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fig1 is a perspective view of an arm 60 component in accordance with the invention . arm 60 elements are snapped together , as will be explained later in this description , in sufficient numbers to create a honeycomb 116 of a shape and size to match the surface shape and size of a body of water where the invention is to be used . each arm 60 element is in the shape of , roughly , three adjacent sides of a complete hexagon 110 . in other words , if three adjacent sides of a complete 6 - sided hexagon 110 were separated from the remaining adjacent three sides of the hexagon 110 , the resulting shape would be roughly similar in form to the arm 60 element . the corners where the three sides of the arm 60 meet are chamfered to make the left shoulder 10 and the right shoulder 12 . an arm 60 element may be connected to another arm 60 element in one of two ways : the first way is when the right lower hook 18 and the right upper hook 20 of one arm 60 snap onto the left shoulder upper groove 22 and the left shoulder lower groove 24 . the second way is when the left lower hook 14 and the left upper hook 16 of one arm 60 snap onto the right shoulder upper groove 26 and the right shoulder lower groove 28 , respectively . both methods are used in the use of this invention , as explained further in this detailed description . fig2 is a front detail view of a fig2 is a front detail view of the arm 60 depicted in fig1 . note how the arm 60 element is roughly symmetrical , although variations occur in the manufacturing process . the left side of the arm 60 is a mirror of the right side of the arm 60 . the arm 60 elements are manufactured in large quantities using common plastic injection molding methods . the material they are made out of is high density polyethylene ; also know by its acronym , hdpe . one of the most common uses of hdpe in the united states is in the manufacturing of milk crates and , on occasion , shopping carts . hdpe is used because it is strong , flexible , long - lasting and is food - safe ; that is , it can be used to hold food without contaminating the food . it is flexible enough that is can be bent to a considerable degree before it breaks . for all of these reasons , it is the preferred material used to manufacture the parts used in this invention in the context of child safety near water . a stronger , stiffer material can be used if the context of fish protection , where more strength is required , but the structure does not need as much “ give ” or “ bounce ” as is preferable when children fall upon it . fig3 is a perspective view of a buttress 62 component in accordance with the invention . the buttress 62 functions as the interface between the leg assembly 90 and the honeycomb 116 . three buttress 62 elements are snapped together with the leg assembly 90 by way of three notches on one vertical end of the buttress 62 . the three notches , the upper notch 42 , the middle notch 44 and the lower notch 46 snap into three correspondingly placed holes on the leg assembly 90 . on the opposite vertical side of the buttress 62 is the scoop 50 , which , when attached to an arm 60 , bears the weight of that arm 60 as it rests on the scoop 50 . above the scoop 50 is the gap into which either a left shoulder 10 or a right shoulder 12 of an arm 60 element is inserted . the arm 60 is held in place by the stabilizer 48 , a small protrusion about one inch above the scoop 50 . the scoop 50 and the stabilizer 48 together maintain a grip on the arm 60 in a similar way the human hand might maintain a grip on a plastic credit card with the index finger 100 on top and the thumb underneath the credit card . the grip is firm enough to hold the arm 60 in place , let loose enough to allow some flexing when pressure is brought to bear on the honeycomb 116 . fig4 is a front detail view of a fig4 is a front detail view of the buttress 62 depicted in fig3 . the upper notch 42 and the middle notch 44 bear the weight of the honeycomb 116 resting on the buttress 62 , by resting their weight on the lower edge 70 of the hole on the leg assembly 90 into which the upper notch 42 and the middle notch 44 elements are inserted . the lower notch 46 is used to hold the buttress 62 in place by way of the upper catch 92 on the lower notch 46 . fig5 is a perspective view of a leg 64 component in accordance with the invention . the leg 64 element has three large rectangular holes , two small holes , and two plugs . the two plugs allow it to connect to another leg 64 element , as described in more detail later in this detailed description section . the leg 64 element is made up of three thin , roughly v - shaped walls of plastic , called the upper section 94 , the mid section 96 and the lower section 98 . fig6 is a front detail view of the leg 64 element depicted in fig5 . the leg 64 element has three sections : the upper section 94 , the mid section 96 and the lower section 98 . each section has a rectangular leg hole 78 on one side , and all three rectangular holes face the same direction , as can be seen in fig5 . the mid section 96 is narrower than the upper section 94 , and the lower section 98 is narrower than the mid section 96 . this facilitates the insertion of assembled leg 64 elements into one another , described later in this detailed description section . note the relative position of the thick plug 52 and its corresponding thick socket 56 , into which the thick plug 52 will be inserted during assembly . note also the position of the thin plug 54 and its corresponding thin socket 58 , into which the thin plug 54 is inserted during assembly . fig6 is a front and side view of the leg 64 element in accordance with the invention . the knoll 112 is a small raised area of the leg 64 . the recess 114 is an indentation on the inside of the leg 64 element into which the knoll 112 fits . the precise functioning of both these elements is described later in this detailed description . fig6 is a top view of the leg 64 element in accordance with the invention . viewed from the top , the 120 degree angle can be seen ; a single leg 64 element makes up exactly one third of the circular distance around a complete leg assembly 90 , that is , one third of a full 360 degrees , illustrated from the same top view in detail in fig1 . see also references to fig1 and fig1 , below , for details of how three leg 64 elements are snapped together . fig7 is a perspective view of a ring 66 component in accordance with the invention . the ring 66 element is a hollowed - out hexagonal element of plastic with edges smoothed to make it both easier to handle and also present no sharp surfaces upon which fish or other life might be damaged when brought in contact with the leg assembly 90 where the invention is being used . the ring 66 element performs the function of holding each set of three assembled leg 64 elements together . for every one ring 66 , there are therefore , three leg 64 elements . fig8 is a front detail view of the ring 66 depicted in fig7 . the edges of the ring 66 element are smooth on the outside . although it is essentially hexagonally shaped , the ring 66 is a single , unbroken element of high density polyethylene ( hdpe ). because of this , each three assembled leg 64 elements only have to be held in place long enough to be inserted into the ring 66 element ; a process described in detail below . fig9 is a perspective view of a foot 68 component in accordance with the invention . the foot 68 element serves two functions . one , it adds structural rigidity to the lowermost leg 64 elements by wrapping around them as a single element of plastic . more importantly the foot base 80 serves as a smooth contact surface between the load bearing leg assembly 90 and the pond floor . its smooth surface is less likely to puncture the lining of a pond or other body of water because the load is spread over a greater area than would be the case if the leg assembly 90 sat directly on the pond floor . fig1 is a front detail view of the foot 68 depicted in fig9 . each finger 100 on the foot 68 element has a foot notch 72 protruding from it , facing the inside of the foot 68 element . each of these notches matches up with a corresponding leg 64 hole on the mid section 96 of the lowest leg 64 inserted into the foot 68 . the foot notch 72 elements hold the leg assembly 90 in place firmly enough to remain attached to the leg assembly 90 , but may be removed by applying moderate force . fig1 is a perspective view of an edge 70 component in accordance with the invention . when installed within the invention , the larger grooves on the edge 70 element , that is , the four instances of the edge upper groove 104 , face upwards ; the side with the smaller grooves face downward . this orientation is also illustrated in fig2 , described in detail below , where the edge 70 element is connected to the arm 60 element in three different ways . fig1 is a front detail view of a fig1 is a front detail view of the edge 70 depicted in fig1 . here , the four instances of the edge upper groove 104 and the four instances of the edge lower groove 106 can be clearly seen . the beveling 108 on the grooves is provided to make it easier for the user of the invention to snap the edge 70 element together with the arm 60 element . just like a door latch has a beveled edge 70 to enable the latch to slide into the hole for the latch , the click into place . fig1 is a perspective view of a set of four unattached arm 60 elements before being attached together in accordance with the invention . the left shoulder 10 is a narrow vertical wall of the arm 60 , which contains the left shoulder lower groove 24 and the left shoulder upper groove 22 . the right shoulder 12 is a narrow vertical wall of the arm 60 , which contains the right shoulder lower groove 28 and the right shoulder upper groove 26 . to connect two arm 60 elements together , the left lower hook 14 of arm - a 82 is held under the right shoulder lower groove 28 on arm - b 84 . next , the left upper hook 16 of arm - a 82 is pushed into the right shoulder upper groove 26 on arm - b 84 . this results in the two elements snapping together , and will stay in place unless pressure is applied to separate the two arms , taking the assembly steps in reverse . fig1 is a perspective view of a set of four arm 60 elements , with two of them snapped together in accordance with the invention . the right lower hook 18 on arm - c 86 is held under the left shoulder lower groove 24 of arm - b 84 . next , the right upper hook 20 is pushed into the left shoulder upper groove 22 on arm - b 84 . again , this will result in a noticeable “ snapping ” into place . at this point , three arm 60 elements are assembled together , as can be seen in fig1 . fig1 is a perspective view of a set of four arm 60 elements with three of the arm 60 elements snapped together in accordance with the invention . to connect arm - d 88 with the assembly of arm - a 82 , arm - b 84 and arm - c 86 , hold the right lower hook 18 on arm - d 88 under the left shoulder lower groove 24 of arm - a 82 , and hold the left lower hook 14 on arm - d 88 under the right shoulder lower groove 28 of arm - c 86 . next , push the left upper hook 16 of arm - d 88 over the right shoulder upper groove 26 of arm - c 86 and push the right upper hook 20 of arm - d 88 over the left shoulder upper groove 22 of arm - a 82 . fig1 is a perspective view of a set of four arm 60 elements with four of them snapped together in accordance with the invention . four assembled arm 60 elements make the first rough hexagon 110 shape in the honeycomb 116 . the user of the invention will proceed to add more arm 60 elements such that the honeycomb 116 roughly matches the surface shape of the user &# 39 ; s pond or waterway . just as a person might set tiles on the floor of an odd - shaped room , having many small elements to work with allows them to create a shape that matches the shape of the floor surface . with this invention , it is not necessary to cut any elements . this is because , as long as the honeycomb 116 comes to within a few inches of the edge 70 of the pond or body of water , the function of the invention has been achieved . that is , there remains no space wide enough for a child &# 39 ; s head to fit through between the honeycomb 116 and the edge 70 of the pond or waterway . fig1 is a top perspective view of seventeen arm 60 elements assembled together in accordance with the invention . note the orientation of the arm 60 elements ; the larger hooks are on the lower side of the honeycomb 116 . this is because the central way the invention works is to support weight brought to bear on the top of the honeycomb 116 , pushing the honeycomb 116 downwards . this downward pressure puts the bulk of the pressure on the left lower hook 14 and the right lower hook 18 more than anywhere else on the honeycomb 116 . if downward pressure on the honeycomb 116 is increased to a level above its design capacity , the left lower hook 14 and the right lower hook 18 will , eventually , bend , fall out of place and the honeycomb 116 structure will fail . when a left lower hook 14 or a right lower hook 18 is bent enough for an arm 60 to become disconnected from another arm 60 in this way , the structural integrity of the arm 60 element with the bent left lower hook 14 or the right lower hook 18 is considered compromised , and the damaged arm 60 element should be replaced by the user of the invention . fig1 is a top view of seventeen arm 60 elements assembled together in accordance with the invention . this top view illustrates the shape of each hexagon 110 within the honeycomb 116 . note the width of each such hexagon 110 . although all six sides of the hexagon 110 are not identical , and it could also be said , there are more than six sides if you include the left shoulder 10 and the right shoulder 12 , the essential strength and economic use of material inherent in a honeycomb 116 structure is exploited . the wall - to - wall distance of each hexagon 110 is approximately 4 inches . fig1 is a perspective view of a pair of leg 64 elements being snapped together in accordance with the invention . this is an illustration of the first step in the 3 - step manual process to make a leg section 74 . that first step is to attach two leg 64 elements together by aligning the thick plug 52 and thin plug 54 on one leg 64 element with the thick socket 56 and thin socket 58 , respectively , on the other leg 64 element . fig1 is a perspective view of a third leg 64 element before it is attached to two already assembled leg 64 elements in accordance with the invention . this is an illustration of the third leg 64 element being attached to the already attached first two leg 64 elements just described . the thick plug 52 and thin plug 54 on the third leg 64 element is inserted into the available thick socket 56 and thin socket 58 , respectively . as this is done , the thick socket 56 and thin socket 58 of this third leg 64 element will align very closely with the thick plug 52 and thin plug 54 of the already assembled leg 64 elements . this is the second step in the process of assembling an leg section 74 . note the recess 114 on the inside of the leg 64 element and the knoll 112 on the outside of the leg section 74 . the function of the knoll 112 and the recess 114 are described later in this detailed description . fig1 is a top view of what is illustrated in fig1 , a third leg 64 element before it is attached to two already assembled leg 64 elements in accordance with the invention . this view illustrates the relative position of two already assembled leg 64 elements in relation to the third , about to be added leg 64 element . fig1 is a perspective view of a third leg 64 element snapped together with the first two leg 64 elements in accordance with the invention . this illustrates the second step in the 3 - step manual process of making a leg section 74 . fig1 is a top perspective view of three leg 64 elements fully assembled about to be inserted into a ring 66 element in accordance with the invention . this illustrates the third step in in the 3 - step manual process of making a leg section 74 . the leg section 74 is simply slid into the ring 66 as far as it will go . this makes one complete reinforced leg section 76 . fig1 is a top perspective view of a three leg 64 elements fully assembled and inserted into a ring 66 element , making a reinforced leg section 76 in accordance with the invention . note the position of the ring 66 element . the ring 66 element wraps around the leg section 74 moderately tightly , and serves the purpose of holding the three leg 64 elements together . the three leg 64 elements cannot be disassembled from one another until the ring 66 is first removed . note that there are now three knolls on the outside of the reinforced leg section 76 ; each on one of the three leg 64 elements in the assembly . although the reinforced leg section 76 illustrated in fig1 could have been manufactured as a single piece , the four - piece assembly accommodates repeated freezing and melting of water in the center of the reinforced leg section 76 . in other words , as water inside the usually submerged invention freezes solid when the temperature drops enough , and that ice expands as ice does by 6 % when frozen , the three leg 64 elements have enough room to expand . when the ice melts , they move back to their original position . a solid , hollow leg 64 , on the other hand , may fracture during the process of such repeated freezing and melting . fig2 is a perspective view of a set of four reinforced leg 64 sections about to be snapped together in accordance with the invention . reinforced leg 64 sections are inserted into one another . note the position of the knoll 112 and the recess 114 , described in detail later in this detailed description . fig2 is a top perspective view of a set of four reinforced leg 64 sections inserted into on another in accordance with the invention . as each reinforced leg section 76 is inserted into another one , the three knolls on the outside snap into the three recesses on the inside of the reinforced leg section 76 into which it is being inserted . each knoll 112 is bevelled on one side to require only a moderate amount of effort to slide into the respective recess 114 , but to require significant effort to remove . this is because , as the completed leg section 74 is standing inside the pond or body of water , the assembly should not easily disassemble itself . in addition , the inserted reinforced leg assembly 90 has the effect of “ pushing out ” the elements of the reinforced leg assembly 90 into which it is inserted . this has the effect of tightening the grip of the ring 66 element around the reinforced leg assembly 90 slightly , making each section a little more rigid and less likely to disassemble itself when in operation . this extra tightness also makes it difficult for a meddling child to disassemble the leg 64 , making the purpose of the invention more difficult to defeat . a single reinforced leg section 76 can be removed with force , but normally , only by first sliding the ring 66 from the end of it , and then letting the leg 64 elements come apart . this means that first , the foot 68 element , if attached , must be removed . all this serves as an obstacle to accidental disassembly , or disassembly by a child . fig2 is a bottom perspective view of a buttress 62 being attached to an assembly of reinforced leg 64 sections in accordance with the invention . note the position of the upper notch 42 , the middle notch 44 and the lower notch 46 , which line up directly with the rectangular holes on the top , second from top , and fourth from top holes on the complete leg assembly 90 . fig2 is a bottom perspective view of a buttress 62 element attached to a set of four reinforced leg 64 sections . the upper notch 42 , the middle notch 44 and the lower notch 46 are inserted into their respective holes on the complete leg assembly 90 . fig2 is a top perspective view of a set of three buttress 62 elements attached to an assembly of four reinforced leg section 76 elements in accordance with the invention . fig2 is a front view of a buttress 62 element being attached to an arm 60 element in accordance with the invention . before proceeding with the attachment of the leg assembly 90 to the three already assembled arm 60 elements , this is how every arm 60 connects to a buttress 62 . to connect a buttress 62 to an arm 60 , the scoop 50 on the buttress 62 is placed underneath one of three possible elements of the arm 60 : the left hook lower groove 30 , the right hook lower groove 34 or the spine lower groove 38 . in fig2 , the scoop 50 on the buttress 62 is placed under the right hook lower groove 34 , illustrated on the left hand side of the fig2 . with the scoop 50 snugly held under the right hook lower groove 34 , the buttress 62 is righted so that the stabilizer 48 is pushed into place over the right hook upper groove 36 . the element snaps into place with minimal effort . a stabilizer lip 102 on the underside of the stabilizer 48 eases the contact between the stabilizer 48 and the right hook upper groove 36 during the process of pushing the stabilizer 48 into place on the arm 60 . fig2 is a perspective view of a complete leg assembly 90 about to be snapped into place on the honeycomb 116 in accordance with the invention . notice the identified scoop 50 and stabilizer 48 in fig2 . there are two possible ways of attaching the complete leg assembly 90 to the three arm 60 elements . the first way , suggested in fig2 and illustrated in fig2 , is to place the scoop 50 on two of the buttresses under each of the left hook lower groove 30 and the right hook lower groove 34 , respectively , then push the corresponding stabilizer 48 on each of those two buttresses into the left hook upper groove 32 and right hook upper groove 36 . the second way , is to place the scoop 50 of one of the buttresses on the complete leg assembly 90 under the spine lower groove 38 , then push the corresponding stabilizer 48 on the buttress 62 into the spine upper groove 40 to hold the complete leg assembly 90 in place . this is not preferred because during assembly of the invention , it is easier to handle the assembly when two buttresses are attached to the honeycomb 116 ; that is , what the user of the invention has assembled so far is more stable when held in their hands . fig2 is a perspective view of a complete leg assembly 90 snapped into place on the honeycomb 116 in accordance with the invention . this illustration shows the complete leg assembly 90 in place after the action described in the previous paragraph is taken . because all of the elements of the invention are made from hdpe ( high - density polyethylene ), the resulting structure is relatively flexible . the stabilizer 48 , for example , freely bends to accommodate being pushed into place on the top of the arm 60 , then returns to its position when in place . fig2 is a top perspective view of a leg assembly 90 attached to a set of three assembled arm 60 elements in accordance with the invention . in practicality , when the user of the invention has assembled a honeycomb 116 , there is a degree of skewing . that is , the honeycomb 116 can flex or bend , “ warping ” the shape of any or all individual hexagons within the honeycomb 116 . the buttress 62 elements when attached to the leg assembly 90 are designed to allow a considerable degree of bending to line up with their corresponding connection points on the arm 60 elements . this is to facilitate both ease of assembly , where the elements need to bend a little to snap into place , and also , to provide more “ give ” in the entire structure to reduce the injury risk when a child or animal falls onto the honeycomb 116 . fig2 is a top perspective view of three edge 70 elements snapped into place in each of three different possible ways on the honeycomb 116 in accordance with the invention . when a number of arm 60 elements are assembled together , at one side of the honeycomb 116 there are left and right sides of arm 60 elements pointing away from the honeycomb 116 . the edge 70 piece can be snapped into place on almost any pair of such arm 60 sides . edge - 1 118 is an illustration of an edge 70 used to “ pair - off ” a pair of arm 60 ends pointing toward one another . edge - 2 120 is an illustration of an edge 70 used to pair - off two parallel arm 60 ends at right angles to the edge 70 element . edge - 3 122 is an illustration of an edge 70 used to pair - off two arm 60 ends that are parallel to each other , but are at an approximately 30 degree angle to the edge 70 . fig2 is a top view of the view in fig2 , of three edge 70 elements snapped into place in each of three different possible ways on the honeycomb 116 in accordance with the invention . fig2 is a front view of a foot 68 element before it is snapped into place on a completed leg assembly 90 in accordance with the invention . each of the three finger 100 elements on the foot 68 slides over a side of the leg assembly 90 that has rectangular holes . the foot notch 72 on each finger 100 snaps into the second lowest hole 124 on the side of the leg assembly 90 it slides over . the user of the invention applies a modest amount of pressure to push the foot 68 element into place . fig2 is a front view of a foot 68 element snapped into place on a completed leg assembly 90 in accordance with the invention . the foot 68 element has been snapped into place . once in place , the three foot notch 72 elements ( not visible in fig2 , but very clearly visible in fig9 ), hold the foot 68 in place as they stay inside the rectangular hole elements they snapped into . since other modifications and changes varied to fit particular operating requirements and environments will be apparent to those skilled in the art , the invention is not considered limited to the example chosen for purposes of disclosure , and covers all changes and modifications which do not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of this invention . having thus described the invention , what is desired to be protected by letters patent is presented in the subsequently appended claims . | 8 |
referring to the drawings , fig1 depicts a perspective view of an upright carpet extractor 60 according to one embodiment of the present invention . the upright carpet extractor 60 comprises an upright handle assembly 62 pivotally connected to the rear portion of the floor - engaging portion or base assembly 64 that moves and cleans along a surface 74 such as a carpet 74 . the base assembly 64 includes a brush assembly 70 ( fig3 ) having a plurality of rotating scrub brushes 72 ( fig3 ) for scrubbing the surface . a supply tank assembly 76 is removably mounted to the handle portion 62 of the extractor 60 and includes a combination carrying handle and securement latch 78 pivotally connected thereto . a combined air / water separator and recovery tank 80 removably sets atop base assembly 64 and is surrounded by a hood portion 82 . as depicted in fig2 the base assembly 64 includes a frame assembly 83 which comprises a generally unitary molded rear body 84 having two laterally displaced wheels 66 l , 66 r rotatably attached to the rear of the rear body 84 via axles 67 . referring to fig3 integrally molded into the bottom of the rear body 84 is a circular stepped basin 86 receiving therein the motor / fan assembly 90 . a suitable motor / fan assembly is shown in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 500 , 977 , the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference . an air driven turbine 98 providing motive power for the brush assembly 70 is mounted on the front portion of the rear body 84 . the brush assembly 70 is contained in a brush cavity 73 formed in the underside of the front body 92 . a suitable brush assembly 70 is taught in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 867 , 857 , the disclosure which is incorporated herein by reference . brush assembly 70 is operated by a suitable gear train ( or other known means ), not shown , contained in transmission housing 100 . a suitable air turbine driven gear train is taught in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 443 , 362 , the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference . referring now to fig4 the frame assembly 83 also comprises a front body 92 , which is secured to rear body 84 . in particular , lateral t - shaped tabs 94 extending from the rear of the front body 92 slidably engage complementary journals 96 of the rear body 84 . integrally molded into the underside of rear body 84 of frame assembly 83 ( see fig5 ) is a vacuum manifold 102 having extensions for providing a vacuum source for the turbine 98 . the motor fan assembly 90 generally provides suction to manifold 102 . atmospheric air , driving a brush turbine rotor enters by way of turbine inlet 110 , passing through a screen ( not shown ) to filter out the dirt and then passing through the rotor . positioned within inlet 110 is a throttle valve door 114 ( fig5 ) for energizing or de - energizing brush turbine rotor . such a suitable brush turbine 98 is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 860 , 188 which is hereby incorporated by reference . referring now to fig5 a manual override mechanism 112 is provided whereby the operator , operating in the floor - cleaning mode , may selectively close throttle valve 114 thereby de - energizing brush drive turbine 98 . alternatively , the operator may select an intermediate position whereby throttle valve 114 is partially closed thereby reducing the air flow through throttle valve 114 causing brush drive turbine 98 to rotate at a slower speed resulting in slower rotating brushes . override mechanism 112 comprises a table 113 integrally molded to the body of brush drive turbine 98 and extending rearwardly having slide 116 slidingly attached thereto . extending upwardly from slide 116 is lever arm 118 having a conveniently shaped finger cap 120 ( fig3 ) atop thereof . lever arm 118 extends upward through a suitable opening ( not shown ) in the hood 82 whereby cap 120 is received within recess 121 in hood 82 as seen in fig3 . referring to fig5 movement of the cap 120 ( fig3 ) in turn moves the slide 118 to rotating a bell crank 117 , which in turn rotates the shaft of the valve 114 , attached thereto . in particular , projecting upward from slide 116 is an arcuate rib 119 . as slide 116 is moved rearward by the operator , the rib 119 engages the bell crank 117 rotating the bell crank 117 and throttle valve 114 counterclockwise thereby closing throttle valve 114 and de - energizing brush drive turbine 98 . upon return of the slide 116 to its original position ( as illustrated in fig5 ), a spring 123 , secured between the bell crank 117 and the slide 116 , causes the bell crank 117 to rotate clockwise , thereby rotating throttle valve 114 to the full open position . generally as the slide 116 moves from one position to the other , a cantilevered tab releasingly engages concavities in the surface of the table , which corresponds to the open and close position of valve 114 . a similar mechanism is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 860 , 188 , the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference . further , when the handle assembly 62 is pivoted in the upright storage position , an actuating rod 122 , connected to the handle , links with the lever arm 118 via linking member 125 to turn the brushes off as disclosed by u . s . pat . no . 5 , 983 , 442 , the disclosure which is hereby incorporated by reference . turning to fig3 and 6 , a floor suction nozzle 124 assembly is removably mounted to the hood portion 82 of the base assembly 64 ( fig3 ). in particular , the floor suction nozzle assembly 124 includes a front plate 126 secured to a rear plate 128 that in combination define dual side ducts 130 , 132 separated by a tear drop shaped opening 134 . the opening 134 extends down from an accessory hose opening 136 ( fig3 ), formed in the front portion 126 , to a predetermined distance above the suction inlet 138 of the suction nozzle 124 . the front and rear plates or portions 126 , 128 are secured to one another by ultrasonic welding and screw fasteners , however , other types of ways to secure them such as for example , by adhesive , can be used . the distance above the suction inlet 138 for the opening 134 is about one fourth of an inch , which provides a flow path for liquid and dirt pick up in the center of the suction inlet 138 of the nozzle 124 . as best seen in fig6 the opposite side walls 140 , 142 surrounding the tear drop shaped opening 134 converge downwardly into s - shaped curves 144 , 146 that terminate into a lower curved front end 148 . this shape helps smooth the airflow thereby reducing any back flow , eddies , or recirculation . the side ducts 130 , 132 are symmetrical which produces a more uniform distribution of suction across the suction inlet 138 . in particular , a computer simulation shows the velocity variation across the suction inlet 138 to improve from 75 percent ( from the left side to the center ) for the prior art one duct nozzle design to about 16 percent for this dual side duct nozzle . the side ducts 130 , 132 converge upstream into a recessed throat portion 149 , which terminates into an upwardly extending rear duct 150 . as shown in fig7 a seal 151 is disposed around the outlet 154 of the rear duct 156 . as illustrated in fig3 a and 15 b , the rear duct 150 is positioned in a complementary recess portion 152 formed in the front lower portion of the recovery tank 80 . the outlet 154 of the duct 150 aligns and fluidly connects with the inlet 153 ( fig1 a and 15b ) of a front vertical duct 156 ( fig3 ) of the recovery tank 80 . referring back to fig6 the suction nozzle 124 includes two projections 160 , 158 extending rearwardly from the rear side of the rear portion 128 . the projections 160 , 158 extend into apertures 163 , 165 formed in the hood 82 and slidably engage complimentary unshaped holders 162 , 164 integrally formed on the front body 92 . to remove the suction nozzle 124 , the recovery tank 80 ( fig2 ) must first be removed from the rear body of the 84 of the frame 83 . then , the nozzle is slid or pulled forward disengaging the projections from the holders 162 , 164 . turning to fig7 as previously stated , the accessory hose opening 136 is formed in a recess 167 of the front portion 126 of the suction nozzle 124 . an elastomeric circular seal 166 is attached upon the top of the edge 204 of the opening 136 . as illustrated in fig3 a door 168 is pivotally connected to the front portion 126 and releasbly fits into the complimentary recess 167 to cover the opening 136 when the carpet extractor 60 is used to clean the floor . in more detail , integrally formed lateral pins 170 ( only one shown in fig3 ) on opposite sides of the door 168 are received in respective journals 174 l , 174 r ( fig8 ) to form the pivotal connection . to releasably lock the door 168 , two lateral tabs 178 ( only one shown ) extending outwardly from opposite sides of the door 168 deflect and engage lateral notches 184 l , 184 r ( fig8 ) formed in the underside of the side wall 182 ( fig8 ) of the recess 167 , when the door 168 closes with sufficient force to overcome the elasticity of the tabs 178 . to unlock the door 168 , the front of the door 168 is pulled with sufficient force to deflect the tabs 178 and disengage them from the notches 184 . an accessory hose 188 ( fig9 ) cooperates with the opening 136 so that the carpet extractor 60 can be used , for example , to clean upholstery and / or stairs . in particular , as shown in fig9 and 10 , the hose end 190 includes a flange portion 192 and a pair of projections 194 , 196 ( fig1 ) located on opposite sides of the hose end 190 for alignment and insertion into respective complementary slots 198 , 200 ( fig7 ) formed at the edge 204 ( fig7 ) of the hose opening 136 ( fig7 ). the projection 196 and its respective slot 200 is of a larger size than the projection 194 and its respective slot 198 to ensure that the hose end is inserted in the proper position to block the suction to the suction nozzle 124 which will be explained as follows . referring to fig1 a and 11b , the hose end 190 is inserted into the hose opening 136 until the projections 194 , 196 are below the edge 204 as seen in fig1 a and then rotated clockwise ( when viewed from the top ) until the projection 196 abuts against a stop member 202 , extending downward from the underside of the edge 204 of the opening 136 , as seen in fig1 b . in this position , a front wall 206 extending down from the hose end 190 contacts the recessed top surface 208 ( fig3 ) of the rear portion of the floor suction nozzle 124 at the throat portion 149 . the front wall 206 extends across the throat portion 149 thereby blocking vacuumized air from the suction inlet 138 and side ducts 130 , 132 of the suction nozzle 124 and thus preventing the floor suction nozzle 124 from picking up liquid and dirt . however , in this mode , working air including entrained liquid is drawn through the hose 188 by a suitable upholstery nozzle attachment 446 ( fig2 ) traveling through the throat portion 149 and upwardly extending duct 156 and into the recovery tank 80 . also as shown in fig1 a and 11b , during the rotation of the hose end 190 , the projections 194 , 196 cam against respective ramp portions 212 , 214 ( fig1 a ) formed on the underside of the edge 204 of the opening 136 , riding over the ramp portions 212 , 214 , which action is allowed by sufficient force to overcome the elastic force of the elastomeric seal 166 ( fig7 ). the hose end 190 is held in place by the ramp portions 212 , 214 until the hose end 190 is rotated back with sufficient force again to compress the seal 166 thereby allowing the projections 194 , 196 to ride over the ramp portions 212 , 214 . further , a stop portion 201 located adjacent the left edge of the slot 200 will abut against the projection 196 preventing the hose end 190 from inadvertently rotating counter clockwise after initial insertion of the hose end 190 into the opening 136 . as depicted in fig3 , the accessory hose 188 ( fig9 ) includes a solution tube 216 , which fluidly connects to a discharge nipple 218 of control valve 877 . the discharge nipple 218 is positioned in an opening formed in the left side of the base assembly 64 as seen in fig1 . the control valve 877 allows mixed detergent and clean water to flow through the solution tube 216 and dispense by typical spray means 220 ( fig9 ). a typical on - off trigger operated valve 222 ( fig9 ) is provided to control the amount of solution dispensed . a quick disconnect coupling 224 ( fig9 ) removably attaches to the discharge nipple 218 similar to that disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 500 , 977 , the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference . as seen in fig9 a pair of hose clips 195 is clipped on the hose 188 at the corrugated portion 541 for releasably securing the solution tube 216 and / or one of the hose ends 190 , 193 to the hose 188 . in particular , as depicted in fig4 , the clip 195 has an inner c - shaped portion 518 that receives the corrugated portion 541 of the hose 188 and a pair of outer c - shaped clips 526 , 528 integrally formed on respective opposite legs 520 , 522 of the inner clip 518 . the outer clips 526 , 528 are oriented such that the middle or bight portion 524 of each of the outer clips 526 , 528 are integrally formed on the opposite legs 520 , 522 . specifically , the middle portions 524 are oriented at a location along the legs 520 , 522 such that a line connecting the two middle portions 524 of the clips 526 , 528 is perpendicular to a line bisecting the inner clip 518 at its middle portion 530 . the outer clip 528 receives the solution tube 216 . the outer clip 526 receives a projection 536 formed at the hose end 193 connected to the accessory tool . a similar projection 536 is also formed at the hose end 190 for connection to the opening 136 . each projection 536 has a three integrally molded curved ribs 542 ( see also fig9 ) extending around the longitudinal axis of the projection 536 that cooperatively snap fit into the outer clip 526 triangularly shaped reinforcement plates 540 are integrally molded to the ends of the projection 536 and hose end 193 or 190 . as should be apparent due to the fact that the clips are of similar shape and size , the solution hose 216 can be received by the outer clip 526 and the projection 536 can be received by the outer clip 528 . further , the hose clip 195 can be used to secure the hose end 190 or 193 and solution tube 216 with only the outer clips 526 , 528 , without the hose 188 being attached to the inner clip 518 , or alternatively , only the inner clip 518 and one of the outer clips 526 , 528 can used to secure the hose 188 and either the solution tube or hose end 193 or 190 . all of the clips have integrally formed rounded nub portions 532 at their free ends for addition securement of their respective objects . also , the inner clip 518 has a pair of nubs 545 along its middle portion for addition reinforcement . the inner clip 518 can slide along the hose 188 and the outer clips 526 , 528 can slide along the solution tube 216 at desired positions . as depicted in fig3 the recovery tank 80 is configured to include a raised portion 260 defining a generally concave bottom whereby tank 80 sets down over and surrounds a portion of the motor cover 230 of base frame assembly 64 . it is preferred that recovery tank 80 set atop and surround a portion of the motor fan assembly 90 thereby providing sound insulating properties and assisting in noise reduction of the extractor . referring to fig1 , the recovery tank has a front arcuate wall 232 , opposite sidewalls 234 l , 234 r and rear wall 238 integrally formed around the bottom 240 . the vertical rectangular duct 156 , formed with the inner surface of the front wall 232 , includes a rear wall 242 and opposite sidewalls 244 l and 244 r . positioned inside tank 80 is a t - shaped baffle assembly 246 comprising two vertical upstanding baffles 248 and 250 welded to a bottom base portion 252 . as depicted in fig1 , the baffle 250 has an opening 254 formed near the intersection of the two baffles 248 , 250 . the opening 254 is located to the left of the intersection underlying the inlet chamber 304 ( fig1 ). the bottom base portion 252 includes a semicircular cap portion 258 that fits over the front arcuate part 259 of the raised portion 260 of the bottom wall 240 of the recovery tank 80 as seen in fig1 . the baffle 250 is slightly curved and has a cut out portion 262 ( fig1 ) formed on its lower edge to conform to fit around the width of the cap portion 258 . a pair of retaining ribs 264 , 266 is integrally formed on opposite sides of the front part 259 of the raised portion 260 . the upper end of each of the ribs 264 , 266 is spaced from the raised portion 260 thereby defining a notch for receiving the lower peripheral wall 272 of the cap portion 258 . the rear portion 280 of the base 252 includes an integrally formed unshaped clip 274 that grasps around the width of the rear part 278 of the raised portion 260 . integrally formed on the upper surface of the clip 274 are two pairs of ribs 282 , 284 , each pair being located on opposite sides of the baffle 248 . the ribs 282 , 284 slidably engage respective pairs of locking tabs 286 , 288 , which extend over the ribs . the baffle assembly 246 is removably mounted upon the raised portion 260 by sliding the ribs 282 , 284 under the tabs 286 , 288 and then inserting the peripheral wall 272 of the cap portion 258 between the retaining ribs 264 , 266 and front portion 259 such that the baffle is positioned just behind the retaining ribs 264 , 266 in abutment with them . in this position , the retaining ribs 264 , 266 act as stops to prevent the ribs 282 , 284 on the clip 274 from slidably disengaging from the locking tabs 286 , 288 and inadvertently disconnecting the baffle assembly 246 from the recovery tank 80 . to remove the baffle assembly 246 , a user simply pulls the baffle assembly 246 upwardly with sufficient force to overcome the frictional force between the retaining ribs 264 , 266 and baffle 250 and slide the ribs 282 , 284 out of the locking tabs 286 , 288 . the baffles 248 , 250 act to limit the degree of fluid sloshing during the forward and reverse push - pull operation of the extractor in the floor cleaning mode and assists in separation of liquid from the working air as described further below . in addition to their function as anti - slosh baffles , baffles 248 and 250 also serve to prevent the establishment of a “ short circuited ” working airflow from the exit opening 308 ( fig1 ) of inlet chamber 304 directly to inlet opening 310 of exit chamber 306 . baffles 248 and 250 acts to disburse the incoming working air over that portion of the recovery tank &# 39 ; s volume upstream of baffles 248 and 250 by forcing the working air to pass through openings 254 , 291 and 293 . thus , the velocity of the air as it passes through the recovery tank 80 is slowed to a minimum value and the time that the working air spends within tank 80 is at a maximum thereby providing for more complete liquid precipitation . it is preferred that baffles 248 and 250 are free standing with the opening 254 there between and open spaces 291 and 293 between the tank side walls 234 l , 234 r and baffle 250 to permit the free flow of recovered fluid there past . as shown in fig2 the recovery tank 80 is releasably affixed to motor cover 230 by two rotatable latches 294 l and 294 r ( fig2 ) having curved tangs 295 l and 295 r . as depicted in fig1 a and 15b , the latches 294 ( the left one shown in these figures ) are slidingly received within slots 296 , in the left and right side walls 234 of the tank 80 . fig1 a illustrates the latch 294 l received in the slot 296 to affix the tank 80 to the motor cover 230 and fig1 b shows the latch 294 l disengaged from the slot 296 to unlatch the tank 80 from the motor cover 230 . referring to fig1 , the recovery tank lid assembly 301 incorporates therein an air / fluid separator comprising a hollowed lid 298 and bottom plate 300 sealingly welded together forming a plenum therebetween . the plenum is divided into two separate and distinct chambers , an inlet chamber 304 and exit chamber 306 , by separator wall 309 integrally molded into lid 298 and extending between the lid 298 and bottom plate 300 . inlet chamber 304 fluidly communicates with the front duct 156 ( fig3 ) through inlet opening 303 in the bottom plate 300 . an inlet chamber exit passageway 308 in bottom plate 300 provides fluid communication between tank 80 and inlet chamber 304 . similarly , exit chamber 306 includes entrance passage 310 , in bottom plate 300 providing fluid communication between tank 80 and exit chamber 306 . an integrally formed arcuate lip or wall 312 extends down from the bottom surface of the bottom plate 300 and surrounds the inner semicircular edge of the passageway 308 . the wall 312 prevents drops of liquid on the upper surface of the bottom plate from traveling through the passageway 308 and across the lower bottom surface of the bottom plate 306 to the entrance passageway 310 of the exit chamber 306 , where the drops can be drawn into the motor fan assembly 90 ( fig3 ). instead , any drops passing through the passageway 308 will drip off the lower edge of the wall 312 and into the tank 80 ( fig1 ). as seen in fig3 it is preferable to provide a float 314 within a suitable float cage 316 to choke the flow of working air through passage 310 when the reclaimed fluid within recovery tank 80 reaches a desired level . a raised portion or nub 318 on the lid 298 is aligned over the float 314 to enhance the viewing of the float 314 when raised to indicate that the recovery tank 80 is full . exit chamber 306 ( fig1 ) further includes discharge opening 320 for fluid communication with an integrally molded stand pipe 322 of tank 80 when lid assembly 301 is attached to the open top of tank 80 . referring back to fig1 , integrally molded into lid 298 so as to be positioned about the periphery of exit opening 308 in bottom plate 300 are two vortex impeding arcuate baffles 324 and 326 . the rear baffle 324 is attached to the bottom surface of the top wall 328 of the lid 298 and extends almost across the exit opening 308 such that it is spaced from the outer edge of the opening 308 near the side wall 330 . the rear baffle 324 is also positioned a small distance in front of the center of the exit opening 308 . front baffle 326 attached to the bottom surface of the top wall 328 of the lid 298 and extends from the side wall 330 to the edge of opening 308 . a second flat rear baffle 327 , attached to the side wall 330 and bottom surface of top wall 328 , is oriented perpendicular with the side wall 330 and extends a partial distance across the exit opening 308 . as viewed from the front of the opening , the front baffle 326 is oriented convexly and the rear baffle 324 is oriented concavely . the baffles 324 , 326 are generally oriented perpendicularly with respect to each to other . an s - shaped rib 331 , integrally formed on the bottom surface of the top wall 328 , extends partially down a distance therefrom . the distance is about half of that between the bottom plate 300 and top wall 328 of the lid 301 . the air and soiled liquid is extracted from the carpet and drawn through the suction nozzle 124 and side suction ducts 130 , 132 to the inlet 303 by the motor / fan assembly 90 ( fig3 ). then , as indicated by the arrows shown in fig1 through the translucent lid 298 , the stream of air and water coming from the inlet 303 impinges on the front baffle 326 where a portion of it is then deflected to the center of the rear baffle 324 . the air and liquid stream circulates around the front portion of the opening 308 , due to concave nature of the baffle 324 , and thus allows more separation of air from the water . in particular , the deflection of the air from the baffles 324 , 326 and the re - circulation of the stream facilitates separation of the liquid from the air , due to the slowing of the stream , thereby allowing more time for the air to separate from the liquid . further , when the stream of air is forced to turn , the relatively lighter air is able to negotiate the turn , where as the heavier liquid does not , thereby causing further separation . the rib 331 is located and oriented to deflect the air downward to slow it down and also direct a portion of the stream into the rear corners of the inlet chamber 304 . there , the stream stalls allowing further separation , where it is also deflected by baffle 327 . also , the position of the baffle 324 near the center of the exit opening 308 causes the air and liquid stream to flow into a smaller portion of the opening 308 thereby minimizing splashing as the liquid collects on the bottom 240 of the tank 80 . this reduces the possibility of liquid entering the motor area . with reference to fig3 and 14 , the liquid enters the inlet chamber exit passageway 308 and travels down into the bottom of the tank 80 . the separated air travels through the float cage 316 and into the stand pipe 322 exiting out the bottom of the rear body 84 of the frame assembly 83 as seen in fig3 . as seen in fig4 the working air exits along a pair of vents 335 formed on the bottom plate 333 of the extractor 60 . the vents 335 are oriented such that a line extending between them is parallel to the front body 92 . in effect , the exiting working air provides heat to the cleaning path of the carpet created by the extractor 60 . a u - shaped carrying handle 332 is pivotally connected to the upper portion of the recovery tank 80 as seen in fig2 . in particular , as depicted in fig1 , the carrying handle 332 includes a transverse curved portion 334 and a pair of circular end portions 336 l , 336 r , each integrally formed on respective opposite free ends of the curved portion 334 . each of the end portions 336 has an inwardly extending curved wall 340 that extends circumferentially around the outer edge of the end portion 336 . the carry handle 332 is pivotally attached to the tank 80 ( fig1 ) by mounting c - shaped sleeves 342 , that extend inward from inner surfaces of the ends 336 of the leg portions 344 l , 344 r of the handle , over respective pivot posts 346 l , 346 r ( fig1 ) that extend out from opposing sides of the recovery tank 80 . the carry handle 332 is pivotable into a forward , generally horizontal latched position ( fig1 a ), a generally upright carry position ( fig1 b ), and a rearward tank discharge position ( fig1 c ). with reference to fig1 a , 18b , and 18 c , the carrying handle 332 locks the recovery tank lid 301 to sealingly close the top of the recovery tank 80 . lid retaining members 348 l , 348 r ( only the left one is illustrated in these figures , but the right one is similar ) are preferably located on opposing outer edges of the lid 301 to engage respective lid latching members 350 on inner surfaces of the ends 336 of the carry handle 332 to securely latch the lid 301 onto the recovery tank 80 . the lid latching members 350 are preferably sized and arranged on the carry handle 332 such that the lid latching members 350 engage the lid retaining members 348 and latch the lid 301 on the recovery tank 80 when the handle 332 is in the latched position ( fig1 a ) and when the handle 332 is in the carry position ( fig1 b ), but not when the handle 332 is in the discharge position ( fig1 c ). a typical boss 354 and recess 356 detent arrangement is provided on the lid latching members 350 and the lid retaining members 348 , respectively , to releasably retain the carrying handle 332 in the latched position . such a latching arrangement and carrying handle design is similar to that of u . s . pat . no . 5 , 901 , 408 , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference . referring to fig2 the handle assembly 62 basically comprises an upper handle portion 358 and lower body portion 360 . the lower body portion 360 has a pair of trunnions 362 l , 362 r that are received in complementary journals 364 l , 364 r formed in the rear body 84 of the frame assembly 83 of the base 64 . trunnion brackets 366 l , 366 r are mounted over the trunnions to cover them , thereby pivotally securing the handle assembly 62 to the base 64 . a handle release pedal 368 is pivotally connected to the rear center portion of the rear body 84 between the journals 364 . the pedal 368 includes a rear foot engaging portion 370 for depression by a foot or other object . the pedal 368 further includes an elongated pivot rod 370 , which extends longitudinally and is integrally formed with the head portion 370 . ears 372 l , 372 r , integrally formed with the body and extending rearwardly , are provided on opposite sides of the foot engaging portion 370 . a hook shaped spring arm 374 , integrally formed with the body 370 , extends forwardly and bears against the rear body 84 of the frame 83 . as depicted in fig1 a , the arcuate end 376 of the arm 374 bears against the rear body 84 and urges the ears 372 ( only the right one of which is shown ) upwardly such that they are positioned and aligned behind respective rear stops 378 ( only one of which is shown ), integrally formed on the outer surface of the lower body portion 360 of the handle assembly 62 . thus , the ears 372 will engage the stops 378 , thereby preventing the handle assembly 62 from pivoting down . however , when the pedal 368 is depressed as seen in fig1 b , the elastic spring arm 374 bends to allow the ears 372 to pivoted down and away from the stops 378 and thus , the handle assembly 62 is permitted to pivot down . as seen in fig2 , 21a and 21 b , the upper handle portion 358 has an integrally formed hook 380 extending upwardly . as best seen in fig2 a and 21 b , just below the nose 382 of the hook 380 is a notch 384 . as seen in fig2 a wire cover 386 ( a portion of which is shown in fig2 ) is mounted within the lower body portion 360 and includes an integrally formed rear flange portion 390 having a pair of tubular receptacles 392 l , 392 r formed on opposite ends thereof . as depicted and seen in fig2 , an accessory tool storage caddy 388 is removably mounted to the rear of the handle assembly 62 . in particular , as shown in fig2 , the caddy 388 comprises a body 394 having a pair of posts 396 l , 396 r extending down from the bottom of the body 394 . the rear side of the caddy 388 , depicted in fig2 , includes an inverted u - shaped support wall 398 extending rearwardly upon which the accessory hose 188 ( fig2 ) is wound around . integrally formed stiffening ribs 406 positioned between the body 394 and inner surface of the support wall 398 provide additional support to the support wall 398 . the hose 188 releasably snap fits into clips 400 , 402 , and 404 formed on the body 394 . in particular , a pair of side clips 400 , 402 located on opposite sides of the body 394 extend rearwardly from the body 394 over the support wall 398 . a top clip 404 extends rearwardly from the body 394 over the bight portion 408 of the support wall 398 . the clips 400 , 402 , and 404 include nubs 410 that further secure the hose 188 to the body 394 and support wall 398 . as shown in fig2 , the hose 188 also is received by the upper hook 409 of a dual cord and hose hook assembly 411 with the lower hook 413 for receiving the cord ( not shown ). the hook assembly 411 is snap connected to the lower part of the lower body 360 of the handle assembly 62 . integrally formed to the body 394 are aligned upper and lower enclosed u - shaped holders 412 , 414 extending outwardly from the rear side of the body 394 for receiving an accessory tool such as a bare floor cleaning tool 444 . the lower holder 414 has a bottom wall 416 ( fig2 ) to support the bare floor cleaning tool 444 . referring back to fig2 , in the center of the caddy 388 is formed a tongue member 418 that extends upwardly and outwardly at a slight angle . an upstanding fin portion 420 is integrally formed with the tongue member at the center of its rear surface and extends perpendicular to the tongue member 418 . the fin portion 420 is also integrally formed with the body 394 to provide reinforcement to the tongue member 418 . the tongue member 418 and fin portion 420 receive the hose end of an upholstery hand tool 446 for storage as seen in fig2 . near the left of the tongue member 418 is a pocket holder 422 that has opposing end members 432 , 434 that define a channel 436 for slidingly receiving the tapered working end 438 of a crevice tool 440 as seen in fig2 . the end member is convexly curved 434 , when viewed from above , to guide the working end 438 of the crevice tool into the channel 436 . a looped piece 442 laterally extends over the crevice tool , which in combination with a front plate 443 ( fig2 ) extending across the front of the working end 438 , provides for additional securement . as best shown in fig2 , integrally formed with the top clip 404 and extending forward and down from the front side of the top clip 404 is a pair of hooks 424 l , 424 r for hooking the caddy 388 around a coat hangar or the like for storage . a vertical slot 426 is formed in the middle of the body 394 . just above the top edge of the slot on the rear side is a projection or nub 428 formed on the body as best seen in fig2 . the caddy 388 is mounted to the rear of the handle assembly 62 by inserting the hook 380 into the slot 426 as shown in fig2 a , until the nub 428 seats securely into the notch 384 under the nose 382 of the hook 380 as seen in fig2 b , and slidably inserting the posts 396 into their respective tubular receptacles 392 as seen in fig2 and 24 . as shown in fig2 , spacers 430 are integrally formed on the front surface of the body 394 on opposite sides of the slot 422 to provide additional stability to the caddy when mounted to the handle assembly 62 . to remove the caddy , a user grasps the caddy 388 and pulls upward , which cause the nub 428 to cam against the nose 382 so that the nub 428 unseats from the notch 384 of the hook 380 , and slides the posts 396 out of the tubular receptacles 392 . the supply tank assembly 76 comprises a clean water supply tank 620 and a detergent supply tank 622 adhesively mounted to the clean water supply tank 620 as depicted in fig1 . the supply tank assembly 76 includes a combination carrying handle and tank securement latch 78 providing a convenient means for carrying the tank and / or securing the tank to the extractor handle assembly 62 . as seen in fig2 , tank handle 78 comprises a generally unshaped plastic handle bar portion 447 having circular camming ends 448 and 450 integrally attached at each leg thereof 452 , 454 . the two camming ends 448 and 450 are generally parallel with respect to each other and each has an integrally formed pivot pin 456 extending inwardly into respective lateral recesses 460 , 462 ( fig2 ) formed in the water tank for rotatable attachment of the carry handle 78 to the tank assembly 76 . each pin 456 includes a lateral webbed offset 464 which cams upon the surface 480 ( fig2 ) of the water tank 620 as the handle 78 rotates counter clockwise about the pins 456 . further , as the handle 78 rotates counterclockwise , integrally molded cantilever springs 466 ( one associated with each end portion ) acting upon the surface of the water tank bends , thereby storing energy therein biasing the carrying handle 78 clockwise . when tank assembly 76 is placed upon support shelf 743 of handle assembly 62 and rotated clockwise ( as viewed in fig2 a ) into the installed position , camming ribs 468 ( provided upon each arm 434 and 436 ) engage and cam upon the edge 472 of hood 470 of the upper handle 358 forcing handle 78 downward until the notch or rear end 474 of the rib 468 , on handle bar 438 , entraps the edge 470 therein thereby securing tank 40 in place as depicted in fig2 b . as seen in fig2 the edge 472 jogs or dips thereby defining grooves 476 which receive the ribs 468 to guide the carrying handle 78 during installation . to release tank assembly 76 the operator grasps handle bar 447 pulling it downward against the retarding force of cantilever springs 466 , thereby releasing the notch or rear end 474 from locking engagement with edge 472 of hood 470 and removes the tank assembly 76 from the support shelf 743 of extractor handle assembly 62 . lateral offsets 478 ( fig2 ) on each of the legs 452 , 454 of the handle 78 provide rotational stops which engage the tank surface 480 thereby preventing over travel of handle 78 and inadvertent removal of the handle from pins 456 . as depicted in fig2 , the supply tank assembly 76 is positioned upon a bottom base 624 , which with the tank assembly 76 is removably mounted to a support shelf 743 , which is secured to the lower body 360 ( fig2 ) of handle portion 62 ( fig2 ), and fluidly connected to a unshaped reservoir 721 underneath the support shelf 743 via respective solution release valves 746 . the reservoir 721 is vibrationally welded to the underside of the support shelf 743 . each of the supply tanks 620 , 622 includes a solution release valve 746 . the solution release valve 746 is normally in the closed position . however , as the tank assembly 76 is placed upon the reservoir 721 , the solution release valve 746 in each of the supply tanks 620 , 622 opens permitting clean water from the clean water supply tank 620 and detergent from the detergent supply tank 622 to flow into the reservoir 721 . upon removal of the tank assembly 76 from the reservoir 721 , the solution release valve 746 closes prohibiting liquid from flowing out of the supply tanks 620 , 622 . as seen in fig2 , the solution release valve 740 is incorporated into bottom plate 712 of the detergent tank 622 . the other solution release valve 746 is incorporated into the bottom plate 713 of the clean water tank 620 , which is of similar construction . thus , only the one for the detergent tank 620 will be described in more detail . the solution release valve 746 comprises a valve body 742 having an elongate plunger 744 extending coaxially upward therethrough . the plunger 744 having an outside diameter less than the inside diameter of the valve body 742 is provided with at least four flutes 745 ( fig2 ) to maintain alignment of the plunger 744 within the valve body 742 as the plunger 744 axially translates therein and permits the passage of fluid therethrough when the plunger 744 is in the open position . a valve body 742 having a vertically extending bore 756 ( fig2 ) slidingly receives therein the upper shank portion of the plunger 744 . an elastomeric circumferential seal 748 circumscribes plunger 744 for sealingly engaging valve body 742 . the seal 748 is urged against the valve body 742 by action of the compression spring 752 , circumscribing plunger 744 . the spring 752 is positioned between the body 742 and the seal 748 . the solution release valve 746 is normally in the closed position . however , with reference to fig2 , as the supply tank assembly 76 is placed upon the support shelf 743 of the handle 612 , the pin 738 of the reservoir 721 aligns with plunger 744 , thereby forcing plunger 744 upward to separate the seal 748 from the valve body 742 , compressing spring 752 , and opening the valve body 742 permitting detergent from the detergent supply tank 622 to flow through bore 756 of the valve body 742 into the reservoir 721 . upon removal of supply tank assembly 76 from the support shelf 743 , the energy stored within compression spring 752 urges the seal 748 down against the valve body 742 to close the valve 746 . as depicted in fig2 , an elastomeric tank seal 500 has an annular groove 501 that receives the edge 503 of the outlet opening of the bottom plate 712 to secure it to the edge 503 . upper and lower annular ribs 505 , 507 formed on the outer surface of the valve body 742 secure the elastomeric seal 500 to the valve body 742 . in particular , the lower rib 507 engages the underside of a lip 509 on the seal and the upper rib extends over and engages the top edge 511 of the outlet opening . turning to fig2 , the support shelf 743 includes two circular openings 760 , 762 align with their respective solution release valves 746 associated with the corresponding clean water and detergent tanks 620 , 622 . the pin 738 associated with the solution release valve 746 of the clean water tank 620 is integrally formed on the reservoir 721 and extends through the opening 760 . the pin 738 associated with the solution release valve 746 of the detergent tank 622 is integrally formed on a metering plate 764 , which covers the opening 762 . as seen in fig4 , the metering plate 764 is generally circular in shape and includes a channel 766 circumferentially extending around the pin 738 . the bottom of the channel 766 has an orifice 768 which meters the detergent solution at a value for the desired mix with the clean water . a toroid or donut shaped filter 770 ( fig2 ) is inserted into the channel for filtering out particles of the detergent . the metering plate 764 has an outer groove 772 extending around the wall 773 surrounding the channel 766 that receives a seal 771 . a pair of l - shaped grooves 777 , 779 are also formed on opposite sides of the wall 773 . referring to fig2 a , a pair of lateral projections 781 extending from the inner wall 789 ( fig2 a ) of the opening 762 ( fig2 a ) in the support shelf 743 each slidably engage a respective groove 777 or 779 ( fig4 ) to secure the metering plate 764 ( fig4 ) to the support shelf 743 within the opening 762 , as the metering plate 764 is inserted into the opening 762 and turned . also , as the metering plate 764 is turned , a pair of protrusions 785 ( fig4 ) extending down from the upper portion of the metering plate 764 ride up respective ramps 791 , 793 formed in respective recesses 795 , 797 and seat down behind the ramps to additionally secure the metering plate 764 to the support shelf 743 within the opening 762 . as also depicted in fig2 , each of the tanks 620 , 622 has a cap 720 covering a top opening for filling the corresponding clean water tank 620 or detergent tank 622 with liquid . as best seen in fig2 , the top of cap 720 comprises a multiplicity of air breathing orifices 724 . an elastomeric umbrella valve 726 is mounted to the underside of the top of the cap 720 under the orifices 724 . as the ambient pressure within the associated tank 620 or 622 drops , by discharge of cleaning solution from therein , atmospheric pressure acting upon the top side of umbrella valve 726 causes the peripheral edge 728 to unseat from the surface 732 of cap 720 thereby permitting the flow of atmospheric air into the associated tank 620 or 622 until the ambient pressure therein equals atmospheric . once the pressure on both sides of the umbrella valve 726 equalize due to the shut off valves 800 , 820 ( fig3 ) closing , the energy stored by deflection of the umbrella valve causes the peripheral edge 728 to reseat itself against surface 732 thereby preventing leakage of cleaning solution through the outlet of the associated tank 620 or 622 . in effect , this prevents cross flow between the two tanks 620 , 622 , when the extractor unit 60 is turned off , thereby prohibiting mixing of the solutions in the tanks 620 , 622 . referring to back to fig2 , cap 720 and flat circular seal 718 sealingly close fill opening 716 . liquid pressure against umbrella valve 726 further urges peripheral edge 728 against surface 732 thereby providing a leak free container . such a valve is disclosed in co - owned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 500 , 977 , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference . the reservoir 721 has a pair of dividing plates 733 which separates into a first compartment 780 fluidly connected to the clean water tank 620 and a second compartment 782 fluidly connected to the detergent tank 622 . the first compartment 780 includes inner and outer outlet ports 786 , 788 . the second compartment 782 includes an outlet port 784 . [ 0114 ] fig3 illustrates the overall solution distribution system , which will be described below . the inner outlet port 786 ( fig2 ) of the first compartment 780 ( fig2 ) is fluidly connected to a mixing tee 796 via a flexible hose 790 and the outer outlet port 788 ( fig2 ) is fluidly connected to a distributor 792 via a flexible hose 794 . the outlet port 784 ( fig2 ) of the second compartment 782 ( fig2 ) is fluidly connected to the mixing tee 796 via a suitable flexible hose 798 . a shut off valve 800 is connected between the outer outlet port 788 of the first compartment 780 and the inlet 105 r ( fig5 ) of the distributor 792 for turning on and off the flow of clean water used for rinsing . this shut off valve 800 is in the form of a solenoid valve , however , other types of valves also could be used . a pressure actuated shut off valve 804 is connected between the inner outlet port 786 of the first compartment 780 and the mixing tee 796 for turning off and on the flow of water . this shut off valve 804 is opened and closed by outside pressure via a conduit 806 connected between it and the outlet 807 of a pump 808 through a tee 817 . in particular , as shown in fig3 , the pressure actuated shut off valve 804 comprises a valve body 810 having a first port 812 fluidly connected to the clean water tank 620 and a second port 814 fluidly connected to the mixing tee 796 via a flexible hose 815 . a flexible rubber diaphragm 816 extends generally horizontally across the center of the valve body 810 . the diaphragm 816 includes a valve seal 818 integrally formed on the diaphragm 816 at its center . the valve 804 includes a pressure port 822 fluidly connected to the outlet 807 ( fig3 ) of the pump 808 . in operation , when the pressure at the pressure port 822 is below a predetermined value such as between 7 to 10 psi , the valve seal 818 is spaced from the pressure port 822 to allow water to flow in both directions . such a pressure value at the pressure port 822 occurs when the main shut off valve 820 is opened . the pump 808 also pressurizes the water mixed with detergent to draw it to the distributor 792 . in this example , water flows to the inlet 105 r ( fig5 ) of distributor 792 due to gravity and the pressure produced by the pump 808 . however , in this open position , the pressure actuated shut off valve 804 could allow detergent to flow in the opposite direction , if for example , the pump 808 were placed between the valve 804 and the clean water tank 620 to draw the detergent to the clean water tank 620 by pressure . when the pressure exerted on the diaphragm 816 exceeds a second predetermined value such as between 20 to 30 psi , it flexes the diaphragm 816 towards the first port 812 , urging the valve seal 818 against the first port 812 , thereby sealing the first port 812 to close the valve 804 . thus , with the valve 804 closed , clean water or detergent is prevented from flowing through it . when the pressure lowers below the predetermined value , the diaphragm 816 flexes back to unseal the valve seal 818 from the first port 812 thereby opening the valve 804 . optionally , a spring 821 , inserted around the portion of the first port 812 extending into the valve body 810 , can be positioned between the inner upper wall 811 of the valve body 810 and diaphragm 816 to urge the valve seal 818 to unseal quicker . referring back to fig3 , the outlet of the mixing tee 796 is fluidly connected via flexible hose 823 to the inlet of the pump 808 , which provides pressure to draw the cleaning solution to the distributor 792 via the inlet 105 l ( fig5 ). a relief valve 809 is fluidly connected across the pump 808 to limit the pressure at the outlet 807 of the pump 808 to a predetermine value . the outlet 807 of the pump 808 is fluidly connected to the main shut off valve 820 via flexible hoses 825 , 874 and 876 . this shut off valve 820 is in the form of a solenoid valve , however , other electrical actuated valves could be also used . referring to fig3 and 33 , a trigger switch 821 is used to dispense either mixed detergent and clean water or only clean water . the trigger switch 821 includes a trigger 822 pivotally connected to the upper handle portion 358 approximately near a closed looped hand grip 824 ( fig1 ) of the upper handle portion 358 at a pivot 834 . integrally molded onto the trigger 822 are two cantilever springs 826 , 828 ( fig3 ), one on each lateral side thereof . the cantilever springs 826 , 828 urge the trigger 822 outwardly or downwardly which places one of the selected shut off valves 800 , 820 ( fig3 ) in the closed position . in particular as depicted in fig3 , an arm 830 having a curved end portion 832 extends downwardly from the pivot 834 of the trigger 822 terminating adjacent a microswitch 836 of the trigger switch 821 . a lever arm 838 is connected to the microswitch 836 and extends over a spring - loaded push button 840 on the microswitch 836 . when the upper portion of the trigger 822 is positioned downwardly , the curved end portion 832 is spaced from the lever arm 838 . in this position with reference to fig3 , the microswitch 836 opens the circuit between one of the solenoid shut off valves 800 , 820 and the main power source 842 , thereby denergizing the selected valve 800 or 820 and closing it . when the upper portion of the trigger 822 is squeezed or depressed , the curved end portion 832 cams against the lever arm 838 such that the lever arm 838 depresses the push button 844 on the microswitch 836 . upon depression of the push button 844 , the microswitch 836 closes the circuit as depicted in fig3 between one of the solenoid shut off valves 800 , 820 and the main power switch assembly 846 ( fig3 ). if the main power switch assembly 846 is switched on to connect the power source 842 to the selected solenoid shut off valve 800 or 820 and the trigger 822 is squeeze or depressed , the selected solenoid shut off valve energizes and opens . a cleaning mode switch assembly 848 is connected between the microswitch 836 and the water and main solenoid shut off valves 800 , 820 to select the mode of cleaning . as shown in fig3 , the cleaning mode switch assembly 848 and main power switch assembly 846 include respective rocker arms 850 , 852 positioned adjacent each other and mounted in a module 854 which is mounted in the upper handle portion 358 . the rocker arms 850 , 852 are actuated by corresponding slide switches 856 , 858 which are received in a recess 860 ( fig1 ) just below the hand grip 824 . the slide switches 856 , 858 snap connect into corresponding slots 862 , 864 formed on the upper portions of respective actuating rods 866 , 868 . cam portions 870 are formed on lower portions of the actuating rods 866 , 868 for engaging their corresponding rocker arms 850 , 852 . when one of the slide switches 856 , 858 is slid downwardly , the cam portion 870 depresses the lower portion 871 of the rocker arm 850 or 852 to switch it in one position . this action also raises the upper portion 872 of the rocker arm 850 or 852 . then , when the slide switch 856 or 858 is then slid upwardly back , the cam portion 870 depresses the upper portion of the rocker arm 850 or 852 to switch it in another position and thereby raise the lower portion 871 of the rocker arm 850 or 852 . in operation , a user slides the slide switch 856 of the main power switch assembly 846 down to electrically connect the power source 842 to the microswitch 836 , suction motor 90 , and pump 808 , turning them on . referring to fig3 , the pump 808 conducts the pressurized cleaning solution or clean water through a main supply tube 874 to a control valve 877 which selectively allows the liquid to flow to either the inlet 105 l ( fig5 ) of the cleaning distributor 792 via supply tube 876 or the hand - held cleaning attachment 188 ( fig9 ) via a supply tube 216 . the cleaning liquid distributor 792 evenly distributes the cleaning liquid to each of the rotary scrub brushes 72 . the scrub brushes 72 then spread the cleaning liquid onto the carpet ( or bare floor ), scrub the cleaning liquid into the carpet and dislodge embedded soil . such a distributor 792 and scrub brushes 72 are substantially disclosed in commonly owned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 867 , 857 , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein as of reference . referring to fig1 as is commonly known , the carpet extractor 60 distributes cleaning solution to the carpeted surface and substantially simultaneously extracts it along with the dirt on the carpet in a continuous operation . in particular , soiled cleaning liquid is extracted from the carpet by the suction nozzle 124 , which communicates with the recovery tank 80 . a vacuum is created in the recovery tank 80 by the motor fan assembly 90 ( fig3 ) that draws air from the recovery tank 80 and exhausts the air to the carpeted surface as previously described . if the wash cleaning mode is desired , the user slides the slide switch 858 of the cleaning mode switch assembly 848 upwardly to the upper end of the recess 860 to electrically connect the microswitch 836 ( fig3 ) to the main solenoid shut off valve 820 ( fig3 ). with reference to fig3 , the control valve 877 is positioned to direct the cleaning solution to the distributor 792 . then , the user squeezes the trigger 822 ( fig1 ), which opens the main solenoid , shut off valve 820 to allow the cleaning solution composed of detergent mixed with clean water to flow to the distributor 792 and brushes 72 , where it is distributed and scrubbed on the carpet . if rinsing is desired , the user slides the slide switch 858 of the cleaning mode switch assembly 848 downwardly to the lower end of the recess 860 to electrically connect the microswitch 836 to the water solenoid shut off valve 800 . then , the user squeezes the trigger 822 , which opens the water solenoid shut off valve 800 to allow clean water from the clean water tank 620 to flow to the distributor 792 and brushes 72 , where it is distributed and scrubbed into the carpet . [ 0125 ] fig3 a depicts an electrical schematic diagram of the distribution system of the carpet extractor 60 that automatically cleans the carpet or floor using one cleaning mode on the forward stroke of a cleaning cycle and another cleaning mode for the reverse stroke of the cleaning cycle . components from the circuit shown in fig3 , which are identical in structure and have identical functions will be identified by the same reference numbers for this circuit . in this circuit , a second microswitch 886 is connected between the water and main solenoid shut off valves 800 , 820 . as depicted in fig3 , the microswitch 886 is part of a wheel rotation activating assembly 888 associated with the right rear wheel 66 r on the right side of the foot portion base assembly 64 ( fig2 ). a lever arm 890 is connected to the microswitch 886 and extends over a spring - loaded push button 892 ( fig3 a and 36b ) on the microswitch 886 . a microswitch cover 887 covers the microswitch 886 and this assembly is mounted to the rear body 84 ( fig2 a and 26b ). the wheel rotation activating assembly 888 further includes a magnet 896 secured to an actuation lever 898 positioned spacedly adjacent a steel wheel disc 894 mounted to the rear extractor wheel 66 r by screws 895 . as depicted in fig3 a and 36b , rollers 900 , having axles 901 ( fig3 ) extending therethrough , are rotatably mounted to the actuation lever 898 . the rollers 900 ride on the wheel disc 894 to ensure clearance between the magnet 896 and wheel disc 896 . the axle 67 of the rear extractor wheel 66 r slidably extends through the actuation lever 898 such that the actuation lever 898 is allowed to pivot or rotate around it . the actuation lever 898 is further positioned in a recess of the rear body 84 adjacent the microswitch 886 . the magnets 896 follow the direction of rotation of the wheel 66 r due to the magnetic attraction between them , thereby causing the actuation lever 898 to rotate . alternatively , fig3 and 38 depict another actuation lever 912 with accompanying magnet 914 and rollers 916 . these rollers 900 include rubber tires 918 secured around them and axles 920 extending through the center . the rollers 916 with the tires 918 are rotatably positioned in recesses 924 formed in the side 926 of the actuator lever 912 opposing the wheel disc 894 . the axles 920 are snap connected into u - shaped holders 922 formed in the side of the actuator lever 912 opposing the wheel disc 894 . in particular with reference to fig3 , the axles 920 are slidably inserted between elastic legs 926 , 928 of the holder 922 , engaging a pair of opposing ledges or barbs 930 formed on the legs 926 , 928 which cause the legs 926 , 928 to deflect outwardly to allow the holder to pass through . after the holder is inserted beyond the barbs , the legs retract back so that the barbs secure the axles within the holder . the magnet 914 is seated into an opening 929 of the actuation lever 898 and held securely in place by elastic catches 932 , 934 engaging it against a rib 930 extending across the center of the opening 929 . when the carpet extractor unit 60 ( fig1 ) goes forward as indicated by the rotation of the rear wheel 66 r in fig3 a , the actuation lever 898 and lever arm 890 are disengaged from the push button 892 of the microswitch 886 . in this position , the microswitch 886 electrically connects the power source 842 to the main solenoid shut off valve 820 , depicted in fig3 a . thus , when the trigger 822 is squeezed , the main solenoid shut off valve 820 energizes and opens , thereby allowing water mixed with detergent to be supplied to the distributor 792 or hand - held cleaning attachment . when the extractor unit 60 moves rearward as indicated by the rotation of the rear wheel 66 r in fig3 b , the actuation lever 898 engages the lever arm 890 , which depresses the push button 892 . this causes the microswitch 886 to electrically connect the power source 842 to the water solenoid shut off valve 800 as shown in fig3 a , thereby energizing it to open . also , in this position , the microswitch 886 disconnects the power source 842 to main solenoid shut off valve 820 , thereby deenergizing it . thus , clean water is automatically distributed on the floor surface . another wheel rotation activating assembly 889 is shown in fig3 , 40a , and 40 b . it comprises a paddle wheel 906 that rotates an actuation lever 908 to activate the microswitch 886 . the paddle wheel 906 and actuation lever 908 are rotatably mounted in a housing 907 and the microswitch is fixedly secured to the housing 907 as best seen in fig4 a and 40b . this assembly is mounted to the rear body 84 ( fig3 ) of the extractor unit 60 . the paddle wheel 906 has grooves 911 ( fig3 ) which frictionally engage ribs 909 ( fig3 ) on the right rear extractor wheel 66 r ( fig3 ), securing it thereto . as shown in fig4 a , when the extractor unit 60 ( fig1 ) moves forward , the paddle wheel 906 rotates in the direction of the arrow such that the elastic paddles 910 on the paddle wheel 906 strike the actuation lever 908 causing it to rotate away from the lever arm 890 , disengaging it from the push button 892 of the microswitch 886 . as depicted in fig4 b , when the extractor unit 60 is moves rearward , the paddle wheel 906 rotates in the direction of the arrow such that the paddles 910 on the paddle wheel 906 strike the actuation lever 908 causing it to rotate and engage the lever arm 890 which depresses the push button 892 on the microswitch 886 . still another wheel rotation activating assembly 941 is shown in fig4 , 43a and 43 b . the wheel rotation activating assembly 941 comprises an actuator lever 940 , wave washer 942 , and microswitch 946 . in this assembly , the microswitch 946 is designed to electrically connect the power source 842 to the main solenoid shut off valve 820 ( fig3 a ) for washing , when its push button 948 is depressed to electrically connect the power source 842 to the water solenoid shut off valve 800 , when the push button 948 is not depressed . the axle 67 extends through the wave washer 942 and actuator lever 940 . the actuator lever 940 rotates with the left rear wheel 66 l due to friction generated by the wave washer 942 . when the extractor unit 60 moves forward as shown in fig4 a by the arrow indicating the direction of the wheel rotation , the actuator lever 940 rotates to engage the lever arm 950 and depress the push button 948 on the microswitch 946 . when the extractor unit 60 ( fig1 ) moves rearward as shown in fig4 b by the arrow indicating the direction of the wheel rotation , the actuator lever 940 moves away from the microswitch 946 disengaging the lever arm 950 from the push button 948 and traveling until it strikes a stop 952 attached on the rear 84 ( fig4 ). upon engaging either the stop 952 or microswitch 946 , the actuator lever 940 slips against the wheel hub , allowing the left rear wheel 66 l to rotate and therefore allowing the unit to continue moving in the forward or rearward direction . if rinsing is desirable on both the forward and reverse strokes the user slides the slide switch 858 of the cleaning mode switch assembly 848 downwardly to the lower end of the recess 860 to electrically connect the microswitch 886 to the water solenoid shut off valve 800 . then , the user squeezes the trigger 822 , which opens the water solenoid shut off valve 800 to allow clean water from the clean water tank 620 to flow to the distributor 792 and brushes 72 , where it is distributed and scrubbed into the carpet . alternatively , if washing is desired on both the forward and reverse strokes , a three position cleaning mode switch assembly could be used instead of the two position cleaning mode switch assembly with the third position being directly connected to the main solenoid shut off valve 820 bypassing the second microswitch 886 of the wheel rotating activating assembly 888 . by incorporating a rinse application as shown in the embodiments , a higher concentration of detergent in the cleaning fluid , generally two or more times as much as the clean water , can be used to wash the carpet during the first forward stroke , since the rinse application will rinse or remove the detergent residue not extracted . in particular , the carpet extractor will distribute the cleaning solution having the high detergent concentration on the forward stroke as it substantially and simultaneously extracts it along with the dirt on the carpet in a continuous operation . then , the carpet extractor will distribute the cleaning solution having the clean water on the reverse stroke to rinse the detergent residue not extracted as the carpet extractor substantially and simultaneously extracts it along with the dirt on the carpet in a continuous operation . thus , cleaning performance is improved . the present invention has been described by way of example using the illustrated embodiments . upon reviewing the detailed description and the appended drawings , various modifications and variations of the embodiments will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art . all such obvious modifications and variations are intended to be included in the scope of the present invention and of the claims appended hereto . for example , clean water could be applied on the forward stroke and detergent solution on the reverse stroke . also , a certain liquid might be added to the clean water or be used alone to improve the rinsing operation . in view of the above , it is intended that the present invention not be limited by the preceding disclosure of the embodiments , but rather be limited only by the appended claims . | 0 |
the best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment , herein depicted within fig1 through 5 b . however , the invention is not limited to the described embodiment , and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments of the invention are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the invention and that any such work around will also fall under scope of this invention . it is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention , and that example configurations shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope . the terms “ a ” and “ an ” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity , but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items . the present invention describes a device and method for a mouse , rat , and / or any other rodent trap device having a spring - loaded zig - zag configured spring trap bar 50 ergonomically designed to apply force over a greater surface area whilst still comprising minimal wind resistivity . the “ z ”- bar rodent trap ( herein described as the “ device ”) 10 comprises a base 20 , bait receiver 30 , coiled spring 40 , and a trap bar 50 . the device 10 is envisioned to be introduced in a plurality of sizes to accommodate the trapping of rodents of a plurality of sizes and shapes . the device 10 is envisioned to be fabricated of wood , plastic and / or other synthetic materials with the coiled spring 40 and / or the trap bar 50 fabricated of a metallic process . referring now to fig1 and 2 , perspective views of the device 10 are disclosed , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention . the device 10 comprises a base 20 of rectangular design dimensioned in accordance with the type and / or size of the rodent to be exterminated . the base 20 comprises a top face 21 , a bottom face ( not pictured ), and four ( 4 ) side faces 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 . a coiled spring 40 is envisioned to be utilized to provide the momentum force about a pivoting axis transverse thereto the length of the base 20 as well as parallel thereto the upper side face 22 and lower side face 23 . the coiled spring 40 provides the means to bias a trap bar 50 to an unloaded orientation . the trap bar 50 is biased rotatably downward from a loaded orientation , as depicted in fig1 , to an unloaded orientation , as depicted in fig2 , via the coiled spring 40 but may be pulled apart to form an opening whereas the device 10 may be then set to the loaded orientation . the transverse section 52 of the trap bar 50 is secured therein the center section of the coiled spring 40 extending therealong the same longitudinal axis . the trap bar 50 is envisioned to comprise a circular cross - section with two ( 2 ) lateral members 53 extending from the transverse section 52 perpendiculary thereto leading towards a zig - zag configuration 55 . the coiled spring 40 comprises two ( 2 ) contact members 42 extending outwardly therefrom each end of said coiled spring 40 . one ( 1 ) contact member 42 engages one ( 1 ) lateral member 53 and the other contact member 42 contacts the top face 21 of the base 20 thereby providing a means to transform the stored energy of the coiled spring 40 , when in the loaded orientation , to kinetic energy . the kinetic energy provides the momentum force , with the trap bar 50 released , thereby biasing said trap bar 50 in a rotational motion about the axis of the coiled spring 40 , and consequently the axis of the transverse portion 52 of said trap bar 50 , towards a bait receiver 30 . when in the loaded orientation , the contact members 42 instigate tension along the axis of the spring 40 . referring now to fig3 and 4 , views of the device 10 are disclosed , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention . the zig - zag portion 55 of the trap bar 50 , which is in a parallel arrangement therewith the transverse portion 52 , rotates about the axis of the spring 40 to contact the rodent . the zig - zag portion 55 of the trap bar 50 comprises a plurality of bar members 57 that are angularly distant therefrom one ( 1 ) another in a sinusoidal fashion . the angles 58 therebetween each said bar members 57 and / or the lengths of each bar member 57 are envisioned to vary with accordance to user preference , rodent size , and the like . the zig - zag portion 55 introduces an increased coverage area with the length of the bar members 57 as well as the angle 58 therebetween while allowing minute wind resistance of the trap bar 50 while in motion thereby increasing the likelihood of catching the rodent . the bait receiver 30 defines a platform for receiving bait such as food and / or other rodent attractants to appeal to the rodent to become in close proximity thereto . the distal end of the bait receiver 30 comprises a means to releasably receive a locking bar 60 that extends perpendicularly outward that is rotatably connected thereto a fastening loop 65 for securement thereto . the locking bar 60 is rotatably secured thereto the fastening loop 65 via a ring section 67 that engages said fastening loop 65 while the device 10 is in the loaded orientation . in the loaded orientation , the retention of the trap bar 50 charges the coiled spring 40 such to provide a stored energy awaiting to be released into kinetic energy such to provide a rotational motion to bring forth the trap bar 50 towards the bait receiver 30 . the locking bar 60 secures the trap , bar 50 thereby storing the energy awaiting to be released by the disturbance conducted thereto the bait receiver 30 thereby releasing the trap bar 50 and actuating the motion of said trap bar 50 . upon depression of the bait receiver 30 , the locking bar 60 releases the spring - loaded trap bar 50 allowing the zig - zag portion 55 of said trap bar 50 to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the transverse section 52 of said trap bar 50 , thereby causing the mutually facing surfaces of said zig - zag portion 55 to move toward the top face 21 of the base 20 . referring now to fig5 a and 5 b , close - up top views of the device 10 are disclosed , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention . the spikes or teeth 70 are envisioned to converge to a point in a cone - like shape suitably dimensioned to contact and thereby being removably inserted therein insertion apertures 75 sized to removably receive said teeth 70 . the teeth 70 are designed to be operably spaced equidistantly apart therefrom in at least one ( 1 ) row spanning along the curvature of the bar members 57 of the zig - zag portion 55 . the insertion apertures 75 are drilled therethrough the base 20 for selectively receiving the teeth 70 while not in use thereby preventing accidental injury thereof . the insertion apertures 75 are alignable with each designated spike or tooth 70 . the tooth - to - aperture method prevents a shearing motion when the device 10 is in operation to transform from the loaded orientation to the unloaded orientation . an alternate embodiment of the present invention may disclose a zig - zag portion 55 without teeth 70 extruding outwardly therefrom . the preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training . the present invention describes a means by which a rodent may be trapped and thereby exterminated in the most efficient manner . after initial purchase or acquisition of the device 10 , it would be configured as indicated in fig1 through 5 b . the method of utilizing the device may be achieved by performing the following steps : putting a rodent attractant , such as food thereon the bait receiver 30 ; rotatably motioning the spring - loaded trap bar 50 towards the upper face 22 ; engaging the locking bar 60 to releasably secure said trap bar 50 ; and , strategically placing the device 10 along a wall , crevice , or other known areas by which a rodent is more prone to travel . to set the device 10 into the loaded orientation , the trap bar 50 is rotated against the bias of the coiled spring 40 toward the upper face 22 of the base 20 . the contact members 42 of the coiled spring 40 causes a resistive force transferred from said coiled spring 40 . the trap bar 50 is releasably secured via a locking bar 60 that is in operable engagement therewith the bate receiver 30 . thus , when the locking bar 60 is engaged with the bait receiver 30 in the loaded orientation , the trap bar 50 is tilted slightly resting thereagainst said locking bar 60 . when a rodent contacts the bait receiver 30 , the locking bar 60 releases the stored energy of the coiled spring 40 thereby allowing the trap bar 50 to rotate towards said bait receiver 30 . further , teeth 70 are provided to exterminate the rodent in a quicker and more humane fashion . insertion apertures 75 are provided in relation to said teeth 70 for operably receiving , especially for the stowage or unloaded orientation . the exterminated rodent may then be released from the device 10 by simply motioning the trap bar 50 away from the bait receiver 30 toward the upper face 22 of the base 20 . the zig - zag configuration section 55 provides for a wider capture surface without the additional wind or weight resistance thereby allowing the trap bar 50 to travel at a high rate of speed . the effective wider configuration makes it much more likely that said trap bar 50 to strike some part of the rodent &# 39 ; s body resulting in a higher trap or kill ratio . the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description . they are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention and method of use to the precise forms disclosed . obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application , and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is understood that various omissions or substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient , but is intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention . | 0 |
fig1 is a block diagram of a system of in which one embodiment of the invention may be implemented . a server node 100 is coupled to a wide area network ( wan ) 102 such as the internet . the method described herein may be implemented as software on server node 100 . also coupled to wan 102 are a plurality of client nodes 104 . client nodes 104 may be a personal computer ( pc ), a wan enabled phone , a personal digital assistant ( pda ), a computer tablet , a set top box , or any other computing device with which a user may connect to a wan . server node 100 may include database 106 and analyzer 108 . the server node 100 includes web server software 112 to serve web pages , applets and information to , and to receive information from client nodes 104 . the server node 100 also receives user input from client nodes 104 through wan 102 . the server node 100 may be any server computer that includes a processor , memory , and a machine readable medium such as magnetic disk drives , optical disk drives , memory cards or sticks , flash memory devices , that may be accessed locally or remotely via any known means of communication such as wan , local area network ( lan ), via land line , satellite , or other transmission medium . although not shown , server node 100 may be implemented in other embodiments as a cluster , grouping , lan , etc . of servers including one or more specialized servers such as application servers , graphics servers , database servers , and the like . the server node may provide information to users at client nodes via a web page or sequence of web pages in hypertext mark up language ( html ) that prompt the user to select and provide information , and that also display useful information to the user . any references to prompting or providing web pages herein are achieved in this manner and may include a plurality of user interface items and user interface techniques , including , but not limited to buttons , sliders , graphics , text entry fields , java ® applets , and the like . alternatively , the server node may simply be a stand alone pc running a standard executable application . server node 100 may store information , including a plurality of securities information and equities information in database 106 . database 106 may be a relational database such as an oracle - style database or may include one or more of such databases . to obtain information , server node 100 may communicate with third party databases ( not shown ) via wan 102 or via a direct connection . in another embodiment , the method disclosed herein may be implemented as software on a personal computer ( pc ), a cellular telephone phone , a personal digital assistant ( pda ), a computer tablet , a set top box , or any other computing device having a processor , memory , and machine readable medium that is , in one embodiment , capable of connecting to and communicating over a wan . fig2 is a flow diagram of operation of one embodiment of the invention . fig3 is a screen image resulting from execution of one embodiment of the invention . fig3 will be referred to in describing the method set forth in fig2 . the method described herein involves providing a graphical user interface for filtering a population of items . the method may be implemented as software on server computer such as server node 100 described above regarding fig1 . the software running on a server shall be referred to herein as a system . in other embodiments , the method may be implemented in hardware or a in combination of hardware and software . according to one embodiment of the method , the system defines a library of available criteria relating to a population of items , as shown in block 206 . in one embodiment , the items may be securities or stocks . in this embodiment , the criteria may include , for example , membership in well known indices or exchanges , such as the new york stock exchange ( nyse ), standard & amp ; poor &# 39 ; s 500 , nasdaq , the russell 2000 , etc . ; categorization by capitalization such as large , middle , and small , by value , by growth ; dividend information such as yield or per share ; pertinent sector such as technology , energy , transportation , financial , retail , etc . ; well - known metrics such as beta , price to earnings ratio , debt to equity ratio , percentage or actual change in share price over a particular period of time , such as 30 day return , quarterly return , year to date return , three year return , five year return , 10 year return , etc . these criteria may be preset and defined by the system and / or may be user definable . in one embodiment , the criteria also include selections of favorite or otherwise preferred securities selected by other members of an on - line community . in one embodiment , the population of items , including descriptive information about the items , and the applicable criteria may be stored in a database , such as database 114 shown in fig1 . the descriptive information about the items allows for the application of the criteria as a filter and , when the items are securities , may include current share price , share prices at various dates , price to earnings ratio , categorization information , sector information , etc . in another embodiment , some or all of the population of items , including descriptive information about the items , and / or the applicable criteria may be stored remotely on other servers such as database server and application servers . these remote servers , not shown , may be implemented as part of the system described herein , or may be maintained by third parties . in yet another embodiment in which the system is a personal computer , some or all of the population of items , including descriptive information about the items , and / or the applicable criteria may be stored locally on a hard drive or other storage device . in a related embodiment , the items may be mutual funds and the criteria may include categorization such as capitalization ( small , middle , and large ), value , income , growth , blend ; a risk categorization ; load information such as back end , front end , and none ; expense ratio ; minimum investment ; various metrics such as a alpha , beta , r - squared , percentage change in share price over a particular period of time such as 30 day return , quarterly return , year to date return , three year return , five year return , 10 year return , etc ; sectors such as technology , energy , finance , retail , etc . ; third party rating , such as , for example , that provided by morningstar , inc . of chicago , ill . ; and others . the system then provides the library of criteria via a graphical representation to the user , as shown in block 210 . in one embodiment , the criteria may each be represented as a single peg puzzle piece such as criteria nasdaq 342 , amex 344 , technology 354 , finance 352 , etc . as shown in fig3 . in one embodiment , the criteria may be provided graphically in sets or groups . for example , groupings such as exchange / index 314 , fundamentals 316 , and community 318 may be provided , as shown in fig3 . the exchange / index group may include the nasdaq 342 , amex 344 , nyse , s & amp ; p 500 , russell 2000 , etc . this group may also include pertinent sectors such as technology 354 , energy , finance 352 , retail , etc . the fundamentals may include capitalization such as large , middle or md . cap 362 , and small ; and well - known metrics such as beta , price to earnings ratio , percentage increase in share price over a particular period of time , etc . community may include those securities selected as favorites or otherwise preferred by other members of an on - line community , such as ryanj 366 . in one embodiment , the community could be further broken down into subgroups such as those other members of the community that are favorites of the particular user , such as favorites 320 , those member of the community that meet a system definition as having hot hands , such as hot - hands 322 , and those community members having certain characteristics , such as for example , greater than 20 % annual portfolio return 324 . in this embodiment , clicking on or otherwise activating favorites 320 , hot - hands 322 , greater than 20 % annual portfolio return 324 creates a screen area or sub - window containing those community members meeting the particular criteria . the system then receives an indication that a particular criterion is to be added to a filter , as shown in block 214 . in one embodiment , a filter may have multiple levels or tiers , such as tier one 340 , tier two 350 and tier three 360 of fig3 . the criteria added to each filer tier may be indicated by a user by a mouse click or other user input device and may then be added to the filter by dragging and dropping via the mouse or other input device or technique via well - known graphical user interface methods . in this embodiment , the single peg puzzle pieces may be placed over a horizontal bar such that a matching groove appears for the addition of the criterion to that tier by the user placing the pegged criterion into the groove at the particular tier . after a particular criterion has been added to a filter , the criterion is applied by the system , as shown in block 218 . in one embodiment , this application of the filter is accomplished by software such as analyzer 108 . the system then generates a list of items that meet al of the criteria in the filter , as shown in block 222 . that is , in one embodiment , analyzer 108 applies all of the selected criteria to the population of items as a filter and generates a list of items that meet the criteria . in one embodiment , a running tally of the number of members of the population meeting the criteria defined by the filter is maintained and presented as both a list of items meeting the criteria and a raw total count of the number of items that meet the criteria . in one embodiment in which the items are securities , the list of items may be referred to as a portfolio as depicted as portfolio 370 and the raw total count by be referred to as total number of tickers 372 . the system may continue to receive criteria , apply the criteria and generate a list of items that meet the criteria of the filter by cycling through blocks 214 , 218 and 222 until the user ceases adding additional criteria . as such , the list of items in the form of portfolio 370 and the raw total count in the form of total number of tickers 372 are continually updated . during such a cycle , a user of the system may apply criteria to any tier , or create an additional tier by pre - pending , inserting or appending the new tier . that the system provides a running portfolio also allows the user to view the effect of adding a particular criterion to the filter , where the criterion may be added to an existing tier or included in a new tier of the filter . in one embodiment , the system may provide the user the capability to remove a filter criterion from any tier and view the resulting running portfolio . this removal may be temporary or may be permanent depending on the implementation or the user &# 39 ; s input selection . in this way , a user may view the effect of the particular criterion on the results of the filter by comparing the portfolio both before and after removal of a criterion . for example , middle capitalization md . cap 362 of fig3 may be removed so that the portfolio resulting from the removal may be viewed . in a related embodiment , a criterion may be removed and replaced with another criterion to compare the differing effects of the two criteria . for example , middle capitalization may be replaced with small capitalization such that md . cap 362 of fig3 may be removed and replaced with sm . cap , not shown ; or , for example , amex may be replaced with nyse such that amex 344 of fig3 may be removed and replaced with nyse , not shown . in yet another related embodiment , the system may allow the user to move a criterion between filter tiers . in this way , a user may view the effect of the particular criterion on the results of the filter by comparing the running portfolio before and after moving the criterion . for example , middle capitalization may be moved from one tier to another to see how it affects the portfolio , and more specifically , md . cap 362 of fig3 may be moved from tier three 360 to tier two 350 . in one embodiment , clicking on different tiers of the filter will result in a display of the list of items at that particular tier by applying all criteria at that and all prior tiers to the population of items . in one embodiment , the analyzer of the system applies a boolean or to those criteria on a same tier of the graphical representation . in one embodiment , the analyzer of the system applies a boolean and to the different tiers of the filter . for example , the result of tier one 340 depicted in fig3 are those securities listed on the nasdaq and amex exchanges . when criteria limiting the results to those stocks in the finance sector 352 or the tech sector 354 are applied as indicated by the user in tier two 350 , the result includes those technology and finance stocks from the amex and nasdaq exchanges . tier three 360 further filters the population of all securities to those that are mid cap 362 or are in a portfolio of ryanj 366 . the result listed in the running portfolio 370 includes those stocks traded on the nasdaq or the amex which are in the finance or technology sectors , and which are mid cap or are in a portfolio of ryanj . in this example , there are sixty - two securities that result from the application of the totality of this filter . according to other embodiments , a user can benefit from using the graphical user interface method of applying filters based on criteria pertinent to a population of items when there is any large population of items from which a user desires to select a subset , such as when the population of items is school classes , a parts inventory , an accessories inventory , a grouping of recipes , a list of encyclopedia articles , magazine article , newspaper articles , and the like . in the foregoing specification , the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof . it will , however , be evident that various modifications and changes can be made thereto 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 a restrictive sense . | 6 |
a device 1 for absorbing side impact forces in the direction of an arrow a in fig2 ( the direction of force is represented symbolically ) comprises essentially a beam element 4 running transversely in the vehicle body 2 of the vehicle 3 and a profile part 5 that is connected to the former and is attached at each end to the beam element 4 . the beam element 4 may be attached to the vehicle undercarriage and may have a shape adapted to the undercarriage , in particular over a central tunnel 6 , to which end the beam element 4 has a corresponding contour with a trapezoidal jump t corresponding thereto . the device 1 is designed so that a survival space for the occupants remains in the event of a side impact at a predetermined force . in other words , the device 1 is preferably arranged in the area of a b pillar and / or in a corresponding area of the vehicle which need not necessarily have a pronounced b pillar . the beam element 4 consists of a tube having a round cross section in the example illustrated here . beam elements 4 consisting of tubes having a polygonal shape or other geometric cross sections , e . g ., ellipsoidal or the like , are also conceivable . the beam element 4 may also be assembled from sheet metal parts that yield a sheet metal beam which may consist of an open or closed profile . energy absorbing corrugated pipes and the like are also possible according to this invention . the profile part 5 of the device 1 consists of a so - called supporting element which protrudes only upward from a transverse beam element 4 in a vertical plane and ends with a free end 7 of the beam element 4 . by means of the first and second fastening sections 8 and 9 on the profile part 5 , a connection to the beam element 4 is established via the first fastening section 8 , and a connection to a connecting part 10 of the vehicle body 2 of the vehicle 1 is established via the second fastening section 9 ; this connecting part may be part of a b pillar and serves mainly to position the device 1 in the vehicle . the profile part 5 is designed to be approximately box - shaped and includes two side walls 11 and 12 arranged with a distance between them , connected to one another at the head end by a web 13 . the profile part 5 is designed to be triangular as seen from the side , with the web 13 designed to run obliquely and tapering toward the beam element 4 , as also shown in detail in fig8 . the side walls 11 , 12 of the profile part 5 reach around the beam element 4 peripherally from the outside , as depicted in the exemplary embodiment shown here with a tube , and the side walls 11 , 12 are attached to the tube 4 by means of first fastening sections 8 running in a horizontal plane y - y by welding or similar methods . the second fastening sections 9 are provided in a vertical plane x - x on an end face of the profile part 5 , this plane consisting of legs 14 , 15 that lead away from the side walls 11 , 12 and are fixedly attached to the connecting part 10 of the vehicle body 2 . the connecting part 10 is designed as a sheet metal part aligned in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and arranged at a distance from the outside side wall 16 of the vehicle 3 in the transverse direction of the vehicle . the side walls 11 , 12 end with their lower edges 11 a , 12 a either in front of or in a lower bordering plane z - z of the beam element 4 and / or the tube or above it . the two fastening sections 8 and 9 are arranged approximately at right angles to one another so that there can be an optimum uptake of force in the event of a side impact . fig2 shows a barrier b with which a side impact with the vehicle 3 is simulated . in the exemplary embodiment shown here , the beam element 4 , which is designed as a tube , is subdivided for the purpose of assembly . thus , the end tube sections 4 a and 4 b are attached to the profile part 5 on each side of the vehicle . a central tube section 4 c of the device 1 is fixedly attached to each of the end tube sections 4 a , 4 b via a sliding sleeve s , which is pushed over the end tube sections 4 a , 4 b after assembly of a side part of the vehicle on the remaining vehicle body and then is welded in place . as shown in detail in fig2 and 3 , the device 1 is arranged with the profile part 5 and the beam element 4 above a side reinforcement 20 of the vehicle , whereby the connecting part 10 is held on the side reinforcement 20 and on an inside wall 21 of the vehicle body . the central tube section 4 c extends beyond the central tunnel of the vehicle body 2 and is designed to be approximately trapezoidal in this area , and the connecting areas of the tube sections , in particular 4 a and 4 b as well as the areas of the central tube section 4 c are situated at a lower level and are arranged so they run coaxially with the end tube sections 4 a and 4 b . the foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting . since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art , the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof . | 1 |
referring now to fig1 an exemplary tactical situation is shown wherein a gunner has caused a projectile 10 to have been fired from a recoilless rifle 14 toward a tank 12 . a conventional rangefinder and aiming arrangement ( not shown ) is used to control the elevation angle of the recoilless rifle 14 so that the projectile passes over a tree 16 and a stone wall 18 past a building 20 and a previously destroyed tank 22 to a point above the tank 12 . the detection and control arrangement in the projectile 10 will be described in more detail hereinafter ; suffice it to say here that that arrangement includes a plurality ( here three in number ) of pulsed laser radars arranged successively to scan swaths of the terrain forward of the projectile 10 during its flight . the radar &# 34 ; signature &# 34 ; of such terrain and of any illuminated objects are shown in fig2 a through 2d , wherein it is assumed that 32 successive swaths will encompass any target of interest . thus , in fig2 a through 2d , the abscissas are defined by the leading and trailing edges of each swath , or scan , ( numbered 1 through 32 ) and the ordinates are range ( measured from the projectile 10 in flight ). fig2 a is indicative of the radar signature of an object such as the tree 16 ( fig1 ); fig2 b is indicative of the radar signature of an object such as the building 20 ; fig2 c of the stone wall 18 ; and fig2 d of the the tank 12 or of the previously destroyed tank 22 . it will be observed that sensible differences exist between the various types of targets , except between the tank and the previously destroyed tank 22 ( fig1 ). specifically , the radar signature of the tree 16 is characterized by &# 34 ; soft &# 34 ; edges of the return on each scan and the changes in range from scan to scan while the radar signatures of the illustrated man - made objects are characterized by abrupt changes in range and little , if any , change in range from scan to scan . it will be recognized that , although details of the radar signature of any object may vary with factors such as pulse repetition frequency of the laser radar , spin rate of the projectile 10 ( fig1 ), and shape , aspect or range of the object , significant distinguishing features of the desired target ( tank 12 , fig1 ) will always be observed . that is to say , even though vegetation , buildings , walls and the like may change , the dimensions of a particular type of tank will remain constant . with a given velocity and spin rate for the projectile 10 ( fig1 ) and pulse repetition frequency , the following characteristics of the returns from a tank of a given type are here of interest ; 1 . during any scan when the tank is first illuminated the measured range decreases abruptly by a known amount ( say 1 meter ) and then similarly increases ; 2 . the number of returns from a tank during each scan varies , depending upon aspect angle and range , up to the number of returns possible from a target of given length ( say 6 meters ); and 3 . the total number of returns from a tank is dependent upon the range to the tank and the area of the tank . it will now be noted that returns from the previously destroyed tank 22 ( fig1 ) most probably would be indistinguishable from returns from the tank 12 . to avoid confusion , then , an infrared detector ( fig4 a and 4b ) is installed in the projectile 10 ( fig1 ). such detector , then is effective to produce a signal indicative of the tank 12 because that tank alone would have its motor going to generate detectable heat . it will now be appreciated that a signal processor such as that shown in fig5 installed in the projectile 10 ( fig1 ) may be arranged to respond to the returns to the optical radar and the infrared sensor and to produce a &# 34 ; target present &# 34 ; signal only when an operating tank , i . e . tank 12 is illuminated . it will also be appreciated that , at a moment shortly after a desired target has been detected and identified , the submunitions carried by the projectile 10 must be discharged to impact on such target . at the particular moment required for successful discharge , the squinted laser radar beam ( or beams ) may not illuminate the selected target ; therefore , the line of sight of any such beam cannot be directly used as an aiming reference line . it is contemplated , therefore , that a reference line substantially coincident with the local vertical through the projectile 10 ( fig1 ) in flight be determined so that , wherever a selected target may be within the field scanned by the laser radars , the submunitions may be discharged at the proper moment by referencing both target and submunitions to said reference line . the selection of such a reference line ( hereinafter referred to as the local vertical ) has added advantages : ( 1 ) it serves as a marker to control the operation of the laser radars so that each one operates only when pointed toward the underlying terrain ; and ( 2 ), by allowing substantially equal azimuth aiming errors ( left and right errors ) of the projectile 10 ( fig1 ), the maximum error magnitude is minimized . to determine the local vertical in flight , one of the laser radars is actuated for one revolution of the projectile 10 ( fig1 ) before that projectile reaches the point in its trajectory at which search for a target is to be initiated . as the beam from the actuated laser radar is scaned , the transmitted beam sweeps toward the sky and across a swath on the terrain . returns are , of course , detected then which are representative of the contour of the terrain , with the shortest indicated range corresponding to returns in the vertical plane . the next following laser radar then is actuated to emit a first short burst when its beam points at the estimated position of the leading edge of the swath and a second short burst when its beam points at the estimated position of the trailing edge of such swath . as indicated in fig3 if the measured ranges to such points differ , an incorrect estimate of the position of the local vertical is indicated so more adjustment is required . therefore , adjustment of the times at which the next following laser radar is actuated is effected until , again as shown in fig3 by the points &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;, the measured ranges to the beginning and end of each swath are equal . even though the terrain may slope from the beginning and ending of the swaths , the procedure for equalization of ranges results in the establishment of a reference which substantially corresponds with the local vertical . in any event , the reference will be close enough to the local vertical to cause the ground track of the projectile 10 ( fig1 ) to be centered , for any practical purpose , on the illuminated swaths . with the spin rate of the projectile 10 known , the intervals during which the laser radars should be operated to illuminate successive swaths is calculable . here , where the spin rate is 100 r . p . s ., the laser radars are sequentially actuated for 2 . 5 milliseconds at 31 / 3 millisecond intervals . it will now be noted in passing that the number of laser radars in the projectile 10 ( fig1 ) for a given resolution ( assuming a beamwidth of , say , 1 °) is determined by the velocity and the spin rate of such projectile . thus , assuming a velocity of 300 meters per second and a spin rate of 100 revolutions per second , it may readily be calculated that three laser radars are required to attain a resolution of one meter in the direction of the velocity vector of the projectile 10 ( fig1 ). similarly , it will be noted that resolution ( with the projectile 10 ( fig1 ) at a given altitude ) along each swath is determined by the pulse repetition interval ( pri ) of each laser radar . thus , assuming an altitude of fifty meters for such projectile , a pri equal to 1 / 30 . 5 khz provides a resolution of one meter . with resolutions of one meter &# 34 ; along - course &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; cross - course &# 34 ; the radar signatures of various types of objects are as illustrated in fig2 a - 2d . it will also be appreciated that each laser radar must scan a swath ahead of the projectile 10 ( fig1 ) in order to provide a lead time in which : ( a ) a selected target may be identified , ( b ) the projectile may be rotated into the proper angle with respect to the local vertical to allow the submunitions to be fired toward the target . the proper lead is ( neglecting target motion because the greatest such motion is infinitesimal compared with the velocities of the projectile ( 300 meters per second ) and of the submunitions ( 3000 meters per second )) dependent upon the range from the projectile 10 ( fig1 ) to the target . to accomplish the purpose , the centerline of the field of fire of the submunitions is fixed so that such centerline will pass through the tank 12 when the range is a maximum ( 50 meters ). when the range is short ( less than , say , 20 meters ), the third criterion mentioned above for identifying a tank is not followed to its completion . that is , if the characteristic changes in range during successive scans have been experienced and if the number of returns during at least two successive scans are within limits , a tank is assumed to have been identified even though the total number of returns is less than the number from a tank . referring now to fig4 a and 4b , it may be seen that each laser radar comprises a transmitter section ( not numbered ) with only laser transmitter 31a , being in view each here using a gallium arsenide laser ( operating at 0 . 9 microns ) to emit a beam ( when pulsed ) through an appropriate lens arrangement such as lens arrangements 31ta , 31tc and a window 33a , 33b , 33c . each such beam is approximately 1 ° in width and is squinted forward by approximately 10 ° from the perpendicular to the axis of the projectile 10 . a corresponding lens arrangement 34ra , 35rb , 35rc is aligned with each one of the lens arrangements used with the laser transmitters ( such as lens arrangements 31ta , 31tc ) behind each window 33a , 33b , 33c . a light pipe ( such as that designated light pipe &# 34 ; a &# 34 ;) is disposed between pairs of transmitting and receiving lens arrangements . a corresponding receiver 37a , 37b , 37c is mounted behind each lens arrangement 35ra , 35rb , 35rc . a range counter and computer ( fig5 ) are mounted on a bulkhead ( not numbered ) within the projectile 10 . a single passive detector and processor 39 to detect infrared radiations is mounted as shown between any pair of laser radars . finally , ancillary , but necessary , elements ( such as batteries , not shown ) are mounted within the projectile 10 in any convenient manner . referring now to fig5 it may be seen that the elements making up the laser radars and the processor shown in fig4 a and 4b are actuated in response to signals from a controller 30 . that element is conventional , containing a clock pulse generator ( not shown ) and appropriate dividers and logic circuitry to produce trigger pulses for the transmitters 31a , 31b and 31c and control pulses for a decoder and multiplexer 32 as well as trigger pulses for a range counter 34 and a computer 36 . a &# 34 ; launch signal &# 34 ;, generated in any convenient manner when the projectile 10 ( fig1 ) is launched , occurs to start operation and to designate the criteria to be used for identification of targets . the controller 30 then is operative to supply trigger pulses to one of the transmitters , say transmitter 31a during an interval corresponding to the period of rotation of the projectile 10 ( fig1 ), blanking pulses ( to inhibit feedthrough of each transmitted pulse ) and clock pulses to the range counter 34 and to the computer 36 . with a repetition rate of about 30 khz for the trigger pulses and a spin rate of 100 revolutions per second for the projectile 10 ( fig1 ), when the beam from the transmitter 31a is pointed toward the underlying terrain , returns from points about one meter apart actuate receiver 37a . the transmitters 31a , 31b and 31c as well as the receivers 37a , 37b and 37c , may be similar to the laser radar shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 077 , 718 . thus , the requisite detectors in the receivers 37a , 37b and 37c are avalanche diodes with compensation means to maintain the sensitivity of such diodes at an optimum even though the ambient temperature may change materially . a sample of each transmitted pulse is conducted through a light pipe ( here labeled light pipes a , b , and c ) to a conventional optical detector 38 to produce an electrical pulse marking the instant at which transmission occurs . that pulse is passed to a trailing edge detector 40t ( described hereinafter ) which produces an indication when the amplitude of the trailing edge of each electrical pulse equals one - half the amplitude of the pulse . the indication , in turn , causes a synchronizer ( labeled synchronizer 42 ) to be &# 34 ; set &# 34 ;, thereby producing an enable signal for a counter ( range counter 34 ). in consequence , clock pulses thereafter sent to the range counter 34 are counted . whenever a returned pulse is detected by receiver 37a , an electrical pulse is passed therefrom ( through the decoder and multiplexer 32 which is enabled to allow only a returned pulse from the receiver in operation to be passed ) to a trailing edge detector 40r ( which is similar to the railing edge detector 40t ). the indication out of the trailing edge detector 40r causes the synchronizer 42 to be &# 34 ; reset &# 34 ; with the result that the enable signal is removed from the range counter 34 . the then present contents of the range counter 34 are a measurement of range . it will be appreciated that the minimum range is measured when the transmitted laser beam coincides with the local vertical and that when such beam leads or lags the local vertical by the same amount ( say 45 °) the measured ranges are substantially equal . the computer 36 here comprises a pair ( each here a zilog z80a ) of microprocessors 36p1 , 36p2 with associated program and data memories ( not shown ). the first of the microprocessors 36p1 is used for range comparison meaning that it accepts the count in the range counter 34 and , in the synchronizing mode being discussed , compares the first and the last outputs of that counter . if those outputs differ , the trigger pulses out of the controller 30 are delayed ( or advanced , if required ) until equality is achieved . the swath then illuminated by each laser then extends 45 ° to either side of the local vertical . once the local vertical is determined the first microprocessor 36p1 is operative to compare , during each swath , the outputs of the range counter 34 at similar angles with respect to the local vertical , and to mark those which change by a given range increment ( say one to four meters ). the marked outputs of the range counter 34 ( referred to hereinafter as &# 34 ; strings &# 34 ;) are passed to the second microprocessor 36p2 . processor 36p2 is programmed to accept the strings from processor 36p1 and to produce the firing signal for the submunitions when signals such as those shown in fig2 d have been received along with a positive signal from the passive sensor . to accomplish such end , processor 36p2 is programmed to compare the marked strings with strings stored in a read - only memory which are representative of a desired target , i . e . tank 12 ( fig1 ). if the comparison shows that the marked strings correspond with possible strings from a desired target , the position of the target relative to the projectile 10 ( fig1 ) is determined as shown in fig7 . referring back now to the details of the trailing edge detectors 40t , 40r , it will first be observed that , although the dynamic range of signals into the former may be rather small , the amplitude of signals into the latter may vary within very wide limits ( say 80 db ), in addition , although the shapes of the transmitted pulses may be deemed to be the same , the shapes of the received pulses differ in accordance with the character of the different areas illuminated by the transmitted pulses . in consequence , the use of a conventional detection scheme ( wherein means are provided to determine when the trailing edge of a pulse is equal to a reference signal ) is almost impossible to implement in a satisfactory manner . that is to say , conventional trailing edge detectors cannot here be used to indicate the time interval between the transmission of an interrogating pulse and reception of an echo pulse . with the foregoing in mind , it will be observed that the trailing edge detectors 40t , 40r are operative , regardless of the amplitude of any particular pulse being processed , to provide an indication when the amplitude of the trailing edge of such pulse equals one - half the peak amplitude . thus , as shown in fig6 each pulse into the trailing edge detector 40t is split in a power divider 40d of conventional construction into two paths . as is well known , the signal out of one output port of such a divider is in phase with the input signal ( such port sometimes being referred to as the noninverting port ) and the signal out of the second port is also in phase with the input signal ( such port sometimes being referred to as the inverting port ). that is to say , here the signals in the two paths out of the power divider 40d are , relatively speaking , in phase . the signal in the upper path is passed directly to the inverting input terminal of a differential amplifier 40df while the signal in the lower path is passed successively through a delay network 40pd and an attenuator 40a to a noninverting input terminal of the differential amplifier 40df . it will now be appreciated that , with the trailing edge of the transmitted pulse known a priori , the delay network 40pd may be designed so that the peak of any return signal in the lower path straddles the trailing edge of that return signal in the upper path . it will also be appreciated that , depending on the amount of attenuation suffered by the signal in the lower path ( meaning the attenuation provided by the attenuator 40a ) and the shape of the trailing edge of any return signal in the upper path , the input signals to the differential amplifier 40df will be equal at some moment in time . before that moment ( when a return signal is being received ) the inverted signal in the upper path will always have the greater amplitude and after tha moment the lesser . in consequence , then , the output of the differential amplifier 40df is a pulse having a leading negative portion and a trailing positive portion , with the transition from negative to positive occurring when the input signals to that amplifier are equal in amplitude but opposite in phase internally . the output of the differential amplifier 40df is connected as shown to the positive inut terminal of a comparator 40cd and to the negative input terminal of a comparator 40cs . the negative input terminal of the former is grounded and the positive input terminal of the latter is connected to a negative reference source . the output of the comparator 40cd is connected to the input terminal of a gated driver 40g . the output of the comparator 40cs is connected through a latch circuit 40l to the gate terminal of the gated driver 40g . the comparator 40cs and latch circuit 40l are operative to enable the gated driver 40g only when the amplitude of the leading portion of the signal out of the differential amplifier 40df exceeds a predetermined level . that is to say , only signals ( deemed to be valid return signals ) which exceed a predetermined threshold may cause the gated driver 40df to to become operative . referring now to fig7 the dotted elliptical shapes indicate previously illuminated areas numbered for each successive lettered swath and the solid elliptical shape indicates the particular area being illuminated at the given moment in time when the submunitions ( not shown ) are to be fired . it will be appreciated that the illuminated areas making up each swath do not lie on a line precisely orthogonal to the ground track of the projectile 10 as shown , but rather lie on the projection of a helix on the underlying terrain . however , because the differences between illustration and actuality are immaterial to an understanding of the figure , the simpler drawing approach has here been taken to show that the position of an identified object ( here tank 12 ) relative to the projectile 10 may be taken to be the centroid of a number of strings of returns from successive swaths . the forward squint angle ( angle &# 34 ; acr &# 34 ;) of the beams and the altitude establishes the distance from the swath being currently illuminated back to the local vertical which is also known to be centered on each swath . thus , when the projectile 10 is above the previously illuminated area a1 - 11 , the laser beam is at illuminated area c3 - 5 and the centroid of the target is at the previously illuminated area b2 - 6 . the angle between the plane containing the local vertical and the plane through the target centroid thus is known and is shown as angle &# 34 ; r &# 34 ;. the submunitions carried in the projectile 10 here are contemplated to be high velocity projectiles ( sometimes referred to hereinafter as the &# 34 ; warheads &# 34 ;). such warheads are mounted in the projectile 10 so that their common axes , i . e . the firing direction of each warhead , are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the projectile 10 . further , the warheads are oppositely disposed so that the projectile 10 need rotate only through 180 ° to bring one or the other into a firing position . that is to say , the axis of the pair of warheads will make the angle &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; with the local vertical twice during each rotational period of the projectile 10 . the trajectory of the warhead is ( neglecting the effects of gravity and friction ) determined in part by the velocity of the projectile 10 and in part by the initial velocity imparted to the warhead by firing . the ratio of the magnitudes of such velocities determines the difference between the firing direction of the warhead and the trajectory of the warhead . here such ratio is about 1 : 10 , making it necessary here to fire the warhead before the tank 12 is abeam the projectile 10 . in fig7 the warhead axis is shown making angle &# 34 ; w &# 34 ; with the local vertical . the angular position of the warhead axis with respect to each of the laser radars ( here three ) is known and since each laser radar must be operated symmetrically disposed about the local vertical , the position of the warhead axis with respect to the local vertical is readily determined . then , when the projectile has rotated so that the warhead axis lies in the plane containing the target centroid ( angle &# 34 ; w &# 34 ; is equal to angle &# 34 ; r &# 34 ;) and the warhead trajectory passes through the target centroid , the warhead is fired . before referring to fig8 a and 8b in detail , it will be recalled that a separate optical detector is disposed in the focal plane of each one of the three lens arrangements 31ta , 31tb , 31tc . it will be appreciated by one of skill in the art that , in theory at least , plane mirrors or prisms could have been used to have the three focal planes coincide . however , in the particular application here contemplated such an approach is not practical in view of the fact that each lens arrangement 31ta , 31tb , 31tc must have a short focal length , with the result that the requisite plane mirrors or prisms may not be made small enough for the available image space . referring now to fig8 a and 8b , it may be seen that the laser transmitters 31a , 31b , 31c , the lens arrangements 31ta , 31tb , 31tc , windows 33a , 33b , 33c and lens arrangements 35ra , 35rb , 35rc are similar in purpose and construction to the correspondingly numbered elements in fig4 a and 4b . a description of such elements will not , therefore , be repeated . with the foregoing in mind , it will now be observed that a light pipe , such as light pipe 31p ( fig8 b ), is disposed so that a portion of each transmitted laser beam is passed through a corresponding focal point of each one of the lens arrangements 35ra , 35rb , 35rc . each different one of such focal points is also a focal point of an ellipsoidal mirror 35ma , 35mb , 35mc . the second focal point of the ellipsoidal mirrors 35ma , 35mb , 35mc is a common point ( marked &# 34 ; f &# 34 ;) located on the longitudinal axis of the projectile 10 . two of the ellipsoidal generatrices ( ma , mb ) are shown in fig8 b . preferably the ellipsoidal mirrors 35ma , 35mb and 35mc are replicas formed in any convenient way on the surface of a base 35b by a master having three convex surfaces corresponding to the desired ellipsoidal shapes . the base 35b is adjustably mounted , as shown , within a housing 35h so that the focal points of the ellipsoidal mirrors 35ma , 35mb , 35mc may be properly positioned . a filter 35f is mounted in any convenient manner in the path of energy passing to an optical detector 35d ( here an avalanche diode photodetector ). the filter 35f is chosen to pass the frequency of the laser energy from the laser transmitters 31a , 31b , 31c and to reject all other frequencies . the output of the optical detector 35d is connected to a receiver ( not shown ) but generally similar to that shown in fig5 . it will now be appreciated that , as each one of the laser transmitters 31a , 31b , 31c is actuated to illuminate a swath on the underlying terrain , a portion of the transmitted laser energy is passed through one of the focal points fa1 , fb1 , fc1 to be reflected off one of the ellipsoidal mirrors 35ma , 35mb , 35mc toward the focal point f . such reflected energy then is passed through the filter 35f to the optical detector 35d , thereby starting the range measuring process . when a return signal is received , energy is passed through a given one of the focal points fa1 , fb1 , fc1 and then is reflected from the corresponding one of the ellipsoidal mirrors 35ma , 35mb , 35mc to be directed through the filter 35f to the optical detector 35d to complete the range measuring process . it will also be appreciated that the just described arrangement is relatively insensitive to energy other than the laser energy . firstly , the housing 35h is effective to screen out all energy except that which is passed through the openings ( not numbered ) near the focal points fa1 , fb1 , fc1 and is reflected from the ellipsoidal mirrors 35ma , 35mb , 35mc . secondly , the filter 35f is effective to prevent energy having a substantially different frequency from actuating the optical detector 35d . as a result , then , sunlight or energy from flares has little , if any , effect , and , additionally , the detector 35d is thermally insulated . also , because a single optical detector is used , alignment problems attendant upon the use of a number of optical detectors are eliminated . that is to say , differences in sensitivity between seemingly identical optical detectors are not experienced . still further , the effects of centrifugal force during flight are minimized when a single detector is mounted on the longitudinal axis of the projectile 10 . finally , and probably most important , the use of ellipsoidal mirrors allows the focal length of each one of the lens arrangements 34ra , 34rb , 35rc to be short to allow for best operation of the laser radars and at the same time provides a way in which the focal planes of such arrangements may be transferred to a common plane . with respect to the filter 35f , it will be appreciated that an interferometer using a piezoelectric crystal , as shown in rambauske et al , u . s . pat . no . 3 , 202 , 052 , assigned to the same assignee as the present application , could be substituted to allow the dynamic range of the light intensity to be extended . having described a preferred and alternative embodiments of this invention , it will be apparent to one of skill in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the inventive concepts . thus , for example , if dynamic range were a problem , the differential amplifier 40df ( fig6 ) could be replaced by a so - called &# 34 ; out - of - phase &# 34 ; power combiner . it is felt , therefore , that coverage should not be limited to the disclosed embodiments , but rather should be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 5 |
