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the following description is the few of the conditions which can be treated by a composition of the present invention . the composition of the present invention may be in the form of a carrier including a lotion or cream that can be applied topically to any part of the body and is functional to provide benefits . the active component of the present invention is l - arginine and the corresponding salts , and this active component is functional and helpful to improve or eliminate various conditions such as body weight , sexual dysfunction , stomach blotting , heartburn , pain , toe nail fungus and controlling cholesterol . the above - mentioned active component can be used even in a small quantity in a lotion or cream form and may be applied topically for these treatments ( to any part of the body ). the present invention is based on the active component which may be in the form of a lotion or cream including l - arginine in a small amount can reduce body weight when applied externally for a month or more on any part the body . a person applied the lotion including l - arginine in a small amount once a day for one month on his skin . the user lost 9 pounds in weight and hip volume of the user was reduced by two inches . in another aspect , the present invention provides a lotion or cream , when applied topically to any part of the body , helps to improve sexual dysfunction . a 55 - year - old man used this lotion externally and applied once daily for one month , and his condition is significantly improved . corresponding improvements may be achieved by females . in another aspect , the present invention when applied has a lotion or cream and when applied topically to any part of the body , helps to overcome stomach - blotting problem . a woman applied lotion on the skin experiencing stomach discomfort , she felt better after applying lotion . the stomach discomfort was significantly reduced or eliminated . in another aspect , the present invention can be used as a lotion or cream including l - arginine in a small amount , when applied topically to any part of the body , helps to reduce or eliminate heartburn . a person having heart burn problem used this lotion for two weeks , and as a result , he felt better and his condition is improved . in conclusion , his digestive system was improved . in another aspect , the present invention provides a lotion or cream including l - arginine in a small amount , when applied topically to any part of the body , helps to reduce or eliminate pain associated with the shoulder , chest , arm , foot , knee and leg associated with overwork . a woman experienced pain in her foot after running on treadmill , and the pain continued for sometime . she applied this lotion including l - arginine in a small amount on her foot , and she felt that the pain has been reduced or overcome . a person having arm pain applied lotion including l - arginine in a small amount . as a result , he felt better . other people having knee problem also used this lotion including l - arginine in a small amount and their discomfort was reduced or eliminated . in another aspect , the present invention provides a lotion or cream including l - arginine in a small amount , when applied topically to any part of the body , helps to control cholesterol . a person having slightly elevated cholesterol , used this lotion including l - arginine in a small amount for two months , his condition is improved and his blood pressure is improved also . in another aspect , the present invention provides a lotion or cream including l - arginine in a small amount , when applied topically to toe nails once a day , reduced or eliminated nail fungus . a man having toe nail fungus applied this lotion or cream including l - arginine in a small amount once a day , his nails and foot started clarifying , the color of the nails change back to normal and the in grown nail area of the nail was reduced or eliminated . it helped to minimize in - grown toenail pain . a formulation of preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown as an example but is not limited to these ingredients , and other modifications are within the scope of the present invention . in an example , l - arginine or its salts may be used in a concentration from substantially 0 . 01 to 25 % in as an agent , borax may be used in a concentration substantially from 0 . 001 to 2 . 0 %, beeswax may be used in a concentration substantially from 0 . 5 to 15 %, mineral oil may be used in a concentration substantially from 1 . 0 to 15 %, cetyl alcohol may be used in a concentration substantially from 0 . 01 to 5 %, octyl isononanoate may be used in a concentration substantially from 0 . 1 to 7 . 0 %, decyl oleate may be used in a concentration substantially from 0 . 1 to 8 . 0 %, cetyl peg / ppg1o / 1 dimethicone may be used in a concentration from 0 . 1 to 8 . 25 %, glyceryl stearate ( and ) peg - 100 stearate may be used in a concentration substantially from 0 . 01 to 10 . 5 %, cyclomethicone may be used in a concentration substantially from 0 . 01 to 3 . 5 %, olive oil may be used in a concentration substantially from 0 . 01 to 5 . 5 %, almond oil may be used in a concentration substantially from 0 . 01 to 3 . 5 %, polyglycery1 - 4 isostearate may be used in a concentration from 0 . 01 to 7 . 25 %, salt may be used in a concentration substantially from 0 . 01 to 1 . 0 %, urea may be used in a concentration substantially from 0 . 01 to 5 . 0 %, stearic acid may be used in a concentration substantially from 0 . 01 to 3 . 0 %, triethanolamine may be used in a concentration substantially from 0 . 001 to 1 . 5 %, vitamin e acetate may be used in a concentration substantially from 0 . 01 to 1 . 0 %, zinc which may be in its salt form , may be used in a concentration substantially from 0 . 01 to 1 . 0 gb , propylene glycol may be used in a concentration substantially from 0 . 1 to 8 . 25 % and remaining water may be used to make it 100 %. in another aspect in which free base arginine and its salts , from 0 . 001 to 25 %, being suspended / dissolved in a carrier medium , or delivered in a capsule or tablet form or formulated in a base including gelling agents , thickeners , cream / lotion bases having a concentration substantially from 0 . 01 to 10 . 00 %, propylene glycol having a concentration substantially from 0 . 01 to 10 . 00 % and other agents to make it in a gel / cream / lotion form to control nail fungus . while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms , specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail . it should be understood , however , that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed .	0
the various aspects and embodiments of the invention are directed to the utility of novel cationic lipids useful in lipid nanoparticles to deliver oligonucleotides , in particular , sirna and mirna , to any target gene . ( see us patent applications : us 2006 / 0083780 , us 2006 / 0240554 , us 2008 / 0020058 , us 2009 / 0263407 and us 2009 / 0285881 and pct patent applications : wo 2009 / 086558 , wo2009 / 127060 , wo2009 / 132131 , wo2010 / 042877 , wo2010 / 054384 , wo2010 / 054401 , wo2010 / 054405 , wo2010 / 054406 and wo2010 / 105209 ). see also semple s . c . et al ., rational design of cationic lipids for sirna delivery , nature biotechnology , published online 17 jan . 2010 ; doi : 10 . 1038 / nbt . 1602 . the cationic lipids of the instant invention are useful components in a lipid nanoparticle for the delivery of oligonucleotides , specifically sirna and mirna . in a first embodiment of this invention , the cationic lipids are illustrated by the formula a : r 1 is selected from h , ( c 1 - c 6 ) alkyl , heterocyclyl , polyether and polyamine , wherein said alkyl , heterocyclyl , polyether and polyamine are optionally substituted with one to three substituents selected from r ′; n and m are independently selected from 0 , 1 , 2 and 3 ; x is independently selected from a bond , o , nr ″, ( c ═ o ) o , o ( c ═ o ), ( c ═ o ) nr ″, nr ″( c ═ o ), o ( c ═ o ) o , nr ″( c ═ o ) nr ″, o ( c ═ o ) nr ″, and nr ″( c ═ o ) o ; l 1 is selected from c 4 - c 24 alkyl and c 4 - c 24 alkenyl , said alkyl and alkenyl are optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from r ′; and l 2 is selected from c 3 - c 9 alkyl and c 3 - c 9 alkenyl , said alkyl and alkenyl are optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from r ′; r ′ is independently selected from halogen , r ″, or ″, sr ″, cn , co 2 r ″ and con ( r ″) 2 ; r ″ is independently selected from h and ( c 1 - c 6 ) alkyl ; in a second embodiment , the invention features a compound having formula a , wherein : l 1 is selected from c 12 - c 24 alkyl and c 12 - c 24 alkenyl ; and l 2 is selected from c 3 - c 9 alkyl and c 3 - c 9 alkenyl ; trans - 1 - methyl - 3 -[(( 9z , 12z )- octadeca - 9 , 12 - dienyl ) oxy ]- 4 - octyloxy - pyrrolidine ( compound 4 ); trans - 1 - methyl - 3 -[( 9z )- octadec - 9 - en - 1 - yloxy ]- 4 -( octyloxy ) pyrrolidine ( compound 5 ); tram - 1 - methyl - 3 -[( 12z )- octadec - 12 - en - 1 - yloxy ]- 4 -( octyloxy ) pyrrolidine ( compound 6 ); trans - 3 -[( 3 , 7 - dimethyloctyl ) oxy ]- 1 - methyl - 4 -[( 9z , 12z )- octadeca - 9 , 12 - dien - 1 - yloxy ] pyrrolidine ( compound 7 ); and cis - 1 - methyl - 3 -[( 9z , 12z - octadeca - 9 , 12 - dien - 1 - yloxy ]- 4 -( octyloxy ) pyrrolidine ( compound 11 ) in another embodiment , the cationic lipids disclosed are useful in the preparation of lipid nanoparticles . in another embodiment , the cationic lipids disclosed are useful components in a lipid nanoparticle for the delivery of oligonucleotides . in another embodiment , the cationic lipids disclosed are useful components in a lipid nanoparticle for the delivery of sirna and mirna . in another embodiment , the cationic lipids disclosed are useful components in a lipid nanoparticle for the delivery of sirna . the cationic lipids of the present invention may have asymmetric centers , chiral axes , and chiral planes ( as described in : e . l . eliel and s . h . wilen , stereochemistry of carbon compounds , john wiley & amp ; sons , new york , 1994 , pages 1119 - 1190 ), and occur as racemates , racemic mixtures , and as individual diastereomers , with all possible isomers and mixtures thereof , including optical isomers , being included in the present invention . in addition , the cationic lipids disclosed herein may exist as tautomers and both tautomeric forms are intended , to be encompassed by the scope of the invention , even though only one tautomeric structure is depicted . it is understood that substituents and substitution patterns on the cationic lipids of the instant invention can be selected by one of ordinary skill in the art to provide cationic lipids that are chemically stable and that can be readily synthesized by techniques known in the art , as well as those methods set forth below , from readily available starting materials . if a substituent is itself substituted with more than one group , it is understood that these multiple groups may be on the same carbon or on different carbons , so long as a stable structure results . it is understood that one or more si atoms can be incorporated into the cationic lipids of the instant invention by one of ordinary skill in the art to provide cationic lipids that are chemically stable and that can be readily synthesized by techniques known in the art from readily available starting materials . in the compounds of formula a , the atoms may exhibit their natural isotopic abundances , or one or more of the atoms may be artificially enriched in a particular isotope having the same atomic number , but an atomic mass or mass number different from the atomic mass or mass number predominantly found in nature . the present invention is meant to include all suitable isotopic variations of the compounds of formula a . for example , different isotopic forms of hydrogen ( h ) include protium ( 1 h ) and deuterium ( 2 h ). protium is the predominant hydrogen isotope found in nature . enriching for deuterium may afford certain therapeutic advantages , such as increasing in vivo half - life or reducing dosage requirements , or may provide a compound useful as a standard for characterization of biological samples . isotopically - enriched compounds within formula a can be prepared without undue experimentation by conventional techniques well known to those skilled in the art or by processes analogous to those described in the scheme and examples herein using appropriate isotopically - enriched reagents and / or intermediates . as used herein , “ alkyl ” means a straight chain , cyclic or branched saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon having the specified number of carbon atoms . as used herein , “ alkenyl ” means a straight chain , cyclic or branched unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon having the specified number of carbon atoms including but not limited to diene , triene and tetraene unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons . as used herein , “ heterocyclyl ” or “ heterocycle ” means a 4 - to 10 - membered aromatic or nonaromatic heterocycle containing from 1 to 4 heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of o , n and s , and includes bicyclic groups . “ heterocyclyl ” therefore includes , the following : benzoimidazolyl , benzofuranyl , benzofurazanyl , benzopyrazolyl , benzotriazolyl , benzothiophenyl , benzoxazolyl , carbazolyl , carbolinyl , cinnolinyl , furanyl , imidazolyl , indolinyl , indolyl , indolazinyl , indazolyl , isobenzofuranyl , isoindolyl , isoquinolyl , isothiazolyl , isoxazolyl , naphthpyridinyl , oxadiazolyl , oxazolyl , oxazoline , isoxazoline , oxetanyl , pyranyl , pyrazinyl , pyrazolyl , pyridazinyl , pyridopyridinyl , pyridazinyl , pyridyl , pyrimidyl , pyrrolyl , quinazolinyl , quinolyl , quinoxalinyl , tetrahydropyranyl , tetrazolyl , tetrazolopyridyl , thiadiazolyl , thiazolyl , thienyl , triazolyl , azetidinyl , 1 , 4 - dioxanyl , hexahydroazepinyl , piperazinyl , piperidinyl , pyrrolidinyl , morpholinyl , thiomorpholinyl , dihydrobenzoimidazolyl , dihydrobenzofuranyl , dihydrobenzothiophenyl , dihydrobenzoxazolyl , dihydrofuranyl , dihydroimidazolyl , dihydroindolyl , dihydroisooxazolyl , dihydroisothiazolyl , dihydrooxadiazolyl , dihydrooxazolyl , dihydropyrazinyl , dihydropyrazolyl , dihydropyridinyl , dihydropyrimidinyl , dihydropyrrolyl , dihydroquinolinyl , dihydrotetrazolyl , dihydrothiadiazolyl , dihydrothiazolyl , dihydrothienyl , dihydrotriazolyl , dihydroazetidinyl , methylenedioxybenzoyl , tetrahydrofuranyl , and tetrahydrothienyl , and n - oxides thereof all of which are optionally substituted with one to three substituents selected from r ″. as used herein , “ polyether ” means compounds having two or more ether groups . examples include poly ( ethylene ) glycols . as used herein , “ polyamine ” means compounds having two or more amino groups . examples include putrescine , cadaverine , spermidine , and spermine . in an embodiment of formula a , r 1 is selected from h and ( c 1 - c 6 ) alkyl , wherein said alkyl is optionally substituted with one to three substituents selected from r ′. in an embodiment of formula a , r 1 is selected from h , methyl , ethyl and propyl , wherein said methyl , ethyl and propyl are optionally substituted with one to three substituents selected from r ′. in an embodiment of formula a , r 1 is selected from h , methyl , ethyl and propyl . in an embodiment of formula a , r 1 is methyl . in an embodiment of formula a , r ′ is selected from h , methyl , ethyl and propyl , wherein said methyl , ethyl and propyl are optionally substituted with one or more halogen and oh . in an embodiment of formula a , n is 0 , 1 , 2 or 3 . in an embodiment of formula a , n is 1 or 2 . in an embodiment of formula a , m is 0 , 1 , 2 or 3 . in an embodiment of formula a , m is 1 or 2 . in an embodiment of formula a , x is a bond , o , nr ″, ( c ═ o ) o , nr ″( c ═ o ), o ( c ═ o ) o , nr ″( c ═ o ) nr ″, o ( c ═ o ) nr ″, or nr ″( c ═ o ) o . in an embodiment of formula a , x is ( c ═ o ) o or 0 . in an embodiment of formula a , l 1 is selected from c 4 - c 24 alkyl and c 4 - c 24 alkenyl , which are optionally substituted with halogen and oh . in an embodiment of formula a , l 1 is selected from c 4 - c 24 alkyl and c 4 - c 24 alkenyl . in an embodiment of formula a , l 1 is selected from c 12 - c 24 alkyl and c 12 - c 24 alkenyl , which are optionally substituted with halogen and oh . in an embodiment of formula a , l 1 is selected from c 12 - c 24 alkyl and c 12 - c 24 alkenyl . in an embodiment of formula a , l 1 is selected from c 4 - c 24 alkenyl . in an embodiment of formula a , l 1 is selected from c 12 - c 24 alkenyl . in an embodiment of formula a , l 1 is c 18 alkenyl . in an embodiment of formula a , l 2 is selected from c 3 - c 9 alkyl and c 3 - c 9 alkenyl , which are optionally substituted with halogen and oh . in an embodiment of formula a , l 2 is selected from c 5 - c 9 alkyl and c 5 - c 9 alkenyl , which are optionally substituted with halogen and oh . in an embodiment of formula a , l 2 is selected from c 7 - c 9 alkyl and c 7 - c 9 alkenyl , which are optionally substituted with halogen and oh . in an embodiment of formula a , l 2 is selected from c 3 - c 9 alkyl and c 3 - c 9 alkenyl . in an embodiment of formula a , l 2 is selected from c 5 - c 9 alkyl and c 5 - c 9 alkenyl . in an embodiment of formula a , l 2 is selected from c 7 - c 9 alkyl and c 7 - c 9 alkenyl . in an embodiment of formula a , l 2 is c 3 - c 9 alkyl . in an embodiment of formula a , l 2 is c 5 - c 9 alkyl . in an embodiment of formula a , l 2 is c 7 - c 9 alkyl . in an embodiment of formula a , l 2 is c 8 alkyl . in an embodiment of formula a , “ heterocyclyl ” is pyrolidine , piperidine , morpholine , imidazole or piperazine . in an embodiment of formula a , “ polyamine ” is putrescine , cadaverine , spermidine or spermine . in an embodiment , “ alkyl ” is a straight chain saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon having the specified number of carbon atoms . in an embodiment , “ alkenyl ” is a straight chain unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon having the specified number of carbon atoms . included in the instant invention is the free form of cationic lipids of formula a , as well as the pharmaceutically acceptable salts and stereoisomers thereof . some of the isolated specific cationic lipids exemplified herein are the protonated salts of amine cationic lipids . the term “ free form ” refers to the amine cationic lipids in non - salt form . the encompassed pharmaceutically acceptable salts not only include the isolated salts exemplified for the specific cationic lipids described herein , but also all the typical pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the free form of cationic lipids of formula a . the free form of the specific salt cationic lipids described may be isolated using techniques known in the art . for example , the free form may be regenerated by treating the salt with a suitable dilute aqueous base solution such as dilute aqueous naoh , potassium carbonate , ammonia and sodium bicarbonate . the free forms may differ from their respective salt forms somewhat in certain physical properties , such as solubility in polar solvents , but the acid and base salts are otherwise pharmaceutically equivalent to their respective free forms for purposes of the invention . the pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the instant cationic lipids can be synthesized from the cationic lipids of this invention which contain a basic or acidic moiety by conventional chemical methods . generally , the salts of the basic cationic lipids are prepared either by ion exchange chromatography or by reacting the free base with stoichiometric amounts or with an excess of the desired salt - forming inorganic or organic acid in a suitable solvent or various combinations of solvents . similarly , the salts of the acidic compounds are formed by reactions with the appropriate inorganic or organic base . thus , pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the cationic lipids of this invention include the conventional non - toxic salts of the cationic lipids of this invention as formed by reacting a basic instant cationic lipids with an inorganic or organic acid . for example , conventional non - toxic salts include those derived from inorganic acids such as hydrochloric , hydrobromic , sulfuric , sulfamic , phosphoric , nitric and the like , as well as salts prepared from organic acids such as acetic , propionic , succinic , glycolic , stearic , lactic , malic , tartaric , citric , ascorbic , pamoic , maleic , hydroxymaleic , phenylacetic , glutamic , benzoic , salicylic , sulfanilic , 2 - acetoxy - benzoic , fumaric , toluenesulfonic , methanesulfonic , ethane disulfonic , oxalic , isethionic , trifluoroacetic ( tfa ) and the like . when the cationic lipids of the present invention are acidic , suitable “ pharmaceutically acceptable salts ” refers to salts prepared form pharmaceutically acceptable non - toxic bases including inorganic bases and organic bases . salts derived from inorganic bases include aluminum , ammonium , calcium , copper , ferric , ferrous , lithium , magnesium , manganic salts , manganous , potassium , sodium , zinc and the like . particularly preferred are the ammonium , calcium , magnesium , potassium and sodium salts . salts derived from pharmaceutically acceptable organic non - toxic bases include salts of primary , secondary and tertiary amines , substituted amines including naturally occurring substituted amines , cyclic amines and basic ion exchange resins , such as arginine , betaine caffeine , choline , n , n ′- dibenzylethylenediamine , diethylamin , 2 - diethylaminoethanol , 2 - dimethylaminoethanol , ethanolamine , ethylenediamine , n - ethylmorpholine , n - ethylpiperidine , glucamine , glucosamine , histidine , hydrabamine , isopropylamine , lysine , methylglucamine , morpholine , piperazine , piperidine , polyamine resins , procaine , purines , theobromine , triethylamine , trimethylamine tripropylamine , tromethamine and the like . the preparation of the pharmaceutically acceptable salts described above and other typical pharmaceutically acceptable salts is more fully described by berg et al ., “ pharmaceutical salts ,” j . pharm . sci ., 1977 : 66 : 1 - 19 . it will also be noted that the cationic lipids of the present invention are potentially internal salts or zwitterions , since under physiological conditions a deprotonated acidic moiety in the compound , such as a carboxyl group , may be anionic , and this electronic charge might then be balanced off internally against the cationic charge of a protonated or alkylated basic moiety , such as a quaternary nitrogen atom . examples provided are intended to assist in a further understanding of the invention . particular materials employed , species and conditions are intended to be further illustrative of the invention and not limitative of the reasonable scope thereof . the reagents utilized in synthesizing cationic lipids are either commercially available or are readily prepared by one of ordinary skill in the art . synthesis of cyclic amine containing cationic lipids is a linear process starting from cyclic dihydroxy amines i . stepwise etherification to give it followed by cleavage of the benzyl group to give iii and reductive amination gives products of the type iv . in a 3n 5l rbf with overhead stirrer and reflux condenser , the dl - 1 , 4 - dibromo butane diol ( 100 g , 403 mmol ), benzyl amine ( 39 . 7 ml , 363 mmol ), potassium iodide ( 3 . 35 g , 20 . 17 mmol ) and diisopropylethylamine ( dipea , 70 . 3 ml , 403 mmol ) were suspended in 500 ml dioxane and heated to 110 ° c . overnight . after 17 h cooled at 80 ° c ., added 750 ml 1m aqueous k 2 co 3 and 750 ml ethyl acetate ( etoac ). allowed to cool to 23 ° c . and separated layers . extracted with 500 ml etoac and then dried combined organics over na 2 so 4 . filtered and concentrated to 400 ml solution . added benzene sulfonic acid ( 38 . 3 g , 242 mmol ) in 200 ml etoac slowly over 1 h . after 16 h at 23 ° c ., cooled to 0 ° c . and filtered . washed cake with 200 ml methyl tert - butyl ether ( mtbe ) and then dried under vacuum at 40 ° c . for 6 h to give 73 . 8 g of 1 as an off - white solid ( 52 % yield ). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) & amp ; 7 . 85 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 65 - 7 . 41 ( m , 8h ), 4 . 42 ( m , 211 ), 4 . 28 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 79 ( dd , j = 12 . 7 , 4 . 2 hz , 1h ), 3 . 51 ( dd , j = 12 . 2 , 3 . 4 hz , 1h ), 3 . 38 ( d , j = 12 . 2 hz , 11 ), 3 . 25 ( d , j = 12 . 7 hz , 1h ). in 500 ml 3n rbf , compound 1 ( 18 g , 51 . 2 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 0 . 714 ml , 5 . 12 mmol ) were suspended in 180 ml toluene for addition of the sodium hydride ( 4 . 30 g , 108 mmol ). heated suspension to 50 ° c . for 1 h . cooled back to 23 ° c . and then added the n - octyl mesylate ( 10 . 67 g , 51 . 2 mmol ). heated slurry up to 80 ° c . for 18 h . cooled to 23 ° c . and poured into 200 ml 1m k 2 co 3 . extracted with methyl tert - butyl ether ( mtbe ) and then dried combined layers over na 2 so 4 . filtered , concentrated and purified oil by silica gel chromatography to obtain 7 . 22 g of a slightly yellow oil . in 500 ml 3n rbf , 4 . 04 g of the aforementioned oil ( 13 . 23 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 0 . 184 ml , 1 . 323 mmol ) was dissolved in 80 ml toluene for addition of the sodium hydride ( 0 . 582 g , 14 . 55 mmol ). heated suspension to 50 ° c . for 1 h . cooled back to 23 ° c . and then added the linoleoyl mesylate ( 5 . 01 g , 14 . 55 mmol ). heated slurry up to 80 ° c . for 21 h or until complete disappearance of the starting material was observed by hplc . cooled to 23 ° c ., diluted with 100 ml hexane and washed with 100 ml 1m k 2 co 3 . extracted aqueous layer with 0 . 100 ml hexane and then washed combined organic layers with 100 ml brine and dried over mgso 4 . filtered and concentrated . purified by silica gel chromatography to obtain 5 . 02 g of 2 as a clear oil ( 33 % yield over 2 steps ). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 28 ( m , 5h ), 5 . 40 ( m , 48 ), 3 . 85 ( ψt , j 4 . 8 hz , 2h ), 3 . 61 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 42 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 88 ( dd , j = 9 . 7 , 6 . 1 hz , 2h ), 2 . 79 ( ψt , j = 6 . 4 hz , 2h ), 2 . 51 ( dd , j = 10 . 1 , 4 . 2 hz , 2 ), 2 . 06 ( q . j = 6 . 7 hz , 211 ), 1 . 56 ( q , 411 ), 1 . 41 - 1 . 29 ( m , 26h ), 0 . 9 ( m , 68 ). in a 500 ml 3n rbf , compound 2 ( 6 . 32 g , 11 . 41 mmol ) was dissolved in 60 ml dichloromethane ( dcm ) at 0 ° c . for addition of the dipea ( 5 . 96 ml , 34 . 2 mmol ) and chloroethyl chloroformate ( 3 . 73 ml , 34 . 2 mmol ). aged at for 3 h at 23 ° c . or until complete disappearance of 2 is observed by hplc . concentrated down and then added 60 ml methanol ( meoh ). continued aging at 23 ° c . after an additional 18 h , concentrated to a thick oil and then partitioned between 200 ml hexane and 200 ml 1m k 3 co 3 . extracted with hexane and then dried over na 2 so 4 . filtered and concentrated before purification by silica gel chromatography to obtain 2 . 70 g of 3 as a yellow oil ( 51 % yield ). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 5 . 38 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 78 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 45 ( m , 411 ), 3 . 11 ( dd , j = 12 . 4 , 5 . 2 hz , 2h ), 2 . 84 ( dd , j = 12 . 5 , 2 . 6 hz , 2h ), 2 . 79 ( pt , j = 6 . 6 hz , 2h ), 2 . 07 ( q , j = 6 . 7 hz , 4h ), 1 . 55 ( q , j = 6 . 6 hz , 411 ), 1 . 41 - 1 . 16 ( m , 2611 ), 0 . 90 ( m , 6h ). in a 500 ml rbf , compound 3 ( 4 . 24 g , 9 . 14 mmol ) was dissolved in 80 ml tetrahydrofurn ( thf ) for addition of 20 ml glacial acetic acid . to this was added the paraformaldehyde ( 2 . 75 g , 91 mmol ) followed by the pyridine - borane complex ( 1 . 829 ml , 18 . 28 mmol ). aged at 23 ° c . for 20 h or until complete disappearance of 3 was observed by hplc . added 100 ml hexane and 100 ml 1m k 2 co 3 and stirred until bubbling had subsided . separated layers , extracted with 100 ml hexane and washed combined organics with 100 ml brine . dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered and concentrated before purification by silica gel chromatography to obtain 1 . 75 g of 4 as a clear oil ( 41 % yield ). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 5 . 37 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 85 ( ψt , j = 4 . 4 hz , 2h ), 3 . 44 ( m , 411 ), 2 . 93 ( dd , j = 10 . 2 , 6 . 2 hz , 2h ), 2 . 79 ( ψt , j = 6 . 5 hz , 2h ), 2 . 6 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 39 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 06 ( q , j = 7 . 6 hz , 4h ), 1 . 58 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 41 - 1 . 31 ( m , 268 ), 0 . 90 ( m , 6h ). compounds 5 - 7 were prepared in a manner analogous to that described for compound 4 . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 5 . 37 ( m , 2k ), 3 . 85 ( ψt , j = 4 . 4 hz , 2h ), 3 . 48 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 85 ( dd , j = 10 . 2 , 6 . 2 hz , 2h ), 2 . 48 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 34 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 06 ( m , 411 ), 1 . 58 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 41 - 1 . 31 ( m , 30h ), 0 . 90 ( m , 6h ). in a 500 ml rbf , the cbz pyrroline ( 15 g , 73 . 8 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixture of 100 ml thp , 60 ml t - buoh and 40 ml water for addition of the nmo ( 30 . 6 ml , 148 mmol ) solution followed by the osmium tetraoxide ( 0 . 925 ml , 0 . 074 mmol ) solution . heated in a 70 c oil bath . solution slowly went from yellow to brown . after 2 h , cooled to rt and added 50 ml 10 % aqueous nahso3 . concentrated and partitioned between 100 ml brine and 100 ml etoac . separated layers and extracted with 100 ml etoac . dried over mgso4 , filtered and concentrated to 22 . 3 g of thick yellow oil . flash column chromatography from 50 - 100 % etoac in hexane provided compound 9 . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 35 ( m , 511 ), 5 . 22 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 42 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 63 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 42 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 20 ( min , 1h ). in 2500 ml rbf , compound 9 ( 9 . 7 g , 40 . 0 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 0 . 558 ml 4 . 0 mmol ) were suspended in 100 ml toluene for addition of the sodium hydride ( 1 . 76 g , 44 mmol ). heated suspension to 50 ° c . for 1 h . cooled back to 23 ° c . and then added the linoleyl mesylate ( 13 . 8 g , 40 . 0 mmol ). heated slurry up to 80 ° c . for 18 h . cooled to 23 ° c . and poured into 200 ml 1m k 2 co 3 . extracted with methyl tert - butyl ether ( mt ′ be ) and then dried combined layers over na 2 so 4 , filtered , concentrated and purified oil by silica gel chromatography to obtain monoalkylated product as a slightly yellow oil . in 250 ml rbf , 8 g of the aforementioned oil ( 16 . 47 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 0 . 23 ml , 1 . 65 mmol ) was dissolved in 100 ml toluene for addition of the sodium hydride ( 0 . 0 . 725 g , 18 . 12 mmol ). heated suspension to 50 ° c . for 1 h . cooled back to 23 ° c . and then added the n - octyl mesylate ( 3 . 77 g , 18 . 12 mmol ). heated slurry up to 80 ° c . for 21 h or until complete disappearance of the starting material was observed by hplc . cooled to 23 ° c ., diluted with 100 ml hexane and washed with 100 ml 1m k 2 co 3 . extracted aqueous layer with 100 ml hexane and then washed combined organic layers with 100 ml brine and dried over mgso 4 . filtered and concentrated . purified by silica gel chromatography to obtain 8 . 4 g of 10 as a clear oil . product contains some octyl mesylate but was carried into next reaction . in a 100 ml rbf fitted with reflux condenser , compound 10 ( 4 g , 6 . 69 mmol ) was dissolved in 26 ml thf for addition of the lithium aluminum hydride ( 13 . 38 ml , 13 . 38 mmol ). heated to reflux in a 85 c oil bath . after 2 h , hplc shows complete disappearance of the sm . cooled to rt and poured into 200 ml 1m k2co3 and 200 ml mtbe . stirred for 30 min , separated layers and then extracted with 100 ml mtbe . dried combined organics over na2so4 , filtered through celite and concentrated . flash chromatography ( 10 - 30 % ipa in dcm ) provided compound 11 as a clear oil . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 5 . 39 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 93 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 50 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 04 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 79 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 48 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 39 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 08 ( n , 411 ), 1 . 62 ( m , 411 ), 1 . 40 - 1 . 25 ( m , 2611 ), 0 . 91 ( m , 611 ). compound 12 is dlinkc2dma as described in nature biotechnology , 2010 , 28 , 172 - 176 , wo 2010 / 042877 a1 , wo 2010 / 048536 a2 , wo 2010 / 088537 a2 , and wo 2009 / 127060 a1 . compound 13 is mc3 as described in wo 2010 / 054401 , and wo 2010 / 144740 a1 . the following lipid nanoparticle compositions ( lnps ) of the instant invention are useful for the delivery of oligonucleotides , specifically sirna and mirna : the lipid nano - particles ( lnp ) are prepared by an impinging jet process . the particles are formed by mixing lipids dissolved in alcohol with sirna dissolved in a citrate buffer . the mixing ratio of lipids to sirna are targeted at 45 - 55 % lipid and 65 - 45 % sirna . the lipid solution contains a novel cationic lipid of the instant invention , a helper lipid ( cholesterol ), peg ( e . g . peg - c - dma , peg - dmg ) lipid , and dspc at a concentration of 5 - 15 mg / ml with a target of 9 - 12 mg / ml in an alcohol ( for example ethanol ). the ratio of the lipids has a mole percent range of 25 - 98 for the cationic lipid with a target of 35 - 65 , the helper lipid has a mole percent range from 0 - 75 with a target of 30 - 50 , the peg lipid has a mole percent range from 1 - 15 with a target of 1 - 6 , and the dspc has a mole percent range of 0 - 15 with a target of 0 - 12 . the sirna solution contains one or more sirna sequences at a concentration range from 0 . 3 to 1 . 0 mg / ml with a target of 0 . 3 - 0 . 9 mg / ml in a sodium citrate buffered salt solution with ph in the range of 3 . 5 - 5 . the two liquids are heated to a temperature in the range of 15 - 40 ° c ., targeting 30 - 40 ° c ., and then mixed in an impinging jet mixer instantly forming the lnp . the teeid has a range from 0 . 25 to 1 . 0 mm and a total flow rate from 10 − 600 ml / min . the combination of flow rate and tubing id has effect of controlling the particle size of the lnps between 30 and 200 nm . the solution is then mixed with a buffered solution at a higher ph with a mixing ratio in the range of 1 : 1 to 1 : 3 vol : vol but targeting 1 : 2 vol : vol . this buffered solution is at a temperature in the range of 15 - 40 ° c ., targeting 30 - 40 ° c . the mixed lnps are held from 30 minutes to 2 hrs prior to an anion exchange filtration step . the temperature during incubating is in the range of 15 - 40 ° c ., targeting 30 - 40 ° c . after incubating the solution is filtered through a 0 . 8 um filter containing an anion exchange separation step . this process uses tubing ids ranging from 1 mm id to 5 mm id and a flow rate from 10 to 2000 ml / min . the lnps are concentrated and diafiltered via an ultrafiltration process where the alcohol is removed and the citrate buffer is exchanged for the final buffer solution such as phosphate buffered saline . the ultrafiltration process uses a tangential flow filtration format ( tff ). this process uses a membrane nominal molecular weight cutoff range from 30 - 500 kd . the membrane format can be hollow fiber or flat sheet cassette . the tff processes with the proper molecular weight cutoff retains the lnp in the retentate and the filtrate or permeate contains the alcohol ; citrate buffer ; final buffer wastes . the tff process is a multiple step process with an initial concentration to a sirna concentration of 1 - 3 mg / ml . following concentration , the lnps solution is diafiltered against the final buffer for 10 - 20 volumes to remove the alcohol and perform buffer exchange . the material is then concentrated an additional 1 - 3 fold . the final steps of the lnp process are to sterile filter the concentrated lnp solution and vial the product . the sirna duplex concentrations are determined by strong anion - exchange high - performance liquid chromatography ( sax - hplc ) using waters 2695 alliance system ( water corporation , milford mass .) with a 2996 pda detector . the lnps , otherwise referred to as rnai delivery vehicles ( rdvs ), are treated with 0 . 5 % triton x - 100 to free total sirna and analyzed by sax separation using a dionex biolc dnapac pa 200 ( 4 × 250 mm ) column with uv detection at 254 nm . mobile phase is composed of a : 25 mm naclo 4 , 10 mm tris , 20 % etoh , ph 7 . 0 and b : 250 mm naclo 4 , 10 mm tris , 20 % etoh , ph 7 . 0 with liner gradient from 0 - 15 min and flow rate of 1 ml / min . the sirna amount is determined by comparing to the sirna standard curve . fluorescence reagent sybr gold is employed for rna quantitation to monitor the encapsulation rate of rdvs . rdvs with or without triton x - 100 are used to determine the free sirna and total sirna amount . the assay is performed using a spectramax m5e microplate spectrophotometer from molecular devices ( sunnyvale , calif .). samples are excited at 485 nm and fluorescence emission was measured at 530 nm . the sirna amount is determined by comparing to the sirna standard curve . rdvs containing 1 μg sirna are diluted to a final volume of 3 ml with 1 × pbs . the particle size and polydispersity of the samples is measured by a dynamic light scattering method using zetapals instrument ( brookhaven instruments corporation , holtsville , n . y .). the scattered intensity is measured with he — ne laser at 25 ° c . with a scattering angle of 90 °. rdvs containing 1 g sirna are diluted to a final volume of 2 ml with 1 mm tris buffer ( ph 7 . 4 ). electrophoretic mobility of samples is determined using zetapals instrument ( brookhaven instruments corporation , holtsville , n . y .) with electrode and he — ne laser as a light source . the smoluchowski limit is assumed in the calculation of zeta potentials . individual lipid concentrations are determined by reverse phase high - performance liquid chromatography ( rp - hplc ) using waters 2695 alliance system ( water corporation , milford mass .) with a corona charged aerosol detector ( cad ) ( esa biosciences , inc , chelmsford , ma ). individual lipids in rdvs are analyzed using an agilent zorbax sb - c18 ( 50 × 4 . 6 mm , 1 . 8 μm particle size ) column with cad at 60 ° c . the mobile phase is composed of a : 0 . 1 % tfa in h 2 o and b : 0 . 1 % tfa in ipa . the gradient changes from 60 % mobile phase a and 40 % mobile phase b from time 0 to 40 % mobile phase a and 60 % mobile phase b at 1 . 00 min ; 40 % mobile phase a and 60 % mobile phase b from 1 . 00 to 5 . 00 min ; 40 % mobile phase a and 60 % mobile phase b from 5 . 00 min to 25 % mobile phase a and 75 % mobile phase b at 10 . 00 min ; 25 % mobile phase a and 75 % mobile phase b from 10 . 00 min to 5 % mobile phase a and 95 % mobile phase b at 15 . 00 min : and 5 % mobile phase a and 95 % mobile phase b from 15 . 00 to 60 % mobile phase a and 40 % mobile phase b at 20 . 00 min with flow rate of 1 ml / min . the individual lipid concentration is determined by comparing to the standard curve with all the lipid components in the rdvs with a quadratic curve fit . the molar percentage of each lipid is calculated based on its molecular weight . utilizing the above described lnp process , specific lnps with the following ratios were identified : oligonucleotide synthesis is well known in the art . ( see us patent applications : us 2006 / 0083780 , us 200610240554 , us 2008 / 0020058 , us 2009 / 0263407 and us 2009 / 0285881 and pct patent applications : wo 2009 / 086558 . wo2009 / 127060 , wo2009 / 132131 , wo2010 / 042877 , wo2010 / 054384 , wo2010 / 054401 , wo2010 / 054405 and wo2010 / 054406 ). the luc sirna incorporated in the lnps disclosed and utilized in the examples were synthesized via standard solid phase procedures . lnps utilizing compound 4 , in the nominal compositions described immediately above , were evaluated for in vivo efficacy . the sirna targets the mrna transcript for the firefly ( photinus pyralis ) luciferase gene ( accession # m15077 ). the primary sequence and chemical modification pattern of the luciferase sirna is displayed above . the in vivo luciferase model employs a transgenic mouse in which the firefly luciferase coding sequence is present in all cells . rosa26 - loxp - stop - loxp - luc ( lsl - luc ) transgenic mice licensed from the dana farber cancer institute are induced to express the luciferase gene by first removing the lsl sequence with a recombinant ad - cre virus ( vector biolabs ). due to the organo - tropic nature of the virus , expression is limited to the liver when delivered via tail vein injection . luciferase expression levels in liver are quantitated by measuring light output , using an ivis imager ( xenogen ) following administration of the luciferin substrate ( caliper life sciences ). pre - dose luminescence levels are measured prior to administration of the rdvs . luciferin in pbs ( 15 mg / ml ) is intraperitoneally ( ip ) injected in a volume of 150 μl . after a four minute incubation period mice are anesthetized with isoflurane and placed in the ivis imager . the rdvs ( containing sirna ) in pbs vehicle were tail vein injected n a volume of 0 . 2 ml . final dose levels ranged from 0 . 1 to 0 . 5 mg / kg sirna . pbs vehicle alone was dosed as a control . mice were imaged 48 hours post dose using the method described above . changes in luciferin light output directly correlate with luciferase mrna levels and represent an indirect measure of luciferase sirna activity . in vivo efficacy results are expressed as % inhibition of luminescence relative to pre - dose luminescence levels . systemic administration of the luciferase sirna . rdvs decreased luciferase expression in a dose dependant manner . greater efficacy was observed in mice dosed with compound 4 containing rdvs than with the rdv containing the trans 1 - methyl - 3 , 4 - bis -[(( 9z , 12z )- octadeca - 9 , 12 - dienyl ) oxy ]- pyrrolidine ( compound a ) as disclosed in wo2010 / 054384 . lnps utilizing compounds in the nominal compositions described above , were evaluated for in vivo efficacy and increases in alanine amino transferase and aspartate amino transferase in sprague - dawley ( crl : cd ( sd ) female rats ( charles river labs ). the sirna targets the mrna transcript for the apob gene ( accession # nm 019287 ). the primary sequence and chemical modification pattern of the apob sirna is displayed above . the rdvs ( containing sirna ) in pbs vehicle were tail vein injected in a volume of 1 to 1 . 5 ml . infusion rate is approximately 3 ml / min . five rats were used in each dosing group . after lnp administration , rats are placed in cages with normal diet and water present . six hours post dose , food is removed from the cages . animal necropsy is performed 24 hours after lnp dosing . rats are anesthetized under isoflurane for 5 minutes , then maintained under anesthesia by placing them in nose cones continuing the delivery of isoflurane until ex - sanguination is completed . blood is collected from the vena cava using a 23 gauge butterfly venipuncture set and aliquoted to serum separator vacutainers for serum chemistry analysis . punches of the excised caudate liver lobe are taken and placed in rnalater ( ambion ) for mrna analysis . preserved liver tissue was homogenized and total rna isolated using a qiagen bead mill and the qiagen mirna - easy rna isolation kit following the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions . liver apob mrna levels were determined by quantitative rt - pcr . message was amplified from purified rna utilizing a rat apob commercial probe set ( applied biosystems cat # rn01499054_m1 ). the pcr reaction was performed on an abi 7500 instrument with a 96 - well fast block . the apob mrna level is normalized to the housekeeping ppib ( nm 011149 ) mrna . ppib mrna levels were determined by rt - pcr using a commercial probe set ( applied biosystems cat . no . mm00478295_m1 ). results are expressed as a ratio of apob mrna / ppib mrna . all mrna data is expressed relative to the pbs control dose . serum alt and ast analysis were performed on the siemens advia 1800 clinical chemistry analyzer utilizing the siemens alanine aminotransferase ( cat # 03039631 ) and aspartate aminotransferase ( cat # 03039631 ) reagents . modestly decreased efficacy but significantly improved tolerability was observed in rats dosed with compound 4 containing rdv than with the rdv containing the cationic lipid dlinkc2dma ( compound 12 , fig2 ). liver tissue was weighed into 20 - ml vials and homogenized in 9 v / w of water using a ( genogrinder 2000 ( ops diagnostics , 1600 strokes / min , 5 min ). a 50 μl aliquot of each tissue homogenate was mixed with 300 μl of extraction / protein precipitating solvent ( 50 / 50 acetonitrile / methanol containing 500 nm internal standard ) and the plate was centrifuged to sediment precipitated protein . a volume of 200 μl of each supernatant was then transferred to separate wells of a 96 - well plate and 10 μl samples were directly analyzed by lcms - ms . standards were prepared by spiking known amounts of a methanol stock solution of compound into untreated rat liver homogenate ( 9 vol water / weight liver ). aliquots ( 50 μl ) each standard / liver homogenate was mixed with 300 μl of extraction / protein precipitating solvent ( 50 / 50 acetlonitrile / methanol containing 500 nm internal standard ) and the plate was centrifuged to sediment precipitated protein . a volume of 200 μl of each supernatant was transferred to separate wells of a 96 - well plate and 10 μl of each standard was directly analyzed by lc / ms - ms . absolute quantification versus standards prepared and extracted from liver homogenate was performed using an aria lx - 2 hplc system ( thermo scientific ) coupled to an api 4000 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer ( applied biosystems ). for each run , a total of 10 μl sample was injected onto a bds hypersil c8 hplc column ( thermo , 50 × 2 mm , 3 μm ) at ambient temperature . mobile phase a : 95 % h2o / 5 % methanol / 10 mm ammonium formate / 0 . 1 % formic acid mobile phase b : 40 % methanol / 60 % n - propanol / 10 mm ammonium formate / 0 . 1 % formic acid the flow rate was 0 . 5 ml / min and gradient elution profile was as follows : hold at 80 % a for 0 . 25 min , linear ramp to 100 % b over 1 . 6 min , hold at 100 % b for 2 . 5 min , then return and hold at 80 % a for 1 . 75 min . total run time was 5 . 8 min . api 4000 source parameters were cad : 4 , cur : 15 , gs1 : 65 , gs2 : 35 , is : 4000 , tem : 550 . cxp : 15 , dp : 60 , ep : 10 . in rats dosed with compound 4 ( 0 . 5 mg / kg ) containing rdv , liver levels were much lower than the rdv containing the cationic lipid dlinkc2d ) ma ( compound 12 , also 0 . 5 mg / kg ) or mc3 ( compound 13 , also 0 . 5 mg / kg . fig3 ).	2
the skin - protecting alkalinity - controlling composition according to the invention comprises one or more high de carboxylic acid polysaccharides selected from the group comprising pectin esters , esterified cellulose ethers , esterified hydroxyethylcellulose , esterified carboxymethylcellulose , esterified guar gum , esterified cationic guar gum , esterified hydroxypropyl guar gum , starch esters , and polymerized sugar esters . a high de carboxylic acid polysaccharide provides for a rapid ph - drop due to the low amount of free carboxylic acid groups present . thus , if a rapid ph - drop is needed , a high de carboxylic acid polysaccharide should be used . this fact can be utilized in a range of products intended to be applied to the skin of humans or animals . uses include but are not limited to lotions , creams , foundations , face masks , hair care products , genital lotions , deodorants , ostomy products , feminine hygiene products , laundry products , bath salt products , soap products , fragrance products , lotionized tissue products , and shaving products . further , such pectin can be used in similar products to treat animals . in a preferred embodiment according to the invention , said high de carboxylic acid polysaccharide is a pectin ester , preferably a pectin ester of aliphatic , arylaliphatic , cycloaliphatic or heterocyclic alcohols , more preferably an ester of methanol , ethanol , propanol or isopropanol , and most preferably an ester of methanol . the advantage of using methanol esters of pectin is the natural occurrence of such ester . however , without being bound by theory , methyl esters of pectin are more prone to liberate the alcohol part thereof during de - esterification . esters of pectin with higher alcohols are not as prone to alkaline de - esterification . in a still more preferred embodiment of the invention , said pectin is of a molecular weight in the range from about 5 , 000 to about 140 , 000 , preferably in the range from about 10 , 000 to about 125 , 000 , most preferably in the range from about 10 , 000 to about 40 , 000 . as demonstrated in example i below , the molecular weight of pectin has no influence on the alkali consumption or on the ph drop encountered . however , by adjusting the molecular weight of the pectin it is possible to adjust the amount of pectin , which may be dissolved or suspended in a final product . thus , as disclosed in more detail in example 11 , a lower molecular weight pectin is easier to dissolve and the viscosity of the resulting pectin - containing solution is lower than in a corresponding higher molecular weight - containing pectin . this fact can be utilized to obtain a relatively highly concentrated pectin - solution having suitably low viscosity , e . g . for use in fabric - treating products . the pectin having a molecular weight below about 40 , 000 can be made at concentrations above about 10 % without causing unacceptable high viscosity . such pectin could be manufactured and marketed as a concentrated solution with a pectin concentration in excess of 10 %. alternatively , the possibility of making such pectin solution in concentrations above about 10 % makes spray - drying of such solutions economically feasible . the degree of esterification indicates the average de of any given polysaccharide . by controlling the distribution of ester groups along the polysaccharide chain to obtain either a random or a block - wise distribution of ester groups , it is possible to obtain a locally higher or lower de polysaccharide . as demonstrated in example 3 , the alkali consumption of a pectin having a block - wise ester group distribution is the same as the alkali consumption of a corresponding pectin having a random ester group distribution . however , the ph - drop of the two pectins is considerably larger for the block - wise esterified pectin , presumably because such pectin will act as a pectin with a higher average de . thus , by treating a block - wise esterified pectin with a polygalacturarase , which splits the pectin at non - esterified sites , a lower molecular weight pectin may be obtained having an increased de . in an alternative embodiment of the composition according to the invention , the ester groups of the polysaccharide thereof are thus distributed in a block - wise fashion . in another embodiment of the composition according to the invention , the ester groups of the polysaccharide are distributed in a random fashion . in another preferred embodiment according to the invention , the skin - protecting alkalinity controlling composition comprises a mixture of at least one high de - carboxylic acid polysaccharide having a degree of esterification ( de ) in the range from about 70 % to about 100 %, more preferably from about 80 % to about 100 %, and at least one low de - carboxylic acid polysaccharide having a degree of esterification ( de ) in the range from about 5 to about 70 %, more preferably from about 5 to about 40 %, most preferably from 10 to about 35 %. a carboxylic acid polysaccharide having a relatively low de provides for a large alkali consumption capacity or buffer capacity . an advantage of a higher buffer capacity is the ability of the pectin to neutralize an initial high concentration of alkali . this is an advantage particularly when fabrics are insufficiently depleted for alkaline washing powder . thus , by combining a low de and a high de carboxylic acid polysaccharide , an initial alkali consumption buffering can be obtained succeeded by a ph - reduction . in a preferred embodiment according to the invention , any of said high de carboxylic acid polysaccharides and said low de carboxylic acid polysaccharides is selected from the group comprising pectin esters , alginic acid esters , esterified cellulose ethers , esterified hydroxyethylcellulose , esterified carboxymethylcellulose , esterified guar gum , esterified cationic guar gum , esterified hydrocypropyl guar gum , starch esters , and polymerized sugar esters . in a particular embodiment according to the invention , any of said high de carboxylic acid polysaccharides and said low de carboxylic acid polysaccharides is a pectin ester , preferably a pectin ester of aliphatic , arylaliphatic , cycloaliphatic or heterocyclic alcohols , more preferably an ester of methanol , ethanol , propanol or isopropanol , and most preferably an ester of methanol . in a more particular embodiment according to the invention , any of said high de carboxylic acid polysaccharides and said low de carboxylic acid polysaccharides is a pectin having a molecular weight in the range from about 5 , 000 to about 140 , 000 , preferably in the range from about 10 , 000 to about 125 , 000 , most preferably in the range from about 10 , 000 to about 40 , 000 . in an alternative embodiment according to the invention , any of said high de carboxylic acid polysaccharides and said low de carboxylic acid polysaccharides is an esterified alginic acid . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , any of said esterified alginic acids is an alginic acid ester of aliphatic , aromatic , araliphatic , alicyclic and heterocyclic alcohols , including esters deriving from substituted alcohols such as esters of bivalent aliphatic alcohols , preferably ethylene glycol or propylene glycol alginate . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 416 , 205 discloses suitable alginic acid derivatives , and the reference is enclosed herewith in its entirety . in a further embodiment according to the invention , the ester groups of any of said high de carboxylic acid polysaccharides and said low de polysaccharides are distributed in a block - wise fashion . in another embodiment according to the invention , the ester groups of any of said high de carboxylic acid polysaccharides and said low de polysaccharides are distributed in a random fashion . in another embodiment of the invention , a composition comprising at least one carboxylic acid polysaccharide selected from the group comprising pectin esters , alginic acid esters , esterified cellulose ethers , esterified hydroxyethylcellulose , esterified carboxymethyl - cellulose , esterified guar gum , esterified cationic guar gum , esterified hydropropyl guar gum , starch esters , and polymerized sugar esters is used for skin protection and / or alkalinity control . in a preferred embodiment according to the invention , said carboxylic acid polysaccharide is a pectin ester , preferably a pectin ester of aliphatic , arylaliphatic , cycloaliphatic or heterocyclic alcohols , more preferably an ester of methanol , ethanol , propanol or isopropanol , and most preferably an ester of methanol . in another embodiment according to the invention , said carboxylic acid polysaccharide is a pectin having a molecular weight in the range from about 5 , 000 to about 140 , 000 , preferably in the range from about 10 , 000 to about 125 , 000 , most preferably in the range from about 10 , 000 to about 40 , 000 . in another embodiment according to the invention , said carboxylic acid polysaccharide is an esterified alginic acid . in another embodiment according to the invention , said esterified alginic acid is selected from the group comprising alginic acid esters of aliphatic , aromatic , araliphatic , alicyclic and heterocyclic alcohols , including esters deriving from substituted alcohols such as esters of bivalent aliphatic alcohols , preferably ethylene glycol alginate or propylene glycol alginate . in another embodiment according to the invention , the ester groups of said polysaccharide are distributed in a block - wise fashion . in another embodiment according to the invention , the ester groups of said polysaccharide are distributed in a random fashion . in another embodiment of the use according to the invention , at least one of said carboxylic acid polysaccharide ( s ) is a high de carboxylic acid polysaccharide having a degree of esterification ( de ) in the range from about 70 % to about 100 %, more preferably from about 80 % to about 100 %. in another embodiment of the use according to the invention , at least one of said carboxylic acid polysaccharide ( s ) is a low de carboxylic acid polysaccharide having a degree of esterification ( de ) in the range from about 5 to about 70 %, more preferably from about 5 % to about 40 %, and most preferably from about 10 % to about 35 %. in another embodiment according to the invention of the use of a composition , said composition comprises a mixture of at least one of carboxylic acid polysaccharide having a degree of esterification ( de ) in the range from about 70 % to about 100 %, more preferably from about 80 % to about 100 %; and at least one carboxylic acid polysaccharide having a degree of esterification ( de ) in the range from about 5 to about 70 %, more preferably from about 5 % to about 40 %, and most preferably from about 10 % to about 35 %. the composition according to the invention is suitable for use in personal care products . in a preferred embodiment , said products are for use on human skin . in another embodiment , said products are for use on animal skin . in a particular embodiment according to the invention , the skin protecting alkalinity - controlling composition is used in a product selected from the group consisting of skin creams , skin lotions , deodorant products , fragrance products , hair care products , shaving products , soap products , and bath salt products . in another embodiment according to the invention , the skin protecting alkalinity - controlling composition is used in a product selected from the group consisting of female hygiene products and diapers . a particular advantage of the present composition is the fact that they are capable of controlling the alkalinity of the surface , to which they are applied , for a prolonged time . as demonstrated in examples 5 and 8 , the carboxylic acid polysaccharides are capable of controlling the alkalinity at multiple challenges of alkalinity . this fact can be utilized in e . g . deodorant products , diapers or female hygiene products , which are repeatedly exposed to sweat that is decomposed by micro - organisms to alkaline substances . thus , a prolonged effective alkalinity control may be obtained by the products according to the present invention . in another embodiment according to the invention , the skin - protecting alkalinity - controlling composition is used in a product selected from the group consisting of ostomy products and wound care products . in ostomy products a low solubility polysaccharide , such as a low solubility pectin , should be used , since the ostomy product should remain insoluble for a longer period of time during flushing by body fluids . in this particular case a combination of a low de and a low ph pectin would provide for a longer durability of the ostomy product during use . in a particular embodiment such low solubility low de pectin should be combined with a higher solubility pectin having a higher de to maintain a skin ph closer to the optimum skin ph of 5 . 5 . in still another embodiment according to the invention , the skin - protecting alkalinity - controlling composition is used in a product selected from the group consisting of lotionized tissue products , fabric treating products , and laundry rinse products . pectin is extracted using the following steps . the degree of esterification was controlled in the range of about 76 % to about 30 % through shorter or longer extraction times . the process is as follows : 1 . 15 litres of water was heated to 70 ° c . in a stainless steel , jacketed vessel having a volume of 18 litres and equipped with a stirrer . 2 . 500 g dried citrus peel or dried beet cossets was added to the water , and the ph is adjusted to 1 . 7 - 1 . 8 by addition of 62 % nitric acid . 3 . extraction was carried out at 70 ° c . for 2 - 24 hours depending on the desired degree of esterification while stirring . 4 . after extraction , the content of the vessel was filtered on a bücher funnel using diatomaceous earth as filter aid . 5 . the filtered extract was ion exchanged while stirring by adding 50 ml resin ( amberlite sril , produced by rohm & amp ; haas ) per litre of filtered extract . while stirring , the ion exchange was carried out during 20 minutes while stirring . 6 . the ion exchanged filtrate was filtered on a bücher funnel equipped with a cloth . 7 . the filtered ion exchanged filtrate was precipitated by adding it to three parts of 80 % isopropanol while stirring gently . 8 . the precipitate was collected on nylon cloth and pressed by hand to remove as much isopropanol as possible . 9 . the hand pressed precipitate was washed once in 60 % isopropanol and then dried at 70 ° c . in a drying cabinet at atmospheric pressure . 10 . after drying , the pectin was milled . 1 . the pressed precipitate made according to the procedure under a ) point 8 was suspended in 60 % isopropyl alcohol at 5 ° c . 2 . concentrated naoh solution was added and the slurry was stirred for about one hour . the amount of naoh is calculated to produce the desired de . 3 . the pectin solid was separated on nylon cloth , and washed twice in 60 % isopropyl alcohol at ph 4 . 4 . the pectin solid was separated on nylon cloth , dried at 70 ° c . and milled . 2 . after cooling the solution to about 25 ° c ., ph was adjusted to 5 . 50 with nh 3 . 3 . samples of the cold solution were treated with pectin lyase in concentrations ranging from 0 to 1300 micro litres per 10 litres of pectin solution . 4 . each sample was treated with its enzyme preparation for 1 hour at 25 ° c . while stirring . 5 . after treatment , the ph was adjusted to 2 . 50 and the samples were heated at 80 ° c . for 10 minutes to inactivate the enzyme . 6 . the samples were lastly precipitated in isopropyl alcohol , washed in isopropyl alcohol , dried and milled . 1 . 50 g . pectin as prepared under a ) was added 2 . 5 g . dimethylaminopyridine , 100 ml . methanol and 100 ml . heptane in suitable flask and the mixture was cooled to minus 4 ° c . 2 . 15 ml thionylchloride was over a period of 10 minutes added as drops to the mixture . 3 . over about 24 hours , the mixture was allowed to heat to about 21 ° c . 4 . the solid was filtered , washed twice with first 60 % isopropyl alcohol and secondly with 100 % isopropyl alcohol . 5 . the solid was dried at about 70 ° c . 1 . pectin extracted according to a ) was dissolved in about 80 ° c . ion exchanged water to form a 2 % solution . 2 . the solution was cooled to 45 ° c . and ph was adjusted to 4 . 5 with nh 3 . 3 . samples were added 2 - 4 % of enzyme preparation while stirring : plant esterase ( collopulin ) for a block wise do - esterification and bacterial esterase ( rheozyme ) for random de - esterification . 4 . the degree of esterification was monitored through titration with 2 % nh 3 at constant ph of 4 . 5 . 5 . after de - esterification , decreasing the ph to 2 . 5 with hno 3 and subsequently heating the sample to 80 ° c . for 10 minutes inactivated the enzyme . 6 . the sample was precipitated in isopropyl alcohol , washed in isopropyl alcohol , dried and milled . for this , high performance size exclusion chromatography ( hpsec ) with triple detection is used . a pectin sample is fractionated according to hydrodynamic volume , using size exclusion chromatography . after separation , the sample is analysed by a triple detector system , consisting of a refractive index ( ri ) detector , a right angle laser light scattering ( ralls ) detector and a differential viscometer . information from these detectors leads to determination of molecular weight ( mw ) and intrinsic viscosity ( iv ). the mark - houwink factor is calculated using the molecular weight and intrinsic viscosity as obtained using this method . 1 . pump model 515 , waters , hedehusene , denmark . 2 . degasser , gynkotek , polygen scandinavia , århus , denmark . 3 . column oven , waters , hedehusene , denmark . 4 . as - 3500 auto sampler , with sample preparation module , dionex denmark , rødovre , denmark . 5 . 3 linear mixed bed columns , tsk - gmpwxl , supelco , bellefonte pa ., usa . 6 . liquid phase : 0 . 3 m lithium acetate buffer ph 4 . 8 , fluka chemie a g , buchs , switzerland . 7 . dual detector , ri , viscometry , model 250 , viscotek , houston , tex ., usa . 8 . ralls model 600 , viscotek , houston , tex ., usa . approximately 2 mg of the sample is weighed into a 2000 μl vial . the sample is then dissolved in the auto sampler , by following schedule : 8 μl of ethanol is added , then 1300 μl of acetate buffer ( 0 . 3 m , ph 4 . 8 ), sample is heated to 75 ° c . and mixed for 9 . 9 minutes . 300 μl of the preparation is diluted with 900 μl of acetate buffer , then mixing for 9 . 9 minutes . sample is left at ambient temperature for 20 minutes . 100 μl of the sample is injected with a 100 μl full loop and flow rate is 0 . 8 ml / min . two detectors are present in line , a right angle laser light scattering ( ralls ) detector ( viscotek ) and a dual detector consisting of a refractive index detector and a viscometer ( viscotek ). the specific refractive index increment ( dn / dc ) value for pectin is set at 0 . 144 . data from detectors are processed by tri - sec software ( viscotek ). determination of degree of esterification ( de ) and galacturonic acid ( ga ) in non - amide pectin this method pertains to the determination of % de and % ga in pectin , which does not contain amide and acetate ester . 1 . analytical balance 2 . glass beaker , 250 ml , 5 pieces 3 . measuring glass , 100 ml 4 . vacuum pump 5 . suction flask 6 . glass filter crucible no . 1 ( büchner funnel and filter paper ) 7 . stop watch 8 . test tube 9 . drying cabinet at 105 ° c . 10 . dessicator 11 . magnetic stirrer and magnets 12 . burette ( 10 ml , accuracy ± 0 . 05 ml ) 13 . pipettes ( 20 ml : 2 pieces , 10 ml : 1 piece ) 14 . ph - meter / autoburette or phenolphtalein 1 . carbon dioxide - free water ( deionized water ) 2 . isopropanol ( ipa ), 60 % and 100 % 3 . hydrochloride ( hcl ), 0 . 5 n and fuming 37 % 4 . sodium hydroxide ( naoh ), 5 . silver nitrate ( agno 3 ), 0 . 1 n 6 . nitric acid ( hno 3 ), 3 n 7 . indicator , phenolphtalein , 0 . 1 % procedure — determination of % de and % ga ( acid alcohol : 100 ml 60 % ipa + 5 ml hcl fuming 37 %): 1 . weigh 2 . 0000 g pectin in a 250 ml glass beaker . 2 . add 100 ml acid alcohol and stir on a magnetic stirrer for 10 min . 3 . filtrate through a dried , weighed glass filter crucible . 4 . rinse the beaker completely with 6 × 15 ml acid alcohol . 5 . wash with 60 % ipa until the filtrate is chloride - free ( approximately 500 ml ). 6 . wash with 20 ml 100 % ipa . 7 . dry the sample for 2½ hours at 105 ° c . 8 . weigh the crucible after drying and cooling in desiccator . 9 . weigh accurately 0 . 4000 g of the sample in a 250 ml glass beaker . 10 . weigh two samples for double determination . deviation between double determinations must max . be 1 . 5 % absolute . if deviation exceeds 1 . 5 % the test must be repeated . 11 . wet the pectin with approx . 2 ml 100 % ipa and add approx . 100 ml carbon di - oxide - free , deionized water while stirring on a magnetic stirrer . ( chloride test on ash - free and moisture - free basis : transfer approximately 10 ml filtrate to a test tube , add approximately 3 ml 3 n hno 3 , and add a few drops of agno 3 . the filtrate will be chloride - free if the solution is clear , otherwise there will be a precipitation of silver chloride .) the sample is now ready for titration , either by means of an indicator or by using a ph - meter / autoburette . procedure — determination of % de only ( acid alcohol : 100 ml 60 % ipa + 5 ml hcl fuming 37 %): 1 . weigh 2 . 00 g pectin in a 250 ml glass beaker . 2 . add 100 ml acid alcohol and stir on a magnetic stirrer for 10 minutes . 3 . filtrate through a büchner funnel with filter paper . 4 . rinse the beaker with 90 ml acid alcohol . 5 . wash with 1000 ml 60 % ipa . 6 . wash with approximately 30 ml 100 % ipa . 7 . dry the sample for approximately 15 minutes on büchner funnel with vacuum suction . 8 . weigh approximately 0 . 40 g of the sample in a 250 ml glass beaker . 9 . weigh two samples for double determination . deviation between double determinations must max . be 1 . 5 % absolute . if deviation exceeds 1 . 5 % the test must be repeated . 10 . wet the pectin with approximately 2 ml 100 % ipa and add approx . 100 ml de - ionized water while stirring on a magnetic stirrer . the sample is now ready for titration , either by means of an indicator or by using a ph - meter / autoburette . note : it is very important that samples with % de & lt ; 10 % are titrated very slowly , as the sample will only dissolve slowly during titration . 1 . add 5 drops of phenolphtalein indicator and titrate with 0 . 1 n naoh until change of color ( record it as v 1 titer ). 2 . add 20 . 00 ml 0 . 5 n naoh while stirring . let stand for exactly 15 min . when standing the sample must be covered with foil . 3 . add 20 . 00 ml 0 . 5 n hcl while stirring and stir until the color disappears . 4 . add 3 drops of phenolphtalein and titrate with 0 . 1 n naoh until change of color ( record it as v 2 titer ). 1 . add 5 drops phenolphtalein to 100 ml carbon dioxide - free or dionized water ( same type as used for the sample ), and titrate in a 250 ml glass beaker with 0 . 1 n naoh until change of color ( 1 - 2 drops ). 2 . add 20 . 00 ml 0 . 5 n naoh and let the sample stand untouched for exactly 15 minutes . when standing the sample must be covered with foil . 3 . add 20 . 00 ml 0 . 5 n hcl and 3 drops phenolphtalein , and titrate until change of color with 0 . 1 n naoh ( record it as b 1 ). maximum amount allowed for titration is 1 ml 0 . 1 n naoh . if titrating with more than 1 ml , 0 . 5 n hcl must be diluted with a small amount of deionized water . if the sample has shown change of color on addition of 0 . 5 n hcl , 0 . 5 n naoh must be diluted with a small amount of carbon dioxide - free water . maximum allowed dilution with water is such that the solutions are between 0 . 52 and 0 . 48 n . using autoburette type abu 80 the following settings may be applied : 1 . titrate with 0 . 1 n naoh to ph 8 . 5 ( record the result as v 1 titer ). 2 . add 20 . 00 ml 0 . 5 n naoh while stirring , and let the sample stand without stir - ring for exactly 15 minutes . when standing the sample must be covered with foil . 3 . add 20 . 00 ml 0 . 5 n hcl while stirring and stir until ph is constant . 4 . subsequently , titrate with 0 . 1 n naoh to ph 8 . 5 ( record the result as v 2 titer ). 1 . titrate 100 ml carbon dioxide - free or deionized ( same type as used for the sample ) water to ph 8 . 5 with 0 . 1 n naoh ( 1 - 2 drops ). 2 . add 20 . 00 ml 0 . 5 n naoh while stirring and let the blind test sample stand without stirring for exactly 15 min . when standing the sample must be covered with foil . 3 . add 20 . 00 ml 0 . 5 n hcl while stirring , and stir until ph is constant . 4 . titrate to ph 8 . 5 with 0 . 1 n naoh ( record it as b 1 ). maximum amount allowed for titration is 1 ml 0 . 1 n naoh . if titrating with more than 1 ml , 0 . 5 n hcl must be diluted with a small amount of deionized water . if ph does not fall to below 8 . 5 on addition of 0 . 5 n hcl , 0 . 5 n naoh must be diluted with a small amount of carbon dioxide - free water . maximum allowed dilution with water is such that the dilutions are between 0 . 52 and 0 . 48 n . % de ( degree of esterification )={( v 2 − b 1 )× 100 }/ v t ( 194 . 1 : molecular weight for ga n : corrected normality for 0 . 1 n naoh used for titration ( e . g . 0 . 1002 n ) 400 : weight in mg of washed and dried sample for titration ) 1 . 1 g . pectin was dissolved in 100 g . deionized water at 70 ° c . and at 20 ° c . 2 . the solution was placed in a thermostatically controlled water bath and continuously stirred . 3 . 0 . 1 m naoh was added to a ph of between 9 and 10 . 4 . the ph was recorded as a function of time 1 . 2 g . pectin was dissolved in 200 g . deionized water at 70 ° c . and at 20 ° c . 2 . the solution was placed in a thermostatically controlled water bath at 25 ° c . and continuously stirred . 3 . 0 . 1 m naoh was added to the solution and ph recorded as a function of added 0 . 1 m naoh . propylene glycol alginate — quantitative determination of the ester groups is carried out by the saponification method described on pages 169 - 172 of “ quantitative organic analysis via functional groups ”, 4th edition , john wiley and sons publication . 1 . kelcoloid o manufactured by isp technologies , inc . esterification : high — about 85 %. 2 . manucol ester er / k manufactured by isp technologies , inc . esterification : high — about 80 %. 3 . kelcoloid hvf manufactured by isp technologies , inc . esterification : medium — about 55 % since the ph is low , the lotion can be preserved with conventional food - grade preservatives . 1 . palmitate and emulsifier were mixed and heated to 75 ° c . in order to melt the emulsifier . 2 . pectin and preservatives were dispersed in distilled water and heated to 75 ° c . 3 . the hot oil phase was added to the hot water phase while stirring on magnetic stirrer . 4 . the mix was cooled to about 30 ° c . on cooling bath while stirring and fill into appropriate container . 1 . palmitate and emulsifier were mixed and heated to 75 ° c . in order to melt the emulsifier . 2 . pectin was dispersed into the hot melt . pectin is insoluble in the oil phase and consequently easy to disperse therein without formation of lumps . 3 . preservatives were dissolved in distilled water and the solution was heated to 75 ° c . 4 . the hot oil phase was added to the hot water phase while stirring on magnetic stirrer . the mix was cooled to about 30 ° c . on cooling bath while stirring and fill into appropriate container . 1 . a piece of cotton was cut to fit into a petri dish . 2 . the cotton piece was soaked in a pectin solution in distilled water and stirred on magnetic stirrer for about 5 minutes . 3 . the wet cloth was hand - pressed and placed in a petri dish . 4 . the cloth was dried over night in an oven at 50 ° c . 5 . the dried cloth was wetted with 2 ml 0 . 001 m naoh . 6 . a piece of indicator paper ( ph in the range 1 - 11 ) was placed on the cloth . 7 . the color change of the indicator paper over time was recorded . ( note : this test is indicative , only . it is not possible to read the ph accurately .) the invention will now be described in more detail with respect to the following , specific , non - limiting examples . five samples of different molecular weight , but with similar de made from dried lemon peel were titrated and the ph drop over time recorded for samples dissolved at 70 ° c . and 20 ° c ., respectively . the ph drop was measured at 30 - 32 ° c . titration was done using 0 . 1008 m naoh . the comment “ unstable ” refers to the ph - meter , which at high ph values showed an unstable reading . fig1 . 1 shows that the molecular weight of pectin has no influence on the alkali consumption . the data in fig1 . 2 do not suggest a change in the ph - drop resulting from a change in molecular weight . in practice , this means that a ph controlling preparation made from pectin can be made thick ( high molecular weight ) or thin ( low molecular weight ) or basically with any viscosity between the two extremes . in addition , if the alkali consumption is to be increased , a low molecular weight pectin preparation makes it possible to increase the concentration of pectin without making the alkali consuming preparation too viscous . fig1 . 3 shows that dissolution temperature does not change the drop in ph . thus , irrespective of the molecular weight , pectin preparation for controlling ph can be made either hot or cold . eight samples were prepared with different degree of esterification ranging from about 9 to 93 %. the samples were made from dried lemon peel . all were titrated and the ph drop over time recorded for samples dissolved at 70 ° c . and 20 ° c ., respectively . the ph drop was measured at 30 - 32 ° c . titration was done using 0 . 1008 m naoh . the comment “ unstable ” refers to the ph - meter , which at high ph values showed an unstable reading . fig2 . 1 shows that one pectin is characterized by a higher starting ph than the rest . conventionally , pectin is neutralized with an alkali metal base to a ph in the range 3 - 4 or even higher . this is mainly in order to preserve the pectin , but it also has an impact on the solubility of the pectin . however , if one moves the curve for de = 9 . 6 % upwards to connect with the other curves , the picture becomes clear : with increasing de and consequently decreasing galacturonic acid , the pectin can consume less alkali . thus , if pectin is used to neutralize alkali , the degree of esterification and the starting ph should be as low as possible . to further elaborate on this point , i define buffer capacity as ml . 0 . 1 m naoh required to increase the ph by 1 ph unit , calculated from the part of the titration curve , which is steepest . thus , the approximate buffer capacities as calculated from fig2 . 1 are : fig2 . 2 show a dramatic increase in the ph - drop as the degree of esterification is increased . fig2 . 3 shows the same dramatic influence of de even when the pectin is dissolved at 20 ° c . the figure shows that at the high de , the ph is eventually decreased below 5 . 5 . these results are compiled in fig2 . 4 , in which the ph drop has been followed for the first up to about 130 minutes . it is evident that the ph - drop occurs to the same extent whether the pectin solution is made hot or cold . for de = 93 . 4 %, time to reach ph = 8 is 2 minutes , for de = 71 % it takes 12 minutes , for de = 34 . 4 % the time is 35 minutes and for de = 9 . 6 % it takes 130 minutes . in order to reach ph = 7 , the difference is even bigger . pectin with a de = 71 is about 9 times slower than pectin with de = 93 . 4 , and pectin with de lower than 71 % are slower than a factor 10 compared to pectin with de = 93 . 4 . thus , if one needs to obtain a rapid ph decrease as a result of alkali generation , pectin with as high a de as possible is preferred . if , on the other hand , the need calls for slower reduction of ph , then a lower de would be preferred . selecting pectin of a specific de makes it possible to reduce the ph at a specific rate . another aspect is to combine pectin preparations of different de . for example , one might combine a low de pectin and a high de pectin to achieve initial alkali consumption or buffer capacity and to provide ph reduction , when the buffer capacity is used . two samples were made from dried lemon peel . one was de - esterified with a bacterial pectin esterase , which results in a random distribution of the methyl ester groups . the other was de - esterified with a plant pectin esterase , which results in a block wise distribution of the methyl ester groups . the samples were made to similar de . both samples were titrated and the ph drop over time recorded for samples dissolved at 70 ° c . and 20 ° c ., respectively . the ph drop was measured at 30 - 32 ° c . titration was done using 0 . 1008 m naoh . the comment “ unstable ” refers to the ph - meter , which at high ph values showed an unstable reading . fig3 . 1 shows that the distribution of methyl esters in pectin has no impact on the alkali consumption . the galacturonic acid drives the alkali consumption . fig3 . 2 indicates a difference in the rate of the ph - drop . it also shows , that identical ph - drop is achieved whether the pectin has been dissolved hot or cold . fig3 . 3 shows the ph - drop in the first 120 - 130 minutes , and a random ester group distribution needs about 4 times longer to reach ph = 8 compared to a blocky ester group distribution . since the two pectin preparations have almost identical average de , the faster ph - drop of a blocky ester distribution is explained by local concentration of ester groups . thus , pectin with a blocky ester distribution will act as pectin with a higher average de . in practice , this is important because one might treat a blocky pectin with polygalacturonase to increase the de , which would constitute an easier way to make a high ester pectin than by using the process of re - methylation . the ph drop for one sample having de = 71 % and made from dried lemon peel was recorded at four different temperatures . the sample was prepared by dissolving the pectin at 70 ° c . and subsequently cooling the solution to the recording temperature . the temperature was maintained with a thermostatically controlled water bath . ph drop of pectin with de = 71 % at various temperatures fig4 . 1 shows that the rate of the ph - drop increases with increasing temperature . the rate is particularly increased as the temperature increases above about 30 ° c . the ph drop for one sample having de = 71 % and made from dried lemon peel was recorded at a temperature of 25 - 27 ° c . first , the ph was raised to about 10 with 19 ml . 0 . 1 m naoh . when the sample had reached a ph of 6 - 7 , the ph was again raised to about 10 . this required 1 . 1 ml . 0 . 1 m naoh . when the ph had reached 6 - 7 , the ph was raised a third time to about 10 , which required 1 . 2 ml . 0 . 1 m naoh . the sample was prepared by dissolving the pectin at 70 ° c . and subsequently cooling the solution to the recording temperature . the temperature was maintained with a thermostatically controlled water bath . fig5 . 1 shows that the rate of the ph - drop stays unchanged after at least three cycles , where the ph is first increased to about 10 , then after the ph has dropped increased to about 10 . after one cycle , the de is decreased to about 66 %, so the ability to continue reducing ph is caused by an incomplete de - esterification . thus , if alkalinity is appears in pulses , for at least three times pectin is able to reduce the alkali . in fact , in one experiment , which went on for seven days , a 200 ml . 1 % pectin solution of de = 71 % consumed 73 ml . of a 0 . 1 m naoh solution . after this period , the de has decreased to 9 . 1 %. thus , 2 g . pectin consumes 7 . 3 mmol naoh , which corresponds to about 0 . 3 g . naoh . it also means that about 0 . 23 g . methanol is produced , which in combination with the acid effect of pectin may explain the anti - microbial effect of pectin . the ph drop for one sample having de = 81 . 7 % and made from dried lemon peel was recorded at a temperature of 30 - 32 ° c . the concentration of pectin was 0 . 05 - 2 %. the sample was prepared by dissolving the pectin at 70 ° c . and subsequently cooling the solution to the recording temperature . the temperature was maintained with a thermostatically controlled water bath . ph drop at different concentration of pectin solution with de = 81 . 7 % fig6 . 1 shows that at pectin concentrations above 1 %, the ph - drop appears to be independent of the pectin concentration . however , even at very low concentrations of pectin , a clear drop in ph occurs . carbon dioxide is soluble in water , and this experiment shows the ph drop of ion - exchanged water over time without the presence of pectin or other additions . the temperature of the water was kept at 25 ° c . using a thermostatically controlled water bath . fig7 . 1 shows that over a period of about 5 hours , the “ natural ” drop of ph in water is about 0 . 5 ph - units , so the error is tolerable . three samples with degree of esterification ranging from about 55 to about 85 % were tested . all were titrated and the ph drop over time recorded for samples dissolved at 70 ° c . and 20 ° c ., respectively . the ph drop was measured at 30 - 32 ° c . titration was done using 0 . 1008 m naoh . the comment “ unstable ” refers to the ph - meter , which at high ph values showed an unstable reading . the ph drop for one sample , manucol ester er / k , was recorded at a temperature of 30 - 32 ° c . first , the ph was raised to about 10 with 4 ml . 0 . 1 m naoh . when the sample had reached a ph of 5 - 6 , the ph was again raised to about 10 . this required 2 . 5 ml . 0 . 1 m naoh . when the ph had reached 5 - 6 , the ph was raised a third time to about 10 , which required 2 . 0 ml . 0 . 1 m naoh . when the ph had reached about 6 , the ph was again increased to about 10 , which required 1 . 5 ml . naoh . the sample was prepared by dissolving the pectin at 70 ° c . and subsequently cooling the solution to the recording temperature . the temperature was maintained with a thermostatically controlled water bath . fig8 . 1 shows that as the degree of esterification increases in pga , the less alkali can be consumed . fig8 . 2 shows that as for pectin , pga provides a faster ph drop with increasing degree of esterification . fig8 . 3 shows the same dramatic influence of esterification even when the propylene glycol alginate is dissolved at 20 ° c . the figure shows that at the high de , the ph is eventually decreased to below 5 . fig8 . 4 shows that the ph - drop occurs to the same extent whether the propylene glycol alginate solution is made hot or cold . the ph drop for one sample , manucol ester er / k , was recorded at a temperature of 30 - 32 ° c . first , the ph was raised to about 10 with 4 ml . 0 . 1 m naoh . when the sample had reached a ph of 5 - 6 , the ph was again raised to about 10 . this required 2 . 5 ml . 0 . 1 m naoh . when the ph had reached 5 - 6 , the ph was raised a third time to about 10 , which required 2 . 0 ml . 0 . 1 m naoh . when the ph had reached about 6 , the ph was again increased to about 10 , which required 1 . 5 ml . naoh . the sample was prepared by dissolving the pectin at 70 ° c . and subsequently cooling the solution to the recording temperature . the temperature was maintained with a thermostatically controlled water bath . fig9 . 1 shows a tendency for the ph - drop to become slower after two cycles . the ph drop in lotions made according to the two methods described in “ materials and methods ” section 2 . 1 were measured using pectin of about de = 81 . 7 %. 10 grams lotion was slurried in 50 ml distilled water and ph was adjusted with 0 . 1 m naoh to about 10 . pectin concentration in slurry : 0 . 125 %. temperature : 30 ° c . it may seem that when pectin is dissolved in the water phase before mixing with the oil phase provides for a more rapid ph - drop . however , when taking into consideration , that the curve for pectin dissolved in the water phase starts at a slightly lower ph , the two curves are close to identical . thus , there is nothing to suggest that one of the methods for making the lotion influences the effect of the pectin . the lotions were tested by 12 persons — 6 females and 6 males , with the following remarks from the test persons : the lotion was also tested on one dog , which had developed a rash on the nose . treatment of the nose with the lotion twice for one day reduced the rash visibly . to similar treatments over the next two days reduced to rash to an extent , where the rash was difficult to see . cloths were prepared according to the method in “ materials and methods ” section above . fig1 . 1 - 11 . 5 show that irrespective of the concentration of pectin during soaking , and irrespective of the molecular weight of the pectin , the ph - drop is quite similar . however , when the cloth is soaked in a pectin solution , the dried cloth becomes stiffer . table 11 . 1 shows this effect : table 11 . 1 shows that as the molecular weight decreases , the cloth can contain more pectin without becoming unacceptably stiff . mw = 123 , 000 becomes unacceptably stiff at concentrations in the soak above 0 . 10 % mw = 95 , 000 becomes unacceptably stiff at concentrations in the soak above 0 . 20 % mw = 41 , 500 and mw = 25 , 000 become unacceptably stiff at concentrations in the soak above 0 . 50 %. a rinse is normally performed using 16 liters of water . assuming that the rinse dosage is 100 ml , then 0 . 01 % pectin in the rinse corresponds to a pectin solution of 1 . 57 %. 0 . 05 % pectin in the rinse corresponds to a pectin solution of 7 . 4 %. 0 . 10 % pectin in the rinse corresponds to a pectin solution of 13 . 79 %. 0 . 20 % pectin in the rinse corresponds to a pectin solution of 26 . 47 % and 0 . 05 % pectin in the rinse corresponds to a pectin solution of 44 . 44 %. the effect on brookfield viscosity of such pectin solutions are shown in table 11 . 2 : it is clear that as the molecular weights drops , it becomes easier to dissolve the pectin , and in addition the viscosity becomes lower . this enables a rinse to contain more pectin in lower rinse dosage . for pectin with a molecular weight of 123 , 000 , the maximum concentration of pectin in the rinse is about 2 %, for a pectin with a molecular weight of 95 , 000 , the maximum concentration of pectin in the rinse is about 3 %, for a pectin with molecular weight of 41 , 500 , the maximum concentration of pectin in the rinse is about 10 % and for a pectin with molecular weight of 25 , 000 , the maximum concentration of pectin in the rinse is about 12 %. pectin products having a de of 93 . 4 % and 9 . 6 %, respectively were blended 1 : 1 and 100 g . 1 % solution was prepared of the blend through heating to 70 ° c . the consumption of alkali at 25 ° c . and the ph - drop over time at 30 - 32 ° c . was recorded . titration was done using 0 . 1008 m naoh . the comment “ unstable ” refers to the ph - meter , which at high ph values showed an unstable reading . fig1 . 1 shows that blending high de pectin and low de pectin results in an alkali consumption in between the alkali consumption of the individual pectin products . fig1 . 2 shows that the ph drop over time falls between the ph drop over time of the individual components . compared to the individual components , the blend of high de pectin and low de pectin provides for an increase in alkali consumption compared to pure high de pectin and an increase in ph - drop compared to low de pectin . effect of blending high ester pectin and low ester propylene glycol alginate a blend of 50 % of a pectin having a de of 93 . 4 % and 50 % of a propylene glycol alginate ( pga ) having a de of 55 % was dissolved at 70 % in a similar manner as in example 12 and compared with the alkali consumption of the individual components . fig1 . 1 shows that the alkali consumption falls between the alkali consumption of the individual components , but the use of a mixture of a high de pectin and a medium de pga results in a smaller increase in alkali consumption than observed with the mixture of a high de pectin and a low de pectin of example 12 . fig1 . 2 shows that the ph - drop of the blend falls between the ph - drop of the individual components . however , even a relatively low esterified pga provides for a faster ph - drop than a much higher esterified pectin . compared with the individual components the blend provides an increase in alkali consumption compared to the pectin product alone . effect of blending high de propylene glycol alginate and low de pectin a blend of 50 % of a propylene glycol alginate ( pga ) having a de of 85 % and 50 % of a pectin having a de of 9 . 6 % was dissolved at 70 % in a similar manner as in example 12 and compared with the alkali consumption of the individual components . compared to the individual components , the blend provides for an increase in alkali consumption compared to propylene glycol alginate alone , and an increase in ph drop compared to low de pectin alone . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof . it is understood , therefore , that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed , but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims .	0
compounds of the formula i may be prepared according to the following reaction schemes and discussion . unless otherwise indicated , m , n , s , b , r 1 through r 9 and het and structural formulae i , ii , iv and v in the reaction schemes and discussion that follow are as defined above . scheme 1 refers to the preparation of compounds of the formula i . referring to scheme 1 , compounds of the formula i can be prepared from compounds of the formula ii by reaction with a compound of the formula a transition metal catalyst , and a base . suitable catalysts include palladium ( such as palladium acetate ( pd ( oac ) 2 ), tetrakis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium ( 0 ), pd ( dppf ) cl 2 , tris ( dibenzylidene acetone ) dipalladium ( 0 ) ( pd 2 ( dba ) 3 ), and di ( dibenzylidene acetone ) palladium ( 0 ) ( pd ( dba ) 2 )), preferably tetrakis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium ( 0 ). suitable bases include tertiary amine bases , such as triethylamine or pyridine , na 2 co 3 , sodium ethoxide , and k 3 po 4 , preferably triethylamine . suitable solvents include alcohols , such as methanol , ethanol and butanol , methylene chloride , dimethyl sulfoxide ( dmso ) or tetrahydrofuran ( thf ), preferably ethanol . the aforesaid reaction is typically performed under an atmosphere of nitrogen gas at a temperature of about 10 ° c . to 50 ° c ., preferably about 23 ° c . ( room temperature ) for about 6 to 72 hours . palladium - catalyzed boronic acid couplings are described in miyaura , n ., yanagi , t ., suzuki , a . syn . comm . 1981 , 11 , 7 , p . 513 . the compound of formula ii , wherein l is br , can be prepared from a compound of formula iv by reaction with a suitable bromination reagent such as phenyl trimethylammonium tribromide , n - bromosuccinimide , pyridinium bromide , perbromide , br 2 or br 2 - ph 3 p , preferably n - bromosuccinimide . the bromination may be carried out in a reaction inert solvent such as n , n - dimethylformamide , diethyl ether or tetrahydrofuran , preferably n , n - dimethylformamide . the aforesaid reaction is conducted at a temperature of about − 78 ° c . to about 40 ° c . preferably about − 78 ° c . to about 0 ° c . for a time period between about 1 hour to about 16 hours . preferably , the reaction is conducted in the presence of a base such as lithium bis ( trimethylsilyl ) amide . the compound of formula iv can be prepared from a compound of the formula v by reaction with tosylmethyl isocyanide in the presence of a base in a solvent . suitable bases include alkali metal carbonates or hydroxide bases , preferably potassium carbonate . suitable solvents for the aforesaid reaction include hexane , methylene chloride , alcohols , n , n - dimethylformamide ( dmf ), n , n - dimethylacetamide or n - methylpyrrolidinone ( nmp ) preferably methanol . the aforesaid reaction may be run at a temperature between about 30 ° c . and 180 ° c ., preferably about 65 ° c ., for about 30 minutes to 24 hours , preferably about 2 hours . alternatively , a compound of the formula i can be prepared from aldehydes of formula v by reaction with an isocyanide of formula in the presence of a base . suitable bases include potassium carbonate , triethylamine , and piperazine , preferably potassium carbonate . suitable solvents include polar solvents such as tetrahydrofuran , acetonitrile or n , n - dimethylformamide , preferably in acetonitrile or thf . the aforesaid reaction may be run at a temperature between about 22 ° c . and about 70 ° c ., preferably at about 22 ° c . for a period from about 2 hours to about 4 hours , followed by about 6 hours to about 10 hours at a temperature of about 70 ° c . with a dehydrating agent such as pocl 3 , and a weak hindered base such as 2 , 6 - lutidine or 2 , 4 , 6 - trimethyl pyridine . preferably the reaction is performed in the presence of a solvent such as tetrahydrofuran , dimethyl ether or methylene chloride . the aforesaid reaction may be run at a temperature between about − 20 ° c . and about 50 ° c ., preferably at about 0 ° c . to about room temperature for a period from about 2 hours to about 48 hours , preferably about 24 hours . scheme 2 refers to the preparation of compounds of the formula v which are intermediates useful in the preparation of compounds of the formula i in scheme i . referring to scheme 2 , compounds of formula v are prepared from compounds of formula vi by a formylation reaction . suitable conditions for formylation include reaction with an ( c 1 - c 6 ) alkyl magnesium halide or ( c 1 - c 6 ) alkyl lithium , followed by reaction with a disubstituted formamide reagent . preferably the work - up of the aforesaid reaction is done in the absence of a strong acid or base , such as with aqueous citric acid or potassium phosphate . the aforesaid reaction is performed in a solvent such as tetrahydrofuran at a temperature of about − 30 ° c . to about 50 ° c ., for a period of time of about 5 minutes to about 24 hours , followed by the addition of n , n - dimethylformamide at a temperature of about 0 ° c ., followed by a period of time of about 2 hours to about 24 hours at a temperature of about 40 ° c . to about 100 ° c . compounds of formula vi are prepared as described in the literature ( moran , d . b . ; morton , g . o . ; albright , j . d ., j . heterocycl . chem ., vol . 23 , pp . 1071 - 1077 ( 1986 )) or from compounds of formula vii , wherein l ′ is bromo or iodo , by reaction with a cyclization reagent such as acid anhydride or an acid chloride , more preferably isobutyl chlorate or a reagent of the formula y —( c ═ o ) r i . compounds of formula viii are commercially available . the compounds of the formulae i , ii , iv and v which are basic in nature are capable of forming a wide variety of different salts with various inorganic and organic acids . although such salts must be pharmaceutically acceptable for administration to animals , it is often desirable in practice to initially isolate a compound of the formula i from the reaction mixture as a pharmaceutically unacceptable salt and then simply convert the latter back to the free base compound by treatment with an alkaline reagent , and subsequently convert the free base to a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt . the acid addition salts of the base compounds of this invention are readily prepared by treating the base compound with a substantially equivalent amount of the chosen mineral or organic acid in an aqueous solvent medium or in a suitable organic solvent such as methanol or ethanol . upon careful evaporation of the solvent , the desired solid salt is obtained . the acids which are used to prepare the pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts of the base compounds of this invention are those which form non - toxic acid addition salts , i . e ., salts containing pharmacologically acceptable anions , such as hydrochloride , hydrobromide , hydroiodide , nitrate , sulfate or bisulfate , phosphate or acid phosphate , acetate , lactate , citrate or acid citrate , tartrate or bitartrate , succinate , maleate , fumarate , gluconate , saccharate , benzoate , methanesulfonate and pamoate [ i . e ., 1 , 1 ′- methylene - bis -( 2 - hydroxy - 3 - naphthoate )] salts . those compounds of the formulae i , ii , iv and v which are also acidic in nature , e . g ., where r 1 - r 9 includes a cooh or tetrazole moiety , are capable of forming base salts with various pharmacologically acceptable cations . examples of such salts include the alkali metal or alkaline - earth metal salts and particularly , the sodium and potassium salts . these salts are all prepared by conventional techniques . the chemical bases which are used as reagents to prepare the pharmaceutically acceptable base salts of this invention are those which form non - toxic base salts with the herein described acidic compounds of formula i . these non - toxic base salts include those derived from such pharmacologically acceptable cations as sodium , potassium , calcium and magnesium , etc . these salts can easily be prepared by treating the corresponding acidic compounds with an aqueous solution containing the desired pharmacologically acceptable cations , and then evaporating the resulting solution to dryness , preferably under reduced pressure . alternatively , they may also be prepared by mixing lower alkanolic solutions of the acidic compounds and the desired alkali metal alkoxide together , and then evaporating the resulting solution to dryness in the same manner as before . in either case , stoichiometric quantities of reagents are preferably employed in order to ensure completeness of reaction and maximum product yields . the activity of the compounds of the invention for the various disorders described above can be determined according to one or more of the following assays . all of the compounds of the invention , that were tested , had an ic 50 of less than 10 μm in the tnfα and mapkap in vitro assays and an ed 50 of less than 50 mg / kg in the in vivo tnfα assay . the compounds of the present invention also possess differential activity ( i . e . are selective for ) for one or more p38 kinases ( i . e . α , β , γ , and δ ). certain compounds are selective for p38α over p38β , γ , and δ , other compounds are selective for p38β over p38α , γ , and δ , other compounds are selective for p38 α and β over p38 γ and δ . selectivity is measured in standard assays as a ic 50 ratio of inhibition in each assay . mononuclear cells are isolated from heparinized blood ( 1 . 5 ml of 1000 units / ml heparin for injection , elkins - sinn , inc . added to each 50 ml sample ) using accuspin system - histopaque - 1077 tubes ( sigma a - 7054 ). thirty - five milliliters of whole blood are added of each tube and the tubes are centrifuged at 2100 rpm for 20 minutes in a beckman gs - 6kr centrifuge with the brake off at room temperature . the mononuclear cells which collect at the interface are removed , diluted with macrophage serum free medium ( gibco - brl ) ( medium ) to achieve a final volume of 50 ml , and collected by centrifugation for 10 minutes . the supernatant is discarded and the cell pellet is washed 2 times with 50 ml of medium . a sample of the suspended cells is taken before the second wash for counting . based on this count , the washed cells are diluted with medium containing 1 % fbs to a final concentration of 2 . 7 × 10 6 cells / ml and 75 μl of the cell suspension is added to each well of a 96 well plate . compounds are routinely tested at final concentrations from 2 μm to 0 . 016 μm , but may be tested at other concentrations , depending on activity . test agents are diluted with dmso to a final concentration of 2 mm . from this stock solution , compounds are first diluted 1 : 25 ( 5 μl of 2 mm stock + 120 μl medium containing 400 ng / ml lps and 1 % fbs then 40 μl of this dilution is diluted with 360 μl of medium with lps . serial dilutions ( 1 / 5 ) are performed by transferring 20 μl of this dilution to 80 μl of medium containing both lps and 0 . 4 % dmso , resulting in solutions containing 8 μm , 1 . 6 μm , 0 . 32 μm and 0 . 064 μm of test agent . the assay is initiated by adding 25 μl of the diluted compounds to the mononuclear cell suspension and incubating the cells at 37 c and 5 % co 2 for 4 hours . the 96 - well plates are then centrifuged for 10 minutes at 2000 rpm at 4 ° c . in a beckman gs - 6kr centrifuge to remove cells and cell debris . a 90 μl aliquot of each supernatant is removed and transferred to a 96 well round bottom plate , and this plate is centrifuged a second time to insure that all cell debris is removed . 80 μl of the supernatant is removed and transferred to a new round bottom plate . supernatants are analyzed for tnf - α content using r & amp ; d elisa . 25 μl of each sample is added to an elisa well containing 25 μl of assay diluent rd1f and 75 μl of assay diluent rd5 . the assay is run following kit directions except 100 μl of conjugate and substrate solutions are used . the amount of tnf - α immunoreactivity in the samples is calculated as follows : total = od 450 of cells that were treated with 0 . 1 % dmso only . mononuclear cells are collected from heparinized human blood as detailed above . the washed cells are seeded into 6 - well cluster plates at a density of 1 × 10 7 cells / well ( in 2 ml of medium ). the plates are incubated at 37 ° c . in a 5 % co 2 environment for 2 hours to allow adherence of the monocytes , after which time media supernatants containing non - adherent cells are removed by aspiration and 2 ml of fresh medium are added to each well . plates are incubated overnight at 37 ° c . in a 5 % co 2 environment . media are removed by aspiration . the attached cells are rinsed twice with fresh medium , then 2 ml of d - mem medium containing 10 % heat inactivated fbs are added to each well . test compounds are prepared as 30 mm stock solutions in dmso and diluted to 1250 , 250 , 50 , 10 , 2 , and 0 . 4 μm in d - mem containing 1 % dmso and 10 % fbs . to individual wells of the monocyte cultures , 20 μl of these test agent dilutions are added resulting in final test agent concentrations of 12 . 5 , 2 . 5 , 0 . 5 , 0 . 1 , 0 . 02 and 0 . 004 μm . after a 10 minute preincubation period , 20 μl of a 10 μg / ml lps solution are added to each well and the plates are incubated at 37 ° c . for 30 minutes . media subsequently are removed by aspiration , the attached monocytes are rinsed twice with phosphate buffered saline , then 1 ml of phosphate buffered saline containing 1 % triton x - 100 ( lysis buffer ; also containing 1 complete ™ tablet [ boehringer # 1697498 ] per 10 ml of buffer ) is added to each well . the plates are incubated on ice for 10 minutes , after which the lysates are harvested and transferred to centrifugation tubes . after all samples are harvested , they are clarified by centrifugation ( 45 , 000 rpm for 20 minutes ) and the supernatants recovered . 5 μl of anti - mapkap kinase - 2 antiserum ( upstate biotechnology # 06 - 534 ) is added to a microcentrifuge tube ( 1 tube for each of the above cell lysates ) containing 1 ml of a 5 % suspension of protein g - sepharose ( sigma # p3296 ) in pbs . these mixtures are incubated for 1 hour at 4 ° c . ( with rocking ) after which the beads , containing bound igg , are recovered by centrifugation and washed twice with 1 ml of 50 mm tris , ph 7 . 5 , 1 mm edta , 1 mm egta , 0 . 5 mm orthovanadate , 0 . 1 % 2 - mercaptoethanol , 1 % triton x - 100 , 5 mm sodium pyrophosphate , 10 mm sodium β - glycerophosphate , 0 . 1 mm phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride , 1 μg / ml leupeptin , 1 μg / ml pepstatin , and 50 mm sodium fluoride ( buffer a ) by repeated centrifugation . an individual monocyte cell extract ( prepared above ) is then transferred to each tube containing a pellet of igg - coated protein g - sepharose , and these mixtures are incubated for 2 hours at 4 ° c . ( with rocking ). the beads subsequently are harvested by centrifugation , and the resulting bead pellets are washed once with 0 . 5 ml of buffer a containing 0 . 5 m nacl , once with 0 . 5 ml of buffer a , and once with 0 . 1 ml of a buffer composed of 20 mm mops , ph 7 . 2 , 25 mm sodium β - glycerophosphate 5 mm egta , 1 mm orthovanadate , and 1 mm dithiothreitol ( buffer b ). a kinase reaction mixture stock is prepared as follows : 2 . 2 μl of 10 mci / ml γ [ 32 p ] atp , 88 μl of 1 . 3 μg / ml solution of mapkap kinase - 2 substrate peptide ( upstate biotechnology # 12 - 240 ), 11 μl of 10 mm atp , 8 . 8 μl of 1 m mgcl 2 , and 770 μl of buffer b . to each of the immune complex - protein g - pellets , 40 μl of the kinase reaction mixture are added and the tubes are incubated for 30 minutes at 30 ° c . the tubes then are clarified by centrifugation and 25 μl of each supernatant is spotted onto a p81 filter paper disk ( whatman # 3698 - 023 ). after allowing all fluid to soak into the filter , each disk is placed into an individual well of 6 - well cluster plates and the filters are washed sequentially with 2 ml of 0 . 75 % phosphoric acid ( 3 washes / 15 minutes each ) and once with acetone ( 10 minutes ). the filters then are air dried and transferred to liquid scintillation vials containing 5 ml of scintillation fluid . radioactivity is determined in a liquid scintillation counter . the amount of radioactivity bound to the filter at each test agent concentration is expressed as a percentage of that observed from cells stimulated with lps in the absence of a test agent . rats were weighed and dosed with vehicle ( 0 . 5 % methyl cellulose , sigma ) or drug . one hour later , animals were injected i . p . with lps ( 50 ug / rat , sigma l - 4130 ). ninety minutes later , animals were sacrificed by asphyxiation with co 2 and bled by cardiac puncture . blood was collected in vaccutainer tubes and spun for 20 minutes at 3000 rpm . serum was assayed for tnfα levels using an elisa ( r & amp ; d systems ). this invention also encompasses pharmaceutical compositions containing and methods of treating or preventing comprising administering prodrugs of compounds of the formula i . compounds of formula i having free amino , amido , hydroxy or carboxylic groups can be converted into prodrugs . prodrugs include compounds wherein an amino acid residue , or a polypeptide chain of two or more ( e . g ., two , three or four ) amino acid residues which are covalently joined through peptide bonds to free amino , hydroxy or carboxylic acid groups of compounds of formula i . the amino acid residues include the 20 naturally occurring amino acids commonly designated by three letter symbols and also include , 4 - hydroxyproline , hydroxylysine , demosine , isodemosine , 3 - methylhistidine , norvalin , beta - alanine , gamma - aminobutyric acid , citrulline homocysteine , homoserine , ornithine and methionine sulfone . prodrugs also include compounds wherein carbonates , carbamates , amides and alkyl esters which are covalently bonded to the above substituents of formula i through the carbonyl carbon prodrug sidechain . the compositions of the present invention may be formulated in a conventional manner using one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers . thus , the active compounds of the invention may be formulated for oral , buccal , intranasal , parenteral ( e . g ., intravenous , intramuscular or subcutaneous ) or rectal administration or in a form suitable for administration by inhalation or insufflation . for oral administration , the pharmaceutical compositions may take the form of , for example , tablets or capsules prepared by conventional means with pharmaceutically acceptable excipients such as binding agents ( e . g ., pregelatinized maize starch , polyvinylpyrrolidone or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose ); fillers ( e . g ., lactose , microcrystalline cellulose or calcium phosphate ); lubricants ( e . g ., magnesium stearate , talc or silica ); disintegrants ( e . g ., potato starch or sodium starch glycolate ); or wetting agents ( e . g ., sodium lauryl sulphate ). the tablets may be coated by methods well known in the art . liquid preparations for oral administration may take the form of , for example , solutions , syrups or suspensions , or they may be presented as a dry product for constitution with water or other suitable vehicle before use . such liquid preparations may be prepared by conventional means with pharmaceutically acceptable additives such as suspending agents ( e . g ., sorbitol syrup , methyl cellulose or hydrogenated edible fats ); emulsifying agents ( e . g ., lecithin or acacia ); non - aqueous vehicles ( e . g ., almond oil , oily esters or ethyl alcohol ); and preservatives ( e . g ., methyl or propyl p - hydroxybenzoates or sorbic acid ). for buccal administration , the composition may take the form of tablets or lozenges formulated in conventional manner . the compounds of formula i can also be formulated for sustained delivery according to methods well known to those of ordinary skill in the art . examples of such formulations can be found in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 538 , 214 , 4 , 060 , 598 , 4 , 173 , 626 , 3 , 119 , 742 , and 3 , 492 , 397 , which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety . the active compounds of the invention may be formulated for parenteral administration by injection , including using conventional catheterization techniques or infusion . formulations for injection may be presented in unit dosage form , e . g ., in ampules or in multi - dose containers , with an added preservative . the compositions may take such forms as suspensions , solutions or emulsions in oily or aqueous vehicles , and may contain formulating agents such as suspending , stabilizing and / or dispersing agents . alternatively , the active ingredient may be in powder form for reconstitution with a suitable vehicle , e . g ., sterile pyrogen - free water , before use . the active compounds of the invention may also be formulated in rectal compositions such as suppositories or retention enemas , e . g ., containing conventional suppository bases such as cocoa butter or other glycerides . for intranasal administration or administration by inhalation , the active compounds of the invention are conveniently delivered in the form of a solution or suspension from a pump spray container that is squeezed or pumped by the patient or as an aerosol spray presentation from a pressurized container or a nebulizer , with the use of a suitable propellant , e . g ., dichlorodifluoromethane , trichlorofluoromethane , dichlorotetrafluoroethane , carbon dioxide or other suitable gas . in the case of a pressurized aerosol , the dosage unit may be determined by providing a valve to deliver a metered amount . the pressurized container or nebulizer may contain a solution or suspension of the active compound . capsules and cartridges ( made , for example , from gelatin ) for use in an inhaler or insufflator may be formulated containing a powder mix of a compound of the invention and a suitable powder base such as lactose or starch . a proposed dose of the active compounds of the invention for oral , parenteral or buccal administration to the average adult human for the treatment of the conditions referred to above ( e . g ., inflammation ) is 0 . 1 to 200 mg of the active ingredient per unit dose which could be administered , for example , 1 to 4 times per day . aerosol formulations for treatment of the conditions referred to above ( e . g ., adult respiratory distress syndrome ) in the average adult human are preferably arranged so that each metered dose or “ puff ” of aerosol contains 20 μg to 1000 μg of the compound of the invention . the overall daily dose with an aerosol will be within the range 100 μg to 10 mg . administration may be several times daily , for example 2 , 3 , 4 or 8 times , giving for example , 1 , 2 or 3 doses each time . aerosol combination formulations for treatment of the conditions referred to above in the average adult human are preferably arranged so that each metered dose or “ puff ” of aerosol contains from about 0 . 01 mg to about 100 mg of the active compound of this invention , preferably from about 1 mg to about 10 mg of such compound . administration may be several times daily , for example 2 , 3 , 4 or 8 times , giving for example , 1 , 2 or 3 doses each time . aerosol formulations for treatment of the conditions referred to above in the average adult human are preferably arranged so that each metered dose or “ puff ” of aerosol contains from about 0 . 01 mg to about 2000 mg of an erk kinase inhibitor , preferably from about 1 mg to about 200 mg of p38 kinase inhibitor . administration may be several times daily , for example 2 , 3 , 4 or 8 times , giving for example , 1 , 2 or 3 doses each time . the following examples illustrate the preparation of the compounds of the present invention . melting points are uncorrected . nmr data are reported in parts per million ( d ) and are referenced to the deuterium lock signal from the sample solvent ( deuteriochloroform unless otherwise specified ). mass spectral data were obtained using a micromass zmd apci mass spectrometer equipped with a gilson gradient high performance liquid chromatograph . the following solvents and gradients were used for the analysis . solvent a ; 98 % water / 2 % acetonirile / 0 . 01 % formic acid and solvent b ; acetonitrile containing 0 . 005 % formic acid . typically , a gradient was run over a period of about 4 minutes starting at 95 % solvent a and ending with 100 % solvent b . the mass spectrum of the major eluting component was then obtained in positive or negative ion mode scanning a molecular weight range from 165 amu to 1100 amu . specific rotations were measured at room temperature using the sodium d line ( 589 nm ). commercial reagents were utilized without further purification . thf refers to tetrahydrofuran . dmf refers to n , n - dimethylformamide . chromatography refers to column chromatography performed using 32 - 63 mm silica gel and executed under nitrogen pressure ( flash chromatography ) conditions . room or ambient temperature refers to 20 - 25 ° c . all non - aqueous reactions were run under a nitrogen atmosphere for convenience and to maximize yields . concentration at reduced pressure means that a rotary evaporator was used . one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that in some cases , protecting groups may be required during preparation . after the target molecule is prepared , the protecting group can be removed by methods well known to those of ordinary skill in the art , such as described in greene and wuts , protective groups in organic synthesis , ( 2 nd ed ., john wiley & amp ; sons , 1991 ). a 12l three - necked round - bottomed flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer and a condenser , connected on top with a nitrogen bubbler and a thermometer , was charged with 2 , 5 - dibromopyridine ( 442 g , 1 . 87moles ), hydrazine hydrate ( 55 % wt ., 1057 ml , 18 . 7 moles ), poly ( ethylene glycol ) ( average m n about 300 , 1 . 87 l ), 2 - butanol ( 373 ml ) and water ( 1 . 87 l ). the mixture was heated at reflux for 29 hours . the heating source was removed and the mixture was stirred for an additional 20 hours . to the resulting slurry , cold water ( 2 . 2 l ) was added . the slurry was stirred for an additional 30 minutes and filtered . the cake was washed with cold water ( 3 × 200 ml ) and dried in a vacuum - oven ( 40 ° c .) for 48 hours . the title compound was obtained as off - white flakes ( 305 g , yield 87 %). gcms ( m / z ): 187 ( m +). h 1 nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 8 . 14 ( d , j = 2 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 55 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 / 2 . 0 hz , 1h ), 6 . 66 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h ), 5 . 89 ( brs , 1h ), 3 . 65 ( brs , 2h ). a 500 ml three - necked round - bottomed flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer and a condenser , connected on top to a nitrogen bubbler and a thermometer , was charged with 5bromo - pyridin - 2 - yl - hydrazine ( 43 . 4 g , 0 . 231 moles ) and isobutyryl chloride ( 218 ml , 2 . 08 moles ). the mixture was gently refluxed for 3 hours . the heating source was then replaced with an ice - water bath and the slurry cooled to room temperature . hexane ( 220 ml ) was added and the slurry stirred at room temperature for 15 minutes and filtered . the cake was washed with hexane ( 3 × 70 ml ) and then dried in a vacuum - oven ( 35 ° c .) for 48 hours . the title compound was obtained as an off - white powder ( 58 . 96 g , yield 92 . 3 %). a 5l three - necked round - bottomed flask , equipped with a mechanical stirrer and a thermometer , was charged with 6 - bromo - 3 - isopropyl -[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazolo ( 4 , 3 - a ) pyridine hydrochloride ( 587 . 0 g , 2 . 12 moles ), water ( 1 . 2 l ) and dichloromethane ( 1 . 8 l ). the biphasic mixture was cooled to 5 to 10 ° c . using an ice - water bath . sodium hydroxide ( 1n aqueous solution ) ( 2 . 15 l ) was added over a period of 10 minutes . the mixture was stirred in the bath for 15 minutes . the organic layer was then isolated and the aqueous layer extracted with dichloromethane ( 600 ml ). the combined organic extracts are washed with 1 : 1 brine - water ( 2 l ) and dried ( mgso 4 ). most of dichloromethane was removed by rotary evaporation . ethyl acetate ( 800 ml ) was then added . after removing about 400 ml of solvents , hexane ( 3 . 2 l ) was added . the slurry was stirred in an ice - water bath for 2 hours and then filtered . the cake was washed with 9 : 1 hexane - ethyl acetate ( 3 × 150 ml ) and dried in a vacuum - oven ( 30 - 35 ° c .) for 18 hours . the title compound ( 471 . 6 g , yield 92 . 5 %), was obtained as a tan sandy powder . h 1 nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 8 . 06 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 64 ( d , j = 9 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 24 ( d , j = 9 . 5 hz , 1h ), 3 . 33 ( m , j = 7 . 0 hz , 1h ), 1 . 52 ( d , j = 7 . 0 hz , 6h ). a 12l three - necked round - bottomed flask , equipped with a mechanical stirrer , an addition funnel and a thermometer , was charged with 6 - bromo - 3 - isopropyl -[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazolo ( 4 , 3 - a ) pyridine ( 200 . 0 g , 0 . 833 moles ) and tetrahydrofuran ( j . t . baker , low water 2 . 0 l ). the solution was cooled to − 8 ° c . using an acetone / dry ice bath . a solution of isopropylmagnesium chloride in tetrahydrofuran ( 2 . 0m , 500 ml , 1 . 0 mole ) l ) was added via the addition funnel over a period of 55 minutes . the resulting brownish slurry was stirred between − 4 to 0 ° c . for 30 minutes . dimethylformamide ( aldrich , anhydrous , 155 ml , 2 . 0 moles ) was added via an addition funnel over a period of 5 minutes . the cooling bath was replaced with a heating mantle and the addition funnel was replaced with a condenser . the slurry was heated to 55 ° c . and stirred at this temperature for 2 hours . the reaction mixture was cooled to 15 ° c . and dichloromethane ( 3 l ) was added . the slurry was slowly poured into a stirred and ice - water cooled ( 15 ° c .) 10 % by weight aqueous solution of citric acid ( 3 kg ) over a period of 5 minutes . the biphasic mixture was stirred at 17 to 20 ° c . for 30 minutes . the organic layer was then isolated and the aqueous layer extracted with dichloromethane ( 5 × 1l ). the combined organic extracts were washed with 1 : 1 v / v brine - water ( 2 l ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and concentrated . to the brownish residual solid was added ethyl acetate ( 800 ml ). the slurry was stirred at room temperature for 10 minutes at which time hexane ( 800 ml ) was added . the slurry was stirred at room temperature for 2 more hours and filtered . the cake was washed with 1 : 1 v / v hexane - ethyl acetate ( 3 × 150 ml ) and dried in a vacuum - oven ( 30 - 35 ° c .) for 18 hours . the title compound was obtained as a yellowish sandy powder ( 126 . 6 g , yield 80 %). gcms ( m / z ): 189 ( m +). h 1 nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 10 . 00 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 49 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 79 ( d , j = 9 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 68 ( d , j = 9 . 5 hz , 1h ), 3 . 47 ( m , j = 7 . 0 hz , 1h ), 1 . 56 ( d , j = 7 . 0 hz , 6h ). a 5l three - necked round - bottomed flask , equipped with a mechanical stirrer and a thermometer , was charged with p - toluenesulfinic acid , sodium salt hydrate ( aldrich , ch 3 c 6 h 4 so 2 na . xh 2 o , 392 . 0 g ), tap water ( 2l ) and methyl t - butyl ether ( 2l ). the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 10 minutes at which time hydrochloric acid ( 37 % wt . in water , 142 ml , 1 . 2 moles ) was added over a period of 5 minutes . the biphasic mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes . the organic layer was then isolated and the aqueous layer extracted with methyl t - butyl ether ( 500 ml ). the combined organic extracts were concentrated to a residual white semi - solid , which was diluted with toluene ( 700 ml ). most of solvents were removed and hexane ( 1 . 8l ) was then added . the slurry was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes and filtered . the cake was washed with hexane ( 2 × 300 ml ) and dried in a vacuum - oven ( 30 - 35 ° c .) for 3 hours . the product , p - toluenesulfinic acid ( 240 . 0 g ,), was obtained as a white powder . a 5l three - necked round - bottomed flask , equipped with a mechanical stirrer , a condenser and a thermometer , was charged with 2 , 5 - difluorobenzaldehyde ( 142 . 11 g , 1 mole ). toluene ( 500 ml ), acetonitrile ( 500 ml ), formamide ( 99 . 3 ml , 2 . 5 moles ) and chlorotrimethylsilane ( 139 . 6 ml , 1 . 1 moles ) were added respectively . the cloudy mixture was heated to 50 ° c . and stirred at this temperature for 7 hours . p - toluenesulfinic acid ( 218 . 68 g , 1 . 4 moles ) was added . the mixture was stirred at 50 ° c . for 6 hours and then 13 hours at room temperature . methyl t - butyl ether ( 1 . 8 l ) and water ( 1 . 7 l ) were then added . the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 15 minutes at which time the organic layer was separated . the aqueous layer was extracted with methyl t - butyl ether ( 500 ml ). most of the solvents were removed from the combined organic extracts . to the residual white semi - solid , hexane ( 1l ) and water ( 1 l ) were added . the slurry was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes and filtered . the cake was washed with hexane ( 2 × 200 ml ) and dried in a vacuum - oven ( 30 ° c .) for 18 hours . the product , n -[( 2 , 5 - difluoro - phenyl )-( toluene - 4 - sulfonyl )- methyl ]- formamide ( 258 . 3 g , yield 79 %,), was obtained as a white powder . a 5l three - necked round - bottomed flask , equipped with a mechanical stirrer , an addition funnel and a thermometer , was charged with n -[( 2 , 5 - difluoro - phenyl )-( toluene - 4 - sulfonyl )- methyl ]- formamide ( 207 . 0 g , 0 . 636 moles ) and tetrahydrofuran ( j . t . baker , low water , 1 . 5 l ). phosphorous oxychloride ( 118 . 6 ml , 1 . 27 moles ) was quickly poured into the reaction mixture ( less than 5 minutes ). the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 10 minutes and then cooled to 4 ° c . using an ice / water bath . 2 , 6 - lutidine ( 445 ml , 3 . 82 moles ) was added via the addition funnel over a period of 30 minutes . the cooling bath was then removed and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 18 hours . the reaction mixture was poured into a stirred and ice - water cooled solution of 1 . 5 kg of ice and 1 . 1 l of saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate ( nahco 3 ). the mixture was then extracted with ethyl acetate ( 2l plus 1 . 5 l ). the combined organic extracts were washed with 1n aqueous hydrochloric acid ( 3 l ), saturated aqueous nahco 3 ( 3l ) and brine ( 3l ); and then dried ( mgso4 ). after removing all solvents , isopropanol ( 1 . 8 l ) was added to the residual brownish solid . the resulting slurry was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours . water ( 0 . 9 l ) was added and the slurry was stirred for additional 30 minutes at room temperature and then filtered . the cake was washed with 2 : 1 isopropanol - water ( 2 × 500 ml ) and dried in a vacuum - oven ( 30 ° c .) for 48 hours . the product , [ α -( p - toluenesulfonyl )- 2 , 5 - difluorobenzyl ] isonitrile ( 133 . 4 g , yield 68 %,), was obtained as a brownish powder . h 1 nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ , 7 . 7 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 2h ) 7 . 41 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 2h ), 7 . 18 ( m , 3h ), 5 . 91 ( s , 1h ), 2 . 50 ( s . 3h ). to a clean a dry nitrogen purged acetone boiled out 100 gallon glass lined reactor was charged , 7 . 9 kg of n -[( 2 , 5 - difluoro - phenyl )-( toluene - 4 - sulfonyl )- methyl ]- formamide ( 24 , moles ), 16 gallons of tetrahydrofuran and 7 . 8 kg of phosphorous oxychloride ( 51 moles ). the batch was allowed to stir at 20 ° c . for 30 minutes and then cooled to 3 . 5 ° c . to the batch was added 15 . 8 kg of 2 , 6 - lutidine ( 146 moles ) over 15 minutes . the reaction mixture was allowed to warm to 23 ° c . and was stirred for 17 hours at 23 ° c . the reaction was judged complete by hplc and was charged to a 40 gallon solution of 10 % sodium bicarbonate at 22 ° c ., and the contents were allowed to stir for 30 minutes . to the batch was then added 25 gallons of ethyl acetate and the layers were separated . the water layer was backwashed with 9 gallons of ethyl acetate and the product rich ethyl acetate combined with the first wash . the product rich ethyl acetate layers were added to a 10 % citric acid solution ( 20 gallons ) and then stirred . the organic layer was checked by hplc for 2 , 6 lutidine and then separated . the organic layer was washed with 10 gallons of saturated nacl and dried over 7 . 9 kg of magnesium sulfate . the drying agents were removed by filtration and the cake was washed with 4 gallons of ethyl acetate . the ethyl acetate layer was concentrated to 7 gallons under vacuum at an internal temperature of 24 ° c . the batch was then added to 11 gallons of ipo at 21 ° c . and allowed to granulate at 4 ° c . for 12 hours . the product was isolated via filtration and washed with 4 gallons of 5 ° c . ipo . the product was then dried at 34 ° c . for 22 hours with nitrogen bleed to recover 5 . 0 kg of the title compound ( 66 % yield ). a 5l three - necked round - bottomed flask , equipped with a mechanical stirrer , a condenser and a thermometer , was charged with [ α -( p - toluenesulfonyl )- 2 , 5difluorobenzyl ] isonitrile ( 179 . 4 g , 0 . 584 moles ), 3 - isopropyl -[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazolo ( 4 , 3 - a )- 6pyridinecarboxaldehyde ( 110 . 46 g , 0 . 584 moles ), potassium carbonate ( aldrich , & lt ; 325 mesh , 104 . 88 g , 0 . 759 moles ) and acetonitrile ( 1 . 75 l ). the mixture was heated at reflux and stirred for 22 hours . the reaction mixture was then cooled to room temperature and poured into a stirred solution of 2 kg of ice and 5 kg of water . the resulting slurry was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours and filtered . the brownish solid was washed with water ( 2 × 500 ml ) and dried in a vacuum - oven ( 30 ° c .) for 48 hours . the crude product ( 180 g ) was purified over a silica gel column ( 1 . 1 kg ) and eluted with 1 : 1 ethyl acetate - hexane ( to remove less polar impurities ), ethyl acetate and finally 20 : 1 ethyl acetate - methanol . the fractions containing mainly the product were combined and concentrated to small volume ( about 600 ml ). the resulting slurry was filtered . the cake was washed with ethyl acetate and dried in a vacuum - oven ( 30 ° c .) for 18 hours . the light brownish powder ( 142 g ) was further purified by recrystallization from isopropanol ( 800 ml ). 6 -[ 4 -( 2 , 6 - difluoro - phenyl )- oxazol - 5 - yl ]- 3 - isopropyl [ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazolo [ 4 , 3 - a ] pyridine was obtained as a light - tan powder ( 142 . 1 g , yield 61 %). melting point 175 . 7 - 176 . 2 ° c . elemental analysis , found : c 63 . 54 %, h 4 . 08 %, n 16 . 56 ; analytical calculated for : c 63 . 52 %, h 4 . 15 %, n 16 . 46 %. lcms ( m / z ): 341 ( m + 1 ). 1 hnmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 8 . 18 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 12 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 89 ( d , 1h , j = 9 . 6 hz ), 7 . 46 - 7 . 51 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 37 ( d , 1h j = 9 . 6 hz ), 7 . 05 - 7 . 1 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 33 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 48 ( d , 6h , j = 7 . 1 hz ). crude 6 -[ 4 -( 2 , 5 - difluoro - phenyl )- oxazol - 5 - yl ]- 3 - isopropyl -[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazolo [ 4 , 3 - a ] pyridine ( 5 . 0 g ) was dissolved in isopropanol ( 40 ml ). hydrochloric acid ( 13 . 3 % weight ) in isopropanol ( 4 . 4 g ) was added . the resulting slurry was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes and filtered . the cake was washed with isopropanol and dried in a vacuum oven ( 80 ° c .) for 2 hours . 6 -[ 4 -( 2 , 5 - difluoro - phenyl )- oxazol - 5 - yl ]- 3 - isopropyl -[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazolo [ 4 , 3 - a ] pyridine hydrogen chloride was obtained as an off - white solid ( 2 . 8 g , yield 50 %). [ 0225 ] 1 hnmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 8 . 49 ( d , j = 9 . 5 hz , 1h ), 8 . 38 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 16 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 90 ( d , j = 9 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 53 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 13 - 7 . 23 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 43 - 3 . 50 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 55 ( d , j = 7 . 1 hz , 6h ). 6 -[ 4 -( 2 , 5 - difluoro - phenyl ]- oxazo [- 5 - yl ]- 3 - isopropyl -[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazolo [ 4 , 3 - a ] pyridine ( 5 . 10 g , 15 mmol ) was dissolved in isopropanol ( 25 ml ). a solution of methanesulfonic acid ( 1 . 44 g , 15 mmol ) in isopropanol ( 15 ml ) was added . the resulting slurry was stirred at room temperature for 3 hours and filtered . the cake was washed with isopropanol and dried in a vacuum oven ( 80 ° c .) for 4 hours . 6 -[ 4 -( 2 , 5 - difluoro - phenyl )- oxazol - 5 - yl ]- 3 - isopropyl -[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazolo [ 4 , 3 - a ] pyridine methanesulfonate was obtained as an off - white powder ( 6 . 03 g , yield 92 %). [ 0227 ] 1 hnmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 8 . 67 ( d , j = 9 . 5 hz , 1h ), 8 . 38 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 15 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( d , j = 9 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 46 - 7 . 50 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 13 - 7 . 22 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 44 - 3 . 51 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 86 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 54 ( d , j = 7 . 1 hz , 6h ). to 6 -[ 4 -( 2 , 5 - difluoro - phenyl )- oxazol - 5 - yl ]- 3 - isopropyl -[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazolo [ 4 , 3 - a ] pyridine ( 5 . 0 g , 15 mmol ) slurried in acetone ( 50 ml ) was added p - toluenesulfonic acid ( 2 . 7g , 15 mmol ). the resulting slurry was heated to 50 ° c . to form a solution and was then cooled and stirred at room temperature for 12 hours and filtered . 6 -[ 4 -( 2 , 5 - difluoro - phenyl )- oxazol - 5 - yl ]- 3 - isopropyl -[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazolo [ 4 , 3 - a ] pyridine p - toluenesulfonate was obtained . to 6 -[ 4 -( 2 ,- difluoro - phenyl )- oxazo - 5 - yl ]- 3 - isopropyl -[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazolo [ 4 , 3 - a ] pyridine ( 5 . 0 g , 15 mmol ) slurried in acetone ( 50 ml ) was added sulfuric acid ( 850 μl ). the resulting slurry was heated to reflux to form a solution and was then cooled and stirred at room temperature for 12 hours and filtered to yield 4 . 2 grams of 6 -[ 4 -( 2 , 5 - difluoro - phenyl )- oxazol - 5 - yl ]- 3 - isopropyl -[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazolo [ 4 , 3 - a ] pyridine p - toluenesulfate . to a clean dry 5 liter round bottomed flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer , nitrogen bubbler , heating mantle , temperature controller , and condenser , was charged 3 - isopropyl -[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazolo ( 4 , 3 - a )- 6 - pyridinecarboxaldehyde ( 140 . 9 grams , 0 . 745 moles ), potassium carbonate ( 133 . 8 grams , 0 . 968 moles ), tosylmethyl isocyanide ( 146 . 9 grams , 0 . 745 moles ), and methanol ( 2114 ml ). this mixture was heated at reflux and stirred for 1 . 5 to 2 . 0 hours at 65 to 70 ° c . assay by hplc showed the reaction to be complete . the pot was concentrated atmospherically to about one third of original volume . water ( 1409 ml ), was added and the pot further concentrated to a pot temperature of 65 to 66 ° c . to remove the remaining methanol . after cooling , the desired product was extracted with methylene chloride ( 1409 ml ). the extraction was repeated twice with methylene chloride ( 2 times 705 ml ). the combined extracts were atmospherically concentrated and displaced with isopropyl alcohol ( 420 ml ). a thick slurry formed . hexanes ( 1690 ml ) were added and the slurry allowed to granulate for 12 to 16 hours at 20 to 25 ° c . the solids were collected by vacuum filtration , washed with hexanes , and dried to yield 111 . 45 grams , 97 . 8 % purity ( hplc ), 65 . 5 % of theory . [ 0232 ] 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ) δ 8 . 23 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 98 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 82 ( d , 1h , j = 9 . 5 hz ), 7 . 46 - 7 . 43 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 43 ( sept , 1h , j = 7 . 05 hz ), 1 . 56 ( d , 6h , j = 9 . 05 hz ); ms 229 ( m + + 1 ) a clean , dry , 1 liter 4 neck round bottom flask equipped with mechanical stirrer , temperature probe , and purged with nitrogen , was charged with 6 -[ oxazol - 5 - yl ]- 3 - isopropyl -[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazolo [ 4 , 3 - a ] pyridine ( 45 . 2 grams 0 . 198 moles ) and n , n - dimethylformamide ( 271 ml ). the pot was cooled below − 60 ° c . with a dry ice / acetone bath . lithium bis ( trimethylsilyl ) amide , 1 molar solution in tetrahydrofuran ( 198 ml 0 . 198 moles ), was added , keeping the temperature below − 60 ° c . after the addition was complete , the pot was further cooled to below − 70 ° c . and stirred for 1 hour . while stirring , a solution of n - bromosuccinimide ( 35 . 24 g 0 . 198 moles ) and n , n - dimethylformamide ( 105 ml ), were stirred in a separate 500 ml round bottom flask under nitrogen . after the one hour stir at − 70 ° c ., the solution of n - bromosuccinimide and n , n - dimethylformamide was slowly added to the anion keeping the temperature below − 70 ° c . after the addition , the reaction was continued for one hour below − 70 ° c . the batch was then warmed to room temperature and quenched into methylene chloride ( 452 ml ) and 1n sodium hydroxide ( 452 ml ). the organic layer was then separated . the aqueous layer was extracted a second time with methylene chloride ( 135 ml ). the combined organic phase was washed with 1n sodium hydroxide ( 452 ml ) and saturated brine solution ( 452 ml ). the organic phase was then dried over magnesium sulfate ( 50 grams ) and concentrated / displaced with isopropyl ether ( 226 ml ) to a temperature of 42 ° c . a thick slurry formed upon cooling . the solids were granulated at 20 to 25 ° c . for two hours , filtered , washed with isopropyl ether ( 50 ml ), and dried to afford 53 . 0 grams of light yellow solids , 96 . 4 % purity ( hplc ), 87 % of theory . [ 0235 ] 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ) δ 8 . 56 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 95 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 85 ( d , 1h , j = 9 . 5 hz ), 7 . 77 ( d , 1h , j = 9 . 5 hz ), 3 . 43 ( sept , 1h , j = 7 . 05 hz ), 1 . 56 ( d , 6h , j = 7 . 05 hz ); ms : 310 , 309 , 308 , 307 ( m + + 1 ). 6 -[ 4 - bromo - oxazol - 5 - yl ]- 3 - isopropyl -[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazolo [ 4 , 3 - a ] pyridine ( 33 . 0 grams , 0 . 107 moles ), difluorophenylboronic acid ( 25 . 34 grams , 0 . 1605 moles ), pd ( pph 3 ) 4 ( 12 . 36 grams , 0 . 0107 moles ), triethylamine ( 22 . 37 ml , 0 . 1605 moles ), 2b ethanol ( 495 ml ) and water ( 33 ml ), were added to a 2 liter 4 neck round bottom flask ( equipped with mechanical stirring , nitrogen , heating mantle , temperature controller , and a condenser ). the batch was stirred while heating to 65 to 70 ° c . the reaction was stirred overnight at about 70 ° c . additional difluorophenylboronic acid ( 8 . 5 grams , 0 . 054 moles ) and triethylamine ( 7 . 53 ml , 0 . 054 moles ), were added and the reaction was allowed to proceed overnight at 70 ° c . additional difluorophenylboronic acid ( 8 . 5 grams , 0 . 054 moles ) and triethylamine ( 7 . 53 ml , 0 . 054 moles ), were added and the reaction was allowed to proceed overnight once again at 70 ° c . toluene ( 30 ml ) was added and the reaction was allowed to go overnight once again at 70 ° c . the reaction sample showed no more starting material by hplc . water ( 495 ml ) was added to the batch and the pot granulated for 4 hours at 20 to 25 ° c . the solids were collected by vacuum filtration , washed with 2b ethanol / water 50 : 50 ( 25 ml of each ), and dried in a vacuum oven at 45 ° c . for 4 hours under full vacuum to afford 14 . 4 grams of the title compound ( 40 . 6 % yield , 93 . 4 % purity by hplc ). crude 3 - isopropyl - 6 -[ 4 -( 2 , 5 - difluoro - phenyl )- oxazol - 5 - yl ]-[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazolo [ 4 , 3 - a ] pyridine ( 5 . 0 grams ), darco g - 60 carbon ( 500 mg ), and isopropyl alcohol ( 30 ml ), were heated to 80 ° c . in a single neck 100 ml round bottom flask . the solution was allowed to cool to 60 ° c . and filtered over filter - aid ® to remove carbon . the cake was washed with isopropyl alcohol ( 30 ml ), then allowed to further cool to 20 to 25 ° c . and granulate overnight . the solids were collected by vacuum filtration , washed with isopropyl alcohol ( 10 ml ), and dried to afford 4 . 2 grams of the title compound , 98 . 8 % purity ( hplc ), 84 % yield . pure 3 - isopropyl - 6 -[ 4 -( 2 , 5 - difluoro - phenyl )- oxazol - 5 - yl ]-[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazolo [ 4 , 3 - a ] pyridine ( 3 . 4 grams ), and acetone ( 41 ml ) were heated to 50 to 55 ° c . until a clear golden solution was achieved . the heat was removed and the solution was allowed to cool , ( approximately 35 to 40 ° c . ), and granulate overnight at 20 to 25 ° c . the solids were collected by vacuum filtration , washed with acetone ( 7 ml ), and dried to afford 2 . 38 grams of crystal form b , 99 . 6 % purity ( hplc ), 70 % yield .	2
referring initially to fig1 an apparatus , generally designated 10 , is shown for holding a portable hard disk drive sleeve 12 in operable engagement with a lap - top or desk - top personal computer ( pc ) 14 ( not to scale ) having an associated video monitor 15 . it is to be understood in reference to fig1 that the apparatus 10 fits snugly within a standard - sized disk drive cavity 16 of the pc 14 . in the presently preferred embodiment , the pc 14 is a device familiarly referred to as an international business machines ( ibm ) compatible pc , e . g ., an ibm ® ps2 model 70 computer . accordingly , in the preferred embodiment the cavity 16 is the so - called &# 34 ; 3 . 5 inch form factor &# 34 ; cavity ( actually four inches in width ) formed in most ibm compatible desk - top personal computers . it is to be understood , however , that the principles of the present invention can be applied to other ibm - compatible computers , e . g ., lap - top computers , and to non - ibm compatible computers , e . g ., apple ® brand computers , having cavities smaller or larger than the cavity 16 . fig1 shows that the apparatus 10 includes a bay 20 having an opening 22 . the opening 22 is covered by a movable flap 24 , the bottom edge of which is hingedly connected to the bay 20 . the flap 24 is normally biased to completely block the opening 22 , and the sleeve 12 can be advanced against the flap 24 to cause the flap 24 to pivot inwardly about its bottom edge and thereby permit the sleeve 12 to be advanced into the opening 22 . as can be appreciated in reference to fig1 the portable hard disk drive sleeve 12 with disk drive can be manually advanced into the opening 22 of the bay 20 and held in operable engagement with the personal computer 14 . when the sleeve 12 is operably engaged with the bay 20 , data can be stored on the hard disk drive by the user of the computer 14 . then , the sleeve 12 with hard disk drive can be ejected from the computer 14 and transported to another location for data retrieval . in cross - reference to fig1 and 2 , the sleeve 12 is made of an upper plastic injection - molded half 12a and a lower plastic injection - molded half 12b , and the upper half 12a is bonded , glued , or otherwise attached to the lower half 12b by means well - known in the art to establish a hollow sleeve 12 . as can be appreciated in reference to fig2 the sleeve 12 closely surrounds a portable hard disk drive 25 for supporting the disk drive 25 . preferably , the sleeve 12 is made of nylon or other plastic material to protect the disk drive 25 from shock , and to inhibit dust and debris from contacting the disk drive 25 . in the presently preferred embodiment , the hard disk drive 25 is a model 2022a hard disk drive made by digital electronics corporation . alternatively , the disk drive 25 can be drive made by toshiba corp ., or hitachi corp ., or some other disk drive manufacturer . as shown in cross - reference to fig1 and 2 , a right guide channel 26 is longitudinally formed in a right side surface 28 of the lower half 12b of the sleeve 12 . fig2 further shows that a left guide channel 30 is longitudinally formed in a left side surface 32 of the lower half 12b of the sleeve 12 . referring back to fig1 the sleeve 12 defines a top surface 33 and a bottom surface 35 , and the guide channels 26 , 30 are formed closer to the top surface 33 than to the bottom surface 35 . as more fully disclosed below , the guide channels 26 , 30 slidably engage structure within the bay 20 . with this in mind , it will be appreciated that inverted insertion of the sleeve 12 into the bay 20 is prevented by so forming the guide channels 26 , 30 closer to one surface 33 than to the opposite surface 35 . the sleeve 12 also has a bottom front edge 37 which is bevelled as shown to facilitate insertion of the sleeve 12 into the bay 20 . referring again to fig2 right and left generally parallelepiped - shaped latch depressions 34 , 36 are also formed in the bottom surface 35 of the lower half 12b of the sleeve 12 . as intended by the present invention , the latch depressions 34 , 36 establish corresponding engagement surfaces . as shown in fig2 an electrical sleeve connector , generally designated 38 , is positioned on a connector surface 40 of the sleeve 12 . more particularly , the sleeve connector 38 includes a flat , generally parallelepiped - shaped bay interface connector 42 having a plurality of pins 42a and a corresponding plurality of sockets 42b . also , the sleeve connector 38 includes a flat , parallelepiped - shaped intermediate printed circuit board ( pcb ) 44 having a plurality of first sockets 44a and a plurality of second sockets 44b . as can be appreciated in reference to fig2 the pins 42a of the bay interface connector 42 , engage the first sockets 44a of the interface pcb 44 . additionally , the sleeve connector 38 includes a flat , parallelepiped - shaped disk drive interface connector 46 having a plurality of l - shaped pins 46a , and the l - shaped pins 46a engage the second sockets 44b of the intermediate disk drive interface pcb 44 . moreover , the disk drive interface connector 46 includes a plurality of sockets ( not shown ) which engage hard drive connector pins 25a of the hard drive 25 . it will accordingly be appreciated that the memory media of the hard drive 25 is in electrical communication with the sleeve connector 38 . consequently , the sockets 42b of the bay interface connector 42 of the sleeve connector 38 can be electrically engaged with structure within the bay 20 , as more fully disclosed below , to establish electrical communication between the memory media of the hard drive 25 and the pc 14 . in the presently preferred embodiment , the sleeve connector 38 is similar to the so - called pcmia connector well - known in the art , except that the connector 40 includes sixty ( 60 ) connections instead of sixty eight ( 68 ). as intended by the present invention , to provide for interoperability of the present invention with both scsi - type and ide - type hard drives , power can be applied or not applied via various pin connections as appropriate for the particular disk drive 25 type , by conventions well - known in the art . also , one of the connections of the sleeve connector 38 , designated the &# 34 ; identification &# 34 ; connection , is shorted . as the skilled artisan will appreciate , the identification connection can be used to determine whether the hard drive 25 is an ide - or scsi - type hard drive . in addition , six lines may be reserved for providing a data path for signals that identify the particular disk drive 25 model . fig2 also shows that the bay interface connector 42 is formed with two opposed ears 48a , 48b . also , the lower half 12b of the sleeve 12 is formed during molding with clips 50a , 50b that respectively engage the ears 48a , 48b of the bay interface connector 42 . also , the clips 50a , 50b support the bay interface connector 42 . in the presently preferred embodiment , the clips 50a , 50b snappingly engage the ears 48a , 48b to hold the ears 48a , 48b against the clips 50a , 50b . now referring to fig1 and 3a - 3c , the details of the bay 20 can be seen . as shown in fig1 the bay 20 includes a hollow , generally parallelepiped - shaped metal or hard plastic molded chassis 52 . the chassis 52 has a bottom plate 54 , and first and second side surfaces 56 , 58 extending upwardly from the bottom plate 54 perpendicular to the bottom plate 54 . as shown , each side surface 56 , 58 of the chassis 52 has holes 57 drilled or otherwise formed in it , for receiving respective threaded fasteners ( not shown ). the fasteners in turn are engaged with standard mounting receptacles ( not shown ) within the computer 14 , to hold the chassis 52 within the cavity 16 of the computer 14 . accordingly , the chassis 52 is configured for fitting snugly within the cavity 16 of the computer 14 . specifically , when the computer 14 is an ibm - compatible desk top pc and the cavity 16 is a so - called &# 34 ; 3 . 5 inch form factor &# 34 ; cavity , the chassis 52 has a length &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; of about six inches ( 6 &# 34 ;), a width &# 34 ; w &# 34 ; of about four inches ( 4 &# 34 ;), and a depth &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; of about one and five - eighths inches ( 1 . 625 &# 34 ;). fig1 and 3a also show that each side 56 , 58 of the bay 20 is respectively formed with two key elements 60 , 62 and 61 , 63 for engaging the guide channels 26 , 30 of the sleeve 12 and thereby guiding the sleeve 12 with disk drive 25 into operable engagement with the bay 20 . as shown , the key elements 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 are substantially identical to each other in configuration , and each key element 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 protrudes inwardly toward the center of the bay 20 from the key element &# 39 ; s respective bay side 56 , 58 . in describing the key elements 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 the key element 60 is used an example . as shown in fig1 the key element 60 is formed with a base portion 64 and a key surface 66 . as further shown , to minimize the material required for the key element 60 , the base portion 64 is not a continuous solid piece of material , but rather includes two legs 68 , 70 , and the legs 68 , 70 support the key surface 66 . the key surface 66 includes a guide surface 72 which is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the side 56 to guide the left guide channel 30 ( fig2 ) of the sleeve 12 into engagement with the key element 60 . stated differently , the guide surface 72 establishes a ramp from near the first side 56 of the bay 20 up to the key surface 66 , to facilitate engaging the sleeve 12 with the key element 60 . in cross - reference to fig1 and 3a , a motor - driven carriage , generally designated 74 , is disposed in the bay 20 for moving the sleeve 12 with hard disk drive 25 within the bay 20 . as shown , the carriage 74 includes a hollow , generally parallelepiped - shaped shuttle 76 . the shuttle 76 is connected to or formed integrally with left and right arms 78 , 80 , and each arm 78 , 80 is pivotally connected to a respective elongated left or right clip 82 , 84 . more specifically , each arm 78 , 80 is formed with a respective end pin 86 , 88 ( fig3 a ), and the end pins 86 , 88 are rotatably engaged with respective pin receiving holes formed in the clips 82 , 84 . consequently , the clips 82 , 84 can pivot about their pin receiving holes relative to the arms 78 , 80 . if desired , limiter abutments 90 ( fig3 a ) can be formed on the clips 82 , 84 to thereby limit the range of pivotal motion of the clips 82 , 84 by abutting the arms 78 , 80 when the clip 82 or 84 exceeds a predetermined angle relative to its arm 78 , 80 . still further , each arm 78 , 80 is formed with a respective extension 78a , 80a , with the only difference between the arms 78 , 80 being that the extension 78a of the left arm 78 is marginally shorter than the extension 80a of the right arm 80 , for purposes to be disclosed . in continued cross - reference to fig1 and 3a , each clip 82 , 84 is formed during molding with a respective sleeve stop 82a , 84a ( stop 84a shown only in fig3 a ), and a respective engagement abutment 82b , 84b ( abutment 84a shown only in fig3 a ) having a respective front incline 82c , 84c . in accordance with the present invention , the engagement abutments 82b , 84b are configured for engaging the latch depressions 34 , 36 ( fig2 ) of the sleeve 12 . further , the skilled artisan will appreciate that the front inclines 82c , 84c facilitate guiding the sleeve 12 past the inclines 82c , 84c and toward the engagement abutments 82a , 84a . as perhaps best shown in fig3 a , the present invention provides structure for reciprocally moving the shuttle 76 ( and , hence , clips 82 , 84 ) within the bay 20 . specifically , an electric motor 92 , preferably a type fk - 130sh - 09450 motor made by mibuchi , is coupled to spur gears ( not shown ) which are disposed in a gear box 94 . the spur gears reduce the rotational speed of the shaft of the motor 92 about twenty times by means well - known in the art . if desired , supports 95 can be attached to the bay 20 and juxtaposed with the gear box 94 to restrain the gear box 94 from motion . as can be appreciated in reference to fig3 a , the spur gears are coupled to a lead screw 96 , preferably a lead screw made by acme having a pitch of one millimeter ( 1 mm ) and an outer diameter of four millimeters ( 4 mm ). as shown , the lead screw 96 extends into a cavity 98 formed in the shuttle 76 , and the cavity 98 has a plurality of nut docks 98i to permit configuring the carriage 74 as appropriate for different sized bays . a nut 100 is disposed in one of the nut docks 98i of the cavity 98 of the shuttle 76 and is threadably engaged with the lead screw 96 . it may now be appreciated that with the combination of structure disclosed above , the motor 92 can be activated to move the carriage 74 within the bay 20 . more particularly , the motor 92 can be activated to cause the lead screw 96 to rotate , and as the lead screw 96 rotates , the nut 100 rides on the lead screw 96 and thus moves translationally within the bay 20 . consequently , the shuttle 76 and , hence , dips 82 , 84 also move translationally within the bay 20 . as the skilled artisan will appreciate , by appropriately establishing the direction of rotation of the motor 92 , the direction of translational motion of the carriage 74 within the bay 20 can be established . fig1 and 3a show that two twin ramps 106 ( fig1 and 3a ), 108 ( fig3 a only ) are formed on the bottom plate 54 of the bay 20 , and the ramps 106 , 108 are configured identical to each other . taking as an example the ramp 106 shown in fig1 the ramp 106 is formed with a first ramp surface 106a that extends upwardly from the bottom plate 54 toward the rear of the bay 20 to a home camming surface 106b , with the home camming surface 106b being parallel to the bottom plate 54 of the bay 20 . also , the ramp 106 includes a second ramp surface 106c that extends upwardly from home camming surface 106b to an engaged camming surface 106d , with the engaged camming surface 106d being parallel to the bottom plate 54 of the bay 20 . fig1 and 3a show that the present invention incorporates four limit switches or optical detectors . more particularly , fig1 and 3a show that a lever - type insert limit switch 110 is attached to the bottom plate 54 , for instance by heat - staking . if desired , one or all of the limit switches , including the limit switch 110 , can be replaced by respective optical detectors ( only one optical detector &# 34 ; od &# 34 ; shown in fig3 a for clarity ). as more fully disclosed below , the sleeve 12 operates the insert limit switch 110 . in response , the limit switch 110 generates an electrical signal . additionally , fig3 a shows that a cherry - style engaged limit switch 111 is heat - staked to the bay 20 , for operation to be disclosed shortly . moreover , fig1 and 3a show that a lever - type release limit switch 114 is attached to the bottom plate 54 , for instance by heat - staking . as more fully disclosed below , the carriage 74 operates the release limit switch 114 . still further , fig1 and 3a show that a lever - type home limit switch 118 is attached to the bottom plate 54 , for instance by heat - staking , generally opposite the release limit switch 114 . as more fully disclosed below , the carriage 74 operates the home limit switch 118 . in the operation of the present invention , cross - reference is made to fig1 and 3a - 3c . fig3 a shows the carriage 74 in a home position , wherein the engagement abutments 82b , 84b of the clips 82 , 84 are positioned above the home ramp surface 106b , 108b , respectively , of the ramps 106 , 108 . when the carriage 74 is in the home position , and it is desired to engage the disk drive 25 with the computer 14 , the sleeve 12 ( shown in phantom in fig3 a - 3c ) with disk drive 25 is advanced through the opening 22 of the bay 20 until the sleeve 12 abuts the engagement abutments 82b , 84b of the clips 82 , 84 . further slight urging of the sleeve 12 causes the sleeve 12 to ride up the respective front inclines 82c , 84c of the engagement abutments 82b , 84b until the engagement abutments 82b , 84b of the clips 82 , 84 begin to engage the latch depressions 34 , 36 ( fig2 ) of the sleeve 12 . when the sleeve 12 is in the home position shown in fig3 a , the sleeve 12 abuts the insert limit switch 110 to cause the insert limit switch 110 to generate an electrical signal . in response to the signal from the insert limit switch 110 , the motor 92 is activated to rotate the lead screw 92 such that the carriage 74 with sleeve 12 moves rearwardly in the bay 20 , i . e ., toward the motor 92 , to an engaged position shown in fig3 b . as the carriage moves rearwardly , the clips 82 , 84 ride up the second ramp surfaces 106c , 108c of the ramps 106 , 108 and onto the engaged camming surfaces 106d , 108d . the skilled artisan will recognize that as the clips ride up the second ramp surfaces 106c , 108c , the engagement abutments 82b , 84b of the clips 82 , 84 fully engage the latch depressions 34 , 36 ( fig2 ) of the sleeve 12 . when the carriage 74 with sleeve 12 reaches the engaged position shown in fig3 b , the left clip 82 abuts the engaged limit switch 111 , causing the switch 111 to generate and electrical signal . as more fully disclosed below , the signal from the engaged limit switch 111 causes the motor 92 to stop , and power is applied to the hard drive 25 . the sleeve 12 with disk drive 25 remains in the engaged position shown in fig3 b , with the memory media of the disk drive 25 in electrical communication with the computer 14 . as intended by the present invention , when the carriage 74 with sleeve 12 is in the engaged position , the bay interface connector 42 of the sleeve 12 is operatively engaged with an electrical bay connector 112 that is mounted on a daughter board 113 of the bay 20 . as further intended by the present invention , the daughter board 113 is in turn electrically connected to a back plane board 115 ( fig1 ) which holds the electrical components discussed more fully below . also , the electrical bay connector 112 ( fig3 a - 3c ) is connected to an external interface ; connector 112a ( fig1 ) which is also mounted on the daughter board 113 on the side of the daughter board 113 which is opposite the bay connector 112 . in turn , the external interface connector 112a is connected via a ribbon connector cable ( not shown ) to the main data bus , e . g ., the scsi or ide bus , as appropriate , of the computer 14 . when it is desired to remove the sleeve 12 with disk drive 25 from the bay 20 , the operator of the present invention depresses a pushbutton 116 which is mounted on the front of the bay 20 ( fig1 ). the pushbutton 116 is associated with a panasonic momentary contact switch for generating an eject signal when the pushbutton 116 is depressed . an indicator led 117 is mounted on the bay 20 adjacent the pushbutton 116 for purposes to be disclosed shortly . when the pushbutton 116 is depressed , it generates an eject signal . then , in one embodiment after the elapse of a predetermined time period to permit the disk drive 25 to spin down , the motor 92 rotates the lead screw 96 to move the carriage 74 with sleeve 12 toward the remove position shown in fig3 c . in another embodiment , no predetermined time period need elapse before the motor 92 is activated . as the carriage 74 moves toward the remove position shown in fig3 c , the clips 82 , 84 ride down the ramps 106 , 108 , until the engagement abutments 82b , 84b are respectively positioned over the first ramp surface 106a , 108a of the respective ramp 106 , 108 . in the remove position shown in fig3 c , two operations occur . the first is that the engagement abutments 82b , 84b are distanced from the latch depressions 34 , 36 ( fig2 ) of the sleeve 12 , thereby causing the sleeve 12 to be released from the carriage 74 . the second operation that occurs when the carriage 74 is in the remove position shown in fig3 c is that the extensions 78a , 80a of the respective left and right arms 78 , 80 respectively contact , i . e ., make , the remove limit switch 114 and home limit switch 118 . when these switches 114 , 118 are made , they generate electrical signals in response . the presence of electrical signals from both of the switches 114 , 118 causes the motor 92 to reverse direction , thereby moving the carriage 74 back toward the home position shown in fig3 a . the sleeve 12 with hard disk drive 25 can then be manually removed from the bay 20 . as the carriage 74 starts to move back to the home position shown in fig3 a , the extension 78a of the left arm 78 releases the remove limit switch 114 . consequently , the remove limit switch 114 stops generating a signal . owing to the marginally greater length of the extension 80a of the right arm 80 vis - a - vis the opposite extension 78a , however , the home limit switch 118 remains made , and , in accordance with the present invention , the motor 92 remains activated in the reverse direction when only the home limit switch 118 is made . when the carriage 74 reaches the home position shown in fig3 a , the extension 80a of the right arm 80 releases the home limit switch 118 . the absence of a signal from both the remove limit switch 114 and home limit switch 118 , causes the motor 92 to deactivate . fig4 shows the electrical components of the present invention , which , the presently preferred embodiment , can be physically located on the back plane board 115 ( fig1 ), or some other convenient location within the bay 20 . as shown in fig4 the electrical bay connector 112 ( located on the daughter board 113 , fig1 ) is connected to a main data bus 120 of the computer 14 . it is to be understood that while the data bus 120 can be any suitable bus , e . g ., an ide bus , in the embodiment shown in fig4 it is a scsi bus . in turn , access to the data bus 120 is controlled by a data bus controller 122 , physically located on the back plane board 115 ( fig1 ). the data bus controller 122 is any suitable bus control device having the appropriate terminal resistors and routing leads . the data bus controller 122 is also connected to a suitable standard led controller 124 , and the led controller 124 in turn controls activation of the led 117 by means well - known in the art . a motor controller 126 is connected to the data bus controller 122 for controlling activation of the motor 92 . in the presently preferred embodiment , the motor controller 126 is a system made of various logic devices of the 74ls series which are coupled to output amplifying transistors by means well - known in the art . as shown in fig4 the motor controller 126 receives the signals generated by the limit switches 110 , 111 , 114 , 118 for selectively activating the motor 92 . fig4 also shows that , if desired , the motor controller 126 can access a timer 128 . the timer 128 can be any suitable computer timer . further , a device identification switch 130 ( fig1 and 4 ) can be provided for establishing a physical identification number for the device associated with the bay 20 . for example , the switch can be a well - known manually set octel switch . fig5 shows the logical steps of the present invention in ejecting the hard drive 25 from the bay 20 . as shown at block 132 , the pushbutton 116 is initially depressed to generate an eject signal . the motor controller 126 receives the signal from the pushbutton 116 and , at decision block 133 , determines whether the hard drive 25 is currently being accessed . if so , the motor controller 126 deactivates the hard drive 25 and , in one embodiment , waits a predetermined time period at block 134 after receipt of the signal . in another embodiment , the procedure at block 134 is not executed . then , the controller 126 activates the motor 92 at block 136 . otherwise , the motor controller 126 immediately activates the motor 92 at block 136 to eject the hard drive 25 from the bay 20 . it is to be understood that the motor controller 126 can access the timer 128 at block 134 . thus , block 134 functions as a software timer . the skilled artisan will appreciate that by waiting a predetermined time period before ejecting the drive 25 when the drive 25 is in use , the motor controller 126 ensures that the hard drive 25 has properly &# 34 ; spun down &# 34 ; before ejection . thereby , damage to the hard drive 25 , which could otherwise occur if the sleeve 12 with drive 25 were ejected while the hard drive 25 was still rotating , is avoided . thus , at block 136 , the motor controller 126 activates the motor 92 to move the sleeve 12 with hard drive 25 toward the home position . when the sleeve 12 reaches the home position shown in fig3 a , the flag 102 abuts the home limit switch 118 to cause the limit switch to generate an electrical signal , and at block 138 the motor controller 126 receives the signal . in response , the motor controller 126 moves to block 140 and deactivates the motor 92 . the sleeve 12 with hard drive 25 can then be manually removed from the bay 20 . during the steps described above , the led controller 124 controls activation of the led 117 ( fig1 ) as follows . when the bay 20 is empty , the led 117 is constantly green . when the sleeve 12 with hard drive 25 is disposed in the bay 20 and operably engaged with the computer 14 , the led 117 is constantly amber . when the eject button 116 has been depressed , during the wait period of block 134 of fig5 described above , the led 117 alternately flashes amber , then green . when the hard drive 25 has experienced an error , the led 117 is constantly red . now referring to fig6 an adaptor system is shown , generally designated 200 , for adpating a sleeve / hard drive combination 202 for use with a laptop computer 204 . as shown , the system 200 includes an integrally molded lightweight plastic shoe 206 having an open front end 208 , a closed back wall 210 , and opposed sides 212 , 214 extending therebetween . a shoe connector board 216 is attached to the back wall 210 by means well - known in the art , it being understood that the shoe connector board 216 is configured for mating with the pins of the sleeve / hard drive combination 202 . a round ( for durability ) cord 218 is electrically connected to the connector board 216 via a cord connector 220 ( shown in phantom in fig6 ) that mates with the shoe connector board 216 . also , the round cord 218 is attached to a pcmcia card 222 , preferably made by greystone technologies of california . in turn , the pcmcia card 222 can be inserted into a pcmcia receptacle 224 in the laptop computer 204 . per the present invention , the sleeve / hard drive combination 202 is slidably and snugly received in the shoe 206 . the combination 202 can be advanced into the shoe 206 until the combination 202 mates with the shoe connector board 216 , to thereby effect data communication between the hard drive combination 202 and the laptop computer 204 . if necessary , appropriate power pins on the shoe connector board 216 can be jumpered to complement the power pin layout of the connector 220 . now referring to fig7 a small , portable , external docking station , generally designated 300 , is in all essential respects identical to the bay 20 shown in fig1 with the following exceptions . the external docking station 300 does not fit inside of a pc ; rather , it is connected via a cable 302 and parallel port connector 304 to a parallel printer port 306 of a pc 308 . accordingly , a sleeve / hard drive combination 310 can be advanced into the external docking station 300 , and the connector 304 plugged into the parallel port 306 , to effect data transfer between the pc 308 and the hard drive combination 3 10 . thereby , a user can remove the hard drive combination 310 from , e . g ., the internal bay 20 of the pc shown in fig1 transport the hard drive combination 310 with small external docking station 300 to the locale of the pc 308 shown in fig7 and immediately effect data transfer between the pc 308 and the hard drive combination 310 , without requiring installation tools and without installing an internal bay such as the bay 20 shown in fig1 . it is to be understood that the backplane electrical components of the bay 20 shown in fig1 including the board 113 , are replaced by a suitable parallel port board , such as the board made by shuttle technologies of fremont , calif . and marketed under the name &# 34 ; parallel port solution &# 34 ;. it is to be further understood that the software driver that accompanies the parallel port board is loaded into the pc 308 . while the particular bay for portable hard disk drive as herein shown and described in detail is fully capable of achieving the above - stated objects , it is to be understood that it is merely exemplary , and that the present invention fully contemplates other particular embodiments , and that the scope of the present invention is to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims .	6
as discussed below , h . pylori is able to grow for many generations in bb containing several different cyclodextrins ( cds ), with the exception of γcd , yielding bacterial growth densities higher than , or comparable to , growth obtained with 1 % fetal calf serum , a media supplement traditionally used for h . pylori liquid culture . it is possible that the improved growth of h . pylori in media containing cyclodextrins may be due to the capacity of cds to clathrate certain molecules present in the culture medium . thus , the cds may function through complexation of inhibitory factors which are present in the medium , or produced by the metabolism of the microorganism itself , creating a more favorable environment . the cds used were composed of 6 , 7 , or 8 d - glucose units linked 1 - 4 to form α , β , or γ cd respectively , some being methylated . each of these cyclic molecules has a hydrophilic shell and a hydrophobic cavity , and can thus form inclusion complexes in which a variety of suitable guest molecules can be accommodated . differences in culture growth densities permitted by the various cds tested were observed . these differences may be due to the specific chemical - physical characteristics of each cd , such as the size of the cavity and substitution of the hydroxyl groups . these properties may thus affect the efficiency of complexation of toxic compound ( s ) in the h . pylori medium . indirect evidence for the existence of inhibitory factors clathrated by cds is provided by the concentration - dependent effect of dmeβcd . in this case , the plateau of bacterial growth density at dmeβcd concentrations of 2 g 1 - 1 and above may indicate a saturable effect on the sequestration of a putative inhibitor . recently it has been shown that the growth of h . pylori is inhibited by certain polyunsaturated fatty acids ( thompson et al ., gut , 35 : 1557 - 1561 , 1994 ). additionally , it has been demonstrated that bsa added to the culture medium resulted in the enhanced growth of the bacteria , possibly through the adsorption of unsaturated fatty acids ( hazell and graham , j . clin . microbiol ., 28 : 1060 - 1061 , 1990 ). cyclodextrins may act through a similar mechanism . the about 130 kd cytotoxicity - associated protein may be extracted from the biomass collected upon centrifugation of the culture media according to the procedure disclosed hereinafter . after washing with phosphate buffer ph 7 . 4 ( pbs ) the cell layer is treated with a 6m guanidine hcl in pbs solution at room temperature under stirring . after centrifugation the supernatant is dialysed versus pbs and represents a fraction enriched in 130 kd cytotoxin . urease may be purified from the same biomass according to the procedure reported hereinafter . the pellet of bacterial cells is resuspended in 0 . 25m glycine hcl , ph3 , 5 mm edta and incubated at 37 ° c . for 16 hours . the supernatant obtained upon centrifugation at 12 , 000 rpm , at 5 ° c . for 30 minutes in a centrifuge beckman fitted with a ja 20 rotor , is added with two volumes absolute acetone and cooled at - 20 ° c . after keeping for 5 hours at said temperature , the proteic pellet is collected by centrifugation as already described and finally resuspended and dialysed in pbs . it has now also been found that the method according to the invention can be used for the production of vaca , recently identified as having a key role in the pathology of gastric diseases . ( wo 93 / 18150 , incorporated herein by reference .) the production of vaca was quantitatively analyzed in flask cultures grown in the presence of each of the cds tested , and results indicate that vaca expression was maintained over multiple subcultures in all cases except γcd . furthermore , a general trend observed is in that the quantity of vaca produced correlated with optical density of the culture achieved . the culture temperature may vary from 30 ° to 42 ° c ., and is preferably maintained at 37 ° c . the culture media is maintained under stirring and in microaerophylic conditions in presence of co 2 and optionally h 2 . the method according to the invention has not only simplified , as already said , the culture of the aforementioned microorganisms at issue and the recovery of the proteins produced by them , but it has also allowed the study of the biochemical and physiological ( motility ) features as well as the chemosensitivity and the pathogenicity of the h . pylori to be improved by simplifying it . given the need for a simplified liquid medium for industrial purposes of h . pylori fermentation and antigen recovery , the application of cds represents a significant improvement over previous supplements commonly employed . the strain of h . pylori was cultured on petri dishes containing 20 ml of the agarized culture media columbia difco , modified with the addition of 2 g / l dimethyl - o - β - cyclodextrin . the dishes , once inoculated , were incubated in microaerophylic atmosphere at high humidity level ( about 95 %) at a temperature of 37 ° c . for 72 - 96 hours . when the cell layer was clearly apparent on the dishes , the method was prosecuted with the suspension , by means of a wad of sterile cotton wool , of the bacteria in brucella media until an optical density equivalent to 9 mcfarland was achieved . five millilitres of this suspension were inoculated in a 2000 ml conical flask containing 500 ml brucella difco media modified by adding 2 g / l dimethyl - o - β - cyclodextrin , 2 . 5 mg / l fecl 2 , 2 . 5 mg / l amphotericin b , 10 mg / l trimethoprin , 5 mg / l vancomycin , and 5 u / ml polymixin b . another 5 millilitres were inoculated in a conic flask of the same size as the previous and containing the same medium , where however cyclodextrin is replaced by 10 g / 1 fetal serum . the conic flasks were incubated for 72 hours in a rotating incubator at 200 rpm at a temperature of 37 ° c . in microaerophylic atmosphere having the following composition : n 2 75 %, co 2 10 %, h 2 10 % and o 2 5 %. after said period the optic density was monitored at 590 nm and a subculture on columbia agar / blood and a gram staining were performed in order to verify the purity of the culture . the optic density obtained was equivalent to 2 . 8 in the conic flask with cyclodextrin and 1 . 8 in that with fetal serum . two samples , 5 g layer each , collected from cultures carried out , as reported above , with either cyclodextrin ( cd ) or fetal serum ( fs ) respectively , were treated as follows : after washing with 100 ml pbs , they were centrifuged with a beckman centrifuge fitted with a ja 20 rotor at 5000 rpm for 30 min at 4 ° c . the layer was treated with 25 ml 6m guanidine hcl in pbs solution and maintained under agitation for 60 minutes at room temperature . then the suspensions were centrifuged , as disclosed above , and the supernatants , 20 ml for each sample , were dialysed versus pbs for 16 hours at 40 ° c . after dialysis a further centrifugation was carried out to remove the insoluble material ; the obtained supernatants represent the fractions enriched in the protein of about 130 kd associated to the cytotoxic activity . as shown in fig1 the amount of the protein of about 130 kd obtained from the two cell layers was comparable , however , with an excess from the culture obtained by using cyclodextrin from which a larger amount of cell layer has been recovered . the liquid cultures of h . pylori obtained as reported in example 1 were collected by centrifugation and resuspended in 25 ml , 0 . 25m glycine hcl , 5 mm edta , ph 3 and incubated at 37 ° c . for 16 hours without agitation . the obtained bacteria suspension was added with 10n naoh to a ph value of 7 . 4 and subsequently centrifuged at 12 , 000 rpm for 30 min at 5 ° c . the obtained supernatants were quickly cooled in ice / water added with two volumes acetone precooled at - 20 ° c . the suspensions so obtained were maintained at - 20 ° c . for 5 hours and subsequently centrifuged at 12 , 000 rpm . the recovered pellets were resuspended in 5 ml pbs and dialysed against pbs at 4 ° c . for 16 hours . thus obtained samples represent fractions enriched in urease and they are shown in fig2 . the comparison of the bands puts in evidence that the bands relative to the two major urease subunits , i . e . 66 and 29 kd , are nearly equivalent in the two samples . in fig1 and 2 there are reported the results obtained from the electrophoresis of the cellular layer obtained in examples 1 and 2 respectively ( lane cd in each figure ) compared with the cellular layer obtained with the traditional media ( lanes sf ). lane c in both figures indicates the standards for the determination of the molecular weight . the electrophoresis was performed in 7 % sds - page on minigel according to the method of laemmli u . k ., employing an electrophoretic cell mini - protean 2 biorad ® at 200 v for 45 min . the protein bands were stained with coomassie ® r - 250 . eight strains of h . pylori , namely the strain ccug 17874 and sever further strains isolated from gastric biopsies , were evaluated for their ability to grow on columbia agar and on muller - hinton agar containing either dimethyl - o - β - cyclodextrin ( 2 g / l ) or , in the alternative , 50 g / l defibrinated horse blood . the aforementioned culture media were assayed in their selective form obtained upon addition of one of the two chemotherapeutic mixtures reported hereinafter : mixture a : 5 mg / l vancomycin , 10 mg / l trimethoprin , 5 mg / l amphotericin b , 5 u / ml polymixin ; mixture b : same as mixture a , but replacing polymixin by 6 mg / l cefsulodin . the strains , maintained in wilkins - chalgren media with 20 % glycerol at - 80 ° c ., were thawed , inoculated on dishes of columbia agar containing 5 % defibrinated horse blood , and incubated at 37 ° c . for 72 hours in microaerophylic conditions . then the bacterial layer from each strain was suspended in brucella media up to an optic density of about 6 mcfarland . ten μl of the bacterial suspension were inoculated on each of the aforementioned dishes and smeared with the technique of the isolation . the dishes were incubated as reported above and monitored after 5 - 7 days . the colonies which developed on the media containing cyclodextrin , with or without antibiotics , were about 2 mm in size , were in relief , opaque , regularly cut , and with buttery consistence . the features of said colonies did not differ from those of colonies developed on media comprising blood . the colonies developed on media either with cyclodextrin or with blood showed the same results , peculiar of the species , by the following tests : gram negative staining ; oxidase , catalase and urease positive ; nitrate to nitrite reduction ; hippurate hydrolysis negative ; leucine - aryl - amidase , gamma - glutamyl transpeptidase , acid phosphatase and indoxyl acetate positive . sensitivity assays of h . pylori to chemotherapeutics were carried out using columbia agar comprising dimethyl - o - β - cyclodextrin . the eight strains reported in example 3 were examined . the chemotherapeutics tested according to the kirby - bauer method were the following : ampicillin ( 10 μg flat tablet ), erythromycin ( 15 μg flat tablet ), clindamycin ( 2 μg flat tablet ), metronidazole ( 100 μg tablets ), and colloidal bismuth subcitrate ( de nol ) ( 100 μg flat tablets ). the metronidazole was also tested according to the method designated e - test ( ab biodisk , solna , sweden ). the tests were carried out either on columbia agar comprising 0 . 1 - 0 . 2 % cyclodextrin or on columbia agar comprising 5 % defibrinated horse blood . eighty ml of the above cited solid culture media were put in petri dishes of 150 mm . the strains were suspended in brucella media up to an optic density of 4 mcfarland and subsequently dispensed on the dishes with a sterile cotton wad . after placement of diskettes and strips , the dishes were maintained for 3 - 5 days in microaerophylic atmosphere at high level of humidity , at 37 ° c . after said period of time , the inhibition halos of the different chemotherapeutics and the minimum inhibiting concentrations ( mic ) of metronidazole were compared on the dishes containing the media with cyclodextrin and those with defibrinated horse blood . the halos proved to be overlapping . assays of motility on soft agar were performed using the eight strains disclosed in example 3 . the soft agar was prepared by adding , before the sterilization , 5 g difco agar per litre brucella media . the compared media were those comprising either 0 . 1 - 0 . 2 % cyclodextrin or 10 % heat inactivated fetal bovine serum . the inoculation was effected by dipping , about 2 mm , the ring containing the bacterial layer picked up from a dish of agar comprising 0 . 1 - 0 . 2 % cyclodextrin . once inoculated , the dishes were incubated at the same conditions referred to in example 4 and observed after 5 days . among the eight tested strains , six showed diffusion within the depth of the agar of both media , which indicates motility , whereas the remaining two did not evidence any diffusion in both media . specimens from 10 patients subjected to diagnostic gastroscopy for dyspepsy were examined . from each patient 5 biopsy specimens were collected from the stomach cavity : one for the histological test ; one for the culture on columbia agar comprising 0 . 1 - 0 . 2 % dimethyl - o - β - cyclodextrin , 5 mg / l vancomycin , 10 mg / l trimethoprim , 6 mg / l cefsulodin , 5000u / l polymixin and 5 mg / l amphotericin b ; one for the culture on columbia agar comprising 5 % defibrinated blood plus the chemotherapeutic mixture cited above ; one for the bacterioscopic examination upon staining of the smears of biopsies on slide with acridine orange ; and one for the determination of the urease activity . the dishes were incubated in microaerophylia at 37 ° c . and examined after 48 hours and daily during 7 days . the suspected colonies were identified as h . pylori by following the procedure disclosed in example 3 . h . pylori was isolated in 5 cases : in three cases on both media , in a fourth case on cyclodextrin medium only , and in a fifth case on blood medium only . the h . pylori colonies on columbia agar with cyclodextrin were already well visible after 48 hours ; by the fifth day the colony sizes were similar to those developed on columbia agar comprising blood . the selectivity of the two media in relation to the bacteria accompanying h . pylori in the same specimen from the biopsy proved to be identical . this experimentation confirms the suitability of cyclodextrin comprising media for the primary isolation of h . pylori from gastric biopsies . helicobacter pylori ccug 17874 ( type strain , culture collection of the university of g oteborg , sweden ) was used in this and the following examples to determine the effect of cds over many bacterial generations , we performed five sequential subcultures . columbia blood agar ( cba ) ( difco , detroit , mich ., usa ), supplemented with the following antibiotics ( sigma , st . louis , mo ., usa ) cefsulodin 6 mg / l , vancomycin 5 mg / l , trimethoprim 10 mg / l , amphotericin b 8 mg / l , was used as solid medium . brucella broth ( bb ) ( difco ) supplemented with cyclodextrins ( cyclolab , pusztaszeri u ., h 1025 budapest , hungary ) at the indicated concentrations , or 1 % fetal calf serum ( fcs ) ( gibco laboratories , grand island , n . y ., usa ) and the antibiotics mentioned above , was used as liquid medium . the cyclodextrins used were : α cyclodextrin ( αcd ), β cyclodextrin ( βcd ), γ cyclodextrin ( γcd ), ( 2 , 6 - di - o - methyl )- β - cyclodextrin ( dmeβcd ) and ( 2 , 3 , 6 - tri - o - methyl )- 0 - cyclodextrin ( tmeβcd ). frozen aliquots for inocula were prepared from flask cultures of 2 × 10 8 cfu / ml diluted 1 : 2 with a solution composed of 40 % glycerol , 20 % fetal calf serum and 0 . 4 % dmeβcd . the suspension obtained was distributed in 1 . 5 ml vials and frozen at - 80 ° c . one aliquot of frozen bacterial suspension was spread on agar plates ( cba ) and incubated at 36 ° c . for 72 hours . the plates were placed inside anaerobic jars and bbl campy pak envelopes ( becton dickinson , le pont de claix , france ) were used to generate the proper microoxic conditions . liquid cultures were performed in 130 ml erlenmeyer flasks containing 30 ml of liquid medium . bacteria were harvested from plates and resuspended in bb . this solution was used to inoculate flasks at an initial od 590 = 0 . 1 . the flasks were incubated at 36 ° c . with shaking ( 100 rpm , 2 . 5 cm throw ) in microaerobic conditions as above . subcultures were performed by diluting aliquots of the 48 hour culture into fresh medium to an initial od 590 = 0 . 1 . growth was monitored by optical density at 590 nm ( perkin elmer 35 spectrophotometer ). purity checks of the samples were made by gram staining and by subculturing samples on cba plates which were incubated in a normal atmosphere at 37 ° c . for 24 hours . each subculture was grown for 72 hours in the presence of various cds at a concentration of 2 grams / liter - 1 . control subcultures were performed using brucella broth containing 1 % fetal calf serum , according to previously published methods ( morgan et al ., j . clin . microbiol ., 25 : 2123 - 2123 , 1987 , incorporated herein by reference ), or brucella broth alone . at various time points , samples were collected and bacterial growth was measured as the optical density at 590 nm . the growth data of the bacteria at 24 , 48 , and 72 hours in the initial and fifth subcultures are presented in fig3 a and b , respectively . data analysis reveals that αcd and dmeβcd yielded growth at approximately 2 od units in each subculture . βcd and tmeβcd also permitted robust growth , resulting in slightly lower culture densities than acd or dmeβcd . brucella broth supplemented with 1 % fcs yielded growth to approximately 1 . 2 od , a level comparable to that obtained with βcd or tmeβcd . βcd or bb alone did not sustain a significant growth after five subcultures . for the purpose of production of industrial quantities of antigen for vaccine research , the use of cds in growth medium should preferably result in consistent expression of vaca over the course of several generations . therefore , vaca production was analyzed in parallel with culture density from both the initial and fifth subcultures . after 48 hours , culture samples were normalized to an od 590 of 1 and were centrifuged at 8300 × g for 10 minutes . the pellets were separated from supernatants and both were frozen at - 20 ° c . pellet fractions were resuspended appropriately to yield an od 590 = 1 in sds - page loading buffer containing 3β mercaptoethanol . both fractions were analyzed by 9 % sds - page using a biorad mini prot ii apparatus according to laemmli . proteins were transferred to nitrocellulose filters ( schleicher & amp ; schuell , dassel , germany ) and incubated overnight with polyclonal antisera raised against the vaca protein ( telford et al ., j . exp . med ., 179 : 1653 - 1658 , 1994 ). immunoreactive bands were visualized after incubation with a horseradish - peroxidase conjugated secondary antibody ( sigma ), followed by a 4 - chloro - napthol staining . for each immunoblot , the amount of cytotoxin in culture supernatant was estimated using a calibration curve obtained with known quantities of purified vaca protein . quantitative estimation was made by ultrascanner densitometry using an image master desk top scanner ( pharmacia lkb , uppsala , sweden ) in 1d reflectance mode . the results are depicted in fig4 a and b . the results from the first ( 4a ) and fifth ( 4b ) subculture are shown . &# 34 ; n . d .&# 34 ; represents not detectable . the fraction of vaca present in the supernatant ( out ) and vaca associated with bacterial cells ( in ) was calculated using a standard curve . with the exception of γcyclodextrin , vaca production was comparable to the fetal calf serum - containing medium with the cds tested . the addition of dmeβcd to growth medium resulted in a significantly higher yield of vaca as compared to the other cds , or medium supplemented with 1 % fetal calf serum . from our previous analysis , dmeβcd was chosen for a detailed study utilizing cd concentrations from 0 . 25 g 1 - 1 to 6 g 1 - 1 . culture conditions were as in the previous examples . after 48 hours of growth , optical density was measured and bacteria were harvested and separated into supernatant and pellet fractions . these fractions were analyzed by quantitative western blot , and the results are summarized in table 1 . table 1______________________________________ vaca totaldmeβcd vaca . sub . pellet / od vaca . sub . supernatant / od production ( gl . sup .- 1 ) od . sub . 590nm ( mgl . sup .- 1 od . sup .- 1 ) ( mgl . sup .- 1 od . sup .- 1 ) ( mgl . sup .- 1 ) ______________________________________0 . 25 1 . 10 1 . 80 2 . 60 4 . 800 . 50 1 . 30 1 . 90 2 . 80 6 . 101 . 00 1 . 56 3 . 60 3 . 80 11 . 502 . 00 1 . 85 6 . 50 4 . 00 19 . 504 . 00 1 . 90 7 . 80 4 . 20 22 . 806 . 00 1 . 80 8 . 10 4 . 00 21 . 80______________________________________ vaca production was measured as total immunoreactive material recovered . vaca protein associated with supernatant and pellet fractions was normalized for culture optical density , in order to analyze growth - independent effects of dmeβcd . both the optical density of h . pylori cultures and vaca production increased in a linear fashion with dmeβcd concentration reaching a plateau at 2 g - 1 . the foregoing examples are meant to illustrate the invention and not to limit it in any way . those skilled in the art will recognize that changes can be made which are within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims .	8
reference will now be made to the drawings to describe exemplary embodiments of the present liquid crystal display ( lcd ) panel , the present lcd apparatus and the present control method thereof , in detail . the following description is given by way of example , and not limitation . refer to fig1 , which is a block diagram of a lcd apparatus 100 with touch function in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . the lcd apparatus 100 includes a lcd panel 10 , a gate - driving circuit 16 , a detection circuit 18 and a memory device 19 . refer to fig2 and 3 , wherein fig2 is a partial cross - sectional view of the lcd panel 10 , and fig3 is a partial cross - sectional view of the lcd panel 10 when it is pressed by an object such as a finger ( not marked therein ). the lcd panel 10 includes a thin - film transistor array ( tft array ) substrate 12 , a liquid crystal layer 13 and a second substrate 14 ( such as a color filter substrate ). the tft array substrate 12 as shown in fig2 includes a sensor pad 121 a ( 121 b ) and a pixel 123 , and the sensor pad 121 a ( 121 b ) is arranged adjacent to the pixel 123 and in an opaque area of the pixel 123 , such as a black matrix area . the second substrate 14 includes a sensing device 143 and a conducting layer 141 covering on the sensing device 143 . the sensing device 143 protrudes from the second substrate 14 , and the conducting layer 141 is electrically coupled to a predetermined power , such as a conventional common voltage vcom of the lcd panel 10 . when assembling the second substrate 14 with the tft array substrate 12 , the sensing device 143 is opposite to the corresponding sensor pad 121 a ( 121 b ), and the liquid crystal layer 13 is sandwiched between the second substrate 14 and the tft array substrate 12 . as shown in fig3 , when the second substrate 14 is pressed by the finger , the conducting layer 141 covering on the sensing device 143 at a pressed location contacts with the corresponding sensor pad 121 a ( 121 b ). furthermore , referring to fig4 , a plurality of insulating first bumps 125 and a plurality of insulating second bumps 127 further may be arranged on the tft array substrate 12 . correspondingly , a plurality of first photo spacers 145 and a plurality of second photo spacers 147 are arranged on the second substrate 14 . the first bumps 125 have a height different from that of the second bumps 127 . the first photo spacers 145 and the second photo spacers 147 have a height approximately same to that of the sensing device 143 , and are covered by the conducting layer 141 . when assembling the second substrate 14 with the tft array substrate 12 , the first photo spacers 145 are opposite to the corresponding first bumps 125 respectively , and distances between the first photo spacers 145 and the corresponding first bumps 125 respectively are larger than a distance between the sensing device 143 and the sensor pad 121 a ( 121 b ). the second photo spacers 147 are opposite to the corresponding second bumps 127 respectively , and distances between the second photo spacers 147 and the corresponding second bumps 127 respectively are approximately 0 . therefore , a gap between the second substrate 14 and the tft array substrate 12 is maintained by the second photo spacers 147 and the second bumps 127 . furthermore , the first photo spacers 145 and the first bumps 125 are employed for preventing the lcd panel 10 from being damaged since the lcd panel 10 may bear an overlarge force to make a portion thereof overbend when being pressed . refer to fig5 , which is a partial circuit diagram of the tft array substrate 12 of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention . the gate - driving circuit 16 , the detection circuit 18 and the memory device 19 of the lcd apparatus 100 are arranged on the tft array substrate 12 . as shown in fig5 , the tft array substrate 12 includes a plurality of pixels 123 , a plurality of pixel gate lines pgln , pgln + 1 , pgln + 2 , a plurality of data lines dlp , dlp + 1 , dlp + 2 , a plurality of sensor pads 121 a and 121 b , a plurality of readout lines rlq , rlq + 1 , rlq + 2 , a plurality of switches sw and a plurality of sensor gate lines sglm , sclm + 1 . each of the pixels 123 includes a thin - film transistor ( not marked in fig5 ) and a pixel electrode ( not marked in fig5 ) electrically coupled to a source electrode of the thin - film transistor . the pixel gate lines pgln , pgln + 1 , pgln + 2 are electrically coupled to gate electrodes of the thin - film transistors of the corresponding pixels 123 respectively to drive the pixels 123 . the data lines dlp , dlp + 1 , dlp + 2 are electrically coupled to drain electrodes of the thin - film transistors of the pixels 123 respectively to provide display data to the pixels 123 . the sensor pads 121 a and 121 b are arranged adjacent to a corresponding one of the pixels 123 respectively , and generate different sensing signals according to whether corresponding locations of the lcd apparatus 100 are pressed . herein , the adjacent two sensor pads 121 a and 121 b are electrically coupled with each other , and are electrically coupled with a corresponding one of the readout lines rlq , rlq + 1 , rlq + 2 through a same switch . each of the pixels 123 having the sensor pad 121 a or 121 b arranged adjacent thereto , is surrounded by many of the pixels 123 having no the sensor pads 121 a and 121 b arranged adjacent thereto , respectively . each of the switches sw is arranged between the sensor pads 121 a and 121 b , and a corresponding one of the readout lines rlq , rlq + 1 , rlq + 2 respectively . the sensor gate lines sclm , sclm + 1 are electrically coupled to the corresponding switches sw to control on / off states of the corresponding switches for driving the corresponding sensor pads 121 a and 121 b . in addition , the pixel gate lines pgln , pgln + 1 , pgln + 2 are electrically coupled to the gate - driving circuit 16 and are driven by the gate - driving circuit 16 . the sensor gate lines sglm , sglm + 1 are designed to be separated from ( that is not electrically coupled to ) the pixel gate lines pgln , pgln + 1 , pgln + 2 , and an amount thereof is less than that of the pixel gate lines pgln , pgln + 1 , pgln + 2 . the sensor gate lines sglm , sglm + 1 are electrically coupled to various different signal - channels of the gate - driving circuit 16 and are driven by the gate - driving circuit 16 . the readout lines rlq , rlq + 1 , rlq + 2 are electrically coupled to various different signal - channels of the detection circuit 18 and transmit the sensing signals to the detection circuit 18 . the received sensing signals are converted into pressed data ( that is coordinates of pressed locations ) by the detection circuit 18 . the memory device 19 is electrically coupled to the detection circuit 18 to store the pressed data . furthermore , the sensor gate lines sglm , sglm + 1 of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention are not limited to one - to - one correspond to the signal - channels of the gate - driving circuit 16 . alternatively , the many adjacent sensor gate lines may be electrically coupled to a single signal - channel . similarly , the readout lines rlq , rlq + 1 , rlq + 2 are not limited to one - to - one correspond to the signal - channels of the detection circuit 18 . alternatively , the many adjacent readout lines are electrically coupled to a single signal - channel . for example , as shown in fig6 , the adjacent two sensor gate lines sglm , sglm + 1 are electrically coupled with each other to be electrically coupled to a single signal - channel of the gate - driving circuit 16 . alternatively , as shown in fig7 , the adjacent two readout lines rlq , rlq + 1 are electrically coupled with each other to be electrically coupled to a single signal - channel of the detection circuit 18 . herein , the detection circuit 18 regards the signals transmitted by the readout lines rlq , rlq + 1 as a same data . alternatively , as shown in fig8 , the adjacent two sensor gate lines sglm , sglm + 1 are electrically coupled with each other to be electrically coupled to a single signal - channel of the gate - driving circuit 16 , and the adjacent two readout lines rlq , rlq + 1 are electrically coupled with each other to be electrically coupled to a single signal - channel of the detection circuit 18 . in addition , since the lcd apparatus 100 of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention employs the design of separating the sensor gate lines sglm , sglm + 1 from the pixel gate lines pgln , pgln + 1 , pgln + 2 , each of the sensor gate lines sglm , sglm + 1 and each of the pixel gate lines pgln , pgln + 1 , pgln + 2 have a same enable time during controlling the lcd apparatus 100 . it can be performed by following methods to obtain the same enable time . for example , ( 1 ) a method is enabling one of the sensor gate lines simultaneously when enabling each of the pixel gate lines . alternatively , ( 2 ) another method is enabling the sensor gate line sglm simultaneously when enabling the pixel gate line pgln , next turning off all of the sensor gate lines simultaneously when enabling the pixel gate line pgln + 1 , and enabling the sensor gate line sglm + 1 simultaneously when enabling the pixel gate line pgln + 2 , and so on . furthermore , when the above many ( such as two ) adjacent sensor gate lines are electrically coupled to a single signal - channel of the gate - driving circuit 16 , the gate - driving circuit 16 will enable the many adjacent sensor gate lines electrically coupled with each other simultaneously . of course , the method of enabling the many sensor gate lines simultaneously can be similarly adapted for the many sensor gate lines electrically coupled to the different channels of the gate - driving circuit 16 by altering the gate - driving circuit 16 . similarly , when the above many ( such as two ) adjacent readout lines is electrically coupled to a single signal - channel of the detection circuit 18 , the detection circuit 18 will receive the sensor signals transmitted by the many readout lines electrically coupled with each other simultaneously . of course , the method of receiving the sensor signals transmitted by the many readout lines simultaneously is similarly adapted for the many readout lines electrically coupled the different signal - channels of the detection circuit 18 by altering the detection circuit 18 . the exemplary embodiment of the present invention employs unique circuit constructions of the lcd panel and the lcd apparatus , such as the design of separating the pixel gate lines from the sensor gate lines , the special arrangement of the sensor pads , the designs of electrically coupling the many readout lines with each other , and / or electrically coupling the many sensor gate lines with each other , to obtain dense effective sensing areas for achieving a high touch detection capability with low cost . in addition , one skilled in the art also can appropriately alter the lcd panel , the lcd apparatus and the control method of the above exemplary embodiment of the present invention , such as appropriately altering the arrangement of the sensor pads on the tft array substrate , the arrangement of the sensor gate lines , the arrangement of the readout lines , and / or driving the pixel gate lines and the sensor gate lines by different driving circuits , etc . the above description is given by way of example , and not limitation . given the above disclosure , one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein , including configurations ways of the recessed portions and materials and / or designs of the attaching structures . further , the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone , or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein . thus , the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments .	6
referring to fig3 through 11 , a process for forming a fuse in accordance with the present invention is explained in connection with a process for forming a one - transistor memory cell in an lsi memory . in this case , the one - transistor memory cell has a double - polysilicon structure which is well known to a person of ordinary skill in the art . in fig3 &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; is the region in which a fuse is formed and &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; is the region in which a memory cell is formed . a silicon substrate 31 ( i . e ., a silicon single crystalline wafer ) is selectively oxidized to form an insulating layer 32 of sio 2 ( i . e ., a so - called field - insulating layer ) having a thickness of , e . g ., about 500 nm . furthermore , the silicon substrate 31 is also selectively oxidized to form a thin insulating layer 33 of sio 2 for a capacitor . then a polycrystalline silicon layer having a thickness of from 300 nm to 500 nm is deposited on the whole surface of the insulating layers 32 and 33 by means of a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) method and selectively removed by means of a photoetching method to simultaneously form a fuse layer 34 in the region a and a capacitor electrode 35 in the region b . the exposed portion of the thin insulating layer 33 is also removed by means of a photo - etching method , as is shown in fig4 . then the exposed portion of the silicon substrate 31 is thermally oxidized to form a gate oxide ( sio 2 ) layer 36 having a thickness of , e . g ., about 50 nm , as is shown in fig5 . at the same time , the fuse layer 34 and the capacitor electrode 35 of polycrystalline silicon are oxidized to form , respectively , sio 2 insulating layers 37 and 38 having thicknesses of about 100 nm . then another polycrystalline silicon layer or interrupting layer 39 having a thickness from 300 nm to 500 nm is deposited on the whole surface of the sio 2 layers 32 , 36 , 37 , and 38 by means of a cvd method , as is shown in fig6 . the polycrystalline silicon layer 39 is selectively removed by means of a photo - etching method to simultaneously form a polycrystalline silicon island 40 in the region a and a gate electrode 41 in the region b , as is shown in fig7 . then a doped region 42 ( fig7 ) is formed in the region b by implanting impurity ions in the silicon substrate 31 through the gate oxide layer 36 . an isolation layer 43 of psg having a thickness of , e . g ., about 1 μm is deposited on the whole surface of the obtained lsi memory by means of a cvd method , as is shown in fig8 . the isolation layer 43 and the sio 2 layers 37 and 36 are selectively removed by means of a photo - etching method to form contact holes 44 and 45 ( fig1 ) in the region a and a contact hole 46 ( fig8 ) in the region b . accordingly , in the contact holes 44 and 45 , wide end portions 47 and 48 of the fuse layer 34 are exposed , respectively , and in the contact hole 46 a portion of the silicon substrate 31 in the doped region 42 is exposed . then a conductor layer of , e . g ., aluminum is formed on the isolation layer 43 and is patterned by means of a photo - etching method to form conductors 49 and 50 ( fig1 ) and an electrode 51 ( fig9 ). the conductors 49 and 50 are connected to the wide end portions 47 and 48 through the contact holes 44 and 45 , respectively . the electrode 51 is connected to the doped region 42 through the contact hole 46 . a passivation layer 52 ( i . e ., an insulating protective layer ) of psg having a thickness of , e . g ., about 1 μm is deposited on the whole surface of the isolation layer 43 , the conductors 47 and 48 , and the electrode 51 , as is shown in fig9 . a photoresist layer 53 is formed on the passivation layer 52 , exposed to a patterned light , and developed to form an opening 54 in the region a , as is shown in fig9 . the dimensions of the opening 54 should be smaller than those of the polycrystalline silicon island 40 . the passivation layer 52 and the isolation layer 43 of psg are selectively removed by means of a dry - etching treatment using a trifluoromethane ( chf 3 ) gas as an etchant to form a preceding window 55 , as is shown in fig1 . since the polycrystalline silicon island 40 is not etched by the etchant , a portion of the island 40 is exposed by the preceding window 55 and prevents the etching step from proceeding further . then the exposed portion of the polycrystalline silicon island 40 is removed by means of a dry - etching treatment using carbon tetrafluoride ( cf 4 ) gas as an etchant so that an annular portion of the island 40 remains , as is shown in fig1 and 12 . next , the dry - etching treatment using the chf 3 gas is repeated to remove the insulating layer 37 of sio 2 so as to expose the fuse layer 34 by a window 56 , as is shown fig1 . at the same time , the exposed portion of the insulating layer 32 is inevitably etched to the same thickness ( about 100 nm ) as that of the insulating layer 37 . since the thickness of the layer 37 is relatively thin , the time necessary for etching can be easily controlled , and it is possible to prevent excessive etching . since the insulating layer 32 has a thickness of about 500 nm , a portion of the silicon substrate 31 under the layer 32 cannot be exposed . the above - mentioned three dry - etching treatments can be performed in a dry - etching apparatus by changing the etchant gas . during the etching treatments , the photoresist layer 53 is not removed . later , the photoresist layer 53 is removed with a suitable solvent or by means of an ashing method . thus , a fuse and a onetransistor memory cell are simultaneously formed , as is shown in fig1 , in accordance with the conventional steps for forming a double - polysilicon memory cell . according to the present invention , the insulating layer 32 , which is exposed by the window 56 and lies on the substrate 31 , is not etched so that a thickness sufficient to prevent undesirable impurities from penetrating the layer is maintained , thus preventing the reliability of the lsi memory from deteriorating . upon a testing process for detecting defective elements , the obtained fuse can be blown by application of an electric current or irradiating with a laser beam thereon . after the fuse blowing operation , the window 56 is covered with psg , if necessary . it is possible to form the fuse without forming a memory cell . the fuse layer can be made of a metal silicide , such as molybdenum silicide or tungsten silicide , instead of polycrystalline silicon . another insulating layer can be made of psg instead of sio 2 . it is possible to make the island 40 of a metal silicide ( such as molybdenum silicide or tungsten silicide ) or a metal ( such as molybdenum , or tungsten ) instead of polycrystalline silicon . furthermore , it is possible to make the isolation layer and the passivation layer of sio 2 instead of psg . it will be obvious that the present invention is not restricted to the above - mentioned embodiments and that many variations are possible for a person having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention .	7
the present invention is a vapor generation bubbler designed for service in high vacuum or high flowrate conditions . the design prevents splashing and transport of aerosol droplets into the outlet delivery line that would result in erratic chemical mass flow delivery . semiconductor manufacturers are turning to the use of high value chemicals that are increasingly difficult to transport for deposition onto a wafer in a vacuum chamber or tool . the vessel or bubbler of the present invention allows liquid chemical to be delivered from the container or bubbler as a vapor at high vacuum , without the splashing and the formation of aerosol droplets in the outlet of the vessel or bubbler that result in erratic chemical mass delivery rate . the present invention has a lower surface design that enables a constant saturation of a carrier gas with chemical vapor down to very low levels of the residual chemical . yet , the present invention prevents splashing and the formation of aerosol droplets into the outlet of the bubbler , that would result in erratic chemical mass delivery rate , even when the chemical level in the container is high . previously , bubblers used for high vacuum service or high flowrate service had to be used with only a partial charge of chemical ( i . e . : 50 % full ). this required the semiconductor manufacturer to change the vessel or bubbler more often ( taking down the tool ), and added to the cost of the chemical , because of the increased container processing fees . this invention enables use of the bubbler from a full liquid chemical level down to a very low level and reduces semiconductor tool downtime . also , since it is effective at limiting the chemical aerosol particles in the outlet , it can reduce particulate generation that might result from degradation of the aerosol droplets that deposit in the outlet and all of the delivery piping to the processing chamber or tool . previous bubbler designs addressed the problem of splashing by installing at the bottom of the dip tube , piping , perpendicular to the diptube , with holes drilled along its length . this resulted in smaller bubbles generated over a larger area of the bubbler , which resulted in a less turbulent bubbling action , and therefore , less splashing , but these inventions are impossible to effectively clean for reuse by the chemical supplier . the present invention uses porous masses of material , such as porous metal frits , at the outlet of the inlet diptube to break down the size of the bubbles of inert carrier gas entering the liquid chemical precursor in conjunction with one or more baffle discs at the upper part of the vessel or bubbler that requires the carrier gas entrained with chemical precursor to pass indirectly to the outlet of the container or bubbler by flowing tortuously to the outside of the baffle discs in a narrow annular space between the inner diameter of the bubbler inside wall and the outer diameter or circumferential or perimeter edge of the baffle discs . this will be illustrated with reference to several preferred embodiments of the present invention . fig1 shows a bubbler 10 of the present invention having a cylindrical bubbler sidewall 12 with a diptube inlet 14 terminating at its inlet end with a porous mass or block outlet , such as a stainless steel frit 18 that operates as a gas diffuser to generate small microbubbles of the inert carrier gas below the surface of the liquid chemical precursor ( not illustrated ). this reduces the chance of violent bubbling or the splattering of liquid above the headspace or freeboard of the bubbler . the outlet 18 of the bubbler diptube inlet 14 is proximate the floor of the bubbler in a sump 21 , shown in fig5 . in addition , the diptube 14 has a baffle disc 20 , having a circular and concave downward configuration like a shallow cone opening downward , affixed , as by welding , to the upper end of the diptube 14 , to further avoid liquid splattering or large scale liquid entrainment of the carrier gas flowing to the outlet 16 , which is undesired , but which has a greater probability under high flow or high vacuum conditions . fig2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention where similar parts have similar part numbers . here the splash guard comprises two baffle discs , a lower baffle disc 22 and an upper baffle disc 24 having a circular outer edge shape and being concave downward , such as a shallow downwardly open cone , that act in cooperation to make an even more tortuous path for chemical precursor leaving the bubbler 10 . the baffle discs are concave downward to further frustrate direct flow of chemical precursor to the outlet 16 and to collect condensed chemical precursor for return by coalesced droplets falling back into the stored chemical precursor ( not illustrated ). the baffle discs have a diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of the cylindrical inside wall of the bubbler . the space between the circumferential or perimeter edge of the baffle disc and the inside wall of the bubbler is sufficient to allow gas to pass through the space with minimal pressure drop , but sufficiently narrow to minimize the passage of liquid that may be ejected from the liquid content of the bubbler under high flow rates of carrier gas through the diptube or significant pressure fluctuations . fig3 shows a more detailed illustration of the second embodiment of the present invention . bubbler 10 is shown in cut away with an angled diptube 14 ending in a stainless steel frit outlet 18 , such as a mott porous stainless steel cup series 1200 , catalog no 1200 - a - b - l - media grade . the two baffle discs 22 and 24 occupy different inside diameter locations in the container sidewall 12 so that the lower baffle disc 22 allows greater annular space from the cylindrical inside surface of the bubbler sidewall 12 for carrier gas and chemical precursor to pass toward the outlet , while upper baffle disc 24 provides less annular space to further avoid liquid entrainment in the outlet and downstream piping from the outlet . fig4 shows an isolation of the internal structure of the bubbler of the second embodiment without the sidewall 12 being illustrated . in fig4 , the diptube inlet 14 and its outlet frit 18 are easily seen and the splash guard comprising baffle disc 22 and 24 are also readily seen with their concave downward shape . fig5 shows a specific configuration of the second embodiment of fig2 in which the gas diffuser outlet 18 is shown as an horizontally disposed elongated cylindrical porous metal frit having a hollow gas passage interior and a porous metal frit outer shell , such as those made by mott corporation , farmington , conn . 06032 , usa . preferably , the porous metal frit gas diffuser outlet 18 has a media grade rating to filter out particles of 1 micron or larger , preferably filtering out at least 90 % of particles 1 micron or larger . the gas diffuser outlet 18 of fig5 is situated in a sump 21 in the base , floor or bottom of the bubbler container 12 . the preferred diffuser 18 is an horizontally disposed elongated cylinder and the sump is thus a partial elongated cylinder open at its upper side to the inside of the bubbler and being of a dimension slightly larger than the elongated cylinder of the diffuser outlet 18 , sufficient to allow gas bubbles of carrier gas to escape the outside of the diffuser outlet 18 and to allow liquid chemical precursor stored in the bubbler or vessel 10 to reside in the sump 21 substantially or completely surrounding the diffuser outlet 18 . preferably , the diffuser outlet 18 resides entirely with the sump 21 , such that the upper surface of the diffuser is no more than even with the upper edge of the sump wall . the level sensor 28 measures the liquid product level . inlet 14 is controlled by inlet valve 30 , and outlet 16 is controlled by valve 26 . the goal of fig5 is to provide adequate flow of gas to entrain liquid product without creating bubbles of such size as to create splashing or violent spitting of the liquid getting to the outlet and downstream of the bubbler . this could contaminate the outlet or create flow problems in any downstream mass flow controller . to further avoid liquid escape from the bubbler , a metal frit 32 can be positioned at an inlet to the outlet 16 . fig6 shows the embodiment of fig5 in which an elbow configuration or shape 34 of the inlet to the outlet 16 is used in place of metal frit 32 . the end of elbow 34 is directed radially inward away from the outer circumferential or perimeter edge of the baffle discs 22 and 24 and toward the axial center of the cylinder formed by the sidewall 12 of the vessel or bubbler 10 to minimize possible liquid introduction into the outlet 16 . similarly , fig7 shows an alternate to fig6 wherein the elbow outlet 34 is replaced with a “ tee ” shaped or configured inlet 36 to the outlet , again to minimize the possible introduction of liquid into the outlet 16 from the annular space between the baffle discs 22 and 24 and the inside wall of the sidewall 12 of the vessel or bubbler 10 . to avoid liquid introduction into the outlet 16 , it is further possible to change the construction of the baffle discs . fig8 shows lower baffle disc 22 with a plurality of perforations 38 to trap liquid spitting between baffle discs 22 and 24 and return it to the sump of the vessel . fig9 shows that upper baffle disc 24 is fabricated from porous metal frit material , to again minimize liquid introduction into the outlet 16 . the present invention provides superior minimization of liquid entrainment of droplets in the outlet and downstream piping of a bubbler connected to a cvd tool of an electronics fabrication system . using either a single baffle disc or multiples of the baffle disc , alone or in combination with a diffuser or frit at an outlet to the diptube inlet provides the desired minimization of liquid droplet entrainment in the outlet 16 of the bubbler . although the baffle discs have been shown as circular discs with a concavity where the disc is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the cylindrical vessel or bubbler sidewall , it is understood that any baffle of any shape which provides only a narrow annular space at the inner sidewall of the vessel or bubbler is within the scope of the present invention . likewise , any form of device with an array of small passages can be used as the frit or outlet of the diptube of the present invention . although , it is preferred to use stainless steel , it is envisioned that any inert material of rigid form can be used for the splash guard or frit . plastics , metal alloys , powdered metals , fabrics , textiles and ceramics are all contemplated . the vessel 10 can also be used for product flow in the opposite direction where outlet 16 functions as a pressurizing gas inlet to form a pressure head on liquid contained in the vessel 10 and force the liquid in liquid form through the frit 18 and out the diptube 14 for liquid delivery from the vessel using a pressurizing gas , in contrast to the vapor delivery described above .	2
there are nine drawing sheets ( 1 through 9 ). on each sheet there are six views of one embodiment of an engraving cutter tip . fig1 through fig6 are six views of a prior art single point engraving cutter tip 3 having a heel 18 that is created from heel facets 10 and 12 . this prior art cutter tip heel design is the configuration used by engravers for deep engraving work . a heel is placed on an engraving tool tip to change the angle of attack that the tool cuts . a heel is therefore used to give clearance for the hand to push the tool through the work . fig5 and fig6 illustrate the angle of the tool tip as it would be used for engraving on a horizontal surface . the tool tip in fig5 is illustrated tilted , so that heel 18 is horizontal . during use , the user will tilt the tool tip at a slightly greater angle of attack than this for diving into a cut and then level it out as shown in the fig5 illustration so that the heel is horizontal in order to maintain the cut at a certain depth . when desired , the angle of attack is decreased by the user and the cutter will begin coming out of the cut . fig6 is a front view of the cutter as it travels through a cut . the profile of v cutting edges 20 and 22 is the v shape of the furrow that will result in the material being engraved . heel facets 10 and 12 are what make up and determine the angle of the v cutting edges 20 and 22 . in order for a tool tip to make a deep cut , heel facets 10 and 12 need to travel at least as far up the v cutting edges 20 and 22 as the depth of cut desired . the cutter tip 3 is therefore in the configuration used by engravers for deep engraving work because heel facets 10 and 12 travel the full distance up the v cutting edges 20 and 22 . the disadvantage of such large facets 10 and 12 is that it makes a heel 18 that is very long . a long heel trails behind the cutting point and is not a problem if the user engraves in a straight line , but when engraving a curved line or turning a corner while in a cut , this long trailing heel drags on the back side of the furrow cut . in other words , it is like trying to place a straight line segment ( heel 18 in this case ) into a furrow that is curved . the straight line segment does not fit and results in the back end of the segment dragging on one side of the curved furrow . referring to fig1 through fig6 on drawing page 1 , additional features are true for all the embodiments in drawing pages 2 through 9 . face 4 on the front of the cutting tip can be angled more steeply , or less steeply creating a blunter or sharper point . generally , engraving in harder material such as tool steels or harder stainless will require a blunter face angle while softer materials such as silver , copper or some softer gold require a sharper face angle . three facets 6 , 8 , and 10 are illustrated on top of the cutter tip but are not necessary . these three facets are personal preference and the applicant uses these to create a slightly smaller face 4 than it would be without facets 6 , 8 , and 10 . a second prior art single point engraving cutter tip 5 is illustrated in fig7 through fig1 . this embodiment is the same as the prior art embodiment illustrated in fig1 through fig6 , although the size of the heel facets 10 a and 12 a are smaller . in order for fine line , shallow engraving to be achieved without the heel drag problem described in the embodiment in fig1 through fig6 , those skilled in the art place heel facets 10 a and 12 a small so that the resulting heel 18 a is short . this tool tip works very well for the fine line engraving work , and is capable of turning sharp radiuses and corners while in a cut without the heel dragging in fine cuts . this cutter tip will not , however , work for engraving deep cuts . if it is attempted to use this tool for a deep cut , the tool would dive quickly in a manner similar to a tool tip without any heel facets 10 a and 12 a at all . a third prior art single point engraving cutter tip 7 is illustrated in fig1 through fig1 . this embodiment is the same as the prior art embodiment illustrated in fig1 through fig6 although the angle of the face 4 b is steeper , creating a more sharp elongated point . a user may desire a point similar to this when engraving in softer material , although as can be seen , this further increases the length of heel 18 b compared to the embodiment illustrated in fig1 through fig6 . this increased length heel 18 b will make the heel drag problem worse . the preferred embodiment in accordance with the invention illustrated in fig1 through fig2 shows six views of a single point engraving cutter tip 9 similar to the prior art illustrated in fig1 through fig6 but in accordance with the invention , the embodiment has two additional facets on the underside . these two additional facets are called relieving facets 14 c and 16 c , and are placed in such a manner that they will remove all but a small amount of heel facets 10 c and 12 c so that all that is left of heel facets 10 c and 12 c is an area substantially parallel with the v cutting edges 20 c and 22 c . with relieving facets 14 c and 16 c this embodiment provides a cutter tip with the benefit of a heel running all the way up v cutting edges 20 c and 22 c for deep engraving but without possessing a long heel 18 c . this embodiment therefore can be used for fine detailed engraving without the heel drag problem in a curved line or when the user turns a sharp corner while in a cut and it may also be used for deep engraving without it diving since the heel runs the length of v cutting edges 20 c and 22 c . the second embodiment in accordance with the invention in fig2 through fig3 illustrates a single point engraving cutter tip 11 having relieving facets 14 d and 16 d that are illustrated ground slightly incorrectly leaving a non parallel cutting heel next to v cutting edges 20 d and 22 d . this embodiment still has an advantage over an embodiment without relieving facets 14 d and 16 d but it will not be capable of engraving as deeply as an embodiment with relieving facets 14 d and 16 d placed correctly and in such a manner that heel facets 10 d and 12 d run substantially parallel with v cutting edges 20 d and 22 d . the third embodiment in accordance with the invention in fig3 through fig3 show a single point engraving cutter tip 13 which is similar to the embodiment in fig2 through fig3 although relieving facets 14 e and 16 e are more properly placed leaving heel facets 10 e and 12 e running substantially parallel with v cutting edges 20 e and 22 e . the fourth embodiment in accordance with the invention in fig3 through fig4 show six views of a single point engraving cutter tip 15 having the same tool tip illustrated in fig1 through fig2 but the shank stock material has a circular profile rather than square profile . in accordance with the invention any shape tool stock or blank may be used to place the engraving cutter tip on . the round shank profile of cutter tip 15 is viewable in fig4 . cutter tip 17 is a fifth embodiment illustrated in fig4 through fig4 and illustrates how relieving facets 14 g and 16 g can be used with a wider profile v cutting edges 20 g and 22 g in accordance with the invention . the wider v profile is made and governed by the angle and placement of heel facets 10 g and 12 g . cutter tip 17 is made on a square stock shank but the stock material shape can be any shape . cutter tip 19 is a sixth embodiment illustrated in fig4 through fig5 and illustrates how relieving facets 14 h and 16 h can be used with a narrow profile v cutting edges 20 h and 22 h in accordance with the invention . the narrower v profile is made and governed by the angle and placement of heel facets 10 h and 12 h . cutter tip 19 is made on a round stock shank but the stock material shape can be in any shape . accordingly , the reader will see that the invention provides an improved engraving cutter tip that will provide the benefit of a heel running all the way up the cutting edge v for deep engraving but without possessing a long heel that trails behind . users of the cutter tip can easily go from fine engraving to deep engraver using the same cutter and without the disadvantage of a long trailing heel that can drag in a curved line or when the user turns a relatively sharp corner while in a cut . although the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated embodiments , it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims . for example : the embodiments in the illustrations show round and square shank tool blanks used with the present invention but an equivalent may be made by using any shaped shank ; only two relieving facets 14 and 16 have been illustrated but more than two can be employed without departing from the scope of the invention ; only two heel facets 10 and 12 have been illustrated but more than two can be employed without departing from the scope of the invention ; and the embodiments in the illustrations are shown with a relativity short shank . the shank of the embodiments can be of any length without departing from the scope of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiment illustrated , but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents .	1
with reference to fig2 for a circuit diagram of a multi - lamp driver circuit in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention , the multi - lamp driver circuit comprises a switch module sw , a resonance module , a first fluorescent lamp module l 1 , a second fluorescent lamp module l 2 , a detection unit , a protection unit , and a control unit 100 . the switch module sw is coupled to a dc input voltage vin and is switched according to a control signal from the control unit 100 so as to control the magnitude of the output electric power . the switch module sw of this embodiment has a full - bridge architecture , but in practical , a half - bridge architecture or a push - pull architecture can be adopted in the switch module sw as well . the resonance module comprises resonant capacitors c 1 , c 2 and a transformer t with a primary side and a secondary side . the primary side of the transformer t is coupled to the switch module sw , and the secondary side of the transformer t is coupled to the resonant capacitors c 1 , c 2 for receiving the output electric power transmitted from the switch module sw and converting the output electric power into an ac signal outputted from the secondary side . the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 is coupled to one end of a secondary side of the resonance module , and the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 is coupled to the other end of the secondary side of the resonance module . both the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 and the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 receives the ac signal outputted from the secondary side of the resonance module to emit light . the detection unit includes a first detecting portion and a second detecting portion , wherein the first detecting portion includes a first detecting resistor r 1 and the second detecting portion includes a second detecting resistor r 2 . the first detecting portion and the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 are serially connected to the secondary side of the resonance module , and the second detecting portion and the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 are serially connected to the secondary side of the resonance module as well . one end of the first detecting portion and one end of the second detecting portion are coupled to a common ground , and the other ends of the first detecting portion and the second detecting portion are serially connected to the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 and the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 for generating a first detection signal fb 1 and a second detection signal fb 2 respectively . it is noted that the currents passing through the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 and the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 are in opposite directions . thus , the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 are almost in opposite phase . in other words , the phase difference of the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 falls within a range from 180 degrees . since the impedance of the fluorescent lamp modules is not perfectly matched in practice , the phase difference between the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 would not be exactly equal to 180 degrees . the deviation of the phase difference from 180 degrees is dependent to the impedance difference . however , the phase difference will remain in the certain range from 180 degrees . the selection unit se receives the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 , and selectively output one of the two detection signals fb 1 and fb 2 to form a select signal fb according to the timing of the two detection signals fb 1 and fb 2 . in this embodiment , the selection unit se includes two diodes with positive terminals thereof coupled to a first detecting resistor r 1 and a second detecting resistor r 2 respectively , and negative terminals thereof coupled with each other , such that the selection unit se would selectively output the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 to form a full - wave select signal fb . the protection unit is coupled to the detection unit for receiving the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 , and outputting a protection feedback signal pr . the protection unit includes a compensating portion and a filter portion fc , wherein the compensating portion includes impedance compensation components z 1 , z 2 , such as resistors , capacitors , or any other components having impedance . the impedance compensation components z 1 and z 2 are coupled to the first detecting resistor r 1 and the second detecting resistor r 2 of the detection unit respectively so as to have the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 compensated with each other to generate a compensation signal cp . under a normal operation condition , the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 are substantially opposite in phase and have similar magnitude , and the compensation signal cp outputted from the compensating portion would substantially approach zero potential . meanwhile , the protection feedback signal pr is in a first state representing the normal operation . if there is any open circuit , short circuit , or other abnormality happened in the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 or the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 , impedance mismatch between the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 and the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 will become more serious than that under the normal operation condition . thus , the magnitude difference of the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 would be increased and the phase difference there between would be deviated away from the 180 degrees more seriously , and the compensation signal cp with larger amplitude would be resulted . the compensation signal cp is then transmitted to the filter portion fc through the rectifier diode d 1 . after filtering out the high frequency portion , the protection feedback signal pr is resulted . it is noted that the level of the protection feedback signal pr would be increased in contrast with that under the normal operation condition , and thus the protection feedback signal pr is in a second state representing the abnormality . the control unit 100 receives the select signal fb and the protection feedback signal pr and performs feedback control according to the select signal fb to stabilize the current passing through the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 and the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 to generate steady illumination . if the level of the protection feedback signal pr is higher than a predetermined value , the protection feedback signal pr is determined to be in the second state indicating abnormal circuit , and the control unit 100 will stop the switching of the switch module sw . meanwhile , the switch module sw stops outputting energy to the resonance module , and the fluorescent lamp driver circuit enters a protection mode . to prevent the temporary voltage rise of the protection feedback signal pr caused by a sudden disturbance happened in the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 , the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 , and the system circuit or other factors ( such as system booting ) from resulting in misjudgments because the circuit is not damaged or showing any abnormality under such condition , a predetermined time can be set , such that unless the level of the protection feedback signal pr is higher than the predetermined value and remains the predetermine time , the control unit 100 would not stop the switching of the switch module . with reference to fig3 for a circuit diagram of a multi - lamp driver circuit in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention , the difference of this embodiment from the first preferred embodiment is that there are two windings disposed at the secondary side of the transformer t of the resonance module in this embodiment coupled to the resonant capacitors c 1 , c 2 respectively for converting electric power into a first ac signal and a second ac signal . the polarities of the two windings are opposite . thus , the phases of the first and the second ac signals are opposite . the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 is coupled to one of the two secondary side windings of the transformer t for receiving the first ac signal , and the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 is coupled to the other secondary side winding of the transformer t for receiving the second ac signal . the detection unit includes a first detecting resistor r 1 and a second detecting resistor r 2 , and one end of the first detecting resistor r 1 and one end of the second detecting resistor r 2 are coupled to a common ground . the other end of the first detecting resistor r 1 is serially connected to the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 for generating the first detection signal fb 1 , and the other end of the second detecting resistor r 1 is serially connected to the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 for generating the second detection signal fb 2 . since the phases of the first ac signal and the second ac signal are opposite , the level of the protection feedback signal pr outputted by protection unit according to the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 approaches zero potential under normal operation condition . if any abnormality occurs , the impedance mismatch of the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 and the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 becomes more serious to have the magnitude difference of the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 would be increased and / or the phase difference there between would be deviated away from the 180 degrees more seriously , and thus causing a level rising of the protection feedback signal pr . thereby , if the level of the protection feedback signal pr is higher than a predetermined value , the control unit 100 will stop the switching of the switch module sw . as a preferred embodiment , in order to prevent misjudgments , if the level of the protection feedback signal pr is higher than the predetermined value and also remained at such condition after a predetermined time , the control unit 100 will stop the switching of the switch module sw . with reference to fig4 a for a circuit diagram of a multi - lamp driver circuit in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention , the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 includes a plurality of fluorescent lamps l 11 , l 12 , and the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 includes a plurality of fluorescent lamps l 21 , l 22 . there are two windings at a secondary side of the transformer t coupled to the resonant capacitors c 1 , c 2 respectively for converting electric power into a first ac signal and a second ac signal . one end of the first detecting resistor r 1 and one end of the second detecting resistor r 2 of the detection unit are coupled to a common ground . the other end of the first detecting resistor r 1 is serially connected to the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 for generating a first detection signal fb 1 , and the other end of the second detecting portion r 2 is serially connected to the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 for generating a second detection signal fb 2 . because of the coupling among the first detecting resistor r 1 , the second detecting resistor r 2 , and the two secondary side windings , currents passing through the first detecting resistor r 1 and the second detecting resistor r 2 have opposite values . therefore , the level of the protection feedback signal pr outputted by the protection unit approaches zero under normal operation condition . however , if any abnormality occurs in the circuit , the magnitude difference between the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 would be increased and / or the phase difference would be deviated away from the 180 degrees more seriously , and thus causing a level rising of the protection feedback signal pr . similarly , if the level of the protection feedback signal pr is higher than a predetermined value , the control unit 100 will stop the switching of the switch module sw . in order to prevent misjudgments , the control unit 100 will stop the switching of the switch module sw if the level of the protection feedback signal pr is higher than the predetermined value and remained at such condition after a predetermined time . fig4 b is a schematic diagram showing waveforms of the first detection signal fb 1 , the second detection signal fb 2 , the compensation signal cp , the select signal fb , and the protection feedback signal pr in the multi - lamp driver circuit of fig4 a . under normal operation condition , there exists a slight impedance mismatch between the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 and the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 . thus , the amplitude of the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 are slightly different , the phase difference is approximately equal to 180 degrees , and the compensation signal cp would be oscillated around zero potential . at time point t 1 , an abnormality ( such as a short circuit ) of the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 occurs and the current rises suddenly . meanwhile , the amplitude difference between the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 increases , the phase difference is deviated from the 180 degrees , the amplitude of the compensation signal cp increases accordingly , and the voltage of the protection feedback signal pr rises gradually . at time point t 3 , the protection feedback signal pr is higher than a threshold voltage vth , the control unit 100 begins its countdown to enter into a protection state to stop supplying electric power to the resonance module after a predetermined time . at time point t 2 , abnormality ( such as an open circuit ) occurs in the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 and the current passing through the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 drops suddenly . at this time , the amplitude difference between the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 is quite large , the amplitude of the compensation signal cp increases significantly , and the protection feedback signal pr rises rapidly . the protection feedback signal pr remains at a level higher than the threshold voltage vth , and the control unit 100 keeps its countdown to enter into the protection state ( not shown in the figure ) after a predetermined time . as shown in fig4 b , any abnormal circuit , regardless of open circuit or short circuit , will cause an increasing of amplitude difference between the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 and / or a signification deviation of the phase difference from the 180 degrees . thereby , the protection feedback signal pr exceeds the predetermined threshold voltage vth to enable the protection function of the control unit 100 and achieve the object of circuit protection . with reference to fig5 a for a circuit diagram of a multi - lamp driver circuit in accordance with a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention , the difference of this preferred embodiment from the embodiment as shown in fig4 a is that the compensating portion of the present embodiment adopts two compensation capacitors c 3 , c 4 with one end thereof coupled to the first detecting resistor r 1 and the second detecting resistor r 2 of the detection unit respectively , and other ends thereof coupled with each other . the usage of capacitors as the compensating portion is capable to compensate impedance mismatch between the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 and the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 to equalize the current passing through the two fluorescent lamp modules l 1 and l 2 . the protection unit further includes a control portion q 1 coupled to the selection unit se . the control portion q 1 will pull the level of the select signal fb back to the level substantially equal to zero potential to have the select signal fb transferred into a protection state if the protection feedback signal pr is higher than a protection level . the control unit 100 simply requires a single pin to receive the select signal fb for determining whether to perform feedback control or circuit protection control according to the level of the select signal fb . fig5 b shows the waveforms of the first detection signal fb 1 , the second detection signal fb 2 , the compensation signal cp , the select signal fb , and the protection feedback signal pr of the multi - lamp driver circuit of fig5 a . as shown , a short circuit occurs in the second fluorescent lamp module l 2 at time point t 1 . because of the capacitors c 3 , c 4 , the magnitude of current passing through the first detecting portion r 1 and the second detecting portion r 2 is not changed significantly and the amplitudes of the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 remains close to each other . however , because the phase difference is deviated significantly from the 180 degrees , the amplitude of the compensation signal cp would be increased and the voltage of the protection feedback signal pr rises gradually . at time point t 3 , the level of the protection feedback signal pr is higher than the threshold voltage vth , the select signal fb is compulsorily pulled back , and the control unit 100 will enter into a protection state to stop supplying electric power to the resonance module after a predetermined time . at time point t 2 , an abnormal open circuit occurs suddenly in the first fluorescent lamp module l 1 . similarly , there is no significant change to the amplitude difference between the first detection signal fb 1 and the second detection signal fb 2 , but the phase difference is deviated away from the 180 degrees more seriously , so that the amplitude of the compensation signal cp increases significantly and the protection feedback signal pr rises rapidly . the protection feedback signal pr remains at a level higher than the threshold voltage vth , and the control unit 100 keeps its countdown to enter into a protection state ( not shown in the figure ) after a predetermined time . in the fluorescent lamp driver circuit in accordance with the foregoing preferred embodiments of the present invention , the control unit can achieve the feedback control of multi - lamp and circuit protection by the detection signal selected by the selection unit and the protection feedback signal . the control unit can even adjust and control the level of the selected detection signal according to the state of the protection feedback signal . the control unit of the present invention does not have to increase the number of feedback and circuit protection pins as the number of fluorescent lamps increases , but simply have to use two pins or even one pin to achieve the feedback control and circuit protection functions of multi - lamp . thus , the corresponding circuit design can be simplified , and the number of required electronic components can be reduced significantly . although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it shall be understood that the present invention is not limited to the details thereof . various substitutions and modifications have been suggested in the foregoing description , and others will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art . therefore , all such substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims .	7
fig1 shows a machine 20 with a melting chamber 22 surrounding a component or substrate 24 for repair , cladding , welding , or fabrication . the chamber may have an upper rim 38 , which may be planar or curved , and may guide a slag removal device as later described . a movable positioner 25 may support the substrate 24 and move it vertically relative to the chamber 22 . a granular feedstock 26 is disposed on the substrate 24 for melting or sintering by an energy source 28 such as a laser . the energy source 28 may move across the feedstock 26 in a programmable path 30 to melt or sinter the granular material 26 , which may include alloy constituents and flux . for example , a laser beam may be directed to scan a programmable path 30 by means of movable mirrors or prisms to “ paint ” a predetermined area of the feedstock 26 with laser energy for heating . the feedstock 26 may be any type or combination of materials that can be melted or sintered to form a solid layer or body with a layer of slag thereon . fig2 shows a deposit 32 formed on the substrate 24 by melting or sintering of the feedstock 26 . a slag layer 34 is formed on an upper surface 33 of the deposit 32 . fig3 shows the substrate raised 36 by the positioner 25 so that , for example , the top surface of the deposit 32 is flush with the rim 38 of the chamber 22 . fig4 shows a slag removal device 40 , exemplified as a scraper , mounted on a drive mechanism 39 , exemplified by a screw that moves the slag removal device across the top surface of the deposit 32 . this removes the slag 34 above a cutting surface 35 of the slag removal device 40 . herein , “ cutting surface ” means a surface geometry , such as a plane or a surface of rotation , beyond which the slag removal device removes material during relative motion between the deposit 32 and the slag removal device 40 . the top surface 33 of the deposit 32 has been positioned at the cutting surface 35 , so that the slag 34 is removed . also removed is at least a portion of reusable feedstock 27 remaining above the level of the upper surface 33 of the deposit . a separation device 42 may be provided that separates the slag from the reusable feedstock based on particle size or other criteria . this separation may be implemented for example by a perforated conveyor belt , a shaker screen , or a vibratory sieve . a conveying device 44 may transfer the recovered feedstock 27 to a collector 46 , or the collector may be directly filled by the separation device 42 . the slag removal device 40 may be embodied especially by a device such as a scraper or planer , which may optionally be embodied as a rotating cylinder with tines or blades , for example a rotary planer head . a preferred type of slag removal device breaks or cuts the slag free from the deposit , and breaks the slag 34 into pieces larger than a maximum size of granules of the reusable feedstock 27 for ease of separation therefrom . the slag removal device 40 may be guided by the upper rim 38 of the chamber after positioning the upper surface of the deposit flush with the rim 38 or flush with the cutting surface 35 , which may be coplanar with the rim 38 as shown . fig5 shows a feedstock feeder 48 distributing recovered feedstock 27 along with new feedstock 26 on the deposit 32 to create a further deposit thereon by further scans 30 of the energy source 28 of fig1 . the positioner 25 may lower 50 the substrate 24 so that the chamber rim 38 retains the further layer of feedstock 26 , 27 . fig6 shows an embodiment 21 with a rotary brush or blade 52 moving on a guide track 54 from a starting position 56 to an ending position 58 to remove slag 34 and reusable feedstock 27 at and above the level of the upper surface of the deposit . the guide track 54 may be vertically adjustable 55 to position the cutting surface 35 at the upper surface 33 of the deposit 32 . in this embodiment , the cutting surface 35 is approximately or exactly tangent to the surface of rotation of the rotary brush or blade . the cylindrical rotary brush or blade 52 may be embodied with wire bristles , tines , or as a planer head . the slag removal device 40 , 52 may be mounted on or moved by a drive mechanism , especially a position translating mechanism such as a motor - driven chain or screw drive or a motor - driven or hydraulic piston . the drive mechanism may include or operate against a guiding device , such as a track 54 or the chamber rim 38 that guides the slag removal device to move along a predetermined cutting surface 35 relative to the chamber 22 . a machine 20 , 21 configured with apparatus herein , includes for example a chamber 22 , a feedstock feeder 48 , an energy source 28 with programmable scanning 30 , a slag removal device 40 or 52 , a drive mechanism 39 , and a separation device 42 . it may be controlled automatically by an electronic process controller to perform slag removal and separation as described . such machine is operable to automatically repair or clad a substrate with one or more layers of material deposits , and to automatically remove slag after each deposit . controllers , motors , actuators , and interconnections for machine automation are not shown in the drawings since such elements are known in the field of process automation and controls . fig7 shows an embodiment 60 with a feedstock chamber 62 containing a feedstock 64 , which may granular and / or in a liquefied or fluidized form . a component 66 for repair , cladding , or welding , or fabrication , or more generally , a form for fabrication , is positioned to receive a flow of the feedstock 64 on a surface 67 thereof . the component 66 is rotated by a drive mechanism 71 relative to an energy source 69 such as a laser . the energy source 69 may be stationary , or it may move across the component 66 in a programmable path to melt or sinter the granular material 64 , which may include alloy constituents and flux . for example , a laser beam may be directed to scan a programmable path back and forth along a rotation axis 70 of the component 66 as the component rotates . the energy source 69 forms a localized melt pool 68 on the component surface 67 from which a deposit 32 is drawn on the surface 67 as it rotates under the melt pool . as the deposit 32 hardens with a slag 34 overlay , it rotates under a slag removal device 62 such as a stationary scraper or cutter as shown , or a moving device such as a rotary device as previously shown . removed reusable feedstock 27 may be separated from the removed slag 34 as previously described . fig8 illustrates a method 80 operable by the disclosed machine . the method 80 may be implemented by control logic in software or hardware to execute the below steps and / or subsets thereof as claimed . the steps may include : 84 scan the feedstock with an energy source that selectively melts or sinters the feedstock to create a material deposit overlaid with slag ; 86 position the top surface of the material deposit at a cutting surface of a slag removal device , or position the cutting surface of the slag removal device at the top surface of the material deposit ; 88 pass the slag removal device across the top surface of the deposit or move the deposit relative to the slag removal device , cutting or breaking the slag free from the top surface ; 90 receive the removed slag and a reusable portion of the granular feedstock into a separation device ; 92 separate the removed slag from the reusable portion of the granular feedstock with the separation device ; 94 recycle the reusable portion of the granular feedstock to the top surface of the material deposit ; and 96 repeat one or more times from step 82 . while various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein , it will be obvious that such embodiments are provided by way of example only . numerous variations , changes and substitutions may be made without departing from the invention herein . accordingly , it is intended that the invention be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims .	1
