this invention may be integrated within the code of an application program , or it may be implemented as one or more separate utility modules which are invoked by that application , without deviating from the inventive concepts disclosed herein . the application 111 may be executing in a web environment , where a web server provides services in response to requests from a client connected through the internet . in another embodiment , the application may be executing in a corporate intranet or extranet , or in any other network environment . configurations for the environment include a client / server network , peer - to - peer networks ( wherein clients interact directly by performing both client and server function ) as well as a multi - tier environment . these environments and configurations are well known in the art . the implementation of business automation usually is to program according to the logic flow of business process . the customer or end - user profile is used as the conditions for business logic and without further abstraction , adding / modifying a new function would end up as a new development cycle with code reuse . we introduce a novel methodology and framework to allow people to develop applications for business automation over virtual business process environment . the framework is built upon the concept of a state - transformation machine and computational reflection , where the state - transformation defines the logic flow and input / output of business application . our framework / enabling engine captures the major features of many other business operations . by using this framework , we can have more flexibility of adding new functions for an existing application with only configuration change , and reduce the developing cost of new application . we will now define technical terms that are going to be used in the text to avoid ambiguity and for the convenience of discussion . “ state ” is a unique identifier to present the current status of an end - user . preferably , state is represented by a multi - dimensional boolean array . the dimension of the vector is determined as follows : for a given application , we first find out the critical transition point of the profile , which usually are some well - known conditions for a business domain . using the online bookstore example , the condition could be the case wherein a customer has bought more than six books . we convert the satisfaction of condition into a true or false boolean value . following the same logic , there could be multiple of such conditions . therefore , an end - user will own a multiple dimensional boolean result that has the boolean logic values . we use the collective boolean values as the state of the end - user . we will see in the definition of state transfer graph , the state is used as the vertex of the graph . preferably , the creation of the states is accomplished by collaboration between the - domain experts in each application and it professionals implementing the applications . we use an integer to represent the state based on the binary values of the boolean vector . for example , a four dimensional vector with values of “ ttff ” will be mapped into an integer of 12 . “ external business event ” is defined as a set of predetermined “ events ”. an event is usually initiated by the business owner or the end - user himself / herself with respect to a specific end - user . these events will trigger the automation system to either take or not take some actions based on the current states of the user . for example , in the case of an online bookstore , a targeted marketing campaign is a business event . but only the qualified customers will receive real promotions . “ plug - in method ” is defined as a piece of executable code that is used to accomplish the needs of actions . the business action is uniquely determined by the external business event and the current status of the end - user . the executable code will be integrated into our system using a plug - in method . the stub for a specific program language such as c ++ or java will be generated through a parser of the configuration file to help the developers to developing and implementing the plug - in code . the reason of not including the plug - in execution code into our framework is to avoid having application specific code into our framework to allow our code to be application independent . we will see later that the integration is accomplished through the technology called reflection . “ execution result ” ( er ) is a boolean variable having a value that will represent whether the execution of a method is successful or not . preferably , it takes only a true or false value to reflect whether the execution was successful or not . for any reasonable - size system , the execution of a method could be “ fail ”, especially if the execution invokes calls to other systems . to accommodate this possibility and to allow our system to tolerate failures , we introduce the er variable . we integrate the value er into our state transfer diagram . after the business action , the end - user state is changed to reflect the new state of the user . based on the execution result and the current state of the end - user , the next state will be determined and updated . at the same time , the profile might need to be updated . if an application required the update of the end - user profile , the update will be executed by the plug - in method . “ state transfer diagram ” is the logical flow of program execution , and is preferably expressed as a directed graph . the vertex of the graph represents the valid states of an end - user . as soon as we create all our states , we associate the business events with the states to create a directed graph . the edge of the graph is used to represent the action ( s ) for the specific state and the associated event . the destination state is uniquely determined by the triggered event , the starting state and the result of the action . “ minimization of finite machine ,, is a concept in the computer science to realize a program with least code . after the state transfer diagram is created , the logic execution flow becomes a finite machine . the state transfer diagram can be further simplified using the technique of minimization of finite machine . “ reflection ” is a concept in object - oriented programming language such as java and c ++. with the reflection , the computer program can manipulate objects during runtime . in our framework , the execution flow is defined by state transfer diagram , but real execution code is implemented by the plug - in execution code . therefore a mapping from the method name of the state transfer diagram to the execution code is required and supported by using the reflection technique . “ parsing ” is the process of parsing the configuration files ( preferably , xml file in our implementation ) to generate stub code for the specific computing language such as c ++ and java . these configuration files are stored external to the applications thus enabling the developer to change the functionality of the application by changing the configuration files . this reduces the task of coding and recoding applications as and when new features are added or old features removed . our multiple layers of abstraction are accomplished as follows . first , an end - user profile is mapped into the multi - dimensional boolean vector defined above . the vector determines the current state of an end - user . furthermore , as a consequence of this abstraction , we can store of the application specific state information using the same database design for all applications . second , the external business events , such as promotion and notification of product delivery , are defined inside a configuration file that is used to create the state - transfer diagram . the execution action ( or method call ) is a function of the current state and the external business event . the destination state is uniquely determined by the external business event , the initial state and the execution result ( er ). finally , the execution of the application specific action is externalized as a plug - in wrapper using reflection . the implementation of business automation in the prior art is accomplished by programming according to the logic flow of business process . a customer profile is used as the conditions for business logic . the advantage of this development method is that it is easy for the developers to implement . this method requires less abstraction in the design and implementation phases . the program structure reflects the operation of business . but without further abstraction , adding / modifying a new function would end up as a new programming development cycle . “ multiple layers of abstraction ” of the present invention are preferably accomplished as follows : first , an end - user profile is mapped into the multi - dimensional boolean vector defined above . the vector determines the current state of an end - user . furthermore , as a consequence of this abstraction , we can store the application specific state information using the same database design for all applications . second , the external business events , such as promotion and notification of product delivery , are defined inside a configuration file that is used to create the state - transfer diagram . the execution action ( or method call ) is a function of the current state and the external business event . the destination state is uniquely determined by the external business event , the initial state and the execution result ( er ). finally , the execution of the application specific action is externalized as a plug - in wrapper using reflection . the system is composed of following components : an external profile converter to convert the external profile to internal state , a run - time engine to execute the business flow defined by the state - transfer - diagram , and a plug - in wrapper . to generate the whole program logic code we can use xml configuration files that can be stored as system properties and can be used to populate program code . xml stands for extensible markup language which is a w 3 c initiative that allows encoding of information and services with meaningful structure and semantics so that computers and humans can easily understand . xml is used in the industry for information exchange , and can easily be extended to include user - specified and industry - specified tags . modifying the xml files can change the application logic and create a whole new application in itself . among many possible commercial and non - commercial applications , we choose on - line automated bookstore business as an example . the bookstore system sends promotional information to the customers that satisfy certain criteria based on their previous purchase history . in this application the profile comprises of the purchase history of the customer ; the business engagement is the targeted promotion . the action is sending a gift certificate or an offer to the qualified customers . finally , the profile of a customer will be updated to add the information that the customer has been sent a gift certificate or promotional offer . the result of the action ( the customer makes a purchase or not ) will change the profile of the customer and this profile will be input for next business event ( i . e . if the customer uses the certificate then more promotions can be sent to him / her ). fig3 shows the architecture diagram of our framework . the wrapper application 301 interacts with our framework 300 using programmatic reflection . as soon as the wrapper application 301 starts to talk to the system 302 it will load the configuration files 311 that will create the state transfer diagram . the user state data is stored in the relational database 108 and they are loaded and stored whenever the application requires . the state transfer diagram 302 which specifies the logic flow of the business application , which contains multiple states ( 303 , 304 , 305 , 306 , 307 ) and the state transfer direction . the database software 308 is used to store the current state of each end - user which is specified by the profile database instance 309 . at runtime , when an external business event is triggered for a specific end - user from a person through a gui or from some other programs , the event is validated against the current state of the state - transfer diagram to check whether it is a valid event for this state . if it is a valid state , the runtime engine ( such as a jvm resident in a ibm webshpere server or apache tomcat application server ) will invoke the corresponding method in the plug - in 301 . both successful and failed execution will result in the state to be updated based on the state - transfer diagram and the new state is stored back into a permanent repository 308 . the state transfer diagram is represented using xml . the schema can be found in fig6 . a concrete example is shown in fig4 a - 4b ( application of refer - a - friend ). only the plug - in module 301 contains the code for execution of the methods specified by the state - transfer diagram . preferably interface component 311 provides the interactions between an end - user and the system through a web interface 312 or other application by way of a web service interface 313 . fig4 a - 4b depicts the example of a business application using this framework . the example shows a scenario where a customer of the on - line bookstore ( referrer ) uses an application to introduce the on - line store to a friend ( referee ) using a referral system . the basic aim of this application will be to introduce the friend to the services provided by the store with ultimate aim to enable the referrer to earn discounts points whenever the friend makes a purchase or signs up for some service . the diagram shows how the whole system will work . the new user 401 ( to the system ) can either be a referee or a referrer . in both cases the system first creates a set of state values for the user with initial value 0 that change with the user action . in case that the user was referred by someone , he / she will receive an email from the referrer 404 . in case of an email server error it may be delayed 403 . after getting the mail the referee can download the software and could become an active user of the software 406 . fig4 a - 4b provides an example implementation of the state - transfer - diagram 302 . for the state - transfer - diagrams presented in fig4 a - 4b , each box represents a possible state of an end - user . the transformation from one state to another state is represented by an arrow as a directed edge of the directed graph . a state transformation is triggered by external actions 405 from the web interface of from other applications . in case the user is a referrer he / she can opt for other options like sending a personalized mail 451 , participate in a survey 452 or register to receive future mailing from the software owners 453 . the user can select any combination of the 3 options 457 . in any case a mail is sent to the referee and he can choose to download the software and use it . in case the user is inactive for a predefined period 407 of time the system will generate a mail as a reminder to the user . fig5 depicts the storage system for the framework . there are three tables in this system ( 501 , 502 , 503 ). the first stores 301 the number of possible states and the database action associated with the state . for example state 2 can have multiple data associated with it so the database action would be to append . the second 502 and third 503 tables store the state specific values . the third table 503 will store values for states that have multiple entries associated with it like state 2 . fig6 displays the xml schema structure in visual way . this xml scheme specifies the structure of the configuration file of an application in xml has to abide . each dimension element 601 of the schema can contain one application name 603 and many states 604 ( which are pre - defined ). there are events 606 defined for the application that have corresponding methods 608 . each method execution 609 takes the user to a different state or new event ( 610 , 611 ). this is explained in the representation given below . we discuss a business application called refer - a - friend . this is an application used to track the effectiveness of advertising and other promotions of a product by using refer - a - friend technique . the aim is to increase the awareness of a software product ( communication tool ) and make as many people as possible to use it . the way this works is that the existing users who found the communication tool useful and would like their friends / colleagues to try the tool , refer their friends / colleagues to use this application using our framework . in case the referee has never used the product or has never been referred by another friend , an e - mail would be sent to him / her with all the details of how to install and use it . this information about the referrer and the referee would be stored in the database so as to help track who is being referred by whom . in case the user referred an already referred ( referee ) friend , an e - mail is sent to the referrer informing the referees status and no e - mail is sent to the referee . & lt ; dimension & gt ; & lt ; appname & gt ; refer - a - friend & lt ;/ appname & gt ; & lt ; state value =“ 000000000 ”& gt ; & lt ; event name =“ referredbysomeone ”& gt ; & lt ; method value =“ sendmail ”& gt ; & lt ; successful & gt ; & lt ; nextstate = 000100010 nextevent = null & gt ; & lt ;/ successful & gt ; & lt ; failure & gt ; & lt ; nextstate = 000000011 nextevent =“ sendmailagain ”& gt ; & lt ;/ failure & gt ; & lt ;/ method & gt ; & lt ;/ event & gt ; & lt ; event name =“ referredsomeone ”& gt ; & lt ; method value =“ sendmail ”& gt ; & lt ; successful & gt ; & lt ; nextstate = 000001000 nextevent = null & gt ; & lt ;/ successful & gt ; & lt ; failure & gt ; & lt ; nextstate = 000001000 nextevent = null & gt ; & lt ;/ failure & gt ; & lt ;/ method & gt ; & lt ;/ event & gt ; & lt ;/ state & gt ; & lt ; state value =“ 000000000 ”& gt ; ............. & lt ;/ state & gt ; & lt ;/ appname & gt ; & lt ;/ dimension & gt ; depending on the present state 604 of the user , appropriate events 606 can be triggered . and depending on the outcome 607 of the event the user will move to the next allowed state ( 610 , 611 ). the user state is represented in bits . each bit represents a state for the user . when the user triggers events , this state bit changes . as shown the user is in the initial state of 000000000 . the user can either refer someone or someone can refer him / her . in case the user was referred by someone , he will go into state 000100010 if successful or state 000000011 if unsuccessful . another event is triggered ( send_mail_again ) in case of failure . started from right to left , the definition of each bit of the state is 1 bit = email not sent 2 bit = referred by someone 3 bit = login user 4 bit = referred someone 5 bit = not active for a month 6 bit = email sent 7 bit = customized greetings to the referee 8 bit = want to answer questionnaire list 9 bit = future mail list and marketing this xml can be stored as proprietary files and can be used to populate the application code . if the application requires a new set of actions for the same event , all that needs to be done is change the xml event action . any change in the xml can change the functionality of the whole application without any efforts to change the program logic code . re - defining the states and changing the event actions in the xml will create an entirely different new application . the flow diagrams depicted herein are just examples . there may be many variations to these diagrams or the steps ( or operations ) described therein without departing from the spirit of the invention . for instance , the steps may be performed in a differing order , or steps may be added , deleted or modified . all of these variations are considered a part of the claimed invention . while the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction herein disclosed , and the right is “ reserved ” to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	6
the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed descriptions in conjunction with illustrative embodiments with reference to the attached drawings . fig1 - 6 are schematic section views showing a flow of manufacturing a metal oxide resistive switching memory according to an embodiment . in this example , the resistive switching memory is integrated into the standard cmps process , and specifically , a memory cell is formed above a tungsten ( w ) plug . however , it is to be noted that the present disclosure is not limited thereto . fig1 is a schematic section view showing a stage where a w - plug lower electrode is manufactured in the conventional cmos process . specifically , a pmd layer 100 is a dielectric layer between a first level of wiring and a mos device , and may comprise dielectrics such as phosphor doped silicon oxide ( psg ). the w - plug lower electrode 300 is connected to the first level of wiring and the mos device , and also can serve as a lower electrode for a memory cell of the resistive switching memory . in fig1 , portions underneath the pmd layer 100 comprise cmos logic devices which are manufactured by the front end of line . the w plugs shown in fig1 can be manufactured in accordance with the conventional cmos process . for example , the w plugs can be formed as follows in the conventional cmos process . via holes for the w plugs may be formed above the mos device by photolithography and etching . a diffusion block layer such as ti / tin may be deposited to have a thickness of about 3 nm - 50 nm . then , the via holes for the w plugs can be filled by depositing w by means of , for example , pecvd . the deposited w may have a thickness of about 50 nm - 5000 nm . finally , chemical mechanical polishing is performed to form the w plugs . according to this embodiment , when the w - plug lower electrode is manufactured as shown in fig1 , the flow of manufacturing the resistive switching memory , which can be integrated into the standard cmos process , and more specifically , forming the memory cell on the w - plug lower electrode can start . fig2 is a schematic section view showing a step of the flow of manufacturing the metal oxide resistive switching memory according to an embodiment , to deposit a cap layer 201 a , a first dielectric layer 101 and an etching block layer 201 b on the w - plug lower electrode . the cap layer 201 a may comprise a material mainly for blocking diffusion and electric migration of cu , such as sin , sion , sign , sic , and sioc , with a thickness of about 5 nm - 100 nm . the first dielectric layer 101 may comprise a low - k material such as sio 2 , f or c doped sio 2 , and porous sio 2 or sioc , with a thickness of about 50 nm - 5000 nm . the etching block layer 201 b may comprise si 3 n 4 , sion , sicn , and the like , with a thickness of about 5 nm - 100 nm . fig3 schematically shows a structure after patterning a groove for the first layer of metal wiring . specifically , a photo resist layer can be patterned by means of photolithography with a mask to present a pattern corresponding to the groove for the first layer of metal wiring . then , the etching block layer 201 b and the first dielectric layer 101 can be etched by means of , for example , wet etching or dry etching , using the patterned photo resist layer as a mask . the etching can stop on the cap layer 201 a , resulting in a groove 701 . after that , the photo resist layer can be removed by means of wet or dry ashing . fig3 shows the resultant structure , where the groove extends onto the cap layer 201 a . in removing the photo resist layer , the cap layer protects the surface of the w - plug lower electrode . fig4 is a schematic section view showing a process of opening the cap layer 201 a by further etching from the structure shown in fig3 . when the cap layer is opened , then the w - plug lower electrode is exposed . specifically , referring to fig4 , the cap layer 201 a exposed by the groove 701 can be etched by , for example , dry etching , to expose the w - plug lower electrode 300 . the resultant structure can be subjected to wet cleaning . thus , the groove 700 for the first level of metal wiring is formed . fig5 schematically shows a process of sequentially forming a metal oxide layer 400 , an upper electrode layer 500 , a composite layer 600 including a diffusion block layer / a seed copper layer / a plated copper layer . specifically , referring to fig5 , the metal oxide layer 400 is formed in the groove 700 which exposes the w - plug lower electrode 300 . the metal oxide layer can serve as a metal oxide storage medium . the metal oxide layer may comprise a single - layer of a base material including any one of hfo , zro , cuo , alo , tio , tao , wo , mno , nio , zno , sio , coo , yo , mgo , feo , pcmo , sto , and szo , with a complete or incomplete stoichiometric coefficient , or a composite layer arrangement of two or more layers of the above base materials . the metal oxide layer may be formed by means of alcvd , reactive sputtering , pecvd , thermal evaporation , electron beam evaporation , or pld , for example . alternatively , the metal oxide layer may be formed by forming a thin metal layer by means of alcvd , pvd , pecvd , thermal evaporation , electron beam evaporation or pld , and then oxidizing it by means of thermal oxidation or plasma oxidation , for example . the upper electrode layer 500 for the resistive switching memory then can be formed on the metal oxide layer 400 , by means of alcvd , sputtering , pecvd , thermal evaporation , electron beam evaporation , or pld , for example . the upper electrode layer 500 may comprise a conductive material , such as al , w , pt , cu , au , zr , ni , ti , tin , ta , tan , co , and hf , or a composite two - layer arrangement of those materials . the upper electrode layer 500 may comprise another conductive material such as ru , tisin , wn x , wn x c y , tizr / tizrn , and the like . the upper electrode layer 500 may have a thickness of about 5 nm - 50 nm . next , the composite layer 600 of the diffusion block layer / the seed copper layer / the plated copper layer , which will form an interconnection line for the first level of metal wiring in the later process , can be formed on the upper electrode layer 500 . in the composite layer 600 , the diffusion block layer may comprise ta , tan , ti , tin , ru , tisin , wn x , wn x c y , or tizr , or a composite layer of any two of those materials , with a thickness of about 5 nm - 50 nm . the seed copper layer may have a thickness of about 3 nm - 50 nm , and the plated copper layer may have a thickness of about 200 nm - 5000 nm . the diffusion block layer , the seed copper layer and the plated copper layer may be formed by means of alcvd , sputtering , pecvd , thermal evaporation , electron beam evaporation , or pld , for example , the composite arrangement of the seed copper layer / the plated copper layer may be subjected to annealing to enhance the grains of the copper . fig6 schematically shows a process of cmp to form the patterned metal oxide layer 400 , the patterned upper electrode layer 500 , and an interconnection line for the first level of metal wiring ( i . e ., the patterned composite layer 600 of the diffusion block layer / the seed copper layer / the plated copper layer ). specifically , referring to fig6 , the patterning of the first level of metal wiring , the upper electrode layer 500 and the metal oxide layer 400 is performed in one step by cmp . as shown in fig6 , the pmd layer 100 is formed above the mos device , and may comprise dielectrics such as phosphor doped silicon oxide ( psg ). the w plug 300 is formed in the pmd layer 100 for connection between the first level of copper wiring and a source / drain of the mos device , and also serves as the lower electrode for the resistive switching memory . the first etching stop layer 201 a formed above the pmd layer 100 may comprise si 3 n 4 , sion , sicn , sin , sic , and sioc , functions mainly to block diffusion and electric migration of the copper , and may have a thickness of about 5 nm - 100 nm . the first interlayer dielectric layer 101 formed above the first etching stop layer 201 a may comprise a low - k material such as sio 2 , f or c doped sio 2 , and porous sio 2 or sioc , and may have a thickness of about 50 nm - 5000 nm . the patterned metal oxide layer 400 may comprise a metal oxide such as hfo x , zro x , cu x o , alo x , tio x , tao x , wo n , mno , x nio x , sio x , mgo , feo x , pcmo , and sto . the metal oxide layer may be formed by means of alcvd , reactive sputtering , pecvd , thermal evaporation , electron beam evaporation , or pld , for example . alternatively , the metal oxide layer may be formed by forming a thin metal layer and then oxidizing it by means of thermal oxidation or plasma oxidation , for example . in the composite layer 600 of the diffusion block layer / the seed copper layer / the plated copper layer , the diffusion block layer functions to block diffusion of the copper , and may comprise ta , tan , a composition layer of ta / tan or ti / tin . alternatively , the diffusion block layer may comprise another material which has the same functionality , such as ru , tisin , wn x , wn x c y , and tizr / tizrn . the first level of metal wiring 600 , i . e ., the copper wiring , is formed in the groove in the first dielectric layer 101 concurrently with the upper electrode for the memory cell of the resistive switching memory by cmp . fig7 schematically shows a further embodiment , where the upper electrode layer for the memory cell of the resistive switching memory can be formed of another metal material 502 than the diffusion block layer , comprising a conductive material such as al , w , pt , cu , au , zr , ni , ti , tin , ta , tan , co , and hf , or a composite two - layer arrangement of any two of those materials . the upper electrode layer may be formed by means of , for example , alcvd , pecvd , magnetron sputtering , electron beam evaporation , or pld , posterior to the deposition of the metal oxide and prior to the formation of the diffusion block layer . thus , the first level of copper wiring and also the metal oxide memory cell have been fabricated . then , the process can proceed with the conventional damascene copper interconnection process , to complete the metal oxide resistive switching memory . specifically , the conventional damascene copper interconnection process may comprise : forming a dielectric layer on a polished surface of the sample ; forming grooves and via holes in the dielectric layer , wherein the via holes are positioned where interconnections are needed above the upper electrode of the memory and above the device ; depositing a block layer and a seed layer ; plating a copper layer and annealing it ; cmp the sample ; and depositing a cap layer . as a result , the interconnections are fabricated . according to an embodiment , a metal oxide resistive switching memory integrated into the standard cmos process may comprise a w - plug lower electrode , a groove for a first level of metal wiring formed above the w - plug lower electrode , a metal oxide layer , an upper electrode layer and a composite layer of a diffusion block layer / a seed copper layer / a plated copper layer formed in the groove for the first level of metal wiring . the upper electrode layer and the composite layer can be patterned , resulting in the memory cell and the first level of metal wiring . the w - plug lower electrode can be fabricated in accordance with the standard cmos process . the groove for the first level of metal wiring may be formed by depositing a cap layer , a first dielectric layer and an etching block layer on the w - plug lower electrode and then etching the etching block layer , the first dielectric layer and the cap layer . the etching of the etching block layer , the first dielectric layer and the cap layer can be done as follows . specifically , a photo resist layer can be patterned by means of photolithography with a mask to present a pattern corresponding to the groove for the first layer of metal wiring . then , the etching block layer and the first dielectric layer can be etched by means of , for example , dry etching , using the patterned photo resist layer as a mask . the etching can stop on the cap layer , resulting in a groove . after that , the photo resist layer can be removed by means of wet or dry ashing . in removing the photo resist layer , the cap layer protects the surface of the w - plug lower electrode , further , the cap layer is opened by further dry etching to expose the w - plug lower electrode . the resultant structure can be subjected to wet cleaning . thus , the groove for the first level of metal wiring is formed . the metal oxide layer may comprise a single - layer of a base material including any one of hfo , zro , cuo , alo , tio , tao , wo , mno , nio , zno , sio , coo , yo , mgo , feo , pcmo , sto , or szo , with a complete or incomplete stoichiometric coefficient , or a composite layer arrangement of two or more layers of the above base materials . the upper electrode layer may comprise a conductive material , such as al , w , pt , cu , au , zr , ni , ti , tin , ta , tan , co , and hf , or a composite two - layer arrangement of any two of those materials . the upper electrode layer may comprise another conductive material such as ru , tisin , wn x , wn x c y , tizr / tizrn , and the like . in the composite layer of the diffusion block layer / the seed copper layer / the plated copper layer , the diffusion block layer may comprise ta , tan , ti , tin , ru , tisin , wn x , wn x c y , or tizr , or a composite layer of any two of those materials . the first level of metal wiring , and also the metal oxide layer and the upper electrode for the memory are patterned in one step by cmp . from the foregoing , it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration , but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the disclosure . in addition , many of the elements of one embodiment may be combined with other embodiments in addition to or in lieu of the elements of the other embodiments . accordingly , the technology is not limited except as by the appended claims .	7
with reference to the drawings and in particular to fig1 and 2 , a fixed base router is illustrated as an example for describing the present invention . the router comprises a base assembly 1 , a driver assembly 2 that is moveably mounted on the base assembly 1 and carrying therein a power driver device , such as a drive motor 23 ( shown in dashed lines in fig1 ) that powers a tool bit 22 for machining a workpiece ( not shown ), and a read - out system 3 that is supported on the base assembly 1 . alternatively , the read - out system 3 may be mounted on the driver assembly 2 . the base assembly 1 comprises a generally planar support plate 11 in which an opening or a hole 110 is defined for the selective extension of the tool bit 22 of the driver assembly 2 . a surrounding wall 12 extends from the support plate 11 in an axial direction toward the driver assembly 2 , defining a hollow , cylindrical interior ( not labeled ) in which the driver assembly 2 is movably and rotatably received . preferably , two handles 13 are mounted on the wall 12 . the surrounding wall 12 is split with an elongate opening 130 formed between two opposed ends and two brackets 14 and 15 each having a tapped hole ( not shown ) are respectively formed on the opposed ends of the wall 12 adjacent to the opening 130 . a bolt 16 engages with and extends through both tapped holes of the brackets 14 , 15 to releasably secure the wall 12 to the driver assembly 2 so as to maintain the position of the driver assembly 2 relative to the base assembly 1 . the driver assembly 2 comprises a generally cylindrical housing 21 in which the drive motor 23 is fixed . the drive motor 23 has a spindle ( not shown ) to which the tool bit 22 is mounted . the drive motor 23 selectively drives rotation of the tool bit 22 to work on the workpiece . the cylindrical housing 21 is movably received in the interior space of the surrounding wall 12 to selectively move the motor 23 and the tool bit 22 with respect to the base assembly 1 . the read - out system 3 comprises an electrical circuit comprising a position sensor ( indicated at 31 a in fig5 ; 31 b in fig1 ), a processing device ( not shown ), a display device 32 that comprises a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) in the embodiment illustrated , but may be other known displaying devices , such as a light - emitting diode ( led ) based display , a reset switch 33 for resetting data displayed on the display device 32 to zero , and a mode switch 35 for switching between for example an english or metric units read - out . the read - out system 3 is powered by for example a built - in power source , which may comprise one or more batteries , either primary or secondary , or an external ac power from an electrical main through an ac / dc power adaptor circuit . as be best shown in fig3 , an outer circumference of the cylindrical housing 21 is formed with a plurality of pins 211 that extends in a radial direction . a spiral groove 121 is provided in an inner surface of the surrounding wall 12 and slidably receiving the pins 211 of the housing 21 of the driver assembly 2 to guide spiral movement of the driver assembly 2 with respect to the base assembly 1 . the cooperation between the pins 211 of the driver assembly 2 and the spiral groove 121 of the wall 12 of the base assembly 1 effects a camming action for conversion of rotation of the driver assembly 2 with respect to the wall 12 of the base assembly 1 into linear movement of the driver assembly 2 in the axial direction of the base assembly 1 . apparently , other modifications and alternatives that enable the spiral movement of the driver assembly 2 with respect to the surrounding wall 12 of the base assembly 1 and that are apparent to those skilled in the art can be employed to effect the conversion between rotation and linear axial movement of the driver assembly 2 . for example , the pins can be formed on the inner surface of the wall 12 of the base assembly 1 slidably received in spiral groove defined in the outer circumference of the housing 21 of the driver assembly 2 . this provides the same camming action between the driver assembly 2 and the base assembly 1 . another modification can be made as being easily anticipated by those having ordinary skills by replacing the pin 211 and the spiral groove 121 with mated external and internal threads or screws formed on the outer circumference of the cylindrical housing 21 of the driver assembly 2 and the inner surface of the surrounding wall 12 of the base assembly 1 . the mated screw threads between the driver assembly 2 and the base assembly 1 effect a screw - based transmission that enables the spiral movement of the driver assembly 2 with respect to the base assembly 1 , or conversion of the rotation of the driver assembly 2 into linear axial movement . also , a plurality of axial grooves 212 is defined in the outer circumference of the housing 21 and extends in the axial direction . as shown in fig4 , a cone gear 17 is concentrically and rotatably mounted to the surrounding wall 12 of the base assembly 1 and provides a cylindrical bore ( not labeled ) sufficient to receive the driver assembly 2 therethrough . the cone gear 17 forms a plurality of protrusions 171 that is inward extended to respectively engage with the axial grooves 212 defined in the housing 21 of the driver assembly 2 so as to rotatably fix the cone gear 17 to the housing 21 of the driver assembly 2 . in other words , the cone gear 17 rotates in unison with the driver assembly 2 . also referring to fig5 and 6 , the position sensor 31 a of the read - out system 3 comprises an encoding disk 33 a that is in driving coupling with the housing 21 of the driver assembly 2 , which will be further described , and a counter 32 a fixed to the surrounding wall 12 of the base assembly 1 . the position sensor 31 a as illustrated in the embodiment of fig5 and 6 serve to detect rotation ( angular displacement ) of the driver assembly 2 when the driver assembly 2 carries out the spiral movement with respect to the surrounding wall 12 of the base assembly 1 . in this respect , a transmission system is provided between the housing 21 of the driver assembly 2 and the encoding disk 33 a , which comprises the cone gear 17 and a gear train embodied in the form of toothed shafts 18 , 19 . the first shaft 18 forms a pinion 181 mating the cone gear 17 and a gear 182 . the second shaft 19 forms a gear 191 mating the gear 182 of the first shaft 18 and is rotatably fixed to the encoding disk 33 a by having a shaped end fit into a corresponding shaped bore 331 a defined in the encoding disk 33 a . thus , the rotation of the housing 21 of the driver assembly 2 is transmitted through the cone gear 17 and the first and second shafts 18 , 19 to the encoding disk 33 a that is rotatable in unison with the second shaft 19 . the base assembly 1 is provided with a chamber 121 in which the gear shafts 18 , 19 and gears 182 , 191 and the pinion 181 , as well as the encoding disk 33 a are accommodated . in an aspect of the present invention , the counter 32 a comprises an optical switch which comprises a light transmitter 321 and a light receiver 322 . referring to fig7 , the encoding disk 33 a comprises a disc plate 334 in which the bore 331 a is formed for receiving the second shaft 19 and a cylindrical wall 335 extending from the disc plate 334 . a plurality of through holes or notches 332 a is defined in the cylindrical wall 335 and is equally spaced along a circumference of the wall 335 . the light transmitter 321 and the light receiver 322 are respectively located on opposite sides of the wall 335 whereby rotation of the encoding disk 33 a causes the notches 332 a to sequentially pass between the light transmitter 321 and the light receiver 322 . consequently , the light receiver 322 repeatedly receives a light emitted from the light transmitter and pulse - like signal is induced . thus , an angular displacement of the encoding disk 33 a can be calculated based on the counts of the pulses indicating that the light receiver 322 detects light from the light transmitter 321 . when the driver assembly 2 is manually rotated to effect adjustment of position thereof with respect to the base assembly 1 , an angular displacement induced by the rotation of the driver assembly 2 is transmitted through the cone gear 17 and the shafts 18 , 19 to the encoding disk 33 a . based on the angular displacement of the encoding disk 33 a determined by counter 32 a , the angular displacement of the driver assembly 2 can be determined because the ratio of angular displacement between the driver assembly 2 and the encoding disk 33 a is set by the geometrical data of the cone gear 17 , the gears and pinions of the shafts 18 , 19 and the spacing of the notches 332 a of the encoding disk 33 a . the angular displacement of the driver assembly 2 is then converted into linear axial displacement based on the geometric data of the pins 211 and the spiral groove 121 , or those of mated screws between the driver assembly 2 and the base assembly 1 . all these are processed by the processing device that receives data from the counter 331 , calculates the movement and generates a position signal that is fed to and displayed on the display device 32 . in another aspect of the present invention , the encoding disk , which is designated with reference numeral 34 a for distinction , is made transparent and comprises a plurality of opacity sections 341 a equally - spaced around the wall of the encoding disk 34 a , as shown fig8 . the opacity sections 341 a serves to block the transmission of the light from the light transmitter to the light receives in a regular manner whereby counts of detection of light by the light receiver can be based to determine the angular displacement of the driver assembly 2 . in a further aspect , the counter 32 a is embodied as a hall sensor , and corresponding thereto , the encoding plate , which is designated with reference numeral 35 a , comprises a plurality of magnets 351 a attached to the wall of the encoding disk 35 a in a circumferentially equally - spaced manner , as shown in fig9 . referring to fig1 and 11 , a router constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention is shown . in the router , a position sensor that is designated at 31 b is provided to detect linear axial displacement of the driver assembly 2 when the driver assembly 2 is subject to spiral movement with respect to the base assembly 1 . the router comprises an axially - extending v - shaped channel 122 formed in the inner circumference of the surrounding wall 12 of the base assembly 1 . the position sensor 31 b comprises a capacitance transducer comprising a fixed sensor rail 32 b fixedly mounted in the v - shaped channel 122 , and a movable sensor element 33 b moveably received in the v - shaped channel 122 adjacent to the fixed sensor rail 32 b and biased by a biasing member 20 against the driver assembly 2 . ( for example , the sensor element 33 b has a projection ( not labeled ) put in abutting engagement with the cylindrical housing 21 of the driver assembly 2 by the biasing force of the biasing member 20 .) the sensor element 33 b is movable with respect to the v - shaped channel 122 and thus the wall 12 of the base assembly 1 in a linear and axial movable manner . when the driver assembly 2 is manually operated to take a spiral movement for moving away from or toward the support plate 11 of the base assembly 1 , the movable sensor element 33 b , under the biasing force of the basing member 20 , is moved with the driver assembly 2 . for example , when the driver assembly 2 is moved upward , the sensor element 33 b is biased upward by the biasing member 20 ( with the biasing member 20 extending ) to follow the driver assembly 2 and when the driver assembly 2 is moved downward , the sensor element 33 b is driven downward by the driver assembly 2 against the biasing member 20 ( so that the biasing member 20 is compressed ). the relative movement of the movable sensor element 33 b with respect to the fixed sensor rail 32 b is thus detected and signal associated with the relative movement is transmitted to the processing device whereby the processing device converts the signal , which represents data of movement , into a position signal fed to and displayed on the display device 32 . to carry out adjustment of cutting depth in a workpiece , an operator manipulates the power switch 34 of the read - out system 3 , releases the bolt 16 and manually rotates the driver assembly 2 to make the driver assembly 2 moving in a spiral fashion with respect to the base assembly 1 . when the tool bit 22 that is carried by the driver assembly 2 gets into contact with the workpiece , the operator manipulates the reset switch 33 to reset the display device 32 to zero . thereafter , the router is actuated to have the driver assembly 2 moving the tool bit 22 through the extending the hole 110 defined in the support plate 11 of the base assembly 1 . the position sensor detects angular displacement or axial displacement of the spiral movement of the driver assembly 2 with respect to the wall 12 of the base assembly 1 , and data associated with the detected displacement is transmitted to the processing device . the processing device converts the detected displacements into a position signal that is fed to and displayed on the display device 32 for visual inspection of the cutting depth set by the operator . when the desired depth is achieved , the operator secures the bolt 16 to maintain the position of the driver assembly 2 with respect to the base assembly 1 . although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims .	8
the loratadine compounds of the invention can be prepared according to the method described in villani u . s . pat . no . 4 , 282 , 233 , the entire text of which is incorporated herein by reference . the starting materials and reagents to prepare loratadine and its derivatives are well known in the art and readily available , and loratadine and its derivatives can be synthesized using conventional organic synthesis techniques . metabolic derivatives of loratadine , such as decarbalkoxylated forms of loratadine , can be prepared by removal of the carbethoxy moiety according to methods known in the art and as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 659 , 716 , the entire text of which is incorporated herein by reference . for example , loratadine can be refluxed in the presence of sodium hydroxide and ethanol to remove the carbethoxy moiety from the piperidine ring of the compound structure . solvent systems which can be used in accordance with the invention are those which are both moderately lipophilic and have hydrogen bonding capability . preferably , the solvent system has a hydrophilic lipophilic balance ( hlb ) value ranging from about 3 to about 7 , more preferably ranging from about 4 to about 5 . suitable solvent systems include , but are not limited to , polyglycolysed glycerides ( such as labrafil ® wl 2609bs available from gattefossé , binfield , u . k . ), propylene glycol monolaurate ( such as lauroglycol ™ 90 available from gattefossé ), propylene glycol monocaprylate ( such as capryol ™ 90 available from gattefossé ), and mono - and diglyceride medium chain fatty acids . most preferred is the mono -, diglyceride medium chain fatty acid mixture capmul ™ mcm c8 ( commercially available from abitec corporation ). the solvent system can further comprise a dispersant composition to enhance uniform dispersibility of the fill in water . the amount of the additional dispersant , however , is present in amount sufficient to enhance uniform dispersion of the fill in water or gastric juices without significantly increasing the volume of the fill . when a dispersant is used , it is preferred that the dispersant be present in an amount of 8 . 0 % by weight of the fill or less . most preferred is a dispersant present in an amount of from about 7 . 5 % to about 7 . 0 % by weight of the total fill composition . the dispersant composition used in accordance with the invention can be a combination of povidone together with a surfactant . suitable surfactants which can be used include , but are not limited to , non - ionic surfactants having an hlb value ranging from about 14 to about 17 ; polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters , such as polysorbate ™ 40 , polysorbate ™ 60 , polysorbate ™ 20 , and polysorbate ™ 120 ; ethoxylated aliphatic alcohols , such as oleth - 20 ( volpo ™ 20 available from croda , inc ., parsippany , n . j . ), ceteareth - 20 ( volpo ™ cs - 20 available from croda , parsippany , n . j . ); and caprylocaproyl macrogol - 8 glycerides ( lauroglycol ™ 90 available from gattefossé ). a preferred dispersant is a mixture of povidone and polysorbate ™ 80 . mixtures of povidone and polysorbate ™ 80 can be present in a ratio of about 10 : 1 to about 15 : 1 . 0 , respectively . soft capsules containing pharmaceutical compositions can be prepared using conventional and known encapsulation techniques , such as that described in stroud et al ., u . s . pat . no . 5 , 735 , 105 , the entire text of which is incorporated herein by reference . in general , the formulation is deposited between two opposing ribbons of a gel composition . the composition of the ribbons may include gelatin , modified starches , gums , carrageenans and mixtures thereof . those skilled in the art will appreciate what compositions are suitable . the opposing ribbons are then run between two die rollers having die pockets thereon the surface of which corresponds to the configuration of the desired soft capsule . the composition is sealed within the fused casing . when formulated in accordance with the invention , a 10 mg loratadine dose can be accommodated by a 5 minim or less size oval soft capsule . a 10 mg loratadine dose can be contained within a capsule size as small as a 3 minim size oval soft capsule . capsule size volumes of the invention are herein expressed in terms of minims . a minim is a pharmaceutical volumetric unit of measure wherein 1 minim = 0 . 0616 cc . soft dosage forms , such as soft gelatin capsules , containing the loratadine compositions of the invention can be orally administered to patients in need of hi receptor antagonist or antihistamine treatment . capmul ™ mcm c8 , povidone , and polysorbate ™ 80 were combined . the mixture was heated to about 60 ° c . until the povidone was completely dissolved . loratadine was added to the mixture and the resulting mixture was stirred until the loratadine was completely dissolved . the mixture was cooled to room temperature . the formulations prepared are summarized in table 1 below : the storage stability test was conducted on each of the above formulations by subjecting samples of each formulation to varying conditions . each sample was prepared by either filling 3dxhb gel pouches with the formulation or a screw - capped brown glass bottle . some of the samples were tested using pouches that were unsealed , and some of the samples tested were sealed using fresh gel . each pouch sample was subjected to the following conditions : 1 ) 22 ° c . under ambient humidity , 2 ) 30 ° c . under 75 % relative humidity ( corresponding to accelerated solution stability test conditions ), and 3 ) 5 ° c . under ambient humidity . as can be seen from the data in the above table , no observable crystallization occurred in the conventional macrogol ™ 400 formulation in the capped vials at 5 ° c . and ambient humidity conditions . on the other hand , the macrogol ™ 400 formulation crystallized when stored in the open gel bag . the results demonstrate that exposure of loratadine formulations to ambient moisture causes crystallization over time . as can be seen in the above table , none of the formulations tested had observable crystallization during a storage period of 80 days when contained in the capped vial at 22 ° c . and ambient humidity conditions . as can be seen from the above data , storage at 30 ° c . and 75 % relative humidity resulted in observable crystallization of the conventional loratadine formulations in the macrogol ™ 400 solvent system , and crystallization occurred in both sealed and open gel bag containment . in the case of formulas 1 — 1 and 1 - 2 , crystallization occurred more rapidly in the open gel bag than the sealed gel bag . as the data shows , storage conditions of 30 ° c . and 75 % relative humidity of loratadine formulations with a solvent system of macrogol ™ 400 in combination with povidone did not prevent crystallization from occurring in either sealed or open gel bags . as can be seen from the above data , loratadine formulations prepared in accordance with formula 4 - 1 of the invention as described above exhibited no observable crystallization even after 71 days in storage at 30 ° c . with 75 % relative humidity conditions in either the open or sealed gel bag containment . further yet , no observable crystals were present in formulation 4 - 1 of the invention even after 16 months in the sealed gel pouch containment . the loratadine compositions of the invention provide for the use of loratadine in soft capsule dosage forms such as soft gelatin capsules by improving its solubility under storage conditions without adversely affecting its bioavailability . the compositions of the invention offer the additional benefit of increasing the concentration of solubilized loratadine per total fill volume , which permits smaller fill volumes to be used to deliver the same dosage of the drug . accordingly , smaller capsule sizes can be used to administer the drug to patients , thereby increasing patient comfort and reducing manufacturing costs . the complete disclosures of all patents , patent applications and publications are incorporated herein by reference as if each were individually incorporated by reference . the invention has been described with reference to various specific and preferred embodiments and techniques . however , it should be understood that many variations and modifications can be made while remaining within the spirit and scope of the invention .	0
reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present disclosure , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . an emergency alert system message can be received via oob ( out of band ) by inserting a cable card ( cablecard ) in a cable digital tv of north america . if the cable card is not inserted , the emergency alert system message can be received via in - band . it is checked whether the received emergency alert system ( eas ) message is received via a band different from that for a previously received emergency alert system message . if the received emergency alert system message is received via the band different from that of the previously received emergency alert system message , it is able to omit a redundancy check of the emergency alert system message by clearing a sequence number . on the other hand , if the received emergency alert system message is received via the same band of the previously received emergency alert system message , the redundancy check of the emergency alert system message is carried out . if it is a redundant message , the processing of the emergency alert system message is stopped . after completion of the basic check , a channel should be switched to an emergency alert system channel , on which emergency alert system contents are being broadcasted , according to a priority of the corresponding emergency alert system message . a number of the channel can be discriminated into an in - band eas or an oob eas according to a reception band of the emergency alert system message . the emergency alert system message received via in - band can be transmitted by including an emergency alert system broadcast with a pair of a major channel number and a minor channel number . this scheme is possible because there is a cable broadcasting station as a subject that manages all broadcast channel numbers under north america cable broadcasting system . yet , in case that the above - explained specification of cable digital broadcasting are applied to a terrestrial broadcasting system as they are , the following problem may rise . first of all , terrestrial broadcasts received by a terrestrial - receivable digital tv include signals transmitted by different terrestrial broadcasting stations , respectively . a channel number of a channel transmitted by each of the different terrestrial broadcasting stations can be randomly set up according to psip ( program and system information protocol ) standards . assuming that different broadcasting stations simultaneously use a channel number of a channel on which an emergency alert situation is being broadcasted , a digital tv having received an emergency alert system message ( e . g ., eat ) has a problem in deciding a channel to switch . due to such a problem , it is unable to apply syntax of an emergency alert system message employed by north american cable digital tv to a terrestrial broadcasting system as it is . hence , the present disclosure intends to modify and expand a syntax of eat to apply specifications of an emergency alert system message used by a cable digital broadcasting system to a terrestrial broadcasting system . meanwhile , in order to apply emergency alert broadcast statement identically by considering a broadcasting environment when a terrestrial broadcast is retransmitted via a relay service provider , the present disclosure is also characterized in designing eat the relay service provider need not amend . as mentioned in the foregoing description , since all broadcasts in the north american cable broadcasting system are managed by cable broadcasting stations , it is able to set broadcast titles or channel numbers arbitrarily . in normal cases , the broadcast titles or channel numbers can be set different from each other . when a cable broadcasting station transmits an emergency alert system message via in - band , if a priority of the emergency alert system message is high enough to switch to a channel on which an emergency alert situation is being broadcasted , it facilitated to switch to an emergency alert system broadcast channel by performing channel tuning to a channel corresponding to a channel number received by being included in the message according to scte ( society of cable television engineers ) 18 , and more particularly , to emergency alert message for cable . the above - described emergency alert broadcast channel processing method in the conventional north american cable broadcasting system can be processed without special problems since there exits the assumption of protocol indicating that all channel numbers of the receive cable are not overlapped with each other . yet , if the emergency alert message syntax of the able broadcasting , which is defined by scte 18 , is applied to a terrestrial broadcasting system as it is , a problem may be caused by the problem of channel overlapping possibility . hence , the present disclosure intends to solve the problem of the overlapped channel occurrence , the problem that the relay service provider should amend eat , and the like in a manner of compensating / expanding syntax of an emergency alert broadcast message used for a cable broadcasting system . fig1 is a diagram of a bit stream syntax of an emergency alert table ( eat ) defined by terrestrial broadcasting according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure , and fig2 is a diagram of an eat channel descriptor ( eat_channel_descriptor ) defined by terrestrial broadcasting according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure . eat ( emergency alert table ) and eat channel descriptor ( eat_channel_descriptor ), which are defined by the present disclosure , are explained with reference to fig1 and fig2 as follows . first of all , an emergency alert broadcast message specification of cable broadcasting is defined to enable both of an emergency alert message received via in - band and an emergency alert message received via oob ( out off band ) to be processed . yet , in terrestrial broadcasting , it is unable to receive an emergency alert message via oob . hence , the present disclosure is characterized in defining eat of a terrestrial broadcasting system , a shown in fig1 , in a manner of removing all fields associated with oob from eat of a cable broadcasting system . if so , a processing speed for eat of a terrestrial broadcast can be improved by deleting the unnecessary fields . fields shown in fig1 are described in brief as follows . of course , they can be understood more easily with reference to eat of cable broadcasting in some cases . referring to fig1 , a ‘ table_id ’ field is a syntax for indicating an emergency alert message of a terrestrial broadcast . for instance , the ‘ table_id ’ field can be set to 0xd8 . “ section_syntax_indicator ” field can be set to 1 . this 1 - bit field shall be set to ‘ 1 ’. it denotes that the table section follows the generic mpeg - 2 section syntax beyond the section_length field . the ‘ section_length ’ field defines the number of remaining bytes and shall be set to a value smaller than 4 , 093 . this 12 - bit field specifying the number of remaining bytes in this section immediately follows the section_length field up to the end of the section . the value of the section_length shall be no larger than 4093 . and , ‘ sequence_number ’ field can indicate a sequence of emergency alert message . if a semantic of the message is changed , this field can be incremented by a value 0 to 31 . ( this 5 - bit field is the sequence number of this emergency alert message . the sequence_number shall be incremented by 1 ( modulo 32 ), when any change occurs in the information carried in the emergency alert message ). and , this field can indicate a version of the emergency alert message . “ current_next_indicator ” field , which is 1 - bit indicator , shall always be set to ‘ 1 ’ to indicate that the table sent is always currently applicable . “ section number ” field indicates that a table sent shall occupy a length of at least one section and can be set to 0x00 ( this table shall be at most one section long ). “ protocol_version ” field indicates a version value of psip ( program and system information protocol ). this 8 - bit unsigned integer field whose function is to allow , in the future , this table type to carry parameters that may be structured differently than those defined in the current protocol . “ eas_originator_code ” field can indicate the entity that originally initiated the activation of the eas . “ eas_event_code_length ” field can indicate the length in bytes of the eas_event_code field to follow . “ eas_event_code ” field can indicate the nature of the eas activation . for instance , this field can indicate such a type of emergency as flood , earthquake , terror , etc . together with emergency information such as large - scale earthquake , medium - scale earthquake , small - scale earthquake , etc . “ nature_of_activation_text_length ” field can indicate the total length in bytes of the nature_of_activation_text ( ) field to follow . for instance , if a value of “ nature_of_activation_text_length ” field is ‘ 0 ’, “ nature_of_activation_text ” can indicate that the nature_of_activation_text ( ) field is not included in this alert message . “ nature_of_activation_text ” field may contain a syntax which represents a short textual representation of the event code for on - screen display . “ alert_message_time_remaining ” field , which is an 8 - bit unsigned integer field , in the range 0 to 120 , shall indicate the time remaining in the alert message , in seconds . a value of zero shall indicate an alert message period of indefinite duration . and , the “ alert_message_time_remaining ” field can indicate a duration time , which should be sustained until an emergency alert message turn into an interrupt message returns , by a second unit . “ event_start_time ” field , which is a 32 - bit unsigned integer quantity , represents the start time of this alert event as the number of seconds since 00 hours utc3 , jan . 6 , 1980 . meanwhile , according to a time comparison to an stt time of a corresponding channel with reference to gps time , in case of a past time , a terrestrial broadcast receiver ignores the eat . in case of a future time , it can decided whether to load the eat in a memory of the terrestrial broadcast receiver by comparison to a value of “ event_duration ”. and , the “ event_duration ” field can be set to a 16 - bit unsigned integer that , when nonzero , represents the number of minutes the alert is expected to last . a value of zero indicates that the event duration is unknown ( indefinite ). and , the terrestrial broadcast receiver can delete the no - longer useful previous emergency alert event stored in the memory of the terrestrial broadcast receiver using “ event_start_time ” and “ event_duration ” fields . “ alert_priority ” field can mean a syntax indicating a priority or significance of an emergency . “ alert_text_length ” field indicates the number of total bytes of “ alert_text ( )” field and , for instance , can beset to a 16 - bit unsigned integer number that shall define the total length in bytes of the alert_text ( ) field to follow . a value of zero indicates the alert_text ( ) field is not included in this alert message . and , the “ alert_text ( )” field may have a data structure containing a multiple_string_structure ( ) which shall represent a textual description of the emergency alert for on - screen display . and , the emergency alert text can be set to be slowly scrolled bottom to top or right to left on a screen of the terrestrial broadcast receiver . “ location_code_count ” field can be set to an 8 - bit unsigned integer number in the range 1 to 31 that shall represent the number of region definitions to follow in the “ for ” loop . yet , in the region definitions , the regional names according to administrative district discrimination in u . s . a . are exemplarily used , which does not restrict the scope of the appended claims and heir equivalents of the present disclosure . “ state_code ” field can be set to an 8 - bit unsigned number in the range 0 to 99 that represents the state , territory or offshore ( marine area ) affected by the emergency alert . the “ state_code ” field shall be coded according to state and territory fips number codes . the value of 0 shall indicate all states , or a national level alert . “ state_subdivision_code ” field can be set to an 8 - bit numbering the range 0 to 99 . and , “ county_code ” field represents a specific county of the state relevant to an emergency and can be set to a number in the range 0 to 99 . the “ county_code ” field can be coded according to fips number codes of a state and area . if the field is set to 0 , it can indicate that all counties are in emergency . “ exception_major_channel_number ” field is able to represent a major channel number of an exception service in association with in - band si . and , “ exception_minor_channel_number ” field can represent a minor channel number of an exception service in association with in - band si if it is not set to 0 . in the present disclosure , new fields required for channel tuning are defined in the descriptor part shown in fig1 to solve the overlapping problem of channel number . an eat channel descriptor ( eat_channel_descriptor ) proposed by the present disclosure is shown in fig2 . the name of the eat channel descriptor is just exemplary . the eat channel descriptor is explained in detail as follows . “ descriptor_tag ” field is an field that identifies whether a corresponding descriptor is an eat channel descriptor and can be set to ‘ 0xea ’ for example . “ descriptor_length ” field can be used to represent a length or size of a corresponding descriptor . “ details_major_channel_number ” field represents a major channel number for broadcasting an emergency alert broadcast . and , “ details_minor_channel_number ” field represents a minor channel number for broadcasting an emergency alert broadcast . “ carrier_frequency ” field identifies a frequency for transmitting an emergency alert broadcast and “ details_channel_programnumber ” field identifies a program number within the frequency for transmitting the emergency alert broadcast . and , “ details_channel_tsid ” field can be used as a field that identifies a transport stream id for transmitting broadcast contents . the present disclosure defines the channel number information of terrestrial broadcasting for transmitting an emergency alert broadcast in an eat channel descriptor ( eat_channel_descriptor ) to enable each terrestrial broadcasting station to be discriminated in accordance with a preset reference . the channel number information may be defined in a body part of the eat table . the channel number information can be determined via the “ details_major_channel_number ” and “ details_minor_channel_number ” fields . meanwhile , the present disclosure defines frequency information of terrestrial broadcasting for transmitting an emergency alert broadcast in an eat channel descriptor to enable each terrestrial broadcasting station to be discriminated in accordance with a preset reference . the channel number information can be referenced by the “ carrier_frequency ” field . thus , in case that the eat channel descriptor ( eat_channel_descriptor ) shown in fig2 is added to an eat of a terrestrial broadcast signal , it is able to remove the program number overlapping within a frequency . hence , it is able to define a channel , which carries an emergency alert broadcast without the channel overlapping occurrence , in eat . fig3 is a diagram of a system , in which a relay service provider transmits eat using a predetermined protocol , according to one embodiment of the present disclosure . a method of transmitting an eat , if a relay service provider retransmits a terrestrial broadcast , is explained with reference to fig3 as follows . first of all , in case that a terrestrial broadcast is retransmitted via a relay service provider , a frequency of a corresponding terrestrial channel can be changed . so , it is highly probable that the emergency alert message format ( e . g ., eat channel descriptor eat_channel_descriptor ) of the terrestrial broadcasting system defined in fig1 and fig2 may not perform channel switching to a correct channel . this is because the terrestrial relay service provider , as shown in fig3 , may perform retransmission by mixing cable channel , satellite channel , terrestrial channel and the like together without using a terrestrial frequency transmitted by a terrestrial broadcasting station . in this case , it is highly probable that the frequency transmitted by the terrestrial broadcasting station may not be used due to the problem of the overlapping with another channel . fig4 is a diagram of a bit stream syntax of an emergency alert table ( eat ) defined by terrestrial broadcasting according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure , and fig5 is a diagram of an eat channel descriptor ( eat_channel_descriptor ) defined by terrestrial broadcasting according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure . newly defined eat ( emergency alert table ) and eat channel descriptor ( eat_channel_descriptor ) of terrestrial broadcasting according to the present disclosure are explained as follows . compared to the first embodiment of the present disclosure shown in fig1 and fig2 , the second embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized in adding a channel index field ( channel_index ). a channel index field shown in fig4 or fig5 is usable in representing information that identifies a relay service provider who manages at least one location . the channel index field is designed in a manner of being defined below a location code count field ( location_code_count ) in an eat channel descriptor ( eat_channel_descriptor ) to be mapped to each other . in particular , to prepare for a case that a terrestrial channel is retransmitted via a relay service provider , the present disclosure defines an index ( channel_index ) of a transmission location using a location code ( location_code_count ) in a format ( eat ) of an emergency alert message . since a corresponding frequency and a channel index of an emergency alert broadcast of a corresponding location are defined in the eat channel descriptor ( eat_channel_descriptor ), although the relay service provider does not attempt to change the eat or read the descriptor , a receiver can be normally tuned to an emergency alert broadcast channel in case of an emergency occurrence . yet , it is mandatory for the present disclosure to amend the ‘ location_code_count ’ field by considering a terrestrial retransmission procedure , whereas ‘ location_code_count ’ field is optional in eat used for an emergency alert broadcast of north american cable broadcasting . details are explained in the following description for example . first of all , it is assumed that a terrestrial broadcasting station ‘ mbc ’ transmits broadcast signals including eat and the like to a broadcast relay service provider ‘ taejeon ’, a broadcast relay service provider ‘ chungju ’, a broadcast relay service provider ‘ yeouido ’, and the like . in this case , a channel index of the broadcast relay service provider ‘ taejeon ’ is set to 0 , a channel index of the broadcast relay service provider ‘ chungju ’ is set to 1 , and a channel index of the broadcast relay service provider ‘ yeouido ’ is set to 2 . if the channel index is 0 , a physical channel number of the mbc broadcasting is mapped to ‘ 60 ’. if the channel index is 1 , a physical channel number of the mbc broadcasting is mapped to ‘ 70 ’. if the channel index is 2 , a physical channel number of the mbc broadcasting is mapped to ‘ 80 ’. hence , even if a relay service provider having received the eat and the like transmits the received eat to a broadcast receiver intactly without amending a physical channel number , a frequency and the like separately or without changing an eat channel descriptor and the like , the broadcast receiver can be tuned to an initially scheduled emergency alert broadcast channel without error . fig6 is a block diagram of a broadcast receiver for receiving and processing eat according to one embodiment of the present disclosure . an operation of a broadcast receiver , which receives and processes an eat channel descriptor , according to the present disclosure is explained with reference to fig6 as follows . referring to fig6 , a broadcast receiver 601 according to the present disclosure includes a tuner 602 , a demodulator 603 , a demultiplexer 604 , an a / v decoder 605 , a display unit 606 , a psi / psip database 607 , a psi / psip decoder 608 , a channel manager 609 , a channel map 610 , an application and ui manager 611 , a flash memory 601 , and the like . in this case , the broadcast receiver 601 means a digital television ( dtv ) capable of terrestrial broadcast reception or the like for example . the tuner 602 is able to receive a terrestrial broadcast signal containing a psi / psip ( program and system information / program and system information protocol ) table . for instance , the psip table can include an emergency alert table ( eat ) and the like . and , operations of the tuner 602 can be controlled by the channel manager 609 . moreover , the tuner 602 enables a result from receiving the terrestrial broadcast signal to be recorded back in the channel manager 609 . the demodulator 603 demodulates a signal tuned by the tuner 602 by vsb / evsb ( vestigial sideband / enhanced vestigial sideband ) demodulation . the demultiplexer 604 plays a role in demultiplexing audio data , video data , and psi / psip table data from the signal demodulated by the demodulator 603 . in this case , the audio / video data demultiplexing can be controlled by the channel manager 609 , whereas the psi / psip table data demultiplexing can be controlled by the psi / psip decoder 608 . the demultiplexed psi / psip table is transferred to the psi / psip decoder 608 , while the demultiplexed audio / video data are transferred to the a / v decoder 605 . the a / v decoder 605 then decodes the transferred data . the psi / psip decoder 608 parses a psi / psip section , reads the entire rest of actual section data failing to be section - filtered by the demultiplexer 604 , and then records the data in the psi / psip database 607 . and , the psi / psip decoder 608 is capable of parsing eat information contained in the psi / psip . using channel information and the like contained in the parsed eat information , the channel manager 609 controls the tuner 602 to be tuned to a channel of a terrestrial broadcast that carries an emergency alert broadcast . meanwhile , the eat can include the eat channel descriptor ( eat_channel_descriptor ) shown in fig4 or fig5 , which has been sufficiently explained in the descriptions of fig4 and fig5 . and , it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a dtv for processing the eat can be designed through fig4 and fig5 . fig7 is a flowchart of a process for receiving and processing eat according to one embodiment of the present disclosure . an eat processing method according to the present disclosure is explained with reference to fig7 as follows . in particular , fig7 schematically depicts the descriptions for fig1 to 6 in accordance with a time flow . referring to fig7 , a broadcast receiver receives an emergency alert table ( eat ) containing a channel index field ( channel_index ) that identifies a relay service provider managing at least one location ( s 701 ). the broadcast receiver may be a dtv or the like for example . the above - explained channel index can be added below a location code count field ( location_code_count ) in an eat channel descriptor of the eat . the receiver reads out physical channel number information of a terrestrial broadcasting station mapped by the channel index field ( s 702 ). in this case , the physical channel number information can be defined in ‘ details_major_channel_number ’ and ‘ details_minor_channel_number ’ fields and the like below the eat channel descriptor . and the physical channel number information can be additionally referenced by the frequency information and / or the program number information . in case that an emergency takes place , the receiver is tuned to a physical channel number of the terrestrial broadcasting station ( s 703 ). accordingly , since a channel number of a specific terrestrial broadcasting station per location is determined in accordance with a channel index , despite that a relay service provider transmits a received eat intact to a broadcast receiver , the broadcast receiver has no problem in being tuned to an emergency alert channel . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present disclosure without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions . thus , it is intended that the present disclosure covers the modifications and variations of this disclosure provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents .	7
referring to drawing fig1 a silicon wafer 10 has an overlying layer 11 of borophosphosilicate glass ( bpsg ) in which patterns for circuits have been etched exposing silicon wafer 10 at alignment marks 12 on the wafer 10 , a predetermined area of the wafer . a material has been formed over the wafer surface and the surface planarized , typically using a chemical mechanical planarization process leaving residue 13 at the alignment marks 12 , a predetermined area of the wafer , on the wafer 10 . typically , a refractory metal , tungsten will have been deposited by chemical vapor deposition over the wafer surface and the surface planarized using a chemical mechanical planarization process leaving residue 13 at the alignment marks 12 on the wafer 10 or other predetermined areas of the wafer . the residue 13 may include the chemical mechanical planarization process slurry material , a refractory metal residue , a photoresist residue , a dielectric material residue , a polysilicon material residue , etc . ; i . e ., for example , any residue from a semiconductor manufacturing process may be present in the alignment marks 12 on the wafer 10 to be removed therefrom or from any desired predetermined area of the wafer . referring to drawing fig2 the wafer 10 is mounted in a substantially flat alignment ( horizontal , perpendicular alignment ) prior to the local dispersion of a wet etching agent to remove residue 13 . the wet etching agent may comprise well known etching agents , such as liquid , liquid vapor , gases , etc ., examples of such including ammonia , hydrogen fluoride , nitric acid , hydrogen peroxide , ammonium fluoride , etc . the etchant may be heated , if desired , by any suitable source , such as ultrasonic energy , laser heating , etc . the wafer surface overlying layer 11 must be positioned in relation to apparatus 21 such that lower thin annular edge 22 , an annular type knife edge of the apparatus 21 , is positioned adjacent layer 11 , but not in contact with layer 11 , to provide a “ virtual ” seal or vacuum therewith . an etching agent is introduced through a tubular member 52 , a needle - like member of etchant dispensing apparatus 21 ( also referred to as “ etching apparatus ” or “ cleaning apparatus ” 21 ) onto the alignment marks 12 on the wafer 10 to remove the residue 13 . since the alignment mark 12 is a few hundred microns in size and little unused area exists on the wafer 10 surrounding the mark 12 , the constraints regarding the size and use of the etching apparatus are severe in order to ensure that any semiconductor circuit components in the electronic circuitry located on the wafer surrounding an alignment mark 12 are protected from the etching process . the etching apparatus 21 is an enclosed apparatus with the thin annular edge 22 thereof creating a “ virtual ” seal or vacuum with the underlying glass ( bpsg ) layer 11 by a suction being applied through annular space 56 formed between the interior annular wall of annular member 54 and the exterior wall of tubular member 52 of the etching apparatus 21 . sufficient suction is applied in the annular space 56 so that the pressure of the existing atmosphere surrounding the exterior of the thin annular edge 22 is greater than the pressure in the annular space 56 with the existing atmosphere surrounding the thin annular edge 22 being drawn into the annular space 56 between the tubular member 52 and annular member 54 , thereby preventing any leakage of etchant from the annular space 56 . the thin annular edge 22 of the etching apparatus 21 does not contact the surface of the layer 11 , thereby preventing any damage thereto . the surrounding atmosphere of the annular member 54 flows into the gap formed between the lower edge of thin annular edge 22 and the surface of layer 11 ( illustrated by the arrows entering into annular space 56 in drawing fig2 ) creating the “ virtual ” seal or vacuum between the etching apparatus 21 and the layer 11 , thereby preventing any etchant material being used from flowing from the annular space 56 onto the surrounding area of layer 11 of the exterior to annular member 54 . the thin annular edge 22 is located as close as possible to the surface of the layer 11 on the wafer 10 without being in contact therewith . referring to drawing fig2 a , if desired , more than one thin annular edge 22 may be used on the end of annular member 54 to create a labyrinth type “ virtual ” seal to more effectively prevent any fluid flow from the gap between the end of the annular member 54 and the surface of the layer 11 . such a labyrinth type thin annular edge 22 ′ is illustrated in drawing fig2 a as having two thin annular edges 22 ′ formed on the bottom of the annular member 54 . in both the thin annular edge 22 and the labyrinth type thin annular edge 22 ′, neither contacts the surface of the layer 11 to prevent the flow of etchant from the annular space 56 onto the surface of the layer 11 exterior to the annular member 54 . but rather , the suction or vacuum applied to the annular space 56 draws the atmosphere surrounding the exterior of the annular member 54 into the annular space 56 , thereby preventing any substantial leakage of any material in the annular space 56 to the exterior of the annular member 54 . additionally , it should be understood that the annular space 56 refers to any shape annular area formed between any two geometrically shaped members . that is , the tubular member 52 may have any desired cross - sectional geometric shape , such as cylindrical , hexagonal , square , octagon , ellipsoid , etc ., and the annular member 54 may have any desired cross - sectional geometric shape , such as cylindrical , hexagonal , square , octagon , ellipsoid , etc ., and the annular area 56 formed therebetween by such shaped members will have any resulting cross - sectional configuration . alignment between wafer 10 and etchant dispensing apparatus 21 may be accomplished by any suitable well known aligning and maneuvering techniques for aligning the wafer 10 into position . though it is preferred that the wafer is at a 90 ° angle , perpendicular to the etching apparatus 21 , the orientation of the wafer 10 and etching apparatus 21 can be any desired position as long as the thin annular edge 22 or 22 ′ of the etching apparatus 21 is located substantially adjacent , but not in contact with , the surface of the layer 11 on the wafer 10 . etching by - products are removed by suctioning or vacuuming them from the alignment mark 12 through annular space 56 formed between the interior annular wall of annular member 54 and the exterior wall of tubular member 52 of the etching apparatus 21 . referring to drawing fig3 residue 13 ( shown in fig2 and 2a ) has been removed from alignment marks 12 and the etching by - products removed by suction applied through annular space 56 of the etching apparatus 21 . in addition to the removal of etching by - products from the alignment mark 12 on the wafer 10 using suction through annular space 56 , the removal of the etching by - products may be performed during the step of removing etching residue 13 ( in situ ) from alignment mark 12 by flowing water , or any desired cleaning material or agent or rinsing material or agent , into the etchant dispensing apparatus 21 after dispensing the etching agent therethrough to have such wash the residue from the alignment mark 12 . once the etching by - product is removed , wafer 10 is then cleaned by rinsing it with deionized water or other suitable well known cleaning or rinsing agents . alternately , the selective etching of any material in the alignment marks 12 may be performed prior to planarization of the layer 11 . performing the selective etch prior to planarization of the layer 11 has an advantage in that the planarization removes any contaminants which may have been added on the wafer surface during selective wet etching of the alignment marks 12 ( free from oxide or other particles ). referring to drawing fig4 the cleaning head 50 of the cleaning apparatus 21 previously described herein is shown . the cleaning head 50 comprises a cylindrical body 51 having an elongated annular member 54 on the end of the stem 62 thereof , having in turn , thin annular edge 22 located thereon for engaging the surface of the wafer 10 and tubular member 52 located therein for supplying the etching products to the alignment mark 12 of the wafer 10 . the cylindrical body 51 comprises a generally cylindrical head 60 and a generally cylindrical stem 62 having elongated annular member 54 thereon . cylindrical head 60 includes a plurality of bores 64 therein , each bore 64 having threaded aperture 66 thereon for connection to a supply line ( not shown ), through which etching products are supplied during the etching process , one or more bores 68 , each bore 68 having an intersecting blind bore 70 connecting therewith which is connected to a suitable source of suction or vacuum , through which etching by - products are suctioned or vacuumed from the alignment marks 12 on the wafer 10 during the etching of material therefrom and a bore 72 which intersects with bores 64 and within which is contained tubular member 52 which , in turn , supplies etching products to the alignment mark 12 of the wafer 10 during the etching of material therefrom . the stem 62 of the cleaning head 50 includes the lower end 74 of bore 68 extending from cylindrical head 60 , bore 76 , the wall of which forms annular space 56 with respect to the exterior wall of tubular member 52 , and elongated annular member 54 on the end thereof having thin annular edge 22 or 22 ′ thereon which is located adjacent , but not in contact with , the surface of the wafer 10 or any layer 11 on the wafer 10 which has the alignment marks 12 thereon having material removed therefrom , in turn , during etching . as shown , the tubular member 52 extends throughout the bore 76 forming the annular space 56 for the removal of etching products using a suction or vacuum source during the etching of the alignment marks 12 of the wafer 10 . the cleaning head 50 may be made of any suitable material , may be formed of any desired number of pieces for the convenience of assembly , cleaning , or replacement thereof , and may be formed in any desired geometric shape . the tubular member 52 typically comprises hypodermic needle stock tubing , such as a 24 gage , i . e ., 0 . 022 inches in external diameter , standard hypodermic needle stock tubing , although any suitable tubing may be used , such as teflon ™ tubing , glass tubing , polymeric tubing , etc . furthermore , the tubular member 52 may have any desired geometric cross - sectional shape , such as cylindrical , hexagonal , square , octagonal , ellipsoid , etc . referring to drawing fig5 the cleaning head 50 is shown in a top view to illustrate the orientation of the various bores therein . as shown , the bores 64 , each having threaded aperture 66 thereon , are generally spaced sixty degrees ( 60 °) from each other and extend horizontally within the head 60 intersecting bore 72 therein . although the bores 64 have been illustrated as located generally sixty degrees from each other , they may be located in any desired spacing . the blind bore 70 intersects bore 68 of the head 60 to allow a source of vacuum to be supplied to the cleaning apparatus 21 during the use thereof to remove the etching products from the alignment marks 12 on the wafer 10 during the etching thereof . the bore 72 extends vertically within the cylindrical head 60 , having the tubular member 52 being retained therein by any suitable means , such as an interference fit , adhesively bonded , etc . referring to drawing fig6 the cleaning head 50 is shown in a side view to further illustrate the various bores therewithin . as illustrated , the various bores 72 and 76 are concentrically located within cylindrical head 60 and stem 62 . the thin annular edge 22 on the elongated annular member 54 of the stem 62 is formed by forming a chamfered annular surface having an included angle of approximately ninety degrees ( 90 °) therein . although a ninety degree angle has been illustrated , the angle may be formed at any convenient angle which will provide a thin annular edge 22 on the elongated annular member 54 for being located adjacent the surface of the wafer 10 or any layer 11 located on the wafer 10 during the etching of the alignment marks 12 thereon to remove material therefrom . the thin annular edge 22 does not need to provide a fluid tight seal with respect to the wafer surface , but rather creates or forms a “ virtal ” seal or vacuum with respect to the wafer surface or the surface of a layer 11 on the wafer 10 , because a sufficient amount of suction or vacuum is used to remove the etching products from the alignment marks 12 being etched so that the gap or space existing between the thin annular edge 22 and the layer 11 on the wafer 10 , and the surrounding atmosphere , typically air , will be drawn into the annular area 56 , thereby preventing any etching products from escaping from the gap or space . in this manner , in contrast to the prior art , no fluid tight seal or resilient fluid tight seal is needed on the end of the elongated annular member 54 of the stem 62 , thereby eliminating all problems associated with the formation and maintenance of a fluid tight seal or resilient fluid tight seal thereon and , more importantly , any damage a fluid tight seal or resilient seal causes to the surface of the wafer 10 or any layer 11 on the wafer 10 . referring to drawing fig7 the cleaning head 50 is shown in another side view to illustrate the relationship of the various bores 64 , 68 , 72 , 76 , and the lower end 74 of the bore 68 and the intersection thereof with bore 76 . again , the bores 72 and 76 are concentrically , vertically located within the cylindrical head 60 and stem 62 of the cleaning head 50 . referring to drawing fig8 the cleaning apparatus 21 is schematically illustrated during the cleaning of alignment marks 12 on a wafer 10 . each cleaning apparatus 21 has a plurality of lines 80 , each line 80 being connected to threaded aperture 66 to supply etching product to the cleaning head for the cleaning of an alignment mark 12 on the wafer 10 , while each cleaning head also has vacuum line 82 connected to blind bore 70 to supply suction or vacuum to the cleaning head 50 to remove etching products from the cleaning head . it should be noted that the present invention contemplates either moving the cleaning head 50 to an alignment mark 12 on a wafer 10 to perform the cleaning of the alignment mark 12 or moving the alignment mark 12 on the wafer 10 to a fixed or stationary location of the cleaning head 50 . all that is necessary is to have the cleaning head 50 located above and surrounding the alignment mark 12 on a wafer 10 during operation for the cleaning of the alignment mark 12 . although the present invention has been described with respect to the embodiment , it will be apparent that changes and modifications , such as the selective etching of any material using any desired number of etching products supplied through any desired number of lines to the cleaning apparatus , may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . additionally , the apparatus and method may be used to selectively etch any predetermined area of a wafer to remove any material therefrom , using any desired etching products which may be heated or cooled during their use . if desired , the wafer as well as the apparatus may be heated or cooled during use .	7
fig1 is a block diagrammatic representation of the high - order sigma - delta analog - to - digital converter 10 of the present invention . as will be described more fully below , the inventive converter 10 includes a first switched - capacitor ( sc ) integrating network 14 which is disposed to generate a first sequence of sampled analog signal values in response to an analog input signal . a second sc integrating network 18 is coupled to the first network 14 and is operative to produce a second sequence of sampled analog signal values . as shown in fig1 the converter 10 includes &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; switched capacitor integrating networks connected to a system clock 20 . the nth sc integrating network 22 provides an nth sampled analog sequence to an m - bit analog - to - digital ( a / d ) converter 24 . when the a / d converter 24 is realized as a 1 bit a / d converter the digital output of the present invention comprises a serial bit stream without word boundaries , wherein each bit is of equal weight . realizations of the converter 24 in which an mth order a / d converter is employed result in an output of m - bit digital words . the digital data in both instances is output at the operative frequency of the system clock 20 . the digital output from the a / d converter 24 is monitored by an m - bit digital - to - analog ( d / a ) converter 28 included within a feedback path 30 of the inventive converter 10 . the m - bit d / a converter 28 is operative to scale the voltage provided by an amplitude reference 32 in order to provide an analog feedback signal to the sc integrating networks 14 , 18 , 22 . the d / a converter 28 is electrically connected to the system clock 20 and hence updates the value of the analog feedback signal at the clock rate thereof . in a particular embodiment of the present invention , the digital output of the a / d converter is processed by a digital decimation filter ( not shown ) to obtain a filtered digital output in a more conventional ( i . e . 16 bit ) format compatible with standard data processing systems . such a decimation filter receives digital output from the a / d converter 24 at the rate of the system clock 20 and produces an output at a lower sample rate . for example , if the digital decimation filter has a decimation ratio of 256 and produces 24 bits per word at its output , the data rate reduction would be 24 / 256 . the digital decimation filter may be implemented through numerous well known structures . two acceptable categories of filters include finite impulse response ( fir ) and infinite impulse response ( iir ) filters . the design of these filters is described in , for example , theory and application of digital signal processing by lawrence r . rabiner and bernard gold , 1975 prentice - hall international , inc . fig2 shows a more detailed block diagrammatic representation of the sigma - delta a / d converter 10 of the present invention , wherein the system clock 20 is not shown in order to enhance clarity . as shown in fig2 the sampled analog voltages existing between the sc integrating networks are denoted by x 0 , x 1 , x 2 . . . x n . the first sc integrating network 14 includes a first input circuit block p 1 , a first integrator block q 1 - 1 and a first feedback circuit block r 1 . the outputs of the input and feedback blocks p 1 , r 1 are combined at a summing node 36 , which is coupled to the input of the integrator block q 1 - 1 . in a preferred embodiment , the blocks p 1 , r 1 , q 1 - 1 include switched - capacitor circuit elements capable of being mathematically represented in discrete time by polynomials in z - 1 . a particular switched capacitor realization of the first sc integrating network 14 is shown in fig3 . as shown in fig3 the first input circuit block p 1 includes first and second electronic switches 40 , 42 . the switches 40 , 42 are typically realized by a cmos or nmos transmission gate . the first and second switches 40 , 42 are both coupled to the system clock 20 ( not shown ) and are alternately actuated ( closed ) in response to a square wave therefrom . for example , the first switch 40 may be closed and the second switch 42 opened , in response to the high state of the square wave . the first and second switches are coupled to an input capacitor 44 having a value of c * p 1 , wherein * denotes multiplication , c is a nominal value of capacitance and p 1 is a capacitance coefficient which is assigned a value in a manner described below . the first feedback circuit block r 1 includes third and fourth alternately actuated switches 46 , 48 . the third and fourth switches 46 , 48 are coupled to a feedback capacitor 50 having a value of c * r 1 , where again r 1 is a capacitance coefficient . as shown in fig3 the first integrator block q 1 - 1 includes fifth and sixth alternately actuated switches 52 , 54 . the fifth switch 52 is connect between the summing nod 36 and ground , while the sixth switch 54 links the summing node 36 with the inverting terminal 56 of an operational amplifier 58 . an integrating capacitor 60 of value c is connected between the inverting terminal 56 and output terminal 62 of the operational amplifier 58 . the value at the output terminal 62 of the operational amplifier 58 defines the value of the sampled analog voltage x 1 . returning to fig2 the second sc integrating network 18 includes a second input circuit block p 2 , a second integrator block q 2 - 1 and a second feedback circuit block r 2 . the outputs of the input and feedback blocks p 2 , r 2 are combined at a second summing node 66 , which is coupled to the input of the integrator block q 2 - 1 . the blocks p 2 , r 2 , q 2 - 1 include switched - capacitor circuit elements substantially similar to those described above with reference to the circuit blocks p 1 , r 1 and q 1 - 1 , with the exception that the values of the capacitors within the blocks p 2 and r 2 are c * p 2 and c * r 2 . again , p 2 and r 2 are capacitor coefficients having magnitudes derived below . the nth integrating network 22 includes an nth input circuit block p n , an nth integrator block q n - 1 and an nth feedback circuit block r n . the outputs of the input and feedback blocks p n , r n are combined at an nth summing node 68 , which is coupled to the input of the integrator block q n - 1 . in the embodiment of fig2 the blocks p n , r n , q n - 1 include switched - capacitor circuit elements substantially similar to those described above with reference to the circuit blocks p 1 , r 1 and q 1 - 1 , again with the exception that the values of the capacitors within the blocks p n and r n are c * p n and c * r n . as shown in fig2 the quantization noise generated by the m - bit a / d converter 24 is modeled as a noise source e . the quantization noise e is added to the nth sampled analog sequence from the nth integrating network 22 at an a / d summing node 70 . the one clock cycle delay through the a / d converter 24 is represented by a delay element 72 . the a / d converter 24 is operative to impress an m - bit digital word during each clock cycle upon m output lines 74 . as mentioned above , the p i , q i and r i switched - capacitor circuit blocks within each sc integrating network may be represented as a polynominal in z - 1 . in particular , the representation in fig2 of the converter 10 may be defined by the matrix equation : and , ## str1 ## with e denoting the quantization error associated with the a / d converter 24 . the digital output y ( z ) of the inventive converter 10 appearing on the output lines 74 can be expressed as : ## equ1 ## where d , the determinant of the matrix a &# 39 ;, is given by ## equ2 ## the stability of the inventive converter 10 is determined by the roots of d ( z ). the system designer chooses a pole pattern which gives a stable response . the desired stable pole pattern can be described as the following polynomial , ## equ3 ## then , the following n equations can be solved for a k : ## equ4 ## where m = 1 , . . . , n . using the values of a k obtained from equation [ 9 ], the values of the capacitor coefficients r i , p i where i = 1 , . . . , n , are given by : ## equ5 ## there are n equations with 2n unknowns ( capacitor ratios ) therefore n of the capacitor ratios can be arbitrarily assigned values and not disturb system stability . the extra capacitor ratio can be used to optimize the internal circuit performance , e . g ., to avoid saturation in the integrating stages . or , if this optimization is unnecessary , then the assignment r i = p i = k i , for i = 1 , 2 , 3 , . . . , n , can be made . as an example , table i shows k i values for stable high - order σδ converters up to the fifth order for d ( z )= 1 . ( note that multibit quantizers should be used for these structures .) table i______________________________________order k . sub . 1 k . sub . 2 k . sub . 3 k . sub . 4 k . sub . 5______________________________________1 12 1 / 2 23 1 / 3 1 34 1 / 4 2 / 3 3 / 2 45 1 / 5 1 / 2 1 2 5______________________________________ accordingly , the teachings of the present invention enable design of a stable high - order ( order ≧ 3 ) sigma - delta analog - to - digital converter . it has heretofore been necessary to cascade several independent first - order sigma - delta converters in order to effectuate precision analog - to - digital conversion without risking system instability . the novel approach of the present invention employs multiple feedback paths ( i . e . between the d / a converter 28 and the summing nodes 36 , 66 , 68 ) and multi - bit internal quantization in order to provide a stable , single stage a / d sigma - delta converter -- thus obviating the need for cascading independent lower order stages . since each stage in such a conventional cascaded system incorporates a separate internal quantizer and d / a converter , it is apparent that the inventive high - order single stage approach avoids circuit duplication . as mentioned in the background of the invention , conventional sigma - delta a / d converters typically require oversampling ratios in excess of sixty - four to achieve fifteen to sixteen bit resolution . in contrast , an embodiment of the present invention utilizing four switched capacitor integrating networks ( n = 4 ) and a five bit a / d converter 24 can achieve sixteen to seventeen bit resolution while being operative at an oversampling ratio of only sixteen . one benefit accruing to the inventive a / d sigma - delta converter 10 , as a consequence of operation characterized by a reduced oversampling ratio , is the capability to process broader bandwidth analog input signals . while existing sigma - delta converters have been utilized in relatively narrowband audio applications , existing sigma - delta converters have typically not been included in wider bandwidth video systems . moreover , for a desired level of resolution a lower oversampling ratio allows higher analog - to - digital conversion rates for a given semiconductor technology . the high - order converter 10 of the present invention can be physically realized from discrete components , but may also be readily fabricated as an integrated circuit ( ic ). inspection of fig2 and 3 reveals that with the exception of the operational amplifiers within the integrating networks , the inventive converter 10 is predominantly comprised of digital elements . the ease with which digital architectures may be implemented as integrated circuits in a variety of semiconductor technologies is well - known . thus the present invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment in connection with a particular application . those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings of the present invention will recognize additional modifications and applications within the scope thereof . for example , the circuit blocks p i , q i and r i within the integrating networks may be realized by circuit topologies other than the particular switched - capacitor integrating network described herein without departing from the scope of the present invention . similarly , the invention is not limited to a particular scale of internal quantization -- although preferred embodiments of the present invention will typically employ internal quantizers of one to five bits . further , although a digital decimation filter will generally be utilized to translate the digital output from the present invention into a somewhat more conventional sixteen bit format , the inventive converter nonetheless effects conversion of the input analog signal into the digital domain independent of such a filter . it is therefore contemplated by the appended claims to cover any and all such modifications .	7