hereinafter , an illustrative embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings . fig1 is a front view of an analog electronic timepiece 1 , which is an illustrative embodiment of the electronic timepiece of the present invention . the analog electronic timepiece 1 includes a casing 2 configured to accommodate therein respective configurations , a dial plate 3 of which one surface ( exposed surface ) is externally exposed in the casing 2 , a transparent member ( windproof glass ) ( not shown ) configured to cover the exposed surface of the dial plate 3 , three time hands 61 , 62 , 63 configured to rotate about a substantial center ( rotational shaft ) of the dial plate 3 over a substantially entire surface of the dial plate 3 between the dial plate 3 and the windproof glass and to indicate marks and scales provided in the vicinity of an outer edge of the dial plate 3 , a small window 4 provided at a two thirty position of the dial plate 3 , a 24 - hour hand 64 configured to rotate in the small window 4 , a area 5 defined at a nine thirty position of the dial plate 3 , a function hand 66 configured to rotate in the area 5 , a small window 6 provided at a 6 o &# 39 ; clock position of the dial plate 3 , a small minute hand 67 and a small hour hand 68 configured to rotate in the small window 6 , a date wheel 65 provided on an opposite side to the exposed surface of the dial plate 3 in parallel with the dial plate 3 and configured to expose one mark thereof from an opening 7 provided at a four thirty position of the dial plate 3 in correspondence to a rotating operation , a stem c 1 and push - button switches b 1 to b 4 provided on a side surface of the casing 2 with respect to the exposed surface of the dial plate 3 , and the like . the dial plate 3 is provided with scales and marks ( hour characters ) indicative of an hour , a minute and a second in a circular ring shape , and is also provided at an outer more edge than the scales and the marks with local time marks indicative of abbreviations of city names corresponding to time zones of the world and coordinate universal time ( utc ). in the meantime , the local time mark may be provided on a bezel , not the dial plate 3 . the time hands 61 to 63 are a second hand 61 , a minute hand 62 and an hour hand 63 , respectively , and are usually configured to indicate a second , a minute and an hour of time when displaying time . the 24 - hour hand 64 is configured to display 24 hours including ante meridiem and post meridiem in the small window 4 . also , in the analog electronic timepiece 1 of the illustrative embodiment , the second hand 61 and the minute hand 62 are used for display and setting of various functions . the date wheel 65 has marks , which are indicative of dates and are equidistantly provided in number order at a peripheral edge portion thereof . one of the marks is exposed from the opening 7 , thereby indicating a date . the function hand 66 is configured to indicate a day of week by indicating any one of seven marks provided between a 9 o &# 39 ; clock position and a 1 o &# 39 ; clock position in the area 5 , and to indicate a function mode under execution by indicating any one of marks provided between a 6 o &# 39 ; clock position and a seven thirty position in the area 5 . the function modes that can operate in the analog electronic timepiece 1 include , but are not particularly limited to , a stopwatch mode , a timer mode and an alarm mode . also , when the function hand indicates one of marks provided between a 3 o &# 39 ; clock position and a 5 o &# 39 ; clock position , a display relating to a display setting of the daylight saving time is performed with respect to the time display mode . also , an airplane mode of prohibiting communication radio waves from being transmitted and received can be set in parallel with the various function modes . when the function hand 66 indicates an airplane mark close to the 9 o &# 39 ; clock position , the airplane mode is displayed . also , a mark ‘ p ’ provided in the vicinity of a 1 o &# 39 ; clock position and a mark ‘ n ’ provided in the vicinity of a 2 o &# 39 ; clock position indicate whether the local time being counted is determined based on the information about a current position . further , a latitude is displayed by an angle ( i . e ., a position indicated by the function hand 66 ) between a direction indicated by the function hand 66 and a 9 o &# 39 ; clock direction ( a horizontal direction when a 12 o &# 39 ; clock direction faces upward ). the small minute hand 67 and the small hour hand 68 are configured to display local time at a set position ( world time clock position ) relating to the world time clock function in the small window 6 , respectively . that is , the analog electronic timepiece 1 of the illustrative embodiment can display the local times of two areas at the same time by the time hands 61 to 63 and the small minute hand 67 and the small hour hand 68 . in the meantime , a small 24 - hour hand configured to rotate in conjunction with the small minute hand 67 and the small hour hand 68 may be additionally provided to display ante meridiem and post meridiem even in the world time clock . in the below , when collectively describing some or all of the time hands 61 to 63 , the 24 - hour hand 64 , the date wheel 65 , the function hand 66 , the small minute hand 67 and the small hour hand 68 , the description ‘ hands 61 to 68 ’ ( the plurality of hands ) is made , for example . the stem c 1 and the push - button switches b 1 to b 4 are respectively configured to receive an input operation from a user . the stem c 1 can be pulled out in two steps from the casing 2 . at a one or two - step pullout state , when the stem is rotated by a predetermined angle , an operation signal is output , which is then used for various settings . when each of the push - button switches b 1 to b 4 is pushed , a type of the function mode is changed or an operation command allotted to each of the function modes is received . fig2 is a block diagram depicting a functional configuration of the analog electronic timepiece 1 . the analog electronic timepiece 1 includes a cpu 41 ( central processing unit ) ( an hand operation control unit 411 , a local time setting acquisition unit 412 , a time zone setting unit 413 , a setting replacement unit 414 ), a rom 42 ( read only memory ), a ram 43 ( random access memory ) ( the local time setting storage unit ), an oscillator circuit 44 , a frequency division circuit 45 , a timer circuit 46 ( the timer unit ), an operation unit 47 ( the operation receiving unit ), a satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 ( the current position acquisition unit ), an antenna 49 thereof , a driving circuit 51 , a power supply unit 52 , the time hands 61 to 63 , the 24 - hour hand 64 , the date wheel 65 , the function hand 66 , the small minute hand 67 , the small hour hand 68 , wheel train mechanisms 71 to 75 , stepping motors 81 to 85 , and the like . the cpu 41 includes an hand operation control unit 411 , a local time setting acquisition unit 412 , a time zone setting unit 413 , and a setting replacement unit 414 . the hand operation control unit 411 , the local time setting acquisition unit 412 , the time zone setting unit 413 , the setting replacement unit 414 may be a single cpu or may perform respective operations by cpus separately provided . the cpu 41 is configured to execute a variety of calculation processing and to collectively control the entire operations of the analog electronic timepiece 1 . the cpu 41 is configured to control an hand operation relating to the display of date and time . the cpu 41 is configured to convert date and time , which is to be counted by the timer circuit 46 , into appropriate local time based on a local time setting having time zone and daylight saving time implementation information , and to display the converted local time in a usual time display mode by the time hands 61 to 63 , the 24 - hour hand 64 and the date wheel 65 . also , the cpu 41 is configured to operate the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 to acquire date and time and positional information . the cpu 41 is configured to correct the date and time that is to be counted by the timer circuit 46 , based on the obtained data of date and time . the rom 42 is configured to store therein a program 42 a for control , which is to be executed by the cpu 41 , and setting data . the program 42 a includes a program relating to operation control of various function modes , for example . also , the setting data includes city time difference information 42 b . in the city time difference information 42 b , ids of geographical positions relating to the local time marks provided at the outer edge of the dial plate 3 , positions ( for example , the number of steps by the second hand 61 in a 12 o &# 39 ; clock direction ) and time differences from the utc time in the cities ( hereinafter , the time difference indicates a time difference from the utc time ) are associated and stored as the time zone setting information . for example , regarding a city mark ‘ tyo ’ provided in the vicinity of a four twenty position and indicating tokyo , an id ‘ 011 ’, a 22 - second position and the time difference of + 9 hours are associated and stored . the ram 43 is configured to provide the cpu 41 with a memory space for work and to store therein temporary data . also , in the ram 43 , an acquisition hysteresis of the date and time information and positional information , local time setting information 43 c , which is data of local time settings corresponding to a home position relating to a usual date and time display and a world time clock position relating to a world time clock display , data indicating hand positions , and the like are stored . also , in the ram 43 , city user correction data 43 a and map user correction data 43 b , which are correction data of the time zone and daylight saving time implementation information set by the user , are stored . when correction information of the time zone and the daylight saving time implementation information in each city is set , the correction information is stored in the city user correction data 43 a . for example , when the daylight saving time is implemented in tokyo , if the daylight saving time implementation information is set by the user , as described later , an id indicating tokyo and the like and the corresponding setting are associated and stored . the storing number of the setting may be the latest one , and the setting may be stored for all cities for which the setting is made . when a plurality of settings is made for the same city ( id ), only the latest setting is stored . also , the correction information may include an effective period of the correction information . in the map user correction data 43 b , when the correction information of the time zone and daylight saving time implementation information at the acquired current position ( the latitude and the longitude ) is set , an id of the current position or a area ( a predetermined area ) including the current position and the set correction information are associated and stored . when the data indicating the current position is stored , the latitude and the longitude of the acquired current position may be used or coordinates of each geographical block stored in a time difference map 48 b may be used . also in this case , the number of settings is appropriately set in correspondence to the storage capacity and the like , and when a plurality of settings is made in the same area , only the latest setting is stored . this correction information may also include an effective period of the correction information . the city user correction data 43 a and the map user correction data 43 b configure the update information . in the local time setting information 43 c , the local time setting information such as the time zone and the daylight saving time implementation rule at the home position and the world time clock position is stored . the local time setting information 43 c will be described in detail later . the oscillator circuit 44 is configured to generate and output a predetermined frequency signal . the oscillator circuit 44 has a quartz oscillator , as a vibrator , for example . the frequency division circuit 45 is configured to divide the frequency signal output from the oscillator circuit 44 into signals of frequencies that are to be used by the cpu 41 and the timer circuit 46 , and to output the same . the frequency to be output may be set to be changeable by a control signal from the cpu 41 . the timer circuit 46 is configured to count current date and time by counting and adding the frequency division signal input from the frequency division circuit 45 to an initial value indicating predetermined date and time . the date and time that is to be counted by the timer circuit 46 has an error ( rate ) corresponding to a degree of precision of the oscillator circuit 44 , for example , about 0 . 5 second per one day . the date and time that is to be counted by the timer circuit 46 can be corrected by a control signal from the cpu 41 . the date and time that is to be counted by the timer circuit 46 may be individual count values that can be converted into reference date and time such as utc date and time , or may be utc date and time itself . alternatively , whenever a home position is set , the date and time may be corrected to local time ( first local time ) at the home position and counted . the timer circuit 46 may have a counter as a hardware configuration or may be configured to store a value counted in a software manner in the ram and the like . also , the software counting may be controlled by the cpu 41 or may be separately controlled . also , the timer circuit 46 may be configured to count local time at a world time clock position separately from the local time at the home position , and local time ( second local time ) at the world time clock position may be always converted from the date and time , which is to be counted by the timer circuit 46 , and then output . the operation unit 47 is configured to receive an input operation from the user . the operation unit 47 includes the push - button switches b 1 to b 4 and the stem c 1 . when the push - button switches b 1 to b 4 are respectively pushed or when the stem c 1 is pulled out , pushed back or rotated , an electric signal corresponding to a type of the operation is output to the cpu 41 . the stem c 1 can be pulled out in two steps and receive an input of a content corresponding to the pullout state . in the analog electronic timepiece 1 of the illustrative embodiment , based on the user input operation , a home city setting and a city setting of the world time clock can be switched or replaced and a dst setting ( which will be described later ) relating to the daylight saving time applying to the local time can be made . the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 is configured to receive radio waves from positioning satellites including positioning satellites ( gps satellites ) relating to at least a gps ( global positioning system ) by using the antenna 49 , and to demodulate spectrum - spread transmission radio waves from the positioning satellites , thereby decoding and deciphering signals ( navigation message data ). in the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 , a variety of calculation processing is additionally performed for contents of the deciphered navigation message data , as required , and at least a part of data of the acquired date and time and current position is output to the cpu 41 in a preset format , in correspondence to a request from the cpu 41 . the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 has a reception unit 48 a ( the satellite radiowave receiving unit ), a control unit 48 b ( a microcomputer , a positioning unit ) and a storage unit . the reception unit 48 a has a reception circuit for amplifying , synchronizing and demodulating the radio waves from the positioning satellites . the control unit 48 b is configured to control operations relating to reception , decipher , calculation and output . the calculation processing of the control unit 48 b includes acquisition processing of date and time data and positioning calculation . the positioning calculation by the control unit 48 b is not limited to a configuration where the positioning calculation is to be executed in a software manner , and may include at least a part of processing by a dedicated hardware circuit . for the storage unit of the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 , a non - volatile memory such as a flash memory and an eeprom ( electrically erasable and programmable read only memory ) is used , so that the stored contents are kept , irrespective of the power feeding state to the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 . in the storage unit , a time difference map 48 c , time difference information 48 d and daylight saving time information 48 e for acquiring the local time setting information are stored in addition to a variety of operation control programs , predicted orbit information of the respective positioning satellites , which are to be acquired from the positioning satellites , and the setting data such as a leap second correction value . in the meantime , the local time setting information may be stored in the ram 43 of the analog electronic timepiece 1 , and the control unit 48 a may be configured to receive the information from the cpu 41 , as required , or the cpu 41 may be configured to execute the necessary processing . also , the operation control programs may be stored in a dedicated rom , read out upon startup and loaded to the ram of the control unit 48 a . the time difference map 48 c is map data in which a parameter relating to a time zone belonging to each of geographical blocks , which are obtained by dividing a world map into appropriate geographical blocks ( geographical positions ), and a parameter relating to the daylight saving time are stored . although the map of the time difference map 48 c is not particularly limited , a map in which latitude lines and longitude lines are denoted as linear lines and are drawn to orthogonally intersect is preferably used , and the respective geographical blocks are preferably arranged in a two - dimensional matrix shape at predetermined latitude and longitude intervals . also , the geographical blocks are configured to have different longitude widths in high and low latitude areas so that actual sizes do not vary greatly between the geographical blocks . the time difference information 48 d is table data in which the parameter relating to the time zone , which is used in the time difference map 48 c , and a time difference in the time zone are associated with each other . in the table data , the parameter is uniquely associated with the time difference in such a way that the time difference corresponding to a parameter ‘ 0 ’ is ‘+ 0 hour ’ and the time difference corresponding to a parameter ‘ 1 ’ is ‘+ 1 hour ’, for example . also , the daylight saving time information 48 e is table data in which the parameter relating to the daylight saving time , which is used in the time difference map 48 b , and content of the daylight saving time implementation information ( whether the daylight saving time is to be implemented , the implementation time period and the shift time upon the implementation ) are associated with each other . for example , the parameter ‘ 0 ’ is associated with ‘ no implementation of the daylight saving time ’, and the parameter ‘ 1 ’ is associated with a case where the daylight saving time is to be implemented from utc 1 : 00 a . m on last sunday in march to utc 1 : 00 a . m . on last sunday in october . in this way , the parameter relating to the time zone and the parameter relating to the daylight saving time are defined for the same range as one area ( predetermined area ). alternatively , even when the contents of the daylight saving time implementation information are the same , the parameter may be separately set for a different time zone and the parameter relating to the daylight saving time may be defined for the same range as one area . also , the area may be determined by the contents of the daylight saving time implementation information and an administrative unit smaller than the time zone , for example . the respective configurations of the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 are formed on a chip , as one integrated module , which is connected to the cpu 41 . the on and off operations of the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 are controlled by the cpu 41 , independently of the operations of the respective units of the analog electronic timepiece 1 . according to the analog electronic timepiece 1 , when it is not necessary to operate the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 , the power feeding to the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 is stopped to save the power . the power supply unit 52 is configured to feed power for operations of the respective units with a predetermined voltage . the power supply unit 52 has a battery . as the battery , a solar panel and a secondary battery are provided , for example . alternatively , an exchangeable button - type dry cell may be used as the battery . also , when a plurality of different voltages is output from the power supply unit 52 , they can be converted and output into a predetermined voltage by using a switching power supply , for example . the stepping motor 81 is configured to rotate the second hand 61 through the wheel train mechanism 71 , which is an arrangement of toothed wheels . when the stepping motor 81 is driven one time , the second hand 61 is rotated by one step of 6 ( six ) degrees . the second hand 61 makes one round on the dial plate 3 by 60 - times operations of the stepping motor 81 . the stepping motor 82 is configured to rotate the minute hand 62 through the wheel train mechanism 72 . when the stepping motor 82 is driven one time , the minute hand 62 is rotated by one step of 1 ( one ) degree . the minute hand 62 makes one round on the dial plate 3 by 360 - times operations of the stepping motor 82 the stepping motor 83 is configured to rotate the hour hand 63 and the 24 - hour hand 64 through the wheel train mechanism 73 . the wheel train mechanism 73 is configured to rotate the hour hand 63 and the 24 - hour hand 64 in conjunction with each other . when the stepping motor 83 is driven one time , the hour hand 63 is rotated by one step of 1 ( one ) degree and the 24 - hour hand 64 is rotated by a ½ degree . therefore , when the hour hand 63 and the 24 - hour hand 64 are rotated one time per 10 seconds , the hour hand 63 is rotated on the dial plate 3 by 30 degrees and the 24 - hour hand 64 is rotated in the small window 4 by 15 degrees in one hour . that is , the hour hand 63 makes one round on the dial plate 3 for 12 hours and the 24 - hour hand 64 makes one round in the small window 4 for 24 hours . the stepping motor 84 is configured to rotate the function hand 66 and the date wheel 65 in conjunction with each other through the wheel train mechanism 74 . when the stepping motor 84 is driven one time , the function hand 66 is rotated by one step of 1 ( one ) degree . the date wheel 65 is configured to rotate by 360 / 31 degrees by rotation of 150 steps , for example , so that the date mark to be exposed from the opening 7 is changed by one day . when the date wheel 65 is rotated by degrees corresponding to 31 days , the date mark indicating the first date is again exposed from the opening 7 . the stepping motor 85 is configured to rotate the small minute hand 67 and the small hour hand 68 through the wheel train mechanism 75 . when the stepping motor 85 is driven one time , the small minute hand 67 is rotated by one step of 1 ( one ) degree and the small hour hand 68 is rotated by a 1 / 12 degree . therefore , when the stepping motor 85 is driven 360 times , the small minute hand 67 makes one round in the small window 6 and the small hour hand 68 is rotated in the small window 6 by 30 degrees . although the time hands 61 to 63 , the 24 - hour hand 64 , the date wheel 65 , the function hand 66 , the small minute hand 67 and the small hour hand 68 are not particularly limited , they are configured to be rotatable by 90 pps ( pulse per second ) in a forward rotation direction ( clockwise direction ) and to be rotatable by 32 pps in a reverse rotation direction . the driving circuit 51 is configured to output a driving pulse of a predetermined voltage to the stepping motors 81 to 85 , in response to a control signal from the cpu 41 , thereby rotating the stepping motors 81 to 85 one time by a predetermined angle ( for example , 180 degrees ). the driving circuit 51 can vary a length ( pulse width ) of the driving pulse , depending on a state of the analog electronic timepiece 1 , for example . also , when a control signal for driving the plurality of hands at the same time is input , the output timings of the driving pulse may be made to be different so as to reduce the load . in the below , the local time setting in the analog electronic timepiece 1 of the illustrative embodiment is described . fig3 depicts an example of a setting content of the local time setting information 43 c . the local time setting information 43 c includes , for each of the home position and the world time clock position , information about a city ( area ) name , a time zone , a daylight saving time implementation time period , a dst setting , daylight saving time shift time , a standard radio wave that can be received at each of the home position and the world time clock position , a latitude and whether or not to apply the update information to the time zone and the daylight saving time implementation rule . here , as the local time setting relating to the home position , as shown in fig3 a , for example , the information about the island of guam , which is a position acquired from a navigation message received from the positioning satellites , the information indicating that the time zone is utc + 10 , the daylight saving time is not to be implemented and the like , are read out and stored from the time difference information 48 d and the daylight saving time information 48 e . in the meantime , the local time setting relating to the world time clock position is usually determined based on the setting of the time zone made by the user . here , a area in which the time zone is utc + 1 is stored as the world time clock position . also , for the home position and the world time clock position , ‘ auto ’ is set as the dst setting . the dst setting is to switch whether the implementation of the daylight saving time is to be automatically reflected in correspondence to the daylight saving time information 48 e ( auto ) or is to be manually set to be on ( dst ) or off ( std ) by the user . that is , here , the daylight saving time is to be implemented in accordance with the setting of the daylight saving time information 48 e corresponding to a set position for any of the home position and the world time clock position . meanwhile , in the local time setting information 43 c , an initial setting ( preset data ) is stored until the user first sets a time zone or a positioning is first performed to acquire a current position . for example , a country of dispatch ( a country of sale ), for example , japan ( utc + 9 ) is set for the time zone of the home position , and utc time is set for the world time clock position . in the case of the local time setting based on the time zone setting , the positional information is not kept , as compared to the local time setting based on the current position information , so that the city name , the daylight saving time implementation rule , the receivable standard radio wave and the latitude information are non - setting . in the meantime , regarding the daylight saving time implementation rule , the receivable standard radio wave and the like , the setting corresponding to the city that is to be used for the time zone setting may be made . in this case , in the local time setting information 43 c , the setting relating to each city and the daylight saving time implementation rule and receivable standard radio wave corresponding to the city is read out from the city time difference information 42 b and is included therein , the latitude is non - setting and the positional information is ‘ no .’ these settings may be kept in the city time difference information 42 b and applied to the local time setting information 43 c for a time zone , which is not explicitly indicated as the city name on the dial plate 3 of fig1 such as lord howe island of utc + 10 . 5 , and the setting relating to the city name , the daylight saving time implementation rule and the receivable standard radio wave may not be made only for such time zone . at this situation , when the user moves to the world time clock position and the home position and the world time clock position are replaced with each other by the user operation , the local time setting relating to the home position and the local time setting relating to the world time clock position are replaced with each other in the analog electronic timepiece 1 , as they are , as shown in fig3 b . at this situation , the date and time that is to be displayed as the world time clock by the small minute hand 67 , and the small hour hand 68 is not sidney corresponding to utc + 10 in fig1 but is the local time based on the actually acquired position , and the home position is the setting ( utc + 1 ) corresponding to the information of the manually selected time zone . further , when the positioning is performed with the settings being replaced with each other , a current position ( vienna ) is specified based on the acquired latitude and longitude information , as shown in fig3 c , and the daylight saving time implementation information ( the daylight saving time is implemented ) and the receivable standard radio wave are set at the current position . also , the latitude information is thus kept , so that the positional information ‘ yes ’ is set . that is , at this situation , both the local time setting at the home position and the local time setting at the world time clock position are made based on the actually acquired positional information . meanwhile , here , when the local time setting at the current position is acquired , the old setting is overwritten and updated by the new setting . however , a predetermined number of local time settings may be stored and a previous setting may be called . therefore , both the home position and the world time clock position can be changed depending on whether they are based on the time zone information or the actually acquired positional information . at a state where the analog electronic timepiece 1 proceeds to a time zone change state of the home position or the world time clock position through the operation of the stem c 1 , the function hand 66 indicates the mark ‘ p ’ or ‘ n ’, so that it is explicitly indicated whether the home position and the world time clock position are changed based on the acquired positional information . fig4 is a flowchart depicting a control sequence of time zone setting change processing , which is to be executed in the analog electronic timepiece 1 of the illustrative embodiment by the cpu 41 . the time zone setting change processing starts when a shift operation to a time zone selection setting state to pull out the stem c 1 in one step or two steps is detected at a usual date and time display state . the cpu 41 determines whether the mode is a home position setting mode ( step s 101 ). specifically , the cpu 41 determines whether the stem c 1 is pulled out in two steps . when it is determined that the mode is the home position setting mode (“ yes ” in step s 101 ), the cpu 41 outputs a control signal to the driving circuit 51 and enables the second hand 61 ( at least a part of the plurality of hands 61 to 68 ) to indicate a city of the time zone corresponding to the current home position , thereby displaying the time zone ( step s 102 ). the cpu 41 determines whether the home position information is set in the local time setting information 43 c ( step s 103 ). when it is determined ( a local time determination result ) that the home position information is set (“ yes ” in step s 103 ), the cpu 41 outputs a control signal to the driving circuit 51 and enables the function hand 66 ( at least a part of the plurality of hands 61 to 68 ; the hand different from the hand to display the time zone ) to indicate the mark ‘ p ’ ( step s 104 ). then , the processing of the cpu 41 proceeds to step s 121 . when it is determined that the home position information is not set (“ no ” in step s 103 ), the cpu 41 cpu 41 outputs a control signal to the driving circuit 51 and enables the function hand 66 to indicate the mark ‘ n ’ ( step s 105 ). then , the processing of the cpu 41 proceeds to step s 121 . when it is determined in the determination processing of step s 101 that the mode is not the home position setting mode (“ no ” in step s 101 ), the cpu 41 determines whether the mode is a position setting mode of the world time clock ( step s 111 ). when it is determined that the mode is the position setting mode of the world time clock , i . e ., when it is determined that the stem c 1 is pulled out in one step (“ yes ” in step s 111 ), the cpu 41 outputs a control signal to the driving circuit 51 , and enables the second hand 61 to indicate a city mark corresponding to a value determined as the time zone of the world time clock ( step s 112 ). when it is determined that the mode is not the position setting mode of the world time clock (“ no ” in step s 111 ), the cpu 41 executes the other corresponding processing . when the processing of step s 112 is over , the cpu 41 determines whether the positional information relating to the world time clock display is set and kept in the local time setting information 43 c ( step s 113 ). when it is determined that the positional information is kept (“ yes ” in step s 113 ), the processing of the cpu 41 proceeds to step s 104 , and when it is determined that the positional information is not kept (“ no ” in step s 113 ), the processing of the cpu 41 proceeds to step s 105 . when the processing proceeds to step s 121 , the cpu 41 determines whether the rotation processing of the stem c 1 is performed ( step s 121 ). when it is determined that the rotation processing is performed (“ yes ” in step s 121 ), the cpu 41 outputs a control signal to the driving circuit 51 and moves the second hand 61 to a mark position of a city corresponding to the rotation direction ( step s 122 ). also , the cpu 41 changes the setting of the time zone in the local time setting information 43 c ( step s 123 ). at this time , the cpu 41 can correct the local time being counted and output a control signal to the driving circuit 51 to correct a display time to the local time corresponding to the changed time zone . alternatively , the local time correction may be performed after it is determined in determination of step s 126 ( which will be described later ) that a return operation of the stem c 1 is detected . also , the cpu 41 , outputs a control signal to the driving circuit 51 to enable the function hand 66 to indicate the mark ‘ n ’ ( step s 124 ). then , the processing of the cpu 41 proceeds to step s 125 . when it is determined that the rotation processing is not performed (“ no ” in step s 121 ), the processing of the cpu 41 proceeds to step s 125 . when the processing proceeds to step s 125 , the cpu 41 determines whether the push - button switch b 4 is pushed ( step s 125 ). when it is determined that the push - button switch b 4 is pushed (“ yes ” in step s 125 ), the cpu 41 outputs a control signal to the driving circuit 51 , enables the function hand 66 to indicate any one of ‘ auto ’, ‘ dst ’ and ‘ std ’ relating to the dst setting for a predetermined time period and then returns the function hand 66 to any one position of the indicated marks ‘ p ’ and ‘ n ’ ( step s 126 ). then , the processing of the cpu 41 proceeds to step s 126 . when it is determined that the push - button switch b 4 is not pushed (“ no ” in step s 125 ), the processing of the cpu 41 proceeds to step s 127 . when the processing proceeds to step s 127 , the cpu 41 determines whether an operation of returning the stem c 1 to the initial position ( an operation of ending the selection setting state of the time zone ) is detected ( step s 127 ). when it is determined that the return operation is not detected (“ no ” in step s 127 ), the processing of the cpu 41 returns to step s 121 . when it is determined that the return operation is detected (“ yes ” in step s 127 ), the cpu 41 ends the time zone setting change processing . fig5 is flowcharts depicting control sequences of local time position replacement processing ( fig5 a ) and home position acquisition processing ( fig5 b ), which are to be executed in the analog electronic timepiece 1 by the cpu 41 . the local time position replacement processing starts when it is detected that the push - button switch b 4 is pushed for a predetermined time period in the usual date and time display state . when the local time position replacement processing starts , the cpu 41 replaces and updates the home position setting and the world time clock position setting stored in the local time setting information 43 c ( step s 151 ), as shown in fig5 a . the cpu 41 corrects the respective local times based on the replaced settings ( step s 152 ). the cpu 41 outputs a control signal to the driving circuit 51 to move the hands 61 to 65 , 67 , 68 , thereby replacing time of the home position and time of the world time clock position . alternatively , at this time , the cpu 41 may be configured to enable the second hand 61 to sequentially indicate the city marks corresponding to the time zones , to which the home position and the world time clock position belong , for a predetermined time period . after that , the cpu 41 ends the local time position replacement processing . the home position acquisition processing starts based on a predetermined user input operation on the operation unit 47 or when a predetermined condition is satisfied . the predetermined condition may be a condition that a time zone setting of the home position is changed , a condition that an airplane mode is deactivated , and the like , for example . when the home position acquisition processing starts , the cpu 41 activates the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 to receive radio waves from the positioning satellites and to perform the positioning , thereby acquiring the positioning data ( step s 201 ), as shown in fig5 . the positioning data to be acquire here includes the time zone information and daylight saving time implementation rule obtained based on the time difference map 48 c , the time difference information 48 d and the daylight saving time information 48 e , in addition to the information of the current position . the cpu 41 determines whether the positioning is successful ( step s 202 ). when it is determined that the positioning is not successful (“ no ” in step s 202 ), the cpu 41 ends the home position acquisition processing . when it is determined that the positioning is successful (“ yes ” in step s 202 ), the cpu 41 updates the local time setting information 43 c by using the acquired positioning data as the home position information ( step s 203 ). the cpu 41 corrects the date and time that is corrected by the timer circuit 46 , based on the local time acquired together ( step s 204 ). when the local time of the home position and the local time of the world time clock position are counted in conjunction with each other , the local time of the world time clock position is also corrected . also , the cpu 41 outputs a control signal to the driving circuit 51 to correct the display time . then , the cpu 41 ends the home position acquisition processing . fig6 depicts a display example upon the world time clock position setting in the analog electronic timepiece 1 . also , fig7 depicts a display example upon the home position setting in the analog electronic timepiece 1 . as described above , when the mode proceeds to the world time clock position change mode at a state where the time zone ( utc + 1 ) is set as the world time clock position at the local time three nine ( 3 : 09 ) on sixth ( seventeen nine ( 17 : 09 ) on fifth in utc ) in the island of guam ( utc + 10 ) ( home position ), the current time three nine ( 3 : 09 ) on sixth at the home city is indicated by the minute hand 62 , the hour hand 63 and the 24 - hour hand 64 and the time eighteenth nine ( 18 : 09 ) at the time zone ( utc + 1 ) by the small minute hand 67 and the small hour hand 68 , as shown in fig6 a . also , the second hand 61 indicates a city mark ‘ par ’ ( paris ), thereby indicating that the time zone of the world time clock position is ( utc + 1 ). also , the function hand 66 indicates the mark ‘ n ’, which indicates that the positional information of the world time clock position is not kept ( i . e ., only the time zone is set ). in the island of guam , the daylight saving time is not implemented . therefore , the displayed local time ( 3 : 09 ) on sixth is based on the standard time . also , as described above , when the positional information of the world time clock position is not acquired , the daylight saving time of the standard time is displayed as the world time clock in the dst setting ‘ auto .’ here , after the world time clock position setting is once over and then the home position and the world time clock position are replaced , when the mode again proceeds to the world time clock position setting , the time eighteenth nine ( 18 : 09 ) on fifth at the time zone ( utc + 1 ), which is the home position , is displayed by the minute hand 62 , the hour hand 63 and the 24 - hour hand 64 , and the time three nine ( 3 : 09 ) at the island of guam , which is the world time clock position , is displayed by the small minute hand 67 and the small hour hand 69 , as shown in fig6 b . also , at this time , the second hand 61 indicates a city mark ‘ syd ’ and the function hand 66 indicates the mark ‘ p ’, thereby indicating that the positional information ( the island of guam ) of the world time clock position is acquired and the position belongs to the time zone ( utc + 10 ). when the mode proceeds to the home position change mode at this state , the function hand 66 indicates the city mark ‘ par ’ and the function hand 66 indicates the mark ‘ n ’, thereby indicating that the home position belongs to the time zone ( utc + 1 ) and the positional information of the home position is not kept , as shown in fig7 a . thereafter , when the radio waves are received from the positioning satellites and the positioning is thus performed , the information of vienna , which is the home position , is acquired and the function hand 66 indicates the mark ‘ p ’ at the home position change mode , thereby indicating that the information of the home position is kept , as shown in fig7 b . at this time , during the time period ( from utc one o &# 39 ; clock on final sunday in march to utc one o &# 39 ; clock on final sunday in october ) for which the daylight saving time is implemented in vienna , the daylight saving time is applied as the local time of vienna and nineteenth nine ( 19 : 09 ) on fifth is indicated by the hour hand 63 , the minute hand 62 and the 24 - hour hand 64 as time ahead of the standard time by one hour . as described above , the analog electronic timepiece 1 of the illustrative embodiment has the plurality of hands 61 to 68 configured to be rotatable , the time difference map 48 c , time difference information 48 d and daylight saving time information 48 e configured to store therein the local time settings having the time zones and daylight saving time implementation information in various areas of the world , the reception unit 48 a and control unit 48 b of the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 configured to acquire the current position , the timer circuit 46 configured to count the local time , and the cpu 41 . the cpu 41 is configured to function as the hand operation control unit 411 configured to rotate the plurality of hands 61 to 68 , the local time setting acquisition unit 412 configured to read out and acquire the local time setting corresponding to the acquired current position from the time difference map 48 c , the time difference information 48 d and the daylight saving time information 48 e , and the time zone setting unit 413 configured to select and set the time zone . the timer circuit 46 is configured to count the local time based on the more recently made one of the acquisition of the local time setting made by the cpu 41 configured to function as the local time setting acquisition unit 412 and the selection setting of the time zone made by the cpu 41 configured to function as the time zone setting unit 413 , and the cpu 41 configured to function as the hand operation control unit 411 is configured to enable the function hand 66 , which is at least a part of the plurality of hands 61 to 68 , to make a display based on the local time determination result as to whether the counted local time is based on the local time setting acquired in correspondence to the current position . in this way , when the counting of the local time based on the local time setting corresponding to the actually measured current position and the counting of the local time based on the determined time zone setting are used in combination , the display is made so that the user can easily recognize which configuration of the analog electronic timepiece 1 counts the local time . thereby , the user can easily recognize whether the local time , to which the appropriate daylight saving time corresponding to the current position has been applied , is obtained . also , the cpu 41 configured to function as the hand operation control unit 411 is configured to enable the second hand 61 , which is at least a part of the plurality of hands 61 to 68 , to display the time zone to which the local time , which is being counted by the timer circuit 46 , belongs . therefore , the user can easily recognize to which time zone the counted date and time belongs and determine whether it is necessary to change the selection setting of the time zone and to correct the daylight saving time corresponding to the current position . also , the cpu 41 configured to function as the hand operation control unit 411 is configured to make a display based on the local time determination result and a display of the time zone at the same time by the different hands . therefore , the user can efficiently acquire the information as to whether it is necessary to set the time zone and whether the daylight saving time is to be applied at the current area and can cope with the corresponding situations . also , the operation unit 47 configured to receive the user operation is provided , the timer circuit 46 is configured to count the local time at the home position and the local time at the world time clock position , respectively , and the cpu 41 configured to function as the hand operation control unit 411 is configured to enable the function hand 66 to display whether the date and time based on the local time setting at the current position has been counted in correspondence to the acquisition of the local time setting and / or the selection setting of the time zone made for each of the local time at the home position and the local time at the world time clock position . therefore , the user can easily check whether the current position information has been acquired with respect to each of the home position setting and the world time clock position setting , even though the user does not completely remember the same . also , it is possible to replace the local time setting relating to the local time at the home position and the local time setting relating to the local time at the world time clock position , in correspondence to the predetermined input operation on the operation unit 47 . therefore , it is possible to display the local time by easily reflecting the current position upon travel on company business to and from a specific destination . also , at this time , since the local time setting relating to the current position acquired with respect to the home position is kept without being erased , it is possible to count the correct local time at the original home position even at the travel destination . also , the current position is acquired by the reception unit 48 a , with which the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 receives the radio waves from the positioning satellites , and the control unit 48 b configured to compute the current position based on the received radio waves from the positioning satellites . therefore , since it is possible to securely acquire the correct current position in any area of the world in which the satellite radio waves can be received , such as open outdoors and a place near a window , it is possible to easily obtain the appropriate local time setting . also , when the current position computed by the control unit 48 b of the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 is acquired , the cpu 41 configured to function as the local time setting acquisition unit 412 updates the local time setting relating to the local time at the home position , in correspondence to the acquired current position . therefore , the home position setting is provisionally made in correspondence to the user setting until the current position is acquired , and when the current position is acquired , the correct local time can be immediately displayed based on the correct acquisition information . also , the cpu 41 configured to function as the time zone setting unit 413 is configured to select and set the time zone in correspondence to the operation content received through the operation unit 47 , the operation unit 47 is configured to receive the shift operation to the selection setting state of the time zone relating to the local time at the home position and the ending operation of the selection setting state and the shift operation to the selection setting state of the time zone relating to the local time at the world time clock position and the ending operation of the selection setting state through the pullout and push - back operations of the stem c 1 , and the cpu 41 configured to function as the hand operation control unit 411 is configured to make a display based on the local time determination result relating to the local time at the home position at the selection setting state of the time zone relating to the local time at the home position , which state is made by the two - step pullout of the stem c 1 , and to make a display based on the local time determination result relating to the local time at the world time clock position at the selection setting state of the time zone relating to the local time at the world time clock position , which state is made by the one - step pullout of the stem c 1 . that is , the operation relating to the display and the operation relating to the time zone setting are commonalized , so that the operation relating to the display can be simplified without unnecessarily increasing the same . also , when there is a problem in the current setting , it is possible to correct the problem easily and immediately . therefore , the user can quickly determine and perform the settings relating to the counting and display of the local time that is most appropriate at that state . in the meantime , the present invention is not limited to the above illustrative embodiment and a variety of changes can be made . for example , in the above illustrative embodiment , the mark ‘ p ’ or ‘ n ’ is indicated simply by whether or not the current position information . however , when there is the current position information , a latitude corresponding to the current position may be indicated by the function hand 66 . fig8 depicts another display example upon the home position setting when the current position information is kept . as shown , the function hand 66 indicates the latitude ( 13 degrees north latitude ), thereby indicating that the current position information is kept and the current position being kept is the island of guam . by this display , when the user moves among a plurality of positions in the same time zone , for example , the user can know which positional information is being kept . also , in this case , since only a mark indicating that there is no current position has only to be provided , there is no mark ‘ p ’ and only a mark ‘ np ’ corresponding to the mark ‘ n ’ is provided . also , in the above illustrative embodiment , the analog electronic timepiece capable of displaying the time of the home position and the time of the world time clock at the same time has been exemplified . however , an analog electronic timepiece configured to selectively switch any one display may also be possible . alternatively , an electronic timepiece configured to display only the time of the home position may also be possible . in addition , the number , arrangement , utilities and the like of the hands are arbitrarily determined . also , in the above illustrative embodiment , the time difference information 48 d and the daylight saving time information 48 e are kept in the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 , and the city time difference information 42 b is kept in the rom 42 . however , the present invention is not limited thereto . for example , the corresponding information may be collectively kept in the rom 42 . in this case , the cpu 41 may be configured to compute the local time corresponding to a city ( time zone ), which is set by acquiring utc date and time from the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 , for example . also , in the above illustrative embodiment , the current position is acquired by the positioning based on the radio waves received from the positioning satellites through the satellite radio wave receiving and processing unit 48 . however , the other methods are also possible . for example , the user may manually input approximate values of the latitude and the longitude . in this case , it is possible to manually input not only the home position but also the world time clock position . also , in the above illustrative embodiment , whether or not the current position relating to the home position and the world time clock position is displayed at each of the home position setting mode and the world time clock position setting mode . however , whether or not the current position may be displayed in the other operation modes . also , in this case , the corresponding display may not be necessarily made at the same time as the display indicative of the time zone . also , in the above illustrative embodiment , the home position and the world time clock position can be replaced with each other but may be independently set , respectively . in this case , when the setting based on the current position cannot be performed as the world time clock , only whether or not the acquisition of the current position relating to the home position may be displayed . also , in the above illustrative embodiment , in the time zone setting change processing , the setting of the time zone is changed immediately in correspondence to the rotation processing of the stem c 1 . however , even though the rotation processing of the stem c 1 is performed , the time zone may be changed only when the stem c 1 is pushed back and the change to the other time zone is determined . alternatively , even when the change of the time zone is finally made just one time at timing of the push - back of the stem c 1 , if the user moves to a area without changing the time zone , in which the daylight saving time implementation rule is different , the user may want to cancel only the daylight saving time implementation rule . therefore , for example , even though the user finally returns to the same time zone , when the stem operation is performed one or more times during the processing , the setting of the time zone may be updated and more preferentially used than the local time setting . in addition , the configuration , structure , control content , control sequence , display aspect and the like of the analog electronic timepiece 1 can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention . although the illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described , the scope of the present invention is not limited to the illustrative embodiments and includes the scope defined in the claims and the equivalent scope thereto . | 6 |
fig2 is a partial cross - sectional view of the present invention structure to support a flexible substrate lcd during fabrication . the structure 100 comprises a first rigid temporary support substrate 102 with trenches 104 . typically , the rigid temporary support structure 102 is a glass material , but other materials such as plastic can be used . a first flexible substrate 106 overlies the first temporary support substructure . as is well known in the art , flexible lcd substrates are made from several types of plastic and metal films . vacuum injected adhesive 108 , represented by the cross - hatched areas , in the first temporary support substrate trenches 104 attaches the first temporary rigid support substrate 102 to the first flexible substrate 106 . in order to prevent incorporating any air or water between the flexible 106 and temporary support 102 substrates , the adhesive 108 is injected in a vacuum ambience . in the beginning of the process , many trenches 104 are made on the temporary support substrate 102 . then , the flexible substrate 106 is attached . after that , the adhesive is injected in the trenches and cured . after attaching the flexible substrate 106 on the temporary support substrate 102 , tfts can be fabricated by conventional semiconductor manufacturing tools using optimum process conditions . because there is no air or water bubbles between the flexible substrate 106 and the temporary support substrate 102 , no cracks will form on any overlying films deposited in vacuum . fig3 is a partial cross - sectional view of the lcd support structure 100 of fig2 with ic films , formed into tfts , overlying the first flexible substrate . as shown , a tft is formed having a gate busline 300 , a gate insulator 302 , an amorphous silicon layer 304 , highly doped silicon regions 306 , interlevel dielectric 308 , source busline 310 , and drain busline 312 . the tft is presented only as an example . the ic films could be other active or passive electrical devices , or the ic films could be stacks of tfts . the present invention is not limited to any particular arrangement of ic films or the formation of any particular lcd active device . overlying the ic films ( the tft as shown ) is a liquid crystal ( lc ) layer 320 . the lc layer can be formed from a variety of materials and through a variety of processes , as are well known in the art . the present invention is not limited to any particular kind of lc layer . a color film ( cf ) 322 is shown overlying the lc layer . again , the color film 322 is not critical to the invention , but shown as a typical film layer that would be used in the fabrication of a flexible substrate lcd . fig4 is a partial cross - sectional view of the lcd support structure 100 of fig3 with an additional flexible substrate . a second flexible substrate 400 overlies the color filter 322 . a second rigid temporary support substrate 402 with trenches 404 overlies the second flexible substrate 400 . vacuum injected adhesive 406 , shown as cross - hatched , in the second temporary support substrate trenches 402 attaches the second temporary rigid support structure 402 to the second flexible support structure 400 . fig5 is a partial cross - sectional view of the completed lcd 500 , following the removal of the lcd temporary rigid support structures 102 and 402 . at the final stage of the process , the temporary support substrates must be removed from the flexible substrate . in conventional processes this can be difficult because the adhesive is relatively thin and is formed uniformly between the flexible and temporary support substrates . however , with the present invention structure , the adhesive exists only in the trench , so the solvent can easily spread through the trench and remove the adhesive quickly and completely . fig6 is a partial cross - sectional view of an alternate structure to support a flexible substrate lcd during fabrication . the structure 600 comprises a first rigid temporary support substrate 602 . as above , the first rigid temporary support substrate is typically glass or plastic . a first temporary pattern of spacers 604 , with spacer channels 606 between the spacers 604 , overlies the first temporary support structure 602 . the spacers 604 can be a plastic or glass material , but other materials are acceptable . a first flexible substrate 608 , typically a plastic or metal film , overlies the first temporary pattern of spacers 604 ( and spacer channels ). vacuum injected adhesive 610 shown in the cross - hatched spacer channels 606 attaches the first temporary support substrate 602 to the first flexible substrate 608 . as above , the first temporary support substrate 602 is glass and the first flexible substrate 608 is a plastic or metal film . fig7 is a partial cross - sectional view of the structure of fig6 with integrated circuit films 700 and 702 overlying the first flexible substrate 608 . for simplicity , two unpatterned film layers are shown . however , these film layers , with additional layers could be part of a tft or other active device ( see fig3 ). a liquid crystal ( lc ) layer 704 overlies the tfts , or whatever the ic films 700 and 702 form . a color filter 706 overlies the lc layer 704 . fig8 is a partial cross - sectional view of the lcd support structure 600 of fig7 with an additional flexible substrate . a second flexible substrate 800 overlies the color filter 706 . a second temporary pattern of spacers 802 , with spacer channels 804 between the spacers 802 , overlies the second flexible substrate 800 . a second rigid temporary support substrate 808 overlies the second temporary pattern of spacers 802 ( and openings 806 ). vacuum injected adhesive 810 in the cross - hatched spacer channels 806 attaches the second temporary support substrate 808 to the second flexible substrate 800 . at the finish of the fabrication processes the rigid support substrates are removed and the resulting lcd structure resembles the lcd of fig5 , described above . the structure 600 depicted in fig6 - 8 has the advantage that special glass substrates with trenching are not required . fig9 a and 9 b are schematic block diagrams illustrating the present invention flexible substrate support structure in an environmental ic process chamber . as shown , the chamber 900 has the input port 902 blocked and a pump . ( not shown ) is engaged at the exhaust port 904 to create a chamber vacuum . the flexible substrate support structure 100 of fig4 is shown in a cross - sectional ( section a - a 1 , see fig4 ) top plan view to expose the trenches 104 and trench mouths 906 . the support structure 100 is positioned over tray 908 containing the adhesive 108 . a vacuum is created in the trenches 104 , as well as in the chamber 900 in general . in fig9 b the mouth 906 of each rigid support substrate trench 104 has been immersed in the adhesive 108 , while the chamber 900 is returned to higher pressure atmosphere , typically ambient ( approximately 1 atmosphere ). since the vacuum , or negative atmosphere , exists in the trenches 104 , the adhesive 108 is pulled through the mouths 906 to completely fill the trenches 104 . the adhesive filled trenches are represented by the cross - hatched areas . this vacuum process does not permit the formation of air or water bubbles in the adhesive - filled trenches 104 . in the event that the trenches are not completely filled with adhesive , the adhesive at the trench mouths 906 at least prevent the trench spaces from being filled with a gas or a liquid that will later expand in fabrication processes . fig1 is a flowchart illustrating the present invention method for mounting a flexible substrate during the fabrication of a lcd . although this method , and the method of fig1 below , is depicted as a sequence of numbered steps for clarity , no order should be inferred from the numbering unless explicitly stated . the method starts at step 1000 . step 1002 forms a first rigid support substrate , typically of glass or plastic , with trenches . step 1004 forms a first flexible substrate overlying the first support substrate . in some aspects of the invention the substrates mentioned in steps 1002 and 1004 are formed previously , and these steps merely involve the introduction of these pre - formed substrates . step 1006 injects adhesive into the first rigid support substrate trenches . step 1008 cures the adhesive to attach the first flexible substrate to the first support substrate . step 1010 deposits a plurality of patterned integrated circuit films overlying the first flexible substrate , and forms thin film transistors ( tfts ). step 1012 forms a liquid crystal ( lc ) layer overlying the tfts . step 1014 forms a color filter layer over the lc layer . step 1016 forms a second flexible substrate overlying the color filter . step 1018 forms a second rigid support substrate with trenches overlying the second flexible substrate . step 1020 injects adhesive into the second rigid support substrate trenches . step 1022 cures the adhesive to attach the second flexible substrate to the second support substrate . step 1024 , subsequent to the additional lcd fabrication processes of steps 1012 and 1014 , detaches the first support substrate and adhesive from the first flexible substrate . typically , the second support structure is detached at the same time . forming a first rigid support substrate with trenches in step 1002 includes forming trenches with at least one trench mouth , the same applies to step 1018 . injecting adhesive into the first rigid support substrate trenches in step 1006 ( as well as step 1020 ) includes injecting the adhesive in a vacuum environment . step 1006 , of injecting adhesive into the first support substrate trenches includes substeps . step 1006 a creates a vacuum environment in the first rigid support substrate trenches . step 1006 b supplies adhesive to the at least one mouth of the first rigid support substrate trenches . step 1006 c , in response to returning the first rigid support substrate to ambient pressure , pulls the adhesive into the first rigid support substrate trenches vacuum environment through the at least one mouth . returning the first rigid support substrate to ambient pressure in step 1006 c includes supplying an n 2 atmosphere at ambient pressure . forming the first flexible substrate overlying the first rigid support substrate in step 1004 includes forming a flexible substrate from a material selected from the group including plastic and metal films . forming the first rigid support substrate with trenches in step 1002 includes substeps ( not shown ). step 1002 a forms a rigid support substrate with a top surface . step 1002 b forms a photoresist pattern with openings exposing the underlying support substrate top surface . step 1002 c etches the exposed support substrate top surface to form the trenches in the support substrate . step 1002 d removes the photoresist . fig1 is an alternate method for mounting a flexible substrate in the fabrication of a lcd . the method starts at step 1100 . step 1102 forms a first rigid support substrate , typically of glass or plastic . step 1104 distributes a first pattern of spacers , with spacer channels between the spacers , overlying the first support substrate . step 1106 forms a first flexible substrate overlying the first pattern of spacers , typically of a plastic of metal film material . typically , steps 1102 , 1104 , and 1106 involve the introduction of pre - formed substrates and spacers . step 1108 injects adhesive into the spacer channels . step 1110 cures the adhesive to attach the first flexible substrate to the first support substrate . step 1112 deposits a plurality of patterned integrated circuit films overlying the first flexible substrate , forming tfts . step 1114 forms a liquid crystal ( lc ) layer overlying the tfts . step 1116 forms a color filter layer over the lc layer . step 1118 forms a second flexible substrate overlying the color filter . step 1120 distributes a second pattern of spacers , with spacer channels between the spacers , overlying the second flexible substrate . step 1122 forms a second rigid support substrate overlying the second pattern of spacers . step 1124 injects adhesive into the spacer channels . step 1126 cures the adhesive to attach the second flexible substrate to the second support substrate . step 1128 , subsequent to additional lcd fabrication processes of steps 1112 through 1116 , detaches the first support substrate , spacers , and adhesive from the first flexible substrate . typically , the second rigid support structure is removed in the same step . distributing a pattern of spacers , with spacer channels between the spacers in step 1104 includes forming spacer channels with at least one mouth . injecting adhesive into the spacer channels in step 1108 includes injecting the adhesive in a vacuum environment . injecting adhesive into spacer channels in step 1108 includes substeps . step 1108 a creates a vacuum environment in the spacer channels . step 1108 b supplies adhesive to the at least one spacer channel mouth . step 1108 c returns the first rigid support substrate to ambient pressure . step 1108 d , in response to returning the first rigid support substrate to ambient pressure , pulls the adhesive into the spacer channels vacuum environment through the at least one mouth . in some aspects , returning the first rigid support substrate to ambient pressure in step 1108 d includes supplying an n 2 atmosphere at ambient pressure . a structure and method have been providing for supporting a flexible lcd substrate in the fabrication process . examples have been provided for injecting an adhesive between the flexible substrate and the rigid support substrate , using a vacuum to prevent the formation of air or water bubbles . however , other methods of using a vacuum to aid in the injection of adhesive will occur to those skilled in the art . further , although the invention specifically describes supporting an lcd flexible substrate , the invention is applicable to the support of any kind of flexible substrate . | 6 |
referring now more particularly to the drawings and fig1 to 7 thereof the multi - purpose receptacle 10 is therein illustrated . the receptacle 10 has a housing 13 open at the top with a curved semi - circular front wall 11 which extends around to and meets a flat rear wall 12 . the front wall 11 is provided with cutouts 14 between which its bottom rim 15 rests on the floor or other surface ( not shown ) for support . the rear wall 12 is also provided with cutouts 16 between which the bottom rim 17 of the wall 12 rests on the floor or other surface ( not shown ) for support . the rear wall 12 is provided with a pair of tool holsters 18 which are integral with the wall , extend outwardly of semi - circular shape , and can accommodate a variety of power tools ( not shown ) such as a drill , screwgun , or other tool that fits into the holster . the rear wall 12 between and spanning the holsters 18 is provided with a pair of pockets 19 which can accommodate the cords from power tools ( not shown ) carried in the holsters 18 . the front wall 12 at the left as seen in fig2 , and 9 has a cylindrical light holder 21 extending therefrom , which can accommodate a light assembly 22 which includes a socket 23 . an opening ( not shown ) is provided in socket 23 which fits over a stud 24 that extends from the wall 12 to detachably retain the light assembly 22 thereon . the socket 23 has a light bulb 25 therein of conventional type and a cord 26 connected thereto and to internal electrical circuitry ( not shown ) of receptacle 10 . the cord 26 is of conventional type which can be plugged into the receptacle circuitry or disconnected and plugged into a conventional wall socket ( not shown ). the socket 23 can also be engaged by a detachable t - shaped stand 28 for support of the light assembly 22 and which can rest on the floor or other surface ( not shown ) or can be engaged with portions of the receptacle 10 such as the holsters 18 . referring now to fig1 , 4 , and 10 the wall 12 has a circular projection 30 extending from the right side as seen in fig1 and 10 . the cylindrical projection 30 houses an electrical power cord assembly 31 which has a retractable power cord 32 extending though an opening 33 with a plug 34 on the end and which is wound about a spool 35 . the spool 35 has a face plate 36 with four power outlets 37 of conventional type and with a rewind handle 38 attached to plate 36 to rotate the spool 35 and retract cord 32 . referring now more specifically to fig1 , 6 , 7 , and 8 the receptacle 10 is provided with a lid 50 which is of the same overall configuration as front wall 11 and rear wall 12 , and which extends past them to close off access to the interior of housing 13 . the lid 50 as well as the housing 13 is preferably formed of molded synthetic plastic of well known type , such as polyvinylchloride . the lid 50 is connected to back wall 12 by a pair of hinges 51 of conventional type to permit or deny access to the interior of housing 13 . the lid 50 has an external surface 52 which is of a well known tread - like pattern to provide a non - slip surface . the lid 50 is also provided with a pair of stud braces or holders 53 which in storage position are situated in recesses 54 in the top of lid 50 . the stud braces 53 each have a pair of plates 55 and 56 which are hinged together and can fold up with one plate 56 engaging the outer recess 54 with the other plate 55 in an upright position at a 90 ° angle to surface 52 to provide a stop against which a piece of lumber ( not shown ) or other material may be engaged for drilling , sawing or other operations . the lid 50 is also provided with a carrying handle 60 which is of u - shape and hinged by pin 61 to lid 50 , which may be stored in a recess 62 in lid 50 when desired . the front wall 12 has a lock piece 63 thereon in selective engagement with a catch plate 65 extending from lid 50 . as shown in detail in fig8 the lid 50 has been raised to permit entry into the housing 13 . the lid 50 has a wall 65 extending therefrom around the permitter of the lid which provides a recessed storage location . the lid 50 has on the underside 66 at least two elastic loops 67 which can be used to hold a flashlight ( not shown ) or other item . a box 68 is provided integral with the lid , of rectangular shape open at the top with a lid 69 , which is held thereon by a pair of hinges 70 and with a catch ( not shown ) to detachably retain the lid 69 to the box 68 . the box 68 can be used to store pencils , chalk line , drills and other small items . the lid 50 on its underside 66 is also provided with a clip loop 75 which can be engaged by a clip 76 to detachably retain a measuring tape 77 thereon . the housing 13 has a perimeter lip 78 thereon which supports a pull out tray 80 . the tray 80 is of the same configuration , as housing 13 with upstanding ribs 81 , 82 and 83 which divide the tray into several storage areas . the rib 82 has a raised portion 83 and a cut out 84 to form a handle to permit lifting the tray 80 as required . the tray can also be formed of molded plastic such as polyvinylchloride . it will thus be apparent that apparatus has been provided with which the objects of the invention have been achieved . | 7 |
fig1 represents an architecture of a cti system for testing contact centre performance . the system is based around a platform 100 that is accessed through a portal 105 via the web 110 . the portal 110 allows users 115 to access and operate the platform for testing the contact centre 120 . the contact centre 120 operates using products supplied by genesys telecommunications labs , inc ., of california , united states of america . the platform 100 as described herein is specifically designed to operate in conjunction with a genesys environment , though can be adapted to run any analogous system . the client environment 120 incorporates a genesys t - server 130 , a genesys routing layer 140 and a genesys configuration layer 150 . agents 160 that operate the contact centre are connected to the genesys t - server 130 . further information regarding the genesys environment can be obtained directly from genesys publications that deal with the genesys framework architecture and applications , and deployment of the genesys architecture . as an example , a relevant publication is genesys framework 7 . 5 deployment guide , which is available through genesys technical support website or genesys documentation library dvd , and can be obtained from genesys upon request . the content of this reference is hereby incorporated by reference . a genesys configuration profile for the client environment 120 is utilized with the platform 100 . the genesys configuration profile specifies : the details for t - server 130 to which the agents connect genesys configuration server details are required to import agent details from the configuration server as part of a virtual agent creation process . this information is also used to refresh virtual agent details on commencement of a campaign run . config server name — a user - friendly name assigned to the configuration server . this value is used only for display purposes and does not affect the operation of the solution . hostname / ip — the hostname configured in the dns or the ip address of the host system where configuration server resides . port — the port on the host on which configuration server is listening for requests . cme application name — the name of the application configured in genesys configuration manager that is used to connect to the configuration server . this application should be created as part of the deployment process . username — the username of the person object configured in configuration manager that is used for authentication when connecting to configuration server . this person object should be created as part of the platform deployment process . password — the password for the person object used for authentication . genesys t - server configurations for the genesys environment are defined in the platform 100 . once t - servers configurations are defined , these configurations are available for selection as part of the virtual agent creation process , as described in further detail below . at least one t - server configuration must be defined and assigned to one or more agents in order to run a campaign . t - server name — a user - friendly name assigned to the t - server 130 . this value is used only for display purposes and does not affect the operation of the solution . hostname / ip — the hostname configured in the dns or the ip address of the host system where t - server 130 resides . port — the port on the host on which t - server 130 is listening for requests . an existing t - server configuration can be updated or edited as required . all dependent virtual agents - t - server relationships are updated with the new details . one or more behaviours are defined before creating virtual agents and running campaigns . a behaviour specifies how a virtual agent handles an interaction and consists of an ordered sequence of activities to be performed by the virtual agent for each interaction received ( for example , an inbound call ). this section defines the general attributes of the behaviour . enter the following information to create the new behaviour : behaviour name — unique name for the behaviour . behaviour type — indicates the media type of the interaction . this is by default set to ‘ voice ’, though other interaction types are possible . behaviour description — a brief description of the behaviour . activities represent the individual actions to be performed by a virtual agent as part of the handling of an interaction . each activity is defined by an activity type , a duration , and any associated user data . behaviours of virtual agents are designed to mimic real ( e . g ., human ) agent behaviours when dealing with interactions . consequently , the allowable sequence of activities that form a behaviour is restricted to a subset of those that actually occur in a real contact centre environment . for example , the callonhold activity cannot immediately follow the callringing activity , as a callinbound activity is first required to establish the interaction . there are some simple rules defining the possible sequence and combinations of activities . most of these are quite intuitive , for example , callinbound cannot precede callringing , callinbound cannot follow aftercallwork , and so on . these rules are made for the sake of convenience and practicality . fig2 is a state chart of the behaviour activity sequence , in which each state and the flow of states is indicated as shown . the activity sequence state chart provides a graphical representation of the allowable activity sequences and transitions that form a behaviour . each activity in the state chart shows : fig3 is a table that provides a related representation of the business rules that are applied to the creation of behaviours . this table also shows additional information such as the minimum and maximum durations allowable for each activity , and whether or not attached data is supported as part of the activity . with reference to fig2 and 3 , behaviours can consist of the following voice activity types : callringing — specifies how long the virtual agent allows an inbound call to ring before answering the call . this is selected as the first activity by default . callinbound — instructs the virtual agent to answer the call ( if the call is ringing ) or retrieve the call from hold ( if the call has been held ). the duration of this activity contributes to the overall “ talk time ” of the call . callonhold — instructs the virtual agent to place the call on hold . the duration of this activity contributes to the overall “ hold time ” of the call . attachuserdata — instructs the virtual agent to attach the specified key - value parameters to the call in the form of user data . this is an instantaneous ( that is , zero - duration ) activity . aftercallwork — instructs the virtual agent to release any call in progress and commence after - call work for a specified duration . notready — instructs the virtual agent to enter not ready mode for a specified duration . there is no “ call release ” activity . calls are automatically released under the following circumstances : on completion of the callinbound activity , if callinbound is the final activity in the behaviour . prior to commencing an aftercallwork activity . prior to commencing a notready activity . for voice behaviours , a call is always initiated with a “ ringing ” event . hence , ‘ callringing ’ is selected by default as the first ‘ activity number ’ and ‘ activity type ’. to add an activity to a behaviour , the following details are specified : activity number — this is a unique number assigned to each activity and is essential as it indicates the position of the activity within the sequence of activities . activity type — this defines the activity to be performed by the virtual agent ( as described above ). min duration — minimum duration of time for which the activity is performed . if different from the value specified for max duration , the activity is performed for a random duration between the min and max durations specified . to set a constant duration for the activity , specify the same value for the max duration field . max duration — maximum duration of time for which the activity is performed . if different from the value specified for min duration , the activity is performed for a random duration between the min and max durations specified . to set a constant duration for the activity , specify the same value for the min duration field . an activity can be inserted at a particular position , and activities can be updated as required . there are some activity types for which data can be attached in the form of key - value parameters . these activity types are : when one of these activities is selected , ‘ key - value parameters ’ can be added to an activity . select one of the above - mentioned activity types to display the ‘ key - value parameters ’ section . enter one or more pairs of key and value combinations via the portal . once a behaviour is saved , it may be edited , deleted or cloned . a behaviour cannot be deleted if it has been assigned as a ‘ default behaviour ’ for one or more agents , or if it is in use in a campaign . an error message is displayed upon attempting to delete a behaviour that is in use . to delete a behaviour that is currently in use , first a different behaviour is assigned as the ‘ default behaviour ’ for all virtual agents and / or campaigns using the behaviour to be deleted . the clone function creates a copy of the behaviour and simplifies the process of creating similar behaviours and / or creating new behaviours based on an existing behaviour . virtual agents are used in campaigns to represent actual agents in a contact centre environment . whilst related and dependent to a limited extent on agent ( person ) objects in the genesys configuration manager environment , which may be otherwise referred to as ‘ genesys agents ’, virtual agents are stored as a physically separate data entity within the testing platform 100 . each virtual agent serves as a counterpart to a corresponding genesys agent and as such there is a one - to - one relationship between virtual agents and genesys agents . while certain applications may find a different set of virtual agents useful , a set of virtual agents corresponding to actual agents is obviously helpful when simulating the operation of the contact centre environment . for a virtual agent to be imported into the platform 100 , the agent needs to exist in the genesys configuration manager . as virtual agents are used to log - in to the client environment 120 . employee id — the unique employee id of the agent to be imported . corresponds to the ‘ employee id ’ property of the genesys agent . default behaviour — behaviour that is selected by default when the virtual agent is added to a campaign . description ( optional )— a short description of the virtual agent . the following fields are non - editable and are used to display the imported information from genesys : first name — the first name of the agent as configured in genesys configuration manager . last name — the last name of the agent as configured in genesys configuration manager . username — the username of the agent as configured in genesys configuration manager . skills — the skill names and corresponding proficiencies assigned to the agent in genesys configuration manager . proficiencies ( skill levels ) are displayed in parentheses following the skill name . to import a virtual agent , the employee id of the genesys agent is entered via the portal . a default behaviour is assigned to the virtual agent using the ‘ default behaviour ’ drop - down list . a description for the virtual agent is entered , and the results saved . if virtual agent details are successfully retrieved from genesys configuration server , these details are displayed in the relevant fields and the virtual agent is saved . an error message is displayed if the no agent with a matching employee id is found . before a virtual agent can be used in a campaign , one or more t - server relationships must be defined for the virtual agent . a t - server relationship specifies the login details to be used by the virtual agent when logging into a particular t - server 130 . in this way , t - server relationships are akin to “ login profiles ” for a virtual agent — they specify what and where the virtual agent logs into . each virtual agent may define only one relationship for each t - server 130 . t - server relationships are used in campaigns to specify the login attributes of the virtual agent for a particular campaign . so for example , a virtual agent may have two t - server relationships defined — such as with t - servers 130 in different sites or locations . as an example , there may be separate relationships defined for a t - server based in sydney , another for a t - server based in melbourne . therefore , a campaign may be created to run a simulation where the virtual agent logs into a sydney t - server , and another campaign created to run a simulation where the virtual agent logs into the melbourne t - server . t - server relationships may be used in more than one campaign . t - server relationships may be added for t - servers 130 that have been defined in the testing platform 100 via the portal 105 . creating t - servers configurations in the platform 100 is described in further detail above . if no t - server relationships are defined for a virtual agent , the virtual agent does not appear in a selection list for a campaign . to define a t - server relationship for a virtual agent the following fields are defined : t - server name — contains a list of available t - servers . since only one relationship can be defined for each t - server 130 for each virtual agent , only t - servers with no existing relationship with the virtual agent are displayed . dn — directory number to be registered for use by the virtual agent . switch login — the switch virtual agent login configured and assigned to the agent in genesys . used to log the virtual agent into the switch / pabx . switch password ( optional )— the password corresponding to the switch login . queue ( optional )— queue that the agent logs into . deleting a t - server relationship for a virtual agent affects existing campaigns containing the virtual agent - t - server relationship combination . deleting a t - server relationship that is currently used by a virtual agent in a campaign removes the virtual agent from the campaign . a t - server relationship can also be edited . all campaigns using the updated virtual agents - t - server relationship are updated with the new details . before deleting a virtual agent , verify that the virtual agent is no longer required for use in any campaigns . deleting a virtual agent that is currently used in a campaign automatically removes the virtual agent from the campaign . behaviours and virtual agents may be used in campaigns once they have been created . campaigns are used as the basis for simulation campaigns and define : the behaviour assigned to each virtual agent for the simulation campaign . the t - server relationship to be used for each agent for the simulation campaign . campaigns thus provide the flexibility to build simulations for a wide - range of scenarios and / or operational conditions within a client environment 120 . campaign name — unique name for the campaign . description — a brief description of the campaign . last run — the date and time when the campaign was last run . this field is not editable . current status — this field displays the current run status of the campaign and is not editable - valid values are : aborted — the campaign has been aborted by a user running — the campaign is currently in progress queued — the campaign has been queued and scheduled to run at a future date / time completed — the campaign run has completed successfully internal error — a system error has occurred when trying to start or abort the campaign , or during the execution of the campaign run active status — indicates if the campaign is active . an inactive campaign can be saved , but not scheduled or run . run for — duration of the campaign run in minutes . run date — a date and time to run the campaign . only virtual agents with t - server relationships defined are available for selection for use as part of a campaign . to include a virtual agent in the campaign , a behaviour is assigned to the agent from a behaviour drop - down list that is used for the campaign . the agent &# 39 ; s default behaviour is selected by default . a t - server 130 is selected that the virtual agent logs into for the campaign . the login details specified in the t - server relationship for the virtual agent are used . to create and run a campaign , a campaign name is created , a valid plan is selected and a description for the campaign is selected . the ‘ active status ’ of the campaign is set to ‘ active ’. the duration of the campaign run is specified in the ‘ run for ’ field . a date and time for the campaign to be run is specified using the ‘ requested run date ’ or ‘ scheduled run date ’ fields . the agents and associated behaviours and t - servers to be used in the campaigns selected from the ‘ agents / behaviour ’ section . if the requested / scheduled run date is set to a date / time in the future , the campaign is queued , or if set to the current date / time or a date / time in the past , the campaign is started immediately . campaigns can be edited , deleted and searched . running campaigns can also be aborted , and scheduled campaigns can be removed from the queue . an advantage of the testing platform 100 is that it enables simulation of a contact centre environment 120 , consequently providing insight into its operation and the ability to analyse the results of campaign runs through reporting capabilities . there are two major categories of reporting available - real - time reports and historical reports . real - time reports provide dynamically updated information and statistics on campaigns that are in progress . when there are one or more campaigns running , the ‘ virtual agent status ’ report is enabled . historical reports provide information and statistics on all campaigns that have been executed in the past and include the following reports : historical reports are predominantly provided in the form of summary reports containing aggregated performance metrics , with the ability to drill - down to data for individual virtual agents , interactions and activities . as historical data is stored for all campaign runs , historical reports for different campaign runs can be used to compare different “ what - if ” scenarios and varying contact centre environments and / or conditions . it is also possible to view historical reports for campaigns that are currently in progress , however , the data contained within the reports is not dynamically updated and the report has to be reloaded to retrieve the most up - to - date data . real - time reports are available for all campaign runs that are currently in progress , and an associated snapshot is available , indicating key information . campaign name — the name of the in - progress campaign . date run — the date and time when the campaign commenced . calls received — snapshot of the number of calls received by virtual agents in the campaign . % complete — percentage of the campaign completed relative to the overall campaign duration . status — the current status of the campaign . to view a real - time report for a campaign that is currently in progress , select a report type , for example , a virtual agent status report . the virtual agent status report provides real - time updates of the progress of a running campaign . this virtual agent status report shows the current state of each virtual agent in the campaign and associated statistics . the virtual agent status report allows you to monitor the performance of a simulation as it progresses to ensure that the campaign is running as expected . the virtual agent status report contains the following summary information for the campaign : campaign name — the name of the campaign . duration — overall duration of the campaign . no . of calls — the total number of calls received by virtual agents , which is incremented when an agent commences an interaction . % completed — provides a visual indicator of the progress of the campaign as a percentage completed relative to the overall run duration . for each virtual agent , the following information and statistics are provided : state icon — provides a pictorial representation of the current virtual agent state . after - call work call inbound logged - out not ready / error ringing wait for next call ( ready ) virtual agent name — the name of the virtual agent in ‘ last name , first name ’ format . current state — visual and textual representation of the current virtual agent state : after - call work — virtual agent is performing follow - up work in relation to the previously completed interaction . call inbound — virtual agent is handling an inbound call . hold — virtual agent has placed the call on hold . logged - out — virtual agent is not logged into the system . not ready — virtual agent is in not - ready mode and unable to receive inbound interactions . ringing — inbound call is being presented to the virtual agent . ready ( waitfornextcall )— virtual agent is available and ready to receive inbound interactions . error — virtual agent is in an error state for ccm . occurs when an error event is received from cti for the virtual agent . duration — the elapsed time , expressed as ‘ hh : mm : ss ’, indicates that the virtual agent has spent in its current state . calls received — the total number of calls received by virtual agents . incremented when a virtual agent commences an interaction . skills — comma - separated list of skills assigned to the virtual agent in configuration manager at commencement of the campaign . the list of skills is truncated if the list length exceeds the column width . behaviour — the behaviour assigned to the virtual agent for the campaign . historical reports are available for all past campaign runs , as well as campaign runs that are currently in progress . a list is displayed of all past and in - progress campaign runs in order of descending run date and time . by default , only campaign runs within the last seven days are displayed , though to display reports for a larger date range , a filter function can be used as described below . campaign name — the name of the campaign . date run — the date and time when the campaign run commenced . end date — the date and time when the campaign run was completed or aborted . no . of virtual agents — total number of virtual agents participating in the campaign run . total calls — the total number of calls received by virtual agents . incremented when a virtual agent commences an interaction . run result — the overall result of the campaign run . can be one of ‘ aborted ’, ‘ success ’, ‘ fail ’ or ‘ internal error ’. to view a historical report for a campaign run a report type is selected . the following report types are available : to better manage the potentially large number of campaign runs displayed in the historical reporting screen , the web portal provides a filtering function to restrict the range of campaign runs displayed to a specified date range . to filter the campaign list to a specific date range , date and time ranges can be selected using ‘ from ’ and ‘ to ’ fields or using the calendar controls . dates selected are inclusive . a ‘ call distribution report ’ provides a summary of the distribution of inbound calls processed across the agents in the campaign run . it is useful in determining if the appropriate virtual agents are being targeted correctly by the routing strategy . the top section of the report shows the following campaign run summary information : campaign name — the name of the campaign . number of virtual agents — total number of virtual agents in the campaign run . date run — the date / time range when the campaign run commenced and ended . no . of calls — the total number of calls received by virtual agents . result — the overall result of the campaign run . can be one of ‘ aborted ’, ‘ success ’, ‘ fail ’ or ‘ internal error ’. virtual agent name — name of the virtual agent . # calls — the number of calls received by the virtual agent for the campaign run . % distributed — calls received as a percentage of the total calls received for the campaign run . average handle time — average handling time for calls processed by the virtual agent . once in the ‘ call distribution report ’, one can drill - down to additional reports to view more detail . a ‘ calls handled by agent summary report ’ is accessible by drilling - down from the ‘ call distribution report ’ and shows a summary of all calls handled by a particular virtual agent . to view this report , select the number of calls received for a virtual agent (‘# calls ’ column ). the report is split into three sections — campaign information , virtual agent information and call summary . campaign name — the name of the campaign . number of virtual agents — total number of virtual agents in the campaign run . date run — the date / time range when the campaign run commenced and ended . no . of calls — the total number of calls received by virtual agents . result — the overall result of the campaign run . can be one of ‘ aborted ’, ‘ success ’, ‘ fail ’ or ‘ internal error ’. virtual agent name — the name of the virtual agent that received the calls . dn — the directory number used by the virtual agent to receive the calls . applied behaviour — the behaviour used by the virtual agent in handling calls for the campaign run . no . of calls — the total number of calls received by the virtual agent . skills — comma - separated list of skills and corresponding proficiencies ( in brackets ) assigned to the virtual agent in configuration manager at commencement of the campaign . the list of skills is truncated if the list length exceeds the column width . all calls received for the virtual agent are displayed in summary format in the order in which calls were received by the virtual agent . for each call , the report shows : call no .— the call number received by the agent ( for example , ‘ 3 ’ indicates the third call received by the ‘ virtual agent ’). start time — the time when the call commenced . this corresponds to the time when a ringing event is first received for the call . end time — the time when the call terminated . this corresponds to the time when a released event is received for the call . duration — the duration of the call . defined as the duration between a ringing event and released event for the call . ring time — the duration for which the call was ringing . talk time — the total duration that the virtual agent spent talking on the call . this is a summation of all agent ‘ talk ’ states . hold time — the total duration which the virtual agent placed the call on hold . this is a summation of all virtual agent ‘ hold ’ states . acw — the total duration of after - call work for the call . caller type — displays the type of the caller from which the call originated , which is applicable when call - linking occurs between different campaign types . this report is accessible by drilling - down from the ‘ calls handled by agent summary report ’ and displays transaction - level detail for a particular call . all activities performed by the virtual agent on the call are shown along with statistics for each activity . to view this report , select a call , by call number . the report shows : virtual agent name — the name of the virtual agent that received the calls . dn — the directory number used by the virtual agent to receive the calls . applied behaviour — the behaviour used by the virtual agent in handling calls for the campaign run . no . of calls — the total number of calls received by the virtual agent . skills — comma - separated list of skills and corresponding proficiencies ( in brackets ) assigned to the virtual agent in configuration manager at commencement of the campaign . the list of skills is truncated if the list length exceeds the column width . interaction id — the unique identifier assigned to the call by the genesys environment . no .— the sequence number of the activity for the call . time — the date and time when the activity commenced . state icon — provides a pictorial representation of the current virtual agent state . after - call work call inbound logged - out not ready / error ringing wait for next call ( ready ) activity name — the name of the activity that was performed . duration — the duration of the performed activity . attached data — displays the key - value pairs attached to the call by the virtual agent as part of the activity . the ‘ caller type handled by virtual agent report ’ shows a summary of all caller types handled by a particular virtual agent when call - linking is enabled between the different campaign types offered by the platform 100 . call - linking provides end - to - end tracking of each call placed from the platform 100 , which enables you to link individual caller types to the virtual agents that handled the call . the campaign information section shows : campaign name — the name of the campaign . number of virtual agents — total number of virtual agents in the campaign run . date run — the date / time range when the campaign run commenced and ended . no . of calls — the total number of calls received by virtual agents . result — the overall result of the campaign run . can be one of ‘ aborted ’, ‘ success ’, ‘ fail ’ or ‘ internal error ’. for each virtual agent , the ‘ caller type handled by virtual agent report ’ shows : virtual agent name — name of the virtual agent in ‘ last name , first name ’ format . # calls — the number of calls received by the virtual agent for the campaign run . % distributed — calls received as a percentage of the total calls received for the campaign run . caller type — used when call - linking is enabled between the different campaign types . if enabled , displays the type of the caller ( as defined by its respective campaign ) from which the call originated . the ‘ campaign calls report ’ is similar to the ‘ calls handled by virtual agent summary report ’, but shows a summary of all calls received for the campaign run . calls are displayed in ascending order of arrival by default . campaign name — the name of the campaign . number of virtual agents — total number of virtual agents in the campaign run . date run — the date / time range when the campaign run commenced and ended . no . of calls — the total number of calls received by virtual agents . result — the overall result of the campaign run . can be one of ‘ aborted ’, ‘ success ’, ‘ fail ’ or ‘ internal error ’. call no .— the call number received as part of the campaign run ( for example , ‘ 3 ’ indicates the third call received during the campaign run ). virtual agent name — name of the virtual agent in ‘ last name , first name ’ format . start time — the time when the call commenced . this corresponds to the time when a ringing event is first received for the call . end time — the time when the call terminated . this corresponds to the time when a released event is received for the call . duration — the duration of the call . defined as the duration between a ringing event and released event for the call . ring time — the duration for which the call was ringing . talk time — the total duration for which the virtual agent spent talking on the call . this is a summation of all virtual agent ‘ talk ’ states . hold time — the total duration which the virtual agent placed the call on hold . this is a summation of all virtual agent ‘ hold ’ states . acw — the total duration of after - call work for the call . caller type — used when call - linking is enabled between different campaign types . if enabled , displays the type of the caller ( as defined in its respective campaign type ) from which the call originated . the ‘ virtual agent call activity detail report ’ described above is also accessible by drilling - down from the ‘ campaign calls report ’. to view this report , select a particular call number . for information on the ‘ virtual agent call activity detail report ’, refer to agent call activity detail report described with reference to the call distribution report . the ‘ virtual agent activity report ’ provides a summary report of virtual agents in the campaign run . it serves as an entry point to facilitate drilling - down to view activities for individual virtual agents . campaign name — the name of the campaign . number of virtual agents — total number of virtual agents in the campaign run . date run — the date / time range when the campaign run commenced and ended . no . of calls — the total number of calls received by virtual agents . result — the overall result of the campaign run . can be one of ‘ aborted ’, ‘ success ’, ‘ fail ’ or ‘ internal error ’. virtual agent name — the name of the virtual agent that received the calls . calls — the total number of calls received by the virtual agent . skills — comma - separated list of skills and corresponding proficiencies ( in brackets ) assigned to the virtual agent in configuration manager at commencement of the campaign . behaviour — the behaviour used by the virtual agent in handling calls for the campaign run . an ‘ individual virtual agent activity report ’ is accessible by drilling - down from the ‘ virtual agent activity report ’ and displays transaction - level detail for all activities performed by a virtual agent over the duration of the campaign run . all activities performed by the virtual agent for the campaign run are listed in order in which they were performed , along with statistics for each activity . to drill - down to this report , select a virtual agent name in the ‘ virtual agent name ’ column of the ‘ virtual agent activity report ’. virtual agent name — the name of the virtual agent that received the calls . dn — the directory number used by the virtual agent to receive the calls . applied behaviour — the behaviour used by the virtual agent in handling calls for the campaign run . no . of calls — the total number of calls received by the virtual agent . skills — comma - separated list of skills and corresponding proficiencies ( in brackets ) assigned to the virtual agent in configuration manager at commencement of the campaign . no .— the sequence number of the activity for the virtual agent . time — the date and time when the activity commenced . state icon — provides a pictorial representation of the current virtual agent state . after - call work call inbound logged - out not ready / error ringing wait for next call ( ready ) call no .— the sequence number of the call handled by the virtual agent for the campaign run . this field is blank for non - call - related agent states such as logged out , not ready , error and wait for next call ( ready ). activity name — the name of the activity that was performed . duration — the duration of the performed activity . although the disclosure has been described with reference to specific examples , it is appreciated by those skilled in the art that the disclosure may be embodied in many other forms . when creating a new behaviour , the behaviour type defaults to ‘ voice ’ to indicate the media type of the interaction . other media types are however possible and can be accommodated by the existing architecture described herein in relation to ‘ voice ’ media . as examples , other media interaction types may be ‘ chat / instant messaging ’ or ‘ e - mail ’, which are encompassed within the scope of the invention . other variations to embodiment described herein are also possible . | 7 |
fig1 illustrates an isometric view of a clamp assembly 10 constituting a first embodiment of the present invention and a clamp assembly 10a constituting an alternate embodiment of the present invention both installed on a host structure , which in this case for the purpose of example and illustration is an extruded geometrically configured tube 14 . the extruded geometrically configured tube 14 can be supported or mounted in a variety of manners but , for the purpose of example , is shown to be slidingly secured over and about a post 16 extending vertically upwardly from a base 17 . the extruded geometrically configured tube 14 includes , as would other host structures , one or more slots , in the present instance four slots , for the accommodation and engagement of one or more clamp assemblies 10 and / or 10a . the clamp assembly 10 includes a two - piece clamp body , described in detail later , that functions to secure a mounting rod 12 , which is separate from the clamp assembly itself , to the host structure . the mounting rod 12 can assume various geometrical attributes and shapes to accommodate a variety of items for display or to accommodate yet other devices . as shown , the mounting rod 12 is angular and has a horizontal portion to which is secured another clamp assembly 10 which in turn supports an auxiliary mounting structure 18 having a slot located therein which replicates the essential shape and geometry of those slots in the host structure , but which is not limited to that precise shape and geometry . the clamp assembly 10a , in contrast to the clamp assembly 10 , involves a one - piece clamp body rather than a two - piece clamp body , and itself includes a mounting rod for the accommodation of various items for display . the mounting rod can assume various shapes and forms , but for purposes of example and illustration is depicted as a cylindrical construction . clamp assembly 10a is described in detail later . fig2 illustrates an isometric view of the clamp assembly 10 . the clamp assembly 10 includes a two - piece clamp body composed of opposing left and right jaws 24 and 26 , respectively , substantially being mirror images of each other and including engagement means in the form of teeth 42 and 64 for entering into a slot defined by surfaces of a host structure . tightening means such as a screw member , herein shown as a thumbscrew including a shaft 50 ( fig3 ) and a knurled actuating knob 28 at one end of the shaft 50 , extends through the left and right jaws 24 and 26 , respectively , to draw together and mutually position the left jaw 24 with respect to the right jaw 26 to secure the clamp assembly 10 to a rod , such as mounting rod 12 , and to bring the teeth 42 and 64 into tight engagement with the surfaces of the host structure defining the slot to thereby affix the clamp assembly 10 securely to the host structure . fig3 illustrates an exploded view of the clamp assembly 10 . the right jaw 26 , substantially a mirror image of the left jaw 24 , is now described . the right jaw 26 , which can be an extrusion preferably of steel , aluminum , hard plastic or any other such suitable material , includes an inner planar surface 30 having an arcuate channel 32 , which is less than a 180 ° arc , oriented vertically thereupon and extending between a top planar surface 34 and a bottom planar surface 36 . the right jaw 26 also includes an outwardly facing planar end surface 38 and an exterior planar surface 40 , best shown in fig4 . an engagement means in the form of a tooth 42 having a rounded profile juxtaposes the arcuate channel 32 . the tooth 42 is supported by a strut 44 which comprises one side of the arcuate channel 32 . a groove 46 is located between the tooth 42 and the strut 44 . a threaded hole 48 extends through the inner planar surface 30 and into the body of the right jaw 26 to accommodate a tightening means , here shown as a thumbscrew having a threaded shaft 50 which extends from an actuating knob 28 . with reference to fig3 and 4 and other figures herein , the opposing left jaw 24 is similarly configured to include an inner planar surface 52 , an arcuate channel 54 , which is less than a 180 ° arc , a top planar surface 56 , a bottom planar surface 58 , an outwardly facing planar end surface 60 , an exterior planar surface 62 , an engagement means in the form of a tooth 64 , a strut 66 , a groove 68 , and a body hole 70 through which the threaded shaft 50 passes . optional sponge rubber pads 72 and 74 are held with adhesive to the inner planar surface 30 of the right jaw 26 at a location outward from the arcuate channel 32 and to a corresponding position on the inner planar surface 52 of the left jaw 24 . the sponge rubber pads 72 and 74 function to ( 1 ) secure the left jaw 24 to the right jaw 26 to keep the jaws mutually attached to each other so that the person operating the clamp assembly does not end up with a handful of loose parts , and ( 2 ) provide a spring bias action to force the teeth 42 and 64 together during placement of the clamp assembly 10 in a slot . fig4 illustrates a cross sectional top view of the clamp assembly 10 . illustrated in particular is the separated alignment of the left jaw 24 to the right jaw 26 . attention is also called to the arcuate channels 32 and 54 in that the arcs described by each are less than 180 ° and are of an appropriate radius to accommodate and to contact a greater portion of the circumference of the mounting rod 12 on a partial circumference basis , thus allowing spaces to be maintained between the teeth 42 and 64 , and more importantly , between the inner planar surfaces 30 and 52 . undercuts of slightly larger radius are also provided on the arcuate channels 32 and 54 to provide one or more gripping edges 69 and 71 for enhanced frictional engagement of the jaws 26 and 24 to the mounting rod 12 . fig5 illustrates a top view of the first step of fastening the clamp assembly 10 and securing a mounting rod 12 to a host structure . the host structure , in this case the extruded geometrically configured tube 14 , includes segmented arcuate portions 80a - 80n secured to a central cylindrical structure 82 by struts 84a - 84n . slot 86a is formed , in general and for example , between the ends of segmented arcuate portions 80a and 80n , by struts 84a and 84n , and the portion of the cylindrical structure 82 therebetween . in the example , the slots 86a - 86n assume an arc - like profile , and any suitably shaped slot can be used against which and into which the teeth 42 and 64 and corresponding grooves 46 and 68 are inserted , engaged and secured . the insertion is initiated by loosely inserting the mounting rod 12 in the arcuate channels 32 and 54 in the jaws 26 and 24 while the actuating knob 28 is rotated to back out the threaded shaft 50 to allow angular flexing of the jaws 26 and 24 with respect to one another about the mounting rod 12 , which acts as a fulcrum or pivot . the teeth 42 and 64 , each having a round - like profile , are inserted into the slot 86a to a position as illustrated . the round - like profile presented by the teeth 42 and 64 can , if not already touchingly positioned , impinge the outwardly located ends of the corresponding segmented arcuate portions 80a and 80n to maneuver the teeth 42 and 64 into close mutual proximity or even into intimate contact to provide a minimum profile so that passage of the teeth 42 and 64 into the slot 86a can be readily and easily accomplished . the body hole 70 in the left jaw 24 is sized to allow sufficient rotation of the left jaw 24 about the mounting rod 12 without interference of the threaded shaft 50 . fig6 illustrates a top view of the final step of fastening the clamp assembly 10 and the mounting rod 12 to the host structure extruded geometrically configured tube 14 . the actuating knob 28 is turned to reposition the left jaw 24 and the right jaw 26 in opposition about the mounting rod 12 , which acts as a pivot and as a fulcrum . the actuating knob 28 is brought to bear against the exterior planar surface 62 of the left jaw 24 , thus imparting a counterclockwise movement of the left jaw 24 about the mounting rod 12 , thereby positioning the groove 68 against one end of the segmented arcuate portion 80n of the extruded geometrically configured tube 14 . at the same time , the rotation of the threaded shaft 50 repositions the right jaw 26 in a clockwise direction about the mounting rod 12 , thereby positioning the groove 46 against one end of the segmented arcuate portion 80a of the extruded geometrically configured tube 14 . further tightening of the knob 28 ensures positive engagement of the jaws 24 and 26 with the slot 86a and also increases pressure across the jaws 24 and 26 to ensure suitable frictional engagement of the jaws 24 and 26 to the mounting rod 12 therebetween . fig7 an alternative embodiment , illustrates an isometric view of the clamp assembly 10a . the clamp assembly 10a includes a one - piece clamp body 20 and a mounting rod 22 . the one - piece clamp body 20 includes a block member 92 having engagement means in the form of mirror - like similarly configured upper and lower engagement tabs 94 and 96 extending outwardly therefrom for entering into a slot defined by surfaces of a host structure . the mounting rod 22 serves both as a tightening means for bringing the upper and lower engagement tabs 94 and 96 into tight engagement with the surfaces of the host structure defining the slot thereof , to thereby affix the clamp assembly 10a securely to the host structure , and as a support upon which various items can be mounted for display or other purposes . the mounting rod 22 and one - piece clamp body 20 can be fashioned of aluminum , steel , hard plastic or the like . the upper and lower engagement tabs 94 and 96 are fashioned to engage a slot , such as slot 86c of the host structure 14 or other such slot . the upper engagement tab 94 , being similar in design and function to the lower engagement tab 96 , is supported by a strut 98 extending outwardly from the block member 92 . the strut 98 includes opposing curved sides 100 and 102 which intersect opposing flat surfaces 104 and 106 , respectively , of the upper engagement tab 94 ( fig8 ) to subsequently form angular access grooves 108 and 110 which are instrumental during the initial engagement step in the securing of the upper and lower engagement tabs 94 and 96 to a slot . opposing angled tabs 124 and 126 located at the edges of a planar surface 128 of the upper engagement tab 94 are utilized to contact the ends of segmented arcuate portions , such as the ends of segmented arcuate portions 80b and 80c , as illustrated in fig9 . the structure of the lower engagement tab 96 , which is identical to the upper engagement tab 94 , is not described for purpose of brevity . a horizontally aligned threaded hole 112 extends partially through the block member 92 to accommodate threads 114 located at one end of the mounting rod 22 . a recess 116 ( fig8 ) aligns concentrically to the threads 114 to accommodate the largest radius of the mounting rod 22 . a small radius protrusion 118 , having an optional plastic tip element 120 fastened thereto , extends from the region of the threads 114 . a groove 122 is provided at the outward end of the mounting rod 22 to accommodate an external attachment fixture . fig8 illustrates a top view of the first step in securing the clamps assembly 10a to a slot such as slot 86c of the extruded geometrically configured tube 14 . the mounting rod 22 is not shown as being engaged with the threaded hole 112 during the initial engagement , but may be so engaged , if desired , for initial insertion . the one - piece clamp body 20 is first positioned canted off center , as illustrated . the access grooves on the same sides of the upper and lower engagement takes 94 and 96 , such as access groove 108 , are positioned at an angle into the slot 86c and then brought to bear against the near end of the adjacent segmented arcuate portion 80c . this allows the geometry of the upper and lower engagement tabs 94 and 96 , which at this time are canted , full subsequent access to the interior of slot 86c . once the upper and lower engagement tabs 94 and 96 are positioned thusly , the one - piece clamp body 20 can be rotated fully into direct alignment within the slot 86c , as shown in fig9 . fig9 illustrates a top view of the final step of fastening the clamp assembly 10a to a slot 86c of the extruded geometrically configured tube 14 . after repositioning the one - piece clamp body 20 into full and direct alignment in the slot 86c , the mounting rod 22 is turned to advance the plastic tip element 120 ( rod end ) into engagement with the cylindrical structure 82 . this action forces the block member 92 outwardly from the center and along the threads 114 to outwardly position the angled tabs 124 and 126 of the upper and lower engagement tabs 94 and 96 into tight engagement against the appropriate ends of the segmented arcuate portions 80b and 80c . the upper and lower engagement tabs 94 and 96 are thusly positioned in frictional engagement to lock the clamp assembly 10a composed of the one - piece clamp body 20 and the mounting rod 22 to a slot structure . fig1 illustrates a top view of the clamp assembly 10 , the present invention , securing a mounting rod 12 to an auxiliary mounting structure 18 having a slot 130 having attributes which allow attachment of the clamp assembly 10 , as well as the clamp assembly 10a , thereto . fig1 illustrates a top view of both the clamp assembly 10 and the clamp assembly 10a secured , according to the teachings of the invention , to a slotted structure 140 having a plurality of slots 142a - 142n distributed thereabout . the present invention can be incorporated in attachment to any suitable slot on any structure . various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the apparent scope hereof . parts list______________________________________ 10 clamp assembly 10a clamp assembly 12 mounting rod 14 extruded geometrically configured tube or host structure 16 post 17 base 18 auxiliary mounting structure 20 one - piece clamp body 22 mounting rod 24 left jaw 26 right jaw 28 actuating knob 30 inner planar surface 32 arcuate channel 34 top planar surface 36 bottom planar surface 38 planar end surface 40 exterior planar surface 42 tooth 44 strut 46 groove 48 threaded hole 50 threaded shaft 52 inner planar surface 54 arcuate channel 56 top planar surface 58 bottom planar surface 60 planar end surface 62 exterior planar surface 64 tooth 66 strut 68 groove 69 gripping edge 70 body hole 71 gripping edge 72 sponge rubber pad 74 sponge rubber pad 80a - n segmented arcuate portions 82 cylindrical structure 84a - n struts 86a - n slots 92 block member 94 upper engagement tab 96 lower engagement tab 98 strut100 curved side102 curved side104 flat surface106 flat surface108 access groove110 access groove112 threaded hole114 threads116 recess118 protrusion120 plastic tip element122 groove124 angled tab126 angled tab128 planar surface130 slot140 slotted structure142a - n slots______________________________________ | 8 |
broadly speaking we will describe a flexible display device with an integrated touch sensor , wherein a resistive touch screen component is placed underneath a flexible display without impairing the optical clarity of the display , hence yielding 100 % optical clarity . the flexible display incorporates a flexible display medium in contact with a flexible backplane on a flexible substrate that allows for the device to be operable from the top by applying pressure to the display media . the flexible display medium and the display backplane are laminated over the resistive touch screen component . referring to the drawings , fig2 illustrates a device configuration for a resistive touch screen structure which incorporates a display media 101 , laminated over a flexible backplane 102 . the display media preferably has ultra thin dimensions as described further later . preferably , an electrophoretic display media is incorporated within the device structure and is located over the backplane . the backplane incorporates a flexible substrate 102 b as is shown in fig2 . the flexible substrate 102 b may be either a thin layer of glass , polymide ( pi ) or a flexible metallic foil , but preferably the flexible substrate consists of a polymer film , such as polyethyleneterephtalate ( pet ) or polyethylenenaphtalene ( pen ). the display media 101 and display backplane 102 are then laminated over a resistive touch screen 103 by utilising a pressure sensitive adhesive ( psa ). optical clarity is achieved by incorporating a touch screen component onto the backside of the flexible display . fig3 illustrates the elements of a resistive touch screen component 103 that is located on the underneath side of the device . a conducting lower layer 107 is deposited over a bottom substrate 108 . the bottom substrate 108 is preferably also is flexible substrate , such as polyethyleneterephtalate ( pet ) or polyethylenenaphtalene ( pen ). generally , the choice of the bottom substrate 108 is less critical for the operation of the touch screen than of the other substrate below ( see discussion below ). a layer of insulating spacer dots 106 is positioned over the lower conductor layer , followed by a further upper layer of conducting material 105 , which may be of the same material as the lower layer of conductor material . the spacer dots are positioned in between the conductive layers , in order to separate the said lower and upper conductor layers 105 , 107 . an upper flexible substrate film 104 , such as , but not limited to a plastic substrate , such as pet or pen , a thin metal foil substrate , such as steel , or a thin glass substrate completes the resistive touch screen component , by forming the upper substrate of the said component . a preferred thickness of the upper substrate material is between 25 μm - 50 μm in order to achieve optimum sensitivity of the touchscreen to local pressure applied from the top . in embodiment of the present invention , the conductive layers 105 , 107 of the touch semen can be fabricated from either transparent conductors such as tto , or non - transparent conductor material , such as a thin metallic layer . in contrast to a device structure where the resistive touch screen is located on top of the display , i . e . in between the user and the display medium , the configuration described here , where the touch screen is hidden from the user behind the display does not require the touch screen to be transparent . thus , cheap , non - transparent metals such as copper or aluminium can be used for the electrode of the touch screen . within this novel device configuration , the ability to use a non - transparent conductive material can be used to increase the flexibility of the resistive touch screen device , as thin films of ductile metals are often more flexible than the use of a brittle ceramic such as ito . in addition , the use of metallic materials for the conductive layers will also have the effect of reducing costs , as thin films of metallic material are generally cheaper materials than ito . in addition , the effects of the use of metallic layers may also be seen in general performance improvements within the touch screen component , due to the fact that higher conductivity levels may be achieved with metallic materials than with ito . to achieve good sensitivity of the touch screen to applied pressure from the top , the upper substrate of the touch semen 104 , and the substrate of the flexible backplane 102 b , as well as the display medium 101 should be as thin as possible , while maintaining sufficient mechanical integrity and rigidity during manufacture as well as operation . preferably the thickness of these substrates is on the order of 10 - 250 μm , more preferably on the order of 20 - 200 μm . a particularly preferred thickness is approximately 175 μm . the prevent configuration of the resistive touch screen device allows for the alteration of the thicknesses of the various layers of the whole device stack , in particular the thicknesses of the substrates 108 , 104 , 102 b , and of the display medium and its support in order to ensure that the backplane of the display , comprising an array of thin - film transistors of the device is located in the neutral axis of the device . by locating the transistors within this neutral axis , this ensures that a minimum stress is applied to the backplane upon flexing the resistive touch screen device . alternatively , the neutral axis of the device can be designed to lie within another layer of the structure which is most prone to mechanical damage , fracture or delamination during flexing . in embodiments of the present invention , the thickness of the overall touch screen structure of the novel device configuration may be reduced by eliminating the need for an upper substrate 104 of the touch screen . in this configuration the upper conductive layer 105 of the resistive touch screen is deposited onto the bottom surface of the flexible backplane 102 b ( see fig4 ). this can be achieved by patterning a set of conducting electrodes and interconnects onto the bottom of substrate 102 b as part of the manufacturing steps for the flexible backplane , and then subsequently , laminating the flexible backplane with the bottom substrate 108 of the touch screen using similar lamination processes as currently used for bringing in contact the upper and lower substrates 108 , and 104 of a conventional touch screen . alternatively , it is possible to fabricate the flexible backplane directly on top of the upper substrate 104 of the touch screen , by using a completed touch screen laminate as the substrate in the manufacturing process of the active matrix transistor array . to further reduce the overall thickness of the device , the flexible backplane 102 comprising the transistors of the device , may be processed directly onto the upper conductive layer of the resistive touch screen component , as is shown in fig5 . to provide electrical insulation a thin dielectric isolation layer 109 is deposited in between the upper conductive layer 105 of the touch screen , and the electroactive layers of the flexible backplane . this isolation layer has a thickness of preferably on the order of 1 - 20 μm . it can also be used to provide planarization of the surface of the touch screen . in this way the need for a separate substrate to support the backplane is eliminated resulting in a further improvement of the sensitivity of the touch screen to pressure applied through the display element . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , a backplane 102 of the resistive touch screen display device is formed on the top side of the resistive touch screen component 103 . the complete display is fabricated using an active matrix driving arrangement . the said backplane comprises an array of transistors . an example transistor is shown in fig6 . in some preferred embodiments of the present invention each transistor that forms an array of transistors incorporated onto the backplane may be produced by the following method : conductive material is deposited and patterned on a substrate 110 to form source and drain electrodes 111 , 112 . preferably , a flexible substrate may be used that is composed of either glass or a polymer film , but preferably a plastic substrate 102 b such as polyethyleneterephtalate ( pet ) or polyethylenenaphtalene ( pen ) is used . the patterned conductive layer 111 , 112 comprises a conducting polymer , such as pedot , or a metallic material , such as gold or silver . it may be deposited and patterned through solution processing techniques such as , but not limited to , spin , dip , blade , bar , slot - die , or spray coating , inkjet , gravure , offset or screen printing . alternatively , vacuum deposition techniques may be used , such as evaporation and sputtering as well as photography techniques . once the conductive layer has been patterned to form the source and drain electrodes , a layer of semiconducting material 113 may then be deposited over the substrate and patterned electrodes . the semiconducting layer may comprise a vacuum or solution processible organic or inorganics semiconducting material , such as , but not limited to semiconducting polymers , such as polyarylamine , polyfluorene or polythiophene derivatives , a small molecule organic semiconductor , such as pantacene , or a solution - processible inorganic material , such as cdse , zno , or silicon based - nanowires . a broad range of printing techniques may be used to deposit the semiconducting material including , but not limited to , inkjet printing , soft lithographic printing ( j . a . rogers et al ., appl . phys . lett . 75 , 1010 ( 1999 ); s . brittain et al ., physics world may 1998 , p . 31 ), screen printing ( z . bao , et al ., chem . mat . 9 , 12999 ( 1997 )), offset printing , blade coating or dip coating , curtain coating , meniscus coating , spray coating , or extrusion coating . alternatively , the semiconducting layer may be deposited as a thin continuous film and patterned subtractively by techniques snout sa photolithography ( see wo 99 / 10939 ) or laser ablation . a layer of gate dielectric material 114 is then deposited onto the layered substrate . materials such as polyisobutylene or polyvinylphenol may be used as the dielectric material , but preferably polymethylmethacrylate ( pmma ) and polystyrene are used . the dielectric material may be deposited in the form of a continuous layer , by techniques such as , but not limited to , spray or blade coating . however , preferably , the technique of spray coating is used . the deposition of the dielectric layer is then followed by the deposition of a gate electrode 115 and interconnect lines . the material of the gate electrode may be a thin film of inorganic metal such as gold or a cheaper metal such as copper or aluminium . the gate electrode is deposited using techniques such as sputtering or evaporation techniques or solution processing techniques such as spin , dip , blade , bar , slot - die , gravure , offset or screen printing . alternatively , electroless deposition techniques or laser ablation may be used . the transistors are fabricated in the form of an active matrix array with data , gate addressing as well as common electrodes . each pixel of the array may contain one or more transistors . at least one of the electrodes of the transistors is coupled to an electroactive display element , such as , but not limited to an electrophoretic , electrochromic , or electronic paper display pixel , a liquid crystal display pixel , or an organic light - emitting diode to control the state of the display element by applying either a voltage or current to the display element . the display medium is preferably a reflective display medium in order to facilitate use of non - transparent metals for the touch screen component . however , the display medium can also be a transmissive medium in which case the touch screen is fabricated from transparent conductors , such as ito . finally , a display media component 1 is attached to the completed backplane and the underlying resistive touch screen structure . the display medium is either deposited directly onto the flexible backplane substrate . for example , in the case of a top - emitting polymer light - omitting display medium the optically active polymers can be inkjet printed into the pixel locations of the active matrix followed by deposition of a transparent top cathode , and a transparent encapsulation layer . in the ease of an electrophoretic display medium a film of electrophoretic ink deposited onto a top substrate with a transparent conductive electrode is laminated with the flexible backplane . fig7 a and 7 b , which are taken from the applicant &# 39 ; s wo 2004 / 070466 , show cross - sectional and top views of an active matrix pixel where the display media is voltage controlled , such as liquid crystal or electronic paper . fig7 a shows a side view of a transistor - controlled display device including a pixel capacitor . it has a substrate 701 , a semiconductor 702 , which may be a continuous layer or may be patterned , ( in the figure the semiconductor is patterned to cover the transistor channel ), a data line 703 , a pixel electrode 704 , a transistor dielectric 705 , a gate electrode / gate interconnect 706 and a display media 707 ( for example liquid crystal or electronic paper and a counter electrode 708 of the display media . in this example the state of the display media is determined by the electric field across the media , and a switchable area 709 of the device can be switched by a voltage difference between the pixel 704 and the top electrode 708 . although wo 2004 / 070466 describes fabrication of the display on a rigid substrate using solution deposition techniques ( such as inkjet printing , screen printing and offset printing ), as described above a similar display can be fabricated on a flexible substrate such as a plastic substrate , also using solution deposition techniques . some further preferred aspects of solution deposition techniques for deposition onto a flexible substrate are described in the applicant &# 39 ; s co - pending uk patent applications nos . 0570173 . 8 , 0506613 . 9 , and 0511117 . 4 , among others , the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference . when the flexible display is brought in contact with the touch screen the two components should be registered with respect to each other in order to ensure that applying pressure to a defined area of the display device , activates the correct region of the touch screen . this can be achieved by optical alignment prior to lamination of the two components . in the case of a fabrication process , where at least one of the layers of the flexible backplane and of the touch screen are deposited onto the same substrate the layers of the touch screen and of the flexible backplane can be aligned with respect to each other during the patterning of these layers . the present invention is not limited to the foregoing examples . for example , although the use of a resistive touch sensor has been described other touch sensitive technology such as that mentioned in the introduction , may also be employed . aspects of the present invention include all novel and / or inventive aspects of the concepts described herein and all novel and / or inventive combinations of the features described herein . the applicant hereby discloses in isolation each individual feature described herein and any combination of two or more such features , to the extent that such features or combinations are capable of being carried out based on the present specification as a whole in the light of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art , irrespective of whether such features or combinations of features solve any problems disclosed herein , and without limitation to the scope of the claims . aspects of the present invention may comprise any such individual feature or combination of features . in view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention . | 6 |
the present invention is a system and method for remote monitoring of icu &# 39 ; s from a distant command center / remote location . by monitoring a plurality of icu &# 39 ; s remotely , intensivists can better spread their expertise over more icu beds that heretofore achievable . the presence of 24 - hour a day / 7 day - per - week intensivist care dramatically decreases the mortality rates associated with icu care . referring to fig1 a and 1b , the billing and demographic data structure of the present invention is illustrated . patient demographic information 9010 is collected on the particular patient . this information comprises all the typical kinds of information one would normally gather on a patient such as first name , last name , telephone number , marital status , and other types of information . patient insurance information 9012 is collected and associated with the patient demographic information 9010 . patient insurance information 9012 relates to information on the type of accident and related information such as employment , employer name , place of service , and other information that would relate to the accident that actually occurred ( if at all ) and which would have to be reported to an insurance agency . this information is associated with the patient demographic information which assigns the unique patient id to the particular patient . insurance plan information 9008 is also created and stored and comprises insurance carrier id &# 39 ; s , the plan name , policy number , and group number . this information on the insurance plan 9008 is also associated with the patient id and demographic information 9010 . physician information 9002 is also created and stored for each physician associated with the system of the present invention . information such as first and last name , credentials , and other information concerning the physician is saved . in addition , the physician &# 39 ; s role is identified 9004 and information concerning the physician and the physician &# 39 ; s role is associated with the particular patient via the patient id stored in the demographic information 9010 . patients are entered into the hospital by a hospital representative 9006 who has a representative id which also is ultimately associated with the patient id . in addition , communications data 9000 is stored concerning how a representative can be reached ( cell phone , home phone etc .). referring now to fig1 b , the overall billing and insurance data structure is illustrated . an insurance provider number 9014 is also stored in the system . each physician is given a provider number and provider id by each insurance company . thus data must be stored regarding the id that is given to a particular physician by each insurance provider . this information is also stored and can be associated ultimately with treatment of the patient . each patient admitted to the hospital and to the icu has a patient visit id associated with the patient 9017 . this visit id has patient id information , icu information , admission date , and other information relevant to the specific visit . this information is illustrated in fig1 b . the visit id 9017 is associated with the patient id 9010 so that each visit can be tracked by patient . insurance carrier information 9018 is stored by the system and is associated with the insurance plan information 9008 as appropriate . thus the particular insurance carrier with its name , address , and other identifying information 9018 is associated with the type of plan 9008 carried by the patient . the insurance carrier information 9018 together with the insurance plan information 9008 is associated with the patient via the patient id information 9010 . patient address information 9020 and 9022 are collected for each individual patient and associated with the patient demographic information 9010 . if there is a patient guarantor , this information is obtained and stored with information on the guarantor 9026 . such information as the guarantor &# 39 ; s first and last name , date of birth , and other information is stored and is illustrated in fig1 b . further , the guarantor &# 39 ; s address 9024 is also collected and ultimately associated with the patient demographic information 9010 . referring to fig2 a and 2b , the command center logical data structure is illustrated . the various information associated with demographic and insurance information is again used to manage the care and operations of the command center . therefore , communications information 9000 is combined with physician and physician extender ( i . e . nurse , lpn and the like ) information 9002 and physician role 9004 to be associated with the demographic information 9010 . the patient visit information 9017 together with this information is associated with the patient &# 39 ; s location which has a unique identifier 9030 . each location id has patient id information and visit id information associated with it . referring now to fig2 b , the command center logical data structure illustration continues . each icu bed has an associated location id which comprises hospital icu information , room number , and bed number 9038 . in addition , and as described earlier , instrumentation such as cameras are also associated with the particular patient . therefore the camera setting 9040 will have a location id relating to the icu bed as well as have camera value settings and associated camera identifier information . each icu bed 9038 is associated with an icu 9032 . each icu has information associated with it that uniquely identifies the icu as being associated with the particular hospital , and having particular phone numbers , fax numbers , work space addresses , and other information , that help to identify the icu . as noted above , each icu is associated with a hospital 9034 . each hospital has a unique identifier , as well as its own name , address , and other identifying information . further , since each hospital icu is to be coordinated through a remote command center , information on the remote command center 9036 is associated with the hospital information . each command center has a unique id and has associated address information stored as well . thus in the command center logical data structure , patient id information 9010 is linked to a patient location 9030 which in turn is associated with an icu bed 9038 each of which beds are uniquely associated an icu 9032 which is associated with a hospital 9034 which in turn has the icu managed by a command center 9036 . an integral part of the system of the present invention is the recording of medical history . referring to fig3 , the logical relationship among data elements for medial history is illustrated . patient visit information 9017 combined with the physician - physician extender information 9002 is combined with specific note - taking information 9042 . the note information comprises the date and time the notes are taken as well as the note type . the note id is fed information from the medical history item 9044 , which has its own unique medical id associated with it . this information comprises medical text , category of information , and other information relevant to the medical history . as noted , this information for medical history 9044 is associated with a note id 9042 , which in turn is associated with the patient visit and physician information 9017 and 9002 . referring to fig4 a , 4 b , and 4 c , the note - keeping logical data structure of the present invention is illustrated . as noted earlier , the note id 9042 combines information from visit id , treating physician , and other information relating to the time the note was entered . other information is associated with the note id . referring first to fig4 a , the patient visit information 9017 , is associated with the note id 9042 . various procedural information 9046 is kept by the system of the present invention and is associated with the visit id 9017 . physicians are able to create free text patient illness notations 9048 and associate them with the note 9042 . similarly , free text information regarding functioning of the system 9050 is permitted and also associated with notes regarding the particular patient and procedure 9042 . specific notes regarding , for example , surgical procedures are also kept . surgery notes 9054 are associated with a particular note id and have such information as anesthesia , surgical diagnosis , elective information , and other related surgical information . surgical fluids 9052 administered during the course of surgery are associated with the surgery information 9054 . additionally , any surgical complications 9056 are noted and also associated with the surgery which in turn has an associated note id . referring now to fig4 b , the logical data structure for notes and its description is continued . an assessment plan 9058 is created and associated with the same note id for the particular patient . the plan has a free text field that allows a physician to create the appropriate assessment plan and associate it with a note id 9042 . various daily notes are also kept and associated with the individual note id 9042 . for example , the daily mental state 9060 is recorded to document the mental state of the patient . the daily treatment 9062 administered to the patient is associated with the unique note id . the daily diagnosis 9068 is also created and associated with unique note id 9042 . any unstable conditions are also noted 9070 and records kept of those conditions . similarly mortality performance measures ( mpm ) information 9072 is kept and associated with the unique note id . to the extent that any physical exam 9074 is administered , that physical exam and any free text created by the physician is associated with the unique id and records kept . allergy information 9076 for the particular patient is also created and stored along with the allergy type , and allergy name . this information is uniquely associated with the note id . referring now to fig4 c , the logical data structure for the notes creation and storage description is continued . a specific note item record 9078 is also kept and associated with unique note id . this note item comprises the principal diagnosis , the chief complaint , the past history of the patient , the reason for the note , and various other identifications and flags of information which help in documenting the patient &# 39 ; s condition . any drugs that are administered to the patient , including dosage , type , and number 9086 is kept and associated with the unique note id 9042 . procedural note items are also documented 9082 . procedural notes involve the procedural type , the principal diagnosis , the procedural location , procedural indications , and other information of a procedural nature . procedural description information 9088 is kept as input to the procedural note item . this information is also associated with a procedural evaluation 9084 which comprises text describing the procedural evaluation that occurred , these three items , the procedural description 9088 , procedural evaluation 9084 , and procedural note items 9082 , are all uniquely associated with the note id 9042 . referring now to fig5 , the logical data structure of the medical order functionality of the present invention is illustrated . each medical order 9092 has a unique order id associated with it . this information derives its uniqueness from the visit id , the representative id , and various information about the date in which the order was created and other such relevant information . any non - drug orders 9090 are associated with a unique non - drug order id . the order is classified , identified , and free text can be created by the physician to describe the order . this information in the non - drug order 9090 is associated with the unique medical order for that particular patient 9092 . again physician and physician extender identification information 9002 is also uniquely associated with the medical order to identify the physician involved in creating the particular order in question . drug orders 9094 are created each with its own unique drug order id . various information is collected as part of the drug order including the type of drug , the dosage , start date , frequency , stop date , to name but a few elements typical of a drug order . the drug order information 9094 is associated with the unique medical order id 9092 assigned to that particular patient . all of the medical order information is associated with patient visit information 9017 which allows that information to be uniquely identified with a particular patient for a particular visit . referring again to fig4 c , the system is also capable of annotating and storing various log items 9080 . for example , an event log item is given a number , a patient profile item has its own number , as do neurological , cardiographic , pulmonary , renal , and other events can have log items associated with them and may be used as input to any of the note taking of the present invention . referring to fig6 a and 6b , the logical data structure of the patient care functionality of the present invention is illustrated . each patient visit with its unique id 9017 has a number of other pieced of information associated with it . for example , physician - patient tasks are tracked 9098 and have a unique task id associated with them . the patient code status 9096 is documented and associated with the physician - patient task 9098 task id . this information is uniquely associated with the patient visit via the the patient visit id 9017 . laboratory information 9100 has a unique lab id associated with it . that information is keyed to the visit id and records the specimen taken , the date it was taken , and various other information germane to the laboratory procedure involved . other lab procedures 9102 are also documented with another unique id . “ other ” lab id is associated with the laboratory id 9100 which again is uniquely associated with the particular patient . microbiological studies 9104 are documented together with the date and the date taken and the type of study involved . any study of microorganisms 9106 is documented with a unique microorganism id . micro sensitivities 9108 which record the sensitivity to microorganisms and certain antibiotics is recorded and associated with the microorganism id 9106 . this information in turn is associated with a microbiological study 9104 , all of which is associated with the unique patient visit id 9107 . respiratory studies 9101 are also recorded with unique identification numbers and a description . this information is again associated with the patient visit id 9017 . referring now to fig6 b , the logical data structure of the patient care functionality of the present invention is further illustrated . other organism studies 9118 are also conducted to determine any other conditions associated with microorganisms that might exist with the particular patient . this other organism information 9118 is associated with the microorganism studies 9106 which in turn is associated with the microbiology category of information of the present invention 9104 . various diagnostic imaging also takes place and is recorded . this image information 9114 has unique image id associated with each image and comprises associated information such as the image type , the date performed , and other information relevant to the diagnostic imagery . the result of the image taken 9116 is also uniquely identified with the image id and a unique image result id . this information is associated with the image information 9114 which again is uniquely associated with the patient visit id . various intake and output for the patient &# 39 ; s biological functioning is recorded 9110 . intake and output total 9112 is recorded and uniquely associated with the intake / output identification note 9110 . intake / output totals 9112 also comprised the weight the total taken in , the total out , and five - day cumulative totals for biological functioning of the particular patient . referring to fig7 , the logical data structure concern with reference information for the present invention is illustrated . this data structure allows only certain ranges of data to be input by care givers into the system . this is accomplished by having categories of information 9120 each category capable of having only certain values . similarly , each type of data 9126 associated with each category is only permitted to have certain values . this combination of category and type results in a combined id 9122 which can be used in combination with certain values 9128 to create a value and combination 9124 that can be presented to a care giver viewing and entering data . this effectively limits errors in data entry by only allowing certain values to be entered for given types of data . for example , if only milligrams of a medication are supposed to be administered , this data structure prevents a care giver from administering kilograms of material since it is not a permitted range of data entry . the “ nextkey ” function 9027 is the function that keeps track of the id &# 39 ; s that are given during the administration of the present invention . this function insures that only unique id &# 39 ; s are given and that no identical id &# 39 ; s are given to two different patients for example . referring to fig8 a , the logical data structure of the vital signs functionality of the present invention is illustrated . vital sign header information 9120 is created and uniquely associated with the visit id for the particular patient . this header information comprises a date - time stamp combined with hospital information , medical reference numbers , and identification of the patient . vital sign details 9122 are also created and uniquely date - time stamped and associated with the particular visit id for the patient . this information comprises all manner of vital sign information relating to blood pressure , respiration , and other factors . vital sign information is associated with the patient visit 9017 and the demographic information concerning the patient 9016 . such associations of information can be the basis for later studies . referring to fig8 b , additional vital sign logical data structures are illustrated . for example , a vital sign log header 9120 is created using the unique hospital id and medical record numbers . other information , such as a patient name and date - time stamp , are also stored . vital sign log details 9124 are created and associated with the vital sign log header 9120 . for example , blood pressure measurements , respiration , and other factors are all detailed for a particular hospital id . it should be noted that all vital sign data is logged in and kept by the systems of the present invention . where vital sign information is received but cannot be associated with a particular patient , such communications are noted as errors . vital sign error details 9126 are also recorded and associated with a particular hospital . information and the vital sign error detail also comprises heart rate , blood pressure , and other information . this information is associated with a vital sign error header 9130 which is associated with the hospital identifier and the patient first and last name and other information . various vital sign error codes 9128 exist with the present invention and are used in association with the vital sign error detail 9126 . this information however relates to communications of vital sign data that are deemed “ errors ” as noted above . care net patient location 9132 is recorded and associated with a particular hospital id and location id for the particular patient . carenet is a proprietary product designation of hewlett - packard and is kept by the system of the present invention since it identifies the equipment from which measurements come . the icu bed information 9038 is associated with the care net patient location 9132 . referring to fig9 , the distributed architecture of the present invention is shown . in concept , the distributed architecture comprises a headquarters component 200 , a command center / remote location 202 , and a hospital icu 204 , which , while represented as a single hospital in this illustration , in the preferred embodiment comprises several hospital icus at different locations . the headquarters unit 200 comprises a database server and data warehouse functionality , together with a patient information front end . the patient information front end 206 provides patient specific information to the command center / remote location . the database server / warehouse function 208 comprises the amassed information of a wide variety of patients , in their various conditions , treatments , outcomes , and other information of a statistical nature that will assist clinicians and intensivists in treating patients in the icu . the headquarters &# 39 ; function also serves to allow centralized creation of decision support algorithms and a wide variety of other treatment information that can be centrally managed and thereby standardized across a variety of command center / remote locations . further , the database server / data warehousing functionality 208 serves to store information coming from command center / remote locations replicating that data so that , in the event of a catastrophic loss of information at the command center / remote location , the information can be duplicated at the command center / remote location once all systems are up and running . at the hospital icu 204 , each patient room 232 , 234 has a series of bedside monitors and both video and audio monitoring of each patient in the patient room . each icu further has a nurse &# 39 ; s station with a video camera and monitor 230 so that videoconferencing can go on between the nurses and doctors at the nursing station and those intensivists at the command center / remote location . the monitoring equipment at the icu is served by a monitor server 236 , which receives and coordinates the transmission of all bedside monitoring and nurses station communication with the command center / remote location . finally , each icu has a patient information front end 228 , which receives and transmits to the command center / remote location information concerning the identity and other characteristics of the patient . command center / remote location 202 comprises its own video capture and monitoring capability 212 in order to allow the intensivists to view the patients and information from the bedside monitoring as well as to have videoconferencing with the nursing station and with patients as the need arises . information from the monitor server 236 at the hospital icu is served to an hl7 ( the language for transmitting hospital / patient / diagnostic data ) gateway 214 to a database server 222 . in this fashion , information from the bedside monitors can be stored for current and historical analysis . monitor front ends 216 and 218 allow technicians and command center / remote location personnel to monitor the incoming data from the patient rooms in the icu . information from the patient information front end 228 is provided to an application server 224 , having its own patient information front end 226 for aggregating and assembling information in the database 222 that is associated with individual patients in the icu . it is expected that there will be a great deal of concurrent hospital data that is necessary to the implementation of the present invention . it is therefore expected that there will be a legacy database system 210 having a front end 220 from which intensivists and command center / remote location personnel can retrieve legacy database information . referring to fig1 , a system architecture of one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated . headquarters 200 comprises an application server 238 , an nt file server 240 , and sun sparc enterprise 250242 and enterprise network management system 244 , a cisco 3600 router 246 , a cisco 2924 switch 248 , and a hot phone 250 . the application server 238 is designed to monitor and update those applications used at the command center / remote location . the nt file server serves to monitor , store , and replicate information coming from the command center / remote locations . the sparc enterprise 250 server 242 is a disc storage server , for storing and serving information , such as practice guidelines , algorithms , patient information , and all matter of other information records that must be stored in order to support the present invention . as explained below , the sparc enterprise 250 server and other components are such as routers and switches are commonly used in the icu , the command center / remote location , and the headquarters . for example : the cisco 3600 router is a multi - function device that combines dial access , routing , and local area network ( lan ) to lan services , as well as the multi - service integration of voice , video , and data in the same device . this is necessary , since the various command center / remote locations , headquarters , and intensive care units all must integrate and transmit video , audio , and data among the various entities . the cisco 7204 is a router which provides high speed lan interconnect , virtual private networks , and internet access , all of which is required for providing the communication in the network of the present invention ; and the cisco 2924 switch is an autosensing fast ethernet switch , allowing networked multimedia and virtual lan support . multi - level security is also offered in the switch to prevent unauthorized users from gaining access and altering switch configuration . these components are also identified in the figures ( below ). the particular commercial systems named here are given as but some examples of equipment available today . the function of these equipment is the important factor . other similar or improved equipment can also be utilized . the network management system 244 allows the entire traffic and condition of the network to be monitored and to allow maintenance to take place . the router 246 and switch 248 is used for communication with the various command center / remote locations that are served by the headquarters component . the headquarters component interacts via frame relay with the command center / remote location 202 . command center / remote location 202 comprises an applications server 262 for the purpose of running various applications for the intensivists and command center / remote location staff . the nt file server 264 at the command center / remote location allows patient files , historical files , algorithms , practice standards , and guidelines , to be served to the clinicians and intensivists to assist in monitoring the patients . the sun sparc enterprise 250266 is used to for storage purposes as noted above . the enterprise network management system 268 monitors the overall health of the network of command center / remote locations and intensive care units as well as the functionality of the individual pieces of equipment within the command center / remote location . a cisco 2924 switch 256 and cisco 7204 router 258 , combined with the cisco 3600 router 260 allows for point to point communication over a t 1 line , with a plurality of intensive care units located remotely from the command center / remote location . hot phones 252 and 254 allow communication with the headquarters and the intensive care unit . intensive care unit 204 comprises a cisco 2924 switch 272 for the purpose of interfacing with the various audio - video feeds 274 , 276 from the various patient rooms and the nursing station . a local work station 280 is connected to a scanner 282 which allows data to be input , scanned , and communicated via the point to point t1 communications to the command center / remote location . further , the workstation 280 provides for textual advice and patient orders to be delivered to the intensive care unit for execution . the intensive care unit also comprises a laser printer 284 for the printing of patient orders and other information relevant to the care of intensive care patients . referring to fig1 , the videoconferencing / surveillance / imaging components of the present invention are illustrated . the hospital icu 204 comprises a series of video cameras 290 , which are located in patient rooms and at the nurse &# 39 ; s station . control for the cameras is provided through an rs424 to rs232 converter 288 , with instructions for imaging emanating from the workstation at the command center / remote location 252 through the icu workstation 280 through a multi - port serial controller 286 . video feed from the video cameras 290 is provided to an audio - video switcher 292 , which in turn provides its output to the multi - port serial controller 286 for subsequent viewing at the nurse &# 39 ; s station and at the command center / remote location . of equal importance is a microphone feed from the patient and from the nurses . that microphone 296 provides its signal to an audio line amplifier 294 , which in turn provides an audio feed to the audio - video switcher 292 . in this way , a patient can provide information , as can nurses who are visiting the patient during the course of patient care . it is also important that information of an audio nature be fed to the intensive care unit , both to the patient rooms and to the nurse &# 39 ; s station . to do this , the multi - port serial controller 286 provides an audio signal to a reverse audio switcher 298 , which in turn provides information to speakers 300 that are located at the nurse &# 39 ; s station as well as at the bedside of the patients . information to the reverse audio switcher is provided an audio amplifier 302 from information from a video code 304 , which in turn is connected to the workstation at the icu . as noted earlier , a scanner 282 is provided , so that information can be scanned and provided to the command center / remote location 202 and a hot telephone 278 communicates with a telephone 252 at the command center / remote location . referring to fig1 the vital signs data flow is illustrated . the monitoring system at each icu bedside comprises a monitoring system for monitoring the vital signs for the patient . the vital sign monitoring system 450 captures vital sign data 452 and transmits that vital sign data 454 using the hl7 language ( the standard processing language for hospital data and information ). the processor at the icu processes the vital sign data for transmission and storage purposes and transmits that information to the remote location . vital sign data is then loaded into the data base 458 . the data base for each individual patient is then reviewed and process rules are applied 460 to the vital sign data . these process rules relate to certain alarming conditions which , if a certain threshold is reached , provides an alarm to the intensivist on duty . the vital sign alarm 462 is then displaced to the intensivist who can then take appropriate action . a typical type of rule processing of the vital sign data might be if blood pressure remains at a certain low level for an extended period of time , or if heart rate remains high for an extended period of time . in addition a wide range of other rules are provided which will provide an audible alarm to the intensivist before a critical situation is reached . in addition to the information being provided to the alarming system for the intensivist , the vital sign data 464 is also transmitted 466 into a database warehouse 468 comprising vital sign data 470 from not only the individual patient but from all of the patients being cared for in the icu . this database warehouse provides the ability to do data mining for trends that can give rise to additional process rules and vital sign thresholding . in addition to the transmission of vital sign data 454 to the remote site , the vital sign data is displayed in real time at the icu 472 . referring to fig1 a the diagnostic imaging interaction is illustrated . x - rays for example , are created and transmitted to the command center 472 . additionally , the information could be act scan , mri , or any other method of medical diagnostic imaging . the x - ray image is captured at the command center 474 where it is stored and in addition displayed on the image monitor 476 for the intensivist to review . referring to fig1 b the interactive video session is illustrated . a video conferencing session is established 478 regarding a particular patient in an icu bed . using the video cameras in each room and / or at the nurse &# 39 ; s station at the icu , the patient and / or the nurse can be viewed 480 . on the other end of the video conferencing session is the intensivist who can then both visually and orally communicate with the patient and / or nurse 482 . referring to fig1 the physician resources and order writing data interface is illustrated . the user interface 484 allows the physicians to access physician resources 486 . these resources provide guidelines for the treatment of the critically ill . in this example the intensivist is requested to enter the antibiotic associated with colitis 488 . the system then generates a request for a fecal leukocyte test 490 . this request is translated into an order writing module 496 which results in the actual order for the test 502 . since the order needs to be transmitted to the appropriate organization for execution , an appropriate order is generated to the microbiology laboratory 500 in this instance . the order results are then achieved 506 and the completion of the order is reported to the order writing assignment manager 496 . in addition , the order writing module 502 also results in a task list 504 of orders for various other individuals in laboratories . in addition , user interface 484 allows the physician to re - enter the physician resources module at any particular location with results of the tests . these tests are then fed into the system to continue with the diagnostic algorithm processing of the patient test results 494 . the user interface also allows interaction with the resident database 498 . referring to fig1 the physician resources database data interface is illustrated . user interface 508 allows the intensivist to interact with the physician resources data base 510 . in this example , resident data base 524 which comprises the identification and background of the resident admitting the patient causes an admission diagnosis 526 to be created . in this example a diagnosis of pancreatitis is illustrated . this diagnosis of pancreatitis 522 alerts the physician resources module 510 which causes an entry for the topic pancreatitis 512 . the diagnosis algorithm for pancreatitis 514 is then retrieved and a request for an apache ii score 516 is requested . the system also requests information for operative data 528 describing what if any operations have taken place with respect to this patient , vital sign data 530 , request for laboratory information 532 , past medical history for the patient 534 and patient demographics 536 . all this information is provided to the apache ii score assignment manager 538 which assigns an apache ii score based upon weighted composite up to twenty five different variables . this apache ii score is provided to the apache ii score request module 516 . if the severity based apache ii score is greater than or equal to eight the diagnostic of the system continue 520 . if the apache ii score is less than eight , the patient is triaged to a non - icu bed 518 since the patient will not necessarily require intensive care thereby saving relatively scarce resources of the icu for those who are truly critically ill . referring to fig1 the automated coding / billing work flow and data flow is illustrated . clearly icus must be paid for the care that they give . at the outset of the visit 540 the user interface 542 allows for the input of international classification of diseases , ninth revision ( icd 9 ) diagnosis code information concerning complexity of the case , whether the patient is stable , whether the physician involved is the attending physician or consulting physician and all other manner of information required for billing purposes . in addition , resident data 544 is input such as patient demographics , insurance information , physician , guarantor , the date that the service is provided . all this information is provided to the data manager 546 which assembles the required data element for subsequent processing . the data manager sends the demographic , physician , guarantor , insurance and related information to a bill generator 548 which begins to assemble the information to subsequently generate a bill . clinical information is provided to the current procedural terminology ( cpt ) code assignment manager which assigns codes based upon the scores and user input for bill generation purposes . a history of present illness ( hpi ) score 560 is generated along with a review of systems ( ros ) score 562 . a past , family , and / or social history ( pfsh ) score 564 is generated along with a score relating to the physical exam 566 . a mortality prediction model ( mpm ) score 568 which is a score relating to the severity of the illness is also generated . all of these various scores are provided to the cpt assignment manager 558 . periodically information is downloaded for management reports 556 . once all of the information for the cpt code assignment is generated that information is provided to the bill generator 548 which assembles all the data elements needed to generate a health care financing administration ( hcfa ) 1500 claim form . the input for the bill generator is then verified 550 where the physician can disagree with code assignments return progress notes and generally review the bill . this smart processing of the hcfa 1500 claim form allows for fewer mistakes to be made . if there is any error or additional information that is required , the verification process fails the proposed claim form and information regarding that failure is provided back to the resident data for completion of any missing items . once an invoice has been verified as having the appropriate information to be submitted the hcfa 1500 claim form is generated 554 . additional information is written to a billing data file 552 for importation to the patient accounting system of the present invention . referring to fig1 the order writing data flow is illustrated . order entry user interface 600 allows the intensivist to order procedures and medication to assist the patients in the icu . for example , the intensivist can order an ecg 604 . thereafter the order is reviewed and a digital signature relating to the intensivist is supplied 606 . once reviewed and signed off , the order is approved 607 and sent to the data output system 610 . thereafter the data output system prints the order to the printer in the icu 616 . for record keeping purposes the order is exported in the hl7 language to the hospital data system 618 . in addition the data output system adds an item to the data base that will subsequently cause an intensivist to check the ecg results . this notification to the task list is provided to the database 614 . in addition , as part of the database an orders file relating to the specific patient is also kept . the fact that and ecg has been ordered is entered in the orders file for that patient . in a similar fashion using the order entry user interface 600 the intensivist can order medications 602 for a patient . the medication order then is provided to an order checking system 608 . the order checking system retrieves information from the database 614 relating to allergies of the patient and medication list which includes medications which are already being administered to the patient . this allows for the order checking system to check for drug interactions . further laboratory data is extracted from the database 614 and the order checking system checks to insure that there will be no adverse impact of the recommended dosage upon the renal function of the patient . once the order checking system 608 is completed , the order is okayed and provided to the order review and signature module 606 . in this module the digital signature of the intensivist is affixed to the order electronically and the order is approved 607 . thereafter it is provided to the data output system 610 where again the orders are printed for icu and 616 and for the hospital data system . in this case , any medications that are ordered are then provided to the medications list file in the database 614 so that the complete list of all medications that are being administered to the icu patient is current . referring to fig1 the event log is illustrated . the database 620 contains all manner of notes and data relating to the particular patient that is admitted to the icu . for example , admission notes 622 are taken upon admission of the patient and stored in the file that is specific to that patient . progress notes 624 are created during the patients stay within the icu to note the progress the patient is making giving the various treatments . procedural notes 626 are also created by the intensivist to note what procedures have taken place and what if any events have occurred associated with those procedures . laboratory data such as positive blood cultures are also stored in the file 628 in the database 620 . further x - ray data 630 and abnormal ct scan results are stored in the database . the result of these individual files are then provided to an event log manager 632 . for example , admission notes might contain operations performed . progress notes 624 might relate to the operations preformed . this information is provided to the event log manager 632 . admission information is also input to the event log manager as are a listing of the procedures administered to the patient . to the extent there are positive blood cultures in the laboratory data 628 those are provided to the event log manager 632 as are abnormal ct scan results . all of this information is made available through the user interface 634 . thus the event log presents in a single location key clinical information from throughout a patients stay in the icu . the event log user interface provides caregivers with a snapshot view of all salient events since admission . all relevant data on procedures and laboratory tests , etc . are presented chronologically . referring to fig1 the smart alarms of the present invention are illustrated . the smart alarm system constantly monitors physiologic data ( collected once per minute from the bedside monitors ) and all other clinical information stored in the database ( labs , medications , etc ). the periodicity of the collection of data is stated for illustrative purposes only . it is well within the scope of the present invention to collect physiological data at more frequent time intervals . thus , monitor 636 provides information in hl7 form to the interface engine 638 . the physiological data is then formatted by the interface engine for storage in the database 640 where all patient information is maintained . the rules engine 642 searches for patterns of data indicative of clinical deterioration . one family of alarms looks for changes in vital signs over time , using pre - configured thresholds . these thresholds are patient - specific and setting / disease - specific . for example , patients with coronary artery disease can develop myocardial ischemia with relatively minor increases in heart rate . heart rate thresholds for patients with active ischemia ( e . g . those with unstable angina in a coronary care unit ) are set to detect an absolute heart rate of 75 beats per minute . in contrast , patients with known coronary artery disease in a surgical icu have alarms set to detect either an absolute heart rate of 95 beats per minute or a 20 % increase in heart rate over the baseline . for this alarm , current heart rate , calculated each minute based on the median value over the preceding 5 minutes , is compared each minute to the baseline value ( the median value over the preceding 4 hours ). physiologic alarms can be based on multiple variables . for example , one alarm looks for a simultaneous increase in heart rate of 25 % and a decrease in blood pressure of 20 %, occurring over a time interval of 2 hours . for this alarm , thresholds were initially selected based on the known association between changes in these two variables and adverse clinical events . actual patient data were then evaluated to determine the magnitude of change in each variable that yielded the best balance between sensitivity and specificity . this process was used to set the final thresholds for the rules engine . alarms also track additional clinical data in the patient database . one alarm tracks central venous pressure and urine output , because simultaneous decreases in these two variables can indicate that a patient is developing hypovolemia . other rules follow laboratory data ( e . g . looking for need to exclude active bleeding and possibly to administer blood ). the purpose of the rules engine is to facilitate detection of impending problems and to automate problem detection thereby allowing for intervention before a condition reaches a crisis state . referring to fig2 the procedural note - line log is illustrated . this log allows clinicians to evaluate the likelihood that a given procedure might result in further complications . in this example presented in this fig2 a catheter removal is illustrated . when a new catheter is inserted in a patient 648 a procedural note is created on the procedure note creation user interface 646 . the note is reviewed and a digital signature is attached to the note to associate the note with a particular intensivist 654 . the procedure is then approved and is provided to the data output system 656 . the procedural note is then printed on the printer in the icu 658 and is exported in hl7 language to the hospital data system 660 . in addition , this also triggers a billing event and the data output system provides appropriate output to the billing module 662 to generate an invoice line item . in addition , the note is stored in the emergency medical record associated with the patient in the database 664 . in addition , the line log is updated in the database 664 to show what procedure was administrated to a patient at what time . if there is an existing catheter , that is displayed to the intensivist at the procedure note creation user interface 646 . this would show an existing catheter changed over a wire 650 . that information is provided to the line id module 652 which extracts information from the line log in the database 664 . this information results in a note being created and provided to the note review and signature module 664 . thus the line log contains , for each patient , relevant information about all in - dwelling catheters , including type and location of the catheter , insertion date , the most recent date that the catheter was changed over a wire , and the date the catheter was removed . this information helps clinicians evaluate the likelihood that a given catheter is infected and guides its subsequent management of that procedure . in order to standardize treatment across icus at the highest possible level , decision support algorithms are used in the present invention . these include textural material describing the topic , scientific treatments and possible complications . this information is available in real time to assist in all types of clinical decisions from diagnosis to treatment to triage . all connections among components of the present invention are presently with a high bandwidth t - 1 line although this is not meant as a limitation . it is anticipated that other existing and future high bandwidth communication capabilities , both wired and wireless , as well as satellite communications will be suitable for the communications anticipated for the present invention . as noted earlier , a key objective of the present invention is to standardize care and treatment across icus . this is effective in the present invention by providing decision support to intensivists as well as information concerning the latest care and practice standards for any given condition . as noted in table i below , a wide variety of conditions is noted . each of the conditions has an associated guideline of practice standard that can be presented to the intensivist who might be faced with that particular condition in a patient . these guidelines of practice standards can be accessed at the command center / remote location or at the icu to assist in the treatment of the patient . thus , the general categories of cardiovascular , endocrinology , general , gastrointestinal , hematology , infectious diseases , neurology , pharmacology , pulmonary , renal , surgery , toxicology , trauma all have guidelines and practice standards associated with them . referring to fig2 a - b , the acalculous cholecystitis decision support algorithm of the present invention is illustrated . if an intensivist suspects that acalculous cholecystitis may be present , the intensivist may not be certain of all of the aspects that would be indicative of this particular condition . therefore , the intensivist is lead through a decision support algorithm , which first causes the intensivist to determine if the patient is clinically infected , either febrile or leukocystosis 800 . if this criterion is not met , the intensivist is prompted that it is unlikely that the patient has acalculous cholecystitis 802 . if the patient is clinically infected 800 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has had a previous cholesystectomy 804 . if patient has had a previous cholesystectomy , the intensivist is prompted that it is very unlikely that the patient has acalculous cholecystitis 806 . alternatively , if a patient has not had a previous cholesystectomy , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has any of seven ( 7 ) risk factors , specifically : 1 ) prolonged intensive care unit ( icu ) stay ( defined as greater than six ( 6 ) days ); 2 ) recent surgery ( particularly aortic cross clamp procedures ); 3 ) hypotension ; 4 ) positive end - expiratory pressure ( peep ) greater than ten ( 10 ) centimeters ( cm ); 5 ) transfusion greater than six ( 6 ) units of blood ; 6 ) inability to use the gastrointestinal ( gi ) tract for nutrition ; or 7 ) immunosuppresssion ( aids , transplantation , or leukemia ) 808 . if the patient has none of these seven risk factors , the intensivist is prompted that the patient probably does not have acalculous cholecystitis 810 . if the patient has any of the seven risk factors 808 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has any of the following symptoms : right upper quadrant ( ruq ) tenderness ; elevated alkalinephosphatase ; elevated bilirubin ; or elevated livert transaminases 812 . if the patient has none of these four ( 4 ) symptoms 812 , the intensivist is prompted to consider other more likely sources of infection ( see fever of unknown origin or fuo ) 814 . if the infection remains undiagnosed following an alternative work - up , the intensivist is prompted to re - enter the algorithm 814 . if the patient has any of these four ( 4 ) symptoms 812 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether alternative intra - abdominal infectious sources are more likely 816 . if alternative intra - abdominal infectious sources are not more likely , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is sufficiently stable to go for a test 826 . if the patient is sufficiently stable to go for a test , the intensivist is prompted to perform an mso4 cholescintigraphy 836 . the normal ac is excluded 838 . if the test indicates an abnormality , the intensivist is prompted to consider a cholecystectomy or precutaneous drainage 840 . if the patient is not sufficiently stable to go for a test , the intensivist is prompted to perform a bedside ultrasound 828 . if no other infectious etiologies are identified and no abnormalities of the gall - bladder are noted but : a ) the patient remains ill 830 , the intensivist is prompted to consider empiric cholecystostomy 832 . if no other infectious etiologies are identified and no abnormalities of the gall bladder are noted but : b ) the patient is improving 830 , the intensivist is prompted to continue to observe the patient 834 . if alternative intra - abdominal infectious sources are more likely 816 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is sufficiently stable to go for a test 818 . if the patient is sufficiently stable to go for a test 818 , the intensivist is prompted to perform an abdominal ct scan 820 . if no other infectious etiologies are apparent and the test : a ) demonstrates abnormalities of the gall - bladder but not diagnostic ; or b ) no gall - bladder abnormalities are noted 822 , the intensivist is prompted to maintain continued observation of the patient 824 . alternatively , if neither of these criteria is met 822 , the intensivist is prompted to perform an mso4 cholescintigraphy 836 . normal ac is excluded 838 . if the test is abnormal , the intensivist is prompted to consider cholecystectomy or precutaneous drainage 840 . if the patient is not sufficiently stable to go for a test , the intensivist is prompted to perform a bedside ultrasound 828 . if no other infectious etiologies are identified and no abnormalities of the gall - bladder are noted but : a ) the patient remains ill 830 , the intensivist is prompted to consider empiric cholecystostomy 832 . if no other infectious etiologies are identified and no abnormalities of the gall bladder are noted but : b ) the patient is improving 830 , the intensivist is prompted to continue to observe the patient 834 . referring to fig2 , the adrenal insufficiency decision support algorithm of the present invention is illustrated . when an intensivist suspects an adrenal problem may be presented in a patient , the intensivist may initiate the adrenal insufficiency decision support algorithm which prompts questions concerning all aspects of the condition . first the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is either hypotensive and / or has been administered pressors for forty - eight hours or longer 900 . if neither condition is met , the system advises the intensivist that it is unlikely that an adrenal problem is present 902 . if one or both conditions are met , the intensivist is asked whether an obvious cause for hypotensive blood pressure or treatment with pressors are manifested , such as hypovolemia or low blood volume , myocardial dysfunction , or spinal injury 904 . if at least one of these obvious causes is present , the intensivist is alerted by the system that the underlying cause must first be treated 906 . if treatment of a suspected underlying cause is reversed , yet the hypotension or pressor need persists , the intensivist is further directed to determine whether other adrenal problems have occurred in the patient &# 39 ; s history 908 , 910 , 912 . in order to examine prior treatment issues , the intensivist is first prompted by the system to determine if the patient has been treated with steroids in the previous six months for at least a two week period 908 . next , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has hyponatremia or hyperkalemia 910 . the intensivist is also prompted to determine whether the patient has experienced anticoagulation or become coagulopathic prior to the hypotension or pressor treatment 912 . according to the responses provided by the intensivist to the system queries or blocks 908 , 910 , and 912 , the system calculates a treatment action 914 as follows : the array of possible responses to diagnosis questions 908 , 910 , and 912 are given a decision code as shown in table 1a : adrenal insufficiency considerations , below . 