embodiments of the invention are based on a realization that tuning a dominant frequency of a source or a sink of a wireless energy transfer system enables the generation of at least four different electromagnetic ( em ) energy distribution patterns with maximum intensities in different zones . this realization allows transferring energy in different direction with optimized efficiency . fig2 a shows an embodiment of our invention configured to optimized wireless energy transfer form a tunable source 210 to multiple sinks . when the driver 240 supplies the energy 260 to the source 210 , the source generates an em field 215 . typically , the near - field 215 is generated according to a particular energy distribution pattern . the pattern , as described below , has different zones , such as optimum zones , wherein near - field intensities are optimal , i . e ., maximum , and blind zones , wherein the near - field intensities are minimized . in some applications , it is advantageous to transfer the energy to more than one sink , e . g ., to the sink 1 221 and to the sink 2 222 . however , if the sink 1 occupies the optimal zone of the energy distribution pattern of the source , the sink 2 can be located in the blind zone of the pattern . therefore , a controller 270 tunes the dominant frequency of the source 210 to change the energy distribution pattern 215 to another energy distribution pattern 216 , wherein the optimal zone of the pattern 216 replaces the blind zone of the pattern 215 . in one embodiment , the pattern 215 is either even or odd butterfly pattern , and the pattern 216 is either even or odd crossing pattern . an orientation between the source and the sink is used to determine a particular optimal pattern for wireless energy transfer between the source and the sink . accordingly , the embodiments facilitate reusing one source to transfer energy optimally to multiple directions corresponding to locations of different sinks . similarly , one sink can receive the energy from multiple sources , i . e ., from different directions . in one embodiment , the tuning of the dominant frequency is achieved by an oscillator , e . g ., a voltage or a digital controlled oscillator . a controller 270 monitors a control signal , e . g ., voltage or digital signal , of the oscillator to achieve the desired resonant frequency for the system . examples of such oscillators are oscillators manufactured by digi - key , and narda companies . another example is the crysteck corporation oscillator ( model no : cvco55cl - 0060 - 0110 ), which provides frequency tuning range from 60 mhz to 110 mhz with tuning voltage changing from 0 . 5v to 9 . 5v . fig2 b shows a system 200 according an embodiment of the invention . the system is configured to exchange , e . g ., transmit or receive , energy wirelessly . the system includes the structure 210 configured to generate an electromagnetic field 220 when the energy is received by the structure and exchange the energy wirelessly via a coupling of evanescent waves . in one embodiment , the energy 260 is supplied by the driver 240 . in this embodiment , the structure 210 serves as a source of the wireless energy transfer system . in an alternative embodiment , the energy 260 is supplied wirelessly from the source ( not shown ). in that embodiment , the structure 210 serves as a sink of the wireless energy transfer system . the system 200 optionally includes a negative index material ( nim ) 231 - 233 arranged within the near - field 220 . the nim is a material with negative permittivity and negative permeability properties . several unusual phenomena are known for this material , e . g ., evanescent wave amplification , surface plasmoni - like behavior and negative refraction . embodiments of the invention appreciated and utilized the unusual ability of nim to amplify evanescent waves , which optimizes wireless energy transfer . in one embodiment , the nim 233 substantially encloses the em structure 210 . enclosing the em structure with nim is advantageous for increasing the coupling of evanescent waves between the source and the sink . in variations of this embodiment , the nim can enclose the source , the sink or both . in one embodiment , there is a gap between the nim and the em structure . in another embodiment , multiple layers of the nim are used . the shape and dimensions of the near - field , i . e ., the energy distribution pattern , depends on a frequency of the external energy 260 , and on a resonant frequency of the em structure 210 , determined in part by a shape of the em structure , e . g ., circular , helical , cylindrical shape , and parameters of a material of the em structure such as conductivity , relative permittivity , and relative permeability . usually , a range 270 of the near - field is in an order of a dominant wavelength of the system . in non resonant systems , the dominant wavelength is determined by a frequency of the external energy 260 , i . e ., the wavelength λ 265 . in resonant systems , the dominant wavelength is determined by a resonant frequency of the em structure . in general , the dominant wavelength is determined by the frequency of the wirelessly exchanged energy . the resonance is characterized by a quality factor , i . e ., a dimensionless ratio of stored energy to dissipated energy . because the objective of the system 200 is to transfer or to receive the energy wirelessly , the frequency of the driver or the resonant frequency is selected such as to increase the dimensions of the near - field region . in some embodiments , the frequency of the energy 260 and / or the resonant frequency is in diapason from mhz to ghz . in other embodiments , aforementioned frequencies are in the light domain . an evanescent wave is a near - field standing wave with an intensity that exhibits exponential decay with distance from a boundary at which the wave is formed . the evanescent waves 250 are formed at the boundary between the structure 210 and other “ media ” with different properties in respect of wave motion , e . g ., air . the evanescent waves are formed when the external energy is received by the em structure and are most intense within one - third of a wavelength of the near field from the surface of the em structure 210 . whispering gallery mode ( wgm ) is the energy distribution pattern in which the evanescent waves are internally reflected or focused by the surface of the em structure . due to minimal reflection and radiation losses , the wgm pattern reaches unusually high quality factors , and thus , wgm is useful for wireless energy transfer . fig3 shows an example of the em structure , i . e ., a cylinder 310 . depending on material , geometry and dimensions of the cylinder 310 , as well as the dominant frequency , the em near - field intensities and energy density are maximized at the surface of the disk according to a wgm pattern 320 . the wgm pattern is not necessarily symmetric to the shape of the em structure . the wgm pattern typically has blind zones 345 , in which the intensity of the em near - field is minimized , and optimal zones 340 , in which the intensity of the em near - field is maximized . some embodiments of the invention place the nim 230 in the optimal zones 340 to extend a range of the evanescent waves 350 . fig4 shows a butterfly energy distribution pattern . when two em structures 411 and 412 are coupled to each other forming a coupled system , the dominant frequency of the coupled system is represented by even and odd frequencies . the near - field distribution at even and odd frequencies is defined as even mode coupled system 410 and an odd mode coupled system 420 . typical characteristic of the even and the odd modes of the coupled system of two em structures is that if the em field is in phase in the even mode then the em field is out of phase in the odd mode . the even and odd mode coupled systems generate an odd and even mode distribution patterns of the near - field intensities defined as a butterfly pair . the em near - field intensity distribution of the butterfly pair reaches minimum in two lines 431 and 432 oriented at 0 degree and 90 degree to the center of each em structure , i . e ., blind zones of the butterfly pair . however , it is often desired to change the intensity distribution and eliminate and / or change the positions and / or orientations of the blind zones . fig5 shows distribution patterns of the near - field intensities according embodiments of the invention define as a crossing pair 500 . the crossing pair distribution pattern has optimal zones 531 and 532 oriented at 0 degree and 90 degree to the center of each em structure , i . e ., the optimal zones of the crossing pair pattern corresponds to the blind zones of the butterfly pair pattern . therefore , one important characteristic of the butterfly pair and the crossing pair patterns is that their respective blind zones are not overlapping , and thus eliminates the blind zones when both kinds of patterns are utilized . butterfly and crossing patterns have system quality factors and coupling coefficient of the same order of magnitude . embodiments of the invention tune the dominant frequency of the source to generate at least four different energy distribution patterns . those patterns include the butterfly pair pattern and the crossing pair pattern . the orientation between the source and the sink is used to determine a particular pattern optimal for wireless energy transfer between the source and the sink . accordingly , the embodiments facilitate reusing one source to transfer energy optimally to multiple directions corresponding to locations of different sinks . similarly , one sink can receive the energy from multiple sources , i . e ., from different directions . although the invention has been described by way of examples of preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that various other adaptations and modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention . therefore , it is the object of the appended claims to cover all such variations and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention .	7
human “ tissue plasminogen activator ” ( tpa ) is a fibrinolytic protein as described in u . s . ser . no . 272 , 093 , filed jun . 11 , 1980 which is a continuation in part of ser . no . 183 , 638 filed sep . 3 , 1980 , both incorporated herein by reference . “ dhfr protein ” refers to a protein which is capable of the activity associated with dihydrofolate reductase ( dhfr ) and which , therefore , is required to be produced by cells which are capable of survival on medium deficient in hypoxanthine , glycine , and thymidine (- hgt medium ). in general , cells lacking dhfr protein are incapable of growing on this medium , cells which contain dhfr protein are successful in doing so . “ cells sensitive to mtx ” refers to cells which are incapable of growing on media which contain the dhfr inhibitor methotrexate ( mtx ). thus , “ cells sensitive to mtx ” are cells which , unless genetically altered or otherwise supplemented , will fail to grow under ambient and medium conditions suitable for the cell type when the mtx concentration is 0 . 2 μg / ml or more . some cells , such as bacteria , fail to exhibit mtx sensitivity due to their failure to permit mtx inside their cell boundaries , even though they contain dhfr which would otherwise be sensitive to this drug . in general , cells which contain , as their dhfr protein , wild type dhfr will be sensitive to methotrexate if they are permeable or capable of uptake with respect to mtx . “ wild type dhfr ” refers to dihydrofolate reductase as is ordinarily found in the particular organism in question . wild type dhfr is generally sensitive in vitro to low concentrations of methotrexate . “ dhfr protein with low binding affinity for mtx ” has a functional definition . this is a dhfr protein which , when generated within cells , will permit the growth of mtx sensitive cells in a medium containing 0 . 2 μg / ml or more of mtx . it is recognized that such a functional definition depends on the facility with which the organism produces the “ dhfr protein with low binding affinity for mtx ” as well as upon the protein itself . however , as used in the context of this invention , such a balance between these two mechanisms should not be troublesome . the invention operates with respect to conferring the capability of surviving these levels of mtx , and it is not consequential whether the ability to do so is impacted by increased expression in addition to the innate nature of the dhfr produced . “ expression vector ” includes vectors which are capable of expressing dna sequences contained therein , where such sequences are operably linked to other sequences capable of effecting their expression . it is implied , although not always explicitly stated , that these expression vectors must be replicable in the host organisms either as episomes or as an integral part of the chromosomal dna . clearly a lack of replicability would render them effectively inoperable . in sum , “ expression vector ” is given a functional definition , and any dna sequence which is capable of effecting expression of a specified dna code disposed therein is included in this term as it is applied to the specified sequence . in general , expression vectors of utility in recombinant dna techniques are often in the form of “ plasmids ” which refer to circular double stranded dna loops which , in their vector form are not bound to the chromosome . in the present specification , “ plasmid ” and “ vector ” are used interchangeably as the plasmid is the most commonly used form of vector . however , the invention is intended to include such other forms of expression vectors which serve equivalent functions and which become known in the art subsequently hereto . “ recombinant host cells ” refers to cells which have been transformed with vectors constructed using recombinant dna techniques . as defined herein , tpa produced in the amounts achieved by virtue of this transformation , rather than in such lesser amounts , or , more commonly , in such less than detectable amounts , as would be produced by the untransformed host . the vectors and methods disclosed herein are suitable for use in host cells over a wide range of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms . in general , of course , prokaryotes are preferred for cloning of dna sequences in constructing the vectors useful in the invention . for example , e . coli k12 strain 294 ( atcc no . 31446 ) is particularly useful . other microbial strains which may be used include e . coli strains such as e . coli b , and e . coli x1776 ( attc no . 31537 ). these examples are , of course , intended to be illustrative rather than limiting . prokaryotes may also be used for expression . the aforementioned strains , as well as e . coli w3110 ( f - λ - , prototrophic , attc no . 27325 ), bacilli such as bacillus subtilus , and other enterobacteriaceae such as salmonella typhimurium or serratia marcesans , and various pseudomonas species may be used . in general , plasmid vectors containing replicon and control sequences which are derived from species compatible with the host cell are used in connection with these hosts . the vector ordinarily carries a replication site , as well as marking sequences which are . capable of providing phenotypic selection in transformed cells . for example , e . coli is typically transformed using pbr 322 , a plasmid derived from an e . coli species ( bolivar , et al ., gene 2 : 95 ( 1977 )). pbr322 contains genes for ampicillin and tetracycline resistance and thus provides easy means for identifying transformed cells . the pbr322 plasmid , or other microbial plasmid must also contain , or be modified to contain , promoters which can be used by the microbial organism for expression of its own proteins . those promoters most commonly used in recombinant dna construction include the β - lactamase ( penicillinase ) and lactose promoter systems ( chang et al , nature , 275 : 615 ( 1978 ); itakura , et al , science , 198 : 1056 ( 1977 ); ( goeddel , et al nature 281 : 544 ( 1979 )) and a tryptophan ( trp ) promoter system ( goeddel , et al , nucleic acids res . , 8 : 4057 ( 1980 ); epo appl publ no . 0036776 ). while these are the most commonly used , other microbial promoters have been discovered and utilized , and details concerning their nucleotide sequences have been published , enabling a skilled worker to ligate them functionally with plasmid vectors ( siebenlist , et al , cell 20 : 269 ( 1980 )). in addition to prokaryates , eukaryotic microbes , such as yeast cultures may also be used . saccharomyces cerevisiae , or common baker &# 39 ; s yeast is the most commonly used among eukaryotic microorganisms , although a number of other strains are commonly available . for expression in saccharomyces , the plasmid yrp7 , for example , ( stinchcomb , et al , nature , 282 : 39 ( 1979 ); kingsman et al , gene , 7 : 141 ( 1979 ); tschemper , et al , gene , 10 : 157 ( 1980 )) is commonly used . this plasmid already contains the trp1 gene which provides a selection marker for a mutant strain of yeast lacking the ability to grow in tryptophan , for example atcc no . 44076 or pep4 - 1 ( jones , genetics , 85 : 12 ( 1977 )). the presence of the trp1 lesion as a characteristic of the yeast host cell genome then provides an effective environment for detecting transformation by growth in the absence of tryptophan . suitable promoting sequences in yeast vectors include the promoters for 3 - phosphoglycerate kinase ( hitzeman , et al ., j . biol . chem . , 255 : 2073 ( 1980 )) or other glycolytic enzymes ( hess , et al , j . adv . enzyme reg . , 7 : 149 ( 1968 ); holland , et al , biochemistry , 17 : 4900 ( 1978 )), such as enolase , glyceraldehyde - 3 - phosphate dehydrogenase , hexokinase , pyruvate decarboxylase , phosphofructokinase , glucose - 6 - phosphate isomerase , 3 - phosphoglycerate mutase , pyruvate kinase , triosephosphate isomerase , phosphoglucose isomerase , and glucokinase . in constructing suitable expression plasmids , the termination sequences associated with these genes are also ligated into the expression vector 3 ′ of the sequence desired to be expressed to provide polyadenylation of the mrna and termination . other promoters , which have the additional advantage of transcription controlled by growth conditions are the promoter regions for alcohol dehydrogenase 2 , isocytochrome c , acid phosphatase , degradative enzymes associated with nitrogen metabolism , and the aforementioned glyceraldehyde - 3 - phosphate dehydrogenase , and enzymes responsible for maltose and galactose utilization ( holland , ibid .). any plasmid vector containing yeast - compatible promoter , origin of replication and termination sequences is suitable . in addition to microorganisms , cultures of cells derived from multicellular organisms may also be used as hosts . in principle , any such cell culture is workable , whether from vertebrate or invertebrate culture . however interest has been greatest in vertebrate cells , and propogation of vertebrate cells in culture ( tissue culture ) has become a routine procedure in recent years [ tissue culture , academic press , kruse and patterson , editors ( 1973 )]. examples of such useful host cell lines are vero and hela cells , chinese hamster ovary ( cho ) cell lines , and wl38 , bhk , cos - 7 and mock cell lines . expression vectors for such cells ordinarily include ( if necessary ) an origin of replication , a promoter located in front of the gene to be expressed , along with any necessary ribosome binding sites , rna splice sites , polyadenylation site , and transcriptional terminator sequences . it will be understood that this invention , although described herein in terms of a preferred embodiment , should not be construed as limited to those sequences . exemplified . for use in mammalian cells , the control functions on the expression vectors are often provided by viral material . for example , commonly used promoters are derived from polyoma , adenovirus 2 , and most frequently simian virus 40 ( sv40 ). the early and late promoters of sv40 virus are particularly useful because both are obtained easily from the virus as a fragment which also contains the sv40 viral origin of replication ( fiers , et al , nature , 273 : 113 ( 1978 ) incorporated herein by reference . smaller or larger sv40 fragments may also be used , provided there is included - the approximately 250 bp sequence extending from the hind iii site toward the bgl i site located in the viral origin of replication . further , it is also possible , and often desirable , to utilize promoter or control sequences normally associated with the desired gene sequence , provide such control sequences are compatible with the host cell systems . an origin of replication may be provided either by construction of the vector to include an exogenous origin , such as may be derived from sv40 or other viral ( e . g . polyoma , adeno , vsv , bpv , etc .) source , or may be provided by the host cell chromosomal replication mechanism . if the vector is integrated into the host cell chromosome , the latter is often sufficient . in selecting a preferred host cell for transfection by the vectors of the invention , it is appropriate to select the host according to the type of dhfr protein employed . if wild type dhfr protein is employed , it is preferable to select a host cell which is deficient in dhfr , thus permiting the use of the dhfr coding sequence as a marker for successful transfection in selective medium which lacks hypoxanthine , glycine , and thymidine . an appropriate host cell in this case is the chinese hamster overy ( cho ) cell line deficient in dhfr activity , prepared and propagated as described by urlaub and chasin , proc . natl . acad . sci . ( usa ) 77 : 4216 ( 1980 ), incorporated - herein by reference . on the other hand , if dhfr protein with low binding affinity for mtx is used as the controlling sequence , it is not necesary to use dhfr resistant cells . because the mutant dhfr is resistant to methotrexate , mtx containing media can be used as a means of selection provided that the host cells are themselves are methotrexate sensitive . most eukaryotic cells which are capable of absorbing mtx appear to be methotrexate sensitive . one such useful cell line is a cho line , cho - k1 atcc no . ccl 61 . the example which is set forth hereinbelow describes use of cho cells as host cells , and expression vectors which include the sv40 origin of replication as a promoter . however , it would be well within the skill of the art to use analogous techniques to construct expression vectors for expression of desired protein sequences in alternative eukaryotic host cell cultures . if cells without formidable cell wall barriers are used as host cells , transfection is carried out by the calcium phosphate precipitation method as described by graham and van der eb , virology , 52 : 546 ( 1978 ). however , other methods for introducing dna into cells such as by nuclear injection or by protoplast fusion may also be used . if prokaryotic cells or cells which contain substantial cell wall constructions are used , the preferred method of transfection is calcium treatment using calcium chloride as described by cohen , f . n . et al proc . natl . acad . sci . ( usa ), 69 : 2110 ( 1972 ). construction of suitable vectors containing the desired coding and control sequences employ standard ligation techniques . isolated plasmids or dna fragments are cleaved , tailored , and relegated in the form desired to form the plasmids required . cleavage is performed by treating with restriction enzyme ( or enyzmes ) in suitable buffer . in general , about 1 μg plasmid or dna fragments is used with about 1 unit of enzyme ir about 20 μl of buffer solution . ( appropriate buffers and substrate amounts for particular restriction enzymes are specified by the manufacturer .) incubation times of about 1 hour at 37 ° c . are workable . after incubations , protein is removed by extraction with phenol and chloroform , and the nucleic acid is recovered from the aqueous fraction by precipitation with ethanol . if blunt ends are required , the preparation is treated for 15 minutes at 15 ° with 10 units of polymerase i ( klenow ), phenol - chloroform extracted , and ethanol precipitated . size separation of the cleaved fragments is performed using 6 percent polyacrylamide gel described by goeddel , s ., et al , nucleic acids res . , 8 : 4057 ( 1980 ) incorporated herein by reference . for ligation approximately equimolar amount of the desired components , suitably end tailored to provide correct matching are treated with about 10 units t4 dna ligase per 0 . 6 μg dna . ( when cleaved vectors are used as components , it may be useful to prevent religation of the cleaved vector by pretreatment with bacterial alkaline phosphatase .) the ligation mixture was used to transform e . coli k12 strain 294 ( atlc 31446 ), and successful transformants were selected by ampicillin resistance . plasmids from the transformants were prepared , analyzed by restriction and / or sequenced by the method of messing , et al , nucleic acids res . , 9 : 309 ( 1981 ) or by the method of maxam , et al , methods in enzymology , 65 : 499 ( 1980 ). amplification of dhfr protein coding sequences is effected by growing host cell cultures in the presence of approximately 20 - 500 , 000 nm concentrations of methotrexate , a competitive inhibitor of dhfr activity . the effective range of concentration is highly dependent , of course , upon tie nature of the dhfr gene , protein and the characteristics of the host . clearly , generally defined upper and lower limits cannot be ascertained . suitable concentrations of other folic acid analogs or other compounds which inhibit dhfr could also be used . mtx itself is , however , convenient , readily available and effective . the methods of the invention permit the production in host cell cultures of antigenically active tpa protein in amounts greater than 0 . 1 pg per cell per day . with suitable application of amplifying conditions , amounts greater than 20 pg can be obtained . stated in alternate terms , gene expression levels resulting in production of more than 9 × 10 − 6 units , or , with suitable amplification , more than 18 × 10 − 5 units of tpa activity are achieved . the following examples are intended to illustrate but not to limit the invention . in the examples here , a cho cell line suitable for the type of dhfr protein coding sequence to be introduced was employed as a host cell culture in each case . however , other eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells are suitable for the method of the invention as well . c . 1 production of tpa using dhfr protein with a low binding affinity for mtx the sequence encoding human tissue plasminogen activator ( tpa ) is inserted , an expression plasmid for a mutant dhfr with low binding affinity for mtx , described in copending application genentech docket no . 100 / 140 , incorporated herein by reference , by the following procedure ( see fig1 ): cdna plasmids encoding tpa have been described by goeddel et al , application ser . no . 374 , 860 , filed may 5 , 1982 , which is hereby incorporated by reference . three fragments from overlapping tpa plasmids , ppa25e10 , and ppa17 , are pδripa o were prepared as follows : plasmid ppa17 was digested with dde i , filled in using klenow dna polymerase 1 , and subcut with pst 1 ; the approximately 200 bp fragment containing 5 ′ terminal tpa sequence thus generated was isolated . the second tpa fragment was obtained by digesting pδripa o with pst i and nar i and isolating the approximately 310 bp fragment . the third tpa fragment was obtained by digesting ppa25e10 with nar i and bgl ii and isolating the approximately 1645 bp fragment which contains , in addition to much of the tpa coding region , some 3 ′ non - translated sequences . plasmid p342e which expresses hbv surface antigen ( also referred to as phbs348 - e ) has been described by levinson et al , patent application ser . no . 326 , 980 , filed dec . 3 , 1981 , which is incorporated herein by reference . pe342 is modified by digesting with trace amounts of eco ri , filling in the cleaved site using klenow dna ploymerase i , and ligating the plasmid back together , thus removing the eco ri site preceding the sv40 origin in pe342 . the resulting plasmid , designated pe342δr1 , is digested with eco ri , filled in using klenow dna polymerase i , and subcut with bam hi . after electrophoresing on acrylamide gel , the approximately 3500 bp fragment is electroeluted , phenol - chloroformed , and ethanoled as above . the thus prepared p342e 3500 bp vector , and above described tpa fragments comprising approximately 2160 bp were ligated together using standard techniques . a plasmid containing the three tpa encoding fragments in the proper orientation was isolated , characterized , and designated pe342 - tpa . this plasmid was digested with sac ii and treated with bacterial alkaline phosphatase ( brl ). to provide the dhfr sequence ( along with control sequences for its expression ) an approximately 1700 bp fragment was generated by sacii digestion of peher . ( peher is a plasmid expressing mutant dhfr described in copending genentech docket no . 100 / 140 .) this fragment was ligated into the pe342 - tpa plasmid to create petpaer400 , a plasmid which is analagous to peher except that the hbsag coding region has been replaced by the cdna sequences from tpa . petpaer400 ( petper ) was transfected into both dhfr ( cho - dux b11 ) obtained by permission from urlaub and chasin , and dhfr + cho - k1 ( atcc ccl61 ) cells by the method of graham and van der eb ( supra ). transformed dhfr cells were selected by growth in glycine , hypoxanthine and thymidine deficient medium . transformed dhfr + cells were selected by growth in ≳ 100 nm mtx . colonies which arose on the appropriate selection medium were isolated using cloning rings and propagated in the same medium to several generations . for amplification cells from the colonies are split into media containing 5 × 10 4 , 10 5 , 2 . 5 × 10 5 , 5 × 10 5 , and 10 6 nm mtx and passaged several times . cells are plated at very low ( 10 2 - 10 3 cells / plate ) cell densities in 10 cm dishes and the resulting colonies are isolated as usual . expression of tpa in the transfected amplified colonies may conveniently be assayed by the methods set forth in u . s . application ser . no . 397 , 987 . briefly , for quantitative assay , the medium or extract to be tested is placed in a solution containing plasminogen , and the amount of plasmin formed is measured by monitoring the cleavage of a chromogenic substrate such as s2251 , kabi group inc ., greenwich , conn . an aliquot of the sample is mixed with 0 . 1 ml of 0 . 7 mg / ml plasminogen ( in 0 . 5m tris - hcl , ph 7 . 4 , containing 0 . 012m nacl ) and the volume adjusted to 0 . 15 ml . the mixture is incubated at 37 ° c . for ten minutes , 0 . 35 ml of s2251 ( 1 . 0 nm solution in the above buffer ) is added and the reaction continued for 30 minutes at 37 ° c . acetic acid ( 25 μl ) is added to terminate the reaction . the samples are centrifuged and the absorbance at 405 nm is measured . quantitation of the amount of activity is obtained by comparison with a standard urokinase solution . the assay conditions for detection of a full length plasminogen activator were modified by the addition of fibrinogen ( 0 . 2 mg ) to the solution . fibrinogen results in a stimulation of the activity of plasminogen activator observed , therefore resulting in somewhat elevated levels of activity . activity was recorded in plough units , wherein 90 , 000 plough units is equal to the activity exhibited by 1 mg of purified tissue plaminogen activator . coamplification of dhfr and tpa sequences is assayed by isolating dna from confluent monolayers of amplified colonies as follows : confluent monolayers in 150 mm plates are washed with 50 ml sterile pbs and lysed by the addition of 5 ml of 0 . 1 percent sds , 0 . 4m cacl 2 , 0 . 1m edta , ph 8 . after 5 - 10 minutes , the mixture is removed , phenol extracted , chloroform extracted , and ethanol precipitated . the dna is resuspended in 1 ml ( per 150 mm plate ) 10 mm tris ph 8 , 1 mm edta ( te ), rnase added to 0 . 1 mg / ml , and the solution incubated 30 minutes at 37 °. sds is then added to 0 . 1 percent and pronase ( sigma ) is added to 0 . 5 mg / ml . after 3 - 16 hours incubation at 37 °, the solution is again phenol extracted , chloroform extracted , and ethanol precipitated as usual . the dna pellet is resuspended in 0 . 5 ml water and digested with restriction enzymes as per the standard protocol . approximately 5 - 10 μg of digested dna is electrophoresed in an agarose gel [ 1 percent agarose in tris — acetate buffer ( 40 mm tris , 1 mm edta , made to ph 8 . 2 with acetic acid )]; crouse , et al , j . biol . chem . , 257 : 7887 ( 1982 )). after bromphenol blue dye had migrated ⅔ of the way down the gel , the gel is removed and stained with ethidium bromide . after visualizing the dna with ultraviolet light , the gel is treated with hcl , naoh , and nacl - tris and transferred to nitrocellulose filters according to the procedure of southern ( j . mol . biol . 98 : 503 . ( 1975 )). the filters are then hybridized with a nick translated probe made from the 1700 bp sacii fragment of peher ( prepared and hybridized as described above ), - or from the approximately 1970 bp bgl ii fragment of petper . c . 2 production of tpa in conjunction with wild type dhfr protein in a manner exactly analogous to that used in the construction of petper , a plasmid containing the dna sequence encoding wild type dhfr , petpfr , was constructed . the construction was exactly as described in example c . 1 . a except that in place of plasmid peher as a source for the dhfr protein gene sequence , the plasmid pe342 . hbv . e400 . d22 described in copending genentech docket no . 100 / 92 was substituted . the plasmid pe342 . hbv . e400 . d22 is exactly the same as peher except for a single base pair difference between wild type and mutant dhfr . thus the resulting plasmid petpfr is analogous in every way to petper except that the dna sequence encoding for wild type dhfr is substituted for that of the mutant . petpfr was used to transfect dhfr deficient cho cells ( urlaub and chasin ( supra )) using the calcium phosphate precipitation method of graham and van der eb . twenty - one colonies which arose on the selective medium (- hgt ) were assayed by detection of plasmin formation as assessed by the digestion of fibrin in an agar plate containing fibrin and plasminogen , described by granelli - piperno , et al , j . exp . med . , 148 : 223 ( 1978 ). four of the best positive clones were then assayed quantitatively for plasmin formation on a per cell basis according to the method set forth in c . 1 . c . upon such quantitative determination it was found that the four clones tested exhibited the same or comparable tpa secretion into the medium , determined as units / cell / day . subclones were prepared by transferring inocula from two of the clones into separate plates containing − hgt medium . two of the resulting subclones , 18b and 1 were used for further analysis . the above subclones were plated at 2 × 10 5 cells per 100 mm plates in 50 nm mtx to promote amplification . those cells which survived , when assayed as described above , gave , in all cases , about 10 times the unamplified amount of plasminogen activator activity . two of these clones were chosen for further study and were named 1 - 15 and 18b - 9 . subclone 1 - 15 was further amplified by seeding 2 × 10 5 cells in 100 mm plates containing 500 nm mtx . assay of the cells thus amplified yielded a further increase ( of about 3 fold ) in tpa production ; when assayed quantitatively by the method of c . 1 . c , levels were in the range of 7 × 10 − 4 units / cell / day . a portion of these amplified cells was then transferred and maintained in the presence of 10 , 000 nm mtx . subclones of 1 - 15 , and 18b - 9 were further tested after being maintained for approximately 1 - 2 months at the conditions specified in table 1 . purified tpa and purified iodinated tracer tpa derived from melanoma cells were diluted serially to include concentration of 12 . 5 to 400 ng / ml in a buffer containing phosphate buffered saline , ph 7 . 3 , 0 . 5 percent bovine serum albumin , 0 . 01 percent tween 80 , and 0 . 02 percent nan3 . appropriate dilutions of medium samples to be assayed were added to the radioactively labelled tracer proteins . the antigens were allowed to # incubate overnight at room temperature in the presence of 1 : 10 , 000 dilution of the igg fraction of a rabbit anti - tpa antiserum . antibody - antigen complex was precipitated by absorption to goat anti - rabbit igg immunobeads ( biorad ) for two hours at room temperature . the beads were cleared by the addition of saline diluent followed by centrifugation for ten minutes at 2000 × g at 4 ° celsius . supernatants were discarded and the radioactivity in the precipitates # was monitored . concentrations were assigned by comparison with the reference standard . the cell lines are as follows : cell line “ 1 ” is an unamplified clone from the original set of four . “ 1 - 15 500 ” is an amplified subclone of cell line “ 1 ” which was amplified initially in 50 nm mtx to give 1 - 15 and then transferred for further amplification into 500 nm mtx . 1 - 15 10 , 000 is subclone of 1 - 15 500 which has been further amplified in the presence of 10 , 000 nm mtx . cell line 18b - 9 is a subclone of one of the original four detected which had been amplified on 50 nm mtx . all of the amplified cells show increased levels of tpa production over that exhibited by the unamplified cell culture . even the unamplified culture produces amounts of tpa greater than 0 . 5 pg / cell / day ; amplification results in levels approaching 50 pg / cell / day .	2
hereinafter , the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig3 - 5 . the pneumatic pinch valve of the present invention uses a single acting cylinder as a power mechanism . in an operating state ( i . e . an intercepting state ) of the pneumatic pinch valve , an external pressure is applied to a fluid tube 1 so as to pinch an inner wall of the fluid tube 1 in a contacting - closed state , and thus the fluid in the fluid tube 1 is intercepted . the fluid tube 1 is made of a relatively soft and resilient material , so that the inner wall of the fluid tube 1 may be deformed into a fatten shape in a contacting - closed state and then the fluid tube 1 is closed when a preset external pressure is applied to the fluid tube 1 , and the inner wall of the fluid tube 1 may be recovered to its initial shape when the preset external pressure is withdrawn . the pneumatic pinch valve of the present invention includes a main body 2 , a piston 3 , a pressing piece 4 and a lever 5 . an opening 23 and a cavity 26 communicated with the opening 23 are provided in the main body 2 . the cavity 26 is divided into a first cavity 24 and a second cavity 25 by an engagement of the piston 3 with an inner wall of the cavity 26 . the first cavity 24 is provided with an air inlet port 27 . the pressing piece 4 is positioned inside the second cavity 25 and supported on the piston 3 . the lever 5 is installed on the main body 2 and positioned on one side of the pressing piece 4 . a fluid tube receiving space 28 is formed between the lever 5 and the pressing piece 4 , and the capacity of the fluid tube receiving space 28 is changeable . the main body 2 includes a cylinder body 21 and a gate element 22 which is integrally secured to the cylinder body 21 by a threaded fastener 8 . that is , the cavity 26 is formed between the cylinder body 21 and the gate element 22 . the pneumatic pinch valve of the present invention further includes a resilient element 7 , an adjusting gasket 6 and a seal ring 9 . the resilient element 7 , such as a spring , may be received in the second cavity 25 , wherein one end of the resilient element abuts against the wall of the second cavity 25 and the other end thereof abuts against the piston 3 . the adjusting gasket 6 is positioned between the piston 3 and the pressing piece 4 . the seal ring 9 is positioned between the outer circumferential wall of the piston 3 and the inner wall of the cavity 26 . the cylinder body 21 is used to provide a space for converting energy of the air into a thrust force . the piston 3 which may slide in the cylinder body 21 is a converting element for converting the energy of the air into a thrust force . when the air is introduced into the first cavity 24 , the piston 3 will overcome the counterforce of the spring 7 and the friction resulted from the movement of the pressing piece 4 , and move the pressing piece 4 toward the fluid tube receiving space 28 so as to pinch the fluid tube 1 with the lever 5 , and thus a distance between the pressing piece 4 and the lever 5 is gradually reduced until the inner wall of the fluid tube 1 is deformed into a flatten shape in a contacting - closed state . when the air of the first cavity 24 is discharged out and an air outlet port 27 is communicated with the atmosphere , the spring 7 will push the piston 3 far away from the fluid tube receiving space 28 , and thus the distance between the pressing piece 4 and the lever 5 is gradually increased so that the fluid tube 1 will recover to its initial shape by itself elasticity . preferably , the lever 5 has a cylindrical surface instead of a planar surface , so that a pressure of the pneumatic pinch valve for intercepting fluid in the fluid tube 1 is lower ; at the same time , unlike the planar surface with edges and corners , no shear force will arise due to the smoothness of the cylindrical surface of the lever 5 , which is beneficial to reduction of the fatigue deformation of the fluid tube 1 . the air inlet port 27 of the pneumatic pinch valve is communicated with an air source . when an air is introduced through the air inlet port 27 , the piston 3 is urged to move toward the fluid tube receiving space 28 by the pressure of the air . when the air is discharged out through the air outlet port 27 , the piston 3 is urged to move far away from the fluid tube receiving space 28 . the seal ring 9 is used to partition the first cavity 24 and the second cavity 25 , so as to prevent the air from leaking and to make the air completely act on the piston 3 . it should be noted that a prescribed circumferential gap should be kept among the piston 3 , the pressing piece 4 , and the gate element 22 so that the air in the second cavity 25 of the pneumatic pinch valve is communicated with the atmosphere , accordingly the air may be smoothly introduced into the second cavity 25 or discharged out from the second cavity 25 , and no resistance force due to the friction between circumferential surfaces will be applied to the piston 3 during the movement of the piston 3 . the opening 23 is positioned at one side of the gate element 22 . the size of the opening 23 is designed so that the fluid tube 1 can be just inserted into the opening 23 when the fluid tube 1 is pressed into a flatten form by hand . if the size of the opening 23 is too large , the fluid tube 1 would easily fall off during the operation of the valve . the fluid tube receiving space 28 which capacity is changeable is referred as “ a gateway ”. when the pneumatic pinch valve is in the non - operation state ( i . e . a releasing state ), the fluid tube 1 in the gateway 28 can not be pressed and deformed , or else the resistance force applied to fluid flow will be increased . however , if a gap between the fluid tube 1 and the opening 23 is too large , the response speed of the pneumatic pinch valve is reduced . the gap between the fluid tube 1 and the opening 23 should be designed such that the fluid tube 1 just may be moved therein freely . in order to assure that the opposite inner walls of the fluid tube 1 can be pinched in a contacting - closed state and released , and to prevent the earlier fatigue or breakage of the fluid tube 1 due to all the pressures applied to the fluid tube 1 all the way during the long - time operation , the fluid tube 1 is pinched with constant pressurized amount . that is , when the fluid tube 1 is pressed into a prescribed pressurized amount , the position of the pressing piece 4 will be limited so that the fluid tube 1 will not be continuously pressed . in this way , no matter what kind of the fluid tube is used , the valve would produce satisfying effects as long as an optimal pressurized amount of the tube is determined in advance . the optimal pressurized amounts are different for various fluid tubes which respectively have different materials and the thickness of the wall . for the fluid tube to be used , an optimal pressurized amount will be selected by different experiments on the durability of the fluid tube under the various pressurized amounts , so as to assure that the fluid in the fluid tube 1 may not leak under the maximum pressure and the durability of the fluid tube is maximum if this optimal pressurized amount is used . according to this optimal pressurized amount , the adjusting gasket 6 , which may have different thickness , can be used to control the minimum distance between the pressing piece 4 and the lever 5 , i . e . the minimum value of the valve port , so that the fluid tube 1 can operate in the optimal pressing amount . if the fluid tube is required to use for a long time and the value of the optimal pressing amount for the fluid tube is also determined , the adjusting gasket 6 may be integrally formed with the piston 3 , so as to simplify the manufacturing and assembly process of these components . the operation process of the pneumatic pinch valve of the present invention will be described as follows with reference to fig4 and 5 . the fluid tube 1 is inserted into the fluid tube receiving space 28 between the lever 5 and the pressing piece 4 via the opening 23 . when the pressing piece 4 is in a releasing state , the lever 5 and the pressing piece 4 do not apply a pressure to the fluid tube 1 and thus the fluid tube 1 is in a free state so that the fluid can smoothly flow through the fluid tube 1 . when the pressing piece 4 is moved upward by the piston 3 , the pressing piece 4 and the lever 5 apply a pressure to the fluid tube 1 , so that the fluid tube 1 is deformed until the inner wall of the fluid tube 1 changes into a flatten shape in a contacting - closed state , and thus the fluid in the fluid tube 1 is intercepted . when the pressing piece 4 releases again , the fluid tube 1 will recover to the free state due to itself elasticity , and thus the fluid may smoothly flow through the fluid tube 1 . in this way , such control can selectively intercept the fluid in the fluid tube 1 or allow the fluid to pass through the fluid tube 1 . as the precondition for the operation of the pneumatic pinch valve of the present invention , an air source 12 is needed , and a three - way valve ( may be dielectrically controlled , monoelectrically controlled , mechanically controlled or manually controlled ) is further required , so as to control the air to flow into or out from the three - way valve . as shown in fig4 and 5 , when the pressing piece 4 is in the releasing state , the air is blocked by the three - way valve 10 , and meanwhile , the first cavity 24 of the pneumatic pinch valve is communicated with the atmosphere via the air inlet port 27 and the three - way valve 10 ; under the elastic force of the spring 7 , the piston 3 is positioned at the bottom end of the cylinder body 21 , and the fluid tube 1 is released in the free state , thus the intercepted fluid is released to flow through the fluid tube 1 smoothly . when the pressing piece 4 is in the pinching state , the air is introduced into the first cavity 24 of the pneumatic pinch valve via the three - way valve 10 . under the action of the air , the piston 3 is moved toward the fluid tube receiving space 28 , and the pressing piece 4 is driven to move so that the distance between the pressing piece 4 and the lever 5 gradually become narrower , and finally , the inner wall of the fluid tube 1 is pressed into a flatten shape in a contacting - closed state , consequently , the fluid in the fluid tube 1 is intercepted . in order to adjust the pinching force of the pneumatic pinch valve applied on the fluid tube , various air sources with different pressures can be selected , a pressure - regulating valve is adjusted , or the cylinder body and the piston having different diameters can be selected based on computation and in terms of counterforce of the spring at the same time . for the fluid tube to be used , the reasonable pressure value can be selected by durability test of the fluid tube . in this way , the fluid tube may have relatively long durability even if the fluid tube will be pinched in a constant pressure mode . now the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the fig6 and 7 . the main differences between the second embodiment and the first embodiment lie in : the resilient element 7 is omitted and another air inlet port 29 ′ is provided at the second cavity 25 ′; the air inlet ports 27 ′ and 29 ′ are communicated with a five - way valve 10 ′ at the same time , and thus the pinching state and the releasing state of the fluid tube 1 can be achieved by controlling the pressures of the first cavity 24 ′ and the second cavity 25 ′ of the cylinder body 21 through the five - way valve 10 ′. that is to say , during pinching the fluid tube 1 by the pressing piece 4 and the lever 5 , since the air source is communicated with the first cavity 24 ′ sequentially via the five - way valve 10 ′ and the air inlet port 27 ′, and the air inlet port 29 ′ of the second valve 25 ′ is closed by the five - way 10 ′, the piston 3 will be urged to move toward the fluid tube receiving space 28 by the air introduced into the first cavity 24 ′, and thus the fluid in the fluid tube 1 is intercepted . during releasing the fluid tube 1 by the pressing piece 4 and the lever 5 , since the air inlet port 27 ′ of the first cavity 24 ′ is closed by the five - way valve 10 ′, and the air source is communicated with the second cavity 25 ′ sequentially via the five - way valve 10 ′ and the air inlet port 29 ′, the piston 3 will be urged to move far away from the fluid tube receive space 28 by the air introduced into the second cavity 25 ′ and the atmosphere at the opening 23 , and thus the intercepted fluid is released to flow through the fluid tube 1 . it should be noted that the present invention may be implemented without limitation of the above embodiments . on a basis of the construction of the second embodiment , a resilient element 7 may be further provided around the piston , and thus the piston may be urged by this resilient element 7 , the second cavity 25 ′ and the air inlet port 29 ′ of the second cavity 25 ′ together . in the present invention , the power may be provided to pinch the fluid tube in a pneumatic - driving mode with simple construction , and different magnitude of pinching forces may be obtained by selecting different pressure of the air source or adjusting pressure regulating valve . for different fluid tubes , the optimal or adjustable pressing amount can be set . each fluid tube may have desired durability for the case that the fluid tube is pinched with constant pressurized amount , variation of the pinching force resulted from the fluctuation of air pressure is prevented , and unreliability of the pinching effect and the invalidation of fluid tube can be avoided . it will be convenient to install and detach the fluid tube owing to the opening of one side surface of valve port . when the pneumatic pinch valve will be repaired and replaced , it is not necessary to break off the tubes so as to prevent the fluid from leaking out of the tubes .	5
the following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar elements . while embodiments of this disclosure may be described , modifications , adaptations , and other implementations are possible . for example , substitutions , additions , or modifications may be made to the elements illustrated in the drawings , and substituting , reordering , or adding stages to the disclosed methods may modify the methods described herein . accordingly , the following detailed description does not limit the disclosure . instead , the proper scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims . the cost to deliver a multicast frame may be computed as the shortest path first ( spf ) distance between the source node and the node farthest from the source along the multicast tree used for forwarding . spf may be used as the basis for route calculation . it has a computational complexity of the square of the number of nodes , which can be decreased to the number of links in the domain times the log of the number of nodes for sparse networks ( networks which are not highly connected ). embodiments of the present disclosure describe a methodology to identify the nodes which minimize an expected distance value for multicast frames . notably , such embodiments work without the prior knowledge of multicast traffic sources and receivers . referring to fig1 , an example of a network 100 in which embodiments described herein may be implemented is shown . the embodiments described herein may operate in the context of a data communication network including multiple network devices . some of the devices in the network may be routing bridges , switches , bridges , routers , gateways , or other network devices . in some embodiments , the network device is implemented on a general purpose machine as described below with respect to fig4 . in some embodiments , network 100 may be a trill network and one or more of the network devices are routing bridges . the network 100 shown in fig1 includes routing bridge 105 and routing bridge 110 located at an edge of network 100 . network 100 may further include a plurality of internal routing bridges 115 , 120 , 125 , 130 , 135 . routing bridge 105 and routing bridge 100 ( also referred to as “ edge routers ”) may operate as ingress and egress nodes , respectively , for a flow entering network 100 at routing bridge 105 and leaving the network respectively at routing bridge 110 , for example . in a network , such as network 100 , a tree with a network device as a root node , wherein the root network device has the smallest largest shortest path distance to any node in the network . such a root network device may be used to provide the least cost ( or distance ) multicast tree for delivering traffic to all the other nodes ( network devices ). as the traffic sources are unknown , an assumption may be made that all the nodes have same probability of having traffic sources behind them with uniformly distributed traffic loads . therefore , a node which has overall minimum average cost to all the other nodes , guarantees the minimum expected distance from the source node to the node . for the purpose of illustrating embodiments of the present invention , the largest shortest path distance from a node x to any other node may be denoted as isp_distance ( x ). isp_distance ( x ) represents the maximum cost to deliver the multicast frame to all the receivers from the root node , which is same as the largest shortest path from node x to any other node in the network . next , the cost to deliver the multicast frame from the source node to root node x is given by the shortest path distance between the root and the source node . since an assumption was made that sources could be behind any node in the network with the same probability , the expected cost to deliver the packet from the source node to the root node x of the tree may be represented by the average shortest path distance to any other node from node x . this value may be denoted as avg_distance ( x ). finally , the expected distance in the forwarding of a multicast frame with the node x as the root of the multicast tree can be given by ( expected_distance ( x )): expected_distance ( x )≈ expected distance between the root of the tree ( node x ) and all the other source nodes + largest distance in delivering the multicast frame from the root to all the receivers . in some embodiments , expected_distance for node x is defined as the expected shortest path first (“ spf ”) cost to deliver the packet from the source node to all the other nodes in the network , when node x is the root for the multicast tree used . based on eq . ( 1 ) and ( 2 ): the node y with minimum expected_distance ( x ) is given by : y = argmin x _nodes ( expected_distance ( x ))−, wherein “ nodes ” refers to the set of all nodes in the network . ( eq . 3 ) therefore , based on eq . ( 3 ) the node y with minimum expected_distance ( y ) will minimize the overall spf cost and hence y should be the optimal candidate to become the root for multicast trees . based on the above observations embodiments derive the formula for computing the root_priority for a node x as : root_priority ( x )= max_priority − normalize ( isp _distance ( x )+ avg_distance ( x )) wherein , max_priority = 255 and normalize is a function which normalizes the value so that it is between 0 and 254 . ( eq . 4 ) the locally calculated root_priority by a node may be advertised to all the other nodes using the existing mechanism by using the largest shortest path . based on eq . ( 4 ) a node which has the minimum expected latency will have the highest priority value , and hence would be chosen as the root node . in case of a tie , it is broken using the existing methodology of comparing system ids and switch ids . embodiments of the present disclosure maintain a number of state variables during each unicast spf run . these state variables may be reset before the beginning of each unicast spf run . a first state variable may be indicated as the largest_spf_path_cost . largest_spf_path_cost may be initialized to 0 , and may be used during operation to hold the value of the largest spf cost to any node for which path has been computed during operation . a second state variable may be indicated as total_spf_path_cost . total_spf_path_cost may be initialized to 0 , and may be used during operation to hold the total spf cost for all nodes for which unicast shortest paths have been computed . similarly , a third state variable may be indicated as total_nodes . total_nodes may be initialized to 1 to include the identified local node . each time a shortest path is computed for a node , total_nodes may be incremented by one . after the unicast spf run , embodiments of the present disclosure compute a root_priority value as follows . first , the avg_spf_path_cost may be set equal to total_spf_path_cost / total_nodes . the expected_distance values may be similarly calculated as ( avg_spf_path_cost + largest_spf_path_cost ) normalized_expected_distance = max ( expected_distance /( max_distance * 2 ), 1 ). in some embodiments of the present disclosure , max_distance may be set to 1000 , however , it should be understood that max_distance may be determined based on the network diameter or other parameters . the optimized_root_priority may then be equal to the default_root_priority + 128 *( 1 − normalized_expected_distance ). in some embodiments of the present disclosure , default_root_priority may be set to 64 as the default value . based on the above , optimized_root_priority may then be bounded by the interval [ 64 , 192 ]. it should be understood that the interval boundary may be different depending upon differing predetermined parameters . for example , since a maximum possible configured value of root_priority could be up to 255 , and a maximum value based on the optimized_root_priority may be 192 , a window of values between [ 193 , 255 ] may be provided for operators if they want to override the optimized root selection feature and configure a certain selected node as the root . in some embodiments , if the optimized_root_priority is different from a currently advertised value of the root priority in the lsp of the node , then the following two things are done in some embodiments of the present disclosure . first , the lsp may be updated with the new value so that other nodes can re - run the root election with the updated priority . secondly , root election may be run locally before each multicast tree computation . fig2 is a flow chart illustrating operation of embodiments of the present disclosure . method 200 may start at step 210 where a priority value for each of a plurality of nodes is calculated as equal to a maximum priority value less a normalized distance value calculated as : a distance of the largest shortest path from the node to any other of the plurality of nodes added to the average distance from the node to any other of the plurality of nodes . subsequently , at step 220 , an optimal candidate node may be selected as the root for one or more multicast trees , wherein the optimal candidate node is a node determined to have the minimum expected distance based on the computed priority values . in some embodiments , a predetermined maximum value may be established under which the priority value must fall . in some embodiments , the expected distance for the optimal candidate node is the expected spf cost to deliver a multicast packet from a source node to all the other nodes in the network , when the optimal candidate node is the root for the multicast tree used . in some embodiments , the expected distance may comprise in part the largest distance in delivering the multicast frame from the root to all the network devices . to point , in some embodiments the expected distance may be greater than or equal to the largest shortest path distance . in some embodiments , the expected cost to deliver the packet from the source node to a root candidate node is the average shortest path distance to any other node is from node x . method 200 may then proceed to step 230 where it may be determined whether two or more nodes are determined to have the same priority value . in some embodiments , if two or more nodes are determined to have the same priority value differing priority values may be assigned based on a comparison of network device identifiers . method 200 may proceed to step 240 . at step 240 , the priority value for the optimal candidate node may be advertised to all the other nodes . fig3 is a flow chart illustrating operating of embodiments of the present disclosure . method 300 may begin at step 310 where a first unicast spf run begins to determine spf costs for a node . method 300 proceeds first to step 320 . at step 320 a value of the largest spf cost is set to the larger of the previously stored largest spf cost and the spf cost calculated for the current node . next , method 300 may proceed to step 330 where a value of the total spf cost for all nodes for which unicast spf costs may be computed as the previous value of the total spf cost plus the spf cost calculated for the current node . method 300 may then proceed to step 340 . at step 340 a value for the number of nodes for which spf cost may be computed as the previous value of the number of nodes for which spf cost has been computed plus 1 . at step 350 , method 300 determines whether or not additional unicast spf runs are needed to obtain spf costs for the respective nodes . if additional unicast spf runs are desired , method 300 returns to step 310 . alternatively , if no additional unicast spf runs are desired , method 300 proceeds to step 360 where a root node candidate may be selected based on the values obtained in method 300 . in some embodiments , the root node candidate is selected by determining node priority values based on the values in method 300 . in some embodiments , prior to the initial execution of method 300 , the value of the largest spf cost may be initialized to zero . similarly , the total spf cost for all nodes for which unicast spf costs may be computed may be initialized to zero . employment of embodiments of the present disclosure has several advantages over previous approaches . notably , present embodiments are optimal to prior root selection methodology in the absence of identifying source and receivers of the multicast traffic . such efficient root election helps in the efficient use of network resources which significantly improves the multicast traffic delivery for cloud - based implementations . furthermore , presently described embodiments provide a framework which is completely distributed in nature . each node can compute their priority independently , and then use the existing lsp - based information carrying methodology to find the best root in the network . presently described embodiments are intuitive to implement without any disruptions to existing mechanisms . further it creates only minimal computation overhead , as the shortest paths to other nodes are available as a part of the unicast spf run . fig4 illustrates a computing device 400 , such as a server , host , or other network devices described in the present specification . computing device 400 may include processing unit 425 and memory 455 . memory 455 may include software configured to execute application modules such as an operating system 410 . computing device 400 may execute , for example , one or more stages included in the methods as described above . moreover , any one or more of the stages included in the above describe methods may be performed on any element shown in fig4 . computing device 400 may be implemented using a personal computer , a network computer , a mainframe , a computing appliance , or other similar microcomputer - based workstation . the processor may comprise any computer operating environment , such as hand - held devices , multiprocessor systems , microprocessor - based or programmable sender electronic devices , minicomputers , mainframe computers , and the like . the processor may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices . furthermore , the processor may comprise a mobile terminal . the aforementioned systems and devices are examples and the processor may comprise other systems or devices . embodiments of the present disclosure , for example , are described above with reference to block diagrams and / or operational illustrations of methods , systems , and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure . the functions / acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order as shown in any flowchart . 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 . while certain embodiments of the disclosure have been described , other embodiments may exist . furthermore , although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described as being associated with data stored in memory and other storage mediums , data can also be stored on or read from other types of computer - readable media , such as secondary storage devices , like hard disks , floppy disks , or a cd - rom , a carrier wave from the internet , or other forms of ram or rom . further , the disclosed methods &# 39 ; stages may be modified in any manner , including by reordering stages and / or inserting or deleting stages , without departing from the disclosure . all rights including copyrights in the code included herein are vested in and are the property of the applicant . the applicant retains and reserves all rights in the code included herein , and grants permission to reproduce the material only in connection with reproduction of the granted patent and for no other purpose . while the specification includes examples , the disclosure &# 39 ; s scope is indicated by the following claims . furthermore , while the specification has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts , the claims are not limited to the features or acts described above . rather , the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as examples for embodiments of the disclosure .	7
the following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar parts . while several exemplary embodiments and features of the invention are described herein , modifications , adaptations and other implementations are possible , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , substitutions , additions or modifications may be made to the components illustrated in the drawings , and the exemplary methods described herein may be modified by substituting , reordering or adding steps to the disclosed methods . accordingly , the following detailed description does not limit the invention . instead , the proper scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims . fig1 shows an exemplary table reflecting a personalization hierarchy , i . e ., a hierarchical arrangement of personalization applications / nodes ( parent - son - relationships in a tree structure ). the corresponding legend is shown in fig5 . in the view of a user , a personalization framework consistent with an embodiment of the invention presents itself as follows . the framework may consist of a program interface for completing or entering input into the personalization filing system , i . e ., software applications can use this interface to record personalization data . the framework may also consist of a web interface for end - users , i . e ., end - users can use an input mask or gui in the dialog to complete in or enter their personalization data in the personalization filing system ( individual personalization ). the framework may further consist of another user interface for administrators , i . e ., administrators can complete in or enter input into the computer system in a central fashion via an input mask in the dialog the personalization data for any end - user in the personalization filing system , as well as a program interface for read - out of the personalization data , i . e ., software applications can use this interface to ad - out personalization data . the core of the personalization framework may comprise three data base tables . for example , one table may reflect a personalization hierarchy as shown in fig1 , a second table may describe the properties of personalization characteristics as shown in fig2 , and a third table may be provided for storing personalization data as shown in fig3 and 4 . in fig2 , a exemplary table describing the properties of personalization characteristics is shown . the table , may record , for example , whether groups or intervals are permissible , and whether multiple single values can be entered , etc . the corresponding legend is shown in fig6 . any number of personalization characteristics can be deposited for each personalization application ( a “ node ” of the personalization hierarchy ). fig3 and 4 , are exemplary tables for storing personalization data ( characteristic flags ). the legend for fig3 and 4 is shown in fig7 . fig3 shows an example of updating automatically generated personalization sets ( in a mass maintenance of administratively generated data sets ) and of individually - generated sets ( in an individual end - user dialog , so - called i data sets ) taking into account the time dependence . an administrator “ admin ” may perform a central personalization for users , such as “ smith ” and “ wilson .” in the example shown , smith is in charge of cost center 1000 from jan . 1 , 2004 to jun . 30 , 2004 , whereas wilson directs this cost center from jul . 1 , 2004 to dec . 31 , 2004 . subsequently , user smith overrides the centrally - set personalization , by individually personalizing cost center 1111 for the time from jan . 1 , 2004 to dec . 31 , 2004 . fig4 shows an example of updating personalization sets ( in the form of groups or intervals ), as well as their resolution into single sets ( so - called resolved r data sets ). here , user “ smith ” performs the individual personalization for the cost center group , “ group1 ,” as well as for the cost center interval , a - d . at the time of personalization , the cost center group , “ group1 ,” includes cost centers 1000 , 1111 , and 2000 . cost center interval a - d includes cost centers b 1 , b 2 , and c 1 . the particular table fields not accounted for earlier are the table columns 6 and 8 - 11 . fig8 shows an exemplary representation of a personalization hierarchy using controlling as an example . fig8 shows one potential flag for the personalization hierarchy using controlling as a micro - economic example . the hierarchical arrangement of personalization applications / nodes ( parent - son - relationships in a tree structure ) is utilized such that all general / application - transcending personalization characteristics ( e . g ., the cost calculation cycle ) are assigned to higher - ranking nodes in the hierarchy , whereas specific / application - specific personalization characteristics ( e . g ., the plan version ) are assigned to lower - ranking nodes in the hierarchy . fig9 shows a first example of the utilization of a personalization hierarchy . while running , a software application needs the personalization data for two personalization characteristics . the personalization data can have been entered and stored at an earlier point in time by the administrator and / or end - user by means of a personalization dialog ( see , e . g ., fig1 ). if different personalization data was entered for a characteristic by the administrator and the end - user , the personalization data of the end - user may override the personalization data of the administrator while the software application is running . in the example in fig9 , the application program may need both the characteristics pc1 . 2 . 2 - a and pc1 . 2 . 2 - b belonging to personalization node pn1 . 2 . 2 . the respective characteristic values could be maintained by the end - user . if no end - user characteristic values are found , the respective administrator values are chosen . fig1 shows a second example of the utilization of a personalization hierarchy . while running , a second software application needs the personalization data for one personalization characteristic only , unlike in the example shown in fig9 . only the needed personalization data belonging to this particular characteristic are made available to the software application . the personalization data can have been entered and stored at an earlier point in time by the administrator and / or the end - user by means of a personalization dialog ( see , e . g ., fig1 ). if different personalization data was entered for a characteristic by the administrator and the end - user , the personalization data of the end - user override the personalization data of the administrator while the software application is running . in the example in fig1 , the application program only needs the characteristic pc1 . 2 . 2 - a belonging to personalization node pn1 . 2 . 2 . the respective characteristic values could be maintained by the end - user . if no end - user characteristic values are found , the respective administrator values are chosen . fig1 shows a third example of the utilization of a personalization hierarchy . while running , a third software application needs the personalization data for one personalization characteristic , just like in the example shown in fig1 . only the needed personalization data belonging to this particular characteristic are made available to the software application . the personalization data can be entered and stored at an earlier point in time by the administrator exclusively . overriding of this personalization data by the end - user is not possible . in the example in fig1 , the application program needs the characteristic pc1 . 2 . 2 - a belonging to personalization node pn1 . 2 . 2 . the respective characteristic values should exclusively be maintained by the administrator . fig1 shows a first example of the utilization of personalization dialogs . for the characteristics of the personalization hierarchy shown in fig9 , the personalization data for an end - user are entered and stored by the administrator by means of a personalization dialog . in the example in fig1 , an administrator starts personalization dialog pd 1 for user i . the administrator maintains personalization values for the characteristics pc1 . 2 . 2 - a and pc1 . 2 . 2 - b . fig1 shows a second example of the utilization of personalization dialogs . for the characteristics of the personalization hierarchy shown in fig1 , the personalization data for an end - user are entered and stored by the end - user by means of a second personalization dialog . in the example in fig1 , a user 11 starts dialog pd 2 to personalize the data the user needs . the user maintains the personalization value for the characteristic pc1 . 2 . 2 - b , but does not change the default value for the characteristic pc1 . 2 . 2 - a provided by the administrator . the foregoing description has been presented for purposes of illustration . it is not exhaustive and does not limit the invention to the precise forms or embodiments disclosed . modifications and adaptations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosed embodiments of the invention . for example , the described implementations include software , but systems and methods consistent with the present invention may be implemented as a combination of hardware and software or in hardware alone . examples of hardware include computing or processing systems , including personal computers , servers , laptops , mainframes , micro - processors and the like . additionally , although aspects of the invention are described for being stored in memory , one skilled in the art will appreciate that these aspects can also be stored on other types of computer - readable media , such as secondary storage devices , for example , hard disks , floppy disks , or cd - rom , the internet or other propagation medium , or other forms of ram or rom . computer programs based on the written description and methods of this invention are within the skill of an experienced developer . the various programs or program modules can be created using any of the techniques known to one skilled in the art or can be designed in connection with existing software . for example , program sections or program modules can be designed in or by means of java , c ++, html , xml , or html with included java applets or in sap r / 3 or abap . one or more of such software sections or modules can be integrated into a computer system or existing e - mail or browser software . moreover , while illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described herein , the scope of the invention includes any and all embodiments having equivalent elements , modifications , omissions , combinations ( e . g ., of aspects across various embodiments ), adaptations and / or alterations as would be appreciated by those in the art based on the present disclosure . the limitations in the claims are to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to examples described in the present specification or during the prosecution of the application , which examples are to be construed as non - exclusive . further , the steps of the disclosed methods may be modified in any manner , including by reordering steps and / or inserting or deleting steps , without departing from the principles of the invention . it is intended , therefore , that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only , with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims and their full scope of equivalents .	6
a preferred embodiment of this invention will be described in accordance with the figs . as follows : fig1 is a functional drawing showing the outline of the combustion system . first liquid fuel tank 1 is a tank for storing liquid fuel to preheat ( to be described later ) combustion chamber 16 . this liquid fuel is sent to fuel spray valve 18 through cock 18a to the pump ( not shown in drawing ) inside burner 15 . the pump pressurizes the liquid fuel stored in second liquid fuel tank 2 . water tank 3 is for storing water to be agitatingly mixed with the liquid fuel from the second liquid fuel in liquid fuel tank 2 , the method of which is to be described later . the liquid fuel in liquid fuel tank 2 is supplied to fuel agitating section 6 by a pipe through flow control valve 4 and flow meter 5 . the water in water tank 3 is supplied to fuel agitating section 6 by a pipe through flow control valve 7 and flow meter 8 . water is passed through coil 9 just prior to entering fuel agitating section 6 . direct electric current 10 is connected to coil 9 . coil 9 forms a magnetic field . water severs the line of the magnetic force in this magnetic field . from the water penetrating the magnetic field , an extra current is created inside the water and the water is ionized . furthermore , ferrite , etc ., which are strong magnetic substances and have low resistance to magnetic force , are desirable for the pipe around which coil 9 is wound . for this embodiment example , direct current electric source 10 voltage , 100 v , was used . as for the liquid fuel from second liquid fuel tank 2 and the water from water tank 3 supplied to fuel agitating section 6 , they are agitatedly mixed , using a method to be described later for supplying fuel agitating section 6 . emulsion is formed by the agitatedly mixed fuel and water liquid . after being drawn from fuel agitating section 6 by pump 12 through cock 11 , it is pressurized and supplied to burner 15 . pressure gauge 13 is a meter for measuring and monitoring the ejecting pressure of pump 12 to maintain uniformity . flow meter 14 is for measuring the established amount of mixed liquid fuel from pump 12 to burner 15 . burner 15 ejects pressurized fuel from the orifice at a high speed and fuel spray valves 18 and 19 and the blower reduce the liquid fuel into fine particles . since the structure of burner 15 is commonly known , it will not be described in detail here . in this embodiment , fuel spray valve 18 for preheating and fuel spray 19 for burning , were prepared . fuel spray 18 for preheating and the blower are used only for preheating combustion chamber 16 . emulsion reduced to fine particles from spray valve 19 is burned inside combustion chamber 16 and heats combustion room 17 . fig2 ( a ) is an exterior view drawing showing the structure of fuel agitating section 6 and fig2 ( b ) shows a sectional view taken along line b -- b of fig2 ( a ). agitator chamber 20 is cylindrical and is made of the nonmagnetic substance , stainless steel . in said preferred embodiment , it is approximately 200 mm in diameter . four permanent magnets 21a , 21b , 21c and 21d are fixed at equiangular intervals in the periphery of agitator chamber 20 . the magnetizing direction of permanent magnet 21a is in the direction of the thickness of permanent magnet 21a as shown in the drawing . the s pole is magnetized on the side of agitator chamber 20 and the n pole on the opposite side . permanent magnet 21b is placed at a 90 degree angle to magnet 21a in the periphery ; furthermore , the magnetic poles are placed at opposite directions . likewise , permanent magnet 21c , counter to permanent magnet 21a , has the same pole direction as that of permanent magnet 21a . permanent magnet 21d , counter to permanent magnet 21b , has the same pole direction as that of permanent magnets 21b . in this embodiment , permanent magnets 21a - 21d with a magnetic permeability of approximately 9 , 000 gauss are used . on one hand , motor 22 is placed on one end of the exterior of agitator chamber 20 . agitator shaft 24 is connected by a coupler ( not shown in the drawing ) to output power shaft 23 of motor 22a . one end of agitator shaft 24 is maintained to freely rotate through bearing 25 at the end of agitator chamber 20 . for bearing 25 , a common seal ( not shown in the drawing ) is provided to prevent leakage of liquid fuel from agitator chamber 20 . agitator disk 30a is arranged at the end of agitator shaft 24 . fig3 is an isometric view of the agitating blade inside agitating section 6 ; fig4 is a front view taken in the direction of arrows iv of fig3 ; and fig5 is a side view taken in the direction of fig3 . concerning agitator disk 30a , as shown in fig3 the whole body is disk - shaped main disk body 31 and on the front face , four blades , 32a , 32b , 32c and 32d , are arranged at equiangular positions in straight lines . each of the blades 32a , 32b , 32c and 32d is an oblong - shaped , flat sheet , one side of which is fixed , by a mechanical connecting method such as welding , bolts , etc ., to the main body disk 31 . blades 32a , 32b , 32c and 32d are al at angle θ to the front end of main body disk 31 ( ref . fig5 ). parallel to blades 32a , 32b , 32c and 32d , penetrating holes have been molded in the main body disk 31 . angle θ is a smaller , more acute angle than 90 degrees . an angle to thrust fuel forward toward the direction of the agitator disk 30a axial line is desirable . permanent magnets 34a , 34b , 34c and 34d are arranged at an even radius from the center on the surface . moreover , cylindrical permanent magnets 34a , 34b , 34c and 34d are inlaid and fixed inside the main disk body 31 . permanent magnet 34a is magnetizing in the direction of the thickness of the magnet as shown in fig5 . permanent magnet 34b is fixed in the main disk body 31 in the magnetzing direction opposite that of permanent magnet 34a . permanent magnet 34c in the same direction as permanent magnet 34a and permanent magnet 34d in the same direction as permanent magnet 34b are respectively inlaid . furthermore , for the experimental equipment in this embodiment , a main disk body 31 approximately 600 mm in diameter and magnets 34a - 34d of 3 , 000 - 4 , 000 gauss in permeability were used . main disk body 31 , disks 32a , 32b , 32c and 32d were made of the nonmagnetic material , stainless steel . furthermore , although a corrosion - resistant quality of material is desirous , even copper sheets , etc . with magnetic materials and high resistance to corrosion will be no problem functionally . agitator disk 30b , utterly the same as agitator disk 30a , is arranged symmetrically opposite to agitator chamber 20 . namely , they are arranged on the agitator disk shaft 24 line . since the make up of agitator disk 30b is the same as that of agitator disk 30a , this description will be omitted . midway between the same agitator disks 30a and 30b , and in the center , entrance 36 to suction pipe 35 is disposed . liquid fuel , water and emulsion from suction pipe 35 are drawn by pump 12 ; moreover , they are pressurized and supplied to fuel spray valve 19 of burner 15 . burner 15 makes the emulsion spray like and blows it into combustion chamber 16 . fig6 is a isometric view of combustion chamber 16 . fig7 is a dismantled combustion drawing of combustion chamber 16 . fig8 is a sectional view taken along line viii -- viii of fig6 . combustion chamber 16 is constructed of double tubes , outside combustion chamber 40 and inside combustion chamber 41 . outside chamber 40 and inside chamber 41 are tube - shaped and a number of slits 42 are opened along the periphery of combustion chamber 16 . because the outside diameter of outside combustion chamber 40 is larger than the outside diameter of inside combustion chamber 41 , vacant space 42 is formed . the burning of the emulsion is performed in combustion room 17 , which consists of vacant space 42 and the outer part of outside combustion chamber 40 an emulsion producing apparatus and emulsion combustion system are as above and their functions are as follows : first of all , liquid fuel is supplied from liquid fuel tank 1 through cock 18 to a pump ( not shown in the drawing ) inside burner 15 . in this example , kerosene sold on the ordinary market was used as fuel . the pump inside burner 15 pressurizes the liquid fuel and sends it to fuel spray valve 18 . fuel spray valve 18 makes the pressurized liquid fuel into a spray - like form and sends it to combustion chamber 16 . the spray - like liquid fuel inside combustion chamber 16 is ignited for burning with an ignition device ( not shown in the drawing ). the liquid fuel starts burning with the air sent by a blowing mechanism ( used only for preheating ) and combustion chamber 16 is sufficiently heated by said combustion heat . when combustion chamber 16 is heated with this prepared heat , cock 18a is shut off and the supply of liquid fuel from liquid fuel tank stops . next , before shutting off cock 18a , motors 22a and 22b are started to rotate agitating blades 30a and 30b mutually in opposite directions . in this example , they were turned at a speed of approximately 3 , 400 rpm . after cock 18a is shut off and cock 11 is opened , pump 12 draws the emulsion of emulsified and ionized liquid fuel and water from outlet 36 and sends it to burner 15 to be pressurized ( approximately 8 kg / cm 2 in this embodiment ). the emulsion is made spray - like and sent to inner combustion chamber 41 located within combustion chamber 16 . because combustion chamber 16 is preheated in advance , burning is started by said preheating . during combustion , there is no need to input air . in fuel agitating section 6 , liquid fuel supplied from liquid fuel tank 2 ( kerosene in this embodiment ) and water supplied from water tank 3 are agitatedly mixed by agitating blades 30a and 30b . molecules of both liquids agitated by both agitating blades 30a and 30b furiously collide ; moreover , the molecules are rotated together with permanent magnets 34a , 34b , 34c 34d . because water as well as liquid fuel sever the lines of magnetic force , an excess current is created and ionization takes place ; furthermore , emulsion is formed by mechanical mixing . at the same time , the movement of both liquids also severs the magnetic force line of permanent magnets 21a , 21b , 21c and 21d arranged on the periphery of agitator chamber 20 ; therefore , an excess current is created inside that section and ionization is accelerated even more . that the mixed liquid is ionized means it has ionizing energy ; therefore , it can be said it is in an easier combustion condition for burning . moreover , molecules of water and oil are colloidal particles or are dispersed as even smaller particles , becoming emulsified ; therefore , it is in a perfectly easy burning condition . accordingly , without actively forcing air into combustion chamber 16 , continuous combustion can be had . the theory of said continuous combustion is obscure in accuracy , however , by the ionization of water , liquid fuel and emulsion and molecules of water dispersing into hydrogen and oxygen , it can be assumed that the hydrogen and oxygen are functioning effectively . according to experiments by this inventor , continuous combusion could be had with even a large 42 : 58 liquid fuel to water mixing ratio . for this reason , because moisture in the combustion gas is abundant , heat transfer efficiency is high . for combustion systems like boilers , etc ., it is optimum . furthermore , it burns at a comparatively low temperture ; therefore , there is little nox resulting . kerosene and emulsion produced by this invented system were actually burned and the amounts of nitrogen dioxide ( nox ) and sulfur dioxide ( sox ) were measured . chamber core : outer diameter 270 mmφ ; length 500 mm cylindrical shape or 300 mmφ globe - shape ; material chrome molybdenum copper ( jis - scm 415 ) was used . combustion chamber : ( furnace inside ) height 1 , 000 mm ; depth 950 mm ; width 1 , 100 mm . outside wall of furnace is heat insulated with firebricks . ______________________________________ 1 kerosene 2 emulsion cylinder temp . cylinder temp . 1025 ° c . 850 ° c . inside furnace inside furnace temp . 390 ° c . temp . 610 ° c . ______________________________________nitrogen dioxide * 10 ppm ** 5 ppm ( nox ) sulfur dioxide * less than ** less than ( sox ) 20 ppm 20 ppm______________________________________ for the combustion test , a duct that tightly sealed the air opening was installed and the speed of the air flowing through that pipe was measured . the results were * 2 . 2 m 3 / min when burning kerosene and ** 0 . 073 m 3 / min when burning the emulsion . accordingly , when the amount of air for burning kerosene is set at 100 %, the amount of air used for burning the emulsion becomes 3 . 3 %. from the figures shown in the above table , the amounts of nitrogen dioxide ( nox ) and sulfur dioxide ( sox ) in the gas emission become substantially lower ( approximately 30 times ) when emulsion is used compared to when only kerosene is used . fig9 is a conceptional drawing of agitation equipment in a second embodiment of the present invention . in said first embodiment , a fixed flow of emulsion was continuously supplied . in the second embodiment , only the required amount of emulsion is automatically supplied . agitator chamber 50 is cylindrical in shape . freely rotating agitating blades 51 have been arranged . the bottom plate of agitator chamber 50 maintains the free rotation of both blades 51 and and center axle 52 by a bearing with an oil seal ( not shown in the drawing ). the other end of center axle 52 is coupled with the output shaft of motor 53 . pipe 54 is connected to agitator chamber 50 . electromagnetic switchover valve 55 , flow control valve 56 and pump 57 are successively connected to pipe 54 . pump 57 presurizes the water in water tank 58 and supplies agitator chamber 50 . similarly , electromagnetic switchover valve 61 , flow control valve 62 and pump 63 are connected to pipe 60 which is connected to agitator chamber 50 . pump 63 draws up liquid fuel from liquid fuel tank 64 and supplies it to agitator chamber 50 . permanent magnets 66a and 66d are installed on the inside wall of agitator chamber 50 . permanent magnets 66a and 66b are installed on the inside wall of agitator chamber 50 . permanent magnets 65a and 65b in blades 51 and 51 counter permanent magnets 66a and 66b on the inside wall of agitator chamber 50 and mutually cut the line of magnetic induction in the same said way as in the first embodiment . float 67 is arranged inside agitator chamber 50 , and potentionmeter 68 interlocks with the movement of float 67 and goes into motion . the output of potentiometer 68 , i . e ., the current amount of emulsion in agitator chamber 50 , is input into control section 70 . when the emulsion in control section 70 becomes less than the fixed amount , electromagnetic switchover valves 61 and 55 change over at the same time and motor 53 turns on . the fuel from liquid fuel tank 64 is drawn up by pump 63 and passes through flow control valve 62 and electromagnetic switchover valve 61 to be supplied to agitator chamber 50 . likewise , the water in water tank 58 is drawn up by pump 57 and passes through flow control valve 56 and electromagnetic switchover valve 55 to be supplied to agitator chamber 50 . as with the first embodiment , emulsion is produced inside agitator chamber 50 . only the required amount of produced emulsion is supplied to the essential apparatus by pump 72 . when the emulsion is less than the fixed amount , float 67 lowers and that signal is output by potentiometer 68 . control section 70 receives this signal and opens electromagnetic switchover valves 55 and 66 to supply water and liquid fuel . motor 53 is driven and emulsion is produced in the same way as previously mentioned . moreover , although in fig9 an embodiment where the two permanent magnets 66a and 66b were arranged on the peripheral wall of agitator chamber 50 , even four will be all right . agitator chamber 50 in the second embodiment is cylindrical and made of a nonmagnetic stainless steel plate approximately 200 mmφ in diameter . motor 53 is rotated at approximately 150 rpm . flow control valves 62 and 56 were adjusted to time supply water and oil in the ratio of 55 % and 45 %, respectively . fig1 is a sectional view of globe - shaped agitator chamber 80 as well as a double wall - type chamber . inside wall 81 and outside wall 82 ( approximately 300 mmφ ) are fixed . in each of the walls , numerous fire emission openings 85 are arranged . emulsion fuel is supplied by nozzle 84 , with a spraying angle of 60 degrees , from the periphery of inside wall 83 . moreover , at this time , it is desirous that the spraying position of nozzle 84 is in the center of inside wall 81 and that the spraying angle is large . permanent magnets 21a , 21b , 21c and 21d arranged in agitator chamber 20 of said embodiments could be omitted . although efficiency would be slightly lowered , production would be sufficient . the same can be said of permanent magnets 66a and 66b arranged in agitator chamber 50 . in first embodiment coil 9 , direct current 10 was disposed in the pipe from water tank 3 to the outlet and an electromagnet was formed . however , not only an electromagnet , but also a permanent magnet would be fine . again , these arrangements are not absolutely necessary . the same can also be said of permanent magnets 21a , 21b , 21c , 21d , 66a and 66b . these permanent magnets 21a , 21b , 21c , 21d , 66a and 66b used permanent magnets , however , electromagnts could also be used . again , these permanent magnets 21a , 21b , 21c , 21d , 66a and 66d can be limited to four in number . the four permanent magnets 34a , 34b , 34c and 34d in main disk body 31 of the first embodiment are indispensable , however , they do not necessarily have to be limited to four . under different circumferences , many could be arranged . again , the shape of blades 32a , 32b , 32c and 32d do not have to be limited to that of the embodiment . other generally known shapes would be fine . the same can be said of the blade 51 in the second embodiment and the arrangement of the permanent magnets .	2
it is to be understood the present invention is not limited to particular devices or methods , which may , of course , vary . it is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only , and is not intended to be limiting . as used in this specification and the appended claims , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ”, and “ the ” include singular and plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise . furthermore , the word “ may ” is used throughout this application in a permissive sense ( i . e ., having the potential to , being able to ), not in a mandatory sense ( i . e ., must ). the term “ include ,” and derivations thereof , mean “ including , but not limited to .” the term “ coupled ” means directly or indirectly connected . in one embodiment , a compound capable of photo - triggered release of fenton - reactive iron , comprises : an iron source ; one or more tumor targeting peptides and / or proteins ; and photosensitizing molecules , coupled to a protein scaffold . a protein scaffold includes one or more tumor targeting peptides and / or proteins (“ ttps ”) on its outer surface and photosensitizing molecules in the walls . a hollow interior cavity of the protein scaffold includes an iron source . the tumor targeting peptides and / or proteins on the outer surface of the protein scaffold are selected to bind to specific receptors on the cancer cells . the photosensitizers in the protein , upon irradiation with tissue penetrating near infrared light , trigger the release of “ free ” iron , which diffuse to the cancer cell surface . the iron loaded protein scaffold is , thus , able to send iron into the cancer cell when irradiated . free iron is highly toxic to cells because it produces free radicals . the tumor targeting peptides and / or proteins ensure that only cancer cells and not normal cells are bombarded with iron , the release of which occurs only upon irradiation . in an embodiment , the protein scaffold is an iron - storage protein called bacterioferritin ( bfr ), which can sequester up to 3 , 000 iron atoms , in the form of ferric - oxyhydroxide polymer ([ feo ( oh )] n ( n ≦ 3 , 000 )) in its interior cavity . bfr also is capable of binding 12 heme groups in its protein shell surrounding the iron core . relevant structural features of bfr are shown in fig1 - 4 . fig1 cartoon representation of the 24 - subunit bfr with one of the twelve heme - bridged subunit pairs highlighted in blue and green . hemes are highlighted in yellow . fig2 depicts a slice through of the 24 - mer showing an ˜ 8 - nm interior cavity and hemes embedded within the protein shell . fig3 depicts a cartoon representation of a heme - bridged dimer . fig4 depicts a schematic structure of heme oriented same as the heme in fig3 . fig5 depicts a schematic diagram of a modified protein scaffold and the mechanism of action . fig6 depicts the structure of zn - chlorin e6 ( znce6 ). in one embodiment , bfr is used as the protein scaffold . bfr includes 12 heme groups , as shown in fig1 . in an embodiment , the 12 hemes in bfr are replaced with photosensitizing structural homologues , such as zn - protoporphyrin ix ( znppix ) and zn - chlorin e6 ( znce6 ). the structure of znppix is identical to that of heme ( fig4 ), except that it contains zinc in place of iron . znppix or znce6 are essentially irreversibly bound at the same sites where heme binds in the native bfr scaffold ( fig1 ). the modified protein thus , comprises a bfr protein cage containing 24 ttps , 12 znppixs or znce6s , and up to 3 , 000 iron atoms ([ znppix or znce6 12 - ttp 24 - fe ≦ 3000 - bfr ]). photo - irradiation of znppix or znce6 generates the reducing znce6 triplet excited state . the znppix or znce6 excited triplet state is thermodynamically capable of reducing the ([ feo ( oh )] n core ( orange sphere in fig5 either directly or via di - iron “ ferroxidase centers ” ( not shown in fig5 ) located adjacent to the heme binding sites within each subunit . this photochemical redox process produces ferrous iron ( blue spheres in fig5 ) and the oxidized form of znppix ( znppix +• ) or znce6 ( znce6 +• ). the ferrous iron diffuses out through numerous pores in the protein shell , and the highly oxidizing znppix +• or znce6 +• is reduced back to znppix or znce6 by tumor - endogenous reducing agents , such as nadh , functioning as sacrificial electron donors . the initial photo - oxidized products of the sacrificial electron donors typically undergo radical chain reactions and rearrangements , rendering the net photochemical redox reactions irreversible . the data provided below uses znppix as a test case to demonstrate feasibility of the invention . znce6 has absorptions in the tissue - penetrating near infra - red ( near - ir ) region , 22 which is advantageous for in vivo applications . the znce6 fluorescence ( λ em ˜ 650 nm ) simultaneously provides a means to use imaging probes to confirm that the compound has targeted cancer cells . znppix or znce6 are essentially irreversibly bound at the same sites where heme binds in the native bfr scaffold ( fig1 ). the irreversible binding of the photosensitizers minimizes the possibility of adventitious , non - specific photochemical damage . the widely separated binding sites for the individual photosensitizer molecules within the protein scaffold inhibits self - quenching of the photochemistry . the proximity of bound znppix or znce6 to the [ feo ( oh )] n core facilitates electron transfer over singlet o 2 generation . the photochemical redox cycle of [ znce6 12 - ttp 24 - fe ≦ 3000 - bfr ], thus , generates a tumor - localized flux of “ free ” ferrous iron ( fe 2 + ) greatly exceeding the normal steady state levels of tissue or intracellular free iron . the intracellular components involved in iron reduction and release from bfr in bacteria are not well understood , but are thought to involve the heme . since bfr is found exclusively in bacteria , and heme - containing ferritins are not known to exist in eukaryotes , bfr - specific iron - releasing components are unlikely to be present in mammalian cells . therefore , significant iron release from tumor - targeted bfr is unlikely to occur in the absence of photoexcitation . embodiments include fusion of a ttp to the bfr subunit amino ( n )- terminus of [ znppix - or znce6 12 - ttp 24 - fe ≦ 3000 - bfr ]. the n - terminal ends of all 24 bfr protein subunits are exposed on the outer surface of the protein shell . we routinely isolate bfr without the need for an affinity tag . therefore , ttps added to the bfr n - terminus do not interfere with bfr isolation and purification . however , an n - terminal his - tag has been engineered onto e . coli bfr by others , and this tag did not disrupt the 24 - mer structure or iron uptake . the his - tagged bfr was found to bind to the affinity resin used for its purification . this latter observation constitutes a precedent for bfr n - terminal peptide / receptor interaction . a nine - residue peptide which selectively binds α v β 3 integrins , which are known to be upregulated on tumor vasculature , was added to the n - terminus of a related human iron storage protein called ferritin , and this modified ferritin was found to bind to a cancer cell line . a ttp may be added to a protein scaffold using exposed amino ( n )- terminus . for example , in bfr the n - terminal ends of all 24 bfr protein subunits are exposed on the outer surface of the protein shell . standard molecular biology procedures may be used to attach ttps to the bfr n - terminus . in one embodiment , the targeting peptide , cdcrgdcfc ( listed using the standard one - letter acronyms for amino acid residues ) is used as a ttp . this targeting peptide is known to target α v β 3 integrins , which are up - regulated in tumor vasculature . in some embodiments , a three - glycine spacer is added to the c - terminus of this targeting peptide , thereby connecting it to the third residue at the n - terminal end of bfr . the first two n - terminal residues of bfr ( mk ) are added to the n - terminus of the targeting peptide . the twenty - four ttps ( one from each subunit ) project from the outer surface of the protein cage , thereby providing a molecular attachment for tumor cell surface receptors . these externally attached ttps did not affect iron loading of the internal cavity of the protein scaffold . loading with iron atoms ( e . g ., ˜ 3 , 000 iron atoms ) results in an electron dense iron core , which may be imaged by transmission electron microscopy ( tem ) to confirm binding to cancer cells . white or wavelength - filtered light irradiation at varying intensities is accomplished using a commercially available non - laser light source . in vitro photochemical release of ferrous iron may be monitored by standard colorimetric methods , and production of fenton - derived hydroxyl radical may be monitored by epr spin trapping . the irradiation experiments may be conducted in ph 7 phosphate buffer either aerobically or anaerobically ( n 2 atmosphere ), as well as at sub - aerobic o 2 partial pressures and in the presence or absence of hydrogen peroxide in order to mimic a range of intracellular conditions . a common tumor - endogenous source of reducing equivalents , nadh is used as the “ sacrificial electron donor ” ( fig5 ). an alternative tumor - endogenous reducing agent , cysteine , may also be used . neither of these intracellular reducing agents is known to directly reduce the [ feo ( oh )] n core of bfr in the absence of photoexcitation . in some embodiments , laser - light irradiation may be used to release iron from [ znce6 12 - ttp 24 - fe ≦ 3000 - bfr ]. binding of [ znppix or znce6 12 - ttp 24 - fe ≦ 3000 - bfr ] to c32 cancer cells was analyzed by visualization of the electron dense iron cores 25 by transmission electron microscopy and visualization of the znppix - or znce6 - bfr by confocal fluorescence microscopy . in some embodiments , the isolated ( i . e ., no artificial iron loading ) construct for intracellular fluorescence imaging may be used ( because the feo ( oh )] n core may quench the znppix or znce6 fluorescence ). decreases in cancer cell viability upon exposure to [ znppix - or znce6 12 - ttp 24 - fe ≦ 3000 - bfr ] and visible / near - ir irradiation may be monitored using a standard colorimetric assay in microplates . the sacrificial reducing agents nad ( p ) h and cysteine are typically present in the culture media or added . since tumor environments are often hypoxic , a co 2 cell culture incubator having the capability of controlling o 2 levels from ambient to 1 % of ambient is used . this strategy can correlate o 2 levels with cell killing . electron transfer to the [ feo ( oh )] n core is the predominant quencher of the photo - excited znppix or znce6 , but it is also believed that singlet o 2 is formed to provide a “ double whammy ” for cell killing . the compounds and methods described herein combine the strategies of photo - triggered release of fenton - reactive iron with multiple tumor - targeting peptides and / or proteins using a protein nanoparticle scaffold , ( e . g ., bfr ). unlike bfr , mammalian ferritins do not contain heme ( or any cofactor other than non - heme iron ), and , therefore , are not useful for the photosensitized iron release approach proposed here . protein scaffolds have not been reported as iron - releasing agents for cancer therapy . the photo - triggered release of massive doses of ferrous iron as a cancer therapy described herein is also unprecedented . other photosensitizing porphyrins chlorins , pheophorbides , as well as other approximately planar photosensitizers of size and shape similar to those of porphyrins , and which have absorptions in the near - ir region , such as phthalocyanines may be used as the photosensitizing molecules . substitutions may also be made of amino acid residues lining the interior cavity of bfr and the exit pores for the photo - reduced ferrous iron as needed to optimize iron release rates . other peptides or proteins targeting specific types of cancers ( e . g ., peptides that target breast cancer , prostate cancer , etc .) may be coupled to the outer surface of the bfr protein shell . spacer residues may be optionally added to the peptides or proteins if necessary to improve tumor targeting . chemically modifiable residues such as cysteine may also be added to the outer surface of the protein shell for attachment of agents , such as polyethylene glycol to shield the protein from the immune system . embodiments , also include the use of bfrs from other bacteria for optimization of photosensitizer attachment as well as iron incorporation and release . the following examples are included to demonstrate preferred embodiments of the invention . it should be appreciated by those of skill in the art that the techniques disclosed in the examples which follow represent techniques discovered by the inventor to function well in the practice of the invention , and thus can be considered to constitute preferred modes for its practice . however , those of skill in the art should , in light of the present disclosure , appreciate that many changes can be made in the specific embodiments which are disclosed and still obtain a like or similar result without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . e . coli bfr is unusually stable . fifty milligrams of bfr may be produced from a few liters of e . coli culture using standard protein overexpression and purification protocols . published procedures were used for iron - loading ( e . g ., baaghil et al . ( 2003 ) “ core formation in escherichia coli bacterioferritin requires a functional ferroxidase center .” biochemistry 42 , 14047 - 14056 ) and for incorporation of znppix or znce6 into bfr ( e . g ., conlan et al . ( 2009 ) “ photo - catalytic oxidation of a di - nuclear manganese centre in an engineered bacterioferritin ‘ reaction centre ’.” biochim . biophys . acta 1787 , 1112 - 1121 ). efficient znppix or znce6 insertion into bfr in place of heme was accomplished by using an e . coli strain overexpressing a heme receptor , chua . ( see e . g ., lee et al . ( 2001 ). “ high - level production of heme - containing holoproteins in escherichia coli .” appl . microbiol . biotechnol . 55 , 187 - 191 ; and varnadoet al . ( 2004 ). “ system for the expression of recombinant hemoproteins in escherichia coli .” protein expression purif . 35 , 76 - 83 . e . coli bl21 ( de3 ) previously transformed with the e . coli bfr expression plasmid is grown overnight in standard luria - bertani / ampicillin media ( lb / amp ). this strain is then transformed with goodwin &# 39 ; s phepx2 . 2 , which expresses chua and tetracycline resistance . this transformation mixture is spread on agar plates with 20 μg / ml tetracycline . colonies are selected which contain both the bfr expression plasmid and phepx2 . 2 . the resulting e . coli bl21 ( de3 )/ bfr / phpex2 . 2 strain is then cultured in 50 - ml to 1 - l batches of lb / amp at 37 ° c . when the cultures reach od600 ˜ 0 . 8 , ˜ 7 mg znppix or znce6 ( purchased from frontier scientific , inc .) from a dmso stock solution is added per liter of culture followed immediately by standard isopropyl - beta - d - thiogalactoside induction of protein expression . after 4 hours , the cells are harvested . the cells are subsequently lysed , and the znppix - or znce6 - bfr are purified by standard ion - exchange and size - exclusion chromatographies . loading of znppix or znce6 using this procedure is reproducibly quantitative ( 12 znppix / znce6 per 24 - mer ) based on znppix or znce6 absorbance and protein analysis ( bichinchonic acid assay ). the as - isolated znppix - or znce6 - bfr typically contains ˜ 40 irons / znppix - bfr 24 - mer . iron is incorporated into the as - isolated proteins using the following conditions : stock protein solution ( 0 . 5 μm 24 - mer ) in 0 . 1 m morpholinoethanesulfonic acid ( mes ) ph 6 . 5 buffer . stock ferrous ammonium sulfate , 200 mm in water , prepared anaerobically . under anaerobic conditions add 5 μl stock ferrous ammonium sulfate to 1 ml of the znppix - or znce6 - bfr solution to achieve a mol ratio ˜ 2000 added iron / 24 - mer . incubate the iron / bfr solution under anaerobic conditions overnight at 4 ° c . in the dark . pump air through the protein solution via gentle pipetting , and monitor iron oxidation / incorporation using a340 nm . no further increase in a340 nm is observed ( typically ˜ 2 hr ), centrifuge to remove excess iron . perform analyses of iron ( ferrozine assay ) and protein ( bichinchonic acid assay ) to determine loaded iron - to - protein ratio . this procedure typically results in 1000 to 1200 irons loaded per znppix - or znce6 - 24 - mer . loading of up to ˜ 3 , 000 irons per 24 - mer can be achieved but results in significant loss of protein . the solutions used for irradiation and monitoring of iron removal contain ˜ 0 . 1 um znppix - bfr loaded with 1 , 000 - 1 , 100 iron / 24 - mer in phosphate - buffered saline ph 7 . 3 ( pbs )+ 10 mm nadh . these solutions are placed in anaerobic 1 - cm cuvettes , and irradiated at room temperature with a 300 - w tungsten halogen slide projector lamp with the cuvette placed 2 cm from the lens . after various irradiation times the cuvettes are transferred to an anaerobic chamber ( coy , inc .) under low light conditions , and ferrozine is added to the cuvettes to a final concentration of 10 mm . measurement of the absorbance of the purple ferrozine - iron complex at 562 nm formed immediately upon addition of ferrozine is used to calculate concentrations of released iron . from the known iron concentrations of protein solutions prior to irradiation , the percent of total iron released after irradiation is determined . fig7 depicts the fraction of iron released from znppix - bfr loaded with ˜ 1 , 000 irons / 24 - mer in pbs ph 7 . 3 + 10 mm nadh upon irradiation for various times . irradiation conditions and ferrozine additions are as described above . the data in fig7 show that the majority of the iron in the znppix - bfr is photo - released within several hours using a relatively crude , non - laser light source and without optimizing the wavelengths of irradiation . it is important to note that no iron is released in the dark ( i . e ., low light conditions ) and that analogous irradiation experiments using iron - loaded bfr containing heme in place of znppix showed no iron release . since heme is not known to be a photosensitizer , these observations show that znppix is responsible for photosensitizing the iron release from bfr . further modifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects of the 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 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 examples of 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 of 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 .	2
turning to the drawings , wherein like numerals denote like components throughout the several views , fig1 depicts a prior surgical instrument 10 that includes a housing assembly 12 and an elongated body 14 that protrudes therefrom . also shown in fig1 is a prior disposable loading unit 16 that comprises a single - use endocutter for cutting tissue and applying lines of staples on each side of the cut . the disposable loading unit 16 includes a tool assembly 17 having a cartridge assembly 18 housing a plurality of surgical staples and an anvil assembly 20 movably secured in relation to cartridge assembly 18 . in various embodiments , the conventional surgical instrument 10 and the disposable loading unit 16 may comprise the surgical instrument and disposable loading units described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 865 , 361 , the disclosure of which has been herein incorporated by reference . thus , the present detailed description will not specifically discuss the various components of the surgical instrument 10 and the disposable loading unit 16 and their operation herein beyond what is necessary to describe the operation of the various surgical tool embodiments of the present invention which may be used with a surgical instrument 10 . as the present detailed description proceeds , it will be appreciated that the terms “ proximal ” and “ distal ” are used herein with reference to a clinician gripping a handle assembly 12 of the surgical instrument 10 to which a particular surgical tool is operably coupled . thus , the surgical tool is “ distal ” with respect to the more proximal handle assembly 12 . it will be further appreciated that , for convenience and clarity , spatial terms such as “ vertical ”, “ horizontal ”, “ up ”, “ down ”, “ right ”, and “ left ” are used herein with respect to the drawings . however , surgical tools and instruments are used in many orientations and positions , and these terms are not intended to be limiting and absolute . fig2 - 4 depict a surgical tool 1000 of an embodiment of the present invention that may be operably coupled to the surgical instrument 10 and used to manipulate tissue , organs , etc . as can be seen in those figures , the surgical tool 1000 may include a housing 1010 that has a proximal end 1012 that is configured for removable attachment to the elongated body 14 of the surgical instrument 10 . in particular , the proximal end 1012 may have engagement nubs 254 formed thereon which serve to form a bayonet - type coupling with the distal end of the elongated body portion 14 of the surgical stapling apparatus as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 865 , 361 . the surgical tool 1000 includes a drive assembly 1020 that may include a proximal drive beam segment 1022 that is coupled to a distal drive beam segment 1030 by a reversing linkage assembly 1040 . the drive beam segments 1020 , 1030 may each be constructed from a single sheet of material or , preferably , from multiple stacked sheets . however , drive beam segments 1020 , 1030 may be fabricated from other suitable materials and arrangements . as can be seen in fig3 , the proximal drive beam segment 1022 has an engagement section 1024 formed thereon that may include a pair of engagement fingers 1024 a and 1024 b that are dimensioned and configured to mountingly engage a drive member 1026 . drive member 1026 includes a proximal porthole 1028 configured to receive the distal end 276 of control rod 52 ( see fig1 ) when the proximal end 1012 of tool attachment 100 is coupled to the elongated body 14 of surgical apparatus 10 . as can be seen in fig3 , the proximal end 1012 has a hollow passage 1014 therein through which the distal end 276 of the control rod 52 may extend . the distal end of the proximal beam segment 1022 has a distally protruding tab 1028 that is pinned to a link 1042 of the reversing linkage assembly 1040 . the link 1042 is pivotally attached to the housing 1010 by pin 1044 and is also attached to a proximal tab portion 1032 of distal drive beam segment 1030 . the distal end 1034 of the distal drive beam segment 1030 may be pivotally attached to an upper non - staple forming manipulation jaw 1050 by a first pivot link 1052 and also attached to a lower non - staple - forming manipulation jaw 1060 by a second pivot link 1062 . as used herein , the term “ non - staple forming ” refers to jaws that are designed to grip or manipulate tissue , but are not designed to form , support or drive staples , such as , for example , anvils , staple cartridges or portions of units designed to support staple cartridges . fig2 and 3 illustrate the upper and lower manipulation jaws 1050 , 1060 in an open orientation and fig4 illustrates the upper and lower manipulation jaws 1050 , 1060 in a closed orientation . once the surgical tool 1000 is coupled to the elongated body 14 of the surgical apparatus 10 ( and the distal end 276 of the control rod 52 is coupled to the drive member 2026 ), the clinician may move the upper and lower manipulation jaws 1050 , 1060 between the open and closed positions by manipulating the movable handle portion 24 of the surgical apparatus 10 . for example , pivoting the movable handle portion 24 toward the stationary portion 22 of the handle assembly 12 , causes the control rod 52 to move the proximal drive beam segment 1022 in a “ first ” distal direction “ dd ”. as the proximal drive beam segment 1022 moves in the first distal direction “ dd ”, the reversing linkage 1040 pulls the distal drive beam segment 1030 in a “ second ” proximal direction “ pd ” which causes the links 1052 , 1062 to each simultaneously move the upper and lower non - staple forming manipulation jaws 1050 , 1060 toward each other to a closed orientation . moving the movable handle 24 away from the stationary handle portion 22 causes the non - staple forming upper and lower manipulation jaws 1050 , 1060 to each simultaneously move away from each other to the open position . the person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the non - staple forming upper and lower manipulation jaws 1050 , 1060 may be provided in different shapes and sizes without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . for example , fig5 illustrates one use of the surgical tool 1000 of the present invention in connection with the removal of tissue , etc . from a body cavity 600 . more specifically , fig5 illustrates use of a conventional first trocar 610 that is used to form a first passage 604 through a body wall 602 into the body cavity 600 . a surgical tool 1000 of the present invention is attached to a first convention surgical apparatus 10 . the surgical tool 1000 is then inserted through a cannula in the first trocar 610 and into the body cavity 600 to grasp and manipulate a portion of tissue 606 . some medical procedures may require portions of diseased tissue or organs to be removed from the body cavity 600 . to facilitate removal of small amounts of such tissue from the body cavity 600 , another surgical tool 1100 of the present invention may be employed . as can be seen in fig5 , the surgical tool 1100 may include a housing portion 1110 that has a proximal end 1112 that has nubs 254 formed thereon to facilitate attachment to the elongated body portion 14 of a surgical apparatus 10 ′ in the manner described above . housing 1110 may have a hollow cavity therein , that would facilitate the movement of the control rod 52 therein . however , in various embodiments , the distal end 276 of the control rod is not directly coupled to any component within the housing . attached to the distal end 1114 of the housing 1110 is a specimen - retrieval pouch 1120 that may be formed from a collapsible pouch ring portion 1122 that has a flexible pouch member 1124 attached thereto . the collapsible pouch ring 1122 may be fabricated from spring arms 1226 or the like that would enable the pouch ring portion 1122 to collapse to enable the specimen retrieval pouch 1120 to be inserted into and retracted from a cannula of a conventional trocar 610 or the like . returning to fig5 , there is also illustrated a surgical tool 1100 of the present invention that has been attached to another conventional surgical instrument 10 ′ that has been inserted through another conventional trocar 610 . after the pouch assembly 1120 has been passed through the trocar cannula into the body cavity 600 , the collapsible pouch ring 1122 springs open . the surgical tool 1000 may be employed to grasp diseased tissue 606 ( e . g ., gall stones , etc .) and place the diseased tissue 606 into the pouch assembly 1120 which may then be retracted out through the cannula of the second conventional trocar 610 . a draw string 1121 extends around the pouch ring 1112 and through the housing 1110 to be threaded through a portion of the elongated body 14 and may exit through a hole therein adjacent the handle assembly 12 . the draw string 1121 may be used to close the specimen retrieval pouch 1120 when removing the filled pouch 1120 from the body cavity . certain other medical procedures involve the cutting and removal of small portions of tissue such as the removal of a polyp 700 or the extraction of a small portion of tissue for testing . a surgical tool embodiment 1200 of the present invention may be used to perform such activities . more specifically and with reference to fig6 , a surgical tool 1200 may include the housing portion 1110 and drive beam segments 1022 , 1030 as was described above . the surgical tool 1200 is coupled to the elongated body portion 14 and the control rod 52 in the manner described above and is operated by moving the movable handle portion 24 toward and away from the stationary handle portion 22 as was also described above . however , in various embodiments , instead of having upper and lower manipulation jaws coupled thereto , an upper tissue nipping jaw 1210 and a lower tissue nipping jaw 1220 are attached to links 1052 and 1062 , respectively . as can be seen in fig6 , the upper and lower tissue nipping jaws 1210 and 1220 are designed to nip tissue grasped therebetween . at least one of the jaws 1210 , 1220 have a cavity portion 1211 therein for retrieving the nipped tissue . in the embodiment depicted in fig6 , each tissue nipping jaw 1210 , 1220 have a cavity portion 1211 formed therein that cooperate to form a hollow receptacle area generally designated as 1230 when the jaws 1210 , 1220 are substantially closed . thus , after the tissue 700 has been nipped by closing the jaws 1210 , 1220 , the tissue 700 is then received in the hollow receptacle area 1230 for removal from the body . fig7 illustrates another surgical tool 1300 of the present invention that includes the housing portion 1110 and drive assembly 1020 as described above . as can be seen in fig7 , however , the surgical tool 1300 employs scissor jaws 1310 and 1320 . in particular , the upper scissor jaw 1310 is attached to link 1052 and the lower scissor jaw is attached to link 1062 . a support member 1380 protrudes out of the distal end of the housing portion 1110 and pivotally supports the scissor jaws 1310 , 1320 about a pivot pin 1382 as shown . the surgical tool 1300 is coupled to the elongated body portion 14 and the control rod 52 of the surgical instrument 10 in the manner described above and is operated by moving the movable handle portion 24 toward and away from the stationary handle portion 22 as was also described above . thus , the scissor jaws 1310 , 1320 may be aligned with each other to enable the surgical tool 1300 to be inserted through a cannula ( trocar ) into the body cavity and then activated to cut tissue by moving the movable handle portion 24 of the surgical instrument 10 . fig8 - 12 illustrate another surgical tool 1400 that may be used with the conventional surgical instrument 10 . as can be seen in those figures , the surgical tool 1400 comprises a stapler for stapling tissue . more particularly and with reference to fig8 , the surgical tool 1400 may include a housing portion 1410 that has a proximal end portion 1412 that is configured for removable attachment to the elongated body 14 of the surgical instrument 10 . in particular , the proximal end portion 1412 may have engagement nubs 254 formed thereon which serve to form a bayonet - type coupling with the distal end of the elongated body portion 14 of the surgical instrument 10 as described above . the surgical tool 1400 may include a drive assembly 1420 that includes an elongated drive beam 1422 that may be constructed from a single sheet of material or , preferably , from multiple stacked sheets . however , drive beam 1422 may be fabricated from other suitable materials and arrangements . as can be seen in fig9 , the drive beam 1422 has an engagement section 1424 formed thereon that may include a pair of engagement fingers 1424 a and 1424 b that are dimensioned and configured to mountingly engage a drive member 1426 . drive member 1426 includes a proximal porthole 1428 configured to receive the distal end 276 of control rod 52 ( see fig1 ) when the proximal end 1412 of the surgical tool 1400 is coupled to the elongated body 14 of a surgical instrument 10 . as can be seen in fig9 , the proximal end 1412 has a hollow passage 1414 therein through which the distal end 276 of the control rod 52 may extend . as can also be seen in fig9 - 12 , the housing 1410 has a distal end portion 1416 that operably houses columns 1430 of surgical staples 1432 therein . in various embodiments , the housing 1410 may be fabricated in multiple segments to permit installation of the staples 1432 therein . for single use embodiments , the staples 1432 may be installed at the factory and the housing portions permanently assembled together by adhesive , snaps , etc . in other embodiments , the housing portions may be removably coupled together to permit installation of additional staples 1432 . as can also been in fig9 - 12 , a staple driver 1440 is affixed to the distal end of the drive beam 1422 . the distal end 1442 of the staple driver 1440 may have a staple - receiving notch 1444 formed therein as can be seen in fig1 - 12 . the surgical tool 1400 is coupled to the elongated body portion 14 and the control rod 52 of the surgical instrument 10 in the manner described above and is operated by moving the movable handle portion 24 toward and away from the stationary handle portion 22 as was also described above . a return spring 1450 is supported between a wall portion 1418 of the housing 1410 and a return tab portion 1446 on the staple driver 1440 to assist with returning the staple driver 1440 to the return position wherein another staple 1432 may drop into a firing position as shown in fig1 . as can be seen in fig1 , when in a firing position , the bottom staple 1432 in the distal - most column 1430 of staples 1432 has dropped into engagement with the staple - receiving notch 1444 in the staple driver 1440 . a leaf - type feed spring 1470 may be provided to bias each succeeding staple 1432 in the distal - most column 1430 of staples downward toward the staple driver 1440 . in addition , a spring assembly 1480 ( illustrated in box - form in fig1 - 12 ) is mounted in the distal end portion 1416 of the housing 1410 to bias the columns 1430 of staples 1432 in the distal direction “ dd ” on the staple driver 1440 so that as one column of staples 1432 is depleted , the next adjacent column of staples 1432 is biased into the firing position shown in fig1 . thus , to use the surgical tool 1400 , the distal end 1416 of the housing portion 1410 is brought into engagement with the tissue “ t ” to be stapled . see fig1 . as can be seen in fig1 - 12 , the distal end portion 1416 has an angled end 1417 that has an opening 1419 therein to expose the staple 1432 being fired . as the staple 1432 is fired ( i . e ., driven in the distal direction “ dd ” by the staple driver 1440 ) through movement of the movable handle portion 24 of the surgical instrument 10 , it is formed as it contacts a staple - forming anvil 1490 non - movably mounted within the housing 1410 . fig1 illustrates the surgical tool 1400 prior to firing . fig1 illustrates firing a staple 1432 into the tissue “ t ”. fig1 illustrates the staple driver 11440 after is has been retracted to permit another staple 1432 to drop into a ready position . while the surgical tool 1400 is particularly well - suited for endoscopic procedures , those of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that the surgical tool 1400 may also be used to staple open incisions that do not require the surgical tool 1400 to be inserted through a cannula into a body cavity . fig1 and 14 illustrate another surgical tool 1500 that may be used with the conventional surgical instrument 10 . as can be seen in those figures , the surgical tool 1500 comprises a syringe for deploying , for example , glue , sealant , a drug or other medicament . more particularly and with reference to fig1 , the surgical tool 1500 may include a housing portion 1500 that has a proximal end portion 1512 that is configured for removable attachment to the elongated body 14 of the surgical instrument 10 . in particular , the proximal end portion 1512 may have engagement nubs 254 formed thereon which serve to form a bayonet - type coupling with the distal end of the elongated body portion 14 of the surgical stapling instrument 10 as described above . the surgical tool 1500 may include a drive assembly 1520 that comprises an elongated drive beam 1522 that may be constructed from a single sheet of material or , preferably , from multiple stacked sheets . however , drive beam 1522 may be fabricated from other suitable materials and arrangements . as can be seen in fig1 , the drive beam 1522 has an engagement section 1524 formed thereon that may include a pair of engagement fingers 1524 a and 1524 b that are dimensioned and configured to mountingly engage a drive member 1526 . drive member 1526 includes a proximal porthole 1528 configured to receive the distal end 276 of control rod 52 ( see fig1 ) when the proximal end 1512 of the surgical tool 1500 is coupled to the elongated body 14 of surgical instrument 10 . as can be seen in fig1 , the proximal end 1512 has a hollow passage 1514 therein through which the distal end 276 of the control rod 52 may extend . as can also be seen in fig1 and 14 , a syringe body 1570 is attached to a distal end 1516 by a collar 1572 or other fastener arrangement . the collar 1572 may be affixed to the housing 1510 and syringe body 1570 , by adhesive or other suitable arrangements . as can be seen in fig1 , a distal end 1523 of the drive beam 1522 is attached to a syringe plunger 1574 that is movably supported within the syringe body 1570 . a hollow needle or cannula 1580 may be attached to the distal end of the syringe body 1570 as shown . the syringe body 1570 may be filled with a drug or medicament by first advancing the syringe plunger 1574 to the distal end of the syringe body 1570 by moving the movable handle 24 of the surgical instrument 10 ( fig1 ) toward the stationary handle portion 22 of the handle assembly 12 . thereafter , the pointed end 1582 of the needle 1580 may be inserted into a vial or reservoir of glue , sealant , drug or medicament ( not shown ). the clinician may then draw the material from the reservoir into the syringe body 1570 through the needle 1580 by moving the movable handle 24 away from the stationary portion 22 of the handle assembly 12 which serves to move the drive beam 1522 and the syringe plunger 1574 in the proximal direction “ pd ”. once the desired amount of drug or medicament has been drawn into the syringe body 1574 , the clinician may then insert the surgical tool 1500 into the body cavity through a cannula or other opening and then expel the drug or medicament from the syringe body 1570 by again moving the movable handle 24 toward the stationary handle portion 22 of the handle assembly 12 . a scale or other form of measuring indicia 1590 may be provided on the syringe body 1570 to enable the clinician to monitor the amount of glue , sealant , drug or medicament that has been discharged from the syringe body 1574 . when a surgical procedure involves stapling of tissue , the clinician must select the proper size of staple to use based upon the thickness of the tissue to be stapled . for example , staples that are commonly used for endoscopic procedures are generally manufactured in various sizes to provide various formed heights such as 0 . 75 mm , 1 . 0 mm , 1 . 5 mm , 2 . 0 mm , etc . the clinician must carefully match the size of the staple to the thickness of the tissue . if the staple is too large , the tissue may not be held together properly or if the staple is too small , it may tear through the tissue . in the past , however , the clinician often would have to estimate the tissue thickness and then hope that the estimate was sufficiently accurate . thus , there is a need for a surgical tool that could be used in connection with a surgical instrument 10 that can accurately measure tissue thickness so that the appropriate size of staples may be used . fig1 - 30 depict a surgical tool embodiment 1600 of the present invention that may be operably coupled to the surgical instrument 10 and used to measure the thickness of tissue “ t ” that may need to be cut and stapled . as can be seen in those figures , the surgical tool 1600 may include a carrier 216 that has a housing 1610 attached thereto . the housing 1610 may be attached to the upstanding walls 217 of the carrier 216 by snap features 219 or other suitable means . the housing 1610 has a proximal end 1612 that is configured for removable attachment to the elongated body 14 of the surgical instrument 10 . in particular , the proximal end 1612 may have engagement nubs 254 formed thereon which serve to form a bayonet - type coupling with the distal end of the elongated body portion 14 of the surgical instrument 10 as was described above . the surgical tool 1600 further includes a drive assembly 1620 that includes a drive beam 1622 that may be constructed from a single sheet of material or , preferably , from multiple stacked sheets . however , drive beam 1622 may be fabricated from other suitable materials and arrangements . as can be seen in fig1 , the drive beam segment 1622 has an engagement section 1624 formed thereon that may include a pair of engagement fingers 1624 a and 1624 b that are dimensioned and configured to mountingly engage a drive member 1626 . drive member 1626 includes a proximal porthole ( not shown ) to receive the distal end 276 of control rod 52 ( see fig1 ) when the proximal end 1612 of surgical tool 1600 is coupled to the elongated body 14 of the surgical instrument 10 . the distal end 1626 of the drive beam 1622 may have a camming pin or roller 286 ( fig1 ) arranged to engage a camming portion 209 ( fig1 ) of a non - staple forming anvil assembly 20 that is pivotally coupled to the carrier 216 . a pair of pivot members 211 are formed on the anvil assembly 20 and are positioned within slots 213 formed in carrier 216 to guide the anvil portion between the open and clamped positions . as the drive beam 1622 is driven in the distal direction “ dd ” by moving the movable handle 24 toward the stationary handle portion 22 of the handle assembly 12 of the surgical instrument 10 , the camming roller on the distal end of the drive beam 1622 engages the camming portion 209 of the anvil assembly 20 and causes the anvil assembly 20 to pivot to a given and repeatable closed position which forms a reference surface for establishing a thickness measurement . the surgical tool 1600 may further include a tissue thickness measuring cartridge 1650 that is supported within the carrier 216 . as can be seen in fig1 - 22 , the thickness measuring cartridge 1650 includes a body portion 1652 that is mounted within the carrier 216 and retained therein by snap features 6154 ( fig2 ) or other appropriate fastener arrangements . as can be seen in fig2 , for example , the cartridge body 1652 may be fabricated from two body segments 1652 a , 1652 b that may be fastened together by adhesive or other appropriate fasteners . as can be further seen in fig2 , the cartridge body 1652 operably supports a movable tissue measuring platform 1660 . tissue platform 1660 may be configured as shown in fig2 and 23 and have a proximal end portion 1662 that is coupled to the cartridge body portion 1652 by a hinge pin 1664 . a platform spring 1666 may be journaled on the hinge pin 1664 to bias the tissue platform 1660 in a direction toward the anvil assembly 20 ( represented by arrow “ u ” in fig1 and 19 ). the hinge pin 1664 may be mounted within corresponding holes 1653 in the body segments 1652 a , 1652 b . see fig2 . as can also be seen in fig2 and 26 - 30 , the distal end 1668 of the tissue plate 1660 has a downwardly protruding gear rack segment 1669 thereon that is adapted to drivingly interface with a gear assembly 1670 . as can be seen in fig2 and 23 , gear assembly 1670 may include a first rack gear 1672 that is keyed onto a first gear shaft 1680 that is rotatably supported in holes 1682 in the body segments 1652 a , 1652 . a second step gear 1674 may also be keyed onto the first gear shaft 1680 . the gear assembly 1670 may further include a third transfer gear 1676 that is keyed onto a second gear shaft 1690 that is rotatably supported in holes 1692 in the body segments 1652 a , 1652 b and in meshing engagement with the second step gear 1674 . a fourth output gear 1678 is also keyed onto the second gear shaft 1690 and is in meshing engagement with a gear rack portion 1702 of an indicator member or base 1700 that is slidably supported in the carrier 216 . thus , as can be appreciated from reference to fig2 , as the tissue platform 1660 is depressed downward ( arrow “ dw ”), the gear rack segment 1669 protruding therefrom causes the first rack gear 1672 to rotate counterclockwise “ ccw ” in fig2 which also causes the second step gear 1674 to also rotate in the counterclockwise direction . the second step gear 1674 is in meshing engagement with the third transfer gear 1676 and is caused to rotate in the clockwise “ cw ” direction in fig2 . as the third transfer gear 1676 rotates clockwise , so does the output gear 1678 . as the output gear 1678 rotates clockwise (“ cw ”), it drives the indicator base 1700 in the distal direction “ dd ” by virtue of its meshing engagement with the indicator rack 1702 . in various embodiments , for example , a gear ratio of approximately 30 to 1 may be employed such that 60 mm of linear firing motion is accomplished in approximately 3 seconds . however , other gear ratios could conceivably be employed . as can be most particularly seen in fig2 , the indicator base 1700 may be bifurcated into two lateral indicator leg portions 1710 that each terminate in an upstanding indicator plate 1712 . each indicator plate 1712 may have a series of thickness identifiers or indicators thereon . in particular , each indicator plate 1712 , may have a first thickness identifier 1720 that corresponds to a first tissue thickness range “ t 1 ”. for example , the first tissue thickness range “ t 1 ” may represent tissue having a thickness of about 75 mm to about 1 . 0 mm which would require a formed staple size of 0 . 75 mm . each indicator plate 1712 may further have a second thickness identifier 1722 that corresponds to a second tissue thickness range “ t 2 ”. for example , the second tissue thickness range “ t 2 ” may be for tissue having a thickness of about 1 . 0 mm to about 1 . 5 mm which would require a formed staple size of , for example , 11 . 0 mm . each indicator plate 1712 may further have a third tissue thickness identifier 1724 that corresponds to a third tissue thickness range “ t 3 ” that corresponds to a third particular size of tissue . for example , the third thickness range “ t 3 ” may be for tissue having a thickness of about 1 . 5 mm to 2 . 0 mm which would require a formed staple size of , for example , 1 . 5mm . each indicator plate 1712 may further have a fourth tissue thickness identifier 1726 that corresponds to a fourth tissue thickness range “ t 4 ” that corresponds to a fourth particular size of tissue . for example , the fourth tissue thickness range “ t 4 ” may be for tissue having a thickness of about 2 . 0 mm which would require a formed staple size of , for example , 2 . 0 mm . the tissue identifiers 1720 , 1722 , 1724 , 1726 may comprise , for example , numbers , letters , colors , etc . that are each understood to correspond to a particular tissue thickness range . in various embodiments , a proximal tissue stop 1721 may be provided on the cartridge 1652 to provide an abutment wall to position the tissue between the cartridge 1652 and the anvil assembly 20 . see fig1 , 22 , and 24 . also in various embodiments , tissue grip members 1723 may be provided on the cartridge 1652 as shown in fig2 to assist with the gripping and positioning of tissue between the cartridge 1652 and the anvil assembly 20 . as can be seen in fig2 , a view window 1730 may be provided in each lateral side portion of the housing 1610 to coincide with the tissue identifiers 1720 , 1722 , 1724 , 1726 as will be discussed in further detail below . fig1 and 19 illustrate the positions of the indicator plates 1712 when no tissue has been clamped between the anvil assembly 20 and the tissue platform 1660 . as can be seen in those figures , none of the thickness indicators 1720 , 1722 , 1724 , 1726 can be observed through the viewing windows 1730 . fig2 and 27 illustrate the positions of the indicator plates 1712 when tissue having a tissue thickness range t 1 is clamped between the anvil assembly 20 and the tissue platform 1660 . as can be see in those figures , the first tissue indicator 1720 is viewable through the corresponding window 1730 . fig2 illustrates the positions of the indicator plates 1712 when tissue having a tissue thickness range t 2 is clamped between the anvil assembly 20 and the tissue platform 1660 . as can be see in that figure , the second tissue indicator 1722 is viewable through the corresponding window 1730 . fig2 illustrates the positions of the indicator plates 1712 when tissue having a tissue thickness range t 3 is clamped between the anvil assembly 20 and the tissue platform 1660 . as can be see in that figure , the third tissue indicator 1724 is viewable through the corresponding window 1730 . fig3 illustrates the positions of the indicator plates 1712 when tissue having a tissue thickness range t 4 is clamped between the anvil assembly 20 and the tissue platform 1660 . as can be see in that figure , the fourth tissue indicator 1726 is viewable through the corresponding window 1730 . thus , by operably attaching the surgical tool 1600 to the surgical instrument 10 and clamping a portion of target tissue to be stapled between the tissue platform 1660 and anvil assembly 20 ( by activating the movable handle portion 24 toward the stationary handle portion 22 ), the clinician can ascertain the approximate thickness of the tissue to be stapled and then select a disposable stapling unit of for example , the type disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 865 , 361 with the appropriate sized staples . the clinician then simply detaches the surgical tool 1600 from the surgical instrument 10 and then operably attaches the selected disposable stapling unit to the surgical instrument 10 and operates it as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 865 , 361 . fig3 - 35 illustrate another surgical tool embodiment 1800 that comprises a clip applier for use with a surgical instrument 10 to apply at least one surgical clip 1801 to a human body . various embodiments of the surgical tool 1800 may employ various components of the clip appliers disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 951 , 574 , the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference . the use of surgical clips 1801 to ligate structures within the body such as vessels , ducts , and tissue is well known in the surgical art . various embodiments of the surgical tool 1800 may have a distal pair of opposed moveable jaws 1820 for receiving clips 1801 serially therein when the jaws 1820 are open and forming the clip 1801 received serially therein when the jaws 1820 are closed . see fig3 . the jaws 1820 may be connected to a distal end of a generally rectangular shaft 1830 that protrudes from a housing assembly 1840 . the shaft 1830 may have a structural “ u ” shaped outer wrap 1832 , a transparent upper shroud 1834 , and a clip magazine containing a plurality of clips ( not shown ) located therein . the housing assembly 1840 may include a base portion 1842 that has a cover 1844 attached thereto . see fig3 . the base portion 1842 has a proximal end 1846 that is configured for operable attachment to the elongated body 14 and the control rod 52 of the surgical instrument 10 . the proximal end portion 1846 has a hollow connector portion 1848 that includes engagement nubs 254 for releasably engaging elongated body 14 of the surgical instrument 10 . the instrument 1800 may further include a firing rod connector 1850 that has a porthole 1852 therein for receiving the distal end 276 of the control rod 52 . see fig3 . the firing rod connector 1850 is coupled to a forming plate 1860 that may be otherwise similar in construction to the forming mechanism 85 disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 951 , 574 , except for the differences discussed herein . as can be seen in fig3 - 33 and 35 , the forming plate 1860 may have a forming rack 1862 thereon for meshing engagement with a gear assembly 1870 . the gear assembly 1870 may be rotatably supported on a gear post 1872 that protrudes from the base portion 1842 and extends through an elongated slot 1864 in the forming plate 1860 . the gear assembly 1870 may have a forming gear portion 1874 that is in meshing engagement with the forming rack 1862 . the gear assembly 1870 may also comprise a feed gear 1876 that is attached to the forming gear 1874 . the feed gear 1876 is in meshing engagement with a feed rack 1882 formed on a feed plate 1880 which performs the same functions as the feed mechanism 100 of u . s . pat . no . 5 , 951 , 574 . in various embodiments , the gear assembly 1870 and gear racks 1862 , 1882 may have a 2 : 1 gear ratio , such that as the forming plate 1860 is driven in a distal direction “ dd ”, the feed plate 1880 is simultaneously driven in the proximal direction “ pd ” only half as far as the forming plate 1860 was driven in the distal direction “ dd ”. the surgical tool 1800 also has a clip pusher 1890 ( fig3 ) that remains generally stationary throughout most of the simultaneous motion . the clip pusher 1890 is releasably coupled to the moving feed plate 1880 as the control rod 52 moves the feed plate 1880 in a proximal direction for the placement of a clip 1801 into the opening jaws 1820 . the clip magazine within the shaft 1830 supplies additional clips 1801 to the feed plate 1880 and clip pusher 1890 for serial placement of the clips 1801 into the jaws 1802 . the surgical tool 1800 is activated by moving the control rod 52 in the distal direction “ dd ” which causes the closure of the jaws 1820 and the formation of each of the clips 1801 received serially therein . moving the control rod 52 in the proximal direction “ pd ” opens the jaws 1820 , releases the fully formed clip 1801 , and feeds an unformed clip 1801 serially into the open jaws 1820 . the surgical tool 1800 is coupled to the elongated body portion 14 and the control rod 52 in the manner described above and is operated by moving the movable handle portion 24 toward and away from the stationary handle portion 22 as was also described above . the person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the surgical tool 1800 is especially adapted for use in open surgical applications thereby expanding the use of the conventional surgical instrument 10 which , in the past , has been limited to use in connection with endoscopic surgical procedures . the tool assemblies of the prior disposable loading units that have been designed for use with the conventional surgical instrument 10 are configured to deploy staples in straight lines . during many surgical techniques , such as the resection of stomach tissue , for example , such a linear deployment is often preferred . during these techniques , the disposable loading unit is typically inserted through a cannula to access the surgical site and , as a result , it is often desirable for the tool assembly thereof to have a linear configuration that can be aligned with an axis of the cannula before the tool assembly is inserted therethrough . however , in some circumstances , those tool assemblies that have such a linear configuration are somewhat difficult to use . more particularly , for example , when the tool assembly must be placed adjacent to or against a cavity wall , such as the thoracic cavity wall , for example , it is often difficult for the surgeon to position a jaw of the tool assembly behind delicate or fragile tissue which is proximal to and / or attached to the cavity wall . furthermore , even if the surgeon is successful in positioning a jaw behind the tissue , owing to the linear configuration of the tool assembly , the surgeon may not be able to see the distal end of the tool assembly . in some circumstances , surgical instruments that have a reusable blade and drive system have been developed to employ curved end effectors . examples of such devices are disclosed in commonly owned u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 652 , 170 , filed jan . 11 , 2007 and entitled surgical stapler end effector with a tapered distal end , the disclosure of which has been herein incorporated by reference . fig3 depicts another surgical tool embodiment 1900 of the present invention that may be used in connection with a surgical instrument 10 . as can be seen in that figure , the surgical tool 1900 may include a curved carrier 1916 that has a housing member 1910 attached thereto . the housing 1910 may be attached to the upstanding walls 1917 of the carrier portion by snap features or other suitable means . the housing member 1610 has a proximal end 1912 that is configured for removable attachment to the elongated body 14 of the surgical instrument 10 . in particular , the proximal end 1912 may have engagement nubs 254 formed thereon which serve to form a bayonet - type coupling with the distal end of the elongated body portion 14 of the surgical instrument 10 as was described above . in various embodiments of the present invention , the carrier 1916 and the staple cartridge 1920 supported therein are curved . in various embodiments , for example , the curvature of those components can be configured to substantially match the contour of a typical thoracic cavity wall . in these embodiments , the curvature of several thoracic cavity walls can be measured and statistically analyzed to determine the optimum profile of the curved end - effector . this profile can include several arcuate portions and , in addition , several linear portions . in other embodiments , the curvature of the thoracic cavity wall can be approximated by a single radius of curvature . such embodiments can be simpler and less expensive to manufacture . in at least one embodiment , this radius of curvature is 1 . 2 ″. in other various embodiments , the curvature of the carrier 1916 and staple cartridge 1920 can be configured to match the profile of the lower rectum , pelvis , or lower abdomen . fig3 illustrates , for example , an alternative surgical instrument 1900 ′ that employs a carrier 1916 ′ that has a curvature that differs from the curvature of carrier 1916 . other curvatures disclosed in the aforementioned u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 652 , 170 may also be employed . in various embodiments of the present invention , the staple cartridge 1920 includes a curved slot 1922 for controlling the movement of axial drive assembly 1966 along a curved path . this curved slot 1922 can include several arcuate portions and several linear portions . in various embodiments , the curved slot 1922 can be defined by one radius of curvature . the anvil assembly 1930 which may otherwise be similar to the anvil assemblies described above , may have a curved portion ( omitted for clarity in fig3 and 37 ) that substantially matches the curvature of the carrier 1916 and the staple cartridge 1920 . in the embodiments illustrated in fig3 and 37 , the staple cartridge 1920 has a curved slot 1922 . the carrier 1916 and the anvil assembly may each have an identical slot ( not shown ) therein that , in connection with the slot 1922 are configured to receive a corresponding portion of a drive beam 1966 therein . the distal end of the drive member 1966 may be configured in the above described manner with respect to drive beam 266 to facilitate its driving activation by movement of the control rod 52 as described above . the proximal end of the drive beam 1966 containing the blade ( not shown ) may be configured such that , as the drive beam 1966 is driven in the distal direction “ dd ” by movement of the movable handle 24 of the surgical instrument 10 , the drive beam 1966 tracks the curved path defined by the slot 1922 . fig3 and 39 depict a surgical tool embodiment 2000 of the present invention that may be coupled to the surgical instrument 10 and used to cauterize tissue in an open surgical setting . as can be seen in those figures , the surgical tool 2000 may include a housing 2010 that has a proximal end 2011 that is configured for removable attachment to the elongated body 14 of the surgical instrument 10 . in particular , the proximal end 2011 may have engagement nubs 254 formed thereon which serve to form a bayonet - type coupling with the distal end of the elongated body portion 14 of the surgical instrument 10 as was described above . the housing 2010 may further include a switch portion 2013 that movably houses a battery 2030 therein . the movable battery 2030 may be of the type and construction disclosed in commonly owned u . s . patent application entitled disposable motor driven loading unit for use with a surgical cutting and stapling apparatus to mark h . ransick et al ., docket no . end6213usnp / 070330 , that was filed on even date herewith and which is herein incorporated by reference . more specifically and with reference to fig3 , the switch portion 2013 of the housing 2010 defines a battery cavity 2032 that movably supports a battery holder 2034 that houses the battery 2030 therein . as can be seen in fig3 , a first battery contact 2036 is supported in electrical contact with the battery 2030 and protrudes out through the battery holder 2034 for sliding engagement with the inside wall 2033 of the battery cavity 2032 . similarly , a second battery contact 2038 is mounted in electrical contact with the battery 2030 and also protrudes out of the battery holder 2034 to slide along the inside wall 2033 of the battery cavity 2032 . the battery holder 2034 has a control rod socket 2035 therein configured to receive the distal end 276 of control rod 52 when the proximal end 2011 of the surgical tool 2000 is coupled to the elongated body 14 of surgical stapling apparatus 10 . as can also be seen in fig3 , a pair of contacts 2026 , 2028 may be oriented within the wall 2033 for contact with the battery contacts 2036 , 2038 , respectively . the purpose of the contacts 2026 , 2028 will be discussed in further detail below . as can also be seen in fig3 , a biasing member or switch spring 2040 is positioned within the battery cavity 2032 to bias the battery holder 2034 in the proximal direction “ pd ” such that when the surgical tool 2000 is not attached to the elongated body 14 , the battery holder 2034 is biased to its proximal - most position shown in fig3 . when retained in that “ pre - use ” or “ disconnected ” position by spring 2040 , the battery contacts 2036 and 2038 do not contact their respective contacts 2026 , 2028 within the battery cavity 2032 to prevent the battery 2030 from being drained during non - use . as can be seen in fig3 , the surgical tool 2000 may further include a non - staple applying end effector in the form of a ball - shaped end member 2050 that may be pivotally pinned to a yoke 2052 that is coupled to the distal end of the housing 2010 . in various embodiments , the end effector 2050 may be fabricated from a conductive material such as stainless steel , titanium , etc . and have at least one electrically powered member 2060 therein . in the embodiment depicted in fig3 , the electrically powered member 2060 may comprise a heating element . those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the end - effector 2050 may be provided in a myriad of other shapes and configurations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . as can be further seen in fig3 , the heating element 2060 may be electrically coupled to contacts 2026 , 2028 by leads 2022 , 2024 , respectively . thus , when the surgical tool 2000 is unattached to the elongated body 14 of the surgical instrument 10 , the battery 2030 will be biased into an unactuated position ( fig3 ) and therefore not be drained . in addition , attachment of the surgical tool 2000 to the elongated body 14 ( and attachment of the control rod 52 to the battery holder socket 2035 will not result in the operation or draining of the battery 2030 . to use the tool 2000 , the clinician simply moves the movable handle 24 toward the stationary portion 22 of the handle assembly ( fig1 ) to drive the battery contacts 2036 , 2038 into contact with contacts 2026 , 2028 , respectively which then powers the heating element 2060 in the end effector 2050 . a light or other indicator 2070 may be supported by the housing 2010 and powered by the battery 2030 to provide the clinician with an indication that the heating element 2060 is being powered . fig4 illustrates another surgical tool embodiment 2000 ′ that is substantially similar to the surgical tool 2000 described above . however , in this embodiment , the surgical tool 2000 ′ does not have a battery therein . the surgical tool 2000 ′ is constructed for use with a surgical instrument 10 ′ that has a battery 2030 ′ that is operated by a switch 2090 that is mounted in the handle assembly 12 ′. the switch 2090 communicates with a contact assembly 2092 that is located in the distal end of the elongated body 14 . the contact assembly 2092 is oriented to contact a contact 2094 mounted on the proximal end of the housing portion of tool 2000 ′ when the tool 2000 ′ is coupled to the elongated body 14 . to activate the heating element 2060 in the end effector 2050 , the clinician activates the button 2090 on the handle assembly 12 ′. a light 2070 ′ may also be mounted on the handle assembly 12 ′ to provide an indication of when the tool 2000 ′ is being powered . fig4 and 42 illustrate alternative housing embodiments 2200 and 2200 ′ that may be used in place of the various housing arrangements described above when flexible drive assemblies are employed . in particular , these housings 2200 , 2200 ′ may at least be employed in connection with the various embodiments depicted in fig2 - 30 and 36 - 40 when drive assemblies that are capable of flexing or at least have portions that are capable of flexing are employed . the housing 2200 depicted in fig4 may be configured as shown with a proximal end portion 2202 that is configured to receive the distal end of the control rod 52 therein and that has nubs 254 thereon to facilitate attachment to the elongated body 14 as was described above . in this embodiment , however , housing 2200 has a passive articulation joint member 2300 formed therein that facilitates passive articulation about the longitudinal axis l - l of the housing 2200 as shown . the passive articulation joint member 2300 may comprise a flexible conduit section 2302 that has interlocking ribs 2304 that are constructed to retain the passively articulated joint 2300 in an articulated orientation . fig4 illustrates another articulatable housing 2200 ′ that has another passive articulation joint member 2300 ′ that is coupled to a proximal housing portion 2400 by , for example , a proximal body collar 2310 . the flexible articulation member 2300 ′ has a body portion 2301 and include a plurality of kerfs 2302 separated by ribs 2304 . in various embodiments , the kerfs 2303 and ribs 2304 may be equally spaced along the flexible articulation member 2300 ′ thereby promoting a continuous bend radius when the flexible articulation member is articulated . a flexible articulation member 2300 ′ having multiple bend radii may be achieved by providing unequal spacing between the kerfs 2303 and the ribs 2304 . for example , such arrangement may be achieved by spacing the ribs 2304 more closely at one end and farther apart at the other end . as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art , increasing the spacing of the kerfs 2303 and / or the ribs 2304 reduces the bend radius of the section having increased spacing , more closely approximating a pivot point bend connection . conversely spacing the kerfs 2303 and / or ribs 2304 more closely results in a more gradual bend , having a larger bend radius . in the embodiment illustrated in fig4 , the kerfs 2302 comprise annular grooves that extend at least partially around the perimeter of the flexible articulation member 2300 ′. the kerfs 2302 preferably , however , comprise semi - annular grooves which are separated by a central longitudinal spine 2306 passing down the longitudinal axis l - l of the flexible articulation member 2300 ′ such that a first plurality of ribs are formed on one lateral side of the spine 2306 and a second plurality of ribs 2304 are formed on another lateral side of the spine 2306 . this spine 2306 assists in providing stiffening to the flexible articulation member 2300 ′ and accommodates a slot ( not shown ) for receiving a drive assembly therethrough . the longitudinal spine 2306 may run the entire longitudinal length of the flexible articulation member 2300 ′. the flexible articulation member 2300 ′ may also include a pair of side slot ( not shown ) passing through each rib 2304 on each lateral side for receiving a corresponding articulation plate ( not shown ) as discussed in commonly owned u . s . patent application ser . no . 12 / 031 , 001 , entitled articulatable loading units for surgical stapling and cutting instrument to frederick e . shelton , iv et al ., filed on even date herewith , the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference . as discussed therein , such articulation plates may be fabricated from a material that is relatively inelastic . that is , the plates may be fabricated from a material that retains its position after bending . articulation plates may , for example , be fabricated from materials such as lead , copper , etc . those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that at least a flexible or otherwise articulatable portion of a drive assembly supported within either of the housings 2300 , 2300 ′ is positioned to correspond with the flexible articulation member 2300 , 2300 ′ to facilitate articulation of the surgical tool without adversely affecting the operation of the drive assembly extending therethrough . thus , as will be appreciated by the foregoing , the various surgical tool embodiments of the present invention are especially suited for use with surgical instruments that were specifically designed for use in connection with disposable cutting and stapling units that have their dedicated cutting blade and are constructed to be disposed of after a single use . while such instruments may be commonly used in connection with multiple disposable cutting and stapling units , a clinician would have to have on hand several other dedicated instruments to perform other procedures during an operation . the interchangeable tool system of the present invention solves that problem . thus , various embodiments of the present invention may comprise a surgical tool system that may include the surgical instrument 10 and at least two of the various surgical tools disclosed herein . for example , the surgical tools may comprise a manipulator 1000 , nippers 1200 , scissors 1300 , a disposable endocutter 16 , a tissue thickness measurement device 1600 , staple appliers 1400 , clip appliers 1800 , cauterization devices 2000 and specimen retrieval devices 1100 . while several embodiments of the invention have been described , it should be apparent , however , that various modifications , alterations and adaptations to those embodiments may occur to persons skilled in the art with the attainment of some or all of the advantages of the invention . for example , according to various embodiments , a single component may be replaced by multiple components , and multiple components may be replaced by a single component , to perform a given function or functions . this application is therefore intended to cover all such modifications , alterations and adaptations without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosed invention as defined by the appended claims . any patent , publication , or other disclosure material , in whole or in part , that is said to be incorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to the extent that the incorporated materials does not conflict with existing definitions , statements , or other disclosure material set forth in this disclosure . as such , and to the extent necessary , the disclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting material incorporated herein by reference . any material , or portion thereof , that is said to be incorporated by reference herein , but which conflicts with existing definitions , statements , or other disclosure material set forth herein will only be incorporated to the extent that no conflict arises between that incorporated material and the existing disclosure material . the invention which is intended to be protected is not to be construed as limited to the particular embodiments disclosed . the embodiments are therefore to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive . variations and changes may be made by others without departing from the spirit of the present invention . accordingly , it is expressly intended that all such equivalents , variations and changes which fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the claims be embraced thereby .	0
salts encompassed within the term “ pharmaceutically acceptable salts ” refer to non - toxic salts of the compounds of this invention which are generally prepared by reacting the free base with a suitable organic or inorganic acid or by reacting the acid with a suitable organic or inorganic base . representative salts include the following salts : acetate , benzenesulfonate , benzoate , bicarbonate , bisulfate , bitartrate , borate , bromide , calcium edetate , camsylate , carbonate , chloride , clavulanate , citrate , diethanolamine , dihydrochioride , edetate , edisylate , estolate , esylate , fumarate , gluceptate , gluconate , glutamate , glycollylarsanilate , hexylresorcinate , hydrabamine , hydrobromide , hydrocloride , hydroxynaphthoate , iodide , isethionate , lactate , lactobionate , laurate , malate , maleate , mandelate , mesylate , metaphosphoric , methylbromide , methyinitrate , methylsulfate , monopotassium maleate , mucate , napsylate , nitrate , n - methylglucamine , oxalate , pamoate ( embonate ), palmitate , pantothenate , phosphate / diphosphate , polygalacturonate , potassium , salicylate , sodium , stearate , subacetate , succinate , tannate , tartrate , teoclate , tosylate , trifluoroacetate , triethiodide , trimethylammonium and valerate . other salts which are not pharmaceutically acceptable may be useful in the preparation of compounds of formula ( i ) and these form a further aspect of the invention . also included within the scope of the invention are the individual isomers of the compounds represented by formula ( i ) above as well as any wholly or partially equilibrated mixtures thereof . the present invention also covers the individual isomers of the compounds represented by formula above as mixtures with isomers thereof in which one or more chiral asymmetric centers are inverted . as used herein , the term “ aliphatic ” refers to the terms alkyl , alkylene , alkenyl , alkenylene , alkynyl , and alkynylene . as used herein , the term “ lower ” refers to a group having between one and six carbons . as used herein , the term “ alkyl ” refers to a straight or branched chain hydrocarbon having from one to twelve carbon atoms , optionally substituted with substituents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkylsulfanyl , lower alkylsulfenyl , lower alkylsulfonyl , oxo , hydroxy , mercapto , amino optionally substituted by alkyl , carboxy , carbamoyl optionally substituted by alkyl , aminosulfonyl optionally substituted by alkyl , nitro , cyano , halogen , or lower perfluoroalkyl , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . examples of “ alkyl ” as used herein include , but are not limited to , n - butyl , n - pentyl , isobutyl , and isopropyl , and the like . as used herein , the term “ alkylene ” refers to a straight or branched chain divalent hydrocarbon radical having from one to ten carbon atoms , optionally substituted with substituents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkylsulfanyl , lower alkylsulfenyl , lower alkylsulfonyl , oxo , hydroxy , mercapto , amino optionally substituted by alkyl , carboxy , carbamoyl optionally substituted by alkyl , aminosulfonyl optionally substituted by alkyl , nitro , cyano , halogen , or lower perfluoroalkyl , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . examples of “ alkylene ” as used herein include , but are not limited to , methylene , ethylene , and the like . as used herein , the term “ alkenyl ” refers to a hydrocarbon radical having from two to ten carbons and at least one carbon - carbon double bond , optionally substituted with substituents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkylsulfanyl , lower alkylsulfenyl , lower alkylsulfonyl , oxo , hydroxy , mercapto , amino optionally substituted by alkyl , carboxy , carbamoyl optionally substituted by alkyl , aminosulfonyl optionally substituted by alkyl , nitro , cyano , halogen , or lower perfluoroalkyl , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . as used herein , the term “ alkenylene ” refers to an straight or branched chain divalent hydrocarbon radical having from two to ten carbon atoms and one or more carbon - carbon double bonds , optionally substituted with substituents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkylsulfanyl , lower alkylsulfenyl , lower alkylsulfonyl , oxo , hydroxy , mercapto , amino optionally substituted by alkyl , carboxy , carbamoyl optionally substituted by alkyl , aminosulfonyl optionally substituted by alkyl , nitro , cyano , halogen , or lower perfluoroalkyl , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . examples of “ alkenylene ” as used herein include , but are not limited to , ethene - 1 , 2 - diyl , propene - 1 , 3 - diyl , methylene - 1 , 1 - diyl , and the like . as used herein , the term “ alkynyl ” refers to a hydrocarbon radical having from two to ten carbons and at least one carbon - carbon triple bond , optionally substituted with substituents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkylsulfanyl , lower alkylsulfenyl , lower alkylsulfonyl , oxo , hydroxy , mercapto , amino optionally substituted by alkyl , carboxy , carbamoyl optionally substituted by alkyl , aminosulfonyl optionally substituted by alkyl , nitro , cyano , halogen , or lower perfluoroalkyl , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . as used herein , the term “ alkynylene ” refers to a straight or branched chain divalent hydrocarbon radical having from two to ten carbon atoms and one or more carbon - carbon triple bonds , optionally substituted with substituents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkylsulfanyl , lower alkylsulfenyl , lower alkylsulfonyl , oxo , hydroxy , mercapto , amino optionally substituted by alkyl , carboxy , carbamoyl optionally substituted by alkyl , aminosulfonyl optionally substituted by alkyl , nitro , cyano , halogen , or lower perfluoroalkyl , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . examples of “ alkynylene ” as used herein include , but are not limited to , ethyne - 1 , 2 - diyl , propyne - 1 , 3 - diyl , and the like . as used herein , the term “ cycloaliphatic ” refers to the terms cycloalkyl , cycloalkylene , cycloalkenyl , cycloalkenylene , cycloalkynyl and cycloalkylnylene . as used herein , “ cycloalkyl ” refers to a alicyclic hydrocarbon group with one or more degrees of unsaturation , having from three to twelve carton atoms , optionally substituted with substituents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkylsulfanyl , lower alkylsulfenyl , lower alkylsulfonyl , oxo , hydroxy , mercapto , amino optionally substituted by alkyl , carboxy , carbamoyl optionally substituted by alkyl , aminosulfonyl optionally substituted by alkyl , nitro , cyano , halogen , or lower perfluoroalkyl , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . “ cycloalkyl ” includes by way of example cyclopropyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl , cyclohexyl , cycloheptyl , or cyclooctyl , and the like . as used herein , the term “ cycloalkylene ” refers to an non - aromatic alicyclic divalent hydrocarbon radical having from three to twelve carbon atoms , optionally substituted with substituents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkylsulfanyl , lower alkylsulfenyl , lower alkylsulfonyl , oxo , hydroxy , mercapto , amino optionally substituted by alkyl , carboxy , carbamoyl optionally substituted by alkyl , aminosulfonyl optionally substituted by alkyl , nitro , cyano , halogen , or lower perfluoroalkyl , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . examples of “ cycloalkylene ” as used herein include , but are not limited to , cyclopropyl - 1 , 1 - diyl , cyclopropyl - 1 , 2 - diyl , cyclobutyl - 1 , 2 - diyl , cyclopentyl - 1 , 3 - diyl , cyclohexyl - 1 , 4 - diyl , cycloheptyl - 1 , 4 - diyl , or cyclooctyl - 1 , 5 - diyl , and the like . as used herein , the term “ cycloalkenyl ” refers to a substituted alicyclic hydrocarbon radical having from three to twelve carbon atoms and at least one carbon - carbon double bond in the ring system , optionally substituted with substituents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkylsulfanyl , lower alkylsulfenyl , lower alkylsulfonyl , oxo , hydroxy , mercapto , amino optionally substituted by alkyl , carboxy , carbamoyl optionally substituted by alkyl , aminosulfonyl optionally substituted by alkyl , nitro , cyano , halogen , or lower perfluoroalkyl , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . examples of “ cycloalkenylene ” as used herein include , but are not limited to , 1 - cyclopentene - 3 - yl , 1 - cyclohexene - 3 - yl , 1 - cycloheptene - 4 - yl , and the like . as used herein , the term “ cycloalkenylene ” refers to a substituted alicyclic divalent hydrocarbon radical having from three to twelve carbon atoms and at least one carbon - carbon double bond in the ring system , optionally substituted with substituents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkylsulfanyl , lower alkylsulfenyl , lower alkylsulfonyl , oxo , hydroxy , mercapto , amino optionally substituted by alkyl , carboxy , carbamoyl optionally substituted by alkyl , aminosulfonyl optionally substituted by alkyl , nitro , cyano , halogen , or lower perfluoroalkyl , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . examples of “ cycloalkenylene ” as used herein include , but are not limited to , 4 , 5 - cyclopentene - 1 , 3 - diyl , 3 , 4 - cyclohexene - 1 , 1 - diyl , and the like . as used herein , the term “ heteroatom ring system ” refers to the terms heterocyclic , heterocyclyl , heteroaryl , and heteroarylene . non - limiting examples of such heteroatom ring systems are recited in the summary of the invention , above . as used herein , the term “ heterocyclic ” or the term “ heterocyclyl ” refers to a three to twelve - membered heterocyclic ring having one or more degrees of unsaturation containing one or more heteroatomic substitutions selected from s , so , so 2 , o , or n , optionally substituted with substituents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkylsulfanyl , lower alkylsulfenyl , lower alkylsulfonyl , oxo , hydroxy , mercapto , amino optionally substituted by alkyl , carboxy , carbamoyl optionally substituted by alkyl , aminosulfonyl optionally substituted by alkyl , nitro , cyano , halogen , or lower perfluoroalkyl , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . such a ring may be optionally fused to one or more of another “ heterocyclic ” ring ( s ) or cycloalkyl ring ( s ). examples of “ heterocyclic ” include , but are not limited to , tetrahydrofuran , pyran , 1 , 4 - dioxane , 1 , 3 - dioxane , piperidine , pyrrolidine , morpholine , tetrahydrothiopyran , tetrahydrothiophene , and the like . as used herein , the term “ heterocyclylene ” refers to a three to twelve - membered heterocyclic ring diradical having one or more degrees of unsaturation containing one or more heteroatoms selected from s , so , so 2 , o , or n , optionally substituted with substituents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkylsulfanyl , lower alkylsulfenyl , lower alkylsulfonyl , oxo , hydroxy , mercapto , amino optionally substituted by alkyl , carboxy , carbamoyl optionally substituted by alkyl , aminosulfonyl optionally substituted by alkyl , nitro , cyano , halogen , or lower perfluoroalkyl , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . such a ring may be optionally fused to one or more benzene rings or to one or more of another “ heterocyclic ” rings or cycloalkyl rings . examples of “ heterocyclylene ” include , but are not limited to , tetrahydrofuran - 2 , 5 - diyl , morpholine - 2 , 3 - diyl , pyran - 2 , 4 - diyl , 1 , 4 - dioxane - 2 , 3 - diyl , 1 , 3 - dioxane - 2 , 4 - diyl , piperidine - 2 , 4 - diyl , piperidine - 1 , 4 - diyl , pyrrolidine - 1 , 3 - diyl , morpholine - 2 , 4 - diyl , and the like . as used herein , the term “ aryl ” refers to a benzene ring or to an optionally substituted benzene ring system fused to one or more optionally substituted benzene rings to form anthracene , phenanthrene , or napthalene ring systems , optionally substituted with substiuents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkylsulfanyl , lower alkylsulfenyl , lower alkylsulfonyl , oxo , hydroxy , mercapto , amino optionally substituted by alkyl , carboxy , tetrazolyl , carbamoyl optionally substituted by alkyl , aminosulfonyl optionally substituted by alkyl , acyl , aroyl , heteroaroyl , acyloxy , aroyloxy , heteroaroyloxy , alkoxycarbonyl , nitro , cyano , halogen , lower perfluoroalkyl , heteroaryl , or aryl , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . examples of aryl include , but are not limited to , phenyl , 2 - naphthyl , 1 - naphthyl , biphenyl , and the like . as used herein , the term “ arylene ” refers to a benzene ring diradical or to a benzene ring system diradical fused to one or more optionally substituted benzene rings , optionally substituted with substituents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkylsulfanyl , lower alkylsulfenyl , lower alkylsulfonyl , oxo , hydroxy , mercapto , amino optionally substituted by alkyl , carboxy , tetrazolyl , carbamoyl optionally substituted by alkyl , aminosulfonyl optionally substituted by alkyl , acyl , aroyl , heteroaroyl , acyloxy , aroyloxy , heteroaroyloxy , alkoxycarbonyl , nitro , cyano , halogen , lower perfluoroalkyl , heteroaryl , or aryl , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . examples of “ arylene ” include , but are not limited to , benzene - 1 , 4 - diyl , naphthalene - 1 , 8 - diyl , anthracene - 1 , 4 - diyl , and the like . as used herein , the term “ heteroaryl ” refers to a five - to seven - membered aromatic ring , or to a polycyclic heterocyclic aromatic ring , containing one or more nitrogen , oxygen , or sulfur heteroatoms at any position , where n - oxides and sulfur monoxides and sulfur dioxides are permissible heteroaromatic substitutions , optionally substituted with substituents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkylsulfanyl , lower alkylsulfenyl , lower alkylsulfonyl , oxo , hydroxy , mercapto , amino optionally substituted by alkyl , carboxy , tetrazolyl , carbamoyl optionally substituted by alkyl , aminosulfonyl optionally substituted by alkyl , acyl , aroyl , heteroaroyl , acyloxy , aroyloxy , heteroaroyloxy , alkoxycarbonyl , nitro , cyano , halogen , lower perfluoroalkyl , heteroaryl , or aryl , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . for polycyclic aromatic ring systems , one or more of the rings may contain one or more heteroatoms . examples of “ heteroaryl ” used herein are furan , thiophene , pyrrole , imidazole , pyrazole , triazole , tetrazole , thiazole , oxazole , isoxazole , oxadiazole , thiadiazole , isothiazole , pyridine , pyridazine , pyrazine , pyrimidine , quinoline , isoquinoline , benzofuran , benzothiophene , indole , and indazole , and the like . as used herein , the term “ heteroaryiene ” refers to a five - to seven - membered aromatic ring diradical , or to a polycyclic heterocyclic aromatic ring diradical , containing one or more nitrogen , oxygen , or sulfur heteroatoms , where n - oxides and sulfur monoxides and sulfur dioxides are permissible heteroaromatic substitutions , optionally substituted with substituents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkylsulfanyl , lower alkylsulfenyl , lower alkylsulfonyl , oxo , hydroxy , mercapto , amino optionally substituted by alkyl , carboxy , tetrazolyl , carbamoyl optionally substituted by alkyl , aminosulfonyl optionally substituted by alkyl , acyl , aroyl , heteroaroyl , acyloxy , aroyloxy , heteroaroyloxy , alkoxycarbonyl , nitro , cyano , halogen , lower perfluoroalkyl , heteroaryl , or aryl , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . for polycyclic aromatic ring system diradicals , one or more of the rings may contain one or more heteroatoms . examples of “ heteroarylene ” used herein are furan - 2 , 5 - diyl , thiophene - 2 , 4 - diyl , 1 , 3 , 4 - oxadiazole - 2 , 5diyl , 1 , 3 , 4 - thiadiazole - 2 , 5 - diyl , 1 , 3 - thiazole - 2 , 4 - diyl , 1 , 3 - thiazole - 2 , 5 - diyl , pyridine - 2 , 4 - diyl , pyridine - 2 , 3 - diyl , pyridine - 2 , 5 - diyl , pyrimidine - 2 , 4 - diyl , quinoline - 2 , 3diyl , and the like . as used herein , the term “ alkoxy ” refers to the group r a o —, where r a is aliphatic . as used herein , the term “ alkylsulfanyl ” refers to the group r a s —, where r a is aliphatic . as used herein , the term “ alkylsulfenyl ” refers to the group r a s ( o )—, where r a is aliphatic . as used herein , the term “ alkylsulfonyl ” refers to the group r a so 2 —, where r a is aliphatic . as used herein , the term “ acyl ” refers to the group r a c ( o )—, where r a is aliphatic , cycloaliphatic , or heterocyclyl . as used herein , the term “ aroyl ” refers to the group r a c ( o )—, where r a is aryl . as used herein , the term “ heteroaroyl ” refers to the group r a c ( o )—, where r a is heteroaryl . as used herein , the term “ alkoxycarbonyl ” refers to the group r a oc ( o )—, where r a is aliphatic . as used herein , the term “ acyloxy ” refers to the group r a c ( o ) o —, where r a is aliphatic , cycloaliphatic , or heterocydyl . as used herein , the term “ aroyloxy ” refers to the group r a c ( o ) o —, where r a is aryl . as used herein , the term “ heteroaroyloxy ” refers to the group r a c ( o ) o —, where r a is heteroaryl . as used herein , the term “ optionally ” means that the subsequently described event ( s ) may or may not occur , and includes both conditions . as used herein , the term “ substituted ” refers to substitution with the named substituent or substituents , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . as used herein , the terms “ contain ” or “ containing ” can refer to in - line substitutions at any position along the above - defined alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl or cycloalkyl substituents with one or more of any of o , s , so , so 2 , n , or n - alkyl , including , for example , — ch 2 — o — ch 2 —, — ch 2 — so 2 — ch 2 —, — ch 2 — nh — ch 3 and so forth . as used herein , the term “ solvate ” is a complex of variable stoichiometry formed by a solute ( in this invention , a compound of formula ( i )) and a solvent . such solvents for the purpose of the invention may not interfere with the biological activity of the solute . solvents may be , by way of example , water , ethanol , or acetic acid . as used herein , the terms “ biohydrolyzable carbonate ”, “ biohydrolyzable ureide ” and “ biohydrolyzable carbamate ” is a carbonate , ureide , or carbamate , respectively of a drug substance ( in this invention , a compound of general formula ( i ) which either a ) does not interfere with the biological activity of the parent substance but confers on that substance advantageous properties in vivo such as duration of action , onset of action , and the like , or b ) is biologically inactive but is readily converted in vivo by the subject to the biologically active principle . the advantage is that , for example , the biohydrolyzable carbamate is orally absorbed from the gut and is transformed to ( i ) in plasma . many examples of such are known in the art and include by way of example lower alkyl carbamates . as used herein , the term “ biohydrolyzable ester ” is an ester of a drug substance ( in this invention , a compound of general formula ( i ) which either a ) does not interfere with the biological activity of the parent substance but confers on that substance advantageous properties in vivo such as duration of action , onset of action , and the like , or b ) is biologically inactive but is readily converted in vivo by the subject to the biologically active principle . the advantage is that , for example , the biohydrolyzable ester is orally absorbed from the gut and is transformed to ( i ) in plasma . many examples of such are known in the art and include by way of example lower alkyl esters , lower acyloxy - alkyl esters , lower alkoxyacyloxyalkyl esters , alkoxyacyloxy esters , alkyl acylamino alkyl esters , and choline esters . as used herein , the term “ biohydrolyzable amide ” is an amide of a drug substance ( in this invention , a compound of general formula ( i ) which either a ) does not interfere with the biological activity of the parent substance but confers on that substance advantageous properties in vivo such as duration of action , onset of action , and the like , or b ) is biologically inactive but is readily converted in vivo by the subject to the biologically active principle . the advantage is that , for example , the biohydrolyzable amide is orally absorbed from the gut and is transformed to ( i ) in plasma . many examples of such are known in the art and include by way of example lower alkyl amides , α - amino acid amides , alkoxyacyl amides , and alkylaminoalkylcarbonyl amides . as used herein , the term “ prodrug ” includes biohydrolyzable amides , biohydrolyzable esters and biohydrolyzable carbamates and also encompasses a ) compounds in which the biohydrolyzable functionality in such a prodrug is encompassed in the compound of formula ( i ): for example , a lactam formed by a carboxylic group in r 1 and an amine in r 2 , and compounds which may be oxidized or reduced biologically at a given functional group to yield drug substances of formula ( i ). examples of these functional groups are , but are not limited to , 1 , 4 - dihydropyridine , n - alkylcarbonyl - 1 , 4dihydropyridine , 1 , 4 - cyclohexadiene , tert - butyl , and the like . as used herein , the term “ affinity reagent ” is a group attached to the compound of formula ( i ) which does not affect its in vitro biological activity , allowing the compound to bind to a target , yet such a group binds strongly to a third component allowing a ) characterization of the target as to localization within a cell or other organism component , perhaps by visualization by fluorescence or radiography , or b ) facile separation of the target from an unknown mixture of targets , whether proteinaceous or not proteinaceous . an example of an affinity reagent according to b ) would be biotin either directly attached to ( i ) or linked with a spacer of one to 50 atoms selected from the group consisting of c , h , o , n , s , or p in any combination . an example of an affinity reagent according to a ) above would be fluorescein , either directly attached to ( i ) or linked with a spacer of one to 50 atoms selected from the group consisting of c , h , o , n , s , or p in any combination . the term “ pharmacologically effective amount ” shall mean that amount of a drug or pharmaceutical agent that will elicit the biological or medical response of a tissue , system , animal or human that is being sought by a researcher or clinician . whenever the terms “ aliphatic ” or “ aryl ” or either of their prefixes appear in a name of a substituent ( e . g . arylalkoxyaryloxy ) they shall be interpreted as including those limitations given above for “ aliphatic ” and “ aryl ”. aliphatic or cycloalkyl substituents shall be recognized as being term equivalents to those having one or more degrees of unsaturation . designated numbers of carbon atoms ( e . g . c 1 - 10 ) shall refer independently to the number of carbon atoms in an aliphatic or cyclic aliphatic moiety or to the aliphatic portion of a larger substituent in which the term “ aliphatic ” appears as a prefix ( e . g . “ al -”). as used herein , the term “ disubstituted amine ” or “ disubstituted amino -” shall be interpreted to include either one or two substitutions on that particular nitrogen atom . as used herein , the term “ oxo ” shall refer to the substituent ═ o . as used herein , the term “ halogen ” or “ halo ” shall include iodine , bromine , chlorine and fluorine . as used herein , the term “ mercapto ” shall refer to the substituent — sh . as used herein , the term “ carboxy ” shall refer to the substituent — cooh . as used herein , the term “ cyano ” shall refer to the substituent — cn . as used herein , the term “ aminosulfonyl ” shall refer to the substituent — so 2 nh 2 as used herein , the term “ carbamoyl ” shall refer to the substituent — c ( o ) nh 2 . as used herein , the tern “ sulfanyl ” shall refer to the substituent — s —. as used herein , the term “ sulfenyl ” shall refer to the substituent — s ( o )—. as used herein , the term “ sulfonyl ” shall refer to the substituent — s ( o ) 2 —. the compounds of formula ( i ) can be prepared readily according to the following reaction general synthesis scheme ( in which all variables are as defined before ) and examples or modifications thereof using readily available starting materials , reagents and conventional synthesis procedures . in these reactions , it is also possible to make use of variants which are themselves known to those of ordinary skill in this art , but are not mentioned in greater detail . the most preferred compounds of the invention are any or all of those specifically set forth in these examples . these compounds are not , however , to be construed as forming the only genus that is considered as the invention , and any combination of the compounds or their moieties may itself form a genus . the following examples further illustrate details for the preparation of the compounds of the present invention . those skilled in the art will readily understand that known variations of the conditions and processes of the following preparative procedures can be used to prepare these compounds . all temperatures are degrees celsius unless noted otherwise . reagents are commercially available or are prepared according to procedures in the literature . the physical data given for the compounds exemplified is consistent with the assigned structure of those compounds . 1 h nmr spectra were obtained on varian unity plus nmr spectrophotometers at 300 or 400 mhz . mass spectra were obtained on micromass platform ii mass spectrometers from micromass ltd . altrincham , uk , using either atmospheric chemical ionization ( apci ) or electrospray ionization ( esi ). analytical thin layer chromatography ( tlc ) was used to verify the purity of some intermediates which could not be isolated or which were too unstable for full characterisation , and to follow the progress of reactions . unless otherwise stated , this was done using silica gel ( merck silica gel 60 f254 ). unless otherwise stated , column chromatography for the purification of some compounds , used merck silica gel 60 ( 230 - 400 mesh ), and the stated solvent system under pressure . to a 1 - l flask was added a magnetic stir bar , 85 g of sodium sulfate , and 100 ml of water . the mixture was magnetically stirred until all the solids were dissolved . to the resultant aqueous solution was added a solution of 6 - aminobenzothiazole ( 4 . 96 g , 33 . 0 mmol ) in 50 ml of 1n aqueous hydrochloric acid and 10 ml of ethanol . the mixture was stirred , and chloral ( 6 . 0 9 , ( 36 mmol ) was added . to the resultant solution was added a solution of hydroxyl amine hydrochloride ( 7 . 50 g , 108 mmol ) in 30 ml of water . the final mixture was heated with stirring to a gentle boil until all solids dissappeared , and heating was continued for an additional 15 min . the flask was removed from the heat , and the solution was poured onto 500 g of ice . the mixture was stirred as the product precipatated from solution . the precipatate was collected by suction filtration , washed thoroughly with water , filtered , and air dried to provide 6 . 9 g ( 94 %) of n - benzothiazol - 6yl - 2 - hydroxyimino - acetamide : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 12 . 2 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 4 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 2 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 5 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 9 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 7 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 7 ( s 1h ); apci − ms m / z 220 ( m − h ) − . to a 1 - l 3 - neck round bottom flask was placed a magnetic stir bar and 100 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid . the flask was fitted with a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the reaction . the sulfuric acid was heated to 100 ° c ., and 10 . 0 g ( 45 . 2 mmol ) of n - benzothiazol - 6 - yl - 2 - hydroxyimino - acetamide was added slowly . the solution was heated for ˜ 1 h , and the reaction mixture was poured into 750 g of ice and water . the residual reaction mixture in the reaction vessel was washed out with an additional 20 ml of cold water . the aqueous slurry was stirred for about 1 h and filtered . the solid was washed thoroughly with water , filtered , and air dried to yield 4 . 3 g ( 46 %) of 6 - h - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 , 8 - dione : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 11 . 1 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 2 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 2 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 0 ( d , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 203 ( m − h ) − . to a stirred solution of 1 . 0 g ( 6 . 0 mmol ) of chloral hydrate in 25 ml of water was added 7 . 0 g ( 22 mmol ) of sodium sulfate decahydrate , followed by a solution of 1 . 18 g ( 17 . 0 mmol ) of hydroxylamine hydrochloride in 10 ml of water . a solution of 1 . 0 g ( 5 . 4 mmol ) of 3 - phenoxyaniline in 10 ml of1 . 0 n hcl was then added with stirring . the resulting suspension was warmed , and 40 ml of 95 % etoh was added to dissolve the suspenion . the solution was refluxed for 0 . 75 h and then cooled to ambient temperature . the resulting solid was collected by vacuum filtration and air dried to afford 0 . 95 g ( 67 %) of 2 - hydroxyimino - n -( 3 - phenoxyphenyl ) acetamide as a solid : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 6 . 42 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 06 ( d , j = 7 . 9 hz , 2h ), 7 . 18 ( t , j = 7 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 25 - 7 . 50 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 64 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 29 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 21 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 255 ( m − h ) − . a suspension of 0 . 15 g ( 0 . 58 mmol ) of 2 - hydroxyimino - n -( 3 - phenoxyphenyl ) acetamide in 0 . 4 ml of bf 3 etherate was heated to 85 ° c . for 0 . 75 h . the mixture was cooled to rt and 10 g of crushed ice was added . the resulting solid was collected by vacuum filtration and subjected to flash chromatography on silica gel ( hexane / etoac 1 . 5 : 1 ) to afford 6 - phenoxy - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione as a solid ( 0 . 018 g , 13 %): 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 6 . 44 ( d , j = 2 . 0 hz , 1h ), 6 . 56 ( dd , j = 2 . 0 , 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 08 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 22 - 7 . 29 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 38 - 7 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 52 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 9 . 05 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 255 ( m + na ) + . procedure c — third method for 1h - indol - 2 , 3 - dione ( isatin ) formation ( hewawasam and meanwell , tetrahedron letters 1994 , 35 , 7303 - 6 ): preparation of 4 - isopropoxy - 1h - indol - 2 , 3 - dione and conversion to 4 -[ n ′-( 4 - isopropoxy - 2 - oxo - 1 , 2 - dihydro - indol - 3 - ylidene )- hydrazino ]- benzenesulfonamide . a solution of 3 . 78 g ( 25 . 0 mmol ) of 3 - isopropoxy aniline and di - tert - butyl dicarbonate in 25 ml of thf was heated to reflux for 2 h . the solution was cooled to ambient temperature , and solvent was removed in vacuo . the residue was dissolved in 100 ml of etoac , and the solution was washed with three 50 - ml portions of 0 . 5 m citric acid and 50 ml of brine . the solution was dried over mgso 4 and removal of solvent in vacuo afforded n -( t - butyloxy - carbonyl )- 3 - isopropoxyaniline as a white solid ( 5 . 75 g , 92 %): mp 79 - 81 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 1 . 21 ( d , j = 6 . 0 hz , 6h ), 1 . 43 ( s , 9h ), 4 . 46 ( septet , j = 6 hz , 1h ), 6 . 47 ( dd , j = 2 . 1 , 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 6 . 94 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 0 - 7 . 1 ( m , 2h ), 9 . 23 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 274 ( m + na ) + . to a solution of 2 . 5 g ( 10 mmol ) of n -( t - butyloxycarbonyl )- 3 - isopropoxyaniline in 15 ml of dry thf at − 78 ° c . was added 15 ml ( 25 mmol ) of 1 . 7 m t - butyllithium in hexanes . the mixture was stirred at − 20 ° c . for 2 h . a solution of 1 . 84 g ( 12 . 5 mmol ) of diethyl oxalate in 10 ml of dry thf was added slowly over 5 min , and the mixture was stirred at − 20 ° c . for 2 h . the reaction mixture was then poured into 100 ml of 1 . 0 n hcl and extracted with two 100 - ml portions of etoac . solvent was removed in vacuo , and the residue was dissolved in 100 ml of a 1 : 1 mixture of etoh and 6 n hcl and heated to reflux for 1 h . the mixture was cooled to ambient temperature and was extracted with four 100 - ml portions of etoac . the combined extracts were evaporated to dryness to provide crude 4 - isopropoxy - 1h - indol - 2 , 3 - dione , which was dissolved in 10 ml of etoh containing 0 . 50 g ( 2 . 2 mmol ) of 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride . the solution was heated to 80 ° c . for 1 h and cooled to ambient temperature . the resulting solid was collected by vacuum filtration and purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( etoac / hexane 3 : 2 ) to afford the title compound as a yellow solid ( 0 . 052 g , 1 . 4 %): mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 3 . 35 ( d , j = 6 hz , 6h ), 4 . 74 ( septet , j = 6 hz , 1h ), 6 . 48 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1th ), 6 . 69 ( d , j = 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 14 - 7 . 2 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 47 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 11 . 01 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 79 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 373 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 17 h 18 n 4 o 4 s : c , 54 . 53 ; h , 4 . 85 ; n , 14 . 96 ; s , 8 . 56 . found : c , 54 . 46 ; h , 4 . 84 ; n , 14 . 90 ; s , 8 . 50 . procedure d — first method for 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one ( oxindole ) formation ( gassman and van bergen , journal of the american chemical society 1974 , 96 , 5508 - 12 ): preparation of 6 . 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one . a 2 - l three - neck round bottom flask was fitted with an internal thermometer , 250 - ml addition funnel , magnetic stir bar and septa . the flask was charged with nitrogen , 200 ml of dry thf , and 6 - aminobenzothiazole ( 15 . 2 g , 0 . 100 mol ). the mixture was stirred and cooled in a dry ice - acetone bath to an internal temperature of − 74 ° c . a solution of tert - butyl hypoclorite ( 11 . 0 g , 0 . 103 mol ) in 50 ml of dichloromethane was added over a 15 min period . the resultant solution was stirred for an additional 3 h at dry ice - acetone bath temperature . to the reaction was then added by slow , dropwise addition a solution of ethyl methylthioacetate ( 13 . 8 g , 0 . 103 mol ) in 50 ml of dichoromethane . the resultant solution was stirred for an additional 3 h at dry ice - acetone bath temperature . a solution of triethyl amine ( 25 . 3 g , 0 . 250 mol ) and 50 ml of dichloromethane was added at dry ice - acetone bath temperature , and the solution was stirred for 0 . 5 h . the cooling bath was removed , and the reaction was allowed to warm to rt . the reaction was then concentrated to a thick residue . the thick oil was resuspended in 200 ml of ether and 600 ml of 0 . 25 m hydrochloric acid . the mixture was allowed to stir for 24 h . the resulting solid was filtered from the mixture and triturated with water and ether . the solid was then resuspended in cold meoh , filtered and dried under vacuum for 16 h to yield 18 . 7 g ( 79 %) of 8 - methylsulfanyl - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 10 . 8 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 2 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 0 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 1 . 8 ( s , 3h ); apci − ms m / z 235 ( m − h ) − . to a 500 - ml erlenmeyer flask was added a stir bar , 8 . 1 g ( 0 . 034 moles ) of 8 - methylsulfanyl - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thio - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one and 100 ml of glacial acetic acid . the mixture was stirred until all the starting material had dissolved . the reaction mixture was then diluted with 100 ml of thf . zinc metal ( 16 g , 325 mesh ) was then added . the heterogeneous mixture was then stirred and heated to 60 ° c . for 2 . 5 h . the mixture was vacuum filtered through a one half inch pad of celite . the residue on the filter pad was washed with additional thf . the filtrates were combined and concentrated to a wet solid . the solid was triturated with meoh , filtered and air dried to yield 4 . 51 g ( 70 %) of 6 . 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one as a free - flowing solid : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 10 . 5 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 1 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 9 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 0 ( d , 1h ), 3 . 6 ( s , 2h ); apci − ms m / z 191 ( m + h ) + . procedure e — second method for 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one ( oxindole ) formation ( johnson and aristoff , journal of organic chemistry 1990 , 55 , 1374 - 5 ): preparation of 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid methyl ester and conversion to 2 - oxo - 3 -( 4 - sulfamoyl - phenylamino - methylene & gt ; 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid methyl ester ( z - isomer ). a solution of 2 . 66 g ( 20 . 0 mmol ) of ethyl ( methylthio ) acetate dissolved in 200 ml of dichioromethane was cooled with stirring to − 70 ° c . and 2 . 7 g ( 20 . 0 mmol ) of sulfuryl chloride was added . the reaction was stirred for 30 min . at − 70 ° c ., and a solution of 3 . 0 g ( 20 mol ) of methyl 4 - aminobenzoate and 4 . 3 g ( 20 mmol ) of proton sponge ® in 250 ml of dichloromethane was added dropwise over 1 h . the resulting pink slurry was treated with 2 . 3 9 ( 23 mmol ) of tea in one portion , and the solution was allowed to warm to rt . the solution was washed with three 250 - ml portions of water , dried over mgso 4 , and concentrated to give an oil . this was chromatographed on silica gel eluting with hexane : etoac ( 1 : 1 ) to yield 2 . 0 g ( 42 % yield ) of 3 - methylthio - 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid methyl ester : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 1 . 97 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 35 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 67 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 97 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 84 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 91 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 10 . 97 ( s , 1h ), solution of 2 . 0 g ( 8 . 4 mmol ) of 3 - methylthio - 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid methyl ester in 20 ml of acetic acid was treated with 10 g of zinc powder . the reaction mixture was stirred for 2 h at rt , filtered through celite and concentrated to dryness . the residue was chromatographed on silica gel eluting with hexane : etoac ( 1 : 1 ) to yield 1 . 6 g ( 99 % yield ) of 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid methyl ester as a pink solid : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 3 . 52 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 77 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 87 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 74 ( s , j = 1h ), 7 . 80 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 10 . 72 ( br s , 1h ). conversion to the 3 - dimethylaminomethylene - 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid methyl ester ( mixture of e and z isomers ) was carried out via procedure g in 49 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 3 . 29 z ( s , 6h ), 3 . 31 e ( s , 6h ), 3 . 76 z ( s , 3h ), 3 . 76 e ( s , 3h ), 6 . 74 z ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 6 . 81 e ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 47 - 7 . 50 z ( m , 1h ), 7 . 50 - 7 . 52 e ( m , 1h ), 7 . 57 e ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 74 z ( s , 1h ), 7 . 89 z ( s , 1h ), 7 . 94 e ( s , 1h ), 10 . 33 z ( bs , 1h ), 10 . 43 e ( bs , 1h ). the title compound was prepared in 41 % yield from 3 -[( dimethylamino ) methylene ] oxindole - 5 - carboxylic acid methyl ester and 4 - aminobenzenesulfonamide according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 3 . 81 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 92 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 26 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 60 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 69 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 8 . 29 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 86 ( d , j = 12 . 4 hz , 1h ), 10 . 80 ( d , j = 12 . 4 hz , 1h ), 10 . 94 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 372 ( m − 1 ) − . anal . calcd for c 17 h 15 n 3 o 5 s : c , 54 . 68 , h , 4 . 05 ; n , 11 . 25 ; s , 8 . 59 . found c , 54 . 65 , h , 4 . 12 ; n , 11 . 17 ; s . 8 . 49 . procedure f — third method for 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2one ( oxindole ) formation ( seibert , chemie berichte 1947 , 80 , 494 - 502 ): preparation of 3 - h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - f ] quinoline - 2 - one . a solution of 2 . 3 g ( 12 mmol ) of 3 - h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - f ] quinoline - 1 , 2 - dione and 2 . 0 ml ( 0 . 06 mol ) of hydrazine in 50 ml of dmf and 50 ml of ethanol was stirred at reflux for 2 h . the resulting suspension was allowed to cool to ambient temperature and was then chilled in an ice bath and filtered . the solid was washed with a small volume of ethanol and allowed to air dry to give 1 - hydrazono - 1 , 3 - dihydropyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - f ] quinolin - 2 - one as an orange solid ( 1 . 8 g , 73 %): 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 7 . 37 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 47 ( dd , j = 8 . 4 , 4 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 81 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 1h ), 8 . 71 ( dd , j = 4 . 2 , 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 8 . 80 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 9 . 90 ( brd , j = 14 . 7 hz , 1h ), 10 . 89 ( brd , j = 14 . 7 hz , 1h ), 10 . 95 ( brs , 1h ); esi − ms m / z 213 ( m + h ) + . a solution 1 . 8 g ( 8 . 5 mmol ) of 1 - hydrazono - 1 , 3 - dihydropyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - f ] quinolin - 2 - one in 50 ml of freshly prepared 0 . 5 m sodium ethoxide solution was stirred at reflux for 3 h . the solution was diluted with 50 ml of water , neutralized with acetic acid , and concentrated on a rotary evaporator until cloudy . the solution was stored in a refrigerator overnight . the solid was filtered off , and the filtrate was extracted with three 80 - ml portions of etoac . a solution of the solid in meoh / etoac was combined with the extracts and passed through a short pad of silica gel , eluting with etoac . the solution was then concentrated to a small volume on a rotary evaporator , and the resulting suspension was diluted with an equal volume of ethanol , sonicated , and filtered to give 3 - h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - f ] quinoline - 2 - one as a light green solid ( 0 . 52 g , 33 %); 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 3 . 80 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 35 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 44 ( dd , j = 8 . 4 , 4 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 88 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 1h ), 8 . 08 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz 1h ), 8 . 70 ( dd , j = 4 . 2 , 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 10 . 57 ( br s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 183 ( m − h ) − . 4 , 6 - dimethyl - 5 - hydroxy - 1h - indol - 2 , 3 - dione was prepared from 3 , 5 - dimethyl4 - hydroxyaniline according to procedure a : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 17 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 30 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 45 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 29 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 65 ( s , 1h ); esi − ms m / z 190 ( m − h ) − . a mixture of 100 mg ( 0 . 52 mmol ) of 4 , 6 - dimethyl - 5 - hydroxy - 1h - indol - 2 , 3 - dione and 144 mg ( 0 . 57 mmol ) of c -( 4 - hydrazinophenyl )- n - methylmethanesulfonamide hydrochloride in 5 ml of etoh was heated to 80 ° c . for 1 h . upon cooling 10 ml of h 2 o was added and the solid was collected by vacuum filtration and dried in a vacuum oven at 60 ° c . to afford the title compound as a yellow solid ( 79 mg , 79 %); mp 252 - 255 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 16 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 44 ( s , 3h ) 2 . 52 ( d , j = 4 . 9 hz , 3h ), 4 . 25 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 47 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 84 ( q , j = 4 . 9 hz , 1h ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 34 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 92 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 69 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 87 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 411 ( m + na ) + . anal . calcd for c 18 h 20 n 4 o 4 s : c , 55 . 66 ; h , 5 . 19 ; n , 14 . 42 ; s , 8 . 25 . found : c , 55 . 56 ; h , 5 . 21 ; n , 14 . 25 ; s . 8 . 08 . to a suspension of 1 . 0 g ( 5 . 3 mmol ) of 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one in 7 . 5 ml of dmf was added 1 . 38 g ( 6 . 80 mmol ) of n , n - dimethylformamide - di - t - butyl acetal . the mixture was stirred at ambient temperature for 1 h and diluted with 7 . 5 ml of et 2 o . the resulting precipitate was isolated filtration to afford 8 - dimethylamino - methylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6diaza - as - indacen - 7one as a tan solid ( 1 . 0 g , 77 %): 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 3 . 33 ( bs , 3h ), 3 . 59 ( bs , 3h ), 6 . 97 ( d , j = 8 . 4 , 1h ), 7 . 33 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 62 ( d , j = 8 . 4 , 1h ), 9 . 13 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 29 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 246 ( m + h ) + . to a 250 - ml round bottom flask was added a stir bar , 6 . 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one ( 4 . 0 g , 0 . 021 mol ), 40 ml of glacial acetic and diethoxymethyl acetate ( 17 . 0 g , 0 . 105 moles ). the flask was fitted with a reflux condensor and charged with nitrogen . the reaction was heated to reflux for 8 h . the flask was cooled , the stir bar was removed and the reaction was concentrated to a wet solid . the solid was triturated with a solution of ether and ethanol . the mixture was filtered , the solid was washed with an ethanol - ether solution , and the solid was dried under vacuum to yield 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 10 . 5 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 1 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 8 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 7 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 0 ( d , 1h ), 4 . 5 ( q , 2h ), 1 . 4 ( t , 3h ); apci − ms m / z 245 ( m − h ) − . to a 25 ml round bottom flask was added a stir bar , 246 mg ( 1 . 00 mmol ) of 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one , 249 mg ( 1 . 00 mmol ) of sulfapyridine and 10 ml of ethanol . the flask was fitted with a water - cooled reflux condenser , and the mixture was heated to reflux using an oil bath with stirring for 18 h . the reaction was allowed to cool and was filtered . the precipitate was washed with excess ethanol and dried under vacuum to yield 321 mg ( 71 %) of the title compound : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 11 . 9 ( br s , 1h ), 11 . 2 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 9 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 3 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 1 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 9 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 8 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 6 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 2 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 2 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 9 ( t , 1h ); c 21 h 15 n 5 o 3 s 2 : apci − ms m / z 450 ( m + h ) + . note : one equivalent of strong acid , e . g ., hcl or methanesulfonic acid , is generally required in this reaction . the acid can be supplied as the aniline salt or as a separate component . similar conditions can be used for condensing anilines with 3 - dimethylaminomethylene -, 3 - t - butoxymethylene -, and 3 - hydroxymethylene - substituted 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indol - 2ones . procedure k — method for 5 - n - substituted amide formation : preparation of 2 - oxo - 3 [( 4 - sulfamoyl - phenyl ) hydrazono ]- 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid dimethylamide to 100 mg ( 0 . 190 mmol ) 2 - oxo3 [( 4 - sulfamoyl - phenyl )- hydrazono ]- 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester in 5 ml acetonitrile was added 50 μl ( 5 . 6 m in ethanol , 0 . 28 mmol ) of a solution of dimethylamine and 20 μl ( 0 . 25 mmol ) of pyridine , and the reaction was stirred overnight . the solution was concentrated , and the resulting solid was triturated with etoac to give the title compound as a yellow solid ( 39 mg , 53 %): mp & gt ; 230 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 12 . 71 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 22 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 60 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 58 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 31 ( dd , j = 1 . 7 , 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 23 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 93 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 2 . 95 ( s , 6h ); apci − ms : mrz 386 ( m − h ). anal . calcd for c 17 h 17 n 5 o 5 s . 1 / 2h 2 o : c , 51 . 51 ; h , 4 . 58 ; n , 17 . 67 . found : c , 51 . 69 ; h , 4 . 25 ; n , 17 . 63 . procedure l — method for introducing 4 - substituents via palladium - catalyzed coupling : preparation of 4 -( n ′-{ 4 -[ 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- vinyl ]- 2 - oxo - 1 , 2 - dihydro - indol - 3 - ylidene }- hydrazino )- benzenesulfonamide ( z isomer ). a mixture of 1 . 0 g ( 3 . 6 mmol ) of 4 - iodo - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione ( snow , et al ., journal of the american chemical society 1977 , 99 , 373444 ), 0 . 42 g ( 4 . 2 mmol ) of tea , 0 . 06 g ( 0 . 27 mmol ) of palladium ( ii ) acetate , 0 . 16 g ( 0 . 54 mmol ) of trio - tolylphosphine and 5 . 0 g ( 4 . 2 mmol ) of a 10 % solution of 4 - vinylphenol in propylene glycol was suspended in 15 ml of dry acetonitrile in a pyrex sealed tube and heated to 100 ° c . for 4 h . the mixture was cooled to rt , quenched with 50 ml of 10 % hydrochloric acid and extracted with two 100 ml - portions of etoac . the combined extracts were dried over mgso 4 and concentrated to give a brown solid , which was subjected to chromatography on silica gel , eluting with hexane : etoac ( 3 : 1 ), to yield 0 . 125 g ( 13 %) of trans4 -[ 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) vinyl ]- 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione as a red solid : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 6 . 6 - 7 . 6 ( m , 8h ), 7 . 77 ( d , j = 16 . 4 hz , 1h ), 9 . 85 ( bs , 1h ), 11 . 00 ( bs , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 264 ( m − 1 ) − . condensation of trans4 -[ 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) vinyl ]- 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g gave the title compound in 27 % yield as an orange solid : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 6 . 78 ( d , j = 7 . 8 hz , 1h ), 6 . 88 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 26 ( t , j = 7 . 8 hz , 1h ), ), 7 . 29 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 36 ( d , j = 16 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 47 ( d , j = 7 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 53 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 57 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), ), 7 . 81 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 8 . 03 ( d , j = 16 . 5 hz 1h ), 9 . 78 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 17 ( s , 1h ), 13 . 02 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 433 ( m − 1 ) − . a mixture of 0 . 028 g ( 0 . 64 mmol ) of 4 -( n ′-{ 4 -[ 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- vinyl ]- 2 - oxo - 1 , 2 - dihydro - indol - 3 - ylidene } hydrazino )- benzenesulfonamide ( z isomer ) and 0 . 015 g of 10 % palladium on charcoal in 60 ml of meoh : thf ( 4 : 1 ) was subjected to hydrogenation on a parr apparatus at 50 psi for 1 h . the mixture was filtered through celite , and the filtrate was concentrated to give 0 . 026 g ( 93 %) of the title compound as a yellow solid : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 82 ( t , j = 8 . 0 hz , 2h ), 3 . 23 ( t , j = 8 . 0 hz , 2h ), 6 . 69 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 6 . 78 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 6 . 89 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), ), 7 . 07 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 18 ( t , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 26 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 45 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 71 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 9 . 20 ( bs , 1h ), 11 . 12 ( s , 1h ), 13 . 02 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 435 ( m − 1 ) − . the title compound was prepared from 4 - nitro - 1h - indole - 2 , 3dione ( gassman , et al ., journal of organic chemistry 1977 , 42 , 1344 - 8 ) and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g in 33 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 7 . 23 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 31 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 47 ( t , j = 7 . 9 hz , 1h ), 7 . 56 ( d , j = 7 . 9 hz , 2h ), 7 . 59 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 2h ), 11 . 59 ( s , 1h ), 13 . 20 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 361 ( m ) − . anal . calcd for c 14 h 11 n 5 o 5 s : c , 46 . 54 , h , 3 . 07 ; n , 19 . 38 ; s , 8 . 87 . found c , 46 . 62 , h , 3 . 09 ; n , 19 . 46 ; s . 8 . 81 . the title compound was prepared from 4 - isopropyl - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione ( krantz and young , 1989 , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 873 , 232 ) and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g in 73 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 1 . 30 ( d , j = 6 . 7 hz , 6h ), 3 . 82 ( septet , j = 6 . 7 hz , 1h ), 6 . 76 ( d , j = 7 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 01 ( d , j = 7 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 23 ( t , j = 7 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 24 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 48 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 79 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ). 11 . 10 ( s , 1h ), 13 . 05 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 357 ( m − 1 ) − . anal . calcd for c 17 h 18 n 4 o 3 s : c , 56 . 97 , h , 5 . 06 ; n , 15 . 63 ; s . 8 . 95 . found c , 56 . 88 , h , 5 . 12 ; n , 15 . 73 ; s , 8 . 91 . a mixture of 3 . 0 g ( 20 mmol ) of 3 - aminobenzyl alcohol , 3 . 36 g ( 22 . 0 mmol ) of t - butyidimethylsilyl chloride and 1 . 52 g ( 22 . 0 mmol ) of imidazole were dissolved in 20 ml of dmf . the solution was stirred at rt for 16 h and then diluted with 250 ml of hexane and 250 ml of etoac . the organic phase was washed twice with brine , dried over mgso 4 and concentrated to give 4 . 8 g of 3 -([ t - butyidimethylsilyloxy ] methyl - benzenamine as a clear oil . this was dissolved in 100 ml of ch 2 cl 2 , cooled with stirring to − 65 ° c . and 2 . 17 g ( 20 . 0 mmol ) of t - butyl hypochlorite was added . after 10 min of stirring , a solution of 2 . 68 g ( 20 . 0 mmol ) of ethyl methylthioaceatate in 10 ml of ch 2 cl 2 was added , and the solution was stirred for 1 h . tea ( 2 . 02 g , 20 . 0 mmol ) was added and the reaction was warmed to rt over 1 h . the solution was washed with water and concentrated to an oil . this was redissolved in 100 ml of ether , 12 ml of 2 n hydrochloric acid was added , and the mixture was stirred overnight . the ether phase was separated and concentrated to an oil . this was chromatographed on silica gel eluting with hexane : etoac ( initially a 3 : 1 ratio increasing to 1 : 2 ) to yield 0 . 82 g ( 20 %) of 4 - hydroxymethyl - 3 - methylsulfanyl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 1 . 89 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 45 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 62 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 1 ( bs , 1h ), 6 . 87 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 02 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 17 ( t , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 10 . 44 ( s , 1h ). further elution yielded 0 . 53 g ( 13 %) of 6 - hydroxymethyl - 3 - methysulfanyl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 1 . 99 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 48 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 50 ( s , 1h ), 5 . 1 ( bs , 1h ), 6 . 84 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 94 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 22 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 10 . 54 ( s , 1h ). a solution of 0 . 82 g ( 3 . 9 mmol ) of 4 - hydroxymethyl - 3 - methylsulfanyl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one in dmf ( 20 ml ) was treated with 0 . 65 g ( 4 . 3 mmol ) of t - butyidimethylsilyl chloride and 0 . 3 g ( 4 . 4 mmol ) of imidazole and stirred for 24 h . the solution was diluted with 75 ml of hexane and 75 ml of etoac . the organic phase was washed with brine , dried over mgso 4 and concentrated to give 1 . 2 g ( 95 %) of 3 - methylsulfanyl4 -( t - butyldimethylsilyloxy ) methyl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one as a clear oil which crystallised upon storage at rt : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 051 ( s , 3h ), 0 . 064 ( s , 3h ), 0 . 881 ( s , 9h ), 1 . 87 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 43 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 79 ( d , j = 14 . 2 hz , 1h ), 4 . 88 ( d , j = 14 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 70 ( d , j = 7 . 9 hz , 1h ), 7 . 00 ( d , j = 7 . 9 hz , 1h ), 7 . 19 ( t , j = 7 . 9 hz , 1h ), 10 . 48 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 346 ( m + 23 ) + . a solution of 1 . 2 g ( 3 . 7 mmol ) of 3 - methylsulfanyl - 4 -( t - butyidimethylsilyloxy ) methyl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one in thf ( 25 ml ) was stirred with saturated ammonium chloride solution ( 20 ml ), and activated zinc dust ( 5 g ) was added . the mixture was stirred for 60 h at rt . the organic phase was separated , dried over mgso 4 and concentrated to give 1 , 16 g of impure 4 -( t - butyidimethylsilyloxy ) methyl - 1 , 3dihydro - indol - 2 - one as an off - white solid : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 11 ( s , 6h ), 0 . 86 ( s , 9h ), 3 . 42 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 67 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 74 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 6 . 95 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 18 ( t j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 10 . 40 ( s , 1h ). a solution of 0 . 64 g ( 2 . 3 mmol ) of 4 -( t - butyldimethylsilyloxy ) methyl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one in dmf dimethylacetal ( 5 ml ) was heated to 100 ° c . for 1 h . the excesss dmf dimethylacetal was removed under high vacuum , and the resulting dark oil was chromatographed on silica gel , eluting with etoac , to give 0 . 34 g ( 44 %) of 3 - dimethylaminomethylene - 4 -( t - butyidimethyl - silyloxy ) methyl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2one as a white solid : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ − 0 . 03 ( s , 6h ), 0 . 81 ( s , 9h ), 3 . 29 ( s , 6h ), 4 . 64 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 66 ( d , j = 7 . 3 hz , 1h ), 6 . 73 ( d , j = 7 . 3 hz , 1h ), 6 . 79 ( t , j = 7 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 76 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 97 ( s , 1h )); apci − ms m / z 333 ( m + 1 ) + . a solution of 0 . 115 g ( 0 . 34 mmol ) of 3 - dimethylaminomethylene - 4 -( t - butyidimethylsilyloxy ) methyl - 1 , 3dihydro - indol - 2 - one in ethanol ( 10 ml ) was treated with 0 . 076 g ( 0 . 34 mmol ) n - methylsulfanilamide hydrochloride . the solution was refluxed for 0 . 5 h and cooled to rt . the resulting yellow precipitate was isolated by filtration , washed with ethanol and dried to yield 0 . 048 g ( 38 %) of the title compound : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 37 ( d , j = 5 . 0 hz , 3h ), 4 . 67 ( s , 2h ), 5 . 3 ( bs , 1h ), 6 . 78 ( d , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h ), 6 . 93 ( d , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h ), 6 . 99 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 33 ( q , j = 5 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 44 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 71 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 2h ), 8 . 32 ( d , j = 12 . 2 hz , 1h ), 10 . 67 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 26 ( d , j = 12 . 2 hz , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 358 ( m − 1 ) − . anal . calcd for c 17 h 17 n 3 o 4 s : c , 56 . 81 , h , 4 . 77 ; n , 11 . 69 , s , 8 . 92 . found c , 56 . 89 , h , 4 . 81 ; n , 11 . 70 ; s , 8 . 84 . a mixture of 3 . 0 g ( 20 mmol ) of 3 - nitroiodobenzene , 3 . 5 ml ( 25 mmol ) of tea , 0 . 045 g ( 0 . 20 mmol ) of palladium ( ii ) acetate and 2 . 77 g ( 25 . 0 mmol ) of 4 - vinylpyridine was suspended in 4 ml of dry acetonitrile in a pyrex sealed tube and heated to 100 ° c . for 48 h . the mixture was cooled to rt and was quenched with 200 ml of 10 % hydrochloric acid . the resulting yellow solid was isolated by filtration and partitioned between 250 ml of etoac and 250 ml of 1 n aqueous sodium hydroxide . the organic phase was dried over mgso 4 and concentrated to give 3 . 0 g ( 66 %) of 4 -[ 2 -( 3 - nitrophenyl ) ethenyl ]- pyridine as a yellow solid : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 3 . 0 - 4 . 6 ( br s , 1h ), 7 . 71 - 7 . 78 ( m , 2h ), 8 . 07 ( d , j = 15 . 8 hz , 1h ), 8 . 13 - 8 . 16 ( m , 3h ), 8 . 24 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 8 . 56 ( s , 1h ), 8 , 84 ( d , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h ); esi − ms m / z 227 ( m + 1 ) + . a portion ( 1 . 3 g , 7 . 1 mmol ) of this solid was dissolved in 100 ml of etoac , and 0 . 5 g of 10 % palladium on charcoal was added . the mixture was hydrogenated on a parr apparatus at 40 psi for 1 . 5 h . another 0 . 5 g batch of 10 % palladium on charcoal was added and the mixture was subjected to further hydrogenation for 1 h . the palladium catalyst was removed by filtration through a pad of celite , and the filtrate was concentrated to give 1 . 13 g ( 100 %) of 3 -( 4 - pyridinyl ) ethylaniline : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 69 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 80 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 9 ( bs , 2h ), 6 . 33 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 2h ), 6 . 38 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 86 ( t , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 20 ( d , j = 5 . 8 hz , 2h ), 8 . 41 ( d , j = 5 . 8 hz , 2h ). conversion of 3 -[ 2 -( 4 - pyridinyl ) ethyl ]- aniline to 4 -( 2 - pyridin - 4 - yl - ethyl )- 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione was accomplished according to procedure a in 24 % overall yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 80 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 10 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 70 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 6 . 81 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 24 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 ( t , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 8 . 42 ( bs , 2h ), 11 . 00 ( s , 1h ). conversion of 4 -( 2 - pyridin - 4 - ylethyl )- 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione to the title compound was accomplished according to procedure g in 40 % overall yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 98 ( t , j = 7 . 9 hz , 2h ), 3 . 30 ( m , 2h , underneath water peak ), 6 . 78 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 6 . 88 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 17 ( t , j = 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 25 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 29 ( d , j = 6 . 0 hz , 2h ), 7 . 37 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 66 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 8 . 47 ( d , j = 6 . 0 hz , 2h ), 11 . 13 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 98 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 420 ( m − 1 ) − . anal . calcd for c 21 h 19 n 5 o 3 s . 0 . 15 hcl : c , 55 . 93 , h , 4 . 43 ; n , 15 . 53 ; s , 7 . 11 . found c , 56 . 05 , h , 4 . 36 ; n , 15 . 38 ; s , 7 . 18 . the title compound was prepared from 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 4 - carboxylic acid ethyl ester ( connolly and durst , synlett 1996 , 663 - 4 ; kozikowski and kuniak , journal of organic chemistry 1978 , 43 , 2083 - 4 ) and sulfanilamide according to procedure j in 14 % overall yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 1 . 33 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 3h ), 4 . 37 ( q , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 7 . 10 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 15 ( t , j = 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 30 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 41 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 57 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 82 ( d , j = 8 . 6hz , 2h ), ), 9 . 50 ( d , j = 12 . 6 hz , 1h ), 10 . 96 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 75 ( d , j = 12 . 6 hz , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 386 ( m − 1 ) − . the title compound was prepared from 4 - iodo - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione ( snow , et al ., journal of the american chemical society 1977 , 99 , 3734 - 44 ) and 4 - sulfonamidophenyl - hydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g in 87 % overall yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 6 . 93 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 6 . 99 ( t , j = 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 25 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 50 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 66 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 77 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 11 . 17 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 94 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 441 ( m − 1 ) − . anal . calcd for c 14 h 11 n 4 o 3 s : c , 38 . 02 , h . 2 . 51 ; 1 , 28 . 70 ; n , 12 . 67 ; s , 7 . 25 . found c , 38 . 05 , h , 2 . 51 ; 1 , 28 . 78 ; n , 12 . 64 ; s , 7 . 19 . a mixture of 0 . 20 9 ( 1 . 0 mmol ) of 4 -( 2 - methyl - propenyl )- 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and 0 . 05 g of 10 % palladium on charcoal in 25 ml of etoac was subjected to hydrogenation on a parr apparatus at 46 psi for 1 h . the mixture was filtered through celite , and the filtrate was concentrated to dryness . the solid was purified by chromatography on silica gel , eluting with hexane : etoac ( 4 : 1 ), to furnish 0 . 027 g ( 13 %) of 4 - isobutyl - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 89 ( d , j = 6 . 7 hz , 6h ), 1 . 86 ( nonet , j = 6 . 7 hz , 1h ), 2 . 72 ( d , j = 6 . 7 hz , 1h ), 6 . 74 ( d , j = 7 . 8 hz , 1h ), 6 . 86 ( d , j = 7 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 48 ( t , j = 7 . 8 hz , 1h ), 11 . 03 ( s , 1h ). condensation of 4 - isobutyl - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and 4 - sulfonamido - phenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g gave the title compound in 65 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 96 ( d , j = 6 . 4 hz , 6h ), 2 . 05 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 87 ( d , j = 7 . 0 hz , 2h ), 6 . 79 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 6 . 85 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 20 ( t , j = 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 26 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 51 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 7 . 81 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 11 . 13 ( s , 1h ), 13 . 03 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 371 ( m − 1 ) − . by methods described in procedure l , 4 -( 2 - methyl - propenyl )- 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione was prepared from 4 - iodo - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and isobutylene in 34 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 1 . 82 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 90 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 79 ( d , j = 7 . 9 hz , 1h ), 6 . 94 ( d , j = 7 . 9 hz , 1h ), 7 . 47 ( t , j = 7 . 9 hz , 1h ), 10 . 97 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 200 ( m − 1 ) − . condensation of 4 -( 2 - methyl - propenyl )- 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g gave the title compound as a yellow solid ( 51 % yield ): 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 1 . 84 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 04 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 78 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 79 ( d , j = 7 . 8 hz , 1h ), 6 . 96 ( d , j = 7 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 24 ( t , j = 7 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 24 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 48 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 80 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 11 . 11 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 91 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 369 ( m − 1 ) − . anal . calcd for c 18 h 18 n 4 o 3 s : c , 58 . 36 , h , 4 . 90 ; n , 15 . 12 ; s , 8 . 66 . found c , 58 . 41 , h , 4 . 87 ; n , 15 . 18 ; s , 8 . 56 . coupling of 4 - iodoisatin and 2 - methyl - 1 - butene according to procedure l gave a mixture of isomers [ the major pair of isomers was e / z - 4 -( 2 - methyl - 1 - butenyl )- 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and the minor pair of isomers was e / z - 4 -( 2 - methyl - 2 - butenyl )- 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione ] in 21 % yield . : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 , integral ratios are normalized to the 1h singlet observed at δ 10 . 97 ): δ 1 . 06 ( m , 2 . 6h ), 1 . 47 ( s , 1 . 05h ), 1 . 83 ( m , 1 . 4h ), 1 . 88 ( s , 1 . 1h ), 2 . 19 ( m , 1 . 6h ), 3 . 50 ( s , 0 . 26h ), 5 . 22 ( m , 0 . 16h ), 6 . 60 - 6 . 72 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 76 - 6 . 82 ( m , 0 . 23h ), 6 . 86 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 0 . 35h ), 7 . 46 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 0 . 42h ), 7 . 4 - 7 . 6 ( m , 1h ), 10 . 97 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 214 ( m − 1 ) − . condensation of the mixture of e / z - 4 -( 2 - methyl - 1 - butenyl )- 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and e / z - 4 -( 2 - methyl - 2 - butenyl ) 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and 4 - sulfonamidophenyl - hydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g gave the title compound mixture as a yellow solid ( 51 % yield ): 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 , integral ratios are normalized to the 1h singlet observed at δ 11 . 11 ): δ 1 . 07 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1 . 3h ), 1 . 21 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1 . 3h ), 1 . 54 ( d , j = 6 . 5 hz , 0 . 7h ), 1 . 63 ( s , 0 . 7h ), 1 . 86 ( s , 1 . 2h ), 2 . 03 ( s , 1 . 1h ), 2 . 21 ( q , j = 7 . 7 hz , 0 . 7h ), 2 . 32 ( q , j = 7 . 7 hz , 0 . 8h ), 3 . 71 ( s , 0 . 4h ), 5 . 2 ( m , 0 . 2h ), 6 . 72 - 6 . 85 ( m , 2 . 1h ), 6 . 89 ( d , j = 7 . 9 h 0 . 39h ), 6 . 97 ( d , j = 7 . 9 hz , 0 . 42h ), 7 . 18 - 7 . 26 ( m , 3 . 1h ), 7 . 47 - 7 . 51 ( m , 2 . 1h ), 7 . 77 - 7 . 81 ( m , 2 . 1h ), 11 . 11 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 89 ( s , 0 . 3h ), 12 . 97 ( s , 0 . 35h ), 13 . 02 ( s , 0 . 24h ); apci − ms m / z 383 ( m − 1 ) − . reduction of the mixture of 4 -{ n ′-[ 4 -( 2 - methyl - 1 - butenyl )- 2 - oxo - 1 , 2 - dihydro - indol - 3 - ylidene ]- hydrazino }- benzenesulfonamide and 4 -{ n ′-[ 4 -( 2 - methyl - 2 - butenyl )- 2 - oxo - 1 , 2 - dihydro - indol - 3 - ylidene ]- hydrazino } benzenesulfonamide according to procedure m gave the title compound in 79 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 87 - 0 . 90 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 21 - 1 . 25 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 47 - 1 . 63 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 82 ( dd , j = 12 . 6 , 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 2 . 95 ( dd , j = 12 . 6 , 6 . 6 hz , 1h ), 6 . 77 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 6 . 84 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 18 ( t , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 25 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 49 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 79 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 2h ), 11 . 12 ( s , 1h ), 13 . 04 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 385 ( m − 1 ) − . reduction of 4 -[ n ′-( 4 - cyclobutylidenemethyl - 2 - oxo - 1 , 2 - dihydro - indol - 3 - ylidene )- hydrazino ]- benzenesulfonamide according to methods described in procedure m gave the title compound in 94 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 1 . 81 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 96 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 73 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 07 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h ), 6 . 76 ( d , j = 7 . 8 hz , 1h ), 6 . 86 ( d , j = 7 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 17 ( t , j = 7 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 24 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 48 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 79 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 2h ), 11 . 08 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 93 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 383 ( m − 1 ) − . by methods described in procedure l , 4 - cyclobutylidenemethyl - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione was prepared from 4 - iodo - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and methylene cyclobutene in 25 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 08 ( quintet , j = 7 . 8 hz , 2h ), 2 . 91 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 06 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 67 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 6 . 94 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 6 . 96 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 47 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 11 . 00 ( bs , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 211 ( m − 1 ) − . condensation of 4 -( cyclobutylidenemethyl )- 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g gave the title compound in 76 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 11 ( quintet , j = 7 . 8 hz , 2h ), 3 . 00 ( t , j = 7 . 8 hz , 2h ), 3 . 06 ( t , j = 7 . 8 hz , 2h ), 6 . 74 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 6 . 97 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 07 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 21 ( t , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 25 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 47 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 81 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 11 . 12 ( s , 1h ), 13 . 03 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 381 ( m − 1 ) − . the title compound was prepared from 3 - phenoxyaniline and 4 - sulfonamidophenyl - hydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure c : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 6 . 42 e ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 6 . 70 e ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 6 . 76 z ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 82 z ( d , j = 7 . 8hz , 1h ), 6 . 99 z ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 2h ), 7 . 06 z ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 1 - 7 . 6 e ( m , 10h ), 7 . 1 - 7 . 6 z ( m , 6h ), 7 . 62 z ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 74 e ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 10 . 88 e ( s , 1h ), 11 . 18 e ( s , 1h ), 11 . 27 z ( s , 1h ), 12 . 77 z ( s , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 407 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 20 h 16 n 4 o 4 s : c , 58 . 81 ; h , 3 . 95 ; n , 13 . 72 ; s , 7 . 85 . found : c , 58 . 53 ; h , 4 . 02 ; n , 13 . 66 ; s , 7 . 79 . 4 -( 1h - pyrazol - 3 - yl )- 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione was prepared from 3 -( 1h - pyrazol - 3 - yl ) aniline according to procedure a . the title compound was prepared from 4 -( 1h - pyrazol - 3 - yl ) isatin and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 6 . 72 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 22 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 39 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 48 - 7 . 60 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 76 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 77 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 11 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 93 ( s , 1h ); esi − ms : m / z 381 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared in 68 % yield from ethoxymethylene - 5 - oxazol - 5 - yl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one and 4 - aminobenzenesulfonamide hydrochloride according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 10 . 79 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 73 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 76 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 38 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 0 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 77 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 56 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 43 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 40 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 26 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 91 ( d , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 381 ( mh ) − . 2 - oxo - 3 -[( 4 - sulfamoyl - phenyl )- hydrazono ]- 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid was prepared from 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione - 5 - carboxylic acid and 4 - sulfonamidophenyl - hydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g . to a suspension of 2 . 75 g ( 7 . 63 mmol ) of the 2 - oxo - 3 [( 4 - sulfamoyl - phenyl )- hydrazono ]- 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid in 20 ml dmf was added 1 . 38 ml ( 8 . 03 mmol ) pentafluorophenyltriiuoroacetate ( pfptfa ), 0 . 69 ml ( 8 . 53 mmol ) pyridine , and the suspension was stirred under n 2 for 20 min . tlc ( silica gel , 20 % meoh / ch 2 cl 2 ) indicated residual starting material remained , and the reaction was treated with 10 ml dmf and additional pfptfa and pyridine ( equal portions to above ). the reaction was stirred overnight and then poured into 400 ml ether . the solution was washed with two 500 - ml portions of water , and 300 ml of etoac was added to dissolve precipitate . the solution was washed with 500 ml water , dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered through silica gel and concentrated to remove ether . the resulting solid was collected by filtration , washed 50 ml 1 : 1 ethylacetate : hexanes and dried overnight in a vacuum oven at 70 ° c . to give the title compound as a bright yellow solid ( 2 . 30 g , 57 %): mp & gt ; 230 ° c . ; 1h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 12 . 77 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 68 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 32 ( d , j = 1 . 9 hz , 1h ), 8 . 11 ( dd , j = 1 . 9 hz , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 79 ( d , j = 8 . 9 hz , 2h ), 7 . 67 ( d , j = 8 . 9 hz , 2h ), 7 . 28 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 16 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 525 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 21 h 11 n 4 o 5 sf 5 : c , 47 . 92 ; h , 2 . 11 ; n , 10 . 64 . found : c , 48 . 00 ; h , 2 . 13 ; n , 10 . 54 . the title compound was prepared from 5 - nitro - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione ( gassman , et al ., journal of organic chemistry 1977 , 42 , 1344 - 8 ) and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g in 94 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 7 . 14 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 33 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 84 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 8 . 23 ( dd , j = 2 . 2 , 8 . 6 hz , 1h ), 8 . 42 ( d , j = 2 . 2 hz , 1h ), 11 . 76 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 78 ( s , 1h ). anal . calcd for c 14 h11n 5 o 5 s : c , 46 . 54 , h , 3 . 07 ; n , 19 . 38 . found c , 46 . 76 , h , 3 . 13 ; n , 19 . 23 . the title compound was prepared from 5 - hydroxy - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione ( ijaz , et al ., indian journal of chemistry 1994 , 33b , 288 - 9 ) and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g in 30 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 6 . 79 ( dd , j = 2 . 2 , 8 . 3 hz , 1h ), 6 . 72 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 1h ), 6 . 98 ( d , j = 2 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 25 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 53 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 78 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 9 . 20 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 80 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 82 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 331 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared from 5 - methyl - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione ( gassman , et al ., journal of organic chemistry 1977 , 42 , 1344 - 8 ) and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g in 86 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 3 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 76 ( d , j = 7 . 9 hz , 1h ), 7 . 11 ( d , j = 7 . 9 hz , 1h ), 7 . 20 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 57 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 77 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 8 . 02 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 51 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 62 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 329 ( m − 1 ) − . anal . calcd for c 15 h 14 n 4 o 3 s : c , 54 . 54 , h , 4 . 27 ; n , 16 . 96 ; s , 9 . 71 . found c , 54 . 54 , h , 4 . 32 ; n , 16 . 87 ; s . 9 . 62 . 5 -[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazol - 1 - yl - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione was prepared from 4 - 11 , 2 , 4 ]- triazol - 1 - yl - phenylamine according to procedure a in 6 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 7 . 04 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 97 ( d , j = 2 . 2 hz , 1h ), 8 . 01 ( dd , j = 2 . 2 , 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 8 . 20 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 26 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 19 ( bs , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 215 ( m + 1 ) + . condensation of 5 -[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] triazol - 1 - yl - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione with 4 - hydrazino - n - methyl - phenylsulfonamide according to procedure g gave the title compound in 86 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 38 ( d , j = 5 . 0 hz , 3h ), 7 . 05 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 30 ( q , j = 5 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 65 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 72 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 3h ), 8 . 01 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 20 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 23 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 27 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 80 ( s , 1h ); anal . calcd for c 16 h 15 n 7 o 3 s . 1 . 3 h 2 o : c , 48 . 52 , h , 4 . 22 ; n , 23 . 30 ; s , 7 . 62 . found c , 48 . 53 , h , 4 . 25 ; n , 23 . 17 ; s , 7 . 55 . the title compound was prepared from 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione - 5 - sulfonic acid and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine according to procedure g : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 6 . 83 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 22 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 50 ( dd , j = 1 . 7 , 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 56 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 76 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 77 ( d , j = 1 . 7 hz , 1h ), 11 . 12 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 70 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 395 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 14 h 11 n 4 o 6 s 2 na . 0 . 9h 2 o . 0 . 2 c 2 h 6 o : c , 38 . 97 ; h , 3 . 18 ; n , 12 . 62 ; s , 14 . 45 . found : c , 38 . 84 ; h , 3 . 31 ; n , 12 . 63 ; s , 14 . 59 . the title compound was prepared from 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione - 5 - carboxylic acid amide and 4 - n - methylsulfonamidophenylhydrazine according to procedure g : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 37 ( d , j = 5 . 0 hz , 3h ), 6 . 94 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 26 ( bs , 1h ), 7 . 30 ( q , j = 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 62 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 72 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 82 ( dd , j 1 = 1 . 5 hz , j 2 = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 96 ( bs , 1h ), 5 . 12 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 30 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 73 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 372 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared in 72 % yield from 5 - bromo - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione ( meth - cohn and goon , tetrahedron letters 1996 , 37 , 9381 - 14 ) and 4 - methylsulfonylphenylhydrazine according to procedure g : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 12 . 7 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 3 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 9 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 7 - 7 . 8 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 4 ( dd , 1h ), 6 . 9 ( d , 1h ), 3 . 2 ( s , 3h ); esi − ms m / z 392 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared in 43 % yield from 3 - hydroxymethylene - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one and 5 - aminobenzotriazole according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 10 . 8 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 7 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 8 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 0 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 8 - 7 . 9 ( br m ), 7 . 5 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 3 ( d , 1h ); esl - ms m / z 404 ( m + h ) + . the title compound was prepared from 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione - 5 - sulfonic acid amide and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 7 . 04 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 25 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 26 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 60 ( d , j 8 . 9 hz , 2h ), 7 . 70 ( dd , j = 8 . 2 , 1 . 9 hz , 1h ), 7 . 78 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 98 ( d , j = 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 11 . 43 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 75 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 395 ( m ) − . anal . calcd for c 14 h 13 n 5 o 5 s 2 . 0 . 5 h 2 o : c , 41 . 58 ; h , 3 . 49 ; n , 17 . 32 ; s , 15 . 86 . found : c , 41 . 67 ; h , 3 . 46 ; n , 17 . 26 ; s , 15 . 78 . 5 - methylsulfonyl - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione was prepared from 4 - methylsulfonylaniline according to procedure a : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 3 . 21 ( s , 3h ), 7 . 07 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 92 ( d , j = 1 . 7 hz , 1h ), 8 . 05 ( dd , j = 8 . 2 , 2 . 0 hz , 1h ), 11 . 46 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 225 ( m ) − . the title compound was prepared from 5 - methylsulfonyl - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 3 . 20 ( s , 3h ), 7 . 11 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 26 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 65 ( d , j = 8 . 9 hz , 2h ), 7 . 78 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 79 ( dd , j = 8 . 2 , 1 . 9 hz , 1h ), 8 . 06 ( d , j = 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 11 . 54 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 75 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 394 ( m ) − . anal . calcd for c 15 h 14 n 4 o 5 s 2 . 0 . 9 h 2 o : c , 43 . 87 ; h , 3 . 88 ; n , 13 . 64 ; s , 15 . 62 . found : c , 43 . 96 ; h , 3 . 80 ; n , 13 . 58 ; s , 15 . 67 . 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione - 5 - sulfonic acid methylamide was prepared from n - methylsulfonamidoaniline hydrochloride according to procedure a : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 37 ( d , j = 4 . 7 hz , 3h ), 7 . 04 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 45 ( q , j = 5 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 73 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 91 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 11 . 38 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 239 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared from 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione - 5 - sulfonic acid methylamide and 4 -( n - methylsulfonamido )- phenylhydrazine according to procedure g : mp & gt ; 25 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 38 ( d , j = 4 . 9 hz , 6h ), 7 . 08 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 33 ( q , j = 5 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 35 ( q , j = 4 . 9 hz , 1h ), 7 . 65 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 66 ( dd , j = 8 . 1 , 1 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 73 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 91 ( d , j = 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 11 . 48 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 77 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 422 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 16 h 17 n 5 o 5 s 2 : c , 45 . 38 ; h , 4 . 05 ; n , 16 . 54 . found : c , 45 . 46 ; h , 4 . 04 ; n , 16 . 45 . 5 -( 1 - hydroxyiminoethyly1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione was prepared from 4 - aminoacetophenone according to procedure a : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 00 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 83 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 60 ( dd , j = 8 . 5 , 2 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 77 ( d , j = 1 . 7 hz , 1h ), 9 . 99 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 91 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 203 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 1 - hydroxyiminoethyl ) 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and 4 -( n - methylsulfonamido ) phenylhydrazine according to procedure g : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 00 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 37 ( d , j = 4 . 9 hz , 3h ), 6 . 85 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 31 ( q , j = 5 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 37 ( dd , j = 8 . 4 , 1 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 56 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 74 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 91 ( d , j = 1 . 9 hz , 1h ), 9 . 88 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 99 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 79 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 386 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 17 h 17 n 5 o 4 s : c , 52 . 70 ; h , 4 . 42 ; n , 18 . 08 . found : c , 52 . 80 ; h , 4 . 50 ; n , 17 . 90 . 3 -( 1 - dimethylaminoethylidene )- 5 -( oxazol - 5 - yl )- 1 , 3 - dihydroindol - 2 - one was prepared from 5 -( oxazol - 5 - yl )- 1 , 3 - dihydroindol - 2 - one and n , n - dimethylacetamide dimethyl acetal according to procedure h . condensation of 3 -( 1 - dimethylaminoethylidene )- 5 -( oxazol - 5 - yl )- 1 , 3 - dihydroindol - 2 - one and sulfanilamide according to procedure j provided the title compound : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 51 ( s , 0 . 8h , dmso ), 2 . 61 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 97 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 37 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 40 ( dd , j = 8 . 0 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 45 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 56 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 66 ( d , j = 1 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 8 . 34 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 85 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 33 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 395 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 19 h 16 n 4 o 4 s . 0 . 1 c 2 h 6 os . 0 . 6 h 2 o : c , 55 . 56 ; h , 4 . 32 ; n , 13 . 50 ; s , 8 . 50 . found : c , 55 . 53 ; h , 4 . 32 ; n , 13 . 27 ; s , 8 . 58 . 3 - methylsulfanyl - 5 - oxazol - 5 - yl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2one was prepared from 4 - oxazol - 5 - yl - aniline according to procedure d : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 10 . 7 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 3 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 5 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 9 ( d , 1h ), 4 . 5 ( s , 1h ), 2 . 0 ( s , 3h ); apci − ms m / z 247 ( m + h ) + . 5 - oxazol - 5yl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one was prepared from 3 - methylsulfanyl - 5 - oxazol - 5 - yl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one according to procedure d : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 10 . 5 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 3 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 5 ( m , 3h ), 6 , 8 ( d , 1h ), 3 . 5 ( s , 2h ); apci − ms m / z 201 ( m + h ) + . 3 - ethoxymethylene - 5 - oxazol - 5 - yl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one was prepared from 5 - oxazol - 5 - yl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one according to procedure i : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d6 ): 810 . 43 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 37 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 76 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 51 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 90 , ( d , 1h ), 4 . 43 ( q , 2h ), 1 . 4 ( t , 3h ): apci − ms m / z 255 ( m − h ) + . the title compound was prepared in 36 % yield from 3 - ethoxymethylene - 5 - oxazol - 5 - yl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one and n , n - dimethyl - 4 - aminobenzenesulfonamide according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 10 . 9 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 8 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 8 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 4 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 0 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 7 ( br d , 4h ), 7 . 5 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 0 ( d , 1h ), 2 . 6 ( s , 6h ); apci − ms m / z 409 ( m − h ) − . the title mixture of isomers was prepared from 5 -( oxazol - 5 - yl )- 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ( 5 : 1 ratio of z : e isomers ), e 6 . 97 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), z 7 . 00 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), e 7 . 23 ( s , 2h ), z7 . 25 ( s , 2h ), z 7 . 61 ( d , j = 9 . 1 hz , 2h ), e 7 . 61 ( d , j = 9 . 1 hz , 2h ), z7 . 62 ( dd , j = 8 . 2 , 1 . 7 hz , 1h ), z 7 . 65 ( s , 1h ), e 7 . 65 ( s , 1h ), e 7 . 65 ( dd , j = 8 . 2 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), z 7 . 78 ( d , j = 8 . 9 hz , 2h ), e 7 . 81 ( d , j = 8 . 9 hz , 2h ), z 7 . 90 ( d , j = 1 . 7 hz , 1h ), z 8 . 40 ( s , 1h ), e 8 . 43 ( s , 1h ), e 8 . 47 ( d , j = 1 . 3 hz , 1h ), e 10 . 