with reference to fig1 the apparatus 10 of the present invention is schematically shown as comprising the elements of sensor 11 , computer 12 and pump 13 . sensor 11 is capable of generating computer input signals which are transmitted to computer 12 over line 14 . computer 12 is capable of generating output signals which are transmitted to pump 13 over line 15 . in the operation of this apparatus , blood samples are obtained from patient 16 and are conducted to sensor 11 through conduit 17 . pump 13 is connected to a supply 18 of insulin or glucose through conduit 19 and to the patient 16 through conduit 20 . the sensor 11 determines the blood glucose concentrations of blood samples obtained from patient 16 at convenient intervals , such as once each minute , and transmits such serial signals indicative of such blood glucose concentrations to computer 12 . the output signals from computer 12 are directly related to the serial blood glucose concentrations measured by sensor 11 and provide instructions to pump 13 to supply adequate amounts of insulin or glucose to bring the blood glucose concentration within the desired range . the particular novel aspects of the present invention relate to the algorithms or equations which the computer 12 employs to derive the proper output signals based upon the input signals from sensor 11 as well as to the flexibility of operation of such computer . it has been found through experimentation with blood glucose levels of diabetic patients that improved control over such blood glucose concentration can be achieved through operation in accordance with certain quadratic and biquadratic computer equations . the apparatus of the present invention is capable of operating in several modes at the choice of the operator . in a first mode , the insulin is infused to a patient at a rate dependent upon both the particular concentration of glucose in the blood and the rate of change of blood glucose concentration . in a second mode , the insulin is infused at a rate dependent only upon the particular concentration of glucose in the blood . in a third mode , the insulin is infused at a rate dependent only upon the rate of change of blood glucose concentration . in order to overcome a hypoglycemia condition ( undesirably low blood glucose concentration ) the apparatus also provides infusion of glucose at a rate dependent only upon the particular concentration of blood glucose whenever the blood glucose concentration is below a predetermined value . this latter situation is considered emergency situation to be used primarily when the patient initially is in a hypoglycemis condition . the operation in the first three modes will normally prevent such condition from occurring as a result of infusion of an excess amount of insulin . it could also be used if desired when the operator intends to maintain a &# 34 ; glucose clamping &# 34 ; condition in which the glucose level is maintained at an abnormally high level . in the above first mode of operation , the computer is capable of deriving output signals from serial input signals in accordance with an equation of the form ## equ1 ## wherein g = measured previous serial blood glucose reading and bi , ri and qi are preselected values . if the blood glucose concentration is rising , wherein a is the average change in blood glucose concentration over several previous serial readings and k r is a preselected value and wherein if the blood glucose concentration is falling , wherein a is the same as above and k f is a preselected value which is different from and less than k r , said gd being substracted from g in the above equation when the blood glucose concentration is falling . in the above equation ir and ri are expressed in milliunits of insulin per minute of infusion . bi , qi , g , gd and a are expressed in mg . percent of glucose . this can also be expressed as milligrams per deciliter ( mg . dl ). bi represents a selected basal blood glucose concentration which would be present in a normal patient under resting conditions . ri represents the basal insulin infusion rate normally provided by the body of the normal patient under such conditions . when the apparatus of the present invention is used with a 70 kg . human patient , for example , ri is typically about 9 to 12 milliunits of insulin per min . and bi is about 80 mg . percent glucose . a typical qi is about 85 mg . percent glucose . k r generally is in the range from 60 to 200 and is typically about 125 . k f generally is in the range from 0 to 100 and is typically about 25 . the values for ri , bi , qi , k r and k f are selected by the operator depending upon the specific patient involved and upon previous experience . in the above second mode of operation , the computer is capable of deriving output signals from serial input signals in accordance with an equation of the form ## equ2 ## wherein ir , ri , g , bi and gi are discussed above . in the above third mode of operation , the computer is capable of deriving output signals from serial input signals in accordance with an equation of the form ## equ3 ## wherein ir , ri , g , gd , bi and qi are discussed above . when the apparatus is employed to infuse glucose , the computer is capable of deriving output signals from serial input signals in accordance with an equation of the form ## equ4 ## wherein g = measured previous serial blood glucose reading and rd , bd and qd are preselected values . in the above equation dr and rd are expressed in milligrams per minute of glucose infusion . bd , qd and g are expressed in mg . precent of glucose . bd represents a selected basal blood glucose concentration and rd represents a normal glucose infusion rate to obtain such basal concentration . when the apparatus of the present invention is used with a 70 kg . human patient , for example , rd is about 9 to 11 milligrams of glucose per minute and bd is about 70 mg . percent glucose . a typical qd is about 20 mg . percent glucose . it has been determined that in order to prevent any undersirable &# 34 ; overshooting &# 34 ; of desired blood glucose concentrations by excess infusion or glucose , the infusion rates for insulin and glucose should have controlled maximum values . a maximum insulin infusion rate of about 600 milliunits per minute and a maximum glucose infusion rate of about 200 milligrams per minute have been found suitable . typical operating conditions for computer calculated insulin infusion rates ( ir ) vs . measured serial blood glucose concentrations ( g ) for the second mode of operation are shown in fig2 . the ri and qi are kept constant at typical values of 10 milliunits per minute and 85 mg . percent , respectively . bi is shown for three typical values of 60 , 80 and 100 mg . percent . the calculated ir is then obtained from the appropriate curve 20 depending on the measured blood glucose reading ( g ) and the appropriate bi selected by the operator . comparable curves can also be obtained for different values of bi . it is noted that the curves are truncated at a maximum insulin infusion rate of 600 milliunits per minute . typical operating conditions for computer calculated insulin infusion rate ( ir ) vs . measured serial blood glucose concentrations ( g ) for the second mode of operation are shown in fig3 . the bi and qi are kept constant at typical values of 80 and 85 mg . percent , respectively . ri is shown for four typical values of 5 , 10 , 20 and 40 milliunits of insulin per minute . the calculated ir is then obtained from the appropriate curve 21 depending on the measured blood glucose reading ( g ) and the appropriate ri selected by the operator . comparable curves can also be obtained for different values of ri . typical operating conditions for computer calculated insulin infusion rates ( ir ) vs . measured serial blood glucose concentrations ( g ) for the second mode of operation are shown in fig4 . the bi and ri are kept constant at typical values of 80 mg . percent and 10 milliunits per minute , respectively . qi is shown for three typical values of 50 , 85 and 120 mg . percent . the calculated ir is then obtained from the appropriate curve 22 depending on the measured blood glucose reading ( g ) and the appropriate qi selected by the operator . comparable curves can also be obtained for different values of qi . typical operating conditions for computer calculated gd values to be used in the appropriate equations vs . rate of change of blood glucose concentration ( a ) for the first and third modes of operation are shown in fig5 . the effect of variations in k are known by the different curves 23 . if the blood glucose concentration is rising , k refers to k r . if the blood glucose concentration is falling , k refers to k f . comparable curves can also be obtained for different values of k . in the operation of the apparatus in the various modes for insulin infusion , the portions of the equations relating to ( g - bi qi ) + 1 and ( g + gd - bi qi ) + 1 must have values greater than zero . if either of these portions has values less than zero , the computer will stop all insulin infusion . in the event that the measured serial blood glucose concentrations drop below about 70 mg . percent , it is desirable to infuse glucose to bring the blood glucose concentration within the desired physiological range . in this case the computer will automatically switch to the glucose infusion mode described above . glucose infusion according to this mode can also be accomplished at any time at the discretion of the operator irrespective of the specific blood glucose concentration . typical operating conditions for computer calculated glucose infusion rates ( dr ) vs . measured serial blood glucose concentrations ( g ) are shown in fig6 . the qd and rd are kept constant at typical values of 35 mg . percent and 10 mg . per min . respectively . bd is shown for three typical values of 60 , 80 and 100 mg . percent . the calculated dr is then obtained from the appropriate curve 24 depending on the measured blood glucose reading ( g ) and the appropriate bd selected by the operator . comparable curves can also be obtained for different values of bd . it is noted that the curves are truncated at a maximum glucose infusion rate of 200 milligrams per minute . typical operating conditions for computer calculated glucose infusion rates ( dr ) vs . measured serial blood glucose concentrations ( g ) are shown in fig7 . the bd and qd are kept constant at typical values of 80 and 35 mg . percent , respectively . rd is shown for four typical values of 5 , 10 , 20 and 40 mg . per min . the calculated dr is then obtained for the appropriate curve 25 depending on the measured blood glucose reading ( g ) and the appropriate rd selected by the operator . comparable curves can also be obtained for different values of rd . typical operating conditions for computer calculated glucose infusion rates ( dr ) vs . measured serial blood glucose concentrations ( g ) are shown in fig8 . the bd and rd are kept constant at typical values of 80 mg . percent and 10 mg . per min ., respectively . qd is shown for three typical values of 20 , 35 and 50 mg . percent . the calculated dr is then obtained for the appropriate curve 26 depending on the measured blood glucose reading ( g ) and the appropriate qd selected by the operator . comparable curves can also be obtained for different values of qd . when glucose is being infused , the equation portion relating to ( bd - g gd ) + 1 must have a value greater than zero . if this value is less than zero , the computer will stop all glucose infusion . it can be seen from the above discussion that the apparatus of the present invention provides considerable flexibility to the operator to select not only the specific desired mode of operation but also to select desired control values in the computer operating equation for the selected operating mode . it is possible , when desired to have the apparatus simultaneously infusing both insulin and glucose according to separate different operating modes if this is necessary to maintain proper control over the blood glucose concentration of the patient . the operator can thus program the apparatus to most closely match the physiological condition of the particular patient and most effectively control the blood glucose concentration of this patient at a predetermined level . the apparatus of the present invention has been used in conjunction with several diabetic patients and has successfully maintained their blood glucose concentrations at desired levels under both stressed and unstressed situations and with various diets . the degree of control achieved has been superior to that obtained by prior art apparatus . in the apparatus of fig1 any suitable sensor means can be employed to measure the blood glucose concentration of the blood samples obtained from the patient . likewise any suitable pump can be used to infuse insulin or glucose to the patient in response to signals from the computer . the particular details of the sensor 11 , the computer 12 or the pump 13 do not form a part of the present invention . it is understood that for convenience there will be separate pumps for infusion of insulin and for infusion of glucose .	0
referring to fig1 a cast iron mold 10 comprises a long tube of square or rectangular cross section , and can be , for example 700 mm in length . the tube has the same radius of curvature as the continuous casting path , e . g . 6 m . when measuring the interior dimensions of the mold , a guide rail 11 of the same curvature as the mold is disposed in the mold 10 . the guide rail is secured at both ends so that it follows the center line of the cast iron mold . on the guide rail 11 is arranged a movable slide with a measuring means 12 . the measuring means 12 comprises a rim with conductive plates for providing capacitive measurement of the inside dimensions of the cast iron mold . the measuring means also includes an electronic unit ( not shown ) for supplying voltage to the measuring means and a circuit for processing the signals obtained from the capacitive measurement . as shown in fig2 which is a sectional view through the cast iron mold 10 and the plates of the measuring means 12 , the measuring means for each mold wall is provided with a number of plates arranged adjacent each other parallel to the wall . the measuring means shown in fig2 comprises 16 plates 1a to 8a and 1b to 8b , which are distributed proximate the four walls of the mold in the manner shown in the drawing . the plates are arranged at a relatively short distance from the mold wall , preferably about 2 to 3 mm . since the capacitance of the capacitor formed by one plate and the adjacent portion of the mold wall is a function of this distance , the dimensions of the mold can be obtained from a capacitance measurement . by connecting the separate capacitors formed in part by the mold walls in oscillating circuits , the capacitance measurement can be performed via a frequency determination measurement . if opposite plates are connected in pairs , a minor eccentricity of the guide rail with respect to the center line of the mold will be cancelled by the oppositely connected capacitors and will not influence the measurement result . for the sake of clarity , only one oscillating circuit is indicated in fig2 . the oscillating circuit comprises an oscillator coil 13 , having an inductance l , connected to the plates 1a and 1b of the measuring means . such an oscillating circuit is an oscillator of colpitt type , the capacitance c of which is defined as ## equ1 ## where c a is the capacitance between the plate 1 a and the adjacent portion of the mold wall and c b is the capacitance between the plate 1b and the adjacent portion of the mold wall . assuming that the plates 1a and 1b have the same plate area a , and at a certain measuring point along the length of the mold are at a distance d a and d b , respectively , from the adjacent mold wall , the previously defined relationship can be written as ## equ2 ## where ε and ε 0 are dielectric constants . the resonance frequency f of the oscillating circuit is thus defined as ## equ3 ## where k is a constant . variations in resonance frequency of the oscillating circuit , as the measuring means 12 is moved through the cast iron mold 10 , thus correspond to the variations of the inside dimensions of the mold . in the present illustrative example , where 16 plates 1a to 8a and 1b to 8b are connected in pairs via osscillator coils to form eight oscillators of colpitt type , 16 measuring points per mold cross section are obtained , which is sufficient for measuring a big mold . measurements can be performed , for example , at every 25 - 30 mm along the vertical distance of the mold , which gives about 30 measurements for a mold of 700 mm length . a variety of conventional signal processing circuits can be utilized to determine the resonance frequency of each oscillating circuit , and hence the interior dimensions of the mold . for example , as illustrated in fig3 the signal from each oscillator can be supplied to a separate counter via a gate . this gate can be enabled , for example , by means of a signal from an optically or electronically readable marking on the guide rail and be kept enabled for a predetermined time during which the counter is advanced stepwise by the signal from its associated oscillating circuit . when the gate has been disabled , the contents of the counter , indicative of the resonance frequency of the oscillating circuit , is transferred to a storage device and the counter is reset . it is also possible , as illustrated in fig4 to utilize only one single counter in the processing circuitry and to connect the various oscillators to this counter one at a time by means of suitable switching or gating devices . after taking the measuring device out of the cast iron mold , the processing circuitry can be connected to a printer or a display unit where the contents of the storage device is displayed after any necessary calculation to determine an absolute dimension measure or a deviation from nominal measure . the stoage device can be made large enough to store data from several cast iron molds . the measurement results can also be fed directly from the processing circuitry to a printer or a display unit for display thereof . the processing circuitry is preferably battery - operated , which eliminates the need for an electrical supply cable to the movable measuring means . the present invention may be embodiment in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof . the presently disclosed embodiment is therefore considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description , and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein .	6
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 , such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device , and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates . referring now to fig1 a schematic illustration of the anti - theft device 8 according to the present invention is shown . the device 8 includes alarm circuitry 10 which is electrically connected to connection modules 16 . each connection module 16 is connected , via electrical cables such as cables 26 and 28 , to a vcr 17 or a dummy connector module 18 which simulates the presence of a vcr . each connection module 16 includes identical components and the uppermost module depicted in fig1 is representative of the components found within each connection module 16 . alarm circuitry 10 provides a means for detecting an open circuit condition between signal path 12 and a ground potential appearing on signal path 12e . alarm circuitry 10 includes two transistors , q1 and q2 , utilized as electronic switching devices . the base of transistor q2 is connected to signal path 12 and to the shield or ground connection of connector j4 . when an electronic device such as vcr 17 is connected to a connection module 16 , the internal chassis ground of vcr 17 provides a series connection path internal within the vcr for shorting the ground shield of connector j4 to that of connector j3 . coaxial cables 26 and 28 connect , for example , the input ( rf in or antenna in connector ) and playback ( rf out to a television ) connection jacks or connectors of vcr 17 to corresponding signal connectors or to a switching unit ( not shown ) which is typically connected to connectors j1 and j2 of module 16 in retail stores . switching units , commonplace in retail merchandise stores specializing in audio and video equipment retailing , enable a user to connect the input and output of an electronic device to a matrix of other signal sources or playback devices for demonstration purposes . in the embodiment shown , connectors j1 , j2 , j3 , and j4 are f - type coaxial connectors typically used in cable tv installations . connection module 16 is a wall - mount feedthrough device which provides a convenient and attractive means for connecting to a vcr . the signals present on connectors j1 and j4 are dc isolated by capacitors c2 and c3 on the signal conductor connection as well as the shield or common conductor connection . thus , ac signals emanating from vcr 17 will pass from connector j4 to connector j1 and dc signals present on the shield and signal conductor connections of connector j4 are blocked by capacitors c2 and c3 from reaching connector j1 , and vice versa . in like manner , capacitors c4 and c5 provide dc isolation for connectors j2 and j3 allowing ac signals to pass yet blocking dc signals on both the signal conductor connection and the shield or common conductor connection . signal path 12 is electrically connected to the shield of connector j4 , the shield of connector j6 , the shield of connector j5 , and the shield of connector j3 when coaxial cables 26 and 28 are installed as shown in fig1 . once installed , coaxial cables 26 and 28 complete a circuit for signal path 12 to be shorted electrically to signal path 12a . in like manner , other devices similar to vcr 17 may be connected to the remaining connection modules 16 . alternatively , jumper blocks 18 provide an electrical short between the shield of connector j4 and j3 for each of the remaining modules 16 if no additional electronic devices such as vcr 17 need be displayed and also monitored for theft . when signal path 12 is shorted to signal path 12a , 12b , 12c , 12d , and 12e , a completed circuit is formed to short signal path 12 to ground potential . when signal path 12 is electrically shorted to signal paths 12a - 12e , the base of transistor q2 is shorted to ground and transistor q2 is turned &# 34 ; off .&# 34 ; in addition , resistors r5 and r4 then establish a voltage divider and provide an appropriate voltage across light emitting diode ( led ) d2 to illuminate led d2 and indicate that the loop connection through all the connection modules 16 ( signal paths 12 and 12a - 12e ) is complete to a ground level potential or voltage . if vcr 17 or any of the jumpers 18 is removed from any of the modules 16 , signal path 12 will no longer be directly shorted to signal path 12e . in the event this occurs , the base of transistor q2 will float and allow transistor q2 to begin to conduct current , and thereby supply a power signal to the collector of transistor q1 . ( a 10k ohm pull - up resistor may also be used to ensure that the base of q2 will rise to + 12 vdc when signal path 12 is no longer shorted to ground potential .) in addition , a voltage is supplied to the junction between resistors r2 and r3 from the emitter of transistor q2 . when the voltage across capacitor c1 begins to rise , the voltage at the base of transistor q1 will reach a point at approximately 0 . 6 or 0 . 7 volts when transistor q1 will be &# 34 ; turned on &# 34 ; so that the voltage from collector to emitter of q1 will be approximately 0 . 1 to 0 . 3 volts . when this occurs , a power signal or current is supplied to speaker or siren s1 and light emitting diode ( led ) d1 . the speaker and led provide an audible and visual indication that the serially connected loop of connections through the modules 16 has been electrically broken or opened . audible and visual alarms indicate that the series of connections between the modules is no longer complete , and thus a vcr 17 or one of the jumper blocks 18 has been removed from one of the modules 16 . an advantageous aspect of the device 8 shown in fig1 is that once a sales person installs a vcr 17 to one of the connection modules 16 , and activates the audible alarm by turning a key lock which is coupled to switch sw1 to close the circuit between speaker s1 and ground , security device is armed without any additional connections over and above those normally required to demonstrate the operating features of the vcr 17 . it should be recognized that additional vcrs may be connected into the anti - theft circuit by removing jumper block 18 from module 16 and interconnecting as is shown in the exemplary connections with vcr 17 . it should also be recognized that a relatively large number of modules 16 may be tied together in series to form a security system which can monitor the presence of several hundred vcrs . once a vcr is disconnected at either connector j5 or j6 from a corresponding connection module 16 , the series connections are broken and signal path 12 is no longer shorted to signal path 12e thus resulting in a triggering of the alarm . component values for the electrical schematic components of fig1 are listed in table 1 , including tolerance values and industry standard designations for the parts . connectors j1 , j2 , j3 , and j4 are standard f type connectors which are mounted on the front and back of a module 16 designed to mount quickly to a smooth surface such as a wall or display stand . in addition , capacitors c2 , c3 , c4 , and c5 are mounted on the backside of a wall plate which is mountable on any wall and resembles the standard wall feedthrough used in cable television installations where two signals are passed through a solid wall . coaxial cables 26 and 28 are mateable with standard f connector type female connectors such as j1 - j6 . twisted pair cable and any type of two - pin connectors can be substituted for the coaxial cables and connectors shown . the electronic alarm circuitry 10 is powered by a 12 volt dc power supply ( not shown ) available in a variety of forms from power supply manufacturers . siren s1 is a device designed to produce a very loud alarm signal ( approximately 110 decibels ) when a dc power signal is supplied across the terminals of the siren . switch sw1 , which is mechanically operable in response to the turning of a key in a key lock , allows retail store salespersons to disable the siren s1 to remove or disconnect vcr 17 and prevent triggering of the audible alarm . table 1______________________________________r1 , r3 , r5 10 k /. 25 w 10r2 , r4 1 k /. 25 w 10c1 4 . 7 microfarad / 25 vc2 - 5 2700 picofarad / 25 vq1 ecg85 , or 2n3860q2 ecg199 or 2n5172d1 led ( green ) d2 led ( red ) sw1 key switchs1 siren______________________________________ it should be recognized that the embodiment disclosed is designed to readily connect to vcrs , however other electronic audio / visual equipment may also be connected to the modules 16 , via suitable mating connectors , and utilize the common signal ground between an input and an output connector or a left and right audio channel connector of audio / visual equipment for establishing a series electronic security loop circuit such as that created by the signal paths 12 shorted to signal paths 12a - 12e . examples of such devices include : preamplifiers , amplifiers , tuners , audio cassette players , compact disk players , digital audio tape ( dat ) players , and audio sound shaping equipment such as equalizers or surround sound decoders . 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 .	8
fig1 is a general schematic illustration of an enhanced electric utility meter 10 constructed in accordance with the present disclosure . the electric meter 10 can be used in a home or business environment to monitor the amount of electricity consumed by the residence or business being served through the electric meter 10 . the electric meter 10 is positioned between a line connection 12 and a load connection 14 as is typical . the electricity meter includes a current sensor 16 that senses the current being drawn by the load from the line connection . as illustrated in fig1 , the current sensor 16 can be one of two different types of current sensors . the current sensor 16 feeds the sensed current through an amplifier 18 and into an analog - to - digital converter 20 . in addition to the current measurement , a voltage signal is sent through another amplifier 22 into a second analog - to - digital converter 24 . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , the analog - to - digital converter samples the voltage and current at a sample speed . in the embodiment shown , the sample speed is greater than 60 hz . the digital signals from the two converters 20 , 24 are fed to a pre - processing device 26 . the pre - processing device can be used to extract kwh , kvar , line frequency and other similar information . such pre - processing is known in many meters today and the information from the pre - processor 26 is typically sent to a utility for billing purposes . in accordance with the present disclosure , the information from the pre - processing device 26 is fed to a processor 28 that is included in the electric meter 10 . the processor 28 utilizes the raw sample data presented from the pre - processing device 26 to analyze higher frequency or transient components of the digitized voltage and current waveforms available along communication line 30 . as will be described in much greater detail below , the processing means 28 can carry out a variety of different functions and be utilized to provide additional benefits and analysis in accordance with the present disclosure . as one illustrative example , the processing means 28 can compare the voltage and current waveforms to various different templates or criteria stored within a memory device 32 to identify the load type . the memory device 32 can be internal or external to the processor 28 while operating within the scope of the present disclosure . the templates and thresholds contained within the memory device 32 can be uploaded to the electric meter using a communication device 34 . the communication device 34 allows for various different information to be obtained from the electric meter 10 or uploaded to the electric meter 10 as desired . the processing means 28 is further connected to sensing and emitter means 36 that allow the processing means 28 to sense various different physical parameters and emit signals from the electric meter . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , the communication means 34 is connected to a centralized data processor 38 . the centralized data processor 38 can warehouse large volumes of data ( for example the behavior of a single customer over yearlong seasonal events , or can be used to save the behavior of millions of customers as a peak event occurs , such as a storm ). by combining the power of the processing means 28 within the electric meter with the processing at the centralized back end 38 , data anomalies can be eliminated , better forecasting enabled inaccuracies from imperfect non - invasive load monitoring matching of individual events calculated in the electric meter . methods such as kalman filtering , expert systems , or neural networks can be applied to the back end data by the centralized data processor 38 . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , the processing means 28 contained within the electric meter is designed to be available to third party developers to create software - based innovations that can be applied to the electric meter 10 . the use of an open format allows third party developers to create applications that can be simply stored onto the processor 28 and utilized by the electric meter 10 . the hardware and software platform of the present disclosure includes open api / device drivers / interfaces and an open operating system . such a platform allows for smart metering / smart grid applications for which third party developers can create new software , firmware , dsp and back - end databases and analysis programs and applications . as an illustrative example , set forth below are types of tool kits that could be developed and operated by the processing means 28 : 4096 point fft , 2 per sec , 1 . 0 sec span with 0 . 5 sec overlap ( nilm and diagnostics ) allows for capturing the 29 th harmonic . ( 34 th is the highest detectable with this schema ) use of a von hann data taper window strongly recommended only even - frequency bins are kept for nilm use ( 2 hz to 2046 hz ) 4 . 096 ks / s 16 - bit to 24 - bit i & amp ; v buffer decimating filter required to use with higher sample rates . if utilizing same adcs as 4096 point fft , sample rate should be an integer multiple of 4 . 096 ks / s to optimize decimating filter performance . plc using line voltage in the 35 - 90 khz range can support multiple standards including iec 61334 , erdf g3 , and iberdrola prime . this higher frequency range is limited to the secondary side of the transformer which make it ideal for locating neighboring meters . the higher frequency also limits interference with nilm and other diagnostics . capture buffer i & amp ; v , +/− 20 sec ( nilm and diagnostics at power fail ) kwh , kvar , line freq ( obtained from metrology μc and / or 4096 point fft output ) voltage arc / corona recognition ( obtained from 4096 point fft output ) load & amp ; line side plc neighbor meter discovery plc neighbor meter kwh totalized 1 ms accurate gps timestamp phase detection ( abc ) current lead / lag transformer saturation fft ( obtained from 4096 point fft output ) library of load signatures library of bad actor signatures home plug plc emulator stack echelon plc emulator stack ieee 802 . 15 . 4 g zigbee sep 2 . 0 6 lopan flexnet ieee 802 . 11 . b ( wi - fi ) c12 . 19 tables c12 . 18 optical port ip stack : udp , tcp , http elliptic security mesh routing logic + tables + discovery buddy mode status table of han loads appliance id / status over power line ( c & amp ; i meters detect on all 3 phases ) fig2 illustrates the mechanical assembly for the electric meter 10 of the present disclosure . although one embodiment for the physical configuration of the electric meter 10 is disclosed , it should be understood that the physical configuration of the electric meter could take many different forms while operating within the scope of the present disclosure . in the embodiment shown in fig2 , the electric meter includes a lid 40 that snaps onto a base 42 . the base 42 includes a series of blade connectors 44 that allows the meter to be placed into a socket and receive the line voltage . the electric meter includes a remote disconnect relay 46 that allows the entire electricity meter to be disconnected from the line voltage remotely . a series of wires 48 lead from the relay and includes a plug member 50 that connects to circuit board 52 . the circuit board 52 includes the operational component for the electric meter that will be described in greater detail below . in the embodiment shown in fig2 , the current sensor 16 is coupled to the circuit board 52 . an alternative type of current sensor 54 is also shown . fig3 illustrates one contemplated embodiment for the processing means 28 shown in fig1 . as illustrated in fig3 , the processing means is connected to both flash memory 56 and ram 58 . the processing means 28 receives and sends signals to a variety of different components 60 . as described previously , a remote disconnect 46 is coupled to the processing means 28 . an lcd screen 62 allows the processing means 28 to communicate information that can be viewed from external to the meter . an optical port 64 allows for further communication from the processing means 28 . the pre - processing means 26 communicates to the processing means 28 as illustrated and previously described in fig1 . a backup capacitor 65 provides a source of emergency power upon power loss . the capacitor stores enough energy to power the processor for enough time to share data and send a final transmission . various other connections are available to the processing means 28 as illustrated in fig3 . fig4 illustrates yet another depiction of the electric meter 10 of the present disclosure . as previously described in fig1 , the electric meter 10 includes a voltage sensor 66 and a current sensor 16 that each feed an analog - to - digital converter 20 , 24 . the processed voltage and current information from the analog - to - digital converters 20 , 24 are fed to the processing means 28 for analysis . in the embodiment shown in fig4 , the processing means 28 is used to calculate kilowatt hours as illustrated by box 68 . the calculations that take place in box 68 yield a billable quantity that is filtered from various harmonics . the data available for correlation , pattern matching and neural net processing in box 70 is not used for the kwh billing and is thus rich in harmonic content . as previously described , the processing means 28 is contained within the electric meter and thus the calculations occur at the meter itself rather than at an offsite processing location . as illustrated in fig4 , a 240 - volt ac power supply 72 is used to provide power to the entire electric meter , including the processing means 28 and the various communication and storage devices . additionally , a single communication means 34 is used to both report kwh billing information and load - type information . thus , only a single communication means 34 is required for the two different types of communications . fig5 provides a further , more detailed schematic illustration of the electric meter 10 of the present disclosure . the diagram shown in fig5 includes additional details compared to the schematic illustration of fig1 . as illustrated in fig5 , the electric meter 10 includes the processing means 28 . the processing means 28 is connected to both the flash memory 56 and the ram 58 . the communication means 34 in the embodiment shown in fig5 includes both an rf communication device 74 that communicates over both wan and lan networks . a second device 76 provides another type of communication from the electric meter 10 over a han interface . the han interface can talk to present and developing endpoints and prevents the utility from making a bad choice of a han standard . as illustrated in fig5 , a tamper detection circuit 78 communicates with the processing means to determine if and when the electric meter has been tampered with or removed from the meter socket . fig6 illustrates one contemplated embodiment for the power supply used to drive the various components of the electric meter . as illustrated in fig6 , the power supply from the line 12 is fed through a diode 80 and inductor 82 and into a dc - dc converter 84 . a capacitor 65 provides power backup and could be replaced with any type of rechargeable cell . a second dc - dc converter 88 is used to condition the voltage which is then sent to one of a series of regulators as illustrated . the power supply circuit 90 shown in fig6 is meant to illustrate only one possible type of power supply and is not meant to be limiting to the present disclosure . referring back to fig5 , the electric meter 10 of the present disclosure includes a dsp - based line / lead side signal waveform injector 92 . the waveform injector 92 enables multiple applications if a meter can send a tone or an impulse into the customer side or the transformer side and then monitor the reflection . this ability allows the electricity meter to learn something about the load or about the distribution side such as transformer health or that there is an unauthorized tap or short or branch touching the line at 172 feet from the meter or a fuse is arching or there is a ground fault emerging . this feature is especially useful where underground wiring is used . the injected signal from the injector 92 can be a time - shaped waveform to increase accuracy and to reduce undesirable reflected paths . the injector circuit may be shared with plc communications . if a plc signal is generated using digital signal processing , the signal can be universal so that it matches existing and future plc standards . when a meter injects a signal on the transformer side that is too high in frequency for the transformer to pass on to feeder systems , only the meters on the transformer side can hear the signal and reply . in this manner , the meter 10 can determine which meters are on the transformer side and analyze such information . as an illustrative example , the knowledge of “ neighboring meters ” on the transformer can be automatically totalized to determine the difference between daytime and nighttime loads and by using ambient temperature to estimate if the transformer is properly sized . in one embodiment , the waveform injector can be a power mosfet in a push pull or class e configuration . the signal generator is a dsp that can make an arbitrary waveform to produce plc data signals or a time - of - flight capable shaped waveform . the waveform generator can also vary frequency to measure response peaks and shunts . fig7 provides a relatively high - end view of the processing means 10 included in the electric meter . as previously described , the processing means 28 is connected to both flash memory 56 and ram 58 . in the embodiment illustrated , the processing means 28 is an arm 9 400 megahertz processor that allows the device to support multiple real - time applications . in the embodiment illustrated , the flash memory and ram are sufficient to allow for the operation of a linux operating system with partitioned memory . the linux operating system allows for true open interfaces for third party developers and allows various different types of applications to be developed and uploaded to the processing means 28 . referring back to fig5 , the system includes a universal 2 . 4 ghz han that allows the system to adapt as various different standards evolve . additionally , the system includes a universal 400 - 1000 mhz wan / lan that allows the system to emulate any type of fsk mesh with a stack download . the two different types of communication devices allow the utility to adjust the communication technique as desired , which reduces the risk in selecting the electric meter . the dfp - based “ software radio ” allows for vast flexibility . referring back to fig7 , the system includes the remote disconnect 46 which includes load side voltage sensing and optional arming to enable manual reconnect . in the diagram of fig7 , various different pre - processor routines 94 and applications 96 are set forth and will be described in much greater detail below . as the routines 94 and applications 96 illustrate , the electricity meter can carry out a large number of functions while operating within the scope of the present disclosure . although various different types of functions and routines are described , it should be understood that the electricity meter of the present disclosure includes onboard processing which allows for an almost unlimited number of applications to be carried out . further , since the processing means includes the linux operating system , various different applications can be developed by third parties and uploaded to the electricity meter to continue to enhance the functionality of the electricity meter . fig8 illustrates one method of utilizing the enhanced electric meter 10 of the present disclosure . although the embodiment shown in fig8 illustrates one method of utilizing the electric meter 10 , it should be understood that various different methods are available while operating within the present disclosure . in the embodiment of fig8 , the owner / operator of a customer location can use a computing device 100 , such as a pda , pc or similar device to input parameters into the enhanced meter . in the embodiment illustrated , the computing device 100 includes a display and input means 102 , a processing means 104 and a communication means 106 . each of these different components can vary depending upon the specific computing device 100 . the computing device 100 can further include an application program and data storage device as illustrated . in one contemplated embodiment , the program on the computing device 100 can prompt the user to enter various different information , such as the size of the home / building or physical parameters of the building , such as the number of square feet , number of windows , color of the roofing or other related information . further , the application program 108 can prompt the user to turn on or off an appliance or hvac system while identifying that appliance in the computing device 100 . by turning on and off the device , the electric meter 10 is able to identify load parameters and operating the signatures of the specific device . the computing device 100 communicates over a network 110 with a processor at a large data aggregator or utility , as illustrated by reference numeral 112 . in turn , the processor 112 communicates through the network 110 to a communications collector 114 and ultimately to the electric meter 10 . when the user turns on or off the device as prompted by the program on the computing device 100 , the signature of the device is stored within the processor 112 . the processing means 28 of the electric meter 10 communicates load signature profiles from the processing means 28 back to the processor 112 . since the processor 112 has learned a signature profile of various devices at the owner / operator location , the processor 112 can identify the type of device turned on or off during normal operations based on the stored load profile . in this manner , the processor 112 is able to “ learn ” and improve the prediction of the non - invasive load monitoring based upon actual data obtained through the computing device 100 . fig1 illustrates the data processing system of the present disclosure in connection with a third party service provider or data aggregator . in the embodiment shown , when any of the plurality of electric meters 10 senses a change in kw ( δkw ), the δkw data is captured by the processor on the meter and a load type prediction is made on the meter and time stamped . the load type prediction and data is communicated directly or indirectly to a data aggregator or third party service provider 150 through the communication network 152 . the processor at the data aggregator 150 initially pre - processes the data using a kalman filter to determine whether the change is possible for the type of home at that time of day in that time of year . if the change is possible , the data aggregator determines whether the change matches with homes of similar characteristics . if yes , back end processing occurs , including enhanced kalman filtering and monte carlos filter as well as neural network methods . the change is then compared to profiles on the storage means 154 . this processing improves the device recognition rate from the enhanced meter to a post processed correct recognition rate of & gt ; 95 %. as set forth above , the electric meter of the present disclosure includes onboard processing means that allow the electric meter to carry out various different functions , features and applications , many of these functions , features and applications are set forth in the diagram of fig7 by reference numeral 96 . several of these applications will now be described in greater detail below . home and business hvac operations and maintenance are a large cost to both the homeowner and business owner and represent a large percentage of the total load that a utility must provide . the proper operation and efficiency of the hvac unit are important to the overall goals of the smart grid . the present disclosure can monitor both voltage and current to detect undesirable operation or fault conditions in hvac equipment conditions , such as low freon levels or frozen coils , create a change of load on the compressor and hvac system which can be detected using comparisons to profiles matching or similar to those conditions . in addition , the duty cycle of the hvac compressor can also be used to determine how close the system is operating at maximum capacity . information can be collected from the homeowner or business owner to help improve that prediction including square footage of the building , construction type , building age , roof type , etc . as discussed above , the electric meter of the present disclosure can detect various different air conditioner faults , such as a low freon supply , which is detected by increased run time and a gradual decrease in compressor load . frozen compressor coils can also be detected by increased run time and a decrease in compressor load . if the hvac system is improperly sized , the electric meter can detect this situation based upon excessive run time for the current temperature level . if the hvac system has a failed bearing , the electric meter can detect this situation as an increase in reactivity as well as an overall increase in energy consumption . if the hvac system has a bad starter capacitor , the electric meter can sense this through an increased inductance and possibly an increase in the energy consumed . further , if the home or business is leaking heat or cold , the electric meter can detect this situation through long - term data aggregation and analysis . the electricity meter utilizes 4096 . fft analysis on 16 - bit voltage and current samples taken from the electric meter . the changes on the load of the compressor leaves a v / i fingerprint that can be detected by the electric meter . further , since the electric meter knows the compressor duty cycle and kw draw and outdoor temperature , the electric meter can compare the draws of the home to other homes in the area based upon square footage and the age of the home . the concept of “ nega - watts ” relates to the ability of a utility to shed loads when the amount of power consumption is approaching a peak level . typically , customers sign up for a power management program and the utility , through remote interrupts , sheds loads at customer sites to reduce the total consumption on the electric grid . in the embodiment of the present disclosure , the electric meter provides the utility database with actual data from many homes over a long period of time , which allows the utility to learn compressor duty cycles and kw draw and outdoor temperatures . by knowing this information , the utility can predict how long a home will allow the devices to remain off until they are overridden and turned back on . the system of the present disclosure supports knowledge apps that predict the thermal properties of the home or business and thus accurately know how many “ nega - watts ” of demand response can be delivered before the home or business owner is discomforted and opts - out of the program . preventing large consumer opt - outs is critical to the sustainability of an energy management program . bad actors include any equipment which is operating in an undesired manner such as occurs during a bearing failure , starter cap failure , faulty armature arcing in an armature contacts with overly resistive connection and the like . the sensors and processing capabilities in the instant disclosure can be used to make accurate predictions of these cases by matching the outputs of the sensors to templates stored in memory means . in addition the disclosure can provide sub - cycle power quality measurement and analysis . this may be used to detect and monitor the inrush currents of large loads and the subsequent drop in line voltage caused by the increased current . the drop in line voltage caused by these large loads can often cause other loads to restart or even stall , and this information can be utilized to determine the probable cause and location of customer outages that do not correspond to faults , switchovers , and maintenance events . over and above hvac equipment another significant load in offices and in commercial buildings are various electronic equipment . the instant disclosure can be used to detect conditions on the ac / dc converter and make predictions of load on that equipment type . in addition , servers and other equipment occasionally have predictable scheduled maintenance whereby the on / off condition of that equipment can be entered into a pc or pda to improve the instant disclosure &# 39 ; s ability to recognize when that load has been turned on or off in the future . in addition , the ability to recognize pc &# 39 ; s , servers , copy machines , fax machines , etc . can be augmented if that equipment is capable of downloading programmable executable code . a program can be introduced onto a pc for example , which causes a pc to enable or disable a device on that pc which crates loan on the electric system , for example , the lcd screen . in addition if any of the office equipment or pcs have access to plc or to rf communications such as wi - fi , those can be used to send a signal to the instant disclosure whereby that information would be used to sense the status of the equipment directly . the disclosure can in addition connect to the customer &# 39 ; s wlan network to search for active ip addresses and identify server infrastructure and other ip based devices . since the instant disclosure includes the ability to mimic protocols through software based radio and software based plc this allows the disclosure to adapt to present and future communications methods . these capabilities should prove extremely useful in smaller buildings where customers are most likely to be concerned about multiple small loads . transformer health is an important factor in the future smart grid . transformers are often sized with a percentage margin predicted for the home or neighborhood . with new innovative products coming on to the market regularly , all of which require power , many of these transformers are mirroring the load limit of their design . presently , there is no simple or automated way of totalizing the loads that are offered to one of these power pole transformers which would be the summation of typically 4 - 6 homes . the present disclosure allows for a tiered method to warn a utility of impending transformer overload or unsafe operating conditions . first it is able to determining the aggregate load presented to the transformer by determining which neighboring meters are also connected to that transformer . it recognizes these neighboring meters by injecting a power line carrier term or message into the transformer side of the meter whereby the other meters similarly attached to this same transformer are able to receive and demodulate that tone . upon receiving the tone or message , the other meters reply with their _configuration id_ . in this manner , each meter knows the identity of the other meters that share the same transformer . this information can be used between the meters to totalize the total power demanded from the transformer at any point in time . an overloaded condition can be measured against the pre - set limit in the meter and annunciated to the utility the communications means provided on the instant disclosure . in addition , the meter algorithm can include a pre - set limit that upon exceeding , the individual meters can either vote to disconnect a single meter or to load limit all of the meters such that upon exceeding that load limit level the meter &# 39 ; s remote disconnect switch is deactivated . in addition the non - invasive load monitoring means can store a fingerprint matching a power pole transformer with a saturated core . a saturated core represents less of a sinusoidal pattern and more of a deformed triangle wave caused by the addition of a strong third harmonic . upon the meter or meters detecting such a pattern , they can transmit a warning annunciating system to the utility . in addition , the meters can be set with local control to disable home loads via their internal communications means or they can be programmed to deactivate the remote disconnect switch thus ensuring the transformer is not operated in an overloaded condition . as an illustrative example , if the pole power transformer has a loss of oil , this type of situation creates an arc across the transformer , which can be detected by the electric meter . likewise , if the core is saturated , it is generated by the transformer and third order harmonics generated , which again can be detected by the electric meter . the electric meter 10 of the present disclosure is connected to the secondary 113 of a distribution utility network transformer 114 , as shown in fig9 . the secondary 113 is coupled through the primary 115 through isolated coils and a transformer core which limits the frequency response of signals that can be conducted through the distribution primary . however , the distribution primary does effect the secondary of the transformer such that multiple meters 10 can be used to sense the effects of the secondary of multiple transforms in order to make a determination or prediction about the condition that exists on the primary side of that transformer . in addition , certain high frequency events like arcing or the effect of an automatic rate closure , creates high frequency components , some of which propagate across the primary to the secondary of the transformer . these can be used , as described herein , to detect certain undesirable conditions that may exist on the distribution primary side . a typical low - pass cutoff frequency for signals coupling between the primary and secondary windings on a distribution transformers is in the 11 khz to 12 khz range . the present disclosure can be used to also monitor undesirable effects on the primary side of the pole top transformer , i . e . the effect of coronas on a utility pole insulator creates a wideband signal on the primary side , a portion of which will propagate to the secondary side of the transformer . the secondary residual signal energy can be detected using non - invasive load monitoring means in the instant disclosure whereby an appropriate signature is matched to the fault condition . upon detecting such condition , the meter 10 would use the communications means to annunciate that condition to the electric utility . in addition , coronas and other effects can be created when a tree branch touches the electric line 116 connected to the primary side of the transformer . methods as attached in the diagram of fig9 can detect and annunciate those conditions . as illustrated in fig9 , when a power line 116 is down , the transformer 114 creates a distinctive signal that is sensed by any one of the electric meters 10 . the electric meter 10 records the distinctive waveform as illustrated by box 118 . when the distinct waveform is detected in box 120 , the electric meter communicates out to the utility that such a power outage was determined and a time reference label 122 is applied to such communication . in this manner , the electric meter 10 of the present disclosure is able to communicate to the utility of a power outage . the instant disclosure can also augment outage management procedures by using its ability to recognize neighboring meters that are connected on the same secondary of a pole top transformer . this information can be communicated during a power fail or a power restoral . this information is useful in determining when all loads are restored so that the lineman may move on to repair the next fault condition during a storm . alternatively , this information can be used to increase the accuracy of the prediction that a power outage situation is not a single home but rather caused by loss of a transformer . this test can be a simple threshold , i . e . if 3 out of 5 of the neighboring meters report a power outage then it is likely that the other 2 are in a power outage condition as well . another improvement delivered by the instant disclosure is the ability for it to continually monitor both voltage and current so that when a fault occurs that information is stored to a capture register and either conveyed to a utility or stored to eerom or flash memory , such that it can be retrieved for post mortem analysis of the fault condition by the utility at a later time . this sampling can occur at a rate much higher than 60 cycles , i . e . 4 . 096 kilo - samples per second of both the current and the voltage or this information can be pre - processed such as storage of the magnitudes of each of the 29 harmonics of the fundamental line frequency . alternatively , other data compression methods can be applied to the stored information . a key element is the meter &# 39 ; s ability to store this fault analysis information both prior to the fault occurring as well as subsequent to the fault occurring . since most faults result in loss of power this means that the instant disclosure must provide power backup in order to allow 10 - 20 seconds of recording to occur after the fault condition and where there is no primary power to run the sensor &# 39 ; s metrology and a / d converters and processor means . the collection and analysis of the voltage and current waveforms before , during , and after the fault will allow for the approximate location and cause of the fault to be determined . in addition , the instant disclosure provides accurate time stamping means and highly accurate high stability , load drift temperature compensated crystal oscillator to ensure that the timestamp is accurate and that the time in between samples is highly repeatable . the absolute accuracy of the time stamping is provided in one of several means , one can use interfaces such as 802 . 