5 mg iv , so cosyntropin stim test and empirically treat with hydrocortione 50 mg iv every 8 hours until stim test results besides specialized treatment actions listed in the decision codes above , the intensivist is directed to administer a cosyntropin stimulation test 914 in order to see how much cortisone the adrenal gland is producing . after performing the cosyntropin stimulation test , the intensivist is prompted to enter the patient &# 39 ; s level of cortisol before administering cosyntropin and thirty minutes afterwards 916 . the software analyzes the test results as follows : the results in table 2 , shown below , are shown as having certain decision codes a through f . referring to fig2 , the blunt cardiac injury decision support algorithm of the present invention is illustrated . if an intensivist suspects that blunt cardiac injury may be present , the intensivist may not be certain of all aspects that would be critical to or indicative of this particular condition . therefore , the intensivist is lead through a decision support algorithm , which first causes the intensivist to determine whether any of seven ( 7 ) risk factors are present : 1 ) was thoracic impact greater than fifteen ( 15 ) mph ; 2 ) was the steering wheel deformed ; 3 ) was there precordial ecchymosis , contusions , or abrasions ; 4 ) was marked precordial tenderness present ; 5 ) was there a fractured sternum ; 6 ) were bilateral rib / costal cartilage fractures present ; 7 ) were thoracic spine fractures present 1000 . if none of the 7 risk factors are present , the intensivist is prompted that no further evaluation is necessary 1002 . if any of the 7 risk factors are present , the intensivist is prompted to obtain an electrocardiogram ( ecg ) and chest x - ray ( cxr ) 1004 . once the results of the ecg and cxr are obtained , the intensivist is prompted to determine : whether the ecg results are abnormal , with abnormal being defined as anything other than sinus rhythm , including ectopy and unexplained sinus tachycardia ( greater than 100 beats / minute ); and whether the cxr results are abnormal , with abnormal being defined as any skeletal or pulmonary injury , especially cardiac enlargement 1006 . if either the ecg or cxr is not abnormal , the intensivist is prompted that a monitored bed is unnecessary for the patient 1008 . if either the ecg or cxr is abnormal , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether there is any hemodynamic instability ( hemodynamic instability being defined as the absence of hypovolemia , spinal cord injury , or sepsis ) that cannot be explained by hypovolemia , spinal cord injury , or sepsis 1010 . if this criterion is not met , the intensivist is prompted : that the patient should be in a monitored bed ; that the ecg should be repeated at 24 hours ; that , at any time , if unexplained hemodynamic instability is present , the intensivist should request a stat echo ; and that , if blunt thoracic aortic injury is also suspected , a transesophogeal echocardiogram ( tee ) is favored over a transthoracic echocardiogram ( tte ) 1012 . once the results of these tests are obtained , the intensivist is prompted further to determine whether ectopy , arrhythmia , or abnormality is present on the ecg 1014 . if none of these criteria are met , the intensivist is prompted that cardiac injury is excluded 1016 . if any of these criteria are met , the intensivist is prompted that he should consider monitoring the patient for an additional 24 hours 1018 . if the internist determines that there is any hemodynamic instability that cannot be explained by hypovolemia , spinal cord injury , or sepsis 1010 , he is prompted : to perform a stat echo ; and , if blunt thoracic aortic injury is also suspected , that a transesophogeal echocardiogram ( tee ) is favored over a transthoracic echocardiogram ( tte ) 1020 . once the results of the stat echo are obtained , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the echo is abnormal with possible causes for the abnormality being : pericardial effusion ( tamponade ; hypokineses or akinesis ( wall motion ); dilatation or reduced systolic function ; acute valvular dysfunction ; and / or chamber rupture 1022 . if the stat echo is abnormal , the intensivist is prompted to treat as indicated for the particular cause of the abnormality 1026 . if the stat echo is not abnormal , the intensivist is prompted to continue to monitor the patient and repeat the ecg at 24 hours 1024 . once the results of the ecg are obtained , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether ectopy , arrhythmia , or abnormality are present on the ecg 1014 . if any of these criteria are not met , the intensivist is prompted that cardiac injury is excluded 1016 . if any of these criteria are met , the intensivist is prompted that he should consider monitoring the patient for an additional 24 hours 1018 . referring to fig2 a - b , the candiduria decision support algorithm , which is yet another decision support algorithm of the present invention is illustrated . in the candiduria decision support algorithm , the intensivist is presented with the criteria for diagnosing candiduria , or severe fungal infection . first , the intensivist determines whether the patient has any medical conditions that render the patient prone to fungal infections , such as diabetes , gu anatomic abnormality , renal transplant , or pyuria 1100 . if there are no such conditions , the intensivist is next prompted by the system to look for dissemination or spreading of the fungal infection 1102 . if the infection does not seem to have spread , the intensivist is prompted to change the patient &# 39 ; s catheter and test for pyuria after twenty four hours have passed 1104 . the intensivist is prompted by the system to determine whether the patient can have p . o . 1106 . if the patient can take p . o ., the system next prompts the intensivist to determine whether azoles , an organic compound for inhibiting fungal growth , have been administered in the past three days to fight the infection 1108 . if azoles have been previously administered , the systemic infection diagnosis is confirmed and the intensivist is referred to the systemic amphotericin dosing algorithm 1110 . if azoles have not been previously administered , directions for the proper treatment dosage of fluconazole ( a type of azole ) is provided to the intensivist along with adjustments for the species of fungus found 1112 . where the patient cannot take p . o ., the intensivist is again referred to the systemic amphotericin dosing algorithm 1114 . when the patient does have some condition prone to fungal infection , the intensivist is prompted to determine what other signs of dissemination are exhibited in the patient 1116 . the intensivist is prompted to see if the patient can take p . o . if the patient cannot take p . o ., the intensivist is referred to the systemic amphotericin dosing algorithm 1120 . if the patient can take p . o ., the intensivist is prompted to check whether azoles have been administered in the previous three days 1122 . if azoles have been administered , the systemic infection is confirmed and the intensivist is referred to the systemic amphotericin dosing algorithm 1124 . if no azoles have been administered previously , the intensivist is given instructions for administering fluconazole to treat the ftmgal infection 1126 . if there is no evidence of dissemination , the intensivist is still prompted to determine whether the patient can take p . o . 1128 . where the patient cannot take p . o ., directions are provided to administer amphotericin bladder washing procedures 1130 . if the patient cannot take p . o ., the intensivist is prompted to determine whether azoles have been administered in the previous three days 1132 . if azoles have been administered , the systemic infection is confirmed and the intensivist is referred to the systemic amphotericin dosing algorithm 1134 . if no azoles have been administered previously , the intensivist is given instructions for administering fluconazole to treat the fungal infection 1136 . referring to fig2 a - b , the cervical spine injury decision support algorithm of the present invention is illustrated . if an intensivist suspects that a cervical spine injury may be present , the intensivist may not be certain of all of the factors that would be indicative of this particular condition . therefore , the intensivist is lead through a decision support algorithm , which first prompts the intensivist to determine if the patient is awake , alert , not intoxicated , and has no mental status changes 1200 . if these criteria are met , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has any neck pain 1202 . if the patient does not have any neck pain , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has any other pain which would distract from his or her neck pain 1204 . if this criterion is not met , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has any neurologic deficits 1206 . if this criterion is not met , the intensivist is prompted that a stable c - spine is present if the patient can flex , extend , move neck left / right without pain and without neck tenderness to palpitation 1208 . the intensivist is prompted further that he can remove the collar 1208 . alternatively , if the patient does have neck pain 1202 , the intensivist is prompted to order 3 x rays 1210 consisting of : 1 ) lateral view revealing the base of the occiput to the upper border of the first thoracic vertebra ; 2 ) anteroposterior view revealing spinous processes of the second cervical through the first thoracic vertebra ; and 3 ) an open mouth odontoid view revealing the lateral masses of the first cervical vertebra and entire odontoid process 1210 . if the x rays are normal the intensivist is prompted to consider extension then flexion lateral x rays ; if normal he is prompted that he can remove the collar ; if abnormal , he is prompted to obtain a surgical consult 1212 . if the x rays are abnormal , the intensivist is prompted to obtain a surgical consult and order a ct scan 1214 . if the x rays are indeterminate , the intensivist is prompted to order a ct scan 1216 . alternatively , if the patient has no other pain which would distract from their neck pain 1204 , the intensivistis prompted to order 3 x rays ( the same types of x rays described in 1210 above with the same prompting based on normal , abnormal , or indeterminate x rays ) 1218 . if the patient does have neurologic deficits 1206 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the neurologic deficit is referable to the cervical spine 1226 . if this criterion is not met , the intensivist is prompted to order 3 x rays ( the same types of x rays described in 1210 above with the same prompting based on normal , abnormal , or indeterminate x rays ) 1218 . if the neurologic deficit is referable to the cervical spine 1226 , the intensivist is prompted that the patient should obtain immediate spine trauma surgery consult and ct or mri ( if available ) 1228 . alternatively , if the intensivist determines that the patient does not pass the criteria of being awake , alert , not intoxicated and having no mental status changes 1200 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has severe head trauma 1232 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to order ct of the neck with head ct 1236 . if this criterion is not met , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has any neurologic deficit referable to the cervical spine 1234 . if the intensivist determines that the patient does have a neurologic deficit referable to the cervical spine , the intensivist is prompted that the patient should obtain immediate spine trauma surgery consult and ct or mri ( if available ) 1228 . if the intensivist determines that the patient does not have a neurologic deficit referable to the cervical spine 1234 , he is prompted to order 3 x rays ( the same types of x rays described in 1210 above with the same prompting based on normal , abnormal , or indeterminate x rays ) 1218 . referring to fig2 a - b , the oliguria decision support algorithm of the present invention is illustrated . if an intensivist suspects that oliguria may be present , the intensivist may not be certain of all of the aspects that would be indicative of this particular condition . therefore , the intensivist is lead through a decision support algorithm , which first causes the intensivist to determine if the patient is oliguric , with the criterion being passage of less than 25 cc of urine in a period of 2 hours 1300 . if this criterion is met the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is anuric ( the criterion for which is passage of less than 10 cc of urine in a 2 hour period ) in spite of fluid administration 1302 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the urinary catheter is working by flushing the catheter 1304 . the intensivist is then prompted to determine whether the catheter is functioning 1306 . if the catheter is not functioning , the intensivist is prompted to replace or reposition the catheter 1308 . if the catheter is functioning , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has a history of : 1 ) renal stone disease ; 2 ) abdominal , pelvic , or retroperitoneal cancer ; or 3 ) recent pelvic or retroperitoneal surgery 1310 . if any of these criteria are met , the intensivist is prompted to perform the following actions : 1 ) do renal ultrasound emergently to rule out obstruction ; 2 ) while waiting for ultrasound , administer fluid at the rate of 7 - 15 ml / kg of bodyweight ; and 3 ) send urine for specific gravity determination 1312 . based on the renal ultrasound test results , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether an obstruction is present 1314 . if an obstruction is determined to be present , the intensivist is prompted to consult a urologist immediately 1316 . alternatively , if the intensivist determines that the patient does not have a history of : 1 ) renal stone disease ; 2 ) abdominal , pelvic , or retroperitoneal cancer ; or 3 ) recent pelvic or retroperitoneal surgery 1310 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether : 1 ) the patient has a history of heart failure or known ejection fraction of less than 30 percent ; or 2 ) there are rales on the physical exam 1318 . alternatively , if following the renal ultrasound test , the intensivist determines that there is no obstruction the intensivist is prompted to determine whether : 1 ) the patient has a history of heart failure or known ejection fraction of less than 30 percent ; or 2 ) there are rales on the physical exam 1318 . if the intensivist determines that the patient is not anuric 1302 , then the intensivist is prompted to determine whether : 1 ) the patient has a history of heart failure or known ejection fraction of less than 30 percent ; or 2 ) whether there are rales on the physical examination 1318 . if neither of these criteria is met , the intensivist is prompted to administer fluids to the patient at the rate of 10 - 20 ml / kg of bodyweight 1320 and send the patient &# 39 ; s urine sample for a specific gravity test 1322 as more fully described in fig2 b - c . alternatively , if the patient does : 1 ) have a history of heart failure or known ejection fraction less than 30 percent ; or 2 ) there are rales on the physical exam 1318 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether there has been a chest x - ray ( cxr ) in the last 6 hours 1324 . if this criterion is not met , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether there has been a change in respiratory status 1326 . if there has been no change in the respiratory status , the intensivist is prompted to administer 7 - 15 ml of fluids per kg of bodyweight 1328 and to send the patient &# 39 ; s urine sample for a specific gravity test . alternatively , if the intensivist determines that there has been a change in respiratory status 1326 , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) do a chest x - ray ; and 2 ) determine whether there is evidence of edema or congestion 1334 . if there is evidence of edema or congestion 1334 , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) insert a pa catheter to measure wedge pressure and liver function to direct fluid replacement ; and 2 ) send urine creatinine and sodium 1332 . if the intensivist determines that there has been a cxr in the last 6 hours 1324 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether there is evidence of edema or congestion 1330 . if there is no evidence of edema or congestion , the intensivist is prompted to administer 7 - 15 ml of fluids per kg of bodyweight 1328 and send the patient &# 39 ; s urine for a specific gravity test 1322 . alternatively , if the intensivist determines there is evidence of edema or congestion 1330 , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) insert a pa catheter to measure wedge pressure and liver function to direct fluid replacement ; and 2 ) send urine creatinine and sodium 1332 . referring now to fig2 c - d , the oliguria algorithm description continues . following the specific gravity test of the patient &# 39 ; s urine , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the results indicate the specific gravity is less than 1 . 018 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) send blood and urine immediately to test for blood urea nitrogen ( bun ), creatinine , electrolytes , and hgb , and spot urine for creatinine , sodium , and sediment ; and 2 ) administer 5 - 10 ml of fluid per kg of bodyweight 1356 . once the results of these tests are obtained , the intensivist is prompted to determine what is the hgb 1338 . if the hgb has increased by more than 1 . 5 gm / dl compared to the previous hgb 1340 , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) administer fluids 5 - 10 ml / kg of bodyweight and follow the urine output closely 1342 . following this , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the labs confirm renal failure by use of the formula fe . sub . na = urine na . times . serum creatinine / urine creatinine . times . serum na . times . 100 1344 . if the hgb is within 1 . 5 gm / dl from the previous hgb or no comparison 1352 , the intensivist is prompted to determine what is the mean blood pressure 1354 . if the mean blood pressure is determined to be within 20 percent or higher than the baseline blood pressure 1356 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the labs confirm renal failure 1344 . if the mean blood pressure is determined to be greater than 20 percent below the baseline pressure 1358 , the intensivist is prompted to give additional fluids and consider invasive hemodynamic monitoring 1360 . following this , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the labs confirm renal failure by use of the formula fe . sub . na = urine na . times . serum creatinine / urine creatinine . times . serum na . times . 100 1344 . alternatively if the hgb has decreased by 1 . 5 gm / dl compared to the previous hgb 1362 , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) transfuse prbcs as needed ; 2 ) look for source of bleeding and check pt , aptt , & amp ; platelet count 1364 . following this , the intensivist is prompted to determine what is the mean blood pressure 1354 . if the mean blood pressure is determined to be greater than 20 percent below the baseline pressure 1358 , the intensivist is prompted to give additional fluids and consider invasive hemodynamic monitoring 1360 . following this , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the labs confirm renal failure by use of the formula fe . sub . na = urine na . times . serum creatinine / urine creatinine . times . serum na . times . 100 1344 . if the labs do not confirm renal failure , as indicated by fe . sub . na . ltoreq . 1 percent 1346 , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) continue to administer fluids and follow urine output ; and 2 ) recheck creatinine in 6 - 12 hours 1348 . alternatively , if the labs do confirm renal failure , as indicated by fe . sub . na & gt ; 1 percent 1350 , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) place central venous pressure ( cvp ); 2 ) assure adequate intravascular volume ; 3 ) give trial of diuretics : 40 mg lasix iv , if no response in 1 hour , give hydrodiuril 500 mg iv , wait 20 - 30 minutes then give 100 mg lasix , if persistent oliguria , restrict : 1 ) fluids ; 2 ) potassium & amp ; phosphate ; if diuresis ensues , restrict only potassium & amp ; phosphate ; in both situations , adjust all renally excreted medications ; and 4 ) see acute renal failure 1350 . referring now to fig2 e , the oliguria algorithm description continues . alternatively , following the specific gravity test of the patient &# 39 ; s urine , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the results indicate the specific gravity is greater than or equal to 1 . 018 1336 . if this criterion is not met 1364 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the urine is dark or tea colored 1366 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) check creatinine phospho / kinase ; and 2 ) force fluids to induce diuresis 1368 . if the intensivist determines that the urine is not dark or tea colored , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) administer 10 - 20 ml of fluids per kg of bodyweight ; and 2 ) check hgb 1370 . the intensivist is then prompted to determine what is the hgb 1372 . if the hgb is determined to be greater than 1 . 5 gm / dl higher than the previous hgb 1374 , the intensivist is directed to : 1 ) force fluids ; and 2 ) continue to follow the urine output 1376 . alternatively , if the hgb is determined to be within 1 . 5 gm / dl of the last hgb or there is no hgb for comparison 1378 , the intensivist is prompted to determine what is the mean blood pressure 1380 . if the mean blood pressure is determined to be 20 percent or higher than the baseline pressure 1382 , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) continue to administer fluids ; 2 ) follow urine output ; and 3 ) check creatinine in 6 - 12 hours 1384 . if the mean blood pressure is determined to be greater than 20 percent below the baseline pressure 1386 , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) continue to push fluids ; 2 ) consider invasive hemodynamic monitoring ; and 3 ) if post - op abdominal trauma , consider abdominal compartment syndrome 1388 . if the hgb is determined to be greater than 1 . 5 gm / dl below the previous hgb 1390 , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) transfuse blood as needed ; 2 ) look for bleeding source ; 3 ) check pt , appt & amp ; platelet count ; 4 ) continue to push fluids ; and 5 ) recheck hgb in 1 - 2 hours 1392 . referring to fig2 a - b , the open fractures decision support algorithm of the present invention is illustrated . open fractures are where bone , cartilage , or a tooth break and push through the skin surface . the intensivist is first prompted by the system to determine whether the patient has an open fracture 1500 . if one has occurred , the intensivist must then determine whether the wound is contaminated with soil , or was inflicted in a barnyard 1502 in order to address higher risk of infection . if the wound is contaminated with soil , or was inflicted in a barnyard , the intensivist is prompted to administer a high dose of penicillin to the antibiotics prescribed 1504 . the intensivist is also prompted to take several treatment steps 1506 . these treatment steps include administering tetanus prophylaxis , such an antitoxin injection , monitoring staphylococcus aureus until twenty - four hours after surgery , caring for the wound within six hours , and where the injury is found to be more severe during surgery , the intensivist is prompted to administer aminoglycosides for seventy two hours . if the wound is not contaminated with soil , or was inflicted in a barnyard , the intensivist is next prompted to determine the severity of the wound 1508 . to do so , the intensivist must determine the length of the wound and corresponding soft tissue damage . if the wound is either less than one centimeter and clean or greater than a centimeter long without extensive soft tissue damage , the intensivist is prompted to take several treatment steps 1506 as previously described . where the soft tissue damage is extensive or amputation has occurred , the intensivist is prompted by the system to make further determinations 1510 , 1512 , 1514 about the wound caused by the fracture . the intensivist is prompted to determine if enough soft tissue coverage is remaining for the wound to close and heal 1510 , if any arterial repair is needed 1512 , and if extensive soft tissue damage with periostitial injury , and bone exposure 1514 . if there is adequate soft tissue coverage , the intensivist is advised that risk of infection is low and directed to take treatment actions 1516 . if arterial damage requiring repair is present , the intensivist is advised by the system that risk of infection is moderate to high and given treatment instructions 1518 . where there is soft tissue injury with periostitial stripping and bone exposure , the intensivist is alerted by the system that risk of infection is high and given treatment instructions 1520 . the treatment instructions in each case 1516 , 1518 , 1520 include administering tetanus prophylaxis , such an antitoxin injection , caring for the wound within six hours , and performing : monitoring for staphylococcus aureus , and administering aminoglycosides and high doses of penicillin , all for seventy two hours before and after any operative procedures . if the intensivist has determined that no exposed fracture has occurred , the system next prompts the intensivist to determine whether there is any evidence of neuro - vascular damage 1522 . if there is evidence of neuro - vascular damage , the intensivist is prompted to consult with a nerosurgeon or vascular surgeon immediately 1524 . if the intensivist determines there is no evidence of neuro - vascular damage to the patient , the system next prompts the intensivist to determine whether the patient has compartment syndrome 1526 . if there is evidence of compartment syndrome seen in the patient , the intensivist is prompted to consult orthopedics right away 1528 . if there is no evidence of compartment syndrome seen in the patient , the intensivist is still prompted to consult orthopedics , but without any prompt for time sensitivity 1530 . referring to fig2 a - b , the pancreatitis diagnostic algorithm of the present invention is illustrated . to evaluate whether a patient has pancreatitis , the intensivist is first prompted to examine whether severe epigastric abdominal pains and amylase levels three times greater than normal are present in the patient 1600 . if neither or one of the conditions is present , the intensivist is prompted to consider other causes of the abdominal pain , such as mesenteric ischemia , a perforated ulcer , intestinal obstruction , biliary colic , or an ectopic pregnancy 1602 . if severe epigastric abdominal pains and amylase levels three times greater than normal are present , the intensivist is next prompted to provide the ranson criteria which is a criteria associated with the severity of pancreatitis and the potential outcome or prognosis at that particular level of severity , or apache ii score which is also a score associated with the severity of the disease and the potential prognosis at a particular level of the patient 1604 . if the patient has a ranson criteria less than three or an apache ii score of less than eight , the intensivist is prompted by the system to consider removing the patient from the intensive care unit 1606 . however , if the patient has a ranson criteria greater than three or an apache ii score of greater than eight , the intensivist is instructed to perform an abdominal ultrasound test within twenty - four hours 1607 . if the results of the ultrasound test show a biliary obstruction , the intensivist is instructed to consider performing an ercp to find and remove any gallstones 1608 . if the abdominal ultrasound results do not show any biliary obstruction , intensivist is next prompted to perform more diagnostic tests 1610 . the intensivist is directed to perform a dynamic iv contrast and an abdominal tomography ( ct ) scan . if the intensivist does not suspect a surgical condition exists , such as a perforated ulcer , mesenteric infarction or pancreatic infection , the tests may be performed after three days have passed . if the intensivist does suspect a surgical condition exists , the tests should be performed within three days . in either case , if the patient has creatinine levels greater than or equal to 2 miligrams per dl , the intensivist should not perform the dynamic iv contrast test . once the ct scan is performed , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether necrotizing pancreatitis is present 1612 . the intensivist is next required to determine whether the patient has improved since admission 1614 . if no improvement has been seen , the intensivist is directed to perform percutaneous fluid aspiration and do a gram stain culture the collected fluid 1616 . if the culture shows infection 1618 , the intensivist is directed to perform surgical debridement of the pancreas 1620 . if the results of the culture are sterile 1622 , the intensivist is directed to closely follow up on the patient &# 39 ; s condition 1624 and watch for clinical deterioration 1626 . if the patient does further deteriorate , the intensivist is then instructed to perform a surgical debridement of the pancreas 1628 . if the patient does not deteriorate , the intensivist is still prompted to closely follow the patient &# 39 ; s condition 1630 . where the ct scan does not show signs of necrotizing pancreatitis 1612 , the intensivist is prompted by the system to closely observe the patient 1632 . the intensivist is also prompted to check whether clinical deterioration is occurring 1634 . if no deterioration is observed , the intensivist continues to observe the patient &# 39 ; s condition 1636 . if clinical deterioration is occurring 1634 , the intensivist is directed to perform percutaneous fluid aspiration and do a gram stain culture the collected fluid 1616 . if the culture shows infection 1618 , the intensivist is directed to order surgical debridement of the pancreas 1620 . if the results of the culture are sterile 1622 , the intensivist is directed to closely follow up on the patient &# 39 ; s condition 1624 and watch for clinical deterioration 1626 . if the patient does further deteriorate , the intensivist is then prompted to order a surgical debridement of the pancreas 1628 . if the patient does not deteriorate , the intensivist is still directed by the system to closely follow the patient &# 39 ; s condition 1630 . referring to fig2 a - b , the penicillin allergy diagnosis algorithm of the present invention is illustrated . in order to diagnose a penicillin allergy , the intensivist is first prompted to determine whether the patient has a history suggestive of previous penicillin or cephalosporin anaphylaxis 1700 . various known reactions , including angioedema , flushing , pruritis , airway obstruction , syncope , and hypertension , are displayed for the intensivist &# 39 ; s review . if the patient has previously had any of these reactions , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has ever taken synthetic or partially synthetic antibiotics , such as ampicillin , amoxicillin , duricef or kefzol , without any anaphylaxis symptoms 1702 . if the patient has taken synthetics without reaction , the intensivist is advised by the system that penicillin or cephalosporin may be administered 1716 . if the patient has reacted to synthetic or partially synthetic antibiotics , the intensivist is next prompted to determine whether the patient needs penicillin or cephalosporin specifically 1704 . if the patient is not required to have penicillin or cephalosporin , the intensivist is prompted to administer the synthetic antibiotics 1706 . if the patient does need penicillin or cephalosporin , the intensivist is directed by the system to consider consulting with an allergist or immunologist and perform skin tests for reactions 1708 . next , the intensivist is prompted to enter whether the skin test was positive 1710 . if the results are negative , the intensivist is further directed by the system to administer penicillin or cephalosporin with caution , to consider pretreatment with benadryl or prednisone to counter any reaction , and to closely monitor the patient 1712 . if the results of the skin test are positive , the intensivist is prompted by the system to perform desensitization procedures 1714 . if the patient does not have a history suggestive of previous penicillin or cephalosporin anaphylaxis 1700 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has previously experienced skin - level reactions , such as exfoliative dermatitis , stevens johnson syndrome , or toxic epidernial necrolysis , when given penicillin or cephalosporin 1718 . if the patient has previously experienced one of these reactions , the intensivist is directed by the system to administer an alternative antibiotic 1720 . if the patient has not experienced one of these reactions , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether there is a history of any rash when given penicillin or cephalosporin 1722 . if the patient has not previously had a rash when given penicillin or cephalosporin , the intensivist is advised that the patient will most likely be able to take penicillin or cephalosporin 1724 . if the patient has previously experienced a rash when given penicillin or cephalosporin , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the rash presented when the patient was given ampicillin or amoxycillin 1726 . if the rash resulted from ampicillin or amoxycillin , the intensivist is next prompted to determine whether the rash was urticarial 1728 . if the rash was not urticarial , the intensivist is advised by the system that the patient probably can take penicillin or cephalosporin , but should be closely monitored 1730 . if the rash was urticarial , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether or not the patient needs penicillin or cephalosporin 1704 . if the patient is not required to have penicillin or cephalosporin , the intensivist is directed by the system to administer the synthetic antibiotics 1706 . if the patient does need penicillin or cephalosporin , the intensivist is directed to consider consulting with an allergist or immunologist and perform skin tests for reactions 1708 . next , the intensivist is prompted to enter whether the skin test was positive 1710 . if the results are negative , the intensivist is further directed to administer penicillin or cephalosporin with caution , to consider pretreatment with benadryl or prednisone to counter any reaction , and to closely monitor the patient 1712 . if the results of the skin test are positive , the intensivist is directed to perform desensitization procedures 1714 . referring to fig3 a - b , the post - op hypertension decision support algorithm of the present invention is illustrated . if an intensivist determines that there may be a possibility of post - op hypertension , the intensivist may not be certain of all aspects that would be involved in this particular condition . therefore , the intensivist is lead through a decision support algorithm which prompts the intensivist to determine the appropriate care to be given . initially , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is hypertensive ( bp greater than 20 percent above mean baseline ) 1800 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has any of the causes of reversible hypertension : 1 ) hypercapnia ; 2 ) bladder distension ; 3 ) pain ; 4 ) increased icp ; 5 ) drugs ( pressors , cocaine , ketamine and chronic mao use with indirect acting vasopressors ); 6 ) automatic hyperreflexia ; or 7 ) volume overload 1802 . if any of these criteria are met , the intensivist is prompted to first treat those specific etiologies and , if pressure remains high , re - enter algorithm 1804 . alternatively , if none of these criteria are met 1802 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is at risk of injury from post - op hypertension ( i . e ., vascular surgery , coronary artery disease , neurosurgery , ocular surgery , etc .) 1806 . if this criterion is not met 1806 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the bp is greater than 40 percent above mean baseline 1808 . if this criterion is not met , the intensivist is prompted that the patient may not need bp treatment 1810 . if the bp is greater than 40 percent above the mean baseline 1808 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is in pain 1812 . if this criterion is met 1812 , the intensivist is prompted to treat pain and continue 1814 . following this prompt 1814 , the intensivist is prompted next to determine whether the patient is actively bleeding or at significant risk for post - op bleeding ( i . e ., “ moist closure ” or high drain output ) 1816 . if either of these criteria is met 1816 , the intensivist is prompted to use only short acting agents including emolol and nitroprusside as needed until bleeding has abated 1818 . alternatively , if neither of these criteria is met 1816 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is tachycardic ( absolute greater than 90 bpm or (( relative greater than 15 percent over baseline )) 1820 . if either of these criteria is met 1820 , the intensivist is prompted to go to decision table c , which is programmed for the condition of a high heart rate . if neither of these criteria is met 1820 , the intensivist is prompted to eliminate ( not c ) table c and proceed to the next decision point 1820 . the intensivist is prompted next to determine whether the patient is bradycardic ( absolute less than 60 bpm ) 1822 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to go to decision table b , which is programmed for the condition of a low heart rate . if this criterion is not met , the intensivist is prompted to eliminate ( not b ) table b and proceed to the next decision point 1822 . [ note : if not c and not b , the intensivist is prompted to go to table a by default , i . e ., if not c and not b then a ]. the intensivist is prompted next to determine , sequentially , table input values for cad , rad , and ef . l = labetalol , e = esmolol , a = enalapril , n = nicardipine , h = hyrdalazine , s = nitroprusside . the reference to 1 . sup . st and 2 . sup . nd means that treatment should begin with the 1 . sup . st drug and add or substitute the 2 . sup . nd drug as needed . using the above decision tables , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has known coronary artery disease ( cad ) or 3 or more risk factors for cad 1824 . if either of these criteria is met 1824 , the intensivist is prompted to enter a “ y ” or “ yes ” for cad into the table selected above in 1820 and 1822 . if neither of these criteria is met , the intensivist is prompted to enter a “ n ” or “ no ” for cad into the table selected above in 1820 and 1822 . next , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has known reactive airway disease ( rad ) 1826 . if this criterion is met 1826 , the intensivist is prompted to enter a “ y ” or “ yes ” for rad into the table selected above in 1820 and 1822 . if this criterion is not met , the intensivist is prompted to enter a “ n ” or “ no ” for rad into the table selected above in 1820 and 1822 . next , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has known ef less than 30 percent or a history of systolic heart failure 1828 . if either of these criteria is met 1828 , the intensivist is prompted to enter a “ y ” or “ yes ” for ef into the table selected above in 1820 and 1822 . if neither of these criteria is met 1828 , the intensivist is prompted to enter a “ n ” or “ no ” for ef into the table selected above in 1820 and 1822 . based on the table selected in 1820 and 1822 above , and the table inputs determined from 1824 , 1826 , and 1828 , the intensivist is prompted with the proper medication to administer for the 1 . sup . st and 2 . sup . nd treatment . if the patient is not in pain 1812 , the intensivist is prompted to employ the procedures described above in 1816 . if the patient is at risk of injury from post - op hypertension 1806 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the blood pressure is greater than 40 percent above baseline 1830 . if this criterion is met 1830 , the intensivist is prompted to employ the procedures described above in 1812 . alternatively , if this criterion is not met 1830 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is in pain 1836 . if this criterion is met 1836 , the intensivist is prompted to treat pain and reevaluate following analgesia and , if still hypertensive , to continue algorithm 1838 . following this action 1838 , the intensivist is prompted to employ the procedures described above in 1816 . if the patient is not in pain 1836 , the intensivist is prompted to employ the procedures described above in 1816 . if the patient is determined not to be hypertensive 1800 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient requires their bp controlled near baseline ( i . e ., neurosurgery , carotid surgery , thoracic aorta surgery ) 1832 . if this criterion is not met 1832 , the intensivist is prompted that the patient probably does not need treatment 1834 . alternatively , if this criterion is met 1832 , the intensivist is prompted to employ the procedures described above in 1836 . referring to fig3 a , the pulmonary embolism diagnosis algorithm is illustrated . if a pulmonary embolism is suspected , the intensivist is first prompted to determine whether the patient is hemodynamically unstable 2900 . if the patient is hemodynamically unstable , the intensivist is directed by the system to consider performing an immediate transthoracic echocardiogram , pulmonary angiogram and treatment consistent with massive pulmonary embolism 2902 . if the patient is not hemodynamically unstable , the intensivist is prompted to perform a vq scan and perform further assessment of the patient 2904 . in order to further assess the patient , the intensivist is prompted to respond to a series of questions 2906 , 2908 , 2910 , 2912 . the intensivist is prompted to determine whether any of the following patient conditions are present : dyspnea , worsening chronic dyspnea , pleuritic chest pain , chest pain that is non - retro sternal & amp ; non - pleuritic , o . sub . 2 saturation & lt ; 92 % on room air that corrects with 40 % o . sub . 2 supplementation , hemoptysis , or pleural rub 2906 . the intensivist is also prompted to determine whether any risk factors are in the patient &# 39 ; s history , such as : surgery within 12 weeks , immobilization ( complete bed rest ) for & gt ; 3 days within 4 weeks , previous dvt or objectively diagnosed pe , lower extremity fracture & amp ; immobilization within 12 weeks , strong family history of dvt or pe (. gtoreq . 2 family members with objective proven events or 1 . sup . st degree relative with hereditary thrombophilia ), cancer ( treatment within the last 6 months or palliative stages ), postpartum , or lower extremity paralysis 2908 . further , the intensivist must determine whether the patient has any of the following symptoms : heart rate & gt ; 90 beats / min , temp . gtoreq . 38 . 0 , cxr free of abnormalities ( edema , pneumonia , pneumothorax ), or leg symptoms c / w dvt , syncope , blood pressure less than 90 mm hg with heart rate greater than 100 beats / min , receiving mechanical ventilation and / or oxygen supplementation greater than 40 %, and new onset or right heart failure (- jvp , new s1 , q3 , t3 , or rbbb ) 2910 . the intensivist is also queried by the system to consider alternative diagnosis that may be more likely than pulmonary embolism . to do so , the intensivist is prompted to consider conditions that simulate major pulmonary embolism , such as myocardial infarction , acute infection with copd , septic shock , dissecting aortic aneurysm , or occult hemorrhage . the intensivist is additionally prompted to consider conditions that simulate minor pulmonary embolism , such as acute bronchitis , pericarditis , viral pleurisy , pneumonia , and esophageal spasm 2912 . referring to fig3 b , the pulmonary embolism algorithm description continues . the intensivist enters the answers to the assessment queries posed 2906 , 2908 , 2910 , 2912 into the system . if two or more responses to the patient condition query 2906 were answered yes and one or more questions were answered yes from : heart rate & gt ; 90 beats / min , temp . gtoreq . 38 . 0 , cxr free of abnormalities , or leg symptoms c / w dvt of the symptoms query 2910 , the intensivist is informed that a typical pulmonary embolism is present 2914 . next , the system compares this response to the answer to the alternative diagnosis query 2912 . if an alternative diagnosis is at least as likely as pulmonary embolism 2916 , the intensivist is also given a low probability 2918 to moderate probability 2920 risk factor . if an alternative diagnosis is less likely than pulmonary embolism 2922 , the intensivist is given a moderate 2924 to high 2926 probability risk factor . if less than two yes answers resulted from the patient conditions 2906 , the intensivist is advised by the system that an atypical pulmonary embolism may be present 2928 . next , the system compares this response to the answer to the alternative diagnosis query 2912 . if an alternative diagnosis is at least as likely as pulmonary embolism 2930 , the intensivist is told there is no risk and low probability 2932 or some risk with a low probability 2934 risk factor . if an alternative diagnosis is less likely than pulmonary embolism 2934 , the intensivist is given a no risk and low probability 2938 to risk but moderate probability 2940 . if at least one answer to the symptoms of syncope , blood pressure less than 90 mm hg with heart rate greater than 100 beats / min , receiving mechanical ventilation and / or oxygen supplementation greater than 40 %, and new onset or right heart failure 2910 is yes , the intensivist is prompted with a message that severe pulmonary embolism is occurring 2942 . next , the system compares this response to the answer to the alternative diagnosis query 2912 . if an alternative diagnosis is at least as likely as pulmonary embolism 2944 , the intensivist is told there is a moderate probability of pulmonary embolism 2946 . if an alternative diagnosis is less likely than pulmonary embolism 2948 , the intensivist is notified that a high probability of pulmonary embolism is present 2950 . once the risk factors and probabilities are determnined the system compares this information to the vq scan results . this comparison is performed according to the following table 4 below . where the vq scan column and the risk column intersect , a letter code is assigned to various treatment instructions . the treatment instructions are as follows . a = pulmonary embolus diagnosed . begin treatment e = pulmonary embolus excluded b = proceed with the following work - up : 1 ) perform spira ct ( if patient has real insufficiency [ creatinine & gt ; 2 . 0 ], consider going directly to pulmonary angiogram to reduce the potential dye load ). if positive begin treatment , 2 ) if negative , assess for dvt using compression ultrasound or venography . if positive begin treatment , 3 ) if negative , perform pulmonary angiogram . if positive begin treatment , if negative diagnosis excluded . 1 ) perform spiral ct . if positive begin treatment , 2 ) if negative , assess for dvt using compression ultrasound or venography . if positive begin treatment , 3 ) if negative perform d - dimer assay ( elisa only ). if negative diagnosis excluded , if positive , perform serial ultrasound of the lower extremities . once the correlation is made , the instructions associated with the letter code are displayed by the system to prompt the intensivist with diagnosis and treatment instructions . referring to fig3 , the seizure decision support algorithm of the present invention is illustrated . if an intensivist encounters seizure in a patient , he may not be certain of all of the aspects and the timelines that are critical to treating this particular condition . therefore , the intensivist is lead through a decision support algorithm , which divides the treatment sequence into three segments : 0 - 30 minutes ; 30 - 60 minutes ; and beyond 60 minutes . at the onset of a seizure , in the 0 - 30 minute segment of the algorithm , the intensivist is prompted to give the patient lorazepam ( 0 . 1 mg / kg of bodyweight ) in 2 mg boluses up to 8 mg 2000 . subsequently , the intensivist is prompted to give the patient phenyloin ( 18 - 20 mg / kg of bodyweight ) at 50 mg / min of fosphenyloin ( 18 - 20 mg / kg of bodyweight ) at 150 mg / min followed by 5 mg / kg of bodyweight / day through separate iv line 2002 . during the 30 - 60 minute segment of the algorithm , the intensivist is prompted to : reload additional phenyloin or fosphenyloin ( 10 mg / kg of bodyweight ) maintaining previous infusion ; and give additional lorazepam ( 0 . 05 mg / kg of bodyweight ) 2004 . subsequently , the intensivist is prompted to begin continuous eeg monitoring 2006 . the intensivist is then prompted to determine whether the patient is hemodynamically stable 2008 . if hemodynamically stable , the intensivist is prompted to administer propofol 1 - 2 mg / kg of bodyweight bolus followed by 2 - 10 mg / kg / hr 2010 . at the 60 minute segment of the algorithm , the intensivist is prompted that if seizure activity stops , he should taper either midazolam or propofol over the next 12 - 24 hours while maintaining phenyloin but if seizures persist , he is prompted to move to the pentobarbital coma block 2012 . under pentobarbital coma , the intensivist is prompted to administer 10 - 15 mg / kg / hr and to maintain until seizure control is achieved on eeg 2014 . the intensivist is prompted further that the patient usually requires pa catheter and pressors to maintain hemodynamic control 2014 . alternatively , if the patient is determined to be hemodynamically unstable 2016 , the intensivist is prompted to utilize fluids and pressors as needed ( phynylephrine or dopamine ) midazolam 0 . 2 mg / kg bolus followed by 0 . 1 - 2 . 0 mg / kg / hr 2018 . at the 60 minute segment of the algorithm , the intensivist is prompted that if seizure activity stops , he should taper either midazolam or propofol over the next 12 - 24 hours while maintain phenyloin but if seizures persist , he is prompted to move to the pentobarbital coma block 2012 . under pentobarbital coma , the intensivist is prompted to administer 10 - 15 mg / kg / hr and to maintain until seizure control is achieved on eeg 2014 . the intensivist is prompted further that the patient usually requires pa catheter and pressors to maintain hemodynamic control 2014 . referring to fig3 a - b , the supra ventricular tachycardia ( svt ) decision support algorithm of the present invention is illustrated . if an intensivist determines that svt is present , the intensivist may not be certain of all aspects that would be involved in treating this particular condition . therefore , the intensivist is lead through a decision support algorithm which prompts the intensivist to determine the appropriate care to be given . initially , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether svt is stable or unstable 2100 . if svt is stable 2102 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has a regular or irregular rhythm 2102 . if the patient has a regular rhythm 2104 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether there is a wide complex or a narrow complex 2104 . if the intensivist determines that there is a wide complex 2106 , the intensivist is prompted to administer adenosine 6 mg / 12 mg ( if needed ) 2108 . following the administering of adenosine 2108 , the intensivist is prompted to consider that if the patient converts to sinus rhythm ( sr ) to consider re - entrant junctional or wpw re - entrant . if the wide complex recurs , treat the patient with esmolol or ca + 2 blockers . alternatively ; if no effect , the intensivist is prompted to consider v - tach 2112 . next , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) load procainamide 150 mg over 10 min , then 1 mg / min infusion ; and 2 ) synchronized cardiovert 2114 . alternatively , if the wide complex slows , the intensivist is prompted to consider svt w / aberrancy and continue to slow with esmolol or ca + 2 blockers 2116 . the intensivist is prompted next to administer esmolol / calcium blockers and link to ventricular rate control 2118 . the intensivist is prompted next to determine whether there has been a conversion to sr 2120 . if there is no conversion to sr in 24 hours , the intensivist is prompted to add antiarrhythmic agent and consider anticoagulation 2122 . the intensivist is prompted next to determine whether there has been conversion to sr . if conversion to sr , the intensivist is prompted to continue maintenance antiarrhythmic agent during hospitalization 2124 . if no conversion to sr , the intensivist is prompted to cardiovert while on antiarrhythmic & amp ; following heparinization 2126 . if the patient has a regular rhythm 2104 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether there is a wide complex or a narrow complex 2104 . if the intensivist determines that there is a narrow complex 2128 , the intensivist is prompted to to administer adenosine 6 mg / 12 mg ( if needed ) 2130 . if administering the adenosine 2130 slows the ventricular rate only and the atrial rate persists , the intensivist is prompted to consider atrial flutter and continue to slow with esmolol or ca + 2 blockers 2132 . the intensivist is prompted next to employ the procedures described above in 2118 . if administering the adenosine 2130 converts the patient to sr , the intensivist is prompted to consider re - entrant sinus or junctional and if recurs , treat with esmolol or ca + 2 blockers 2134 . if administering the adenosine 2130 slows both atrial and ventricular rates the intensivist is prompted that there is a probable sinus tachycardia 2136 . the intensivist is prompted next to continue to slow with esmolol 2138 . the intensivist is prompted next to employ the procedures described above in 2118 . if svt is stable 2102 , the intensivist is also prompted to determine whether the patient has a regular or irregular rhythm 2102 . if the patient has an irregular rhythm 2140 , the intensivist is prompted that if no p waves , there is probable atrial fibrillation 2142 . the intensivist is prompted next to slow ventricular response with esmolol or ca + 2 blockers 2144 . the intensivist is prompted next to employ the procedures described above in 2118 . if the patient has an irregular rhythm 2140 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether there are more than 3 p wave types mat — and to treat underlying lung dz . and avoid theophylline compounds 2146 . the intensivist is prompted next to slow rate with ca + 2 blockers only 2148 . the intensivist is prompted next to employ the procedures described above in 2118 . referring now to fig3 c , the description of the svt decision algorithm continues . if svt is unstable 2101 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has sbp less than 80 , ischemia , mental status changes 2150 . the intensivist is prompted next to perform synchronous cardioversion ( 100 j , 200 j , 300 j ) 2152 . the intensivist is prompted next that if sinus rhythm : 1 ) correct reversible etiologies ; 2 ) consider starting iv antiarrhythmic for maintenance of sinus rhythm 2154 . alternatively , following 2152 , the intensivist is prompted next that if continued svt : 1 ) correct reversible etiologies ; 2 ) load iv antiarrhythmic ( see dosing guidelines ) and repeat dc cardioversion 2156 . for example , and without limitations , wide complex qrs tachycardia is also addressed in the decision support algorithm of the present invention . referring to fig3 a - b , the wide complex qrs tachycardia decision support algorithm is illustrated . if an intensivist determines that there may be a possibility of wide complex qrs tachycardia , the intensivist may not be certain of all aspects that would be involved in this particular condition . therefore , the intensivist is lead through a decision support algorithm which prompts the intensivist to determine the appropriate care to be given . initially , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is hemodynamically stable ( no angina , heart failure , or hypotension ( systolic less than 80 mm )) 2200 . if this criterion is not met , the intensivist is prompted to go to the cardio - pulmonary guidelines algorithm which is generally known to those skilled in the art . alternatively , if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is within 7 days of a myocardial infarction or at risk for myocardial ischemia 2202 . if the patient is not within 7 days of a myocardial infarction or at risk for myocardial ischemia 2202 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the wide complex qrs rhythm is sustained ( greater than 30 seconds ) 2234 . if this criterion is not met , the intensivist is prompted to determined whether the qrs is monomorphic 2236 . if the qrs is monomorphic 2236 , the to intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has structural heart disease 2242 . if the patient has structural heart disease 2242 , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) monitor closely ; 2 ) look for reversible etiologies ; and 3 ) consider antiarrhythmic therapy 2244 . if the patient does not have structural heart disease 2242 , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) monitor closely ; 2 ) look for reversible etiologies ; and 3 ) if recurs and symptomatic may require further testing ( prolonged holter or ep study ) 2246 . if the qrs is not monomorphic 2236 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the qt is prolonged 2238 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) check k ; 2 ) give mg ; and 3 ) consider overdrive pacing 2240 . if the intensivist determines that the qt is not prolonged , 2238 , the intensivist is prompted to employ the procedures described above in 2242 . if the wide complex qrs rhythm is sustained 2234 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the rhythm is polymorphic or irregular 2208 . if the rhythm is polymorphic or irregular , the intensivist is prompted to consider atrial fibrillation with accessory pathway conduction and load with procainamide and get a cardiology consultation 2210 . if the rhythm is not polymorphic or irregular , the intensivist is prompted with the question of whether he wishes to : 1 ) perform ecg diagnosis ; or 2 ) administer adenosine diagnostically 2220 . if the intensivist makes the determination to perform an ecg diagnosis 2220 , he is prompted to go to the ecg diagnosis algorithm 2300 . if the intensivist makes the determination to administer adenosine diagnostically 2220 , he is prompted to go to the administer adenosine branch of the algorithm 2222 . if there is no effect , the intensivist is prompted that there is probable vt and to determine whether the vt is monomorphic 2224 . if the vt is monomorphic 2224 , the intensivist is prompted to load with procainamide and perform synchronous cardioversion 2226 . alternatively , if the vt is not monomorphic 2224 , the intensivist is prompted to load with lidocaine and perform immediate cardioversion 2228 . if the ventricular response is slowed after administering adenosine 2222 , the intensivist is prompted to consider svt with aberrancy and treat with esmolol or ca blockers 2230 . if the ventricular response converts to sinus rhythm after administering adenosine 2222 , the intensivist is prompted : to consider re - entrant mechanism with bbb or wpw ; and , 1 ) if wpw consult cardiology for possible ablation 2232 . if the patient is within 7 days of a myocardial infarction or at risk for myocardial ischemia 2202 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the wide complex is sustained ( 30 seconds ) 2204 . if the wide complex is not sustained 2204 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient : 1 ) symptomatic ; 2 ) tachycardia runs are frequent ; or 3 ) the tachycardia rates are rapid ( greater than 180 ) 2212 . if none of these criteria is met , the intensivist is prompted to observe 2216 . alternatively , if any of these criteria is met 2212 , the intensivist is prompted to : 1 ) administer lidocaine 100 - 200 mg & amp ; 1 - 4 mg / min infusion ; and 2 ) amiodarone 2214 . if the wide complex is sustained 2204 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the rate is greater than 140 / min 2206 . if this criterion is not met 2206 , the intensivist is prompted : to consider accelerated idioventricular , and that in some patients this can lead to hemodynamic compromise ; and that 1 ) he can perform overdrive pacing if needed 2218 . alternatively , if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to follow the procedures in 2208 . if the intensivist makes the determination to perform ecg diagnosis 2220 , he is prompted to go to the ecg diagnosis branch of the algorithm 2220 . referring now to fig3 c , in the ecg diagnosis branch , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has known pre - excitation syndrome 2300 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the qrs complexes are predominantly negative in leads v4 - v62302 . if the qrs complexes are predominantly negative in leads v4 - v6 , the intensivist is prompted that there is probable vt 2304 . if the qrs complexes are not predominantly negative in leads v4 - v62302 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether there is a qr complex in one or more of leads v2 - v62306 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted that there is probable vt 2308 . alternatively , if this criterion is not met 2306 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether there are more qrs complexes than p waves 2310 . if there are more qrs complexes than p waves 2310 , the intensivist is prompted that there is probable vt 2312 . if there are not more qrs complexes than p waves 2310 , the intensivist is prompted : to consider pre - excited svt ; and that he may wish to perform ep study 2314 . if the intensivist determines that the patient does not have known pre - excitation syndrome 2300 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether there is an rs complex present in any precordial lead 2316 . if this criterion is not met 2316 , the intensivist is prompted that there is probable vt 2318 . alternatively , if this criterion is met 2316 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the r to s interval is greater than 100 ms in any one precordial lead 2320 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted that there is probable vt 2322 . if the r to s interval is not greater than 100 ms in any one precordial lead 2320 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether there is evidence of atrioventricular dissociation 2324 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted that there is probable vt 2326 . alternatively , if there is no evidence of atrioventricular dissociation 2324 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether v - 1 is negative and v - 6 positive and qrs greater than 0 . 14 msec 2328 . if these criteria are met , the intensivist is prompted that there is probable vt 2330 . if none of these criteria is met 2328 , the intensivist is prompted that the situation may represent svt with aberrancy or underlying bundle branch block 2332 . referring to fig3 a , the assessment of sedation algorithm of the present invention is illustrated . if an intensivist encounters a need for sedation , he may not be certain of all of the aspects and the timelines that are critical to this particular process . therefore , the intensivist is lead through a decision support algorithm , which prompts the intensivist to address a number of factors in the process 3100 . the intensivist is prompted initially to go to the scoring section of the algorithm 3100 . the intensivist is prompted to proceed through a number of scorings 3102 and to first score the patient &# 39 ; s alertness with points being allocated in the following manner : asleep / unresponsive = 0 ; responsive to voice = 1 ; and hyperresponsive = 2 3104 . the intensivist is prompted next to score the patient &# 39 ; s movement with points being allocated in the following manner : no spontaneous movement = 0 ; spontaneous movement = 1 ; and pulls at lines , tubes , dressings = 2 3106 . the intensivist is prompted next to score the patient &# 39 ; s respiration based on whether the patient is mechanically ventilated or spontaneously breathing with points being allocated as subsequently discussed . if the patient is mechanically ventilated , the intensivist is prompted to allocate points in the following manner : no spontaneous ventilation = 0 ; spontaneous ventilations and synchronous with ventilator = 1 ; or spontaneous ventilations with cough or dysynchrony & gt ; 10 percent of breaths = 2 3108 . alternatively , if the patient is spontaneously breathing , the intensivist is prompted to allocate points in the following manner : respiration rate ( rr )& lt ; 10 = 0 ; rr = 10 − 30 = 1 ; or rr & gt ; 30 = 2 3108 . the intensivist is prompted next to score the patient &# 39 ; s heart rate with points being allocated in the following manner : & gt ; 20 percent below mean for last 4 hr = 0 ; within 20 percent mean for last 4 hr = 1 ; or & gt ; 20 percent above mean for last 4 hr = 2 3110 . the intensivist is prompted next to score the patient &# 39 ; s blood pressure with points being allocated in the following manner : map & gt ; 20 percent for last 4 hr = 0 ; map within 20 percent mean for last 4 hr = 1 ; or map & gt ; 20 percent above mean for last 4 hr = 2 3112 . the intensivist is prompted next to determine the sedation score by the following formula : sedation score = alertness + movement + respirations + heart rate + blood pressure 3114 . in one embodiment , respiratory rate , heart rate , and bp can be computer linked to monitor data thereby simplifying the sedation scoring assessment . the nursing observations are deemed intuitive and the nursing burden in sedation scoring can be minimal by using this point scoring . referring now to fig3 b , the sedation assessment algorithm description continues . the intensivist is prompted then to continue the sedation assessment by moving to the pain assessment section of the algorithm 3116 . in the pain assessment section , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is conscious , communicative , and acknowledging pain 3118 . if any of these criteria is not met , the intensivist is prompted to determine : whether the sedation score is greater than 2 and the patient : is known to be in pain before becoming uncommunicative ; or s / p recent surgery ; or having tissue ischemia or infarct ; or has wounds ; or has large tumor possibly impinging on nerves . if the answer to either of these two questions is yes , the intensivist is prompted to treat for pain 3118 . the intensivist is prompted then to continue the assessment by moving to the delirium assessment section of the algorithm 3118 . in the delirium assessment section , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the sedation score is greater than 2 and the patient has : day / night reversal with increased agitation at night or eyes open and “ awake ” but disoriented ; or eyes open and “ awake ” but pulling at lines , tubes , or dressings or difficult to sedate prior to ventilator weaning or paradoxical response to benzodiazepines . if these criteria is met , the intensivist is prompted to consider butyrophenone 3120 . referring to fig3 , the bolus sliding scale algorithm is illustrated . if an intensivist encounters a need for sedation , the algorithm for which may contain a reference to the bolus sliding scale for midazolam , he nay not be certain of all of the aspects which are critical to this scale . therefore , the intensivist is lead through a decision support algorithm , which prompts the intensivist through the use of the scale 3200 . if lorazepam is less than 0 - 2 mg iv q 6 hr , then the intensivist is prompted to give midazolam 1 - 2 mg q 5 min until adequately sedated 3202 . alternatively , if lorazepam equals 2 - 4 mg iv q 4 hr , then the intensivist is prompted to give midazolam 2 mg q 5 min until adequately sedated 3202 . alternatively , if lorazapam is greater than 10 mg iv q 4 hr , then the intensivist is prompted to give midazolam 5 mg q 5 min until adequately and consider fentanyl and / or droperidol or haldol for synergy despite delirium and pain assessment 3202 . yet another decision support routine is the sedation algorithm . referng to fig3 , the sedation process decision support algorithm is illustrated . if an intensivist determines that a patient will require sedation , the intensivist may not be certain of all aspects that would be involved in this particular process . therefore , the intensivist is lead through a decision support algorithm , which prompts the intensivist to conduct a sedation assessment based on : 1 ) scoring ; 2 ) pain ; and 3 ) delirium ( see assessment of sedation algorithm ) 3300 . following completion of the sedation assessment process 3300 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is in pain 3302 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to administer bolus morphine , fentanyl , other narcotic , start patient controlled analgesic ( pca ) or epidural analgesia as indicated 3324 . if the patient is not in pain 3302 or after administering bolus morphine , fentanyl , other narcotic , start patient controlled analgesic ( pca ) or epidural analgesia as indicated 3324 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is delirious 3304 . if the intensivist determines that the patient is delirious 3304 , he is prompted to administer droperidol 2 . 5 - 5 mg q 30 min pm and that he may consider iv haldol not to exceed 30 mg / 24 hr 3326 . if the patient is not delirious or after following the procedures in 3326 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient will need sedation for more than the next 24 hours 3306 . if the patient will not need sedation for more than the next 24 hours 3306 , the process continues as described in fig3 . alternatively , if the patient will need sedation for more than the next 24 hours 3306 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the sedation score is 8 - 10 3308 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to employ the bolus sliding scale midazolam and increase lorazepam by 20 percent 3328 ( see bolus sliding scale midazolam algorithm — fig3 ). subsequently , the intensivist is prompted to reassess sedation in 4 hr 3330 . alternatively , if the patient will need sedation for more than the next 24 hours 3306 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the sedation score is 8 - 10 3308 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to employ the bolus sliding scale midazolam and increase lorazepam by 20 percent 3328 ( see bolus sliding scale midazolam algorithm — fig4 ). subsequently , the intensivist is prompted to reassess sedation in 4 hr 3330 . if the sedation score is not 8 - 10 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the sedation score is greater than or equal to the last sed scr after sedative bolus or increase 3310 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to employ the procedures described above in 3328 and 3330 . if the sedation score is not greater than or equal to the last sed scr after sedative bolus or increase 3310 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether four ( 4 ) or more midaz boluses have been given since last q 4 hr assessment 3312 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to employ the procedures described above in 3328 and 3330 . alternatively , if less than four ( 4 ) midaz boluses have been given since last q 4 hr assessment 3312 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is adequately sedated 3314 . if this criterion is not met , the intensivist is prompted to employ the procedure described in 3328 and 3330 . if the intensivist determines that the patient is adequately sedated 3314 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the sedation score is 0 - 2 3316 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to decrease lorazepam by 20 percent 3332 and reassess sedation in 4 hr 3334 . alternatively , if the sedation score is not 0 - 2 3316 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the sedation score is less than or equal to the last sed scr after sedative decrease 3318 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to employ the procedure described in 3332 and 3334 . if the sedation score is not less than or equal to the last sec scr after sedative increase 3318 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is clinically oversedated 3320 . if the patient is clinically oversedated 3320 , the intensivist is prompted to employ the procedure described in 3332 and 3334 . if the patient is not clinically oversedated 3320 , the intensivist is prompted to reassess sedation in 4 hr 3322 . referring to fig3 , the short term sedation process decision support algorithm of the present invention is illustrated . if an intensivist determines that a patient will not require sedation past the next 24 hour period , the intensivist may not be certain of all aspects that would be involved in this particular process . therefore , the intensivist is lead through a decision support algorithm , which prompts the intensivist to conduct a sedation assessment based on : 1 ) scoring ; 2 ) pain ; and 3 ) delirium ( see assessment of sedation algorithm ) 3100 . following completion of the sedation assessment process 3100 , the intensivist is prompted to decrease lorazepam by 20 percent from baseline per day 3102 . the intensivist is prompted next to determine whether the patient is in pain 3104 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to administer bolus morphine or fentanyl 3122 . if the patient is not in pain or after administering bolus morphine or fentanyl 3122 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is delirious 3106 . if the intensivist determines that the patient is delirious , he is prompted to administer droperidol 2 . 5 - 5 mg q30 min pm 3124 . if the patient is not delirious or after administering droperidol 3124 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the sedation score is 8 - 10 3108 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to employ the bolus sliding scale midazolam ( see bolus sliding scale midazolam algorithm ) and begin midazolam infusion or begin propofol 1 - 2 mg / kg bolus and 5 - 50 mcg / kg / min infusion 3126 . subsequently , the intensivist is prompted to reassess sedation in 1 hr 3128 . if the sedation score is not 8 - 10 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the sedation score is greater than or equal to the last sed scr after sedative bolus or increase 3110 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to employ the procedures described above in 3126 and 3128 . if the intensivist determines that the sedation score is not greater than the last sedation score after sedative bolus or increase 3110 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is adequately sedated 3112 . if this criterion is not met , the intensivist is prompted to employ the procedures described above in 3126 and 3128 . if the intensivist determines that the patient is adequately sedated 3112 , he is prompted to determine whether the sedation score is 0 - 2 3114 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to determine if the patient has been sedated for more than 72 hours 3130 . if the patient has not been sedated for more than 72 hours 3130 , the intensivist is prompted to hold midazolam or propofol and hold or decrease lorazepam by 50 percent 3132 . the intensivist is prompted subsequently to reassess sedation in 1 hour 3134 . alternatively , if the intensivist determines that the patient has been sedated for more than 72 hours 3130 , the intensivist is prompted to hold midazolam or propofol and decrease lorazepam by 20 percent per day 3136 . the intensivist is prompted subsequently to reassess sedation in 1 hour 3134 . alternatively , if the intensivist determines that the sedation score is not 0 - 2 3114 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the sedation score is less than or equal to the last sedation screening after sedative decrease 3116 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has been sedated for more than 72 hours and to follow the procedures described above in 3130 . if the intensivist determines that the sedation score is not less than or equal to the last sed scr after sedative decrease 3116 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient is clinically oversedated 3118 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has been sedated for more than 72 hours and to follow the procedures described above in 3130 . if this criterion is not met , the intensivist is prompted to reassess sedation in 1 hr 3120 . referring to fig3 , the respiratory isolation decision support algorithm is illustrated . if an intensivist determines that there may be a need for respiratory isolation , the intensivist may not be certain of all aspects that would be involved in this process . therefore , the intensivist is lead through a decision support algorithm which prompts the intensiviat to determine the need for respiratory isolation based upon : a ) clinical assessment ; and / or b ) smear / culture findings 3500 . pursuing the clinical assessment branch of the decision support algorithm , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has known mtb ( mycobacterium tuberculosis ) 3502 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has been compliant with their medications for over 2 weeks and is clinically responding 3512 . if the patient has not been compliant with their medications for over 2 weeks and is not clinically responding 3512 , the intensivist is prompted that isolation is required 3514 . if the patient has been compliant with their medications and is clinically responding 3512 , the intensivist is prompted that no isolation is required 3516 . alternatively , if the patient does not have known mtb 3502 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has known mycobacterial disease other than tb 3504 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has new cxr ( chest x ray ) findings and symptoms ( cough 2 weeks , fever , weight loss ) 3518 . if the patient does not have new cxr findings and symptoms 3518 , the intensivist is prompted that no isolation is required 3520 . if the patient does have new cxr findings and symptoms 3518 , the intensivist is prompted that isolation is required 3522 . if the patient does not have known mycobacterial disease other than tb 3504 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether there is a new cavitary lesion on cxr 3506 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted that isolation is required 3524 . alternatively , if there is no new cavitary lesion on cxr 3506 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether there are pulmonary infiltrates or whether the patient is hiv ( human immunodeficiency virus ) positive 3508 . if neither of these criteria is met , the intensivist is prompted that no isolation is required 3510 . if either of these criteria is met , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has new cxr findings and symptoms ( cough 2 weeks , fever , weight loss ) and at high risk : 1 ) known mtb exposure ; 2 ) homeless ; 3 ) prisoner ; 4 ) travel to area with multi - drug resistant tb 3526 . if these criteria are met , the intensivist is prompted that isolation is required 3528 . alternatively , if these criteria are not met , the intensivist is prompted that no isolation is required 3530 . pursuing the smear / culture branch of the decision support algorithm 3500 , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the afb ( acid - fast bacilli ) smear is positive 3532 . if the afb smear is not positive , the intensivist is prompted that : no isolation is required ; await culture results ; if culture negative , no isolation required ; if culture positive and patient has mycobacterial disease other than tb ( mott no isolation is required ; if the culture is positive and the patient does not have mott consult id 3534 . alternatively , if the afb smear is positive , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has known mycobacterial disease other than tb 3536 . if this criterion is not met , the intensivist is prompted that isolation is required 3538 . if this criterion is met , the intensivist is prompted : to isolate until results of nap test are in ; if mtb positive isolate the patient ; if no mtb , no isolation is required 3540 . referring to fig4 , the empiric meningitis tratment decision support algorithm of the present invention is illustrated . if the intensivist is treating a patient for meningitis , the intensivist is prompted to answer a series of queries by the system to properly address medication and dosage . first , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has suffered a head trauma or undergone neurosurgery 3700 . the answer to this question is input 1 to table x below . the intensivist is next prompted to determine whether the patient is allergic to penicillin or is from an area where penicillin resistant staphylococcus pneumoniae is prevalent 3702 . the answer to this question becomes input 2 to table x below . the intensivist must also determine whether the patient is immunocompromised 3704 , and the answer becomes input 3 to table x below . the intensivist determines if the patient is over fifty years of age 3706 , with the answer being input 4 in table x below . lastly , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has altered mental status 3708 , and the answer becomes input 5 in table x below . the inputs to each of these prompts 3702 , 3704 , 3706 , 3708 is compared to a dosage database according to the table 5 below . in the meningitis input - output table , possible combinations of the five inputs are listed . for the conditions manifested in the patient , different drugs and dosages will be required . the proper treatment for each combination is listed in the output column of table 5 . after the algorithm runs the comparison , the output is displayed on the computer screen , prompting the intensivist with the proper treatment 3712 . referring to fig4 a , the ventilator weaning decision support algorithm of the present invention is illustrate the ventilator weaning decision support algorithm is used to determine whether an intensive care unit patient can return to breathing unassisted , and discontinue use of a ventilator . such a determination weuires evaluation of the patient by the intensivist over the course of several days . to begin the decision process of whether to wean a patient from ventilator use , the intensivist is prompted to conduct daily screening , preferably during the hours of 06 : 00 a . m . to 10 : 00 a . m . 3800 . the daily screen prompts the intensivist to determine whether : the patients p / f ratio is greater than 200 , the patient &# 39 ; s positive end - expiratory pressure ( peep ) is less than or equal to 5 , whether cough suctioning has been adequate and / or spontaneous , infusions with vasopressors have been necessary , and continuous infusions of sedatives or neuromuscular blocking agents have been necessary 3800 . if all conditions 3802 are answered no , the intensivist is directed by the system to repeat the daily screen 3805 the following morning . if all the conditions of the daily screen are met 3802 , the intensivist is prompted to perform additional tests . if the patient has satisfied the daily screen , the intensivist is next directed to conduct a rapid shallow breathing test 3804 . to perform the test , the intensivist is directed to change the ventilator setting to continuous positive airway pressure ( cpap ) less than or equal to 5 . in other words , there is no intermittent mandatory ventilation or pressure support provided for the patient . the patient is given one minute to reach a steady state of breathing . then the intensivist measures the ratio of breaths per minute to tidal volume ( f / v . sub . t ). the intensivist next is prompted to determine whether the patient &# 39 ; s f / v . sub . t is less than or equal to 105 breathes per minute 3806 . if the patient &# 39 ; s f / v . sub . t is greater than 105 breathes per minute , the intensivist is prompted to return to performing daily screening the following morning 3808 . if the patient &# 39 ; s f / v . sub . t is less than or equal to 105 breathes per minute , the intensivist is next directed to perform a trial of spontaneous breathing . here , the intensivist can either insert a t - piece in the patient &# 39 ; s airway or reduce the patient &# 39 ; s cpap to less than or equal to 5 over the course of two hours . the intensivist is prompted to observe the patient periodically in order to evaluate if the patient is breathing without assistance 3810 . the intensivist is prompted to perform a periodic assessment by determining whether : the patient &# 39 ; s breathing characteristics are greater than 35 breaths per minute for 5 minutes , or spo . sub . 2 is less than 90 %, or the patient &# 39 ; s heart rate ( hr ) is grater than 140 , or hr deviates from the baseline breathing rate by more than 20 %, or the patient &# 39 ; s sbp is outside the range of 90 to 180 . if any of the conditions are met , the intensivist is directed by the system to terminate ventilator weaning 3812 . if the conditions are not met , the patient is further assessed . in further assessment , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has been able to breathe spontaneously for two hours , keep a clear airway , and does not have any procedures scheduled within twenty - four hours that would require the patient to be intubated 3814 . if the patient meets all of these criteria 3814 , the intensivist is notified by the system that the patient may be extubated 3816 . if the patient does not meet one or more of the criteria 3814 , the intensivist is prompted to perform steps for progressive weaning 3818 . referring to fig4 b , the ventilator weaning decision support algorithm of the present invention is further illustrated . the intensivist , at his or her discretion may choose either t - piece progressive weaning or pressure support progressive weaning . in order to perform t - piece progressive weaning , the intensivist is directed to repeat the trial of spontaneous breathing ( as previously described 3810 ). the intensivist can either insert a t - piece in the patient &# 39 ; s airway or reduce the patient &# 39 ; s cpap to less than or equal to 5 over the course of two hours . the intensivist is prompted to perform periodic assessment of the patient by either a two hour or 30 minute trial 3820 . in order to perform pressure support progressive weaning , the intensivist is first prompted to observe whether the patient &# 39 ; s pressure support ( ps ) rating is equal to eighteen plus or minus the positive end - expiratory pressure ( peep ). next , the intensivist is directed by the system to regulate the pressure values in order to keep the patient &# 39 ; s respiratory rate ( rr ) between twenty and thirty . next , the intensivist is directed by the system to decrease the patient &# 39 ; s pressure support by 2 - 4 centimeters of water two times per day . once the patient maintains pressure support for at least two hours , the intensivist is prompted to further pursue extubating the patient 3822 . after either t - piece progressive weaning 3820 or pressure support progressive weaning 3822 , the intensivist is next prompted to perform a periodic assessment of the patient . here , the intensivist must determine whether whether : the patient &# 39 ; s breathing characteristics are greater than 35 breaths per minute for 5 minutes , or spo . sub . 2 is less than 90 %, or the patient &# 39 ; s hr is grater than 140 , or hr deviates from the baseline breathing rate by more than 20 %; or the patient &# 39 ; s sbp is outside the range of 90 to 180 . where the patient meets any of these criteria , the intensivist is prompted to terminate weaning . if the patient meets none of these criteria ; the intensivist is prompted to further assess the patient &# 39 ; s ability to breath spontaneously 3824 . in further assessment , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has been able to breathe spontaneously for two hours , keep a clear airway , and does not have any procedures scheduled within twenty - four hours that would require the patient to be intubated 3826 . if the patient meets all of these criteria 3814 , the intensivist is notified by the system that the patient may be extubated 3828 . if the patient does not meet one or more of the criteria 3826 , the intensivist is directed by the system to allow the patient to rest for at least twelve hours at a / c , the last level of pressure support the patient achieved 3830 . the intensivist is prompted to resume progressive weaning the following day 3832 . referring to fig4 , the warfarin dosing algorithm of the present invention is illustrated . the intensivist is first prompted to give the initial dose and determine subsequent dosage each day 3900 . when the intensivist determines subsequent dosage , he is first prompted to determine the patient &# 39 ; s target inr 3902 . if the patient &# 39 ; s target inr ranges from 2 . 0 to 3 . 0 , the intensivist is prompted by the system to make further determinations relevant to dosage . the intensivist is directed by the system to determine whether the patient is taking drugs that effect prothrombin time 3904 , the baseline inr value 3906 , and whether rapid anticoagulation is required 3908 . each answer is assigned a point value , and the total points are tabulated . if the point value is greater than one , the system refers to the 10 milligram load target database for dosing . if the point value is less than one , the system refers to the 5 milligram load target database for dosing 3910 . at the initial inr determination 3902 , if the patient &# 39 ; s inr was initially between 1 . 5 and 2 . 0 , the system refers to the 5 milligram load target database for dosing . if the patient &# 39 ; s inr was initially between 3 . 0 and 4 . 0 , the system refers to the 10 milligram load target database for dosing 3910 . next the intensivist is prompted to enter the day of treatment 3912 and the patient &# 39 ; s inr 3914 . depending on whether the system has been directed to the 5 milligram load target or the 10 milligram load target , a comparison is run 3916 according to the following tables . referring to fig4 , the heparin - induced thrombocytopenia ( hit ) decision support algorithm of the present invention is illustrated . the intensivist is prompted to observe whether the patient &# 39 ; s platelet count has dropped 50 % or more over seventy - two hours while being treated with heparin , and whether any other obvious causes of platelet reduction might be present 4100 . if such a drop has not occurred , the intensivist is notified by the system that the patient most likely does not have hit , but monitoring of the platelet count should continue 4102 . if the patient &# 39 ; s platelet count has drastically dropped , the intensivist is prompted to determine whether the patient has been treated with heparin for more than three days 4104 . regardless of the answer , the intensivist is next prompted to determine if the patient has been treated with heparin in the preceeding three months 4106 . if the patient has not received heparin in the proceeding three months , the intensivist is notified by the system that hit is not likely to be the cause of the platelet drop . the intensivist is also prompted to monitor platelet count for infection or other thronbocytopenia - causing drugs , and to consider stopping heparin therapy if the platelet count drops below 50 , 000 per cubic millimeter 4108 . if the patient has received heparin in the last three days 4104 , the intensivist is further prompted to look for signs of thrombosis , or blood clotting 4110 . if the patient shows signs of thrombosis , the intensivist is notified by the system that the patient is likely to have hit . accordingly , the intensivist is prompted to stop administering heparin and flush any drug administration equipment that would contain heparin traces . the intensivist is also provided instructions by the system to treat a patient still requiring anticoagulation treatment with alternate drugs and methods 4112 . where the patient does not show signs of thrombosis 4110 , the intensivist is prompted to check for heparin resistance 4114 . signs of heparin resistance include inability to hold aptt though heparin doses have been increase . if the patient shows signs of heparin resistance , the intensivist is prompted to consider stopping heparin treatment and to consider treating a patient still requiring anticoagulation treatment with alternate drugs and methods 4116 . if the patient does not show signs of heparin resistance , the intensivist is notified by the system that the patient possibly has hit . the intensivist is accordingly prompted to continue monitoring for thrombosis , consider infection or other drugs that cause throbocytopenia , and to consider stopping heparin therapy if the platelet count drops below 50 , 000 per cubic millimeter 4118 the structure of the present invention and its efficacy have yielded striking results in practice . in a research setting , deployment of certain rudimentary aspects of the present the invention designed to experimentally test the approach described and developed in detail above , yielded unprecedented improvements in clinical and economic outcomes : 50 % improvement in severity adjusted mortality , 40 % improvement in clinical complication rates , 30 % improvement in icu length of stay , and 30 % improvement in overall icu cost of care . a system and method for accounting and billing patients in a hospital environment has been shown . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other variations of the present invention are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as disclosed . for example , one can envision different ratios of command center / remote location to icu &# 39 ; s , other decision support algorithms that would be used by intensivists , other types of remote monitoring of not only hospitalized patients but other types of hospital functions as well as industrial functions where critical expertise is in limited supply but where that expertise must be applied to ongoing processes . in such cases a system such as that described can be employed to monitor processes and to provide standardized interventions across a number of geographically dispersed locations and operations and to provide billing for services provided . further , any reference to claim elements in the singular , for example , using the articles “ a ,” “ an ,” or “ the ” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular . | 6 |
referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first , particularly , to fig1 thereof , there is shown an example of a radio communications system , specifically , a mobile radio system that includes a multiplicity of mobile switching centers msc which are internetworked and establish access to a fixed network pstn . furthermore , these mobile switching centers msc are each connected to at least one device rnm for allocation of radio resources . each of these devices rnm in turn enables a connection to at least one base station bs . such a base station bs can set up a connection , via a radio interface , to further radio stations , e . g . mobile stations ms or other mobile and stationary terminals . at least one radio cell z is formed by each base station bs . in addition , a plurality of radio cells z are supplied per installed base station bs in the event of sectorization or with hierarchical cell structures . the device rnm for allocation of radio resources and a plurality of base stations bs form a base station system . [ 0021 ] fig1 illustrates connections v , designated by way of example as v 1 , v 2 , vk , for transmitting useful information items ni and signaling information items si between mobile stations ms and a base station bs . the transmission of organization information items oi is effected to a plurality of mobile stations ms in the form of a point - to - multipoint connection . an operation and maintenance center omc realizes monitoring and maintenance functions for the mobile radio system , or for parts of it . the functionality of this structure can be transferred to other radio communications systems in which the invention can be used , in particular for subscriber access networks with wire - free subscriber access . base stations which are used as home base stations in the private sector , without being affected by the radio network planning , can also set up connections to mobile stations ms . these home base stations are connected to a fixed network . without restricting the generality of the method , reference is made hereinafter to the tdd transmission method with tdma / cdma subscriber separation that is shown in de 198 17 771 . tdma subscriber separation is employed in a broadband frequency band , so that a frame fr with 16 time slots ts is produced . the time slots ts of a frame fr are utilized both for the uplink direction and for the downlink direction for the transmission of information items oi , si , ni . there is a switching point between the transmission directions . the first time slot of the frame fr serves , for example , continually for the transmission of organization information items oi from the base station bs to the mobile stations ms . a utilization of physical channels which is variable in this regard is also possible . a plurality of frames fr are combined to form a multiframe mf . furthermore , a plurality of multiframes mf can in turn be combined to form a higher - order frame . according to fig3 a radio block having first organization information items oi 1 which are intended to be transmitted includes a training sequence tseq for channel estimation at the receiving end and two data portions which are structured for example into six information elements ie 1 to ie 6 . the allocation of the individual elements to the totality of the organization information items oi is specified by the structure of the organization information items oi . the invention describes this structure of the organization information items oi , which , unlike in the case of the gsm mobile system , do not provide a rigid scheme of uniform transmission of organization information items oi , but rather fits the organization information oi into the frame structure in a demand - conforming manner . in the 3 rd mobile radio generation , some services are intended to be offered with full coverages and others only in specific radio cells , for example in the unlicensed domestic sector . the multiplicity of services include voice services , emergency call services , short message services , teletext services , facsimile services , internet services or image transmission services , each of which is also offered with varying data rates , options and security mechanisms . the organization information items oi provide information about the availability of these services and also about the adjacent cells , particular events such as software download , or of other information items which are required by all the mobile stations ms . in accordance with the invention , discrimination is effected into organization information items oi which are transmitted continuously , frequently , seldom or only upon an inquiry . continuously required information items are those about the standard services , e . g ., about simple voice information transmission or packet data transmission , for which individual organization information items ( oiss , oipd ) are transmitted in information elements ie 1 and ie 2 in each radio block with organization information items oi . frequently required information items are those about additional services or about adjacent cells which are required , for example , for transferring a connection from cell to cell . these information items occupy the information elements ie 3 to ie 5 according to a rotation scheme . services that are seldom required are those about general messages in the network , new program versions or unusual services . these information items are transmitted in the sixth information element ie 6 . an example of organization information items which are transmitted only on request is the announcement of the installation of a new base station bs , the transmission of an overlong training sequence tseq for synchronization purposes or the request to the mobile stations ms to avoid a base station bs for a certain time since a very high - rate service requires large portions or the entire radio resources of the base station bs . at least the sixth information element ie 6 can be utilized for these information items , as a result of which the infrequent services are suppressed . however , a timer guarantees that all the information items — except for the purely demand - related ones — are transmitted at least once , in a higher - order frame . the totality of these organization information items oi forms a pool which is subdivided in order to extract first organization information items oi 1 for transmission in the next reserved time slot ts . the remaining , second organization information items oi 2 are transmitted at later points in time depending on their prioritization . the prioritization can be set by the base station bs in interaction with the organization and maintenance center omc . [ 0032 ] fig4 briefly outlines the sequence of restructuring the transmission of the organization information items oi . in a first step 1 , transmission of first organization information items oi 1 is carried out in accordance with the set scheme , the content of the first organization information items oi 1 varying from frame fr to frame fr . in a second step 2 , an inquiry of a mobile station ms for an infrequent service is performed , whereupon the base station bs checks whether information items regarding this service are available . if this is the case , then , in a third step 3 , restructuring of the organization information items oi takes place and the organization information items oi provided for the requested service are transmitted as soon as possible . in some instances , an exchange takes place between the first and second organization information items oi 1 , oi 2 . otherwise , the structure remains unchanged . | 7 |
in fig1 the numeral 10 generally designates a completed electric resistance heating coil assembly . the wire coil 11 is made up of four ( 4 ) long legs or branches 11 - 1 through 11 - 4 connected by short legs or branches 11 - 5 through 11 - 7 and terminates branches 11 - 1 and 11 - 4 in spade lugs or electric connectors 13 separated by an end insulator block 12 . coil 11 is supported on a tree or rack 14 by a plurality of ceramic insulators 18 which are located on the ends of branches 14 - 1 through 14 - 3 of the rack . fig2 show the completed coil assembly of fig1 but with the ends of branches 11 - 1 and 11 - 4 still being helically wound and not insulated or terminated in electric connectors . in an electrical resistance space heating assembly the length , diameter , pitch , and end termination or pigtail of the helically formed coil is critical in determining the desired resistance of the heating coil . in these heating assemblies adjacent coil windings must have proper spacing along the entire length of the coil , including the folds , to insure that the coil does not short - out and that both ends terminate in generally the same transverse plane parallel to this longitudinal axis of the long legs of the coil . the sequential steps , i . e . a helical coil parallel to a longitudinal axis , for straightening the helical ends of a straight length of helical coil into straight ends or pigtails are illustrated , with particular reference to branch 11 - 1 in fig2 - 8 . the key elements in the straightening process are a folding blade device 20 and a pulling or straightening apparatus 30 which folds a portion of helical ends 11 - 1 &# 39 ; and 11 - 4 &# 39 ; at a 90 ° angle to the axis of the branches 11 - 1 and 11 - 4 and straightens the folded end portion so that it is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the branches 11 - 1 and 11 - 4 . in the folding operation rotating split blade 20 , including blade 20 - 1 and 20 - 2 , is positioned between adjacent windings of end portion 11 - 1 &# 39 ;. blades 20 - 1 and 20 - 2 rotate with respect to each other from the fig3 position to the fig4 position , wherein both figures are shown as top plan views . after rotating split blade 20 has moved a portion of end portion 11 - 1 &# 39 ; through an angle of 90 °, a pulling apparatus 30 is inserted longitudinally into the end of the folded coil as illustrated in fig5 and is moved away from branch 11 - 1 along the longitudinal axis 16 of branch 11 - 1 as illustrated in fig6 to form a pigtail 15 at the end of branches . fig5 is a front elevation of fig4 while fig6 is a side elevation of fig5 . pulling apparatus 30 may be a wheel - like device with a circumferential groove 17 which coacts with the wire of the coil 11 to straighten the helical wire as the pulling device move parallel to the axis 16 . it will be noted that the pigtail 15 is generally parallel to and coaxial with the longitudinal axis 16 of the branches 11 - 1 and 11 - 4 , thus providing straight wire ends which can be lugged with electrical connectors and separated by end insulators to form a completed electric resistance heating coil assembly 10 as shown in fig1 . while a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been depicted and described , it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications , substitutions , and changes , may be made thereto without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
in the following description , reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and which illustrate several embodiments of the present invention . it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and operational changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . [ 0021 ] fig1 illustrates a computing environment in which aspects of the invention may be implemented . a tape server 2 provides host systems 4 a , 4 b . . . 4 n access to logical volumes stored on tape cartridges ( also referred to as physical volumes ) 6 a , 6 b , 6 c , 6 d , 6 e , 6 f , 6 g . in certain implementations , the tape cartridges 6 a , 6 b . . . 6 g are organized into logical groups referred to as pools 8 a , 8 b . a tape controller 10 includes hardware and / or software to manage access to the tape cartridges 6 a , 6 b . . . 6 g in the pools 8 a , 8 b and perform reclamation in accordance with implementations described herein . a scratch pool 8 c includes tape cartridges 6 h , 6 i , and 6 j that are empty , free and available for use with another pool if additional tape storage is needed for logical volumes in a pool . although fig1 shows a certain number of tape cartridges and storage pools , any number of tape cartridges and storage pools may be used , where the storage pools may include any number of tape cartridges . the tape server 2 may comprise an automated tape library and include a gripper assembly ( not shown ) to access and load the tape cartridges 6 a , 6 b . . . 6 j into one or more accessible tape drives ( not shown ) and include cartridge slots ( not shown ) to store the tape cartridges . in further implementations , the tape cartridges may be manually loaded into one or more tape drives accessible to the tape server 2 . the tape server 2 may comprise any tape library or tape controller system known in the art . the tape cartridges 6 a , 6 b . . . 6 j may comprise any type of sequential access magnetic storage media known in the art , including digital linear tape ( dlt ), linear tape open ( lto ), etc . the hosts 4 a , 4 b . . . 4 n may comprise any computing device known in the art , such as a personal computer , laptop computer , workstation , mainframe , telephony device , handheld computer , server , network appliance , etc . the hosts 4 a , 4 b . . . 4 n may connect to the tape server 2 via a direct cable connection or over a network , such as a local area network ( lan ), wide area network ( wan ), storage area network ( san ), the internet , an intranet , etc . system administrators can assign physical volumes to pools to allow classification of tapes according to some predefined criteria . for instance , in an organization , there may be separate storage pools of tape cartridges for different units within the organization . in a corporate organization , there may be separate storage pools for different departments , e . g ., accounting , marketing , finance , engineering , etc ., so that data from a particular department is stored on tape cartridges that only store that particular class of data . alternatively , storage pools may be defined for data having different rates of usage . for instance , one pool may be for data that has been modified or accessed recently and another pool may be used for archived or backup data . still further , pools may be designated for different groups of users , such as those with a high level of access , those with limited access , etc . thus , the storage pools may be used to assign tape cartridges to be used for specific classes or types of data . in certain implementations , the tape controller 10 maintains data structures in memory 12 , including logical volume records 14 , physical volume records 16 , and pool records 18 . the memory 12 may comprise a volatile memory device , e . g ., a random access memory ( ram ) or a non - volatile storage , e . g ., a hard disk drive . these records may be maintained in a relational or object oriented database , a table or any other data structure known in the art . [ 0026 ] fig2 a illustrates the information maintained in each logical volume record 50 , where a logical volume record 50 is maintained for each logical volume stored in a tape cartridge 6 a , 6 b . . . 6 g , including : current physical volumes 54 : identifies one or more physical volumes ( tape cartridge 6 a , 6 b . . . 6 j ) including the logical volume . a logical volume may span multiple physical volumes or multiple logical volumes may be stored on a single physical volume . the pool in which the logical volume is assigned can be determined from the storage pool associated with the current physical volume including the logical volume . location on physical volume ( s ) 56 : indicates the location of the logical volume on the one or more physical volumes including the logical volume . [ 0030 ] fig2 b illustrates the information in each physical volume record 70 , where a physical volume record 70 is maintained for each physical volume or tape cartridge 6 a , 6 b . . . 6 j that may be accessed by the tape server 2 through a tape drive , including : id 72 : provides a unique identifier of a physical volume . home pool 74 : indicates the home pool to which the physical volume is assigned . if a physical volume ( tape cartridge ) is moved from one pool to another , than the home pool is reassigned to the target pool to which the physical volume is reassigned . a “ borrow ” changes only the current pool and the home pool remains the same . if a tape cartridge is borrowed two or more times , then the home pool will still specify the same pool from which the tape was initially borrowed , such as the scratch pool , but the current pool is changed . current pool 76 : indicates the current pool to which the physical volume is assigned , such that a physical volume stores data of the type associated with the current pool . media type 78 : indicates a media type of the physical volume , such as “ j ” or “ k ”. target pool 80 : the default indicates no target pool . if the field indicates a known storage pool , then this field indicates that the physical volume is involved in a pending move operation and is to be moved to the specified target pool after the active data from the physical volume is copied to an empty tape . priority reclamation 82 : indicates that reclamation for the physical volume occurs during the scheduled reclamation period , but the physical volume is assigned a higher reclamation priority than other cartridges to be reclaimed so that the physical volume is scheduled for reclamation before other tape cartridges to be reclaimed . the default may be that priority reclamation is off indicating that reclamation will occur during a normally scheduled reclamation period at the normal assigned reclamation priority . inhibit reclamation schedule 84 : if the priority reclamation 82 indicates a priority reclamation , then this field may indicate to schedule the reclamation immediately , even if reclamation would occur outside of the scheduled reclamation period during a critical use time . if this inhibit option is not selected , then the priority reclamation would occur during the normal scheduled reclamation period . [ 0038 ] fig2 c illustrates the information maintained with a pool record 90 , where there is one pool record 90 for each defined pool , including : id 92 : provides a unique identifier of a pool . this id may have a descriptive name indicating the type or class of data stored in the pool , e . g ., accounting data , marketing data , research and development , archival data , high security users , etc . if a pool record 90 is maintained for the scratch pool , then the scratch pool may have a unique scratch pool identifier . borrowing 94 : indicates whether physical volumes ( tape cartridges ) may be borrowed by the pool from the scratch pool . return policy 96 : indicates whether a physical volume ( tape cartridge ) moved from one pool to another must be returned to the home pool when the tape is reclaimed or released , i . e ., the tape no longer has any active data . media type 98 : a field that indicates the media type ( s ) of physical volumes associated with the pool . minimum empty tapes 100 : indicates the minimum number of empty tapes that must be assigned to the pool in order to be immediately available for new data written to the pool . in certain implementations , a system administrator may move physical volumes from one storage pool to another when managing the tape cartridges in the storage pools . this may be performed if a determination is made that one storage pool needs additional tapes due to an anticipated increase of data maintained in that pool , or one pool needs fewer tape cartridges due to an anticipated decrease in data directed toward that pool . fig3 , and 9 illustrate different graphical user interface ( gui ) panels presented by the tape controller 10 logic to enable the systems administrator to transfer or move tape cartridges 6 a , 6 b . . . 6 j ( physical volumes ) from one pool to another . [ 0045 ] fig3 illustrates a gui panel 100 to allow the administrator to specify a range of physical volumes in the “ from ” and “ to ” fields 102 , 104 of a selected media type 106 to move to a user selected target pool 108 . the user selectable media type field 106 may indicate one or more allowable media types , up to all types . alternatively , the user may select a predefined list of physical volumes to move to the target pool 108 . the administrator may also select how the move will affect operations by indicating : a deferred move 110 , which indicates that the move will not occur for those physical volumes including active data until a regularly scheduled reclamation operation occurs . in certain implementations , a reclamation operation is performed with respect to a tape cartridge when the percentage of available space on the cartridge , i . e ., the percent of the tape not filled with active data , exceeds a predefined reclamation threshold . once the available or unused space on a tape cartridge reaches the reclamation threshold , the tape controller 10 moves the active data to another tape cartridge and makes reclaimed tape cartridge free to be used for new writes . a priority move 112 is set to perform the reclamation of the tapes being moved ahead of other tapes scheduled for reclamation . an inhibit reclaim schedule move 114 : this box may be selected when selecting the priority move 112 box in order to specify whether the tape reclamation schedule is honored . a tape reclamation schedule indicates “ critical time periods ”, such as anticipated high data access time periods , during which reclamation cannot occur . for instance , the administrator may schedule certain high use periods as critical so that reclamation will not occur during such critical periods even if a reclamation condition has been satisfied . this is to ensure that reclamation occurs during regularly scheduled low use periods , because reclamation utilizes substantial tape server 2 resources and could significantly effect host 4 a , 4 b . . . 4 n operations . if box 112 is checked , but 114 is not , then the priority reclamation of the tapes being moved only occurs during a regularly scheduled reclamation outside of any designated critical time periods . however , if the box 114 is checked to inhibit the reclamation schedule , then the reclamation may occur outside of the designated time period for reclamation , and may occur immediately after the reclamation threshold is satisfied even if the threshold is reached during a critical time period . the status area 116 is used to indicate the status of the movement operation , and may list the status of the move with respect to each physical volume included within the range of selected physical volumes , e . g ., in fields 100 and 102 . further , a progress bar may be displayed indicating the percentage of the move operation that has completed . [ 0050 ] fig4 illustrates logic implemented in the tape controller 10 to move a list of physical volumes to a target pool , where the physical volumes , media type , and target pool may be entered through the gui panel 100 shown in fig3 . control begins at block 150 upon receiving the request to move a list of physical volumes to a target pool 108 ( fig3 ). for each listed physical volume i , a loop is performed at blocks 152 through 174 . at block 154 , the physical volume record 70 for physical volume i is accessed . if ( at block 156 ) the media type indicated in media type field 78 of the accessed physical volume record meets the media type 106 ( fig3 ) criteria , then a determination is made ( at block 158 ) whether the physical volume i is empty . if so , then the physical volume i is immediately moved to the target pool by updating ( at block 160 ) the accessed physical volume record to indicate the home pool 74 and current pool 76 ( fig2 b ) as the target pool 108 . otherwise , if ( at block 158 ) the physical volume i is not empty , then the data in the physical volume i must be reclaimed before being moved . in such case , the target pool field 80 in the accessed physical record 70 is set ( at block 162 ) to the user selected target pool 108 . if ( at block 164 ) the “ deferred move ” option 110 is selected , then the move will occur when the physical volume i is subject to reclamation according to normal reclamation procedures . if ( at block 166 ) the “ priority move ” option is selected , then the priority reclamation field 82 is set ( at block 168 ) in the accessed physical volume record 70 to indicate that the reclamation occurs at a higher priority level . if ( at block 170 ) the “ inhibit reclamation schedule ” option 114 is selected with the “ priority move ” option 112 , then the “ inhibit reclamation schedule ” field 84 ( fig2 b ) is set ( at block 172 ) to indicate that the reclamation will be performed outside of the reclamation schedule . in certain implementation , if the “ inhibit reclamation schedule ” field 84 is set , reclamation may be performed immediately or at some more immediate time than the scheduled reclamation time period . if the “ priority reclamation ” field 82 is set , but not “ inhibit reclamation ” 84 , then the reclamation of physical volume i is performed at a higher priority during the normal reclamation schedule . after processing physical volume i at block 156 , 160 , 164 , 170 or 172 , control proceeds to block 174 to consider the next physical volume on the list . [ 0052 ] fig5 illustrates logic implemented in the tape controller 10 when a physical volume 6 a , 6 b . . . 6 g has reached a reclamation threshold , e . g ., the amount of inactive data versus active data on the tape has reached a threshold or when the physical volume has been marked for priority reclamation . control begins at block 200 when the reclamation threshold is reached for a physical volume or priority reclamation is specified . in response , the tape controller 10 would access ( at block 202 ) the physical volume record 70 ( fig2 b ) of the detected physical volume . if ( at block 204 ) the “ priority reclamation ” field 82 in the accessed physical volume record 70 is not “ on ”, then the tape controller 10 schedules ( at block 206 ) a normal reclamation of the physical volume . otherwise , if ( at block 204 ) “ priority reclamation ” 82 is set and if ( at block 208 ) “ inhibit reclamation schedule ” is also set , then the tape controller 10 calls ( at block 212 ) reclamation to perform reclamation on the detected physical volume independent of the normally scheduled reclamation period . otherwise , if ( at block 204 ) only “ priority reclamation ” 82 is set “ on ” but not the “ inhibit reclamation schedule 84 , then the tape controller 10 schedules ( at block 210 ) reclamation of the detected physical volume 6 a , 6 b . . . 6 j at a higher priority than other scheduled reclamations to cause the reclamation of the detected physical volume to occur before other physical volumes during the normally scheduled reclaim period . [ 0053 ] fig6 illustrates logic implemented in the tape controller 10 to perform a reclamation of a source physical volume , which may be called during the scheduled reclamation period or called outside of such period from block 212 in fig5 . upon ( at block 250 ) receiving the call to reclaim , the tape controller 10 accesses ( at block 252 ) the physical volume record 70 ( fig2 b ) for the source physical volume . if ( at block 254 ) the current pool of the physical volume to reclaim , which is indicated in the current pool field 76 indicated in the accessed physical volume record 70 ( fig2 b ), does not include an empty or partially filled physical volume , then the tape controller 10 selects ( at block 256 ) an empty physical volume from the scratch pool 8 c or another pool 8 a , 8 b ( fig1 ). otherwise , if the current pool 8 a , 8 b including the tape to reclaim does include empty or partially filled tapes , one tape is selected ( at block 258 ) from the current pool . after selecting a tape at block 256 or 258 , the current pool field 76 for the selected tape is set ( at block 260 ) to the current pool field 76 of the source physical volume record because the active data being copied from the reclaimed tape remains in the same storage pool . the data from the source physical volume is copied ( at block 262 ) to the selected tape . in this way , although the tape cartridge 6 a , 6 b . . . 6 j itself is assigned to a new storage pool , the data in the tape cartridge at the time of the move remains in the same storage pool . if ( at block 264 ) the source physical volume being reclaimed is subject to a move operation , which is indicated if the “ target pool ” field 80 ( fig2 b ) for the accessed physical volume record is set to a known pool , then in the source physical volume record 70 , the home field 74 and current pool field 76 are set ( at block 266 ) to the target pool , as indicated in the target pool field 80 of the source physical volume record . the target pool field 80 of the selected tape is then set to null , because setting the home pool field 74 to the target pool field 80 logically completed the pending movement operation . if ( at block 264 ) the source physical volume is not subject to a move operation , then a determination is made ( at block 268 ) as to whether the source physical volume was borrowed from another pool , which is so if the home pool 74 and current pool 76 fields in the accessed source physical volume record are different . if the source physical volume being reclaimed is borrowed , then a determination is made ( at block 270 ) as to whether the current pool has the minimum number of tapes 100 ( fig2 c ). as mentioned , a minimum number of empty tapes may be required to maintain for each pool . if the current pool has the minimum number of empty tapes , then a determination is made ( at block 272 ) as to whether the borrowed tape may be returned to the home pool . a tape may be returned if the return policy field 96 in the pool record 90 ( fig2 c ) for the home pool from which the source physical volume was borrowed indicates to return . if ( at block 272 ) the tape must be returned , then the tape controller 10 updates ( at block 274 ) the source physical volume record 76 to set the current pool as the home pool , indicating that the borrowed tape has returned to its home pool . otherwise , if ( at block 270 ) the current pool has less than the number of specified minimum empty tapes 100 or if ( at block 272 ) the return policy 96 does not require return , control ends . thus , the logic of fig6 associates the data on a reclaimed tape cartridge with another pool to complete the move when the data is being reclaimed . further , if the reclaimed source physical volume was borrowed from another home pool which requires the return of borrowed tape cartridges , then that borrowed tape may be returned to the home pool by updating the current pool to indicate the home pool of the borrowed physical volume . [ 0057 ] fig7 illustrates a gui panel 300 for a system administrator to use when selecting a list or range of physical volumes to move 302 and 304 to a target pool 308 if such tape cartridges are empty . the gui panel 300 includes user selectable fields 302 , 304 , 306 , and 308 that are the same as fields 102 , 104 , 106 , and 108 in gui panel 100 , respectively . [ 0058 ] fig8 illustrates the operations the tape controller 10 performs when moving a list of physical volumes 6 a , 6 b . . . 6 j that are empty to a target pool 308 ( fig7 ). upon receiving ( at block 350 ) a request to move a list of physical volumes that are not empty , which may be received through the gui panel 300 ( fig7 ), a loop is performed at blocks 352 through 362 for each physical volume i on the list . at block 354 , the tape controller 10 accesses the physical volume record for physical volume i . if ( at block 356 ) the media type indicated in media type field 78 ( fig2 b ) of the accessed physical volume record meets the media type 306 criteria ( fig7 ), then a determination is made ( at block 358 ) whether the physical volume i is empty . if so , then the physical volume i is immediately moved to the target pool by updating the accessed physical volume record to indicate the home pool 74 and the current pool 76 ( fig3 ) as the target pool . otherwise , if physical volume i is not empty , control ends because a move initiated through the gui panel 300 only moves empty physical volumes . [ 0059 ] fig9 illustrates a gui panel 400 in which the administrator may enter a number of physical volumes 402 to move , the source pool 404 from which to move the physical volumes , the target pool 406 to which the selected number of physical volumes will be moved , and the media type 408 of the physical volumes to move . the gui panel 400 may also include a status area 410 to display information on the status of moving physical volumes from the source to the target pool . [ 0060 ] fig1 illustrates logic implemented in the tape controller 10 to move a number of empty physical volumes from the source to the target pool that do not have to be returned to a home pool if the physical volumes were borrowed . upon receiving ( at block 450 ) the request to move the selected number of physical volumes , the tape controller 10 sets ( at block 452 ) a count variable to the administrator specified number of physical volumes to move entered in field 402 of the gui panel 400 ( fig9 ). the tape controller 10 selects ( at block 454 ) a physical volume from the source pool and accesses ( at block 456 ) the physical volume record 70 for the selected physical volume . if ( at block 458 ) the media type indicated in media type field 70 of the accessed physical volume record does not meet the selected media type 408 criteria ( fig9 ), then control proceeds to block 470 to consider any further physical volumes in the source pool . otherwise , if ( at block 460 ) the media type criteria is met and the accessed physical volume is not empty , then control proceeds to block 470 to consider any further physical volumes . if ( at block 460 ) the accessed physical volume is empty , then a determination is made if the empty tape was borrowed , i . e ., whether the home 74 and current 76 pool fields in the accessed physical record differ . if the empty physical volume was not borrowed , i . e ., the home 74 and current 76 pool fields are the same , then the physical volume record 70 for the selected source physical volume record is updated ( at block 464 ) to assign the selected physical volume to the target pool 406 ( fig9 ) and the count is decremented ( at block 466 ), indicating one less physical volume to move to the target pool . if ( at block 468 ) the maximum number of physical volumes , as indicated by the count , has been moved , then control ends . otherwise , if not all the requested physical volumes have been moved , then the tape controller 10 considers ( at block 470 ) whether there are further physical volumes in the source pool not considered . if there are further physical volumes that may be considered , then the tape controller 10 selects ( at block 472 ) one physical volume in the source pool 8 a , 8 b and returns to block 456 . otherwise , if there are no further physical volumes to consider , control ends . if ( at block 462 ) the accessed physical volume was borrowed , then control proceeds to block 470 to consider the next physical volume in the storage pool . in further implementations , an accessed physical volume that is borrowed may be moved to the target storage pool if the physical volume was borrowed and the home pool 74 has a return policy 96 ( fig2 c ) indicating that borrowed tapes do not have to be returned . otherwise , if the return policy 96 for the home storage policy indicates that borrowed tapes must be returned , then control proceeds to block 470 to consider any further physical volumes in the source storage pool . the described implementations provide techniques for moving physical volumes to different storage pools and handling reclamation when transferring physical volumes from one storage pool to another . the described techniques for managing physical volumes in storage pools may be implemented as a method , apparatus or article of manufacture using standard programming and / or engineering techniques to produce software , firmware , hardware , or any combination thereof . the term “ article of manufacture ” as used herein refers to code or logic implemented in hardware logic ( e . g ., an integrated circuit chip , programmable gate array ( pga ), application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), etc .) or a computer readable medium , such as magnetic storage medium ( e . g ., hard disk drives , floppy disks ,, tape , etc . ), optical storage ( cd - roms , optical disks , etc . ), volatile and non - volatile memory devices ( e . g ., eeproms , roms , proms , rams , drams , srams , firmware , programmable logic , etc .). code in the computer readable medium is accessed and executed by a processor . the code in which preferred embodiments are implemented may further be accessible through a transmission media or from a file server over a network . in such cases , the article of manufacture in which the code is implemented may comprise a transmission media , such as a network transmission line , wireless transmission media , signals propagating through space , radio waves , infrared signals , etc . thus , the “ article of manufacture ” may comprise the medium in which the code is embodied . additionally , the “ article of manufacture ” may comprise a combination of hardware and software components in which the code is embodied , processed , and executed . of course , those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications may be made to this configuration without departing from the scope of the present invention , and that the article of manufacture may comprise any information bearing medium known in the art . in described implementations , the physical volumes subject to the storage pool management operations were stored in tape cartridges . however , in alternative implementations , the physical volumes subject to the storage pool management operations may be stored in any non - volatile storage unit medium known in the art , including optical disks , hard disk drive , non - volatile random access memory ( ram ) devices , etc . in such alternative storage unit media , the server would include the necessary drives or interfaces through which data in the alternative storage unit component is accessed . in the described implementations , certain variables , such as n and i are used to denote integer values indicating a certain number of elements . these variables may denote any number when used at different instances with the same or different elements . the illustrated logic of fig4 , 6 , 8 , and 10 shows certain events occurring in a certain order . in alternative implementations , certain operations may be performed in a different order , modified or removed . morever , steps may be added to the above described logic and still conform to the described implementations . further , operations described herein may occur sequentially or certain operations may be processed in parallel . yet further , operations may be performed by a single processing unit or by distributed processing units . [ 0068 ] fig1 illustrates one implementation of a computer architecture 500 that may be used in the hosts 4 a , 4 b . . . 4 n and tape server 2 ( fig1 ). the architecture 500 may include a processor 502 ( e . g ., a microprocessor ), a memory 504 ( e . g ., a volatile memory device ), and storage 506 ( e . g ., a non - volatile storage , such as magnetic disk drives , optical disk drives , a tape drive , etc .). the storage 506 may comprise an internal storage device or an attached or network accessible storage . programs in the storage 506 are loaded into the memory 504 and executed by the processor 502 in a manner known in the art . the architecture further includes a network card 508 to enable communication with a network . an input device 510 is used to provide user input to the processor 502 , and may include a keyboard , mouse , pen - stylus , microphone , touch sensitive display screen , or any other activation or input mechanism known in the art . an output device 512 is capable of rendering information transmitted from the processor 502 , or other component , such as a display monitor , printer , storage , etc . the foregoing description of various implementations of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description , but rather by the claims appended hereto . the above specification , examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention . since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended . | 8 |
fig1 a to 1c show , schematically , successive steps in a method of forming a capacitor structure for an integrated circuit including formation an electrode comprising a conductive layer 24 of ruthenium oxide formed according to an embodiment of the invention . a substrate for an integrated circuit substrate is provided in the form of a semiconductor silicon wafer 12 , having formed thereon a layer 14 of a dielectric material , typically silicon dioxide . if desired , an adhesion layer , e . g . ti or tin , may be provided on the substrate . a coating 16 of a precursor solution comprising a ruthenium ( iii ) nitrosyl salt in a viscous aqueous mixture is spun onto the substrate and heat treated at a low temperature between about 150 ° c . and 200 ° c ., to decompose the ruthenium precursor , drive off volatile components of the solution , and thereby form a layer 18 of amorphous ruthenium oxide . the ruthenium loading and viscosity of the precursor solution is selected to provide a layer of ruthenium oxide 18 of a desired thickness . if required , the steps of coating and heat treating are repeated to add additional layers 20 to provide a required thickness of amorphous ruthenium oxide . the amorphous ruthenium oxide layer is then annealed , typically by rapid thermal annealing in an inert or oxygen ambient at a temperature above 300 ° c ., for a sufficient time to form a layer 24 of a crystalline , tetragonal phase of ruthenium oxide , ruo 2 . preferably the annealing takes place at a temperature below 700 ° c . to avoid adverse thermal effects , e . g . undesirable diffusion or reactions in the substrate . the composition of the ruthenium precursor solution typically comprises an aqueous solution comprising , by weight : 10 - 80 % of a dilute ( 0 . 5 - 10 %) ruthenium ( iii ) nitrosyl salt solution ; 2 - 50 % of a water soluble viscosity modifier ; 1 - 30 % of a volatile organic acid . the ruthenium ( iii ) nitrosyl salt solution is typically a nitrate salt in a dilute nitric acid solution although other salts in appropriate acids may alternatively be used . the water soluble viscosity modifier is typically glycerol , ethylene glycol , or other polyfunctional alcohol , but solution of polyvinyl alcohol , polyethylene glycol or other water soluble polymers of wide range of molecular weights may be used . the volatile organic acid may include , for example , formic acid , acetic acid , propionic acid , and others , and functionalized acids such a lactic acid . the ruthenium oxide forms a conductive layer which is patterned to form first electrodes of capacitors . subsequently , a layer 26 of a perovskite ferroelectric material , i . e . pzt is provided on the crystalline ruthenium oxide electrodes by a sol - gel process . for example , after formation of the layer of crystalline ruo 2 , a layer of pzt was deposited onto the ruo 2 layer by a sol - gel process , that is , by spin coating a layer or multilayers of a pzt precursor sol - gel onto the substrate wafer followed by baking of the film at low temperature ( 200 ° c . to 450 ° c .) for several minutes to drive off volatile organics and form an amorphous pzt layer . the pzt is then converted to the ferroelectric crystalline phase by a rapid thermal annealing in an 0 2 atmosphere at a temperature between about 500 ° c . and 600 ° c . a layer 28 of an appropriate conductive top electrode material is then deposited thereon and patterned to form capacitor top electrodes . a precursor solution was prepared by mixing 50g of a solution of 1 . 5 % ru ( iii ) nitrosyl nitrate in dilute nitric acid ( ph 3 ), 30 g of glycerol and 15 g of acetic acid and then filtering the solution through a 0 . 22 μm filter . this solution was applied to a substrate comprising a 150 mm semiconductor silicon wafer having a surface layer of sio 2 , by applying approximately 2 ml of precursor solution to the wafer surface and spin - coating at 2500 rpm for 20 seconds , using conventional commercially available apparatus . the wafer was baked at 200 ° c . for 2 minutes to provide a layer of amorphous ruo 2 of approximately 60 - 70 å thickness . the steps of spin - coating and baking were repeated to build up a coating of a desired thickness . by repeating the coating steps 10 times , and subsequently annealling the amorphous layer by rapid thermal annealing ( rta ) at 600 ° c . for 30 seconds , a crystalline film of ruo 2 , 0 . 6 μ m thick was provided . the resistivity of the resulting ruo 2 layer was 116 μω . cm . the uniformity of the film , as measured by variation in the resistivity of the film across a wafer was ± 2 %. samples were preferably annealed at a temperature between 400 ° c . and 600 ° c . for about 30 seconds . upon heating of the ruthenium containing film to about 200 ° c ., the film was found by analysis by fourier transform infrared ftir absorption spectroscopy to lose uncoordinated water , acetic acid and glycerol . heating of a sample to 400 ° c . was shown to result in complete decomposition of the ruthenium precursor to provide ruo 2 as determined by edx . the grain size of the crystallized ruthenium oxide layer was measured by tem and was 10 to 20 nm for annealing by r . t . a . at 450 ° c . and 2 to 10 nm for annealing by r . t . a . at 350 ° c . the films were found to contain no detectable carbon , and exhibited resistivities of 100 to 150 μω . cm with ± 2 % variation across a 150 mm diameter wafer . the thickness of the layer of ruo 2 may be controlled by increasing the percentage of ru compound in the solution or by increasing the viscosity of the solution . thinner layers can be produced by reducing the loading of the ru compound or reducing the viscosity of the solution . the ruthenium precursor is found to undergo rapid hydrolysis in water as follows : ## str1 ## acetic acid is added to the solution and its function is to drive the equilibrium towards nitrate loss ( upper right ). acetic acid also improves the surface wetting properties of the solution and therefore helps to eliminate streaking in the film . it may also function as a bidentate ligand and displace coordinated water or nitrate to form complexes . glycerol , for example , is added to modify the viscosity so that solution may be applied by spin - coating . glycerol , due to its hydroxyl moieties , may also function as a weak ligand , depending on the ph and the characteristics of the other ligands present . it is also thought that the glycerol may form an extensive hydrogen bonding network in the solution between the various cationic complexes present , which would aid in the drying process . although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail , it should be appreciated that numerous modifications , variations and adaptations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims . | 2 |
polyesters are usually prepared from two main starting materials . one is a dicarboxylic acid , such as isophthalic acid , terephthalic acid , 2 , 6 - naphthalene dicarboxylic acid , phthalic acid , adipic acid , sebacic acid or the ester derivatives thereof , or the mixture thereof . the other starting material is a glycol component , such as ethylene glycol , propylene glycol , butane diol , 1 , 4 - cyclohexanedimethanol or neopentyl glycol or the mixture thereof . in present invention , preferred is the polyester in which at least 80 % of repeating unit consists of ethylene terephthalate or ethylene 2 , 6 - naphthalate . if necessary , there may be added other additives , such as thermal stabilizer , anti - blocking agent , antioxidant , antistatic agent and ultraviolet absorber . according to the present invention , a biaxially stretched polyester film is produced by adding cubic calcium carbonate particles of calcite structure satisfying the following conditions at any stage of polyester preparation , so as to prepare polyester and by the melt extrusion of the polymer : wherein d 25 , d 50 and d 75 are the diameters ( μm ) of particles when the accumulated weights of the particles are on the order of 25 , 50 and 75 % of the total weight of the particles , respectively . with regard to the cubic calcium carbonate of calcite structure , the distribution ratio of particle size , d 25 / d 75 , is preferably between 1 . 1 and 1 . 9 . for example , if the distribution ratio is above 2 . 0 , protrusions with a height of above 0 . 75 μm are formed on the film . in case that the ratio of length to width to height is out of the range of the formula 3 , the biaxially stretched film is deteriorated in abrasion resistance as well as scratch resistance because a great quantity of white powders are generated . the amount of the cubic calcium carbonate of calcite structure is on the order of 0 . 01 to 1 . 0 % by weight based on the total weight of the polyester film and preferably 0 . 05 to 0 . 5 % by weight . for example , if the polyester film contains the cubic calcium carbonate particles of calcite structure in an amount of below 0 . 01 by weight , its slip property becomes poor and thus a blocking phenomena is induced due to friction between roll and the film , effecting a break in the film . on the other hand , if the polyester film contains the particles in an amount of above 1 % by weight , the particles aggregate , to form huge protrusions . as to the average diameter of the cubic calcium carbonate particles of calcite structure , it is preferably between 0 . 07 and 1 . 5 μm and more preferably between 0 . 2 and 1 . 0 μm . for example , if the cubic calcium carbonate particles have an average diameter of less than 0 . 07 μm , it is difficult to provide protrusions on the surface , which leads to the inferiority of slip property . on the other hand , if the average diameter of the particles exceed 1 . 5 μm , the surface roughness is increased and many huge protrusions are formed , so that drop - out takes place in a magnetic tape of the polyester film . particularly , if the cubic calcium carbonate particles have an average diameter of greater than 1 . 5 μm and are used in an amount of above 1 . 0 % by weight , protrusion and depression are frequently generated on the film , leading to the production of loud noise when the film travels . in accordance with one aspect of the present invention , a group of cubic calcium carbonate of calcite structure having an average diameter of 0 . 07 to 0 . 8 μm and another group of cubic calcium carbonate of calcite structure having an average diameter which are 1 . 2 to 5 times as large as the former group and at most 1 . 5 μm are added in an amount of 0 . 2 to 1 . 0 % by weight and 0 . 005 to 0 . 25 % by weight , respectively , based on the total weight of the polyester film . in accordance with another aspect of the present invention , the biaxially stretched polyester film can be improved at once in slip property and in smoothness by further adding inorganic particles with an average diameter of not more than 1 . 5 μm in an amount of not more than 0 . 5 % by weight of the cubic calcium carbonate particles of calcite structure . in this connection , different protrusions with different sizes are formed on the polyester film . an inorganic particle mixture of cubic calcium carbonate particles of calcite structure and aluminum oxide is slurried to ethylene glycol only by filter treatment without the treatment of classification or pulverization and added at any stage of the synthesis of polyester , so as to obtain a polymer . this polymer is mixed , in a proper weight ratio , with another polymer obtained by a conventional method and then , subjected to melt extrusion at a temperature of 270 ° to 300 ° c ., to cooling and solidification at a temperature of 40 ° to 70 ° c ., so as to give a non - stretched polyester film . this film is stretched 3 . 0 to 4 . 0 times lengthwise at a temperature of 90 ° to 120 ° c . and 4 . 0 to 5 . 0 times crosswise at a temperature of 180 ° to 220 ° c ., and thereafter , are subjected to heat treatment at a temperature of 200 ° to 240 ° c ., so as to produce a biaxially stretched polyester film of the present invention . the preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be further described with reference to specific examples . in the following examples and comparative examples , the polyester films and the magnetic tapes prepared were tested for physical properties as follows : the sizes of d 25 , d 50 and d 75 in particle slurry were measured using a measuring device for particle size distribution commercially available from simatsu , japan under a trade name of sa - cp3 , and d 50 was considered as the average diameter of particles . the length of each side of the particle was measured using an electron microscope . as shown in fig1 a film was wound around a fixed metal roll ( 6 mm diameter ) coated with hard chrome with the angle between the film and the roll being in an angle of 180 ° ( 3 . 142 rad ()). when the film was travelled in a speed of 1 . 1 m / sec under a tension of 50 g loaded in one side ( t 2 ), resistance at the other side ( t 1 , g ) was measured . friction coefficient ( μk ) was obtained by the following formula : as shown in fig1 a film was wound around a fixed metal roll ( diameter 6 mm , surface roughness 3s ) coated with hard chrome with the angle between the film and the roll being in an angle of 180 ° ( 3 . 142 rad ( θ )). when the film was travelled in a speed of 1 . 1 m / sec for 60 sec . under a tension of 50 g , the amount of white powder on a metal pin 1 was measured with naked eyes and graded into the following standards : b grade : a very small quantity of white powder , little problematic in practice c grade : a quantity of white powder , some problematic in practice d grade : a large quantity of white powder , difficult in practice . this test was carried out using a testing device for tape - travelling capability , tbt - 300d / h type ( trade name , commercially available from k . k . yokohama system , japan ). a tape of polyester film with a width of 0 . 5 inch was travelled on a tape guide pin of a video cassette ( stainless guide pin with an ra of 50 nm and an rt of 2 , 500 nm ) in a speed of 1 . 1 m / s at 20 ° c . and at 60 % rh with a tension of 50 g . when the film was travelled 50 cycles with the winding angle being 180 °, the number of the scratch generated was decided using an optical microscope . the surface roughness of the polyester film was measured 20 times using a measuring device for surface roughness ( trade name et - 10 , manufactured by kosaca , japan ) under the following conditions . surface roughness ( ra ) was determined by averaging the values measured 5 times . macro protrusions with a height of above 0 . 75 μm were counted in 100 cm 2 of the polyester film , using a multi - interference microscope . the grades followed the standards ; a mixture of 100 parts of dimethyl terephthalate , 70 parts of ethylene glycol , 0 . 09 part of manganese acetate four hydrates , and 0 . 04 part of antimony trioxide was charged into a reactor and heated to perform ester - interchange with ethanol being funneled . after completing the ester interchange for 4 hours , the resulting mixture was added with 0 . 06 part of ethyl acid phosphate and 1 . 0 part of cubic calcium carbonate particles of calcite structure which had an average diameter of 0 . 6 μm and a side length ratio of 1 : 1 : 1 and which were slurried to ethylene glycol and then , was subjected to polycondensation for 4 hours , so as to give polyester i . 36 % by weight of the polyester i was mixed with 64 % by weight of particleless polyester and subjected to melt extrusion at 290 ° c . and cooling solidification , so as to give an amorphous film which was then stretched 4 times lengthwise at 120 ° c . and subsequently 4 . 5 times crosswise at 135 ° c . thereafter , this was treated at 220 ° c . for 3 seconds , to produce a biaxially stretched polyester film with a thickness of 14 . 5 μm . the physical properties of the biaxially stretched polyester film were measured , and the results are given as shown in the following table 1 . polyester ii was obtained as a result of polycondensing a mixture comprising 1 . 0 part of globular silica particles with an average of 0 . 5 μm , instead of calcium carbonate of calcite structure in example 1 . a biaxially stretched polyester film was prepared in a manner similar to that of example 1 , except for using a composition consisting of 45 % by weight of polyester i synthesized in example 1 , 14 % by weight of polyester ii and 41 % by weight of particleless polyester . the biaxially polyester film was tested for physical properties and the results are given as shown in table 1 . polyester iii was obtained in a manner similar to that of polyester i , except that cubic calcium carbonate particles of calcite structure with an average diameter of 0 . 8 μm and a side length ratio of 1 : 1 : 1 was used . a biaxially stretched polyester film was prepared in a manner similar to that of example 1 , except for using a composition consisting of 16 % by weight of polyester i synthesized in example 1 , 8 % by weight of polyester iii and 76 % by weight of particleless polyester . the biaxially polyester film was tested for physical properties and the results are given as shown in table 1 . polyester iv was obtained in a manner similar to that of polyester i , except that aluminum oxide particles with an average of 0 . 05 μm was used . a biaxially stretched polyester film was prepared in a manner similar to that of example 1 , except for using a composition consisting of 22 % by weight of polyester i synthesized in example 1 , 10 % by weight of polyester iv and 68 % by weight of particleless polyester . the biaxially polyester film was tested for physical properties and the results are given as shown in table 1 . polyester v was obtained in a manner similar to that of polyester i , except that shapeless calcium carbonate particles with an average of 0 . 6 μm was used instead of calcium carbonate of calcite structure . a biaxially stretched polyester film was prepared in a manner similar to that of example 1 , except for using a composition consisting of 36 % by weight of polyester v and 64 % by weight of particleless polyester . the biaxially polyester film was tested for physical properties and the results are given as shown in table 2 . a biaxially stretched polyester film was prepared in a manner similar to that of example 1 , except for using a composition consisting of 45 % by weight of polyester v , 14 % by weight of polyester ii and 41 % by weight of particleless polyester . the biaxially polyester film was tested for physical properties and the results are given as shown in table 2 . polyester vi was obtained in a manner similar to that of polyester i , except that shapeless calcium carbonate particles with an average of 0 . 8 μm was used . a biaxially stretched polyester film was prepared in a manner similar to that of example 1 , except for using a composition consisting of 16 % by weight of polyester v , 8 % by weight of polyester vi and 76 % by weight of particleless polyester . the biaxially polyester film was tested for physical properties and the results are given as shown in table 2 . a biaxially stretched polyester film was prepared in a manner similar to that of example 1 , except for using a composition consisting of 22 % by weight of polyester v , 10 % by weight of polyester iv and 68 % by weight of particleless polyester . the biaxially polyester film was tested for physical properties and the results are given as shown in table 2 . table 1______________________________________ example no . 1 2 3 4______________________________________calcite calcium carbonateaverage diameter ( μm ) 0 . 6 0 . 6 0 . 6 0 . 6amount ( wt %) 0 . 36 0 . 45 0 . 16 0 . 22side length ratio 1 : 1 : 1 1 : 1 : 1 1 : 1 : 1 1 : 1 : 1globular silicaaverage diameter ( μm ) 0 . 5amount ( wt %) 0 . 14calcite calcium carbonateaverage diameter ( μm ) 0 . 8amount ( wt %) 0 . 08side length ratio 1 : 1 : 1aluminum oxideaverage diameter ( μm ) 0 . 05amount ( wt %) 0 . 1film testfriction coeff . ( μk ) 0 . 26 0 . 25 0 . 27 0 . 22roughness ( ra ) ( μam ) 0 . 017 0 . 021 0 . 0185 0 . 0165abrasion resist . ( grade ) a a a ascratch resist . ( grade ) a a a amacro protrusion ( grade ) 1 1 2 1______________________________________ table 2______________________________________ comparative example no . 1 2 3 4______________________________________shapeless calcium carbonateaverage diameter ( mm ) 0 . 6 0 . 6 0 . 6 0 . 6amount ( wt %) 0 . 36 0 . 45 0 . 16 0 . 22globular silicaaverage diameter ( μm ) 0 . 5amount ( wt %) 0 . 14shapeless calcium carbonateaverage diameter ( μm ) 0 . 8amount ( wt %) 0 . 08aluminum oxideaverage diameter ( μm ) 0 . 05amount ( wt %) 0 . 1film testfriction coeff . ( μk ) 0 . 29 0 . 26 0 . 29 0 . 24roughness ( ra ) ( μm ) 0 . 018 0 . 023 0 . 020 0 . 017abrasion resist . ( grade ) b b b ascratch resist . ( grade ) b b b amacro protrusion ( grade ) 2 2 3 2______________________________________ other features , advantages and embodiment of the invention disclosed herein will be readily apparent to those exercising ordinary skill after reading the foregoing disclosures . in this regard , while specific embodiments of the invention have been described in considerable detail , variations and modifications of these embodiments can be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described and claimed . | 8 |
now , exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the annexed drawings in order that those skilled in the art can embody the present invention with ease . [ 0018 ] fig1 is a view showing a construction of a customer base station system employing a system for synchronizing a satellite clock in base transceiver station in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 a number of base transceiver stations 100 , 200 and 300 are connected with one another through daisy chains . each of the base transceiver station 100 , 200 and 300 is connected to an internet protocol - base station controller 30 ( referred to as an ip - bsc , hereinafter ) through an ethernet switch 40 , and the ip - bsc 30 is connected to a public land mobile network 10 ( plmn ) through a mobile switching center 20 ( referred to as an msc , hereinafter ). the base transceiver stations 100 , 200 and 300 operate with the ip - bsc 30 to provide a wireless mobile communication service . fig1 schematically shows that controllers 120 , 220 and 320 in the base transceiver stations 100 , 200 and 300 control the wireless mobile communication service . the description of the function of the controllers 120 , 220 and 320 has been abbreviated . here , the description is restricted to the fact that the satellite clock is synchronized in each of the base transceiver stations 100 , 200 and 300 according to the gps signal , and the description of technical matters performed in the base transceiver stations has been abbreviated . as shown in fig1 a number of the base transceiver stations 100 , 200 and 300 can be divided into two types , that is , a base transceiver station 100 ( referred to as a main base transceiver station , hereinafter ) which receives a gps signal through a gps antenna and extracts a clock signal and time of day ( referred to as a tod , hereinafter ) necessary for operating its own base transceiver station from the gps signal , and base transceiver stations 200 and 300 ( referred to as sub - base transceiver station , hereinafter ) which receive the clock signal and the tod data from the main base transceiver station 100 , perform a delay correction to be used therein and provide a base transceiver station of the next stage with the clock signal and the tod data . the main base transceiver station 100 has a gps receiver module 110 receiving the gps signal through the gps antenna and processing it , and the sub - base transceiver stations 200 and 300 respectively have clock modules 210 and 310 . the gps receiver module 110 installed in the mainbase transceiver station 100 extracts clock information and tod information from the gps signal received through the gps antenna , generates the generated clock signal and tod data for operating its own base transceiver station 100 and outputs the clock signal and the tod data to its base transceiver station 100 and thebase transceiver station 200 of the next stage . the clock module 210 installed in the sub - base transceiver station 200 receives a clock signal and tod data from the gps receiver module 110 of the main base transceiver station through the daisy chain . the clock module 210 generates a clock signal and tod data which are synchronized with the clock signal and the tod data used in the main base transceiver station 100 by performing a delay correction with the gps receiver module 110 of the main base transceiver station 100 , and outputs the clock signal and the tod data to its own base transceiver station 200 and abase transceiver station of the next stage . the clock module 310 installed in the sub - base transceiver station 300 receives the clock signal and tod data from a clock module ( not shown ) of a base transceiver station of the previous stage through the daisy chain . the clock module 310 then generates a clock signal and tod data synchronized with the clock signal and the tod data used in the main base transceiver station 100 by performing a delay correction with the clock module ( not shown ) of the base transceiver station of the previous stage , and outputs the clock signal and the tod data to its own base transceiver station 300 . in order to measure a delay of a clock received from the gps receiver module 110 of the main base transceiver station 100 or a base transceiver station of the previous stage ( not shown ), the clock modules 210 and 310 transmit delay correction signals to the gps receiver module 110 of the main base transceiver station 100 or a base transceiver station ( not shown ) of the previous stage , and measure and correct delays using the returned signals . the delay must be corrected since a delay which occurs in a wireless communication system causes a phase synchronization difference so that a handoff may not be performed when the wireless terminal moves to another base station . accordingly , the clock must be corrected in order to guarantee a stable handoff . the operation of synchronizing a gps satellite clock in the above system is described below . the gps antenna receives the gps signal from a satellite and sends it to the main base transceiver station 100 using a cable . the gps receiver module 110 in the main base transceiver station 100 extracts a clock signal and tod data indicating time information from the gps signal received in the gps antenna . the extracted clock signal and tod data are used in its own base transceiver station 100 and also transmitted to the next base transceiver station 200 . the main base transceiver station 100 sends back a delay correction signal to the next base transceiver station 200 in order to correct the delay which occurred during the clock transmission . on the other hand , each of clock modules 210 and 310 in the sub - base transceiver stations 200 and 300 receives the clock signal and the tod data sent by the gps receiver module 110 and generates clocks to be used in their base transceiver stations 200 and 300 . in order to measure the delay of the clocks sent by the gps receiver module 110 or the clock module of the base transceiver stations 200 and 300 , each of the clock modules 210 and 310 sends a delay correction signal to the base transceiver station of the previous stage and performs a measurement and correction of the delay using a returned signal so that the clock signal to be used in its base transceiver station is corrected . also , the base transceiver stations send the clock signal and the tod data to the next base transceiver station so that the next base transceiver station can use the signal and the data . then , since the clock module of the next base transceiver station also needs to perform the delay correction , it performs a function of returning the delay correction signal . the details of a gps receiver module and a clock module are described with reference to fig2 and 3 . [ 0035 ] fig2 is a view showing a detailed block diagram of the gps receiver module shown in fig1 . referring to fig2 the gps receiver module 110 includes a gps engine 111 , a processor 112 , a phase locked loop module 113 ( referred to as a pll module , hereinafter ), a driver 114 and a return module for delay correction 115 . the gps engine 111 performs a function of extracting clock information and tod information from the gps signal received by a gps antenna . the pll logic 113 generates a clock signal and tod data in accordance with the clock information and the tod information extracted by the gps engine 111 . the pll module 113 is generally called a frequency synthesizer . the pll module 113 forms a phase control loop , which continuously provides a phase of output signal coinciding with a phase of an input signal . referring to fig2 an oven - controlled oscillator ( referred to as an ocxo , hereinafter ) is shown together with the pll module . the ocxo provides the entire system with a timing source . that is , the ocxo makes reverse use of the property that a crystal is heat sensitive and it constantly maintains the temperature around the crystal using an oven so as not to cause any clock error . even though the ocxd has the best precision among crystal application products , it has a large size and uses various power sources such as 12v , 24v and 30v compared to other products using 3 . 3v or 5v so that it is generally used for a repeater or satellite communication equipment rather than personal hand - held communication equipment . the driver 114 outputs the clock signal and the tod data generated by the pll module 113 to its own base transceiver station 100 and the base transceiver station 200 of the next stage . the return module for delay correction 115 performs a function of sending back the delay 11 correction signal received from the clock module 210 of the next base transceiver station 200 in order to perform the delay correction of the next base transceiver station 200 . the processor 112 extracts the clock information and the tod information with the help of the gps engine 111 in case of receiving the gps signal from the gps antenna , generates a clock signal and tod data with the help of the pll module 113 , outputs the clock signal and tod to its own base transceiver station 100 and the next base transceiver station 200 through the driver 114 , and processes a delay correction request sent from the base transceiver station 200 of the next stage with the help of the return module for delay correction 115 . an operation to perform a synchronization of the gps satellite clock in the gps receiver module 110 constructed as described above is explained below . on receiving the gps signal from the gps antenna , the gps engine 111 extracts clock information and tod information from the received gps signal . the tod data includes information on header and system time , state information , alarm information and leap second check sum . when clock information and the tod information are extracted by the gps engine 111 , the processor 112 controls the pll module 113 to generate the clock and the tod data to be used in its own base transceiver station 100 . the pll module 113 receives the clock information and the tod information extracted by the gps engine 111 , and generates a clock signal and tod data needed for the system in accordance with a specification already established by the processor 112 . for example , clock signals such as 10 mhz , pulse per 2 second ( ppp2s ) and 19 . 6608 mhz are generated . then , the driver 114 outputs the generated clock signal and tod data to its own base transceiver station 100 and the clock module 210 of the base transceiver station 200 of the next stage . on the other hand , the clock module 210 of the base transceiver station 200 of the next stage sends a delay correction signal to correct a delay of the received clock signal to the gps receiver module 110 . in such a case , the return module for delay correction 115 sends back to the sender the delay correction signal transmitted from the clock module of the base transceiver station of the next stage as is . the base transceiver station of the next stage corrects the delay of the clock received from the main base transceiver station using the signal returned from the return logic for delay correction 115 , and then generates a clock signal synchronized with the clock signal used in the main base transceiver station and provides its base transceiver station with the synchronized signal . [ 0050 ] fig3 is a view showing a detailed block of the clock module shown in fig1 . referring to fig3 the clock module 210 includes a delay correction module 211 which measures a delay of the clock received from a main base transceiver station 100 and corrects the delay , a processor 212 for controlling the clock module 210 , a pll module 213 for synchronizing using a clock from the gps receiver module 110 , a driver 214 for sending out a clock and tod , and a return module for delay correction 215 for sending back a delay correction signal sent by the next base transceiver station ( not shown ) in order to perform a delay correction of the next base - station transceiver . the delay correction module 211 receives the clock signal and the tod data from the main base transceiver station 100 , and measures and corrects the delay of the received clock . the pll module 213 receives the clock signal and the tod data and a delay correction value received from the delay correction module 211 , and generates a clock signal and tod data which reflects the delay correction . referring to fig3 a temperature compensated crystal oscillator ( referred to as a tcxo , hereinafter ) is shown together with the pll module . the tcxo is a device outputting a very stable reference signal having a few to tens of mhz among constituents of a mobile communication terminal , which is embodied by an oscillating circuit controlling the oscillating frequency using the crystal oscillator . in order to perform a frequency temperature stabilization which is an important property in the tcxo , the ambient temperature must be in the range of − 30 ˜ 85 ° c . and a frequency stability of a carrier required in the temperature is ± 2 . 5 ppm and the room temperature deviation is established in ± 0 . 2 ppm . on reviewing recent developments of tcxos from an aspect of the temperature compensation scheme , a development of a d - tcxo to compensate the temperature using a digital circuit is in progress wherein a component or a circuitry whose reactance is changeable by external data is inserted into an oscillation loop of the crystal oscillation circuit so that the necessary temperature compensation can be obtained . from an aspect of miniaturization , a development of a d - tcxo is in progress wherein the crystal oscillator is embodied in a form of smd and is covered in a form of a case on a board on which the basic circuit of the tcxo is mounted so that the area of the crystal oscillator is reduced . the driver 214 outputs the clock signal and the tod data generated in the pll module 213 to its base transceiver station 200 and a base transceiver station ( not shown ) of the next stage . the return module for delay correction 215 performs a function of sending back a delay correction signal received from the clock module of the next base transceiver station ( not shown ) in order to perform the delay correction of the next base transceiver station ( not shown ). the processor 210 performs the delay correction of the clock signal and the tod data received from the main base transceiver station 100 by the delay correction module 211 and the pll module 213 , outputs the corrected data to its base transceiver station 200 and the base transceiver station of the next stage ( not shown ) through the driver 214 , and controls each constituent to make the return module of delay correction 215 process a delay correction request sent by the base transceiver station of the next stage ( not shown ). now , an operation for synchronizing gps satellite clock in the clock module 210 constructed as described above will be explained . on receiving the clock signal and the tod data from the previous base - station transceiver , that is , the gps receiver module 110 of the main base transceiver station 100 , the delay correction module 211 transmits the delay correction signal to the gps receiver module 110 of the main base transceiver station 100 in order to measure the delay of the received clock . more concretely , the delay correction signal is transmitted to the return module for delay correction 115 . and , the measurement and correction of the delay is performed using the returned signal from the return module for delay correction 115 . when the delay correction module 211 outputs the clock signal and the tod data received from the gps receiver module 110 of the main base transceiver station 100 and accordingly the correction control signal , the pll module 213 corrects the clock signal and the tod data received from the delay correction module 211 according to the correction control signal and generates a clock signal and tod data synchronized with the clock signal and the tod data used in the main base transceiver station 100 . of course , the pll module 213 generates a clock signal and tod data required in the system in accordance with the specification established by the processor 212 . then , the driver 214 outputs the generated clock signal and tod data to its base transceiver station 200 and then outputs them to a clock module of a base transceiver station of the next stage . on the other hand , a clock module ( not shown ) of the base transceiver station ( not shown ) of the next stage transmits to the clock module 210 a delay correction signal to correct the received clock signal . in such a case , the return module for delay correction 215 sends back the delay correction signal transmitted from the clock module of the base transceiver station of the next stage as it is . the base transceiver station of the next stage corrects the delay of the clock received from the base transceiver station 200 using the signal returned from the return module for delay correction 215 , and accordingly and finally generates a clock signal synchronized with the clock signal used in the main base transceiver station and then provides its own base transceiver station with the clock signal . as described above , when the main base transceiver station 100 has one gps receiver module 110 and the remaining base transceiver stations 200 and 300 have cheap clock modules 210 and 310 , it is possible to construct the customer wireless exchange system by connecting a number of base transceiver stations with one another . in a conventional customer wireless communication exchange system , each customer base transceiver station should be directly connected to a gps antenna in a one - to - one manner , or many customer base transceiver stations should be connected to one gps antenna in the one - to - many manner using a gps distributor . at that time , each customer base transceiver station should have a gps receiver module . in accordance with the present invention , however , since every customer base transceiver station can make use of a gps signal with one gps antenna , it does not need to install more than one gps antenna and cables for that . also , a system in accordance with the present invention is profitable economically since it is possible that the gps receiver module having an expensive ocxo and a gps engine is used only in one customer base transceiver station and remaining customer base transceiver stations use cheap clock modules . also , a delay occurring due to the fact the customer base transceiver stations are connected with one another using a daisy chain can be solved with a delay correction module , so that every customer base transceiver station can have the same clock phase as the nearest customer base transceiver station to the gps antenna and a stable handoff can be performed between wireless base stations . | 7 |
the present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown . this invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein ; rather , these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art . referring to fig1 , an exemplary embodiment of the feed - through surface mount poke - in electrical connector 100 is depicted . the connector 100 provides a first electrical connection to a first pair of wires that includes a first wire 110 and second wire 120 , and a second electrical connection to a second pair of wires that includes a third wire 130 and a fourth wire 140 . the connector 100 may also connect the first wire 110 and the second wire 120 to an electrical trace ( not shown ) on an electrical device such as a pcb . in a similar manner , the connector 100 may also connect the third wire 130 and the fourth wire 140 to a second electrical trace ( not shown ) on an electrical device such as a pcb a cut - away top view of the connector 100 is shown at fig2 . as can be seen in fig2 , the connector 100 includes a housing 200 , a first contact 300 , and a second contact 301 . as can be further seen in fig2 , the first wire 110 includes a first sheathed section 212 and a first conductor 214 . the second wire 120 includes a second sheathed section 222 and a second conductor 224 . the third wire 130 includes third sheathed section 232 and a third conductor 234 . the fourth wire 140 includes a fourth sheathed section 242 and a fourth conductor 244 . the wire conductors 214 , 224 , 234 , 244 may be a solid wire , a fused stranded wire , a stranded wire , a stranded twisted wire , or any other suitable wire configuration . as can be also seen in fig2 , the housing 200 includes stops 202 that at least partially bisect the first contact 300 and the second contact 301 and prohibit the movement of the wires 110 , 120 , 130 , 140 beyond a predetermined distance into the housing 200 . the stops 202 provide a barrier to the wire conductors ( 214 , 224 , 234 , 244 ) that prohibit movement beyond the stops 202 . it should be appreciated , that while the exemplary embodiment is depicted having two contacts 300 , 301 , the connector may be configured with only a single contact 300 to provide an electrical connection to a first wire 110 and a second wire 120 , or the connector 300 may be configured with more than two contacts 300 , 301 to provide an electrical connection to more than two pairs of wires . a bottom view of the connector 100 is shown at fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 , the contacts 300 , 301 include attachment points 310 . attachment points 310 allow the connector 100 to be physically and electrically attached to a pcb by conventional smt methods such as soldering . the shape of the attachment point 310 may vary depending upon the surface area desired to be in contact with the pcb surface . a detailed view of the bottom of the housing 200 is shown at fig4 . as can be seen in fig4 , the housing includes a first recess 400 for receiving the first contact 300 and a second recess 401 for receiving the second contact 301 . the stops 202 are also shown in more detail in fig4 . as can be seen in fig4 , the stops 202 are tabs formed on an inside surface of the recesses 400 , 401 . the housing 200 also includes slots 410 that allow attachment points 310 to extend out of the housing 200 . the housing 200 further includes nibs 420 for securing the first contact 300 and the second contact 301 to the housing 200 . the housing 200 also includes openings 415 that allow the wires ( 110 , 120 , 130 , 140 ) to enter the housing 200 . the stops 202 can also be seen in fig4 . the housing 200 is formed of a high temperature dielectric polymer . the polymer may be a high temperature liquid crystal polymer such as zenite 6330 ® by e . i . du pont de nemours and company of wilmington , del . or a high temperature nylon such as stanyl 46 hf ®. the housing 200 may also be formed of any other known industry acceptable non - conductive high temperature resin . the heat resistance of the housing 200 allows the attachment points 310 to be connected to a pcb surface ( not shown ) at the temperatures used to reflow solder without damage or distortion . the housing 200 may be formed by any known plastic forming method such as injection molding . a detailed view of a first contact 300 from a top perspective is shown in fig5 . the second contact 301 ( see fig2 ) is similarly configured . the contact 300 includes a first receiving section 510 , a first barrel section 520 , a second receiving section 530 and a second barrel section 540 . the diameter of the first receiving section 510 and the second receiving section is selected to allow for the insertion of the first sheath section 212 and the second sheath section 222 ( see fig2 ), respectively . the first barrel section 520 and the second barrel section 540 have a diameter that allows for the insertion of the first wire conductor 214 and the second wire conductor 224 ( see fig2 ), respectively . in this exemplary embodiment , the first receiving section 510 and the second receiving section 530 have a generally circular cross - section . the first barrel section 520 and the second barrel section 540 have a generally oval cross - section . alternatively , the first barrel section 520 and the second barrel section 540 may have a generally circular cross - section . the contact 300 also includes a slot 550 for receiving a stop 202 of the housing 200 ( see fig4 ). the contact 300 also includes attachment points 310 as shown . attachment points 310 may be attached to a surface of an electrical device by soldering , conductive paste , or other known attachment methods . the first receiving section 510 and the second receiving section include an orientation notch 515 to assist in mating the contact 300 with the housing 200 . alternatively , the contact 300 may not be provided with the notch 515 . an exemplary embodiment of a method of forming the contact 300 will now be discussed . the contact 300 was formed by first stamping out a flat pattern blank from a tin plated phosphor bronze sheet . the sheet was a phosphor bronze metal of about 320 microns thick with a tin plating of about 3 . 0 to about 4 . 0 microns . it should be noted that the invention is not limited to this sheet or plating thickness , and that thinner or thicker sheet and plating may be selected as determined by the wire gauge and application . the flat pattern blank was then partially rolled and worked to form the contact 300 . a detailed view of the contact 300 from a bottom perspective is shown in fig6 . as can be seen in fig6 , the contact 300 includes a first lance 610 for securing the first wire 110 ( see fig2 ) and a second lance 620 for securing a second wire 120 ( see fig2 ). the second lance 620 is provided with a beveled edge 630 to assist in securely engaging an inserted wire conductor . the first lance 610 is similarly provided with a beveled or sharp edge ( not shown ). alternatively , the first lance 610 and the second lance 620 may not be provided with a beveled edge 630 . a detailed view of an alternative embodiment of a first contact 700 is shown in fig7 . as can be seen in fig7 , the contact 700 is formed similarly to the contact 300 ( fig5 ), except that the attachment points 710 are turned downward . in this configuration , the contact 700 may be attached to an electrical device by press - fitting the attachment points 710 into through - holes of an electrical device . a detailed view of another alternative embodiment of a first contact 800 is shown in fig8 . the contact 800 has a generally cylindrical geometry . the contact 800 includes an indent 850 . the indent 850 may also be formed into the opposite side of the contact 800 ( not shown ). the indent 850 divides the contact 800 into a first barrel section 810 , a first receiving section 820 , a second barrel section 830 and a second receiving section 840 . the first barrel section 810 and the second barrel section 830 have a generally cylindrical cross - section . the first receiving section 820 and the second receiving section 840 have a generally oval cross - section as shown . alternatively , the first receiving section 820 and the second receiving section 840 may have a generally circular cross - section . the contact 800 also includes attachment points 805 and orientation notches 807 . the configuration of the indent 850 can be seen more clearly in the partial cutaway view of contact 800 as shown in fig9 . the indent 850 extends into the contact 900 and is configured to prohibit the first conductor 214 ( see fig2 ) from being inserted past a predetermined distance through the first receiving section 820 and to prohibit the second conductor 224 ( see fig2 ) from being inserted past another predetermined distance through the second receiving section 840 . alternatively , the indent 850 may be placed in a single position or in more than two positions in order to prevent the first conductor 214 and the second conductor 224 from being inserted past a predetermined distance . as can further be seen in fig9 , the contact 800 includes a first lance 910 for securing the first wire 110 ( see fig2 ) and a second lance 920 for securing a second wire 120 ( see fig2 ). the first lance 910 and the second lance 920 may be provided with a beveled edge ( not shown ) to assist in securely engaging an inserted wire conductor . alternatively , the first lance 910 and the second lance 920 may not be provided with a beveled edge . a detailed view of yet another alternative embodiment of a contact 1000 is shown in fig1 and 11 . fig1 shows a contact 1000 from a perspective view . fig1 shows a sectional view of contact 1000 from the opposite side . the contact 1000 has a generally cylindrical geometry . the contact 1000 includes a slot 1050 formed into the contact 1000 as shown in fig1 . the contact 1000 also includes attachment points 1005 and orientation notches 1007 . as shown in fig1 , the slot 1050 includes a spar 1055 that is formed when the slot 1050 is formed into the contact 1000 . the spar 1055 is located approximately at the axial midpoint of the contact 1000 . the spar 1055 divides the contact 1000 into a first barrel section 1010 , a first receiving section 1020 , a second barrel section 1030 and a second receiving section 1040 . the first barrel section 1010 and the second barrel 1030 section have a generally cylindrical cross - section as shown . the first receiving section 1020 and the second receiving section 1040 have a generally oval cross - section . alternatively , the first receiving section 1020 and the second receiving section 1040 may have a generally circular cross - section . the spar 1055 prohibits a first conductor 214 ( see fig2 ) from being inserted past a predetermined distance in the first receiving section 1020 and prohibits a second conductor 224 ( see fig2 ) from being inserted past a predetermined distance in the second receiving section 1040 . as can further be seen in fig1 , the contact 1000 includes a first lance 1110 for securing the first wire 110 ( see fig2 ) and a second lance 1120 for securing a second wire 120 ( see fig2 ). the first lance 1110 and the second lance 1120 are provided with a beveled edge 1130 to assist in securely engaging an inserted wire conductor . alternatively , the first lance 1110 and the second lance 1120 may not be provided with a beveled edge 1130 . the connector 300 allows for the electrical connection of two wire conductors to each other as well as the pcb without having to solder the wire leads to the pcb or the connector 300 . the housing 200 was designed with a low profile and small footprint so that it could be placed upon a pcb supporting lighting leds without shadowing or blocking the light emissions of the leds . fig1 illustrates an exemplary electrical device system 1200 that includes a connector 100 attached to an electrical device 1205 . the connector 100 includes attachment points 310 . the electrical device 1205 includes contact pads 1207 . the contact pads 1207 may provide an electrical connection to further electrical pathways ( not shown ) of the electrical device 1205 . the electrical device 1205 may be a pcb . the electrical device 1205 may be of similar overall size as the connector 100 , or the electrical device 1205 may be of a much larger overall size compared to the connector 100 . the connector 100 is attached at the attachment points 310 to the contact pads 1207 by soldering , however , other methods including using a conductive adhesive , or other similar method may be used . the connector 100 provides an electrical connection between a first wire 1210 and a second wire 1220 . the connector 100 may further provide an electrical connection between the first wire 1210 and the second wire 1220 and the electrical device 1205 through the attachment points 310 and the contact pads 1207 . alternatively , the first wire 1210 and the second wire 1220 may be physically attached to the electrical device 1205 at the attachment points 310 and contact pads 1207 , but the contact pads 1207 may not provide further electrical connection to the electrical device 1205 . similarly , the connector 100 provides an electrical connection between a third wire 1230 and a fourth wire 1240 . the connector 100 may also provide an electrical connection between the third wire 1230 and the fourth wire 1240 and the electrical device 1205 through the attachment points 310 and the contact pads 1207 . alternatively , the third wire 1230 and the fourth wire 1240 may be physically attached to the electrical device 1205 at the attachment points 310 and contact pads 1207 , but the contact pads 1207 may not provide an electrical connection to the electrical device 1205 . while the exemplary electrical device is shown with a single connector 100 upon the electrical device 1205 , it should be understood that more than one electrical connector 100 may be attached to the electrical device 1205 , and that any number of the pads 1207 may provide further electrical connection to the electrical device 1205 or any number of the pads 1207 may be used only as a physical connection . while the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof . therefore , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention , but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
the electric heating fabric shown in fig1 consists of warp threads 1 , of electrically insulating textile material , consisting of plastic , artificial silk or other weaving threads of prior art , which material is selected according to the purpose for which the fabric is intended . an electrically insulating material that can advantageously be used is boron nitride , from which thin threads are made . boron nitride threads not only have good electrical insulation qualities but are also good heat conductors , as a result of which the entire surface of the fabric acquires an equable or substantially equable temperature so that it can emit heat uniformly over its entire surface . the warp threads 1 are positioned between two groups 2 of the thin electrically conductive wires extending along the longitudinal borders or selvedges of the fabric over its entire length to which wires the current feed wires may be connected . the material to be used for said current feed wires may , for instance , be copper . the fabric further consists of weft threads 3 of electrically insulating material , which may be the same material as is used for the insulating warp threads . the weft threads are placed in strips 4 of the fabric which are spaced a certain distance from each other . situated between these strips 4 are strips 5 , which are composed of a plurality of thin , bare weft threads consisting of electrically conductive material . these weft threads have a thickness which is preferably equal to or less than 0 . 05 mm . the material to be used for said weft threads may , for instance , be bare stainless steel or other conductive material . though being woven , said thin weft threads 6 make a good electrical contact with the wires in groups 2 which consist of electrically conductive material . when these groups of wire 2 are connected to a source of electric current , all the strips 5 are electrically connected in parallel . by removing portions of the thread groups 2 which form the margin of the strips 4 of electrically insulating material , any desired series - parallel connection or series connection of the strips 5 can be achieved , so that the heating capacity of the electric heating fabric may be controllably varied between the limits defined by said two electrical connections . thanks to this possibility , the fabric can be manufactured as a mass product and be made suitable for a great diversity of applications requiring a very low or very high heat production per unit or surface area at a given voltage , and be adapted to existing safety regulations , for instance that the required heat production must be delivered at a &# 34 ; safe &# 34 ; voltage , e . g 42 v . due to the fact that the electrical resistance of the fabric may be controllably varied between the limits defined by the connection of the strips of electrically conducting wires in series and the connection of said strips in parallel the advantage is obtained not only that elements may be obtained with a predetermined surface and a predetermined heating capacity , but that heating elements having a predetermined surface and a different predetermined heating capacity may be obtained by cutting of pieces of one and the same electric heating fabric and it is also possible to vary the voltage of the electric feeding source of said elements between broad limits without changing the heating capacity of said elements , as it is only necessary to vary the series - parallel connection of the electrically conductive wire strips thereof . the fabric shown in fig2 differs from that of fig1 in that the wire groups 2 are replaced by a plurality of warp threads 7 situated in the selvedge edges of the fabric , which warp threads consist of electrically conductive material . said warp threads are interwoven with the weft threads so that a particularly good and durable contact is established between said electrically conductive warp threads 7 and the electrically conductive weft threads 6 . the electrically conductive threads 7 are situated in the selvedges of the fabric and , as in the case of the fabric according to fig1 may be locally removed , e . g . by cutting , as a result of which any desired scheme of connection of the strips of electrically conductive weft threads 6 , can be obtained . the electrically conductive weft threads may , by the application of known weaving techniques , be mixed in with insulating threads on weaving looms of prior art . the fabric may also be covered with plastic on one or both of its surfaces , for instance by impregnating or coating . said surfaces may also be covered with a protective fabric such as glass cloth , which can be stuck to the fabric with the aid of a synthetic resin , by heating or by some other method known per se . suitable methods for this purpose are commonly known in the art . carbon filaments may be used to compose the electrically conductive weft threads 6 and their high resistance is no drawback in view of the freely selectable size of thread , number of threads per strip 5 and the series - parallel connection . carbon threads may also be used as electrically conductive filaments in the selvedges . by way of further elucidation of the invention , some typical embodiments of the fabric according to the invention are described below . a fabric was manufactured having a compactness equal to that of 6000 of the warp threads consisting of electrically insulating threads of artificial silk ( rayon ) with a titre of 120 denier over a width of 152 cm . the said warp threads consisted of 50 elementary filaments . the compactness of the electrically conductive selvedge warp threads 7 amounted to 90 threads over a width of 2 cm . the selvedge warp threads consisted of four intertwined elementary filament of stainless steel no . 4301 ( american type designation 304 ), titre 154 dtex . the weft threads consisting of electrically insulating material were applied with a compactness of 10 threads over a width of 5 mm , using nylon 134 dtex with 20 elementary filaments . the compactness of the electrically conductive threads was 30 threads over a width of 1 cm , using stainless steel monofilar steel weft wires no . 4301 , likewise 154 dtex . a fabric was manufactured of 900 electrically insulating warp threads over a width of 45 cm . these warp threads consisted of nylon 72 dtex and had 14 elementary filaments . the compactness of the said warp threads of electrically conductive material as 2 thread groups per 2 mm , using copper threads of 17500 dtex having 100 elementary filaments . the compactness of the weft threads of electrically insulating material was 3 threads over a width of 5 mm . the weft threads were composed of nylon 1000 dtex and had 336 elementary filaments . the compactness of the weft threads of electrically conductive material was 30 threads over a width of 1 cm . said weft threads consisted of monofilar stainless steel filaments no . 4301 135 dtex . the fabric may have on one of its surfaces a covering that will reflect heat rays , such as polished aluminium , so that the fabric can emit heat rays only towards the side that is averted from this covering . instead of using filaments according to groups 2 of electrically conductive wires groups 2 of insulating filaments coated with electrically conductive material may be used which is applied by any desired method known per se . | 3 |
to effectuate consistent splitting of effluent flow from a first dimension analysis column in a manner to preserve the first dimension separation resolution , a positive displacement pump , such as a syringe pump , may be employed in a negative displacement mode to intake fluid at a specific rate from one outlet of a flow splitter . the resultant flow from a second outlet of the flow splitter is also therefore controlled . such control dictates that the flow rate in both outlets of the split is known . a first schematic diagram of an arrangement of the present invention is provided in fig1 . analysis system 10 includes a first dimension separation system 12 , and a second dimension separation system 14 , wherein mobile phase is driven through a first dimension separation column 16 by a first dimension pump 18 . first dimension outflow 20 from column 16 may be delivered to a first dimension chromatographic detector 22 , or may first be split by a flow splitter . flow rate into flow splitter 24 is controlled by first dimension pump 18 , which defines the flow rate of mobile phase through first dimension column 16 . flow splitter 24 may comprise a t - style junction fitting having a first inlet and first and second outlets , such as that available from kinesis - usa as a “ micro - splitter valve 10 - 32 / 6 - 32 port 55 needle ( ea )”. in the arrangement illustrated in fig1 , a first outlet 26 from flow splitter 24 comprises a waste stream , while a second outlet 28 from flow splitter 24 is at least intermittently fluidly coupled to flow control pump 30 . in other embodiments , however , first outlet 26 may comprise a flow stream of known flow rate for delivery to a secondary analysis system , such as a mass spectrometer . system 10 is arranged such that first outlet 26 need only have sufficient flow restriction to avoid over - pressurization of pump 30 during the time that pump 30 controls fluid flow through second outlet 28 . in such a manner , control is exerted over both first and second outlets 26 , 28 of flow splitter 24 through control of the fill rate of pump 30 in a negative displacement mode . consequently , no additional unswept volume is interposed between flow splitter 24 and any detection means ( such as a mass spectrometer ) fluidly coupled to first outlet 26 . analysis system 10 performs chemical analysis of liquid sample pumped into first and second dimension columns 16 , 34 . for the purposes of this invention , first and second dimension “ columns ” may be construed broadly , so as to include analysis modalities that do not necessarily involve a column . for example , one or more of the dimensions may involve liquid chromatography , hplc , preparative - scale liquid chromatography , supercritical fluid analysis , gel permeation chromatography , mass spectrometry , other spectrometry or chromatography analysis , and combinations thereof . in a particular application , the first and second dimensions are each chromatographic columns for evaluating a liquid sample . in some embodiments , such liquid chromatography may be “ high pressure liquid chromatography ” or “ high performance liquid chromatography ” ( hplc ), which is a common technique for performing chromatographic separations of solutions of compounds delivered to an injection valve or “ autosampler ” by pump for injection into the chromatographic separation column . liquids and liquid mixtures used to transport the compounds are referred to herein as the “ mobile phase ”. the “ stationary phase ” of liquid chromatography is typically the packing materials within the separation columns 16 , 34 . as indicated above , flow control pump 30 may typically be a positive displacement pump having a displacement volume that is filled in a negative displacement mode , and discharged in a positive displacement mode . an example positive displacement pump is a syringe pump , in which a plunger within a cylinder acts in a negative displacement mode to draw liquid into the cylinder through controlled withdrawal of the plunger that creates a negative pressure within the cylinder to draw liquid therein . movement of the plunger in an opposite direction establishes a “ positive displacement mode ”, wherein a positive pressure is created in the cylinder , so that the contents of the cylinder are discharged therefrom . flow control pump 30 may be placed downstream of any valve in second outlet stream 28 , such that splitting of outflow 20 may be precisely controlled at known rates by controlling the rate at which pump 30 draws fluid through second outlet stream 28 . so long as the second outlet stream 28 does not exceed the total flow rate at outlet flow 20 , flow volume versus time is known precisely in both first and second outlet streams 26 , 28 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , splitter 24 may be positioned between an outlet of first dimension column 16 and a second dimension injection valve 32 . depending upon the maximum volume of the first dimension mobile phase from outlet 20 to be injected into second dimension separation column 34 , a fixed volume sample loop 36 of such maximum volume may be incorporated with the second dimension injection valve 32 in the form of a tube , channel , or other vessel capable of temporarily containing the volume of sample mobile phase . sample loop 36 is more clearly illustrated in fig2 , with second dimension injection valve 32 being a 6 - port injection valve , as is known in the art . in this embodiment , sample loop 36 has a volume that is equal to or greater than the desired sample volume deliverable to the second dimension column 34 . the programmed flow rate of pump 30 may be substantially equal to such sample volume divided by the analysis time required of the second dimension column 34 . such calculated withdrawal flow rate of flow stream 42 ensures that a representative sample of all mobile phase passing through flow splitter 24 is delivered to second dimension column 34 . the following sets forth a relationship for an example control scheme for pump 30 to establish an appropriate withdrawal flow rate from first dimension outflow 20 , and to therefore retain a sufficient second dimension sample delivery flow rate to ensure complete chromatographic analysis of mobile phase in second outlet stream 28 : f c ≦ v l /( t 2a + t 2e ) the “ equilibration time ” of the second dimension is the time required to “ flush ” the second dimension column of an opposite - phase solvent . for example , certain hplc analyses are performed by first passing an aqueous phase through the column , followed by an organic phase , with the sample being injected as appropriate into one or both of the aqueous / organic phases . the sample is eluted through the chromatographic column through the sequence of alternating aqueous / organic phases . once the sample has finished eluting through the chromatographic column , it is desired that the column be “ cleared ” of any remaining aqueous / organic phase that is opposite to the initial mobile phase in the subsequent sample analysis . therefore , in the example of a sample tested with first an aqueous phase , followed by an organic phase , such organic phase is preferably “ flushed ” from the column with blank aqueous phase ( such as water ) prior to initiating the subsequent sample sequence . this “ flushing ” time is the “ equilibration time ” utilized in the above relationship . an alternative embodiment is illustrated in fig3 , wherein first dimension detector 22 is positioned downstream of flow splitter 24 in fluid communication with first outlet stream 26 . a flow restrictor 50 may be employed downstream of detector 22 , or between splitter 24 and first dimension detector 22 , in order to provide sufficient flow restriction to enable pump 30 to operably control flow division at splitter 24 . positioning flow restrictor 50 upstream of first dimension detector 22 may eliminate back pressure applied to detector 22 to improve sampling accuracy . in any case , however , flow restrictor 50 is optionally included , and is not necessary for the operation of the present invention . a further embodiment of the invention is illustrated in fig4 and 5 , wherein second dimension injection valve 32 is a 10 - port valve , as is known in the art . in such embodiment , two distinct flow paths may be established for use as a double loop injector . in a first flow path , sample may be directed through a first sample loop 36 a directly , while in a second flow path , sample may be directed through a second sample loop 36 b on valve 32 . the difference in flow paths and the difference in resistance to flow is negated when using a flow splitter driven by a pump 30 as described herein . first sample loop 36 a may be filled while the sample within second sample loop 36 b is analyzed in second dimension column 34 . in this case , pump 30 may be operated in a negative displacement mode to draw mobile phase from first dimension outlet stream 20 sequentially into each of first and second sample loops 36 a , 36 b . the draw rate through second outlet 28 may be such that the sample loop volume being filled represents a volume suitable to be consumed over the entire time of the analysis and the equilibration of the second dimension analysis ( t 2a + t 2e ). first and second sample loops 36 a , 36 b may be alternately filled and injected to second dimension column 34 . an advantage of this technique is that each sample loop 36 a , 36 b is fully washed by the mobile phase of the second dimension over the entire time of analysis to eliminate carryover . a waste discharge cycle of pump 30 is illustrated in fig5 . a valve 54 may be employed to alternate between intake of mobile phase through flow stream 42 ( as shown in fig2 - 4 ) and discharge to waste 56 through waste flow line 58 ( as shown in fig5 and 6 ). in one embodiment , syringe pump 30 may be operated in a positive displacement mode to discharge its accumulated contents in a discharge time period ( t d ) that is less than one standard deviation in time for an analysis peak occurring in the first dimension separation . in this manner , no particular chromatographic analysis peak remains unsampled in the second dimension chromatograph 34 . in one embodiment , therefore , discharge time t d may be less than about 1 second . discharge from the pump 30 may occur only at intervals in which the mobile phase substantially fills the displacement volume of pump 30 . for example , first and second sample loops 36 a , 36 b may each be 20 microliters in volume , while syringe pump 30 may have a displacement volume of 5 ml . as a result , the displacement volume of pump 30 may become filled only after 125 injections into the second dimension chromatograph 34 . a further embodiment is illustrated in fig6 , wherein system 110 includes a flow splitter 124 disposed downstream from a first dimension column 116 . first outlet stream 126 from flow splitter 124 is fluidly coupled to an inlet of a secondary analysis device 170 , such as a mass spectrometer . a second outlet stream 128 from flow splitter 124 is fluidly coupled to a pump 130 to control the flow rate division at flow splitter 124 . as described above , pump 130 programmably removes solvent from outflow stream 120 at a desired rate , such that the inlet flow rate to secondary analysis device 170 though first outlet stream 126 is equal to outlet flow rate 120 from first dimension column 116 , less the flow rate being drawn into pump 130 through second outlet stream 128 . fluid flow into the head of a liquid chromatographic column is not always the total flow delivered to the inlet of the first dimension pump 18 if the pump 18 is used to mix the mobile phase components , such as in gradient elution chromatography . such an effect is caused by volumetric shrinkage of mixing , which results in the mixed mobile phase volume being less than the sum of the two individual liquid volumes . to accommodate such volumetric shrinkage of mixing , pump 30 , 130 may be programmed according to the concentration of individual components of the mobile phase . an example relationship for such pump programming may be as follows : although an hplc pump delivers a constant flow of each individual solvent to a mixing point , the total flow rate from the mixing point may be different from the sum of the individual liquid flows . as such , flow into an hplc column may be greater than the flow rate out of the hplc column when temperature is constant . the pump 30 , 130 may therefore be adjusted to accommodate a difference between the inlet and outlet flow rates . moreover , if the first dimension hplc column 16 , 116 is heated , the use of a pressurized , negative displacement flow splitter permits all points of the second outlet stream 28 , 128 to be pressurized such that boiling or outgassing of the mobile phase will not cause intermittent flow . in fact , when a first dimension column 16 , 116 is heated , the use of negative displacement flow splitting may be the only effective method for loading the sample loop of the injector without boiling of the solvent . | 6 |
with reference to fig1 , there is shown a ballast water treatment apparatus or device 102 according to the present invention . the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 includes a tank housing 104 as illustrated . the housing 104 includes an inlet port 106 having a gallon metered device as shown . the housing 104 further includes a discharge port 108 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , the housing member 104 is further provided with a discharge hose 110 mounted thereon by use of hook brackets 112 . during use of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 as described in further detail below , the discharge hose 110 is connected to the discharge port 108 . with continuing reference to fig1 , there is further shown transport wheels 114 integrally arranged with the housing member 104 to thereby provide mobility during use of the apparatus on a ship &# 39 ; s deck . as also shown in fig1 , the housing member 104 is provided with a filter apparatus which is discussed in further detail in connection with fig2 - 5 . with reference now to fig2 , there is shown the filter apparatus 116 including a filter bag 118 , support rods 120 , and a support frame 122 . the support frame 122 is positioned on a first platform 124 as illustrated . the first platform 124 divides the interior housing 124 into an upper filter chamber 125 and a lower treatment chamber . according to this embodiment of the present invention , there is also provided a second platform 126 positioned below the first platform 124 and above the bottom 128 of the housing 104 . the first platform 124 fluidly isolates the upper filter chamber from the lower chambers . the first platform 124 includes a first flow aperture 130 which allows filtered water to pass from the upper chamber into a first lower flow channel formed between the first platform member 124 and the second platform member 126 . as further illustrated in fig2 , the second platform member 126 includes a flow aperture 132 allowing fluid flow from the first treatment channel into the second treatment channel formed between the second platform 126 and the tank bottom 128 . as further indicated by the arrows in fig2 representing the direction of flow of ballast water through the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 , the filtered water exits the housing 104 through a third flow aperture 134 . as illustrated , water flow is through the aperture 134 in the tank bottom 128 and then through the discharge port 108 . as discussed above in conjunction with fig1 , during use of the device 102 , the discharge hose 110 is connected to the discharge elbow 108 to direct filtered and treated water over the side of the ship as further discussed in detail below . as further illustrated in fig2 , each of the lower flow chambers includes at least one ultraviolet ( uv ) lamp 136 which is secured to either side of the housing 104 by uv lamp sockets 138 . each of the individual uv lamps 136 is provided with an electrical feedback connection 140 that connects into an electrical control box 132 as illustrated . the electrical control box 132 further includes an electrical power supply 134 that provides power to the uv lamps 136 . electrical power is provided to the control box 132 by an electrical connection 146 that connects to the ship &# 39 ; s power supply . during use of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 , the control box 142 includes an hour meter to monitor and record uv bulb usage time . fig2 illustrates one uv lamp in each of the lower treatment chambers . it would be readily understood by those of skill in the art , however , that a greater number of uv bulbs may be situated within these treatment chambers to provide additional electromagnetic uv energy into the chamber . thus during the operation of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 , after the ballast water has passed through the filter bag 118 , it is directed by gravity flow into the lower uv treatment chambers wherein electrical energy is applied to the uv bulbs and uv energy is directed in all directions into the flowing filtered water . the uv energy is selected to be of sufficient power so that any micro - organisms or other biological organisms passing through the filter - bag 118 will be deactivated by the application of the uv energy . as used herein , “ deactivation ” means rendering any harmful or undesired biological organisms inactive in a manner that either kills the organisms , renders them unable to reproduce , or otherwise prevents them from causing harm to the open water environment into which the ballast water is discharged . the uv lamps utilized in one specific embodiment preferably number 8 in each chamber and are preferably 2000 watts ( 2 kw ) with an operating voltage of 1 , 454 volts ac running at 1 . 35 amps . thus in this embodiment of the present invention , uv radiation is principally employed to deactivate any biological organisms contained within the ballast water . as further illustrated in fig2 , the ballast treatment apparatus 102 may be provided with two inlet ports 106 each having a respective gallon meter . in this alternate embodiment of the present invention , two supply hoses may be utilized from the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant system to double the input flow into the apparatus 102 thereby decreasing the time required to filter and treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water according to the various methods of the present invention discussed below in further detail . with reference now to fig3 , there is shown a perspective top view of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 according to the present invention . fig3 also shows a top view of the filter apparatus 116 including filter bag 118 and support rods 120 . as further shown in fig3 , the filter bag 118 is folded upwardly within the filter bag itself so that the bottom of the filter bag is situated some distance below the top edge of the filter bag 118 . as further shown , the bottom of the filter bag 118 is provided with a change - filter indicator strip 148 . in this manner , during use of the device when particulate matter is filtered from ballast water , the material forming the filter bag 118 will eventually collect an external layer of filtered particulate matter . as this layer of filtered particulate matter increases in thickness , the change - filter indicator strip 148 will eventually become fully covered by such filtered particulate matter . when this occurs , this is an indication that the filter bag 118 should be changed . fig4 illustrates the process for changing the filter bag 118 . as illustrated in fig4 , one or two crew members may grasp the support rods 120 and lift the filter bag 116 from the housing member 104 . as further shown in fig4 , when filter bag 118 is removed from the housing member 104 , the support frame 122 remains within the housing 104 . the preferred shape of the support frame 122 is the a - frame style indicated in fig4 . in this manner , the support frame 122 provides the necessary elevation so that the end of the filtered bag and the change - filter indicator strip 148 , fig3 , is situated at a desired height within the housing 104 so that it is substantially always submerged under ballast water during the filtration process to provide an accurate indication of the amount of particulate matter filtered during the filter operation . as further illustrated in fig4 , the top edge of the housing member 104 is provided with support rod notches 150 that are located to position support rods 120 in a desired parallel fashion as indicated in fig3 . the support rod notches 150 also secure the rods during use of the device . fig5 is an enlarged detailed perspective view of the filter frame support structure 122 and filter bag 118 . as illustrated , as the filter bag 118 is loaded into the apparatus , the support frame 122 provides a structure that positions the indicator strip 148 at a desired location above the first platform 124 shown , for example , in fig4 . in this manner , not only does the indicator strip 148 result in being positioned in a desired height above the first platform 124 , the surface area of the filter bag is thereby increased thus giving increased flow - through and filtering effect during the filtering operation . with reference next to fig6 and 7 , there is shown an alternate embodiment of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 according to the present invention . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 , the upper chamber is substantially similar to that discussed in connection with fig1 - 5 . as illustrated , this embodiment of the apparatus 102 includes the filter apparatus 116 , and the housing member 104 having an inlet port 106 and discharge port 108 . this embodiment of the present invention also includes a first platform 124 and a second platform 126 . this embodiment also similarly includes the first flow aperture 130 provided in the first platform 124 and a second flow aperture 132 formed in the second platform 126 . as illustrated , the first flow aperture 130 is rectangular in shape while the second flow aperture 132 in this embodiment is circular to conform to an inlet pipe 152 shown in fig7 . as illustrated in fig6 and 7 , this embodiment of the present invention includes a treatment tank 154 . the treatment tank 154 includes the uv lamps 136 . depending on the application of the energy required , anywhere between one and eight uv lamps extending the entire length of the treatment tank 154 are preferably desired . the tank 154 is further provided with discharge piping 156 . as illustrated in fig6 , the discharge piping 156 is fluidly connected to the discharge port 108 . the discharge piping 156 includes a trap portion 158 which is situated above the highest water level attainable within the tank 154 . in this manner during non - use , water will be maintained within a pipe segment 160 to thereby prevent undesired back - flow . the treatment tank 154 is similarly provided with an electrical power supply 144 and an electrical feedback connection 140 . in this specific embodiment of the apparatus as illustrated in fig7 , the treatment tank 154 is further provided with heat sensors 162 . the electrical feedback connection 144 and electrical power supply 144 are similarly connected to a control box 142 as illustrated in fig2 . in this embodiment , the heat sensors 162 are similarly connected to the control box 142 . the heat sensors detect the temperature of the filtered water as it passes through the treatment tank 154 . in one preferred embodiment , once the uv bulbs 136 reach a desired temperature , they will heat the water and thereby deactivate any biological organisms contained within the ballast water as it passes through the tank 154 . in this embodiment , both uv radiation and heat are employed as indicated to deactivate any biological organisms contained within the ballast water . to prevent premature discharge of filtered water from the treatment tank 154 through the discharge port 108 , this embodiment of the present invention is provided with a solenoid - activated valve 164 which is similarly electrically connected to the control box 142 . in this manner , the valve 164 is not opened until the water temperature within the tank 154 reaches a predetermined processing temperature . in one preferred embodiment , the required bulb temperature for water treatment is 125 ° f . in this embodiment low pressure uv lamps are employed to achieve the desired temperature . in another preferred embodiment of this aspect of the present invention , high pressure uv lamps are utilized to achieved a water temperature of 400 ° f . thus during use of the apparatus illustrated in fig6 and 7 , discharge flow is not permitted until the temperature in tank 154 reaches a predetermined desired temperature set to effectively kill or otherwise deactivate any biological microorganisms contained within the ballast water . as with the embodiment of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 discussed in connection with fig1 - 4 , the uv lamps utilized in the embodiment shown in fig6 and 7 are preferably 2000 watts ( 2 kw ) with an operating voltage of 1 , 454 ac running at 1 . 35 amps . in one specific implementation , six uv lamps of this particular rating are preferred . referring now to fig8 , there is shown a schematic cross - sectional side view of a typical ship &# 39 ; s ballast tank and first main deck . as represented schematically , the main deck includes a fire hydrant outlet 166 as indicated . during the process of loading sea water into the ship for ballast , the sea chest and sea valve 168 are open to allow sea water to enter the ballast tanks 170 . to allow sea water into the ballast tank , ballast tank valve 172 is typically provided to control the flow of sea water into the ballast tank . a strainer is provided to remove any large particulate matter from the sea water as it enters the ballast tank 170 from the sea chest through the sea valve 168 and into the ballast tank 170 through the ballast tank valve 172 . as indicated in fig8 , the sea water mechanical system also typically includes a fire hydrant system main valve 174 . during use of the apparatus of the present invention , the sea valve 168 is closed while the ballast tank valve 172 is opened . a pump 176 is activated to pump sea water from the ballast tank 170 up through pump 176 and through the connecting piping 178 to feed the fire hydrant outlets 166 with sufficient pressure . thus in this manner , the apparatus of the present invention may advantageously utilize the ballast water mechanical systems and the fire hydrant system of a ship to direct ballast water from the ballast tanks of a ship through the fire hydrant system to the fire hydrant outlets 166 on board the ship and then into the apparatus of the present invention . with reference now to fig9 , there is shown a typical container ship 180 docked in port alongside a dock 182 . according to one aspect of the present invention , the ballast treatment apparatus 102 is mounted on a dock - side service vehicle 184 . in accordance with one method of the present invention , the dock - side service vehicle 184 is positioned adjacent to the docked ship , in this case the container ship 180 . fire hoses 186 are then connected to the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant outlets and directed overboard from the ship &# 39 ; s deck to be secured to the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 contained on or secured to a suitable work space area provided preferably on the back of the dock - side service vehicle 184 . the fire hoses 186 are then connected to the inlet ports 106 of the apparatus 102 and filtration and treatment of the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water proceeds as described above . the dock - side service vehicle 184 contains a discharge pipe 188 which directs the filtered and treated water back into the harbor or port . the inventors of the present invention have designed and contemplated many implementations of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 for use in combination with the dock - side service vehicle 184 . as indicated , the preferred embodiment of the dock - side vehicle 184 is a modified , small tank truck that has a filter apparatus contained therein and the uv lamps positioned within the truck - mounted tank or tanks . thus in this manner , the truck - mounted tanks are completely self - contained and include a suitable number of inlet ports 106 designed to readily quick connect to the ends of fire hoses provided from the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrants . with continuing reference to fig9 , the inventors hereof have specifically provided a method of treating discharged ballast water from the ship 180 using the dock - side service vehicle 184 . this method includes the steps of providing a ballast water treatment apparatus on the dock - side service vehicle 184 , positioning the service vehicle 184 adjacent the ship 180 , and directing ballast water from a ballast tank of the ship 180 into the ballast water treatment apparatus on the dock - side service vehicle 184 to thereby treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water into an open water environment . in this method , the respective ship &# 39 ; s ballast water may be directed from the ballast tank through the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant system and into the ballast water treatment apparatus on the dock - side service vehicle 184 . the method may include the further step of connecting at least one fire hose 186 between a fire hydrant outlet on the deck of the ship 180 and an inlet port provided on the ballast water treatment apparatus on the dock - side service vehicle 184 . the inventors hereof have further provided a method of deriving financial revenue for services provided for treating discharged ballast water from the ship 180 using the dock - side service vehicle 184 . this method includes the steps of ( 1 ) positioning the dock - side service vehicle 184 adjacent the ship 180 , ( 2 ) directing ballast water from a ballast tank of a ship 180 into a ballast water treatment apparatus maintained on the dock - side service vehicle 184 to thereby treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water into an open environment , ( 3 ) determining an amount of time required to treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water , and ( 4 ) calculating a water treatment service fee based on the amount of time required to treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water . there is also provided another method of deriving financial revenue for services provided for treating discharged ballast water from a ship using the dock - side service vehicle 184 . this method includes the steps of ( 1 ) positioning the dock - side service vehicle 184 adjacent ship 180 , ( 2 ) directing ballast water from a ballast tank of the ship into a ballast water treatment apparatus maintained on the dock - side service vehicle 184 to thereby treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before , discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water into an open environment , ( 3 ) determining a total volume of treated ballast water processed from the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water tanks , and ( 4 ) calculating a water treatment service fee based on the total volume of treated ballast water . referring next to fig1 , there is shown the deck plan of the typical container ship 180 and the location of the fire hydrant outlets 166 . fig1 shows the ballast tank areas 170 relative to the cargo areas represented by reference numeral 190 . the typical cargo container ship 180 will carry a known amount of sea water for ballast . thus if it is desired to completely treat and filter the ballast water in accordance with the methods of the present invention , the number of available fire hydrant outlets 166 may be determined along with flow rates thereof and the known flow rates of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 to completely filter the entire ship &# 39 ; s ballast water within a predetermined maximum amount of time . as represented diagrammatically in fig1 , a number of ballast water treatment apparatus 102 are distributed around the ship &# 39 ; s main deck or second deck adjacent fire hydrant outlets 166 . the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant as indicated in fig8 typically includes one outlet . according to one aspect of the present invention , ships with one outlet fire hydrants many be equipped with a y - adaptor to thereby provide two outlets . both of these outlets may be employed to direct ballast water into the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 . alternatively one outlet may be employed with the apparatus 102 while the other is reserved for use in case it is needed in a fire emergency . thus according to one preferred method of this invention , two hoses may be connected to each of the fire hydrants 166 and directed to adjacent ballast water treatment devices 102 as inter - connected by the ship &# 39 ; s fire hoses 186 . as represented in fig1 , the series connected arrangement of fire hydrants 166 feeding two adjacent ballast water treatment apparatus 102 will utilize the full flow - through rate of the fire hydrant system of the ship to filter and treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water according to this aspect of the present invention in a minimum amount of time . fig1 next illustrates a perspective pictorial representation of this multi - hydrant and multi - apparatus method . turning now to fig1 , there is shown a perspective view of a typical tanker 202 situates dockside in a port - of - call . as indicated in fig1 , the main deck of the tanker 202 includes a number of fire hydrant outlets 166 . in accordance with another aspect of the present invention , there is provided an in - port service vessel 204 which is outfitted with a ballast water treatment apparatus 102 according to the present invention . thus in accordance with alternate methods of the present invention , the in - port service vessel 204 may be employed to pull alongside a docked ship and provide ballast water filtration and treatment services . for example , as illustrated in fig1 , a tanker 202 may be required by local , state , national , or international regulations to have the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water treated before its ballast water is discharged into the port or harbor . thus in accordance with this method of the present invention , the ship &# 39 ; s fire hoses 186 are connected to the main deck &# 39 ; s fire hydrants 166 and directed to the in - port service vessel 204 as represented in fig1 . the in - port service vessel 204 may be a barge type vessel or tug boat type vessel utilized to provide the water filtering and treating service to a ship . according to alternate methods of this embodiment , neither the ship nor the service vessel 204 need necessarily be dockside . the ship may be anchored in port or alternatively , even serviced in this manner in open waters or on the high seas before entering port . thus in continuing reference to fig1 , the inventors hereof have provided a method of treating discharged ballast water from a ship using the in - port service vessel 204 . this method includes the steps of ( 1 ) providing a ballast water treatment apparatus 102 on board the service vessel , ( 2 ) positioning the service vessel adjacent the ship 202 requiring ballast water treatment , ( 3 ) and directing ballast water from a ballast tank of the ship 202 into the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 on board the service vessel 204 to thereby treat the respective ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water . in this method , the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water is directed from the ballast tank through the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant system and into the ballast water treatment apparatus on board the service vessel 204 . the method may include the further step of connecting at least one fire hose 186 between the fire hydrant outlet 166 on the deck of the ship 202 and an inlet port provided on the ballast water treatment apparatus on board the service vessel . accordingly , there is also provided a method of deriving financial revenue for services provided for treating discharged ballast water from a ship using the in - port service vessel 204 . this method includes the steps of positioning the service vessel 204 adjacent the ship 202 requiring ballast water treatment ; directing ballast water from a ballast tank of the ship 202 into a ballast water treatment apparatus maintained on board the service vessel 204 to thereby treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water into the environment ; determining an amount of time required to treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water ; and calculating a water treatment service fee based on the amount of time required to treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water . there is further provided another method of deriving financial revenue for services provided for treating discharged ballast water from the ship 202 using the in - port service vessel 204 . this method includes the steps of positioning the service vessel 204 adjacent the ship 202 requiring ballast water treatment ; directing ballast water from a ballast tank of the ship 202 into a ballast water treatment apparatus maintained on board the service vessel 204 to thereby treat the respective ship &# 39 ; s ballast water before discharging the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water into the environment ; determining a total volume of treated ballast water processed from the respective ship &# 39 ; s ballast water tanks ; and calculating a water treatment service fee based on the total volume of treated ballast water . referring next to fig1 , there is shown a perspective view of a typical cruise ship 194 in port dockside for loading or unloading passengers , cargo , and supplies . as discussed in connection with fig9 , and 11 , the cruise ship 184 may be similarly serviced by the dock - side service vehicle 184 or alternatively carry on - board a desired number of ballast water treatment apparatus 102 for on - ship deck hands to filter and treat the ship &# 39 ; s ballast water according to the methods discussed above . in addition thereto , cruise ship 194 may have its ballast water treated by the in - port service vessel 204 discussed above . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of the tanker illustrated , in fig1 illustrating the ballast tank area 170 relative to cargo space 190 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of an intermediate class great lakes bulk vessel showing the ballast tank area 170 relative to cargo space 190 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of a panamax size oil bulk ore carrier representing the ballast tank area 170 relative to cargo space 190 . in each of these three different types of ships , typically the weight of the cargo loaded on or off the ship is approximately made equal to the weight of ballast water used to counter - balance the ship in accordance with known methods for loading and unloading ships . in these types of ships , ordinarily , a relatively larger volume of ballast water is discharged during loading as compared to the typical container ship illustrated , for example , in fig9 . nonetheless , the apparatus 102 and methods of the present invention utilizing either the dock - side service vehicle 184 or the in - port service vessel 204 may be readily scaled up to meet the volume of ballast water typically discharged by these types of ships . with reference now to fig1 , there is shown an alternate embodiment of the ballast water treatment apparatus of the present invention . a ballast water filtration apparatus 210 is shown in fig1 . the ballast water filtration device 210 similarly includes a filter bag 118 and support rods 120 . in this embodiment , the support rods 120 are provided with members to hook over the side of the ship as illustrated in fig1 . in use , a fire hose 186 is connected to the fire hydrant on the ship &# 39 ; s deck and the open end of the fire hose 186 is simply placed in the filter bag 118 as illustrated . thus in this embodiment of the present invention , there is provided a very simply and economically cost effective filtration apparatus and method . fig1 shows a half - face housing member for the ballast water filter apparatus 210 illustrated in fig1 . the half - face housing member 212 illustrated in fig1 may be employed in conjunction with the ballast water filter apparatus 210 shown in fig1 to provide a directed outlet flow as indicated in fig1 . the half - faced housing is similarly provided with the discharge port 108 to direct the water downwardly into the harbor . the discharge port 108 may similarly have adapted thereto the discharge hose 110 illustrated in fig1 to thereby further direct the filtered ballast water into the open water environment of the harbor or port . with reference next to fig2 and 21 , there is shown a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 according to the present invention . fig2 in particular is an exploded view of the ballast water treatment apparatus 102 illustrated in fig2 including break - away sections to show interior elements of principal components of the apparatus 102 . in this embodiment shown in fig2 and 21 , the apparatus 102 includes a filtration unit 214 , a uv containment vessel or compartment 218 , and an electrical compartment 220 . as illustrated , the filtration unit 214 includes a cap member having view ports 216 . when in use , the cap member prevents ballast water from splashing out of the apparatus 102 while the view ports 216 provide viewing access to the interior of the filtration unit 214 during filtration operations . as further illustrated in fig2 , the filtration unit 214 includes the inlet port and associated piping 106 which may be implemented with a gallon meter at the t - junction shown . to further increase the intake flow , the filtration unit 214 may be outfitted with two inlet ports and associated piping 106 , one such situated as illustrated and the other similarly installed on the reverse - side or back - side of the unit 214 as shown . the uv compartment 218 includes the uv lamps 136 which in this embodiment are positioned within the uv compartment 218 by use of a pair of uv bulb mounting brackets 222 . as shown in fig2 , the uv compartment 218 includes uv sensors 221 which are employed to detect the uv output of the bulbs 136 . as shown , the apparatus 102 illustrated in fig2 and 21 includes the control box 142 that is implemented to similarly control operations of the apparatus as discussed above in connection with the embodiment of the apparatus 102 illustrated in fig1 - 5 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig2 and 21 , the electrical compartment may include additional components to provide further operations and functions to the apparatus 102 . in operation , a fire hose connected to the ship &# 39 ; s fire hydrant at one end is connected at its other end to the inlet piping 106 . ballast water then travels from the lower right area of the filtration unit 214 as illustrated to the upper left thereof to then be directed and discharged into the filter apparatus 116 . the ballast water then drains through the filter 116 to thereby remove particulate matter as small as 1 micron . the filtered ballast water then exits the filtration unit 214 through the first flow aperture 130 and is directed into the uv compartment 218 for uv treatment . as the uv compartment 218 fills with filtered ballast water at one end , filtered water is then directed to the other end thereof toward the discharge port 108 . as the filtered water flows along in the uv compartment 218 toward the discharge port 108 , the uv lamps are activated to treat the filtered water so that any micro - organisms , viruses , or bacteria that may have remained in the ballast water after the filtration step are thereby deactivated by uv treatment . the general direction of flow is indicated by the wide arrows shown in fig2 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig2 and 21 , the uv lamps 136 are situated substantially perpendicular to the flow of ballast water . in one particular preferred embodiment of the uv compartment 218 , the uv lamps 136 utilized therein are 3000 kw lamps operating at 220 vac and 30 amps . in one such preferred embodiment , six uv lamps 136 are employed . while in other embodiments , the number of uv lamps 136 may vary depending on the desired flow rate , type of ballast water , and desired deactivation or “ kill ” effectiveness . fig2 is a detailed partial plan view of a uv lamp assembly utilized in conjunction with the ballast water treatment apparatus shown in fig2 and 21 . fig2 illustrates build - up of uv - irradiated biological material on the lamp assembly . fig2 is a view similar to fig2 showing a tube wiper system and actuator assembly 226 cleaning the build - up of uv - irradiated biological material on the lamp assembly according to another aspect of the present invention . fig2 is a view similar to fig2 showing the lamp assembly in a fully cleaned or wiped condition after full activation of the tube wiper system 226 . fig2 is a detailed isolated elevation view of a wiper or face plate 228 employed in the tube wiper system 226 illustrated in fig2 - 24 . as illustrated in fig2 - 24 , each uv lamp 136 is enclosed in a transparent sleeve 224 . when the filtered ballast water is treated in the uv compartment , deactivated particulate matter may build up on the transparent sleeves 224 . as this build - up of particulate matter increases in thickness , the effect of the uv lamps will be diminished . thus the uv sensors 221 are employed to detect the uv output of each associated bulb . once the uv lamp output decreases below a certain set threshold , the cleaning actuator 226 is activated to wipe clean the transparent lamp sleeves 224 . this wiping effect is achieved by use of a rubber wiper washer 230 , fig2 , which snuggly fits around the sleeve 224 as illustrated . after activation , the sleeve is wiped clean and the uv effectiveness is returned to a maximum . the control box 142 and electrical compartment 220 , fig2 and 22 , are implemented with operational features that control , sleeve cleaning or wiping in a desired manner . while this invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments and aspects thereof , it should be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to those precise embodiments . rather , in view of the present disclosure which describes the current best mode for practicing the invention , many modifications and variations would present themselves to those of skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the following claims rather than by the foregoing description . all changes , modifications , and variations coming within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be considered within their scope . | 8 |
in a typical gps receiver the 1575 . 42 mhz signal received from the space vehicles ( sv ) is down - converted to an intermediate frequency ( if ), for example 4 . 092 mhz by an appropriate rf front - end . an example of a rf down - converter adapted to this function is described in european patent application ep 1 &# 39 ; 198 &# 39 ; 068 , in the name of the applicant , which is hereby incorporated by reference . the if signal is then fed , among others , to a correlation processor 3 according to the invention , whose function is to de - spread the signals received from each sv , and to align them temporally with locally generated copies of the pseudorandom ranging codes specific for each sv , for example , in case of a gps receiver , the correlation processor 3 has the task of demodulating and tracking the coarse acquisition ( c / a ) gps ranging signals . to perform such alignment the correlators processor 3 comprises an array of tracking modules 20 , each of which comprises two numerically controlled oscillators 210 and 220 , for further converting the if signal and generating a baseband signal . each tracking module 20 comprises also a local gold pseudorandom code generator 220 , for generating a local replica of the c / a code corresponding to a particular gps space vehicle . the gold pseudorandom codes can be generated internally , for example by a tapped shift register , or , equivalently , extracted from a preloaded table or by any other technique . the gold code generator 220 is piloted by an independent numerically controlled c / a clock at about 1 . 023 mhz . the exact frequency of the local carrier frequency as well as the local c / a code frequency are adjusted , by an external cpu ( not shown ), to compensate for doppler shift on the sv signal and local oscillator drift and bias . the incoming if signal is multiplied by the in - phase ( i ) and quadrature ( q ) components of the local carrier and by two time - shifted versions of the replica c / a code . the result of these operations is integrated for a programmable period of time , to generate an integrated correlation value , which is loaded into a tracking module register file 201 at the end of each integration period , to be accessible to the external cpu . in addition to the prompt correlation value , the tracking module also generates a late correlation value and an early correlation value , which are obtained by multiplying the gps signal with a ½ chip delayed and a ½ chip advanced version of the local replica code . these late and early correlation values are employed in the tracking algorithm , as it will be explained later . the external cpu reads the correlation value stored in the registers 201 of each tracking module 20 , and implements sv acquisition and tracking algorithms . in the first case the acquisition algorithm repeatedly shifts the replica c / a code generated in a tracking module 20 , by issuing a series of “ slew ” commands to said tracking unit , until a sufficient correlation level is reached , whereupon the cpu switches to tracking mode . in order to speed up the acquisition and to reduce the load on the external cpu and on the bus , the tracking module can be instructed by the external cpu to autonomously slew the replica c / a code on a periodical basis , for example every 1 , 2 or 4 c / a code periods . in the tracking mode the external cpu stops the periodical slewing and continuously monitors the integrated correlation value , and also the early and late correlation values described above . by comparing the current , early and late correlation the cpu keeps the replica c / a code time - aligned with the c / a code coming from the space vehicle , by appropriately adapting the replica c / a code offset and the frequency of the c / a clock , as it is known in the art . according to the tracking strategy chosen , the tracking module can also compute a difference between early and late correlation ( early minus late or eml ), or alternate between early , prompt and late correlations . all these modes of functioning can be selected by the cpu , for example by acting on appropriate registers in the register file 210 , and are autonomously taken in charge by the tracking module 20 , without the need to interfere with the c / a code generator 220 . during tracking , as long as the local and received c / a codes remain aligned , the 50 bps gps navigation message can be extracted . at the same time the amount by which the replica c / a code must be shifted of keep is aligned with the incoming signal is proportional to the pseudo - range between the receiver ant one particular space vehicle . if at least four tracking modules 20 track four different space vehicles , and as soon as a sufficient portion of the navigation message has been downloaded , a positional fix is possible . the complete start - up sequence , which is needed when the system is switched on without a previous knowledge of satellite orbit parameters , comprises then the two phases of : 1 . acquiring and tracking sufficient number of gps c / a signals on several tracking modules , by delay - locking the locally generated c / a code with the incoming c / a codes . in principle a minimum of four satellites is needed , to solve the four unknown of the problem : latitude , longitude , altitude and time . a set of measurements is generated by the signal processor on each of the tracked signals . 2 . obtaining satellite orbit parameters and almanacs data . if this step is carried out by use of the gps navigation data , it can be rather long , due to the low bandwidth of such signal . a minimum of 30 seconds is required for the transmission of a navigation frame . since navigation data do not carry ranging information , they need not be downloaded from the space vehicle , however , and can also be obtained by other higher - bandwidth sources or , at least in part , stored in permanent or semipermanent tables inside the receiver . the tracking module of the signal processor of the invention comprises also a special fast acquisition mode , whose aim is to speed up the acquisition phase 1 above . fig2 shows a time diagram of the fast acquisition mode ( fam ) compared to the standard acquisition and tracking mode ( sam ). during standard acquisition mode the integrated correlation values in each tracking module are dumped into the output register at each c / a code overflow , that is the end of each c / a code period . in this way the correlation value is maximized . dump times are therefore independent and uncorrelated for each tracking module , being only determined by the phase of the replica c / a code . the upper part of fig2 shows the relative timing of two tracking modules , one of which 21 , is in tracking mode , while the other 22 , is in acquisition mode , with the c / a code slewed at each code overflow . the cpu reads periodically the register 210 of all the tracking modules 21 , 22 in order to detect the completion of acquisition phases , and to implement the chosen tracking strategy . this is done in correspondence with the periodical interrupt acc_int . the lower part of fig2 illustrates the fast acquisition mode fam . fam differs from sam in that the accumulated data is dumped into the registers 210 on the acc_int signal , which is common to all tracking modules , instead of on c / a code overflow . therefore the length of the integration period in the tracking modules is determined by the acc_int period . by reducing the integration time it is possible to proportionally reduce the acquisition time of correlation data . a direct consequence of the reduced integration period , however , is that lover correlation levels are expected . the reduced integration time also increases the signal processor frequency bandwidth . as a consequence the scanning of the frequency space necessary during sv acquisition can be executed with larger steps ( frequency bin ). this further reduces the sv acquisition time . only strong sv signals with a high signal - to noise ratio will produce reliable correlation values which can be detected in sam mode . a cold start is the main application of sam mode , during which an exhaustive search for all the available sv is made . in fam mode each tracking module 20 automatically detects whether a c / a code overflow occurred within the last integration period . in this case data is dumped normally , but a special flag bit in the register file 210 is utilized to signal this to the cpu . this avoids interpreting a data bit transition of the gps signal during fam integration ( which would result in a very low correlation value ) as a c / a code misalignment . by checking the flag bit the software running on the cpu can skip over this data . as with sam mode , the slew repeat option allows automatic slewing of the c / a code by 1 chip ( or more ) one each new acc_int . software can check new correlation values with the slewed c / a code sequence without intervening with c / a code generation . again , to avoid the effect of a gps data bit transition , c / a code slewing is automatically inhibited ( even with the slew repeat option enabled ) in the integration following a c / a code overflow . | 6 |
the invention springs in part from the inventors &# 39 ; clear demonstration that complement deficiencies and pharmacological blockade of the c5a receptor reduces polyp formation in an animal model of colon cancer that is predictive of the human condition . pharmacological inhibition of c5a receptor - mediated signaling resulted in significant reduction in activated akt serine - threonine protein kinase ( ps473 ), ikb kinas ( ikk ) ( ps176 ) and nfκb ( ps536 ) mrna and / or protein levels . the discoveries made in accordance with the present invention provide support for the utility of a novel therapeutic option , complement inhibition , in the treatment or prevention of colon cancer . this utility is particularly advantageous because of the relatively small number of side effects reported for complement - directed therapy ( kohl et al ., 2006 , curr . opin . mol . ther . 8 : 529 - 538 ; ricklin et al ., 2007 , nature biotechnol . 25 : 1265 - 1275 ), as compared with the high toxicity associated with currently used anti - cancer chemotherapeutics . the findings that support certain aspects of the invention , set forth in the examples herein , indicate that the complement system and particularly c5a contribute to mechanisms that promote polyp formation . generally , the activation of c5 requires prior activation of c3 ( sahu et al ., 2001 , immunol . rev . 180 : 35 - 48 ). however , under specific pathophysiological conditions , c5a can be generated in the absence of c3 ( huber - lang et al ., 2006 , nature med . 12 : 682 - 687 ). therefore , the similar degree of inhibition of polyp incidence and / or growth that was observed in c3 - deficient and c5ar antagonist - treated mice indicates that c5 activation may require prior cleavage of c3 . accordingly , aspects of the present invention encompass inhibition of c5a receptor mediated signaling not only at the receptor , but at any point in the complement activation cascade leading to the production of c5a . one aspect of the invention provides a method for treating or preventing colorectal tumor formation in an individual . specifically , the method comprises administering a complement inhibitor , as described in greater detail below . in certain embodiments , complement inhibitors are used for reducing the incidence and / or aggressiveness ( e . g ., growth rate ) of polyp formation , as exemplified herein . reducing polyp formation and / or growth concomitantly reduces the likelihood of tumorigenesis from the polyp tissue . this prophylactic treatment is suitable for individuals at risk of developing colon cancer , as assessed by various known risk factors ( family history , physical condition , diet , exercise , or an inflammatory disease or condition of the colon , to name a few ). it is also suitable for individuals who have exhibited a propensity for developing polyps in the past , and have had them removed . in other embodiments , complement inhibitors are used as a treatment of colon cancer itself . in still other embodiments , complement inhibitors are administered as part of a follow - up or post - treatment of a patient who has been or is being treated for colon cancer , e . g ., by surgery , chemotherapy or a combination . thus , the timing or time frame in which the complement inhibitors are administered will depend on the stage of disease progression being treated , as would be readily apparent to the skilled artisan . because of the localization of the tumors in the gastrointestinal tract , certain embodiments feature targeted delivery of the complement inhibitor to the site of the tumor , i . e ., through oral or rectal administration , or by instrument - assisted deposition of the inhibitor into the colon . however , in the animal model described in the examples , the complement inhibitor was injected at a site away from the colon . targeted delivery to the tumor may be accomplished by physical targeting , e . g ., by injection or deposition at the tumor site , or into the colon orally or rectally , or by chemical or biological targeting , e . g ., by linking or associating the complement inhibitor with an agent that has an affinity for the tumor , such as an anti - tumor cell antibody . however , targeted delivery is not believed to be required or preferred in all cases . any inhibitor of c5a formation or activity may be used in the method of the invention . inhibition of c5a formation or activity may be accomplished in a variety of ways . for instance , c5a activity may be inhibited directly by preventing or significantly reducing the binding of c5a to its receptor , c5ar . a number of c5ar inhibitors are known in the art . acetyl - phe -[ orn - pro - d - cyclohexylalanine - trp - arg ] ( acf [ opdchawr ]; pmx - 53 ; peptech ) is a small cyclic hexapeptide that is a c5ar antagonist and is exemplified herein . analogs of pmx - 53 ( e . g ., pmx - 201 and pmx - 205 ) that also function as c5ar antagonists are also available ( see for instance proctor et al ., 2006 , adv exp med . biol . 586 : 329 - 45 and u . s . pat . pub . no . 20060217530 ). neutrazumab ( g2 therapies ) binds to c5ar , thereby inhibiting binding of c5a to c5ar . neutrazumab ( g2 therapies ) binds to extracellular loops of c5ar and thereby inhibits the binding of c5a to c5ar . tnx - 558 ( tanox ) is an antibody that neutralized c5a by binding to c5a . c5a activity may also be inhibited by reducing or preventing the formation of c5a . thus , inhibition of any step in the complement cascade which contributes to the downstream formation of c5a is expected to be effective in practicing the invention . formation of c5a may be inhibited directly by inhibiting the cleavage of c5 by c5 - convertase . eculizumab ( alexion pharmaceuticals , cheshire , conn .) is an anti - c5 antibody that binds to c5 and prevents its cleavage into c5a and c5b . pexelizumab , a scfv fragment of eculizumab , has the same activity . similarly , arc1905 ( archemix ), an anti - c5 aptamer , binds to and inhibits cleavage of c5 , inhibiting the generation of c5b and c5a . in another embodiment , formation of c5a is reduced or prevented through the use of a c3 inhibitor . preferably , the c3 inhibitor is compstatin or a compstatin analog , derivative , aptamer or peptidomimetic . compstatin is a small molecular weight cyclic peptide having the sequence ile - cys - val - val - gln - asp - trp - gly - his - his - arg - cys - thr ( seq id no . 1 ). examples of compstatin analogs , derivatives and peptidomimetics are described in the art . see , for instance , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 319 , 897 , u . s . pat . no . 7 , 888 , 323 , wo / 1999 / 013899 , wo / 2004 / 026328 and wo / 2010 / 127336 . an exemplary compstatin analog comprises a peptide having a sequence : xaa1 - cys - val - xaa2 - gln - asp - trp - gly xaa3 - his - arg - cys - xaa4 ( seq id no . 2 ); wherein : xaa1 is ile , val , leu , ac - ile , ac - val , ac - leu or a dipeptide comprising gly - ile ; xaa4 is l - thr , d - thr , ile , val , gly , or a tripeptide comprising thr - ala - asn , wherein a carboxy terminal oh of any of the l - thr , d - thr , ile , val , gly or asn optionally is replaced by — nh 2 ; and the two cys residues are joined by a disulfide bond . xaa1 may be acetylated , for instance , ac - ile . xaa2 may be a trp analog comprising a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic ring component . non - limiting examples include 2 - naphthylalanine , 1 - naphthylalanine , 2 - indanylglycine carboxylic acid , dihydrotryptophan or benzoylphenylalanine . another exemplary compstatin analog comprises a peptide having a sequence : xaa1 - cys - val - xaa2 - gln - asp xaa3 - gly - xaa4 - his - arg - cys - xaa5 ( seq id no . 3 ); wherein : xaa1 is ile , val , leu , ac - ile , ac - val , ac - leu or a dipeptide comprising gly - ile ; xaa2 is trp or an analog of trp , wherein the analog of trp has increased hydrophobic character as compared with trp , with the proviso that , if xaa3 is trp , xaa2 is the analog of trp ; xaa3 is trp or an analog of trp comprising a chemical modification to its indole ring wherein the chemical modification increases the hydrogen bond potential of the indole ring ; xaa5 is l - thr , d - thr , ile , val , gly , a dipeptide comprising thr - asn or thr - ala , or a tripeptide comprising thr - ala - asn , wherein a carboxy terminal oh of any of the l - thr , d - thr , ile , val , gly or asn optionally is replaced by nh 2 ; and the two cys residues are joined by a disulfide bond . the analog of trp of xaa2 may be a halogenated trpytophan , such as 5 - fluoro - 1 - tryptophan or 6 - fluoro - 1 - tryptophan . the trp analog at xaa2 may comprise a lower alkoxy or lower alkyl substituent at the 5 position , e . g ., 5 - methoxytryptophan or 5 - methyltryptophan . in other embodiments , the trp analog at xaa 2 comprises a lower alkyl or a lower alkenoyl substituent at the 1 position , with exemplary embodiments comprising 1 - methyltryptophan or 1 - formyltryptophan . in other embodiments , the analog of trp of xaa3 is a halogenated tryptophan such as 5 - fluoro - 1 - tryptophan or 6 - fluoro - 1 - tryptophan . an exemplary compstatin analog of this type is ac — i [ cvw ( me ) qdwgahrct ] i — nh 2 ( seq id no : 4 ), which can be synthesized as described by katragadda m , et al ., 2006 , j med chem . 49 : 4616 - 4622 . another set of exemplary compstatin analogs features compstatin or any of the foregoing analogs , in which gly at position 8 is modified to constrain the backbone conformation at that location . in one embodiment , the backbone is constrained by replacing the gly at position 8 ( gly8 ) with nα - methyl gly . other c3 inhibitors include vaccinia virus complement control protein ( vcp ) and antibodies that specifically bind c3 and prevent its cleavage . in other embodiments , formation of c5a is reduced or prevented through the use of an inhibitor of complement activation prior to c3 cleavage , e . g ., in the classical or lectin pathways of complement activation . non - limiting examples of such inhibitors include , but are not limited to : ( 1 ) factor d inhibitors such as diisopropyl fluorophosphates and tnx - 234 ( tanox ), ( 2 ) factor b inhibitors such as the anti - b antibody ta106 ( taligen therapeutics ), ( 3 ) c4 inhibitors ( e . g ., anti - c4 antibodies ) and ( 4 ) c1q inhibitors ( e . g ., anti - c1q antibodies ). likewise , inhibitors of signaling via the c3a receptor are also contemplated as being useful in the present invention . antibodies useful in the present invention , such as antibodies that specifically bind to either c4 , c3 or c5 and prevent cleavage , or antibodies that specifically bind to factor d , factor b , c1q , or the c3a or c5a receptor , can be made by the skilled artisan using methods known in the art . see , for instance , harlow , et al . ( 1988 , in : antibodies , a laboratory manual , cold spring harbor , n . y . ), tuszynski et al . ( 1988 , blood , 72 : 109 - 115 ), u . s . patent publication 2003 / 0224490 , queen et al . ( u . s . pat . no . 6 , 180 , 370 ), wright et al ., ( 1992 , critical rev . in immunol . 12 ( 3 , 4 ): 125 - 168 ), gu et al . ( 1997 , thrombosis and hematocyst 77 ( 4 ): 755 - 759 ) and burton et al ., ( 1994 , adv . immunol . 57 : 191 - 280 ). anti - c3 and anti - c5 antibodies are also commercially available . the invention encompasses the use of pharmaceutical compositions comprising a complement inhibitor to practice the methods of the invention . such a pharmaceutical composition may consist of the active ingredient alone , in a form suitable for administration to a subject , or the pharmaceutical composition may comprise the active ingredient and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers , one or more additional ingredients , or some combination of these . the active ingredient may be present in the pharmaceutical composition in the form of a physiologically acceptable ester or salt , such as in combination with a physiologically acceptable cation or anion , as is well known in the art . the formulations of the pharmaceutical compositions described herein may be prepared by any method known or hereafter developed in the art of pharmacology . in general , such preparatory methods include the step of bringing the active ingredient into association with a carrier or one or more other accessory ingredients , and then , if necessary or desirable , shaping or packaging the product into a desired single - or multi - does unit . as used herein , the term “ pharmaceutically - acceptable carrier ” means a chemical composition with which a complement inhibitor may be combined and which , following the combination , can be used to administer the complement inhibitor to a mammal as used herein , the term “ physiologically acceptable ” ester or salt means an ester or salt form of the active ingredient which is compatible with any other ingredients of the pharmaceutical composition , which is not deleterious to the subject to which the composition is to be administered . the pharmaceutical compositions useful for practicing the invention may be administered to deliver a dose of between 1 ng / kg / day and 100 mg / kg / day . in one embodiment , the invention envisions administration of a dose which results in a concentration of a complement inhibitor between 1 μm and 10 um in an individual diagnosed with or at risk of developing colon cancer . while the precise dosage administered will vary depending upon any number of factors , including but not limited to , the type of patient and type of disease state being treated , the age of the patient and the route of administration . preferably , the dosage of the compound will vary from about 1 mg to about 10 g per kilogram of body weight of the patient . more preferably , the dosage will vary from about 10 mg to about 1 g per kilogram of body weight of the patient . the pharmaceutical composition may be administered to a patient as frequently as several times daily , or it may be administered less frequently , such as once a day , once a week , once every two weeks , once a month , or even less frequently , such as once every several months or even once a year or less . the frequency of the dose will be readily apparent to the skilled artisan and will depend upon any number of factors , such as , but not limited to , the type and severity of the disease being treated , the type and age of the patient , as described above . a single complement inhibitor may be administered or two or more different complement inhibitors may be administered in the practice of the method of the invention . in one embodiment of the invention , the method comprises administration of only a complement inhibitor . in other embodiments , other biologically active agents are administered in addition to the complement inhibitor in the method of the invention . non - limiting examples of other biologically active agents useful in the invention include various classes of chemotherapy drugs , including platinum complexes ( such as carboplatin ), mitotic inhibitors , alkylating agents , antimetabolites , antitumor antibiotics and dna topoisomerase inhibitors ( referred to collectively herein as “ anti - cancer agents ”). where feasible , the complement inhibitors may be combined with one or more other anti - cancer agents into a single pharmaceutical composition . alternatively , separate pharmaceutical compositions are utilized . as mentioned above , pharmaceutical compositions comprising the complement inhibitor may be administered before , during , and / or after another treatment of the precipitating illness or condition , such as surgery , radiation therapy or treatment with another anti - cancer agent . chemotherapeutic agents commonly used , both alone and in various combinations , for the treatment of colorectal cancer include but are not limited to 5 - fluoruracil , leucovorin , irinotecan , capecitabine and oxaliplatin . monocolonal antibodies , such as bevacizumab , cetuximab and panitumumab , are also used either alone or along with chemotherapy for treatment of colorectal cancer . pharmaceutical compositions that are useful in the methods of the invention may be administered systemically in oral solid formulations , parenteral , ophthalmic , suppository , aerosol , topical or other similar formulations . such pharmaceutical compositions may contain pharmaceutically - acceptable carriers and other ingredients known to enhance and facilitate drug administration . other formulations , such as nanoparticles , liposomes , resealed erythrocytes , and immunologically based systems may also be used to administer a complement inhibitor according to the methods of the invention . as used herein , “ parenteral administration ” of a pharmaceutical composition includes any route of administration characterized by physical breaching of a tissue of a subject and administration of the pharmaceutical composition through the breach in the tissue . parenteral administration thus includes , but is not limited to , administration of a pharmaceutical composition by injection of the composition , by application of the composition through a surgical incision , by application of the composition through a tissue - penetrating non - surgical wound , and the like . in particular , parenteral administration is contemplated to include , but is not limited to , intravenous , subcutaneous , intraperitoneal , intramuscular , intrasternal injection , and kidney dialytic infusion techniques . formulations of a pharmaceutical composition suitable for parenteral administration comprise the active ingredient combined with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier , such as sterile water or sterile isotonic saline . such formulations may be prepared , packaged , or sold in a form suitable for bolus administration or for continuous administration . injectable formulations may be prepared , packaged , or sold in unit dosage form , such as in ampules or in multi - dose containers containing a preservative . formulations for parenteral administration include , but are not limited to , suspensions , solutions , emulsions in oily or aqueous vehicles , pastes , and implantable sustained - release or biodegradable formulations . such formulations may further comprise one or more additional ingredients including , but not limited to , suspending , stabilizing , or dispersing agents . in one embodiment of a formulation for parenteral administration , the active ingredient is provided in dry ( i . e . powder or granular ) form for reconstitution with a suitable vehicle ( e . g . sterile pyrogen - free water ) prior to parenteral administration of the reconstituted composition . the pharmaceutical compositions may be prepared , packaged , or sold in the form of a sterile injectable aqueous or oily suspension or solution . this suspension or solution may be formulated according to the known art , and may comprise , in addition to the active ingredient , additional ingredients such as the dispersing agents , wetting agents , or suspending agents described herein . such sterile injectable formulations may be prepared using a non - toxic parenterally - acceptable diluent or solvent , such as water or 1 , 3 - butane diol , for example . other acceptable diluents and solvents include , but are not limited to , ringer &# 39 ; s solution , isotonic sodium chloride solution , and fixed oils such as synthetic mono - or di - glycerides . other parentally - administrable formulations which are useful include those which comprise the active ingredient in microcrystalline form , in a liposomal preparation , in microbubbles for ultrasound - released delivery or as a component of a biodegradable polymer systems . compositions for sustained release or implantation may comprise pharmaceutically acceptable polymeric or hydrophobic materials such as an emulsion , an ion exchange resin , a sparingly soluble polymer , or a sparingly soluble salt . as used herein , “ additional ingredients ” include , but are not limited to , one or more of the following : excipients ; surface active agents including replacement pulmonary surfactants ; dispersing agents ; inert diluents ; granulating and disintegrating agents ; binding agents ; lubricating agents ; sweetening agents ; flavoring agents ; coloring agents ; preservatives ; physiologically degradable compositions such as gelatin ; aqueous vehicles and solvents ; oily vehicles and solvents ; suspending agents ; dispersing or wetting agents ; emulsifying agents , demulcents ; buffers ; salts ; thickening agents ; fillers ; emulsifying agents ; antioxidants ; antibiotics ; antifungal agents ; stabilizing agents ; and pharmaceutically acceptable polymeric or hydrophobic materials . other “ additional ingredients ” that may be included in the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention are known in the art and described , for example in genaro , ed ., 1985 , remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences , mack publishing co ., easton , pa ., which is incorporated herein by reference . the pharmaceutical compositions comprising complement inhibitors and / or other active agents or additional ingredients , can be conveniently packaged together in kits . such kits comprise at least the complement inhibitor and instructions for its use in treating or preventing colon cancer . such kits may also comprise the complement inhibitor and another anti - cancer agent , along with instructions for their use in treating colon cancer . the kits may also comprise one or more of the diluents , excipients , carriers and other ingredients referred to above . they may also comprise reagents and other components for diagnosing or detecting the stages of cancer , such as reagents to detect biomarkers of cancer progression . the following examples are provided to describe the invention in greater detail . they are intended to illustrate , not to limit , the invention . this example describes animals and diets utilized in the subsequent examples . two mouse models were combined to create a novel model system . the first model was an intestinal cancer susceptible strain , b6 . apc min /+ ( min = multiple intestinal neoplasia ), that closely resembles aspects of the human disease . the second was a set of strains , the chromosome substitution strains ( csss ), which have contrasting responses to a high fat diet . these csss were used to construct congenic - consomic strains ( ccss ) that are susceptible to colon cancer , but are either resistant or susceptible to diet - induced obesity , depending on the css . b6 . apc min /+ is a mouse model for intestinal neoplasia that carry a mutation in the apc gene similar to that found in over 85 % of sporadic colon cancer cases in humans . the apc mutation results in improper binding of β - catenin to the degradation complex and models the mutation observed in most sporadic human colon cancer tumors . b6 . apc min /+ mice develop 50 - 80 intestinal polyps in the small intestine by 120 days of age ( heijstek et al ., 2005 , digest surg . 22 : 16 - 25 ). the apc amino acid sequence is 90 % identical to that of the human apc . chromosome substitution strains ( csss ) are made by replacing a chromosome of a donor strain ( a / j ) with the corresponding chromosome of a host strain ( b6 ) ( nadeau et al ., 2000 , nat . genet . 24 : 221 - 225 ; singer et al ., 2004 , science 304 : 445 - 448 ) ( fig1 ). the f1 progeny that result from this initial cross are then backcrossed to the parental b6 strain . for 10 or more generations , progeny are chosen that have the a / j chromosome of interest . this ensures that remaining a / j dna segments are lost through subsequent crossings and results in a fixed b6 background . after 10 or more generations , mice are heterosomic for the a / j chromosome of interest , whereas all other chromosomes are homosomic for b6 . these mice are then intercrossed to obtain mice that are homosomic for the a / j chromosome of interest . certain of the congenic - consomic strains ( ccss ) were used to separate the independent contributions of diet and obesity on polyp number , location and size . csss that were chosen for the construction of the ccss based on contrasting responses to dietary fat ( fig2 ), whereby some strains were consistently lean ( b6 . a7 , b6 . a17 ) and others fat ( b6 . a2 , b6 . a9 , b6 . a19 ) after 100 days on a high fat diet . to create ccss that were susceptible to intestinal polyps , b6 . apc min /+ were crossed to csss that differed in susceptibility to diet - induced obesity ( fig2 ). b6 . apc min /+ were mated with a css of interest and the f1 progeny backcrossed to the original css strain to obtain a homosomic a / j chromosome . because the apc mutation is embryonic lethal , only mice heterozygous for the mutation can be obtained . several chromosomes contain known modifiers that alter the polyp frequency in b6 . apc min /+ . chromosomes ( genes ) 4 ( mom1 ), 8 ( foxl1 ), and 18 ( mom2 , mom3 , mom7 ) that have been shown to have these modifiers were avoided when selecting the csss . modifiers have not been identified on the chromosome chosen for the studies . although precautions were taken to avoid introducing complications by using chromosome without known modifiers , it is still possible that unknown modifiers exist on these substituted chromosomes . b6 . a2 , b6 . a7 , b6 . a9 , b6 . a17 , and b6 . a19 are homosomic for a / j chromosomes 2 , 7 , 9 , 17 and 19 , respectively , whereas the remainder of the genetic background is derived from b6 . when these strains are crossed to b6 . apc min /+ , the ccss that result ( a7 . apc min /+ and a17 . apc min /+ ) are resistant to diet - induced obesity , but susceptible to colon cancer . of these , three strains were chosen ( b6 . a2 , b6 . a9 , and b6 . a19 ) to create ccss that are susceptible to diet - induced obesity ( a2 . apc min /+ , a9 . apc min /+ , and a19 . apc min /+ ). because b6 . a7 and b6 . a17 are resistant to diet - induced obesity , they could be used to test the effects of diet , independent of obesity , on cancer severity . b6 . c3ar −/− are deficient in the complement c3 receptor ( c3ar ) and will be used to test interactions between dietary fatty acids and the complement component system . c3ar knockout mice have reduced tnf - α production , neutrophil infiltration , mast cell degranulation , and increased susceptibility to infection by group b streptococci . c3ar deficient mice ( b6 . c3ar −/− ) will be crossed to mice heterozygous for the apc mutation ( b6 . apc min /+ ) to generate mice that are susceptible to colon cancer and lack a crucial factor in the complement component pathway ( c3ar −/− ; apc min /+ ). the f1 progeny that have the apc mutation will be crossed to heterozygous b6 . c3ar +/− to generate test ( c3ar +/− ; apc min /+ , c3ar −/− ; apc min /+ ) and control ( c3ar +/+ ; apc +/+ , c3ar +/− ; apc +/+ , c3ar −/− ; apc +/+ , c3ar +/+ ; apc min /+ ) mice for the diet studies described below . diets were formulated to differ in the amount of fat , but to be identical in vitamins , protein sources , and minerals ( table 1 ). two diets contained 58 % kcal / g fat ( hf ) from hydrogenated coconut oil ( saturated fat ) or corn oil ( omega - 6 polyunsaturated fat ). low fat diets were used as controls that contain 10 . 5 % kcal / g fat ( lf ) also from hydrogenated coconut oil or corn oil . the amount of carbohydrates was increased in the lf diet to compensate for the loss of calories from the fat . for this reason , the hf and lf diets had comparable caloric values with 5558 . 5 kcal / g and 5557 . 0 kcal / g , respectively . four diets were constructed in total ( two test , two control ) that differed in the kind and amount of fat ( table 1 ). the hydrogenated coconut oil diet ( hf coco ) is high in saturated fat ( 99 . 1 %) and the majority of the fatty acids are derived from lauric , myristic and stearic acids . the corn oil diet ( hf corn ) is high in omega - 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and the majority of the fatty acids are derived from linoleic , oleic and palmitic acids . b6 . apc min /+ and the ccss ( a2 . apc min /+ , a7 . apc min /+ , a9 . apc min /+ , a17 . apc min /+ , and a19 . apc min /+ ) along with the corresponding wild - type controls ( b6 , b6 . a2 , b6 . a7 , b6 . a9 , b6 . a17 and b6 . a19 , respectively ) were born and maintained on the standard 5010 diet until 30 days of age . male mice were genotyped for the apc mutation using dna that was purified from tail tissue taken at weaning . at 30 days of age , male b6 . apc min /+ or ccss and wild - type littermates weighing between 15 - 20 grams were placed on a diet that was either high or low in fat from hydrogenated coconut oil ( hf coco or lf coco , respectively ). b6 . apc min /+ and wild - type littermates followed this same diet study design when testing diets high or low in omega - 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( hf corn or lf corn , respectively ). mice were weighed every other day , starting at 30 days of age . at 90 days of age , after 60 days on the diet , mice were fasted for 12 - 14 hours , and euthanized by cervical dislocation . body weight and length ( to calculate bmi ) as well as epidydimal fat pad mass were measured at the final time point . body weight and length were measured to calculate body mass index ( bmi ). polyp number and polyp size from the small and large intestine were measured . polyp frequency varies in different regions of the small intestine , so the small intestine was sectioned into four equal parts for analysis . the regions were labeled si - 1 to si - 4 , starting from the duodenum located below stomach ( si - 1 ) to ileum which is located above the cecum ( si - 4 ). the large intestine was excised and analyzed as one region ( li - 1 ). tissue samples from each region ( si - 1 to li - 1 ) were excised and taken to the histology core for sectioning and staining . most polyps in the b6 . apc min /+ model are benign adenomas , but it is possible that a high fat diet may affect the progression of tumorigenesis . the experiments described in this example show the effect of diet versus obesity on intestinal cancer susceptibility . after 60 days on the diet described in example 1 , polyp numbers and sizes in lean and obese ccss were analyzed . all mice fed the hf coco diet had a significant increase in polyp number compared to mice fed the lf coco diet , regardless of susceptibility to diet - induced obesity . the obesity - susceptible a2 . apc min /+ had a 3 . 6 - fold increase in polyp number when fed the hf coco diet , compared to mice fed the lf coco diet , which was similar to the 3 . 6 - fold increase observed in b6 . apc min /+ fed the same diet . this same trend was detected in the lean ccss a7 . apc min /+ and a17 . apc min /+ where a 3 . 0 and 3 . 4 - fold increase was observed , respectively . these findings suggest that obesity is not crucial for polyp development and puts more emphasis on the importance of dietary effects on disease . if obesity were crucial for polyp development , it would have been expected to see an increase in polyp number in obese and not lean ccss . total polyp cross section area ( calculated using πr 2 ) was increased in all strains fed the hf coco compared to the lf coco diet , suggesting that hf coco affects polyp initiation and not progression . food intake was measured and there were no significant differences observed between the strains or between strains fed the hf coco or lf coco diets . body weights and epididymal fat pad mass were measured in all strains for the duration of the study or after 60 days on the diet , respectively . all strains , with the exception of b6 . apc min /+ , had body weights that corresponded to the background strain . a2 . apc min /+ , an obesity - susceptible strain , was obese after 60 days on the hf coco diet . a7 . apc min /+ and a17 . apc min /+ , two obesity - resistant strains , remained lean after 60 days on the hf coco diet . after about 40 days on the hf coco diet , b6 . apc min /+ became overwhelmed with cancer and began to lose weight . this weight loss was not observed in b6 . apc min /+ fed the lf coco diet . the reduction in body weight could be attributed to the polyp burden or blood loss from anemia ( a secondary condition found in b6 . apc min /+ mice ). measurements were taken of hemoglobin , hematocrit and total red blood cell count ( rbcc ), which are diagnostic markers used for anemia in humans . results show that b6 . apc min /+ had significantly reduced levels of hematocrit , hemoglobin and rbcc regardless of diet . the diagnostic markers for anemia were reduced in b6 . apc min /+ fed the hf coco and lf coco , suggesting that diet did not contribute significantly to the anemia phenotype . to test the effect of high dietary fat on inflammatory mediators and wnt signaling , male b6 . apc min /+ were fed diets high or low in coconut or corn oil for 30 days . b6 . apc min /+ mice were put on diets high or low in omega - 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( hf corn , lf corn ) or saturated fat ( hf coco , lf coco ) for 30 days . the hf corn diet has a 30 : 1 omega - 6 to omega - 3 ratio , which closely mimics the ratio seen in most western diets . at the end of the diet study , wild - type tissue from the intestine was collected from wild - type controls , whereas normal and polyp tissues ( sized - matched ) were extracted from all b6 . apc min /+ mice . samples were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen after extraction and stored in a freezer (− 80 ° c .) until analyzed . tissues were used to extract protein and rna using radioimmunoprecipitation assays and the qiagen rneasy mini kit , respectively . wild - type , normal tissue from apc mutants , and polyp tissue were used to extract mrna or protein for analysis of cox - 2 , il - 6 , il - 1β , nfκb , and tnf - α using qrt - pcr ( sybr green , quanta biosciences ) or the appropriate antibodies for western analysis . serum and plasma were collected from the orbital sinus to measure circulating levels of il - 6 , adiponectin , il - 1β , leptin , insulin , mcp - 1 , il - 10 , and tnf - α using millipore multiplexed biomarker immunoassays . after 30 days on the diet study , polyp numbers were significantly increased in the mice fed the hf coco and hf corn compared to the mice fed the corresponding lf control diet ( lf coco and lf corn , respectively ). b6 . apc min /+ fed the lf coco ( 10 . 6 ± 1 . 6 ) diet had a significant reduction in total polyp number compared to mice fed the hf coco ( 83 . 4 ± 16 . 1 ) diet ( p & lt ; 0 . 001 ). a similar trend in polyp number was observed in b6 . apc min /+ fed the lf corn ( 24 . 6 ± 1 . 1 ) and hf corn ( 87 . 2 ± 8 . 1 )( p & lt ; 0 . 001 ). the fact that these two diets are composed of different fat sources suggests that it may not be the kind of dietary fat that influences polyp development , but the quantity . for each mouse , polyp diameter was measured and used to calculate cross sectional polyp area ( πr 2 ). cross sectional polyp area was increased in b6 . apc min /+ after 30 days on the hf coco and hf corn diets . tissue taken from size - matched polyps and wild - type tissue from the small intestine were used to extract rna for expression analysis ( qrt - pcr ). expression levels of inflammatory biomarkers ( cox - 2 , tnfα , il - 1β , ptges2 ) were normalized to 18s and then compared to a lf control . polyp tissue expression from b6 . apc min /+ fed the hf coco and hf corn were compared to expression levels from polyps from mice fed the lf coco and lf corn diets , respectively . preliminary data show that both diets increase inflammatory biomarkers in tissue of the small intestine . tnfα is produced mostly by macrophages and is involved in systemic inflammation . polyps from mice fed the hf coco diet had a noticeable increase in tnfα and myc ( a known wnt / β - catenin target gene ), with 4 - and 2 - fold increases in expression , respectively . polyps from b6 . apc min /+ fed the hf corn diet had a 3 - fold increase in tnfα expression relative to polyps from mice fed the lf corn diet . similar trends were observed for cox - 2 , il - 1β , ptges2 ( prostaglandin e synthase ) and myc . although preliminary , this elevation of myc expression in the polyps of mice fed hf diets could suggest that diet can influence wnt signaling and promote growth . expression levels of some of these factors are slightly increased in wild - type tissue from mice fed the hf corn diet , suggesting that the inflammatory response can be modestly stimulated by dietary fats , independent of carcinogenesis . serum samples were collected from b6 . apc min /+ fed the hf coco , lf coco , hf corn and lf corn after 30 days on the diet studies and were analyzed using millipore multiplex cytokine assays . insulin , leptin , adiponectin , il - 6 , il - 1β , tnfα , il - 10 , mcp - 1 , igf - 1 , pai - 1 were measured . after 30 days on the diet studies , adiponectin was significantly reduced in b6 . apc min /+ fed either of the hf diets when compared to their corresponding lf control diet . adiponectin is an insulin - sensitizing hormone that is secreted by adipocytes and is increased in obese individuals and is inversely associated with insulin resistance . studies have demonstrated that decreased adiponectin levels in men are associated with increased colon cancer risk . leptin is important in energy expenditure and appetite suppression . obese individuals develop a tolerance to leptin , similar to the insulin resistance seen in diabetic patients , resulting in an increase in leptin that is proportional to body weight . elevated levels of leptin in b6 . apc min /+ fed either of the hf diets were observed , suggesting a possible link between leptin and intestinal carcinogenesis . a modest elevation of leptin was observed in b6 control mice fed the hf coco or the hf corn diet , suggesting that leptin may be modulated by dietary fat intake . il - 113 and il - 6 are both potent inflammatory factors . elevation of il - 1β and il - 6 have been observed in human colon cancer patients as well as individuals suffering from obesity . elevated il - 1β and il - 6 in b6 . apc min /+ mice fed the hf diet were observed . il - 6 was also elevated in b6 . apc min /+ mice fed lf corresponding control diets , suggesting that il - 6 may be involved in intestinal cancer development , independent of diet . to test the effect of dietary fat on progression of intestinal polyps , b6 . apc min /+ mice were then put on diets high or low in omega - 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( hf corn , lf corn ) or saturated fat ( hf coco , lf coco ) for 60 days . the hf corn diet has a 30 : 1 omega - 6 to omega - 3 ratio , which closely mimics the ratio seen in most western diets . after 60 days on the diet , b6 . apc min /+ fed both high fat diets had an increase in total polyp number . it should be noted that in the mice fed the hf corn diet had a significant increase in total polyp number ( 100 . 4 ± 5 . 0 ) compared to mice fed the hf coco diet ( 58 . 2 ± 3 . 5 ). diets high in omega - 6 fatty acids ( corn oil ) or saturated fat ( coconut oil ) increased polyp number , but dietary omega - 6 fatty acids had a stronger effect than diets high in saturated fat . average total polyp size was compared between mice fed the hf coco and the hf corn , but no significant difference was observed . polyp sizes after 60 days on the diet in mice fed the hf coco and hf corn were 1 . 7 ± 0 . 002 mm and 1 . 6 ± 0 . 04 mm , respectively . mice fed the lf coco and hf coco diets had similar polyp numbers after 30 and 60 days on the diet study . this suggests that while on this diet , polyp numbers stabilize and reach a maximum number after only 30 days . however , mice fed the hf corn diet showed a significant increase in polyp number from 30 to 60 days , suggesting that the polyps had not reached a threshold after 30 days as seen in mice fed the coconut oil diets . it is possible that diets high in corn oil have a stronger effect on polyp development , or that mice fed the hf corn diet develop more polyps that take a longer time to stabilize . in addition to body weight , epididymal white adipose tissue ( wat ) fat pads were weighed at the 60 day time point . final body weights and fat pad weights were analyzed using a one - way anova and corrected using bonferroni &# 39 ; s multiple comparison test . overall body weight was significantly reduced in b6 . apc min /+ on both hf diets . fat pads weights were also significantly reduced in b6 . apc min /+ ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ) on both the hf corn and hf coco diets . the reduction in body weight is most likely due to the polyp burden that resulted after 60 days on the hf diet . this example describes experiments performed to determine the role played by complement signaling in intestinal carcinogenesis in the b6 . apcmin /+ mouse model . at the end of the 60 day diet study described in the previous examples , a2 . apc min /+ exhibited a significant reduction in polyp number compared to b6 . apc min /+ , independent of diet , demonstrating the presence of a modifier ( fig3 ). in both strains , a diet high in coconut oil significantly increased polyp number compared to mice fed the low fat control diet , suggesting a dietary effect that functions independent of the modifier . one candidate gene was the hemolytic component ( ortholog of the human complement component c5 ). of note , a / j carries a 2 - bp deletion in a 5 ′ exon of the c5 gene that results in a stop codon , rendering them deficient in c5 mrna and protein production ( wetsel et al . 1990 , j . biol . chem . 265 : 2435 - 2440 ). as described in more detail in example 1 , b6 . apc min /+ were maintained on the standard 5010 diet until 30 days of age . at 30 days of age , male b6 . apc min /+ and wild - type littermates between 15 - 20 grams were placed on hf coco , lf coco , hf corn or lf corn diet that is either high ( hf ) or low ( lf ) in fat from coconut or corn oil . mice were weighed throughout the study , starting at 30 days of age . at 90 days of age , after 60 days on the diet , mice were euthanized by cervical dislocation . serum and plasma samples were collected from the orbital sinus to measure complement component factors as well as other inflammatory mediators . by crossing mice that were deficient in factors involved in innate immunity ( c3ar −/−) with mice that carry the b6 . apc min /+ , it was possible to test the influence of dietary fatty acids on different components of complement signaling in colon carcinogenesis . to test if the complement component pathway was activated in the b6 . apc min /+ model of intestinal cancer , circulating levels of c3 and c5a were measured using elisas . complement c3 was elevated in b6 . apc min /+ after 30 ( p = 0 . 004 ) and 60 ( p = 0 . 0008 ) days on the hf coco diet ( fig4 ). complement c5a was also elevated in b6 . apc min /+ at these same time points ( p = 0 . 04 and p = 0 . 001 , respectively ) ( fig5 ). circulating c5a was not detectable in b6 . a2 or a2 . apc min /+ after 60 days on the hf coco diet ( fig5 ). we tested the effect of genetic inhibition of the c3a receptor ( c3ar ) on polyp number in the b6 . apc min /+ model . after 30 days on the hf coco diet , double mutant c3ar −/−; apc min /+ mice exhibited a significant reduction in polyp number compared to mice heterozygous for c3ar , c3ar +/−; apc min /+ ( fig6 ). polyp diameter was also measured and used to calculate the cross sectional polyp area for each mouse . a reduction in cross sectional polyp area was also observed in the c3ar −/−; apc min /+ mice after 30 days on the hf coco diet . we next tested the effect of ablation of complement factors on the b6 . apc min /+ model , using a pharmacological antagonist for the c5a receptor ( c5ar ), acetyl - phe -[ orn - pro - d - cyclohexylalanine - trp - arg ] ( acf [ opdchawr ] ( pmx - 53 ; peptech ). every other day , mice were subcutaneously injected with 1 mg / kg of the c5ar inhibitor or control inhibitor for 30 days . mice began the drug treatment at 30 days of age , the same day that they began the diet study . after 30 days of treatment , b6 . apc min /+ treated with the c5ar inhibitor had a significant reduction in polyp number compared to untreated mice or mice injected with the control inhibitor ( fig7 ). cross sectional polyp area was also significantly reduced in b6 . apc min /+ treated with the c5ar inhibitor ( fig7 ). to test the function of this reduction in polyp number in mice treated with the c5ar inhibitor , intestinal tissues were collected and used to extract rna and protein for expression and western analysis , respectively . after 30 days on the hf coco diet , mice treated with the c5ar inhibitor has a significant reduction in activated akt ( ps473 ), ikk ( ps176 ) and nfκb ( ps536 ) protein levels compared to mice treated with the control inhibitor ( fig8 ). summary . with the use of the ccss , a modifier of intestinal neoplasia in the b6 . apc min /+ model was identified . it was shown that complement components c3 and c5a are elevated in b6 . apc min /+ after 30 and 60 days on the hf coco diet , suggesting an interaction between inflammation mediated by complement signaling and dietary fatty acids . deletion of both copies of c3ar ( c3ar −/−; apc min /+ ) decreased polyp number and size compared to mice heterozygous for the c3ar ko . pharmacological inhibition of c5ar also reduced polyp number and size after 30 days of treatment . these results indicate that c5a is modulating polyp initiation and progression in b6 . apc min /+ . treatment with the c5ar inhibitor reduced protein levels of activated akt ( ps473 ), ikk ( ps176 ) and nfκb ( ps536 ) in the intestine of mice fed the hf coco diet for 30 days . these results point to a role for complement signaling in intestinal neoplasia through the potent anaphylatoxin , c5a , and a point of pharmaceutical intervention targeting the formation or activity of c5a and c5a signaling through the c5ar . the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and exemplified above , but is capable of variation and modification within the scope of the appended claims . | 2 |
reference is first made to fig1 which shows in schematic form a typical filtration unit 10 incorporating the invention . in a purification system comprising the filtration unit 10 , water containing suspended solids is delivered through an influent pipe 11 to the filtration unit schematically indicated by the reference character 12 . the filtration unit comprises a rectangular tank containing a plurality of relatively narrow cells 13 which are separated by vertically - extending partitions , 14 which extend transversely from one tank sidewall to the other . fragments of such cells are shown in fig2 . support means for drainplates for the filter media , as described hereinafter , comprise horizontally - extending flanges 15 which project inwardly from the bottoms of partitions 14 and extend lengthwise of each cell . porous filter media drainplates 16 to be described more particularly hereinafter extend lengthwise of the cells and are supported on the flanges 15 . these plates support the granular filter material which typically comprises a bed of sand shown at 17 and a bed of pulverized anthracite coal 18 which rests upon the sand bed 17 . a sealant bead not shown may be applied along the upper surface of supports 15 to effect a seal with the side wall along the edges of the plates . in addition , a retaining angle , a portion of which is shown at 19 , is secured to each wall 14 to hold plates 16 in place . the sealant should preferably also be applied along the upper perimeter of each plate so that a good seal is effected between the plate and the side walls . water to be filtered is delivered through the influent pipe 11 and floods the upper surfaces of each of the cells 13 . the water passes downwardly through the beds by gravity leaving the suspended solids behind within the beds . the filtered water flows through the porous drainplates 16 into an underdrain or clearwell 20 . an effluent pipe 21 is in liquid communication with the clearwell for discharge of filtered effluent . a spillway or dam 20a intermediate the clearwell and the effluent pipe 21 controls the level of water in the clearwell . as is known in the art , a traveling backwash hood 22 which is carried by a horizontal movable carriage 23 periodically moves from cell to cell . the hood has a sealing strip around its lower perimeter which forms a seal with flange sealing surfaces 24 which extend around the perimeter of each cell and is also provided with a suction manifold , not shown . once a seal is formed with the sealing surfaces 24 , a backwash pump 25 is activated to cause a flow upwardly through the cell , then through the hood 22 and outwardly through a backwash conduit 26 . the backwash operation , as described , purges each cell of suspended solids and other debris removed by the filter materials within the cell . the seal is then broken and the hood moved to the next cell , the arrangement providing substantially continuous operation through the cells not being backwashed and continuous periodic backwashing of all cells . cells of the type in which the drainplates of the invention are utilized typically have a width ( w ) of 7 to 12 inches or even more , a length ( 1 ) up to 16 feet or even more , and a thickness ( t ) of about one inch . in the past , porous thermoplastic plates formed of polyethylene have been provided either having a length as long as the cell or , if shorter and joined together , are joined by a lap joint with the surfaces forming the joint are glued together with a mastic sealant . in carrying out the invention , the plates 16 are formed in known manner , for example , by sintering a heat - fusible particulate material , for example , a thermoplastic , organic , material such as high - density polyethylene to the desired rectangular shape . other heat - fusible plastic materials such as polypropylene may be employed if desired . the plates so formed are then provided with relatively narrow heat - fused , relatively dense , non - porous zones 30 as shown in fig4 which zones extend through the plates in vertical planes from the top surface to the bottom surface of each plate . zones 30 are formed by application of heat to the ends of two pieces of the thermoplastic material while joining the ends together and then allowing the pieces to cool until the material solidifies and forms a rigid non - porous joint . alternatively , where the fusion zones 30 are formed intermediate the ends of the plate , sufficient heat and pressure are applied to cause the material to reach the melting point in a zone extending through the piece and from side edge to side edge as by use of any suitable heating means represented by transversely - movable electrical heating element 35 in fig3 . in effect , the zones are rigid , non - porous integrally formed beams having a depth of the thickness of the plate , which beams are effective to withstand the bending forces supplied by the load of filter media . the number of fusion zones for a particular application will vary somewhat depending on the dimensions of the drainplates and the loading to which they are exposed and can be determined after a few field tries . the zones in a typical application may vary from about one every two feet to one every four feet . as illustrated in fig3 combinations of zones formed by butt welding two plates together and forming zones within a length of drainplate may be employed . porous media plates having a thickness of one inch , a width of eight inches and a length of four feet are formed of a polymer comprised of a high density polyethylene of molecular weight about 800 , 000 as sold by phillips plastics , product number m550 . this material is provided in bead or pellet form , the pellet size being one - eighth of an inch diameter . pellets of the polymer of one - eighth of an inch diameter are joined in known manner by heating in a rectangular mold to a temperature of 360 ° f ., at a pressure of about 700 psi , to form a rectangular porous plate having a weight of three pounds per square foot , a bulk density of 38 to 40 pounds per cubic foot and a pore volume of 40 % to about 55 %. such plates have a capability of retaining sand particles down to about 0 . 45 mm in diameter . a melted zone is then formed by heating with a fusion plate heater while the plates are held together . when the surfaces are in a molten state the heater is removed and pressure is applied to the plate ends by air cylinders until the molten polymer fills the pores within the zone and solidifies , resulting in a narrow non - porous zone or web . examples of other materials that can be used as resins in products made according to the foregoing examples , and which have been found to perform satisfactorily are as follows : ( 1 ) high density , high molecular weight polyethylene resin 10571 -- containing 45 % mica filler as supplied by the ampacet corporation ; ( 2 ) high density , high molecular weight polyethylene resin # 10647 containing 50 % of a talc filler , as supplied by the ampacet corporation ; ( 3 ) a nylon resin type 6 / 12 as supplied by e . i . dupont denemours & amp ; co . ; and ( 4 ) a poly ( vinyl chloride ) resin geon 8714 as supplied by the b . f . goodrich company . | 1 |
the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in fig1 and 2 . in this embodiment , the invention comprises a pedestal toy 30 having a base 40 having rigidly connected thereto an angular axle member 41 . the angular axle member 41 may be connected at any angle to the base provided sufficient clearance is provided for end pieces 42 to rotate freely . as illustrated , the angular axle member 41 has a first arm 43 which is connected rigidly to the base 40 , such as by embedding the arm 43 within the base 40 or by other well - known means . the axle member 41 further includes a second arm 44 disposed at an angle θ 1 with respect to the first arm 43 and being connected thereto . as illustrated in fig1 the first arm 43 of the angular axle member 41 preferably has a first substantially circular member 45 rotatably fitted thereon . the first substantially circular member 45 is fitted on the first arm 43 such that the first substantially circular member 45 may freely rotate about the first arm 43 in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction . as further illustrated in fig1 the angular axle member 41 further preferably includes a second substantially circular member 46 rotatably fitted on the second arm 44 . second substantially circular member 46 is likewise fitted to enable free rotation of the second substantially circular member 46 about the second arm 44 in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction . both the first arm 43 and second arm 44 preferably include a pair of stops 48 which substantially prevent the first and second substantially circular members 45 and 46 from sliding along the first and second arms 43 and 44 , respectively , in an axial direction . as illustrated in fig1 and 2 , the first and second substantially circular members 45 and 46 are rotatably connected to each other by at least one substantially circular member engaging means 51 . the substantially circular member engaging means 51 preferably comprises a first shaft 52 and a second shaft 53 connected to each other at an angle θ 2 substantially corresponding to the angle θ 1 of the angular axle member 41 . the substantially circular member engaging means 51 allows the second substantially circular member 46 to drive the first substantially circular member 45 . the pedestal toy preferably includes a gripping means 47 , which may be integrally formed with one of the rotatable members 45 or 46 . the purpose of the gripping means 47 as illustrated in fig1 is to permit anyone using the pedestal toy to grip the gripping means 47 , which , when turned clockwise as depicted in fig2 turns the substantially circular rotatable member 46 to rotate in the same direction , which causes the substantial circular rotatable member 45 to rotate as previously described . if the gripping means 47 is rotated in the opposite direction from that shown in fig2 the rotational directions of the first and second substantially circular members 45 and 46 are reversed . as illustrated in fig1 and 2 , the first shaft 52 of the substantially circular member engaging means 51 passes slidably through the first substantially circular member 45 in a direction substantially parallel to the first arm 43 of the angular axle member 41 . likewise , the second shaft 53 of the substantially circular member engaging means 51 passes slidably through the second substantially circular member 46 in a direction substantially parallel to the second arm 44 of the angular axle member 41 . as illustrated in figure the substantially circular members 45 and 46 preferably comprise a pair of round disks 55 connected to and separated from each other by a plurality of spacer means 50 . in a more preferred embodiment , the upper disk of substantially circular member 46 is of a larger diameter than the lower disk to make it easier for a child to turn second substantially circular member 46 . although round disks are preferred , oblong , elliptical , hexagonal , octagonal and other substantially circular - shaped disks may be used . the spacer means are preferably a series of cylindrical dowels which pass through each of the disks 55 and are secured thereto . in a most preferred embodiment of the invention , the pedestal toy 30 includes a plurality of substantially circular member engaging means 51 , as illustrated in fig1 and 2 . when a plurality of substantially circular member engaging means 51 are used , it is most preferable that the substantially circular member engaging means be arranged circumferentially around the substantially circular member through which they pass . most preferably the substantially circular member engaging means are equally spaced around the substantially circular member as illustrated in fig1 and 2 . the circumferential spacing of the first shaft 52 of the substantially circular member engaging means 51 around the first substantially circular member 45 preferably corresponds to the circumferential spacing of the second shaft 53 of the substantially circular member engaging means around the second substantially circular member 46 in order that the second substantially circular member 46 may properly drive the first substantially circular member 45 as described above . as illustrated in fig1 and 2 , each substantially circular member engaging means 51 preferably includes an end piece 42 at the end of the first shaft 52 distal from the second shaft 53 , and an end piece 42 at the end of the second shaft 53 distal from the first shaft 52 . these end pieces 42 may be brightly colored to further facilitate user interest . additionally , the first and second shafts 52 and 53 of the substantially circular member engaging means 51 maybe connected by a third end piece 42a as illustrated in fig1 . preferably , this connection through third end piece 42a produces a stable and substantially rigid joint between the first and second shafts 52 and 53 . the end pieces 42 and 42a may be any geometrical shape , although a spherical geometry is preferred . as illustrated in fig1 and 2 , the shafts 52 and 53 of the substantially circular member engaging means preferably do not pass completely through the end pieces 42 and 42a and are fastened in the interior of end pieces 42 and 42a . in use , the gripping means 47 is grasped and rotated in either direction . this rotation in turn causes the substantially circular member engaging means 51 to experience a bi - directional rotation . this bi - directional rotation is best seen with reference to fig1 and the substantially circular member engaging means 54a and 54b . as the second substantially circular member 46 rotates , the substantially circular member engaging means 51 and particularly the second shaft 53 thereof rotates from a position at the top of the second substantially circular member 46 as represented by substantially circular member engaging means 54a to a position at the bottom of the second substantially circular member 46 as represented by substantially circular member engaging means 54b . this rotation of the second shaft 53 of the substantially circular member engaging means 51 in turn causes a rotation of the first shaft 52 of the substantially circular member engaging means 51 , which in turn forces the first substantially circular member 45 to rotate with respect to the base 40 . as illustrated , the substantially circular members 45 and 46 and substantially circular member engaging means 51 are sized so as to permit the first shaft 52 of the substantially circular member engaging means 51 to clear the base 40 . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the substantially circular members may include a rattle means 56 for producing a rattling sound when the substantially circular members rotate . this rattling means 56 may be any solid object sufficient to product the desired sound , such as a spherical marble or other spherical element . as illustrated , the two round disks 55 as connected by the spacer means 50 and the substantially circular member engaging means 51 house the rattle means 56 . the rattle means 56 is sized to be contained by the spacer means 50 and the substantially circular member engaging means 51 . the present invention may be constructed of any desirable material . preferably , the base , substantially circular members , substantially circular member engaging means and end pieces are fabricated of a hard wood , and the angular axle member and substantially circular member stops are fabricated of plastic , copper or steel tubing . although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration , it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that variations can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention except as it may be limited by the claims . | 6 |
exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a lens configuration view illustrating a subminiature imaging optical system according to first and second embodiments of the invention . in the following lens configuration views , the thicknesses , sizes and shapes of the lenses may be exaggerated for clarity . in particular , the shapes of spherical or aspherical surfaces shown in the views are only exemplary and should not be construed as limiting . meanwhile , the lenses of the first and second embodiments may be similar in shape as shown in fig1 but are different in optical characteristics as described in numerical examples later . as shown in fig1 , the subminiature imaging optical system of the present invention includes a first lens l 1 having positive refractive power , a second lens l 2 having negative refractive power , a third lens l 3 having negative refractive power and a fourth lens l 4 having positive refractive power . the first to fourth lenses l 1 to l 4 are sequentially positioned from an object side to an image side . here , each of the third and fourth lenses l 3 and l 4 has at least one aspherical surface . particularly , the fourth lens l 4 may be made of plastic . meanwhile , an optical filter of such as an infrared ray filter , a cover glass and the like may be provided between the fourth lens lg 4 and an image plane ip . the image plane ip corresponds to an image sensor such as a charge coupled device ( ccd ) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor ( cmos ). in the subminiature imaging optical system of the present invention , the first lens l 1 and fourth lens l 4 each having positive refractive power are formed of a material having a great abbe number . also , the second lens l 2 and third lens l 3 each having negative refractive power are formed of a material having a small abbe number . this allows the lenses to be complementary with one another , and thus free from chromatic aberration . this also miniaturizes the optical system , and optimizes radius of curvature of aspheric surfaces and refractive surfaces , thereby leading to superior aberrational characteristics and high resolution . moreover , in the present embodiment , the first lens l 1 and the second lens l 2 have respective refractive powers defined appropriately to ensure a short focal length between the first lens l 1 and the second lens l 2 , thereby producing a compact imaging optical system . particularly , according to the present invention , aspherical lenses are employed to improve resolution and reduce distortion and spherical aberration , thereby realizing a compact optical system superior in optical characteristics . furthermore , some lenses are formed of plastic to easily manufacture the aspherical lenses at a low cost . with this overall configuration , operational effects of following conditions 1 to 8 will be examined hereunder . where ν 1 , ν 2 , ν 3 , and ν 4 are abbe numbers of the first to fourth lenses , respectively . conditions 1 to 4 prescribe the abbe numbers of the first to fourth lenses l 1 to l 4 , respectively and pertain to correction of chromatic aberration of the optical system . in the present embodiment , the first lens l 1 and fourth lens l 4 with positive refractive powers have abbe numbers relatively greater than the second lens l 2 and third lens l 3 with negative refractive powers , respectively . this allows the lenses to be complementary with one another and thus free from chromatic aberration . notably , with satisfaction of conditions 1 to 4 , chromatic aberration can be inhibited efficiently . that is , when the first lens l 1 and fourth lens l 4 with positive refractive powers have the respective abbe numbers smaller than 50 , or when the second lens l 2 and third lens l 3 with negative refractive powers have the respective abbe numbers greater than 40 , the lenses cannot correct chromatic aberration sufficiently , thereby deteriorating resolution . where ol is a distance from an object - side surface of the first lens to the image plane , d is an effective optical size of the image plane , f is an effective focal length of a total optical system , f 1 is a focal length of the first lens , f 2 is a focal length of the second lens . conditions 5 to 7 pertain to compactness of the imaging optical system . condition 5 governs an overall size of the imaging optical system , and conditions 6 and 7 prescribe refractive power of the first lens and refractive power of the second lens , respectively . condition 5 defines a value obtained by dividing an overall length from the object - side surface 1 of the first lens l 1 to the image plane ip by the effective optical size of the image sensor , i . e ., image plane . the value of condition 5 indicates a compactness degree of the optical system . deviation from an upper limit of condition 5 increases height of the optical system , thereby hampering compactness thereof . meanwhile , deviation from a lower limit of condition 5 shortens length of the optical system too much , thus rendering aberration hardly correctable . this also results in more manufacturing tolerance , thereby degrading performance of the optical system . conditions 6 and 7 denote ratios of the first and second lenses l 1 and l 2 to the total focal length , respectively . conditions 6 and 7 prescribe refractive powers of the first and second lenses l 1 and l 2 . when the first and second lenses l 1 and l 2 are decreased in refractive powers in a deviation from conditions 6 and 7 , the overall length of the optical system is increased to hamper miniaturization thereof and add to chromatic aberration . where f 1 is a focal length of the first lens and f 3 is a focal length of the third lens . condition 8 denotes a ratio between the focal length of the third lens l 3 and the focal length of the first lens l 1 . condition 8 governs relative refractive power of the third lens l 3 . the third lens l 3 is deposited to correct curvature of the image plane . when the focal length of the third lens l 1 is five times or less the focal length of the first lens l 1 , the curvature of the image plane occurs considerably so that a central portion of the image plane with highest resolution deviates greatly from peripheral portions of the image plane with highest resolution . now , the present invention will be examined in greater detail through specific numerical examples . as described above , in the following first and second embodiments , a first lens l 1 has positive refractive power , a second lens l 2 has negative refractive power , a third lens l 3 has negative refractive power and the fourth lens l 4 has positive refractive power . a fourth lens l 4 is formed of plastic . particularly , in the first and second embodiments , each of the third lens l 3 and the fourth lens l 4 has both surfaces formed of aspherical surfaces . likewise , each of the first lens l 1 and the second lens l 2 has both surfaces formed of aspherical surfaces . also , an optical filter of such as an infrared ray filter , a cover glass and the like may be provided between the fourth lens lg 4 and an image plane ip . the image plane ip corresponds to an image sensor such as a ccd and a cmos . aspherical coefficients used in each of the embodiments herein are obtained from following equation 1 , and “ e and a number following the e ” used in a conic constant k and aspherical coefficients a , b , c and d represent a 10 &# 39 ; s power . for example , e + 01 and e − 02 represent 10 1 and 10 − 2 , respectively . where z is a distance from a vertex of a lens in an optical axis , r is a distance in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis , c is a reciprocal number of a radius r of curvature at the vertex of the lens , k is a conic constant and a , b , c , d , e , f , g , h , i , and j are aspherical coefficients . table 1 below shows numerical values of a lens system configured as in fig1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention . also , fig2 a to 2c represent spherical aberration / sine condition s . c , astigmatism and distortion , respectively according to the first embodiment shown in table 1a and fig1 . fig3 a to 3d represent coma aberration in each field according to the first embodiment . in the following diagrams showing astigmatism , “ s ” represents sagital and “ t ” represents tangential . in the first embodiment , an f number fno is 2 . 8 , an angle of view is 65 . 2 degrees , a distance ol from the object - side surface 1 of the first lens l 1 to the image plane ip is 5 . 22 mm , an effective focal length f is 4 . 69 mm , and an effective optical size of the image plane is 6 . 0 mm . in table 1 , * represents an aspherical surface , and in the first embodiment , each of the first to fourth lenses l 1 to l 4 has both surfaces 1 to 8 formed of aspherical surfaces . values of aspherical coefficients in the first embodiment according to equation 1 are noted in table 2 below . also , fig4 a to 4c represent spherical aberration / sine condition s . c , astigmatism and distortion , respectively according to the second embodiment shown in table 3 and fig1 . fig5 a to 5d represent coma aberration in each field according to the second embodiment . fig4 represents power distribution in each field of the third lens l 3 according to the second embodiment . in the second embodiment , an f number fno is 2 . 8 , an angle of view is 60 . 5 degrees , a distance ol from the object - side surface 1 of the first lens l 1 to the image plane ip is 5 . 65 mm , an effective focal length f is 5 . 15 mm , and an effective optical size of the image plane is 6 . 0 mm . in table 3 , * represents an aspherical surface , and like the first embodiment , in the second embodiment each of the first to fourth lenses l 1 to l 4 has both surfaces 1 to 8 formed of aspherical surfaces . values of aspherical coefficients in the second embodiment according to equation 1 are noted in table 4 below . as can be seen from the above embodiments , the subminiature imaging optical system with excellent aberrational characteristics as shown in fig2 to 5 is obtained according to the present invention . in the meantime , values of conditions 1 to 8 for the above first and second embodiments are noted in table 5 . as set forth above , according to exemplary embodiments of the invention , in a subminiature imaging optical system adopting four sheets of lenses , first and fourth lenses each having positive refractive power are formed of a material having a high abbe number and second and third lenses each having negative refractive power are formed of a material having a low abbe number . this allows the lenses to be complementary with one another and thus free from chromatic aberration . this also miniaturizes the optical system and optimizes radius of curvature of aspherical surfaces and refractive surfaces , thereby achieving excellent aberrational characteristics and high resolution . in addition , aspherical lenses are employed to attain high resolution and improve various optical characteristics . particularly , the aspherical lenses are formed of plastic to reduce weight of the imaging optical system , thereby allowing the optical system to be easily manufactured in mass - production at a lower cost . while the present invention has been shown and described in connection with the exemplary embodiments , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | 6 |