83 ( s , 1h ), e 10 . 98 ( s , 1h ), z 11 . 25 ( s , 1h ), z 12 . 78 ( s , 1h ); esi − ms m / z 382 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 17 h 13 n 5 o 4 s . 1 . 2 h 2 o . 0 . 4 c 2 h 6 o : c , 50 . 49 ; h , 4 . 24 ; n , 16 . 54 . found : c , 50 . 50 ; h , 4 . 15 ; n , 16 . 56 . a solution of 0 . 62 g ( 3 . 0 mmol ) of 5 - phenyl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one ( hewawasam and meanwell , tetrahedron letters 1994 , 35 , 7303 - 6 ) in 10 ml of dmf was treated with 0 . 90 g ( 4 . 5 mmol ) of dmf di - tert - butyl acetal for 2 h at rt . dmf was removed under high vaccum , and the residue was subjected to chromatography on silica gel , eluting with hexane : etoac ( 1 : 1 ), to yield 0 . 09 g ( 10 %) of 3 - tert - butoxymethylene - 5 - phenyl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 1 . 46 ( s , 9h ), 6 . 85 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 27 ( t , j = 7 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 34 - 7 . 39 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 41 ( d , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h ), 7 . 53 ( d , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h ), 7 . 72 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 28 ( s , 1h ); apci + ms m / z 316 ( m + 23 ) + . further elution with etoac : meoh ( 98 : 2 ) gave 0 . 11 g ( 14 %) of 3 - dimethylaminomethylene - 5 - phenyl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one . a solution of 0 . 09 g ( 0 . 31 mmol ) of 5 - phenyl - 3 - tert - butoxymethylene - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one , 0 . 053 g ( 0 . 31 mmol ) of sulfanilamide , and 2 drops of conc . hcl in 15 ml of ethanol was refluxed for 1 h and cooled to rt . the resulting yellow solid was isolated by filtration , washed with ethanol and dried to give 0 . 068 g ( 56 %) of the title compound : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 6 . 90 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 25 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 29 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 34 ( dd , j = 1 . 6 , 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 43 ( d , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h ), 7 . 55 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 64 ( d , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h ), 7 . 77 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 99 ( d , j = 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 8 . 74 ( d , j = 12 . 5 hz , 1h ), 10 . 62 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 76 ( d , j = 12 . 5 hz , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 390 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared from 2 - oxo - 3 -[( 4 - sulfamoyl - phenyl )- hydrazono ]- 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester and 2 - aminomethylfuran according to procedure k : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 4 . 51 ( d , j = 5 . 5 hz , 2h ), 6 . 31 ( d , j = 3 hz , 1h ), 6 . 44 ( d , j = 3 hz ), 702 ( d , j = 8 . 3 , 1h ), 7 . 30 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 66 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 88 ( m , 3h ), 8 . 18 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 02 ( br t , j = 5 . 5 hz , 1h ), 11 . 4 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 8 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 438 ( m − h ) − ; anal . calcd for c 20 h 17 n 5 o 5 s . 1 / 2 h 2 o : c , 53 . 57 ; h , 4 . 05 ; n , 15 . 62 ; s , 7 . 15 . found : c , 53 . 91 ; h , 4 . 01 ; n , 15 . 13 ; s , 6 . 78 . the title compound was prepared from 2 - oxo - 3 [( 4 - sulfamoyl - phenyl )- hydrazono ]- 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester and 2 , 6dimethoxybenzylamine according to procedure k : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 3 . 76 ( s , 6h ), 4 . 43 ( d , j = 4 . 2 hz , 2h ), 6 . 65 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 6 . 91 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 23 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 25 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 56 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 79 ( m , 3h ), 8 . 07 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 13 ( brs , 1h ), 11 . 27 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 76 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 532 ( m + na ) + ; anal . calcd for c 24 h 23 n 5 o 6 s . 1 / 2 h 2 o : c , 55 . 59 ; h , 4 . 67 ; n , 13 . 51 ; s , 6 . 18 . found : c , 55 . 69 ; h , 4 . 64 ; n , 13 . 61 ; s , 6 . 09 . the title compound was prepared from 2 - oxo - 3 [( 4 - sulfamoyl - phenyl )- hydrazono2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester and 2 -( n - morpholino ) ethylamine according to procedure k : mp210 - 212 ° c . ; anal . calcd for c 21 h 24 n 6 o 5 s . 1 / 4h 2 : c , 52 . 88 ; h , 5 . 18 ; n , 17 . 62 . found : c , 52 . 91 ; h , 5 . 24 ; n , 17 . 35 . the title compound was prepared from 2oxo - 3 -[( 4 - sulfamoyl - phenyl ) hydrazono ]- 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - arboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester and 2 -( n - imidazolo ) ethylamine according to procedure k : mp & gt ; 230 ° c . ; anal . calcd for c 20 h 18 n 7 o 4 s : c , 53 . 09 ; h , 4 . 01 ; n , 21 . 67 . found : c , 52 . 83 ; h , 4 . 24 ; n , 21 . 55 . the title compound was prepared from 2 - oxo - 3 [( 4 - sulfamoyl - phenyl )- hydrazono ]- 2 , 3dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester and 3 -( n - morpholino ) propylamine according to procedure k : mp & gt ; 230 ° c . ; anal . calcd for c 21 h 21 n 7 o 4 s . 1 / 2h 2 o : c , 52 . 93 ; h , 4 . 65 ; n . 20 . 58 . found : c , 52 . 93 ; h , 4 . 40 ; n , 20 . 17 . the title compound was prepared from 2 - oxo - 3 [( 4 - sulfamoyl - phenyl )- hydrazono ]- 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester and 2 - methoxyethylamine according to procedure k : mp & gt ; 230 ° c . ; anal . calcd for c 18 h 19 n 5 o 5 s : c , 51 . 79 ; h , 4 . 59 ; n , 16 . 78 . found : c , 51 . 69 ; h , 4 . 54 ; n , 16 . 72 . the title compound was prepared from 2 - oxo - 3 [( 4 - sulfamoyl - phenyl )- hydrazono ]- 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester and 2 - hydroxyethylamine according to procedure k : mp & gt ; 230 ° c . ; anal . calcd for c 17 h 17 n 5 o 5 s : c , 50 . 61 ; h , 4 . 25 ; n , 17 . 36 . found : c , 50 . 53 ; h , 4 . 28 ; n , 17 . 27 . the title compound was prepared from 2 - oxo - 3 [( 4 - sulfamoyl - phenyl )- hydrazono ]- 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester and 2 - hydroxypropylamine according to procedure k : mp & gt ; 230 ° c . ; anal . calcd for c 18 h 19 n 5 o 5 s . 1 / 3h 2 o : c , 51 . 06 ; h , 4 . 68 ; n , 16 . 54 . found : c , 51 . 07 ; h , 4 . 45 ; n , 16 . 45 . the title compound was prepared from 2 - oxo - 3 [( 4 - sulfamoyl - phenyl )- hydrazono ]- 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester and 3 - hydroxy - 2 , 2 - dimethylpropylamine according to procedure k : mp & gt ; 230 ° c . ; anal . calcd for c 20 h 23 n 5 o 5 s : c , 53 . 92 ; h , 5 . 20 ; n , 15 . 72 . found : c , 54 . 04 ; h , 5 . 17 ; n , 15 . 77 . the title compound was prepared from 2 - oxo - 3 [( 4 - sulfamoyl - phenyl )- hydrazono ]- 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester and ( 3 - pyridyl ) methylamine according to procedure k : mp 211 - 215 ° c . ; anal . calcd for c 21 h 18 n 6 o 4 s . h 2 o : c , 53 . 84 ; h , 4 . 30 ; n , 17 . 94 . found : c , 54 . 29 ; h , 4 . 03 ; n , 17 . 82 . the title compound was prepared from 2 - oxo - 3 [( 4 - sulfamoyl - phenyl )- hydrazono ]- 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester and ( 4 - pyridyl ) methylamine according to procedure k : mp 211 - 215 ° c . ; anal . calcd for c 21 h 18 n 6 o 4 s . 3 / 4h 2 o : c , 54 . 36 ; h , 4 . 24 ; n , 18 . 11 . found : c , 54 . 41 ; h , 4 . 20 ; n , 18 . 12 . the title compound was prepared from 5 - methoxy - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione ( gassman , et al ., journal of organic chemistry 1977 , 42 , 1344 - 8 ) and 4 - hydrazino benzenesulfonamide hydrochloride according to procedure g : mp & gt ; 250 ° c ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 3 . 80 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 87 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 20 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 28 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 60 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 81 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 10 . 93 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 85 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 344 . 9 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared from 5 - amino - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and 4 - hydrazinobenzenesulfonamide hydrochloride according to procedure g : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 6 . 95 ( d , j = 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 2 ( d , j = 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 26 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 46 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 5 ( d , j = 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 8 ( d , j = 8 hz , 2h ), 9 . 7 ( br s , 3h ), 11 . 2 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 8 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 330 . 2 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared from 6 - ethyl - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione ( krantz and young , 1989 , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 873 , 232 ) and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g in 79 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 1 . 16 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h ), 2 . 60 ( q , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h ), 6 . 74 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 89 ( d , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 22 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 46 ( d , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 50 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 775 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 11 . 02 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 70 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 343 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 16 h 16 n 4 o 3 s . 0 . 32 h 2 o : c , 54 . 88 , h , 4 . 79 ; n , 16 . 00 ; s , 9 . 16 . found c , 54 . 81 , h , 4 . 59 ; n , 16 . 06 ; s , 9 . 04 . the title compound was prepared from 3 - hydroxymethylene - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one and 4 - arninophenylsulfamide according to procedure j in 52 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 6 . 85 ( d , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h ), 6 . 93 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 01 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 08 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 21 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 36 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 57 ( d , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h ), 8 . 53 ( d , j = 12 . 7 hz , 1h ), 9 . 38 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 48 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 70 ( d , j = 12 . 7 hz , 1h ): apci − ms m / z 329 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 15 h 14 n 4 o 3 s : c , 54 . 54 , h , 4 . 27 ; n , 16 . 96 ; s , 9 . 71 . found c , 54 . 48 , h , 4 . 30 ; n , 16 . 90 ; s , 9 . 63 . a solution of 0 . 42 g ( 2 . 0 mmol ) of 6 - hydroxymethyl - 3 - methysulfanyl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one in dmf ( 10 ml ) was treated with 0 . 32 g ( 2 . 1 mmol ) of t - h . the solution was diluted with 50 ml of hexane and 50 ml of etoac , washed with brine , dried over mgso 4 and concentrated to give 0 . 28 g ( 43 %) of 3 - methylsulfanyl - 6 -( t - butyidimethylsilyloxy ) methyl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one as a clear oil which crystallised upon storage at rt : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 01 ( s , 6h ), 0 . 97 ( s , 9h ), 2 . 00 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 52 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 72 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 85 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 96 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 25 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 1h ), 10 . 54 ( s , 1h ). a solution of 0 . 28 g ( 0 . 86 mmol ) of 3 - methylsulfanyl4 -( t - butyidimethylsilyloxy ) methyl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one in thf ( 10 ml ) was stirred with saturated ammonium chloride solution ( 10 ml ), and activated zinc dust ( 2 g ) was added . the mixture was stirred 16 h at rt . the organic phase was separated , dried over mgso 4 and concentrated to give 0 . 32 g of impure 4 -( t - butyidimethylsilyloxy ) methyl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one as a gummy white solid : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 04 ( s , 6h ), 0 . 87 ( s , 9h ), 3 . 39 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 62 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 75 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 81 ( d , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 10 ( d , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h ), 10 . 30 ( bs , 1h ). a solution of 0 . 32 g ( 1 . 2 mmol ) of 4 -( t - butyidimethylsilyloxy ) methyl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one in dmf dimethylacetal ( 3 ml ) was heated to 100 ° c . for 0 . 75 h . the excess dmf dimethylacetal was removed under high vacuum , and the resulting dark oil was chromatographed on silica gel , eluting with etoac / meoh ( 98 : 2 ), to give 0 . 16 g ( 41 %) of 3 - dimethylaminomethylene - 6 -( t - butyldimethylsilyloxy ) methyl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one ( 11 : 9 mixture of e and z isomers ) as a yellow solid : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 , peak areas normalized using the combined peak areas for δ 9 . 88 and 9 . 66 as 1h ): δ 0 . 21 ( s , 2 . 70h ), 0 . 34 ( s , 3 . 3h ), 0 . 85 ( s , 4 . 05h ), 0 . 86 ( s , 4 . 95h ), 3 . 25 ( s , 2 . 70h ), 3 . 30 ( s , 3 . 30h ), 4 . 58 ( s , 0 . 9h ), 4 . 59 ( s , 1 . 1h ), 6 . 64 - 6 . 71 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 16 ( d , j = 7 . 7 hz , 0 . 45h ), 7 . 29 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 0 . 55h ), 7 . 33 ( s , 0 . 55h ), 7 . 47 ( s , 0 . 45h ), 9 . 88 ( s , 0 . 55h ) 9 . 96 ( s , 0 . 45h ); apci − ms m / z 331 ( m + 1 ) + . a solution of 0 . 334 g ( 1 . 00 mmol ) of 3 - dimethylamino - methylene - 6 -( t - butyldimethylsilyloxy ) methyl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one in 2 - methylpropanol ( 3 ml ) was treated with 0 . 174 g ( 1 . 00 mmol ) of sulfanilamide and 0 . 25 g ( 4 . 0 mmol ) of acetic acid . the solution was refluxed for 3 h and cooled to rt . the resulting yellow precipitate was isolated by filtration , washed with ethanol and dried to yield 0 . 134 g ( 29 %) of 6 -([ t - butyldimethyl - silyloxy ) methyl - 2 - oxo - 1 , 2 - dihydro - indol - 3 - ylidenemethyl )- amino ]- benzenesulfonamide ( z isomer ). : 1 h nm r ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 05 ( s , 6h ), 0 . 87 ( s , 9h ), 4 . 65 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 81 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 85 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 23 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 51 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 8 . 56 ( d , j = 12 . 3 hz , 1h ), 10 . 52 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 76 ( d , j = 12 . 3 hz , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 458 ( m − h ) − . to a solution of 0 . 125 g ( 2 . 80 mmol ) of 6 -([ t - butyidimethylsilyloxy ] methyl - 2 - oxo - 1 , 2 - dihydro - indol - 3 - ylidenemethyl )- amino ]- benzenesulfonamide in thf ( 5 ml ) was added 0 . 27 ml of a 1 m solution of t - butylammonium fluoride in thf , and the mixture was stirred at rt for 1 h . the resulting yellow precipitate was isolated by filtration , washed with thf and dried . chromatographic purification of the solid on silica gel , eluting with a hexane to etoac gradient , gave 0 . 053 g ( 55 %) of the title compound : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 4 . 43 ( d , j = 5 . 8 hz , 2h ), 5 . 08 ( t , j = 5 . 8 hz , 1h ), 6 . 82 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 85 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 23 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 50 ( d , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h ), 7 . 74 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 3h ), 8 . 56 ( d , j = 12 . 2 hz , 1h ), 10 . 54 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 75 ( d , j = 12 . 1 hz , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 345 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 16 h 15 n 3 o 4 s . 0 . 5 h 2 o : c , 54 . 43 , h , 4 . 55 ; n , 11 . 86 , s , 9 . 05 . found c , 54 . 47 , h , 4 . 63 ; n , 11 . 66 ; s , 8 . 86 . the title compound was prepared from 6 - bromo - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione ( meth - cohn and goon , tetrahedron letters 1996 , 37 , 9381 - 4 ) and 4 - hydrazinobenzenesulfonamide hydrochloride according to procedure g : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 7 . 05 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 23 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 50 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 56 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 11 . 2 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 7 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 395 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared from 6 - phenoxy - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine according to procedure g in 87 % yield : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 6 . 42 ( d , j = 2 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 73 ( dd , j 1 = 2 . 2 hz , j 2 = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 17 ( d , j = 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 25 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 28 ( d , j = 7 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 49 ( t , j = 7 . 9 hz , 2h ), 7 . 73 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 82 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 8 . 25 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 10 . 61 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 65 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 431 ( m + na ) + . anal . calcd for c 20 h 16 n 4 o 4 s . 0 . 25h 2 o : c , 58 . 17 ; h , 4 . 03 ; n , 13 . 57 ; s , 7 . 76 . found : c , 58 . 45 ; h , 4 . 39 ; n , 13 . 40 ; s , 7 . 63 . the title compound was prepared from 3 - ethoxyaniline and 4 - hydrazinobenzene sulfonamide hydrochloride according to procedure c : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 1 . 43 ( t , j = 7 . 0 hz , 3h ), 4 . 13 ( q , j = 7 . 0 hz , 2h ), 6 . 50 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 6 . 68 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 15 - 7 . 21 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 46 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 74 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 11 . 03 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 78 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 359 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 16 h 16 n 4 o 4 s : c , 53 . 32 ; h , 4 . 47 ; n , 15 . 55 ; s , 8 . 90 . found : c , 53 . 21 ; h , 4 . 50 ; n , 15 . 66 ; s , 8 . 85 . the title compound was prepared from 4 - amino - n -( 2 -( 2 - hydroxyethoxy ) ethyl )- benzenesulfonamide ( see example 84 ) and 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 88 ( q , j = 6 . 0 hz , 2h ), 3 . 31 ( t , j = 5 . 0 hz , 2h ), 3 . 36 ( t , j = 5 . 8 hz , 2h ), 3 . 42 ( t , j = 5 . 1 hz , 2 hz ), 4 . 5 ( br s , 1h ), 7 . 10 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 59 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 60 ( t , j = 6 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 77 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 81 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 1h ), 8 . 07 ( d , j = 12 . 2 hz , 1h ), 9 . 25 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 91 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 16 ( d , j = 12 . 2 hz , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 459 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 20 h 20 n 4 o 5 s 2 . h 2 o : c , 50 . 20 ; h , 4 . 63 ; n , 11 . 71 . found : c , 50 . 06 ; h , 4 . 59 ; n , 11 . 68 . the title compound was prepared in 51 % yield from n -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) 4 - aminobenzene sulfonamide and 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 11 . 18 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 9 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 25 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 06 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 8 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 76 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 58 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 52 ( t , 1h ), 7 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 4 . 66 ( t , 1h ), 3 . 35 ( q , 2h ), 2 . 76 ( q , 2h ); apc − ms m / z 415 ( mh ) − . 4 - methyl - 5 - nitro - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione was prepared from 3 - methyl4 - nitroaniline according to procedure a : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 11 . 5 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 2 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 8 ( d , 1h ), 2 . 7 ( s , 3h ); apci − ms m / z 205 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared in 84 % yield from 4 - methyl - 5 - nitro - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 13 . 0 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 6 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 9 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 7 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 6 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 3 ( q , 1h ), 6 . 9 ( d , 1h ), 2 . 8 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 4 ( d , 3h ); apci − ms m / z 388 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared from 3 , 6 - dihydro - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - e ] indazole - 7 , 8 - dione ( cuny , et al ., chemie berichte 1981 , 114 , 1624 - 35 ) and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g in 8 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 7 . 02 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 28 z ( s , 2h ), 7 . 51 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 68 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 82 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 8 . 34 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 98 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 90 ( s , 1h ), 13 . 20 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 356 ( m ) − . anal . calcd for c 15 h 12 n 6 o 3 s . 1 . 46 h 2 o . 0 . 2 etoac : c , 47 . 41 , h . 4 . 16 ; n , 20 . 99 ; s , 8 . 01 . found c , 47 . 40 , h , 3 . 70 ; n , 21 . 00 ; s , 7 . 85 . the title compound was prepared from isatin 1 , 6 - dihydropyrrolo [ 2 , 3 - g ] indazole - 7 , 8 - dione ( lichtenthaler and cuny , heterocycles 1981 , 15 , 1053 - 9 ) and 4 - sulfonamidophenyl - hydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g in 76 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 6 . 82 z ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 1h ), 6 . 87 e ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 24 e ( s , 2h ), 7 . 27 z ( s , 2h ), 7 . 43 e ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 73 z ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 78 z ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 85 e ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 89 e ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 89 z ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 8 . 12 z ( s , 1h ), 8 . 56 e ( s , 1h ), 10 . 67 e ( s , 1h ), 11 . 20 z ( s , 1h ), 12 . 86 z ( s , 1h ), 13 . 27 e ( s , 1h ), 13 . 27 z ( s , 1h ), 14 . 27 e ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 355 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c15h12n603s : c , 50 . 56 , h , 3 . 39 ; n , 23 . 58 ; s , 9 . 00 . found c , 50 . 65 , h , 3 . 40 ; n , 23 . 59 ; s , 8 . 97 . 1 , 6 - dihydro - 1 , 2 , 3 , 6 - tetraaza - as - indacene - 7 , 8 - dione was prepared according to procedure a in 56 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 6 . 93 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 1h ), 8 . 32 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 1h ), 11 . 14 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 189 ( m + 1 ) + . condensation of 1 , 6 - dihydro1 , 2 , 3 , 6 - tetraaza - as - indacene - 7 , 8 - dione with 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g gave the title compound in 15 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 7 . 06 z ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 24 e ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 30 z ( s , 2h ), 7 . 30 e ( s , 2h ), 7 . 55 e ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 7 . 82 z ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 7 . 82 e ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 90 e ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 90 z ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 98 z ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 10 . 86 e ( s , 1h ), 11 . 35 z ( s , 1h ), 12 . 87 z ( s , 1h ), 12 . 95 e ( s , 1h ), 16 . 00 z ( s , 1h ), 16 . 25 e ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 356 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 14 h 11 n 7 o 3 s . h 2 o : c , 44 . 80 , h , 3 . 49 ; n , 26 . 12 ; s , 8 . 54 . found c , 44 . 72 , h , 3 . 46 ; n , 26 . 05 ; s , 8 . 48 . 1 - chloro - 3 , 6 - dihydro - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - e ] indazole - 7 , 8 - dione was prepared from 5 - amino - 3 - chloroindazole according to procedure a in 38 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 7 . 08 ( d , j = 7 . 9 hz , 1h ), 7 . 92 ( d , j = 7 . 9 hz , 1h ), 10 . 95 ( s , 1h ), 13 . 70 ( s , 1h ). condensation of 1 - chloro - 3 , 6 - dihydro - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - e ] indazole - 7 , 8 - dione and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g gave the title compound in 45 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 7 . 11 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 26 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 51 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 64 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 82 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 11 . 17 ( s , 1h ), 13 . 25 ( s , 1h ), 13 . 41 ( s , 1h ): apci − ms m / z 389 / 391 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 15 h 11 cin 6 o 3 s : c , 44 . 86 , h , 3 . 06 ; n , 20 . 93 ; s , 7 . 98 . found c , 45 . 02 , h , 3 . 31 ; n , 20 . 92 ; s , 7 . 77 . a solution of 16 . 2 g ( 100 mmol ) of 6 - aminophthalimide , 9 . 6 g ( 100 mmol ) of methanesulfonic acid , and 4 . 0 g of 10 % pd / c in 140 ml of tfa was hydrogenated overnight at 50 psi . the catalyst was filtered off and and the filtrate concentrated on a rotary evaporator . the residue was diluted with 70 ml of ice water , adjusted to ph 8 with k 2 co 3 , and chilled in an ice bath . the resulting solid was filtered to give 6 . 7 g of a 5 : 4 ratio of 5 - amino : 6 - amino lactam isomers . recrystallization from hot ethanol / water afforded 1 . 45 g of undesired isomer . the filtrate was preabsorbed onto silica gel and chromatographed with tea : meoh : methylene chloride ( 1 : 2 : 47 ). the resulting solid was slurried in methylene chloride / meoh and filtered to afford a low yield of 5 - amino - 2 , 3 - dihydro - isoindol - 1 - one : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 4 . 13 ( s , 2h ), 5 . 67 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 55 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 , 1 . 9 hz , 1h ), 6 . 55 ( d , j = 1 . 9 hz , 1h ), 7 . 25 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 149 ( m + h ) + . 2 , 6 - dihydro - 1h - 2 , 6 - diaza - as - indacene - 3 , 7 , 8 - trione was prepared from 5 - amino - 2 , 3 - dihydro - isoindol - 1 - one according to procedure x : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 4 . 46 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 94 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 80 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 8 . 51 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 28 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 201 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared from 2 , 6 - dihydro - 1h - 2 , 6 - diaza - as - indacene - 3 , 7 , 8 - trione and 4 -( n - methylsulfonamido ) phenylhydrazine according to procedure g : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 37 ( d , j = 4 . 9 hz , 3h ), 4 . 56 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 99 ( d , j = 7 . 9 hz , 1h ), 7 . 31 ( q , j = 5 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 55 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 60 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 72 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 8 . 50 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 35 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 70 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 384 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 17 h 15 n 5 o 4 s . 0 . 75 h 2 o : c , 51 . 19 ; h , 4 . 17 ; n , 17 . 56 . found : c , 51 . 29 ; h , 4 . 15 ; n , 17 . 47 . a solution of 3 . 16 g ( 30 . 6 mmol ) of 3 - amino - 2 , 2 - dimethylpropanol in 10 ml of ch 2 cl 2 was added at once to a solution of 2 . 40 g ( 10 . 2 mmol ) of 4 - nitrophenylmethanesulphonyl chloride ( lee , et al ., journal of the american chemical society 1987 , 109 , 7472 - 7 ; macor , et al ., tetrahedron letters 1992 , 33 , 8011 - 4 ) in 40 ml of ch 2 cl 2 . the mixture was stirred at rt for 15 min , the solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue was redissolved in 50 ml of etoac . the solution was washed with three 50 - ml portions of 1 . 0 n hcl and concentrated in vacuo . purification of the residue by flash chromatography on silica gel ( hexane / etoac 1 : 1 ) afforded n -( 3 - hydroxy - 2 , 2 - dimethyl - propyl )-( 4 - nitrophenyl )- methanesulfonamide as a white solid ( 0 . 84 g , 27 %): 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 74 ( s , 6h ), 2 . 78 ( d , j = 6 . 4 hz , 2h ), 3 . 11 ( d , j = 5 . 3 hz , 2h ), 4 . 47 ( t , j = 5 . 3 hz , 1h ), 4 . 52 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 02 ( t , j = 6 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 65 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 8 . 25 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ); apci − ms : m / z 301 ( m − h ) − . a mixture of 0 . 66 g ( 2 . 2 mmol ) of n -( 3 - hydroxy - 2 , 2 - dimethyl - propyl )-( 4 - nitro - phenyl )- methanesulfonamide and ˜ 0 . 06 g pd / c 10 % in 50 ml of meoh was shaken on a parr hydrogenator for 3 . 5 h . the catalyst was removed via filtration , and 0 . 273 ml ( 3 . 28 mmol ) of conc . hcl was added . the solvent was removed in vacuo , and the solid residue was redissolved in 20 ml of etoh and added to 0 . 486 g ( 1 . 98 mmol ) of 8 - dimethylaminomethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one . the mixture was heated to reflux for 4 . 5 h and cooled to ambient temperature . the solid was collected by vacuum filtration , washed with water , and dried in a vacuum oven at 70 ° c . to afford the title compound as a yellow solid ( 0 . 66 g , 70 %): mp 229 - 230 ° c . ( dec ); 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 74 ( s , 6h ), 2 . 73 ( d , j = 6 . 4 hz , 2h ), 3 . 08 ( d , j = 5 . 3 hz , 2h ), 4 . 27 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 43 ( t , j = 5 . 3 hz , 1h ), 6 . 84 ( t , j = 6 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 09 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 37 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 7 . 42 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 7 . 77 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 1h ), 8 . 03 ( d , j = 12 . 3 hz , 1h ), 9 . 24 ( s , 1 h ), 10 . 84 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 04 ( d , j = 12 . 3 hz , 1h ); esi − ms : m / z 471 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 22 h 24 n 4 o 4 s 2 . 0 . 5 h 2 o : c , 54 . 87 ; h , 5 . 23 ; n , 11 . 63 ; s , 13 . 32 . found : c , 54 . 90 ; h , 5 . 26 ; n , 11 . 68 ; s , 13 . 25 . 2 - hydroxyimino - n - quinolin - 6 - yl - acetamide was prepared in 61 % yield from 6 - aminoquinoline according to procedure a : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 12 . 4 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 8 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 0 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 8 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 7 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 2 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 81 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 78 ( s , 1h ); c 11 h 9 n 3 o 2 : apci − ms m / z 216 ( m + h ) + . to a 1 - l 3 - neck round bottom flask was placed a magnetic stir bar and 110 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid . the flask was fitted with a thermometer to monitor the temperature of the reaction . the sulfuric acid was heated to 100 ° c . followed by slow addition of 2 - hydroxyimino - n - quinolin - 6 - yl - acetamide ( 26 . 0 g , 0 . 121 mol ). heat to the reaction was maintained for approximately 1 h . the flask was removed from the heat source , and the reaction was poured slowly and carefully onto a mixture of 1 kg of ice and 200 g of sodium carbonate . the residual reaction mixture in the reaction vessel was washed out with an additional 40 ml of cold water . the resulting aqueous slurry was stirred for about 1 h and filtered . the solid was washed thoroughly with water , filtered , and air dried to yield 7 . 31 g ( 31 %) of 3 - h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - f ] quinoline - 1 , 2 - dione : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 11 . 1 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 8 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 7 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 2 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 6 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 4 ( d , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 197 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared in 77 % yield from 3 - h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - f ] quinoline - 1 , 2 - dione and 4 - hydrazinophenylmethane sulfonamide according to procedure g : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 13 . 1 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 5 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 3 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 9 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 0 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 9 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 6 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 6 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 4 ( d , 2h ), 6 . 9 ( d , 1h ), 4 . 3 ( s , 2h ), 2 . 55 ( d , 3h ); apci − ms m / z 396 ( m + h ) + . the title compound was prepared in 16 % yield from 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one and 4 - amino - n -( 1h - indazol - 6 - yl )- benzenesulfonamide according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 12 . 9 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 9 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 4 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 3 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 0 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 8 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 8 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 7 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 6 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 3 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 9 ( d , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 487 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared in 33 % yield from 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one and 4 - amino - n -( thiazol - 2 - yl )- benzenesulfonamide according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 12 . 7 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 2 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 9 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 3 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 8 ( t , 3h ), 7 . 6 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 3 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 2 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 8 ( d , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 456 ( m + h ) + and 454 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared in 26 % yield from 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one and 4 - amino - n -( amino - imino - methyl )- benzenesulfonamide according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 11 . 2 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 9 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 3 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 85 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 8 ( d , 2h ), 2h ), 7 . 4 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 3 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 5 ( d , 1h ), 5 . 7 ( s , 1h ); c 17 h 14 n 6 o 3 s 2 : apci -− ms m / z 415 ( m + h ) + . the title compound was prepared in 37 % yield from 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one and 2 , 2 - dioxo - 1 , 3 - dihydrobenzo [ c ] thiophene - 5 - ylamine according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 11 . 11 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 89 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 27 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 06 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 82 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 47 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 13 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 98 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 5 ( m , 2h ); apci − ms m / z 384 ( m + h ) + . the title compound was prepared in 25 % yield from 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one and 4 - aminophenylmethane sulfonamide according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 11 . 1 ( d , 1 h ), 10 . 9 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 3 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 8 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 5 ( q , 4h ), 7 . 2 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 9 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 2 ( s , 2h ); apci − ms m / z 387 ( m + h ) + . the title compound was prepared in 26 % yield from 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one and n - allyl - 4 - aminophenylmethane sulfonamide according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 11 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 9 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 3 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 8 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 5 ( q , 4h ), 7 . 3 ( t , 1h ), 7 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 5 . 8 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 2 ( d , 1h ), 5 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 4 . 4 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 6 ( t , 2h ); apci − ms m / z 427 ( m + h ) + . the title compound was prepared in 66 % yield from 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one and 4 - methylsulfonylmethylaniline according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 11 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 11 . 0 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 3 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 8 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 5 ( q , 4h ), 7 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 4 . 45 ( s , 2h ), 2 . 9 ( s , 3h ); apci − ms m / z 384 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared from 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one and 4 - amino - n -( 3 - hydroxy - 2 , 2 - dimethyl - propyl ) benzenesulfonamide according to procedure j : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 74 ( s , 6h ), 2 . 52 ( d , j = 6 . 7 hz , 2h ), 3 . 06 ( bs , 2h ), 4 . 43 ( bs , 1h ), 7 . 10 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 32 ( t , j = 6 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 58 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 77 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 81 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 1h ), 8 . 07 ( d , j = 12 . 2 hz , 1h ), 9 . 26 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 91 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 16 ( d , j = 12 . 3 hz , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 457 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 21 h 22 n 4 o 4 s 2 : c , 55 . 01 ; h , 4 . 84 ; n , 12 . 22 ; s , 13 . 98 . found : c , 54 . 90 ; h , 4 . 86 ; n , 12 . 25 ; s , 13 . 94 . the title compound was prepared in 29 % yield from 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one and n -( 3 - trifluoromethylphenyl )- 4 - aminobenzenesulfonamide according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 11 . 2 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 9 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 7 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 3 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 8 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 5 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 1 ( d , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 515 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared in 29 % yield from 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one and 4 - amino - n - pyrimidin - 2 - yl - benzenesulfonamide according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 11 . 18 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 94 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 28 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 52 ( d , 1h ) 8 . 08 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 99 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 84 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 6 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 13 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 06 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 01 ( m , 1h ),; apci − ms m / z 449 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared in 36 % yield from 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one and 4 - amino - n -( 5 - methyl [ 1 , 3 , 4 ] thiadiazol - 2 - yl )- benzenesulfonamide according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d6 ): δ 11 . 2 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 9 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 3 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 8 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 6 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 1 ( d , 1h ); esi − ms m / z 469 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared in 26 % yield from 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one and n - acetyl - 4 - aminobenzenesulfonamide according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 12 . 0 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 2 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 9 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 9 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 6 ( d , 7 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 2 . 0 ( s , 3h ); esi − ms m / z 413 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared in 25 % yield from 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one and n - benzoyl4 - aminobenzenesulfonamide according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 12 . 5 ( br s , 1h ), 11 . 2 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 9 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 3 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 0 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 9 ( t , 3h ), 7 . 65 ( t , 3h ), 7 . 5 ( t , 2h ), 7 . 2 ( d , 1h ); esi − ms m / z 475 ( m − h ) − . 6h - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacene - 7 , 8 - dione was prepared from 6 - aminobenzothiazole according to procedure a : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 7 . 10 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 8 . 31 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 9 . 35 ( s , 1h ), 1 . 19 ( s , 1h ); esi − ms m / z 204 ( m ) − . the title compound was prepared from 6h - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacene - 7 , 8 - dione and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g : mp & gt ; 260 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 39 ( d , j = 5 . 1 hz , 3h ), 7 . 12 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 32 ( q , j = 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 63 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 76 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 99 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 1h ), 9 . 30 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 26 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 69 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 387 ( m ) − . anal . calcd for c 16 h 13 n 5 o 3 s 2 . 0 . 33 h 2 o : c , 48 . 85 ; h , 3 . 50 ; n , 17 . 80 ; s , 16 . 30 . found : c , 48 . 89 ; h , 3 . 40 ; n , 17 . 67 ; s , 16 . 23 . to a solution of 3 . 3 g ( 31 mmol ) of 2 -( 2 - aminoethoxy ) ethanol in 30 ml of meoh was added 7 . 0 g ( 30 mmol ) of n - acetylsulfanilyl chloride , followed by 3 . 3 g ( 33 mmol ) of tea . the reaction mixture was stirred for 30 min at rt and then acidified with 5 ml ( 60 mmol ) of concentrated hcl and stirred at reflux for 75 min . after cooling , the mixture was diluted with 40 ml of water and made basic with solid nahco 3 . meoh was removed on a rotary evaporator , and the residual aqueous solution was extracted with four 50 - ml portions of etoac . the combined extracts were dried over na 2 co 3 , and the solvent was removed on a rotary evaporator to give 4 - amino - n -( 2 -( 2 - hydroxyethoxy ) ethyl )- benzenesulfonamide as a viscous oil ( 7 . 5 g , 96 %): 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 77 ( q , j = 6 . 0 hz , 2h ), 3 . 30 ( t , j = 4 . 9 hz , 2h ), 3 . 31 ( t , j = 6 . 5 hz , 2h ), 3 . 41 ( q , j = 5 . 2 hz , 2h ), 4 . 54 ( t , j = 5 . 5 hz , 1h ), 5 . 89 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 57 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ) 7 . 10 ( t , j = 7 . 37 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 2h ); esi − ms m / s 259 ( m − h ) − . to a solution of 0 . 63 g ( 2 . 4 mmol ) of 4 - amino - n -( 2 -( 2 - hydroxyethoxy ) ethyl )- benzenesulfonamide in 10 ml of thf was added 0 . 10 g ( 2 . 5 mmol ) of 60 % sodium hydride . the mixture was stirred for 1 h at rt , 1 ml of dmso and ˜ 0 . 2 ml (˜ 3 mmol ) of methyl iodide were added to the resulting suspension . the reaction mixture was stirred 2 h at rt and then poured into 15 ml of half saturated nacl solution and extracted with 30 ml of etoac . the organic solution was dried with mgso 4 and concentrated on a rotary evaporator . the residue was chromatographed on silica gel with etoac to give 4 - amino - n -( 2 -( 2 - hydroxyethoxy ) ethyl ) n - methyl - benzenesulfonamide as an oil ( 0 . 43 g , 65 %): 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 59 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 96 ( t , j = 5 . 9 hz , 2h ), 3 . 36 ( t , j = 5 . 2 hz , 2h ), 3 . 43 ( t , j = 5 . 2 hz , 2h ), 3 . 47 ( t , j = 5 . 9 hz , 2h ), 4 . 55 ( t , j = 5 . 4 hz , 1h ), 5 . 99 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 59 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 34 ( d , 8 . 8 hz , 2h ); apci − ms m / z 297 ( m + na ) + . the title compound was prepared from 4 - amino - n -( 2 -( 2 - hydroxyethoxy ) ethyl )- n - methyl - benzenesulfonamide and 8ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - i - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one according to procedure j : mp 165 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 71 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 11 ( t , j = 5 . 6 hz , 2h ), 3 . 37 ( t , j = 5 . 0 hz , 2h ), 3 . 44 ( dt , j = 5 . 1 , 5 . 0 hz , 2h ), 3 . 52 ( t , j = 5 . 6 hz , 2h ), 4 . 56 ( brt , j = 5 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 10 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 61 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 81 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 8 . 06 ( d , j = 12 . 0 hz , 1h ), 9 . 25 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 91 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 16 ( d , j = 12 . 0 hz , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 474 m − . anal . calcd for c 21 h 22 n 4 o 5 s 2 . h 2 o : c , 51 . 21 ; h , 4 . 91 ; n , 11 . 37 . found : c , 51 . 18 ; h , 4 . 88 ; n , 11 . 33 . a solution of 2 . 3 g ( 6 . 3 mmol ) of toluene4 - sulfonic acid 2 -{ 2 -[ 2 -( 2 - methoxy - ethoxy )- ethoxy ]- ethoxy }- ethyl ester and ˜ 4 ml (˜ 60 mmol ) of ammonium hydroxide in 10 ml of ethanol was stirred overnight at ˜ 60 ° c . the solvent was removed on a rotary evaporator , and the residue was sequentially redissolved in ethanol and concentrated several times . the residue was then dissolved in ethanol , treated with ˜ 1 . 5 ml of tea and concentrated on a rotary evaporator . this residue was dissolved in 10 ml of thf , and 1 . 4 g ( 6 . 0 mmol ) of 4 - n - acetylsulfanilyl chloride and 1 ml ( 7 mmol ) of tea were added . the reaction mixture was stirred 1 . 5 h at rt and then 30 min at reflux . the solution was concentrated onto silica gel and chromatographed with an etoac to 5 % meoh / etoac gradient to give 4 - n -( 2 -{ 2 -[ 2 -( 2 - methoxy - ethoxy )- ethoxy ]- ethoxy }- ethyl ) sulfonamidophenyl ] acetamide as an oil ( 1 . 92 g , 79 %): 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 83 ( q , j = 5 . 9 hz , 2h ), 3 . 19 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 48 ( m , 14h ), 7 . 52 ( t , j = 5 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 68 ( d , j = 9 . 0 hz , 2h ), 7 . 72 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 10 . 27 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 403 ( m − h ) − . a solution of 1 . 9 g ( 4 . 7 mmol ) of n -[ 4 -( 2 -{ 2 -[ 2 -( 2 - methoxy - ethoxy ] ethoxy }- ethoxyethylsulfamoyl ) phenyl ]- acetamide and 0 . 45 g ( 4 . 7 mmol ) of methanesulfonic acid in 15 ml of ethanol was stirred at ˜ 70 ° c . for 1 d . excess tea was added and the solvent was removed on a rotary evaporator . the residue was applied to a short column of silica gel and eluted with etoac to give 4 -( n -( 2 -{ 2 -[ 2 -( 2 - methoxyethoxy ) ethoxy ] ethoxy } ethyl )- sulfonamidoaniline as an oil ( 1 . 2 g , 70 %): 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 76 ( q , j = 6 . 0 hz , 2h ), 3 . 20 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 32 ( t , j = 6 . 2 hz , 2h ), 3 . 37 - 3 . 48 ( m , 12h ), 5 . 88 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 56 ( d , j = 8 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 11 ( t , j = 6 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 37 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ); apci − ms m / z 361 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared from 4 -( n -( 2 -{ 2 -[ 2 -( 2 - methoxyethoxy )- ethoxy ] ethoxy } ethyl ) sulfonamidoaniline and 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one according to procedure j : mp 158 - 159 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 87 ( dt , j = 5 . 6 , 5 . 6 hz , 2h ), 3 . 17 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 33 - 3 . 38 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 38 - 3 . 47 ( m , 10h ), 7 . 10 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 58 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 63 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 77 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 81 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz 1h ), 8 . 06 ( br d , j = 8 . 9 hz , 1h ), 9 . 25 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 91 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 16 ( br d , j = 110 . 8 hz , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 561 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 25 h 30 n 4 o 7 s 2 . 0 . 33 h 2 o : c , 52 . 81 ; h , 5 . 43 ; n , 9 . 85 . found : c , 52 . 81 ; h , 5 . 29 ; n , 9 . 82 . the title compound was prepared from 5 , 6 - dimethyl - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g in 32 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 22 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 24 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 72 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 23 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 36 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 52 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 77 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 10 . 93 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 71 ( s , 1h ). apci − ms m / z 343 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 16 h 16 n 4 o 3 s : c , 55 . 80 , h . 4 . 68 ; n , 16 . 27 ; s , 9 . 31 . found c , 55 . 78 , h , 4 . 74 ; n , 16 . 37 ; s , 9 . 22 . condensation of n -( 6 - hydroxy - 2 , 3 - dioxo - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indol4 - yl ) acetamide and 4 - hydrazino - n - methyl - benzylsulfonamide hydrochloride according to procedure g gave the title compound in 4 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 04 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 51 ( d , j = 4 . 8 hz , 3h ), 4 . 24 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 45 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 84 ( t , j = 4 . 8 hz 1h ), 7 . 30 ( s , 4h ), 7 . 82 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 12 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 20 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 77 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 50 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 416 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared from 6 - chloro - 5 - methoxy - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione ( pajouhesh et al ., journal of pharmaceutical sciences 1983 , 72 , 318 - 21 ) and 4 - sulfonamido - phenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 3 . 88 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 93 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 25 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 35 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 59 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 76 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 10 . 97 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 78 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 379 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 15 h 13 n 4 o 4 cis : c , 47 . 31 ; h , 3 . 44 ; n , 14 . 71 ; cl , 9 . 31 s , 8 . 42 . found : c , 47 . 57 ; h , 3 . 71 ; n , 14 . 93 ; cl , 9 . 11 s , 8 . 17 . 5 - hydroxy - 6 - isopropyl - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione was prepared from 3 - isopropyl4 - hydroxyaniline according to procedure a : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 1 . 12 ( d , j = 6 . 8 hz , 6h ), 3 . 21 ( septet , j = 6 . 9 hz , 1h ), 6 . 62 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 82 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 51 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 61 ( s , 1h ); esi − ms m / z 204 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared from 5 - hydroxy - 6 - isopropyl - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and 4 - sultfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 1 . 12 ( d , j = 7 . 0 hz , 6h ), 3 . 21 ( septet , j = 6 . 8 hz , 1h ), 6 . 62 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 97 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 21 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 45 ( d , j = 8 . 9 hz , 2h ), 7 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 9 . 11 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 70 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 74 ( s , 1h ); esi − ms m / z 373 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 17 h 18 n 4 o 4 s : c , 54 . 53 ; h , 4 . 85 ; n , 14 . 96 ; s , 8 . 56 . found : c , 54 . 37 ; h , 4 . 95 ; n , 14 . 84 ; s , 8 . 48 . n -( 6 - hydroxy - 2 , 3 - dioxo - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indol - 4 - yl ) acetamide was prepared from 6 - amino - 2 - methylbenzoxazole ( heleyova , et al ., collection of czechoslovakian chemical communications 1996 , 61 , 371 - 80 ) according to procedure a in 12 % overall yield . condensation of n -( 6 - hydroxy - 2 , 3 - dioxo - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indol - 4 - yl ) acetamide and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g gave the title compound in 6 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 55 ( s , 3h ), 7 . 13 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 23 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 57 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 76 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 78 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 12 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 67 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 370 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 16 h 15 n 5 o 4 s : c , 51 . 75 , h , 3 . 53 ; n , 18 . 86 ; s , 8 . 86 . found c , 51 . 50 , h , 3 . 61 ; n , 18 . 69 ; s . 8 . 49 . 5 - acetyl - 1 , 5 , 6 , 7 - tetrahydro - pyrrolo [ 2 , 3 - f ] indole - 2 , 3 - dione was prepared from 1 - acetyl - 5 - aminoindoline according to procedure a in 90 % yield : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 11 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 16 ( t , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 4 . 06 ( t , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 6 . 78 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 02 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 87 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 229 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 12 h 10 n 2 o 3 . 0 . 3 h 2 o : c , 61 . 17 ; h , 4 . 53 ; n , 11 . 89 . found : c , 60 . 91 ; h , 4 . 62 ; n , 12 . 10 . the title compound was prepared from 5 - acetyl - 1 , 5 , 6 , 7 - tetrahydro - pyrrolo [ 2 , 3 - f ] indole - 2 , 3 - dione and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g in 53 % yield : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): d2 . 13 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 13 ( t , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 4 . 06 ( t , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 6 . 79 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 22 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 48 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 76 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 8 . 24 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 96 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 78 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 422 ( m + na ) + . anal . calcd for c 18 h 17 n 5 o 4 s : c , 54 . 13 ; h , 4 . 29 ; n , 17 . 53 ; s , 8 . 03 . found : c , 53 . 85 ; h , 4 . 23 ; n , 17 . 28 ; s , 7 . 89 . the title compound was prepared from 5h -[ 1 , 3 ] dioxolo [ 4 , 5 - f ] indole - 6 , 7 - dione ( lackey and stembach , synthesis 1993 , 993 - 7 ) and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride in 55 % yield as an orange crystalline solid following procedure g : mp & gt ; 220 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 12 . 63 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 89 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 73 ( d , j = 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 50 ( d , j = 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 22 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 13 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 56 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 00 ( s , 2h ). anal . calcd for c 15 h 12 n 4 o 5 s : c , 50 . 00 ; h , 3 . 36 ; n , 15 . 55 . found : c , 50 . 08 ; h , 3 . 35 ; n , 15 . 49 . a solution of 0 . 10 9 ( 0 . 44 mmol ) of 5 - acetyl - 1 , 5 , 6 , 7 - tetrahydro - pyrrolo [ 2 , 3 - f ] indole - 2 , 3 - dione in 3 ml of conc . hbr was heated to 100 ° c . for 18 h . the mixture was cooled to ambient temperature , diluted with 10 ml of water and filtered . the filtrate was concentrated in vacuo and added to a solution of 0 . 05 g ( 0 . 2 mmol ) 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride in 5 ml of etoh . the mixture was heated to 80 ° c . for 1 h and cooled to ambient temperature . the resulting solid was collected by vacuum filtration , washed with water and dried in a vacuum oven at 70 ° c . to afford the title compound as a tan solid ( 0 . 026 g , 17 %): mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 3 . 17 ( t , j = 7 . 8 hz , 2h ), 3 . 69 ( t , j = 7 . 8 hz , 2h ), 6 . 96 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 25 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 52 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 57 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 77 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 10 . 65 ( bs , 2h ), 11 . 24 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 73 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 356 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 16 h 15 n 5 o 3 s . 0 . 9 hbr . 0 . 5 h 2 o : c , 43 . 75 ; h , 3 . 88 ; n , 15 . 94 ; s , 7 . 30 . found : c , 44 . 01 ; h , 4 . 14 ; n , 15 . 70 ; s , 7 . 12 . 4 , 6 - dichloro - 5 - methoxy - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione was prepared from 3 , 5 - dichloro - 4 - hydroxyaniline according to procedure a in 91 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 3 . 81 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 98 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 26 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 244 / 246 / 248 ( m − h ) − . condensation of 4 , 6 - dichloro - 5 - methoxy - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione with 4 - hydrazino - n - methyl - benzylsulfonamide according to procedure g gave the title compound in 59 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 58 ( d , j = 4 . 7 hz , 3h ), 3 . 84 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 33 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 93 ( q , j = 4 . 7 hz , 1h ), 6 . 99 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 41 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 7 . 51 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 11 . 31 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 99 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z441 / 443 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 17 h 16 cl 2 n 4 o 4 s : c , 46 . 06 , h , 3 . 64 ; cl , 15 . 99 ; n , 12 . 64 ; s , 7 . 23 . found c , 45 . 80 , h , 3 . 55 ; cl , 16 . 20 ; n , 12 . 57 ; s , 7 . 11 . 4 - chloro - 5 - hydroxy - 6 - methyl - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione was prepared from 3 - chloro - 4 - hydroxy - 5 - methyl aniline according to procedure a and employing flash chromatography ( hexanes : etoac 1 : 1 ) to isolate the desired isomer : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 35 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 67 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 17 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 81 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 210 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 9 h 6 no 3 cl : c , 51 . 08 ; h , 2 . 85 ; n , 6 . 62 ; cl , 16 . 75 . found : c , 51 . 20 ; h , 2 . 90 ; n , 6 . 67 ; cl , 16 . 85 . the title compound was prepared from 4 - chloro - 5 - hydroxy - 6 - methyl - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g in 95 % yield : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 26 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 69 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 28 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 57 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 82 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 8 . 84 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 02 ( s , 1h ), 13 . 00 ( s , 1h ), apci − ms : m / z 379 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 15 h 13 n 4 o 4 cis : c , 47 . 31 ; h , 3 . 44 ; n , 14 . 71 ; cl , 9 . 31 ; s , 8 . 42 . found : c , 47 . 20 ; h , 3 . 47 ; n , 14 . 64 ; cl , 9 . 41 ; s , 8 . 32 . 5 - hydroxy - 4 , 6 - dimethyl - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione was prepared from 4 - hydroxy - 3 , 5 - dimethylaniline according to procedure a . the title compound was prepared from 5 - hydroxy - 4 , 6 - dimethyl - 1h - indole - 2 , 3 - dione and 4 - sulfonamidophenylhydrazine hydrochloride according to procedure g : mp & gt ; 250 ° c . ; 1h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 2 . 18 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 47 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 50 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 22 ( s , 2 ), 7 . 44 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 77 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 99 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 78 ( s , 1h ), 12 . 98 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms : m / z 359 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 16 h 16 n 4 o 4 s . 0 . 25 h 2 o : c , 52 . 67 ; h , 4 . 56 ; n , 15 . 35 ; s , 8 . 79 . found : c , 52 . 69 ; h , 4 . 47 ; n , 15 . 33 ; s , 8 . 87 . the title compound was prepared in 68 % yield from 3 - hydroxymethylene - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one and 5 - aminoindazole according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 13 . 1 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 8 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 4 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 6 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 0 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 8 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 6 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 4 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 0 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 8 ( d , 1h ); c 16 h 12 n 4 o 2 : esi − ms m / z 275 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared in 79 % yield from 3 - hydroxymethylene - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one and 6 - aminoindazole according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 13 . 02 ( s , 1h ), 10 . 86 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 51 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 7 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 0 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 74 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 63 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 51 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 15 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 02 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 94 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 85 ( d , 1h ); esi − ms m / z 275 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared in 56 % yield from ethoxymethylene - 5 - oxazol - 5 - yl - 1 , 3 - dihydro - indol - 2 - one and n - methyl4 - aminophenylmethanesulfonamide hydrochloride according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 10 . 72 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 67 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 71 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 37 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 43 - 7 . 34 ( m , 7h ), 6 . 89 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 28 ( s , 2h ), 2 . 54 ( d , 3h ); apci − ms m / z 409 ( mh ) − . the title compound was prepared in 54 % yield from 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one and 5 - aminobenzotriazole according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 11 . 18 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 9 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 23 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 12 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 96 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 78 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 48 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 1 ( d , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 333 ( m − h ) − . the title compound was prepared in 24 % yield from 3 - h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - f ] quinoline - 1 , 2 - dione and 4 - hydrazinobenzene sulfonamide hydrochloride according to procedure g : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 13 . 12 ( s , 1h ), 11 . 64 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 32 ( d , 1h ), 9 . 01 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 13 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 9 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 69 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 62 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 33 ( s , 2h ). apci − ms m / z 368 ( mh ) + . 3 - methylthio - 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid isobutyl ester was prepared in 59 % yield from isobutyl 4 - aminobenzoate according to procedure d : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 93 ( d , j = 6 . 6 hz , 6h ), 1 . 93 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 98 ( septet , j = 6 . 6 hz , 1h ), 4 . 02 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 62 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 92 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 79 ( s , j = 1h ), 7 . 86 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 10 . 91 ( s , 1h ); esi − ms m / z 302 ( m + 23 ) − . zinc reduction of 3 - methylthio - 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid isobutyl ester according to procedure δ provided 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid isobutyl ester in 99 % yield : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 93 ( d , j = 6 . 6 hz , 6h ), 1 . 97 ( septet , j = 6 . 6 hz , 1h ), 3 . 53 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 99 ( d , j = 6 . 6 hz , 2h ), 6 . 88 ( d , j × 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 75 ( s , j = 1h ), 7 . 82 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 10 . 72 ( s , 1h ); esi − ms m / z 256 ( m + 23 ) + . conversion of 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid isobutyl ester to 3 -[( dimethylamino ) methylene ]- 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid isobutyl ester ( mixture of e and z isomers ) was accomplished in 75 % yield according to procedure g : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 94 z ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 6h ), 0 . 94 e ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 6h ), 1 . 94 - 2 . 01 z and e ( m , 2h ), 3 . 30 z ( s , 6h ), 3 . 32 e ( s , 6h ), 3 . 97 - 3 . 99 z and e ( m , 4h ), 6 . 75 z ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 83 e ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 47 e ( s , 1h ), 7 . 53 z ( d , j =. 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 59 e ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 73 z ( s , 1h ), 7 . 88 z ( s , 1h ), 7 . 98 e ( s , 1h ), 10 . 34 z ( bs , 1h ), 10 . 44 e ( bs , 1h ); esi − ms m / z 289 ( m + 1 ) + . the title compound was prepared in 66 % yield from 3 -[( 1 ( dimethylamino ) methylene ]- 2 - oxo - 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indole - 5 - carboxylic acid isobutyl ester and 4 - aminobenzenesulfonamide hydrochloride according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 0 . 96 ( d , j = 6 . 6 hz , 6h ), 2 . 01 ( septet , j = 6 . 6 hz , 1h ), 4 . 04 ( d , j = 6 . 6 hz , 2h ), 6 . 93 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 26 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 60 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 71 ( dd , j = 1 . 6 , 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 76 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 8 . 27 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 86 ( d , j = 12 . 5 hz , 1h ), 10 . 83 ( d , j = 12 . 5 hz , 1h ), 10 . 95 ( s , 1h ); apci − ms m / z 414 ( m − h ) − . anal . calcd for c 20 h 21 n 3 o 5 s : c , 57 . 82 , h , 5 . 09 ; n , 10 . 11 ; s , 7 . 72 . found c , 57 . 91 , h , 5 . 16 ; n , 10 . 02 ; s . 7 . 65 . to a 250 ml round bottom flask was added 50 ml of dry pyridine , 4 -( aminomethyl ) pyridine ( 10 . 4 9 , 50 . 0 mmol ) and a magnetic stir bar . the mixture was stirred and cooled to 0 ° c . under nitrogen followed by the addition of n - acetylsulfanilyl chloride ( 12 . 8 g , 55 . 0 mmol ) the resultant mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . under nitrogen for 5 min , and the reaction was allowed to warm to rt and stirred for 16 h . the reaction mixture was concentrated to a thick residue and poured onto about 500 g of ice and water . the residue in the flask was rinsed into the ice and water with 25 ml of meoh to precipitate the n - acetyl sulfanilamide . the resultant precipitate was filtered , washed with excess water and dried under vacuum at 50 ° c . the solid was suspended in 75 ml of 1 n hydrochloric acid and heated to 100 ° c . until all starting material had been consumed . the reaction mixture was cooled and neutralized with ammonium hydroxide . the precipatate was filtered and dried under vacuum at 50 ° c . to yield 5 . 78 g , 43 . 9 % of 4 - amino - n -( 4 - aminomethylpyridinyl )- benzenesulfonamide : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 8 . 42 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 76 ( t , 1h ), 7 . 39 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 22 ( d , 2h ), 6 . 56 ( d , 2h ), 5 . 91 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 89 ( d , 2h ); apci − ms m / z 264 ( mh ) + . the title compound was prepared in 33 % yield from 8 - ethoxymethylene - 6 , 8 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 3 , 6 - diaza - as - indacen - 7 - one and 4 - amino - n -( 4 - aminomethylpyridinyl ) benzenesulfonamide according to procedure j : 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ 11 . 15 ( d , 1h ), 10 . 9 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 24 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 44 ( d , 2h ), 8 . 24 ( m , 1h ), 8 . 05 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 81 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 76 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 56 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 24 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 1 ( d , 1h ), 4 . 01 ( d , 2h ); apci − ms m / z 464 ( mh ) + the compounds of the present invention can be administered in such oral ( including buccal and sublingual ) dosage forms as tablets , capsules ( each including timed release and sustained release formulations ), pills , powders , granules , elixirs , tinctures , suspensions , syrups and emulsions . likewise , they may also be administered in nasal , ophthalmic , otic , rectal , topical , intravenous ( both bolus and infusion ), intraperitoneal , intraarticular , subcutaneous or intramuscular inhalation or insufflation form , all using forms well known to those of ordinary skill in the pharmaceutical arts . the dosage regimen utilizing the compounds of the present invention is selected in accordance with a variety of factors including type , species , age , weight , sex and medical condition of the patient ; the severity of the condition to be treated ; the route of administration ; the renal and hepatic function of the patient ; and the particular compound or salt thereof employed . an ordinarily skilled physician or veterinarian can readily determine and prescribe the effective amount of the drug required to prevent , counter or arrest the progress of the condition . oral dosages of the present invention , when used for the indicated effects , will range between about 0 . 1 to 100 mg / kg of body weight per day , and particularly 1 to 10 mg / kg of body weight per day . oral dosage units will generally be administered in the range of from 1 to about 250 mg and more preferably from about 25 to 250 mg . the daily dosage for a 70 kg mammal will generally be in the range of about 70 mg to 7 grams of a compound of formula i or ii . while the dosage to be administered is based on the usual conditions such as the physical condition of the patient , age , body weight , past medical history , route of administrations , severity of the conditions and the like , it is generally preferred for oral administration to administer to a human . in some cases , a lower dose is sufficient and , in some cases , a higher dose or more doses may be necessary . topical application similarly may be once or more than once per day depending upon the usual medical considerations . advantageously , compounds of the present invention may be administered in a single daily dose , or the total daily dosage may be administered in divided doses of two , three or four times daily . the compounds of the invention can be prepared in a range of concentrations for topical use of 0 . 5 to 5 mg / ml of suitable solvent . a preferred volume for application to the scalp is 2 ml , resulting in an effective dosage delivered to the patient of 1 to 10 mg . for treatment of chemotherapy - induced alopecia , administration 1 to 2 times prior to chemotherapy administration would be preferred , with additional applications administered as needed . a similar regimen can be pursued for treatment of alopecia induced by radiation therapy . furthermore , preferred compounds for the present invention can be administered in intranasal form via topical use of suitable intranasal vehicles , or via transdermal routes , using those forms of transdermal skin patches well known to those of ordinary skill in that art . to be administered in the form of a transdermal delivery system , the dosage administration will , of course , be continuous rather than intermittent throughout the dosage regimen . in the methods of the present invention , the compounds herein described in detail can form the active ingredient , and are typically administered in admixture with suitable pharmaceutical diluents , excipients or carriers ( collectively referred to herein as “ carrier ” materials ) suitably selected with respect to the intended form of administration , that is , oral tablets , capsules , elixirs , syrups and the like , and consistent with conventional pharmaceutical practices . for instance , for oral administration in the form of a tablet or capsule , the active drug component can be combined with an oral , non - toxic pharmaceutically acceptable inert carrier such as ethanol , glycerol , water and the like . powders are prepared by comminuting the compound to a suitable fine size and mixing with a similarly comminuted pharmaceutical carrier such as an edible carbohydrate , as , for example , starch or mannitol . flavoring , preservative , dispersing and coloring agent can also be present . capsules are made by preparing a powder mixture as described above , and filling formed gelatin sheaths . glidants and lubricants such as colloidal silica , talc , magnesium stearate , calcium stearate or solid polyethylene glycol can be added to the powder mixture before the filling operation . a disintegrating or solubilizing agent such as agar - agar , calcium carbonate or sodium carbonate can also be added to improve the availability of the medicament when the capsule is ingested . moreover , when desired or necessary , suitable binders , lubricants , disintegrating agents and coloring agents can also be incorporated into the mixture . suitable binders include starch , gelatin , natural sugars such as glucose or beta - lactose , corn sweeteners , natural and synthetic gums such as acacia , tragacanth or sodium alginate , carboxymethylcellulose , polyethylene glycol , waxes and the like . lubricants used in these dosage forms include sodium oleate , sodium stearate , magnesium stearate , sodium benzoate , sodium acetate , sodium chloride and the like . disintegrators include , without limitation , starch , methyl cellulose , agar , bentonite , xanthan gum and the like . tablets are formulated , for example , by preparing a powder mixture , granulating or slugging , adding a lubricant and disintegrant and pressing into tablets . a powder mixture is prepared by mixing the compound , suitably comminuted , with a diluent or base as described above , and optionally , with a binder such as carboxymethyicellulose , an aliginate , gelatin , or polyvinyl pyrrolidone , a solution retardant such as paraffin , a resorption accelerator such as a quaternary salt and / or an absorption agent such as bentonite , kaolin or dicalcium phosphate . the powder mixture can be granulated by wetting with a binder such as syrup , starch paste , acadia mucilage or solutions of cellulosic or polymeric materials and forcing through a screen . as an alternative to granulating , the powder mixture can be run through the tablet machine and the result is imperfectly formed slugs broken into granules . the granules can be lubricated to prevent sticking to the tablet forming dies by means of the addition of stearic acid , a stearate salt , talc or mineral oil . the lubricated mixture is then compressed into tablets . the compounds of the present invention can also be combined with free flowing inert carrier and compressed into tablets directly without going through the granulating or slugging steps . a clear or opaque protective coating consisting of a sealing coat of shellac , a coating of sugar or polymeric material and a polish coating of wax can be provided . dyestuffs can be added to these coatings to distinguish different unit dosages . oral fluids such as solution , syrups and elixirs can be prepared in dosage unit form so that a given quantity contains a predetermined amount of the compound . syrups can be prepared by dissolving the compound in a suitably flavored aqueous solution , while elixirs are prepared through the use of a non - toxic alcoholic vehicle . suspensions can be formulated by dispersing the compound in a non - toxic vehicle . solubilizers and emulsifiers such as ethoxylated isostearyl alcohols and polyoxy ethylene sorbitol ethers , preservatives , flavor additive such as peppermint oil or saccharin , and the like can also be added . where appropriate , dosage unit formulations for oral administration can be microencapsulated . the formulation can also be prepared to prolong or sustain the release as for example by coating or embedding particulate material in polymers , wax or the like . the compounds of the present invention can also be administered in the form of liposome delivery systems , such as small unilamellar vesicles , large unilamellar vesicles and multilamellar vesicles . liposomes can be formed from a variety of phospholipids , such as cholesterol , stearylamine or phosphatidylcholines . compounds of the present invention may also be delivered by the use of monoclonal antibodies as individual carriers to which the compound molecules are coupled . the compounds of the present invention may also be coupled with soluble polymers as targetable drug carriers . such polymers can include polyvinylpyrrolidone , pyran copolymer , polyhydroxypropylmethacrylamidephenol , polyhydroxyethylaspartamidephenol , or polyethyleneoxidepolylysine substituted with palmitoyl residues . furthermore , the compounds of the present invention may be coupled to a class of biodegradable polymers useful in achieving controlled release of a drug , for example , polylactic acid , polepsilon caprolactone , polyhydroxy butyric acid , polyorthoesters , polyacetals , polydihydropyrans , polycyanoacrylates and crosslinked or amphipathic block copolymers of hydrogels . the present invention includes pharmaceutical compositions containing 0 . 01 to 99 . 5 %, more particularly , 0 . 5 to 90 % of a compound of the formula ( ii ) in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . parenteral administration can be effected by utilizing liquid dosage unit forms such as sterile solutions and suspensions intended for subcutaneous , intramuscular or intravenous injection . these are prepared by suspending or dissolving a measured amount of the compound in a non - toxic liquid vehicle suitable for injection such as aqueous oleaginous medium and sterilizing the suspension or solution . alternatively , a measured amount of the compound is placed in a vial and the vial and its contents are sterilized and sealed . an accompanying vial or vehicle can be provided for mixing prior to administration . non - toxic salts and salt solutions can be added to render the injection isotonic . stabilizers , preservations and emulsifiers can also be added . rectal administration can be effected utilizing suppositories in which the compound is admixed with low - melting water - soluble or insoluble solids such as polyethylene glycol , cocoa butter , higher ester as for example flavored aqueous solution , while elixirs are prepared through myristyl palmitate or mixtures thereof . topical formulations of the present invention may be presented as , for instance , ointments , creams or lotions , eye ointments and eye or ear drops , impregnated dressings and aerosols , and may contain appropriate conventional additives such as preservatives , solvents to assist drug penetration and emollients in ointments and creams . the formulations may also contain compatible conventional carriers , such as cream or ointment bases and ethanol or oleyl alcohol for lotions . such carriers may be present as from about 1 % up to about 98 % of the formulation . more usually they will form up to about 80 % of the formulation . for administration by inhalation the compounds according to the invention are conveniently delivered in the form of an aerosol spray presentation from pressurized packs or a nebulizer , with the use of a suitable propellant , e . g . dichlorodifluoromethane , trichlorofluoromethane , dichlorotetrafluoroethane , tetrafluoroethane , heptafluoropropane , carbon dioxide or other suitable gas . in the case of a pressurized aerosol the dosage unit may be determined by providing a valve to deliver a metered amount . capsules and cartridges of e . g . gelatin for use in an inhaler or insufflator may be formulated containing a powder mix of a compound of the invention and a suitable powder base such as lactose or starch . the preferred pharmaceutical compositions are those in a form suitable for oral administration , such as tablets and liquids and the like and topical formulations . the compounds of the present invention have valuable pharmacologic properties . different compounds from this class are particularly effective at inhibiting the cdk1 and cdk2 enzymes at concentrations which range from 0 . 0001 to 1 μm and additionally show specificity relative to other kinases . substrate phosphorylation assays were carried out as follows : cyclin dependent protein kinase assays utilized the peptides biotin - aminohexyl - aakakktpkkakk and biotin - aminohexyl - arrpmspkkka - nh 2 as phosphoryl group acceptors . cdk1 and cdk2 were both expressed utilizing a baculovirus expression system and were partially purified to comprise 20 - 80 % of total protein , with no detectable competing reactions present . typically , assays were performed by incubating either enzyme ( 0 . 2 - 10 nm ), with and without inhibitor , one of the two peptide substrates ( 1 - 10 nm ), [ γ - 32 p ] atp ( 1 - 20 nm ), and 10 - 20 mm mg 2 + for periods of time generally within the range 10 - 120 min . reactions were terminated with 0 . 2 - 2 volumes of either 20 % acetic acid or 50 - 100 mm edta buffered to ph 7 ( substrate consumption & lt ; 20 %). the buffer employed in enzyme assays was either 30 mm hepes 7 . 4 containing 0 . 15 m nacl and 5 % dmso , the buffer 50 mm mops 7 . 0 containing 0 . 15 m nacl and 5 % dmso , or the buffer 100 mm hepes ph 7 . 5 containing 0 . 1 mg / ml bsa and 5 % dmso . inhibitors were diluted in 100 % dmso prior to addition into the assay . detection of peptide phosphorylation was accomplished by scintillation counting following either collection of peptide onto phosphocellulose filters ( for reactions stopped with acetic acid ), collection of peptide in wells of 96 well plates coated with streptavidin ( pierce ) ( reactions were stopped with edta ), or addition of avidin coated scintillant impregnated beads ( scintillation proximity assays from amersham , reactions were stopped with edta ). counts detected by any of these methodologies minus the appropriate background ( assays with additional 40 mm edta or lacking peptide substrate ) were assumed to be proportional to the reaction initial rates , and ic50s were determined by a least squares fit to the equation cpm = v max ( 1 −([ i ]/ k +[ i ])))+ nsb , or pic50s were determined by a fit to the equation cpm = nsb +( v max − nsb )/( 1 +( x / 10 x − pic 50 )), where nsb are the background counts . ul97 was produced as a gst fusion protein from a baculovirus vector expressed in sf9 cells as described by he ( he , et al ., journal of virology 1997 , 71 , 405 - 11 ). ul97 was assayed as a protein kinase using 32 p transfer from atp to histone h2b with detection of radiolabeled histone bound to phosphocellulose . assay mixes for testing inhibitors of ul97 activity contained 2 mm [ γ 32 p ]- atp , 15 mm histone h2b , 50 mm sodium ches , ph 9 . 5 , 1 m nacl , 2 mm dithiothreitol and 10 mm mgcl 2 . inhibitors were dissolved in diluted dmso to give a final dmso concentration in the reaction of 1 % dmso . after incubation at 20 ° c ., the reactions were terminated by addition of 10 volumes of 75 mm phosphoric acid , 30 mm atp , 1 mm edta , then were spotted onto phosphocellulose filters and washed four times with 75 mm phosphoric acid . radioactivity was determined by liquid scintillation counting . src / lck the peptide substrates used in src and lck assays were biotin - aminohexyl - eeiygef - nh 2 ( src ) and biotin - aminohexyl - eaiygvlfakkk - nh 2 ( lck ). the src and ick proteins were purified to homogeneity from a baculovirus expression system and preactivated before adding to assay mixtures . the maximum activation was achieved by incubating concentrated enzyme ( 10 - 30 mm ) on ice for 40 min in the presence of 1 mm atp and 10 mm mgcl 2 in 100 mm hepes , ph 7 . 5 . the activated enzyme was diluted to 2 nm into a 50 - ml reaction mixture containing 100 mm hepes , ph 7 . 5 , 5 mm atp , 10 mm mgcl 2 , 2 mm peptide , 0 . 05 mg / ml bsa , and an inhibitor at varying concentrations and with or without 8 mci / ml [ γ - 33 p ] atp dependent upon the method of analysis for the extent of reaction . the controls were reactions in the presence ( negative controls ) or absence ( positive controls ) of 50 mm edta . reactions were allowed to proceed for 30 min at room temperature and quenched with addition of edta to 50 mm in 220 ml . the extent of reactions was analyzed in one of the two ways : an elisa - based and a radioactive isotope - based . the quenched samples ( 200 ml ) were transferred to a neutravidin coated plate ( perice ) and incubated at room temperature for 40 min to allow biotinylated peptide to bind to neutravidin . the unbound peptide and the rest of the solution was washed away using a plate washer . in the elisa format , a 200 ml hrp - py20 anti phosphotyrosine antibody conjugate solution was added . after incubation for about 30 min , the plated was washed to remove unbound antibody - hrp conjugate . an elisa substrate , k - blue ( neogen ), was added and the elisa reaction quenched with red - stop ( neogen ) after 15 min . the plate was read at a 625 in a plate reader . in the isotope - based format , the reactions had been performed in the presence of [ γ - 33 p ] atp . 200 ml scintiverce db was added to each well of the plate with bound biotin - peptide . the plate was sealed and counted in a micro - b - counter ( wallac ). ic 50 values were obtained by fitting raw data to a 625 ( cpm )= v max ( 1 -([ i ]/( ic 50 +[ i ])))+ b , where b is background . the peptide substrate used in the vegfr - 2 assay was biotin - aminohexyl - eeeeyfelvakkkk - nh 2 . the kinase domain of the enzyme was purified to homogeneity from a baculovirus expression system . the enzyme was preactivated on ice for 15 min in the presence of 100 pm atp and 20 mm mgcl 2 , and stored at − 80 ° c . until needed for assay . the activated enzyme was diluted to 0 . 4 nm into a 60 μl reaction containing 100 mm hepes , ph 7 . 5 , 5 μm atp , 10 mm mgcl 2 , 5 μm peptide , 0 . 1 mm dtt , 0 . 05 mg / ml bsa , and an inhibitor at varying concentrations . the controls were reactions in the presence ( negative controls ) or absence ( positive controls ) of 50 mm edta . reactions were incubated for 30 min at room temperature , and then quenched by the addition of edta to 60 mm in 210 μl . the quenched samples ( 190 μl ) were transferred to a neutravidin - coated plate ( pierce ) and incubated at room temperature for 40 min to allow biotinylated peptide to bind to the neutravidin . the unbound components of the reaction were removed by washing with a plate washer , then 200 μl hrp - py20 anti - phosphotyrosine antibody conjugate was added to each well . after incubation for 40 min . the plate was washed to remove any unbound antibody . a hrp substrate , k - blue ( neogen ) was added and the reaction was quenched with red stop ( neogen ) after 20 min . the absorbance of the wells was read at a 650 in a plate reader . ic 50 values were obtained by fitting raw data to a 650 = v max * ( 1 −[ i ]/ ic 50 +[ i ])))+ b , where b is background . the results shown in table 2 summaries representative data : table 2 illustrates the inhibitory activity of compounds of the present invention against several different kinases ( cdk2 , cdk1 , csrc , lck , ul97 , and vegfr2 ). as may be expected in light of the specific inhibitory activity of these compounds against several kinases involved in growth regulation , the compounds of this invention have antiproliferative properties which can be directly demonstrated in several cell proliferation assays . the results shown in table 3 summarise some of these data for three different cell proliferation assays : mut , facs and g1 - s progression . these assays are described below . compounds are tested for their ability to inhibit cell proliferation and cell viability . the metabolic conversion of 3 -( 4 , 5 - dimethylthiazol - 2 - yl )- 2 , 5 - diphenyltetrazolium bromide ( mtt , sigma # m2128 ) to a reduced form is a commonly used measure of cellular viability . following is the procedure : cells are maintained in 75 cm 2 tissue culture flasks until ready for use . the cells are grown and plated for the assay in dulbecco &# 39 ; s modified eagle &# 39 ; s media ( dmem ) containing 10 % fetal bovine serum . for example , the following cell lines can be used : a ) human foreskin fibroblasts ( hff ); b ) ht29 ( human colon carcinoma cell line ); c ) mda - mb - 468 ( human breast carcinoma cell line ); d ) rko ( human colon adenocarcinoma cell line ); e ) sw620 ( human colon carcinoma cell line ); f ) a549 ( human lung carcinoma cell line ); and g ) mia paca ( human pancreatic carcinoma cell line ). cells are maintained at 37 ° c . in 10 % co 2 , 90 % humidified air . cells are plated in 96 - well tissue culture plates at the densities listed below . 100 μl of cell suspension is added to each well of the 96 - well plate except the top row of the plate which contains no cells and serves as a reference for the spectrophotometer . cells are incubated overnight in dmem containing 10 % fetal bovine serum at 37 ° c . in 10 % co 2 , 90 % humidified air prior to dosing . cells are dosed in 10 sequential 3 - fold dilutions starting at 30 μm depending upon the solubility of the compound . compounds with solubilities of less than 30 μm are dosed at the highest soluble concentration . stock solutions of compounds are made in 100 % dimethyl sulfoxide ( dmso ). stock solutions are diluted in dmem containing 100 μg / ml gentamicin and 0 . 3 to 0 . 6 % dmso at the twice the highest concentration to be placed on the cells . if compounds have been dissolved in dmso the final concentration of dmso on the cells is kept below 0 . 3 %. three - fold serial dilutions are performed on each compound to prepare 10 concentrations of the compound for dosing . 100 μl of diluted compound is added to the 100 μl of media currently on the dish . for each concentration of compound , 24 replicate wells are prepared . cells are returned to incubator and allowed to proliferate in the presence of compound for 72 h before addition of mtt . mtt is prepared in phosphate buffered saline ( irvine scientific # 9240 ) at a concentration of 2 mg / ml . 50 μl per well of mtt solution is added to the 200 μl of media to yield a final concentration of 0 . 4 mg / ml and plates are returned to the incubator for 4 h . after 4 h incubation the media , compound and mtt mixture is aspirated from the plates and 100 = l of 100 % dmso is added to each well in addition to 25 μl of sorenson &# 39 ; s buffer ( 0 . 1m glycine , 0 . 1m nacl , ph 10 . 5 ). quantitation of metabolic reduction of mtt in each plate is performed by reading optical density at 570 nm wavelength on a molecular devices uvmax microplate reader . growth inhibition curves and 50 % inhibitory concentrations are determined using microsoft excel . the antiproliferative activity of the compounds of the present invention against a variety of normal or tumour cell lines can also be demonstrated by flow cytometry . these assays allow determination of both cell death and changes in cell cycle profile in cells following treatment of the compound . the assay is performend as follows : 1 . cells are incubated in dmem to which 10 % fcs has been added in a humidified incubator at 37 ° c . and 5 % by volume of co 2 in air . the cells are innoculated in 6 - well plates at a density of 0 . 5 - 5 × 10 5 cells per well . 2 . the test compound is added in serial dilutions 24 - 36 h after plating in 0 . 5 % dmso . the plates are then incubated a further 72 h in the presence of the compound . during this time , cells in control cultures undergo at least three cell divisions . 3 . after incubation , the media is collected and cells are harvested by trypsinization . the cells and media are pooled and pelleted by centrifugation . 4 . the cell pellet is fixed in a final volume of 3 ml of 50 % ice cold meoh and incubated for a minimum of 30 min at − 20 ° c . 5 . the cells are pelleted by centrifugation and resuspended in 0 . 5 ml pbs containing 1 % fcs , 10 mg / ml propidium iodide ( pi ) and 5 mg / ml rnase a and incubated 30 min at 37 ° c . in the dark . 6 . the samples are analysed by flow cytometry using the relative incorporation of pi as a measure of dna content of each cell . the % dead cells is recorded as % of events with less than 2n dna . the ic 50 values for the compound are determined as the concentration of compound which results in 50 % cell death relative to the control cultures . the compounds of the present invention give ic 50 values from 0 . 1 to & gt ; 25 mmol / l . the compounds of the present invention additionally display ic 50 values for cell killing of 5 - to 30 - fold lower in several tumour cell lines , including the rko and sw620 colon tumours , mda mb468 breast tumour , h460 lung tumour and mes /. sa ovarian tumour cell lines , as compared to normal epithelial or fibroblast cell lines and therefore discriminate between normal cell lines and tumour derived cell lines for toxicity . this assay is designed to determine the ability of compounds to inhibit progression of cells from g1 into s - phase . cdk2 has been shown to be required for progression into s - phase in normal fibroblastic cells and therefore inhibition of this activity will prevent progression from g1 - s . this assay therefore provides a rapid assessment of activity consistent with the inhibition of cdk2 in a cell - based format . the protocol is as follows : ( 1 ) grow human diploid fibroblasts ( hdf - 3 ) in 100 mm tissue culture dish to confluency . ( 2 ) plate 6 - 7 × 103 3 cells / well in a 96 well plate in 100 μl of dmem . ( 3 ) after 16 - 17 h add various dilutions of test compounds ( 0 . 045 - 100 μm ). dilute compound in dmem containing dmso and add 100 μl to each well so that the dmso conc . is 0 . 6 - 0 . 8 % in 200 μl final volume . ( 4 ) two h after addition of compound , add 20 ul of 100 μm br du ( final conc . 10 μm ) make 100 μm solution in dmem from 10 mm stock solution . ( 5 ) after 4 h , add 200 μl pbs to each well and remove the contents of the wells by inverting the plate and soaking on to the paper towel . repeat the washing step three times , with 400 ul pbs each time . ( 6 ) fix the cells and denature the dna by adding 200 μl fixation / denaturation solution to each well for 30 - 40 min . ( 7 ) remove the fixation / denaturation solution by tapping the plate on the paper towel and add 75 ul of anti brdu peroxidase antibody to each well . ( dilute the antibody to 0 . 1 u / ml from 15 u / ml stock in pbs containing 1 % bsa , fraction v ). incubate the plate o / n at 4 ° c . ( 8 ) remove the antibody solution and wash wells four times with 400 μl of pbs . let the wash solution stay for 3 - 4 min during each wash . ( 9 ) drain the wells and add 100 μl of chemiluminiscence elisa reagent ( prepare the reagent 15 - 20 min before use to bring it to rt by mixing 100 parts of reagent a with 1 part of reagent b ). ( 10 ) read the plate in a luminometer . take 2 - 3 readings within 6 - 7 min . perform the following controls : deoxybromouridine ( brdu ), anti brdu peroxidase antibodies , fixation / denaturation solution , chemiluminiscence reagent and bsa fraction v , were obtained from boehringer mannheim . the 96 - well white plate with clear bottom were purchased from coming costar corporation . dulbecco &# 39 ; s modified eagle medium containing high glucose , l - glutamine and pyridoxine hcl was obtained from gibco brl . the compounds of the present invention prevent progression of normal fibroblasts into s - phase with ic 50 values ranging from 0 . 05 - 10 μm . this inhibition of g1 - s progression is consistent with these compounds acting as inhibitors of cdk2 . results of these cell - based assays with representitive compounds are summarized in table 3 . hdf are normal diploid fibroblast cells . rko are colon adenocarcinoma cells and mes / sa are ovarian carcinoma cells . inhibitors of members of the cdk family of kinases find utility as agents in the treatment of a wide variety of disorders which have a proliferative component or which involve regulation of cyclin dependent kinase function . these include cancers , restenosis , psoriasis , and actinic keratosis . the tumour inhibitory activity of the compounds of the present invention can be demonstrated in vivo . the tumour inhibiting activity is determined using swiss nu / nu female mice in which the human rko colon adenocarcinoma has been implanted subcutaneously . in this assay , the compounds induce a marked reduction in the average tumour volume compared to vehicle treated controls . the present invention demonstrates methodologies by which the onset of cell death in normal proliferating cells induced by chemotherapeutic drugs may be prevented by the prior treatment with inhibitors of cyclin dependent kinases . this may be useful to decrease the severity of chemotherapy - induced side effects due to killing of normal cells . these side effects may include , but are not limited to alopecia , mucocitis ( nausea and vomiting , diahrea , oral lesions ), neutropenia and thrombocytopenia . inhibitors of cyclin dependent kinases cdk2 and cdk4 prevent the progression of normal cells into both s - phase ( dna synthesis ) or m - phase ( mitosis ), reducing their susceptibility to incur damage by certain chemotherapeutic drugs which act in those phases of the cell cycle . when the compounds of the present invention are used in conjunction with chemotherapeutic agents , they reduce the severity of chemotherapy - induced side effects . the protective effects of these compounds can be demonstrated in tissue culture using normal diploid fibroblasts . cells are plated 36 h prior to the administration of the compounds of the present invention , which are dosed at or above the ic 50 concentrations determined by the g1 checkpoint assay . cells are then treated with cytotoxic compounds anywhere from 0 to 24 h after treatment with the compounds of the present invention . cells are incubated with the combination of the cytotoxic and the compound of the present invention from 3 to 72 h . cytotoxic drugs include , but are not limited to taxanes , vinca alkyloids , anthracyclins , etoposide , mitoxantrone , topoisomerase i inhibitors , and ara c . cell death may be recorded by morphological observation , or by assessment by mtt or facs analysis . the compounds of the present invention reduce the amount of cell death when used in combination with cytotoxics , as compared to the cytotoxic alone . the chemoprotective activity of these agents has additionally been demonstrated in vivo . protection from chemotherapy - induced alopecia is determined in 7 day old sprague - dawley rat pups . the treatment is carried out by administering the compounds topically to the head of the animal in doses from 0 . 01 to 10 mg / kg 2 h before and 2 h after the administration of a single dose of 6 mg / kg etoposide intraperitoneally . six days after dosing , animals are scored visually for hair loss using a grading scale from 1 ( complete hair loss ) to 4 ( no apparent hair loss ). in this assay , the prior treatment of the animal with the compound of this invention results in a marked reduction in the severity of alopecia compared to vehicle treated controls . under the above described conditions of treatment , the compounds of the present invention also protect against other toxicities of etoposide . animals treated with etoposide alone show a dramatic lack of weight gain compared to untreated animals . animals treated with the compounds of the present invention in combination with etoposide , in the schedule indicated above , gain weight normally and even exceed the body weight of control , untreated animals . the compounds of the present invention additionally show an additive or synergistic effect on cell kill when dosed in combination with cytotoxic drugs in tumour cells ( but not normal cells ). this can be demonstrated by pretreating normal fibroblasts or rko colon carcinoma cells with the compounds of the present invention ( at concentrations that equals the ic50 in the g1 checkpoint assay ) for 4 h prior to the administration of cytotoxic drug . cytotoxic drugs include , but are not limited to taxanes , vinca alkyloids , anthracyclins , etoposide , mitoxantrone , topoisomerase i inhibitors , and ara c . this synergistic effect may also be shown in vivo . neonatal sprague - dawley rats bearing ward syngeneic tumours are dosed with a combination of etoposide with the compound of the present invention as described above for the protection experiments . animals dosed in such a manner show an increased antitumour effect as compared to animals dosed with etoposide alone . the compounds of the present invention may therefore be administered systemically to animals in combination with cell - cycle specific cytotoxic drugs to both increase the antitumour effect of the cytotoxic as well as reduce the severtiy of side effects of the cytotoxic drug . this will allow the dose of cytotoxic to be escalated to further improve antitumor activity without increasing the host toxicity of the cytotoxic . the compounds of the present invention may also be used in combination with radiation treatment to show similar protection of normal cells from the effects of radiation and may be used as radiosensitizers to increase the tumour killing by radiation therapy . the compounds of the present invention which are inhibitory for cdk4 or cdk6 activity will selectively inhibit cell cycle progression in cells which retain a functional retinoblastoma protein . thus , it will be expected that inhibition of cdk4 will systemically protect normal dividing cells , including the g1 and oral mucosa , hematopoietic cells and cells in the hair follicle , but be unable to protect tumour cells with loss of rb function , either by deletion or mutation . this implies that compounds which inhibit cdk4 will be useful as systemically administered cytoprotectant drugs in patients with tumours which have lost rb , with no protective effect on the tumour itself . such compounds could be expected to allow for increased dosing frequency and dose escalation of the cytotoxic regimens in these patients , improving the outcome of the patient . the compounds from the present invention will also have utility in the treatment of viral infections . the antiviral activity of these compounds can be demonstrated in cytomegalovirus ( cmv ) and human papillomavirus ( hpv ) replication assays . the lcw for inhibition of cmv replication ranges from 0 . 05 to 5 μm . mrc - 5 human lung fibroblasts ( passage # 27 - 30 ) were were cultured in minimal essential medium with added 8 % v / v fetal calf serum , 2 mm l - glutamine , 100 units / ml penicillin g , and 100 μg / ml streptomycin sulfate , ( mem 8 - 1 - 1 ). incubation was at 37 ° c . in air plus 5 % co 2 . cells were inoculated into 96 - well plates at ˜ 7 × 10 3 cells / well and incubated a further 3 days to confluence (˜ 2 × 10 4 cells / well ). medium is removed from each well down to 20 μl and 150 pfu of hcmv ( strain ad169 ) suspended in 25 μl of medium mem 2 - 1 - 1 ( same as mem 8 - 1 - 1 above , but with 2 % v / v fetal calf serum ) is added . ( moi ˜ 0 . 013 ). plates are centrifuged at 1500 rpm for 10 min at 25 ° c . and incubated 90 min at 37 ° c . 180 μl of medium mem 2 - 1 - 1 containing compounds is added to give a range of final concentrations from 0 . 01 to 100 mm . multiple plates are set up for each combination with one mock - infected plate for estimation of cytotoxicity . plates are then incubated at 37 ° c . in air plus 5 % co 2 for six days ( two rounds of viral replication ). cytotoxicity is estimated microscopically on the mock - infected plates , and the infected plates were harvested by decanting the medium from the wells . cells are lysed by adding 50 μl of 0 . 1 m tris cl ( ph 8 ), 50 mm edta , 0 . 2 % sds , and 0 . 1 mg / ml proteinase k to each well and incubating 1 h at 55 ° c . the lysates were diluted with 150 μl of water and extracted by mixing with 65 μl phenol saturated with 0 . 01 m tris cl ( ph 8 ) and 1 mm edta . the plates were centrifuged at 2200 rpm for 15 min . next , 50 μl of the aqueous layer was transferred to a new 96 - well plate and mixed with 50 μl of 0 . 5 n naoh . after incubation at 95 ° c . for 15 min , the samples were made to 1 . 5 m ammonium acetate , 0 . 15 m ammonium h 2 phosphate , 5 mm edta , ph 6 . 5 ( ape buffer ), and blotted onto brl supported nitrocellulose ( cat # 1465mh ) membranes under vacuum each well was washed with 200 μl ape buffer . the samples were crosslinked to the membrane with uv light . the hybridization probe was prepared from cosmids pc7s31 & amp ; pcs37 ( sullivan , et al ., antimicrobial agents & amp ; chemotherapy 1993 , 37 , 19 - 25 ). these contain the hcmv ad169 sequences from nucleotides 102 , 000 to 143 , 300 and 51 , 600 to 92 , 900 , respectively . the probe is a 1 : 1 mixture of the two cosmids labeled with α -[ 32 p ]- dctp prehybridization of the membranes is carried out in 6 × sspe , 1 % ficoll , 1 % polyvinylpyrrolidine , 1 % bsa , 0 . 5 % sds , and 50 pg / ml salmon sperm dna at 45 ° c . for 2 to 12 h . the prehybridization solution was replaced with hybridization solution ( 6 × sspe , 0 . 5 % sds , 50 μg / ml salmon sperm dna ) containing 1 × 10 6 cpm / ml of each heat - denatured probe . hybridization was for 16 h at 65 ° c . the membranes were then washed as follows : 6 × sspe with 0 . 5 % sds , room temperature , 2 × for 2 min ; 1 × sspe with 0 . 5 % sds , 65 ° c ., 2 × for 15 min ; 0 . 1 × sspe with 0 . 5 % sds , 65 ° c ., once for 1 h . the membranes were blotted dry and wrapped in saran wrap for quantitation by phosphorlmager . the counts of the drug dilution wells were compared to the counts of untreated control wells to produce a response curve and were used to calculate the ic 50 values . these ic 50 values were calculated by weighted linear regression according to the hill equation . the compounds of the present invention may also be used for the treatment of other conditions mentioned in connection with modulators of cdk activity . in particular for the treatment of diseases that respond to inhibition of cdk activity , including protection of cells from infection by other viruses and treatment of alzheimers . furthermore , these compounds will have utility in the specific inhibition of non - human cdk activities , such as the aspergillus fumigatus cdc2 homologue and will therefore be useful in the treatment of fungal or other eukaryotic infections . the compounds of the present invention also inhibit other kinases . in particular , these compounds show affinity for the src tyrosine kinase . the src tyrosine kinase participates in a variety of fundamental processes within the cell , including signal transduction from cell - surface receptors , apoptosis and cell division . compounds which are able to inhibit the src tk find utility as tumour inhibitory and antinflammatory agents . these compounds are also useful for the prevention of osteoporosis and bone building by inhibition of src in osteoctasts ( tanaka , et al ., nature 1996 , 383 , 528 - 31 ). in addition , the compounds of this invention are suitable for other utilities mentioned in connection with src modulators , and they can be used in particular for the treatment of diseases that respond to the inhibition of the src tyrosine kinase . while the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes , modifications and substitutions can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , effective dosages other than the preferred dosages as set forth herein above may be applicable as a consequence of variations in the responsiveness of the mammal being treated for cancer conditions , or for other indications for the compounds of the invention as indicated above . likewise , the specific pharmacologic responses observed may vary according to and depending upon the particular active compound selected or whether there are present certain pharmaceutical carriers , as well as the type of formulation and mode of administration employed , and such expected variations or differences in the results are contemplated in accordance with the objects and practices of the present invenion . it is intended , therefore , that the invention be limited only by the scope of the claims which follow and that such claims be interpreted as broadly as is reasonable .	2
referring now to fig1 , there is shown the proposed design for my invention ( 10 ) depicted in cross section . as illustrated , the biomass carrier ( 10 ) of my invention consists of a specific geometric design of the carrier framework . referring now to fig3 , there is illustrated the specific morphology for the surfaces ( 12 ), ( 14 ), and ( 16 ) of the biomass carrier illustrated in fig1 . fig1 depicts the preferred embodiment of the biomass carrier ( 10 ) using surface morphology pattern ( 12 ). however , the biomass carrier could accommodate any of the alternative patterns ( 14 ) or ( 16 ) depicted in fig2 . the profile of the preferred embodiment of the biomass carrier ( 10 ) has a substantially hollow rectangular body with rounded corners ( 18 ), ( 20 ), ( 22 ) and ( 24 ). for the sake of reference , the biomass carrier comprises four walls : top ( 26 ), bottom ( 28 ), left ( 30 ) and right ( 32 ). the body is hollow to permit mass transfer there through . inside these four walls are equally spaced vertical parallel partitions ( 34 ) ( 36 ), ( 38 ), ( 40 ) and ( 42 ) and a single transverse support member ( 44 ). the intersection of the partitions and the support member results in the formation of a plurality of cells ( 46 ) within the carrier body ( 10 ) having a reticulated matrix pattern . the distance ( 41 ) between the vertical parallel partitions is uniform . in other embodiments of the invention there may be additional parallel partitions and transverse support ribs to provide appropriate control on the dimensions of the cells ( 46 ) according to production methods and requirements . the cells have a width ( 47 ) and a length ( 49 ). referring now to fig2 which is the same figure as fig1 , the biomass carrier ( 10 ) further comprises a width ( 48 ) and a height ( 50 ). the biomass carrier also has a predetermined thickness which is not illustrated in fig1 . each of the four walls has an outside surface ( 52 ) to ( 58 ) and an inside surface ( 60 ) to ( 66 ). each of the parallel partitions has two parallel surfaces ( 68 ) and ( 70 ). the transverse support rib also has two parallel surfaces ( 72 ) and ( 74 ). located on each of the inside surfaces of the walls and the parallel surfaces of the parallel partitions are a plurality of equally spaced projections ( 76 ). these projections are integral to the walls , have rounded tips and a height ( 78 ) and are separated by separations ( 80 ) having a width ( 82 ) and a depth ( 84 ) equal to the height ( 78 ) of the projections ( 76 ). they depend inwards from the walls , that is , towards the interior of the cells . referring to fig1 , 2 and 3 , there are a number of considerations for determining the above - identified design characteristics of the preferred embodiment of my biomass carrier . consider , first the surface morphology of the biomass carrier as that most directly influences its sndn capabilities . the biomass carrier design must allow for the highest bulk liquid dissolved oxygen level consistent with maintaining appropriate anoxic micro - sites . in my biomass carrier there are alternating projections ( 76 ) and recesses ( 80 ) across the previously identified inside surfaces of the cells of the carrier . upon these surfaces , the biomass in the form of a bio - film ( 85 ) grows so as to establish a relatively thick layer ( 86 ) in the recesses ( 80 ) and a thinner layer ( 88 ) over the projections ( 76 ). the bio - film thickness on conventional biomass carriers in conditions anticipated for this invention would be expected to be in the range of 0 . 3 mm to 0 . 8 mm , with a typical value of 0 . 5 mm . with the present invention and under similar operating conditions , the bio - film thickness ( 86 ) in the separation areas will be considerably thicker than this , ranging from 0 . 6 mm to 1 . 3 mm while the thickness ( 88 ) of the bio - film in the projection areas is expected to be close to the typical value of 0 . 5 mm . consequently , my biomass carrier will carry more biomass than an equivalent projected area of a conventional ( flat ) carrier surface under the same operating conditions . in addition , bio - film in well protected separation areas ( 80 ) will tend to slough at a slower frequency than projection areas ( 76 ) allowing the development of an older bio - film with higher autotroph populations ( to facilitate nitrification ) as well as anoxic regions to promote de - nitrification . the depth and width and shape of separations must be optimized to balance several considerations : ( 1 ) tendency to slough biomass , thereby affecting bio - film depth and age ; ( 2 ) oxygen diffusion ; ( 3 ) substrate transport between aerobic and anoxic conditions ; and , ( 4 ) ease of manufacture . appropriate dimensions for the separation ( 80 ) under typical operating conditions are as follows : maximum depth ( 84 ) of 1 mm , with separations bounded by projections such that separations have a width ( 82 ) of approximately 1 . 4 mm . variations in these dimensions are appropriate depending on the specific process application , however , the height of the projections ( 78 ) should be within the range of 0 . 5 - 2 mm with the ratio of separation width ( 82 ) to depth ( 84 ) falling in the range of 1 . 2 : 1 to 3 : 1 . all three surface morphologies depicted in fig3 are acceptable for my biomass carrier . however the preferred embodiment is pattern a ( 12 ). unlike the other two patterns b ( 16 ) and c ( 18 ), pattern a provides 4 interfaces between thin and thick bio - film areas per separation . under typical operating circumstances , the bio - film will be thinner at the projection tips and the centre of the separation than in the corner areas of the separation resulting in two such interfaces between tip and corner and two such interfaces between corner and centre per separation . this increased interface area provides a diffusion advantage . in addition , pattern a is more easily produced to exact tolerances in the manufacturing process . anoxic sites will be preferentially located in the separation corners ( 90 ). the next consideration is the placement of defined morphologies in my biomass carrier ( 10 ). many carriers employ a general tubular shape with one or more concentric rings and several radial partitions . this results in apertures that have a low aspect ratio ( square - like or pie shaped ). as with a pipe cross section , as bio - film grows , it reduces both the diameter for flow as well as the area of interface between the bio - film and the bulk liquid . flow in tubular conduits ( or apertures in this case ) is proportional to the square of the diameter . as the diameter of the pipe decreases the rate and amount of bio - film growth also decreases due to : ( 1 ) a reduction in the flow diameter ( and therefore flow velocities ); and , ( 2 ) a reduction in the area for diffusion between bulk liquid and bio - film . with my biomass carrier the intention is to develop bio - films that are thicker , on average , than those possible with prior art carriers while at the same time maximizing the mass flow through the biomass carrier . however , with the use of a plurality of rectangular cells ( 46 ) there would normally be severe mass transfer problems through the carrier as the bio - film increased in thickness . to overcome this , i have introduced the benefits of flow between parallel plates , namely , the parallel walls of the cells ( 46 ). by introducing the projections ( 78 ) inside of each cell , the mass flow through each cell is optimized without the deleterious effects caused by an increase in bio - film thickness . for example , in the preferred embodiment ( 10 ) ( momentarily ignoring the prominences ), each cell ( 46 ) has a width ( 47 ) of approximately 4 . 1 mm and a length ( 49 ) of approximately 10 mm . this has the same hydraulic radius as a circular aperture 5 . 8 mm in diameter . in addition , as bio - film thickness increases , the deleterious effect on total bio - film / bulk fluid contact area is less pronounced than with lower aspect ratio apertures . in summary , for the intended application of this invention , surfaces can be most tightly spaced if apertures between the surfaces are elongated . this results in the ability to achieve higher specific surface area values without counterproductive mass transfer effects . it follows that opposing projections should be spaced apart as much as possible to maintain an open channel , to the extent possible . the preferred embodiment ( 10 ) has spacing between the partitions ( 42 ) ( ignoring projections ) of 4 . 1 mm , however , values in the range of 3 to 6 mm are feasible for this embodiment depending on the specific process application and the dimensions selected for projections . finally , we address the overall configuration of the carrier ( 10 ). the overall size and aspect ratio of the carrier is based on several considerations : ( 1 ) the need for dimensions large enough make the carrier practical to contain in a reactor with simple screens ; ( 2 ) the need for sufficient size and mass to encourage acceptable internal flow velocities in aerated biomass carrier reactors . small , light carriers have low drag coefficients are more readily carried along with the water flow and consequently can have low internal flow velocities ; ( 3 ) the need for high fill fraction capability which is influenced by both size and aspect ratio ; and , ( 4 ) practical manufacturing considerations particularly total protected surface area extrudable per machine per hour . consideration of the above factors in the light of practical experience has led to the selection of an overall size of 28 . 6 mm in length ( 50 ) by 21 . 9 mm in width ( 48 ). the cut thickness is dependant on the specific application and can vary from approximately 10 mm to 25 mm . variations in the cross - sectional dimensions are permissible by including more or fewer of the patterned cells ( 46 ). for example , cells can be added to the length ( 50 ) of the profile . the predetermined first aspect ratio of length to width is approximately 1 . 3 : 1 , however , ratios up to 3 : 1 are considered to be practical . for example , a carrier designed on the basis of the upper or lower half of the preferred embodiment as depicted , would be acceptable and would have an aspect ratio of approximately 2 . 6 : 1 . the cells ( 46 ) should have high aspect ratios . however , there are practical limitations imposed by the manufacturing process such as the need for rigidity and uniform distance ( 41 ) between the vertical partitions in the carrier . in the preferred embodiment , the predetermined second aspect ratio is approximately 3 : 1 . values between 2 . 5 and 4 . 0 are acceptable and feasible . however , the distance ( 41 ) must conform to the guidelines stated above . the carrier is preferably made from a plastic such as hdpe . however , the composition may optionally be amended by the addition of a uv retardant such as carbon black as well as other amendments designed to optimize the specific gravity . in recent experimental work , i have observed that the specific gravity of a biomass carrier has significant impact on the ability of the carrier to be entrained by water circulating throughout bioreactors . this effect is most pronounced at start - up before the media has wetted out and developed a significant bio - film or in process situations where bio - films are ordinarily thin . as bio - film develops , the natural buoyancy of the carrier is reduced and motion is enhanced . nonetheless , there are numerous situations with conventional carriers where the amount of air required to move the media satisfactorily exceeds the amount required to fulfill biochemical requirements , resulting in a significant incremental expenditure of energy . an example would be a nitrification application , where the invention &# 39 ; s large surface area and well protected niches will be advantageous for the growth of nitrifying bacteria but where average bio - film thickness can be expected to be small . in such situations , a carrier with optimized specific gravity can result in significant energy savings . practical experience by this inventor has indicated that a specific gravity in the range of 0 . 975 and 0 . 995 with a preferred value of 0 . 985 being close to ideal for most applications . although the description above contains much specificity , these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some presently preferred embodiments of this invention . thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given .	8
referring to the accompanying drawing and initially to fig1 a sparger 10 of generally cylindrical form and having a centrally located bore 15 is formed from spherical particles contained in a thermosetting resin . the sparger 10 has an inlet 11 by which a gas can be introduced into bore 15 . when immersed in a liquid and a gas under pressure is introduced into a central opening or bore 15 , the gas flows through the sparger 10 to the outer surface 12 forming bubbles in the liquid . as shown sparger 10 has a gas - impermeable layer of resin 13 cured on and covering the end of the sparger opposite the inlet 11 thereby preventing the formation of bubbles on that end . in fig2 a portion of sparger 10 is shown embedded in mounting material for microscopic observation with one surface ground off to a plane and seen as viewed under a microscope with magnification of 50 diameters . the variation in diameter of the bead shown in cross section is caused by the difference in the amount of the bead extending above the surface before grinding . originally the particles were of substantially the same diameter with some variation . spherical glass particles or beads 16 having a diameter of about 540 microns are integrally bonded to each other and to other beads 18 located below the plane of grinding by a thermosetting resin matrix 20 which as shown coats and surrounds each bead and is confluent at the points of contact 22 . interstices 24 are free from resin and are interconnected forming interconnecting passages throughout the sparger and terminating at the surface . surface 12 is formed by resin covered spherical particles and therefore presents a typical &# 34 ; pebbly &# 34 ; appearance with openings between the particles where the interconnecting passages in the body of the sparger terminate at the surface . for making the sparger of this invention , many types of particulate material , such as glass , ceramics and metal , preferably smooth - surfaced substantially spherical particles , can be bonded together by use of various thermosetting resins . spherical particles are preferred since they are free flowing and conform readily to molding cavities which allows the formation of spargers with more complex internal and external rather than simple right cylinders or the like . the preferred starting material for the composite filter body consists of substantially spherical ( spheroidal ) glass beads . glass beads having average or mean diameters in the range of 30 to 900 microns and spheroidal in shape are available allowing the formation of spargers having uniform porosity in a variety of micronic ratings . for my particular purpose the particles are selected to be within a relatively narrow size range , i . e ., substantially all of the particles having diameters + or - 20 percent of the mean diameters . however , because glass beads are sized by screening methods , the actual spread of diameters may be somewhat greater . as used herein , &# 34 ; substantially uniform &# 34 ; means the spheroidal particles generally of such size range , but not containing many particles of much greater or much smaller diameter as these would tend to increase the packing density to an undesirable degree . the beads are coated with a solid thermosetting , but uncured resin . this can readily be done by first coating them with a tacky resin and then overcoating with a nontacky , uncured or partially cured thermosetting resin system as described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 175 , 935 . the epoxy resin system can also be deposited from solvents , the solvent being evaporated to leave a solid , nontacky coating of uncured resin on the particle , e . g ., by utilizing fluidized bed coating techniques or the like . the glass beads when so coated are a dry , free - flowing mass having particulate cores adherently coated with a solid , nontacky thermoadhesive . the amount of resin used is from 10 to 15 percent or more by weight of the particles . smaller beads or particles have more surface and therefore require the larger amount of resin . because the mass of coated particles used to form a sparger or molded body in the process of this invention is not subjected to extreme pressure , the resin displaced in the molding step is substantially less in volume than that needed to fill all the spaces between the glass beads calculated on the volume of the beads . the pore size of the molded articles of the invention is measured in terms of &# 34 ; micronic rating &# 34 ; as described in astm e 128 - 61 . porous bodies with a high micronic rating are made with the large diameter beads and vice versa . representative thermosetting resins which can be used to coat the particulate material used in this invention include epoxides ( such as those based on epichlorohydrin and bis - phenol a , epoxy - novolak resins and cycloalaphatic epoxy resins ), polyesters , polyurethanes , polyisocyanurates and phenolics . u . s . pat . no . 3 , 175 , 935 discloses particularly useful epoxy resins for this purpose . reference is also made to a compilation of resins useful in the practice of this invention in plastics engineering handbook , rhinehold publishing corporation , third edition ( 1960 ), pp . 8 - 39 . the coated particulate material is used to form the sparger configuration desired . prior to pressing in a die or mold , a small amount of a lubricant such as glycerol , peanut oil , mineral oil or liquid wax can be added to the resin - coated glass beads to aid in the pressing step . such lubricants can be added in the range of 0 . 1 to 5 percent based on the weight of the glass beads with a preferred range being 0 . 5 to 1 percent . the mixture of coated particles and lubricant is pressed into the die employing constant pressure . this operation can be performed in a single or double action die . the pressures utilized in the practice of the process of this invention are generally from about 0 . 35 to 3515 kg / cm 2 with a preferred range of pressures being from 1 to 350 kg / cm 2 . in general , the lower pressures are used so as to keep the die wall friction and particle - to - particle friction to the lowest possible levels and to avoid displacing the resin coating from the beads at the point of contact . ideally , only sufficient pressure is used to ensure that each of the coated particles is in contact with other particles and to adhere the coated particles to each other at the points of contact . the temperature of the die cavity during the pressing step is generally elevated , being in the range of from 40 ° to 230 ° c with a preferred temperature range being between 65 ° and 120 ° c . some curing may be initiated during the pressing , particularly when higher temperatures are used . after thus pressing to form a green article , the green body can be removed from the mold for curing or cured in the mold with pressure released . the thermosetting resin coat on the glass beads is cured as by heating the green article to the curing temperature for several minutes to 24 hours depending upon the type of resin , a practically preferred cure cycle 1 / 2 to 4 hours . many of the commercially available epoxy resins have a cure cycle of 1 / 2 to 1 hour at about 190 ° c and have been found satisfactory to form an integrally consolidated structure containing numerous interconnecting passageways and suitable for spargers . the curing temperature at which the cure cycle is carried out will generally be from about 90 ° to 260 ° c with a preferred range of 170 ° to 230 ° c . during the cure cycle , the resin softens , flows to become confluent at the points of contact between particles and cures around the particles to form a matrix which bonds the particles together . the coating of cured resin remains on the surface of the particle , thus serving to surround and separate the particles . in order to maintain structural shape during curing , it may be desirable after removal from the mold to support the green structure in a bed of coarse refractory material during the curing cycle . examples of suitable supporting materials include coarse alumina , silica , magnesia or sodium chloride . the type of refractory used is not critical in most cases as the temperatures used for curing of the thermosetting resins are considerably below those temperatures at which the refractory material begins to sinter and such supporting materials are readily chosen to be nonreactive with the thermosetting resins employed . the glass beads useful in the practice of this invention , particularly when pressed with a lubricant , conform readily to complex mold geometrics and may be used to press spargers having internal cavities . however , it may be desirable in some instances to warm press a porous block of coated particulate material and cure the resin forming a block suitable for further machine forming . the cured article may be drilled or machined using conventional machining techniques well known in the art without significantly impairing the surface of the machined article . normally , machining operations &# 34 ; smear &# 34 ; the surface leaving deposits of material which have been deformed on the surface of the machined article and impair the porosity on the machined surface . no such smearing is observed in the spargers of this invention which have been machined from a cured block of glass bead - epoxy resin composite owing to the brittle nature of the composite . in some cases , it may be desirable to seal a portion of the sparger , such as one end , to make a portion of the sparger gas impermeable . for example , in blood oxygenation , it is desirable to have the bubbles flow only from the lateral surface of the sparger and to have few if any bubbles escaping from the end surface of the sparger . the sparger of this invention may be selectively rendered nonporous over portions of the sparger tube by sealing with a thermosetting resin , such as those resins hereinbefore described as useful in forming the matrix which consolidates the particulate material . the thermosetting resin may be applied to the formed sparger and then cured in a separate step or may be applied prior to the curing cycle and cured at the same time as the green sparger is cured . the resulting sparger forms uniform bubbles in the nonsealed portions of the sparger but exudes few if any bubbles from the sealed portions . the bubbles emitted from the spargers of this invention at any given pressure drop are a function of the pore size ( size of the interconnecting passageways ) of the matrix . the pore size in the articles of this invention is essentially dependent upon the size of glass beads ; however , the porous nature may also be a function of the pressure applied during molding , amount of the resin coating applied to the glass beads or the resin coating compositions used . the process employed and the spargers thereby produced are further illustrated by the following examples in which all parts are by weight unless otherwise stated . the spargers have been assigned a pore size rating based on a bubble point test as set forth in astm e 128 - 61 . one hundred parts of spherical glass beads having mean diameter of 200 microns ( size range 177 - 250 microns ) were coated with 15 parts of a thermosetting epoxy resin ( available as &# 34 ; scotchkote &# 34 ; 112 , described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 175 , 935 together with the process for coating the beads ) and the resulting thermosetting epoxy resin - coated beads were blended with 1 / 2 part glycerin . the mixture was warm pressed at 82 ° c . in a double action die at a pressure of 280 kg / cm 2 for 1 / 2 minute . the resulting cylinder was 3 / 4 inch ( 1 . 9 cm .) in diameter by 21 / 2 inches ( 6 . 35 cm .) in length . the cylinder was coated on one end by adding additional thermosetting resin to the top of the mold and repressing the structure at 280 kg / cm 2 and 82 ° c . for about 5 seconds . the resulting green molded cylinder was supported in a bed of coarse - grained alumina and cured in an air furnace at 190 ° c . for 1 / 2 hour . a portion of the resulting cylinder was cut from the uncapped end leaving the cylinder 21 / 8 inches ( 5 . 39 cm .) long . an 0 . 08 inch ( 0 . 20 cm .) diameter hole was drilled 2 1 / 16 inches ( 5 . 24 cm .) deep into the 21 / 8 inch ( 5 . 39 cm .) long cylinder . the sparger thus produced was attached to an air line and submerged in alcohol to determine the bubble point . a pore size of 96 microns was calculated and the sparger exhibited a uniform flow of bubbles into the alcohol from the entire surface of the tube from end to end when subjected to a pressure of 2 inches ( 5 cm .) of water above the bubble point . the end seal formed by the thermosetting epoxy was impervious and no bubbles were observed . glass beads coated as in example 1 were charged into a dual action pressing die having a length of 41 / 4 inches ( 10 . 8 cm . ), a diameter of 3 / 4 inch ( 1 . 9 cm .) and a stationary 0 . 08 inch ( 0 . 20 cm .) diameter core rod integrally attached to one of the punches . approximately 23 grams of the coated glass beads were charged into the pressing die which was maintained at 71 ° c . a pressure of 3400 pounds per square inch ( 240 kg / cm 2 ) was applied to the beads and maintained for approximately 15 seconds . the pressed green spargers were ejected from the die body . to produce a sparger having a sealed end , a 1 / 16 inch ( 0 . 16 cm .) layer of thermosetting epoxy powder was charged into the die body opposite the core rod and the structure repressed at 1 , 000 lbs / square inch ( 70 kg / cm 2 ) load before ejection of the green sparger . the green spargers were then cured , unsupported , in an air circulating oven at 230 ° c . for 2 hours to ensure complete cure of the resin . sparger tubes produced in this manner were bubble point tested and the pore size found to be 96 microns . increasing the pressure to 1 / 2 inch ( 1 . 3 cm .) of water over the bubble point pressure resulted in uniform bubbling from end to end . one hundred parts of glass beads having a mean diameter of 700 microns ( size range 595 - 841 microns ) were coated with 15 parts of thermosetting epoxy resin as in example 1 . one - half part glycerin was hand - blended into the mixture as a lubricant to insure uniform pressing four hundred thirty grams of the resin coated bead mixture was charged into a preheated ( 82 ° c .) dual action pressing die having a length of 15 inches ( 38 . 1 cm . ), a 2 inch ( 5 . 08 cm .) outer diameter and a 11 / 2 inch ( 3 . 81 cm .) by 15 inch ( 38 . 1 cm .) diameter mandrel . a pressure of 730 pounds per square inch ( 51 kg / cm 2 ) was applied to the die punches and maintained for approximately 1 minute . the pressed green sparger was then ejected from the die body and the mandrel removed from the sparger . the sparger was supported upright in a bed of 8 - 14 mesh ( u . s . sieve size ) alumina and cured in an air circulating oven at 191 ° c . for 2 hours resulting in a completely cured sparger tube . the sparger tube produced in this manner was bubble point tested and pore size was determined to be 391 microns . increasing the pressure to 1 inch ( 2 . 54 cm .) of water over the bubble point pressure resulted in uniform bubbles from end to end . several sparger tubes were fabricated from resin coated glass beads having a mean diameter of 200 microns and coated as in example 1 . some of the tubes were fabricated using beads to which 1 / 2 percent glycerol was added as a lubricant and some tubes were fabricated without the use of a lubricant . the resulting beads were pressed in a double action cylindrical pressing die as in example 2 employing a constant pressure of 4400 pounds per square inch ( 310 kg / cm 2 ) for all the tubes . dwell time at pressure for the tubes was approximately 15 seconds . pressed tubes were then cured in a supporting bed of crushed alumina for 45 minutes at 190 ° c . data for the resulting tubes is tabulated in table i . table i__________________________________________________________________________ die bubble temperature pointtube lubricant °( c .) ( cm h . sub . 2 o ) comments__________________________________________________________________________1 none 25 10 . 2 bubbling at center2 none 71 10 . 8 bubbling conc . at center3 1 / 2 percent 25 10 . 2 bubbling conc . at center4 1 / 2 percent 71 12 . 7 bubbling dispersed along entire sparger__________________________________________________________________________ the sparger tube prepared with a lubricant and pressed at an elevated die temperature produced a sparger tube which had a more uniform bubble production throughout its length . glass beads having a mean diameter of about 150 microns were coated with a thermosetting resin by means of a solvent deposition technique . the thermosetting resin , 200 grams of an epoxy resin containing bis - phenol a and epichlorohydrin ( available as &# 34 ; scotchkote &# 34 ; 112 ), was dissolved in 500 milliliters of methyl ethyl ketone solvent and the resulting solution blended with 2000 grams of the glass beads . the methyl ethyl ketone was volatilized during the mixing depositing a smooth , evenly distributed layer of the resin on the beads &# 39 ; surface . the coated beads were placed in a tube mold 18 inches ( 45 . 7 cm .) long and 2 - 1 / 4 inches ( 5 . 71 cm .) in diameter having a circular insert 18 inches ( 45 . 7 cm .) long and 1 - 1 / 2 inches ( 3 . 81 cm .) in diameter at the center of the die cavity . the filled mold was vibratorily compacted and the mold and bead compact heated to 176 ° c . in air and held for 1 hour to cure the resin . upon cooling the mold was removed and the resulting tubular sparger was bubble point tested . the sparger had a bubble point of 63 microns and showed uniform porosity .	8
the following embodiments of the present invention are described with particular application to the field of polymer processing . it will be readily understood , however , that the broad teachings of the present invention have utility in any application wherein passive cooling of a shaft seal improves sealing performance . fig1 and 2 illustrate the main components of a conventional gear pump generally designated 12 . gear pump 12 has a main housing 14 with a suction side 16 and a discharge side 18 . a drive shaft 20 and an idler shaft 22 are mounted within main housing 14 in parallel relation . drive shaft 20 includes a driving gear 24 and idler shaft 22 includes a driven gear 26 meshing with driving gear 24 . each shaft 20 , 22 is rotatably mounted in one or more journal bearings 28 . bearings 28 are typically hydrodynamic and self - lubricating . drive shaft 20 extends through a sealing side 30 of main housing 14 and includes a keyway 32 or similar means for coupling drive shaft 20 with transmission and prime moving means ( not shown ) such as a gear reduction box and motor , respectively . a packing or stuffing box 34 is formed on or attached to sealing side 30 of main housing 14 . stuffing box 34 contains packing material 36 compressed against drive shaft 20 , as described above , and is closed with a flange 38 bolted thereto . as best shown in fig2 main housing 14 has an inlet port 41 on suction side 16 and an outlet port 42 on discharge side 18 . in operation , the rotating shafts 20 , 22 cause gears 24 , 26 to mesh in the direction shown by the arrows a . this movement creates a pressure differential across gear pump 12 . accordingly , material is drawn into main housing 14 on suction side 16 and is carried in spaces 44 defined by teeth 46 and internal chambers 48 of housing 14 . the material is then discharged at high pressure on discharge side 18 . in most cases , gear pump 12 effectively dampens the undesirable conditions occasioned by screwbeat 51 and surge 52 from an upstream extruder and provides a uniform , pressurized flow of material for further processing . fig3 illustrates gear pump 12 installed in a typical polymer processing application . a hopper 54 delivers pelletized or granulated polymer feedstock to an extruder 56 . extruder 56 includes an auger or screw 58 and means for heating and melting the polymer feedstock . auger 58 and gear pump 12 are powered by motors 59 , 60 . extruder 56 and motor 59 are mounted on appropriate support means 61 . melted polymeric extrudate exits extruder 56 and flows toward gear pump 12 along a process line or conduit 62 . a screen or filter means 64 may be interposed between extruder 56 and gear pump 12 . from discharge side 18 of gear pump 12 , the pressurized and heated polymeric extrudate flows through a die 66 . depending on the particular application , die 66 is adapted to extrude a sheet tube or other profile . other components such as cooling units and slitters ( not shown ) may be installed downstream of die 66 as needed . fig4 and 5 illustrate a shaft sealing member generally designated 70 without the passive cooling means of the present invention . sealing member 70 includes a cylindrical body 72 with a central cylindrical bore 74 and outer surface 76 . a helical channel 78 is formed in cylindrical bore 74 . sealing member 70 is mounted to drive shaft 20 of gear pump 12 with helical channel 78 turning in a direction opposite to that of rotation of drive shaft 20 . helical channel 78 and cylindrical body 72 together define a continuous clearance space 79 wrapped around drive shaft 20 within sealing member 70 . when gear pump 12 is placed in operation , polymeric material leaking axially into sealing member 70 from main housing 14 of gear pump 12 tends to enter helical channel 78 , wherein drag forces of oppositely oriented helical channel 78 oppose further leakage . in many applications , sealing member 70 does not provide a satisfactory seal because outer surface 76 of cylindrical body 72 and outer surfaces of sealing side 30 of gear pump 12 cannot sufficiently cool the leaking polymeric material residing therein . fig6 - 11 illustrate practical applications of the present invention for improving the sealing effect of a shaft seal , which retain the benefits accruing from a helical - type channel but avoid the use of external circulation equipment or other active cooling means . referring to fig6 a and 6b , a sealing member generally designated 80 includes a body or sleeve generally designated 82 and has an inner surface 84 defining a cylindrical bore 86 . sleeve 82 is preferably cylindrical as shown , but other cross - sectional shapes may be provided if desired . a helical groove or channel 88 is formed on inner surface 84 along an axial length of cylindrical bore 86 . helical channel 88 begins at a point on an inner end 91 of sleeve 82 communicating with the interior of a gear pump . on an outer end 92 of sleeve 82 — that is , the end of sleeve 82 open to the atmosphere outside the gear pump — a plurality of axially spaced external surfaces are included , preferably in the form of cooling fins 94 that extend radially from an outer surface 96 of sleeve 82 . fins 94 may be formed by reducing the diameter of a first section 98 of sleeve 82 to define a flange 101 of larger diameter on a second section generally designated 103 of sleeve 82 , then cutting into flange 101 at axially spaced intervals . alternatively , flange 101 and fins 94 are provided as separate elements and secured onto sleeve 82 such as by press - fitting . a plurality of mounting bores 104 are drilled through fins 94 and flange 101 at circumferential intervals around cylindrical bore 86 , through which bolts may extend to secure sealing member 80 to a gear pump . sealing member 80 is preferably constructed of stainless steel . if press - fitted onto sleeve 82 , the material selected for fins 94 may be different than that of sleeve 82 in order to tailor the heat transfer properties of sealing member 80 to specific needs . the dimensions of sealing member 80 will depend upon the size of the gear pump and shaft used , as well as the internal temperatures expected to be developed in the proximity of the sealing area . the following dimensions are given as an example . sleeve 82 has an overall axial length of 1 . 65 ″ of which first section 98 has an axial length of 0 . 78 ″. first section 98 has an outside diameter of 2 . 0 ″ and second section 103 with fins 94 has an outside diameter of 3 . 0 ″, such that fins 94 have a radial height of 0 . 5 ″. inner surface 84 of sleeve 82 forming cylindrical bore 86 has an inside diameter of 1 . 02 ″. outer and inner surfaces 96 , 84 of sleeve 82 together define an annular thickness 106 of approximately 0 . 5 ″. as best seen in fig1 a , helical channel 88 has a depth of 0 . 01 ″ from inner surface 84 of sleeve 82 into annular thickness 106 and has an axial width of 0 . 125 ″. the helix angle of helical channel 88 is such that helical channel 88 makes two turns per inch of axial length of sleeve 82 ; however , the helix angle could be varied along the axial length of sleeve 82 . the width of lands 108 between each section of helical channel 88 is 0 . 125 ″. each fin 94 has a thickness or axial width of 0 . 09 ″. fins 94 are spaced apart at intervals of 0 . 06 ″. the number of fins 94 formed or disposed on sleeve 82 are shown to be four , but the precise number may be varied . more importantly , the number and dimensions of fins 94 are specified so as to provide a substantial increase in the surface area available for transfer of heat energy from polymeric material present in helical channel 88 to the atmosphere . the increase in the amount of heat energy removed by the mechanisms of conduction and convection is obtained without the use of a coolant circulation system . moreover , fins 94 constitute a passive heat transfer device that is much more efficient and simple than an active cooling device . fig7 a and 7b illustrate another sealing member generally designated 120 according to the present invention . sealing member 120 can be more effective than , and thus preferred over , sealing member 80 shown in fig6 a and 6b for many high - viscosity / high - temperature polymer processing applications . similar features shared between sealing member 120 in fig7 a and 7b and sealing member 80 in fig6 a and 6b are designated using the same reference numerals . with respect to sealing member 120 in fig7 a and 7b , the diameter of second section 103 of sleeve 82 is considerably reduced . this results in a reduced annular thickness 106 . in addition , the width of fins 94 is reduced . by comparison to sealing member 80 in fig6 a and 6b , the diameter of second section 103 with fins 94 is reduced from 3 . 0 ″ to 2 . 0 ″, such that fins 94 have a radial height of 0 . 336 ″. annular thickness 106 of sleeve 82 is reduced from 0 . 5 ″ to 0 . 15 ″. the width or thickness of fins 94 is reduced from 0 . 09 ″ to 0 . 06 ″. these reduced dimensions result in reduced mass and cross - sectional areas of sealing member 120 and , consequently , improved rate of heat dissipation from the journal area of sealing member 120 during operation of the gear pump . the reduced thickness of fins 94 enables a greater number of fins 94 to be used for the same axial length of sleeve 82 , if desired . it should also be noted that the reduced dimensions do not affect the amount of surface area available for heat transfer . in operation , sealing member 120 ( or sealing member 80 ) is fitted onto one or both ends of a drive shaft 122 of a gear pump 124 , as shown in fig8 . end plates 126 of gear pump 124 include mounting holes 128 to receive sealing members 120 . a portion of the pressurized polymeric material flowing within gear pump 124 , especially that portion distributed through journal bearings 131 on either side of gears 129 , tends to leak in an axially outward direction into clearance spaces in end plates 126 at the sealing members 120 . the leaking portion enters helical channels 88 of sealing members 120 . fins 94 on sealing members 120 take full advantage of the temperature gradient between drive shaft 122 and the atmosphere , thereby contributing to a rapid cooling of the polymeric material contained in helical channels 88 . at least a portion of the polymeric material in helical channels 88 consequently solidifies to form a frictionless mechanical plug or seal and prevent polymeric material from escaping through sealing members 120 . fig9 illustrates a third embodiment of the invention , sealing member 130 , that includes two helical channels 132 , 134 within cylindrical bore 86 . helical channels 132 , 134 both run along the same axial length of sleeve 82 , preferably 180 degrees out of phase with each other on the circumference of the cylindrical bore 86 . this configuration may be preferred in order to increase the amount of cooled polymeric material available to form the seal . in other cases , one or more additional channels may be needed in order to enable the cross - sectional areas of the channels to be reduced while retaining a sufficient sealing area for the associated shaft . in still other cases , each helical channel 132 , 134 may be sized differently from each other to achieve different dynamic effects in sealing member 130 . fig1 a and 10b illustrate two of many suitable cross - sectional profiles for helical channel 88 . the rectangular profile shown in fig1 a has been found to be suitable under the conditions thus far tested , and therefore is preferred . the profile shown in fig1 b is analogous to the inverse flight of a screw thread and presents an alternative . the exact profile chosen will depend upon several fluid mechanical properties , such as those used to determine the reynolds number in a fluid system . in the case where two or more helical channels 88 are used , the profile of each channel 88 may differ to achieve different sealing effects . it will be understood that other embodiments of the present invention may be manufactured in a variety of ways , and that these other embodiments are contemplated to fall within the scope of the present invention . for instance , the shape , number and configuration of cooling fins 94 may be changed . it will also be understood that other types of channels or grooves may be utilized in cylindrical bore 85 of sleeve 82 . in the embodiments shown in the figures , the twisting or turning path taken by helical channel 88 around a shaft provides a large sealing area for the shaft and the orientation or “ hand ” of the helix shape in opposition to shaft rotation slows down the leakage rate to afford the polymeric material time to solidify . these effects , however , may be emulated in other types of winding or labyrinthine channels , although the helical path is preferred and relatively easy to form . it will be further understood that various other details or features of the invention may be changed without departing from the scope of the invention . furthermore , the foregoing description is for the purpose of illustration only , and not for the purpose of limitation — the invention being defined by the claims . in other types of winding or labyrinthine channels , although the helical path is preferred and relatively easy to form . it will be further understood that various other details or features of the invention may be changed without departing from the scope of the invention . furthermore , the foregoing description is for the purpose of illustration only , and not for the purpose of limitation — the invention being defined by the claims .	5
in a first preferred embodiment of the present invention , as described in fig1 a dimming control system comprises a wall switch assembly 100 and a dimming signal detector 200 . wall switch assembly 100 has a first end 102 and a second end 104 . wall switch assembly 100 is intended for connection in series with a conventional alternating current ( ac ) source 10 ( e . g ., 120 volts at 60 hertz ) having a hot lead 12 and a neutral lead 14 . first end 102 is coupled to the hot lead 12 of ac source 10 . dimming signal detector 200 is coupled to second end 104 and the neutral lead 14 of ac source 10 , and includes first and second outputs 206 , 208 for connection to low - voltage dimming circuitry in an electronic dimming ballast ( not shown ). preferably , dimming signal detector 200 is itself situated within an electronic dimming ballast , and each ballast has its own detector 200 . wall switch assembly 100 , on the other hand , is intended to be situated external to the ballast , and preferably within an electrical switchbox . wall switch assembly 100 includes a first switch 120 , a second switch 130 , a first diode 140 , and a second diode 150 . wall switch assembly 110 may also include a conventional on - off switch 110 for controlling application of ac power to at least one ballast connected downstream from wall switch assembly 100 . first diode 140 has an anode 142 and a cathode 144 ; anode 142 is coupled to first end 102 via on - off switch 110 . second diode 150 has an anode 152 and a cathode 154 ; anode 152 is coupled to second end 104 , and cathode 154 is coupled to cathode 144 of diode 140 . switch 120 is coupled in parallel with diode 140 , while switch 130 is coupled in parallel with diode 150 . switches 120 , 130 are preferably implemented as single - pole single - throw ( spst ) switches that are normally closed and that will remain open for only as long as they are depressed by a user . moreover , it is desirable that switches 120 , 130 be mechanically “ ganged ” so as to preclude the possibility of both switches being open at the same time . preferably , switches 120 , 130 share a single three - position control lever with an up - down action wherein an up motion would open switch 120 , a down motion would open switch 130 , and both switches 120 , 130 would be closed at rest . for example , switches 120 , 130 may be realized via an “ up arrow / down arrow ” rocker type arrangement , where switch 120 is opened while the “ up arrow ” is depressed , switch 130 is opened while the “ down arrow ” is depressed , and both switches 120 , 130 are closed in the absence of any depression by a user . during operation , when on - off switch 110 is in the on position , wall switch assembly 100 behaves as follows . when both switches 120 , 130 are closed , diodes 140 , 150 are each bypassed by their respective switch , so first end 102 is simply shorted to second end 104 . thus , both the positive and the negative half cycles of the voltage from ac source 10 are allowed to pass through , and the voltage between second end 104 and neutral lead 14 , which is the voltage monitored by dimming signal detector 200 and supplied as ac power to the ballast circuitry , is a normal sinusoidal ac voltage . when switch 120 is open and switch 130 is closed , positive - going current is allowed to proceed ( from left to right ) into first end 102 , through diode 140 , through switch 130 ( bypassing diode 150 , which blocks positive - going current ), and out of second end 104 . conversely , negative - going current is blocked by diode 140 . thus , only the positive half - cycles of the ac voltage are allowed to pass through , and the voltage between second end 104 and neutral lead 14 is a half - wave rectified ac voltage that includes only the positive - going portions of the sinusoidal ac voltage from ac source 10 . when switch 120 is closed and switch 130 is open , negative - going current is allowed to proceed ( from right to left ) into second end 104 , through diode 150 , through switch 120 ( thus bypassing diode 140 , which blocks negative - going current ), and out of first end 102 . conversely , positive - going current is blocked by diode 150 . thus , only the negative half - cycles of the ac voltage are allowed to pass through , and the voltage between second end 104 and neutral lead 14 is a half - wave rectified ac voltage that includes only the negative - going portions of the sinusoidal voltage from ac source 10 . as will be explained in further detail below , dimming signal detector 200 treats a momentary depression of switch 130 ( i . e ., only positive half - cycles allowed to pass ) as a “ brighten ” command and responds by increasing the level of its output voltage ( i . e ., the voltage between output 206 and output 208 ) during the time that switch 130 remains depressed . conversely , a momentary depression of switch 120 ( i . e ., only negative half - cycles allowed to pass ) is treated as a “ dim ” command , to which dimming signal detector 200 responds by decreasing the level of its output voltage . in contrast with prior art “ line control ” dimming approaches , such as those that employ a triac in series with the ac source , wall switch assembly 100 introduces no line - conducted electromagnetic interference ( emi ) or distortion in the ac line current during normal operation ( i . e ., when switches 120 , 130 are closed ). moreover , wall switch assembly 100 dissipates no power during normal operation because the ac current drawn by any ballast ( s ) connected downstream flows through switches 120 , 130 rather than diodes 140 , 150 . on the other hand , when one of the switches 120 , 130 is opened in order to send a dimming signal , a small amount of power will be dissipated in one of the diodes 140 , 150 , but only for as long as the switch remains depressed . the required power rating of the diodes is a function of the power that will be drawn by the ballast ( s ) connected downstream . referring again to fig1 in a first preferred embodiment of the present invention , dimming signal detector 200 includes first and second output terminals 206 , 208 , a first resistor 210 , a first capacitor 214 , a neon lamp 216 , a second resistor 218 , a second capacitor 222 , a zener diode 224 , a transistor 230 , and a third resistor 238 . as alluded to previously , output terminals 206 , 208 are intended for connection to low voltage dimming circuitry in an electronic dimming ballast , such as that which is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 457 , 360 , the pertinent disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . preferably , dimming signal detector 200 provides a low voltage dc signal between output terminals 206 , 208 that can be varied between approximately zero and approximately 10 volts , wherein zero volts corresponds to minimum light output and 10 volts corresponds to maximum light output . it should be understood that output terminals 206 , 208 are parenthetically labeled “ violet ” and “ gray ”, respectively , merely in order to clarify their intended internal connection to ballasts that employ that color coding scheme for the low voltage control wires from dedicated dimming controllers ; as mentioned above , it is fully contemplated that dimming signal detector 200 be physically situated within the ballast itself ( i . e ., no external wires are needed for connecting outputs 206 , 208 to the existing dimming circuitry within the ballast ). as illustrated in fig1 first resistor 210 is coupled between the second end of wall switch assembly 100 and a first node 212 . first capacitor 214 is coupled between first node 212 and a circuit ground node 20 , the latter being coupled to the neutral lead 14 of ac source 10 . the series combination of neon lamp 216 and second resistor 218 is coupled between first node 212 and second node 220 . second capacitor 222 is coupled between second node 220 and circuit ground 20 . zener diode 224 has an anode 226 coupled to circuit ground 20 , and a cathode 228 coupled to second node 220 . transistor 230 is preferably implemented as a field - effect transistor ( fet ) having a gate 232 , a drain 234 , and a source 235 . gate 232 is coupled to second node 220 . drain 234 is coupled to a dc biasing voltage ( e . g ., + 10 volts ). source 236 is coupled to first output terminal 206 . finally , third resistor 238 is coupled between first output terminal 206 and second output terminal 208 , the latter of which is coupled to circuit ground 20 . in a prototype system configured substantially as shown in fig1 dimming signal detector 200 was realized with the following component values : the detailed operation of dimming signal detector 200 is now explained with reference to fig1 as follows . during normal operation , when both switches 120 , 130 are closed , the voltage at node 212 ( with respect to the circuit ground 20 ) is a low value ac voltage having a peak value well below that which is necessary to fire neon lamp 216 ; prior to firing , neon lamp 216 effectively behaves as an open circuit . if switch 120 is momentarily opened ( corresponding to a “ brighten ” command wherein only positive half - cycles are passed to second end 104 ), the voltage across capacitor 214 begins to increase in a positive direction and at a rate governed by its capacitance and the resistance of resistor 210 . the voltage across capacitor 214 will rapidly reach the firing potential of neon lamp 216 , causing the lamp 216 to conduct . with neon lamp 216 now on , capacitor 222 begins to charge up at a rate governed by its capacitance and the resistance of resistor 218 . the voltage across capacitor 222 causes fet 230 to operate and a voltage develops between output terminals 206 , 208 . because fet 230 , resistor 238 , and output terminals 206 , 208 are configured in a manner analogous to an “ emitter follower ” arrangement , the voltage that develops between output terminals 206 , 208 is a function of the voltage across capacitor 222 . as switch 120 remains depressed , the voltage across capacitor 222 continues to rise , as does the voltage between output terminals 206 , 208 . if switch 120 remains depressed for a predetermined period of time ( e . g ., 2 seconds or more ), the voltage across capacitor will continue to rise until it reaches the zener voltage of zener diode 224 , at which point zener diode 224 will become conductive and prevent any further increase in the voltage across capacitor 222 . at this point , the voltage between output terminals 206 , 208 is approximately 10 volts , which corresponds to a full light output setting . when switch 120 is released and allowed to return to its normally closed position , the voltage at second end 104 returns to its normal sinusoidal state . consequently , the voltage across capacitor 214 drops well below the value necessary to maintain conduction of neon lamp 216 , so lamp 216 turns off and charging current ceases to be supplied to capacitor 222 . the voltage across capacitor 222 does not fall very rapidly and will remain at or near its charged voltage ( i . e ., the voltage across it when switch 120 was first released ) for a considerable period of time . this “ memory ” capability is highly desirable in dimming applications , and is attributable to the fact that , while capacitor 222 has a leakage current , fet 230 continues to draw only a very small current ( due to the very low gate - to - source leakage of the fet , which is typically on the order a few nanoamperes ). the leakage current of capacitor 222 may be greatly reduced ( and the “ memory ” effect enhanced ) by implementing capacitor 222 as an ultra - low leakage capacitor ( e . g ., a polycarbonate capacitor ). for example , it is believed that dimming signal detector 200 may be implemented such that the voltage across capacitor 222 will decrease by only 10 % of its initial value over a 10 hour period . alternatively , even a more modest “ memory ” capability ( e . g ., where the voltage across capacitor 222 decreases by , say , 50 % over a 10 hour period ) may constitute an attractive operational benefit ; inasmuch as it is commonplace for occupants to leave a room without turning off the lights , this type of “ automatic dimming ” behavior can provide a substantial savings in electrical energy without constituting a nuisance to users . if switch 130 is momentarily opened ( corresponding to a “ dim ” command wherein only negative half - cycles are passed to second end 104 ), the voltage across capacitor 214 begins to increase in a negative direction and at a rate governed by its capacitance and the resistance of resistor 210 . the voltage across capacitor 214 will rapidly reach the firing potential of neon lamp 216 , causing the lamp 216 to conduct . with neon lamp 216 now on , the voltage across capacitor 222 ( which was previously at a relatively high value of , say , 8 volts ) begins to decrease . correspondingly , the voltage between output terminals 206 , 208 decreases as well , thus effectuating the desired dimming in the ballast ( s ). as switch 130 remains depressed , the voltage across capacitor 222 continues to fall , as does the voltage between output terminals 206 , 208 . if switch 120 remains depressed for a predetermined period of time ( e . g ., 2 seconds or more ), the voltage across capacitor will continue to fall until it reaches about − 0 . 6 volts , at which point zener diode 224 will become forward biased and prevent any further negative increase in the voltage across capacitor 222 . at this point , the voltage between output terminals 206 , 208 is approximately zero volts , which corresponds to a minimum light output setting . when switch 130 is released and allowed to return to its normally closed position , the voltage at second end 104 returns to its normal sinusoidal state . consequently , the voltage across capacitor 214 drops well below the value necessary to maintain conduction of neon lamp 216 , so lamp 216 turns off and charging current ceases to be supplied to capacitor 222 . the voltage between output terminals 206 , 208 will then remain at or near zero ( correspondingly , the lamps will be operated as minimum light output ) until such time as a “ brighten ” command is sent . in this way , wall switch assembly 100 and dimming signal detector 200 provide a variable dimming control voltage for one or more dimming ballasts . turning now to fig2 in a second preferred embodiment of the present invention , a dimming control system comprises a wall switch assembly 100 and a dimming signal detector 300 . wall switch assembly 100 is identical to that which was previously described with reference to fig1 . however , dimming signal detector 300 is appreciably different from that which was described in the first preferred embodiment . preferably , dimming signal detector 300 is itself situated within an electronic dimming ballast . if multiple dimming ballasts are involved , each ballast will have its own dimming signal detector 300 ; on the other hand , only one wall switch assembly 100 is required even if a plurality of ballasts are involved . as described in fig2 dimming signal detector 300 comprises first and second input terminals 302 , 304 , first and second output terminals 310 , 312 , a full - wave bridge rectifier 316 , and an up - down counter 320 . first input terminal 302 is coupled to second end 104 of wall switch assembly 100 . second input terminal 304 is coupled to the neutral lead 14 of ac source 10 . output terminals 310 , 312 are adapted for internal connection to the low voltage dimming control inputs of an electronic dimming ballast . second output terminal 312 is coupled to circuit ground 20 . although full - wave bridge rectifier 316 is already provided within each electronic dimming ballast , it is explicitly shown and described herein for the sake of clarity and to aid in understanding the detailed operation of dimming signal detector 300 . full - wave bridge rectifier 316 is coupled to input terminals 302 , 304 and circuit ground 20 . rectifier 316 includes output connections 306 , 308 that are intended for connection with , for example , a power factor correction stage ( e . g ., a boost converter ) within the electronic dimming ballast ; during normal operation , when both switches 120 , 130 are closed , the voltage between terminal 306 and terminal 308 is unfiltered , full - wave rectified ac . output connection 308 is coupled to circuit ground 20 , and thus provides a ground reference ( which is at a different potential than neutral lead 14 of ac source 10 ) that is important to the desired operation of dimming signal detector 300 . up - down counter 320 includes a first counter input 322 , a second counter input 324 , and a counter output 326 . first counter input 322 is coupled to full - wave rectifier 316 and input terminal 302 . second counter input 324 is coupled to full - wave rectifier 316 and input terminal 304 . counter output 326 is coupled first output terminal 310 . up - down counter 320 receives operating power from a dc supply (+ v cc ). in one realization , up - down counter 320 preferably includes a digital counter followed by a digital - to - analog ( d / a ) converter , as well as any associated peripheral circuitry ( e . g ., resistive voltage divider networks associated with each counter input in order to scale the voltages down to manageable levels for the digital counter ). alternatively , up / down counter may be implemented via a custom integrated circuit or a programmable microcontroller . during operation , up / down counter 320 monitors the signals at input terminals 302 , 304 ( both of which are taken with respect to circuit ground 20 , which is at a different potential than the neutral lead 14 of ac source 10 ) and increases or decreases the voltage between output terminals 310 , 312 in response to an “ imbalance ” between the signals at input terminals 302 , 304 . more specifically , up / down counter 320 counts up by one for each positive half - cycle that appears at first counter input 322 , and counts down by one for each positive half - cycle that appears at second counter input 324 . the count is internally converted by a d / a converter to a voltage that is provided at counter output 326 . during normal operation , when both switches 120 , 130 are closed , an equal number of positive half - cycles occur at each of the counter inputs 322 , 324 over a fixed period of time , so the internal count ( and , correspondingly , the voltage between output terminals 310 , 312 ) remains stable . nevertheless , it should be appreciated that the count continuously moves up and down by one count ( at the frequency of ac source 10 — e . g ., 60 hertz ) because , at any given instant in time , only one of the inputs 322 , 324 sees a positive half - cycle while the other does not . more specifically , during each positive half - cycle of the voltage from ac source 10 , counter input 322 is high while counter input 324 is low , causing the count to be incremented by one ; conversely , during each negative half - cycles of the voltage from ac source 10 , counter input 322 is low while counter input 324 is high , causing the count to be decremented by one . thus , during normal operation when both switches 120 , 130 are closed , the count “ dithers ” up and down by one ; correspondingly , the voltage between output terminals 310 , 312 will also dither . in order to ensure that this low frequency dithering effect does not introduce excessive flicker in the lamps , it is necessary that the counter be configured to provide a suitably high counting range ( e . g ., 0 to 127 , which is realizable with an 8 - bit counter ) such that a variation of one in the count , which is less than 1 % of the maximum count , does not produce noticeable or annoying flicker in the lamps . if switch 120 is momentarily opened , counter input 322 will be high during the next positive half - cycle of ac source 10 , and counter input 324 will be low . counter 320 will increment the count by one for each ac line cycle that occurs while switch 120 is open , and will continue to do so ( up to a predetermined maximum count ) until switch 120 is allowed to close . the increased count is translated , via the d / a converter internal to counter 320 , into an increased voltage at counter output 326 , corresponding to an increased voltage between output terminals 310 , 312 . as switch 120 remains depressed , counter 320 will continue to increment the count by one for each ac line cycle . if switch 120 remains depressed long enough ( e . g ., 2 seconds ), the count will reach its predetermined maximum count ( e . g ., 127 , if an 8 - bit counter is employed ), which corresponds to a maximum value ( e . g ., 10 volts ) for the voltage between output terminals 310 , 312 . when switch 120 is released and allowed to return to its normally closed position , the signals at counter inputs 322 , 324 return to their normal operating condition ( i . e ., each sees a high signal during its respective half - cycle of the ac line ) and the count and output voltage are maintained at their maximum values ( subject to the slight dithering previously discussed ) until such time as a dim command is sent by depression of switch 130 . if switch 130 is momentarily opened , counter input 322 will be low and counter input 324 will be high . counter 320 will decrement the count by one for each ac line cycle that occurs while switch 130 is open , and will continue to do so ( down to the minimum count of zero ) until switch 130 is allowed to close . the decreased count is translated , via the d / a converter internal to counter 320 , into a decreased voltage at counter output 326 , which corresponds to a decreased voltage between output terminals 310 , 312 . as switch 130 remains depressed , counter 320 will continue to decrement the count by one for each ac line cycle . if switch 130 remains depressed long enough ( e . g ., 2 seconds ), the count will reach its predetermined minimum count of zero , which corresponds to a minimum value ( e . g ., zero volts ) for the voltage between output terminals 310 , 312 . when switch 130 is released and allowed to return to its normally closed position , the signals at counter inputs 322 , 324 return to their normal operating condition ( i . e ., each sees a high signal during its respective half - cycle of the ac line ) and the count and output voltage are maintained at their minimum values ( subject to the slight dithering previously discussed ) until such time as a brighten command is sent by depression of switch 120 . in this way , wall switch assembly 100 and dimming signal detector 300 provide a variable dimming control voltage for one or more electronic dimming ballasts . although the present invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments , numerous modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the novel spirit and scope of this invention .	7
the present invention is discussed below with reference to a cable television communications network . however , the present invention may be extended to other types of communications networks and systems . fig2 a depicts redundant circuitry according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention , which can be used with the communications system depicted in fig1 a and 1b . elements in fig2 a with the same reference numerals as elements in fig1 perform in the same manner unless otherwise described . accordingly , explanation of those elements would be repetitious and has been omitted . the illustrative embodiment of the present invention in fig2 a is described in connection with the communications system of fig1 a and 1b . however , it is to be understood that the present invention can be extended to other communications system . in fig2 a , a directional coupler 150 receives the input signals from satellites 15 and provides those signals to two separate signal paths . the signals are distributed on a first power path including the video receivers 20 , decoders 25 , unit 30 , and master combiner 60 previously described with reference to fig1 a and b . typically , most if not all the signals received from the satellites 15 are scrambled . the first power path includes a series of paths , one for each particular channel received from the satellites 15 . the second power path provides redundancy or backup for the first power path . in the second power path , a selector 160 or smart switch receives the input signals from the satellites 15 via the directional coupler 150 . based on a first redundant control signal , the selector 160 selects one of the l - band satellite signals . the selector could be a 16 : 1 smart switch or a scientific - atlanta , inc . 6228 smart switch . the system manager 100 monitors the operation of all the elements in the first power path . as described with reference to fig1 a and 1b , when one of the video modulators 35 in a unit 30 is inoperable , the input to the inoperable video modulator 35 is redirected to video modulator 45 and agile upconverter 50 . similarly , when one of the upconverters 85 in a unit 30 fails , a control signal redirects the input thereof to the agile upconverter 50 . when one of the video receivers 20 or decoders 25 in the first power path is not operational or otherwise fails , the system manager 100 generates and outputs the first redundant control signal via the protocol converter 110 . the first redundant control signal instructs the selector 160 to select and output the channel for which the corresponding video receiver 20 or decoder 25 has failed . thus , the selector 160 outputs a selected channel in l - band frequency . the system manager 100 also generates and sends a second redundant control signal via the expander 105 to video receiver 165 . the second redundant control signal instructs the video receiver 165 to tune to the l - band channel received from the selector 160 . the video receiver 165 may be a 9660 or 9661 video receiver manufactured by scientific - atlanta , inc . the video receiver 165 downconverts the channel to a baseband audio / video channel . a distribution amplifier 170 receives and amplifies the baseband audio / video channel . the decoders 175 receive the amplified baseband audio / video channel and attempt to descramble the same . each decoder 175 performs a different descrambling technique on the baseband audio / video signal . although fig2 a shows four decoders 175 , the number of decoders needed depends on the number of different scrambling techniques employed by the service providers who broadcast the channels over the satellites 15 which are received by the headend 10 . a selector 180 receives the output of each decoder 175 and can receive the baseband audio / video channel directly from the distribution amplifier 170 . the selector 180 receives the first redundant control signal which also ostensibly identifies the scrambling technique , if any , associated with the redundant channel . based on the first redundant control signal , the selector 180 selects and outputs the redundant baseband audio / video channel from its input terminals . the selector 180 may be an 8 : 1 smart switch such as the scientific - atlanta , inc . 6229 . a group r unit 185 includes a video modulator 190 and an agile upconverter 195 . the video modulator 190 receives the redundant baseband audio / video channel from the selector 180 and modulates the signal to a first frequency channel ( e . g ., if ). then , the agile upconverter 195 upconverts the redundant channel to rf and forwards the redundant rf channel to the master combiner 60 for combination with the other rf channels for distribution to the subscribers . the present invention , as described , provides redundancy in the event that any of the video receivers 20 and decoders 25 fail . accordingly , the present invention can provide redundancy through the complete first power path including the video receivers 20 , decoders 25 , and units 30 including the video modulators 35 and the upconverters 85 . in this light , various other devices may be inserted between the decoders 25 and video modulators 35 including , but not limited to , scramblers and character inserters . redundancy can be provided for these devices by inserting a redundant device ( e . g ., scrambler , character inserter , etc .) in the redundant signal path between the selector 180 and the video modulator 190 , and when necessary , an appropriate redundant control signal can reconfigure the redundant device to match the characteristics of the device being backed up . although the above embodiment provides redundancy for a single channel at a time , it can easily be expanded by provisioning for two or more redundant circuits . in addition , certain channels / services could be divided between two or more redundancy circuits . for example , an independent redundancy circuit could be provided for each scrambling technique or half the channels could be assigned to one redundant circuit and half to the other . the number of redundancy circuits which is practical depends on the frequency that the first power path has multiple disruptions . the above modifications are within the scope of the present invention , and are design choices that can be carried out by one of ordinary skill in the art . fig2 b shows another embodiment of the present invention where &# 34 ; hot &# 34 ; redundancy for over - the - air channels is provided . it should be understood that fig2 b can replace the portion of the conventional system shown in fig1 b to form a novel system with the portion of the conventional system depicted in fig1 a according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention . in addition , fig2 b can be combined with fig1 a and 2a to form a distribution system according to another illustrative embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig2 b , the headend 10 receives over - the - air ( off - air ) channels via antennas 70 . an rf - if downconverter 75 and secondary rf - if downconverter 80 , coupled to the antennas 70 , downconvert the channels from rf to if . the downconverters 75 and 80 forward the if channels to upconverters 85 in the group o unit 30 . each upconverter 85 receives two inputs , an if channel input from the downconverter 75 and the redundant if channel input from the secondary downconverter 80 . each upconverter 85 upconverts the received channel to a unique rf channel . the secondary downconverter 80 thus provides redundancy for the downconverter 75 . the remaining elements of the group o unit 30 operate in the same manner as like elements in fig1 b . while particular embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated , it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto since modifications may be made by persons skilled in the art . the present application contemplates any and all modifications that fall within the spirit and scope of the underlying invention disclosed and claimed herein .	7
a cleaning apparatus and method according to technology described herein has at least two distinct components that interact to provide a complete cleaning system for the cleaning of surfaces , such as the exterior vertical wall and windows of office buildings , hotels , hospitals and other multistory structures with , by way of non - limiting examples , up to 8 or 10 inches of sharp vertical deviation from flatness between areas of the surfaces ( e . g ., vertical elevation of panels separating window areas ). the apparatus exhibits stability against winds and provides high quality cleaning ability on window surfaces without the use of personnel at the immediate cleaning areas . a non - limiting general description of the cleaning apparatus described herein may be considered as a washing system for elevated surfaces comprising : a ) a housing having a liquid application cleaning system therein ; b ) a support element that supports and elevates the washing system ; c ) a rigid member extending from a surface of the housing that faces away from a surface to be cleaned so that the cable , when supporting the cleaning system against the surface to be cleaned and connected to the housing at a connection point , exerts a rotational force on the cleaning system in respect to the fulcrum point at the roof davit connection point ; d ) weights provided at a distance and direction from the connection point to at least in part counterbalance the rotational force around the connection point on the extended member . the cleaning apparatus may have the support element comprises a ) a cable , b ) hose , c ) rope , or d ) two or more of a rope , cable and hose connected to a davit mounted on top of a building . the cleaning apparatus may include a weight located on a rigid frame . the cleaning system may comprise at least one brush that contacts the surface to be cleaned , or at least two brushes that contact the surface to be cleaned . a counterforce generator mounted on the frame establishes a continuous force or thrust that retains the cleaning in effective engagement with the surface during cleaning thereof . the cleaning apparatus for the surfaces is generally designed for glass or coated glass ( e . g ., surfaces having abrasion - resistant coatings , light filtering coatings , enhanced cleanable surfaces , etc .) surfaces , but any structure having a relatively flat surface can be cleaned by the present technology . the actual cleaning is done by the application of a cleaning liquid to the surface with sufficient forces involved in the time frame immediate with the liquid application or subsequent to the application to assist in removal of dirt , film , particles , soil age , salt , caked material , deposits , and the like from the surface . although many systems use jet spray or hand application , especially in conjunction with personnel at the cleaning site ( e . g ., handling applicators , squeegees , brushes , hoses , buckets , sprays , etc ., as opposed to merely being on the roof directing the equipment ), jet spray application is less preferred because of its tendency under newton &# 39 ; s second law of motion to push the cleaning apparatus from the wall and make it more susceptible to displacement by ambient air currents and wind . jet spray application , even with the assistance of heat and chemical , fails to clean the film coating on the surface being cleaned . a preferred application cleaning apparatus comprises brush application , sponge application , strip application , foam finger application , sheet application and the like , where physical elements exert a physical force such as a rubbing action against the surface to be cleaned in the present of a cleaning liquid ( which may be water , alone ). the second component therefore usually may comprise a frame for support of a motor , liquid delivery system , physical contact system for applying force against the surface to be cleaned while the surface is in contact with the liquid , and a counterforce generator that assist in keeping the physical contact system in cleaning orientation with respect to the surface to be cleaned . each of these elements will be discussed in greater detail in a review of the figures of the described technology . a first embodiment of the cleaning apparatus 2 , shown in fig1 to 3 , pendently supported adjacent the outside of a building 4 is operable to cleaning the outside wall or windows 5 . a support or davit 6 located on the building &# 39 ; s roof 3 has a generally horizontal arm 7 extended outwardly from the top of building 4 . a plurality of counterweights 8 mounted on the inner end of davit 6 maintain arm 7 in a generally horizontal position and counter the weight of cleaning apparatus 2 connected thereto with a cable 13 . the upper end of cable 13 is secured to the outer end of arm 7 . davit 6 has wheels 9 that permit movement of davit 6 along roof 3 during cleaning of wall 5 . other types of davits can be used to pendently support cleaning apparatus adjacent the side of a building or an upright structure . cleaning apparatus 2 has a frame 11 having horizontal and vertical interconnected members or beams . a housing or shield 12 is secured to frame 11 . shield 12 has a back wall and side walls with an opening facing the outside wall 5 of building 4 . a grip style winch 14 drivably connected to an electric motor 15 is mounted on frame 11 . cable 13 is operatively connected to winch 14 whereby winch 14 operated by motor 15 winds and unwinds cable 13 to selectively move cleaning apparatus 2 up and down relative to wall 5 of building 4 . an elongated chain , web or strap can be used to pendently support cleaning apparatus 2 from davit 6 . an electric cable 21 , shown in fig2 , extends to ground and a source of electric power . a manual control connected to cable 21 is used to control the operation of motor 15 . a remote control unit can alternatively be used to control the operation of motor 15 . a pair of generally horizontal cleaning members or brushes 16 and 18 are rotatably mounted within housing 12 . circumferential portions of each brush 16 and 18 extend outwardly from housing 12 to allow brushes 16 and 18 to engage wall 5 and clean wall 5 . as shown in fig2 and 3 , electric motors 17 and 19 drivably connected to brushes 16 and 18 rotate brushes 16 and 18 in opposite directions during cleaning of wall 5 . motors 17 and 19 are connected with electric cables to a source of electric power . manual controls joined to the cables are used to control the operation of motors 17 and 19 . a hose 22 connected to housing 12 delivers cleaning liquid , such as water , to liquid dispensers 23 mounted on housing 12 . cleaning liquid is sprayed onto wall 5 above brush 16 whereby brush 16 scrubs the wet surface of wall 5 . hose 22 is attached to a liquid supply system , such as a pump and deionized water tank ( not shown ). a plurality of liquid applicators can be associated with housing 12 to dispense cleaning liquid onto wall 5 . excess liquid is drained from the bottom of housing 12 with a drain hose 24 . cleaning apparatus 2 is counterbalanced with a counterbalancing weight 26 mounted on the outer end of a rod or pole 27 . pole 27 is secured to frame 11 and extends outwardly horizontally from frame 11 . the counterbalancing weight 26 provides a downward pivotal force that balances the weight of cleaning apparatus 2 and maintains an inward force on brushes 16 and 18 and stabilizes the cleaning apparatus . a counterforce generator 28 mounted on frame 11 establishes a counterforce or thrust that continuously maintains brushes 16 and 18 in effective cleaning engagement with wall 5 . as shown in fig3 , force generator 28 comprises a rotatable fan 29 driven with an electric motor 31 . fan 29 is positioned within a cylindrical shroud 32 mounted on frame 11 outwardly of winch 14 . a screen shield 33 secured to shroud 32 is located over the air outlet of shroud 32 . fan 29 when rotated by motor 31 discharges air , shown by arrows 34 in fig1 , in an outwardly lateral direction . the moving air establishes a continuous counterforce or thrust on generator 28 , frame 11 , housing 12 and brushes 16 and 18 , as shown by arrows 36 , that maintains brushes 16 and 18 in continuous effective cleaning engagement with wall 5 during movement of cleaning element relative to wall 5 . generator 28 is mounted on frame 11 in a location to apply substantially equal counterforce on brushes 16 and 18 to maintain both brushes 16 and 18 in cleaning engagement with wall 5 . counterforce generator 28 can be a plurality of motor driven fans mounted on frame 11 . blowers , air pumps and air and gas movers can be used as a counterforce generator to provide a substantially perpendicular continuous force on cleaning brushes toward wall 5 to maintain the brushes in continuous effective contact with wall 5 during cleaning of wall 5 . this presents separation of brushes 16 and 18 from wall 5 due to wind , air currents , mullions , window frames and other building structures . the counterforce also reduces vertical and horizontal swinging movements of cleaning apparatus 2 . counterforce generator 28 can be provided with one or more movable air outlets , vanes , rudders or nozzles to direct air in selected lateral , horizontal , and vertical directions to adjust the direction of the counterforce on brushes 16 and 18 to maintain brushes 16 and 18 in effective continuous cleaning engagement with wall 5 . the method for cleaning the exterior surface of wall 5 including windows thereon is characterized by providing cleaning apparatus 2 and locating cleaning apparatus 2 with brushes 16 and 18 facing wall 5 . the cleaning apparatus 2 is pendently supported adjacent wall 5 with cable 13 attached to davit 6 supported on top of building 4 . brushes 16 and 18 are rotated in opposite directions with motors 17 and 19 . the cleaning apparatus operator with a control unit regulates the speed and on and off conditions of motors 17 and 19 a cleaning liquid is dispensed from one or more applicators 23 onto wall 5 adjacent brush 16 during cleaning of wall 5 . the cleaning apparatus 2 is moved up and down relative to wall with winch 14 operated by motor 15 . the cleaning apparatus operator with a control unit controls the speed , direction of operation and on and off operation of motor 15 . a counterforce established with force generator 28 biases brushes 16 and 18 continuously in a generally horizontal direction perpendicular to the outer surface of wall 5 during cleaning of wall 5 as cleaning apparatus 2 is moved relative to wall 5 . the counterforce maintains brushes 16 and 18 in surface engagement with wall 5 . the second embodiment of the cleaning apparatus 100 , shown in fig4 to 6 , pendently supported adjacent the outside of a building 202 is operable to cleaning the outside wall or windows 203 . a support or davit 103 located on the building &# 39 ; s roof 109 has a generally horizontal arm 104 extended outwardly from the top of building 101 . a plurality of counterweights 108 mounted on the inner end of davit 193 maintain arm 104 in a generally horizontal position and counter the weight of cleaning apparatus 100 connected thereto with a cable 111 . the upper end of cable 111 is secured to the outer end of arm 104 . davit 103 has wheels 106 and 107 that permit movement of davit 103 along roof 109 during cleaning of wall 102 . other types of davits can be used to pendently support cleaning apparatus adjacent the side of a building or an upright structure . cleaning apparatus 100 has a frame 112 having horizontal and vertical interconnected members or beams . a housing or shield 113 is secured to frame 112 . shield 113 has a back wall and side walls with an opening facing the outside wall 102 of building 101 . a grip style winch 114 drivably connected to an electric motor 116 is mounted on frame 112 . cable 111 is operatively connected to winch 114 whereby winch 114 operated by motor 116 winds and unwinds cable 111 to selectively move cleaning apparatus 100 up and down relative to wall 102 of building 101 . an elongated chain , web or strap can be used to pendently support cleaning apparatus 100 from davit 103 . an electric cable 119 , shown in fig5 , extends to ground and a source of electric power . a manual control connected to cable 119 is used to control the operation of motor 114 . a remote control unit can alternatively be used to control the operation of motor 116 . a pair of generally horizontal cleaning members or brushes 117 and 118 are rotatably mounted within housing 113 . circumferential portions of each brush 117 and 118 extend outwardly from housing 113 to allow brushes 117 and 118 to engage wall 102 and clean wall 102 . as shown in fig5 and 6 , electric motors 132 and 133 are drivably connected to brushes 117 and 118 rotate brushes 117 and 118 in opposite directions during cleaning of wall 102 . motors 132 and 133 are connected with electric cables to a source of electric power . manual controls joined to the cables are used to control the operation of motors 132 and 133 . a hose 144 connected to housing 113 delivers cleaning liquid , such as water , to liquid dispensers 143 mounted on housing 113 . cleaning liquid is sprayed onto wall 102 above brush 117 whereby brush 117 scrubs the wet surface of wall 102 . hose 144 is attached to a liquid supply system , such as a pump and deionized water tank ( not shown ). a plurality of liquid applicators shown in fig7 are associated with housing 143 to dispense cleaning liquid onto wall 102 . excess liquid is drained from the bottom of housing 113 with a drain hose 146 . a section of brush 117 , shown in fig8 and 9 , has a support body comprising a cylindrical rim 121 having adjacent transverse slots 122 and 123 separated with transverse bars 124 . a plurality of radial spokes 126 and 127 secure rim 121 to a cylindrical clamp or sleeve 128 attached to the axial shaft of brush 117 . a plurality of flexible plastic vanes or brush members 129 mounted rim 121 extend radially outward from rim 121 . a single strip of vane material forms two vanes by looping 131 the material through adjacent openings in rim 121 . this facilitates removal and replacement of vanes from rim 121 . an arcuate retainer 131 fastened to spokes 126 and 127 holds vanes 129 in assembles relation with rim 121 . a plurality of rims are attached end to end to provide a complete brush . brushes 16 , 18 , and 118 has the same structure as brush 117 . a counterforce generator 134 mounted on frame 112 establishes a counterforce or counter thrust that continuously maintains brushes 117 and 118 in effective cleaning engagement with wall 102 . as shown in fig6 , force generator 134 comprises a rotatable fan 136 driven with an electric motor 137 . fan 136 is positioned within a cylindrical shroud 138 mounted on frame 112 outwardly of winch 114 . a screen shield 139 secured to shroud 138 is located over the air outlet of shroud 138 . fan 136 when rotated by motor 137 discharges air , shown by arrows 141 in fig4 , in an outwardly lateral direction . the moving air establishes a continuous counterforce on generator 134 , frame 112 , housing 113 and brushes 117 and 118 , as shown by arrows 142 , that maintains brushes 117 and 118 in effective cleaning engagement with wall 102 during movement of cleaning elements relative to wall 102 . generator 134 is mounted on frame 112 in a location to apply substantially equal counterforce on brushes 117 and 118 to maintain both brushes 117 and 118 in cleaning engagement with wall 102 . counterforce generator 134 can be a plurality of motor driven fans mounted on frame 112 . blowers , air pumps and air and gas movers can be used as a counterforce generator to provide a substantially perpendicular continuous force on the cleaning brushes toward wall 102 to maintain the brushes in continuous contact with wall 102 during cleaning thereof . this prevents separation of brushes 117 and 118 from wall 102 due to wind , air currents , mullions , window frames and other building structures . the counterforce also reduces vertical and horizontal swinging movements of cleaning apparatus 100 . counterforce generator 134 can be provided with one or more movable air outlets , vanes , rudders or nozzles to direct air in selected lateral , horizontal , and vertical directions to adjust the direction of the counterforce on brushes 117 and 118 to maintain brushes 117 and 118 in effective continuous cleaning engagement with wall 102 . a modification of the cleaning apparatus 100 is shown in fig1 . cleaning apparatus 200 is attached to a cable 201 that pendently supports cleaning apparatus 200 adjacent an upright wall or window of a structure for cleaning thereof . cleaning apparatus 200 has a frame 202 supporting a housing or shield 203 accommodating one or more rotatable brushes or cleaning elements . a counterforce generator 204 mounted on frame 202 generates a counterforce that continuously maintains the cleaning brushes in continuous effective cleaning engagement with the wall or window during cleaning thereof . generator 204 has a plurality of motor driven fans 206 , 207 and 208 surrounded with cylindrical shrouds 209 , 210 and 211 . the counterforce created by rotation of fans 206 , 207 and 208 biases the cleaning brushes continuously in a generally horizontal direction perpendicular to the surface during cleaning of the surface as the cleaning apparatus 200 is moved relative to the surface of the structure . a third embodiment of the cleaning apparatus 300 , shown in fig1 to 14 , is pendently supported with a cable 306 from a davit located on a building . cleaning apparatus 300 has a frame 301 comprising horizontal frame members 302 and 303 connected to upright frame members 304 and 305 . an arcuate shield 307 secured to frame member 302 is located adjacent an inside circumferential portion of a cleaning element or brush 308 . brush 308 has a plurality of outwardly extended vanes 309 mounted on a cylindrical body 311 . the structure of brush 117 shown in fig8 and 9 is the same as brush 308 . brush 308 is rotatably mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis on bearings 312 and 313 secured to upright members 304 and 305 . an electric motor 314 drives a power transmission or gear box 316 operatively connected to brush 308 whereby on operation of motor 314 brush is rotated . a liquid applicator 317 mounted on frame member 302 above brush 308 operates to dispense cleaning liquid onto the surface to be cleaned . applicator 317 includes an elongated tube 318 supporting a plurality of nozzles 319 operable to spray liquid , such as deionized water , to the surface to be cleaned with brush 308 . application 317 is connected to a source of liquid under pressure , such as a pump . a second liquid applicator 321 is mounted on bottom frame member 303 . the cleaning apparatus 300 is moved up and down relative to an upright surface of a structure with a grip style winch 322 connected to cable 306 . a dc electric motor 323 coupled to winch 322 operates winch 322 to selectively wind and unwind cable 306 to move cleaning apparatus 300 along the surface during cleaning of the surface . other types of winches and cable pulling devices can be used with cable 306 , a chain or strap to move cleaning apparatus 300 . winch 322 and motor 323 are mounted on frame members 324 whereby the motor driven winch 322 on frame 301 is operable to move cleaning apparatus 300 relative to a surface during cleaning of the surface . motor 323 is coupled to a source of electric power with an electric cord and a manually operated control unit to regulate the speed , direction of operation and on and off conditions of motor 323 . a remote control can be used to regulate the operation of motor 323 . a counterforce generator 326 mounted on frame members 303 and 324 generates a counterforce or counter thrust , shown in fig1 by arrow 327 that continuously maintains brush 308 in effective cleaning engagement with the surface being cleaned . as shown in fig1 and 12 , force generator 326 comprises a rotatable fan 328 driven with an electric motor 329 . fan 328 is positioned within a cylindrical shroud 331 mounted on frame 301 . a screen 332 attached to shroud 331 is located over the air outlet of shroud 331 . fan 328 when rotated by motor 329 dispenses air outwardly from cleaning apparatus 300 as shown by arrows 333 in fig1 . the air moved by fan 328 , shown by arrows 333 , establishes a continuous counterforce , shown by arrow 327 opposite the direction of movement of the air discharged by fan 328 on brush 308 . this counterforce is generally horizontal and perpendicular to the surface being cleaned with brush 308 . the counterforce is a counter thrust that maintains brush 308 in continuous effective cleaning engagement with the surface being cleaned during movement of cleaning apparatus 300 along the surface being cleaned . the axis of rotation of fan 328 is located in substantially the same horizontal plane as the axis of rotation of brush 308 whereby the counterforce does not alter the perpendicular cleaning engagement of brush 308 relative to the surface being cleaned . counterforce generator 326 can include a plurality of motor driven fans mounted on frame 301 as shown by generator 204 in fig1 . a remote wireless signal receiver 334 mounted on frame 301 is part of a wireless remote control system used by the operator of cleaning apparatus 300 to control the operation of motors 314 and 329 . the operator can change the speed and direction of rotation of winch motor 314 to alter the rate and direction of movement of cleaning apparatus 300 . the operator can also change the speed of operation of motor 329 to regulate the counterforce established by counterforce generator 326 . blowers , air pumps , and air and gas movers can be used as a counterforce generator to provide a substantially perpendicular continuous force on a cleaning brush to maintain the brush in continuous effective contact with the surface being cleaned . this prevents separation of the brush 308 from the surface being cleaned due to wind , air currents , mullions , window frames and other building structures . counterforce generator 326 can be provided with one or more movable air outlets , vanes , rudders or nozzles to direct air in selected lateral , horizontal and vertical directions to adjust the direction of the counterforce on brush 308 to maintain the brush 308 in an effective continuous cleaning engagement with the surface being cleaned . generator 326 can be mounted on frame 301 in adjustable horizontal and vertical locations with adjustable brackets . a fourth embodiment of the cleaning apparatus 400 , shown in fig1 to 17 , is pendently supported with a cable 401 from a davit 402 located on a building 403 including an upright wall 404 and a roof 406 . cleaning apparatus 400 has a frame 407 comprising horizontal frame members 408 and 409 connected to upright frame members 411 and 412 . an arcuate shield 413 secured to frame member 407 is located adjacent an inside circumferential portion of cleaning elements or brushes 414 and 416 . each brush 414 and 416 has a plurality of outwardly extended vanes 417 mounted on a cylindrical body 418 . the structure of brush 117 shown in fig8 and 9 is the same as brushes 414 and 416 . brush 414 is rotatably mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis on bearings 419 and 421 secured to upright frame members 411 and 412 . an electric motor 422 drives a power transmission or gear box 423 operatively connected to brush 414 whereby on operation of motor 422 brush 414 is rotated about a horizontal axis . brush 416 located generally parallel and below brush 414 is also rotatably mounted on frame 407 . the rear sections of brushes 414 and 416 are located adjacent shield 413 to confine air and liquids to the areas around brushes 414 and 416 . an electric motor 424 drivably coupled to a power transmission or gear box 426 mounted on frame 407 is operable to rotate brush 416 about a generally horizontal axis . motors 422 and 424 are operable to rotate brushes 414 and 416 in opposite rotational directions or the same rotational directions . a liquid applicator 427 mounted on frame member 407 above brush 416 . applicator 427 includes an elongated tube 428 supporting a plurality of nozzles 429 operable to spray liquid , such as deionized water , to the surface 404 to be cleaned with brush 416 . applicator 427 is connected to a source of liquid under pressure , such as a pump . a second liquid applicator 431 is mounted on bottom frame member 408 . the cleaning apparatus 400 is moved up and down relative to an upright surface of a structure with a grip style winch 432 connected to cable 401 . a dc electric motor 433 coupled to winch 432 operates winch 432 to selectively wind and unwind cable 401 to move cleaning apparatus 400 along the surface 404 during cleaning of the surface 404 . other types of winches and cable pulling devices can be used with cable 401 to move cleaning apparatus 400 . an elongated strap or chain can be used to pendently support cleaning apparatus 401 . winch 432 and motor 433 are mounted on frame members 434 whereby the motor driven winch 432 on frame 407 is operable to move cleaning apparatus 400 relative to surface 404 during cleaning of the surface . motor 433 is coupled to a source of electric power with an electric cord and a manually operated control unit to regulate the speed , direction of operation and on and off conditions of motor 433 . a remote wireless control can be used to regulate the operation of motor 433 . a counterforce generator 434 mounted on frame 407 establishes a counterforce or counter thrust , shown in fig1 and 16 , by arrow 436 that continuously maintains brushes 414 and 416 in effective cleaning engagement with the surface 404 being cleaned . as shown in fig1 , force generator 434 comprises a rotatable fan 437 driven with an electric motor 438 . fan 437 is positioned within a cylindrical shroud 439 mounted on frame 407 . a screen 441 attached to shroud 439 is located over the air outlet of shroud 439 . fan 437 when rotated by motor 438 dispenses air outwardly from cleaning apparatus 400 as shown by arrows 442 in fig1 . the air moved by fan 437 , shown by arrows 442 , establishes a continuous counterforce , shown by arrow 436 opposite the direction of movement of the air discharged by fan 437 on brushes 414 and 416 . this counterforce is generally horizontal and perpendicular to the surface 404 being cleaned with brushes 414 and 416 . the counterforce is a counter thrust that maintains brushes 414 and 416 in continuous effective cleaning engagement with the surface 404 being cleaned during movement of cleaning apparatus 400 along the surface 404 being cleaned . the axis of rotation of fan 437 is located between the horizontal planes of the axes of rotation of brushes 414 and 416 whereby the counterforce does not alter the perpendicular cleaning engagement of brushes 414 and 416 relative to the surface 404 being cleaned . counterforce generator 434 can include a plurality of motor driven fans mounted on frame 407 as shown by generator 204 in fig1 . a remote wireless signal receiver 443 mounted on frame 407 is part of a wireless remote control system used by the operator of cleaning apparatus 400 to control the operation of motors 422 , 424 and 438 . the operator can change the speed and direction of rotation of winch motor 433 to alter the rate and direction of movement of cleaning apparatus 400 . the operator can also change the speed of operation of motor 438 to regulate the counterforce established by counterforce generator 434 . blowers , air pumps , and air and gas movers can be used as a counterforce generator to provide a substantially perpendicular continuous force on a cleaning brush to maintain the brush in continuous effective contact with the surface being cleaned . this prevents separation of the brushes 416 and 418 from the surface being cleaned due to wind , air currents , mullions , window frames and other building structures . counterforce generator 434 can be provided with one or more movable air outlets , vanes , rudders or nozzles to direct air in selected lateral , horizontal and vertical directions to adjust the direction of the counterforce on brushes 416 and 418 to maintain the brushes 416 and 418 in an effective continuous cleaning engagement with the surface being cleaned . generator 434 can be mounted on frame 407 in adjustable horizontal and vertical locations with adjustable brackets . the above description and drawings of the several embodiments of the cleaning apparatus may be modified and altered by persons skilled in the art within the scope and context of the invention defined in the appended claims and their equivalents .	0
fig1 a and 1b are , respectively , block diagrams of a transmission circuit and of a television receiver circuit incorporating the present invention . the transmission circuit shown in fig1 a includes a video signal source 10 and a program audio source 12 . an audio scrambler 14 conditions an interfering signal 16 as described below and , under the control of an external computer system 20 , intermittently adds the interfering signal to the program audio signal . the audio scrambler 14 also modulates a subcarrier with the interference signal and with control information which , as described below , enables authorized subscribers to unscramble the program audio . in addition , if the broadcaster using the scrambling system of the invention offers several different levels or classes of programming to subscribers , the control information can include commands changing the class or level of programming a particular decoder can unscramble . logic circuitry , or a second computer , is shown as the source of the control information and is indicated in fig1 a by block 18 , although the control information could be generated by computer 20 . the scrambled program audio and the modulated subcarrier along with the video signal are modulated by a tv transmitter or modulator 24 in the conventional way . the video signal , if desired , can also be scrambled ( as indicated in phantom in fig1 a at 22 ) and after modulation , is transmitted in the usual way . in the most preferred embodiment , the interference consists of a series of bursts of noise , as shown in fig2 . element 18 in this case generates a train of code pulses bearing the control information between each two consecutive noise bursts . the scrambler 14 , in this embodiment , superimposes the interference on the program audio signal at pseudo - random times . the times at which this is done are determined in a manner described below as a function of the control information carried by the code pulses . the combined signal is broadcast by means of a transmitter 24 , either through the air or by means of a cable network or the like . as shown in fig1 b , a television set receiving a signal scrambled according to the invention includes a circuit 11 that first separates the audio and video portions of the incoming signal . the video signal , if scrambled , is decoded by a suitable circuit 13 and is then displayed on the television screen by a conventional video display circuit 15 . in normal operation , the scrambled audio signal and the interference signal are used by the audio decoder 17 to provide an unscrambled audio signal . this is done by subtracting the interference signal from the scrambled audio signal at times determined by the code pulses transmitted between the bursts of noise of the interference signal . the unscrambled audio signal is then used to drive a conventional audio output 19 . fig2 is a rough timing diagram illustrating generally the arrangement of the program audio signal and the interference signal according to the most preferred embodiment . fig2 shows two conventional audio channels , the standard monaural fm channel (&# 34 ; l + r &# 34 ;, containing both the right and the left channels , when the recording is done in stereo ), and the conventional stereo signal (&# 34 ; l - r &# 34 ;, consisting of the difference between the left and the right channels ). the interference signal is preferably broadcast on a standard subcarrier , e . g ., subcarrier a , and is divided into a series of segments of predetermined lengths t and u as indicated in fig2 . each segment t contains a burst of interference , which is produced and transmitted during part or all of segment t as described below , and is followed by a second period , of duration u , during which no interference is transmitted . during the period u , the code pulses are transmitted on the subcarrier . fig3 is a block diagram of audio scrambler 14 . a noise or interfering audio signal or a band limited signal in the audio range is produced by a circuit 16 , which can be any circuit that will provide a signal which , sumperimposed upon a program audio signal , will cause the latter to produce unintelligible sounds when used to drive an audio output . the interference signal is applied to input 1 of an automatic gain control circuit (&# 34 ; agc &# 34 ;) 28 . the program audio is applied to input 2 of agc 28 and is used to adjust the signal level of the interfering audio signal as the latter appears at the output of the agc 28 , the signal output level of the agc 28 being proportional to the level of the signal at input 2 . if the program audio level is high , the agc 28 will exhibit a high - level output ; if the program audio level is low , the agc 28 will exhibit a low - level output . the output of the agc 28 , which is the level - adjusted noise or interfering audio signal , is applied to the input of an attenuator 30 . the attenuator 30 , under the control of the system controller 32 ( which can be part of computer 20 or , as shown , can be a distinct unit under the control of computer 20 ), adjusts the signal level of the interference signal between specified minimum and maximum signal levels ( respectively &# 34 ; no signal &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; full signal &# 34 ; hereinafter ) during each time segment t , causing the audio signal to change gradually from no signal to full signal and from full signal to no signal . ( the exact rise and fall of the signal level output by the attenuator 30 depends , of course , on time constants built into the attenuator circuit .) the signal controller 32 also controls the length of time during which a signal is present at the attenuator output , and the time during which no signal is present there . the output of the attenuator 30 is applied to the input of a signal phase reverser 34 and to one input of a signal selector 36 . the function of the signal phase reverser 34 is to reverse the phase of the attenuator output by 180 degrees . the action of the signal phase reverser 34 is begun and terminated at times determined by the system controller 32 . the output of the signal phase reverser 34 is applied to one input of a summer 38 , which adds that signal at some times but not at others to the program audio signal . whether the interfering signal is or is not added to the program audio signal at a given time is controlled by the system controller 32 . thus , the signal output by summer 38 is sometimes the program audio alone and sometimes the sum of the program audio and the interfering signal as conditioned by the agc 28 , the attenuator 30 and the signal phase reverser 34 . the output of attenuator 30 is applied to input 1 of the selector 36 . the control information is applied to input 2 of selector 36 . the control information consists preferably of an audio frequency shift key signal , a multiple tone audio tone signal or on - off keying of a single audio tone . the selector 36 , under the control of the system controller 32 , outputs either the signal at input 1 or the signal at input 2 . input 1 is selected during the time a signal is present at the output of the attenuator 30 . the output of the selector 36 , which is the combination of noise and code pulses indicated in fig2 is applied to a double sideband suppressed carrier modulator or other suitable modulator 42 and is used to modulate a carrier wave . the frequency of the carrier wave is placed above the audio baseband frequencies , for example , at standard subcarrier frequencies used for fm stereo transmission or for fm sca transmission . the output of the modulator 42 is added to the output of summer 38 , i . e ., to the scrambled audio signal , by summer 40 . the output of summer 40 is used to frequency modulate the tv channel audio carrier in the normal manner at 44 . the system controller 32 controls the action of attenuator 30 , signal phase reverser 34 , selector 36 and summer 38 , controlling the state of each of those circuits , the timing of the changes of state and the duration of states . the states and duration of states of each function are varied in patterns sufficiently complex to be effectively unrecognizable . all state transitions of phase reverser 34 and selector 36 preferably occur while no signal is present at the output of the attenuator 30 . all pseudo - random changes of state are performed as a function of the results of specified logic or arithmetic operations ( or both ) carried out on a predetermined starting datum , or seed , e . g ., a predetermined sequence of a certain number of binary bits . the specified operations are performed simultaneously by the controller 32 or computer 20 and by hardware or software in the decoder . when a new seed is to be substituted for an old one , the new seed is transmitted to the decoders as part of the control information . this , together with suitable synchronization signals ( well within the skill of those in the art ), is the only control information needed for unscrambling . all other control information is for a different purpose , as described below . fig4 is a schematic circuit diagram showing a portion of an audio scrambling circuit 14 &# 39 ; that is a slight variation of , and could be used in place of , that of fig3 . as can be seen , circuit 14 &# 39 ; includes a phase inverter 34 &# 39 ;, an attenuator 30 &# 39 ;, an automatic level control circuit 28 &# 39 ; and a summer 38 &# 39 ;. the inverter 34 &# 39 ; comprises two amplifiers u 1 and u 2 , the output of each of which is applied to a respective solid state switch s1 , s2 . the outputs of s1 and s2 are connected in parallel to serve as the inverter output . each amplifier u1 and u2 is connected in well - known manner such that amplifier u1 inverts the input signal and amplifier u2 does not invert the input signal . resistors r 1 , and r 2 , r 3 and r 4 set the gain of amplifiers u 1 and u 2 , using standard operational amplifier circuit techniques . with this arrangement , signals applied to the non - inverting input emerge from the amplifier with the same phase as when input , while signals applied to the other input undergo phase inversion . as can be seen , a barker signal , which is simply a suitably generated interference signal filtered by a low pass filter , is applied via resistor r1 to the inverting input of amplifier u1 and directly to the non - inverting input of amplifier u2 . a control signal supplied by the computer 20 or other control unit , and indicated by cont 1 , is applied via a buffer amplifier u3 , which inverts the signal , to the first switch s1 . the inverted signal output by amplifier u3 is reinverted by an additional amplifier u4 and is then applied to switch s2 . as a result , when the control signal cont 1 has one polarity , the first switch s1 is open and the second switch s2 is closed , so that the uninverted barker signal as amplified by amplifier u2 appears at the output of the phase inverter circuit 34 &# 39 ;. when the control signal cont 1 has the opposite polarity , then the inverted barker signal is passed by the closed first switch s1 and appears at the inverter output . the signal output by the phase inverter 34 &# 39 ; is applied to one input of attenuator 30 &# 39 ;. the latter comprises two solid state switches s3 , s4 connected in series . the other terminal of switch s3 is the selector input , and the other terminal of switch s4 is grounded . the two switches s3 , s4 are controlled by a second control signal cont 2 . the second control signal is applied to an inverting amplifier u5 , which inverts the polarity and serves as a buffer . the inverted signal is applied to the control input of switch s3 . an additional inverting amplifier u6 reinverts the control signal cont 2 and applies it to the control input of switch s4 . the output of attenuator circuit 30 &# 39 ; causes the input to agc amplifier u10 to be the output of circuit 34 &# 39 ; ( with s3 closed and s4 open ) or to be grounded ( with s4 closed and s3 open ). the polarity of cont 2 controls whether the noise signal appears at the output of circuit 30 &# 39 ;, or whether that output is simply a zero level signal ( grounded ). the barker signal , either inverted or not inverted depending on the first control signal cont 1 , is level - controlled by agc circuit 28 &# 39 ; as a function of the instantaneous level of the program audio signal . the input by which the barker signal is applied to the agc circuit 28 &# 39 ; is connected by capacitator c2 to the output of attentuator 30 &# 39 ;. depending on the polarity of the second control signal cont 2 , the barker signal may or may not be applied to the agc circuit 28 &# 39 ;. when the barker signal is not applied to the agc circuit 28 &# 39 ;, the latter is grounded via switch s4 , causing the attenuator output to be a zero level signal . this is done periodically to provide an interval in which the control information pulses can be transmitted on the subcarrier being used to carry the interference . during the time intervals when the barker signal is applied to the agc circuit 28 &# 39 ;, the gain is controlled by means of a signal that is a function of the signal level of the program audio signal . as can be seen , the program audio signal is applied via a resistor r5 to the inverting output of an amplifier u7 , which input is connected by a resistor r6 to the amplifier output . the non - inverting input is grounded . the amplifier output is applied to a diode d1 , which is connected to ground across capacitor c1 and resistor r7 in parallel . the voltage across resistor r7 is applied to the inverting input of another amplifier u8 , whose biasing circuit consists of two resistors r8 , r9 arranged in the same manner as those of amplifier u7 . the output of amplifier u8 is applied via another resistor r13 to the second input of the agc amplifier u10 . the program audio signal is amplified by circuit u7 to a level sufficient to cause diode d1 to conduct , charging capacitor c1 . the circuit consisting of r7 and c1 produces an envelope signal representative of the present level of the program audio signal , in a manner like the detection of an am radio signal . the envelope signal is further amplified by amplifier u8 and applied to the agc amplifier u10 to control the degree of attenuation to which the interference signal applied to the agc 28 &# 39 ; via capacitor c2 is subjected . summer circuit 38 &# 39 ; consists of an amplifier u9 with the non - inverting input grounded , and the inverting input connected via resistor r12 to the output . the signals to be summed are applied to the inverting input via respective resistors r10 and r11 . a capacitor c3 connects resistor r11 to the agc output . thus , the signal output by agc 28 &# 39 ;, consisting at different times of the attenuated barker signal or of no signal , is applied via capacitor c3 to one input of the summer 38 &# 39 ;, and the program audio signal is applied to the other summer input . the output of summer 38 &# 39 ; is the scrambled audio signal . fig5 shows a portion of the preferred embodiment of the decoder circuit of the invention , suitable for use with the scrambling circuits of fig3 and 4 . the interference signal , with the code pulses in the intervals between bursts , is applied to a terminal of each of two solid state switches s5 and s8 . the other terminal of switch s5 is connected via r13 to the inverting input of amplifier u11 , and the other terminal of switch s8 is connected to the non - inverting input of amplifier u11 . the inverting input of amplifier u11 is connected to the output of amplifier u11 by r14 for biasing amplifier u11 in a conventional manner . two additional switches s7 and s6 connect the respective inputs of amplifier u11 to ground . control signals cont 3 , cont 4 , cont 5 and cont 6 are applied to the control inputs of the four switches s5 - s8 . control signals cont 3 and cont 4 are complementary in polarity and determine whether the interference signal is or is not applied to the inverting input of the amplifier u11 . similarly , the two remaining control signals cont 5 and cont 6 are of complementary polarity and control whether or not the interference signal is applied to the non - inverting input . the four control signals cont 3 - 6 are generated by logic circuitry ( or by a microprocessor programmed with equivalent software ) in the decoder in such a manner that the interference signal is applied in turn to the inverting input , the non - inverting input , or neither input of amplifier u11 , to cause the latter to output a signal consisting entirely of the interference bursts , instantaneously inverted or not inverted exactly as the interference signal was inverted or not inverted in the scrambling circuit . the resulting signal is applied via r15 across resistor r16 to the non - inverting input of another amplifier u12 biased by r18 in the same general manner as amplifier u11 . the scrambled program signal is applied via resistor r17 to the inverting input of amplifier u12 . the latter subtracts the two signals input to it . the output of amplifier u12 is the unscrambled program audio signal . at or shortly after the beginning of each time segment u , the computer 20 or system controller 32 preferably generates a signal ( for example , a series of digital pulses ) that indicates to the decoders that a burst of noise has been completed and that what follows is control information . this can also be done to ensure synchronization of the scrambling and the unscrambling devices . alternatively , high - pass and low - pass filters connected in parallel can be used by the decoder to extract the control information and the noise bursts , respectively , from the interference signal . the phase reversals of the interference signal , and the addition or non - addition of the interference to the program audio signal , are preferably or pseudo - random . according to the most preferred version of the invention , these functions are pseudo - random and are controlled in the scrambler as a function of signals produced by special logic circuitry or appropriate software from a seed . preferably , the seed is a sequence of binary bits that is subjected iteratively to specified logic or arithmetic operations to generate an on - going series of binary pulses whose polarity varies from pulse to pulse in a pattern too complex to be readily recognized . these pulses are used to produce the control signals cont 1 and cont 2 discussed in connection with fig4 or to produce corresponding signals to control the scrambler 14 of fig3 or any other embodiment of the scrambler circuit of the invention . similar hardware or software in the decoder uses the same seed to produce control signals ( those identified as cont 3 - 6 in fig5 ) to condition the interference bursts and subtract them from the scrambled program audio as described above . the logic or arithmetic operations performed by the scrambler on the seed in producing the control signals are also functions of the authorization code which the decoders authorized to unscramble the program in question must have . ( in the decoders , the actual authorization code of the decoder in question is used .) if the subscriber in question is authorized to receive the program being transmitted , the operations carried out on the seed and the authorization code will yield the correct control signals to unscramble the program audio ; otherwise , the control signals generated at the decoder will be different from those required for unscrambling , and the subscriber will hear only a garbled version of the program audio . it is desirable to change the seed from time to time to increase security . this is done simply by transmitting a new seed in the interference signal , in an interval between noise bursts . the seed is preferably preceded by a special sequence of pulses to alert the decoders that a new seed is about to be transmitted . when it is desired to change the authorization code of a particular decoder , the computer 20 causes the new authorization code , preceded by the address of the decoder to which the new code is being assigned , to be transmitted as control information in the interference signal . again , a special pulse sequence preferably precedes the address to indicate to the decoders that the following pulses are addresses and new authorization codes rather than seeds . as a modification of the foregoing approach , the control signals cont 3 - 6 produced by the decoder can be generated as a function of only one rather than two numbers stored in the decoder , using the authorization code alone to control scrambling and unscrambling . in this case , the scrambling system uses that authorization code as the seed to control the pseudo - random scrambling . as another modification , each new authorization code can be encrypted in a manner that depends upon the address of the decoder to which the new authorization code is being sent . the control information can also be encrypted using any suitable conventional encryption scheme . to minimize any possibility of errors , it is preferred that the computer 20 continually transmit in sequence the addresses of all of the decoders in the system , each followed by the current authorization code of that decoder . as an alternative to the foregoing embodiments , the program audio signal itself can be used as the interfering signal . in this case , illustrated in fig6 and 7 , the program audio signal is passed through a delay circuit 50 . the delayed audio signal is then added to the undelayed program audio signal by summer 52 , in place of a separately generated noise signal . for unscrambling , the received audio signal is split into two parts , one of which is delayed by circuit 54 by a time equal to the delay used in the scrambling step . the undelayed , scrambled audio signal and the delayed audio signal are then subtracted by circuit 56 , under the control of unit 58 , to reproduce the original program audio signal . in the embodiments described with reference to fig1 - 5 , it is necessary that the noise signal be added only during specified , predetermined intervals ( i . e ., the intervals t indicated in fig2 ), in order to leave intervals u for the transmission of the control information . using the delayed program audio signal as the interfering signal , however , this is unnecessary , because there is no separate noise signal to be transmitted in parallel with the scrambled audio signal . thus the control information can , if desired , be transmitted continuously on a selected subcarrier rather than only at specified times . as a result , the interference signal can be added to the program audio at any time . in addition , the delay time and the strength of the fed - back delayed signal can , if desired , be varied pseudo - randomly as a function of the control information . the invention can , if desired , be practiced entirely using software for encryption and decoding , in a manner that will be apparent to those skilled in the art . the hardware , software or both required to practice the foregoing embodiments of the invention are believed to be well within the ordinary level of skill in the art , and will not be described . although the present invention has been particularly described with detailed reference to several preferred embodiments , many modifications and variations thereof will now be readily apparent skilled in the art . accordingly , the scope of the invention is to be limited , not by the details of described herein , but only by the terms of the appended claims .	7
the present invention relates to a diluent for chemical entities ( ces ). more particularly , it relates to the diluent and its use as the preferred diluent for reducing or eliminating non - specific binding ( nsb ) to test devices surfaces and fluids used to measure compound transport , solubility , adsorption , distribution , binding and other compound properties of chemical entities in an assay predictive of in vitro compound behavior . the diluent is an aqueous solution comprised of low molecular weight constituents that either do not contribute to nsb or which eliminate nsb of chemical entities and which have little or no adverse impact on the analysis of the ces and which do not interfere with the methods and assays for the determination and quantification of such ces . the diluent may either be formed from a native source such as plasma , serum and the like through selective filtration to remove components that add to nsb or by mixing individual components of the native sources to create such a diluent . the diluent is typically formed from plasma or serum that has been subjected to one or more filtration steps , mainly ultrafiltration steps , such that the plasma or serum essentially contains little if no proteins and other components that contribute to non specific binding of chemical entities ( ces ). preferably , it is a fluid that has essentially all constituents of a nominal molecular weight of about 50 kilodaltons ( kd ) or below , more preferably it contains constituents that have a nominal molecular weight of less than 30 kilodaltons ( kd ), even more preferably it contains constituents that have a nominal molecular weight of less than 10 kilodaltons ( kd ) and which is essentially protein - free . if desired , even finer cuts of diluent may be used such as a nominal molecular weight of 5 kd or less . however , for most applications , diluent having a nominal molecular weight of less than 30 kd is acceptable and provides all of the expected benefits . alternatively , a solution may be made by mixing various low molecular weight constituents of serum or plasma such as salts , triglycerides , cholesterols , sugars and the like ( kd below 50 , preferably below 30 kd , more preferably below 10 ) to buffered physiological saline solution to form the diluent . the components are well known in the art and they are available from various commercial sources and can also be easily separated by one of ordinary skill in the art in a laboratory using common techniques and equipment . ( see for example , table 1 ). the plasma or serum or the individual components selected can be from a variety of sources , including but not limited to bovines such as cattle and fetal calf serum , sheep , goat , human plasma and serum , protein - free serum products and protein - free , animal - free serum products and the like . these are available from a variety of vendors such as sigma aldrich , hyclone inc . and gibco / invitrogen . the native sourced diluent is made by selecting a desired source material , be it one or more plasma sources or serum sources or blend of one or more plasmas , sera or both and subjecting the source material to one or more filtration steps with at least one step being the filtration of the source material through an ultrafiltration membrane having a nominal molecular weight cutoff of about 50 kd , or 30 kd or 10 kd . coarser prefilters may be used before this ultrafiltration step particularly if the plasma or serum has a large amount of larger molecular weight constituents that would otherwise clog or foul the ultrafilter . further , if desired , one can use additional ultrafiltration steps to create even finer products if desired or necessary for the particular application . the ultrafiltration step may occur in a normal flow filter such as a centricon ® centrifugal filter device , or an ultrafiltration membrane such as a plgc uf membrane ( 10 kd n . m . w . c . o . ), a ymt10 membrane ( n . m . w . c . o . of 10 kd ) or a pltk uf membrane ( 30 kd n . m . w . c . o .) contained in a stainless steel filter holder or in a swinnex ® filter holder ( all available from millipore corporation of billerica , mass . ), a stirred cell , a tangential flow filter device such as a pellicon ® uf cassette containing a pltk or plgc uf membrane or through a hollow fiber device , such as is shown in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 626 , 758 . the system selected is not critical to the application and has more to do with the scale / volume of source material to be filtered as well as the existing equipment one has at hand . a preferred method is to use fetal bovine serum as the source material and clarify it in a stericup ® filter device available from millipore corporation of billerica , mass . the diluent was prepared by separation of the clarified serum using a millipore stirred cell fitted with an ultracel ® plgc or an ymt10 membrane ( n . m . w . c . o . of 10 kd ), both available from millipore corporation of billerica , mass . there are a number of different assays used to investigate and / or develop ces as drug candidates and the like . the use of test cells , such as caco 2 cells and the like may be used to test the intestinal transport properties of the ce . others such as plasma protein binding , solubility testing , pampa , and other ‘ artificial ’ membrane transport ( or permeability ) assays do not require the use of cells . it is meant by this invention to provide a diluent for use in either type of test . a typical assay comprises using a device similar to that shown in fig1 . this embodiment can be used with cell - based assays . non - cell based assays might use a similar system with no cells contained within the system . the system comprises a top or cell plate 2 which has a series of wells , 4 , typically 12 , 24 , 48 or 96 in number although lesser or greater numbers ( such as 384 or 1536 wells ) may be used . the tops 6 of the wells are open and the bottoms 8 are closed by either a solid bottom or a porous structure 10 , typically a microporous membrane or a glass filter . the porous structure 10 is sealed to the plate well bottoms such that cells and / or added constituents whose size exceeds the size of the membrane or filter &# 39 ; s largest pore or which are retained by surface tension in the lack of a driving force for the filtration are retained within the wells and only liquid passes through the porous structure 10 by diffusion or under pressure . cells 12 are grown on the upper surface of the porous structure 10 so that they form an integral layer i across the upper surface of the porous structure 10 . with the filter plate use , a receiver plate 14 is positioned below the cell plate 2 . the receiver plate 14 has a series of wells 16 having an open top 18 and a closed bottom 20 . the number of wells , their size and configuration are designed to register with those of the cell plate such that all liquid leaving a well 4 a of the cell plate 2 flows into a respective well 16 a of the receiver plate 14 . in some non - cell assays , no receiver plate is necessary . a chemical entity is diluted in the diluent of the present invention to a concentration believed appropriate for in vitro administration . typically , the ce is diluted in the diluent to a level of from about 10 micromolar ( μm ) to about 0 . 1 nanomolar ( nm ) depending on the assay and ce being tested . the ce in the diluent is then added to the open top of the wells 4 of the cell plate , preferably along the side of the wells 4 so as to not disturb the cells and allowed to interact with the cells . preferably the wells 16 of the receiver plate 14 are filled with diluent ( but containing no ce ) as well . after a time , typically an hour or so , the two plates 2 , 14 are separated and the liquid in the wells 16 of the receiver plate 14 are analyzed . the diluent reduces the likelihood of any nsb of the ce to any of the test surfaces or fluids . additionally , as it is a natural product and similar to the liquid that the cells are grown in , it has little if any adverse effect on the behavior of the cells or the ce , unlike other prior art methods such as the use of solvents . moreover , as it is present through out the test system it reduces nsb not only in the receiver plate wells but also in the cell plate 2 , the dilution vessel ( not shown ) the applicator such as a syringe or a pipette , the porous structure and the like . it has been found that the present invention works regardless of the materials used in the system , be they glass or plastic , blends of plastic or plastics coated with a hydrophilic coating and has been found to reduce nsb even in plates that were considered to be low nsb plates . finally , the diluent will not bind any of the ce in solution meaning that there will be no negative impact on the ce &# 39 ; s bioavailability . the invention of the present invention has also been found to be the preferred diluent for materials used in a wide variety of assays , as it most closely resembles the in vitro environment . the invention may be used as a buffer , base media or diluent for different compounds used to assess compound behavior in biological and biopredictable assays . the nsb of various drugs ( at 10 nm concentrations in phosphate buffered saline [ pbs ]) that had been radio labeled were added to a microcon ® 96 receiver plate ( formed of ptfe resin polypropylene blend ) and left in the plate for 60 minutes . the amount of drug lost to nsb was measured and is summarized in fig2 . the drug nsb ( 10 nm drug in phosphate buffer ) to other 96 - well plates made from different plastics was also tested . binding was significant for all of these plates , including ptfe , with the extent of loss correlating with solubility of the drug ( i . e ., the more lipophilic the drug , the higher the loss due to nsb ). in fact , drug nsb appears to be independent of plate material in a time course study for taxol and testosterone on pp and ptfe plates using lc - ms ( data not shown ). the dilution of drugs in diluent as claimed in the present invention was tested in the microcon ® 96 receiver plate ( ptfe resin / polypropylene blend ), a 96 well plate formed of polypropylene and a 96 well plate formed of ptfe resin with a variety of drugs and all showed significantly reduced nsb . the results are presented in fig3 . in addition to the dramatic reduction observed in drug nsb as a consequence of making the dilutions in diluent , it appeared that diluent was also an ideal diluent for a wide range of assays since the diluent most closely resembles the in vivo ‘ mobile phase ’.	6
an audio - visual ( av ) terminal is a systems component which is instrumental in forming , presenting or displaying audio - visual content . this includes ( but is not limited to ) end - user terminals with a monitor screen and loudspeakers , as well server and mainframe computer facilities in which audio - visual information is processed . in an av terminal , desired functionality can be hardware -, firmware - or software - implemented . information to be processed may be furnished to the terminal from a remote information source via a telecommunications channel , or it may be retrieved from a local archive , for example . an object - oriented audio - visual terminal more specifically receives information in the form of individual objects , to be combined into scenes according to composition information supplied to the terminal . fig1 illustrates such a terminal , including a de - multiplexer ( dmux ) 1 connected via a logical channel lc 0 to a system controller or “ executive ” 2 and via logical channels lc 1 through lcn to a buffer 3 . the executive 2 and the buffer 3 are connected to decoders 4 which in turn are connected to a composer unit 5 . also , the executive 2 is connected to the composer unit 5 directly , and has an external input for user interaction , for example . in the preferred av architecture , the av objects and their composition information are transmitted or accessed on separate logical channels . the dmux receives the mux2 layer from the lower layers and de - multiplexes it into logical channels . lc 0 carries composition information which is passed on to the executive . the av objects received on other logical channels are stored in the buffer to be acted upon by the decoders . the executive receives the composition information , which includes the decoding and presentation time stamps , and instructs the decoders and composer accordingly . the system handles object composition packets ( ocp ) and object data packets ( odp ). a composition packet contains an object &# 39 ; s id , time stamps and the “ composition parameters ” for rendering the object . an object data packet contains an object id , an expiration time stamp in case of persistent objects , and object data . preferably , any external input such as user interaction is converted to ocp and / or odp before it is presented to the executive . there is no need for headers in a bitstream delivered over a network . however , headers are required when storing an mpeg4 presentation in a file . fig2 a and 2 b illustrate the structure of composition and data packets in further detail . relevant features are as follows : object id is composed of object type and object number . the default length of the object id is 2 bytes , including ten bits for the object number and 6 for the object type ( e . g . text , graphics , mpeg2 vop , compound object ). an extensible code is used to accommodate more than 1023 objects or more than 31 object types . the following convention will be adhered to : a value of 0b111111 in the first six bits of the object id corresponds to 31 plus the value of the byte immediately following the objectid ; a value of 0b11 . 1111 . 1111 in the least significant 10 bits of the object id corresponds to 1023 plus the value of the two bytes immediately following the object id ( without counting the object type extension bytes , if present ). the following object types are defined : composition objects ( 16 - bit object ids ) 0x0000 scene configuration object 0x0001 node hierarchy specification 0x0002 stream - node association 0x0003 node / scene update 0x0004 compound object persistent objects ( po ) are objects that should be saved at the decoder for use at a later time . an expiration time stamp ( ets ) gives the life of a po in milliseconds . a po is not available to the decoder after ets runs out . when a po is to be used at a later time in a scene , only the corresponding composition information needs to be sent to the av terminal . decoding time stamp ( dts ) indicates the time an object ( access unit ) should be decoded by the decoder . presentation time stamp ( pts ) indicates the time an object ( access unit ) should be presented by the decoder . lifetime time stamp ( lts ) gives the duration ( in milliseconds ) an object should be displayed in a scene . lts is implicit in some cases , e . g . in a video sequence where a frame is displayed for 1 / frame - rate or until the next frame is available , whichever is larger . an explicit lts is used when displaying graphics and text . an av object should be decoded only once for use during its life time . expiration time stamp ( ets ) is specified to support the notion of object persistence . an object , after it is presented , is saved at the decoder ( cache ) until a time given by ets . such an object can be used multiple times before ets runs out . a po with an expired ets is no longer available to the decoder . object time base ( otb ) defines the notion of time of a given av object encoder . different objects may belong to different time bases . the av terminal adapts these time bases to the local one , as specified in the msdl vm . object clock reference ( ocr ) can be used if necessary to convey the speed of the otb to the decoder . by this mechanism , otbs can be recovered / adapted at the av terminal . composition parameters are used to compose a scene ( place an object in a scene ). these include displacement from the upper left corner of the presentation frame , rotation angles , zooming factors , etc . priority indicates the priority of an object for transmission , decoding , and display . mpeg4 supports 32 levels of priority . lower numbers indicate higher priorities . continuation indicator ( ci ) indicates the end of an object in the current packet ( or continuation ). object grouping facilitates operations to be applied to a set of objects with a single operation . such a feature can be used to minimize the amount of composition information sent , as well as to support hierarchical scene composition based on independent sub - scenes . the composer manipulates the component objects as a group . the structure of a compound composition packet ( ccp ) is shown in fig2 c . bitstream structure includes object composition packets for describing the composition and controlling the presentation of those packets , and object data packets that contain the data for the objects . a scene is composed by a set of composition packets . the bitstream supports representation of scenes as a hierarchy by using compound composition objects ( ccp ), also known as node hierarchy . a ccp allows combining composition objects to create complex audio - visual scenes . objectid — min ( default ) 10 bits ci and pi could be combined : priority : 5 bits , present only if ci / pi is 0b00 or 0b01 for prediction - based video coding , vop_type is indicated by two bits ( 00 ( i ), 01 ( p ), 10 ( b ), 11 ( pb )), facilitating editing . object_data_packet { objectid 16 bits + any extensions ; cipi 2 bits if ( cipi & lt ;= 1 ) { priority 5 bits if ( object type is mpeg vop ) ( any prediction based compression ) vop_type 2 bits } if ( cipi == 1 ) ets 28 bits objectdata } object composition_packet { objectid 16 bits + any extensions ocr_flag 1 bit display_timers_flag 1 bit dts 30 bits if ( ocr_flag ) ocr 30 bits if ( display_timers_flag ){ pts 30 bits lts 28 bits } composition_parameters ; } composition parameters are defined in section 2 of msdl verification model , mpeg n1483 , systems working draft v2 . 0 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . composition_parameters ( visibility 1 bit composition_order 5 bits number_of_motion_sets 2 bits x_delta_0 12 bits y_delta_0 12 bits for ( i = 1 ; i & lt ; = number_of_motion_sets ; i ++) { x_delta_i 12 bits y_delta_i 12 bits } } compound_composition_packet { objectid 16 bits pts 30 bits lts 28 bits composition_parameters objectcount 8 bits for ( i = 0 ; i & lt ; objectcount ; i ++) { object_composition_packet ; } } scene configuration packet ( scp ) is used to change reference scene width , height , to flush the buffer , and other configuration functions . the object type for scps is 0b00 . 0000 . this allows for 1024 different configuration packets . the object number 0b00 . 0000 . 0000 ( object id 0x0000 ) is defined for use with flushing the terminal buffers . av terminal buffers are flushed using flush_cache and scene_update flags . when using hierarchical scene structure , the current scene graph is flushed and the terminal loads the new scene from the bitstream . use of flags allows for saving the current scene structure instead of flushing it . these flags are used to update the reference scene width and height whenever a new scene begins . if the flush_cache_flag is set , the cache is flushed , removing the objects ( if any ). if scene_update_flag is set , there are two possibilities : ( i ) flush_cache - flag is set , implying that the objects in the cache will no longer be used ; ( ii ) flush_cache_flag is not set , the new scene being introduced ( an editing action on the bitstream ) splices the current scene and the objects in the scene will be used after the end of the new scene . the ets of the objects , if any , will be frozen for the duration of the new scene introduced . the beginning of the next scene is indicated by another scene configuration packet . scene_configuration_packet { object id 16 bits ( oxoooo ) flush_cache_flag 1 bit scene_update_flag 1 bit if ( scene_update_flag ){ ref_scene_width 12 bits ref_scene_height 12 bits } } a hierarchy of nodes is defined , describing a scene . the scene configuration packets can also be used to define a scene hierarchy that allows for a description of scenes as a hierarchy of av objects . each node in such a graph is a grouping of nodes that groups the leaves and / or other nodes of the graph into a compound av object . each node ( leaf ) has a unique id followed by its parameters as shown in fig3 . as illustrated by fig4 , table entries associate the elementary object streams in the logical channels to the nodes in a hierarchical scene . the stream ids are unique , but not the node ids . this implies that more than one stream can be associated with the same node . fig5 illustrates updating of the nodes in the scene hierarchy , by modifying the specific parameters of the node . the graph itself can be updated by adding / deleting the nodes in the graph . the update type in the packet indicates the type of update to be performed on the graph . the embodiment described below includes an object - based av bitstream and a terminal architecture . the bitstream design specifies , in a binary format , how av objects are represented and how they are to be composed . the av terminal structure specifies how to decode and display the objects in the binary bitstream . further to fig1 and with specific reference to fig6 , the input to the de - multiplexer 1 is an object - based bitstream such as an mpeg - 4 bitstream , consisting of av objects and their composition information multiplexed into logical channels ( lc ). the composition of objects in a scene can be specified as a collection of objects with independent composition specification , or as a hierarchical scene graph . the composition and control information is included in lc 0 . the control information includes control commands for updating scene graphs , reset decoder buffers etc . logical channels 1 and above contain object date . the system includes a controller ( or “ executive ”) 2 which controls the operation of the av terminal . the terminal further includes input buffers 3 , av object decoders 4 , buffers 4 ′ for decoded data , a composer 5 , a display 6 , and an object cache 7 . the input bitstream may be read from a network connection or from a local storage device such as a dvd , cd - rom or computer hard disk . lc 0 containing the composition information is fed to the controller . the dmux stores the objects in lc 1 and above at the location in the buffer specified by the controller . in the case of network delivery , the encoder and the stream server cooperate to ensure that the input object buffers neither overflow nor underflow . the encoded data objects are stored in the input data buffers until read by the decoders at their decoding time , typically given by an associated decoding timestamp . before writing a data object to the buffer , the dmux removes the timestamps and other headers from the object data packet and passes them to the controller for signaling of the appropriate decoders and input buffers . the decoders , when signaled by the controller , decode the data in the input buffers and store them in the decoder output buffers . the av terminal also handles external input such as user interaction . in the object cache 7 , objects are stored for use beyond their initial presentation time . such objects remain in the cache even if the associated node is deleted from the scene graph , but are removed only upon the expiration of an associated time interval called the expiration time stamp . this feature can be used in presentations where an object is used repeatedly over a session . the composition associated with such objects can be updated with appropriate update messages . for example , the logo of the broadcasting station can be downloaded at the beginning of the presentation and the same copy can be used for repeated display throughout a session . subsequent composition updates can change the position of the logo on the display . objects that are reused beyond their first presentation time may be called persistent objects . the system controller controls decoding and playback of bitstreams on the av terminal . at startup , from user interaction or by looking for a session at default network address , the sc first initializes the dmux to read from a local storage device or a network port . the control logic is loaded into the program ram at the time of initialization . the instruction decoder reads the instructions from the program and executes them . execution may involve reading the data from the input buffers ( composition or external data ), initializing the object timers , loading or updating the object tables to the data ram , loading object timers , or control signaling . fig7 shows the system controller in further detail . the dmux reads the input bitstream and feeds the composition data on lc 0 to the controller . the composition data begins with the description of the first scene in the av presentation . this scene can be described as a hierarchical collection of objects using compound composition packets , or as a collection of independent object composition packets . a table that associates the elementary streams with the nodes in the scene description immediately follows the scene description . the controller loads the object ids ( stream ids ) into object list and render list which are maintained in the data ram . the render list contains the list of objects that are to be rendered on the display device . an object that is disenabled by user interaction is removed from the render list . a node delete command that is sent via a composition control packet causes the deletion of the corresponding object ids from the object list . the node hierarchy is also maintained in the data ram and updated whenever a composition update is received . the composition decoder reads data from the composition and external data buffer and converts them into a format understood by the instruction decoder . the external input includes user interaction to select objects , disenable and enable objects and certain predefined operations on the objects . during the execution of the program , two lists are formed in the data ram . the object list , containing a list of objects ( object ids ) currently handled by the decoders and a render list , containing the list of active objects in the scene . these lists are updated dynamically as the composition information is received . for example , if a user chooses to hide an object by passing a command via the external input , the object is removed from the render list until specified by the user . this is also how external input is handled by the system . whenever there is some external interaction , the composition decoder reads the external data buffer and performs the requested operation . the sc also maintains timing for each av object to signal the decoders and decoder buffers of decoding and presentation time . the timing information for the av objects is specified in terms of its time - base . the terminal uses the system clock to convert an object &# 39 ; s time base into system time . for objects that do not need decoding , only presentation timers are necessary . these timers are loaded with the decoding and presentation timestamps for that av object . the controller obtains the timestamps from the dmux for each object . when a decoding timer for an object runs out , the appropriate decoder is signaled to read data from the input buffers and to start the decoding process . when a presentation timer runs out , the decoded data for that object is transferred to the frame buffer for display . a dual buffer approach could be used to allow writing to a frame buffer while the contents of the second buffer are displayed on the monitor . the instruction decoder can also reset the dmux or input buffers by signaling a reset , which initializes them to the default state . fig8 shows the flow of information in the controller . to keep the figure simple , the operations performed by the instruction decoder are shown in groups . the three groups respectively concern object property modifications , object timing , and signaling . these operations manipulate the object ids , also called elementary stream ids . when a scene is initially loaded , a scene graph is formed with the object ids of the objects in the scene . the controller also forms and maintains a list of objects in the scene ( object list ) and active objects in the object from the render list . other operations set and update object properties such as composition parameters when the terminal receives a composition packet . this group of operations deals with managing object timers for synchronization , presentation , and decoding . an object &# 39 ; s timestamp specified in terms of its object time base is converted into system time and the presentation and decoding time of that object are set . these operations also set and reset expiration timestamps for persistent objects . signaling operations control the over - all operation of the terminal . various components of the terminal are set , reset and operated by controller signaling . the controller checks the decoding and presentation times of the objects in the render list and signals the decoders and presentation frame buffers accordingly . it also initializes the demux for reading from a network or a local storage device . at the instigation of the controller , decoders read the data from the input buffers and pass the decoded data to decoder output buffers . the decoded data is moved to the presentation device when signaled by the controller .	6