11 and software synchronization information communicated over internet protocols . an alternative method is to use radius signals transmitted from a remote tower that is gps synchronized of the like . the arrival time of the signal from the tower can be used to timestamp and create an accurate time reference . even conditions such as the delay of time of flight from a tower to the meter can be calibrated out by knowing the lat lon of the meter and the lan lon of the tower and by using the speed of light over the distance the errors there can be readily compensated . so the instant disclosure after a fault condition operates on its internal backup power which is provided through an electrolytic capacitor or the like and 10 - 20 seconds after the fault event occurs this information is stored off to a capture register including flash or eerom and saved until requested by a utility command . the method disclosed herein to determine neighboring meters that share a single utility transformer can be used to also provide benefits for the anticipated increase in powered hybrid electric vehicles ( phev ) utilization . the electric distribution system was not planned for the additional loads created by phevs . typically , a phev when charging can create as much load as an entire household in operation , therefore if the 4 - 6 homes on a single transformer were to each have a powered hybrid electric vehicle connected to a charger at the same time it could double the load on a transform and exceed its capacity . since the meters know the ids of their neighbors sharing the same transformer , they can negotiate to allocate time slices for phev charging . by assigning timeslots to the phevs and by monitoring the accumulated total load on the transformer it can be assured that the maximum numbers of timeslots are allocated for charging and it can be assured that the transformer itself is not operating in an overloaded condition . in addition , the methods disclosed herein for core saturation detection and arcing can also be used as additional means to ensure proper transformer health when loaded by a phev . the instant disclosure can use the rf or plc communications means to send signals directly to the phev to duty cycle charging or they can send a signal to a charging station or they can send a signal to a utility such that the utility can assign charging timeslots to the phev or the charging station . the instant disclosure includes the processing necessary to calculate kilowatt hours , peak demand , kvar , and when that power is utilized . this information can be provided in 1 min , 5 min , 15 min , or hourly intervals . this information is compressed in the instant disclosure and either initiated in transmission by the enhanced electric utility meter or it is provided upon a poll request by the utility backend . another feature of the instant disclosure is to be able to detect load type at a customer premise . one of the applications for non - invasive load monitoring is to identify when florescent light ballast are uses in mass . this is a condition that can indicate that florescent lighting is being used for growing illegal plants . this condition can then be annunciated and forwarded to the electric utility . energy can be stolen in a number of ways from an electric utility including taps at the transformer &# 39 ; s secondary or primary side . the ability of the instant disclosure to recognize neighboring meters that share a transformer primary is a key benefit in totalizing energy such that “ missing energy ” can be determined . for example , if a certain amount of energy is provided from a feeder meter to other transformers , a total source energy is known . if the energy that is being utilized at each transformer is then totalized by operating neighborhood meters then the load on that transformer can be known . in addition , the load on every other transformer sharing the same primary side lines can be known . gaps between the source energy and the energy used can therefore be shown and the approximate location is known between two effected transformers . this allows the utility to both know the quantity of stolen energy , as well as the approximate location and the exact time of the utilization . it also allows the utility to use non - invasive load monitoring to determine signatures of utilization that may be useful at a later time . if a meter is removed and placed in a drift socket the approximate location of the re - energized meter is known in the following manner : upon power restoral the id of the meter is annunciated to the utility . the utility can poll that meter and access its information bases including the 4 - 6 neighborhood meters . since those neighboring meters have known lat lon because gis information is captured during installation , then the approximate location of the stolen meter is known . the instant disclosure supports an english language customer help service called the energy advisor suite , the english language messages can be sent via a text message , or email , or an electronic voice targeted at a pre - determined telephone number ( s ). the advice comes in the form of messages such as “ instead of washing clothes at 4 : 30 pm move your wash time to 8 pm and save $ 14 per month ”. this capability is provided in the instant disclosure via its non - invasive load monitoring such that electable modes such as washer , dryer , dishwasher , or the like , can be detected automatically and the load that they represent in terms of kwh can be calculated and this can be predicted over a pattern of 30 day usage and estimated into impact on the monthly bill . the software either within the instant disclosure under the glass or at the utility backend or at a service provider ( such as google ) can additionally know the rate structure of that utility on an hourly basis to determine when a better yet convenient time to operate those appliances . other sources of advice can include “ lower your thermostat temperature by 2 degrees and save $ 23 per month ”. in addition to suggesting when appliances should be operated , the systems of the disclosure supports knowledge applications that can inform a customer if they have a thermally inefficient home . when the electric meter determines that the home is inefficient , the energy advisor suite suggests possible home improvements that could reduce energy costs , such as adding insulation , replacing windows , etc . utilities that promote such a program could possibly earn carbon credits . another feature of the energy advisor suite is to notify a homeowner of business owner of the cost of incandescent lights utilized . it can know that the incandescent lights are not being turned off at night . it can also totalize the total load represented by incandescent lights and therefore the approximate monthly bill for their use . it can further calculate the savings if those incandescent lights are replaced by florescent lighting . this information can be further coupled to the sales lead generator or the sales lead auction system . another feature of the energy advisor seat identified above is the ability to notify a home owner or business owner of preferred times to operate energy consuming devices . as an example , the energy advisor suite could notify a homeowner that instead of washing clothes at 5 : 00 p . m ., it would be cheaper to wash the clothes at 8 : 00 p . m . to save approximately $ 14 . 00 per month . the ability of the system to generate these kinds of messages is based upon the ability of the system to learn time of use information as well as current energy rates . an increasing amount of power is used by electronic equipment in standby mode . this equipment typically operates ac / dc converters which creates signatures identifiable by the instant disclosure . these devices in standby mode not only create a load directly to operate their optical or rf listening devices to sense whether a remote control is enabled , but they can also create heat which creates an additional load on the hvac system . one form of advice that the energy advisor provides is to estimate the total cost to the rate payer of operating their various devices in a standby mode . this information goes undetected by home and business owners presently . without knowledge of this condition or the cost related thereto the customer is unable to make the choice to change their behavior and reduce load from these devices . a faulty or overloaded breaker can be indicated by increasing resistivity in the contacts of the breaker . this condition can be sensed by using non - invasive load monitoring coupled with signal generation means . similar to a scattering parameter test set , knowing the injected signal and reflected returns can allow a determination to calculate real and reactive components . resistivity can be deduced from this information . the interruption of current by a breaker or fuse is detectable via nilm . the instant disclosure is not limited to traditional metering . the sensors communications processing power , database , and operating system make it ideal to provide other high level functions such as substation control , plc logic , relay logic , or other programmable logic controller functions . the instant disclosure can be downloaded with a list of loads which are prohibited during a peak consumption time . since the nilm can identify what loads are in operation , the disclosure can identify which match the prohibited load table . if a match is found the disclosure can annunciate this condition to the utility , who may impose a higher use tariff , or the disclosure can send a signal ( rf or plc ) to a device which controls the power flow to the prohibited device , or the meter can disconnect the “ remote disconnect switch ” this disconnects power to that home until the prohibited loads are voluntarily disabled by the homeowner or business . in addition to the features set forth above , it is contemplated that the electric meter of the present disclosure could be utilized in a system in which the power line is an orthogonal broadcast data channel to help augment security . in such an embodiment , the user can slightly alter the frequency of the 60 hz where the change in the frequency represents data . the long - term average is 0 hz . the data represented by the change in frequency can represent timing information and / or a code . if a meter chip is tampered with , it loses the timing or the prior state of the code , thus making tampering with the meter operation or executable software code more difficult . the operation could be much like the key fob security data keys used by large computer centers today , where timing and a code sequence possessed by a user enables the user to access the system . since the present disclosure listens to the 60 hz power line and digitizes it and uses dfp methods , any data that a utility applies to the 60 hz will be readily decodable by the meter . in addition , this method could also be used to prevent attack . if tampering is detected by the utility , the utility can change the code or disable the code on the 60 hz line . this could , for example , disable the meter &# 39 ; s ability to disconnect a load or disable a software code download that was in progress . this system could increase the security level required for transactions that effect a load or it could add challenges before a command could be executed . fig1 provides an example of the security system described above . as shown in fig1 , a utility plc 120 implements a plc algorithm in step 122 . the plc determines whether the meter is decoding the current data key in step 124 if the meter is not decoding the current data key , the utility plc determines that a tamper has been detected and prevents firmware imaging and blocks load commands . however , if the meter is decoding the current data key , the system rolls the data key in step 128 and sends an encoded image in step 130 . the meter 10 decodes the command in step 132 . if the decoded command is not synchronized with the utility in step 134 , the meter enters a lockdown mode in step 136 to prevent remote shutoff and prevent firmware downloads . this can be used as a secure method for a utility to upgrade the program code in the meter . the utility would broadcast a stream of encoded , encrypted data redundantly to all meters connected to the grid . even if the data was only sent at 6 hz , a 64 kb patch to existing code could be downloaded in just one day . a separate , secondary communications could then activate the patch on a meter by meter or by meter group basis . if all code downloads are implemented over the power line in this manner it will be much more difficult to tamper with a code download then prior art rf methods . a sophisticated software defined digital rf transmitter can emulate an ‘ intended ” utility download sequence and possibly be made to spoof the physical layer , such that all security defense is in public private key pairs or the like . the means the spoof code could be inserted in between intended code that was transmitted over the rf protocol . the instant disclosure presents that such that if the meter is disconnected from the line side voltage or removed from the socket , any code download sequence is terminated ( must start from scratch ). it is far more complex for an attacker to change the frequency of the 60 hz when a meter is connected to the utility transformer &# 39 ; s secondary side . and if the utility detected this activity by monitoring for unauthorized data signals on the 60 hz line it can readily defeat a successful attack 1 ) by causing a brief power interruption upstream ( which resets the code download per the above paragraph ), 2 ) it can send a competing code , or a 3 ) a tamper warning code since a code download takes one or more days to complete ( smallest download allowed is one day ) then there is ample opportunity to detect the tamper attempt . when a meter detects the utility is beginning to send a 60 hz code sequence with download data imbedded upon it , then that meter uses a secondary channel ( wan , lan , han ) to communicate a “ start of download state ”. this can be a full message or a bit set in the normal traffic . this would at the least limit an attack to one household at a time . if an attacker tried to inject a spoof code into the transformer primary or secondary side then multiple meters would send to the utility “ i &# 39 ; m being sent a download ” and the utility would be alerted , and thus able to use the defenses noted above . the disclosure also cures another deficiency in the prior art . almost all smart meters use rf at some point to download code . rf spoof signals can be readily generated and can be sent to many meters at a time . further , if an attacker can alter the code on a single meter then that meter can be used to propagate the harmful code to yet another meter using the same rf means available in its own hw thus the harmful code can spread in a viral manner . this 60 hz line method download method is immune to this form of attack which is of the greatest concern to security experts . the instant invention does not possess the hw to alter the frequency of the 60 hz to inject harmful messages which may be heard by another meter . thus even if an attack on one meter could be successful the attacker would have to proceed house by house . since each house takes at least a day , the attack could never get enough scale to harm the operation of the utility and further the utility would have ample time to detect and to locate the attacker . realize that such attacks cannot come from a clandestine van driving by a neighborhood but must be attached to utility power lines which are in specific locations . by using the methods described herein and taking advantage of the data from a multiplicity of meters , the location of the attacker tap into the 60 hz could be determined . every “ n ” code segments that are downloaded into temporary memory such as flash can be checked with a crc or the like and that result can be transmitted back to the utility via another channel ( wan / lan / han ) in an encrypted manner so that the utility can verify that the code segments have not been tampered with . in addition to the proposed transmission line programming scheme , the rf meter programming can be augmented by incorporating mandatory program download acks and an overriding abort / lockout command from the tower that will enable immediate termination of unauthorized meter programming attempts . the abort / lockout command is a broadcast message and is honored by all meters that hear the message , and it is relayed via buddy or mesh mode to meters without direct radio contact from the tower . 2 . meter transmits an ack to the tower including the secure signature contained in the programming command . 3 . tower receives ack and verifies that signature is valid for the current programming cycle . 4 . if the signature does not match the current programming cycle or if a programming cycle is not currently in progress that tower will issue an abort / lockout command to terminate the current programming cycle and / or the unauthorized programming attempt . any further programming attempts will be disabled for a sufficient length of time to identify and resolve the security threat . 5 . if the signature correctly matches the current programming cycle , the tower will continue with the program transmission .	8
according to fig1 - 6 , fig1 and fig1 , a cleaning tool in one exemplary embodiment includes a mop bucket 1 and a mop . the lower end of the mop rod is provided with a mop head 2 with a wiping object . the mop rod includes an inner rod 3 and an outer rod 4 . the inner rod 3 , whose lower end connects with the mop head 2 , and the outer rod are sleeved and joint with each other . the tool includes a drive mechanism , used to convert the telescoping motion of the mop rod to the rotation motion of the mop head , is configured between the inner rod and the outer rod . a rotatable drying basket 5 is accommodated in the mop bucket and during drying , the mop head 2 is put in the drying basket 5 and the drive mechanism drives the mop head and the drying basket to rotate unidirectionally . a rotatable washing head 6 is accommodated in the mop bucket . during washing , the mop head 2 is put on the washing head 6 and the drive mechanism drives the mop head to rotate unidirectionally . the drive mechanism is a variable speed drive mechanism . during drying , the mop rod is depressed and the variable speed drive mechanism drives the mop head to rotate at the first rotation speed . during washing , the mop rod is depressed at the same speed , the variable drive mechanism drives the mop head to rotate at the second rotation speed , wherein the first rotation speed is higher than the second rotation speed . in the embodiment , the variable speed drive mechanism comprises a drive mechanism and a control mechanism . the drive mechanism comprises a screw rod 7 fixed with the outer rod 4 , and a transmission part 8 fixed inside the inner rod , wherein the transmission part 8 is provided with a rotation part 9 in which screw threads 10 fit for the screw rod are set . a unidirectional transmission mechanism is mounted between the rotation part and the transmission part . in the embodiment , the control mechanism comprises : a clamping chassis 12 configured on the lower cover 11 of the mop head , a speed reduction device accommodated in the mop head and a washing head 6 accommodated in the washing head installation seat 13 which is provided with a clamping seat 14 fit for the clamping chassis ; wherein the speed reduction device is a planetary gear transmission whose sun gear 15 is connected with the mop rod and integrated with the clamping slots 16 in the mop head , and whose gear ring 17 is accommodated in the mop disk 2 - 1 of the mop head 2 , the lower cover 11 of the mop head and the mop head can rotate relative to each other . in the embodiment , clamping slots 16 capable of rotating relative to other components of the mop head are accommodated in the mop head , and two clamps 18 - 1 and 18 - 2 fit for the clamping slots are respectively configured on the drying basket and the washing head . a ratchet 19 is configured on the upper part of the clamping slots and another ratchet 21 fit for the ratchet 19 is configured on the unidirectional control sheet 20 sleeved on the upper part of the clamping slots . the lower cover of the mop head restricts the rotation of the unidirectional control sheet . when the rotation direction is the direction in which the two ratchets above are supported against each other , the wiping object on the mop head can be unfolded by means of the interaction between the two ratchets . the working process of the embodiment is as follows : when drying , the mop rod is depressed to drive the mop head to rotate and the clamping slots in the mop head drive the clamps in the drying basket to rotate , thus realizing centrifugal drying . when washing the mop , the mop rod is depressed , since a clamping chassis is configured on the lower cover of the mop head and a clamping seat fit for the clamping chassis is configured on the washing head installation seat , the lower cover of the mop head and the washing head installation seat can not rotate relative to each other when the clamping chassis is fixed by the clamping seat . at this time , the mop rod drives the sun gear of the planetary gear transmission , and the planetary gear drives the gear ring and further drives the mop disk of the mop head to rotate , thus realizing the speed reducing rotation of the mop head to decrease the resistance of the mop head during washing so as to realize labor - saving washing . since the mop head of the cleaning tool provided by the embodiment can get different rotation speeds under the drying conditions with a lower resistance and the washing conditions with a higher resistance to realize the high - speed rotational drying and low - speed rotational cleaning simultaneously , both the dehydration and cleaning of the mop can save labor . fig7 - 11 show embodiment 2 of the present invention . the drive mechanism in the embodiment is the same with that in embodiment 1 . the control mechanism of the embodiment comprises : a clamping chassis 22 configured on the mop head 2 , a washing head 6 and a speed reduction device accommodated in the washing head installation seat 13 on which a clamping seat 23 fit for the clamping chassis 22 is configured ; wherein the speed reduction device is a planetary gear transmission whose sun gear 24 is connected with the washing head , and whose gear ring 25 is accommodated in the clamping seat 23 . other components in the embodiment are the same with those in embodiment 1 , which can also realize the object of the present invention . the working process of the embodiment is as follows : when drying , the mop rod is depressed to drive the mop head to rotate and the clamping slots in the mop head drives the clamps in the dehydration basket to rotate , thus realizing centrifugal dehydration . when washing the mop , the mop rod is depressed ; the clamping chassis on the mop head locks the clamping seat on the washing head installation seat so that the mop disk of the mop head and the washing head installation seat can not rotate relative to each other . at this time , the mop rod drives the washing head which further drives the sun gear of the planetary gear transmission , the planetary gear drives the gear ring which further drives the rotatable clamping seat and the mop head to rotate , thus realizing the speed reducing rotation of the mop head to decrease the resistance of the mop head during washing so as to realize labor - saving washing . fig1 and 13 show embodiment 3 of the present invention . in the embodiment , the control mechanism comprises : a mop rod including three sections of rod parts , wherein a group of drive mechanisms 26 are configured between the upper rod and the middle rod , a first control switch 27 controls the relative rotation and positioning between the upper rod and the middle rod , another group of drive mechanisms 28 are configured between the middle rod and the lower rod , a second control switch 29 controls the relative rotation and positioning between the middle rod and the lower rod , and the screw rods 7 - 2 and 7 - 3 of the two groups of drive mechanisms have different screw pitch . the working process of the embodiment is as follows : when drying , either the first control switch or the second control switch is turned on to make the drive mechanism with shorter screw pitch in the two screw rods to work , at this time , the mop rod is depressed to enable the drive mechanism to output a higher rotation speed , thus realizing high - speed drying . when washing the mop , the other control switch is turned on to make the drive mechanism with longer screw pitch in the two screw rods to work , at this time , the mop rod is depressed to enable the drive mechanism to output a lower rotation speed , thus realizing low - speed rotational washing . the embodiment can also simultaneously accomplish the high - speed rotational drying and low - speed rotational washing , thus saving labor in depression operation of the mop rod under both working conditions . fig1 and 15 show a unidirectional transmission mechanism according to the present invention . in the embodiment , the unidirectional transmission mechanism comprises : a transmission gear 30 configured at the bottom of the rotation part 9 , and another transmission gear 31 configured at the bottom of the inner side of the transmission part 8 , wherein the two transmission gears are provided with a mating surface and a sliding surface fit for each other , and the rotation part can move up and down relative to the transmission part ; when the rotation part rotates in one direction to let the mating surfaces of the two transmission gear support against each other , a unidirectional transmission is formed ; when the rotation part rotates in another direction to let the sliding surfaces of the two transmission gear support against each other , the rotation part moves relative to the transmission part and forms an idle transmission . it can realize unidirectional transmission function . fig1 and 17 show another unidirectional transmission mechanism according to the present invention . in the present invention , the unidirectional transmission mechanism comprises : a unidirectional bearing 32 configured between the transmission part 8 and the rotation part 9 , wherein , when the rotation direction of the rotation part is the locking direction of the unidirectional bearing , a unidirectional transmission is formed between the rotation part and the transmission part ; when the rotation direction of the rotation part is the free rotation direction of the unidirectional bearing , an idle transmission is formed between the rotation part and the transmission part . it can also realize unidirectional transmission function . in the present invention , the dehydration basket and washing head are configured in the same mop bucket . of course , the drying basket and washing head in the present invention can be configured in different mop buckets respectively . both of the two structures above can realize the object of the present invention . the embodiments above are only the individual cases for application of the present invention . any such change and combination of the embodiments according to the spirit of the present invention should be covered in the scope of protection of the present invention .	0
fig1 shows one exemplary embodiment of the gas - insulated switch disconnector arrangement 1 according to the invention , in the form of a sectioned side view . the illustrated switch disconnector arrangement 1 has an enclosure 2 which is at ground potential and has three connecting stubs 3 which are each designed to produce a gas - tight connection to one of the outdoor bushings 4 . only three outdoor bushings 4 , which are arranged in the form of a fan on one plane , can be seen in fig1 . these three outdoor bushings 4 are associated with one phase of a three - phase network . the remaining outdoor bushings 4 for the other phases are offset into the plane of the drawing in fig1 , and are in each case arranged aligned with one of the illustrated outdoor bushings 4 . in total , nine outdoor bushings 4 are attached to the enclosure 2 . the outdoor bushing 4 has a hollow - cylindrical isolator 5 with a cavity 6 for holding a switch disconnector 7 . the switch disconnector 7 comprises a stationary female contact 8 and a sliding contact 9 , which is likewise stationary , with the female contact 8 being connected via a contact rod 10 to an outdoor connection 11 for connection of an air - insulated high - voltage line , which is not shown . at the end , the outdoor connection 11 is arranged on the isolator 5 and has a closure cap 12 which is connected to the isolator 5 in a gas - tight manner by adhesive means , and closes the cavity 6 such that it is gas - tight . a switching pin 13 is guided in the sliding contact 8 such that it can move , with the sliding contact 9 being electrically connected to a pole element 16 , which is arranged in the enclosure 2 , via a hollow connecting conductor 14 and via a plug - in contact 15 . insulating posts are provided on the enclosure 2 in order to hold the pole element 16 , but are not illustrated in fig1 . the pole element 16 produces an electrical connection between the sliding contacts 9 of one phase . in other words , the contact rods 10 , the female contacts 8 , the switching pins 13 , the sliding contacts 9 , the connecting conductors 14 , the plug - in contacts 19 and the pole element 16 produce a conductive connection between all of the outdoor connections 11 of one phase when all of the switch disconnectors 7 are in a contact position , in which the switching pin 13 has been moved into the female contact 8 . at the end of the isolator 5 that is remote from the outdoor connection 11 , each outdoor bushing 4 has attachment means 17 which are produced from a metallic material , for example aluminum , and a flange section 18 which is adhesively bonded to the isolator 5 , and an intermediate enclosure 19 . the interiors of the attachment means 17 are likewise tubular , and they have a linear profile in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the isolator 5 . each intermediate enclosure 19 is firmly screwed to a connecting stub 3 via a flange connection , with sealing means which cannot be seen ensuring a gas - tight link between the outdoor bushing 4 and the enclosure 2 . an electrically non - conductive isolating rocker 20 , which is arranged in the intermediate enclosure 19 , is provided in order to introduce a switching movement into the switching pin 13 , with side holding caps 21 being provided for gas - tight closure of an intermediate cavity 22 , which is bounded by the intermediate enclosure 19 . the intermediate cavity 22 enlarges the cavity 6 . a gas - tight bulkhead bushing 23 is provided as a holding means or as a holder in order to hold the sliding contact 9 above the connecting conductor 14 , and is mounted firmly between the intermediate enclosure 19 and the grounded connecting stub 3 . in this case , the connecting rod 14 passes through the center of the bulkhead bushing 23 , with sealing means which cannot be seen in fig1 ensuring gas - tight connection between the connecting rod 14 and the bulkhead bushing 23 . in this way , the cavity 6 forms a separate , gas - tight disconnector gas area , which can be filled with its own quenching or insulating gas , such as sulfur hexafluoride . in the operating state , in which all of the outdoor bushings are installed , the enclosure likewise bounds a closed enclosure gas area , which is likewise filled with a conventional insulating gas . the bulkhead bushing 23 is produced from a dielectric material , such as cast resin . the outdoor connection 11 is intended for connection of an air - insulated high - voltage line , which is not illustrated in the figure , while in contrast the enclosure 2 is at ground potential . in order to avoid voltage peaks resulting from high electrical field strengths on corners and edges of the attachment means 17 , field control elements 24 are provided , and are electrically connected to the attachment means 17 and to the enclosure 2 . a coupling rod 25 is provided in order to transmit the drive movement from the isolating rocker 20 to the switching pin 13 , is articulated on the isolating rocker 20 and is firmly connected to the switching pin 13 via a switching pin guide 26 at its end remote from the isolating rocker 20 . as can be seen , the switching pin 13 and the switching pin guide 26 are arranged within the hollow connecting conductor 14 , which for this reason is used as a guide means in addition to providing a purely electrical connection . in order to allow movement of the isolating rocker 20 , the connecting conductor 14 has a side opening opposite the isolating rocker 20 . the isolating rocker 20 is furthermore connected to a driveshaft 27 such that they rotate together , and the driveshaft 27 is passed out of the intermediate enclosure 19 via a rotating bearing which is expediently equipped with sealing means . rotation of the driveshaft 27 moves the isolating rocker 20 to a disconnected position 28 , which is indicated in fig1 and in which the switching pin 13 is withdrawn from the female contact 8 , so that an isolating gap is formed between the female contact 8 and the sliding contact 9 . a grounding switch 29 can be seen in the outdoor bushing 4 which is shown on the left , on the holding cap 21 and opposite the isolating rocker 20 , with the purpose of grounding all of the drive - side contact pieces of the switch disconnectors 7 for one phase once the switch disconnector 7 has been opened . for this purpose , the grounding switch 29 produces a conductive connection between a ground contact 30 , which is at the same potential as the connecting conductor 14 , and the enclosure 2 , which is at ground potential . a grounder shaft 31 , which is passed out of the intermediate enclosure 19 , is provided in order to drive the grounding switch 29 . furthermore , a drive box 32 , which is attached to the intermediate enclosure 19 , is provided in order to accommodate drive units . the drive units are designed to produce a drive movement for the driveshaft 21 and , to some extent , for the grounder shaft 31 . the enclosure 2 and thus the entire switch disconnector arrangement are connected via a supporting frame 33 to a foundation , which is not illustrated in the figure . the outdoor bushing 4 is also equipped with a current adaptor 34 . a connecting stub 35 for connection of a voltage transformer , which is not illustrated , can be seen underneath the housing 2 .	8
now the present invention will be described more detailedly with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings and given in the form of the following numerical data : ______________________________________embodiment 1______________________________________f = 12 - 36 mm , f / 2 . 8 - f / 5 . 82ω = 37 °- 13 °, f . sub . i / f . sub . a = 0______________________________________r . sub . 1 = 9000 . 0000 d . sub . 1 = 2 . 7724 n . sub . 01 = 1 . 59270 ν . sub . 01 = 35 . 29r . sub . 2 = - 9000 . 0000 d . sub . 2 = d . sub . 1r . sub . 3 = ∞ ( stop ) d . sub . 3 = d . sub . 2r . sub . 4 = 17 . 3581 d . sub . 4 = 5 . 1368 n . sub . 02 = 1 . 73520 ν . sub . 02 = 41 . 08r . sub . 5 = - 16 . 5363 d . sub . 5 = 0 . 2140r . sub . 6 = - 15 . 6003 d . sub . 6 = 7 . 9086 n . sub . 03 = 1 . 76182 ν . sub . 03 = 26 . 55r . sub . 7 = 15 . 1388 d . sub . 7 = 2 . 0000r . sub . 8 = 77 . 5161 d . sub . 8 = 2 . 0000 n . sub . 04 = 1 . 69700 ν . sub . 04 = 48 . 51r . sub . 9 = - 32 . 3826 d = 0 . 1437r . sub . 10 = 17 . 5789 d . sub . 10 = 2 . 0000 n . sub . 05 = 1 . 69680 ν . sub . 05 = 55 . 52r . sub . 11 = 108 . 9969______________________________________f 12 20 . 5 36d . sub . 1 14 . 764 1 . 269 1 . 000d . sub . 2 18 . 944 12 . 418 0 . 518______________________________________grin lens ( n . sub . 01 ) wavelength n . sub . 0 n . sub . 1______________________________________587 . 56 1 . 59270 0 . 65208 × 10 . sup .- 2656 . 28 1 . 58780 0 . 65156 × 10 . sup .- 2486 . 13 1 . 60459 0 . 65331 × 10 . sup .- 2______________________________________wavelength n . sub . 2 n . sub . 3______________________________________587 . 56 0 . 13327 × 10 . sup .- 5 0 . 20399 × 10 . sup .- 7656 . 28 0 . 13327 × 10 . sup .- 5 0 . 20399 × 10 . sup .- 7486 . 13 0 . 13327 × 10 . sup .- 5 0 . 20399 × 10 . sup .- 7______________________________________wavelength n . sub . 4______________________________________587 . 56 - 0 . 29211 × 10 . sup .- 8656 . 28 - 0 . 29211 × 10 . sup .- 8486 . 13 - 0 . 29211 × 10 . sup .- 8______________________________________ ______________________________________embodiment 2______________________________________f = 9 . 5 - 19 mm , f / 2 . 8 - f / 3 . 32ω = 48 °- 25 °, f . sub . i / f . sub . a = 0 . 4______________________________________r . sub . 1 = 40 . 4945 d . sub . 1 = 2 . 5444 n . sub . 01 = 1 . 60342 ν . sub . 01 = 38 . 01r . sub . 2 = 22 . 3650 d . sub . 2 = d . sub . 1r . sub . 3 = ∞ ( stop ) d . sub . 3 = d . sub . 2r . sub . 4 = 20 . 9069 d . sub . 4 = 15 . 7046 n . sub . 02 = 1 . 69700 ν . sub . 02 = 48 . 51r . sub . 5 = - 15 . 8097 d . sub . 5 = d . sub . 3r . sub . 6 = ∞ d . sub . 6 = 15 . 5000 n . sub . 03 = 1 . 51633 ν . sub . 03 = 64 . 15r . sub . 7 = ∞ ______________________________________f 9 . 5 12 19d . sub . 1 31 . 340 19 . 367 4 . 115d . sub . 2 4 . 231 3 . 153 0 . 132d . sub . 3 5 . 106 6 . 184 9 . 205______________________________________grin lens ( n . sub . 01 ) wavelength n . sub . 0 n . sub . 1______________________________________587 . 56 1 . 60342 0 . 30000 × 10 . sup .- 2656 . 28 1 . 59875 0 . 30180 × 10 . sup .- 2486 . 13 1 . 61462 0 . 29580 × 10 . sup .- 2______________________________________wavelength n . sub . 2______________________________________587 . 56 - 0 . 64816 × 10 . sup .- 5656 . 28 - 0 . 64814 × 10 . sup .- 5486 . 13 - 0 . 64821 × 10 . sup .- 5______________________________________grin lens ( n . sub . 02 ) wavelength n . sub . 0 n . sub . 1______________________________________587 . 56 1 . 69700 0 . 69498 × 10 . sup .- 4656 . 28 1 . 69268 0 . 54606 × 10 . sup .- 4486 . 13 1 . 70705 0 . 10425 × 10 . sup .- 3______________________________________wavelength n . sub . 2 n . sub . 3______________________________________587 . 56 0 . 66135 × 10 . sup .- 5 - 0 . 62149 × 10 . sup .- 7656 . 28 0 . 66137 × 10 . sup .- 5 - 0 . 61900 × 10 . sup .- 7486 . 13 0 . 66130 × 10 . sup .- 5 - 0 . 62730 × 10 . sup .- 7______________________________________ ______________________________________embodiment 3______________________________________f = 12 - 36 mm , f / 2 . 6 - f / 5 . 42ω = 37 °- 13 °, f . sub . i / f . sub . a = 0______________________________________r . sub . 1 = 9000 . 0000 d . sub . 1 = 3 . 0005 n . sub . 01 = 1 . 59270 ν . sub . 01 = 35 . 29r . sub . 2 = - 9000 . 0000 d . sub . 2 = d . sub . 1r . sub . 3 = ∞ ( stop ) d . sub . 3 = d . sub . 2r . sub . 4 = - 9000 . 0000 d . sub . 4 = 5 . 0284 n . sub . 02 = 1 . 80518 ν . sub . 02 = 25 . 43r . sub . 5 = 9000 . 0000______________________________________f 12 20 . 5 36d . sub . 1 11 . 304 0 . 786 2 . 343d . sub . 2 21 . 645 15 . 106 3 . 181______________________________________grin lens ( n . sub . 01 ) wavelength n . sub . 0 n . sub . 1______________________________________587 . 56 1 . 59270 0 . 65208 × 10 . sup .- 2656 . 28 1 . 58780 0 . 65156 × 10 . sup .- 2486 . 13 1 . 60459 0 . 65331 × 10 . sup .- 2______________________________________wavelength n . sub . 2 n . sub . 3______________________________________587 . 56 0 . 44466 × 10 . sup .- 6 0 . 20399 × 10 . sup .- 7656 . 28 0 . 44466 × 10 . sup .- 6 0 . 20399 × 10 . sup .- 7486 . 13 0 . 44466 × 10 . sup .- 6 0 . 20399 × 10 . sup .- 7______________________________________wavelength n . sub . 4______________________________________587 . 56 - 0 . 29211 × 10 . sup .- 8656 . 28 - 0 . 29211 × 10 . sup .- 8486 . 13 - 0 . 29211 × 10 . sup .- 8______________________________________grin lens ( n . sub . 02 ) wavelength n . sub . 0 n . sub . 1______________________________________587 . 56 1 . 80518 - 0 . 52463 × 10 . sup .- 2656 . 28 1 . 79609 - 0 . 52448 × 10 . sup .- 2486 . 13 1 . 82775 - 0 . 52498 × 10 . sup .- 2______________________________________wavelength n . sub . 2 n . sub . 3______________________________________587 . 56 0 . 10666 × 10 . sup .- 5 - 0 . 24294 × 10 . sup .- 8656 . 28 0 . 10666 × 10 . sup .- 5 - 0 . 24294 × 10 . sup .- 8486 . 13 0 . 10666 × 10 . sup .- 5 - 0 . 24294 × 10 . sup .- 8______________________________________wavelength n . sub . 4______________________________________587 . 56 0 . 52504 × 10 . sup . - 10656 . 28 0 . 52504 × 10 . sup .- 10486 . 13 0 . 52504 × 10 . sup .- 10______________________________________ ______________________________________embodiment 4______________________________________f = 12 - 36 mm , f / 2 . 6 - f / 4 . 82ω = 37 °- 13 °, f . sub . i / f . sub . a = 1 . 84______________________________________r . sub . 1 = 24 . 9034 d . sub . 1 = 2 . 0000 n . sub . 01 = 1 . 92286 ν . sub . 01 = 20 . 88r . sub . 2 = - 34 . 4191 d . sub . 2 = 0 . 1000r . sub . 3 = - 321 . 5953 d . sub . 3 = 3 . 1608 n . sub . 02 = 1 . 56444 ν . sub . 02 = 43 . 79r . sub . 4 = - 73 . 7884 d . sub . 4 = d . sub . 1r . sub . 5 = ∞ ( stop ) d . sub . 5 = d . sub . 2r . sub . 6 = 36 . 8051 d . sub . 6 = 2 . 5655 n . sub . 03 = 1 . 80518 ν . sub . 03 = 25 . 43r . sub . 7 = 33 . 8037 d . sub . 7 = 2 . 0000r . sub . 8 = - 10 . 5668 d . sub . 8 = 2 . 5424 n . sub . 04 = 1 . 80518 ν . sub . 04 = 25 . 43r . sub . 9 = - 12 . 3179______________________________________f 12 20 . 5 36d . sub . 1 10 . 510 0 . 008 0 . 018d . sub . 2 15 . 786 10 . 527 0 . 935______________________________________grin lens ( n . sub . 02 ) wavelength n . sub . 0 n . sub . 1______________________________________587 . 56 1 . 56444 0 . 17906 × 10 . sup .- 1656 . 28 1 . 56061 0 . 17715 × 10 . sup .- 1486 . 13 1 . 57350 0 . 18354 × 10 . sup .- 1______________________________________wavelength n . sub . 2______________________________________587 . 56 0 . 36336 × 10 . sup .- 4656 . 28 0 . 36336 × 10 . sup .- 4486 . 13 0 . 36336 × 10 . sup .- 4______________________________________grin lens ( n . sub . 03 ) wavelength n . sub . 0 n . sub . 1______________________________________587 . 56 1 . 80518 - 0 . 94830 × 10 . sup .- 2656 . 28 1 . 79609 - 0 . 94685 × 10 . sup .- 2486 . 13 1 . 82775 - 0 . 95169 × 10 . sup .- 2______________________________________wavelength n . sub . 2______________________________________587 . 56 0 . 78062 × 10 . sup .- 5656 . 28 0 . 78062 × 10 . sup .- 5486 . 13 0 . 78062 × 10 . sup .- 5______________________________________grin lens ( n . sub . 04 ) wavelength n . sub . 0 n . sub . 1______________________________________587 . 56 1 . 80518 - 0 . 48848 × 10 . sup .- 2656 . 28 1 . 79609 - 0 . 48779 × 10 . sup .- 2486 . 13 1 . 82775 - 0 . 49008 × 10 . sup .- 2______________________________________wavelength n . sub . 2______________________________________587 . 56 0 . 69893 × 10 . sup .- 5656 . 28 0 . 69893 × 10 . sup .- 5486 . 13 0 . 69893 × 10 . sup .- 5______________________________________ ______________________________________embodiment 5______________________________________f = 8 - 16 mm , f / 1 . 9 - f / 2 . 62ω = 26 . 6 °- 14 °, f . sub . i / f . sub . a = 0 . 81______________________________________r . sub . 1 = - 688 . 3714 d . sub . 1 = 2 . 7517 n . sub . 01 = 1 . 84666 ν . sub . 01 = 23 . 88r . sub . 2 = 304 . 5663 ( aspherical surface ) d . sub . 2 = 0 . 2000r . sub . 3 = 31 . 8048 d . sub . 3 = 1 . 2007 n . sub . 02 = 1 . 77250 ν . sub . 02 = 49 . 66r . sub . 4 = 14 . 8482 d . sub . 4 = d . sub . 1r . sub . 5 = ∞ ( stop ) d . sub . 5 = 0r . sub . 6 = 23 . 4433 ( aspherical surface ) d . sub . 6 = 17 . 7962 n . sub . 03 = 1 . 51633 ν . sub . 03 = 64 . 15r . sub . 7 = - 27 . 3871 d . sub . 7 = d . sub . 2r . sub . 8 = 28 . 5543 d . sub . 8 = 4 . 0890 n . sub . 04 = ν . sub . 04 = 60 . 70r . sub . 9 = - 10 . 0297 d . sub . 9 = 1 . 3427 n . sub . 05 = 1 . 84666 ν . sub . 05 = 23 . 88r . sub . 10 = - 21 . 9487 d . sub . 10 = d . sub . 3r . sub . 11 = ∞ d . sub . 11 = 14 . 5000 n . sub . 06 = 1 . 51633 ν . sub . 06 = 64 . 15r . sub . 12 = ∞ ______________________________________f 8 11 . 3 16d . sub . 1 35 . 092 25 . 441 15 . 453d . sub . 2 0 . 819 11 . 289 20 . 456d . sub . 3 4 . 018 3 . 210 4 . 031______________________________________grin lens ( n . sub . 02 ) wavelength n . sub . 0 n . sub . 1______________________________________587 . 56 1 . 77250 0 . 30000 × 10 . sup .- 2656 . 28 1 . 76780 0 . 30180 × 10 . sup .- 2486 . 13 1 . 78336 0 . 29580 × 10 . sup .- 2______________________________________wavelength n . sub . 2______________________________________587 . 56 0 . 24947 × 10 . sup .- 7656 . 28 - 0 . 22452 × 10 . sup .- 6486 . 13 0 . 60703 × 10 . sup .- 6______________________________________aspherical surface coefficients ( 2nd surface ) ______________________________________e = - 0 . 81773 × 10 . sup .- 4 , f = 0 . 57310 × 10 . sup .- 6g = - 0 . 20374 × 10 . sup .- 8______________________________________ ( 6th surface ) ______________________________________e = - 0 . 47973 × 10 . sup .- 4 , f = 0 . 13884 × 10 . sup .- 5g = - 0 . 24428 × 10 . sup .- 7______________________________________ wherein the reference symbols r 1 , r 2 , . . . represent radii of curvature on the surfaces of the respective lens elements , the reference symbols d 1 , d 2 , . . . designate thicknesses of the respective lens elements and airspaces reserved therebetween , the reference symbols n 01 , n 02 , . . . denote refractive indices of the respective lens elements , and the reference symbols ν 01 , ν 02 , . . . denote abbe &# 39 ; s numbers of the respective lens elements . the abbe &# 39 ; s numbers of the grin lenses are represented as those measured on the optical axis . the embodiment 1 comprises a first lens unit which is composed of a grin lens having a negative refractive power and nearly planar surfaces which are nearly parallel with each other . aberration characteristics at the wide position and the tele position of the embodiment 1 are illustrated in fig6 and fig7 respectively . the embodiment 2 consists of a first lens unit and a second lens unit each of which is designed as a grin lens . further , the plane parallel plate arranged on the image side consists of optical members such as an optical low pass filter and a half mirror . aberration characteristics at the wide position and the tele position of the embodiment 2 are illustrated in fig8 and fig9 respectively . the embodiment 3 comprises a first lens unit and a second lens unit each of which is designed as a grin lens having nearly planar surfaces which are substantially parallel with each other . aberration characteristics at the wide position and the tele position of the embodiment 3 are visualized in fig1 and fig1 respectively . the embodiment 4 consists of a first lens unit which is composed of a positive lens element made of a homogenous medium and a grin lens of a meniscus shape having negative refractive power , and a second lens unit composed of two grin lenses . aberration characteristics at the wide position and the tele position of the embodiment 4 are illustrated in fig1 and fig1 respectively . the embodiment 5 comprises a first lens unit consisting of a negative homogenous lens element having an aspherical surface on the image side and a grin lens having negative refractive power . further , the plane parallel plate arranged on the extremely image side is composed of optical members such as an optical low pass filter and a half mirror . aberration characteristics at the wide position and the tele position of the embodiment 5 are visualized in fig1 and fig1 respectively . in addition , the embodiment 5 adopts an aspherical surface on the homogenous lens element . when the direction of the optical axis is taken as the x axis and the direction perpendicular to the optical axis is taken as the y axis , shape of the aspherical surface is expressed by the following formula : ## equ1 ## wherein the reference symbols e , f , g , . . . represent the aspherical surface coefficients . as is understood from the foregoing description , the zoom lens system according to the present invention comprises a small number of lens elements , especially in the first lens unit thereof , and has favorably corrected offaxial aberrations such as chromatic aberration and distortion which are apt to be produced in the first lens unit and varied remarkably by changing focal length in the ordinary zoom lens system .	6
referring to the figure , there is schematically shown various components of an electrostatographic reproduction apparatus fuser assembly , including release oil impregnated web oiler mechanism , the linear velocity of which may be maintained by this invention . the fuser assembly , designated generally by the numeral 10 , has a fusing member 12 in the form of a roller , although a belt , sleeve , or any other variation thereof would be similarly applicable . the fusing member 12 is heated , and is located in nip relation with a pressure roller 14 . the fusing nip between the roller of the fusing roller 12 and pressure roller 14 is associated with the receiver member transport path of the reproduction apparatus . that is , as a receiver member bearing a marking particle image travels along the transport path , the marking particle image is fixed to the receiver member by application of heat and pressure in the fusing nip before the receiver member is delivered from the transport path to an output device or a duplex reproduction recirculation path . the release oil impregnated web oiler mechanism is designated generally by the numeral 20 . the oil impregnated web oiler mechanism 20 includes an elongated web 22 extending from a supply roll 24 to a take - up roll 26 . the elongated web 22 is , for example , formed as a porous membrane capable of retaining release oil . illustrative examples of such porous membrane would be micro - porous polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ) web materials , or non - woven polyester web materials . the elongated web 22 is impregnated with any well known release oil , for example silicone oils with functional groups such as amino or mercaptu groups . that portion of the web 22 between the supply roll 24 and take - up roll 26 is directed about intermediate rollers 28 and 30 . the intermediate roller 28 is an idler roller and the intermediate roller 30 is a back - up roller urging the web into intimate contact with the fusing member 12 to apply impregnated release oil from the web to the fusing member surface . the take - up roll 26 is coupled to a drive motor 32 for winding the web onto the take - up roll 26 . the supply roll 24 is associated with variable torque device 36 for maintaining constant tension in web 22 as it is fed from the supply roll 24 and wound onto the take - up roll 26 . as shown the direction of movement of the web 22 is opposite to the direction of movement of the surface of the fusing member 12 to facilitate release oil lay down on the fusing member surface . motor 32 is operatively associated with a logic and control unit 40 to receive appropriate activation signals therefrom to turn on motor 32 for a predetermined period of time at a predetermined speed . the logic and control unit 40 includes , for example , a microprocessor receiving appropriate input signals . based on such signals and a suitable program for the microprocessor , the unit 40 produces signals to control operation of the reproduction apparatus and carrying out of the reproduction process . the production of the program for a number of commercially available microprocessors is a conventional skill well understood in the art . the particular details of any such program would , of course , depend upon the architecture of the designated microprocessor . the logic and control unit 40 may be located in the main reproduction apparatus logic and control or in the separate logic and control for the fuser assembly 10 . the movement of the web 22 relative to the fuser member 12 ideally affects a controlled lay down of release oil per receiver member . the amount of release oil lay down per receiver member is directly dependent upon the linear velocity of web 22 . as discussed above , the lay down of release oil per receiver member should be maintained at a predetermined optimum amount . if the lay down of release oil per receiver member falls below optimum , offset of the marking particle image from the receiver member to the fuser roller 12 can occur . the offset marking particles will build up on the fuser roller 12 and may transfer as undesirable artifacts to subsequent receiver members , and / or may lead to premature failure of the fuser roller 12 . if the lay down of release oil per receiver member exceeds the optimum , excessive release oil will build up on the fuser roller 12 . the excess release oil may be carried away by the receiver member causing image quality defects and / or release oil contamination of the photoconductive member if the receiver member is returned to the imaging section for transfer of a marking particle image to the opposite side . if motor 32 is run at constant speed , the linear velocity of web 22 will increase due to the increase in diameter of the take - up roll 26 as the web 22 is wound onto the take - up roll 26 . the present invention maintains the release oil lay down per receiver member at the predetermined optimum amount by decreasing the speed of motor 32 , from an initial speed with a newly installed web 22 , so as to maintain constant the linear velocity of web 22 . the core shaft radius , r i , of take - up roll 26 is equal to the core shaft radius of supply roll 24 . the radius of a new fully loaded supply roll is known and will be designated r f . when web 22 is completely used up and wound onto take - up roll 26 , the final radius of take - up roll 26 will be r f . the predetermined linear velocity of web 22 to yield the optimum release oil lay down per receiver member will be designated v . the initial speed , designated s i , of motor 32 with a newly installed web 22 must then be s i = v / 2πr i . the final speed of motor 32 , designated s f , when web 22 is completely wound onto take - up roll 26 must then be s f = v / 2πr f . the length of web 22 , designated l , is known , and therefore the total amount of time to unwind web 22 from supply roll 24 and wind onto take - up roll 26 will be l / v . in the present invention , when a new web 22 is installed , logic and control unit 40 begins driving motor 32 at initial speed s i and also begins monitoring the elapsed time of rotation of take - up roll 26 . the total time , l / v , to unwind web 22 from supply roll 24 and wind onto take - up roll 26 is divided into a predetermined number of increments . logic and control unit 40 then decrements the speed of motor 32 at the end of each elapsed time increment , by equal amounts so that at the end of total time , l / v , the speed of motor 32 is s f . in an alternative embodiment of the present invention , each revolution of take - up roll 26 is sensed and the number of accumulated revolutions , n , is used to decrease the speed of motor 32 , instead of the elapsed time of rotation . in this embodiment the thickness of release oil impregnated web 22 must be known and will be designated as t . with a newly installed oil impregnated web 22 , the initial speed , designated s i , of motor 32 will again be s i = v / 2πr i , where ri is the core shaft radius of take - up roll 26 . after each revolution of take - up roll 26 , logic and control unit 40 decreases the speed of motor 32 to a value equal to s i ( r i /( r i + nt )), where n is the number of the revolution of take - up roll 26 just completed . a sensor located in the path of web 22 between supply roll 24 and idler roller 28 senses when web 22 is completely unwound from supply roll 24 . when web 22 is completely unwound from supply roll 24 , logic and control unit 40 stops the imaging process , allows web 22 to be completely wound onto take - up roll 26 , and displays a message to the machine operator that release oil impregnated web 22 must be replaced . in one embodiment of the present invention a 15 meter long , release oil impregnated web 22 ( l = 15 , 000 mm ) was wound on a 25 mm diameter ( r i = 12 . 5 mm ) core shaft , with a final diameter of 60 mm ( r f = 30 . 0 mm ). it was determined that a 55 . 0 mm / min . linear velocity of web 22 yielded a release oil lay down sufficient to prevent offset of marking particles from receiver member to fuser roller and without excess oil build up on the fuser roller . with this web 22 newly installed in web oiler mechanism 20 , logic and control unit 40 was programmed to start motor 32 at an initial speed of 0 . 70 rpm ( s i = v / 2πr i = 55 / 25π = 0 . 70 rpm ). the total time to unwind web 22 from supply roll 24 and wind onto take - up roll 26 was 273 minutes ( 15000 / 55 ). at the end of this time the final speed of motor 32 was to be 0 . 30 rpm ( s f = v / 2πr f = 55 / 60π = 0 . 30 rpm ), a total decrease of 0 . 40 rpm . the total time interval was divided into 100 equal segments , so that logic and control unit 40 was programmed to decrement the speed of motor 32 by 0 . 004 rpm after each 2 . 73 minute elapsed time increment . just over 30 , 000 prints ( at a reproduction apparatus process speed to print approximately 110 prints / min .) were run with varying image content over the total 273 minutes with no image quality deterioration due to offset or failures due to excess release oil lay down . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof , but it should be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention .	6