as used in this application , the term “ broadcast content ” may comprise a live performance , a pre - recorded performance , and an interactive game that is broadcast over a broadcast means such as a television broadcast network , a cable broadcast network , and the internet . as noted above , the present invention is a system and method for allowing a community of network users to influence the outcome of programming . referring to fig1 , the communication exchange of the present invention is illustrated . network users register 10 with a network provider and request tokens that allow the network user to vote in any particular poll that the network user desires . the network provider provides the tokens 12 to the network users for subsequent use . as will be noted below , the number of tokens and the charge for those tokens are all made in the usual accounting that is known in the art and occurs with normal content systems such as cable television and the like . content providers thereafter provide content 14 to network users for subsequent viewing . the network provider provides the various poll questions 16 to the network users for subsequent voting regarding the content . additionally these polls may be inserted in - band into the program stream from the content provider , network users can then vote 18 by using the tokens that have been provided to the network users and will vote based upon the poll questions 16 that have been provided during the course of the content . that vote 18 is provided to the network provider that tallies the vote and provides the vote results 20 to the content provider for subsequent modification of the content . in addition , the poll results are separately provided 22 to the network users so that the network users can see how their respective community of network users voted on the particular poll in question . longer duration polls 16 may be ongoing while feedback to network users 22 occurs so that each member of the community has visibility into the shared dynamic and the opportunity to contribute to or control the dynamics of the community based on response from other community members . this is a desirable feature when the members of the community are not in visual or aural communication with each other and provides a way to have many of the same responses and interactions as they would if they were in the same room . after the poll results had been made available to he content provider , the content provider then provides modified broadcast content 24 to the network users . referring to fig2 , the token purchase flow of the present invention is illustrated . a network user , who may be a new network user on the network or an existing network user that simply wants to take advantage of the voting aspect of the present invention , registers with the network server 30 . the network user is then asked if the network user wishes to purchase tokens 32 . if the network user does wish to purchase tokens , the network user selects the number of tokens desired to be purchased 34 . each of the tokens has a monetary value . depending upon the number of tokens purchased , the total token purchase is credited to the network user &# 39 ; s account 40 and the network server bills the network user for the tokens purchased 42 in the usual fashion for billing for network use . alternatively , and without limitation , network users can establish account with balances for the purchase of tokens , network users can be given tokens as incentives to use the system of the present invention thereby building loyalty , tokens can be won in a contest , tokens can be awarded based upon network user participation in other activities such as shopping , and other means . if the network user does not desire to purchase multiple tokens , the network user is asked if the network user wants to purchase weighted tokens 36 . weighted tokens are individual tokens that carry a larger vote weight than other tokens . the network user can select from various token weight levels depending upon the interest that the network user has and the amount of money that the network user desires to spend . if the network user does desire to purchase weighted tokens , weighted tokens are purchased 38 and the network user &# 39 ; s account is credited with the amount of tokens purchased 40 . again , the network user will be billed in the normal course for the tokens purchased 42 . if a network user does not desire to purchase any tokens , the network user simply answers no to all questions and the network user &# 39 ; s account will not be credited with any voting tokens , nor will the network user be billed . thereafter , the network user is free to use the tokens during the course of any poll that is offered by the network as will be more fully explained below . referring to fig3 , the voting process and impact of the voting process is illustrated . network users view the content over the network 50 . from time to time the network server of the present invention provides a poll to the network users 52 concerning various aspects of the content being shown . for example , if a live broadcast is being sent , the network users can be offered the ability to truncate interviews , move to a new topic , or other responses . in the event that a pre - recorded program is being shown that has optional elements , the network users can be polled to determine what elements they would like to see next in the content being shown . thereafter , network users , who have a token balance in their accounts can vote based upon the poll being offered to the network users 54 . network users can select the number of votes they wish to cast , and their selection with respect to the options offered . alternatively , the poll can be structured , depending upon the desires of the content provider , to allow only one vote at a time by network users . the poll structure itself can be dictated by the content providers depending upon their desires for input and the ability of the content providers to modify the content being presented to the network users . after an individual network user votes , the vote is recorded by the network server 56 and the vote or number of votes made by the particular network user is deducted from the network user account 58 . the server also tallies all of the votes 60 , and notifies the network users of the results of the vote 62 . in this fashion , a community of network users can determine how their vote in a particular poll was made and the impact of that vote . the server also sends the tally of the votes to the appropriate content provider . thus , if a content provider has optional content that will be provided based upon the votes , that content provider is notified 64 . as another example , if a live studio feed is occurring , the server notes the tally of the votes to the live studio 66 . additionally , other types of content providers may desire to have vote tallies for a variety of reasons that would affect further programming , production of additional segments , and other factors 68 . based upon the votes made , the various content providers will modify the content being sent to the viewing audience and that content can be modified in real time or near real time and sent back to the network users who can then view that modified content 50 . in this fashion , the network users can see how their votes have affected the actual content that is being provided to them . referring to fig4 , the generalized architecture of the present invention is illustrated . network users 70 , 72 , and 74 are connected to a network 76 to receive video content and polling requests . it should be noted that while three network users are indicated in this figure , this is not meant as a limitation . for example , and as is well known , there are literally thousands of network users on a cable network as well as network users who may potentially receive video over the internet . thus , the network 76 is illustrative of both a cable television network as is normally known , and may also in certain instances be the internet or other media access network where network users are viewing video content or other applicable media assets over the internet or media access network . as discussed herein the network can be a typical centralized network with broadcast of content coming from a central location . alternatively , the network could potentially be a distributed network where the poll server defines the scope of the community . for example a poll server could be placed in each regional data center and at a national data center so that certain polls and content are applicable to all subscribers attached to the network or to just a small set with one poll servers . thus a plurality of poll servers at different places in the network , and also a plurality of poll servers that can communicate with a master poll server for those polls and content are equally considered to be within the scope of the present invention . the network server 78 connects to the network users 70 , 72 , and 74 and provides video content to those network users . network users register with the network server 78 for the desired service in the usual fashion . however , the network user &# 39 ; s can also register for voting tokens that are offered by the network server 78 . the network server may have its own content which it provides to network users , but is also connected to certain live studios 82 which provide a live video feed to network users via the network server . the studio has its own schedule of events 92 which relates to the schedule within a particular show as well as the schedule over any particular period of time , whether it be day month or year . the network service also connected to other content providers 84 which may provide pre - recorded content to network users . in certain instances , the content provider 84 may have optional content 86 , which can be presented to network users depending upon the poll of the network users . similarly , other content providers 88 may also be connected to the server 78 and provide pre - recorded video content . for such providers , the polling of the present invention allows them to make future plans 90 for additional segments and / or productions that may be desired by the network users . depending upon the content that is provided by the various content providers 82 , 84 , and 88 , the content providers may wish to solicit an interaction from the individual network users by virtue of poll questions . the poll questions to be posed by the network server 78 are provided by the content providers to the network server . the network server stores the poll questions 80 and schedule those poll questions to be displayed to the network users 70 , 72 , and 74 during appropriate times associated with the individual content provider content . thus , during a live studio broadcast from a studio content provider 82 poll questions associated with the live studio feed are retrieved from a poll question database 80 and provided by the network server 78 to the network users 70 , 72 , and 74 . the network users will then vote based upon the poll questions which vote will then be tallied by the network server 78 . the network server 78 will then inform the studio 82 of the results of the poll as well as charge the individual network user accounts for the vote tokens used as noted earlier . similarly , results from a different poll can inform content provider 84 as to which optional content 86 is to be fed to the network users . referring to fig5 the overall architecture of the present invention is illustrated . interactive devices 92 , 94 , 96 , 98 all represent different types of devices that interact in the community polling of the present invention . various interactive devices may be a television with interactive set top box 92 , home pc 94 , wireless laptop 96 or other wireless device 98 log onto the transaction server 100 of the present invention . these devices are not meant as a limitation . any device now or in the future that has an interactive capability will be suitable for use with the present invention . the transaction server informs the poll server 106 that a valid user exists on the system and the amount of vote tokens that are possessed by the valid user . the poll server stores this information for subsequent voting by the users . if the users desire to purchase tokens , an accounting server 102 accesses user accounts 104 for financial information that relates to the purchase of tokens , such as credit card access and other information allowing tokens to be purchased . when a time for a polling takes place , users are informed of the polling via explicit coupling in the video stream or through other polling means . thereafter users use their tokens to vote in a particular poll which vote is communicated to the poll server 106 . the poll server receives the votes of individual users and stores those poll results 108 . after all votes are taken , the poll server provides the vote tallies back to the users 92 , 94 , 96 , 98 so that such clients can be informed of the poll results . the system of the present invention also comprises a smart video server 112 . this smart video server 112 receives programming from various sources which have been modified in response to the polling that has taken place . for example , live feeds 116 can be served over the smart video server 112 or archived video 114 can be served to users based upon the voting of the viewers . the programs and content are then sent to the television 120 or other device 92 , 94 , 96 , 98 . it is important to note that while this diagram depicts video as the shared content , the actual content can be any form of communication such as audio , radio , or games all of which will be served to community of users . poll meta data 110 that is information concerning the polls that are to be presented are provided to the poll server . this information can be the number of times and times of day that a particular poll is to be made and other information concerning the poll . producer 118 provides information to the poll meta data database 110 concerning when any particular poll is to be served to users . information concerning poll results from the poll results data base 108 are served to various sponsors for accounting purposes , and for planning future production . such accounting functions are in order to report when particular polls have been played in order to report contract fulfillment . in addition , poll results 108 provide real time feedback to create new polls 120 which producer 118 can subsequently serve to the poll server 106 . the system and method for influencing community shared elements of a broadcast via a polling system can be used in a variety of ways , such as talk shows ( radio or tv ), game shows ( play along ), court shows ( you play the part of the judge ), improv comedy , improv acting , food show , dare contest / candid camera , obstacle course where you can control dynamic obstacle placements , choose camera , choose character to trail , interview , live act show , concert ( song requests ), radio station , live act contest , animal show , virtual government , behind the scenes , outtakes , director &# 39 ; s cut , controlling order of news clips , controlling whether to expound upon the last news topic , controlling whether to expound upon any element before continued with the main narrative , ad selection , controlling point of sale commerce , controlling inventory volume , choosing camera angle , camera style / digital effect , concert , interview , travel show , filtering massive datastores of content into a network user - structured programming order , soap opera plot , series plot , movie plot , chat room topics , or control someone &# 39 ; s daily life ( ai / consensus generates options as the person goes about daily life ). environment aspects of gaming environments can be controlled by this system and method such as battles outcome , luck enhancement , skew natural event probability weights , skew ai event probability weights , or , balance of power in the universe . the effectors could be any of the following elements : camera angle , directorial style , camera effect , questions , answers , plot path , point of view , location / weather , aesthetics , objects in environment , luck / fate / chance probabilities , behavioral aspects over time . as yet another embodiment of the present invention the server of the present invention allows the creation of a ‘ buddy list ’ for users whereby users can form a community - within - community ( a “ sub - community ”). using the buddy list , individual users who are on one another &# 39 ; s buddy list can view in real time how their sub - community is voting on any program . this further adds weight for the sub - community in its voting since , if the individuals are like - minded , they can vote as a block for the effect desired on the programming . as part of the ability to vote as a block , the server of the present invention allows for a “ pre - vote by the sub - community to see how like - minded the individuals really are . in this way the sub community can adjust its vote as desired to more fully affect the course of programming . after voting has been completed , statistics are presented to both the community and the sub - community so that the voting trends of the group and subgroup can be viewed . as part of the present invention network users responses and histories are saved to provide targeted advertising and programming . this could be accomplished by associating the typical demographic information with poll responses . such advertising can be accomplished on an anonymous basis since the system of the present invention can target advertising at the community members without violating the privacy of the network users . for example an abstracted unique identifier associated with a network user &# 39 ; s voting patterns with polls with questions that would lead advertisers to believe with high probability that the particular network user would want to buy their products . advertisers could then choose the content of the polling questions that are indicative of network user preferences . advertisers could then be offered ( sold ) polling opportunities for their questions in much he same way the advertising space is sold with the polling results made available to the advertiser purchasing the polling opportunity . the present invention will also find utility in the world of on - line gaming . for example , in the shared gaming universe , the poll weighting can potentially affect multiple perspectives of the gaming universe , such that the changes affects different members of the community differently depending on their point of view within that gaming universe . a system and method for influencing community shared elements of a broadcast via a polling system has been illustrated . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other elements may be added to the system of the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention as disclosed . | 8 |
fig1 shows an example of an overall environment 100 in which an embodiment of the invention may be used . the environment 100 includes an interactive communication network 102 with computers 104 connected thereto . also connected to network 102 are one or more server computers 106 , which store information and make the information available to computers 104 . the network 102 allows communication between and among the computers 104 and 106 . presently preferred network 102 comprises a collection of interconnected public and / or private networks that are linked to together by a set of standard protocols to form a distributed network . while network 102 is intended to refer to what is now commonly referred to as the internet , it is also intended to encompass variations which may be made in the future , including changes additions to existing standard protocols . when a user of the subject invention wishes to access information on network 102 , the buyer initiates connection from his computer 104 . for example , the user invokes a browser , which executes on computer 104 . the browser , in turn , establishes a communication link with network 102 . once connected to network 102 , the user can direct the browser to access information on server 106 . one popular part of the internet is the world wide web . the world wide web contains a large number of computers 104 and servers 106 , which store hypertext markup language ( html ) documents capable of displaying graphical and textual information . html is a standard coding convention and set of codes for attaching presentation and linking attributes to informational content within documents . the servers 106 that provide offerings on the world wide web are typically called websites . a website is often defined by an internet address that has an associated electronic page . generally , an electronic page is a document that organizes the presentation of text graphical images , audio and video . in addition to the internet , the network 102 can comprise a wide variety of interactive communication media . for example , network 102 can include local area networks , interactive television networks , telephone networks , wireless data systems , two - way cable systems , and the like . in one embodiment , computers 104 and servers 106 are conventional computers that are equipped with communications hardware such as modem or a network interface card . the computers include processors such as those sold by intel and amd . other processors may also be used , including general - purpose processors , multi - chip processors , embedded processors and the like . computers 104 can also be handheld and wireless devices such as personal digital assistants ( pdas ), cellular telephones and other devices capable of accessing the network . computers 104 can also be microprocessor - controlled home entertainment equipment including advanced televisions , televisions paired with home entertainment / media centers , and wireless remote controls . computers 104 may utilize a browser configured to interact with the world wide web . such browsers may include microsoft explorer , mozilla , firefox , opera or safari . they may also include browsers or similar software used on handheld , home entertainment and wireless devices . the storage medium may comprise any method of storing information . it may comprise random access memory ( ram ), electronically erasable programmable read only memory ( eeprom ), read only memory ( rom ), hard disk , floppy disk , cd - rom , optical memory , or other method of storing data . computers 104 and 106 may use an operating system such as microsoft windows , apple mac os , linux , unix or the like . computers 106 may include a range of devices that provide information , sound , graphics and text , and may use a variety of operating systems and software optimized for distribution of content via networks . fig2 illustrates in further detail the architecture of the specific components connected to network 102 showing the relationship between the major elements of one embodiment of the subject invention . attached to the network are thermostats 108 and computers 104 of various users . connected to thermostats 108 are hvac units 110 . the hvac units may be conventional air conditioners , heat pumps , or other devices for transferring heat into or out of a building . each user is connected to the server 106 via wired or wireless connection such as ethernet or a wireless protocol such as ieee 802 . 11 , a gateway 110 that connects the computer and thermostat to the internet via a broadband connection such as a digital subscriber line ( dsl ) or other form of broadband connection to the world wide web . server 106 contains the content to be served as web pages and viewed by computers 104 , as well as databases containing information used by the servers . in the currently preferred embodiment , the website 200 includes a number of components accessible to the user , as shown in fig3 . those components may include a means to enter temperature settings 202 , a means to enter information about the user &# 39 ; s home 204 , a means to enter the user &# 39 ; s electricity bills 206 , means to calculate energy savings that could result from various thermostat - setting strategies 208 , and means to enable and choose between various arrangements 210 for demand reduction with their electric utility provider as intermediated by the demand reduction service provider . fig4 shows a high - level block diagram of thermostat 108 used as part of the subject invention . thermostat 108 includes temperature sensing means 252 , which may be a thermistor , thermal diode or other means commonly used in the design of electronic thermostats . it includes a microprocessor 254 , memory 256 , a display 258 , a power source 260 , a relay 262 , which turns the hvac system on an and off in response to a signal from the microprocessor , and contacts by which the relay is connected to the wires that lead to the hvac system . to allow the thermostat to communicate bi - directionally with the computer network , the thermostat also includes means 264 to connect the thermostat to a local computer or to a wireless network . such means could be in the form of ethernet , wireless protocols such as ieee 802 . 11 , ieee 802 . 15 . 4 , bluetooth , cellular systems such as cdma , gsm and gprs , or other wireless protocols . the thermostat 250 may also include controls 266 allowing users to change settings directly at the thermostat , but such controls are not necessary to allow the thermostat to function . the data used to generate the content delivered in the form of the website is stored on one or more servers 106 within one or more databases . as shown in fig5 , the overall database structure 300 may include temperature database 400 , thermostat settings database 500 , energy bill database 600 , hvac hardware database 700 , weather database 800 , user database 900 , transaction database 1000 , product and service database 1100 and such other databases as may be needed to support these and additional features . the website 200 will allow users of connected thermostats 250 to create personal accounts . each user &# 39 ; s account will store information in database 900 , which tracks various attributes relative to users of the site . such attributes may include the make and model of the specific hvac equipment in the user &# 39 ; s home ; the age and square footage of the home , the solar orientation of the home , the location of the thermostat in the home , the user &# 39 ; s preferred temperature settings , whether the user is a participant in a demand reduction program , etc . as shown in fig3 , the website 200 will permit thermostat users to perform through the web browser substantially all of the programming functions traditionally performed directly at the physical thermostat , such as temperature set points , the time at which the thermostat should be at each set point , etc . preferably the website will also allow users to accomplish more advanced tasks such as allow users to program in vacation settings for times when the hvac system may be turned off or run at more economical settings , and set macros that will allow changing the settings of the temperature for all periods with a single gesture such as a mouse click . fig6 represents the screen of a computer or other device 104 using a graphical user interface connected to the internet . the screen shows that a browser 1200 is displayed on computer 104 . in one embodiment , a background application installed on computer 104 detects activity by a user of the computer , such as cursor movement , keystrokes or otherwise , and signals the application running on server 106 that activity has been detected . server 106 may then , depending on context , ( a ) transmit a signal to thermostat 108 changing setpoint because occupancy has been detected at a time when the system did not expect occupancy ; ( b ) signal the background application running on computer 104 to trigger a software routine that instantiates a pop - up window 1202 that asks the user if the server should change the current setpoint , alter the overall programming of the system based upon a new occupancy pattern , etc . the user can respond by clicking the cursor on “ yes ” button 1204 or “ no ” button 1206 . equilvalent means of signalling activity may be employed with interactive television programming , gaming systems , etc . fig7 represents a flowchart showing the steps involved in the operation of one embodiment of the subject invention . in step 1302 , computer 104 transmits a message to server 106 via the internet indicating that there is user activity on computer 104 . this activity can be in the form of keystrokes , cursor movement , input via a television remote control , etc . in step 1304 the application queries database 300 to retrieve setting information for the hvac system . in step 1306 the application determines whether the current hvac program is intended to apply when the home is occupied or unoccupied . if the hvac settings then in effect are intended to apply for an occupied home , then the application terminates for a specified interval . if the hvac settings then in effect are intended to apply when the home is unoccupied , then in step 1308 the application will retrieve from database 300 the user &# 39 ; s specific preferences for how to handle this situation . if the user has previously specified ( at the time that the program was initially set up or subsequently modified ) that the user prefers that the system automatically change settings under such circumstances , the application then proceeds to step 1316 , in which it changes the programmed setpoint for the thermostat to the setting intended for the house when occupied . if the user has previously specified that the application should not make such changes without further user input , then in step 1310 the application transmits a command to computer 104 directing the browser to display a message informing the user that the current setting assumes an unoccupied house and asking the user in step 1312 to choose whether to either keep the current settings or revert to the pre - selected setting for an occupied home . if the user selects to retain the current setting , then in step 1314 the application will write to database 300 the fact that the users has so elected and terminate . if the user elects to change the setting , then in step 1316 the application transmits the revised setpoint to the thermostat . in step 1314 the application writes the updated setting information to database 300 . fig8 is a flowchart that shows how the invention can be used to select different hvac settings based upon its ability to identify which of multiple potential occupants is using the computer attached to the system . in step 1402 computer 104 transmits to server 106 information regarding the type of activity detected on computer 104 . such information could include the specific program or channel being watched if , for example , computer 104 is used to watch television . the information matching , for example , tv channel 7 at 4 : 00 pm on a given date to specific content may be made by referring to internet - based or other widely available scheduling sources for such content . in step 1404 server 106 retrieves from database 300 previously logged data regarding viewed programs . in step 1406 server 106 retrieves previously stored data regarding the residents of the house . for example , upon initiating the service , one or more users may have filled out online questionnaires sharing their age , gender , schedules , viewing preferences , etc . in step 1408 , server 106 compares the received information about user activity to previously stored information retrieved from database 300 about the occupants and their viewing preferences . for example , if computer 104 indicates to server 106 that the computer is being used to watch golf , the server may conclude that an adult male is watching ; if computer 104 indicates that it is being used to watch children &# 39 ; s programming , server 106 may conclude that a child is watching . in step 1410 the server transmits a query to the user in order to verify the match , asking , in effect , “ is that you . bob ?” in step 1412 , based upon the user &# 39 ; s response , the application determines whether the correct user has been identified . if the answer is no , then the application proceeds to step 1416 . if the answer is yes , then in step 1414 the application retrieves the temperature settings for the identified occupant . in step 1416 the application writes to database 300 the programming information and information regarding matching of users to that programming . in an alternative embodiment , the application running on computer 104 may respond to general user inputs ( that is , inputs not specifically intended to instantiate communication with the remote server ) by querying the user whether a given action should be taken . for example , in a system in which the computer 104 is a web - enabled television or web - enabled set - top device connected to a television as a display , software running on computer 104 detects user activity , and transmits a message indicating such activity to server 106 . the trigger for this signal may be general , such as changing channels or adjusting volume with the remote control or a power - on event . upon receipt by server 104 of this trigger , server 104 transmits instructions to computer 104 causing it to display a dialog box asking the user whether the user wishes to change hvac settings . | 5 |
55 grams of carmiosine red pigment and 20 grams of ponceau r4 124 red pigment , 90 g sucrose is added to 180 mls of water and boiled until the carmiosine red and sucrose are dissolved . 260 mls of glycerol and 395 mls of ethanol is then added to form the following 1 litre of ink composition 26 % glycerol 39 . 5 % ethanol 9 % sucrose 18 % water and 7 . 5 % colouring agent . it will be readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art that solvents other than water may be used to dissolve the pigment or dye in the formation of the colouring agent will vary according to the pigment or dye being used . other solvents may include appropriate food acids , such as formic acid . depending on the dye or pigment used in the formation of the ink the dye or pigment may be ground finely and suspended in the ink composition . the percentage composition of ink outlined in example 1 has been found to be effective for food grade red , blue and brown dye pigments . in a similar manner to example 1 ink was formed using brilliant blue dye pigment to create an ink comprising ; 6 % glycerol 32 % ethanol 30 % sucrose 25 % water and 7 % colouring agent . in a similar manner to example 1 ink was formed using ht brown dye pigment to create an ink comprising ; 20 % glycerol 28 % ethanol 25 % sucrose 20 % water and 7 % colouring agent . in a similar manner to example 1 ink was formed using tartrazine dye pigment to create an ink comprising ; 20 % glycerol 28 % ethanol 25 % sucrose 23 . 5 % water and 3 . 5 % colouring agent . it is preferable when forming inks comprising tartrazine as the colouring agent that the colouring agent is present in a concentration of between 2 . 5 to 4 . 5 % to prevent the ink from becoming to viscose . it will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that a number of dye pigments may be used in the formation of a suitable ink in order to create a broad range of colours , e . g . combining brilliant blue and tartrazine to form a green colouring agent . the combined stamp and cutter 10 includes a hollow cylindrical housing 11 . a circular edge 12 of the housing is sharp and is used to cut biscuit dough into a circular shape . it should be appreciated that shape of the edge 12 may be changed to vary the shape of the biscuits . a shaft 13 extends through the housing 11 substantially along a central axis of the housing 11 . the shaft 13 is mounted to a top of the housing and is able to reciprocate with respect to the housing 11 . a stop 14 is located on the shaft to prevent the shaft from being reciprocated past a predetermined point . an internal spring 15 and an external spring 16 are mounted to the shaft locate the shaft 13 in a desired rest position . a stamp 17 is located at the end of the shaft and is located within the housing 11 . the stamp 17 comprises a backing plate 18 and a stamping plate 19 . the backing plate 18 is attached to an end of the shaft 13 and is removably attached to the stamping plate 19 . the stamping plate 19 is normally made of plastic or rubber . the stamping plate 19 is cut to reflect the desired impression to be placed on a biscuit . to make a batch of marked biscuits , biscuit dough is mixed and rolled into a sheet of desired thickness . the ink of any one of the above examples is applied to the stamp plate 19 through the use of an inkpad ( not shown ). the combined stamp plate 19 and cutter 10 is located over the inkpad and the top of the shaft 13 is pushed toward the top of the housing 11 until the stamping plate 19 contacts the inkpad . the shaft 13 is released and returns to the rest position . the combined stamp and cutter 10 is placed on the sheet of biscuit dough and force is again applied to the shaft 13 . this causes the stamping plate 19 to contact the biscuit dough and apply ink to the biscuit dough . at the same time , the edge 12 of the housing 11 cuts the biscuit dough to produce an image . this process is repeated until all the biscuit dough is cut . the biscuit dough is then baked to produce the batch of biscuits . fig2 show a comparison of a biscuit dough stamped using the method of the invention in a similar manner to that described in example 5 ( a ), compared with biscuit dough stamped with commercially available inks using a hand stamp ( b ). it can be readily seen that the method of the invention provides a printed biscuit that has a clear image and can convey fine detail . whilst the printing using commercially available ink results in bleeding of the ink to the extent that detail of the image is lost thorough the ink bleeding over the biscuit . the method of the invention and the ink used within the method provides the advantage that when applied to the biscuit dough , the ink does not bleed into the biscuit dough and hence a clear , crisp image can be produced on the biscuit . further , the ink is not affected by baking and does not burn . the application of ink allows a quick and efficient image to be placed on a biscuit . different colours can be used to create a more noticeable image . it has found that by altering the solvent ; glycerol ; water content of a commercially available ink that surprising improvements in quality and appearance of marking or printing on bakery products can be achieved . it is believed that currently available edible inks bleed when printing onto bakery products because on initial application the ink beads , as it settles into the bakery product the bead spreads to cause a disperse area of colouring , or bleeding . it has surprisingly been found that by increasing the ethanol and glycerol contents of commercially available edible inks compositions to create inks which have a surface tension which is sufficiently low to prevent beading of the ink on application to bakery product , thus preventing bleeding and allowing the producing of a printed or marked product having a clear and image , patter , words and / or letters . the method of the invention provides greater flexibility to a baker in that with the method of the invention they may now clearly printing or marking a broad range of bakery products , including the pastry crust of pies , bread rolls and loaves , shortcrust etc . prior to the development of the method of the invention it was not possible to produce a clear printed or marked bread roll or loaf , without scorching the image onto the roll or loaf that affected the taste of the bread . furthermore , a broad range of printing apparatus may be utilised to in the method of the invention . it should be appreciated that the ink may be applied to the biscuit dough using any number of different methods . for example , a self - inking stamp and cutter may be used so that the inkpad is unnecessary . alternatively , the biscuit dough may be cut separately and a separate stamp used to apply the ink to the biscuit dough . still alternatively , the ink may be used with an automatic baking machine in which the ink is applied in an automated fashion . the bakery product may be printed using a roller stamping method , a mechanical stamping method , stencil spraying and / or laser and ink jet printing techniques . the stamping surface may be selected from gun metal , brass , cast steel , natural rubber , synthetic rubber , and food grade elastomeric materials . it is anticipated that if the above method employs a laser jet or ink jet printing apparatus it may be necessary lower the glycol content to less than 1 % of the ink . the glycerol is required help the dye pigment to dry as a thin film but needs to be in sufficiently low concentrations to prevent fouling of the printing head . without the glycerol the dye pigment dries as a powder during baking of the bakery product . it will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art that the ink compositions described above may be altered or customised within the defined ranges to suit the various printing techniques , apparatus or stamp surfaces that may be utilised to apply the ink to a bakery product prior to baking . the methods and inks described above may also be applied to bakery products for animal consumption , such as dog and cat biscuits . it should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications may be made to the invention described without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . | 0 |
the following description and examples illustrate some exemplary embodiments of the disclosed invention in detail . those of skill in the art will recognize that there are numerous variations and modifications of this invention that are encompassed by its scope . accordingly , the description of a certain exemplary embodiment should not be deemed to limit the scope of the present invention . in addition , the figures are not to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular elements while related elements may have been eliminated to prevent obscuring other aspects . generally speaking , the systems described herein are directed to wheeled conveyances including , for example , low profile wheeled conveyances , such as skateboards , scooters , kick scooters and / or roller skates . referring to the figures , some embodiments of the conveyance disclosed herein include a foot support platform 32 having an integral , full - width or partial - width inclined axle bearing surface 38 which supports a transverse axle 36 . in one embodiment , the inclined axle bearing surface 38 can be a planar surface and can form an angle of between about 10 ° and about 70 ° with the horizontal plane , said plane being defined as parallel to the travel surface depending , for example , on the steering responsiveness required . the axle 38 supports a pair of wheels 34 r and 34 l . the inclined axle bearing surface 38 supports the axle 36 across all or part of its span between the wheels 34 r and 34 l , but in some embodiments , said surface 38 can support the axle 36 in the regions adjacent to the wheels 34 r and 34 l and can reduce the bending moment applied to the axle . the wheels 34 r and 34 l can be conventional skateboard or roller skate or in - line skate or scooter wheels or other types of wheels , and in some embodiments a pair of roller or plain bearings , not depicted in these figures , can be located between the solid body of the wheel and the axle . the axle mayor may not rotate about its own longitudinal axis when the skateboard moves , and the wheels rotate . the axle can be offset from the center of the wheel in a vertical and / or horizontal direction , such as is shown in fig1 . the wheels 34 r and 34 l may be retained at a specific location along the length of the axle 36 by any conventional means commonly used , including those used for skateboard , roller skate , in - line skate , or scooter wheels , but other methods can be used as well . the method of retention is not depicted here . a pair of compression springs 44 r and 44 l can be compressed by the axle 36 against a spring bearing surface 39 that can be an integral part or added part of the foot support platform . these springs may be rubber blocks , cell springs , leaf springs or any other type of member capable of supporting compression parallel to the surface of the inclined axle bearing surface 38 and perpendicular to the axle 36 . the compression springs serve to restore the axle to a position perpendicular to the long axis of the conveyance 82 ( see fig1 ), when no torque is applied by the user about said axis 82 . the compression springs therefore function to keep the conveyance running in a straight line or particular direction unless the user deliberately tilts the conveyance to make a turn or change the direction . in some embodiments , a turning bias can be built into the conveyance , such as by adjustment of the compression springs , the axle bearing surface or the pivot member design or position , such as to correct for an off - balance load , sloped travel surface , etc . or to favor , cause , or build - in a turning condition to the conveyance . in some embodiments , tension springs can be used in place of or in combination with compression springs . suitable locations for tension springs include in front of and below the axle instead of the compression springs 44 r and 44 l . a pivoting axis 43 may be formed by the inclusion of a pivot member 40 formed in the shape of a triangular prism , or some other shape , including those which have a ridge configured to contact the axle . in some embodiments , springs for different rider weights , ability level , size , or performance can be provided with or separate from the conveyance for tuning the operation of the conveyance , or for other reasons , such as maintenance . in some embodiments , the spring response on operability can be adjusted , such as by including provision to adjust the lateral position of the springs on the spring bearing surface 39 . in some embodiments , a single rear wheel 46 can be supported by an axle 50 inserted through holes or indentations in the foot support platform , and retained by any conventional means . the wheel 46 can be positioned between the platform forks 49 r and 49 l and retained in an appropriate position by suitable methods including spacers , axle design features ( such as interference fit , bumps , indentations , protuberances , etc . ), nuts , etc . it is also possible to mold suitable spacers or other suitable features as part of the foot support platform 32 . in other embodiments , a single wheel , similar to that described for the rear can be utilized in the front with a system comprising an axle and inclined axle bearing surface , as described herein , in the rear , or a system comprising an axle and inclined axle bearing surface , as described herein , in both the front and the rear . a fender 48 can be included as part of a foot support platform to cover a single wheel 46 or a pair of wheels . the fender 48 could be molded as part of a foot support platform in a single molding operation , and can have sufficient rigidity to serve as a rest platform for a rider &# 39 ; s ground engaging foot ( the “ pushing foot ”). at the same time , the fender 48 could be designed with sufficient flexibility that it could engage the wheel to serve as a friction brake when a rider &# 39 ; s weight was transferred from the front foot to the rear foot to press down substantially on said fender 48 . in some embodiments , fenders can be utilized , such as by molding as part of the foot support platform 32 or otherwise , for example to prevent the rider &# 39 ; s foot from engaging the rotating wheels 34 r and 34 l . partial front fenders 70 r and 70 l are shown in fig9 and fig1 . in some embodiments , fenders or partial fenders can prevent the axle from being unduly loaded in bending in the event that the user inadvertently stepped on the conveyance while it was upside down on the ground . an optional deadman &# 39 ; s brake assembly can be composed from an angled lever 58 , a torsion spring 60 a depression 61 in the foot support platform body 32 and an axle 62 . if the user steps - off or falls off the conveyance , the torsion spring 60 presses the rear part of the angled lever 58 against the rear wheel 46 and slows or stops the conveyance instead of using a torsion spring 60 , a compression spring may be inserted between the depression 61 in the foot support platform body 32 and the angled lever 58 to provide the deadman &# 39 ; s brake action an alternative version of an optional deadman &# 39 ; s brake is formed as an integral part of the foot support platform in order to reduce the number of parts and simplify assembly . for example , the brake 66 can be formed so that in the unstressed state it protrudes above the plane of the conveyance platform 32 and engages the rear wheel 46 as depicted in fig8 a . when the rider presses down on the brake 66 with his heel , then the brake shoe 66 disengages from the rear wheel 46 as depicted in fig8 b . in some embodiments , an axle bearing surface 38 can be positioned at an angle to a pivot member 40 , 80 or 90 . the bearing surface can be monoplanar as shown in fig1 , or multiplanar or curved , as shown in fig1 . in various embodiments , the curved or multiplanar character can be in a direction parallel to the long axis of the axle , at an angle to the long axis of the axle , or both parallel and at an angle to the long axis of the axle . in some embodiments , the axle bearing surface can extend substantially from one end of the axle to the other or from one wheel to the other . in some embodiments , the axle bearing surface can extend for a different distance over the length of the axle , such as 90 % of the distance between the ends of the axle or the distance between the wheels , or for about 80 % or for about 70 % or for about 60 % or for about 50 % or for about 40 % or for about 30 % or for about 20 % or less . as the extent of the axle bearing surface decreases , the axle can be made stronger , such as through dimensioning of the axle or through the selection of the materials used for the axle . also , as the extent of the bearing surface decreases , the bearing surface can be made stronger , such as by selection of materials used for its construction . in some embodiments , the axle bearing surface can be removable , such as for replacement due to wear or to change the turning characteristics of the device , or for some other reasons including cosmetic . in some embodiments , the pivot member or its contact surface with the axle can be removable , such as for replacement due to wear or to change the turning characteristics of the device , or for some other reasons including cosmetic . different shapes as well as materials and material hardness / resilience can be utilized for the bearing surface and the pivot member and pivot member surface , as desired such as for different turning or performance characteristics . the pivot member 40 can have a narrow contact region for contacting the axle , such as with a triangular cross - section as shown in fig1 , or some other shape that presents a narrow or sharp surface to the axle . suitable other shapes include those having a cross - section related to or including a square , rectangle , pentagon , teardrop , round or other shape . the narrow or sharp surface can also be truncated . in some embodiments , the pivot member can be a protruding portion from another part , such as the foot support platform a base structure , or another part . in one embodiment , as shown in fig1 , the pivot member 40 defining a single pivot axis 43 is replaced with an extended pivot member 80 . the extended pivot member 80 is shaped so that the point or area of contact between the axle and the pivot member 80 shifts towards the inside of the turn , when the conveyance is tilted as depicted in fig1 . a curved version of the extended pivot member 90 is depicted in fig1 . another version of a curved extended pivot member is shown in fig1 , where the extended pivot member 90 has a curved face convex away from one end of the foot support platform . this curved face approaches or intersects the axle bearing surface 38 along a curved line 94 , where the ends of the curved line 94 curve upward and toward one end of the foot support platform 32 . in some embodiments , the pivot member 90 and the axle bearing surface 38 can be separated somewhat , such as with a gap or an intervening material , wherein the intervening material is flush , protrudes out , or is recessed from the surface of the pivot member 90 and / or the axle bearing surface 38 . in operation , when the rider leans or otherwise causes a turn , the foot support platform 32 will tip , with one edge of the foot support platform 32 moving toward the axle 36 , and the other edge moving away from the axle 36 . as the foot support platform 32 tips , the axle 36 shifts its contact zone 107 with the pivot member 90 to a new zone closer to the edge of the foot support platform on the side where the edge of the foot support platform 32 moved toward the axle , as shown in fig2 . this axle movement results in the axle 36 pivoting with a component of the pivoting in a plane substantially parallel to plane of the travel surface or the top of the foot support platform 51 , with the wheel 34 r or 34 l at one end of the axle moving forward and the wheel 34 l or 34 r on the other end of the axle moving rearward , in relation to the direction of travel , causing a turning effect . depending on the location and orientation of the axle bearing surface 38 and the ‘ pivot member 40 or 80 or 90 , the direction and magnitude of the turning effect can be varied , such as to be more sensitive , less sensitive , to turn in the direction of leaning or compression of the foot support platform 32 toward the axle 36 or away from the direction of leaning or compression of the foot support platform 32 toward the axle 36 . when the rider shifts position to move in a different direction , the contact zone 107 of the axle 36 with the pivot member 80 or 90 will shift as well , with the axle 36 contacting different points along the pivot member 80 or 90 related to the curved line 94 interface of the pivot member 80 or 90 and the axle bearing surface 38 . in fig1 a , an embodiment of a curved extended pivot member 80 having an approximately constant radius of curvature is shown . in other embodiments , the curved extended pivot member 90 can have a variable radius of curvature , such as with the central portion having a larger ( flatter ) radius of curvature than the outboard portions . such a variable curvature can be advantageous , for example , in providing increased straight line stability , with minor shifts by a rider causing only small shifts in the axle position , while still allowing sharp turns . suitable amounts of curvature include radii of about 80 to about 300 millimeters , while some embodiments can have radii of about 110 to about 220 mm or about 120 to about 180 mm , with some special embodiments having even higher or lower amounts of curvature . suitable degrees of curvature can relate to the angle the bearing surface 38 forms with the horizontal plane , the sharpness of the turn desired , the dimensions of the foot support platform 32 , the size of the rider , etc . in fig1 b , the angular relationship of one embodiment of a curved extended pivot member 90 to an axle bearing surface 38 is shown . the included angle between the axle bearing surface 38 and the curved extended pivot member 40 can be any suitable angle , including angles of about 45 to about 135 °. in some embodiments , the angle can be about 75 to about 110 °, or about 85 to 95 °. the angle between the axle bearing surface 38 and the horizontal plane 93 , can be about 10 to about 70 °. in some embodiments , this angle can be about 20 ° to about 50 °, or about 20 ° to about 40 °, or about 25 ° to about 35 °. changes to either of these angles can provide the ability to , for example , adjust the turning response of the device as desired . in another embodiment , as illustrated in fig1 , a pivot member with a ridge axle contact area is used , but the inclined axle bearing surface is no longer planar 88 a and 88 b . the mode of action will be described later in this document . in some embodiments , a non - planar inclined axle bearing surface can be combined with an extended pivot member or a curved extended pivot member . in some embodiments , the face of the extended pivot member or curved extended pivot member which has the axle contact area can be curved in both a horizontal and a vertical direction . in various embodiments , the nonplanar surface can be made of or approximate a number of planar surfaces , or it can be continually curved . in some embodiments , pivot member 40 is not included for the integral truck to function in the intended way . in the absence of a fixed pivoting axis 43 , the axle will float on the springs 44 r and 44 l , providing a compliant suspension . in some embodiments , the pivot member can be a pin or a rod . in some embodiments , the pivot member can contact the exterior of the axle , such as at a round , flat , grooved , dimpled , indented , etc . portion of the axle or covering ; in some embodiments , the pivot member can contact the interior of the axle , such as in a hole ; and in some embodiments , the pivot member can contact the interior and exterior of the axle . in some embodiments , the axle 36 can include a covering over at least a portion of its surface , and the pivot member can contact the exterior or interior of the covering portion of the axle 36 . the pivot member can be a pin protruding from the center of the axle 36 at a right angle or another angle to the axle , said pin can protrude into a hole or cavity formed in a middle portion of the inclined axle bearing surface 38 . in some embodiments , different locations for the pin in the axle , the axle bearing surface , or both , for various reasons including to modify the ride characteristics of the conveyance , to facilitate construction or assembly , etc . in some embodiments , more than one pin can be utilized . in some embodiments , the bearing surface can be a continuous or a discontinuous surface . suitable discontinuous surfaces include those made up of a number of separated surfaces or surfaces interconnected with a different material or a recessed material . individual surfaces can be made of like or unlike materials . individual surfaces can be flat , curved , circular , rectangular , regular , a regular , interlocking , non - interlocking , or any other suitable shape as desired . in some embodiments , the surface of the pivot member can be a continuous or discontinuous surface as well . in some embodiments a continuous bearing surface can be utilized with a pivot member having a discontinuous surface , or a discontinuous bearing surface can be utilized with a pivot member having a continuous surface , or both the bearing surface and the surface of the pivot member can be either continuous or discontinuous . in some embodiments , the pivot member or the bearing surface can be made up of a series of individual parts , such as in the form of ridges protruding from a support material or a separate part . examples of discontinuous faces on the axle bearing surface and the pivot member surface are shown in fig1 b , 20a and 22 . in fig2 a for example , the axle bearing surfaces and pivot members surfaces are formed by an opened cell network performed by a plurality of struts , which are chosen of a spacing and thickness of material sufficient to withstand relevant forces from the axle . fig2 a and 22 show an extended curved surface 122 arranged symmetrically across the longitudinal access of the conveyance . as shown , the pivot surface extends a substantial proportion of the width of the device in this area . in these figures remaining in that area is shown in recessed portions 124 and 125 . in some embodiments , the device may have one or more handles attached to or formed therein . such handles can aid in riding the device or performing maneuvers and / or can be used to attach pulling cords and the like . preferably the forward end or front end of the device has an handle . the rear of the device may also have a handle , for example as is shown in fig1 a , 19b , ( 120 , 121 ). in some embodiments , the pivot member can be disposed at an angle to the bearing surface , such as where the bearing surface and the surface of the pivot member intersect at the vertex 106 of an angle , as shown in fig2 a . in one embodiment , the pivot member can be disposed at an angle to the bearing surface with a gap between the surface of the pivot member and the bearing surface , such as where a continuation of the pivot member surface or the bearing surface could intersect with the other . in one embodiment , additional material can be interposed between the surface of the pivot member and the bearing surface , such as in the vicinity of the vertex of the angle . in some embodiments , the entire pivot member and the bearing surface can be separated such as by a gap or by intervening material . in some embodiments , as shown in fig2 , the surface of the pivot member can be located such that a ray 101 originating from a contact zone 107 of the axle 36 with the surface of the pivot member 90 , normal to the axle and passing through the axle centerline 105 (“ normal ray ”) has a component 102 substantially parallel to the direction of travel 104 . in some embodiments , the surface of the pivot member can oppose the bearing surface , such as where a normal ray intersects the bearing surface or intersects with a plane that would be an extension of an edge of the bearing surface or a plane that includes it is parallel to a portion of the bearing surface that contacts the axle . in fig1 , an overmolded axle block 92 is depicted . this may be a simple rectangular prism used in conjunction with the springs and / or pivots described previously , or may incorporate an extended pivot member section as illustrated , including optional curved and non - curved portions . the axle block 92 can be integral to the axle , or assembled to the axle . the mode of action of the axle support unit with an inclined axle bearing support surface 38 is in some embodiments will now be described . in fig4 , when a downward force 52 is imposed on the left front side of the platform , or a compressive force between the axle support unit and the axle , the left front wheel 34 l is forced rearward or forward , depending for example on the location and orientation of the inclined bearing surface 38 and the pivot member 40 or 80 or 90 , by the inclined axle bearing surface 38 that supports it , inducing a turn to the left or right , provided that the platform or board leans into the turn . as the downward or compressive force 52 is imposed , at least a portion of the axle 36 slides across the inclined axle bearing surface 38 and the axle pivots , a component of the rotation lying in a plane substantially parallel to the top surface of the foot support platform 32 . in some embodiments , an outboard portion of the axle 36 slides across the bearing surface . if the axle includes a covering , spacer , etc . which contacts the axle bearing surface 38 , the covering , spacer , etc . portion of the axle 36 will slide across the surface . the sliding motion can be described in some embodiments as an arc , a displacement , or a combination of an arc and a displacement . hence the design can be set - up so the rider leans left and turns left , into his lean , facilitating a balancing and turning action similar to that of a conventional skateboard , or in some applications , he turns right when he leans left . in the drawings , the conveyance is represented as a three - wheeled device , with a single rear wheel , but it should be understood that the single rear wheel may be replaced by a second integral truck and wheel assembly which is the minor image of the front truck and wheel assembly about a plane whose normal vector is the long axis of the conveyance 82 . in some three - wheeled embodiments , the fender 48 , can serve as a platform for the rider to rest his pushing foot , when coasting down a hill for example . a four - wheeled device , can include a cantilevered beam , fixed with respect to the main riding platform and preferably molded as part of a foot support platform , protruding from the rear end of the foot support platform , behind the rider &# 39 ; s heel , and can include such features as fender and brakes as desired . the rear fender 48 can be made to be flexible or compliant , so that with heavier pressure from the foot resting on it , it could serve as a brake by deforming and engaging with the rotating rear wheel 46 below it . an integral leaf spring could be formed in the elastic material of the fender to facilitate this motion . the entire fender could also be made to pivot around an axis parallel to but not coaxial with the rear axle , where resistance to pivoting would be supplied by a spring . in various embodiments , the fender would not engage the wheel with moderate pressure exerted by resting the rider &# 39 ; s pushing foot during coasting , but would engage with heavier pressure applied by transferring weight to the pushing foot if the user wished to stop the conveyance . resistance to the fender pivoting action could be applied by a torsion spring , or a rigid lever arm combined with a tension or compression spring . the compression springs 44 r and 44 l can be attached to the platform with an adhesive or adhesive tape , or can be retained in a slot or cavity molded or cut in the spring bearing surface 39 . the product may be provided with a set of springs of differing stiffnesses to accommodate riders of various weights . such a set of springs may be color coded . although the springs 44 r and 44 l in the various figures provided are depicted in a somewhat central location for clarity , in practice it would be advantageous to position them as close to the wheels 34 r and 34 l as possible , to minimize the bending moment on the axle 36 . another method of providing variable resistance to turning can include placing the springs 44 r and 44 l in a slot formed in the spring bearing surface 39 , where the position of the springs along the axle 36 could be adjusted . if the springs 44 r and 44 l are moved towards the center of the spring bearing surface 39 ( and closer to each other ) the resistance to pivoting of the axle can be reduced , which might be desirable for a lighter rider . with the springs in wider positions ( farther from each other ), the resistance to pivoting of the axle can be increased , which might be desirable for a heavier rider . higher resistance to pivoting can occur with the springs located directly adjacent to the wheels , 34 r and 34 l . however , a tradeoff can also be made with softer springs in a wider position to achieve similar or less resistance to pivoting as stronger springs in a narrower position . in this embodiment , it can be advantageous to have the springs seated in a slot formed in the spring bearing surface 39 , with sufficient friction to look them in place when the conveyance was in use , but sufficient clearance so that they could be shifted along said slot to adjust the turning resistance of the conveyance . frequently in this description the full - width or partial - width inclined axle bearing surface 38 is described as formed as an integral part of the platform , however , it should be understood that even where the inclined axle bearing surface 38 is shown as full - width in all the drawings , the inclined bearing surface 38 can be narrower and can provide support to the axle 36 near the wheels , away from the wheels , or both near and away from the wheel , and the support for the axle can be continuous , or at discrete points over at least a portion of the length of the axle . variations of these aspects of the design can provide additional benefits such as reducing the bending moment experienced by the axle over that experienced by axles in other designs . in some embodiments , the reduced bending moment of the axle 36 means that the axle can be of smaller diameter and lower cost and weight . in some embodiments , the inclined axle bearing surface 38 maybe cut away or not in contact with the axle 36 in the central part of the platform 32 , near the pivot member 40 or 80 or 90 . further , the inclined axle bearing surface 38 is at various points shown and described as part of a unitary body , such as can be produced by injection molding the platform 32 and inclined axle bearing surface 38 in one shot from a suitable thermoplastic . however , it should be readily apparent that the inclined axle bearing surface 38 could be molded or formed from a different material and snapped or fastened to the main platform body 32 . for example , it may be desirable to have an inserted surface with low friction and / or high wear resistance . in addition , the body and / or platform can be made from multiple pieces and then assembled . it should be noted , however , that a unitary construction can have advantages of a higher resistance to bending than some other designs , and thus may be preferred in some cases , and can result in reduced the weight and cost , including fabrication costs of the conveyance while maintaining an adequate bending stiffness of the platform 32 . in one embodiment , leaf springs are integrally formed as part of the spring bearing surface 39 of the foot support platform 32 and replace springs 44 r and 44 l . this embodiment is dependent on the body of the unitary platform being constructed of a resilient , elastic material . in some embodiments , the platform can be attached to the rider &# 39 ; s shoe such as with a flexible or semi - rigid strap 68 fastened to the body 32 somewhere between the front and rear wheels . such a strap , lace or other attachment may be quickly fastened to itself with , for example , velcro ® on top of the rider &# 39 ; s shoe , or otherwise . in some embodiments , a velcro ® patch or other releasable engagement means could be added to the sole of the rider &# 39 ; s shoe to engage with its counterpart attached to the platform of the conveyance . in some embodiments , a special set of shoes with slots molded in their soles to engage a tab to be molded in the upper surface of the conveyance , or to provide engagement for a binding system such as is used for bicycles , skis , snowboards , etc . can be used . in some embodiments , various other attachment systems or devices can be used , such as those used for attaching a roller skate , ski , snowboard , water ski , or other conveyance to a shoe , boot , or foot may also be employed . a deadman &# 39 ; s brake assembly is depicted in fig6 , where the rear fender 48 has been cut - away for clarity . the torsion spring 60 causes the angled lever 58 to engage the rear wheel and slow or stop the conveyance when the rider falls or steps off . the point of contact of the angled lever with the wheel is designated the “ friction pad .” when the rider is riding the conveyance , his or her heel can engage the front part of the angled lever 58 forcing it into a depression 61 formed in the platform 32 and disengaging it from the rear wheel 46 , allowing the conveyance to roll unimpeded . the angled lever 58 can be supported by an axle 62 . the torsion spring 60 could be replaced with a compression spring ( coil , rubber , etc .) located , for example , between the horizontal portion of the angled lever 58 and the floor of the depression 61 in the platform body 32 . in fig8 , an embodiment of a deadman &# 39 ; s brake assembly in which the angled lever is replaced by a tab that is formed as an integral part of the platform 32 is depicted . this embodiment has the body of the foot support platform 32 being constructed of a resilient , elastic material that can deform elastically when the user &# 39 ; s foot depresses the tab . in another embodiment , a material such as polypropylene , into which a living hinge can be molded could be used , with an optional secondary spring to provide at least a portion of the force that the deadman &# 39 ; s brake applies to the wheel . the axle 36 , can be prevented from sliding side to side relative to the longitudinal axis 82 of the platform 32 . this may be accomplished in various ways . in one embodiment , a cylindrical pin is welded to the axle or screwed into a cavity in the axle such that the central axis of the cylindrical pin passes through a central area of the axle . said pin protrudes from the axle , and fits in a hole formed in a corresponding portion of the inclined axle bearing surface 38 . in some embodiments , the pin can function as a pivot member 40 . in another embodiment , the axle can be positioned by two disks 64 l and 64 r fastened at a fixed axial position to the axle 36 between the wheels 34 l arid 34 r and the outermost edges of the inclined axle bearing surface 38 of the platform 32 , as depicted in fig7 . when the rider is riding the conveyance and exerting a downward force on the platform , the axle can be held in its vertical location relative to the foot support platform 32 and the axle bearing surface 38 by the balance of forces ; since the ground exerts an upward force on the axle through the wheels . in some embodiments it can also desirable to provide a means of retaining the axle in position relative to the inclined axle bearing surface 38 if the rider picks the conveyance off the ground . for example , in fig3 , a rod 45 has been inserted in a hole drilled in the pivot member 40 . this rod 45 wraps underneath the axle 36 , and can , for example , hold the axle securely against the inclined axle bearing surface 38 or otherwise prevent the axle from falling off . in another example , as shown in fig1 , a pin 94 passes through the axle 36 and a slot or hole 91 in the axle bearing surface 38 . preferably , the slot will allow sufficient travel for the axle to move and turn in response to the efforts made by a rider to turn . a retention means could also be built into the compression springs 44 r and 44 l by having a protuberance in the springs hook around the underside of the axle . alternatively , a band of the material of which the unitary platform 32 is constructed ( not depicted ) passing underneath the axle may be molded as an integral part of the unitary platform . it should be noted that the various retention devices shown can be used with the various pivot members and axle bearing surfaces described herein . in some embodiments , the axle 36 can be a solid or unitary cylinder . in some embodiments , the axle 36 can be non - solid , multi - piece , or a shape other than a cylinder . the axle can have any other cross - sectional shape , including square , rectangular , variable , etc ., and the axle can be hollow , multi - part , a single piece , etc . in some embodiments , the axle can have one or more holes , cavities , indentations , extensions , protrusions or other shape features , such as for receiving a spring , a pin , an axle retention device , etc . or for other purpose , such as to contact a bearing surface or a pivot member . in some embodiments , a second material , such as a polymer or aluminum composition can be molded over the axle to form an axle block 92 in the region between the wheels 34 r and 34 l . alternatively , the axle block may be a formed from a single material , with cylindrical axle segments formed from a second material or the same material protruding from either end . in either case , the axle block 92 could include a flat plane to sit flush on the inclined axle bearing surface 38 , or another shaped surface that can interface with a similar or matched surface of the axle bearing surface 38 , which in some embodiments can reduce wear on these surfaces . in some embodiments various features needed to retain the axle 36 and wheels laterally and vertically could be readily molded into the axle block . for example , a central locating pin transverse to the axle , or locating washers 64 l ( and 64 r , not depicted ) may be molded as part of the axle block . in some embodiments , the axle could be fitted with bearings or bushings near the wheels so that said bearings or bushings provide rolling contact with the inclined axle bearing surface 38 , in order to , for example , modify the steering response or reduce the wear and , friction associated with sliding of the axle 38 on the inclined axle bearing surface 38 . in some embodiments , sliding contact can be reduced or eliminated . bearings can be used to support the axle at a more central position , or only at a position just inside the wheels , or additional bearings or wider or multi - race bearings can be use to provide support along more of the axle &# 39 ; s width . in fig1 , an overmolded axle block 92 is depicted . in some embodiments , this can be a simple rectangular prism used in conjunction with the springs and / or pivots described previously , or may incorporate an extended pivot member section as illustrated , including optional curved and non - curved portions . in some embodiments , a narrow surface similar to a pivot member 40 can be incorporated into an axle block or a broad surface similar to an extended pivot member 80 or a curved extended pivot member 90 . the axle block 92 can be integral to the axle , or assembled to the axle . in some embodiments , a substantial portion of a conveyance can be molded out of a plastic material or a thermoplastic fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite as a single piece or as a small number of pieces for assembly , such as , the foot support platform 32 , the rear fender 48 , the inclined axle bearing surface 38 , the pivot member 4 g , any special means for retaining the compression springs 44 l and 44 r , the deadman &# 39 ; s brake 60 , and other features could all be molded in a single injection molding operation . in some embodiments , all or a portion of the parts can be produced separately . in some embodiments , some of these parts can be left out , for example the rear fender 48 , the deadman &# 39 ; s brake 60 , or other features or combinations of features as desired . such molding can result in reduces cost and / or reduced weight of the conveyance . in some embodiments , features can be designed to simultaneously increase the stiffness and strength of the conveyance , while reducing the cost and amount of material , used . in fig5 , examples of molded - in cavities 54 are depicted . variations of the design of molded - in cavities are possible , such as are used in the production of various items including those found in the lower leg assembly of a pedestal office chair , where said assembly was molded from a thermoplastic . in some embodiments , an extended flanges 56 on the central portion of the platform 32 in fig5 can be incorporated , for example , to increase the bending stiffness of the foot support platform 32 about an - axis parallel to the rear axle . in some embodiments , portions of the device can be made from wood , metal , or some other appropriate material having appropriate characteristics of weight , stiffness and durability . in some embodiments , all or portions of the device can be machined , such as out of plastic , fiber reinforced plastic , metal , or wood . in some embodiments , parts can be cast or stamped out of metal . suitable metal for construction of the device include steels and alloys of steel , nickel and / or chromium containing materials , aluminum , titanium , copper , brass , bronze , etc . in some embodiments , a lighter material can be utilized for a portion of the device and a harder or more durable material for another portion . elastomers can be utilized for portions of the device as well . in some embodiments , a gravity or centrifugal force can be utilized to provide assistance in recovering the conveyance from a turn . a gravity or centrifugal force can be used in conjunction with springs , such as coil , leaf , elastomer , etc , or they can be used without springs . the recovery from turning can be induced without springs by , for example , ensuring that as the axle pivoted , the central portion of the foot support platform 32 was forced away from the axle ( see fig4 ). this case , the central portion of the foot support platform 32 would be forced to increase in altitude as the conveyance was tilted and the axle pivoted . ( in this document , altitude is defined as the distance from the road surface , or a plane having an analogous relationship to the wheels as a road surface , along an axis normal to the road surface or plane .) the central portion of the foot support platform 32 would normally be at a lower altitude from the road surface or analogous plane , and its altitude would increase if the axle pivoted in either direction . a similar position restoring force can be provided by the centrifugal force experienced while turning the conveyance . this linkage between the pivoting action , and an altitude increase of the foot support platform is referred herein as a “ gravity spring ”, regardless of how it is accomplished . a gravity spring provides a restorative force to return the axle to its normal position substantially perpendicular to the centerline of the skateboard , and the skateboard travels in a substantially straight line unless the rider applies a torque about the centerline by leaning . benefits with a gravity spring can include in some embodiments self - adjustment of a turn restorative force to the weight of a rider or load , reduced number of parts for construction of the conveyance , and elimination of parts subject to breakage or wear and requiring repair or replacement . first , the turn restorative force tending to return the front axle to its normal position relative to the long axis of the conveyance 82 with a gravity spring can be related to the weight of the user , potentially rendering one set of parts suitable for riders having a range of weights . second , the need for springs is eliminated , reducing the number of parts used in manufacturing and assembling the conveyance , and eliminating springs or bushings that can break or wear out . in one embodiment , a gravity spring is made by using an elongated pivot member 80 or 90 rather than a single pivot point , as depicted in fig1 , 12 , 14 , 16 , 17 , 18a and 18b . in this method , the inclined axle bearing surface 38 can be planar , as in previously described embodiments , or otherwise , and the pivot member 80 or 90 is shaped so that as a compressive force is applied between the axle bearing surface 38 and the axle 36 , such as when the rider leans or shifts his weight , the pivot point ( or point of contact between the axle 38 and the pivot member 80 or 90 ) shifts towards the wheel closest to the compressive force . this shift causes the axle to rotate in a plane parallel to the travel surface ( i . e . turn ). in some embodiments , the rotation of the axle can cause a turn in the direction of the lean or shift in weight as depicted in fig1 . since the pivot point is closer to the inside wheel ( for this discussion , a system of lean left / turn left is assumed , but in some other embodiments , as with other parts of this description , this assumption can be reversed , as understood by one having skill in the art ), as the axle 36 pivots , the rearward motion of the inside wheel is less than the forward motion of the outside wheel . since the axle 36 is in contact with the inclined axle bearing surface 38 , the inside wheel moves towards the top surface 51 of the foot support platform 32 by an amount less than the distance that the outside wheel moves away from the top surface 51 of the - foot support platform 32 . the net result is that the distance between the central portion of the axle 36 and the nearest point on the top surface of the foot support platform 51 is increased when the axle 36 pivots , elevating the foot support platform and the rider . the center of the axle in the gravity spring , shifts down the axle bearing plane , moving it farther away from the top surface of the board , increasing the altitude of the deck , and providing a restorative force . the rider or load is closest to the road when the front axle 36 is perpendicular to the long axis of the conveyance 82 , and at least a portion of his foot or the load is elevated whenever the conveyance tilts and the axle pivots in either direction . this contributes to the desired gravity spring effect that induces the conveyance to level out so that it travels in a substantially straight line unless the rider supplies a torque around the long axis 82 of the conveyance . the magnitude of the centering force imposed by the gravity spring can depend on the width and shape of the pivot member , the angle of the inclined axle bearing surface , as well as other factors . for simplicity , a simple rectangular extended pivot member 80 is shown in fig1 - 12 , but this block could be rounded off , as long as pivoting of the axle 36 away from its position perpendicular to the long axis of the conveyance 82 produces a shift in the central portion of the foot support platform 32 away from the axle 36 . a suitable curved extended pivot member is depicted in fig1 . additional embodiments of curved extended pivot members are provided in fig1 , 17 , 18a and 18b . in some embodiments , an extended pivot member 80 or 90 can be attached to the axle 36 instead of molding it as part of , or fixing it rigidly to , a stationary part such as a portion of the foot support platform 32 or the spring bearing surface 39 . in some such embodiments , the spring bearing surface 39 or other portion that the axle block 92 interfaces with could he planar , and an axle block could be overmolded on the axle as described previously . the extended pivot member could be molded into the central region of the axle block 92 , and bear against the spring bearing surface 39 . such an arrangement is depicted in fig1 . another embodiment of a gravity spring includes constructing the inclined axle bearing surface 38 to have a non - planar bearing surface as depicted in fig1 . in this embodiment , the inclined axle bearing surface is curved or segmented ( 88 a and 88 b ), and the slope ‘ of the rear part of the surface 88 b is less than the slope of the front part of the surface 88 a , where the slope is measured by the angle between the plane and the top surface 51 of the foot support platform 32 , however in some embodiments , the slopes of these two portions can be reversed , with the slope of the rear part of the surface 88 b being greater than the slope of the front part of the surface 88 a . in addition , other embodiments can have a greater number of differently sloped surfaces on the inclined axle bearing surface 38 , or a curved surface or a variably curved surface where the radius of curvature changes along the surface . as the axle is induced to pivot by tilting the platform about its long axis 82 , the inside wheel moves closer to the top surface 51 of the foot support platform 32 along the lesser slope of the rear part of the inclined axle bearing surface 88 b . ( here the terms “ inside ” and “ outside ” refer to the conventional definitions of the inside and outside of the turn .) meanwhile the outside wheel moves farther from the top - surface 51 of the foot - support platform 32 along the greater slope of the forward part of the inclined axle bearing surface 88 a . because of this , the outside wheel moves away from the top surface 51 by more than the inside wheel moves towards said top surface 51 , and the altitude of the center of the top surface 51 of the foot support platform increases . the inclined axle bearing surface can frequently be shaped so that the altitude of the center of the top surface of the foot support platform is lowest when the axle 36 is perpendicular to the long axis of the conveyance 82 or the altitude of the center of mass of the foot support platform 32 is lowest when the axle 36 is in its normal position , not influenced by an induced tilt of the foot support platform 32 . this creates a gravity - spring that causes the conveyance - to travel in a substantially straight line ( or the conveyance &# 39 ; s normal direction of travel ) if it is not deliberately tilted around its long axis 82 through the application of torque by the rider . in some embodiments , the inclined axle bearing surface 88 can have a complex curvature designed to facilitate keeping most of the axle in contact with the inclined axle bearing surface 88 , regardless of the degree of pivot , which can have a larger slope towards the front of the conveyance , and a lesser slope towards the rear with a gravity spring unit mounted in the front portion of the conveyance and a larger slope towards the rear of the conveyance and a lesser slope towards the front with a gravity spring unit mounted in the rear portion of the conveyance . in some embodiments , a gravity - spring unit can be combined with a set of compression springs 44 r and 44 to create a combined force to restore the conveyance to substantially straight fine motion ( or other normal travel direction as designed into the unit ). the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented to illustrate the principles of the invention and not to limit the invention to the particular embodiment illustrated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by all of the embodiments encompassed within the following claims and their equivalents . all references cited herein , including but not limited to published and unpublished applications , patents , and literature references , and also including but not limited to the references listed in the appendix , are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and are hereby made a part of this specification . to the extent publications and patents or patent applications incorporated by reference contradict the disclosure contained in the specification , the specification is intended to supersede and / or take precedence over any such contradictory material . the term “ comprising ” as used herein is synonymous with “ including ,” “ containing ,” or “ characterized by ,” and is inclusive or open - ended and does not exclude additional , unrecited elements or method steps . all numbers expressing quantities of ingredients , reaction conditions , and so forth used in the specification are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “ about .” accordingly , unless indicated to the contrary , the numerical parameters set forth herein are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained . at the very least , and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of any claims in any application claiming priority to the present application , each numerical parameter should be construed in light of the number of significant digits and ordinary rounding approaches . the above description discloses several methods and materials of the present invention . this invention is susceptible to modifications in the methods and materials , as well as alterations in the fabrication methods and equipment . such modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of this disclosure or practice of the invention disclosed herein . consequently , it is not intended that this invention be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein , but that it cover all modifications and alternatives coming within the true scope and spirit of the invention . | 0 |
for the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention , references will be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings . it will , nevertheless , be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended , such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device , and such further applications of the principles of the invention illustrated herein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates . a preferred embodiment of the dual flap scrapbook insert leaf 10 is shown in fig1 . the insert leaf 10 is adapted to be connected to a multi - ring album ( not shown ) and is adapted to retain photographs and other items that one would like to display . also , in the preferred embodiment the insert leaf 10 is made of polypropylene sheet material . the benefits of polypropylene include , but are not limited to , better archivability of a display item . additionally , a preferred embodiment of the insert leaf 10 uses a clear polypropylene . the clear polypropylene aids in the viewing of the display item . other material can be used provided it has the properties of being a foldable clear or matte material such that an object can be easily viewed from within the display device . the material is preferably capable of being thermally bonded . additionally , the material may be smooth or textured , as certain adhesives may perform better on textured surfaces . the insert leaf 10 is comprised of a central pocket 12 , a left flap pocket 14 and a right flap pocket 16 as shown in fig3 . the description of the insert leaf using positional language is for illustrative purposes only and is written to correspond to the orientation of the drawings , which are in a landscape position , adapted to be attached to an album along the left edge of the insert leaf 10 . using an album with an attachment mechanism along the top edge would require the insert leaf to be reoriented in a portrait position . the insert leaf 10 includes a bottom sheet 18 , a top left lower sheet 20 , a top left upper sheet 21 , a central sheet 22 and a right sheet 24 . the right sheet 24 may be formed from a portion of the central sheet 22 with a section between the sheets . the sheets 18 , 20 , 21 , 22 and 24 are preferably fabricated from polypropylene but other materials can be used that are known to those skilled in the art . the top left upper sheet 21 includes left and right edges 26 , 28 and top and bottom edges 30 , 32 . the top left lower sheet 20 includes left and right edges 27 , 29 and top and bottom edges 31 , 33 . the forming of and bonding of the top left lower sheet 20 to the top left upper sheet 21 is accomplished by attaching the top left upper sheet 21 to the top left lower sheet 20 about the right and bottom edges 28 , 27 , 32 and 33 . the top left upper sheet 21 and top left lower sheet 20 are attached to the central sheet 22 in the reinforcement region 68 along the left edge 26 of the top left upper sheet 21 and the right edge 29 of the top left lower sheet 20 utilizing various means including heat sealing , ultrasonic welding , stitch welding , or gluing to create the left flap pocket 14 . as described above , thermal heat sealing or welding is preferred . the top edges 30 , 31 of the left flap pocket 14 are not bonded and provides for a slot 34 for the left flap pocket 14 . the central sheet 22 of the insert leaf 10 is formed and arranged to fit within a multi - ring , post , or strap - hinge photo or scrapbook album which is preferably 12 ″× 12 ″, 8 . 5 ″× 11 ″, 6 ″× 6 ″, 8 ″× 8 ″. other sizes may be used , depending upon the design and sizing of the photo or scrap booking albums . the central sheet 22 includes a left edge 36 , a spaced apart right edge 38 , a bottom edge 40 and a spaced apart top edge 42 . the forming and bonding of the central sheet 22 to the bottom sheet 18 is accomplished by attaching the central sheet 22 about the left , right and bottom edges , 36 , 38 and 40 by thermal heat sealing or welding . a secondary weld , as shown in fig1 , forms the left edge 43 of the central pocket 12 . the top edge 42 of the central sheet 22 is not bonded and provides for a central slot 44 for the central pocket 12 to allow for the ingress and egress of photographs and other articles . alternatively , the forming and bonding of the central sheet 22 to the bottom sheet 18 could be accomplished by attaching the central sheet 22 about the top , left and bottom edges , 42 , 36 and 40 by thermal heat sealing or welding . in this alternative , the right edge 38 of the central sheet 22 is not bonded and provides for a slot to allow for the ingress and egress of photographs and other articles . the left edge 36 of the central sheet 22 is spaced apart from the right edge 29 of the left lower sheet 20 , when in an open position , to allow clearance for folding . the right sheet 24 of the insert leaf 10 is approximately half the width of the central sheet 22 and is adapted to be folded over and positioned adjacent to the central sheet 22 . the right sheet 24 includes a left edge 46 , a spaced apart right edge 48 , a bottom edge 50 and a spaced apart top edge 52 . the forming and bonding of the right sheet 24 to the bottom sheet 18 is accomplished by attaching the right sheet 24 about the left , right and bottom edges , 46 , 48 and 50 by thermal heat sealing or welding . the right sheet 24 may be formed from a portion of the central sheet 22 with a section between the sheets stripped out to form individual pockets . the top edge 52 of the right sheet 24 is not bonded and provides for a slot 54 for the right flap pocket 16 to allow for the ingress and egress of photographs and other articles . alternatively the right flap pocket 16 could be formed by leaving the left edge 46 unbonded and bonding the top , right and bottom edges 52 , 48 and 50 to form a pocket . the left edge 46 of the right sheet 24 is spaced apart from the right edge 38 of the central sheet 22 to allow clearance for folding . the bottom sheet 18 of the insert leaf 10 includes a left edge 56 , a spaced apart right edge 58 , a top edge 60 and a spaced apart bottom edge 62 as shown in fig3 . the four edges of the bottom sheet 18 define the outer perimeter when the right flap pocket 16 is unfolded . when folded , the left edge 46 of the right sheet 24 and the right edge 38 of the central sheet 22 define the right perimeter edge of the insert leaf 10 . the left edge 56 of the bottom sheet 18 is sealed to the left edge 36 of the central sheet 22 . this arrangement creates a reinforced region 68 to reduce the likelihood of tear - out of the photo album and to allow pages to lay flat when turned in the album . the reinforced region 68 includes a circular aperture 64 positioned equidistant from the top edge 60 and the bottom edge 62 of the bottom sheet 18 and is adapted to accept a ring from the photo album . the reinforced region 68 also includes a pair of elongated apertures 70 , 72 that are spaced apart from the circular aperture 64 . the elongated apertures 70 , 72 include reinforcing rings 74 , 76 that strengthen elongated apertures 70 , 72 to prevent pull - through . in use , the insert leaf 10 is attached to a photo album by connecting the apertures 64 , 70 and 72 to the binder rings , posts or straps . once connected to the photo album , the left flap pocket 14 and right flap pocket 16 of the insert leaf 10 are hinged outward , exposing the central pocket 12 . once the user has created the photo scrapbook arrangements of choice , a first arrangement formed and arranged to fit within the slot 34 is inserted into the left flap pocket 14 , a second arrangement formed and arranged to fit within the slot 44 is inserted into the central pocket 12 and a third arrangement formed and arranged to fit within the slot 54 is inserted into the right flap 16 , creating an overall arrangement . various features of the invention have been particularly shown and described in connection with the illustrated embodiment of the invention , however , it must be understood that these particular arrangements merely illustrate , and that the invention is to be given its fullest interpretation within the terms of the appended claims . | 1 |
in the following description of the exemplary embodiment , reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration the specific embodiment in which the invention may be practiced . it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized as structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . the present invention provides an enhanced handoff signaling scheme that has the flexibility to allow handoff between systems with dissimilar air interface attributes , as long as service requirements and compatibilities with the mobile terminal are satisfied . the enhanced handoff signaling provides an explicit separation of service attributes and air interface attributes . such a separation makes handoff more flexible by allowing handoff to a target system which has air interface attributes different from the ones of the source system . the only requirement is that the air interface attributes in the target system satisfy the service attributes , and are compatible with the capabilities of the mobile terminal . in addition , if some facilities of the source system remain involved in the call after handoff , the air interface attributes have to be compatible with these facilities as well . an example of such a facility is the interworking function ( iwf ). a signaling process is required to determine the appropriate air interface attributes at the target system , based on service attributes , facilities involved at the source system , and mobile terminal &# 39 ; s capabilities . in current systems , a handoff between dissimilar systems is not possible , and the call is dropped . in what follows , such a signaling process will be referred to as service negotiation . fig1 illustrates a cellular mobile radio telephone system 100 that requires handoffs when the quality of a radio link between a mobile unit and its base station degrades . for purposes of description , the system depicted herein includes ten cells . those skilled in the art will recognize that a cellular mobile radio telephone system may include many more cells , and thus the system depicted herein may be seen as merely an isolated portion of a larger system . in fig1 for each cell c 1 110 to c 10 128 , there is a base station b 1 130 to b 10 148 . base stations 130 - 148 are situated in the vicinity of the respective cell centers . ten mobile stations m 1 150 to m 10 168 are movable within the cells 110 - 128 . those skilled in the art will recognize that the number of mobile stations 150 - 168 is presented for illustrations only . fig1 also illustrates mobile switching centers msc 170 , 198 . the mobile switching center 170 is shown connected to nine illustrated base stations 130 - 146 . msc 198 is connected to base station 148 . those skilled in the art will recognize that the mobile switching centers 170 , 198 may be connected to the ten base stations 130 - 148 by wires or other means , e . g ., fixed radio links . when the quality of a radio link between mobile station ml 150 and base station b 8 144 degrades , a new access point or base station with acceptable quality must be found , i . e ., a handoff must be executed . in fig1 the hand - off requires the establishment of anew route , e . g . from m 1 150 to b 4 136 rather than form m 1 150 to b 8 148 . after the handoff , the information is transported to ( or from ) the mobile station m 1 150 from ( or to ) the new access point , b 4 136 . when a handoff is to be executed , network call processing functions need to be invoked in order to set up such a route and ensure that the newly established route maintains acceptable quality - of - service ( qos ) to both the mobile station m 1 150 and to pre - existing calls sharing links of the new route . furthermore , to execute hand - off , the two mobile switching centers involved 170 , 198 must first ensure that the new wireless connection does not overload the new base station b 4 136 before the a radio link between the mobile station m 1 150 and the new base station b 4 136 is created . as one can see , a substantial number of call processing and control functions of the fixed and wireless network must be invoked to complete a hand - off event . however , a handoff may be required between systems with dissimilar air interface attributes . with the present invention , such a handoff is possible , as long as service requirements and compatibilities with the mobile station are satisfied . nevertheless , the handoff should minimize negotiation times . finally , the negotiation should minimize the signaling load on the wireless spectrum by using wireline links . the present invention defines a service negotiation process that is fast and therefore has very little effect on service disruption duration . further , the method according to the present invention is applicable in general to any standard . nevertheless , by way of example , the present invention will be described with regard to a system based on the is - 41 signaling protocol . is - 41 is a standardized mechanism for mobility management , which includes location and tracking within a cellular telephone network . is - 41 defines a hierarchical database structure , consisting of a home location register ( hlr ) and a visitor location register ( vlr ). the interaction of mobile switches with the vlr and hlr is defined in is - 41 . fig2 illustrates the architecture 200 for is - 41 . mobile terminal 240 , alternatively referred to as cellular subscriber stations or mobile stations , communicate via a channel established through a base station 250 . the is - 41 standard is built on top of what is called signaling system # 7 . the mobile switching centers ( msc ) 210 , 212 are the central authority and do most processing . in particular it is responsible for the following : a location database is divided hierarchically into a home location register ( hlr ) 220 and a visitor location register ( vlr ) 230 , 232 . the is - 41 standard allows a single vlr to support multiple mscs , so that when a terminal 240 moves it often has to notify only the vlr of the changed msc . however , in many practical implementations , there is a one - to - one mapping between a msc 210 , 212 and the vlr 230 , 232 , so that every inter - msc location update message must propagate back to the hlr 220 . by reference to fig2 the enhanced handoff signaling method according to the present invention may be illustrated . for broadest generality , the case of an inter - msc handoff is considered . that is , the source and target base stations , bs - 2 250 and bs - 3 252 in the example , subtend different mscs , i . e ., msc - 1 210 and msc - 2 212 respectively in the example . in fig2 the source system corresponds to the bs - 2 250 / msc - 1 210 combination , and the target system corresponds to the bs - 3 252 / msc - 2 212 combination . those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is equally applicable to the case of handoffs between two base stations subtending a common msc ( intra - msc handoff ). in this case , the source system conceptually corresponds to the source base station 250 / common msc 210 and the target system corresponds to the target base station 254 / common msc 210 . signaling between the source system and the target system becomes internal to the common msc 210 . however , the description below assumes that the source and target base stations subtend different mscs the service negotiation process for the enhanced handoff signaling is based on two key ideas . the first key idea is to use a source system , i . e ., bs - 2 250 / msc - 1 210 combination , herein referred to as the source system 250 / 210 , for a mobile terminal 240 as a proxy to negotiate with the target system , i . e ., bs - 3 252 / msc - 2 212 combination , herein referred to as target system 250 / 212 , on behalf of the mobile terminal 240 . as a result , all of the negotiation signaling takes place on wireline links 270 rather than radio links 280 . the benefits are the higher speed of the wireline links 270 , and a reduced signaling load on the spectrum . the second key idea is to send all the needed information ( asc and ms capabilities ) to the target system 252 / 212 by the source system 250 / 210 in one shot . consequently , no further signaling exchange is required , except for the target system 252 / 212 to inform the source system 250 / 210 of the new air interface attributes . the new attributes are conveyed to the mobile terminal 240 along with the order to execute handoff . the mobile terminal 240 executes handoff and immediately tunes in to the new attributes . when mobile station capabilities have passed from the source system 250 / 210 to the target system 252 / 212 , the information can be used for a subsequent handoff after the handoff is executed . the present invention is applicable to the is - 41 signaling protocol , with the appropriate extensions to support high speed data . the extended messages are denoted is - 41 - hs . fig3 is a flow chart 300 of the enhanced handoff procedure . according to fig3 the source system initiates a handoff by sending an message with the service attributes , e . g ., a facilities directive invoke or other signaling message according to is - 41 - hs , to the target system , along with the ms ( mobile station , mobile terminal or cellular subscriber station ) capabilities 310 . the source system 250 / 210 can determine the ms capabilities in one of two ways . the first way is used when the existing call has already had a handoff from another system , e . g . bs - 0 256 / msc - 0 214 , to the current source system 250 / 210 . in that case , the capabilities of the ms 240 were sent with a facilities directive invoke from bs - 0 256 / msc - 0 214 , which acted as an initial source system , as part of the previous handoff process . the second way is used when the call has never had a handoff . in that case , the source system 250 / 210 determines the capabilities of the ms 240 from the service subscription profile downloaded from the hlr 220 . if the capabilities of the ms 240 cannot be determined from the service subscription profile , e . g ., because the subscriber has a subscriber identity module ( sim ) which allows it to use different mobile terminals with different capabilities , the source system 250 / 210 can obtain the information directly from the ms 240 , e . g ., at call setup time . the information can be sent by the ms 240 spontaneously , or upon query from the source system . the source system can also provide additional information , e . g ., air interface attributes that , if granted by the target system , would result in longer service disruptions . to illustrates the idea of service disruption , an example of radio link protocol ( rlp ) and interworking function ( iwf ) will be described . there may be facilities at the source system , like an iwf , which remain involved in the call after the handoff . the iwf may house an instance of radio link protocol ( rlp ) that keeps running after handoff is executed . if the target system chooses air interface attributes that are not compatible with the rlp currently in use ( i . e ., require to close the current rlp and restart a new one of a different type ), data loss may occur . to minimize this problem , the source system can also indicate to the target system which air interface attributes , if any , would result in longer service disruption 310 . the target system can choose on a preferential basis the air interface attributes that will not require an rlp restart . the target system then determines if it can grant air interface attributes that satisfy the service attributes , and which are compatible with the ms capabilities 330 . if the target system determines that such a grant is possible , the target system returns the granted air interface attributes in a positive response to is - 41 - hs facdir2 , or some variant 340 . the target system may be sent a single signal identifying capabilities of the mobile station . if not , the target system indicates rejection in a negative response 350 . after the target system returns the granted air interface attributes , the source system sends an is - 95 - hs extended handoff direction message which conveys the granted air interface attributes to the ms 360 . the ms then executes the handoff and moves to the channels on the target system , in accordance with the granted air interface attributes 370 . the length of the is - 95 - hs extended handoff direction message may be minimized by sending a boolean flag , rather than the granted air interface attributes , if the granted air interface attributes do not differ from the ones of the source system . the invention will be more specifically described with reference to fig4 - 8 . the following are simplified examples of service attributes , air interface attributes , ms capabilities . fig4 illustrates a table 400 containing the service attributes for real - time video 402 concurrently with web browsing 404 . the differing service requirements of real - time video and web browsing are translated into tow distinct service connections . in fig4 the table includes a field column 410 and a value column 412 . the fields 410 for the service attributes are the type of duplex symmetry 420 , user bit rates on forward and reverse links 430 , tolerable bit error rate 440 and delay 450 . the value column 412 indicates that for video 402 , the type of duplex symmetry is symmetric 422 ( bit rates are the same in both directions ), the acceptable bit rate values are 64 kb / sec or 128 kb / sec , with preference for 128 kb / sec 432 , the tolerable bit error rate is 1 × 10 − 3 442 , and the maximum bulk delay is 200 ms 452 . for web browsing 404 , the value column 412 indicates that the type of duplex symmetry is asymmetric 462 ( bit rates are not the same in both directions ), bit rate range on the forward link is 38 . 4 to 500 kb / sec , with preference for higher values in the range 472 , bit rate range on the reverse link is 9 . 6 to 28 . 8 kb / sec , with no preference 482 , the tolerable bit error rate is 1 × 10 − 6 492 , and the delay is unconstrained 496 . fig5 illustrates the ms capabilities 500 . again , the table includes a field column 510 and a value column 512 . in fig5 the maximum number of service connections 520 is shown to be 4 522 , the maximum number of traffic channels overall 530 is 16 532 , the maximum number of traffic channels per service connection ( in each direction ) 540 is 16 542 , the attributes for a type 1 traffic channel 550 includes a transmission rate of 9 . 6 kb / sec that can work in either packet or circuit mode 552 , and the attributes for a type 2 traffic channel 560 includes a transmission rate of 14 . 4 kb / sec that can work in either packet or circuit mode 562 . fig6 illustrates the air interface attributes 600 on the source system before handoff . the table in fig6 includes a field column 622 and a value column 624 . once a handoff occurs , the source system sends an is - 41 - hs facdir2 ( or some variant ) to the target system , along with the service attributes and the ms capabilities . fig6 illustrates the attributes for real - time video 602 concurrently with web browsing 604 on the source system . for video 602 , the number of traffic channels in each direction 620 is five channels of type 2 622 . the mode for a traffic channel 630 is circuit mode 632 . for web browsing 604 , the number of traffic channels on the forward link 640 is three channels of type 2 642 , the number of traffic channels on the reverse link 650 is one channel of type 2 , and the mode for a traffic channel 660 is packet 662 . mac priority class is used to prioritize user access to the shared channels in packet mode . note that due to some reason , e . g ., lack of resources , the source system may not grant the preferred service attributes , e . g ., if only 64 kb / sec is allocated to the video service connection . fig7 illustrates the capabilities 700 of the target system . the table in fig7 includes a field column 722 and a value column 724 . the target system determines the air interface attributes that satisfy the service attributes and which are compatible with the ms capabilities . the current rate is determined according to the available traffic channels . the source system has indicated to the target system that the ms capabilities include both type 1 730 and type 2 740 traffic channels , but type 2 is currently being used . so the target system will attempt to grant type 2 channels , to minimize service disruption caused by switching from one type to another . the target system has enough resources available to grant type 2 channels 750 . furthermore , the target system can grant the preferred higher bit rate , i . e ., 128 kb / sec , to the video service connection , rather than 64 kb / sec . a higher rate is also allocated to the forward link of the web browsing service connection . however , the user is downgraded from medium priority to low priority class 760 . fig8 illustrates the air interface attributes granted by the target system . the table in fig8 includes a field column 822 and a value column 824 . in fig8 the attributes granted by the target system for real - time video 802 concurrently with web browsing 804 are shown . for video 802 , the number of traffic channels in each direction 820 is nine channels of type 2 822 . the mode for a traffic channel 830 is circuit mode 832 . for web browsing 804 , the number of traffic channels on the forward link 840 is four channels of type 2 842 , the number of traffic channels on the reverse link 850 is one channel of type 2 , and the mode for a traffic channel 860 is packet 862 . as a result of the enhanced handoff scheme , the call is not dropped even when the target system has capabilities different from the source system , and a higher bandwidth is allocated to the user . although not shown in the examples , the asc , hsdsc and ms capabilities can be coded in the form of option values . an option value is a value for which the target and source system have a common understanding . for example , if asc is coded with an option value , instead of having to send a long list of service attributes , the source system can send only a single value that is translated by the target system into specific service attributes , according to a previously agreed upon understanding with the source system . if the service attributes specify multiple service connections , multiple service options are required , one for each service connection . options values are most appropriate for commonly used asc , hsdsc and ms capabilities . the present invention extends the concept of service option in telecommunication systems bulletin 58 to three distinct concepts : air interface attributes , service attributes and ms capabilities , to which the idea of option value can be applied . in summary , the present invention provides an enhanced handoff signaling scheme that has the flexibility to allow handoff between systems with dissimilar air interface attributes , as long as service requirements and compatibilities with the mobile terminal are satisfied . the time to perform the required service negotiation is kept short by using the source system as a proxy to negotiate with the target system on behalf of the mobile terminal . most of the signaling takes place on wireline links rather than radio links . the benefits are the higher speed of the wireline links , and a reduced signaling load on the spectrum sending all the needed information to the target system in one shot . consequently , no further signaling exchange is required , except for the target system to inform the source system of the new air interface attributes . the mobile terminal can then execute the handoff and immediately tune in to the new air interface attributes . the present invention provides increased flexibility through service negotiation , yet little service disruption caused by service negotiation . flexibility is increased because handoff between systems with dissimilar capabilities ( e . g ., with different rate sets and / or multiplex options ) is now made possible , as long as the capabilities on the target system meet the service requirements and are compatible with the mobile terminal &# 39 ; s capabilities . service negotiation time is kept short because only one round of signaling messages is exchanged , and the negotiation messages are transported over the high speed wireline signaling channels ; another advantage is that no additional signaling load is put on the spectrum . another benefit of flexibility is the target system can allocate new air interface attributes resulting in a quality of service , e . g ., error rate , delay , etc ., which better meet the service attributes than before the handoff in the source system . the foregoing description of the exemplary embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not with this detailed description , but rather by the claims appended hereto . | 7 |
turning now to the drawings , fig2 is a block diagram illustrating selected features of a data processing network 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention . in the depicted embodiment , a server network 206 includes one or more server devices 210 and a nas device 212 connected via a local area network ( lan ) represented by reference numeral 211 . lan 211 may be implemented with a shared medium such as in an ethernet or token ring network , or as a switched ( point - to - point ) network in which the server ( s ) 210 and nas device ( s ) are connected to a switch capable of providing a dedicated path between pairs of devices on the network . in either embodiment , the selected implementation of lan 211 includes multicasting capability in which packets are transmitted to multiple recipients . shared medium implementations of lan 211 such as ethernet and token ring lans provide multicast capability inherently . in a switched network , the network switch can be configured to forward a packet from its sender to multiple recipients on the network . the multicasting of network packets occurs at a low level of the network protocol . in an implementation where lan 211 is a tcp / ip compliant ethernet network , for example , the multicasting of packets may occur at the media access control ( mac ) level . more generally , the multicasting is accomplished at the data link layer ( layer 2 ) in the 7 - layer network reference model circulated by the open systems interconnect ( osi ) working group of the international standards organization ( iso ). it will be appreciated by those knowledgeable in the field of networked computing that message delivery reliability is not typically addressed at this level . an invention that employs low level multicasting must insure , therefore , that the network is sufficiently robust to continue operating in the event that a multicast message does not ultimately reach one or more of its intended targets . network 200 further includes at least one client 202 connected to a server 210 in server network 206 . client 202 typically includes a client application program such as a web browser executing on a client device such as a desktop or laptop personal computer , a network ( diskless ) computer or workstation , an internet enabled personal data administrator ( pda ) or telephone , or any other suitable network enabled device . regardless of its specific implementation , client 202 is configured to generate , format , and send information requests to server network 206 . in one configuration , client 202 is connected to server network 206 via a wide area network ( wan ) 201 . wan 201 is typically comprised of multiple switches , routers , gateways , and the like and may include one or more sub - networks similar to server network 206 . in an embodiment where wan 201 represents the internet , devices on network 201 and the network packets that they transmit are compliant with the transmission communication protocol / internet protocol ( tcp / ip ) suite of protocols described in detail in ietf rfc &# 39 ; s 791 and 793 . in another embodiment , client 202 may reside on the lan 211 of which the server 210 and nas device 211 are a part . lan 211 is typically a tcp / ip network itself . the use of a common reference numeral to refer to the client connected via the wan and the client connected directly to the server network is intended to convey that , except for their locations , the two clients 202 may be substantially the same in form and function . in the depicted embodiment , a gateway 208 connects server network 206 to wan 201 . as indicated previously , server network 206 employs networked storage in the form of one or more nas devices 212 . each nas device 212 is connected to lan 211 in the same manner as the server device ( s ) 210 . in an ethernet embodiment of lan 211 , each server network device includes a suitable ethernet network interface ( not explicitly depicted ), each with its own mac address . portions of the present invention may be implemented as a set of computer executable instructions ( software ) stored on or contained in a computer readable medium . the computer readable medium may comprise a volatile medium such as the system memory ( dram ) or cache memory ( sram ) of server 210 or nas device 212 or a non - volatile medium such as a floppy diskette , hard disk , flash memory card , rom , cd rom , dvd , magnetic tape , or another suitable medium . referring to fig3 , a flow diagram illustrating a method 300 of handling client requests in a data processing network , such as the data processing network depicted in fig2 , according to one embodiment of the invention is presented . initially a client request for information such as a file is received ( block 302 ) by a network server 210 on server network 206 . the client request may be received from a client 202 connected to server network 206 through an intervening wan 201 such as the internet and a gateway 208 that connects server network 206 . alternatively , the client request may originate with a client 202 connected to lan 211 . the client request typically opens a client - server connection according to the protocol employed by network 200 . in a tcp / ip compliant network , the client request opens a tcp connection with server 210 . the client request may specifically target server 210 or the request may be routed to a particular server 210 by a switch or other arbitrating device in a network cluster configuration . upon receiving the request for information , server 210 identifies the information requested and determines ( block 304 ) whether a current copy of the requested information is in the server &# 39 ; s cache ( non - volatile memory ). if the requested data is current in the server &# 39 ; s cache , server 210 satisfies ( block 306 ) the request in the conventional manner from the data in its cache . if server 210 determines that the data is not in its cache ( and is not in any non - volatile or disk storage that server 210 may have ), it sends a request , referred to herein as a storage request or nas request , in block 308 to retrieve the data from the nas device 212 where the data requested by client is located . the nas request is a network compliant request . server 210 includes the ip address of client 202 in the nas request and information about the network connection ( the tcp connection ) between client 202 and server 210 . this information in the nas request will enable nas device 212 to send the requested data to client 202 . upon receiving the request for information from server 210 , nas device 212 retrieves ( block 310 ) the requested information from its disk storage . in addition , nas device 212 uses the protocol information provided in the request from server 210 to replicate ( block 312 ) the protocol stack that corresponds to the connection between client 202 and server 210 . using the retrieved data and the replicated protocol stack , nas device 212 may then generate ( block 314 ) a set of one or more network compliant packets that are responsive to the initial client request . the packets generated by nas device 212 include the ip address of client 202 as the target address and the ip address of server 210 as the source address . the protocol stack of the nas generated packets would further include the client - server tcp connection information such that client 202 would receive the packets unaware of the existence of nas device 212 . in addition , nas device 212 would include a multicast address at a low level of the protocol stack , such as the data link layer . the multicast address used would be one of a set of multicast addresses defined statically as part of the configuration of server network 206 . this low level data link layer would cause the packets generated by nas device 212 to be forwarded ( block 316 ) to multiple destinations , also referred as multicasting . in an embodiment where client 202 is directly connected to lan 211 , the multicast address would cause the generated packets to be sent to the client 202 and to the server 210 . in an embodiment where client 202 is connected through an intervening wan 201 and gateway 208 , this multicasting would cause the generated packets to be forwarded to gateway 208 and server 210 . the gateway 208 would forward these packets to client 202 in the conventional manner . because the data link layer in a network protocol does not address delivery reliability , there is no guarantee that the multicast recipients receive the generated packets . in contrast , the use of the client &# 39 ; s ip address as the destination address and the client - server tcp connection protocol stack information in the generated packets does provide for the reliable transfer of the packets to client 202 . thus , the network devices will not be informed if server 210 fails to receive the generated packets from nas device 212 using the multicast address . if the server 210 does receive the packets transmitted by nas device 212 , the server updates its cache to include the information requested by client 202 . in one embodiment , the protocol stack of server 210 modifies the destination address and port of these packets before delivering them to ip layer processing to ensure that the packets are accepted and delivered to the cache management component of server 210 . if the packets do not arrive successfully , the network 200 remains fully functional , but the process of retrieving data from nas device 212 will have to be repeated on a subsequent client request for the same information . if client 202 does not receive the generated packets from nas device 212 , client 202 will eventually request a retransmission of the data from the server . this retransmission request will be handled by server 210 and nas device 212 in a manner similar to the manner in which server 210 and nas device 212 responded to the original storage request . when client 202 issues a request to close the tcp connection , however , server 210 handles the request . nas device 212 must dedicate resources for replicating the tcp / ip protocol stack of a particular client - server connection . in one embodiment , nas device 212 includes a time - out mechanism to reclaim the memory used for this replication . when resources dedicated for tcp / ip client - server connections exceed a pre - determined age , the resources are re - claimed . the predetermined age limit is preferably set well greater than the time - out limit of the client - server connection itself . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that the present invention reduces the latency of generating the response to the client using a multicast response . by preventing the response from traversing the server protocol stack twice , response performance is enhanced and traffic on lan 211 is reduced . it is understood that the form of the invention shown and described in the detailed description and the drawings are to be taken merely as presently preferred examples . it is intended that the following claims be interpreted broadly to embrace all the variations of the preferred embodiments disclosed . | 7 |
the present invention will be described in greater detail by way of example embodiments . the design of an example embodiment of the heave compensator according to one or more embodiments of the present invention is illustrated in fig5 a ) to 5 c ). as seen on the figures , the example embodiment of the heave compensator has a compact construction by having a centre located main piston housing ( 100 ) surrounded by four accumulators ( 110 ), ( 120 ), ( 130 ), and ( 140 ) in a quadratic configuration by an upper ( 150 ) and a lower ( 180 ) assembly plate fastened to main piston housing and the four accumulators at their upper and lower ends . the main piston housing ( 100 ) of the example embodiment is a vertically oriented piston cylinder having a similar configuration as the main piston housing according to any aspect of one or more embodiments of the present invention by having a slide - able piston ( not shown ) with a piston rod ( 101 ). the slide - able piston divides the inner space of the main piston cylinder into an upper vacuum chamber ( not shown ) and a lower oil - filled chamber ( not shown ). the piston rod ( 101 ) is shown in retracted position and sticking out of the lower end ( 102 ) of the main piston cylinder . the piston rod has in its lower end a hook ( 104 ) for releasable attachment of a load . a similar hook ( 105 ) is attached to the upper end ( 103 ) of the main piston cylinder for releasable attachment of a crane hook etc . each of the four accumulators have a configuration equal to the accumulators according to any aspect of one or more embodiments of the present invention by having a slide - able piston ( not shown ) dividing the inner space of the accumulators into an upper gas filled chamber ( not shown ) and a lower oil filled chamber ( not shown ). the compactness of the configuration of the example embodiment is further strengthened by integrating the gas distribution manifold into the upper assembly plate ( 150 ). this feature is shown schematically in fig6 a ), which is a schematically exploded view showing the upper part of the four accumulators ( 110 , 120 , 130 , and 140 ) attached in their upper ends to the assembly plate ( 150 ), see also fig5 c ). the main piston cylinder is omitted in fig6 a ) for the cause of clarity . the gas distribution manifold comprises three bores ( 151 , 152 , and 153 ) forming a conduit fluidly connecting together the four accumulators ( 110 , 120 , 130 , and 140 ). the bores are formed by boring a linear bore from the side and into the bulk mass of the upper assembly plate ( 150 ) and positioned such that it intersects the centre axis of one accumulator and extends further until it intersects the centre axis of the adjacent accumulator at the opposite side of the upper assembly plate ( 150 ). that is , the bore ( 151 ) is located such and has a length such that it enters from a first side of the upper assembly plate ( 150 ) and passes through the centre axis of the first accumulator ( 110 ) and the centre axis of the second accumulator ( 120 ), the bore ( 152 ) is located such and has a length such that it enters from a second side perpendicular to the first side of the upper assembly plate ( 150 ) and passes through the centre axis of the third accumulator ( 130 ) and the second accumulator ( 120 ), and the bore ( 153 ) is located such and has a length such that it enters from the second side perpendicular to the first side of the upper assembly plate ( 150 ) and passes through the centre axis of the fourth accumulator ( 140 ) and the first accumulator ( 110 ). in addition there is made a bore ( 154 ) from a third side opposite the second side of the upper assembly plate ( 150 ) which extends to and fluidly connects to the bore ( 151 ). the latter bore ( 154 ) constitutes the third gas conduit and is open at its “ entrance ” in the sidewall of the upper assembly plate ( 150 ). the bores ( 151 , 152 , and 153 ) constitute the gas manifold fluidly interconnecting the first , second , third , fourth and fifth gas conduits . the bores ( 151 , 152 , and 153 ) are gas - tightly closed at their “ entrances ” into the upper assembly plate ( 150 ) by welded plugs ( 155 , 156 , and 157 ), respectively . the fluidly interconnection of e . g . the second gas conduit to the gas manifold is obtained as illustrated on fig6 b ), which is , as seen from the side , a vertical cross - sectional cut taken along the dotted line marked a - a ′ in fig6 a ). thus fig6 b ) shows a cut - out section of the upper part of the second accumulator ( 120 ) and how it is integrated with the upper assembly plate ( 150 ). as seen from fig6 b ), the cylinder wall of the second accumulator ( 120 ) is attached at its upper end to the assembly plate ( 150 ). the interior of the second accumulator ( 120 ) shown in fig6 b ) is the upper gas - filled chamber ( 121 ) of the second accumulator . thus the upper assembly plate ( 150 ) functions as the upper end closure of the second accumulator ( and similarly for the three other accumulators ). furthermore , as seen from fig6 a ) and 6 b ), there is made a circular through - going cut ( 160 ) in the upper assembly plate ( 150 ) removing a circular section of the assembly plate at the centre position of the longitudinal centre axis of the second accumulator . likewise , similar circular throughgoing cuts are also made at the centre position of the longitudinal centre axis of the three other accumulators . along the cut ( 160 ) in the upper assembly plate ( 150 ) there is located a centre located recess ( 161 ) running all the way around the circular cutting edge at a height corresponding to the location of the bores ( 151 , 152 , and / or 153 ) such that the bores becomes fluidly connected to the recesses ( 161 ) as illustrated in fig6 b ) where bore ( 152 ) ends at the recess ( 161 ). the circular cut - out section of the assembly plate ( 150 ) is plugged by a circular insert ( 162 ) being fitted to gas - tightly close the opening formed by the circular throughgoing cut ( 160 ) in the upper assembly plate ( 150 ). the circular insert ( 162 ) has a recess ( 163 ) running along its lateral edge which corresponds to the recess ( 161 ) in the assembly plate ( 150 ), such that an annular channel ( 164 ) running around the circular insert ( 162 ) is formed inside the upper assembly plate ( 150 ) which allows gas to flow freely around the circular insert ( 162 ). as seen from fig6 a ), the bores ( 151 ) and ( 152 ) are fluidly connected to each other by having one end ending in the same annular channel ( 164 ). similarly , the other end of bore ( 152 ) is fluidly connected to the annular channel inside the assembly plate ( 150 ) formed above the third accumulator ( 130 ). the other end of bore ( 151 ) is fluidly connected to the annular channel above the first accumulator ( 110 ), and the bore 152 is fluidly connected annular channel above the first accumulator ( 110 ) and the annular channel above the fourth accumulator ( 140 ). as seen from fig6 b ) the gas in the annular channel ( 164 ) gains access to the inner space of the second accumulator ( 120 ) via the second gas conduit consisting of a horizontal bore ( 165 ) into the circular insert ( 162 ) and a first vertical bore ( 166 ) fluidly connected in one end to the horizontal bore ( 165 ) and in the other end to the inner space ( 167 ) of a solenoid valve ( 168 ), and a second vertical bore ( 170 ) fluidly connecting the inner space ( 167 ) of the solenoid valve ( 168 ) with the upper chamber ( 121 ) of the second accumulator . the solenoid valve ( 168 ) opens and closes the second gas conduit by an electromagnetically controlled magnetic body ( 169 ) able to slide from one side of the inner space ( 167 ) to the other . as seen on fig6 b ), the magnetic body ( 169 ) will close the second gas conduit by blocking the openings of the vertical bores ( 166 ) and ( 170 ) when located at one side of the inner space ( 167 ). when the magnetic body is located at the other side of the inner space ( 167 ), gas is free to flow to and from the vertical bores ( 166 ) and ( 170 ) via the inner space ( 167 ) of the solenoid valve . in this manner , it is obtained a very quick opening and closing of the gas conduit at the very high pressure gradients which may arise in heave compensators utilising gas to provide the spring of the stroke . as seen on fig6 a ), similar solenoid valves are applied on the gas conduits of the other three accumulators . fig7 a ) and 7 b ) are cross - sectional cut out views of the lower assembly plate ( 180 ) illustrating the integration of the liquid manifold and liquid conduits at the lower end of the main piston cylinder ( 100 ) and the four accumulators ( 110 , 120 , 130 , and 140 ). fig7 a ) illustrates two of the three bores ( 181 , 182 ) which constitute the part of the liquid manifold fluidly connecting the lower liquid - filled chambers of the four accumulators . as seen on the figure , bore ( 181 ) fluidly connects the first ( 110 ) and the second ( 120 ) accumulator and the bore ( 182 ) fluidly connects the third ( 130 ) and the second ( 120 ) accumulator . a third bore ( not shown ) runs in parallel with the bore ( 182 ) and fluidly connects the fourth ( 140 ) and the first ( 110 ) accumulator . the first liquid conduit ( 113 ) is formed in the bottom end ( 114 ) of the accumulator and fluidly connects the lower chamber ( 112 ) of the first accumulator ( 110 ) with the bores ( 181 ) and ( 183 ), the latter connection is not shown . at the lower part of the first liquid conduit there is located a solenoid valve ( 115 ) able to close and open the liquid conduit . fig7 a ) illustrates the closed position of the valve . similarly , the second liquid conduit ( 123 ) is formed in the lower end ( 124 ) of the second accumulator ( 120 ), fluidly connecting the lower chamber ( 122 ) of the second accumulator with bores ( 181 ) and ( 182 ) of the liquid manifold . a solenoid valve ( 125 ) is located in the lower part of the second liquid conduit ( 123 ). a similar solution , by a liquid conduit ( 133 ) in the lower end ( 134 ) and solenoid valve ( 135 ), is applied for fluidly connecting the lower chamber ( 132 ) of the third accumulator ( 130 ) with bore ( 182 ) and the lower chamber fourth accumulator ( 140 ) with bore ( 183 ), the latter connection is not shown on the figure . the fluid connections between the bores ( 181 , 182 , and 183 ) of the liquid manifold and the first liquid conduit ( 107 ) in fluid communication with the lower chamber ( 106 ) of the main piston cylinder ( 100 ) are obtained by three additional bores ( 184 , 185 , and 186 ) oriented perpendicular to the bores ( 181 , 182 , and 183 ). fig7 a ) shows the opening of bore ( 185 ) into bore ( 182 ) and the opening of bore ( 184 ) into bore ( 181 ). fig7 b ) shows further details of the fluid connection between the lower chamber ( 106 ) of the main piston cylinder ( 100 ) and the bores ( 181 , 182 , and 183 ) of the liquid manifold . this figure illustrates , as seen form the side , a cross - sectional cut taken along a vertically oriented plane dividing the lower assembly plate ( 180 ) in two equal parts . as seen on the figure , the first liquid conduit of this example embodiment consists of three equal conduits , each comprising a horizontally oriented bore ( 107 ) and a vertically oriented bore ( 108 ) having a solenoid valve ( 109 ) at the lower part of the vertically oriented bore ( 108 ) able to close of open the first liquid conduit . the use of more than one liquid conduit has the advantage of enabling a more rapid volume flow of the liquid / oil in and out of the lower chamber 106 ). | 1 |
fig1 is a vertically sectioned view of a rotary valve in the embodiment as applied to said valve . a casing 10 of the rotary valve is hollow and has a powder particle inlet 11 opened upwardly in its upper portion , and an outlet 12 opened downwardly in its lower portion . the intermediate portion between inlet 11 and outlet 12 is expanded arcuately and symmetrically outwardly so as to form a part of an arc and to form a circular space 13 communicating with inlet 11 and outlet 12 above and below . a first valve component , such as a rotor 20 , is rotatably borne within the circular space 13 of a second valve component , such as casing 10 . as shown in fig3 the shaft 21 of the rotor 20 is supported in the front and rear partition walls 14 and 15 of the casing 10 through bearings , and is connected at one end with a driving device ( not shown ) so as to be rotated and driven . the rotor 20 is provided with a plurality of blades 22 provided radially on the periphery of the part present in the space 13 of the above mentioned shaft 21 . the outer periphery of blade 22 is so formed as to slide in contact with the arcuated inner peripheral walls 10a of the circular space 13 of the casing through a packing 30 which is described in greater detail hereinbelow . the rotary valve has inlet 11 connected with a pipe line or the like forming a powder particle feeding system through a flange 10b . the outlet 12 is connected with a pipe line or the like forming a system of the next step through a similar flange 10c . the valve has the inlet 11 side as a high pressure side and the outlet 12 side as a low pressure side , and connects devices having a pressure differential between them with each other . therefore , the pressure reducing holes ( not shown ) are formed in the right and left arcuated inner peripheral walls 10a . in this rotary valve , powder particles are put into the space 13 through the inlet 11 and are contained in v - shaped pockets 23 formed between blades 22 housed within the space 13 . with the rotation of the rotor 20 , each pocket containing the powder particles will be sealed by the sliding contact of the front ends of the two blades with the inner peripheral wall 10a , will rotate and convey the powder particles , and will have the pressure reduced in it in a proper position on the inner peripheral wall 10a . with said pocket 23 at a downward rotating angle , the powder particles will be discharged through the outlet 12 and will be sent to the next line side . in the rotary valve , a sealing packing 30 is provided at the front end of each blade 22 sliding in contact with the inner peripheral wall of the casing 10 . as shown in fig2 a clearance is formed between the front end 22a of the blade 22 and the inner peripheral wall 10a of the casing 10 so that the front end 22a and the inner peripheral wall 10a may not contact each other . a fitting recess 24 is formed by cutting an l - shaped cut at the front end 22a of the blade in the end surface in the rotating direction of the rotor 20 indicated by the arrow . a packing 30 to be fitted in this fitting recess 24 consists of a second member a , such as member 31 and a first member b , such as member 32 . as shown in fig2 and 3 , each of the members 31 and 32 is made of a horizontally long plate of a length ranging between the front and rear partition walls 14 and 15 of the casing 10 . the members 32 and 31 are arranged in the rear and front , respectively , in the rotating direction of the blade 22 and are jointed with each other in juxtaposition . member 32 is placed on the rear surface on a projection 22b . bolts 40 are passed through the projection 22b . member 32 and member 31 are screwed and fastened with nuts 41 to integrally joint the members 31 and 32 with the front end 22a of the blade . the front end surfaces 31a and 32a of the members 31 and 32 , respectively , are arranged so as to slide in uniform contact with the inner peripheral wall 10a . with the rotation in the direction indicated by the arrow in fig2 that is , in the clockwise direction of the rotor 20 , the packing 30 provided at the front end of the blade 22 with slide with the respective front end surfaces 31a and 32b of the members 31 and 32 in uniform contact with the inner peripheral wall 10a so as to seal the space between the blades 22 in fig1 . in the sliding contact of this packing 30 with the inner peripheral wall 10a , as the member 31 is in the front in the advancing direction and the member 32 is in the rear , the member 31 will be supported on its back surface by the member 32 so as not to be deformed or broken and will thus slide in contact with the inner peripheral wall 10a while retaining the fixed cross - sectional shape to seal the space . the packing 30 will be worn by the repeated sliding contact with the inner peripheral wall 10a . particularly , the member 31 will be worn faster by the repeated sliding contact than the member 32 . however , the wearing dust produced when the member 31 is worn will enter the space between the member 32 in the rear and the inner peripheral wall 10a to act as a lubricant to prevent the member 32 from seizing . the bolt 40 inserting holes 31b and 32b are set in advance to be larger in diameter than the bolts so that , in case the member 31 is worn , the bolts 40 may be loosened . then the member 31 may be moved radially outwardly , its front end surface 31a may be contacted with the inner peripheral wall 10a , and then the bolts 40 may be re - tightened . thus , the contact can be adjusted in response to the wear . in case the wear progresses to exceed this adjusting range , the member 31 may be replaced easily by removing the bolts . in case the member 32 is worn , the same process may be used . fig4 shows a modification of the above mentioned embodiment . here , the front end 22a of each blade 22 is extended so as to be in contact on the front end surface with the inner peripheral wall 10a and has the above mentioned member 31 jointed with it . both members are integrally jointed with each other by means of bolts 40 and nuts 41 . the above mentioned member 32 is not provided , but the front end 22a of the blade 22 is made the second member . in this modification , the contact in accordance with the wear of the member 31 is adjusted in the same manner as described above . fig5 and 6 show a rotary valve of the second embodiment . a first valve component , such as a casing 110 , of the valve is provided with an inlet 111 above and an outlet 112 below . the intermediate portion is arcuately expanded on the right and left and is provided with inner peripheral walls 110a forming a part of an arc as the inside walls of a circular space 113 . a second valve component , such as a circular rotor 120 , is provided within the circular space 113 . concave pockets 123 are made symmetrically in positions displaced by 180 ° on the periphery of the rotor 120 . powder particles are conveyed from above into the pocket 123 and are conveyed to the system of the next stage through the outlet 112 out of the pocket directed downwardly by the clockwise rotation as indicated by the arrow on the rotor 120 . a packing 130 for this type of rotary valve is provided on the casing 110 side and is stationary . radially outward concavities 116 are formed in proper positions on the inner peripheral wall 110a of the casing . a plurality , e . g ., four in fig5 of such concavities 116 are provided radially at regular angular intervals in the axial direction of the inner peripheral wall 110a . as shown in fig6 the packing 130 consists of plate - shaped members 131 and 132 and both members 131 and 132 are put together and are fitted and inserted in the concavities 116 . the concavity 116 is so formed as to closely fit both members 131 and 132 jointed as put together . both members 131 and 132 are made integral with each other through a binder or the like . an adjusting plate 143 is inserted in the bottom or the top part of the concavity 116 and the outer wall of the casing . an adjusting bolt 140 is screwed from the outside into screw hole 142 , and is in contact at its tip with the adjusting plate 143 so that , when the bolt 140 is screwed and rotated , the packing 130 may advance to the outer peripheral surface 120a of the rotor 120 to adjust the packing when worn . the front end surfaces 131a and 132a of the respective members 131 and 132 forming the packing 130 are made to slide in uniform contact with the outer peripheral surface 120a of the rotor 120 . in case the rotor 120 rotates clockwise , as indicated by the arrow in fig5 the member 131 will be provided in the front in the relative moving direction . fig7 and 8 show the third embodiment applied to a piston type valve instead of a rotary valve . the valve consists of a sectioned horizontal cylindrical casing 210 and a piston 220 reciprocating in the lengthwise direction in the casing . the casing 210 is provided with an inlet 211 in a part of its upper portion , and an outlet 212 in a different position in the lengthwise direction in its lower portion . the piston 220 is provided with a pocket 223 passing vertically through it . packings 230 are provided between the inlet 211 and outlet 212 on the inner peripheral wall 210a of the casing 210 . these packings 230 are provided in the front and rear of the inlet 211 and in the front of the outlet 212 in the lengthwise direction . the packing 230 is formed to be ring - shaped so as to be fitted and inserted in the base part in a ring - shaped concave groove 216 ( fig8 ) made on the inner peripheral wall 210a , and consists of three members , in contact to the above description because the piston 220 reciprocates forwardly and rearwardly . a member 231 is provided in the middle , members 232 or 232b and 232c are provided to hold it in the front and rear and the three members are integrally jointed together and are made integral by a binder or the like . the front end surfaces 231a and 232a of the respective members 231 , 232b and 232c are so provided as to be in uniform contact with the outer periphery 220a of the piston 220 . in this valve , the packing 230 is stationary . with leftward movement of the piston 220 , the member 231 in the middle will be the rear and the member 232b on the left will be the front . with rightward movement of the piston 220 , the member 231 in the middle will be the rear and the member 232c on the right will be the front , and will act the same as in the above mentioned second embodiment . | 1 |
as shown in fig1 an internal combustion engine body ( not shown ) has a pair of intake valves 1a , 1b which can be opened and closed by the coaction of a pair of low - speed cams 3a , 3b and a single high - speed cam 4 . the cams 3a , 3b , 4 are generally of egg - shaped cross section and are integrally formed on a camshaft 2 that is synchronously rotatable at a speed ratio of 1 / 2 with respect to the speed of rotation of a crankshaft ( not shown ). first through third rocker arms 5 through 7 serve as transmitting members that are swingable in engagement with the cams 3a , 3b , 4 . the internal combustion engine also has a pair of exhaust valves ( not shown ) which are opened and closed in the same manner as the intake valves 1a , 1b . the first through third rocker arms 5 through 7 are pivotally supported in mutually adjacent relation on a rocker shaft 8 fixed below the camshaft 2 and extending parallel thereto . the first and third rocker arms 5 , 7 are basically of the same shape , and have their base portions pivotally supported on the rocker shaft 8 and free ends extending above the intake valves 1a , 1b . tappet screws 9a , 9b are adjustably threaded through the free ends of the rocker arms 5 , 7 and are held against the upper ends of the intake valves 1a , 1b . the tappet screws 9a , 9b are locked against being loosened by means of lock nuts 10a , 10b , respectively . the second rocker arm 6 is pivotally supported on the rocker shaft 8 between the first and third rocker arms 5 , 7 . the second rocker arm 6 extends slightly from the rocker shaft 8 toward an intermediate position between the intake valves 1a , 1b . as better shown in fig2 the second rocker arm 6 has a cam slipper 6a on its upper surface which is held in sliding contact with the high - speed cam 4 . a lifter 12 slidably fitted in a guide hole 11a defined in a cylinder head 11 has an upper end held against the lower surface of the end of the second rocker arm 6 . the lifter 12 is normally urged upwardly by a coil spring 13 disposed under compression between the inner surface of the lifter 12 and the bottom of the guide hole 11a for keeping the cam slipper 6a of the second rocker arm 6 in sliding contact with the high - speed cam 4 at all times . the camshaft 2 is rotatably supported above the engine body , as described above . the low - speed cams 3a , 3b are integrally formed on the camshaft 2 in alignment with the first and third rocker arms 5 , 7 and the high - speed cam 4 is integrally formed on the camshaft 2 in alignment with the second rocker arm 6 . as better illustrated in fig3 the low - speed cams 3a , 3b have a relatively small lift and a cam profile suitable for low - speed operation of the engine . the low - speed cams 3a , 3b have outer peripheral surfaces held in sliding contact with the respective cam slippers 5a , 7a on the upper surface of the first and third rocker arms 5 , 7 . the high - speed cam 4 is of a cam profile suitable for high - speed operation of the engine and has a larger lift and a wider angular extent than the low - speed cams 3a , 3b . the high - speed cam 4 has an outer peripheral surface held in sliding contact with the cam slipper 6a of the second rocker arm 6 , as described above . the lifter 12 is omitted from illustration in fig3 . the operation of the first through third rocker arms 5 through 7 is switchable between a condition in which they can swing together and condition in which they are relatively angularly displaceable by a coupling device 14 ( described hereafter ) that includes pistons mounted for movement in guide holes defined centrally through the rocker arms 5 through 7 parallel to the rocker shaft 8 . retainers 15a , 15b are disposed on the upper portions of the intake valves 1a , 1b , respectively . valve springs 16a , 16b are interposed between the retainers 15a , 15b and the engine body and disposed around the stems of the intake valves 1a , 1b for normally urging the valves 1a , 1b in a closing direction , i . e ., upwardly as viewed in fig3 . as shown in fig4 and 5 , the first rocker arm 5 has a first guide hole 17 opening toward the second rocker arm 6 and extending parallel to the rocker shaft 8 . the first rocker arm 5 also has a smaller - diameter hole 18 near the closed end of the first guide hole 17 , with a step 19 being defined between the smaller - diameter hole 18 and the first guide hole 17 . the second rocker arm 6 has a second guide hole 20 communicating with the first guide hole 17 in the first rocker arm 5 . the second guide hole 20 extends between the opposite sides of the second rocker arm 6 . the third rocker arm 7 has a third guide hole 21 communicating with the second guide hole 20 . the third rocker arm 7 also has a step 22 and a smaller - diameter hole 23 adjacent the closed end of the third guide hole 21 . a smaller - diameter through - hole 24 extends through the closed end of the third guide hole 21 in the third rocker arm 7 concentrically therewith . the first through third guide holes 17 , 20 , 21 accommodate therein , a first piston 25 movable between a position in which the first and second rocker arms 5 , 6 are interconnected and a position in which they are disconnected ; a second piston 26 movable between a position in which the second and third rocker arms 6 , 7 are interconnected and a position in which they are disconnected ; a stopper 27 for limiting movement of the pistons 25 , 26 ; and a coil spring 28 for urging the stopper 27 and the pistons 25 , 26 toward the disconnecting positions . the first piston 25 is slidable in the first and second guide holes 17 , 20 , and defines a hydraulic pressure chamber 29 between the end of the first guide hole 17 and the end face of the first piston 25 . the rocker shaft 8 has a pair of hydraulic passages 30 , 31 defined therein that communicate with a hydraulic pressure supply device ( not shown ). thus , working oil is supplied at all times from the hydraulic passage 30 into the hydraulic pressure chamber 29 through a hydraulic passage 32 defined in the first rocker arm 5 and a hole 33 defined in a peripheral wall of the rocker shaft 8 , such holes being configured to mutually communicate irrespective of how the first rocker arm 5 is angularly moved . the axial dimension of the first piston 25 is selected such that when one end thereof abuts against the step 19 in the first guide hole 17 , the other end does not project from the side surface of the first rocker arm 5 which faces the second rocker arm 6 . the axial dimension of the second piston 26 is equal to the overall length of the second guide hole 20 and is slidable in the second and third guide holes 20 , 21 . the stopper 27 has on one end thereof a circular plate 27a slidably fitted in the third guide hole 21 . it also has on the other end thereof a guide rod 27b extending through the smaller - diameter hole 24 in the third rocker arm 7 . the coil spring 28 is disposed around the guide rod 27b between the circular plate 27a of the stopper 27 and the bottom of the smaller - diameter hole 23 . the guide rod 27b has a plurality of axial grooves 27c defined in the outer peripheral surface thereof adjacent its distal end . when the stopper 27 is in the position in which the rocker arms 5 , 6 , 7 are disconnected , the third guide hole 21 as shown in fig4 is vented to the exterior through the axial grooves 27c . the third rocker arm 7 has a hydraulic passage 34 . the rocker shaft 8 has a hole 35 defined in a peripheral wall thereof surrounded by the third rocker arm 7 . the fluid passage 31 communicates with the third guide hole 21 through the hydraulic passage 34 and the hole 35 irrespective of how the third rocker arm 7 is angularly moved . the hydraulic passage 34 of the third rocker arm 7 is disposed in such a position that it is caused to communicate with the third guide hole 21 when the second piston 26 and the stopper 27 are in their respective positions to disconnect the rocker arms ( as shown in fig4 ) but will not communicate with the third guide hole 21 when the second piston 26 and the stopper 27 are in their respective positions to interconnect the rocker arms ( as shown in fig5 ). of ancillary use with the above described arrangement is the hydraulic pressure supply system illustrated in fig6 . lubricating oil supplied under a prescribed pressure from a lubricating oil pump 40 operated by the crankshaft of the engine is divided into two flows , one supplied via a solenoid - operated valve 41 to the working oil supply passage 30 in the rocker shaft 8 and the other supplied via an orifice 42 into the fluid passge 31 . the passages 30 , 31 and the outlet of the pump 40 are each connected to individual hydraulic pressure detectors 43 through 45 which monitor the hydraulic pressures at all times . the operation of the above device is as follows . in low - and medium - speed ranges of engine operation , the solenoid - operated valve 41 is closed and no hydraulic pressure is supplied to the hudraulic pressure chamber 29 of the coupling device 14 . thus , the pistons 25 , 26 are disposed in their rocker arm - disconnect position in the respective guide holes 17 , 20 under the biasing force of the coil spring 28 as shown in fig4 and the rocker arms 5 through 7 are angularly movable relatively to each other . when the rocker arms are disconnected by the coupling device 14 , the first and third rocker arms 5 , 7 are angularly moved in sliding contact with the low - speed cams 3a , 3b in response to rotation of the camshaft 2 , and the opening timing of the intake valves 1a , 1b is delayed and the closing timing thereof is advanced , with the lift thereof being reduced . at this time , the second rocker arm 6 is angularly moved in sliding contact with the high - speed cam 4 , but such angular movement does not affect operation of the intake valves 1a , 1b in any way . the fluid passage 31 is supplied with oil under pressure at all times to lubricate the sliding suface of the rocker shaft 8 and the rocker arms 5 through 7 through oil holes ( not shown ). such oil is discharged into the engine through the oil hole 35 on the rocker shaft 8 , the oil hole 34 of the third rocker arm 7 , and the axial grooves 27c of the guide rod 27b . under this condition , the hydraulic pressure detector 44 on the working oil supply passage 30 indicates a pressure p 2 of 0 , and the hydraulic pressure detector 45 indicates a highest source pressure p 3 . when the engine is to operate in a high - speed range , the solenoid - operated valve 41 is opened to supply working oil pressure to the hydraulic pressure chamber 29 of the coupling device 14 through the working oil supply passage 30 , the hole 33 of the rocker shaft 8 , and the oil hole 32 . as shown in figure 5 , the first piston 25 is moved under the influence of the pressure of the oil into the guide hole 20 in the second rocker arm 6 against the bias of the coil spring 28 , pushing the second piston 26 into the guide hole 21 in the third rocker arm 7 . as a result , the first and second pistons 25 , 26 are moved together axially until the circular plate 27a of the stopper 27 engages the step 22 , whereupon the first and second rocker arms 5 , 6 are interconnected by the first piston 25 and the second and third rocker arms 6 , 7 are interconnected by the second piston 26 . with the first through third rocker arms 5 through 7 being thus interconnected by the coupling device 14 , the first and third rocker arms 5 , 7 are angularly moved with the second rocker arm 6 since the extent of swinging movement of the second rocker arm 6 in sliding contact with the high - speed cam 4 is largest . accordingly , the opening timing of the intake valves 1a , 1b is advanced and the closing timing thereof is delayed and the lift thereof is increased according to the cam profile of the high - speed cam 4 . with the device in this condition , the oil hole 34 of the third rocker arm 7 is closed by the second piston 26 , and the lubricating oil supplied to the fluid passage 31 does not flow except for leakage thereof from between the rocker arms 5 through 7 and the rocker shaft 8 and between the pistons 25 , 26 and the inner wall surfaces of the guide holes 17 , 20 , 21 . therefore , the pressures indicated by the hydraulic pressure detectors 43 through 45 are basically substantially equal to each other , or the pressure p 1 in the fluid passage 31 is lowest ( p 1 = p 2 = p 3 ). if , however , the pistons 25 , 26 fail to operate properly at this time , the oil hole 34 remains open , allowing the lubricating oil flowing through the fluid passage 31 to be discharged through the axial grooves 27c . since the pressure p 1 in the fluid passage 31 does not change substantially , such a malfunction of the pistons 25 , 26 can immediately be known . it is not necessary to detect the return movement of the pistons 25 , 26 as this movement is relatively highly reliable to occur . with the above circuit arrangement , however , movement of the pistons 25 , 26 in the piston - disconnect direction can be detected simply by checking the pressure p 1 for a change . the operation condition of the pistons 25 , 26 can therefore be confirmed by a change in the pressure p 1 in the fluid passage 31 or a change in the pressure difference between the pressure p 1 in the fluid passage 31 and the pressure p 2 in the working oil supply passage 30 or between the pressure p 1 in the fluid passage 31 and the source pressure p 3 . failure of operation of the pistons due to malfunctioning of the solenoid - operated valve 41 can be detected by monitoring the pressure p 2 in the working oil supply passage 30 . the hydraulic circuit arrangement as shown in fig7 in which the lubricating oil from the pump 40 is divided into the passages 30 , 31 downstream of the solenoid - operated valve 41 may be employed . with this circuit the operating condition of the pistons can be detected from the difference between the pressures p 1 , p 2 in the respective passages 30 , 31 . fig8 shows another embodiment of fluid circuit in which pneumatic pressure is suppied to the fluid passage 31 and the difference between pressures p 4 , p 5 downstream and upstream of an orifice 42 is monitored . it is also possible to detect the operation of the pistons by a change in the flow rate of a fluid flowing through the orifice , rather than a change in the fluid pressure , regardless of whether hydraulic or pneumatic pressure is employed . inasmuch as the fluid pressure and flow rate vary proportionally , the number of inoperative pistons can be determined from the ratio of a change in the fluid pressure and flow rate . the pistons may be driven , not only by the described hydraulic arrangement , but also by an electrical or mechanical device . the rocker arms may be centrally pivoted , rather than pivoted at their ends . the transmitting members may be direct - type bucket lifters . the device of the invention may be structurally modified such that the fluid passage may be vented to the exterior when the rocker arms are interconnected . the position of the pistons may be detected by an electromagnetic detector , or an electric arrangement in which a contact is attached to the guide rod 27b of the stopper 27 so that the projection of the guide rod 27b out of the hole 24 of the second rocker arm 7 can be electrically detected by the attached contact . with such an alternative , the engine cylinder associated with an inoperative coupling device can be identified . fig9 shows a second embodiment of the present invention in which parts that correspond to those in the first embodiment are denoted by identical reference numerals and will not be described in detail . in this embodiment , the hydraulic passage 31 in the first embodiment is used as a hollow passage 46 for the passage of a lead wire 47a , which is hereinafter described . an electromagnetic proximity sensor 47 of a known type comprising a coil and a magnet core is pressed into an outer peripheral wall of the rocker shaft 8 near the wire passage 56 . the lead wire 47a of the proximity sensor 47 extends through the wire passage 46 and is connected to a control unit ( not shown ). the proximity sensor 47 has its detecting end directed radially outwardly of the rocker shaft and accommodated in a housing hole 48 formed in the second rocker arm 6 . the housing hole 48 is arranged such that the second rocker arm 6 will not physically interfere with the proximity sensor 47 throughout the entire range of angular movement of the second rocker arm 6 . the second piston 26 has an annular recess 49 formed about its outer peripheral surface near the tip end of the proximity sensor 47 . the recess 49 and the tip end of the proximity sensor 47 are aligned with each other when the coupling device 14 is in the rocker arm connecting position as shown in fig9 . the proximity sensor 47 generates an &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; signal when the coupling device 14 is in the rocker arm connecting position . when the coupling device 14 is in the rocker arm disconnecting position of fig4 the outer peripheral surface of the second piston 26 confronts the tip end of the proximity sensor 47 , which is then triggered to generate an &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; signal . thus , the signal from the proximity sensor 47 is varied dependent on movement of the second piston 26 to detect how the coupling device 14 is operated . fig1 illustrates a third embodiment of the present invention in which parts corresponding to those of the first and second embodiments are designated by identical reference numerals and will not be described in detail . according to this embodiment , the proximity sensor 47 , which is substantially identical to that of the proximity sensor of the second embodiment , is mounted on a rocker shaft holder 50 . as the tip end of the guide rod 27b of the stopper 27 is moved toward or away from the proximity sensor 47 , the signal produced by the proximity sensor 47 is varied to detect how the coupling device 14 is operated . it will be appreciated that the contactless proximity sensor in each of the second and third embodiments may be replaced with a limit switch having mechanical contacts as shown at 47 &# 39 ; in fig1 . the operation timing of two valves in association with three rocker arms is changed in the above embodiments . however , the present invention is equally applicable to a valve operation timing changing device for disabling one valve in association with two rocker arms at a certain engine rotational speed . although certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described it should be understood that various changes can be made therein without departing from the scope of the appended claims . | 5 |