examples of the printing plate as referred to herein include various planographic printing plates , photosensitive relief image printing plates and photosensitive gravure plates . the planographic printing plates as referred to herein are broadly classified into presensitized plates ( hereinafter referred to simply as &# 34 ; ps plate &# 34 ;) which require dampening water , and dry planographic printing plates which employ a silicone rubber layer or a fluorine - containing compound layer as an ink - repellent layer . the former ps plates were predominant planographic printing plates in the past and many practical inventions accomplished , while as to the latter dry planographic printing plates , researches and developments have recently been made , taking note of them as new printing plates not requiring dampening water . a lot of dry planographic printing plates have been proposed ; for example , those substantially having a plate construction wherein a base substrate , a photosensitive layer and an ink - repellent layer are overlied together in this order , such as those disclosed in japanese pat . publication ( jp - b ) nos . 54 - 26923 , 56 - 23150 , 61 - 54222 and 59 - 28479 as well as japanese pat . laid open ( jp - a ) nos . 60 - 21050 and 60 - 229031 , and those substantially having a plate construction wherein a base substrate , and ink - repellent layer and a photosensitive layer are overlied together in this order , such as those disclosed in japanese pat . publication no . 56 - 14976 and laid open no . 56 - 25740 . the peelable or removable protective layer used in the present invention will be explained below . the protective layer indicates a layer substantially containing a photofading material and positioned as a top layer on the front side of the printing plate . no limitation is placed on its construction if only it can be peeled off or removed in the stage of becoming a processed plate through the developing process after exposure . for example , there may be adopted a construction wherein the photofading material is dispersed , preferably dispersed uniformly , throughout the interior of the protective layer , or a construction wherein the photofading material is dispersed non - uniformly in the protective layer , or present locally , for example , localized in the upper or lower portion of the protective layer . preferred examples of the protective layer satisfying the above conditions include various plastic films having the photofading material dispersed uniformly therein , laminated films obtained by forming a layer containing the photofading material on one or bothsides of various plastic films by coating , transferring , vapor deposition , or sputtering , and a film removable in the developing process formed by applying a binder resin containing the photofading material onto the front side the printing plate exemplified above . above all , the various plastic films having the photofading material dispersed uniformly therein , and the laminated films obtained by forming a layer containing the photofading material on one or both sides of various plastic films by coating ( together with a binder ), transferring , vapor deposition or sputtering , are particularly preferred because the protective layer can be formed without inducing a mass transfer ( e . g . impregnation of the photofading material into the printing plate ) between it and the printing plate and further because the protective layer can be peeled off easily in the step prior to the developing process so it is possible to lessen the burden on the developing process ( preventing the deterioration of a developing solution caused by the incorporation of the protective layer ingredients into the developing solution ). examples of the plastic films referred as above include polyester film , polypropylene film , polyethylene film , polyvinyl chloride film , polyamide film , and ethylene - vinyl acetate copolymer film . polyester film or polypropylene film is preferred . particularly preferred in point of strength and transparency are biaxially stretched polyester films such as polyethylene terephthalate film , and biaxially stretched polypropylene films . the binder referred to above is not specially limited if only it has a suitable bonding property and transparency . examples are polyesters , polyamides , polyurethanes , polyvinyl alcohols , polyvinylidene chloride , chlorinated polypropylene , polyacrylonitrile and polyvinyl butyral . preferred examples are solvent - soluble polyesters such as &# 34 ; nichigo polyester &# 34 ; ( a copolyester prepared by the nippon synthetic chemical industry co ., ltd .) and &# 34 ; vylon &# 34 ; ( a copolyester prepared by toyobo co ., ltd . ), as well as polyvinyl butyral , polyurethanes and alcohol - soluble polyamides . furthermore , a transparent coating layer may also be formed on the protective layer , if necessary . for this coating layer there may be used the same materials as those just exemplified above in connection with the binder . the photofading material is not specially limited at all if only it is transparent in the region of wavelength which is effective to induce a photoreaction of the printing plate after fading upon exposure to light ( the said &# 34 ; transparent &# 34 ; means either exhibiting no absorption in the said wavelength region or exhibiting absorption only to an extent of having no substantial influence on the photoreaction of the photosensitive layer underlying the protective layer ). but a preferred example of the photofading material is one which protects the printing plate from the fogging by shielding or attenuating the active light from the light source and which , when exposure is effected using a light source containing light which is effective to induce a photoreaction of the printing plate , absorbs the light from that light source , fades immediately and becomes transparent in that wavelength region . therefore , a suitable photofading material is selected according to the region of wavelength which is effective to induce a photoreaction of the printing plate and the wavelength region of emitted light of the exposure light source . for the above reason it is desirable that the quantum efficiency ( the efficiency of photofading in case of a certain - time exposure using a specified light source , assuming that the case where photofading of one molecule occurs at the absorption of one photon is equal to 1 ) be in the range of 0 . 01 to 1 . 00 , more preferably 0 . 10 to 1 . 00 , particularly preferably 0 . 20 to 1 . 00 . it is preferable for the photofading material to have a quantum efficiency within this range because there will be no obstacle to the exposure of the printing plate nor will there be little deterioration of sensitivity . examples of those which satisfy these characteristics include various dyes , photochromic compounds and diazo compounds which upon absorption of light undergo oxidative and / or reductive reaction or decomposition and fade . more concrete examples are as follows . as disperse dyes , azo - type disperse dyes ( e . g . c . i . disperse orange 30 , c . i . disperse yellow 114 , c . i . disperse orange 13 , c . i . disperse yellow 56 ), anthra - quinone - type disperse dyes ( e . g . c . i . disperse red 60 ), quinophthalone - type disperse dyes ( e . g . c . i . disperse yellow 64 ), nitrophenylamine - type disperse dyes ( e . g . c . i . disperse yellow 42 ), styryl - type disperse dyes ( e . g . c . i . disperse yellow 49 ). as cation dyes , conjugated cation - type azo dyes ( e . g . c . i . basic yellow 25 ), non - conjugated cation - type azo dyes ( e . g . c . i . basic red 18 ), styryl - type cation dyes ( e . g . c . i . basic yellow 11 , c . i . basic yellow 28 , c . i . basic yellow 19 ), coumalin - type cation dyes ( e . g . c . i . basic yellow 40 ). as reactive dyes , vinylsulfone - type dyes ( e . g . c . i . reactive blue 19 ) triazine - type dyes ( e . g . c . i . reactive orange 4 , c . i . reactive orange 13 ). as other dyes , triphenylmethane - phthalide - type dye ( e . g . crystal violet lactone ; usp 2548366 ), fluoran - type dyes ( e . g . 3 - diethylamino - 6 - methyl fluoran ), phenothiazine - type dyes ( e . g . 3 , 7 - bis ( dimethylamino )- 10 - benzoylphenothiazine leucoauramine - type dyes , spiropiran - type dyes ( e . g . 1 , 3 , 3 - trimethylindoline - 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- spiro - 6 &# 39 ;- nitro - 8 &# 39 ;- methoxybenzopyran ), rhodamine lactam - type dyes , triphenylmethane - type dyes . various o - benzoquinonediazide compounds , various o - naphthoquinonediazide compounds , p - benzoquinonediazide compounds , and various aromatic diazonium salt compounds , such as , for example , p - n , n - dimethylaminobenzenediazonium zinc chloride , 4 - morpholino - 2 , 5 - dibutoxybenzenediazonium ainc chloride , 4 -( 4 &# 39 ;- methoxy )- benzoylamino - 2 , 5 - diethoxybenzenediazonium zinc chloride , 4 - morpholino - 2 , 5 - diethoxybenzenediazonium zinc chloride , p - n , n - diethoxyaminobenzenediazonium tetrafluoro borate , 4 - morpholinobenzendiazonium tetrafluoro borate , 4 - morpholino - 2 , 5 - dibutdxybenzenediazonium tetrafluoro borate , 4 - pyrrolidino - 3 - methoxybenzenediazonium tetrafluoro borate , 4 -( p - tolylmercapto )- 2 , 5 - dimethoxy - benzenediazonium tetrafluoro borate , 4 - morpholino - 2 , 5dibutoxybenzenediazonuim hexafluoro phosphate , 4 -( p - methoxy )- benzoylamino - 2 , 5 - diethoxybenzenediazonium tetrafluoro borate , 4 - pyrrolidino - 3 - methylbenzenediazonium hexafluoro phosphate , 4 -( p - tolylmercapto )- 2 , 5 - diethoxybenzenediazonium hexafluoro phosphate , and diazo resins represented by the following general formula [ 1 ]: ## str1 ## wherein r 1 , r 2 and r 3 are each hydrogen , c 1 - c 20 alkyl or alkoxy ; r is hydrogen , c 1 - c 20 alkyl or phenyl ; x represents pf 6 or bf 4 ; and n is an integer of 1 to 200 . among the photofading materials exemplified above , various o - benzoquinonediazide compounds , o - naphthoquinonediazide compounds , p - benzoquinonediazide compounds and aromatic diazonium salt compounds are preferred . more preferred in point of quantum efficiency and preservability are aromatic diazonium salt compounds such as 4 - morpholino2 , 5 - dibutoxybenzenediazonium hexafluoro phosphate , 4 -( p - methoxy )- benzoylamino - 2 , 5 - diethoxybenzenediazonium tetrafluoro borate , 4 - pyrrolidino - 3 - methylbenzenediazonium hexafluoro phosphate , and 4 -( p - tolylmercapto )- 2 , 5diethoxybenzenediazonium hexafluoro phosphate . to have the effects of the present invention exhibited effectively , there may be used various sensitizers often used commonly , as well as stabilizers if necessary such as , for example , various organic acids , polymer acid and polymerization inhibitors , for the purpose of improving the photofading efficiency during irradiation or preventing fading in a dark reaction . the content of the photofading material in the protective layer differs depending on the wavelength range of absorption and fading speed of that material as well as the thickness of the protective layer , but usually it is preferable that the photofading material be used so as to be 0 . 01 to 2 . 00 in terms of optical density ( hereinafter referred to simply as &# 34 ; od &# 34 ;), more preferably 0 . 20 to 2 . 00 in terms of od . further , from the standpoint of image reproducibility , the thickness of the whole of the protective layer is preferably in the range of 0 . 1 μm 20 μm , more preferably 3 μm to 20 μm . in addition to the photofading material , various matting agents for irregular treatment , i . e ., various kinds of particles , are added positively to the protective layer in the range not impairing the effects of the present invention for the purpose of improving the contact between a image pattern and a printing plate . the &# 34 ; particles &# 34 ; as referred to herein have the following characteristics . ( 1 ) the average particle diameter as measured by a coulter counter method should be in the range of 4 μm to 9 μm . ( 2 ) the refractive index of the particles should be in the range of 1 . 40 to 1 . 70 , preferably 1 . 40 to 1 . 60 . examples of such particles include natural silica particles ( e . g . &# 34 ; minex ® # 7 &# 34 ;, a product of shiraishi kogyo kaisha ltd . ), calcium carbonate ( e . g . &# 34 ; whiton ® p - 30 &# 34 ;, a product of shiraishi kogyo kaisha ltd . ), synthetic silica particles ( e . g . &# 34 ; syloid ® 63 &# 34 ;, a product of fuji - davison chemical ltd . ), mica , corn starch , and epoxy particles . the particles are not limited to those just exemplified above . but in the present invention it is important for the particles to have specific ranges of average particle diameter and refractive index . by using those particles it becomes possible to diminish the difference in refractive index between the protective layer and the particles . the difference in refractive index between the resin component of the protective layer and the particles is not specially limited , but preferably not larger than 0 . 3 , more preferably not larger than 0 . 1 . as to the particle size distribution of the particles in question , in view of the contact ( vacuum contact in many cases ) between a image pattern and the printing plate and also in view of the reproducibility of a fine pattern it is preferable that the proportion of particles not larger than 2 μ in diameter be 20 volume % or less and that of particles not smaller than 20 μ in diameter be 10 volume % or less . the amount of the particles to be added is preferably in the range of 0 . 001 to 0 . 1 g / m 2 , more preferably 0 . 01 to 0 . 1 g / m 2 . the &# 34 ; coulter counter method &# 34 ; used in the present invention indicates the method described in the following literature : as explained above , by covering the front side of the printing plate with the peelable or removable protective layer containing the photofading material , the handleability in a light room can be improved without impairing the photosensitive characteristic of the printing plate . more preferably , by incorporating specific particles in the protective layer , the contact is improved and a further improvement can be expected for handleability . the following examples are give to illustrate the present invention in more detail , but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto . a protective layer having the following construction and composition was laminated using a laminator to the front side of a dry planographic printing plate of a positive type ( an irradiated area is a non - printing area ) having the same plate construction as in example jp 54026923b wherein a base substrate , a photosensitive layer and a silicone rubber layer are overlied together in this order , and also having the following composition : __________________________________________________________________________construction of the printing plateconstituent thick - layers ness contents and proportions of composition__________________________________________________________________________base sub - ( 250μ ) surface - roughened aluminum platestratephotosensi - ( 10μ ) addition product of glycidyl methacrylatetive layer with xylylenediamine ( 4 mol / 1 mol ) 95 wt parts benzoin methyl ether 5 wt partssilicone ( 5μ ) cured product of &# 34 ; sh781 &# 34 ; ( silicone gumrubber layer produced by toray silicone co ., ltd .) protective ( 10μ ) 10 thick , biaxially stretched polyethylene terephthalale film coated by the application in a thickness of 0 . 05 g / m . sup . 2 of a composition prepared by incorporating synthetic silica particles * in a content of 0 . 025 g / m . sup . 2 into a diazo resin ; ( hexafluoro phosphate ( quantum efficiency : 0 . 36 , λmax = 390 nm ) of a p - diazodiphenylamine / paraformaldehyde condensated resin ) __________________________________________________________________________ * synthetic silica particles : &# 34 ; syloid ® 63 &# 34 ; ( a product of fujidavison chemical ltd . ), average particle diameter 6μ ( the proportion of particles not larger than 2μ and those not smaller than 20μ : 10 wt or less ), refractive index 1 . 46 od of the protective layer : before exposure : 0 . 8 ( λmax = 390 nm ) after exposure : 0 . 01 ( λmax = 390 nm ) ( under the following exposure conditions ) the printing plate was experimentally fogged to light under the following conditions , then a positive image pattern was placed on the printing plate , then vacuumed to remove the air layer present between the pattern film and the printing plate to bring the two into close contact with each other ( this condition will hereinafter be referred to as &# 34 ; vacuum contact &# 34 ;), and thereafter the printing plate was subjected to a conventional image exposure and developing process ( see the following conditions ) to obtain a processed plate . the printing plate was superior in the contact to the positive image pattern and in about 15 seconds it came into vacuum contact with the film . ______________________________________fogging light source fluoresent lamp ( daylight color : 40w ) illuminance 0 . 05 mw / cm . sup . 2 ( uv402a , a product of orc manufacturing co ., ltd .) fogging light time 15 minutesimage exposure light metal halide lamp (&# 34 ; eye - source dolphin ®&# 34 ;, 3kw , a product of orc manufacturing co ., ltd .) illuminance 11 mw / cm . sup . 2 ( uv402a , a product of orc manufacturing co ., ltd .) image exposure time 90 seconds______________________________________ this processed plate was attached to a printing machine and printing was performed by a conventional method ; as a result , there was obtained a printed matter superior in image reproducibility . on the other hand , a printing plate of just the same construction and composition as the above except having a protective layer of the following composition was experimentally fogged to light , then in the same manner as above a positive image pattern was brought into vacuum contact with the printing plate , followed by image exposure and development to obtain a processed plate , then printing was performed using the processed plate . as a result , although the vacuum contact between the positive image pattern and the printing plate was good , there occurred &# 34 ; fog &# 34 ; of the photosensitive layer due to fogging to light and also occurred defective printing based on defective development ( meaning that the portion which is originally an unexposed area and is to become a printing area after peeling off of the silicone rubber layer completely in the developing process , becomes an incomplete exposed area due to &# 34 ; fog &# 34 ; and there remains the silicone rubber layer to be peeled off ). a 10 μm thick , biaxially stretched polyethylene terephthalate film coated by the application in a thickness of 1 g / m 2 of a composition obtained by incorporating the following synthetic silica particles in a content of 0 . 025 g / m 2 into polyurethane &# 34 ; sz - 18 &# 34 ; ( a product of sanyo kasei k . k ., refractive index 1 . 53 ) synthetic silica particles : &# 34 ; syloid ® 63 &# 34 ; ( a product of fuji - davison chemical ltd . ), average particle diameter 6 μm ( the proportion of particles not larger than 2 μm and that of particles not smaller than 20 μm : 10 wt % or less ), refractive index 1 . 46 a protective layer having the following construction and composition was coated using a reverse roll coater to the front side of a dry planographic printing plate of a negative type ( an irradiated area is a printing area ) having the same plate construction as in example 1 ( a ) of jp 61 - 054222b wherein a base substrate , a photosensitive layer and a silicone rubber layer and overlied together in this order , and also having the following composition : __________________________________________________________________________printing plateconstituent thick - layers ness contents and proportions of composition__________________________________________________________________________base sub - ( 300μ ) aluminum plate subjected to a chemicalstrate conversion treatmentphotosensi - ( 5μ ) naphthoquinone - 1 , 2 - diazide - 5 - sulfonic acidtive layer ester of phenol novolak resin (&# 34 ; sumilite resin pr50235 &# 34 ;, a product of sumitomo durez co ., ltd .) having an esterification degree of 44 % 100 wt parts 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenylmethane diisocyanate 20 wt parts dibutyltin dilaurate 0 . 2 wt partssilicone ( 2 . 2μ ) polydimethyl siloxane having oh groupsrubber layer at both ends ( molecular weight : about 80 , 000 ) 100 wt parts ethyltriacetoxysilane 5 wt parts dibutyltin diacetate 0 . 2 wt partsaminopropyl triethoxy silane 3 wt partsprotective ( 10μ ) 4 - morpholino - 2 , 5 - dibutoxybenzenediazoniumlayer hexafluoro phosphate ( quantum efficiency : 0 . 43 , max = 400 nm ) 15 wt parts copolyester &# 34 ; tp220 - s30mx &# 34 ; ( a product of nippon synthetic chemical industry co ., ltd . ), refractive index : 1 . 49 ) 85 wt parts synthetic silica particles &# 34 ; syloid ® 63 &# 34 ; ( a product of fuji - davison chemical ltd . ), refractive index : 1 . 46 ) 3 wt parts__________________________________________________________________________ od of the protective layer : before exposure : 0 . 65 ( λmax = 400 mn ) after exposure : 0 . 01 ( λmax = 400 nm ) ( under the same exposure conditions as in example 1 ) under the same conditions as in example 1 this printing plate was experimentally fogged to light , then a negative image pattern was brought into vacuum contact with the printing plate , followed by image exposure and developing process to obtain a processed plate . then , the processed plate was attached to a printing machine and printing was performed by a conventional method . as a result there was obtained a printed matter superior in image reproducibility with little deterioration of sensitivity caused by the presence of the protective layer . on the other hand , in the same manner as above except that the protective layer was peeled off , the printing plate was fogged to light , then to image exposure and development to obtain processed plate . as a result , there occurred &# 34 ; fog &# 34 ; in the unexposed area due to the fogging to light ( in this case , conversely to example 1 , the fogging means that the unexposed area on which the silicone rubber layer should remain is exposed incompletely and the silicone rubber layer is peeled and comes off during the developing process like the exposed area ) and the silicone rubber layer fell off throughout the whole plate surface . protective layers respectively containing such photofading materials as shown in table 1 were each laminated to a dry planographic printing plate of a positive type in the same way as in example 1 . ______________________________________constituent thick - layers ness contents and proportions of composition______________________________________protective ( 11μ ) 10μ thick , biaxially stretched polyethylene terephthalate film coated the application of the following composition in a thickness of 1 g / m . sup . 2 : any of the photofading materials shown in table 1 10 wt parts copolyester &# 34 ; tp220 - s30mx &# 34 ; ( a product of the nippon synthetic chemical industry co ., ltd ., refractive index : 1 . 49 ) 90 wt parts synthetic silica particles &# 34 ; syloid ® 63 &# 34 ; ( a product of fuji - davison chemical ltd ., refractive index : 1 . 46 ) 4 wt parts______________________________________ table 1__________________________________________________________________________ optical density ( od ) quantum λmax before afterphotofading materials efficiency ( nm ) exposure exposure__________________________________________________________________________4 - morpholino - 2 , 5 - dibutoxy - 0 . 43 400 0 . 43 0 . 01benzenediazonium hexafluorophosphate4 -( p - methoxy )- benzoylamino - 0 . 40 390 0 . 40 0 . 022 , 5 - diethoxybenzenediazoniumtetrafluoro borate4 - pyrrolidino - 3 - methyl - 0 . 30 400 0 . 34 0 . 02benzenediazonium hexafluorophosphate4 -( p - tolylmercapto )- 2 , 5 - 0 . 43 395 0 . 35 0 . 03diethoxybenzenediazoniumhexafluoro phosphate__________________________________________________________________________ under the same conditions as in example 1 , these printing plates were each experimentally fogged to light , then a positive image pattern was brought into vacuum contact with the printing plate , followed by image exposure and developing process . the processed plates thus obtained were each attached to a printing machine and printing was performed by a conventional method . as a result , there were obtained printed matters superior in image reproducibility with little deterioration of sensitivity caused by the presence of the protective layers . a protective layer having the following construction and composition was coated using a reverse roll coater to the front side of a negative type printing plate having a plate construction wherein a base substrate and a photosensitive layer are overlied together in this order and having the following composition . ______________________________________printing plateconstituent thick - layers ness contents and proportions of composition______________________________________base sub - ( 300μ ) aluminum plate subjected to a chemicalstrate conversion treatmentphotosensi - ( 50μ ) 2 - diazo - 1 - naphthol - 5 - sulfonic acid ester oftive layer polyhydroxyphenyl ( same as that used in example 1 of u . s . pat . no . 3 , 635 , 709 ) protective ( 3μ ) potassium polystyrene - p - sulfonate 100 wtlayer parts 4 - morpholino - 2 , 5 - dibutoxybenzenediazonium hexafluoro phosphate ( quantum efficiency : 0 . 43 , λmax = 400 nm ) 5 wt parts synthetic silica particles &# 34 ; syloid ® 63 &# 34 ; ( a product of fuji - davison chemical ltd . ), refractive index : 1 . 46 ) 3 wt parts______________________________________ od of the protective layer : before exposure : 0 . 10 ( 400 nm ) after exposure : 0 . 01 ( 400 nm ) ( under the same exposure conditions as in example 1 ) under the same conditions as in example 1 this printing plate was fogged to light , then a negative image pattern was brought into vacuum contact with the printing plate , followed by image exposure and developing process . the processed plate thus obtained was attached to a printing machine and printing was performed by a conventional method . as a result , there was obtained a printed matter superior in image reproducibility with little deterioration of sensitivity caused by the presence of protective layer . on the other hand , a printing plate was made in the same manner as above except that the 4 - morpholino - 2 , 5butoxybenzenediazonium hexafluoro phosphate as a photofading material was not incorporated in the protective layer . then , under the same conditions as above the printing plate was fogged to light and subjected to image exposure and developing process to obtain a processed plate . as a result , there occurred &# 34 ; fog &# 34 ; of the photosensitive layer due to the fogging to light ( this condition indicates that the photosensitive layer which is originally an unexposed area and should be completely peeled off in the developing process into a printing area , is exposed to light incompletely due to &# 34 ; fog &# 34 ; and there remains the photosensitive layer which should be peeled off ) and thus the development was defective . as set forth above , by covering the front side of the printing plate with a peelable or removable protective layer containing the photofading material , it is possible to attain good handleability in a light room without impairing the photosensitive characteristic of the printing plate . further , by incorporating specific particles in the protective layer , it is possible to attain improved vacuum contact and the handleability in the plate making process is improved . thus , the present invention permits the printing plate to be used in a light room . and even slight fogging to light occurs in the plate making process , it is possible to obtain a processed plate without influence on image reproducibility , and thus the visual fatigue of the plate making worker can be reduced .	6
fig1 is a cross - sectional view of a tapered threaded tubular section 20 . as fig1 illustrates , when the pin thread 220 of the pin 40 and the threaded portion 15 extending from the box 30 are matched up , there may be a gap 10 at the tip of the pin 40 . this radial space or gap 10 at the tip of the pin 40 is defined by the thread ( 220 , 15 ) profile geometry and the angle of the thread ( 220 , 15 ) taper . manufacturing of the tapered thread ( 220 , 15 ) as well as repair of the thread ( 220 , 15 ) by means of thread recut limits the pin 40 to a certain maximum radius 226 at the end of the pin 40 . this limitation additionally limits the thickness at the pin 40 end to take into consideration the competing interests of material strength ( which suggests greater thickness ) and design space of the pin end 225 ( which suggests reduced thickness ). embodiments of the system described herein facilitate using some radial space or the gap 10 between the pin 40 and the box 30 as installation space for devices ( e . g ., retention mechanism , coupler ) by inserting a shoulder ring 210 ( see e . g ., fig2 ). during repair and recut operation the shoulder ring 210 can be removed from the threaded pin and be reinstalled . as detailed below , embodiments of the shoulder ring 210 may be used for a transmission line or for a transmission device . a transmission line includes a conductor channel ( tube ) and a conductor ( e . g ., optical fiber , coaxial cable , twisted pair wires , individual wire ). a mechanical clamp affixes the conductor channel to the tool body ( e . g ., 1310 fig1 ). fig2 depicts a shoulder ring 210 placed onto a pin thread 220 according to an embodiment of the invention . the shoulder ring 210 extends from the pin end 225 . the outer diameter 230 of the shoulder ring 210 is facilitated to be larger than maximum diameter 227 ( 2 * maximum radius 226 , fig1 ) at the pin 40 end . the inside of the shoulder ring 210 is visible in fig2 and 3 . within the shoulder ring 210 , a conductor channel 240 is fixed to the shoulder ring 210 . the conductor channel 240 may be put in tension through the pin 40 side . fig3 is a cross - sectional view of the pin thread 220 and shoulder ring 210 shown in fig2 . the view shown by fig3 includes the wire 310 and a length compensating connector 320 . the greater volume provided by the shoulder ring 210 ( as compared to the volume within the pin end 225 in fig1 , for example ) facilitates space for coupler geometry or the retention mechanism of the conductor channel 240 , for example . fig4 depicts a shoulder ring 210 in the box 30 according to an embodiment of the invention . the space 420 between the shoulder ring 210 and the pin thread 220 may be occupied by an electrical frame and / or another shoulder ring 210 . the conductor channel 240 may be affixed to the shoulder ring 210 through clamping , threading , welding , soldering , gluing , or by some other mechanism . because the coupler geometry need not be cut into the tool body and the coupler may instead be in the shoulder ring 210 , the manufacturing of the drilling or downhole tool ( see e . g . 1310 in fig1 ) may be made easier through the use of the shoulder ring 210 . in addition , the shoulder ring 210 is made exchangeable or relatively easier to replace in case of wear or damage of a shoulder in the tool body or the shoulder ring 210 than if it were part of the tool body . the conductor channel 240 may be pre - assembled to the shoulder ring 210 prior to final assembly . also , the shoulder ring 210 may be made of a different material than the pin 40 or box 30 . the shoulder ring 210 may be a higher strength material than the other components and may have sufficient strength to carry shoulder thread loads and operational loads . the shoulder ring 210 may also be made of a corrosion resistant material to prevent corrosion initiated failures at , for example , the sealing area of the coupler electrical connection . by using a non galling material for the shoulder ring 210 , galling damage may be prevented during thread makeup . fig5 is a cross - sectional view of a pin shoulder ring 210 according to an embodiment of the invention . while the embodiment of fig4 includes space 420 between the pin thread 220 and shoulder ring 210 , in the embodiment of fig5 , the axial length of the pin thread 220 may be reduced compared to the one displayed in fig2 , for example , and the space 420 may be eliminated . the transmission line 520 ( conductor channel 240 ( fig2 )) with wire 310 ( fig3 )) is fed through the box side of the downhole tool . fig6 is a cross - sectional view of a box end of a part - assembled tubular section according to an embodiment . fig6 details components of the transmission device . the components include an axial load sleeve 640 and a sleeve 610 . the sleeve 610 is chosen to adjust the axial length 510 ( fig5 ) of the conductor channel 240 with respect to the drillpipe internal shoulder distance that changes after e . g . recut operations . through the use of the sleeve 610 , the need for precise tolerances that may change , based on recutting , for example , is eliminated . in the embodiment shown in fig6 , a shoulder 630 is cut directly into the drill pipe material to hold the conductor channel 240 . fig7 and 8 show inserts in the box 30 end according to embodiments of the invention . the length compensation connector 620 ( fig6 and 8 ) may be chosen such that the variation in length 710 ( fig7 ) after recut is eliminated and set to a fixed distance between the box 30 and connection position of the length compensation connector 620 . the sleeve 610 sits between a machined shoulder 630 of the downhole tool ( 1310 , fig1 ) and a load sleeve 640 on the transmission line 520 . the machined shoulder 630 of the downhole tool 1310 may be straight or inclined . when inclined , the machined shoulder 630 facilitates forming a clamping set and thereby preventing any motion of the transmission line 520 . fig9 depicts a detailed view of parts within the shoulder ring 210 according to embodiments of the invention . the transmission line 520 may be fixed to a drilling tool using a nut 910 . the transmission line 520 may be elongated by a tensioning device 930 inserted through the pin side of the downhole tool . the nut 910 is assembled onto the threaded end of the transmission line and has to be blocked from rotating with respect to the shoulder ring 210 through the use of a lock pin 940 , for example . a second nut 920 mounted behind the nut 910 and torqued upon the nut 910 prevents the locking device from backing off during the drilling operation . the tensioning device 930 may be removed further on . alternatively , the transmission line 520 may be set in tension using the threaded end of the transmission line 520 and the nut 910 . the pin 950 and / or screw 955 prevent the pin shoulder ring 210 from rotating when the drill pipe thread is being torqued . the pin 950 is sized to transfer this torque and to protect the conductor channel 240 . fig1 - 12 depict views of an embodiment of a shoulder ring 210 . the embodiment shown by fig1 - 12 is of a shoulder ring 210 with non - uniform thickness . as shown in fig1 , the thickness 1010 and the thickness 1020 at different parts of the shoulder ring 210 are not the same . this non - uniform thickness facilitates a larger groove to be located at the thicker portions of the shoulder ring 210 for a transmission line 520 that may carry more conductors or larger conductors than a typical transmission line 520 , for example . the non - uniform thickness may result in an inner radius of a portion ( e . g ., thickest portion ) of the shoulder ring 210 being smaller than an inner radius of a smallest part of the threaded pin section ( 1210 , fig1 ). the view shown by fig1 indicates that the outside of the shoulder ring 210 still has a circular cross - sectional shape while the thickness ( thus the inner cross sectional shape ) is non - uniform . the view shown by fig1 includes conductor channels 240 within the shoulder ring 210 . one or more conductor channels 240 may be larger or there may be more than one conductor channel 240 in a particular part of the shoulder ring 210 based on the thickness of that particular part . fig1 is a cross - sectional illustration of a borehole 1 including connected tubular members 1320 , 1330 according to an embodiment of the invention . a borehole 1 penetrates the earth 3 including a formation 4 . the tubular members 1320 , 1330 disposed in the borehole 1 are connected by a threaded portion . one or more shoulder rings 210 may be included at different places between the tubular members 1320 , 1330 as shown in the embodiments of fig3 and fig4 , for example . information from downhole tools 1310 such as sensors , measurement devices , or drilling tools may be telemetered or transmitted to a surface processing device 130 or any other location in the borehole . the box portion may correspond with the tool 1310 such that the shoulder ring 210 is between the tool 1310 and the tubular segment 1330 , as also shown in fig1 . other components may be included between the tubular members 1320 , 1330 in addition to the shoulder ring 210 for various other purposes . while one or more embodiments have been shown and described , modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustrations and not limitation .	4
fig1 through 5 , discussed below , and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present invention in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the invention . those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present invention may be implemented in any suitably arranged distributed router . fig1 illustrates exemplary distributed architecture router 100 , which implements a mac device that sends data packets between two network processors according to the principles of the present invention . according to the exemplary embodiment , router 100 comprises a plurality of rack - mounted shelves , including exemplary shelves 110 , 120 and 130 , that are coupled via crossbar switch 140 . in an advantageous embodiment , crossbar switch is a 10 gigabit ethernet ( 10 gbe ) crossbar operating at 10 gigabits per second ( gbps ). exemplary shelf 110 comprises a pair of redundant switch modules , namely primary switch module ( swm ) 114 and secondary switch module ( swm ) 116 , a plurality of route processing modules 112 , including exemplary route processing module ( rpm ) 112 a , rpm 112 b , and rpm 112 c , and a plurality of physical media device ( pmd ) modules 111 , including exemplary pmd modules 111 a , 111 b , 111 c , 111 d , 111 e , and 111 f . each pmd module 111 transmits and receives data packets via a plurality of data lines connected to each pmd module 111 . similarly , shelf 120 comprises a pair of redundant switch modules , namely primary swm 124 and secondary swm 126 , a plurality of route processing modules 122 , including rpm 122 a , rpm 122 b , and rpm 122 c , and a plurality of physical media device ( pmd ) modules 121 , including pmd modules 121 a - 121 f . each pmd module 121 transmits and receives data packets via a plurality of data lines connected to each pmd module 121 . additionally , shelf 130 comprises redundant switch modules , namely primary swm 134 and secondary swm 136 , a plurality of route processing modules 132 , including rpm 132 a , rpm 132 b , and rpm 132 c , and a plurality of physical media device ( pmd ) modules 131 , including pmd modules 131 a - 131 f . each pmd module 131 transmits and receives data packets via a plurality of data lines connected to each pmd module 131 . router 100 provides scalability and high - performance using up to m independent routing nodes ( rn ). each routing node comprises a route processing module ( rpm ) and at least one physical medium device ( pmd ) module . each route processing module buffers incoming internet protocol ( ip ) frames and mpls frames from subnets or adjacent routers . additionally , each rpm classifies requested services , looks up destination addresses from frame headers or data fields , and forwards frames to the outbound rpm . moreover , each rpm also maintains an internal routing table determined from routing protocol messages and provisioned static routes and computes the optimal data paths from the routing table . each rpm processes an incoming frame from one of its pmd modules . according to an advantageous embodiment , each pmd module encapsulates an incoming frame ( or cell ) from an ip network ( or atm switch ) for processing in a route processing module and performs bus conversion functions . incoming data packets may be forwarded within router 100 in a number of different ways , depending on whether the source and destination ports are associated with the same or different pmd modules , the same or different route processing modules , and the same or different switch modules . since each rpm is coupled to two redundant switch modules , the redundant switch modules are regarded as the same switch module . thus , the term “ different switch modules ” refers to distinct switch modules located in different ones of shelves 110 , 120 and 130 . in a first type of data flow , an incoming data packet may be received on a source port on pmd module 121 f and be directed to a destination port on pmd module 131 a . in this first case , the source and destination ports are associated with different route processing modules ( i . e ., rpm 122 c and rpm 132 a ) and different switch modules ( i . e ., swm 126 and swm 134 ). the data packet must be forwarded from pmd module 121 f all the way through crossbar switch 140 in order to reach the destination port on pmd module 131 a . in a second type of data flow , an incoming data packet may be received on a source port on pmd module 121 a and be directed to a destination port on pmd module 121 c . in this second case , the source and destination ports are associated with different route processing modules ( i . e ., rpm 122 a and rpm 122 b ), but the same switch module ( i . e ., swm 124 ). the data packet does not need to be forwarded to crossbar switch 140 , but still must pass through swm 124 . in a third type of data flow , an incoming data packet may be received on a source port on pmd module 111 c and be directed to a destination port on pmd module 111 d . in this third case , the source and destination ports are associated with different pmd modules , but the same route processing module ( i . e ., rpm 112 b ). the data packet must be forwarded to rpm 112 b , but does not need to be forwarded to crossbar switch 140 or to switch modules 114 and 116 . finally , in a fourth type of data flow , an incoming data packet may be received on a source port on pmd module 111 a and be directed to a destination port on pmd module 111 a . in this fourth case , the source and destination ports are associated with the same pmd module and the same route processing module ( i . e ., rpm 112 a ). the data packet still must be forwarded to rpm 112 a , but does not need to be forwarded to crossbar switch 140 or to switch modules 114 and 116 . the third and fourth cases described above are ideal situations for hairpinning data packets in the route processing modules , since the data packets do not need to be forwarded to the switch modules or the crossbar switch . fig2 illustrates the hairpinning of data packets in route processing module 112 a , which contains a single network processor ( np ) . in the exemplary embodiment , rpm 112 a operates at 1 gigabit per second ( 1 gbps ) and network processor ( np ) 210 is an ixp 1200 processor . at this speed , an ixp 1200 processor is capable of hairpinning data packets , as shown by the dotted line , using the internal micro - engines of the ixp 1200 . the micro - engines simply transmit the received data packet back through the pmd modules without using the switch modules or the crossbar switch . however , the configuration in fig2 is inadequate for the speeds in a 10 gigabit ethernet router . fig3 illustrates the hairpinning of data packets in route processing node 112 a , which contains two network processors according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . route processing module ( rpm ) 112 a comprises egress network processor ( np ) 310 , ingress network processor ( np ) 320 , and medium access control ( mac ) processor 330 . in the exemplary embodiment , rpm 112 a operates at 10 gigabit per second ( 10 gbps ) . ingress network processor ( np ) 320 is , for example , an ixp 2800 processor that receives data packets from the pmd modules and forwards the received data packets to mac processor 330 . egress network processor ( np ) 310 is an ixp 2800 processor that receives data packets from mac processor 330 and forwards the received data packets to the pmd modules . in the exemplary embodiment , mac processor 330 may comprise a xilinx field programmable array ( fpga ). fig4 illustrates medium access control ( mac ) processor 330 in route processing module 112 a according to the principles of the present invention . mac processor 330 comprises output interface ( if ) 410 , input interface ( if ) 420 , receive ( rx ) state machine 430 and transmit ( tx ) state machine 440 . input if 420 buffers incoming data packets from the pmd modules and output if 410 buffers outgoing data packets being sent to the pmd modules . the present invention provides a mechanism by which tx state machine 440 compares the destination address ( da ) of the data packet to the mac address of mac processor 330 . if the destination address is not equal to the mac address , tx state machine 440 forwards the data packet to the switching module . if the destination address is equal to the mac address , tx state machine 440 forwards the data packet to the rx state machine 430 . fig5 depicts flow diagram 500 , which illustrates the hair - pinning of a data packet according to the principles of the present invention . initially , ingress network processor ( np ) 320 forwards the received data packet to medium access control ( mac ) processor 330 ( process step 505 ). next , transmit ( tx ) state machine 440 compares the address of the data packet to the address of mac processor 330 ( process step 510 ). if the addresses are not equal , tx state machine 440 forwards the data packet to switch module ( swm ) 114 ( process steps 515 and 520 ). if the addresses are equal , tx state machine 440 forwards the data packet to rx state machine 430 ( process steps 515 and 525 ). finally , rx state machine 430 forwards the data packet to egress network processor ( np ) 310 ( process step 530 ). although the present invention has been described with an exemplary embodiment , various changes and modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art . it is intended that the present invention encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims .	7
fig1 schematically shows a block diagram for carrying out the method of the present invention . the circuit of defective pixel address detection for image sensor comprises at least a memory element 10 and an address comparator 20 . the memory element 10 is used for storing the defective pixel addresses which are detected during the image sensor is tested . the memory element 10 can be a fuse array , for example . the address comparator 20 receives a current sensor address of the image sensor sensor_addr and fetches a defective pixel address def_pixel_addr from the memory element 10 . the address comparator 20 then compares the two addresses sensor_addr and def_pixel_addr . if the two addresses , sensor_addr and def_pixel_addr , are the same , which means a hit , the address comparator 20 generates a flag bit f to indicate that the current sensor address of the image sensor is a defective pixel . the index of the memory element 10 is increased by one unit , such as 1 , to begin another cycle of address comparison . if the two addresses , sensor_addr and def_pixel_addr , are not the same , which means a miss , the address comparator 20 sets the flag bit f to a value , such as 0 , to indicate that the current sensor address of the image sensor is a good pixel . and then another cycle of address comparison is begun . when the image sensor has a windowing function , the pixels of the image sensor are not sensed in sequence , but from one pixel address to another non - consecutive pixel address which forms a windowing range . if the non - consecutive pixel address is larger than the contents of the currently indexed memory element , there is not a hit for the currently indexed memory element contents . namely , the index is struck and not moving under this condition . the detection for the defective pixel addresses fails to function . fig2 shows the situation . fig2 illustrates a schematic diagram of the format of the memory element for storing the defective pixel addresses having a windowing range according to conventional method . as shown in fig2 the windowing range 10 ′ only includes those addresses from index 5 to index 125 . for those defective pixel addresses outside the windowing range 10 ′, there is no hit and the index does not move under the condition . in the case , the index stays at location 0 and does not move because there is not any hit for the address at index 0 . in other words , the defective pixel address detection fails when the image sensor is in the window mode . for solving the window function with a minimum cost , two properties of the contents of the memory element 10 are provided . first , the defective pixel addresses stored in the memory element 10 is in an ascending order ; and second , the currently indexed contents are always larger than or equal to the current sensor address to have a hit condition . in the window mode , the pixel address of the image sensor jumps from on pixel address to another non - consecutive pixel address , which is larger than the contents of the currently indexed memory element 10 . a hit flag is generated for making its index move to the next position . therefore , after several cycles , the index of the memory element 10 is pointed to the contents which are larger than or equal to the current pixel address of the image sensor . as shown in fig3 when the address jumps from address 0000 _ 0000 _ 0000 _ 0000 _ 0000 to the window starting address 0000 _ 0000 _ 0000 _ 0001 _ 0000 of the windowing range 10 ′, the address comparator 20 ( shown in fig1 ,) detects that the indexed defective pixel address 0000 _ 0000 _ 0000 _ 0000 _ 1001 is less than the current image sensor address . the address comparator 20 forces the index to move from index 0 to index 1 by generating a hit flag . after two more clock cycles , the index is at index 4 which is within the windowing range 10 ′. therefore , the index is not struck and detection for the defective pixel addresses still functions well . furthermore , when the index wraps around to the beginning and the pixel address of the image sensor has not reached the end of the current frame , a special scheme is needed because the current pixel address of the image sensor is large than the indexed contents of the memory element 10 , and the index is not needed to be increased at this time . the large - than comparison method for the index at the beginning of the memory element 10 must wait until the current pixel address of the image sensor wraps around and begins with ( 0 , 0 ). silo in addition , if the number of the defective pixel addresses is less than that of the memory element 10 , empty signatures are put in the remained locations of the memory element 10 . the index moves to the next position when the empty signature is detected . the index finally wraps around to the beginning of the memory element 10 . and in the next frame , the defective pixel address detection begins . referring to fig4 and 1 , according to the embodiment of the present invention , after an image sensor is fabricated , the image sensor is tested for finding defective pixels on the image sensor . the detected defective pixel addresses are then stored into the memory element 10 in an ascending order . the memory element 10 further comprises an index for indicating the current fetched defective pixel address , which as shown in fig3 . as the image sensor operates , a reset step is performed , by which the index of the memory element 10 indicated the first location that will be fetched first as following , and the image sensor is set to the first pixel waiting for sensing . when the sensing process begins , the pixel addresses of the image sensor are read in a windowing way . after one pixel address of the image sensor is read by the address comparator 20 , the address comparator 20 further fetches a defective pixel address indicated by the index 0 from the memory element 10 . as shown in fig4 the step s 100 is then performed . the address comparator 20 receives the pixel address of the image sensor sensor_addr and the defective pixel address def_pixel_addr , and compares the two addresses . if the address sensor_addr hits the address def_pixel_addr , which means the same , the step s 102 is performed . namely , the address comparator 20 outputs a defective pixel flag f for indicating the current pixel of the image sensor is a defective or bad pixel . after the defective pixel flag f is outputted , the step s 104 is performed to increase the index of the memory element 10 by one , for example index 1 as shown in fig3 . after the index is increased by one , another address comparison cycle begins . namely , the address comparator 20 read another pixel address of the image sensor and next defective pixel address indicated by index 1 . in the s 100 of the address comparison , if the addresse sensor_addr misses the address def_pixel_addr , which means not the same , the step s 106 is performed . at the step s 106 , if the address sensor_addr is greater than the address def_pixel_addr and the index is not equal to 0 , the step 104 is performed to increase the index of the memory element 10 by one . after the index is increased by one , another address comparison cycle begins . the process returns to the step s 100 . namely , the address comparator 20 read another pixel address of the image sensor and next defective pixel address . in addition , if the address sensor_addr is not greater than the address def_pixel - addr or the index is not equal to 0 , the step s 108 is performed . at the step s 108 , if the address sensor_addr is greater than the address def_pixel_addr and the index is not equal to 0 and a new frame begins , the step 104 is performed to increase the index of the memory element 10 by one . after the index is increased by one , another address comparison cycle begins . the process returns to the step s 100 . namely , the address comparator 20 read another pixel address of the image sensor and next defective pixel address . in addition , if the address sensor_addr is not greater than the address def_pixel_addr or the index is not equal to 0 or no new frame begins , the step s 110 is performed . at the step s 110 , whether the address def_pixel_addr is an empty signature is determined . the empty signature , for example , has a format of 1111 _ 1111 _ 1111 _ 1111 _ 1111 . when the empty signature is detected , the index is forced to be increased by one . namely , the empty signature of the defective pixel address is detected , the step s 104 is performed to increase the index by one . after the index is increased by one , another address comparison cycle begins . namely , the step s 100 is performed and the address comparator 20 read another pixel address of the image sensor and next defective pixel address . furthermore , at the step s 36 , if the defective pixel address is not an empty signature , the procedure returns to the step s 100 . the address comparator 20 read another pixel address of the image sensor and next defective pixel address . accordingly , the present invention provides an effective and efficient method for determining whether the pixel of the image sensor is defective during operation of the image sensor . the following color processing and image compression etc can be significantly simplified . in addition , the method of defective pixel address detection for image sensor is in a simple and low cost way . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . in view of the foregoing , it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents .	7
as illustrated in fig5 a , a substrate 61 is initially covered with a single - crystal silicon layer 62 , of same doping type , for example n , as substrate 61 . layer 62 , intended for forming the cathode of the schottky diode , is more lightly doped than substrate 61 . layer 62 is etched , by means of a mask 65 , to form openings 66 . substrate 61 and layer 62 are obtained by any appropriate method . for example , layer 62 may result from an epitaxial growth on substrate 61 , or substrate 61 and layer 62 may initially be a same semiconductor region , the doping differences then resulting from implantation - diffusion operations . at the next steps , illustrated in fig5 b , an insulating layer 67 , for example a silicon oxide layer ( sio 2 ), is formed on the walls and at the bottom of openings 66 . then , a p - type dopant that penetrates into the silicon at the bottom of openings 66 is implanted , after which a heating is performed to form heavily - doped p - type regions 641 . at the next steps , illustrated in fig5 c , layer 67 , regions 641 , and layer 62 are anisotropically etched , to form openings 68 that continue openings 66 . the upper portion of each of openings 68 is thus surrounded with a diffused ring 641 . then , the walls and bottoms of openings 68 are covered with a thin insulating layer 69 , for example silicon oxide . the implantation operations previously described in relation with fig5 b are then repeated to form heavily - doped p - type regions 642 . at the next steps , illustrated in fig5 d , openings 66 - 68 are filled with an insulating material 70 . then , mask 65 is removed and the structure thus obtained is planarized . finally , a metal layer 63 adapted to ensuring a schottky contact with layer 62 is deposited over the entire structure . before ending , in accordance with the steps described in relation with fig5 d , the structure formation by removing mask 65 , filling openings 66 εwith material 70 , and depositing a metal layer 63 , the steps described in relation with fig5 c could be repeated several times , to form several horizontal levels of heavily - doped p - type rings similar to rings 641 . it should be noted that the intermediary rings and the underlying regions form islands according to the preceding definition . they thus provide the corresponding advantages , previously discussed in relation with fig3 and 4 . an advantage of the method according to the present invention and of the resulting structure , previously described in relation with fig5 d , is the forming of a homogeneous cathode region 62 . those skilled in the art will know how to adapt the number , the dimensions , the positions , and the doping of the different rings 641 , 642 to the desired performances . as an example , according to prior art , to obtain a breakdown voltage of approximately 600 volts , a cathode layer ( 2 , fig1 ) of a thickness of approximately 40 μm and of a doping level on the order of 2 . 2 . 10 14 atoms / cm 3 may be used , which results in an on - state resistance of approximately 6 . 7 ω . mm 2 . according to the present invention , by using groups of three p - type rings doped at approximately 3 . 5 · 10 17 atoms / cm 3 , vertically spaced apart by 10 μm around silicon oxide columns of a 1 - μm width , for a same breakdown voltage of 600 v with an epitaxied layer ( 62 , fig5 d ) of a same thickness on the order of 40 μm , the cathode doping could be increased to a value on the order of some 10 15 atoms / cm 3 , which results in an on - state resistance of approximately 3 ω . mm 2 . it should be noted that it has been chosen to describe as a non - limiting example the present invention in relation with fig6 applied to the forming of silicon islands in the cathode of a schottky diode . it would however be possible to implement a method aiming at forming in the drain of a mos transistor , around vertical columns of an insulating material , very heavily - doped p - type silicon rings , similarly to the method previously described in relation with fig5 a - d . of course , the present invention is likely to have various alterations , modifications , and improvements which will readily occur to those skilled in the art . in particular , the operations described in relation with fig5 d can be carried out according to any appropriate sequence . thus , after filling openings 66 - 68 , layer 65 may be removed and the structure may be planarized in a single step by means of a chem - mech polishing ( cmp ) method . further , the present invention applies to the forming in vertical form of any type of single - pole component , be it to reduce its on - state resistance for a given breakdown voltage , or to improve its breakdown voltage without increasing its on - state resistance .	7
referring now to fig1 there is seen an eight - processor smp system formed of two four - processor building blocks or complexes , identified by reference numerals a and b . each complex is seen to include identical structure and components , which are identified by reference numerals ending in either an a or a b , for complex &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;, respectively . the portion of the system contained in complex a is seen to include up to four processors 101a connected to a high - bandwidth split - transaction processor bus 103a . associated with each processor 301a is a cache memory 321a . a system memory 105a is connected to bus 103a through an advanced dual - ported memory controller 107a . the processor bus 103a is connected to the first port of memory controller 107a . the second memory controller port connects to a high bandwidth i / o bus 115 , also referred to herein as an expansion bus , which provides connection for multiple pci i / o interfaces 109a . all of these components , with the exception of advanced memory controller 107a , are currently available commodity components . for example , processors 101a may be intel pentium pro processors and busses 103a and 115 may be pentium pro ( p6 ) bus topology . the advanced memory controller ( amc ) 107a manages control and data flow in all directions between processor bus 103a and i / o bus 115 . the i / o bus may contain p6 to pci i / o bridges and another amc asic for connectivity to another processor bus , as will be discussed below . the amc 107a also controls access to a coherent dram memory array . as stated earlier , complex b has a construction identical to complex a . the two complexes are interconnected by expansion bus 115 , allowing for communication between the processors 101a and 101b , system memories 105a and 105b , as well as shared i / o devices , cache memories , and other components . communication between any one of processors 101a and &# 34 ; close &# 34 ; system memory 105a is provided through processor bus 103a and memory controller 107a , however the communication pathway between any one of processors 101a and &# 34 ; distant &# 34 ; system memory 103b is less direct . the communication pathway between any one of processors 101a and system memory 103b includes processor bus 103a , memory controller 107a , i / o bus 115 , and memory controller 105b . obtaining use of these communication pathway elements will normally result in greater memory access latencies when one of processors 101a requires access to system memory 103b rather than system memory 103a . similarly , greater memory access latencies should be expected when one of processors 101b requests access to system memory 103a rather than system memory 103b . each memory controller 107a and 107b includes logic for monitoring transactions between the local processors 101a and 101b , respectively , and system memory . the monitoring logic , shown in fig2 successively examines memory addresses which appear on the local processor bus , either bus 103a or 103b , to construct a table or histogram which correlates a count of memory page accesses with each page address within a monitored address range occurring within a predefined sample time period . the principal elements of the page access monitoring logic shown in fig2 include a set of page access counters which are implemented with a 512 - entry sram 211 . within sram 211 , each page access counter counts the number of accesses to a specific address range ( page ), and the set of counters operate over a contiguous group of addresses . a separate programmable range register 215 defines the range of addresses to be counted . a programmable maximum count register 241 is provided to determine when to terminate counting as described below . alternatively , an interval timer counter 245 may be utilized to determine the duration of a sample . the monitoring logic further includes a first 2 : 1 multiplexer 213 . two inputs are provided to multiplexer 213 : a normal address , and a glob address , either of which may be selected to be the output of multiplexer 213 . the outputs of multiplexer 213 and initial range register 215 are provided to a compare logic circuit 219 , the output of which is provided to a write enable ( we ) input of sram 211 . a first 4 : 1 multiplexer 221 is connected to provide an address to an address select input ( addrs ) of sram 211 . four input signals are provided to multiplexer 221 : a normal address , a glob address , a configuration i / o read address , and the output of auto index counter 225 . the output of a second 4 : 1 multiplexer 231 is connected to the data input ( data ) of sram 211 . four input signals are provided to multiplexer 231 : a processor address , data from the processor data bus , the output of sram 211 incremented by one , or a zero data value . the output of sram 211 and the output of maximum count register 241 are provided to compare logic circuit 243 . the output of compare logic circuit 243 and interval timer 245 are provided to a second 2 : 1 multiplexer 247 . the output of compare logic 243 is further provided to an auto index control logic circuit 223 . auto index control logic 223 includes three inputs : a stop input connected to receive the output of compare logic 243 , an enable input connected to receive an enable signal from a page access monitor control register 227 , and a start input connected to receive an externally generated read port select signal . auto index control logic 223 provides a control signal to an auto index counter 225 . auto index control logic 243 , auto index counter 225 and control register 227 , operate , as will be described below , to sequentially read the contents of page access counters 512 . prior to the start of monitoring operation , range register 215 is programmed for the desired base range of memory pages to monitor . when the page access monitor logic is initially enabled , all the page access counters are reset to a value of zero . in the implementation shown using sram 211 , each location within sram 211 is sequentially accessed through operation of auto index counter 225 and set to a value of zero . monitoring of bus activity thereafter begins . the address of the active transaction on the processor bus selects a unique page access counter , and the contents of the counter are incremented if the address is in the range specified by range register 215 . every transaction on the system bus that is within the range specified by the range register will increment a specific page access counter . the page access counter typically corresponds to an address range equal to the page size of the operating system , but could be of any granularity . the current implementation has two page size selections : a standard page size of 4k bytes and a 2 mbytes page size . the larger page size mode , referred to as &# 34 ; glob page mode &# 34 ; is used to perform a quick search of memory for most active sections . the page access monitoring logic , as shown in fig2 supports two modes of operation : a maximum count sample mode and a timed sample mode . in the maximum count sample mode the page access monitoring logic shown in fig2 monitors processor bus activity until a particular page access counter exceeds a value programmed into the maximum count register 241 , as illustrated in the flow diagram of fig3 . at the initiation of operation , maximum count register 241 is loaded with a maximum page access count value ( step 302 ) which is the number of page accesses permitted to a particular page address before a page access monitoring interrupt signal is generated by the monitoring logic indicating the end of a sample period . range register 215 is also programmed with an address value which defines the group of pages to be monitored ( step 304 ). also at this time , the page access counters are each set to contain a zero count ( step 306 ). monitoring transpires with the successive capture of addresses for active transactions as they are presented on the processor bus ( step 308 ). following the capture of an address , the captured address is compared with the range of addresses specified by range register 215 ( step 310 ). if the captured address is within the range of addresses specified by the range register , than the page counter contained within sram 211 corresponding to the captured address is incremented by one ( step 312 ). if the captured address is not found to be included in the range of monitored addresses , no additional action takes place concerning the captured address . steps 308 through 312 are repeated for successive addresses captured from the processor bus until the count contained within any page access counter grows equivalent to the maximum page access count value contained within maximum count register 241 ( step 314 ). once this occurs , the page access monitoring logic will generate a page access monitoring interrupt signal indicating that the sampling for the range of page addresses currently specified by range register 215 has been completed . the monitoring interrupt signal is provided to system software . upon receipt of the monitoring interrupt signal , system software operates to reprogram maximum count register 241 with a minimum count or &# 34 ; search &# 34 ; value ( step 316 ). this minimum count value can not exceed the maximum count value previously loaded into maximum count register 241 . the page access monitoring logic is placed in an auto - search mode , and auto index control logic circuit 223 placed into an enabled state , by setting a search mode bit within page access monitor control register 227 . a search through the page access counters to identify counters containing count values which exceed the minimum count value loaded into maximum count register 241 thereafter begins when the system software provides a read port select signal to the start input of auto index control logic circuit 223 . auto index counter 225 , under direction of auto index control logic circuit 223 sequentially addresses the page counters contained within sram 211 . as each page counter is addressed , the count value contained therein is compared with the minimum count value contained within maximum count register 241 ( step 318 ). when a count value is found which matches the search criteria , a search interrupt signal is generated by compare logic 243 and provided to the stop input of auto index control logic circuit 223 and to the system software . the system software can then read to system memory the contents of the matching counter along with an index that identifies the counter number and therefor the address of the system memory page which corresponds to the counter ( step 320 ). the system software thereafter resumes the search operation by providing a read port select signal to the start input of auto index control logic circuit 223 . the search continues until all the page access counters in sram 211 have been examined . to indicate that the search has been completed , a count value of zero and an index value of zero are returned to the system software . the page access monitoring logic is then returned to the page access monitoring mode . the maximum count register is again loaded with the maximum count value , a new range register value is programmed into range register 215 , and the page counters reset to zero , to allow a new range of pages to be sampled . the process illustrated in steps 302 through 320 will then be repeated for this new range , as well as for subsequent ranges of page addresses until all memory locations have been sampled . the collected history of memory activity can thereafter be reviewed to determine how to physically map memory or allocate processes to processors to run specific processes in order to reduce memory latencies and optimize system operation . the process described above is especially useful for monitoring a specific remote address range to determine if access rates are excessive . referring to fig4 a flow diagram for operation of the page access monitor control logic in timed sample mode in accordance with the present invention is shown . at the initiation of the timed sample mode of operation , interval timer 245 is preloaded with an initial value ( step 402 ) which is the number of bus clocks before a monitoring interrupt signal is generated by the monitoring logic indicating the end of a sample period . maximum count register is also programmed with the minimum count value of interest to the user during the auto search process ( step 404 ). additionally , range register 215 is programmed with an address value which defines the group of pages to be monitored ( step 406 ) and the page access counters are each set to contain a zero count ( step 408 ). monitoring transpires with the successive capture of addresses for active transactions as they are presented on the processor bus ( step 410 ). following the capture of an address , the captured address is compared with the range of addresses specified by range register 215 ( step 412 ). if the captured address is within the range of addresses specified by the range register , than the page counter contained within sram 211 corresponding to the captured address is incremented by one ( step 414 ). if the captured address is not found to be included in the range of monitored addresses , no additional action takes place concerning the captured address . steps 410 through 414 are repeated for successive addresses captured from the processor bus as long as time remains in interval timer 245 , as indicated by decision block 416 . once the value held within interval timer 245 has decremented to zero , the interval timer will generate a monitoring interrupt signal indicating that the sampling for the range of page addresses currently specified by range register 215 has been completed . the monitoring interrupt signal is provided to system software . upon receipt of the monitoring interrupt signal , the page access monitoring logic is placed in an auto - search mode to identify page access counters containing count values which exceed the minimum count value loaded into maximum count register 241 ( step 418 ), and provide to system memory the contents of the matching counters along with a corresponding index that identifies the counter numbers ( step 420 ). the auto - search operation was described in greater detail above in the discussion of fig3 and the maximum count mode of operation of the page access monitoring logic . the page access monitoring logic is then returned to the page access monitoring mode . a new range register value can then be programmed into range register 215 , and the page counters again reset to zero , to allow a new range of pages to be sampled . the process illustrated in steps 404 through 420 will then be repeated for this new range , as well as for subsequent ranges of page addresses until all memory locations have been sampled . it can thus be seen that there has been provided by the present invention a new and useful method , implemented in hardware , for determining system memory page access patterns in numa multiprocessor computer systems . the described method and apparatus for monitoring system bus transactions to identify memory page access patterns facilitates remapping of memory pages and processes in order to optimize system performance . although the presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been described , it will be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims .	6
methods and apparatus for detecting neurological dysfunctions are described herein , and rely on data sets obtained from patients having neurological dysfunction as well as control subjects for evolution of algorithms . a number of tasks may be performed by the subjects to obtain the necessary data , corresponding to tasks that may subsequently be used in order to put the methods and apparatus into use . in this task , a subject is asked to tap their thumb and a finger of the same hand together repeatedly . typically , a subject would be asked to perform such a tapping movement as fast as they can over a period of 30 seconds . the task would preferably be repeated for each hand . this task is essentially concerned with a subject being required to reach for an object with their hand , and to grasp and lift the object . the subject then returns the object to its original position . in a typical test , the subject will be seated at a table , and an object , such as a cylinder or beaker is placed on the table before them , within easy arm &# 39 ; s reach . the subject is asked to reach out and grasp the cylinder , and lift it from the table . the object is then returned to the table by the subject . in particular embodiments of the test , an 8 cm diameter cylinder would be used , placed 27 cm in front of a subject . this type of task is also known as a “ reach and grasp ” task . this task typically involves four tasks to be carried out by each hand . the particular tasks are : 1 . a self - guided task initiated by audio cue ; 2 . a visually cued task . for example , the cylinder lights up on instruction from the computer ; 3 . a second self - guided task initiated by audio cue . this detects any effect carried over from the previous visually cued task 2 ; 4 . a memory - guided task initiated by an audio cue in which the subject closes their eyes and then receives an audio cue 2 - 5 seconds later to initiate the task . the eyes are kept closed whilst the subject reaches for the cylinder . the subject may preferably be asked to carry out the task consecutively with each hand . this task is concerned with concerned with copying a geometric figure . a subject may be asked to copy a figure provided , or to trace over such a figure with a pen . particularly useful figures for such a task involve those needing a distinct change of direction of a pen , and a typical example is a pentagonal spiral such as that illustrated in fig1 , interlocking pentagons as illustrated in fig2 , or the wire cube of fig3 . again , the subject may preferably be asked to carry out the task consecutively with each hand . fig5 illustrates , schematically , apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention , generally indicated by 1 , comprising a first three - dimensional position sensor 2 securable to the thumb 3 of a user ; a second three - dimensional position sensor 4 , securable to a second opposable finger 5 of a user ; and a third three - dimensional position sensor 6 , securable to a wrist 7 of a user . signals representing three - dimensional position data from the sensors are relayed via a sensor interface 8 to signal processor 9 embodying an algorithm described herein . in preferred embodiments , the wrist sensor 6 provides three - dimensional position data relative to a fixed datum point whilst the finger sensors provide position data relative to the wrist sensor 6 . in this way , the position of the fingers relative to the fixed datum point may readily be calculated whilst allowing smaller and less costly sensors to be applied to the fingers . in particularly preferred embodiments said sensors may be provided incorporated in a data glove . in an alternative embodiment , sensors attached to the fingers and thumbs are used to detect and measure the distance from one or more of the other sensors . for example measurement can be made of the distance between the sensor on the thumb and the sensor on the opposable finger . such a preferred form of data glove may be made from stretch fabric such as lycra ® and have sensors attached at locations on the glove . this makes fitting of the sensors to a user &# 39 ; s hand and fingers more convenient , which is especially important in the clinical context where it is most likely to be used . an example of such a “ data glove ” is the “ data glove ultra series ” available from 5dt inc ., irvine , calif ., usa . this contains 14 sensors in total to measure complete movement of the hand . two sensors are provided per finger , one sensor for the knuckle , one for the first joint of the hand and abduction sensors between fingers . movements from each sensor are reported at a minimum rate of 75 hz . the distance between any two sensors comprised in the measuring equipment may readily be calculated from their respective 3 - dimensional ( x i , y i , z i ) spatial coordinates by application of a standard pythagorean equation of the form : distance =[( x 1 − x 2 ) 2 +( y 1 − y 2 ) 2 +( z 1 − z 2 ) 2 ] 0 . 5 the inventor has found , surprisingly , that limiting ( or “ clipping ”) the data obtained from experimental tasks significantly improves the fitness of cgp algorithms evolved by the techniques disclosed herein . normalisation of the data can also provide advantages . the velocity data were limited by calculating an upper and lower limit , within which limits the data were clipped . the mean and the standard deviation for each of the velocity profiles were calculated — the upper limit for each set of velocity data was computed as the mean velocity plus the standard deviation , and the lower limit for each set of velocity data was computed as the mean velocity minus the standard deviation . any data in the velocity profile that was above the upper limit was truncated to the value of the upper limit and any data in the velocity profile below the lower limit was truncated to the value of the lower limit . it was found that limiting of the data in the velocity profiles , as explained above , was beneficial to the fitness of the cgp evolved . surprisingly , a higher fitness was achieved when the velocity data was limited compared to when it was not limited . as an example of data pre - processing for production of a signal - processing algorithm of the invention , acceleration within a patient or control data set was calculated from the difference in the velocity data between consecutive samples . after trying different ranges of gradients for the quantisation levels and different numbers of quantisation levels , it was found that 22 encoding levels would be used for the final acceleration based encoding scheme , as shown below ( where ‘ gradient ’ is the acceleration as calculated over the distance between the two sensors ). in this example the units are in cm / sample at 30 hz which gives units of : (× 300 mm / sec 2 ). this is a linear gradient encoding system , with each band of gradients having the same width . in a typical embodiment of the invention , velocity data may be gathered for a period of approximately 30 seconds ( typically between 15 and 60 , 90 or even 120 seconds or more ), with a sampling frequency of approximately 30 hz ( typically between 10 hz and 100 hz ). the velocity data would be “ clipped ” to within one standard deviation of the mean velocity , and a moving average filter with a window size of 2 used to smooth the velocity - limited data . then , acceleration data would be produced from adjacent velocity data points , and the resulting acceleration data encoded to quantized levels using an encoding scheme such as the one described above . alternatively , the acceleration data can be calculated directly from the position data . having encoded the data as described above , a series of function blocks and the fitness function are provided for the cgp network . the cgp may then be evolved and the network parameterised in order to develop the optimum cgp network . the cgp is trained using a training set of data as described herein . a particularly preferred form of cgp uses a conventional elitist strategy , where the number of individuals specified by the user represents the number of genes that are evolved in each generation . at the end of each generation the fitness of the genes evolved are compared and the genes with the highest fitnesses promoted to the next generation . here it is copied until there are the correct numbers of individuals in the new generation — each of the copies is then mutated by the mutation rates specified , and then the fitness of the genes re - calculated . the inventor has found that a number of function blocks of particular form provides surprisingly increased fitness of the evolved algorithms . the preferred functional blocks are described below , and illustrated in fig4 , with reference to the encoding scheme above in which the quantised levels are between 0 and 21 , and where ‘ x ’ is the first input to the function , ‘ y ’ is the second input to the function and ‘ op ’ is the output of the function : δ ( xy ) is defined as the absolute difference between the inputs , i . e . abs ( x − y ); δ ( xm ) is defined as the absolute difference between the x input and the mean value of the acceleration encoding scheme , so for the encoding scheme described above : δ ( ym ) is defined as the absolute difference between the y input and the mean value of the acceleration encoding scheme , so for the encoding scheme described above : as a generality , these operators may be defined by reference to values within the acceleration encoding scheme , as follows . the encoding scheme encodes acceleration values between extreme values e min and e max , representing respectively the minimum and maximum encoded values . a value e mid is calculated , being the mid - point of the encoding range , i . e . ( e max — e min )/ 2 . for an integer - encoding scheme , the result may be rounded up or down to the nearest integer . four further values are defined : e high and e xhigh , representing “ high ” and “ extra high ” values , and e low and e xlow , representing “ low ” and “ extra - low ” values . typically , the further values e high and e xhigh will be set at the value and preferably the nearest integer one - third and two - thirds of the difference between e max and e mid greater than e mid respectively . similarly , e low and e xlow are one - third and two - thirds of the difference between e min and e mid , lower than e mid respectively . for the encoding scheme described above with 22 encoding levels , the values of these parameters are : for general parameterisation of the function blocks , the high , extra - high , low and extra - low values may alternatively be chosen as proportions of the overall range of the encoding scheme as follows : with the proviso that e xhigh & gt ; e high and e xlow & lt ; e low . these function blocks are designed to detect the two - stage artefacts , characteristic of the neurological dysfunctions to be detected . the artefacts are the small fluctuations found in the velocity profiles of the pd patients . where such an acceleration - based encoding scheme is used , these appear as small fluctuations in the acceleration profile around zero acceleration . from graphs of the encoded data it could be seen that in the control subjects the encodings were generally spread across the entire range of encoding values i . e . the encoded data range was 0 - 21 for a large proportion of the control subjects . in the graphs of the encoded data for the control subjects , the encoded data contained large peaks , where the encodings swapped from a large deceleration ( i . e . an encoding of 0 ) to a large acceleration ( i . e . an encoding of 21 ) within a very short period of time . however , for the pd patients the encoded data was mostly within the central encoding values ( between 7 - 14 ), which represents smaller acceleration / deceleration . the encoded data for the pd patients generally contained small peaks where the encoded values swapped from a small acceleration to a small deceleration . therefore , the function set in the cgp was designed to detect the number of small peaks and the number of large peaks in the acceleration encoding . if the cgp detected mainly small differences in the encoded data it was more likely that the data was from a pd patient and if mostly large differences in the encoded data were found , then it was more likely that the data was from a control subject . the function blocks used within a cgp are very important — if the functional blocks in this study were not designed correctly , the cgp would not be able to distinguish the patient data from the control data . initially the use of seven function blocks had been attempted — three to detect large differences in the acceleration encoding , three to detect small differences in the acceleration encoding and one to perform an averaging of the inputs . however , it was found that the use of only five function blocks surprisingly gave a greater fitness . as well as producing a better network , this also meant that there are fewer variables to change , making it simpler to optimise the network . two of the function blocks are designed to detect a large differences in the acceleration encoding , two are designed to detect a small differences in the acceleration encoding and one performs an averaging of the two inputs . the function blocks detecting larges differences in the encoded data are designed to identify the large peaks mostly found in the control subjects , and the function blocks detecting small differences in the encoded data are designed to identify the smaller fluctuations mostly found in the pd patients . in addition to the function blocks defined above , the following simplified function set can be used in separate evolutionary runs and the evolved network with the best fitness selected : ( 1 ) the output is the sum of x and y ( 2 ) the output is the difference of x and y ( 3 ) the output is the mean of x and y ( 4 ) the output is the minimum of x and y ( 5 ) the output is the maximum of x and y ( 6 ) the output is the absolute value of x ( 7 ) the output is the negative of x . as an example of evolving the cgp network , a 9 row and 8 column cgp network was defined having 35 inputs . the network was randomly initiated with function blocks selected from the group defined above . a function mutation rate of 6 % was used and the network evolved for 3000 generations . a fitness function was defined such that the function was incremented if the network output was less than 11 ( e mid ) for patient - derived data , and incremented if the network output was more than 15 ( e high ) for control - derived data . the fitness function in this cgp is based on the desire to identify artefacts in the pd patient responses but not in the control subject &# 39 ; s responses . the fitness function should represent how well the evolved network correlates with the algorithm &# 39 ; s goal . the fitness function allows the comparison of chromosomes , therefore permitting the conventional elitist strategy used , to select the best chromosome from a population and it also allows the user to easily compare different networks . in alternatively preferred embodiments , a fitness function may be defined as the area under the receiver operating characteristics ( roc ) curve . the use of roc curves is described in e . g . fawcett , “ an introduction to roc analysis ”, pattern recognition letters , 27 ( 2006 ), 861 - 874 .	6
referring first to fig1 there is illustrated a hospital bed 10 including the principles of the present invention . the bed 10 includes , generally , a base 12 , casters 14 mounted around the base 12 , a main frame 16 vertically movably mounted above the base 12 via linkage 18 , a patient support platform 20 mounted atop the main frame 16 , and patient sideguards 22 mounted at either lateral side of the patient support platform 20 . more particularly , patient support platform 20 comprises an upwardly pivoting head panel 30 , a generally planar seat panel 32 , a pivoting thigh panel 34 and a pivoting calf panel 36 . in fig1 the integral selectively manipulatable support is indicated generally at 40 and is shown in its operable position projecting above a patient supporting surface 42 of the head section 30 thereby raising the mattress 44 upwardly from the surface 42 and hence head 46 of a patient 48 ( fig2 and 3 ). as shown in fig4 the support 40 comprises a rectangularly shaped pillow portion 50 having a top wall defining an upper surface 52 and having two side walls 54 and two end walls 56 . the structure 50 is approximately 9 . 75 inches wide by 19 . 25 inches long by 4 . 218 inches high . a lid 58 encloses the pillow structure 50 and defines a bottom wall having a bottom surface 60 . the support 40 is preferably fabricated of polypropylene . the support 40 is rotatably mounted to each siderail 62 of the main frame 16 . a celcon bushing 64 is secured to each of the end walls 56 of the structure 50 as by screws ( not shown ). a shaft 66 resides within hub 68 of the bushing 64 and passes through apertures ( not shown ) in the side walls 62a and 62b of rail 62 . the outboard end 70 of shaft 66 is captured in a pivot bar 72 which is itself secured to side wall 62b of rail 62 as by a screw 74 . thus , support 40 is able to rotate through approximately 180 ° to and between positions wherein the structure 50 is above the level of the surface 42 of the head section 30 and wherein the structure 40 is positioned below the surface 42 of the head section 30 . as can be seen in fig5 a and 5b , 5a being the supporting position and 5b being the non - supporting position , the support 40 is rotated about an axis a . the surface 52 is located at a distance d1 from the axis a . further , the surface 60 is located at a distance d2 from the axis a . the distance d1 is thus greater than the distance d2 in order to provide the supporting effect when the support 40 is rotated to the position in fig5 a . the surface 42 of head section 30 is located at a distance d3 from the axis a . distance d2 is thus less than or equal to the distance d3 , and preferably is equal to the distance d3 such that surface 60 is flush with surface 42 when the pillow support 40 is in the unsupporting position of fig5 b . as shown in fig2 the invention contemplates that the pillow structure 40 of the present invention could be employed at any number of locations on a hospital bed and is therefore not to be limited to simply the head position . for example , pillow supports 40 could be employed in the lumbar region of the back and also at or beneath the legs of the patient 48 . further , as is diagrammatically shown in fig3 the invention contemplates a convenient means for moving the supports 40 to and between the supporting position as shown in fig5 a and the unsupporting position as shown in fig5 b . such could take the form of a rotatable hand wheel 80 . wheel 80 could be , in one form , attached directly to the end 70 of the shaft 66 . thus , only a care provider would have immediate access to the wheel 80 for adjustment of the support 40 . however , should one wish to provide patient 48 with access to adjustment of the support 40 , wheel 80 could be provided in the position shown in phantom at 82 such that the wheel could be conveniently manipulated by the patient 48 . suitable mechanical linkage between the wheel 82 and the shaft 66 would of course be provided in order to drive the support 40 . as shown at 84 , the tray portion 58 of the support 40 is provided with a lip to contact the underneath side of the rail 62 of the main frame 16 in order to serve as a stop . further , the invention contemplates the use of a suitable means for dampening the rotation of the support 40 to maintain the desired rotational position of the support 40 , i . e ., at positions between that shown in fig5 a and fig5 b . as shown in fig6 a and 6b , an alternative form of the present invention is illustrated . in this embodiment , the support 40 includes a head extender 90 forming a part of the tray 58 . when the support 40 is rotated to the supporting position , as shown in fig6 a , the head extender is in the inoperable or non - extended position . when the support 40 is rotated to the non - supporting position , the head extender rotates through approximately 180 ° to extend the length of the bed 10 at the head area thereof . such bed head extenders have a number of advantages , many of which are discussed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 335 , 384 issued aug . 9 , 1994 , entitled a hospital bed head extender and accessory therefor and assigned to the assignee of the present invention , the entire substance of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein as if fully set forth in its entirety . this form of the invention is shown in top plan in fig8 . a further form of the invention is illustrated in fig7 a and 7b , wherein the pillow structure 50 of the support 40 is eliminated thus resulting in a rotatable head extender . in use , the support 40 is rotated to the supporting position when additional support is desired . for example , when located in the area of the head of the bed , the support acts as a traditional pillow , but does not have the drawbacks thereof such as negating the therapeutic effect of specialty mattress and the tendency to become dislodged . when support is not desired , the support is rotated to the nonsupporting position . those skilled in the art will readily recognize numerous adaptations and modifications which can be made to the present invention and which will result in an improved hospital bed with integral selectively manipulatable support , yet all of which will fall within the spirit and scope of the present intention as defined by the following claims . accordingly , the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the following claims and their equivalents .	0
with reference to fig1 a , a tpms wheel module comprises an integrated circuit 1 that is supplied with an external supply voltage v in which varies between the voltages v in — max and v in — min . the integrated circuit 1 comprises a voltage regulator 2 configured to receive the external supply voltage , in the range between v in — max to v in — min , inclusive , and produces a regulated output voltage v reg within the limits v reg — max and v reg — min . the integrated circuit 1 further comprises a digital core 3 requiring a supply voltage between the levels v core — max and v core — min , inclusive . when v in — max & gt ; v core — max , the digital core 3 cannot be connected directly to the external supply voltage , and a voltage regulator 2 must be inserted between the external supply voltage and the digital core 3 . the voltage regulator 2 creates a voltage drop between the external supply voltage and the digital core 3 , ensuring that v core — max & gt ; v reg — max . for proper operation of the device , it is also necessary to have v in — min & gt ; v core — min , and v reg — min & gt ; v core — min . for earlier semiconductor technologies using batteries as a power source , the voltage regulator was in many cases not needed since v core — max & gt ; v in — max ( i . e ., the supply voltage range included the battery voltage ). for designs using current semiconductor technologies , or using other types of power generators , this is in general not the case , and a voltage regulator is required . this problem also arises in the field of energy harvesting devices , as these frequently generate relatively high voltages . in order to operate correctly , the voltage regulator draws a certain amount of current in its control circuits . this current , called the regulator bias current , is drawn from the battery in addition to the current required by the digital core . several design techniques are available to obtain sufficient circuit performance with very low current consumption . nevertheless , the voltage regulator bias current is of the same order of magnitude as the supply current to the digital core when in sleep mode . thus , the regulator increases the load on the power source , which in turn means that the power source must be increased , leading to added size , weight , and cost . since tpms systems must minimize all these parameters in order to be efficient , a way to minimize or eliminate the voltage regulator bias current is desirable . fig1 b shows an example of the present invention in which a voltage regulator 2 is turned on for brief periods to charge a capacitor 4 . when the voltage regulator 2 is in an off state , a digital core 3 ( e . g ., measurement unit ) is supplied by the charge stored on the capacitor 4 . by correctly choosing the on and off times of the voltage regulator 2 , the v core voltage can be maintained between the limits v core — max and v core — min , while at the same time reducing the average bias current of the voltage regulator 2 . additionally , a switch 5 is closed and opened under control of the digital core . typically , the present invention reduces the average bias current by 75 % or more , resulting in a significant battery saving over the lifetime of the device . fig2 shows how the v core voltage will vary between v core — max and v core — min as the voltage regulator is turned on and off ( i . e ., duty cycled ) and the switch 5 is closed and opened , respectively . the switch 5 on ( closed ) time must be sufficient to charge the capacitor to the v reg voltage while the voltage regulator 2 is in the on state , and the switch 5 off ( open ) time must be short enough to ensure that the v core voltage will never fall below v core — min while the voltage regulator 2 is in the off state and the capacitor 4 is discharging . the purpose of the switch is to avoid leakage of charge from the capacitor back into the voltage regulator when the latter is turned off . therefore , the switch can be dispensed with if the voltage regulator presents a high impedance in the off state . however , if the switch is needed , then the switch must be closed ( conducting ) when the regulator is on , and open ( isolating ) when the regulator is off . the control signal ( s ) from the digital core must change the state of the switch and the voltage regulator in synchronism . the voltage regulator can be realized in a number of ways , for example , by a conventional linear regulator with a fixed output voltage , or a combination of a comparator and a switch . an example of a voltage regulator 2 is shown in fig3 . the two exemplary types of regulator mentioned above share the majority of the circuit elements , such as a voltage reference v ref , a comparator / error amplifier 6 , and a switch / pass transistor 7 . the main difference is in the type of regulation . the linear regulator must be designed to be stable , while the switching circuit is by design unstable . in the case of a comparator , when turned on , the switch passes current to the capacitor , until the comparator decides that the capacitor voltage has reached its upper limit and turns off the switch . while the comparator is used to turn off the charging current to the capacitor , the turn - on time has to be determined by the control logic , as previously described . there are several possible solutions to control the on and off timing to ensure a v reg between v core — max and v core — min . the on and off times can be calculated based on simulations or measurement data , and fixed in the digital core 3 . by using fixed timing , the need for a circuit to detect if v core is close to v core — min is avoided , thus avoiding another potential current consumer . to optimize for lowest possible charge consumption , several different timing schedules can be selected by the digital core 3 before it enters the sleep mode based on , for example , the expected current load in sleep mode . the timing schedule can be influenced by parameters ( e . g ., calculated current consumption based on activated modules during sleep mode , measured temperature , and measured battery voltage ). those skilled in the art will take proper design practice into account , such as allowing for temperature variation of current , considering the effect of the capacitor on the stability of the voltage regulator 2 , and considering the effect of timing difference between the turn - on of the voltage regulator 2 and the closing of the switch 5 . it should also be appreciated that other types of voltage regulators may be employed to implement the invention . fig4 shows an implementation of a tpms according to an embodiment of the present invention in a vehicle wheel . the system comprises a wheel module 8 that houses the integrated circuit 1 that performs measurements for determining the tire pressure and transmits data by rf electromagnetic waves 9 to an external receiver 10 . while the invention has been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments thereof , it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof . accordingly , 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 .	1
fig5 is a signal diagram showing a plot 60 of i s , which corresponds to phase current as described hereinabove , over time for a leg of a 3φ vsi . superimposed on the diagram is a plot 62 of the inverter output voltage for the same leg . the horizontal axis represents time , while the vertical axis represents voltage or current , depending on the plot . note the phase shift of plot 60 with respect to plot 62 due to the load reactance . the horizontal axis is divided into equal duration periods 64 , 66 , 68 , etc ., which represent the pwm periods . the i s plot 60 is divided into pulses 70 , 72 , 74 , etc ., which correspond to the pwm pulses actually generated by the lower transistor of the leg . the widths of the pulses 70 , 72 , 74 , etc ., vary in accordance with the principles described above , being narrowest ( i . e ., shortest ) at the positive peak of the inverter output voltage 62 , and being widest ( i . e ., longest ) at the negative peak of the inverter output voltage 62 , as can be seen in the figure . the problem solved by the present invention is the avoidance of inaccurate determination of the voltage during any of the pulses 70 , 72 , 74 , etc ., even when such pulses are very short , due to a high duty cycle for that pwm period ( upper transistor is on for a long time , lower transistor is on for a short time ). in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention for each pwm period it is determined which two inverter legs are the ones that have the smallest duty cycles . the shunt voltage v s for those two legs is measured , their shunt current i s , i . e ., their phase current , determined , and then the phase current of the third leg is derived from those two determined shunt currents . once the phase currents of the two longest duty cycle legs are determined , the derivation of the phase current of the other leg is simple . this is because the phase currents of the three legs add up to whatever the neutral current is at any given point in time . provided that the 3φ load is of delta configuration or y configuration with floating neutral , that neutral current is simply zero , so the three phase currents add up to zero . in the case of a y configuration with non - floating neutral , the neutral current can be monitored using known techniques . in such case , the phase currents of the three legs add up to whatever the neutral current is determined to be , at any given point in time . the preferred embodiment is applied in a system using a svpwm control method . in applying the method it is first determined which two legs have the smallest duty cycles in each of the six sectors 56 , 58 , 60 , 62 , 64 and 66 , of the space vector coordinate system shown in fig3 . the svpwm method gives the values ∥ u out ∥, α , and the sector u out is in . from those values , the magnitudes of the vector components u 1 and u 2 can be derived :  u 1  = 2 3    u out    cos   ( α + 30  ° ) equation ( 4 )  u 2  = 2 3    u out    sin   ( 60  ° - α ) = 2 3    u out    sin   ( α ) equation ( 5 ) these magnitudes need to be converted to time . this involves a conversion factor k : solving for k involves substituting equations ( 4 ) and ( 5 ) into equations ( 6 ) and ( 7 ) and solving equation ( 8 ), which yields : t = k   2 3   u   sin   ( 60 + α ) equation ( 9 ) from fig3 the ranges for ∥ u ∥ and α are :  u   :   0 ↔ v dc 2 α : 0 ⇄ 60 ° therefore , t pwm = t max = k   2 3   v dc 2 equation ( 10 ) now , k = 3 2   t pwm v dc equation ( 11 ) thus ,  t 1 = 2  t pwm   u  v dc   sin   ( 60  ° - α ) = t pwm   2 v dc    u   sin   ( 60  ° - α ) equation ( 12 ) and t 2 = 2  t pwm   u  v dc   sin   α = t pwm   2 v dc    u   sin   α equation ( 13 ) therefore , t 1 + t 2 = t pwm   2 v dc    u   sin   ( 60  ° + α ) equation ( 14 ) thus , in order to produce a voltage output represented by u out , the inverter must be put in switching states corresponding to the two adjacent basic space vectors for t 1 , t 2 , respectively , in the present pwm period , and in a switching state corresponding to o 000 or o 111 for the rest of the period . the final waveform pattern is determined by the ordering of these states in a pwm period . the preferred embodiment is applied to a symmetric svpwm pattern . fig6 ( a )- 6 ( f ) are illustrations of the svpwm waveform patterns for a full fundamental electrical period in each of the six sectors . in each of fig6 ( a )- 6 ( f ) the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents voltage . fig6 ( a ) shows the waveforms in sector 56 ( u 0 - u 60 , fig3 ), fig6 ( b ) shows the waveforms in sector 58 ( u 60 - u 120 ), fig6 ( c ) shows the waveforms in sector 60 ( u 120 - u 180 ), fig6 ( d ) shows the waveforms in sector 62 ( u 180 - u 240 ), fig6 ( e ) shows the waveforms in sector 64 ( u 240 - u 300 ), while fig6 ( f ) shows the waveforms in sector 66 ( u 300 - u 0 ). fig7 is a detailed illustration of the waveforms shown in fig6 ( a ). fig7 shows graphs 60 , 72 and 74 , of the three control signals a , b and c , ( fig2 ), generated in sector 56 ( u 0 - u 60 ) in a complete pwm period , t pwm . in fig7 it can be seen that the times t 0 , t 1 and t 2 are distributed within t pwm as shown in the figure such that the initial interval from the beginning of t pwm to the onset of the first leg pulse is t 0 4 , which is designated t 0 and is shown in the figure at the top thereof . the interval from the beginning of t pwm to the onset of the second leg pulse is t 0 4 + t 1 2 which is designated t 1 and is shown in the figure at the top thereof . the interval from the beginning of t pwm to the onset of the second leg pulse is t 0 4 + t 1 2 + t 2 2 which is designated t 2 , and is shown in the figure at the top thereof . it is important to note that the sequence of switching on and off among these legs is fixed in each sector . fig8 and 9 , are diagrams of the applied control voltages a , b and c , in which the horizontal axis represents motor phase angle , in sectors , and the vertical axis represents duty cycle , or relative pulse width , which corresponds to voltage . fig8 ( a ) is a diagram of the a , or phase iii , control voltage . fig8 ( b ) is a diagram of the b , or phase ii , control voltage . fig8 ( c ) is a diagram of the c , or phase i , control voltage . the top of the vertical axis corresponds to a 100 % duty cycle ; the bottom of the vertical axis corresponds to a 0 % duty cycle . fig9 is a diagram like those of fig8 ( a )-( c ), in which the plots of the control voltages a , b and c , are superimposed . the patterns of applied control voltage a , b and c , are identified in the first sector 80 in fig9 . the pattern in the second sector 82 , is the mirror of the pattern in the first sector 80 , with the pattern repeating indefinitely thereafter . applying the principles of the preferred embodiment of the present invention to the svpwm method it is determined that the following two legs have the longest phase current pulses in each of the sectors , and therefore which should be sampled in that sector : in order to find the boundary condition , it is necessary to calculate the shortest interval of motor phase current for the two channels that are sampled and used to construct the third phase current , which happens at time 84 in fig9 . solving for the range of t 0 , t 1 and t 2 , the ranges set forth above for any given sector are used to derive : t 0   ( range ) = 0 ↔ t pwm 4 equation ( 17 ) t 1   ( range ) = t pwm   2 - 3 8 ↔ t pwm   2 + 3 8 equation   ( 18 ) t 2   ( range ) = t pwm 4 ↔ t pwm 2 equation   ( 19 ) which represent half of the current pulses for the three inverter legs in any given pwm period , respectively . from equations ( 11 ), ( 12 ) and ( 13 ) it can be seen that the shortest time for the phase current pulses corresponding to t 0 is 0 . the voltage across the shunt resistor in the leg corresponding to that pulse is , therefore , not monitored in a given sector . the shortest time for the phase current pulses corresponding to the other two legs is 2 *  t pwm  2 - 3 8 , which is 2 * 0 . 0335t pwm . the multiplicative factor of two derives from the symmetrical nature of the space vector method , which requires that , e . g ., t 1 be put at the beginning and at the end of t pwm . thus , provided the principles of the preferred embodiment of the present invention are applied in the design of the voltage source inverter , 2 * 0 . 0335t pwm is the smallest pulse that needs to be monitored in order to obtain an accurate phase current reading for the 3φ vsi to which the method is applied . thus , by sampling only the legs identified in table 1 in the corresponding sectors of each t pwm , it is assured that the pulse width for the sample will never be shorter than 2 * 0 . 0335t pwm . the circuit elements are then designed to that limit . only the shunt voltages for those two legs are monitored , and the motor phase currents for all legs determined in accordance with the principles set forth above . in this way , an accurate phase current for all legs is assured . although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail , it should be understood that various changes , substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . for example , while the inventive method is described in detail hereinabove with application to the svpwm control method , the inventive method may be applied to other three - phase voltage - source inverter control methods , as well , to derive accurate determinations of motor phase current . all such applications of the inventive method are considered within the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims .	7
according to the conventional method of wafer level chip size packaging , metals in the dicing street are likely to detach from it during forming a metal electrode , which thereby may short out circuits . in addition , after being cut , the side of the individual chips is exposed to the external environment , which is likely to be damaged . the above problems can be solved in the present disclosure by employing a selective forming process to form a metal electrode , and forming a protective layer to cover the dicing street . hereinafter , the disclosure will be described in detail with several embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings . fig7 schematically illustrates a flow chart of a packaging method according to embodiments of the present disclosure . the method may include : s 101 , providing a semi - packaged wafer . specifically , the semi - packaged wafer may include : a semiconductor substrate with a chip formed thereon , a dicing street for dicing the wafer into a plurality of individual chips , a protective mask for insulating which is formed on the semiconductor substrate and has a plurality of openings , and a metal pad in which the chips are exposed from the openings . the protective mask may be an organic mask , e . g ., polyimide and so on . the metal pad may include a common interconnecting metal , such as copper , aluminum . in s 102 , forming a metal electrode on the metal pad using a selective forming process . the above - mentioned selective forming process is able to avoid an adverse effect on the metal in the dicing street during forming the metal electrode . the selective forming process may include a selective electroplating process or a selective vapor deposition process . in some embodiments , the selective electroplating process may include forming a photoresist mask on the wafer , then performing electroplating . specifically , a non - electrolytic electroplating process may be used to improve uniformity of the electroplating and to form a thinner metal electrode . in some embodiments , the selective vapor deposition process may include forming a mask on the wafer , then performing vapor deposition . the mask may be a metal mask . the metal mask can be used repeatedly during packaging wafers in a same lot , which may decrease cost . the material for the metal electrode may include nickel , gold , aluminum , titanium , tungsten , chromium , an alloy thereof , or combinations thereof . the material may be selected according to a thickness of the metal electrode to meet requirements of the process and cost . in s 103 , forming a protective layer in area outside the metal electrode on the wafer , the protective layer covering the dicing street . the protective layer is able to improve the protection effect on the wafer , especially , on the metal in the dicing street , so as to increase yield of the package . specifically , a screen print process may be used to form the protective layer . in order to decrease complexity of manufacturing , the protective layer may employ a thermosetting resin , such as epoxy resin , phenolic resin , urea resin , melamine resin , unsaturated resin , polyurethane , polyimide , and so on . by setting an opening in a screen printing plate used in the screen print process , the location of forming the protective layer may be defined , for example , to make the protective layer form at least covering the dicing street . after the formation of the protective layer , a polishing process may be used to process the wafer surface . in addition , a plasma etching process may be used to remove a part of protective layer which covers on the top surface of the metal electrode due to a liquidity of the thermosetting resin during screen printing , so as to expose the top surface of the metal electrode , which is convenient for subsequent process , in s 104 , forming a solder ball on the metal electrode . a solder material may be firstly coated . covering the top surface of the metal electrode . then a high temperature reflux is performed . to form the solder ball . the solder material may include tin , lead , silver , copper , zinc , an alloy thereof , or combinations thereof in s 105 , dicing the wafer into individual chips along the dicing street . generally , a blade with its width less than that of a dicing street may be used to dice the wafer mechanically . or the wafer may be diced with a laser . the side surface and the top edge of the individual chips are covered by the protective layer , which can protect the metal wires formed thereon from being damaged . then an outer skin packaging is performed to finish the packaging process of the present disclosure . for more understanding advantages of the disclosure , two embodiments are described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings . fig8 schematically illustrates a flow chart according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure . fig9 to fig1 respectively schematically illustrate cross - sectional views of the steps shown in fig8 . hereinafter , the first embodiment may be described in detail with reference to fig8 . referring to fig8 , step s 201 is performed . referring to fig9 , a semi - packaged wafer 10 is provided . specifically , the semi - packaged wafer may include : a semiconductor substrate 100 with a chip formed thereon , a dicing street 200 for dicing the wafer into a plurality of individual chips , a protective mask 101 for insulating which is formed on the semiconductor substrate 100 and has an opening , and a metal pad 102 on the chip which is exposed . from the opening . the protective mask 101 may be an organic mask , e . g ., polyimide and so on . the metal pad 102 may include a common interconnecting metal , such as copper , aluminum . it should be noted that the semiconductor substrate 100 may not be limited to a monatomic silicon substrate or a soi ( silicon on insulator ) substrate , which may further include semiconductor devices , metal interconnections or other semiconductor structures formed thereon . the protective mask 101 may be formed covering the above semiconductor structures to protect the chip . the metal pad 102 serves as an electrode of the input / output terminal , to extend the electric function of the chip , fig1 schematically illustrates a top view of the semi - packaged wafer 10 above mentioned . referring to fig1 , a grid - shaped dicing street 200 is formed on the wafer . the dicing street 200 divides the wafer into a plurality of square areas . each square area represents an individual chip . the dicing street 200 may have a cross - section shape of isosceles trapezoid , which may not have a depth too greater so as not to affect the steel - type hardness of the wafer . referring to fig8 , step s 202 is performed . referring to fig1 , a photoresist layer 301 is formed on the semi - packaged wafer 10 . the photoresist layer 301 may be a positive photoresist or a negative photoresist , which may be formed using a spinning coating or a spraying coating process , in some embodiments , a positive photoresist is used which covers the wafer uniformly using a spinning coating process . the photoresist may be formed to have a thickness ranging from 1 μm to 10 μm . after the photoresist is formed , a prebaking process may be performed usually . for example , the prebaking process may be performed under vacuum , by heating at a temperature ranging from 85 ° c . to 120 ° c . for about 30 seconds to about 60 seconds , to remove the volatile organic solvent which is residual in the spinning coating or spraying coating process , to enhance a adhesive strength between the photoresist layer 301 and the underlying wafer , and to release stress in the photoresist . referring to fig1 , the photoresist layer 301 is exposed using a photo mask , to transfer a pattern on the photo mask to the photoresist layer 301 . the pattern on the photo mask corresponds to the protective mask 101 , so that the metal pad 102 where a metal electrode will be formed is exposed . in fig1 , the area marked with oblique lines represents the exposed area . generally , a post baking process may be performed after exposure . the post baking process may be performed under vacuum , by heating at a temperature ranging from 110 ° c . to 130 ° c . for about 30 seconds to about 60 seconds , to decrease standing wave effect . referring to fig1 , the photoresist is developed , after being exposed , to form a photoresist mask 302 . because the photoresist layer 301 used is a positive photoresist , a developing solution applicable for the positive photoresist is employed , such as tetramethylammonium hydroxide ( tmab ). the wafer with the exposed photoresist formed thereon is immersed in the developing solution . the exposed photoresist layer 301 is then dissolved in the developing solution , to form the photoresist mask 302 . then , the wafer is taken out of the developing solution , and is washed using deionized water to remove the residual developing solution and photoresist particles . after washing , a hard baking may be performed to evaporate the residual organic solvent on the photoresist mask 302 and to harden the photoresist mask 302 . referring to fig8 , step s 203 is performed . referring to fig1 , after forming the photoresist mask 302 , the area where the metal electrode will he formed on the semi - packaged wafer 10 is exposed , that is , the metal pad 102 in the opening of the protective mask 101 is exposed . by using the photoresist mask 302 as an electroplating mask , a non - electrolytic electroplating process is performed to form a metal electrode 103 on the metal pad 102 . specifically , the wafer surface is treated using zincate , to remove oxide film on the metal pad 102 to decrease a contact resistance . then , by putting the wafer into corresponding electrolyte successively , a non - electrolytic electroplating is performed step by step , for example , electroplating nickel , then electroplating gold is performed to form the metal electrode 103 protruding from the wafer . in some embodiments , the nickel may be electroplated to a thickness of 3 μm , and the gold may be electroplated to a thickness of 0 . 05 μm . during the above electroplating process , the photoresist may not react with the zincate or the electrolyte . the electroplating precipitation of metal may not occur , because the wafer surface except for the area where the metal pad 102 locates , especially the dicing street 200 , are covered by the photoresist mask 302 . in this way , a selective electroplating process according to the present disclosure is achieved . referring to fig1 , the photoresist mask 302 is removed . specifically , an ashing process may be used to remove the photoresist mask 302 , which may include : feeding oxygen into the , and heating at a temperature ranging from 100 ° c . to 250 ° c . for about 30 seconds to about 60 seconds , to remove the photoresist mask 302 . referring to fig8 , step s 204 is performed . referring to fig1 , a screen print process is used to form a protective layer 303 in area outside the metal electrode 103 on the wafer , the protective layer covering the dicing street 200 . the protective layer 303 may employ a thermosetting resin described above . for example , to decrease cost of production , thermosetting epoxy resin may be employed . by adjusting an opening in a screen printing plate used in the screen print process , the location of forming the protective layer 303 can be defined . specifically , a screen print process is illustrated schematically in fig1 . which may include : fixing the wafer 10 at a bottom of a screen printing plate 20 of a printing device ; coating a liquid epoxy resin on the screen printing plate 20 ; pressing the screen printing plate 20 and the wafer 10 using a scraper 30 , to make the liquid epoxy resin coat the wafer surface through the opening of the screen printing plate 20 ; and uncovering the screen printing plate 20 from the wafer 10 . in this way , the liquid epoxy resin is transferred onto the wafer 10 to form a required pattern . in some embodiments , the protective layer 303 is a thin film with a thickness ranging from 5 μm to 50 μm . to ensure a uniform thickness , fluidity of the thermosetting epoxy resin should be maintained during the screen print process , that is , the wafer &# 39 ; s temperature should be maintained lower than solidification temperature of the thermosetting epoxy resin . to decrease complexity of manufacturing , the solidification temperature of the epoxy resin used in the first embodiment is lower than 200 ° c . generally , in order to improve solidification performance of the epoxy resin , a solidified filler , such as silica or other solid particles , may be included in the epoxy resin . the solidified . filler may have a particle diameter less than one third of the thickness of the printing layer , so as to achieve requirements of uniformity and flatness of the screen printing , and decrease surface warping of the wafer 10 . the thickness to be printed may be controlled by adjusting a thickness of emulsion on the screen printing plate 20 . in some embodiments , during a screen print process , if the liquid epoxy resin is printed to 15 μm and the solidified filler has a particle diameter no more than 5 μm , an average thickness of the protective layer 303 formed by solidifying the epoxy resin can be controlled in a range from 11 μm to 12 μm . because of fluidity of the liquid epoxy resin , it is unavoidable that the liquid epoxy resin may penetrate into the area where the metal electrode 103 locates . thus a problem is introduced . when forming a solder ball on the metal electrode 103 , the epoxy resin locating on the surface of the metal electrode 103 would reduce a contact area between the solder ball and the metal electrode 103 , which thereby hinder a combination between the solder ball and the metal electrode 103 . more seriously , the solder ball may fall off during a reliability test or a drop test after being packaged . therefore , it is desirable to remove the above mentioned residuals by polishing the wafer surface . the polishing may be a mechanical or chemical polishing . referring to fig1 , the polishing process may include : fixing the wafer 10 on an operation table ; winding a nonwovens with a hardness lower than the wafer around a polishing pad 50 , the nonwovens facing the wafer 10 surface closely ; immersing the nonwovens 40 into a polishing solution and polishing the wafer 10 , to remove the residuals attached to the wafer surface . optionally , after polishing , a plasma etch process may be used to farther remove the epoxy resin covering the top surface of the metal electrode 103 , which is shown in fig1 . the etching gas may include oxygen , which may react with the solidified epoxy resin to generate a gas to be removed . referring to fig8 , step s 205 is performed . referring to fig2 , a solder ball 104 is formed on the top surface of the metal electrode 103 using a solder reflux process . in some embodiments , to reduce cost of production , tin is employed as a solder material . the solder reflux process may include : coating a tin solder material covering the top surface of the metal electrode 103 ; then performing a high temperature reflux to transform the tin solder material into a solder ball 104 . generally , to ensure a flatness of the wafer surface and to enhance a insulation protection , an underfill process may be performed on the wafer surface where the solder ball 104 is not located . referring to fig8 , step s 206 is performed . referring to fig2 , after firming the solder ball , the wafer 10 is diced into individual chips along the dicing street 200 . specifically , a blade with its width less than that of the dicing street 200 is used to dice the wafer mechanically . in this way , after being cut , the side surface , the top edge and the top surface of the individual chips are covered with the protective layer 303 . as a result , the metal wires or other semiconductor structures formed thereon can be protected effectively . the individual chips are encapsulated to finish the packaging process of the present disclosure . fig2 schematically illustrates a flow chart according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure . fig2 and fig2 schematically illustrate cross - sectional views of some steps shown in fig2 . hereinafter , the second embodiment may be described in detail with reference to fig2 . referring to fig2 , step s 301 is performed . a semi - packaged wafer is provided . the semi - packaged wafer may include : a semiconductor substrate with a chip formed thereon , a dicing street for dicing the wafer into a plurality of individual chips , a protective mask which is formed on the semiconductor substrate and has an opening , and a metal pad which is exposed front the opening . the step s 301 is similar to the step s 201 in the first embodiment , which may refer to fig9 and fig1 . referring to fig2 , step s 302 is performed . referring to fig2 , a mask 60 is provided on the wafer 10 . the mask 60 may be a hard mask made of metal , glass or other material . the mask 60 is put on the wafer 10 closely . the mask 60 has an opening which is aligned with the opening of the protective mask 101 on the wafer 10 . that is , the metal pad on the chip is exposed from the opening of the mask 60 . in some embodiments , the mask 60 may be a copper mask . in order to achieve good adhesion and sealing properties between the mask 60 and the wafer 10 , the wafer 10 may be coated an organic or inorganic lubricant firstly before bonding the mask 60 to the wafer 10 . the lubricant can prevent a gas entering into a gap between the mask 60 and the wafer 10 during the subsequent vapor deposition , resulting in undesired metal formed on the wafer surface outside the opening . referring to fig2 , step s 303 is performed . referring to fig2 , the mask 60 and the wafer 10 is put into a deposition chamber . by using a physical vapor deposition , a nickel deposition and a copper deposition are performed successively , to form a metal electrode 103 . due to the mask 60 , the above metal is deposited only in the opening of the protective mask 101 . that is , the metal is deposited only in a location where the metal electrode is desired to be formed . thus , a selective deposition is achieved . because locations of the metal electrode to be formed are the same when the wafer in a same lot is packaged , the mask 60 can be used repeatedly . it is economical compared with the first embodiment . in addition , compared with a non - electrolytic electroplating process , it is fast - deposition and short - time by using vapor deposition to form the metal electrode 103 . after the metal electrode 103 is formed , the mask 60 is removed . in s 304 screen print process is used to form a protective layer 303 in area outside the metal electrode 103 on the wafer , the protective layer covering the dicing street 200 . in s 305 , a solder ball 104 is formed on the top surface of the metal electrode 103 using a solder reflux process . in s 306 , the wafer 10 is diced into individual chips along the dicing street 200 . the above steps s 304 to s 306 are similar to the steps s 204 to s 206 , respectively , and are not described in detail herein . further , in sonic embodiments , before performing a screen print process , the wafer 10 may be baked , or be treated using plasma for activating its surface , to improve adhesion strength of the thermosetting resin , although the present disclosure has been disclosed , above with reference to preferred embodiments thereof , it should be understood , that the disclosure is presented by way of example only , and not limitation . those skilled in the art can modify and vary the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure .	7
the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown . in the drawings , the thicknesses of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity . like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification . fig1 a is an exploded perspective view of a secondary battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , and fig1 b is a cross - sectional view of the secondary battery of fig1 a assembled . referring to fig1 a and 1b , a secondary battery 1 includes an electrode assembly 10 , a can 20 containing the electrode assembly 10 , and a cap assembly 70 for sealing the can 20 . also , the secondary battery 1 may further include a bottom insulating plate 30 , a top insulating plate 40 , a center pin 50 , and an insulating gasket 60 . the electrode assembly 10 may be formed as a jelly - roll type by stacking and winding first and second electrode plates 11 and 13 , each of which is formed as a rectangular plate type . thus , the electrode assembly 10 may have a hollow cylindrical shape . the first and second electrode plates 11 and 13 may have different polarities , and a separator 15 may be interposed between the first and second electrode plates 11 and 13 in order to prevent short - circuiting between the first and second electrode plates 11 and 13 . each of the first and second electrode plates 11 and 13 may be formed by coating positive electrode active material slurry or negative electrode active material slurry on a collection plate formed of aluminum ( al ) or copper ( cu ). each of the first and second electrode plates 11 and 13 may include a non - coating portion that is not coated with slurry , and first and second electrode tabs 17 and 19 may be respectively adhered to non - coating portions of the first and second electrode plates 11 and 13 so as to form an electrical conduction path between the first and second electrode plates 11 and 13 . that is , the first electrode tab 17 may be adhered to the non - coating portion of the first electrode plate 11 , while the second electrode tab 19 may be adhered to the non - coating portion of the second electrode plate 13 . thus , the first and second electrode tabs 17 and 19 may have the same polarities as the first and second electrode plates 11 and 13 , respectively . the first electrode tab 17 may be a top electrode tab projecting upward from a top surface of the electrode assembly 10 toward an opening of the can 20 , while the second electrode tab 19 may be a bottom electrode tab projecting downward a bottom surface of the electrode assembly 10 . conversely , the first electrode tab 17 may project downward the bottom surface of the electrode assembly 10 , while the second electrode tab 19 may project upward from the top surface thereof . of course , the first and second electrode tabs 17 and 19 may project in the same direction according to a method of forming a battery . the can 20 may be formed of a metal , such as al or stainless steel ( sus ), and have various shapes , such as a cylindrical shape . in addition , the can 20 may have an opening in one surface thereof . the electrode assembly 10 may be inserted into the can 20 through the opening of the can 20 , and the bottom insulating plate 30 may be disposed on the bottom surface of the electrode assembly 10 . before the electrode assembly 10 is inserted into the can 20 , the second electrode tab 19 may be bent toward the center of the electrode assembly 10 to be parallel to the bottom surface of the electrode assembly 10 . a portion of the bent second electrode tab 19 may run across a hollow of the electrode assembly 10 . when the secondary battery 1 includes the bottom insulating plate 30 , the bottom insulating plate 30 may have a through hole corresponding to the hollow of the electrode assembly 10 . accordingly , the portion of the bent second electrode tab 19 may also run across the through hole of the bottom insulating plate 30 . the bottom insulating plate 30 may have a plurality of holes 31 to minimize the reduction of an injected electrolyte due to a space reduced by the bottom insulating plate 30 . when components of the secondary battery 1 are prepared as described above , a welding rod may be inserted into the hollow of the electrode assembly 10 and the through hole of the bottom insulating plate 30 so that the second electrode tab 19 can be welded to a bottom surface of the can 20 . as a result , the can 20 may have the same polarity as the second electrode tab 19 and function as an electrode terminal . the top insulating plate 40 may be located on the electrode assembly 10 inserted into the can 20 , and the center pin 50 may be inserted into the hollow formed in the center of the electrode assembly 10 . the top insulating plate 40 may include a plurality of first holes 41 to facilitate permeation of the electrolyte into the electrode assembly 10 . also , the top insulating plate 40 may include a second hole 43 to externally project the first electrode tab 17 . the center pin 50 may prevent deformation of the electrode assembly 10 due to an external force . when the center pin 50 has a central hollow , it may function as a path through which gas generated by the electrode assembly 10 passes . the center pin 50 may include a plurality of holes 51 formed in a lateral surface thereof to facilitate penetration of the electrolyte and emission of gas generated by the electrode assembly 10 . the can 20 may include a bead 21 which is formed by bending a lateral surface of the can 20 inward on the same level with the top of the top insulating plate 40 . the bead 21 may prevent the electrode assembly 10 inserted into the can 20 from moving freely up and down . the insulating gasket 60 may be inserted into the opening of the can 20 , and the cap assembly 70 may be inserted into and combined with the insulating gasket 60 to seal the can 20 . the insulating gasket 60 may be formed of an insulating elastic material and wrap an outer surface of the cap assembly 70 . the insulating gasket 60 may insulate the can 20 and cap assembly 70 having different polarities from each other and seal the can 20 . the cap assembly 70 may include a cap - up 71 , which functions as an electrode terminal , and a lower component disposed under the cap - up 71 . respective components of the cap assembly 70 may be assembled and then installed in the insulating gasket 60 at the same time , or sequentially stacked in the insulating gasket 60 . the lower component may include a positive temperature coefficient ( ptc ) thermistor 72 , a vent 73 , a cap - down 74 , and a sub - plate 75 , which are sequentially located under the cap - up 71 . specifically , the vent 73 may be located under the ptc thermistor 72 , and the cap - down 74 having a hollow may be located under the vent 73 by interposing an insulator 76 therebetween . thus , the vent 73 may be insulated from the cap - down 74 by the insulator 76 . the cap - down 74 may further include a through hole functioning as a path through which a pressure is applied to a bottom surface of the vent 73 when an internal pressure of the secondary battery 1 increases . the sub - plate 75 may be located under the cap - down 74 and run across the hollow of the cap - down 74 . the sub - plate 75 may be connected to a protrusion 737 of the vent 73 , which is exposed by the hollow of the cap - down 74 , using a welding process . accordingly , the protrusion 737 may be convex toward the bottom of the cap assembly 70 , that is , the electrode assembly 10 contained in the can 20 . the first electrode tab 17 , which projects upward from the electrode assembly 10 , may be connected to a bottom surface of the cap - down 74 or a bottom surface of the sub - plate 75 using a welding process . the cap - down 74 and the sub - plate 75 may be connected to each other using a laser welding process , and a protrusion 73 a of the vent 73 and the sub - plate 75 may be connected to each other using an ultrasonic welding process . hereinafter , the characteristics of the secondary battery 1 according to the present invention will now be described . according to the present invention , the vent 73 may include a notch portion . the notch portion may be formed to facilitate the bending or burst of a portion of the vent 73 in order to prevent current flow when an internal pressure of the secondary battery 1 increases . the notch portion may include a first notch 734 which is formed as a circular type along a circumference of the protrusion 737 , a second notch 736 which extends as a cross (+) type from the first notch 734 , and a third notch 735 which intersects the cross - shaped second notch 736 and is formed as a circular type outside the first notch 734 . that is , according to the present invention , the notch portion includes the first and third notches 734 and 735 each having a circular shape , and the second notch 736 having a cross shape . also , the notch portion includes an intersection portion 738 a at which the second notch 736 intersects the third notch 735 . after intersecting the third notch 735 , the second notch 736 may further extend to have an extension 738 b . as shown in fig2 a , the second notch 736 extends from the first notch 734 and does not form a clear cross shape . however , when the second notch 736 further extends along a virtual line inward from the first notch 734 , it may form a clear cross (+) shape . thus , in the present invention , the shape of the second notch 736 shown in fig2 a will be defined as a cross (+) shape . fig2 a is a plan view showing the shape of a vent according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , and fig2 b is a cross - sectional view taken along line i - i of fig2 a . referring to fig2 a and 2b , a vent 73 of a secondary battery according to the present invention may include a body portion 731 , a flange portion 733 , a connection portion 732 for connecting the body 731 and the flange 733 , and a protrusion 737 . the body portion 731 includes a notch portion . as described above , the notch portion may include a first notch 734 which is formed as a circular type along a circumference of the protrusion 737 , a second notch 736 which extends as a cross type from the first notch 734 , and a third notch 735 which intersects the cross - shaped second notch 736 and is formed as a circular type outside the first notch 734 . also , the notch portion includes an intersection portion 738 a at which the second notch 736 intersects the third notch 735 . after intersecting the third notch 735 , the second notch 736 may further extend to have an extension 738 b . in this case , the first notch 734 having a circular shape may have a diameter of about 2 . 5 to 3 mm , and the third notch 735 having a circular shape may have a diameter of about 5 . 0 to 7 . 0 mm . also , the first notch 734 may have a width w 3 of about 0 . 1 to 0 . 2 mm , the third notch 735 may have a width w 2 of about 0 . 1 to 0 . 2 mm , and the second notch 736 may have a width w 1 of about 0 . 05 to 0 . 15 mm . the second notch 736 , which extends from the first notch 734 and has the cross shape , may have an entire length or width l 1 of about 8 . 08 mm to 8 . 18 mm . thus , a length l 2 of the extension 738 b of the second notch 736 may depend on the diameter of the third notch 735 . in addition , the first notch 734 may have a depth d 3 of about 0 . 14 to 0 . 20 mm , and the third notch 735 may have a depth d 2 of about 0 . 16 mm or more , for example , about 0 . 18 to 0 . 19 mm . the second notch 736 may have a depth d 1 of about 0 . 17 mm or more , which is greater than the depth d 2 of the third notch 735 . in this case , a thickness t 1 of the second notch 736 , a thickness t 2 of the third notch 735 , and a thickness t 3 of the first notch 734 may respectively correspond to values obtained by subtracting the depth d 1 of the second notch 736 , the depth d 2 of the third notch 735 , and the depth d 3 of the first notch 734 from a thickness of the body portion 731 of the vent 73 . furthermore , the connection portion 732 may have a thickness t 4 of about 0 . 18 mm or more . when the connection portion 732 has a thickness t 4 of less than about 0 . 18 mm , cracks are likely to be generated in the connection portion 732 . meanwhile , a predetermined amount of gas may be generated in the secondary battery due to various factors , for example , overcharging , thus resulting in a rise in an internal pressure of the secondary battery . in this case , the protrusion 737 which protrudes downward in the center of the vent 73 may be electrically connected to a top surface of a sub - plate 75 by welding . thus , the protrusion 737 may move upward due to the rise in the internal pressure of the secondary battery . due to the motion of the protrusion 737 , welded portions of the protrusion 737 and the sub - plate 75 may be detached from each other or a predetermined region of the sub - plate 75 may be cut , thereby blocking electrical flow of the secondary battery . in the present invention , an internal pressure of the secondary battery measured when the welded portions of the protrusion 737 and the sub - plate 75 are detached from each other or the predetermined region of the sub - plate 75 is cut is referred to as an operating pressure for current interruption . also , in the present invention , the cross - shaped second notch 736 may be deformed due to the internal pressure of the secondary battery and mainly control the operating pressure . specifically , the second notch 736 may be deformed due to the increased internal pressure of the secondary battery so that the protrusion 737 can move upward . as a result , the welded portions of the protrusion 737 and the sub - plate 75 are separated from each other or the predetermined region of the sub - plate 75 is cut , thereby interrupting the electrical flow of the secondary battery . also , when the electrical flow of the secondary battery is interrupted by separating the welding portions of the protrusion 737 and the sub - plate 75 or cutting the predetermined region of the sub - plate 75 , even if the charging of the secondary battery is interrupted , gas may be continuously generated due to internal factors so as to increase the internal pressure of the secondary battery , or the internal pressure of the secondary battery may further increase due to external factors . the increased internal pressure may lead to a burst in the vent 73 . specifically , the secondary battery may burst due to a continuous increase in the internal pressure of the secondary battery . in order to prevent bursting of the secondary battery , when the internal pressure of the secondary battery is a predetermined pressure or higher , the vent 73 may be allowed to burst so that gas can be emitted to lower the internal pressure of the secondary battery . in the present invention , an internal pressure of the secondary battery measured during the burst in the vent 73 is referred to as a burst pressure . also , in the present invention , a portion of the vent 73 which bursts due to the internal pressure of the secondary battery may correspond to the third notch 735 that intersects the cross - shaped second notch 736 and is formed as the circular type outside the first notch 734 . in other words , the circular third notch 735 may burst due to the increased internal pressure of the secondary battery so that gas can be emitted through the third notch 735 to reduce the internal pressure of the secondary battery . meanwhile , as described above , the depth d 1 of the second notch 736 may be greater than the depth d 2 of the third notch 735 . that is , according to the present invention as explained above , the cross - shaped second notch 736 may be deformed due to the internal pressure and control the operating pressure , while the circular third notch 735 may burst due to the increased internal pressure . in most cases , since a burst pressure is higher than the operating pressure , by controlling the depth d 1 of the second notch 736 to be greater than the depth d 2 of the third notch 735 , only the second notch 736 may be affected under the operating pressure , while the third notch 735 having a relatively great thickness is not affected . afterwards , the third notch 735 may burst due to the burst pressure that is higher than the operating pressure . in addition , the burst pressure may be controlled by adjusting the thickness t 2 of the circular third notch 735 . for example , as the thickness t 2 of the third notch 735 increases , the burst pressure also increases . fig2 c is a plan view showing the shape of a vent according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention . the vent shown in fig2 c may have the same shape as the vent 73 shown in fig2 a except for particulars mentioned below . referring to fig2 c , a vent 73 according to the present embodiment may include a body portion 731 , a flange portion 733 , a connection portion ( not shown ) for connecting the body portion 731 and the flange portion 733 , and a protrusion 737 . the body portion 731 may include a notch portion . as described above , the notch portion may include a first notch 734 which is formed as a circular type along a circumference of the protrusion 737 , a second notch 736 which extends as a cross type from the first notch 734 , and a third notch 735 ′ which intersects the cross - shaped second notch 736 and is formed as a circular type outside the first notch 734 . also , the notch portion includes an intersection portion 738 a at which the second notch 736 intersects the third notch 735 ′. after intersecting the third notch 735 ′, the second notch 736 may further extend to have an extension 738 b . in this case , the third notch 735 ′ may have a notch region 735 a and a disconnected region 735 b corresponding to a predetermined unnotched region . as described above , a burst may occur in the circular third notch 735 ′ so that gas can be emitted through the third notch 735 ′ to lower an internal pressure of a secondary battery . in this case , when the third notch 735 ′ does not have the disconnected region 735 b , the entire third notch 735 ′ may burst . as a result , a portion of the vent 73 which includes the protrusion 737 formed within the third notch 735 ′ may collide with a cap - up or move inside the secondary battery to resume current flow . accordingly , in order to prevent the entire third notch 735 ′ from bursting , the third notch 735 ′ may have the disconnected region 735 b so that the disconnection region 735 b can inhibit the portion of the vent 73 including the protrusion 737 formed within the third notch 735 ′ from being separated from the vent 73 . since the third notch 735 ′ of the vent 73 according to another exemplary embodiment includes the notch region 735 a and the disconnected region 735 b corresponding to the unnotched region , the third notch 735 ′ does not form a clear circular shape . however , when the notch region 735 a of the third notch 735 ′ further extends along a virtual line illustrated with a dotted line in fig2 c to the disconnected region 735 b , the third notch 735 ′ may form a clear circular shape . thus , in the present invention , the shape of the third notch 735 ′ shown in fig2 c will be defined as a circular shape . hereinafter , an operating pressure and burst pressure of a secondary battery having a vent according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described . to begin with , as shown in fig2 b , a vent of a secondary battery according to the present embodiment included a body portion , a flange portion , a connection portion for connecting the body portion and the flange portion , and a protrusion , and the body portion included a notch portion . in this case , as shown in fig2 a , the notch portion included a first notch formed as a circular type along a circumference of the protrusion , a second notch which extended as a cross type from the first notch , and a third notch which intersected the cross - shaped second notch and was formed as a circular type outside the first notch . also , the notch portion included an intersection portion at which the second notch intersected the third notch . after intersecting the third notch , the second notch further extended to have an extension . the body portion had a thickness of about 0 . 30 mm , and the connection portion had a thickness t 4 of about 0 . 20 mm . also , the first notch had a diameter of about 2 . 5 mm , and the third notch had a diameter of about 5 mm . the first notch had a width w 3 of about 0 . 15 mm , the third notch had a width w 2 of about 0 . 15 mm , and the second notch had a width w 1 of about 0 . 1 mm . also , the first notch had a depth d 3 of about 0 . 17 mm , the third notch had a depth d 2 of about 0 . 18 mm , and the second notch had a depth d 1 of about 0 . 20 mm . in addition , the cross - shaped second notch had an entire length or width l 1 of about 8 . 13 mm . in this case , when the notch portion was formed , forming the second notch using a first mold was followed by forming the third notch using a second mold . the operating pressure and burst pressure of the secondary battery according to the present embodiment were measured as shown in table 1 . referring to table 1 , it can be seen that the vent of the secondary battery according to the present embodiment had an average operating pressure of about 7 . 56 kgf / cm 2 , which was lower than an operating pressure ( about 9 kgf / cm 2 or higher ) of a conventional vent . accordingly , current flow may be blocked even when the internal pressure of the secondary battery is low , thereby improving battery safety . furthermore , the secondary battery had a short - term process capability cpk of 2 . 31 , which facilitates mass production of the secondary battery . in general , a short - term process capability cpk of 1 . 33 or higher is satisfactory in terms of mass production . the present embodiment was the same as embodiment 1 except that a first notch had a diameter of about 3 . 0 mm and a third notch had a diameter of about 6 mm . an operating pressure and burst pressure of a secondary battery according to the present embodiment were measured as shown in table 2 . referring to table 2 , it can be seen that a vent of the secondary battery according to the present embodiment had an average operating pressure of about 8 . 15 kgf / cm 2 , which is lower than an operating pressure ( about 9 kgf / cm 2 or higher ) of a conventional vent . accordingly , current flow may be blocked even when the internal pressure of the secondary battery is low , thereby improving battery safety . furthermore , the secondary battery had a short - term process capability cpk of 2 . 62 , which facilitates mass production of the secondary battery . the present embodiment was the same as embodiment 1 except that a third notch had a diameter of about 6 mm . an operating pressure and burst pressure of a secondary battery according to the present embodiment were measured as shown in table 3 . referring to table 3 , it can be seen that a vent of the secondary battery according to the present embodiment had an average operating pressure of about 8 . 15 kgf / cm 2 , which is lower than an operating pressure ( about 9 kgf / cm 2 or higher ) of a conventional vent . accordingly , current flow may be blocked even when the internal pressure of the secondary battery is low , thereby improving battery safety . furthermore , the secondary battery had a short - term process capability cpk of 3 . 21 , which facilitates mass production of the secondary battery . the present embodiment was the same as embodiment 1 except that a third notch had a diameter of about 7 mm . an operating pressure and burst pressure of a secondary battery according to the present embodiment were measured as shown in table 4 . referring to table 4 , it can be seen that a vent of the secondary battery according to the present embodiment had an average operating pressure of about 8 . 03 kgf / cm 2 , which is lower than an operating pressure ( about 9 kgf / cm 2 or higher ) of a conventional vent . accordingly , current flow may be blocked even when the internal pressure of the secondary battery is low , thereby improving battery safety . furthermore , the secondary battery had a short - term process capability cpk of 3 . 62 , which facilitates mass production of the secondary battery . the present embodiment was the same as embodiment 1 except that a first notch had a diameter of about 3 . 0 mm and a third notch had a diameter of about 6 mm . also , unlike embodiment 1 in which forming the second notch using the first mold was followed by forming the third notch using the second mold , in the present embodiment , a second notch and the third notch were formed at the same time using a single mold . an operating pressure and burst pressure of a secondary battery according to the present embodiment were measured as shown in table 5 . referring to table 5 , it can be seen that a vent of the secondary battery according to the present embodiment had an average operating pressure of about 7 . 58 kgf / cm 2 , which was lower than an operating pressure ( about 9 kgf / cm 2 or higher ) of a conventional vent . accordingly , current flow may be blocked even when the internal pressure of the secondary battery is low , thereby improving battery safety . furthermore , the secondary battery had a short - term process capability cpk of 2 . 73 , which facilitates mass production of the secondary battery . in addition , even though the second and third notches were formed at the same time , it was possible to control the operating pressure of the vent to be less than about 9 kgf / cm 2 . moreover , a process time could be shortened compared with embodiment 2 in which the second and third notches were formed separately . hereinafter , an operating pressure and burst pressure of a secondary battery having a vent according to comparative examples will be described . fig3 a is a plan view showing the shape of a vent according to comparative example 1 . to begin with , referring to fig3 a , a vent 73 of a secondary battery according to comparative example 1 included a body portion 731 , a flange portion 733 , a connection portion ( not shown ) for connecting the body portion 731 and the flange portion 733 , and a protrusion 737 , and the body portion included a notch portion . in this case , the notch portion of the vent 73 included a first notch 734 formed as a circular type along a circumference of the protrusion 737 , and a second notch 836 extending from the first notch 735 and formed as a cross type . the body portion 731 had a thickness of about 0 . 30 mm , and the connection portion had a thickness t 4 of about 0 . 20 mm . also , the first notch 734 had a diameter of about 2 . 5 mm and a width of about 0 . 15 mm . the first notch 734 had a depth of about 0 . 17 mm , and the second notch 836 had a depth d 1 of about 0 . 20 mm . in addition , the cross - shaped second notch 836 had an entire length or width of about 8 . 13 mm . an operating pressure and burst pressure of the secondary battery according to the present comparative example were measured as shown in table 6 . referring to table 6 , it can be seen that the vent 73 of the secondary battery according to comparative example 1 had an average operating pressure of about 9 . 01 kgf / cm 2 , which is about the same as an operating pressure ( about 9 kgf / cm 2 or higher ) of a conventional vent . thus , current flow may be blocked only when the internal pressure of the secondary battery is sufficiently high . accordingly , it is difficult to ensure battery safety . although an operating pressure of the vent 73 was 9 . 0 kgf / cm 2 or lower in some cases , the operating pressure of the vent 73 substantially approximated 9 . 0 kgf / cm 2 , and thus it is difficult to say that the vent 73 of the secondary battery according to the present comparative example had a low operating pressure . fig3 b is a plan view showing the shape of a vent according to comparative example 2 . referring to fig3 b , a vent 73 of a secondary battery according to comparative example 2 included a body portion 731 , a flange portion 733 , a connection portion ( not shown ) for connecting the body portion 731 and the flange portion 733 , and a protrusion 737 , and the body portion included a notch portion . in this case , the notch portion of the vent 73 included a first notch 734 formed as a circular type along a circumference of the protrusion 737 , and a second notch 835 formed as a circular type outside the first notch 734 . the body portion 731 had a thickness of about 0 . 30 mm , and the connection portion had a thickness of about 0 . 20 mm . also , the first notch 734 had a diameter of about 3 mm , and the second notch 835 had a diameter of about 7 mm . each of the first and second notches 734 and 835 had a width of about 0 . 15 mm . the first notch 734 had a depth of about 0 . 17 mm , and the second notch 835 had a depth d 1 of about 0 . 18 mm . an operating pressure and burst pressure of the secondary battery according to the present comparative example were measured as shown in table 7 . referring to table 7 , it can be seen that the vent 73 of the secondary battery according to comparative example 2 had an average operating pressure of about 9 . 68 kgf / cm 2 , which is higher than an operating pressure ( about 9 kgf / cm 2 or higher ) of a conventional vent . thus , current flow may be blocked only when the internal pressure of the secondary battery is sufficiently high . accordingly , it is difficult to ensure battery safety . furthermore , the secondary battery had a short - term process capability cpk of 0 . 68 , which precludes mass production of the secondary battery . in general , a short - term process capability cpk of less than 1 . 33 is disadvantageous in terms of mass production . fig3 c is a plan view showing the shape of a vent according to comparative example 3 . referring to fig3 c , a vent 73 of a secondary battery according to comparative example 3 included a body portion 731 , a flange portion 733 , a connection portion ( not shown ) for connecting the body portion 731 and the flange portion 733 , and a protrusion 737 , and the body portion included a notch portion . in this case , the notch portion of the vent 73 included a first notch 734 formed as a circular type along a circumference of the protrusion 737 , a second notch 836 ′ extending from the first notch 735 and formed as a cross type , and a third notch 835 formed as a circular type outside the first notch 734 . however , unlike the notch portion according to the present invention , although the third notch 835 and the second notch 836 ′ were connected to each other , the notch portion according to comparative example 3 included neither an intersection portion at which the second notch 836 ′ intersected the third notch 83 nor an extension of the second notch 836 ′ intersecting the third notch 835 . the body portion 731 had a thickness of about 0 . 30 mm , and the connection portion had a thickness of about 0 . 20 mm . also , the first notch 734 had a diameter of about 3 . 0 mm , and the third notch 835 had a diameter of about 7 mm . each of the first and third notches 734 and 835 had a width of about 0 . 15 mm , and the second notch 836 ′ had a width w 1 of 0 . 5 mm . the first notch 734 had a depth of about 0 . 17 mm , the third notch 835 had a depth of about 0 . 18 mm , and the second notch 836 ′ had a depth of about 0 . 20 mm . in this case , forming the second notch 836 ′ using a first mold was followed by forming the third notch 835 using a second mold . an operating pressure and burst pressure of the secondary battery according to the present comparative example were measured as shown in table 8 . referring to table 8 , it can be seen that the vent 73 of the secondary battery according to comparative example 3 had an average operating pressure of about 9 . 28 kgf / cm 2 , which is about the same as an operating pressure ( about 9 kgf / cm 2 or higher ) of a conventional vent . thus , current flow may be blocked only when the internal pressure of the secondary battery is sufficiently high . accordingly , it is difficult to ensure battery safety . as described above , in comparative example 1 , the notch portion of the vent 73 included the circular first notch 734 formed along the circumference of the protrusion 737 and the cross - shaped second notch 836 extending from the first notch 735 . in comparative example 2 , the notch portion of the vent 73 included the circular first notch 734 formed along the circumference of the protrusion 737 and the circular second notch 835 formed outside the first notch 734 . also , in comparative example 3 , the notch portion of the vent 73 included the circular first notch 734 formed along the circumference of the protrusion 737 , the cross - shaped second notch 836 ′ extending from the first notch 735 , and the circular third notch 835 formed outside the first notch 734 , but it included neither the intersection portion at which the second notch 836 ′ intersected the third notch 83 nor the extension of the second notch 836 ′ intersecting the third notch 835 . in comparative examples 1 through 3 , since it is difficult to substantially lower the operating pressure of the vent 73 to less than about 9 kgf / cm 2 , battery safety cannot be ensured when the internal pressure of the secondary battery is low . on the other hand , the notch portion of the vent according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention included the circular first notch formed along the circumference of the protrusion , the cross - shaped second notch extending from the first notch , and the circular third notch intersecting the cross - shaped second notch and formed outside the first notch . also , the notch portion further included the intersection portion at which the second notch intersected the third notch and the extension of the second notch intersecting the third notch . in this case , it was possible to lower the operating pressure of the vent to less than 9 kgf / cm 2 , and specifically , to about 8 kgf / cm 2 . therefore , current flow may be interrupted even when the internal pressure of the secondary battery is low , thereby improving battery safety . accordingly , a secondary battery according to the present invention can improve battery safety even when internal pressure is low . in addition , the secondary battery according to the present invention lowers an operating pressure of a vent so that current flow can be blocked even when internal pressure is low . fig4 is a plan view showing another shape of a vent according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . in fig4 , the shape of the vent may be the same as that shown in fig2 a , except for the following . to begin with , referring to fig4 , a vent 73 of a secondary battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a body portion 731 , a flange portion 733 , a connection portion ( not shown ) for connecting the body portion 731 and the flange portion 733 , and a protrusion 737 , and the body portion 731 includes in a notch portion . the notch portion , as described above , includes a first notch 734 which is formed in a circular shape along the circumference of the protrusion 737 , a second notch 736 which is formed in a cross (+) shape , and a third notch 735 which intersects the cross - shaped second notch 736 and is formed in a circular shape outside the first notch 734 . also , the notch portion includes an intersection portion 738 a at which the second notch 736 intersects the third notch 735 . after intersecting the third notch 735 , the second notch 736 may further extend to have an extension 738 b . in this case , unlike the shape of the vent shown in fig2 a , the vent of fig4 has the cross - shaped second notch 736 intersecting the circular first notch 734 . that is , at the intersection portion 739 a , the first notch intersects the second notch . after intersecting the first notch , the second notch 736 may further extend to have an extension 739 b . fig5 and 6 are graphs showing a swelling height according to an operating pressure of a vent according to the present invention . to begin with , fig5 is a graph of a swelling height according to an operating pressure of a vent according to the third exemplary embodiment as described above . in this case , a line x e shows test results obtained using a vent manufactured by molding , and a line x c shows simulation results . as described above , in the third exemplary embodiment , a vent has an average operating pressure of 8 . 15 kgf / cm 2 , which is lower than an operating pressure ( about 9 kgf / cm 2 or higher ) of a conventional vent . referring to the lines x e and x c , it can be seen that there is no difference between the test results obtained using the vent manufactured by molding and the simulation results . meanwhile , fig5 is provided to show that there is no difference between the test results obtained using the vent manufactured by molding and the simulation results , but the results may be differently interpreted by changing a reference value of an operating pressure . for example , when the reference value of the operating pressure is set to 8 kgf / cm 2 , the vent has to have a swelling height of 0 . 05 mm or less at an operating pressure of 5 kgf / cm 2 , and a swelling height has to be 0 . 45 mm or more at an operating pressure of 8 kgf / cm 2 . that is , when the vent has a swelling height of more than 0 . 05 mm at an operating pressure of 5 kgf / cm 2 , the operating pressure of the vent is formed at too low an internal pressure , resulting in blocking current flow . when the vent has a swelling height of less than 0 . 45 mm at an operating pressure of 8 kgf / cm 2 , it is difficult for the vent to maintain an operating pressure of 8 kgf / cm 2 . as described above , these conditions are dependant on the reference value of the operating pressure . in the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention , it can be seen that the lines x e and x c both show that the vents have a swelling height of 0 . 05 mm or less at an operating pressure of 5 kgf / cm 2 , and a swelling height of 0 . 45 mm or more at an operating pressure of 8 kgf / cm 2 . fig6 is a graph showing the effect of a vent according to fig4 as described above . in this case , a line x e shows test results obtained using the vent manufactured by molding according to the third exemplary embodiment , which is the same as the line x e of fig5 . a line y c shows simulation results obtained using the vent according to fig4 , which was not actually manufactured , but only evaluated in effect through simulation . referring to fig6 , in the third exemplary embodiment as described above , an average operating pressure of a vent is 8 . 15 kgf / cm 2 , which is lower than an operation pressure ( about 9 kgf / cm 2 or more ) of a conventional vent . also , referring to the lines x e and y c , it can be seen that there is no difference between their results . that is , like other exemplary embodiments of the present invention , it is possible to lower the operating pressure of the vent according to fig4 to less than 9 kgf / cm 2 , and specifically , to about 8 kgf / cm 2 . therefore , current flow may be blocked even when an internal pressure of the secondary battery is low , thereby further improving battery safety . although the present invention has been described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and variations may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention defined in the appended claims , and their equivalents .	7
a positional relation between rotary storage media , heads and actuators of a rotary information storage device according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig2 . magnetic disks 11 and 12 are mechanically supported coaxially by a rotary shaft , which is shown by a chain line and rotated at high speed by means of a motor , which is not shown . magnetic layers are formed on both surfaces of each of the magnetic disks 11 and 12 so that data can be recorded on the both surfaces . a magnetic head 13 is provided for each magnetic layer for accessing tracks provided thereon . a total of four magnetic heads 13 are driven simultaneously to control their positions by a first actuator 1 . that is , with a rotation of the first actuator 1 according to a drive signal ( electric signal ), arms having one ends provided with the magnetic heads 13 and the other ends rotatably supported by the first actuator 1 are driven simultaneously to control the access positions of the magnetic heads 13 within large areas , respectively . each arm has a joint on which a second actuator 2 is provided . drive signals to the second actuators 2 are supplied individually through a wiring extending along the arms . upon the drive signals supplied to the respective second actuators 2 , the second actuators 2 are rotated about the joints independently to control positions of the magnetic heads 13 within small areas respectively . fig3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a control device of the rotary information storage device of the present invention . in fig3 the mechanical relation between the first actuator 1 , the second actuators 2 , the magnetic heads 13 and the rotary information storage media was described previously with reference to fig2 . the drive signal is supplied from the head positioning circuit 21 to the first actuator 1 . the drive signals are individually supplied from the head positioning circuit 21 through a switch circuit 14 to the second actuators 2 , respectively . bi - directional read / write signals are transmitted between a read / write control circuit 22 and the respective magnetic heads 13 through a switch circuit 15 , respectively . read signals from the respective magnetic heads are branched and inputted to the head positioning circuit 21 through the switch circuit 14 and utilized for a tracking control . that is , the read signals from the magnetic heads 13 are branched and taken in to perform a servo control such that the magnetic heads precisely trace tracks set on the rotary information storage media . the read / write signals supplied to the respective magnetic heads are constituted with data having fixed length . in order to realize this , a controller 23 is provided . that is , the controller 23 comprises a write control unit for writing the fixed length input data on the tracks of the rotary information storage media through the magnetic heads and a read control unit for converting data read out from the tracks of the rotary storage media through the magnetic heads into fixed length output data . further , a driver 24 for converting the fixed length data into a continuous data or vice versa is provided . the driver 24 comprises a dividing unit for dividing the continuous data inputted to an input terminal 25 to fixed length input data and a data combining unit for combining the fixed length output data to the continuous data and outputting it to an output terminal 26 . an operation of this control device will be described . a first example of the operation is shown in fig4 . seek operations of the four magnetic heads # 1 to # 4 for accessing desired track positions are performed respectively and the magnetic heads execute read / write operations when the magnetic heads access the respective desired tracks . the positions of the magnetic heads are tracking - controlled by a servo system throughout the read / write period . the read / write operation is performed for the fixed length data as mentioned previously . in fig4 the seek of the magnetic head # 1 is performed for a data block 1 , which is a fixed length data , and a read / write operation therefor is executed . simultaneously with a start of the read / write operation of the magnetic head # 1 , a seek operation of the magnetic head # 2 is performed and , then , a read / write for a data block 2 , which is also a fixed length data , is executed . in the example shown in fig4 the read / write time is set to a twice the seek time . simultaneously with a start of the read / write operation of the magnetic head # 2 , a seek operation of the magnetic head # 3 is performed . immediately after the read / write operation of the magnetic head # 1 for the data block 1 completes , a read / write operation of the magnetic head # 3 for the data block 3 is executed . simultaneously with the start of the read / write operation of the magnetic head # 3 , a seek operation of the magnetic head # 4 is performed . the position control signal , which is performing the tracking control for the magnetic head # 1 , is switched by the switch circuit 14 to a seek operation of the head # 4 . after this operation reaches a stationary state in this manner , two of the four magnetic heads execute read / write operations and another of the remaining magnetic heads executes the seek operations , at an arbitrary timing . upon the position control signal , the seek operation and the tracking are repeated alternately , so that the read / write operation is executed continuously throughout the operation time of the rotary storage device . fig5 shows a second example of the operation . the seek operations of the four magnetic heads # 1 to # 4 for accessing desired track positions are performed respectively and the magnetic heads execute read / write operations when the heads access the respective desired tracks , as in the first example . in the case shown in fig5 however , two magnetic heads , that is , the magnetic heads # 1 and # 2 are shifted from the seek operation to the read / write operation simultaneously to process successive fixed length block data alternately . in other words , once the read / write is executed , the read / write operation is executed continuously through n block data alternately . throughout this operation period , the magnetic heads # 1 and # 2 perform the read / write operation continuously under the tracking control . in this case , the magnetic heads # 1 and # 2 stay on one and another of the tracks of the rotary information storage media for a time required to continuously read / write data corresponding to n / 2 blocks . thus , it is possible to continuously read / write data from the respective tracks . that is , it is possible to effectively utilize the rotary information storage media without leaving any empty portion in which no data is recorded . fig6 shows a third example of the operation of the rotary information storage device of the present invention . the seek operations of the four magnetic heads # 1 to # 4 for accessing desired track positions are performed respectively and the magnetic heads execute read / write operations when the heads access the respective desired tracks , as in the first example . in the case shown in fig6 however , the seek operations and the read / write operations of first two of the four magnetic heads are started simultaneously and the read / write operations of them are completed when the read / write of data corresponding to one fixed length data block are executed . the seek operations of the remaining two heads are started at a time before the read / write operations of the first two heads are completed and the read / write operations of the remaining heads are executed immediately after the read / write operations of the first two heads are completed . the first two magnetic heads and the remaining magnetic heads execute the read / write operations alternately in this manner so that the read / write operation of the rotary information storage device is continuously in time between the two pairs of the magnetic heads . therefore , the read / write operations of the four magnetic heads of the rotary information storage device are continuous in time and the track positions of the magnetic heads can be set such that these tracks are successive in time . although the present invention has been described with reference to the case where the rotary information storage media comprises two magnetic disks each having surfaces formed with a magnetic layer and a magnetic head is provided for each magnetic layer , the rotary information storage media may be a magnetic cylinder when a large capacity information storage device is designed . further , the number of the magnetic heads for two rotary information storage media is not limited to four . the number of rotary information storage media may be increased to an arbitrary number and the number of the magnetic heads may also be increased arbitrarily . in such case , the freedom in setting the read / write operation timing and the seek operation timing is further increased . the video data stream written in the magnetic disk will be described in more detail with reference to fig7 to 9 , in which fig7 illustrates a write operation of video data stream on a magnetic disk , fig8 illustrates a write operation of a video data stream with skew and fig9 illustrates a write operation of a video data stream without skew . as shown in fig7 a video data stream is received by receivers 27 and temporarily stored in respective write buffers 28 . the data read out from the write buffers 28 are inputted to the input terminal 25 shown in fig3 and written in the magnetic disk by the magnetic heads through the driver 24 , the controller 23 , the read / write control circuit 22 and the switch circuit 14 . the recording state on the magnetic disk is shown in fig7 . in fig7 the data of the video data stream includes the inter - record skew . when the inter - record skew is included in the data of the video data stream , the data position is shifted correspondingly to an amount of the skew , as shown in fig8 . when the present invention is applied to that case , it is possible to make the skew substantially zero , as shown in fig9 . therefore , in the present invention , it is possible to improve the data transfer rate and to increase the memory capacity by increasing the recording density . since , therefore , the recording medium can be utilized efficiently , it is possible to reduce the cost of the storage device for unit memory capacity . fig1 shows the effect of the present invention compared with that of the conventional device . in fig1 , an abscissa indicates the memory capacity of the write buffer 28 and an ordinate indicates the number of simultaneous recording / reproducing channels . the conditions under which the comparison was performed are shown in the table 1 below . it is clear from table 1 that , for the write buffer 28 having the same memory capacity , the number of simultaneous recording / reproducing channels in the present invention is substantially improved compared with that of the conventional device . for example , in a case where the number of simultaneous recording / reproducing channels is 10 , the conventional device requires the memory capacity of 8 mbyte . however , the memory capacity in the present invention is only 1 mbyte . as described hereinbefore , according to the present invention , the seek time for which the head is moving to a next track corresponds to the time for which other heads are executing the read / write operation , so that the read / write operation of the storage device is continuously executed . therefore , in the present invention , it is possible to improve the data transfer rate . further , in the present invention , the head position is finely controlled . therefore , it is possible to increase the memory capacity by increasing the recording density . further , since it is possible to continuously set the tracks on the recording media , it is possible to utilize the recording media efficiently . as the total effect of the present invention , it is possible to reduce the cost of the storage device for memory capacity .	6
preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described . fig1 is a perspective view which illustrates an embodiment of a chip - type electronic element supplying apparatus according to the present invention . fig2 is an enlarged perspective view which illustrates an essential portion of the apparatus and fig3 is a front elevational view which illustrates the same . since the structure arranged in such a manner that ataped electronic group 5 , constituted by accommodating chip - type electronicelements 1 in recessed portions 2a of a carrier tape 2 before they are sealed by a cover tape 4 , is wound around a reel 6 , is the same as the above - described structure , the same reference numerals are given to them and their specific descriptions will be omitted here . referring to fig1 to 3 , reel side plates 41 are fastened to an end portion of a body frame 40 which is made of an aluminum alloy or the like . each of the reel side plates 41 has a size which enables the two reels 6 tobe fastened in its longitudinal direction . furthermore , the reel side plate41 has a stepped portion 42 for the purpose of fastening the front and the rear reels 6 while deviating them by a degree corresponding to the width of the carrier tape 2 . furthermore , reel shafts 43 and 44 to which the tworeels 6 are fastened are secured to the above - described reel side plates 41so that the reels 6 are rotatably fastened to the reel shafts 43 and 44 . inaddition , reel retainers 45 and 46 for holding the corresponding outer surfaces of the reels 6 respectively fastened to the reel shafts 43 and 44are disposed in the upper portion of an intermediate portion of the reel side plates 41 . furthermore , tape guide plates 47 and 48 , each of which isformed into a shape to suit the outer surface of the reel 6 , are disposed in the lower portion of an intermediate portion of the reel side plate 41 . furthermore , a separation plate 49 which halves the width of the body frame40 is fastened to the top surface of an intermediate portion of the body frame 40 . in addition , a reel shaft 50 is disposed in the upper portion ofthe above - described separation plate 49 in such a manner that the reel shaft 50 penetrates into the separation plate 49 . furthermore , two take - upreels 51 and 52 are rotatably fastened to the two end portions of the reel shaft 50 in such a manner that the two take - up reels 51 and 52 hold the separation plate 49 . each of the above - described take - up reels 51 and 52 is formed into a shape having a large flange adjacent to the separation plate 49 so as to form take - up ratchets 53 and 54 each having a gear portion formed on the outer surface of the flange . in addition , a supporting shaft 55 is disposed in the upper portion of the separation plate 49 , the supporting shaft 55 holding two drive levers 56 , 57 and two take - up ratchet levers 58 which are pivotally fastened in such a manner that they hold therebetween the separation plate 49 . the above - described drive levers 56 , 57 , and the take - up ratchet levers 58 arearranged to act in association with one another by the action of a connection pin 59 . furthermore , a feeding ratchet claw 60 is connected to the front portion of each of the above - described take - up ratchet lever 58 , the feeding ratchet claws 60 being engaged to the take - up ratchets 53 and 54 of the take - up reels 51 and 52 . in addition , a tension spring 61 is arranged between the take - up ratchet levers 58 , the tension spring 61 acting to rotate and restore the drive lever 56 or 57 in a direction designated by an arrow y 2 when the drive lever 56 or 57 is rotated ina direction designated by an arrow y 1 . furthermore , reverse - rotation protection claws 62 are disposed on the two sides of the above - described separation plate 49 , the reverse - rotation .. protection claws 62 always being engaged with the take - up ratchets 53 and 54 of the above - described take - up reels 51 and 52 to check the reverse rotation of the take - up reels 51 and 52 . in addition , cover tape guide rollers 63 are disposed on the two sides of an intermediate portion of theabove - described separation plate 49 , the cover tape guide rollers 63 actingto guide the cover tapes 4 . furthermore , a guide plate 64 is disposed on either side of the lower portion of the separation plate 49 , the guide plate 64 acting to guide the taped electronic group 5 drawn out from the reel 6 disposed on the front stage . in addition , connection rings 65 and 66 are respectively connected to the above - described drive levers 56 and 57 , the connection rings 65 and 66 extending to a recessed portion 67 formed in the front portion of the bodyframe 40 . that is , the connection rings 65 and 66 pass through a slit 68 formed in the central portion of the top surface of the body frame 40 before the leading portions of the connection rings 65 and 66 are introduced into a recessed portion 67 . then , the above - described leading portions are connected to end portions of the right and left reverse - rotation levers 70 rotatively fastened to the support shaft 69 . a tension spring 71 is arranged between the above - described reverse - rotationlevers 70 , the tension spring 71 acting to rotate and restore the reverse - rotation lever 70 after it has been rotated by the rotations of the drive levers 56 and 57 transmitted via the connection rings 65 and 66 . furthermore , a connection lever 72 is connected to the above - described reverse - rotation lever 70 . the front portion of the above - described connection lever 72 is connected to a feeding ratchet lever 75 positioned in the recessed portion 67 and fastened together with a feeding ratchet 74rotatively fastened to a supporting shaft 73 . the above - described feeding ratchet lever 75 has a ratchet claw 76 to be engaged to the above - described feeding ratchet 74 and acting to intermittently rotate thefeeding ratchet 74 . furthermore , a reverse - rotation prevention lever 77 is disposed on the outer surface of the feeding ratchet 74 in such a manner that the reverse - rotation prevention lever 77 is always engaged to the feeding ratchet 74 by the urging force generated by a spring 78 . in addition , a carrier tape feeding ratchet wheel 79 is integrally formed with the above - described feeding ratchet 74 in such a manner that a portion of it projects over the top surface of the leading portion of the body frame 40 so as to convey the carrier tape 2 in such a way that it is engaged to a conveyance hole 3 formed in the carrier tape 2 . tape retainers 80 and 81 are fastened to the top surface of the leading portionof the body frame 40 , the tape retainers 80 and 81 , acting to guide the taped electronic element groups 5 respectively supplied from the reels 6 , after they are separated from each other by the separation plate 49 in such a manner that they are engaged to the above - described carrier tape feeding ratchet wheel 79 . each of the tape retainers 80 and 81 has a slit 82 and an opening portion 83 so as to take out the cover tape 4 separated from the carrier tape 2 through the above - described slit 82 before it is guided by the above - described cover tape guide roller 63 . as a result , thecover tapes 4 are wound around the take - up reels 51 and 52 . the opening portions 83 , respectively formed in the tape retainers 80 and 81 , are disposed in front of the above - described slits 82 . opening portions 83 serve as portions through which the chip - type electronic elements 1 , accommodated in the recessed portion 2a of the carrier tape 2 , are acted on by an adsorbing nozzle fastened to an electronic - element fastening apparatus . shutters 84 and 85 are movably disposed on the top surfaces of the tape retainers 80 and 81 , the shutters 84 and 85 respectively having fastening cut portions at positions deviated from the width of the carrier tape 2 so as to be fastened to the leading portion ofa connection plate 87 connected to the above - described reverse - rotation lever 70 . as a result , the opening portions 83 formed in the tape retainers 80 and 81 are covered when the carrier tape 2 is conveyed by thecarrier tape feeding ratchet wheel 79 . therefore , undesirable ejection of the chip - type electronic elements 1 through the recessed portion 2a formedin the carrier tape 2 is prevented . first , the above - described reels 6 are rotatively fastened to the reel shafts 43 and 44 fastened to the reel side plates 41 secured to the end portion of the body frame 40 in the longitudinal direction with respect tothe supply direction . in order to feed the taped electronic group 5 wound around the reel 6 by a predetermined quantity , the conveyance holes 3 formed in the carrier tape 2 are caught to the carrier tape feeding ratchet wheel 79 . the feeding ratchet lever 75 , for driving the ratchet feeding claw 76 to be engaged to the feeding ratchet 74 formed integrally with the carrier tape feeding ratchet wheel 79 , is driven in such a mannerthat the drive levers 56 and 57 are driven by an electronic - element automatic fastening apparatus via the reverse - rotation lever 70 and the connection lever 72 , in accordance with the operation of the connection rings 65 and 66 with connecting lever 72 . when the drive levers 56 and 57 are rotated in the direction y 1 , the carrier tape 2 is returned by one pitch in the direction opposing the feeding direction . when the ratchet feeding claw 76 is then introduced into a portion between the teeth of the feeding ratchet 74 , the carrier tape 2 is fed by a predetermined pitch by the action of the tension spring 71 . in associationwith the above - described sequential feeding mechanism , the above - described cover tape 4 is turned by an angle of about 180 ° and is taken out in a direction opposite to the direction in which the carrier tape 2 is fed , at the position of the slit 82 positioned in a slightly upstream ( adjacent to the reels 6 ) of the opening portion 83 through which the electronic elements are taken out . then , the cover tape 4 is separated from the carrier tape 2 before it is wound around the take - up reels 51 and52 . when the above - described drive levers 56 and 57 are moved in the direction y 1 , the ratchet levers 53 and 54 disposed within the width of the take - up reels 51 and 52 having the same supporting shaft 55 as thatof the drive levers 56 and 57 are upwards moved via the connection pin 59 secured to the drive levers 56 and 57 . thus , the take - up ratchets 53 and 54 disposed on the outer periphery of the flanges of the take - up reels 51 and 52 are returned by one or a plurality of pitches in the reverse direction by the feeding ratchet claw 60 . furthermore , when the drive levers 56 and 57 are returned in the direction y 2 by the tension spring 61 , the take - up reels 51 and 52 are rotated in the winding direction simultaneously with the sequential feeding made by predeterminedpitches . the structure is arranged in such a manner that one body frame 40 has two systems , each of which is composed of the above - described sequential mechanism system , the two sequential mechanism systems being disposed to oppose each other with respect to the fastening surface formedbetween two the carrier tapes 2 . when the carrier tape 2 is fed by predetermined pitches by the above - described feeding ratchet 74 , the shutters 84 and 85 disposed on thetop surfaces of the two individual tape retainers 80 and 81 fastened to thebody frame 40 are connected to the above - described drive levers 56 and 57 by the reverse lever 70 and the connection plate 87 . as a result , the opening portion 83 through which the electronic elements are taken out is covered and the carrier tape 2 is fed by predetermined pitches in a state where the chip - type electronic elements 1 are covered by the shutters 84 and 85 . therefore , undesirable pop - out of the chip - type electronic elements 1 from the recessed portion 2a formed in the carrier tape 2 can be prevented . furthermore , the fastening cut portion is formed on the right end surface of each of the shutters 84 and 85 while being deviated from the width of the carrier tape 2 . the leading portion of the above - described connection plate 87 is inserted into the above - described fastening cut portion and the shutters 84 and 85 are driven . therefore , the width of the shutter mechanism can be reduced . a variety of modifications to the above - described embodiment may be employed . the reels 6 may be disposed as shown in fig4 in such a manner that two reels 6 are longitudinally disposed and another reel is disposed below the two reels 6 . another structure as shown in fig5 may be employed in which two reels 6 are disposed vertically . a structure as shown in fig6 may be employed in which the take - up reels 51 and 52 are vertically disposed . other structures as shown in fig7 and 8 may be employed in each of which a plurality of reels 6 are disposed in parallel with respect to the supply direction . in addition , a structure as shown infig9 may be employed in which the drive levers 56 and 57 are disposed adjacent to the recessed portion 67 formed in the body frame 40 . as described above , according to the present invention , a dual - type chip electronic element supplying apparatus can be constituted while making itswidth which is , as shown in fig1 , substantially the same as the width ofthe related - art chip - type electronic element supply apparatus . therefore , many and various chip - type electronic elements 1 can be supplied when the structure according to the present invention is used while being combined with the apparatus for automatically mounting electronic - elements . as described above , the chip - type electronic element supplying apparatus according to the present invention enables an effect to be obtained in that a limit pitch ( 10 mm ) can be realized which is the half of that realize by the related - art chip - type electronic element supplying apparatus ( see fig1 and 11 ). therefore , an extremely improved chip - type electronic element supplying apparatus with which the mounting tactic of the automatic mounting apparatus can be improved can be provided . therefore , the apparatus according to the present invention is expected to be used widely in the industrial field and thereby a significant advantage will be obtained . although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularly , it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been changed in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed .	8
the amplitude and phase of several harmonics within a range of frequencies creates a signature of the breast growths allowing differentiation of benign and malignant masses . our invention is novel in that it differentiates normal from abnormal tissue based on observing secondary effects of changes in dielectric properties due to increased numbers of cells based on phase and amplitude of multiple levels of harmonics without the necessity to measure absolute capacitance and resistance values . the invention allows differentiation of benign masses ( e . g ., tumor or infections ) versus malignant masses versus other cellular changes . our approach is not impacted by patient to patient differences . other impedance - related approaches ( e . g ., those referenced above from mirabel medical systems , biofield , and davies ) depend on measuring absolute capacitive and absolute resistive properties to compute the cole - cole function shape . measuring absolute values is difficult and inherently error prone , especially since they will vary from patient to patient . an embodiment of a suitable device is shown in the block diagram of fig1 , which illustrates the block diagram of the invention for breast - mass detection . after the unit powers up through the use of user interface 100 , the microprocessor 110 will load the characteristics of the desired square wave to the generator 120 . if another wave type were used ( e . g ., sine or saw tooth ), generator 120 would generate that wave type . as commanded by the medical professional through the input interface 100 , the microprocessor 110 will start coherent sampling by synchronizing the waveform generation 120 and waveform capture 150 . output stage 130 assures proper voltage levels and their rising and falling edges . the output stage 130 also distributes the signal to multiple electrodes as shown in fig1 . microprocessor 110 controls the main frequency and triggers the current capture 150 . the biological tissue 140 is the breast under examination . the sampled current 150 is digitized by analog to digital converter ( adc ) 160 . a fast fourier transform ( fft ) is computed by microprocessor 110 on 2 ̂ n samples received from adc 160 . for practical considerations , the n should be equal or greater than 8 . typically it would be 12 , but with microprocessor advances this can be increased for better accuracy . the resulting fft data with its magnitude and phase are compared by the microprocessor 110 with the identifying references stored in it . the references may include markers identifying benign or malignant tumors including their relative position to a probes being tested . all the conclusions of testing by the microprocessor 110 are sent to the display 100 to inform the medical professional . the circuit requires coherent source and sampling conditions to achieve the spectral resolution needed to precisely identify changes in amplitudes and phases caused by masses , including growing cancer cells . coherent sampling is superior over any type of data windowing or interpolation . a wide spectral band is used from around 20 khz to several mhz with odd harmonics . the non - linearities in the tissue will contribute to generation of even harmonics at much smaller amplitude . our invention can be used in the ranges of 10 khz to 1 mhz , or from 1 mhz to approximately 100 mhz , and from 100 mhz to 10 ghz . in one embodiment , the square wave main frequency 200 in fig2 is set to 10 . 74219 khz . this satisfies the coherency condition of 11 cycles , 4096 samples and 250 ns sampling . it places the 93 rd 210 harmonic at 999 . 0234 khz . this setting takes into computation 48 harmonics . research papers have indicated 100 khz to 1 mhz to be affected by growing tumor cells [ 4 ] [ 5 ]. the square wave rising and falling edges were set to 250 ns giving odd harmonic content . all harmonics in the band of the source square wave , as shown with their magnitude in fig2 and the phase in fig3 , are used in the computation . the results of magnitude and phase changes 300 in fig3 are compared with the set of the reference amplitudes and phases as they identify cancer cells [ 2 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ]. alternatively , a set of reference amplitudes and phases as they identify masses of benign cells can be used . fig4 shows an example of breast - tissue current with its magnitude response to the square - wave stimulus and fig5 with its phase response . the model of a tumor tissue includes a non - linear capacitor . the harmonic level 400 in fig4 is shifted to larger value . the phase plot 500 in fig5 has changed shape . fig6 and 7 respectively show examples of breast - tissue current in magnitude 600 in fig6 and phase responses to the square - wave stimulus for malignant breast tissue . fig7 compares healthy tissue response with tumor tissue response 700 . the phase and amplitude changes across multiple frequencies differentiate the tissue into healthy cells , benign mass , and malignant tumor . the amount of phase shift at particular frequencies creates a marker to be identified during clinical studies . having in excess of 40 harmonics , the cell signature makes the differentiation very visible . some of the scientific publications show analysis of dielectric properties of tumor cell in the frequency range up to 10 ghz . a modified saw tooth waveform 800 in fig8 with coherent ratio between its period 810 and sampling interval would cover this range . the plateau 820 in the saw tooth could be made variable to tune in into the response of specific tumor cells . the magnitude of fast fourier transform is shown on fig9 . the waveform shows both even and odd harmonics 900 . the phase response of the saw tooth waveform shown in fig1 exhibits small variations in the bandwidth of interest 1000 . the waveform sources are distributed around the breast 1100 in a constant angular angle as shown in fig1 . the nipple is used to connect the detector 1110 . the connection can be made via a cap or other surface connection or via an inserted probe . generating waveforms and collecting data is done by stand - alone device 1120 . the resulting data is transferred to a computer 1130 for visual and mathematical analysis . the receiving electrode in fig1 may be one covering the nipple , or for increased localization capability may be an electrode made of insulated wire with a bare conducting tip inserted into one of the ( typically on the order of nine ). for differentiated signatures , this approaches permits greater localization . in another embodiment the source and receiving electrodes are incorporated in a brasserie . the ecg / ekg pads are distributed in the area where breast attaches to the chest wall . the ecg / ekg pads can be replaced with 30 gauge needles to achieve a higher degree of accuracy . the system is not limited to the use of a square wave . a sine wave can be used with the same coherent setting for multiple frequencies covering similar or the same harmonics . there could be one sine wave source with a non - linear gain element creating harmonics without need to step the frequencies . analyzing magnitude and phase for over 40 harmonics in frequency span from 10 khz to 1 mhz will be a substantial source for the signature differentiating dielectric properties of healthy tissues versus tumor tissue . many publications show cole - cole charts with significant changes when tumor cell start to grow in this frequency span . in other embodiments , the number of source electrodes is varied . the larger the number of source electrodes , the higher the resolution of localization . for example having eight source electrodes arranged around the perimeter of the breast will double the localization capability since the area of the breast will be divided into eight regions as opposed to quadrants . where in some applications of the device , one only wants to do screening to know whether a lesion is likely present or not , in others being able to localize would be important . this may occur , for example , if one is tracking changes in the lesion . feedback to the user as to results may take multiple forms . in one embodiment , the presence an abnormality is a non - visual feedback . this is supplied by an auditory or vibratory cue . tone patterns can provide either a binary or relative magnitude , including level of probability . in another embodiment , the presence of an abnormality is indicated by a simple visual cue such as an led display , either binary or relative magnitude , including level of probability . in another embodiment , the presence of an abnormality is indicated by an intermediate visual display presenting text or graphical results , including level of probability . in still another embodiment , the presence of an abnormality is indicate by a complex visual display presenting raw data and processed graphical information , including level of probability . the invention can be used as a screening device for initial , non - radiation involving , low - cost exam where , if the result is positive , a higher functionality version of the invention is used ( for example , one with full display capabilities ) and / or other techniques such as mammography , magnetic resonance imaging , positron emission tomography , and ultrasound . for screening purposes it is usually important to adjust the detection level so that the results are biased to having false positives and avoiding false negatives since the false positive tests can be followed up more intensively , or , in some cases , by repetition of the initial type of test . one can adjust relationships among true positives and negatives and false positives and negatives . specificity and sensitivity can be adjusted as well . an important approach to the testing of such devices is the ability of comparing the healthy tissue in one breast to a potential lesion in the other breast in the same patient . while the approach described is applied to breast tissue , the same techniques with the same parameters can be applied for detecting abnormalities in other tissues , including , but not limited to , for example , lung and prostate tissue , using suitable source and receiving electrodes . it is noted that any embodiment described herein for exemplary purposes is , of course , subject to variations . because variations and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept ( s ) herein taught , it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense .	0
throughout the following discussion , numerous references will be made regarding servers , services , interfaces , engines , modules , clients , peers , portals , platforms , or other systems formed from computing devices . it should be appreciated that the use of such terms is deemed to represent one or more computing devices having at least one processor ( e . g ., asic , fpga , dsp , x86 , arm ®, coldfire ®, gpu , etc .) configured to execute software instructions stored on a computer readable tangible , non - transitory medium ( e . g ., hard drive , solid state drive , ram , flash , rom , etc .). for example , a server can include one or more computers operating as a web server , database server , or other type of computer server in a manner to fulfill described roles , responsibilities , or functions . one should further appreciate the disclosed computer - based algorithms , processes , methods , or other types of instruction sets can be embodied as a computer program product comprising a non - transitory , tangible computer readable media storing the instructions that cause a processor to execute the disclosed steps . the various servers , systems , databases , or interfaces can exchange data using standardized protocols or algorithms , possibly based on http , https , aes , public - private key exchanges , web service apis , known financial transaction protocols , or other electronic information exchanging methods . data exchanges can be conducted over a packet - switched network , the internet , lan , wan , vpn , or other type of packet switched network . one should appreciate that the disclosed techniques provide many advantageous technical effects including configuring devices to present one or more user interfaces allowing users to manipulate or manage a remote experience . the following discussion provides many example embodiments of the inventive subject matter . although each embodiment represents a single combination of inventive elements , the inventive subject matter is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements . thus if one embodiment comprises elements a , b , and c , and a second embodiment comprises elements b and d , then the inventive subject matter is also considered to include other remaining combinations of a , b , c , or d , even if not explicitly disclosed . one should appreciate that the disclosed systems and methods allow users to remotely obtain a customized experience feed related to an event based on multiple dimensions of relevance . the experience feed can include a plurality of video feeds that are aggregated and presented in a manner that provides an optimal viewing experience for a user or group of users . one should also appreciate that the disclosed system and methods allow users to virtually and seamlessly navigate through , or obtain a virtual view from , selected areas within an arena or other geographic location without having to weave through crowds , pay for additional tickets , or even leave their house . example scenarios that can benefit from such technology include , among other things , concerts , plays , museums , exhibits , tourism , ticket vendors , movie theatres , social networking , location scouting , fashion shows , or other scenarios . in fig1 , ecosystem 100 illustrates a remote experience interface system . contemplated systems include an experience feed interface 120 coupled to a plurality of feed acquiring devices 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 via a feed aggregation engine 180 . the plurality of feeds can be sent or otherwise transmitted from sensing devices 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 over a network 107 ( e . g ., internet , cellular network , lan , vpn , wan , parts of a personal area network , etc .) to feed aggregation engine 180 that is preferably configured or programmed to aggregate the plurality of feeds 111 into one or more experience feeds 130 according to an experience policy 112 , and possibly other metrics , dimensions , terms , or other factors . experience feed 130 can then be transmitted to one or more devices ( e . g ., computers , tablets , game consoles , game handhelds , cell phones , appliances , vehicles , etc .) over a network 108 for presentation via an interface e . g ., 120 . one should appreciate that the disclosed technology can allow a user to virtually experience an event 110 that he would otherwise not have access to through reception of video feeds obtained from devices located in proximity to the event . it is contemplated that experience feed 130 can be constructed from not only video feeds , but additionally or alternatively from original or modified audio data , image data , textual data , time data , location data , orientation data , position data , acceleration data , movement data , temperature data , metadata , user data , or any other suitable sensor data acquired by feed acquiring devices 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 having one or more corresponding sensors ( e . g ., a mechanical sensor , a biometric sensor , a chemical sensor , a weather sensor , a radar , an infrared sensor , an image sensor , a video sensor , an audio sensor , or any other commercially suitable sensor that can construct or acquire sensor data .). contemplated feed acquiring devices can include , among other things , a mobile phone , a smart phone , a camera , a tablet , a video camera , virtual reality glasses , a security camera , a computer , a laptop , or any other suitable feed acquiring device . individuals or entities controlling feed acquiring devices 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 can be considered broadcasters of an event 110 . the event broadcasters can utilize feed acquiring devices to acquire video or other sensor data related to one or more focal zones 101 a , 102 a , 103 a , 104 a of an event 110 . once the various feeds of video or other data are aggregated by feed aggregation engine 180 , the feeds can be modified or curated for presentation in experience feed 130 according to an experience policy 112 . an experience policy 112 related to an event 110 preferably includes event attributes , commands , and other terms that can dictate how an experience feed is to be constructed . it is contemplated that an experience policy 112 can be generated by one or more persons or entities , including for example , a viewer , a system or event manager , a broadcaster , or a conflicts manager . where multiple persons or entities contribute to generation of an experience policy , it is contemplated that data relating some or all of the terms ( e . g ., rules , commands , costs , fees , subscriptions , bids , etc .) can be transmitted via one or more interfaces 160 , 170 to a policy generation module ( not shown ) for generation of an experience policy . one should appreciate that the aggregated feeds 111 or experience policies 112 can be utilized to derive one or more experience dimensions of relevance that can provide a description of data contained therein . the experience dimensions can be derived based on the context ( e . g ., data acquired in feeds 111 suggests that some feeds include loud audio while others only contain video , etc . ), or can be derived based on a known input received by a policy generator . as one example of a known input , an experience policy may include a user input term suggesting a preference for a front row view of a lead singer of a band . such term can be used to derive , among other things , a location dimension or a focal dimension . other contemplated experience dimensions include for example a time dimension , a point of view dimension , a capacity dimension , a relevancy dimension , a proximity dimension , a relationship dimension , a rating dimension , an emotional dimension , a sensory modality dimension , a color dimension , a volume dimension , or any other suitable category of data that may be of relevance in generating an experience feed 130 . the experience dimensions , aggregated feeds or experience policies can then be used to generate or calculate one or more metrics associated with an experience dimension , which can provide a value associated with the dimension . contemplated metrics include for example , a location metric 113 ( e . g ., gps coordinate value ; physical address ; zip code ; a centroid of devices , friends , celebrity or venue ; etc . ), a focal metric 115 ( e . g ., coordinates associated with a central point of view , a tilt , a rotation , an angle , etc . ), a time metric ( e . g ., a time of day , a length of feed , an estimated time of arrival or start , etc . ), a capacity metric ( e . g ., a venue capacity value , a percent to capacity value , etc . ), an experience feed arrangement metric 114 ( e . g ., primary feed location , primary feed size , etc . ), a relationship metric ( e . g ., a distance between broadcasters , a ranking of the most popular videos , etc . ), a relevancy metric ( e . g ., a percentage of user preferences met by a video feed , etc . ), a proximity metric ( e . g ., a distance to a focal zone , a distance to a person , etc . ), an emotion metric ( e . g ., a number of smiling people , a percentage of smiling people , a color , a brightness , etc . ), or any other suitable metric . one should appreciate that multiple values or types of values can be associated with a single dimension , and that a single value can be a metric of one , two , or event five or more dimensions . in some preferred embodiments , feed aggregation engine 180 can be configured to construct an experience feed 130 having an arrangement of a primary feed and a plurality of peripheral feeds according to an experience policy 112 . experience feed 130 can also be constructed having an arrangement of feeds based on one or more metrics 113 , 114 , 115 . for example , a preferred location 105 and a preferred focal point 106 can be input by a user , broadcaster or manager and used to generate a location metric and focal metric in constructing experience feed 130 . in the example provided , experience feed 130 is presented with a primary feed 104 b and peripheral feeds 101 b , 102 b , 103 c having an arrangement according to at least one of the experience policy 112 , location metric 113 , and focal metric 115 . in especially preferred embodiments , a “ primary feed ” can comprise one or more feeds that best match the totality of terms included in experience policy 112 and metrics 113 , 114 , and 115 . in fig1 , primary feed 104 b is captured by feed acquiring device 104 , and is the stream that best matches a combination of the location metric 113 generated based on preferred location 105 , and focal metric 115 generated based on preferred focal point 106 . feed 103 b is captured by feed acquiring device 103 and provides the best match for location metric 113 . however , feed 103 b could be considered peripheral because it provides a weak match for focal metric 115 . similarly , feed 101 b could be peripheral despite providing a closer match to focal metric 115 because feed 101 b provides a weak match to location metric 101 . experience feed 130 can also advantageously include a cluster indicator 140 generated as a function of a focal metric 115 . cluster indicator 140 can comprise a visual or non - visual indicator of the feeds that provide an indication of a match ( e . g ., best , worst , etc .) to focal metric 115 or any other dimension or metric . in the example shown , focal cluster is a visual box surrounding feeds 101 b and 104 b whose focal zones 101 a and 104 a best match preferred focal point 106 . however , other possible visual indicators include a color , an image , a video , a symbol , a text , a number , a highlight , a change in size , or any other suitable visual indicator . possible non - visual indicators include a sound , a voice , a signal , a smell , or any other suitable non - visual indicator . it is also contemplated that cluster indicator 140 can be generated as a function or two , three or even four or more dimensions , metrics or terms . furthermore , cluster indicators can be provided generated as a function of one or more non - focal dimensions or metrics ( e . g ., a time cluster shown as a clock can be generated as a function of a time metric , a location cluster shown in a red block can be generated as a function of a time metric and a direction of view metric , etc .). one should appreciate that cluster indicators can be used in relation to an event for various purposes . these purposes can include , among other things , social networking , discovering new people or topics of interest , finding a person of interest , making a purchase , obtaining a recommendation , improving education , targeted marketing or advertising , improving telepresence , achieving business goals , or any other suitable purpose that furthers a goal or interest of a viewer , event manager , broadcaster , or advertisers . while many of the examples hereinafter focus on providing cluster indicators to viewers , the following possible use case illustrates how cluster indicators can be provided to an event manager or advertiser to assist in determining what targeted marketing material to present to viewers . perry farrell , the creator of lollapalooza ® could provide remote experiences to viewers who cannot attend the music festival in person . stone temple pilots ® ( stp ), a band performing at lollapalooza , wishes to advertise its new album to remote viewers who may be interested in pre - purchasing the album . there could be three stages at the festival , and each stage could have scheduled performance at all times during the three - day festival . in order to provide targeted advertisement opportunities to stp , perry could obtain an experience feed that provides an indication of broadcasters that are capturing feeds of stp &# 39 ; s performance or stage ( pre - performance ), and include stp &# 39 ; s advertisement in those feeds . when a viewer selects those broadcaster &# 39 ; s feeds during stp &# 39 ; s performance , they could view the pre - sale advertisement for stp &# 39 ; s new album and possibly be provided with a link to make a purchase . it is also contemplated that feed radar 170 can be presented to a user to provide a simple or consolidated presentation of feed data . feed radar 170 can show a relative location of peripheral feeds in relation to a primary feed . feed radar 170 can also advantageously present an indication of other information related to the feeds , for example , a focal zone , a direction of view with respect to the focal zone , a time , a quality , a capacity , a capability , a volume , or a compliance with a set of terms . in the example provided , radar 170 provides an indication of where each feed acquiring device is located relevant to a preferred location ( e . g ., 105 ). radar 170 also provides an indication of how closely the devices &# 39 ; focal zone matches a focal preference ( e . g ., 106 ). in this example , the indication is provided through the variation in shading of circles representing the devices . other suitable indications include a difference is sizing , color or symbol ; a boxed portion ; an image ; text ; or any other suitable indications . fig2 illustrates a policy generation module 255 , which obtains inputs and generates experience policy 212 . as discussed above , experience policy 212 can be related to an event and include event term data that dictates how an experience feed is to be constructed . term data can be represented in a memory coupled to a central processing unit of a computing device , and can include rule data , instruction data , cost data , fee data , subscription data , rights data , bid data , command data or any other suitable types of data that may be obtained by policy generation module 255 in relation to an event . it is contemplated that experience policy 212 terms can be used to generate instructions ( e . g ., scripts , compiled code , executable instructions , etc .) useful in constructing an experience feed to be presented to a user . it is also contemplated that the experience policy 212 itself can comprise instructions derived or generated based on some or all of the term data , which can be carried out , run or executed by a computer or a virtual machine in presenting an experience feed to a user . in some preferred embodiments , an experience policy 212 is generated by policy generation module 255 via input of at least one of a user , an event manager , a system manager , a broadcaster , an advertiser , or other person or entity having an interest in an arrangement of an experience feed . in the example shown a user can provide input via user interface 210 , a manager can provide input via manager interface 250 and one or more broadcasters can provide inputs via broadcaster interface 260 . each of the interfaces 210 , 250 and 260 can be communicatively coupled over network 205 to policy generation module 255 , which is configured to generate an experience policy 212 in accordance with some or all of the term data . as used herein , an “ interface ” can comprise any boundary across which two independent systems can meet or communicate . exemplary interfaces comprise , among other things , a web browser , a keyboard , application software , an application suite , an application program interface ( api ), a touchscreen , a mouse , a graphical user interface ( gui ), a web user interface ( wui ), or any other suitable boundary . it is contemplated that persons or entities can provide inputs via an interface in any suitable manner , including for example , by a selection among a plurality of options , by a gesture , by a drag - n - drop mechanism , by a keyboard , by a mouse click , by voice command , by a gesture , or any other suitable manner . one should also appreciate that one or more of the interfaces ( e . g ., user interface , etc .) can comprise an experience feed interface configured to present an experience feed constructed according to experience policy 212 , or can comprise a separate interface . all suitable types of input can be provided to policy generation module 255 via an interface , including for example , rule data , instruction data , preference data , emotion data , desired indicator data , subscription data , bid data , cost data , fee data , ranking data , or any other suitable input . this input can be manually input by the input provider , can be automatically obtained via one or more sensors of interface 250 ( e . g ., biometric sensor , gps sensor , accelerometer , camera , audio sensor , thermometer , microphone , breathalyzer , a smoke detector , a rain sensor , a gyroscope , etc . ), or can be derived from data obtained automatically or as an input . in the example provided , data obtained from a user or user interface is referred to as user defined policy term data 210 a . it should be appreciated that any suitable type of inputs can be provided by a user , which can include preference data ( e . g ., a location preference , focal zone preference , sound quality preference , etc . ), ranking data ( e . g ., an order of importance of experience feed characteristics , etc . ), account data ( e . g ., a balance , a subscription , user name , password , pending charges , authorized charges , etc . ), rule data ( e . g ., indemnification by a broadcaster or manager against copyright infringement , etc . ), or any other suitable types of input . in the example provided , data obtained from a manager or manager interface is referred to as venue required policy term data 220 a . it should be appreciated that any suitable type of inputs can be provided by a system or event manager , which can include capacity data ( e . g ., a broadcaster capacity , a camera capacity , a person capacity , a viewer capacity , an area capacity , etc . ), rule data ( e . g ., prohibited activity , broadcaster requirements , viewer requirements , etc . ), command data ( e . g ., how a primary feed is to be presented , number of feeds presented , type of cluster indicator , interface components to be provided to a user ( e . g ., selector , volume adjuster , touch - screen capability , time - shifting buttons , etc . ), etc . ), cost data ( e . g ., amount a broadcaster is being paid , account management , etc . ), fee data ( e . g ., amount to charge viewer for actions , amount to charge broadcaster for recording permit , etc . ), or any other suitable types of input . in the example provided , data obtained from a broadcaster or a broadcaster interface is referred to as broadcaster defined policy term data 230 a . it should be appreciated that any suitable type of inputs can be provided by a broadcaster of an event , which can include rules data , instruction data , cost data , bid data ( e . g ., amount required to begin streaming , amount required for a location within a venue , amount required for a type of camera used , etc . ), permit data ( e . g ., types of clearances obtained , etc . ), or any other suitable types of inputs . one should appreciate that any term data obtained from any persons or entities can be used in at least one of : deriving a dimension of relevance ; generating a metric associated with one or more of the derived dimensions ; and generating clusters associated with a dimension or metric ( e . g ., location cluster , cost cluster , location cluster , bid cluster , fee cluster , ranking cluster , etc .). it is contemplated that each term data 210 a , 220 a , 230 a of policy generation module 255 can be included in experience policy 212 as a rule , an instruction , a cost , or other term . more preferably , a combination of policy generation module term data 210 a , 220 a or 230 a can be used to derive or generate a term of experience policy 212 . as used herein , a “ term ” can comprise any rule , command , cost , fee , subscription , bid , an instruction derived or generated from one or more of the aforementioned for execution in presenting an experience feed to a user , or any other suitable term that can be generated as a function of term data obtained by policy generation module 255 , and suitable for use in constructing an experience feed . the following use case provides an example of how input from various persons or entities can be used to generate an experience policy having various terms . tomas &# 39 ; s favorite band pearl jam is playing a show at the house of blues ® ( hob ®) on sunset boulevard , but tomas is in brazil and unable to attend the show . using his mobile computing device , tomas connects to policy generation module 255 and communicates that he wishes to view the pearl jam hob show from front row center , with a focal zone covering the entire band , a front - facing direction of view , and superior sound quality . the communication of his front row center preference can be accomplished via his prior inputs in relation to five other experience feeds he viewed in the last two months , all of which requested a front row center view . the communication of his focal zone preference can be accomplished via a selection made through his mobile computing device , which can present a plurality of focal zones to select from or rank . the communication of his superior sound quality preference can be accomplished via a voice command obtained via an audio sensor of his mobile computing device , or be a default input for all events viewed through tomas &# 39 ; s account . in addition to tomas &# 39 ; s inputs , policy generation module 255 can obtain various event manager inputs via manager interface 250 . these inputs can include , among other things , a twenty - five broadcaster capacity for the event , a five broadcaster capacity for the front row of the event , a rule allowing cameras inside the venue , and a limitation on flash photography . still further , policy generation module 255 can obtain various broadcaster inputs via broadcaster interface 260 . these inputs can include inputs from various broadcasters available for an event , and can include a fee , a venue location , a focal zone , a data type , a direction of view , an assignment , and a copyright ownership notice . as discussed above , one or more terms obtained by policy generation module 255 can become a term of experience policy 212 , or used to derive a term of experience policy 212 . for example , and continuing on the use case above , the front row preference of the user , locations provided by broadcasters , and the front row capacity information can be used to generate rule 213 requiring that only feeds from the five broadcasters located in the front row are included in tomas &# 39 ; s experience feed . as another example , the fee input provided by a broadcaster via interface 260 can become cost 215 or fee 216 . while the above example focuses on generating experience policies via one or more inputs , it should be appreciated that an experience policy 212 can be generated using known data ( e . g ., previously input data , rule of law , etc . ), including a right of publicity law , a venue requirement , a user preference , a user default , a broadcaster default , stage location data , or any other data included in a previously generated experience policy . it should also be appreciated that a system of the inventive subject matter can be configured to identify potential applicability of a rule , notify a system manager or other user of the potential applicability , and provide an appropriate resolution or recommendation . for example , where an event comprises a music festival that plans to use holographic images of a deceased celebrity , rule 213 can be related to the celebrity &# 39 ; s right of publicity ( e . g ., the right to control its name , image , personal , etc .). the system can be configured to identify a potential right of publicity issue in the state of california based on the data obtained by policy generation module 255 ( e . g ., the celebrity &# 39 ; s domicile in california at the time of death , etc .) and notify the event manager of a potential issue . the system can also recommend a possible resolution or recommendation derived from the law , including for example , a recommendation that the event manager obtain clearance for the use from the deceased celebrity &# 39 ; s estate . as other examples , the system can be configured to identify a potential copyright infringement based on a lack of copyright clearance input , or a need for an assignment or work for hire agreement from a broadcaster based on inputs indicating previous user or system manager complaints . as with any system that allows multiple inputs , especially where the inputs can be provided by multiple persons or entities , it is contemplated that a conflict may arise among two or more inputs . such conflicts can arise between inputs of a single person or entity , inputs of multiple persons or entities , an input and known data , or any other information obtained by policy generation module . in such scenarios , it is contemplated that any suitable conflict resolution means can be utilized to determine what term ( s ) to generate , derive or apply . the conflict resolution means can comprise , among other things , a conflict resolution engine that can resolve conflicts based on one or more of a timing of an input ; a ranking ; a loyalty of a user , manager or broadcaster ; a preference of a user , manager or broadcaster ; or any other suitable basis . the conflict resolution engine can act automatically based on a set of pre - defined rules , or can require input from a conflict resolution manager familiar with rules for resolving a conflict . for example , where a broadcaster provides a policy term requiring a cost of $ 0 . 25 per copy of a video feed , and a system manager provides a policy term requiring a payout of $ 0 . 10 to the broadcaster per copy of a video feed , a conflict resolution engine can automatically resolve the conflict by identifying a default term , for example , based on a prior agreement between the system manager and broadcaster agreeing to a payment of $ 0 . 15 per copy . as another example , it is contemplated that a broadcaster can provide bid requirements that differ from a system manager . the broadcaster may provide an input requiring a total bid amount of $ 1 , 000 and a minimum bid of $ 0 . 10 per viewer ( i . e ., bids of varying amounts ). a system manager may provide an input requiring that all bids are the same amount ( e . g ., each viewer must bid $ 0 . 50 , and there must be at least 2 , 000 bidders ). the conflict resolution manager can resolve the conflict by determining how flexible a broadcaster has been in previous auctions and determining whether applying the system manager &# 39 ; s rule would alienate the broadcaster . upon generation of experience policy 212 , it can be transmitted over network 215 to feed aggregation engine 280 , which is configured to construct an experience feed having an arrangement of feeds according to the experience policy 212 . the feed aggregation engine 280 can construct the experience policy by executing instructions either included in experience policy 212 , or generated based on terms in experience policy 212 . experience policy 212 can comprise any suitable number of terms : including rules , commands , instructions , costs , fees , subscriptions , bids , rankings ( e . g ., of broadcasters , users , subscribers , etc . ), defaults , or any other suitable terms that can be useful in constructing an experience feed . as used herein , a “ rule ” can comprise a term of an experience policy that comprises a regulation or principle regarding one or more elements of an experience feed that either must be followed , or is preferably to be followed . examples include , among other things , a copyright law , a right of publicity law , a license requirement , a copyright notification requirement , a trademark notification requirement , a disclaimer requirement , an assignment requirement , or any other suitable rule set by an event manager , performer , broadcaster , user , court , legislative body , agency or other person or entity . as used herein , a “ cost ” can comprise a term of an experience policy that includes a cost associated with providing a particular feed in an experience feed . as examples , a cost can comprise a cost to a user to obtain a particular feed ( e . g ., $ 1 . 00 to obtain a feed meeting at least 90 % of a user &# 39 ; s preferences , etc . ), or can comprise a cost to a system manager for each provision of a particular feed ( e . g ., $ 0 . 20 to be paid to the broadcaster each time the broadcaster &# 39 ; s video is included ). as used herein , a “ fee ” can comprise a term of an experience policy that includes a fee to be charged to a user upon an action , including for example , a zoom , a save , a time - shift , having more than one primary feed , a viewing in a public venue ( e . g ., a restaurant , bar , café , pool hall , etc . ), or any other action by a user with respect to an experience feed . as used herein , a “ subscription ” can comprise data related to one or more users , including a user name , a password , account information , a credit history , a payment received by a user , a balance , or any other suitable data that indicates the type of experience feed to provide to a user , or an action allowable by a user . as used herein , a “ bid ” can comprise data related to a pricing of a wish - list feed available via a crowd - based bidding platform ( e . g ., a virtual auction or bartering platform , etc .). the pricing can be related to a price that a broadcaster requires in order to begin capturing or providing a feed , or can comprise a price that one or more users are willing to pay , or have pre - paid , in order to obtain a feed . as evident in the following use case , a crowd - based bidding platform can allow users and broadcasters to dictate the types of feeds that are to be made available in relation to an event . broadcaster x is required to pay $ 1 , 000 to the ufc ® organization if he wishes to capture video of the next anderson silva fight . broadcaster x is available for the event , but is only willing to participate as a broadcaster if he can obtain $ 10 , 000 in user fees . broadcaster x utilizes the bidding platform provided by the inventive subject matter to open bidding to sports bar owners across the country . it is contemplated that the types and amounts of bids accepted by broadcaster x can be customized in any suitable manner by a person or entity accepting bids . here , broadcaster x can customize the bidding platform to , among other things , accept bids only over a minimum amount , require a premium amount for obtaining access to anderson silva &# 39 ; s pre - fight interview , require a premium amount for capturing celebrities attending the fight , accept non - cash bids , or allow bidders to vote to select broadcaster x &# 39 ; s location , focal zone , direction of view or other feed capturing characteristic . one should appreciate that the dissemination of bids through a system of the inventive subject matter can be observed , studied or managed by a system manager or broadcaster . this data can be used to determine what events , broadcasters or feed characteristics are in demand by a user or groups of users in order to make profitable business decisions . for example , a broadcaster can use the bidding data to determine the type of requests that are popular in a specific context . based on the data the broadcaster can , among other things , purchase a specific seat in a venue for acquiring feeds , utilize a specific device , modify settings of the device , or determine a type of emotion to capture or evoke . as used herein , a “ command ” can comprise a term of an experience policy that initiates an operation defined by an instruction ( defined below ). examples of commands can include , among other things , a command to centrally focus a primary feed ; enlarge a primary feed ; arrange peripheral feeds into a cluster based on focus , location , time , quality , etc . ; include a mauve , pink , blue , black , gold , red , or other background color ; allow a zoom , pause , rewind , fast - forward , etc . ; require a fee for a selection , a zoom , a recording , an increase in number of primary feeds , etc . ; or any other suitable command . at least one corresponding instruction can be included as a term to dictate how the operation initiated by the command is to be achieved . as used herein , an “ instruction ” can comprise a term generated or derived from one or more terms of an experience policy , which can be provided as executable code , scripts or other suitable format for execution , running or carrying out by a computer or virtual machine . these instructions can , when executed , construct components of an experience feed that is customized according to at least some of the inputs obtained by a policy generation engine . for example , executable code can be provided as an instruction to arrange peripheral feeds ( e . g ., left to right , front to back , largest to smallest , etc .) based on a relationship dimension ( e . g ., highest to lowest number of the viewer &# 39 ; s friends or relatives found in each feed , etc .) or other dimension . the instruction could be based on a user term showing a preference for such feeds . one should appreciate that any term of an experience policy can influence not only an arrangement of feeds in an experience feed , but also what cluster indicator ( s ) are provided in the experience feed . as discussed above , cluster indicators can be used in relation to an event for various purposes . one should also appreciate that a cluster indicator can be dynamic in nature to advantageously provide a user with various indications throughout an event without requiring a user input during the event . a dynamic cluster indicator can allow a user to be simultaneously or sequentially presented with clusters that indicate different dimensions or metrics . the following possible use case illustrates how a dynamic cluster indicator could be provided in accordance with terms of an experience policy . daniel has a sprained ankle but wishes to make certain purchases for an upcoming trip to hawaii . daniel &# 39 ; s friends annie , amanda , andy and 16 others agree to go to the grove ® to provide daniel with a remote shopping experience ( i . e ., act as broadcasters ). daniel connects to a policy generation engine over the internet and communicates that he would like an indication of the following sub - events : ( 1 ) who is at or next to his favorite store j crew ®; ( 2 ) who is viewing oxford shoes ; ( 3 ) who is viewing a sale ; and ( 4 ) who is near a celebrity . the policy generation engine could include instructions in a generated experience policy that , upon execution by a processor , generates a cluster indicator that is configured to change when one or more of the sub - events take place . for example , if one or more of daniel &# 39 ; s friends are viewing oxford shoes , the cluster indicator can provide an indication of such broadcasters ( e . g ., via a semi - transparent red box , etc .). if daniel &# 39 ; s friends are no longer viewing oxford shoes , but annie walks by rihanna , the cluster indicator can provide an indication that annie is passing rihanna ( e . g ., via a semi - transparent blue box , etc .). where a cluster indicator indicates a sub - event that may be of interest to one or more of daniel &# 39 ; s friends , it is contemplated that daniel can share the cluster information via a system of the inventive subject matter . for example , daniel can communicate with an experience feed interface and cause the cluster information to be sent to his friends as an alert to a feed acquiring device , an alert to a broadcaster interface , or a message to a social networking site ( e . g ., facebook ®, twitter ®, etc .). one should appreciate that two or more sub - events can occur at the same time . as such , a dynamic cluster indicator can sequentially provide indications of the sub - events ( e . g ., via a dotted box formed around the different clusters sequentially , etc .). additionally or alternatively , two or more sub - events can be indicated simultaneously by one or more cluster indicators ( e . g ., via a box having two - tones to indicate two different sub - events , etc .). fig3 illustrates metric generation 300 based on an experience policy and a plurality of feeds . as discussed above , the plurality of feeds 311 can be received by feed aggregation engine 380 from a plurality of feed capturing devices ( see e . g ., fig1 , 102 , 103 and 104 ). the experience policies 310 can be received by feed aggregation engine 380 from a policy generation engine ( see e . g ., fig2 ). also as discussed above , an experience policy 310 can comprise various terms that influence or dictate how an experience feed is constructed . as shown in fig3 , experience policy 310 can further be used to derive dimensions and generate metrics that can influence how an experience feed is constructed . as used herein , a “ dimension ” can comprise an aspect or feature of an event or feed , and a “ metric ” can comprise a measurement or value associated with a dimension . for example , a “ location dimension ” can indicate that location is an important characteristic to be considered in constructing an experience feed , while a “ gps coordinate ” can indicate the type of location information available or of value . in the example provided , feed aggregation engine 380 aggregates a plurality of feeds 320 from a plurality of feed acquiring devices ( not shown ), and obtains experience policies 310 associated with various viewers of an event ( e . g ., ten experience policies , wherein each experience policy is associated with a different viewer or viewers , etc .). while the experience policies 310 can advantageously comprise some of the same terms ( e . g ., from system managers , broadcasters , advertisers , etc . ), the experience policies 310 can also comprise different terms based on inputs from a diverse group of viewers . it is contemplated that information obtained from one or more of the experience policies 310 can be used to generate dimensions 330 , possibly utilizing data obtained or derived from feeds 320 . the number of dimensions 330 derived can increase depending on the number of experience policies 310 considered , as additional experience policies can increase the number of terms from which dimensions 330 can be derived . one should appreciate that for each dimension 330 ( e . g ., location dimension 332 , etc . ), one or more metrics ( e . g ., 340 , 342 , 344 , 346 , 348 , 340 , etc .) can be generated . for example , where a dimension comprises a time dimension , it is contemplated that the following metrics can be generated : a time of day ( e . g ., 2 : 00 pm , etc . ), a length of feed ( e . g ., 45 . 3 seconds , etc . ), an estimated time of arrival of a performer ( 7 : 13 pm , etc . ), an estimated time of arrival of a broadcaster ( 2 : 00 pm , etc . ), a start time 2 . 5 seconds , etc . ), or any other suitable time metric . some or all of the dimensions or metrics can have an influence on an arrangement of the feed . because the number of dimensions derived can be increased via consideration of multiple experience policies associated with an event , the number of metrics generated with respect to each experience policy 310 can be increased to thereby provide an optimally customized experience feed to users . while it can generally be preferred that one or more values associated with each of the dimensions can be generated or calculated for each viewer or experience policy , it is contemplated that some experience policies 310 could lack a term that allows metric generation for one or more or the derived dimensions . while the following use case provides some examples of dimensions and metrics that can be derived or generated by a system of the inventive subject matter , it should be appreciated that all suitable dimensions and metrics are contemplated , including those listed with respect to fig1 . on new year &# 39 ; s eve 2014 , martin , nick and bob are three of many viewers who have signed up to view the times square ball drop via their respective computing devices in california . each of the three experience policies generated for the three viewers can include some of the same terms generated based on broadcaster and manager inputs . these can include : location data indicating that broadcaster x is located in front of the event host &# 39 ; s platform ; focal zone data indicating that broadcaster y &# 39 ; s focal zone is to follow the times square ball as it drops ; and performance data indicating that britney spears is scheduled to perform on stage one at 8 : 00 pm eastern time , followed by the band journey . in addition , martin &# 39 ; s experience policy can include a user preference to provide the best view of the event &# 39 ; s hosts from 9 : 00 pm - 11 : 30 pm , and a best view of the times square ball dropping from 11 : 30 pm to 12 : 30 pm . nick &# 39 ; s experience policy can also include a user specific term indicating a preference for uplifting footage , and a view of journey &# 39 ; s ® performance . bob &# 39 ; s experience policy can further include a user specific term indicating a preference for the best view of the ball dropping at midnight , and a request to view the most popular feeds available at all other times . furthermore , the various feeds acquired by the broadcasters can be characterized by certain attributes , including a clarity , a sound quality , a closeness to a focal point , a focal zone , and various other attributes . based on all of the aforementioned information available , the system can determine that the following dimensions , among others , are of relevance to one or more of the viewers : ( 1 ) a location dimension , ( 2 ) a focal dimension , and ( 3 ) a ranking dimension . the feed aggregation engine can use the derived dimensions and one or more of experience policies 310 to then generate metrics associated with each of martin , nick and bob &# 39 ; s respective experience policy for some or all of the three dimensions . for example , a location metric associated with the location dimension and martin &# 39 ; s experience policy can be generated including the location data of broadcaster x . as another example , a focal metric associated with the focal dimension and nick &# 39 ; s experience policy can be generated including a focal zone of broadcaster y at 8 : 30 pm to 9 : 30 pm . as yet another example , a ranking metric associated with the ranking dimension and bob &# 39 ; s experience policy can be generated including a regularly updated top five list of popular videos . these metrics can be used by a feed aggregation engine of the inventive subject matter in constructing experience feeds for one or more viewers of an event . for example , an instruction set that can be derived from the input of the various viewers , broadcasters and managers can include instructions in martin &# 39 ; s experience policy to include a cluster indicator in martin &# 39 ; s experience feed that indicates , in real - time , all feeds from feed acquiring devices whose focal zone includes the times square ball . as another example , an instruction set that can be derived from the input can include instructions to include a cluster indicator in nick &# 39 ; s experience feed that indicates , in substantially real - time , all feeds from feed acquiring devices located near a stage , and capturing feeds of happy events ( e . g ., proposals , laughter , etc .) as yet another example , an instruction set that can be derived from the input can include instructions to include a cluster indicator in bob &# 39 ; s experience feed that provides an indication of all feeds from feed acquiring devices located near the host &# 39 ; s stand that have at least 100 , 000 viewers . fig4 illustrates an experience feed interface 400 configured to present an experience feed having an arrangement of feeds according to an experience policy . experience feed interface 400 is configured to allow a user to manipulate , observe , or otherwise manage a remote experience feed constructed from a plurality of aggregated data feeds . one should appreciate that an experience feed interface can also represent interfaces that can be leveraged by broadcasters , system managers , or other participants in an ecosystem . user interface 400 comprises a display 430 presenting a plurality of feeds including a primary feed 432 , and a feed radar 470 providing a consolidated or simplified representation of feed data as described with fig1 above . it is contemplated that an experience feed can include multiple experience levels ( e . g ., different angles , different focus , different time frame , different sound quality , etc .) and that a user may wish to modify one or more of the experience levels presented to him . as such , user interface 400 can further comprise various controls that allow a user to interact with a remote experience system of the inventive subject matter to further customize the experience feed presented to the user via interface 400 . in some embodiments , a plurality of feeds can be displayed in an arrangement mirroring the locations of feed acquiring devices in a venue . for example , display 430 can include feeds acquired from rows a - f of the great western forum ™ between seat numbers 121 and 151 , and be presented as overlays in a 3d model of at least a portion of the forum &# 39 ; s seating area . if the user wishes to view feeds captured by devices located in different parts of the forum , the user can simply utilize space shift control 460 ( e . g ., by pressing one or more arrows on the screen , pinching , expanding , voice command , etc .). such a control can advantageously allow a user to virtually view a focal point of an event from a plurality of locations within a venue with little to no effort . such a control can also allow a user to view different portions of the forum via a 3d model . another contemplated control includes audio control 444 , which can allow a user to change an audio characteristic associated with one or more feeds . for example , a user interested in viewing a concert , speech , debate or other event may want to listen to audio associated with different feeds simultaneously or sequentially before selecting a feed for long term viewing . control 444 can advantageously allow the user to control which audio feed ( s ) are turned on , a volume of the audio feed , a clarity of the audio feed , a bass of the audio feed , or any other suitable audio characteristic associated with a feed . in some embodiments , control 444 can also advantageously include a scan setting that allows a user to scan each of a set of feeds sequentially ( e . g ., for 1 , 5 , 10 , 20 seconds , etc .) without a user input . yet another contemplated control includes an indicator control 446 , which can allow a user to select the type of cluster indicator 434 that is presented to a user . for example , a user can press control 446 on the screen and be presented with a pop - up or drop - down menu of available indicators suitable for the experience feed being displayed . as discussed above , a cluster indicator can comprise a visual or non - visual indicator that indicates a match to a metric . it is contemplated that a cluster indicator can be three - dimensional in nature to provide a more realistic virtual experience . for example , an indicator can comprise a cluster of feeds that are presented using three - dimensional display technology , or can comprise a three dimensional view of a portion of a venue from which a set of feeds are acquired . the indicator control or other control can also be configured to allow a user to modify a type of cluster to be indicated . such a control can allow a viewer to seamlessly switch between experience feeds that are arranged to present clusters based on different dimensions or metrics ( e . g ., an experience feed having a focal cluster to an experience feed having a proximity cluster indicating the devices located in closest proximity to a selected location , etc .). the following possible use case provides an illustration of some of the ways a user can interact with user interface 400 to obtain one or more cluster indicators 434 sequentially or simultaneously . brandi teaches an online fashion design course and has 500 students nationwide in attendance . via her user interface , brandi can obtain an experience feed including an arrangement of feeds acquired by her students in attendance . using interface 400 as an example , brandi can utilize space shift control to navigate through the 500 different feeds . brandi can use cluster indicator control 446 to select a cluster she wants an indication of , for example , all video feeds captured by students who have indicated that they would like their designs reviewed . this cluster indicator can indicate the order in which the students provided an indication that their designs were ready for review ( e . g ., via an arrangement , via numbering , etc .). as the number of students wanting a design reviewed could change over the time , it is contemplated that the cluster indicator , or an indication of an order in which requests were made , could be updated on a regular basis ( e . g ., every 10 seconds , every 60 seconds , every 120 seconds , etc .). user interface 400 can also include a control that allows brandi to remove a feed from a cluster upon completion of a review . as shown in the above use case , it is contemplated that a cluster indicator can change with time . this change can be based on a change in feeds that best match a metric ( e . g ., the feeds that capture a specific focal zone can change over time , etc . ), or can be dynamic and based on a change in the indication being presented ( e . g ., a cluster indicates a focal cluster , then indicates a relevancy cluster , etc .). one should appreciate that the arrangement of an experience feed can be modified in order to present the feeds indicated by a cluster indicator adjacently to one another . thus , an updated or modified cluster indicator could require a change in the arrangement of the feeds . it is also contemplated that a cluster indicator could indicate feeds that are not presented adjacent to one another . for example , a cluster indicator can comprise a symbol , an enlargement , a grayscale conversion , or other indication next to , under , within , or above the relevant feeds of a cluster . further examples of contemplated controls include , among other things : time shift control 442 , which can allow a user to pause , stop , play , rewind , fast - forward , or otherwise navigate through a length of a feed ; zoom control 450 , which can allow a user to zoom in or out of one or more feeds or ; preferences control 452 , which can allow a user to view and modify preferences associated with an event , experience policy or experience feed ; type control 454 , which can allow a user to select the type ( s ) of feeds desired ( e . g ., text , video , image , audio , etc . ); speaker control 456 , which can allow a user to provide input via a voice command ; or a view control , which can allow a user to switch between a third person view and a first person or other view to seamlessly navigate through a 2d or 3d model of a venue . one should appreciate that while some controls are discussed herein , all commercially suitable controls that can enhance a remote viewing experience or assist a user in interacting with an experience feed are contemplated . fig5 illustrates a method 500 executable by a feed aggregation engine of the inventive subject matter . method 500 includes a method of constructing an experience feed for presentation via an experience feed interface . step 510 can include the step of aggregating a plurality of feeds related to an event , which can be obtained from a plurality of feed acquiring devices . while some of the above examples are directed to a music events , one should appreciate that all suitable events are contemplated , including for example , a concert , a sporting event , a live action game ( e . g ., poker , chess , etc . ), a vacation , a disaster , a news story , an expedition , a traffic event , a live event , a flash mob , a fashion show , a shopping event , a reality event , an accident , an emergency , a party , a premier , or other type of events . it is contemplated that an event can be represented as a data structure describing a characteristic of an event ( e . g ., an event object ) as described in parent patent application ser . no . 13 / 912 , 567 , filed on jun . 7 , 2013 . as shown in fig1 , the plurality of feeds can be acquired over a network in real - time or substantially real - time from devices located in different portions of a venue . it is contemplated that the plurality of feeds related to an event can comprise the same or different data modalities ( e . g ., image , sound , video , etc . ), and that the different modalities can be indicated by one or more cluster indicators . moreover , the nature of an event can impact the types of feeds acquired . for example , where an event comprises a fashion show , video feeds may be of more interest to viewers than audio feeds . where an event comprises a concert , video and audio feeds may be of equal or similar importance to viewers . one should also appreciate that the nature of an event can impact the feed acquiring devices utilized at an event . for example , mobile phones , handheld video cameras , cameras , audio recorders or other compact devices may be of greater value for a crowded event ( e . g ., a musical festival , etc .). however , a desktop computer , laptop , kiosk or other larger devices having greater capabilities may be of greater value for an event having designated areas for broadcasters . step 520 can include the step of obtaining at least one experience policy related to the event . as discussed above , an experience policy can be generated by a policy generation module based on data obtained from one or more persons or entities . the experience policy can then be transmitted to the feed aggregation engine over a network and comprise instructions to be executed by the feed aggregation engine to construct an experience feed having one or more cluster indicators and an arrangement of feeds according to the experience policy . step 530 can include the step of deriving one or more experience dimensions from at least one of an experience policy and the plurality of feeds . it can generally be preferred that the step of deriving one or more experience dimensions can comprise deriving at least one of a location dimension , focal dimension , or an emotional dimension as shown in steps 536 , 537 and 538 , respectively , which can be used to optimize customization of an experience feed to be presented to a user . one should appreciate that dimensions can be derived based on input provided by one or more persons or entities , or from sensor data captured by one or more feed acquiring devices or user devices . it should also be appreciated that the dimensions derived based on the inputs provided can be used to derive a set of indications that would be of interest to one or more users . sensor data can represent dimensions of human experience within ordinary human senses ( e . g ., image data , audio data , video data , etc . ), or can represent dimensions outside ordinary human senses ( e . g ., time data , location data , orientation , position , acceleration , movement , temperature , metadata , user data , health , olfactory , sound , kinesthetic , or other types of modal data ). it is also contemplated that sensor data can represent dimensions of human experience that cannot be directly experienced via a user device ( e . g ., a smell , taste , etc .). in such embodiments , it is possible that the sensor data can be reduced to a dimension that can be experienced via the user device ( e . g ., a visual or audio representation of the smell , etc .). step 540 can include the step of generating one or more metrics based on at least one of an experience policy , an experience dimension and a plurality of feeds . as described above , the metric can provide a value that is associated with an experience dimension . it is contemplated that the step of generating one or more metrics can include the step of generating at least one of a location metric , focal metric , relevancy metric or ranking metric as shown in steps 545 , 546 , 547 and 548 , respectively . one should appreciate that one or more of the metrics generated could be used in conjunction with a set of indicators derived from dimensions to determine which feeds , if any , should be included in a cluster to be identified by a cluster indicator . step 550 can include the step of constructing an experience feed . the experience feed can have an arrangement of a primary feed and a plurality of peripheral feeds according to at least one of an experience policy , an experience dimension and a metric , and can include one or more cluster indicators according to at least one of the aforementioned . one should appreciate that constructing an experience feed having such an arrangement can include executing instructions included in , or derived from , terms of the experience policy . in some preferred embodiments , the experience feed can be constructed based on each of an experience policy , a plurality of experience dimensions and a plurality of experience metrics . a goal of a system of the inventive subject matter is to provide experience feeds that are constructed to be optimally customized to a user . one should appreciate that this goal can be furthered by utilizing emotional data related to a viewer in order to create a feed that matches a feeling desired by the user , or a feed that can influence a user &# 39 ; s feelings . for example , data obtained from a user can indicate that a user is particularly sensitive to loud and angry noises . based on this data , an experience feed can be constructed to exclude loud angry noises by , for example , excluding audio , or focusing on individual conversations rather than a loud performer . alternatively or additionally , an experience can be constructed to intentionally include loud or angry feeds in an effort to influence the user &# 39 ; s reaction or sensitivity to such noises . to further achieve the aforementioned goal , step 560 can include the step of constructing a modified experience feed based on a user input . examples of constructing a modified experience feed based on a user input can include modifying an arrangement of feeds to be presented ; modifying one or more cluster indicator types or groupings ; modifying a size , color or other visual element ; modifying an audio component ; or any other suitable modification based on a user input or change in preference . while the step of constructing the modified experience feed can be completed independently of an experience policy , it is contemplated that the step can include modifying an underlying experience policy of a user and constructing a modified experience feed having an arrangement according to the modified experience policy . it should also be appreciated that an experience policy can be dynamic in nature , in which the experience feed can be automatically modified without a user or other input . in other words , an experience policy can comprise one or more secondary instructions , which are to be executed upon a pre - determined occurrence to modify a characteristic of the experience feed . examples of experience feed elements that can be dynamic in nature include , among other things , cluster groupings , indicator types , dimension or metric a cluster indicates , designation of a feed as a primary feed , size or location of a feed , control types , or any other suitable experience feed elements . as used herein , and unless the context dictates otherwise , the term “ coupled to ” is intended to include both direct coupling ( in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each other ) and indirect coupling ( in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements ). therefore , the terms “ coupled to ” and “ coupled with ” are used synonymously . within the context of this document terms “ coupled to ” and “ coupled with ” are also used euphemistically to mean “ communicatively coupled with ” over a network , where two or more devices are able to exchange data with each other over the network , possibly via one or more intermediary device . in some embodiments , the numbers expressing quantities of ingredients , properties such as concentration , reaction conditions , and so forth , used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are to be understood as being modified in some instances by the term “ about .” accordingly , in some embodiments , the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment . in some embodiments , the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques . notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations , the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable . the numerical values presented in some embodiments of the invention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements . as used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow , the meaning of “ a ,” “ an ,” and “ the ” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . also , as used in the description herein , the meaning of “ in ” includes “ in ” and “ on ” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . the recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range . unless otherwise indicated herein , each individual value with a range is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein . all methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context . the use of any and all examples , or exemplary language ( e . g . “ such as ”) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed . no language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non - claimed element essential to the practice of the invention . groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations . each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein . one or more members of a group can be included in , or deleted from , a group for reasons of convenience and / or patentability . when any such inclusion or deletion occurs , the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all markush groups used in the appended claims . it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein . the inventive subject matter , therefore , is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims . moreover , in interpreting both the specification and the claims , all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context . in particular , the terms “ comprises ” and “ comprising ” should be interpreted as referring to elements , components , or steps in a non - exclusive manner , indicating that the referenced elements , components , or steps may be present , or utilized , or combined with other elements , components , or steps that are not expressly referenced . where the specification claims refers to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of a , b , c . . . and n , the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group , not a plus n , or b plus n , etc .	6