fig1 to 6 illustrate a case 1 basically comprising a base 4 , a lid 2 and a tongue 6 which are moulded together in a single piece . the lid 2 comprises a lower portion 2 b and an upper portion 2 a which is narrower than the lower portion . the lid has an outer surface 12 which is substantially cylindrical , in this case having a circular cross - section , and which extends in particular in the upper portion 2 a , and an inner surface 14 which is substantially cylindrical , in this case having a circular cross - section , and which extends in particular in the lower portion 2 b . the inner surface 14 of the lid 2 also incorporates , in the lower portion 2 b , a peripheral groove 20 ( see in particular fig6 ). the base 4 comprises an upper portion 4 a having a substantially cylindrical outer surface 16 of circular cross - section and a lower portion 4 b having an inner surface 18 and an outer surface 30 which are substantially cylindrical and of circular cross - section . the base 4 also comprises , between the upper portion 4 a and the lower portion 4 b , a substantially flat plate 10 which extends radially and defines in the upper portion 4 a , in a recessed region , a reservoir 24 which is to receive a cup 8 which is filled with cosmetic product and which rests on the plate 10 . in addition , the outer surface 16 of the base 4 incorporates a peripheral boss 22 , which is generally referred to as beading . the outer surface 16 of the base 4 has a diameter which is substantially equal to , and even slightly larger than , the diameter of the inner surface 14 of the lid 2 , in order to insert tightly the upper portion 4 a of the base , under slight resilient deformation , inside the lower portion 2 b of the lid . the case is then in a closed position of the case 1 , as illustrated in fig1 and 5 , in which the base and the lid nest in one another under slight retaining constraint , the lid then covering the reservoir 24 . in that closed position , the beading 22 is inserted tightly into the groove 20 having shapes complementing those of the beading , in order to improve sealing between the inner surface 14 of the lid 2 and the outer surface 16 of the base 4 and therefore the isolation of the reservoir 24 from the outside air . the tongue 6 is pliable and has one end 6 a fixed to the outer surface 12 of the lid 2 and an opposite end 6 b fixed to the outer surface 30 of the base 4 in a fixing region 26 . it is sufficiently long to enable the user to raise the lid 2 relative to the base 4 , to cause it to pivot and to bring it below the base 4 , while keeping the lid 2 and the base 4 together . the outer surface 12 of the lid 2 has a diameter which is substantially equal to , and even slightly larger than , the diameter of the inner surface 18 of the base 4 , in order to insert tightly , under slight resilient deformation , the upper portion 2 a of the lid inside the lower portion 4 b of the base . the case is then in an open position , as illustrated in fig3 and 6 , in which the lid and the base nest in one another under slight retaining constraint , the lid 2 being folded beneath the plate 10 . the closed and open positions of the lid 2 are substantially parallel with one another and are offset in a direction which is substantially vertical and perpendicular to the plane of the plate 10 . as illustrated in fig4 the outer surface 16 of the base 4 has an indentation 28 in the vicinity of the fixing region 26 at the lower end of the lower portion 4 b of the base , in order to permit the passage of the tongue 6 . [ 0044 ] fig7 illustrates a second case 101 which is identical to that described above and the corresponding elements of which bear a reference increased by 100 . the case 101 is stacked on the case 1 , the upper portion 2 a of the lid 2 of the case 1 nesting in the lower portion 104 b of the base 104 of the case 101 . the case is moulded preferably by the injection under pressure of thermoplastic material which is advantageously constituted by high - density polyethylene ( hdpe ) or polypropylene ( pp ).	8
the device which will now be described , with respect to the drawings , is more particularly adapted to a production cycle comprising a production stage with a stage at the high pressure of the cycle and supplied by a gaseous mixture according to two steps of pressure balancing or equilibriage with the production gas of the adsorber in its depressurization phase , followed by a depressurization phase under vacuum and a final step of elution under vacuum with the countercurrent introduction of production gas before repressurization in three steps , of which a final step is with countercurrent introduction of the production gas . the gaseous mixture to be separated is typically air and the gas produced is typically medium purity oxygen , the high pressure of the cycle not exceeding 1 . 8 × 10 5 pa and the low pressure being no lower than 0 . 2 × 10 5 pa . as will be seen in the drawings , the device according to the invention comprises a plurality of adsorption units each constituted by a vertical prismatic sector 1 with trapezoidal cross section forming a casing delimited by an external wall 2 , an internal wall 3 , lateral radial walls 4 and a base plate 5 of trapezoidal shape . the base plate comprises a radially outer opening 6 and a radially inner opening 7 between which extends a vertical partition 8 mounted in the base plate 5 and on which is secured a horizontal base plate 9 supporting a mass 10 of adsorbent confined radially between an internal screen 11 and an external screen 12 . in assembled configuration , as will be seen in fig3 the different sectors 1 constitute a circular crown closed at its upper part by a series of trapezoidal plates 13 each provided with an adsorbent filling opening 14 . each sector 1 preferably comprises at its upper portion a device 15 ( mechanical or pneumatic ) for compacting the adsorbent column 10 . the base plates 5 of the different sectors are fixed on a first flat annular plate 16 coacting , like a rotatable drawer , with the second flat annular plate 17 mounted on a circular support plate 18 on the lower portion of which is mounted a structure forming a housing 19 defining a certain number of gas distribution chambers , as will be seen above . the base plates 5 are centrally connected by a collar 20 forming a bearing 21 for a vertical axle 22 extending upwardly from the support plate 18 . the upper closure plates 13 are connected by a central plate 23 , the toroidal assembly of the sectors 1 being rigidified by hoops 24 and comprising means such as trunnions 25 for its handling and transportation . the first plate 16 comprises two concentric series of passages 60 , 70 facing the openings 6 and 7 of the base plates 5 of the sectors 1 . as will be seen in fig2 the second plate 17 comprises two radially spaced series of openings communicating with the casing chambers 19 and respectively distributed along the path of the gas passages 60 , 70 of the first plate 16 . in this same fig2 it will be seen that the casing 19 comprises a first internal set and a second external set of concentric chambers , namely , in the illustrated example , externally , a chamber 26 extending about almost 180 ° and supplied by tubing 27 with a compressed gaseous mixture to be separated , in this instance air supplied by a compressor 28 , a neutral chamber 29 , a first depressurization chamber 30 connected via a conduit 31 to a first vacuum pump 32 and a second depressurization chamber 33 of larger angular opening , connected by tubing 34 to a second vacuum pump 35 . the external crown of the casing 19 is completed by a neutral chamber 36 . the set of internal chambers comprises a production chamber 37 contiguous to the supply chamber 26 and having the same angular extent as this latter , limited by two pressure balancing or equilibriage chambers 38a and 38b that are substantially diametrically opposed , communicating selectively with each other via a conduit 39 comprising a valve 40 and , contiguous to the chambers 38a and 38b , a second pair of equilibriage chambers 41a , 41b communicating selectively with each other by a conduit 42 comprising a valve 43 . the angular extent of the chambers 38a and 41a ( 38b , 41b ) corresponds to that of the neutral chambers ( 29 and 36 ). contiguous to the depressurization chambers 30 and 33 , and having the same angular extent as this latter , an elution chamber 44 , diametrically opposed to the production chamber 37 , communicates selectively with this latter by a conduit 45 comprising a valve 46 . the production gas available in the chamber 26 is supplied to the user by tubing 47 . as will also be seen in fig2 the active chambers communicate with the interface between the first plate 16 and the second plate 17 via openings formed in the support plate 18 and in the second plate 17 . this latter comprises thus an elongated circular arcuate opening 48 covering a portion of the angular extent of the supply chamber 26 , an opening 29 in alignment with the first pressure chamber 30 , an elongated opening 50 in alignment with the second depressurization chamber 33 and covering a portion of the angular extent of this latter , and internally , an elongated opening 51 in alignment with the production chamber 37 , covering the major portion of the angular extent of this latter and an elongated opening 52 in alignment with the elution chamber 44 , covering substantially the same angular sector as the opening 50 of the chamber 33 . as will be seen in fig1 the arrangement of each sector 1 defines , in this latter , a vertical external collector 53 in permanent communication with the opening 6 and the gas passage 60 and an internal vertical collector 54 in permanent communication with the opening 7 and the passage 70 , all circulation of gas between the passages 60 and 70 being required to pass through the adsorbent mass 10 because of the base plate 9 and the partition 8 . thus , as shown on the left portion of fig1 during the production phase , the air entering production chamber 26 passes through opening 48 and passage 6 into the external collector 53 , passes radially through the adsorbent mass 10 , from which results , in the internal collector 54 , oxygen which is transmitted by the opening 70 and the passage 51 , into the production chamber 37 for evacuation through the tubing 47 and / or via the conduit 45 toward the elution chamber 44 . during continuous rotation of the assembly of sectors , these latter pass successively into alignment with the different chambers mentioned above to effect the production cycle described above . during such a cycle , a portion of the rotating structure , situated in alignment with the supply chamber 26 , will be under pressure , which pressure tends to space the first plate 16 from the second plate 17 . to limit this tendency toward spacing , there is provided , below the base plates 5 , a circular angle iron 55 whose lower wing forms a lower rolling track for at least a roller 56 elastically urged downwardly by a spring 57 . by contrast , during a psa vacuum cycle , a portion of the rotating structure , situated in alignment with the depressurization chamber 30 , 33 , is placed on the vacuum , which has a tendency to urge the first plate 16 firmly against the second plate 17 . to alleviate this baring , the lower wing of the angle iron 55 forms forming an upper rolling track for at least one roller 58 elastically urged upwardly by a spring 59 . the two plates 16 and 17 are preferably of material that is wear resistant and has a good coefficient of friction against each other . the two confronting surfaces are highly machined and slide on each other without play . as a modification , there could be provided very slight play between the two plates , avoiding friction between these latter , the upper plate 16 being for example fixed to a peripheral collar resting on a roller track ( not shown ) carried by the support plate 18 . according to one aspect of the invention , the continuous driving in rotation of the assembly of the sectors 1 is effected by providing the periphery of the base plates 5 with a rack 60 coacting with a pinion 61 driven by a motor 62 carried by the support casing 19 . although the present invention has been described with respect to a particular embodiment , it is not thereby limited but is on the contrary susceptible of modifications and variations which will be apparent to one skilled in the art .	1
referring to the drawings , the machine comprises a base frame 1 having horizontal rails 2 supported by four legs 3 . the horizontal rails 2 are of c - shaped cross - section and a secondary frame 4 is mounted for movement along the rails 2 with wheels 6 fixed to the movable frame 4 engaging in the rails 2 to support the movable frame 4 . brackets 7 are fixed to one pair of legs 3 at one end of the machine , the brackets 7 being arranged to support at least one roll 8 of fabric material 9 which is to be cut into a plurality of lengths . a guide table 11 is attached to the end of the frame 1 above the brackets 7 , the table 11 being arranged to support and guide material 9 taken from a roll 8 to a tensioning device 12 . the tensioning device 12 comprises rows of bristles 13 of natural or synthetic material fixed to the base frame 1 and projecting upwardly therefrom . the bristles 13 extend across the width of the frame and may extend vertically or may be inclined towards one or the other end of the base frame . further rows of bristles 14 are fixed to a support 16 carried by two arms 17 pivoted to opposite legs 3 at the other end of the base frame 1 . the arms 17 are movable by a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 18 , or by manual means , to move the second set of bristles 14 into engagement with the fixed bristles 13 . fabric material 9 is thereby gripped between the two sets of bristles and as the fabric 9 is drawn therethrough the bristles act to apply an even tension to the fabric . the tension may be varied by varying the pressure applied by the second , movable set of bristles 14 . the movable secondary frame 4 carries an adjustable winder 21 about which the fabric material 9 is wound prior to being cut to length . the winder 21 comprises a main shaft 22 supported in bearings 23 on either side of the secondary frame 4 . the shaft 22 is formed with two screw threads 24 , 26 of opposite hand . threaded collars 27 , 28 engage with the threaded shaft , the collars being formed with integral flanges 29 extending perpendicular to the shaft axis . outer collars 31 , 32 are located on the shaft 22 adjacent the bearings 23 and each outer collar is also formed with an integral flange 33 , 34 . three rods 36 extend between and are secured to the flanges 33 and 34 and the rods 36 pass through holes 37 formed in the flanges 29 on the collars 27 and 28 . one of the flanges 33 , 34 is fitted with a chain sprocket 38 for a driving chain 39 driven by a suitable electric motor 41 through a reduction gear - box 42 mounted on a cradle carried by the movable frame 4 . the flange 29 on each threaded collar are provided with three circumferentially spaced brackets 43 which pivotally support outwardly extending arms 44 . corresponding arms 44 from the respective flanges 29 are pivoted to each end of bars 46 equally spaced from the shaft 22 . thus , three bars 46 are each carried by a pair of arms pivoted to the flanges 29 . the bars 46 are maintained substantially parallel to each other and to the shaft 22 by further pairs of arms 47 , each arm of each pair of which is pivoted at one end to an arm 44 substantially mid - way along its length , and at its other end to brackets 48 secured to the rods 36 adjacent the flange 33 and 34 . it will be seen that movement of the threaded collars 27 and 28 towards or away from each other causes movement of the respective arms 44 and 47 thus moving the bars 46 towards or away from the shaft 22 . at least one of the bars 46 is fitted with a clamping plate 51 extending along the length of the bar 46 . the clamping plate 51 is attached at either end to a pair of levers 52 pivoted to the ends of the bar 46 . the levers 52 have an over - centre action such that movement of the levers 52 in one direction causes the clamping plate 51 to be spaced from the bar 46 and movement of the levers 52 in the opposite direction secures the clamping plate against the bar 46 . the bar 46 incorporates a guide channel 53 for a cutter blade used to cut fabric material engaged about the winder 21 . in operation , the length of fabric material to be cut is determined by the spacing of the three bars 46 . adjustment of the threaded collars along the shaft 22 is accomplished by rotating a hand wheel 54 fixed to one end of the shaft 22 . the arms attached to the threaded collars are either raised or lowered , depending on the direction of movement of the threaded collars , to thereby vary the spacing of the bars 46 from the shaft 22 and from each other and thus vary the perimeter of the space bounded by the bars 46 . the winder 21 carried by the movable frame 4 is moved towards the tensioning device by means of the hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 56 on the frame 1 . the bars 46 are positioned so that the perimeter of the space defined by the bars 46 is equal to the length to which the material is to be cut . the end of the material is drawn from the tensioning device and is clamped to one of the bars 46 by the clamping plate 51 . the movable frame 4 is then moved away from the tensioning device 12 and the winder 21 is rotated by the electric motor driving the shaft 22 through the chain sprocket 38 . the winder 22 rotates as a unit in the bearings 23 due to the rods 36 fixed to the driving sprocket passing through the holes 37 in the threaded collar flanges . if desired , a threaded handle may be provided in one of the outer collars 31 , 32 to releasably engage the shaft 22 thereby preventing relative rotation between the shaft 22 and the outer collars . rotation of the winder causes fabric material to be wrapped around the bars 46 , under tension , until the predetermined number of fabric lengths are contained on the winder . the fabric is then cut to the set length by a suitable cutter passing along the cutting guide on one of the bars 46 . allowance may be made for the tendency for subsequent lengths of material to be greater than initial lengths due to the fabric thickness increasing the distance around the outside of the bars 46 . thus , the shaft 22 may be geared to the outer flanges such that a preset relative rotation is imparted to the shaft as the winder is rotated . such relative rotation will alter the bar spacing to ensure that the outer fabric length is of the same length as the lengths previously wound . the machine may be of a width to suit any fabrics to be cut . also , the fabric may be simultaneously cut into various widths by a suitable number of cutter blades mounted on the movable support carrying the tensioning bristles . these blades are movable along the length of the support so that the fabric may be cut to any suitable width . a counter may be attached to the movable frame 4 to count the number of turns made by the winder and thus the number of lengths of fabric thereon . also , a scale may extend adjacent one of the bars to facilitate measurement of the fabric length . the scale is calibrated such that the measurement of the distance between the shaft and one of the bars 46 gives the length of the material . the tensioning device utilized in the present invention may be used on any cloth measuring and cutting table and provides effective means for tensioning material drawn from a roll . the opposing bristles act to align weft and warp threads to ensure that the material is accurately measured and cut .	3
fig1 and 2 illustrate a first embodiment of a development apparatus , generally indicated as 10 , which includes a development roller 12 surrounded by a shroud 14 which is closed at its ends to completely enclosed the roller 12 . the development apparatus is located adjacent an electrostatic record bearing member 16 which is illustrated as being in cylindrical form , although the record member 16 may be in the form of a plate or web . the shroud 14 is open at the top in order to expose the development roller 12 and allow the development roller to approach the record member 16 in spaced , operative proximity , usually on the order of 0 . 015 inches , to form a development gap . the shroud surrounding the development roller 12 is longitudinally divided by a wiper blade 18 into a supply chamber 20 and a return chamber 22 . the development roller 12 and the record member 16 rotate in the directions of arrows 24 and 26 such that their surfaces both move from the supply chamber 20 toward the return chamber 22 . liquid toner is supplied to the supply chamber 20 by means of a pump 28 and forced toward the development gap 17 . the supply of liquid toner forms a meniscus 30 , the width of which defines a development zone . liquid toner in the development zone overflows the shroud 14 to fall into a catch tray 32 for return to the supply chamber 20 . toner is also withdrawn from the development zone by a vacuum pump 34 which enhances the circulation of liquid toner through the development zone . toner withdrawn by the vacuum pump 34 is returned to the supply pump 28 for further circulation . the vacuum produced by the vacuum pump 34 also produces a flow of air into the return chamber from outside the shroud 14 . the downstream side of the shroud 14 with respect to the rotation of the development roller 12 and the record member 16 is provided with a blade 36 which projects into the development zone . the blade 36 is positioned so as to cause the above mentioned flow of air from outside the shroud 14 to strike the record member 16 adjacent the development zone and strip excess liquid toner from the surface of the record member 16 . the liquid toner consists of pigmented , insoluble particles having diameters up to two microns , that are stabilized in isopar g ( registered trademark of humble oil & amp ; refining company ), a nonpolar , branched , liquid hydrocarbon . the particles are positively charged and are attracted to areas of the record member 16 which , as a result of charging and exposure of the record member 16 , are more electrically negative than the particles . toned density is dependent upon three factors , toner contact time , the concentration of the toner in its carrier and uniformity of the electrical field existing between the development roller 12 and the record member 16 . images developed using lower concentration toners have a cleaner background in the toned image . in addition , lower concentration toners are capable of developing small image detail with greater density and sharper edges . thus , the developed images have high resolutions and better contrast when lower concentration toners are used . in order to use lower concentration toners , however , the supply of liquid toner to the development zone must be increased to avoid depletion of toner particles below an acceptable level in the development zone . the provision of the vacuum source 34 on the return side of the shroud 14 has been found to greatly increase the circulation of liquid toner through the development zone and thus ensure an adequate supply of toner particles to the image . toner contact time is a function of the width of the development zone between the development roller 12 , or more generally , development electrode 12 , and the record surface 16 . uniformity of the electrical field may be enhanced by conforming the electrode 12 to the shape of the record surface 16 . both toner contact time and uniformity of the electrical field are materially improved through the use of a second embodiment of a developer apparatus 38 shown in fig3 and 4 . in this embodiment , the development electrode is in the form of an endless belt 40 tensioned between two rollers 42 and 44 , either or both of which may be driven to continually move the belt past the record surface 16 . as an alternative , another roller ( not shown ) could be used to drive the belt 40 . it is desirable to drive the belt 40 so that any accumulated toner deposits on the belt 40 can be removed by a wiper blade 45 as the belt 40 moves past . the belt 40 is conductive , and preferably stainless steel , and is supported adjacent the record member 16 by a base 46 having a flat upper surface 48 . like the developer apparatus shown in fig1 and 2 , the development belt 40 is surrounded by a shroud 50 which includes a toner supply passageway 52 , an overflow passageway 54 and a return passageway 56 which includes a source of vacuum . a development zone is formed between the overflow and the return passageways , 54 and 56 , respectively . that portion of the shroud 50 adjacent the return passageway is formed with a sharp tip 58 to produce a shape similar to the blade 36 of fig1 and 2 which directs air drawn to the return passageway 56 against the record member 16 to strip excess toner from the record member 16 and reduce background toning of the image area . it will be seen that the flat shape of the development belt 40 in the area of the record member 16 greatly increases the width and uniformity of the development zone compared to the development zone produced by the point - to - point configuration produced by the proximity of the two cylindrical shapes illustrated by fig1 and 2 . this increased width and uniformity of the development zone both contribute to toned density and quality as described above . while the belt 40 configuration of the development electrode produces advantages over the cylindrical configuration of fig1 and 2 when used in conjunction with a cylindrical record member 16 , these advantages are increased when the belt configuration is utilized in conjunction with a record member 60 in the shape of a flat plate or web , as shown in phantom lines in fig4 . thus the embodiment of fig4 and 5 is most usefully employed when the development electrode is in the form of a plate or web . fig5 and 6 illustrate an embodiment of the present invention which incorporates the advantages of the belt development electrode but in a design which is specifically tailored for use with a record member in the form of a cylinder . the development apparatus 62 includes a base 64 which has an upper surface 66 formed to present a cylindrical concavity to the cylindrical record member 16 . thus the upper surface of the base 64 of the development apparatus 62 matches the curvature of the record member 16 . tensioned upon the base upper surface 66 is a belt 68 which is magnetically attractive and preferable is steel . it is necessary that the belt 68 be magnetically attractive so that the belt may be drawn to the concave shape of the upper surface 66 of the base 64 by magnets 70 located within the base 64 . these magnets are preferably located on both sides of the centerline of the concave upper surface 66 of the base 64 , although they could be positioned along the centerline . only one magnet 70 is illustrated in fig6 but it should be recognized that another is located symmetrically with respect to the centerline ; on the opposite side of the centerline as the one shown in fig6 and an equal distance from the opposite end of the base 64 . any convenient number of magnets 70 may be utilized , but the minimum number consistent with forcing the belt 68 to conform to the base 64 is desirable to keep friction between the belt 68 and the base 64 at a minimum . it is possible to preform the belt 68 into the required concave shape as is commonly done with metal tape measures , but the magnetic arrangement has proven more desirable . the development apparatus of fig5 and 6 is slightly different from that shown in fig3 and 4 in that toner is supplied through the base 64 by means of a series of holes 72 spaced along the centerline of the base 64 . slots 74 are provided in the belt 68 to allow the liquid toner to flow into the development zone between the belt 68 and the record member 16 . toner is extracted from the development zone by means of return passageways 76 located on either side of the belt 68 . the return passageways are provided with a source of vacuum as previously described . like the previous embodiments , the development apparatus is provided with a shaped shroud which causes air rushing to the vacuum source to strike the record member and strip excess toner therefrom in order to reduce background toning of the image area . the development apparatus embodied in fig5 and 6 thus provides the advantages of a particularly wide and uniform development zone , namely increased contact time between the toner and the record member and a uniform electrical field , while retaining the advantages produced by the provision of a vacuum return , namely increased toner circulation and the elimination or reduction of excess toner on the record member .	6
fig1 - 14c illustrate examples of different implementations of an athletic shoe is provided to simulate training in running spikes . the athletic shoe , according to the present teachings , may generally include an outsole for engaging a supporting horizontal surface , a midsole coupled to the outsole , the midsole having an arch portion elevated at an angle of not less than 15 degrees relative to the horizontal surface , and an upper that encloses the midsole . the outsole may be made of rubber and include a planar gripping surface designed to engage in planar contact with the supporting horizontal surface . the outsole may be designed for all - surface wear and include ridges and a tread design on the forefoot tip portion of the outsole for increased traction . the midsole may include a wedge portion that elevates the forefoot from the ground ( i . e ., horizontal support surface ) to an angle ( not less than 15 °) that simulates training in spike shoes . the midsole may also include a foot length force plate ( i . e ., arch portion ) made of high performance elastomer , such as pebax ®, to be compliant yet stiff enough to provide additional support to the arch of the foot and maximize the force transfer between the leg and the ground . the force plate may include a plastic mold with cut - outs to secure or otherwise couple the force plate to the midsole wedge . the force plate may also include a series of axially extending stiffening ribs or ridges to increase the rigidity of the shoe . the upper may be made of synthetic leather and include a velcro ® strap that extends across the tongue of the shoe to provide compression support to the foot . the upper may also include four or more integrated bands to provide additional compression support of the foot . the athletic shoe my further include a heel bumper or outsole to enclose the heel and couple the quarter of the upper to the force plate . fig1 is an exploded view of one example of an implementation of an athletic shoe 100 according to the present disclosure . as illustrated in fig1 , the athletic shoe 100 includes an outsole 102 , a midsole assembly 104 , and an upper 106 . the outsole 102 includes a toe outsole portion 108 with a gripping surface and a heel outsole portion 110 with the gripping surface . the toe outsole 108 and heel outsole 110 may be constructed of polyurethane , polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ), rubber or other suitable material . the midsole 104 includes a rubber midsole wedge 112 and a force plate 114 constructed of polyether block amide ( pebax ®). the upper 106 includes a velcro ® strap 116 for securing the users foot within the shoe , and integrated band supports 118 for providing support about the quarter of the shoe . the heel outsole 110 couples the quarter of the upper 106 to the force plate 114 . the upper 110 may also include a tongue portion 120 . the upper 106 may be made from a combination of synthetic leather and synthetic nubuck leather . the upper 106 may also be made from a combination of polyester , nylon , micro - fiber , open mesh cloth , or any other suitable synthetic fabrics . an insole ( not shown ) made from vinyl or any other suitable material may be laid over the midsole 104 in the interior of the shoe 100 . the insole couples the upper 106 to the midsole . the insole may be adhered , such as by gluing , to the top of the midsole 104 . fig2 . is a lateral side view of the outsole 102 assembled with the midsole 104 . fig3 is a bottom view of the outsole 102 assembled with the midsole 104 . as illustrated , the toe outsole 108 may include a gripping surface having series of ridges and v - shaped tread designs and the heel outsole went in may also include a tread surface having v - shaped treads . as shown , the force plate 114 may be elevated at an angle of no less than 15 ° relative to the gripping surface of the toe outsole 108 . the toe outsole when a late may include a series of cut - outs that complement a corresponding to a series of cut - outs in the force plate 114 to facilitate coupling of force plate 114 to the midsole wedge 112 and toe outsole 108 . the toe outsole 108 may also include a toe tab 202 that overlays the upper 106 to provide additional protection to the toe . fig4 a - 4d illustrates cross - sectional views of the various components of the midsole assembly 104 shown at sections a - a , b - b , c - c , and d - d in fig2 . and 3 . in particulate , section a - a is a sectional view along the axial centerline of the midsole assembly . section b - b is a sectional view of the midsole wedge that illustrates the dimensional features of the cut - outs . section c - c is a sectional view of the force plate that illustrates the dimensional features of the axial stiffening ribs . section d - d is a sectional view illustrating the dimensional features of the heel outsole . fig5 is a top view and fig6 is rear view illustrating the configuration of the shoe upper 106 . the top view illustrates features of the tongue , quarter and vamp designs . the rear view illustrates features of the heel , back stay , and outside counter . fig7 is a top view of the tongue 120 . fig8 and 9 illustrate lateral and medial views of athletic shoe 100 shown in fig1 . as shown , the shoe upper may include a synthetic leather vamp , open - cell tech mesh saddle with a v - shaped thermal transfer weld overlay extending over the saddle to the quarter , a synthetic nubuck quarter with a synthetic leather quarter overlay , open - cell tech mesh tongue , and a synthetic leather back stay . the upper may further include an eye stay having eyelets or lace loops to accommodate shoe lacing , and a velcro ® strap to provide additional support at across the tongue . fig1 , 11 and 12 illustrates side , top and back views , respectively of the athletic shoe 100 shown in fig1 . fig1 a and 13b illustrate medial and lateral views of the athletic shoe 100 shown in fig1 . in particular , the figures illustrate features of the velcro ® support strap . as shown , the support strap may include a medial side strap base that is secured beneath the quarter overlay , where the medial side strap base includes a “ d ” ring , and a strap extending from a slot formed in the lateral side strap base . in this way , the supporting strap is crossed over the laces to the medial side , looped through the “ d ” ring , and is then crossed back over itself and secured on the lateral side , as shown in fig1 c . fig1 a - 14c illustrate top and lateral and medial side views of the midsole assembly 104 shown in fig2 . in particular , the figure illustrates the features of the force plate 114 which , as shown , may include a series of axially extending stiffening ribs , cut - outs for air ventilation , and a raised arch portion for supporting the arch of the foot . in general , terms such as “ coupled to ,” and “ configured for coupling to ,” and “ secured to ,” and “ configured for securing to ” and “ in communication with ” ( for example , a first component is “ coupled to ” or “ is configured for coupling to ” or is “ configured for securing to ” or is “ in communication with ” a second component ) are used herein to indicate a structural , functional , mechanical , electrical , signal , optical , magnetic , electromagnetic , ionic or fluidic relationship between two or more components or elements . as such , the fact that one component is said to be in communication with a second component is not intended to exclude the possibility that additional components may be present between , and / or operatively associated or engaged with , the first and second components . the foregoing description of implementations has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not exhaustive and does not limit the claimed inventions to the precise form disclosed . modifications and variations are possible in light of the above description or may be acquired from practicing the invention . the claims and their equivalents define the scope of the invention .	0
the disclosed modular tool holder has some or all of the following components : a bent plastic form , referred to here as a saddle , either in the shape of an inverted u , or sometimes a squared off inverted u channel , with an interior void large enough to slide over the rim of a plastic bucket , and with the interior - most wall of the saddle formed to match the radius of the rim of the bucket for secure support ; the saddle with its interior and exterior support sections extends from the rim of the bucket on the inside toward the bottom of the bucket and follows the interior contour and taper of the bucket for a compact fit , and from the rim of the bucket on the outside toward the bottom of the bucket and follows the exterior contour and taper of the bucket for a compact fit ; a compartment or set of compartments with various sub compartments and dividers that attach to the inside of the interior support section , and a compartment or set of compartments with various sub compartments and dividers that attach to the outside of the exterior support section ; a built in handle to ease lifting of the tool holder on and off a bucket ; a guide or set of guides in the form of an elevated ridge or ridges extending into the interior of the saddle , where it interfaces with a bucket &# 39 ; s exterior vertical surface , to ease the attachment or removal of a tool holder on a bucket by helping it slide over the bucket rim , and to help hold the tool holder securely to a bucket when attached ; a clip , clasp , slide , pin , or other fastener to attach one tool holder to another , if desired , when placed on a bucket , or alternately , a ridge , point , or otherwise elevated portion or portions of the interior face of the saddle , where it interfaces with the interior surface of a bucket , to create friction on the walls of the bucket to prevent the tool holder from moving or sliding when attached to a bucket . turning now to the drawings , the disclosed modular tool holder will be described by reference to the numerals of the drawing figures wherein like numbers indicate like parts . in fig1 and 2 , tool holder or caddy 100 of hard plastic material is shaped to slip over and securely fit on rim 55 of common plastic bucket 50 . the tool holder has exterior support section 120 that conforms to the shape of the bucket &# 39 ; s exterior wall and interior support section 110 that conforms to the shape of the bucket &# 39 ; s interior wall . tool holder 100 has saddle 130 formed to match the bucket &# 39 ; s radius and taper at the rim of the bucket . the upper inside part of saddle 130 rests on the bucket &# 39 ; s rim , supporting the tool holder . compartments 141 et seq . that attach to the tool holder &# 39 ; s exterior provide space for holding and organizing tools . compartment shapes may take a wide range of shapes and embodiments , as illustrated in the drawings and may be optimized for specific tasks , such as carrying larger tools or carrying small parts . handle 150 , one of many possible handle embodiments , is used to lift tool holder 100 on and off the bucket . tool holder &# 39 ; s underside has a generally flat bottom 1455 or 1444 to permit a stable freestanding tool holder when it is used independent of the bucket . compartment 148 is meant generally to illustrate the embodiment of external support section 120 where the compartments are either integral to the support section , or permanently attached to it . compartment 149 is meant generally to illustrate the embodiment of external support section 120 where the compartments are removably attached to the support section , for instance by means of tabs and guides 126 . a clip or similar attachment device 160 is used to secure the tool holders to each other on a bucket . paired cutouts 121 , 122 permit two tool holders to abut each other on each side of a bucket &# 39 ; s handle . in fig9 , an alternative cutout 128 in the tool holder divides compartments 140 and extends into the saddle cutout to permit the device to slip over bucket handle 60 when the handle is raised in the upright position and come to rest on bucket rim 55 . fig3 , 4 and 5 show alternate embodiments of tool holder or caddy 100 . external support section 120 is made of wire of metal in dimensions that will readily occur to those skilled in the art like kind wire also makes up basket compartment 170 and handle 150 and saddle 130 . saddle 130 is hooked over rim 55 of bucket 50 , and may optionally have a like kind wire made internal support section inside the bucket ( not shown ). in fig4 single section tool holder 100 has only external section 120 ( no internal section to speak of ) to which compartments 143 and 144 are attached . saddle 130 is provided to engage the tool holder with the bucket rim ( not shown ). fig5 is a detail of external support section 120 showing generally flat bottom 1444 of compartment 144 . to provide equal length sections for independent standing , when the sections are not of equal length at the bottoms of their bottom - most compartments , stand - off or foot 122 is provided to equalize any height or length difference . guide 124 is optionally provided to fill the space between the inside of external support section 120 and the lower outside of the container or bucket , when the taper of the support section is not an exact match for the taper of the bucket . fig6 shows bucket 50 with rim 55 and handle 60 supporting at its saddle 130 tool holder 100 . the tool holder has compartment set 148 on its external support section and compartment set 147 on its internal support section , and clip 160 protruding from compartment set 147 to mate or attach to another tool holder , as needed . fig7 and 8 show details of aspects of saddle 130 and removable compartment 140 , respectively . inside saddle 130 there is a guide or catch 132 on its exterior side that will mate with exterior support section 120 , and guide or friction spacer or pad 131 on its interior side that will mate with interior support section 110 . generally , guide 132 is sized and positioned to catch and releasably hold the outwardly protruding lip of bucket rim 55 , a lip common to most such buckets . generally , guide 131 is sized and of a material to provide some degree of friction between the interior saddle wall and the exterior wall of the bucket just below the rim . for example , a small , thin rubber pad with a sticky backing ( the kind people sometimes use on a lamp base to prevent marring of furniture ) holds the units in place . the pad is placed on the inside of the interior saddle because the rim is smooth on the inside ( not jutting out like on the exterior ). the pad facilitates solid purchase with greater surface area . the guide or set of points extending into the interior of the saddle can also take the form of small bumps or radiuses that also create friction at the top of the saddle . in fig8 a nominal compartment 140 has a tab 126 that slips through a mating slot on one of the support sections to which it is to be removably attached . when serving only as such a tab it can be most any shape and need have only one hook , not two . the illustration is also intended to show the rounded shape of the tab when it is also a guide for the tool holder &# 39 ; s easy installation on and removal from the bucket . when the tool holder is on the bucket , it fits snugly enough to the bucket to remain securely in place yet not so snug that it is difficult to remove from the bucket or to reattach it . the tool holder is an economical device made from an extremely durable medium that can extend the use of bucket tool holders for tasks and activities for which they are currently not optimized . it provides convenient space for holding , storing , and accessing tools , is easy to take on and off a bucket to permit use of the device with or without a bucket , and is comfortable to carry . a tool holder formed in various sizes and that extend inward , inside the bucket , up to half the radius of a common bucket ; use of four tool holders , as shown in fig1 ; any number of tool holders from one to six or more may be used and the tool holders may , if desired , cover the complete rim of a bucket and entire bottom of the bucket to maximize space for tools ; a tool holder may omit the interior compartment and much of the interior support section , as shown in fig9 , to permit use of the interior of the bucket for holding water , potting soil , mixing compounds , or many other materials ; a tool holder may include various cutouts on its exterior and interior sections to hold velcro bands and other types of strapping material for supporting tools ; a tool holder may be covered or partially covered by fabric or other material to enhance decorative aspects of the device or to provide a mixture of hard plastic compartments and more flexible fabric compartments if desired ; a tool holder may incorporate the use of a lid or lids for its compartments to help retain tools , hardware , and small parts ; and a tool holder may include stackable tool compartments that sit on , slide on , or otherwise attach to it , to provide additional tool storage space . the disclosed brush holder has some or all of the following components : a support arm designed to extend over a bucket &# 39 ; s interior ; a rim attachment clip at each end of the support arm ; and a series of prongs designed to attach to the support arm and to slide , ratchet or index , or otherwise move on the support arm to allow adjustment of the location of the prongs . turning now to the drawings , the disclosed brush holder will be described by reference to the numerals of the drawing figures wherein like numbers indicate like parts . in fig1 and 11 , brush holder 200 has support arm 210 that extends over the interior of a bucket . support arm 210 has a slight upward - facing radius 215 ( see fig1 ) to provide an overall height suitable for suspending most paint brushes . rim attachment clips 240 and 242 at either end of support arm 210 are for releasably engaging bucket rim 55 ( see fig1 ). each rim attachment clip has a flexible fastener component 246 with a raised lip 245 on the interior portion of the fastener to ensure brush hanger 200 engages securely with the lip 56 ( see fig1 ) that is common to most bucket rims . prongs 262 attach to the support arm to suspend paint brushes . prongs 262 which extend in a generally perpendicular direction from the support arm , turn up slightly at the ends to keep suspended paint brushes from slipping off the prongs . groove or hollow 213 in the cross section of support arm 210 aligns the prongs in an appropriate orientation and allows for the prongs to move along the support arm , if desired , or to be replaced . desirably , prongs 262 are integral to or otherwise provided in prong clips 260 . the lower two flanges 223 of prong clip 260 are flexible to the degree required for them to releasably and slidably interengage hollow 213 on support arm 210 , while still permitting them to spread far enough for the prong clips to be separated from the support arm when needed . upper groove or channel 212 on support arm 210 is provided with a series of holes or voids or teeth 214 or a rack ( not shown ) into which and with which tooth or pin 216 on prong clip 260 can index and releasably interengage so that the prong clips can be indexed or ratcheted along the support arm to provide differential spacing as needed on the job . fig1 - 15 are details for brush holder 200 . fig1 shows lip 56 on rim 55 of the bucket , to which rim attachment clip 242 can releasably interengage by means of catch ridge 245 and flexible member 246 . an alternate ( non - indexable ) sliding arrangement of prong clips 260 along support arm 210 is also shown , as are alternate support arm cross sections and prong shapes . fig1 schematically shows bush holder 200 with an alternate three branch support arm . support arm 210 has additional support arm 217 attached to its middle and has its own terminal rim clip for bucket 50 . fig1 schematically shows support arm 210 sitting lower in the bucket , below rim 55 , because offset 247 on rim clips 240 allows the support arm to sit lower . offset 247 may also be adjustable on the job ( adjustment not shown ). the prongs are fixed to the support arm to simplify production and reduce costs and the fixed prongs may optionally be formed as part of the support arm in a one piece design , or optionally clip on , snap on , or otherwise fasten to the support arm ; the moveable or fixed prongs may be lengthened to hold additional brushes or shortened to hold fewer brushes ; the moveable or fixed prongs may take other shapes , such as an l - form that extends from the support arm and changes the orientation of the hanging brushes from parallel to the support arm to perpendicular to it , or such as a common curved hook form , and many other possible forms ; the support arm may extend in a level , or horizontal , orientation over the bucket &# 39 ; s interior without an upward - facing radius , and the support arm may extend across the bucket &# 39 ; s interior at a chosen measurement below the top of the rim , such as one inch , two inches , three inches , or more ; the support arm may include more than a single arm which bisects the bucket interior , and use instead two or more arms that connect to each other to divide the bucket into three or more sections using three or more rim attachment clips ; the shape of the support arm may have a rounded cross section where the prong clips attach , as shown in the figures , or it can take any form that secures the clips in place and keeps them in a generally perpendicular orientation , including shapes with right angles , shapes with multiple angles , or shapes that combine a rounded form or forms with angles ; moveable prong clips may attach to the support arm in a number of ways , including , but not limited to use of channels , slots , holes , and other openings on the support arm designed to engage and secure the prongs , use of teeth , indentations , hollows , dents , dimples , or other means ( on the prong clips , the support arm , or on both components ) to help secure or index the prong clips in place on the support arm . alternate moveable prong clips may attach to the rim of the bucket in a manner similar to the way the support arm attaches to the rim ; rim - attached prong clips may have one or a plurality of prongs and or loops or generally ring - shaped tool holders , or any combination of one or more prongs , loops , or ring - shaped tool holders . fig1 - 17 are details for alternate moveable prong clip 249 . fig1 shows lip 56 on rim 55 of bucket 50 , to which rim attachment clip 249 can releasably interengage by means of catch ridge and flexible member ( see fig1 at 245 and 246 respectively ). each clip can have one or a plurality of prongs 262 or tool loops 263 . and the prongs and tool loops can project generally radially inwardly or outwardly from the rim . in compliance with the statute , the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features . it is to be understood , however , that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown , since the means and construction shown comprise preferred forms of putting the invention into effect . the invention is , therefore , claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims , appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents .	1
in fig1 the instrumented rolling bearing , denoted in its entirety by reference 1 , is designed to be mounted on the end of a rotating shaft of an electric motor ( not shown ). the bearing 1 includes an outer race 2 provided with a raceway 3 , an inner race 4 provided with a raceway 5 , a row of rolling elements 6 , in this case balls , arranged between the raceways 3 and 5 , a cage 7 for maintaining the circumferential spacing between the rolling elements 5 , and a seal 8 fitted in a groove 9 in the outer race 2 on one side of the row of rolling elements 6 . the bearing 1 is , furthermore , equipped with a detection assembly 10 composed of an encoder 11 and of a sensor assembly 12 . the encoder 11 comprises an annular support 13 having an s - shaped cross section , with a cylindrical portion push - fitted onto an outer bearing surface of the rotating inner race 4 , an outwardly directed radial portion and another cylindrical portion directed away from the rolling elements 6 , and an active part 14 in the form of a multi - pole ring made of plastoferrite or of elastoferrite overmolded onto the support 13 , the active part 14 being arranged axially so as to project relative to the radial frontal surfaces bounding the outer race 2 and inner race 4 of the bearing 1 . the sensor assembly 12 includes a sensor unit 15 made of synthetic material and rigidly secured to the outer race 2 . the sensor unit 15 comes into contact with the frontal radial surface of the outer race 2 on the opposite side of the seal 8 and is fixed in a groove 16 that is symmetrical to the groove 9 relative to a plane passing through the center of the rolling elements 6 . the sensor unit 15 includes a substantially radial part 17 arranged axially between the rolling elements 6 and the radial part of the support 13 of the encoder 11 , and radially between the groove 16 and the cylindrical part of the support 13 push - fitted onto the outer bearing surface of the inner race 4 , and a substantially tubular part 18 having an outside diameter that is slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the outer race 2 and extending axially away from the rolling elements 6 . the tubular part 18 includes a bore 19 provided with a shoulder 20 . the tubular part 18 radially surrounds the active part 14 of the encoder 11 . the sensor assembly 12 also includes a printed - circuit or integrated - circuit board 21 of annular shape that is fitted into the bore 19 until it comes into contact with the shoulder 20 arranged approximately at the center of the tubular part 18 , one or more sensor elements 22 supported by the board 21 on the side on which the encoder 11 is , and a ribbon connector 23 . the board 21 has a bore allowing a shaft of the motor to pass through . the sensor element or elements 22 may be of the hall - effect type . the ribbon connector 23 is connected to the board 21 on the opposite side to the sensor elements 22 and comprises a plurality of conductors 24 that can transmit power and / or electrical signals . the sensor element or elements 22 are arranged with a slight axial gap with respect to the active part 14 of the encoder 11 . as shown in fig2 the bearing 1 additionally includes an axially prestressing member 25 , here taking the form of a corrugated washer , this member being arranged in the bore 19 and being in contact with the board 21 by way of a surface 25 a on the same side as the ribbon connector 23 . formed at the free end of the tubular part 18 of the sensor unit 15 are a plurality of fingers , of which three fingers 26 ensure that the board 21 is retained axially such that it is immobilized axially between the shoulder 20 and the fingers 26 . the fingers 26 project radially inward with respect to the bore 19 . also provided are three other retaining fingers 27 , likewise distributed circumferentially , for retaining the axially prestressing member 25 , these likewise projecting inward with respect to the bore 19 . the retaining fingers 27 are in contact with a surface 25 b of the axially prestressing member 25 on the opposite side to the surface 25 a . the axially prestressing member 25 forms , with the bearing 1 , a pre - assembled subassembly that may be assembled economically with the other constituents of an electric motor . as can be seen in fig3 the instrumented rolling bearing 1 is mounted in a motor 28 of which only an end part is shown . the bore of the inner race 4 is fitted tightly on a shaft 29 secured to a rotor 30 . the outer race 2 is fitted in a motor casing 31 generally including a plurality of elements and of which only part is shown . the outer race 2 is installed with a sliding fit in a tubular portion 32 of the casing 31 . the casing 31 also has a radial part 33 that is arranged at the opposite end of the tubular part 32 to the rotor 30 and has an annular shape with a bore 34 through which the end of the shaft 29 and the ribbon connector 24 pass . the surface 25 b of the axially prestressing member 25 bears on the inner radial face of the radial part 33 of the casing 31 . in this way , the axially prestressing member 25 tends to push the outer race 2 toward the rotor 30 by way of the board 21 and of the sensor unit 15 , and this allows the bearing 1 to be axially preloaded . in fig4 the motor 28 is partially represented schematically . the opposite end of the shaft 29 to the rolling bearing 1 is equipped with a non - instrumented conventional type of rolling bearing 35 with a row of rolling elements , comprising an outer race 36 , a row of rolling elements 37 , in this case balls , an inner race 38 secured to the shaft 29 with a tight fit , and a sealing element 39 secured to the outer race 36 and forming a narrow passage with the inner race 38 . the outer race 36 is mounted in the casing 31 of the motor , which includes a tubular part 40 and a radial part 41 arranged at the opposite end of the tubular part 40 to the rotor 30 , leaving a central passage open through which the shaft 29 projects . the outer race 36 of the rolling bearing 35 may be force - fitted into the tubular part 40 . of course , the various parts 32 , 33 , 40 and 41 of the casing 31 are firmly connected together in a way that has not been shown . the axial prestress exerted by the axially prestressing member 25 is transmitted from the outer race 2 of the rolling bearing 1 to the inner race 4 by way of the rolling elements 6 , then to the shaft 29 , to the inner race 38 of the rolling bearing 35 , to the rolling elements 37 and to the outer race 36 . it will be understood that the presence of a single axially prestressing member 25 allows the rolling bearing 1 and the rolling bearing 35 to be axially preloaded while accommodating different expansions of the shaft , generally made of steel , and of the casing , generally based on aluminum , the rolling bearing 1 being able to slide axially with respect to the casing supporting it . the rolling bearing 1 is assembled as follows . the board 21 is positioned in the bore 19 of the sensor unit 15 until it comes into abutment with the shoulder 20 . the axially prestressing member 25 is then positioned in the bore 19 against the board 21 . studs emanating from the free end of the tubular part 18 of the sensor 15 are then deformed by heating in order to form the retaining fingers 26 and 27 that determine the final position of , and axially retain , the board 21 and the axially prestressing member 25 . the axially retaining member 25 thus bears against a part of the motor outside the rolling bearing and exerts , by reaction , an axial prestress on the non - rotating race , the rolling elements and the rotating race . the rolling bearing is preloaded axially . in the embodiment shown , the preload is transmitted by the board 21 and the sensor unit 15 ; however , it is also possible to provide direct contact of the axially prestressing member 25 with the sensor unit 15 or , alternatively , with the non - rotating race . of course , it would be possible to provide a rotating outer race and a non - rotating inner race according to the machine for which the rolling bearing is intended . the expressions “ rotating ” and “ non - rotating ” are to be understood in relative terms . the assembly thus obtained is particularly compact , it may be transported and handled with complete safety without any risk of loss of the elastic washer . the motor manufacturer has one less component to procure , manage and fit . the assembly may be fitted in the motor particularly easily without requiring any special precautions . there are thus provided , with a single rolling bearing assembly , the bearing function , an electronic detection function , for example speed detection or angular - position detection , and the mechanical function of axially prestressing the rolling bearings of the motor . further modifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects of the invention may be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description . accordingly , this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the general manner of carrying out the invention . it is to be understood that the forms of the invention shown and described herein are to be taken as the presently preferred embodiments . elements and materials may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein , parts and processes may be reversed , and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently , all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description to the invention . changes may be made in the elements described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims . in addition , it is to be understood that features described herein independently may , in certain embodiments , be combined .	5
one embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to fig2 to 10 . in fig2 a p - type silicon substrate 1 of a 5 - 50 ωcm specific resistivity with a & lt ; 100 & gt ; crystal surface orientation is prepared at first . preferably , gallium arsenic is used for the substrate material . next a thermal oxidation film 2 of about 500 å thickness is formed on substrate 1 . a silicon - nitride layer 3 of about 0 . 5 microns thickness and a resist film 4 are subsequently formed on oxide film 2 . silicon - nitride layer 3 is used as a mask for ion - implantation and etching for subsequent manufacturing steps . instead of silicon - nitride layer 3 , an aluminum layer , a poly - silicon layer or a phosphorous - doped silicon oxide layer can be used . resist film 4 is then patterned in accordance with the size of a predetermined element region by a conventional photo - etching method . silicon - nitride layer 3 and thermal oxidation film 2 are subsequently etched off using resist film pattern 5 as a mask ( fig2 ). after removing resist film pattern 5 , boron ions are implanted into semiconductor substrate 1 using silicon - nitride layer 3 as a mask , so that a p - type region 6 of an impurity concentration higher than that of substrate 1 is formed ( fig3 ). in this process , resist film pattern 5 does not always have to be removed before the ion - implantation . the above first ion - implantation step is carried out for example under the condition of a 140 kev acceleration voltage and a 1 × 10 13 cm - 2 dose value . in this case , the projected depth reaches 0 . 45 μm , the standard deviation is 0 . 11 μm , and the lateral extent range w of p - type region 6 into the predetermined element region is 0 . 14 μm . preferably after the ion - implantation , substrate 1 is exposed to a 1000 ° c . temperature for 30 minutes in a nitrogen gas atmosphere . this heat treatment mades the lateral extent range w expand to 0 . 3 μm which contributes effectively to preventing conductivity type inversion . next semiconductor substrate 1 is partly etched from its surface to 0 . 4 - 0 . 8 μm depth by anisotropic etching method using silicon nitride layer 3 as an etching mask . considering etching accuracy , reactive ion - etching is desirable to use as the anisotropic etching . a p - type region 6 &# 39 ; remains in the side wall part of the groove 7 formed by the above etching process ( fig4 ). when relatively light ions with a large scattering angle , for example boron , are implanted into the semiconductor substrate , there occurs a wide range ion distribution in the lateral direction under the silicon nitride layer 3 , i . e . the ion - implantation mask . after the ion - implantation , the impurity concentration distribution shows a gaussian distribution with a projected depth rp and a standard deviation δrp in the depth direction . the impurity concentration distribution shows a gaussian distribution also in the lateral direction , so that it is possible to implant an adequate dosage of boron with high controllability into the side wall part of groove 7 . the narrow channel effect with respect to insulated gate type field effect transistors , which occurs through too much boron implantation and lateral diffusion of impurities in subsequent heat processes , is effectively prevented by the above steps of the present invention . also decrease of the breakdown voltage of the diffusion layers formed on the predetermined element region is prevented . finally decrease in operation speed , which is caused by an increase of the junction capacitance between the diffusion layers and the substrate , does not occur . next boron ions are implanted into groove 7 with a 20 - 50 kev acceleration voltage and a 1 × 10 12 cm - 2 dose value ( a second ion - implantation ), so that a p - type region 9 is formed at the bottom part of groove 7 . a silicon dioxide film 10 of a 0 . 6 - 1 . 5 microns thickness is formed on the overall surface of substrate 1 through chemical vapor deposition in plasma ( fig6 ). another method of forming the silicon dioxide film , for example spattering evaporation or thermal oxidation , can be used in this process . the silicon dioxide film may contain phosphorus , arsenic or boron . furthermore , it is possible to use fluid glass instead of silicon dioxide . subsequently , silicon dioxide film 10 is etched by buffered hydrofluoric acid solution for 1 minute , and is selectively removed at the stair - like portions 20 . this is because the plasma - cvd silicon dioxide film deposited on the stair - like portions 20 between the predetermined element region and the filled area has an etching speed 3 - 20 times higher than those of the flat portions . after this , semiconductor substrate 1 is exposed under the atmosphere of wet or dry oxygen at a temperature of 1000 ° c . for 20 minutes . consequently , a thin oxidation film 8 ( fig7 ) is formed at the periphery of the predetermined element region , which contributes to reliable electrical isolation of the region . however , this step is not always necessary . in the above process , ammonium fluoride can be used for etching silicon dioxide film 10 to achieve the same result . next , after removal of the mask pattern , a second silicon dioxide film 11 is deposited on silicon dioxide film 10 through chemical vapor deposition . melted resist is coated and solidified thereon so that a resist film 12 is formed and the surface is flattened ( fig8 ). in this process , it is possible to use a thermal oxidation film or a melted glass such as phosphorsilicate glass or phosphor - boronsilicate glass instead of silicon dioxide film 11 and resist film 12 . next resist film 12 and silicon dioxide film 11 are etched under the condition in which the etching rate of resist film 12 is equal to that of the silicon dioxide film 11 till the predetermined element region is exposed , so that a flat field oxide film 13 is formed without leaving any stair - like portion ( fig9 ). a gate oxide film 14 is formed on the exposed predetermined element region of semiconductor substrate 1 by thermal oxidation , and then a poly - silicon film is formed thereon . by patterning the poly - silicon film through a lithography technique , a gate electrode 15 is formed and gate oxide film 14 is etched off . as shown in fig1 , which is a cross - sectional view taken along line a -- a given in fig9 arsenic ions are implanted into semiconductor substrate 1 using gate electrode 15 as an implantation mask . as a result , a source region 16 and a drain region 17 are formed and an insulated gate type field effect transistor is completed . additionally , metal interconnections are provided on substrate 1 and an integrated circuit is made ( not shown in figures ). fig1 shows modified embodiment of the above first ion - implantation step ( fig3 ). according to this embodiment , oxidation film 2 overlays the field area , during ion - implantation , differing from the step shown in fig3 . in this embodiment , a p - type region 26 is formed by ion - implantation with a 130 kev acceleration voltage and a 1 × 10 13 cm - 2 dose value , and additionally a p - type region 36 is formed by another ion - implantation with a 150 kev acceleration voltage and a 3 × 10 12 cm - 2 dose value . because of the existence of oxidation film 2 , the impurity concentration distribution produced through the former ion - implantation step shows a maximum value at the surface region of substrate 1 . through the latter ion - implantation step , a small dosage of impurities is introduced into the deep region of substrate 1 . accordingly , conductivity type inversion in the surface region , where the parasitic channel tends to arise , is effectively prevented . furthermore , decrease of breakdown voltage of the diffusion layers which constitute the elements and increase of the junction capacitance are both prevented . fig1 shows a further modified embodiment of the above first ion - implantation step ( fig3 ). in this embodiment , a p - type region 46 is formed by ion - implantation with a 50 kev acceleration voltage and a 1 × 10 13 cm - 2 dose value and a p - type region 56 is formed by another ion - implantation step with a 180 kev acceleration voltage and a 2 × 10 12 dose value . according to this embodiment , the same effect as that of the embodiment in fig1 can be expected . fig1 shows yet another modified embodiment of the second ion - implantation step ( fig5 ) after the step of fig1 is followed . the implantation is carried out with a 250 kev acceleration voltage and a 1 × 10 14 cm - 2 dose value in order that the ion - implantation impurity distribution projects far into the region under the predetermined element region . according to this embodiment , in the case that insulated gate type field effect transistors are used as the elements in the invention , it is possible to prevent current avalanche produced through impact ionization adjacent the drain regions of the transistors upon the other regions of semiconductor substrate 1 .	7
as shown in fig1 to 5 the preferred prosthesis inserter according to the present invention comprises a main body component i having a longitudinal axis and which is the insertion axis , indicated by broken line 2 . the main body component 1 includes an angled extension 3 on which is mounted an attachment device 4 for holding a femoral prosthesis component indicated by broken lines 5 . the main body component 1 has a cylindrical support 6 on which is carried a compression spring 7 which bears against a sliding collar 8 also mounted on the cylindrical support 6 . the collar 8 is provided with a circumferential groove 9 and is connected to an operating rod 10 . the spring 7 is housed within a casing 11 having a cylindrical bore 12 to enable it to be carried on the cylindrical support 6 and the end of this support has a square section portion 33 and a screw threaded extension 33a on which is located a rotatable locating disc 13 and a screw threaded lock knob 14 . the end of the bore 12 is of square cross - section to locate on the square section 33 of the support 6 . the lower part of the casing 11 is extended to form a handle 15 and a guide slot 16 is provided between the handle and the main part of the casing to house a trigger 17 . the trigger has an upstanding abutment 18 which locates in the annular groove 9 and is also provided with an extension 19 which is shaped to fit into an opening 20 provided on the outer circumference of the disc 13 . the end of the rod 10 spaced away from the handle 15 is guided in an extended bore 31 located in a projecting boss 21 on the extension 3 and the outer end 22 of the rod 10 is shaped , in this example , in the form of a truncated cone , to fit closely into a location feature in the form of a location opening 23 in the prosthesis 5 . the prosthesis is of modular design , that is a stem component on which heads of different sizes or shapes can be fitted to a spigot 24 . in order to prevent damage to the spigot an adapter 25 is provided which is shown in fig4 and 5 . this adapter can be made from any suitable material , for example metal or a plastics material such as a resilient polycarbonate , and is in the form of a collar 26 one side of which is split to provide an opening 27 . a pair of claws 28 extend one on each side of the opening 27 and their outer faces 29 are chamfered , as is most clearly shown in fig5 . the internal bore 30 of the collar is slightly less that the outer circumference of the tapered spigot 24 so that it is a push fit onto it , the natural resilience of the material allowing the collar to be placed in position . the attachment device 4 is in the form of a substantially square tray , as is mostly clearly shown in fig2 . the tray has three upstanding side walls 34 the upper portions of which are chamfered at 35 . the remaining side is open apart from a bar 36 which extends between the two parallel side walls 34 and leaves beneath it an opening 37 to the flat floor 38 of the tray . the angle of the base of the tray is appropriate for the angle of the neck to the stem of the prosthesis to be inserted . to attach a femoral component to be inserted , a collar 25 is first placed over the spigot 24 . the claws 28 are then pushed into the tray and rotated about the bar 36 so that they extend into the opening 37 . the dimensions of the claws and the distance from their front faces to the outer circumference of the collar is arranged so that the collar together with the femoral component is locked between the bar 36 and the opposed end wall 34 within the portion of the wall beneath the chamfer 35 . moreover , the width between the parallel walls 34 and the distance between the chamfered faces 29 and the remainder of the walls of the claws relative to the two parallel walls 35 is arranged so that there is a constricting effect tending to close the gap in the collar so that the spigot of the femoral component is tightly clamped . with the femoral component located on this attachment device it will be seen that the center line of the femoral component , indicated by reference numeral 40 , and the broken line 2 of the inserter are substantially in axial alignment . in the embodiment being described the alignment is slightly displaced but the displacement or the alignment could be as desired . if this were the only means of holding the prosthesis onto the inserter then there is the possibility of the spigot rotating in the collet , despite the clamping effect . the prosthesis is however provided with the location feature in the form of the location opening 23 in the shoulder of the prosthesis . as the prosthesis is rotated into the attachment means the trigger 18 is retracted thus compressing the spring 7 and moving the rod 10 rearwardly . once the locking pin is approximately in position the trigger can be released and slight further movement will allow the engagement locking pin to move into place . thus the prosthesis is now held by the attachment device 4 and the retractable locator provided by the pin 10 engage the prosthesis at a point spaced away from the attachment means and prevent axial and angular movement in relation to the insertion axis 2 of the inserter . because the pin 10 is biased into the location opening 23 any downward insertion load by the surgeon while the prosthesis is being implanted will not be carried by the rod 10 but by the end 32 of the boss 21 bearing against the shoulder of the prosthesis and is also partly carried by the angled stem 3 which transfers the load to the prosthesis through the attachment device 4 . the pin 10 merely acts to prevent axial and angular movement . once the surgeon has completed the insertion and provided the loading on the cement the inserter can be removed by one hand , merely by operating the trigger 17 to remove the rod 10 from the location opening 23 to release the locator and by then simply rotating the inserter about the pin 36 so that the attachment device is also released without unnecessarily disturbing the implanted prosthesis and without having to use both hands . fig6 and 8 show various alternative embodiments to provide the locator and which can be employed in any of the construction described herein . thus , fig6 shows an embodiment in which the end of the rod 10 has a single taper 42 and a rounded end 43 which mate with an appropriately shaped opening in the prosthesis 5 . fig7 shows a construction in which the end of the rod has a semi circular shape 44 with an appropriate opening in the prosthesis 5 and fig8 shows the end of the rod 10 carrying a bifurcated head 45 which is shaped and dimensioned to fit over the shoulder 46 of the prosthesis 5 . in this case the location feature is formed by the sides 47 and 48 of the prosthesis . the angular position of the handle 15 in relation to the angled extension 3 can be altered by relocating it on the square section portion 33 of the support 6 . in order to rotate the handle to a different angular position the lock knob 14 is released by unscrewing it sufficiently to move the casing 11 to the right with respect to the support 6 to disengage the square section . the handle is then moved to the desired angular position and slid back onto the square section being subsequently clamped in position by the lock knob 14 . the inserter is also provided with pressurizer 50 which bears against a seal 51 which is adapted to surround at least part of the outer circumference of the prosthesis 5 to be implanted to prevent escape of and to maintain pressure on cement ( not shown ) surrounding the prosthesis at the mouth of the opening in the femur when the prosthesis has been placed in position . the femur of the patient is indicated by reference numeral 52 and it will be seen that the seal , which is in the form of a flat pad of resilient material , for example polyurethane foam can bear against the resected end surface 53 of the femur to form a seal around the prosthesis 5 . as will be seen from fig3 the pressurizer 50 is in the form of a u - shaped plate 54 which has a central slot 55 . this rigid plate is held by angled support struts 56 to the boss 21 and by further struts 57 to the end of the angled extension 3 . these struts and pressure plate are not shown in fig2 in order to make the construction shown in that in that figure more clear . the pressure plate 54 has raised side walls 58 on the surface which faces the seal 53 in order to provide a location for the seal . the seal in the form of the pad 53 is of substantially the same shape in plan as the pressurizer but is split , as indicated at 59 , along a portion of its length which is equivalent to the length of the slot 55 . the pad 53 can be secured to the pressure plate 54 , for example by adhesive , or it can merely be located by the side walls 58 so that it can be easily replaced . again , if desired , it may not be attached to the pressure plate . thus it can be placed in position and the plate then applied to it when the plate is pressurized by the surgeon . the construction shown can not only be used to seal and pressurize the cement around the inserted prosthesis but it may also be used to control the position of the prosthesis stem , given the precise resection of the neck of the femur . the seal will prevent cement from escaping from the opening around the neck thus assisting pressurization of the cement and by using different thickness of resilient seal next to the resected femur the intended depth of insertion of the prosthesis will be achieved . the resilient seal can therefore act as means to control the position and depth of the prosthesis in the bone . when locating the stem on the inserter it is slid down the slot 55 , the split sides 59 of pad 53 maintaining a tight fit around the sides of the prosthesis . when the prosthesis has been inserted the surgeon can , if he desires , operate the trigger 17 but he can maintain the pressure on the cement merely by continuing to push along the axis of insertion using the inserter itself to thus maintain a steady pressure around most of the circumference of the implant . the inserter is detached from the prosthesis in the manner referred to above . fig9 to 14 show another embodiment according to the invention in which a retractor is included for retaining a spigot adapter in the form of a split collet in place and an operator is included for simultaneously actuating the retractable spigot adapter retainer and retractable locator . in this construction the device comprises an open framed body 100 in which a sliding rod 101 is mounted . the axis of the rod 101 which also forms the insertion axis is indicated by reference numeral 102 . the rod carries a rigidly attached collar 103 on one side of which is located a compression spring 104 the other end of which bears against the frame of the main body 100 so that the rod is biased towards the right , as shown in the drawing . located on the other side of the collar 103 is a loosely mounted short spring 105 the operation of which will be described hereafter . a third compression spring 106 is also carried on the rod one end of which bears against a frame member 107 and the other end of which acts against an actuator 108 which is also carried on the rod and is in the form of a plate the upper end of which is provided with a slot 109 which can slide along a guide 110 in the upper part of the body frame . the lower part of the actuator 108 is cut away to provide a further guide surface 111 which can slide along a lower frame portion 112 . a first operating trigger 113 is also carried on the lower frame 112 by a pivot 114 . the lower part of the first trigger 113 is formed as an operating lever 115 and the upper part 116 is shaped to engage the lower part of the actuator 108 . an extension of the lower part of the frame 112 is shaped to form a handle 117 on which is pivoted a second operating lever 118 the upper part of which is in the form of a hook 119 which engages the lower part of a locking member 120 . the locking member is freely mounted on the rod 101 and the upper part is provided with a yoke 121 which engages on both sides of a retaining ridge 122 on the main body 100 . a fourth compression spring 123 is carried on the rod 101 between a rear frame member 124 through which the rod 101 passes and the locking member 120 . the rod 101 passes from the body 100 through a tubular extension 125 and emerges as a locating pin 126 which provides locating means . a bracket 127 is carried on the end of the extension 125 , and has a socket 128 which forms part of the attachment device . the construction of the attachment device is most clearly shown in fig1 and 11 . the side of the socket 128 is cut away to provide a slot 129 which extends through the bracket 127 and into the cylindrical extension 125 as indicated by reference numeral 130 . a collet retainer is provided in the form of a collet lock provided by a flat locking plate 131 which is located in the slot 129 and pivoted by a pin 132 . the locking plate is bifurcated at 133 to provide a pair of arms which pass each side of a reduced portion 134 of the rod 101 . the reduced portion 134 terminates at one end in an abutment ridge 135 and at the other in an enlargement 136 as is most clearly shown in fig1 . the locking plate 131 also carries a locking hook 137 having an engagement face 138 and an engagement wall 140 ( most clearly shown in fig1 ). the socket 128 is dimensioned to receive a split collet of the kind shown in fig1 , 13 and 14 . this collet comprises two collet portions 66 and 67 which are made from a resilient plastics material , for example polypropylene . each of the portions 66 , 67 is substantially semi circular and has a closed end provided by an upper wall 68 and a semi circular cavity 69 . the cavity is shaped to correspond to the neck 70 and head 71 of the modular prosthesis 72 shown in fig9 and 11 . the collet portion 67 has a flat 73 on one side and as will be seen from the drawings each of the collet portions do not extend around a full half circumference of the spigot but leave a gap between them . the collet and socket 128 are dimensioned so that the collet and spigot are a push fit into the socket which is sufficient to firmly secure and hold the spigot in place , but allowing the spigot and collet to be easily withdrawn . the shaped end 22 of the rod 101 is adapted to engage in a location opening 23 on the shoulder of the prosthesis 72 in a similar manner to the construction shown in fig1 but in this construction it will be seen from fig9 that the insertion axis 102 is not axially aligned with the axis 79 of the prosthesis although it could be if desired . in fig9 and 11 the inserter is shown in the position in which both the locating pin 126 and locking plate 131 are in the retracted positions they take up when a prosthesis is being attached to the inserter that is , the trunion 71 is located in place in the socket 128 but the location pin 126 is not yet located in the shoulder of the implant . in this position the rod 101 is in its right hand position in the body portion 100 and the first compression spring 104 is not compressed . it will also be seen that the bifurcated portion 133 of the locking plate is against the abutment ridge 135 of the rod 101 and the engagement face 138 of the locking hook 137 is clear of the end of the socket 128 . from fig9 it will be seen that in this retracted position the second spring 105 is free on the rod 101 and the third spring 106 is uncompressed and is holding the plate 108 against the trigger 113 . the fourth spring 123 is still acting against the locking member 120 . referring to fig9 and 10 , the opening in the locking member 120 is slightly larger than the diameter of the operating rod 101 but because the spring 123 pushes the lever outwardly away from the frame member 124 the lever tends to rotate about the retaining ridge 122 so that the opening operates to jam against the rod 101 and prevent movement . when the second operating lever 118 is operated it rotates and the hook 119 presses against the lower end of the locking lever so that it rotates against the action of the spring 123 and thus frees the rod 101 . with the rod freed from the locking member the compression spring 104 when compressed can act against the collar 103 to push the operating rod 101 to the right and into a retracted position as shown in fig9 . this position is determined by the enlargement 136 on the rod 101 engaging the bifurcated end 133 of the locking plate which not only causes the locking plate to rotate about the pivot 132 to a retracted position where the hook 137 and engagement wall 140 are clear of the socket 128 but acts to restrain the retracting movement of the rod 101 . in the drawing the rod has been moved to the right from this position so that the abutment ridge 135 is engaging the bifurcated portion 133 ready to act against and rotate the locking plate into its locking position . the actuator plate 108 is loosely fit on the rod 101 so that although it can tilt under the action of the trigger 113 it then locks onto the rod 101 and acts to move it against the action of the third spring 106 . thus , the trigger can move the actuating plate to provide an &# 34 ; inching &# 34 ; movement or as a single or separate movements to advance the rod to the operating position where the location pin 126 can engage the location opening 50 in the prosthesis 72 . after each movement of the trigger , and when the trigger is relaxed , the third spring 106 pushes the actuating plate 108 to the position shown in fig9 so that the plate always returns to this position after use of the trigger irrespective of the position of the rod 101 . this movement of the rod 101 also causes the abutment ridge 135 to engage the locking plate 131 and cause it to rotate to a locking position and the hook 137 overlaps and engages the end of the collet to hold it in position . it also causes the engagement wall 140 to extend slightly into the general curvature of the socket 128 to engage against the flat 73 on the collet part 68 to compress the collet and firmly hold it in position in the socket 128 . in order to use the inserter shown in fig9 and 11 the two piece collet 68 is first placed in position on the neck and tapered spigot of the prosthesis . with the rod 101 in the retracted position as shown in the drawing the collet is placed in position on the spigot 71 and the collet and prosthesis are inserted into the socket 128 . the first trigger 113 is operated to move the rod 101 into its operative position with the locating pin entering the location opening 23 in the shoulder of the prosthesis and the hook 137 engaging over the end of the collet , at the same time slightly compressing the collet to hold it firmly in the socket . the prosthesis can now be inserted by the surgeon holding the handle 117 and once the insertion has been completed the inserter can simply be removed by one hand by operating the lever 118 which releases both the locator and the attachment device provided by the locking hook 137 and wall 140 acting on the collet . with these released the inserter can be easily removed , the whole operation being carried out by one hand . in this construction the inserter is also provided with pressure means which are similar to those shown in fig1 and 3 and the same reference numerals are used to define similar parts . thus the pressurizer 50 which bears against seal 51 which is adapted to surround at least part of the outer circumference of the prosthesis 72 to be implanted to prevent escape of and to maintain pressure on cement ( not shown ) surrounding the prosthesis at the mouth of the opening in the bone when the prosthesis has been placed in position . the femur of the patient is again indicated by reference numeral 52 and it will be seen that the seal , which is in the form of a flat pad of resilient material , for example polyurethane form can bear against the resected end surface 53 of the femur to form a seal around the prosthesis 72 . the pressurizer 50 are in the form shown in fig3 and comprise a u - shaped plate 54 which has a central slot 55 . this rigid plate is held by angled support struts 56 to the extension 125 and by further struts 57 to the bracket 127 . the seal in the form of the pad 51 is of substantially the same shape in plan as the pressurizer but is split , as indicated at 59 ( see fig3 ), along a portion of its length which is equivalent to the length of the slot 55 . when locating the prosthesis on the inserter it is slid down the slot 55 , the slot 59 maintaining a tight fit around the sides of the prosthesis . when the prosthesis has been inserted the surgeon can operate the second trigger 118 to release the attachment device and locator but he can maintain the pressure on the cement merely by continuing to push along the axis of insertion using the inserter itself to thus maintain a steady pressure around most of the circumference of the implant . because the attachment device and locator are released the pressure on the cement can be maintained with the possibility of interfering with the location of the prosthesis in the cement in the bone . the inserter is detached from the inserted prosthesis by merely sliding the spigot and collet out of the socket 128 and subsequently removing the split collet . again the removal can be achieved with one hand . fig1 shows another embodiment according to the invention which is somewhat similar to that shown in fig9 to 11 but in which the locator does not retract . the same reference numerals are used to indicate similar parts to those shown in fig9 to 11 and a split collet similar to that shown in fig1 to 13 is employed . in this embodiment rod 101 is provided with a groove 150 and the outer end 151 of the rod is carried in a blind bore 152 provided in a housing 153 . this housing is screw threaded at 154 into the outer end of the tubular extension 125 . the housing is shaped to provide a locating pin 155 which is appropriately shaped to engage the location opening 23 in the prosthesis . although it will be appreciated that the shape of this locator could be in any of the forms shown in fig6 and 8 . with this construction the bifurcated part 133 of the locking plate which provides the pair of arms engage in the groove 150 and are acted upon by the abutment ridge 135 provided by one side of the groove . a second abutment ridge 156 is provided by the other side of the groove . the triggers 113 and 117 ( not shown in fig1 ) are operated in a similar manner to that described with regard to fig9 to 11 but it will be seen that when the rod 101 is advanced it only operates on the locking plate 131 , the outer end 151 of the rod 101 sliding in the blind bore 152 . retraction of the locking plate 131 is again achieved in a similar manner to operation of the construction shown in fig9 to 11 but in this case the second abutment ridge 156 acts against the bifurcation 133 to move the locking plate 131 to its retracted position . this construction is used in a similar manner to that described with regard to fig9 to 11 but in this case the locator provided by the location pin 155 is pushed into position and the trigger 113 is operated to lock the spigot into the attachment device . in order to remove the inserter the trigger 118 is operated to release the locking plate 131 so that the inserter can be removed . once again it will be appreciated that all the actions can be carried out with one hand and this construction demonstrates a device in which the release acts only on the locator . it will be appreciated that although various forms of the locator can be employed , for example as shown in fig6 and 8 , there are others which could be equally effective . for example , a locating means can be used which only engages one side wall of the prosthesis to be inserted , the device employing a flat surface which has sufficient length to effectively prevent angular rotation of the prosthesis about its spigot in both directions . in the embodiment shown in fig1 to 19 another alternative prosthesis inserter according to the present invention comprises a prosthesis holder which includes a tubular main body component 201 having a longitudinal axis co - axial with the insertion axis the distal end of which is attached by a fixing screw 215 which bears on a section of reduced diameter 216 to an operating handle 202 . the handle 202 houses a pivotal lever 203 which rotates around pivot 214 , and one end of which bears upon one end of an operating rod 204 which can travel along the insertion axis . the operating rod 204 is mounted coaxially with the main body component 201 in a bore and a spring 205 is provided between the distal end of the operating rod 204 and the distal end of the main body component 201 to bias the rod 204 towards a rest position . the proximal end of the operating rod arm 204 has a shaped end 206 of reduced diameter for limited insertion into the femoral prosthesis 207 . the proximal end of the main body component 201 has tapered flats 208 shown in fig1 to produce a tapering effect when inserted into a tapered socket 210 of an attachment element 209 the flats precluding torsional movement of the main body component 201 in the element 209 . the tapered socket 210 allows limited entry of the main body component 201 while allowing full passage of the operating rod 204 . the attachment element 209 also has an additional tapered socket 211 which fits over the tapered spigot 212 of the femoral prosthesis 207 to co - operate therewith and to firmly locate thereon . an engagement feature 213 is provided on the shoulder of the prosthesis 207 for locating the shaped end of the operating rod 204 so that when engaged it ensures that the entire assembly is held rigid . in this construction the attachment element 209 also carries a pressurizer 250 in a similar manner to that described with regard to the earlier constructions described herein . the seal 251 is again adapted to surround at least part of the outer circumference of the prosthesis 207 to prevent escape of and to maintain pressure on cement ( not shown ) surrounding the prosthesis at the mouth of the opening in the bone when the prosthesis has been placed in position . the seal 251 is again in the form of a flat pad 253 of resilient material , for example polyurethane foam . the pressurizer 250 is again in the form of a u - shaped plate 254 which has a central slot 255 . this rigid plate is held by angled support struts 256 which provide supports integral with the attachment element 209 . it will be appreciated that the plate 254 again acts as means to control the position and the depth of the prosthesis when it has been placed in position with respect to the cut bone . the attachment element 209 can be made of any convenient material , for example a synthetic plastics material such as polycarbonate . the construction of the seal which is in the form of a pad 253 is a similar construction to that described with regard to the construction shown in fig1 and if desired side walls ( not shown ) can be provided again as described above . the parts are assembled by firstly firmly inserting the tapered spigot 212 of the femoral prosthesis 207 into the tapered socket 211 of the attachment element 209 , then by firmly inserting the tapered end 208 of the tubular main body component into the tapered socket 210 of the attachment element 209 and the shaped end 206 of the operating rod 204 into the engagement feature 213 of the prosthesis 207 . to release the femoral prosthesis 207 the pivotal lever 203 is rotated about the pivotal 214 which causes one end of the lever to bear upon the distal end of the operating rod . this causes the spring 205 to be compressed allowing the operating rod 204 to travel within the tubular main body component 201 . the shaped end 206 of the operating rod 204 is now caused to bear upon the femoral prosthesis 207 to release the tubular main body component 201 from the attachment element 209 and allowing the attachment 209 to be released from the tapered spigot 212 of the femoral prosthesis 207 . fig2 and 21 show two - part construction of attachment element . in this construction the same reference numerals are used to indicate similar parts to those shown in fig1 to 19 but in this arrangement the tapered sockets 210 and 211 are interconnected by a bridge 231 which has a slight amount of flexibility . thus , when the parts are assembled and are in place on the prosthesis 207 , the slight amount of flexibility allows the front face 232 of the portion providing the socket 210 to bear against the shoulder of the prosthesis and when the rod 204 is released to move away thus facilitating release . the construction shown in fig2 and 21 is also provided with a pair of spaced apart supports 233 to allow the connection of means to control the position and depth of the prosthesis when it is placed in position with respect to the bone into which it is to be inserted in the form of a detachable u - shaped pressure plate 234 which is a similar shape to pressure plate 254 described above with regard to the construction shown in fig1 to 19 . this plate 234 however carries a pair of spaced apart rails 235 each of which is provided with a groove 236 . each of the supports 233 has a lip 237 which is dimensioned to slide into grooves 236 when the supports 233 are compressed towards each other thus creating a friction grip in the grooves 236 . the grip is insufficient to hold the plate 234 in position and stops ( not shown ) can be provided if required . this construction is used in the same way as those described above . fig2 shows another embodiment of attachment element , indicated by reference numeral 240 , which is similar to that shown in fig2 and 22 but in which the closed end of the socket 210 is deleted . thus , the socket is replaced by a tapered bore 241 so that the end of the main body component 201 can pass through it and directly engage the shoulder of the prosthesis 218 . in certain requirements there are advantages with this construction in as much the axial forces applied to the handle through the main body component 201 can be directly transferred to the shoulder of the prosthesis . for fitting and removal the apparatus works in the same way as that described with regard to the other constructions . fig2 shows an embodiment somewhat similar to that shown in fig2 and 21 and , if desired , fig2 but in this arrangement means are provided for adjusting the position of the means to control the position and depth of the prosthesis by adjusting the position of the pressure plate . the attachment element again has tapered sockets 210 and 211 which are interconnected by a bridge 231 but in this construction the tapered socket 211 is provided in a boss 260 which has a slightly raised rim 261 . the boss is dimensioned to co - operate with an attachment clip 262 which has a pair of spaced apart supports 263 which have curved internal surfaces 264 . these internal surfaces are provided with serrations 265 . the other end of the clip is cylindrical as indicated by reference numeral 266 and has an end opening 267 . the ends of the supports 263 each carry an engagement ridge 268 . to assemble this construction the clip 262 is pushed over the boss 260 , the rim 261 engaging the serrations 265 . the plate 234 is connected to the ridges 268 in a similar manner to that described with regard to fig2 and the squeezing effect of the rails 235 on the ends of the supports 263 acts to clip the supports in a desired position on the boss 260 , the affect of the compression of the supports acting as a clamp . thus , the position of the pressure plate 234 can be adjusted and set as desired by the surgeon . the boss 260 and its rim 261 acting as a location member for the plate 234 . once again the apparatus can be used in the manner described above with regard to the other figs .	0
fig1 shows an electrophotographic color apparatus in which the invention is particularly usable . according to fig1 a hard metallic drum coated with conventional layers to make it electrophotosensitive is rotated by a motor 13 to bring its periphery into operative relation with a series of electrophotographic stations . the surface of the drum 1 is uniformly charged by a charging station 5 , imagewise exposed at an exposing station , for example , laser exposing station 6 to create a series of electrostatic images , and toned by one of toning stations 2 , 3 or 4 to create a series of toner images corresponding to image information fed to laser 6 . each image is toned with a different color toner from stations 2 , 3 and 4 to create a series of different color toner images . these images are transferred in registration to a receiving sheet which has been fed from a receiving sheet supply 12 into contact with the periphery of a transfer drum 8 . the receiving sheet is held on the periphery of transfer drum 8 by a means , not shown , and rotated repeatedly into transfer relation with the toner images on drum 1 to superimpose the toner images creating a multicolor image . the receiving sheet is stripped from transfer drum 8 by a stripping skive 9 and fed to a fuser 10 and finally to an output collection device 11 . for highest quality work , drum 1 has a metal core 36 ( fig2 ). this metal core provides both durability and a desirable smoothness . for highest quality work with extremely fine toners , transfer of toner images to a receiving sheet carried by transfer drum 8 is best done at relatively high pressures . these high pressures can be best obtained if drum 1 has a metal core . fig2 shows a development station 2 particularly usable in the apparatus shown in fig1 . development station 2 is designed according to the teachings of previously referenced u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 546 , 060 to e . t . miskinis and t . a . jadwin ; 4 , 473 , 029 to g . f . fritz , g . p . kasper , a . s . kroll and m . mosehauer ; and 4 , 531 , 832 to a . s . kroll and f . a . shuster , which patents are incorporated by reference herein . according to fig2 a housing 30 holds a supply of 2 - component developer made up of hard magnetic carrier particles and insulative toner . the hard magnetic carrier particles are permanently magnetized to a coercivity in excess of 100 gauss , preferably in excess of 1 , 000 gauss . an applicator 20 is positioned in the top portion of housing 30 and includes a magnetic core 21 and a non - magnetic sleeve 24 . magnetic core 21 includes a pole support piece 23 and a series of magnetic bars or strips 22 arranged on its periphery . the magnetic bars or strips 22 are arranged with their poles alternating as shown in fig2 around the circumference of the magnetic core 21 . although fig2 shows the magnetic poles on core 21 formed as separate magnetic strips 22 , they can be formed out of a single element which is magnetized to provide circumferentially alternating poles . housing 30 is shaped to form a sump 39 for 2 - component developer described above . paddles 31 and 32 are located in sump 39 and are rotated with sufficient speed to essentially raise the level of the developer in sump 39 until it comes under the influence of core 21 . core 21 is rotated rapidly in a clockwise direction . this has the effect of flipping the hard magnetic carrier particles in a counterclockwise direction which causes the developer to move around sleeve 24 in a counterclockwise direction . as described in the above - mentioned patents to miskinis et al , fritz et al , and kroll et al , the sleeve 24 can be rotated in either direction or not rotated at all . if it is not rotated at all , it , of course , does not have to be cylindrical . as shown in fig2 sleeve 24 is rotated in a direction opposite to that of core 21 and therefore assists somewhat in moving the developer . preferably , the developer moves at substantially the same speed as the periphery of drum 1 in the development zone . any single point in the development zone is best toned if a large number of properly charged toner particles are exposed to it . this is accomplished by exposing that point to as many pole transistions of core 21 as possible . a feed skive 26 limits the height of the developer that is being fed to the development zone 38 and a take - off skive 25 cleans developer off sleeve 24 for return to sump 39 to pick up more toner for recirculation . for more details on this process , see the above patents to miskinis et al , fritz et al , and kroll et al . as mentioned above , the rapidly rotating core 21 creates a rapidly changing magnetic field in the development zone 38 . a 16 - pole core rotating at 500 revolutions per minute would create 8000 pole transitions per minute to which the metallic core 36 of drum 1 is subjected . in a photoconductive drum having a metal core this creates a flutter in the drum &# 39 ; s movement . if laser 6 is scanning at the same time , this flutter will show up as high frequency banding , which will be noticeable in a very high quality print . in a color print it will show up as color banding . to correct this problem , we have varied the position of the poles along the length of the core 21 . this variation in the poles along the length of the core varies the phase of the pole transitions affecting the drum 1 so that the drum as a whole either encounters negligible changes in overall magnetic force at any time or what changes there are occur at such a high frequency as not to cause a visible problem . this is best illustrated in fig3 where a top view of core 21 shows that magnetic pole pieces 22 are made up of alternating north and south magnetic strips 42 and 43 , respectively , which are positioned helically about pole support piece 23 ( fig2 ). preferably , the helix angle is chosen such that at least one full phase of magnetic field is crossed as one travels the length of the core . with this approach , a line parallel to the axis of the drum 1 on the surface of the drum 1 would experience pole transitions of all phases at the same time which would eliminate any effect of those pole transitions on the movement of the drum . fig4 and 5 illustrate an 8 - pole core 61 having north poles 62 alternating with south poles 63 and again arranged helically to produce a complete cycle of pole transitions across the length of the core 61 . fig6 and 7 illustrate a different approach in which a core 51 is made up of a series of disks 55 , each of which is made up of separate pie - shaped pole pieces secured to a pole support piece 59 which , in turn , is mounted on a shaft 34 . according to fig7 such disks are placed on shaft 34 with each disk slightly misaligned with the disks adjacent it . this approach will accomplish the objective of not disturbing the motion of drum 1 whether the disks 55 are arranged as shown to create a helical pattern in finite steps or if the disks are arranged randomly . however , a sharp change in the phase of the pole transitions across the length of the core creates unwanted pole transitions that can show up also as artifacts in the image . therefore , the gradual stepped phase change embodiment shown in fig7 is preferred over a random orientation and the continuous helix shown in fig3 and 5 is preferred over the step change version in fig7 . the helical version shown in fig3 and 5 can be made by positioning strips around a cylinder cylindrical core 23 . they also may be made by helically magnetizing a single piece of magnetizable material formed to any thickness on the exterior of the core 23 . this requires helically positioned electromagnetic magnetizing apparatus which is well within the skill of the art . u . s . patent application ser . no . 07 / 492 , 151 , filed mar . 13 , 1990 , to j . k . lee et al , describes a method of making a magnetic core beginning with a neodymium - iron - boron powder dispersed in a binder and formed as a sheet . the sheet is unidirectionally magnetized between opposite surfaces and holes are drilled or punched in it . the sheet is then wrapped around and fixed to a non - magnetic cylinder . the holes create regions of opposite polarity to the surface of the sheet . since regions of reversed magnetic field at the holes are sharply defined , the gradient fields produced by the magnetic core are high . this method can be used to make a core useable in this invention , preferably by arranging the holes helically around the core . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to a preferred embodiment thereof , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinabove and as defined in the appended claims .	6
fig1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention . in particular , there is shown end shell 30 with center divider 31 . this part is an off - the - shelf component . also seen in fig1 are two transition printed circuit boards 12 and 13 disposed in back - to - back relationship to one another . at one end of transition printed circuit board 12 , there is disposed edge contact wafer 10 . edge contact wafer 10 includes electrical conductors 21 which extend therefrom and which are electrically attached to printed circuit board 12 . in a similar manner , transition printed circuit board 13 has edge contact wafer 11 attached at one end thereof ( in particular , as above , at the narrow end ). edge contact wafer 11 includes electrical conductors 22 which , like conductors 21 , are electrically affixed to corresponding transition printed circuit board conductors . it is noted that edge contact wafer 10 is part of an off - the - shelf component , namely , a berg micropax ™ assembly . in particular , it is noted that the utilization of readily available off - the - shelf components , such as edge contact wafers 10 and 11 and end shell 30 , renders the present invention easy to manufacture and economical to produce . it is , however , noted that the ordinarily designed and intended function of edge contact wafers is for utilization in board level edge connection systems . they are not normally used in connector systems which are meant to attach directly to a site which is adjacent to a semiconductor chip . in fact , the only things that are typically employed as connections adjacent to semiconductor chip devices on a printed circuit board are standard jumper - type connections . however , such jumper connections do not have high - speed cabling requirements . although not specifically visible in the view shown in fig1 transition printed circuit boards 12 and 13 also include electrically conductive circuit patterns which provide electrical connections between the conductors in edge contact wafers 10 and 11 and cabling conductors 14 , 15 , 16 and 17 . transition printed circuit boards 12 and 13 , however , possess conductive circuit patterns 23 and 24 respectively ( see fig2 ) for ease of connection to the relevant cable lines . also shown in fig1 is screw 26 which extends through notches 25 in transition printed circuit boards 12 and 13 for this provides a method for affixing the inner portions of the connector assembly to the lower half of housing 40 . an important aspect of the present invention is the attachment of cables 18 and 19 to transition printed circuit boards 12 and 13 respectively . in particular , in each case , the connection of signal conductor 14 and ground conductor 16 ( in the case of transition printed circuit board 12 ) or signal conductor 15 and ground conductor 17 ( in the case of transition printed circuit board 13 ) is done using a fluxless connection . in particular , there are , therefore , two approaches employable for suitable attachment . in particular , conductors 14 , 15 , 16 and 17 may be welded to circuit land patterns 23 and 24 ( see fig3 ). however , because welding may produce higher temperatures than is otherwise desirable , a preferable method of attachment is the utilization of fluxless solder placed below the conductor during a welding or soldering operation . the presence of flux in the attachment to the printed circuit board is highly deleterious in that it negatively impacts the electrical characteristics of dielectric materials in cables 18 and 19 . furthermore , the use of flux - based solders facilitates dendritic growth between closely spaced land patterns . also shown in fig1 is the surface mount female printed circuit board connector into which the male connector of the present invention is plugged . thus , it is seen that printed circuit board connector 100 includes conductive spring contacts 110 which are in electrical contact with electrical conductors 21 which extend through the body of edge contact wafer 10 or 11 . fig3 illustrates , in a top view , another view of the relationship between transition printed circuit board 12 or 13 and edge contact wafer 10 or 11 . the land patterns on transition printed circuit board 12 or 13 ( now visible in this view ) are aligned at the narrow end of the board with electrical conductors on or within edge contact wafer 10 or 11 . the opposite end of transition printed circuit board 12 or 13 is typically and preferably wider in order to accommodate more readily the attachment of cabling to board 12 or 13 . in constructing the connector of the present invention , transition circuit boards 12 and 13 are inserted , with the cabling already attached , into end shell 30 on either side of divider 31 . the desired cabling is preferably attached to selected land patterns 23 and 24 , for example , on board 12 or 13 prior to insertion . screw 26 or any other convenient fastener is disposed through notch 25 in order to affix the assembly to a bottom portion of housing 40 . housing 40 surrounds the transition printed circuit boards and at least partially surrounds shell 30 but , nonetheless , does provide limited access at one end to edge contact wafers 10 and 11 for purposes of electrical contact with a surface mount connector . it is also noted that outer housing 40 also preferably includes pivotable latch levers 41 for better connection to the receiving socket and also as a mechanism for providing easy release . from the above , it should be appreciated that the present invention fills all of the objectives stated herein . in particular , it is seen that the connector of the present invention provides a spatially and temporally constant and consistent mechanism for cable attachment to a chip site connector . in particular , it is seen that the present invention also provides a connection with few intermediary parts , yet , at the same time , relies upon readily available components . while the invention has been described in detail herein in accordance with certain preferred embodiments thereof , many modifications and changes therein may be effected by those skilled in the art . accordingly , it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .	7