fig1 illustrates a color television camera using a charge coupled device ( ccd ) as the image sensing device . the embodiment of the sensing device illustrated in fig1 uses a two - chip type color television camera in which one ccd 1 provides a green signal g from its entire surface and the other ccd 2 provides red and blue signals alternately in a line sequential manner as illustrated in fig1 . so as to prevent aliasing noise from being generated and to improve the resolution in the horizontal direction , the spatial sampling phase between ccds 1 and 2 is shifted by τ / 2 where τ is a pitch space adjustment of the picture elements in the horizontal direction as illustrated in fig1 . fig2 comprises a block diagram illustrating the ccds 1 and 2 of the image pickup output wherein the red and blue signals r and b from ccd chip 2 is first converted to a first sample 8 - bit digital signal or a word signal by analog to digital ( a - d ) converter 3 and then supplied to a signal processing circuit 4 for signal processing . since the input signal of the a - d converter 3 which is the output of the ccd chip 2 has already been sampled by the ccd drive clock , the a - d converter 3 need only function such as to quantitize the output of the ccd chip 2 . the signal processing includes a process for gamma ( γ ) correction , white clip , pedestal clamp and so forth . the output of the processor 4 is supplied to a filter device 6 which consists of a simultaneous circuit 7 for producing line sequential signals in a simultaneous form and which supplies an output to a digital filter 8 for obtaining the desired filter characteristics and supplies its output to a matrix circuit 9 . the matrix circuit 9 produces band limited digital color signals such as red signal c r , blue signal c b as well as digital luminance signals y r and y b . the filter 8 is a two dimensional spatial filter which is used to eliminate aliasing noise caused by the line sequential television system . the filter 8 also accomplishes band limiting for luminance signal components and color signal components and also accomplishes vertical aperture correction . the signal processing system between the ccd chip 2 and the filter device 6 uses a sampling rate for processing which is the same as the sampling rate of the ccd 2 . in this particular example , the sampling rate of the ccd 2 is selected to be ( 4 / 3 ) f sc (= f s ) and thus the a - d converter 3 , the processing circuit 4 and the filter device 6 all operate to process at a sampling rate of ( 4 / 3 ) f sc . a clock pulse ckf at this sampling rate is supplied from the clock pulse generator 10 as illustrated in the figure . the digital processing circuits subsequent to the filter device 6 will process signals at a clock pulse ckb which equals 3f sc or 4f sc . the digital color signals c r and c b are supplied from the matrix circuit 9 to a digital to digital ( d - d ) converter 20 where the digital color signals c r and c b which have been processed at the sampling rate of ( 4 / 3 ) f sc are converted into digital color signals c r and c b at a sampling rate of 4f sc . the converted digital color signals c r and c b are supplied from the converter 20 to a digital color modulator 21 where they are converted by modulation to , for example , a two phase quadrature signal . the modulated digital color signal c rb (= c r + c b ) is fed from modulator 21 to a digital adder or mixer 23 where it is mixed with the digital luminance signal y r or y b which has been delayed for a predetermined time by passing it from the matrix 9 through a digital delay circuit 22 . at the output of the adder 23 , a digital video signal dvs 1 will be derived . at the same time , a digital synchronizing signal generator 24 receives a pulse from the generator 10 and produces a digital burst signal s b and a composite synchronizing signal sync , which are added to the digital video signal dvs 1 in the adder or mixer 25 . the digital video signal dvs 1 is then converted into an analog signal in a digital to analog ( d - a ) converter 102 and the analog signal thus formed is supplied to an adder or mixer 103 . the green signal g derived from the ccd 1 is also subjected to a similar digital processing through an analog to digital converter 33 , a signal processing circuit 34 , a filter device 36 , a digital to digital converter 40 , a digital color modulator 41 to obtain a modulated digital signal c g . the signal c g is fed to an adder or mixer 43 where it is added to a digital luminance signal y g from a digital delay circuit 42 which receives an input from the filter 36 . the output of the adder 43 is a digital video signal dvs 2 . the digital video signal dvs 2 is supplied through a τh / 2 digital delay line 105 and a digital to analog converter 104 and then to the adder 103 where it is added to the digital video signal dvs 1 so as to produce a standard analog television signal tvs . in the green channel , the filter device 36 does not require a simultaneous circuit as in the upper channel . the τh / 2 digital delay line 105 following the mixer 43 corrects the time difference between the digital video signals dvs 1 and dvs 2 which results from the offset of τ / 2 of the picture element of the ccd chips 1 and 2 as illustrated in fig1 such that the modulation axis advanced in phase at the digital color modulator 41 is restored so that they are coincident with the spatial sampling phase of the green signal g . when the red and blue signals r and b have the same spatial sampling phase as the green signal g the digital delay line 105 is not required . the specific details of the other circuits illustrated in fig2 are shown in other figures and will be described in detail hereafter . a digital γ - correction circuit 50 which is provided in the signal processing circuit 4 is illustrated in fig3 . the digital γ - correction circuit 50 consists of a read - only memory ( rom ) 51 which is used as a lock - up table and includes the latch circuits 52 and 53 which are respectively placed at the input and output sides of the rom 51 . the rom 51 stores a γ - corrected output code word corresponding to an input code word as illustrated in fig4 . thus , an 8 - bit 1 - word input code word which is the latch output is applied to the rom 51 to address it so that the addressed code word is read out . the latch circuits 52 and 53 are driven by the same clock pulse ckf and thus low speed elements may be used for this structure . also , the rom 51 has an input and an output ratio of 1 : 1 so it can be constructed with relatively simple logic circuits . fig5 illustrates the filter device 6 in which the simultaneous circuit or switcher 7 includes a pair of cascade connected delay elements 55 and 56 each of which have a delay time of 1h and supply output to an adder 57 which is connected to an attenuator 58 . the digital color signals r or b from the signal processing circuit 4 and the signal which has been delayed by 2h through the delay circuits 55 and 56 are added together in the adder 57 and the added output is fed to the attenuator 58 where the level of the added signal is attenuated to 1 / 2 so as to perform vertical interpolation based on the outputs of two horizontal lines with respect to the same color signal . this two dimensional spatial filter which acts as the vertical interpolator for accomplishing this result has the following transfer function h ( v ). ## equ1 ## where ω - 1 is a delay element for two scanning lines in the vertical direction . a switching circuit 59 receives the output of the attenuator 58 as well as the output of the delay line 55 and accomplishes switching at every line interval ( 1h ) so as to obtain simultaneous mode of the line sequential digital color signals . the digital color signals r and b are simultaneously arranged by the switching circuit 59 and / or respectively applied to digital filters 8r and 8b so as to provide the desired filtered characteristics . the digital filters 8r and 8b may be transversal type digital filters having symmetrical impulse response so as to provide stabilized processing and constant group delay characteristics . fig6 illustrates an example of the digital filter 8r or 8b . the example comprises a septenary digital filter formed as a low pass filter in which six delay operators 61 through 66 connected as shown and each having a delay of 1 / f s , are connected in series . an output as , for example , from the delay operator 63 and outputs from three adders 67 through 69 are supplied through elements 70 through 73 having impulse response coefficients of h 0 through h 3 to an adder 74 to derive a digital color signal r l or b l which has a frequency band limited to about 800 khz . the operators 61 through 66 are supplied with the clock pulse ckf from the generator 10 and the delay time in the horizontal direction is 1 / f s , so that the processing can be accomplished at low speeds . the filter having the above described construction also has constant group delay characteristics and also there is no delay error between the r or b channel and the g channel . the other digital filter 8b is constructed in the same manner as the filter illustrated in fig6 and its description is not required . as shown in fig5 the band - limited digital color signals r l and b l from the digital filters 8r and 8b are supplied to the matrix circuit 9 together with band - unlimited digital color signals r w and b w so that the digital luminance signals y r and y b shown below are produced : where r h and b h are high frequency components of the digital color signals r w and b w . the digital color signals r l and b l which are expressed as c r and c b , will be supplied to the digital to digital analog converter 20 and subjected to a rate conversion process . the digital to digital conversion is a form of interpolation so the processing rate of f s =( 4 / 3 ) f sc can be converted to f s &# 39 ;= 4f sc by interpolating two samples between respective samples of the digital color signal c r or c b . fig7 illustrates one example of the digital to digital converter 20 in which rate conversion is accomplished by interpolation using linear approximation . each of the delay operators 80 and 81 comprising d - type flip - flops are driven by the clock pulse ckb having a frequency of 4f sc and provide the delay of 1 / 4f sc . the delay operators 80 and 81 are connected in cascade manner as shown and the output from each of the operators 80 and 81 as well as the output of the filter 6 are supplied to an adder 82 . the output from the operator 81 has been delayed by ## equ2 ## and the output of the operator 80 has been delayed by ## equ3 ## the added outputs from the adder 82 is fed to a level shift circuit 83 where its level is lowered to 1 / 3 of what it previously was . by performing the above signal processing , two samples are newly interpolated between two original samples at a period of ## equ4 ## so that the conversion of the process rate is accomplished and an interval between two original samples is approximated to a straight line . after matching the processing rate , the digital color signals c r and c b are subjected to balanced modulation in the digital modulator 21 so as to provide the modulated digital color signal c rb . thus , in this particular example , the signal is converted to a two phase quadrature modulation signal . thus , the digital color signals c r and c b are resolved into two components with one component v rb in - phase with the r - axis and the second component u rb aligned with the quadrature axis . fig8 illustrates the balanced modulators 21 and 41 in which the digital color signal c b is supplied to a circuit 90 so as to derive a color component bsinθ which is in - phase with the r - axis where b is the level of a color signal and θ is an angle between the vector b of this color signal c b and the quadrature axis u rb as illustrates in fig9 a . in the example illustrated θ is about 30 °. the circuit 90 also performs suitable level adjustment of the color component . similarly , the digital color signal c b is fed to another circuit 91 so as to derive a color component bcosθ on the quadrature axis u rb after being suitably adjusted in level . the digital color signal c r is adjusted in level in a circuit 93 and then supplied to a subtractor 94 together with the output of the circuit 90 so as to derive a color component ( r - bsinθ ) on the r - axis or v rb - axis . the in - phase component v rb and the quadrature component u rb are alternately obtained every 1 / 2f sc by a switching circuit or data multiplexer 95 and are then supplied to a multiplier or sign inverter 96 . the sign inverter 96 is supplied with a carrier f sc from the clock pulse generator 10 and performs multiplication of - 1 during the former half of the carrier period and multiplication of + 1 during the second half of the carrier period so that the components v rb and u rb are subjected to a quadrature 2 - phase modulation . the digital color modulation 41 provided in the green signal system is constructed as a balance modulator . the digital color signal c g is supplied to circuits 97 and 98 where it is converted to a quadrature component u rb and an in - phase component v rb . these components are switched at a frequency of 2f sc at a data multiplexer 99 and are then multiplied with the carrier f sc at a multiplier or sign inverter 100 so as to provide a digital modulated signal c g which has been subjected to quadrature modulation . this circuit will be described subsquently with reference to the modulator 41 illustrated in fig8 and fig9 b . the input signal c g to the color modulator 41 which has only an amplitude component and no phase component is resolved into two components respectively on the v rb axis and on the u rb axis in a manner similar to that illustrated in fig9 a . for this case , the input signal c g provides video information which is advanced by τ / 2 pitch of a color element from the signals c r and c b delivered by the r and b chips as shown in fig1 so that it is expressed as g &# 39 ; on the vector of fig9 b . thus , the signal g &# 39 ; is shown at a position which is delayed by about 135 ° from the vector g of the actual green color signal . for this reason to produce the green color signal c g corresponding to the actual green color vector g which is also actually subjected to a two - phase quadrature modulation , a delay time of τh / 2 is necessary for c r and c b . for this reason , as illustrated in fig2 the delay line 105 having a delay time of τh / 2 or ## equ5 ## is connected following the mixer 43 . for this case , the clock pulse ckb from the clock pulse generator 10 is supplied to the digital to analog converter 102 as well as to a phase shifter 101 where it is phase corrected by an amount for correcting the τ / 2 pitch and the corrected pulse is fed to the digital to analog converter 104 . when producing the digital burst signal s b at the synchronizing signal generating signal 24 , since the burst signal is opposite in phase relative to the u axis , the burst signal is resolved into a component on the r - axis and a component on the orthogonal axis and code words corresponding to the respective axes are stored in a memory . thus , if the code words are selectively mixed at every 1 / 4f sc , a desired digital burst signal s b can be produced . in a practical case , a read - only memory is supplied with clock pulses of f sc and 2f sc , a burst flag pulse and a horizontal synchronizing pulse with these later pulses being in synchronism with the former pulses . thus , these pulses logically operate to produce the desired digital burst signal s b . fig1 a through 10f are plots of waveforms for explaining the operation of the modulator 21 . fig1 a shows the phase of a subcarrier of a ntsc signal . fig1 b illustrates the wave form of the signal having a frequency of 2f sc for switching the multiplexer 95 . fig1 c shows components of an output signal of the multiplexer 95 . the wave form of a signal of frequency f sc for switching the signal inverter 96 as shown in fig1 d and the output of the sign inverter 96 is illustrated in fig1 e . it can be observed from fig1 e that the output of the modulator 21 is a signal which has been subjected to two - phase quadrature modulation . fig1 f represents the phase of a digital burst signal which is fed to the mixer 25 . as described according to the present invention , the digital processing circuit system x from the ccd chip 1 ( or 2 ) to the filter delay 6 ( or 36 ) is processed at the sampling rate of f s =( 4 / 3 ) f sc of ccd chip 1 or 2 , and the other digital processing circuit system y following the circuit system x is processed at a rate of f s &# 39 ;= 4f sc , so that the digital processing circuit system x which operates at low speed can be utilized and , thus , a digital circuit which is inexpensive can be utilized . also , matching of the processing rates can be achieved by the digital to digital analog converter 20 which is relatively simple in construction and thus the circuit design can be simple and is suitable for integrated circuit construction . in the above embodiment , the processing rate of the digital processing circuit system y is f s &# 39 ;= 4f sc &# 39 ; but f s &# 39 ;= 3f sc can also be utilized . also , in this embodiment , although a two - chip type television camera has been described , a single chip type or a three - chip type camera could also be used and in fact any type of television camera can be utilized . additionally , the semiconductor image sensing device is applicable not only to television camera using charge coupled devices but also to those which use mos type sensors . although the invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments , it is not to be so limited as changes and modifications can be made which are within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | 7 |
referring now to fig1 - 3 , there is shown a front end of a mobile vehicle , here shown as being a tractor 10 , and a front - end loader 50 mounted on the tractor . the tractor 10 includes a main frame 12 supported for movement over the ground by a pair of rear wheels ( not shown ) and a pair of front wheels 14 , here shown as being drive wheels . the frame 12 includes a pair of fore - and - aft extending , parallel , transversely spaced , side members 16 ( only the right side member being visible ) joined at their forward ends by a cross member 18 to which is mounted a front ballast weight bracket 20 . a pair of loader support frames 22 are respectively provided at the opposite sides of the tractor 10 , with each including a vertical mounting plate 24 bolted to an associated side member 16 and joined to an inner end of a horizontal , outwardly projecting tubular member 26 having its outer end joined to an inner surface of a lower region of a vertical plate 28 . projecting through and fixed to the vertical plate 28 so as to have opposite end sections exposed at opposite sides of the plate 28 are a bottom cylindrical bushing 30 , located at a height just above the tubular member 26 , and a top cylindrical bushing 32 , located at an upper region of the plate 28 , the bushings 30 and 32 serving in the connection of the loader 50 to the tractor 10 in a manner described below . a hood 34 extends forwardly from a control console 36 and covers an engine supported on a forward section of the frame 12 . a steering wheel 38 is provided at the control console 36 for being easily reached by a seated operator having his or her feet in engagement with a foot rest zone 40 of a floor pan or platform 42 . it is noted that a forward region of the foot rest zone 40 is inclined upward toward the front and terminates at a top surface 44 ( fig3 ), which is at a height approximately half way between the bottom bushing 30 and the top bushing 32 , the significance of this position being explained below . the loader 50 includes a boom structure comprising a pair of parallel loader boom arms 52 , each having rear and front sections 54 and 56 , respectively , of approximately equal length , with the rear section 54 being joined to the front section 56 so as to define an included angle of approximately 135 °. as viewed with the loader in a lowered position , as shown in fig1 and 3 , the arm rear sections 54 are curved slightly downwardly from rear to front , while the arm front sections 56 extend downwardly to respective forward end regions that are joined together by a tubular cross member 58 ( fig3 ). a working tool or implement , here shown as a loader bucket 60 is coupled to the forward end of the loader boom arms 52 by a horizontal cross rod 62 that is received in aligned bushings provided in the arms , and in aligned bushings provided in lower regions of a pair of transversely spaced brackets 64 ( fig2 ) fixed to the back side of the bucket 60 . the bucket 60 is thus coupled to the boom arms 52 for pivoting about a horizontal transverse axis . coupled , as by a pin 65 , to each of the boom arms 52 at an upper region of the junction between the front rear arm sections 54 and 56 is the barrel of a hydraulic bucket tilt cylinder 66 having a rod pivotally coupled , as by a pin 68 , to an upper region of an associated one of the brackets 64 . extension and retraction of the bucket tilt cylinders 62 will result in the bucket 60 being tilted one way or the other about its pivotal connection with the loader boom arms 52 . upper ends of a pair of loader masts 70 are respectively pivotally coupled , as at pins 72 , to rear ends of the loader boom arms 52 . referring now also to fig4 , it can be seen that the loader masts 70 are each constructed of a pair of parallel plates 74 joined together by a rib structure 76 . the bottom ends of the plates 74 are joined together by a web 78 containing a fore - and - aft extending centering or guide groove 80 in which is located a forward edge portion of the loader support frame plate 28 . a bushing receptacle 82 is provided in the bottoms of each of the plates 74 and received in the receptacle is the opposite end portions of the lower cylindrical bushing 30 . it is to be noted that the cylindrical bushing 30 could be replaced by any pivot - defining support which would cooperate with a complementary receptacle in the bottom of the mast 70 so as to allow the mast to pivot about the support when the loader 50 being attached to , or detached from , the tractor 10 , as is described in more detail below . coupled between each of the boom arms 52 and the associated mast 70 is a boom lift cylinder 84 having a barrel coupled , as by a pin 86 , to a bracket provided at an underside of the junction between the rear and front sections 54 and 56 , respectively , of the boom arms . a rod 88 of the lift cylinder 84 has an end defined by an eye which is located between , and coupled to , the mast plates 74 by a pin 90 at a location approximately midway between opposite ends of , and at a forward region of , the mast 70 . located between the pair of plates 74 of each loader mast 70 is a latch assembly 92 comprising a latch hook 94 and a coil torsion spring 96 . the latch hook 94 is mounted for pivoting about the pin 90 and includes a pair of parallel , transversely spaced , side members 98 located on opposite sides of the eye of the cylinder rod 88 . the side members 98 have respective rear ends joined together by a first rib defining a toe pad 100 , and by a second rib defining an abutment 102 having a function described below . forward ends of the side members 98 extend beyond the pin 90 and terminate in bifurcated ends 104 . referring now also to fig5 - 11 , it can be seen that the underside of each side members 98 of the latch hook 94 forms a downwardly opening latch element receptacle 106 bounded at its rear by a hook nose 108 having a smoothly curved rear surface 110 . the coil torsion spring 96 includes a central coil section disposed about a transverse axis and joined to an inwardly bent inner end 112 and an outer end bent to form an eye 114 . the inner end 112 is received in a hole provided in , and thus is anchored to , the inner plate 74 of the mast 70 at a location in the vicinity of the bifurcated end 96 of the latch member 86 , while the eye 114 of the torsion spring 96 is received between the furcations of the inner latch side 98 and held in place by a cross pin 116 extending through a transverse bore provided in the bifurcated end 104 . the torsion spring 96 is wound such that a spring force exists trying to separate the inner end 112 and the eye 114 . when the loader 50 is mounted on the tractor 10 , as shown in fig1 and 2 , the line of force acting between the inner end 112 and the eye 114 is forward of the axis of the pin 90 resulting in the spring 96 acting to bias the latch hook 94 to a closed position , as shown in fig5 . when the latch hook 94 is manually moved clockwise from its latched position to the open position shown in fig6 , the line of action of the spring 96 will go over center so as to be rearward of the axis of the pin 90 , the spring 96 then acting to hold the latch hook 94 in an open position wherein the abutment 102 engages the rod 88 of the boom lift cylinder 84 , as can best be seen in fig4 . while the coil torsion spring 96 is preferred because of being compact so as to easily fit into the space between the mast sides 74 , an other biasing element such as a coil tension spring or gas cylinder could be used provided it is arranged so as to go over center for biasing the latch hook 94 both closed and open . furthermore , the biasing element does not have to be coupled directly to the latch hook 94 . for example , the biasing element could be connected for transferring force to the latch hook 94 by a lever , linkage , cable , etc . a parking stand 116 is provided for supporting the rear end of the loader on the ground when the loader is parked , as shown in fig3 . the parking stand 116 is constructed of a tube bent to form a pair of transversely spaced parallel arms 118 having respective fore - and - aft extending rear arm sections 120 having forward ends joined to front sections 122 , which extend downwardly from , and form an included angle of approximately 90 ° with , the front arm sections . lower ends of the front sections 122 are joined to each other by a transverse arm section 124 . the rear arm sections 120 of the parking stand 116 are disposed approximately perpendicular to , and have rear ends fixed to inner surfaces of the inner plates 74 of the masts 70 , in the regions of the pivot pins 90 by mounting members 126 . as can be seen in fig1 , the transverse arm section 124 is located beneath the front - end weight mounting bracket 20 when the loader 50 is mounted on the tractor 10 . the operation of the latching system is set forth below . starting with the loader 50 mounted on the tractor 10 , as shown in fig1 and 5 , each latch hook 94 will be in its latched position with the associated loader mounting bushing 32 being captured within the latching element receptacle 106 . further , the parking stand 116 will be in an elevated , non - working position , wherein the transverse section 124 is located in a space under the front - end weight bracket 20 . if it is desired to disconnect the loader 50 from the tractor , the operator will cause the lift cylinders 84 to be contracted so as to cause the loader boom arms 52 to lower and place the bucket 60 on the ground . the seated operator will then use his or her feet to apply a force to the toe pad 100 of each latch hook 94 to effect clockwise rotation of the latch members 94 about the pins 90 , with it being noted that the toe pads 100 are just above the front top edge 44 of the foot rest 40 so as to be within easy reach of the operator &# 39 ; s feet . once the line of force of each of the coil torsion springs 96 moves over center , the torsion springs will act to bias the latch members 94 to their open positions , shown in fig6 , wherein the abutment members 102 are in engagement with the piston rods 88 of the lift cylinders 84 . with the latches 94 in their open positions , the parking stand 116 is lowered by extending the hydraulic lift cylinders 84 so as to cause the masts 70 to pivot forward about the loader mounting frame lower bushings 30 , with the bucket 60 being slid forwardly on the ground to permit this movement . as masts 70 are pivoted by the extending lift cylinders 84 , the transverse section 124 of the parking stand arms 118 will first come into contact with the ground and will , upon further extension of the lift cylinders 84 , elevate the masts 70 sufficiently to disengage the bushing receptacles 82 from the respective bushings 30 . at the same time , the rods 88 of the hydraulic lift cylinders 84 will , through their contact with the abutments 102 of the latches 94 , cause the latches 94 to pivot counterclockwise about the pins 90 a sufficient distance to once again move the lines of action of the torsion springs 96 over center so that the torsion springs 96 act to rotate the latches further counterclockwise to reset them to an attach position , as shown in fig8 , which is conducive for the reattachment of the loader 50 to the tractor 10 . the disconnection of the loader 50 from the tractor 10 is then completed by disconnecting the hydraulic lines ( not shown ) coupled between the tractor hydraulic system and the loader . the tractor 10 will then be free of the loader 50 , as shown in fig3 , and can then be backed away from the loader . if it is desired to once again attach the loader 50 to the tractor 10 , the tractor will be driven between the masts 70 and boom arms 52 to a position approximately like that shown in fig3 . the hydraulic system of the tractor 10 will then be connected to the loader 50 and the lift cylinders 84 will be contracted so as to lower the bottom ends of the masts 70 onto the bushings 30 , the guidance of the masts 70 into place being facilitated by the front edges of the vertical plates 28 of the loader mounting frames 22 and the grooves 80 in the bottoms of the masts 70 . once the bushings 30 are received within the receptacles 82 , further contraction of the lift cylinders 84 will rotate the masts 70 counterclockwise about the bushings 30 so as to bring the lower portions of the smooth rear surfaces 110 of the latches 94 into engagement with the upper bushings 32 , as shown in fig9 . still further contraction of the lift cylinders 84 results in the latches 94 moving up and over the upper bushings 32 , as shown in fig1 , with the torsion springs 96 then acting to move the latches 84 into their latched positions , as shown in fig1 . thus , it will be appreciated that the over center action of the torsion springs 96 makes it possible , during detaching the loader 50 from the tractor , for the operator to concentrate on effecting operation of the lift cylinders 84 once the latches 94 are manually opened , and that thereafter the latches 94 are automatically reset to a latch position so as to be ready for reattachment of the loader 50 to the tractor 10 , and that during this reattachment the latches are automatically moved to their latched positions . having described the preferred embodiment , it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims . | 4 |
the process of the present invention is shown in the reaction scheme iii shown below according to an embodiment of the present invention , there is provided an improved process for the synthesis of solanesyl acetone of the formula 1 with brominating agent in presence of an acid scavenger selected from alkyl amines ; in an aqueous medium to get two phases , namely aqueous and organic phases ; ( iii ) separating and evaporating the organic phase to isolate the solanesyl bromide of the formula 9 ; ( iv ) reacting solanesyl bromide obtained in ( iii ) with ethylacetoacetate using a base selected from bulky alkali metal alkoxide base made from tertiary alcohol and mild base like inorganic alkali metal carbonates , in presence of non polar solvent to get the solanesyl ester of the formula 15 ; and ( v ) hydrolysing the solanesyl ester of the formula 15 formed in step ( iv ) by known methods to obtain solanesyl acetone of the formula 1 according to yet another embodiment of the present invention there is provided an improved process for the preparation of solanesyl acetone of the formula 1 ( ii ) quenching the resulting solanesyl bromide of the formula 9 in an alcohol to obtain a precipitate which is filtered to obtain a solid ; ( iii ) reacting solanesyl bromide obtained in ( ii ) with ethylacetoacetate using base selected from bulky alkali metal alkoxide base made from tertiary alcohol , and mild base like inorganic alkali metal carbonates , in presence of non polar solvent to get the solanesyl ester of the formula 15 ; and ( iv ) hydrolysing the solanesyl ester of the formula 15 formed in step ( iii ) by known methods to get solanesyl acetone of the formula 1 the improvement in the present process of preparation of solanesyl acetone is made by forming the nucleophile of ethyl acetoacetate using a bulky alkali metal alkoxide base made from tertiary alcohol , or a mild base like inorganic alkali metal carbonates , and reacting with solanesyl bromide . solanesyl bromide can interact with base forming impurities due to dehalogenation or hydrolysis . interaction of solanesyl bromide with bulky alkali metal alkoxide base made from tertiary alcohol , is less , because of steric effect , thereby reducing the impurity formation . inorganic alkali metal carbonates are weak bases and would also interact less effectively with solanesyl bromide . in prior art an alkyl alkoxide made from primary alcohol that can interact readily with solanesyl bromide were used , thereby increasing the impurity formation . a nonpolar solvent used in the present invention has negligible solubility of the base thereby decreasing interaction of solanesyl bromide and reducing formation of impurities further , as against prior art where a polar solvent in which the solubility of the base is high is being used . solanesyl acetone made by the present invention improves the purity to more than 90 % from 65 - 70 % obtained in the prior art . according to still another embodiment of the present invention there is provided an improved process for the purification of solanesol of the formula 2 , useful in the preparation of solanesyl acetone of the formula 1 ( i ) subjecting crude solanesol to column chromatography using a gradient solvent system selected from non polar , polar and a mixture thereof ; ( ii ) dissolving the solanesol obtained in step ( i ) with a polar solvent ; ( iii ) allowing the resulting solution to settle , and decanting out the supernatant ; and ( iv ) cooling the supernatant obtained in step ( iii ) to a temperature in the range of − 30 ° c . to room temperature to get pure ( above 90 %) solanesol of formula 2 the above method of purification of solanesol uses a combination of column chromatography and crystallization . the crystallization of solanesol in solvent comprising of separating the insoluble by decanting the supernatant from the solution , followed by crystallization is not reported in literature , and therefore novel . the above method improves the purity of solanesol from 75 % to about 90 %. according to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided an improved process for the preparation of solanesyl bromide of the formula 9 , useful in the preparation of solanesyl acetone of the formula 1 with brominating agent in presence of acid scavenger like alkyl amines ; ( ii ) quenching the reaction mixture in an aqueous medium to get two phases , namely aqueous and organic phases ; separating the organic phase and evaporating to get solanesyl bromide of the formula 9 ; unlike the prior art wherein , pyridine is used as an acid scavenger , the acid scavenger used in the present invention is an alkyl amine . alkyl amines are non - toxic , environment friendly , economical and therefore commercially viable . use of an alkyl amine as an acid scavenger , has not been reported in the prior art for making solanesyl bromide and therefore novel . according to another embodiment of the present invention there is provided an improved process for the preparation of solanesyl bromide of the formula 9 , useful in the preparation of solanesyl acetone of the formula 1 ( ii ) quenching the reaction mixture in an alcohol to obtain a precipitate which is filtered to obtain solanesyl bromide of formula 9 as a solid ; in the above method of making solanesyl bromide , improvements are effected by , quenching the reaction mixture in alcohol to precipitate out the solid and isolating the solanesyl bromide in solid form by filtering out the solid thereby retaining the coloured impurity in alcohol . the method also avoids the use of aqueous medium thereby circumventing the problem of emulsion , improving the yield and purity of solanesyl bromide to above 95 %. in a preferred embodiment of the invention , column chromatography of crude solanesol may be carried out using silica gel of 60 - 120 mesh , or 100 to 200 mesh , preferably 60 - 120 mesh , using a solvent system hexane - ethyl acetate or hexane - dioxane , preferably hexane - ethyl acetate , with loading of silica gel 5 times to 18 times preferably 7 - 12 times . elution may be done with 1 % ethyl acetate in hexane to 10 % ethyl acetate in hexane or 1 % dioxane in hexane to 8 % dioxane in hexane . crystallization of column purified solanesol may be done by dissolving in polar solvent like alcohols or ketones like methanol , ethanol , isopropanol , acetone , methyl ethyl ketone , methyl isobutyl ketone etc , preferably alcohol preferably methanol , at temperature in the range of 30 - 60 ° c . the solution of solanesol may be allowed to settle and the supernatant solution decanted at a temperature in the range of 10 - 60 ° c . preferably at 25 - 35 ° c . the supernatant solution of solanesol may be allowed to cool to temperature in the range of − 30 ° c . to 25 ° c . and the solid may be precipitated out . the bromination of crude or purified solanesol may be effected employing brominating agents such as phosphorous tribromide , sulphonyl chloride , preferably phosphorous tribromide . the reaction may be carried out in the presence of acid scavenger like alkyl amine such as diethyl amine , triethylamine , diisopropyl amine preferably triethyl amine . the bromination may be carried out in the presence of solvents such as alkanes , ethers , chlorinated hydrocarbons , like hexane , heptane , petroleum ether , diethyl ether , diisopropyl ether . temperature of reaction may be varied from − 10 ° c . to 25 ° c . to preferably − 5 to − 10 ° c . when the reaction is done in presence of acid scavenger the reaction may be quenched in aqueous medium , and extracted in organic phase . the bromination of crude or purified solanesol may also be carried out without using an acid scavenger , in presence of solvents such as cyclic ethers like tetrahydrofuran , 1 , 4 - dioxan . when the bromination is effected without an acid scavenger the reaction mixture may be quenched in alcohol like methanol , ethanol or isopropanol preferably methanol thereby avoiding aqueous medium . the volume of methanol may be varied from 5 - 20 times to that of solanesol preferably 10 - 15 times . the solid may be precipitated out at a temperature in the range of − 20 ° c . to 20 ° c . the solanesyl bromide obtained may be reacted with ethylacetoacetate in hydrocarbon solvent like heptane , hexane , toluene preferably hexane and using a base like alkali metal carbonates like potassium carbonate , sodium carbonate preferably potassium carbonate , or a bulky base like alkali metal alkoxide like sodium tert - butoxide , potassium tert - butoxide , preferably potassium tert - butoxide . the molar ratio of the base with respect to ethylacetoacetate may be varied from 1 : 0 . 5 to 1 : 4 preferably 1 : 1 . 0 to 1 : 2 . 0 . in the last step the solanesyl ester thus formed may be hydrolyzed in the presence of alkali like sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide in aqueous medium or in alcoholic base like ethanolic potassium hydroxide , ethanolic sodium hydroxide or in a solution of alkali in alcohol . the details of the invention are given in the examples given below which are given to illustrate the invention only and therefore should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention . solanesol ( 75 % purity ) 200 g was impregnated with 250 g silica gel ( 60 - 100 mesh size ). the column 2 . 5 ft ., 9 inch diameter was packed with silica gel 2 . 0 kg . the column was eluted with 1 . 0 to 6 % ethyl acetate in hexane , to obtain 180 g solanesol . column purified solanesol was taken in methanol ( 2 . 5tit ) and heated to 50 - 55 ° c . the reaction mixture was transferred to separating funnel at 25 - 35 ° c . and allowed to settle . the supernatant was decanted and cooled to 10 - 15 ° c . and filtered . yield 162 g purity : 90 % ( hplc ). solanesol ( 75 % purity ) 200 g was impregnated with 250 g silica gel ( 120 - 300 mesh size ). the column 2 . 5 ft ., 9 inch diameter was packed with silica gel 2 . 0 kg . the column was eluted with 1 . 0 to 6 % ethyl acetate in hexane to obtain 165 g solanesol . column purified solanesol ( 10 g ) was taken in acetone and stirred at 25 - 35 ° c . the reaction mixture was transferred to separating funnel at 25 - 35 ° c . and allowed to settle . the supernatant was decanted and cooled to − 30 ° c . to − 25 ° c . and filtered . yield : 148 g , purity : 90 % solanesol purified by the process described in example 1 ( 44 g ), was taken in tetrahydrofuran ( 132 ml ) and cooled to − 10 ° c . phosphorus tribromide ( 3 ml ) in thf ( 9 ml ) was added dropwise at the same temperature . reaction was maintained at − 10 ° c . for 2 hrs . reaction mixture was quenched in methanol ( 264 ml ) at − 10 ° c . to precipitate and filter out solanesyl bromide of formula 9 in form of solid . yield : 97 %, purity : 92 %. solanesol purified by the process described in example 2 , ( 44 g ) was taken in tetrahydrofuran ( 132 ml ) was cooled to − 10 ° c . phosphorus tribromide ( 3 ml ) in thf ( 9 ml ) was added dropwise at the same temperature . reaction was maintained at − 10 ° c . for 2 hrs . reaction mixture was quenched in methanol ( 440 ml ) at 0 ° c . to precipitate and filter out solanesyl bromide of formula 9 in form of solid . yield : 92 %, purity : 95 %. solanesol purified by the process described in example 1 , ( 44 g ) was taken in diisopropyl ether ( 132 ml ) and cooled to − 10 ° c . triethylamine ( 1 . 76 g ) was added at the same temperature followed by dropwise addition of phosphorus tribromide ( 3 ml ) in diisopropyl ether ( 9 ml ). reaction was maintained at − 10 ° c . for 2 hrs . reaction mixture was quenched in water . the organic layer was separated and evaporated to form solanesyl bromide of formula 15 . yield : 94 %, purity : 95 %. crude solanesol ( without purification ) having the purity of 75 %, ( 44 g ) was taken in tetrahydrofuran ( 132 ml ) and cooled to − 10 ° c . phosphorus tribromide ( 3 ml ) in thf ( 9 ml ) was added dropwise at the same temperature . reaction was maintained at − 10 ° c . for 2 hrs . reaction mixture was quenched in methanol ( 440 ml ) at − 10 ° c . to precipitate and filter out solanesyl bromide of formula 9 in form of solid . yield : 88 % purity : 83 %. crude solanesol ( without purification ) having the purity of 75 %, ( 44 g ) was taken in hexane ( 132 ml ) and cooled to − 10 ° c . triethylamine ( 1 . 76 g ) was added at the same temperature , followed by dropwise addition of phosphorus tribromide ( 3 ml ) in hexane ( 9 ml ). reaction was maintained at − 10 ° c . for 2 hrs . reaction mixture was quenched in water . the organic layer was separated and evaporated to yield solanesyl bromide compound of formula 9 . yield : 88 %; purity : 83 %. potassium carbonate ( 8 . 4 g , 1 . 7 mol ) was added to the solution of ethyl acetoacetate ( 16 . 4 g ) in hexane ( 250 ml ). solanesyl bromide ( 25 g ) prepared by the process described in example 3 was added to the reaction mixture and the reaction was continued at room temperature overnight to form solanesyl ester of formula 15 . sodium hydroxide ( 14 . 3 g ) in water ( 48 ml ) was added to the reaction mixture and the mixture heated to 50 ° c . overnight . the reaction mixture was quenched in water , and the hexane layer was distilled to obtain solanesyl acetone compound of formula 1 ( 18 . 5 g ). yield : 80 %, purity : 76 % ethyl acetoacetate ( 18 . 3 g ) was added to potassium tert - butoxide ( 7 . 1 g ) in hexane ( 65 ml ) under nitrogen atmosphere . solanesyl bromide ( 25 g ) prepared by the process described in example 3 , was added to the reaction mixture and the reaction was continued overnight to form compound of formula 15 . reaction mixture was filtered and hexane distilled . the residue was treated with 20 % potassium hydroxide solution in isopropanol at 40 - 45 ° c . for 2 hrs , quenched in water and the hexane layer was distilled to obtain solanesyl acetone compound of formula 1 ( 22 g ). yield 91 %, purity 85 %. potassium carbonate ( 8 . 4 g ) was added to the solution of ethyl acetoacetate ( 16 . 4 g ) in hexane ( 250 ml ). solanesyl bromide ( 25 g ) prepared by the process described in example 5 was added to the reaction mixture and the reaction was continued at room temperature overnight to form compound of formula 15 . sodium hydroxide ( 14 . 3 g ) in water ( 48 ml ) was added to the reaction mixture and the mixture heated to 50 ° c . overnight . the reaction mixture was quenched in water , and the hexane layer was distilled to obtain solanesyl acetone compound of formula 1 ( 18 . 5 g ). yield : 80 %, purity : 76 % ethyl acetoacetate ( 18 . 3 g ) was added to potassium tert - butoxide ( 7 . 1 g ) in hexane ( 65 ml ) under nitrogen atmosphere . solanesyl bromide ( 25 g ) prepared by the process described in example 5 , was added to the reaction mixture and the reaction was continued overnight to form compound of formula 15 . reaction mixture was filtered and hexane distilled . the residue was treated with 20 % potassium hydroxide solution in isopropanol at 40 - 45 ° c . for 2 hrs , quenched in water and the hexane layer was distilled to obtain solanesyl acetone compound of formula 1 ( 22 g ). yield 91 %, purity 85 %. potassium carbonate ( 8 . 4 g ) was added to the solution of ethyl acetoacetate ( 16 . 4 g ) in hexane ( 250 ml ). solanesyl bromide ( 25 g ) prepared by the process described in example 6 was added to the reaction mixture and the reaction was continued at room temperature overnight to form compound of formula 15 . sodium hydroxide ( 14 . 3 g ) in water ( 48 ml ) was added to the reaction mixture and the mixture heated to 40 - 45 ° c . overnight . the reaction mixture was quenched in water , and the hexane layer was distilled to obtain the solanesyl acetone compound of formula 1 ( 18 . 5 g ). yield , 85 %, purity , 80 % ethyl acetoacetate ( 18 . 3 g ) was added to potassium tert - butoxide ( 7 . 1 g ) in hexane ( 65 ml ) under nitrogen atmosphere . solanesyl bromide ( 25 g ) prepared by the process described in example 6 , was added to the reaction mixture and the reaction was continued overnight to form compound of formula 15 . reaction mixture was filtered and hexane distilled . the residue was treated with 20 % potassium hydroxide solution in isopropanol at 40 - 45 ° c . for 2 hrs , quenched in water and the hexane layer was distilled to obtain solanesyl acetone compound of formula 1 ( 20 . 5 g ). yield 85 %, purity 80 %. 1 . purification of solanesol results in increasing the purity to more than 90 %. 2 . the process for the preparation of solanesyl bromide is simple and economical and avoids use of toxic reagent . 3 . using purified solanesol , the purity of solanesyl bromide is also enhanced . 4 . the process results in making solanesyl acetone having increased purity of more than 90 %. 5 . all the processes are robust , simple , economical , environmentally safe and commercially viable . | 2 |
a signal conditioning circuit 1 is made up of a signal conditioning subcircuit 2 for a passive rotary speed sensor 3 and of an additional signal conditioning subcircuit 4 for an active rotary speed sensor 5 . both signal conditioning subcircuits 2 and 4 are used for the level adjustment of the rotary speed signals emitted by rotary speed sensors 3 and 5 for a postconnected electronic control unit 6 , which is developed here as a microcontroller . signal conditioning subcircuit 2 for passive rotary speed sensor 3 , besides a fixed current limitation of the two sensor inputs a and b , includes a comparator 7 , whose output signal goes to electronic control unit 6 via a first signal input x . by contrast , signal conditioning circuit 4 for active rotary speed sensor 5 is developed here as a fixed current limitation having a postconnected transistor driver 8 , whose output signal reaches electronic control unit 6 via second signal input y . signal conditioning circuit 1 also includes two switching elements 9 a and 9 b for activating one of the two signal conditioning subcircuits 2 or 4 , depending on the sensor type . switching elements 9 a and 9 b are developed as bipolar transistors that are controlled by electronic control unit 6 ( dashed lines ). electronic control unit 6 detects the currently connected sensor type , and operates both switching elements 9 a and 9 b for the selection of the appertaining signal conditioning subcircuit 2 or 4 . electronic control unit 6 , that is equipped with the appropriate software , tests , upon initial operation , whether an active rotary speed sensor 5 is connected at sensor input a , b . if the connected rotary speed sensor supplies a signal during standstill of the vehicle , an active rotary speed sensor 5 is involved , which is connected to sensor input a , b . on the other hand , if , during standstill of the vehicle , no signal is present at sensor input a , b , then a passive rotary speed sensor 3 is involved . the fact that a rotary speed sensor is connected at all is monitored via a connection , not shown , of input a and a coupling element of electronic control unit 6 . in series between operating voltage potential / ground and the two sensor inputs a and b , two damping diodes 10 a , 10 b are preconnected respectively to signal conditioning subcircuit 4 for optional rotary speed sensor 5 . the two damping diodes 10 a and 10 b are used here to prevent a damaging current from signal conditioning subcircuit 4 for active rotary speed sensor 5 , in the case of a connection of a passive rotary speed sensor 3 to sensor inputs a and b . the same is true for parallel connections above the input voltage . the present invention is not limited in its specific embodiment to the preferred exemplary embodiment stated above . rather , modifications thereof are also conceivable . consequently , the design approach according to the present invention is also suitable for those signal conditioning subcircuits in which the signal of the passive rotary speed sensor is referred to ground . in this case , the ground reference is to be interrupted by inserting an additional switch into the ground line — preferably a transistor . thus , in this instance , altogether three switching elements are required , which are preferably able to be controlled automatically via the electronic control unit . furthermore , it is also possible to design the signal conditioning subcircuit for the active rotary speed sensor in the manner of a comparator having hysteresis , in order to achieve a suitable level adjustment . | 1 |
referring to fig1 , an endoprosthesis 20 has the form of a tubular member defined by a plurality of bands 22 and a plurality of connectors 24 that extend between and connect adjacent bands . during use , bands 22 are expanded from an initial , small diameter to a larger diameter to contact endoprosthesis 20 against a wall of a vessel , thereby maintaining the patency of the vessel . connectors 24 provide endoprosthesis 20 with flexibility and conformability that allow the endoprosthesis to adapt to the contours of the vessel . in some embodiments , endoprosthesis 20 includes ( e . g ., is formed of ) a metallic alloy that has two ( or more ) intimately mixed elements . the alloy can be capable of providing endoprosthesis 20 with a good balance of yield strength and stiffness to obtain good radial recoil upon crimping onto the balloon catheter and upon expansion in the vessel . for example , an endoprosthesis can have good securement on the balloon catheter while being tracked along the guidewire to the implantation site and can have good apposition against the vessel wall , strength ( for example , to support a body lumen ), corrosion resistance , radiopacity , and mri compatibility . in particular embodiments , the alloy is a composite structure including ductile domains and stiff domains that provide desirable mechanical properties such that the stent can be delivered in a small diameter form and expanded at a treatment site , can maintain the opening of a lumen wall , and has sufficient flexibility to facilitate delivery through a tortuous body lumen and to avoid excessive stiffness at the treatment site . the domains can be formed by a eutectoid reaction . for example , ti , which in pure form has a relatively low elastic modulus and density , is utilized in an binary or multi element alloy with elements ( x ) that form a eutectoid in the ti rich portion of the phase diagram . the eutectoid composite can form a ductile phase of alpha - ti and a higher strength phase of ti — x which provides high strength and stiffness . the eutectoid composite can form microfeatures , such as lamellae that affect mechanical properties and whose characteristics , such as width , length , and concentration can be adjusted during manufacture to select properties of the stent . the microfeatures are intimately bonded , reducing the likelihood of delamination of the composite . the microfeatures can be typically homogeneous throughout the alloy , which enhances uniformity across the stent or between stents . the eutectoid can be formed at multiple stages in the stent manufacturing process , including after drawing or laser cutting by annealing processes , such as aging below the eutectoid temperature , so that the eutectoid is not modified by intermediate processing steps . in addition , the selection of alloy elements can enhance other stent properties , such as radiopacity , for compatibility with fluoroscopic imaging , and magnetic susceptibility , for compatibility with mri imaging . referring to fig2 , a phase diagram for ti — ir binary system is illustrated with the eutectoid composition at 17 wt % marked . the eutectoid composition is the composition of two or more metallic elements , upon cooling , one solid phase transforms isothermally and reversibly into two new solid phases that are intimately mixed . phase diagrams are provided in hugh baker ( ed .). ( 1992 ). asm handbook , vol . 3 , “ alloy phase diagrams ”. asm international ( materials park , ohio ). in particular , phase diagrams for ti — x binary systems are found at pages 2 - 38 ( ti — ag ), 2 - 78 ( ti — au ), 2 - 150 ( ti — co ), 2 - 161 ( ti — cr ), 2 - 180 ( ti — cu ), 2 - 205 ( ti — fe ), 2 - 267 ( ti — ir ), 2 - 290 ( ti — mn ), 2 - 319 ( ti — ni ), 2 - 341 ( ti — pd ), 2 - 348 ( ti — pt ). further phase diagrams are provided in eric a . brandes ( ed .). ( 1983 ). smithells metals reference book ( 6 th edition , page 11 - 140 ( ti — bi )). butterworth and co . ( london , england ). referring to fig3 , the metallic alloy includes two ( or more ) phases that are intimately mixed . the two or more phases can form a composite structure ( e . g ., a composite microstructure ), where the two or more phases can occupy discrete domains within the metallic alloy . the domains can be uniformly , or non - uniformly , dispersed within the metallic alloy . for example , two intimately mixed phases can form a eutectoid structure , where one solid phase 30 can be a relatively ductile matrix phase and the second solid phase 32 can be a relatively strong , stiff , and radiopaque dispersed phase . in the eutectoid structure , the two phases can be reversibly and isothermally transformed between one solid phase and two intimately mixed solid phases . the phases can have various shapes and can be observed using a microscope . for example , a phase can have a lamellar ( e . g ., layered ) appearance , a granular appearance , a globular appearance , a fibrous appearance , and / or a dendritic appearance . as an example , the two phases in the eutectoid structure can have an alternating lamellar microstructure . referring to fig3 a , in some embodiments , a lamellar phase has an average lamella width w 1 , w 2 of from approximately 0 . 1 μm to approximately 10 μm , and an average length of from approximately 1 μm to approximately 1000 μm . the average lamella width can be greater than or equal to approximately 0 . 1 μm , approximately 0 . 2 μm , approximately 0 . 5 μm , approximately 1 μm , approximately 1 . 5 μm , approximately 2 μm , approximately 2 . 5 μm , approximately 3 . 0 μm , approximately 3 . 5 μm , approximately 4 μm , approximately 4 . 5 μm , approximately 5 μm , approximately 5 . 5 μm , approximately 6 . 5 μm , approximately 7 . 5 μm , approximately 8 . 0 μm ; approximately 8 . 5 μm , or approximately 9 . 0 μm , and / or less than or equal to approximately 10 μm , approximately 9 μm , approximately 8 . 5 μm , approximately 8 μm , approximately 7 . 5 μm , approximately 7 μm , approximately 6 . 5 μm , approximately 6 μm , approximately 5 . 5 μm , approximately 5 μm , approximately 4 . 5 μm , approximately 4 μm , approximately 3 . 5 μm , approximately 3 μm , approximately 2 . 5 μm , approximately 2 μm , approximately 1 . 5 μm , approximately 1 μm , approximately 0 . 5 μm , or approximately 0 . 2 μm . the average lamella length l 1 , l 2 can be greater than or equal to approximately 1 μm , approximately 10 μm , approximately 100 μm , approximately 200 μm , approximately 400 μm , approximately 600 μm , or approximately 800 μm ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 1000 μm , approximately 800 μm , approximately 600 μm , approximately 400 μm , approximately 200 μm , approximately 100 μm , or approximately 10 μm . the lamellae length and width can be determined by preparing a polished ( or polished and etched ) metallographic sample cross - section , capturing magnified optical or electron metallographic images of the sample cross - section that include a calibrated micron scale bar or item of known length and then taking distance measurements from the calibrated sample cross - section images . additional sample preparation guidelines can be found in astm e3 “ standard guide for preparation of metallographic specimens ” and asm handbook , volume 9 “ metallography and microstructures ”. the average lamellae length and width can be determined by capturing a minimum of five fields - of - view ( fov ) from a minimum specimen cross - section area of one square millimeter ( a ≧ 1 . 0 mm 2 ). the five fov can be captured at a magnification that is low enough to allow the length of the longest lamella present to be viewed in its entirety , but high enough to clearly discern and measure the width of the narrowest lamella present ( e . g . typically between 500 × and 3000 × magnification ). within each of the five fov , the length and width of 10 lamellae can be randomly chosen and measured . the average lamellae length can be determined by adding the 50 individual lamellae length measurements from the 5 fov and dividing by 50 . the average lamellae width can be determined by adding the 50 individual lamellae width measurements from the 5 fov and dividing by 50 . the endoprosthesis can include ( e . g ., be formed of ) an alloy that includes titanium ( ti ), which can provide an endoprosthesis that is biocompatible , corrosion resistant , and non - magnetic . the endoprosthesis can also be relatively strong and ductile . in some embodiments , the alloy includes ( e . g ., is formed of ) ti in a metallic first phase 30 . ti can be in an α - ti phase that has a hexagonal close - packed crystallographic form and / or in a relatively more ductile β - ti phase that has a body centered cubic crystallographic form . in some embodiments , the alloy has a ti concentration from approximately 50 percent by weight to approximately 99 weight percent by weight . the ti concentration can be greater than or equal to approximately 50 percent by weight , approximately 55 percent by weight , approximately 60 percent by weight , approximately 65 percent by weight , approximately 70 percent by weight , approximately 75 percent by weight , approximately 80 percent by weight , approximately 85 percent by weight , approximately 90 percent by weight , or approximately 95 percent by weight ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 99 percent by weight , approximately 98 percent by weight , approximately 97 percent by weight , approximately 96 percent by weight , approximately 95 percent by weight , approximately 90 percent by weight , approximately 85 percent by weight , approximately 80 percent by weight , approximately 75 percent by weight , approximately 70 percent by weight , approximately 65 percent by weight , approximately 60 percent by weight , or approximately 55 percent by weight . the alloy can also include ( e . g ., is formed of ) one or more metallic second phase 32 having a composition ( e . g ., a compound ) that includes ti and one or more ( e . g ., two , three , four , five , six , or more ) element ( s ) such as ir , pt , cr , au , ag , bi , mn , pd , co , cu , fe , and / or ni . in some embodiments , the second phase 32 includes a binary intermetallic compound ( e . g ., a chemical compound ), for example , tiir 3 , ti 3 pt , α - ticr 2 , ti 3 au , ti 2 ag , ti 3 bi , α - timn , ti 2 pd , ti 2 co , ti 2 cu , tife , and / or ti 2 ni . the intermetallic compound can have a greater density than ti , and can enhance the radiopacity of an endoprosthesis during fluoroscopic and computer tomographic ( ct ) imaging . an endoprosthesis having an intermetallic compound as part of the alloy can be relatively strong and / or stiff . the endoprosthesis can be non - magnetic and / or compatible for mri imaging . in some embodiments , the endoprosthesis includes ( e . g ., is formed of ) an alloy that is a mixture of an α - ti first phase and an intermetallic second phase . in some embodiments , the alloy is a mixture of β - ti first phase and one or more intermetallic second phases . in certain embodiments , the alloy is mixture of an α - ti and β - ti first phase and one or more intermetallic second phases . in some embodiments , the alloy includes ir at a concentration from about five percent by weight to about 35 percent by weight . the ir concentration can be greater than or equal to approximately five percent by weight , approximately eight percent by weight , approximately ten percent by weight , approximately 15 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , or approximately 25 percent by weight ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 35 percent by weight , approximately 30 percent by weight , approximately 25 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , approximately 15 percent by weight , or approximately ten percent by weight . for example , the alloy can include ir at a concentration of about 17 ± 2 percent by weight . in some embodiments , ir is a component of an intermetallic compound such as ti 3 ir , which can have a phase fraction of about 26 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - ti and / or β - ti can have a phase fraction of about 74 percent by weight in the alloy . as a component in an alloy , ir can provide a high mass absorption coefficient for enhanced radiopacity in , e . g ., fluoroscopy and ct imaging . an alloy including ir can have low magnetic susceptibility for mri imaging , high yield strength and / or high young &# 39 ; s modulus , and / or can have noble or substantially inert behavior . in some embodiments , the alloy includes pt at a concentration from about four percent by weight to about 30 weight percent by weight . the pt concentration can be greater than or equal to approximately four percent by weight , approximately ten percent by weight , approximately 15 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , or approximately 25 percent by weight ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 30 percent by weight , approximately 25 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , approximately 15 percent by weight , or approximately 10 percent by weight . for example , the alloy can include pt at a concentration of about 12 ± 2 percent by weight . in certain embodiments , pt is a component of an intermetallic compound such as ti 3 pt , which can have a phase fraction of about 19 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - ti and / or β - ti can have a phase fraction of about 81 percent by weight in the alloy . as a component in an alloy , platinum can be a good solid solution strengthener , can provide increased strength , can aid in corrosion resistance , can provide low magnetic susceptibility for mri imaging , and / or can provide a high mass absorption coefficient for enhanced radiopacity . in some embodiments , the alloy includes cr at a concentration from about two percent by weight to about 30 percent by weight . the cr concentration can be greater than or equal to approximately two percent by weight , approximately five percent by weight , approximately ten percent by weight , approximately 15 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , or approximately 25 percent by weight ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 30 percent , approximately 25 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , approximately 15 percent by weight , approximately ten percent by weight , or approximately five percent by weight . for example , the alloy can include cr at a concentration of about 13 ± 2 percent by weight . in some embodiments , cr is a component of an intermetallic compound such as α - ticr 2 , which can have a phase fraction of about 19 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - ti and / or β - ti can have a phase fraction of about 81 percent by weight in the endoprosthesis . an alloy containing cr can have a relatively high stiffness ( young &# 39 ; s modulus of elasticity ) and enhanced radiopacity . cr can be a good solid solution strengthener , and can aid in corrosion resistance . without wishing to be bound by theory , it is believed that chromium can enhance the corrosion resistance of the alloys , e . g ., by increasing the pitting resistance of the alloy . for example , in certain alloys , chromium can form a thin oxide layer on the surface of an alloy that enhances the resistance of the alloy to corrosive attack . the degree of corrosion resistance can be a function of the chromium concentration and the concentrations of other elements in the alloy . in some embodiments , the alloy includes cu at a concentration from about three percent by weight to about 30 percent by weight . the cu concentration can be greater than or equal to approximately three percent by weight , approximately five percent by weight , approximately ten percent by weight , approximately 15 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , or approximately 25 percent by weight ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 30 percent by weight , approximately 25 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , approximately 15 percent by weight , approximately ten percent by weight , or approximately five percent by weight . for example , the alloy can include cu at a concentration of about 7 ± 2 percent by weight . in some embodiments , cu is a component of an intermetallic compound such as ti 2 cu in the metallic second phase , which can have a phase fraction of about 17 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - ti and / or β - ti can have a phase fraction of about 83 percent by weight in the alloy . an alloy including cu can have enhanced radiopacity for compatibility with fluoroscopy and ct imaging , and low magnetic susceptibility for compatibility for mri imaging . in some embodiments , the alloy includes fe at a concentration from approximately two percent by weight to approximately 30 percent by weight . the fe concentration can be greater than or equal to approximately two percent by weight , approximately five percent by weight , approximately ten percent by weight , approximately 15 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , or approximately 25 percent by weight ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 30 percent by weight , approximately 25 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , approximately 15 percent by weight , approximately ten percent by weight , or approximately five percent by weight . for example , the alloy can include fe at a concentration of about 17 ± 2 percent by weight . in some embodiments , fe is a component of an intermetallic compound such as tife , which can have a phase fraction of about 31 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - ti and / or β - ti can have a phase fraction of about 69 percent by weight in the alloy . an alloy including fe can have enhanced radiopacity . in some embodiments , the alloy includes mn at a concentration from approximately two percent by weight to approximately 30 percent by weight . the mn concentration can be greater than or equal to approximately two percent by weight , approximately five percent by weight , approximately ten percent by weight , approximately 15 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , or approximately 25 percent by weight ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 30 percent by weight , approximately 25 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , approximately 15 percent by weight , approximately ten percent by weight , or approximately five percent by weight . for example , the alloy can include mn at a concentration of about 17 ± 2 percent by weight . in some embodiments , mn is a component of an intermetallic compound such as α - timn , which can have a phase fraction of about 32 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - ti and / or β - ti can have a phase fraction of about 68 percent by weight in the alloy . an alloy including mn can have enhanced radiopacity . in some embodiments , mn is capable of assisting with phase stabilization , microcleanliness , and hot workability of the alloy to which it is added . in some embodiments , the alloy includes au and / or ag concentration from approximately ten percent by weight to approximately 30 percent by weight . the au and / or ag concentrations can be greater than or equal to approximately ten percent by weight , approximately 15 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , or approximately 25 percent by weight ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 30 percent by weight , approximately 25 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , or approximately 15 percent by weight . for example , the alloy can include au at a concentration of about 15 ± 2 percent by weight , and / or ag at a concentration of about 16 ± 2 percent by weight . in some embodiments , au can be a component of an intermetallic compound such as ti 3 au , which can have a phase fraction of about 18 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - ti and / or β - ti can have a phase fraction of about 82 percent by weight in the alloy . in some embodiments , ag is a component of an intermetallic compound such as ti 2 ag , which can have a phase fraction of about 14 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - ti and / or β - ti can have a phase fraction of about 86 percent by weight in the alloy . an alloy including au and / or ag can have enhanced radiopacity and / or low magnetic susceptibility . in some embodiments , the alloy includes bi at a concentration from approximately ten percent by weight to approximately 40 percent by weight . the bi concentration can be greater than or equal to approximately ten percent , approximately 15 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , approximately 25 percent by weight , approximately 30 percent by weight , or approximately 35 percent by weight ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 40 percent by weight , approximately 35 percent by weight , approximately 30 percent by weight , approximately 25 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , or approximately 15 percent by weight . for example , the alloy can include bi at a concentration of about 29 ± 2 percent by weight . in some embodiments , bi is a component of an intermetallic compound such as ti 3 bi , which can have a phase fraction of about 31 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - ti and / or β - ti can have a phase fraction of about 69 percent by weight in the alloy . an alloy including bi can have enhanced radiopacity and / or low magnetic susceptibility . in some embodiments , the alloy includes pd at a concentration from approximately five percent by weight to approximately 30 percent by weight . the pd concentration can be greater than or equal to approximately 5 percent by weight , approximately ten percent by weight , approximately 15 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , or approximately 25 percent by weight ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 30 percent by weight , approximately 25 percent by weight , approximately 20 percent by weight , approximately 15 percent by weight , approximately 15 percent by weight , or approximately ten percent by weight . for example , the alloy can include pd at a concentration of about 19 . 5 ± 2 percent by weight . in some embodiments , pd is a component of an intermetallic compound such as ti 2 pd , which can have a phase fraction of about 34 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - ti and / or β - ti can have a phase fraction of about 66 percent by weight in the alloy . an alloy including pd can have enhanced radiopacity and / or low magnetic susceptibility . in some embodiments , the alloy includes co and / or ni at a concentration of from approximately two percent by weight to approximately 20 percent by weight . the co and / or ni concentrations can be greater than or equal to approximately two percent by weight , approximately five percent by weight , approximately ten percent by weight , or approximately 15 percent by weight ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 20 percent by weight , approximately 15 percent by weight , approximately 10 percent by weight , or approximately 5 percent by weight . for example , the alloy can include co at a concentration of about 8 . 5 ± 2 percent by weight and / or ni at a concentration of about 6 ± 2 percent by weight . in some embodiments , co is a component of an intermetallic compound such as ti 2 co , which can have a phase fraction of about 22 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - ti and / or β - ti can have a phase fraction of about 78 percent by weight in the alloy . in some embodiments , ni is a component of an intermetallic compound such as ti 2 ni , which can have a phase fraction of about 15 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - ti and / or β - ti can have a phase fraction of about 85 percent by weight in the alloy . an alloy including co and / or ni can have enhanced radiopacity . in some embodiments , an element such as ir , pt , cr , au , ag , bi , mn , pd , co , cu , fe , and / or ni has a concentration greater than a concentration at a eutectoid composition , and the metallic alloy can have a hyper - eutectoid composite microstructure . as an example , referring to fig4 ., an alloy can include 78 percent by weight ti and 22 percent by weight ir . the alloy can be aged at about 750 ° c . to produce a β - ti and ti 3 ir two phase microstructure . a hyper - eutectoid composite microstructure can include phases of various shapes , which can be observed using a microscope . for example , a phase can have a lamellar ( e . g ., layered ) appearance , a granular appearance , a globular appearance , a fibrous appearance , and / or a dendritic appearance . in some embodiments , an element such as ir , pt , cr , au , ag , bi , mn , pd , co , cu , fe , and / or ni has a concentration less than a concentration at a eutectoid composition , and a metallic alloy can have a hypo - eutectoid composite microstructure . a hypo - eutectoid composite microstructure can include phases of various shapes , which can be observed using a microscope . for example , a phase can have a lamellar ( e . g ., layered ) appearance , a granular appearance , a globular appearance , a fibrous appearance , and / or a dendritic appearance . in some embodiments , additives such as al , v , mo , sn , zr , and / or nb are further added to the alloy composition in various amounts to enhance alloy stability . for example , an alloy can include ( e . g ., be formed of ) al at a concentration of at most about six percent ( e . g ., at most about five percent , at most about four percent , at most about three percent , at most about two percent ). in some embodiments , al assists with alloy phase stabilization , and / or increases tensile strength , creep strength , and / or elastic modulus . an alloy can include ( e . g ., be formed of ) v at a concentration of at most about 15 percent ( e . g ., at most about 12 percent , at most about ten percent , at most about eight percent , at most about six percent , at most about four percent , at most about two percent ). in some embodiments , v can stabilize the titanium β - phase . an alloy can include ( e . g ., be formed of ) mo , sn , zr , and / or nb at a concentration of at most about five percent ( e . g ., at most about four percent , at most about three percent , at most about two percent ). inclusion of additives can enhance , for example , radiopacity , α - ti stability , tensile strength , creep strength , elastic modulus , β - ti stability , corrosion resistance , and / or solid solution strength in the endoprosthesis . for example , nb can enhance the radiopacity of the alloy and provide the alloy with a low magnetic susceptibility . in some embodiments , an endoprosthesis includes an alloy having a first phase of β - ti and a second intermetallic compound . in some embodiments , the alloy includes ( e . g ., is formed of ) a first phase where ti can be partially or completely replaced by zr , and a second phase including a zr - based intermetallic compound , where the intermetallic compound has a greater density than zr . the metallic first phase can be an α - zr phase that has a hexagonal close - packed crystallographic form and / or a relatively more ductile β - zr phase that has a body centered cubic crystallographic form . the zr - based intermetallic compound includes , for example , zr 3 ir , zr 5 pt 3 , zr 3 au , zr 2 ag , zr 3 fe , and / or zr 2 ni . in some embodiments , the alloy can include ir at a concentration of about 6 ± 2 percent by weight . in some embodiments , ir is a component of an intermetallic compound such as zr 3 ir , which can have a phase fraction of about 16 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - zr and / or β - zr can have a phase fraction of about 84 percent by weight in the alloy . in some embodiments , the alloy can include pt at a concentration of about 8 . 5 ± 2 percent by weight . in some embodiments , pt is a component of an intermetallic compound such as zr 5 pt 3 , which can have a phase fraction of about 16 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - zr and / or β - zr can have a phase fraction of about 84 percent by weight in the alloy . in some embodiments , the alloy can include au at a concentration of about 5 ± 2 percent by weight . in some embodiments , au is a component of an intermetallic compound such as zr 3 au , which can have a phase fraction of about 13 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - zr and / or β - zr can have a phase fraction of about 87 percent by weight in the alloy . in some embodiments , the alloy can include ag at a concentration of about 2 ± 1 . 5 percent by weight . in some embodiments , ag is a component of an intermetallic compound such as zr 2 ag , which can have a phase fraction of about 11 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - zr and / or β - zr can have a phase fraction of about 89 percent by weight in the alloy . in some embodiments , the alloy can include fe at a concentration of about 2 . 5 ± 2 percent by weight . in some embodiments , fe is a component of an intermetallic compound such as zr 3 fe , which can have a phase fraction of about 16 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - zr and / or β - zr can have a phase fraction of about 84 percent by weight in the alloy . in some embodiments , the alloy can include ni at a concentration of about 1 . 5 ± 1 percent by weight . in some embodiments , ni is a component of an intermetallic compound such as zr 2 ni , which can have a phase fraction of about 5 percent by weight in the alloy ( e . g ., the alloy forming the endoprosthesis ), a metallic first phase including α - zr and / or β - zr can have a phase fraction of about 95 percent by weight in the alloy . in some embodiments , a lamellar phase has an average lamella width of from approximately 0 . 1 μm to approximately 10 μm , and an average length of from approximately 1 μm to approximately 1000 μm . the average lamella width can be greater than or equal to approximately 0 . 1 μm , approximately 0 . 2 μm , approximately 0 . 5 μm , approximately 1 μm , approximately 1 . 5 μm , approximately 2 μm , approximately 2 . 5 μm , approximately 3 . 0 μm , approximately 3 . 5 μm , approximately 4 μm , approximately 4 . 5 μm , approximately 5 μm , approximately 5 . 5 μm , approximately 6 . 5 μm , approximately 7 . 5 μm , approximately 8 . 0 μm , approximately 8 . 5 μm , approximately 9 . 0 μm ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 10 μm , approximately 9 μm , approximately 8 . 5 μm , approximately 8 μm , approximately 7 . 5 μm , approximately 7 μm , approximately 6 . 5 μm , approximately 6 μm , approximately 5 . 5 μm , approximately 5 μm , approximately 4 . 5 μm , approximately 4 μm , approximately 3 . 5 μm , approximately 3 μm , approximately 2 . 5 μm , approximately 2 μm , approximately 1 . 5 μm , approximately 1 μm , approximately 0 . 5 μm , or approximately 0 . 2 μm . the average lamella length can be greater than or equal to approximately 1 μm , approximately 10 μm , approximately 100 μm , approximately 200 μm , approximately 400 μm , approximately 600 μm , or approximately 800 μm ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 1000 μm , approximately 800 μm , approximately 600 μm , approximately 400 μm , approximately 200 μm , approximately 100 μm , or approximately 10 μm . the alloy can further include one ( or more ) residual amounts of impurities elements . for example , the alloy can include a nitrogen concentration of at most about 0 . 050 percent by weight ( e . g ., at most about 0 . 040 percent by weight , at most about 0 . 030 percent by weight , at most about 0 . 015 percent by weight ). the alloy can include a carbon concentration of at most about 0 . 100 percent by weight ( e . g ., at most about 0 . 080 percent by weight , at most about 0 . 060 percent by weight , at most about 0 . 040 percent by weight ). the alloy can include a hydrogen concentration of at most about 0 . 015 percent by weight ( e . g ., at most about 0 . 010 percent by weight , at most about 0 . 005 percent by weight ). the alloy ( e . g ., a non - iron alloy ) can include a maximum iron concentration of at most about 0 . 5 percent by weight ( e . g ., at most about 0 . 4 percent by weight , at most about 0 . 3 percent by weight , at most about 0 . 2 percent by weight , at most about 0 . 1 percent by weight , at most about 0 . 05 percent by weight , at most about 0 . 02 percent by weight ). the alloy can include an oxygen concentration of at most about 0 . 2 percent by weight ( e . g ., at most about 0 . 1 percent by weight , at most about 0 . 05 percent by weight , at most about 0 . 02 percent by weight ). other microalloyed and residual elements are possible , which can be a function of the source of the materials . for example , the alloy can include a yttrium concentration of at most about 0 . 005 percent by weight ( e . g ., at most 0 . 004 percent by weight ). the alloy can include a silicon concentration of at most about 0 . 15 percent by weight ( e . g ., at most 0 . 1 percent by weight ). the alloy can have high hardness , high stiffness and / or high strength . in some embodiments , the alloy has a hardness ( rockwell c - scale hardness , hrc ) from approximately 1 . 7 hrc to approximately 45 hrc . the hardness can be greater than or equal to approximately 1 . 7 hrc , approximately 5 hrc , approximately 10 hrc , approximately 15 hrc , approximately 20 hrc , approximately 25 hrc , approximately 30 hrc , approximately 35 hrc , or approximately 40 hrc ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 45 hrc , approximately 40 hrc , approximately 35 hrc , approximately 30 hrc , approximately 25 hrc , approximately 20 hrc , approximately 15 hrc , approximately 10 hrc , or approximately 5 hrc . in some embodiments , the alloy can have relatively high stiffness . for example , the alloy can have a young &# 39 ; s modulus of elasticity ( e ) from approximately 14 msi to approximately 30 msi . the young &# 39 ; s modulus of elasticity can be greater than or equal to approximately 14 msi , approximately 16 msi , approximately 18 msi , approximately 20 msi , approximately 22 msi , approximately 24 msi , approximately 26 msi , or approximately 28 msi ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 30 msi , approximately 28 msi , approximately 26 msi , approximately 24 msi , approximately 22 msi , approximately 20 msi , approximately 18 msi , or approximately 16 msi . in some embodiments , the alloy can have an ultimate tensile strength ( uts ) from approximately 60 ksi to approximately 220 ksi . the ultimate tensile strength can be greater than or equal to approximately 60 ksi , approximately 100 ksi , approximately 120 ksi , approximately 150 ksi , approximately 180 ksi , or approximately 200 ksi ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 220 ksi , approximately 200 ksi , approximately 180 ksi , approximately 150 ksi , approximately 120 ksi , or approximately 100 ksi . in some embodiments , the alloy can have a 0 . 2 percent offset yield strength ( ys ) from approximately 30 ksi to approximately 200 ksi . the offset yield strength can be greater than or equal to approximately 30 ksi , approximately 50 ksi , approximately 100 ksi , approximately 150 ksi , or approximately 175 ksi ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 200 ksi , approximately 175 ksi , approximately 150 ksi , approximately 100 ksi , or approximately 50 ksi . in some embodiments , the alloy can have a percent elongation (% el ) of from approximately 2 % el to approximately 30 % el . the percent elongation can be greater than or equal to approximately 2 % el , approximately 5 % el , approximately 10 % el , approximately 15 % el , approximately 20 % el , or approximately 25 % el ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 30 % el , approximately 25 % el , approximately 20 % el , approximately 15 % el , approximately 10 % el , or approximately 5 % el . an alloy microstructure ( e . g ., a eutectoid microstructure ) can be observed using a microscope ( e . g ., optical microscope ) at a magnification of from about 100 × to 10 , 000 ×. the magnification can be at least about 100 ×, at least about 500 ×, at least about 1 , 000 ×, at least about 2 . 500 ×, at least about 5 , 000 ×, at least about 7 , 500 ×, or at least about 9 , 000 ×; and / or at most about 10 , 000 ×, at most about 9 , 000 ×, at most about 7 , 500 ×, at most about 5 , 000 ×, at most about 2 , 500 ×, at most about 1 , 000 ×, or at most about 500 ×. referring to fig5 , a method 40 of making endoprosthesis 20 is shown . method 40 includes forming a tube ( step 42 ) including the alloy that makes up the tubular member of endoprosthesis 20 . the tube is subsequently cut to form bands 22 and connectors 24 ( step 44 ) to produce an unfinished endoprosthesis . the unfinished endoprosthesis ( e . g ., a pre - endoprosthesis ) can be annealed and aged at a specific temperature to afford , for example , a desired microstructure ( step 46 ). areas of the unfinished endoprosthesis affected by the cutting may be subsequently removed ( step 48 ) to form a pre - endoprosthesis . the pre - endoprosthesis can be finished to form endoprosthesis 20 ( step 50 ). the alloy can be synthesized by intimately combining the components of the alloy . for example , a targeted alloy composition can be formed by melting elemental starting materials ( e . g ., elemental bits or powders ) in the appropriate concentrations under inert conditions to form an ingot . melting can be performed using consumable - electrode vacuum - melting ( e . g ., skull melting ), vacuum induction melting ( vim ), vacuum arc remelting ( var ), electron beam melting ( ebm ), plasma melting , vacuum or inert gas plasma deposition . alloying can be performed in the solid state via powdered metallurgy , e . g ., by blending elemental powders and hot isostatic pressing at temperatures greater than about 850 ° c . and less than about 950 ° c . for 2 to 4 hours at about 15 ksi pressure , and / or cold isostatic pressing at ambient temperature at about 45 to 60 ksi pressure and sintering at temperatures greater than about 1000 ° c . and less than about 1300 ° c . for 2 to 3 hours . the alloy can be in the form of an ingot , a compact , or a deposit that is subsequently shaped into a feedstock , such as a hollow tubular member . in some embodiments , the ingot is converted into bar stock via forging , extrusion , and / or rolling operations . in some embodiments , the heat - treated bar is gun - drilled . in some embodiments , the alloy is processed by heat treatment at a temperature from approximately 450 ° c . to 1100 ° c . for approximately 15 minutes to 48 hours to homogenize the alloy and / or to yield an alloy with a selected structure and properties . in some embodiments , the hollow tubular member including the alloy is drawn through a series of dies with progressively smaller circular openings to plastically deform the member to a targeted size and shape ( e . g ., a tube of step 42 ). the plastic deformation strain can harden the member ( and increases its yield strength ) and elongate the grains along the longitudinal axis of the member . the deformed member can be heat treated ( e . g ., annealed below or above the recrystallization temperature ) to transform the elongated grain structure into a partial or fully recrystallized grain structure , e . g ., one including equiaxed grains . small or fine grains can be formed by heating the member close to the recrystallization temperature for a short time . large or coarse grains can be formed by heating the member at higher temperatures and / or for longer times to promote grain growth . in some embodiments , the tube from step 42 is solution annealed followed by an aging treatment at a specific temperature ( e . g ., below a eutectoid temperature , above a eutectoid temperature ) to produce , for example , a tube having a two - phase microstructure ( e . g ., a eutectoid microstructure , a hyper - eutectoid microstructure ) of step 44 . in some embodiments , the tube from step 42 is directly aged at a specific temperature ( e . g ., below a eutectoid temperature , above a eutectoid temperature ) to produce , for a example , a tube having a two - phase microstructure ( e . g ., a eutectoid microstructure ) of step 44 . in some embodiments , the aging treatment can produce a specific alloy microstructure , such as a lamellar microstructure . for example , aging treatments can be tailored to afford a variety of lamellae width , lamellae length , numbers of phases , and phase amount to afford an alloy with desired properties . in some embodiments , aging treatment can occur at a temperature from approximately 450 ° c . to about 855 ° c . the temperature can be greater than or equal to approximately 450 ° c ., approximately 500 ° c ., approximately 600 ° c ., approximately 700 ° c ., or approximately 800 ° c . ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 855 ° c ., approximately 800 ° c ., approximately 700 ° c ., approximately 600 ° c ., or approximately 500 ° c . in some embodiments , aging treatment times is from approximately 15 minutes to approximately 48 hours . the aging time can be greater than or equal to approximately 15 minutes , approximately one hour , approximately five hours , approximately ten hours , approximately 15 hours , approximately 20 hours , approximately 24 hours , approximately 36 hours , or approximately 40 hours ; and / or less than or equal to approximately 48 hours , approximately 40 hours , approximately 36 hours , approximately 24 hours , approximately 20 hours , approximately 15 hours , approximately ten hours , approximately five hours , approximately one hour . in some embodiments , the annealing and aging treatment heat - up and cool - down rates can be relatively fast ( e . g ., 1000 ° c . per minute ) or can be relatively slow ( e . g ., 1 ° c . per minute ). next , bands 22 and connectors 24 of endoprosthesis 20 are formed , as shown , by cutting the tube ( step 46 ). selected portions of the tube can be removed to form bands 22 and connectors 24 by laser cutting , as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 780 , 807 , hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety . in certain embodiments , during laser cutting , a liquid carrier , such as a solvent or an oil , is flowed through the lumen of the tube . the carrier can prevent dross formed on one portion of the tube from re - depositing on another portion , and / or reduce formation of recast material on the tube . other methods of removing portions of the tube can be used , such as mechanical machining ( e . g ., micro - machining ), electrical discharge machining ( edm ), and photoetching ( e . g ., acid photoetching ). in some embodiments , after bands 22 and connectors 24 are formed , areas of the tube affected by the cutting operation above are removed ( step 48 ). for example , laser machining of bands 22 and connectors 24 can leave a surface layer of melted and resolidified material and / or oxidized metal that can adversely affect the mechanical properties and performance of endoprosthesis 20 . the affected areas can be removed mechanically ( such as by grit blasting or honing ) and / or chemically ( such as by etching or electropolishing ). in some embodiments , the tubular member is near net shape configuration after step 46 is performed . “ near - net size ” means that the tube has a relatively thin envelope of material that is removed to provide a finished endoprosthesis . in some embodiments , the tube is formed less than about 25 % oversized , e . g ., less than about 15 %, 10 %, or 5 % oversized . the unfinished endoprosthesis is then finished to form endoprosthesis 20 ( step 50 ). the unfinished endoprosthesis can be finished , for example , by electropolishing to a smooth finish . since the unfinished endoprosthesis can be formed to near - net size , relatively little of the unfinished endoprosthesis need to be removed to finish the endoprosthesis . as a result , further processing ( which can damage the endoprosthesis ) and costly materials can be reduced . in some embodiments , about 0 . 0001 inch of the endoprosthesis material is removed by chemical milling and / or electropolishing to yield a endoprosthesis . referring now to fig6 , in some embodiments , a hollow tubular member of a targeted size and shape is made in an analogous manner 62 as the tube resulting from step 42 . the tube can then be stress relieved or solution annealed into a relaxed condition at a temperature from approximately 450 ° c . to 1100 ° c . for approximately 15 minutes to 48 hours ( step 64 ). next , bands 22 and connectors 24 of endoprosthesis 20 are formed in step 66 , as shown , by cutting the tube as previously described for step 46 . the affected areas can be removed ( step 68 ) to form a pre - endoprosthesis , which can be cleaned and polished in step 70 as previously described for step 50 . finally , the finished pre - endoprosthesis can be loaded into a furnace and aged at a specific temperature in step 72 as previously described for step 44 ( e . g ., below a eutectoid temperature , above a eutectoid temperature ) to produce , for example , an endoprosthesis having a biphasic microstructure ( e . g ., a eutectoid microstructure , a hypereutectoid microstructure ). endoprosthesis 20 can be of a desired shape and size ( e . g ., coronary stents , aortic stents , peripheral vascular stents , gastrointestinal stents , urology stents , and neurology stents ). depending on the application , endoprosthesis 20 can have a diameter of between , for example , 1 mm to 46 mm . in certain embodiments , a coronary stent has an expanded diameter of from about 2 mm to about 6 mm . in some embodiments , a peripheral stent has an expanded diameter of from about 5 mm to about 24 mm . in certain embodiments , a gastrointestinal and / or urology stent has an expanded diameter of from about 6 mm to about 30 mm . in some embodiments , a neurology stent has an expanded diameter of from about 1 mm to about 12 mm . an abdominal aortic aneurysm ( aaa ) stent and a thoracic aortic aneurysm ( taa ) stent can have a diameter from about 20 mm to about 46 mm . endoprosthesis 20 can be balloon - expandable , or a combination of self - expandable and balloon - expandable ( e . g ., as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 366 , 504 ). in use , endoprosthesis 20 can be used , e . g ., delivered and expanded , using a catheter delivery system . catheter systems are described in , for example , wang u . s . pat . no . 5 , 195 , 969 , hamlin u . s . pat . no . 5 , 270 , 086 , and raeder - devens , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 726 , 712 . stents and stent delivery are also exemplified by the radius ® or symbiot ® systems , available from boston scientific scimed , maple grove , minn . while a number of embodiments have been described above , the invention is not so limited . while endoprosthesis 20 is shown as being formed wholly of the alloy , in other embodiments , the alloy forms one or more selected portions of the medical device . for example , endoprosthesis 20 can include multiple layers in which one or more layers include the alloy , and one or more layers do not include the alloy , e . g ., 316l stainless steel . endoprostheses including multiple layers are described , for example , in published patent application 2004 - 0044397 , and heath , u . s . pat . no . 6 , 287 , 331 . endoprosthesis 20 can be a part of a covered stent or a stent - graft . for example , endoprosthesis 20 can include and / or be attached to a biocompatible , non - porous or semi - porous polymer matrix made of polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ), expanded ptfe , polyethylene , urethane , or polypropylene . endoprosthesis 20 can include a releasable therapeutic agent , drug , or a pharmaceutically active compound , such as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 674 , 242 , u . s . ser . no . 09 / 895 , 415 , filed jul . 2 , 2001 , and u . s . ser . no . 10 / 232 , 265 , filed aug . 30 , 2002 . the therapeutic agents , drugs , or pharmaceutically active compounds can include , for example , anti - thrombogenic agents , antioxidants , anti - inflammatory agents , anesthetic agents , anti - coagulants , and antibiotics . in some embodiments , an endoprosthesis is formed by fabricating a wire including the alloy , and knitting and / or weaving the wire into a tubular member . the alloys can be used to form other medical devices , such as those that benefit from having high strength to resist overloading and fracture , high corrosion resistance , and / or biocompatibility ( e . g ., capable of being implanted in a body for long periods ( such as greater than ten years )), particularly medical implants and devices that will be used with fluoroscopy and / or mri during a medical procedure or when patients will be subjected to follow - up mri imagery . for example , the alloys can be used to manufacture other endoprostheses . the alloys can be used in filters such as removable thrombus filters described in kim et al ., u . s . pat . no . 6 , 146 , 404 , which is hereby incorporated by reference ; in intravascular filters such as those described in daniel et al ., u . s . pat . no . 6 , 171 , 327 , which is hereby incorporated by reference ; and vena cava filters such as those described in soon et al ., u . s . pat . no . 6 , 342 , 062 , which is hereby incorporated by reference . the alloys can be used to form a guidewire ( such as a meier steerable guide wire ( for aaa stent procedure )), an asap automated biopsy system ( e . g ., for a stylet and / or a cannula , as described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 958 , 625 , 5 , 368 , 045 , and 5 , 090 , 419 ), or a hypotube of a catheter ( e . g ., a balloon catheter ). the alloys can also be used to manufacture cutting elements , such as those carried by a medical balloon catheter described in u . s . ser . no . 10 / 335 , 604 , filed jan . 2 , 2003 , and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 209 , 799 , and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 336 , 234 . the hardness and strength of the alloys can reduce edge rounding ( which can decrease sharpness ) and deformation of the product shape . also , in some cases , the relatively high corrosion resistance of the alloys allows the instruments to be exposed to repeated steam autoclave sterilization cycles . as a result , the instruments can be reused more , and the cost of replacement is reduced . still other examples of medical devices include , needles , catheters , staples , wires used for wound closure , clips , orthopedic devices ( such as hip stems and knee trays ), and dental prostheses . the following example is illustrative and not intended to be limiting . an ingot having 17 percent by weight ir and 83 percent by weight ti is produced using an arc melter at a temperature of 3 , 000 ° c . and at a vacuum pressure of 30 in hg . the ingot is homogenized and machined into a 0 . 2 ″ thick rolling blank . the rolling blank is hot and cold rolled into a strip of less than 0 . 020 inch thickness . next , the strip metal is machined into dog - bone tensile specimens , which is solution heat - treated at 900 ° c . for 1 hour followed by an age treatment at 650 ° c . for 17 hours . referring to fig7 , a backscatter electron sem image of an as - polished metallographic cross - section at 2 , 500 × magnification , 20 . 00 kv accelerating voltage , 8 mm working distance , and 1 . 11e - 003 pa chamber vacuum pressure shows a lamellae microstructure of the resulting eutectoid alloy . an elastic modulus of 18 . 6 msi is obtained . the above ingot can be formed into an endoprosthesis as follows . the ingot can be drawn into a tube . endoprosthesis strut patterns can be laser machined into the drawn tubing . post - laser dross removal and electropolishing can be performed to produce finished endoprosthesis dimensions . the endoprostheses can be crimped onto balloon catheters . all publications , references , applications , and patents referred to herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety . | 8 |
referring now to the drawings , there appears exemplary push - to - talk system which provides an interface between a two - way radio and a remote , user controlled computer - or processor - based information handling system . referring to fig1 - 4 , there appears a first exemplary communication system 100 , wherein the information handling system is a life support system 110 . the life support system 110 may be a hybrid breathing system which is selectively operable in a self - contained breathing system ( scba ) mode in which breathable air / gas is provided by a self - contained air supply 112 such one or more air tanks or cylinders , a powered air - purifying respirator ( papr ) mode of operation , in which filtered ambient air is drawn with blower assistance through one or more air filters or purifiers 114 and delivered to the user , and a non - powered air - purifying respirator ( apr ) mode of operation , in which in which the air is drawn through the air purifying via the user &# 39 ; s negative inhalation pressure . the life support system 110 may be as described in commonly owned u . s . pat . no . 7 , 647 , 927 , which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . the life support system includes an air quality monitor 116 which samples the ambient air to detect toxic or unfilterable constituents in the ambient environment . the air quality monitor 116 may be integral with the system 110 or remote therefrom and in communication with the life support system 110 via a wired or wireless link . an air pressure sensor 118 is provided to sense the pressure level present in the tanks 112 . a low battery detection circuit 120 , which may be for example a circuit for monitoring the voltage level of a power supply which provides electrical power for operation of the life support system . a scba / papr mode readout sensor 122 , such as a switch , position indicator , etc ., is provided to determine the current operating mode of the life support system 110 . a gps receiver 124 may be provided to detect positional information of the user . a vital sign monitoring system 126 is provided to sense one or more vital signs of the wearer , such as heart rate , body temperature , respiratory rate , and so forth . the communication system 100 includes a two - way radio 130 , which may be a portable , e . g ., handheld , two - way radio . the two - way radio 130 may be a commercial off - the - shelf radio of the type configured to transmit and receive audio signals , e . g ., as digital or analog modulated rf signals , to another communication system , which may be another two - way radio , a base station , or a communication network . the radio 130 includes an rf transceiver circuit coupled to an audio circuit which may include including an amplifier , microphone , audio speaker , volume control , and so forth . the transceiver circuit may include a manual and / or automatic frequency tuner for tuning the transceiver to a desired frequency channel . the radio 130 may include an integral push - to - talk button 132 . a headset 150 is associated with the two - way radio 130 and includes an audio speaker 152 and a microphone 154 . the microphone may be positioned at the end of a boom 156 configured to position the microphone near the user &# 39 ; s mouth and an ear hook 158 for securing the head set to the user &# 39 ; s ear . alternatively , the boom 156 could comprise an acoustic wave guide for transmitting audio waves to a microphone located elsewhere in the headset . in alternative embodiments , the ear hook 156 may be replaced with a head band for securing the headset over the user &# 39 ; s head , ear loop , in - ear bud , and so forth . in other embodiments , the headset could be integrated with headgear worn by the user , such as a protective helmet . the headset 150 communicates with the radio 130 via a wireless protocol , such as bluetooth , wifi , zigbee , or other rf protocol . the communication system 100 further includes a wireless push - to - talk device 170 wirelessly coupled to the headset 150 . the wireless ptt device 170 includes a remote control interface , for example , at least one push button 172 as shown in the illustrated embodiment . multiple functions may be performed in the illustrated , single - button embodiment using multiple button press events or types , such as single tap , double tap , press and hold , etc . in the preferred embodiment , a single press of the button 172 cues the microphone 154 for ptt operation of the radio 130 and a double press of the cues the microphone 154 for receiving voice commands for controlling operation of the life support system 110 . alternatively , multiple functions may be accommodated by providing multiple buttons on the unit 170 . predetermined voice commands are configured to control operation of the life support system 110 via an adapter interface 190 which is plugged into a data port 128 on the life support system 110 . the adapter 190 is wirelessly coupled to the headset 150 . the adapter 190 is coupled to the life support system 110 via a cable 192 which plugs into a complementary data port 194 on the life support system . power to operate the adapter 190 may also be supplied by a power supply of the life support system via the cable connection 192 . the wireless adapter 190 includes an rf transceiver for receiving signals representative of voice commands for controlling operation of the life support system 110 and outputting signals representative of one or more voice alerts , warnings , or prompts , and / or transmitting data to the headset 150 for transmission to the radio 130 for transmission to a like radio system , base station , or over a communication network . exemplary voice commands include , for example , mode selection commands , data transmit commands , receive / display data , and life support system status data output commands , such as data representative of tank air pressure in a source of breathable gas . as shown in fig4 , the mode selection voice command allows the user to use a spoken command to switch the mode of operation of the life support system , e . g ., to toggle between scba , papr , and apr modes . send data voice commands allow the user to use a spoken command to trigger output of life support system data via the adapter 190 , such as gps positional data or vital sign data representative of one or more of the user &# 39 ; s vital signs . the data is output to the headset 150 , which , in turn , is transmitted the radio 130 for transmission to a communications system , which may be other like radio systems , a base station , or to a communication network using the transceiver circuitry of the radio 130 . receive / display data commands may also be provided to cue the radio 130 to receive data from a team member employing a like system , such as team member gps positional data or data representative of a team member &# 39 ; s vital signs . such data can be received using the transceiver circuitry of the radio 130 and retransmitted to the headset 150 for output as an audible signal via the speakers 154 , and / or output to an associated human viewable display ( not shown ). the adapter 190 is configured to output a signal representative of an audible alert to the headset 150 for audible output via the audio speaker 152 . the alert signals may comprise prerecorded and stored digitized spoken word alerts , synthetic speech alerts , e . g ., generated using a text - to - speech converter , and so forth . it will be recognized that some of the alerts or prompts may also be implemented as audible sounds representative of a given status or condition of the life support system 110 . the voice alerts may include an audible low pressure warning when the air pressure sensor 118 detects that the air pressure in the source of compressed breathing gas falls below some predetermined threshold value . another alert includes a low battery warning , which is triggered when the low battery detector 120 determines that the battery level of the life support system power supply has fallen below some predetermined threshold . still another alert may be provided when the air quality monitor 116 detects a toxic constituent in the ambient air which cannot be filtered or removed using the filtration elements of the life support system 110 . a mode selection readout alert outputs the selected mode of operation of the life support system , e . g ., responsive to a change in the mode of operation . an audible air pressure alert may be provided based on a signal from the air pressure sensor 118 representative of the current pressure in the air supply 112 , e . g ., at periodic intervals during operation and / or responsive to a voice command . referring now to fig5 - 8 , there appears a second exemplary communication system 200 , wherein a push - to - talk system is incorporated with a weapon system 210 . the weapon system 210 may be a weapon laser system include a range finding and / or pointing device 212 , such as laser / optical range finder , targeting module providing one or more lasers for aiming and / or target designation , a combined laser range finder / designator , or the like . the range finder / designator device 212 is of a type intended to be mounted to a firearm 214 having a weapon rail interface 216 , such as a mil - std - 1913 accessory rail interface , ris / ras accessory rail interface , and stanag - 4694 accessory rail interface , among others . the rail interface 216 is preferably a powered rail having integrated electrical contacts and electrical conductors for routing power and / or data signals to various locations on the rail . alternatively , a nonpowered rail interface is contemplated , wherein power and / or signals may be transmitted between devices on the rail via a cabled connection . a gps receiver 224 may also be provided in the device 212 for determine the user &# 39 ; s geographical position . the weapon system 210 also includes a handgrip 220 adapted for attachment to the forearm portion of the firearm 214 . the handgrip 220 may include one or more manually actuatable buttons or switches 222 for controlling operation of the device 212 . the communication system 200 further includes a two - way radio 130 and headset 150 , which may be as described above . in the illustrated embodiment , the handgrip 220 is configured as a wireless push - to - talk device , and is wirelessly coupled to the headset 150 . the one or more push buttons or switches 222 are configured to selectively cue the microphone 154 for ptt operation of the radio 130 and cues the microphone 154 for receiving voice commands for controlling operation of the range finder / designator 212 . predetermined voice commands are configured to control operation of the device 212 via an adapter interface 190 which is plugged into a data port on the device 212 . the adapter 190 is wirelessly coupled to the headset 150 . the adapter 190 is coupled to the device 212 via a cable 192 which plugs into a complimentary data port 294 on the weapon system 212 . power to operate the adapter 190 may also be provided , via the cable connection 192 , from a power supply within the device 212 or from a power supply or other powered device electrically coupled to the powered rail interface 216 . the wireless adapter 190 includes an rf transceiver for receiving signals representative of voice commands for controlling operation of the device 212 and outputting signals representative of one or more voice alerts , warnings or prompts , and / or transmitting data to the headset 150 for transmission to the radio 130 for further transmission to a like radio system , base station , or communication network . exemplary voice commands include , for example , range target commands , mode selection commands , data transmit commands , send current gps location to team / home base , send range to target commands . as shown in fig8 , the range target command allows the user to use a spoken command to actuate a range finding function of the device 212 . a mode selection command allows the user to use a spoken command to switch the mode of operation of the device 212 , e . g ., to switch between a range finding function and a pointing or designator function , to switch between laser of different wavelength , e . g ., between a visible pointing laser and an ir pointing laser , and so forth . a send gps location command allows the user to use a spoken command to trigger output of the user &# 39 ; s gps coordinates from the gps receiver 224 via the adapter 190 . the data is output to the headset 150 , which , in turn , is retransmitted to a communications system , which may be other like radio systems , a base station , or to a communication network using the transceiver circuitry of the radio 130 . a send range to target voice command allows the user to use a spoken command to trigger output of data representative of a calculated distance to a designated target as determined using a range finding function of the device 212 , which data is output to the headset 150 which transmits the range to target data to the radio 130 , which , in turn , transmits the data to a communications system , which may be other like radio systems , a base station , or a communication network , using the transceiver circuitry of the radio 130 . the adapter 190 is also configured to output a signal representative of audible prompts or alerts to the headset 150 for audible output via the audio speaker 152 . the alert signals may comprise prerecorded and stored digitized spoken word alerts , synthetic speech alerts , e . g ., generated using a text - to - speech converter , and so forth . the voice alerts may include an audible , spoken word representation of a range to target as determined by a range finding function of the device 212 . another voice prompt may include a spoken word representation of the user &# 39 ; s geographical position as determined by the gps receiver 224 . another voice prompt may be a spoken word representation of a team member &# 39 ; s geographical or gps position transmitted by the team member to the user &# 39 ; s radio 130 and output in audible form via the headset 150 . another voice prompt may include a spoken word indication of the currently selected mode of operation of the device 212 . yet another alert may include a low battery warning triggered when a low battery detector 226 determines that the battery level of the power supply providing power to the weapon system has fallen below some predetermined threshold . referring now to fig9 and 10 , and with continued reference to fig7 , there appears a third exemplary communication system 300 , wherein a push - to - talk system is incorporated with a weapon video display system 310 . the system 310 may optionally be used in conjunction with the range finder / designator device 212 and / or handgrip 220 , the above description of which is applicable here . the weapon video display system 310 may include a display screen 312 , which , in turn , may include a touch screen overlay for providing input for controlling operation of the weapon video display 310 . alternatively or additionally , a keypad 314 comprising one or more push buttons or the like may be provided for controlling operation of the weapon video display 310 . the communication system 300 further includes a two - way radio 130 and headset 150 , which may be as described above . in the illustrated embodiment , the handgrip 220 is configured as a wireless push - to - talk device , and is wirelessly coupled to the headset 150 . the one or more push buttons or switches 222 are configured to selectively cue the microphone 154 for ptt operation of the radio 130 and cues the microphone 154 for receiving voice commands for controlling operation of the range finder / designator 212 , as described above , and / or weapon video display system 310 , as described below . predetermined voice commands are configured to control operation of the weapon video display system 310 via an adapter interface 190 which is plugged into a data port on the device 310 . the adapter 190 is wirelessly coupled to the headset 150 . the adapter 190 is coupled to the device 310 via a cable 192 which plugs into a complimentary data port 394 on the device 310 . power to operate the adapter 190 may also be provided , via the cable connection 192 , from a power supply within the device 310 or from a power supply or other powered device electrically coupled to the powered rail interface 216 . the wireless adapter 190 includes an rf transceiver for receiving signals representative of voice commands for controlling operation of the video device 310 and outputting signals representative of one or more voice alerts , warnings or prompts . the wireless adapter 190 is also configured to transmit data to the headset 150 for further transmission via the radio 130 to a communication system , such as a like two - way radio system , a base station , or a communication network . exemplary voice commands may include the voice commands described above for the range finder / targeting device system 212 as described above . exemplary voice commands may also include voice commands for controlling operation of the weapon video display system 310 . for example , a mode selection command allows the user to use a spoken command to switch the mode of operation of the device 310 , e . g ., to switch between a video or camera display providing a video from an associated camera ( not shown ) and other graphical user interface mode provided by the device 310 , e . g ., an on - screen interface using menus and / or objects for controlling operation of attached devices . where multiple cameras are provided , such as a daytime camera and a nighttime or low lux camera , a voice command may be provided for toggle between the multiple camera sources . in certain embodiments , a targeting display mode may also be provided and selected via a voice command using the headset . for example , a ballistics computer function may be provided , e . g ., using a processor in the range finder 212 or the weapon video display system 310 , to provide an on screen reticle on the display screen 312 using range information and , optionally , other ballistics factors to assist the user in aligning the weapon to cause a fired projectile to hit a desired spot . send gps location and send range to target commands may also be provided as described above . in certain embodiments , a send data voice command may be provided to transmit still image data and / or video data acquired by a camera associated with the weapon video display to the two - way radio via the headset for transmission over a communication network . the adapter 190 is also configured to output signals representative of audible prompts or alerts to the headset 150 for audible output via the audio speaker 152 . the alert signals may comprise prerecorded and stored digitized spoken word alerts , synthetic speech alerts , e . g ., generated using a text - to - speech converter , and so forth . the voice alerts may include an audible , spoken word representation of a range to target as determined by a range finding function of the device 212 . another voice prompt may include a spoken word representation of the user &# 39 ; s geographical position as determined by the gps receiver 224 . another voice prompt is a spoken word representation of a team member &# 39 ; s geographical position transmitted by the team member to the user &# 39 ; s radio 130 and output via the headset 150 . another voice prompt includes a spoken word indication of the currently selected mode of operation of the device 212 . yet another alert includes a low battery warning triggered when the low battery detector 226 determines that the battery level of the power supply providing power to the weapon video display has fallen below some predetermined threshold . the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment . modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of the preceding detailed description . it is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof . | 7 |
the term “ chiral ” refers to molecules which have the property of non - superimposability of the mirror image partner , while the term “ achiral ” refers to molecules which are superimposable on their mirror image partner . the term “ diastereomers ” refers to stereoisomers with two or more centers of dissymmetry and whose molecules are not mirror images of one another . the term “ enantiomers ” refers to two stereoisomers of a compound which are non - superimposable mirror images of one another . an equimolar mixture of two enantiomers is called a “ racemic mixture ” or a “ racemate .” the term “ isomers ” or “ stereoisomers ” refers to compounds which have identical chemical constitution , but differ with regard to the arrangement of the atoms or groups in space . the term “ prodrug ” includes compounds with moieties which can be metabolized in vivo . generally , the prodrugs are metabolized in vivo by esterases or by other mechanisms to active drugs . examples of prodrugs and their uses are well known in the art ( see , e . g ., berge et al . ( 1977 ) “ pharmaceutical salts ”, j . pharm . sci . 66 : 1 - 19 ). the prodrugs can be prepared in situ during the final isolation and purification of the compounds , or by separately reacting the purified compound in its free acid form or hydroxyl with a suitable esterifying agent . hydroxyl groups can be converted into esters via treatment with a carboxylic acid . examples of prodrug moieties include substituted and unsubstituted , branch or unbranched lower alkyl ester moieties , ( e . g ., propionoic acid esters ), lower alkenyl esters , di - lower alkyl - amino lower - alkyl esters ( e . g ., dimethylaminoethyl ester ), acylamino lower alkyl esters ( e . g ., acetyloxymethyl ester ), acyloxy lower alkyl esters ( e . g ., pivaloyloxymethyl ester ), aryl esters ( phenyl ester ), aryl - lower alkyl esters ( e . g ., benzyl ester ), substituted ( e . g ., with methyl , halo , or methoxy substituents ) aryl and aryl - lower alkyl esters , amides , lower - alkyl amides , di - lower alkyl amides , and hydroxy amides . preferred prodrug moieties are propionoic acid esters and acyl esters . prodrugs which are converted to active forms through other mechanisms in vivo are also included . in aspects , the compounds of the invention are prodrugs of any of the formulae herein . the term “ subject ” refers to animals such as mammals , including , but not limited to , primates ( e . g ., humans ), cows , sheep , goats , horses , dogs , cats , rabbits , rats , mice and the like . in certain embodiments , the subject is a human . the terms “ a ,” “ an ,” and “ the ” refer to “ one or more ” when used in this application , including the claims thus , for example , reference to “ a sample ” includes a plurality of samples , unless the context clearly is to the contrary ( e . g ., a plurality of samples ), and so forth . throughout this specification and the claims , the words “ comprise ,” “ comprises ,” and “ comprising ” are used in a non - exclusive sense , except where the context requires otherwise . as used herein , the term “ about ,” when referring to a value is meant to encompass variations of , in some embodiments ± 20 %, in some embodiments ± 10 %, in some embodiments ± 5 %, in some embodiments ± 1 %, in some embodiments ± 0 . 5 %, and in some embodiments ± 0 . 1 % from the specified amount , as such variations are appropriate to perform the disclosed methods or employ the disclosed compositions . use of the word “ inhibitor ” herein is meant to mean a molecule that exhibits activity for inhibiting a metalloenzyme . by “ inhibit ” herein is meant to decrease the activity of metalloenzyme , as compared to the activity of metalloenzyme in the absence of the inhibitor . in some embodiments , the term “ inhibit ” means a decrease in metalloenzyme activity of at least about 5 %, at least about 10 %, at least about 20 %, at least about 25 %, at least about 50 %, at least about 60 %, at least about 70 %, at least about 80 %, at least about 90 %, or at least about 95 %. in other embodiments , inhibit means a decrease in metalloenzyme activity of about 5 % to about 25 %, about 25 % to about 50 %, about 50 % to about 75 %, or about 75 % to 100 %. in some embodiments , inhibit means a decrease in metalloenzyme activity of about 95 % to 100 %, e . g ., a decrease in activity of 95 %, 96 %, 97 %, 98 %, 99 %, or 100 %. such decreases can be measured using a variety of techniques that would be recognizable by one of skill in the art . particular assays for measuring individual activity are described below . furthermore the compounds of the invention include olefins having either geometry : “ z ” refers to what is referred to as a “ cis ” ( same side ) configuration whereas “ e ” refers to what is referred to as a “ trans ” ( opposite side ) configuration . with respect to the nomenclature of a chiral center , the terms “ d ” and “ l ” configuration are as defined by the iupac recommendations . as to the use of the terms , diastereomer , racemate , epimer and enantiomer , these will be used in their normal context to describe the stereochemistry of preparations . as used herein , the term “ alkyl ” refers to a straight - chained or branched hydrocarbon group containing 1 to 12 carbon atoms . the term “ lower alkyl ” refers to a c1 - c6 alkyl chain . examples of alkyl groups include methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , isopropyl , tert - butyl , and n - pentyl . alkyl groups may be optionally substituted with one or more substituents . the term “ alkenyl ” refers to an unsaturated hydrocarbon chain that may be a straight chain or branched chain , containing 2 to 12 carbon atoms and at least one carbon - carbon double bond . alkenyl groups may be optionally substituted with one or more substituents . the term “ alkynyl ” refers to an unsaturated hydrocarbon chain that may be a straight chain or branched chain , containing the 2 to 12 carbon atoms and at least one carbon - carbon triple bond . alkynyl groups may be optionally substituted with one or more substituents . the sp 2 or sp carbons of an alkenyl group and an alkynyl group , respectively , may optionally be the point of attachment of the alkenyl or alkynyl groups . as used herein , the term “ halogen ”, “ hal ” or “ halo ” means — f , — cl , — br or — i . the term “ haloalkoxy ” refers to an — o - alkyl radical that is substituted by one or more halo substituents . examples of haloalkoxy groups include trifluoromethoxy , and 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoroethoxy . the term “ cycloalkyl ” refers to a hydrocarbon 3 - 8 membered monocyclic or 7 - 14 membered bicyclic ring system having at least one saturated ring or having at least one non - aromatic ring , wherein the non - aromatic ring may have some degree of unsaturation . cycloalkyl groups may be optionally substituted with one or more substituents . in one embodiment , 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , or 4 atoms of each ring of a cycloalkyl group may be substituted by a substituent . representative examples of cycloalkyl group include cyclopropyl , cyclopentyl , cyclohexyl , cyclobutyl , cycloheptyl , cyclopentenyl , cyclopentadienyl , cyclohexenyl , cyclohexadienyl , and the like . the term “ aryl ” refers to a hydrocarbon monocyclic , bicyclic or tricyclic aromatic ring system . aryl groups may be optionally substituted with one or more substituents . in one embodiment , 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 or 6 atoms of each ring of an aryl group may be substituted by a substituent . examples of aryl groups include phenyl , naphthyl , anthracenyl , fluorenyl , indenyl , azulenyl , and the like . the term “ heteroaryl ” refers to an aromatic 5 - 8 membered monocyclic , 8 - 12 membered bicyclic , or 11 - 14 membered tricyclic ring system having 1 - 4 ring heteroatoms if monocyclic , 1 - 6 heteroatoms if bicyclic , or 1 - 9 heteroatoms if tricyclic , said heteroatoms selected from o , n , or s , and the remainder ring atoms being carbon ( with appropriate hydrogen atoms unless otherwise indicated ). heteroaryl groups may be optionally substituted with one or more substituents . in one embodiment , 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , or 4 atoms of each ring of a heteroaryl group may be substituted by a substituent . examples of heteroaryl groups include pyridyl , furanyl , thienyl , pyrrolyl , oxazolyl , oxadiazolyl , imidazolyl thiazolyl , isoxazolyl , quinolinyl , pyrazolyl , isothiazolyl , pyridazinyl , pyrimidinyl , pyrazinyl , triazinyl , isoquinolinyl , indazolyl , and the like . the term “ nitrogen - containing heteroaryl ” refers to a heteroaryl group having 1 - 4 ring nitrogen heteroatoms if monocyclic , 1 - 6 ring nitrogen heteroatoms if bicyclic , or 1 - 9 ring nitrogen heteroatoms if tricyclic . the term “ heterocycloalkyl ” refers to a nonaromatic 3 - 8 membered monocyclic , 7 - 12 membered bicyclic , or 10 - 14 membered tricyclic ring system comprising 1 - 3 heteroatoms if monocyclic , 1 - 6 heteroatoms if bicyclic , or 1 - 9 heteroatoms if tricyclic , said heteroatoms selected from o , n , s , b , p or si , wherein the nonaromatic ring system is completely saturated . heterocycloalkyl groups may be optionally substituted with one or more substituents . in one embodiment , 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , or 4 atoms of each ring of a heterocycloalkyl group may be substituted by a substituent . representative heterocycloalkyl groups include piperidinyl , piperazinyl , tetrahydropyranyl , morpholinyl , thiomorpholinyl , 1 , 3 - dioxolane , tetrahydrofuranyl , tetrahydrothienyl , thiirenyl , and the like . the term “ alkylamino ” refers to an amino substituent which is further substituted with one or two alkyl groups . the tem “ aminoalkyl ” refers to an alkyl substituent which is further substituted with one or more amino groups . the term “ hydroxyalkyl ” or “ hydroxylalkyl ” refers to an alkyl substituent which is further substituted with one or more hydroxyl groups . the alkyl or aryl portion of alkylamino , aminoalkyl , mercaptoalkyl , hydroxyalkyl , mercaptoalkoxy , sulfonylalkyl , sulfonylaryl , alkylcarbonyl , and alkylcarbonylalkyl may be optionally substituted with one or more substituents . acids and bases useful in the methods herein are known in the art . acid catalysts are any acidic chemical , which can be inorganic ( e . g ., hydrochloric , sulfuric , nitric acids , aluminum trichloride ) or organic ( e . g ., camphorsulfonic acid , p - toluenesulfonic acid , acetic acid , ytterbium triflate ) in nature . acids are useful in either catalytic or stoichiometric amounts to facilitate chemical reactions . bases are any basic chemical , which can be inorganic ( e . g ., sodium bicarbonate , potassium hydroxide ) or organic ( e . g ., triethylamine , pyridine ) in nature . bases are useful in either catalytic or stoichiometric amounts to facilitate chemical reactions . alkylating agents are any reagent that is capable of effecting the alkylation of the functional group at issue ( e . g ., oxygen atom of an alcohol , nitrogen atom of an amino group ). alkylating agents are known in the art , including in the references cited herein , and include alkyl halides ( e . g ., methyl iodide , benzyl bromide or chloride ), alkyl sulfates ( e . g ., methyl sulfate ), or other alkyl group - leaving group combinations known in the art . leaving groups are any stable species that can detach from a molecule during a reaction ( e . g ., elimination reaction , substitution reaction ) and are known in the art , including in the references cited herein , and include halides ( e . g ., i —, cl —, br —, f —), hydroxy , alkoxy ( e . g ., — ome , — o - t - bu ), acyloxy anions ( e . g ., — oac , — oc ( o ) cf 3 ), sulfonates ( e . g ., mesyl , tosyl ), acetamides ( e . g ., — nhc ( o ) me ), carbamates ( e . g ., n ( me ) c ( o ) ot - bu ), phosphonates ( e . g ., — op ( o )( oet ) 2 ), water or alcohols ( protic conditions ), and the like . in certain embodiments , substituents on any group ( such as , for example , alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , aryl , aralkyl , heteroaryl , heteroaralkyl , cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl ) can be at any atom of that group , wherein any group that can be substituted ( such as , for example , alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , aryl , aralkyl , heteroaryl , heteroaralkyl , cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl ) can be optionally substituted with one or more substituents ( which may be the same or different ), each replacing a hydrogen atom . examples of suitable substituents include , but are not limited to alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl , heteroaralkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , halogen , haloalkyl , cyano , nitro , alkoxy , aryloxy , hydroxyl , hydroxylalkyl , oxo ( i . e ., carbonyl ), carboxyl , formyl , alkylcarbonyl , alkylcarbonylalkyl , alkoxycarbonyl , alkylcarbonyloxy , aryloxycarbonyl , heteroaryloxy , heteroaryloxycarbonyl , thio , mercapto , mercaptoalkyl , arylsulfonyl , amino , aminoalkyl , dialkylamino , alkylcarbonylamino , alkylaminocarbonyl , alkoxycarbonylamino , alkylamino , arylamino , diarylamino , alkylcarbonyl , or arylamino - substituted aryl ; arylalkylamino , aralkylaminocarbonyl , amido , alkylaminosulfonyl , arylaminosulfonyl , dialkylaminosulfonyl , alkylsulfonylamino , arylsulfonylamino , imino , carbamido , carbamyl , thioureido , thiocyanato , sulfoamido , sulfonylalkyl , sulfonylaryl , mercaptoalkoxy , n - hydroxyamidinyl , or n ′- aryl , n ″- hydroxyamidinyl . compounds of the invention can be made by means known in the art of organic synthesis . methods for optimizing reaction conditions , if necessary minimizing competing by - products , are known in the art . reaction optimization and scale - up may advantageously utilize high - speed parallel synthesis equipment and computer - controlled microreactors ( e . g . design and optimization in organic synthesis , 2 nd edition , carlson r , ed , 2005 ; elsevier science ltd . ; jähnisch , k et al , angew . chem . int . ed . engl . 2004 43 : 406 ; and references therein ). additional reaction schemes and protocols may be determined by the skilled artesian by use of commercially available structure - searchable database software , for instance , scifinder ® ( cas division of the american chemical society ) and crossfire beilstein ® ( elsevier mdl ), or by appropriate keyword searching using an internet search engine such as google ® or keyword databases such as the us patent and trademark office text database . the invention includes the intermediate compounds used in making the compounds of the formulae herein as well as methods of making such compounds and intermediates , including without limitation those as specifically described in the examples herein . the compounds herein may also contain linkages ( e . g ., carbon - carbon bonds ) wherein bond rotation is restricted about that particular linkage , e . g . restriction resulting from the presence of a ring or double bond . accordingly , all cis / trans and e / z isomers are expressly included in the present invention . the compounds herein may also be represented in multiple tautomeric forms , in such instances , the invention expressly includes all tautomeric forms of the compounds described herein , even though only a single tautomeric form may be represented . all such isomeric forms of such compounds herein are expressly included in the present invention . all crystal forms and polymorphs of the compounds described herein are expressly included in the present invention . all salt , hydrate , and solvate forms of the compounds described herein are expressly included in the present invention . all ester and prodrug forms of the compounds described herein are included in the present invention . also embodied are extracts and fractions comprising compounds of the invention . the term isomers is intended to include diastereoisomers , enantiomers , regioisomers , structural isomers , rotational isomers , tautomers , and the like . for compounds which contain one or more stereogenic centers , e . g ., chiral compounds , the methods of the invention may be carried out with an enantiomerically enriched compound , a racemate , or a mixture of diastereomers . preferred enantiomerically enriched compounds have an enantiomeric excess of 50 % or more , more preferably the compound has an enantiomeric excess of 60 %, 70 %, 80 %, 90 %, 95 %, 98 %, or 99 % or more . in preferred embodiments , only one enantiomer or diastereomer of a chiral compound of the invention is administered to cells or a subject . in one aspect , the invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound of any of the formulae herein ( e . g ., formula 1 or 1a ) and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . in another embodiment , the invention provides a pharmaceutical composition further comprising an additional therapeutic agent . in a further embodiment , the additional therapeutic agent is an anti - cancer agent , antifungal agent , cardiovascular agent , antiinflammatory agent , chemotherapeutic agent , an anti - angiogenesis agent , cytotoxic agent , an anti - proliferation agent , metabolic disease agent , opthalmologic disease agent , central nervous system ( cns ) disease agent , urologic disease agent , or gastrointestinal disease agent . in one aspect , the invention provides a kit comprising an effective amount of a compound of formula i , in unit dosage form , together with instructions for administering the compound to a subject suffering from or susceptible to a metalloenzyme - mediated disease or disorder , including cancer , solid tumor , cardiovascular disease , inflammatory disease , infectious disease . in other embodiments the disease , disorder or symptom thereof is metabolic disease , opthalmologic disease , central nervous system ( cns ) disease , urologic disease , or gastrointestinal disease . the term “ pharmaceutically acceptable salts ” or “ pharmaceutically acceptable carrier ” is meant to include salts of the active compounds which are prepared with relatively nontoxic acids or bases , depending on the particular substituents found on the compounds described herein . when compounds of the present invention contain relatively acidic functionalities , base addition salts can be obtained by contacting the neutral form of such compounds with a sufficient amount of the desired base , either neat or in a suitable inert solvent . examples of pharmaceutically acceptable base addition salts include sodium , potassium , calcium , ammonium , organic amino , or magnesium salt , or a similar salt . when compounds of the present invention contain relatively basic functionalities , acid addition salts can be obtained by contacting the neutral form of such compounds with a sufficient amount of the desired acid , either neat or in a suitable inert solvent . examples of pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts include those derived from inorganic acids like hydrochloric , hydrobromic , nitric , carbonic , monohydrogencarbonic , phosphoric , monohydrogenphosphoric , dihydrogenphosphoric , sulfuric , monohydrogensulfuric , hydroiodic , or phosphorous acids and the like , as well as the salts derived from relatively nontoxic organic acids like acetic , propionic , isobutyric , maleic , malonic , benzoic , succinic , suberic , fumaric , lactic , mandelic , phthalic , benzenesulfonic , p - tolylsulfonic , citric , tartaric , methanesulfonic , and the like . also included are salts of amino acids such as arginate and the like , and salts of organic acids like glucuronic or galactunoric acids and the like ( see , e . g ., berge et al ., journal of pharmaceutical science 66 : 1 - 19 ( 1977 )). certain specific compounds of the present invention contain both basic and acidic functionalities that allow the compounds to be converted into either base or acid addition salts . other pharmaceutically acceptable carriers known to those of skill in the art are suitable for the present invention . the neutral forms of the compounds may be regenerated by contacting the salt with a base or acid and isolating the parent compound in the conventional manner . the parent form of the compound differs from the various salt forms in certain physical properties , such as solubility in polar solvents , but otherwise the salts are equivalent to the parent form of the compound for the purposes of the present invention . in addition to salt forms , the present invention provides compounds which are in a prodrug form . prodrugs of the compounds described herein are those compounds that readily undergo chemical changes under physiological conditions to provide the compounds of the present invention . additionally , prodrugs can be converted to the compounds of the present invention by chemical or biochemical methods in an ex vivo environment . for example , prodrugs can be slowly converted to the compounds of the present invention when placed in a transdermal patch reservoir with a suitable enzyme or chemical reagent . certain compounds of the present invention can exist in unsolvated forms as well as solvated forms , including hydrated forms . in general , the solvated forms are equivalent to unsolvated forms and are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the present invention . certain compounds of the present invention may exist in multiple crystalline or amorphous forms . in general , all physical forms are equivalent for the uses contemplated by the present invention and are intended to be within the scope of the present invention . the invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition , comprising an effective amount a compound described herein and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . in an embodiment , compound is administered to the subject using a pharmaceutically - acceptable formulation , e . g ., a pharmaceutically - acceptable formulation that provides sustained delivery of the compound to a subject for at least 12 hours , 24 hours , 36 hours , 48 hours , one week , two weeks , three weeks , or four weeks after the pharmaceutically - acceptable formulation is administered to the subject . actual dosage levels and time course of administration of the active ingredients in the pharmaceutical compositions of this invention may be varied so as to obtain an amount of the active ingredient which is effective to achieve the desired therapeutic response for a particular patient , composition , and mode of administration , without being toxic ( or unacceptably toxic ) to the patient . in use , at least one compound according to the present invention is administered in a pharmaceutically effective amount to a subject in need thereof in a pharmaceutical carrier by intravenous , intramuscular , subcutaneous , or intracerebro ventricular injection or by oral administration or topical application . in accordance with the present invention , a compound of the invention may be administered alone or in conjunction with a second , different therapeutic . by “ in conjunction with ” is meant together , substantially simultaneously or sequentially . in one embodiment , a compound of the invention is administered acutely . the compound of the invention may therefore be administered for a short course of treatment , such as for about 1 day to about 1 week . in another embodiment , the compound of the invention may be administered over a longer period of time to ameliorate chronic disorders , such as , for example , for about one week to several months depending upon the condition to be treated . by “ pharmaceutically effective amount ” as used herein is meant an amount of a compound of the invention , high enough to significantly positively modify the condition to be treated but low enough to avoid serious side effects ( at a reasonable benefit / risk ratio ), within the scope of sound medical judgment . a pharmaceutically effective amount of a compound of the invention will vary with the particular goal to be achieved , the age and physical condition of the patient being treated , the severity of the underlying disease , the duration of treatment , the nature of concurrent therapy and the specific compound employed . for example , a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of the invention administered to a child or a neonate will be reduced proportionately in accordance with sound medical judgment . the effective amount of a compound of the invention will thus be the minimum amount which will provide the desired effect . a decided practical advantage of the present invention is that the compound may be administered in a convenient manner such as by intravenous , intramuscular , subcutaneous , oral or intra - cerebroventricular injection routes or by topical application , such as in creams or gels . depending on the route of administration , the active ingredients which comprise a compound of the invention may be required to be coated in a material to protect the compound from the action of enzymes , acids and other natural conditions which may inactivate the compound . in order to administer a compound of the invention by other than parenteral administration , the compound can be coated by , or administered with , a material to prevent inactivation . the compound may be administered parenterally or intraperitoneally . dispersions can also be prepared , for example , in glycerol , liquid polyethylene glycols , and mixtures thereof , and in oils . some examples of substances which can serve as pharmaceutical carriers are sugars , such as lactose , glucose and sucrose ; starches such as corn starch and potato starch ; cellulose and its derivatives such as sodium carboxymethycellulose , ethylcellulose and cellulose acetates ; powdered tragancanth ; malt ; gelatin ; talc ; stearic acids ; magnesium stearate ; calcium sulfate ; vegetable oils , such as peanut oils , cotton seed oil , sesame oil , olive oil , corn oil and oil of theobroma ; polyols such as propylene glycol , glycerine , sorbitol , manitol , and polyethylene glycol ; agar ; alginic acids ; pyrogen - free water ; isotonic saline ; and phosphate buffer solution ; skim milk powder ; as well as other non - toxic compatible substances used in pharmaceutical formulations such as vitamin c , estrogen and echinacea , for example . wetting agents and lubricants such as sodium lauryl sulfate , as well as coloring agents , flavoring agents , lubricants , excipients , tableting agents , stabilizers , anti - oxidants and preservatives , can also be present . solubilizing agents , including for example , cremaphore and beta - cyclodextrins can also used in the pharmaceutical compositions herein . pharmaceutical compositions comprising the active compounds of the presently disclosed subject matter ( or prodrugs thereof ) can be manufactured by means of conventional mixing , dissolving , granulating , dragee - making levigating , emulsifying , encapsulating , entrapping or lyophilization processes . the compositions can be formulated in conventional manner using one or more physiologically acceptable carriers , diluents , excipients or auxiliaries which facilitate processing of the active compounds into preparations which can be used pharmaceutically . pharmaceutical compositions of the presently disclosed subject matter can take a form suitable for virtually any mode of administration , including , for example , topical , ocular , oral , buccal , systemic , nasal , injection , transdermal , rectal , vaginal , and the like , or a form suitable for administration by inhalation or insufflation . for topical administration , the active compound ( s ) or prodrug ( s ) can be formulated as solutions , gels , ointments , creams , suspensions , and the like . systemic formulations include those designed for administration by injection , e . g ., subcutaneous , intravenous , intramuscular , intrathecal or intraperitoneal injection , as well as those designed for transdermal , transmucosal , oral , or pulmonary administration . useful injectable preparations include sterile suspensions , solutions or emulsions of the active compound ( s ) in aqueous or oily vehicles . the compositions also can contain formulating agents , such as suspending , stabilizing and / or dispersing agent . the formulations for injection can be presented in unit dosage form ( e . g ., in ampules or in multidose containers ) and can contain added preservatives . alternatively , the injectable formulation can be provided in powder form for reconstitution with a suitable vehicle , including but not limited to sterile pyrogen free water , buffer , dextrose solution , and the like , before use . to this end , the active compound ( s ) can be dried by any art - known technique , such as lyophilization , and reconstituted prior to use . for transmucosal administration , penetrants appropriate to the barrier to be permeated are used in the formulation . such penetrants are known in the art . for oral administration , the pharmaceutical compositions can take the form of , for example , lozenges , 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 hydrogen 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 sulfate ). the tablets can be coated by methods well known in the art with , for example , sugars or enteric coatings . liquid preparations for oral administration can take the form of , for example , elixirs , solutions , syrups or suspensions , or they can be presented as a dry product for constitution with water or other suitable vehicle before use . such liquid preparations can be prepared by conventional means with pharmaceutically acceptable additives such as suspending agents ( e . g ., sorbitol syrup , cellulose derivatives or hydrogenated edible fats ); emulsifying agents ( e . g ., lecithin or acacia ); non aqueous vehicles ( e . g ., almond oil , oily esters , ethyl alcohol or fractionated vegetable oils ); and preservatives ( e . g ., methyl or propyl p - hydroxybenzoates or sorbic acid ). the preparations also can contain buffer salts , preservatives , flavoring , coloring and sweetening agents as appropriate . preparations for oral administration can be suitably formulated to give controlled release of the active compound or prodrug , as is well known . for buccal administration , the compositions can take the form of tablets or lozenges formulated in a conventional manner . for rectal and vaginal routes of administration , the active compound ( s ) can be formulated as solutions ( for retention enemas ), suppositories , or ointments containing conventional suppository bases , such as cocoa butter or other glycerides . for nasal administration or administration by inhalation or insufflation , the active compound ( s ) or prodrug ( s ) can be conveniently delivered in the form of an aerosol spray from pressurized packs or a nebulizer with the use of a suitable propellant , e . g ., dichlorodifluoromethane , trichlorofluoromethane , dichlorotetrafluoroethane , fluorocarbons , carbon dioxide or other suitable gas . in the case of a pressurized aerosol , the dosage unit can be determined by providing a valve to deliver a metered amount . capsules and cartridges for use in an inhaler or insufflator ( for example capsules and cartridges comprised of gelatin ) can be formulated containing a powder mix of the compound and a suitable powder base such as lactose or starch . a specific example of an aqueous suspension formulation suitable for nasal administration using commercially - available nasal spray devices includes the following ingredients : active compound or prodrug ( 0 . 5 - 20 mg / ml ); benzalkonium chloride ( 0 . 1 - 0 . 2 mg / ml ); polysorbate 80 ( tween ® 80 ; 0 . 5 - 5 mg / ml ); carboxymethylcellulose sodium or microcrystalline cellulose ( 1 - 15 mg / ml ); phenylethanol ( 1 - 4 mg / ml ); and dextrose ( 20 - 50 mg / ml ). the ph of the final suspension can be adjusted to range from about ph5 to ph7 , with a ph of about ph 5 . 5 being typical . for prolonged delivery , the active compound ( s ) or prodrug ( s ) can be formulated as a depot preparation for administration by implantation or intramuscular injection . the active ingredient can be formulated with suitable polymeric or hydrophobic materials ( e . g ., as an emulsion in an acceptable oil ) or ion exchange resins , or as sparingly soluble derivatives , e . g ., as a sparingly soluble salt . alternatively , transdermal delivery systems manufactured as an adhesive disc or patch which slowly releases the active compound ( s ) for percutaneous absorption can be used . to this end , permeation enhancers can be used to facilitate transdermal penetration of the active compound ( s ). suitable transdermal patches are described in for example , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 407 , 713 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 352 , 456 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 332 , 213 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 336 , 168 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 290 , 561 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 254 , 346 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 164 , 189 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 163 , 899 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 088 , 977 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 087 , 240 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 008 , 110 ; and u . s . pat . no . 4 , 921 , 475 , each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . alternatively , other pharmaceutical delivery systems can be employed . liposomes and emulsions are well - known examples of delivery vehicles that can be used to deliver active compound ( s ) or prodrug ( s ). certain organic solvents such as dimethylsulfoxide ( dmso ) also can be employed . the pharmaceutical compositions can , if desired , be presented in a pack or dispenser device which can contain one or more unit dosage forms containing the active compound ( s ). the pack can , for example , comprise metal or plastic foil , such as a blister pack . the pack or dispenser device can be accompanied by instructions for administration . the active compound ( s ) or prodrug ( s ) of the presently disclosed subject matter , or compositions thereof , will generally be used in an amount effective to achieve the intended result , for example in an amount effective to treat or prevent the particular disease being treated . the compound ( s ) can be administered therapeutically to achieve therapeutic benefit or prophylactically to achieve prophylactic benefit . by therapeutic benefit is meant eradication or amelioration of the underlying disorder being treated and / or eradication or amelioration of one or more of the symptoms associated with the underlying disorder such that the patient reports an improvement in feeling or condition , notwithstanding that the patient can still be afflicted with the underlying disorder . for example , administration of a compound to a patient suffering from an allergy provides therapeutic benefit not only when the underlying allergic response is eradicated or ameliorated , but also when the patient reports a decrease in the severity or duration of the symptoms associated with the allergy following exposure to the allergen . as another example , therapeutic benefit in the context of asthma includes an improvement in respiration following the onset of an asthmatic attack , or a reduction in the frequency or severity of asthmatic episodes . therapeutic benefit also includes halting or slowing the progression of the disease , regardless of whether improvement is realized . for prophylactic administration , the compound can be administered to a patient at risk of developing one of the previously described diseases . a patient at risk of developing a disease can be a patient having characteristics placing the patient in a designated group of at risk patients , as defined by an appropriate medical professional or group . a patient at risk may also be a patient that is commonly or routinely in a setting where development of the underlying disease that may be treated by administration of a metalloenzyme inhibitor according to the invention could occur . in other words , the at risk patient is one who is commonly or routinely exposed to the disease or illness causing conditions or may be acutely exposed for a limited time . alternatively , prophylactic administration can be applied to avoid the onset of symptoms in a patient diagnosed with the underlying disorder . the amount of compound administered will depend upon a variety of factors , including , for example , the particular indication being treated , the mode of administration , whether the desired benefit is prophylactic or therapeutic , the severity of the indication being treated and the age and weight of the patient , the bioavailability of the particular active compound , and the like . determination of an effective dosage is well within the capabilities of those skilled in the art . effective dosages can be estimated initially from in vitro assays . for example , an initial dosage for use in animals can be formulated to achieve a circulating blood or serum concentration of active compound that is at or above an ic50 of the particular compound as measured in as in vitro assay , such as the in vitro fungal mic or mfc and other in vitro assays described in the examples section . calculating dosages to achieve such circulating blood or serum concentrations taking into account the bioavailability of the particular compound is well within the capabilities of skilled artisans . for guidance , see fingl & amp ; woodbury , “ general principles ,” in : goodman and gilman &# 39 ; s the pharmaceutical basis of therapeutics , chapter 1 , pp . 1 - 46 , latest edition , pagamonon press , and the references cited therein , which are incorporated herein by reference . initial dosages also can be estimated from in vivo data , such as animal models . animal models useful for testing the efficacy of compounds to treat or prevent the various diseases described above are well - known in the art . dosage amounts will typically be in the range of from about 0 . 0001 or 0 . 001 or 0 . 01 mg / kg / day to about 100 mg / kg / day , but can be higher or lower , depending upon , among other factors , the activity of the compound , its bioavailability , the mode of administration , and various factors discussed above . dosage amount and interval can be adjusted individually to provide plasma levels of the compound ( s ) which are sufficient to maintain therapeutic or prophylactic effect . in cases of local administration or selective uptake , such as local topical administration , the effective local concentration of active compound ( s ) cannot be related to plasma concentration . skilled artisans will be able to optimize effective local dosages without undue experimentation . the compound ( s ) can be administered once per day , a few or several times per day , or even multiple times per day , depending upon , among other things , the indication being treated and the judgment of the prescribing physician . preferably , the compound ( s ) will provide therapeutic or prophylactic benefit without causing substantial toxicity . toxicity of the compound ( s ) can be determined using standard pharmaceutical procedures . the dose ratio between toxic and therapeutic ( or prophylactic ) effect is the therapeutic index . compounds ( s ) that exhibit high therapeutic indices are preferred . the recitation of a listing of chemical groups in any definition of a variable herein includes definitions of that variable as any single group or combination of listed groups . the recitation of an embodiment for a variable herein includes that embodiment as any single embodiment or in combination with any other embodiments or portions thereof . the recitation of an embodiment herein includes that embodiment as any single embodiment or in combination with any other embodiments or portions thereof . another object of the present invention is the use of a compound as described herein ( e . g ., of any formulae herein ) in the manufacture of a medicament for use in the treatment of a metalloenzyme - mediated disorder or disease . another object of the present invention is the use of a compound as described herein ( e . g ., of any formulae herein ) for use in the treatment of a metalloenzyme - mediated disorder or disease . another object of the present invention is the use of a compound as described herein ( e . g ., of any formulae herein ) in the manufacture of an agricultural composition for use in the treatment or prevention of a metalloenzyme - mediated disorder or disease in agricultural or agrarian settings . the compounds and compositions herein can be used in methods of modulating metalloenzyme activity in a microorganism on a plant comprising contacting a compound ( or composition ) herein with the plant ( e . g ., seed , seedling , grass , weed , grain ). the compounds and compositions herein can be used to treat a plant , field or other agricultural area ( e . g ., as herbicides , pesticides , growth regulators , etc .) by administering the compound or composition ( e . g ., contacting , applying , spraying , atomizing , dusting , etc .) to the subject plant , field or other agricultural area . the administration can be either pre - or post - emergence . the administration can be either as a treatment or preventative regimen . the present invention will now be demonstrated using specific examples that are not to be construed as limiting . definitions of variables in the structures in schemes herein are commensurate with those of corresponding positions in the formulae delineated herein . a process to prepare enantiopure compound 1 or 1a is disclosed . syntheses of 1 or 1a may be accomplished using the example syntheses that are shown below ( schemes 1 - 9 ). the preparation of precursor ketone 8 is performed starting with reaction of dibromo - pyridine 2 - br with ethyl 2 - bromo - difluoroacetate to produce ester 3 - br . this ester is reacted with tetrazole reagent 4 via claisen reaction to furnish 5 - br . decarboxylation of 5 - br via a two - step process produces compound 6 - br . suzuki coupling of 6 - br with boronate 7 furnishes 8 . ketone 8 may be prepared in an analogous fashion as described in scheme 1 starting from corresponding substituted 2 - bromo - pyridines , which can be prepared using according to synthetic transformations known in the art and contained in the references cited herein ( scheme 2 ). compounds 6 or 8 may be reacted with a series of metallated derivatives of 2 , 4 - difluoro - bromobenzene and chiral catalysts / reagents ( e . g . binol ) to effect enantiofacial - selective addition to the carbonyl group of 6 or 8 ( scheme 3 ). these additions can be performed on 6 or 8 to furnish 9 ( or 9a , the enantiomer of 9 , or mixtures thereof ) or 1 ( or 1a , the enantiomer of 1 , or mixtures thereof ), respectively . alternatively , ketone 8 can be synthesized from aldehyde 10 ( scheme 4 ). aldehyde 10 is coupled with 7 to produce 11 . compound 11 is then converted to 12 via treatment with diethylaminosulfurtrifluoride ( dast ). scheme 5 outlines the synthesis of precursor ketone 15 - br . the ketone is prepared by conversion of 2 - br to 3 - br as described above . next , ester 3 - br is converted to 15 - br by treatment via lithiation of 2 , 4 - difluoro - bromobenzene . ketone 15 may be prepared in an analogous fashion as described for 15 - br in scheme 5 starting from corresponding substituted 2 - bromo - pyridines , which can be prepared using according to synthetic transformations known in the art and contained in the references cited herein ( scheme 6 ). ketone 15 may be used to prepare 9 ( or 9a , the enantiomer of 9 , or mixtures thereof ) or 1 ( or 1a , the enantiomer of 1 , or mixtures thereof ) by the following three - step process ( scheme 7 ). in the presence of a chiral catalyst / reagent ( e . g . proline derivatives ), base - treated nitromethane is added to 15 or 16 to furnish 17 ( or 17a , the enantiomer of 17 , or mixtures thereof ) or 18 ( or 18a , the enantiomer of 18 , or mixtures thereof ), respectively . reduction of 17 ( or 17a , the enantiomer of 17 , or mixtures thereof ) or 18 ( or 18a , the enantiomer of 18 , or mixtures thereof ) ( e . g . lithium aluminum hydride ) produces 19 ( or 19a , the enantiomer of 19 , or mixtures thereof ) or 20 ( or 20a , the enantiomer of 20 , or mixtures thereof ). annulation of 19 ( or 19a , the enantiomer of 19 , or mixtures thereof ) or 20 ( or 20a , the enantiomer of 20 , or mixtures thereof ) by treatment with sodium azide / triethylorthoformate furnishes tetrazoles 9 ( or 9a , the enantiomer of 9 , or mixtures thereof ) or 1 ( or 1a , the enantiomer of 1 , or mixtures thereof ). suzuki coupling of 9 ( or 9a , the enantiomer of 9 , or mixtures thereof ) with 4 - trifluoroethoxyphenyl - boronic acid produces 1 ( or 1a , the enantiomer of 1 , or mixtures thereof ). ketone 21 may be employed to prepare optically - active epoxides via horner - emmons reaction of a difluoromethyl substrate to produce 22 or 22a . ketones related to 21 have been prepared ( m . butters , org . process res . dev . 2001 , 5 , 28 - 36 ). nucleophilic addition of metalated 5 -( 4 - trifluoroethoxy ) phenyl - 2 - pyridine ( m = metal ) to epoxide 22 or 22a may furnish compound 1 or 1a . ketone 15 or 16 may be used to prepare 9 ( or 9a , the enantiomer of 9 , or mixtures thereof ) or 1 ( or 1a , the enantiomer of 1 , or mixtures thereof ) by an alternative three - step process to scheme 7 ( scheme 9 ). in the presence of a chiral catalyst / reagent , trimethylsilyl - cyanide is added to 15 or 16 to furnish 23 ( or 23a , the enantiomer of 23 , or mixtures thereof ) or 24 ( or 24a , the enantiomer of 24 , or mixtures thereof ), respectively ( s . m . dankwardt , tetrahedron lett . 1998 , 39 , 4971 - 4974 ). reduction of 23 ( or 23a , the enantiomer of 23 , or mixtures thereof ) or 24 ( or 24a , the enantiomer of 24 , or mixtures thereof ) ( e . g . lithium aluminum hydride ) produces 19 ( or 19a , the enantiomer of 19 , or mixtures thereof ) or 20 ( or 20a , the enantiomer of 20 , or mixtures thereof ). annulation of 19 ( or 19a , the enantiomer of 19 , or mixtures thereof ) or 20 ( or 20a , the enantiomer of 20 , or mixtures thereof ) by treatment with sodium azide / triethylorthoformate furnishes tetrazoles 9 ( or 9a , the enantiomer of 9 , or mixtures thereof ) or 1 ( or 1a , the enantiomer of 1 , or mixtures thereof ). suzuki coupling of 9 ( or 9a , the enantiomer of 9 , or mixtures thereof ) with 4 - trifluoromethoxyphenyl - boronic acid produces 1 ( or 1a , the enantiomer of 1 , or mixtures thereof ). 1 h nmr ( 500 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 8 . 76 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 70 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 95 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 70 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 64 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 54 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 7 . 42 - 7 . 37 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 08 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 6 . 79 - 6 . 75 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 69 - 6 . 66 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 58 ( d , j = 14 . 0 hz , 1h ), 5 . 14 ( d , j = 14 . 0 hz , 1h ), 4 . 44 - 4 . 39 ( m , 2h ). hplc : 99 . 1 %. ms ( esi ): m / z 528 [ m + + 1 ]. to a clean and dry 100 l jacketed reactor was added copper powder ( 1375 g , 2 . 05 equiv , 10 micron , sphereoidal , safc cat # 326453 ) and dmso ( 17 . 5 l , 7 vol ). next , ethyl bromodifluoroacetate ( 2 . 25 kg , 1 . 05 equiv , apollo lot # 102956 ) was added and the resulting slurry stirred at 20 - 25 ° c . for 1 - 2 hours . then 2 , 5 - dibromopyridine ( 2 - br , 2 . 5 kg , 1 . 0 equiv , alfa aesar lot # f14p38 ) was added to the batch and the mixture was immediately heated ( using the glycol jacket ) to 35 ° c . after 70 hours at 35 ° c ., the mixture was sampled for cg / ms analysis . a sample of the reaction slurry was diluted with 1 / 1 ch 3 cn / water , filtered ( 0 . 45 micron ), and the filtrate analyzed directly . ideally , the reaction is deemed complete if & lt ; 5 % ( auc ) of 2 , 5 - dibromopyridine remains . in this particular batch , 10 % ( auc ) of 2 , 5 - dibromopyridine remained . however due to the already lengthy reaction time , we felt that prolonging the batch would not help the conversion any further . the reaction was then deemed complete and diluted with etoac ( 35 l ). the reaction mixture was stirred at 20 - 35 ° c . for 1 hour and then the solids ( copper salts ) were removed by filtration through a pad of celite . the residual solids inside the reactor were rinsed forward using etoac ( 2 × 10 l ) and then this was filtered through the celite . the filter cake was washed with additional etoac ( 3 × 10 l ) and the etoac filtrates were combined . a buffer solution was prepared by dissolving nh 4 cl ( 10 kg ) in di water ( 100 l ), followed by the addition of aqueous 28 % nh 4 oh ( 2 . 0 l ) to reach ph = 9 . then the combined etoac filtrates were added slowly to a pre - cooled ( 0 to 15 ° c .) solution of nh 4 cl and nh 4 oh ( 35 l , ph = 9 ) buffer while maintaining t & lt ; 30 ° c . the mixture was then stirred for 15 - 30 minutes and the phases were allowed to separate . the aqueous layer ( blue in color ) was removed and the organic layer was washed with the buffer solution until no blue color was discernable in the aqueous layer . this experiment required 3 × 17 . 5 l washes . the organic layer was then washed with a 1 / 1 mixture of brine ( 12 . 5 l ) and the ph = 9 nh 4 cl buffer solution ( 12 . 5 l ), dried over mgso 4 , filtered , and concentrated to dryness . this provided crude compound 3 - br [ 2 . 29 kg , 77 % yield , 88 % ( auc ) by gc / ms ] as a yellow oil . the major impurity present in crude 3 - br was unreacted 2 , 5 - dibromopyridine [ 10 % ( auc ) by gc / ms ]. 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ) was consistent with previous lots of crude compound 3 - br . crude compound 3 - br was then combined with similar purity lots and purified by column chromatography ( 5 / 95 etoac / heptane on sio 2 gel ). to a clean and dry 72 l round bottom flask was added 1 - bromo - 2 , 4 - difluorobenzene ( 1586 g , 1 . 15 equiv , oakwood lot # h4460 ) and mtbe ( 20 l , 12 . 6 vol ). this solution was cooled to − 70 to − 75 ° c . and treated with n - buli ( 3286 ml , 1 . 15 equiv , 2 . 5 m in hexanes , safc lot # 32799mj ), added as rapidly as possible while maintaining − 75 to − 55 ° c . this addition typically required 35 - 45 minutes to complete . ( note : if the n - buli is added slowly , a white slurry will form and this typically gives poor results ). after stirring at − 70 to − 65 ° c . for 45 minutes , a solution of compound 3 - br ( 2000 g , 1 . 0 equiv , amri lot # 15cl049a ) in mtbe ( 3 vol ) was added rapidly ( 20 - 30 min ) by addition funnel to the aryl lithium solution while maintaining − 75 to − 55 ° c . after stirring for 30 - 60 minutes at − 75 to − 55 ° c ., the reaction was analyzed by gc / ms and showed only trace ( 0 . 5 % auc ) 1 - bromo - 2 , 4 - difluorobenzene present . the reaction was slowly quenched with aqueous 2 m hcl ( 3 . 6 l ) and allowed to warns to room temperature . the mixture was adjusted to ph = 6 . 5 to 8 . 5 using nahco 3 ( 4 l ), and the organic layer was separated . the mtbe layer was washed with brine ( 5 % nacl in water , 4 l ), dried over mgso 4 , filtered , and concentrated . in order to convert the intermediate hemi - acetal to 4 , the crude mixture was heated inside the 20 l rotovap flask at 60 - 65 ° c . for 3 hours ( under vacuum ), at this point all the hemi - acetal was converted to the desired ketone 4 - br by 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 ). this provided crude compound 4 - br [ 2 . 36 kg , 75 % ( auc ) by hplc ] as a brown oil that solidified upon standing . this material can then be used “ as - is ” in the next step without further purification . the contents of all references ( including literature references , issued patents , published patent applications , and co - pending patent applications ) cited throughout this application are hereby expressly incorporated herein in their entireties by reference . those skilled in the art will recognize , or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation , many equivalents of the specific embodiments of the invention described herein . such equivalents are intended with be encompassed by the following claims . | 2 |