a photographing device according to an embodiment of the present invention has a timing signal generating circuit for generating a timing signal for driving an image pickup element . this timing signal generating circuit has a memory for storing rising edge position data and falling edge position data of each pulse of the timing signal to be generated , and a pulse generator for generating the timing signal on the basis of the rising edge position data and the falling edge position data . in particular , the memory included in the timing signal generating circuit stores pulse count data indicating the number of pulses of each timing signal to be generated . the pulse generator has rising edge signal generating circuits for generating a rising edge signal for determining a rising edge of each timing signal on the basis of each piece of rising edge position data stored in the memory , and falling edge signal generating circuits for similarly generating a falling edge signal for determining a falling edge of each timing signal on the basis of each piece of falling edge position data stored in the memory . in particular , the pulse generator has an active control circuit for setting in an active state rising edge signals and falling edge signals generated by the rising edge signal generating circuits and the falling edge signal generating circuits that correspond in number to the above - mentioned pulse count data . the memory of the timing signal generating circuit can thereby be formed by a relatively inexpensive memory having a low memory capacity capable of storing only the pulse count data and pieces of rising edge position data and pieces of falling edge position data equal in number to the number of pulses of the timing signals to be generated . therefore the cost of manufacturing the timing signal generating circuit can be reduced . in addition , the data amount of the rising edge position data and the falling edge position data stored in the memory can be reduced . the power consumption of the timing signal generating circuit can therefore be reduced . the pulse generator also has a repeat circuit for making a pulse generating circuit perform signal output repeatedly a preset number of times . in generating a timing signal in which a predetermined pattern appears repeatedly a predetermined number of times , this repeat circuit presets the number of repetitions of the predetermined pattern therein , and counts the repetitions of the predetermined pattern by a counter . the repeat circuit makes the active control circuit operate until the counter has counted the preset number of repetitions , whereby the pulse generating circuit is made to perform signal output for a predetermined time . the pulse generator further includes an offset circuit for making the pulse generating circuit stop signal output for a preset time . this offset circuit holds all the timing signals in an inactive state for a predetermined time when supplied with a leading edge offset signal before the generation of the plurality of timing signals , and holds all the timing signals in the inactive state again for a predetermined time when supplied with a trailing edge offset signal after the generation of the plurality of timing signals . thereby , a plurality of complex timing signals can be generated without increasing the memory capacity . a wide variety of photographing modes can thus be realized . as shown in fig1 , a photographing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes : a photographing circuit 2 formed by a ccd ( charge coupled device ), a driving circuit for driving the ccd , and the like ; an analog / digital converter 3 for converting an analog image signal s 1 of an image taken by the photographing circuit 2 into a digital image signal s 3 ; a microcomputer 4 for generating a video signal s 4 by subjecting the digital image signal s 3 input from the analog / digital converter 3 to digital image processing such as luminance and color difference processing and the like ; and a timing signal generating circuit 5 for generating timing signals s 6 for driving the ccd on the basis of various controls signals s 5 , a vertical synchronizing signal vr , a horizontal synchronizing signal hr and the like input from the microcomputer 4 , and supplying the timing signals s 6 to the photographing circuit 2 . as shown in fig2 , the timing signal generating circuit 5 included in the photographing device 1 includes a microcomputer interface 6 , a ram ( random access memory ) 7 , and a pulse generator 8 . the microcomputer interface 6 is an interface circuit for outputting the various controls signals s 5 input from the microcomputer 4 as a setting signal s 7 . the ram 7 is a storage circuit for storing rising edge position data set indicating timing of a rising edge of each pulse of a plurality of kinds of timing signals s 6 and falling edge position data rst indicating timing of a falling edge of each pulse of the plurality of kinds of timing signals s 6 . the ram 7 includes a plurality of mode areas ma and mb divided for each photographing mode and further includes , in each of the mode areas ma and mb , eight signal areas v 1 to v 8 divided for each of a plurality of timing signals necessary in the mode . in particular , the signal areas v 1 to v 8 have timing storing areas m for storing a predetermined number of pieces of rising edge position data set and a predetermined number of pieces of falling edge position data rst according to the number of pulses of each timing signal s 6 used in each photographing mode . that is , a signal area for generating a timing signal s 6 having four pulses ( the signal areas v 1 and v 2 in the mode area ma ) has a total of eight timing storing areas m for storing four pieces of rising edge position data set 1 to set 4 and four pieces of falling edge position data rst 1 to rst 4 . a signal area for generating a timing signal s 6 having one pulse ( the signal areas v 1 to v 8 in the mode area mb ) has a total of two timing storing areas m for storing one piece of rising edge position data set 1 and one piece of falling edge position data rst 1 . the ram 7 further includes , in each of the signal areas v 1 to v 8 , pulse count memories pm 1 to pm 8 for storing pulse count data indicating the number of pulses of the timing signal s 6 to be generated . the pulse generator 8 is a logic circuit that reads various parameters s 8 including the pulse count data p_cnt , the rising edge position data set , the falling edge position data rst , and the like from the ram 7 , and generates the timing signals s 6 for driving the ccd on the basis of the parameters s 8 and the vertical synchronizing signal vr and the horizontal synchronizing signal hr input from the microcomputer 4 . as shown in fig3 , this pulse generator 8 includes : a plurality of rising edge signal generating circuits 10 a for generating rising edge signals set 1 ′ to set 4 ′ on the basis of rising edge position data set 1 to set 4 ; a plurality of falling edge signal generating circuits 10 b for generating falling edge signals rst 1 ′ to rst 4 ′ on the basis of falling edge position data rst 1 to rst 4 ; an active control circuit 18 for setting in an active state rising edge signals set ′ and falling edge signals rst ′ generated by rising edge signal generating circuits 10 a and falling edge signal generating circuits lob corresponding in number to the above - mentioned pulse count data p_cnt ; and a pulse generating circuit 19 for generating the timing signals s 6 on the basis of the rising edge signals set ′ and the falling edge signals rst ′ set in the active state by the active control circuit 18 . the plurality of rising edge signal generating circuits 10 a are comparators that compare the rising edge position data set 1 to set 4 input from the ram 7 with the count data cnt of a clock signal cl which data is input from a count circuit 14 . the rising edge signal generating circuits 10 a then input the rising edge signals set 1 ′ to set 4 ′ rising in timing in which the values of the rising edge position data set 1 to set 4 become equal to the value of the count data cnt to rising edge and logical circuits 11 a . the plurality of falling edge signal generating circuits 10 b are comparators that compare the falling edge position data rst 1 to rst 4 input from the ram 7 with the count data cnt of the clock signal cl which data is input from the count circuit 14 . the falling edge signal generating circuits 10 b then input the falling edge signals rst 1 ′ to rst 4 ′ falling in timing in which the values of the falling edge position data rst 1 to rst 4 become equal to the value of the count data cnt to falling edge and logical circuits 11 b . the active control circuit 18 includes : a plurality of the rising edge and logical circuits 11 a ; a plurality of the falling edge and logical circuits 11 b ; a control circuit 15 for controlling the operation of the plurality of rising edge and logical circuits 11 a and the plurality of falling edge and logical circuits 11 b ; and the counter circuit 14 . the plurality of rising edge and logical circuits 11 a perform an and operation on the rising edge signals set 1 ′ to set 4 ′ input respectively from the rising edge signal generating circuits 10 a to the rising edge and logical circuits 11 a and respective control signals cr input from the control circuit 15 . thereby all or a part of rising edge selection signals set 1 ″ to set 4 ″ are selectively output from only the rising edge and logical circuits 11 a necessary to generate the desired timing signals s 6 to a rising edge or logical circuit 12 a . the plurality of falling edge and logical circuits 11 b perform an and operation on the falling edge signals rst 1 ′ to rst 4 ′ input respectively from the falling edge signal generating circuits 10 b to the falling edge and logical circuits 11 b and respective control signals cr input from the control circuit 15 . thereby all or a part of falling edge selection signals rst 1 ″ to rst 4 ″ are selectively output from only the falling edge and logical circuits 11 b necessary to generate the desired timing signals s 6 to a falling edge or logical circuit 12 b . the control circuit 15 inputs an enable signal en for operating the counter circuit 14 and a clock signal cl to the counter circuit 14 . also , the control circuit 15 generates the control signals cr on the basis of the pulse count data p_cnt stored in the ram 7 , and then inputs the control signals cr to the rising edge and logical circuits 11 a and the falling edge and logical circuits 11 b . the control circuit 15 thereby performs control so that rising edge selection signals set ″ and falling edge selection signals rst ″ are output only from rising edge and logical circuits 11 a and falling edge and logical circuits 11 b equal in number to the number of pulses of the timing signal s 6 to be generated . the counter circuit 14 is a counter that successively inputs count data cnt obtained by counting the clock signal cl input from the control circuit 15 to the rising edge signal generating circuits 10 a and the falling edge signal generating circuits 10 b while the enable signal en input from the control circuit 15 is in an active state . the pulse generating circuit 19 includes the rising edge or logical circuit 12 a , the falling edge or logical circuit 12 b , and a waveform synthesizing circuit 13 . the rising edge or logical circuit 12 a generates a rising edge determining signal set 12 a for determining the rising edge positions of the timing signal s 6 by performing an or operation on the rising edge selection signals set ″ input from the rising edge and logical circuits 11 a . the rising edge or logical circuit 12 a inputs the rising edge determining signal set 12 a to the waveform synthesizing circuit 13 . the falling edge or logical circuit 12 b generates a falling edge determining signal rst 12 b for determining the falling edge positions of the timing signal s 6 by performing an or operation on the falling edge selection signals rst ″ input from the falling edge and logical circuits 11 b . the falling edge or logical circuit 12 b inputs the falling edge determining signal rst 12 b to the waveform synthesizing circuit 13 . the waveform synthesizing circuit 13 is an sr type flip - flop for generating the timing signal s 6 that rises in timing of the rising edges of the rising edge determining signal set 12 a and falls in timing of the falling edges of the falling edge determining signal rst . the thus formed timing signal generating circuit 5 generates different timing signals s 6 vs 1 to vs 8 as shown in fig4 as follows . when a timing signal s 6 having four pulses as with the timing signals s 6 vs 1 to vs 6 is to be generated , the pulse count memories pm 1 to pm 6 provided in the ram 7 shown in fig2 store pulse count data p_cnt indicating that the number of pulses of the timing signal s 6 to be generated is four , and the signal areas v 1 to v 6 within the mode area ma store the rising edge position data set 1 to set 4 and the falling edge position data rst 1 to rst 4 of the respective timing signals s 6 . then , the rising edge position data set 1 to set 4 and the falling edge position data rst 1 to rst 4 stored in the ram 7 are input to the rising edge signal generating circuits 10 a and the falling edge signal generating circuits 10 b , respectively . when an enable signal en and a clock signal cl are input from the control circuit 15 to the counter circuit 14 , the counter circuit 14 successively inputs count data cnt obtained by counting the clock signal cl to the rising edge signal generating circuits 10 a and the falling edge signal generating circuits 10 b . the rising edge signal generating circuits 10 a and the falling edge signal generating circuits 10 b compare the value of the count data cnt input from the counter circuit 14 with the values of the rising edge position data set 1 to set 4 and the falling edge position data rst 1 to rst 4 input from the ram 7 . the rising edge signal generating circuits 10 a and the falling edge signal generating circuits 10 b input rising edge signals set 1 ′ to set 4 ′ rising in timing in which the values of the rising edge position data set 1 to set 4 become equal to the value of the count data cnt to the rising edge and logical circuits 11 a , and input falling edge signals rst 1 ′ to rst 4 ′ falling in timing in which the values of the falling edge position data rst 1 to rst 4 become equal to the value of the count data cnt to the falling edge and logical circuits 11 b . at this time , the control circuit 15 generates control signals cr on the basis of the pulse count data p_cnt stored in the ram 7 and indicating the number of four . the control circuit 15 inputs the control signals cr to the rising edge and logical circuits 11 a and the falling edge and logical circuits 11 b . as a result of the input of the control signals cr , rising edge selection signals set 1 ″ to set 4 ″ are input from all the rising edge and logical circuits 11 a to the rising edge or logical circuit 12 a , and falling edge selection signals rst 1 ″ to rst 4 ″ are input from all the falling edge and logical circuits 11 b to the falling edge or logical circuit 12 b . the rising edge or logical circuit 12 a sequentially inputs rising edge determining signals set 12 a in order in which the rising edge selection signals set 1 ″ to set 4 ″ are input , to the waveform synthesizing circuit 13 . the falling edge or logical circuit 12 b sequentially inputs falling edge determining signals rst 12 b in order in which the falling edge selection signals rst 1 ″ to rst 4 ″ are input , to the waveform synthesizing circuit 13 . the waveform synthesizing circuit 13 generates the timing signals s 6 vs 1 to vs 6 that rise in timing in which the rising edge determining signals set 12 a rise and falls in timing in which the falling edge determining signals rst 12 b fall . when a timing signal s 6 having two pulses as with the timing signals s 6 vs 7 and vs 8 is to be generated , the pulse count memories pm 7 and pm 8 store pulse count data indicating that the number of pulses of the timing signal s 6 to be generated is two , and the signal areas v 7 and v 8 within the mode area ma store the rising edge position data set 1 and set 2 and the falling edge position data rst 1 and rst 2 of the respective timing signals s 6 . then , the rising edge position data set 1 and set 2 and the falling edge position data rst 1 and rst 2 stored in the ram 7 are input to the rising edge signal generating circuits 10 a and the falling edge signal generating circuits 10 b corresponding to the rising edge position data set 1 and set 2 and the falling edge position data rst 1 and rst 2 , respectively . when an enable signal en and a clock signal cl are input from the control circuit 15 to the counter circuit 14 , the counter circuit 14 successively inputs count data cnt obtained by counting the clock signal cl to the rising edge signal generating circuits 10 a and the falling edge signal generating circuits 10 b . the rising edge signal generating circuits 10 a and the falling edge signal generating circuits 10 b compare the value of the count data cnt input from the counter circuit 14 with the values of the rising edge position data set 1 and set 2 and the falling edge position data rst 1 and rst 2 input from the ram 7 . the rising edge signal generating circuits 10 a and the falling edge signal generating circuits 10 b input rising edge signals set 1 ′ and set 2 ′ rising in timing in which the values of the rising edge position data set 1 and set 2 become equal to the value of the count data cnt to the rising edge and logical circuits 11 a , and input falling edge signals rst 1 ′ and rst 2 ′ falling in timing in which the values of the falling edge position data rst 1 and rst 2 become equal to the value of the count data cnt to the falling edge and logical circuits 11 b . at this time , the control circuit 15 generates control signals cr on the basis of the pulse count data p_cnt stored in the ram 7 and indicating the number of two . the control circuit 15 inputs the control signals cr to the rising edge and logical circuits 11 a and the falling edge and logical circuits 11 b . as a result of the input of the control signals cr , rising edge selection signals set 1 ″ and set 2 ″ are input from the rising edge and logical circuits 11 a corresponding to the rising edge signals set 1 ′ and set 2 ′ to the rising edge or logical circuit 12 a , and falling edge selection signals rst 1 ″ and rst 2 ″ are input from the falling edge and logical circuits 11 b corresponding to the falling edge signals rst 1 ′ and rst 2 ′ to the falling edge or logical circuit 12 b . the rising edge or logical circuit 12 a sequentially inputs rising edge determining signals set 12 a in order in which the rising edge selection signals set 1 ″ and set 2 ″ are input , to the waveform synthesizing circuit 13 . the falling edge or logical circuit 12 b sequentially inputs falling edge determining signals rst 12 b in order in which the falling edge selection signals rst 1 ″ and rst 2 ″ are input , to the waveform synthesizing circuit 13 . the waveform synthesizing circuit 13 generates the timing signals s 6 vs 7 and vs 8 that rise in timing in which the rising edge determining signals set 12 a rise and falls in timing in which the falling edge determining signals rst 12 b fall . thus , by changing the values of the pulse count data p_cnt stored in the pulse count memories pm 1 to pm 8 according to the numbers of pulses of the timing signals s 6 to be generated , it is possible to reduce the number of pieces of rising edge position data set and falling edge position data rst stored in the signal areas v 1 to v 8 to a minimum required number . therefore , the plurality of complex timing signals s 6 can be generated without increasing the storage capacity of the ram 7 . another embodiment of the pulse generator 8 of the timing signal generating circuit 5 will next be described with reference to fig5 and fig6 . a pulse generator 8 ′ according to this embodiment is formed by providing a repeat circuit 16 and an offset circuit 17 to the pulse generator 8 shown in fig3 . incidentally , in description of the pulse generator 8 ′, the same components as in the pulse generator 8 shown in fig3 are identified by the same reference numerals . this pulse generator 8 ′ includes the repeat circuit 16 for making a pulse generating circuit 19 perform signal output repeatedly a preset number of times , and the offset circuit 17 for making the pulse generating circuit 19 stop signal output for a preset time . the pulse generator 8 ′ can thereby generate timing signals s 6 vr 1 to vr 8 in which a predetermined pattern # 1 as shown in fig6 is repeated 50 times . when such timing signals s 6 vr 1 to vr 8 are to be generated , a leading edge offset signal startoff_set is first input to the offset circuit 17 . after the leading edge offset signal startoff_set is input , the offset circuit 17 counts a clock signal cl for a predetermined time t 1 . the offset circuit 17 then outputs an enable signal en to a counter circuit 14 . at the same time that the enable signal en is input , the counter circuit 14 starts counting the clock signal cl , and inputs count data cnt to rising edge signal generating circuits 10 a and falling edge signal generating circuits 10 b to start the generation of the timing signals s 6 . thus , by inputting the leading edge offset signal startoff_set to the offset circuit 17 , signal output from the pulse generating circuit 19 is stopped for the predetermined time t 1 before the generation of the timing signals s 6 . next , the timing signals s 6 vr 1 to vr 8 forming the predetermined pattern # 1 are generated as in the case of generating the timing signals s 6 vs 1 to vs 8 shown in fig4 . in this case , on the basis of control signals cr , rising edge selection signals set 1 ″ and set 2 ″ are input to a rising edge or logical circuit 12 a , and falling edge selection signals rst 1 ″ and rst 2 ″ are input to a falling edge or logical circuit 12 b . the repeat circuit 16 is supplied in advance with a repetition count signal rep_cnt for setting the number of repetitions ( 50 times in this case ) of the predetermined pattern # 1 . then , the repeat circuit 16 counts the number of times that an enable signal en is input from the control circuit 15 , the enable signal en being input each time one pattern of the timing signals s 6 in the same pattern as the predetermined pattern # 1 is output . when the number of times that the enable signal en is input reaches 50 , the repeat circuit 16 inputs an ending signal end for ending the generation of the timing signals s 6 to the control circuit 15 . thus , by inputting the repetition count signal rep_cnt to the repeat circuit 16 in advance , the predetermined pattern # 1 is repeated a preset number of times so that signal output from the pulse generating circuit 19 is performed for a predetermined time t 2 . at the same time that the ending signal end is input to the control circuit 15 , the control circuit 15 changes the control signals cr , and clears the counter value of the counter circuit 14 by the ending signal end . thereafter , the control circuit 15 outputs an enable signal en to the counter circuit 14 for a predetermined time t 3 set in advance . incidentally , the predetermined time t 3 set in the control circuit 15 can be set and changed externally . the counter circuit 14 counts the clock signal cl during the predetermined time t 3 during which the enable signal en is input from the control circuit 15 . in response to the input of the control signals cr , a rising edge selection signal set 3 ″ is input from a rising edge and logical circuit 11 a corresponding to a rising edge signal set 3 ′ to the rising edge or logical circuit 12 a , and a falling edge selection signal rst 3 ″ is input from a falling edge and logical circuit 11 b corresponding to a falling edge signal rst 3 ′ to the falling edge or logical circuit 12 b . thus , after the timing signals s 6 are generated in the predetermined time t 2 , the timing signals s 6 for the predetermined time t 3 are generated . thus , by providing the repeat circuit 16 and the offset circuit 17 to the pulse generator 8 , it is possible to generate the plurality of more complex timing signals s 6 without increasing the storage capacity of the ram 7 . it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications , combinations , sub - combinations and alterations may occur depending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they are within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof .	7
referring now to the drawing , in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views , fig1 shows a schematic representation of a sedimentation particle size analyzer 10 embodying the present invention . fig2 is a pictorial view of a preferred embodiment of the analyzer 10 , which is preferably contained in a housing 12 . sedimentation of sample particles suspended in a liquid takes place in a sample cell 15 . the sample and liquid are mixed together in a mixing vessel or chamber 17 by a magnetic stirrer 20 positioned below the mixing vessel 17 . the stirrer 20 rotates a stirrer element positioned within the vessel 17 to thoroughly mix the contents of the vessel . the contents of the mixing vessel can also be recirculated through a recirculation line 24 which includes a mixing pump 25 . the pump 25 can be a unidirectional peristaltic pump . the line 24 includes a liquid inlet valve 28 through which liquid can be drawn from a liquid supply reservoir 27 . the line 24 also includes a waste valve 29 through which the contents of the mixing chamber 17 may be routed to waste . in the preferred embodiment , the reservoir 27 and supply valve 28 are located upstream of the pump 25 , and the waste valve 29 is located downstream of the pump 25 . the cell 15 is connected to the mixing vessel 17 by two supply lines 33 and 34 . the line 33 includes a reversible cell pump 35 , preferably a peristaltic pump . forward and reverse pump directions are shown by arrows f and r in fig1 . operating in a forward direction , the pump 35 supplies liquid ( sometimes containing suspended sample ) from the vessel 17 to the cell 15 , whereas in its reverse direction the pump returns liquid from the cell to the vessel through the line 33 . when the cell is filled with fluid , further operation of the pump 35 in a forward direction forces fluid out of the cell into the line 34 and back to the vessel 17 . conversely , reverse operation of the pump 35 can draw fluid from the vessel 17 into the cell 15 . the line 34 includes an air valve 37 which vents the line and the cell to atmosphere . concentration of the suspension in the cell 15 during sedimentation is measured by passing x - rays from an x - ray source 40 through a first slit 41 , the cell 15 , and a second slit 42 , after which the x - rays are detected by a conventional photodetector 45 , such as a geiger counter or photomultiplier tube . the slits are defined in a u - shaped yoke 43 which surrounds the cell on three sides , as shown in fig2 . the x - ray source 40 is powered by a conventional power supply 39 . the cell 15 is mounted on a u - shaped cell mounting block 48 best shown in fig4 - 6 and described in detail below . the mounting block 48 is positioned for movement by a cell stepping motor 50 . the cell moves up and down relative to the x - ray beam during analysis . those skilled in the art will understand that this scanning of the x - ray beam can also be accomplished by moving the x - ray source rather that the cell . the present invention also provides a means for tilting the sample , which in the preferred embodiment occurs when the sample cell 15 is lowered by the motor 50 below the x - ray beam . a cam surface 52 defined in the bottom portion of the cell mounting block 48 engages a cam follower pin 53 . the force of the cam surface on the pin 53 causes the mounting block 48 and cell 15 to tilt about a pivot axis 54 , for purposes of filling , recirculating and bubble elimination as described below . operation of the sedimentation particle analyzer 10 is controlled by a microcomputer 60 , which can be a general purpose personal computer . conventional interfaces are provided , preferably on a plug - in expansion board ( not shown ), to operate and monitor the stirrer 20 , the pumps 25 and 35 , the valves 28 , 29 and 37 , the cell motor 50 , and one or more conventional temperature sensors 62 mounted near the cell . the computer is also interfaced with the photodetector 45 through a period averaging circuit 61 , which reads the x - ray intensity data detected by the detector 45 . the operation of the period averager 61 , which may be placed on the same expansion board , is described below . the x - ray source 40 need not be interfaced with the computer . referring now to fig2 the housing 12 defines a cell compartment 70 in which is located an elevator assembly 72 . the elevator 72 includes an upper plate 73 and a lower platform 74 held in spaced apart horizontal relation by three columns 76 . the columns 76 are hollow and include interior bearings ( not shown ). three guide rods 78 pass through the columns 76 and the plates 73 and 74 . the guide rods are anchored in the housing 12 at their top and bottom ends . in fig2 the anchor points of the top ends of the rods 78 are not shown . a drive screw 80 , shown in fig3 extends downwardly from the motor 50 , mounted above the cell compartment , through a drive nut 81 mounted in the upper plate 73 of the elevator unit 72 . rotation of the screw 80 causes the elevator to move up and down along the guide rods 78 . the drive nut 81 and screw 80 are fitted with a conventional anti - backlash device designed to create a precise relationship between the degree of rotation of the screw 80 and the actual motion of the elevator , and therefore of the cell 15 . the cell 15 and mounting block 48 are shown in more detail in fig4 - 6 . the mounting block 48 consists of two u - shaped halves , 83 and 85 , connected by screws 84 . when secured together , the halves define in the lower edge of the block 48 the cam surface 52 . also defined is a cavity 86 at the lower corner of the block 48 at which is located the pivot axis 54 . a pair of openings 87 pass through the halves 83 and 85 of the block 48 along the pivot axis 54 to communicate with the cavity 86 . an anchoring foot 88 is attached to the platform 74 adjacent to the front edge thereof and defines a pair of vertical arms 89 extending up into the cavity 86 . a pair of bolts 92 extend from the exterior of the block 48 through the openings 87 , through a pair of bearings 93 , and are secured in the vertical arms 89 . the mounting block 48 is thus pivotable about the bolts 92 , which lie along the pivot axis 54 . a stop 95 extends downwardly from the bottom surface of the block 48 spaced apart from the pivot axis 54 , to engage the platform 74 and maintain the block 48 and cell 15 is a level condition when the cell is above the pin 53 , as shown in fig3 . referring to fig5 and 6 , the cell assembly 15 includes a central plate 100 which has beveled vertical edges 101 on one side and is cut out to define a cell cavity 115 . the central plate is sandwiched by a pair of windows 102 , of materials well known in the art , and further by a pair of clamping plates 104 which define central cut - outs to expose the portion of the windows covering the cell cavity 115 . the assembly is held together by a plurality of screws 105 . the cell assembly 15 fits into the mounting block 48 as shown in fig5 and 6 . the u - shaped half 83 of the block 48 defines a pair of flat shoulders 107 along the inside vertical edges of the &# 34 ; u &# 34 ;. the other half 85 defines a beveled shoulder 109 along one of its inside edges , and a set screw 110 is tapped at an angle through the other arm of the &# 34 ; u &# 34 ;. thus , the assembled halves 83 and 85 form a pocket for matingly receiving one vertical side of the cell assembly 15 with one beveled edge 101 engaging the beveled shoulder 109 , and the set screw being tightened against the other beveled edge 101 . the cell 15 also sits firmly on the lower horizontal portion of the &# 34 ; u &# 34 ; of the block 48 . therefore , when the set screw 110 is tightened , the cell is in a well defined , reproducible position with respect to the rest of the analyzer 10 . the cell cavity 115 defined by the plate 100 has a unique cross sectional shape best shown in fig5 . the cavity is generally rectangular , and is connected to the line 33 at the upper corner of the cavity nearest to the pivot axis 54 by a passageway 117 , and to the line 34 at the other upper corner by a passageway 118 . these passageways may serve as either inlet or outlet passageways depending on the direction of operation of the cell pump 35 . the lower corner 119 of the cavity 115 nearest to the pivot axis 54 is rounded . a vertical wall 120 extends downwardly from the top of the cavity 115 and terminates adjacent to the corner 119 . the wall 120 is spaced apart a short distance from the side of the cavity to form a channel 122 through which fluid must travel between the main sedimentation compartment of the cavity and the passageway 118 . the wall 120 is curved at its end 124 to match the curvature of the corner 119 . fluid entering the cavity 115 from the passageway 118 thus sweeps down the channel 122 and into the bottom of the cavity at a downward angle as shown by the arrow 126 in fig5 . the structure of the cell cavity as just described allows fluid entry at both the top and bottom of the cell for circulation and flushing purposes , but provides virtually no horizontal settling channels in which density gradients might form and affect the density in the main compartment in which the analysis occurs . because of the angled entry of the channel 122 into the main compartment , any lighter density that does form at the end 124 of the wall 120 will tend to rise up the channel 122 rather than within the main compartment , and therefore will not disrupt the analysis . a unique safety interlock system 132 is provided in the analyzer 10 to prevent x - rays from entering the cell compartment 70 when access into the compartment 70 is possible . as shown is fig7 and 8 , the cell compartment 70 is fitted with a sliding door 130 , preferably made of a transparent plastic material . to provide the interlock , an l - shaped recess 134 is formed in the exterior surface of the side wall 71 of the cell compartment 70 which separates the compartment 70 from the x - ray source 40 , as best shown in fig4 . an l - shaped rocker member 136 is mounted within the recess 134 to pivot about a pin 140 engaging a horizontal leg 138 of the rocker member 136 . the pin 140 is positioned such that the center of gravity of the rocker member 136 is on the side of the pin closest to the door 130 . furthermore , a spring 142 is provided acting against the top of the rocker member 136 to force the rocker member toward the door . such a position 136a is shown in dotted lines in fig7 and it will be seen that the leg 138 covers the slit 41 , preventing x - rays from passing through the slit into the compartment 70 . a plunger 144 is slidably fitted through the housing 12 so as to engage both the door 130 and the rocker member 136 . the door 130 is provided with a recessed horizontal cam track 146 along which the plunger 144 travels as the door is opened and closed . as shown in fig8 when the door is closed , the cam track pushes the plunger 144 inwardly against the rocker member 136 and pivots the leg 138 downwardly to its full line position in fig7 . this exposes the slit 41 and allows x - rays to pass through the cell 15 . when the door is opened , the spring 142 and gravity acting on the rocker member 136 urge the plunger 144 into the cam track 146 ( position 144a in fig7 ), which becomes deep enough to allow the rocker member 136 to pivot to cover the slit 41 . the microcomputer 60 controls the various elements of the system during operation in a manner described below . in a conventional manner , the computer sets and resets bits on the interface expansion board to send signals to operate relays to switch valve positions , switch pumps on or off , and switch the direction and speed of the cell pump . signals are similarly sent to the cell stepping motor controller to tell it which direction to move the cell , at what speed , and how many steps of the stepping motor 50 to move . the period averager 61 receives the output from the photodetector 45 , but ignores it except when instructed by the computer to read the output . the period averager includes a clock crystal and two counters . a signal is sent from the computer telling the period averager to count a certain number of x - ray photons and to send back the time elapsed during the counting process . one counter of the period averager counts the elapsed time and the other counts down from the predetermined number of x - ray pulses received . when the x - ray count reaches 0 , a signal is generated shutting down the x - ray sampling , setting the clock count , and setting a status bit indicating that the task is complete . the computer may then calculate the elapsed period required for receipt of the x - ray data , which represents the transmittance of x - rays through the suspension in the cell , and also the concentration of the sample . the period averager also receives temperature data for purposes of displaying the current temperature measured by the temperature sensor 62 . the signal from the sensor is converted to a voltage and then to a frequency by a frequency conversion circuit 63 . the output of the circuit 63 is received by the period averager 61 , which measures the reciprocal of the frequency and sends the computer elapsed time data . the computer converts the data to a temperature value that can be displayed on the screen of the computer . the foregoing circuitry performs conversions and calculations the implementation of which is well known to those skilled in the art . the temperature sensor 62 is also directly connected to the interface expansion board where the signal from the sensor sets or resets a single bit depending upon whether the temperature is within plus or minus one - half degree of the operator - adjusted set point . this signal is used during the operation of the system to determine whether the temperature of the cell environment is stable prior to an analysis , as described below . generally , the cell is rinsed and filled with the liquid to be used to suspend the sample , such as water or organic liquid . then the &# 34 ; beam split &# 34 ; position of the cell with respect to the x - ray beam is determined . this is the position at which the x - ray beam is directed precisely at the very top of the enclosed sample compartment 115 , and is taken as the location at which the intensity of the x - ray beam is one - half of the intensity of the unobstructed beam passing through the cell windows . this position is stored as the reference point for determining precise cell locations during movement of the cell , as required for stokes &# 39 ; law calculations . subsequently , the cell containing particle - free suspending liquid is moved past the x - ray beam to obtain the i o baseline transmittance data for a plurality of individual cell positions . analysis data will be taken only at these calibrated data acquisition positions . this scanning procedure is also carried out to determine whether bubbles are present in the cell , and , if so , to eliminate the bubbles by refilling the cell in a tilted orientation . then the cell is drained and loaded with a suspension of the sample in the liquid . information necessary for the analysis is input into the computer memory ( or recalled from tables in the computer data storage ) relating to the sample density , the liquid density and the liquid viscosity . information is also input concerning the desired accuracy or resolution of the analysis , which affects the speed with which the analysis will be completed . meanwhile , the i 100 calibration data is being obtained by moving the cell containing a 100 percent suspension of the sample to each of the positions for which i o was measured , and again measuring the x - ray transmittance . again , the scanning information is used to determine whether bubbles are present . if the cell transmittance is reasonably uniform , the temperature stability of the cell is checked . when the temperature is stable , the computer executes a preprogramming routine to establish the cell positions and times at which data points will be taken . the analysis is commenced by turning off the cell pump 35 and allowing the sample to settle through the liquid . x - ray transmittance is measured at many , but usually not all , of the calibrated cell positions . several data points may be taken while the cell is stopped at one location . when 250 data points have been taken according to the preprogrammed schedule , the run time is recorded and the cell fluid circulated to resuspend the sediment . if appropriate , the cell is rinsed . subsequently , the operator calls upon the computer to process the collected data and to prepare graphic or tabular representations of the particle size distribution and other characteristics of the sample . referring more particularly to fig9 the routine is described according to which calibration of particular cell locations at which data will be taken is accomplished . the values obtained are stored and used to adjust data actually taken at these locations during particle sample analysis . this procedure obviates the need to rely upon overall estimates of the cell characteristics . first the status of the cell pump is stored and all valves are closed . then the cell is moved to the first cell location to calibrated , the x - ray intensity is measured , and the value is stored as either an i o or an i 100 value for that location , depending upon whether the cell contains particle - free liquid or a suspension of particles , respectively . this is repeated for all of the locations to be calibrated . then the standard deviation and average of the measured values are analyzed for uniformity . if they fall within predetermined tolerances , the apparatus may proceed to analysis . if the tolerances are not met , corrective action is taken in the form of draining and refilling the cell to drive out any bubbles that may be responsible for the nonuniformity . draining and refilling is done with the cell tilted as described above . then the scanning is begun again at the first location and new data collected for all the locations . if the values still do not meet the tolerances the corrective action is repeated for a total of six scans . if still unacceptable , the operation of the apparatus is terminated and error message is displayed . the sedigraph 5100 particle size analysis system 10 consists of either one or two particle size analyzers and a multi - function computer . the particle size analyzer is lightweight and rugged in construction , and maintains performance levels that are superior by any standard . it is designed for completely automatic operation ; however , a removable window on the front panel provides convenient observation of , and access to the temperature - controlled analysis compartment . it contains an internal fixed - position x - ray source / detector system and a vertical cell movement assembly . it incorporates a complete plumbing system for circulation of sedimentation liquid and particle sample mixture between the cell , the external mixing chamber , an external sedimentation liquid container , and an external waste container . it also contains a detachable magnetic stirring assembly , which can be replaced with an mechanical stirrer when required . the computer used with the system is a selected pc compatible ( or equivalent ). peripheral equipment includes a keyboard , a video monitor , a dot - matrix printer / plotter , and an optional eightcolor pen plotter . convenient and easy operation is provided by powerful operating system software in conjunction with a user - friendly , menu - driven particle analysis program . the sedigraph 5100 particle size analysis system provides fully - automated operation for both particle analysis control and analysis data management . the sedigraph 5100 analyzes particle sizes using the sedimentation method . this method is firmly established as one of the most accurate methods known . it is significantly more accurate than those which use laser or photoextinction devices . by measuring the gravity - induced travel rates of different size particles in a liquid with known properties , the particle sizes are determined . the rate at which particles fall through the liquid id described by stokes &# 39 ; law . the largest particles fall at the fastest rate , while the smallest particles fall at the slowest rate , until all of the particles have settled and the liquid is clear . since different particles rarely exhibit a uniform shape , each particle size is reported as an &# 34 ; equivalent spherical diameter .&# 34 ; this is the diameter of a sphere of the same material with the same gravitational travel rate . sedimentation is accomplished in the sedigraph 5100 using a finely collimated beam of low energy x - rays and a detector to determine the distribution of particle sizes in a cell containing a sedimentation liquid . the x - ray source and detector assembly remain stationary , while the cell moves vertically between them . the cell contains a transparent window through which x - rays from the source reach the detector . the distribution of particle mass at various points in the cell affects the number of x - ray pulses reaching the detector . this x - ray pulse count is used to derive the particle diameter distribution and the percent mass at given particle diameters . single dual analyzer control provides simultaneous and independent operational control and data management for two analyzers in dual - unit system , drastically improving efficiency and reducing analysis backlog . single - unit system available for improved efficiency in lower volume throughput environments . multiple speed operation permits selection of one of three analysis speeds for a broader range of user applications : a high - resolution analysis speed to meet demands for maximum analysis resolution ; a medium analysis speed to meet demands for optimal analysis resolution / throughput volume ; and an accelerated analysis speed to meet demands for accuracy with increased throughout volumes . resolution provided at each speed is the highest in the industry . multi - task computer control provides both automatic control of operating conditions ( for either one or two analysis units ) and efficient creation , organization , preservation , and retrieval of analysis data . this increases efficiency and output while decreasing the amount of operator intervention and errors . user - friendly system operation provides ease of operation and error protection with minimal operator training . onscreen user information ( or &# 34 ; help &# 34 ;) is also provided upon keyboard request . plot overlay provides the convenience of displaying analysis data from either different particle samples or the same particle sample on the same graph . up to four plots , of the same type , for different samples can be provided on the same graph . up to two plot types ( cumulative and population ) from the same sample analysis can also be provided on the same graph . this makes comparison of analysis results both convenient and accurate . automatic cell profile adjustment eliminates the need for manual adjustments to both the sample cell and to analysis results . in addition , this feature improves the accuracy of analysis results . sedimentation liquid data storage saves time and prevents errors in establishing system operating conditions . up to 50 tables containing sedimentation liquid viscosity and density data may be stored and automatically accessed for interpolation of data to match current cell temperature . system operating conditions storage saves time , eliminates errors , and maintains consistency in establishing system operating conditions . up to 50 system operating condition files may be stored and recalled by a single keyboard entry . analysis report format storage saves time and eliminates the need to separately request each plot type and / or tabular report type . up to 50 stored analysis report formats ( or &# 34 ; custom &# 34 ; report option sets ) may be generated by a single keyboard entry . expanded analysis range provides broader equipment application by performing detailed analysis on a wider range of particle sizes : from 300 to 0 . 1 micrometers . complete particle accountability improves the quality and accuracy of particle analysis data , and can be used to indicate the need for further analysis . all particles in the sample cell are accounted for , even those which are outside the operating range of the unit . x - y expansion permits the operator to &# 34 ; magnify &# 34 ; segments of plotted analysis results . plotted segments of the x - axis , the y - axis , or both may be expanded . this makes the analysis results more informative . automatic bubble detection elimination saves time and eliminates both the need for operator intervention and the creation of invalid analysis data . bubbles in the cell are automatically detected , followed by automatic initiation of the &# 34 ; relentless &# 34 ; bubble elimination process . automatic cell fill / purge / rinse eliminates the need for regular removal of cell from the analyzer , and provides closed - loop flushing of particle residue from the cell . separate pumps automatically control sample mixture suspension and cell loading / unloading . concentration level monitor saves time and improves efficiency of operation . the cell mixture concentration levels at the start of the analysis are monitored . system status display provides increased efficiency and equipment monitoring ease . the operating state of each of up to two analyzers , and the samples analyzed , is always displayed at one source . plot type variety enhances the presentation of , and provides flexibility to analysis output . up to 11 different plot types may be selected for analysis output . analysis data archive provides storage of , and instant access to historical analysis data . the output of up to 6 , 000 analyses ( in operator - defined directories ) may be stored . the multi - task computer control of the sedigraph 5100 provides either control of a single analyzer or simultaneous and independent control of two analyzers . the multi - task software provides unmatched operating flexibility . it eliminates problems associated with rigid and complex protocol prevalent in other analysis software . the dual - analyzer control capability results in enormous increases in particle sample throughput and operator productivity . a single - analyzer system may be purchased initially ; then , as particle analysis demands increase , a dual - analyzer system can be created simply by purchasing an analyzer -- at a fraction of the cost of another company &# 39 ; s complete system ! the sedigraph 5100 provides analysis speed control for each analyzer . either of three analysis speeds can be selected : a high - resolution analysis speed to meet demands for maximum resolution ; a medium analysis speed to meet demands for optimal analysis resolution / throughput volume ; and an accelerated analysis speed to meet demands for accuracy with increased throughput volume . resolution at either speed selected is the highest provided by a particle size analyzer . the accelerated analysis speed is approximately three times faster than that normally used by sedimentation analyzers ; therefore , operating a dual - analyzer system at the accelerated speed could provide a sixfold increase throughput volume . the sedigraph 5100 system is fully automatic in operation . system operating conditions are determined by keyboard entries made to easy - to - understand onscreen menus . to complete a particle sample analysis , all that is required is for the operator to introduce the sample into the mixing chamber , and initiate the analysis with a single keyboard entry . all analysis - dependent parameters , including reynolds number , are determined automatically . this eliminates errors ( frequently encountered in other analysis systems ) resulting from manual computation and transposing of analysis values . the operating software of the sedigraph 5100 system is designed for convenience and ease of operation . the program is menu - driven ; therefore , only minimal training is required for the operator . no previous computer experience is necessary for efficient operation . this menu - driven program design provides the operator with both the sequence and available options for establishing system operating conditions . onscreen user information ( or &# 34 ; help &# 34 ;) is accessible to the operator upon request . the operating system also contains provisions for storing common selections of analyzer operating conditions and analysis report options . the operator can access these stored selections with a single keyboard entry . this provides additional convenience and efficiency for both the experienced and the &# 34 ; new &# 34 ;, or inexperienced , operator . with the sedigraph 5100 , the current operating status of the analyzer ( s ), along with sample analysis information , is displayed on the video monitor . the information is also updated automatically . this provides time savings and monitor - at - a - glance capabilities unmatched by other analysis systems . the powerful sedigraph 5100 system computer provides storage of up to 50 &# 34 ; custom &# 34 ; analyzer operating condition sets . this allows the operator to build analysis conditions sets to meet a wide range of demands . the identification number of an analyzer operating conditions set may be entered into the computer via the keyboard prior to a particle sample analysis , and selections contained in the set determine the operating conditions of the analyzer ( analysis speed , starting diameter , ending diameter , etc ). each set can be modified or deleted from storage . this feature saves time and improves efficiency , as the need for the operator to establish routine operating conditions can be eliminated . during the particle analysis process with the sedigraph 5100 system , the x - ray source and detector assembly remains stationary while the analysis cell moves vertically . automatic cell positioning is guaranteed , resulting in unmatched accuracy of analysis results . this provides added stability during analyses while maintaining equipment calibration . some analysis units involve vertical movement of the massive x - ray source and detector assembly . this results in variances in accuracy of analysis results due to uncertainty in positioning the assembly . the sedigraph 5100 system determines the particle size distribution of most inorganic powders with particle diameters in the 300 to 0 . 1 micrometer range . the particles analyzed must be more dense and more absorptive of x - rays than the sedimentation liquid in which they are dispersed . unlike other systems , the sedigraph 5100 accounts for all particles in the sample cell ( even those with diameters outside the analysis range ). this improves the accuracy of analysis results . it provides the convenience of indicating that additional analysis steps may be required for particle diameters outside the 5100 analysis range . it also provides the convenience of indicating that a change in either the analysis &# 34 ; start diameter &# 34 ;, or the &# 34 ; end diameter &# 34 ;, or both , may be required for particle diameters within the 5100 analysis range . the temperature of the particle mixture is controlled by the sedigraph 5100 , with temperature variance of 0 . 2 ° c . or less for temperatures between ambient + 10 ° c . and 40 ° c . ordinarily , analyses are performed at or near 35 ° c . ; however , an analysis may be performed at an elevated temperature . for example , a higher temperature may be used to take advantage of a decrease in viscosity with temperature increase along with the consequent increase in particle sedimentation velocity . the system automatically detects when the particle mixture has reached the specified temperature , establishes the operating conditions for that temperature , and proceeds with the analysis . the sedigraph 5100 provides a variable speed magnetic stirrer to keep particles in suspension prior to analysis . the stirring speed can be selected to match the requirements of particle suspension , sedimentation liquid viscosity and density . if magnetically susceptible particles are analyzed , the magnetic stirring assembly can be removed and replaced with a mechanical stirrer . if more dispersion energy is required , an ultrasonic probe assembly is available . the sedigraph 5100 automatically detects and removes any air bubbles formed in the analysis cell . automatic bubble removal is accomplished utilizing a specially - designed deaeration chamber and cell tilt mechanism . this eliminates the need to frequently discard analysis results due to formation of bubbles in the analysis cell , as with other particle size analyzers . prior to each analysis , the sedigraph 5100 examines the analysis cell filled with sedimentation liquid . a baseline is determined , and the cell is examined from bottom to top providing correction for 250 data points . once particle sample is introduced into the analysis cell , this process is repeated to obtain a full - scale absorption profile . the values obtained during this examination are stored by the computer and used to adjust values derived at the same points during particle sample analysis . this saves time and improves efficiency by eliminating the need for manual thickness adjustments to the analysis cell . the position of the analysis cell relative to the x - ray beam must be known precisely in order for the particle analysis results to be valid . the sedigraph 5100 includes a fast beam split feature which rapidly positions the analysis cell to the point where the x - ray beam intersects the top edge of the cell . as the analysis cell is precision machined , the position of any point on the cell is known to within a few millionths of an inch . the fast beam split data is stored by the computer prior to each analysis and used to determine the precise cell position during the subsequent analysis . the multi - task capability of the sedigraph 5100 system provides independent control of analyzer operation and analysis data management . therefore , separate analyses can be performed on two analyzers while reports from either current or previous analyses are being produced . all analysis data ( tabular or graphic ) can be output to either the video monitor , the dot matrix printer / plotter , the pen plotter , or to other communications devices , as selected by the operator . this saves time and increases the overall output of particle analysis operations . it also provides the flexibility of linking the particle analysis operation with other operations at the same or at different locations . the sedigraph 5100 system computer can store and interpolate density and viscosity information on up to 50 different sedimentation liquids . at some time prior to particle sample analysis , the computer must be supplied with a density and viscosity value for each of up to 50 sedimentation liquids at a high , an intermediate and a low temperature . each of these sedimentation liquid properties tables is identified by number . at the time of a particle sample analysis , the operator selects the table number which corresponds to the sedimentation liquid used for particle suspension . the powerful computer program determines the density and viscosity value at the current cell temperature at the start of the analysis . this feature eliminates the need for the operator to estimate or determine values . it also saves time and improves efficiency , as the computer determines the values instantly . up to 29 points in the analysis range can be selected by the sedigraph 5100 operator for tabular reports . the selected points can be either exact equivalent spherical diameters or exact cumulative mass percent coarser / finer values . this feature is quite helpful in comparing a series of reports from different analyses . it is equally helpful in comparing analysis results to adopted standard results . the powerful sedigraph 5100 system computer provides storage of up to 50 &# 34 ; custom &# 34 ; analysis report formats ( or report options sets ). this allows the operator to build analysis data sets to meet a wide range of demands . the identification number of a report options set can be entered into the computer via the keyboard prior to a particle sample analysis , and the options contained in the set determine the number and types of graphs / tabular reports produced for that analysis . each report options set can be modified or deleted from storage . this feature saves time and improves efficiency , as the need for the operator to request each graph or tabular report is eliminated . the 20 megabyte computer disk of the sedigraph 5100 system contains space for the complete results of up to 6 , 000 analyses . selections can be made to provide the results of any of these analyses can be instantly recalled with a few keyboard entries . selections can be made to provide the results of any of these analyses as a printed report , to transfer the data to a portable diskette , or even to transmit the data over an rs - 232 - c line to another computer . this feature provides the convenience of instant access to analysis results . it also provides the convenience of sharing analysis results between different operations or different geographic locations . detailed analysis data for particles ranging from 300 to 0 . 1 micrometers in diameter is provided automatically by the sedigraph 5100 system . however , data from other types of analysis ( sieve , screen , etc .) for particles ranging from 1 , 000 to 300 micrometers in diameter can be manually entered into the computer . if data from the sedigraph 5100 analysis is also manually re - entered into the computer at this time , both sets of data are merged . therefore effective reporting for particles ranging from 1 , 000 to 0 . 1 micrometers in diameter is provided . having four decades of analysis in a single report provides convenience and improves the quality of analysis reports . eleven different plot types are provided by the sedigraph 5100 system . these smooth and distinct plots are provided by a dot matrix printer / plotter . for added convenience , an eight - pen x - y plotter can also be selected to provide data plots . in addition , segments of either the x - axis or the y - axis , or both , can be expanded to provide more detail concerning those segments . the plot types provided include : the sedigraph 5100 provides the capability of overlaying up to three plots of the same type onto a fourth plot . these plots are recalled from the analysis data of three different particle samples in the data archive . for example , the cumulative mass percent curve for each of three different particle samples can be plotted over the same type curve of a fourth sample . the sedigraph 5100 also provides the capability of overlaying one plot type onto a different plot type from the same sample analysis results . for example , a particle population histogram can be plotted over a cumulative mass percent curve to provide more detailed information . this feature provides convenient and accurate comparison of analysis data from different particle samples . it also provides a convenient and accurate display of more than one kind of analysis data for the same particle sample . when desired , the sedigraph 5100 operator can have a real - time cumulative mass plot of the current analysis displayed on the video monitor . this allows the operator to monitor the progress of , and make immediate procedural determinations concerning current analysis results . the sedigraph 5100 system can provide analysis reports to the video monitor , the dot matrix printer / plotter , or over rs - 232 - c data lines to another computer . when the dot matrix printer / plotter is selected as the report source , the number of report copies automatically produced ( up to ten ) can be selected by the operator . this feature saves time and improves efficiency , as the need to request each report copy is eliminated . to provide fast and accurate particle size analyses and analysis data output , the sedigraph 5100 is designed for a wide range of particles . these include : barium sulfate ; cobalt aluminate ; copper hydroxides ; chromium oxides ; kaolin ; lead oxides ; iron oxide ; nickel titanium ; titanium dioxide aluminum ; platinum ; copper ; ruthenium ; gold ; silver ; iron ; stainless steel ; molybdenum ; tantalum ; palladium ; tungsten copper oxides ; ruthenium dioxide ; manganese oxide ; uranium dioxide ; magnesium oxide ; vanadium oxide ; nickel oxide ; zinc oxide ; plutonium oxides ; zirconium oxide andalusite ; limestone ; barite ; marble ; bauxite ; mica ; borax ; potash ; cinnabar ; pyrite ; clays ; shale ; dolmmite ; silica ; fluorspar ; soils ; galena ; sulfur ; garnet ; talc ; gypsum ; uraninite ; hydroxyapatite ; wollastonite ; kyanite ; zircon aluminum trihydrate ; lead titanate ; aluminum chlorohydrates ; lead zirconate ; asbestos ( chopped ); lime ; barium chromate ; mullite ; barium sulfate ; pesticides ; barium titanate ; phosphorus ; calcium carbide ; portland cement ; calcium silicate ; potassium perchlorate ; catalysts ; river & amp ; ocean sediments ; ceramic slips ; silicon ; calomel ; silver halides ; fly ash ; sodium bicarbonate ; glass powders ; tricalcium phosphate ; herbicides ; zirconium silicate resolution : the sedimenting sample is scanned in a narrow beam -- less than 0 . 2 % of the total distance scanned permitting high resolution wetted materials : stainless steel , teflon ( r ) impregnated alumina / aluminum , homalite ( r ) and viton ( r ), vinyl , silicone rubber , kalrez ( r ), or tygon ( r ) tubing sample size : 50 ml of dispersed sample -- precise concentration is not required sedimenting liquids : any liquid compatible with sample cell materials and not highly absorptive of x - rays ( typical liquids are water , glycols , kerosene , mineral oils , alcohols , hexane , mineral spirits , etc .) power requirements : 100 vac 50 / 60 hz , 120 vac 50 / 60 hz , 200 vac 50 / 60 hz ; and 240 vac 50 / 60 hz ; power selection made at internal power connector sedimentation liquids : a wide range of sedimentation liquids can be used for particle analysis with the sedigraph 5100 system . for added convenience , micromeritics offers the sedisperse liquids series , a complete line of liquids for particle sample analysis . these liquids are available in both aqueous and organic formulations , and are formulated to disperse particles at low solids concentrations . they contain various surfactants , and are effective in dispersing most materials .	6
the following examples are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting in any way . preliminary remark : unless evident otherwise from the context in the text , all data in % in the present description and the examples are data in % by mass . the technical characteristics stated in the description and in the examples were determined by relevant standardized methods of determination which are stated in the following expressions in brackets : mass per unit area ( din en iso 536 ); thickness ( din en 20534 ; feeler pressure 10 n ); air permeability ( din en iso 9237 at 200 pa ); bursting pressure ( based on din en iso 2758 , test area 10 cm 2 ); breaking force ( din en iso 1924 - 2 ). production of an odour - adsorbing , highly air - permeable paper for use in vacuum cleaner filter bags a filter paper produced by the wet - laying method and having a fibre composition of 75 % by weight of southern bleached pulp long fibre , 10 % by weight of bleached eucalyptus fibres and 15 % by weight of polyester fibres 1 . 7 dtex / 12 mm was impregnated with the size liquor described by way of example below . for the preparation of the size liquor , water was initially introduced at a temperature & lt ; 25 ° c . into a mixing tank , and a 50 % solution of zinc ricinoleate in triethanolamine , thermostatted at 80 ° c ., is added slowly with vigorous stirring . the finely disperse precipitation of the adsorber in the aqueous phase occurs . after complete addition , the further components of the binder mixture are added : starch dissolved in water , latex ( polyvinyl acetate ), wetting agent , colour , biostat active substance . the base paper is then impregnated with this liquor in a size press and then dried using a circulation dryer at an air temperature of 200 ° c . the impregnated filter paper was composed of 90 % by weight of fibres and 10 % by weight of binder . the content of zinc ricinoleate in the finished product was about 1 . 28 % by weight . the following product features were measured for this filter paper ( internal designation : e 50 m biostat znr ): the paper treated with the zinc ricinoleate showed practically the same product features as the corresponding paper without zinc ricinoleate ( designation : reference paper e 50 m biostat ). production of an odour - adsorbing layer consisting of manmade fibres for use in a multilayer vacuum cleaner filter bag generally speaking , a fibrous sheet - like structure , wet or dry laid , consisting of manmade fibres ( polyolefins , polyester ) and having a weight per unit area of 10 to 80 g / m 2 and a thickness of 0 . 1 to 5 mm is wetted in an immersion bath with a dispersion of zinc ricinoleate in a solvent and then dried in a circulation dryer at least 150 ° c . the drying results in the evaporation of the solvent and dispersing medium with simultaneous melting and adsorption of the dispersed zinc ricinoleate onto the fibres of the support material . in a specific exemplary embodiment the composition of the impregnating dispersion was as follows : starting from a wet - laid nonwoven comprising 20 % by weight of chemical pulp , 60 % by weight of polyester fibres and 20 % by weight of bicomponent fibres ( polyethylene terephthalate core , polyethylene mantle ) having a mass per unit area of 60 g / m 2 , a thickness of 0 . 42 nm and an air permeability of 3450 l / m 2 s , a sheet - like structure according to the invention which was impregnated with a zinc ricinoleate odour absorber was produced by impregnation with the abovementioned impregnating liquor and subsequent drying . the content of additives after impregnation , determined by the weight increase , was 2 . 85 % by weight , which corresponds to a zinc ricinoleate content of about 1 . 43 % by weight . the impregnated product had practically the same air permeability as the starting material . production of an odour - adsorbing spunbonded nonwoven layer for use in a multilayer filter medium for vacuum cleaner bags zinc ricinoleate was applied as a melt mist to a polypropylene spunbonded nonwoven having a mass per unit area of 25 g / m 2 , a thickness of 0 . 22 mm and an air permeability of 2730 l / m 2 s by means of a hotmelt spray unit of type udf from itw dynatec . the spray unit produces very fine droplets which , before striking the substrate , are cooled to such an extent that they adhere to the surface of the spunbonded nonwoven . the amount applied is controlled by the transport power of the melt pump and the speed with which the support material is transported past below the application beam . the amount of zinc ricinoleate applied was about 2 . 5 g / m 2 . the air permeability and the thickness of the starting spunbonded nonwoven were virtually unchanged as a result of the application of the absorber . this spunbonded nonwoven treated with zinc ricinoleate was then laminated with a meltblown layer of 25 g / m 2 and two polypropylene spunbonded nonwoven layers of 14 g / m 2 to give the four - layer filter medium and received the internal designation mbk 671 - d14l znr . the layers were joined by an ultrasound technique using a rhombus - shaped point design . the diameter of the fixing points was 1 . 5 mm and the press area was 1 . 2 % ( proportion of area of binding points , based on the total area ). compared with a laminate of an otherwise identical structure but with the use of a 25 g / m 2 spunbonded nonwoven without zinc ricinoleate ( mbk 671 - d14l ), no changes in the lamination properties and the bonding strength of the layers were found . the following product features were determined for the product mbk 671 - d14l znr according to the invention : thickness and air permeabilities practically correspond to those of the reference type mbk 671 - d14l ( without zinc ricinoleate ). the mass per unit area was higher than in the case of the reference type , owing to the absorber coat of 2 . 5 g / m 2 . production of an odour adsorbing , paper consisting predominantly of vegetable fibres for use in the form of bags in waste containers a melt of zinc ricinoleate is applied as in example 3 by means of a hotmelt spray unit of type ufd from itw dynatec to a substrate . the distance is chosen so that cooling and solidification of the droplets or filaments takes place between emergence of the melt from the spray nozzles and deposition on the substrate transported underneath . this process is supported by blowing cooled air into this spray curtain . after deposition on the substrate , the treated layer is covered with a further layer of a sheet - like laid web and protected and consolidated either by ultrasonic welding ( in the case of fully synthetic or semisynthetic laid webs ) or by thermal calendering . processing temperature : 150 ° c ., mass per unit area about 2 g / m 2 . production of an odour adsorbing filter material consisting of manmade fibres for use in extractor hoods zinc ricinoleate in molten form is sprayed by means of a hotmelt spray unit of type ufd from itw dynatec onto a carded nonwoven used in extractor hoods and comprising about 350 g / m 2 of stabilized polyester fibres . processing temperature : 150 ° c . ; coat weight about 10 g / m 2 . all examples given show , on comparison of the product features of identical products with and without zinc ricinoleate , practically the same technical values for the product features of air permeability , thickness , breaking force and pore diameter , and corresponding processability . the maintenance of the values for the air permeability and the mechanical properties is of decisive importance particularly for use as odour - absorbing filter media . testing of the odour - absorbing properties of sheet - like structures according to examples 1 and 3 the odour - absorption properties of a treated paper according to the invention , based on example 1 ( e 50 m biostat znr ), was determined in comparison with an identical product without zinc ricinoleate ( e 50 m biostat ) by olfactometric determination according to din en 13725 . the same was carried out with the materials mbk 671 - d14l znr and mbk 671 - d14l according to example 3 . the olfactometry according to din en 13725 is based on the presentation of odours which a test panel of , as a rule , four persons has to rate . in the measurement , one and the same sample in different concentrations is supplied to the panel . the dilution is effected with neutral air without an odour , e . g . compressed air or — under corresponding laboratory conditions — ambient air . in several measurement series , the dilution factor at which 50 % of the panel could perceive an odour , the so - called “ odour threshold ”, is determined from the testers &# 39 ; reports . for this dilution factor , the european odour unit per cubic meter ( 1 odu / m 3 ) is defined as the basic unit of the odour concentration . the odour concentration of the sample investigated is then a multiple of an odu / m 3 , corresponding to the dilution set for the odour threshold determination . the odour concentration in odu / m 3 can just as easily be used as the mass concentration in kg / m 3 . in the olfactometric determination , the respective test person of the test panel has to rate the gas emerging from a smelling tube as to whether it smells of something or not . the test person is aware that so - called zero samples will also be offered at random positions in the series presented . zero samples are samples which consist only of neutral air . in this mode , a smelling tube with neutral air can also be made available to the test person as a permanent possibility for comparison , but this is not absolutely essential . for the presentation procedure , it is true that each sample may be offered for not more than 15 s . likewise , the pause between two presentations must be at least 30 s . the two time specifications have the purpose of preventing the test person from becoming familiar with an odour ( adaptation ). samples of material containing odour adsorbers and identical comparative material without odour adsorbers are brought into contact with the odorant ( e . g . acetic acid , n - butanol ) in a pet tube ( nalophan ) sealed air - tight and are conditioned for one hour . the determination of the reduction of the odorant concentration in the closed gas space is then effected in an olfactometer ( ecoma t06 ) with in each case three individual measurements per material sample by a group of four test persons . by comparison between zero sample , reference and development sample , the odour - reducing effect of zinc ricinoleate can be quantitatively determined . in the olfactometric testing of the materials according to the invention in comparison with reference materials , the following results were obtained : while the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with currently preferred embodiments shown and described in detail , it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated	1
hydrocarbons are converted according to the present invention using an activity - moderated catalyst containing at least one non - zeolitic molecular - sieve (&# 34 ; nzms &# 34 ;) to obtain a converted product . the sieves preferably are composited with an inorganic - oxide binder , and optionally may contain one or more metals as described herein , to obtain the hydrocarbon - conversion catalyst . a hydrocarbon feedstock is converted at hydrocarbon - conversion conditions including a pressure of about atmospheric to 200 atmospheres , temperatures of about 50 ° to 600 ° c ., liquid hourly space velocities of from about 0 . 1 to 100 hr - 1 , and , if hydrogen is present , hydrogen - to - hydrocarbon molar ratios of from about 0 . 1 to 80 . hydrocarbon - conversion processes employing such catalysts and conditions include isomerization , reforming , dehydrocyclization , dehydrogenation , disproportionation , transalkylation , dealkylation , alkylation , polymerization , hydrocracking and catalytic cracking . reforming processes of the present invention use a nzms catalyst which preferably contains a hydrogenation promoter such as a platinum - group metal , optionally one or more modifiers such as rhenium and group iva ( 14 ) metals , and an inorganic - oxide binder . hydrocarbon feedstocks , preferably naphtha , contact the catalyst at pressures of between atmospheric and 40 atmospheres , temperatures of about 350 ° to 600 ° c ., liquid hourly space velocities ( lhsv ) from 0 . 2 to 20 hr - 1 , and hydrogen - to - hydrocarbon molar ratios of from about 0 . 1 to 10 . further details are provided in u . s . application ser . no . 08 / 086 , 961 , incorporated by reference . dehydrocyclization of naphthas and other paraffin - containing stocks is carried out over a similar catalyst , preferably nonacidic through incorporation of an alkali or alkaline earth metal , at similar conditions with operating pressure no higher than about 15 atmospheres . products of reforming and dehydrocyclization generally have an increased concentration of aromatics relative to the feedstocks . isomerization of light hydrocarbons according to the present invention is advantageously effected using nzms catalyst compositions within the scope of those described for use in reforming processes . the light hydrocarbon feedstock contacts the catalyst at pressures of between atmospheric and 70 atmospheres , temperatures of about 50 ° to 300 °, lhsv from 0 . 2 to 5 hr - 1 , and hydrogen - to - hydrocarbon molar ratios of from about 0 . 1 to 5 . isomerization of olefins such as butenes , pentenes and higher olefins is effected over a catalyst which preferably does not contain a substantial hydrogenation component , in order to avoid olefin hydrogenation , at somewhat higher temperatures of 200 ° to 600 ° c . and higher space velocities of 0 . 5 to 100 hr - 1 . usually isomerization yields a product having a greater concentration of branched hydrocarbons . heavier paraffins , waxy distillates and raffinates are isomerized to increase the branching of the hydrocarbons using essentially the same catalyst compositions as used in reforming . operating conditions include pressures of between about 20 and 150 atmospheres , temperatures of about 200 ° to 450 ° c ., lhsv from 0 . 2 to 10 hr - 1 , and hydrogen - to - hydrocarbon molar ratios of from about 0 . 5 to 10 . hydrocracking processes use nzms catalyst compositions of the present invention which preferably contain a hydrogenation promoter such as one or more of group viii ( 8 - 10 ) and group vib ( 6 ) metals and an inorganic - oxide matrix . a variety of feedstocks including atmospheric and vacuum distillates , cycle stocks and residues are cracked to yield lighter products at pressures of between 30 and 200 atmospheres , temperatures of about 200 ° to 450 ° c ., lhsv from 0 . 1 to 10 hr - 1 , and hydrogen - to - hydrocarbon molar ratios of from about 2 to 80 . catalyst compositions of the same general description as those used in hydrocracking processes are useful in hydrotreating and hydrofining . a variety of naphthas , atmospheric and vacuum distillates , cracked and cycle stocks and residues are treated to remove sulfur , nitrogen and other heteroatoms and to saturate unsaturates at pressures of between 30 and 150 atmospheres , temperatures of about 200 ° to 450 ° c ., lhsv from 0 . 1 to 20 hr - 1 , and hydrogen - to - hydrocarbon molar ratios of from about 2 to 20 . operating conditions vary with respect to the difficulty of heteroatom removal , usually relating to the size and aromaticity of the heteroatom - containing molecules , and the concentration particularly of nitrogen in the feedstock . products meet environmental requirements , are not as corrosive or contaminating of downstream equipment , or effect less deactivation of catalysts in downstream - processing units relative to the feedstock . disproportionation and transalkylation suitably are effected with nzms catalyst compositions as disclosed in relation to reforming processes . suitable feedstocks include single - ring aromatics , naphthalenes and light olefins , and the reaction yields more valuable products of the same hydrocarbon specie . isomerization also may occur at the operating conditions of between 10 and 70 atmospheres , temperatures of about 200 ° to 500 ° c ., and lhsv from 0 . 1 to 10 hr - 1 . hydrogen is optionally present at a molar ratio to hydrocarbon of from about 0 . 1 to 10 . activity moderation according to the invention is favorably applied in the use of nzms in the isomerization of isomerizable alkylaromatic hydrocarbons of the general formula c 6 h . sub . ( 6 - n ) r n , where n is an integer from 2 to 5 and r is ch 3 , c 2 h 5 , c 3 h 7 , or c 4 h 9 , in any combination and including all the isomers thereof to obtain more valuable isomers of the alkylaromatic . suitable alkylaromatic hydrocarbons include , for example , ortho - xylene , meta - xylene , para - xylene , ethylbenzene , ethyltoluenes , trimethylbenzenes , diethylbenzenes , triethyl - benzenes , methylpropylbenzenes , ethylpropylbenzenes , diisopropylbenzenes , and mixtures thereof . isomerization of a c 8 - aromatic mixture containing ethylbenzene and xylenes is the preferred alkylaromatic - isomerization use of the present invention . generally the c 8 aromatics comprise a non - equilibrium mixture ; i . e ., at least one c 8 - aromatic isomer is present in a concentration that differs substantially from the equilibrium concentration at isomerization conditions , usually pursuant to removal of para - and / or ortho - xylene from a fresh c 8 aromatic mixture obtained from an aromatics - production process . the alkylaromatic charge stock , preferably a non - equilibrium mixture of c 8 aromatics , is contacted with a catalytic combination as hereinbefore described in an isomerization zone while maintaining the zone at appropriate alkylaromatic - isomerization conditions . the conditions employed in a c 8 - aromatic isomerization zone comprise a temperature ranging from about 0 ° to 600 ° c . or more , preferably is in the range of from about 300 ° to 500 ° c . ; a pressure generally from about 1 to 100 atmospheres absolute , preferably less than about 50 atmospheres ; and a liquid hourly space velocity of charge stock of from about 0 . 1 to 30 hr - 1 , and preferably 0 . 5 to 10 hr - 1 . the hydrocarbon charge stock optimally is reacted in admixture with hydrogen at a hydrogen / hydrocarbon mole ratio of about 0 . 5 : 1 to about 25 : 1 or more ; other inert diluents such as nitrogen , argon and light hydrocarbons may be present . a highly preferred use of the present invention is in the skeletal isomerization of olefins with a nzms catalyst . in the group of olefinic hydrocarbons suitable as feedstock to the catalytic isomerization process of the present invention , mono - olefins having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms per molecule are preferred . feedstock olefins may be contained in product streams from petroleum - refining , synthetic - fuel , or petrochemical operations , especially in raffinate from an etherification process . the mono - olefins should be present in the feedstock in a concentration of from about 0 . 5 to 100 mass %, and preferably from about 5 to 100 mass %, with most of the balance usually comprising paraffins . butenes are especially preferred , particularly in a feedstock rich in one or more of the linear butenes , i . e ., 1 - butene , cis - 2 - butene and trans - 2 - butene , if isobutene is the desired product . an advantageous alternative feedstock within the group of preferred olefins comprises pentenes , often designated amylenes , comprising one or both of the linear pentenes 1 - pentene and 2 - pentene which are isomerized to one or more of the isopentenes 2 - methyl - 2 - butene , 2 - methyl - 1 - butene , and 3 - methyl - 1 - butene . the feedstock to the present process may advantageously contain both butenes and pentenes . isomerization of olefins in the feedstock is effected at conditions including reaction temperatures generally in the range of about 50 ° to 750 ° c . and for the isomerization of butenes in the range of 200 ° to 600 ° c . ; pentene isomerization is advantageously performed at temperatures in the range of about 200 ° to 500 ° c . reactor operating pressures usually will range from about atmospheric to 50 atmospheres . the amount of catalyst in the reactors will provide an overall weight hourly space velocity of from about 0 . 5 to 100 hr - 1 , and preferably from about 1 to 40 hr - 1 . an olefinic feedstock may contact the catalyst in the absence of hydrogen or in presence of hydrogen in a molar ratio to feedstock of from about 0 . 01 to about 10 . activity moderation by controlled carbon deposition suitably may be effected using one or more of a variety of reactive organic compounds including hydrocarbons , oxygenates , and nitrogen - and sulfur - containing compounds , with hydrocarbons such as paraffins , naphthenes , olefins , aromatics and polycyclics being preferred . activity - moderation operating conditions are chosen generally within the broad ranges of the specified hydrocarbon - conversion application in order to use the same equipment for activity moderation as for conversion , with relatively higher temperature , higher pressure , and / or lower ratio of free hydrogen ( if present ) to the reactive organic compound than are used in the subsequent hydrocarbon processing . activity moderation by controlled carbon deposition is carried out over a period of about 0 . 1 to 24 hours to effect a catalyst carbon content of about 0 . 1 to 20 mass %, until the desired hydrocarbon - conversion performance is obtained following the activity - moderation procedure . if the hydrocarbons used to effect controlled deposition of carbon on the catalyst are substantially the same as the feedstock to hydrocarbon conversion , contacting of the catalyst optimally then is continued at hydrocarbon - conversion conditions ; i . e ., contacting of the feedstock at activity - moderation and at hydrocarbon - conversion conditions optimally is effected sequentially without an intervening step . the selectivity of the preferred olefin isomerization process is enhanced through such controlled carbon deposition , thus enhancing the product value of the process . it is believed , without limiting the invention , that olefin isomerization without activity moderation results in an adverse effect on the catalyst during the first portion of the isomerization operation when the catalyst is fresh and highly active ; high conversion during this period could result in loss of selectivity . activity moderation by controlled carbon deposition in an olefin - isomerization process preferably is effected using hydrocarbons such as paraffins , naphthenes , olefins , aromatics and polycyclics , with the olefin - containing feedstock to the isomerization operation being especially preferred . if the isomerization feedstock is used for to effect controlled deposition of carbon on the catalyst , feedstock contacting of the catalyst optimally then is continued at isomerization conditions ; i . e ., contacting of the feedstock at activity - moderation and at isomerization conditions optimally is effected sequentially without an intervening step . activity - moderation operating conditions are chosen to improve subsequent isomerization performance . relative to isomerization conditions , one or more of the following may be effective for controlled deposition of carbon : higher temperature , lower space velocity , higher pressure , and / or lower ratio of free hydrogen to the reactive organic compound . activity - moderation temperature ranges from about 200 ° to 600 ° c ., preferably from about 400 ° to 600 ° c ., with a range of 400 ° to 510 ° c . being especially preferred . operating pressure is between about atmospheric and 50 atmospheres absolute , with a preferred range of atmospheric to 10 atmospheres . weight hourly space velocity generally is between about 0 . 5 and 100 hr - 1 , and preferably from about 1 to 40 hr - 1 . the activity moderation may be carried out in the absence of free hydrogen , or hydrogen may be present in a molar ratio to the feedstock of about 0 . 01 to 5 . activity moderation by controlled carbon deposition is carried out over a period of about 0 . 1 to 24 hours , and preferably about 0 . 5 to 6 hours . in some instances a very short period of activity moderation , e . g ., about 0 . 1 to 0 . 5 hours , provides useful results . activity moderation is continued until the desired olefin - isomerization performance is obtained following the activity - moderation procedure . the sufficiency of activity moderation may be determined during approximately the first three hours of the subsequent isomerization operation by observing reduced conversion of olefins in the feedstock relative to such conversion at equivalent conditions without catalyst activity moderation . the reduction in olefin conversion may be about 1 to 50 %, more usually 5 to 30 %. the conclusion of activity moderation also may be determined by catalyst carbon content , which may vary according to parameters such as but not limited to feedstock type , conversion objectives and the nature and condition of the catalyst . generally the carbon content of the catalyst is about 0 . 1 to 20 mass % of the catalyst , and more usually 0 . 5 to 5 mass %. activity moderation is applied to catalysts containing at least one non - zeolitic molecular sieve , also characterized as &# 34 ; nzms &# 34 ; and defined in the instant invention to include molecular sieves containing framework tetrahedral units ( to 2 ) of aluminum ( alo 2 ), phosphorus ( po 2 ) and at least one additional element ( el ) as a framework tetrahedral unit ( elo 2 ). &# 34 ; nzms &# 34 ; includes the &# 34 ; sapo &# 34 ; molecular sieves of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 440 , 871 , &# 34 ; elapso &# 34 ; molecular sieves as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 793 , 984 and certain &# 34 ; meapo &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; fapo &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; tapo &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; mapo &# 34 ; molecular sieves , as hereinafter described . crystalline metal aluminophosphates ( meapos where &# 34 ; me &# 34 ; is at least one of mg , mn , co and zn ) are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 567 , 029 , crystalline ferroaluminophosphates ( fapos ) are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 554 , 143 , titanium aluminophosphates ( tapos ) are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 500 , 651 , mapo metal aluminophosphates wherein m is as , be , b , cr , ga , ge , li or v are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 686 , 093 , and binary metal aluminophosphates are described in canadian patent 1 , 241 , 943 . elapso molecular sieves also are disclosed in patents drawn to species thereof , including but not limited to gaapso as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 735 , 806 , beapso as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 737 , 353 , crapso as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 738 , 837 , coapso as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 744 , 970 , mgapso as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 758 , 419 and mnapso as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 793 , 833 . the aforementioned patents are incorporated herein by reference thereto . the nomenclature employed herein to refer to the members of the aforementioned nzmss is consistent with that employed in the aforementioned applications or patents . a particular member of a class is generally referred to as a &# 34 ;- n &# 34 ; species wherein &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; is an integer , e . g ., sapo - 11 , meapo - 11 and elapso - 31 . in the following discussion on nzmss set forth hereinafter the mole fraction of the nzms are defined as compositional values which are plotted in phase diagrams in each of the identified patents , published applications or copending applications . the preferred nzmss are the silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieves described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 440 , 871 . the silicoaluminophosphate molecular sieves are disclosed as microporous crystalline silicoaluminophosphates , having a three - dimensional microporous framework structure of po 2 + , alo 2 - and sio 2 tetrahedral units , and whose essential empirical chemical composition on an anhydrous basis is : wherein &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; represents at least one organic templating agent present in the intracrystalline pore system ; &# 34 ; m &# 34 ; represents the moles of &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; present per mole of ( si x al y p z ) o 2 and has a value of from 0 . 02 to 0 . 3 ; &# 34 ; x &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; represent , respectively , the mole fractions of silicon , aluminum and phosphorus present in the oxide moiety , said mole fractions being within the compositional area bounded by points a , b , c , d and e on the ternary diagram which is fig1 of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 440 , 871 , and represent the following values for &# 34 ; x &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; z &# 34 ;: ______________________________________ mole fractionpoint x y z______________________________________a 0 . 01 0 . 47 0 . 52b 0 . 94 0 . 01 0 . 05c 0 . 98 0 . 01 0 . 01d 0 . 39 0 . 60 0 . 01e 0 . 01 0 . 60 0 . 39______________________________________ the silicoaluminophosphates of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 440 , 871 are generally referred to therein as &# 34 ; sapo &# 34 ; as a class , or as &# 34 ; sapo - n &# 34 ; wherein &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; is an integer denoting a particular sapo such as sapo - 11 , sapo - 31 , sapo - 40 and sapo - 41 . the especially preferred species sapo - 11 as referred to herein is a silicoaluminophosphate having a characteristic x - ray powder diffraction pattern which contains at least the d - spacings set forth below : ______________________________________sapo - 11 relative2r d intensity______________________________________ 9 . 4 - 9 . 65 9 . 41 - 9 . 17 m20 . 3 - 20 . 6 4 . 37 - 4 . 31 m21 . 0 - 21 . 3 4 . 23 - 4 . 17 vs21 . 1 - 2 . 35 4 . 02 - 3 . 99 m22 . 5 - 22 . 9 ( doublet ) 3 . 95 - 3 . 92 m23 . 15 - 23 . 35 3 . 84 - 3 . 81 m - s______________________________________ ferroaluminophosphates are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 554 , 143 , incorporated herein by reference , and have a three - dimensional microporous crystal framework structure of alo 2 , feo 2 , and po 2 tetrahedral units and have an essential empirical chemical composition , on an anhydrous basis , of : wherein &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; represents at least one organic templating agent present in the intracrystalline pore system ; &# 34 ; m &# 34 ; represents the moles of &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; present per mole of ( fe x al y p z ) o 2 and has a value of from zero to 0 . 3 , the maximum value in each case depending upon the molecular dimensions of the templating agent and the available void volume of the pore system of the particular ferroaluminophosphate involved ; &# 34 ; x &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; y &# 34 ;, and &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; represent the mole fractions of iron , aluminum and phosphorus , respectively , present as tetrahedral oxides , representing the following values for &# 34 ; x &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; y &# 34 ;, and &# 34 ; z &# 34 ;: ______________________________________ mole fractionpoint x y z______________________________________a 0 . 01 0 . 60 0 . 39b 0 . 01 0 . 39 0 . 60c 0 . 35 0 . 05 0 . 60d 0 . 35 0 . 60 0 . 05______________________________________ when synthesized the minimum value of &# 34 ; m &# 34 ; in the formula above is 0 . 02 . the iron of the feo 2 structural units can be in either the ferric or ferrous valence state , depending largely upon the source of the iron in the synthesis gel . thus , an feo 2 tetrahedron in the structure can have a net charge of either - 1 or - 2 . while it is believed that the fe , al and p framework constituents are present in tetrahedral coordination with oxygen ( and are referred to herein as such ), it is theoretically possible that some minor fraction of these framework constituents are present in coordination with five or six oxygen atoms . it is not , moreover , necessarily the case that all of the fe , al and / or p content of any given synthesized product is a part of the framework in the aforesaid types of coordination with oxygen . some of each constituent may be merely occluded or in an yet undetermined form and may or may not be structurally significant . for convenience in describing the ferroaluminophosphates , the &# 34 ; short - hand &# 34 ; acronym &# 34 ; fapo &# 34 ; is sometimes employed hereinafter . to identify the various structural species which make up the generic class fapo , each species is assigned a number and is identified , for example , as fapo - 11 , fapo - 31 and so forth . meapo molecular sieves are crystalline microporous aluminophosphates in which the substituent metal is one of a mixture of two or more divalent metals of the group magnesium , manganese , zinc and cobalt and are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 567 , 029 . members of this novel class of compositions have a three - dimensional microporous crystal framework structure of mo - 2 2 , alo - 2 and po 2 + tetrahedral units and have an essential empirical chemical composition , on an anhydrous basis , of : wherein &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; represents at least one organic templating agent present in the intracrystalline pore system ; &# 34 ; m &# 34 ; represents the moles of &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; present per mole of ( m x al y p z ) o 2 and has a value of from zero to 0 . 3 , the maximum value in each case depending upon the molecular dimensions of the templating agent and the available void volume of the pore system of the particular metal aluminophosphate involved ; &# 34 ; x &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; y &# 34 ;, and &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; represent the mole fractions of the metal &# 34 ; m &# 34 ;, ( i . e ., magnesium , manganese , zinc and cobalt ), aluminum and phosphorus , respectively , present as tetrahedral oxides , said mole fractions being such that they are within the following limiting values for &# 34 ; x &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; y &# 34 ;, and &# 34 ; z &# 34 ;: ______________________________________ mole fractionpoint x y z______________________________________a 0 . 01 0 . 60 0 . 39b 0 . 01 0 . 39 0 . 60c 0 . 35 0 . 05 0 . 60d 0 . 35 0 . 60 0 . 05______________________________________ when synthesized the minimum value of &# 34 ; m &# 34 ; in the formula above is 0 . 02 . the coapso molecular sieves of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 744 , 970 have three - dimensional microporous framework structures of coo 2 - 2 , alo 2 - , po 2 + and sio 2 tetrahedral units and have an empirical chemical composition on an anhydrous basis expressed by the formula : wherein &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; represents at least one organic templating agent present in the intracrystalline pore system ; &# 34 ; m &# 34 ; represents the molar amount of &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; present per mole of ( co w al x p y si z ) o 2 and has a value of from zero to about 0 . 3 ; and &# 34 ; w &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; x &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; represent the mole fractions of cobalt , aluminum , phosphorus and silicon , respectively , present as tetrahedral oxides , where the mole fractions &# 34 ; w &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; x &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; are each at least 0 . 01 and are generally defined , as being within the limiting compositional values or points as follows : ______________________________________mole fractionpoint x y ( z + w ) ______________________________________a 0 . 60 0 . 38 0 . 02b 0 . 38 0 . 60 0 . 02c 0 . 01 0 . 60 0 . 39d 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 98e 0 . 60 0 . 01 0 . 39______________________________________ the mgapso molecular sieves of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 758 , 419 have a framework structure of mgo 2 - 2 , alo 2 - , po 2 + , and sio 2 tetrahedral units having an empirical chemical composition on an anhydrous basis expressed by the formula : wherein &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; represents at least one organic templating agent present in the intracrystalline pore system ; &# 34 ; m &# 34 ; represents the molar amount of &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; present per mole of ( mg w al x p y si z ) o 2 and has a value of zero to about 0 . 3 ; and &# 34 ; w &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; x &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; represent the mole fractions of elemental magnesium , aluminum , phosphorus and silicon , respectively , present as tetrahedral oxides . the mole fractions &# 34 ; w &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; x &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; are generally defined as being within the limiting compositional values or points as follows : ______________________________________mole fractionpoint x y ( z + w ) ______________________________________a 0 . 60 0 . 38 0 . 02b 0 . 39 0 . 59 0 . 02c 0 . 01 0 . 60 0 . 39d 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 98e 0 . 60 0 . 01 0 . 39______________________________________ the mnapso molecular sieves of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 793 , 833 have a framework structure of mno 2 - 2 , alo 2 - , po 2 + , and sio 2 tetrahedral units having an empirical chemical composition on an anhydrous basis expressed by the formula : wherein &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; represents at least one organic templating agent present in the intracrystalline pore system ; &# 34 ; m &# 34 ; represents the molar amount of &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; present per mole of ( mn w al x p y si z ) o 2 and has a value of zero to about 0 . 3 ; and &# 34 ; w &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; x &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; represent the mole fractions of element manganese , aluminum , phosphorus and silicon , respectively , present as tetrahedral oxides . the mole fractions &# 34 ; w &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; x &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; z &# 34 ; are generally defined as being within the limiting compositional values or points as follows : ______________________________________mole fractionpoint x y ( z + w ) ______________________________________a 0 . 60 0 . 38 0 . 02b 0 . 38 0 . 60 0 . 02c 0 . 01 0 . 60 0 . 39d 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 98e 0 . 60 0 . 01 0 . 39______________________________________ it is within the scope of the invention that the catalyst comprises two or more nzmss . preferably the nzmss are as a multi - compositional , multi - phase composite having contiguous phases , a common crystal framework structure and exhibiting a distinct heterogeneity in composition , especially wherein one phase comprises a deposition substrate upon which another phase is deposited as an outer layer . such composites are described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 861 , 739 , incorporated herein by reference thereto . in a highly preferred embodiment the layered catalyst comprises a crystalline aluminophosphate of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 310 , 440 and a sapo , especially alpo - 11 and sapo - 11 . the nzms preferably is combined with a binder for convenient formation of catalyst particles . the binder should be porous , adsorptive support having a surface area of about 25 to about 500 m 2 / g , uniform in composition and relatively refractory to the conditions utilized in the hydrocarbon conversion process . by the term &# 34 ; uniform in composition ,&# 34 ; it is meant that the support be unlayered , have no concentration gradients of the species inherent to its composition , and be completely homogeneous in composition . thus , if the support is a mixture of two or more refractory materials , the relative amounts of these materials will be constant and uniform throughout the entire support . it is intended to include within the scope of the present invention carrier materials which have traditionally been utilized in hydrocarbon conversion catalysts such as : ( 1 ) refractory inorganic oxides such as alumina , titanium dioxide , zirconium dioxide , chromium oxide , zinc oxide , magnesia , thoria , boria , silica - alumina , silica - magnesia , chromia - alumina , alumina - boria , silica - zirconia , etc . ; ( 2 ) ceramics , porcelain , bauxite ; ( 3 ) silica or silica gel , silicon carbide , clays and silicates including those synthetically prepared and naturally occurring , which may or may not be acid treated , for example attapulgus clay , diatomaceous earth , fuller &# 39 ; s earth , kaolin , kieselguhr , etc . ; ( 4 ) crystalline zeolitic aluminosilicates , either naturally occurring or synthetically prepared such as fau , mel , mfi , mor , mtw ( iupac commission on zeolite nomenclature ), in hydrogen form or in a form which has been exchanged with metal cations , ( 5 ) spinels such as mgal 2 o 4 , feal 2 o 4 , znal 2 o 4 , caal 2 o 4 , and other like compounds having the formula mo - al 2 o 3 where m is a metal having a valence of 2 ; and ( 6 ) combinations of materials from one or more of these groups . for some uses , e . g . for olefin isomerization , the catalyst preferably is substantially free of a hydrogenation promoter such as a group viii metal which would result in economically significant losses of olefins to paraffins through hydrogenation . the preferred catalyst contains less than 100 mass parts per million ( ppm ) on an elemental basis of hydrogenation promoter , and optimally less than about 10 mass ppm . it is especially preferred that the catalyst be substantially free of platinum and palladium . the catalyst of the present invention may contain a halogen component . the halogen component may be either fluorine , chlorine , bromine or iodine or mixtures thereof . chlorine is the preferred halogen component . the optional halogen component is generally present in a combined state with the inorganic - oxide support and preferably is well dispersed throughout the catalyst . the catalytic composite optionally may contain other metal components in addition to or in the absence of a platinum - group metal . such components may include , for example , one or more of rhenium , tin , germanium , lead , gallium , indium , cobalt , nickel , manganese , chromium , molybdenum , tungsten , zinc , dysprosium , thallium , uranium . the catalyst also may incorporate one or more of the alkali metals or alkaline earth metals . catalytically active amounts of such metal components may be incorporated into the catalyst composite in any suitable manner known in the art . the catalyst composite may be dried at a temperature of from about 100 ° to about 320 ° c . for a period of from about 2 to about 24 or more hours and calcined at a temperature of from 400 ° to about 650 ° c . in an air atmosphere for a period of from about 0 . 1 to about 10 hours . if elemental metals are present in the finished composite , the calcined composite may be subjected to a substantially water - free reduction step to ensure a uniform and finely divided dispersion of the metal components . the reducing agent , preferably hydrogen containing less than 20 vol . ppm water , contacts the catalyst at conditions , including a temperature of from about 200 °- 650 ° c . for a period of about 0 . 5 - 10 hours , effective to reduce substantially all of the relevant metals . the reduced composite optionally may be subjected to a presulfiding operation by suitable techniques known in the art before undergoing controlled carbon deposition . the following examples are presented to demonstrate the present invention and to illustrate certain specific embodiments thereof . these examples should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims . there are many possible other variations , as those of ordinary skill in the art recognize , which are within the spirit of the invention . a reference butene - isomerization pilot - plant run &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; was performed as a control for subsequent testing of the effect of activity moderation . all of the pilot - plant tests were performed on a butene - isomerization feedstock blended to contain normal butenes and butane in a molar ratio of 2 to 1 . the catalyst used in the comparative tests was a 65 %- sapo - 11 ( silicoaluminophosphate ), 35 % silica extrudate , containing substantially no hydrogenation metals ; sapo - 11 prepared according to the teachings of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 440 , 871 was washed with nitric acid and extruded with ludox . isomerization tests were carried out at 455 ° c ., mass hourly space velocity of 2 . 5 hr - 1 , pressure of 2 . 4 atmospheres absolute , and ratio of hydrogen to hydrocarbons ( h 2 / hc mol ratio ) of 0 . 2 . the cycle length was set to obtain an end - of - run conversion of butenes of about 35 % over a period of about three days . the conversion history of the reference run r is shown in fig1 . fig2 reviews the selectivity history of n - butene converted to isobutene over the duration of the run . the 65 %- sapo - 11 catalyst of example i was activity - moderated by controlled carbon deposition by processing the 2 / 1 butenes / butane feedstock of example i at 455 ° c ., mass hourly space velocity of 2 . 5 hr - 1 , and pressure of 8 atmospheres absolute in the absence of hydrogen . the objective of the carbon deposition was to moderate its activity the catalyst by restricting initial conversion of butenes in subsequent isomerization to about 50 %. in a first pilot - plant run a , the controlled carbon deposition was effected for about 4 hours , and subsequent conversion was 46 %. in two later runs b and c , therefore , carbon deposition was effected for about 3 hours to approach the 50 %- conversion target . the catalysts subsequently were tested to ascertain butene - isomerization performance on the same feedstock as used in the carbon - deposition step . the isomerization tests for each of runs a - c were carried out at 455 ° c ., mass hourly space velocity of 2 . 5 hr - 1 , and pressure of 2 . 4 atmospheres absolute . hydrogen was introduced into the pilot plant to effect a ratio of hydrogen to hydrocarbons ( h 2 / hc mol ratio ) of 0 . 2 . the cycle length was set to obtain an end - of - run conversion of butenes of about 35 % and amounted to up to about 48 hours . conversion of n - butenes vs . time on - stream for each of the runs is shown in fig1 . initial conversion using the catalysts which were activity - moderated by controlled carbon deposition , other than the 46 % for the catalyst which was activity - moderated by controlled carbon deposition for four hours , was moderated to about 50 % compared to a much higher value for the non - activity - moderated catalyst . selectivity , measured as mass % isobutene product relative to n - butenes converted , is shown in fig2 . the catalysts with controlled carbon deposition show a clear selectivity advantage in the earlier stages of the respective runs . relative performance with and without activity moderation is further compared with reference to the following parameters : average selectivity from the start of run to the point at which 35 % conversion , representing the expected minimum economic conversion level , is reached proportion of the time to 35 % conversion that better than 80 % selectivity is achieved . ______________________________________ reference activity - moderated r a b c______________________________________selectivity to 35 % conversion 75 % 88 % 85 % 85 %% hours on stream & gt ; 80 % 42 % 74 % 80 % 87 % selectivity______________________________________ the activity - moderated catalysts a , b and c of the invention achieve superior selectivity relative to the reference . further , the proportion of the time on - stream at which greater than 80 % selectivity is achieved is substantially enhanced by activity moderation . a 65 % sapo - 11 catalyst prepared according to example i was activity - moderated by controlled carbon deposition . feed was a 1 to 1 molar ratio of normal butene and butanes , which was processed over the catalyst in a pilot plant at 455 ° c ., mass hourly space velocity of 2 . 5 hr - 1 and a pressure of 8 atmospheres absolute for a period of three hours . the top half and the bottom half of the catalyst were analyzed separately for carbon content , with the following results : thus , there was no substantial gradient in carbon content through the catalyst bed . a catalyst sample prepared according to example i was tested for the effect of controlled carbon deposition on a high - space - velocity butene - isomerization operation . the butene - containing feedstock was as described in example i . activity moderation was effected by processing the feedstock at 455 ° c . and pressure of 5 atmospheres absolute for 10 - 20 minutes in the absence of hydrogen . the catalyst subsequently was tested to ascertain butene - isomerization performance on the same feedstock as used in the activity - moderation step , and this performance was compared to a control isomerization test without activity moderation . the isomerization tests were carried out at 455 ° c ., mass hourly space velocity of 20 hr - 1 , and pressure of 2 atmospheres absolute . hydrogen was introduced into the pilot plant to effect a ratio of hydrogen to hydrocarbons ( h 2 / hc mol ratio ) of 0 . 2 . the pilot - plant test runs extended over a period wherein butenes conversion declined from about 45 % to 30 %. the duration of this period for the catalyst was about 35 hours , compared to about 9 hours for the catalyst without precoking . the catalyst thus demonstrated nearly four times the catalyst life at the optimal conversion range . acceptable life is achieved by activity moderation enabling operation at lower space velocity with acceptable selectivity . selectivities to isobutene were similar for the two runs at high conversions , and , although gas - liquid chromatograph uncertainties precluded a reliable data plot favored the precoked catalyst at low conversions .	2
in fig1 is shown a schematic illustration of an active remote sensing system comprising a heterodyne terahertz transceiver 10 that integrates a terahertz transmitter with a terahertz receiver . the transceiver 10 transmits terahertz radiation 11 from a qcl source 12 at a known frequency . the terahertz radiation 11 can be collimated by optics 13 to illuminate a remote object , or target 14 . a return terahertz signal 15 is radiated from the target 14 and is collected by the optics 13 and detected by the transceiver 10 . the returned signal 15 is received by a horn or antenna 16 and coupled to a mixer 17 of the transceiver 10 . the mixer 17 can comprise a schottky - type diode ( for heterodyning , the schottky diode is referred to herein as a mixer ). a portion of the transmit power is coupled from the qcl 12 to the mixer 17 as a lo 18 to define a detection frequency reference . an if circuit ( not shown ) processes the mixer output . the mixer 17 therefore detects terahertz radiation within a limited bandwidth around the lo frequency and is insensitive to signals at frequencies outside this bandwidth , thereby rejecting noise outside the detection bandwidth . in fig2 is shown a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment 20 of the integrated heterodyne terahertz transceiver 10 . the transceiver 20 integrates onto a single semiconductor chip platform a terahertz qcl 22 and a single or a linear array of schottky diode mixers 27 . the qcl 22 supplies the lo source for the mixer 27 and also , if needed , a coherent active illumination source 11 . when the qcl 22 is used as an active illumination source , the mixer 27 can phase lock onto the lo , yielding extremely high rejection of background interference . the qcl 22 comprises a plurality of layered heterostructures of two or more semiconductor alloys forming an active semiconductor core 23 between a top waveguide layer 28 and a bottom waveguide layer 29 . the design of the heterostructure can vary , depending on the transceiver requirements . typically , the active region in the heterostructure is repeated many times until the stack thickness is about ten microns , although thicker or thinner stacks can also be used . for example , in table 1 is shown the heterostructure for a qcl designed to operate at 2 . 92 thz ( i . e ., wavelength of 103 μm ) when biased at 9 . 87 kv / cm . the heterostructure can be built up by mbe on a semi - insulating ( si ) gallium arsenide substrate . the heterostructure comprises alternating thin layers of gaas and algaas . the active region in this example is repeated 178 times . such gaas / algaas heterostructures can typically operate in a range of about 2 . 0 to 4 . 5 thz . however , other heterostructure designs and other semiconductor alloys can be used to build up heterostructures that operate at other terahertz frequencies . see r . kohler et al ., “ terahertz semiconductor - heterostructure laser ,” nature 417 , 156 ( 2002 ), which is incorporated herein by reference . the top and bottom waveguide layers 28 and 29 are typically metal or doped - semiconductor layers that keep the mode in the laser cavity . in the example shown in fig2 , both of the waveguide layers 28 and 29 are metallic . in particular , with terahertz qcls the mode is confined by interaction with a surface plasmon at the semiconductor / metal interface . the waveguide layers can also provide electrical contacts to the semiconductor core 23 . in the embodiment shown here , the schottky diode 27 can be the small interface between the semiconductor core 23 and a metal post 24 connected to an antenna 26 . to make a diode , the metal 25 at this interface must be rectifying . for example , titanium makes a particularly stable schottky contact to a gaas - based semiconductor core . the electrical contact and waveguide layers 28 and 29 over the rest of the semiconductor core 23 can be a different metal that preferably provides an ohmic contact to the semiconductor material , rather than a rectifying contact . typically , a combination of metals can be used to make the ohmic contact . for example , metal stacks of nickel , gold , and germanium , or palladium , germanium , and gold , can be used to make ohmic contacts to gaas - based semiconductor materials . the waveguide thicknesses can be one - micron or less , although a thicker bottom layer can be used to bond the laser to another metal for heat sinking . above the schottky contact 27 , many metals can be used in the post 24 and antenna 26 , so long as they do not affect the schottky contact . the antenna 26 preferably has a low surface resistance and is structurally rigid . for example , gold can be used to provide the desired antenna properties . a palladium - gold or platinum - gold alloy can cover the diode to prevent diffusion to the titanium contact . a variety of antenna or horn configurations can be used . in fig2 is shown a patch antenna . for example , the patch antenna can be approximately 50 microns square and a couple microns in thickness . when a electromagnetic field is coupled to the schottky diode ( the point contact ), a change in the low frequency electrical response is observed due to the rectifying nature of the point contact . if the field amplitude remains constant in time this change will remain constant in time . if two fields are coupled to the mixer , the instantaneous field amplitude will be modulated in time . this modulation occurs at the difference , or intermediate frequency due to the superposition of the two fields . this if signal can be measured , for example with a spectrum analyzer . if one of the fields that is created by the qcl is defined as the lo , the frequency of all other fields incident on the antenna can then be determined “ simultaneously ” by sweeping the spectrum analyzer . in the typical approach to heterodyne detection , the lo is provided by a separate source and both it and the incident radiation of interest are coupled to the mixer by focusing them onto the mixer . as shown in fig2 , with the integrated heterodyne transceiver 20 of the present invention , the incident radiation 15 is likewise focused onto an antenna 26 which couples it to the mixer 27 . the lo power , however , is coupled directly to the mixer 27 , due to the intrinsic properties of a terahertz qcl 22 . in fig3 a and 3b are shown the spatial dependences of the laser field intensity inside the laser cavity formed by the active semiconductor core , for standard shorter wavelength semiconductor lasers and a terahertz qcl , respectively . in these figures , the metal - waveguide - layer / semiconductor interface is on the left . as shown in fig3 a , the field intensity near the surface is very weak for the standard semiconductor laser . however , as shown in fig3 b , the field intensity of a terahertz qcl peaks at the surface and enables the integration of the qcl with the schottky diode . therefore , the field is high at the metal / semiconductor interface defining the schottky diode and coupling of the lo from the terahertz qcl is achieved without the use of an antenna . see r . sachs and h . g . roskos , “ mode calculations for a terahertz quantum cascade laser ,” optics express 12 , 2062 ( 2004 ); o . demichel . et al ., “ surface plasmon photonic structures in terahertz quantum cascade lasers ,” optics express 14 , 5335 ( 2006 ); s . kohen et al ., “ electromagnetic modeling of terahertz quantum cascade laser waveguides ,” j . appl . phys . 97 , 053106 ( 2005 ); and q . hu et al ., “ resonant - phonon - assisted thz quantum - cascade lasers with metal - metal waveguides ,” semicond . sci . technol . 20 , s228 ( 2005 ), which are incorporated herein by reference . in fig4 a is shown a side - view schematic illustration of another embodiment 30 of the integrated heterodyne terahertz transceiver 10 comprising an array of three separate receivers 31 on top of a semiconductor core ridge structure 33 . the ridge structure 33 provides the laser cavity of the qcl 32 . a typical ridge structure is 30 - to 400 - μm wide and one - to a few - millimeters long . the ridge structure 33 can be formed on a substrate 39 that provides the bottom electrical contact and bottom waveguide layer . for example , a gaas - based heterostructure can be built on a gaas substrate . alternatively , the qcl can be bonded to a metal layer on a gaas substrate , or directly to a metal that has the same thermal expansion coefficient as the semiconductor core material ( e . g ., tungsten - copper for a gaas - based core ). an array of holes is formed through the qcl &# 39 ; s top electrical contact and waveguide metallization 38 to expose the underlying semiconductor . each receiver 31 comprises a separate antenna 26 and mixer 27 , similar to those shown in fig2 . each receiver 31 can be monolithically fabricated or flip - chip bonded to the exposed top surface of the ridge structure 33 to form the metal - to - semiconductor contact of the schottky diode mixer . the size of the diode mixer and the hole will depend on the frequency of the laser , but can typically be about one - tenth micron and a couple microns , respectively . the spatial strength of the field inside the laser cavity peaks at the top surface 34 of the ridge structure 33 . the mixer portion of the receiver 31 can be flush with or protrude into the propagating terahertz field inside the ridge structure 33 , so that a small fraction of the internal terahertz field can be drawn off to supply the lo power to the mixer . since the difference if signal can be any frequency up to the bandwidth of the mixer ( e . g ., dc to 40 ghz or higher ), high - frequency leads are required to bring the if signal off the chip . as shown in fig4 b , this high - frequency lead 35 can comprise a coplanar waveguide ( as shown ) for each receiver 31 . for example , the coplanar waveguide can comprise gold . alternatively , other types of high - frequency leads , such as a microstrip line or high - frequency waveguide can be fabricated lithographically on top surface of the qcl ridge cavity . when operated in an active mode , the transceiver &# 39 ; s target illumination signal can be broadcast from an end facet 36 of the qcl cavity 33 . typically , the end facet 36 can be the cleaved end of the qcl bar . with plasmon waveguided laser cavities , the reflectivity of a cleaved end facet is about 30 %. with a metal - metal waveguide , the reflectivity can be higher , for example , 85 %. the return signal from the target is received by the antenna connected to the metal anode of the mixer diode of each receiver 31 . alternatively , if the target passively radiates its own light and the transceiver 30 is only needed to operate as a heterodyne receiver , high - reflectivity facets can be formed on the end facets of the laser , further increasing the device efficiency and maximum operation temperature . for example , the reflectivity of the end facets can be increased by applying an insulator to a cleaved end facet and covering them with a gold layer . in either the active or passive mode , supplying the lo power to the mixer in this integrated method differs from the conventional method of simply shining light from a qcl &# 39 ; s facet output onto the mixer , either through a free - space or an on - chip waveguide . because this internal terahertz field is larger than the terahertz field exiting the output facet of the laser , this integrated method of delivering lo power to the mixer has advantages in power efficiency , compactness , simplicity , and flexibility of design over conventional methods of supplying lo power to the mixer . finally , because the mixer is embedded in the laser semiconductor core , the transceiver can be used as an internal diagnostic to monitor the qcl performance itself . for example , the mixer can act as a power meter when the laser is running single mode , and will indicate a heterodyne beat signal if the laser starts running multi - mode . since single - mode operation is important for many of the above applications , being able to confirm that the laser is running single mode is a great advantage . the present invention has been described as an integrated heterodyne terahertz transceiver . it will be understood that the above description is merely illustrative of the applications of the principles of the present invention , the scope of which is to be determined by the claims viewed in light of the specification . other variants and modifications of the invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art .	7
a machine tool 1 according to the invention is illustrated schematically in fig1 . the machine tool 1 has a machine frame 10 , in which the spindle 5 is mounted . in this case , the tool spindle 5 acts in the working space 14 , which is delimited by the bulkhead wall 11 from the rear space 13 of the spindle 5 . the bulkhead wall 11 comprises two walls arranged substantially parallel , between which a wall part 12 fixed in the spindle 5 is guided . by means of an appropriate , telescope - like arrangement of the various wall parts 12 , a rear space 13 delimited from the working space 14 is achieved in interaction with the bulkhead wall 11 . in the working space 14 there is the workpiece 59 ( see fig2 ). for machining purposes , the spindle 5 acts on the workpiece 59 via a tool 58 . as a rule , the working space 14 is likewise encapsulated so as to be sealed against spray water , since cooling liquid is also sprayed onto the workpiece and tool in the working space , in order to cool said tool and to transport swarf away . provided in the machine frame 10 are guide tracks 41 , 42 and 43 for the various movement axes of the spindle 5 . in the concept presented here of a rod - kinematic machine tool the various mountings of the movement axis are not constructed so as to be orthogonal to one another but are implemented independently and separately via corresponding slides on guide tracks . in the concept presented here , six rods 21 , 22 , 23 are provided , which connect the holding plate 50 of the spindle 5 in an articulated manner to a slide 31 , 32 and 33 in each case . the rods 21 , 22 and 23 are mounted in this case in an articulated manner both on the holding plate 50 and on the slide 31 , 32 , 33 . the slides 31 , 32 , 33 are moved linearly on a guide track 41 , 42 , 43 . as a result of the interplay of the various movements of the slides 31 , 32 , 33 on their guide tracks 41 , 42 , 43 , it is possible to position the spindle 5 in space . for instance , in order to move the spindle 5 upward , the slide 31 is offset to the left on the guide track 41 and , at the same time , the two slides 32 and 33 are moved to the right on the guide tracks 42 and 43 . as a result , the working spindle 5 is therefore moved upward . the working spindle 5 is held by the holding plate 50 . the spindle 5 is used for rotational drive of the tool 58 about the spindle axis 51 . for highly accurate machining of the workpieces , the knowledge of the position of the spindle axis 51 and / or of the respective machining surfaces of the tool 58 is important . furthermore , in a variant of the invention , it can also be important to correct or to influence the relative attitude of the workpiece 59 to the spindle 5 or tool 58 by means of the correcting device . the rotational drive of the spindle 5 is supplied with power via the electrical feed line 52 . in the rod - kinematic machine tools 1 of interest here , the guide tracks 41 , 42 , 43 are arranged to run in parallel , their spacing resulting in an equilateral or isosceles triangle ( for example fig4 a ). in this way , the geometric conditions for appropriate determination of position are made easier . in these machine tools , a total of six rods is beneficially employed , by means of which the spindle is mounted on the respective slides . the six rods are divided into three pairs of rods , one pair of rods in each case being mounted on a slide . the invention relates in particular to the accurate positioning of the tool spindle in the working space 14 . for this purpose , the invention proposes the use of a correcting device 6 which determines the actual position of the spindle 5 with respect to one or more reference points 69 . in fig1 , 2 , various concepts for the correcting device 6 are proposed for this purpose . in fig1 , a temperature sensor on the spindle is described by 600 . as a result , the temperature - induced thermal expansion of the spindle can be determined . in this case , appropriate computing effort is provided by the correcting device and / or the machine controller . in one variant , the positional change can also be determined from empirically collected data in a database . the result of this evaluation is then a corresponding , actual position statement , which is compared with the geometric position . in the same way , it is also possible likewise to draw corresponding conclusions about the thermal expansion via the temperature sensor 601 arranged on the rod 21 , and therefore likewise to correct corresponding dimensional inaccuracies via the controller . it is entirely also possible to select an optical , electrical or mechanical measuring arrangement as correcting devices 6 . in the case of an optical arrangement , for example with the aid of a laser 61 , 62 , light is aimed at one or more receivers 60 , 63 and the respective distance is determined via known distance measuring methods . in this case , this can be done for example by means of a corresponding light cone , as indicated in fig . however , a conical arrangement as in the proposal is also possible with the transmitter . in this case , an optical measuring arrangement requires a transmitter and a receiver . fig1 shows a variant according to the invention in which the two transmitters 61 , 62 are arranged on the extension of the spindle axis 51 . in such an arrangement , it is possible to determine the position of the spindle axis 51 directly . the correcting devices 6 , 6 ′ indicated in fig1 are preferably used in the rear space 13 , which provides the advantage that these do not interfere in the working space 14 . however , it is also in accordance with the idea of the invention for the correcting device 6 to be arranged in the working space 14 . this is shown , for example , in fig2 , in which a position plate 54 on the spindle 5 is provided in the working space 14 , on which plate three telescopic supports 602 , 603 ( the third support is hidden ) are supported in an articulated manner on respective reference points 69 . in accordance with the dimension of the extension of the supports 602 , 603 , an actual determination of position is possible . it may be made , for example , via mechanical or other ( electrical ) measuring arrangements . of course , the use of a laser measuring system is also again possible here . given appropriate configuration ( dimensioning ) of the position plate 54 , the supports 602 , 603 do not interfere during the machining of the workpiece 59 either . the invention permits both the arrangements of the reference points 69 in the rear space 13 or in the working space 14 and likewise proposes providing the reference points 69 either on the machine tool 1 , the machine frame 10 or a separate reference wall 15 , independent of the machine tool 1 . in this case , the reference point 69 may be formed by an appropriate transmitter or receiver of the measuring arrangement . this depends ultimately on the selection of the various measuring arrangements which can be used according to the invention , and do not restrict the invention in terms of its area of use . in the case , the reference wall 15 is arranged either in the working space 14 or in the rear space 13 . in fig2 , two further correcting devices 6 are shown by way of example in the rear space 13 . in the first , on the holding plate 50 of larger form there is a receiver 68 , whose distance from the laser 67 is determined and therefore forms the correcting device . a similar action can be carried out via the spindle element 53 , where the spacing of the region at the end of the spindle element 53 from a reference surface 69 ′ is determined . this is the correcting device 6 ″. the rod - kinematic machine tools presented here do not necessarily have to have guide tracks 41 to 43 running parallel to one another ; these can also be other arrangements . according to the invention , it is proposed that a large number of reference points 69 arranged in the manner of a network be provided . such a variant according to the invention is shown , for example , in fig3 a . a plurality of reflectors 71 are fixed at the grid points of a network on the plate 70 . the spindle 5 or the holding plate 50 of the spindle 5 bears a plurality of transmitters 65 on its rear side , which emit broadband light , for example . arranged beside them is a receiver 64 , which picks up the light reflected by the reflectors 71 and , using appropriate , known distance methods , uses it to determine the distance of the spindle from the plate 70 . fig3 b shows a plan view of the approximate arrangement of the plate 70 . the result is that in each case a plurality of reflectors lie in the emission cone of the transmitter 65 and contribute appropriately to the determination of the position of the spindle 5 . these reflectors can also overlap one another . it is also possible for a total of three transmitters 65 to be used , and in this way an accurate determination of the position in space is possible . in this case , the plate 70 acts in principle as a reference point although a large number of individual reflectors 71 are provided , which in turn in each case act as reference points , since in each case the distance from the respective individual reflectors 71 is determined . fig4 a shows an arrangement of the guide tracks 41 , 42 , 43 in relation to one another in the machine frame 10 which is in principle isosceles . the principle illustrated in fig3 a is described by a plurality of reference points 69 which are preferably formed as reflectors 71 and are arranged in fixed positions on the machine frame 10 . arranged on the spindle 5 or its supporting plate 50 are an optical transmitter 65 and an optical receiver 64 , which evaluates the light reflected back . the advantage of a large number of reflectors or reference points arranged in the manner of a network lies in very high reliability of the corresponding position determination . since a plurality of reflectors are available , the position determination can be checked and also secured by means of multiple measurements . in addition , the disruption of a reflector does not disrupt the reliable position determination , depending on the design of the measuring algorithm . on the basis of the exact position determination , the correcting device is permitted to set the spindle or spindle position exactly . in fig5 , a moveable or stationary optical transmitter 61 is provided as a reference point 69 and one or more reflectors 72 , preferably arranged in a plurality of lines , are provided on the spindle 5 or on its supporting plate 50 , an optical receiver 60 also being provided , which evaluates the reflected light . in the example shown in fig5 , the optical receiver 60 is located in the vicinity of the optical transmitter 61 , to be specific on the slide , which is indicated here as being able to be moved but can be fixed . the principle shown here corresponds to a kinematic reversal of the principle shown in fig3 a , 3 b . here , the reference points are not formed by the reflectors but by the transmitter - receiver arrangement 60 , 61 which , in principle , can be fixed . the reflectors 72 that reflect the light are located on the rear of the spindle 5 and move with the latter . the claims now filed with the application and subsequently are attempts at a formulation without prejudice to the achievement of further - reaching protection . should it be the case here , during closer examination , in particular including the relevant prior art , that the result is that one or another feature is beneficial for the objective of the invention but is not critically important , then of course a formulation is then intended which no longer has such a feature , in particular in the main claim . the back - references listed in the dependent claims refer to the further development of the subject of the main claim by the features of the respective subclaim . however , these should not be understood as dispensing with the achievement of self - contained , objective protection for the features of the subclaims making the back - reference . features which have hitherto been disclosed only in the description can be claimed , in the course of the proceedings , as having significance essential to the invention , for example in order to delimit them from the prior art . features which have been disclosed only in the description or else individual features from claims which cover a number of features can be transferred into the first claim at any time in order to delimit it from the prior art , specifically even when such features have been mentioned in connection with other features or achieve particularly beneficial results in connection with other features .	1
referring to fig1 a block diagram of a flaw detection apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown . the flaw detection apparatus includes a camera 3 , an a / d converter 5 , an image storage 7 , and an image processor 9 . the camera 3 is provided for taking an image of an inspecting object 1 to produce an analog image signal based on thus taken image . the a / d converter 5 converts the analog image signal coming from the camera 3 to a digital image signal sd . the image storage 7 is comprised of a frame memory , and stores the digital image signal sd indicative of image information of the object 1 . the image processor 9 includes a distinctiveness storage 11 , a pixel connection relationship storage 13 , a maximum label number storage 15 , and a label clustering relationship storage 17 . the image processor 9 processes the digital image signal sd from the image storage 7 to produce a flaw coefficient signal sf representing the degree of flaw . during the production of the flaw coefficient signal sf , various signals are produced and stored in each of storage 11 , 13 , 15 , and 17 , which will be described later with reference to fig3 , and 5 . the flaw coefficient signal sf is transferred to the externals through an output 19 . referring to fig2 , 4 , and 5 , the flaw charts for describing the operation of the flaw detection apparatus of fig1 are shown . in fig2 the blocks marked by a double outline represent sub - routine blocks . in the first block # 1 of fig2 &# 34 ; image signal production &# 34 ;, the video camera 3 takes the image of the object 1 , which may be a cylinder as shown in fig6 a for example , and then produces the analog image signal based on the image thus taken . in the next sub - routine block # 3 , &# 34 ; binary image production &# 34 ;, the a / d converter 5 converts the analog image signals indicative of the inspected object &# 39 ; s surface to the digital image signals sd . this means that pixels with a pixel density exceeding a predetermined threshold value are assigned a value of 1 , and pixels with a pixel density below this threshold value are assigned a value of 0 . as a result , when the image signal is digitized , the pixels in the area of the reflecting flaw are given a value of 1 , and all other pixels are given a value of 0 . this digitized image signal is then stored in the image storage 7 . as a result , a binary image of the inspected area of the cylinder 1 including flaws is obtained , as shown in fig6 b . in the next sub - routine block # 5 , &# 34 ; labelling &# 34 ;, the image storage 7 stores the digital image signal sd therein . the image processor 9 assigns label numbers to pixels with a value of 1 so that each uniquely linked area has a common label number . the labeling operation will be further described later with reference to fig3 and 7 . in the next sub block # 7 , &# 34 ; clustering &# 34 ;, labelled areas oriented in the same direction on substantially the same line are assumed to have been caused by a common factor , e . g ., a single impact , and are therefore evaluated as a single cluster the image processor 9 . the clustering operation will be specifically described later with reference to fig4 a , 9b , 9c , 9d , 9e , and 9f . in the next sub block # 9 , &# 34 ; flaw coefficients calculation &# 34 ;, the image processor 9 calculates the flaw coefficients representing the magnitude of detected flaw based on the clustered labelled areas , and transfers the flaw coefficient signal sf through the output 11 for further operation . the operation will be specifically described later with reference to figs . 5 , 8a , 8b , 10 , and 11 . before specifically describing the labeling operation in this embodiment with reference to fig3 and 7 , the concept of labeling operation according to the present invention is briefly described for the sake of better understanding . in labelling , the image may be divided into areas of pixels each with a density value of 0 . these pixels are raster scanned from top to bottom , left to right . specifically speaking , each of pixels located in the top line is sequentially scanned from the first one ( the left side ) to the last one ( the right side ). then , pixels in the next line below the top line are scanned in a manner similar to that in the top line . every time when a pixel with a density value of 1 ( hereafter referred to as &# 34 ; a density 1 pixel &# 34 ;) is scanned , this pixel is set as the target pixel and is assigned a label number l . the label number is an integer . basically , a different label number l increased in order is successively assigned to each target pixel . the label number l = 1 is assigned to the first target pixel and the raster scanning continues . when the next , or second , target pixel is set , adjacent eight pixels surrounding the target pixel , four pixels located the left , above left diagonally , above , and the above right diagonally with respect to the target pixel are checked whether a label number l is assigned thereto . it is to be noted that these four adjacent pixels are already scanned before the target pixel is scanned . when these four adjacent pixels have a common label number l , including the case that only one of adjacent pixels has the label number l , that label number l is assigned to the target pixel . when two or more label numbers l = n , m , . . . ( n , m . . . are integers ) are assigned to these adjacent pixels , one of the label numbers which is smaller than the others is assigned and information indicating that label numbers l = n , l = m . . . are connected is stored for the later operation wherein the label numbers are organized and unified . when four adjacent pixels have no label number , the next label number with respect to that of the previous target pixel is assigned . the raster scanning is thus applied to all pixels in the binary image stored in the image storage 7 . linked areas are further formed in the density 1 pixel areas from vertically , horizontally , and diagonally adjacent to each other , these linked areas are sequentially numbered throughout the image . as a result , each pixel in each linked area is assigned the same sequential number which is given to the region to which it belongs . referring to fig7 the binary image stored in the image storage 7 is shown . in fig7 the image is expressed by pixels p1 to p90 , for example , arranged in a rectangular matrix . the areas corresponding two flaw regions r1 &# 39 ; and r2 &# 39 ; on the inspected surface of cylinder 1 are shown by dot lines . each of small circles indicates a pixel . the small circles indicating the density 1 pixels are painted in block . the raster scanning is starting from the first pixel p1 . since the pixels p1 to p12 are not the density 1 pixels , these pixels are not the target pixels and no label number l is assigned thereto . however , the next pixel p13 is the first density 1 pixel . therefore the pixel p13 is set as the first target pixel and is assigned the label number 1 ( l = 1 ), as shown in fig7 . then the raster scanning is applied to the next pixel p14 . the pixels p14 to p21 are not the density 1 pixels in this example , and no label number l is assigned thereto . hereinafter the description of the operation for non density 1 pixels are omitted for the sake of brevity , because non density 1 pixels are only scanned as a result . the next pixel p22 which is the density 1 pixel is set as the target pixel . then , the label number of four pixels p21 , p11 , p12 , and p13 adjacent the target pixel p22 are checked . in this example of fig7 since only the pixels p13 has the label number l = 1 , 1 is assigned to the target pixel p22 ( l = 1 ). with respect to pixels p23 and p24 , the common label number l = 1 of the adjacent pixels is assigned . after raster scanning of pixels p25 to p27 , the next density 1 pixel p28 is set as the target pixel . since the pixels p27 , p17 , p18 , and p19 adjacent the pixel p23 has no label number , a new label number of 2 ( l = 2 ) which is different from that of pixels p13 , p22 , p23 , and p24 is assigned to the pixel p23 . after scanning of pixels p29 , p30 , and p31 , the pixel p32 , p33 , and p34 are set as the target and assigned the common label number of 1 ( l = 1 ) of the adjacent pixels . after scanning of pixels p35 and p36 , the next density 1 pixel p37 is set as the target pixel . since the pixel p28 which is one of pixels adjacent to the target pixel p37 having the label number l = 2 , 2 is assigned to the pixel p37 ( l = 2 ). similarly , the pixel p38 is assigned the common label number of 2 ( l = 2 ) of the adjacent pixels thereof . after scanning of pixels p39 , p40 , and p41 , the pixels p42 , p43 , p44 , and p45 are assigned the label number of 1 ( l = 1 ) , because 1 is the common label number of the adjacent pixels thereof . however , with respect to the pixel p46 , the adjacent pixels p37 and pixel p45 have different label numbers of 2 and 1 , respectively . in this case , the label number of 1 smaller than - the other is selected for the pixel p46 ( l = 1 ), as described in the above . similarly , the pixels p46 , p47 , and p48 are assigned the label number l = 1 . after assigning the label number of 1 to the pixels p52 to p57 , p62 to p67 , the next target pixel p69 is set . since the adjacent pixels p68 , p58 , p59 , and 60 of the target pixel p69 has no label number , a new label number 3 is assigned to the pixel p69 ( l = 3 ). in a manner as described above , the label numbers of 1 is further assigned to pixels p73 to p76 , and 3 is assigned to pixels p78 and p79 . the pixels having the label numbers of 1 and 2 ( l = 1 and l = 2 ) are linked as a region corresponding to the flaw r1 &# 39 ;, while the information that pixels having different label numbers 1 and 2 are connected to one linked region is stored . the pixels having the label number l = 3 are linked as another region corresponding to flaw r2 &# 39 ;. after all pixels have been labelled as above , the different label numbers of 1 and 2 assigned to pixels within the connected regions r1 &# 39 ; are renumbered to unify to a single common label number . as a result of such renumbering , the regions r1 &# 39 ; and r &# 39 ; 2 are united to the label numbers l = 1 and l = 3 , respectively . as a result , a gap in the number sequence between the region r1 &# 39 ; ( l = 1 ) and region r2 &# 39 ; ( l = 3 ) is generated . if required , the label numbers can be renumbered so that there are no gaps in the number sequence between the regions , such that regions r1 &# 39 ; and f2 &# 39 ; are newly assigned the label numbers 1 and 2 , respectively . referring to fig3 the operation of sub routine block # 5 , &# 34 ; labelling &# 34 ;, in fig2 is shown . at step s1 , the first pixel on the image matrix is raster scanned , and then the procedure advances to step s3 where it is judged whether the scanned pixel is a density 1 pixel or not . at step s3 , if it is judged as &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ;, this density 1 pixel is set as a target pixel . if it is judged as &# 34 ; no &# 34 ;, the procedure advances to step s13 . at step s5 , of eight pixels adjacent to the target pixels , the four pixels which are located to the left , above left diagonally , above , and above right diagonally to the target pixel are selected . any pixel with a density value of 0 is disregarded , and then the procedure advances to step s7 . at step s7 , it is judged whether any of thus selected four adjacent pixels is already assigned with a label number l or not . if it is judged as &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; meaning that none of adjacent pixels have label number , the procedure advanced to step s17 where a label number which is one of a sequence number starting from &# 34 ; one &# 34 ; and is not used yet is assigned to the target pixel . the procedure advances to step s13 . if it is judged as &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; at step s7 meaning that any of adjacent pixels has the label number l , the procedure advances to step s9 where it is judged whether four adjacent pixels have a common label number or not . at step s9 , if it is judged as &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; meaning that two or more label numbers l = n , l = m , . . . ( n , m , . . . are integers ) are already assigned to the four adjacent pixels , the smallest value n , for example , of the label numbers of the adjacent pixels is assigned to the target pixel , and then the procedure advances to step s21 . at step s21 , the information indicating the label numbers l = n of the target pixel and l = m , for example , of the adjacent pixels are connected is stored in the pixel connection relationship storage 13 for later use when organizing and unifying the connected label numbers . then , the procedure advances to step s13 . however , if it is judged &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; at step s9 meaning that all adjacent pixels has a common label number or only one adjacent pixel has a label number , the procedure advances to step s11 . at step s11 , this common or sole label number is assigned to the target pixel . then , the procedure advances to step s13 . at step s13 , it is judged whether the target pixel is located at the right bottom corner of the image matrix , meaning that the target pixel p is the final pixel of the image , for example the pixel p90 as shown in fig7 or not . if the target pixel is not the final pixel , it is judged as &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; and the procedure advances to step s23 . at step s23 , it is judged whether the target pixel p is located on the right end of the scanning line of the image or not . if it is judged as &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; at step s23 , the procedure advances to step s25 where the next pixel adjacent horizontally to the target pixel is scanned . and then , the procedure returns to step s3 . if it is judged as &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; at step s23 , the procedure advances to step s27 where the pixel located on the left end of the next scanning line of the image is scanned . and then , the procedure returns to step s3 . however , if the target pixel is the final pixel of the image , it is judged as &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; at step s13 , and then the procedure advances to step s15 . it is to be noted that all density 1 pixels in the image are scanned and assigned label number ( s ) l at either one of steps s11 , s17 , and step s19 , before it is confirmed at this step that the final pixel was already examined . at step s15 , the plural label numbers assigned to pixels in each of connected regions are unified to a single common label number according to the information stored at step s21 so that the pixel label numbers in one connected label region are unified . then , the procedure advances to step s16 . at step s16 , where the maximum value of label number re - assigned to the target pixels is stored in the a maximum label number storage 15 . after this labelling and renumbering process is completed , the region , or the number of pixels more specifically , of each uniquely numbered linked region ( hereafter referred to as &# 34 ; label regions &# 34 ;) is computed . while there may be reflections ( density 1 pixel regions ) other than flaws caused by irregular reflections from dust or other foreign matter or slight irregular reflection from smooth regions , these regions will be limited to a very small region . as a result , label regions smaller than a predetermined region threshold are eliminated to prevent false recognition of flaws , and the label regions exceeding a predetermined region threshold are extracted as what may be &# 34 ; flaws &# 34 ;. before explaining the clustering operation of the sub block # 7 of fig2 the concept of the clustering the labelled regions are described below . after the labelling process at the block # 5 ( fig2 ), labelled regions oriented in the same direction on the same line are assumed to have been caused by a common factor , e . g ., a single impact , and are therefore evaluated as a single cluster . for this purpose , the quadratic moment of the labelled regions is used to evaluate whether two labeled regions are to be clustered or not . this quadratic moment is defined and calculated as follows . specifically , the quadratic moment in the xy coordinate system of the labelled region is expressed as vx , vy , and cxy which can be calculated using the following equations . ## equ1 ## equations ( 1 ), ( 2 ), and ( 3 ) can be respectively reduced to : referring to fig8 a , the relationship between xy coordinate and uv coordinate is shown . the conversion equations ( 10 ) to ( 13 ) for converting between xy coordinate space and uv coordinate space are shown below . and the conversion equations from uv coordinate space to xy coordinate space are : the quadratic moment in the uv coordinate system of the labelled region is expressed as vu , vv , and cu , which can be calculated using the following equations . where function arg ( x , y ) expresses the angle of vector ( x , y ). then , the equation ( 20 ) becomes cuv = 0 , because tan2θ = 2 · cxy /( vx - vy ). even if vx = vy , cos2θ = 0 . therefore , the equation ( 20 ) remains valid such that cuv = 0 . from equations ( 17 ) and ( 18 ), the following equation is obtained . ## equ2 ## because 2θ is the angle of vector ( vx - 2 · cxy ), the following two equations of ## equ3 ## are obtained . substituting these into equation ( 22 ) yields an equation of ## equ4 ## thus , from equations ( 17 ) and ( 18 ) and because of that vu ≧ vv , an equation of ## equ5 ## is obtained . as a result , if the coordinates are converted so that the covariance is 0 , the quadratic moments vu and vv of each coordinate u and v will be the maximum and minimum values , respectively . these quadratic moments vu and vv are refereed to as the major axis quadratic moment and the minor axis quadratic moment , respectively . the value θ in equation ( 21 ) is also the major axis angle of the labelled region . the function arg ( vx - vy , 2cxy ) in equation ( 21 ) is also the angle of vector ( s , t ) shown in fig8 b . therefore , arg ( vx - vy , 2cxy ) can be expressed by the following equation of ## equ6 ## is obtained , where 0 ≦ arctan ()& lt ; π . when φ is equal to the arg ( s , t ), the following two equations are established . ## equ7 ## the quadratic moment is obtained for each labelled region , and those regions with the same major axis angle θ are combined . this combining operation is called &# 34 ; clustering &# 34 ;, and is accomplished as follows . the first step is determining whether the &# 34 ; labelled region clustering condition &# 34 ; described below is satisfied . this evaluation is applied to all combinations of labeled image data areas , and the results are stored . after completing this operation for all labelled regions , the label numbers of the labelled regions meeting the clustering condition are unified , and all pixels in each labelled region clustered are adjusted to the same label member . the method for determining the clustering condition is specifically described later . referring to fig4 the operation of sub routine block # 7 , &# 34 ; clustering &# 34 ;, in fig2 is shown . after the labelling process at the block # 5 , labelled regions oriented in substantially the same direction on substantially the same line are assumed to have been caused by a common factor , e . g ., a single impact , an are therefore evaluated as a single cluster . for this purpose , the quadratic moment of the labelled region is used to evaluate whether the labelled regions are to be clustered to one regions or not . this quadratic moment is defined and calculated as follows . specifically , the quadratic moment in the xy coordinate system of the labelled regions is expressed as vx , vy , and cxy which are calculated using the above described equations ( 1 ) to ( 29 ). at step s40 , one is set to the label number l . thus , the area having the label number ( l = 1 ) is set as the target region , and then the procedure advances to step s42 . at step s42 , it is judged whether the target region ( l = 1 ) is already assigned to other region or not . when this region is not joined ( clustered ) with other region , it is judged as &# 34 ; no &# 34 ;, and the procedure advances to next step s44 . however , when the target region ( l = 1 ) is already joined with other , it is judged as &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ;. then the procedure advances to step s58 where the existence of other target region is checked . at step s44 , the current label number l is incremented by 1 as &# 34 ; l + 1 &# 34 ; and this incremented value is set to the label number m for a next region , and then advances to step s46 . thus , a region having the label number ( m = l + 1 ) is selected as a counterpart of the target region l to study the possibility of clustering thereof . at step s46 , it is judged whether the counterpart region m is already joined ( clustered ) to other region or not , when &# 34 ; no , the procedure advances to next step s48 for studying the clustering . when the counter part region m is already joined to other region , it is judged as &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ;. then the procedure advances to step s54 where the existence of other counter part region is checked . at step s48 , a minor axis quadratic moment vv of the combined regions l and m is calculated , as expressed by the equation ( 15 ), and then the procedure advances to next step s50 . at step s50 , it is judged whether the minor axis quadratic moment vv of the combined regions l and m calculated at step s48 is less than a reference quadratic moment rv having a predetermined value or not . it is to be noted that the reference quadratic moment rv can be determined according to the quality required for each object ( product ), because the allowable limit of flaw is different according to the usage of the product . therefore , the reference quadratic moment rv is set previously or supplied from the externals of the apparatus . it is possible to provide a device which can determine the reference quadratic moment rv according to the flaw sample in a manner which will be described later . when the quadratic moment vv of the combined regions l and m is greater than the reference moment rv , meaning that these regions l and m can be combined as a single of cluster . then it is judged &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; at step s50 , and the procedure advances to step s52 . however , it is judged &# 34 ; no &# 34 ;, the procedure advances to step s56 . at step s52 , the information meaning that regions l and m can be combined to a single cluster such that the label number of region m shall be renumbered to l is stored in the label clustering relationship storage 17 . then the procedure advances to the next step s54 . at step s54 , it is judged whether the label number l is the greatest among the label numbers already assigned or not . when it is &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; meaning that there is no counterpart region available , the procedure advances to step s58 where the existence of other target region is checked . when it is judged &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; meaning that there is at least one counterpart region rested in the image , and the procedure advances to step s56 . at step s56 , the label number m is incremented by one , and then the procedure returns to step s46 . thus , the region having the label number of m = m + 1 is set as the next counterpart region m which will be studied the possibility of clustering to the target region l . at step s58 , it is judged whether the label number l is the greatest among the label numbers already assigned or not . when it is &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; meaning that there is at least one target region remains in the image , the procedure advances to step s60 . at step s60 , the label umber l is incremented by one , and then the procedure returns to step s42 . thus , the region having the label number of l = l + 1 is set as the next target region l which will be studied the possibility of clustering to the counterpart region m . however , when it is &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; at step s58 , meaning that there is no target region remains in the image , the procedure terminates . herebelow , the clustering operation is schematically explained with reference to fig9 a , 9b , 9c , 9d , 9e , and 9f . as a result of the labeling operation , each of linked regions r1 , r2 , r3 , r4 , and r5 in the binary image of the inspected surface of fig6 b are assigned the label numbers of 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 , respectively , as shown in fig9 a . at first , the first region r1 and the second region r2 are set as the target region ( l = 1 ) and the counterpart region ( m = l = 2 ), respectively . since the minor quadratic moment vv of the combined regions r1 and r2 is smaller that the reference moment rv , because these regions r1 and r2 are located on substantially the same line . therefore , regions r1 and r2 can be clustered ( step s50 ), as enclosed by a dot line in fig9 b , and the information representing that the label number of regions r2 is renumbered to 1 from 2 is stored ( step s52 ). next the third region r3 is set as the counterpart region ( m = 3 ) of the target region ( l = 1 ) which is combined regions r1 and r2 , as enclosed by a dot line in fig9 c . similarly , since the third region r3 can be clustered to the combined target regions r1 and r2 , the information that the label number of the region r3 is renumbered to 1 from 3 is stored . similarly , the fourth region r4 can be clustered to the combined target regions r1 , r2 , and r3 , with the label number thereof is renumbered to 1 , as shown in fig9 d . next the fifth region r5 is set as the counterpart region ( m = 5 ) of the combined target regions r1 , r2 , r3 , and r4 ( l = 1 ). the fifth region r5 is not on the same line and is deviated from the combined target regions r1 , r2 , r3 , and r4 , as shown in fig9 e . therefore , this counterpart region r5 can not be clustered , as shown in fig9 f . in other words , the regions r1 , r2 , r3 , and r4 can be combined or clustered in a single region having the same label number l which is one . next , the condition for clustering the labelled regions is described . the labeled regions are clustered to a signal region when the minor axis quadratic moment of two regions is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold . when there are three labelled regions no . 1 , no . 2 , and no . 3 , the clustering is determined as follows . the value of the minor axis quadratic moment is obtained from equations ( 17 ) and ( 18 ), and the orientation from equation ( 21 ). the minor axis quadratic moment of unified labelled regions is obtained as follows . the quadratic moment of region no . 3 , obtained by combining regions no . 1 and no . 2 , is calculated using the following equations , which is derived from equations ( 1 ) to ( 4 ) vx 3 is obtained by substituting equations ( 30 ) and ( 32 ) into equation ( 31 ). vy 3 is obtained by substituting equations ( 34 ), ( 35 ), and ( 36 ) into equation ( 37 ). then , the following equations are also obtained . x . sub . 3 y . sub . 3 =( s . sub . 1 x . sub . 1 y . sub . 1 + s . sub . 2 · x . sub . 2 y . sub . 2 )/ s . sub . 3 ( 39 ). s i , vx i , vy i , cx i y i in equations ( 38 ), ( 39 ), and ( 40 ) represent the region , variance x , variance y , and variance xy of region i , respectively . cx 3 y 3 is also obtained by substituting equations ( 32 ), ( 35 ), ( 38 ), and ( 39 ) into equation ( 40 ), and the minor axis quadratic moment vx 3 , vy 3 , cx 3 y 3 is thus obtained after clustering . the smaller the minor axis quadratic moment , the thinner and longer the shape of the region . flaws caused by impact also tend to be a series of thin , long marks , and the minor axis quadratic moment of such flaws is therefore smaller . as a result , by combining two regions which still have a small minor axis quadratic moment after being combined , it is possible to evaluate clusters of flaws that are caused by a single impact but are separated into a series of small marks . even , more accurate flaw detection is enabled by using a combination of region and minor axis quadratic moment characteristics in the evaluation of clustered regions . an example of the evaluation standard used in this case is described below . region × k 1 - minor axis quadratic moment × k 2 ≧ t 1 ( 41 ), where coefficients k 1 , k 2 , and t 1 indicate the distribution of the shape of flaws determined from actual inspection and defined according to the desired inspection standard . if this equation ( 41 ) is true , the image is determined to represent a flaw . a flaw detection method according to the second embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to fig1 . to evaluate which density images represent a flaw after obtaining the density images in this embodiment , density areas within the complete density image that are oriented in substantially the same direction on substantially the same line are assumed to have been caused by a common factor , e . g ., a single impact , and are therefore evaluated as a single cluster . usually , the flaw is shaped in a curved form which is bent by 30 degree at maximum , but not in a straight form . to increase the resolving ability of the image shape , the pixels located on the position distant from the target pixel p should be selected as adjacent pixels pa . the resolving ability when the pixels next to the target pixel p is selected as the adjacent pixels pa , the resolving ability is 45 degree . when the pixels separated two pixels are selected as the adjacent pixels pa , the resolving ability is less than tan - 1 ( 1 / 2 ) degree which is approximately 26 . 6 degree , as shown in fig1 . the resolving ability when the nth pixel separated from the target pixel p is set as the adjacent pixels pa is less than tan - 1 ( 1 / n ) degree . to determine in which direction the long axis of the density image is oriented in this embodiment , the directional difference value ( ddv ) is obtained as the absolute value of the difference between the pixel density of the target pixel p and the pixel density of the eight subtraction pixels pa separated two pixels ( n = 2 ) from the target pixel p . it is not be noted that the resolving ability of 26 . 6 degree is good enough for recognizing the flaw image which is bent by about 30 degree . if the greater resolving ability is necessary , the adjacent pixels pa nth pixels from the target pixel p can be used , as described above . where ( x , y ) is the target pixel , ( x + i , y + j ) are the subtraction pixels , and the ( i , y ) combination varies with the direction . in the case of a density image , the change in density is small in the direction of the long axis . as a result , if the directional difference values are obtained as described above , the directional difference value in the long axis of the density image will naturally be smaller . the directional difference value obtained from equation ( 42 ) is therefore used in place of the quadratic moment of the binary images used in the first embodiment above . the directional difference value is obtained in the eight directions described above for every pixel in the density image . the average directional difference value is then obtained in each of the eight directions , the maximum and minimum average directional difference values are obtained from the eight average directional difference values ( ddv ), and the long axis of the density image is determined based on the directional difference ratio ( ddr ) obtained from equation ( 43 ). the smaller this directional difference ratio , the longer and thinner the density image . density images for which this directional difference ratio is less than a predetermined threshold value may represent a flaw . the joint directional difference ratio is therefore obtained for joined density images , which are formed by combining two density images with a directional difference ratio less than the predetermined threshold value , and whether the joined density image represents a flaw is evaluated based on a combination of the area of the joined density image and a feature value , which expresses the shape and orientation of the joined density image as calculated from the area and joint directional difference ratio . an example of this evaluation standard is obtained by an equation , as shown below , of where coefficients k 3 , k 4 , and t 2 indicate the distribution of the shape of flaws determined from actual inspection and defined according to the desired inspection standard . specifically the equation ( 44 ) is true , the image is determined to represent a flaw in this example . referring to fig5 the operation of sub block # 9 &# 34 ; flaw coefficients calculation &# 34 ; in fig2 is shown . at step s80 , the label number l is set to one . the first clustered regions are examined . at next step s82 , an area of the first clustered regions with the common label number ( l = 1 ) is calculated to obtain a first flaw coefficient fa1 . at next step s84 , a rectangle circumscribing area of the first clustered regions ( l = 1 ) is calculated to obtain a second flaw coefficient fa2 . thus , the first and second flaw coefficients fa1 and fa2 are obtained with respect to the first clustered regions . at next step s86 , it is judged whether the label number l is the greatest among the clustered regions or not . if &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; , the procedure advances to next step s88 . at step s88 , the label number l is incremented by one and the procedure returns to step s82 . this time , the flaw coefficients fa1 and fa2 are subsequently obtained with respect to the next , or second , clustered regions until it is judged &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; at step s86 . however , when the flaw coefficients fa1 and fa2 are obtained with respect to all clustered regions at this sub routine # 9 , it is judged as &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; at step s86 , the procedure ends . then , the image processor 9 outputs the flaw coefficient signal sf including thus obtained first and second flaw coefficients fa1 and fa2 to the outside through the output port 19 . these flaw coefficients fa1 and fa2 are compared with the reference flaw coefficients having predetermined value for judging whether thus obtained image is indicative of a flaw on the object or not . it is to be noted that the reference flaw coefficients can be determined according to the quality required for each object ( product ), because the allowable limit of flaw is different according to the usage of the product . therefore , the reference flow coefficients are set inside the flaw detection apparatus previously or supplied from the externals of the apparatus . it is possible to determine the reference flaw coefficients with respect to the flaw sample by using the flaw detection apparatus according to the present invention in a manner which will be described later with reference to fig1 , 13 , and 14 . referring to fig1 , the flow chart describing the flaw judging operation according to the present invention is shown . the operations of the blocks # 1 , # 3 , # 5 , # 7 , and # 9 are identical to the blocks having the same block numbers shown in fig2 and the description of those operation are omitted for the sake of brevity . first , product samples bearing the flaws whose sizes are within an allowable range for use in the market and samples over an allowable range are prepared . in fig1 , for example , a sample bearing four flaws r10 , r20 , r30 , and r40 and contaminant c10 is shown . flaws r10 , r20 , and r30 are aligned on substantially a line , and the flaw r40 separates from the other flaws . the contaminant c10 is located on the surface thereof . in this case , the flaws r10 , r20 , and r30 enclosed by a rectangular area ta indicated by a dot line are regarded as the &# 34 ; target flaws &# 34 ; which may be caused by a single impact , but the flaw r40 may be caused by other factor . therefore , the flaws r10 , r20 , and r30 is regarded as the &# 34 ; target flaw &# 34 ; to be detected , but the flaw r40 is disregarded . in the operation of sub block # 1 , the video camera 3 is set to take the image of the rectangular area ta ( step # 1 ). each of thus prepared samples is examined its surface by the flaw detection apparatus according to the present invention through the operation of steps # 1 , # 3 , # 5 , # 7 , # 9 , and # 11 of fig1 . as a result , the flaw coefficients fa1 and fa2 for each samples with respect the target area ta wherein no contaminant or flaw which may be caused by a factor other than a signal impact is included . in sub block # 13 , &# 34 ; evaluating the distribution of flaw coefficients &# 34 ;, the distribution of thus obtained flaw coefficients is obtained , as shown in fig1 . in fig1 , a line l1 shows a set ( distribution ) of flaw coefficients with respect to the samples bearing the flaws within the allowable flaw size range , and a line l2 shows those with respect to the samples bearing the flaws over the allowable flaw size range . it is to be noted that each of sets of the flaw coefficients within the allowable range and over the allowable range can be separated by a predetermined value of flaw coefficient sfo in two group , as shown in fig1 . in next sub block # 15 , &# 34 ; determining the reference flaw coefficients &# 34 ;, the value sfo obtained in sub block # 13 is determined as a reference flaw coefficient for the flaw judgment . although the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be noted that various changes and modifications are apparent to those skilled in the art . such changes and modifications are to be understood as included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims unless they depart therefrom .	6
a first embodiment of a tubular machine according to the present invention will now be explained with reference to fig1 to 6 . in this first embodiment a series of axially spaced armature coils 1 are contained in a tube - shaped radially outer member 2 . the armature coils 1 are made of non - superconducting wire and are supported on a non - magnetic non - conducting structure . since there are no magnetic teeth to guide the flux around the armature coils 1 they need to be stranded and transposed to avoid eddy current losses , which could be achieved by using litz wire , for example . a typical diameter for the armature coils 1 would be 700 mm . as a result of the high current density in the superconducting coils 4 there is no need for a magnetic core to be associated with the armature coils 1 . the individual armature coils 1 are connected together to form a three - phase ac armature winding that is attached to a main power circuit connection ( not shown ). they are separated from each other in the axial direction by thin spacers 3 that are each substantially formed of glass fiber - reinforced epoxy and contain a plurality of radially - extending , circumferentially - spaced steel rods 3 a , as shown in fig3 . the rods 3 a project out of the spacers 3 and into the body of the outer member 2 and thereby provide improved heat transfer from the armature coils 1 to outer member 2 . the rods 3 a are electrically insulated from one another and are of small diameter so that significant eddy currents can not develop within them . the outer member 2 surrounding the armature coils 1 is made substantially of concrete and in a typical example may have an outer diameter of about 800 mm . the outer member 2 is preferably formed as a simple one - piece casting but it can also be formed from a series of axially stacked concrete laminations or cast in a number of axial sections . the concrete allows the armature coils 1 to be cooled by conduction through the concrete , optionally to a water jacket ( not shown ) on the outside surface . a tubular machine of this type might operate at an average power of 150 kw and a peak power of 1000 kw . a radially inner member 5 is positioned coaxially inside the outer member 2 such that there is a small radial air gap between the substantially cylindrical outer surface of the inner member and the substantially cylindrical inner surface of the outer member . superconducting coils 4 are located in a series of axially spaced slots at the outer surface of the inner member 5 that are defined between support sections 13 . the superconducting coils 4 are located inside a vacuum insulated cryostat 6 . the superconducting coils 4 are simple circular solenoid coils , wound from commercially available hts tape . for example , each coil 4 could consist of about 4000 turns of bscco - 2223 tape carrying 200 a , wherein the tape is approximately rectangular in cross - section with typical dimensions being 4 mm wide and 0 . 2 mm thick . the superconducting coils 4 are arranged in pairs with opposite polarity current in the two coils of each pair . the polarity of current flow is represented in fig4 by the arrows . bearing locations 7 are provided at each end of the inner member 5 . the bearings ( not shown ) may be sliding bearings , rolling bearings , active magnetic bearings or passive superconducting magnetic bearings , for example . when the tubular machine is in use , the outer member 2 is held stationary and the inner member 5 undergoes reciprocal movement within the outer member . the maximum stroke length for which this tubular machine is designed is equal to the difference in length between the axial length of the inner member 5 over which the superconducting coils 4 are disposed and the axial length of the outer member 2 over which the armature coils 1 are disposed . the armature coils 1 are disposed over a greater length than the superconducting coils 4 as they are much cheaper to form than the superconducting coils . the superconducting coils 4 remain concentric with the axial length of the outer member 2 containing the armature coils 1 as the inner member 5 undergoes reciprocating movement relative to the outer member . a cryostat 6 surrounds the superconducting coils 4 and insulates them from a radially inner region ( or core ) 9 of the inner member 5 . this region 9 is substantially solid and formed from mild steel . the cryostat 6 is supplied with a suitable coolant by a cryocooler 10 , which is situated at the end of the inner member 5 and reciprocates with it . an excitation system 11 for the superconducting coils 4 is situated at the same end of the inner member 4 and also reciprocates with it . the excitation system 11 consists of conventional power electronics , control and protection to supply dc current to the superconducting coils 4 . the excitation system 11 and cryocooler 10 are both supplied with power and from a remote source by a flexible cable ( not shown ). the axial length of the outer surface of the inner member 5 containing the superconducting coils 4 is formed by a sleeve 12 of high conductivity metal , for example copper or aluminum . this sleeve 12 forms a low resistance path for eddy currents in order to shield the superconducting coils 4 from ac magnetic flux that is caused by harmonics in the armature winding and by load changes , which would otherwise cause heating of the superconducting coils 4 . fig5 shows the inner member 5 with the sleeve 12 and cryostat 6 removed . the support sections 13 of the inner member 5 that form the slots for containing the superconducting coils 4 are clearly shown . the support sections 13 are maintained at approximately the same operating temperature as the superconducting coils 4 and may be made from any suitable non - magnetic material that has suitable mechanical and thermal properties at the operating temperature such as stainless steel . the space between the superconducting coils 4 , the support sections 13 and the inner wall of the cryostat 6 contains a high - grade vacuum ( less than 10 − 3 mbar ) together with multi - layer insulation to maintain a thermal barrier . the radially inner wall of the cooled section defined by the cryostat 6 is formed by a force tube 14 . the force tube 14 connects the support sections 13 , the superconducting coils 4 and the cryostat 6 to the shaft of the inner member 5 at one of its ends . as shown in fig6 , the force tube 14 is radially spaced apart from the shaft of the inner member 5 by a high grade vacuum and multi - layer insulation that provides a thermal barrier . the force tube 14 provides mechanical support to the cooled components and a temperature gradient between cooled components and the shaft of the inner member 5 , which is relatively warm . the force tube 14 is designed to keep the amount of heat that is conducted to the cold parts to an acceptable level . the force tube 14 may be formed from any relatively strong material with relatively low thermal conductivity , such as stainless steel or inconel ® ( high strength nickel - chromium - iron alloys ). alternatively , many composite materials could provide enough mechanical support and suitably low heat conduction . the radially inner region 9 of the inner member 5 extends along the axial length over which the superconducting coils 4 are contained and is substantially formed from solid iron . in this embodiment , the center of the radially inner region 9 is provided with an aperture 29 to provide a possible route for the coolant and power leads ( not shown ) from the cryocooler 10 and the excitation system 11 . however it is to be understood that this aperture is not a necessary part of the present invention and in some circumstances it may be preferable to have an entirely solid core to the inner member 5 and to take the coolant and current leads to the superconducting coil support structure at the end of the radially inner region 9 and use connecting leads of hts material between the individual coils . the radially inner region 9 provides a low reluctance flux path for the magnetic field created by the superconducting coils 4 . the remaining axial length of the inner member 5 outside of the superconducting coils 4 is formed as a hollow steel tube 16 in order to minimize the weight and cost of the inner member . the production of magnetic poles in the machine can be best understood with reference to fig7 . when the tubular machine is operating , each superconducting coil 4 has an electric current flowing around it . this means that there is a magnetic field surrounding each coil . the current in the superconducting coils that are axially adjacent to one another but separated by a support section 13 is made to flow in opposite directions so that the magnetic flux of the magnetic field surrounding each coil will be in the opposite direction to the flux of the magnetic field surrounding the axially adjacent coil or coils . these opposed magnetic fields force the magnetic flux in the radial direction in the space between each pair of superconducting coils 4 ( that is in the region occupied by the support sections 13 ) and create alternating north and south poles along the length of the superconducting winding . although the three axially inner superconducting coils 4 are shown as being formed from two axially adjacent and touching coils , this is only because these particular coils have a greater number of turns than the two end coils for the reasons given above . as the current in each coil is of the same polarity , as represented by the arrows in fig5 , the two touching superconducting coils should be thought of as a single coil . in other words , the superconducting winding formed by the axially spaced superconducting coils 4 has substantially the same effect as a row of permanent magnets . however , the field density that can be produced by the superconducting coils 4 is far greater than that which is produced by permanent magnets . in order to maintain a uniform field pattern along the length of the superconducting winding , the end coils 4 a and 4 b have a lower number of turns of bscco - 2223 tape than the central coils but have the same current supplied to them . each pair of superconducting coils 4 makes one pole of the tubular machine and the total number of poles is dependent on the rating of the machine . in the example shown in fig1 to 7 there are four poles . as described briefly above , the inner member 5 reciprocates relative to the outer member 2 and is supported at each end by the bearings ( not shown ). apart from the cooling and excitation of the superconducting coils 4 , the tubular machine of the present invention therefore operates in a manner that is substantially identical to conventional permanent magnet tubular machines . this embodiment of the invention can be operated as either a motor or a generator in the same manner as conventional tubular machines . a preferred application of this embodiment of the invention is as a generator for producing electricity from wave power in off - shore locations . the tubular machine would be connected to a power electronic converter ( not shown ) and in the machine &# 39 ; s simplest mode of operation this would convert the variable frequency electricity generated by the tubular machine into the fixed frequency needed for the electricity grid . fig8 shows a second embodiment of the present invention that is substantially the same as the first embodiment described above , except that the outer member 2 of the tubular machine additionally incorporates an electromagnetic shield 17 . in this particular example the electromagnetic shield 17 consists of approximately 180 radially extending planar steel fins or plates 18 that are fixed parallel to the axis of the tubular machine around the outside of the outer member 2 at regular circumferential intervals . the steel plates are typically about 10 mm thick but other thicknesses such as 5 mm , 20 mm , or even 50 mm may be used depending on the circumstances . the electromagnetic shield 17 prevents stray flux from the superconducting coils 4 escaping from the tubular machine during its operation . this is important because the superconducting coils 4 will be moving relative to its surroundings and this might be a problem if any electrically conducting structures are relatively nearby . the electromagnetic shield 17 is formed in this manner so that the plates 18 are parallel to , and therefore provide a low reluctance flux path in , the principal directions of the stray flux , which will be in the axial and radial directions of the tubular machine . the electromagnetic shield 17 is not circumferentially continuous as that would facilitate the flow of circumferential eddy currents and thereby introduce undesirable eddy current losses . although not shown , the plates 18 may protrude from the outer surface to act as cooling fins . fig9 shows a third embodiment of the present invention that is also substantially the same as the first embodiment described above , except that the outer member 2 of the tubular machine additionally incorporates an alternative electromagnetic shield 27 to that incorporated in the second embodiment . in this example the electromagnetic shield 27 consists of a plurality of axial steel rods that are formed in the outer member of the tubular machine at substantially regular radial and circumferential spacings . the steel rods are each identical and are of substantially circular cross - section with a diameter of approximately 10 mm . however it is to be understood that these dimensions are given as a guide only and it is equally possible to use rods of other cross section and diameter depending upon the size and design of the machine they are utilized in . the electromagnetic shield 27 operates in the same manner as the shield described in the second embodiment of the invention in that it prevents stray flux from the superconducting coils 4 escaping from the tubular machine during its operation . the electromagnetic shield 27 is formed in this manner so that the rods are axial , and therefore provide a low reluctance flux path for stray flux in that direction . the electromagnetic shield 27 is not circumferentially continuous as that would facilitate the flow of circumferential eddy currents and thereby introduce undesirable eddy current losses . an inner member 19 of a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig1 and 11 . the outer member of this embodiment is identical to that of the first embodiment and therefore is not shown . the inner member 19 is similar to that of the first embodiment except that the radially inner region ( or core ) 20 of the inner member 19 is cooled by a cryostat 21 to the same operating temperature as the superconducting coils 22 . the inner member 19 further consists of two end sections 26 which support the bearings ( not shown ) and are joined to the rest of the inner member by steel force tubes 23 . one of the end sections is fixed to a cryocooler 24 and an excitation cooler 25 , which operate in the same manner as in the first embodiment of the present invention . the portion of the inner member 19 that is radially inside the force tubes 23 is hollow in order to minimize its weight . the inner member 19 is shown with the cryostat 21 removed in fig1 . the radially inner region 20 is maintained at the same temperature as the superconducting coils 22 and is preferably formed of iron containing 9 % nickel . this material has suitable magnetic , thermal and mechanical properties at hts operating temperatures . magnetic materials with a higher proportion of nickel ( for example 36 % or 70 %) may also be used , but as the nickel content is increased the cost of the material increases and the saturation flux density of the material decreases , which is undesirable . the outer surface of the axial length of the inner member 19 containing the superconducting coils 22 is formed by a sleeve 25 of high conductivity metal , for example copper or aluminum . this sleeve 25 forms a low resistance path for eddy currents in order to shield the superconducting coils 22 from ac magnetic flux that is caused by harmonics in the armature winding and load changes . the superconducting coils 22 are formed in the same manner as in the first embodiment of the invention but are wound directly around the outside of the radially inner region 20 of the inner member 19 . they are separated from each other in the axial direction by support sections 24 in the same manner as the first embodiment of the present invention . however , in this embodiment the support sections 24 are composed of the same magnetic material ( 9 % nickel - iron ) as the radially inner region 20 . in this embodiment , force tubes 23 separate the radially inner region 20 from the end sections 26 which are formed in the same manner as the previously described embodiments . the cryostat 21 is fed with coolant from the cryocooler 24 in the same manner as the inner member of the first embodiment . the cryostat wall encloses the force tubes 23 , the superconducting coils 22 , the support sections 24 and the radially inner region 20 . they are all separated from the cryostat wall by a high - grade vacuum and multi - layer insulation to maintain a thermal barrier in order to be maintained at a suitable cryogenic operating temperature when the tubular machine is in use . otherwise , this embodiment of the present invention operates in an identical manner to the first embodiment .	8
the steps of chemical adsorption and alkylation can be carried out consecutively or simultaneously by mixing the proper gases and passing them through the cation exchange resin where both reactions occur . contrary to the prior art processes , the process of the present invention can be conducted at atmospheric pressure . the temperature for the alkylation generally ranges from 45 ° c . to 120 ° c ., with 60 ° to 100 ° c . being particulary preferred . higher temperatures than 120 ° c . tend to form dimers . the alkene which is absorbed on the cation exchange resin is selected depending on the desired final product . common alkenes in alkylation processes are propylene and butylene . any alkane which can be alkylated may be used in the process of the present invention , for example isobutane and iso - pentane . analogously any aromatic hydrocarbon which can be alkylated may be used , for example benzene and toluene . if benzene is reacted with propylene , cumene will be obtained as a final product . alkylation of toluene mainly results in alkyl - substitution in the para position . the cation exchange resin which is used in the claimed process is preferably based on polystyrene as matrix and preferably contains sulfonic acid groups as functional groups . for example , if r -- so 3 h is used as a cation exchange resin , the following reaction occurs with ethylene : since the adsorption reaction in step ( a ) is exothermic , an appropriate cooling is necessary to control the temperature . in the following , the process of the present invention is described in detail referring to the apparatus of fig1 and 2 . fig1 shows a tube with a fritted glass which holds the dry ion exchange resin in the hydrogen form . this tube is surrounded by a water jacket whose temperature is kept constant at 60 ° c . the gases to be reacted are passed downwards through the resin and the liquid products are collected and cooled at the bottom outlet . fig2 shows another embodiment of an apparatus to be used in the present invention . the feed to be alkylated is introduced through feed line 1 into reactor 2 containing tubes 3 filled with catalyst 4 . catalyst 4 is prevented from falling to collector space 5 by sieve 6 . tubes 3 are surrounded by liquid 7 having a boiling point corresponding to the alkylation temperature required . heater 8 provides heat to the liquid to start the reaction and condenser 9 condenses vapors of the boiling liquid 7 to control the exothermic alkylation reaction . liquid formed by alkylation drips through the catalyst beds to space 5 and then to pipe 10 where it is collected . non reacting gases escape through pipe 11 . if propylene and isobutane or butylene and isobutane are alkylated liquid 7 is methanol which boils at 60 ° c . if benzene and propylene are alkylated to cumene liquid 7 must boil at about 85 ° c . the pressure can be reduced to a vacuum if the reactants have a low vapor pressure to prevent dimerization of the alkenes . instead of a vertical flow a horizontal flow of the feed may also be used . a gas composition comprising 40 % of butylene , 40 % of isobutane and 20 % of n - butane was passed through a tube having a diameter of 10 mm . the height of the resin was 50 mm . the temperature of the water jacket was controlled at 60 ° c . ______________________________________ionic form hshape beadsmatrix polystyrenefunctional groups sulfonic acidbead size distribution ( min . 90 %) ( mm ) 0 . 315 - 1 . 6effective size (± 0 . 03 ) ( mm ) 0 . 55uniformity coefficient max . 1 . 8bulk density ( g / l ) 600 - 700moisture content (% wt .) & lt ; 0 . 5total capacity in exchange units ( min .) 4 . 5 eq / kg . ______________________________________ the upper part of the resin remained dry while the lower part remained wet , the products dripping down from the wet resin . the major part of the alkylation was performed in the vapor phase . using the same equipment with the same amount of resin as in example 1 , propylene gas ( 95 % pure ) was bubbled through benzene at a temperature of 59 ° c . mixed vapors of propylene and benzene ( approximately 50 / 50 by volume ) were passed downwards through the resin . the temperature of the water jacket was controlled at 85 ° c . the gas rate of benzene plus propylene was 20 g / h . the cumene production was 18 g / h .	2
fig1 is a perspective view of an overload clutch assembly 10 . the clutch assembly 10 acts between a shaft 12 and a housing 14 . an engagement gear 16 or the like is rotatable with the housing 14 . also shown is a mounting plate 18 for suitably mounting the assembly . fig2 is a cross - sectional view of the clutch assembly 10 through the housing 14 . the clutch assembly 10 preferably includes a plurality of stacked clutch plates or washers 20 through which the shaft 12 is inserted . fig3 is an exploded view of the stacked washers 20 . the washers 20 include preferably alternating small plates 22 and large plates 24 . the small plates 22 are keyed to the shaft 12 by a suitably shaped opening 26 through which the shaft 12 is inserted . the shaft 12 includes a bottom section 12 a including key surfaces that engage the corresponding surfaces in opening 26 . in this manner , the small plates 22 are rotated with rotation of the shaft 12 . the large plates 24 are keyed to the housing 14 by exterior key surfaces 28 . the key surfaces 28 engage correspondingly shaped surfaces 14 a within the housing 14 . with continued reference to fig2 , a cap member 30 is secured in the housing 14 preferably via a threaded connection and together with an o - ring 32 delimits an oil reservoir 34 within the housing 14 . the housing 14 is closed at its bottom and thus contains oil in the oil reservoir 34 . the cap member 30 includes a central opening 36 therein receiving a shaft 12 . a compression spring 37 is disposed over the shaft 12 between the cap member 30 and a top plate 38 engaging the washer stack 20 . a top plate 38 serves to distribute the spring force of the compression spring 37 . the spring 37 acts on one regard to maintain a minimum compression force on the stacked washers 20 . as shown in fig3 , each of the small plate washers 22 and the large plate washers 24 includes one or more oil grooves 40 therein . alternative configurations for the washer plates 22 , 24 are shown in fig4 , referenced as 22 ′, 24 ′. the oil grooves 40 serve to maintain a consistent film of oil on the washer surfaces by permitting oil in the reservoir to flow between the washers and thereby access the washer surfaces . of course , those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate alternative designs and configurations for the washer plates , and the invention is not necessarily meant to be limited to the described and illustrated structure . for example , any other arrangement may be utilized to permit oil from the oil reservoir 34 to flow onto the washer surfaces such as via through holes , slots , notches , etc . in use , as the shaft 12 is rotated , the housing 14 rotates , which in turn rotates the engagement gear 16 . upon the application of a torque exceeding a predetermined torque , the small plate washers 22 keyed to the shaft 12 will slip relative to the large plate washers 24 keyed to the housing 14 . as such , the shaft 12 will continue to rotate while the housing 14 remains stationary . a preferred material for the washers 22 , 24 is hardened steel , which provides excellent consistency and robustness . the collection of materials is very lightweight compared to conventional clutch arrangement . moreover , by immersing the washer stack 20 in an oil reservoir 34 , the predetermined torque over which the clutch assembly 10 is activated is accurate and consistent regardless of environmental conditions , such as temperature , humidity , etc . as the characteristics of the oil do not vary significantly in different environmental conditions or over time . the consistency is provided by the metal against metal oil film engagement , which is not attainable with a rubber brake pad or the like against a metal rotor . moreover , the performance of brake pads and similar rubber or synthetic products could vary considerably in different environmental conditions . the specific predetermined torque can be set for a specific application and can be adjusted by adjusting a spring force of the spring 37 , by changing the number of washers in the washer stack 20 , or by adjusting a position of the cap member 30 , e . g ., via the threaded connection to the housing 14 . a lower compression force by spring 37 reduces the predetermined torque , and a higher spring force increases the predetermined torque . with the structure configured as described herein , a torque range for activation / deactivation of the clutch can be 15 % or less . that is , assuming it is desirable for the shaft 12 to slip upon an application of 2 . 5 ft - lbs or higher , the structure described herein is consistent and accurate to ensure that a driving torque of 2 . 2 ft - lbs or lower will never activate the clutch , regardless of environmental conditions . this consistent but small window is beneficial in designing components in which the clutch assembly is incorporated . although the clutch assembly described herein is shown using a plurality or stack of washers 20 , the assembly may function properly with as little as a single plate member against a bottom wall of the housing 14 . the number of plate members / washers may be varied to vary the torque activation level and / or the weight of the assembly . a second component of the clutch assembly will be described with reference to fig5 and 6 . a stop plate 42 is coupled with a lower end of the shaft 12 . the mounting bracket 18 includes a fixed member 44 to which the rotating plate 42 is selectively engageable . in an idle position ( as shown in fig6 ), a spring force 46 acting below the engagement gear 16 urges the shaft toward a retracted position where the rotating plate 42 engages the fixed member 44 , thereby preventing rotation of the shaft 12 . in order to free the rotating plate 42 from the fixed member 44 , the operator is required to press down on the shaft 12 against the spring force 46 to clear the rotating plate 42 from the fixed member 44 . in the exemplary application to a mast lift described above , the shaft 12 may include an operating end 46 ( fig1 ) shaped to engage a motive power source . an exemplary motive power source is a hand - held power drill . in use , the power drill can be provided with a suitably - sized bit for engaging the shaft end 46 . the user engages the power drill with the shaft end 46 and presses down on the shaft 12 to displace the shaft 12 from its retracted position ( fig6 ) to its extended position ( fig5 ). subsequently , the user can activate the drill to rotate the shaft 12 . activation of the shaft 12 thus requires two independent actions , being press down and pull trigger . it is preferable that the two actions are performed simultaneously . it is further preferable that the shaft 12 be first pressed down as pulling the trigger without pressing down on the shaft 12 would activate the slip clutch assembly described above . in this manner , this provides a safety feature in the event the drill or other power source slips off the shaft 12 during use . moreover , the use of two independent actions satisfies ansi standard requirements . an alternative arrangement in the exemplary mast lift application utilizes a power pack that is securable over the shaft . the power pack includes an internal source of motive power to rotate the shaft 12 according to an activation button or the like on the power pack . when the power pack is attached to the unit , the power pack displaces the shaft 12 to the extended position . the power pack itself may include a two - action activator such as a lever with a deadman switch or the like . the clutch assembly described herein utilizes lightweight and inexpensive parts while performing accurately and consistently . the structure is robust and can withstand normal use over longer periods of time than with conventional assemblies . the clutch assembly enables efficient use of a hand - held power drill or the like to safely and efficiently provide a rotating force for a gear assembly while preventing damage due to overloading . while the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments , but on the contrary , is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims .	5
to understand the contemplated system it is first necessary to understand the prior art approach , the contemplated positioning of the instrument and the mathematical basis of the derivation of the signals corresponding to a phantom azimuth reference plane and a phantom glide slope reference plane from the reference planes produced by the transmitters . the configuration of present day instrument landing systems is shown in fig1 showing the location of azimuth transmitter 12 with azimuth reference plane 14 , the glide slope transmitter 16 , and the glide slope reference plane 18 in relation to the runway 10 . the glide path 20 is defined by the intersection of the two reference planes 14 and 18 . the instrument landing system contemplated herein has two similar left side and right side transmitters 24 and 26 shown in fig2 with their respective reference planes 28 and 30 in relation to the runway 10 . again the glide path 32 is defined by the intersection of two reference planes 28 and 30 . the receiver produces two output signal voltages in the usual manner . one of these output signals is a measure of the displacement of the aircraft above or below the right side reference plane and the other output signal is a measure of the displacement of the aircraft above or below the left side reference plane . it is , however , desirable to show the aircraft displacement to the right or left of an azimuth reference plane and displacement of the aircraft above or below a glide slope reference plane . the reason for preferring this conventional display mode is that it is the natural mode for aircraft control ( left or right and up or down ). the receiver output signals indicating above or below the left side reference plane and above or below the right side reference plane are combined in such a way as to indicate displacement of the aircraft to the left or right of a phantom azimuth reference plane and displacement above or below a phantom glide slope reference plane . these signals derived from the receiver output signals are displayed on the conventional panel instrument now in use , whose indications can be followed by the pilot in the conventional manner to follow the glide path . the means of transforming the receiver signals corresponding to displacements from the left and right side reference planes of fig2 to phantom azimuth and glide slope reference planes of the type shown in fig1 is explained by reference to fig3 . if the aircraft is located at some arbitrary point 0 in the figure , the radio receiver in the aircraft will produce two output signals proportional to the deviation of the aircraft position from the respective left side and right side reference planes . the length of lines oa and ob in the figure are assumed to be proportional to the output voltages of the two signals . it is required to derive from these two output signals , a new signal proportional to the length of the line od to represent deviation of 0 from a phantom azimuth reference plane . it is also required to derive from the first two signals , a second new signal proportional to the length of the line oc to represent the deviation of 0 from a phantom glide slope reference plane . thus , as indicated by fig3 a transformation is required to derive signals proportional to lengths od and oc from signals proportional to lengths oa and ob . this can be done by using the transformation equations for rotation of coordinates of a cartesian coordinate system , &# 34 ; standard mathematical tables , chemical rubber publishing co ., 12th edition , page no . 415 &# 34 ;. transformation of the x coordinate of a cartesian coordinate system by rotation of the axes by an angle θ about the origin gives : where x 1 and y 1 are the coordinates of x after rotation and also a counter - clockwise rotation means a positive angle and a clockwise rotation means a negative angle . referring to fig3 if the axis for the left side reference plane is rotated to the phantom glide slope reference plane equation ( 1 ) gives : if the axis for the right side reference plane is rotated to the phantom glide slope reference plane , equation ( 1 ) gives : thus by adding the received signal representing displacement from the left side reference plane to the received signal representing displacement from the right side reference plane , a signal is derived which is proportional to the displacement from a phantom glide slope reference plane . thus by subtracting the received signal representing displacement from the left side reference plane from the signal representing the displacement from the right side reference plane , a signal is derived which is proportional to the displacement from a phantom azimuth reference plane . the receiver output signals are in the form of d . c . voltages so that they can be adjusted for the respective proportionality constant 2 cos θ or 2 sin θ and then algebraically added or subtracted by series connection either aiding or opposing each other . the transformations used above assumed that there is a linear relation between the displacement from the left side reference plane and the corresponding receiver output signal and likewise for the right side reference plane . although this relation between displacement and signal strength may depart from linearity for large displacements , it will become more and more linear as the reference plane is approached and thus the display instrument reading becomes more and more accurate as the correct glide path is approached at which condition all net combined output signals converge to zero . in a practical embodiment of the system a reference plane is produced at each transmitter by means of projecting two microwave beams in diverging directions . each of these microwave beams carries a different low - frequency modulation which enables the receiver to distinguish the two beams by means of electrical filters which are tuned to the respective modulation frequencies . the microwave beams are projected into space by means of antennas designed to direct the radio waves . one type of such antenna , known as the &# 34 ; horn antenna &# 34 ;, shown in fig4 a and 4b , and has a wave guide 34 and an h - flare pyramid horn 36 . for design data on horn antennas see &# 34 ; antenna engineering handbook &# 34 ;, mcgraw - hill book co ., first edition , chapter 10 , pages 10 - 1 to 10 - 17 . the dimensions of the horn 36 and the waveguide 34 are shown in units λ of the wavelength for which the horn is to be used . the waveguide which is operated in the te 10 mode produces an electric field e in the direction shown by the arrow . a typical radiation pattern of such an antenna is depicted in fig5 which shows how the signal strength at a receiver would change for various angular positions of the receiver antenna as measured from the horn axis . the relative field strength computed for the h - flare pyramidal horn shown in fig4 a and 4b is shown in fig5 . the horn directs the radiation towards the axis . the computed relative field strength for various directions indicated by angle α in fig4 is shown in the curve of fig5 . by projecting the two beams so that the two horn axes diverge by an angle of say 10 ° , the receiver would distinguish two signals of different amplitude . these signal amplitudes are shown in fig6 where the angular position of the receiver antenna is measured relative to the plane which bisects the divergence angle between the two horn axes ( instead of relative to a horn axis as shown in fig5 ), i . e ., the signal amplitudes produced at the receiver output by each of the two horns of one transmitter are shown in fig6 . the net signal produced by balancing these signals against each other are shown by the length of the vertical arrows . the bisecting plane defines the receiver antenna location where the two signals are equal in amplitude . by balancing these two signals against each other they will cancel when the receiver is in this bisecting plane or &# 34 ; reference plane &# 34 ; and the net signal will change in amplitude and polarity as the receiver is moved to one side or the other of this reference plane . the net signals indicated in fig6 are plotted against the angular position of the receiver relative to the transmitter reference plane in fig7 which also shows how the net output signal changes with displacement from the reference plane . this net output signal changes quite linearly with displacement near the reference plane where this is of maximum importance . at large angles away from the reference plane , the net signal amplitude decreases again but the signal still shows the correct sensing for the location of the reference plane which is the essential information when the receiver is far off the reference plane . the shape of the characteristic of fig7 is governed by the particular antenna field pattern ( fig5 ) and the chosen divergence angle between the two horns . the two transmitters which are located in symmetrical positions on opposite sides of the runway are alike except that their antennas are tilted in opposite directions as indicated in fig2 . the configuration of the antennas for one of the transmitters will now be described in greater detail . fig4 a and 4b show two views of a single h - flare pyramidal horn 36 . the horn axis and the e - field direction define an axial e - plane . fig8 shows a pair of h - flare pyramidal horns 36 and 36a in a configuration for one of the two transmitters . the horn axes are shown with a divergence angle of 10 °. the two horns are separated laterally by about a wavelength to avoid any significant coupling between the electromagnetic fields of the two horns . the plane which bisects the intersection of the axial e - planes of the two horns defines the reference plane for this pair of horns . a &# 34 ; median axis &# 34 ; for this pair of horns lies in the reference plane and is located symmetrically between the two horns and is perpendicular to the paper in the end view of fig8 . the transmitter horns may be oriented by aligning the &# 34 ; median axis &# 34 ; parallel to the runway and then pointing the &# 34 ; median axis &# 34 ; upwards at the desired glide path angle γ shown in fig2 . the reference plane is then rotated about the median axis until it passes through the desired touch - down point , on the runway . the angle which the reference plane now makes with the horizontal is designated θ as shown in fig2 . carrying out the same procedure for both transmitters defines the desired glide path by the intersection of the two reference planes . this intersection will be parallel to the median axes of both transmitters and will have the desired glide angle γ . the angle θ can be chosen as desired by positioning the two transmitters relative to the desired touch - down point . the ratio of the tangent of the glide path angle , tan γ , to the tangent of beam tilt angle , tan θ is equal to the ratio of the transmitter displacement from the runway center to the transmitter displacement measured along the runway to the touch - down point . thus the transmitters may be located at any convenient positions by the lines defined by this ratio . it was found by experience that an angle θ of 20 ° is quite satisfactory . the glide slope angle θ is determined by aircraft characteristics and is usually kept in a range of 4 ° to 6 °. thus for θ of 20 ° and γ of 5 °, for example , the ratio would be 0 . 24 which would require the transmitter to be positioned about four times as far from the touch - down point measured along the runway as its displacement from the runway center . since the glide path angle γ is defined by the &# 34 ; median axis &# 34 ; angle position , this angle could be controlled by a suitable mechanism controlling the &# 34 ; median axis &# 34 ; position of the transmitter antennas from a remote location . the transmitter circuit is shown schematically in fig9 and has a power supply 38 , a 5 gigahertz oscillator 40 , a power divider 42 , and one 90 hz and one 120 hz modulator 44 and 44a . the circuit is the same for each of the two transmitters . the two transmitters could be designed to operate at the same carrier frequency , say of 5 gigahertz , with resultant simplification of the receiver , and differ only in the modulation frequencies . each transmitter has two low frequency modulation frequencies which permit separation at the receiver of the individual signals from each horn . the components of microwave oscillator , power divider and modulators comprise devices that are well known to those skilled in the art . the modulation frequencies shown as examples herein are 90 hz and 120 hz for one transmitter while those of the other transmitter are 150 hz and 200 hz . the configuration of the pyramidal horns shown in fig9 is a possible alternative to that shown in fig8 . the whole structure of the transmitter shown in fig9 can be assembled as a rigid unit and attached to a support base with suitable adjustable gimbeling to permit the alignment of the angles γ and θ described above . the largest components are the waveguide horns which would have apertures of 36 cm by 9 cm and a length of 54 cm for the indicated carrier frequency of 5 gigahertz . for higher carrier frequencies , the wavelength would be shorter and the dimensions would be scaled down proportionately to the wavelength . the receiver circuit is shown schematically in fig1 and includes a dipole antenna 46 , tuneable receiver 48 , first detector 50 , automatic gain control 52 , narrow bandpass filters 54a , 54b , 54c , and 54d ( nbpf ), and second detectors 56a , 56b , 56c , 56d , are all well known to those skilled in the art . the second detector outputs are shown to be balanced against each other for signals received from each of the transmitters respectively . a simple resistance divider is shown for adjusting the output signal amplitude to correspond to 2 cos θ and 2 sin θ for deriving the &# 34 ; phantom &# 34 ; vertical and horizontal reference planes of fig3 . there are other ways of accomplishing this adjustment , as for example , by adjusting the sensitivity of the indicating instrument ( which is in effect a pair of voltmeters ). to use the outputs as shown , the required series opposing and series aiding conditions cannot both be accomplished simultaneously by direct circuit connections . these effects of either series aiding or series opposing ( or both ) can be produced directly in the indicating instrument by constructing the &# 34 ; voltmeters with a pair of excitation coils which are electrically isolated . these excitation coils are fed with the d . c . detector output voltages directly and can be poled with opposing magnetic fields for indicating the phantom azimuth plane of fig3 and can be poled with aiding magnetic fields for indicating the &# 34 ; phantom glide slope plane &# 34 ; of fig3 . the system as described will allow the pilot to follow the prescribed glide path by keeping the indicator cross pointers centered . if the pilot wishes to follow a different glide path than that of angle γ for which the transmitters are aligned , this may be done in the following way : fig7 indicates the net output signal at the receiver produced by one of the two transmitters and indicates how the reference plane is established by a zero signal output . the two beams of the transmitter , that is the upper beam and the lower beam , have equal intensities as shown in fig6 . at the receiver it is a simple matter to reduce the signal voltage output from one of the beams , for example , the upper beam of the left transmitter . the curves in fig1 show how such a signal voltage reduction causes a shift in the balance point where the two signals are equal and will balance out . it is this balance point which establishes the reference plane for the pair of beams and therefore the reference plane for this transmitter has been shifted to a new position . if the signal voltage output from the upper beam of the right transmitter is accordingly reduced in the same proportion as the first , a like amount of shift will occur in the reference plane of the right beacon . these new reference planes will correspond to the increased glide path angle established by the intersection of the two new reference planes . by reducing the lower beam output signals , the shift in reference planes will establish a decrease in the glide path angle . the control for these signal adjustments can be made available to the pilot so that he can adjust the glide path angle as desired . a simple means for making the above - detailed adjustments in the output signal voltages of the receiver is shown in fig1 . the two potentiometers are linked together mechanically so that equal changes are made in the signals from the left and right transmitters . it is also possible to shift the virtual intersection of the left and right reference beams to the left or right at the receiver ( instead of up and down as described above ). this is done by reducing the lower beam signal for one transmitter while reducing the upper beam signal for the other transmitter . the means for doing this with linked potentiometers controllable by the pilot is analogous to the means described above . this allows the pilot to select a different phantom azimuth plane if he so chooses . the flight path display instrument connected to the receiver is shown schematically to indicate polarity of the excitation coils for producing the required adding of signals ( for glide slope ) and subtracting of signals ( for azimuth ). each indicator element of the flight path display instrument has four terminals 1x , 2x , 3x , 4x , and 1y , 2y , 3y , 4y , respectively which are connected to corresponding terminals 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 of the receiver . potentiometers for terminals 1 and 3 are linked mechanically to control signals from the two transmitters together . additional advantages of the instrument landing system herein described are the following . an aircraft will cast a &# 34 ; shadow &# 34 ; as it flies through a microwave beam cutting off the beam from any other aircraft flying in this &# 34 ; shadow &# 34 ;. the &# 34 ; shadows &# 34 ; produced by the laterally displaced transmitters of the instrument landing system herein contemplated will diverge to either side of an aircraft following the glide path and , thus , the aircraft will not cut off the beam from a second aircraft following it on the glide path . a unique advantage of the instrument landing system herein contemplated is the ability to control the glide slope angle by a simple adjustment at the receiver aboard the aircraft . this allows the pilot to use steep approach angles from high altitudes and to reduce this to lesser approach angles at lower altitudes and , indeed , to program a flared out approach path . also it is possible to control the glide path azimuth by an additional simple adjustment at the receiver aboard the aircraft . although the instrument landing system has been described herein as using microwaves , it is possible to use any suitable means for establishing radio beams in space to define two reference planes such that an appropriate radio receiver picking up the radio beams will produce output signals which indicate the displacement of the radio receiver antenna from each of the reference planes . a d . c . output signal from the receiver can indicate the amount of the displacement by the signal voltage and the sense of the displacement ( up or down ) by the signal polarity .	6
a description will be given of embodiments of the document managing system , the document managing apparatus and the document managing method according to the present invention , by referring to fig2 and the subsequent figures . fig2 is a diagram showing a structure of a first embodiment of the document managing system according to the present invention . the document managing system shown in fig2 has a first document managing apparatus 1 and a second document managing apparatus 2 . each of the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 may be a dedicated server apparatus for exclusive use or , an apparatus , such as a multi function peripheral ( mfp ), having functions other than the document managing function . the first document managing apparatus 1 has a user identification ( uid ) managing part 11 for managing uids , a document managing part 12 for managing documents , a document database ( db ) 13 forming a storage for storing the documents , an access control list ( acl ) table 14 that records access right information related to access rights to the documents , and an export and import part 15 exporting and importing the documents and the acl . similarly , the second document managing apparatus 2 has a user identification ( uid ) managing part 21 for managing uids , a document managing part 22 for managing documents , a document database ( db ) 23 forming a storage for storing the documents , an access control list ( acl ) table 24 that records access right information related to access rights to the documents , and an export and import part 25 exporting and importing the documents and the acl . the uid is not limited to the kind of uid that is input at the time of the authentication or the like , and may be any suitable uid indicating user attributes such as the post ( group , department , etc . ), the position and the authority ( authorized limits of rights or power ). in addition to the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 , the document managing system has a uid generating apparatus 3 for generating uids that are used in common between the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 . of course , the number of document managing apparatuses provided in the document managing system is of course not limited to two . when storing the document in the document db 13 in the first document managing apparatus 1 , the document managing part 12 acquires the uid from the uid managing part 11 , and sets the acquired uid in the acl table 14 in correspondence with the document id . in this state , the uid managing part 11 acquires from the uid generating apparatus 3 a common uid that is common to the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 , and this common uid is reflected to the acl table 14 . similarly , when storing the document in the document db 23 in the second document managing apparatus 2 , the document managing part 22 acquires the uid from the uid managing part 21 , and sets the acquired uid in the acl table 24 in correspondence with the document id . in this state , the uid managing part 21 acquires from the uid generating apparatus 3 a common uid that is common to the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 , and this common uid is reflected to the acl table 24 . hence , the uid can be made common between the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 even when the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 are independent of each other . consequently , even when the documents are distributed , moved or integrated between the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 , it is possible to avoid an inconvenient situation where the user who is permitted to access a target document in one of the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 becomes unable to access the same target document in the other of the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 . fig3 is a diagram for explaining a document distribution in this first embodiment of the document managing system . when distributing the document from the first document managing apparatus 1 to the second document managing apparatus 2 , the export and import part 15 of the first document managing apparatus 1 distributes , as export data d 1 , the data of the document ( that is , the document data ) and the acl data . on the other hand , the second document managing apparatus 2 receives the document data and the acl data as import data d 2 , and stores the document data in the document db 23 and reflects the acl data in the acl table 24 ( that is , modifies the document id ), so as to maintain access right consistency . fig4 is a diagram showing a screen for explaining an export operation . in fig4 , a document 41 that is to be exported is selected by a client software of the first document managing apparatus 1 or on an operation panel of an mfp , and an “ export ” button in a pop - up menu 42 that is displayed is selected using a right - click of a mouse or the like , so as to instruct an export process . then , a storage location of the export data is specified , and the execution of the export process is instructed . the export and import part 15 shown in fig3 inputs the document id , and retrieves from the document db 13 the document data corresponding to the document id . in addition , export and import part 15 obtains the acl data corresponding to the document id from the acl table 14 , and changes the document id within the obtained acl data to an indefinite value . the export data may be moved to the second document managing apparatus 2 by any suitable means , such as ( a ) sharing a disk in the network , ( b ) transferring the export data using the network by a file transfer protocol ( ftp ) or the like , and ( c ) using a removable storage medium such as an universal serial bus ( usb ) memory key and an external hard disk drive ( hdd ). fig5 is a diagram showing a screen for explaining an import operation . in fig5 , a logical storage location 51 of the document , such as a folder , for storing the imported document , is selected by a client software of the second document managing apparatus 2 or on an operation panel of an mfp , and an “ import ” button 53 in a pop - up menu 52 that is displayed is selected using a right - click of a mouse or the like , so as to instruct an import process . then , the import data is specified , and the execution of the import process is instructed . the export and import part 25 shown in fig3 inputs the export data that includes the document data and the acl data , registers the document data in the document db 23 , and obtains a new document id . next , the export and import part 25 updates the document id within the acl data using the new document id , and registers the acl data having the updated document id in the acl table 24 . instead of carrying out the export operation , the first document managing apparatus 1 may directly carry out a distribution operation . in this case , the document that is to be distributed is selected by the client software of the first document managing apparatus 1 or on the operation panel of the mfp , so as to instruct a distribution process . in addition , the first document managing apparatus 1 specifies the second document managing apparatus 2 as the distribution destination and the specifies the logical storage location of the document , such as the folder , within the second document managing apparatus 2 , so as to instruct the execution of the distribution process . the distribution operation described above is realized by successively carrying out the export process and the import process in this manner by the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 . therefore , by providing the uid generating apparatus 3 externally to the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 and independently of the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 , the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 can share the services provided by the uid generating apparatus 3 . as a result , it is possible to generate the common uid that is common to the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 ( that is , common to a plurality of document managing apparatuses ), and to provide the same uid with respect to the same user . hence , it becomes unnecessary to reassign the access rights to documents when the documents are distributed , moved or integrated among a plurality of document managing apparatuses . fig6 is a diagram showing a structure of a second embodiment of the document managing system according to the present invention . in fig6 , those parts that are the same as those corresponding parts in fig2 are designated by the same reference numerals , and a description thereof will be omitted . in this second embodiment , the uid generating apparatus 3 is formed by a lightweight directory access protocol ( ldap ) server , and the uid managing parts 11 and 21 of the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 are formed by user authentication for user directory ( uaud ) parts in accordance therewith . fig7 a and 7b are diagrams for explaining a uid generating process of this second embodiment of the document managing system . when the user is specified and the uid acquisition is requested from the uid managing part 11 ( or 21 ) of the document managing apparatus 1 ( or 2 ) to the uid generating apparatus 3 in a step s 1 shown in fig7 a , the ldap server which forms the uid generating apparatus 3 returns a fully qualified domain name ( fqdn ), which is a global unique name of the user , in a step s 2 . then , the uid managing part 11 ( or 21 ) generates the uid from the fqdn in a step s 3 . fig7 b shows a logical format of the uid of this embodiment . the uid shown in fig7 b has an identifier for indicating a type of the user or user group , a user space for identifying a type of the database that stores the user information , and the fqdn that is acquired from the ldap server . fig8 is a diagram for explaining an acl setting process of this second embodiment of the document managing system . after the uid managing part 11 ( or 21 ) generates the uid in the step s 3 shown in fig8 , the uid managing part 11 ( or 21 ) transfers the uid to the document managing part 12 ( or 22 ) in a step s 4 . the document managing part 12 ( or 22 ) acquires the document id from the document db 13 ( or 23 ) in a step s 5 , and sets the acquired document id in the acl table 14 ( or 24 ) in a step s 6 . fig9 is a diagram showing the acl table 14 ( or 24 ). in the acl table 14 ( or 24 ) shown in fig9 , the uid and the access right are recorded in the acl table 14 ( or 24 ) in correspondence with the document id . in fig9 , rw indicates the right to make access by referring or updating , and r indicates the right to make access by referring . fig1 is a diagram showing a structure of a third embodiment of the document managing system according to the present invention . in fig1 , those parts that are the same as those corresponding parts in fig6 are designated by the same reference numerals , and a description thereof will be omitted . in fig1 , domain name ( dn ) compressing and expanding parts 16 and 26 are additionally provided in the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 , respectively . the dn compressing and expanding part 16 compresses and expands the uid that is set in the acl table 14 , and the dn compressing and expanding part 26 compresses and expands the uid that is set in the acl table 24 . otherwise , the structure of this third embodiment is the same as that of the second embodiment shown in fig6 . when the ldap server is used as the uid generating apparatus 3 , the maximum length of the fqdn data that is obtained therefrom cannot be prescribed in advance . on the other hand , in order to enable the document managing apparatus to create the acl table that manages the acl , it is inconvenient from the point of view of prescribing the format of the acl table if the maximum length of the global unique name of the user cannot be prescribed , as is the case of the fqdn data . hence , in this third embodiment , the fqdn that is obtained from the uid generating apparatus 3 is not used as it is when generating the uid , but is compressed into a substitute fqdn that can be accommodated within the acl table even in the case of a relatively long fqdn . in other words , it is possible to extend the limit of the maximum length of the fqdn that is recordable in the acl table . fig1 is a diagram for explaining a uid generating process of this third embodiment of the document managing system . in fig1 , the fqdn that is obtained from the uid generating apparatus 3 by the uid managing part 11 ( or 21 ) of the document managing apparatus 1 ( or 2 ) is compressed by the dn compressing and expanding part 16 ( or 26 ) into a compressed fqdn in binary data state , in a step s 11 . any suitable known compression techniques may be used for the compression of the fqdn , but on an average , it is possible to obtain a compression rate ( or efficiency ) on the order of approximately 70 %. then , the dn compressing and expanding part 16 ( or 26 ) generates the substitute fqdn in a step s 12 by converting the compressed fqdn into text such as base 64 , so that the substitute fqdn in a text data state may be used as a portion of the uid . the data size slightly increases by this conversion into the text , but the compression rate ( or efficiency ) on the order of approximately 50 % can be anticipated by the combination of the compression and the conversion into the text . fig1 is a diagram for explaining another uid generating process of this third embodiment of the document managing system . in this case , instead of directly compressing the fqdn that is obtained from the uid generating apparatus 3 , a normalizing process is carried out in a step s 21 to remove spaces ( which should originally be ignored ) before and after a delimiter that may be included in the fqdn . steps s 22 through s 24 that are carried out thereafter are the same as the steps s 11 through s 13 shown in fig1 , except that the step s 22 compresses the fqdn that has been removed of the space . therefore , by compressing the fqdn as shown in fig1 or fig1 , it is possible to extend the limit of the maximum length of the fqdn that is usable for the acl . in addition , it is possible to acquire the original fqdn by carrying out an expanding operation in the dn compressing and expanding part 16 ( or 26 ) to expand the substitute fqdn under the control of the uid managing part 11 ( or 21 ). accordingly , the document managing apparatus 1 ( or 2 ) can make the access to the ldap server which forms the uid generating apparatus 3 , in a normal manner . fig1 is a diagram showing a structure of a fourth embodiment of the document managing system according to the present invention . in fig1 , those parts that are the same as those corresponding parts in fig6 are designated by the same reference numerals , and a description thereof will be omitted . in fig1 , hash tables 17 and 27 are additionally provided in the first and second document managing apparatuses 1 and 2 , respectively . in this fourth embodiment , the fqdn that is obtained from the uid generating apparatus 3 is not used as it is when generating the uid , similarly as in the case of the third embodiment described above , and the fqdn is subjected to a hash process , so that the fqdn that can be accommodated within the acl table even in the case of a relatively long fqdn . more particularly , the uid managing part 11 ( or 21 ) of the document managing apparatus 1 ( or 2 ) carries out the hash process with respect to the fqdn , and records a hash value and the original fqdn in correspondence with each other in the hash table 17 ( or 27 ). in addition , the hash value ( or hash code ) of the fqdn data and a predetermined number of header ( or leading ) bytes of the fqdn data are set in the acl table 14 ( or 24 ) as a substitute uid . fig1 is a diagram showing a uid generating process of this fourth embodiment of the document managing system . in fig1 , the uid managing part 11 ( or 21 ) of the document managing apparatus 1 ( or 2 ) calculates the hash value using an algorithm such as md5 , based on the fqdn obtained from the uid generating apparatus 3 , and sets the calculated hash value in the hash table 17 ( or 27 ) in correspondence with the original fqdn , in a step s 31 . in this case , the hash values obtained from the same fqdn will become the same , but in order to maintain the hash value to a small size , a plurality of fqdns are allowed to correspond to the same hash value . it is assumed that the fqdn is normalized to remove the unnecessary spaces prior to carrying out the hash process . then , the uid managing part 11 ( or 21 ) regards the n header ( or leading ) bytes of the original fqdn , the delimiter (#) and the hash value as the substitute fqdn , and generates the uid by combining an identifier and a user space , in a step s 32 . the n header ( or leading ) bytes of the original fqdn are included in the substitute fqdn in order to enable the fqdn to be specified , since a plurality of fqdns are allowed to correspond to the same hash value . the fqdn is prescribed by the user name , host name , sub domain name , domain name , organization type and country code , in this order . the identification of the fqdn becomes more difficult towards the latter portion of this order , but since there is no information overlap at the header portion of the fqdn ( that is , the information in the header portions of the fqdns do not match ), it is possible to specify the fqdn by the header portion . by generating the uid from the fqdn through the conversion into the hash value , the hash value having an arbitrary length can be made to uniquely correspond to the fqdn and be used as the substitute uid . in addition , the uid managing part 11 ( or 21 ) can acquire the original fqdn from the hash table 17 ( or 27 ) by carrying out a restoration operation with respect to the substitute fqdn . accordingly , the document managing apparatus 1 ( or 2 ) can make the access to the ldap server which forms the uid generating apparatus 3 , in a normal manner . this application claims the benefit of japanese patent applications no . 2005 - 315056 filed oct . 28 , 2005 and no . 2006 - 278079 filed oct . 11 , 2006 , in the japanese patent office , the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference . further , the present invention is not limited to these embodiments , but various variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention .	6