in this disclosure , the term “ video content ” is used consistently with its use by those skilled in the entertainment technology to refer to video and optional audio programming regardless of transport , encryption or other mechanisms that relate to how the video content is distributed or protected . for example , a movie is video content such as a news broadcast , internet video clip , video conferencing , or video from a security camera . moreover , the terms “ video ” and “ video content ” are defined broadly to additionally apply to internet browsing such as web page viewing and other internet applications , email viewing , closed circuit video , security camera video , and other displayable and / or interactive content . the term “ computer ” is meant to encompass a workstation , personal computer , personal digital assistant ( pda ), wireless telephone , or any other suitable computing device . terms such as “ component ( s ),” “ device ( s )” and the like are intended to refer to computer related entity , either hardware , a combination of hardware and software , software or software execution . for example , a component may be , but is not limited to being , a process running on a processor , a processor , an object , a reconfigurable hardware object , an executable , a thread of execution , a program and a computer . by way of illustration , both an application running on a server and the server ( or control related devices ) can be components . one or more components may reside within a process and / or thread of execution and a component may be localized on one computer and / or distributed between two or more computers or control devices . the term “ near real - time ” refers to sensing , detecting , capturing and / or responding to external events nearly simultaneously ( e . g . within microseconds or a few seconds ) with their occurrence , or sufficiently fast to meet the expectations of the viewer , such as change a channel and view the new channel video content . systems and methods embodying the present invention can be programmed in any suitable language and technology , such as hypertext markup language ( html ), active serverpages ( asp ) and javascript . alternative versions maybe developed using other programming languages including but not limited to ; c ++, visual basic , java , vhdl , other reconfigurable hardware computer languages , vbscript , jscript , bcmascript , xml and / or cgi . any suitable database technology can be employed , such as : microsoft access , oracle databases and the like . turning now to fig1 , an embodiment of the present invention includes a video container system 46 for presenting multiple views of video content or other entertainment that can be displayed on a television 38 or other display device and presented to one or more viewers . a media processing unit 24 is configured as a software program that runs on a computer and the corresponding hardware . the media processing unit 24 takes in video content and other media and produces a video signal that a television 38 or other display device can play for viewer . video source 25 can be acquired from communications networks over internet protocol ( ip ) ( or other network protocol ), over hdmi cable 31 , or other output of a set top box 23 receiving video content 27 from a service provider , dvd 29 , video game console 29 , internet video device 26 ( connected to ip network to internet 28 ), or other device and / or other transport mechanism to get video content . the media processing unit 24 controls the access to the video content by a variety of channel or content select mechanisms including but not limited to hdmi channel change commands over hdmi cable 31 , multicast ip leave / join over communications network 30 and other . the media processing unit 24 takes commands from the viewer or viewers using network computing devices 39 ( like an ipad , iphone , pc , traditional remote control , or others ). the network computing devices 39 are in communication with the controller 24 via a communications network 22 . examples of such commands may be instructions to resize , position , select content , manipulate video container properties , manipulate web content in video container and other control functions . those commands determine how the video containers system will select content and present video and audio to the viewer via the output to the television 38 and / or other display device ( which could optionally be the control device 39 ). the output to the television or other display device can be a plurality of mechanisms including but not limited to hmdi cable 38 , communications network 47 , 22 and / or others . the video containers controller 24 can also re - encode video to reformat for many different display devices and formats for transport from the media processing unit 24 to the display device including a television 38 or the network computing devices 39 . these formats may include but are not limited to linear broadcast transport stream over ip , file transfer , streaming ( also known as over the top video ( oti )) or other . each video container 32 , 33 , 34 , 37 , 36 or 35 displayed on the television 38 and / or other display device contains the video content determined from the commands issued by viewer via the network computing device 34 . each video container 32 , 33 , 34 , 37 , 36 or 35 , displays content based on properties set , such as video as in 32 , 36 and 35 , video game from video game console 29 displayed in video container 37 and internet web page or bi - directional application interfaces , as displayed in video containers 33 and 34 . fig2 . shows an embodiment of video containers configured specifically to have four video containers 43 , 42 , 41 , 40 on a television 38 . video container 40 has a larger size and is positioned on the left side of the television 38 . three smaller video containers 41 , 42 and 43 are positioned on a right side of the screen and each show different television channel video content . video container 40 may have its own properties configured by the user as to what to watch , from which source , etc . in the embodiment shown , video container 40 is showing a particular sporting event . other sporting events taking place at the same time are shown in video containers 41 , 42 and 43 . in some embodiments , alternate camera views of the same sporting event may be shown in the smaller video containers 41 , 42 , 43 , thereby providing multiple viewpoints of the sporting event . alternate camera views may further be employed with other video such as live television content , enhanced movies , and programming configured to present multiple camera views , among others . fig3 . shows an embodiment of a logical representation of a video container 44 being resized and positioned on a television 38 . the network computing device 39 displays the video container bounding box rectangle . the user interface on the mobile or pc device 39 allows the viewer or user to resize the box 45 shown on the network computing device 39 , then transmits a command over a communications network 22 to the media processing unit 24 . the media processing unit 24 then changes the size and position of the video container 44 and matches the video container representation 45 on the television or display device 38 . in one embodiment , the network computing device 39 may have a touch screen interface . in this embodiment , a user may utilize the touch screen interface to move the video containers on the display device 38 . for example , a user may “ pinch ” a representation of one video container on the display device 38 to make it smaller . similarly , a user may touch and “ drag ” a representation of a video container on the display device 38 to move it across the display device 38 . fig4 . shows a logical representation of an embodiment of the system allowing one or more mobile and / or pc devices to connect to the video containers system and receive an audio output corresponding to a particular video content . in this embodiment , a user may select a particular video container view on the television or display device . the video containers system can then stream the audio for that video container selected to the mobile or pc device that optionally can have a private audio headset . this may allow many people to listen to different video container content without hearing other video container content . the present embodiment shows a first user listening to view 1 over a cellular phone connected to a headset . a second user is listening to view 6 over a pc connected to a headset . a third user is playing a video game and listening to the sound from the television speakers . fig5 . shows an embodiment wherein the video container system is hosted by a remote server or “ cloud ” which then provides video directly to a display device , such as a television or tablet computer . an offsite service provider hub 50 may receive input video content 51 from one or a plurality of sources . this video may be received into a transcoder module 53 . a formatting module 52 may be in communication with the transcoder module 53 . the formatting module 52 instructs the transcoder module 53 of what video streams to present , and what the proper format and presentation of video containers is . the transcoder module 53 then receives the video content and instructions and outputs video formatted in various video containers as desired by a remote user . an over the top ( oti ) streaming module 54 receives the formatted video container data , and outputs the same in a streaming data output to the internet , or other data connection . an end user may then receive the formatted video over the internet on their television or other display device . control of the formatting and video content of the video containers may be achieved by transmitting a signal from a controller 55 , over the internet or communications network , to the formatting module 52 , which will instruct the transcoder module 53 to change its output , as discussed above . this embodiment may allow centralized control of the system , and may require less hardware and setup for an end user . fig6 provides an embodiment demonstrating a variety of video and internet video containers on a single display device — shown here as a television 38 . a large video container 70 is positioned in an upper right corner of the television 38 . the large video container 70 serves as the primary viewing area , and in this embodiment is showing a major network prime - time show . on a left side of the television 38 are three video containers 71 , 72 , 73 , which are smaller than the large video container 70 . a top video container 71 displays a sporting event video . a central video container 72 displays a news program , and a bottom video container 73 can be used for “ channel surfing ” for example to find a video for display in the large video container 70 during a commercial break . further , at a bottom right portion of the television 38 is an internet video container 74 . the internet video container 74 is shown accessing a webmail interface for checking email . this internet embodiment may allow a user to utilize a television as a single unit for internet usage and television viewing , as opposed to a user having multiple devices such as a laptop and television . it should be noted that the arrangement , format and configuration of the various video containers 70 , 71 , 72 , and 73 may be varied in any number of ways , and is limited only to the size and technical limitations of the display device . fig7 provides an embodiment of the video container system of a plurality of video containers arranged on a display device , shown in this figure as a television 38 . the arrangement of fig7 provides video containers all relating to the same program , but from different video sources . a large central video container 80 is positioned at a center right of the television 38 . a video content of this video container is a main camera view ( s ) of a broadcast television show . three smaller video containers 81 , 82 and 83 are positioned at a left side of the television 38 . a top video container 81 displays a video from the internet providing an alternative viewpoint from what is displayed on the main program in the central video container 80 . in one embodiment , the video container 81 may display viewer video responses to a live broadcast in the central video container 80 . a middle video container 82 displays a video displaying a further alternative viewpoint from what is displayed on the main program in the central video container a bottom video container 83 displays a video displaying a further alternative viewpoint from what is displayed on the main program in the central video container 80 . the content of the video containers 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 may come from a variety of sources such as a cable feed , internet , satellite dish , pre - recorded content , and the like . further , the source of the content in the smaller video container 81 , 82 , 83 may be different from the source of the content in the central video container 80 . fig8 provides an embodiment of the video container system of a plurality of video containers arranged on a display device , shown in this figure as a television 38 . the arrangement of fig8 provides video containers all relating to the same program , but from different video sources . a large central video container 90 is positioned at a center right of the television 38 . a video content of this video container is a main camera view ( s ) of a broadcast television show . three smaller video containers 91 , 92 and 93 are positioned at a left side of the television 38 . a top video container 91 displays an interactive internet interface . this interface may contain point of sale marketing , polling , voting , interactive gaming , and the like . a middle video container 92 displays a video displaying an alternative viewpoint from what is displayed on the main program in the central video container 90 . a bottom video container 93 displays a video displaying a further alternative viewpoint from what is displayed on the main program in the central video container 90 . the content of the video containers 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 may come from a variety of sources such as a cable feed , internet , satellite dish , may be pre - recorded , and the like . further , the source of the content in the smaller video container 91 , 92 , 93 may be different from the source of the content in the central video container 90 . while several variations of the present invention have been illustrated by way of example in preferred or particular embodiments , it is apparent that further embodiments could be developed within the spirit and scope of the present invention , or the inventive concept thereof . however , it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the present invention , and are inclusive , but not limited to the following appended claims as set forth .	7
referring now to the drawings in detail , the tool 10 illustrated is designed to drive a nail 12 into a hard surface 14 , such as concrete . the tool includes a handle housing 16 , a barrel housing 18 fixed in the handle housing by a retaining ring 20 , a barrel 22 slidable in the barrel housing and a captive piston 24 slidable in the barrel . the piston embodies a relatively large diameter rear head 26 which is slidable in the barrel , and a forward smaller diameter shank 28 which slides within an axial bore 30 in a barrel extension 32 mounted in the forward end of the barrel . the piston is adapted to be driven by an explosive cartridge in the breech block ( not shown ) of the tool . a return dog is mounted in the barrel housing in front of the head 26 of the piston . the return dog serves to block forward movement of the piston when the barrel is thrown forwardly in the barrel housing when preparing the tool for firing . when the barrel is thrown to its forward position , the piston , being blocked by the return dog , becomes located in the rear portion of the barrel so that the nail 12 may be inserted into the barrel extension 32 . the tool is then pushed against the work surface 14 pushing the barrel of the tool rearwardly so that the rearward end of the barrel engages the breech block in the handle housing conditioning the tool for firing . when the operator pulls the trigger of the tool , the firing pin in the tool is propelled against an explosive cartridge in the breech block causing the piston to be driven forwardly in the barrel thereby driving the nail 12 into the work surface , whereupon the piston will assume the position illustrated in fig1 of the drawings . the structure generally described above is typical of tools widely used in the industry and further explanation of that structure is not deemed necessary . reference may be had to any one of the foregoing four patents identified hereinabove for a more complete description of the firing mechanism of the tool and its operation . the improvement of the present invention resides in the stop member utilized for absorbing energy upon overdriving of the piston , which occurs when the work surface 14 is of a relatively soft material , and in the return dog and the means for retaining the dog in the barrel housing . the novel stop member arrangement of the present invention is illustrated in fig1 . as seen therein , the barrel extension 32 has a rear outwardly extending annular flange 36 providing a forwardly facing annular surface 38 . a tapered surface 39 is provided on the rear of the flange which leads into the bore 30 . the surface 39 matches a forwardly facing tapered shoulder 40 which provides a transition between the shank 28 and head 26 of the piston . a nose plug 42 is threaded into the forward end of the barrel . the nose plug closely surrounds the barrel extension 32 thus forming an inwardly extending annular flange at the forward end of the barrel 22 . a rearwardly facing tapered stop shoulder 44 is formed on the rear of the nose plug . an axially extending passage 46 extends from the shoulder 44 to the front 48 of the plug for a purpose which will be seen later . such passage may be provided by forming an axial groove in the inner surface of the plug . an extrudible stop member 50 is positioned in the annular channel defined between the shoulders 38 and 44 , and the inner surface of the barrel 22 and outer surface of the barrel extension 32 . the stop member is preferably in the form of a plastic sleeve . a suitable material for the sleeve is uhmw polyethylene sold by cadillac plastic and chemical company of detroit , mich . such plastic is a high density material which serves as a shock absorber for dissipating the energy caused by overdriving of the piston . more specifically , when overdrive of the piston occurs , the shoulder 40 on the piston will engage the rear surface 39 of the barrel extension , thus forcing the surface 38 of the extension against the rear of the plastic sleeve 50 , thereby axially impacting the sleeve . if repeated overdrive of the piston occurs , some of the plastic of the sleeve 50 will extrude through the passage 46 to the front of the nose plug forming a head 52 . preferably the plastic is formed of a relatively bright color . the uhmw polyethylene mentioned above is yellow . thus , when repeated overdriving of the piston occurs , eventually a yellow bead will appear at the forward end of the barrel of the tool which provides a visual warning indication of overdriving having occurred so that the operator will know that it is time to disassemble the tool to inspect the piston and other internal parts to see whether they may be damaged and require replacement . turning now to the second feature of the invention involving the return dog 34 and clamping mechanism therefor , the return dog is mounted in an axially extending relatively short slot 53 formed in the wall of the barrel housing 18 just in front of the handle housing 16 . the inner portion 54 of the return dog extends into an elongated axially extending guide slot 56 formed in the barrel 22 parallel to and in alignment with the slot 53 . as best seen in fig1 the inner portion 54 of the dog extends to a point in front of the head 26 of the piston for limiting forward movement of the piston relative to the barrel . the distance between the forward edge 58 and rear edge 60 of the dog is less than the length of the slot 53 so that the dog may be removed from the slot 53 when the dog is in a rearward position in the slot . a notch 62 is cut in the forward portion of the dog opening at the forward edge 58 thereof . as shown in fig1 the dog is in its forward position wherein the notch receives the section 64 of the wall of the barrel housing immediately in front of the slot 53 providing an interlock between the barrel housing and the return dog . a clamping assembly , generally designated 66 , is positioned on the barrel housing behind the return dog for retaining the dog in its forward position illustrated in fig1 so that the dog cannot be removed from the barrel housing . as best seen in fig2 the clamping assembly includes two semi - cylindrical clamping segments 68 and 70 and a c - spring 72 . as seen in fig1 an annular groove 74 is formed in the outer surface of the barrel housing behind the rear edge 60 of the return dog . the clamping segments 68 and 70 when assembled together provide a clamping ring which surrounds the barrel housing . the ring is formed with an inwardly extending annular flange 76 which is located in the groove 74 for axially retaining the segments 68 and 70 on the barrel housing . an annular channel 78 is formed in the outer surface of the clamping ring formed by the segments 68 and 70 . the channel receives the c - spring 72 which retains the segments in the groove 76 . an axial cutout 80 is formed in the clamping segment 68 opening at the forward edge 82 thereof . the cutout 80 is dimensioned to receive the rear portion of the return dog 34 as best seen in fig3 . the bottom 84 of the cutout 80 is immediately adjacent to the rear edge 60 of the return dog thereby retaining the return dog in its forward position illustrated in fig1 . the return dog is positively retained in the barrel housing by the interlock afforded by the housing wall 64 extending into the notch 62 in the dog . the c - spring 72 is mounted in the groove 78 in the clamping ring so that its ends are positioned on opposite sides of the return dog , as seen in fig3 so that the ring cannot rotate in the groove 78 . this assures that a portion of the ring will always overlie the abutting ends of the clamping segments 68 and 70 . we have found that the position of the return dog 34 and the c - spring 72 relative to the butting ends of the clamping segments 68 and 70 is critical in order to prevent the clamping assembly from breaking apart due to high pressures being developed within the barrel upon firing of the tool . we have found that breaking apart of the clamping assembly is prevented by positioning the axial cutout 80 in the clamping segment 68 between 30 to 60 degrees from the end 86 of the segment and preferably at 45 degrees as shown in fig4 . from the foregoing , it will be appreciated that the clamping assembly 66 of the invention retains the return dog 34 in a forward position so that a positive interlock is provided between the return dog and the barrel housing . due to the position of the return dog and thus the ends of the c - spring 72 relative to the abutting ends of the semi - cylindrical segments 68 and 70 , the clamping arrangement will not disengage even when high pressures are developed within the barrel when the tool is fired . the return dog may be removed for disassembly of the forward portion of the tool by inserting the end of a suitable flat tool , such as a screw driver , under one end of the c - spring to radially expand the spring out of the groove 78 thus allowing the spring to be pushed forwardly over the forward ends of the clamping segments 68 and 70 . with the spring removed , the clamping segments may be removed from the groove 74 in the barrel housing thus allowing the return dog 34 to be pushed rearwardly in the slot 52 so that it can then be removed radially outwardly through the slot . then the barrel and piston may be removed from the barrel housing from the forward end of the housing .	1
this invention is a curable barrier sealant comprising ( a ) an aromatic compound having meta - substituted reactive groups and ( b ) a cationic or radical initiator , or both . the barrier adhesive or sealant optionally contains ( c ) one or more fillers and optionally , ( d ) one or more adhesion promoters . to satisfy various performance requirements , one or more additional epoxy resins may be used in a cationic or cationic / radical hybrid system , and these resins are preferably selected from the group consisting of bisphenol f diglycidyl ether , novolac glycidyl ethers , polycyclic epoxies , and halogenated glycidyl ethers . the use of a cationic or radical photoinitiator results in a radiation - curable formulation ; the use of a cationic and / or radical system that can trigger polymerization at room or elevated temperatures results in a thermal cure formulation . the resulting compositions are suitable for use in sealing and encapsulating electronic and optoelectronic devices . exemplary barrier sealant compounds are disclosed in the examples ; others include , but are not limited to , the following : within this specification , the term radiation is used to describe actinic electromagnetic radiation . actinic radiation is defined as electromagnetic radiation that induces a chemical change in a material , and for purposes within this specification will also include electron - beam curing . in most cases electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths in the ultraviolet ( uv ) and / or visible regions of the spectrum are most useful . the selection of an initiator for the inventive radiation curable barrier materials is familiar to those skilled in the art of radiation curing . for photocuring , the curing initiator will be a photoinitiator . the selection of an appropriate photoinitiator is highly dependent on the specific application in which the barrier sealant is to be used . a suitable photoinitiator is one that exhibits a light absorption spectrum that is distinct from that of the resins , fillers , and other additives in the radiation curable system . if the sealant must be cured through a cover or substrate , the photoinitiator will be one capable of absorbing radiation at wavelengths for which the cover or substrate is transparent . for example , if a barrier sealant is to be cured through a sodalime glass coverplate , the photoinitiator must have significant uv absorbance above ca . 320 nm . uv radiation below 320 nm will be absorbed by the sodalime glass coverplate and not reach the photoinitiator . in this example , it would be beneficial to include a photosensitizer with the photoinitiator into the photoinitiating system , to augment the transfer of energy to the photoinitiator . exemplary cationic photoinitiators are disclosed in ionic polymerizations and related processes , 45 - 60 , 1999 , kluwer academic publishers ; netherlands ; j . e . puskas et al . ( eds .). preferred cationic photoinitiators include diaryliodonium salts and triarylsulfonium salts . well known commercially available examples include uv9380c ( ge silicones ), pc2506 ( polyset ), sr1012 ( sartomer ), rhodorsil 2074 ( rhodia ), and uvi - 6974 ( dow ). preferred sensitizers for diaryliodonium salts are isopropylthioxanthone ( referred to herein as itx , often sold as a mixture of 2 - and 4 - isomers ) and 2 - chloro - 4 - propoxythioxanthone . the selection of an efficient cationic photoinitiating system for a particular curing geometry and resin system is known to those skilled in the art of cationic uv curing , and is not limited within the scope of this invention . thermal initiating systems , such as thermally generated acids are also suitable for use where such catalysts , initiators , and curing agents are appropriate . exemplary catalysts include brφnsted acids , lewis acids , and latent thermal acid generators . representative examples of brφnsted and lewis acids may be found in literature sources such as smith , m . b . and march , j . in march &# 39 ; s advanced organic chemistry , reactions , mechanisms , and structures , 5 th edition , 2001 , john wiley & amp ; sons , inc ., new york , n . y . pp . 327 - 362 . examples of latent thermal acid generators include , but not limited to , diaryliodonium salts , benzylsulfonium salts , phenacylsulfonium salts , n - benzylpyridinium salts , n - benzylpyrazinium salts , n - benzylammonium salts , phosphonium salts , hydrazinium salts , ammonium borate salts , etc . when a radically polymerizable functionality is present in the meta - substituted aromatic structure , one may use a radical photoinitiator to trigger the radical polymerization . exemplary radical photoinitiators are disclosed in radiation curing : science and technology , 1992 , plenum press ; new york ; s . p . pappas , ed . and encyclopedia of polymer science and engineering , 11 , 187 , 1988 , john wiley and sons , new york ; h . f . mark , n . m . bikales , c . g . overberger , g . menges , eds . one may also select a radical thermal initiator for curing purposes and the exemplary thermal initiators are disclosed in principles of polymerization , 211 , 1991 , john wiley and sons , new york ; g . g . odian , ed . the selection of an efficient radical initiating system is known to those skilled in the art of radical curing , and is not limited within the scope of this invention . common fillers include , but are not limited to ground quartz , fused silica , amorphous silica , talc , glass beads , graphite , carbon black , alumina , clays , mica , vermiculite , aluminum nitride , and boron nitride . metal powders and flakes consisting of silver , copper , gold , tin , tin / lead alloys , and other alloys are contemplated . organic filler powders such as poly ( tetrachloroethylene ), poly ( chlorotrifluoroethylene ), and poly ( vinylidene chloride ) may also be used . fillers that act as desiccants or oxygen scavengers , including but not limited to , cao , bao , na 2 so 4 , caso 4 , mgso 4 , zeolites , silica gel , p 2 o 5 , cacl 2 , and al 2 o 3 may also be utilized . into a 500 ml three - neck round bottom flask equipped with a reflux condenser , and a mechanical stirrer were added 68 . 8 g of epichlorohydrin ( 0 . 74 mol ), 25 . 0 g of 4 , 4 ′-( hexafluoroisoproylidene ) diphenol ( 0 . 074 mol ), and 100 g of isopropyl alcohol . the contents were raised to 75 ° c . and a slow addition funnel was used to add 26 g of 46 % sodium hydroxide in deionized water dropwise over the course of 6 hours . at the end of the slow addition the reaction contents were raised to 83 ° c . and held at that temperature for another 2 hours . the product was filtered and the solvent was removed . a total of 30 . 0 g of the crude product was redissolved in toluene and then passed through a 9 . 0 cm column of silica gel . the solvent was removed and 20 . 0 g of product was recovered . yield 60 %. 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δppm 2 . 76 ( 2h ), 2 . 91 ( 2h ), 3 . 35 ( 2h ), 3 . 97 ( 2h ), 4 . 25 ( 2h ), 6 . 90 ( 4h ), 7 . 30 ( 4h ). 4 , 6 - dichlororesorcinol ( 25 g , 0 . 14 mol ), epichlorohydrin ( 129 g , 1 . 4 mol ) and isopropyl alcohol ( 100 ml ) were added to a three - neck round bottom flask equipped with a reflux condenser and a mechanic stirrer . a solution of sodium hydroxide ( 12 g ) in water ( 14 g ) was placed in an addition funnel . the flask contents were raised to 75 ° c . the sodium hydroxide solution was added over 6 hours while the reaction was held at 75 ° c . after the slow addition the reaction was held at 83 ° c . for an additional 2 hours . the material was filtered and the solvent was removed . the product was then redissolved in toluene and washed with deionized water . the product in toluene was collected after one wash and passed through a silica gel column . the product was collected by removal of the solvent . yield 50 %, mp 78 ° c ., 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δppm 2 . 7 - 2 . 9 ( 4h ), 3 . 3 ( 2h ), 3 . 9 - 4 . 3 ( 4h ), 6 . 7 - 7 . 3 ( 2h ). epichlorohydrin ( 122 . 4 g , 1 . 32 mol ), 4 - bromoresorcinol ( 25 . 0 g , 0 . 13 mol ) and isopropyl alcohol ( 100 g ) were added to a 500 ml three - neck flask and warmed to 75 ° c . a solution of 22 . 2 g 50 wt % sodium hydroxide in water was added dropwise to the flask over 6 hours . the flask temperature was raised to 83 ° c . and held for an additional 2 hours . after the reaction , the solution was filtered and solvents were evaporated . toluene was then added to the residual mass . the solids were filtered and the toluene was again removed , giving a light - brown oil . further purification was conducted using vacuum distillation to give a clear liquid which crystallizes upon standing . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δppm 2 . 6 - 2 . 9 ( 4h ), 3 . 3 ( 2h ), 3 . 8 - 4 . 3 ( 4h ), 6 . 3 - 7 . 4 ( 3h ). epichlorohydrin ( 222 g , 2 . 4 mol ), isopropyl alcohol ( 120 ml ), and hydroquinone ( 33 g , 0 . 3 mol ) were added to a four - neck 1 l round bottom flask equipped with a condenser , mechanical stirrer , nitrogen source , and an addition funnel containing 28 . 8 g naoh in 40 g water . while purging with nitrogen , naoh solution was added dropwise and the reaction was then heated to 75 - 83 ° c . the solution color changed from dark brown to yellow with white solid precipitate after 6 hours . the solution was filtered and the solvents removed to give a viscous yellow liquid , which solidified on cooling and was collected . the product was recrystallized in isopropyl alcohol twice , then distilled under vacuum to give a white solid upon cooling . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δppm 2 . 7 - 2 . 9 ( 4h ), 3 . 3 - 3 . 4 ( 2h ), 3 . 9 - 4 . 2 ( 4h ), 6 . 9 ( 4h ). several classes of cationic epoxies were uv cured and the results are compiled in table 1 . each resin was mixed with 2 % uv9380c ( ge silicones ) cationic photoinitiator , coated on a teflon ® plate to make a 2 - 5 mil thin film with a eight - path variable scraper , cured with 6j uva under a dymax stationary uv curing unit , followed by annealing at 175 ° c . for one hour . moisture permeation coefficient of the films were measured with mocon permeatran 3 / 33 at 50 ° c ., 100 % relative humidity . the normalized moisture permeation data is shown in table 1 . as the comparison shows , resorcinol diglycidyl ether ( rdge , aldrich ) gives one of the lowest moisture permeation . it also reveals that halogenated epoxies are generally better than their regular hydrocarbon analogues , as seen in the comparison of epon 828 versus bpadge - br and bpadge - cf 3 . although cured bpadge - br film has even lower permeation than rdge , this sample is a solid and requires heating above 100 ° c . to make a film . the comparison of difunctional versus tri - and tetra - functional aromatic epoxies shows that adding functionality does not necessarily help permeability performance . many of these aromatic epoxies have similar epoxy equivalent weight , yet we observed higher permeability when the functionality increased . both thpe - ge and epon 1031 required heating above 100 ° c . to cast a film for curing . several commonly used aliphatic epoxies and siloxane epoxies have also been tested and the results show that they do not possess as low permeability performance as the aromatic ones , even though their epoxy equivalent weight is similar or lower than the aromatic ones . further , these comparisons demonstrate that permeability is affected by both the diffusivity and solubility , not solubility alone , and one cannot achieve low permeability by simply building hydrophobic structures such as siloxane epoxies . the tetra - functional tes epoxy siloxane ( lab sample , national starch & amp ; chemical company ) again gave higher permeation than the difunctional sib1092 . 0 sample . a formulation of 50 / 50 blend of dcrdge / epon 862 with 2 % uv9380c photoinitiator was prepared . the dcrdge / epon 862 blend was solid at room temperature but melted at higher temperatures . film preparation required preheating the resin before it was cast and then curing with 4j uva and 175 ° c ./ 1 hr thermal annealing . the permeation found for this blend was 4 . 9 g · mil /( 100 in 2 · day ), which was significantly lower than the epon 862 alone , or a 50 / 50 epon / rdge blend which gives permeation of 8 . 3 g · mil /( 100 in 2 · day ). in another embodiment , a 50 / 50 blend of brdge / aron oxetane oxt - 121 ( toagosei ) gave a permeation value of 7 . 3 g · mil /( 100 in 2 · day ) when cured with 3j uva using 2 wt % sr1012 as the photoinitiator . in comparison , a 50 / 50 blend of rdge / oxt - 121 gave permeation value of 9 . 5 g · mil /( 100 in 2 · day ) under the same condition . these experiments again demonstrate the benefit of halogenation . oxt - 121 and sr1012 have the following structures : the impact of various resin backbone structures on the permeability of the cured formulations is further demonstrated in a talc - filled formulation . several blends containing 32 . 5 parts epon 862 , 32 . 5 parts of a resin additive , 35 parts of talc were prepared and cured . each formulation contained 2 wt % sr1012 and 0 . 21 wt % itx based on the resins and was cured with 3j uva followed by 70 ° c ./ 10 min thermal annealing . the results are summarized in table 2 . the effect of the aromatic backbone and meta substitution is shown in the comparisons . in addition to epoxy additives , blends of epon 862 with several vinyl ether compounds were also prepared and cured . these blends contained 88 parts epon 862 , 10 parts vinyl ether , 2 parts uv 9380c , and were cured with 3j uva without post thermal annealing . the results are summarized in table 3 . these results again show that aromatic substitution generally gives lower moisture permeation than aliphatic ones . more importantly , they also show that meta - substitution alone does not guarantee better barrier performance , such as the cases of vectomer ® 5015 , vectomer ® 4010 . even at relatively low loading percentage , samples containing these materials both showed increase in moisture permeation . however , these vinyl ether additives may still be used where faster curing speed is desired . rdge / epon 862 mixture , a photoinitiating system ( cationic photoinitiator and itx ), and a silane adhesion promoter were placed in a plastic jar and mixed with a vortex mixer for one hour until clear . micron sized silica was then added to the jar and the whole sample was mixed for another hour with the vortex mixer . the resulting paste was further mixed with a ceramic three - roll mill and degassed in a vacuum chamber . the components and parts by weight are disclosed in table 4 . the viscosity ( 25 ° c .) of this formulation is 15 , 600 cp at 10 rpm and 32 , 000 cp at 1 rpm using a brookfield dv - ii + cone and plate viscometer and a cp - 51 plate . to measure moisture permeation , 1 - 2 grams of formulation material were placed on a teflon coated aluminum plate . an eight - path variable scraper was used to cast an even thickness of film . the sample was then placed inside a dymax stationary curing unit and cured for 70 seconds ( 3 . 3 j / cm 2 uva ) with a medium pressure mercury lamp . irradiance on the sample surface was measured with a uv power puck high energy uv radiometer ( eit inc ., sterling , va .) and was found to be 47 ( uva ), 32 ( uvb ), 3 ( uvc ), 35 ( uvv ) mw / cm 2 respectively . moisture permeation coefficient ( 50 ° c ., 100 % relative humidity ) of the above film was measured with mocon permeatran 3 / 33 and was found to be 3 . 0 g · mil / 100 in 2 · day . adhesion performance was tested by applying two pieces of tape (˜ 5 mils ) approximately a quarter of an inch apart on teflon coated aluminum plates . using a blade , the formulation was drawn into a film between the tapes . a piece of glass slide and several 4 × 4 mm glass dies were wiped clean with isopropanol and sonicated for ten minutes in isopropanol . the slides and dies were removed from the isopropanol and air - dried followed by 5 min uv ozone cleaning . the dies were then placed in the film of formulation and slightly tapped to wet out the entire die . the dies were picked from the formulation coating and placed onto the slides . the dies were slightly tapped to allow the formulation to wet out between the die and the slide . the sealant formulations were cured in a dymax uv curing unit with 3 . 3 j / cm 2 uva . the shear adhesion of the cured samples was tested using a royce instrument 552 100k equipped with a 100 kg head and a 300 mil die tool . the adhesion was found to be 39 . 3 ± 10 . 2 kg . barrier sealant # 2 containing a polycyclic epoxy was prepared similarly to barrier sealant # 1 , and the components are listed in table 5 . moisture permeation coefficient ( 50 ° c ., 100 % relative humidity ) of the above sample after 6j uva was measured with mocon permeatran 3 / 33 and was found to be 2 . 6 g · mil / 100 in 2 · day . the adhesion was found to be 22 . 5 ± 4 . 4 kg using the method described in example 5 . there was no change in adhesion after aging at 65 ° c ./ 80 % relative humidity for two weeks .	2
referring concurrently to fig1 and 2 , illustrated are a schematic diagram of a mobile telephone - based system for automated data input constructed according to the principles of the present invention and a flow diagram of a mobile telephone - based method of automated data input carried out according to the principles of the present invention . according to fig1 , a mobile telephone 100 is depicted having a photo camera 101 mounted to the mobile telephone 100 . a document 200 contains data 201 that is desired to be provided to a database . for the following description the document is assumed to be a business card 200 with contact data 201 printed thereon . if the user of the mobile telephone 100 wants to provide the contact data 201 of the business card 200 to a specific contact database of the mobile telephone 100 , a picture of the contact data 201 is recorded , as indicated by reference sign 1 , by use of the camera 101 of the mobile telephone 100 . the visual record of the contact data 201 then is transmitted via air link , as indicated by reference sign 2 , through at least one wireless communication network 300 to a processing server 400 , for example a web - based server providing a processing service for processing the transmitted image and to extract the contact data 201 from the image of the business card 201 ( document ) by recognizing the contact data 201 therein . for the server - based recognition of the contact data 201 , the illustrated embodiment of the processing server 400 uses an optical character recognition system , which is , in the illustrated embodiment implemented by software elements , though hardware recognition equipment is certainly within the scope of the present invention . however , in principle , any other known or future image processing system adapted to recognize data embedded within the image may be used for the processing server 400 based processing and recognition functionality . moreover , the illustrated processing server 400 additionally uses a spelling correction system for recognizing spelling mistakes and / or errors caused by the record and / or the transmission . once the image of the contact data 201 is correspondingly received , the contact data 201 of the business card 200 is recognized ( extracted therefrom ) and transmitted back , as indicated by reference sign 3 to the mobile telephone 100 . at the mobile telephone 100 , the received data , as indicated by reference sign 4 , may be easily entered into a database ( not shown ) contained in the mobile telephone 100 , for example by pressing a corresponding key or key sequence of the keypad 102 of the mobile telephone 100 . to further support the entry , the processing server 400 may put the recognized contact data 201 prior to its transmission 3 into a common database format or in response to data about a certain format , in particular a database format , that is received by the processing server 400 into said certain format . depending on specific applications for such contact data 201 , the initial identification of the mobile telephone 100 may be based , for example , on an international mobile subscriber identification ( imsi ). on the other hand , the user of the mobile telephone 100 may send additional data about the desired format . in particular , if the contact data 201 is already put into a desired format by the processing server 400 , the mobile telephone 100 may be programmed automatically to perform the final entry into the desired database in response to the receipt of the contact data 201 at the mobile telephone 100 . the transmission of the record , possibly together with additional processing data , from the mobile telephone 100 to the processing server 400 providing the processing service as well as the transmission of the recognized contact data 201 back to the mobile telephone 100 is , in the illustrated embodiment , performed by use of a multimedia message service ( mms ) or by use of an e - mail message , perhaps as an attachment thereto . in this regard , it is apparent for a person skilled in the art , that both the mobile telephone 100 and the processing server 400 should be adapted accordingly by the respective interfaces operating for example on a general packet radio service ( gprs ) or a universal mobile telecommunications system ( umts ) standard . however , in particular with regard to the transmission of the recognized data , even a short message service ( sms ) may be used . since a provider possibly wants to charge his server - based service of recognizing data , the processing server 400 may transmit accompanying charge data to a charging system for charging the service use . such charge data can be directly sent back to the mobile telephone 100 together with the analyzed document data , especially in case a prepaid card is implemented within the mobile telephone 100 or may be transmitted to an external charging system for periodically debiting an account assigned to the mobile telephone or to its registered user . although the invention is described with regard to a specific embodiment , the invention is covering several modified embodiments , without leaving the scope of protection as defined by the appended set of claims . for example , the internal or externally connectable camera of the mobile communication apparatus may be additionally or alternatively designed as being a video camera , so that the record is at least a part of a video sequence . instead of the described mobile telephone , an other mobile communication apparatus may be used by the invention , for example a personal digital assistant ( pda ) or a mobile digital assistant ( mda ). the invention furthermore covers embodiments wherein the possible additional processing data sent from the mobile communication apparatus 100 to the processing server 400 relates to a subscriber address of an other apparatus having accessibility to the at least one wireless communication network 300 and to which the recognized data has to be sent back for entering into a database assigned to said other apparatus in a similar manner . thus , the processing server 400 may forwards the contact data 201 extracted from the business card 200 to a destination in accordance with received instructions . the record may be pre - processed prior to its transmission to the processing server 400 , for example by the transformation into a format adapted for transmission and / or for the processing server 400 . in particular a special application may be provided within the mobile telephone 100 for handling the data transfer , e . g ., by using a tcp / ip data link and / or the processing server 400 may provide a special data link format to interact with the mobile telephone 100 . moreover , a plurality of different records may be stored within a memory of the mobile telephone 100 prior to transmit the records all together to the processing server 400 . although the present invention has been described in detail , those skilled in the art should understand that they can make various changes , substitutions and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form .	7