the applicants have surprisingly found that 5 - amino - 3 - cyano - 1 -( 2 , 6 - dichloro - 4 - trifluoromethylphenyl )- 4 - trifluoromethylthiopyrazole of formula ( ii ) can be oxidized directly with dichloroacetic acid and hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a strong acid . the process described herein is advantageous in that it avoids the need for using hazardous and expensive oxidizing reagents . the process also avoids the need for using dichloromethane , which is not particularly desirable for industrial implementation due to the hazards associated with such solvent . admixing 5 - amino - 3 - cyano - 1 -( 2 , 6 - dichloro - 4 - trifluoromethylphenyl )- 4 - trifluoromethylthiopyrazole of formula ( ii ), with dichloroacetic acid and hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a strong acid and allowing the oxidation reaction to proceed for a time period sufficient to allow substantial completion of the oxidation reaction , to produce the compound of formula ( i ) in a reaction mixture ; isolating the compound of formula ( i ) from the quenched reaction mixture ; and the reaction can be conducted in an organic solvent . examples of organic solvents that can be used in the present invention include monochlorobenzene , poly chlorobenzene , toluene , xylene , ethyl acetate , butyl acetate , acetonitrile , n - methylpyrrolidone ( nmp ) and dimethylacetamide ( n , n - dma ), or a combination thereof . dichloroacetic acid is generally present in molar excess . for example , the molar excess of dichloroacetic acid ranges from about 2 molar equivalents to about 50 molar equivalents , preferably from about 4 . 5 molar equivalents to about 30 molar equivalents per one mol of the 5 - amino - 3 - cyano - 1 -( 2 , 6 - dichloro - 4 - trifluoromethylphenyl )- 4 - trifluoromethylthiopyrazole of formula ( ii ). dichloroacetic acid can be used , together with the strong acid , as the solvent for the reaction mixture . suitable strong acids include sulfuric acid , methanesulfonic acid and p - toluenesulfonic acid , or a combination thereof . the strong acid is generally present in an amount effective to catalyze the oxidation . for example , the molar ratio of the strong acid to the 5 - amino - 3 - cyano - 1 -( 2 , 6 - dichloro - 4 - trifluoromethylphenyl )- 4 - trifluoromethylthiopyrazole of formula ( ii ) is from 1 : 1 to 5 : 1 . in an embodiment , the oxidizing agent utilized in the process disclosed herein , perdichloroacetic acid ( paa ) is optionally formed in situ from dichloroacetic acid and hydrogen peroxide . according to the present invention , when the oxidizing agent is prepared in situ hydrogen peroxide is added gradually over time . for example , the hydrogen peroxide is added drop - wise to the mixture of 5 - amino - 3 - cyano - 1 -( 2 , 6 - dichloro - 4 - trifluoromethylphenyl )- 4 - trifluoromethylthiopyrazole of formula ( ii ), dichloroacetic acid and strong acid over a period of from 30 minutes to about 120 minutes , more specifically , over a period of from 50 minutes to about 100 minutes , more specifically over a period of from 65 minutes to about 90 minutes . in another embodiment , the oxidizing agent utilized in the process disclosed herein , perdichloroacetic acid ( paa ) is added to the reaction mixture gradually over time . for example , the oxidizing agent is added drop - wise to the solution of 5 - amino - 3 - cyano - 1 -( 2 , 6 - dichloro - 4 - trifluoromethylphenyl )- 4 - trifluoromethylthiopyrazole of formula ( ii ) dissolved in organic solvent over a period of from 30 minutes to about 240 minutes , more specifically , over a period of from 90 minutes to about 180 minutes . hydrogen peroxide is used in the form of aqueous solutions , for example in the form of the usual commercial - available solutions , which have a concentration ranging from 30 to 70 % by weight . in an embodiment , the process is conducted at a temperature in the range of from about 0 ° c . to about 40 ° c ., more specifically from about 5 ° c . to about 15 ° c . the progress of the reaction can be monitored using any suitable method , which can include , for example , chromatographic methods such as , e . g ., high performance liquid chromatography ( hplc ), thin layer chromatography ( tlc ), and the like . the reaction may be quenched after nearly complete disappearance of the starting material 5 - amino - 3 - cyano - 1 -( 2 , 6 - dichloro - 4 - trifluoromethylphenyl )- 4 - trifluoromethylthiopyrazole of formula ( ii ) as determined by one or more of such methods . the oxidation process can be quenched by mixing the reaction mixture with a suitable quenching agent . examples of quenching agents include sodium metabisulfite , sodium sulfite , sodium thiosulfate and buffers such as phosphate buffer ( nah 2 po 4 / na 2 hpo 4 ), carbonate buffer ( nahco 3 / naco 3 ) and acetate buffer ( ch 3 co 2 h / ch 2 co 2 na ), or a combination thereof . the use of hydrogen peroxide reduces the cost of production , simplifies work - up and minimizes the effluent disposal problem . this forms another embodiment of the present invention . in yet another embodiment , the compound of formula ( i ) can be isolated from the reaction mixture by any conventional techniques well - known in the art selected , without limitation , from the group consisting of concentration , extraction , precipitation , cooling , filtration , crystallization or centrifugation or a combination thereof followed by drying . in yet another embodiment , the compound of formula ( i ) can be optionally purified by any conventional techniques well - known in the art selected , without limitation , from the group consisting of precipitation , crystallization , slurrying , washing in a suitable solvent , filtration through a packed - bed column , dissolution in an appropriate solvent and re - precipitation by addition of a second solvent in which the compound is insoluble or any suitable combination of such methods . the fipronil produced in accordance with process disclosed herein has a purity of greater than about 95 %, a purity of greater than about 96 %, and more preferably a purity of greater than about 97 %. purity can be determined by hplc , for example , or other methods known in the art . the yield of the process is an important feature of the invention . as described in the examples , fipronil can be obtained in a yield of over 95 %, more preferably over 96 %, more preferably over 97 %, with respect to the starting amount of the molecule having the structure formula ( ii ). the following examples illustrate the practice of the present invention in some of its embodiments , but should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention . other embodiments will be apparent to one skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and examples . it is intended that the specification , including the examples , is considered exemplary only without limiting the scope and spirit of the invention . this example demonstrates the preparation of fipronil . 100 grams ( 0 . 23 mol ) of 5 - amino - 3 - cyano - 1 -( 2 , 6 - dichloro - 4 - trifluoromethylphenyl )- 4 - trifluoromethylthiopyrazole ( compound of formula ( ii )) were dissolved in a mixture consisting of 900 grams ( 6 . 97 mol ) of dichloroacetic acid ( dcaa ) and 30 grams ( 0 . 3 mol ) of h 2 so 4 . after 30 minutes of stirring at a temperature of 15 ° c ., 25 grams ( 0 . 22 mol ) of a 30 % w / w aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution were added over a period of 90 minutes . the reaction was continued until the conversion was more than 95 % as measured by hplc . the mixture was quenched by using na 2 so 3 . isolation and further purification of fipronil was done by the conventional methods . fipronil was obtained in 98 % yield , having a purity of 97 . 5 % ( by hplc ). the % conversion obtained by reacting the compound of formula ( ii ) with different amounts of acid and of hydrogen peroxide at different reaction temperatures is summarized in table 1 : this example demonstrates the preparation of paa ( perdichloroacetic acid ). 1250 grams ( 9 . 68 mol ) of dichloroacetic acid ( dcaa ) and 400 grams ( 4 mol ) of h 2 so 4 mixed at 5 ° c . 200 gr ( 2 . 05 mol ) of a 35 % w / w aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution were added over a period of 30 minutes and the mixture was stirred for additional 30 minutes . the solution was used without further purification . this example demonstrates the preparation of fipronil . 850 grams ( 2 mol ) of 5 - amino - 1 -( 2 , 6 - dichloro - 4 - trifluoromethylphenyl )- 3 - cyano - 4 - trifluoromethylthiopyrazole were dissolved in monochlorobenzene at 10 ° c . a solution of paa , prepared according to example 5 was added over a period of 180 minutes . at the end of the addition the reaction was quenched by admixing the mixture with a phosphate ( nah 2 po 4 / na 2 hpo 4 ) buffer solution while maintaining the ph neutral followed by the addition of 20 % sodium metabisulfite solution . subsequently , fipronil was isolated and further purified by conventional methods with a molar yield of 98 % and purity of 97 . 5 % ( by hplc ). | 2 |
in accordance with the present disclosure , sensor and data collection payloads are carried inside flexible , inflatable structures having the shape of a sphere that are then rolled , e . g ., down a sloping surface under the influence of gravity , to a stopping point . in some embodiments , a device may be included for controlling the directional of roll of the vehicle . fig1 is a schematic cross - sectional view of one example embodiment of a gravity driven spherical instrument and data collection delivery rolling rover , or “ rollver ” 10 , in accordance with the present disclosure , showing the rollver 10 in an inflated condition . the example rollver 10 comprises a hollow enclosure 12 having a flexible wall that is collapsible , and which assumes the shape of a sphere when expanded , for example , when inflated with a gas , within which a sensor instrumentation and data collection payload assembly 14 is suspended by means of , for example , support bands or membranes 16 extending between an inner surface of the wall of the enclosure 12 and the payload assembly 14 for shock and impact cushioning . the enclosure 12 can be inflated by a variety of mechanisms , including an external pump inflator , an internal source , such as a source of compressed gas or a pyrotechnic inflator , or as discussed below in connection with fig4 , by a purely mechanical mechanism , such as a spring 20 . in one advantageous embodiment , the enclosure 12 may be made of a polymeric material , e . g ., mylar , polyethylene or polytetrafluoroethylene , or alternatively , of a polymer that cures , i . e ., polymerizes , when exposed to ultraviolet ( uv ) light . the enclosure 12 may be fabricated , for example , by a layup or a blow molding process in two hemispherical portions that are subsequently joined together at an equatorial seam . advantageously , the wall of the enclosure 12 may be internally reinforced with a fiber , e . g ., carbon or glass fibers , for strength . this type of construction allows not only for exterior strength but also for the provision of holes or ports in the surface of the enclosure 12 without causing deflation . data may be taken through such holes or ports , or alternatively , the wall of the enclosure 12 or a portion thereof can be made transparent to visible light or other bands of electromagnetic radiation . also , it may be noted that , because the enclosure 12 , when inflated , can have a diameter larger than that of the wheel of a conventional rover vehicle , the rollver 10 can surmount greater obstacles in its path than a conventional driving vehicle could while still retaining the capability , as discussed below , of being stowed in a relatively small package prior to its deployment . in the example embodiment of fig1 , the sensor and data collection payload assembly 14 is disposed at about the center of the enclosure 12 when the latter is inflated , and no directional control apparatus is provided within the rollver 10 . the “ bubble ” of the enclosure 12 is inflated around the payload assembly 14 immediately prior to the deployment of the rollver 10 , which may be effected either from a spacecraft or from a land base source , and in one embodiment , then allowed to cure , e . g ., in ambient sunlight , to become a relatively rigid sphere . given an initial impulse at deployment , e . g ., by means of a hand toss , or from a hand - held or vehicle - mounted launcher ( not illustrated ) powered by , e . g ., compressed air , a spring or a pyrotechnic device , the rollver 10 then continues to roll under the influence of its initial momentum and gravity until it fetches up at its ultimate destination . as described below , the enclosure 12 and the payload assembly 14 support bands 16 may be stowed in a relatively compact , folded condition and stored against the outer surface of the payload assembly 14 until the time at which the rollver 10 is inflated for deployment , and then extended by the inflation procedure to the positions illustrated in fig1 to support the payload assembly 14 securely within the protective inflated enclosure 12 . as illustrated in fig2 , in another possible embodiment , the payload assembly 14 may be disposed directly against the internal surface of the enclosure 12 on one side thereof . in this offcenter embodiment , when the enclosure 12 is inflated and hardened , the payload assembly 14 is still disposed safely on the inside of the enclosure . however , while this design eliminates the need for the support bands 16 , because the mass of the payload assembly 14 is offset from the center of the enclosure 12 , the offset arrangement will affect how the rollver 10 rolls over the ground after an initial impetus is applied thereto . as illustrated in fig3 and 9 , rolling control mechanisms 18 may be disposed inside the rollver 10 to effect a degree of control over its direction of roll . for example , as illustrated in fig3 , the rollver 10 may include a small moment - control gyroscope mechanism 18 attached to the payload assembly 14 . alternatively , a flywheel mechanism 18 may be used in place of a gyroscope mechanism . as discussed below , a flywheel mechanism 18 can not only provide a vehicle rolling stability control mechanism , but can also provide electrical power to the payload assembly 14 . in such an embodiment , the spinning flywheel of the mechanism 18 is coupled with a small electrical generator . the flywheel is spun up at the initial deployment of the rollver 10 , and the electrical energy produced by the generator is used to power the payload assembly 14 during the initial deployment of the rollver 10 to its destination and thereafter for as long as the flywheel remains spinning . also , it should be understood that the enclosure 12 of the rollver 10 need not necessarily be inflated by a gas . as illustrated in fig4 , in an alternative embodiment , the enclosure 12 can be arranged to pop open by means of resilient mechanism , such as a spring 20 comprising a band of resilient metal wire or other flexible material wound around the inside of the enclosure . in this embodiment , the rollver 10 is stowed in a compressed state , and when deployed , springs open like a pop - up sun tent or a collapsible laundry hamper . this arrangement eliminates the need for a pump or other inflation device for inflating the enclosure 12 , and when it is popped open by the spring 20 , the enclosure 12 may be allowed to cure to a relatively rigid state by exposure to sunlight . another embodiment of the rollver 10 is illustrated in fig5 . in this embodiment , the rollver 10 is not propelled entirely by gravity acting on a weighting system , but instead , at least partially by a cold gas propulsion system that effects movements of the rollver . in particular , in fig5 , two small tanks 22 of a compressed gas , such as carbon dioxide , are respectively provided with nozzles 24 and arranged to jet the compressed gas outside the surface of the enclosure 12 in selected directions to propel the rollver 10 along the ground . in another embodiment , the rollvers 10 of the present disclosure are provided with an internal source of electrical power , which may be either rechargeable or for a one - time only use , in order to fulfill their respective missions . the power may come from a variety of sources , including but not limited to , batteries , a small radioisotope powered thermoelectric generator , a flywheel type of rolling control and generator mechanism 18 as discussed above ( i . e ., usable for both power and directional control ), solar power , power that is “ beamed ” to the rollver 10 by , e . g ., rf or laser radiation transmitted from a remote power transmitter , or in limited terrestrial circumstances , a small internal combustion engine and associated generator system . fig6 - 9 illustrate various alternative embodiments of the rollver 10 of the present disclosure in a deflated state , i . e ., with the bulk of the enclosure 12 collapsed atop the payload assembly 14 , with the balance “ shrink - wrapped ” around the payload structure in , e . g ., a uv opaque protective cover ( not illustrated ) applied in a vacuum bagging operation , and arranged to inflate around the structure of the payload assembly 14 when inflated . the payload assembly 14 is an important component of the rollver 10 , and while it may include any number of instrumentation and information collection packages 26 , there are some components that will be fairly common to all versions of the rollver 10 . these components may comprise , for example , a communications antenna 28 , as illustrated in fig6 - 9 , a power source 30 , such as a battery , for the instruments of the payload assembly 14 , as illustrated in fig8 and discussed above , and a pump , a compressed gas source or a pyrotechnic device 32 used to inflate the spherical enclosure 12 prior to deployment , as illustrated in fig6 - 9 . the antenna 28 may comprise , for example , an omnidirectional s - band antenna , and the enclosure 12 may comprise a material that is transparent to radio frequency radiations for transmission of data to remote data receivers . it is also possible to place a receiver in the payload assembly 14 , e . g ., in the instrumentation and information collection package 26 , and the receiver can be arranged to receive a remote signal operable to , e . g ., initiate inflation of the enclosure 12 or , as illustrated in fig3 and 9 , to steer a gyroscopic or flywheel - type of rolling control mechanism 18 of the rollver 10 as it rolls toward its intended destination , i . e ., to remotely control the direction of roll of the rollver 10 . in some applications , the instrumentation and information collection packages 26 of the rollvers 10 may include a transmitter that acts as a navigational beacon . with data received from one or more of these beacons , another vehicle , such as an aircraft or land vehicle , can track its own progress , or route between or around the beacons , e . g ., in order to find a safe location to land . once these beacons are in position ( i . e ., at the locations where the rollvers 10 come to rest ), the beacon transmitters can be programmed to transmit continuously , intermittently for set periods of time , or to be remotely activated and deactivated on command . as illustrated in fig7 , in one embodiment , the rollver 10 may derive electrical power from a solar panel 34 mounted on the payload assembly 14 and arranged to receive solar radiation through the wall of the enclosure 12 . as discussed above , the inflation device 32 of the embodiments of fig6 - 9 may comprise a pump using internal energy of the rollver 10 , a source of compressed gas , a pyrotechnic device , or even a pop - up spring 20 , as in the embodiment of fig4 . as discussed above and illustrated in fig9 , the power source may comprise a flywheel - type of rolling control and electrical generator mechanism 18 attached to the payload assembly 14 . the rollver 10 of the present disclosure can be deployed in a variety of ways . because the exterior surface of the enclosure 12 is relatively durable , it is possible to deploy the device in space from either a lander on the edge of a crater or valley , or on earth from a ridgeline or an aircraft . from an aircraft , the device can be dropped from the aircraft , inflated during it decent , and once it strikes the ground , then rolled by momentum and / or under the influence of gravity to its final destination . it can also be launched by hand , from a canon , mortar or hand - held launcher and thereby “ shot ” toward its destination . the primary objective of the rollver 10 is to gather and transmit data to the user ( s ) who deployed it . the bulk of this mission is carried out by the instrumentation and information collection package 26 of the payload assembly 14 . the purpose of the enclosure 12 is to act as a protective delivery device for getting the payload assembly to the location of interest . the components of the instrumentation and information collection package 26 may include , but are not limited to : cameras , drills , spectrometers , accelerometers , thermometers , magnetometers , altimeters , barometers , communications antennae ( necessary for data transmission ), and radio receivers and transmitters . if the enclosure 12 is constructed of a curable composite , it can incorporate a number of desirable features . for example , the enclosure 12 can be made transparent , allowing for photographs to be taken from inside it , and also allowing for solar panels 34 to be disposed in the center of the enclosure 12 along with the payload assembly 14 to provide electrical power . as discussed above , the enclosure 12 can also be made transparent to radio waves , allowing for trans - mission of data to and receipt of data from a mission control source . it is also possible to cover the outer or inner surface of the enclosure 12 with a conformal photovoltaic array for providing electrical power to the payload assembly 14 . as those of skill in the art will appreciate , a solar power system may work very well in some deployment areas but not in others ( e . g ., if the rollver 10 were deployed in a deep crater or a mine shaft ). the uv curing of the enclosure 12 is possible in almost all environments of deployment . in space , uv light is plentiful , and on earth , is readily available in sunlight . also , because uv light reflects from the adjacent terrain , even parts of the surface of the enclosure 12 that are not directly exposed to sunlight will still have the opportunity to cure . the rolling , inflatable data collecting rollvers 10 require much less energy to operate , cost substantially less to manufacture , and are much easier to store and then deploy in relatively large numbers to remote locations , than current roving or airborne reconnaissance vehicles . thus , a single rollver 10 , or several acting together , can be used as a path - tracing device or a navigation beacon for larger craft which follow after them to their deployment site . the rollver 10 of the present disclosure can be deployed to gather information in places that current exploration vehicles are not designed to go . due to its spherical shape , it can use the energy provided by initial momentum and / or gravity to get to its destination without the need for power for movement . it is also easily packable , because the exterior surface of the rollver 10 that rolls along the ground , i . e ., the enclosure 12 , is both inflatable and durable . to gather information , current planetary exploration systems rely mostly on rovers or landers , which either sit in one spot or drive on wheels or treads to gather data . typically , few are deployed at a time , because they are expensive to build and operate . however , because of their comparative simplicity and lower cost , a relatively large number of the rollvers 10 of the present disclosure can be deployed over a larger area , and can also travel relatively long distances down sloping terrains without using the driving power needed by conventional exploration rovers . conventional terrestrial exploration vehicles typically involve either driving or aerial vehicles , both of which require power and are not usually deployed in large numbers due to their relatively high cost . for example , for military applications , unmanned aerial vehicles can cost from a few thousand to several million dollars . unmanned ground vehicles can also cost thousands , even tens of thousands of dollars . the rollvers 10 of this disclosure therefore provide an economical alternative to such conventional vehicles because they can be deployed in large numbers over the area of interest at a fraction of the cost of a single conventional exploration vehicle . additionally , as discussed above , the novel rollvers 10 can also include transmission devices that enable a network of them to act as navigation beacons to guide another system into position , or can provide “ tracing ” data , i . e ., a map of the path the rollver 10 took to get to its final resting position . this enables an inexpensive but effective mapping of the terrain . the rollvers 10 of the present disclosure can also reach areas of interest that other current vehicles are not designed to reach , or are incapable of reaching , to collect important data . because the rollvers 10 are relatively smaller , require less power and are less expensive than conventional driving or flying vehicles , they can be deployed in large groups so that a large amount of data can be acquired at once , rather than “ serially ,” as with a single conventional vehicle that slowly wends its way over the same area of interest . the instant rollver 10 is also capable of military applications , for example , as detectors of enemy activity in dangerous areas , or as a single sensor in a network of remote reconnaissance equipment . terrestrially , rollvers 10 can be employed for reconnaissance in remote or dangerous locations that could not be reached with an airborne or roving probe . also , the international atomic energy agency ( iaea ) or other atomic energy related agencies could use the rollvers to investigate hazardous nuclear areas . nasa or other space agencies around the world can also employ the rollvers 10 as planetary exploration tools . the current technologies for exploring remote or hazardous areas on earth and in space are expensive and limited in many scenarios . for example , in space , there are many places of interest , such as the shackleton crater on the moon or the valles marineris on mars that cannot be explored with the technologies available today because the exploration vehicles cannot navigate or reach these locations . however , the rollver 10 makes possible exploratory missions to the moon , mars , and many other places in the solar system that extend down into areas of the surface that were previously inaccessible . in particular , one advantageous application of the rollver 10 is the exploration of so - called “ cold traps .” often , planetary areas that see no sun and thus remain at very low temperatures can harbor interesting kinds of ice , possibly including water ice . by now , those of some skill in this art will appreciate that many modifications , substitutions and variations can be made in and to the materials , apparatus , configurations and missions of the inflatable , gravity driven , spherical rollver sensor data collection rollvers 10 of the present disclosure without departing from its spirit and scope . accordingly , the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to that of the particular embodiments illustrated and described herein , as they are merely by way of some examples thereof , but rather , should be fully commensurate with that of the claims appended hereafter and their functional equivalents . | 7 |
the invention relates to new pyridines of the formula i ## str1 ## wherein one of the radicals r1 and r5 denotes 1 - 6c - alkyl and the other denotes the grouping - e1 - e2 - n ( r6a ) r6b r3 denotes 1 - 4c - alkyl , 1 - 4c - alkoxy , 3 - 5c - alkoxyalkyl , 3 - 5c - alkoxyalkoxy or , together with r2 , 2 - 3c - alkylene , r41 denotes hydrogen , hydroxyl , halogen , nitro , cyano , trifluoromethyl , 1 - 4c - alkyl , 1 - 4c - alkoxy , 1 - 4c - alkoxy which is completely or partly substituted by fluorine , 1 - 4c - alkonycarbonyl , 2 - 5c - acyl , amino or mono - or di - 1 - 4c - alkylamino , r42 denotes hydrogen , hydroxyl , halogen , nitro , cyano , trifluoromethyl , 1 - 4 -- c - alkyl , 1 - 4c - alkoxy , 1 - 4c - alkoxy which is completely or partly substituted by fluorine , 1 - 4c - alkoxycarbonyl , 2 - 5c - acyl , amino or mono - or di - 1 - 4c - alkylamino , e2 straight - chain or branched 1 - 7c - alkylene , the grouping -( ch 2 ) m - e -( ch 2 ) n - or the grouping - a1 - o - a2 , r6a and r6b , together and including the nitrogen atom to which they are both bonded , represent a radical of the formula ## str2 ## wherein a denotes -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- c ( r7 ) r8 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 --, -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- chr9 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- or -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- chr10 -, aryl represents a ring of the formula ## str3 ## wherein r11 and r12 are identical or different and denote hydrogen ( h ), 1 - 4 -- c - alkyl , 1 - 4c - alkoxy , halogen , hydroxyl , trifluoromethyl or , together , methylenedioxy , 1 - 6c - alkyl is straight - chain or branched and denotes , for example , a hexyl , neopentyl , isopentryl , butyl , i - butyl , sec - butyl , t - butyl , propyl , isopropyl or , in particular , ethyl or methyl radical . 2 - 3c - alkylene is ethylene or propylene , so that r2 and r3 , if they have this meaning together , form , together with the carbonyl group , a 5 - or 6 - membered ring fused onto the dihydropyridine ring . 1 - 4c - alkyl is straight - chain or branched and denotes , for example , a butyl , i - butyl , sec - butyl , t - butyl , propyl , isopropyl , ethyl or , in particular , methyl radical , 1 - 4c - alkoxy contains , in addition to the oxygen atom , one of the above - mentioned 1 - 4c - alkyl radicals . preferred 1 - 4c - alkoxy radicals r41 , r42 , r11 and r12 are the methoxy and the ethoxy radical . preferred 1 - 4c - alkoxy radicals r3 are the isopropoxy and the t - butyoxy radical . 3 - 5c - alkoxyalkyl represents , for example , a methoxyethyl , ethoxyethyl , propxyethyl or ethoxymethyl radical . halogen is the context of the invention denotes bromine , fluorine and , in particular , chlorine . 1 - 4c - alkoxy which is completely or partly substituted by fluorine is , for example , 1 , 1 , 2 , 2 -- tetrafluoroethoxy , trifluoromethoxy , 2 , 2 , 2 -- trifluoroethoxy or , in particular , difluoromethoxy . 2 - 5c - acyl contains , in addition to the carbonyl group , one of the above - mentioned 1 - 4c - alkyl radicals . the acetyl radical is preferred . mono - or di - 1 - 4c - alkylamino contains , in addition to the nitrogen atom , one or two of the abovementioned 1 - 4c - alkyl radicals . di - 1 - 4c - alkylamino is preferred , and here in particular dimethyl -, diethyl - or diisopropylamino . straight - chain or branched 1 - 7c - alkylene is , for example , methylene (-- ch 2 --), ethylene (-- ch 2 -- ch 2 --), trimethylene (-- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 --), tetramethylene (-- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 --), 1 , 2 -- dimethylethylene [-- ch ( ch 3 )-- ch ( ch 3 )-], 1 , 1 - dimethylethylene [-- c ( ch 3 ) 2 -- ch 2 --], 1 , 1 - dimethylpropylene [-- c ( ch 3 ) 2 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- 9 , 2 , 2 - dimethyl ethylene [-- ch 2 -- c ( ch 3 ) 2 -], isopropylene [-- c ( ch 3 ) 2 ], 1 - methylethylene [-- ch ( ch 3 ) ch 2 -·, pentamethylene (-- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 --) and hexamethylene (-- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 --). 2 - 4c - alkylene represents ethylene (-- ch 2 -- ch 2 --, trimethylene (-- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 --) and tetramethylene (-- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 ), ethylene being preferred . 2c - alkylenoxy - 2c - alkylene represents ethylene which is substituted by ethylenoxy (-- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- o -- ch 2 --). aryl represents phenyl which is substituted by r11 and r12 . examples of aryl radicals which may be mentioned are the radicals phenyl , 4 - methoxyphenyl , 4 - chlorophenyl , 4 - methylphenyl , 4 - fluorophenyl , 3 - fluorophenyl , 3 - chlorophenyl , 2 -- chlorophenyl , 3 - methoxyphenyl , 2 -- methoxyphenyl , 2 - ethoxyphenyl , 2 - methylphenyl , 3 - chloro - 4 - methylphenyl , 3 , 4 - dichlorophenyl , 3 , 6 - dichlorophenyl , 2 , 4 - dimethylphenyl , 2 , 6 - dimethylphenyl , 3 , 4 - dimethylphenyl , 3 , 4 - methylenedioxyphenyl , 2 - trifluoromethylphenyl and 3 - trifluoromethylphenyl . diaryl - 1 - 4c - alkyl is 1 - 4c - alkyl which is substituted by two aryl radicals . diaryl - 1 - 4c - alkyl is , in particular , diphenylmethyl ( benzhydryl ) or substituted benzhydryl , such as e . g . 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- difluorobenzyl , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- dimethylbenzhydryl , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- dimethylbenzhydryl or 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- dichlorobenzhydryl . aryl - 1 - 4l c - alkyl represents 1 - 4c - alkyl which is substituted by aryl . examples of aryl - 1 - 4c - alkyl radicals which may be mentioned are the radicals : 4 - methylbenzyl , 4 - methoxybenzyl , 4 - chlorobenzyl , 1 - phenethyl , 2 - phenylethyl , 3 - phenylpropyl , 3 - chlorobenzyl , 2 , 5 - dimethylbenzyl , 4 - fluorobenzyl , 3 - methylbenzyl and , in particular , benzyl . possible salts are all the salts with acids . the pharmacologically tolerated salts of the inorganic and organic which are customarily used in the pharmaceutical industry may be mentioned in particular . salts which are not tolerated pharmacologically and which may initially be obtained as process products , for example , during preparation of the compounds according to the invention on an industrial scale are converted into pharmacologically tolerated salts by processes which are know to the expert . suitable such salts are , for example , water - soluble and water - insoluble acid addition salts , such as the hydrochloride , hydrobromide , hydriodide , phosphate , nitrate , sulphate , acetate , citrate , gluconate , benzoate , bibenzate , fendizoate , butyrate , sulphosalicylate , maleate , laurate , malate , fumarate , succinate , oxalate , tartrate , amsonate , metembonate , stearate , tosylate , 2 - hydroxy - 3 - naphthoate , 3 - hydroxy - 2 - napthoate or mesylate . one embodiment ( embodiment a ) of the invention comprises compounds of the formula ia ## str4 ## wherein r1 denotes 1 - 6c - alkyl and r2 , r3 , r4 , e1 , e2 , r6a and r6b have the abovementioned meanings , and the salts of these compounds . a further embodiment ( embodiment b ) of the invention comprises compounds of the formula ib ## str5 ## wherein r1 denotes 1 - 6c - alkyl and r2 , r3 , r4 , e1 , e2 , r6a and r6b have the abovementioned meanings , and the salts of these compounds . compounds which are to be singled out are those of the formula i in which one of the radicals r1 and r5 denotes 1 - 6c - alkyl and the other denotes the grouping - e1 - e2 -- n ( r6a ) r6b , r2 denotes ethylene , propylene , tetramethylene , pentamethylene , hexamethylene or the grouping - a1o - a2 , r6a and r6b , together and including the nitrogen atom to which they are both bonded , represent a radical of the formula ## str6 ## wherein a denotes -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- c ( r7 ) r8 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -, -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- chr9 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- or -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- chr10 , r10 denotes benzyl or 4 - chlorobenzyl , and the salts of these compounds . compounds of embodiments a and b which are to be singled out are those of the formulae i and ib in which r1 denotes 1 - 6c - alky and r2 , r3r4 , r41 , r42 , r1 , e2 , a1 , a2r6a , r6b , a , r7 , r8 , r9 and r10 have the meanings given for the compounds which are to be singled out . preferred compounds of the formula i are those in which one of the radicals r1 and r5 denotes 1 - 4c - alkyl and the other denotes the grouping - e1 - e2 -- n ( r6a ) r6b , r6a and r6b , together and including the nitrogen atom to which they are both bonded , represent a radical of the formula ## str7 ## wherein a denotes -- ch 2 -- ch 2 -- c ( r7 ) r8 -- ch 2 -- ch2 -, r7 and r8 together denote diphenylmethylene , and the salts of the these compounds , preferred compounds of embodiments a and b are those of the formulae ia and ib in which r1 denotes 1 - 4c - alkyl and r2 , r3 , r4 , e1 , e2 , a1 , a2 , r6a , r6b , a , r7 and r8 have the meanings given for the preferred compounds . examples of selected compounds of the formulae ia and ib according to the invention are shown in the following table i with their particular substituent definitions . table i__________________________________________________________________________ ## str8 ## r1 r2 r3 r4 e1e2 ## str9 ## __________________________________________________________________________ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str10 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str11 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 co ## str12 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str13 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str14 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str15 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str16 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str17 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str18 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str19 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str20 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str21 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 co ## str22 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str23 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str24 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str25 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 co ## str26 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str27 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str28 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str29 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 co ## str30 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str31 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str32 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str33 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 co ## str34 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str35 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str36 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str37 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 co ## str38 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str39 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 2 ## str40 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str41 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 cho ## str42 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str43 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str44 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2chchch . sub . 2 ## str45 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str46 ## ch . sub . 2ch . sub . 2ccch . sub . 2 ## str47 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str48 ## ch . sub . 2 ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 o ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 ## str49 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 co ## str50 ## ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str51 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 co ## str52 ## ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 5 ## str53 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 co ## str54 ## ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 6 ## str55 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 co ## str56 ## ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str57 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str58 ## ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str59 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str60 ## ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 5 ## str61 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str62 ## ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 6 ## str63 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str64 ## ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 7 ## str65 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str66 ## ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str67 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ## str68 ## ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 5 ## str69 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 co ## str70 ## ch . sub . 2och . sub . 2ch . sub . 2 ## str71 ## ch . sub . 3 ch . sub . 3 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 co ## str72 ## ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 5 ## str73 ## __________________________________________________________________________ the invention furthermore relates to a process for the preparation of the compounds of the formula i and their salts . the process if characterized in that compounds of the formula ii ## str74 ## are oxidized , and subsequently , if desired , resulting free compounds are converted into their salts or resulting salts are converted into the free compounds , wherein r1 , r2 , r4 and r5 have the abovementioned meanings . the oxidation is carried out in a manner familiar to the expert , in inert solvents , such as , for example , methylene chloride , at temperatures of between 0 ° and 200 ° c ., preferably between 0 ° and 50 ° c . inorganic and organic oxidizing agents , such as , for example , manganese dioxide , nitric acid , chromium ( vi ) oxide or alkali metal dichromate , nitrogen oxides , chloranil or tetracyanobenzoquinone , or anodic oxidation in the presence of a suitable electrolyte system are suitable for the oxidation ( dehydrogenation ). the dihydropyridines of the formula ii are new and the invention likewise relates to them . they can be prepared e . g . by processes analogous to those described in the patent applications ep - a - 176 956 , ep - a - 138 505 , ep - a - 242 829 , ep - a - 314 038 or de - os 36 27 742 , but preferably in accordance with the following equation ## str75 ## wherein r1 denotes 1 - 6c - alkyl , x represents a leaving group ( preferably a halogen atom , in particular bromine or chlorine ) and r2 , r3 , r4e1 , e2 , r67a and r6b have the abovementioned meanings . the following examples illustrate the invention in more detail without limiting it . the invention preferably relates to the compounds of the general formula i mentioned by name in the examples and the salts of these compounds . m . p . denotes melting point , the abbreviating h is used for hour ( s ) and the abbreviation min is used for minutes . decomp . represents decomposition . &# 34 ; ether &# 34 ; is understood as meaning diethyl ether . 1 . 2 g ( 1 . 9 mmol ) 5 - acetyl - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 -[ 5 -( 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 1 - piperidinyl ) pentanoyl )- 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl )- pyridine hydrochloride are converted into the free base by shaking with excess 1n naoh , and the base is extracted with ethyl acetate . the organic phase is dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated . the residue is dried in vacuo and is then taken up in 30 ml anhydrous methylene chloride . 2 . 5 g ( 29 mmol ) manganese dioxide are added . the mixture is stirred vigorously at room temperature for 12 h . another 2 g ( 23 mmol ) manganese dioxide are added in portions of 0 . 5 g each in the course of a further 8 h . the mixture is then centrifuged and the sediment is decanted off . the supernatant is concentrated and the residue is chromatographed over silica gel with toluene / acetone = 8 / 2 . the product thus obtained is taken up in 30 ml isopropanol , and 0 . 22 g ( 1 . 9 mmol ) fumaric acid in 20 ml isopropanol is added . the title compound crystallized overnight . yield : 0 . 7 g ( 52 %). m . p . : 181 °- 190 ° c . decomp . ( acetonitrile ). 2 . 4 g ( 3 . 8 mmol ) 3 , 5 - diacetyl - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 2 -[ 4 -( 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 1 - piperidinyl ) butyl ]- 6 - methyl - 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl )- pyridine hydrochloride are first converted into the free base , which is then oxidized to the pryidine with 9 g ( 0 . 1 mol ) manganese dioxide , as described in example 1 . working up is carried out as described in example 1 . chromatography gives 1 . 5 g product , which are taken up in 30 ml isopropanol , and 0 . 3 g ( 2 . 6 mmol ) fumaric acid in 30 ml isopropanol is added . the product obtained in this manner is taken up in 25 ml acetonitrile , and 25 ml diisopropyl ether are added under the influence of heat . the title compound crystallizes overnight . yield : 0 . 9 g ( 33 %). m . p . : 178 °- 181 ° c . ( acetonitrile / diisopropyl ether ). 3 g ( 4 . 4 . mmol ) 3 - acetyl - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 2 -[ 4 -( 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 1 - piperidinyl ) butyl ]- 5 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 6 - methyl - 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl )- pyridine hydrochloride are oxidized to the pyridine with 12 g ( 0 . 14 mol ) manganese dioxide as described in example 1 . the crude product is chromatographed with toluene / acetone = 6 / 4 . the product obtained in this manner is taken up in 10 ml isopropanol . the title compound crystallizes out after addition of 0 . 41 g ( 3 . 5 mmol ) fumaric acid in 25 ml isopropanol . yield : 2 . 15 g ( 64 %). m . p . : 184 °- 186 ° c . decomp . ( isopropanol ). 1 . 1 g ( 1 . 7 mmol ) 5 - acetyl - 4 -( 2 , 3 - dichlorophenyl )- 1 , 4 - dihydro - 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 -[ 5 -( 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 1 - piperidinyl ) pentanoyl ]- pyridine hydrochloride are first converted into the free base , which is then oxidized to the pyridine with 4 . 4 g ( 50 mmol ) manganese dioxide , as described in example 1 . working up is carried out as described in example 1 . the crude product is chromatographed over silica gel with toluene / acetone = 6 / 4 . 0 . 71 g of a yellow oil is obtained , which is taken up in 3 . 5 ml isopropanol , and 0 . 13 g ( 1 . 1 mmol ) fumaric acid in 6 ml isopropanol is added . the title compound crystallizes overnight . yield : 0 . 69 g ( 55 %). m . p . 172 °- 173 ° c . decomp . ( acetonitrile ). 3 g ( 4 . 9 mmol ) 5 - acetyl - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 -[ 6 -( 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 1 - piperidinyl ) hexanoyl ]- 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl )- pyridine hydrochloride are first converted into the free base , which is then oxidized to the pyridine with 4 g out as described in example 1 . the crude product is chromatographed over silica gel with toluene / acetone = 8 / 2 . 1 . 9 g of a yellow oil are obtained , which are taken up in 10 ml isopropanol , and 0 . 36 g ( 3 . 1 mmol ) fumaric acid in 10 ml isopropanol is added . the title compound crystallizes overnight . yield : 1 . 6 g ( 45 %). m . p . 169 °- 171 ° c . decomp . ( isopropanol ). 1 . 5 g ( 2 . 1 mmol ) 3 - acetyl - 5 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 4 -( 2 , 3 - dichlorphenyl 2 -[ 4 -( 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 1 - piperidinyl ) butyl ]- b 6 - methyl - pyridine hydrochloride are first converted into the free base , which is then oxidized to the pyridine with 2 g ( 23 mmol ) manganese dioxide , as described in example 1 . working up is carried out as described in example 1 . the crude product is chromatographed over silica gel with toluene / acetone = 9 / 1 . 0 . 8 g of a yellow oil is obtained , which is taken up in 2 mol isopropanol , 0 . 14 g ( 1 . 2 mmol ) fumaric acid in 10 ml isopropanol is added . the title compound crystallizes overnight . yield : 0 . 75 g ( 45 %). m . p . 189 °- 190 ° c . decomp . ( acetonitrile ). 2 g ( 3 mmol ) 3 , 5 - diacetyl - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 2 -( 1 , 4 - dihydro - 2 -[ 6 -( 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 1 - piperidinyl ) hexyl ]- 6 - methyl - 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl )- pyridine hydrochloride are first converted into the free base , which is then oxidized to the pryidine with 4 g ( 46 mmol ) manganese dioxide , as described in example 1 . working up is carried out as described in example 1 . the crude product is chromatographed over silica gel with toluene / acetone = 8 / 2 . 0 . 5 g of a yellow oil is obtained , which is taken up 10 ml isopropanol , and 0 . 1 g ( 0 . 8 mmol ) fumaric acid in 10 ml isopropanol is added . the title compound crystallizes overnight . yield : 0 . 3 g ( 13 %). m . p . 133 °- 138 ° c . ( acetonitrile ). 1 g ( 1 . 6mmol ) 5 - acetyl - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 ,-[ 8 -( 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 1 - piperidinyl ) octanoyl ]- 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl )- pyridine is dissolved in 20 ml acetone , and 1 . 7 g ( 3 . 1 mmol ) ammonium cerium ( iv ) nitrate in 20 ml water are added . after acetate . the organic phase is dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated . 1 g of a solidified foam is obtained , which is dissolved in 5 ml isopropanol , while heating , and 0 . 18 g ( 1 . 6 mmol ) fumaric acid in 10 ml isopropanol is added . the title compound crystallizes on cooling . yield 0 . 93 g ( 78 %). m . p . 159 °- 163 ° c . ( acetonitrile ). 2 . 5 g ( 3 . 6 mmol ) 3 - acetyl - 5 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 2 ,-[ 2 -( 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 1 - piperidinyl )- 1 - ethoxy ) methyl - 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl )- pyridine hydrochloride are first converted into the free base as described in example 1 , and the base is then oxidized to the pyridine with 4 g ( 7 . 3 mmol ) ammonium cerium ( iv ) nitrate as described in example 8 . the crude product is chromatographed over silica gel with toluene / acetone = 1 / 1 . the title compound thus obtained is recrystallized from 20 ml methanol . yield : 1 . 5 g ( 60 %). m . p . 140 - 141 ° c . ( methanol ). 2 . 3 g ( 3 . 7 mmol ) 3 -[ 6 -( 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 1 ,- piperidinyl ) hexaonyl ]- 1 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - hexahydro - 2 - methyl - 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl )- 5 - oxo - quinoline are dissolved in 20 ml acetone , and 4 g ( 7 . 4 mmol ) ammonium cerium ( iv ) nitrate in 20 ml water are added . after 15 min , 50 ml water are added . the mixture is extracted with ethyl acetate . the organic phase is washed neutral with aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated . the residue is taken up in 50 ml isopropanol , and 0 . 43 g ( 3 . 7 mmol ) fumaric acid in 50 ml isopropanol is added . the title compound crystallizes overnight . yield : 1 . 75 g ( 65 %). m . p . 235 ° 237 . 5 ° c . decomp . ( acetonitrile / methanol ). 0 . 9 g ( 1 . 5 mmol ) 5 - acetyl - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 -[ 5 -( 4 - diphenylmethylene - 1 - piperidinyl ) pentanoyl ]- 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl )- pyridine is dissolved in 30 ml acetone , and 1 . 8 g ( 3 . 2 mmol ) ammonium cerium ( iv ) nitrate in 20 ml water are added . after 15 min , 100 ml water are added . the mixture is extracted with ethyl acetate . the organic phase is washed neutral with aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated . the residue is chromatographed with toluene / acetone = 8 / 2 . 0 . 73 g of a yellow oil is obtained , 5 ml is isopropanol is added . the title compound crystallizes when the mixture is left to stand . yield : 0 . 7 g ( 65 %). m . p . 197 °- 198 ° c . decomp . ( isopropanol ). 32 g ( 0 . 103 mol ) 1 - chloro - 6 -( 3 - nitrophenyl - methylene )- 5 , 7 - octanedione and 31 g ( 0 . 312 mol ) 2 - amino - 2 - penten - 4 - one are boiled under reflux in 250 ml methanol for 24 h . the mixture is concentrated and the residue is chromatographed over silica gel with ethyl acetate / petroleum ether = 4 / 6 . yield : 32 g ( 79 %). the product mixture contains the title compounds in a ratio of about 3 / 1 . title compound 1 partly crystallizes out when the mixture is left to stand . m . p . : 131 °- 132 ° c . ( acetonitrile ). title compound 2 , which remains as an oil , can be subsequently reacted directly without further purification . 5 . 5 g ( 14 mmol ) 5 - acetyl - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 -( 5 - chloropentanoyl )- 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl )- pyridine and 4 . 2 g ( 28 mmol ) sodium iodide are boiled under reflux in 200 ml anhydrous acetone for 24 h . the mixture is filtered and concentrated . the residue is boiled under reflux together with 8 g ( 28 mmol ) 4 , 4 - diphenylpiperidine hydrochloride and 8 g ( 58 mmol ) potassium carbonate in 100 ml dioxane for 24 h . the mixture is filtered and concentrated , and the residue is chromatographed over silica gel with toluene / acetone = 2 / 8 . the product thus obtained is taken up in 120 ml isopropanol and the mixture is diluted with 150 ml diethyl ether . the title compound is precipitated by addition of ethereal hydrochloric acid . yield : 4 . 75 g ( 54 %). m . p . : 164 °- 167 ° c . ( acetonitrile ). 5 . 5 g ( 14 mmol ) 3 , 5 - diacetyl - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 2 -( 4 - chlorobutyl )- 6 - methyl - 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl )- pyridine and 4 . 2 g ( 28 mmol ) sodium iodide are boiled under reflux in 200 ml anhydrous acetone for 24 h . the mixture is filtered and concentrated . the residue is boiled under reflux together with 8 g ( 28 mmol ) 4 , 4 - diphenylpiperidine hydrochloride and 8 g ( 58 mmol ) potassium carbonate in 100 ml dioxane for 24 h . the mixture is filtered and concentrated , and the residue is chromatographed over silica gel with toluene / acetone = 2 / 8 . the product thus obtained is taken up in 120 ml isopropanol and the mixture is diluted with 150 ml diethyl ether . the title compound is precipitated by addition of ethereal hydrochloric acid . yield : 4 . 6 g ( 52 %). m . p : 225 °- 227 ° c . ( acetonitrile ). 24 g ( 79 mmol ) 1 - chloro - 6 -( 3 - nitrophenyl - methylene )- 5 , 7 - octanedione and 25 g ( 0 . 159 mol ) tert - butyl β - amino - crotonate are boiled under reflux in 200 ml 1 - butanol for 18 h . the mixture is filtered and concentrated , and the residue is chromatographed over silica gel with toluene / acetone = 9 / 1 . the title compound is obtained as a yellow oil . yield : 19 . 7 g ( 57 %). 7 . 6 g ( 17 mmol ) 3 - acetyl - 5 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 -( 4 - chlorobutyl )- 1 , 4 - dihydro - 6 - methyl - 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl )- pyridine are converted into the iodide with 5 . 2 g ( 35 mmol ) sodium iodide in 300 ml anhydrous acetone as described in example b . the iodide is then reacted with 7 . 7 g ( 26 mmol ) diphenylpiperidine hydrochloride and 7 . 2 g ( 52 mmol ) potassium carbonate in 100 ml dioxane as described in example b . the crude product is chromatographed over silica gel with toluene / acetone = 6 / 4 . the product thus obtained is taken up in 30 ml acetonitrile . the title compound is precipitated by addition of ethereal hydrochloric acid . yield : 3 . 7 g ( 32 %). m . p . : 230 ≧- 231 ° c . decomp . ( acetonitrile ). 5 g ( 12 mmol ) 5 - acetyl - 4 -( 2 , 3 - dichlorophenyl )- 1 , 4 - dihydro - 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 -( 5 - chloropentanoyl )- pyridine are reacted first with 3 . 6 g ( 24 mmol ) sodium iodide and then with 6 . 9 g ( 24 mmol ) 4 , 4 - diphenylpiperidine hydrochloride , as described for starting compound b . working up is carried out as described for starting compound b . the crude product is chromatographed with toluene / acetone = 7 / 3 . the product thus obtained is taken up in 20 ml isopropanol and the mixture is diluted with 5 ml diethyl ether . the title compound is precipitated by addition of ethereal hydrochloric acid . yield : 2 . 3 g ( 30 %). m . p . 258 °- 259 ° c . decomp . ( acetonitrile ). 10 g ( 30 mmol ) 6 -( 2 , 3 - dichlorophenyl - methylene )- 1 - 5 , 7 - octanedione and 6 g ( 60 mmol ) 2 - amino - 2 - penten - 4 - one are boiled under reflux in 100 ml 1 - butanol for 7 h . the mixture is concentrated and the residue is chromatographed over silica gel with ethyl acetate - petroleum ether = 3 / 7 . the title compound is obtained as a yellow oil . yield : 5 . 8 g ( 47 %). 42 g ( 0 . 11 mol ) 1 - bromo - 7 -( 3 - nitrophenyl - methylene )- 6 , 8 - nonanedione and 22 g ( 0 . 22 mmol ) 2 - amino - 2 - penten - 4 - one are boiled under reflux in 270 ml methanol for 20 h . the mixture is concentrated and the residue is chromatographed over silica gel with toluene / acetone = 95 / 5 . the title compound is obtained as a yellow oil . yield : 22 g ( 44 %). 9 g ( 20 mmol ) 5 - acetyl - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 -( 6 - bromohexanoyl ) 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl ) - pyridine are reacted first with 6 g ( 40 mmol ) sodium iodide , as described for starting compound b , and then with 11 g ( 38 mmol ) 4 , 4 - diphenylpiperidine hydrochloride . working up is carried out as described for starting compound b . the crude product is chromatographed with toluene / acetone = 1 / 1 . the product thus obtained is taken up in 20 ml acetonitrile . the title compound is precipitated by addition of ethereal hydrochloric acid . yield : 4 g ( 31 %). m . p . 136 ° c . decomp . ( acetonitrile ). 25 g ( 70 mmol ) 6 -( 2 , 3 - dichlorophenyl - methylene )- 1 - chloro - 5 , 7 - octanedione and 22 g ( 0 . 14 mol ) tert - butyl β - amino - crotonate are boiled under reflux in 200 ml 1 - butanol for 6 h . the mixture is concentrated and the residue is prepurified by chromatography with toluene / acetone = 8 / 2 . the product thus obtained is chromatographed again over silica gel with toluene / acetone = 99 / 1 . the title compound is obtained as a yellow oil . yield : 5 . 8 g ( 18 %). 5 . 6 g ( 12 . 2 mmol ) 3 - acetyl - 5 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 4 -( 2 , 3 - dichlorophenyl )- 2 -( 4 - chlorobutyl )- 6 - methyl - pyridine are reacted first with 3 . 6 g ( 24 . 4 mmol ) sodium iodide , as described for starting compound b , and then with 6 g ( 21 mmol ) 4 , 4 - diphenylpiperidine hydrochloride . working up is carried out as described for starting compound b . the crude product is chromatographed with toluene / acetone = 8 / 2 . the product thus obtained is taken up in 30 ml isopropanol . the title compound is precipitated by addition of ethereal hydrochloric acid . yield : 5 . 2 g ( 60 %). m . p . 154 °- 156 ° c . decomp . ( acetonitrile ). 45 g ( 0 . 14 mol ) 1 - bromo - 8 -( 3 - nitrophenyl - methylene )- 7 , 9 - decanedione and 28 g ( 0 . 28 mol ) 2 - amino - 2 - penten - 4 - one are boiled under reflux in 300 ml methanol for 24 h . the mixture is concentrated and the residue is prepurified by chromatography with toluene / acetone = 99 / 1 . the product thus obtained is chromatographed again over silica gel with toluene / ethyl acetate = 8 / 2the title compound is obtained as a yellow oil . yield : 10 . 3 g ( 16 %). 3 . 5 g ( 7 . 8 mmol ) 3 , 5 - diacetyl - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 2 -( 6 - bromohexyl ) 6 - methyl - 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl ) - pyridine are reacted first with 2 . 3 g ( 15 . 6 mmol ) sodium iodide , as described for starting compound b , and then with 4 . 3 g ( 15 . 6 mmol ) 4 , 4 - diphenylpiperidine hydrochloride . working up is carried out as described for starting compound b . the crude product is chromatographed with toluene / acetone = 8 / 2 . the product thus obtained is taken up in 5 ml acetonitrile and the mixture is diluted with 5 ml diethyl ether . the title compound is precipitated by addition of ethereal hydrochloric acid . yield : 3 g ( 61 %). m . p . 166 °- 167 ° c . ( acetonitrile ). 35 g ( 91 mmol ) 1 - bromo - 9 -( 3 - nitrophenyl - methylene )- 8 , 10 - undercanedione and 18 g ( 0 . 18 mol ) 2 - amino - 2 - penten - 4 - one are boilder under reflux in 250 ml methanol for 42 h . the mixture is concentrated and the residue is chromatographed with toluene / ethyl acetate = 8 / 2 . the title compound is obtained as a yellow oil . yield : 11 . 4 g ( 26 %). 10 g ( 21 mmol ) 5 - acetyl - 3 -( 8 - bromo - octanoyl )- 1 , 4 - dihydro - 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 4 ( 3 - nitrophenyl )- pyridine are reacted first with 6 . 3 g ( 42 mmol ) sodium iodide and then with 11 . 5 g ( 40 mmol ) 4 , 4 - diphenylpiperidine hydrochloride , as described for starting compound b . working up is carried out as described for starting compound b . the crude product is chromatographed with increasing polarity , first with toluene / acetone = 9 / 1 and finally with toluene / acetone = 6 / 4 . the product thus obtained is recrystallized from 70 ml acetonitrile . the title compound is obtained as a yellow solid . yield : 11 g ( 82 %). m . p . 141 °- 145 ° c . ( acetonitrile ). 13 g ( 40 mmol ) 1 -( 2 - chloro - 1 - ethyl )- 3 -( 3nitrophenyl - methylene )- 2 , 4 - pentanedione and 12 . 8 g ( 80 mmol ) tert - butyl β - amino - crononate are boiled under reflux in 100 ml 1 - butanol for 5 h . the mixture is concentrated and the residue is chromatographed with toluene / acetone = 95 / 5 . the title compound is obtained as a yellow oil . yield : 8 . 5 g ( 47 %). 8 . 5 g ( 19 mmol ) 3 - acetyl - 5 - tert - butoxycarbonyl - 2 -( 2 - chloro - 1 - ethoxy ) methoxy - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 6 - methyl - 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl )- pyridine are reacted first with 5 . 6 g ( 38 mmol ) sodium iodide , as described for starting compound b , and then with 10 . 3 g ( 36 mmol ) 4 , 4 - diphenylpiperidine hydrochloride . working up is carried out as described for starting compound b . the crude product is chromatographed with toluene / acetone = 9 / 1 . the product thus obtained is taken up in 50 ml diethyl ether . the title compound is precipitated by addition of ethereal hydrochloric acid . yield : 11 g ( 84 %). m . p . 175 °- 177 ° c . ( diethyl ether ). 37 g ( 0 . 33 mol ) 3 - aminocyclohex - 2 - en - 1 - one and 42 g ( 0 . 13 mol ) 1 - chloro - 7 -( 3 - nitrophenyl - methylene )- nonane - 6 , 8 - dione are boiled under reflux in 400 ml methanol for 38 h . the mixture is concentrated and the residue is chromatographed with toluene / acetone = 8 / 2 . the title compound is obtained as a yellow oil . yield : 18 g ( 34 %). 6 . 6 g ( 16 mmol ) 3 -( 6 - chlorohexanoyl )- 1 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ,- hexahydro - 2 - methyl - 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl ) 5 - oxo - quinoline and 9 g ( 32 mmol ) 4 , 4 - diphenylpiperidine hydrochloride are boiled under reflux with 2 . 5 g ( 16 mmol ) sodium iodide and 7 g ( 66 mmol ) sodium carbonate in 150 ml acetone for 6 days . the mixture is filtered and concentrated , and the residue is taken up in 150 ml ethyl acetate . the mixture is extracted by shaking with 40 ml sodium thiosulphate solution ( 5 %). the organic phase is dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated . the residue is chromatographed over silica gel with toluene / acetone = 8 / 2 . the title compound is obtained as a yellow oil . yield : 8 g ( 82 %). 4 . 7 g ( 12 mmol ) 5 - acetyl - 1 , 4 - dihydro - 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 -( 5 - chloropentanoyl )- 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl )- pyridine and 3 g ( 14 mmol ) 4 - diphenylmethylenepiperidine are boiled under reflux with 1 . 9 g ( 12 mmol ) sodium iodide and 5 g ( 48 mmol ) sodium carbonate in 200 ml acetone for 5 days . the mixture is filtered and concentrated , and the residue is taken up in 100 ml ethyl acetate . this solution is extracted by shaking with 40 ml sodium thiosulphate solution ( 5 %). the organic phase is dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated . the residue is chromatographed with toluene / acetone = 6 / 4 , the title compound is obtained as a yellow oil . yield : 2 . 2 g ( 32 %). the compounds of the formula i and their salts have useful properties which render them commercially usable . they are primarily antineoplastic agents having an interesting cytostatic activity . they can be employed in the treatment of tumour diseases , for example for reducing or preventing the formation of metastases and tumour growth in mammals . they can be employed in this context not only in combination with other cytostatics to overcome so - called &# 34 ; drug resistance &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; multidrug resistance &# 34 ;. rather , because of their antineoplastic properties , they are suitable per se for treatment even of tumours which are regarded as therapy - resistant . the compounds of the formula i and their salts differ in a surprising and advantageous manner from known cancer chemotherapeutics in their excellent activity , which manifests itself in a selective , controlled inhibition of proliferation and which is coupled with a low toxicity , a good bioavailability and the absence of undesirable side effects . although the compounds of the formula i and their salts have only a slight calcium channel - blocking action , they have the pronounced ability to inhibit the growth of tumour cells in vitro , from which a corresponding in vivo action can be concluded . the low calcium channel - blocking activity of compounds of the formula i manifests itself in the comparatively low influence of these compounds on the cardiovascular system , e . g . on blood pressure and heart rate . this weak cardiovascular activity of compounds of the formula i and their salts enables them to be used in human medicine as potent agents for inhibition of tumour growth and prevention of the formation of metastases , since they can be administered in therapeutically active doses without the risk of undesirable side effects on the cardiovascular system . the excellent activity of compounds of the formula i and their salts enables them to be used in human medicine as chemotherapeutics for the treatment of tumours , e . g . of ovarian carcinomas , testicular tumours , prostate carcinomas , bladder tumours , oesophageal carcinomas and other malignant neoplasms , in particular intestinal cancer , breast cancer , bronchial carcinomas and pulmonary carcinomas . in the same way as the compounds according to the invention can overcome the &# 34 ; drug resistance &# 34 ; of tumour cells , the resistance to certain malaria agents , such as e . g . chloroquine , can also be eliminated by the compounds according to the invention . the invention therefore furthermore relates to a method for the treatment of mammals , in particular humans , suffering from one of the diseases mentioned . the method is characterized in that a therapeutically active and pharmacologically tolerated amount of one or more compounds of the formula i and / or their pharmacologically tolerated salts is administered to the sick individual . the invention moreover relates to the compounds of the formula i and their pharmacologically tolerated salts for use in the treatment of the diseases mentioned . the invention likewise relates to the use of compounds of the formula i and their pharmacologically tolerated salts in the preparation of medicaments which are employed for combating the diseases mentioned . the invention furthermore relates to medicaments which contain one or more compounds of the general formula i and / or their pharmacologically tolerated salts . the medicaments are prepared by processes which are known per se and are familiar to the expert . the pharmacologically active compounds of the formula i and their salts (= active compounds ) are employed as medicaments either as such or , preferably , in combination with suitable pharmaceutical auxiliaries , in the form of tablets , coated tablets , capsules , suppositories , plasters ( for transdermal drug administration ), emulsions , suspensions , aerosols , sprays , ointments , creams , gels or solutions , the active compound content advantageously being between 0 . 1 and 95 %. the expert is familiarly , on the basis of his expert knowledge , with the auxiliaries which are suitable for the desired medicament formulations . in addition to solvents , gel - forming agents , suppository bases , tabletting auxiliaries and other active compound excipients , it is possible to use , for example , antioxidants , dispersing agents , emulsifiers , foam suppressants , flavour correctants , preservatives , solubilizing agents , dyestuffs or , in particular , permeation promoters and complexing agents ( e . g . cyclodextrins ). the active compounds can be administered rectally , by inhalation , parenterally ( perlingually , intravenously or percutaneously ) or orally . in general , it has proved advantageous in human medicine to administer the active compound or compounds , in the case of oral administration , in a daily dose of about 0 . 5 to 30 mg / kg of body weight , if desired in the form of several , preferably 1 to 4 , individual doses , in order to achieve the desired result . for a parenteral treatment , similar or ( in particular for intravenous administration of the active compounds ) as a rule lower dosages can be used . the particular optimum dosage and mode of administration required for the active compounds can easily be specified by any expert on the basis of his expert knowledge . if the compounds according to the invention and / or their pharmacologically tolerated salts are to be employed for the treatment of the diseases mentioned , the pharmaceutical formations can also contain one or more other pharmacologically active constituents of other groups of medicaments . as is customary in internal tumour therapy , treatment with the medicaments according to the invention can be combined with administration of other cytostatics having different action spectra , to reduce the risk of side effects . it may also be advantageous to carry out the treatment in accordance with the principle of cyclic cytostatic therapy . in this case , each treatment is separated by a recovery phase . this utilizes the finding that healthy tissue of most organs regenerates faster than malignant tissue . the particular cell suspension -- zr - 75 or amnion --( 50 , 000 cells / ml in rimen + 10 % fcs + insulin ) is incubated in culture dishes for 24 h in an incubation cabinet . after this time , the cells have grown , and the medium is sucked off and replaced by new medium without ( control ) or with test substance . the medium used to measure the substance effects ( rimen ) contains 2 % oestrogen - free fcs ( oestrogen - free by dextran / active charcoal treatment ) and no insulin . the cell lines are treated with test substance for in each case 6 days . after 72 h , the medium is replaced . after incubation with the substance for 6 days , the cell growth is quantified by determination of the dna content by the burton method ( j . steroid biochem . 20 , 1083 - 1088 , 1984 ). the compound 5 - acetyl - 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 -[ 5 -( 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 1 - piperidinyl )- pentanoyl ]- 4 -( 3 - nitrophenyl )- pyridine fumarate inhibits cell proliferation with an ic 50 value of 0 . 8 μm ( zr - 75 ) or & gt ; 5 μm ( amnion ). the compound 5 - acetyl - 4 -( 2 , 3 - dichlorophenyl )- 2 , 6 - dimethyl - 3 -[ 5 -( 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 1 - piperidinyl ) pentanoyl ]- pyridine fumarate inhibits cell proliferation with an ic 50 value of 0 . 38 μm ( zr - 75 ) or 1 . 2 μm ( amnion ). | 2 |
the cutting device is mounted in a support in the shape of a box or case 1 supported in a frame 2 . as shown in fig3 frame 2 has an upper arched part and lower parallel horizontal longitudinal members 18 connected thereto . the box or case 1 , which is of open rectangular shape , has a horizontal lower member 14 , a horizontal upper member 15 parallel to member 14 , and two spaced vertical members 16 interposed between the opposite ends of members 14 and 15 . members 14 and 15 , as well as members 16 , are secured together to form a unitary structure by tie bolts 17 , which also connect frame 2 to the lower horizontal members 18 of frame 1 . a pressing unit 3 in the form of two hydraulic cylinder and piston combinations 3a is situated in the upper , arched part of the frame 2 , the piston rods acting by way of a press plate 4 on punches 5 . punches 5 are guided in guide sleeves 6 supported in the upper member 15 of the case 1 , and at the bottom of their stroke enter at least the upper ends of openings 12 forming female dies in member 14 which functions as a base or press plate . a feeding conveyor made up of parallel synchronously driven belts 7 , 7a passes through the cutting device and supplies , by means of one or more rakes 8 connected at their opposite ends to the belts , 7 , 7a , the worked objects to the press . in the case given , the worked objects are packages of discarded paper money , stored in a storage stack 11 . the adjustment of the object 9 in direction of the longitudinal axis 10 of the conveyor 7 , 7a is accomplished by a predetermined advance of the conveyor by steps , obtained , for instance , by a stepping motor ( not shown ) which drives the conveyor , or by a motor with a selectively engageable and disengageable coupling ( not shown ). the adjustment of the worked object 9 in the transverse direction can be accomplished by guiding elements 20 , the adjustment of which is , for instance , derived from one or more threaded screws 21 connected to the guides 20 by swivel joints 22 . when screws 21 are turned in opposite directions by knobs 23 , they move the guiding elements through equal distances from the center line of the press toward and away from each other . it is also possible to derive such transverse adjustment of the guiding elements from a manually operated cam disc ( not shown ). the hydraulic power unit 3 is connected to a classical hydraulic circuit with a hydraulic storage unit . the control and synchronization of working steps of the cutting press as arranged according to this invention can be accomplished by electrical coupling with a relay unit , by an electronic control unit , or by a mechanical program unit . the picking - up of limit working positions as , for instance , of positions of pistons , of corresponding positions of punches , of positions of the rake or rakes and guiding elements can be accomplished , for instance , by opto - electric elements , by magnetic relays , by limit switches and the like . the whole unit is compact , the individual elements can be easily dismantled ; this facilitates the maintenance of the cutting press . the whole press is of substantially lower weight and dimensions than cutting presses of known design . the safety of working conditions is fully secured . the installation of the whole arrangement in a mechanized manufacturing line is rather simple , either by means of conveyors or by the use of a conveyor which passes through the whole manufacturing line including the press . although the invention is illustrated and described with reference to one preferred embodiment thereof , it is to be expressly understood that it is in no way limited to the disclosure of such a preferred embodiment , but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims . | 1 |
the present invention is related to u . s . patent applications ser . no . 08 / 959 , 410 , filed on oct . 28 , 1997 , ser . no . 09 / 611 , 623 , filed on jul . 7 , 2000 ( shen et al ., “ integrated circuit with bonding layer over active circuitry ”), and ser . no . 60 / 221 , 051 , filed on jul . 27 , 200 ( efland et al ., “ integrated power circuits with distributed bonding and current flow ”), which are herewith incorporated by reference . the impact of the present invention can be most easily appreciated by highlighting the shortcomings of the known technology . fig1 shows a simplified and schematic perspective view of a portion of an integrated circuit ( ic ) chip , generally designated 100 , with design and fabrication features of the prior art . semiconductor substrate 101 ( usually silicon , between about 225 and 475 μm thick ) has a first (“ active ”) surface 101 a and a second (“ passive ”) surface 101 b . the second surface 101 b is attached to the chip mount pad ( not shown in fig1 ) of a prefabricated leadframe ( typically copper , copper alloy , or iron - nickel alloy , about 100 to 300 μm thick ). of the plurality of leads ( usually 14 to over 600 ), fig1 depicts only the tips 120 a , 120 b , . . . of a few inner leads of the leadframe , which are employed for power supply . embedded in the first surface 101 a of the chip is a plurality of active components of the ic ( in modern ics , the number of active components is large , often in excess of one million , yet miniaturized in lateral and vertical dimensions ). further included in surface 101 a is at least one metallization layer ( usually pure or alloyed aluminum , between 0 . 4 and 1 . 5 μm thick ; in some ics , there is a hierarchy of more than six metallization layers ). the metal is patterned in lines connecting the active and passive components and contact pads of the ic . for metal lines conducting the electrical power , the line width typically ranges from about 20 to 250 μm . schematically depicted in fig1 is a small portion of the metallization , patterned as the layout for meandering lines distributing electrical power between active components and contact pads . for illustration purposes , the active components depicted in fig1 are grouped into two separate electrical loops . one loop comprises the active components designated 102 a through 102 n ; the other loop comprises the active components 103 a through 103 n . the interconnecting power lines 104 and 105 are organizing the two loops , respectively . loop 104 has two terminals 106 a and 106 b , which are fabricated as contact pads suitable for electrical conductors to connect the contact pads with the lead tips 110 of the leadframe . dependent on the device of the types most frequently produced , the number of contact pads per chip may vary from 14 and more than 600 . in fig1 wire bonding ( usually gold wire , about 20 to 28 μm diameter ) is chosen as the means for electrical interconnection . balls 108 a and 108 b are attached to contact pads 106 a and 106 b , respectively , and stitches 110 a and 110 b are attached to lead tip 120 a and 120 b , respectively . similarly , loop 105 has two terminals 107 a and 107 b , which also are fabricated as contact pads for wire ball bonding . balls 109 a and 109 b are attached to contact pads 107 a and 107 b , respectively , and stitches 111 a and 111 b are attached to lead tips 120 c and 120 d , respectively . in order to avoid problems of wire sagging or wire sweep , the length of the wire span 140 is preferably kept less than 2 . 5 mm . as indicated in fig1 the first surface 101 a of the semiconductor substrate 101 is uniformly covered with a protective overcoat 130 . the contact pads 106 a , 106 b etc . are opened as windows in this overcoat . typically , the overcoat is between 0 . 8 and 1 . 2 μm thick , mechanically strong , electrically insulating , and usually moisture - impenetrable ; preferred materials include silicon nitride and silicon oxy - nitride . for operating the signal inputs / outputs of the ic , additional windows in the protective overcoat are needed to expose the underlying contact pad metallization . these windows and their respective wire bond are not shown in fig1 . as can be deduced from fig1 there are a number of problems and limitations , which the known technology imposes on ic design , leadframe and device design , fabrication processes , and product manufacturability . placing the power input / output terminals around the chip periphery necessitates the current difficulties to compensate for unavoidable voltage drops along the power distribution lines ; to accept inflexible design rules for positioning active ic components ; and placing a high number of bond pads around the chip periphery consumes precious silicon real estate . placing a high number of bond pads around the chip periphery necessitates the current trend to shrink the wire balls so that they fit into the reduced bond pad area ; and to tighten the programs of the automated bonders in order to center the balls precisely in the pad areas . pre - fabricating leadframes of ever increasing numbers of leads causes the current difficulties [ 0057 ] fig2 summarizes the innovations of the present invention in order to remedy the above - listed shortcomings of the known technology . fig2 is a simplified and schematic perspective view of a portion of an ic chip , generally designated 200 , with design and fabrication features disclosed by the present invention . semiconductor substrate 201 has a first (“ active ”) surface 201 a and a second (“ passive ”) surface 201 b . the second surface 201 b is attached to the chip mount pad ( not shown in fig2 ) of a prefabricated leadframe ( typically copper , copper alloy , iron - nickel alloy , invar , or aluminum , about 100 to 300 μm thick ). of the plurality of leads ( usually 14 up to over 600 ), fig2 depicts only the tips 220 a and 220 b of a few leadframe segments , which are employed for power supply and located in the proximity of the ic chip . embedded in the first surface 201 a of the chip is a plurality of active components of the ic ( in modern ics , the number of active components is large , often in excess of one million , yet miniaturized in lateral and vertical dimensions ). according to this invention , the active components 202 a through 202 n and 203 a through 203 n shown in fig2 are organized according to the power supply they share , to the extent the ic functions permit this . all active components 202 a through 202 n share one power current terminal ( for instance , the input terminal ), all active components 203 a through 203 n share the other terminal ( for instance , the output terminal ). in fig2 the power current flows from component 202 a to component 203 a , . . . , and from component 202 n to component 203 n . the interconnecting lines are indicated in fig2 by dashed contours . for example , the interconnection from active component 202 a to active component 203 a is designated 204 a ; . . . ; the interconnection from active component 202 n to component 203 n is designated 204 n . as indicated in fig2 the first surface 201 a of the semiconductor substrate 201 , and thus the ic embedded in this surface , is uniformly covered with a protective overcoat 230 . preferably , the overcoat is between 0 . 4 and 1 . 5 μm thick , mechanically strong , electrically insulating , and impenetrable for moisture . preferred materials include silicon nitride , silicon oxy - nitride , silicon carbon alloys and sandwiched films thereof . in some applications , a polyimide layer can be used . it is pivotally important for the present invention that the network of power distribution lines is deposited on the exposed surface of the protective overcoat 230 , located directly and substantially vertically over the active components of the ic . in fig2 one of the power distribution lines shown is designated 251 , another one shown is designated 252 . the material structure and composition , as well as fabrication process are described below . furthermore , it is crucially important for the present invention that selected active components below the power distribution lines are conductively and vertically connected to the power lines . preferably , this connection is provided by metal - filled vias 260 which are in contact with the metallization of the active components and with the power distribution lines . the vias 260 are formed by patterning and etching the overcoat 230 , using standard photolithographic techniques . the vias are then filled with metal in conjunction with the deposition of the power line metallization described below . the outermost metal of the deposited lines 251 and 252 is selected from a material which is bondable ( and solderable , see below ). electrical conductors connect this outermost metal with the lead tips of the leadframe . in fig2 wire bonding ( the wire is preferably pure or alloyed gold , copper , or aluminum with a diameter of about 20 to 30 μm ) is chosen as the preferred technique for electrical interconnection . balls 208 and 209 are attached to lines 251 and 252 , respectively , and stitches 210 and 211 are attached to lead tips 220 a and 220 b , respectively . it is important for the present invention that recent technical advances in wire bonding now allow the formation of tightly controlled wire loops and loop shapes . by way of example , loop 240 in fig2 is shown much more elongated than loop 241 . wire lengths of 7 . 5 mm or even more are achievable with today &# 39 ; s bonders . such advances can , for instance , be found in the computerized bonder 8020 by kulicke & amp ; soffa , willow grove , pa ., u . s . a ., or in the abacus sa by texas instruments , dallas , tex ., u . s . a . moving the capillary in a predetermined and computer - controlled manner through the air will create a wire looping of exactly defined shape . for instance , rounded , trapezoidal , linear and customized loop paths can be formed . the preferred structure of the deposited power distribution metallization for lines 251 and 252 consists of a seed metal layer attached to the protective overcoat 230 and the bottoms of the vias 260 , followed by a first relatively thin stress - absorbing metal layer , a second , relatively thick stress absorbing layer , and finally an outermost bondable metal layer . preferably , the seed metal layer is selected from a group consisting of tungsten , titanium , titanium nitride , molybdenum , chromium , and alloys thereof . the seed metal layer is electrically conductive , provides adhesion to both the metallization of the ic active components and the protective overcoat , permits the exposed portions of its upper surface to be electroplated , and prevents migration of the subsequent stress - absorbing metals to the components metallization layers . the thickness of seed metal layer is between about 100 and 500 nm . alternatively , the seed metal layer may be composed of two metal layers ; an example for the second metal is copper , since it provides a suitable surface for subsequent electroplating . it should be pointed out for the present invention that a single seed layer can preferably be made of refractory metal which has a thickness large enough to reliably act as a stress - absorbing buffer . thicknesses between about 200 and 500 nm , preferably about 300 nm , are satisfactory . the thickness for optimum stress absorption depends not only on the selected metal , but also on the deposition technique selected , the rate of deposition , and the temperature of the silicon substrate during the time of deposition , since these parameters determine the microcrystallinity of the deposited layer . it has been found , for instance , that when using sputter deposition of tungsten , the layer formation is preferably performed at a rate of about 4 to 5 nm / s onto a silicon substrate at ambient temperature , increasing to about 70 ° c . when a thickness of at least 300 nm is reached . the tungsten microcrystals thus created have an average size and distribution such that they act reliably as stress - absorbing “ springs ” during the wire bonding process in assembly . for depositing the stress - absorbing layers , it is advantageous to employ an electroplating process . an example for the first stress - absorbing metal layer is copper . its thickness in the range from about 2 to 35 μm makes it a mechanically strong support layer for subsequent attachment of connecting conductors such as bonding wires . an example for the second stress - absorbing metal layer is nickel in the thickness range from bout 1 to 5 μm . the outermost layer is metallurgically bondable and / or solderable . if wire bonding is the connecting method selected ( as shown in fig2 ) and the outermost layer should be bondable , favorable metal choices include pure or alloyed aluminum , gold , palladium , and silver . if soldering is the connecting method selected and the outermost layer should be solderable , favorable metal choices include palladium , gold , silver and platinum . in both cases , the thickness is in the 500 to 2800 nm range . it is understood that the number of layers , the choice of materials and their thicknesses , and the deposition processes can be varied in order to suit specific device needs . the plating pattern of the network or distribution lines may form any desired layout . as can be seen in the example of fig2 the connector line pattern may have an elongated or linear form . it is its function , however , to extend vertically over the vias to the component metallization . otherwise , it may extend geometrically beyond the direct area of the vias and expand , for instance , into a widened part offering sufficient surface area for accommodating extra large - diameter bonding wire or solder balls . those attachment “ pads ” may then be equally well suited for attaching a wedge bond or a stitch bond . as pointed out above , the outermost line layer may be selected so that it is solderable . a solder ball can then be attached to it by standard reflow techniques . however , it was described in the above - cited u . s . patent applications ser . nos . 09 / 611 , 623 and 60 / 221 , 051 that it is often advisable to employ an additional solder mask or polyimide layer with an opening for each solder ball in order to keep the flip - chip bump in a defined area and shape during bump formation and subsequent attachment to an external package or board . it should be mentioned that the positioning of the distribution lines can be exploited to improve the dissipation of thermal energy released by the active components of the ic . this is especially true when solder bumps are employed as connecting means to the “ outside world ”, minimizing the thermal path and thermal resistance for heat dissipation . for operating the signal inputs / outputs of the ic , additional windows in the protective overcoat are needed to expose the underlying contact pad metallization . wire bond or solder balls can then be affixed to these contact windows . these windows and their respective wire bonds are not shown in fig2 . it should further be mentioned that at least some lines and portions of the distribution network deposited over the protective overcoat may be patterned and dedicated to provide distribution for electrical ground potential . while this invention has been described in reference to illustrative embodiments , this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense . various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments , as well as other embodiments of the invention , will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description . as an example , the invention covers integrated circuits made in substrates of silicon , silicon germanium , gallium arsenide , or any other semiconductor material used in integrated circuit manufacture . as another example , the invention covers generally a semiconductor integrated circuit which comprises a circuit structure integrating into the ic chip surface the power distribution functions of the circuit as well as the means for connecting to other parts or the “ outside world ”. the position of the power distribution lines are selected so that they provide control and distribution of the power current to the active components preferably vertically below the distribution lines . it is therefore intended that the appended claims encompass any such modifications or embodiments . | 7 |
reference will now be made in detail to exemplary aspects of the present invention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . as previously described , semiconductor devices are commonly fabricated on silicon wafers by depositing , through chemical vapor deposition techniques , sequentially stacked layers or films on the surfaces of the wafers . as used throughout this specification and claims , the terms &# 34 ; semiconductor wafer &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; wafer &# 34 ; are intended to include wafer substrates as well as wafers having any number of stacked or patterned layers . furthermore , these terms are intended to include all types of semiconductor / integrated circuit devices as well as precursor semiconductors / semiconductor devices . fig1 illustrates a chemical vapor deposition system 28 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention . generally , the system 28 includes a chemical vapor deposition chamber 30 and a load lock 32 for supplying wafers to the chamber 30 . a rotatable member 34 extends across the chemical vapor deposition chamber 30 . a circlet wafer 20 is mounted on the rotatable member 34 at a wafer position 21 within the chemical vapor deposition chamber 30 . jet gas injectors 36 are used to direct reactive gases or precursor gases toward the circlet wafer 20 . a small pump 38 and a large pump 40 are used to differentially pump the chemical vapor deposition chamber 30 down to base pressure ( i . e ., in the range of 10 - 1 to 10 - 3 torr ) prior to processing . the large pump 40 also functions to exhaust waste byproduct from the deposition chamber 30 through outlet line 42 . a drive mechanism 44 , such as an electric motor or other type of conventional device for imparting rotation , is used to rotate the rotatable member 34 about a longitudinal axis of rotation a r . the system 28 also includes a heating mechanism for heating the deposition chamber 30 during deposition processing . for example , the system 28 includes coherent radiation sources 80 for directing beams of coherent radiation toward the wafer position 21 . the heating mechanism also includes shields 82 positioned between the coherent radiation sources 80 and the wafer position 21 . when the beams of coherent radiation are directed on the shields 82 , the shields distribute energy from the beams of coherent radiation across the wafer 20 such that the wafer is uniformly heated . while two separate shields and coherent radiation sources are shown , a single coherent radiation source and shield can also be used . the rotatable member 34 of the chemical vapor deposition system 28 includes an elongated drive shaft 45 that extends through opposite sidewalls 46 of the chemical vapor deposition chamber 30 , and a circlet hub 54 that is mounted within the central opening 22 of the circlet wafer 20 . seals 48 such as o - rings or ferro - fluidic seals provide fluid tight seals between the sidewalls 46 and the drive shaft 45 . the drive shaft 45 includes first and second separate rods 50 and 52 that fit within or interlock with the circlet hub 54 . to facilitate mounting the circlet wafer 20 on the drive shaft 45 , it is preferred to have two separate rods 50 and 52 as described above . for example , the circlet wafer 20 can be removed from the drive shaft 45 by axially sliding or retracting the first and second rods 50 and 52 away from one another such that the rods 50 and 52 disengage from the circlet hub 54 . when the rods 50 and 52 disengage from the hub 54 , the circlet wafer 20 can be removed from the chamber 30 . a new circlet wafer can then be mounted on the drive shaft 45 by positioning the circlet wafer between the first and second rods 50 and 52 , centering the circlet wafer on the axis of rotation a r , and then axially sliding the first and second rods 50 and 52 together such that the rods interlock with the circlet hub of the new wafer . it will be appreciated that conventional automation technology can be used to axially slide the rods 50 and 52 , and to load and unload the wafer 20 between the rods 50 and 52 . for example , the rods 50 and 52 can be moved by conventional stepper or servo motors , and wafers can be positioned within the chamber by a conventional wafer transfer mechanism . it will also be appreciated that only one of the rods 50 and 52 needs to be moved relative to the other of the rods in order to provide clearance for inserting a wafer between the rods . while a two piece drive shaft is described above , it will be appreciated that in certain embodiments of the present invention the drive shaft 45 can be a single piece . in such an embodiment , a circlet wafer can be mounted on the drive shaft by holding the circlet wafer in alignment with the shaft through the use of a wafer transfer mechanism , and then axially sliding the drive shaft through the circlet wafer . similarly , the circlet wafer can be removed from the shaft by holding the wafer with a wafer transfer mechanism , and then sliding the shaft relative to the wafer such that the wafer passes over an end of the shaft . referring back to fig1 the drive shaft 45 and the axis of rotation a r are generally horizontal , while the circlet wafer 20 is transversely aligned with respect to the axis of rotation a r and is aligned in a generally vertical plane . the circlet wafer 20 is centered about the axis of rotation a r and the gas injectors 36 are positioned on opposite sides of the circlet wafer 20 . during deposition processing , the rotatable member 34 and the circlet wafer 20 are rotated in unison ( i . e ., at rotational speeds in the range of 10 - 300 rotations per minute ), and reactant gases are directed from the gas injectors 36 toward the sides of the circlet wafer 20 . the reactant gases are directed against the sides of the circlet wafer 20 and flow in an upward direction toward the outlet line 42 . the coherent radiation sources 80 can be any radiation sources that use stimulated emission processes . for example , a mazer that generates coherent microwave ( i . e ., having a wave length less than 1 millimeter ) radiation can be used . by way of example , the mazer can have a power in the range of 0 . 01 - 10 watts . other exemplary sources of coherent radiation include lasers , magnatrons , and klystrons . as shown in fig2 the beams of coherent radiation from the coherent radiation sources 80 are preferably scanned across front surfaces 84 of the shields 82 in order to uniformly heat the shields 82 . the beams of coherent radiation can be scanned by any number of conventional techniques such as electro - optical , acousto - optical and electro - mechanical techniques . for example , the beams of coherent radiation can be electro - mechanically scanned by mirrors 86 that are moved by drive mechanisms 88 such as stepper motors or servo motors . by directing the beams of coherent radiation at the mirrors 86 , and moving the mirrors 86 in a predetermined manner , the beams of coherent radiation can be scanned in predetermined patterns 81 along the front surfaces 84 of the shields 82 . it will be appreciated that the drive mechanisms 88 can be software controlled so as to provide the desired scanning patterns . heating uniformity on the shields can be tuned or altered by changing the scanning patterns of the beams of coherent radiation . as shown in fig1 the shields 82 form the structural side walls 46 of the chemical vapor deposition chamber 30 . in alternative embodiments , a shield can be positioned completely within the chemical vapor deposition chamber . in such embodiments , a window made of a material such as quartz can be provided for allowing beams of coherent radiation to be directed into the chamber and onto the front surface of the shield . referring to fig2 the shields 82 include front layers 90 that face the coherent radiation sources 80 and back layers 92 that face the wafer position 21 . the back layers 92 are preferably made of a material for absorbing the coherent radiation from the coherent radiation sources 80 and reradiating the energy from the beams of coherent radiation toward the wafer position 21 . by way of nonlimiting example , the back layers 92 can be made of silicon carbide or a ceramic material such as alumina . the front layers 90 are preferably made of materials that enhance heat uniformity across the back layers 92 . for example , each front layer 90 can be made of a material capable of efficiently conducting heat such as a diamond layer or a nanocrystalline diamond layer . in certain embodiments , the front layers can also function to scatter or diffuse the beams of coherent radiation to further enhance heating uniformity of the shields 82 . in one particular embodiment of the present invention , the shields 82 have front layers 90 made of nanocrystalline diamond and a back layers 92 made of alumina . in such an embodiment , each front layer 90 can have a thickness in the range of 2 , 000 - 10 , 000 angstroms , while each back layer 92 can have a thickness in the range of 10 , 000 - 100 , 000 angstroms . the above - described chemical vapor deposition system 28 can be used for the deposition of high dielectric constant gate dielectrics . exemplary high dielectric constant materials include 1 % magnesium doped tin dioxide , tin dioxide , ta 2 o 5 , barium stronium titanate ( bst ) as well as other materials having dielectric constants in the range of 8 - 5000 . the following paragraphs describe an exemplary operating procedure for using the chemical vapor deposition system 28 to deposit a high dielectric constant material on the wafer 20 . in use , the wafer 20 is inserted into the deposition chamber 30 using a conventional wafer transfer mechanism . within the chamber 30 , the wafer 20 is positioned at the wafer position 21 and mounted on the rotatable member 34 . the coherent radiation sources 80 are then used to scan beams of coherent radiation across the front surfaces 84 and through the front layers 90 of the shields 82 . the back layers 92 of the shields 82 absorb the coherent radiation and reradiate the energy from the beams of coherent radiation toward the wafer 20 . the front layers 90 of the shields 82 assist in uniformly transferring heat across the back layers 92 . consequently , the reradiated energy from the back layer 92 is uniformly distributed across the wafer 20 . as the wafer 20 is heated , the wafer 20 is also rotated by the rotatable member 34 . concurrently , one to eight standard cubic centimeters per minute of dichlorostyrene ( si 2 h 2 cl 2 ) is flowed into the deposition chamber 30 through the injectors 36 to clean the wafer 20 and to remove residual oxide . the system is then n 2 purged . thereafter , precursor gases such as ta ( oc 2 h 5 ) 5 are delivered through the injectors 36 and directed toward the wafer 20 . after the target high dielectric constant material has been deposited on the wafer 20 , the system is again purged with n 2 and the wafer 20 is removed from the chamber 30 . the use of a coherent radiation source to heat a wafer , as described above , provides numerous advantages . for example , a coherent radiation source provides accurate and uniform heating of the wafer thereby generating an environment conducive for effective chemical vapor deposition . heating uniformity can be tuned by changing the scanning pattern of the coherent radiation source 80 or by changing the rotation speed of the wafer 20 . rotating the wafer also helps reduce nucleation of the precursor gases . with regard to the foregoing description , it is to be understood that changes made be made in detail , especially in matters of the materials employed and the size , shape and arrangement of the parts without departing from the scope of the present invention . it is intended that the specification and depicted aspects of the invention be considered exemplary only with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the broad meaning of the following claims . | 2 |
the following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings . the same reference numbers in different drawings identify the same or similar elements . also , the following detailed description does not limit the invention . instead , the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof . embodiments of a data quality solution will be discussed in the context of a sample system . the system used as an exemplary embodiment is the patricia ® intellectual property docketing and workflow management system . a brief background on the function of the existing system is presented for proper context and understanding of the impact of the data quality solution . embodiments of the patricia ® system may be implemented on a general - purpose computer , on client - server systems / architectures , on special - use or custom - build hardware , or on some combination thereof . an embodiment configured for use in conjunction with either a special - use or a general purpose computing device is depicted in fig1 a . a general purpose or special - use computer system 1010 may include a system memory 1020 , a microprocessor 1070 , input and output devices 1130 , 1090 with associated interfaces 1120 , 1080 , a hard drive 1150 or other non - volatile data storage area with an associated interface 1140 , and possibly a removable media device 1110 such as a disc or tape drive or hot - swappable hard drive with an associated interface 1100 . the data storage area 1150 may store application programs 1160 , program data 1170 , and an operating system 1180 . depending on the type of computer system 1020 , a patricia ® embodiment may be an application program 1160 with associated program data 1170 . when executed , such an embodiment may be loaded into system memory 1020 as an application program 1050 with associated program data 1040 . the bios 1030 may govern how such an application is loaded into system memory and the operating system 1070 may govern execution and operation of the application program 1050 and access to / loading of program data 1040 into system memory during operation . from a functional organization standpoint , there are components of such a system that will be present regardless of the system type or embodiment employed . a block diagram showing these components and their relationship is depicted in fig1 b . a first input interface 1130 allows an initial input of data from a first source or user via an input device or data channel into an interface data storage area 1120 . the input interface 1130 may include some underlying , associated , or inherent logic capability for up - front data processing . in some variations , the input interface may include a user - interface utility for data entry , such as an application screen , and the associated control logic to ensure that data is properly entered into the user - interface utility . the interface data storage area 1130 holds this first input data until such time as it can be confirmed / validated . variations of the storage area 1130 may include volatile storage such as random - access memory ( ram ), magnetic storage media such as a hard drive or flash memory , optical storage media such as a cd - rom or dvd , or other suitable data storage formats . variations of a first input interface 1130 with logic capability or with associated data validation logic may include arrangements that require double entry of data to check for internal consistency . further variations may include arrangements or configurations that have data format and / or value range checks to ensure that a data field is not left blank or populated with invalid data . yet further variations may include administrative override capabilities associated with the format and value checks , and further variations still may include lockout features that block further data entry after a certain number of failed entry attempts . a second input interface 1150 allows input of confirmation data from a second source or user into a data validation portion 1140 . the second input interface may be configured in ways and variations similar to those of the first input interface . it may also have internal data consistency checking features such as double entry , format requirements , and / or value range requirements . the second input interface may also be configured such that it allows the second source or user to identify the time , date , and source of the initial data input being stored in the interface data storage portion 1120 . the data validation portion 1140 compares the data from the second input interface 1150 against analogous data in the interface data storage portion 1120 . if the comparison returns a valid / acceptable result , the validated / confirmed data is moved to an accessible data storage portion 1110 which is visible to the rest of the system . if the comparison returns an invalid or unacceptable result , correction procedures may be initiated to determine if the incorrect data was provided via the first input interface 1130 or the second input interface 1150 . in some variations , a lock on further data comparisons may be implemented to ensure data quality . once data is confirmed in the data validation portion 1140 , it moves to an accessible data storage 1110 where it is available to the rest of the system as correct and valid data . in an embodiment of the patricia ® system , a combination of four variables may be used to define each matter . these four variables may determine things like application type , country , service level and case type . each combination of these variables has an associated diary matrix , although some diary matrixes are shared . the diary matrix establishes a set of diary fields and the diary fields may have associated rules . diary fields may represent particular data values such as filing date , receipt date , deadline or other date - related items as well as other data types such as identification numbers , country , and various other data concerning the matter . these diary fields may also have rules governing who may enter data and see data in these fields . an example of a diary field user interface setup utility is depicted in fig2 a . in the interface shown , a diary field may include a label 2001 , which is the name of the field , a type 2011 , which is a general label category , and an application role 2021 , which is a field related to the protections and permissions associated with diary field data based on user type . one particular property of these diary fields is the ability of administrators and other admin - level users to create customized diary fields or modify rules associates with each diary field and actions associated with population of a particular diary field . one of the particular customizations available for these diary fields is the ability to require that data in a diary field be validated or verified . this may be accomplished by setting the “ confirmation required ” 2031 property of the diary field . in the particular embodiment discussed , each diary field may have an associated validation step . other embodiments may allow for double , triple , or even further levels of verification depending on the sensitivity of the data and the data quality requirements . this is in addition to any system - based rules for data fields where entries of data are validated to prevent known or common errors ( such as entering docketing due - dates that occur before the date of entry , submitting country names for countries that do not exist or are otherwise unrecognized by the system , requiring selection from a drop - down list or similar menu - driven structure or selection from a calendar display , prevention of blank data fields , data masking , etc .) in the embodiment depicted in fig2 a , a “ confirmation required ” check box 2031 is available during field definition . this establishes that confirmation of at least one aspect of the diary field is required before the data entered into that field becomes usable . in other embodiments , the verification or data confirmation aspect may be established at the diary matrix level . an example of a diary field matrix interface having a confirmation required option is depicted in fig2 b . setting the “ confirmation required ” option 2101 at a diary matrix level sets a default property of requiring data validation in the diary field such that when a particular diary matrix is created for a given variable set , fields flagged as “ confirmation required ” or validation required in the matrix will automatically trigger an embodiment of the data validation process by having a confirmation or validation requirement . validation may also include internal value range checks such as the one depicted in fig2 c . when a diary field is created , a validation flag 2211 may be set along with validation criteria 2201 . in the embodiment depicted , a date field is configured with validation criteria requiring that the date meet or exceed some other date value and that the field not be blank 2201 . such internal checks for data entry may be applied to both initial data entry and confirmation data entry . administrators and other admin - level users can create customized diary fields or modify rules associated with each diary field and actions associated with population of a particular diary field . as noted above , one of the particular customizations available for these diary fields is the ability to require that data in a diary field be validated or verified by subsequent data entry and / or through format and / or value range requirements . in some variations , the format requirements associated with an initial data entry may be different from those associated with subsequent data entry . in one variation , a data format for the initial data entry may be mm / dd / yy whereas the date format for a subsequent validation or confirmation data entry may be dd - month - yyyy . such an approach may better identify typographical errors during data entry because the different data formats lend themselves to different kinds of data entry mistakes . in the particular embodiment discussed , each diary field may have an associated validation step . other embodiments may allow for double , triple , or even further levels of verification depending on the sensitivity of the data and the data quality requirements . this is in addition to any system - based rules for data fields where entries of data are validated to prevent known or common errors ( such as entering docketing due - dates that occur before the date of entry , submitting country names for countries that do not exist or are otherwise unrecognized by the system , requiring selection from a drop - down list or similar menu - driven structure or selection from a calendar display , prevention of blank data fields , data masking , etc .) in the system embodiments discussed herein , there are two types of validation — both of them double entry options . one option is a single user double entry system whereby a user entering data that requires validation must enter the data a second time and the two entries must match . a second option is dual user single entry , where a first user enters data and a second user enters the same data , with the two entries compared for match after the second data entry . in alternate embodiments there may be triple or quadruple data entry requirements depending on the sensitivity and data quality requirements associated with the data being entered . one particular alternate embodiment may include dual user double entry , where both the initial data entry user and the data verification user are both required to double - enter the data to ensure that their entries are correct and consistent separately before further verifying the entries against each - other for actual data verification purposes . such embodiments may be useful to help reduce simple data entry errors such as typographical errors or incomplete entries . in some embodiments of the data verification , the initially entered data may be masked so that a user may not simply copy and paste potentially incorrect data from one field to another . in yet further embodiments , the entire copy / paste operation may be disabled or otherwise blocked for entry of verification data to prevent potential bypass of verification processes via cut - and - paste from sources holding incorrect data . such embodiments of forced data entry may also require the user entering the verification data to be more attentive to the data being entered — thereby further improving potential data quality . in some embodiments a user may be able to see what they type into a field , with the data being masked when the user leaves the field . in other embodiments the data may be masked during entry so that a user may see only a string of dots or asterisks indicating individual characters typed . in further embodiments , a standard mask may be applied to a field after data entry so that even the number of characters in the field cannot be readily ascertained once the data is entered . yet further embodiments using a double entry paradigm may have an initial and verification data entry field , where the fields are separate and separately masked . in some embodiments , a validation indicator on a diary field means that after the initial data entry in the diary field , an individual responsible for reviewing or verifying the data entered is first required to re - enter this data without having access to the data already entered . the re - entered data is then matched against the data already entered . if the two data entries match , the data is presumed to be validated and becomes available for use by downstream processes or workflows . an example of a data validation workflow may begin with a rule set that governs the data type and format that can be entered into a field . in the case of a date field , the rule may be that a date initially entered must be greater than or less than today &# 39 ; s date ( depending on the type of date being entered — for example , docket dates need to be later than the date of entry , recordation of filing dates need to be prior to the date of entry ). an additional rule may detect whether a blank field remains and prevent saving of data or otherwise proceeding further if any blank field is detected . after initial date entry , a double - entry validation paradigm may then create a pop - up window or open up a previously inaccessible data field where the date must be re - entered and the two entries compared to ensure that they both match . for data validation of already entered data , a data entry screen may be displayed having the same system rules as provided for the initial data entry , or having different rules as appropriate . one particular embodiment where different rules may be appropriate includes the verification of past filing dates . whereas on initial entry the date entered could be no later than the date of entry , the latest valid date during verification remains the date of entry . therefore in such an embodiment a verification system may be required to log the date of entry for the initial data and employ a data verification rule where the verified date entered can be no later than the date of initial entry . further embodiments may use similar rules for fields other than dates , such as city or foreign associate names where a city or country selected during initial data entry limits the available or permitted foreign associate names to only those listed as practicing or associated with a particular city or country . the data validation screen may , in some embodiments , also require double entry of data . such embodiments may be useful where data format is important or where validation includes both format and content checking . double entry in such situations may reduce instances of data validation mismatch by requiring internal consistency of entered data both during initial entry and data validation . if the validation data matches the initially entered data ( and , in double - user double - entry embodiments , is internally consistent ), the data becomes available for use throughout the system . otherwise the data is restricted or otherwise indicated as not yet validated . in some embodiments , un - validated data may be made accessible to other parts of the system or other users but may be indicated at un - validated and therefore potentially incorrect . in other embodiments , un - validated data may be locked from further editing until such data is validated or otherwise marked as correct . examples of such embodiments may include un - validated deadline dates that are approaching despite the data not yet being validated . in yet further embodiments , administrative - level users or superusers may specifically override the verification requirement to release un - verified data into the system for further use and processing in situations where the data is required before verification may be complete . fig3 a depicts an embodiment of a validation - type data entry workflow . the workflow may begin with an initial data entry 3001 . in double - entry variations 3010 the user or operator making the initial data entry 3001 may be required to re - enter the initial data 3020 to improve the likelihood that the data was entered correctly . in such internally - validated variations , an internal consistency check 3030 is performed to ensure that the first 3001 and second 3020 data entries match . in situations where the re - entered data does not match the initially entered data , a flag or other indicator may be used to inform the validating user that the data does not match . in such instances a variety of procedures or processes may be implemented to ensure that the correct data is entered into the system . a workflow requiring re - entry of the initial data may be triggered , or review procedures that allow the verifying user or a different user or group of users or administrators to see the initially entered data and compare it against the verification data entry . various levels of procedures may be implemented to catch and correct different error types . embodiments of such error flagging and data inconsistency detection may be applied both at the cross - user data consistency level and to check for internal data consistency in multiple entry embodiments . if there is a mismatch , some variations may re - start the data entry process 3001 and notify the user / operator of the data mismatch . other variations may indicate a mismatch and allow the user / operator to perform the repeat entry 3020 without requiring a repeat of the initial data entry 3001 . yet further variations may have underlying decision logic that allows for a repeat entry attempt 3020 and , if a mismatch still exists after the second repeat attempt , reverts to the initial data entry 3001 step . in variations without internal match checking , or upon passing an internal match check 3030 , the workflow may proceed to entry of validation data 3070 . preferably , the validation data is entered by someone other than the user / operator performing the initial data entry 3001 . after entering the validation data , some variations may have double - entry 3060 for the validation data to improve data consistency and reduce the potential for operator - caused error . the repeat validation data entry 3050 and associated internal match check 3040 steps and variations thereon are similar to those for the repeat initial data entry 3020 and initial internal match 3030 . after successful internal match 3040 ( or after initial validation data entry 3070 in single entry validation variations ), a validation match operation 3080 may be performed . upon a successful validation match 3080 , the data may be indicated as valid 3090 and data processing operations may proceed on the validated data . if the validation match 3080 fails , correction procedures 3100 may be initiated to address potentially invalid data . in single - entry or multiple - entry embodiments , validation matching 3080 , or cross - user data consistency checks , may include verification of initial entry data as compared to validation data . some embodiments may not only require data validation but may also require that validation be performed within a specified time period based on the time - sensitive nature of the data being entered . in such instances , verification attempts after the time limit may be flagged or otherwise indicated as errors due to late processing . in some embodiments , a user inputting double entry data may be given multiple opportunities to enter the verification data 3020 . in one particular embodiment , a user may be given three opportunities to enter verification data 3020 for a match 3030 to the initial data before a data quality or data re - entry workflow or process is initiated whereby the initially entered data must be examined or re - entered . embodiments of multiple re - entry opportunities for verification data may be implemented in situations of single user double entry , double user single entry , or any combination of verification users and data entry repetitions . for embodiments where error tracking may be desired , each instance of data mismatch may be logged for further analysis to determine if the verification data or initial data entry is the source of the mistake . in multiple - entry embodiments , each user may have multiple attempts to create internal consistency 3030 , 3040 of the entered data separately from the overall data verification checks . in some embodiments , there may be a limitation on the number of mismatched multiple entries at an initial data entry stage , but subsequent validation stages may or may not be limited in the number of attempts permitted to create internal consistency . in such embodiments , an initial set of error messages may be displayed indicating a lack of internal consistency between the two data entries . some embodiments may clear the inconsistent field whereas other embodiments may clear both entered fields and allow for total re - entry . single - user - multiple - entry embodiments may have a limitation on the number of attempts permitted to create internal consistency , or may be configured to only permit editing of the initial entry field after more than one failed attempt to generate internal consistency in the data through the second entry . yet further embodiments may include multiple variations on this theme , including requiring full data re - entry when multiple entries at a user level are internally inconsistent or locking down a data field upon entry and only allowing re - entry under limited and restricted conditions ( such as requiring administrator approval after a certain number of attempts ). fig3 b shows an embodiment of a workflow associated with a single - user double - entry docket data validation approach . the initial data input step 3101 is followed by a subsequent data input step 3120 . the accepted data formats in the initial 3101 and repeat 3120 input steps may be the same or they may be different for each step . in an embodiment dealing with dates , for instance , the initial input step 3101 may require that the date be input in mm / dd / yy format . the repeat data input step , however , may require that the date be input in dd - month - yyyy format , with the month written out . a format match 3150 may be applied that checks one or both of the data input format requirements against the actual data entered . if the format match checks fail , the data entry process may be re - started . if the format match 3150 is valid , then a validation match 3180 may be performed to ensure that both data entries contain the same information . if the validation match passes , the data is marked as valid 3190 and made available to the rest of the system . if the validation match fails , correction procedures 3140 may be initiated . correction procedures may include triggering a clearing and re - entry of the data , an administrative - level notification of mismatch , a timed or controlled user lock - out , and other suitable procedures to prevent invalid data from entering the system . further embodiments may include the format validation aspect of the workflow illustrated in a double - user , double - entry solution such as the one shown in fig3 a . in such an embodiment , the internal match 3030 , 3040 aspects may include , or be supplemented with , format match checking capabilities . fig3 c shows an embodiment of a workflow associated with double - user single - entry docket data validation . in the embodiment shown , an initial data input step 3201 is coupled to a format matching or verification operation 3210 . if the data is not entered in proper format ( and / or , in some embodiments , with an expected value range ), it is cleared and must be re - entered . in some embodiments , repeated failures may trigger administrative notification or other correction procedures 3200 . after the properly - formatted initial data is input , validation data may be input 3270 by another user . the validation data may also be associated with a format matching / validation operation 3260 . the data format required for the validation data may be different than the one required for the initial data . such an approach may be useful to ensure that commonly - occurring data entry errors are not repeated in both data entry steps . once the properly - formatted initial and validation data are input , a validation match 3280 determines if the input data is valid . if valid , the data is marked as such 3290 and made accessible to the rest of the system . if not valid , correction procedures 3200 similar to those discussed previously and also described later in this document may be implemented . in some variations , format matching may be applied at each data input step . in a double - user , double - entry embodiment , each data entry step may have a different data format requirement and data format validation logic may be implemented for each of the data entry operations . in some variations , data that fails a format match or an internal consistency check may be cleared from an input interface or any storage location prior to allowing a repeat data entry attempt . this may prevent accidental input of incorrect data to the system . embodiments of data quality or data re - entry workflows triggered after a user exceeds the permitted number or attempts for internal consistency may include procedures that can only be accessed or enabled by administrators or super - users . further embodiments may require a waiting or delay period before permitting further entry attempts . yet further embodiments may assign the failed data entry task to another operator and / or trigger a system configuration check to ensure that the data entry tools / devices have the proper associated settings . in one embodiment , administrative or super - user permission may be required for further internal consistency attempts or to re - set the failed attempt counter . in other embodiments , an administrator - initiated or automatically - triggered system check may be triggered along with a notification to an administrator or super - user . in yet further embodiments , administrative or super - user intervention may be required to clear the initially entered data and re - start the data entry workflow upon data verification failure . yet further embodiments may employ data re - entry and error logging schemes whereby the initial and verification data are displayed to an administrative - level or other authorized user for comparison to determine whether there is indeed a serious disparity between the data or whether the mismatch is caused by formatting errors ( such as dashes instead of backslashes or dots instead of spaces ). the associated error logging techniques and paradigms may also indicate error types and sources to determine whether errors occur at initial entry or at validation entry . data verification or validation may be complete or partial . diary entries may have multiple data types and data formats contained therein , and different portions of data may have different validation requirements or validation user levels . in one embodiment , validation data may be required to match exactly ( format , content , and case ) with the initially entered data . such embodiments may be useful for highly sensitive or very specific data such as dates associated with or used by downstream automated systems or similar key values that are not only content but also format or layout dependent with respect to downstream processing . other embodiments may employ looser validation rules or alternative validation rules to focus the attention of the person entering the validation data . such embodiments may be useful for case - insensitive data ( such as country names ) or format - insensitive data . alternative embodiments may require initial data entry of a date in one particular format ( such as mm / dd / yyyy ) and verification data entry in a different format ( such as dd - month - yy ) to ensure that at least one of the data entering parties must mentally re - format the data before entering it and therefore pay more attention to the actual content of the data . yet further embodiments may include date - range limitations or requirements that are fixed or dynamic . in one embodiment , a date may need to be later than today &# 39 ; s date . in another embodiment , a date may need to fall into a specified range based on another date associated with particular case docket , such as a client deadline that must be between 6 and 2 weeks before an actual filing deadline . for embodiments using partial data validation , the validation rules and levels of flexibility may be determined by predefined system rules . in other embodiments , differing levels of flexibility with respect to validation may be user - definable . in such embodiments , an administrator or other high - level user creating a diary field may select from a range of options such as “ case insensitive ” or select a range of suitable date formats to reduce format - based data errors where data format is not a factor but validity of data content is . in further embodiments high - level users may have the ability to write custom format or layout exception or enforcement scripts that parse data and isolate the content from the format or combine the content and format to ensure that only the particular portions requiring validation or duplication are checked for . further embodiments may include back - end or user - configurable hash functions for selections from predefined menu lists such that processing and speed efficiencies may be realized during data validation by comparing an index number associated with a selected value instead of the selected value itself . in some embodiments , a data quarantine procedure may be implemented in the event of a data validation failure . data quarantine procedures may include making a determination of which data is likely to be more correct , or simply presuming that the validation data is more likely to be correct , and isolating the likely correct data for comparison and analysis against the incorrect data to determine possible causes for the data discrepancy . in other embodiments , a data quarantine procedure may be associated with a separate data quarantine storage area . in yet further embodiments , data quarantine may trigger another multiple - input data validation workflow based on the data determined or presumed more likely to be correct , but the quarantine - based workflow may be limited to or controlled by administrators or super - users . 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 departure from the spirit and scope of the invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims . | 6 |
as previously mentioned , in accordance with this invention an effective amount of a phosphorescent material is incorporated in the condom , which material will luminesce following exposure to actinic radiation such as ultraviolet ( uv ), natural or incandescent light . as used herein and in the appended claims , the term &# 34 ; effective amount &# 34 ; denotes an amount sufficient to provide visibly discernible luminescence for a desired period of time , e . g . for at least 30 minutes . since the amount to be employed is at least in part dependent upon the luminescent nature of the material employed and is at least in part dependent upon the extent of exposure ( as a function of time and intensity ), it is not capable of precise quantification . however , in general it may be said that amounts of on the order of 5 - 30 % by weight , based upon the total solids content , will be sufficient . while phosphorescent materials are of course well known in the literature , it will of course be appreciated that for the contemplated use the material should either be non - deleterious or , if harmful , encapsulated or otherwise insulated so as to be non - deleterious , i . e . nontoxic , if it contacts the user . an illustrative phosphorescent material of this description is copper - activated zinc sulfide ( zns : cu ) which in the reported literature on toxicology has been found to be nontoxic and nonirritating . this phosphorescent material is at present commercially available in particle sizes ranging from 20 - 40 microns diameter in single and double activated forms . other useful materials may be readily suggested to the skilled worker in the light of this disclosure . in one preferred embodiment of this invention , the phosphorescent material is dispersed or suspended in the condom elastomer during manufacture . for example , a particularly useful known method of condom manufacture utilizes the process known as dip coating . in this procedure , a mandrel of the desired length and diameter is employed . in general , by this procedure the mandrel made of a smooth impermeable material such as glass or ceramic is dipped into a solution of the elastomer , a thin coating of which adheres to the mandrel after removal from the coating solution and subsequently forms a coherent elastic film . while in theory a single dipping may provide a cured elastomer layer of the desired thickness , in practice a plurality of such dippings are made due to the fact that thinner or less viscous coating solutions are normally used . consequently , it is customary in the condom art to use these thinner solutions requiring repeated dippings to form the condom of desired strength and thickness . in using the dip coating method , it will of course be appreciated that the coating adhering to the mandrel after removal is dried before the next dipping step and this procedure is repeated until completion . to illustrate the per se known dip coating method more fully , the mandrel is dipped into a warm aqueous solution of rubber latex containing , for instance , on the order of 5 - 30 % by weight of latex solids . the mandrel is removed and allowed to dry , preferably under mild heat to expedite the drying , in order to coalesce the latex . this dipping and drying procedure is then repeated the requisite number of times to build up the latex layer on the mandrel to the desired thickness . after the final dipping , the latex is heated to cure . the resulting latex condom may then be removed from the mandrel , e . g . by rolling it off , and is ready for packaging or any subsequent treatment , e . g . applying a lubricious coating , as described , for example , in certain of the aforementioned patents . in accordance with one embodiment of this invention , the phosphorescent material will be dispersed in at least one of the solutions in which the mandrel is dipped in order to provide an effective amount of phosphorescent material . each dip coating may contain the phosphorescent material , in which case the cumulative amount of phosphorescent material from the several dippings will provide the effective amount . in order to minimize the coating solutions to be used , the various dippings will be in the same coating solution containing the phosphorescent material , in which event each stratum making up the latex coating will contain the same amount of phosphorescent material . however , it will be appreciated that it is within the scope of this invention to vary the amounts or ratio of phosphorescent material in each dipping . for example , it may be desirable , when employing some phosphorescent materials , to employ minimal ratios of phosphorescent material in the inner stratum or in both the inner and outer strata . in another preferred embodiment of this invention , the inner and outer strata will not contain any phosphorescent material at all , in which event the intermediate phosphorescent - containing strata may be said to be &# 34 ; sandwiched &# 34 ; between strata containing no phosphorescent material . in another preferred embodiment of this invention , the phosphorescent particles are inserted within the condom itself . in this embodiment , they may simply be placed within the condom prepared in the foregoing manner or the condom may be provided with a pocket at what may be described as the leading end portion of the condom , whereby they are isolated from any physical contact with the penis which may be abrasive . in this preferred embodiment , the above - noted advantage of ascertaining that the male partner is using the condom is obtained along with the additional advantage of ascertaining whether any semen have escaped the confine of the condom after ejaculation . in other words , upon ejaculation , the semenal fluid would mix with the phosphorescent material , thereby providing a luminescent marker for the fluid . the readily detectable luminescence would thereby facilitate cleaning up or any remedial steps which might appear advisable . the following examples show by way of illustration and not by way of limitation the preferred embodiments of this invention . a ceramic mandrel of known description in the condom manufacturing art is dipped into a warm solution of rubber latex containing 20 % by weight , based upon total solids of the solution , of copper - activated zinc sulfide as phosphorescent material , mean particle size , approx . 20 microns . the thus coated mandrel is removed and allowed to dry under mild heat to coalesce the latex on the mandrel . the dipping and drying steps are repeated with the same latex solution an additional four times . after the final dipping , the latex - containing mandrel is placed in an autoclave and heated to about 212 ° f . to cure the latex . the resulting latex condom was then rolled and slid off the mandrel . example 1 was repeated , except that the inner ( first ) and outer ( last ) coatings contained no phosphorescent material , whereby the phosphorescent material present in the middle three dip coating is sandwiched between the outer latex coatings . a coating solution is prepared having the following proportions of ingredients : ______________________________________tetrahydrofuran ( solvent ) 100 . 00 gms &# 34 ; tecoflex &# 34 ; ( trademark of thermedics 7 . 00 gmsinc . for a segmented linearpolyurethane ) zns : cu 1 . 75 gms______________________________________ a glass mandrel is dipped in the above solution , removed and dried at 50 ° c . it is then redipped four additional times in the same manner , after which the resulting condom is removed from the mandrel . a conventional condom is prepared by the dip coating method . approximately 500 mgs . of the copper - activated zinc sulfide is then inserted within the condom . while the foregoing examples illustrate preferred embodiments of this invention , it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not limited thereto , nor is it limited to the particular materials recited in the examples . for example , u . s . pat . no . 3 , 553 , 308 issued to kobayashi et al discloses a method for preparing polyurethane condoms employing two baths , one containing a polyurethane prepolymer component and the other containing a curing agent , wherein a mold is dipped into the two baths to form the polyurethane condom . it is contemplated that a polyurethane condom of this invention may be obtained by incorporating the phosphorescent material in either or both baths . a procedure for preparing condoms from fish collagen is described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 406 , 853 of miyata wherein a membrane is formed by dipping a mandrel twice into a dispersion of the collagen , removing the mandrel each time while spinning , neutralizing and drying . the membrane is then crosslinked and removed from the mandrel . in accordance with the present invention , the phosphorescent material may be incorporated in the collagen dispersion . in yet another alternative embodiment , the phosphorescent material may be suspended in a coating such as a lubricant and / or spermatocide in lieu of mixing it with the elastomer as described previously . other means of preparing phosphorescent condoms will also be envisioned by those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure . it is contemplated , for instance , that the phosphorescent material may be added to the feedstock for extrusion processing , added to the melt for thermoformed devices , mixed in the solvent system for solvent - based elastomers , mixed in a banbury prior to fabrication , or even laminated to the elastomer as part of another layer . since certain changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention herein described , it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description , including the examples , shall be taken as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . | 8 |
although the detailed description contains many specifics , these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but merely as illustrating different examples and aspects of the invention . various modifications , changes and variations may be made in the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . airway sizing device . in one embodiment , an airway ( or “ bronchial ”) sizing device includes a catheter with sizing elements , as described further below . the sizing device is used for assessing one or more sites within a lung (“ airways ” or “ air passageways ”) to determine whether they are suitable for implantation of an implant , such as an endobronchial valve ( ebv ) and / or to select a size of ebv or other implant for a target airway . the bronchial sizing catheter facilitates accurate placement of a correctly sized implant ( or “ prosthesis ”) to facilitate a suitable fit within the passageway and reduce chances of migration of the prosthesis . prior to implantation of the prosthesis , the sizing catheter is typically introduced into an airway via a viewing scope such as a bronchoscope . the sizing catheter comprises sizing elements and / or a depth marker , which are viewable via the viewing scope . the sizing elements and / or the depth marker are viewed via the viewing scope to determine if the airway is suitable for a prosthesis of a given size . thereafter , the prosthesis is implanted in the target airway , typically using a flexible delivery catheter that is guided to the target airway by inserting it through the working channel of a bronchoscope . referring to fig1 a , one embodiment of an airway sizing device 100 includes a catheter body 101 having a proximal end 102 and a distal end 103 . the proximal end 102 may optionally include a handle ( not shown ). a small sizing element 110 and a large sizing element 111 are disposed along the catheter body 101 , closer to the distal end 103 than the proximal end 102 . the sizing elements 110 , 111 help a user assess / approximate a diameter of a target airway to help select a size for an ebv or other implant to be placed in the airway . the sizing elements are shown in this embodiment near distal end 103 , but in alternative embodiments they may be disposed at any suitable location along the catheter body 101 . in this embodiment , the sizing elements 110 , 111 are flexible tabs that extend radially outward from the longitudinal axis of the catheter body 101 . flexibility allows the tabs to collapse along the side of the catheter body 101 during advancement of the sizing device 100 through a working channel of a bronchoscope or other delivery device . in the embodiment shown , the catheter body 101 includes a distal portion 112 that extends between the sizing elements 110 , 111 and the distal end 103 . in this embodiment , the distal portion 112 is approximately as long as an ebv ( or other implant in alternative embodiments ) to be implanted in an airway . thus , the distal portion 112 may be used as a depth gauge , as will be described further below . referring now to fig1 b , the sizing elements 110 and 111 and the depth marker 112 are shown in greater detail . in the embodiment shown , the sizing elements comprise two sets of radially extending tabs 110 and 111 . the tabs making up the small sizing element 110 are set 180 degrees apart from each other , so that the small sizing element 110 can be said to have a “ height ” measured from the tip of one tab across the catheter body 101 to the tip of the opposite tab . ( although the word “ height ” is used herein to describe a measurement of a sizing element from a tip of one tab to a tip of another tab disposed across the catheter body 101 , the term “ length ” could be easily substituted for the term “ height .”) in one embodiment , the height of the small sizing element 110 may correspond to a minimum diameter that an ebv or other implant must have to fit within a given airway similarly , the tabs making up the large sizing elements 111 are set 180 degrees apart from each other and have another , larger height measured from tip to tip . this larger height may correspond to a maximum diameter of an ebv or other implant that may be implanted in a given airway . the sizing elements 110 , 111 are made of any flexible polymer so that they can fit through a working channel of a bronchoscope and then unfurl to assume their full heights once they are free of the working channel and exposed in a lung passageway . the material of the sizing elements is also intended to be sufficiently soft and flexible so as to not cause trauma to the lung tissue during introduction , measurement and removal . optionally , the sizing elements may be of a different color than the rest of the catheter body to facilitate viewing via the viewing scope . some types of pulmonary implants , such as some ebvs , expand upon deployment . for example , some ebvs are essentially nitinol , expandable stents , covered with a polymer and including a polymeric valve attached to the inner wall of the stent body . the ebv is typically housed in a delivery device in a compressed or collapsed state , and when it is emitted from the delivery device it expands to a deployed configuration and diameter . in this deployed configuration , the ebv exerts a pressure against an airway wall , which holds it in place within the airway . typically , an ebv of this type may be suitable for use airways having a range of diameters , due to its ability to expand . for example , one size of ebv may fit in airways having diameters between about 3 mm and about 5 mm , and another size of ebv may fit in airways having diameters between about 4 mm about 6 mm . generally , therefore , the sizing device 100 described herein is used to assess whether and ebv in its expanded / deployed configuration will fit appropriately within an airway . of course , there are other types of pulmonary implants , and the sizing device 100 in various embodiments may be used in conjunction with a number of such implants . generally , the sizing device 100 will assess airway size to determine whether a given implant will work in its deployed state in that airway . in various embodiments , the sizing elements 110 , 111 may have any of a number of suitable “ heights .” for example , the small sizing element 110 may range in height from between about 2 mm to about 6 mm and ideally from between about 3 mm to about 5 mm . the larger sizing element may range in height from between about 3 mm to about 8 mm and ideally between about 4 mm and about 6 mm . additionally , in various embodiments , the sizing device 100 may include more than two sizing elements . for example , for more detailed airway diameter approximations , three or more sizing elements may be included . also , in some embodiments a kit may be provided with multiple sizing devices 100 , with each sizing device 100 having differently sized sizing elements . for example , if there are two sizes ( diameters ) of ebv available for use in a patient , two different sizing devices 100 may be provided in a kit . a user may view a potential target airway using a bronchoscope , may estimate which size of ebv would be ideal for that airway , and then may use the sizing device 100 that corresponds to that ebv diameter to confirm that it will be the best ebv size for that airway . if the user &# 39 ; s first estimate is incorrect , he / she may use the second sizing device 100 to confirm that the other size of ebv would actually be better . this is only one example , of course , and in various embodiments any number and combination of sizes of sizing elements 100 may be provided . in addition to assessing the diameter of a target airway , the sizing catheter 100 may also be used to determine whether the airway is long enough for implantation of an ebv or other pulmonary implant . if the airway shorter than the length of an ebv , for example , the ebv might not implant firmly within the airway upon deployment and thus might more easily be coughed out or “ migrate ” ( move to another location in the airways / lungs ). in the embodiment shown in fig1 a and 1b , the length of the distal portion 112 is approximately as long as the length of an ebv to be implanted in the airway ( or other implant in alternative embodiments ). in use , the physician may advance the sizing device 100 until the extreme distal end 103 contacts a branching section at the end of the target airway . if the sizing elements 110 , 111 are located within the airway when the distal end 103 abuts the branch , then the airway is long enough to accept the ebv or other implant . if the sizing elements 110 , 111 are outside of ( proximal to the proximal end of ) the airway , then the airway may be too short for implanting the ebv or other implant . thus , as mentioned above , the distal portion 112 of the catheter body 101 may be used as a depth gauge to determine that a sufficient deployment zone exists for placement of a prosthesis at the desired location in the lung passageway . optionally , the distal portion 112 may be of a different color than the rest of the catheter body 101 , such as a color that contrasts with the color of airway tissue , to facilitate viewing through the bronchoscope . in an alternative embodiment ( not shown ), the sizing elements 110 , 111 may be positioned at a different location along the catheter body 101 , for example farther distal than those shown in fig1 a and 1b . such an embodiment may not include a distal portion 112 that acts as a depth gauge but may instead include a depth marker on the catheter body 101 that is visible through a bronchoscope and that is positioned proximal to the distal end 103 by a length that corresponds to a length of an ebv or other pulmonary implant to be implanted in the airway . with reference now to fig2 , in use , the sizing catheter 100 is typically introduced through the working channel of a bronchoscope 120 to expose the sizing elements 110 , 111 within the target airway b . sub . 2 . the sizing elements 110 , 111 and the distal portion 112 may then be used to assess the size of the target airway b . sub . 2 and its suitability for a given ebv or other pulmonary implant . or , in other words , the size of the airway may be assessed to select an appropriate size of pulmonary implant to be used . this is shown in greater detail in fig2 , where the sizing catheter 100 is shown inserted through the working channel of the bronchoscope 120 , which has been guided into a target passageway . the sizing elements 110 , 111 are sized to tell a user that a particular ebv or other implant , in its deployed state , will fit within that airway . typically , in the embodiment shown , if the tips on the tabs of the smaller sizing element 110 are touching the airway wall , the ebv or implant size that has been selected is too big ( i . e ., has too large of a deployed diameter ) for that airway . if , on the other hand , the tips of the smaller sizing element 110 are not touching the airway wall but the tips of the larger sizing element tabs 111 are touching the wall , then the ebv or other implant size that has been selected is suitable for that airway . if the larger sizing element tips 111 are not touching the wall , then the ebv or implant has a diameter that is too small for that airway . in this way , a user can quickly assess an airway diameter relative to a selected implant size and either confirm that the implant size is correct , select a different implant size , use a different sizing device to confirm that a different implant size will work , or decide not to insert an implant at all in that airway . in any embodiments , the user may use the airway sizing device 100 not just to select a size of an ebv or other pulmonary implant or confirm that a selected size is suitable but also to actually measure or approximate a diameter of the target airway . for example , if the smaller sizing element 110 has a height of 4 mm and its tips just barely touch a wall of an airway , the user may approximate that the airway is about 4 mm in diameter . in the example shown in fig2 , the bronchoscope 120 is placed in a bronchus with three sub - branches b . sub . 1 , b . sub . 2 and b . sub . 3 stemming therefrom . as an example , b . sub . 2 has been chosen as the target passageway . to assess suitability of b . sub . 2 for placement of an implant , the distal end 103 of the catheter 100 is introduced into the ostium ( or further ) of b . sub . 2 via the bronchoscope and thereafter observed . as shown in fig2 , the larger sizing element tabs 111 have contacted the airway walls and are shown bent , whereas the smaller sizing element tabs 110 do not contact the passageway wall , and are unbent . such an observation indicates that the diameter of the target passageway is between the maximum and minimum limits of the ebv or other pulmonary implant that has been selected for implantation . thus , b . sub . 2 would be determined to be suitable for implantation of the prosthesis . in contrast , if the smaller sizing element 110 were bent against the passageway wall , it would show that the selected prosthesis was too big for the passageway . similarly , if neither the smaller element 110 nor the larger element 111 touched the passageway wall , it would show that the selected prosthesis was too small for the passageway . as also evident in fig2 , the sizing elements 110 , 111 are within the target airway , so the length of the airway is sufficient to accept an implant . ( the distal branching against which the distal end 103 of the sizing device 100 is abutting is not visible in fig2 .) therefore , in the example shown in fig2 , the airway b . sub . 2 appears to be suitable for implanting a prosthesis of the size calibrated to the catheter . this observation can be easily made by direct visualization through the bronchoscope 120 . optionally , the sizing device 100 may be configured to carry and deploy one or more prostheses at the site being measured . alternatively , the sizing device 100 may be configured just for sizing and may be withdrawn prior to introduction of a delivery catheter configured to carry and deploy a prosthesis . the above embodiment was illustrated using two sets of sizing elements 110 , 111 that are axially placed 90 degrees apart from each other . alternatively , in other embodiments , any other angle convenient for bronchoscopic measurement can be used . alternatively , additional sets of elements can be used on additional axes to represent more size compatibilities , for example , if prostheses of different sizes are to be implanted within the same lung segment . airway suturing device . with reference now to fig3 , in another embodiment , an endoscopic airway closing device 300 may include an actuator 310 disposed at or near the proximal end of the device 300 , an airway closing mechanism 330 disposed at or near the distal end of the device 300 , and a delivery shaft 320 , between the proximal and distal ends of the device 300 . actuator 310 comprises controls for activating the airway closing mechanism 330 . delivery shaft 320 houses internal mechanisms that communicate actuation from actuator 310 to closing mechanism 330 . the airway closing mechanism 330 may be any mechanism or implement suitable for closing the airway , such as a suture or staple . optionally , a lung compartment collapsing mechanism ( not shown ) could be provided at the distal end in addition to the airway closing mechanism 330 . such a lung compartment collapsing mechanism may include but is not limited to a suture , staple , vacuum suction , or the like . the actuator for this mechanism would also be located at the proximal end of the device . optionally , prior to use of the closing device 300 , a suitable location for airway closing may be determined by measuring collateral ventilation as disclosed in co pending u . s . patent publication nos . 2003 / 0051733 , 2006 / 0264772 and 2008 / 0200797 , all of which are incorporated herein by reference . referring now to fig4 a - 4e , a method for delivering the airway closing mechanism 330 is shown . as shown in fig4 a , once a location is chosen , the endoscopic airway closing device 300 may be delivered to the target airway through a bronchoscope 200 , such that the airway closing mechanism 330 is delivered to the desired airway closing point . thereafter , as shown in fig4 b , the airway closing mechanism 330 is activated to close the target airway . the airway closing mechanism 330 produces a constriction c . in this embodiment , as shown in fig4 c , a suture 340 ( or alternatively any other suitable closing implement ) is deployed from the airway closing mechanism 330 to constrict the air passageway . in various embodiments , an airway may be closed using any suitable closure means , such as but not limited to stapling , suturing , clipping , ablating and / or cryogenically treating . referring to fig4 d , once closed the airway is closed , the airway closing device 300 may be withdrawn , leaving a closed airway and the suture 340 ( or other closing implement , or in some embodiments no implement ). the suture 340 has acted to close the airway and remains in the airway after the device 300 has been withdrawn . once the airway has been sutured or stapled , the resulting airway restriction produces atelectasis over a period of time . also , as shown in fig4 d and 4e , the airway may either be completely closed ( fig4 d ) or partially closed ( fig4 e ) so that a narrow passage p is available for fluid exchange along the airway . when the airway is completely closed and that airway leads to a target lung compartment that is not subject to collateral ventilation , the closing will lead to a gradual collapse of the diseased lung portions distal to the closing point . the collapse occurs because the closing causes the air trapped in the compartment to diffuse out through the capillaries . in the case of partial closing , it is expected to lead to hypoxia in the portions of the lung fed by the airway , which would also lead to a gradual shrinkage of the diseased lung tissue therein . in both cases , the shrinkage or collapse of the diseased portions of the lung often improves the function of the healthier portions of the lung . optionally , the lung compartment that the airway feeds is collapsed by an additional collapsing mechanism prior to or contemporaneously with the closing of the airway . for example , after a lung compartment has been determined to exhibit collateral ventilation , a lung compartment collapsing mechanism may be used to evacuate and collapse the lung compartment distal to the point of intended airway closing . for example , a vacuum may be provided via a suction tube to evacuate and collapse the lung compartment . thereafter , the airway closing mechanism 330 , with or without a closing implement such as the suture 340 , may be used to close the airway . although certain embodiments of the disclosure have been described in detail , certain variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art , including embodiments that do not provide all the features and benefits described herein . it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative or additional embodiments and / or uses and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof . in addition , while a number of variations have been shown and described in varying detail , other modifications , which are within the scope of the present disclosure , will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure . it is also contemplated that various combinations or subcombinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the present disclosure . accordingly , it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the present disclosure . thus , it is intended that the scope of the present disclosure herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above . for all of the embodiments described above , the steps of any methods need not be performed sequentially . | 0 |