an embodiment provides a dynamic caller display , which shows not just the caller &# 39 ; s name but also a condition the caller expects the recipient to meet . in an embodiment , the recipient can be notified of the expectations of the caller prior to receiving the call . in an embodiment , the caller id on the recipient &# 39 ; s telephone shows a dynamic message such as , for example , “ spouse urgent private ” that indicates that the calling spouse is calling regarding something urgent and expects privacy for the call . in an embodiment , when the recipient spouse sees this information on their caller id display on the telephone , the recipient spouse knows to pick up the phone right away and to find a location to speak privately . in an embodiment , when the recipient receives the call , the caller will be automatically notified of the recipient &# 39 ; s condition . in an additional embodiment , the caller is notified of the recipient &# 39 ; s condition prior to the recipient receiving the call . if the caller is satisfied with the recipient &# 39 ; s condition , the call is placed ; otherwise , the call is terminated . in another embodiment , a condition checker module checks the condition of the caller and the condition of the recipient and automatically determines if the call will be placed or not . in an embodiment , if the condition check module determines that the call will not be placed , the condition checker module will continue to monitor the conditions of both the recipient and the caller until both conditions match and will then place the call . in yet another embodiment , the caller display shown on the recipient &# 39 ; s telephone is a secret code that is understood by the recipient . in an embodiment , a caller display manager module enables the recipient to pre - map a list of secret codes to a particular caller . in an embodiment , the recipient can pre - map the caller &# 39 ; s identity to a list of secret code such as “ pizza order ,” “ pickup ready ,” “ deli order ,” etc . in an embodiment , the caller &# 39 ; s identity can be randomly mapped to one of the secret codes set by the recipient . turning now to fig1 , a system 100 for implementing dynamic call management and display will now be described . in an embodiment , the system 100 includes one or more host system computers 102 executing computer instructions for dynamic call management and display . the one or more host system computers 102 may operate in any type of environment that is capable of executing a software application . one or more host system computers 102 may comprise a high - speed computer processing device , such as a mainframe computer , to manage the volume of operations governed by an entity for which a dynamic call management and display 108 process is executing . in an embodiment , the one or more host system computers 102 are part of an enterprise ( e . g ., a commercial business ) that implements the dynamic call management and display 108 . in an embodiment , the system 100 depicted in fig1 includes one or more caller systems 104 and recipient systems 106 through which users at one or more geographic locations may contact the one or more host system computers 102 . the caller systems 104 are coupled to the one or more host system computers 102 via one or more networks 110 . in an embodiment , the caller systems 104 communicate with the recipient systems 106 over the one or more networks 110 . each of the caller systems 104 and the recipient systems 106 , collectively call systems , may be implemented using a general - purpose computer executing a computer program for carrying out the processes described herein . in an embodiment , the caller systems 104 and the recipient systems 106 are telephone handsets including one or more of a standard telephone , a cellular telephone , a smart phone , a voice over ip ( voip ) telephone , or any such communication device as is known in the art . in an embodiment , the caller systems 104 and / or the recipient systems 106 are gps enabled and generate gps information including coordinates and speed . in another embodiment , the caller systems 104 and / or recipient systems 106 include one or more accelerometers for detecting movement and acceleration . the caller systems 104 and the recipient systems 106 may be personal computers ( e . g ., a laptop , a personal digital assistant , a mobile device ) or host attached terminals . it will be understood that in an embodiment , the caller systems 104 and the recipient systems 106 may be heterogeneous systems . by way of non - limiting example , a caller system 104 may be a computer operating over a voip system , and the recipient may be a standard telephone system . in an embodiment , the caller system 104 and recipient system 106 are homogeneous systems such as cellular telephones , or any other telephonic device as is known in the art . the networks 110 may be any type of known network including , but not limited to , a wide area network ( wan ), a local area network ( lan ), a global network ( e . g ., the internet ), a virtual private network ( vpn ), an intranet and a telephone network . the networks 110 may be implemented using a wireless network or any kind of physical network implementation known in the art . the caller systems 104 and the recipient systems 106 may be coupled to the one or more host system computers 102 through multiple networks ( e . g ., intranet and internet ) so that not all caller systems 104 are coupled to the one or more host system computers 102 through the same network . one or more of the caller systems 104 , one or more recipient systems 106 , and the one or more host system computers 102 may be connected to the networks 110 in a wireless fashion . in one embodiment , the networks 110 include an intranet and one or more caller systems 104 and recipient systems 106 executing an application ( e . g ., a web browser ) to contact the one or more host system computers 102 through the networks 110 . in an embodiment , the storage device 112 includes a data repository with data relating to the dynamic call management and display 108 by the system 100 , as well as other data / information desired by the entity representing the one or more host system computers 102 of fig1 a . the storage device 112 is logically addressable as a consolidated data source across a distributed environment that includes networks 110 . information stored in the storage device 112 may be retrieved and manipulated via the one or more host system computers 102 , the caller systems 104 , and / or the recipient systems 106 . in an embodiment , the storage device 112 includes one or more databases containing , e . g ., dynamic call management and display data , and corresponding configuration parameters , values , methods , and properties , as well as other related information as will be discussed more fully below . it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the storage device 112 may also comprise other structures , such as an xml file on the file system or distributed over a network ( e . g ., one of networks 110 ), or from a data stream from another server located on one of the one or more networks 110 . in addition , all or a portion of the storage device 112 may alternatively be located on one of the caller systems 104 , and or the recipient systems 106 . the one or more host system computers 102 depicted in the system of fig1 may be implemented using one or more servers operating in response to a computer program stored in a storage medium accessible by the server . the one or more host system computers 102 may operate as a network server ( e . g ., a web server ) to communicate with the caller systems 104 and the recipient systems 106 . the one or more host system computers 102 handle sending and receiving information to and from the caller systems 104 and the recipient systems 106 and can perform associated tasks . the one or more host system computers 102 may also include a firewall to prevent unauthorized access to the one or more host system computers 102 and enforce any limitations on authorized access . for instance , an administrator may have access to the entire system and have authority to modify portions of the system . a firewall may be implemented using conventional hardware and / or software as is known in the art . the one or more host system computers 102 may also operate as an application server . the one or more host system computers 102 execute one or more computer programs to provide dynamic call management and display 108 . in an alternate embodiment , the caller systems 104 and / or recipient systems 106 may include a stand - alone software application for performing a portion or all of the processing described herein . as previously described , it is understood that separate servers may be utilized to implement the network server functions and the application server functions . alternatively , the network server , the firewall , and the application server may be implemented by a single server executing computer programs to perform the requisite functions . it will be understood that the execution of the call management and display processes and methods described in fig1 may be implemented as modules in hardware , software executing on hardware , or a combination thereof . fig2 illustrates a block diagram of a call manager 200 in accordance with an embodiment . the call manager 200 is executed by the caller management and display 108 . in an additional embodiment , the call manager 200 is executed on the host system 102 directly . the call manager 200 includes a caller display manager module 202 . in an embodiment , the caller display manager module 202 executes within the dynamic call management and display 108 of fig1 . the caller display manager module 202 manages information that is displayed on a caller system 104 and / or a recipient system 106 . in an embodiment , the caller display manager module 202 includes a condition checker module 204 . in an embodiment , the condition checker module 204 executes within the dynamic call management and display 108 of fig1 . the condition checker module 204 manages a call between the caller system 104 and the recipient system 106 . the condition checker module 204 matches call conditions set at the caller system 104 with call conditions set at the recipient system 106 , and , if the conditions match , the condition checker module 204 will connect the call from the caller system 104 to the recipient system 106 . in an embodiment , if the conditions do not match the condition checker module 204 presents the caller system 104 with options to either terminate the call , connect the call at a future time , or other options as will be described in more detail below . in an embodiment , the condition checker module 204 terminates the call if the conditions do not match . in an embodiment , the caller display manager module 202 includes both the caller display manager module 202 and the condition checker module 204 . in an embodiment , a caller system 104 initiates a call to a recipient system 106 through the network 208 . the condition checker module 204 receives the call and receives the caller &# 39 ; s conditions . the caller &# 39 ; s conditions indicate one or more of : the reason for the call , the urgency of the call , the caller &# 39 ; s emotional state , the condition that the caller needs the recipient , or the recipient &# 39 ; s environment to be in , and any other information that the caller may need to transmit to the recipient . in an embodiment , the condition checker module 204 communicates with the recipient and retrieves the recipient &# 39 ; s condition from the recipient system 106 . in an alternate embodiment , the recipient sets their condition in the call manager 200 prior to the caller initiating the call , and the condition checker module 204 receives the recipient &# 39 ; s condition from , for example , the storage device 112 of the call manager 200 . in an additional embodiment , the condition checker module 204 determines the recipient &# 39 ; s condition automatically . in an embodiment , the condition checker module 204 may determine that the recipient is driving by accessing gps and / or accelerometer information provided by the recipient system 106 . if the gps information indicates that the recipient is moving at a high rate of speed , the condition checker module 204 will deduce that the recipient is driving and will process the call according to how it has been configured . in an embodiment , the condition checker module 204 is configured to notify the caller that the recipient cannot currently take the call and may terminate the call . the condition checker module 204 compares the condition requirements of the caller and the recipient , and manages the call accordingly as will be discussed in more detail below . in an embodiment , the caller display manager module 202 receives the caller &# 39 ; s conditions , and , based on the recipient &# 39 ; s settings , displays the caller &# 39 ; s condition information on the recipient system 106 . in an embodiment , the caller &# 39 ; s condition is displayed on the caller id display of the recipient &# 39 ; s phone . in an additional embodiment , the caller &# 39 ; s condition is displayed on a screen on the recipient system 106 . in an embodiment , the caller &# 39 ; s condition information is transmitted to the recipient when the call is connected to the recipient system 106 . in an additional embodiment , the caller &# 39 ; s condition is sent to the recipient system 106 and the recipient is given the option to allow the call to be connected , or to deny the call . if the call is denied , the recipient system 106 may transmit a message to the calling system . the illustration of fig2 is a simplified representation of the various components of the call manager 200 for purposes of clarity . it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that additional or fewer components may be used in alternate embodiments . in additional embodiments , the layout and configuration of the components may differ from those of fig2 without affecting the functionality of the call manager 200 . in additional embodiment , the various components may be located in separate modules . in further embodiments , the functionality of various components may be incorporated into a single hardware or software module . fig3 illustrates a process flow for configuring a call manager 200 in an embodiment . in an embodiment the process flow of fig3 is executed on the call manager 200 of fig2 . at block 302 a user ( recipient or caller ) initializes the system configuration . in an embodiment , the user initializes the system configuration from a telephone . in additional embodiment , the recipient initializes the system configuration at a computer connected to the call manager 200 of fig2 . at block 304 the user either selects a predefined condition or creates a new set of conditions . in an embodiment , the recipient establishes a plurality of condition settings that the user can choose from when the user sets their condition . where the user is a caller , the user sets conditions for their call to be received . where the user is a recipient , the user sets conditions for receiving any incoming calls . if the user chooses to select a predefined condition , at block 306 , the user selects the current condition from the predefined conditions . in an embodiment , the user is provided a list of predefined conditions from the call manager 200 of fig2 . in an embodiment , the user listens to a list of predefined conditions over a telephone call connected to the call manager 200 . in an embodiment , the call manager 200 “ reads ” a list of predefined conditions either by a prerecorded voice , or by using a computer generated voice as is known in the art . in an embodiment , the recipient selects the predefined condition interactively using touch - tones on the telephone . in yet another embodiment , the call manager 200 is configured to execute voice recognition technology and recipient selects predefined conditions by speaking them into the telephone . in yet another embodiment the user connects to the call manager 200 over a computer network via , for example , a web browser or an application executing on the computer or a smart phone and selects a predefined condition . once the user selects the predefined condition , at block 308 the call manager 200 enters call management mode , and any telephone calls placed to the recipient are intercepted by the call manager 200 and processed as described in more detail below . returning to block 304 , if the user chooses to set a new configuration , processing continues at block 310 . at block 310 the user sets one or more conditions . when the user is a caller , the user sets one or more conditions for their call to be received . when the user is a recipient , the user sets one or more conditions for receiving the incoming calls . in an embodiment , the caller can set any condition such as “ private call ”, “ long call ”, “ urgent ”, or “ need answer by 3 pm today ”. in an embodiment , the recipient can set any condition such as , “ in a meeting ,” “ driving ,” “ out to dinner ,” “ accepting urgent calls only ,” or any other condition . it will be understood that these are non - limiting examples provided for clarity only and that in an embodiment , any condition can be set by the recipient or the caller . in an embodiment , the caller associates one or more conditions with a recipient of his call . in an embodiment , the recipient associates one or more conditions with a caller . a recipient may , for example , set a condition of “ in a meeting ” for a particular caller , or set of callers , and set a condition of “ accepting urgent calls only ” for all other callers . a caller can place calls of the same nature to particular recipients . for example , a husband calls his wife at 4 pm on daily basis to ask her what &# 39 ; s for dinner , or a woman calls her boyfriend regularly asking where he is . both callers and recipients can set secret codes to call conditions . in an embodiment , the caller sets their notes and maps one or more secret codes to one or more of their notes . for example , a caller may map their note , such as , “ i &# 39 ; m looking for you , tell me where you are ”, to a secret code “ location ?” or , a number code , or an emoticon , or other symbol as is known in art . the caller selects the secret code to be sent to his recipient . the caller display manager module 202 of fig2 converts the secret code to the mapped caller note before the call is sent . in an embodiment , the recipient sets caller notes and maps one or more secret codes to one or more caller notes , and further maps the one or more secret codes to one or more callers . for example , a recipient may map a caller note , such as , “ i &# 39 ; m looking for you , tell me where you are .” to a secret code such as “ look ?” or , a numeric code , or an emoticon , or other symbol as is known in the art . in an embodiment the recipient maps the secret code to a caller . when the caller mapped to the secret code calls , the caller &# 39 ; s note , such as “ i &# 39 ; m looking for you , tell me where you are .”, is handled by the caller display manager module 202 of fig2 prior to delivery of the call to the recipient . in an additional embodiment , the caller display manager module 202 of fig2 converts the caller &# 39 ; s message back to the recipient &# 39 ; s secret code and sends the secret code , in this case “ look ?” to the recipient &# 39 ; s telephone . the recipient can review the secret code and react to the code accordingly . in an embodiment , if the caller note is not mapped to a secret code , the caller display manager module 202 sends the text of the caller note to the recipient . it will be understood that in embodiments the caller notes , and secret codes can include any text or symbols and that the examples provided are for purposes of clarity . at block 310 of fig3 , once the one or more conditions are set , one or more exceptions can be set . in an embodiment , the caller sets exceptions including one or more recipients are allowed to override the conditions . in an embodiment , the caller does not set any exceptions . in an embodiment , the recipient sets exceptions including one or more callers that are allowed to override the conditions . in an embodiment , the recipient sets an exception to send all calls from one or more callers directly to voice mail regardless of the recipient &# 39 ; s current condition . in an additional embodiment , the recipient sets an exception to indicate that one or more callers are not allowed to make calls to the recipient . in an embodiment , the recipient does not set any exceptions and the set conditions will apply to all callers . it will be understood that in embodiments the exceptions can include any type of exception including without limitations , providing a message to the caller , disconnecting the call , forwarding the call to another line , or any other exception action . once the exceptions are set , at block 308 , the call manager 200 enters call management mode , and any telephones call placed to the recipient are received by the call manager 200 and processed as described in more detail below . in an embodiment , the call manager 200 is configured to automatically determine conditions without input from the recipient . in an embodiment , the call manager 200 determines an activity of the recipient , such as that the recipient is driving , by accessing sensors such as gps and / or accelerometer data from the recipient &# 39 ; s system and sets conditions accordingly . in an alternate embodiment the call manager 200 retrieves calendar information from the recipient &# 39 ; s telephone or computer system and sets conditions based on the recipient &# 39 ; s availability . in a further embodiment , the call manager 200 uses the recipient &# 39 ; s gps information to determine the recipient &# 39 ; s condition based on the recipient &# 39 ; s geographic location . for example , if the recipient &# 39 ; s gps information indicates that the recipient is in the office , the call manager 200 sets conditions indicating that the recipient is working . fig4 illustrates a process flow for processing a call using the call manager 200 in an embodiment . in an embodiment , the process flow of fig4 is executed on the call manager 200 of fig2 . at block 402 a caller selects a caller &# 39 ; s phone number . in an embodiment the caller selects the recipient &# 39 ; s phone number from a phone book application . in an alternate embodiment the caller dials the caller &# 39 ; s number directly . in yet another embodiment the caller initiates communication with the recipient from a computer application . at block 404 the caller sets a caller condition as described in fig3 . in an embodiment , the caller condition includes one or more of the time window in which the caller would like to make the call , the caller &# 39 ; s availability , the urgency of the call , one or more messages that the caller would like to make sure the recipient receives , or any other information that the caller would like to provide to the recipient . at block 406 , the caller may set the caller &# 39 ; s emotional state . in an embodiment the caller selects the emotional state from a list of states including angry , worried , happy , excited , etc . in an additional embodiment , the caller chooses not to set an emotional status . at block 408 the caller places the call . in an embodiment , the caller places the call automatically after setting one or both of the caller &# 39 ; s condition and the caller &# 39 ; s emotional status . in an additional embodiment , the caller is already connected to the call manager 200 and at block 408 , the caller is chooses to complete the call to the recipient . at block 410 the call manager 200 receives the call and the associated caller conditions and / or emotional state . at block 412 the call manager 200 retrieves the recipient &# 39 ; s condition . in an embodiment , the call manager 200 retrieves the one or more conditions set by the recipient from the storage device 112 . in an additional embodiment , the call manager 200 retrieves the recipient &# 39 ; s state from the recipient &# 39 ; s telephone . in yet another embodiment , the call manager 200 retrieves the recipient &# 39 ; s condition from the recipient &# 39 ; s calendar application . at block 414 , the call manager 200 determines if the recipient and the caller &# 39 ; s conditions match . in an embodiment the call manager 200 retrieves all available information including the recipient &# 39 ; s condition , telephone status , gps and movement information , and calendar information and is configured to use all of the data to determine if the recipient will receive the call using one or more pieces of the available information . in yet another embodiment , the call manager 200 poles the recipient and the recipient interactively sets the recipient &# 39 ; s condition . in an embodiment , the call manager 200 determines that the recipient will only accept urgent calls and allows the call to go through if the caller indicates that the call is urgent . it will be understood that these embodiments are lists for purposes of clarity and that in other embodiments the call manager 200 may match any of the caller &# 39 ; s conditions with the one or more of the recipient &# 39 ; s conditions before allowing the call to complete . if the caller &# 39 ; s and the recipient &# 39 ; s conditions match , the caller display manager module 202 of fig2 generates a dynamic caller id data . in an embodiment , the caller display manager module 202 uses the caller &# 39 ; s conditions and emotional state to generate the dynamic caller id data . at block 418 the call manager 200 places the call that includes the dynamic caller id data to the recipient . at block 420 , the dynamic caller id data is displayed on the recipient &# 39 ; s device and the recipient receives the call . returning to block 414 , if the caller and recipient conditions do not match , the caller is provided with one or more options . in an embodiment the options include , hold for an amount of time , a call back option which provides the caller with a time when the recipients condition will match the caller &# 39 ; s conditions , a connect me option which allows the call manager 200 to call the caller when the recipient is available , an option to disconnect the call , and / or the call manager 200 may provide the caller with a message based on the recipient &# 39 ; s condition settings , or a message provided by the recipient in real time . in an embodiment , the caller may provide a call back window to the call manger indicating the acceptable time that the caller will be available . at block 424 , based on the caller &# 39 ; s selection , the call manager 200 terminates the call . technical effects and benefits include a mechanism for providing dynamic caller conditions to a recipient before the recipient answers the call . an additional benefit is the ability to create conditions at a per caller level that will automatically allow a caller to be connected or to prevent a caller from being connected to the recipient . yet another benefit is the automatic setting of recipient conditions based on the recipient &# 39 ; s current status based on gps data , and / or calendar information . the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention . as used herein , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ” are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms “ comprises ” and / or “ comprising ,” when used in this specification , specify the presence of stated features , integers , steps , operations , elements , and / or components , but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , integers , steps , operations , element components , and / or groups thereof . the corresponding structures , materials , acts , and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure , material , or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed . the description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description , but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application , and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art , aspects of the present invention may be embodied as a system , method or computer program product . accordingly , aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment ( including firmware , resident software , micro - code , etc .) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “ circuit ,” “ module ” or “ system .” furthermore , aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable medium ( s ) having computer readable program code embodied thereon . any combination of one or more computer readable medium ( s ) may be utilized . the computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium . a computer readable storage medium may be , for example , but not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , apparatus , or device , or any suitable combination of the foregoing . more specific examples ( a non - exhaustive list ) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following : an electrical connection having one or more wires , a portable computer diskette , a hard disk , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), an optical fiber , a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cd - rom ), an optical storage device , a magnetic storage device , or any suitable combination of the foregoing . in the context of this document , a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain , or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . a computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein , for example , in baseband or as part of a carrier wave . such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms , including , but not limited to , electro - magnetic , optical , or any suitable combination thereof , a computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate , propagate , or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium , including but not limited to wireless , wire line , optical fiber cable , rf , etc ., or any suitable combination of the foregoing . computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages , including an object oriented programming language such as java , smalltalk , c ++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages , such as the “ c ” programming language or similar programming languages . the program code may execute entirely on the user &# 39 ; s computer , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer , as a stand - alone software package , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server . in the latter scenario , the remote computer may be connected to the user &# 39 ; s computer through any type of network , including a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the connection may be made to an external computer ( for example , through the internet using an internet service provider ). aspects of the present invention are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods , apparatus ( systems ) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , can be implemented by computer program instructions . these computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . these computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that can direct a computer , other programmable data processing apparatus , or other devices to function in a particular manner , such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer , other programmable data processing apparatus , or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer , other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the flow diagrams depicted herein are just one example . there may be many variations to this diagram 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 to the invention had been described , it will be understood that those skilled in the art , both now and in the future , may make various improvements and enhancements which fall within the scope of the claims which follow . these claims should be constructed to maintain the proper protection for the invention first described .	7
referring to fig1 there is shown a magnetic snap latch constructed in accordance with the invention . as shown therein , the magnetic snap latch is provided with an armature in the form of a plunger 1 of high permeability magnetizable material such as iron or the like . this plunger 1 extends freely through a hole 2a in a cup - shaped , cylindrical high permeability magnetic frame or shell 2 . a molded plastic bobbin 3 having a coil 4 wound thereon is mounted within shell 2 , this bobbin having suitable projections 3a , 3b or the like fitting into recesses or slots 2b and 2c in shell 2 for anti - rotation purposes . coil terminal wires t1 and t2 extend outwardly of shell 2 through slots 2b and 2c and are located and protected by projections 3a and 3b . a high permeability magnetic backplate 5 or the like closes the open end of shell 2 and is secured thereto by crimping the rim 2d of the shell over the peripheral edge of plate 5 as shown in fig1 . a low magnetic permeability disk 6 is rigidly secured to an intermediate portion of plunger 1 within the bottom portion of cup - shaped shell 2 . for this purpose , plunger 1 is provided with a reduced diameter external portion 1a that extends through a round hole 6a in the middle of disk 6 so that this disk is confined against a shoulder 1b of the plunger and secured thereto by suitable means . an helical return spring 7 extends between plate 5 and the internal end of plunger 1 . although not shown in fig1 plunger 1 is suitably guided for left and right longitudinal movement so as to remain centered with respect to hole 2a in shell 2 . for example , it could be guided by the bobbin . in this manner , a first magnetic air gap ag1 is provided between reduced portion 1a and the edge of circular hole 2a in magnetic frame 2 . a second magnetic air gap ag2 is provided between the internal end of plunger 1 and the internal surface of magnetic backplate 5 . a third magnetic air gap ag3 is provided between disk 6 and the bottom of shell 2 , when the plunger is in its normal unoperated position . a hole 1c for receiving a pin or the like may be provided at the external end of plunger 1 for connecting this plunger to an external driven device or mechanism . while a coil spring 2 has been shown between the inner end of plunger 1 and backplate 5 in fig1 it will be apparent that it is optional in this location and that it could be used in another location or plunger 1 could be returned in the right hand longitudinal direction by other means , for example , restoring means in the driven mechanism . also , while a cup - shaped , cylindrical frame 2 has been shown , it will be apparent that it could alternately have other shapes , such as a u - shaped frame , or the like . operation of the magnetic snap latch will now be described . when a gradually increasing magnitude of current is applied to coil 4 , the current flow produces a magnetic field in the shape of an oval section toroid . the flux path is serially through the plunger , air gap ag2 , backplate 5 , outside shell 2 and then in parallel paths through air gap ag1 into the plunger and through air gap ag3 and disk 6 into the plunger . mechanical forces are generated in at least three locations , that is in the main air gap ag2 , in the secondary air gap ag1 and in air gap ag3 between shell 2 and threshold disk 6 . as the magnetic field builds up , energy is stored in air gaps ag2 and ag1 . the magnetic force acts on disk 6 to attract it from its normal position shown in the central schematic in fig2 in the right hand direction toward shell 2 and to move it against the shell to close gap ag3 therebetween as shown by portion a - b of the curve in fig2 . in other words , the plunger has moved in the negative direction as shown by the curve in fig2 to a state of reduced or closed gap between disk 6 and shell 2 as shown by the left hand schematic illustration of the latch shown in fig2 . the magnetic force on disk 6 rises until its low level of magnetic saturation is reached . this is shown by curve 4a in fig4 . during this time , a negative force is being applied to the plunger as indicated in fig3 . as shown by curve 4a in fig4 which represents the negative force on the disk only , the force on the disk levels out at a predetermined point commensurate with the cross - sectional area of disk 6 and the permeability of the material therein . the functional characteristics are attained by the difference between the high permeability of the flux path including shell 2 and the low permeability of disk 6 . disk 6 saturates before shell 2 . this forces the plunger and disk outward up to a predetermined level . any further increase in flux due to additional coil current has the effect of disk 6 appearing like air . energy continues to increase in air gap ag2 which provides a positive inward force as shown in fig3 on the plunger directed opposite to the force on the disk . this force on the plunger due to air gap ag2 only is shown by curve 4b in fig4 . the sum of the forces on the disk and plunger is shown by curve 4c in fig4 . when the energy in gap ag2 provides a force slightly greater than the force on disk 6 , the plunger begins to move in the positive direction as shown by the portion of the curve to the right of point b in fig2 . positive plunger movement forces a gap ag3 to open between disk 6 and shell 2 whereupon the negative force on the disk decays exponentially . plunger movement yields to the force in gap ag2 . this positive force increases exponentially as shown by curve 4b in fig4 . the plunger force resultant increases at an increasing rate as shown by curve 4c in fig4 . as a result , plunger 1 moves with a snap action toward the left as shown by portion b - c of the curve in fig2 to a large gap ag3 state as indicated by the right hand schematic of the latch in fig2 . during this time , the magnetic force across gap ag1 is radially and equally balanced . therefore , the radial forces in this gap ag1 neither contribute nor detract from the plunger movement . the plunger moves completely through its stroke , stopping with an air gap ag2 that is reduced in length as indicated by the right hand schematic of the latch in fig2 . in this state , coil bobbin 3 controls and limits the snap action movement of the plunger . thus , disk 6 abuts the coil bobbin to limit the plunger stroke . fig5 shows the force versus plunger distance characteristic of the latch . as shown therein , the plunger moves from x to y in the positive direction . to provide for gradual return of the plunger , as against snap return , a ratio of substantially 1 to 4 is provided between the allowed movement and the magnetic air gap length . this ratio is provided by the length of the gap between disk 6 and coil bobbin 3 compared to the length of air gap ag2 . as shown in fig5 if this ratio is kept at 1 to 4 or smaller , the structure will afford gradual return of the plunger when the coil is deenergized because spring force line 5a is tangential to coil force curve 5b so that the coil operates on the substantially straight portion of the exponential coil force curve . on the other hand , as shown by broken line 5c , if the aforementioned ratio is made larger than 1 to 4 by increasing the relative plunger stroke , the operating point will move higher up coil force curve 5b . therefore , when the coil is deenergized , the plunger will exhibit a snap - return along line 5c which is undesirable . as the current through the coil gradually decreases , the plunger does not start to return immediately because there is an excess of coil current that overpowers the return spring 7 as indicated by portion c - d of the curve in fig2 . when the coil current decreases further , the plunger will move out to its original position under the force of return spring 7 as indicated by portion d - a of the curve in fig2 . while portion d - a of this curve is shown as a straight line for ease of illustration , it will be apparent that its particular form will be dependent on the characteristics of the spring and the material in the magnetic circuit . from the foregoing , it will be apparent that the action is rapid snap motion of the plunger in the left hand or inward direction as a result of a gradual increase in coil current and return motion of the plunger in the opposite or right hand direction to its normal position as a result of a gradual decrease in coil current . it will be apparent from the foregoing description that the invention converts a gradually increasing signal , such as from a thermocouple or the like , to a discrete open / closed mechanical function . it provides a calibration - adjustment - free latch mechanism since calibration is dependent on the permeability of the material and this parameter is metallurgically controlled and very dependable . the snap movement provides a &# 34 ; fixed force &# 34 ; capability to overcome friction and return spring forces . return of the plunger provides the earliest possible reset response time which response time can be set by the selection of the return spring force . the invention disclosed provides miniaturization of typically complex latches in that it could be made very , very small , even as small in diameter as an ordinary pencil . it has simplicity of design with a minimum number of parts and improved vibration performance . it provides increased immunity to false tripping at the critical 115 percent overload point which is attained by the outward force on the disk . it has a universal trip device design in that higher current requirements use fewer turns on the coil and lower current requirements use more turns on the coil . it has built - in anti - rotation means in that the coil bobbin is provided with extending fingers that not only engage in slots in the shell to locate and lock the bobbin in place but also protect and locate the coil terminal wires . the construction disclosed has no fasteners , adhesives or pins to hold the assembly together because all parts are self - locating and are fixed by the rolled edge of the shell which is rolled over the backplate . the latch construction provides flexibility in its shape in that the function can be accomplished by a long and thin configuration as well as a short and wide configuration and it is adaptable to many construction constraints . the disclosed latch structure will be stable over a wide temperature range since the stability of the trip point depends upon the saturation of the material in disk 6 . while the apparatus hereintofore described is effectively adapted to fulfill the objects stated , it is to be understood that the invention is not intended to be confined to the particular preferred embodiment of magnetic snap latch disclosed , inasmuch as it is susceptible of various modifications without departing from the scope of the appended claims .	7
fig1 shows a side view of a sports shoe 1 particularly adapted to skateboarding . it includes an upper 3 beneath which a sole 2 is fixed . the sole 2 includes an intermediary sole 5 whose function is to ensure the comfort of the foot , and a wear sole 4 that is made of a material having a good adherence property and a very good abrasion resistance . the upper is sewn on a flexible sole called a strobel insole , the assembly constituted of the upper 3 and of this strobel insole is cemented to the sole 2 , thus forming the shoe 1 . fig2 shows a perspective exploded view of the sole 2 . the intermediary sole 5 includes a bottom intermediary half - sole , or partial - sole , 6 and a top intermediary half - sole , or partial - sole 7 . the bottom half - sole or cup 6 includes a bottom surface 10 which comes into contact with the wear sole , and a top surface 11 which comes into contact with the top intermediary half - sole 7 . the periphery of the cup 6 is constituted of substantially vertical edges 8 . in its front portion , the bottom surface 10 of the cup 6 has a plurality of bottom protuberances 9 . the bottom protuberances 9 are cylindrical , or substantially cylindrical , and project downwardly from the cup 6 . they are uniformly arranged over the entire front portion of the bottom surface 10 of the cup 6 . the arrangement of the bottom protuberances 9 is carried out according to a pattern whose first direction is oriented substantially along the longitudinal axis of the shoe . the second direction of the pattern forms , together with the first , an angle that is comprised between 60 ° and 80 °, or about 60 ° and 80 °. the bottom protuberances 9 have a cylindrical shape with a diameter comprised between 4 and 6 millimeters ( mm ), and project by a distance comprised between 1 . 5 and 3 mm , or between about 1 . 5 mm and about 3 mm . the distance between two adjacent bottom protuberances 9 is comprised between 1 mm and 5 mm , or between about 1 mm and about 5 mm . preferably , this distance is approximately equal to 2 mm . except for a peripheral band , the bottom protuberances 9 are present over the entire front portion of the bottom surface 10 of the cup 6 . the top surface 11 of the cup 6 has an edge 8 at its periphery . it includes a depression 12 in substantially the entire front zone ; this depression 12 corresponds to the front zone of the bottom surface 10 of the cup 6 where the bottom protuberances 9 are arranged . thus , exclusive of the height of the protuberances , the cup 6 is the thinnest in the area of this depression 12 . in the heel area , the top surface 11 includes a cavity 13 having substantially the shape of an inverted truncated cone at the bottom of which a well 14 extending through the cup 6 is arranged . because the cup 6 is substantially thicker in its heel portion than in the front portion , the top surface thereof also includes an inclined portion 15 connecting the depression 12 to the cavity 13 . the edge 8 includes a lower belt 16 overlaid by an upper belt 17 . the lower belt 16 makes it possible to embed the top intermediary half - sole 7 , whereas the upper belt 17 is adhered to the upper during assembly of the shoe . the top intermediary half - sole includes a lower surface 18 and an upper surface 19 . the lower surface 18 is complementary to the top surface of the cup . thus , in the front portion a projecting slab 20 which conforms to the shape of the depression 12 is arranged . the heel portion includes a dome 21 oriented downwardly , which is extended at its end by a nipple 23 . the upper surface 19 has , in its front portion , a depressed area whose peripheral contour corresponds to the projecting slab 20 present on the lower surface 18 . as mentioned previously , in a preferred embodiment the top intermediary partial - sole is more flexible than the bottom intermediary - sole . thus , according to a preferred embodiment , the dome of the top intermediary partial - sole is more flexible than the rear zone of the bottom intermediary partial - sole . also , as shown in the partial cut - away detail in fig2 the dome 21 is made in one piece and is solid in horizontal cross section along the height of the dome . surface 18 . from the bottom of this depressed area , a plurality of top protuberances 22 project upwardly . the arrangement of these top protuberances 22 is carried out along a pattern , one direction of which corresponds substantially to the longitudinal axis of the shoe , whereas the other direction forms , together with the latter , an angle that is comprised between 60 ° and 80 °, or approximately between 60 ° and 80 °. the top protuberances 22 have a generally cylindrical shape whose diameter is comprised between 4 mm and 6 mm , or approximately therebetween . their height is not uniform over the entire area of the upper surface 19 . in the central zone , i . e ., in a zone located in the vicinity of the longitudinal axis , the protuberances have a height comprised between 2 and 4 mm . in the peripheral zones , on the other hand , the height of the protuberances is comprised between 4 and 6 mm . now it is advisable to see how the various elements constituting the sole are assembled with one another and how they interact . in a known fashion , the three elements , viz ., wear sole 4 , cup 6 , and top intermediary half - sole are adjusted and then cemented . the complementarity of the shapes of the top surface 11 and of the lower surface 18 facilitates the adjusting and ensures greater efficiency during cementing . fig3 shows a longitudinal cross - section of the assembled sole , and fig3 a is a partial enlargement of fig3 . each bottom protuberance 9 is in vertical alignment with a top protuberance 22 . thus , with this superimposition , a plurality of studs 36 constituted by a top protuberance 22 and a bottom protuberance 9 are defined . the latter are connected to one another only by their central portion 37 , which includes one portion extending from the top half - sole and another extending from the bottom half - sole . the overall shock absorption of the front portion of the sole is ensured by the juxtaposition of these cylindrical studs 36 . during a jump landing , the pressure exerted on the sole by the foot is substantially uniformly distributed , and all these cylindrical studs have a similar behavior , i . e ., all of them are going to be subject to a compression that is proportional to the pressure . if , on the other hand , the sole is subjected to a force that is not uniformly distributed over its entire surface , the behavior will not be similar in all areas . the response of the sole to the bias will be precisely limited to the areas where the force is exerted . fig5 , 7 show a comparison between the behavior of the sole according to the invention and the behavior of two soles according to the prior art . fig5 schematically shows the behavior of a sports shoe sole positioned on a skateboard 30 having a screw 32 for binding the trucks 31 , whose head projects from the board . the intermediary sole 5 , which is made out of a very soft material to ensure a good shock absorption , is compressed in the area of the screw head without the upper surface thereof becoming deformed . with such a sole , no information is transmitted to the athlete from the surface with which he / she is in contact . fig6 also schematically shows the behavior of a sole according to the prior art in the same situation . the material of the intermediary sole is more rigid and the projection made by the screw head generates a buckling of the entire sole . in this case , the information transmitted from the board to the athlete is very inaccurate , and the user cannot determine his / her exact position on the board by relying on his / her sensations alone . this type of sole somewhat smoothes or dissipates the information . fig7 shows the behavior of the sole according to the invention . due to the relative independence of the studs with respect to one another , the sole becomes deformed only in the area located at the screw head . thus , the athlete is able to determine precisely how he / she is positioned in relation to the screw in question . similarly , when his / her foot is positioned on the edge of the board , the athlete can precisely feel the contour line thereof . fig8 a , 8 b , and 8 c show the behavior of an intermediary sole whose heel portion includes an insert 33 made of foam or gel , having a higher absorption coefficient than the remainder of the sole . fig8 a shows the situation at rest . the foot 34 is slightly sunk into the insert 33 . fig8 b shows the situation of the sole during landing from short range jumps . the insert 33 perfectly fulfills its role and the impact is absorbed . in the case of longer range jumps , fig8 c , the material of the insert flows laterally under the violence of the impact , and there is a sudden variation in the absorption of the impact . initially , the shock absorption is ensured by the insert 33 . secondly , the latter is obtained by the intermediary sole . finally , a bottoming phenomenon occurs , during which the heel no longer benefits from any shock absorption . fig9 a , 9 b , and 9 c show the behavior of a sole according to the invention under the same conditions . at rest ( fig9 a ), as well as during a small impact ( fig9 b ), the behavior of the sole is almost similar to that of a sole having an insert according to the prior art . however , during very violent impacts ( fig9 c ), the flow does not occur only laterally , but partly by the well 14 . thus , even when the shock absorption is at its height , the lower portion of the heel benefits from the shock absorption of the top half - sole . in this regard , the well 14 plays a key role . if it were not present , the material of the top half - sole would be compressed to the maximum , and the bottoming phenomenon would occur much more quickly . bottoming occurs when , under the effect of a very strong impact , the intermediary sole has reached its maximum limit of compression and , for the heel , it is as if there were no longer any shock absorption . fig1 a , 10 b , and 10 c show the functioning of the progressive shock absorption of the front portion of the sole . in fig1 a , the sole is at rest , the top and bottom protuberances are slightly compressed or not compressed . during low jump landings ( fig1 b ), only the top protuberances , which are made of a flexible material , are compressed . if the jump is high ( fig1 c ), the bottom protuberances , made of a more rigid material , are also compressed . fig1 shows a second embodiment of the invention in which the intermediary sole 5 is made in one piece . in the front portion thereof , especially beneath the metatarsophalangeal bending zone , two recessed zones face one another , one on top , the other at the bottom . the top recessed zone is equipped with top protuberances 22 , whereas the bottom recessed zone is equipped with bottom protuberances 9 . given that each of the bottom protuberances is vertically aligned with a top protuberance , studs are thus constituted , which participate in the shock absorption function of the intermediary sole while having a certain freedom of movement , especially vertical , with respect to one another . fig1 schematically shows a shoe sole according to a third embodiment of the invention . the intermediary sole 5 includes holes 35 in which studs are inserted . as in the two previously described embodiments , the studs are arranged over a major portion of the front zone of the sole , especially that corresponding to the metatarsophalangeal bending zone . fig1 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention in which the front portion is similar to the embodiment described in fig1 . thus , the entire front portion of the intermediary sole is in one piece , whereas the top intermediary half - sole is reduced to an insert 7 supporting the heel . according to the invention , and as is shown in fig1 a , the studs 36 are constituted of a top protuberance 22 , a bottom protuberance 9 , and a central portion 37 which ensures the linkage of the studs with one another . the rear portion of the bottom intermediary half - sole includes a cavity 13 having a generally conical shape complementary to that of the insert 7 . as mentioned previously , this conical shape , associated with the presence of a well 14 , enables the material of the insert 7 to flow in the cavity 13 and the well 14 . the invention is not limited to the few particular embodiments described by way of examples , and many other embodiments can be envisioned without leaving the scope of the invention . thus , one can provide that the holes 35 described in fig1 be blind and do not extend completely through the sole . in parallel , the shock absorption / sensitivity compromise can also be obtained from a conventional , i . e ., integral and protuberance - free intermediary sole , in which non - through notches are made .	0
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . a first embodiment of the camera according to this invention will be described with reference to fig1 . fig1 is an external view of a communication camera illustrating an outside of an embodiment according to the present invention . referring to fig1 , a communication camera 1 comprises an optical lens 2 , a loudspeaker 3 , a monitor 4 , a start button 5 , an “ yes ” button 6 , a “ no ” button 7 , a dial button group 8 , a mode switch button group 9 , a microphone 10 , and an antenna 11 . the optical lens 2 forms an object image on an imaging element 201 , which will be described later , which is capable of rotating 180 degrees . the loudspeaker 3 converts an electronic signal to sound . the monitor 4 is formed of a device such as a lcd , and displays image information , textual information and other various information . the start button 5 starts recording various information by setting the mode switch button group 9 . the “ yes ” button 6 and the “ no button ” 7 are buttons for operator to instruct the communication camera 1 responsive to an announcement from the communication camera 1 . the dial button group 8 is for inputting a telephone number . the mode switch button group 9 sets power source , communication mode , still video mode , moving video mode and sound record mode . the microphone 10 converts a sound to an electric signal . the antenna 11 transmits and receives radio waves fig2 is a block diagram of the communication camera 1 illustrating the construction of the invention . referring to fig2 , the communication camera 1 comprises an imaging element 201 , an imaging processing circuit 202 , a frame memory 203 , a compressing expanding circuit 204 , a flash memory 205 , a microphone circuit 206 , a sound processing circuit 207 , a loudspeaker circuit 208 , a cpu 209 , a display circuit 210 , a switch circuit 211 , a vibration circuit 212 , and a telephone circuit 213 . the imaging element 201 , which is a photoelectric conversion element such as a ccd , outputs an object image signal as image data . the image processing circuit 202 performs various image , processing for the image data output from the imaging element 201 . the frame memory 203 is a volatile semiconductor memory that stores , temporarily , image data processed by image processing , and sound data . the compressing expanding circuit 204 compresses and expands image data and sound data . the flash memory 205 is a nonvolatile memory that stores image data and sound data . the sound processing circuit 207 performs various processing for sound data input into microphone 10 . the loudspeaker circuit 208 drives the loudspeaker 3 . the cpu 209 is electrically connected to circuits of the communication camera 1 and performs all controls of the communication camera 1 . the cpu 209 comprises the timer , and the memory in which various guides , which are announced to the user , are stored in advance . the display circuit 210 drives the monitor 4 . the switch circuit 211 transmits the data of operational states of switches and buttons to the cpu 209 . the vibration circuit 212 announces an incoming call to the user by vibrating the communication camera 1 . the telephone circuit 213 performs telephone functions that are transmitting and receiving information . the controls performed by the cpu 209 of the communication camera 1 will be explained in details referring to fig3 and fig4 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . fig3 is a flow chart that shows controls performed by the cpu 209 of the communication camera 1 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the present flowchart starts when the user receives an incoming call sent from a caller . in step s 1 , it is determined whether or not the mode chosen by the mode switch button group 9 is a still image shooting mode . if it is determined that the mode chosen by the mode switch button group 9 is the still image shooting mode , then the process advances to step s 2 . if the mode chosen by the mode switch button 9 is not the still image shooting mode , then the process advances to step s 11 . in step s 2 , announcing the incoming call by vibration or displaying is prohibited , and the announcement of the incoming call by a sound is performed , announcing to the caller with voice . since composition of a picture is important in a still picture , the announcement by displaying the message is prohibited to avoid causing the picture displayed on the monitor 4 to be hidden partly behind the displayed message . however , if it is allowed that the picture is hidden , the announcement by displaying the message is usable . in step s 3 , the voice message of whether to interrupt shooting or not , or the voice message of whether to interrupt recording or not , is read but from the memory in the cpu 209 and is output through the loudspeaker 3 . in step s 4 , it is determined whether or not the “ yes ” 6 button is pressed . if it is determined that the “ yes ” button 6 is pressed , then the process advances to step s 5 . if the “ yes ” button 6 is not pressed , the process advances to step s 8 . in step s 5 , the current mode is switched from the shooting mode or the sound record mode to the communication mode , resulting in the communication with the caller . in step s 6 , it is determined whether or not the communication is completed . if it is determined that the communication is completed , then the process advances to step s 7 . if the communication is not completed , step s 6 is repeated until the completion of the communication is determined . in step s 7 , the mode is returned to the shooting mode or the sound record mode . in step s 8 , subsequent to step s 4 in which it is determined that the “ yes ” button 6 is not pressed , it is determined whether or not the “ no ” button 7 is pressed . if it is determined that the “ no ” button 7 is pressed , then the process advances to step s 10 . if the “ no ” button 7 is not pressed , the process advances to step s 9 . in step s 9 , it is determined whether or not the timer of the cpu 209 measures 10 seconds after the incoming call is received . if it is determined that the timer measures 10 seconds after the incoming call is received , then the process advances to step s 10 . if the timer does not measure 10 seconds , then the process returns to step s 3 . in step s 10 , the flow shown in fig4 is performed . in step s 11 , subsequent to step s 1 in which it is determined that the mode is not the shooting mode , it is determined whether or not the mode is one of the moving video mode and sound record mode . if it is determined that the mode is one of the moving video mode and sound record mode , then the process advances to step s 12 . if the mode is not one of the moving video mode and sound record mode , the process advances to step s 19 . in step s 12 , it is determined whether or not shooting or sound recording is performed in the moving video mode or the sound record mode . if it is determined that shooting or sound recording is performed in the moving video mode or the sound record mode , then the process advances to step s 13 . if shooting or sound recording is not performed , the process returns to step s 2 . in step s 13 , the announcement by vibration or voice is prohibited , and the incoming call is indicated on the monitor 4 , and then the caller &# 39 ; s name or information specifying the caller is indicated on the monitor 4 . in step s 14 , the indication of whether to communicate with the caller by interrupting shooting or recording , is read out from the memory of the cpu 209 and displayed on the monitor 4 . in step s 15 , it is determined whether or not the start button 5 is pressed . if it is determined that the start button 5 is pressed , then the process advances to step s 5 . if the start button 5 is not pressed , the process advances to step s 16 . in step s 16 , it is determined whether or not the “ no ” button 7 is pressed . if it is determined that the “ no ” button 7 is pressed , then the process advances to step s 18 . if the “ no ” button 7 is not pressed , the process advances to step s 17 . in step s 17 , it is determined whether or not the timer of the cpu 209 measures 10 seconds after the incoming call is received . if it is determined that the timer of the cpu 209 measures 10 seconds after the incoming call is generated , then the process advances to step s 18 . if the timer of the cpu 209 does not measure 10 seconds , the process returns to step s 14 . in step s 18 , the flow shown in fig4 is performed . in step s 19 , the announcement of the incoming call is performed by vibration , sound , or indication , and the caller &# 39 ; s name or information identifying the caller is announced , because it is determined that the mode chosen by the mode switch button 9 is not the still video mode in step s 1 , and it is determined that the mode is not one of the moving video mode and the sound record mode in step s 11 . in step s 20 , the communication starts . in step s 21 , it is determined whether or not the communication is finished . if it is determined that the communication is finished , then the present flow is completed . if the communication is not completed , the process returns to step s 20 , and the communication continues . fig4 in a flow chart that shows controls performed in step s 10 and step s 18 in fig3 . in step s 201 , it is transmitted to the caller that the user is not able to communicate with the caller and waiting for the caller &# 39 ; s message . in step s 202 , when the caller sends the message to the user , the caller &# 39 ; s telephone number and the caller &# 39 ; s message are recorded . the message can be stored in the memory of the communication camera 1 , or in the predetermined memory at the telephone company . in step s 203 , it is determined whether or not the mode is switched to the communication mode from the shooting mode . if it is determined that the mode is switched to the communication mode , then the process advances to step s 204 . if the mode is not switched to the communication mode , determination that the mode is switched to the communication mode from the shooting mode is repeated . in step s 204 , it is determined whether or not the caller &# 39 ; s message is recorded . if it is determined that the caller &# 39 ; s message is recorded , then the process advances to step s 205 . if the caller &# 39 ; s message is not recorded , the process advances to step s 210 . in step s 205 , it is asked whether or not to listen to the message by voice or displayed indication . in step s 206 , it is determined whether or not the “ yes ” button 6 is pressed . if it is determined that the “ yes ” button 6 is pressed , then the process advances to step s 207 . if the “ yes ” button 6 is not pressed , the process advances to step s 208 . in step s 207 , the recorded message is reproduced and the process is completed . in step s 208 , subsequent to step s 206 in which it is determined that the “ yes ” button 6 is not pressed , it is determined whether or not the “ no ” button 7 is pressed . if it is determined that the “ no ” button 7 is pressed , then the present flow is completed . if the “ so ” button 7 is not pressed , the process advances to step s 209 . in step s 209 , it is determined whether or not the timer measures 10 seconds after the message is listened or transmitted to the caller . if it is determined that the timer measures 10 seconds after the message is listened or announced , then the present flow is completed . if the timer does not measure 10 seconds , the process returns to step s 206 . in step s 210 , it is announced , by the voice or the displayed indication , whether or not to telephone the caller . in step s 211 , it is determined whether or not the “ yes ” button 6 is pressed . if it is determined that the “ yes ” button 6 is pressed , then the process advances to step s 212 . if the “ yes ” button 6 is not pressed , the process advances to step s 214 . in step s 212 , the recorded telephone number is dialed . in step s 214 , it is determined whether or not the communication is completed . if it is determined that the communication is completed , then the present flow is completed . if communication is not completed , the process returns to step s 213 , and the communication continues . in step s 215 , subsequent to step s 211 in which it is determined that the “ yes ” button 6 is not pressed , it is determined whether or not the “ no ” button 7 is pressed . if it is determined that the “ no ” button 7 is pressed , then the present flow is completed . if the “ no ” button 7 is not pressed , the process advances to step s 216 . in step s 216 , it is determined whether or not the timer measures 10 seconds after the user telephones the caller or transmits the message to the caller . if it is determined that the timer measures 10 seconds after the user telephones the caller or transmits the message to the caller , then the present flow is completed . if the timer does not measure 10 seconds , the process returns to step 211 . thus , in accordance with the present invention , the exposed picture does not become blurred by camera - shake , because the announcement of the incoming call by vibration is prohibited during the shooting time of the still picture , the standby time for the still picture and the standby time for the moving picture . furthermore , in the case of moving picture , the exposed picture does not become blurred due to camera - shake , and the communication camera does not record the sound of the incoming call , because the announcement of the incoming call by vibration or sound is prohibited during shooting . furthermore , in accordance with the present the invention , the user can start shooting at once after completion of communication , because the mode is switched to the shooting mode immediately responsive to the completion of the communication while the mode is the communication mode . furthermore , in accordance with the present invention , when the incoming call is announced during shooting , by stopping shooting , the user can switches the mode to the communication mode , thereby starting communication immediately . furthermore , when the communication camera receives the message during shooting , by sending the caller the message automatically that the user can not correspond to the caller , the user can send the user &# 39 ; s state to the caller without interrupting shooting . furthermore , when the communication camera receives the message during shooting , by storing caller &# 39 ; s telephone number automatically , the user can telephone the caller immediately after the completion of the shooting . furthermore , when the communication camera receives the message during shooting , by storing the caller &# 39 ; s message , the user can learn the caller &# 39 ; s message without interrupting the shooting . furthermore , the user can shoot as soon as he finishes the communication because the mode is switched to the shooting mode responsive to the completion of communication . therefore , the user does not loose a shooting chance . furthermore , by storing a signal from another communication device during shooting , the signal from another communication device can be stored in the memory of the communication camera without interrupting shooting . as described above , according to the first embodiment of the present invention , by changing the announcing method of the incoming call according to a state of the communication camera , exposed image data does not receive bad influences from the incoming call announcement . a second embodiment of the camera according to this invention will be described with reference to fig5 . fig5 is a flowchart showing the operation of cpu 209 in the second embodiment . the explanation of the camera construction is omitted here because the camera construction in the second embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment . the flowchart shown in fig5 starts when the camera 1 receives a signal sent from other communication device in the case where the incoming call announcement by vibration is set in the camera 1 . in step s 301 , by detecting an operation state of the start button 5 and the imaging element 201 , it is determined whether or not the camera 1 is in the shooting state . if the start button 5 is fully depressed to subject the imaging element 201 to light or the imagine element 201 is subjected to light responsive to fully depressing of the start button 5 , then it is determined that the camera 1 is in the shooting state , and the process advances to step s 302 . if the start button 5 is not fully depressed and the imaging element 201 is not subjected to light , then it is determined that the camera 1 is not in the shooting state , and the process advances to step s 308 . in step s 302 , the incoming call announcement by vibration is prevented by stopping the vibration circuit 212 . the process advances to step s 303 after completion of the process in step s 302 . in step s 303 , after it is detected which announcing means is set to the camera 1 , either the announcing means except vibration or the default announcing means is performed . for example , if the announcing means set to the camera 1 is sound or vibration , then the incoming call announcement only by sound is started . if the announcing means set to the camera 1 is only vibration , then the incoming call announcement by the default announcing means except vibration is started . if the default announcing means is sound or voice , the incoming call announcement by sound or voice is started , and if the default announcing means is the display on the monitor 4 , the incoming call announcement by the display is started . then , the process advances to step s 304 . in step s 304 , by detecting an operation state of the start button 5 and the imagine element 201 , it is determined whether or not the camera 1 has shot the picture . if the start button 5 is not fully depressed and the imaging element 201 is not subjected to light , then it is determined that the camera 1 has shot the picture , and the process advances to step s 305 . if the start button 5 is fully depressed or the imaging element 201 is subjected to light , then it is determined that the camera 1 is in the shooting state , and the process waits completion of shooting in step s 304 . in step s 305 , by permitting the vibration circuit 212 to be driven , the incoming call announcement by vibration is allowed . then , the process advances to step s 306 after completion of the process in step s 305 . in step s 306 , it is determined whether or not the incoming call announcement , which has been started in step s 303 , continues after completion of shooting . if the incoming call announcement continues , then the process advances to step s 307 . if the incoming call announcement has already completed , then the present flow finishes . in step s 307 , the vibration circuit 212 is driven , and the incoming call announcement by vibration is started . regarding the incoming call announcement by means except vibration , started in step s 303 , it is acceptable to finish the incoming call announcement by means except vibration when the incoming call announcement by vibration starts , or it is also acceptable to continue the incoming call by means except vibration . when the process in step s 307 is completed , the present flow ends . if it is determined that the camera 1 is not in the shooting state in step s 301 , then the process advances to step s 308 . in step s 308 , the vibration circuit 212 is driven , and the incoming call announcement by vibration is started . furthermore , it is detected which announcing means is set to the camera 1 . if the incoming call announcement by means except vibration is set , the incoming call announcement by means except vibration is also started . after completion of the process in step s 308 , the process advances to step s 309 . in step s 309 , the operation of the start button 5 is made ineffective . if the start button 5 is turned on , the imaging means does not record . the process advances to step s 310 after completion of the process in step s 309 . in step s 310 , it is determined whether or not the incoming call announcement by vibration , which is started in step s 308 , is finished . if the incoming call announcement is finished , then the process advances to step s 311 . if the incoming call announcement is not finished , then the process waits in step s 310 . in step s 311 , the start button 5 is made effective , and by turning the start button 5 on , it becomes possible to shoot . the present flow ends when the process in step s 311 has finished . as described above , according to the second embodiment of the present invention , it is determined whether or not the camera 1 is in the shooting state upon receiving an incoming call . if the camera 1 is in the shooting state , then the incoming call announcement by vibration is prevented . therefore , camera - shake does not occur . if the camera 1 is not in the shooting state , then it is possible to perform the incoming call announcement every time , even in the standby state of shooting . furthermore , since operation of the start button 5 is made ineffective while incoming call announcement by vibration continues , it is possible to avoid camera - shake by the vibration . furthermore , in the second embodiment , since it is determined whether or not the camera 1 is in the shooting state upon receiving the incoming call , the present invention is applicable to a type of camera that can communicate or shoot without changing the operation mode as for determination of the state of the shooting operation , in the second embodiment , it is determined whether or not the start button 5 is fully depressed so that the imaging element 201 is subjected to light . however , the present invention is not limited to the determination as described in the second embodiment . it is possible to determine the state of the shooting operation by determining whether or not the start button 5 is lightly pressed . in this case , the light press of the start button 5 performs focussing and metering operations , which are preliminary operations of shooting . furthermore , in the second embodiment of the present invention , by making the operation of the start button 5 ineffective during the incoming call announcement by vibration , the camera 1 controls the shooting using the imaging element 201 to be prevented . however , the present invention is not limited to the control , during the incoming call announcement by vibration , as described in the second embodiment . while the incoming call announcement by vibration is performed , it is possible to control the shooting such that an imaging signal is not output from the imaging element 201 , or is not input into the flash memory 205 . furthermore , in the second embodiment of the present invention , the camera 1 controls the shooting using the imaging element 201 to be prevented during the incoming call announcement by vibration . however , it is desirable that the shooting using the imaging element 201 is possible when an event or accident that must be recorded at once occurs even during the incoming call announcement by vibration . accordingly , in the case where the start button 5 is turned on during the incoming call announcement by vibration , it is possible to allow the camera 1 to shoot after announcing a warning that an exposed image become blur because of camera - shake . furthermore , it is possible to allow the camera 1 to shoot only when the combined operation of the start button 5 and other specific operating member is performed , even during the incoming call announcement by vibration . furthermore , it is also possible to have a mode wherein the start button 5 is set effective even during the incoming call announcement by vibration . furthermore , it is also possible to have an operation member such that the incoming call announcement is removed when the user wants to stop the shooting during the incoming call announcement by vibration . furthermore , in the second embodiment of the present invention , the incoming call announcement is prevented during the shooting operation , assuming that shooting is performed without recording sound . however , in the case of the apparatus able to shoot and record sound at the same time , such as a camcorder , it is possible to prevent not only the incoming call announce by vibration but also the incoming call announce by sound or voice . as described above , according to the second embodiment of the present invention , by changing the control of the imaging means , it is possible for the user to avoid receiving , bad influence to the imaging data . although the present embodiment is explained on a digital camera capable of shooting both of a still picture and a moving picture , it is also applicable to a digital camera only for a still picture . and also , it is applicable to a silver - halide camera .	7
in the preferred embodiment illustrated , there is provided a mobile phone having an internal printer which includes a separately detachable printhead and ink supply module . the printer phone can be produced at or close to a standard size phone for any system including phs , gsm and gprs , thereby conferring a higher level of convenience during operation . turning initially to fig1 , there is illustrated the preferred embodiment 1 in the form of a phs phone and which in many ways looks like and includes the features of a conventional mobile phone of this type including an ear piece 2 , microphone 3 , aerial 4 , loud speaker 5 , a series of push buttons 6 and a preferably color lcd screen 7 for the display of information . also included is a battery 8 as shown in fig4 . the phone 1 can optionally be equipped with a camera device 10 comprising lenses 11 and associated ccd chip or cmos sensor 12 . the ccd or cmos sensor enables the device to store images on demand , so that the phone can effectively act as a camera device for the printing out of images , or for their capture and forwarding across a mobile phone network . the operation of the relevant part of the internal control electronics can be substantially as set out in the applicant &# 39 ; s earlier pct application wo 99 / 04551 entitled “ a replenishable one time use camera system ” the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . in other embodiments , the camera device may also be configured to enable video conferencing by facilitating simultaneous image processing during phone transmission . a camera function that is mounted for selective movable positioning on the phone device may be useful for this purpose . for example , it may be rotatable between a forward facing camera orientation and a rearward facing video conferencing orientation . the printer apparatus is shown generally at 15 and comprises a printhead and ink supply module 16 including a printhead 17 , an ink supply / distribution unit 18 and a print media feed apparatus 20 . the feed apparatus is of a conventional form including a motor 21 with associated gear train 22 which drive a series of feed rollers 23 . the packaging of the printer apparatus 15 is best shown in fig5 , 6 and 9 . in this regard the printer phone 1 is constructed around a rigid chassis molding 25 . the chassis is adapted to slidably receive and retain the printhead and ink supply module 16 by means of retaining flanges 26 provided on the outer casing of the printhead and ink supply module 16 which co - operate with under cut channels 27 provided on the chassis molding . the full operation of the printer apparatus 15 is best illustrated in fig9 . in use print media 30 , preferably in the form of business card sized paper or card sheets , is fed in through an entry slot 31 provided in the external phone casing 32 . this can be done manually or via a dispenser as described hereafter . the card 30 is then picked up by the powered entry feed rollers 23 and delivered to the printhead and ink supply module 16 . the printhead and ink supply module 16 can be substantially the same as that disclosed in australian provisional patent no . pp6534 filed 16 oct ., 1998 ( u . s . ser . no . 09 / 425 , 419 filed 19 oct . 1999 ), the contents of which are also hereby incorporated by cross - reference . in such a device , the printhead is in the form of an elongate printhead chip that extends the full length of the print media pathway , so as to print the full width of the print media in a single pass without the need for any printhead traversing mechanisms . in this particular preferred embodiment , the printhead and ink module is formed as a sealed unit which is replaced in its totality after a predetermined amount of usage . the detailed structure of the ink supply and printhead module is shown more clearly in fig8 . the ink supply / distribution unit 18 is of a molded multi - part structure including a cover 35 , a macro channel molding 36 defining four separate ink supply chambers 37 - 40 having therein optional flow control baffles 41 . connected with converging outlets of the macro channel molding 36 is a micro - molding 42 which defines similarly converging ink flow nozzles 43 that accurately direct the ink to minute ink supply inlets on the rear of the printhead 17 . optionally , an ink filter 44 is provided between the two moldings . a capping device 47 is also provided as part of the module for sealing and protecting the nozzle outlets when the printer head is not in use . it is estimated that the ink supply will on average be sufficient for printing approximately 1000 pages at 15 % coverage of black or 100 photos of 50 % coverage of cmyk . an expanded technical description of the printhead and ink supply module can be found in the aforementioned provisional patent specification pp6534 and associated applications . the mobile phone system can be operated under the control of a series of one or more application specific integrated circuits ( asics ) which incorporate the usual mobile phone capabilities in addition to camera and image processing capabilities . an adaptation of the system outlined in pct patent application pct / au98 / 00544 filed by the present applicant ( also incorporated herein by reference ) can be utilised in the design of the asic . the electrical interconnections for the preferred embodiment are shown schematically as a block diagram in fig1 . other system designs well known to those skilled in this field may also be used . referring next to fig1 to 15 there is illustrated a print media dispenser 50 configured for use with the phs phone of the previous embodiments . the dispenser comprises a lower molding 51 that defines a media storage and dispensing region 52 and a cradle 53 which supports the printer phone 1 and aligns it with the outlet of the dispenser . the interactive operation of the print media dispenser with the phone 1 is best illustrated in fig1 . as can be seen , the dispenser 50 has a storage area 52 in which is disposed a quantity of print media in the form of business card sized paper or card sheets 54 . these cards are supported on a metal base plate 55 which is sprung by means of opposed spring fingers 56 as shown in fig1 . in this manner , the card supply is constantly biased upwardly toward a media ejector mechanism 58 . the ejector mechanism includes an ejector slider 59 which is operable upon manual sliding against a return spring 60 to pick up the top card and feed this out of the dispenser outlet 61 and into the media entry slot 31 on the phone 1 . on release , the slider automatically returns to the home position to engage the next card ready for further loading . desirably , the printer phone 1 and / or printhead and ink supply module 16 includes an authentication mechanism such as that outlined in the applicant &# 39 ; s earlier pct application no . pct / au98 / 00544 entitled “ a camera with an internal printing system ”. this can be used to ensure not only that an authenticated approved consumable ( such as the printhead and ink supply module ) is used with the printer phone , but can also be used to store data on the relative usages of the consumable components such as the ink or the printhead itself and can optionally be used to set a predetermined usage for these items . as noted above , the phone device of the invention may be any kind of mobile phone that sends and receives signals in a manner which can be processed into a printable form . further , while the preferred form described has a printhead and ink distribution unit which has an integrally formed and attached ink supply , the ink supply could be separate and optionally also separately replenishable . while the invention has been described with reference to specific examples , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms .	7
as used herein , “ absorbency ” refers to the functional capacity and the rate at which absorption occurs as measured by absorption under load ( aul ) or finite volume absorption under load ( fvaul ). “ air permeability ”, as used herein , refers to the amount of air which the surface permits to pass through during a specified amount of time relative to another surface having the same total area as the first surface . as used herein , the term “ absorbent article ” refers to articles that absorb and contain exudates , and more specifically refers to articles which are placed against or in proximity to the body of the wearer to absorb and contain various exudates discharged from the body . a non - exhaustive list of examples of absorbent articles includes diapers , diaper cores , diaper covers , disposable diapers , training pants , feminine hygiene products and adult incontinence products . the term “ disposable article ” refers to absorbent articles that are intended to be discarded or partially discarded after a single use , i . e ., they are not intended to be laundered or otherwise restored or reused . the term “ unitary disposable absorbent article ” refers to a disposable absorbent article that is essentially a single structure ( i . e ., it does not require separate manipulative parts such as a diaper cover and insert ). as used herein , the term “ diaper ” refers to an absorbent article generally worn by infants and incontinent persons about the lower torso . the claims are intended to cover all of the forgoing classes of absorbent articles , without limitation , whether disposable , unitary or otherwise . these classifications are used interchangeably throughout the specification , but are not intended to limit the claimed invention . the invention will be understood to encompass , without limitation , all classes of absorbent articles , including those described above . preferably , the absorbent core is thin in order to improve the comfort and appearance of a garment . the employance of thin , comfortable garments is disclosed , for example without limitation in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 098 , 423 to pineiak et al . which is herein incorporated by reference . referring to the drawings , fig1 shows the forming surface 2 which is mounted on the drum assembly 4 . a forming chamber 8 is attached to the outlet shroud 10 and feeds an air stream to the forming surface on the drum assembly 4 . a hammermill having a blade or a plurality of blades receives a fiber board 18 at a pair of feed roles 19 . any blade or plurality of blades capable of fiberizing the fiber board are contemplated by the invention . non - limiting exemplary blades include steel , metal alloy and carbide tipped blades . preferably , the blades are carbide tipped blades . the feed roles 19 feed the fiber board to the carbide tip blades 14 which disintegrate the board into particles which are carried into the outlet shroud 10 by an air stream originating from an air inlet scoop 20 which is connected to the hammermill 12 at a hammermill screen 16 . the forming chamber 8 contains a nozzle 22 having an outlet into the interior of the forming chamber 8 through which a substance such as a super absorbent polymer (“ sap ”), for example without limitation , may be sprayed or injected into the air stream passing through the interior of forming chamber 8 where the substance will combine with the particles contained in the air stream . the drum assembly 4 has an inner vacuum chamber 6 positioned in such a manner as to create a vacuum at the forming surface on certain portion or portions of the drum assembly 4 . mounted to the exterior of the drum assembly 4 is a scarfing roll 24 which is located in close proximity to the forming surface 2 . a conveyor belt 28 is located adjacent to and beneath the drum assembly 4 and optionally contains tissue layers 26 for receiving the absorbent article formed on the forming surface when the article is released from the vacuum of the inner vacuum chamber 6 after passing through the scarfing role 24 . thus , once the drum assembly 4 rotates so that the absorbent article formed on the forming surface 2 is directly over the conveyor belt , the absorbent article is deposited onto the conveyor belt . for example , the absorbent article may be processed into a diaper , without limitation . the conveyor belt 28 transports the absorbent article for further processing . for example , the absorbent article may be processed into a diaper , without limitation . referring to fig2 a along with fig1 , a plurality of forming surfaces 2 ( fig1 ) are secured to a drum assembly 4 . one of the plurality of forming surfaces is illustrated in fig2 a and 2b . forming surface 2 is divided into four separate zones , each containing perforations 42 defining an open area through which air passes giving a certain air permeability based upon the diameter and number of holes or perforations 42 within each zone and / or the thickness of the sheet metal . a first zone 46 , which corresponds to the front of the absorbent article being prepared , has perforations 42 in a sufficient number and of a sufficient diameter to define an open area , through which air passes , of about 30 % to about 85 %, preferably about 40 % to about 60 %, more preferably about 45 % to about 55 %, and even more preferably about 49 % of the total area of the first zone . a second zone 48 corresponds to the back of the absorbent article being prepared . the second zone 48 has perforations 42 in a sufficient number and of a sufficient diameter to define an open area , through which air passes , of about 5 % to about 25 %, preferably about 10 % to about 22 %, more preferably about 15 % to about 20 %, and even more preferably about 15 %, of the total area of the second zone . a third zone 50 , which defines a gradual transition from the first zone to the second zone , contains perforations 42 of varying diameter and / or number sufficient to provide a gradually decreasing open area from the first zone to the second zone . likewise , a fourth zone 48 , which defines a gradual transition from the second zone to the first zone , contains perforations 42 of varying diameter and / or number sufficient to provide a gradually decreasing open area from the second zone to the first zone . the forming surface 2 , while being permeable to air , is substantially impermeable to the solid materials carried in the airflow . by use of the term “ air ”, it is contemplated that other vapors , gases or mixtures thereof may be used in place of air . the forming surface 2 may be in the form of a screen , a mesh , a grid , a matrix , or any selectively permeable form , and combinations thereof . the perforations 42 or openings in the forming surface 2 may be of any shape and combinations thereof . preferably , the perforations 42 or openings are circular . the perforations 42 or openings may be of a wide variety of sizes provided the desired open area or air permeability is achieved . the forming surface 2 may be in any overall size or shape and may be bent or molded in various ways to achieve a wide variety of affects , as desired . preferably the forming surface 2 is in a rectangular form , as shown in fig2 a and is bent as shown in the side view of fig2 b . it has been found that the varying air permeability of the forming surface unexpectedly results in an improved absorbent article having zones with differing absorbencies in a simple and cost effective manner while achieving a high level of precision . the forming surface 2 may be composed of any material or combination of materials which can withstand the process conditions and produce the desired effect . preferably , the forming surface is composed of sheet metal . the perforations may be of any diameter . preferably , the perforations in the sheet metal are a diameter ranging from about 0 . 020 to about 0 . 080 inches , more preferably the diameters of the holes range from about 0 . 030 to about 0 . 060 inches , even more preferably the diameters of the perforations range from about 0 . 036 to about 0 . 040 inches . the perforations may be of uniform or non - uniform sizes . preferably , the perforations are of uniform size . referring to fig3 , the drum assembly 4 includes an outer cylinder upon which the forming surface 2 is mounted . the outer cylinder is supported and rotates around a central shaft 62 . a vacuum or suction is drawn within the drum assembly 4 by means of an inner vacuum chamber 6 . the vacuum created within the drum causes the airborne particles to adhere to the forming surface 2 . as described above , the predetermined zones 46 , 48 , 50 and 52 on the forming surface 2 have different air permeability . thus , the particles are deposited in varying amounts on the forming surface corresponding to the different zones . the basis weight of the fiber build up in each zone therefore is different from the other zones . this results in an absorbent article having a desired absorbent profile . the inner vacuum chamber 6 includes a main chamber 63 and a main chamber outlet 64 . the main chamber 63 receives the air flow from the forming chamber 8 ( fig1 ) after the air passes through the forming surface . the air then travels to the main chamber outlet 64 . in this manner , a vacuum or suction is created on the forming surface 2 as described above . outer cylinder 60 upon which the forming surface 2 is mounted rotates past the main chamber 63 . after the forming surface passes the main chamber 63 it encounters the pad transfer chamber 66 . the pad transfer chamber 66 does not receive the air flowing from the forming chamber 8 . therefore , there is no vacuum or suction beneath the forming surface 2 as the forming surface 2 rotates past the pad transfer chamber 66 . accordingly , the absorbent article formed on the forming surface is released from that surface and is able to be transferred to the conveyor belt , shown in fig1 , for subsequent processing . referring to fig4 , the forming chamber 8 is composed of a main air duct 74 , an inlet opening 76 and an outlet opening 78 . a nozzle 22 may be mounted on the main air duct 74 such that the nozzle penetrates into the interior of the main air duct 74 by means of an air tight seal . the nozzle 22 provides a means for injecting or spraying or providing in some other way a substance into the interior of the main air duct . the material may be a polymer such as a sap , for example without limitation . the forming chamber 8 is mounted to the drum assembly at the outlet opening 78 . the input opening 76 is attached to the outlet shroud 10 by means of an air tight connection . referring to fig5 , optionally , a scarfing roll 24 is situated in close proximity to the drum assembly 4 . the scarfing roll 24 is one or more rollers which comes into contact with the forming surface 2 and redistributes the material deposited on the forming surface 2 in a designated manner . optionally , a return duct may recycle scarfed material by returning the material to the forming chamber 8 . use of any conventional scarfing roll or recycling means is contemplated by the invention . the use of scarfing rolls and recycling means in this manner is well within the skill of the art . fig6 shows a cross - sectional view of the various components of the absorbent article on the forming surface 2 after the forming surface passes through the scarfing roll 24 . as the figure shows , the scarfed particles 102 are redistributed by the scarfing roll 24 from the back to the front zone , thereby further reducing the basis weight ( or absorbency ) of the back section while increasing the basic weight ( absorbency ) of the front zone . in this manner , the combination of the scarfing roll 24 with the forming surface 2 of the invention is a synergistic combination , as described below and illustrated in graph 7 . fig7 is a graph , which corresponds to table 1 below , illustrating the absorbency profile of the absorbent article when prepared in accordance with various preferred embodiments of the present invention . as shown in table 1 and fig7 , when the process of the present invention is employed with no scarfing rolls and no sap , an absorbent article is produced having a higher basis weight in the front than in the back through the use of the forming surface having different air permeability at corresponding predetermined zones . this demonstrates the effectiveness of the forming surface in selectively placing different amounts of the particles in different zones on the absorbent article . in particular , the basis weight in the front of the article was found to be 600 gsm while the basis weight in the back of the article was measured to be 500 gsm . when a sap is applied during the process , again without use of the scarfing roll , an even greater difference between the front and back zones is achieved . in particular , the basis weight in the front zone was measured to be 950 gsm , whereas the basis weight in the back zone was found to be 750 gsm , or a 1 . 28 : 1 ratio between the front and back zones . when scarfing is used in the process along with a sap , an even more dramatic result can be seen . as shown in the figure and the table , the front zone has a basis weight of 950 gsm , whereas the back zone has a basis weight of 500 gsm . this difference in basis weights represents a 1 . 86 : 1 ratio of the front basis weight to the back basis weight . accordingly , the combination of the scarfing process with the use of the zoned forming surface of the invention represents a synergistic combination . table i transition front transition back weight ratio zone 1 zone zone 2 zone of front zone ( gsm ) ( gsm ) ( gsm ) ( gsm ) to back zone 1 ) no 625 600 480 500 1 . 20 : 1 scarf □ no sap 2 ) no scarf 840 950 910 750 1 . 28 : 1 □ with sap 3 ) with scarf 860 950 880 500 1 . 86 : 1 □ with sap fig8 is a plan view of an absorbent article prepared in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig8 , the absorbent article 200 is composed of a front zone 202 and a back zone 204 . the absorbent article 200 is shown as one component of a disposable absorbent garment 300 according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention . due to the wide variety of materials which may be incorporated into the absorbent articles of the present invention , the invention is not intended to be limited to any specific materials . the particles may contain one or more fibers , one or more polymers or combinations thereof . non - limiting exemplary fibers which may be used in the process of the present invention include , without limitation , cellulose fibers , cellulose acetate fibers , rayon fibers , courtauld &# 39 ; s lyocel fibers , polyacrylonitrile fibers , surface modified ( hydrophilic ) polyester fibers , surface modified polyolophin / polyester by component fibers , surface modified polyester / polyester bicomponent fibers , cotton fibers or blends thereof . preferably cellulose acetate , rayon , courtauld &# 39 ; s lyocel , polyacrylonitrile , cotton fibers and cotton linters or combinations thereof are used in the process of the present invention . more preferably , cellulose fibers are used as the fiber material in the present invention . other materials may be added to the fiber or pulp material which is processed in a fiberizing apparatus , such as a hammermill . the additives may be added at any point in the process . preferably , the additives are sprayed or injected into the airborne fibers prior to the depositing of the fibers on the forming surface 2 . non - limiting exemplary additives which may be incorporated into the process of the present invention include a polymer such as a super absorbent polymer ( sap ), hydrophilic polymers , potato starch , corn starch , wheat starch or rice starch , or combinations thereof . various different combinations of materials may be used as are known to persons of ordinary skill in the art and which are described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 068 , 620 which is herein incorporated by reference . preferably , the mixtures incorporated in the invention are substantially homogenous mixtures or uniformly distributed mixtures . although the invention preferably uses a hammermill , the invention contemplates use of any conventional fiberizing apparatus which accomplishes the disintegration of the fiber board into discreet particles of fiber . such conventional means are well known and readily available to persons of ordinary skill in the art . referring again to fig8 , the absorbent article of the present invention has one or more predetermined zones of a specified absorbency wherein at least two of these zones have a different absorbency . preferably , the ratio of the front absorbency to the back absorbency as measured by aul or fvaul , is about 1 . 25 : 1 to about 5 : 1 , more preferably the ratio of the absorbency of the front zone to the absorbency of the back zone is about 1 . 5 : 1 to about 2 . 5 : 1 , and even more preferably the ratio is about 2 : 1 . alternatively , the weight ratio of the basis weight of the front zone to the basis weight of the second zone is about 1 . 5 : 1 to about 3 : 1 ; more preferably , that ratio is about 1 . 6 : 1 to about 2 . 5 : 1 ; and most preferably , that ratio is about 2 : 1 . the absorbent article optionally has a third and a fourth predetermined area . each of the third and fourth predetermined areas has a gradually increasing or decreasing absorbency or basis weight in a longitudinal direction . this gradually increasing or decreasing absorbency , as measured in aul or fvaul , or basis weight may be in the form of a gradual linear progression or a gradual curved progression , as desired . an absorbent article having such an absorbent profile may be prepared in accordance with the process of the present invention or any other process which achieves these same results . the absorbent article may be composed of any material which achieves the desired absorbency . preferably , the absorbent article contains 50 to 95 % by weight particulate or fibrous sap , and about 5 % to about 50 % by weight of one other fibrous or particulate material . preferably , the absorbent article comprises a laminate . for example , without limitation , the laminate can be formed by sandwiching the absorbent article between two tissue layers of laminated material to encase the absorbent article therein . the use of aul as a measurement of absorbency is well known in the art . a person of ordinary skill in the art would readily understand how to use aul as a measurement of absorbency , as described herein . fig1 shows an apparatus used to measure finite volume absorbency under load ( fvaul ), while fig2 shows a close up view of a weight 32 used in the fvaul testing . the apparatus includes balance 34 and a sample holder 36 positioned on the balance , with the weight 32 configured for positioning on a test sample held by the sample holder . an lvdt ( linear variable differential transducer ) measuring system 38 is positioned to engage the weight 32 and measure its movement as a finite volume of liquid is introduced into the sample holder for absorption by a test sample . a lucas schaevitz type 2000 hpa lvdt system was employed , which employed lucas schaevitz system 96 oftware . since this software only provides lvdt measurements , additional software was provided to obtain readouts of values from balance 34 , and of time . as shown in fig2 , the weight 32 includes a stainless steel tube 40 and a bottom stainless steel screen 42 , with stainless steel slot 44 held within the tube and screen . liquid to be introduced into a test sample is poured through the steel slot so that it passes through the screen 42 into the sample holder 36 . a computer software program that can run the lvdt ( linear variable differential transducer ) system was booted . the lvdt system was calibrated , and the computer program to run the test was booted . 300 data sets were taken at two second intervals . a data set consists of time to the nearest hundredth second , balance reading to the nearest hundredth gram , and the lvdt reading to the nearest hundredth inch . the sample holder and a 0 . 16 psi porous weight were cleaned and then the holder was placed on a balance and the weight was put into place . the lvdt rods were then placed on the weights and the lvdt was zeroed . the lvdt and the weight were removed and weighed and then the sample was placed into the holder ( baby side up ). the weight and lvdt were replaced and the computer program calculated the sample &# 39 ; s thickness . the computer program asked for the sample weight and the ratio of superabsorbent particles ( sap ) to sample weight . this information was used to determine the total volume being taken up by the sap and pulp in the sample . the densities of 1 . 5 for sap and 1 . 7 for pulp are used by the program . the computer the “ calculates the free volume of the sample when dry . ( if this value is known to be incorrect because of pad construction , it is possible to re - enter the free volume .) an air shield was placed around the sample tester and the balance was zeroed ( tared ). 15 ml of test solution of 1 percent sodium chloride in water was prepared and placed in a graduated cylinder . the computer was then activated to start taking data sets and was allowed to take two data points before the solution was added . these two data sets are used to calculate the initial volume of the sample in the dry state . the 15 ml solution was quickly poured into the weight and was absorbed through the screen in the bottom of the weight into the sample . after the computer had taken 300 data sets , the computer generates the desired data such as dry free volume ( the amount of air in the sample ), the sample volume and sample mass as a function of time . the volume of the parts of the sample is calculated by taking the dry sample volume and subtracting the free volume from it and then adding the volume of liquid added . vd = volume of dry sample vf = free volume of air l = weight of the liquid 1 . 01 = density of 1 % nacl solution the sample volume and the volume by parts at 60 seconds and at 600 seconds was recorded . the computer program that reads information from the lvdt system and the balance calculates the free volume for the dry sample and records that as the first record in the computer file . the calculation is based on three pieces of information : the sample weight , the ratio of superabsorbent to sample weight , and the sample thickness . the samples are all assumed to be two inches in diameter . the following equation shows how the calculation is done . a s = ( 2 · 2 . 54 . 2 ) 2 · π = v s = volume of the sample ( cm 3 ) v s = a s · t s a s = area of the sample ( cm 2 ) fv s = v s − v sap − v pulp fv s = free volume of the sample v sap = m sap / ρ sap v sap = volume of sap in the v pulp = m pulp / ρ pulp v pulp = volume of pulp in the m sap = r · w ρ sap = density of the sap m pulp = ( 1 − ρ pulp = density of the pulp w = the mass of the sample ( g ) r = the ration of sap to sample t s = the thickness of the sample the following is the complete equation . 1 . 5 g / cc is used for the density of the superabsorbent 1 . 7 g / cc is used for the density of the pulp . the following examples are illustrative of preferred embodiments of the inventive subject matter and are not to be construed as limiting the inventive subject matter thereto . the following table shows the parameters for the design of forming screens used in accordance with various preferred embodiments of the present invention . the forming screens having the parameters described below are made of a sheet metal material . the arrangement of the zones is as shown in fig2 a and the overall configuration of the forming screens is as shown in fig2 b . table ii t1 zone * front zone t2 zone * back zone % open area □ about 5 % to about 30 % to about 5 % to about 5 % to about 79 % □ about 79 % □ about 79 % about 50 % hole diameter about 0 . 125 about 0 . 125 about 0 . 125 to about 0 . 125 to ( inches ) to about to □ about 0 . 010 about 0 . 010 0 . 010 about 0 . 010 holes per about 4 about 24 to about 4 to about 4 to square inch to about □ about 10 , 000 □ about 10 , 000 about 6 , 300 10 , 000 □ thickness about 0 . 005 - 0 . 250 about 0 . 005 - 0 . 250 about 0 . 005 - 0 . 250 about 0 . 005 - 0 . 250 ( inches ) * indicates a non - uniform transitional zone which gradually increases or decreases in open area in the longitudinal direction . this gradual increase or decrease in open area may be accomplish by increasing / decreasing hole diameter , increasing / decreasing number of holes or a combination thereof . the following table shows the parameters for the design of a forming screen used in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the forming screen having the parameters described below is made of a sheet metal material . the arrangement of the zones is as shown in fig2 a and the overall configuration of the forming screens is as shown in fig2 b . table iii t1 zone * front zone t2 zone * back zone % open area about 32 % about 49 % about 32 % about 15 % hole diameter about 0 . 036 about 0 . 036 about 0 . 036 about 0 . 036 ( inches ) holes per about 481 about 481 about 147 about 147 square inch gradually gradually decreasing increasing to to about about 481 147 directionally directionally from back from zone to front front zone zone to back zone thickness about 0 . 015 about 0 . 015 about 0 . 015 about 0 . 015 ( inches ) * indicates a non - uniform transitional zone which gradually increases or decreases in open area in the longitudinal direction . this gradual increase or decrease in open area may be accomplish by increasing / decreasing hole diameter , increasing / decreasing number of holes or a combination thereof . the invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments . these embodiments , however , are merely for example and the invention is not restricted thereto . it will be understood by those skilled in the art that other variations and modifications can easily be made within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	0
in the present invention , by the expression “ hydrophilic and / or charged aminoacidic residue ” is meant , for example , an aminoacidic residue selected from the group consisting of glutamine , asparagine , aspartic acid and glutamic acid ; aspartic acid is preferably meant . in the present invention , by the expression “ aminoacidic residue corresponding to the phenylalanine 171 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . p39900 ( swiss prot )” is meant the aminoacidic residue in the same position of the above said phenylalanine 171 as resulting in a multiple alignment , as defined hereinafter . for the various matrix metalloproteinases ( hereinafter referred to with the abbreviation mmp ) not having , as such , an hydrophilic and / or charged residue in the corresponding position as defined above , i . e . for all mmps with the exclusion of mmp - 1 ( seq id no . 1 ), mmp - 8 ( seq id no . 5 ), and mmp - 11 ( seq id no . 8 ), the mutation is located in the following positions , identified through the multiple alignment : for human mmp - 2 ( seq id no . 2 ) and all its isoforms determined by alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is glycine 181 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . p08253 ( swissprot ); for human mmp - 3 ( seq id no . 3 ) and all its isoforms determined by alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is phenylalanine 171 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . p08254 ( swissprot ) or q6grf8 ( trembl ); for human mmp - 7 ( seq id no . 4 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is serine 166 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . p09237 ( swissprot ); for human mmp - 9 ( seq id no . 6 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is glycine 178 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . p14780 ( swissprot ); for human mmp - 10 ( seq id no . 7 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is phenylalanine 170 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . p09238 ( swissprot ) or q53hh9 ( trembl ); for human mmp - 12 ( seq id no . 9 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is phenylalanine 171 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . p39900 ( swissprot ); for human mmp - 13 ( seq id no . 10 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is phenylalanine 175 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . p45452 ( swissprot ) or q7z5m0 , q7z5m1 and q6nwn6 ( trembl ); for human mmp - 14 ( seq id no . 11 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is serine 189 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . p50281 ( swissprot ) and q6gsf3 ( trembl ); for human mmp - 15 ( seq id no . 12 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is serine 209 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . p51511 ( swissprot ) and q7kzy0 ( trembl ); for human mmp - 16 ( seq id no . 13 and seq id no . 14 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is serine 196 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . p51512 ( swissprot ), or q52h48 and q14824 ( trembl ); for human mmp - 17 ( seq id no . 15 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is glycine 200 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . q9ulz9 ( swissprot ) or q5u5m0 and q81wc3 ( trembl ); for human mmp - 19 ( seq id no . 16 and seq id no . 17 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is tyrosine 165 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . q99542 ( trembl ); for human mmp - 20 ( seq id no . 18 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is serine 179 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . 060882 ( trembl ); for human mmp - 21 ( seq id no . 19 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is cysteine 238 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . q5vzp9 and q8n119 ( trembl ); for human mmp - 23a ( seq id no . 20 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is cysteine 152 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . o75900 ( trembl ); for human mmp - 23b ( seq id no . 21 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is cysteine 152 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . q9ubr9 ( trembl ); for human mmp - 24 ( seq id no . 22 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is serine 232 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . q9y5r2 and q9h440 ( trembl ); for human mmp - 25 ( seq id no . 23 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is serine 182 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . q9npa2 ( trembl ); for human mmp - 26 ( seq id no . 24 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is glycine 161 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . q9nre1 ( trembl ); for human mmp - 27 ( seq id no . 25 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is cysteine 168 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . q9h306 and q6uwk6 ( trembl ); for human mmp - 28 ( seq id no . 26 and seq id no . 27 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is glycine 193 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . q9h239 and q9bug8 ( trembl ); for human mmp - like 1 ( seq id no . 28 ) and all its isoforms determined by the alternative “ splicing ”, the aminoacidic residue that is mutated is serine 106 according to the numbering of the sequence accession no . o43923 ( trembl ); for the alignment the program clustalw ( 1 . 6 ) has been used with the following parameters : substitution matrix gonnet 250 , gap open 10 , gap close − 1 , gap extension − 2 , gap distance 4 . for a complete description of the alignment methodology see andreini c . et al ., j . of proteome research , 2004 , 3 , 21 , which is herewith incorporated by reference . as showed in the following examples , the mutated proteins according to the invention presented a much more increasing stability in respect to the corresponding wild - type , not mutated protein . this makes more efficacious the use of the present mutated proteins not only as a scientific research instrument , for instance as a pharmaceutical tool to test new drugs having the matrix metalloproteinases as pharmaceutical target , but also as a pharmaceutical active principle . the following examples are reported to illustrate , and not to limit the invention . according to the invention , the mutation of the aminoacidic residues has been obtained by specific site mutagenesis . a couple of nucleotides has been synthesised to this aim , wherein the nucleotides are constituted of 35 basis complementary to the wild type gene with the exclusion of the triplet codifying the aminoacid to be mutated in the protein . with these oligonucleotides a pcr reaction has been carried out on the plasmid containing the wild type gene at an annealing t m temperature reduced by at least 15 - 20 ° c . respect to t m of the oligonucleotides . a plasmid containing the mutated gene has been so obtained . the reaction mixture has been transformed in e . coli cells , and the plasmids contained in these cells have been isolated . the plasmid containing the mutated gene has been identified by gene sequencing . catalytic domains of mmps , wild type and mutated , have been cloned , expressed and purified according to the following procedure . the cdna of each prommp has been cloned in a pet21 vector ( novagen ). the resulting vector has been used for the transformation of bl21 cells of escherichia coli . a culture of the latter transformed cells have been grown in luria - bertani medium at a temperature of 37 ° c . the expression of each protein is induced during the phase of exponential growing by adding of iptg ( isopropyl - beta - d - thiogalactopyranoside ) 0 . 5 mm . cells have been harvested and lysated , 4 hours later the induction . after the cellular lysis , inclusion bodies have been collected and dissolved in a solution of 6 m urea and 20 mm tris - hcl at ph 8 . then the proteins have been purified using an hiprep 16 / 10 ( 20 ml ) qff ( pharmacia ) with a buffer containing 6 m urea , 20 mm tris - hcl at ph 8 and eluting with a linear gradient of nacl until 0 . 35 m . every purified protein has been refolded by subsequent dialysis with solutions containing 50 mm tris - hcl ( ph 7 . 2 ), 10 mm cacl 2 , 0 . 1 mm zncl 2 , 0 . 3 m nacl and 0 . 2 m aha ( acetohydroxamic acid ). during the refolding phases each protein is activated by prodomain cutting . in the final refolding dialysis the aha concentration is equal to 0 . 5 m . for the isolation of the single catalytic domain is carried out a chromatographic column superdex 75 16 / 60 ( pharmacia ) eluted with the buffer of the last dialysis . the aminoacid sequences of the mmps , prepared and purified as described above , are reported in the following . studies have been carried out to evaluate stability of the wild type human metalloproteinase 3 ( mmp - 3 ) ( seq id no . 3 ) catalytic domain and of the mutated human metalloproteinase 3 ( mmp - 3 ) ( seq id no . 3 ) catalytic domain , wherein phenylalanine has been mutated in aspartate . the analysis has been carried out comparing stability towards autoproteolysis of the two proteins in the same conditions . the two proteins have been prepared following the procedure reported above in example 1 , and the stability has been analysed by sds / polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis according to the following procedure . a sample of the protein is used , dissolved in a buffer containing tris hydroxymethylaminoethane ( tris ) 50 mm ph = 7 . 2 ; cacl 2 5 mm ; zncl 2 0 . 1 mm ; nacl 0 . 3 m ; and acetohydroxamic acid ( aha ) 0 . 5 m , and having a concentration of 0 . 45 mm . the sample is maintained at room temperature . at intervals corresponding to 0 , 4 , 7 , 11 and 14 days 5 μl aliquots of the two samples maintained at room temperature are collected and immediately frozen at − 80 °; all the collected samples having the above said protein concentration are analysed by electrophoresis on sds / polyacrylamide gel ( 17 %), thus obtaining the results showed in fig1 and illustrated in the following . the analysis shows a higher stability of the mutated protein in respect of the wild - type protein . in fact , both wild - type and mutated proteins show a degradation band since time = 0 , but during the next 14 days the intensity of the band corresponding to the non degraded wild - type protein shows a significant decrease . on the contrary , the intensity of the band corresponding to the non degraded mutated protein is substantially constant during 14 days . moreover , the fragmentation of wild - type protein involving the aminoacidic residue 171 corresponding to the mutation site in the mutated protein yields to a fragment with lower molecular weight if compared with the fragment obtained for the mutated protein . this indicates different cutting sites for wild - type and mutated proteins , so that the mutation site of the mutated protein is less preferred as cutting site than that in the same position of the wild - type protein , this being a suggestion that the non degraded mutated protein is more stable . finally , as showed in fig1 , the band corresponding to the fragment coming from degradation of the mutated protein has an intensity which is substantially maintained , and this indicates that the mutated protein is not only less susceptible to fragmentation but the fragment coming from its fragmentation is also more stable than that forming from fragmentation of the wild - type protein . studies have been carried out on stability of the wild type human metalloproteinase 10 ( mmp - 10 ) ( seq id no . 7 ) catalytic domain and of the mutated human metalloproteinase 10 ( mmp - 10 ) ( seq id no . 7 ) catalytic domain , wherein phenylalanine has been mutated in aspartate . the analysis has been carried out comparing stability towards autoproteolysis of the two proteins in the same conditions . the two proteins have been prepared following the procedure reported above in example 1 , and the stability has been analysed by sds / polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis according to the following procedure . a sample of the protein is used , dissolved in a buffer containing tris 10 mm ph = 7 . 2 ; cacl 2 10 mm ; zncl 2 0 . 1 mm ; nacl 0 . 3 m ; and aha 0 . 5 m , and having a concentration of 0 . 3 mm for the wild - type protein and of 0 . 26 mm for the mutated protein . the samples are maintained at 4 ° c . at intervals corresponding to 0 , 1 , 2 , and 3 days for the wild - type protein and 0 , 6 and 30 days for the mutated protein , 5 μl aliquots of the two samples maintained at 4 ° c . are collected and immediately frozen at − 80 ° c . ; all the collected samples having the above said protein concentrations , are analysed by electrophoresis sds / polyacrylamide gel ( 17 %), thus obtaining the results showed in fig2 . besides the observations already made above for the results concerning mmp - 3 ( seq id no . 3 ), that are substantially the same results as those obtained for mmp - 10 ( seq id no . 10 ), it is significant to notice the high stability showed by the mutated protein even after 30 days . studies have been carried out on the stability of the wild type human metalloproteinase 13 ( mmp - 13 ) ( seq id no . 10 ) catalytic domain and of the mutated human metalloproteinase 13 ( mmp - 13 ) ( seq id no . 10 ) catalytic domain where phenylalanine has been mutated in aspartate . the analysis has been carried out comparing stability towards autoproteolysis of the two proteins in the same conditions . the two proteins have been prepared following the procedure reported above in example 1 , and the stability has been analysed by sds / polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis according to the following procedure . a sample of the protein is used , dissolved in a buffer containing tris 50 mm ph = 7 . 2 ; cacl 2 5 mm ; zncl 2 0 . 1 mm ; nacl 0 . 3 m ; but without aha , and having a concentration of 80 μm . the sample is maintained at room temperature . at intervals corresponding to 0 , 2 , 7 , 14 and 21 days 5 μl aliquots of the two samples maintained at room temperature , are collected and immediately frozen at − 80 ° c . ; all the collected samples having the above said concentration are analysed by electrophoresis on sds / polyacrylamide gel ( 17 %), thus obtaining the results showed in fig3 and illustrated in the following . the analysis shows a significantly higher stability of the mutated protein in respect of the wild - type protein . in fact , it is evident from fig3 a decrease of intensity of the band corresponding to the non degraded wild - type protein , which is almost disappeared after 21 days ; on the contrary , the intensity of the same band for the protein mutated according to the invention , is almost unchanged after 21 days . moreover , fig3 shows bands corresponding to low molecular weight fragments only for the wild - type protein , while no such bands are visible for the protein mutated according to the invention . the activity measurements have been carried out with the following methodology . the colorimetric substrate is a thiopeptide ( ac - pro - leu - gly -[ 2 - mercapto - 4 - methyl - pentanoyl ]- leu - gly - oc 2 h 5 , a reagent from biomol catalogue . the hydrolysis of the substrate due to matrix metalloproteinases produces a sulphydrilic group that reacts with dtnb ( 5 , 5 ′- dithiobis ( 2 - nitrobenzoic acid ), called ellman reagent ) to produce 2 - nitro - 5 - thiobenzoic acid , detectable using its absorbance at 412 nm . the reaction conditions are reported hereinafter : mmp3 ( seq id no . 3 ) ( f171 )— specific activity at 25 ° c . : 43 u / μg . an u = 100 pmol / min mmp7 ( seq id no . 4 ) ( s166d )— specific activity at 25 ° c . : 66 u / μg . an u = 100 pmol / min mmp10 ( seq id no . 7 ) ( f171 )— specific activity at 25 ° c . : 41 u / μg . an u = 100 pmol / min mmp12 ( seq id no . 9 ) ( f171 )— specific activity at 25 ° c . : 91 u / μg . an u = 100 pmol / min the activity values of the mmp refer by biomol are measured at 37 ° c . on the same substrate used by us , and they are as follows : mmp3 ( seq id no . 3 )— specific activity at 37 ° c . : 50 u / μg . an u = 100 pmol / min mmp7 ( seq id no . 4 )— specific activity at 37 ° c . : 34 . 5 u / μg . an u = 100 pmol / min mmp10 ( seq id no . 7 )— specific activity at 37 ° c . : 42 . 5 u / μg . an u = 100 pmol / min mmp12 ( seq id no . 9 )— specific activity at 37 ° c . : 86 u / μg . an u = 100 pmol / min the cdna of the catalytic domain for each mmp has been cloned in a pet21 vector ( novagen ); the resulting vector has been then used for transformation of bl21 - de3 cells of escherichia coli . the transformed cells have been grown in luria - bertani medium at a temperature of 37 ° c . the expression of the protein has been induced during the exponential growth phase by addition of iptg 0 . 5 mm . 5 hours after induction , cells have been harvested and lysated , and inclusion bodies have been dissolved in a buffer containing tris 20 mm ph 8 and urea 6 m . the proteins are then purified by means of an anionic exchange column ( hitrap qhp - pharmacia ) using a buffer containing tris 20 mm ph 8 and urea 6 m , and eluting with a linear gradient of nacl until 0 . 5 m . the purified proteins have been then refolded by subsequent dialysis with solutions containing tris 50 mm ph 7 . 2 ; cacl 2 10 mm ; zncl 2 0 . 1 m ; nacl 0 . 3 m and aha 0 . 2 m . in the final refolding dialysis the concentration of aha is brought to 0 . 5 m . for the isolation of the catalytic domains a chromatographic column superdex 75 16 / 60 ( pharmacia ), eluted with the buffer of the last dialysis , has been used . following the procedure described above , the catalytic domain of mmp - 1 ( seq id no . 1 ), mmp - 3 ( seq id no . 3 ), mmp - 7 ( seq id no . 4 ), mmp - 8 ( seq id no . 5 ), mmp - 10 ( seq id no . 7 ) and mmp - 12 ( seq id no . 9 ) have been prepared and purified .	2
referring now to fig1 a and 1b , transaction system 10 preferably includes pos computer system 12 , checkout system 14 , epl system 16 , and isp computer system 18 . pos computer system 12 preferably includes bar code scanner 19 and terminal 20 . epl system 16 preferably includes epls 22 , host epl terminal 24 , and epl storage medium 26 . epls 22 are typically attached to shelves within a store and include a data register 54 and a display 56 . data registers 54 contain data , usually the price of an item associated with an epl on the shelves . the data is typically displayed by display 56 . host epl terminal 24 executes epl software 30 , which maintains the contents of epl data file 32 . epl software 30 includes application programming interface ( api ) 33 , which has hooks to operating system 52 or pos software 31 . for example , a commercially - available api exists for the unix and os / 2 operating systems of novell and ibm , and the unity pos software of ncr corporation . epl software 30 includes a suit of independent applications 35 which all have hooks to api 33 . host epl terminal 24 also executes pos server plu file reader 38 , isp server plu file reader 39 , and plu verifier application 48 , all of which are compiled to run on operating system 52 or on pos software 31 , depending on the needs of the transaction establishment . pos server plu file reader 38 directly accesses plu information in plu data file 44 residing in pos computer system 12 . isp server plu file reader 39 directly accesses plu information in plu data file 60 residing in isp computer system 19 . the plu information is preferably item identification and price information . pos server plu file reader 38 is linked to api 33 through inter - process communications and includes plu file reading routine 43 which works with api 33 to cause pos software 31 or operating system 52 to read plu data file 44 and transfer plu information to plu verifier 48 . plu file reading routine 43 also works with api 33 to cause pos software 31 or operating system 52 to send plu information to electronic price label ( epl ) software 30 so that it can manage the prices displayed by epls 22 . isp server plu file reader 39 is also linked to api 33 through inter - process communications and includes plu file reading routine 45 which works with api 33 to cause pos software 31 or operating system 52 to read plu data file 60 and transfer plu information to plu verifier 48 . advantageously , none of the other applications 35 have to change if plu file readers 38 and 39 are created and placed into system 10 . as plu reader 38 attaches into api 33 via interprocess communications , it isolates independent application programs 35 from the details of plu maintenance routine 50 and plu data file 44 . plu reader 38 masks price information in plu data file 44 into displayable formats for epl system 16 . in many epl systems , data format 9 / 9 . 99 ( 9 for 9 . 99 ) or 99 . 99 is the maximum price display . as further examples , data format 2 / 12 . 40 masks into displayable information 6 . 20 and data format 10 / 1 . 10 masks into displayable information 0 . 11 . this method proves advantageous in handling advanced pricing methods . for example , one customer may wish to display price information for a &# 34 ; buy one get one free &# 34 ; item differently than price information for another item . plu reader 38 performs this change a single time and independent applications do not require modification because of this change . similarly , as plu reader 39 attaches into api 33 via interprocess communications , it isolates independent application programs 35 from the details of price management application 58 and plu data file 60 . epl storage medium 26 stores epl data file 32 and log file 49 and is preferably a fixed disk drive . pos computer system 12 includes plu storage medium 36 , host plu terminal 40 , and input device 42 . plu storage medium 36 stores plu data file 44 . plu file 44 contains price information which is available for distribution to pos terminal 20 by host plu terminal 40 . provision may also be made for bar code scanner 19 to directly access plu file 44 from host plu terminal 40 . host plu terminal 40 executes pos software 31 and plu maintenance routine 50 . plu maintenance routine 50 is controlled by pos software 31 and updates plu file 44 , prepares system 12 for a loss of plu data file 44 , and executes plu data recovery procedures . input device 42 is preferably a keyboard . input device 42 makes changes to plu data file 44 , including price changes that may be required following execution of plu verifier 48 . plu maintenance routine 50 may send changes in price in plu file 44 directly to epl terminal 24 and pos terminal 20 as they are entered in input device 42 ( immediate processing ) or store price changes within a batch file for later batch updating ( batch processing ). isp computer system 18 includes plu storage medium 59 , price management server 57 , and input device 55 . plu storage medium 59 stores plu data file 60 . plu data file 60 contains price information which is available for distribution to one or more pos computer systems 12 . plu data file 60 is the primary plu file in system 10 . changes to plu data file 60 are sent to all of the pos computer systems 12 within system 10 . price management server 57 executes price management application 58 which updates plu file 60 and disseminates changes in plu data file 60 to all pos computer systems 12 with system 10 . input device 55 is preferably a keyboard . input device 55 makes changes to plu data file 60 , including price changes that may be required following execution of plu verifier 48 . price management application 58 may send changes in price in plu file 60 directly to pos server 40 as they are entered in input device 55 ( immediate processing ) or store price changes within a batch file for later batch updating ( batch processing ). during normal operation , epl terminal 24 executes pos server plu file reader 38 to obtain price information from plu data file 44 . epl software 30 sends the price information to data register 54 . display 56 displays the price in data register 54 . epl terminal 24 also executes price management server plu file reader 39 and plu verifier 48 . price management server plu file reader 39 reads price information from plu data file 60 . plu verifier 48 compares plu data file 44 with plu data file 60 to determine items that do not have the same price in both files 44 and 60 . plu verifier 48 stores the items and the prices in both files 44 and 60 in log file 49 . log file 49 may be viewed using display 37 or printed using printer 34 . here , terminals 20 , 24 , and 40 are shown as separate components that are networked together , but they may also be combined in different ways . for example , epl terminal 24 and host plu terminal 40 may be combined to form a single host computer . pos terminal 20 and host plu terminal 40 may be combined to form a pos terminal which doubles as a host computer for a network of other pos terminals . turning now to fig2 the components that are used to construct pos server plu file reader 38 and price management server plu file reader 39 include template plu file reader 63 , object code 62 , example mappings and translations 64 , target routines 66 , and make files 68 . template plu reader 63 is a super set of example mappings and translations 64 and target routines 66 . example mappings and translations 64 and target routines 66 are edited and customized by developers to produce customized mappings and translations 65 and customized target routines 67 ( customized template plu 61 ). plu file reading routines 43 and 45 are examples of customized target routines . customized mappings and translations 65 and customized target routines 67 along with object code 62 are fed into make files 68 in order to produce executable code for pos server plu file reader 38 and price management server plu file reader 39 . object code 62 consists of libraries 41 that provide an interface into api 33 and isolate all other epl applications from api 33 , thus allowing the existence of pos server plu file reader 38 and price management server plu file reader 39 . included in libraries 41 are functions to perform module start up , open a plu data file , connect an application to a plu data file , close an application &# 39 ; s connection to a plu data file , close a plu data file , and to terminate the application . example mappings and translations 64 provide non - displayable information ( in code and / or in documentation ) and may be edited to customize pos server plu file reader 38 and price management server plu file reader 39 . target routines 66 are routines that may be edited and customized to suit the needs of the target transaction establishment . make files 68 are files that pass source code ( template 63 ) through compiler 72 and then pass object code 62 through linker 74 to produce the target executable . turning now to fig3 the method of creating generic pos server plu file reader 38 and price management server plu file reader 39 begins with start 80 . in step 82 , independent applications 35 are isolated from a plu data file ( i . e ., plu data file 44 or plu data file 60 ) through a non - displayable mapping determination and translation process . example mappings and translations 64 result . this original development effort is provided to customers for future customization . in steps 84 , template 63 is provided . template 63 is packaged in an installable format that can then be distributed and installed on the target system . in step 85 , customized mappings and translations 65 and customized target routines 67 are determined so that all information for an epl can be displayed . connection methods that will be employed for the target system are also determined . in steps 86 - 92 , customized template 61 is produced by changing template 63 to reflect customized mappings and translations 65 . this work is performed by developers who are responsible for the integration of epl system 16 for a target customer . integration and customization are directed by the customer . this gives the customer the opportunity to gain a competitive advantage by displaying the information required to better serve its customers . in step 86 , the &# 34 ; read first &# 34 ; section is changed . the &# 34 ; read first &# 34 ; section is a routine that must be completed / customized to read the first price in the plu data file . in step 88 , the &# 34 ; read next &# 34 ; section is changed . the &# 34 ; read next &# 34 ; section is a routine that must be completed / customized to read the next price in the plu data file sequentially . in step 90 , the &# 34 ; read specific &# 34 ; section is changed . the &# 34 ; read specific &# 34 ; section is a routine that must be completed / customized to read a specific plu data file record . in step 92 , customized mapping and translations 65 and customized target routines 67 derived from step 85 are applied to template 63 . in step 94 , a new executable ( pos server plu file reader 38 ) is compiled and linked from object code 62 and template 61 using make files 68 , compiler 72 , and linker 74 . referring now to fig4 the operation of pos server plu file reader 38 and price management server plu file reader 39 are illustrated in detail , beginning with start 100 . in step 102 , a plu file reader ( i . e ., plu file reader 38 or 39 ) starts up and configures itself . in step 104 , the plu file reader waits for an interprocess communications message from api 33 . interprocess communication services ( e . g ., &# 34 ; queues &# 34 ; for unix , threads or pipes for os / 2 ) are provided by operating system 52 . api 33 calls on operating system 52 to send a request from one of independent applications 35 to the plu file reader . for example , this independent application 35 may be a price verifier application program that compares a price in plu data file 44 with a price displayed by epl 22 . independent application program 35 issues a call to api 33 , instructing api 33 to perform a &# 34 ; read direct &# 34 ; routine provided by api 33 . api 33 calls on operating system 52 to send the interprocess communications message to the plu file reader . preferably , api 33 passes the message to libraries 41 within the plu file reader . if such a message is received , the plu file reader determines whether the interprocess communications message contains an &# 34 ; exit &# 34 ; command in step 105 . if it does , the plu file reader terminates in step 116 . if the interprocess communications message does not contain an &# 34 ; exit &# 34 ; command , libraries 41 call a plu file reading routine ( 43 or 45 ) within libraries 41 in step 106 . the plu file reading routine is customized to the needs of the transaction establishment . in step 108 , the plu file reading routine uses operating system 52 to obtain the plu information from the plu data file . in step 110 , the plu file reading routine masks the plu information from the plu data file . for example , if application program 35 is a program which controls price information displayed by epl 22 , masking would include converting the plu information into information that is displayable by epl 22 . in step 114 , libraries 41 call on operating system 52 to return the plu information via interprocess communications to the requesting application 35 via api 33 . the plu file reader returns to a waiting state in step 104 . after the plu file reader sends the plu information to api 33 , api 33 passes the plu information to the requesting application 35 . application program 35 can then display the information , compare the information , or otherwise examine the information in accordance with the function of application program 35 . turning now to fig5 the operation of plu verifier 48 is explained in more detail beginning with start 120 . in step 122 , plu verifier 48 reads a record in epl data file 32 . in step 124 , plu verifier 48 determines an item identification number in the record . in step 128 , plu verifier 48 determines a first price associated with the item identification number in plu data file 44 . in step 132 , plu verifier 48 determines a second price associated with the item identification number in plu data file 60 . in step 134 , plu verifier 48 determines whether the first price equals the second price . if not , plu verifier 48 stores the item identification number , the first price , and the second price in log file 49 in step 136 and operation proceeds to step 138 . if so , operation proceeds directly to step 138 . in step 138 , plu verifier 48 determines whether the record is the last record in epl data file 32 . if not , then operation returns to step 122 to read the next record . if so , then operation proceeds to step 140 . an operator may display or print the contents of log file 49 and make necessary corrections to plu data file 44 or 60 , as determined by the needs of the retailer . a retailer may note a difference and do nothing , note the difference and update plu data file 56 , note the difference and update plu data file 44 . additionally , the operator may set plu verifier 48 to automatically update the contents of one of the plu files 44 or 60 with the price in the other . after the plu prices have been updated , epl system 24 will update its displayed prices using its normal method . although the present invention has been described with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , variations and modifications of the present invention can be effected within the spirit and scope of the following claims .	6
it is to be further understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the following description , together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments , the disclosure is illustrative only , and changes may be made in detail , especially in matters of shape , size , and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed . it is further understood that the usage of “ and / or ” in the present disclosure includes any or all combinations of one or more of the associated elements thereof , and that the usage of “ at least one ” of the narrative prefix before a list of elements , the list of elements as a whole is referred to , rather than an individual element of the list . detailed descriptions of the drawings are described below . fig2 is a circuit layout of the charge pump according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure . the charge pump includes a reference voltage switching unit vs , a first reference voltage v 1 - 1 , a second reference voltage v 1 - 2 , a first capacitor c 11 , a second capacitor c 12 , a first switch s 11 , a second switch s 12 , and a third switch s 13 . the reference voltage switching unit vs is connected between the first reference voltage v 1 - 1 , the second reference voltage v 1 - 2 and a first end of the first capacitor c 11 . when the reference voltage switching unit vs is turned on , one of the first reference voltage v 1 - 1 and the second reference voltage v 1 - 2 charges the first capacitor c 11 via the first end . when the reference voltage switching unit vs is turned off , none of the first reference voltage v 1 - 1 or the second reference voltage v 1 - 2 charges the first capacitor c 11 . preferably , the reference voltage switching unit vs includes a first voltage switch s 1 - 1 and a second voltage switch s 1 - 2 , and one of the first reference voltage v 1 - 1 and the second reference voltage v 1 - 2 may charge when the reference voltage switching unit vs is turned on according to a control signal cl , and the reference voltage switching unit vs may be switched between on and off preferably , the reference voltage switching unit vs is a multiplexer . as shown in fig2 , an input voltage source v 11 is connected to a second end of the first capacitor c 11 via the first switch s 11 , the second switch s 12 is connected to a first end of the second capacitor c 12 and a first node n 1 between the reference voltage switching unit vs and the first capacitor c 11 , the third switch s 13 is connected to a second node n 2 and a second end of the second capacitor c 12 . the charge pump cp 1 as shown in fig2 may have two operating modes . in a first operating mode , the reference voltage switching unit vs is turned on by the control signal cl , the first switch s 11 is turned on , both the second switch s 12 and the third switch s 13 are turned off , and the first capacitor c 11 is being charged . in a second operating mode , the reference voltage switching unit vs is turned off by the control signal cl , the first switch s 11 is turned off , both the second switch s 12 and the third switch s 13 are turned on , and the second capacitor c 12 is charged by the charged first capacitor c 11 . by repeating the first and the second operating modes , the second capacitor c 12 may be sufficiently charged such that potentials v 12 and v 13 at both ends of the second capacitor c 12 are stable in the second operating mode . when the potential difference between the voltages v 12 and v 13 reaches a predetermined value under the second operating mode , the predetermined potential may be converted into an output voltage . furthermore , the different potentials v 12 ( v 13 ) may be obtained according to the initial voltage of the voltage source given to the potential v 13 ( v 12 ). the output voltages of the charge pump can be positive or negative . furthermore , a potential difference between the potentials v 12 and v 13 may vary as the reference voltage chosen according to the control signal cl , that is , one of the reference voltages v 1 - 1 or v 1 - 2 . thus the output voltage of the charge pump cp 1 connected to the first capacitor c 11 may be changed by changing the control signal cl such that the voltage potential across the second capacitor c 12 may also be changed . thus , the output voltage of the charge pump cp 1 may be adjusted according to requirement . please refer to fig3 , which is a circuit layout of the charge pump according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure . as shown in fig3 , elements denoted with similar symbols represent elements with similar functions . the charge pump cp 2 according to the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that the voltage switching unit vs &# 39 ; of the charge pump cp 2 is connected between the first to the nth reference voltage v 1 - 1 to v 1 - n and a first end of the first capacitor c 11 . therefore , when the reference voltage switching unit vs &# 39 ; is turned on , at least one of the first to the nth reference voltage v 1 - 1 ˜ v 1 - n supplies voltage to the charge pump cp 2 according to a control signal cl ′. in the first operating mode , at least one of the first to the nth reference voltage v 1 - 1 ˜ v 1 - n chosen by the control signal cl ′ is supplied to the charge pump cp 2 . in this case , the first capacitor c 11 is being charged by the chosen reference voltage and the input voltage source v 11 . in the second operating mode , the control signal cl ′ turns off the reference voltage switching unit vs ′, in addition the first switch s 11 is turned off , and both the second switch s 12 and the third switch s 13 are turned on . hence the second capacitor c 12 is being charged by the charged first capacitor c 11 . by repeating the first and the second operating modes , the second capacitor c 12 may be sufficiently charged such that the potential difference between both ends of the second capacitor c 12 may be stable . when the potential difference between both ends ( potentials v 12 and v 13 ) of the second capacitor c 12 reaches a predetermined value under the second operating mode , the predetermined potential may be converted into an output voltage . the potential difference between the voltages v 12 and v 13 may by changed depending on which one ( s ) of the n reference voltages the control signal cl ′ chooses to turn on . thus , the output voltage of the charge pump cp 2 may be adjusted according to requirement . for example , a voltage may be given to one of the potentials v 12 and v 13 , if the voltage is given to the potential v 12 , the potential v 13 may be served as an output terminal for voltage output , and vice versa . the output voltages of the charge pump can be positive or negative . please refer to fig4 a , which is a circuit layout of the charge pump according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure . as shown in fig4 a , a charge pump cp 3 is further connected to a detection circuit dec . the charge pump cp 3 may correspond to the charge pump cp 1 or the charge pump cp 2 of the above illustrated embodiment , and the first to the nth reference voltages v 1 - 1 ˜ v 1 - n as a voltage source , the charge pump cp 3 may be connected to a power supply terminal sup of a load circuit lc . the load circuit lc may be connected between an input terminal vin and an output terminal vout , and supplies power to a load rl . a waveform of dynamic input voltages vcp is shown in fig4 b , in which the detection circuit dec monitors a voltage drop of the load circuit lc when the load rl increases . in other words , the detection circuit dec detects whether the voltage or the current at a node vcp exceeds a predetermined range vth . if yes , the detection circuit dec transmits a control signal vcp_se to the charge pump cp 3 , to control the reference voltage switching unit , the first switch , the second switch , and the third switch to repeat the first and the second operation modes and supply the output voltage to adjust the voltage drops caused by the load circuit lc . furthermore , the control signal vcp_se may control the voltage switching unit according to the variation of the voltage or the current at the node vcp , to choose the most suitable reference voltage from the n reference voltages such that a minimum output voltage of the charge pump is obtained to bring the voltage or the current at the node vcp within the predetermined range vth , thereby the efficiency of the load circuit lc may not be affected . the charge pump cp 3 supplies positive voltages according to the present embodiment . fig4 b is a diagram showing dynamic voltages and currents with time at the node vcp of the charge pump cp 3 , vcp / vcp ′ being without / with adjustments . when the load circuit lc experiences the voltage drop which exceeds the predetermined range vth , the detection circuit dec detects that the voltage drop at the node vcp exceeds the predetermined range vth , calculates a difference between a maximum voltage decrease vmax and the vth , and transmits the control signal vcp_se based on the difference . alternatively , when the detection circuit dec detects that the load circuit lc is consuming an current exceeding a predetermined range ith , the detection circuit dec calculates a difference between a maximum current imax and the predetermined range ith , then transmits the control signal vcp_se based on the difference between imax and ith , and chooses the most suitable reference voltage from the n reference voltages such that a minimum output voltage of the charge pump is obtained to bring the current at the node vcp within the predetermined range ith , thereby the efficiency of the load circuit lc may not be affected and the power consumption may be decreased . fig4 c is a diagram showing dynamic voltages and currents at the node vcp of the charge pump of fig4 a , vcp / vcp ′ being without / with adjustments according to another embodiment . in the present embodiment , the charge pump cp 3 includes three reference voltages , i . e ., n = 3 , and the load circuit lc has three operating modes : a heavy load mode t 11 , a normal mode t 12 , and a power saving mode t 13 , in which the load circuit lc has a light load . in fig4 c , maximum voltages vmax 1 , vmax 2 , and vmax 3 of the heavy load mode t 11 , the normal mode t 12 , and the efficient mode t 13 , respectively , all exceed the predetermined range vth . the detection circuit dec detects that the voltage drops exceeds the predetermined range vth , and calculates differences between the maximum voltages vmax 1 , vmax 2 , vmax 3 and the vth , respectively , then transmits the control signal vcp_se based on the differences , and chooses the most suitable reference voltage from the three reference voltages v 1 - 1 , v 1 - 2 , v 1 - 3 , where v 1 - 1 & gt ; v 1 - 2 & gt ; v 1 - 3 , such that a minimum output voltage of the charge pump is obtained to bring the voltage at the node vcp within the predetermined range vth . alternatively , when the detection circuit dec detects that the load circuit lc is consuming the currents which exceeds a predetermined range ith , the detection circuit dec calculates differences between maximum currents imax 1 , imax 2 , imax 3 and the ith , respectively , then transmits the control signal vcp_se based on the differences , and chooses the most suitable reference voltage from the three reference voltages such that a minimum output voltage of the charge pump is obtained to bring the current at the node vcp within the predetermined range ith , thereby the efficiency of the load circuit lc may not be affected by the voltage drops and the consumed currents , and the power consumption may be decreased according to the operation mode of the load circuit . fig5 a is a circuit layout of a dynamic charge pump device cpd according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure . the dynamic charge pump cpd includes a charge pump cp 4 connecting to a detection circuit dec . the charge pump cp 4 may utilize the charge pump cp 1 or the charge pump cp 2 of the above illustrated embodiment , and the first to the nth reference voltages v 1 - 1 ˜ v 1 - n as a voltage source . the charge pump 4 is connected to a ground gnd of the load circuit lc , a voltage supply source avdd is connected to the power supply terminal of the load circuit lc . similarly , the load circuit lc may be connected between the input terminal vin and the output terminal vout , and supplies power to a load rl . a waveform of the dynamic input voltages vcp is shown in fig5 b , in which the detection circuit dec monitors a voltage or a current of the load circuit lc , that is , the detection circuit dec detects whether the variation of the voltage or the current at a node vcp exceeds a predetermined range . if yes , the detection circuit dec transmits a control signal vcp_se to the charge pump cp 4 , to control the reference voltage switching unit , the first switch , the second switch , and the third switch to repeat the first and the second operation modes and supplies the output voltage to the load circuit lc thereby adjusting the variation of the voltage or the current supplied to the load circuit lc . fig5 b is a diagram showing dynamic voltages and currents with time at a node vcp of the dynamic charge pump device of fig5 a , vcp / vcp ′ being without / with adjustments . the charge pump cp 4 supplies negative voltages according to the present embodiment . when the load circuit lc experiences the voltage drop which exceeds the predetermined range vth , the detection circuit dec detects that the voltage drop at the node vcp exceeds the predetermined range vth , calculates a difference between the maximum voltage decrease vmax and the vth , and transmits the control signal vcp_se based on the difference . alternatively , when the detection circuit dec detects that the load circuit lc is consuming an electric current which exceeds the predetermined range ith , the detection circuit dec calculates a difference between the maximum current imax and the ith , transmits the control signal vcp_se based on the difference between imax and ith . furthermore , the detection circuit dec chooses the most suitable reference voltage from the n reference voltages such that a minimum output voltage of the charge pump is obtained to bring the voltage or the current at the node vcp within the predetermined range vth or ith , respectively , thereby the efficiency of the load circuit lc may not be affected by the voltage drop and the power consumption may be decreased . fig5 c is a diagram showing dynamic voltages and currents with time at the node vcp of the dynamic charge pump device of fig5 a , vcp / vcp ′ being without / with adjustments according another embodiment . when the load circuit lc experiences the voltage drop which exceeds the predetermined range vth , the detection circuit dec detects that the voltage drop at the node vcp exceeds the predetermined range vth , calculates a difference between the maximum voltage decrease vmax and the vth , and transmits the control signal vcp_se based on the difference . alternatively , when the detection circuit dec detects that the load circuit lc is consuming an electric current which exceeds the predetermined range ith , the detection circuit dec calculates a difference between the maximum current imax and the ith , transmits the control signal vcp_se based on the difference between imax and ith . furthermore , the detection circuit dec chooses the most suitable reference voltage from the n reference voltages such that a minimum output voltage of the charge pump is obtained to bring the voltage or the current at the node vcp within the predetermined range vth or ith , respectively . because the load circuit lc may be temporarily unstable which may , in turn , cause a further voltage drop , in addition to what is described above in fig5 b , the detection circuit dec further detects whether the adjusted voltage or the adjusted current of vcp ′ returns to the predetermined range vth or ith , respectively , within a predetermined time period t 1 . if not , the detection circuit dec calculates a difference between an adjusted maximum voltage vmax ′ and the predetermined range vth , or alternatively calculates a difference between an adjusted maximum current imax ′ and the predetermined range ith , transmits another control signal vcp_se based on the difference between vmax ′ and vth , or imax ′ and ith , and chooses the most suitable reference voltage from the n reference voltages such that a minimum output voltage of the charge pump is obtained to bring the voltage or the current at the node vcp within the predetermined range vth or ith . thereby the output voltage of the charge pump or the output current of the charge pump may be monitored dynamically , and the efficiency of the load circuit lc may not be affected due to the fluctuations of the voltage or current , as a result , the power consumption may be reduced . fig5 d is a diagram showing dynamic voltages and currents at a node vcp of the dynamic charge pump device of fig5 a , vcp / vcp ′ being without / with adjustments according to yet another embodiment . as shown in fig5 d , the load circuit lc experiences a voltage drop which exceeds the predetermined range vth , the detection circuit dec detects the voltage decrease still exceeds the predetermined range vth after the time period t 1 ; the detection circuit dec then calculates the difference between the maximum voltage decrease vmax and the predetermined vth . alternatively , the load circuit lc experiences a current decrease exceeding the predetermined range ith , the detection circuit dec detects the current decrease still exceeds the predetermined range ith after the time period t 1 , the detection circuit dec calculates the difference between the maximum current decrease imax and the predetermined vth . the detection circuit dec transmits control signal vcp_se based on the difference between vmax ′ and vth , or imax ′ and ith , and chooses the most suitable reference voltage from the n reference voltages such that a minimum output voltage of the charge pump is obtained to bring the voltage or the current of the adjusted node vcp ′ within a predetermined range vth or ith . however , the time that the voltage change of the load circuit lc may be too long so it is necessary to eliminate the effects of the voltage change or the current change as soon as possible . as such , the detection circuit dec may determine the voltage change or the current change reaches a predetermined value within a predetermined time period . in the present embodiment , the detection circuit dec determines a difference between the maximum voltage vmax and a voltage va at the time t 2 , or a difference between the maximum current imax and a current ia at the time t 2 . a rate of voltage change or a rage of current change is calculated by dividing ( vmax − va ) or ( imax − ia ) by t 2 - t 1 , respectively . it is then determined if the rate of voltage change or the rate of current change is within a predetermined value . if not , the detection circuit dec transmits another control signal vcp_se to increase the output voltage of the charge pump cp 4 so as to increase the rate of voltage change or the rate of current change . the above described processes are repeated until the adjusted voltage vcp ′ falls within the predetermined range vth or the current falls within the predetermined range ith at time t 3 . at time t 3 , the detection circuit generates yet another control signal vcp_se and chooses the most suitable reference voltage from the n reference voltages to decrease the output voltage of the charge pump cp 4 and to decrease energy waste . thereby the output voltage of the charge pump or the output current of the charge pump may be monitored dynamically , and the efficiency of the load circuit lc may not be affected for a long period of time because of fluctuations of the voltage or current . in summary , a charge pump and a dynamic charge pump includes n numbers of reference voltage sources , and a reference voltage switching unit controlled by a control signal is disclosed , in which the output voltage of the charge pump can be adjusted according to requirements . the charge pump further includes a detection circuit configured to detect voltages or currents of a load circuit . by choosing the minimum output voltage of the charge pump , the voltage or the current of the load circuit can be adjusted to be within a predetermined range . thereby the efficiency of the load circuit is not affected . furthermore , the load circuit can be adjusted dynamically under different operating modes so that the power consumption may be reduced . while the disclosure has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiment ( s ), it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited thereto . on the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures , and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures .	7
the invention will be described with reference to an isdn network having a primary rate tdm carrier of 2 . 5048 mb per second carrying thirty data channels and two system channels . as discussed above the primary rate channel carries 8000 frames per second , each base channel ( dso ) having a base rate of 64 kb per second . fig1 a and 1b show respectively a transmit section and a receiver section in communication through a public telephone network . it should be noted that while for convenience the two sections are designated as the transmitter and receiver respectively , the system operates in the full duplex mode . the system is symmetrical and either section can serve as transmitter or receiver . a 256 super - rate kbps bit stream 1 is divided into four parallel bit streams 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 each running at 64 kbps ( 256 ÷ 4 = 64 ). the four bit streams 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 are applied to a virtual channel resource ( vcr ) unit 6 , in the transmit section , which outputs four base rate bit streams 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 serving as data channels and an additional base rate bit stream 11 , which normally serves a data channel , but which in the virtual channel scheme serves as an overhead channel . the five base rate bit streams are transmitted over five base rate ( dso ) channels on the public telephone network to a virtual channel resource ( vcr ) unit 12 in the receiver section . vcr unit 12 includes delay buffers 13 respectively receiving each of the incoming channels and a reframer unit 14 for reassembling the incoming bytes in their proper sequence so as to reconstitute the four original bit streams as 2 &# 39 ;, 3 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;, 5 &# 39 ;. fig3 is a flow chart showing the operation of the receiver framing unit 14 . the reconstituted bit streams are then recombined into the original 256 kbps super - rate bit stream . the vcr transmit unit 6 inserts delay calibration bytes ( dcb ) 15 among the data bytes 16 according to the scheme shown . in frame 1 , the first delay calibration byte ( dcb ) is inserted into the time slot corresponding to the overhead channel . in the next frame , the dcb is inserted in the time slot corresponding to the first data channel 7 and the contents of this time slot are transmitted in the time slot corresponding to the overhead channel . in frame 3 the contents of the time slot corresponding to the second data channel 8 are transmitted in the overhead channel , and the dcb is transmitted in this time slot . the scheme is repeated in the third and fourth data channels 9 and 10 , whereafter in the sixth frame the dcb is transmitted in the overhead channel time slot , and the pattern is repeated on a rotational basis . fig1 b shows how the bytes constituting the dcbs ( lsbs , mbs , and ohbs ) are sent successively in the dcb slots of a single dso channel . the first lsb , representing the rotation count , is sent in the first dcb slot . there then follows three regular data slots followed by the msb in the next dcb slot . the next dcb slots contain successively the lsb = 1 byte , the ohb , the lsb = 2 byte and the next msb . fig2 shows the hardware implementation of the virtual channel . data termination unit ( dtu ) 20 of the transmit section t receives the incoming super - rate bit stream at 256 kbps and outputs four parallel 64 kbps bit streams on ports 0 , 1 , 2 , and 3 . these bit streams are connected by switch 21 to the virtual channel resource ( vcr ) transmit unit 6 in such a way that the lower circuit number on the data transmission unit 20 is connected to the lower circuit number at the input of the vcr transmit unit 6 . the vcr transmit unit 6 outputs five channels ( four data channels + one overhead channel ) to switch 22 , which is in turn connected to the line termination transmit unit 23 . this is connected via a time division multiplex line 24 forming part of the public digital transmission network to the line termination receiver unit 25 of the receiver section r . the receiver unit 25 outputs five channels ( including the overhead channel ) to the switch unit 26 , which is connected to the vcr receiver unit 12 . this extracts the overhead information and outputs four data channels to the switch unit 27 . the switch 27 connects the lower incoming circuit number from the virtual channel resource receiver unit 12 to the outgoing lowest circuit number on the dtu 28 . this in turn outputs the original super - rate 250 kbps bits stream . although the invention has been described in connection with a 64 kbs base rate network , in order to accommodate 48 kbps data channels , which are used in some countries such as the united states , only the six most significant data bits of each byte can be used according to the scheme described above . a rotation starts with a dcb sent out on the overhead channel 11 and ends when the last data channel 10 in the virtual channel has sent its dcb , i . e . at frame 5 in fig1 . at the receiver r this creates the appearance of every nth channel forming a framing pattern . the overhead bytes ( ohb ) are described below . as discussed above , these are sent in the dcbs alternating with the lsb rotation counts . the slot following rotation count lsb = 0 is used for rotation count msb and may not be used for overhead information . the overhead bytes are six bits to allow for 48 kbps transfer . overhead information is sent via a one or two byte pattern . the ohbs are described below . the unused bits are set to 1 to comply with switch 56 ones density requirements . the overhead bytes consist of :. these are used to advise the sender of the status of an incoming virtual channel . ______________________________________00abcd11 channel status word a = virtual channel synch ( 1 = in synch ) b = virtual channel state bit 1 c = virtual channel state bit 1 d = data synch ( 1 = in synch ) state virtual channel state______________________________________ 00 in service 01 calibrate and leave 10 out of frame______________________________________ these are used to indicate the channel / virtual channel numbers of the transmitted virtual channel ( vc ) to the receiver . ______________________________________01nnnn11 nnnnn = 0 following byte is channel # lsb 1 following byte is channel # msb 2 following byte is vc # lsb 3 following byte is vc # msb 4 channel mode = start up mode 5 channel mode = continuous mode 6 channel mode = transparent mode______________________________________ the following overhead byte codes may only be sent in the overhead channel ( channel number 0 ): ______________________________________10nnnn11 nnnn = 0 overhead channel message start 1 overhead channel message end11abcd11 abcd = & gt ; abcd signalling bits______________________________________ in a given 100 ms interval each channel must send the oh bytes listed below one or more times . in order to correct delay at the receiver the sequence in which the rotation count is sent and the assignment of channel number to circuit numbers must be known by the receiver . the channel rotation count is sent first on the overhead channel and then on the data channels in order of increasing channel number . the channel numbers are assigned to the sender data circuits in the following fashion , which is given by way of example with reference to a newbridge 3645 mainstreet system . the channels must be numbered in some fixed manner which is the same at each end : in mx streams simultaneous st - bus timeslots are ordered by pe slot number this protocol requires that data circuits from the data source ( dtu ) 20 to vcr transmit unit 6 be mapped in the same fashion as the circuits from the vcr receive unit 12 to data receiver unit 28 . switches 21 , 22 , 26 , 27 bring this about , and this arrangement ensures that data interface ports are properly connected . the circuits between the vcrs need not be consistently mapped . the vcr receive unit 12 will determine the channel number assignments and send the data out in increasing timeslot order on the data circuits to the data receiver . this allows independence of the network . in the continuous calibration mode , discussed below , the overhead channel ( channel number 0 ) may be used to send messages from end to end . the messages are sent in the overhead dcb slots following an overhead channel message start byte pattern . the overhead channel on byte pattern is repeated 10 times before the message channel is active . once the channel is active a message of not more than 128 bytes may be sent . the message is terminated by sending overhead channel message end byte ( repeated 10 times ). while the overhead channel is active no other messages may be sent on channel 0 . the overhead message packets are not defined . any suitable packet based protocol can be used to send messages . they are used for messages for : in order to accommodate a variety of network types several modes exist . all of these modes assume that the virtual channel is full duplex . the channel mode is sent in overhead bytes in all channels . examination of any one channel is sufficient for determining the mode . the mode should be debounced for 4 super - rotations . data and dcb patterns are inserted at start - up and continued for the life of the channel . for transport of n data channels n + 1 circuits between vcrs must be allocated . the overhead channel should be used to continuously send the following information : this mode exists to allow overhead - free transmission of super - rate data following initial set - up . in this case for n data circuits only n inter - vcr circuits are required . these channels are numbered from 1 to n . this mode starts with the transmission of the standard rotating dcb pattern . the overhead dcbs send ( continuously ): to simplify framing at the far - end all ones are sent in place of data . once the receiving vcr has framed and extracted the necessary information from the overhead bytes , it sends a data synch = 1 in its channel status word , and virtual channel synch = 1 and state = in service in the virtual channel status word . the sending vcr upon receipt of virtual channel synch sends a transfer to transparent signal in the data status word of channel 1 . this signal consists of 8 repetitions of the data status word in successive oh bytes with mode set to transparent . once the signal is complete the sender then shifts to transparent mode . this mode allows for direct super - rate virtual channel connection without continuous delay calibration . this mode can be started immediately , or entered after a delay calibrating start - up sequence . while in the transparent mode the receiver continues to monitor for a framing pattern . if framing is detected and maintained for 500 ms on all of the channels forming a virtual channel then the receiver change modes to correspond to the mode type in the data status word of the incoming data . ideally the maximum reframe time for a single dso within a virtual channel should be 500 ms , so the maximum time to re - calibrate an entire virtual channel would be 2 . 5 secs . the maximum time to correct a frame slip on a dso would be 100 ms . for large values of n , these targets may not be attainable . in normal operation each channel sends data status and virtual channel overhead bytes . during start - up the channel watches for far end virtual channel synch . if synch is not received within 10 secs , a recovery signal is broadcast . if vc synch is received within 10 secs the channel declares in - service and continues monitoring or moves to the transparent mode . in the event of a data channel out - of - frame the receiver sends an out - of - synch signal in the channel status byte and all other channels within the virtual channel send virtual channel out - of - synch ( vcos ) in their virtual channel status words . if vcos is detected in the incoming streams and persists for 5 secs , the sender declares far - end - out - of - frame and enters the recovery mode . if the receiver cannot frame on the incoming stream within 5 secs , it declares near - end - out - of - frame and continues to maintain far end alignment . frame slips occur as a result of asynchronism between network elements . a frame slip will result in either the duplication of deletion of a frame of information within the transmission facility . if a single channel within a virtual channel slips then it will become permanently misaligned with the other members of the virtual channel as shown in fig4 . in the virtual channel information the data all starts within one synchronization domain . this leads to two slip scenarios : the phase error slip case results in a maximum delay adjustment of +/- 1 frame . in fig5 which relates to the four node case and fig6 which relates to the two node case , node 2 runs slightly slower than the network . data from 1 → 2 arrives too quickly and the receiver must periodically throw away a frame of data . at the 2 → 3 interface data is arriving too slowly and a frame must be duplicated occasionally to correct . the net effect on the channel is that it will periodically slip in one direction and then eventually slip back . each time the slip occurs the delay of the affected channel must be changed . in the continuous slip case , slips occur in one direction only . the slips on links a & amp ; b will be out of phase . if an attempt is made to compensate by changing delay on the channel which slips , then as slips accumulate so will the delay . eventually the buffer space for delaying will be exhausted and it will be necessary to disrupt service to re - calibrate . one solution , provided a knowledge of network topology is available , is to add a delay to channel 1 when link 1 slips and remove the delay from channel 1 when link 2 slips , in which case the need to re - calibrate can be avoided . a frame slip will misalign data on the virtual channel . the slips should be detected and corrected quickly . at the receiver the framing pattern will slip , and the framer must cope with slips without declaring out - of - frame . the receiver framing operation will now be described in more detail . at the base - rate channel ( dso ) level the rotating dcb pattern appears as a dcb every n frames . this allows each dso to be considered as an independent channel which must frame on the incoming dcb pattern . delay equalization is then performed by reading the current dcb count and the byte offset from it from each dso in a known time - sequence . this allows the relative delay between the dso to be calculated and the variable delay buffers changed . it is permissible to allow the dsos to reframe as a consequence of delay adjustment provided that the performance objectives are met . the start - up time and the recovery time from protection switches depends on the time it takes the receiver to frame on each dso in the virtual channel . the frequency of delay calibration bytes is a function of the virtual channel size . as the frequency of dcbs decreases reframe time increases . the vcr state framer , for which the flow chart is shown in fig3 handles slips without re - framing to allow very fast slip response time . in the start state the framer selects a byte from the data stream and moves to the load first dcb state . n data bytes later the second dcb is loaded on the transition load second dcb state . if the two dcbs form a valid pattern ( the second is one more than the first ) then the reverse guard state is entered ( note : if the first dcb was 0 then the following dcb is a msb and the one after that is an overhead byte , in this case a valid pattern cannot be declared until the next lsb rotation count is examined ). from reverse guard the pattern is checked until guard - count correct dcbs have been detected at which point an in - frame is declared and the forward guard state entered . a 2 / 4 dcb error causes loss of frame and transition to load second dcb . in addition to looking in the expected timeslots , the forward guard state examines the timeslot on either side . if a valid pattern is detected between the previous timeslot dcb and one on either side of the present dcb then a watch for slip state is entered . if guard - count valid dcb bytes are observed in the +/- 1 timeslot then slip is declared , the timeslot for examining framing is moved and slip is declared . if 2 / 4 dcb error in timeslot +/- 1 are encountered in one of the wait for slip states then the load second dcb state is entered . the parameter guard - count is a feature of the framer . it should be adjustable on a per virtual channel resource level . the ability to adjust guard - count on a per virtual channel basis is desirable , but not required . the frequency of dcb bytes ( rotation time ) is n × 125 μsec . this time is calculated for various channel sizes in the table below : ______________________________________n rotation time super - rotation time______________________________________ 8 1 ms 256 ms16 2 ms 512 ms32 4 ms 1024 ms64 8 ms 2048 ms128 16 ms 4096 ms256 32 ms 8192 ms______________________________________ the overhead frequency is 2 × rotation time . the framer slip detection depends on the size of channel and the framer parameter guard - count . some times for various values of parameters are indicated below : ______________________________________n g c slip response______________________________________ 8 4 10 ms 8 8 18 ms 32 4 20 ms 32 8 36 ms256 2 192 ms256 4 320 ms256 8 576 ms______________________________________ these numbers assume guard - count + 1 rotation count lsbs are required for declaration of slip . time to implement the delay adjustment is not included . in systems where the aggregate rate is low , the expense of a 64 kbps overhead channel is excessive . in accordance with the embodiment shown in fig7 the overhead channel is formed by inserting overhead bits into data ( dso ) channels and temporarily inserting the data bits normally occupying the bit positions into a spare bit position in one of the data channels . referring now to fig7 this shows an 8 kb per second virtual channel protocol . each channel has eight bits , numbered 0 to 7 , with 7 being the first bit time slot ( this is different from conventional telecompactors , where the bits are numbered 1 to 8 , with 1 as the first time slot ). fig7 shows three channels c 0 , c 1 , c 2 , which are to be used for super - frame transmission . each channel is a 64 kbps dso base rate channel , and the channels are time division multiplexed in a known manner . in order to transmit data through the virtual channel at a bit rate higher than the bit rate of dso channels ( super - frame transmission ), overhead information has to be transmitted through the network in an overhead channel . this is an 8 kbps virtual channel formed by substituting overhead bits in predetermined bit positions in rotation in the data channels . as shown in fig7 in frame 0 overhead bit 1 is inserted in bit position 2 of channel c 0 . channel c 1 and c 2 are unaffected . in frame 2 , the data bits 2 that would normally be transmitted in bit position 2 of channel c 1 is transmitted in bit position 2 of channel c 0 while the overhead bit 1 is temporarily substituted . channel c 2 is unaffected . in the next frame data bit 3 , that would normally be located in bit position 2 of channel c 2 is inserted in bit position 2 of channel c 0 while overhead bit 1 is inserted in its corresponding position in channel c 2 . this rotational sequence then continues , the substitution of the overhead bits thus allowing the formation of an overhead channel within the data channels without the need to use a separate data channel for overhead purposes . the effect on any given channel therefore is the appearance of overhead bits every third byte . in the more general case , where n channels are aggregated , the overhead bit will appear every n th byte . six types of overhead bits exist as follows : the format of these bits will now be described in more detail as follows : __________________________________________________________________________md & lt ; d & gt ; f1 & lt ; d & gt ; dc5 & lt ; d & gt ; f0 & lt ; d & gt ; cid5 & lt ; d & gt ; f0 & lt ; d & gt ; st5 & lt ; d & gt ; f1 & lt ; d & gt ; md & lt ; d & gt ; f1 & lt ; d & gt ; dc4 & lt ; d & gt ; f0 & lt ; d & gt ; cid4 & lt ; d & gt ; f0 & lt ; d & gt ; st4 & lt ; d & gt ; f1 & lt ; d & gt ; md & lt ; d & gt ; f1 & lt ; d & gt ; dc3 & lt ; d & gt ; f0 & lt ; d & gt ; cid3 & lt ; d & gt ; f0 & lt ; d & gt ; st3 & lt ; d & gt ; f1 & lt ; d & gt ; md & lt ; d & gt ; f1 & lt ; d & gt ; dc2 & lt ; d & gt ; f0 & lt ; d & gt ; cid2 & lt ; d & gt ; f0 & lt ; d & gt ; st2 & lt ; d & gt ; f1 & lt ; d & gt ; md & lt ; d & gt ; f1 & lt ; d & gt ; dc1 & lt ; d & gt ; f0 & lt ; d & gt ; cid1 & lt ; d & gt ; f0 & lt ; d & gt ; st1 & lt ; d & gt ; f1 & lt ; d & gt ; md & lt ; d & gt ; f1 & lt ; d & gt ; dc0 & lt ; d & gt ; f0 & lt ; d & gt ; cid0 & lt ; d & gt ; f0 & lt ; d & gt ; st0 & lt ; d & gt ; f1__________________________________________________________________________ & lt ; d & gt ; the super frame consists of six frames , each consisting of eight overhead bits . four of these overhead bits form the basic 1001 framing pattern . the remaining four bits per frame are used to carry status signals . since four bits per frame is not enough to carry the required overhead information a group of six frames are used to construct a super - frame . the super - frame alignment bits are carried in the first column of the super - frame . each super - frame carries a ( delay calibration timestamp ) dct . the source of the virtual channel protocol sends a continually incrementing 6 bit value in this field . the dct value is incremented after each super - frame of overhead has been sent . the delay resolution provided by this mechanism is a function of virtual channel size . this will be discussed further in the performance estimates section . the channel id field provides a 6 bit channel identifier , which results in a maximum virtual channel size of 64 . ______________________________________ bit 5 signal bit d bit 4 signal bit c bit 3 signal bit b bit 2 signal bit a bit 1 virtual channel synch ( vsynch ) 1 = insynch bit 0 channel data synch ( dsynch ) 1 = in synch______________________________________ dsynch -- each channel in the virtual channel will use the dsynch bit to send its framer status to the far end . if it is in frame it will set dsynch = 1 , otherwise dsynch = 0 . vsynch -- each channel in the virtual channel will send vsynch = 1 if the virtual channel is in service . an in service virtual channel is defined as one for which : signalling bits are defined only for the channel with the lowest channel number in a virtual channel group ( typically channel 0 ). the signalling bits on other channels in the group are undefined . far end data synch is known from the dsynch bit directly far enc virtual channel synch is assumed if all channels send vsynch . if channels are out of frame at the near end then their status bits cannot be extracted and should be ignored . the remaining vsynch bits are used to determine the status of the virtual channel . if a channel shows vsynch for 10 ms then it can be declared in service . the receiver can determine the relative delays between channels by keeping the following information : the dct difference can only be resolved to half of the dct size ( due to wrap - around ). prior to performing any calculations the list of dct sizes should be scanned in ascending order until a difference of greater than or equal to 32 is found . the dct number should then be renormalized to remove the wrap - around . the differential delay between two channels a and b where dct a & gt ; dct b is : this expression provides the amount that b must be delayed to equalize it with a . conceptually the difference in dct gives us the number of super - frames apart , the offset gives us number of frames apart and then we need to correct for the difference in channel numbers ( since the overhead on channel 0 appears a frame before that on channel 1 etc .). in equalizing delays it is first necessary to find the slowest channel ( the one with the largest value of dcb + offset - cid ). this channel &# 39 ; s delay buffer is then set to zero and the delay of all other channels determined relative to the slowest one . in order to respond to frame slips it is desirable to set the slowest channels delay buffer to some small non - zero value . this permits slip handling of the channel . the choice of this value is implementation dependent , since it impact buffer size . in networks which slip repeatedly this space will eventually be exhausted and then a complete re - calibration will be required . in order to correct delay at the receiver the sequence in which the rotation count is sent and the assignment of channel numbers to circuit numbers must be known by the receiver . the channel rotation count is sent first on the overhead channel and then on the data channels in order of increasing channel number . the channel numbers are assigned to the sender data circuits in the following fashion : in mx streams simultaneous st - bus timeslots are ordered by pe slot number this protocol requires that data circuits from the data source to virtual channel resource be mapped in the same fashion as the circuits from the receiver vcr to data receiver . this ensures that data interface ports are properly connected . the circuits between vcrs need not be consistently mapped . the virtual channel receiver will determine the channel number assignments and send the data out in increasing timeslot order on the data circuits to the data receiver . this allows independence of the network . the maximum delay resolution is a function of channel size and the number of bits used for the dct . the worst case virtual channel is n = 2 . the dct bits occur with frequency 8n and it requires 6 frames to get a complete dct . due to wrap - around of the counting we can only resolve delays to one half of the maximum dct value , or 32 . the resulting resolution is : for n = 2 this results in delay resolution of 384 ms and for n = 7 , 1344 ms . this precludes mixed satellite / terrestrial applications ( it &# 39 ; s unlikely a vcr would have enough buffer space for such applications ). in the described method data can be passed through a network in which input and output channels are randomly cross - connected with different path delays and re - ordered at the receiver . a main advantage of the system described is that the method is adaptive and will adjust for changes in delay during traffic transmission . the system also allows a high bit rate synchronous channel to detect and recover from changes in network ( i . e . frame slips , protection switches ) during the course of the connection and the signalling can be passed via abcd bits in the overhead bytes .	7
referring now to fig1 there is shown a perspective view of the electrocautery instrument 9 with an extension unit 11 attached to the front end of the instrument . specifically , the retractable electrode / blade 13 is extended forward and is retractable within the extension unit 11 , and the vacuum port 15 is also extended forward from the instrument 9 to provide substantially the same blade 13 and port 15 characteristic at the front of the extension unit 11 as are available on the front of the instrument 9 without the extension unit 11 in place . the extension units 11 may be of variable length as desired to facilitate deep surgical procedures , and may be attached and removed as desired by press - fit or snap - toggle attachment on the front of the instrument 9 . a manually - slidable element 17 is attached to the electrode 13 to control the extent of the protrusion of the electrode 13 from the front of the attached extension unit 11 . push buttons 19 and 21 are provided to control application of different high - voltage , high - frequency waveforms to the electrode 13 for either incising or cauterizing tissue in known manner . in addition , the guide opening for the electrode 13 at the front of the extension unit 11 may be disposed closely about the blade 13 to scrape off adherent coagulum and tissue materials as the electrode is retracted therethrough in response to manual activation of the slide element 17 . the portion 27 of electrode 13 that is exposed is insulated to facilitate manipulation of the instrument within surrounding tissue without undesirably discharging electrical signals to surrounding tissue in the region 27 between the electrode 13 and the front 25 of the unit 9 . a decompression port 29 is disposed in at least one lateral dimension from the vacuum port 15 to control the maximum pressure differential that can be developed at the vacuum port 15 under conditions of the port 15 being occluded by tissue which might be damaged by excessive suction . referring now to fig2 there is shown a side view of the extension unit 11 . the lower tube 31 is the vacuum conduit with the vacuum port 15 and decompression port 29 . the upper electrode 13 and connecting conductor 33 is insulated 35 over the region 27 that extends between the instrument 9 and the exposed electrode 13 . the body 37 of the extension unit 11 may be welded , glued or otherwise attached to the vacuum tube 31 , and serves as a guide for the electrode 13 which is slideably mounted therein . the electrode 13 may be needle - like , or generally flat ( i . e ., its width is greater than the thickness ) to serve as a surgical blade . the body 37 may include a scraping guide 39 for removing adherent coagulum and tissue material as the electrode 13 and the conductor 33 to which it is attached is withdrawn into and through the body 37 . the sectional view of fig3 illustrates the attachment of the vacuum tube 31 to the body 37 . also , the electrode / blade 13 portion of the conductor 33 is shown disposed to slide within the guide way 41 in the body 37 through and past the scraping means 39 at the forward end thereof . alternative embodiments of scraping means are described herein with reference to fig7 and 8 . referring now to the exploded assembly drawing of fig4 there is shown the internal features of the instrument 9 which accommodate attachment of the extension unit 11 on the front end thereof . specifically , the right and left half sections 43 , 45 of the instrument 9 are disposed to house the switches , electrode , manual slider , vacuum conduit and valving , and associated wiring to form the electrocautery instrument when assembled as shown . the vacuum conduit or suction tube 47 in the lower portion of the sections 43 , 45 is positioned in fluid - tight engagement 49 with the vacuum port 51 in the forward end of the instrument 9 , which vacuum port has an inner diameter ( or other cross - sectional dimensions ) that receive therein the attachment end of the vacuum conduit 31 of the extension unit 11 in press - fitted , fluid - tight engagement . alternatively , jam taper fit , or threaded engagement , or snap - fitting o - ring on an annular recess may be used to seal and secure the instrument and extension unit together as well as form a continuation of the vacuum conduit 47 , 31 . also , the vacuum port 51 of the instrument 9 may have a decompression port 53 for limiting the pressure differential at the port , as previously described with reference to the ports 15 , 29 on the extension unit 11 . this decompression port 53 is disposed within a socket or receptacle of the vacuum port 51 to be sealed off by insertion into such socket or receptacle of the connecting end of the vacuum conduit 31 of the extension unit 11 . the vacuum conduit is therefore extended forward to the vacuum and decompression ports 15 , 29 of the extension unit 11 when the extension unit 11 is properly attached to the front of the instrument 9 . this vacuum conduit may be connected via a suitable control valve such as a roller 55 disposed to manually pinch off the flexible conduit 47 that connects to a remote vacuum supply ( not shown ). in this way , the operating surgeon may control the application of suction at a surgical site by positioning the vacuum port 15 ( or 51 , if an extension unit 11 is not attached ) and by manually rotating the pinch roller 55 to selectively pinch off the flexible conduit 47 , and thereby control the vacuum action at the port 15 . in the upper portion of the instrument 9 , the slide element 17 is disposed to slide longitudinally in tracks or grooves 61 in the body of the instrument 9 . the tab 68 that protrudes from the slide element 17 through a groove 65 engages the slide electrode 100 at the recess 101 to thereby control retraction and extension of the electrode 71 under manual control of the slide element 17 . the electrode conductor 69 , in one embodiment of the present invention , may slide in electrical contact through contactor 67 to engage the safety switch 85 in its rearward - most retracted position . the electrode 71 attaches 73 to the slide electrode 100 at the forward end thereof for gripping the electrode / blade 71 ( or the contact end 33 of the electrode conductor 35 of an extension unit 11 ) by friction or snap - toggle engagement , or the like , in known manner . the switch plate 63 includes conventional dome - type switches 79 , 81 which may be activated by the push buttons 75 , 77 that are mounted in the body of the instrument 9 . thus , the push - button switches 79 , 81 may be manually activated when the slide element 17 ( and therefore the electrode / blade 71 or 13 ) is positioned in the forward location . in the rearward position of the slide element 17 , one or more of the push - button switches 79 , 81 are shrouded by the slide element 17 as protection against inadvertent manual activation . additionally , the rearward end of the electrode conductor 69 , 71 , is disposed to engage an interlock switch 85 that is wired into the circuit including the electrode and a source ( not shown ) of high - frequency , high - voltage electrical signals . thus , electrical signals for either severing or cauterizing tissue are connected from such source via a cable 87 ( which may be integral with the vacuum conduit for convenience ) to the switches 79 , 81 on the switch plate 63 . the interlock switch 85 is thus disposed to cut off the application of all electrical signals when the electrode conductor 69 is in the rearward - most position . in this position , the slide element 17 shrouds either or both of the push buttons 75 , 77 as a further safety interlock feature while the electrode is withdrawn rearwardly into the body of the instrument 9 ( or into the body 37 of an extension unit 11 ). scraping means 89 , as illustrated in fig7 may be disposed about the electrode / blade 71 to dislodge adherent coagulum and tissue material as the electrode / blade 71 is withdrawn into the body under manual control of the slide element 17 . thus , during operating procedures , the electrode / blade 71 ( or 13 of an extension unit 11 ) may be withdrawn into the body of the instrument 9 ( or of the extension unit 11 ) under manual control of the slide element 17 to clean the blade and to configure the front end of the unit to facilitate its use simply as a vacuum probe to evacuate a surgical site . in this configuration , the push buttons 75 , 77 are shrouded against inadvertent activation , and the roller 55 may be manually activated to pinch and unpinch the flexible tubing 47 , as desired . alternatively , the electrode 71 ( or 13 of an extension unit 11 ) may be advanced under manual control of the slide element 17 to protrude from the instrument 9 ( or extension unit 11 ). in this configuration , the push buttons 75 , 77 are exposed and may be manually activated to control the supply of either severing or coagulating electrical signals to the electrode / blade via the interlock switch 85 . referring now to fig5 there is shown a sectional view of one embodiment of the interlock switch 85 which is disposed within an enclosing housing 91 to be actuated by the rearward end of the electrode conductor 69 . thus , the control leads 93 , 95 ( which may conduct low - voltage control signals ) from the push button switches 79 , 81 on the contact plate 63 connect via the cable 87 to a conventional source ( not shown ) of high - voltage , high - frequency signal , and such signal is thus supplied through a power conductor 86 in the cable 87 and through contact 84 of the interlock switch 85 to the switch plate 63 , slide contactor 67 , and electrode 71 ( or 13 ). in the rearward - most or retracted position of the electrode conductor 69 , the power conductor 86 may be shunted to ground through alternate contact 88 and a ground conductor 90 in the cable 87 . in another embodiment of the interlock switch 85 according to the present invention , as illustrated in the sectional view of fig6 the electrode conductor 69 of fig4 is formed in a printed - circuit like structure 103 including a non conductive central region 105 having a recess 107 to receive the tab 68 of the slide element 17 , and a rearward section 109 that includes a conductor 110 disposed on an insulating layer 112 . the conductor 110 , of course , connects to the attaching means ( or universal chuck ) 73 , and is slideably engaged by contacts 114 and 119 . electrical signal on contacts 114 ( from a signal generator not shown ) is applied to the electrode 71 ( or 13 of an extender unit ) while such electrode is in extended position under the manual control of the slide element 17 . however , the insulating layer 112 of the electrode conductor 69 includes an aperture 116 at a location approximately at the maximum rearward extent of travel ( i . e . retracted electrode ) and in line with the contact 114 . another sliding contact 118 is disposed to connect to the contact 114 only within the aperture 116 , and to be insulated therefrom by the insulating layer 112 otherwise . in the retracted position of structure 103 , the sliding contact 119 may also be insultated by 112 from conductor 110 based upon the particular pattern of the conductor 110 . contact 118 may be connected back to ground via the shield on cable 87 . therefore , the electrode 13 or 71 may be effectively grounded while in the retracted position to prevent inadvertent electrical excitation of the electrode blade 71 ( or 13 ) during configuration and use of the instrument as a vacuum probe , or during attachment of detachment of an extension unit . referring now to fig7 a and b , there are shown plan and sectional views , respectively , of the scraping means 89 for guiding and scraping the electrode blade illustrated in fig8 a and b . specifically , these views illustrate the ferrule - like structure 89 of fig7 that may conveniently snap into place near the forward edge of the instrument ( or of an extension unit ) for easy replacement of electrodes of different configurations ( e . g . flat or needle - like ). thus , the scraping means 89 includes a generally hollow body through which the electrode 13 of fig8 slides , and includes a close - fitting forward aperture 121 which engages the blade portion 123 of the electrode 13 is sliding , contacting relationship . the rear portion of the body 89 includes resilient jaws - like structure 125 to facilitate assembly of the electrode 71 ( including the section 127 of expanded diameter ) into the body from the rearward end toward the forward end . the jaws - like structure return to position to retain the electrode 71 entirely to captivated and slideable within the body 89 . the section 127 is received by and retained in the attachment means 73 to facilitate the mechanical sliding motion of the electrode 71 within the body 89 under manual control of the user . spring - like protrusions 129 formed on the body 89 about its central section facilitate the snap - in retention of the body 89 and captivated electrode 71 within and near the forward end of the instrument 9 . thus , electrodes 71 of different shapes and lengths may be conveniently inserted in and removed from the instrument ( or extension units ) as the surgical operation proceeds . in operation , the instrument 9 ( with or without attached extension unit 11 ) may be configured to operate either as a vacuum probe alone ( with the electrode / blade 71 , 13 retracted ) or as an electrosurgical instrument with the electrode / blade 13 , 71 extended into operational position . in the latter configuration , the electrical control buttons are exposed and the safety , interlocking switch is actuated to permit high - voltage , high - frequency electrical signals to be supplied to the protruding electrode / blade under control of one or more of the uncovered , exposed push buttons . the operational length of the instrument may be altered by attaching or detaching extension units of desired length . the vacuum port of the instrument is altered by attachment of an extension unit , and the electrode / blade of the extension unit is electrically connected and mechanically attached for convenient manual extension and retraction control from the instrument . therefore , the method and apparatus of the present invention facilitates the convenient extension of an electrocautery surgical instrument to accommodate surgical procedures performed deep within surrounding tissue while providing interlock features that enhance the safety and utility of the instrument during attachment and detachment of extension units and during its operation as a vacuum probe .	0
referring generally to fig1 , an exemplary , high - pressure , high temperature environment is illustrated . the high temperatures and pressures in wellbore environments often can be above 150 degrees fahrenheit and 3000 pounds per square inch ( psi ), respectively , and in many applications , the wellbore environment can exceed high temperatures and high pressures of 300 degrees fahrenheit and 10 , 000 psi , respectively . in this particular application , a power cable is coupled to a submersible pumping system in a downhole , wellbore environment by a connector , e . g . pothead . the pumping system may be an electric submersible pumping system 10 . typically , the system 10 includes at least a submersible pump 12 , such as a centrifugal pump , a submersible motor 14 and a motor protector 16 . in the illustrated example , the pumping system 10 is designed for deployment in a well 18 within a geological formation 20 containing desirable production fluids , such as petroleum . in a typical application , a wellbore 22 is drilled and lined with a wellbore casing 24 . the wellbore casing 24 may include a plurality of openings 26 through which production fluids may flow into the wellbore 22 . the pumping system 10 is deployed in the wellbore 22 by a deployment system 28 that may have a variety of forms and configurations . for example , the deployment system 28 may comprise tubing 30 connected to the pump 12 by a connector 32 . power is provided to the submersible motor 14 via a power cable 34 coupled to a submersible component , e . g ., the motor 14 , by a power cable connector or a pothead 35 . the motor 14 , in turn , powers the centrifugal pump 12 which draws production fluid in through a pump intake 36 and pumps the production fluid to the surface via the tubing 30 . it should be noted that the illustrated submersible pumping system 10 is merely an exemplary system . other components can be added to the system , and other deployment systems may be implemented . additionally , the production fluids may be pumped to the surface through the tubing 30 or through the annulus formed between the deployment system 28 and the wellbore casing 24 . also , the power cable 34 may be coupled to other submersible components . the present invention provides a high temperature connector 35 particularly advantageous in high temperature environments . the high temperature connector 35 of the present invention does not use elastomeric seals and thus avoids any detrimental effects caused by exposing the elastomers to very high operating temperatures . referring back to fig2 and 3 , the pothead seal flange 42 fits into the motor - head pothole after the brush - wires are crimped and taped on . the pothead seal flange 42 has a pair of axial holes 62 formed therethrough . the axial holes 62 are designed to receive conventional fasteners , such as bolts , that are threadingly engaged with the housing of the submersible component 14 . the pothole seal may be made with a metal spring energized ( mse ) seal 64 of the type , for example , that utilizes a corrosion - resistant metal spring placed under compression between a portion of seal flange 42 and the housing of submersible component 14 . the power cable 35 includes one or more conductors 38 . a lead jacket 40 is extruded onto the conductors 38 of the power cable 35 to form a protective barrier . in the illustrated embodiment , the power cable 34 has three conductors 38 for carrying three - phase power to a submersible component , such as the motor . of course , a variety of other power cables may be utilized for providing electrical power to a variety of components . the high temperature connector 35 of the present invention comprises a pothead seal flange 42 and one or more conductor tubes 44 . the number of conductor tubes 44 typically corresponds with the number of conductors 38 existing within the power cable 34 . the conductor tubes 44 are welded into the pothead seal flange 42 to form a path for each conductor 38 to feed through . in an embodiment of the present invention , the pothead seal flange 42 and the conductor tubes 44 are formed from monel 400 . as best described with reference to fig4 , prior to inserting the conductors 38 into the conductor tubes 44 , the lead jacket 40 on each cable conductor 38 is removed back to an appropriate location , taped off with high modulus ptfe tape 46 , and soldered to the inside of the conductor tubes 44 with solder paste 48 . the conductors 38 are inserted into the conductor tubes 44 such that they protrude through the pothead seal flange 42 and are terminated via a plurality of terminals 50 . the terminals 50 are designed for plugging engagement with corresponding receptacles 52 of the submersible component as shown in dashed lines in fig4 . once the conductors 38 have been soldered to the inside of the conductor tubes 44 , oversized , lead splice tubes 54 are slit and placed around and over the junctions between the conductor tubes 44 and the lead jackets 40 . the open edges of the lead splice tubes 54 are then pinched upward and together to bring the lead splice tubes 54 into engagement with the conductors 38 . the excess of the lead splice tubes 54 are trimmed off and the tubes 54 are soldered in place , forming metal - metal seals 56 between the conductor tubes 44 and the lead jackets 40 . the lead splice tubes 54 are soldered in place at both the junctions 58 of the lead splice tubes 54 and the lead jackets 40 and at the junctions 60 of the lead splice tubes 54 and the conductor tubes 44 . the lead / lead soldering at the junctions 58 between the lead splice tubes 54 and the lead jackets 40 is actually a welding process . the material on either side of the joint melts and fuses together . thus , there is no need to rely on a wetted solder joint . the lead / conductor tube soldering at the junctions 60 between the lead splice tubes 54 and the conductor tubes 44 is a high temperature solder joint . in embodiments of the high temperature connector 35 using monel as the conductor tubes 44 , the solder joint can be made with 95 / 5 rod solder , 88 / 10 / 2 paste solder , or 95 / 5 paste solder , for example . it should be understood that the conductor seal 56 of the high temperature connector 35 of the present invention can be moved farther from the back of the pothead seal flange 42 by increasing the length of the conductor tubes 44 . as the distance from the pothead seal flange 42 increases , to a point , the operating temperature decreases . thus , locating the conductor seal 56 distant from the pothead seal flange 42 will act to lower the overall operating temperature to which the conductor seal 56 is exposed . referring back to fig2 and 3 , the pothead seal flange 42 fits into the motor - head pothole after the brush - wires are crimped and taped on . the pothead seal flange 42 has a pair of axial holes 62 formed therethrough . the axial holes 62 are designed to receive conventional fasteners , such as bolts , that are threadingly engaged with the housing of the submersible component 14 . the pothole seal is made with a metal spring energized ( mse ) seal 64 . it should be understood that embodiments of the high temperature connector 35 of the present invention can be used to advantage for a single conductor connection by varying the geometry of the pothead seal flange 42 and the motor - head . the present invention can also work as a plug - in for either a single conductor or regular , three conductor pothead . the invention being thus described , it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention , and all such are intended to be included within the scope of the following non - limiting claims .	5
the following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only , and are not intended to limit the scope , applicability or configuration of the invention in any way . rather , the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention . various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims . referring to the accompanying drawings , the present invention is essentially comprised of a spanner body 2 , an open - end ratchet 3 , a right latch 4 , a return spring s , a left latch 5 , a spacer 6 , a control 7 , a serrated bit 8 , a larger hairpin spring s 1 , a smaller hairpin spring s 2 , an upper lid 9 and associate screws or pins . wherein , the spanner body 2 includes a handle 21 extending from a single or combination box spanner and an accommodation trough 22 divided into a head 23 comprised of an upper deck 221 and a lower deck 222 , and the outer edge of the head 23 is formed an arc raised or recessed channel 24 to merely lock into a recessed or raised slot 31 provided on the bottom of the ratchet 3 . two opening sections 32 and 33 at different width are formed in the open - end ratchet 3 , and a recessed or raised channel 34 to lock to the upper lid 9 is disposed on the top of the open - end ratchet 3 . the open - end ratchet 3 when assembled is arranged to engage both serrated portions 41 , 51 of the left and the right latches 5 , 4 disposed in the lower deck 222 of the accommodation trough 22 in such way both of the left and the right latches 5 , 4 are held against by the tension produced from the return spring s ( as illustrated in fig3 to be available for external connection to a socket wrench or any other tool ). the spacer 6 with its contour compromising that of the accommodation trough 22 to cover and compress the top of the left and the right latches 5 , 4 to define segregation between the upper and the lower decks 221 and 222 . a push 71 of the control 7 provided on the upper deck 221 executes the control by traveling . a gap 72 on the bottom of the control 7 contains the smaller hairpin spring s 2 and the serrated bit 8 . the smaller hairpin spring s 2 forces the serrated bit 8 to engage with the open - end ratchet 3 and the larger hairpin s 1 forces the control 7 to deflect to the right of the accommodation trough 22 ( as illustrated in fig4 to be available for external connection to any other tool with long handle or wrench of any hand tool in conjunction with a round box ). the upper lid 9 is used to lock the ratchet 3 to the spanner body 2 to complete the assembly and positioning of the exposed push 71 of the control 7 as illustrated in fig2 and 4 . wherein , the arc raised or recessed slot of the upper lid 9 and its raised or recessed edge 91 must be locked to the recessed or raised slot 34 of the ratchet 3 and the contour of the accommodation trough 22 . in use , a user holds the spanner body 2 and operates either the smaller opening section 32 or the larger opening section 33 in the open - end ratchet 3 . the force externally applied is transmitted from the spanner body 2 through the left and the right latches 5 , 4 for both of the serrated portions 51 , 41 of the left and the right latches 5 , 4 to simultaneously or separately engage with the open - end ratchet 3 so to drive the ratchet 3 to rotate and travel for tightening up a bolt or a nut a . when the spanner body 2 travels counterclockwise , both of the serrated portions 51 , 41 are cleared away fro the ratchet 3 due to both ends each of the left and the right latches 5 , 4 are plunged by the tension from the return spring s due to the absence of a constant support . consequently , travel by bounced gearing occurs for the external force applied to transmit by either of both latches 5 , 4 to execute travel by gearing . in the present invention , the control 7 is pushed to produce another type of force transmission mechanism to dive the open - end ratchet 3 to revolve and travel while displacing the locations of both opening sections 32 , 33 as illustrated in fig5 . while permitting to align the open - end ratchet 3 at where the bolt or the nut a is located before and after fixing the bolt or nut a to facilitate the clamping of the bolt or nut a , the present invention allows the force externally applied to the spanner body 2 to be transmitted via both of the left and the right latches 5 , 4 to drive the open - end ratchet 3 to revolve , thus to tighten or loosen up the bolt or nut a for solving the problem of being difficult to clear the latches away from a ratchet after the application of the external force as observed with the structure of multiple latches of the prior art . the serrated section in the ratchet 3 of the present invention may be designed with any form including both of the serrated sections 32 , 33 in different width , or in the same width , hexagon , octagon , dodecagon , or box - end , etc . to adapt to easy exchange depending on the shape of the work piece . furthermore , as illustrated in fig6 when the present invention is applied to an l shaped spanner body 2 b with a long handle , a long member 25 adapted with a retaining spring s 3 having one end of the long member 25 pivoted and secured to the control 7 and the other end secured to an adjustment slide 26 so to achieve the same purpose simply by pushing the adjustment slide 26 . it will be understood that each of the elements described above , or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above . while certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim , it is not intended to be limited to the details above , since it will be understood that various omissions , modifications , substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention .	1
referring to the accompanying drawings , a first embodiment is explained in connection with fig1 to 8 and a second embodiment is explained in connection with fig1 , 9 and 10 . fig1 shows a four speed automatic transmission of an automotive vehicle having an engine with a throttle which opens in degrees in response to manipulation of an accelerator pedal , not shown . the automatic transmission has a torque converter t / c . the torque converter t / c includes as usual a pump impeller drivingly connected to the engine 10 and a turbine runner and a stator , not shown . the automatic transmission has an input shaft 1 drivingly connected to the turbine runner of the torque converter t / c and an output shaft 2 . a plurality of hydraulically actuated friction elements or / c , b / b , h / c , lr / b and r / c selectively hold components of one or more planetary gear sets 3 and 4 to produce four forward speed ratios and one reverse drive . the gear train of this automatic transmission is similar to a gear train described on pages i - 53 to i - 73 of a service manual ( a261c07 ) &# 34 ; nissan full - range electronically controlled automatic transmission re4r01a type &# 34 ; published in march 1987 which has been hereby incorporated by reference for showing background of the invention . this known gear train has a forward clutch and a forward one - way clutch arranged between a pinion carrier of a front planetary gear set and a ring gear of a rear planetary gear set in parallel to an overrunning clutch . the gear train shown in fig1 is different from this known one in that there are no forward clutch and forward one - way clutch in parallel to the overrunning clutch or / c . referring to fig1 a front or first planetary gear set 3 and a rear or second planetary gear set 4 are disposed between the input and output shafts 1 and 2 . the first planetary gear set 3 includes a first sun gear 3s , a first ring gear 3r and a first pinion carrier 3c rotatably supporting a plurality of first pinions 3p , each meshing both the sun and ring gears 3s and 3r . the second planetary gear set 4 includes a second sun gear 4s , a second ring gear 4r and a second pinion carrier 4c rotatably supporting a plurality of second pinions 3p , each meshing both the sun and ring gears 4s and 4r . the second sun gear 4s is constantly connected to the input shaft 1 . the input shaft 1 is selectively connectable via a high clutch h / c to the first carrier 3c and via a reverse clutch r / c to the first sun gear 3s . a brake band b / b is engageable to anchor the first sun gear 3s . a low reverse brake lr / b is engageable to anchor the first carrier 3c . a low one - way clutch owc is arranged to prevent reverse rotation of the first carrier 3c . the before - mentioned overrunning clutch or / c is engageable to connect the first carrier 3c to the second ring gear 4r . the first ring gear 3r is constantly connected to the second carrier 4c which in turn is constantly connected to the output shaft 2 . the friction elements or / c , b / b , h / c , lr / b and r / c are selectively engaged to produce the four forward speeds and one reverse as shown in the following table . ______________________________________friction elementsor / c b / b h / c lr / b r / c______________________________________1st e e2nd e e3rd e e4th e erev e e______________________________________ e . . . engagement during a 1 - 2 upshift , the low reverse brake lr / b is released and the band brake b / b is engaged . during a 2 - 3 upshift , the band brake b / b is released and the high clutch h / c is engaged . thus , the low reverse brake lr / b serves as a release element and the band brake b / b serves as an apply element during the 1 - 2 upshift . during the 2 - 3 upshift , the brand brake b / b serves as a release element and the high clutch h / c serves as an apply element . in fig1 there are shown an engine speed sensor 5 , a turbine speed sensor 6 , an output shaft speed sensor 7 , an output shaft torque sensor 9 , a throttle sensor 12 and an oil temperature sensor 14 . the engine speed sensor 5 detects revolution speed of the engine 10 and generates an engine speed indicative signal ne indicative of the detected revolution speed of the engine 10 . the turbine speed sensor 6 detects revolution speed of the input shaft 1 and generates a turbine or input speed indicative signal nt indicative of the detected revolution speed of the input shaft 1 . the output shaft speed sensor 7 detects revolution speed of the output shaft 2 and generates an output speed indicative signal no indicative of the detected revolution speed of the output shaft 2 . the output shaft torque sensor 9 detects torque of the output shaft 2 and generates an output torque indicative signal to indicative of the detected torque of the output shaft 2 . the throttle sensor 12 detects opening degree of the engine throttle and generates throttle opening degree indicative signal tvo indicative of the detected opening degree of the engine throttle . the oil temperature sensor 14 detects temperature of the automatic transmission oil and generates an oil temperature indicative signal taft indicative of the detected temperature of the automatic transmission oil ( atf ). these sensor signals ne , nt , no , to , tvo and tatf are fed to an automatic transmission ( a / t ) control unit 8 which is a microcomputer based unit including , as usual , an input interface , a central processor unit ( cpu ), a read only memory ( rom ), a random access memory ( ram ), an output interface and data bus . outputs of the a / t control unit 8 are used to activate a solenoid actuated pressure regulating module 202 for the release element and a solenoid actuated pressure regulating module 204 for the apply element as shown in fig2 . in fig2 a servo activating oil pressure is supplied from a source 200 to the solenoid modules 202 and 204 via flow restrictors ( or orifices ), respectively . under the a / t control unit 8 , the solenoid modules 204 and 202 initiate progress of the engagement of the apply element after a command for a shift has been made with the release element kept engaged and subsequently release the release element upon generation of a release signal by the a / t control unit 8 . during the 1 - 2 upshift , the release element is the low reverse brake lr / b and the apply element is the band brake b / b . the operation of the first embodiment is explained briefly along with fig3 . let us assume that the automatic transmission is conditioned to effect an automatic shift in a drive ( d ) range and the first speed is established prior to a moment t1 . thus , a gear ratio as indicated by the reference character ( low ) for the first speed is established prior to the moment t1 . at the moment t1 , a command for a 1 - 2 upshift is made . on or immediately after this moment t1 , the a / t control unit 8 initiates progress of engagement of the apply element b / b with the release element lr / b kept engaged . during a period of time ti1 from the moment t1 , the target pressure p h for the apply element b / b is set to a precharge pressure ppr ( tatf ) which is a function of the oil temperature tatf . with the precharge pressure ppr , the apply element b / b is about to engage although it is not yet engaged to develop substantial torque . the precharge control is carried out during this period of time ti1 after the moment t1 . at a moment t2 upon expiration of the period of time ti1 , the precharge control ends and a ramp control begins in which the target pressure p h is increased by a rate pramp ( tvo ) which is a function of the throttle opening degree tvo . as the apply element b / b gradually develops torque , the output torque to falls . at a moment t3 when the output torque to falls to a calculated inescapable drop toh , a target pressure p l for the release element lr / b drops to zero , releasing or venting the release element lr / b immediately . this drop in the target pressure p l is regarded as generation of a release signal . on or after this moment t3 , the target pressure p h is increased to a controlled charge pressure pap ( tt ) at which the apply element b / b develops sufficient torque to initiate change in speed ratio . in fig3 a moment t4 indicates ending of torque phase which involves no change in speed ratio and beginning of inertia phase . after the moment t4 , the gear ratio gr decreases . at a moment t5 when the gear ratio gr decreases to a gear ratio grmin to be established during the second speed , the target pressure p h for the apply element b / b is increased to the maximum level . if the gear ratio gr fails to decrease to grmin within a period of time ti2 after the initiation of inertia phase , the target pressure p h for the apply element b / b is increased to the maximum level upon expiration of the period of time ti2 ( at a moment t6 ). the manner of calculating an inescapable drop toh is explained . the inescapable drop toh is expressed by the following equation : the inertia i is a factor taking into account an inertia around the input shaft 1 and a gear ratio before shift . using this equation , calculation of this value toh is repeated between the moments t1 and t3 . in fig3 the rate of change in detected turbine speed indicative signal , i . e ., turbine acceleration ntd , is plotted . in the above discussed example , the moment t3 occurs after expiration of the period of time ti1 . if the moment t3 occurs before expiration of the period of time ti1 , the apply element b / b is released immediately at the moment t3 before expiration of the period of time ti1 . in other words , the apply element b / b is released quickly during the torque phase . the operation of this embodiment is explained in detail along with the flow diagrams shown in fig4 to 8 . the rom of the a / t control unit 8 stores programs as illustrated in fig4 to 8 . execution of each of the routines shown in fig4 and 6 is repeated upon expiration of delta t , namely 10 milliseconds in this embodiment . executing the signal processing routine shown in fig4 involves reading operations of ne ( engine speed ), nt ( turbine speed ), no ( output speed ), tvo ( throttle opening degree ), tatf ( oil temperature ) and to ( output torque ) at a step 21 . at a step 22 , a gear or speed ratio gr , as expressed by the equation gr = nt / no , is calculated . at a step 23 , a torque converter speed ratio e , as expressed by the equation e = nt / ne , is calculated . at a step 24 , the turbine acceleration ( a first derivative of turbine speed nt ) ntd is given by calculating ( nt - nt ( old ))× 100 and then the present data nt is stored as the previous data nt ( old ). at a step 25 , filtering is performed to remove unnecessary fluctuations or errors of the data ntd . at a step 26 , table look - up operations are performed based on the speed ratio e to find a torque ratio t ( e ) and a torque capacity coefficient τ ( e ), tau ( e ), and a turbine torque tt as expressed by the equation tt = t ( e )× τ ( e )× ne 2 is calculated . executing the output routine shown in fig5 involves outputting target pressure p l for the release element lr / b and target pressure p h for the apply element b / b at a step 31 . executing the shift decision and control routine shown in fig6 involves a table look - up operation of a shift map at a step 41 . as a result of the table look - up operation at the step 41 , a desired gear ratio or speed is determined . then , the desired gear ratio is compared with the calculated gear ratio gr and a command for a shift is made when the actual gear ratio gr is different from the desired gear ratio . at a step 42 , a release element and an apply element during the shift are determined and appropriate shift control strategy is selected . in this example , it is assumed that a command for a 1 - 2 upshift is made and routines shown in fig7 and 8 are set ready for execution to perform the control strategy which has been briefly explained before along with the time chart shown in fig3 . on or immediately after the moment t1 , the first run of the routine shown in fig7 and 8 is executed . in fig7 there is an interrogation at a step 51 whether the present run is the first one or not . since this is the first run , the routine proceeds to a step 52 where a counter c1 is reset and a rate ( ramp ) pramp ( tvo ), a precharge pressure ppr ( tatf ) and a precharge period of time ti1 are read out of stored data . then , the routine proceeds to a step 53 where the precharge pressure ppr ( tatf ) is set as the target pressure p h for the apply element b / b and the first run ends . in each of the next and onward runs , the interrogation at the step 51 results in negative and the counter c1 is incremented at a step 54 and the counter c1 is compared with the precharge period of time ti1 at a step 55 . there is an interrogation at the step 55 whether c1 is greater than or equal to ti1 or not . between the moments t1 and t2 ( see fig3 ), the interrogation at the step 55 always results in negative and the routine proceeds to a step 56 where the inescapable drop toh as expressed by the equation ( 1 ) is calculated . after this step 56 , there is an interrogation whether the output torque to falls to the calculated instantaneous drop toh or not . if this interrogation at the step 58 results in negative , the routine returns to a start point . at the moment t2 ( see fig3 ) when the interrogation at the step 55 results in affirmative , the ramp control is initiated . at a step 59a , the target pressure p h is increased by the rate pramp ( tvo ) till the target pressure p h reaches the controlled charge pressure pap ( tt ). alternatively , instead of the ramp control , the controlled charge pressure control is initiated . in this case , after the interrogation at the step 55 , a step 59b is performed . at the step 59b , the controlled charge pressure pap ( tt ) is set as the target pressure p h for the apply element b / b . after the step 59a ( or 59b ), the routine proceeds to the step 56 to update inescapable drop toh before proceeding to the interrogation at the step 57 . if the output torque to drops to toh ( at the moment t3 in fig3 ), the interrogation at the step 57 results in affirmative and the routine proceeds to a step 58 . at the step 58 , zero is set as the target pressure p l for the release element lr / b , causing venting of the release element lr / b . this is the moment when torque phase ends and inertia phase begins . then , the routine proceeds to step 71a ( or 71b ) in fig8 . the ramp control continues if the step 71a is performed , while the controlled charge pressure control continues if the step 71b is performed . after this step 71a ( or 71b ), there is an interrogation at a step 72 whether this run is the first or not . since this is the case , the program proceeds to a step 73 before returning to a junction j . at the step 73 , another counter c2 is cleared and another period of time ti2 is read . in each of next and onward runs , the interrogation at the step 72 results in negative and the program proceeds to a step 74 where the counter c2 is incremented . after the step 74 , there is another interrogation whether the counter c2 is greater than or equal to ti2 or not . between the moments t4 and t6 ( see fig3 ), the interrogation at the step 75 results in negative and thus the routine proceeds to a step 76 . at the step 76 , there is another interrogation whether the gear ratio gr has decreased to grmin or not . prior to the moment t5 , the interrogation at the step 76 results in negative . at the moment t5 ( see fig3 ), the interrogation at the step 76 results in affirmative and the routine proceeds to a step 77 . at the step 77 , the maximum pressure value pmax that is sufficiently higher than required for torque requirement is set as the target pressure p h for the apply element b / b . at the moment t6 upon expiration of the period of time ti2 , the routine proceeds from the interrogation step 75 to the step 77 to set the pmax as p h . the second embodiment is explained in connection with fig1 , 9 and 10 . in this embodiment , the output shaft torque sensor 9 is removed . according to this second embodiment , instead of comparing the output torque to with the calculated inescapable drop toh , an output acceleration is calculated out of the output speed no and this calculated acceleration is compared with a predetermined value d . the predetermined value d is fixed in this embodiment . preferably , this value d may be accelerator position dependent . the operation of the second embodiment is explained briefly along with fig9 . let us assume that the second speed is established prior to a moment t1 . at the moment t1 , a command for a 2 - 3 upshift is made . on or immediately after this moment t1 , the a / t control unit 8 initiates progress of engagement of the apply element h / c with the release element b / b kept engaged . after the moment t1 , the target pressure p th / c for the apply element h / c is set to a maximum pressure level max . as the apply element h / c gradually develops torque , the output torque to falls and the output speed no falls . in order to recognize this change at an early stage , the output acceleration no ( no overdot ) is calculated and plotted in fig9 . at a moment t3 when the calculated output acceleration no ( no overdot ) falls to the predetermined value d , a target pressure p tb / b for the release element b / b drops to zero , releasing or venting the release element b / b immediately . this drop in the target pressure p tb / b is regarded as generation of a release signal . on or after this moment t3 , the target pressure p th / c is decreased to a controlled charge pressure level . in fig9 a moment t4 indicates ending of torque phase which involves any change in gear ratio and beginning of inertia phase . at a moment t5 when the gear ratio decreases to a gear ratio to be established during the third speed , the target pressure p th / c for the apply element h / c is increased to the maximum level ( max .). at the bottom portion of fig9 three shifting bits 0 , 1 and 2 are shown . the shifting bit 0 is set between the moments t1 and t5 . the shifting bit 1 is set momentarily at the moment t5 . this shifting bit 2 is set between the moments t3 and t5 . the operation of the second embodiment is explained in detail along with the flow diagram shown in fig1 . in fig1 , there is an interrogation at a step 100 whether the shifting bit 0 is 1 or not . in another routine , the shifting bit 0 is set in response to the command for the 2 - 3 upshift . if the interrogation at the step 100 results in affirmative , the routine proceeds to a step 101 . at the step 101 , it is determined whether the shift has been completed or not and the shifting bit 1 is set upon completion of the shift . there is another interrogation at a step 102 whether the shifting bit 1 is set or not . upon or immediately after the moment t1 ( see fig9 ), the interrogation at the step 102 results in negative and the routine proceeds to a step 105 . at the step 105 , there is an interrogation whether the shifting bit 2 is set or not . between the moments t1 and t3 ( see fig9 ), the interrogation at the step 105 results in negative and the routine proceeds to step 106 and onwards . at the step 106 , the output speed no is read from the sensor signal of the output shaft sensor 7 ( see fig1 ). at the next step 107 , a rate of change or first derivative of the data no is calculated and the result no ( no overdot ) is set as an output acceleration alpha . there is an interrogation at a step 108 whether alpha falls to the predetermined value d . since the interrogation at the step 108 results in negative between the moments t1 and t3 , the maximum pressure level max . is set as the target pressure p th / c for the apply element h / c . at a step 114 , the target pressure p th / c for the apply element h / c and the target pressure p tb / b for the release element b / b are outputted . on or immediately after the moment t3 , the interrogation at the step 108 results in affirmative and the routine proceeds to steps 109 , 110 , 113 and 114 . at the step 109 , the shifting bit 2 is set . at the step 110 , zero is set as the target pressure p tb / b for the release element b / b . at a step 113 , the target pressure p th / c for the apply element h / c is set to the controlled charge pressure . thus , the release element b / b is released rapidly at the moment t3 . on or immediately after the moment t5 , the shifting bit 1 is reset at the step 101 . thus , the interrogation at the subsequent step 102 results in affirmative and the routine proceeds to steps 103 , 104 and 114 . at the step 102 , the shifting bits 0 , 1 and 2 are all reset . at the step 104 , the maximum pressure level max . is set as the target pressure p th / c for the apply element h / c . thus , the pressure applied to the apply element h / c is increased to the maximum pressure level after the moment t5 ( see fig9 ).	8
fig1 shows a front elevation of a motor controller 1 comprising a soft starter according to the present invention . a control panel 2 is located on the front of the soft starter 1 . the control panel 2 comprises a display 4 and selection buttons 5 and navigation buttons 6 . three indicator lights are indicated , a power on indicator 3 a , green when lit , a fault indicator 3 b , red , and a protection indicator , yellow when lit . the features of display 4 and buttons 5 , 6 comprise the essential elements of the hmi for configuring and operating the soft starter . also indicated in fig1 are two data interfaces 12 and an aperture in the front panel pf the soft starter for a field bus connection 11 . the position of the main power supplied to the soft starter , power line in , is indicated by the three terminals 15 a , b , c at the top of the soft starter . the position of 6 power lines for connection out to one or more electric motors is shown at the top and bottom of the starter , 16 a - 16 f . the outputs 16 d , 16 e , and 16 f are provided for connection to an external bypass contactor ( not shown in fig1 ). the soft starter is a semiconductor based ac motor controller and motor starter according to iec : 60947 - 4 - 2 - 1999 + a1 : 2001 and ul standard ul 508 . in use the semiconductor based thyristors get very warm and so it is common practice to bypass the soft starter , when it is not in active use for starting or stopping . the use of such a bypass avoids developing too much heat , especially if the device is somewhat enclosed in cabinets etc , as well as saving energy . this method of protecting the device against excess temperatures is in addition to the current overload protection included in the motor controller . a preferred embodiment of the soft starter is shown in fig2 . in fig2 , a selection button 5 a is shown , together with a selection and / or back button 5 b . a navigation and / or up button 6 a is shown together with a navigation and / or down button 6 b . fig4 shows elements of a system in a simplified block diagram . a display 4 associated with selection means 5 , 6 which may , for example , be buttons corresponding to 5 a , 5 b , 6 a , 6 b . a microprocessor 21 is shown and a memory means 22 . selections made by the selection means 5 , 6 embodied as button 5 a , b , 6 a , b or in other forms are registered with the microprocessor and stored if relevant in working memory and / or in long term storage memory . the functions displayed at the time of selections being made are also displayed by means of the microprocessor , so that the selection options available are provided on display means 4 by program means run by the microprocessor 21 and the selection options actually made are saved in the memory means 22 . the display is preferably a lcd ( liquid crystal display ) but may be any other means including touch sensitive screen materials . a method to configure the soft starter to control a flow creating means such as a fan or pump , but in this case a centrifugal pump is shown in fig3 . the figure shows a flowchart containing representations of the actual text that is displayed by display 4 while configuring and navigating through part of the menu system of the soft starter . the first box , box 1 shows the display shown when the soft starter is on and connected to power so that the power on indicator shows green . in this method configuration of a particular application , for a centrifugal pump , is recited to show an exemplary method for configuration according to the invention . the left selection button 5 a is selected , moving on to the second box . selection of the select / up button 6 a , not shown in fig3 , would step the display , as suggested by the up / down arrow beside the word settings on the display , up or down through the following list of settings step by step , which may comprise : selection of left select button 5 a results in box 3 , but selection of right selection 5 b would have moved the display back a step to box 2 . keys 6 a or 6 b are pressed to step the application list through the available common industrial applications for an electric motor one by one such as : when centrifugal pump is displayed , pressing the left selection button 5 a , and selecting store set , results in going on to box 5 ( but pressing right selection button 5 b would have resulted in stepping back one step to box 4 ). selecting left selection button 5 a again results in moving to box 6 , where pressing the up / select 6 a or down / select button 6 b results in changing the motor current value ( ie ) top right of the display , as suggested by the up / down arrow beside the 99 . 0 a value shown opposite the setting ie label on the display . the soft starter may accept at least two motor connection methods , in line and inside delta . when configuring for a motor connected in - line , 100 % of the desired initial current may be selected . when configuring a motor that is connected as inside delta , a value of 58 % of the desired initial current should be chosen . when the appropriate initial current ie value is shown , it is stored by pressing the left selection button 5 a which selects the operation store , and moves the method on to box 7 where the stored value is displayed and selection of left selection button 5 a again , next , takes the user to box 8 . here , the desired overload protection class is selected from a list displayed as before , by stepping or scrolling the available protection types through a list by means of the up / select button 6 a and / or the down selection button 6 b . in this example , overload ( ol ) class 10 has been selected . selecting the store option by means of pressing the left selection button 5 a results in the method going on to box 9 where the selected , stored ol class is displayed and the method moves forward by selecting next by pressing the left selection button 5 a . box 10 presents the option of configuring for an external bypass contactor , and using the up / select 6 a , down / select 6 b , buttons to toggle yes , no as required . result is stored by selecting next with the left selection button 5 a , resulting in box 11 where selecting yes with the left selection button 5 a results in the completion of the configuration , and selecting tune set with the right selection button 5 b would result in options to adjust ramp times , initial voltage , current limit etc . fig6 shows how the functions of the hmi are divided up into levels . this enables simple navigation with a minimum of key pressing or equivalent selection by means of the up 5 a , down 5 b selection means . menu level 61 provides access to functions grouped under the headings of settings , local control , event log , status information and reset events . it can be seen that local control includes functions of start / stop , jog and dol ( direct on - line ) start . fig7 shows a flowchart for a method to “ step ” or jog the motor via the motor controller using the jog function of the hmi . the method begins 71 with the normal display of the top menu level 61 ( see fig6 ). in the upper part of the display an up / down arrow symbol is displayed . pressing the upper or lower navigation key 6 a or ( see fig2 b ) results in stepping the part of the display showing the up / down arrow ( ), one function group at a time , cycling through the groups settings , local control , event log , status information and reset events ( fig6 ). pressing left selection button 5 a while local control is displayed in the up / down display part and select is displayed correspondingly lower left in display results in moving on to step 72 . at step 72 local control , the upper 6 a or lower 6 b ( fig2 b ) navigation keys may be pressed , which would result in stepping the display one function at a time through the local control function group comprising functions start / stop , jog , and dol start . to jog the motor , the up or down navigation buttons 6 a or 6 b are pressed until jog appears as shown in step 74 ( while alternatively pressing the right selection button 5 b ( fig2 b ) would select back and step 71 ). to continue the method to step or jog the motor , the left selection button 5 a , now corresponding to the option select in left side of the display , is pressed when the display shows jog in the upper left part of the display as indicated in step 74 . at step 75 pressing the left selection button 6 a , thus in a position relative to the position of jog in the display , will jog the motor once . pressing and holding the button down makes the motor controller jog the motor until the button is released . pressing right selection button 6 b would move control back one step to 74 . the configuration of the soft starter , as for the example described above for a centrifugal pump has been described as carried out using the hmi of the soft starter . however the same method and display schemes are may also be carried out using a computer or similar connected to the soft starter . fig1 shows two data ports 12 . in fig2 , data port 12 a may represent a standard serial data port and data port 12 b another type of data port . the soft starter comprises circuit means , connection means and software means such that the procedures available via the hmi are equally available via a computer connected via data port 12 a . this means in practice that instead of physically pressing buttons 5 a , b , 6 a , b on the front of the soft starter , the user input is carried out by means of mouse clicks on images of buttons or other selection devices displayed on a suitable computer screen . fig5 shows in a schematic way how one or more motor controllers may be connected via a field bus network to a control system . fig5 shows a data network 51 of a control system and a computer or workstation 53 connected to the control system . the control system comprises a bank of controllers 52 , and a field bus 54 to which three of the soft starter motor controllers according to the invention are connected for digital exchange of data between the motor controllers and the control system . the connection is made by field bus plugs 5511 , 5611 , 5711 into the field bus socket of the soft starter ( see 11 in fig1 ). similarly to the data ports 12 , the soft starter comprises a field bus connection 11 which allows the data collected by the soft starter to be available for interrogation and communication via a field bus . thus by means of either a direct serial data connection , or by means of a computer connected to a network that is connected to the field bus network , a soft starter may be configured using a computer nearby or remotely . it is also the case that the soft starter may be configured over any data network including over the internet by means of one of those two data connections 12 a or the field bus connection 11 . configuration may also be carried out using wireless means such as a ir or bluetooth equipped computer , mobile phone or pda or other mobile computing device . a wireless node ( not shown ) may be connected to a data port 12 a or to the field bus network that the soft starter is connected to via field bus connector 11 . by means of the wireless node connected in some way to the soft starter the soft starter may be configured wirelessly using the same methods as herein described . any wireless protocol capable of providing reliable transmissions in an industrial environment may be used , including standards or protocols such as bluetooth , wireless lan ( wlan ). for the communication there may be further requirements imposed by the field busses or other parts of the control system . in a preferred embodiment of the invention the communication technology used is based on the bluetooth system . the fact that the range of a bluetooth device is limited to around 10 m may be advantageous in environments with many radio devices or areas where it is very important to keep the radio interference levels as low as possible . the communications from the soft starter via a data network also comprise a computer data signal . the computer data signal is for configuration and / or control and / or operation of a motor controller ( 1 ) arranged to provide control and soft starting to one or more electric motors embodied in a carrier wave . the data signal complies with one or more formats , for example internally formatted as an xml file , and includes means to identify the sending soft starter and the type of data such as number of starts , saved events , saved alarms , configured overload protection etc . for said motor controller . the microprocessor ( or processors ) of the soft starter , or of a motor controller including the soft starter , comprises at least one central processing unit cpu performing the steps of the method according to an aspect of the invention . this is performed with the aid of one or more computer programs , which are stored at least in part in memory accessible by the processor . it is to be understood that the computer programs may also be run on one or more general purpose industrial microprocessors or computers instead of a specially adapted computer . the computer program comprises computer program code elements or software code portions that make the computer perform the method using equations , algorithms , data and calculations previously described . a part of the program may be stored in a processor as above , but also in a rom , ram , prom eprom or eeprom chip or similar memory means . the program in part or in whole may also be stored on , or in , other suitable computer readable medium such as a magnetic disk , cd - rom or dvd disk , hard disk , magneto - optical memory storage means , in volatile memory , in flash memory , as firmware , or stored on a data server . removable memory media such as removable hard drives , bubble memory devices , flash memory devices and commercially available proprietary removable media such as the sony memory stick and memory cards for digital cameras , video cameras and the like may also be used . the computer programs described may also be arranged in part as a distributed application capable of running on several different computers or computer systems at more or less the same time . in another embodiment of the motor controller comprising the soft starter , a bypass contactor is built in to the same apparatus , thus making connections to an external bypass contactor unnecessary . in addition , configuration tasks are simplified by having the bypass contactor already built - in to the soft starter . fig8 shows another representation of the functions and navigation options of the hmi of the motor controller shown in fig6 . from fig8 the effect of making selections with the selection means 5 , 6 such as an up 6 a , down 6 b or left 5 a , right 5 b may be seen . thus a sequence from the start menu of pressing down to settings functions , pressing down to select , pressing left to activate select , so accessing functional settings ; then pressing down to select functional settings ; so accessing either start / stop , protections or warnings . it can be seen that selections are made or activated by activating ( pressing real buttons or selecting representations of buttons on a display or computer screen ) the selection means ( button ) such as down that corresponds to the position on the display , out of lower or upper , that is required . similarly selections of the left , right buttons are chosen when the required selection is on the left or right of the display . in a yet further embodiment of the invention , the hmi may be embodied as a touch screen . in this case , text lines or images included in the display 4 of the preferred embodiment , and the select , navigation buttons 5 a , b and 6 a , b , may each be embodied as images on a touch screen . configuration may be carried out according to the same method but executed by means of touching parts of the screen instead of pressing buttons , or by clicking with a computer mouse or other pointing / selection device .	6