hereinafter , exemplary embodiments of an electrode for radiofrequency surgery , a radiofrequency surgery device , and a method for controlling the same will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . as those skilled in the art would realize , the described embodiments may be deformed in various different ways , all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . on the contrary , exemplary embodiments introduced herein are provided to make disclosed contents thorough and complete and sufficiently transfer the spirit of the present invention to those skilled in the art . fig1 is a diagram illustrating an electrode for radiofrequency surgery according to a first exemplary embodiment . referring to fig1 , an electrode 10 for radiofrequency surgery according to a first exemplary embodiment ( hereinafter , referred to as an ‘ electrode for radiofrequency surgery ’) includes a supporter 11 , a balloon 12 , and a conductor . the supporter 11 may be divided into a first support ring 11 a and a second support ring 11 b . the first support ring 11 a and the second support ring 11 b are spaced apart from each other with the balloon 12 therebetween . a gas inlet 12 a into which gas may be injected is formed in the balloon 12 . a gas supply pipe 12 b may be coupled with the gas inlet 12 a . the gas supply pipe 12 b is coupled with the first support ring 11 a . the gas inlet 12 a is coupled with the gas supply pipe 12 b , and as a result , the balloon 12 may be supported to the first support ring 11 a . accordingly , the balloon 12 may be moved together with the first support ring 11 a . the conductor may be provided in a form of a plurality of wires 13 . in the plurality of wires 13 , one end is coupled with the first support ring 11 a and the other end is coupled with the second support ring 11 b . the plurality of wires 13 is arranged to cover the outside of the balloon 12 . accordingly , the shape of the plurality of wires 13 may be deformed according to the volume of the balloon 12 . that is , the plurality of wires 13 maintains a linear shape connecting the first support ring 11 a and the second support ring 11 b , and may be deformed convexly outwardly as the volume of the balloon 12 is expanded . the plurality of wires 13 may have at least one polarity of a positive pole or a negative pole . in this case , the first support ring 11 a and the second support ring 11 b may be made of electro - conductive materials . in the electrode 10 for radiofrequency surgery , the plurality of wires 13 is inserted into the body , an opposing electrode having an opposite polarity to the plurality of wires 13 contacts the outside of the body , and as a result , the plurality of wires 13 and the opposing electrode are conducted to each other to generate heat inside the body . in this case , the generated heat may remove an abnormal tissue inside the body . fig2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a radiofrequency surgery device according to a first exemplary embodiment . referring to fig2 , a radiofrequency surgery device 100 according to a first exemplary embodiment ( hereinafter , referred to as a ‘ radiofrequency surgery device ’) includes an electrode 10 for radiofrequency surgery , a radiofrequency generator 110 , and a pump 120 . the radiofrequency surgery device 100 uses the electrode 10 for radiofrequency surgery described above , and the detailed description of the electrode 10 for radiofrequency surgery may be understood with reference to the description of the electrode 10 for radiofrequency surgery described above . the radiofrequency generator 110 generates a radiofrequency current . the radiofrequency surgery device 100 may include a first cable 111 connected to the electrode 10 for radiofrequency surgery and the radiofrequency generator 110 , and a second cable 112 connected to the opposing electrode 15 and the radiofrequency generator 110 . a power supply line for applying a positive or negative radiofrequency current to the electrode 10 for radiofrequency surgery is embedded in the first cable 111 , and a power supply line for applying a radiofrequency current having an opposite polarity of the electrode 10 for radiofrequency surgery is embedded in the second cable 112 . the power supply line embedded in the first cable 111 is electrically connected to the first support ring 11 a to apply the radiofrequency current to the plurality of wires 13 . meanwhile , the gas supply pipe 12 b coupled with the balloon 12 may be embedded inside the first cable 111 together . the gas supply pipe 12 b is connected to the pump 120 . the pump 120 may be installed inside the radiofrequency generator 110 . although not illustrated , an endoscope acquiring an image inside the body and an illumination ensuring illumination inside the body may be installed at a front end of the first cable 111 . further , a separate flow channel from the gas supply pipe 12 b may be installed inside the first cable 111 . the flow channel provides a path in which gas or a liquid may be sprayed or suctioned into the body . further , a power supply line ( not illustrated ) and a signal line ( not illustrated ), which are connected to an endoscope ( not illustrated ) and an illumination ( not illustrated ), may be installed inside the first cable 111 . since the endoscope ( not illustrated ), the illumination ( not illustrated ), and the flow channel ( not illustrated ) are techniques which are widely known in the art , the detailed description thereof will be omitted . in the above description , the endoscope ( not illustrated ) and the illumination ( not illustrated ) are installed at the front end of the first cable 111 , the flow channel ( not illustrated ) is embedded in the first cable 111 to be operated together with the radiofrequency surgery device 100 , but the endoscope ( not illustrated ), the illumination ( not illustrated ), and the flow channel ( not illustrated ) are provided as separate devices from the radiofrequency surgery device 100 to be operated together with the radiofrequency surgery device 100 . meanwhile , a handpiece 130 may be installed on a line of the first cable 111 . an operation button 131 is installed at the handpiece 130 . the operation button 131 may smoothly control a location of the electrode 10 for radiofrequency surgery inserted into the body . hereinafter , a method of controlling a radiofrequency surgery device according to a first exemplary embodiment will be described . fig3 is a diagram illustrating a method for controlling the radiofrequency surgery device according to the first exemplary embodiment , and fig4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a balloon is expanded in the radiofrequency surgery device according to the first exemplary embodiment . referring to fig3 , a user inserts the first cable 111 into a body of a patient . in this case , a catheter ( not illustrated ) for smoothly inserting the first cable 111 may be used . as such , when the first cable 111 is inserted into the body , the user refers to an image inside the body of the patient which is acquired by the endoscope ( not illustrated ) and searches the inside of the body . ( step ; s 10 ) next , when an abnormal tissue is detected , the user positions the electrode 10 for radiofrequency surgery around the abnormal tissue . in addition , the user contacts the opposing electrode 15 with an outer skin of the patient corresponding to the abnormal tissue . next , the user operates the pump 120 so that gas is supplied to the balloon 12 . when the volume of the balloon 12 is expanded , the plurality of wires 13 is deformed to an outwardly convex shape . ( step ; s 20 ) next , the user operates the radiofrequency generator 110 so that the radiofrequency current is supplied . while the radiofrequency current is supplied , one of the positive current and the negative current applied to the plurality of wires 13 and the other current applied to the opposing electrode 15 are conducted to each other to generate heat inside the body . as such , as the radiofrequency current is conducted and the heat is generated in the body , the abnormal tissue in the body may be cut . ( step ; s 30 ) hereinafter , an electrode for radiofrequency surgery according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described . hereinafter , like constituent elements described in the first exemplary embodiment described above designate like reference numerals , and the detailed description thereof will be omitted . accordingly , hereinafter , it can be understood that the constituent elements of which the detailed description is omitted refer to the description of the first exemplary embodiment described above . fig5 is a diagram illustrating an electrode for radiofrequency surgery according to a second exemplary embodiment , and fig6 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a radiofrequency surgery device according to the second exemplary embodiment . referring to fig5 and 6 , some of a plurality of wires 23 may be constituted by positive wires 23 a , and the rest of the plurality of wires 23 may be constituted by negative wires 23 b . in this case , a first support ring 21 a and a second support ring 21 b are made of non - conductive materials so as to block the positive wires 23 a and the negative wires 23 b from being electrically connected to each other . in addition , a radiofrequency generator 210 is connected to an electrode 20 for radiofrequency surgery by a single cable 211 . a positive power supply line connected to the positive wires 23 a and a negative power supply line connected to the negative wires 23 b may be embedded inside the signal cable 211 . in this case , the positive power supply line and the negative power supply line are protected by covering to be electrically shielded from each other . the positive power supply line is connected to the positive wires 23 a through the first support ring 21 a , and the negative power supply line is connected to the negative wires 23 b through the first support ring 21 a . as such , in the electrode 20 electrode for radiofrequency surgery and the radiofrequency surgery device 200 according to the second exemplary embodiment , two electrodes are inserted into the body together , and the shapes thereof are deformed according to the volume of the balloon 12 to generate heat inside the body . since the method of controlling the radiofrequency surgery device 200 according to the exemplary embodiment is similar to the method of controlling the radiofrequency surgery device 100 according to the first exemplary embodiment when the process of contacting the opposing electrode 15 with the outer skin of the patient is omitted in the method of controlling the radiofrequency surgery device 100 according to the first exemplary embodiment described above , the method of controlling the radiofrequency surgery device 200 according to the exemplary embodiment may be understood with reference to the method of controlling the radiofrequency surgery device 100 according to the first exemplary embodiment described above . fig7 is a diagram illustrating an electrode for radiofrequency surgery according to a third exemplary embodiment . referring to fig7 , in an electrode 30 for radiofrequency surgery according to a third exemplary embodiment , a plurality of coil springs 33 may be used as a conductor . one end of the plurality of coil springs 33 is coupled with a first support ring 31 a , and the other end thereof may be coupled with a second support ring 31 b . the plurality of coil springs 33 is arranged to cover the outside of the balloon 12 . accordingly , the shape of the plurality of coil springs 33 may be deformed according to the volume of the balloon 12 . that is , the plurality of coil springs 33 maintains a linear shape connecting the first support ring 31 a and the second support ring 31 b , and may be deformed in an outwardly convex shape while the volume of the balloon 12 is expanded . in this case , the plurality of coil springs 33 may be implemented to have the same polarity , and the plurality of coil springs 33 may be modified so that some of the plurality of coil springs 33 are constituted by positive coil springs 33 a and the rest of the plurality of coil springs 33 are constituted by negative coil springs 33 b . as such , the electrode 30 for radiofrequency surgery according to the third exemplary embodiment may be used in the radiofrequency surgery device 100 according to the first exemplary embodiment or the radiofrequency surgery device 200 according to the second exemplary embodiment described above . further , a method of controlling a radiofrequency surgery device in which the electrode 30 for radiofrequency surgery according to the third exemplary embodiment is used may be understood with reference to the method of controlling the radiofrequency surgery device 100 according to the first exemplary embodiment . fig8 is a diagram illustrating an electrode for radiofrequency surgery according to a fourth exemplary embodiment . referring to fig8 , in an electrode 40 for radiofrequency surgery according to a fourth exemplary embodiment , a first coil spring 43 a and a second coil spring 43 b having ring shapes covering a circumference of the balloon 12 may be used as a conductor . in this case , a first support ring 41 a and a second support ring 41 b are connected by a support wire 41 c . further , a first coil wire 43 c supporting the first coil spring 43 a is coupled with the first support ring 41 a , and a second coil wire 43 d supporting the second coil spring 43 b is coupled with the second support ring 41 b . as an example , when the first coil spring 43 a and the second coil spring 43 b have the same polarity , the first support ring 41 a , the second support ring 41 b , the support wire 41 c , the first coil wire 43 c , and the second coil wire 43 d may be constituted by conductors . as another example , when the first coil spring 43 a and the second coil spring 43 b have different polarities , the support wire 41 c may be made of a non - conductive material . in this case , the first support ring 41 a may be connected to a positive power supply line connected to the radiofrequency generator , and the second support ring 41 b may be connected to a negative power supply line connected to the radiofrequency generator . in the electrode 40 for radiofrequency surgery according to the fourth exemplary embodiment , the shapes of the first and second coil springs 43 a and 43 b may be deformed according to the volume of the balloon 12 . that is , the first and second coil springs 43 a and 43 b usually maintain the ring shapes covering the circumference of the balloon 12 , and may be formed in a shape in which an outer diameter of the ring is expanded as the volume of the balloon 12 is expanded . as such , the electrode 40 for radiofrequency surgery according to the fourth exemplary embodiment may be used in the radiofrequency surgery device 100 according to the first exemplary embodiment or the radiofrequency surgery device 200 according to the second exemplary embodiment described above . further , a method of controlling a radiofrequency surgery device in which the electrode 40 for radiofrequency surgery according to the fourth exemplary embodiment is used may be understood with reference to the method of controlling the radiofrequency surgery device 100 according to the first exemplary embodiment . as described above , when the radiofrequency surgery device according to the present invention configured so that the conductor is convexly deformed according to the expansion of the balloon and the radiofrequency current is conducted is particularly used in a lumen of the body , the radiofrequency current may be conducted in the entire cross - sectional area of a corresponding organ , and as a result , the radiofrequency current may be efficiently used . it should not be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments of the present invention described above and illustrated in the drawings limit the technical spirit of the present invention . the protection scope of the present invention is limited by only matters described in the claims and the technical spirit of the present invention can be modified and changed in various forms by those skilled in the art . accordingly , the modification and the change will belong to the protection scope of the present invention as long as the modification and change are apparent to those skilled in the art .	0
the present invention is particularly directed to a plurality of elements which when considered as an ensemble , provide comprehensive attainment and maintenance of oral cleanliness . of these , there are three primary features ; namely , an unobstructed gumbrush , a uniquely - shaped toothbrush and a tongue scraper . referring now to the drawings , an exemplary oral hygiene device of the present invention is shown in fig1 - 6 and is identified by the general reference numeral 20 . as shown more particularly in fig1 and 4 - 6 , device 20 generally includes an elongated handle 22 , a gumbrush 24 and a toothbrush 26 . in this embodiment , gumbrush 24 is disposed at one end of handle 22 and toothbrush 26 is disposed at the other , distal end of handle 22 . in the preferred embodiment shown in fig1 - 6 , handle 22 is shown having lateral protrusions 28 , 30 and 32 , 34 . protrusions 28 , 30 are defined as a pair of opposing protrusions , as is the respective pair of protrusions 32 , 34 . each pair is near a respective end of handle 22 . defined between opposing protrusions 28 , 30 is an opening 36 which extends through handle 22 . a similar opening 38 is defined between opposing protrusions 32 , 34 and also extends through handle 22 . gumbrush 24 comprises multiple features . principal among these are heads 40 and 42 which are disposed in angled , generally opposed relationship to each other as will be further described below . head 40 is integrally connected to a flexible arm 44 which in turn is integrally connected to handle 22 . likewise , head 42 is integrally connected to a flexible arm 46 which is also integrally connected to handle 22 . a solid portion 48 of handle 22 is disposed at and connected to and between respective arms 44 , 46 at their points of connection to handle 22 . an elongated slot 50 may , as shown , be defined in handle 22 between flexible side walls 52 , 54 . such a slot 50 is bordered at one end by solid portion 48 and accomplishes a purpose to be further described below . heads 40 , 42 of gumbrush 24 are preferably offset or displaced , as shown in fig5 a preselected distance &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; away from or off centerline 56 of handle 22 . distance &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; is measured between centerline 56 of handle 22 and centerline 58 of heads 40 , 42 as shown in fig5 . this offset provides a benefit in reducing tooth obstruction when heads 40 , 42 are moved to gum brushing depth as will be further described below . heads 40 , 42 of gumbrush 24 are , as mentioned above , disposed in angled , generally opposed relationship to each other . this means they are angled so that they define an angle α which is measured between the intersection of the extensions of centerlines 64 and 66 , which as shown in fig2 are defined through the respective centers of heads 40 and 42 . angle α is preferably between 46 and 66 degrees . each head 40 , 42 of gumbrush 24 has a respective set 60 , 62 of bristles disposed therein and emanating therefrom . as can be seen particularly in fig2 bristles 60 extend generally perpendicularly out from head 40 relative to center line 64 . bristles 62 similarly extend generally perpendicularly out from head 42 relative to center line 66 . bristles 60 and 62 are generally clumped and embedded in heads 40 , 42 as is generally known in the art . fig2 also shows the graduated lengths of bristles 60 and 62 . in fig2 the lower bristles of each set 60 , 62 are shorter than the upper bristles such that they generally define a meeting plane , represented by line 68 and extending perpendicular to the drawing page , at which the outer ends of bristles 60 meet or nearly meet the ends of bristles 62 . line 68 preferably splits angle α equally as shown . in one embodiment of the present invention , gumbrush 24 is the sole brush disposed on a handle 22 . however , as is also shown in fig1 - 6 , the preferred embodiment of the present invention also has a toothbrush 26 disposed on handle 22 . toothbrush 26 is preferably disposed at the distal end of handle 22 opposite gumbrush 24 . a preferred toothbrush 26 according to the present invention is shown having first and second lateral bulges 70 , 72 . bulges 70 , 72 provide a wider head 74 for toothbrush 26 than usual . this provides a wider swath which is particularly useful when toothbrush 26 is also used to brush the palate or tongue . toothbrush 26 also has bristles 80 which , as are shown in fig1 and 3 , may be flat , or , as shown in fig5 have alternately angularly extending ends to provide better access to the corners ( between the chewing surfaces and the sides ) and / or depressions in the chewing surfaces of the teeth . a tongue scraper 82 is also shown in the preferred embodiment , particularly in fig5 and 7 . primarily , scraper 82 comprises a raised ridge which follows the outer contour of head 74 generally running from first bulge 70 to second bulge 72 . the outer contour means that portion of the circumference of head 74 which is not immediately adjacent to handle 22 . the manufacture of the present invention generally follows the methods and procedures which are well known by those skilled in the art of toothbrush manufacture . the major distinctions reside instead in the shapes and dispositions of the structural elements . further , the materials are also generally as are known in the art . thus , the preferred embodiment of device 20 ( including all brush heads , arms , etc .) will be molded as a single , integral piece of sturdy , yet flexible plastic into which soft nylon bristles 60 , 62 and 80 will be embedded . in use , toothbrush 26 particularly provides for the cleaning of the tops and sides of the crowns of a user &# 39 ; s teeth in the usual way as shown in fig7 . if angularly extending bristles are used in brush 26 , such as those shown in fig5 then head 74 may be rotated slightly to provide better brushing access to the indentations on the chewing surfaces of the teeth or to allow simultaneous brushing of the chewing surfaces as well as the corners and upper sides of the teeth . toothbrush 26 is also useful for brushing the tongue and palate . the wider head 74 provides a wide area of contact that is particularly beneficial here . plaque on the tongue and palate is at least loosened and may be removed by back and forth strokes of bristles 80 . brush head 74 may then be flipped over and tongue scraper 82 can be pulled across the tongue and / or palate to scrape away the plaque . the scraper shown in the preferred embodiment is particularly useful for scraping along the length of the tongue preferably when pulled along the tongue from inside , deep in the mouth out to the tip of the tongue . device 20 may then be flipped end for end so that gumbrush 24 may be used to clean the lower sides of the teeth , the sulcular area between the teeth and gums as well as to clean and massage the gums . a typical user &# 39 ; s teeth and gums are represented generally by teeth 86 and gums 88 in fig8 . the present two - headed , angled and opposing arrangement of heads 40 , 42 of gumbrush 24 provides for an extended reach down onto the gums 88 as shown in fig8 . a still further unobstructed downward reach is provided by the offset distance &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; of heads 40 , 42 from centerline 56 of handle 22 . this provides a reach which is unhindered by any teeth physically abutting against or interfering with handle 22 . thus , heads 40 , 42 will easily reach as far down onto the gums as needed to thoroughly clean and massage the entire gums . the flexible , yet shape - retaining arms 44 , 46 provide for a continuous amount of pressure of bristles 60 , 62 on the teeth and gums regardless the thickness of the teeth and / or gums being cleaned or massaged . moreover , as shown in fig8 slot 50 allows for inward flexure or bending of side walls 52 and 54 when arms 44 , 46 are flexed outwardly . the inward flexure is caused partially by the transfer of bending forces from arms 44 , 46 about the fulcrum of solid portion 48 to side walls 52 , 54 . thus , solid portion 48 acts as a fulcrum or pivot point to reduce stress at the connection of gumbrush 24 to handle 22 . still further , after oral cleaning ( as described above ) has been performed , device 20 may be simply stored in a hanging position as shown in fig9 . device 20 may be hung on a simple hook 90 by engaging hook 90 with either opening 36 or 38 . alternative shapes for many of the above described elements may also be used within the present invention . as shown in fig1 and 11 , more conventional circular or rectangular heads 174 and 274 may be substituted for head 74 of brush 26 of the preferred embodiment . also , as shown in fig1 , an elongated handle 122 having no lateral protrusions or slots may also be substituted for handle 22 . again , circular or rectangular heads 174 and 274 may be substituted for head 74 of brush 26 with a handle 122 as shown in fig1 and 14 . in like manner , myriad other structural substitutions may also be used within the spirit of this invention . from the foregoing , it is readily apparent that a new and useful embodiment of the present invention has been herein described and illustrated which fulfills all of the aforestated objects in a remarkably unexpected fashion . it is , of course , understood that such modifications , alterations and adaptations as may readily occur to the artisan confronted with this disclosure are intended within the spirit of this disclosure which is limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto .	0
in the following , the present invention is illustrated in detail with preferred embodiments . however , the scope of the invention is not limited to these embodiments . fig2 shows the sectional structure of a first embodiment of the ink donor sheet of the present invention . the ink donor sheet 20 is prepared by forming a heat - transfer ink layer 21 on a side of a paper base 11 such as condenser paper and forming a dampproof layer 22 on the other side thereof . the ink layer 21 remains solid at ordinary temperature ( 20 °- 30 ° c .) and when it is heated to a certain temperature ( 50 °- 120 ° c . ), its viscosity is decreased to liquify or sublime . any conventional ink layer can be used for the purpose . in general , the ink layer comprises a binder , a coloring agent and a softening agent . examples of the binder include waxes such as carnauba wax , ester wax , paraffin wax and rice wax . for the coloring agent , any coloring agent can be used , and those having good weatherability are preferred . examples of the softening agent include oils such as caster oil , polyvinyl acetate , polystyrene , a styrene - butadiene copolymer , cellulose ester , cellulose ether and acrylic resins . other additives may be added to facilitate coating of the ink layer and improve storability of the ink donor sheet , such as ethylene vinyl acetate . the formulation of ink layer is suitably determined taking into consideration the properties such as melting point , thermal conductivity , heat capacity , specific heat , heat of fusion , density , tensile strength , melt viscosity , etc . a representative formulation of the ink layer and typical properties of the ink layer are shown in tables 1 and 2 below . table 1______________________________________ wt % ______________________________________pigment ( coloring agent ) 20carnauba wax ( binder ) 20ester wax ( binder ) 40oil ( softening agent ) 10other ( additive ) 10______________________________________ table 2__________________________________________________________________________ melting thermal heat specific heat of tensileink layer point conductivity capacity heat fusion density strengthno . (° c .) ( cal / cm sec ° c .) ( cal / cm . sup . 3 ° c .) ( cal / g ° c .) ( cal / g ) ( g / cm . sup . 3 ) ( kg / cm . sup . 3 ) __________________________________________________________________________1 47 6 . 8 × 10 . sup .- 4 0 . 68 0 . 73 44 . 1 0 . 93 8 . 42 52 7 . 2 × 10 . sup .- 4 0 . 56 0 . 57 45 . 6 0 . 98 10 . 63 62 8 . 3 × 10 . sup .- 4 0 . 57 0 . 58 51 . 9 0 . 98 15 . 24 67 6 . 2 × 10 . sup .- 4 0 . 55 0 . 54 31 . 6 1 . 02 9 . 45 71 6 . 5 × 10 . sup .- 4 0 . 57 0 . 58 29 . 5 0 . 99 4 . 56 73 8 . 8 × 10 . sup .- 4 0 . 56 0 . 57 35 . 6 0 . 97 3 . 6__________________________________________________________________________ the ink layer is formed by a hot - melting method . the thickness of the ink layer is generally from 2 to 10 μm , preferably from 3 to 8 μm , more preferably from 4 to 6 μm . the dampproof layer 22 is formed using a silicone resin having excellent heat resistance so as to have a thickness of 1 to 3 μm , preferably 1 to 1 . 5 μm . well known conventional techniques can be used for forming the dampproof layer 22 using a silicone resin . one known method involves using a coater such as an air doctor coater or a rod coater . according to this method , the resin adhering to the roll is transferred to the paper base which is conveyed by revolution of a roll , by which coating is carried out . application of the resin to the paper base can be carried out by a spraying method which comprises spraying the resin with compressed air . the coated silicone resin is hardened by volatilizing the solvent or by heating the vapour , etc . to form the dampproof layer 22 . in the ink donor sheet 20 in which the dampproof layer 22 is formed , expansion and contraction by the influence of moisture can be prevented , because absorption of moisture by the paper base 11 is prevented by the ink layer 21 and the dampproof layer 22 . fig3 shows the sectional structure of a second embodiment of the ink donor sheet of the present invention . in the ink donor sheet 30 , a heat - transfer ink layer 21 is formed on a dampproofing paper base 31 in the same manner as in the first embodiment . the dampproof paper base 31 is a paper base comprised of fiber impregnated with a hydrophobic compound to render the paper base hydrophobic . for example , vegetable fibers in the condenser paper are impregnated with a silicone oil having excellent heat resistance to produce a dampproof condenser paper 31 . the dampproof condenser paper 31 can be formed by dipping condenser paper in a silicone oil bath or by spraying the silicone oil by means of a spray gun . when the above described paper base is formed by being subjected to dampproofing , the fibers thereof are not swollen by moisture . further , since the ink donor sheet does not require the formation of a dampproof layer the thickness of the sheet is not increased . the paper base which can be used in the first and second embodiments has generally , a density of 0 . 8 to 1 . 45 g / cm 3 , preferably 0 . 9 to 1 . 4 g / cm 3 , more preferably 1 . 0 to 1 . 2 g / cm 3 and a thickness of 5 to 25 μm , preferably 7 to 18 μm , more preferably 8 to 13 μm . since the ink donor sheet of the present invention does not undergo expansion and contraction due to moisture , good recording images can be obtained even if the ink donor sheet is used in an apparatus placed under adverse moisture conditions or an apparatus which is seldom used . in the above described embodiments , silicone resin and silicone oil are used for forming the dampproof layer or as an impregnating agent for dampproofing , but the present invention is not limited to these material . the term &# 34 ; dampproof &# 34 ; herein used means that absorption of moisture is prevented to an extent that interior transfer of ink does not occur on the recording paper when the ink donor sheet which is mounted on a heat - transfer recording machine and allowed to stand at 35 ° c . and 85 % rh for 70 hours is subjected to heat - transfer recording . further , the other methods of forming the dampproof layer can be utilized depending on the material to be used . furthermore , the paper base of the ink donor sheet is not , of course , limited to condenser paper . while the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiment thereof , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof .	8
fig1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a set of scenarios 110 - 140 for menu position indicators that dynamically adjust to show a position where a menu having more than one possible display position is to appear . scenarios 110 - 140 illustrate a context menu 114 , 124 , 134 , 144 for a file manager application and an associated submenu 116 , 126 , 136 , 146 . the scenarios 110 - 140 show a variable placement of the submenu 116 , 126 , 136 , 146 based upon a position of the main menu 114 , 124 , 134 , 144 relative to the screen area 112 , 122 , 132 , 142 of a display . positions indicated by menu indicators 118 , 128 , 138 , and 148 are predictive in nature and anticipate a positioning of a related menu 116 , 126 , 136 , 146 when activated . use of a file manager application is arbitrary and technique illustrated can be applied to any application context . further , the technique is not limited to context menus , but can apply to any situation in which a menu is to appear in a location shown by a menu presentation indicator . for example , when a menu is to appear proximate to a pointer / cursor ( e . g ., right mouse clicking to call up a menu of options , for example ) the pointer / cursor can include a menu presentation indicator to indicate where the submenu 116 , 126 , 136 , 146 is to appear . the scenarios 110 - 140 present four menu positions and menu position indicators 118 , 128 , 138 , and 148 based on available screen area . in the scenarios 110 - 140 , menu locations can be indicated by triangles pointing in one of four possible directions , above , below , left , and right . menu position indicators 118 , 128 , 138 , and 148 can denote the location where the associated menu can appear . scenario 110 illustrates a typical default menu position indicator and position for submenus . in scenario 110 , menu position indicator 118 can inform the user of the location of submenu 116 appearance . when screen area 112 is available to the right of the main menu 114 , submenu 116 can be presented . for example , menu position indicator 118 is consistent with the location of the “ send to ” menu 116 presented alongside menu 114 . in scenario 120 , screen area 122 is inadequate to present submenu 126 to the right of main menu 124 , the default location . in this situation , submenu 126 can be presented to the left of a menu 124 . before submenu 126 is presented , menu position indicator 128 can indicate the expected location of submenu 126 . for example , when a user interacts with the “ send to ” menu entry , the user can expect the location of submenu 126 based on the direction menu position indicator 128 is pointing . in scenario 130 , a submenu 136 can be presented hierarchical inline manner to main menu 134 . scenario 130 presents a menu 134 constricted by minimal screen area 132 . menu position indicator 138 can be used to present the expected location of submenu 136 . when a user interacts with the “ send to ” menu entry , main menu 134 can be expanded to fit submenu 136 , as shown . for example , an application executing on a mobile device can present a submenu 136 , consistent with information given by menu position indicator 138 and allowing convenient access to submenu 136 entries . selecting the menu position indicator 138 or a region of the send to option can toggle a presentation state of the submenu 136 causing a previously expanded submenu 136 to collapse , thereby restoring a presentation to only main menu 134 options . scenario 140 illustrates a submenu 146 appearing above main menu 144 . menu position indicator 148 can inform a user of the expected location of submenu 146 . as shown , a context menu 144 presented at the bottom of screen area 142 can appear to grow upward . when main menu 144 appears to grow upward , submenu 146 position can behave in a consistent manner to its parent window , appearing above menu 144 . menu position indicator 148 can allow the user to verify expected location of submenu 146 before submenu 146 is presented . in system 100 , submenus 116 , 126 , 136 , and 146 position can be affected by user settings , system level preferences , application level preferences , and the like . menu position indicators 118 - 148 can include , but are not limited to , arrows , geometric shapes ( e . g . triangle ), non - uniform shapes , icons , and other indicators capable of denoting menu position . scenarios 110 - 140 are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed to limit the invention in any regard . fig2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a system 200 for self - adjusting menu position indicators in accordance with the embodiment of inventive arrangement disclosed herein . system 200 represents one hardware / software structure within which the scenarios 110 - 140 can be implemented . in system 200 , an interface manager 220 on a computing device 210 can be utilized to present menus and associated menu position indicators to a user . menu position indicators can denote the location where a related menu can appear . the interface manger 220 can be a software program configured to handle interface aspects of device 210 , including menu behavior . the menu position handler 222 can be a software program that anticipates a positioning of a menu or submenu associated with menu position indicator and dynamically changes the menu position indicator to match the anticipated position . menus indicated by a menu indicator can be main menus appearing from a visually represented origin point , can be a submenu of a main menu , or can be a child submenu of a parent submenu . based on stored user menu preferences 230 in data store 232 , menu positioning behavior can be altered . for example , user preferences can indicate a default position for placing a menu , a priority order of positioning preferences should more preferred placements not be possible , a refresh rate for determining a proper menu position indicator , a visual characteristic of a menu position indicator , and the like . the user preferences 230 can be established and / or modified using configuration interface 224 . as shown herein , computing device 210 can be a hardware / software device capable of performing actions based on user interaction that involve a presentation of menus . computing device 210 can include , but not limited to , desktop computer , laptop , mobile phone , mobile computing device , personal digital assistant ( pda ), a media player , an entertainment system , a virtual computing device , and the like . data store 232 can be physically implemented within any type of hardware including , but not limited to , a magnetic disk , an optical disk , a semiconductor memory , a digitally encoded plastic memory , a holographic memory , or any other recording medium . data store 232 can be stand - alone storage units as well as a storage unit formed from a plurality of physical devices , which may be remotely located from one another . additionally , information can be stored within the data store 232 in a variety of manners . for example , information can be stored within a database structure or can be stored within one or more files of a file storage system , where each file may or may not be indexed for information searching purposes . fig3 is a flowchart illustrating a method 300 for dynamically presenting different menu position indicators to properly predict a placement of a related menu in accordance with the embodiment of inventive arrangements disclosed herein . method 300 can occur in context of system 200 and can represent a method performed for scenarios 110 - 140 . the method 300 can begin in step 305 , where a graphical user interface ( gui ) can detect a menu triggering event , which presents a main menu having at least one submenu option associated with it . each option can include a menu position indicator to indicate where the associated submenu is to be positioned relative to the main menu when activated . in step 310 , available screen areas for each submenu to be presented can be determined . in step 315 , user / system preferences for menus / submenus can be accessed within which previously established preferences for menu behavior can be stored . in step 320 , the preferred position for the submenu ( s ) can be determined from retrieved preferences . in step 325 , if there is not enough screen area to present the set of submenus in the preferred position , the method can return to step 320 , where a next lower presentation preference for the set of submenus can be determined . when sufficient screen space exists for presenting each submenu , the current placement position can be used . a menu position indicator consistent with the current placement position ( s ) can be presented in the main menu , as shown by step 330 . in step 335 , a submenu triggering event can be detected , which causes the submenu ( s ) associated with the menu position indicator to appear in a position indicated by the menu position indicator . it should be appreciated that details relating to the menu / submenu behavior can dynamically change depending on previous actions and / or a menu / submenu state . for example , a main menu can include multiple submenus , which are to be presented below a main menu ( e . g ., scenario 130 ) when activated according to preferred menu behavior settings . even though sufficient vertical screen area ( step 310 ) may be available ( step 325 ) for a first submenu expansion , sufficient vertical screen area space may not be available for a second submenu expansion , since the first expansion reduces the screen area available ( step 310 ). this can cause method 300 to present the first expansion vertically ( e . g ., scenario 130 ) and the second submenu expansion in a different manner ( e . g ., scenario 110 , 120 , or 140 ). other configurable behavior can also be established ( i . e ., both the first and second submenu expansion behavior can change so that space is available ; the first submenu can be automatically contracted to allow the second submenu to be expanded vertically ; and the like ) within method 300 to handle different menu related situations . in another example , a submenu can include child submenus , which are each associated with expansion options . as a submenu expands , such as to the right as shown in scenario 110 ) screen space may be unavailable for further expansions to the right , which can cause submenus that are children of the expanded submenu to behave in accordance with a different scenario 120 , 130 , or 140 ( expanding to the left , below , or above , respectively ) depending on available screen areas and configured preferences . the present invention may be realized in hardware , software or a combination of hardware and software . the present invention may be realized in a centralized fashion in one computer system or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems . any kind of computer system or other apparatus adapted for a carrying out methods described herein is suited . a typical combination of hardware and software may be a general purpose computer system with a computer program that , when being loaded and executed , controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein . the present invention also may be embedded in a computer program product , which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein , and which when loaded in a computer system is able to carry out these methods . computer program in the present context means any expression , in any language , code or notation , of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following : a ) conversion to another language , code or notation ; b ) reproduction in a different material form .	6
in the subsequent part , the elevator landing door apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention will be described in detail on the basis of the examples of preferred embodiments thereof illustrated in fig1 through fig5 . in these drawings , the reference number ( 5 ) indicates a door for opening and closing the doorway ( 1 ), and , as shown in fig2 this door ( 5 ) is constructed in a thick structure comprised of multiple layers formed of a main unit ( 14 ) of the door and a heat insulating panel ( 16 ) having an approximately groove - shaped section and installed rigidly on the surface of this main unit of the door on the side of the elevator landing zone with a plural number of mounting metal fittings ( 15 ), and thus the door is capable of attaining a quite considerable heat insulating effect . the above - mentioned main unit ( 14 ) of the door is provided , as shown in fig2 with a surface plate ( 6a ) in an approximately groove - shaped section , a vertical reinforcing material ( 7a ) formed in an approximately hat - shaped section and welded in an upright position almost in the center of the inside area of this face plate ( 6a ) and having strength necessary for supporting the self - weight of the door ( 5 ) and also for enabling the door ( 5 ) to perform its smooth opening and closing operations , and a back plate ( 9a ) installed in such zo a manner as to cover the opening in the back surface of the surface plate ( 6a ), namely on its surface at the side of the elevator shaft ( 8 ), and heat insulating material ( 17 ) which places restraint on the conduction of heat to the back surface of the door ( 5 ) is inserted in the inside area of the main unit of the door . a heat insulating sheet ( 18 ), which reduces the amount of heat conducted between metals , is placed in its interposition between the surface plate ( 6a ) mentioned above and the vertical reinforcing material ( 7a ) and the back plate ( 9a ). also , the upper part of the back plate ( 9a ) is formed in an inverted l - letter shape by its horizontal bending as illustrated in fig4 so that the strength of the upper part of the door ( 5 ) is thereby increased . further , the back plate ( 9a ) and the surface plate ( 6a ) are connected through an oblong hole , so that it is made possible to prevent a deformation like that of bimetal which is caused by temperature differences among various component parts at the time of a fire . moreover , an upper part reinforcing member ( 19 ) is fixed in the upper part of the main unit ( 14 ) of the door as shown in fig4 and this upper part reinforcing member ( 19 ), being thus positioned above the doorway ( 1 ), is so constructed as to place restraint on the rise of temperature in the upper area of the door ( 5 ) and also to support the self - weight of the door ( 5 ). in this regard , heat insulating material ( 17a ), which restrains thermal conduction in the upper area of the door ( 5 ), is inserted in the upper part reinforcing member ( 19 ). additionally , a lower part reinforcing member ( 20 ) is provided in the lower part of the main unit ( 14 ) of the door as shown in fig5 and heat insulating material ( 17b ) is inserted in the inside area of this lower part reinforcing member ( 20 ). on one hand , the mounting metal fittings ( 15 ) are formed in a section in an approximately z - letter shape as shown in fig2 in an effort to reduce their area of metal contact , and one end part is mounted with a screw applied with a tightening tool on the surface of the surface plate ( 6a ) while the other end part is fixed on the inside surface of a heat insulating panel ( 16 ), and the route for the conduction of heat from the heat insulating panel ( 16 ) to the main unit ( 14 ) of the door is thus extended to form a construction which places restraint on a rise of temperature on the surface of the elevator shaft ( 8 ). also , a heat insulating sheet ( 18a ), which cuts off the heat otherwise conducted from the mounting metal fittings ( 15 ) to the surface plate ( 6a ) is arranged in its interposition between one end part of the mounting metal fittings ( 15 ) and the surface plate ( 6a ). on the other hand , the heat insulating panel ( 16 ) is finished with a decorated plate ( 21 ), which has excellent shaped section , covering the front surface of the above - mentioned panel on the side of the elevator landing zone , as shown in fig2 and heat insulating material ( 17c ) is inserted between the surface plate ( 6a ) and the decorated plate ( 21 ). the decorated plate mentioned above and the heat insulating panel ( 16 ) are connected through an oblong hole and thereby form a construction capable of preventing a deformation like that of bimetal caused by differences in temperature among various component parts at the time of a fire . moreover , the heat insulating material ( 17c ) mentioned above is composed of expensive materials superior in heat resistance to the heat insulating material ( 17 ) mentioned above and is accordingly made to achieve a heat insulating effect more effectively in the heat insulating panel ( 16 ), which is exposed to a high temperature at the time of a fire . moreover , this heat insulating material ( 17c ) is formed into cotton - like heat insulating material scarcely liable to the growth of a gap in the parts of the material positioned on both sides while the material positioned in the central part thereof is formed into a board - shaped heat insulating material convenient for the assembly work , the respective parts of the material being inserted to form the arrangement mentioned above . moreover , the heat insulating panel ( 16 ) is formed in such a manner that both sides thereof form a gap for restraining a rise in the temperature on the surface of the elevator shaft ( 8 ). then , upper part mounting metal fittings ( 22 ) in the shape of an inverted l letter , which are positioned above the doorway ( 1 ), are fixed rigidly in the upper part of the heat insulating panel ( 16 ), as shown in fig4 and this upper part mounting metal fittings ( 22 ) are fixed rigidly in the upper part of the surface plate ( 6a ) by way of the heat insulating sheet ( 18b ). moreover , the lower part of the heat insulating panel ( 16 ) is positioned below the lower part of the main unit ( 14 ) of the door as shown in fig5 and a lower part mounting plate ( 23 ) is suspended between the lower part of the heat insulating panel ( 16 ) and the lower part reinforcing material ( 20 ), and a heat insulating sheet ( 18c ) is arranged in interposition between this lower part mounting plate ( 23 ) and the lower part reinforcing member ( 20 ). as shown in fig5 the lower part mounting plate ( 23 ) is provided with expansive material ( 24 ) which , being set on the bottom part positioned above the lower end of its decorated plate ( 21 ), expands by the effect of heat at the time of a fire and thereby closes up the clearance ( c ) between the sill ( 4 ) and the clearance ( c ), and has a heat rectifying plate ( 25 ) mounted with a screw on the jogged part on its upright area , and a door shoe ( 13 ), which is to be inserted in a freely movable state into a groove ( 4a ), is installed on the lower part of this heat rectifying plate ( 25 ). therefore , the door shoe ( 13 ) will be position in the proximity of the center of gravity for the door ( 5 ). moreover , the heat rectifying plate ( 25 ) mentioned above and the groove ( 4a ) are constructed so as to form a halving joint structure . the reference number ( 26 ) indicates a high temperature zone cover mounted on the back plate ( 9a ), and , as shown in fig2 a heat insulating sheet ( 18d ), which is positioned to face the vertical reinforcing member ( 7a ) and cuts off the heat conducted via the vertical reinforcing member ( 7a ) with high thermal conductivity , is placed in interposition between this high temperature zone cover ( 26 ) and the back plate ( 9a ). this example of preferred embodiment , moreover , shows a construction in which the heat insulating sheet ( 18d ) is arranged in a position where it faces the vertical reinforcing member ( 7a ), but the part which is to face the sheet insulating sheet ( 18d ) will not be limited to this vertical reinforcing member ( 7a ) so long as such a part is one having high thermal conductivity . the reference number ( 25a ) indicates a heat insulating plate which has a section in an approximately l - letter shape and is mounted on one side of the decorated plate ( 21 ) on the shutter box side , and the reference number ( 27 ) indicates a plate having a section in an approximately l - letter shape and mounted on a vertical frame ( 2a ) of the three - side frames ( 2 ), and this plate ( 27 ) and the heat insulating plate ( 25a ) together form a halving joint structure , being lapped with each other at the time of a closure of the door ( 5 ), so that it prevents smoke accompanied with heat from flowing into the elevator shaft ( 8 ) through the clearance ( c ) of the door ( 5 ). the reference number ( 28 ) indicates a door stopping plate mounted on each of the door stopper parts facing each other in close proximity in the main units ( 14 ) of the door ( 14 ) and ( 14 ), and this door stopping plate ( 28 ) is provided with heat insulating material ( 17d ) inserted in the inside area thereof and producing a heat insulating effect , as shown in fig2 and fig3 and these door stopping plates ( 28 ) approach each other to be positioned side by side in proximity , with a clearance left between them , being lapped with each other and thereby forming a halving joint structure , when the door ( 5 ) is closed , and these door stopping plates ( 28 ) are constructed to place restraint on the amount of smoke accompanied with heat which will flow into the elevator shaft ( 8 ) from the door stoppers . additionally , the door stopping plates ( 28 ) are arranged , by virtue of its construction , in such a manner that the stroke of the left door ( 5 ) and that of the right door ( 5 ) are made equal with their face measure center being set to deviate from the center of the actual doorway ( 1 ). the reference number ( 29 ) indicates is a metal clamper mounted on the surface on the elevator landing zone side of the door stopping plate ( 28 ) which is positioned on the left side in the illustration given in fig3 and a door stopping rubber ( 30 ), which has an approximately semicircular section and set along the overall length in the longitudinal direction of the door ( 5 ), is held between this metal clamper ( 29 ) and the decorated plate ( 21 ), these forming a construction in which this door istopping rubber ( 30 ) is brought into its direct contact with the decorated plate ( 21 ) on the right side in the illustration given in fig3 when the door ( 5 ) is closed . the reference number ( 24a ) indicates expansive material interposed between the door stopping plate ( 28 ) and the decorated plate ( 21 ), and 20 this expansive material ( 24a ) will expand with heat at the time of a fire and closes the clearance between the decorated plate ( 21 ) on the right side of the illustration given in fig3 and the door stopping plate ( 28 ) on the left side of the same illustration , thereby preventing smoke accompanied with heat from flowing into the elevator shaft ( 8 ) through the clearance mentioned above . the reference number ( 31 ) indicates a blind plate mounted on the back plate ( 9a ), and this blind plate ( 31 ) is formed with a section in an approximately square pipe shape and positioned on the side of the door stopping plate ( 28 ) facing the elevator shaft ( 8 ), as illustrated in fig3 and is so constructed that it guides air , which will achieve a cooling effect , in the vertical direction . the reference number ( 10 ) indicates a hanger plate mounted in an upright position on the upper part of the back o plate ( 9a ), which forms a part of the main unit ( 14 ) of the door , and this hanger plate ( 10 ) has rollers ( 11 ) capable of performing rotating motion and forming a construction in which they are engaged and guided by a rail ( 12 ) which suspends the door in the vicinity of its center of gravity . the reference number ( 32 ) indicates a hanger case which has this rail ( 12 ) and the landing door apparatus and so forth built in it , and this hanger case ( 32 ) has holes made in the upper part on the side of the elevator shaft ( 8 ) for discharging a heat flow which has flown into the inside area of the hanger case , and heat insulting material ( 17e ) is fitted out on the inner surface of a hanger case cover ( 33 ) as illustrated in fig4 . also , a heat rectifying plate ( 25b ) in an inverted l - letter shape is installed , aloof from the hanger case ( 32 ), on the upper part of the hanger case ( 32 ) on the side of the wall of the elevator shaft ( 8 ), and holes for discharging a heat flow which has flown into the inside area of the hanger case ( 32 ) are made through the upper part of this heat rectifying plate ( 25b ). the reference number ( 34 ) indicates an upper halving joint plate in an inverted l - letter shape , which is mounted on the upper part of the heat insulating panel ( 16 ) and positioned above the upper frame ( 2b ) of the three - side frames ( 2 ), and this upper part halving joint plate ( 34 ) is made in a width size larger than that of the door ( 5 ). the reference number ( 27a ) indicates a plate formed in an l - letter shape and installed in an upright position on the upper frame ( 2b ), and this plate ( 27 ) and the upper part halving joint plate ( 34 ) are lapped with each other and form a halving joint structure when the door ( 5 ) is closed , as shown in fig4 so that the halving joint structure thus formed prevents smoke accompanied with heat from flowing into the elevator shaft ( 8 ) through the clearance ( c ) between the upper frame ( 2b ) and the door ( 5 ). then , expansive material ( 24b ) is fitted out on the upper part of the inside area of the upper part halving joint plate ( 34 ) mentioned above , so that the expansive material ( 24b ) expands with the heat generated at the time of a fire , thereby forming a closure in the clearance between the upper part halving joint plate ( 34 ) and the plate ( 27a ). moreover , a heat rectifying plate ( 25c ) in an l - letter shape is mounted in an upright position on the upper part of the upper part halving joint plate ( 34 ), and this heat rectifying plate ( 25c ) and the heat rectifying plate ( 25b ) together form a halving joint structure , being lapped with each other at the time of a closure of the door ( 5 ), as shown in fig4 so that the structure thus formed inhibits smoke accompanied with heat from flowing into the insidc area of the hanger case ( 32 ). with such construction as described above , since the heat insulting panel 16 having a heavy thickness is secured to the surface of the door main unit 14 in a multi - layered structure , the door 5 has a highly increased thermal insulating effect . this leads to the result that reduction of a strength of the door 5 is substantially suppressed with remarkably improved life safety of each person staying in an elevator cage while preventing damage or breakage of instruments or equipments arranged in the elevator shaft 8 . since the upper part reinforcement member 19 including the heat insulating material 17a located above the doorway 1 is fixedly secured to the door main unit 14 , undesirable elevation of a temperature in the region above the door 5 and the elevator shaft 8 can substantially be suppressed in the event of a fire . in addition , since the door main unit 14 and the heat insulating panel 16 are fixed to each other via the substantially z - shaped small mounting metal fittings 15 , a heat conduction length by way of which heat is conducted from the heat insulating panel 16 to the door main unit 14 via the fixing region can be elongated , resulting in undesirable elevation of a temperature in the elevator shaft 8 being suppressed remarkably . it should be added that the mounting metal fittings 15 are arranged in the interior of the heat insulating panel 16 . additionally , since the surface plate 6a , the back plate 9a , the heat insulating panel 16 and the decorative plate 21 are coupled to each other via elongated holes ( not shown ), bimetal - shaped deformation attributable to temperature difference appearing on the respective members in the event of a fire can be prevented reliably . further , since each door 5 is composed of the door main unit 14 and the heat insulating panel 16 each having a heavy thickness , and moreover , the position where the door 5 is suspended from the rail 12 is located in alignment with the gravity center of each door 5 , a moment exerted on the door shoe 13 is reduced substantially . this assures a smooth opening / closing operation of the doors 5 . furthermore , since a certain gap is formed between the door main unit 14 and the decorative plate 21 along the outer side wall of the door 5 as shown in fig2 heat conduction can be minimized , and moreover , undesirable elevation of a temperature in the elevator shaft 8 can be suppressed substantially . finally , since the very expensive thermal insulating material 16c having excellent heat resistance is filled only in the heat insulating panel 16 which is unavoidably exposed to an elevated temperature in the event of a fire , this makes it possible to minimize a production cost of the apparatus . as described above , according to the present invention , since a heat insulating panel having a heavy thickness is arranged on the door main unit in a multi - layered structure , each door has a very high thermal insulating effect . this assures that reduction of a strength in the event of a fire can substantially be suppressed , damage or breakage of instruments , equipments or the like arranged in the elevator shaft can reliably be prevented and life safety for each person staying in an elevator cage can be improved remarkably . in addition , since an upper part reinforcement member including a thermal insulating material located above the doorway is fixedly secured to the upper surface of a door main unit , this makes it possible to substantially suppress undesirable elevation of a temperature in the region above the doors and the elevator shaft in the event of a fire . additionally , since the door main unit and the heat insulating panel are connected to each other via mounting metal fittings each having a z - shaped sectional contour located at the connecting portions , the heat transmission passagey by way of which heat is transmitted from the heat insulating panel to the door main unit viat the connecting portions can be elongated so as to substantially suppress undesirable elevation of a temperature in the elevator shaft in the event of a fire . further , since the surface plate , the back plate , the heat insulating panel and the decorative plate are connected to each other via elongated holes , this makes it possible to reliably suppress their bimetal - shaped deformation due to temperature difference appearing across the respective members in the event of a fire . further , since each door is essentially composed of a door main unit and a heat insulating panel while having a heavy thickness , a magnitude of moment exerted on the door shoe can remarkably be reduced , resulting in smooth opening / closing movement of the doors being assured . furthermore , since a certain gap is formed between the door main unit and the decorative plate on their outer end side , undesirable elevation of a temperature in the elevator shaft in the event of a fire can substantially suppressed owing to effective suppression of heat transmission through them . finally , since only the heat insulating panel exposed to an elevated temperature in the event of a fire is filled with a very expensive thermal insulating material having excellent heat resistance , this makes it possible to minimize a production cost of the apparatus of the present invention .	1

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.