the architecture of the preferred embodiment mobile anonymous payment system is shown in . p browses the internet using her mobile pda over the wifi or gprs link . p points her browser to a merchant portal on the network that provides mobile web store functionality . p wants to pay the merchant &# 39 ; s web store post for goods or services with the sim card on her pda . post wants to collect the funds in a form usable within the legitimate financial system , represented by a bank b . p wants to remain anonymous to post and b . p must get a receipt for the transaction , which the system must be able to provide . p wants to reload cash to her sim card from her account at b from her mobile pda or phone and pointing her browser at the bank &# 39 ; s mobile web portal . the architecture of an alternative embodiment of the payment system with a traditional merchant store with a post is shown in . p wants to pay the merchant at this portable post for goods or services with a smart card c . post wants to collect the funds in a form usable within the legitimate financial system , represented by a bank b . p wants to remain anonymous to post and b . p must get a paper receipt for the transaction , which the system must be able to provide . p wants to reload cash to her smart card c from her account at b at a bank atm or sitting at her computer and pointing her browser at the bank &# 39 ; s web portal . p signs up for mobile phone services with an operator o . o has full control on p &# 39 ; s sim , i . e ., it knows the cryptographic keys that allow lifecycle management of the sim and the applications on it . the operator o establishes a business relationship with a bank b and o rents b operational space on each customer sim . p signs up for banking services with b . b passes to o a secure banking sim application ( applet ) app b equipped with a bank signature key pair ( the same for all customers ) a unique shared secret key k c that allows b to communicate securely with app b . o loads app b onto p &# 39 ; s sim card ( more precisely onto b &# 39 ; s operational quota on the sim ) using well - known secure over - the - air ( ota ) protocols . the key k c is linked to the account of p with b . the private keys on the sim are protected by a pin , i . e ., the customer must authenticate with his / her pin to enable private key operations . p loads a nominal amount of cash l on app b using a secure ota based on the shared secret k c , which b debits from p &# 39 ; s account and deposits into a special pool account a ( see the protocol for cash reload below ). the banking server b generates a random customer debit lease identifier i l and associates the amount l with it . the banking server also generates a cryptographic key pair k i and associates with the debit lease . simultaneously the banking server writes i l and k i to the card app b . thus , a contains money from many customers who have been issued the payment application app b for their sim cards ; the total amount is subdivided logically into debit leases of capacity l , each identified by the corresponding i l and the key pair the pool account a and app b initially have the same values for l and i l . the bank server does not store any information link between the original customer account and i l or therefore , one cannot trace the identity of the customer from i l or k i . p signs up for banking services with b and deposits money into his / her account . b issues a payment card ( smart card ) c to p . each payment card c is equipped with a bank signature key pair , the same for all customers . upon card issuance , the server b stores a unique shared secret key k c onto c that allows b to communicate securely with c . the key k c is linked to the account of p with b . the private keys are protected by a pin , i . e ., the customer must authenticate with his / her pin to enable private key operations . p loads a nominal amount of cash l on c at an atm or over a secure channel on his / her computer , which b debits from p &# 39 ; s account and deposits into a special pool account a ( see the protocol for cash reload below ). the banking server b generates a random customer debit lease identifier i l and associates the amount l with it . the banking server also generates a cryptographic key pair k i and associates with the debit lease . simultaneously the banking server writes i l and k i to the card c . this operation typically takes place at an atm or another secure bank facility . thus , a contains money from many customers who have been issued payment cards ; the total amount is subdivided logically into debit leases of capacity l , each identified by the corresponding i l and the key pair k i . the pool account a and the card c initially have the same values for l and i l . the bank server does not store any information link between the original customer account and i l or k i . therefore , one cannot trace the identity of the customer from i l or k i . we use rsa notation . let n = pq be the product of two large primes . let e be the public exponent and d be the corresponding private exponent of the bank key pair . let h i = gu be the product of another two large primes , such that h i is the modulus corresponding to the key pair k i , x is the public exponent , and y is the private exponent associated to the lease i l . let h : { 0 , 1 }→{ 0 , 1 } k be a one - way secure , collision - free hash function ( e . g ., sha - 256 for k = 256 ) and let al lb denote the concatenation of the binary representations of two strings a and b . note that in this case post is simply an end - user application executing into the memory of p &# 39 ; s mobile phone , serving as a proxy to the merchant &# 39 ; s web store virtual sale terminal , and capable of communicating with the sim card and app b on it . 1 . post prompts the user for pin and sends app b the pin value along with a request t to spend an amount m . note here that t is a message containing the original spending amount m , merchant identification , transaction identification , time - stamp , etc . 2 . app b verifies the pin . if the pin is incorrect or m & gt ; 1 , app b generates an error and quits . else , app b updates l = l − m . 3 . app b generates a random r c , and computes t h = h ( t ∥ r c ∥ i l ). 4 . app b computes t r =. h ( t ∥ r c ). 5 . app b computes t =( t h ) v mod h i . 6 . app b computes t ˜ =( t r ) d mod n . 7 . app b pads i l with random padding and computes i l + = i l e mod n . 8 . app b computes t + = t ∥ r c ∥ t ˜ ∥ i l + ∥ t * 9 . app b sends t + to post . 10 . post stores a copy of t + onto p &# 39 ; s mobile device ( phone or pda ) as a receipt for payment . 11 . post extracts r c and t ˜ from t + and computes t ̂ r =. h ( t ∥ r c ) 12 . post computes t r =( t ˜ ) e mod n . 13 . if t r ≠ t ̂ r post generates an error and stops . 14 . post stores t + for later reimbursement from b and releases the goods or services to p . post also uses the stored copy of t + to prevent dishonest customers from replaying old payment receipts . note : we can use a symmetric key k i instead of the asymmetric key pair for the debit lease account . in this case t = e k ( t h ) is the result of the symmetric encryption of i l with the key k i . in practice , one can use aes or tripledes with the key k i to perform this operation . note : we use the random factor r c to mark each payment receipt r in order to facilitate undeniable tracing of past transactions by b and post . note : the user may also be prompted to enter the payment amount m along with her pin in order to ensure that no amount is withdrawn from the sim without the explicit consent of p . in addition , the user may also be asked to provide the answer to a difficult - to - solve - by - a - computer puzzle along with the pin in order to ensure that each payment is a direct result from the human - to - card interaction between p and app b . this would eliminate attacks on the pin by malicious key - logging software tools and further enhance the protection of the user . protocol for anonymous payment with a sim card using ecc - based signatures ( preferred embodiment ) let q be a prime power of size 160 bits and let e be an elliptic curve over f q , such that # e ( f q ) is prime . let q be a generator for e ( f q ) and n be the order of e ( f q ). consider a cryptographic pairing e : e ( f q )× e ( f q )→ g , where g is some finite group ( e . g ., weil pairing or tate pairing ). each debit lease identifier i l will have a pair of a public and a private key . the private key is a random multiplier x i in the interval [ 1 . . . n − 1 ], whereas the public key is the point q i = x i q . these keys are generated by the banking server and are written to the sim card application app b . let h : { 0 , 1 }→ e ( f q ) be a secure one - way collision - resistant hash function ( e . g ., obtained from sha - 1 ). let \| s \| denote the length of a binary string s in bits . for the bank key pair ( used for encryption of the deposit lease identifiers and for signature verification at the post terminal ) we let d be the private key of b ( a multiplier in [ 1 . . . n − 1 ]) and q pub = dq be the corresponding public key . both d and q pub are initially written to the sim application app b . note that in this case post is simply an end - user application executing into the memory of p &# 39 ; s mobile phone , serving as a proxy to the merchant &# 39 ; s web store virtual sale terminal , and capable of communicating with the sim card and app b on it . the mobile anonymous payment protocol for p consists of the following steps : 1 . post sends app b a request for t to spend an amount m . here , t is a binary message containing information about the spending amount m , the merchant identification , transaction identification , time - stamp , etc 2 . if m & gt ; l then app b generates an error and exits ; else , app b updates l = l − m . 3 . app b generates a random bit string r c ( of some specified length ) and computes the point 4 . p h = h ( t ∥ r c ∥ i l ) and the signature sig = xi p h . 5 . app b pads i l with a random padding , chooses a random multiplier k in [ 1 . . . n − 1 ] and computes i l + =( kq , w ( i l )+ kdq ), where w is a standard embedding of plaintext binary messages into points on the elliptic curve 6 . app b computes p r = h ( t ∥ r c ) and p ˜ = dp r 7 . app b computes t + = t ∥ r c ∥ p ˜ ∥ i l + ∥ sig and sends it to post 8 . post stores a copy of t + onto p &# 39 ; s mobile device ( phone or pda ) as a receipt for payment 9 . post extracts t , r c and p ˜ from t + and computes p ̂= h ( t ∥ r c ) 10 . post computes e l = e ( q , p ˜ ) and e 2 = e ( q pub , p ̂) 11 . if e l ≠ e 2 post generates an error and stops . 12 . post stores t + for later reimbursement from b and releases the goods or services to p . post also uses the stored copy of t + to prevent dishonest customers from replaying old payment receipts . note : we can use the standard ec - dsa algorithm ( with the same public key q pub and private key d ) for the post signature verification , instead of the pairing - based signature . this would simplify the verification ( since no pairings are involved ), but would make the signature longer . note : the transmitted message t + containing the original message t , the signature sig and the rsa encryption of the padded debit lease identification number could still be shortened by using ecc - based encryption ( e . g ., ecc - based elgamal ) instead of rsa encryption . then \| t + \|=\| t \|+ 320 ; otherwise , \| t + \|=\| t \|+ 160 ( signature length )+ 1024 ( for the rsa encryption of the lease identifier ). we use rsa notation . let n = pq be the product of two large primes . let e be the public exponent and d be the corresponding private exponent . let h l = gu be the product of another two large primes , such that h i is the modulus corresponding to the key pair k i , x is the public exponent , and y is the private exponent . let h : { 0 , 1 }→{ 0 , 1 } k be a one - way secure , collision - free hash function and let a ∥ b denote the concatenation of the binary representations of the strings a and b . 1 . post prompts the user for pin and sends c the pin value along with a request t to spend an amount m . note here that t is a message containing the original spending amount m , merchant identification , transaction identification , time - stamp , etc 2 . c verifies the pin . if the pin is incorrect or m & gt ; l , c generates an error and quits . else , c updates l = l − m 3 . c generates a random r c , and computes t h = h ( t ∥ r c ∥ i l ) 4 . c computes t r =. h ( t ∥ r c ) 5 . c computes t =( t h ) v mod h i 6 . c computes t ˜ =( t r ) d mod n 7 . c pads i l with random padding and computes i l + = i l e mod n 8 . c computes t + = t ∥ r c ∥ t ˜ ∥ i l + ∥ t * 9 . c sends t + to post 10 . post stores a copy of t + onto p &# 39 ; s computer as a receipt for payment . if post is a simple mobile terminal ( see below ), it prints a paper receipt for p 11 . post extracts r c and r from t ˜ and computes t ̂ r =. h ( t ∥ r c ) 12 . post computes t r =( t ˜ ) x mod n 13 . if t r ≈ t ̂ r post generates an error and stops 14 . post stores t + for later reimbursement from b and releases the goods or services to p . post also uses the stored copy of t + to prevent dishonest customers from replaying old payment receipts 1 . post sends t + to b 2 . b extracts i l + from t + and computes i l =( i l + ) d mod n . note that b removes the random padding previously added to i l by c or app b from the decrypted result . 3 . if i l does not exists in a , b generates an error and stops 4 . b extracts t ∥ r c from t + and computes t ̂ h = h ( t ∥ r c ∥ i l ) 5 . b extracts t * from t + and computes t h =( t ) x mod h l 6 . if t ̂ h ≈ t h or m & gt ; l , b generates an error and stops . else , it updates l = l − m for the corresponding lease i l 7 . b records the transaction information contained in t and r c to prevent replay of old messages by dishonest merchants note : in the alternative case of a symmetric encryption key k i the back - end server b computes t h = e k - 1 ( t ). protocol for reimbursement of post by b using ecc - based signatures ( preferred embodiment ) 2 . b extracts i l + from t + , computes w - 1 ( i l + − d ( kq )) and removes the padding added by app b to obtain i l . here , w is the same standard embedding of plaintext messages into points on the elliptic curve as in step 4 of the ecc - based payment protocol . 3 . if i l is not a valid debit lease identification number in the pool account a , the bank generates an error and exits 4 . b extracts t and sig from t + and computes p h = h ( t ∥ r c ∥ i l ) 5 . the bank server b computes the two pairing values e ( p h , q i ) and e ( sig , q ) 6 . if e ( p h , q i )= e ( sig , q ) and l & gt ; m , b reimburses post and updates l = l − m ; otherwise , it generates an error and exits 7 . b records the transaction information contained in t and r c to prevent replay of old messages protocols for protecting p from blackmailing during anonymous payments ( preferred embodiment ) the anonymous payment protocols need to protect users from blackmailing [ 6 ]. to accomplish this we introduce a panic - pin on the sim application app b or the card c . the panic - pin is an alternative pin that enables private key operations just like with the other normal pin . however , the card or the sim application knows which pin was used and can mark this condition in a flag f ; f = 0 indicates normal pin and f = 1 indicates panic - pin . then , we define t h = h ( t ∥ r c ∥ i l ∥ f ). the server b upon reimbursement computes t ̂ h = h ( t ∥ r c ∥ i l ∥ 0 ). note that signature check will fail if f = 1 was used on the card . note also that the value off is not sent explicitly in the protocol and since the value of the public exponent x that corresponds to h l is not known to a third party , an observer of the protocol cannot determine the value off even if the bank key with modulus n is broken . the server b can detect the blackmail condition and take appropriate actions . this provides strong protection of p against blackmail attempts . hint for practical implementations : the particular order in which f is added to the bit - stream used to calculate t h is not important , as long as both sides ( b and c / app b ) know it . 1 . p authenticates to b and b establishes a secure channel with c using well - known challenge / response protocols based on the shared secret k c 2 . b generates new values for i l and k i and associates them with the new spending amount l transferred from p &# 39 ; s account into a 3 . b sends c the new values for l , i l , and k i 4 . c responds with the remaining old balance on the card l old and the old lease identifier i l old 5 . b transfers the amount from the lease i l old into the new lease l 6 . b sends a confirmation to c 7 . c sets l = l + l old and updates i l 8 . c sends a confirmation to b protocols for cash reload on mobile app b ( preferred embodiment ) 1 . p authenticates to b and b establishes a secure channel with app b using well - known ota challenge / response protocols based on the shared secret k c 2 . b generates new values for i l and k i and associates them with the new spending amount l transferred from p &# 39 ; s account into a 3 . b sends app b the new values for l , i l , and k i 4 . app b responds with the remaining old balance on the card l old and the old lease identifier i l old 5 . b transfers the amount from the old lease i l old into the new lease l 6 . b sends confirmation to app b 7 . app b sets l = l + l old and updates 8 . app b sends confirmation to b privacy and security advantages of the financial transaction schema implemented by the payment , reimbursement , and cash reload protocols there is no way for b or post to identify any customer - specific information that links the person buying the goods or services to the financial transaction recorded between post and b . at most , b can compile a database of leases i l and associated customer accounts , in contravention of the protocol , and thereby link customers to merchants during the reimbursement phase of the protocol . however , a similar attack is also possible with real cash , in which a bank records the serial numbers of banknotes that are deposited and withdrawn from the bank . even if an adversarial customer or a merchant factors n or uses alternative techniques ( e . g . differential power analysis ) to gain knowledge of d , the hacker would find out i l but he will not be able to discover the identity of the customer from it nor abuse her account . recall that by setup , there is no link between i l and the identity of the customer of b . to drain a customer account , the hacker would have to gain physical possession of a customer card c and hack the pin because the pin has a limited number of tries before it is blocked . this is hard to achieve . therefore the total gain of the hacker is that he will be able to tell the different debit lease identifiers i l but this is not enough to give him actionable information to drain money from a ( the attacker can also forge payments from i l and thereby defraud merchants , but the customer &# 39 ; s funds are not at risk . this is an acceptable level of risk for the scenario where the private key d is compromised .) a customer does not have to worry about a merchant recording any identifiable information relating purchases to her card c . indeed , because of the random padding used in computing i * l and i l + , the post cannot relate two subsequent transactions with the same card c . the blackmail protection feature introduced with the help of a second panic - pin allows customer protection . the blackmailer may hijack the paying receipt t + before it gets submitted to post in order to use it for his own gain . however , when submitted to the bank b , it will detect the circumstances of the withdrawal and will warn post to reject the transaction . paying electronically in this way is equivalent to paying by cash from a privacy perspective . practical advantages of the financial transaction schema by the payment , reimbursement , and cash reload protocols there is no need for a live link between c / app b and b at the time when p pays for goods and services . this improves the robustness of the protocols for real - life applications . in particular , it eliminates the need to maintain complex transaction state on c / app b and b . this is very important for the practical applications we envision : it is not reasonable to assume that the wifi or gprs connection between p &# 39 ; s mobile phone / pda to the internet will be stable and available when the customer moves from one area to another , often with high speed . in our framework , the money receipt t + is stored on the phone , pda , or pc and the customer can easily resubmit it to post when the network is re - established . thus , the customer does not have to worry about losing the money withdrawn from the card . another important advantage our approach offers allows the complexity and cost of post to be reduced significantly . for example , post can be a simple ipod - like device with a display and a slot for card insertion . post can store r onto a removable flash drive . this device may be used by roaming merchants in locations where there is no reliable network connectivity . the device records customer transaction components ( see the simple and enhanced payment protocols below ) onto its secure minisd plug - in . the secure minisd device has a secure cpu bundled with the mass - storage controller . the secure cpu allows the minisd device to recognize that it is plugged into a legitimate post and configures the mass - storage partition with read / write permissions . this allows post to store the transaction components onto the minisd mass - storage media . the components for each transaction may be organized in some appropriate way into the file system of the minisd device in order to simplify their discovery and processing during reimbursement . to get reimbursed , the merchant removes the minisd device from the post and inserts it into a standard usb adapter ( see ). then , the merchant plugs the adapter into a standard usb port of a pc and starts a special end - user software program sw for processing the transactions . the secure minisd device recognizes upon connecting and powering - on that it is not plugged into a legitimate post device and makes the mass - storage partition read - only . this prevents malicious software on the pc from being able to damage the data on the flash disk and thus inflict a financial loss on the merchant . the merchant then utilizes sw to submit the transactions to b and get paid . because t + is marked with the id of the merchant , there is no real incentive for a thief to steal the flash device with non - reimbursed transactions . similarly , if a customer looses c , it is a cash loss for him / her but another person who finds it cannot make use of the cash because of the pin protection . this provides an incentive for b to use this model of payment because b will get to use free unclaimed money in a . therefore , our framework offers a unique combination of technology and financial incentives that allow all involved parties to benefit . note that in cases when b is out of the loop when post and c complete the transaction , b typically provides out - of - band blanket financial assurance to post that it will honor the digital receipts t + produced by the payment protocol , usually contained in the affiliation contract that post and b sign . a real - life example is that a sherpa equipped with a simple and small portable terminal can sell water or food to mountain climbers on a base camp to mount everest without the climbers having to need real cash and to worry about losing it or being robbed by other dishonest climbers . it is practically impossible to enable a real - time link between the post and b or c and b from such a remote location and so this new protocol allows the transaction to take place in the absence of such a link . the flash drive is actually stronger to resist the elements than banknotes , so the sherpa can safely get reimbursed later when he reaches his town . the payment framework we have defined allows flexibility in the choice of cryptographic algorithms while preserving the overall strength of security and privacy protection . this allows specific implementations to experiment and find the right computational load balance for a specific hardware system configuration . thus , the overall performance of real - life implementations of the payment framework on systems utilizing computationally weak personal secure devices , such as smart cards , may be improved . although the invention has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts , it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described . rather , the specific features and acts are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claimed invention .	7
referring to fig1 , there is shown a prior art resistive thermal sensor of the type described above , formed on a metal layer 102 of an ic semiconductor that is not otherwise shown . sensor 100 comprises a continuous wire or line 104 formed of conductive metal . herein , the terms “ wire ”, “ line ” and “ trace ” are used interchangeably , to refer to a narrow conductive path formed on one of the metal layers of an ic . as discussed above , wire 104 must be of substantial length in order to have a resistance that is high enough to be useful in determining temperature adjacent to sensor 100 . thus , in order to provide sufficient wire length , wire 104 is placed on layer 102 in a serpentine pattern , as shown by fig1 and discussed above . the pattern comprises several larger loops 104 a , 104 b and 104 c , wherein each of the larger wire loops comprises a number of smaller or tighter wire loops 104 d . as stated above , sensor wire 104 must be narrow enough to have sufficient resistance over its length , but must also be wide enough that it is not heated by the current it is carrying . temperature measurements would , of course , be distorted if operation of the thermal sensor added heat to the ic being monitored . fig1 further shows the wire 104 having input and output ends , which are respectively connected through input and output pads 106 and 108 to electrostatic ( esd ) diodes 110 and 112 to protect the ic from high voltage transients . it can readily be appreciated from fig1 how the serpentine arrangement of fig1 tends to act as a barrier in preventing conductors or conductive paths associated with other circuits of the ic from being placed across layer 102 . such conductors may have to be routed to other layers , in order to get around the prior art thermal sensor 100 . fig2 shows diodes 110 and 112 for thermal sensor 100 connected between a voltage source ( v dd ) and a ground connection ( g nd ). referring to fig3 , there is shown a resistor component 300 for a thermal sensor , wherein the component 300 is formed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention on a metal layer 302 of an integrated circuit ( ic ). layer 302 , for example , may comprise the m 2 layer of the associated ic . similarly , fig4 shows a resistor component 400 for the thermal sensor formed on a metal layer 402 of the same ic . layer 402 may comprise the m 3 layer of the ic , so that it is the next metal layer of the ic below the m 2 layer 302 . a layer of non - conductive material , such as quartz or a selected oxide , is located between the metal layers m 2 and m 3 . as described hereinafter , resistor components 300 and 400 are joined together to form a complete resistive thermal sensor comprising an embodiment of the invention , for use with the associated ic . for purposes of illustration , the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is shown for use with an integrated circuit . however , it is to be emphasized that the invention is by no means limited to such use . to the contrary , it is anticipated that embodiments of the invention can be used for thermal sensing in virtually any type of layered or multi - layered structure that comprises alternating conductive and non - conductive layers . in addition to integrated circuits , such structures can include , without limitation , substrate modules , layered chip carriers , cards and printed circuit boards . referring again to fig3 , there is shown resistor component 300 comprising a number of narrow linear wires or traces 304 a - k , each formed of an electrically conducting material such as m 2 metal . the linear traces are respectively placed on layer 302 so that they are in spaced apart , substantially parallel relationship with one another . fig3 shows eleven traces 304 a - k for purposes of illustration , but other embodiments of the invention may use different numbers of such traces . fig3 further shows an input link 306 formed on m 2 layer 302 , input 306 being connected to an end of linear trace 304 a . each of the other ends of traces 304 a - k is connected to either a via link 308 a or 308 b . the via links are made by forming small holes in the ic that extend downward from m 2 layer 302 to the m 3 layer 402 , so that the holes traverse the non - conductive layer between m 2 and m 3 . each such hole is filled with a conductive material , to form a via link 308 a or 308 b . referring further to fig3 , there are shown sets of end connectors 310 a and 310 b respectively formed on m 2 metal layer 302 . each of the end connectors 310 a and 310 b comprises a trace of conductive material of the type used to form linear traces 304 a - k , although each of the connectors 310 a and 310 b is substantially wider than the traces 304 a - k . the wider trace is needed to add multiple vias to reduce the resistance between layers . the end connectors 310 a are respectively positioned in a linear array 312 a , in spaced apart relationship , wherein linear array 312 a is in parallel relationship with each of the linear traces 304 a - k . the connectors 310 b are similarly positioned in a linear array 312 b , which is in parallel relationship with traces 304 a - k and linear array 312 a . fig3 shows each of the linear traces 304 a - k positioned between the arrays 312 a and 312 b . the functions of end connectors 310 a and 310 b and of via links 308 a and 308 b are described hereinafter . resistor component 400 shown in fig4 is generally very similar to resistor component 300 described above . thus , component 400 includes linear traces 404 a - k in parallel spaced - apart relationship with one another , each trace 404 a - k being substantially identical to a trace 304 a - k of component 300 . moreover , resistor component 400 is formed on m 3 metal layer 402 so that elements thereof lie directly beneath elements of resistor component 300 . this allows certain elements of components 300 and 400 to mate or be joined with one another , as described hereinafter . it is to be understood , however , that respective linear traces 404 a - k are placed on m 3 layer 402 so that they are each oriented in orthogonal relationship with each of the traces 304 a - k on m 2 layer 302 . it is to be understood further that in other embodiments of the invention the traces 404 a - k may have a different orientation with respect to traces 304 a - k . for example , the traces 404 a - k could be in parallel relationship with traces 304 a - k , or could lie at any specified angle thereto . referring further to fig4 , there is shown an output link 406 formed on m 3 layer 402 that is connected to an end of linear trace 404 a . each of the other ends of traces 404 a - k is connected to a via link 408 a or 408 b , which are both similar or identical to via links 308 a and 308 b described above . accordingly , each via link 408 a and 408 b comprises a small amount of conductive material that fills a hole extending from layer 402 upward to layer 302 . more particularly , two via links 408 a , from two adjacent traces 404 a - k , extend upward from layer 402 into electrical contact with each of the end connectors 310 a . for example , the via links 408 a extending from traces 404 b and 404 c are both in contact with the uppermost end connector 310 a of array 312 a , as viewed in fig3 . thus , linear traces 404 b and 404 c are connected together at their leftward ends , as viewed in fig4 . similarly , the via links 408 b of linear traces 404 a and 404 b are both in contact with the uppermost end connector 310 b of array 312 b , as viewed in fig3 . the traces 404 a and 404 b are thereby connected together at their rightward ends , as viewed in fig4 . generally , the via links 408 a and 408 b and end connectors 310 a and 310 b collectively act to join linear traces 404 a - k into a continuous electrical path , extending from output link 406 to the end connector 310 b that is connected to the rightward end of linear trace 404 k , as viewed in fig4 . such end connector is more specifically referenced in fig3 as end connector 310 b ′, to enhance recognition . fig4 further shows sets of end connectors 410 a and 410 b respectively formed on m 3 metal layer 402 . the end connectors 410 a and 410 b are very similar in construction and operation to end connectors 310 a and 310 b described above . connectors 410 a and 410 b are positioned in linear arrays 412 a and 412 b , respectively . the arrays 412 a and 412 b are in parallel spaced - apart relationship with the linear traces 404 a - k , which are positioned between the two arrays 412 a and 412 b . it is to be understood that each of the end connector links 410 a is positioned to engage two of the via links 308 a extending downward from the m 2 layer , as described above , to establish electrical contact therewith . for example , the via links 308 a of linear traces 304 b and 304 c are both in contact with the leftmost end connector 410 a of array 412 a , as viewed in fig4 . thus , linear traces 304 b and 304 c are connected together at their upper ends , as viewed in fig3 . similarly , the via links 308 b of linear traces 304 a and 304 b are both in contact with the leftmost end connector link 410 b of array 412 b , as viewed in fig4 . the traces 304 a and 304 b are thereby connected together at their lower ends , as viewed in fig3 . more generally , the via links 308 a and 308 b and end connectors 410 a and 410 b collectively act to join linear traces 304 a - k into a continuous electrical path , extending from input link 306 to the end connector 410 b that is connected to the lower end of trace 304 k , as viewed in fig3 . such end connector is more specifically referenced in fig4 as 410 b ′, to enhance recognition . referring to fig5 , there is shown resistor component 300 positioned over component 400 , with the m 2 layer 302 and nonconductive layer removed . thus , fig5 shows the continuous electrical path of resistor component 300 , extending from input link 306 to end connector 410 b ′, together with the continuous electrical path of resistor component 400 , extending from end connector 310 b ′ to output link 406 . it will be seen that the two components 300 and 400 can be readily joined to form a single conductive path having a resistance , by providing an electrical connection between end connectors 310 b ′ and 410 b ′. fig6 shows a via link 602 extending between end connector 310 b ′ in layer 302 and end connector 410 b ′ in layer 402 , in order to establish the desired connection . via link 602 is substantially identical to via links 308 a and 308 b and 408 a and 408 b , described above . fig6 is a side view of the resistor components 300 and 400 shown in fig5 , wherein m 2 layer 302 and nonconductive layer 604 are inserted between the two components . accordingly , via link 602 is seen to extend through such layers , between end connectors 310 b ′ and 410 b ′. fig6 further shows linear traces 304 a - k , connected to respective end connectors 410 b by means of via link 308 b . fig6 depicts trace 404 k connected to an end connector 310 a through a via link 408 a , and also shows input link 306 and output link 406 . referring to fig7 , there is shown sensor resistance component 300 as described above , wherein a linear channel 702 has been formed in m 2 layer 302 . more particularly , channel 702 has been formed between linear traces 304 h and 304 i , in parallel relationship therewith . channel 702 provides a passage for a wire or conductive trace 704 that is connected to carry signal information for an ic circuit or function , wherein the circuit or function is unrelated to the thermal sensor of component 300 . fig7 further shows shield wires 706 contained in the channel 702 , to shield wire 704 from surrounding interference . thus , fig7 illustrates a significant advantage of the invention , in that embodiments thereof may be readily adapted to avoid blocking signal paths and the routing of information needed for other ic operations . referring to fig8 , there is shown a generalized embodiment of the invention . as described above , resistor components such as 300 and 400 , on layers m 2 and m 3 , respectively , may be joined together to form a complete thermal sensor . in addition , other resistor components for the sensor , such as components 802 - 806 , may be located on other layers of the multi - layered ic and be interconnected serially with components 300 and 400 . in one arrangement , the components placed on n metal layers could alternate between resistor components such as 300 , and orthogonal resistor components such as 400 . in an alternative arrangement , the resistor components on adjacent layers could have linear traces that were aligned in parallel relationship or at any selected angle with each other , rather than in orthogonal relationship . in yet other arrangements , different layers could have resistors with different numbers of linear traces , or could have different spacing between traces . thus , embodiments of the invention may be readily adapted to meet varying requirements . for example , for the same value of resistance , the sensor wire can be made longer and wider , thus making the sensor wire less susceptible to self heating . since wiring channels are no longer blocked , the sensor circuit can be integrated with one or more similar temperature - sensitive macros that are daisy - chained together , or connected in series , so that the temperature of critical circuits can be measured . since utilization of metal might be more intense on one layer than another , the thermal sensor of the invention could be adapted to avoid use of the highly utilized layers , without impacting the links of the over - all sensor resistor . referring further to fig8 , there are shown additional elements for the circuit of the generalized thermal sensor embodiment . esd diodes 808 and 810 are connected to the sensor input and output , respectively . the diodes 808 and 810 are respectively coupled between a voltage source ( v dd ) and ground ( gnd ). the description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description , and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention , the practical application , and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated .	6
referring to fig1 one implementation of the present invention is shown in which the particular example involves a flash memory device 10 . the flash memory is a non - volatile electrically erasable and electrically programmable read - only - semiconductor memory . the example memory device 10 is comprised of a number of memory strips 11 , wherein each memory strip 11 includes one or more flash memory block ( s ) 12 . generally , each memory block 12 is configured as an array or arrays and functions equivalently to various flash memory devices currently known in the art . the memory blocks 12 can be programmed , read and block erased according to practices known in the art pertaining to flash memory devices . in one particular embodiment , two blocks 12 are present on each strip 11 and are commonly referred to as an odd block and an even block . each strip 11 also has a local logic circuit 13 which includes various circuitry required to access , program , read and erase memory cells of the memory block ( s ) 12 on each strip . a variety of circuits can be implemented to provide these functions , including those circuits known in the art . also present on each memory strip 11 is a pre - sensing amplifier ( pre - sense amp ) 15 which includes circuitry for practicing the present invention . a pair of data lines 16 and 17 are also shown coupling outputs of the memory blocks 12 to the sense amplifier 15 . in typical flash configurations , data line 16 is typically comprised of a plurality of lines “ n ” and the lines are referred to as bit lines which emanate as column lines from an array of main memory cells , while lines 17 ( line 17 is also comprised of multiple lines ) are from reference cells of the flash memory array . the general configuration is not critical to the understanding of the present invention other than that two read lines pertaining to a given memory cell array are coupled to the pre - sense amplifier 15 to determine if the particular flash memory cell being read is either in a programmed state or an erased state . in the flash memory device 10 shown in fig1 the outputs of the pre - sense amplifier 15 are coupled on a pair of differential signal lines ( also referred to as bus , bus lines , or sense output ) 18 and 19 to a post - sensing amplifier ( post - sense amp ) 20 . it is appreciated that the memory device 10 may have only one memory strip 11 or it may have a plurality of memory strips 11 , in which the outputs from each pre - sensing amplifier 15 are coupled to the post - sensing amplifier 20 on the bus lines 18 and 19 . for example , in one embodiment , each of the memory strips includes eight megabits ( 8 m ) of flash memory , such that the number of strips will determine the total memory included within the flash memory device 10 . for example , if four strips are present , then 32 m of memory would be available in device 10 . similarly if eight such strips 11 are present in device 10 , then 64 m of memory would be available . also , it is to be noted that each strip will have a number of pre - sense amps 15 , which number depends on the number of data lines being read . for example , if the memory block is a 64 bit array ( that is n = 64 ), then there will be at least 64 pre - sense amps 15 on that strip 11 . similarly , the number of differential output line pairs 18 , 19 will also correspond to the number of data line pairs 16 , 17 and the number of post - sense amps 20 will also correspond to the number of line pairs 18 , 19 . as will be described below , each pre - sense amp 15 receives the output of the memory block as a differential input and provides a differential output on the bus pairs 18 and 19 . each post - sensing amplifier 20 receives differential inputs from the line pairs 18 and 19 and generally generates a single - ended output on bus 21 as an output from the memory device 10 . again , the total number of data lines 21 is dependent on the number of post - sense amps 20 that are present . in many applications , the output on lines 21 from the memory device 10 are coupled to various other devices , including a processor which utilizes the data output from the memory device 10 . the output from the post sensing amplifier 20 , although could be a differential output , is shown in fig1 as a single - ended output , so that device 10 can readily replace existing flash memory devices which provide a single - ended output to other chips which utilize the flash memory . also referring to fig2 the circuitry utilized in the pre - sensing amplifier 15 and the post - sensing amplifier 20 are shown . each pre - sensing amplifier 15 includes a differential amplifier 25 coupled to receive the outputs from the memory array as differential inputs when a given memory block 12 is sensed . the sensing of the memory array is essentially a read operation in which the content of the addressed memory cells are read . flash memories generally are read to determine if the particular memory cell is programmed or erased . in one embodiment , the input to a given differential amplifier 25 is obtained by having an output from a memory cell being read on one of the input line ( for example , line 16 ) while an output from a reference cell ( having a known reference value ) is read on the other corresponding line ( for example , line 17 ). the amplifier 25 outputs a differential signal on to the line pair 18 , 19 through transistors 26 , 27 . in the particular example , the outputs of the differential amplifier 25 are coupled to the gates of transistors 26 , 27 , which in this example are p - type devices . transistors 26 , 27 operate as pull - up transistors to drive the differential read signal from the memory cells onto the output lines 18 , 19 . as noted in fig2 each of the pre - sense amps 15 has the output coupled onto line pairs 18 , 19 through a pair of p - type transistors when the pre - sense amp 15 is activated by an enable signal , enablepre #. each post - sensing amplifier 20 includes an amplifier 30 which has its inputs coupled to the line pairs 18 , 19 . the output of the amplifier 30 is coupled through a driver 33 to provide an output on line 21 . it is appreciated that the output of the amplifier 30 could be made a differential output , but is shown as a single - ended output so that the flash device 10 could readily be substituted for a variety of single ended flash memory devices currently in use . as shown in fig2 the enable signal enablepre # is used to enable the differential amplifier 25 in the pre - sense amp 15 . equivalently , an enable signal , enablepost #, is used to enable amplifier 30 in the post - sense amp 20 . the two enable signals , which are described in more detail below , are used to enable each of the sense amps 15 , 20 respectively , so that these amplifiers 15 , 20 operate as a latch in latching the memory output onto the line pairs 18 , 19 and then to the output line 21 . it is also appreciated that the “#” sign is utilized herein to denote either a compliment condition ( such as activation on low signal condition ) and / or the complimentary line of the differential pair . also referring to fig3 and 4 , fig3 shows a more detailed circuit diagram for the pre - sense amplifier 15 and the post - sense amplifier 20 . fig4 shows waveform diagrams pertaining to signals on nodes associated with the sense amplifiers 15 , 20 . the embodiment shown in fig3 is better understood when referenced with the timing diagram of the various signals ( shown in fig4 ). a particular flash memory cell which is to be read for its content is shown as transistor 40 . transistor 40 is a typical flash memory cell having a floating gate , control gate , drain and source . transistor 41 depicts a reference cell for setting a reference level for reading transistor 40 . the drains of both of the transistors ( also referred to herein as cells ) 40 , 41 are coupled to respective differential inputs of the amplifier 25 in the pre - sense amp 15 . in the timing diagram , a read access commences at time t 1 . in the particular embodiment shown , during time t 1 , the local bitlines are discharged , in which slsout and slsout # signal nodes are grounded . both of the sense amplifiers 15 , 20 are disabled . during time t 2 , the differential input lines 16 , 17 noted by signal sin ( sense in ) and its differential counterpart rin ( reference in ) are precharged to vcc through resisters 42 , 43 each respectively coupled to the drains of the memory cells 40 , 41 . the sin and rin signals are respectively coupled through p - type transistors 44 , 45 to provide sllat and sllat # signals , which are respectively coupled to the gates of the p - type transistors 26 , 27 , which outputs are then coupled to the line pairs 18 , 19 . the signal onto line pairs 18 , 19 are denoted as slsout and slsout #, respectively . the enabling and disabling of each of the sense amplifiers 15 , 20 are controlled by the enablepre # and enablepost #. the enablepre # signal activates n - type transistor 50 which allows n - type transistors 51 and 52 to conduct . thus , as shown in fig4 through time t 2 , the signal nodes for sin , rin , sllat and sllat # are precharged to a vcc level , while signal nodes for slsout and slsout # are at or near zero . at some point after the commencement of the read sequence during time t 3 , a differential voltage develops between the sin and rin signals . a difference voltage ( or margin ) is noted due to the conduction of transistors 40 and 41 during t 3 when the control gates of these respective transistors turn on the transistors 40 and 41 . the difference in the threshold voltages of the transistors 40 , 41 cause the transistors to have different voltages at the sin / rin differential inputs to the pre - sense amplifier 15 . this difference in the voltage is exemplified in the sin / rin signals at time t 3 . since the sin / rin inputs are shorted through the transistors 44 , 45 to the sllat / sllat # nodes respectively , when the enablepre # goes low at the end of time t 3 , the sllat and the sllat # nodes are disconnected from the sin / rin inputs and the sense amplifier 15 amplifies the difference between the sllat and sllat # differential nodes . at the same time that the pre - sensing amplifier 15 is enabled by enablepre #, the output lines 18 , 19 are removed from a grounded state to a tri - state condition . although not shown , generally a device grounds lines 18 , 19 to maintain the lines 18 and 19 at a disabled or zero volt condition until the end of period t 2 . once the lines 18 , 19 are tri - stated , they are now available to respond to the differential signal from the activated pre - sense amp 15 . the voltages on sllat / sllat # turn on the p - device output drivers 26 , 27 to provide a differential output on lines 18 , 19 . generally one of the p - devices 26 or 27 will be barely on while the other will have full vcc potential across its gate . this difference in drive causes a different ramp rate on slsout and slsout #, allowing a differential voltage to develop across and latch onto these nodes , as shown in time t 4 . the differential signal is sensed and latched during time period t 5 by the post - sense amp 20 when enable post # is driven to ground . the latched output of the post - sense amp 20 is illustrated by the signals sllatx and sllaty during time t 5 . as is described above , during time t 4 when the pre - sense amp 15 is activated , the difference in voltage sensed by the differential inputs sin and rin are amplified as noted by signals sllat and sllat #. the bus lines 18 , 19 coupling the output of all of the sense amplifiers 15 will respond by noting the difference of the differential voltage sllat and sllat #. however , since the slsout signal is referenced to its compliment and sensed differentially , the differential lines 18 , 19 need only transition a smaller voltage before it is sensed by the post sensing amplifier 20 . this is exemplified by the difference in the amplitude of the slsout and slsout # signal during time t 4 . generally , a difference in the range of 50 - 200 millivolts between slsout and slsout # is adequate for providing the sensing output . the sensing could be available at a lower limit such as at 20 millivolts , but care must be taken that at the time of sensing the signal , an adequately measurable amplitude difference is present to ensure that a valid read is obtained from the memory cell . furthermore , the sensing can be obtained at a higher voltage beyond 200 millivolts , but it could detract from the performance of the device if longer time is required to sense the voltage . accordingly , a range of 50 - 200 millivolts provides adequate differential voltage to obtain proper reading of the memory cell , but with a minimal time period once the signals difference is noted . as noted , since the power required to charge the output node of the pre - sense amp 15 is proportional to the magnitude of the transition voltage that it transitions and the capacitance of the node , limiting the voltage swing on lines 18 , 19 reduces the amount of power required to put an output onto lines 18 and 19 . in the example illustrated , the memory cells provide a 64 bit output such that there will be 64 such pre - sensing amplifiers 15 for each of the memory strips 11 . accordingly , when small transitions are encountered with the differential sense amp of the present invention , smaller power requirements per line will make a significant difference in the total power when 64 lines are involved . in the particular example of a 64 bit data bus , the differential output onto bus lines 18 , 19 can provide approximately 2 milliamp of read power savings which in some instances may be 10 percent of the total read power required for the device . furthermore , the limited voltage swing of the differential bus 18 , 19 can also provide a performance benefit in the area of speed performance . since the signal is referenced to its differential compliment it can be timed to be sensed when it has transitioned approximately 50 - 200 millivolts . this is in contrast to a digital signal which typically transitions at one half of the power supply voltage ( or rail voltage ) on average in order to sense valid data from a memory cell . the reduced transition time for sensing the memory cell provides considerable improvement in the performance of the memory device 10 . furthermore , since the sense amplifiers are placed on each individual strip 11 , only one overall post - sensing amplifier 20 per line is required for all of the memory strips 11 . since the output driver of the pre - sensing amplifier 15 is a single p - device for each line ( shown by transistors 26 and 27 ) the circuitry is considerably smaller than the alternative implementation known in the prior art , which typically uses a tri - state inverter which is adequately large to drive several picofarads of load . in the present case , the p - type transistors 26 and 27 are of smaller capacitance and provides a much smaller load on each of the sense amplifiers 15 . it is also to be noted that in the embodiment shown in fig3 a multiplexor 60 is utilized to select one of the sllatx or sllaty from the post - sense amp 20 to provide a single - ended output from amp 20 . a select signal is used to select the output . although a particular circuit is shown for the post - sense amp 20 , a variety of prior art sense amps utilized for sensing outputs from memories can be used for post - sense - amp 20 . referring to fig5 it is appreciated that the flash memory device 10 of the present invention can be utilized in a variety of different capacities . one system is shown in fig5 in which the flash memory device 10 is coupled to a processor 50 . the processor controls the operation of the flash memory 10 as well as utilizing the data present in the flash memory 10 . in general application , the processor along with the flash memory is coupled to other devices ( here shown as i / o , input / output ) to exemplify a system in which a processor 50 and flash memory 10 are utilized . a variety of other configurations and systems can be devised in order to utilize the flash memory device 10 incorporating the present invention . thus , a differential signal path for high speed data transmission in flash memory is described .	6
for a better understanding of the subject invention , reference is made to the following description and appended claims in conjunction with the above - described drawings . referring now to the drawings , fig1 depicts a submerged submarine 10 in search of a second submarine ( not shown ) in a body of water 12 such as an ocean . the submarine 10 carries a laser transmitter 13 for producing a laser beam 14 directed into the water and a receiver 15 for receiving a return ( backscatter ) signal 16 from the water . transmitter 13 generates a pulsed output beam 14 having a wavelength selected to penetrate the water 12 , and return signal 16 contains brillouin and rayleigh backscatter components . in accordance with this invention , receiver 15 processes the brillouin and rayleigh signals to produce data indicative of the temperature at various depths to provide temperature - depth information . when the search submarine moves some distance between pulses , a three - dimensional map of the temperature in the medium may be accumulated and recorded for analysis purposes . to increase coverage of the mapped area , as opposed to taking a single &# 34 ; slice &# 34 ; out of the ocean , beam 14 may be traversed in a plane orthogonal to the direction of travel of the search submarine . the scanning angle of the beam from directly above or below the search vessel should be kept relative small and in most cases & lt ;± 30 °. when scanning at any angle , the different distances ( times ) must be factored into the return backscatter signal for proper depth analysis . in the preferred embodiment much of laser transmitter 13 and receiver 15 is housed outside of the submarine hull to avoid the necessity of an optical window being installed in the hull . the electrical connections are made through an interconnect cable ( not shown ) placed through the submarine hull . although fig1 depicts the search submarine being below the thermocline region 40 , submarine 10 may operate above the thermocline and direct the beam in a downwardly direction to at least the thermocline region . a more detailed block diagram of transmitter 13 and receiver 15 along with associated optics is shown in fig2 . transmitter 13 comprises a laser 18 controlled by a timer 19 to produce output laser pulses 20 . the output of laser 18 preferably is in the blue - green portion of the spectrum ( 4500 to 5500 å in wavelength ) and has a typical pulse repetition frequency of 100 hz , and a pulse width sufficient to provide the desired depth resolution . a laser useful for this purpose is a frequency doubled nd : yag at a wavelength of 5300 å . the interrogating pulses are directed by mirrors 21 , 22 and 23 to the thermocline target area 40 above the search submarine 10 . if the search submarine were above rather than as shown in fig1 below the thermocline area 40 , the focusing mirrors would direct the output 20 down rather then up to detect the temperature of the water . return signal 16 containing brillouin and rayleigh backscatter components resulting from the interaction of the laser pulses with the sea water is a continuous signal which is in contrast to a single target return signal as in radar . the return signature 16 is directed by mirrors 23 , 24 and 25 , to the receiver 15 comprising photodetector 26 having a cathode 26a , discriminator 27 , analog to digital converter 28 , analyzer unit 29 and a recorder 30 . photodetector 26 preferably is a photomultiplier tube having a photocathode on which return signal 16 is incident and which converts the optical energy ( photons ) to electrons ( current ) while simultaneously amplifying the energy . the photocathode also performs the additional important function of mixing the brillouin and rayleigh components of signal 16 to provide a difference frequency , called the optical heterodyne frequency . the brillouin backscatter component is frequency - shifted by the acoustic properties of the water whereas the rayleigh backscatter component has a constant frequency and is analogous to the &# 34 ; local oscillator &# 34 ; in a superheterodyne receiver . the acoustic velocity of the water is a function of water temperature . referring now to fig3 the brillouin and rayleigh components incident on cathode 26a of photodetector 26 are represented by curves 32 and 33 at frequencies f 1 and f 3 , respectively , and by curve 34 at frequency f 2 . the signals at frequencies f 1 and f 3 are the dopplershifted brillouin components and the signal at f 2 is the frequency - unshifted rayleigh component , the latter functioning as a &# 34 ; local oscillator &# 34 ; in an analogy to a superheterodyne receiver . the two difference frequencies f b between f 3 and f 2 and between f 2 and f 1 are the same and are additive in the baseband so that the process results in increased sensitivity . moreover , the phase relationship of the brillouin and rayleigh components at photodetector 26 is correct for efficient heterodyning since both components are received from the same angle of view however wide and are produced by the same laser pulse stream . the output ( current ) of photodetector 26 passes to discriminator 27 , such as a delay line discriminator , which produces an analog voltage proportional to the baseband frequency f b . converter 28 changes the output of discriminator 27 into digital form for analysis in analyzer 29 . analyzer 29 receives the digital signal corresponding to the frequency f b and , using the equations below , translates it into a signal or number representative of the water temperatures . the output voltage of discriminator 27 as a function of time is directly related to water temperature as a function of depth , therefore , the sampling interval of converter 28 must be short enough to provide the desired depth analysis . the return signature can be sampled at intervals equal to the pulse duration to digitize the profile . multiple pulses may be used to smooth the data as one would expect . by way of example , analyzer 29 may comprise a computer which compares the digital frequency input with a reference table ( computed from the equations below ) to derive the equivalent temperature . the output of analyzer 29 is stored in recorder 30 . in typical ocean water , the vertical temperature profile , see fig5 exhibits a reasonably well - defined depth where a marked gradient exists . the surface temperature changes to that of deep water at this point , indicated at 40 and is called the thermocline . as the density of water is dominated by its temperature , thermocline 40 represents the boundary layer between waters of different density . as in all density boundaries , wave action can be supported , see &# 34 ; the encyclopedia of oceanography &# 34 ;, supra . the existance of internal waves in the main thermocline 40 may be 20 - 50 feet high and are exhibited by temperature profiles such as the pattern of &# 34 ; isotherms ,&# 34 ; i . e ., isothermal contours , shown in fig6 . another such profile is a map of temperatures at constant depths . internal wave patterns are thus mapped wherever and whenever they exist and provides a direct indication of the wake of a submarine . because the density gradient at thermocline 40 is relatively weak ( compared to the gradient at the air - water boundary ) and because of the water viscosity , the internal waves have long periods ( many minutes ) and persist for long times ( large fractions of hours ). the motion of submerged submarines near the thermocline depth generates a unique pattern of internal waves which can be identified and tracked . the wake of submerged vessels near the thermocline propogates outwardly and diminishes in amplitude much the same as the wake of a speeding surface boat . because of the persistence of these internal waves , the pattern may be detected long after the passage of the submarine . this enhances the detectability of the submarine because only the long - persistent wake of the internal waves need be detected rather than the submarine itself . tracking the wake in the direction of increasing wave amplitude will quickly locate the vessel o itself . the initial problem of identifing the submarine induced internal wave can be lessened through the use of automatic pattern recognition techniques of which there are many widely available . the accuracy of temperature measurement by analysis of brillouin backscatter may be shown mathematically . the relation of signal - to - noise ratio ( snr ) to the standard deviation of frequency measurement accuracy for radar is given by this standard deviation of the frequency also depends on a parameter t o which is usually taken to be the laser pulse width . in this case , however , the self broadening of the brillouin shifted lines produces a brillouin bandwidth of 480 mhz ( see hirschberg , j . g ., et al ., &# 34 ; speed of sound and temperature in the ocean by brillouin scattering ,&# 34 ; applied optics . 23 , 2624 ( 1984 )). this requires that an effective t o of 2 . 1 ns be used in equation ( 1 ) rather than the laser pulse duration . the brillouin backscatter frequency f b is a function of the acoustic velocity v s and the laser optical frequency , f o , as follows where n is the index of refraction and c is the velocity of light in free space . the sound velocity v s is given as a function of temperature by the following expression which when differentiated with respect to temperature nd evaluated at 10 ° c . gives dv s / dt = 4 . 82 m / s -° c . substituting this value into equation ( 3 ) and using 6 . 54 × 4 hz as the optical frequency for an assumed transmitter wavelength of 459 nm , the result obtained is the temperature accuracy as a function of snr can be obtained by dividing equation ( 1 ) by df b / dt . the resultant temperature accuracy expressed as a function of depth for a representative system is shown in fig4 . while the invention has been described with reference to its preferred embodiments , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teaching of the invention without departing from its essential teachings .	6
referring now to fig1 to 3 , a denture retention system 11 includes a denture 14 and abutments 15 . the denture 14 has a body 17 with an outer side 18 and a spaced inner side 19 . the outer side 18 is shaped to simulate the appearance of gums and a plurality of artificial teeth 20 are mounted on the outer side 18 . the inner side 19 has an inner channel 21 that is shaped to receive the gums of a patient . the inner channel 21 includes an elastic liner 23 . the liner is made of an elastomer , a natural or synthetic elastic material . the liner is preferably made of a medical silicone . by way of example , and not as a limitation , the liner 23 can be made of silastic type a by dow - corning . the liner 23 includes a plurality of spaced , shaped denture cavities 24 that extend inwardly from the inner side 19 toward the outer side 18 of the body 17 . the denture cavities 24 are substantially symmetrically positioned relative to the body 17 of the denture 14 and generally two or four denture cavities 24 are provided . each denture cavity 24 has a cavity shaft portion 26 with spaced first and second ends 27 and 28 , and a cavity head portion 30 at the first end 27 of the cavity shaft portion 26 . the cavity shaft portion 26 is substantially cylindrical . the second end 28 of the cavity shaft portion 26 opens in the direction away from the outer side 18 of the body 17 of the denture 14 . the cavity head portion 30 extends radially outwardly relative to the cavity shaft portion 26 , and has a ledge surface 32 , a peripheral surface 33 and an end surface 34 . the ledge surface 32 extends transversely , radially outwardly from the first end 27 of the cavity shaft portion 26 . the peripheral surface 33 extends transversely from the periphery of the ledge surface 32 to the periphery of the end surface 34 . the end surface 34 is preferably concave with a smooth , uninterrupted , low profile dome shape . as shown in fig4 to 6 , the abutment 15 includes an abutment shaft portion 37 with spaced first and second ends 38 and 39 , an abutment head portion 41 attached to the first end 38 and a threaded portion 42 attached to the second end 39 . the abutment shaft portion 37 is substantially cylindrical and the abutment head portion 41 projects radially outwardly relative to the abutment shaft portion 37 . the abutment head portion 41 has an undercut surface 44 that extends transversely , radially outwardly from the first end 38 of the abutment shaft portion 37 , a peripheral surface 45 that extends transversely from the periphery of the undercut surface 44 , and an end surface 46 , spaced from the undercut surface 44 , that extends radially inwardly from the peripheral surface 45 . the threaded portion 42 is cylindrical with external threads 48 and projects axially from the second end 39 of the abutment shaft portion 37 . fig7 and 8 show an implant 50 having spaced first and second ends 51 and 52 . the first end 51 is flat . the implant 50 has a smooth , cylindrical surface 54 adjacent to the first end 51 and external threads 55 from the cylindrical surface 54 to the second end 52 . a threaded aperture 56 extends into the implant 50 from the first end 51 . the aperture 56 is sized and shaped to receive the threaded portion 42 of the abutment 15 . referring again to fig3 , the cavity shaft portion 26 is sized to snugly fit around the abutment shaft portion 37 , and the cavity head portion 30 is sized to snugly fit around the abutment head portion 41 . preferably the liner 23 of the denture 14 is molded around the abutment shaft portion 37 and the abutment head portion 41 of the abutments 15 so the cavity is of a complementary shape with the shape of the head and shaft portions of the abutment . the ledge surface 32 of the cavity head portion 30 retains the undercut surface 44 of the abutment head portion 41 . the elastic liner 23 of the denture 14 stretches to allow removal of the abutments 15 and returns to the original shape after removal . the convex shape of the end surface 46 of the abutment head portion 41 spreads the second end 28 of the cavity shaft portion 26 and aids insertion of the abutment 15 into the denture cavity 24 . the threads 55 of the implant 50 thread into the jaw bone structure 57 . the gums 58 extend above the jaw bone structure 57 . the length of abutment shaft portion 37 varies depending upon the height of the gums 58 above the jaw bone structure 57 . as shown in fig4 to 6 , the peripheral surface 45 of the abutment head portion 41 includes a plurality of flats 59 , for engagement with an insertion tool , described hereinafter . preferably the peripheral surface 45 of the abutment head portion 41 includes ten to twelve flats 59 instead of the four or six flats on square or hexagon headed bolts . the larger number of flats 59 more closely approximates a circular shape and reduces the possible misalignment of the denture 14 due to misalignment of the peripheral surface 33 of the cavity head portion 30 relative to the peripheral surface 45 of the abutment head portion 41 . fig9 shows a modification to the abutment 15 having a threaded portion 60 with external threads 61 . the threaded portion 60 is sized and shaped to thread directly into bone as an implant , replacing the implant 50 described above . this modification is an integral or a one piece body so the abutment and implant is a single piece . referring to fig1 to 12 , an insertion tool 63 has a tool head portion 65 and an engagement portion 66 . the tool head portion 65 has the shape of a disk with a round , convex top surface 68 , a knurled peripheral surface 69 that extends transversely from the periphery of the top surface 68 and a flat bottom surface 70 that is spaced from the top surface 68 . a tool aperture 72 , sized and shaped to receive a torque tool , extends into the tool head portion 65 from the center of the top surface 68 . the tool aperture 72 shown has triangular shape . the tool aperture 72 can have other shapes , such as hexagonal to receive an allen wrench or star shaped to receive a torque wrench . the tool 63 may have a hole to receive a string like dental floss that is tied thereto so the tool is not swallowed . the engagement portion 66 is a wall that projects from the center of the bottom surface 70 of the tool head portion 65 , and has a circular outer surface 74 and a radially inwardly spaced inner surface 75 . the inner surface 75 has a plurality of flats 76 . the inner surface 75 is sized and shaped to receive and engage the flats 59 of the peripheral surface 45 of the abutment head portion 41 of the abutment 15 . the insertion tool 63 facilitates tightening of the abutment 15 . the system 11 provides improved retention over prior known systems without the use of a rigid cup in the denture . although the system 11 described is directed towards retention of dentures , the abutment 15 can also be used for retention of facial prostheses such as a nose or ear . fig1 shows another cavity 79 and another abutment 80 for the denture retention system 11 . the cavity 79 has a cavity shaft portion 82 with a first end 83 , a spaced , open second end 84 , a cavity head portion 86 at the first end 83 of the cavity shaft portion 82 , and a cavity protruding portion 87 on the cavity shaft portion 82 intermediate the cavity head portion 86 and the second end 84 . the cavity head portion 86 and the cavity protruding portion 87 extend radially outwardly relative to the cavity shaft portion 82 . the cavity shaft portion 82 has a first convex section 89 between the cavity protruding portion 87 and the second end 84 , and a second convex section 90 between the cavity head portion 86 and cavity protruding portion 87 . the cavity head portion 86 has a peripheral surface 92 and an end surface 93 that connects to the peripheral surface 92 opposite the cavity shaft portion 82 . the end surface 93 is preferably concave with a smooth , uninterrupted , low profile dome shape . the cavity protruding portion 87 has a peripheral surface 94 . referring to fig1 to 16 , the abutment 80 includes an abutment shaft portion 97 with spaced first and second ends 98 and 99 , an abutment head portion 101 attached to the first end 98 , an abutment protruding portion 102 intermediate the abutment head portion 101 and the second end 99 , and a threaded portion 103 attached to the second end 99 . the abutment head portion 101 and the abutment protruding portion 102 project radially outwardly relative to the abutment shaft portion 97 . the threaded portion 103 is cylindrical with external threads 104 and projects axially from the second end 99 of the abutment shaft portion 97 . the abutment shaft portion 97 has a cylindrical section 105 , first convex section 106 and a second convex section 107 . the cylindrical section 105 extends from the second end 99 . the first convex section 106 curves radially inwardly from the cylindrical section 105 and from the abutment protruding portion 102 , and connects the abutment protruding portion 102 to the cylindrical section 105 . the second convex section 107 curves radially inwardly from the abutment protruding portion 102 and from the abutment head portion 101 , and connects the abutment protruding portion 102 and the abutment head portion 101 . the length of the cylindrical section 105 of the abutment shaft portion 97 varies depending upon the height of the gums 58 above the jaw bone structure 57 . the abutment head portion 101 has a peripheral surface 109 and a smooth , convex end surface 110 that extends radially inwardly from the peripheral surface 109 . the peripheral surface 109 of the abutment head portion 101 includes a plurality of flats 111 for engagement by the tool 63 . the peripheral surface 109 of the abutment head portion 101 shown has eight flats . the abutment protruding portion 102 has a substantially cylindrical peripheral surface 112 . the cavity head portion 86 is sized to snugly fit around the abutment head portion 101 , and the cavity protruding portion 87 is sized to snugly fit around the abutment protruding portion 102 . the first and second convex sections 89 and 90 of the cavity shaft portion 82 are sized to snugly fit into the first and second concave sections 106 and 107 of the abutment shaft portion 97 . the cavity head portion 86 , cavity protruding portion 87 , the first convex section 89 and the second convex section 90 engage the abutment 80 to retain the abutment 80 in the cavity 79 . the elastic liner 23 of the denture 14 stretches to allow removal of the abutments 80 and returns to the original shape after removal . the convex shape of the end surface 110 of the abutment head portion 101 spreads the second end 84 of the cavity shaft portion 82 and aids insertion of the abutment 80 into the denture cavity 79 . the threaded portion 103 of the abutment 80 shown in fig1 to 16 is sized to thread into the implant 50 shown in fig7 and 8 . fig1 shows a modification to the abutment 80 having a threaded portion 114 with external threads 115 . the threaded portion 114 is sized and shaped to thread directly into bone as an implant , replacing the implant 50 described above . this modification is an integral or a one piece body so the abutment and implant is a single piece . although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity , it is understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example and that changes in details of structure may be made without departing from the spirit thereof .	0
referring to fig1 missile 1 has a nose cone 2 formed in the shape of an give . shaft 3 , which protrudes out of nose cone 2 , extends along the missile &# 39 ; s longitudinal axis x . bearings , which are not shown here , enable shaft 3 to rotate around the x axis . an acoustical direction sensor is connected to shaft 3 . the sensor features slot - shaped hollow tube 5 with an axle center a tilted at an angle α with respect to the missile &# 39 ; s longitudinal axis x . sound receiver 6 is mounted at the point of intersection of axes a and x . the output signals from receiver 6 are conducted over wires within shaft 3 to distributor 7 , which remain in contact with external sliders 8 even when shaft 3 is rotating . a stationary , interconnected wing pair 9 is attached to hollow tube 5 . the end of shaft 3 , which extends into nose cone 2 of missile 1 is connected to a rotor ( not shown ) of electric generator 10 . electric generator 10 has two current connections 11 from which connection lines 12 lead to control electronics 13 . lines 14 couple external sliders 8 to control electronics 13 . as missile 1 flies through the air , it is necessary for the missile to rotate about axis x for stability . seeker head 4 , containing wing pair 9 , rotates separately from the missile , driven by the wing pair . in a preferred embodiment , the wing pair is tilted in such a way that seeker head 4 rotates about axis x in the opposite direction from the rotation direction of missile 1 . although tilted wing pair 9 exerts a constant transverse force on missile 1 , the force is constant in all directions and results in an average of zero effective force being applied to the nose cone 2 due to the relatively fast rotation speed of seeker head 4 . the relative rotation of missile 1 and seeker head 4 results in electrical power being generated in electrical generator 10 . the electrical power is fed through wiring pair 12 to control electronics 13 , eliminating the need for a supplemental power source to supply the electronics . during the rotation of seeker head 4 , sound receiver 6 receives acoustic signals from objects and emits corresponding output signals , which are conveyed to control electronics 13 through distributor rings 7 , sliders 8 and wiring 14 . during a rotation of seeker head 4 , control electronic 13 chooses one relevant signal which corresponds to a specific target or type of target . if this target appears in the field of view of seeker head 4 , the resistance in the electric circuit leading to connections 11 of generator 10 is reduced by control electronics 13 , whereby the rotor of generator 10 is decelerated relative to the stator . this results in the rotative speed of seeker head 4 also being decreased . as soon as signals are no longer received from the relevant target , seeker head 4 is allowed to resume its original rotative speed . during the time it takes to decelerate the rotative speed of seeker head 4 , a transverse force is exerted on the missile , turning it in the direction of the target . this process is repeated over several revolutions , until the target disappears in the direction of the longitudinal missile axis , out of seeker head 4 &# 39 ; s field of view . if , as the missile continues its trajectory , the target is again detected , the foregoing process is repeated , until the missile flies directly into the target . referring to fig2 shaft 3 is shown connected to rotor 21 and fixed to the inside of generator 10 . the rotor can be comprised of segment - shaped permanent magnets . stator winding 22 is coupled to connections 11 . control electronics 13 contains the variable ohmic load , depicted as resistor 23 . resistor 24 is coupled to the emitter of transistor 25 . this combination is then coupled in parallel to resistor 23 by coupling one lead of resistor 24 to resistor 23 and the collector of transistor 25 to the other lead of resistor 23 . the base of transistor is 25 coupled to control electronics 13 . usually , transistor 25 does not conduct . when a reduction in rotation speed is called for , transistor 25 is allowed to conduct . this allows current to flow through resistor 24 , which reduces the circuit &# 39 ; s resistance dramatically , by means of known principles . the resistance value of resistor 24 is adjusted by measuring the speed of rotation , to effect the desired braking of shaft 3 . the braking action can be continued until seeker head 4 is almost &# 34 ; de - spun &# 34 ;. stopping the rotation is to be avoided , as power output would fall to zero . during the rotation of rotor 21 relative to stator 22 , corresponding voltage fluctuations result in generator 10 &# 39 ; s output voltage , due to the polar distribution of rotor 21 . these voltage fluctuations can be evaluated in control electronics 13 . if necessary , they can be counted and used to activate an ignition device . it is further possible to utilize electric generator 10 as a transducer to measure the rotation position between the missile housing and seeker head 4 . this can also be done by counting the voltage fluctuations that occur , whereby a pole on rotor 21 and stator 22 is configured to generate a characteristic voltage impulse during the run through of rotor 21 . this voltage impulse can then serve as a reference impulse for a specific rotation position . fig3 shows another embodiment of the present invention . nose cone 102 is embedded in the body of missile 101 . air flow over the missile causes adjusted fins 109 to set the missile head into rotation . shaft 103 is located within the missile housing and is permanently coupled to rotor 121 of electric generator 110 . stator windings 122 are sketched in the missile housing . the control electronics and target sensor ( s ) are not shown in this figure . the wiring circuit of generator 110 is similar to that shown in fig2 . shaft 103 extends into nose cone 102 and has mounted on its front end coaxial flow distributor 131 , open to the front , with two openings 132 situated on opposite sides of the longitudinal missile axis . nose cone 102 is designed with blow out ports 133 , which ports run radially and match up with openings 132 . the openings 132 and 133 are positioned so that at the extremes of the rotation , one of the openings 132 communicates over its entire diameter with the allocated blow out port 133 , while the other opening 132 is closed . in a mid - position , the contact ratio between both openings 132 and the allocated blow out ports 133 is 50 %. ram air duct 134 , which discharges into the front open end of flow distributor 131 , is placed concentrically to the longitudinal axis x of missile 101 . helical spring 136 encircles shaft 103 and is clamped between the rear end of flow distributor 131 and flange 135 , which is situated between the flow distributor and electric generator 110 . an angle of rotation transmitter 137 is provided between shaft 103 and the missile housing . another angle of rotation transmitter 138 can be mounted between missile nose cone 102 and the missile housing . the output signals from angle of rotation transmitters 137 and 138 are fed to control electronics . during missile 101 &# 39 ; s flight , nose cone 102 is kept in constant rotation by incident air flow on fins 109 . using the output signals from the angle of rotation transmitters 137 and 138 , the electric load for electric generator 110 is automatically adjusted by the control electronics , so that the contact ratio between openings 132 and 133 is essentially 50 %. thus , air streaming into ram air duct 134 emerges radially on both sides of the missile , in approximately equal amounts . consequently , no transverse force acts on missile 101 . the contact ratio of 50 % is maintained , for example , by a pulsed switching of the electric load of generator 110 . the helical spring 136 is in a semi - taut state at the time of this zero directed force command . if a directed transverse force is to be exerted on missile 101 , two possible methods of operation can be used . in the first , the braking action on the shaft can be increased by reducing the electric load of generator 110 , or two , the braking action can be reduced by increasing the electric load . in the first case , helical spring 136 is allowed to tauten and winds tightly around shaft 103 up to fitting 135 . in this position the contact ratio between the upper opening 132 and allocated upper blow out port 133 is then 100 %, with the lower blow out port being completely covered . this full &# 34 ; upwards &# 34 ; command can be cancelled by reducing the braking action , whereby helical spring 136 slackens and , at the same time , flow distributor 131 is thrust in the direction of the location required for zero directed force . in the second case , the braking action is reduced accordingly , whereby helical spring 136 slackens and transports flow medium distributor 131 to a position where the lower opening 132 in fig3 communicates at a rate of 100 % with the lower blow out port 133 . this corresponds to a full &# 34 ; downwards &# 34 ; command . this command can again be converted to a zero directed force command , by once again increasing the braking action . intermediate positions between the extreme &# 34 ; upwards &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; downwards &# 34 ; commands are possible with appropriate pulse - width modulating control of the load current of electric generator 110 . in fig4 and 5 the front section of missile 201 is shown with its nose cone 202 modeled as an give - shaped casing , which pivots to all sides on hinged bearing 241 . hinged bearing 241 is mounted on the front section of cone 242 , which rests on the missile housing supported by braces 243 , so that a gap 244 remains between cone 242 and the housing of missile 201 . the mass center of the swiveling projectile nose 202 lies approximately in the center of hinged bearing 241 . the casing of the projectile nose 202 overlaps gap 244 on all sides , whereby a revolving aperture 245 remains between the rear edge of the casing and the missile housing . electric generator 210 with a rotor ( not shown ) and a stator is situated in cone 242 . the rotor is driven by shaft 246 which has a rotary nozzle 247 attached thereto . rotary nozzle 247 has a gas duct 248 , which duct is open in the direction of the housing of missile 201 and is concentric to the longitudinal missile axis x . exhaust nozzle 249 branches off radially from the duct with a direction of thrust that does not intersect the missile &# 39 ; s longitudinal axis x . gas generator 251 has an opening 250 which communicates with the open end of gas duct 248 . the control electronics and any possible sensors are not depicted in this embodiment . only the connections 211 of electric generator 210 are sketched . when gas generator 251 is ignited during or after the start - up of the missile , gas flows into rotary nozzle 247 , setting it into very fast rotation as a result of the asymmetrical design of exhaust nozzle 249 . as shaft 246 of rotary nozzle 247 is connected to the rotor of the electric generator , this rotor generates electric power to supply the control electronics and other electronics , as desired . the gas jet emanating from exhaust nozzle 249 strikes the rear end of nose cone 202 and then emerges from aperture 245 with a component radial to the missile axis , in the normal flight attitude of missile 201 , aperture 245 is of the same size over its entire circumference . as the nose cone &# 39 ; s rotation is quite high , no transverse force is generated normally . if a transverse force is needed , the external load of the electric generator would be reduced , in the same manner as described before . this would in turn decelerate the rotation of the rotary nozzle 247 . if this deceleration takes place only over a specific area of the angle of rotation , then , within this area , a force which is greater percentage - wise then in the other areas of the angles of rotation is exerted upon the missile head 202 . the missile nose cone , being able to swivel to all sides , is thus turned in the direction of this greater force . this in turn alters the incident air flow from missile nose cone 202 which finally &# 34 ; tows &# 34 ; the missile in this new direction . this effect is reinforced due to the fact that the aperture 245 becomes larger in the selected area of angle of rotation , which in turn increases the volume of gas emanating therefrom , causing an increase in the radial transverse force exerted on the missile 201 in the desired direction . the various embodiments of this missile control system are only exemplary designs . in the embodiments shown in fig4 and 5 , it would be possible to control the missile not by adjusting the swiveling missile head , but rather by using the exhaust jet blowing directly out of the exhaust nozzle , whereby the rotation of the nose cone would be modulated accordingly . in the embodiment of fig3 one blow out part in the missile nose cone could be selected , along with one opening in the flow distributor , whereby the contact ratio of these two openings would be varied to regulate the desired transverse force . in the embodiment of fig1 it would be possible to mount the interconnected wing pair in the area of the shaft that is connected to the electric generator . to regulate the transverse force , at least one of the rudders would be adjustable . such an arrangement is shown in german published patent application no . 36 06 423 . in the foregoing specification , the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof . it will , however , be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereunto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims . the specification and drawings are , accordingly , to be regarded in an illustrative rather than in a restrictive sense .	5
embodiments of surgical instruments in accordance with the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the drawing figures wherein like reference numerals identify similar or identical structural elements . as shown in the drawings and described throughout the following description , as is traditional when referring to relative positioning on a surgical instrument , the term “ proximal ” refers to the end of the apparatus which is closer to the user and the term “ distal ” refers to the end of the apparatus which is further away from the user . referring now to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals identify identical or similar structural elements of the subject device through out the several views , there is illustrated in fig1 - 13 , a surgical instrument , designated generally by reference numeral 10 . u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 786 , 933 , filed on apr . 13 , 2007 , the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference , describes in detail the structure and operation of an exemplary surgical instrument that may incorporate or be used with the presently disclosed adapter assembly . as seen in fig1 and 1a , a rotational interface 100 is shown connected with or otherwise supported on surgical instrument 10 . surgical instrument 10 includes a housing 12 , at least one drive assembly 14 and at least one energy source for powering the at least one drive motor ( not shown for clarity ). as seen in fig1 a , rotational interface 100 is configured and adapted to operatively interconnect and couple any one of a number of end effectors to surgical instrument 10 . for example , rotational interface 100 is configured and adapted to operatively interconnect and couple an endo - gastrointestinal anastomosis end effector 90 , an end - to - end anastomosis end effector 91 , or a transverse anastomosis end effector 92 to surgical instrument 10 . reference may be made to u . s . patent publication no . 2009 / 0145947 , filed jan . 14 , 2009 , the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference for a detailed discussion of the construction and operation of the endo - gastrointestinal anastomosis end effector 90 . reference may be made to u . s . patent publication no . 2009 / 0179063 , filed mar . 20 , 2009 , the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference for a detailed discussion of the construction and operation of the end - to - end anastomosis end effector 91 . reference may be made to u . s . pat . no . 6 , 817 , 508 , issued nov . 16 , 2004 , the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference for a detailed discussion of the construction and operation of the transverse anastomosis end effector 92 . as seen in fig2 , housing 12 of surgical instrument 10 supports the drive assembly 14 . drive assembly 14 includes a drive shaft 15 translatably , slidably , or rotatably supported between right side half - section 12 a and left side half - section 12 b of housing 12 , for movement of the drive shaft 15 along or about a longitudinal ‘ x ’ axis of surgical instrument 10 . each of the end effectors 90 , 91 , and 92 includes at least one axially translatable drive member therein that is connectable with the drive shaft 15 , and that is configured and adapted to at least one of open and close the jaw assemblies by approximating or separating the anvil assembly and the cartridge assembly to / away from one another , and to fire the end effector to expel staples contained in the cartridge assembly for formation against the anvil assembly and possibly to actuate a knife blade along the staple line . each of end effectors 90 , 91 , and 92 may further include an axially translatable drive member therein that is configured and adapted to cause an articulation of end effector 90 , 91 , and / or 92 . with continued reference to fig1 and 1a , a detailed description of the construction and operation of rotational interface 100 is provided . rotational interface 100 includes a knob housing 102 configured and adapted to connect to a nose portion 20 ( fig2 ) of the housing 12 . knob housing 102 includes an articulation lever 104 mounted on the forward end of housing 12 to facilitate articulation of the drive assembly 14 with respect to the longitudinal ‘ x ’ axis . knob housing 102 may be formed in a pair of knob housing halves , namely an upper knob housing half 102 a and a lower knob housing half 102 b . rotational interface 100 further includes an outer tube 106 extending from a distal end of knob housing 102 along longitudinal ‘ x ’ axis . knob housing 102 and outer tube 106 are configured and dimensioned to contain the components of rotational interface 100 . outer tube 106 may be dimensioned such that outer tube 106 may pass through a typical trocar port , cannula or the like . knob housing 102 is secured to outer tube 106 in such a manner that rotation of knob housing 102 results in rotation of the outer tube 106 . as seen in fig2 , 3 , and 6 , the nose portion 20 of the housing 12 defines a cylindrical passageway 21 that contains an electrical coupling assembly 110 . the electrical coupling assembly 110 includes a spool 120 and a bushing 150 ( see fig9 and 10 ). electrical coupling assembly 110 allows passage of a portion of the drive shaft 15 through a center passage 122 in the spool 120 . the bushing 150 is restrained by and is fixed with respect to the housing 12 . the spool 120 has an elongate tubular portion 124 that is rotatably attached within the bushing 150 . as seen in fig9 and 10 , a distal portion 121 of the spool 120 includes a distal flange 126 extending radially outward from the elongate tubular portion 124 . a proximal flange 128 extends about the proximal end 123 of the elongate tubular portion 124 . proximal flange 128 abuts against distal flange 126 and has a radius 137 that is relatively smaller than a radius 138 of distal flange 128 . a helical recess 130 extends longitudinally about the elongate tubular portion 124 between the distal flange 126 and the proximal flange 128 . the distal flange 126 defines a distal , longitudinally extending passageway or channel 132 through the distal flange 126 . a distal boss 134 extends distally about the distal channel 132 from the distal flange 126 . a shoulder 136 is defined by the difference of radius 137 and radius 138 of the distal flange 126 . the radius 137 is sized to allow an inner portion 136 a to fit inside cylindrical passageway 21 and an outer portion 136 b to be slightly larger than the cylindrical passageway 21 . the bushing 150 has a center aperture 152 that is sized to receive the proximal portion 123 of the elongate tubular portion 124 . the aperture 152 allows the bushing 150 to be placed about the elongate tubular portion 124 and slide up to the proximal flange 128 . a proximal boss 156 extends proximally from the bushing 150 . a proximal , longitudinally extending passageway or channel 154 is defined in an outer edge 158 of the bushing 15 . a proximal boss 156 extends proximally about the proximal channel 154 of the bushing 150 . a recessed circumferential channel 160 encircles at least a portion of the outer edge 158 of the busing 150 . as shown in fig3 , 6 , and 9 - 13 , the surgical instrument 10 includes an electrical wire 24 having a first portion extending through the proximal channel 154 of the bushing 150 , a second portion wrapped about the elongated tubular portion 124 , and a third portion that extends distally through the distal channel 132 of distal flange 126 . with reference to fig3 , the bushing 150 is nested between the right side half section 12 a and the left side half section 12 b of the housing 12 . at least one protrusion 40 extends from the nose portion 20 into the radial channel 160 of the bushing 150 to rotationally secure the bushing 150 in place relative to the nose portion 20 and to prevent longitudinal movement of the bushing 150 . as seen in fig3 and 6 , the distal flange 126 of the spool 120 is rotatably interposed between the nose portion 20 of the housing 12 and the knob housing 102 , allowing the spool 120 to rotate and preventing the spool 120 from moving along the longitudinal ‘ x ’ axis . the housing 12 prevents proximal movement of the spool 120 by the abutment of the shoulder 136 with the nose portion 20 . distal movement of the spool 120 is prevented by abutment of the distal flange 126 with the knob housing 102 . as seen in fig4 - 6 , the surgical instrument 10 includes a rotation limiting mechanism 50 that interacts with the outside of the nose portion 20 and the inside of the knob housing 102 . the rotation limiting mechanism 50 includes a ball bearing 52 located within both a longitudinal recess 103 , in the upper knob housing half 102 a , and a spiral cam slot or helical recess 22 ( see fig2 ), defined about the nose portion 20 of housing 12 . the rotation limiting mechanism 50 allows the rotational interface 100 to rotate about the nose portion 20 . as shown , rotation limiting mechanism 50 allows the rotational interface 100 to rotate approximately 700 °; however other degrees of rotation are envisioned . with reference to fig4 and 5 , the longitudinal recess 103 defines a neutral detent 103 a half way between a proximal end 103 b and a distal end 103 c of the longitudinal recess 103 . the neutral detent 103 a provides a tactile indication to the user of a neutral position of the rotational interface 100 . the ball bearing 52 travels longitudinally within the longitudinal recess 103 as the knob housing 102 of rotational interface 100 is rotated about the longitudinal ‘ x ’ axis . the ball bearing 52 is shown in a neutral position in fig6 , a distal most extreme position in fig7 , and in a proximal most extreme position in fig8 . in use , as the rotational interface 100 is rotated about the nose portion 20 , the ball bearing 52 is also rotated about the nose portion 20 . the ball bearing 52 rides in the helical recess 22 and is prevented by further travel when ball bearing 52 reaches one of the extreme ends 13 b , 103 c of longitudinal recess 103 to thereby limit the degree of rotation of knob housing 102 of rotational interface 100 . at the extreme ends of the longitudinal recess 103 , the ball bearing 52 acts against the ends 103 b , 103 c thereof to prevent the rotational interface 100 from rotating further with respect to the housing 12 . with reference to fig1 - 13 , the wire 24 is shown in various stages during the rotation process of the rotational interface 100 . the wire 24 is relatively loose about the spool 120 when the rotational interface 100 is in a neutral position and the ball bearing 52 is in the neutral detent 103 a , as shown in fig6 . the wire 24 is unwrapped and is forced radially outward about the spool 120 , as shown in fig1 , when the rotational interface 100 is rotated in a first direction and the ball bearing 52 is drawn distally . rotating the rotational interface 100 in a second direction , opposite to the first direction , as shown in fig1 , wraps the wire 24 tighter about the spool 120 to draw the wire 24 radially inward toward the spool 120 . the helical recess 130 may provide a predefined path for the wire 24 as the wire 24 is tightened about the spool 120 . by adding or subtracting the number of loops of wire 24 wrapping around spool 120 and adjusting the length of the helical and longitudinal recesses ; the rotational range of spool 120 , knob housing 102 , and / or rotational interface 100 can be increased or decreased . in order to reduce electrical noise emissions and / or susceptibility , it is contemplated that circumferential shielding may be added around wire 24 wrapped around spool 120 and / or wires may be twisted . it should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the present disclosure . various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the disclosure . accordingly , the present disclosure is intended to embrace all such alternatives , modifications and variances . the embodiments described with reference to the attached drawing figures are presented only to demonstrate certain examples of the disclosure . other elements , steps , methods and techniques that are insubstantially different from those described above and / or in the appended claims are also intended to be within the scope of the disclosure . therefore , the above description should not be construed as limiting , but merely as exemplifications of embodiments . those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure .	0
the embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a view showing the optical system of a projection aligner in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention . a fly - eye lens 13 is disposed diagonally to a lamp house 11 from a lamp which emits light having a wavelength of λ , and a mirror 12 is disposed between the lens 13 and the house 11 . an aperture member 21 is positioned in front of the fly - eye lens 13 . condenser lenses 15 and 16 , a mirror 17 , and an exposure mask 18 on which a desired circuit pattern is formed are arranged along an optical path . a wafer 20 is situated in front of the mask 18 , and a projecting lens system 19 is disposed between the mask 18 and the wafer 20 . as shown in fig2 and 3 , the aperture member 21 has a disk - like outer frame 22 and an annular phase shift member 23 having a width w . a circular opening 22a having a radius a is formed at the center of the frame 22 . the phase shift member 23 is formed around the periphery of the opening 22a . the outer frame 22 is formed of a light - intercepting , i . e ., opaque member such as metal . the opening 22a forms a transmitting zone d through which light from the lamp house 11 is transmitted . the phase shift member 23 is formed of , for example , sio 2 , and is also formed to such a thickness that there is a phase difference of a half - wavelength , λ / 2 , between light transmitted through the center of the transmitting zone d , where there is no phase shift member 23 present , and light transmitted through the phase shift member 23 . the operation of this embodiment will now be explained . light from the lamp house 11 reaches the fly - eye lens 13 through the mirror 12 , and is split into light beams which pass through lenses 13a , which constitute the fly - eye lens 13 . the light beams transmitted through the respective lenses 13a pass through the transmitting zone d of the aperture member 21 , the condenser lens 15 , the mirror 17 and the condenser lens 16 , and then irradiate an exposure zone of the mask 18 . the light beams transmitted through the lenses 13a of the fly - eye lens 13 are superposed on each other on the surface of the mask 18 , and thus the beams irradiate uniformly the surface of the mask 18 . in this way , the light beams pass through the mask 18 and reach the wafer 20 through the projecting lens system 19 , whereby an image of the circuit pattern is formed on the surface of the wafer 20 . as shown in fig1 because of the phase shift member 23 formed at the periphery of the transmitting zone d of the aperture member 21 , the phases of light beams l2 and l3 transmitted through the phase shift member 23 of the aperture member 21 are reversed with respect to the phase of light beam l1 transmitted through the center of the transmitting zone d . therefore , when these light beams l1 - l3 collect on the surface of the wafer 20 , the light beams l2 and l3 , each in a reverse phase , interfere with the light beam l1 , thus offsetting each other . fig4 is a view showing the distribution of the intensity of light on the surface of the wafer when the light beams are completely focused thereon . if the aperture member 21 were not provided with the phase shift member 23 , the distribution would be formed as indicated by a broken line 25 . in this embodiment , however , because the aperture member 21 is provided with the phase shift member 23 , the light beam l1 is offset by a reverse component 26 of the light beams l2 and l3 , and thus the distribution of the intensity of light is formed as indicated by a solid line 24 . it is thus proved that when the lights are completely focused , because of the provision of the phase shift member 23 , there is a decrease in the intensity of light , but there is substantially no deterioration in the shape of the distribution of the intensity of light . on the other hand , when the light are beams not focused on the wafer 20 as shown in fig6 the light beams l1 - l3 do not converge at one point on the surface of the wafer 20 . thus , as indicated by dot chain lines of fig5 the reverse components of light beams l2 and l3 , transmitted through the phase shift member 23 , are distributed only around the center of a portion where the light beam l1 is most intense . for this reason , only the intensity of light around a distribution line formed when the aperture member 21 is not provided with the phase shift member 23 is offset by reverse components 29 and 30 of the light beams l2 and l3 . in reality , the intensity of light is distributed as indicated by a solid line 27 . for this reason , when the light beams are defocused , that is , when the light beams l1 - l3 do not converge at one point on the surface of the wafer 20 , only the intensity of light around a defocused image decreases . then the image contrast is improved , so that it approaches the level of image contrast when the light beams are focused . in other words , an image of sharp contrast is obtainable in a wide optical axis direction , and the depth of focus ( dof ) is enlarged . the projection aligner shown in fig1 permits enlargement of the dof , as described above , while at the same time increasing the numerical aperture na . the ratio of the width w of the phase shift member 23 to the radius a of the transmitting zone d of the aperture member 21 is changed and an optical image contrast on the surface of the wafer 20 is simulated . fig7 shows the results of the simulation . the abscissa of fig7 indicates the degree of focus , the amount of defocus increasing toward the right . the ordinate indicates the width of a 25 % distribution of the maximum intensity ip , that is , one - fourth of the ip of the optical image , as shown in fig4 . symbol b 0 in fig7 indicates an example of an allowable value of the width of the optical image when the circuit pattern is transferred . an optical image having a width b not greater than the allowable value b 0 is required for accurate transferral . in the case of w / a = 0 , that is , when the phase shift member 23 is not provided , as indicated by a broken line 31 , the width b of the optical image increases sharply with an increase in the degree of defocusing , whereas the contrast decreases . in the case of w / a = 5 %, as indicated by a solid line 32 , even when there is some increase in the degree of defocusing , the optical image exhibits a constant value which is substantially equal to the width b when the light beams are completely focused . the value the increase , exceeding the allowable value b 0 . in the case of w / a = 10 %, as indicated by a dot chain line 33 , as the degree of defocus increases , the width b of the optical image first decreases , and then increases and exceeds the allowable value b 0 . the results of such a simulation prove that the use of the aperture member 21 satisfying a relationship w / a = 5 % is effective in accurately and stably transferring the circuit pattern . the phase difference between light transmitted through the center of the transmitting zone d and light transmitted through a portion around the transmitting zone d , due to the phase shift member 23 , is not limited to a half - wavelength . however , as described in the embodiment mentioned above , the use of the half - wavelength is the most effective in enlarging the dof . fig8 shows an aperture member 41 used in a second embodiment . the aperture member 41 is constructed in such a way that an outer frame 42 and a phase shift member 43 are formed on a crystalline substrate 44 . in this embodiment , the deposition of sio 2 on the crystal substrate 44 permits easy formation of the phase shift member 43 . fig9 and 10 both show an aperture member 51 used in a third embodiment . the aperture member 51 is constructed in such a manner that a circular phase shift member 53 is formed at the center of a circular opening 52a in an outer frame 52 . the phase shift member 53 is formed on a crystalline substrate 54 . in the aperture member 51 , as opposed to the aperture member 21 shown in fig2 and 3 , the phase of light transmitted through the center of a transmitting zone d is reversed with respect to the phase of light transmitted through a portion around the zone d . the same advantage as that described with the aperture member 21 is obtainable . fig1 shows an aperture member 61 used in a fourth embodiment . the aperture member 61 is constructed in the following way . first , an outer flame 62 and a phase shift member 63 are formed on a crystalline substrate 64 . then , antireflection films 65 and 66 made of , for example , mgf 2 , are formed on the phase shift member 63 and the crystalline substrate 64 exposed outside . the formation of the antireflection films 65 and 66 reduces the amount of stray light , thus resulting in improved resolution and contrast of an image . the antireflection film may be formed on either the obverse or the reverse surface of a transmitting zone d . in fig1 , although the antireflection films are formed on the aperture member with the structure shown in fig8 they may be provided on any of the aperture members with the structures described above . the same advantage as that described above is obtainable . fig1 is a view showing the optical system of a projection aligner in accordance with a fifth embodiment of this invention . in this embodiment , an aperture member 71 is used in place of the aperture member 21 of the optical system in the first embodiment shown in fig1 . as illustrated in fig1 and 14 , the aperture member 71 has a circular outer frame 72 , an annular phase shift member 73 , and an annular light - intercepting member 74 . a circular opening 72a having a radius a is disposed at the center of the outer frame 72 . the phase shift member 73 having a width w 1 is disposed around the periphery of the opening 72a . the light - intercepting member 74 having a width w 2 is formed around the inside periphery of the phase shift member 73 . in other words , the center of a transmitting zone d is separated by the light - intercepting member 74 from a portion around the zone d . the outer frame 72 and the light - intercepting member 74 are made of an opaque material , such as metal , which blocks light . the phase shift member 73 is made of , for instance , sio 2 . when the aperture member 71 having a such a light - intercepting member 74 is used , as indicated by dot chain lines of fig1 , when the lights are defocused , the centers of reverse components 36 and 37 of light beams l2 and l3 , transmitted through the phase shift member 73 , will deviate in an amount equal to a predetermined distance w 3 from components 38 of a light beam l1 which are positioned most outwardly . for this reason , only light in a portion around a distribution line formed when the aperture member 71 is not provided with the phase shift member 73 is offset by the reverse components 36 and 37 of the light beams l2 and l3 . in reality , the intensity of light is distributed as indicated by a solid line 34 . thus , when the light beams are defocused , only the intensity of light around a defocused image decreases , and the image contrast is considerably improved , so that it approaches the level of image contrast when the light beams are completely focused . in other words , an image of sharp contrast is obtainable in a wide optical axis direction , and the depth of focus ( dof ) is enlarged . the ratio w 2 / a of the width w 2 of the light - intercepting member 74 to the radius a of the transmitting zone d of the aperture member 71 was changed and a circular contact hole pattern - exposed . it was found that when the ratio w 2 / a is about 3 %, the circuit pattern can be most stably transferred . as shown in fig1 , it may also be possible to employ an aperture member 81 constructed in such a way that an outer frame 82 , a phase shift member 83 , and a light - intercepting member 84 are formed on one crystalline substrate 85 . in such a case , the deposition of sio 2 and metal on the crystalline substrate 85 permits easy formation of the phase shift member 83 and the light - intercepting member 84 . alternatively , as in an aperture member 91 shown in fig1 and 18 , a circular phase shift member 93 may be formed at the center of a circular opening 92a in an outer frame 92 and a light - intercepting member 94 may be formed around the phase shift member 93 . the phase shift member 93 and the light - intercepting member 94 are formed on a crystalline substrate 95 . as in an aperture member 101 depicted in fig1 , the formation of antireflection films 106 and 107 made of , for example , mgf 2 , reduces the amount of stray light , thus resulting in improved resolution and contrast of an image . in the aperture member 101 , first , an outer frame 102 , a phase shift member 103 , and a light - intercepting member 104 are formed on a crystalline substrate 105 . then , the antireflection film 106 is formed on the phase shift member 103 , the light - intercepting member 104 and the obverse side of the crystalline substrate 105 , and the antireflection film 107 is formed on the reverse side of the crystalline substrate 105 . the antireflection film may be formed on either the obverse or the reverse surface of a transmitting zone d . in fig1 , although the antireflection films are formed on the aperture member with the structure shown in fig1 , they may be provided on an aperture member with a different structure . the same advantage as that described above is obtainable .	6
the detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of exemplary embodiments and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the embodiments may be constructed and / or utilized . the description also sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the exemplary embodiments in connection with the illustrated embodiments . however , it is to be understood that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of this disclosure . exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may include a simple , wind - driven , generally non - mechanized action toy vehicle that does not require batteries or other power sources . the methods and systems disclosed herein may also provide an amusing play action wherein the user can actively walk or run along with the system and enjoy active exercise . the user and observers may enjoy its rolling travel and animated sail action , such as a rider assuming various reactive postures , and graphic effects . in addition to the animated action of the sail adjusting to the wind , various parts can be further animated . for example , the entire sail can be sprung , sail / body segments can be jointed and sprung , and the entire vehicle can be animated using , for example , eccentric wheels . the play action and value may also be enhanced by the graphics and configuration of the system in the forms of a skateboarder , roller skater , racing vehicle , surfer , and the like . furthermore , the manufacturing and packaging methods may reduce costs sufficiently to allow the system to be offered for a relatively low price , or given away as a promotional item . a vehicle system according to an exemplary embodiment is shown in fig1 , generally at 10 . system 10 may include a sheet 12 as well as coupling components 14 ( not shown in this figure ). sheet 12 may include removable portions 20 . removable portions 20 may include a first shape 22 , a second shape 26 , a third shape 30 , and a fourth shape 32 . in this embodiment , the first shape 22 may be in the form of a sail , while second shape 26 may be in the shape of a body portion . third shape 30 may be in the form of a wheel in this embodiment , and fourth shape 32 may be in the form of a fin or tail in this embodiment . as shown , shapes may be removable from sheet 12 and may include graphics and / or other configurations such that they may be easily assembled into a three dimensional vehicle . in this embodiment , components 14 ( not shown ) may include an axle , a sail coupling adapter , as well as other adapters and piece parts that may facilitate coupling the shapes together to form a three dimensional vehicle . alternatively an axle may be configured with the body portion , as desired . sheet 12 may be made from a material such as expanded polystyrene , polyethylene , relatively thin cardboard , nerf - type foam material , or other generally lightweight , durable , and inexpensive material , but may be made from other materials , as desired . the shapes may be die cut or “ kiss - cut ” where the resultant sheet may be packaged and sold intact . furthermore , they may be die cut to easily be removed from sheet 12 by a user , such as a child . however , some parts may be removed from the sheet during manufacturing , and placed within the package so as not to require them to be punched out by the user prior to assembly . wheel 30 may include a bushing 34 which may facilitate the wheels rotating about an axle more easily to allow the system 10 to roll with little force acting upon it , such as a slight breeze , among others . furthermore the bushings 34 may spread the dynamic load of the system to allow the use of low mass material , otherwise not structurally suitable , for the wheels . with this configuration a vehicle system may be produced inexpensively and may be easily put together by a child and used as a toy . this type of system may be very inexpensive to manufacture and distribute , such that the price may be relatively low , which may make user &# 39 ; s more likely to purchase multiple systems , or advertisers to give them away . body portion 26 may include an orifice 36 and a slot 38 . orifice 36 may be configured to allow a sail coupling adapter to fit therethrough . furthermore , a bushing may be included in orifice 36 to facilitate the movement of components , as well as add to the durability and longevity of the system . furthermore the bushings may spread the dynamic load of the system to allow the use of low mass material for other portions of the system . this bushing may have the same configuration as bushing 34 to further reduce manufacturing costs . slot 38 may be configured to allow a portion of the coupler acting as a stop , to rotate within the angular limits of slot 38 , such that the sail may be limited in travel , such that it may move with the wind to utilize wind forces to move the entire system . furthermore this configuration may provide a self - adjusting sail configuration that may adjust to the wind to allow the system to travel a longer distance . it will be appreciated that the sail may have many orientations with respect to the body portion , i . e . facing generally parallel , perpendicular , etc . with respect to the body portion . furthermore , the sail may be located in many positions adjacent the body . more than one sail may be utilized with one body portion . system 10 may also further include other accessories , which may couple to various portions of the vehicle and / or system to enhance the appearance and may also enhance the play value of the system . these other accessories may also include noisemakers , lighting effects , stickers , graphics , and the like , which may be included in the system package , but not necessarily formed in sheet 12 . the systems disclosed herein are designed to depict a broad range of themes . it will be appreciated that various components of the system may be utilized with other systems , making the system highly configurable . the use of light - weight material may also provide safety and crash resistance , relatively fast acceleration , and low overall cost of construction and shipping , among others . fig2 may show another exemplary embodiment of a system , generally at 40 . system 40 may include a body portion 42 as well as one or more axle portions 44 coupled thereto . axle portions 44 may be coupled to body portion 42 in many different ways including gluing , adhesives , friction fit , interference fit , or other configurations and methods of coupling axle 44 to body portion 42 , as desired . axles 44 may be telescoping or of varying widths to receive many different types , widths , etc . of wheels and bodies . this may include wider wheels , which may give the system a customized appearance . furthermore a wider or longer axle configuration may aid the performance of the system in higher wind conditions . system 40 may also include a sail portion 46 which may be configured to rotatably couple to body portion 42 , generally at the top of body portion 42 , via sail or mast stop adapter 50 and sail bushing 52 . sail bushing 52 may be configured to fit through orifice 54 and couple to retainer 56 to allow adapter 50 and sail portion 46 to be rotatably coupled to body portion 42 . adapter 50 may include a portion that may extend through slot 58 within body portion 42 such that the sail 46 and adapter 50 may be limited in travel such that once the vehicle is moving , the sail may automatically adjust to utilize the forces of a breeze or wind to continue moving . furthermore , adaptor 50 may couple to sail 46 and to body portion 42 to allow for continuous , self - adjusting , optimization of the sail position relative to the wind direction and vehicle travel direction . it will be appreciated that sail portions , and / or other portions of the various embodiments may be expandable and generally 3 - dimensional . system 40 may further include one or more wheel portions 48 which may rotatably couple to axle 44 near the ends of axle 44 , and may be secured to axle 44 via hub 49 . furthermore , wheel 48 may include a bushing 47 which may be made of a hard plastic or other material such that it would more freely rotate about axle 44 . as discussed in the previous embodiment , the coupling components / accessories included with the system may include the adapter 50 , sail bushing 52 , connector 56 and hub 49 , among others . in this manner , small piece parts may be included in the system separately from the sheet and / or preassembled onto their respective positions on the portions of the sheet . the user may assemble the preassembled subassemblies before use . the retainers , hubs , etc . may be precoupled to the system and the user may remove them and recouple them after assembling the system . wheels in the various systems may be transparent or semi - transparent , which may make the system appear as if it is floating . furthermore the wheels may be located under the body portion , such that the wheel may not be easily seen . in this embodiment body portion 42 may come with axles 44 already attached or coupled thereto , however there may be an adhesive strip or other configuration for coupling axle 44 to body portion 42 . in an exemplary embodiment , sail bushing 52 may be made from a plastic material and may be pre - affixed to the sail and / or body 42 prior to shipment , as desired . adaptor 50 may be configured to extend through , and ride on , sail bushing 52 in the body such that the sail may be capable of lateral movement to better translate wind forces onto vehicle motion , depending upon the direction of the wind and the direction of the travel of the vehicle . with this configuration , a relatively small , lightweight , inexpensive , easy to assemble child &# 39 ; s toy may be made such that a user , such as a child , will be able to construct and use the vehicle relatively easily . the relatively small package , as a wrapped / backed single sheet or as a box or such containing other parts , may make it very easy to ship numerous amounts of the article of the system such that it will not take up a lot of space in packaging , shipping , storage , and display , thus making the system more attractive to retailers and users . the inexpensive nature of the system may make the system attractive to buyers as it may be easily replaced if broken , or many systems with the same or different graphics and designs may be purchased for or by a child . therefore , these systems may configured and manufactured in a variety of sizes , including sized and used as trading cards , and the like . furthermore , many themes may be utilized that may appeal to potential purchasers as a trading - card type product . the system may be configured to allow the vehicle system to change directions , and / or to travel in one direction when the direction and velocity of the wind changes . other accessories may be utilized , such as ballasts or other accessories , to enhance the characteristics of the vehicle and to enhance play value of the overall system . in an exemplary embodiment , the slot 58 may be configured to receive the adaptor 50 . it may be located along the centerline of the length of the body , and may be configured in a location where it can best convert the wind force from the sail into movement of the vehicle , without causing the vehicle to become unstable or to overturn . in an exemplary embodiment , the slot 58 may function to contain and permit free rotational movement of the adaptor 50 within the slot limits . further aspects of the exemplary embodiments may include that the overall geometry and continuously self - adjusting sail configuration may automatically enable the vehicle to track the wind forces to allow the vehicle to move about . another aspect of the exemplary embodiments may be that the resultant low weight and low mass design may limit damage to the system in the event of a crash . this aspect may also allow rapid animated acceleration and desirable speeds in response to mild wind forces and wind changes . fig3 shows another exemplary embodiment of a toy vehicle system , generally at 60 . system 60 may include a body portion 62 as well as a frame 64 , which may be configured to removably couple to body portion 62 via securing structures 86 . it will be appreciated that although a generally flat body portion 62 is shown , many different three - dimensional configurations may be utilized with this embodiment for many different types , styles , and configurations of vehicles . system 60 may further include a wheel adapter 66 which may be configured to couple to wheel receivers 82 . with this configuration , the system may be highly configurable to allow a user to place wheel portions 68 and wheel adapter 66 in many different positions with respect to the frame 64 , as well as having multiple wheels on the vehicle , if desired . furthermore , although five wheel receivers 82 are shown on each side of frame 64 , it will be appreciated that many other numbers and configurations may be utilized without straying from the concepts disclosed herein . this exemplary embodiment may include a dimensionally standardized chassis and universal configuration designed to accommodate a wide variety of vehicle configurations by allowing for alternate positions for axles , sail pivot points , plug in accessories , such as ballast , etc . system 60 may further include wheels 68 which may be configured to rotatably couple to wheel adapter 66 . this configuration will allow the system to move along a support surface with a reduced amount of force , such as , but not limited to , a breeze . system 60 may further include a coupler 70 which may be configured to removably couple wheel adapter 66 to frame 64 . system 60 may yet further include a sail portion 72 as well as a sail support 74 and coupling configuration 76 and mating structure 78 . with this configuration , sail support 74 may extend through coupling configuration 76 . coupling configuration 76 may be configured to extend into an orifice 79 to rotatably couple sail portion 72 to frame 64 . system 60 may further include a sail stop 80 which may couple to coupling configuration 76 and / or sail support 74 , may be configured to limit the rotation of sail portion 72 with respect to frame 64 . as shown , there is more than one orifice included in frame 64 such that the sail may be coupled to the system at various points with respect to frame 64 . furthermore , more than one sail may be coupled to the system , as desired . it will be appreciated that although an exemplary embodiment for frame 64 is shown , many other configurations for a frame may be utilized . other configurations may include , but are not limited to , a generally i - shaped configuration , a box - like configuration , a “ criss - cross ”- type configuration , and / or a configuration with a generally central backbone and multiple cross beams , and the like . these alternate configurations may be utilized with none , some , or all of the portions disclosed herein , as desired , without straying from the concepts disclosed herein . axles may be made from the expanded polystyrene , a generally hard plastic , or polyethylene material , and / or other materials and combinations thereof , as desired . in other exemplary embodiments the axles may be made of another material such as , but not limited to , wooden dowels , hard plastic , solid or tubular metal , and / or combinations thereof , and the like , and may be included in the configuration of the body portion , or shipped separately from the sheet , but in the same package , as desired . it will be appreciated with this highly configurable system , many different configurations may be utilized which may make it more attractive to a purchaser , such as a child . furthermore , the portions may be interchangeable such that many different portions may be used with different systems to make the system even more configurable . furthermore , with the removable coupling configuration of body portion 62 with respect to frame 64 many different styles of body portions may be utilized with this highly configurable system . fig4 a shows a wheel securing configuration and / or axle means according to an exemplary embodiment , generally at 90 a . configuration 90 a may include an axle 92 and a body 94 such that axle 92 may be coupled to body 94 as described above with an adhesive strip , as well as other securing configurations and methods , and also may come from the factory already secured to body portion 94 . fig4 b shows a wheel securing configuration and / or axle means according to another exemplary embodiment generally at 90 b . configuration 90 b includes an axle 92 and a body 94 as in the embodiment in fig4 a , as well as a coupling configuration 96 which may be configured to couple axle 92 to body 94 . this configuration may also come pre - made from the factory , and / or may be easily accomplished by a user , if desired . fig4 c shows a wheel securing configuration and / or axle means of another exemplary embodiment , generally at 90 c . configuration 90 c includes a body portion 94 and an axle 98 coupled thereto . in this configuration , axle 98 has a generally zigzag configuration which may improve the stability of the system as well as add to the aesthetics , among other considerations . axle 98 may again be coupled to body 94 via an adhesive or other configurations or methods , or may come from the factory to the user already coupled . fig4 d shows another wheel securing configuration and / or axle means according to another exemplary embodiment , generally at 90 d . configuration 90 d may include a body portion 94 as well as one or more axles 100 . with this configuration axles 100 may not extend entirely across body portion 94 which may save money and / or reduce packaging size among other considerations . furthermore , again axles 100 may be couplable to body portion 94 in various locations , by the user , or may come from the factory with this configuration . body portion 94 is typically made of a styrofoam - type or polystyrene material , but may be made from balsa wood , woods , plastics , and / or combinations thereof , without straying from the concepts disclosed herein . furthermore , in fig4 a – 4 d , axle portions may be made of a metal , plastic , wood , polymers , and / or combinations thereof , as desired , without straying from the concepts disclosed herein . fig5 a shows a wheel coupling configuration and / or axle means according to an exemplary embodiment , generally at 110 a . configuration 110 a may include an axle portion 112 as well as a body portion 114 . in this configuration , axle may be made of a wood material and may be coupled to body portion 114 via an adhesive , or other configuration or method . furthermore the axle 112 may be coupled to body portion 114 via an adhesive or other configuration and may be configured to be coupled by a user , or may come already assembled . with this configuration axle 112 may be made of wood and may be very inexpensive . furthermore , the system may be highly configurable and inexpensive . fig5 b shows another exemplary embodiment of a wheel coupling and / or axle means configuration , generally at 110 b . configuration 110 b may include an axle 112 and a body portion 114 as well as an adapter 116 . adapter 116 may couple to body portion 114 as well as axle portion 112 . this may add stability to the system and may also add rigidity to the system . furthermore , this may allow for a alternate configuration as to the spacing of wheels with respect to body portion 114 . fig5 c shows another exemplary embodiment of a wheel coupling and / or axle means configuration , generally at 110 c . configuration 110 c may include a body portion 114 as well as wheel couplers 118 coupled thereto . with this configuration , wheel couplers 118 may be small injection molded parts , which may be included with the system easily and inexpensively . again , wheel coupler 118 may come from the factory already fixed to body portion 114 , or may be fixed by the user , or may be removably fixed , as desired . fig5 d shows a wheel coupling configuration and / or axle means according to another exemplary embodiment , generally at 10 d . configuration 110 d may include a body portion 114 as well as adjustable wheel couplers 120 . as shown , adjustable wheel couplers 120 may be moveable and selectively postionable with respect to body portion 114 . this may make the system highly configurable and may make it more attractive to a potential purchaser such as a child . this again makes the system very highly configurable and highly adjustable , as desired . in fig5 a and 5 b axle 112 may be made of wood , plastic , or other material and / or combinations thereof . in fig5 c and 5 d , wheel coupler 118 and adjustable wheel coupler 120 may be made of plastic , metal , wood , polymers and / or combinations thereof , as desired . fig6 shows a perspective view from the underside of a system 130 according to an exemplary embodiment of a wind powered vehicle . system 130 may include a frame 132 as well as axle portions 136 . axle portions 136 may couple to frame 132 via a friction and / or interference fit , as well as other methods and configurations , as desired . frame 132 may include orifices 134 which may allow other portions of the system to couple thereto . axle portions 136 may include body coupling structures 138 which may be configured to reversibly couple to a body portion ( not shown ). it will be appreciated that although body coupling structures are shown as being able to couple to a body portion via friction or interference fit , other configurations may be utilized , without straying from the concepts disclosed herein . axle portion 136 may further include wheel receivers 140 which may be configured to rotationally couple to wheel portions ( not shown ). it will be appreciated that since axle portions 136 may couple to frame portion 132 in many different configurations such that many axle portions 136 may couple to a body portion 132 as well as coupling to the body portion in many different positions , as desired . axle portion 136 may also include tabs 142 which may facilitate coupling and decoupling of the body portions , wheel portions , and other portions of the system , as desired . furthermore , tabs 142 may facilitate the telescoping action of axle portions 136 to accommodate for the use of different body portions and styles , as wall as different wheel configurations . this configuration may also facilitate altering the configuration of the system to adjust for different wind conditions . system 130 may further include a sail adapter 152 which may be configured to couple and decouple to a sail in many different positions . sail adapter 152 may extend into and / or otherwise couple to bolt 148 which may extend through orifice 134 of body portion 132 to couple to nut 150 . although a nut and bolt configuration has been shown , it will be appreciated that many other configurations and methods may be utilized to couple these items together , as desired . system 130 may further include limitors 146 and stop 144 which may also couple to bolt 148 . in this manner , the positions of limitors 146 may be varied to vary the travel of the sail as limited by stop 144 . stop 144 may also be threaded and screw onto bolt 148 however , other coupling methods and configurations may be utilized as desired . system 130 may also include a sail receiver 154 which may be configured to receive the coupling configuration as described above . this may allow different positions for a sail to be coupled to the system as well as more than one sail being coupled to the system , as desired . this may further enhance the configurability of the system and may make the system more attractive to potential purchasers . although a generally i - shaped configuration is shown , it will be appreciated that other simply vs simple configurations may be utilized with straying from the inventive concepts herein . furthermore sail receiver 154 may be coupled at the ends of frame 132 to extend the frame 132 and to allow sails to be coupled to the system at those extensions . this exemplary embodiment may include a dimensionally standardized chassis and universal configuration designed to accommodate a wide variety of vehicle configurations by allowing for alternate positions for axles , sail pivot points , plug in accessories , such as ballast , etc . with this somewhat simple design , the system may be inexpensive , have very few parts , may be highly configurable , and may portions of the system may be utilized with other systems , as desired . these inexpensive and highly configurable configurations may make it more likely for a child or parent to purchase one or more systems . wheels for the system may be of varying width and height and may be coupled to varying numbers of axles . axles may be located through various parts of the system . one or more sails may be coupled to the system in different arrangements and may have different pivot locations located throughout the system . furthermore , bodies may be included with the system that may have side skirts , wheel wells and / or body pans , as desired . yet further , a variety of add - ons and accessories may be included and / or sold separately to further enhance the configurability of the overall system . ballast and other accessories may be utilized with the system to change the characteristics thereof . furthermore with this frame configuration , many different body portions 132 may be utilized by adjusting the frame and axle portions ( undercarriage and chassis ) thereof . furthermore the axle portions 136 and wheel portions 140 may be extendable and may be made in different lengths and specifications such that many , many different wheels , bodies , sails , etc . may be utilized with the various systems . fig7 shows an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle system , generally at 160 . system 160 may include a body portion 162 as well as a sail portion 164 . body portion 162 as shown , may be three - dimensional and in this embodiment , shown as waves . furthermore , sail portion 164 may include graphics such as a wind surfer and / or other graphics such that it may appear that a wind surfer is surfing through water as the vehicle moves along a surface . system 160 may further include a sail adapter 166 which may be configured to couple to sail 164 and configured to extend through orifice 168 within body portion 162 . this configuration may rotatably couple sail 164 to body 162 . sail adapter 166 may be configured to couple to sail stop 170 . sail adapter 166 may also extend through limitor 172 as well as adjustable limitor 174 that may make the limiting of rotation of sail 164 with respect to body portion 162 variable . with this configuration , the travel of sail laterally may be limited by sail stop 170 and limitor 172 such that it may be adjusted for various conditions . this configuration may make the system more configurable for different wind and / or other force conditions . system 160 may include an axle portion 176 which may be formed within and / or coupled to body portion 162 , or other configurations as shown in the previous figures , or other configurations , as desired . system 160 may further include a locking portion 180 which may be configured to couple axle portion 176 to body portion 162 . in this embodiment axle portion 176 may be configured to be telescoping . this configuration may accommodate for the use of different body portions and styles , as wall as different wheel configurations . this configuration may also facilitate altering the configuration of the system to adjust for different wind conditions . system 160 may further include a wheel portion 178 which may be configured to rotatably couple to axle portion 176 such that it would provide a configuration for the system to move on a support surface , utilizing very low forces such as a breeze , wind , and / or other forces , as desired . as shown by the various embodiments of this invention , the system is very highly configurable which may appeal to many different users and / or buyers , including children and / or parents . furthermore , the system may be made from very lightweight and inexpensive products making it inexpensive to manufacture and to sell and / or give away . furthermore , the system may be configured to be easily assemblable by a user such that it may be assemblable by children . furthermore , as described by the exemplary embodiments , the system may include graphics and other accessories that may make it appealing to users , such as children . the systems may be formed relatively small such that they may be the size of trading cards to further make them attractive to children . in operation , the sail may move rapidly , in a self - adjusting manner . the additional movements of the sail and other accessories may cause the vehicle and / or other portions of the system to appear animated . many different vehicles and toys may be configured and produced in this manner , with this configuration . in exemplary embodiments disclosed herein , the vehicle may be designed to be very lightweight and low mass , being primarily made from low - density foam sheets , and yet they may be stable , self - adjusting , and may uniquely portray a wide variety of subjects , including , but not limited to , human , animal , or fanciful figures , and / or high - performance land and water vehicles , and the like . moreover , the system may incorporate a relatively simple configuration to allow the sail to continuously adjust to the wind direction and forces for any particular downwind or crosswind path of vehicle travel . in exemplary embodiments , the configuration may take advantage of the switching , opposing wind directions to enhance the animated effect of rolling to and fro . furthermore , this may be a learning toy such that a child or other user may learn about wind and other forces , sailing and vehicles . this may make the system more likely to be purchased by a parent for a child to facilitate the learning of the child . in closing , it is to be understood that the exemplary embodiments described herein are illustrative of the principles of the present disclosure . other modifications that may be employed are within the scope of this disclosure . thus , by way of example , but not of limitation , alternative configurations may be utilized in accordance with the teachings herein . accordingly , the drawing and description are illustrative and not meant to be a limitation thereof .	0
the present invention relates to a unitary , individual , single piece resistive element which is capable of acting in the nature of a current limiting device specifically , or as a standard resistive component wherever desired or required . material for use in fabricating resistance elements in accordance with the teachings of the present invention can be cupron ™ ( trade name for resistance grade constantan ) ribbon , manufactured by wilbur b . driver co ., 1875 mccarter highway , newark , n . j . 07104 . constantan material composition is 45 % nickel and 55 % copper with a temperature coefficient of resistance of 0 . 00002 per ° c . over range of 20 ° c . to 100 ° c . the material is provided in the form of a thin ribbon 10 , 0 . 250 inches wide by 0 . 0159 inches thick and , as shown in the drawing figures , is first unraveled from a coil and thereafter flattened on a rigid anvil 12 . the anvil includes means for exactly , accurately centering the strip which is provided with a pair of die cut or punched elongated holes 14 0 . 110 inches wide by 0 . 625 inches long on a radius of 0 . 055 inches . the adjacent opposed ends of each pair of holes 14 are separated by 4 . 138 inches . this latter measurement provides the actual resistive area of the device . the strip 10 is next cut at the center of each elongated hole 14 to produce a flat , elongated strip bifurcated at each end . it is noted that the leg portions 16 and 18 of each opposite end are dissimilar in width although similar in length . the larger leg 16 of each of the two legs 16 and 18 is 0 . 016 inches wide , while a smaller or narrower leg 18 of the two legs , is 0 . 040 inches in width . these two dissimilar width legs ultimately provide interconnecting terminals for the device . the resistance of the device is measured across the distance from point a to point b , fig4 i . e . between the inner radii of the openings 14 . a resistor fabricated according to the foregoing dimensions or measurements will be nominally 0 . 020 ohms or twenty milliohms in electrical length from the inner edge of one hole 14 to the inner edge of the opposite hole 14 . this measurement corresponds to a physical length of 4 . 138 inches . after the ribbon has been punched with several holes 14 , each at the specified distance in accordance with the utilization of the jig / fixture , the individual resistors may be separated from the remaining strip material by the simple expedient of cutting through the ribbon at the approximately longitudinal center of the hole , as aforementioned . the separating cut need not be extremely precise and , in fact , so long as there remains sufficient lead to penetrate a printed wiring board 20 , fig6 on which the part is to be installed , the part will function as required . the completed resistance device 22 , bent into a u - shape is shown in fig5 . resistance 22 is employed in a conventional printed wiring board 20 by inserting the legs 16 and 18 in respective conductive plated through openings ( not shown ) in the board . the contact legs 16 - 18 are thereafter soldered in place completing the electrical circuit interconnection on the board 20 .	6
the safety valve system comprising the preferred embodiment of this invention consists of four major components . these major components are : a wireline retrievable safety valve 16 ; a wireline retrievable subsurface control unit 8 ; a well packer 18 which receives the safety valve 16 ; and a surface control ( not shown ) that will maintain annulus pressure at a desired operating level , monitor and control the level of fluid in the tubing - casing annulus , and be capable of dumping annulus pressure when signaled to do so . the relative orientation of the three downhole components of this valve system is depicted in schematic form in fig1 - 4 . the detailed construction is shown in fig5 . the safety valve 16 is mounted in a well packer 18 of substantially conventional construction . the well packer 18 engages the interior of the casing of the well . the separate subsurface control 8 is located above the safety valve 16 but it is not directly supported by either safety valve 16 or packer 18 . a by - pass landing nipple 6 is incorporated into the fluid transmission conduit or tubing string 4 adjacent its lower end . the subsurface control 8 is in turn held ( or locked ) in by - pass landing nipple 6 by means of an appropriate lock 11 . a production tube 12 extends from the lower portion of surface control 8 to abut an actuating pivot arm located in safety valve 16 . this actuating pivot arm 222 is attached to safety valve head 224 , and upon movement of production tube 12 and pivot arm 222 the safety valve head 224 can be moved from the closed position shown in fig1 to the open position shown in fig2 . fig1 - 4 are schematic in nature and are intended to illustrate only the orientation and operation of the valve and separate subsurface control . these schematic representations are in no way intended to represent the detail construction of either the valve , the subsurface control , or the packer . fig5 a - 5g , each representing the downward continuation of the previous figure , do show the detail construction of the components of the preferred embodiment of this invention . the relative position of the components as shown in fig5 a - 5g is consistent with the position of these components prior to actuation of either the safety valve or the subsurface control in the well . the positioning of the subsurface control unit 8 in the by - pass landing nipple 6 is shown in fig5 a . the by - pass landing nipple is incorporated into the tubing string 4 within casing 2 by means of a by - pass landing nipple coupling 22 located at its upper end . coupling threads 22a engage conventional threads on the bottom of the lowermost element in the tubing string 4 . coupling member 22 has an enlarged base 22b with inclined outer surface 22c and inclined inner surface 22d which effectively increases the internal bore over that of the tubing string . coupling member 22 is attached to the outer housing 26 of the by - pass landing nipple by means of a weld 24 . an inner concentric control nipple 10 is attached to the outer housing 26 by means of a plurality of lugs 28 located around the circumference of the inner concentric control nipple 10 . each lug is welded to the inner nipple 10 by means of welds 30 and is welded to the outer housing 26 by means of welds 32 . the wireline retrievable subsurface control unit 8 is mounted on the inner concentric control nipple 10 by means of a conventional locking mechanism 11 . this lock has a plurality of locking dogs 48 located in locking cavities 44 which can be expanded radially outward to engage locking recesses or grooves 46 located on the interior of the inner concentric control nipple 10 . the radially expandable locking dogs 48 are mounted in a lock housing 40 located adjacent the upper end of control unit 8 . lock housing 40 has a downwardly facing outer shoulder 38 , useful in fishing and retrieving operations , located at its upper peripheral end . a seal sleeve retrieving neck 34 is positioned on the interior of lock housing 40 and a downwardly facing shoulder 34a on the exterior of the seal sleeve retrieving neck abuts a cooperating shoulder on the lock housing . these cooperating shoulders consist of an inwardly extending radial surface 34a and an inclined adjacent surface 34b . the retrieving or fishing neck 34 is connected to a cylindrical seal sleeve 50 adjacent its lower end by means of threads 34d and neck 34 has shoulder 36 at its upper end useful for actuating seal sleeve 50 . seal sleeve 50 abuts the upper end of a counterbore 34c and extends downwardly from a fishing neck 34 . seal sleeve 50 has a port 52 extending radially therethrough immediately below the threaded connection at 34d . immediately below port 52 , seal sleeve 50 has an inwardly inclined and upwardly facing surface 50a . an annular groove 62 is located along the exterior surface of seal sleeve 50 and spaced from port 52 . annular locking groove 62 is flanked by an upper and lower shoulder 62a and 62b . a shear block 66 is shear pinned to seal sleeve 50 by means of pin 64 along the exterior of the seal sleeve and immediately below annular groove 62 . lock housing 40 which extends concentrically around seal sleeve 50 is attached at its lower inner end to port sub 74 by means of conventional threads 74a . port sub 74 comprises a generally cylindrical member which is concentric with and spaced from the lower portion of seal sleeve 50 in the configuration of fig5 a and 5b . port sub 74 has a seal retaining receptacle 74d located along its external surface immediately below threads 74a . this cavity 74d receives a conventional packing element or seal stack 76 . this conventional seal stack may include chevron shaped elastomeric sealing elements together with back - up members to prevent axial extrusion of the sealing element . an upwardly facing shoulder 74f is located on the inner surface of port sub 74 immediately adjacent its upper end and on the opposite face relative to threads 74a . this shoulder merges with a longitudinally extending inner surface 74g which is spaced from seal sleeve 50 . a second shoulder 74e extends from longitudinally extending surface 74g below the lower end of seal sleeve 50 . an o - ring seal 88 is located immediately below surface 74e along an inner surface of port sub 74 . an inclined downwardly facing surface 74h is located immediately below o - ring seal 88 and defines the upper surface of an annulus pressure actuating cavity 98 . a port 78 extends radially through port sub 74 and enters pressure actuating cavity 98 immediately below upper surface 74h . port 78 is located adjacent to lower end of port sub 74 . a threaded section 74c extends from the lower outer end of the port sub to provide a threaded connection 74b with the upper cylinder head 96 which abuts the lower end of the port sub . upper cylinder head 96 has a recess for retaining a packing element or seal stack 92 generally equivalent to the seal stack 76 . upper cylinder head 96 comprises a generally cylindrical and symmetrical member having threads 96a adjacent its lower outer end similar to the threaded connection 74b with the port sub . seal elements 76 and 92 engage the inner surface of the inner concentric nipple end attached to by - pass landing nipple 6 . these sealing elements isolate a longitudinally extending cavity 75 located between the port sub 74 and the inner concentric nipple 10 . a port 77 , generally in alignment with port 78 extends through nipple member 10 and communicates with cavity 75 . a lug 82 also having an aligned port is welded at 84 and 96 to both the inner and outer nipple members 10 and 6 respectively . a port 80 opening through by - pass landing nipple 6 provides communication between the pressure actuating cavity 98 , the subsurface control 8 through aligned ports 77 and 78 and the tubing - casing annulus . a lock mechanism comprising an outer lock ring housing 70 and inner lock ring segments 68 is positioned between seal sleeve 50 and port sub 74 adjacent the upper end of port sub 74 . the lock ring housing 70 has recessed faces on its inner periphery with an upwardly facing inclined surface 70b extending generally from the lower portion of the lock ring housing . an annular downwardly facing shoulder 70a extends around the outer surface of the lock ring housing intermediate its upper and lower ends . this downwardly facing shoulder 70a is positioned in abutting relationship to a cooperating upwardly facing shoulder 74f on the port sub 74 . lock ring segments 68 is positioned on the inner face of the lock ring housing 70 . each segment 78 has a downwardly facing inclined surface 68b cooperable with the inclined surface 70b on the lock ring housing . a retaining ring 72 biases the lock ring segments inwardly , and as shown in fig5 a the lock ring segments are in contact with the outer surface of the seal sleeve 50 . each lock ring segment 68 has an upwardly facing shoulder 68a located along its upper end which is formed by a cutout along the inner surface of the lock ring segment . a longitudinally extending control piston 60 extends along substantially the entire length of the subsurface control 8 . this longitudinally extending piston is in contact along its inner surface with seal sleeve 50 adjacent the piston &# 39 ; s upper end . piston 60 has a threaded upper inner end receiving a threaded cap member 54 . an o - ring seal 56 , disengaged in the configuration shown in fig5 a is located along the outer surface of piston 60 . immediately below seal 56 a port 58 extends through control piston 60 . in the configuration of fig5 a there is communication between port 58 and the port 52 in the seal sleeve . the piston 60 has an inner counterbore extending along substantially its entire length . port 58 permits communication from the exterior of piston 60 to this counterbore 60a . piston 60 is in contact with the outwardly adjacent seal sleeve along substantially the entire length of this seal sleeve 50 . immediately below seal sleeve 50 the piston contacts the port sub 74 with rod seal 88 providing sealing integrity between the port sub 74 and the piston 60 . the outer surface of piston 60 defines the inner surface of pressure actuating cavity 98 between rod seal 88 and piston seal 94 located in a groove along the inner surface of piston 60 . piston seal 94 provides sealing integrity at the lower end of pressure actuating cavity 98 and is in contact with the inner surface of upper cylinder head 96 . a downwardly facing shoulder 60e is located below piston seal 94 and merges with a longitudinally extending surface 60f . this surface 60f is spaced from the inner surface of upper cylinder head 96 and defines a barrier fluid cavity 90 between the piston and upper cylinder head . another o - ring seal 102 is located below barrier fluid cavity 90 and provides sealing integrity between piston 60 and a longitudinally extending booster sleeve 100 . a downwardly facing inclined surface 60g is located below o - ring seal 102 and provides radially spacing between the outer surface of piston 60 and the inner surface of booster sleeve 100 . a threaded connection is formed between the upper section 60b and the middle 60c of piston 60 at a point below the location of shoulder 60g . the middle section 60c comprises a generally cylindrical member having a port 132 located generally adjacent the bottom end of inner counter bore 60a . port 132 provides communication between the inner counter bore 60a and a cavity 140 located between the outer surface of the middle piston section 60a and an inner surface of lower cylinder head 136 . a retaining ring 138 is positioned within a cooperating groove along the outer surface of middle piston section 60a immediately below port 132 in the cavity 140 . the cylindrical booster sleeve 100 extends between piston 60 and upper cylinder head 96 immediately below barrier fluid cavity 90 . o - ring seal 102 provides sealing integrity between the exterior surface of the piston 60 and the interior surface of booster sleeve 100 . a similar o - ring seal 104 provides sealing integrity between the outer surface of the booster sleeve and the inner surface of cylinder head 96 . a liquid such as an oil substantially impermeable to a gas such as nitrogen is trapped in the cavity 90 between piston 60 , booster sleeve 100 and upper cylinder head 96 . below o - ring seal 102 the interior surface of booster sleeve 100 is spaced from the exterior surface of piston 60 . booster sleeve 100 extends into a dome charge or reference pressure chamber 116 located between piston 60 and spring cylinder 108 below upper cylinder head 96 . the enlarged booster sleeve base 110 abutts the upper surface of the middle piston section 60c as shown in fig5 b . base 110 provides a downwardly facing abutting shoulder 112 for engaging a primary coil spring 114 in reference pressure chamber 116 . primary spring 114 extends between the base of booster sleeve 110 and a spring retainer 120 . spring retainer 120 has an upwardly facing retaining shoulder 122 for engaging primary spring 114 . spring retainer 120 engages an annular ring 123 on the interior of spring cylinder 108 . spring cylinder 108 extends between upper cylinder head 96 and lower cylinder head 136 and is attached to each by means of conventional threaded connections . an o - ring seal 134 is positioned between the upper portion of the lower cylinder head 136 and the threaded connection 136a between the lower cylinder head and the spring cylinder 108 . a floating piston 126 is located between the outer surface of middle piston section 60c and the inner surface of spring cylinder 108 . o - ring seals 128 are located on the inner and outer surfaces of floating piston 126 . floating piston 126 is free to move with respect to both the piston 60 and spring cylinder 108 . in the configuration shown in fig5 c the floating piston 126 is in abutting relationship with the upper end of lower cylinder head 136 . floating piston 126 comprises the lower surface of reference pressure chamber 116 and movement of this floating piston will change the volume of that reference pressure chamber and will consequently change the pressure of the gas contained therein . a barrier fluid 124 , such as an oil impermeable to the nitrogen normally contained within the reference pressure chamber has settled due to gravity along the upper surface of floating piston 126 . this barrier fluid will normally be the same fluid used in barrier fluid cavity 90 adjacent the upper end of booster sleeve 100 . note that pressure in cavity 140 will act on the lower surface of floating piston 126 and movement of piston 126 will serve to equalize the pressure in cavity 140 with the pressure in the reference pressure chamber . lower cylinder head 136 is attached at its upper end to spring cylinder 108 and at its lower end to release sleeve housing 130 . this inner connection is by means of a conventional threaded connection . release sleeve housing 130 has an offset lower section forming a threaded connection 168a with lower spring cylinder 168 . lower spring cylinder 168 has a threaded connection 168b with a cylindrical sealing extension 131 ( fig5 e ). this sealing extension has an o - ring seal 133 at its lower inner end . lower spring cylinder 168 is concentric with and spaced from piston 60 . a plurality of springs and sleeve members are located between the piston 60 and the generally co - linear release sleeve housing 130 and lower spring cylinder 168 . a thrust sleeve 152 is attached by means of threaded connection 152a to the middle piston section 160 . thrust sleeve 152 has an annular recess or groove 162 located on its inner surface . a thrust mandrel 150 extends concentrically with and immediately adjacent thrust sleeve 152 . this longitudinally extending thrust mandrel extends below and beyond both the thrust mandrel 152 and the piston 60 . in the configuration shown in fig5 c the thrust mandrel 150 has a radially extending opening positioned immediately adjacent thrust sleeve groove 162 . a steel ball 160 is trapped in recess 162 and opening 164 thus holding thrust sleeve 152 in engagement with thrust mandrel 150 . thrust mandrel 150 has an inner counter - bore 151 which receives the lower end piston 60 . a port 184 provides communication between this counter - bore and the spring cavity 182 located adjacent the exterior of thrust mandrel 150 . below port 184 a torque pin 190 having an enlarged head located on the exterior of the thrust mandrel is threadably attached to the thrust mandrel . this enlarged head 190 is received within a longitudinally extending slot 188 in the upper section 12a of a production tube assembly 12 . a release sleeve 156 is located along the outer surface of thrust mandrel 150 . the inner surface of release sleeve 156 , as shown in fig5 c holds the steel ball or balls 160 in the aligned recesses and openings 162 and 164 . release sleeve 156 is spring biased relative to the lower cylinder head 136 by a release sleeve spring 158 . release sleeve spring 158 extends between the bottom surface 146 of the lower cylinder head and a radial projection 166 on the exterior of release sleeve 156 . an annular groove 170 is located along the lower interior surface of release sleeve 156 . this groove 170 is similar to groove 162 located on thrust sleeve 152 . groove 170 is however spaced from the location of groove 162 and the steel ball 160 contained therein when the subsurface control 8 is in the position shown in fig5 c . a thrust mandrel bushing 172 is located adjacent the exterior surface of thrust mandrel 150 below release sleeve 156 . bushing 172 has a stepped lower surface consisting of sections 174 and 176 . a upwardly facing shoulder 175 on the inner surface of the bushing 172 engages a cooperating shoulder on the exterior of the thrust mandrel 150 . in the configuration shown in fig5 d the bushing 172 abutts the lower end of release sleeve housing 130 . obviously the thrust bushing 172 is at the upper extent of its travel when the subsurface control 8 is in the configuration shown in fig5 c and d . a spring cavity 182 , in which bushing 172 is free to move is defined between thrust mandrel 150 and lower spring cylinder 168 . this spring cavity 182 contains two adjacent and concentric coil springs 178 and 180 . both springs abut the lower facing surfaces of bushing 172 . the lower end of the inner spring abutts the upper surface of the production tube extension 12a at the lower end of the spring cavity . the outer spring 180 abuts an upwardly facing surface 186 adjacent the lower inner end of lower spring cylinder 168 . the spring force exerted by auxiliary spring 178 and secondary spring 180 will be greater than the force exerted by release sleeve spring 154 . auxiliary spring 178 serves to bias the thrust mandrel 150 relative to production tube 12 , which is held in its position in fig5 d by means of an abutting shoulder adjacent the lower end of the thrust mandrel . the secondary spring 180 serves to bias the thrust mandrel 150 relative to the outer spring cylinder 168 which forms a portion of the outer housing of the subsurface control 8 extending generally along its entire length . production tube assembly 12 is attached to the lower end of the thrust mandrel 150 and extends from the lower end of the subsurface control 8 to the safety valve 16 mounted in the permanent packer 18 located below the subsurface control . production tube 12 has a flow port 194 located below the lower end of the subsurface control 8 to permit flow in the production tube to by - pass the subsurface control . note that production tube 12 is not connected to the packer mounted safety valve 16 but the lower end of production tube 12 is located immediately above actuating sleeve 214 in the safety valve . downward movement of the production tube 12 will serve to actuate this safety valve . the by - pass landing nipple 6 extends generally around the subsurface control unit 8 and is generally concentric with the production tube 12 in the vicinity of flow port 194 . a flow by - pass channel 118 communicates with flow port 194 and permits flow between the subsurface control unit and the outer by - pass landing nipple 6 . the lower end of the by - pass landing nipple 6 is attached to the upper end of a packer 18 by means of an anchor latch - nipple coupling 196 . conventional threads 196a and an o - ring 198 provide a threaded and sealed connection with the by - pass landing nipple . the anchor latch assembly extending between the by - pass landing nipple and the packer is of generally conventional construction and has a latch 202 for engaging the threads on the upper end of the packer body . a generally conventional seal stack 204 is located along the exterior of the anchor seal assembly and provides sealing integrity with the seal bore receptacle 206 on the interior of the packer body . as shown , the by - pass landing nipple is attached to the packer but there is no direct connection between the subsurface control or production tube and either the packer 18 or the safety valve 16 . the wireline retrievable safety valve 16 is attached to the packer bore by means of a generally conventional lock mechanism 20 . this lock has a radially expandable collet 208 engagable with a cooperating recess 210 formed on the interior of the bore of the packer . this lock may be set and released in a conventional manner . a seal is provided between the lock 20 and the interior bore of the packer by means of conventional packing 212 . the packer 18 can be affixed to the exterior casing by means of conventional slips and packing elements . the safety valve itself employs a rotating ball valve head 224 containing a fluid passage therethrough . in the configuration shown in fig5 g the fluid passage extends perpendicular to the flow tube of the safety valve thus preventing flow therethrough . rotation of ball valve head 224 results upon longitudinal movement of pivot arm 222 . the ball valve head 224 is attached to this longitudinal movable pivot arm in a conventional fashion . pivot arm 222 is in turn attached to a valve actuating sleeve 214 . valve actuating sleeve 214 though attached to pivot arm 222 is not attached to production tube 12 . the valve actuating sleeve 214 is however positioned immediately below the lower end of the production tube 12 . downward movement of the production tube will cause downward movement of the actuating sleeve 214 to open the valve . o - ring seals 216 and 218 respectively provide sealing integrity with the lock 20 and with a longitudinally extending valve seat 220 respectively . this valve seat has a seal contact with the exterior surface of spherical ball valve head 224 . as the ball valve head 224 is rotated upon longitudinal movement of both the pivot arm and of the ball valve head itself , the ball valve head will come in contact with spring guide 226 which has a spring member 228 which serves to urge the ball 222 upward as it is closed . as described this packer depth - annulus pressure controlled safety valve system has four major components . these components are : the wireline retrievable safety valve 16 , the wireline retrievable subsurface control 8 which is insensitive to tubing pressure but responsive to annulus pressure ; a permanent type packer 18 which receives a safety valve ; and a surface control ( not shown ) that will maintain annulus pressure at a presecribed operating figure and will monitor and control the annulus fluid level . the surface control will be capable of dumping annulus pressure upon receipt of an appropriate signal . in this system the safety valve is normally closed . it is opened by applying a predetermined pressure at the surface to the fluid in the tubing - casing annulus . the valve will remain open until an upper limit of pressure is exceeded and then it will close . the valve may also be closed by bleeding off annulus pressure at the surface . the valve can then be considered a &# 34 ; fail - safe &# 34 ; valve . for example , if an excessive tubing leak develops which increases annulus pressure to an undesirable level , the valve will close . if damage at the well head causes the loss of the imposed annulus pressure , the safety valve will also close . the safety valve and control assembly is received by a packer 18 initially positioned within the well . in many respects safety valve 16 is a conventional ball type safety valve . however this safety valve is adapted to be received within the bore of packer 18 as already described . safety valve 16 is actuated by means of longitudinal movement of production tube 12 which is attached to the subsurface control located above safety valve 16 . the control 8 is in turn attached to the tubing 4 which extends upwardly toward the surface of the well . the safety valve 16 shown here positioned in the packer would normally be run through the tubing on a wireline and latched in place in packer 18 . after the tubing has been landed in the packer and preferably before installing safety valve 16 , drilling fluid in the tubing and annulus would be displaced with a completion fluid . this can be done through the ports in the by - pass landing nipple 6 , through a sliding sleeve valve or by other conventional techniques . if the well has been perforated , the safety valve 16 could be installed and any pressure held in the annulus would be bled off . since the density of the completion fluid is known , the static bottomhole pressure can be calculated . subsurface control 8 can be positioned in by - pass landing nipple 6 by running the subsurface control in on a wireline until locks engage in the nipple lock recesses . appropriate spring characteristics are provided in the subsurface control 8 by using a compressed nitrogen or dome charge contained in reference pressure chamber 116 . movement of piston 60 for actuation of safety valve 16 is caused by the differential forces exerted on piston 60 . these differential forces are due to changes in annulus pressure acting through port 80 and on an upper control piston surface in annulus pressure actuating cavity 98 . the force acting on control piston 60 in the opposite direction is due largely to the pressure established in reference pressure chamber 116 . initially this reference pressure will not be equal to the well hydrostatic pressure at the location of landing nipple 6 and subsurface control 8 . it is desirable however to charge the nitrogen in the reference pressure chamber so that this pressure will be equal to the well hydrostatic pressure . after the pressure in the reference pressure member is set in this manner , it should remain constant until movement of the piston 60 causes a decrease in volume and subsequent increase in pressure . therefore the pressure in the reference pressure chamber will be a function of the position of piston 60 . the differential annulus pressure necessary to actuate the valve can then be applied at the surface and will not have to be altered by the initial difference between the nitrogen pressure and the well hydrostatic pressure . although the well hydrostatic can be estimated fairly closely , it is difficult to charge a dome or reference pressure chamber to the exact pressure chamber desired during operation . the pressure may be excessive and make handling on the surface difficult and in addition there must be compensation for the effect of bottomhole temperature . this subsurface control 8 has a built - in mechanism for increasing the initial nitrogen charge to the value of the bottomhole hydrostatic pressure as the control is lowered into the well . this charged pressure is then captured in the reference pressure chamber when the control is landed in the by - pass landing nipple 6 and will provide a constant reference for operation of subsurface control 12 . charging of the reference chamber 116 during insertion of the subsurface control occurs because annulus fluid can communicate through ports 52 and 58 to the passageway 60a in the control piston . annulus pressure then acts through port 132 on the lower surface of floating piston 126 . being free to move longitudinally in reference pressure chamber 116 , floating piston 126 will move upward and further compress the nitrogen in reference pressure chamber 116 until its pressure is equal to the hydrostatic pressure at the tool . this reference pressure is locked in when the wire line running tool which engages fishing neck 36 is released . this action moves the seal sleeve retaining neck 34 upward . upward movement will cause seal sleeve 50 to move such that o - rings 56 will engage the inner surface of seal sleeve 50 and communication between ports 52 and 58 will be prevented . lock ring segments 68 will engage recesses 62 to lock the seal sleeve in place . in this locked configuration the annulus pressure in passageway 60a and acting on the lower surface of floating piston 126 will remain constant and equal to the gaseous pressure in reference chamber 116 acting on the upper surface of floating piston 126 . however , subsequent increases in tubing - casing annulus pressure will act on piston 60a causing a differential force due to the change in annulus pressure . a barrier fluid generally impervious to the passage of gas therethrough can be employed to prevent leakage of nitrogen or other gas contained in reference pressure chamber 116 . any liquid which would tend to retard the passage of the pressurized gas could be used . for example , an oil or water might be used as a barrier fluid . a small amount of this barrier fluid can be placed in the reference pressure chamber 116 so that the barrier fluid will collect under the action of gravity on the upper surface of floating piston 126 . o - ring seals 128 of conventional construction will provide a good seal against the passage of the barrier fluid between the floating piston and the inner walls of reference pressure chamber 116 . resilient or elastomeric seals such as o - ring seals 128 generally are impervious to but may permit a minute but measurable permeation of gas through the seal . use of the barrier fluid adjacent to the floating piston will therefore retard passage of gas through the liquid - elastomeric seal system . a similar barrier fluid is also provided in barrier fluid cavity 90 located above reference pressure chamber 116 . in addition to acting in much the same manner as the barrier fluid adjacent floating piston 126 the barrier fluid in cavity 90 will provide additional sealing integrity against the loss of pressurized gas by permeation through seal leak paths at the upper surface of the reference pressure chamber . the barrier fluid contained in cavity 90 is under a pressure greater than the dome pressure in reference pressure chamber 116 . primary coil spring 114 , which abuts a lower shoulder 123 , acts on a shiftable booster sleeve member 100 which comprises a piston movable relative to control piston 60 . the upper end of booster sleeve 100 comprises the lower surface of barrier fluid cavity 90 . the other surfaces of barrier fluid cavity 90 are defined by an outer surface of control piston 60 and an inner cylindrical surface of port sub 74 . the force acting on the lower surface of booster sleeve 100 is equal to the force developed by the dome pressure times the area of the booster sleeve plus the force of primary spring 114 . this force is balanced only to the barrier fluid pressure times the area of the booster sleeve . therefore the barrier fluid pressure is greater than the dome pressure by an amount equal to the spring force divided by booster sleeve area . thus for the nitrogen or other gas in the reference pressure chamber to escape , the gas must migrate in a direction in which the pressure increases . the only way for the gas to escape past the barrier fluid in cavity 90 would be for the gas to migrate through imperfections in the seals or permeate the seals ; go into solution in the barrier fluid which is at a pressure greater than the pressure of the gas ; and then come out of solution and pass through an upper seal . relatively precise actuation of piston 60 can now be accomplished by increasing the tubing - casing annulus pressure , thus resulting in a pressure greater than the reference pressure , stabilized by the use of the barrier fluid in the reference pressure chamber and by the barrier fluid subjected both to the reference pressure and to a spring load . an increase in annulus pressure and this pressure in actuating chamber 98 will cause piston 60 to move downward against the spring action of the dome reference pressure and the primary spring 114 . downward movement of control piston 60 is transmitted through thrust sleeve 152 and through steel balls 162 to thrust mandrel 150 . thrust mandrel 150 can move downward against the force exerted by secondary spring 180 . downward movement of thrust mandrel 150 is transmitted to production tube 12 which in turn causes downward movement of safety valve pivot arm 222 . this mechanical action causes the ball valve head 224 to rotate about a transverse axis to align the central flow passage the ball valve head with the central tubing and open the valve . flow through the safety valve can then pass through flow ports 194 in the production tube and pass in the annulus between the subsurface control 8 and by - pass landing nipple 6 . a reduction in tubing - casing annulus pressure will permit upward movement of control piston 60 resulting in closure of the valve . if however the annulus pressure increases above a prescribed level because of leaks in the tubing or other unforeseen complications continued downward movement of control piston 60 will result when the preloaded compression force in spring 178 is exceeded . production tube 12 then bottoms out on ball valve . spring 178 is compressed . pre - compression of 178 provides operating range for the system . continued downward movement of control piston 60 will eventually bring steel balls 160 into alignment with annular groove 170 on release sleeve 156 . the ball will be cammed outwardly into this groove thus freeing thrust mandrel 150 and release sleeve 156 to be urged upward relative to control piston 60 by the compressed springs 180 and 228 . upward movement of the thrust mandrel - release sleeve assembly is resisted only by a relatively weak spring 154 . upward movement of the thrust mandrel will of course permit safety valve 16 to close despite the differential annulus pressure tending to move the control piston in the actuating direction . when the pressure is bled off of the tubing - casing annulus , nitrogen pressure in the reference pressure chamber will not exceed annulus pressure acting in annulus pressure actuating cavity 98 . this reference pressure force together with the action of primary spring 114 will move control piston assembly 60 back to its original position . as this occurs the thrust sleeve passes under the steel balls and the thrust of the spring above the release sleeve forces the balls back into the thrust sleeve groove . since the release sleeve is no longer retained by the balls , its spring pushes it back down to its original position . now the control is back in its original position and if annulus pressure is reapplied , the safety valve will reopen . although the invention has been described in terms of the specified embodiment which is set forth in detail , it should be understood that this is by illustration only and that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto , since alternative embodiments and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the disclosure . accordingly , modifications are contemplated which can be made without departing from the spirit of the described invention .	4
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , a transaction is initiated when an individual desires to transfer money to a third party , such as a friend or relative . the recipient can be located in any location where there is access to an atm network . according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , no credit or debit card or bank relationship is required . initially , a transferor &# 39 ; s primary account is established and linked to multiple transferee subaccounts . for example , primary accounts and linked subaccounts can be pre - established and assigned to customers during a registration process that occurs prior to the first transaction by a customer . the magnetic strip cards for each account also can be provided during the registration process . each of these accounts is accessible through , for example , the respective a magnetic strip card . the transferor is assigned a pin and each transferee subaccount card also is assigned a separate pin . each transferee subaccount card ( and associated pin ) can be used to access only the particular transferee subaccount and does not provide access to funds in the transferor primary account or to any funds in any other transferee subaccount related to that primary account . a transferor primary account , on the other hand , can access all linked transferee subaccounts . this feature is useful because , for example , if the funds in a transferee account are not picked up , the transferor can access the transferee account directly and remove the funds . once a customer registers with the funds transfer service , the primary account holder mails or otherwise provides the transferee card to the intended funds recipient and advises him or her of the associated pin . as soon as the recipient has possession of the transferee card and is made aware of the associated pin , that recipient can receive multiple transfers from the primary account holder . to transfer funds , the sender simply deposits cash into the cash bunch acceptor or a check into the optical check reader / acceptor at an atm operating in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . this atm has the ability to count the cash and / or read and validate the check ( s ), and give the depositor immediate access to the deposited funds . an atm capable of operating in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is , for example , model p70 or model p72 ( with side car ), or model p78 , manufactured by the ncr corporation of dayton , ohio . once deposited into the atm , the funds are ready to be transferred . the funds can be transferred , for example , one of two ways . either the depositor indicates that a portion of the deposit should be transferred from the primary account to a transferee subaccount , or the depositor indicates that the entire deposit should be made directly to a transferee subaccount . once the primary account holder directs funds to the transferee subaccount in this manner , the recipient can withdraw the funds from any atm in an existing atm network . the sender can essentially immediately transfer all or a portion of the funds , minus a predetermined fee , to the transferee subaccount , which is a subaccount linked to the sender &# 39 ; s primary account . once the funds are in the transferee accounts , the sender has authorized a third party ( e . g ., a friend or relative ) to withdraw funds from that designated subaccount . according to an embodiment of the present invention , each authorized third party may withdraw funds only from his or her designated subaccount and may not access the primary account or any other subaccount the sender may have established . in an alternative embodiment of the present invention , once the sender transfers funds to a subaccount , the atm can generate a new personal identification number ( hereinafter “ pin ”) for the transferee . otherwise , the pin originally assigned to the subaccount card may be used multiple times by the transferee . the present invention can be described with regard to two aspects of a transfer transaction , which will hereinafter be referred to as deposit and withdrawal . the deposit process includes , for example , funds deposit and transfer to a transferee subaccount . with reference to fig1 an exemplary system 100 is shown for transferring funds deposited into a primary account to a transferee account . the system 100 includes , for example , a first atm 140 , a second atm 160 and a main computer 120 coupled to the atms by , for example , a conventional atm network connection 110 . main computer 120 further includes , for example , a processor function 125 and an authorizer function 130 to facilitate the deposit , transfer and withdrawal operations . network connection 110 can include , for example , a lan , wan , pstn , internet , optical , wireless or other suitable communication link . a service provider works in conjunction with system 100 to facilitate the funds transfer . for example , the service provider provides a funds transfer system through policies and procedures as well as account administration and oversight for the transactions carried out on system 100 as described below . the system 100 takes in deposited funds , in the form of cash or check , and allows money to be immediately transferred from the primary account to a subaccount , so that the money may be readily accessed by a third party recipient . first atm 140 and second atm 160 can operate in a similar manner , although only first atm 140 ( e . g ., the sender &# 39 ; s atm ) requires some of the special capabilities described herein . in certain embodiments of the present invention , first atm 140 and second atm 160 can be the same machine . since the deposited funds are intended to be virtually immediately available for use according to an embodiment of the present invention , first atm 140 must be able to independently count the amount of deposited cash and / or read and verify the amount of deposited checks . to accomplish this , first atm 140 includes a cash deposit acceptance mechanism , sometimes referred to as a “ cash bunch acceptor ” that can count the amount of any deposited cash . in alternate embodiments , the deposited cash can be in any known currency in addition to u . s . currency . in addition , first atm 140 includes a check deposit acceptance mechanism , referred to as a “ check acceptor ,” which can read and verify different types of checks having known formats , such as federal or state government checks or certain payroll checks . for example , using optical reading technology , the micr encoding on a check , which includes the aba routing code , account number and check number , can be read and used to identify the check . the amount of the check can be read as well also using , for example , known optical reading techniques . in one embodiment of the present invention , the check acceptor will limit the acceptable checks to federal or state government checks and certain payroll checks although other checks such as personal checks , could be accepted if desired . in another embodiment of the present invention , first atm 140 can reject damaged cash and / or checks . an atm having such a deposit acceptance mechanism is manufactured by , for example , the ncr corporation of dayton , ohio . other features of atm 140 and atm 160 are conventional as is known in the art . [ 0053 ] fig2 illustrates an exemplary first atm 140 shown in an enlarged manner so as to illustrate certain details associated therewith . for descriptive purposes , only the details of the first atm 140 will be discussed . however , it should be noted that the first atm 140 may be identical to the second atm 160 . thus , all details of the first atm 140 are equally applicable to the second atm 160 . it should also be appreciated that typical atms are quite complex in nature but their functions and capabilities are well known in the art . first atm 140 includes , for example , a display 210 and a keypad 220 for performing various transactions on an account . the display 210 , which can be a led , lcd , touchscreen or other suitable display , provides a plurality of transaction choices from which an individual may select using , for example , the keypad 220 . the display 210 is also capable of providing instructional information as to the operation thereof . a plurality of function keys 220 may also be provided in order to reduce the number of transaction choices which must be made in order to complete certain common transactions . according to an embodiment of the present invention , atm 140 includes a cash deposit acceptance mechanism 270 and a check deposit acceptance mechanism 275 , which may be individually or jointly located on atm 140 . cash acceptance mechanism 270 and check deposit mechanism 275 , such as provided in models p70 , p72 and p78 atms made by ncr corporation of dayton , ohio , allows atm 140 to independently count the amount of deposited cash and / or read and verify the amount of deposited check . the first atm 140 also includes a currency dispenser 260 and receipt dispenser 280 . the receipt dispenser 280 functions in conjunction with a printing device disposed within the first atm 140 . as is known in the art , the printing device is used to prepare a transaction report , which an individual can keep for their personal records . first atm 140 also includes a conventional card reader 240 . the card reader 240 is capable of , for example , reading the information stored on the magnetic strip 390 of the transaction card 300 . accordingly , care must be taken in inserting the transaction card 300 since the magnetic reader 240 will often expect the magnetic strip 390 to be disposed in a predetermined orientation . upon insertion of the transaction card 300 into the magnetic reader 240 , first atm 140 verifies an individual &# 39 ; s access to the account encoded thereon . this is accomplished by , for example , entering the preassigned pin by means of the keypad 220 . similarly , the various transaction choices provided by the second atm 160 , which is similar to atm 140 , allow the individual to elect to retrieve transferred funds . an exemplary transferee card used by transferee to receive the transferred funds according to an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in fig3 a and 3b . transaction card 300 is typically constructed of plastic , such as a conventional magnetic strip debit card or credit card . the transaction card 300 includes , for example , a front surface 320 and a rear surface 380 . along the front surface 320 there is often displayed an account number 340 identifying the account to which the transaction card 300 is associated . the name 360 of the individual to whom the account belongs may also be provided on the front surface 320 . front surface 320 or rear surface 380 also may include a logo of the service provider or other form of branding . the rear surface 380 of the transaction card 300 contains , for example , a conventional magnetic strip 390 on which information pertaining to the account is stored . this information often includes the account number and routing code of the financial institution or organization issuing the transaction card 300 . the rear surface 380 may further include various information , illustrated by the numeral 395 , pertaining to the operation of the transaction card 300 . main computer 120 includes , for example , a microprocessor - based computer system including a memory , which receives and stores primary and subaccount number ( s ) associated with the sender transmitted from atms 140 , 160 . main computer 120 has , for example , conventional hardware such as memory , data storage and retrieval devices and communication devices . main computer 120 executes , for example , an independent software program stored in memory for transferring funds and creating and maintaining a database storing transaction information as is known in the art . the main computer 120 further includes , for example , a processor function 125 and an authorizer function 130 . in an embodiment of the present invention , processor function 125 and authorizer function 130 include two separate but connected computers within main computer system 120 . in an alternative embodiment of the present invention , the processor function 125 and authorizer function 130 can be performed in the same computer system . the processor function 125 and authorizer function 130 can be considered distinct and may be handled by separate third party service providers . the processor function 125 may be performed by , for example , a computer system operated by a third party company such as concord efs , inc ., one of the largest processors of electronic financial transactions in the united states . the authorizer function 130 may be performed by , for example , a computer system of a banking institution or a third party service provider such as fiserve , a company with a division dedicated to authorizing electronic financial transaction . for illustrative purposes , first atm 140 is used in connection with the transferor &# 39 ; s primary account and subaccounts , while the second atm 160 will be used in connection with the recipient &# 39 ; s access of the subaccount . as noted earlier , the recipient may use any atm , including the first atm 140 , to access the subaccount to obtain transferred funds . both atm 140 and atm 160 are connected to the main computer 120 through communication link 110 . it should be appreciated that various other methods exist for linking the first and second atms 140 , 160 . for example , current atm systems are interlinked through various atm networks . each atm network includes its own computer system , which may be subsequently interlinked with the computer system of another atm network . in such instances , it is necessary for the first and second atms 140 , 160 to establish interactive connections with the computer systems of their respective atm networks prior to accessing the computer systems of the other atm network . thus , as described herein connections between the first and second computer systems are understood to incorporate any intermediate connections to secondary atm networks , which are necessary to facilitate the transaction . to carry out a transfer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , initiating atm 140 starts with a funds deposit . when a sender uses the system for the first time , a sender &# 39 ; s primary account , as well as one or more transferee subaccounts , need to be established . in one embodiment of the present invention , account cards and pre - established primary accounts with associated subaccounts are provided to a customer upon registration with the funds transfer service . for example , these cards may be picked up at local affiliated stations , such as community based organizations , supermarkets , convenience stores , and / or bank branches where the funds transfer service is available . such primary accounts and subaccounts may be pregenerated by the processor function 125 , the user &# 39 ; s information being associated with the account information at the time of registration . for example , when a customer picks up the primary account card and associated subaccount cards , the customer would provide personal information associated with the account to a service representative who will provide the information to the fund transfer service provider , for example , by entering the customer &# 39 ; s information into a computer system linked to main computer 120 , which in turn provides the information to processor function 125 and authorizer function 130 . thus , the customer &# 39 ; s information is mapped to the pre - generated accounts , and the customer &# 39 ; s primary account and associated subaccounts are now established . alternatively , a customer &# 39 ; s primary account and subaccounts may be established at , for example , first atm 140 , through the use of an on - line registration process . for example , a sender may enter his / her personal information at first atm 140 , by using , for example , a touch screen or keypad . pre - generated cards linked automatically to a primary account and associated subaccounts ( with associated pins ) can be dispensed at the atm terminal . similar to the off - line registration process described above , the customer &# 39 ; s information would be transmitted to the main computer 120 , associated with the pre - generated cards and stored in processor function 125 and authorizer function 130 . once primary accounts and associated subaccounts are established , a customer may start a money transfer transaction by depositing funds into the account ( s ). the customer selects , for example from the keypad or the touch screen of atm 140 , the appropriate option to perform a transfer operation . when the sender begins interacting with system 100 via atm 140 , the sender is preferably told promptly about any transaction fee to be assessed to perform the desired transaction . the transaction fee can be , for example , a percentage of the principal transferred , for example 7 percent , or a fixed amount for any transfer under a certain limit , for example 7 dollars for any transfer up to 100 dollars . the customer has the option to deposit cash and / or check ( s ). the customer simply deposits cash in a cash bunch acceptor or check into a check acceptor at atm 140 . as explained previously , atm 140 has the capacity to read the cash and / or checks , authenticate them and give the depositor immediate credit for the deposited funds . in addition , funds may be deposited into the primary account through the direct deposit of the sender &# 39 ; s government benefit check or paycheck . all funds so deposited are immediately available for transfer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . the customer merely indicates at the atm 140 the amount of funds to be transferred to the designated transferee subaccount . once this information is provided at the atm 140 , the funds are moved and the transferee recipient can withdraw the funds from any atm by using the transferee card and related pin . atm 140 can read the primary account number from the primary account card inserted by the customer and then prompts the sender for the primary account pin . once the authorized pin is provided and verified , the atm 140 prompts the sender for a transaction request , such as ( a ) make a deposit into the primary account , ( b ) make a deposit into a transferee account , and ( c ) make a transfer from the primary account to a transferee account . however , only those atm 140 s with the special cash and check deposit functionality can be used to initiate such deposits . atm 140 then communicates the transaction request , including any amount to be deposited or transferred , to processor function 125 such as concorde efs , which in turn , advises authorizer function 130 of any new deposits ( of cash or checks ) made and asks for authorization for any transfers and / or withdrawals . for example , authorizer function 130 such as the authorizer service provided by fiserve , inc ., compares the amount of transfer requested to the amount of funds in the primary account . assuming sufficient funds exist in the primary account , authorizer function 130 authorizes the transaction for the full amount of the principal , minus a transaction fee . authorizer function 130 then advises processor function 125 as to whether the transaction is authorized . upon receiving authorization , processor function 125 effects the transfer and so notifies authorizer function 130 . at the same time , processor function 125 notifies atm 140 that the transfer is authorized . the primary account holder is advised by the atm 140 screen that the transfer is complete and the funds are available for immediate withdrawal by the transferee . all of these communications between atm 140 , processor function 125 and authorizer function 130 can take place in real - time . once credited to the transferee subaccount , the funds are ready to be withdrawn by the recipient . the amount of funds available in the transferee subaccount will be stored in , for example , a database of authorizer 130 . the second part of the transaction for transferring funds according to an embodiment of the present invention is receiving the transferred funds . the withdrawal portion of the transaction begins with the withdrawal request by the transferee , which occurs via second atm 160 . dispensing atm 160 may be located anywhere an atm network connection is available , including , for example , a convenience store , a grocery store , a post office , a branch of a financial institution , a mall , or other location . dispensing atm 160 could also be the same machine as initiating atm 140 . the transferee may be prompted by atm 160 to provide certain pieces of information in order to validate the requested transaction , such as providing information that matches information stored in the database of processor function 125 . such information could include : 1 ) the principal amount to be dispensed , 2 ) the transferee card , and / or 3 ) the pin issued to that transferee account or issued in connection with that specific transfer . in an exemplary embodiment , the transferee will insert the subaccount card and pin to start the withdrawal process . once the required information has been entered , atm 160 sends a message to processor function 125 requesting authorization to dispense the principal amount of the transaction . the information input by the transferee is used by authorizer function 130 to determine whether there are sufficient funds in the transferee subaccount ( e . g ., based on the data stored in its database ). atm 160 will only dispense the funds once the transaction is approved . this procedure is further described with regard to fig5 . [ 0068 ] fig4 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating the deposit aspect of a transaction performed according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . following registration of a customer with the funds transfer service , atm 140 receives a funds deposit ( block 410 ) from the customer . the funds deposit can be any combination of cash and certain types of checks , as described with regard to fig1 and 2 . atm 140 then prompts the customer to designate the deposit to either his / her primary account or one of the transferee subaccounts ( block 420 ). if the customer deposits the funds into the primary account , some or all of the funds can be transferred to a linked transferee subaccount when desired by the customer . alternatively , the customer can deposit funds directly into a transferee subaccount , particularly if the customer wants to transfer all of the deposited funds to a third party . atm 140 facilitates the deposit transaction by , for example , prompting the customer for a transfer or deposit request ( block 440 ) and the amount to be transferred ( block 450 ). the transaction information is preferably provided from atm 140 to processor function 125 and authorizer function 130 to obtain authorization approval ( block 460 ). when approval of the transaction is granted , databases in the computer system 120 are updated with the transaction information , and confirmation is provided to the customer by atm 140 ( block 470 ), for example via a printed receipt and / or a visual display . [ 0069 ] fig5 illustrates an exemplary flowchart illustrating the withdrawal portion of a transfer transaction performed according to an embodiment of the present invention . to withdraw transferred funds , the recipient would go at atm 160 and insert the transferee subaccount card ( block 510 ). atm 160 would then prompt the transferee to input the transferee subaccount pin ( block 520 ). the pin is then transmitted to main computer 120 for verification ( block 530 ). if the identity of the transferee is confirmed ( e . g ., the pin is associated with the subaccount via evaluation by main computer system 120 and atm 160 ), then atm 160 prompts transferee to select the desired transaction . if there is not a match , main computer 120 may transmit a message directing atm 160 request the recipient reenter the information ( block 540 ). once such information has been reentered , atm 160 again sends the message to main computer 120 . while this cycle may be repeated as many times as desired , it is preferably repeated only three times before atm 160 is directed to end the transaction and reset to wait for the next customer . once properly identified , the transferee could request to check the account balance or request a withdrawal . ( block 535 ) assuming that the transferee requests a withdrawal , the transaction request is then communicated from atm 160 to main computer 120 ( block 550 ). otherwise , an account balance will be printed , and the transaction ends ( block 555 ). main computer 120 receives the withdrawal request and communicates with processor function 125 and authorizer function 130 to determine whether the requesting transferee is entitled to withdraw the amount of requested funds ( block 560 ). for example , authorizer function 130 compares the withdrawal request amount provided for the transaction with the account information stored in its databases . if the amount requested for withdrawal is the same or less than the transferee subaccount balance , taking into account any fees to be assessed for the transaction , then authorizer function 130 will approve the transaction . this approval is communicated to processor function 125 . atm 160 is then provided with the transaction approval and authorization to dispense the appropriate amount of money ( block 570 ). the appropriate databases of main computer 120 can then be updated with the transaction information ( block 580 ). during the authorization process , authorizer function 130 may invalidate a requested transaction if either the total amount of funds transferred to a subaccount or the total number of transfers to a subaccount exceeds a predetermined limit . for example , the amount of total transaction can be set at $ 1000 per day , and / or the total number of transactions can be set at five times per day . the amount of any withdrawal or the total number of withdrawals per account may also be limited . this added feature can be used to , for example , identify potentially problematic behavior or activity as desired by the system provider . various modifications are apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention . therefore , the embodiments shown should be considered to be illustrative , not in any manner restrictive .	6
fig1 shows a tool combination made up of a base part 10 and a bit holder 20 . bit holder 20 is connected replaceably to base part 10 . base part 10 comprises a solid basic member 13 that comprises a lower attachment side 11 . this attachment side 11 is concavely curved , the curvature being selected in accordance with the outside diameter of a tubular milling drum . base part 10 can thus be placed with its attachment side 11 onto the outer side of the tubular milling drum and welded in place onto it . basic member 13 comprises on the front side a projection that is demarcated laterally by oblique surfaces 14 and at the front side by inclined surfaces 15 . inclined surfaces 15 are incident at an angle to one another , and oblique surfaces 14 adjoin inclined surfaces 15 at an angle . this results in an arrow - shaped geometry of base part 10 at the front , leading to better clearing action by base part 10 . as fig2 illustrates , a bit holder receptacle 16 having an insertion receptacle 16 . 7 is recessed into base part 10 . insertion receptacle 16 . 7 penetrates entirely through basic member 13 , and thus opens into attachment side 11 . a threaded receptacle 18 that opens into insertion receptacle 16 . 7 ( see fig1 ) is recessed into base part 10 . bit holder receptacle 16 comprises first support surfaces 16 . 1 and second support surfaces 16 . 2 . first support surfaces 16 . 1 form a first support surface pair , and second support surfaces 16 . 2 form a second support surface pair . in each support surface pair , the respective support surfaces 16 . 1 , 16 . 2 are arranged at an angle to one another . support surfaces 16 . 1 are furthermore respectively incident at an angle to support surfaces 16 . 2 , resulting in a frustoconical bit holder receptacle 16 . resetting spaces 16 . 3 , 16 . 4 , 16 . 5 in the form of recesses are provided respectively in the transition region between the individual support surfaces 16 . 1 and 16 . 2 . a cutout 16 . 6 that creates a transition from bit holder receptacle 16 to threaded receptacle 18 is furthermore provided in the region of resetting space 16 . 5 . as is further evident from fig2 , a surface 17 that is demarcated laterally by oblique surfaces is formed around the entrance into threaded receptacle 18 ; the oblique surfaces open divergently toward the back side of base part 10 . this creates a capability for easy cleaning of surface 17 , and thus of a tool receptacle 43 of a compression screw 40 . compression screw 40 comprises a threaded segment 41 with which it can be screwed into threaded receptacle 18 . compression screw 40 is furthermore embodied with a compression extension 42 in the form of a frustoconical stem that is shaped integrally onto threaded segment 41 . as fig2 further shows , bit holder 20 can be connected to base part 10 . bit holder 20 possesses a support member 21 that is equipped on the front side with a skirt 22 . skirt 22 carries an integrally shaped - on web 22 . 1 that rises upward proceeding from skirt 22 . an extension 23 that terminates in a cylindrical segment 24 is also integrally coupled onto support member 21 . cylindrical segment 24 is provided with wear markings that are embodied in the present case as circumferential grooves 26 . cylindrical segment 24 terminates in a support surface 25 that concentrically surrounds the bore entrance of bit receptacle 27 . bit receptacle 27 transitions via a bevel - shaped introduction segment 27 . 1 into support surface 25 . as fig4 shows , bit receptacle 27 is embodied as a passthrough bore . support member 21 is provided with a back - side cutout that serves as a flushing conduit 28 . flushing conduit 28 consequently opens bit receptacle 27 radially outward in the region of its bore exit . removed particles that have entered bit receptacle 27 during utilization of the tool can thus be conveyed radially outward through flushing conduit 28 . it is evident from fig3 that support member 21 comprises first stripping surfaces 29 . 1 in the region of skirt 22 . these stripping surfaces 29 . 1 are at an oblique angle ε 1 to one another ( see fig1 ), and are connected to one another via a transition segment 29 . 2 . the angle ε 1 between first stripping surfaces 29 . 1 corresponds to the angle between first support surfaces 16 . 1 of base part 10 . it is evident from fig4 that support member 21 possesses , on the back side , downward - pointing second stripping surfaces 29 . 4 . second stripping surfaces 29 . 4 are at an angle ε 2 to one another ( see fig1 ); here as well , the angle ε 2 between second stripping surfaces 29 . 4 corresponds to the angle between second support surfaces 16 . 2 of base part 10 . while first stripping surfaces 29 . 1 transition into one another by means of transition segment 29 . 2 , a transition region between the two stripping surfaces 29 . 4 is formed by flushing conduit 28 and a transition segment 29 . 5 . stripping surfaces 29 . 1 and 29 . 4 each form stripping surface pairs in the shape of a prism . these prisms have a longitudinal center axis mll that is formed in the angle bisector plane between the two first stripping surfaces 29 . 1 and second stripping surfaces 29 . 4 , respectively . these angle bisector planes are labeled we in fig1 and 14 . the longitudinal center axis is indicated there as mll ; in principle , longitudinal center axis mll can be located at any position within the angle bisector plane . fig3 and 4 , in conjunction with fig1 and 14 , show that first stripping surfaces 29 . 1 and also second stripping surfaces 29 . 4 diverge proceeding from the insertion projection side toward the working side . in the present example , the lines normal to stripping surfaces 29 . 1 , 29 . 4 correspondingly converge from the insertion projection side toward the working side . the surface normal lines consequently converge in the region of the tool engagement point at which working forces are introduced into the tool system . for purposes of the present invention , for example , the first stripping surfaces 29 . 1 can be interpreted as stripping surfaces of the stripping surface pair , and one or both of the second stripping surfaces 29 . 4 as ( a ) further stripping surface ( s ). conversely , the two second stripping surfaces 29 . 4 can also form the stripping surfaces of the stripping surface pair , and one or both first stripping surfaces 29 . 1 then form the further stripping surface ( s ). the “ first / second stripping surfaces 29 . 1 / 29 . 4 ” terminology will continue to be used hereinafter . the use of two stripping surface pairs having the respective first and second stripping surfaces 29 . 1 and 29 . 4 takes optimally into account the variation in working forces during tool engagement . a comma - shaped chip is produced during tool engagement . not only the force magnitude but also the force direction changes as this chip is formed . correspondingly , at the beginning of tool engagement the working force acts in such a way that it is dissipated more via the stripping surface pair formed by first stripping surfaces 29 . 1 . as tool engagement progresses , the direction of the working force rotates and it is then dissipated increasingly via the stripping surface pair formed by second stripping surfaces 29 . 4 . the angle γ ′ ( see fig5 ) between the stripping surface pairs must therefore be embodied so that the variation in working force is taken into consideration , and so that this working force always acts into the prisms formed by the stripping surface pairs . the central transverse plane mq of bit holder 20 is labeled in fig3 and 9 . the bit holder is constructed mirror - symmetrically with respect to this central transverse plane mq , so that it can be installed on a milling drum as a right - hand or left - hand part . the advance direction is characterized in fig3 and 4 with usual arrow indications . the bit holder sides are arranged transversely to the advance direction . the lines normal to stripping surfaces 29 . 1 and 29 . 4 thus each point downward and toward their side ( viewed in the tool advance direction ) of the bit holder , as is clear from fig3 and 4 . this situation is shown again in fig5 in a side depiction . the working force acts , however , not only in the direction of the image plane according to fig5 , but also in a transverse direction . these transverse force components are then ideally intercepted by the angled incidence ( ε 1 , ε 2 ) of stripping surfaces 29 . 1 , 29 . 4 . because the working forces exhibit less variation in the transverse direction at the beginning of tool engagement , angle ε 1 can also be selected to be smaller than ε 2 . fig5 further shows that an insertion projection 30 is shaped integrally onto support member 21 and transitions via a fillet transition 29 . 3 into first stripping surfaces 29 . 1 and second stripping surfaces 29 . 4 . insertion projection 30 is arranged so that it adjoins support member 21 substantially ( at a proportion of approximately 90 % in the present case ) in the region of first stripping surfaces 29 . 1 . insertion projection 30 carries two abutment surfaces 31 . 1 on the front side . as is evident from fig3 , these are embodied as convexly curved cylindrical surfaces . abutment surfaces 31 . 1 extend along and parallel to longitudinal center axis m ( see fig5 ) of insertion projection 30 . abutment surfaces 31 . 1 are thus also parallel to one another . abutment surfaces 31 . 1 are arranged at a distance from one another in the circumferential direction of insertion projection 30 . they have the same radius of curvature and are arranged on a common reference circle . the radius of curvature corresponds to half the reference circle diameter . a recess 31 . 2 is provided in the region between abutment surfaces 31 . 1 , and abutment surfaces 31 . 1 extend parallel to recess 31 . 2 . the recess can have a wide variety of shapes ; for example , it can be simply a flat - milled surface . in the present exemplifying embodiment , recess 31 . 2 forms a hollow that is hollowed out in concave fashion between abutment surfaces 31 . 1 . the concavity is designed so that a partly - cylindrically shaped geometry results . recess 31 . 2 extends not over the entire length of insertion projection 30 but instead only over a sub - region , as is evident from fig1 . recess 31 . 2 is open toward the free end of insertion projection 30 , i . e . in the insertion direction . recess 31 . 2 also opens up radially outward with no undercut . insertion projection 30 comprises on the back side , located opposite abutment surfaces 31 . 1 , a compression screw receptacle 32 that is equipped with a pressure surface 32 . 1 . fig6 and 9 illustrate that recess 31 . 2 has a concavely inwardly curved geometry between the two abutment surfaces 31 . 1 , and in particular can form a partly - cylindrically shaped cross section . fig7 to 10 depict in more detail the configuration of insertion projection 30 . fig9 clearly shows the concave inward curvature of recess 31 . 2 that adjoins the convex abutment surfaces 31 . 1 . it is clear from fig1 that insertion projection 30 has , in its region adjoining abutment surfaces 31 . 1 , a substantially circular or oval cross - sectional conformation . fig8 illustrates the region of compression screw receptacle 32 , pressure surface 32 . 1 being incident at an angle δ to longitudinal center axis m of insertion projection 30 . this angle of incidence δ is preferably in the range between 20 ° and 60 ° in order to achieve an optimum draw - in effect for bit holder 20 . fig7 furthermore shows that pressure surface 32 . 1 is arranged at a distance equal to distance dimension a from the attachment region of insertion projection 30 onto support member 21 . abutment surfaces 31 . 1 are arranged at a distance equal to distance dimension b from the attachment region of insertion projection 30 onto support member 21 . the surface centroid of abutment surfaces 31 . 1 is arranged at a distance equal to distance dimension c from the surface centroid of pressure surface 32 . 1 . for installation of bit holder 20 into base part 10 , insertion projection 30 is inserted into insertion receptacle 16 . 7 . the insertion motion is limited by the first and second stripping surfaces 29 . 1 , 29 . 4 that come to a stop against first and second support surfaces 16 . 1 , 16 . 2 . as may be gathered from fig1 and 12 , the correlation here is such that transition segment 29 . 2 extends beyond resetting space 16 . 4 , resetting space 16 . 5 is spanned by transition segment 29 . 5 , and the lateral resetting spaces 16 . 3 are spanned by the angled region that is formed between first and second stripping surfaces 29 . 1 , 29 . 4 . the result of the fact that bit holder 20 is distanced in the region of these resetting spaces 16 . 3 , 16 . 4 , 16 . 5 is that during working utilization , bit holder 20 can reset into resetting spaces 16 . 3 , 16 . 4 , 16 . 5 when stripping surfaces 29 . 1 , 29 . 4 and / or support surfaces 16 . 1 , 16 . 2 wear away . this is the case in particular when worn bit holders 20 are to be replaced with new ones , on an existing base part 10 . to fix in place the installation state described above , compression screw 40 is screwed into threaded receptacle 18 . compression extension 42 thereby presses with its flat end surface onto pressure surface 32 . 1 and thus produces a draw - in force that acts in the direction of longitudinal center axis m of insertion projection 30 . at the same time , however , compression screw 40 is incident at an angle to longitudinal center axis m of insertion projection 30 such that a clamping force acting toward the front side is also introduced into insertion projection 30 . this clamping force is transferred via abutment surfaces 31 . 1 into the corresponding concave counter - surface of the cylindrical segment of insertion receptacle 16 . 7 . the fact that abutment surfaces 31 . 1 are distanced via recess 31 . 2 guarantees that insertion projection 30 is reliably immobilized by way of the two bracing regions formed laterally by abutment surfaces 31 . 1 . the result is , in particular , that the surface pressures which occur are also kept low as a result of the two abutment surfaces 31 . 1 , leading to reliable immobilization of insertion projection 30 . effective wear compensation can be implemented by the fact that bit holder 20 can reset into resetting spaces 16 . 3 , 16 . 4 , 16 . 5 in the event of wear ; stripping surfaces 29 . 1 , 29 . 4 extend beyond support surfaces 16 . 1 , 16 . 2 at every point , so that in the event of erosion , support surfaces 16 . 1 , 16 . 2 are in any case eroded uniformly without producing a “ beard ” or burr . this configuration is advantageous in particular when , as is usually required , base part 10 has a service life that extends over several life cycles of bit holders 20 . unworn bit holders 20 can then always be securely fastened and retained even on a base part 10 that is partly worn . it is thus also simple to repair a machine in which the tool system constituted by base part 10 and bit holder 20 is used . it is usual for a plurality of tool systems to be installed on such a machine , for example a road milling machine or surface miner , the base part usually being welded onto the surface of a tubular milling drum . when all or some of bit holders 20 are then worn , they can easily be replaced with new unworn or partly worn bit holders 20 ( which can be used e . g . for rough clearing operations ). for replacement , firstly compression screw 40 is loosened . the worn bit holder 20 can then be pulled with its insertion projection 30 out of insertion receptacle 16 . 7 of base part 10 , and removed . the new ( or partly worn ) bit holder 20 is then inserted with its insertion projection 30 into insertion receptacle 16 . 7 of base part 10 . compression screw 40 can then be replaced , if necessary , with a new one . it is then screwed into base part 10 and secured to bit holder 20 in the manner described . it is evident from fig1 that base part 10 carries a projection 50 that protrudes into insertion receptacle 16 . 7 . this projection 50 is constituted in the present case by a cylindrical pin that is driven from attachment side 11 into a partly - cylindrical recess 19 . partly - cylindrical recess 19 surrounds the cylindrical pin over more than 180 ° of its circumference , so it is retained in lossproof fashion . that region of the cylindrical pin which protrudes into bit receptacle 27 engages into recess 31 . 2 between abutment surfaces 31 . 1 . upon insertion of insertion projection 30 into insertion receptacle 16 . 7 , protrusion 50 threads reliably into recess 31 . 2 that is open toward the free end of insertion projection 30 . alignment of bit holder 20 with respect to base part 10 is thereby achieved . this alignment ensures that first and second stripping surfaces 29 . 1 , 29 . 4 now come into accurately fitted abutment against support surfaces 16 . 1 , 16 . 2 so that incorrect installation is precluded . in addition , the lock - and - key principle of projection 50 , and of recess 31 . 2 adapted geometrically to it , prevents an incorrect bit holder 20 from inadvertently being installed on base part 10 . the angular correlations of bit holder 20 according to the present invention will be discussed in further detail below . it is evident from fig5 that longitudinal center axis 24 . 1 of bit receptacle 27 is at a respective angle α and φ to the longitudinal orientations of transition segments 29 . 2 and 29 . 5 , and thus also to longitudinal center axis mll of the prisms formed by first stripping surfaces 29 . 1 and by second stripping surfaces 29 . 4 , respectively . the angle α can be between 40 ° and 60 °, and the angle φ in the range between 70 ° and 90 °. fig5 further shows that in a projection of stripping surfaces 29 . 1 and 29 . 4 into a plane perpendicular to the advance direction ( said projection corresponding to fig5 ), stripping surfaces 29 . 1 and 29 . 4 are angled with respect to one another at an angle γ in the range between 40 ° and 60 °, and that the opening angle between transition segments 29 . 2 and 29 . 5 in the longitudinal orientation according to fig5 is between 120 ° and 140 °. the angle γ ′ between longitudinal center axes mll of the two prisms formed by stripping surfaces 29 . 1 and 29 . 4 ( stripping surface pairs ) is correspondingly in the range between 120 ° and 140 °. furthermore , in a projection of this kind of stripping surfaces 29 . 1 , 29 . 4 , first stripping surfaces 29 . 1 are at an angle β , and second stripping surfaces at an angle μ , to longitudinal center axis m of insertion projection 30 . the same also applies here to longitudinal center axes mll of the prisms . the angles β and μ can be in the range between 100 ° and 130 °, preferably in the range between 110 ° and 120 °. fig1 shows that first stripping surfaces 29 . 1 enclose an angle ε 1 . this angle ε 1 should preferably be in the range between 100 ° and 120 °. the angle bisector of this angle ε 1 is located in a plane , and fig1 illustrates that insertion projection 30 is arranged symmetrically with respect to that plane . in the same manner , the rear second stripping surfaces 29 . 4 are correspondingly also incident to one another at an angle ε 2 , as shown in fig1 . the angle ε 2 can , however , differ from angle ε 1 , and in the present exemplifying embodiment can be between 120 ° and 140 °, and insertion projection 30 is also arranged and equipped symmetrically with respect to the angle bisector plane of said angle ε 2 . fig1 shows that a first stripping surface 29 . 1 of the first stripping surface pair and a second stripping surface 29 . 4 of the second stripping surface pair are respectively incident to one another at an angle co , and form a support region .	4
fig1 is an explanatory block diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention . an example of a fire alarm system for use in hotels is described hereinafter . in fig1 i and ii represent respectively a guest room side and an administration room side . although only one room is shown on the guest room side , all of the guest rooms are constructed in the same way . in fig1 is a fire detector , 2 a microphone , 3 a speaker , 4 a treatment button used in the case of the occurrence of a fire , and 5 a treatment button used in the case of no fire . those elements are installed at an optional place in the respective rooms . generally , the elements 1 to 3 are installed on the ceilings of the rooms , and the elements 4 and 5 on the walls of the rooms . usually or often , the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 , etc . are turned off , and the treatment button 4 for use in case of a fire and the treatment button 5 for use in the case of no fire , are locked to keep them in an inoperative state . otherwise , the power source for the electric circuit , caused by the buttons 4 and 5 , is switched off . in any case , all of those elements are put into an inoperative state by manipulating those buttons . in fig1 is a control box , 11 a microphone , 12 a speaker , and 13 a recording - play back device . those elements are installed in the administration room . here , assuming that the fire detector 1 is activated in a guest room because of a fire or others , the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 are turned on through the operation of the fire detector 1 . at the same time , the lamp which is installed , for instance , on the control box 10 of the administration room , and which corresponds to the above - mentioned guest room is lit up and a buzzer is sounded . and further , the microphone 11 , the speaker 12 and the recording - play back device 13 installed in the administration room are switched to the &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; position and kept in the state in which a conversation can be automatically exchanged between one of the guest rooms and the administration room . furthermore , the recording - play back device starts recording the conversation . consequently , when the supervisor of the administration room asks a question over the microphone 11 , as for example , saying &# 34 ; has a fire broken out ?&# 34 ;, a voice duplicating the same message comes out from the speaker 3 in the guest room . to hear the sound of the voice , a person staying therein answers by saying &# 34 ; yes , a fire has broken out .&# 34 ; in the case of the occurrence of a fire or by saying &# 34 ; no , there is no fire .&# 34 ; in the case of no fire . when a fire breaks out in actuality , the supervisor of the administration room gives instructions on how to extinguish the fire , for example by pushing the fire treatment button 4 , or by instructing the person staying in the guest room how to take shelter from the fire as for example informing him where the nearest fire escapes are located . at the same time the supervisor notifies the appropriate authorities such as the fire department . on the contrary , in the case of no fire , the supervisor makes an inquiry as to why the fire detector was activated and gives suitable instructions , as for example , instructions on pushing the no - fire treatment button 5 or on opening the windows in the guest room . in such a situation , when button 4 is pushed , for example , the sprinkler in the guest room operates to extinguish the fire and the fire station is notified automatically . on the other hand , when button 5 is pushed , the reason why the fire detector operated is removed , for example , in the case when the fire detector is of the smoke - detecting type , the air conditioner is automatically started to remove smoke from the guest room . furthermore , in the case when the fire detector is of the heat - sensitive type , the air conditioner is also put into operation so as to lower the temperature of the guest room . and further , the same operation as that used by pushing buttons 4 and 5 can be performed in the administration room . therefore , it &# 39 ; s possible for the supervisor to do the same as mentioned above in the case of a fire or no fire . as embodiment of the present invention in which a conversation can be exchanged between a person staying at a place where the fire detector is put into operation and the supervisor of the adminstration room , immediately after the fire detector becomes activated has been described , heretofore . however , there were many cases in which no supervisor stayed in the administration room , or the supervisor stayed at a place quite distant from the administration room and thus it took a long time for him to get back to the microphone . on such occasions , a countermeasure could not be taken so quickly in the early stages of the occurrence of a fire requiring a quick response . in consideration of such circumstances , it may be desirable to give the message &# 34 ; has a fire broken out ?&# 34 ; to the person in the room where the fire detector is activated . in fig1 is a synthesizer installed in the guest room for the above - mentioned purpose . on such occasions , when the fire detector 1 operates , the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 , etc . are turned on , and the synthesizer 6 operates at the same time . the voice previously recorded in the synthesizer 6 comes out from the speaker 3 . for instance , the speaker 3 makes an inquiry about the fire , saying &# 34 ; has a fire broken out ?&# 34 ;. in such a way , it might be possible to make a first inquiry about the fire to the person in the guest room at the time of the fire &# 39 ; s occurrence without involving the supervisor . therefore , the initial fire - extinquishing activity and the advice about seeking shelter from the fire can be done promptly . furthermore , the voice from the speaker 3 is transferred the microphone 2 , and thereby the above - mentioned voice &# 34 ; has a fire broken out ?&# 34 ; is relayed to the supervisor staying in the administration room through speaker 12 . consequently , such information transmitted therethrough gives the supervisor a feeling of tension and an earlier warning so that he can respond more promptly . furthermore , as in the case of the afore - mentioned embodiment , the push buttons 4 and 5 are put into an operable condition or the electric circuit caused by those push buttons is activated in connection with the fire detector 1 , and the recording - play back device 13 is put into operation to record the voice of the conversation exchanged therebetween . and further , in the above - mentioned case , it doesn &# 39 ; t necessarily follow that the supervisor has to stay in the administration room . if the supervisor isn &# 39 ; t there , it is not possible to reach him . assuming such a situation , in the case of equipping the building with a fire alarm system , according to the present invention , various suitable instructions are given to relevant persons . namely , the system points out the relevant persons who can put the synthesizer 6 into an operable condition , and who can push button 4 in the case of a fire or push button 5 in the case of no fire . fig2 is a circuit diagram for explaining in detail the operation of the fire alarm system according to the present invention shown in the afore - mentioned drawing ( fig1 ). in fig2 is a cutter for cutting off the heat - sensitive element in the case when the sprinkler is activated by cutting off the heat - sensitive element , 8 an air - conditioning device , 9 a switching circuit , 14 a matching circuit , 15 a buzzer , 16 a monitor lamp , 17a and 17b amplifiers respectively , 18 an external notifying device , 19a through 19e distribution terminals , ic 1 and ic 2 circuit elements , mr 1 through mr 5 magnet relay coils , and r 1 through r 5 contact points of the respective magnet relay coils mr 1 through mr 5 . concerning the other parts , a reference numeral same as that of fig1 is attached to the part performing the same action as that of fig1 . in fig2 assuming that the fire detector 1 installed in the guest room i is activated by reason of the fire or others , the relay coil mr 1 is excited by the action of turning on the aforementioned fire detector 1 , and thereby all of the contact points r 1 of this relay coil mr 1 are put in the state &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;. as a result , the synthesizer 6 is activated , and the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 are respectively connected with the amplifiers 17a and 17b which are normally powered on . on such occasion , the electric signal obtained by connecting the microphone 2 and the speaker 3 therewith is fed back through the circuit elements ic 1 and ic 2 to the administration room side ii . at this time , the buzzer 15 emits a sound and the monitor lamp 16 is lit up . in such a way , the occurrence of anything unusual in the guest room i is notified to the supervisor . when the buzzer 15 is activated , the relay coil mr 3 connected in parallel with the buzzer 15 is excited at the same time and its contact point r 3 is switched on . and then , the recording - replaying device 13 is activated and the respective sounds of the microphone 2 and 11 and the sound of the synthesizer 6 are automatically recorded therein through the matching circuit 14 . by performing a series of operations as mentioned heretofore , a conversation can be exchanged between the guest room side i and the administration room side ii . at this time , after making a confirmation of fire occurrence , the supervisor points out the person staying in the guest room to push the fire treatment push button 4 in the case of fire or to push the no fire treatment push button 5 in the case of no fire . moreover , in the fire alarm system according to the present invention , the afore - mentioned synthesizer 6 is installed therein and it is always activated with priority to the others regardless of presence of absence of the supervisor in the administration room . and further , the informations such as &# 34 ; has a fire broken out ?&# 34 ;, &# 34 ; push the push button 4 in the case of fire .&# 34 ;, &# 34 ; push the push button 5 in the case of non - fire .&# 34 ;, or the like are previously recorded in the synthesizer 6 . therefore , even though the supervisor doesn &# 39 ; t stay in the administration room , an adequate indication can be delivered to the persons staying in the guest room i . at this time , the voice sound signal output transmitted from the afore - mentioned synthesizer 6 is emitted from the speaker 3 through the switching circuit 9 . at first , in the case of the occurrence of a fire , when the fire treatment button 4 is pushed , since the contact point r 1 of the relay coil mr 1 is kept to be put in a state of &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; the cutter 7 is activated in order to cut off the heat - sensitive element for putting the sprinkler into operation and , at the same time , the relay coil mr 2 connected in parallel with the cutter 7 of the heat - sensitive element for putting the sprinkler into operation is excited . at this time , the contact point r 2 thereof is switched on and thereby the external notifying device 18 installed in the administration room ii is activated in order to automatically notify the fire station of the occurrence of a fire . secondly , in the case of no fire , as for example , when the fire detector is activated by the smoke of cigarette or the increase of room temperature , since the contact point r 1 of the relay coil mr 1 is kept to be put in a state of &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, pushing operation of the no fire treatment button 5 causes the air conditioning device 8 to operate . the air - conditioning in the room can be performed in such way . furthermore , since the contact point r 1 of the relay coil mr 1 is put in a state of &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;, the fire treatment button 4 and the no fire treatment button 5 are interlocked so as not to be capable of operating at the time except for the occurrence of an unusual thing . and further , as mentioned above , regardless of presence or absence of the supervisor in the administration room the voice sound signal output of the synthesizer 6 is emitted from the speaker 3 . when the supervisor stays in the administration room exchange a conversation with the person staying in the guest room , the voice sound of the supervisor is emitted from the speaker 3 in a similar way . in order to avoid the confusion due to both of those sound voices , when the supervisor gives an instruction to persons in the guest room through the microphone 11 , for instance , by detecting the voice sound signal &# 34 ; has a fire broken out ?&# 34 ; the switching circuit contained in the fire alarm - system automatically cuts off the output of the afore - mentioned synthesizer 6 from the speaker 3 . fig3 is a circuit diagram for explaining the operation of the above - mentioned switching circuit . when the fire detector 1 starts to operate the voice sound signal of the synthesizer 6 is emitted from the speaker 3 through the switching circuit 9 . the person in the guest room is notified of anything unusual by the speaker 3 . at the same time , the supervisor in the administration room is also notified of the unusual thing by the buzzer 1 and the monitor lamp 16 . the supervisor noticing the unusual thing gives a voice sound signal &# 34 ; has a fire broken out ?&# 34 ; to the microphone 11 , and the given voice sound signal is discharged from the speaker 3 through the amplifier 17b so as to put a question to the person staying in the guest room of the actual situation therein . at this time , since the voice sound signal &# 34 ; has a fire broken out ?&# 34 ; branched off from the amplifier 17b is input into the base of the transistor q through the band - pass filter bpf , the transistor q is turned on , and the relay coil mr 4 is excited and its contact point r 4 is also switched on . when the contact point r 4 is switched on , the relay coil mr 5 is excited and , at the same time , its contact point r 5 is also switched on . in consequence , the relay coil mr 5 is put into a self - holding condition . afterwards , regardless of presence of absence of the voice sound signal from the microphone 11 , the relay coil mr 5 is kept to be in a condition of being exicted . namely , it follows that , since the relay coil mr 5 is in a state of being excited , the contact point r 5b connected between the synthesizer 6 and the speaker 5 is put in a state of &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;, and thereby the synthesizer 6 and the speaker 3 are kept in a state of being separated from each other . as is explained heretofore , in the case when the supervisor stays in the administration room ii , the supervisor automatically turns off the output of the synthesizer 6 by means of the voice sound signal discharged from the microphone 11 , so that the voice sound of the supervisor and that of the synthesizer are prevented from confusing with each other . furthermore , in fig2 although only one room is shown at the guest room side i , the terminals of the other rooms are connected with the distribution terminals 19a through 19e respectively . in such a way of connection , all of the guest rooms can be constructed equally . and further , in the circuit diagrams shown in fig2 and fig3 the relay coils mr 1 through mr 5 are employed for convenience of operational explanation . however , in practice , those portions can be easily constructed with the electronic circuit . as is apparent from the foregoing description , according to the present invention , a conversation can be exchanged between the guest room and the administration room at the initial stages of a fire and immediately after a fire has broken out and the fire detector has begun to operate . therefore , it may be possible to give suitable instructions for fire - extinguishing or sheltering to persons staying at the actual site of the fire , after completely grasping the situation , and further to minimize the extent of the disaster . furthermore , even in the case when the fire detector is activated in the case of no fire , adequate response can be made without falling into a state of panic . for the above reasons , the alarm circuit doesn &# 39 ; t need to be kept in an inoperative condition , and as a result there is no possibility of a large - scale disaster occurring .	6
in one embodiment , an ac switch or controller includes a reverse blocking insulated gate bipolar transistor (“ reverse blocking igbt ,” or “ rigbt ”). fig3 a illustrates an ac controller 300 configured for resistive loads and / or resistive - capacitive loads without the need of an additional load voltage source ( the load should not behave like an inductance ). the ac controller 300 includes a power source or mains 302 , a switch 304 , a capacitor 305 ( cn ), and an inductor 306 . a rc load 308 receives the currents from the mains 302 according to the controls of the switch 304 . the switch 304 is a solid device , e . g ., rigbt , that is capable of handling currents in two directions unlike the scrs in the controller 100 of the conventional technology . in one embodiment , the switch 304 includes a first rigbt t 1 and a second rigbt t 2 that are arranged in an anti - parallel arrangement . the rigbts t 1 and t 2 may have a single or a plurality of dice in a parallel arrangement . the capacitor 305 and the inductor 306 comprise an input filter . the capacitor 305 suppresses voltage spikes across the switch 304 during turn offs . the inductor 306 facilitates reduction in reactive power consumption and current ripple . fig3 b shows a mode of operation of the ac controller 300 accordingly to one embodiment of the present invention . the ac controller 300 having the rigbt switch 304 provides various control schemes for optimal operation because the rigbt switch can be turned on or off at any point during the ac power cycle . a graph 320 illustrates the voltage level and current flow with respect to a given time , i . e ., one cycle . a graph 322 illustrates the turn - on and turn - off states of the switch 304 according to the current level . a graph 324 illustrates the turn - on and turn - off pulse patterns - corresponding to the graph 322 . the first rigbt t 1 is turn on in the first half - cycle , and the second rigbt t 2 is turn on in the second half - cycle . as shown , the switch is turned on and off many times in each half ac cycle . first , the ac controller 300 provides capability of adjusting the power factor of the mains 302 . the power factor is the ratio of active power to apparent power . generally , the power factor is deemed to be cos ( θ ) for sinusoidal voltage and current , such as alternating current ( ac ), when the phase difference between the voltage and current is θ . accordingly , the power factor should be close to one for optimal performance of the circuit . in the ac controller 300 , the power factor can be adjusted to be substantially one , which corresponds to resistive load behavior since the switch can be turn on or off any time during the current cycle ( see , fig3 b ). furthermore , it may be adjusted differently , which offers the possibility to actively compensate reactive power generated elsewhere in the grid . second , the current flowing through the mains 300 may be controlled to be continuous , driven by the inductance of the mains or the inductor 306 connected in series with the mains 302 to avoid emc emission problems . in one embodiment , another inductor may be serially connected to the inductor 306 . third , the ac controller 300 can be controlled to vary circuit conditions faster since the switch 304 , which is self commutated , can be turned off at any time , whenever it is necessary . accordingly , there is no need to wait for a zero current condition to effectuate the turn off the ac controller 300 , as is the case with the ac controller 200 with an scr . fig4 a shows an ac controller 400 configured for loads with an inductive behavior . the ac controller 400 includes a first voltage source or mains 402 , a second voltage source or mains 404 , a first rigbt switch 408 , a second rigbt switch 410 , a capacitor 411 ( cn ) and an inductor 412 . a load 406 receives the currents supplied by the mains 402 according to the controls of the first switch . the load 406 includes a resistor and an inductor , as shown in fig4 a . the first mains 402 provides greater power than the second mains 404 according to one embodiment of the present invention . in another embodiment , the first mains 402 and the second mains 402 provide substantially equal power . in yet another embodiment , the second mains 404 provides greater power than the first mains 402 . the first switch 408 includes a first rigbt t 1 and a second rigbt t 2 , and the second switch 410 includes a third rigbt t 3 and a fourth rigbt t 4 according to one embodiment of the present invention . the second switch 410 provides a free wheeling path to prevent the first switch 408 from being damaged during the turn off of the inductive current . the capacitor 411 and the inductor 412 comprise an input filter . the capacitor 411 suppresses voltage spikes across the switch 408 during turn offs . the inductor 412 facilitates reduction in reactive power consumption and current ripple . fig4 b shows a control method of the ac controller 400 according to one embodiment of the present invention . a graph 420 illustrates a voltage level and current flow with respect to a given time , i . e ., one cycle . a graph 422 illustrates first , second , and third current flows in the ac controller 400 . the first current i 12 flows from the first switch 408 to the load 406 . the second current il flows through the load 406 . the third current i 34 flows from the second switch 410 to a node provided between the first switch 408 and the load 406 . a graph 424 shows the turn - on and turn - off states of the first and second switches 408 and 410 . as shown , the switch is turned on and off many times in each half ac cycle . in one embodiment , the first rigbt t 1 of the first switch 408 and the third rigbt t 3 of the second switch 410 are turn together . the first rigbt t 1 is turned on in a pulse pattern during much of the first half of the current cycle , while the third rigbt t 3 remains turned on during this period . on the other hand , the second rigbt t 2 is turned on in a pulse pattern during much of the second half of the current cycle , while the fourth rigbt t 4 remains turned on during this period . the ac controller 400 provides forward conduction capability to the unidirectional free wheeling rgibts t 3 or t 4 ( the switch 410 ) as long as it might carry load current according to the latter &# 39 ; s polarity . the reverse blocking igbt functions as a unidirectional free wheeling switch because it will maintain a reverse blocking capability while the gate is turned on . referring to fig4 a and 4b , the operation of the ac controller 400 is provided as follows . the operation with the first switch 408 continuously closed corresponds to an scr ac controller with “ firing angle ” α = 0 . the ac controller 400 including the reverse blocking igbt provides additional controllability . an unused part of mains voltage - time - area may be used for ‘ earlier ’ magnetization or de - magnetization of the load inductance , respectively . this capability contributes to a reduction of first harmonic reactive power . thus the control towards lower load currents does not lead to an increase of reactive power consumption as in the conventional ac controller . rather , it instead may be used to reduce the reactive power . as already explained above , the mains current may be controlled to be continuous , driven by mains inductance or the series connection of mains inductance and the inductor 412 to prevent emc emission problems . the load current flow may also be continuous with the same effect . the ac controller 400 can be turned off any time because the first switch 408 can be turned off at any time during the cycle , as desired . that is , there is no need to wait for zero current turn off as in the conventional scr based circuits . fig5 - 8 illustrate a method of fabrication for a reverse blocking igbt used in the ac switch according to one embodiment of the present invention . the present fabrication method begins with a semiconductor substrate such as an n + type substrate 101 and the like of fig5 . it should be noted that the present fabrication method relies upon an n + type substrate , but may also use other types of substrates . the n + type substrate includes an n − type layer 103 defined thereon by way of standard chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) techniques and the like . the n − type layer includes an n type impurity such as phosphorous or the like at a concentration ranging from about 10 13 atoms / cm 3 to 10 14 atoms / cm 3 , and is preferably at about 4 × 10 13 atoms / cm 3 for preferred bipolar transistor operation . relative to the n − type layer , the n + type semiconductor substrate includes an n type impurity such as phosphorous or the like at a concentration ranging from about 10 15 atoms / cm 3 to about 10 19 atoms / cm 3 , and is preferably at about 10 17 atoms / cm 3 . of course , other concentrations may also be provided depending upon the particular application . active igbt devices define onto the n − type layer by way of , for example , a double diffused mos ( dmos ) technique and others . the dmos technique defines a gate electrode layer 109 overlying a thin layer of high quality oxide 111 . the gate electrode layer is typical made of polysilicon and the like , which is preferably doped with an n type dopant material for conductivity . steps of masking and etching define the gate electrodes ( g ) overlying the thin high quality oxide formed over the n − type layer . also shown are field plate layers formed overlying a portion of the n − type layer . an implant step ( s ) forms p type well regions 105 in the n − type layer as illustrated by fig7 . each p type well region is preferably a p / p + type well or the like , and is defined between each of the gate electrodes . the p type well region includes a boron impurity concentration ranging from about 10 14 atoms / cm 3 to about 10 18 atoms / cm 3 , and is preferably at about 10 16 atoms / cm 3 . the implant step also forms p type guard ring region ( s ) 115 . the p type guard ring regions are defined at an outer periphery of the active cell region for the purpose of preventing the conductive region of forming outside the main junction region . thus , the p type guard ring regions preserve the high voltage characteristics of the present igbt device . a p type region 116 defining a drain region ( d ) is formed overlying the backside of the n + type semiconductor substrate in an implant step . the p type region includes a boron impurity concentration ranging from about 10 15 atoms / cm 3 to about 10 18 atoms / cm 3 , and is preferably at about 10 18 atoms / cm 3 . a subsequent diffusion step creates the p type drain region , which can range in depth from about 50 microns to about 300 microns , and is preferably at about 100 microns for a 600 volt to 3 , 000 volt igbt device . the p type impurity for the p type well region , the p type guard ring region , and the p type drain region is preferably boron or the like . a p type region 701 is also defined at the scribe line of the integrated circuit chip . a p type region 107 is also defined from the backside of the wafer . both of the p type regions are defined by way of sputtering , implantation or the like using an impurity with a higher mobility than , for example , the p type well region , the p type guard ring region , and the p type drain region . by way of a subsequent diffusion step ( s ), the p type regions 701 , 107 diffuse faster than the p type impurities of , for example , the well region , the guard ring region , and the drain region . the faster diffusion rate allows the p type regions to connect to each other 117 . this forms a continuous p type “ frame ” ( or diffusion region ) around the periphery of the integrated circuit , thereby eliminating the n + / p + junction region of the conventional igbt device . the p type impurity with the higher mobility is preferably aluminum or the like . a step of selective sputtering coats selected regions of the integrated circuit with the aluminum for subsequent thermal diffusion or the like . a source implant step forms an n type source region ( s ) 107 ( s ) within the periphery of the p type well region ( s ) 105 . the source implant is preferably an arsenic implant where the arsenic is at a concentration ranging from about 10 17 atoms / cm 3 to about 10 20 atoms / cm 3 , and is preferably at about 3 × 10 19 atoms / cm 3 . a metallization layer typically aluminum or the like defines a source metallization layer . as shown , the source ( s ), the gate ( g ), and the drain ( d ) define the igbt according to the present invention . optionally , an n + type dopant 704 such as phosphorous or the like forms selected n + type regions in the drain region . the n + type regions modify the present igbt device performance for special switching and forward voltage drop characteristics . the n + type regions include a phosphorous impurity at a concentration ranging from about 10 16 atoms / cm 3 to about 10 19 atoms / cm 3 , and are preferably at about 7 × 10 18 atoms / cm 3 . the above detailed descriptions are provided to illustrate specific embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to be limiting . for example , the ac controller described herein can be readily applied to three phase systems also with the similar principles . those skilled in the art can easily modify the description provided above in connection with a single - phase system to more than one phase systems . numerous modifications and variations within the scope of the present invention are possible . accordingly , the present invention is defined by the appended claims .	7
referring initially to fig1 a bicycle 10 is illustrated with a noise reduction device 12 mounted thereon in accordance with the present invention . in the most preferred embodiment of the present invention , the noise reduction device 12 is a magnetic device that is used in conjunction with a monitoring device 14 . monitoring device 14 is coupled to the bicycle 10 in a conventional manner . in this preferred embodiment , the noise reduction device 12 performs two functions . first , noise reduction device 12 reduces noise during riding of the bicycle 10 . second , noise reduction device 12 acts as part of the monitoring device 14 . bicycles and their various components are well known in the art , and thus , bicycle 10 and its various components will not be discussed or illustrated in detail herein , except for the components that relate to the present invention . in other words , only noise reduction device 12 and monitoring device 14 and the various components of bicycle 10 relating thereto will be discussed and / or illustrated herein . bicycle 10 basically includes a frame 15 , a pair of wheels 16 and a handlebar 17 . handlebar 17 is movably attached to frame 15 for turning front wheel 16 . each of the wheels 16 are conventional wheels that are rotatably coupled to frame 15 in a conventional manner . each of the wheels 16 has a hub 18 , a plurality of spokes 19 and a rim 20 . spokes 19 of each of the wheels 16 extend between hub 18 and rim 20 . while the hubs 18 for the wheels 16 are different in the front and rear wheels , these differences are not important to this invention . monitoring device 14 basically includes a display unit 24 , a wire 25 , a sensor 26 and the noise reduction device 12 mentioned above . all the parts are basically conventional parts that are well known in the bicycle art , except for noise reduction device 12 that is the subject of the present invention . therefore , display unit 24 , wire 25 and sensor 26 will not be discussed or illustrated in detail herein . one example of a prior art monitoring device is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 264 , 791 which is assigned to cateye , inc . this u . s . patent is hereby incorporated herein by reference for the purpose of understanding one particular use of the noise reduction device 12 in accordance with the present invention . of course , display unit 24 mentioned above can be of the type mentioned in this u . s . patent or any other prior art device . similarly , the sensor 26 can be a reed switch or any other type of magnetic sensor that is known in the art . as best seen in fig2 and 3 , noise reduction device 12 is located at the intersection of two spokes 19 . more specifically , noise reduction device 12 is pinned between two spokes 19 to retain noise reduction device 12 thereon . the adjacent spokes 19 can no longer rub against each other when noise reduction device 12 is located therebetween . therefore , noise due to flexing of wheel 16 is reduced when noise reduction devices 12 are located between the spokes 19 . noise reduction device 12 basically includes a body portion 28 with a magnet 30 fixedly coupled thereto . body portion 28 is integrally formed as a one - piece , unitary member , preferably of lightweight material . for example , body portion 28 can be molded as a one - piece , unitary member from plastic types of materials that can accomplish the essence of the present invention . body portion 28 can alternatively be made of magnetic or magnetized material eliminating the need for a separate magnet 30 . for example , body portion 28 can be constructed of a plastic material with magnetic particles embedded therein . body portion 28 can also have no magnetic properties whatsoever , and serve as a noise - reduction device only . preferably , body portion 28 has a cylindrical magnetic portion with a magnet cavity 33 for receiving magnet 30 as seen in fig3 . magnet 30 can be either frictionally or adhesively secured within cavity 33 . magnet 30 should have a magnetism that is strong enough to properly operate sensor 26 during rotation of wheel 16 . body portion 28 is a substantially oval - shaped member having a first side 34 with a first spoke - receiving recess 35 , and a second side 36 with second and third spoke - receiving recesses 37 and 38 as shown in fig2 and 3 . these spoke - receiving recesses 35 , 37 and 38 are designed such that spoke - receiving recess 35 is utilized with either spoke - receiving recess 37 or spoke - receiving recess 38 so that a pair of spokes 19 are coupled to body portion 28 at their intersection . magnet 30 extends outwardly from first side 34 . while spoke - receiving recesses 35 , 37 and 38 are shown as elongated grooves , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the spoke - receiving recesses can be formed by pins or protrusions extending outwardly from a body member . accordingly , the term “ spoke - receiving recess ” should not be limited to a groove as shown in the figures . rather , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the term “ spoke - receiving recess ” should be construed to include any space located between a pair of opposed surfaces that define a spoke - receiving space . these three spoke - receiving recesses 35 , 37 and 38 extend diagonally through a center section of body portion 28 . the three spoke - receiving recesses 35 , 37 and 38 have depths such that the bottoms of the recesses lie substantially in the same plane . accordingly , at the center section of body portion 28 , a small diamond - shaped hole or film 39 is formed at the intersection of spoke - receiving recesses 35 , 37 and 38 as seen in fig5 . it is important that the noise reduction device 12 does not bow or otherwise stress the spokes 19 . accordingly , spoke - receiving recesses 35 , 37 and 38 should be configured such that the spokes 19 are not stressed when received therein . if the bottoms of spoke - receiving recesses 35 , 37 and 38 lie in planes that are slightly offset from each other such that a small film of material 39 is formed between the bottoms of the spoke - receiving recesses 35 , 37 and 38 at their intersection . this thin film 39 is preferably no greater than approximately one millimeter in thickness . in this embodiment , spoke - receiving recesses 35 , 37 and 38 have uniform widths of approximately three millimeters for accommodating flat spokes that are approximately three millimeters in width or diameter . of course , noise reduction device 12 can be used with smaller diameter spokes . moreover , the size and shape of spoke - receiving recesses 35 , 37 and 38 can be designed to accommodate various spoke diameters and / or shapes . referring to fig4 - 8 , first spoke - receiving recess 35 is a continuous elongated groove that receives one of the spokes 19 . second and third spoke - receiving recesses 37 and 38 of second side 36 that receive another spoke 19 intersect with each other at the center section of body portion 28 . accordingly , second and third spoke - receiving recesses 37 and 38 are discontinuous elongated grooves . second spoke - receiving recess 37 has a pair of sections 47 and 49 . third spoke - receiving recess 38 has a pair of sections 53 and 55 . first spoke - receiving recess 35 is located on first side 34 and has a center axis a extending in a first radial direction . second spoke receiving recess 37 has a center axis b extending in a second radial direction that forms an angle θ 1 with center axis a of first spoke - receiving recess 35 . third spoke - receiving recess 38 has a center axis c extending in a third radial direction . third center axis c forms an angle θ 2 with second center axis b and forms an angle θ 1 with first center axis a . in this embodiment , as shown in fig5 angles θ 1 measure approximately 54 °, while angle θ 2 measures approximately 72 °. during installation of noise reduction device 12 , the two adjacent spokes 19 are pulled apart and body portion 28 is inserted at the intersection of the two spokes 19 . in particular , one of the spokes 19 is received in spoke - receiving recess 35 , while the other spoke 19 is received in spoke - receiving recess 37 or 38 . body portion 28 is retained between the two spokes 19 by the natural pressing force or tension that exists between the two spokes 19 . hole or thin film 39 minimizes the pressing force or tension between the spokes 19 . therefore , bowing or bending of spoke 19 does not occur , or occurs to a lesser extent because of hole or thin film 39 . also , longitudinal movement of noise reduction device 12 along the longitudinal axis of either spoke 19 is resisted by the intersection of spoke - receiving recess 35 with spoke - receiving recess 37 or 38 . because body portion 28 is secured by the tension of the two spokes 19 , no further securing means , such as a screw or a cover , is necessary . accordingly , noise reduction device 12 can be installed in one step , and requires no tools for installation . referring now to fig9 - 13 , a noise reduction device 12 ′ is illustrated in accordance with another embodiment of this invention . noise reduction device 12 can be used with monitoring device 14 of fig1 . in view of the similarities between this embodiment and the prior embodiment , this embodiment will not be discussed or illustrated in detail herein . rather , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that descriptions of similar parts of the prior embodiments also apply to the similar or identical parts of this embodiment . preferably , noise reduction device 12 ′ has a body portion 28 ′ with a magnet 30 ′ coupled in a cylindrical magnetic portion . specifically , a magnet cavity 33 ′ is provided for receiving magnet 30 ′. magnet 30 ′ can be either frictionally or adhesively secured within cavity 33 ′. magnet 30 ′ should have a magnetism that is strong enough to properly operate sensor 26 during rotation of wheel 16 ( fig1 ). body portion 28 ′ is a substantially oval - shaped member having a first side 34 ′ with a first spoke - receiving recess 35 ′, and a second side 36 ′ with second and third spoke - receiving recesses 37 ′ and 38 ′ as shown in fig1 - 13 . magnet 30 ′ extends outwardly from first side 34 ′. these spoke - receiving recesses 35 ′, 37 ′ and 38 ′ are designed such that spoke - receiving recess 35 ′ is utilized with either spoke - receiving recess 37 ′ or spoke - receiving recess 38 ′ so that a pair of spokes 19 are coupled to body portion 28 ′ at their intersection . while spoke - receiving recesses 35 ′, 37 ′ and 38 ′ are shown as elongated grooves , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the spoke - receiving recesses can be formed by pins or protrusions extending outwardly from a body member . accordingly , the term “ spoke - receiving recess ” should not be limited to a groove as shown in the figures . rather , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the term “ spoke - receiving recess ” should be construed to include any space located between a pair of opposed surfaces that define a spoke - receiving space . these three spoke - receiving recesses 35 ′, 37 ′ and 38 ′ extend diagonally through a center section of body portion 28 ′. the three spoke - receiving recesses 35 ′, 37 ′ and 38 ′ have a depth such that the bottom of the recesses lie substantially in the same plane . accordingly , at the center section of body portion 28 ′, a small diamondshaped hole or thin film 39 ′ is formed at the intersection of spoke - receiving recesses 35 ′, 37 ′ and 38 ′. it is important that the noise reduction device 12 ′ does not bow or otherwise stress the spokes 19 . accordingly , spoke - receiving recesses 35 ′, 37 ′ and 38 ′ should be configured such that the spokes 19 are not stressed when received therein . the bottoms of spoke - receiving recesses 35 ′, 37 ′ and 38 ′ lie in planes that are slightly offset from each other such that a small film of material 39 is formed between the bottoms of the spoke - receiving recesses 35 ′, 37 ′ and 38 ′ at their intersection . this thin film 39 is preferably no greater than approximately one millimeter in thickness . in this embodiment , spoke - receiving recesses 35 ′, 37 ′ and 38 ′ have uniform widths of approximately two millimeters for accommodating regular round - shaped spokes that are approximately two millimeters in diameter . of course , noise reduction device 12 ′ can work with smaller diameter spokes . referring to fig9 - 13 , first spoke - receiving recess 35 ′ is located on first side 34 ′ and has a center axis a ′ extending in a first radial direction . first spoke - receiving recess 35 ′ is a continuous elongated groove that receives one of the spokes 19 . second and third spoke - receiving recesses 37 ′ and 38 ′ of second side 36 ′ intersect with each other at the center section of body portion 28 ′. accordingly , second and third spoke - receiving recesses 37 ′ and 38 ′ are discontinuous elongated grooves . second spoke receiving recess 37 ′ has a center axis b ′ extending in a second radial direction that forms an angle θ 3 with center axis a ′ of first spoke - receiving recess 35 ′. second spoke - receiving recess 37 ′ has a pair of sections 47 ′ and 49 ′. third spoke - receiving recess 38 ′ has a center axis c ′ extending in a third radial direction . third spoke - receiving recess 38 ′ has a pair of sections 53 ′ and 55 ′. third center axis c ′ forms an angle θ 3 with first center axis a ′. in this embodiment , as shown in fig1 , angles θ 3 measure approximately 27 °. referring now to fig1 - 18 , a noise reduction device 112 is illustrated in accordance with another embodiment of this invention . noise reduction device 112 can be used with monitoring device 14 of fig1 . in view of the similarities between this embodiment and the prior embodiment , this embodiment will not be discussed or illustrated in detail herein . rather , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that descriptions of similar parts of the prior embodiments also apply to the similar or identical parts of this embodiment . noise reduction device 112 has a body portion 128 with a magnet 130 received in a cylindrical magnetic portion . a magnet cavity 133 is formed in the cylindrical magnetic portion of body portion 128 for receiving magnet 130 . magnet 130 can be either frictionally or adhesively secured within cavity 133 . magnet 130 should have a magnetism that is strong enough to properly operate sensor 26 during rotation of wheel 16 ( fig1 ). body portion 128 is a substantially oval - shaped member having a first side 134 with a first spoke - receiving recess 135 , and a second side 136 with second and third spoke - receiving recesses 137 and 138 as shown in fig1 - 18 . these spoke - receiving recesses 135 , 137 and 138 are designed such that spoke - receiving recess 135 are utilized with either spoke - receiving recess 137 or spoke - receiving recess 138 so that a pair of spokes 19 are coupled to body portion 128 at their intersection . magnet 130 extends outwardly from first side 134 . while spoke - receiving recesses 135 , 137 and 138 are shown as elongated grooves , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the spoke - receiving recesses can be formed by pins or protrusions extending outwardly from a body member . accordingly , the term “ spoke - receiving recess ” should not be limited to a groove as shown in the figures . rather , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the term “ spoke - receiving recess ” should be construed to include any space located between a pair of opposed surfaces that define a spoke - receiving space . these three spoke - receiving recesses 135 , 137 and 138 extend diagonally through a center section of body portion 128 . the three spoke - receiving recesses 135 , 137 and 138 have a depth such that the bottom of the recesses lie substantially in the same plane . accordingly , at the center section of body portion 128 , a small diamond - shaped hole 139 is formed at the intersection of spoke - receiving recesses 135 , 137 and 138 . it is important that the noise reduction device 112 does not bow or otherwise stress the spokes 19 . accordingly , spoke - receiving recesses 135 , 137 and 138 be configured such that the spokes 19 are not stressed when received therein . alternatively , the bottoms of spoke - receiving recesses 135 , 137 and 138 can lie in planes that are slightly offset from each other such that a small film of material is formed between the bottoms of the spoke - receiving recesses 135 , 137 and 138 at their intersection . this thin film 39 is preferably no greater than approximately one millimeter in thickness . as shown in fig1 , first spoke - receiving recess 135 is a continuous elongated groove that receives one of the spokes 19 . second and third spoke - receiving recesses 137 and 138 of second side 136 intersect with each other at the center section of body portion 128 . accordingly , second and third spoke - receiving recesses 137 and 138 are discontinuous elongated grooves . spoke - receiving recesses 135 , 137 and 138 are designed to accommodate a wide range of spoke sizes and shapes as well as different spoke intersecting angles . for example , spoke - receiving recesses 135 , 137 and 138 in the illustrated embodiment accommodates spokes ranging from two to three millimeters in width or diameter . of course , the dimensions of spoke - receiving recesses 135 , 137 and 138 can vary from those discussed below if needed and / or desired . first spoke - receiving recess 135 has a pair of sections 141 and 143 that meet at the central section of body portion 128 . section 141 has a pair of side surfaces 141 a and 141 b . section 143 also has a pair of side surfaces 143 a and 143 b . side surface 141 a is substantially parallel to side surface 143 b . side surfaces 141 a and 143 b preferably lie in planes that are spaced approximately three millimeters apart form each other . similarly , side surface 141 b is substantially parallel to side surface 143 a . however , side surfaces 141 b and 143 a preferably lie in planes that are spaced approximately two millimeters apart form each other . second spoke - receiving recess 137 has a pair of sections 147 and 149 . section 147 has a pair of side surfaces 147 a and 147 b . section 149 has a pair of side surfaces 149 a and 149 b . side surface 147 a is substantially parallel to side surface 149 b . side surfaces 147 a and 149 b preferably lie in planes that are spaced approximately two millimeters apart form each other . similarly , side surface 147 b is substantially parallel to side surface 149 a . however , side surfaces 147 b and 149 a preferably lie in planes that are spaced approximately three millimeters apart form each other . third spoke - receiving recess 138 has a pair of sections 153 and 155 . section 153 has a pair of side surfaces 153 a and 153 b . section 155 has a pair of side surfaces 155 a and 155 b . side surface 153 a is substantially parallel to side surface 155 b . side surfaces 153 a and 155 b preferably lie in planes that are spaced approximately two millimeters apart form each other . side surface 153 b is substantially parallel to side surface 155 a . however , side surfaces 153 b and 155 a preferably lie in planes that are spaced approximately two millimeters apart form each other . when noise reduction device 12 is installed on a wheel having thirty - six spokes 19 , the spokes 19 intersect at approximately 270 and are typically approximately two millimeters in diameter . when the spokes 19 intersect at approximately 27 °, the spokes 19 engage side surfaces 141 b and 143 a of first spoke - receiving recesses 135 and side surfaces 147 a and 149 b of second spoke - receiving recesses 137 or side surfaces 153 b and 155 a of third spoke - receiving recesses 138 . when noise reduction device 12 is installed on a wheel having sixteen spokes 19 , the spokes 19 intersect at approximately 54 °. if the spokes are flat spokes , they would typically be approximately three millimeters in diameter or width . when three millimeter spokes 19 intersect at approximately 54 °, the spokes 19 engage side surfaces side surfaces 141 a and 143 b of first spoke - receiving recesses 135 and side surfaces side surfaces 147 b and 149 a of second spoke - receiving recesses 137 or side surfaces side surfaces 153 a and 155 b of third spoke - receiving recesses 138 . in the event that the noise reduction device 12 is installed on a wheel having spokes intersecting at angle between 27 ° and 54 °, then the spokes will not firmly engage the side surfaces of spoke - receiving recesses 135 , 137 and 138 . accordingly , noise reduction device 12 of this third embodiment accommodates spokes that intersect at any angle between 27 ° and 54 °. referring now to fig1 - 21 , a noise reduction device 212 is illustrated in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention . in view of the similarities between this embodiment and the prior embodiment , this embodiment will not be discussed or illustrated in detail . rather , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the description of similar parts of the prior embodiments also apply to the similar identical parts of this embodiment . noise reduction device 212 has a body portion 228 with a magnet 230 secured in a cylindrical magnetic portion of the body portion 228 . in particular , the cylindrical magnetic portion of body portion 228 has a cylindrical cavity for either frictionally or adhesively securing magnet 230 therein . in this embodiment , body portion 228 is a substantially ring - shaped member with a first side 234 having a plurality of first spoke receiving recesses 235 , and a second side 236 with a plurality of second spoke - receiving recesses 237 . the spoke - receiving recesses 235 and 237 are designed to be coupled between the intersection of a pair of spokes . each spoke - receiving recess 235 or 237 includes a pair of sections that are aligned and located on opposite sides of the ring - shaped body portion 228 . each spoke - receiving recess 235 or 237 is located approximately 20 ° relative to the adjacent spoke - receiving recess located on this respective side . each of the spoke - receiving recesses 235 preferably has a depth that extends half of the thickness of the body portion 228 . likewise , second spoke - receiving recesses 237 also have a depth that is substantially equal to half of the thickness of body portion 228 . accordingly , the bottom surfaces of spoke - receiving recesses 235 and 237 lie in the center planes of body portion 228 . accordingly , when noise reduction device 212 is positioned between a pair of spokes 19 at their intersection , no or little stress is applied to a pair of spokes 19 . while only four embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims . furthermore , the foregoing description of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only , and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents .	1
in describing the preferred embodiment of the present invention , reference will be made herein to fig1 - 11 of the drawings in which like numerals refer to like features of the invention . referring to fig1 discharge circuit 10 of the present invention comprises fets 12 , 14 and 16 , control line 18 and terminal 20 . all fets used in the circuits described herein are mosfets ( metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor ). fets 12 and 16 are n - channel fets and fet 14 is a p - channel fet . fets 12 and 16 form one sub - circuit which defines a discharge path to ground potential . fet 14 forms another sub - circuit , the function of which is to control the bias voltages of the fets such that the v gs , and v ds of fets 12 and 16 are within a predetermined range of voltages . the predetermined range of voltage depends on the supply voltage v dd utilized . it is preferred that v ds be less than or equal to v dd and v gs be less than or equal to 2 × v dd wherein &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; denotes multiplication . v dd is typically 5 volts d . c . for peripheral circuitry associated with eeproms . if v dd is equal to 5 volts , then it is highly preferable that v gs and v ds are less than or equal to seven ( 7 ) volts d . c . gate 22 of fet 12 is coupled to supply voltage v dd . drain 24 of fet 12 is coupled to terminal 20 . source 26 of fet 12 is coupled to drain 28 of fet 16 . gate 30 of fet 16 is coupled to control line 18 , and source 32 is coupled to ground potential . gate 34 of p - channel fet 14 is coupled to control line 18 . drain 36 of fet 14 is coupled to source 26 of fet 12 and drain 28 of fet 16 . source 26 and drains 28 and 36 define node 29 . source 38 of fet 14 is coupled to supply voltage v dd . in a preferred embodiment , v dd is about 5 volts d . c . ( direct current ). referring to fig1 a , discharge circuit 10 is shown operatively coupled to nonvolatile semiconductor memory 40 . memory 40 can be a flash - eeprom memory . memory 40 includes at least one memory cell 42 that includes gate 44 , source 46 and drain 48 . cell 42 is controlled by control lines 50 and 52 , the function of which is beyond the scope of the present invention . terminal 20 of discharge circuit 10 is coupled to source 46 of cell 42 . in accordance with the discharge circuit of the present invention , when memory cell 42 is to be read , source 46 of cell 42 is coupled to ground potential . if it is desired to program cell 42 , then source 46 of cell 42 is preferably coupled to ground potential . when cell 42 is to be erased , source 46 is coupled to a relatively high voltage potential , preferably between 12 and 15 volts d . c ., inclusive . such a voltage potential can be coupled to high voltage line 54 and supplied by a charge pump or an external power supply . discharge circuit 10 effects the coupling of source 46 to the aforementioned voltage potentials in order to initiate the read , erase and program functions . specifically , when cell 42 is to be read or programmed , control line 18 is raised to a positive voltage potential of about 5 volts d . c . or a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; voltage potential . when this occurs , an electrically conductive path is established between drain 28 and source 32 . since fet 14 is a p - channel fet , source 38 is substantially isolated from drain 36 . thus , fet 14 is &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; when control line 18 has a voltage potential of 5 volts d . c . since gate 22 of fet 12 is always coupled to v dd , a constant electrically conductive path is established between drain 24 and source 26 . thus , when control line 18 has a voltage potential sufficient to establish a conductive path between drain 28 and source 32 , source 46 of memory cell 42 is coupled to ground potential . when control line 18 has a low voltage potential , e . g . 0 volts , or a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; voltage potential , drain 28 of fet 16 is substantially electrically isolated from source 32 thereby &# 34 ; turning off &# 34 ; the discharge path to ground and substantially isolating source 46 of cell 42 from ground potential . fig2 shows a graph of the transient response at various nodes of circuit 10 as the magnitude of the voltage on control line 18 is switched between a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; voltage potential and a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; voltage potential . the unit of time for the horizontal time axis shown in fig2 as well as in fig4 , 7 , and 9 , are in nanoseconds ( ns ). each value of time is in the thousands , e . g . 20 × 10 3 , 30 × 10 3 , 40 × 10 3 , etc . wherein &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; denotes multiplication . the letter a designates the voltage waveform on control line 18 . the letter b designates the response at source 46 of memory cell 42 . the letter c designates the response at node 29 ( junction of source 26 and drains 28 , 36 ; see fig1 ). as shown by the graph , when an erase voltage of about 12 volts is applied to line 54 and control line 18 has a voltage potential of about 0 volts , source 46 of cell 42 has a voltage potential of about 12 volts . as described above , this voltage potential is applied to source 46 by a charge pump or an external supply voltage . when the voltage potential of line 18 rises to about five ( 5 ) volts , the potential of source 46 of cell 42 decreases to about 0 volts or ground potential . when an erase voltage potential of about 12 volts is applied to the source 46 of cell 42 and the voltage potential of control line 18 is about 0 volts , the v gs and v ds of the fets of circuit 10 have the voltage potentials shown in table 1 . table i______________________________________ fet 12 fet 14 fet 16______________________________________ \| v . sub . gs \| 0 5 0 \| v . sub . ds \| 7 0 5______________________________________ since the v gs and v ds of fets 12 , 14 and 16 are at typical voltage levels suitable for fet transistors , electric fields across the junctions in each fet and the stress applied to the fet - gate oxide are minimized . thus , circuit 10 effects full voltage protection of fets 12 , 14 and 16 during erase cycles when relatively high voltage potentials are applied to source 46 of cell 42 . referring to fig3 alternate discharge circuit 100 of the present invention is shown . circuit 100 is configured for erase voltages that are greater than 12 volts . circuit 100 comprises n - channel fets 110 , 120 and 130 , p - channel fets 140 , 150 and diode 160 . fets 110 , 120 , and 130 form one sub - circuit that defines a discharge path between source 46 of cell 42 and ground potential . fets 140 and 150 form another sub - circuit , the function of which is to control the bias voltages of the fets such that the v gs and v ds of fets 110 , 120 and 130 are within a predetermined range of voltages . the predetermined range of voltages depends on the supply voltage v dd utilized . it is preferred that v ds be less than or equal to v dd and v gs be less than or equal to 2 × v dd wherein &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; denotes multiplication . v dd is typically 5 volts d . c . for peripheral circuitry associated with eeproms . if v dd is equal to 5 volts , then it is highly preferable that v gs and v ds are less than or equal to seven ( 7 ) volts d . c . fet 110 comprises drain 112 , gate 114 and source 116 . fet 120 comprises drain 122 , gate 124 and source 126 . fet 130 comprises drain 132 , gate 134 and source 136 . fet 140 comprises source 142 , gate 144 and drain 146 . fet 150 comprises source 152 , gate 154 and drain 156 . circuit 100 further includes diode 160 , control line 162 and node 164 which is coupled to source 46 of memory cell 42 . gate 124 of fet 120 and source 152 of fet 150 coupled to v dd . in a preferred embodiment , v dd is about 5 volts . diode 160 is coupled between v dd and gate 114 of fet 110 and functions as a blocking diode . nodes 166 and 168 are coupled to a first intermediate voltage v m1 , which can be produced by a charge pump or a resistive network as described below . intermediate voltage v m1 is coupled to port 166 and used to tie down or clamp gate 114 of fet 110 to reduce large voltage drops from gate 114 to drain 112 and from gate 114 to source 116 ( v gs ). intermediate voltage v m1 is a predetermined fraction of the erase voltage applied to the source 46 of cell 42 . similarly , intermediate voltage v m1 is also coupled to port 168 and ties down source 142 of fet 140 to v m1 volts in order to reduce the v gs and v ds of fet 140 . thus , intermediate voltage v m1 significantly reduces the electric field across the junctions which is created by hot - electron stress or stress applied to the gate oxides of fets 110 , 120 , 130 and 140 when the source line is connected to a relatively high voltage potential , above 12 volts , to erase the logic state of the flash eeprom . intermediate voltage v m1 may be produced by either charge pump 170 , as shown in fig1 , or resistor network 190 shown in fig1 b . charge pump 170 will be discussed below in further detail . resistor network 190 comprises resistors 192 and 194 . node 196 is coupled to source 46 of memory cell 42 . in a preferred embodiment , resistors 192 and 194 have resistances of about 1 . 01 mohm ( megaohm ) and 2 . 0 mohm , respectively . in the erase mode , source 46 of cell 42 is coupled to a relatively high voltage source v in which is applied to line 54 . thus , the intermediate voltage v m1 produced at node 198 is : ## equ1 ## for example , if v in is about 15 volts , then v m1 is equal to about 9 . 97 volts . fig4 shows a graph that illustrates the transient response at various nodes of discharge circuit 100 when the control voltage on line 162 is reduced to a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; level . the letter a designates the voltage potential applied to node 54 . during the &# 34 ; erase &# 34 ; mode , the voltage potential applied to node 54 is increased to about 15 volts . the letter b designates the voltage potential at node 117 . the letter c designates the voltage potential of v m1 . when control line 162 has a 0 volt potential ( designated by letter d ), p - channel fet 140 is &# 34 ; turned on &# 34 ; thereby establishing a conductive path between source 142 and drain 146 . therefore , since source 142 is coupled to node 168 which is coupled to vm 1 , node 117 has a voltage potential that is substantially equal to v m1 . the letter e represents the voltage potential at node 127 . when control line 162 has a voltage potential of 0 volts , p - channel fet 150 is &# 34 ; turned on &# 34 ; thereby establishing a conductive path between source 152 , which is coupled to v dd , and drain 156 , which is part of node 127 . thus , node 127 has a voltage potential substantially equal to v dd , which is preferably about 5 volts . thus , when an &# 34 ; erase &# 34 ; voltage v in of about 15 volts is applied to node 54 , the v gs and v ds of the fets of circuit 100 have the voltages , in volts , shown in table ii - a . table ii a______________________________________fet 110 fet 120 fet 130 fet 140 fet 150______________________________________ \| v . sub . gs \| 0 0 0 10 5 \| v . sub . ds \| 5 5 5 0 0______________________________________ since the v gs and v ds of fets 110 , 120 , 130 , 140 and 150 of circuit 100 are at typical voltage levels , electric fields across the junctions in each fet and the stress applied to the gate oxide of each fet are minimized . thus , circuit 100 effects full voltage protection of fets 110 , 120 , 130 , 140 and 150 during erase cycles when erase voltages greater than 12 volts are applied to the source 46 of memory all 42 . the utilization of intermediate voltage v m1 provides full voltage protection of fets 110 , 120 , 130 , 140 and 150 of discharge circuit 100 . fig5 illustrates the transient response for nodes 54 , 117 , v m1 , control line 162 and node 127 which are presented by letters a , b , c , d and e , respectively , when the source 46 of memory cell 42 is decreased to substantially 0 volts in order to read or program the flash eeprom . fig5 shows a graph that illustrates the transient response at various nodes of discharge circuit 100 when the control voltage on line 162 is increased to a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; level . table ii - b below shows v gs and v ds of fets 110 , 120 , 130 , 140 and 150 when line 162 has a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; voltage level and the source 46 of all 42 is coupled to ground potential by the discharge path created by fets 110 , 120 and 140 . table ii b______________________________________fet 110 fet 120 fet 130 fet 140 fet 150______________________________________ \| v . sub . gs \| 5 5 5 0 0 \| v . sub . ds \| 0 0 0 5 5______________________________________ thus , discharge circuit 100 offers sufficient gate oxide reliability and may be used with 0 . 5 um ( micrometer ) generation flash eeproms . fig6 shows an alternate embodiment of the discharge circuit of the present invention which is suitable for use with sub - 0 . 25 um cmos flash eeproms . discharge circuit 100 &# 39 ; is also of the &# 34 ; double - tapping &# 34 ; configuration and substantially identical to discharge circuit 100 with the exception that gate 144 of p - channel fet 140 is coupled to v dd instead of control line 162 . thus , fet 140 is biased off when v m1 is less than v dd by more than the threshold voltage , \| v th \|, which substantially isolates source 142 from drain 146 . fig7 shows the transient response of circuit 100 &# 39 ;. the letters a - e refer to the transient response at the same nodes and points described in circuit 100 and the graph in fig5 . during the erase mode , control line 162 ( letter d ) is decreased to about 0 volts and the potential of node 54 , source 46 of cell 42 , is increased to about 15 volts . since the potential of node 54 increases , v m1 increases as well . as v m1 increases , \| v gs \| of fet 140 also increases . when \| v gs \| of fet 140 is greater than the threshold voltage , \| v th \|, an electrically conductive path is produced between source 142 and drain 146 thereby coupling node 117 to v m1 . table iii shows v gs and v ds of all fets in discharge circuit 100 &# 39 ;: table iii______________________________________fet 110 fet 120 fet 130 fet 140 fet 150______________________________________ \| v . sub . gs \| 0 0 0 5 5 \| v . sub . ds \| 5 5 5 0 0______________________________________ since the v gs and v ds of fets 110 , 120 , 130 , 140 and 150 of circuit 100 &# 39 ; are at typical voltage levels , electric fields across the junctions in each fet and the stress applied to the gate oxide of each fet are minimized . thus , circuit 100 &# 39 ; effects full voltage protection of fets 110 , 120 , 130 , 140 and 150 during erase cycles when an erase voltage greater than 12 volts , e . g . 15 volts , is applied to the source 46 of memory all 42 . referring to fig8 an alternate embodiment of the present invention is shown . fig8 shows a &# 34 ; triple tapping &# 34 ; configuration which can be used with flash eeproms that use an erase voltage greater than 15 volts , e . g . 20 volts . circuit 200 comprises n - channel fets 202 , 204 , 206 and 208 , p - channel fets 210 , 212 and 214 , and diodes 216 , 218 . control line 220 receives a voltage potential of either about 0 or 5 volts . control line 220 has a voltage potential of about 0 volts ( logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;) during the erase mode and a voltage potential of about 5 volts ( logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;) when the flash eeprom is to be read or programmed . fet 202 comprises gate 222 , drain 224 and source 226 . fet 204 comprises gate 228 , drain 230 and source 232 . fet 206 comprises gate 234 , drain 236 and source 238 . fet 208 comprises gate 240 , drain 242 and source 244 . p - channel fet 212 comprises gate 246 , drain 248 and source 250 . fet 214 comprises gate 252 , drain 254 and source 256 . fet 210 comprises gate 258 , drain 260 and source 262 . the anodes of diodes 216 and 218 and gate 234 of fet 206 are coupled to v dd . source 256 of fet 214 is also coupled to v dd . circuit 200 utilizes two ( 2 ) intermediate voltages v m1 and v m2 . v m1 and v m2 may be produced by either resistor network 270 , shown in fig1 a , or charge pump circuit 300 , shown in fig1 . referring to fig1 a , resistor network 270 comprises resistors 272 , 274 , and 276 . in a preferred embodiment , resistors 272 , 274 and 276 have resistances of about 1 . 01 mohm , 1 . 01 mohm and 2 mohms , respectively . v m1 is the potential at node 278 and v m2 is the potential at node 280 . node 282 is coupled to source 46 of memory cell 42 and node 54 . during the erase cycle , voltage v in is about 20 volts and is applied to node 54 ( and source 46 ). thus : ## equ2 ## intermediate voltages v m1 and v m2 may also be produced by charge pump 300 shown in fig1 . pump 300 comprises p - channel fets 302 , 304 , 306 , 308 , n - channel fet 310 , capacitor 312 and resistor 314 . pump 300 also comprises additional circuitry , which is not shown , the discussion of which is beyond the scope of the present invention . line 316 is coupled to node 54 and source 46 of memory cell 42 ( see fig8 ). source 318 of fet 302 is coupled to v dd . drain 320 of fet 302 is coupled to source 322 of fet 304 . drain 324 of fet 304 is coupled to source 326 of fet 306 . drain 324 and source 326 define node 328 which provides v m1 . drain 330 of fet 306 is coupled to gate 332 of fet 306 and source 334 of fet 308 . drain 330 and source 334 define node 336 which provides v m2 . gate 338 of fet 308 is coupled to drain 340 of fet 308 and drain 342 of fet 310 . gate 338 and drain 340 of fet 308 , drain 342 of fet 310 , capacitor 312 , and resistor 314 define node 344 which is coupled to line 316 . source 346 of fet 310 is coupled to ground potential . preferably , a voltage potential that is less than or equal to v dd is applied to gates 319 , 323 and 348 of fets 302 , 304 and 310 . during the erase mode , charge pump 300 outputs a voltage potential on line 316 of 20 volts . however , modifications may be made to charge pump 300 to provide an &# 34 ; erase voltage &# 34 ; less than 20 volts . referring to fig8 gate 222 of fet 202 and source 262 of fet 210 are coupled to v m2 . gate 228 of fet 204 , gate 258 of fet 210 and source 250 of fet 212 are coupled to v m1 . referring to fig9 a voltage potential of about 20 volts is applied , by either charge pump 300 or an external power supply , to erase flash eeprom 40 . letter a designates the voltage potential of source 46 of memory cell 42 . letter c designates the voltage potential of control line 220 . during the erase cycle , this potential is decreased to about 0 volts thereby substantially isolating drain 242 from ground potential so as to &# 34 ; turn off &# 34 ; fet 208 and thus , the bleed path between ground potential and source 46 of memory cell 42 . when control line 220 has a voltage potential that is at 0 volts , p - channel fets 212 and 214 are &# 34 ; turned on &# 34 ;. thus , a substantially conductive path exists between source 256 and drain 254 of fet 214 . this results in drain 254 of fet 214 and source 238 of fet 206 having a potential substantially equal to v dd , i . e . about 5 volts . drain 254 , source 238 and drain 242 define node 264 . the response at node 264 is designated by letter b in the graph of fig9 . drain 248 of fet 212 , source 232 of fet 204 and drain 236 of fet 206 define node 265 . the response at node 265 is designated letter d . when fet 212 is &# 34 ; turned on &# 34 ;, a substantially conductive path exist between source 250 and drain 248 . thus , the voltage potential of node 265 is substantially equal to v m1 i . e . about 10 volts . letter e designates the voltage potential of v m1 during the erase cycle . as shown in the graph of fig9 the potential of node 265 eventually rises to a voltage that is substantially equal to v m1 . drain 260 of fet 210 , drain 230 of fet 204 and source 226 of fet 202 define node 267 . the response at node 267 is designated by letter f in the graph of fig9 . v m1 and v m2 rise in response to the erase mode voltage at node 54 , with v m2 greater than v m1 from the voltage divider or charge pump . when \| v gs \| of fet 210 is greater than the threshold voltage , \| v th \|, an electrically conductive path is produced between source 262 and drain 260 thereby coupling node 267 to v m2 ( designated by the letter g ). the v gs and v ds for the fets in circuit 200 , when control line has a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; voltage potential , are shown in table iv below . table iv______________________________________fet fet fet fet fet fet fet202 204 206 208 210 212 214______________________________________ \| v . sub . gs \| 0 0 0 0 5 10 5 \| v . sub . ds \| 5 5 5 5 0 0 0______________________________________ since the v gs and v ds of fets of circuit 200 are always within a predetermined range of voltages that are typical or normal for such fets , electric fields across the junctions in each fet and the stress applied to the gate oxide of each fet are minimized . thus , the utilization of intermediate voltages v m1 and v m2 facilitates full voltage protection of fets 202 , 204 , 205 , 208 , 210 , 212 and 214 during erase cycles when an erase voltage greater than 15 volts , e . g . 20 volts , is applied to the source 46 of memory cell 42 . the bias voltages of all fets utilized in circuit 200 are maintained within a predetermined range of typical or normal voltages that minimize or reduce the electric fields discussed above and prevent significant stress to the gate - oxide . thus , the discharge circuit of the present invention provides full voltage protection of all . fets during the erase cycle by biasing all fet devices to effect predetermined v gs voltages that are within a predetermined range of normal or typical voltage levels that do not degrade the fet devices . thus , the electric fields caused by hot electron tunneling or gate - oxide stress are minimized thereby significantly improving the reliability of the flash eeprom . furthermore , the present invention provides a discharge circuit that is relatively less complex in design and thus relatively less expensive to manufacture . no additional stress - tolerant devices are required to facilitate the construction of the discharge circuit of the present invention and therefore , modifications to the fabrication processes are not necessary . the discharge circuit of the present invention can be used with a very large variety of semiconductor memories , i . e . memories that employ a variety of program / erase mechanisms . furthermore , the simplicity of the design of the specific embodiments of the discharge circuit of the present invention permit the circuits to be used with current and future designs of semiconductor memories . while the present invention has been particularly described , in conjunction with specific preferred embodiments , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description . it is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will embrace any such alternatives , modifications and variations as falling within the true scope and spirit of the present invention .	7
fig1 is an electrical circuit diagram for an embodiment of the present invention showing the case in which the rotational speed of the automobile is displayed in a bar graph using multi - point defining leds . an engine rotational speed signal in the form of an ignition pulse or a pulse signal synchronous with the ignition pulse is applied to a point a , and after being converted into a proper waveform at a waveform shaping circuit 1 including input processing , the converted signal is applied to a microcomputer 2 . the output of the microcomputer 2 is applied to the i / o ports 3 , 4 and 5 through a bus line thereby to light the leds of the number corresponding to the input signal frequency . numerals 6 to 13 designate leds . the microcomputer 2 measures the time interval ti starting with a given pulse ( such as i in fig2 ), for example , ending with the third pulse i + 3 among the input values as shown in fig2 received from the waveform shaping circuit 1 , thus determining the number of the leds to be lit . the leds in this number are not immediately lit , but through the next process , namely , a pretermined number of measurements including the next measurement of ti + 1 , is performed under the conditions mentioned below , to determine the number of leds to be lit , which is followed by application of a signal to the i / o ports 3 , 4 and 5 for indication . assume that the leds in the number of n have just been lit in fig1 . the number of the leds to be lit can be changed only when one of the three conditions described below is satified . ( 1 ) after a specific number of times , e . g . eight times ( herinafter referred to as a hysteresis number ) of the above - mentioned measurements of a time interval starting with each of successive input signals , the leds in the number of n + 1 must be determined to be lit only in the case where the respective measured results are to light the leds in the number of n + 1 in all the eight measurements . ( 2 ) after the measurements of the hysteresis number measuring a time interval starting with each of successive input signals , the leds in the number of n - 1 must be lit only in the case where the respective measured results are to light the leds in the number n - 1 in all the number of measurements . ( 3 ) in the case where the measured result is to light the leds in the number other than n + 1 or n - 1 , the leds in that particular number are lit immediately . in this way , the number of leds presently lit is prevented from changing frequently between adjacent numbers on the one hand , and the indication is made to immediately follow a rapid change of input signal on the other hand . the operation of the microcomputer 2 will be described with reference to the flowchart of fig3 . when the operation starts , all the registers r1 , r2 , r3 and r4 contained in the microcomputer 2 are cleared to &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; ( step 31 ). the register r1 is for storing the number of leds determined to be lit based on the latest pulse , the register r2 for storing the number of leds presently lit , the register r3 is a display switching counter for increasing the number of leds to be lit by one , and the register r4 is a display switching counter for decreasing the number of leds to be lit by one . after the initialization , the operational process is executed for lighting the leds on the basis of the pulse signals from the waveform shaping circuit 1 . assume that the leds of the number of n have just been lit by the operational process . if a pulse signal is applied to the microcomputer under this condition , the time interval ti of the three pulses is counted and calculated as mentioned above ( step 33 ). the reciprocal of this time interval ti is proportional to the engine rpm so that by the use of this time interval , the number of leds to be lit representing the engine rotational speed is calculated , and the number of leds thus obtained is stored in the register r1 ( step 34 ). the number of leds presently lit n stored in the register r2 is compared with the number of leds calculated above and stored in the register r1 ( step 35 ). in the case where the numbers thus compared are the same n , the display is not changed . through the steps 36 and 37 it is determined whether or not the calculated number of leds to be lit is other than n + 1 or n - 1 . if the calculated number is not n + 1 of n - 1 , the display is changed to indicate the calculated number of leds to be lit ( step 38 ). in the case where the calculated number of the leds to be lit is n + 1 ( step 36 ), on the other hand , the value stored number of the register r3 is incremented by one ( step 40 ), and when such an increment is successively made eight times in response to input signal pulses ( steps 45 ), the display is switched to light the leds in the number of n + 1 ( step 38 ). in the case where the calculated number of leds to be lit is n - 1 ( step 37 ), the stored number of the register r4 is decremented by one , and when such a decrement is made eight times successively , the display is switched to light the leds in the number n - 1 . instead of the leds 6 to 13 used as the display elements in the above - mentioned embodiment , other display elements such as lcds or flts may be used similarly for the purpose of display . also , in place of the hysteresis number of eight , an increased number may be used to improve the stability against the flickering or a number less than eight may be used if it is desired to observe the minute change of the input signal earlier . further , if the hysteresis number is changed with an appropriate engine rotational speed as a boundary point , the optimum stability and response for each rpm range may be obtained . for example , the hysteresis number may be changed to eight in the low speed region lower than 2000 rpm , and to three in the high speed region higher than 2000 rpm . furthermore , without using the microcomputer 2 , such hard logic circuit as a counter or a gate may be used with equal effect . what is more , although the display is lit in a bar graph in the above - mentioned embodiment , only the points corresponding to the forward ends of the bars may be lit for indication . moreover , numerical display is possible in similar fashion . the diagram of fig4 shows an example of arrangement of leds simulating an engine torque curve . in this diagram , numerals 0 to 8 designate representative rotational speeds of the engine , and the diodes between them are displayed in different colors . furthermore , apart from the engine tachometer which the above - mentioned embodiment concerns , the display may be stabilized by a similar method also in the case of indicating the readings of the automobile speedmeter in bar graph . the present in invention is also applicable with equal effect to indications on a fuel gauge or the like . it will be understood from the foregoing description that according to the present invention , when an indication level adjacent to the present indication level is detected successively in a predetermined number of times , the present indication level is changed to the adjacent indication level . in the envent that an indication level other than the adjacent indication levels is detected , on the other hand , the present indication level is immediately changed to the detected indication level . in this way , the &# 34 ; twinkling &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; flicker &# 34 ; of the indication or display of the present indication point is prevented on the one hand and the response to the change in the detection signal is improved on the other hand .	6
preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail in accordance with the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a block diagram showing the schematic structure of an exposure device according to a first embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 , r designates a reticle , st designates a wafer stage that can move in three dimensions and w designates a wafer placed atop the wafer stage . an exposure beam projected from an exposure light source 16 is directed onto the reticle r by mirrors 15 , 14 . the exposure beam reflected from the reticle r according to a drawn pattern is directed onto the wafer w by mirrors 13 , 12 , thus transferring the pattern on the reticle r onto the wafer w . reference numeral 1 designates an alignment illumination unit , 2 , 3 and 4 designate focal optical systems , 5 and 6 designate half mirrors , and 8 designates an alignment mark , all disposed inside a chamber 11 . it should be noted that the alignment mark 8 is fixed at a predetermined position inside the chamber 11 . moreover , reference numeral 9 designates an observation window , 10 designates an image sensing unit , 17 designates an a / d converter and 18 designates a position detection apparatus , with the image sensing unit 10 , the a / d converter 17 and the position detection apparatus 18 disposed outside the chamber 11 . the position detection apparatus 18 , for example , includes a cpu , a rom and a ram ( not shown ), and calculates the mark position from the alignment mark 8 input from the a / d converter 17 and a wafer mark wm image ( two - dimensional digital signal sequence ) by the cpu executing a program stored in the rom . detection beams for the alignment mark 8 and the wafer mark wm pass through the observation window 9 and reach the image sensing unit 10 , although these detection beams have essentially the same optical axis . the position detection apparatus 18 turns the illumination units 1 , 7 , on and off by executing a program stored in the rom and implements a process like that to be described below with reference to the flow chart of fig1 . below , a description is given of an alignment detection process with reference to the flow chart of fig1 . first , the vacuum chamber 11 is put into a high vacuum state by a vacuum pump ( not shown ) so as to optimize exposure conditions ( step s 101 ). after the air pressure has stabilized , the alignment mark illumination unit 7 is lit , the alignment mark 8 is illuminated and the alignment mark 8 position is detected ( step s 102 ). fig3 shows a shape of an index mark , with the disposition of a plurality of rectangular slits sm . a beam of light passing through the index mark 8 is reflected by the half - mirror 6 to the image sensing unit 10 through the focal optical system 4 and the observation window 9 , so as to form an image on an image sensing surface as shown in fig2 a , thus forming an image of the index marks sm 1 - smn on the image sensing surface . the light rays thus focused are photoelectrically converted at the image sensing unit 10 and , thereafter , converted into a two - dimensional digital signal sequence at the a / d converter 17 . the positions of the index mark sm rectangular patterns are then detected by the position detection apparatus 18 . the positions of the rectangles can be obtained by cumulatively projecting an image within a window wp in fig2 a along the x axis and determining the center of gravity of the image . next , the position of the wafer mark is determined ( step s 103 ). when determining the position of the wafer mark , the index mark illumination unit 7 is extinguished and the alignment illumination unit 1 is lit . the beam of light projected from the alignment illumination unit 1 illuminates the wafer mark wm on the wafer w via the focal optical system 2 and the half mirror 5 . the shape of the wm , like that of the index mark sm , comprises a plurality of aligned rectangular marks . the beam of light reflected from the wafer mark wm then passes through the half mirrors 5 and 6 to reach the image sensing unit 10 via the focal optical system 4 and the observation window 9 , to focus an image like that shown in fig2 c on the image sensing surface . thus , an image of the wafer mark wm is formed on the image sensing surface . the focused beam of light is photoelectrically converted at the image sensing unit 10 and , thereafter , converted into a two - dimensional digital signal sequence . then , at the position detection apparatus 18 , the positions of the wafer mark wm rectangles are detected . the positions of the rectangles are obtained by cumulatively projecting the image within the window wp along the x axis and determining the center of gravity of the image . from the positions of the wafer mark wm and the index mark sm detected as described above , the position detection apparatus 18 determines the relative positions of the two marks and aligns the wafer using the index mark as a reference ( step s 104 ). for example , the position detection apparatus 18 can determine the position of the wafer mark by determining the average of the positions of the index marks sm 1 - smn of fig2 a and the average of the positions of the wafer marks wm 1 - wmp of fig2 c , and taking the difference between the two averages . fig2 b illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention and is not described here . it should be noted that , in the alignment detection described above , even if the chamber housing , as well as the observation window , are deformed , and the alignment optical system optical axis is warped by the difference in pressure between the inside of the chamber and the outside of the chamber , because the index mark is disposed outside the chamber , and because , moreover , the detection optical axes for the index mark and the wafer mark are substantially the same , index mark and wafer mark relative position detection error , in other words , wafer mark position detection error , can be reduced . in a case in which another wafer mark position is to be detected , the process starting from the step s 103 described above is executed . when detection of the positions of all wafer marks of detection objects is finished , processing ends ( step s 105 ). as described above , according to the first embodiment of the present invention , by using the index mark disposed inside the chamber as a reference , it is always possible to detect accurately the alignment position of a target object even when the chamber housing and observation window are deformed and the alignment optical system optical axis is warped due to the difference in pressure between the inside of the chamber and the outside of the chamber . in the first embodiment , consideration is not given to the occurrence of nonlinear aberration in the alignment optical system due to the difference in pressure between the inside and the outside of the chamber ( air pressure inside the chamber ). a second embodiment makes high - accuracy alignment mark detection possible even in the event that such aberration occurs . it should be noted that the configuration of a semiconductor exposure apparatus of the second embodiment is identical to that of the first embodiment ( fig1 ). a description is now given of the alignment detection process of the second embodiment , while referring to the flow chart of fig1 . it should be noted that steps that are the same as those for the first embodiment ( fig1 ) are given the same reference numeral . first , when the chamber 11 is at atmospheric pressure , the position detection apparatus 18 lights the index mark illumination unit 7 , senses the index mark 8 using the image sensing unit 10 , and , based on the sensed image thus obtained , detects the position of the index mark 8 and stores this index mark 8 position in a memory , not shown , in the position detection apparatus 18 ( step s 201 ). then , the chamber 11 is put into a vacuum state ( step s 101 ) after the vacuum state has stabilized , the index mark illumination unit 7 is lit , and the index mark position is again detected ( step s 102 ). then , an offset is calculated based on the index mark position stored in step s 201 , and the index mark position obtained in step s 102 . in other words , the positions of the rectangles of the index marks when the chamber 11 is at atmospheric pressure are detected and , as shown in fig2 b , offsets ( offset ( sm 1 ), offset ( sm 2 ), . . . offset ( smn )) occurring due to the difference in pressure between when the chamber is at atmospheric pressure and after the chamber is put into a vacuum state are calculated . fig2 b is a graph showing on the horizontal axis the mark detection positions x 1 and on the vertical axis the difference ( offset ( smi )) in detected values between when the chamber is at atmospheric pressure and after the chamber is put into a vacuum state . from the graph , a correction curve f ( x ) is obtained using such methods as polynomial approximation and interpolation . the curve f ( x ) is the actual correction curve used when detecting a mark on a wafer . thereafter , the wafer mark position is detected using the alignment illumination unit 1 and the image sensing unit 10 ( step s 103 ). then , the wafer mark detected value is corrected using the offset correction curve obtained in step s 202 and the relative position of the wafer mark relative to the index mark is corrected using the corrected detected values ( step s 203 ). corrected values for the wafer mark rectangles wm 1 - wmp can be obtained from the correction curve f ( x ). a more detailed description is now given of the operations of steps s 103 and s 203 . in particular , when detecting the wafer mark , the index mark illumination unit 7 is extinguished and the alignment illumination unit 1 is lit . the wafer mark wm on the wafer is illuminated by a light beam emitted from the alignment illumination unit 1 via the focal optical system 2 and the half mirror 5 . as described in the first embodiment , an image of the wafer mark is formed on the image sensing surface of the image sensing unit 10 ( fig2 c ). the focus light beam is photoelectrically converted at the image sensing unit 10 and converted to a two - dimensional digital signal sequence at the a / d converter 17 . the position detection apparatus 18 then determines the positions of the wafer mark wm rectangles from the two - dimensional digital signal sequence . then , using a previously determined correction curve f ( x ), a position offset ( offset ( wm 1 ), offset ( wm 2 ), . . . , offset ( wmn )) due to a pressure differential is determined for each of the detected positions of the rectangles wm 1 - wmp , and the detected positions of the rectangles are corrected . then , the position of the wafer mark is determined based on the position of the index mark detected when the chamber was at atmospheric pressure and the corrected wafer mark detected position . it should be noted that , in the second embodiment of the present invention , when the difference in pressure between the inside of the chamber and the outside of the chamber changes , the state of deformation of the chamber housing and the observation window , as well as the aberration described above also change , and in such a case , the index mark position is re - detected . in other words , so long as any change in the internal - external chamber pressure differential does not exceed a predetermined threshold , then when detecting the position of another wafer mark the process described above may be executed starting from step s 103 ( i . e ., steps s 105 , s 106 ). by contrast , if the change in the internal - external chamber pressure differential does exceed a predetermined threshold , then , when detecting the position of the next wafer mark , the processing returns to step s 102 and is executed from that step onward . however , even in a case in which there is no change in the internal - external chamber pressure differential , detection of the position of the index mark may be executed at a predetermined time interval and the offset correction curve f ( x ) re - calculated . moreover , although in fig1 , the detection of the position of the next wafer is the point in the process at which a check is made for any change in the internal - external chamber pressure differential , the present invention is not limited to such an arrangement . thus , alternatively , detection of any change in the internal - external chamber pressure differential may be conducted at a predetermined interval , and detection of the index mark may be carried out whenever any change exceeding a threshold value is detected and the correction curve f ( x ) re - calculated . in a third embodiment of the present invention , the index mark and the wafer mark are detected at the same time , thus enabling correct alignment detection even if there is a change in the internal - external chamber pressure differential . it should be noted that the basic structure of the exposure apparatus of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment ( fig1 ). in the third embodiment , an arrangement is used in which the index mark and the wafer mark rectangles do not overlap in a state in which alignment is conducted at a predetermined accuracy . for example , a mark like that shown in fig4 may be used as the index mark and the wafer mark ( in this case , the width and pitch of the index mark rectangles are equal to the width and pitch of the wafer mark rectangles ). however , provided they are disposed relative to each other at detectable positions , the index mark and the wafer mark patterns need not be limited to the foregoing configuration . then , when detecting the wafer mark , the alignment illumination unit 1 is also lit at the same time as the index mark illumination unit 7 . as a result , an image of the index mark and an image of the wafer mark are both formed simultaneously on the image sensing surface of the image sensing unit 10 at mutually exclusive positions , as shown in fig5 b . ( it should be noted that fig5 a illustrates a succeeding fourth embodiment of the present invention .) the focused light beam is then photoelectrically converted by the image sensing unit 10 , and then converted into a two - dimensional digital signal sequence by the a / d converter . the position detection apparatus 18 detects the positions of the rectangles of the index mark sm and the wafer mark wm from the digital signal ( i . e ., the wafer mark and index mark images ). thus , as with the first embodiment , the relative positions of the wafer mark wm and the index mark sm are determined , and the wafer is aligned using the index mark as the standard of the reference . fig1 is a flow chart illustrating a wafer mark position detection process according to a third embodiment of the present invention . after the chamber 11 is put into a vacuum state ( step s 101 ), when detecting the position of the wafer mark , as described above , the positions of the index mark and the wafer mark are detected at the same time ( step s 301 ). then , the relative positions of the index mark and the wafer mark are detected based on the simultaneously detected positions of the index mark and the wafer mark ( step s 302 ). when detecting the next wafer mark , the process is repeated , starting with step s 301 ( step s 303 ). as described above , according to the third embodiment of the present invention , as with the first embodiment , it is always possible to detect accurately the alignment position of a target object even when the chamber housing and observation window are deformed , and the alignment optical system optical axis is warped due to the difference in pressure between the inside of the chamber and the outside of the chamber . further , according to the third embodiment , the rectangles that comprise the wafer mark and the rectangles that comprise the index mark do not overlap , and the index mark and the wafer mark that are inside the chamber are sensed at the same time , and the wafer mark position is detected with reference to the index mark . thus , even if the pressure differential inside and outside the vacuum chamber 11 changes , it is always possible to detect accurately the relative positions of the wafer and index marks . further , by using index marks and alignment marks like those shown in fig7 a or fig7 b , position detection of two axes intersecting atop the wafer can be carried out in a single image sensing . in fig7 a , 7 b , the index mark sm and the wafer mark wm are provided at positions that do not overlap . in a fourth embodiment of the present invention , the effects of nonlinear aberration are eliminated , as with the second embodiment , while adopting the alignment detection technique of the third embodiment . in this case , as with the second embodiment , detection of the position of the index mark is carried out while the chamber is at atmospheric pressure . then , after the chamber has been put into a vacuum state , the positions of the wafer mark wm and the index mark sm are detected simultaneously using the same technique as that of the third embodiment described above . as shown in fig5 a , a correction curve f ( x ) for correcting an offset produced by a difference in pressure is created using index mark 8 detected values . the index mark 8 detected values are corrected using this correction curve f ( x ). in the fourth embodiment , the index mark 8 is detected when the wafer mark is detected , and , therefore , an offset used when detecting the wafer mark wm is calculated , and the wafer mark detected value is corrected using that offset . the technique employed by the fourth embodiment is a combination of the processes shown in fig1 and fig1 . although not shown in the drawing , step s 201 is executed prior to step s 101 in fig1 , and the position of the index mark 8 is detected while the chamber 11 is at atmospheric pressure . in addition , step s 202 is executed after step s 301 , and an offset calculated from the index mark detected in step s 301 . then , by executing steps s 202 and s 203 instead of step s 302 , the offset is reflected in the wafer mark position detected in step s 301 , thus detecting the relative position of the wafer mark relative to the index mark . as described above , in the fourth embodiment of the present invention , the index mark can be detected at the same time the wafer mark is detected , and , therefore , it is always possible to detect accurately the relative positions of the wafer and index marks , even if the pressure differential inside and outside the vacuum chamber 11 changes . as a result , accurate alignment detection that reduces the impact of an aberration change can be executed even when the internal - external chamber pressure differential changes . it should be noted that , by using index and alignment marks like those shown in fig7 a and 7b , as in the third embodiment , position detection of two axes intersecting atop the wafer can be carried out in a single image sensing . in a fifth embodiment , oblique - incidence auto focus ( af ) system detection is adapted to the mark position detection of the present invention . fig6 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of an alignment detection system of an exposure apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention . in fig6 , reference numeral 19 designates an oblique - incidence af detection illumination unit , 20 designates an oblique - incidence af detection mark , 21 , 22 and 23 designate focal optical systems , 27 designates a half mirror , 24 designates an index mark illumination unit , 28 designates an index mark , 25 designates an observation window , and 26 denotes an image sensing unit . an a / d converter 17 and an image sensing apparatus 18 are the same as those in embodiments 1 through 4 . it should be noted that , for simplicity and clarity of description , fig6 does not show the projection optical system and the reticle necessary for exposure . in this type of oblique - incidence af system detection as well , as with the methods described in the first embodiment and the third embodiment , by determining the relative positions of the oblique - incidence af detection mark and the index mark 28 , it is always possible to conduct accurate af detection ( that is , detection of the position of a wafer surface along the projection optical system optical axis and / or the slant of the wafer surface with respect to the optical axis ), even if the chamber housing as well as the observation window are deformed and the alignment optical system optical axis is warped by the difference in pressure between the inside of the chamber and the outside of the chamber . in addition , by using the same methods described in the second embodiment and the fourth embodiment , it is possible to correct an offset occurring due to non - linear aberration even when such aberration arises due to the difference in pressure between the inside and the outside of the chamber . it should be noted that , although in fig6 , the detection target object is a wafer , the arrangement is the same when detecting the position of a reticle . in a sixth embodiment , the mark detection of the present invention is adapted to reticle and wafer calibration . here , a description is given of an example in which , by detecting the relative positions of an index mark and a reticle mark , as well as the relative positions of the index mark and a wafer stage reference mark , respectively , the relative positions of the reticle mark and the stage reference mark are calibrated . in fig8 , reference numeral 36 designates a calibration detection illumination unit , 29 designates an index mark illumination unit , 30 , 33 and 37 designate focal optical systems , 31 designates an index mark , 32 and 38 designate half mirrors , rst designates a reticle stage , r designates a reticle , rm designates a reticle mark , st designates a stage , wsm designates a reference mark on the stage , 34 designates an observation window , and 35 designates an image sensing unit . in fig8 , when detecting the relative positions of the index mark 31 and the stage reference mark wsm , a reticle stage rst is moved so that a mirror 51 moves into the path of the light , thus enabling a light beam reflected from the wafer mark wsm to be focused on an image sensing surface of the image sensing unit 35 . by contrast , when detecting the relative positions of the index mark 31 and the reticle mark rm , the reticle stage rst is moved so that the reticle mark rm moves into the light path and , at the same time , the stage st is moved so that a mirror 52 moves into the light path . by so doing , an alignment beam reflected by the mirror 52 is reflected by mirrors 12 , 13 so as to reach the reticle mark , and the light beam reflected from the reticle mark rm can be focused on the image sensing surface of the image sensing unit 35 . thus , as described above , the respective positions of the stage reference mark wsm and reticle mark rm can be determined using the index mark as a reference , achieving the calibration described above . in addition , in the respective detections of the stage reference mark wsm and the reticle mark rm , by adapting the configuration of the first embodiment , it is always possible to detect accurately the alignment position of a target object even when the chamber housing and observation window are deformed , and the alignment optical system optical axis is warped due to a difference in pressure between the inside of the chamber and the outside of the chamber . moreover , by adapting the mark detection technique of the second embodiment , any offset caused by non - linear aberration can be corrected , even if such aberration is due to the difference in pressure between the inside and the outside of the chamber occurs . further , by adopting the construction of the third and fourth embodiments , reliable calibration is always possible , even in the face of changes in the internal - external chamber pressure differential . it should be noted that , although in fig8 , the alignment beam is emitted from the reticle side , the present invention may be configured so that , as shown in fig9 , the alignment beam originates at the wafer side . in fig9 , when detecting the relative positions of the index mark 31 and the stage reference mark wsm , the reticle stage rst is moved so as to move the mirror 51 into the path of the light . by contrast , when detecting the relative positions of the index mark 31 and the reticle mark rm , the reticle stage rst is moved so as to move the reticle mark rm into the light path and , on the wafer side , the stage st is moved so that a transparent glass portion 53 moves into the light path . a seventh embodiment of the present invention adapts the mark detection of the present invention to reticle alignment detection . in fig1 , reference numeral 46 designates a reticle alignment illumination unit , 42 designates an index mark illumination unit , 39 , 43 and 47 designate focal optical systems , 44 designates an index mark , 45 and 48 designate half mirrors , rst designates a reticle stage , rsm designates a reference mark on the reticle stage , r designates a reticle , rm designates a reticle mark , 40 designates an observation window and 41 designates an image sensing unit . in fig1 , the optical systems , wafer stage , and the like , necessary for exposure have been omitted for simplicity and clarity of description . in the reticle alignment of a reticle mark rm or a reticle reference mark rsm like that shown in fig1 as well , by determining the relative positions of the index mark 44 and the reticle reference mark rsm , or of the index mark 44 and the reticle mark rm , using the same methods as described for the first and third embodiments , the correct alignment mark position can always be detected , even if the chamber housing , as well as the observation window , are deformed , and the alignment optical system optical axis is warped by the difference in pressure between the inside of the chamber and the outside of the chamber . moreover , by using the same method as that described for the second and fourth embodiments , any offset caused by non - linear aberration can be corrected , even if such aberration due to the difference in pressure between the inside and the outside of the chamber occurs . it should be noted that , although in the foregoing embodiments , the index mark and the detection target object mark ( that is , the wafer mark , reticle mark , wafer stage mark , reticle stage mark , af detection mark , or the like ) are each illuminated by separate illumination units , the present invention may be configured so that light from a single illumination unit is directed to each mark by a mirror , or the like . in addition , the present invention may be configured so that a common illumination unit is used , and the index mark and the detection target object mark are disposed along a common light path . moreover , although in the mark position detection process described above , the two - dimensional mark image obtained using the image sensing unit is analyzed , the present invention is not limited to such an arrangement . thus , for example , the present invention may be configured to detect mark position based on a one - dimensional signal obtained by a line sensor ( that is , a one - dimensional image signal ). further , although in the foregoing embodiments , the index mark is provided inside the chamber , even when the index mark is provided outside the chamber , by using the methods described in the second and fourth embodiments , any mark position detection error can be corrected , even if the chamber housing , as well as the observation window are deformed , and the alignment optical system optical axis is warped by the difference in pressure between the inside of the chamber and the outside of the chamber . as described above , according to the embodiments , mark position detection error ( that is , alignment detection error , oblique - incidence af detection error , etc .) caused by changes in observation window deformation and detection optical system aberration due to changes in the internal - external chamber pressure differential can be reduced or corrected . next , a description is given of a semiconductor device manufacturing process utilizing the exposure apparatus described above , using the example of a device , such as a micro - device . fig1 is a diagram showing a device manufacturing process . in step 1 ( circuit design ), the design of the semiconductor device is carried out . in step 2 ( mask production ), a mask is produced based on the designed circuit pattern . on the other hand , in step 3 ( wafer manufacture ), a wafer is manufactured using a raw material , such as silicon . step 4 ( pre - process ) is called pre - process , in which , using the mask and wafer described above , an actual circuit is formed on the wafer using a lithographic technique according to the exposure apparatus described above . the succeeding step 5 ( assembly ) is called a post - process , and is a step in which a semiconductor chip is put together using the wafer produced in step 3 , while also including such assembly processing as an assembly step ( dicing , bonding ) and a packaging step ( chip insertion ). in step 6 ( inspection ), the operation and durability of the semiconductor device produced in step 5 are tested . through such processes , a semiconductor device is completed and , in step 7 , shipped . the wafer process of step 4 described above has the following steps : a step of oxidizing the surface of the wafer , a cvd step of forming an insulating layer on the wafer surface , an electrode formation step of forming an electrode on the wafer by vapor deposition , an ion injection step of injecting ions into the wafer , a resist process step of coating the wafer with a photosensitive agent , an exposure step of transferring to the wafer a circuit pattern after the resist process step using the exposure apparatus described above , a development step of developing the wafer exposed in the exposure step , an etching step of removing those portions other than the resist image developed in the developing step , and a resist peel step of removing excess resist after etching is completed . by repeating these steps , a multi - layered circuit pattern is built up on the wafer . according to the present invention , it is possible to detect with high accuracy the position of a mark disposed inside a variable - pressure chamber by a sensor disposed outside the chamber . thus , for example , the position of a mark can be accurately detected , even if the chamber observation window is warped by the difference in pressure inside the chamber and outside the chamber . the present invention is not limited to the above - described embodiments , and various changes and modifications can be made thereto within the spirit and scope of the present invention . therefore , to apprise the public of the scope of the present invention , the following claims are made . this application claims priority from japanese patent application no . 2003 289156 filed on aug . 7 , 2003 , which is hereby incorporated by reference herein .	6
the teachings of u . s . patent application ser . no . 13 / 683 , 977 are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety . as presented herein , data regarding people relies upon the detection of people . the task of detecting and counting people in a scene , e . g ., retail stores is challenging . various approaches have been developed to detect and count people , and these various approaches generally rely on a variety of sensors , e . g ., mechanical sensors , infrared sensors , and cameras ; however , existing solutions remain inadequate . many of the approaches using cameras employ a pair of cameras to calculate the distance of objects from the cameras through stereo vision . this depth data is , in turn , used to determine how many people appear in front of the pair of cameras . such a system must usually be installed overhead in order to capture top - down views , e . g ., on the ceiling or roof over a building &# 39 ; s entrances or exits . these installation constraints restrict the application of such a system . an embodiment of the invention provides a method for detecting people that uses video streams from a camera that is arranged in a down - forward orientation . such a method may be used in retail stores for detecting the presence or absence of people and / or how many people are in front of the down - forward camera . this is particularly advantageous because many cameras in retail stores are installed in a down - forward orientation such that the camera can capture part of a person &# 39 ; s head and shoulders . example of cameras that are typically oriented in a down - forward position may be cameras looking at an entry way or a cashier &# 39 ; s desk . fig1 is a simplified illustration of a retail scene 100 in which an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented . the retail scene 100 illustrates a typical retail environment that consumers may encounter in their day - to - day life . as described above , it would be useful for the owner of said retail establishment to have metrics regarding people in her establishment . the retail scene 100 with the entrance 109 further includes a cash register area 111 . the cash register area 111 may be stationed by an employee 108 . the employee 108 likely interacts with the customers 107 a - n at the cash register area 111 . while a single employee 108 has been illustrated in the scene 100 , embodiments of the invention may be configured to detect multiple people . the scene 100 may include any number of customers 107 a - n , and embodiments of the invention may be configured to detect the people in scenes with crowds of varying densities . the retail scene 100 further includes typical product placement areas 110 and 112 where customers 107 a - n may browse products and select product for purchase . the scene 100 further includes cameras 102 a - n . the scene 100 may include any number of cameras and the number of cameras to be utilized in an environment may be determined by a person of skill in the art . the cameras 102 a - n have respective fields of view 104 a - n . these cameras 102 a - n may be oriented such that the respective fields of view 104 a - n are in down - forward orientations such that the cameras 102 a - n may capture the head and shoulder area of customers 107 a - n and employee 108 . the cameras 102 a - n may be positioned at an angle sufficient to allow the camera to capture a stream of video frames used to identify distinctions between features of people such as the customers 107 a - n and employee 108 and the background . the cameras 102 a - n further comprise respective updating people classifiers 103 a - n . the updating people classifiers 103 a - n are configured to be automatically updated based upon data in at least a subset of video frames from streams of video frames captured by the cameras 102 a - n . while the classifiers 103 a - n are illustrated internal to the cameras 102 a - n , embodiments of the invention may use classifiers that are located externally either locally or remotely with respect to the cameras 102 a - n . as illustrated each camera 102 a - n has a respective classifier 103 a - n . an alternative embodiment of the invention may utilize a single classifier that may be located at any point that is communicatively connected to the cameras 102 a - n . the cameras 102 a - n are connected via interconnect 105 to metric server 106 . the interconnect 105 may be implemented using any variety of techniques known in the art , such as via ethernet cabling . further , while the cameras 102 a - n are illustrated as interconnected via the interconnect 105 , embodiments of the invention provide for cameras 102 a - n that are not interconnected to one another . in other embodiments of the invention , the cameras 102 a - n are wireless cameras that communicate with the metric server 106 via a wireless network . the metric server 106 is a server configured to store the metrics 113 a - n regarding people in a video frame within a stream of video frames captured by the cameras 102 a - n . these metrics 113 a - n may be determined by the people classifiers 103 a - n . while the metric server 106 is illustrated in the scene 100 , embodiments of the invention may store metrics 113 a - n on a metric server that is located remotely from the scene 100 . an alternative embodiment of the invention may operate without a metric server . in such an embodiment , metrics , such as the metrics 113 a - n may be stored directly on the respective cameras 102 a - n and further accessed directly . while a particular camera network has been illustrated it should be clear to one of skill in the art that any variety of network configurations may be used in the scene 100 . an alternative embodiment of the invention further processes the metrics 113 a - n to produce information . this information may include any such information that may be derived using people detection . for example , this information may include the number of people coming through the door 109 at various times of the day . through use of people tracking , an embodiment of the invention may provide information for the number of customers 107 a - n that go to the register 111 . information may also be derived regarding the time customers 107 a - n linger or browse through the various product placements 110 and 112 . this information may be analyzed to determine effective sales practices and purchasing trends . an embodiment of the invention may further allow for employee 108 monitoring . such an embodiment may be used to determine the amount of time employees spend at the register 111 or interacting with customers throughout the retail space 100 . an example method of an embodiment of the invention in relation to the scene 100 is described hereinbelow . in an embodiment of the invention , a camera , such as the camera 102 a , captures a stream of video frames . then a classifier , such as the classifier 103 a , detects the presence or absence of people within a video frame in the captured stream of video frames . further detail regarding the process of detecting people in a video frame is discussed hereinbelow in relation to fig2 . next , the camera 102 a outputs metrics , such as the metric 113 a , regarding people in the video frame to the metric server 106 . this process can be repeated for every video frame in a stream of video frames or may be done on a periodic or random basis . the method further includes automatically updating the classifier using data in at least a subset of the video frames in the stream of video frames . in an embodiment of the invention , the classifier is updated using edge data of people &# 39 ; s head - shoulder area , which may be referred to as the omega - shape . because the method may use edge - derived features , it may more accurately detect people in a crowded scene . further detail regarding updating the classifier is described hereinbelow in relation to fig2 . because the classifier is updated using data captured from the stream of video frames the classifier can adapt itself to the environment where the stream of video frames is captured . in contrast to existing solutions , where a classifier is not automatically updated , the method of the present invention may operate without pre - configuring the object classifier . further , because the classifier automatically updates it is capable of adjusting to changing conditions , such as changes in lighting and camera setup . these advantages provide for metric gathering systems that are highly flexible and cheaper to implement . because pre - configuration and human intervention for updating the classifier are not required , system setup and maintenance is achieved at a lower cost . further , because many existing surveillance systems use down - forward facing cameras , an embodiment of the invention may be easily implemented in these existing systems . fig2 is a flowchart depicting a method 215 of detecting people in a stream of images according to principles of the present invention . the method 215 begins with inputting an image ( 216 ). this image may be a video frame from a stream of video frames captured by a camera , such as the cameras 102 a - n . the image is inputted into two processes , 220 and 230 of the method 215 . the process 220 collects training data samples that are used to train and update a people classifier . the process 230 detects people in the image and outputs detection results ( metrics ) using the people classifier trained with the training data generated by the sub - process 220 as described herein . the process 230 begins with inputting an image ( 216 ). after an image is received , image gradient information is calculated and histogram of oriented gradient ( hog ) features are extracted ( 231 ). the image gradient information may be calculated and hog features extracted in any manner as is known in the art . in an embodiment , image gradients are calculated for edge information of objects appearing in a scene , where a scene may be a video frame . gradients may be directionally calculated , i . e ., gradients may be calculated in the horizontal ( x ) direction and the vertical ( y ) direction . thus , one can determine where gradients occur and the orientation of the determined gradients . a hog feature may be calculated for each scanning window in the scale space of the input image . calculating a hog feature for each scanning window in the scale space may allow for a more thorough gradient analysis to be performed . some image gradients are more easily determined based upon the scale of the input image , thus an embodiment of the invention determines a hog feature for each scanning window in the scale space so as to ensure that all gradients of the image are determined . further , an embodiment of the invention allows for tuning by setting a threshold at which gradients are considered in the analysis . for example , in an embodiment , if a gradient is too small it may be ignored . hog features may be represented as a multi - dimensional vector which captures the statistics of image gradients within each window in terms of the gradient orientations and associated magnitudes . these vectors however can become quite large and thus , an embodiment of the invention applies the linear discriminant analysis ( lda ) method to these vectors to reduce the dimensionality of the hog features . the lda method may be used to reduce the dimension of hog features through a projection . this dimension reduction may be done with the intention of maximizing the separation between positive training samples and negative training samples , training samples are discussed hereinbelow . these lower dimension hog features are adopted to train a strong classifier using the adaboost method . the adaboost method combines multiple weak classifiers such that the strong classifier has a very high detection rate and a low false detection rate . to achieve target performance , i . e ., high detection rate and low false detection rate , multiple strong classifiers are cascaded to form a final classifier . in practice , the classifier may detect people using edge - based hog features , rather than using motion pixels and / or skin color , this helps to make the classifier more capable of detecting people in a crowded retail environment . after the image gradients are calculated and the hog features are extracted ( 231 ), the next step of the process 230 is to determine whether a people classifier exists ( 232 ). classifiers as they are known in art can be configured to detect the presence or absence of people . a classifier may be thought of as a function , and thus a people classifier may be thought of as a function , such as a 1 x 1 + a 2 x 2 , or any combination of feature vectors and classifier weights or parameters , the result of which indicates the presence or absence of a person . the variables of the classifier , i . e ., x 1 and x 2 , may be equated with the hog features , and the coefficients , a 1 and a 2 may be tuned to improve the classifier . returning to the step 232 , when there is no people classifier available the method returns ( 234 ). this return may bring the process back to waiting for a next image ( 216 ). the absence of a people classifier does not necessarily indicate that there is no people classifier at all , it may simply indicate that the classifier has no coefficients , as described above , or has had no training . such a result may occur where , for example , a camera carrying out the method is deployed in the field with a classifier without any prior training . this result however is not problematic , because as explained herein , the classifier may be automatically trained once deployed . for example , if a camera is deployed with a classifier with no prior training , it may be determined upon the first run of the method that no classifier exists , however , after some time , the classifier may be automatically updated , and then the classifier will have some values with which the presence or absence of people can be determined . if it is determined at ( 232 ) that a people classifier exists , the process proceeds and applies the classifier to the hog features to detect the presence or absence of people ( 233 ). after the classifier is applied to the hog features the results of the detection are output ( 235 ). this output may be to a metric server as described hereinabove in relation to fig1 , or may be to any communicatively connected point to the apparatus that is performing the method 215 . the method may be carried out in cameras such as the cameras 102 a - n , or may be carried out remotely from the cameras . while the above described process 230 is being performed , the other sub - process 220 of the method 215 may be simultaneously occurring . in an embodiment of the invention , the process 230 is carried out at a much higher rate than the sub - process 220 . for example , in an embodiment of the invention , where for example a camera is collecting a stream of video frames , the sub - process 230 may be carried out for every video frame in the stream of video frames , and the sub - process 220 may be carried out for every one hundred video frames in the stream of video frames . the rates at which the method 215 and its associated sub - processes 220 and 230 are carried out may be chosen accordingly by a person of ordinary skill in the art . further , the rates at which the processes 220 and 230 occur may be automatically determined based upon for example the time of day , or the currently available processing power . the function of process 220 is to develop training samples . training samples are developed to tune the classifier used in the process 230 at step 233 . while both processes 220 and 230 detect people , in an embodiment of the invention the sub - process 220 may be more processor intensive , however , resulting in more accurate detection of people . thus , an embodiment of the method 215 uses the more accurate , albeit more processor intensive , people detection methods of process 220 to train the classifier of process 230 . the process 220 is a method wherein training samples can be developed inline , i . e ., when an apparatus is deployed . thus , as described above , if a classifier is not available at ( 232 ), the classifier may be automatically trained using the sub - process ( 220 ). to this end , the process 220 may use alternative features to identify a person in a video frame for positive sample collection . the process 220 begins with an inputted image ( 216 ). from this image , motion pixels and skin color pixels may be extracted ( 221 ). in an embodiment of the invention , a background subtraction method may be employed to detect the motion pixels . from the extracted motion and skin color pixels , motion blobs and color blobs can be formed ( 223 ). with these blobs , the head - shoulder area can be detected via omega - shape recognition ( 224 ). the process 220 may also use template matching ( 222 ) to detect head - shoulder via omega - shape recognition ( 224 ). additionally , facial blobs may also be identified for further confirmation of a head - shoulder object . further detail regarding these techniques is given in u . s . patent application ser . no . 13 / 683 , 977 the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety . the process of collecting training samples may also benefit from the outputs of the people classifier ( 237 ). according to an embodiment of the invention , the outputs of the people classifier may also have an associated confidence level in the accuracy with which a presence or an absence of a person has been detected . this confidence level information may be used to determine classifier outputs that are used in collecting training samples ( 237 ) described hereinabove is the process 220 , of collecting positive training samples , i . e ., samples that detect the presence of a person . the method 215 also benefits from negative samples , i . e ., samples detecting the absence of a person . negative samples may be collected randomly both in the time domain and in the spatial domain . for example , any image patch without motion or any motion image patch that is confirmed not belonging to any head - should part of people may be considered a candidate for a negative sample . as presented above this process may be conducted online , i . e ., when the camera or associated apparatus performing people detection is deployed . training samples may also be collected offline , i . e ., before the camera or associated apparatus is deployed . collecting samples offline may also comprise the collection of training samples by another camera or device and then using these results to train a subsequent classifier . if training data is available from offline collection , a base classifier to be used in the above described method can be trained in advance by applying the above process to this data . thus , this classifier may serve as a seed classifier which can be further updated on the fly , as described above , if more camera - specific training samples are developed using the process 220 described hereinabove . however , a seed classifier may not be well suited for a camera or apparatus carrying out the above described process if the training data used to seed the classifier were not directly obtained from this camera , or if the training data was obtained using a prior camera configuration or setup . because of these problems , an embodiment of the invention collects training data , i . e ., positive and negative samples as described above using the process 220 , and updates the classifier automatically . as described hereinabove , the sub - process 220 of the method 215 , collects training samples . these training samples may then be used to learn or update the classifier ( 236 ). the classifier may be updated on a one time , periodic , or non - periodic basis . further the classifier may be updated in an unsupervised manner . in an embodiment of the invention , updating the classifier comprises tuning coefficients of the classifier . fig3 is a flowchart depicting a method 340 of detecting people according to an embodiment of the present invention . the method 340 outputs metrics regarding people in a video frame through use of an object classifier configured to detect people ( 342 ). the process of detecting people using an object classifier and outputting these metrics may be accomplished using image gradients and hog features as described hereinabove in relation to fig2 . the method 340 further comprises automatically updating the object classifier using data in at least a subset of the video frames in the stream of video frames . this update may refer to the process ( 236 ) of learning and updating the classifier described hereinabove in relation to fig2 . further , the data used to update the classifier may be training samples as discussed in relation to fig2 . fig4 is a simplified block diagram of a system 450 for detecting people according to principles of the present invention . the system 450 comprises the interconnect 454 which serves as an interconnection between the various components of the system 450 . connected to the interconnect 454 is an output module 451 . the output module 451 is configured to output metrics regarding people in a stream of video frames using the communicatively connected classifier 403 . the classifier 403 is configured to detect people and may be embodied as the classifier described hereinabove in relation to fig1 and 2 . the system 450 comprises an update module 452 . the update module 452 is configured to automatically update the classifier 403 using data in at least a subset of video frames . the updating process may be as described hereinabove and the data used may be positive and negative training data samples collected through use of sub - process 220 described hereinabove in relation to fig2 . the system 450 may further comprise a camera 402 to capture the stream of video frames used by the output module 451 to output metrics regarding people through use of the classifier 403 . while the system 450 is depicted as comprising the camera 402 , according to an alternative embodiment , the camera 402 is separated from the system 450 and communicatively connected such that a stream of video frames captured by the camera 402 can be received at the system 450 . an alternative embodiment of the system 450 further comprises a processing module 453 . the processing module 453 can be used to further process the metrics to produce information . this further processing may produce any number of statistics as described in detail hereinabove in relation to fig1 . in an embodiment of the invention such information may be provided in graphical or table form . fig5 is a simplified diagram of a network environment 560 that may be utilized by an embodiment of the present invention . the network environment 560 comprises metric server 506 . metric server 506 may embody metric server 106 as described hereinabove in relation to fig1 . metric server 506 is configured to store metric data resulting from embodiments of the invention . these metrics may result from the method 215 , method 340 , and / or system 450 , described hereinabove in relation to fig2 - 4 respectively . metric server 506 is communicatively connected via network 561 to cloud metric server 562 . network 561 may be any network known in the art including a local area network ( lan ) or wide area network ( wan ). cloud metric server 562 may comprise the metrics stored on the metric server 506 . further , the cloud metric server 562 may store metrics from a multitude of metric servers that are communicatively connected to the cloud metric server 562 . the cloud metric server 562 is communicatively connected to a customer 563 . the metric server 562 may transfer stored metrics to the customer 563 . metrics may take any form and may be further processed to produce information that is transferred to the customer 563 . such further processing may be used to generate graphs , such as graph 564 , and tables , such as table 565 , which may be transferred to the customer 563 . this information may include any number of statistics as described hereinabove in relation to fig1 . fig6 is a high level block diagram of a computer system 670 in which embodiments of the present invention may be embodied . the system 670 contains a bus 672 . the bus 672 is a connection between the various components of the system 670 . connected to the bus 672 is an input / output device interface 673 for connecting various input and output devices , such as a keyboard , mouse , display , speakers , etc . to the system 670 . a central processing unit ( cpu ) 674 is connected to the bus 672 and provides for the execution of computer instructions . memory 676 provides volatile storage for data used for carrying out computer instructions . disk storage 675 provides non - volatile storage for software instructions , such as an operating system ( os ). it should be understood that the example embodiments described above may be implemented in many different ways . in some instances , the various methods and machines described herein may each be implemented by a physical , virtual , or hybrid general purpose computer , such as the computer system 670 . the computer system 670 may be transformed into the machines that execute the methods described above , for example , by loading software instruction into either memory 676 or non - volatile storage 675 for execution by the cpu 674 . embodiments or aspects thereof may be implemented in the form of hardware , firmware , or software . if implemented in software the software may be stored on any non - transient computer readable medium that is configured to enable a processor to load the software or subsets of instructions thereof . the processor then executes the instructions and is configured to operate or cause an apparatus to operate in a manner as described herein . while this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to example embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims .	6
with continued reference to the drawings , a first embodiment of bag closure and sealing device 10 of the present invention is shown as including inner and outer clamp members 11 and 12 . the outer clamp member 12 includes a base portion 13 which defines an elongated open channel 14 into which either an indicia bearing card 15 may be inserted , such as shown in fig2 or into which a magnetic element 16 may be inserted , as shown in fig3 . in some embodiments both the magnet 16 and the indicia bearing card 15 may be used together . by allowing the magnetic material to be retained within the channel 14 , the entire closure and sealing device may be mounted from a metallic surface such as a side wall of a refrigerator or freezer . this allows support of the device on a vertical wall surface which would not otherwise be possible utilizing conventional bag closure devices . the use of the indicia bearing card 15 allows the contents of a bag b being sealed to be identified with the date of closure or with an effective date for disposal . with particular reference to fig3 the outer clamp member 12 includes a pair of opposing wall segments 17 and 18 which are integrally formed with one another and with the base 13 . the opposing wall segments 17 and 18 are shown as being generally arcuate in configuration in the embodiment disclosed however , other configurations may be used and be in keeping with the teachings of the present invention . for instance , v or diamond shaped cross sections may be utilized which are open along the top and which define a channel between the side walls or segments . the side walls also define an elongated channel 20 therebetween which is generally of a first diameter or maximum spacing . the clamp members are formed of a plastic material so that the opposing wall segments thereof may be flexed and are resiliently yieldable relative to one another . to facilitate the insertion of the inner member 11 within the outer clamp member 12 , the upper edges of the opposing wall segments 17 and 18 of the outer clamp member include outwardly flared portions 21 and 22 which are engageable by the inner clamp member to facilitate the separation of the wall segments 17 and 18 . in order to seal the opposing sheets of the bag b between the inner and outer clamp members , as shown in fig3 one or more elongated ribs 23 may be provided which extend inwardly from the side wall segments 17 and 18 which ribs pinch the sheets together and thereby prevent any escape of fluid from the bag along the line of the seal . alternatively , the ribs may be provided along the length of and extending outwardly of the inner clamp member . the inner clamp member includes an elongated body portion defined by opposing wall segments 24 and 25 which are of a configuration so as to cooperatively seat with and engage the wall segments 17 and 18 of the outer clamp member . in this respect , in the drawing figures , the wall segments 24 and 25 are generally arcuate and are shown as being integrally formed with respect to one another . as previously mentioned , the wall segments could be of different configurations so long as they cooperatively abut and conform with the outer wall segments 17 and 18 of the outer clamping member . the diameter or maximum width defined by the outer surface of the wall segments 24 and 25 is essentially equal to the diameter or width defined by the elongated channel 20 between wall segments 17 and 18 of the outer clamp member . it is generally preferred that the inner member be slightly larger so that a compressive force is created between the inner and outer clamp members when they are engaged , as shown in fig3 . to facilitate the insertion and removal of the inner clamp member 11 within the outer clamp member 12 , the inner clamp member is provided with a pair of opposing finger grip flange elements 26 and 27 which extend outwardly on either side of the inner and outer wall segments 24 and 25 and 17 and 18 . the flanges are oriented generally above the channel 20 defined within the outer clamp member and are parallel with respect to a vertical plane extending through the sealing device so that a distinct mechanical advantage may be obtained when the flanges are compressed toward to one another to close wall segments 24 and 25 relative to one another thereby reducing the effective cross - sectional area or diameter of the inner clamp member so that less friction is encountered when assembling or disassembling the clamp members . the flanges 26 and 27 are connected to the upper edges 28 and 29 of the opposing wall segments 24 and 25 of the inner clamping member by upwardly and outwardly extending integrally formed connector walls 30 and 31 . to facilitate manual gripping of the flanges 26 and 27 , a plurality of small longitudinally extending ribs 32 and 33 may be integrally molded on the outer surfaces thereof . in some embodiments , the flanges may extend down toward the base of the outer clamp member to a greater or lesser degree than is disclosed in the drawing figures , however , a mechanical advantage is obtained by allowing the flanges to be engaged in an area above the opening into or between the wall segments 24 and 25 of the inner clamp member . in some embodiments , the flanges may extend upwardly away from the base 13 as opposed to their orientation toward the base in the preferred embodiment . it should further be noted that the base 13 is constructed so that the wall segments thereof extend outwardly generally into alignment with the flanges 26 and 27 so that the base may be easily grasped in one hand as the flanges 26 and 27 are grasped with the fingers of another hand thus allowing greater dexterity in pulling the units apart . in use , the upper walls of a bag b are inserted within the channel 20 so that the top portion of the bag extends over one of the outwardly extending portions 21 and 22 thereof and thereafter the inner clamp member is inserted within the outer clamp member as is shown in fig3 . during the engagement of the components , the flanges 26 and 27 of the inner clamp member are engaged and urged toward one . this movement will compress the wall segments 24 and 25 towards one another thereby effectively reducing the diameter or cross - sectional configuration of the inner clamp member so that it may be easily inserted or removed with minimal frictional resistance with the opposing wall segments 17 and 18 of the outer clamp member . once the inner clamp member has been inserted within the outer clamp member , the pressure may be relieved from the flanges 26 and 27 thereby permitting the inner clamp member to expand against the bag and into compressed engagement with the outer clamp member . during assembly of the components , the outwardly extending wall portions 21 and 22 will further assist in spreading the wall segments 17 and 18 of the outer clamp member as the inner clamp member is introduced into the channel 20 . it is preferred that the clamp members of the present invention be formed of a plastic material which may be extruded into different lengths to facilitate the closure of bags of different widths . the plastic from which the base 13 of the outer clamp member 12 may be transparent so that the indicia card 15 may be seen therethrough . in other embodiments , openings or windows may be provided within the lowermost wall of the base 13 through which the indicia card 15 may be displayed . with reference to fig5 and 6 , another embodiment of the invention is disclosed in greater detail . in this embodiment the bag closure and sealing device 40 is shown as being selectively carried by a track assembly 38 . the track assembly is designed to be installed beneath a counter , cabinet or other wall surface as will be described in greater detail hereinafter . the bag closure and sealing device 40 includes inner and outer clamp members 41 and 42 . the outer clamp member 42 includes a base portion 43 which is of a configuration to be slidingly received within opposing channels 44 defined by opposing flanges 45 of the track assembly 38 . the outer clamp member 42 includes a pair of opposing wall segments 47 and 48 which are integrally formed with the base 43 . the opposing wall segments have the same configuration as discussed above with respect to the embodiment of fig1 - 4 however such configuration may vary . the wall segments 47 and 48 define an elongated open channel therebetween which is a size to receive the inner clamp member 41 . to facilitate the insertion of the inner clamp member 41 within the outer clamp member 42 , the upper edges of the opposing wall segments 47 and 48 of the outer clamp member include outwardly flared portions 51 and 52 . the inner clamp member 41 includes an elongated body portion defined by opposing wall segments 54 and 55 which are of a configuration to be cooperatively seated within the channel defined between the wall segments 47 and 48 of the outer clamp member . the relative sizes and configurations of the inner and outer clamping members 41 and 42 are generally the same as discussed with respect to the embodiment of fig1 - 4 . to facilitate the insertion and removal of the inner clamp member within the outer clamp member , the inner clamp member is provided with a pair of opposing finger grip flange elements 56 and 57 which extend outwardly on either side of the inner and outer wall segments 54 and 55 and 47 and 48 of the outer and inner clamp members . the flanges may be engaged and urged towards one another thereby compressing the inner clamping member to facilitate its insertion or removable relative to the outer clamp member in a manner as has been previously discussed . the flanges are connected to the upper edges 58 and 59 of opposing wall segments 54 and 55 of the inner clamp member by upwardly and outwardly extending integrally formed connector walls 60 and 61 . as with the previous embodiment , to facilitate manual gripping of the flanges of 56 and 57 , a plurality of small longitudinally extending ribs which may be integrally molded on the outer surface thereof . although the flanges are shown as being extended upwardly toward the track assembly 38 , it should be noted that the flanges may extend away from the track assembly 38 . the track assembly 38 includes a recessed base portion 62 which is spaced from the channels 44 so as to provide clearance for screws or other fasteners 63 to be utilized to secure the track assembly beneath an overhanging structure such as a cabinet &# 34 ; c &# 34 ;. the track assemblies further include generally parallel side walls 64 and 65 having elongated edges which abut the under surface of the cabinet &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; and further stabilize the track assembly with respect thereto . in the embodiment of the invention disclosed in fig5 and 6 , the bag closure and sealing assemblies 40 may be utilized to mount one or more bags b from a given track . as opposed to having the track assembly extend the same distance as the closure assembly 40 the track assembly 38 may extend two , three or four feet in length thereby allowing a plurality of bag closure and sealing assembly 40 having lengths varying up to approximately one foot to be supported by the track assemblies . therefore , in this embodiment , the invention may be utilized as an organizer to support a plurality of given items from a support structure . the invention may be utilized in garage areas or workshops to organize various components such as fasteners , electrical parts , miscellaneous hardware items and even seeds and bulbs for gardening . in use , once a bag has been sealed within the clamping members of the bag closure and sealing device 40 , the device is simply inserted within the opposing channels 44 of the track assembly and thereby retained in suspended relationship with respect to a support structure such as a cabinet . it should be noted that the track assembly may equally be supported to a vertical wall surface and provide the same advantages as discussed above with respect to overhanging structures such as the bottom surface of a shelf or cabinet . with specific reference to fig7 another embodiment of the invention is disclosed which incorporates a modified track assembly . in the embodiment of fig7 the bag closure and sealing assembly 40 is generally the same structure as discussed above with respect to fig5 and 6 . the track assembly 68 includes a pair of opposing generally arcuate curved channels 69 which are connected by a recessed base portion 70 . a pair of elongated side wall members 71 and 72 extend generally parallel to the base and are provided for stabilizing the track assembly against a supporting surface such as a wall . the track assembly is connected to the wall by utilizing suitable fasteners such as screws ( not shown ). in this embodiment , the upper channel member includes an upwardly and outwardly extending elongated flange 73 which is integrally molded with the track assembly . as the track assembly is formed of slightly yieldable plastic material , by exerting a force against the elongated flange the upper channel may be spaced relative to the lower channel thereby allowing the base 43 of the outer clamp member to be pulled directly outwardly from to the track assembly as opposed to being slidingly removed from the track assembly as is necessary with the embodiment shown in fig5 and 6 . in this embodiment , a plurality of clamp and sealing assemblies 40 may be easily inserted within an elongated track 68 without having to slide a plurality of assemblies from the track in order to as would be necessary in the embodiment disclosed in fig5 and 6 . further , to insert a clamp and sealing assembly 40 within the track assembly 68 , pressure is applied to the elongated flange 73 opening the space between the opposing channels and allowing the base portion 43 of the outer clamp member to be seated therebetween , after which , the pressure is relieved from the flange allowing the upper flange to close relative to the base portion of the outer clamp member .	5
however , according to the above - mentioned technology in related art , in a case where the examination is to be carried out again on the wiring , the arrangement , and the like from the conceptual design , it is not simple for a user to determine which parts are parts subjected to a review in the conceptual design , parts where a review is not recommended , parts where a review can be carried out , and the like . for that reason , according to the technology in related art , a problem occurs that an operation in the carryover design is not efficient . a disclosed technology has been made in view of the above - mentioned circumstances , and an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a support program , a support apparatus , and a support method with which the carryover design can be supported more efficiently . hereinafter , respective embodiments of a support apparatus , a support program , and a support method disclosed in the present application will be described in detail on the basis of the drawings . it is noted that this embodiment does not limit the disclosed technology . then , the respective embodiments can be appropriately combined with each other as long as process contents do not become inconsistent . a support apparatus according to a first embodiment will be described . fig1 illustrates a configuration of the support apparatus according to the first embodiment . from a storage unit that stores arrangement information on components and analysis information indicating a result of an analysis carried out on the components , a support apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment first reads out the arrangement information on the components and generates image information . then , the support apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment reads out the analysis information corresponding to the components from the storage unit . then , the support apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment changes a display attribution on the component included in the image information in accordance with the analysis information . as illustrated in fig1 , the support apparatus 10 has an input unit 11 , an output unit 12 , a storage unit 13 , and a control unit 14 . the input unit 11 inputs various pieces of information to the control unit 14 . for example , the input unit 11 accepts an instruction for executing a support process which will be described below from a user and inputs the accepted instruction to the control unit 14 . also , the input unit 11 accepts the arrangement information on the component on the circuit for supporting the circuit design or the like by the designer and inputs the accepted arrangement information on the component to the control unit 14 . as an example of the arrangement information on the component , for example , cad ( computer aided design ) data is exemplified . also , the input unit 11 accepts the analysis information indicating the result of the analysis carried out on the components from a signal analysis apparatus 30 which will be described below and inputs the accepted analysis information to the control unit 14 . also , the input unit 11 accepts revised edition information indicating a revision on the component and inputs the accepted revised edition information to the control unit 14 . also , the input unit 11 accepts casing size information which is information related to a size of a casing that is a containment unit containing the circuit and inputs the accepted casing size information to the control unit 14 . as an example of a device of the input unit 11 , an operation accepting device such as a mouse or a key board is exemplified . the output unit 12 outputs various pieces of information . as an example of a device of the output unit 12 , a display device such as an lcd ( liquid crystal display ) or a crt ( cathode ray tube ) is exemplified . for example , in a case where the output unit 12 is the display device , the output unit 12 displays an image indicated by image information that is transmitted from a display unit 14 d which will be described below . the storage unit 13 stores various pieces of information . for example , the storage unit 13 stores arrangement information 13 a on the components , an analysis information db ( data base ) 13 b , revised edition information 13 c , and casing size information 13 d . the arrangement information 13 a on the components is data indicating an arrangement of the respective components on the circuit . the arrangement information 13 a on the components is used by a generation unit 14 a which will be described below when image information on the image displayed on the output unit 12 is generated . it is noted that the arrangement information 13 a on the components also includes shapes of the respective components . fig2 illustrates an example of respective components on a circuit indicated by arrangement information on the components . according to the example of fig2 , a case is illustrated in which on a circuit 20 indicated by the arrangement information 13 a on the components , respective components including a component a 21 , a component b 22 , a component c 23 , a component d 24 , a resistance component 25 , a wiring component e 26 , a wiring component f 27 , and a wiring component g 28 are arranged . according to the example of fig2 , the component a 21 transmits a signal via the wiring component e 26 , the resistance component 25 , and the wiring component f 27 to the component b 22 . also , in the example of fig2 , the component c 23 transmits a signal via the wiring component g 28 to the component d 24 . herein , the component a 21 , the component b 22 , the component c 23 , and the component d 24 are components including , for example , an ic ( integrated circuit ) chip and the like . also , the wiring component e 26 , the wiring component f 27 , and the wiring component g 28 are components that transmit a signal . the arrangement information 13 a on the components is stored by a registration unit 14 e which will be described below in the storage unit 13 . in the analysis information db 13 b , the analysis information on the result of the analysis carried out on the components on the circuit is registered . for example , in the analysis information db 13 b , a “ net name ” that is a name of a wiring ( net ) where a signal analysis is carried out , the number of times when the signal analysis is carried out , and a variation component model used for the signal analysis are registered by the registration unit 14 e for each wiring where the signal analysis is carried out . fig3 illustrates an example of the analysis information db . according to the example of fig3 , a case is illustrated in which the signal analysis is carried out by 3 times on a wiring having a name of “ net a ”, that is , the result of the signal analysis in the third time satisfies a predetermined criterion , and the variation component models used for the signal analysis are “ typ ”, “ min ”, and “ max ”. it is noted that in the example of fig3 , “ o ” indicates that the relevant variation component model is used for the signal analysis . on the other hand , in the example of fig3 , “-” indicates that the relevant variation component model is not used for the signal analysis . also , in the example of fig3 , a case is illustrated in which the signal analysis is carried out by 2 times on a wiring having a name of “ net b ”, that is , the result of the signal analysis in the second time satisfies the predetermined criterion , and the variation component model used for the signal analysis is “ typ ”. also , in the example of fig3 , a case is illustrated in which the signal analysis is carried out by 2 times on a wiring having a name of “ net c ”, that is , the result of the signal analysis in the second time satisfies the predetermined criterion , and the variation component models used for the signal analysis are “ typ ” and “ min ”. fig4 illustrates an example of the result of the signal analysis . according to the example of fig4 , the analysis result on the signal flowing through a wiring of signal analysis target which is analyzed by the signal analysis apparatus 30 that determines whether or not the signal of the analysis target is normal is illustrated . according to the example of fig4 , a signal of the analysis result 31 illustrates a case in which a higher peak exceeds a threshold vih and a lower peak is below a threshold vil . in the above - mentioned case , the signal analysis apparatus 30 can perform the analysis in which the signal of the analysis target is normal . the revised edition information 13 c is revised edition information on the respective components . for example , the revised edition information 13 c indicates a release number of the respective components . the release number of the respective components is obtained via the input unit 11 from a component library that manages the release number of the components by a change unit 14 c and the registration unit 14 e which will be described below . the component library is , for example , an external apparatus and is configured to hold the latest release number of the respective components . then , the registration unit 14 e stores the revised edition information 13 c in the storage unit 13 . fig5 and fig6 illustrate examples of the revised edition information . according to the example of fig5 , a case is illustrated in which a release number of a component b is 1 . fig6 illustrates a case in which through a function addition or the like , a revised edition occurs in the component b and the release number of the component b becomes 2 . the casing size information 13 d is information indicating a size of a casing storing a circuit . for example , in the casing size information 13 d , a region where the respective components on the circuit indicated by the arrangement information 13 a on the components can be stored is represented by three - dimensional positional coordinates . in a case where a component exists in the region indicated by the casing size information 13 d , it is determined that the component is contained in the casing . on the other hand , in a case where a component is out of the region indicated by the casing size information 13 d , it is determined that the component is not contained in the casing . the casing size information 13 d is obtained by the registration unit 14 e and stored in the storage unit 13 . the storage unit 13 is , for example , a semiconductor memory element such as a flash memory or a storage apparatus such as a hard disc or an optical disc . it is noted that the storage unit 13 is not limited by the above - mentioned type of the storage apparatus and may also be a ram ( random access memory ) or a rom ( read only memory ). the control unit 14 has an internal memory for storing a program that prescribes various process procedures and control data and executes various processes by using the program and the control data . as illustrated in fig1 , the control unit 14 has the generation unit 14 a , a read section 14 b , the change unit 14 c , the display unit 14 d , and the registration unit 14 e . the generation unit 14 a reads out the arrangement information 13 a on the components from the storage unit 13 that stores the analysis information db 13 b in which the arrangement information 13 a on the components on the circuit and the analysis information indicating the result of the analysis on the components are registered and generates image information . for example , the generation unit 14 a reads out the arrangement information 13 a on the components stored in the storage unit 13 . then , the generation unit 14 a generates image information of the image displayed on the output unit 12 on the basis of the locations and the shapes of the respective components indicated by the read arrangement information 13 a on the components . the read section 14 b reads out various pieces of information . for example , the read section 14 b reads out the analysis information corresponding to the respective components the locations of which are indicated by the arrangement information 13 a on the components from the analysis information db 13 b . the read of the analysis information will be described by way of a specific example . the read section 14 b searches the analysis information db 13 b while names of the respective components the locations of which are indicated by the arrangement information 13 a on the components are used as keys . then , in a case where a corresponding record is searched for from the analysis information db 13 b , by obtaining a content of the record as the analysis information , the analysis information is read out . also , the read section 14 b reads out the revised edition information 13 c stored in the storage unit 13 . also , the read section 14 b reads out the casing size information 13 d stored in the storage unit 13 . the change unit 14 c changes display attributes of the components included in the image information in accordance with the analysis information . for example , among the respective components the locations of which are indicated by the arrangement information 13 a on the components , when the carryover design is carried out , the change unit 14 c determines the component where the corresponding analysis information is read out as the component where the review is not carried out because the signal analysis is already carried out and the components normally operate . in view of the above , the change unit 14 c changes the image information so that a display is made informing that the component where the corresponding analysis information is read out are the component where the review is not recommended , for example , a display is made in a manner that the component is displayed in gray which is less conspicuous than other colors . it is noted that the change unit 14 c can also change the display attribute so that the component where the corresponding analysis information is read out is displayed in a color having a lower brightness or saturation as compared with a display of the component where the corresponding analysis information is not read out , that is , the component where the signal analysis is not carried out . fig7 illustrates examples of the image before and after the change indicated by the image information . according to the example on the left side in fig7 , the respective components 21 to 27 of the circuit 20 indicated by the image information 13 a before the change by the change unit 14 c are illustrated . in the case of the example on the left side in fig7 , when the analysis information corresponding to the wiring component g 28 is read out from the analysis information db 13 b , the change unit 14 c performs the following process as illustrated in the example on the right side in fig7 . that is , the change unit 14 c changes the image information so that a display is made informing that all the components existing in a section from the component c 23 that transmits the signal flowing through the wiring component g 28 where the signal analysis is carried out until the component d 24 that receives this signal are the components where the review is not recommended . according to the example on the right side in fig7 , the change unit 14 c changes the image information so that a display is made in a manner that the component c 23 , the wiring component g 28 , are the component d 24 are displayed in gray which is less conspicuous than other colors . the image information changed in the above - mentioned manner is used as the image information on the image displayed on the output unit 12 at the time of the conceptual design in the carryover design . therefore , at the time of the carryover design , the designer who designs the circuit or the like can figure out which component is the component where the review is not recommended . with this configuration , it is possible to more efficiently support the carryover design . it is noted that the change unit 14 c may perform a display indicating that the component where the corresponding analysis information is read out and also where the number of times when the signal analysis is carried out which is indicated by the analysis information exceeds a predetermined value is the component where the review is not recommended . for example , the change unit 14 c may change the image information so that the component where the number of times when the signal analysis is carried out exceeds two is displayed in gray which is less conspicuous than other colors . with this configuration , the designer or the like can figure out that the component where the designer or the like experiences hardships in the signal analysis while the number of times when the signal analysis is carried out exceeds the predetermined value is the component where the review is not recommended at the time of the carryover design . it is noted that the change unit 14 c can also change the display attribute so that a display of the component where the number of times when the signal analysis is carried out exceeds the predetermined value is made in a color having a lower brightness or saturation as compared with a display of the component where the number of times when the signal analysis is carried out does not exceed the predetermined value . also , the change unit 14 c changes the display attribute of the image information on the basis of the revised edition information 13 c so that a display is made informing that the component the revised edition of which is generated is the component where the review is recommended . this is because a function may be changed in the component the revised edition of which is generated , and therefore the review is preferably recommended in many cases in the carryover design . for example , the change unit 14 c obtains the latest release numbers of the respective components on the circuit 20 indicated by the arrangement information 13 a on the components via the input unit 11 from the component library . then , the change unit 14 c compares the release numbers of the respective components on the circuit 20 indicated by the arrangement information 13 a on the components which are the release numbers of the respective components indicated by the revised edition information 13 c with the obtained latest release numbers of the respective components on the circuit 20 and identifies the component the revised edition of which is generated . subsequently , the change unit 14 c changes the image information so that a display is made informing that the component the revised edition of which is generated is the component where the review is recommended , for example , the component is displayed in red which is more conspicuous than other colors . it is noted that the change unit 14 c can also change the display attribute so that a display of the component the revised edition of which is generated is made in a color having a higher brightness or saturation as compared with a display of the component with no revised edition . fig8 illustrates an example of the image before and after the change indicated by the image information . according to the example on the left side in fig8 , the respective components 21 to 27 of the circuit 20 indicated by the image information 13 a before the change by the change unit 14 c are illustrated . in the case of the example on the left side in fig8 , when the components a 21 , b 22 , 25 , e 26 , and f 27 are subjected to the revised edition , the change unit 14 c performs the following process as illustrated in the example on the right side in fig8 . that is , the change unit 14 c changes the image information so that a display is made informing that the respective components of the components a 21 , b 22 , 25 , e 26 , and f 27 are the components where the review is recommended . according to the example on the right side in fig8 , the change unit 14 c changes the image information so that the components a 21 , b 22 , 25 , e 26 , and f 27 are displayed in red which is more conspicuous than other colors . the image information changed in the above - mentioned manner is used as the image information on the image displayed on the output unit 12 at the time of the conceptual design in the carryover design . therefore , at the time of the carryover design , the designer who designs the circuit or the like can figure out which component is the component where the review is recommended . with this configuration , it is possible to more efficiently support the carryover design . also , the change unit 14 c changes the display attribute of the image information on the basis of the casing size information 13 d so that a display is made informing that the component which is not to be contained in the casing is the component where the review is recommended . this is because the component which is not to be contained in the casing is subjected to the review at the time of the carryover : design . for example , the change unit 14 c obtains the casing size information 13 d via the input unit 11 . then , the change unit 14 c identifies the component out of the region indicated by the casing size information 13 d among the components on the circuit 20 indicated by the arrangement information 13 a on the components . then , the change unit 14 c identifies all the components existing in a section from the component that transmits the signal flowing through the identified component until the component that receives this signal . subsequently , the change unit 14 c changes the image information so that a display is made informing that the identified component is the component where the review is recommended , for example , the component is displayed in red which is more conspicuous than other colors . it is noted that the change unit 14 c can also change the display attribute so that the component which is not to be contained in the casing is displayed in a color having a lower brightness or saturation as compared with a display of the component which can be contained in the casing . fig9 illustrates an example of the image before and after the change indicated by the image information . according to the example on the left side in fig9 , the respective components 21 to 27 of the circuit 20 indicated by the image information 13 a before the change by the change unit 14 c are illustrated . according to the example on the left side in fig9 , in a case where the component out of a region 40 indicated by the casing size information 13 d is the component c 23 , the change unit 14 c performs the following process as illustrated in the example on the right side in fig9 . that is , the change unit 14 c identifies the component c 23 out of the region 40 . then , the change unit 14 c changes the image information so that a display is made informing that all the components existing in a section from the component c 23 itself that transmits the signal flowing through the identified component c 23 until the component d 24 that receives this signal are the components where the review is recommended . according to the example on the right side in fig9 , the change unit 14 c changes the image information so that the components c 23 , d 24 , and g 28 are displayed in red which is more conspicuous than other colors . the image information changed in the above - mentioned manner is used as the image information on the image displayed on the output unit 12 at the time of the conceptual design in the carryover design . therefore , at the time of the carryover design , the designer who designs the circuit or the like can figure out which component is the component where the review is recommended . with this configuration , it is possible to more efficiently support the carryover design . it is noted that in a case where the change unit 14 c receives an instruction by the user such as the component where the review is recommended via the input unit 11 , with regard to the component where the review is recommended , the image information may be changed so that a display is made informing that the review is recommended . similarly , in a case where the change unit 14 c receives an instruction by the user such as the component where the review is not recommended via the input unit 11 , with regard to the component where the review is not recommended , the image information may be changed so that a display is made informing that the review is not recommended . the display unit 14 d performs a control so as to display the image indicated by the image information that is changed by the change unit 14 c . for example , the display unit 14 d outputs the image information changed by the change unit 14 c to the output unit 12 . with this configuration , by the output unit 12 , the image indicated by the image information changed by the change unit 14 c is displayed . the registration unit 14 e registers or stores information . for example , the registration unit 14 e obtains the arrangement information 13 a on the components via the input unit 11 and stores the obtained arrangement information 13 a on the components in the storage unit 13 . also , the registration unit 14 e obtains the analysis information via the input unit 11 and registers the obtained analysis information in the analysis information db 13 b . also , the registration unit 14 e obtains the revised edition information 13 c on the respective components indicated by the arrangement information 13 a on the components via the input unit 11 from the component library at predetermined temporal intervals , for example , at intervals of one week and stores the obtained revised edition information 13 c in the storage unit 13 . also , the registration unit 14 e obtains the casing size information 13 d via the input unit 11 and stores the obtained casing size information 13 d in the storage unit 13 . the control unit 14 is an integrated circuit such as an asic ( application specific integrated circuit ) or an fpga ( field programmable gate array ) or an electronic circuit such as a cpu ( central processing unit ) or an mpu ( micro processing unit ). next , a flow of a process by the support apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described . fig1 is a flow chart illustrating a procedure of a support process according to the first embodiment . this support process is executed in a case where an instruction for executing the support process is input from the input unit 11 to the control unit 14 . as illustrated in fig1 , the generation unit 14 a reads out the arrangement information 13 a on the components from the storage unit 13 that stores the analysis information db 13 b in which the arrangement information 13 a on the components on the circuit and the analysis information indicating the result of the analysis on the components are registered and generates image information ( step s 101 ). the read section 14 b reads out the analysis information corresponding to the respective components from the analysis information db 13 b the arrangement of which is indicated by the arrangement information 13 a on the components ( step s 102 ). the read section 14 b reads out the revised edition information 13 c stored in the storage unit 13 ( step s 103 ). the read section 14 b reads out the casing size information 13 d stored in the storage unit 13 ( step s 104 ). the change unit 14 c changes the display attribute of the image information in accordance with the analysis information , the revised edition information 13 c , and the casing size information 13 d ( step s 105 ). as described above , the support apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment reads out the arrangement information 13 a on the components from the storage unit 13 that stores the arrangement information 13 a on the components and the analysis information indicating the result of the analysis on the components and generates the image information . then , the support apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment reads out the analysis information corresponding to the components from the storage unit 13 . then , the support apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment changes the display attribute of the image information in accordance with the analysis information , the revised edition information 13 c , and the casing size information 13 d . therefore , with the support apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment , it is possible to more efficiently support the carryover design . also , in a case where the analysis information indicates that the signal analysis is carried out , the support apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment changes the display attribute of the image information so that a display is made informing that the component corresponding to the analysis information is the component where the review is not recommended . therefore , with the support apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment , at the time of the carryover design , the designer who designs the circuit or the like can figure out which component is the component where the review is not recommended . also , in a case where the analysis information indicates that the signal analysis is carried out and the number of times when the signal analysis is carried out exceeds a predetermined threshold , the support apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment can change the display attribute of the image information so that a display is made informing that the component corresponding to the analysis information is the component where the review is not recommended . with this configuration , the designer or the like can figure out that the component where the designer or the like experiences hardships in the signal analysis while the number of times when the signal analysis is carried out exceeds the predetermined value is the component where the review is not recommended at the time of the carryover design . also , the support apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment changes the display attribute of the image information on the basis of the revised edition information 13 c of the component so that a display is made informing that the component the revised edition of which is generated is the component where the review is recommended . therefore , with the support apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment , at the time of the carryover design , the designer who designs the circuit or the like can figure out which component is the component where the review is recommended . also , the support apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment changes the display attribute of the image information on the basis of the casing size information 13 d on the casing that is the containment unit containing the components so that a display is made informing that the component which is not to be contained in the casing is the component where the review is recommended . therefore , with the support apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment , at the time of the carryover design , the designer who designs the circuit or the like can figure out which component is the component where the review is recommended . incidentally , the embodiment related to the disclosed apparatus has been described in the above , but the present disclosure may also be implemented in various different modes other than the above - mentioned embodiment . in view of the above , other embodiments included in the present disclosure will be described hereinafter . for example , all or a part of the processes described as being automatically carried out among the processes described according to the first embodiment can also be manually carried out . also , all or a part of the processes described as being manually carried out among the respective processes described according to the present embodiment can be automatically carried out through a method in related art . also , the processes in the respective steps of the respective processes described according to the respective embodiments can be arbitrarily divided or integrated in accordance with various loads , use situations , or the like . also , a step can be omitted . for example , steps s 102 , s 103 , and s 104 illustrated in fig1 can be integrated . also , the order of the processes in the respective steps of the respective processes described according to the respective embodiments can be changed in accordance with the various loads , the use situations , or the like . also , the respective constituent elements of the illustrated respective apparatus are conceptual in terms of functions and may not be configured physically as illustrated in the drawings . that is , specific states of the dispersion and the integration of the respective apparatus are not limited to the illustrated examples , and all or a part of the constituent elements can be configured dispersed or integrated functionally or physically in an arbitrary unit in accordance with the various loads , the use situations , or the like . for example , the generation unit 14 a and the read section 14 b illustrated in fig1 may be integrated with each other . also , the various processes by the support apparatus 10 described according to the above - mentioned first embodiment can be realized while a previously prepared program is executed by a computer system such as a personal computer or a work station . in view of the above , hereinafter , by using fig1 , an example of a computer that executes a support program having a function similar to the support apparatus described according to the above - mentioned embodiment will be described . fig1 illustrates a computer that executes a support program . as illustrated in fig1 , a computer according to a second embodiment has a cpu ( central processing unit ) 310 , a rom ( read only memory ) 320 , an hdd ( hard disk drive ) 330 , and a ram ( random access memory ) 340 . the respective units 310 to 340 are connected via a bus 350 . the rom 320 previously stores a support program 320 a exhibiting a function similar to the generation unit 14 a , the read section 14 b , and the change unit 14 c illustrated according to the above - mentioned embodiment . it is noted that the support program 320 a may appropriately be separated . then , the cpu 310 reads out the support program 320 a from the rom 320 for execution . then , the hdd 330 is provided with arrangement information on components , an analysis information db , revised edition information , and casing size information . the arrangement information on the components , the analysis information db , the revised edition information , and the casing size information corresponds to the arrangement information 13 a on the components , the analysis information db 13 b , the revised edition information 13 c , and the casing size information 13 d , respectively . then , the cpu 310 reads out the arrangement information on the components , the analysis information db , the revised edition information , and the casing size information to be stored in the ram 340 . furthermore , the cpu 310 executes the support program by using the arrangement information on the components , the analysis information db , the revised edition information , and the casing size information stored in the ram 340 . it is noted that all of the respective pieces of data stored in the ram 340 may not be stored in the ram 340 , and it suffices that only data used for the process may be stored in the ram 340 . it is noted that the above - mentioned support program may not be stored in the rom 320 from the beginning . for example , the program is stored in “ portable physical media ” such as a flexible disc ( fd ), a cd - rom , a dvd disc , an opto - magnetic disc , and an ic card to be inserted into a computer 300 . then , the computer 300 may read out the program from the media for execution . furthermore , the program is stored in “ another computer ( or a server )” and the like that are connected to the computer 300 via a public line , the internet , a lan , a wan , or the like . then , the computer 300 may read out the program from the other computer and the like for execution . all examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art , and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions , nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention . although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail , it should be understood that the various changes , substitutions , and changes could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	6
the present disclosure describes methods and systems for detecting icing or incipient icing conditions , for example , on board an airborne aircraft . many specific details of certain embodiments of the invention are set forth in the following description and in fig1 - 5 to provide a thorough understanding of these embodiments . one skilled in the art , however , will understand that the present invention may have additional embodiments , and that the invention may be practiced without several of the details described below . fig1 is a partially schematic , isometric illustration of an aircraft 100 carrying an ice detection system 110 configured in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . in one aspect of this embodiment , the aircraft 100 includes a fuselage 104 , wings 101 depending from the fuselage 104 , and an empennage 103 positioned to provide stability and control about the aircraft pitch and yaw axes . the aircraft 100 can further include a propulsion system 102 , for example , a twin engine arrangement , with each engine positioned in a podded nacelle depending from a corresponding wing 101 . in other embodiments , the aircraft 100 can have other general arrangements . in any of the foregoing embodiments , the ice detection system 110 can include a temperature sensor 120 and a water content sensor 130 , each coupled to a processing unit 140 with a link 160 ( shown as input links 160 a , 160 b ). the processing unit 140 can be configured to receive data from the temperature sensor 120 and the water content sensor 130 and , based on the information received from these sensors , determine when icing or incipient icing conditions exist in the environment external to the aircraft 100 . when such conditions exist , the processing unit 140 can automatically generate an indication signal , transmitted via an output link 160 c to an indicator 150 . in one aspect of this embodiment , the indicator 150 can provide information exclusively to personnel in the flight deck of the aircraft . in other embodiments , such information can also be provided to ground - based equipment and / or recording equipment carried by the aircraft 100 . further details of embodiments of the ice detection system 110 are described below with reference to fig2 - 5b . fig2 is a partially schematic , isometric illustration of an embodiment of the ice detection system 110 . in one aspect of this embodiment , the temperature sensor 120 and the water content sensor 130 are positioned remotely from each other and mounted to the aircraft 100 ( external surface portions of which are shown in fig2 ). in another embodiment , described in greater detail below with reference to fig5 , the temperature sensor 120 and the water content sensor 130 can be co - located in a single device . in either embodiment , the temperature sensor 120 and the water content sensor 130 are operatively coupled to the processing unit 140 to provide the information necessary for the processing unit 140 to determine when at least incipient icing conditions exist . as used herein , the term at least incipient icing conditions is used to include conditions generally favorable to the formation of ice , and / or conditions under which ice is actually forming . in one aspect of an embodiment shown in fig2 , the temperature sensor 120 can include a static air temperature probe that directly measures the static temperature of the airstream external to the aircraft 100 . in another embodiment , the temperature sensor 120 can include a total temperature sensor , such as a model 300536 tat sensor , from spaceage control of palmdale , calif . because the determination for incipient icing conditions is typically based on the static air temperature , if the temperature sensor 120 includes a total air temperature probe , the system 110 can further include a pressure sensor 170 that provides data by which the processing unit 140 can determine the static air temperature based on the total air temperature . in one aspect of this embodiment , the pressure sensor 170 can include the pitot - static probe system typically provided on the aircraft 100 . in other embodiments , the pressure sensor 170 can include other separate systems . in any of these embodiments , the pressure sensor 170 can detect the total air pressure and static air pressure of the environment outside the aircraft 100 and transmit corresponding signals to the processing unit 140 via input links 160 d and 160 e . based on this information , the processing unit 140 can calculate the static air temperature and combine this information with information received from the water content sensor 130 to determine incipient icing conditions . in another embodiment , a separate device can calculate the static air temperature from the pressure data . such devices are available from insight avionics of buffalo , n . y . in one aspect of an embodiment shown in fig2 , the water content sensor 130 can include a liquid water content measuring probe , such as a johnson - williams probe , available from particle measuring systems , inc . of boulder , colo . such a probe can determine the liquid water content of the airstream passing through it based on heat loss from a heated wire which is positioned to be impinged by water in the airstream . in other embodiments , the water content sensor 130 can have other arrangements . for example , the water content sensor 130 can include an ice crystal sensing capability and / or a total water sensing capability to detect mixed - phase or ice crystal icing conditions . in a particular aspect of this embodiment , the ice crystal sensing capability and / or the total water sensing capability can be provided in addition to the liquid water sensing capability . in any of these embodiments , the water content sensor 130 can generate a signal , transmitted via the input link 160 a , which can indicate whether or not the airstream passing adjacent to the aircraft 100 includes water . in any of the foregoing embodiments , the processing unit 140 can receive information from the temperature sensor 120 , the water content sensor 130 ( and , optionally , the pressure sensor 170 ). the processing unit 140 can include an existing portion of the aircraft flight data system ( e . g ., programmed to carry out the above functions ), or a stand - alone unit , either of which can provide an output signal to the output indicator 150 via the output link 160 c . in one embodiment , the output indicator 150 can include a visual display positioned for visual access by the flight crew , so that the flight crew can be made aware of incipient icing conditions and can respond accordingly , for example , by changing the aircraft flight path and / or by activating an anti - icing or de - icing system . in other embodiments , the output indicator 150 can include an audible alarm or can provide notification to the flight crew via other techniques . in any of these embodiments , the processing unit 140 can collect and process data to provide the appropriate output signal , as described in greater detail below with reference to fig3 - 4b . fig3 is a flow chart illustrating a method 300 ( carried out , for example , by the processing unit 140 ) for determining at least incipient icing conditions in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . in one aspect of this embodiment , the method 300 can include determining a static air temperature of an airstream ( process portion 302 ) and determining a liquid water content of the airstream ( process portion 304 ). the method 300 can further include determining whether the static air temperature is at or below a pre - selected threshold value ( process portion 306 ). in one aspect of this embodiment , the pre - selected threshold value can be fixed for all flight conditions , and in other embodiments , the threshold value can depend on certain flight conditions , for example , aircraft altitude . in either embodiment , if the static air temperature is not at or below the threshold value , the method includes not indicating an icing condition ( process portion 308 ). if the static air temperature is at or below the threshold value , the method 300 proceeds to process portion 310 . in process portion 310 the method 300 includes determining whether the liquid water content is at or above a threshold value . in a particular aspect of this embodiment , the threshold value can be non - zero , so that the system does not provide positive indications for inconsequential amounts of detected liquid water content . if the liquid water content is not at or above the threshold value , the method 300 includes not indicating an icing condition ( process portion 308 ). if the liquid water content is at or above the threshold value , then the method 300 can include indicating at least incipient icing conditions ( process portion 312 ). fig4 a - 4b illustrate further details of process portions 302 and 306 , in accordance with other embodiments of the invention . referring first to fig4 a , process portion 302 ( which includes determining the static air temperature of the airstream ) can include first receiving a signal corresponding to a total air temperature ( process portion 402 ), for example , from a total air temperature probe . the method can further include receiving signals corresponding to a total air pressure ( process portion 404 ) and static air pressure ( process portion 406 ), for example , from a pressure sensor 170 ( described above with reference to fig2 ). in process portion 408 the static air temperature is calculated , for example , using readily available techniques based on the total air temperature and the ratio of the static air pressure to the total air pressure . in other embodiments , the static air temperature can be calculated in accordance with other methods . for example , the static air temperature can be calculated based on the received total air temperature signal ( process portion 402 ) and an indication of the speed and altitude of the aircraft , which may in turn be based upon calculations from the total air pressure and static air pressure signals described above . in any of these embodiments , process portion 302 can include either determining the static air temperature of the airstream directly from a static air temperature sensor , or indirectly via calculations performed on data received from a total air temperature sensor . referring now to fig4 b , process portion 306 ( which includes determining whether the static air temperature is at or below a threshold value ) can include receiving the static air temperature value ( process portion 420 ) and receiving signals corresponding to the total air pressure ( process portion 422 ) and static air pressure ( process portion 424 ). the method can further include calculating the pressure - altitude at which the aircraft is flying ( process portion 426 ). based on the total air pressure and the static air pressure , the method can further include calculating a local freezing point , based on the pressure altitude ( process portion 428 ). in process portion 430 , the method can include comparing the local freezing point to the static air temperature value to determine whether the static air temperature value is at or below the local freezing point . if so , then the method includes determining whether the liquid water content is at or below the threshold value ( process portion 310 , discussed above with reference to fig3 ). if not , then the method includes not indicating an incipient icing condition ( process portion 308 , fig3 ). in any of the embodiments described above , the foregoing methods can be completed by a suitable computing system , including the aircraft flight data system or a separate system . the routines for carrying out the processes described above can be encoded in hardware , software or other computer - readable media . in any of these embodiments , some or all of the foregoing processes are completed automatically . an advantage of this arrangement is that it can reduce crew workload and improve system repeatability and reliability . in one aspect of an embodiment described above with reference to fig2 , the ice detection system 110 includes a temperature sensor 120 positioned remotely from a water content sensor 130 . in another embodiment , shown in fig5 , an ice detection system 510 can include a temperature sensor 520 and a water content sensor 530 co - located in a single housing 511 . in one aspect of this embodiment , the housing 511 can include a base 514 , a support 515 extending away from the base 514 , and a flow channel 512 carried by the support 515 . the flow channel 512 can include an entrance 516 and an exit 517 positioned downstream from the entrance 516 and aligned with the entrance 516 along a flow axis 513 . the flow channel 512 can carry a probe mast 531 extending into the airstream captured by the flow channel 512 . the probe mast 531 can support a heated wire 532 which is positioned to impinge water ( for example , liquid water ) contained in the captured airstream . in a particular aspect of this embodiment , the temperature sensor 520 can be positioned at a lee surface of the probe mast 531 , so as not to be directly exposed to water in the captured airstream . accordingly , the temperature sensor 520 can measure the actual total or static temperature without being influenced by any water in the captured airstream . the detector 510 can optionally include a pre - processor 541 ( for example , to condition the signals received from the heated wire 532 and the temperature sensor 520 ) and can provide output signals to a processing unit ( such as the processing unit 140 described above ) via output links 560 a and 560 b . one feature of at least several of the embodiments of the systems described above is that they can automatically determine at least incipient icing conditions based on signals corresponding to both temperature and water content . as discussed above , this arrangement can reduce crew workload and improve system performance . another feature of at least several embodiments of the systems described above is that they can detect conditions favorable for ice formation without first requiring significant accretions of ice to form . as a result , the flight crew can more quickly respond to the presence of icing conditions , for example by changing flight path and / or activating an ice protection system . from the foregoing , it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration , but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims .	6
the present disclosure , according to one embodiment , relates to the use of flow - through atmospheric pressure glow (“ apg ”) plasma discharges to functionalize the surface of a particulate biopolymer ( fig1 ). advantages of apg discharges include the ( 1 ) highly non - equilibrium chemical and thermal property of the plasma ( similar to classical low - pressure glow discharges ), ( 2 ) high degree of uniformity over large areas and volumes ( without constriction and the resulting streamer or arc formation ), ( 3 ) relatively low ion energetics and ( 4 ) one - atmosphere operation . surface functionalization of a polymeric material may be used , among other things , to prepare the polymeric surface to accept drugs , vaccines , and / or contrast agents . functionalization may involve the addition of positive or negative charges or charged radical groups to the surface of the particle ( fig2 ). drugs or contrast agents may be attached to the positive or negative charges or charged radical groups , and the polymeric material may then be used as delivery vehicles for the attached drugs or agents . the material to be functionalized is typically a polymeric material . in particular embodiments , the polymeric material is a biopolymer . in some embodiments , the biopolymer is a biodegradable polymer . biodegradable polymers include , without limitation , pmma , poly ( lactide - co - glycolide ) ( plga ), polylactic acid ( pla ), polyglycolic acid ( pga ), polycaprolactone ( pcl ), or polyethylene glycol ( peg ). “ particles .” in a particular embodiment of the invention , the polymeric material is a biopolymer “ particle ,” which can be a microparticle or nanoparticle . a particle maybe formed from any biocompatible material , for example , silicon and silicon derivatives . according to a specific embodiment , polymeric material that is functionalized is a biodegradable poly ( lactide - co - glycolide ) ( plga ) microparticle . plga microparticles may be used as a slow - release drug delivery vehicle to achieve targeted drug delivery , reducing drug side effects , and the need for multiple drug administrations . both protein and dna - based vaccine antigen can be delivered by loading the protein or dna onto the particles &# 39 ; surface . in addition , a plasma - surface functionalized particle of the present invention may be capable of targeting specific cells or tissues , such as diseased cells or tissues . according to one embodiment , a microparticle with a porous shell structure and hollow core may be used . small molecule drugs such as , for illustration and not limitation , immunomodulatory agents may be encapsulated in the hollow core of the microparticle . after appropriate surface modification of the particle , another protein or dna drug , such as a vaccine antigen may be loaded onto the outer surface of the microparticle . in the human body , the drugs attached to the surface of the particle may be released immediately , while the drugs in the hollow core may diffuse out of the porous shell at a sustained rate . “ scaffold .” in an alternative embodiment , the polymeric material to be functionalized may be a two - or three - dimensional surface , such as , without limitation , a scaffold . as used herein , “ scaffold ” refers to an artificial , biocompatible malleable structure that can be used to deliver therapeutic compositions , e . g ., proteins , peptides , nucleic acids , viruses , etc ., into the body , to support and direct the growth of new cells of an organ or tissue . in addition , scaffold can be used to support cells that are implanted or “ seeded ,” and which can support three - dimensional cell growth , such as tissue or organ growth or regeneration . scaffolds can be of natural or synthetic materials , and may be permanent , bioerodable or bioresorbable . examples of natural scaffold materials include collagen , some linear aliphatic polyesters , chitosan , and glycosaminoglycans such as hyaluronic acid . commonly used synthetic bioerodable scaffold materials include polylactic acid ( pla ), polyglycolic acid ( pga ); poly ( lactide - co - glycolide ) ( pgla ) and polycaprolactone ( pcl ). scaffolds generally have a high porosity to facilitate cell seeding and diffusion throughout the structure . in a particular embodiment , the material can be a two - or three - dimensional surface such as , without limitation , a polymeric biomaterial for prostheses , or other polymer . in an alternate embodiment , the polymeric material used in non - biomedical applications may be non - polymer . by way of example and not of limitation , non - polymer materials that may be functionalized include , e . g ., metals ( stainless steel , cobalt - chromium alloys etc ., ceramics , carbon materials etc .). bioactive agents are attached to the functionalized surface of the polymeric surface , e . g ., to a microparticle , nanoparticle , scaffold , etc . bioactive agents include , without limitation , a small molecule drug , a protein drug , a peptide drug , a dna drug , a rna drug , an oligonucleotide drug , an immunomodulatory agent , a vaccine antigen or a contrast or imaging agent . the present invention also may be used for simultaneous noninvasive monitoring of a bioactive agent and the polymeric material , following administration . in a particular embodiment , imaging contrast agents are attached to the functionalized surface of the polymeric material separately or incorporated along with a bioactive agent . examples of imaging contrast agents include quantum dots , gold nanoparticles or gadalonium - diethylenetriaminepentaacetate ( gd - dtpa ) ( for use in magnetic resonance imaging ( mri )) and simultaneously image the , e . g ., particles or scaffold in the body as they deliver and / or release the bioactive agent . among other things , this allows the evaluation of the efficacy of the particle , for example , in reaching the target cells , intracellular uptake , and subsequent bioactive agent release . in certain embodiments , gadalonium may be chemically conjugated to the device surface or loaded along with a bioactive agent . according to one embodiment , the material to be functionalized is suspended in a feed gas that is then introduced to the plasma discharge volume . alternatively , the material is suspended in liquid , arranged in a thin liquid layer , or placed on a moving dielectric belt that passes through the plasma discharge volume . the surface of the material is functionalized as it passes through the apg plasma discharge . by way of explanation , and not of limitation , charged and radical species in the plasma interact with the material and functionalize its surface . trace impurity species in the feed gas , such as trace amounts of oxygen , may also contribute to negative charge deposition on the material &# 39 ; s surface . when the functionalized material emerges from the plasma discharge volume , it is collected . if the material is a particulate suspended in the gas phase , it may be collected by bubbling the particle - laden gas through 1 mm kcl . the functionalized materials are subsequently loaded with drugs , vaccines , or contrast agents . if necessary , particulates are then separated from the liquid through standard filtration and centrifugation techniques . the apg plasma is sustained in a base working , inert gas that comprises helium , argon , nitrogen , or another diluent gas . by way of explanation and not of limitation , diluent gases are preferred as base working gases , because diluent gases often support the most stable and uniform plasma discharges . a discharge that is in streamer or thermal arcing mode may not desirable for the materials processing applications disclosed here . by way of explanation and not of limitation , when the working gas is a pure diluent working gas , pure negative charges are deposited on the surface of particles exposed to the plasma discharge . according to certain embodiments of the present invention , the base working gas may be modified by adding a small amount ( e . g ., about a few percent by volume ) of another gas . by way of explanation and not of limitation , the small amount of additive gas creates a reactive environment for processing the particles but does not affect the stability of the plasma . when plasma is sustained in a mixed gas , radical groups and electrical charges are deposited on the surface of particles exposed to the plasma . examples of mixed gases that yield a positive charge deposition include nitrogen with ammonia ( nh 3 ) additive and helium with ammonia additive . a positively charged functionalized surface is used to conjugate negatively charged agents such as , by way of example and not limitation , nucleic acids . by way of explanation and not of limitation , the apg plasma efficiently decomposes nh 3 to produce molecular and atomic fragments including nh 2 , nh , n , h , and their corresponding ionic forms . these “ daughter ” radical species can subsequently be transported to the particle or surface to be functionalized , and functionalize the surface to form , for example , grafted amine groups . other examples of additive gases are oxygen and fluorine . according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure , particles that have been exposed to an apg plasma discharge may be analyzed to determine the resulting deposition of surface charge and surface functional groups . a zeta potential measurement instrument may be used to measure the effective mobility of the particles in a known and well - characterized liquid medium . zeta potential is a measurement of surface charge state . to determine the extent that a particle has been functionalized , the zeta potential of an unprocessed particle may be compared to the zeta potential of a processed particle . for example , nh 2 functionalization yields positive surface charge , and depending upon the extent or efficacy of amine modification , the zeta potential of an nh 2 functionalized particle may be increasingly positive compared to an unprocessed control particle . one of skill in the art would understand that any method for surface analysis may be used to determine the deposition of the surface charge and surface functional groups . in a particular embodiment of the present invention , plasma - processed microparticles may be analyzed using elemental surface analysis techniques such as x - ray photoelectron spectroscopy (“ xps ”), also known as electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis ( esca ), and imaging techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (“ sem ”). xps / esca provides a detailed understanding of the chemical state of the plasma - modified microparticle surface . sem imaging provides insight into possible plasma - induced structural damage to the microparticles . the apg plasma can be generated in any of several configurations . according to one embodiment of the present disclosure , the apg configuration involves a dielectric - barrier discharge (“ db - apg ”). a db - apg may be generated by arranging two parallel electrodes in close proximity , usually a few millimeters apart . one or both of the electrodes are covered by a dielectric layer , such as , for example , polycarbonate . the electrodes are driven by a high voltage power supply at high audio . for example , voltage of approximately 1 kv and audio of approximately 10 khz are appropriate . the apg plasma is operated within a narrow range of parameters to create uniform and stable plasma discharges that are not unduly disrupted by apg plasma - particle interactions . by way of explanation and not of limitation , the presence of particles can significantly affect plasma stability boundaries and greatly increase the propensity for plasma constriction and streamer filamentary arc formation . plasma stability boundaries may be affected by a number of factors , such as particle size , particle number densities , and other plasma operating parameters known to those skilled in the art . according to certain embodiments , electrical characterization may be used to evaluate the plasma . electrical characterization is based on discharge voltage - current measurements . the shape and the magnitude of current waveforms aid in the prediction of important plasma properties , such as the plasma mode ( townsend versus glow mode ), plasma intensity , and the propensity for glow - to - arc transitions . also , changes in the plasma state during particle processing are monitored through comparison of the discharge voltage - current waveforms of well - studied non - reactive apg plasma with apg plasmas in mixtures of gases and in the presence of suspended particles . furthermore , waveform characteristics such as random current pulse formation , which are indicators of glow - to - arc transitions , may be useful to establish stability boundaries for the apg plasma in the particle processing environment . electrical characterization may also yield insights useful for scale up in a manufacturing setting . according to certain embodiments , time - resolved optical imaging may allow direct observation of the apg plasma structure during materials processing . an intensified charge coupled device ( iccd ) camera system with about a 768 × 494 pixel resolution and an intensifier that can be gated down to about 100 ns at a framing rate of about 1 khz may be satisfactory to provide time - resolved images of the discharge . iccd imaging of an apg plasma under processing conditions may provide evidence of the impact of particle processing on the structure and uniformity of plasma . according to certain embodiments , optical emission spectroscopy may provide evidence of the chemical structure of the apg plasma . line emission from atomic species and band emission from molecular species may be identified and used to detect the species &# 39 ; absence or presence in the discharge . line and band emission may also indicate the relative densities of the species under different discharge conditions . through proper calibration and detailed measurements of the line and band shapes , additional information such as the absolute number densities of species , electron temperatures , and gas temperatures may also be estimated . the relative intensities of these emission bands under different processing conditions may be monitored to infer the relative densities of these species and correlated with the attributes of the particle functionalization . a time - resolved spectra from the plasma may be obtained using a 0 . 25 m spectrograph with a gated intensified linear diode array detector . in this way , light may be collected from the center of the discharge and transferred to the spectrograph using , for example , a 100 micron core optical fiber . apg plasma discharge may enable continuous materials processing without the need to break a vacuum to load drugs and agents onto the functionalized material . room temperature operation does not melt delicate biopolymer materials during processing . because the process does not involve toxic byproducts or liquid wastes , it is environmentally benign , and by avoiding the use of chemical entities to modify the surface ( e . g ., surfactants ), the product may be a relatively safe vehicle for drug delivery . another advantage of apg plasma processing is that the low ion impact energies in apg plasmas may reduce structural damage to the material &# 39 ; s surface . the apg plasma processing technique can be high throughput , reproducible , efficient , and scalable for , among other things , pharmaceutical manufacturing needs . it may also be capable of being made into an on - line or automated process . in certain embodiments , a microparticle may be used as a multi - agent , or combinatorial , drug delivery system . by way of explanation and not limitation , the role of one multi - agent may be to modulate the immune system &# 39 ; s reaction to another multi - agent , such a protein or dna vaccine also delivered by the molecule . to facilitate a better understanding of the present disclosure , the following examples of specific embodiments are given . the following examples do not limit or define the entire scope of the invention . plga resomer ® rg502h , rg503h was purchased from boehringer ingelheim , germany ( inherent viscosity ( i . v . )= 0 . 16 - 0 . 2 dl / g , mw , approximately 11 , 000 da , obtained from the inherent viscosity vs . molecular weight correlation sheet )). poly ( vinyl alcohol ) pva , mw approximately 31 , 000 da ( approximately 88 % hydrolyzed ) was purchased from fluka . ovalbumin and lysozyme proteins were purchased from sigma - aldrich ( st . louis , mo .). micro bca kit for protein analysis was purchased from pierce biotechnology ( rockford , ill .). all other lab supplies were procured from fischer scientific inc ( pennsylvania , usa ). an apg plasma discharge was generated by a db - apg in pure helium flowing gas . fig1 depicts the experimental set up . two parallel electrodes within a few millimeters of each other were supplied by a high - voltage ( approximately 1 kv ) power supply at high audio (˜ 10 khz ) frequency . both electrodes were covered by a polycarbonate layer . fig3 depicts the plasma region as a faint bluish glow ( arrow ). a time - averaged spectrum of an apg plasma discharge in pure helium was taken in the visible wavelength range of 663 nm to 786 nm , as seen in fig4 . a dominant helium electronic transition ( 3 3 s → 2 3 p ) at a wavelength of 706 . 5 mn was evident . a uniform apg discharge was produced within apg stability boundaries . the discharge was imaged with an iccd camera system with an exposure ( gate ) time of 300 ns . as shown in fig5 a , taken at an instant when the top electrode / dielectric was the momentary cathode , a relatively bright sheath was seen adjacent to the momentary cathode surface and a relatively weaker sheath was seen at the anode . fig5 a also shows that the discharge was clearly uniform across the entire electrode area , a property that is highly desirable for efficient , reproducible , and high - throughput particle processing . the operating parameters of the apg discharge were then changed , so that the same discharge became unstable . as shown in fig5 b , groups of streamers and arc filaments destroyed the uniformity of the discharge , making it an undesirable plasma mode for surface processing . as a specific example embodiment , plga microparticles were synthesized using the double emulsion , solvent evaporation process described by kasturi et al . ( mol . ther ., 2003 , 7 , s224 ). three hundred fifty milligrams of plga microparticles , both without and with carboxylic acid ( rg502 or rg502h , boehringer ingelheim , virginia , mw approximately 12 , 000 da ) end cap , were dissolved in 7 ml of methylene chloride ( emd chemicals , new jersey ) to yield a 5 % ( weight / volume ) polymer solution . deionized water ( 300 μl ) was added to the polymer solution to form a primary emulsion , which was then homogenized at 10 , 000 rpm for 2 min using a silverson sl2t bench top homogenizer . the primary emulsion was then added to 50 ml of 1 % pva solution and homogenized for 1 min to obtain a w / o / w emulsion followed by solvent evaporation with magnetic stirring for 3 hours , to achieve microparticle formation and hardening . the microparticles were washed three times with deionized water , lyophilized for & gt ; 16 hours , and stored at − 20 ° c . for future use . scanning electron microscopy was used as an alternative technique to analyze the size distributions obtained using dynamic light scattering and also to verify any macroscopic changes in the morphology of these formulations . microparticles were deposited on aluminum stubs obtained from the electron microscopy facility ( texas material institute ( tmi ), university of texas at austin , austin , tex .). microparticle suspensions were made with 0 . 2 μm filtered purified water and allowed to air - dry overnight . the dried microparticle deposits on the aluminum stubs were sputter coated with 60 : 40 ( gold : palladium ) using the sputter coater at the core facility ( tmi ). microparticles sputter coated with gold : palladium were visualized using a leo 1530 scanning electron microscope ( texas material institute ( tmi ), university of texas at austin , austin , tex .). as shown in fig6 , the microparticle formulation is a polydisperse particle mixture , with the particle have an average diameter of approximately 1 . 5 microns within a 5 - micron size range . the plga particles were suspended in deionized water at a concentration of 10 mg / ml , and 0 . 25 ml was evenly spread over the surface area of a frosted glass microscope slide . the area on the glass side was found to match the dimension of the electrode closely and thus the spreading of the suspension over the slide ensured plasma exposure of the entire surface of the slide over which the particles were deposited . the concentration was also varied to deposit 2 . 5 mg or 5 mg of particles on the slides . the suspensions deposited on the slides were air - dried overnight , stored at 4 ° c . before plasma exposure and modification . the particle - laden slides were placed on one of the electrode - dielectric surfaces in an apg discharge chamber and immobilized with scotch tape . the slides were immobilized and centered to maximize plasma exposure . pure helium apg plasma was generated in a 5 - mm gap between the dielectric layers ( fig2 ). the electrode drive voltage was 1 . 7 kv with a 10 khz frequency . the microparticles were exposed to the plasma for varying durations of time ranging from a few seconds to several minutes . the microparticles were subsequently removed from the surface by mechanically scraping them off the slide and suspended in 1 mm kcl . their average charge state was measured using a zeta potential measurement instrument as described infra . using scanning electron microscopy as described supra , the plasma - modified plga particles were analyzed for size distribution and surface morphology . as shown in fig7 , the surface of the plasma - modified particles show no visible macroscopic change as compared to non - modified particles ( cf . fig6 ). zeta potential analysis was conducted using a zeta plus analyzer ( brookhaven instruments corp , holtsville , n . y .) to analyze the surface charge changes of the particles . zeta potential analysis is a common technique employed to check for any surface charge changes for colloidal suspension . lyophilized samples of unmodified and plasma - modified plga microparticle formulations were suspended in 1 mm kcl at 1 mg / ml concentration . ten readings were noted per sample at the pre - set temperature of 25 ° c . the mean and standard error were noted for the distribution of charged particles . results were replotted using microsoft excel eliminating any outliers ( 2 × standard error in the 10 readings noted and the standard error were recalculated ). zeta potential analysis showed that the helium plasma exposed plga microparticles were increasingly negative depending on the mass of microparticles deposited ( fig8 ). five milligrams of microparticles deposited on the glass slides yielded small areas of clustered and other areas of multilayered particles . decreasing the deposition mass to 2 . 5 mgs decreased the number of areas with multilayers and most areas appeared as spots of monolayer of microparticles ( fig8 ). the results of the zeta potential of unmodified and plasma modified microparticles are compiled as shown in table 1 . table 1 presents the zeta potential , protein loading and release of protein 24 - hr post loading from plasma - modified plga microparticles . protein release was analyzed 24 - hr post incubation in physiologic conditions of pbs buffer at 37 ° c . all results are a reported mean of n = 4 independent experiments done in triplicate each . an affect of the exposure times of plasma gas discharge was studied as shown in fig9 . the zeta potentials of plasma - processed microparticles were increasingly negative with increased time of exposure of the particles to the plasma gas discharge . the control group of unprocessed particles had a small zeta potential of about − 12 mv . the plasma - processed particles showed a consistent increase in the negative zeta potentials with increasing exposure time . the 1 - minute exposure produced particles with about − 20 mv zeta potentials , whereas the 6 - minute exposure produced particles with about − 40 mv zeta potentials . an important part of formulation synthesis is to create off the shelf , ready to use formulation or delivery systems . thus , it is important to determine whether freeze drying would alter the plasma - discharge modified surface . as shown in fig1 , the zeta potential of the freeze dried plasma modified microparticles was not significantly reversed and these formulations retained anionicity sufficiently enough to adsorb proteins . lyophilized plasma modified plga microparticles were used for adsorption of lysozyme protein . lysozyme has been used as a model protein for adsorption experiments as reported by singh et al ., 2006 , supra . lysozyme protein was loaded at 1 % ( wt / wt ) to the mass of the plga formulation used . unmodified plga microparticles were used as controls for the loading experiment . lysozyme ( 50 μg ) from a stock lysozyme solution in ph 7 . 0 hepes buffer ( 5 mg / ml ) was added to 5 mg of unmodified and plasma modified plga microparticles suspension in ph 7 . 0 hepes buffer under mild vortexing . the total volume for the protein adsorption process was 1 ml in a 1 . 5 - ml microcentrifuge tube . the protein / microparticle mixture was rotated on an end - to - end shaker ( barnstead international , dubuque , iowa ) for 12 hr overnight at 4 ° c . following protein adsorption , the microparticles were centrifuged at 4 , 000 rpm using a 5810r refrigerated eppendorf centrifuge for 20 min . the supernatants were collected and analyzed for protein content using the bca assay for protein estimation as per the instructions from pierce biotechnology ( rockford , ill .). the standard curves were plotted at increasing concentrations with lysozyme protein . the supernatant samples from the protein loaded microparticles were used at a 1 : 1 dilution with the working reagent prepared from the bca kit and the absorbance was read at 570 nm . as shown in table 1 , plasma - modified microparticles adsorbed protein greater than twice as efficiently as the unmodified plga microparticles . modifications of both 2 . 5 mg and 5 mg of microparticles , although yielding different absolute values of negativity , retained the increased advantage post plasma modification in adsorbing proteins with greater than twice the levels as compared to the unmodified batches . experiments were repeated at least four independent times and the values of negativity post - plasma modification were found to be statistically significant compared to unmodified plga microparticles ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). protein loaded plasma modified microparticles were resuspended in 1 × phosphate buffered saline ( pbs ) and rotated on an end - to - end shaker at 37 ° c . microparticle suspensions were centrifuged at 3 hr and 24 hr at 8 , 000 rpm in a 5810r refrigerated centrifuge and the supernatants withdrawn and replaced with fresh buffer . the supernatants were analyzed for protein content using the bca assay discussed above . the cumulative release of protein from the microparticles was calculated ( table 1 ). as shown in table 1 , lysozyme is only released at early time points very similar to a burst release mechanism most typically seen with encapsulated designs for proteins with formulations . no increased or sustained release was noted beyond one day and samples were retrieved up to a week for analysis . it is presumed that extremely tight electrostatics could prevent further protein release in vitro but the situation in vivo could be more dynamic with competing anions facilitating release of proteins from the surface . also , the degradation of the plga polymers as demonstrated by other research groups could ensure that proteins could come off eventually within as early as eight days ( thiele et al ., 2003 , pharm . res ., 20 , 221 - 8 ). scanning electron microscopy was used to evaluate the size distributions obtained using dynamic light scattering and also to verify any macroscopic changes in the morphology of these formulations . as discussed supra , protein loaded microparticles were deposited on aluminum stubs obtained from the electron microscopy facility at the university of texas at austin . microparticle suspensions were made with 0 . 2 μm filtered purified water and allowed to air - dry overnight . the dried microparticle deposits on the aluminum stubs were sputter coated with 60 : 40 ( gold : palladium ) using the sputter coater at the core facility ( tmi ). microparticles sputter coated with gold : palladium were visualized using a leo 1530 scanning electron microscope . in alternate example embodiment of the present invention , plasmid dna encoding hepatitis b - surface antigen was used to test the efficacy with which the functionalized particles could be loaded with dna drugs . the absorbance at 260 nm of the supernatant after particle separation was used as an indicator of whether dna attached to the surface of the particles . protein loading was similarly evaluated using a model antigen bovine serum ( bsa ). while the present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms , specific example embodiments have been shown in the figures and are herein described in more detail . it should be understood , however , that the description of specific example embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed , but on the contrary , this disclosure is to cover all modifications and equivalents as defined by the appended claims . all patents , patent applications , publications , products descriptions , and protocols , and references cited herein are incorporated by reference for all purposes , and specifically for a referenced method or procedure .	2
fig1 shows a part of a cellular mobile communications network , operating in a wideband code division multiple access ( wcdma ) system . fig1 shows just four cells c 1 – c 4 , although it will be realised that these represent only a small part of a typical network . each of the cells c 1 – c 4 includes a respective base station bs 1 – bs 4 . a typical mobile station ( ms ) 100 is also shown in the system . again , it will be apparent that a real network will contain many such mobile stations . each base station bs transmits information to the mobile stations using the same nominal carrier frequency . these transmissions are spread using a short code . the mobile station is able to distinguish between the base stations because each base station also applies a respective long code to its transmissions . however , one part of each signal transmitted from a base station does not have the long code applied to it . this is the long code masked symbol . although the invention is described herein with reference to a w - cdma system , it will be apparent that it can be used in any system which uses a long code masked symbol in this way , or , indeed , in any communication system in which a receiver must detect a code in a received signal . when a mobile station 100 is switched on , it must establish a connection with one of the base stations . this requires it to synchronise to the transmissions from the base station . firstly , the mobile station must detect the slot timings of transmissions from the base station . this is done by detecting the correlation between the known short code and a received signal , using a matched filter . then , the long code can be detected . a somewhat similar process carries on when a base station has been acquired . after acquisition , the mobile station detects transmissions from other base stations , to aid in determining whether it should handover communications to one of the other base stations . similarly , the mobile station must detect the slot timings of transmissions from the other base station , by detecting the correlation between the known short code and a received signal using a matched filter . this allows the long code of the other base station to be detected . fig2 shows the relevant components of the mobile station 100 . the invention is described herein with reference to a mobile phone , but it is generally applicable to portable radio communication equipment or mobile radio terminals , such as mobile telephones , pagers , communicators , electronic organisers , smartphones , personal digital assistants ( pdas ), or the like . it will be apparent that fig2 shows only those components of the mobile station 100 which are essential to an understanding of the present invention . an antenna 102 detects radio transmissions from a base station bs . front - end receiver circuitry 104 receives signals from the antenna 102 , and provides suitably filtered digital sample streams for the in - phase ( i ) and quadrature ( q ) components thereof . the sample streams representing the in - phase and quadrature components i , q are passed to respective matched filters 106 , 108 . as discussed above , the matched filters 106 , 108 detect the correlation between the known short code and the received signal components . effectively , the filter slides over the signal stream received in a slot . output filter values are supplied to an accumulator 110 , which sums the output values . when it is determined that the accumulated value exceeds a threshold , it is determined that this filter position corresponds to the slot boundary . as will be described in more detail below , the operation of the matched filter is controlled by control circuitry of the mobile station . the result of the determination by the accumulator 110 is passed to a block 112 which , by using the determined slot position , is able to detect the long code applied to the transmissions , and the result is then used in demodulating the received signal , as is known to the person skilled in the art . fig3 shows the form of the matched filter 106 which receives the sampled in - phase signal ( i ), although it will be noted that the form of the matched filter 108 which receives the sampled quadrature signal ( q ) is the same . the filter 106 includes a shift register comprising 256 elements en , which is shown for convenience divided into four blocks , each having sixty - four elements , namely a first block 120 made up of elements e 0 – e 63 , a second block 122 made up of elements e 64 – e 127 , a third block 124 made up of elements e 128 – e 191 , and a fourth block 126 made up of elements e 192 – e 255 . input received samples are applied to element e 255 and , as further samples are received , they in turn are applied to element e 255 , with previously received samples being shifted through the register . when 256 samples have been received , the first sample is in shift register element e 0 , while the most recently received sample is in shift register element e 255 . at each stage , the value in each element en of the shift register is multiplied in a respective multiplier mn by a corresponding coefficient cn , which relates to a bit in the known short code discussed above . thus , the value in element e 255 of the shift register is multiplied in multiplier m 255 by a coefficient c 255 , the value in element e 254 of the shift register is multiplied in multiplier m 254 by a coefficient c 254 , etc . the outputs from the multipliers m 0 – m 63 associated with the first block 120 of the shift register are summed in an adder 128 , the outputs from the multipliers m 64 – m 127 associated with the second block 122 of the shift register are summed in an adder 130 , the outputs from the multipliers m 128 – m 191 associated with the third block 124 of the shift register are summed in an adder 132 , and the outputs from the multipliers m 192 – m 255 associated with the fourth block 126 of the shift register are summed in an adder 134 . the outputs of each of the adders therefore represent the degree of correlation between the samples in the elements en of the corresponding shift register block , and the respective coefficient values cn . the outputs of the adders 128 , 130 , 132 , 134 are connected to respective switches 136 , 138 , 140 , 142 which can connect the respective adder outputs to respective alternative switch terminals a , b . the switch terminal a of each switch 136 , 138 , 140 , 142 is connected to a respective block 144 , 146 , 148 , 150 , which squares its received value to measure the power thereof . the switch terminal b of each switch 136 , 138 , 140 , 142 is connected to an adder 152 , and the outputs of the blocks 144 , 146 , 148 , 150 are also connected to the adder 152 . the output of the adder 152 is connected to a further switch 154 , having alternative switch terminals a , b . the switch terminal a of the switch 154 is connected to the output of the filter 106 , and then to the accumulator 110 ( fig2 ). the switch terminal b of the switch 154 is connected to a block 156 which squares its received value to measure the power thereof , and the output of the block 156 is also connected to the output of the filter 106 , and then to the accumulator 110 . the operation of the filter 106 , and the corresponding filter 108 , will now be described in more detail with reference to fig4 and 5 , which are flow charts illustrating the relevant parts of the synchronisation procedures carried out in the mobile station , under the control of control circuitry included in the mobile station . fig4 shows the synchronisation carried out when the mobile station is switched on . thus , in step 200 , the acquisition procedure is started . in step 202 , the switches 136 , 138 , 140 , 142 , 154 in the filter 106 shown in fig3 ( and the corresponding switches in the filter 108 ) are set to their respective positions marked a . the reason for this will be explained below . in step 204 , based on the accumulated results from the filters 106 , 108 , the slot synchronisation position is determined . then , in step 206 , the long code of the base station is determined , these latter steps , and the subsequent steps which will not be described further , being generally conventional . fig5 shows the synchronisation carried out when the mobile station searches for transmissions from another base station . thus , in step 220 , the cell search procedure is started . in step 222 , the switches 136 , 138 , 140 , 142 , 154 in the filter 106 shown in fig3 ( and the corresponding switches in the filter 108 ) are set to their respective positions marked b . again , the reason for this will be explained below . in step 224 , based on the accumulated results from the filters 106 , 108 , the slot synchronisation position is determined . then , in step 226 , the long code of the base station is determined , these latter steps , and the subsequent steps which will not be described further , again being generally conventional . when the mobile station is first switched on , there can be a relatively large frequency deviation , between the frequency at which the base station is transmitting , and the frequency at which the mobile station is expecting to receive transmissions , that is , the frequency at which samples are clocked through the shift register blocks 120 , 122 , 124 , 126 . this frequency deviation can for example be up to +/− 10 ppm , that is up to about 20 khz if the carrier frequency is 2 ghz . this frequency deviation results in a phase rotation in every sample of the received sample stream . since the performance of the matched filter is degraded severely if the total phase rotation over the length of the matched filter is too high , this effectively sets an upper limit on the maximum length of filter that can be used . in this embodiment of the invention , where the frequency deviation can for example be up to +/− 10 ppm , the maximum filter length is set at 64 elements . thus , with the switches 136 , 138 , 140 , 142 , 154 at the positions a , the four blocks 120 , 122 , 124 , 126 effectively act as four separate filters , each with 64 elements . in this case , assuming that each of the four blocks 120 , 122 , 124 , 126 produces a correlation amplitude value x , when these are squared in the blocks 144 , 146 , 148 , 150 , and summed in the adder 152 , the output accumulation value is 4x 2 . when the mobile station has established synchronisation with one base station , and is performing a cell search operation , as described in fig5 , the frequency deviation should not exceed +/− 1 ppm , because the crystal oscillator in the frequency generator of the mobile station can be suitably compensated . therefore , during this phase of operation , the possible frequency deviation does not effectively set any upper limit on the maximum length of filter that can be used . in this embodiment of the invention , the switches 136 , 138 , 140 , 142 , 154 are set at the positions b , and the four blocks 120 , 122 , 124 , 126 effectively act as a single filter , with 256 elements . in this case , assuming that each of the four blocks 120 , 122 , 124 , 126 produces a correlation amplitude value x , when these are summed in the adder 152 , and squared in the block 156 , the output accumulation value is 16x 2 , compared with an output accumulation value of 4x 2 when the four blocks 120 , 122 , 124 , 126 effectively act as four separate filters . there is a corresponding increase of 6 db in the signal - to - noise ratio of the output value . if the slot boundary detection algorithm relies on accumulating the power from the matched filter until it reaches a threshold , then this increase in the output accumulation value allows the slot boundary to be found considerably more quickly . this means that slot synchronisation can be achieved more quickly , that there is reduced power consumption because the algorithm runs for a shorter period , and hence that the battery life of the mobile station can be extended .	7
fig1 shows an mocvd reactor 101 having a gas distributor 103 that is connected to one or more gas supplies , a spinner 105 according to a first embodiment for introducing one or more gases into the mocvd reactor 101 , a gas inlet 107 that is connected to one or more gas supplies , a feedthrough 109 that connects the gas inlet 107 to the spinner 105 , and a susceptor 111 on which substrates 113 are placed . specifically , the feedthrough 109 is connected to a hub 106 of the spinner 105 . various channels providing mutual fluid communication are also included within the spinner 105 , the gas inlet 107 , and the feedthrough 109 , so that gases can flow from the gas inlet 107 through the feedthrough 109 to the spinner 105 , and subsequently from the spinner 105 into the mocvd reactor 101 . the gas inlet 107 also includes a motor for driving the feedthrough 109 . when the motor is operated to drive the feedthrough 109 , the feedthrough 109 in turn drives the hub 106 of the spinner 105 to rotate the spinner 105 . during operation of the mocvd reactor 101 , the substrates 113 are heated by a heater and rotate along with the susceptor 111 . a first precursor gas g 1 is introduced into the mocvd reactor 101 via the spinner 105 , while a second precursor gas g 2 and purging gases g 3 are introduced via the gas distributor 103 . in particular , the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 and the purging gases g 3 are introduced into the mocvd reactor 101 in a downward direction generally perpendicular to planar surfaces of the substrates 113 . the first precursor gas g 1 is an organometallic gas comprising a group iii element such as gallium ( ga ). examples of the first precursor gas g 1 are trimethylgallium ( tmg ), trimethylindium ( tmi ), trimethyaluminium ( tma ) and their mixture . the second precursor gas g 2 is an organometallic gas comprising a group v element such as nitrogen ( n ). an example of the second precursor gas g 2 is ammonia gas ( nh 3 ). the purging gases g 3 assist the first and second precursor gases g 1 , g 2 to move towards the substrates 113 that are placed on the susceptor 111 . the purging gases g 3 also assist to expel the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 from the interior of the mocvd reactor 101 to minimise contamination of its internal walls . examples of the purging gases g 3 include nitrogen gas ( n 2 ) and hydrogen gas ( h 2 ). it should be appreciated that the purging gases g 3 may also be carrier gases for transporting the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 to the major planar surfaces of the substrates 113 . the spinner 105 is rotated during the operation of the mocvd reactor 101 . the rotation of the spinner 105 accordingly changes the direction in which the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 and the purging gases g 3 proceed towards the planar surfaces of the substrates 113 , from the original downward direction generally perpendicular to the planar surfaces of the substrates 113 to a direction that is generally parallel to the planar surfaces of the substrates 113 . the rotation of the spinner 105 thus provides a uniform distribution of the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 across the planar surfaces of the substrates 113 . without the rotation of the spinner 105 , the distribution of the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 may be localized at particular regions on the planar surfaces of the substrates 113 . additionally , the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 may be separated from each other as much as possible before they are introduced into the mocvd reactor 101 whilst ensuring that the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 are both present when they are just above the planar surfaces of the substrates 113 to form the compound semiconductor . advantageously , undesirable gas phase reactions between the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 may be reduced as the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 move toward the substrates 113 in the mocvd reactor 101 . although fig1 shows that first precursor gas g 1 is introduced into the mocvd reactor 101 through the spinner 105 instead of through the gas distributor 103 , it should nevertheless be appreciated that other ways of introducing the precursor gases and the purging gases g 1 - g 3 into the mocvd reactor 101 are also feasible . for instance , the second precursor gas g 2 may be introduced into the mocvd reactor 101 through the spinner 105 , with the first precursor gas g 1 and the purging gases g 3 being introduced through the gas distributor 103 . alternatively , both the first and second precursor gases g 1 , g 2 may be both introduced into the mocvd reactor 101 through the spinner 105 , with the purging gases g 3 being solely introduced through the gas distributor 103 . yet another way involves introducing all the precursors and purging gases g 1 - g 3 through the gas distributor 103 into the mocvd reactor 101 , with no gas being introduced through the spinner 105 . in this particular instance , the spinner 105 may be a solid structure . in addition , the purging gases may not be needed if the gas distributor 103 introduces at least one of the first and second precursor gases g 1 , g 2 into the mocvd reactor 101 . fig2 is an isometric view of the spinner 105 when in use . the spinner 105 includes four elongate blades 201 a - d connected to the hub 106 . it can be seen from fig2 that each of the elongate blades 201 a - d defines a generally thin and flat structure . in particular , the blades 201 a - d are mutually diverging and orthogonally spaced around the hub 106 . the blades 201 a - d also include respective blade channels 203 a - d having inlets 207 a - d through which a gas can be introduced and outlets 209 a - d located at the base of the blades 201 a - d through which the introduced gas can exit . the feedthrough 109 also includes a gas channel 205 having an inlet through which a gas can be introduced from a gas supply and an outlet through which the introduced gas can exit . the exited gas from the feedthrough 109 then enters the hub 106 through a hub inlet 208 . since the hub 106 of the spinner 105 is generally hollow , there is thus a fluid communication through the gas channel 205 of the feedthrough 109 , the hub 106 , and the blade channels 203 a - d of the blades 201 a - d . this accordingly allows the first precursor gas g 1 to flow unimpeded from the feedthrough 109 to the blades 201 a - d through the hub 106 of the spinner 105 , before being introduced into the mocvd reactor 101 . from fig2 , it can also be seen that the thickness of the blades 201 a - d generally decreases and tapers towards respective edge portions 211 a - d to form corresponding wedge portions . however , it should be appreciated that it is merely preferable but not essential that each of the blades 201 a - d include a corresponding wedge portion . alternatively , an elongated structure having flat parallel faces may instead be used to construct each of the blades 201 a - d . the spinner 105 is configured to rotate on a plane in a circumferential direction around the hub 106 , whereby the wedge portions 211 a - d define leading edges of the blades 201 a - d and their corresponding opposite edges define trailing edges of the blades 201 a - d during rotation . accordingly , the blades 201 a - d of the spinner 105 are configured to rotate in an anti - clockwise circumferential direction around the hub 106 when viewed from the top of the spinner 105 in fig2 . fig3 a and fig3 b are top and bottom views of the spinner 105 of fig2 respectively . it can be seen from fig3 a that the hub 106 includes the hub inlet 208 for connecting with the gas channel 205 of the feedthrough 109 in such a way as to allow fluid communication . however , the underside of the hub 106 is completely sealed as shown in fig3 b so that the first precursor gas g 1 flows from the hub 106 to each of the blades 201 a - d of the spinner 105 . fig4 is a cross - sectional view of a particular blade 201 a of the spinner 105 of fig2 when viewed along line b - b ′ as indicated in fig3 b . it is seen that the underside of the blade 201 a is inclined at an oblique angle to the plane on which the blade 201 a rotates . accordingly , the inclined underside of the blade 201 a provides a driving force on the fluid gases during rotation , whereby the fluid gases are made to flow from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the blade 201 a . a laminar fluid flow is therefore generated along the top and bottom surfaces of the blade 201 a from the leading edge to the trailing edge as the blade 201 a rotates . more specifically , the underside of the blade 201 a is inclined at different angles to form a kink 401 . this increases the corresponding volume of the blade channel 203 a . it should be appreciated that the other three blades 201 b - d of the spinner 105 is also identical to the blade 201 a shown in fig4 . thus , laminar fluid flows are similarly generated along the top and bottom surfaces of these blades 201 b - d from the respective leading edges to the trailing edges as they rotate . although the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 and the purging gases g 3 are introduced into the mocvd reactor 101 in the downward direction that is generally perpendicular to the planar surfaces of the substrates 113 during operation , the driving forces provided by the structure of the blades 201 a - d alter the flow direction of the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 and the purging gases g 3 to create a laminar gas flow next to the top and bottom surfaces of the blades 201 a - d when the spinner 105 rotates . this ensures that the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 meet to chemically react on top of the wafer surface , even though they are separated far from each other when they are introduced into the mocvd reactor 101 . by separating the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 far from each other , any undesirable gas phase reaction between them may be significantly reduced . this advantageously improves the precursor efficiency and the quality of the compound semiconductor deposited on the substrate 113 . optionally , each of the blades 201 a - d may include an inner partition . fig5 shows a cross - sectional view of the blade 201 a with an inner partition 501 arranged along a length of the blade 201 a , which thereby divides the blade channel 203 a into first and second compartments 505 , 507 . the inner partition 501 specifically includes a slit opening 503 along the length of the blade 201 a through which the first precursor gas g 1 can flow from the first compartment 505 to the second compartment 507 , before the first precursor gas g 1 subsequently exits the second compartment 507 from the outlet 209 a into the mocvd reactor 101 . without the inner partition 501 in each of the blades 201 a - d , most of the first precursor gas g 1 may tend to be introduced into the mocvd reactor 101 through the proximal ends of the blades 201 a - d nearest to the hub 106 compared with their distal ends furthest from the hub 106 . this consequently leads to an uneven distribution of the first precursor gas g 1 in the mocvd reactor 101 along each length of the blades 201 a - d . by providing the inner partition 501 in each of the blades 201 a - d , the slit opening 503 which is significantly smaller than the outlet 209 a - prevents most of the first precursor gas g 1 from exiting the blades 201 a - d through their proximal ends and ensures that sufficient amount of the first precursor gas g 1 exits through the distal ends of the blades 201 a - d . this accordingly ensures a more even distribution of the first precursor g 1 in the mocvd reactor 101 along the length of the blades 201 a - d . referring to fig5 , it is also seen that the surfaces of the blade 201 a are inclined at respective angles α , β and γ with respect to the plane on which the blade 201 a rotates . preferably , that the range of a may be between 10 - 60 °, the range of β between 5 - 45 °, and the range of γ between 45 - 135 °. optionally , the spinner 105 and the feedthrough 109 may further include a water channel 220 arranged within the interiors of the hub 106 and the blades 201 a - d for cooling the spinner 105 during use , as shown in fig6 . the water channel 220 includes a water inlet 222 through which cooling water can be introduced into the water channel 220 from a water supply , and a water outlet 224 through which the cooling water can be discharged from the water channel 220 and returned to the water supply for re - cooling . advantageously , the water channel 220 adapts the spinner 105 for compatibility in high - temperature mocvd processes . fig7 a and fig7 b are top and bottom views of the spinner 105 of fig6 respectively . it can be seen from fig7 a that both the water inlet 222 and the water outlet 224 of the water channel 220 are positioned at the hub 106 . like the hub 106 of the spinner 105 without the water channel 220 , the underside of the hub 106 is completely sealed as seen from fig3 b so that the first precursor gas g 1 flows from the hub 106 to each of the blades 201 a - d of the spinner 105 . fig8 shows a spinner 600 according to a second embodiment of the invention . the spinner 600 is largely similar to the spinner 105 of the first embodiment . for instance , the spinner 600 includes a hub 606 for operative connection to a motor . the spinner 600 also includes four elongate blades 601 a - d connected to the hub 606 , which are mutually diverging and angularly spaced orthogonally around the hub 606 . the blades 601 a - d also include respective edge portions defining wedge portions , and the blades 601 a - d are configured to rotate such that these wedge portions form corresponding leading edges . however , the hub 606 of the spinner 600 in the second embodiment comprises four hub inlets 608 a - d for fluid communication with respective gas channels 605 a - d of a similar feedthrough 609 , instead of comprising just a single hub inlet 208 in the case of the spinner 105 according to the first embodiment . moreover , there is no fluid communication among different blade channels of the blades 601 a - d . thus , the feedthrough 609 may be connected to different gas supplies for supplying different fluid gases into the mocvd reactor 101 . for instance , both the first and second precursor gases g 1 , g 2 may be introduced into the mocvd reactor 101 through adjacent blades 601 a - d of the spinner 600 . alternatively , the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 , and the purging gases g 3 may all be introduced into the mocvd reactor 101 through the blades 601 a - d of the spinner 600 . fig9 a and fig9 b are respective top and bottom views of the spinner 600 of fig8 . it is seen from fig9 a that the hub 606 includes the respective hub inlets 608 a - d for connecting with the corresponding gas channels 605 a - d of the feedthrough 609 in such a way as to allow fluid communication . like the hub 106 of the spinner 105 according to the first embodiment , the underside of the hub 606 is completely sealed as seen from fig9 b so that the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 and / or the purging gases g 3 flow from the hub 606 to each of the blades 601 a - d of the spinner 600 . of course , it should be appreciated that the feedthrough 609 may be connected to a single gas supply that supplies any one of the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 and the purging gases g 3 to the mocvd reactor 101 . fig1 a and fig1 b are respective top and bottom views of a spinner 800 according to a third embodiment of the invention . the spinner 800 of the third embodiment is also largely similar to the spinner 105 , 600 of the first and second embodiments . for instance , the spinner 800 includes four elongate blades 801 a - d connected to a hub 806 . in particular , the blades 801 a - d are mutually diverging and orthogonally spaced angularly around the hub 806 about which the blades 801 a - d rotate . the blades 801 a - d also include blade channels with respective outlets 809 a - d at the base of the blades 201 a - d through which any introduced gas can exit . in contrast with the spinners 105 , 600 of the first and second embodiments , it can be seen from fig1 b that the respective outlets 809 a - d of the blades 801 a - d are arranged mid - way between the leading and trailing edges of the blades 801 a - d as they rotate , instead of being arranged at the trailing edges of the blades 801 a - d as in the spinners 105 , 600 according to the first and second embodiments . furthermore , two parallel rows of outlets are provided between the respective leading and trailing edges of the blades 801 a - d . fig1 shows a different configuration of a blade 1101 of the spinner 105 . the blade 1101 is similar to the previous blade 201 a as earlier described , except in respect of its outlets 1103 through which the precursor gas or the purging gas can flow into the mocvd reactor 101 . in the configuration of the previous blade 201 a , the outlet 209 a is located at the base of the blade 201 a . thus , the precursor gas or purging gas can be directed towards the substrate surface . in contrast with the previous blade 201 a , however , the outlets 1103 of the blade 1101 are arranged at its side . accordingly , the precursor gas or the purging gas is discharged in a direction that is generally parallel to the substrate surface . such a configuration of the blade may thereby reduce fluid disturbance when the mocvd reactor 101 is in use , compared with that of the previous blade 201 a . fig1 shows a plan view of an embodiment of a gas distributor 1200 , which is usable in the mocvd reactor 101 . the gas distributor 1200 is configured to direct the precursor gases g 1 , g 2 and / or the purging gases g 3 towards the substrate surface in the mocvd reactor 101 . in particular , the interior of the gas distributor 1200 is partitioned into various sets of compartments 1202 a - b , 1204 a - b , 1206 a - b , 1208 a - b with seals provided between different sets of the compartments 1202 a - b , 1204 a - b , 1206 a - b , 1208 a - b to prevent mutual fluid communication . in addition , the gas distributor 1200 has apertures 1201 which are evenly distributed at the base of the compartments 1202 a - b , 1204 a - b , 1206 a - b , 1208 a - b through which the fluid gases can pass through . however , the interior of the gas distributor 1200 is not partitioned evenly , and therefore , the compartments 1202 a - b , 1204 a - b , 1206 a - b , 1208 a - b have different internal volumes . in particular , the gas distributor 1200 is partitioned in such a way that the compartments 1202 a , 1204 a , 1206 a , 1208 a have a larger concentration of apertures 1201 at their outer edges compared with the adjacent compartments 1202 b , 1204 b , 1206 b , 1208 b . the compartments 1202 a , 1204 a , 1206 a , 1208 a also have a smaller concentration of apertures 1201 at their centres compared with the adjacent compartments 1202 b , 1204 b , 1206 b , 1208 b . in use , the various sets of compartments 1202 a - b , 1204 a - b , 1206 a - b , 1208 a - b are connected to separate gas supplies to receive various fluid gases . specifically , the compartments 1202 a - b receive the first precursor gas g 1 , the compartments 1204 a - b receive the second precursor gas g 2 , and the compartments 1206 a - b , 1208 a - b receive the purging gases g 3 . more specifically , two separate sets of gas supplies are provided — a first set for supplying the first and second precursor gases g 1 , g 2 and the purging gases g 3 to the compartments 1202 a , 1204 a , 1206 a and 1208 a respectively , and a second set for supplying the first and second precursor gases g 1 , g 2 and the purging gases g 3 to the compartments 1202 b , 1204 b , 1206 b and 1208 b respectively . if the thickness of the film deposited on the substrate 113 is thicker at its centre than at its outer edge , the flow rate of the gas supply connected to the compartment 1202 a — which receives the first precursor gas g 1 — may be increased relative to the flow rate of the gas supply connected to the corresponding compartment 1202 b . this is because the deposit growth of the semiconductor component on the substrate 113 is most sensitive to the distribution of the first precursor gas g 1 in the mocvd reactor 101 . since the compartment 1202 a has a larger concentration of apertures 1201 at its outer edge compared with the corresponding compartment 1202 b , the gas distributor 1200 is thus able to compensate the non - uniformity of the thickness of the deposited film on the substrate 113 . however , if the thickness of the deposited film is thicker at its outer edge than at its centre of the substrate 113 , the flow rate of the gas supply connected to the compartment 1202 b may be increased relative to the flow rate of the gas supply connected to the compartment 1202 a . since the compartment 1202 b has a larger concentration of apertures 1201 at its centre compared with the corresponding compartment 1202 a , the gas distributor 1200 is thus able to compensate the non - uniformity of the thickness of the deposited film on the substrate 113 . it should be appreciated that the flow rates of each of the first and second set of gas supplies connected to the compartments 1202 a - b , 1204 a - b , 1206 a - b , 1208 a - b may be appropriately adjusted so that the gas distributor 1200 better ensures the thickness uniformity of the deposited substrate film , and advantageously improves the quality of the deposited film on the substrate . fig1 shows another gas distributor 1300 according to a second embodiment . like the previous gas distributor 1200 , the interior of the gas distributor 1200 is partitioned into various sets of compartments 1302 a - b , 1304 a - b , 1306 a - b , 1308 a - b with seals provided between different sets of the compartments 1302 a - b , 1304 a - b , 1306 a - b , 1308 a - b to prevent fluid communication . in use , the various sets of compartments 1302 a - b , 1304 a - b , 1306 a - b , 1308 a - b are connected to separate gas supplies to receive various gases . specifically , the compartments 1302 a - b receive the first precursor gas g 1 , the compartments 1304 a - b receive the second precursor gas g 2 , and the compartments 1306 a - b , 1308 a - b receive the purging gases g 3 . more specifically , two separate sets of gas supplies are provided — a first set for supplying the first and second precursor gases g 1 , g 2 and the purging gases g 3 to the compartments 1302 a , 1304 a , 1306 a and 1308 a respectively , and a second set for supplying the first and second precursor gases g 1 , g 2 and the purging gases g 3 to the compartments 1302 b , 1304 b , 1306 b and 1308 b respectively . however , unlike the previous gas distributor 1200 , the compartments 1302 a - b , 1304 a - b of the present gas distributor 1300 have the same internal volume . the compartments 1306 a - b and the compartments 1308 a - b also have the same volume . moreover , the apertures 1301 at the base of each of the compartments 1302 a - b , 1304 a - b are not evenly distributed . instead , there is a higher concentration of apertures 1301 at the outer edges of the compartments 1302 a , 1304 a compared with the outer edges of the corresponding compartments 1302 b , 1304 b . there is also a higher concentration of apertures 1301 at the centres of the compartments 1302 b , 1304 b compared with the centres of the corresponding compartments 1302 a , 1304 a . if the thickness of the deposited film is thicker at its centre than at its outer edge , the flow rate of the gas supply connected to the compartment 1302 a may be increased relative to the flow rate of the gas supply connected to the compartment 1302 b . since the compartment 1302 a has a larger concentration of apertures 1301 at its outer edge compared with the corresponding compartment 1302 b , the gas distributor 1200 is thus able to compensate the non - uniformity of the thickness of the deposited film on the substrate 113 . however , if the thickness of the deposited film is thicker at its outer edge than at its centre , the flow rate of the gas supply connected to the compartments 1302 b may be increased relative to the flow rate of the gas supply connected to the compartment 1302 a . since the compartment 1302 b has a larger concentration of apertures 1301 at its centre compared with the corresponding compartment 1302 a , the gas distributor 1300 is thus able to compensate for the non - uniformity of the thickness of the deposited film on the substrate 113 . it should be appreciated that each of the flow rates of the first and second set of gas supplies connected to the compartments 1302 a - b , 1304 a - b may be appropriately controlled so that the gas distributor 1300 better ensures the thickness uniformity of the deposited substrate film , and advantageously improves the quality of the deposited film . fig1 shows the three susceptors 1401 that are usable in the mocvd reactor 101 of fig1 . each susceptor 1401 carries a number of substrates 113 and rotates when in use . by rotating the susceptors 1401 , any difference in the thickness of the film deposited on the substrates 113 can be compensated , thereby improving the uniformity of the thickness of the deposited film . this further improves the quality of the deposited film on the substrates 113 . it should be appreciated that other variations of the components of the mocvd reactor 101 may be included without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention . for instance , although it has been described that embodiments of the spinner each has four mutually divergent blades that are angularly spaced orthogonally around the spinner hub , other embodiments of the spinner may instead either just have a single blade , or they may have any number of blades . in addition , although gan has been described as the thin - film material deposited on the surfaces of the substrates 113 , other material forming the group iii / v compound group such as gallium arsenide ( gaas ) or those forming the group ii / vi compound group such as zinc oxide ( zno ) may also be used . furthermore , different embodiments of the spinner and the gas distributor herein described may also be used in other deposition techniques such as chemical vapour deposition ( cvd ), atomic layer deposition ( ald ), and hydride vapour phase epitaxy ( hvpe ).	2
referring to fig1 a processor 10 is shown . the processor 10 is a three way super scaler , pipelined architecture . using parallel processing techniques , the processor 10 is able on average to decode , dispatch , and complete execution of ( retire ) three instructions per clock cycle . to handle this level of instruction throughput , the processor 10 uses a decoupled , twelve stage pipeline that supports out of order instruction execution . the micro architecture pipeline of the processor 10 is divided into four sections , i . e ., a first level cache 12 and a second level cache 14 , a front end 16 , an out of order execution core 18 , and a retire section 20 . instructions and data are supplied to these units through a bus interface unit 22 that interfaces with a system bus 24 . the front end 16 supplies instructions in program order to the out of order core 18 that has very high execution bandwidth and can execute basic integer operations with one - half clock cycle latency . the front end 16 fetches and decodes instructions into simple operations called micro - ops ( μ - ops ). the front end 16 can issue multiple μ - ops per cycle , in original program order , to the out of order core 18 . the front end 16 performs several basic functions . for example , the front end 16 performs prefetch instructions that are likely to be executed , fetch instructions that have not already been prefetched , decode instructions into micro operations , generates micro code for complex instructions and special purpose code , delivers decoded instructions from an execution trace cache 26 , and predicts branches using advanced algorithms in a branch prediction unit 28 . the front end 16 of the processor 10 is designed to address some common problems in high speed , pipelined microprocessors . two of these problems , for example , contribute to major sources of delays . these are the time to decode instructions fetched from the target and wasted decode bandwidth due to branches or branch target in the middle of cache lines . the execution trace cache 26 addresses both of these issues by storing decoded instructions . instructions are fetched and decoded by a translation engine ( not shown ) and built into sequences of p - ops called traces . these traces of μ - ops are stored in the trace cache 26 . the instructions from the most likely target of a branch immediately follow the branch without regard for continuity of instruction addresses . once a trace is built , the trace cache 26 is searched for the instruction that follows that trace . if that instruction appears as the first instruction in an existing trace , the fetch and decode of instructions 30 from the memory hierarchy ceases and the trace cache 26 becomes the new source of instructions . the execution trace cache 18 and the translation engine ( not shown ) have cooperating branch prediction hardware . branch targets are predicted based on their linear addresses using branch target buffers ( btbs ) 28 and fetched as soon as possible . the branch targets are fetched from the trace cache 26 if they are indeed cached there ; otherwise , they are fetched from the memory hierarchy . the translation engine &# 39 ; s branch prediction information is used to form traces along the most likely paths . the core 18 executes instructions out of order enabling the processor 10 to reorder instructions so that if one μ - op is delayed while waiting for data or a contended execution resource , other μ - ops that are later in program order may proceed around it . the processor 10 employs several buffers to smooth the flow of μ - ops . this implies that when one portion of the pipeline experiences a delay , that delay may be covered by other operations executing in parallel or by the execution of μ - ops which were previously queued up in a buffer . the core 18 is designed to facilitate parallel execution . the core 18 can dispatch up to six μ - ops per cycle ; note that this exceeds the trace cache 26 and retirement 20 μ - op bandwidth . most pipelines can start executing a new μ - op every cycle , so that several instructions can be processed any time for each pipeline . a number of arithmetic logical unit ( alu ) instructions can start two per cycle , and many floating point instructions can start one every two cycles . finally , μ - ops can begin execution , out of order , as soon as their data inputs are ready and resources are available . the retirement section 20 receives the results of the executed μ - ops from the execution core 18 and processes the results so that the proper architectural state is updated according to the original program order . for semantically correct execution , the results of instructions are committed in original program order before it is retired . exceptions may be raised as instructions are retired . thus , exceptions cannot occur speculatively . they occur in the correct order , and the processor 10 can be correctly restarted after execution . when a μ - op completes and writes its result to the destination , it is retired . up to three μ - ops may be retired per cycle . a reorder buffer ( rob ) ( not shown ) in the retirement section 20 is the unit in the processor 10 which buffers completed μ - ops , updates the architectural state in order , and manages the ordering of exceptions . the retirement section 20 also keeps track of branches and sends updated branch target information to the btb 28 to update branch history . in this manner , traces that are no longer needed can be purged from the trace cache 26 and new branch paths can be fetched , based on updated branch history information . referring to fig2 , an execution environment 50 is shown . any program or task running on the processor 10 ( of fig1 ) is given a set of resources for executing instructions and for storing code , data , and state information . these resources make up the execution environment 50 for the processor 10 . application programs and the operating system or executive running on the processor 10 use the execution environment 50 jointly . the execution environment 50 includes basic program execution registers 52 , an address space 54 , floating point unit ( fpu ) registers 56 , multimedia extension registers ( mmx ) 58 , and simd extension ( sse and sse2 ) registers 60 . any task or program running on the processor 10 can address a linear address base 54 of up to four gigabytes ( 2 32 bytes ) and a physical address space of up to 64 gigabytes ( 2 36 bytes ). the address space 54 can be flat or segmented . using a physical address extension mechanism , a physical address space of 2 36 - 1 can be addressed . the basic program execution registers 52 include eight general purpose registers 62 , six segment registers 64 , an eflags register 66 , and an eip ( instruction pointer ) register 68 . the basic program execution registers 52 provide a basic execution environment in which to execute a set of general purpose instructions . these instructions perform basic integer arithmetic on byte , word , and doubleword integers , handle program flow control , operate on bit and byte strengths , and address memory . the fpu registers 56 include eight fpu data registers 70 , an fpu control register 72 , a status register 74 , an fpu instruction pointer register 76 , an fpu operand ( data ) pointer register 78 , an fpu tag register 80 and an fpu op code register 82 . the fpu registers 56 provide an execution environment for operating on single precision , double precision , and double extended precision floating point values , word -, doubleword , and quadword integers , and binary coded decimal ( bcd ) values . the eight multimedia extension registers 58 support execution of single instruction , multiple data ( simd ) operations on 64 - bit packed byte , word , and doubleword integers . the simd extension ( sse and sse2 ) registers 60 include eight extended multimedia ( xmm ) data registers 84 and an mxcsr register 86 . the simd extension ( sse and sse2 ) registers 60 support execution of simd operations on 128 - bit packed single precision and double precision floating point values and on 128 - bit packed byte , word , doubleword and quadword integers . a stack ( not shown ) supports procedure or subroutine calls and the passing of parameters between procedures or subroutines . the general purpose registers 62 are available for storing operands and pointers . the segment registers 64 hold up to six segment selectors . the eflags ( program status and control ) registers 66 report on the status of a program being executed and allows limited ( application program level ) control of the processor . the eip ( instruction pointer ) register 68 contains a 32 - bit pointer to the next instruction to be executed . the 32 - bit general purpose registers 62 are provided for holding operands for logical and arithmetic operations , operands for address calculations , and memory pointers . the segment registers 64 hold 16 - bit segment selectors . a segment selector is a special pointer that identifies a segment in memory . to access a particular segment in memory , the segment selector for that segment must be present in the appropriate segment register 64 . when writing application code , programmers generally produce segment selectors with assembler directives and symbols . the assembler and other tools then generate the actual segment selector values associated with these directives and symbols . if writing system code , programmers may need to generate segment selectors directly . how segment registers 64 are used depends on the type of memory management model that the operating system or executive is using . when using a flat ( unsegmented ) memory model , the segment registers 64 are loaded with segment selectors that point to overlapping segments , each of which begins at address zero on the linear address space . these overlapping segments then include the linear address space for the program . typically , two overlapping segments are defined : one for code and another for data and stacks . the cs segment register ( not shown ) of the segment registers 64 points to the code segment and all other segment registers point to the data and stack segment . when using a segmented memory model , each segment register 64 is ordinarily loaded with a different segment selector so that each segment register 64 points to a different segment within the linear address space . at any time , a program can thus access up to six segments in the linear address space . to access a segment not pointed to by one of the segment registers 64 , a program first loads the segment selector to be accessed into a segment register 64 . the 32 - bit eflags register 66 contains a group of status flags , a control flag , and a group of system flags . some of the flags in the eflags register 66 can be modified directly , using special purpose instructions . there are no instructions that allow the whole register 66 to be examined or modified directly . however , the following instructions can be used to move groups of flags to and from the procedure stacks or general purpose register : lahf , sahf , push - f , push - fd , pop - f , and pop - fd . after the contents of eflags register 66 have been transferred to the procedure stack or a general purpose register , the flags can be examined and modified using the processor 10 bit manipulation instructions . when suspending a task , the processor 10 automatically saves the state of the eflags register 66 in the task state segment ( tss ) ( not shown ) for the task being suspended . when binding itself to a new task , the processor 10 loads the eflags register 66 with data from the new tasks program state register ( pss , not shown ). when a call is made to an interrupt or an exception handler procedure the processor 10 automatically saves the state of the eflags register 66 on the procedure stack . when an interrupt or exception is handled with a task switch , the state of the eflags register 66 is saved on the tss for the task being suspended . the fundamental data types used in the processor 10 are bytes , words , doublewords , quadwords and double quadwords . a byte is eight bits , a word is two bytes ( 16 - bits ), a doubleword is four bytes ( 32 - bits ), a quad word is eight bytes ( 64 - bits ), and a double quadword is sixteen bytes ( 128 - bits ). referring to fig3 , a byte order of each of the fundamental data types when referenced as operands in memory is shown . the low byte ( bits 0 - 7 ) of each data type occupies the lowest address in memory and that address is also the address of the operand . words , doublewords and quadwords do not need to be aligned in memory on natural boundaries . the natural boundaries for words , doublewords and quadwords are even numbered addresses , addresses evenly divisible by 4 , and addresses evenly divisible by 8 , respectively . however , to improve the performance of programs , data structures ( especially stacks ) should be aligned on natural boundaries whenever possible . the reason for this is that the processor 10 requires two memory accesses to make an unaligned memory access , whereas aligned accesses require one memory access . a word or double - word operand that crosses a 4 byte boundary or a quadword operand that crosses an 8 byte boundary is considered unaligned and requires two separate memory bus cycles to access it . a word that starts on an odd address but does not cross a word boundary is considered aligned and can still be accessed in one bus cycle . some instructions that operate on double quadwords require memory operands to be aligned on a natural boundary . these instructions generate a general protection exception (# gp ) if an unaligned operand is specified . a natural boundary for a double quadword is any address evenly divisible by 16 . other instructions that operate on double quadwords permit unaligned access without generating a general protection exception , however , additional memory bus cycles are required to access unaligned data from memory . although bytes , words and doublewords are the fundamental data types of the processor 10 , some instructions support additional interpretation of these data types to allow operations to be performed on numeric data types . for example , the processor 10 defines two types of integers : unsigned and signed . unsigned integers are ordinary binary values ranging from zero to the maximum positive number that can be encoded in the selected operand size . signed integers are two &# 39 ; s complement binary values that can be used to represent both positive and negative integer values . the processor 10 defines and operates on three floating point data types : signal precision floating point , double precision floating point , and double extended precision floating point . the data formats for these data types correspond directly to format as specified in the ieee standard 754 for binary floating point arithmetic . pointers are addresses of locations in memory . the processor 10 defines two types of pointers : a near pointer ( 32 - bits ) and a far pointer ( 48 - bits ). a near pointer is a 32 - bit offset ( also called an effective address ) within a segment . near pointers are used for all memory references in a flat memory model or for references in a segmented model when the identity of the segment being accessed is implied . a far pointer is a 48 - bit logical address , consisting of a 16 - bit segment selector and a 32 - bit offset . far pointers are used for memory references and a segmented memory model where the identity of a segment being accessed must be specified explicitly . a bit field is a continuous sequence of bits . it can begin at any bit position of any byte in memory and can contain up to 32 - bits . strings are continuous sequences of bits , bytes , words or doublewords . a bit string can begin at any bit position of any byte and can contain up to 2 32 - 1 bits . a byte string can contain bytes , words or doublewords and can range from zero to 2 32 - 1 bytes ( four gigabytes ). binary coded decimal integers ( bcd integers ) are unsigned four - bit integers with valid values ranging from 0 to 9 . the processor 10 defines operations on bcd integers located in one or more general purpose registers 62 or in one or more fpu registers 56 . referring to fig4 , real numbers are represented in a floating point format 100 in the fpu 56 floating point registers 70 . the floating point format includes three parts , i . e ., a sign 102 , a significand 104 and an exponent 106 . the sign 102 is a binary value that indicates whether the number is positive ( 0 ) or negative ( 1 ). the significand 104 has two parts : a 1 - bit binary integer ( also referred to as a j - bit ) 108 and a binary fraction 110 . the integer - bit 108 is often not represented , but instead is an implied value . the exponent 106 is a binary integer that represents a base - 2 power that the significand 104 is multiplied by . the processor 10 defines and operates on a set of 64 - bit and 128 - bit packed data types for use in simd operations . these data types include fundamental data types ( packed bytes , words , doublewords and quadwords ) and numeric interpretations of fundamental data types for use in packed integer and packed floating point operations . the 64 - bit simd data types are operated on primarily in the 64 - bit multimedia extension registers 58 . the fundamental 64 - bit packed data types are packed bytes , packed words and packed doublewords . when performing numeric simd operations on these data types in multimedia extension registers 58 , these data types are interpreted as containing bytes , words , or doubleword integer values . the 128 - bit packed simd data types are operated on primarily in the 128 - bit extended multimedia ( xmm ) registers 84 and memory 54 . the fundamental 128 - bit packed data types are packed bytes , packed words , packed doublewords and packed quadwords . when performing simd operations on these fundamental data types in extended multimedia ( xmm ) registers 84 , these data types are interpreted as containing packed or scaler single precision floating point or double precision floating point values , or as containing packed byte , word , doubleword , quadword integer values . referring to fig5 , a table 120 shows a summary of the various simd extensions , the data types operated on , and how the data types are packed into multimedia extension registers 58 and extended multimedia ( xmm ) registers 84 . as described above , multimedia extension instructions operate on packed byte , word , doubleword or quadword integer operands contained in memory 54 , in multimedia extension registers 58 , and / or in the general purposes registers 62 . the multimedia extension instructions include data transfer instructions , conversion instructions , packed arithmetic instructions , comparison instructions , logical instructions , shift and rotate instructions and state management instructions . simd extension ( sse and sse2 ) instructions are divided into a number , e . g ., four groups : simd single - precision floating point instructions that operate on the extended multimedia ( xmm ) registers 84 , mxscr instructions that operate on the mxcsr register 86 , 64 - bit simd integer instructions that operate on the mxx registers 58 , and cacheability control , prefetch and instruction ordering instructions . one class of instructions is move / load and duplicate - type instructions . these instructions are referred to as “ combined ” instructions in that they save the need to do an explicit operation on the value loaded to get , for example , duplication of bits . the present architecture includes a movddup instruction , a movshdup instruction and a movsldup instruction . these instructions are provided to support complex arithmetic with packed single and packed double - precision floating point data types . these instructions can be used in various applications . for example , these instructions can improve the efficiency of signal processing applications and applications that involve processing natural data types . fig6 illustrates operations that may be performed by executing the movddup , movshdup , or movsldup instructions , according to one embodiment . the movddup instruction is move one double - floating point and duplicate sse2 instruction that loads / moves 64 - bits ( bits [ 63 - 0 ] if the source is a register ). execution of the movddup instruction returns the same 64 - bits in both the lower and upper halves of the same result register , that is , duplicating the 64 - bits from the source . thus , if the source 601 has entries 1 / 0 the destination 615 will have entries 1 / 0 / 1 / 0 . the moveddup instruction has the following format : where the source operand is a memory location 54 or a second extended multimedia ( xmm ) register 84 and the destination operand is a first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register 84 . the source contains a double - floating point data type . in operation , if the source operand is a memory address , bits [ 63 - 0 ] of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are loaded with bits [ 63 - 0 ] of the memory address and bits [ 127 - 64 ] of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are loaded with bits [ 63 - 0 ] of the memory location . if the source operand is a second extended multimedia ( xmm ) register , bits [ 63 - 0 ] of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are set equal to bits [ 63 - 0 ] of the second extended multimedia ( xmm ) register and bits [ 127 - 64 ] of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are set equal to bits [ 63 - 0 ] of the second extended multimedia ( xmm ) register . the linear address corresponds to the address of the least - significant byte of the referenced memory data . when a memory address is indicated , the 16 bytes of data at the memory location are loaded or stored . when the register - register form of the operation is used , the content of the 128 - bit source register is copied into the 128 - bit destination register . the movshdup instruction is a move packed single - floating point high and duplicate sse2 instruction that loads / moves 128 - bits and duplicates entries 1 and 3 in the resulting register . in the example of a 128 - bit source register width , each entry is 32 bits . specifically , with a source 601 being 3 / 2 / 1 / 0 entries ( 0 being the low single - precision entry and 3 being the high single - precision entry ), a result register 605 after execution of the movshdup instruction will store entries 3 and 1 duplicated to provide entries 3 / 3 / 1 / 1 . the movshdup has the following format : where the source operand represents a memory location 54 or a second extended multimedia ( xmm ) register 84 and the destination operand is a first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register 84 . the source operand has a packed single - floating point data type . in operation , if the source operand is a memory address , bits [ 31 - 0 ] of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are loaded with bits [ 63 - 32 ] of the memory address , bits 63 - 32 of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are loaded with bits [ 63 - 32 ] of the memory address , bits 95 - 64 of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are loaded with bits [ 127 - 96 ] of the memory address and bits 127 - 96 of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are loaded with bits [ 127 - 96 ] of the memory address . if the source operand is a second extended multimedia ( xmm ) register , bits [ 31 - 0 ] of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are set equal to bits [ 63 - 32 ] of the second extended multimedia ( xmm ) register , bits [ 63 - 32 ] of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are set equal to bits [ 83 - 32 ] of the second extended multimedia ( xmm ) register , bits [ 95 - 64 ] of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are set equal to bits [ 127 - 96 ] of the second extended multimedia ( xmm ) register , and bits [ 127 - 96 ] of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are set equal to bits [ 127 - 96 ] of the second extended multimedia ( xmm ) register . the linear address corresponds to the address of the least - significant byte of the referenced memory data . when a memory address is indicated , the 16 bytes of data at the memory location are loaded or stored . when the register - register form of the operation is used , the content of the 128 - bit source register is copied into the 128 - bit destination register . the movsldup instruction is a move packed single - floating point low and duplicate sse2 instruction that loads / moves 128 - bits and duplicates entries 0 and 2 . specifically , with a source 601 being 3 / 2 / 1 / 0 ( 0 being the lower single - precision entry ), a result register 610 will store entries 2 / 2 / 0 / 0 . the movsldup instruction has the following format : where the source operand is a memory location 54 or a second extended multimedia ( xmm ) register 84 and the destination operand is a first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register 84 . the source operand contains a packed single - floating point data type . in operation , if the source operand is memory address , bits [ 31 - 0 ] of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are loaded with bits [ 31 - 0 ] of the memory address , bits [ 63 - 32 ] of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are loaded with bits [ 31 - 0 ] of the memory address , bits [ 95 - 64 ] of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are loaded with bits [ 95 - 64 ] of the memory address and bits [ 127 - 96 ] of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are loaded with bits [ 95 - 64 ] of the memory address . if the source operand is a register , bits [ 31 - 0 ] of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are set equal to bits [ 31 - 0 ] of the second extended multimedia ( xmm ) register , bits [ 63 - 32 ] of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are set equal to bits [ 31 - 0 ] of the second extended multimedia ( xmm ) register , bits [ 95 - 64 ] of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are set equal to bits [ 95 - 64 ] of the second extended multimedia ( xmm ) register and bits [ 127 - 96 ] of the first extended multimedia ( xmm ) register are set equal to bits [ 95 - 64 ] of the second extended multimedia ( xmm ) register . the linear address corresponds to the address of the least - significant byte of the referenced memory data . when a memory address is indicated , the 16 bytes of data at the memory location are loaded or stored . when the register - register form of the operation is used , the content of the 128 - bit source register is copied into the 128 - bit destination register .	6

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