fig1 shows a windscreen wiper device 1 of the flat blade type according to the prior art . the windscreen wiper device is built up of an elastomeric ( rubber ) wiper blade 2 comprising a central longitudinal groove 3 , wherein a longitudinal strip 4 made of spring band steel is fitted in the longitudinal groove 3 , the strip 4 forms a flexible carrier element for the rubber wiper blade 2 , as it were , which is thus biased in a curved position ( the curvature in operative position being that of a windscreen to be wiped ) an end of the strip 4 and / or an end of the wiper blade 2 is connected on either side of the windscreen wiper device 1 to respective connecting pieces or “ end caps ” 5 . in this embodiment , the connecting pieces 5 are separate constructional elements , which may be form - locked as well as force - locked to both ends of the strip 4 and / or ends of the wiper blade 2 . in another variant , the connecting pieces 5 are in one piece with the strip 4 made of spring hand steel . the windscreen wiper device i is furthermore built up of a connecting device 6 of metal for connecting an oscillating wiper arm 7 thereto , with the interposition of a joint part 8 . the oscillating wiper arm 7 is pivotally connected to the connecting device 6 about a pivot axis near one end . in the embodiment of fig1 there is a spoiler or “ air deflector ” 9 which is made in one piece with the rubber wiper blade 2 and which extends along the entire length thereof . as can be seen in fig1 , the joint part 8 comprises a resilient tongue 10 extending outwardly , while the oscillating arm 7 has an u - shaped cross - section at the location of its connection to the joint part 8 , so that the tongue 10 engages in an identically shaped hole 11 provided in a base of the u - shaped cross - section . the connecting device 6 with the wiper blade 2 is mounted onto the oscillating arm 7 as follows . the joint part 8 being already dipped onto the connecting device 6 is pivoted relative to the connecting device 6 , so that the joint part 8 can be easily slid on a free end of the oscillating arm 7 . during this sliding movement the resilient tongue 10 is initially pushed in against a spring force and then allowed to spring back into the hole 11 , thus snapping , that is clipping the resilient tongue 10 into the hole 11 . this is a so - called bayonet - connection . the oscillating arm 7 together with the joint part 8 may then be pivoted back in a position parallel to the wiper blade 2 in order to be ready for use . by subsequently pushing in again the resilient tongue 10 against the spring force ( as if it were a push button ), the connecting device 6 and the joint part 8 together with the wiper blade 2 may be released from the oscillating arm 7 . dismounting the connecting device 6 with the wiper blade 2 from the oscillating arm 7 is thus realized by sliding the connecting device 6 and the joint part 8 together with the wiper blade 2 in a direction away from the oscillating arm 7 . although not shown in fig1 , but fully understood by a skilled person , the oscillating arm 7 is connected to a mounting head fixed for rotation to a shaft driven by a small motor . in use , the shaft rotates alternately in a clockwise and in a counter - clockwise sense carrying the mounting head into rotation also , which in turn draws the oscillating am 7 into rotation and by means of the connecting device 6 moves the wiper blade 2 . in fig2 is depicted a unit consisting of a connecting device 6 and a joint part 8 detachably and pivotally connected thereto according to the invention , wherein the unit is universal part in the sense that it can be used for each and every type of interconnection between a wiper blade 2 and an oscillating arm 7 , that is , for example , for the interconnection as shown in fig3 on the one hand and for the interconnection as shown in fig4 on the other hand . the connecting device 6 is particularly welded , soldered , glued or clamped onto two spaced - apart longitudinal strips 4 disposed on opposite sides in longitudinal grooves 3 of the wiper blade 2 . in the alternative or in addition thereto , the connecting device 6 is connected to the elastomeric ( rubber ) material of the wiper blade , for example glued or clamped . as can be seen in fig2 , the connecting device 6 comprises two cylindrical protrusions 12 extending outwardly on either side thereof . these protrusions 12 pivotally engage in identically shaped cylindrical recesses 13 in legs 14 of a u - shaped cross - section of the joint part 8 , the protrusions 12 function as bearing surfaces at the location of the pivot axis in order to pivot the joint part 8 ( and the oscillating arm 7 attached thereto ) about the pivot axis near one end of the oscillating arm 7 . the protrusions 12 are provided with co - axial through holes 15 in order to allow the interconnection shown in fig4 , as will be explained in further detail below . the protrusions 12 are preferably in one piece with the connecting device 6 . in the alternative the protrusions 12 are part of a separate pin to be inserted into opposite holes in sidewalls of the connecting device 6 ( not shown ). as depicted in fig2 and 3 , the joint part 8 comprises a cap 16 on an upper surface 17 thereof provided with an in use downwardly extending protrusion 18 , wherein the downwardly extending protrusion 18 is adapted to engage in a correspondingly shaped hole 19 provided in the oscillating arm 7 for retaining the wiper blade 2 onto the oscillating arm 7 . the cap 16 has a u - shaped cross - section , wherein the protrusion 18 extends from a base of the u - shaped cross - section of the cap 16 in downward direction in use , the cap 16 near an edge of the upper surface 17 is hingeably connected to the joint part 8 between a closed position ( seen in fig2 and fig3 left above ), wherein the wiper blade 2 can be retained onto the oscillating arm 7 , and an open position ( seen in fig3 left below and right below ), wherein the wiper blade 2 can be released from the oscillating arm 7 , the joint part 8 further comprises a recess 20 in the base 21 of its u - shaped cross - section for receiving a free end 22 of the oscillating arm 7 ( seen in fig3 ). as shown in fig3 , the joint part 8 further comprises two spaced - apart guiding protrusions 23 extending upwardly from an upper surface 17 of the joint part 8 , wherein the guiding protrusions 23 are adapted to receive the free end 22 of the oscillating arm 7 between them . parts in fig4 that correspond to their counterparts in fig2 and 3 have been designated with the same reference numerals . in the embodiment of fig4 the free end 22 of the oscillating arm 7 has a u - shaped cross - section , wherein legs 24 of the u - shaped cross - section are orientated towards a windscreen to be wiped and wherein a base 25 of the u - shaped cross - section is orientated parallel to a windscreen to be wiped . between the legs 24 of the u - shaped cross - section and protruding in a directions towards the wiper blade 2 is a joint pin or pivot pin 26 whose pivot axis extends in a direction of the oscillating movement of the oscillating arm 7 . the diameter of the pivot pin 26 is adapted to the diameter of the bearing holes or the co & lt ;& gt ; axial through holes 15 of the protrusions 12 of the connecting device 6 and to the diameter of the recesses 13 provided in legs 14 of the u - shaped cross - section of the joint part 8 . in order to secure or retain the connecting device 6 ( and thus the wiper blade 2 connected thereto ) onto the oscillating arm 7 , the oscillating arm 7 is provided with an extension comprising the pivot pin 26 and a l - shape shoulder 27 which projects out in the direction of the pivot pin 26 and across the wiper blade 2 and at the end of which is disposed a leg 28 facing the windscreen to be wiped , the connecting device 6 has a width d of approximately 22 mm at the location of the l - shaped shoulder 27 . the invention is not restricted to the variants shown in the drawing , but it also extends to other embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims . | 1 |
in describing exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings , specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity . however , the disclosure of this patent specification is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected , and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner and achieve a similar result . referring now to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views , examples and exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described . fig4 a is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a temperature sensing circuit 1 according to this patent specification . as shown in fig4 a , the temperature sensing circuit 1 includes an operational amplifier or op - amp 10 and a comparator 20 . the op - amp 10 includes a first differential input circuit sd 1 in an input stage with an inverting input positive with respect to a non - inverting input . the first differential input circuit sd 1 provides a first offset voltage vo 1 having no temperature coefficient . the op - amp 10 has an output connected to the inverting input to form a voltage follower . with the non - inverting input connected to ground , the output of the op - amp 10 is equal to the first offset voltage vo 1 . the comparator 20 includes a second differential input circuit sd 2 in an input stage with an inverting input positive with respect to a non - inverting input . the second differential input circuit sd 2 provides a second offset voltage vo 2 having a negative temperature coefficient . the comparator 20 has the inverting input connected to the output of the op - amp 10 and the non - inverting input connected to ground . through comparison of the inverting and non - inverting inputs , the comparator 20 outputs a temperature detection signal out indicating when temperature reaches a given set - point ts . fig4 b and 4c are circuit diagrams of the op - amp 10 and the comparator 20 used in the temperature sensing circuit 1 of fig4 a . as shown in fig4 b and 4c , the op - amp 10 and the comparator 20 both are built based on a combination of metal - oxide - semiconductor field - effect transistors ( mosfets ), a detailed description of which will be given with reference to fig1 . fig5 shows the voltages vo 1 and vo 2 plotted against temperature , illustrating operation of the temperature sensing circuit 1 of fig4 a near the set temperature ts . as shown in fig5 , the first offset voltage vo 1 or the output of the op - amp 10 does not vary with temperature due to having no temperature coefficient , while the second offset voltage vo 2 or the input stage voltage of the comparator 20 decreases with increasing temperature due to having a negative temperature coefficient . specifically , the voltage vo 2 remains higher than the voltage vo 1 at temperatures below the set - point ts , matches vo 1 at the set - point ts , and falls below vo 1 when temperature exceeds the set - point ts . thus , the temperature detection signal out output by the comparator 20 , which is high for vo 2 & gt ; vo 1 and low for vo 2 & lt ; vo 1 , switches at the set - point ts . fig6 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of the temperature sensing circuit 1 . as shown in fig6 , this embodiment is similar to that depicted in fig4 a , except that the temperature sensing circuit 1 includes resistors r 1 and r 2 forming a voltage divider to divide the op - amp output vo 1 so that the comparator 20 receives a scaled voltage va at the inverting input . fig7 shows the voltages vo 1 , vo 2 , and va plotted against temperature , illustrating operation of the temperature sensing circuit 1 of fig6 near the set temperature ts . as shown in fig7 , the inverting input va of the comparator , obtained from the temperature - independent voltage vo 1 , does not vary with temperature , while the temperature - dependent voltage vo 2 decreases with increasing temperature . the temperature detection signal out output by the comparator 20 is high for vo 2 & gt ; va and low for vo 2 & lt ; va , switching at the set - point ts . fig8 is a diagram illustrating still another embodiment of the temperature sensing circuit 1 . as shown in fig8 , this embodiment is similar to that depicted in fig4 a , except that the op - amp 10 is provided with a resistor r 3 interposed between its inverting input and output and a resistor r 4 between its inverting input and ground , so as to have a gain of 1 + r 3 / r 4 instead of forming a voltage follower . fig9 shows the voltages vo 1 , vo 2 , and va plotted against temperature , illustrating operation of the temperature sensing circuit 1 of fig8 near the - set temperature ts . as shown in fig9 , the inverting input va of the comparator , obtained from the temperature - independent voltage vo 1 , does not vary with temperature , while the temperature - dependent voltage vo 2 decreases with increasing temperature . the temperature detection signal out output by the comparator 20 is high for vo 2 & gt ; va and low for vo 2 & lt ; va , switching at the set - point ts . fig1 is a diagram illustrating still another embodiment of the temperature sensing circuit 1 . as shown in fig1 , this embodiment is similar to that depicted in fig4 a , except that the second differential input circuit sd 2 with temperature coefficient is included in the input stage of the op - amp 10 , and the first differential input circuit sd 1 with no temperature coefficient is included in the input stage of the comparator 20 . fig1 shows the voltages vo 1 , vo 2 , and va plotted against temperature , illustrating operation of the temperature sensing circuit 1 of fig1 near the set temperature ts . as shown in fig1 , the first offset voltage vo 1 or the input stage voltage of the comparator 20 does not vary with temperature due to having no temperature coefficient , while the second offset voltage vo 2 or the output of the op - amp 10 decreases with increasing temperature due to having a negative temperature coefficient . as a result , the temperature detection signal out output by the comparator 20 , which is low for vo 2 & gt ; vo 1 and high for vo 2 & lt ; vo 1 , switches at the set - point ts . fig1 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of the temperature sensing circuit 1 . as shown in fig1 , this embodiment is similar to that depicted in fig1 , except that the temperature sensing circuit 1 includes resistors r 1 and r 2 forming a voltage divider to divide the op - amp output vo 1 so that the comparator 20 receives a scaled voltage va at the inverting input . fig1 shows the voltages vo 1 , vo 2 , and va plotted against temperature , illustrating operation of the temperature sensing circuit 1 of fig1 near the set temperature ts . as shown in fig1 , the inverting input va of the comparator 20 , obtained from the temperature - dependent voltage vo 2 , decreases with increasing temperature , while the temperature - independent voltage vo 1 does not vary with temperature . the temperature detection signal out output by the comparator 20 is low for va & gt ; vo 1 and high for va & lt ; vo 1 , switching at the set - point ts . fig1 is a diagram illustrating still another embodiment of the temperature sensing circuit 1 . as shown in fig1 , this embodiment is similar to that depicted in fig1 , except that the op - amp 10 is provided with a resistor r 3 interposed between its inverting input and output and a resistor r 4 between its inverting input and ground , so as to have a gain of 1 + r 3 / r 4 instead of forming a voltage follower . fig1 shows the voltages vo 1 , vo 2 , and va plotted against temperature , illustrating operation of the temperature sensing circuit 1 of fig1 near the set temperature ts . as shown in fig1 , the inverting input va of the comparator 20 , obtained from the temperature - dependent voltage vo 2 , decreases with increasing temperature , while the temperature - independent voltage vo 1 does not vary with temperature . the temperature detection signal out output by the comparator 20 is low for va & gt ; vo 1 and high for va & lt ; vo 1 , switching at the set - point ts . in the temperature sensing circuit 1 described above , the first differential input circuit sd 1 providing the offset voltage vo 1 with zero temperature coefficient and the second differential input circuit sd 2 providing the offset voltage vo 2 with temperature coefficient are included in the input stages of the op - amp 10 and the comparator 20 , respectively . as the comparator 20 incorporates the capabilities of a reference voltage generator and a temperature - dependent voltage source , which are required to construct a temperature sensing circuit , a compact circuit configuration is achieved without involving complicated electronic components . further , the zero - temperature coefficient circuit sd 1 and the temperature - dependent circuit sd 2 each can be used as the input stage of either the op - amp 10 or the comparator 20 as shown in the illustrated embodiments , where the temperature coefficient is present in the comparator 20 and not in the op - amp 10 for the embodiments of fig4 a , 6 , and 8 , and vice versa for the embodiments of fig1 , 12 , and 14 . such interchangeability of the differential input circuits sd 1 and sd 2 allows for wide variations in the design of the temperature sensing circuit 1 . still further , the temperature sensing circuit 1 can assume various configurations of the op - amp 10 , such as those having high gain or amplification , those having unity gain ( i . e ., the voltage follower ), or those having resistors to divide the output voltage , which offers flexibility to respond to variations in the magnitude and / or temperature coefficient of the offset voltages vo 1 and vo 2 . additionally , although the non - inverting input of the op - amp 10 and the reference input of the comparator 20 are grounded in the illustrated embodiments , these terminals may be connected to an appropriate voltage other than ground potential . in the embodiments using a pair of resistors to amplify or divide the op - amp output , i . e ., the voltage divider r 1 and r 2 or the gain resistors r 3 and r 4 , a higher accuracy in temperature detection may be obtained by tuning resistance of one or both of the paired resistors through trimming or the like . referring now to fig1 , a diagram illustrating in detail the temperature sensing circuit 1 according to the embodiment of fig6 is depicted . as shown in fig1 , the op - amp 10 includes depletion - type n - channel mos ( nmos ) transistors m 11 and m 12 , nmos transistors m 13 and m 17 , and p - channel mos ( pmos ) transistors m 14 through m 16 , each having mosfet gate , source , and drain terminals . the depletion - type nmos transistors m 11 and m 12 form the first differential input circuit sd 1 in the input stage of the op - amp 10 , where the gate of the nmos transistor m 11 serves as the inverting input and the gate of the nmos transistor m 12 serves as the non - inverting input . the sources of the input transistors m 11 and m 12 are connected in common to the drain of the nmos transistor m 13 . the nmos transistor m 13 has its source connected to ground and its gate connected to a bias voltage vbias . the drain of the nmos transistor m 11 is connected to the drain of the pmos transistor m 14 , and the drain of the nmos transistor m 12 is connected to the drain of the pmos transistor m 15 . the pmos transistors m 14 and m 15 have their sources connected in common to a voltage source vdd and their gates connected in common to the drain of the pmos transistor m 14 to form a current mirror , which acts as a load in the differential input circuit sd 1 . the drain of the nmos transistor m 12 is connected to the gate of the pmos transistor m 16 . the pmos transistor m 16 has its source connected to the voltage source vdd and its drain connected to the drain of the nmos transistor 17 . the nmos transistor m 17 has its source connected to ground and its gate connected to the bias voltage vbias in common with the gate of the nmos transistor m 13 . the op - amp 10 derives an output voltage from the drain of the pmos transistor m 16 . as mentioned , the op - amp 10 forms a voltage follower with the inverting input , i . e ., the gate of the nmos transistor m 11 , connected to the output voltage . with its non - inverting input , i . e ., the gate of the nmos transistor m 12 , connected to ground , the op - amp 10 provides the output voltage equal to the offset voltage vo 1 of the differential input circuit sd 1 . in such a configuration , the offset voltage vo 1 results from a difference in threshold voltage between the input transistors m 11 and m 12 . in general , threshold voltage of a mos transistor may be adjusted by doping , i . e ., by implanting impurities called dopants of a particular conductivity type , to change work function of the gate terminal , where a p - type doped ( p +) gate has a relatively high threshold voltage and an n - type doped ( n +) gate has a relatively low threshold voltage . in the differential input circuit sd 1 , the gate of the transistor m 11 is doped with p - type impurities and the gate of the transistor m 12 is doped with n - type impurities , so that the transistor m 11 has a higher threshold voltage than that of the transistor m 12 . hence , the offset voltage vo 1 is obtained with the input transistor m 11 having a positive gate potential relative to that of the input transistor m 12 . the temperature coefficient of the offset voltage vo 1 thus obtained is dependent on the ratio of size or gate length between the input transistors m 11 and m 12 . in the differential input circuit sd 1 , the size ratio of the transistor m 11 to the transistor m 12 is set to approximately 2 : 1 to provide the offset voltage vo 1 with zero temperature coefficient . with further reference to fig1 , the output terminal of the op - amp 10 is connected to the inverting input of the comparator 20 via the voltage divider resistors r 1 and r 2 . the comparator 20 includes depletion - type nmos transistors m 21 and m 22 , an nmos transistor m 23 , and pmos transistors m 24 and m 25 , each having mosfet gate , source , and drain terminals . the depletion - type nmos transistors m 21 and m 22 form the second differential input circuit sd 2 in the input stage of the comparator 20 , where the gate of the nmos transistor m 21 serves as the inverting input and the gate of the nmos transistor m 22 serves as the non - inverting input . the sources of the input transistors m 21 and m 22 are connected in common to the drain of the nmos transistor m 23 . the nmos transistor m 23 has its source connected to ground and its gate connected to a bias voltage vbias . the drain of the nmos transistor m 21 is connected to the drain of the pmos transistor m 24 , and the drain of the nmos transistor m 22 is connected to the drain of the pmos transistor m 25 . the pmos transistors m 24 and m 25 have their sources connected in common to a voltage source vdd and their gates connected in common to the drain of the pmos transistor m 25 to form a current mirror , which acts as a load in the differential input circuit sd 2 . the comparator 20 derives the output out from the drain of the nmos transistor m 21 , which switches when the offset voltage vo 2 reaches the level of the inverting input . in such a configuration , as in the case of the first offset voltage vo 1 , the offset voltage vo 2 results from a difference in threshold voltage between the input transistors m 21 and m 22 , obtained by creating a difference in gate work function . specifically , the gate of the transistor m 21 is doped with p - type impurities and the gate of the transistor m 22 is doped with n - type impurities , so that the transistor m 21 has a higher threshold voltage than that of the transistor m 22 . hence , the offset voltage vo 1 is obtained with the input transistor m 21 having a positive gate potential relative to that of the input transistor m 22 . the offset voltage vo 2 of the differential input circuit sd 2 thus obtained has a negative temperature coefficient , which is created by setting the size ratio of the transistor m 21 to the transistor m 22 to approximately 1 : 10 . as described above , the differential input circuit according to this patent specification has an offset voltage controlled by a difference in gate work function between a pair of input transistors , one with a p + doped gate and the other with an n + doped gate . the size ratio of the input transistors is adjusted so as to set the temperature coefficient of the offset voltage to zero or any appropriate value positive or negative . through effective use of the differential input circuit , the temperature sensing circuit 1 according to this patent specification achieves precise temperature detection with a simple and compact circuit configuration . the temperature sensing circuit 1 may be used in any type of electronic equipment , such as voltage regulators , personal computers , and various types of portable devices and home appliances , where temperature sensing capability is required to perform a given function in response to detection of a given set - point temperature , such as switching of power and / or control signals . numerous additional modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that , within the scope of the appended claims , the disclosure of this patent specification may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein . this patent specification is based on japanese patent application no . jp - a - 2007 - 233788 filed on sep . 10 , 2007 in the japanese patent office , the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein . | 6 |
referring first to fig1 and 2 showing a first embodiment of the invention , 1 designates a bracket mounted to the body of the vehicle , said bracket supporting a lever 2 in a manner of being pivotable around a pivot shaft 3 . the bracket 1 has ratchet teeth 4 arranged along an arc centered at the same pivot axis as the lever 2 . a pawl 5 is pivotably mounted to the lever 2 by means of a pivot shaft 6 in a manner such that one end of the pawl selectively engages any one of said ratchet teeth . the pawl 5 is resiliently driven by an expansion coil spring 7 to rotate around a pivot shaft 6 in the anti - clockwise direction as seen in the figure , to be out of engagement with said ratchet teeth until its other end engages a stop 8 formed in the lever . said other end of the pawl 5 is connected with one end of a brake cable 9 which is arranged along the peripheral portion of a sectoral cam element 10 provided so as to be pivotable around the pivot shaft 3 . in this arrangement the cable 9 is stretched to engage the parking brake when the lever 2 is pivotally moved around the pivot shaft 3 in the anti - clockwise direction in the figure , while the cable is loosened to disengage the parking brake when the lever is pivotally moved in the opposite or clockwise direction . the lever 2 is formed as a hollow member and carries therein a release rod 11 extending along the lever . the rod 11 has one end engaging the aforementioned other end of the pawl 5 and another end connected with a push button 13 mounted to project outward from the tip end of the grip 12 mounted at the tip end portion of the lever 2 . the push button 13 is resiliently driven by a compression coil spring 14 to project outward from the tip end of the grip 12 . the device shown in fig1 and 2 operates as follows : when the lever 2 is returned to the non - operating position such as shown in fig2 the cable 9 is loosened thereby allowing the pawl 5 to rotate around the pivot shaft 6 in the anti - clockwise direction until the top end of the pawl engages the stop 8 with the lower edged end of the pawl being disengaged from the ratchet teeth 4 . starting from this condition , when the lever 2 is pivotally moved around the pivot shaft 3 in the anticlockwise direction in the figure , the cable 9 is pulled up around the cam element 10 so as to stretch the cable . the tensile force generated in the cable 9 exerts a reaction force on the pawl 5 which drives the pawl to rotate around the pivot shaft 6 in the clockwise direction in the figure , i . e ., toward engagement with the ratchet teeth 4 , and finally , when the cable is stretched to a predetermined tensioned condition in accordance with the pivotal movement of the lever , the cable reaction force exerted to the pawl 5 overcomes the force of the expansion coil spring 7 and rotates the pawl into engagement with the ratchet teeth as shown in fig1 . thus , the lever is now locked in the shown operating position and maintains the cable 9 in the stretched condition . therefore , when the spring constant and the pre - loading of the expansion coil spring 7 are judiciously selected , the lever locking mechanism provided by the ratchet teeth and the pawl is actuated only when the brake cable is stretched beyond a predetermined tensioned condition . therefore , if the lever is pulled and locked at the pulled position , it is automatically guaranteed that it is pulled to a correct position to ensure the positive actuation of the parking brake . by this arrangement , the driver is positively informed whether or not the lever of the parking brake has been correctly operated and accidents due to insufficient engagement of the parking brake are positively avoided . furthermore , since the pawl is out of engagement with the ratchet teeth until the lever is pulled to the final clamp position , the clinking noise caused by the conventional pawl and ratchet teeth mechanism is not generated . when the parking brake is to be released starting from the locked condition as shown in fig1 the driver need only grip the grip 12 of the lever , pull it slightly upward , push the button 13 while holding the grip at the slightly pulled up position thereby driving the pawl 5 via the rod 11 so that it is rotated around the pivot shaft 6 in the anti - clockwise direction until it is disengaged from the ratchet teeth 4 , and return the lever to the release position as shown in fig2 . fig3 and 4 are views similar to fig1 and 2 respectively , showing a modification of the structure shown in fig1 and 2 . in this modification the expansion coil spring 7 is replaced by a clip spring 7 &# 39 ;. although the invention has been shown and described with respect to some preferred embodiments thereof , it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and omissions of the form and detail thereof may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention . | 8 |
compounds that are useful for lowering and controlling normal or elevated iop and treating glaucoma according to the present invention are represented by the following formula : r 1 ═ h or c 1 - 4 alkyl ; r 2 ═ h , oh , or or where r ═ c 1 - 4 alkyl ; r 3 ═— x — ar , — or 8 , —( ch 2 ) n or 8 , or —( ch 2 ) n ′ — o —( ch 2 ) m or 8 ; r 4 , r 5 ═ h or c 1 - 2 alkyl ; r 6 , r 7 ═ h or c 1 - 2 alkyl ; when r 4 or r 5 ═ c 1 - 2 alkyl , then r 6 ═ r 7 ═ h ; when r 6 or r 7 ═ c 1 - 2 alkyl , then r 4 ═ r 5 ═ h ; r 8 , r 9 , r 10 ═ h or c 1 - 4 alkyl ; n = 1 - 4 ; n ′= 1 - 4 ; m = 1 - 4 ; x ═ o , — c ( r 9 )( r 10 )—, — oc ( r 9 )( r 10 )—, or — c ( r 9 )( r 10 ) o —; ar = phenyl , optionally mono - or di - substituted with f , cl , br , i , c 1 - 4 alkyl , oh , or or 8 ; or 2 -, 3 -, 4 - pyridyl , optionally mono - or di - substituted with f , cl , br , i , c 1 - 4 alkyl , oh , or or 8 ; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof . r 1 ═ h ; r 2 ═ h , oh , or or where r ═ c 1 - 4 alkyl ; r 3 ═— x — ar , — or 8 , —( ch 2 ) n or 8 , or —( ch 2 ) n ′ — o —( ch 2 ) m or 8 ; r 4 , r 5 ═ h ; r 6 , r ═ h ; r 8 ═ c 1 - 4 alkyl ; r 9 , r 10 ═ h or c 1 - 4 alkyl ; n = 1 - 4 ; n ′= 1 - 4 ; m = 2 - 4 ; x ═ o , — c ( r 9 )( r 10 )—, — oc ( r 9 )( r 10 )—, or — c ( r 9 )( r 10 ) o —; ar = phenyl , optionally mono - or di - substituted with f , cl , br , c 12 alkyl , oh , or or 8 ; or 2 -, 3 -, 4 - pyridyl , optionally mono - or di - substituted with f , cl , br , i , c 1 - 4 alkyl , oh , or or 8 ; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof . pharmaceutically acceptable addition salts include pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts prepared from acids including but not limited to acetic acid , benzenesulfonic acid , citric acid , fumaric acid , hydrobomic acid , hydrochloric acid , maleic acid , tartaric acid , phosphoric acid , sulfuric acid and the like . the acid addition salts may be obtained as the direct product of compound synthesis . alternatively , the free base may be dissolved in a suitable solvent containing the appropriate acid , and the salt isolated by evaporation of the solvent or otherwise separating the salt and solvent . the compound of this invention may form solvates with standard low molecular weight solvents using methods know to those skilled in the art . it is recognized that compounds of formula a can contain one or more chiral centers . this invention contemplates all enantiomers , diastereomers , and mixtures thereof . in the above definitions , the total number of carbon atoms in a substituent group is indicated by the c i - j prefix where the numbers i and j define the number of carbon atoms ; this definition includes straight chain , branched chain , and cyclic alkyl or ( cyclic alkyl ) alkyl groups . r 1 ═ h ; r 2 ═ oh , or or , where r ═ c 1 - 4 alkyl ; r 3 ═— x — ar , — or 8 , —( ch 2 ) n or 8 , or —( ch 2 ) n — o —( ch 2 ) m or 8 ; r 4 , r 5 ═ h or c 1 alkyl ; r 6 , r 7 ═ h or c 1 alkyl ; when r 4 or r 5 ═ c 1 alkyl , then r 6 ═ r 7 ═ h ; when r 6 or r 7 ═ c , alkyl , then r 4 ═ r 5 ═ h ; r 8 ═ c 1 - 4 alkyl ; r 9 , r 10 ═ h or c 1 - 4 alkyl ; and ar = phenyl , optionally mono - or di - substituted with f , cl , br , c 1 - 2 alkyl , oh , or or 8 . the most preferred compounds are : 7 -( 3 - methoxy - benzyl )- 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 - tetrahydro - 1h - benzo [ d ] azepine fumarate ( compound 1 ) and 8 -( 4 - hydroxy - benzyl )- 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 - tetrahydro - 1h - benzo [ d ] azepin - 7 - ol hydrobromide ( compound 5 ), both of which are novel . preferred novel compounds of formula a are those in which r ═ c 1 alkyl . the compounds of this invention can be prepared by known methods 5 including those reported in wo 93 / 00094 , wo 2005 / 042490 , wo 2005 / 042491 , and wo 2006 / 018260 . the invention will be described in greater detail by way of specific examples . the following examples are offered for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention in any manner 7 -( 3 - methoxy - benzyl )- 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 - tetrahydro - 1h - benzo [ d ] azepine ( 1 ) was prepared by the multiple step process outlined below . to 2 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- ethylamine ( 5 g , 32 . 1 mmol ) in ch 3 cn ( 150 ml ) was added et 3 n ( 5 . 4 ml , 38 . 5 mmol ) at 0 ° c . under a n 2 atmosphere followed by chloroacetyl chloride ( 2 . 83 ml , 35 . 34 mmol ). the reaction mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 0 . 5 h and at room temperature for 3 h . then solvent was evaporated , the crude mixture was dissolved in etoac ( 100 ml ) and poured into 200 ml of h 2 o . the organic layer was separated , the water layer was extracted with etoac , the combined organic extract was washed with h 2 o , brine , dried over mgso 4 , and the solvent was removed . the crude compound was dissolved in 30 ml of etoac , hexane ( 150 ml ) was added and cooled to 0 ° c . to precipitate the brown solid . the solid was filtered and dried to afford 4 . 9 g of 11 in 67 % yield . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): δ2 . 82 ( t , 2h , j = 6 . 8 hz ), 3 . 54 ( q , 2h , j = 6 . 4 hz ), 4 . 02 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 55 - 6 . 65 ( bs , 1h ), 7 . 12 - 7 . 15 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 26 - 7 . 30 ( m , 2h ). to the acetamide 11 ( 4 . 9 g , 21 . 12 mmol ) alcl 3 ( 8 . 47 g , 63 . 36 mmol ) was added and the reaction mixture was heated at 150 ° c . neat for 12 h . then the reaction mixture was cooled down to room temperature and quenched by the addition of 10 % aq . hcl dropwise . etoac ( 100 ml ) was added to this and the layers were separated . the water layer was extracted with etoac ( 2 × 50 ml ) and the combined organic extract was washed with water , and brine , dried over mgso 4 , and solvent was removed . the crude compound was purified by flash column chromatography using 85 % etoac in hexane as eluent to afford 12 ( 3 . 2 g , 77 . 5 %) as an off white solid with less than 10 % other impurity . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): δ3 . 06 - 3 . 13 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 53 - 3 . 58 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 79 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 37 ( bs , 1h ), 7 . 03 - 7 . 17 ( m , 3h ). lc / ms = 196 ( m + 1 ). to the amide 12 ( 0 . 75 g , 3 . 84 mmol ) in dry thf ( 50 ml ) was added bh 3 . dms ( 13 . 5 ml , 13 . 46 mmol , 2m in toluene ) at 0 ° c . under n 2 atmosphere and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 12 h . then the reaction mixture was quenched by the addition of 20 ml of 10 % aq . hcl and refluxed for 1 h . after the reaction mixture was brought to room temperature , the organic solvent was evaporated ; the water layer was extracted with etoac ( 50 ml ) to remove any unreacted starting material or non polar impurities . the water layer was basified with the addition of 1 n aq . naoh solution and extracted with etoac ( 3 × 50 ml ). the combined organic extract was washed with water , and brine , dried over mgso 4 , and solvent was removed . the crude oily compound ( 0 . 3 g ) was dissolved in meoh ( 30 ml ) and et 3 n ( 0 . 58 ml , 1 . 37 mmol ) was added followed by ( boc ) 2 o ( 0 . 6 g , 2 . 75 mmol ) the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 12 h . solvents were evaporated and the crude mixture was purified by flash column chromatography using 10 % etoac in hexane as an eluent to afford 13 ( 0 . 18 g , 40 %) as a colorless gummy oil . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): δ1 . 48 ( s , 9h ), 2 . 85 ( bs , 1 . 5h ), 2 . 95 ( bs , 0 . 5h ), 3 . 25 ( bs , 0 . 5h ), 3 . 53 - 3 . 54 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 02 - 7 . 10 ( m , 3h ). to 3 - methoxy benzylzinc chloride ( j . am . chem . soc ., 2001 , 123 , 2719 - 2724 ) ( 1 . 92 ml , 0 . 96 mmol , 0 . 5m in thf ) in a dry 20 ml microwave reactor vial n - methyl pyrrolidone ( 2 . 5 ml ) was added and stirred for 15 minute at room temperature under n 2 atmosphere . then to the reaction mixture pd [ p ( t - bu ) 3 ] 2 ( 6 . 5 mg , 0 . 012 mmol ) was added followed by the addition of 13 ( 0 . 18 g , 0 . 64 mmol ) in 2 ml of thf . the mixture was heated to 150 ° c . in microwave reactor for 30 min , cooled to room temperature , and acidified by the addition of 5 ml of 10 % aq . hcl . the compound was extracted with etoac ( 3 × 20 ml ). the combined etoac extract was dried over mgso 4 and the volatiles were removed under reduced pressure . the crude oil was purified by flash column chromatography and subjected to deprotection by treating with 5 eq of tfa in ch 2 cl 2 at room temperature for 4 h . solvent was removed and the crude residue was dissolved in meoh . solid nahco 3 was added and stirred for 0 . 5 h to make the solution basic . the mixture was filtered , the solvent was removed and the crude residue was purified by combiflash column chromatography using 10 % meoh + 5 % et 3 n in etoac as eluent to afford the amine 14 ( 0 . 1 g ) as colorless oil . the oil was taken in 1 ml of meoh and to it 1 eq . of 1n of fumaric acid in meoh was added . ether ( 50 ml ) was added to precipitate the fumarate salt which was filtered and dried to afford 1 ( 50 mg ) as off white powder . 1 h nmr ( cd 3 od , 400 mhz ): δ3 . 09 - 3 . 13 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 26 - 3 . 28 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 76 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 91 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 70 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 74 - 6 . 79 ( m , 3h ). 7 . 08 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 14 - 7 . 18 ( m , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( cd 3 od , 100 mhz ): δ 33 . 25 , 33 . 66 , 42 . 31 , 47 . 55 , 47 . 62 , 55 . 58 , 112 . 30 , 115 . 80 , 122 . 26 , 128 . 96 , 130 . 45 , 130 . 76 , 131 . 14 , 137 . 96 , 140 . 33 , 142 . 19 , 144 . 03 , 161 . 32 . lc / ms = 268 ( m + 1 ). anal . calcd . for c 22 h 25 no 5 : c , 68 . 91 ; h , 6 . 57 ; n , 3 . 65 . found : c , 68 . 48 ; h , 6 . 60 ; n , 3 . 67 . to compound 14 ( 0 . 12 g , 0 . 44 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 10 ml ) at room temperature under n 2 atmosphere was added bbr 3 ( 0 . 064 ml , 0 . 67 mmol ) drop wise . the reaction mixture was stirred there for 2 h , and the solvent was evaporated . the solids were dissolved in h 2 o , neutralized by the addition of solid nahco 3 , and extracted with etoac . the combined extract was dried over mgso 4 , the solvent was evaporated and the fumarate salt ( 2 , 0 . 14 g ) was made as described for 1 . 1 h nmr ( cd 3 od , 400 mhz ): δ2 . 99 - 3 . 07 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 14 - 3 . 17 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 73 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 46 - 6 . 49 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 49 - 6 . 50 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 63 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 92 - 6 . 95 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 0 - 7 . 06 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 06 - 7 . 09 ( m , 1h ). lc / ms = 254 ( m + 1 ). compound 3 was prepared from 13 using 3 , 5 - dimethoxy benzyl zinc chloride following the same procedure as described for example 1 . 1 h nmr ( cd 3 od , 400 mhz ): δ2 . 99 - 3 . 00 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 14 - 3 . 17 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 62 ( s , 6h ), 3 . 74 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 23 - 6 . 24 ( m , 3h ), 6 . 58 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 95 - 6 . 98 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 14 - 7 . 18 ( m , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( cd 3 od , 100 mhz ): δ33 . 26 , 33 . 66 , 42 . 49 , 47 . 54 , 47 . 61 , 55 . 66 , 98 . 78 , 108 . 12 , 128 . 95 , 130 . 73 , 131 . 12 , 137 . 99 , 140 . 33 , 142 . 04 , 144 . 73 , 162 . 43 . lc / ms = 298 ( m + 1 ). anal . calcd . for c 22 h 25 no 5 : c , 66 . 81 ; h , 6 . 58 ; n , 3 . 39 . found : c , 66 . 09 ; h , 6 . 12 ; n , 3 . 12 . to compound 15 ( de 3418270 , 1985 ) ( 0 . 38 g , 1 . 30 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 20 ml ) at room temperature under n 2 atmosphere was added alcl 3 ( 0 . 55 g , 4 . 15 mmol ) followed by the addition of 4 - methoxy benzoyl chloride ( 0 . 48 ml , 3 . 47 mmol ). the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight , quenched with the addition of water ( 10 ml ), and extracted with etoac ( 3 × 50 ml ). the combined organic extract was washed with water , and brine , dried over mgso 4 and evaporated to a crude residue . the crude mixture was purified by column chromatography using 30 % etoac in hexane as eluent to afford the title compound 16 as an oil ( 0 . 35 g , 61 . 7 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): δ2 . 94 - 2 . 96 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 00 - 3 . 02 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 68 - 3 . 88 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 72 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 87 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 76 ( d , 1h , j = 12 hz ), 6 . 90 - 6 . 95 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 12 ( d , 1h , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 7 . 78 - 7 . 80 ( m , 2h ). lc / ms = 408 ( m + 1 ). to the ketone 16 ( 0 . 35 g , 0 . 85 mmol ) in trifluroacetic acid ( 10 ml ) was added et 3 sih ( 0 . 69 ml , 4 . 29 mmol ) and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 12 h . the solvent was evaporated and the crude mixture was purified by combiflash chromatography to afford 0 . 26 g of 17 as light yellow oil . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): δ2 . 82 - 2 . 84 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 90 - 2 . 94 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 61 - 3 . 72 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 77 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 81 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 85 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 64 ( d , 1h , j = 12 . 8 hz ), 6 . 78 - 6 . 82 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 10 - 7 . 13 ( m , 2h ). lc / ms = 411 ( m + 18 ). to compound 17 ( 0 . 1 g , 0 . 25 mmol ) in methanol : water ( 4 : 1 , 10 ml ) was added 5 ml of 5n aq . naoh solution and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 12 h . then methanol was removed and compound was extracted with etoac ( 3 × 15 ml ). the combined extract was washed with water , brine , dried over mgso 4 and evaporated to afford the crude amine . the crude amine was dissolved in 15 ml of ch 2 cl 2 , bbr 3 ( 0 . 085 ml , 0 . 9 mmol ) was added and the resulting solution was stirred at room temperature for 2 h . the reaction mixture was quenched with 2 ml of methanol , and the volatiles were removed . the crude solid was dissolved in 1 ml of methanol and ether ( 20 ml ) was added to precipitate the hbr salt . solids were filtered , washed with ether and dried in vacuum to afford 5 ( 34 mg ) as off white powder . 1 h nmr ( cd 3 od , 400 mhz ): δ2 . 99 - 3 . 06 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 18 - 3 . 25 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 82 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 63 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 72 - 6 . 79 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 04 - 7 . 06 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 45 ( s , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( cd 3 od , 100 mhz ): δ 32 . 22 , 32 . 67 , 34 . 69 , 47 . 03 , 47 . 37 , 115 . 61 , 116 . 83 , 127 . 94 , 129 . 73 , 130 . 36 , 132 . 09 , 132 . 44 , 137 . 70 , 154 . 36 , 155 . 39 . lc / ms = 270 ( m + 1 ). anal . calcd . for c 17 h 20 no 2 , 0 . 33 mol of h 2 o : c , 57 . 31 ; h , 5 . 85 ; n , 3 . 93 . found : c , 57 . 23 ; h , 5 . 84 ; n , 3 . 79 . compound 5 was made from 15 following the same procedures described for 4 using 3 - methoxy benzoyl chloride as the acylating reagent . 1 h nmr ( cd 3 od , 400 mhz ): δ2 . 99 - 3 . 06 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 21 - 3 . 23 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 72 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 55 - 6 . 57 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 59 - 6 . 63 ( m , 3h ), 6 . 76 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 93 - 6 . 95 ( m , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( cd 3 od , 100 mhz ): δ 32 . 81 , 33 . 37 , 35 . 97 , 47 . 73 , 48 . 07 , 113 . 66 , 116 . 80 , 117 . 31 , 121 . 23 , 127 . 98 , 130 . 13 , 130 . 76 , 132 . 91 , 138 . 94 , 144 . 18 , 155 . 31 , 158 . 33 . lc / ms = 270 ( m + 1 ). anal . calcd . for c 17 h 20 no 2 , 0 . 33 mol of h 2 o : c , 57 . 31 ; h , 5 . 85 ; n , 3 . 93 . found : c , 57 . 16 ; h , 5 . 81 ; n , 3 . 74 . the preparation of 3 -( trifluoroacetyl )- 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 - tetrahydro - 1h - 3 - benzazepine ( 18 ) was by the multiple step process described below . compound 18 was prepared from phenyl ethylamine following the same procedure as described for 15 . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): δ2 . 96 - 3 . 0 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 68 - 3 . 70 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 79 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 12 - 7 . 19 ( m , 4h ). to the compound 18 ( 0 . 5 g , 2 . 05 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 20 ml ) at − 10 ° c . was added sncl 4 ( 0 . 84 ml , 7 . 20 mmol ) followed by clch 2 och 3 ( 0 . 24 ml , 5 . 14 mmol ). the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 24 h , quenched with water , and extracted with etoac ( 3 × 25 ml ). the combined extract was washed with water , and brine , dried over mgso 4 . the volatiles were evaporated to afford residue which was purified by flash column chromatography using 10 % etoac in hexane as eluent to afford 19 ( 0 . 5 g ) as an oil . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): δ2 . 95 - 3 . 02 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 69 - 3 . 70 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 75 - 3 . 79 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 55 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 12 - 7 . 22 ( m , 3h ). to the compound 19 ( 0 . 2 g , 0 . 68 mmol ) in ch 3 cn ( 20 ml ) was added k 2 co 3 ( 0 . 28 g , 2 . 06 mmol ) followed by 3 - methoxy phenol ( 0 . 09 ml , 0 . 82 mmol ) and ki ( 0 . 12 g , 0 . 75 mmol ) and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 12 h . solids were filtered and solvents were evaporated to a crude mixture which was purified by flash column chromatography using 15 % etoac in hexane as eluent to afford 20 ( 0 . 18 g ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): δ2 . 96 - 3 . 01 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 69 - 3 . 70 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 75 - 3 . 79 ( m , 5h ), 4 . 99 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 56 - 6 . 58 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 12 - 7 . 25 ( m , 4h ). lc / ms = 380 ( m + 1 ). to the compound 20 ( 0 . 18 g , 0 . 47 mmol ) in methanol : water ( 4 : 1 , 10 ml ) was added 5 ml of 5n aq . naoh solution and the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 12 h . then methanol was removed and compound was extracted with etoac ( 3 × 15 ml ). the combined extract was washed with water , and brine , dried over mgso 4 and evaporated to yield the crude amine . the amine was purified by column chromatography using a mixture of 10 % methanol , 5 % et 3 n and 85 % etoac as eluent to afford the amine 6 . the amine was converted to its fumarate salt ( 77 mg ) as described for compound 1 . 1 h nmr ( cd 3 od , 400 mhz ): δ3 . 16 - 3 . 19 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 32 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 77 ( s , 3h ), 5 . 05 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 51 - 6 . 54 ( m , 3h ), 6 . 70 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 14 - 7 . 18 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 24 - 7 . 26 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 30 - 7 . 33 ( m , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( cd 3 od , 100 mhz ): δ33 . 37 , 33 . 66 , 47 . 50 , 55 . 69 , 70 . 45 , 102 . 40 , 107 . 45 , 108 . 18 , 127 . 70 , 129 . 80 , 130 . 82 , 130 . 94 , 137 . 50 , 139 . 90 , 141 . 12 , 161 . 56 , 163 . 32 . lc / ms = 284 ( m + 1 ). anal . calcd . for c 22 h 25 no 6 , 0 . 12 mol of h 2 o : c , 65 . 78 ; h , 6 . 34 ; n , 3 . 49 . found : c , 65 . 87 ; h , 6 . 31 ; n , 3 . 47 . 3 -( 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 - tetrahydro - 1h - 3 - benzazepin - 7 - ylmethoxy ) phenol ( 7 ) was prepared by the multiple step process outlined below . compound 21 was made from 19 following the same procedure described for 20 using resorcinol monoacetate as alkylating agent . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): δ2 . 28 ( s , 3h ) 2 . 96 - 3 . 01 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 69 - 3 . 70 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 77 - 3 . 78 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 99 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 72 - 6 . 73 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 83 - 6 . 85 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 19 - 7 . 23 ( m , 4h ). lc / ms = 408 ( m + 1 ). compound 7 was prepared from 21 following the same procedure as described for compound 6 . 1 h nmr ( cd 3 od , 400 mhz ): δ3 . 15 - 3 . 18 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 29 - 3 . 31 ( m , 4h ), 4 . 96 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 26 - 6 . 47 ( m , 3h ), 6 . 70 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 04 - 7 . 11 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 23 - 7 . 35 ( m , 5 4h ). lc / ms = 270 ( m + 1 ). anal . calcd . for c 21 h 23 no 6 , 0 . 33 mol of h 2 o : c , 64 . 44 ; h , 6 . 09 ; n , 3 . 58 . found : c , 64 . 06 ; h , 6 . 02 ; n , 3 . 76 . 7 -[( 3 - methoxybenzyl ) oxy ]- 8 - methyl - 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 - tetrahydro - 1h - 3 - benzazepine ( 8 ) was prepared by the multiple step process outlined below . to 3 - methoxy - 4 - methylphenyl acetonitrile ( 3 g , 18 . 63 mmol ) in ethanol ( 100 ml ) was added 20 ml of 10 % aqueous naoh solution . the reaction mixture was refluxed for 20 h . ethanol was removed , the crude mixture was dissolved in water ( 100 ml ) and adjusted to ph 4 by adding conc . hcl . solids that formed were filtered , washed with water , and dried in vacuum to give 23 ( 2 . 64 g ) as off white solid . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): δ2 . 18 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 60 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 81 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 73 - 6 . 77 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 07 ( d , 1h , j = 7 . 6 hz ). lc / ms = 180 ( m + 1 ). compound 24 was prepared from 23 following the same procedures as compound 15 . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): δ2 . 17 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 86 - 2 . 95 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 64 - 3 . 69 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 72 - 3 . 81 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 81 ( s , 3h ), 6 . 60 ( d , 1h , j = 12 hz ), 6 . 90 ( d , 1h , j = 13 . 2 hz ). lc / ms = 288 ( m + 1 ). to compound 24 ( 0 . 5 g , 1 . 74 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 30 ml ) at 0 ° c . was added bbr 3 ( 0 . 25 ml , 2 . 61 mmol ). the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 3 h , and quenched with 5 ml of methanol . the solvent was removed and the crude mixture was purified by chromatography to afford 25 ( 0 . 45 g ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): δ2 . 20 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 85 - 2 . 89 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 63 - 3 . 67 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 71 - 3 . 75 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 69 - 4 . 71 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 59 ( d , 1h , j = 7 . 6 hz ), 6 . 88 ( d , 1h , j = 12 . 4 hz ). lc / ms = 274 ( m + 1 ). compound 26 was made from 25 using 3 - methoxy benzyl bromide as alkylating agent following the same procedure as described for compound 20 . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 400 mhz ): δ2 . 24 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 86 - 2 . 92 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 64 - 3 . 67 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 72 - 3 . 76 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 82 ( s , 3h ), 5 . 02 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 94 ( d , 1h , j = 12 hz ), 7 . 0 - 7 . 02 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 31 ( m , 1h ). lc / ms = 394 ( m + 1 ). compound 8 was prepared from 26 following the same procedure as described for compound 6 . 1 h nmr ( cd 3 od , 400 mhz ): δ2 . 94 - 2 . 99 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 13 - 3 . 17 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 71 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 98 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 58 ( s , 1 . 5h ), 6 . 73 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 78 - 6 . 82 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 91 - 6 . 92 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 17 - 7 . 19 ( m , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( cd 3 od , 100 mhz ): δ15 . 95 , 32 . 81 , 33 . 63 , 47 . 63 , 47 . 85 , 55 . 67 , 70 . 96 , 113 . 81 , 114 . 11 , 114 . 31 , 120 . 39 , 126 . 68 , 130 . 59 , 132 . 15 , 133 . 11 , 138 . 72 , 140 . 51 , 157 . 17 , 161 . 36 . lc / ms = 298 ( m + 1 ). anal . calcd . for c 19 h 23 no 2 , 0 . 85 mol of fumaric acid : c , 67 . 87 ; h , 6 . 71 ; n , 3 . 53 . found : c , 67 . 81 ; h , 6 . 74 ; n , 3 . 63 . the compounds of this invention can be incorporated into various types of ophthalmic formulations for delivery to the eye ( e . g ., topically , intracamerally , or via an implant ). the compounds are preferably incorporated into topical ophthalmic formulations for delivery to the eye . the compounds may be combined with ophthalmologically acceptable preservatives , surfactants , viscosity enhancers , penetration enhancers , buffers , sodium chloride , and water to form an aqueous , sterile ophthalmic suspension or solution . ophthalmic solution formulations may be prepared by dissolving a benzodifuran analog in a physiologically acceptable isotonic aqueous buffer . further , the ophthalmic solution may include an ophthalmologically acceptable surfactant to assist in dissolving the benzodifuran analog . furthermore , the ophthalmic solution may contain an agent to increase viscosity , such as , hydroxymethylcellulose , hydroxyethylcellulose , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose , methylcellulose , polyvinylpyrrolidone , or the like , to improve the retention of the formulation in the conjunctival sac . gelling agents can also be used , including , but not limited to , gellan and xanthan gum . in order to prepare sterile ophthalmic ointment formulations , the active ingredient is combined with a preservative in an appropriate vehicle , such as , mineral oil , liquid lanolin , or white petrolatum . sterile ophthalmic gel formulations may be prepared by suspending the compound of formula a in a hydrophilic base prepared from the combination of , for example , carbopol - 974 , or the like , according to the published formulations for analogous ophthalmic preparations ; preservatives and tonicity agents can be incorporated . the compounds of the present invention are preferably formulated as topical ophthalmic suspensions or solutions , with a ph of about 4 to 8 . the compounds will normally be contained in these formulations in an amount 0 . 01 to 5 % ( w / v ), but preferably in an amount of 0 . 1 to 2 % ( w / v ). thus , for topical presentation 1 to 2 drops of these formulations would be delivered to the surface of the eye 1 to 4 times per day according to the discretion of a skilled clinician . the compounds of formula a can also be used in combination with other agents for treating glaucoma , such as , but not limited to , β - blockers ( e . g ., timolol , betaxolol , levobetaxolol , carteolol , levobunolol , propranolol ), carbonic anhydrase inhibitors ( e . g ., brinzolamide and dorzolamide ), cc1 antagonists ( e . g . nipradolol ), α 2 agonists ( e . g ., iopidine and brimonidine ), miotics ( e . g ., pilocarpine and epinephrine ), prostaglandin analogs ( e . g ., latanoprost , travoprost , unoprostone , and compounds set forth in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 889 , 052 ; 5 , 296 , 504 ; 5 , 422 , 368 ; and 5 , 151 , 444 , “ hypotensive lipids ” ( e . g ., lumigan and compounds set forth in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 352 , 708 ), and neuroprotectants ( e . g ., compounds from u . s . pat . no . 4 , 690 , 931 , particularly eliprodil and r - eliprodil , as set forth in a pending application u . s . ser . no . 06 / 203350 , and is appropriate compounds from wo94 / 13275 , including memantine . the following methods can be used to characterize the compounds of the present invention . the receptor - mediated mobilization of intracellular calcium ([ ca 2 + ] i ) was studied using the fluorescence imaging plate reader ( flipr ) instrument . rat vascular smooth muscle cells , a7r5 , were grown in a normal media of dmem / 10 % fbs and 10 μg / ml gentamycin . confluent cell monolayers were trypsinized , pelleted , and re - suspended in normal media . cells were seeded in a 50 μl volume at a density of 20 , 000 cells per well in a black wall , 96 - well tissue culture plate and grown for 2 days . on the day of the experiment , one vial of flipr calcium assay kit dye was re - suspended in 50 ml of a flipr buffer consisting of hank &# 39 ; s balanced salt solution ( hbss ), 20 mm hepes , and 2 . 5 mm probenecid , ph 7 . 4 . cells were loaded with the calcium - sensitive dye by addition of an equal volume ( 50 μl ) to each well of the 96 - well plate and incubated with dye for 1 h at 23 ° c . typically , test compounds were stored at 25 μm in 50 % dmso / 50 % ethanol solvent . compounds were diluted 1 : 50 in 20 % dmso / 20 % ethanol . for dose - response experiments , compounds were diluted 1 : 50 in flipr buffer and serially diluted 1 : 10 to give a 5 - or 8 - point dose - response curve . at the beginning of an experimental run , a signal test was performed to check the basal fluorescence signal from the dye - loaded cells and the uniformity of the signal across the plate . the basal fluorescence was adjusted between 8000 - 12000 counts by modifying the exposure time , the camera f - stop , or the laser power . the instrument settings for a typical assay were as follows : laser power 0 . 3 - 0 . 6 w , camera f - stop f / 2 , and exposure time 0 . 4 sec . an aliquot ( 25 μl ) of the test compound was added to the existing 100 μl dye - loaded cells at a dispensing speed of 50 μl / sec . fluorescence data were collected in real - time at 1 . 0 sec intervals for the first 60 sec and at 6 . 0 sec intervals for an additional 120 sec . responses were measured as peak fluorescence intensity minus basal and where appropriate were expressed as a percentage of a maximum 5 - ht - induced response . this assay were performed as for the r5 - ht 2a receptor above , except that sr3t3 cells expressing the recombinant rat 5 - ht 2c receptor were utilized . functional response at the 5 - ht 2 receptor subtypes was determined using cho - k1 cells stably expressing mitochondrially - targeted bioluminescent aequorin , g α16 , and one of either human serotonin receptor clone 5 - ht 2a , 5 - ht 2b , or 5 - ht 2c . prior to testing , cells were loaded in suspension with coelenterazine for 4 - 16 hours and directly injected onto different concentrations of the test compound . light emitted from the cells was measured 20 - 30 seconds following receptor activation . a luminometer ( hamamatsu , fdss - 6000 ) was used to record luminescence in response to the test compound . the mean response signal at each of 8 - 11 different concentrations was integrated to provide an estimation of receptor activation , expressed as the ec 50 value . the efficacy of the response ( e max ) at the 5 - ht 2a and 5 - ht 2b receptors is expressed relative to the response of α - methyl - 5 - ht under the same assay conditions while the efficacy at 5 - ht 2c is expressed relative to the response of 5 - ht . the above procedures were used to generate the data shown in table 1 . intraocular pressure ( iop ) can be determined with an alcon pneumatonometer after light corneal anesthesia with 0 . 1 % proparacaine . eyes are washed with saline after each measurement . after a baseline iop measurement , test compound is instilled in one 30 μl aliquot to the right eyes only of nine cynomolgus monkeys . vehicle is instilled in the right eyes of six is additional animals . subsequent iop measurements are taken at 1 , 3 , and 6 hours . the above method was used to determine the iop lowering efficacy of compound 1 . all eyes were pretreated with 1 drop of 0 . 5 % proparacaine to address discomfort . the results are shown in table 2 . the following topical ophthalmic formulations are useful according to the present invention administered 1 - 4 times per day according to the discretion of a skilled clinician . | 2 |
a plant or weed harvester assembly , generally indicated by the numeral 10 , has the various components thereof mounted and arranged upon a platform 12 , which platform may be mounted upon a vehicle , or farm truck ( not shown ), or may be mounted upon a watercraft or boat 14 . harvester assembly 10 includes an endless cable 16 which is pulled by a capstan 18 in a generally rectangular path through an output guide tube 20 , across a rear portion 22 of platform 12 , through a cable intake guide tube 24 and back to capstan 18 . in addition to being pulled along its longitudinal length by capstan 18 , endless cable 16 is also caused to rotate about its longitudinal axis by a tumbler apparatus , generally indicated by the numeral 26 , which is somewhat similar to the tumbler apparatus disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 328 , 658 . specific details of tumbler apparatus 26 will be more particularly described later in this specification . in one preferred form of the invention , harvester assembly 10 is useful for harvesting undesirable plant growth in shallow lakes , rivers and canals . in such an embodiment , platform 12 comprises the deck of boat 14 . as is evident from fig1 - 6 , boat 14 is comprised of a buoyant hull 28 which includes a series of hollow compartments 30 , six such compartments being shown , and a plurality of baffle plates or partitions 32 are secured within and to the bottom of hull 28 and extend upwardly just short of deck or platform 12 to provide a series of air passageways 34 to distribute pressurized air throughout the series of hollow compartments 30 . when boat 14 is operated in shallow water , it is not unusual to encounter submerged obstacles such as large roots , tree stumps , rocks and various types of debris . the underside of hull 28 is therefore protected by reinforced skid bars 36 and , in addition , while buoyant hull 28 is designed to have a shallow draft , boat 14 is equipped with a reservoir 38 which contains pressurized air that can be distributed through a manifold 40 and a network of air lines 42 to distribute pressurized air to each of the hollow compartments 30 . a series of openings 44 are formed in each of the various compartments 30 to allow entry and exit of water in an amount determined by the pressurized air within the compartments 30 . during stormy weather or rough water conditions , it is desirable to reduce the freeboard so that boat 14 rides low in the water , and this is readily accomplished by reducing the pressurized air in the hollow compartments 30 by allowing air to exit through an air valve or vent 46 included within manifold 40 . as a result , water enters through the series of openings 44 in the bottom of hull 28 . in very shallow water , or when the skid bars 36 encounter submerged obstacles , pressurized air from reservoir 38 is introduced through manifold 40 and air lines 42 to reduce the amount of water contained within the hollow compartments 30 and thereby increase the freeboard , to decrease the draft of boat 14 and allow the buoyant hull 28 to float high in the water . it will also be understood that this feature of adjusting the draft and freeboard of boat 14 is also useful for adjusting the underwater depth of endless cable 16 at the rear portion of platform 12 located at the stern of buoyant hull 28 . boat 14 is made to be highly maneuverable by providing a pair of paddle wheels 48 at the port and starboard sides , a third paddle wheel 50 at the stern and a fourth paddle wheel 52 at the bow . each paddle wheel is independently driven and may be rotated in opposite directions ; as a result , boat 14 may be moved forwardly , rearwardly , laterally , or rotationally . as is best shown in fig1 , 7 and 8 , endless cable 16 is moved lengthwise in a predetermined path . the operative portion of cable 16 , i . e ., that portion upon which weeds or other plant growth are wound and pulled by their roots , is that portion of endless cable 16 which extends between output guide tube 20 and cable intake guide tube 24 . the operating depth and inclination of the operative portion of endless cable 16 are adjustable by raising and lowering guide tubes 20 and 24 , as is best shown in fig7 and 8 . output guide tube 20 is pivotally mounted in a pivot block 54 and may be raised and lowered by a port - side winch 56 which carries a cable or line 58 . likewise , cable intake guide tube 24 is pivotally mounted in a pivot block 60 for rotation in a substantially vertical plane and is movable by a starboard winch 62 which carries a cable or line 64 . the individual depth of tubes 20 and 24 can be varied to dispose cable 16 horizontally or at inclinations thereto in order to accommodate various slopes and terrain in the river , canal or lake bed . a tensioning frame 66 includes a pair of spreader arms 68 and 70 which are pivotally connected to guide tubes 20 and 24 and have their upper ends connected by a hydraulic cylinder 72 which extends or contracts to slacken or add tension to cable 16 . telescoping support members 74 , preferably square or rectangular , are carried by platform 12 and carry pivotally mounted sleeves 76 through which spreader arms 68 and 70 slide during raising and lowering of guide tubes 20 and 24 by winches 56 and 62 , respectively . referring to fig7 - 10 , the operative portion of endless cable 16 passes from the intake guide tube 20 and enters a funnel 78 fixed at the entrance portion of cable intake guide tube 24 . as was previously noted , cable 16 is continuously rotated about its axis by tumbler apparatus 26 , and weeds or other plant growth are wrapped about the cable 16 and pulled by their roots . as is best shown in fig9 and 10 , a sheave 82 is rotatably mounted within an opening 84 which is formed at an elbow or bight 86 of the guide tube 24 . a pair of support brackets 88 are welded , at 90 , and rotatably mounted sheave 82 on an axle 92 . sheave 82 includes a series of spaced ribs 94 which form a series of spaced grooves 96 therebetween . tension in cable 16 causes the plant growth 80 wrapped therearound to be pressed into grooves 96 and provide a driving connection for rotating sheaves 82 about axle 92 . as a result , cable 16 is moved through the elbow or bight 86 without causing any jamming or excessive wear on guide tube 24 . fig1 - 14 show a tumbler apparatus 26 which is somewhat similar to that shown in my u . s . pat . no . 4 , 328 , 658 . capstan 18 is rotatably mounted upon a frame 100 , on an axle 102 and rotatably driven by a drive chain 103 connected to a gear box 104 and is balanced by a series of counterweights 106 . frame 100 is rotatably mounted in a bearing block 108 by a sleeve which is rotatably driven by a gear and chain 112 ( connected to a drive motor , not shown ) for rotating frame 100 and a gear and chain 113 ( connected to a drive motor , not shown ) for rotating a sleeve 110 , drive member 109 , gear box 104 and capstan 18 for imparting rotation to endless cable 16 about its axis . a similar drive mechanism is shown in my earlier u . s . pat . no . 4 , 328 , 658 . cable 16 has several loops thereof wrapped about capstan 18 , as is best shown in fig1 , and must be kept snug therewith to maintain a pulling action . as is best shown in fig1 and 14 , a friction drive roller 114 is rotatably driven by a hydraulic motor 116 and provides a pulling action for tightening the wrapped portion of endless cable 16 into driving contact with capstan 18 . cable 16 is maintained in driving relationship with drive roller 114 by a pulley 118 which is rotatably mounted upon a sliding frame 120 carried by a fluid motor 122 for moving frame 120 and pulley 118 to force cable 16 into driving contact with drive roller 114 . as can be seen in fig1 cable 16 and plant growth 80 exits from guide tube 24 around a second sheave 82a and enters a cutter mechanism 124 which includes a rotating blade 126 for stripping plant growth 80 from the cable 16 . chopped plant growth 128 moves through a chute 130 into a conventional harvester machine 132 and out through a harvester chute 134 . as is best shown in fig1 and 2 , harvester chute 134 may be pivotally mounted , at 136 , to reduce its overall height during nonuse and can be rotated to an outboard position by a motor 138 and rack 140 so that chopped plant growth 128 , which has been stripped from cable 16 by cutter blade 126 , can be loaded into an accompanying barge ( not shown ) maintained alongside and periodically driven to the shore and emptied . the port and starboard paddle wheels 48 , the stern paddle wheel 50 and the bow paddle wheel 52 are each pivotally mounted so as to be movable from their operating position , as is shown in fig1 to a stowed position when not being used to propel the boat 14 or when the boat is being moved over land , such as being transported on a truck . as is best shown in fig1 - 17 , a t - shaped mounting means , generally indicated by the numeral 150 , includes a leg 152 secured to a stem 154 which is pivotally mounted in spaced bearing blocks 156 secured to the platform or deck 158 of the buoyant hull 28 . a hydraulic drive motor 160 is fixedly secured to an end of leg 152 by a rigid mounting bracket 162 and rotates a drive plate 164 . as is best shown in fig1 , a motor driven winch 166 is mounted upon a gin pole 168 and includes a cable or line 170 which is attached to leg 152 . thus , winch 166 can raise or lower hydraulic motor 160 by rotating the stem 154 , of mounting means 150 , in the bearing blocks 156 . a shock absorber spring 172 is secured to gin pole 168 for engaging leg 152 when it is in the raised position . mounting means 150 also includes a locking beam 174 which is welded or otherwise securely fastened to leg 152 and is locked to deck 158 by a pair of locking straps 176 and levers 178 which are pivotally fastened to a pair of spaced holddown blocks 180 . details of the various paddle wheels and mounting thereof are shown in fig1 - 20 . in fig1 , hydraulic drive motor 160 is shown locked in its operative position extending outboard of the hull 28 . paddle wheel 48 includes a hub 182 and a mounting plate 184 which is assembled with and secured to the drive plate of motor 160 by a plurality of bolts 186 . paddle wheel 48 includes a circular inboard end member 188 and an outboard end member 190 and a plurality of paddles or vanes 192 which are fixedly secured to the end members and to the central hub 182 . a comparison of fig1 and 17 will show that paddle wheel 48 is moved axially to locate hydraulic drive motor 160 within the hub 182 so that mounting plate 184 can be secured to drive plate 164 with the bolts 186 . central hub 182 terminates at a frustoconical end portion 194 which is closed by a circular end closure plate 196 attached thereto by bolts 198 . it is preferable that a canopy or cover 200 be used to enclose the various paddle wheels for safety purposes . it will be understood that when the vanes 192 are rotated there is a tendency to pick up water and carry it upwardly with the vanes . this is particularly true when the boat 14 is riding low in the water because of flooding of the hollow compartments 30 . as is best shown in fig1 and 17 , the hub 182 is provided with a plurality of radial openings 202 which allow any water carried upwardly by the vanes 192 to cascade across hydraulic motor 160 to provide a cooling action thereto . vanes 192 are also provided with crescent shaped openings 204 in order to preclude water from being carried upwardly over the top and dumped in front of the paddle wheel 48 . thus , the radial openings 202 and crescent shaped openings 204 not only allow water to be vented but make use of such water to cool the motor 160 . water which is carried upwardly by the outboard vanes 192 cascades downwardly along the frustoconical end portion 194 of hub 182 and exits at the outboard end of paddle wheel 48 . paddle wheel 52 , at the bow of boat 14 , is smaller than the side paddle wheels 48 or stern paddle wheel 50 . as is shown in fig1 and 20 , paddle wheel 52 includes a plurality of paddles or vanes 210 which are welded or otherwise fixedly secured to a central hub . hub 212 is provided with a central mounting plate 214 so that paddle wheel 52 may be axially secured to motor 160 ( as is indicated by the directional arrow 216 connecting fig1 to fig1 ). hub 212 is provided with a series of radial openings 218 , and vanes 210 are provided with crescent shaped openings 220 for allowing water to cascade therethrough for cooling the drive motor 160 . water can also escape through openings 222 ( along arrows 224 ) which are formed in hub 212 outwardly of mounting plate 214 . finally , as will be seen in fig1 all of the power requirements for operating the various equipment can be supplied by an engine 226 , a fuel tank 228 , and a hydraulic pump 230 . all of the various necessary controls can be located adjacent to an operator &# 39 ; s chair 232 . from the foregoing , it will be seen that there has been disclosed a preferred embodiment of a weed or plant harvester which provides advantages not heretofore found in the prior art ; the spirit and scope of the invention is , however , not to be restricted by the detailed description of the preferred embodiment but only by the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claimed subject matter . | 1 |
the following description includes the best mode presently contemplated for practicing the invention . the description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention . the scope of the invention should be ascertained with reference to the issued claims . in the description of the invention that follows , like numerals or reference designators will be used to refer to like parts or elements throughout . as shown in fig1 , there is a stimulation device 10 in electrical communication with the heart 12 of a patient by way of three leads , 20 , 24 and 30 , suitable for delivering multi - chamber stimulation and shock therapy . to sense atrial cardiac signals and to provide right atrial chamber stimulation therapy , the stimulation device 10 is coupled to an implantable right atrial lead 20 having at least an atrial tip electrode 22 , which typically is implanted in the right atrial appendage and an atrial ring electrode 23 . to sense left atrial and ventricular cardiac signals and to provide left chamber pacing therapy , the stimulation device 10 is coupled to a “ coronary sinus ” lead 24 designed for placement in the “ coronary sinus region ” via the coronary sinus or for positioning a distal electrode adjacent to the left ventricle and / or additional electrode ( s ) adjacent to the left atrium . as used herein , the phrase “ coronary sinus region ” refers to the vasculature of the left ventricle , including any portion of the coronary sinus , great cardiac vein , left marginal vein , left posterior ventricular vein , middle cardiac vein , and / or small cardiac vein or any other cardiac vein accessible by the coronary sinus . accordingly , an exemplary coronary sinus lead 24 is designed to receive atrial and ventricular cardiac signals and to deliver left ventricular pacing therapy using at least a left ventricular tip electrode 26 , left atrial pacing therapy using at least a left atrial ring electrode 27 , and shocking therapy using at least a left atrial coil electrode 28 . the stimulation device 10 is also shown in electrical communication with the heart by way of an implantable right ventricular lead 30 having , in this embodiment , a right ventricular tip electrode 32 , a right ventricular ring electrode 34 , a right ventricular ( rv ) coil electrode 36 , and an svc coil electrode 38 . typically , the right ventricular lead 30 is transvenously inserted into the heart so as to place the right ventricular tip electrode 32 in the right ventricular apex so that the rv coil electrode is positioned in the right ventricle and the svc coil electrode 38 is positioned in the superior vena cava . accordingly , the right ventricular lead 30 is capable of receiving cardiac signals , and delivering stimulation in the form of pacing and shock therapy to the right ventricle . to provide a “ tickle warning ” signal , an additional electrode 31 is provided in proximity to the device can . as illustrated in fig2 , a simplified block diagram is shown of the multi - chamber implantable stimulation device 10 , which is capable of treating both fast and slow arrhythmias with stimulation therapy , including cardioversion , defibrillation , and pacing stimulation . while a particular multi - chamber device is shown , this is for illustration purposes only , and one of skill in the art could readily duplicate , eliminate or disable the appropriate circuitry in any desired combination to provide a device capable of treating the appropriate chamber ( s ) with cardioversion , defibrillation and pacing stimulation . the housing 40 for the stimulation device 10 , shown schematically in fig2 , is often referred to as the “ can ”, “ case ” or “ case electrode ” and may be programmably selected to act as the return electrode for all “ unipolar ” modes . the housing 40 may further be used as a return electrode alone or in combination with one or more of the coil electrodes , 28 , 36 and 38 , for shocking purposes . the housing 40 further includes a connector ( not shown ) having a plurality of terminals , 42 , 43 , 44 , 46 , 48 , 52 , 54 , 56 and 58 ( shown schematically and , for convenience , the names of the electrodes to which they are connected are shown next to the terminals ). as such , to achieve right atrial sensing and pacing , the connector includes at least a right atrial tip terminal ( a r tip ) 42 adapted for connection to the atrial tip electrode 22 and a right atrial ring ( a r ring ) electrode 43 adapted for connection to right atrial ring electrode 23 . to achieve left chamber sensing , pacing and shocking , the connector includes at least a left ventricular tip terminal ( v l tip ) 44 , a left atrial ring terminal ( a l ring ) 46 , and a left atrial shocking terminal ( a l coil ) 48 , which are adapted for connection to the left ventricular ring electrode 26 , the left atrial tip electrode 27 , and the left atrial coil electrode 28 , respectively . to support right chamber sensing , pacing and shocking , the connector further includes a right ventricular tip terminal ( v r tip ) 52 , a right ventricular ring terminal ( v r ring ) 54 , a right ventricular shocking terminal ( r v coil ) 56 , and an svc shocking terminal ( svc coil ) 58 , which are adapted for connection to the right ventricular tip electrode 32 , right ventricular ring electrode 34 , the rv coil electrode 36 , and the svc coil electrode 38 , respectively . to provide the “ tickle warning ” signal , an additional terminal 59 is provided for connection to the tickle warning electrode 31 of fig1 . at the core of the stimulation device 10 is a programmable microcontroller 60 , which controls the various modes of stimulation therapy . as is well known in the art , the microcontroller 60 ( also referred to herein as a control unit ) typically includes a microprocessor , or equivalent control circuitry , designed specifically for controlling the delivery of stimulation therapy and may further include ram or rom memory , logic and timing circuitry , state machine circuitry , and i / o circuitry . typically , the microcontroller 60 includes the ability to process or monitor input signals ( data ) as controlled by a program code stored in a designated block of memory . the details of the design and operation of the microcontroller 60 are not critical to the invention . rather , any suitable microcontroller 60 may be used that carries out the functions described herein . the use of microprocessor - based control circuits for performing timing and data analysis functions are well known in the art . as shown in fig2 , an atrial pulse generator 70 and a ventricular pulse generator 72 generate pacing stimulation pulses for delivery by the right atrial lead 20 , the right ventricular lead 30 , and / or the coronary sinus lead 24 via an electrode configuration switch 74 . it is understood that in order to provide stimulation therapy in each of the four chambers of the heart , the atrial and ventricular pulse generators , 70 and 72 , may include dedicated , independent pulse generators , multiplexed pulse generators or shared pulse generators . the pulse generators , 70 and 72 , are controlled by the microcontroller 60 via appropriate control signals , 76 and 78 , respectively , to trigger or inhibit the stimulation pulses . the microcontroller 60 further includes timing control circuitry 79 which is used to control the timing of such stimulation pulses ( e . g ., pacing rate , atrio - ventricular ( av ) delay , atrial interconduction ( a — a ) delay , or ventricular interconduction ( v — v ) delay , etc .) as well as to keep track of the timing of refractory periods , blanking intervals , noise detection windows , evoked response windows , alert intervals , marker channel timing , etc ., which is well known in the art . switch 74 includes a plurality of switches for connecting the desired electrodes to the appropriate i / o circuits , thereby providing complete electrode programmability . accordingly , the switch 74 , in response to a control signal 80 from the microcontroller 60 , determines the polarity of the stimulation pulses ( e . g ., unipolar , bipolar , combipolar , etc .) by selectively closing the appropriate combination of switches ( not shown ) as is known in the art . moreover , as the explained in greater detail below , the microcontroller transmits signals to controlling the switch to connect a different set of electrodes during a far - field overdrive pacing than during near - field overdrive pacing . atrial sensing circuits 82 and ventricular sensing circuits 84 may also be selectively coupled to the right atrial lead 20 , coronary sinus lead 24 , and the right ventricular lead 30 , through the switch 74 for detecting the presence of cardiac activity in each of the four chambers of the heart . accordingly , the atrial ( atr . sense ) and ventricular ( vtr . sense ) sensing circuits , 82 and 84 , may include dedicated sense amplifiers , multiplexed amplifiers or shared amplifiers . the switch 74 determines the “ sensing polarity ” of the cardiac signal by selectively closing the appropriate switches , as is also known in the art . in this way , the clinician may program the sensing polarity independent of the stimulation polarity . each sensing circuit , 82 and 84 , preferably employs one or more low power , precision amplifiers with programmable gain and / or automatic gain control , bandpass filtering , and a threshold detection circuit , as known in the art , to selectively sense the cardiac signal of interest . the automatic gain control enables the device 10 to deal effectively with the difficult problem of sensing the low amplitude signal characteristics of atrial or ventricular fibrillation . the outputs of the atrial and ventricular sensing circuits , 82 and 84 , are connected to the microcontroller 60 which , in turn , are able to trigger or inhibit the atrial and ventricular pulse generators , 70 and 72 , respectively , in a demand fashion in response to the absence or presence of cardiac activity in the appropriate chambers of the heart . for arrhythmia detection , the device 10 utilizes the atrial and ventricular sensing circuits , 82 and 84 , to sense cardiac signals to determine whether a rhythm is physiologic or pathologic . as used herein “ sensing ” is reserved for the noting of an electrical signal , and “ detection ” is the processing of these sensed signals and noting the presence of an arrhythmia . the timing intervals between sensed events ( e . g ., p - waves , r - waves , and depolarization signals associated with fibrillation which are sometimes referred to as “ f - waves ” or “ fib - waves ”) are then classified by the microcontroller 60 by comparing them to a predefined rate zone limit ( i . e ., bradycardia , normal , low rate vt , high rate vt , and fibrillation rate zones ) and various other characteristics ( e . g ., sudden onset , stability , physiologic sensors , and morphology , etc .) in order to determine the type of remedial therapy that is needed ( e . g ., bradycardia pacing , antitachycardia pacing , cardioversion shocks or defibrillation shocks ). cardiac signals are also applied to the inputs of an analog - to - digital ( a / d ) data acquisition system 90 . the data acquisition system 90 is configured to acquire intracardiac electrogram signals , convert the raw analog data into a digital signal , and store the digital signals for later processing and / or telemetric transmission to an external device 102 . the data acquisition system 90 is coupled to the right atrial lead 20 , the coronary sinus lead 24 , and the right ventricular lead 30 through the switch 74 to sample cardiac signals across any pair of desired electrodes . the microcontroller 60 is further coupled to a memory 94 by a suitable data / address bus 96 , wherein the programmable operating parameters used by the microcontroller 60 are stored and modified , as required , in order to customize the operation of the stimulation device 10 to suit the needs of a particular patient . such operating parameters define , for example , pacing pulse amplitude or magnitude , pulse duration , electrode polarity , rate , sensitivity , automatic features , arrhythmia detection criteria , and the amplitude , waveshape and vector of each shocking pulse to be delivered to the patient &# 39 ; s heart 12 within each respective tier of therapy . other pacing parameters include base rate , rest rate and circadian base rate . advantageously , the operating parameters of the implantable device 10 may be non - invasively programmed into the memory 94 through a telemetry circuit 100 in telemetric communication with the external device 102 , such as a programmer , transtelephonic transceiver or a diagnostic system analyzer . the telemetry circuit 100 is activated by the microcontroller by a control signal 106 . the telemetry circuit 100 advantageously allows intracardiac electrograms and status information relating to the operation of the device 10 ( as contained in the microcontroller 60 or memory 94 ) to be sent to the external device 102 through an established communication link 104 . in the preferred embodiment , the stimulation device 10 further includes a physiologic sensor 108 , commonly referred to as a “ rate - responsive ” sensor because it is typically used to adjust pacing stimulation rate according to the exercise state of the patient . however , the physiological sensor 108 may further be used to detect changes in cardiac output , changes in the physiological condition of the heart , or diurnal changes in activity ( e . g ., detecting sleep and wake states ). accordingly , the microcontroller 60 responds by adjusting the various pacing parameters ( such as rate , av delay , v — v delay , etc .) at which the atrial and ventricular pulse generators , 70 and 72 , generate stimulation pulses . while shown as being included within the stimulation device 10 , it is to be understood that the physiologic sensor 108 may also be external to the stimulation device 10 , yet still be implanted within or carried by the patient . the stimulation device additionally includes a battery 110 , which provides operating power to all of the circuits shown in fig2 . for the stimulation device 10 , which employs shocking therapy , the battery 110 must be capable of operating at low current drains for long periods of time , and then be capable of providing high - current pulses ( for capacitor charging ) when the patient requires a shock pulse . the battery 110 must also have a predictable discharge characteristic so that elective replacement time can be detected . accordingly , the device 10 preferably employs lithium / silver vanadium oxide batteries , as is true for most ( if not all ) current devices . as further shown in fig2 , the device 10 is shown as having an impedance measuring circuit 112 which is enabled by the microcontroller 60 via a control signal 114 . in the case where the stimulation device 10 is intended to operate as an implantable cardioverter / defibrillator ( icd ) device , it detects the occurrence of an arrhythmia and automatically applies an appropriate electrical shock therapy to the heart aimed at terminating the detected arrhythmia . to this end , the microcontroller 60 further controls a shocking circuit 116 by way of a control signal 118 . the shocking circuit 116 generates shocking pulses of low ( up to 0 . 5 joules ), moderate ( 0 . 5 – 10 joules ), or high energy ( 11 to 40 joules ), as controlled by the microcontroller 60 . such shocking pulses are applied to the heart 12 through at least two shocking electrodes , and as shown in this embodiment , selected from the left atrial coil electrode 28 , the rv coil electrode 36 , and / or the svc coil electrode 38 . as noted above , the housing 40 may act as an active electrode in combination with the rv electrode 36 , or as part of a split electrical vector using the svc coil electrode 38 or the left atrial coil electrode 28 ( i . e ., using the rv electrode as a common electrode ). cardioversion shocks are generally considered to be of low to moderate energy level ( so as to minimize pain felt by the patient ), and / or synchronized with an r - wave and / or pertaining to the treatment of tachycardia . defibrillation shocks are generally of moderate to high energy level ( i . e ., corresponding to thresholds in the range of 5 – 40 joules ), delivered asynchronously ( since r - waves may be too disorganized ), and pertaining exclusively to the treatment of fibrillation . accordingly , the microcontroller 60 is capable of controlling the synchronous or asynchronous delivery of the shocking pulses . finally , with regard to fig2 , microcontroller 60 includes a t - wave - based cardiac ischemia detection system 101 for controlling the detection of episodes of cardiac ischemia and a warning system 103 for controlling the delivery of warning signals to the patient . in particular , warning system 103 controls a tickle circuit 105 to generate a perceptible internal warning signal using tickle warning electrode 31 of fig1 . referring to the remaining figures , flow charts , graphs and other diagrams illustrate the operation and novel features of stimulation device 10 as configured in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the invention . in the flow charts , the various algorithmic steps are summarized in individual “ blocks ”. such blocks describe specific actions or decisions made or carried out as the algorithm proceeds . where a microcontroller ( or equivalent ) is employed , the flow charts provide the basis for a “ control program ” that may be used by such a microcontroller ( or equivalent ) to effectuate the desired control of the stimulation device . those skilled in the art may readily write such a control program based on the flow charts and other descriptions presented herein . fig3 illustrates pertinent components of t - wave - based cardiac ischemia detection system 101 of the microcontroller or fig2 . briefly , the system operates to detect t - waves within iegm signals and then to detect the onset of an episode of cardiac ischemia based on an analysis of total energies and maximum slopes of the t - waves . to this end , detection system 101 includes both a t - wave detection controller 150 for coordinating components that identify t - waves within iegm signals and a cardiac ischemia detection controller 152 for coordinating components that analyze the t - waves to detect the onset of ischemia . t - waves are detected using both an atrial bipolar signal processing unit 154 and a unipolar signal processing unit 156 . atrial events ( i . e . p - waves ) detected with the bipolar signals are then eliminated from the unipolar signals using an atrial event rejection unit 157 . by eliminating atrial events from the unipolar signals , the unipolar signals thereby include only ventricular events , i . e . t - waves and r - waves . a t - wave / r - wave peak detection unit 158 examines the filtered unipolar signals to identify the peaks of t - waves and r - waves . a t - wave window calculation unit 160 specifies a t - wave location window based upon either the t - wave peak or the preceding r - wave peak . once a t - wave window has been specified , a t - wave energy integration unit 162 calculates the energy associated with the t - wave while a t - wave slope determination unit 164 determines its maximum slope . detection of the onset of the cardiac ischemia depends , in part , on whether each t - wave was a result of a sinus beat or a paced beat . accordingly , both a sinus beat processing unit 166 and a paced beat processing unit 168 are provided . note that , depending upon the implementation , not all of the components shown in fig3 need be implemented as portions of the microcontroller . rather , some or all of the components may be implemented as stand - alone devices within the overall implantable device or may be integrated with other device components . hence , the invention is not limited to being implemented as shown in the figure . fig4 provides an overview of the cardiac ischemia detection technique performed by the ischemia detection system of fig3 . initially , at step 200 , iegm signals are received and t - waves are detected under the control of the t - wave detection controller . then , t - wave energy and maximum slope are determined , at step 202 , using the energy integration unit and slope determination unit . at step 204 , the onset of a cardiac ischemia is detected based upon the t - wave energy and maximum slope using the paced beat and sensed beat processing units . so long as no ischemia is detected , steps 200 – 204 are merely repeated . if ischemia is detected , however , the patient is warned of the ischemia by application of an internal perceptible “ tickle ” notification signal , at step 206 . if the device is configured to generate warning signals for other arrhythmias , such as atrial fibrillation , the device preferably employs different notification signal frequencies for the different warnings so that the patient can properly distinguish between different warnings . in addition , warning signals may be transmitted using a short - range telemetry system to a handheld warning device using techniques described within the above - referenced patent application to wang et al . thus , the technique exploits both the total energies of individual t - waves and the maximum slopes of t - waves to detect cardiac ischemia . the effect of cardiac ischemia on both t - wave energy and t - wave maximum slope is illustrated in fig5 , which shows various conventional iegm and surface ekg signal traces obtained from a canine test subject during normal sinus rhythm and during an episode of artificially - induced cardiac ischemia . more specifically , graph 300 illustrates various surface ekg signals during a normal sinus rhythm and graph 302 illustrates corresponding iegm signals also during normal sinus rhythm . graph 304 illustrates surface ekg signals during an artificially induced cardiac ischemia , generated by inflating a balloon within an artery leading to heart tissue . graph 306 illustrates corresponding iegm signals also during the artificially induced episode of cardiac ischemia . as can be seen , t - waves 308 during cardiac ischemia are much larger than t - waves 310 during normal sinus rhythm . since t - waves are considerably larger during cardiac ischemia , the total energy within the t - waves ( i . e . the integral or sum of the individual amplitude values of the signal during the t - wave ) is considerably greater during cardiac ischemia then during a normal sinus rhythm . hence , total t - wave energy provides a reliable indicator of cardiac ischemia . in addition , the maximum slope of each t - wave is considerably steeper during the episode of cardiac ischemia . compare , for example , slope 312 of graph 306 against slope 314 of graph 302 . detection of a sharp maximum t - wave slope thereby helps confirm the detection of cardiac ischemia made based upon the t - wave energy . alternatively , the maximum t - wave slope can be used as an independent indicator of cardiac ischemia , but it is believed to be more reliable when used in combination with total t - wave energy . fig6 provides a side - by - side comparison of a right ventricular ring iegm for a single hear heart beat for normal sinus rhythm and for cardiac ischemia , again obtained from a canine test subject . more specifically , solid line 314 illustrates the heart beat during normal sinus rhythm ( i . e . baseline ) whereas dashed line 312 illustrates the heart beat obtained five minutes after artificial occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery ( lad ). in the figures , reference numeral 316 identifies a t - wave window , centered at each t - wave peak , in which the total energy and maximum slope is actually calculated . the t - wave window ( tw ) is 60 milliseconds ( ms ) in both cases . the integral of t - wave energy within the window was determined to be 364 □ v - seconds during the ischemia but only 124 □ v - seconds during normal sinus rhythm . max dv / dt during ischemia was determined to be − 0 . 22 v / second but only − 0 . 08 v / second during normal sinus rhythm . note that maximum dv / dt here refers to the maximum positive or maximum negative slope , whichever is larger in magnitude . referring now to fig7 – 9 , the detection of t - waves of step 200 of fig4 will now be described in greater detail . simultaneously , at steps 400 and 402 , atrial near - field signals are received using a bipolar lead mounted within the atria and far - field signals are received via unipolar sensing derived from a lead mounted anywhere in the heart . in one example , the far - field channel is derived via unipolar sensing from a lead mounted in the ventricles ( either from a ventricular unipolar lead or from a ventricular bipolar lead used in unipolar configuration ). in another example , the far - field channel is derived from an atrial bipolar lead used in unipolar configuration . in other words , in that example , two channels are derived from the single atrial bipolar lead — a near - field channel derived by using the lead in bipolar configuration ( i . e . tip to ring sensing ) and a far - field channel by using the lead in unipolar configuration ( i . e . ring to case sensing .) in any case , the atrial near - field channel is derived by detecting a voltage difference between a pair of electrodes within the atria ; whereas the far - field channel is derived by detecting a voltage difference between an electrode and the device can . the bipolar lead provides a small antenna for detecting electrical signals and is well suited to sensing near - field signals arising within the atria . the large antenna provided via unipolar sensing is well suited for detecting any cardiac electrical cardiac signals , including r - waves and t - waves arising in the ventricles and p - waves arising in atria . this is illustrated within fig8 . a graph 408 illustrates surface ekg signals and graph 409 illustrates corresponding atrial bipolar iegm signals . as can be seen , the bipolar signals contain primarily only p - waves 410 . graph 412 illustrates surface ekg signals and graph 413 illustrates corresponding unipolar channel signals derived from an atrial bipolar lead in a unipolar sensing mode . as can be seen , the unipolar channel signals include r - waves 414 and t - waves 416 as well as p - waves 410 . the presence of the p - waves makes it difficult to distinguish between p - waves and r - waves so that the t - waves may be reliably detected . returning to fig7 , at step 404 , the atrial near - field channel signals are examined to detect p - waves therein . the detected p - waves are then used to eliminate or filter p - waves from the far - field unipolar channel signals , at step 406 . this is illustrated in fig9 and 10 . fig9 illustrates an atrial bipolar sensing channel along with an atrial unipolar sensing channel derived from the same atrial bipolar lead but operating in a unipolar mode . fig1 illustrates the same atrial bipolar sensing channel along with a ventricular unipolar sensing channel derived from a unipolar lead mounted in the ventricles ( or from some other ventricular lead operating in a unipolar mode .) referring first to fig9 , for each p - wave 410 detected within the atrial bipolar signals , an atrial blanking window 418 is applied to the atrial unipolar channel signals . during the blanking window , signals sensed on the atrial unipolar channel are ignored . as a result , only r - waves 414 and t - waves 416 are detected . the r - waves then can be easily distinguished from the t - waves based upon shape and amplitude . referring next to fig1 , for each p - wave 410 detected within the atrial bipolar signals , an atrial blanking window 432 is applied to the ventricular unipolar channel signals so that signals sensed on the ventricular unipolar channel are ignored . as a result , again , only r - waves 414 and t - waves 416 are detected and the r - waves then can be easily distinguished from the t - waves based upon shape and amplitude . returning to fig7 , the system then detects the peaks of the r - waves and the t - waves within the remaining far - field channel signals , at step 420 . for each beat , a t - wave window is calculated , at step 422 , based upon either the detected peak of the t - wave or the detected peak of the r - wave . in one example , the device is programmed to specify the t - wave window as commencing 150 milliseconds ( ms ) prior to the t - wave peak and concluding 150 ms after the t - wave peak . the starting and ending points of the t - wave window are referred to , herein , as t start and t end , respectively . alternatively , the t - wave window is specified as commencing 80 ms after the r - wave peak and terminating 480 ms after the r - wave peak . preferably , the device is preprogrammed to calculate the t - wave window based on either the t - wave peak or the r - wave peak , but not both . alternatively , the device may be programmed to utilize the t - wave peak so long as t - waves can be clearly identified and to use the r - wave peak otherwise . thus , for example , if the amplitudes of the t - waves are relatively low and their peaks cannot be reliably identified , the t - wave window is instead calculated based upon the r - wave peak . other techniques for specifying the t - wave window may also be employed . for example , the t - wave window may be programmable by the physician via the external programmer . the t - wave window may also be automatically specified based on heart rate or st interval . in any case , an exemplary t - wave window 424 applied to the atrial unipolar channel is illustrated within fig9 and an exemplary t - wave window 434 applied to the ventricular unipolar channel is illustrated within fig1 . note that the t - wave windows are not blanking windows during which signals are completely ignored . rather , the t - wave windows specify periods of time in which the unipolar signals are integrated to determine total t - wave energy and during which time derivatives are calculated to determine t - wave slope . having determined the t - wave window , processing returns to fig4 . as noted , the improved t - wave detection technique is not limited for use with ischemia detection but may also be used for any other suitable purpose wherein reliable t - wave detection is required , such as in the detection of svts and pvcs . referring now to fig1 , the determination of the t - wave energy and maximum slope performed at step 202 of fig4 will now be described in greater detail . at step 500 , the total energy of the latest t - wave is calculated based upon the start and stop times of the t - wave window using the following equation : e t - wave = ∑ n = tstart tend s ( n ) wherein s ( n ) is a digitized version of the cardiac signal and n represents individual samples of a digitized version of an iegm signal . only summation is required since the sampling rate is assumed to be fixed . if the sampling rate is not fixed , otherwise conventional signal integration techniques may be used to obtain the t - wave signal energy . in one example , s ( n ) is a digitized version of the unipolar ventricular signal filtered using a 0 . 5 hz to 40 hz preamplifier . in other examples , techniques are employed to first emulate a surface ekg based upon iegm signals , preferably configured to emulate surface leads i , ii and v2 . the emulated surface ekg is digitized and used as s ( n ). one technique for emulating a surface ekg using internal electrical signals that allows individual surface ekg lead signals to be individually emulated is described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 334 , 741 to kroll et al ., entitled “ system and method for emulating a surface ekg using implantable cardiac stimulation device ”, filed dec . 30 , 2002 , which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is incorporated by reference herein . the maximum slope of the t - wave ( i . e . max dv / dt ) is then calculated , at step 502 , using the following equation : i . e . the device calculates the slope at each sample point within the t - wave window by 1 ) calculating a numerical difference between a pair of adjacent samples at that point ; 2 ) taking absolute values of those differences ; and 3 ) then identifying the maximum of the absolute values . other techniques may be employed as well . in addition , a maximum positive slope and a maximum negative slope may be separately calculated . in any case , processing again the returns to fig4 . referring now to fig1 , the detection of cardiac ischemia based upon t - wave energy and maximum slope performed at step 204 of fig4 will now be described . as already noted , the detection of ischemia depends , in part , upon whether the latest t - wave is the result of the paced ventricular beat or a sinus ventricular beat . an indication of whether the ventricular beat is paced or not is provided by other components of the microcontroller . if “ sinus ” then , at step 600 , the ischemia detection system first determines whether the t - wave was the result of an ectopic beat and , if so , the t - wave is ignored . to identify ectopic beats , otherwise conventional morphology - based techniques or svt discrimination techniques can be used . other suitable techniques can be used as well for detecting ectopic beats such as those described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 081 , 747 to levine , et al ., which is incorporated by reference herein . then , at step 601 , the detection system normalizes the t - wave energy value ( assuming it is not the result of an ectopic beat ) based upon the amplitude of the preceding r - wave peak . at step 602 , a running average of t - wave energies of all non - ectopic sinus beats is updated ( e averagesinus ). by normalizing the t - wave energy value , any differences in t - wave energy arising solely from different intrinsic depolarization signal voltages are thereby eliminated . if “ paced ”, then , at step 603 , the detection system first determines whether the t - wave was the result of a fused beat and , if so , the t - wave is ignored . to detect fusion , a paced depolarization integral ( pdi ) value ( or other measure of the evoked response ) may be calculated within an evoked response window then compared against acceptable bounds . if the pdi is outside acceptable bounds , then either the paced beat was not captured or fusion occurred . with this technique , a wider than normal evoked response detection window is preferably employed . the size of the window and the acceptable bounds may be determined via routine testing . other suitable techniques can be used for detecting fusion as well such as those described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 456 , 881 to bornzin , et al ., which is incorporated by reference herein . then , at step 604 , the detection system then normalizes the t - wave energy value ( assuming the t - wave is not ignored ) based again on some measure of the evoked response , such as pdi , or on a maximum of the derivative of the evoked response ( dmax ). pdi is discussed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 643 , 327 to dawson , et al ., which is also incorporated herein by reference . note that , if the paced beat is not captured , its energy is zero and it is also ignored . at 605 , a running average of the normalized t - wave energy for non - fused paced beats is updated ( e averagepaced ). the corresponding running average is based on some fixed number of previous t - waves , such as the two hundred t - waves . at step 606 , a running average of the maximum slope is updated ( e averagemaxslope ). then , at step 608 , differences are calculated between the latest value for the t - wave energy and its corresponding running average and between the latest value of the maximum slope and its corresponding running average . at step 610 , the calculated differences are compared against predetermined threshold values ( t pacedbeatenergy , t sinusbeatenergy , t maxslope ) to identify the onset of an episode of cardiac ischemia and to subsequently identify the termination of the episode . for example , the following logic may be used to detect the onset of an episode of ischemia : the following logic may be used to detect the termination of an episode of ischemia : preferably , though , the determination of whether an episode of ischemia has commenced is not based on a single instance of one of the thresholds being exceeded , but is based on some predetermined number of beats for which one or more thresholds is exceeded . a state machine may be employed to implement logic for determining when to enter and when to exit an ischemia alarm state based on some predetermined number of beats for which some combination of thresholds are exceeded . details of such as state machine may be found in the wang et al . patent application referenced above . in addition , although described with reference to an example wherein the device examines either t - wave energy or maximum t - wave slope or both , other combinations of features may be exploited . for example , the device may calculate a product of t - wave energy and maximum t - wave slope , which is then compared against suitable thresholds . alternatively , the average of the slope of the t - wave may instead be exploited . additionally , or in the alternative , the slope of the st - segment may be used as a basis for detecting the onset of cardiac ischemia , as it has been found that the slope of the st - segment is generally elevated during ischemia . accordingly , either maximum or average slope of the st - segment ( or of a period of time including both the st - segment and the t - wave ) may be examined for the purposes of detecting ischemia . in general , a wide variety of techniques can be implemented consistent with the principles the invention and no attempt is made herein to describe all possible techniques . although described primarily with reference to an example wherein the implanted device is a defibrillation / pacer , principles of the invention are applicable to other implantable medical devices as well . the various functional components of the exemplary systems may be implemented using any appropriate technology including , for example , microprocessors running software programs or application specific integrated circuits ( asics ) executing hard - wired logic operations . the exemplary embodiments of the invention described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention . | 0 |
fig1 shows an electrostatic chuck 8 in a metal housing 12 , mounted on a reactor chamber wall 29 . the chuck 8 has multiple small electrode segments as illustrated in fig3 and 4 . the chuck segments a , b , comprise two thin ceramic plates 22 ( the upper plate ) and 24 ( the lower plate ) of suitable refractory dielectric . these two ceramic plates 22 and 24 are separated by , and attached to , a chuck element metal plate 23 . each metal plate 23 has a metal stud 20 attached , so that it can be placed at whatever potential is required , without regard to other chuck elements . each stud 20 is electrically isolated from the chuck metal base 12 by a dielectric isolator sleeve 21 . each metal plate 23 is further electrically isolated from its environment by the ceramic separators 25 , which also serve as a mechanical spacer as hereinafter explained . the chuck metal base 12 is made of a suitable metal and has a circular opening 26 drilled at its center and has a smooth ( preferably flat ) sealing surface 30 . the base opening 26 can be used either to allow backside gas to reach the area between the semiconducting wafer 10 being held and the chuck segments a , b , or to allow observation of the backside of the wafer 10 by a pyrometer ( not shown ). the metal base is made vacuum tight by welding 11 a metal plate 4 onto it . the metal base 12 and plate 4 can in turn can be bolted 27 to a reactor 29 with a vacuum - tight gasket 28 . attached to the center of the lower surface of the metal base 4 is a heater / cooler assembly 15 used either to heat the base 12 to a high temperature or cool it , depending on whether the objective is to heat or cool the wafer 10 . the metal base 4 has multiple vacuum - tight electrical feedthroughs 18 , each connected to either a positive high voltage 14 + or a negative high voltage 14 - power supply so that it can , in turn , be applied to the electrodes 23 of the electrostatic chuck . in addition , there may be a gas inlet or backside gas port 16 welded 13 into the base 4 that can be used to introduce low pressure gas between the wafer and the chuck surface . the pressure in this region has to be kept low ( approximately equal to 10 - 20 torr ), because this is a pressure high enough to give good thermal contact , while not introducing excessive gas leakage into the reactor chamber through the wafer / chuck sealing surface 30 . for those applications where backside gas is undesirable , the backside gas port 16 will be replaced with an optical window transparent to infrared . in this case , observation of the back surface of the wafer 10 being held will allow an accurate determination of its temperature . the conventional mode of operation of an electrostatic chuck 8 involves placing a wafer 10 ( fig1 ) on its surface and then applying a voltage or voltages to the entire upper dielectric surface at one time . such a procedure is appropriate when the wafer being held is ideally perfectly flat . in reality semiconductor wafers are generally warped in irregular surface contours , especially after many high temperature processing steps . with the present design , it is possible to activate selectively any pair of chuck segments a , b serving as electrodes in whatever sequence is deemed appropriate to force a wafer into a flat contour on the chuck 8 . since the wafer surface is one plate of a capacitor structure , it is possible to electrically sense the local capacitance and thereby measure the gap between the wafer and the top surface of the chuck . in other words , the wafer surface shape can be mapped automatically using the electrodes as sensors as soon as a wafer is placed on the chuck according to the invention . knowing which portions of the wafer are at the greatest separation from the chuck surface , those chuck elements can thereupon be activated selectively to initially flatten the most distorted part of the wafer first . as soon as the wafer is flattened , all of the electrode segments are thereafter activated , the potential on the initially - activated electrodes can be reduced and the entire wafer secured to the chuck surface . by this technique , an initially warped wafer is held with only the potential needed for a normally flat wafer . if the wafer were only able to be held with one uniform voltage , there would be excessive potential at the parts of the wafer that were already in contact with the chuck surface . the initial points of contact of a wafer with the chuck are candidates for undesired voltage breakdown , which could damage the wafer and the chuck . fig2 is a side view of a second alternative electrostatic chuck design showing metal plate / stud combinations 23 attached with a vacuum tight process ( i . e ., brazing ) to a monolithic ceramic base 6 . a thin ceramic plate 22 is placed over the electrode 23 to complete the electrostatic chuck . pulling the wafer 10 flat against this ceramic surface provides a reasonable , but generally imperfect , substantially smooth gas seal at the supporting surface 30 . backside gas is introduced through a hole 26 from a tube 16 that also has to be brazed to the ceramic base . in this design , the heater / cooler 15 is attached to the backside of the large ceramic part 6 , and it is secured to the reactor wall 29 with clamps 7 and bolts 27 and vacuum integrity is established by using either a metal or elastomer &# 34 ; o &# 34 ; ring 28 . as before , high voltage is applied to each electrode 23 with power supplies 14 - and 14 +. fig3 a plan view of the electrostatic chuck of fig1 and 2 , shows how the several small chuck segments a , b fit together to make the necessary large circular holding surface . segments type a form an inner ring and segments type b form an outer ring . any interlocking shape may be used . after assembly , the connecting studs 20 are preferably set at alternating polarities of equal potential ( or at least at different potentials ). in this way , each segment is surrounded by other segments of opposite polarity establishing a form of a bipolar chuck . the details of how , an individual segment is assembled are shown in fig4 a - 4d . it should be noted that , although parts 24 and 25 are shown as separate pieces , they may be fabricated out of a single piece of dielectric . one of many difficulties in fabricating a large diameter electrostatic chuck out of high - quality single crystal dielectric ( such as sapphire ), is the expense of such material . for example , recent prices have suggested that a 100 mm diameter sapphire wafer of 0 . 6 mm thickness costs about $ 100 , while a comparable 150 mm diameter wafer costs $ 800 . larger wafers are even more costly and of limited availability . by employing , instead , small dielectric segments reassembled into a shape comparable to a large diameter workpiece , inexpensive and readily available wafers can be employed to fabricate the chuck . in fig3 the ceramic separators 25 are placed to isolate the different metal plates 23 from one another . as noted earlier regarding the anisotropic nature of sapphire , if both dielectric plates are sapphire , then they should be either matched pieces of &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; plane anisotropic material or pieces of &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; plane isotropic material . the major difficulty in fabricating the electrode assembly , as shown in fig4 a , lies in differences in thermal expansion between metal and dielectric when carrying out high temperature joining techniques , such as vacuum brazing . the preferred materials for the present construction are niobium and sapphire , since they have very similar thermal expansion coefficients . titanium and its alloys may also be used with sapphire , and kovar may be used with quartz . there are two approaches to assembling the thin top ceramic plate 22 , the chuck element metal plate 23 and the bottom ceramic plate 24 . in the preferred embodiment , the elements are brazed together in a single - step , high temperature vacuum braze using a suitable active braze alloy , such as wesco cusin - 1 - aba to attach sapphire to niobium . the braze is accomplished at 840 ° c . a second approach is to use conventional commercially - available platinum paste . this approach was described in yoshimura and bowen , &# 34 ; electrical breakdown strength of alumina at high temperature ,&# 34 ; journal of the american ceramic society , vol . 64 , p . 404 ( 1981 ). in this case , platinum is initially sputtered onto the sapphire parts to promote adhesion . after a thin layer of platinum paste is spread on the sapphire parts , the sapphire and niobium are assembled and fired in air at a temperature of about 900 ° c . another difficulty in assembling this electrostatic chuck is making sure that the top of the chuck elements are flush with the sealing surface 30 . at the same time , we want to assure that the thickness of the thin top ceramic plate is maintained accurately at some appropriately small value , such as 0 . 010 inches . both objectives can be accomplished by machining the chuck metal base 12 of fig1 or grinding the ceramic base 6 of fig2 in such a way that the recess below the sealing surface 30 is precisely equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the bottom ceramic plate 24 plus the chuck element metal plate 23 plus 0 . 010 inches . then the chuck elements are assembled with overly - thick top ceramic plates 22 . after assembly , the ceramic top surface is ground down to the level of the sealing surface 30 , leaving an accurate flat 0 . 010 inches thick top ceramic plate 22 that is flush with the sealing surface 30 . the final difficulty in fabricating an electrostatic chuck suitable for use in high temperature and ultra high vacuum reactors is preventing any vapor ( no matter how little ) from the braze alloy 2 as shown in fig5 typically silver or copper , from appearing in the reactor chamber . after the two ceramic plates and 24 are brazed to the metal plate 23 with spacer 25 , there may still be a gap open 3 for braze alloy vapor to escape into the reactor . since it will be impossible to achieve a vacuum tight fit between elements 25 and elements 22 , 24 , one way to prevent such deleterious exposure would be to coat the electrostatic chuck with al 2 o 3 by chemical vapor deposition techniques . for some situations this may be adequate . however , such deposition techniques are notorious for not coating intricate crevices uniformly . therefore , a sequential surface chemical reaction deposition technique is used , as described for example by higashi , et al ., to very uniformly coat with dielectric in extremely thin layers and thereby seal any spaces that may communicate between the braze alloy and the chamber interior . the design of the electrostatic chuck outlined above has been fabricated and operated successfully in a vacuum chamber at 500 ° c . a holding force of 20 torr at an applied dc voltage of + 1000 v and - 1000 v between adjacent chuck segments was observed . such a holding force is sufficient to allow a 5 - 10 torr backside gas , and thereby provide excellent thermal accommodation between the wafer and the chuck surface . fig6 is a plan view of an embodiment of a holder 50 . the holder is described in a semiconductor international article &# 34 ; sapphire electrostatic end effectors for vacuum wafer handlers &# 34 ; ( july 1997 ) which is incorporated herein by reference . the holder 50 is thin and sufficiently rigid to hold an electrostatic paddle 62 as shown in fig7 in a high temperature environment such as 400 - 500 ° c . the holder 50 must be thin enough to slip between two semiconductor wafers in a cassette ( not shown ). one suitable material for high temperature holder 50 is a ceramic such as alumina or quartz . other suitable materials are metals such as niobium or titanium . as shown in fig6 in the preferred embodiment , the holder 50 includes a recess 58 defined by an outer rim 59 for positioning the paddle 62 . the paddle 62 can be attached to the holder 50 by a high temperature vacuum braze using a brazing alloy such as silver , so that the paddle 62 remains in the holder 50 if inverted . the holder 50 includes holes 52 , 53 to permit connections to the high voltage studs 60 , 61 as shown in fig7 and 9 . the holder 50 also includes a clamp adapter 56 and set of clamp slots 54 to permit the holder 50 to be attached to a wafer transfer mechanism ( not shown ) in a semiconductor processing reactor ( not shown ). fig7 is a plan view of an embodiment of the electrostatic paddle 62 . the paddle 62 is a long narrow structure to allow the clamping of a large diameter silicon wafer ( not shown ) such as an eight - inch wafer to be held during rapid movement . the width of the paddle 62 should be narrow to allow the paddle 62 to slip within the wafer cassette openings ( not shown ). in a preferred embodiment , the paddle 62 shape matches the recess 58 shown in fig6 . in an alternative embodiment , the paddle 62 can be attached to the holder 50 without a recess 58 . as shown in fig7 the outlines of two long narrow conductors 65 , 66 are indicated by the dotted lines within the outer edge of the paddle 62 . the paddle 62 includes studs 60 , 61 that permit positive and negative high voltages as discussed earlier to be applied to the conductors 65 , 66 , respectively . fig8 is a cross - sectional view of the electrostatic paddle 62 within the holder 50 along line a -- a in fig7 . the paddle 62 includes a bottom sapphire plate 70 , a top sapphire plate 68 , a sapphire frame 64 , and two conductors 65 , 66 , which are all brazed together as earlier discussed . the entire brazed assembly , paddle 62 , rests within the recess 58 in the holder 50 . the total thickness of the paddle 62 may be about 1 / 10 inch for wafer cassette handling as discussed earlier . fig9 is a cross - sectional view of the electrostatic paddle 62 within the holder 50 along line b -- b in fig7 . the paddle 62 illustrates a cross - section through the holes 52 , 53 and through the studs 60 and 61 of the two conductors 65 , 66 . again , a cross - sectional view is provided through the bottom sapphire plate 70 , the top sapphire plate 68 , the sapphire frame 64 , and the two conductors 65 , 66 . fig1 is a top plan view of a fork style electrostatic end effector . this is an alternative embodiment to the paddle style end effector illustrated in fig6 - 9 and is discussed in the semiconductor international article &# 34 ; sapphire electrostatic end effectors for vacuum wafer handlers &# 34 ; ( july 1997 ), which is incorporated herein by reference . in general , an end effector is the part of a robot arm that supports a semiconductor wafer as it is being moved by the robot . in some instances , the method of removing the wafer from the robot involves placing the wafer on a set of three pins arranged to fit close to the wafer outer radius . for this situation , the end effector has to be narrow enough to clear these pins when placing the wafer on them . the paddle style end effector illustrated in fig6 - 9 is intended to be used in this application . in other instances , the method of removing the wafer from the robot involves placing the wafer on a set of three pins arranged to fit within a radius much smaller than the wafer radius . when this is the preferred arrangement , a fork style end effector with an open space 108 shown in fig1 is required and the paddle style end effector cannot be used . the fork style end effector 100 is thin and sufficiently rigid to hold individual electro static buttons b , c , d and e shown in fig1 in a high temperature environment such as 400 - 500 ° c . the electrostatic buttons b , c , d , and e may be circular as depicted or any other shape suitable for manufacturing such as discussed earlier . the fork style end effector 100 must be thin enough to slip between two semiconductor wafers in a cassette ( not shown ). for example , a typical fork style end effector might need to be as thin as 0 . 120 inches for 300 mm wafers and 0 . 090 inches for 200 mm wafers . one suitable material for the fork style end effector holder 100 is a ceramic such as alumina or quartz . other suitable materials are metals such as aluminum , stainless steel , niobium or titanium . as shown in fig1 , in the preferred embodiment , the fork style end effector 100 includes multiple recesses 106 within which to place the individual electrostatic buttons b , c , d and e . the individual electrostatic buttons b , c , d , and e are constructed in a manner identical to fig4 and 5 and can be seen more clearly in cross - section in fig1 . as is illustrated in fig1 and 11 , the effector 100 includes conductors 130 , 132 in grooves 112 to allow electrical contact to each electrostatic button . also , the depth of each recess 106 is equal to the thickness of the electrostatic buttons , so the top surface of the assembly shown in fig1 is flush . the placement of a typical semiconductor wafer 110 on the effector 100 is also shown . fig1 is a bottom plan view of a fork style end effector 100 . since the electrostatic buttons b , c , d and e are all electrically isolated , they must be electrically connected to form the electrostatic clamp . a bipolar electrostatic clamp with equal and opposite high voltages can be achieved by conductor 130 connecting buttons b and c together and then to a terminal 104 , and then conductor 132 connecting buttons d and e together to a terminal 102 . application of positive and negative high voltages to terminals 102 and 104 activates the electrostatic clamping action . for the fork style end effector 100 shown in fig1 - 12 , the electrical connections to the electrostatic buttons b , c , d , and e must be within the thickness limitations of the effector 100 , since they lie inside the wafer diameter 110 as shown in fig1 . therefore , it is preferable to machine grooves 112 into the bottom of the effector 100 to allow the electrical connections to be made . these grooves 112 extend to the terminals 102 and 104 , which are outside the wafer diameter . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of the electrostatic buttons within the effector along line a -- a in fig1 . in order to maintain the overall thickness of the assembly small enough to allow it to slip between two wafers in a cassette , the studs 114 on each electrostatic button must be short enough to allow any wire attachment to fit within the passages 118 . the wire can be attached to each stud by brazing , by welding or by a screw which holds the wire and is threaded into the stud . the studs are preferably niobium . note that the studs shown in fig1 are much shorter than the studs 60 and 61 in fig9 since the studs for the paddle style end effector can be outside the wafer diameter . it will be apparent from the preceding that the present invention significantly advances the state of the art in devices for securing wafers in a low pressure environment . in particular , by means of its construction the chuck according to the invention can securely hold a wafer at higher temperatures than was previously possible , and it will do so with extremely inert and high purity materials ( i . e . sapphire ) at a reasonable cost . in addition , it will allow for the more effective flattening and holding of initially warped wafers . while the invention has been shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in the form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . | 7 |
the following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention . various modifications , however , will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art since the general principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a novel drug delivery system as exemplified by an antisense anti - tumor drug based on poly - l - malic acid . the attractive properties of pmla as a carrier matrix or molecular transport vehicle for pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals are the following : it is non - toxic and non - immunogenic ; its hydrophobicity can be controlled by introducing hydrophobic side chains or spacers [ 30 ]; it is biodegradable [ 31 ]; and it is stable in bloodstream . for targeting antisense oligos to a specific organ or compartment , targeting entities such as tumor - specific antibodies that favor receptor - mediated endocytosis can be conjugated to the pmla polymer . ideally , the system includes a releasing system for releasing the drug from the molecular transport vehicle ; possible releasing systems include : a ) a disulfide bond cleavable by the intracellular glutathione , b ) a ph - sensitive hydrazone bond , c ) a tetrapeptide cleaved by lysosomal cathepsin b , which activity is elevated in various tumors ( or other pepidases ); d ) an intrinsic release function from endosome [ 32 , 33 ]; and e ) other labile or cleavable bonds such as ester linkages . most importantly , inhibitors of multiple molecular targets can be easily attached to one pmla molecule . pmla from the natural source , plasmodia of physarum polycephalum [ 27 and references therein ], was the starting material for the synthesis of the drug delivery vehicle described in the present patent application . the methods of chemical syntheses employed here are from the general fundus of methods in synthetic chemistry , and have been described in other systems , not related to the polymalic acid - based system described here . most of these methods had to be adapted to the present situation , in particular to the properties of educts during the progress of the chemical construction of the carrier system , and with regard to the methods of purification of products . to achieve a successful derivatization with a predictable and reproducible stoichiometry of the functional moieties conjugated to the polymalic acid scaffold , the sequence of the reactions with the scaffold had to be established and organized in such a way , that an uncontrolled reaction was impossible . the validity of products has been achieved and the purity controlled by in situ analysis during the stepwise synthesis , including qualitative and quantitative chemical assays , high performance liquid chromatography ( hplc ), thin layer chromatography ( tlc ), and ultraviolet / visible / ir light spectroscopic analyses as well as nmr - spectroscopic methods . the membrane disruption properties of the fully assembled drug vehicle and also of the intermediates of its synthesis was assessed by a routine , empirical hemolytic membrane assay [ see 51 ]. the references of standard synthesis methods underlying the development of the methods used here are in particular : activation of pmlah - carboxylic groups as n - hydroxysuccinimide ( nhs ) esters in analogy to the method of [ 69 ]. coupling of the ( 2 - pyridyldithio ) propionyl group to morpholino ( pdp )- morpholino ) antisense oligonucleotides in analogy to the method described in [ 51 and references therein ]. fitc ( fluorescein isothiocyanate )- conjugation in analogy to the method for the formation of n -( fluorescein - 5 ′- thiocarbamyl ) diaminohexane of [ 71 ]. introduction of thiol groups into antibodies in analogy to the techniques described of [ 72 , 51 and references therein ]. reaction of mab ox - 26 - sulfhydryl with n , n ′- bis -( 3 - maleimidopropionyl )- peg diamide conjugate were performed in analogy to the reactions carried out in [ 52 , and 69 ]. synthesis of pmla / l - valine / 2 - mercaptoethylamine / mpeg - nh2 conjugate by amide formation from the nhs - activated carboxylate was carried out principally as described herein . synthesis of pmla / mab ox - 26 / morpholino antisense oligonucleotide / l - valine / 2 - mercaptoethylamine / mpeg - nh2 conjugate by reaction of sulfhydryl group with maleimide ; conjugation of fitc - spacer to pmla / mab ox - 26 / morpholino antisense oligonucleotide / l - valine / 2 - mercaptoethylamine / mpeg - nh2 conjugate , represented in principal an amide formation by nucleophilic attack of the nhs - activated carboxylate as described herein . existing drug delivery systems suffer from one or several of the following problems : they are not multifunctional , i . e . they are limited with regard to variability in the kind and amount of tissue targeting groups per carrier molecule ; they are limited by the kind and number of conjugated drugs ( pro - drugs ) per carrier molecule ; they are limited by solubility in physiological fluids ; they are limited by insufficient stability against degradation in the circulation system ; they are not biodegradable ; they involve viral nucleic acids or other viral fragments ; they are not specific for tumor tissue and they damage healthy host tissue they are toxic ; the synthesis of the drug delivery system suffers from uncontrollable side reactions ; the synthesis of the drug delivery system suffers from solubility or other problems that render purification of reaction products difficult or impossible ; the synthesis of the drug delivery system does not result in reproducible products ; the synthesis of structural variations / extension to contain new components , thus enhancing specificity or sharpening the antitumor activity of the drug delivery system is not possible ; and the synthesis of the drug delivery system cannot be readily scaled up . the controlled conjugation of each reactive functional module with the nhs ( n - hydroxysuccinimide ) activated carboxylic groups of the polymalic acid scaffold allows one to conjugate a variation of different kinds of reactive functional modules , thus introducing a variety of different targeting molecules , drug ( pro - drug ) molecules , etc . the various modules can be conjugated to one and the same scaffold molecule or to different ones allowing a binary or ternary , etc . drug mixture . multiple functional modules on one and the same scaffold molecule can display biologically synergistic effects when simultaneously being introduced into the cell . biodegradability can be achieved by employing biodegradable polymalic acid as scaffold and other biodegradable building units ( amino acids , proteins ). synthesis of a polymalic acid based multifunctional carrier system for the tumor targeted delivery of morpholino antisense oligonucleotides fig1 a shows the overall structure of a typical drug molecule of the present invention . for the synthesis of block ( z + w ), the carboxyl groups of polymalic acid ( block w ) are activated as nhs - esters and conjugated to l - valine via amide bond . block y3 is the pro - drug morpholino antisense oligos containing a disulfide drug releasing unit . block y1 is the monoclonal antibody ( ox26 ) targeting molecule conjugated to the block z + w via polyethylene glycol ( peg ) spacer . block x is the peg - protector against degradation , attached by an amide bond and formed from commercially available peg - amine . block y2 represents remaining sulfhydryl anchor groups , which have not been consumed by the synthesis at this point , and which can be used for the conjugation of additional functional modules via reaction with the double bond of substituted n - ethylmaleimides or simply blocked by reaction with unsubstituted n - ethylamaleimide . block n , the fluorescent reporter group , is prepared from fluorescein isothiocyanate ( fitc ) and n1 - boc - 1 , 6 - diaminohexane . the drug structure is built by a stepwise coupling of the blocks ( i . e ., the modules ) onto the growing conjugate as shown in fig1 b under a careful stoichiometric control . the order of the steps can be readily adjusted to fit different scenarios . conjugations are carried out with carbodiimide reagents in organic solvent , preferably dimethylformamide . side reactions are prevented by appropriate protection of side chains following standard methods . for block w highly purified polymalic acid is obtained from cultures of physarum polycephalum [ 24 , 25 ]. the biopolymer is spontaneously and enzymatically degraded to l - malic acid [ 31 , 26 ], which is metabolized to carbon dioxide and water . the sodium salt is neither toxic nor immunogenic in mice and rabbit respectively [ 27 and references therein ]. after intravenous injection into mice , polymalate was rapidly cleared by excretion via the kidneys [ 73 ]. certain polyymalate derivatives and block polymers actually showed positive effects on bone repair and muscle regeneration in rats [ 30 ] or were found biocompatible in other investigations [ 32 ]. polymalic acid is an excellent candidate for the design of a drug carrier device , because of its high abundance of modifiable carboxyl groups . these can be easily conjugated to a variety of different biologically active molecules in a perfectly controllable fashion regarding their stoichiometry and integrity . block z is based on polymers that contain lipophilic groups like l - valine or l - leucine and become increasingly lipohilic when protonated when ambient ph falls below ph 6 during maturation of endosomes to lysosomes . this increasing lipophilicity results in leakiness of the endosomal membranes and causes release of the macromolecular content into the cytoplasm [ 33 , 74 , 75 ]. block y3 contains a disulfide bond , which is stable in blood circulation including brain microvessels but is cleaved in the reductive environment of the cells [ 38 ]. block y1 contains a polyethylene glycol spacer that allows the tissue targeting moiety to bind to the receptor on the target cell surface . it also protects against degradation of the targeting polypeptide . ( y3 ) the morpholino oligonucleotides , which specifically block the expression of tumor essential genes , such as the α1 - chain of laminin are used . in principle , any other drug or pro - drug can be conjugated here , as well as an array of different drugs on a single carrier molecule . these conjugates are cleaved from the carrier at the drug releasing unit within the cytoplasm , and the drug ( s ) become effective . block y1 helps breach the bbb which is targeted by a monoclonal antibody against the transferrin receptor on the endothelial cells of the bbb [ 55 ]. bradykinin alone or conjugated together with other molecules , might also be a targeting molecule to be used for the brain tumors by virtue of specific receptors [ 77 , 18 , and 78 ]. a further possibility for the brain tumor specific targeting is to use a monoclonal antibody against the human egf receptor [ 37 , 79 ]. bradykinin b 2 receptors and egfr are overexpressed on tumor cells and can also be used as brain tumor targeting sites in combination with transferrin receptor . block n adds an arbitrary fluorescent label , here fluorescein , which is conjugated to the drug structure to facilitate homing studies of the carrier in the endosomes of recipient tumor cells . poly ( β - l - malic acid ) ( pmla ) was purified from the broth of cultured physarum polycephalum plasmodia using methods developed from [ 25 ]. the polymer in salt form was size fractionated on sephadex g25 columns . the fraction with a number - averaged molecular mass of 50 kda ( polydispersity 1 . 2 ) was converted to the free polymer acid ( pmla - h ) by passage over amberlite ir - 120 ( h + form ) and stored freeze - dried before used in carrier synthesis . 1 h - nmr in d 2 o gave the following δ - values : 3 . 3 ppm ( doublet , the methylene protons of the polyester backbone ), 5 . 3 ppm ( triplet , the methine protons of the polyester backbone ). proton - broad - band - decoupled 13 c - nmr gave the following δ - values : 178 . 4 ppm (— cooh ), 74 . 5 ppm (— choh —), 38 . 9 ppm (— ch 2 —), and 174 . 5 ppm (— co —). purified pmla - h shows uv - light absorbance only below 220 nm wavelength , and is devoid of absorbance at 260 and 280 typical for nucleic acids and proteins , respectively ( further details are reviewed in [ 27 ]). morpholino ™- 3 ′— nh 2 antisense oligonucleotides [ 6 ] to the α - 4 chain of laminin - 8 ( agc - tca - aag - cca - ttt - ctc - cgc - tga - c ) and to the β - 1 chain of laminin - 8 ( cta - gca - act - gga - gaa - gcc - cca - tgc - c ) [ 50 , 34 ] were purchased from gene tools ( usa ). mouse monoclonal antibody against rat transferrin receptor cd71 ( clone ox - 26 , isotype igg 2a ) at a concentration of 1 mg / ml pbs containing 10 mm sodium azide was obtained from chemicon europe ( uk ). mouse igg 2a , κ ( upc 10 ) was purchased from sigma ( germany ). chromatographically pure mpeg - amine ( mw 5000 ) and amine - peg - amine ( mw 3400 ) were obtained from nektar therapeutics ( usa ). reagents and solvents obtained from merck ( germany ), sigma ( germany ), pierce ( usa ) were of the highest available purity . dichloromethane ( dcm ) and n , n - dimethylformamide ( dmf ) were dried over molecular sieves ( 0 . 4 nm ). 1 h - nmr spectra were recorded on a bruker model dmx - 500 fourier transform spectrometer and chemical shifts are given in ppm ( δ ) relative to tms as internal standard . 13 c nmr spectra were recorded on the same spectrometer operated at 125 . 8 mhz . chromatographic separations were performed with a merck - hitachi analytical lachrom d - 7000 hplc - system equipped with uv and fluorescence detectors . either macherey & amp ; nagel c 18 - nucleosil reversed - phase ( rp ) columns ( 250 × 4 mm ) with a binary gradient of 0 . 1 % tfa ( trifluoroacetic acid ) in water − 0 . 07 % tfa in acetonitrile at a flow rate of 1 . 5 ml / min or size exclusion columns bio - sil sec 250 - 5 ( 5 μm , 300 × 7 . 8 mm ) with 50 mm sodium phosphate buffer ph 7 . 4 at a flow rate of 0 . 75 ml / min were used . molecular mass of the polymer na or k - salt was determined by sec - hplc with polystyrene sulfonate standards of defined molecular weight ( machery - nagel ). thin layer chromatography ( tlc ) was performed on merck precoated silica gel 60 f254 aluminum sheets . the eluent contained a mixture of n - butanol , water , and acetic acid ( 4 : 2 : 1 on a volume ratio basis ). 1 . 16 g of pmla - h ( 10 mmol regarding the malic acid monomer ) was dissolved in 30 ml of anhydrous dimethylformamide ( dmf ). n - hydroxysuccinimde ( nhs ) ( 15 mmol ), dissolved in 10 m of anhydrous dimethylformamide ( dmf ), was added to the pmla - h solution . the temperature was lowered to 0 ° c . in an ice bath , then dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( dcc ) ( 15 mmol ) dissolved in 10 ml of dmf was added . the reaction mixture was held under reduced pressure at room temperature until no gas bubbles developed . after 30 min at 0 ° c ., the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 48 h . the reaction mixture was held as described above under reduced pressure followed by incubation every 2 h during the first day of reaction , then every 6 h during the second day of reaction . after two days of reaction , dicyclohexylurea was removed by filtration , and the reaction volume was reduced by evaporation under reduced pressure . fresh anhydrous dmf ( 10 ml ) was added and residual dicyclohexylurea was again removed by filtration . the clear reaction mixture was stirred for 12 h at room temperature and last amounts of dicyclohexylurea ( if any ) were removed by filtration . the volume was reduced to 1 - 3 ml by evaporation under reduced pressure , and the product was precipitated by the addition of ethyl acetate . the pale yellow product ( p1 ) was collected by filtration . diethylether was added to the filtrate to match the final proportion of 1 : 1 ( ethyl acetate : diethylether ), and more of a light brown product was collected by filtration ( p2 ). then n - hexane was added to the filtrate to match the final proportion of 1 : 1 : 1 ( ethyl acetate : diethylether : n - hexane ) and additional brown product was collected by filtration ( p3 ). the precipitates were dispersed in the same solvents used for their precipitation and left overnight in the cold (− 20 ° c .). the products were filtered and washed repeatedly with the same cold solvents . the products were further purified by passage through sephadex lh 20 using dmf as eluent allowing the flow by gravity . the product containing fractions were collected and the solvents evaporated under reduced pressure . finally , the products were dispersed in diethylether , collected by filtration , dried in vacuo , and stored at − 20 ° c . the purity / composition of these preparations of pmla - nhs ester was analyzed by 1 h nmr and uv - vis spectroscopy . the content of nhs groups was determined after aminolysis of nhs ester groups with n - butylamine . 10 mg of pmla - nhs ester were dissolved in 0 . 5 ml of dmf . a portion of 0 . 5 ml of 10 % n - butylamine was added to this solution , and the reaction mixture was incubated at room temperature for 30 min . after centrifugation , samples of 20 μl were mixed with 80 μl of water and analyzed by rp - hplc employing water / 0 . 1 % ( v / v ) tfa as eluent . nhs groups were monitored by their absorbance at 260 nm . their content was calculated by comparing the absorbance with that of standards of known amounts of n - hydroxysuccinimide . the molar ratio of malic acid residues and nhs - groups in the pmla - nhs ester sample was calculated by combining these results with the amounts of malyl residues measured by 1 h - nmr . typically , the ratios were 35 , 59 , and 85 % for p1 , p2 , and p3 , respectively . 1 h nmr in ( cd 3 ) 2 so gave the following δ - values : 2 . 8 ppm ( singulet , 4h n — co — ch2 -), 3 . 35 ppm ( doublet , the methylene protons of the polyester backbone ), 5 . 85 ppm ( triplet , the methine protons of the polyester backbone ). the reaction is shown in fig2 . morpholino - 3 (— nh 2 antisense oligomer ( 1 μmol ) was dissolved in a of 900 μl of dmf and 100 ml of deionized water . to this mixture , 20 μl of a 100 mm solution of n - succinimidyl 3 × 2 - pyridyldithio ) propionate ( spdp ) in dmf was added and left for 2 h at room temperature . the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation under reduced pressure at room temperature . the residue was dissolved in 1 ml of buffer a ( 0 . 1 m sodium phosphate , 0 . 15 m nacl , ph 7 . 2 ) containing 10 mm edta and purified over a sephadex g - 25 microspin column pre - equilibrated with buffer a . the concentration of pdp - morpholino antisense oligonucleotide was adjusted to 1 mm and stored at − 20 ° c . the purity of the product was confirmed by tlc and uv - spectroscopy by showing the absence of nhs and spdp . the content of pdp groups was determined by measuring the concentration of 2 - thiopyridone after disulfide reduction as follows : pdp - morpholino antisense oligonucleotide was incubated with 0 . 2 m dithiothreitol ( dtt ) in 0 . 1 m tris buffer ph 9 . 0 for 30 min at room temperature . the reaction mixture was subjected to rp - hplc by first washing for 10 min with distilled water and then eluting in 30 min with a gradient of 0 - 60 % acetonitrile . the reaction product 2 - thiopyridone was detected using uv absorption at 341 nm . the concentration of 2 - thiopyridone was measured by using the absorbance of known amounts of reduced 2 - aldrithiol ( dpds ) as standards . the yield of pdp - morpholino antisense nucleotide was routinely higher than 80 % of the starting amount of morpholino - 3 ′- nh 2 oligonucleotide . this reaction is shown in fig3 . fluorescein isothiocyanate isomer i ( 90 mg ) ( fitc , minimum 98 %, 0 . 23 mmol ) was dissolved in 3 ml dmf , and 76 mg of n 1 — boc - 1 , 6 - diaminohexane hydrochloride ( 0 . 3 mmol ) were added . the coupling reaction was started by dropwise addition of 0 . 6 mmol of triethylamine . the reaction mixture was incubated for 2 h at room temperature , and the volume was reduced by evaporation under reduced pressure ( final volume approximately 0 . 5 ml ). cold water ( 5 ml ) was added to the remaining mixture and acidified with 1 n hcl . the precipitate was collected by centrifugation , washed three times with cold water followed by centrifugation , until no trace of n 1 - boc - 1 , 6 - diaminohexane could be detected in the supernatant as determined by tlc and ninhydrin test . the final product was dried over p 2 o 5 . this synthesis is illustrated in fig4 . to remove the boc protecting group , the dried product was dissolved in 3 ml of dichloromethane ( dcm ), and the temperature was lowered with an ice bath . two ml tfa were added to the solution which was then stirred for 30 min on ice . the reaction was followed by tlc . fluorescent spots were visible under uv light . the solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure , and the waxy product was dissolved in acetone and precipitated by the addition of diethylether . for purification , the product was dissolved in 3 ml of dcm / ethanol ( 3 : 2 , v / v ) containing 4 ml of acetic acid in 100 ml mixture and passed through a 2 cm × 12 cm sio 2 column equilibrated with the same solvent . the product was pure by tlc . the rf - values were 0 . 95 for fitc , 0 . 98 for n 1 -( fluorescein - 5 ′- thiocarbamoyl )- n 6 — boc - 1 , 6 - diaminohexane , and 0 . 64 for n -( fluorescein - 5 ′- thiocarbamoyl ) diaminohexane . 0 . 5 g of nh2 - peg3400 - nh 2 ( 0 . 147 mmol ) dissolved in 3 ml of anhydrous dmf was added dropwise to ( 3 - maleimidopropionic acid nhs ester ) ( 106 mg , 0 . 4 mmol ) dissolved in 5 ml of anhydrous dmf with vigorous stirring at room temperature . the completeness of the reaction was confirmed by tlc and a negative ninhydrin test . after incubation for 2 h at room temperature , the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation at room temperature under reduced pressure . the product was dissolved in 2 ml of buffer a ( 0 . 1 m sodium phosphate , 0 . 15 m nacl , ph 7 . 2 ) containing 10 mm edta . insoluble impurities were removed by centrifugation . the clear supernatant was passed over a sephadex g - 25 column pre - equilibrated with buffer a . the product was pure by tlc and ninhydrin test . the aqueous solution of the product was stored at − 20 ° c . 1 h - nmr spectra of the product dissolved in ( cd 3 ) 2 so indicated the following δ - values : 7 . 05 singlet 4h — hc ═ ch —, 3 . 74 triplet 2h n — ch2 , 3 . 5 singlet hydrogens from peg , 3 . 03 triplet 2h ch 2 — conh . the values were consistent with the product being the expected n , n ′- bis -( 3 - maleimidopropionyl ) poly ( ethylene glycol ) diamide . the content of maleimido groups was measured indirectly by a method relying on the reaction of — hc ═ ch — with the sulfhydryl of given amounts of 2 - mercaptoethylamine ( 2 - mea ) and the titration of unreacted sulfhydryl with 5 , 5 ′- dithiobis - 2 - nitrobenzoate ( dtnb , ellman &# 39 ; s reagent ) as follows . an appropriate amount of 2 - mea in water was added to the aqueous solution of n , n - bis - 3 - maleimidopropionyl ) poly ( ethylene glycol ) diamide and incubated for 30 min at room temperature . dtnb ( 25 μl solution of 10 mg / ml in ethanol ) was added and the absorbance at 412 nm read after 10 min incubation at room temperature . the absorbance was standardized with known amounts of 2 - mea , and the amount of unreacted sulfhydryl groups calculated . the content of maleimide groups in the sample of n , n ′- bis -( 3 - maleimidopropionyl ) poly ( ethylene glycol ) diamide was calculated by subtraction of the amount of unreacted 2 - mea from the initial amount of 2 - mea . from this value , the yield of the synthesis of n , n ′- bis -( 3 - maleimidopropionyl )- poly ( ethylene glycol ) diamide was calculated to be 65 %. this synthesis is shown in fig5 . introduction of thiol groups into antibodies : reduction of intrinsic disulfide bonds with 2 - mercaptoethylamine ( 2 - mea ) mouse monoclonal antibody ( mab ) against rat transferrin receptor cd71 ( clone ox - 26 , isotype igg 2a ) was commercially obtained at a concentration of 1 mg / ml pbs containing 10 mm sodium azide . mouse monoclonal antibody igg 2a κ ( upc 10 , sigma ) in place of mab ox - 26 was used to generate a control conjugate and also a standard curve for protein measurements . the mab ox26 solution was concentrated using a microcentrifuge membrane filter ( sigma ultrafree - cl microcentrifuge filters , regenerated cellulose , cutoff 30 kda ) at 4 ° c . and 5000 × g . the mab storage buffer was changed to buffer a ( 0 . 1 m sodium phosphate , 0 . 15 m nacl , ph 7 . 2 ) containing 10 mm edta . the concentration of the mab was adjusted to 3 - 5 mg / ml . mouse mab upc 10 was dissolved in buffer a to give the same concentration as mab ox 26 . solid 2 - mercaptoethylamine hydrochloride ( 2 - mea ) ( 6 mg / ml ) was stirred into the antibody solutions and the mixture incubated for 90 min at 37 ° c . the disulfide - reduced antibodies were purified by diafiltration with buffer a ( degassed under n 2 ) using microcentrifuge membrane filters ( regenerated cellulose , cut off . 30 kda ) at 4 ° c . and 5000 × g . the step was performed until the diafiltrate was completely free of 2 - mea as measured spectrophotometrically at 412 nm after incubation with 5 , 5 ′- dithiobis ( 2 - nitrobenzoic acid ) ( dtnb , ellman &# 39 ; s reagent ). the number of thiol groups in the disulfide - reduced antibody solutions was calculated by reading the absorbance at 412 nm ( e = 14 . 15 × 10 3 m − 1 cm − 1 at 25 ° c .) after 10 min incubation of 0 . 5 ml antibody solution with 25 μl of dtnb solution ( 10 mg / ml in ethanol ) at ph 8 . 0 . the antibody protein concentration was measured according to method of [ 65 ]. the results indicated that the disulfide - reduced antibodies contained 3 . 1 - 3 . 5 thiol groups per molecule of igg - molecule . sec - hplc analysis showed only one peak of mw 150 kda indicating that the reduced antibody had maintained its molecular integrity . the preparations were rather stable in the presence of edta even in the absence of reducing agent , and no significant losses in free thiol groups were observed overnight at 4 ° c . immediately after preparation , the solution of reduced antibody was added dropwise to the stirred aqueous solution of n , n ′- bis - 3 - maleimidopropionyl )- peg diamide ( in 50 - fold molar excess of maleimide groups over the thiol groups of the antibody ) at room temperature . the reaction mixture was incubated for 2 h at room temperature , and the unreacted n , n ′- bis -( 3 - maleimidopropionyl )- peg diamide was removed by dialysis in buffer a ( 50 kd membrane , overnight with three times buffer change ). the preparation of antibody - n , n ′- bis -( 3 - maleimidopropionyl )- peg diamide conjugate was used immediately for further synthetic reactions . the completeness of the conjugation reaction was indicated by the results of sec - hplc . when measuring absorbance at 220 nm wavelength , the only material eluted was in the position of 7 . 20 - 7 . 26 min which represented the conjugate , while none eluted in the position of 13 . 4 - 13 . 7 min for the unreacted n , n ′- bis - 3 - maleimidopropionyl )- peg diamide . the content of maleimide groups in the antibody conjugate was determined indirectly using 2 - mea and ellman &# 39 ; s reagent as described above for the synthesis of n , n - bis -( 3 - maleimidopropionyl )- peg diamide . the antibody protein concentration was determined according to method of [ 65 ]. the results indicated 3 . 0 maleimido groups per antibody molecule and were in agreement with the assumption that the free thiol groups of the disulfide - reduced antibodies preparations had fully reacted with n , n ′- bis -( 3 - maleimidopropionyl )- peg diamide . moreover , because sec - hplc analysis showed only one peak of mw 150 kda , products of crosslinking could be excluded . for the synthesis of pmla / l - valine / 2 - mercaptoethylamine / mpeg - nh 2 conjugate , 1 mmol ( with regard to malyl units ) of pmla - nhs ester ( preparation p3 : 85 % nhs ester ) was dissolved in 10 ml of anhydrous dmf . first , mpeg5000 - nh2 ( 50 μmol in 2 ml dmf , corresponding to 5 mol -% of the nhs activated malyl units ) and 200 μmol of n - ethylmorpholine were added in this sequence and the mixture stirred at room temperature for 30 min until the reaction was completed according to tlc with the ninhydrin test ( negative versus positive ninhydrin reaction at origin ). next , 200 μmol of a 50 mm solution of 2 - mea in dmf ( corresponding to 20 mol -% of nhs - activated malyl groups ) and 200 μmol of n - ethylmorpholine were added to the reaction mixture with stirring for 30 min at room temperature . again , the reaction was complete according to tlc ( rf = 0 . 27 for 2 - mea and rf = 0 for the polymer conjugate ) with the ninhydrin reaction . the synthesis is shown in fig6 . according to the stoichiometry of the added reagents , 4 . 5 % and 19 . 3 % of the pmla - nhs ester equivalents had been replaced by peg and 2 - mea , respectively . the remaining unreacted nhs esters equivalents were allowed to conjugate to l - valine ( 1 mmol in 5 ml water ), added dropwise in the presence of 0 . 1 g of nahco 3 ( 1 . 2 mmol ). the reaction mixture was stirred for 1 h at room temperature and neutralized under cooling with 0 . 1 m hcl . the solvent was evaporated at 30 ° c . under reduced pressure . the dried product was dissolved in 10 ml of buffer a ( 0 . 1 m sodium phosphate , 0 . 15 m nacl , ph 7 . 2 ) containing 10 mm edta and 1 ml of 0 . 5 m dtt . after 10 min at room temperature , the mixture was centrifuged at 20 000 × g for 5 min and the clear supernatant passed over a sephadex g25 column ( 2 . 5 cm × 60 cm ) pre - equilibrated with buffer a , and the product containing fractions lyophilized . the composition of the pmla / l - valine / 2 - mercaptoethylamine / mpeg - nh 2 conjugate was analyzed by 1 h nmr and uv - vis spectroscopy . the content of thiol groups was measured by the addition of 25 μl of dtnb solution ( 10 mg / ml in ethanol ) to 1 mg of lyophilized conjugate dissolved in 1 ml of sodium phosphate buffer ( ph 8 . 0 , 100 mm ) and reading the absorbance at 412 nm wavelength after 30 min incubation at room temperature . in case of the preparation of pmla / l - valine / 2 - mercaptoethylamine / mpeg - nh2 / fitc conjugate ( see below ), the reaction mixture was also diafiltrated with a microcentrifuge membrane filter ( regenerated cellulose , cut off 5 kda ) at 5000 × g before reading the 412 nm absorbance . the ellman method for assaying thiols is based on the reaction of thiols with the chromogenic dtnb ( 5 , 5 ′- dithiobis - 2 - nitrobenzoate , fw 396 . 4 ) whereby formation of the yellow 5 - thio - 2 - nitrobenzoic acid ( tnb ) is measured . the reason for filtration in case of fitc - conjugate is to separate tnb from fitc - conjugate because the presence of fluorescence makes the detection of tnb impossible . during the filtration tnb passes the membrane , fitc - conjugates are retained , and the absorbance of the filtrate is measured ( the filtration is not for removal of free dye . the free dye is already removed before this reaction ). the sulfhydryl content was calculated with regard to 2 - mea standards . the content of l - valyl moieties was determined by quantifying the free amino groups after total hydrolysis using the trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid ( tnbs ) assay and rp - hplc as follows : 1 mg of the conjugate and 30 - 50 μl of 6 n hcl were placed in a 100 μl capillary tube . the sealed capillary was incubated in an oven at 100 ° c . for 12 to 16 hrs . after hydrolysis the contents were transferred into an eppendorf tube ( rinsing the capillary tube with water to be quantitative ) and evaporated to complete dryness by gentle warming . this material was redissolved in water and centrifuged . a 10 - 30 μl aliquot of the supernatant was added to 300 μl of sodium bicarbonate buffer ( 0 . 4 g nahco 3 in 10 ml water , ph 8 . 5 ). after addition of 150 μl of 0 . 1 % ( w / v ) tnbs aqueous solution , the mixture was incubated for 30 min at 37 ° c . after centrifugation , 20 μl of the reaction mixture were separated by rp - hplc using a linear gradient of 30 min ( 0 - 10 min , 100 % water , 10 - 40 min from 0 - 60 % acetonitrile ). the content of valyl moieties was calculated on the basis of the 340 nm absorbance in the eluent with regard to known amounts of l - valine as standards . the molar ratio of mpeg : valine : 2 - mea of the conjugate was determined by 1 h nmr . freshly prepared mab ox - 26 - peg - maleimide was added dropwise to pmla / l - valine / 2 - mercaptoethylamine / mpeg - nh 2 conjugate at 4 ° c . with stirring . a 100 molar excess of free thiol groups ( conjugate ) over maleimido groups was applied , allowing all antibodies to become conjugated with the polymer . after 30 nm in of incubation , the reaction was complete . the completeness of the reaction was confirmed by sec - hplc . the pmla / mab ox - 26 / l - valine / 2 - mercaptoethylamine / mpeg - nh 2 conjugate was purified by diafiltration in buffer a using microcentrifuge membrane filters ( regenerated cellulose , mw cut off of 100 kda ) at 4 ° c . and 5000 × g . the mab - containing pmla conjugate was retained by the filter and only protein - free pmla / l - valine / 2 - mercaptoethylamine / mpeg - nh 2 conjugate passed through the filter . the diafiltration was repeated until no trace of the protein - free polymer conjugate was detected in the diafiltrate as confirmed with sec - hplc . the protein content of the pmla / mab ox - 26 / l - valine / 2 - mercaptoethylamine / mpeg - nh 2 conjugate was measured by the method of [ 66 ]. the same amount of unconjugated mab showed an approximately 10 % higher absorbance , and thus , the measured protein content was corrected by factor of 0 . 9 . ( this factor was empirically derived from the fact that , although no antibody was found to leak through the diafiltration , the retained ( conjugated ) antibody amounted to only 90 % of the educt antibody .) the reason for this discrepancy is not known . the concentration of the remaining free thiol groups of the protein - containing conjugate was determined as described above . it was found that approximately 70 % of the initial thiol groups were still present . the concentration of the protein - containing conjugate was adjusted to 3 mm with regard to thiol groups . in the next step , 5 μmol of pdp - morpholino antisense oligonucleotides for α4 and β1 chains of laminin 8 ( 5 ml of the 1 mm solution of pdp - morpholino antisense oligonucleotides ) was added dropwise with stirring to the purified solution of the pmla / mab ox - 26 / l - valine / 2 - mercaptoethylamine / mpeg - nh2 conjugate equaling a concentration of 15 μmol of free thiol groups ( 5 ml of 3 mm solution of the protein - containing conjugate ). the molar ratio of antisense α4 chain to the antisense β1 chain was 1 : 1 . the reaction mixture was incubated overnight at 4 ° c . the completeness of the reaction was confirmed by sec - hplc indicating a single peak in the eluent with 260 nm absorbance and the absence of absorbance in the positions of free pdp - morpholino antisense oligonucleotides . the obtained pmla / mab ox - 26 / morpholino antisense oligonucleotide / l - valine / 2 - mercaptoethylamine / mpeg - nh 2 conjugate was purified by diafiltration using microcentrifuge membrane filter ( regenerated cellulose , cut off : 100 kda ) at 4 ° c . and 5000 × g centrifugation . the content of the free sulfhydryl groups at this stage was determined with ellman &# 39 ; s reagent at 412 nm . the content of antisense morpholino oligonucleotides was measured by absorbance at 260 nm after reduction of the disulfide groups with 50 mm dtt for 2 h at 37 ° c . and separation by sec - hplc . specifically , the 260 nm light absorbing peaks were compared with those obtained for reduced pdp - morpholino antisense oligonucleotides as standards . the protein content of the pmla / mab ox - 26 / morpholino antisense oligonucleotide / l - valine / 2 - mercaptoethylamine / mpeg - nh2 conjugate was measured by the method of [ 65 ]. the molar ratio of antibody : morpholino antisense oligonucleotide varied from 1 : 20 to 1 : 26 resulting a y1 - value of 0 . 19 %- 0 . 25 % ( see fig7 for overall synthesis ). free sulfhydryl groups were blocked with n - ethylmaleimide , and unreacted reagent was removed by diafiltration as above . for detection under biological conditions , pmla / mab ox - 26 / morpholino antisense oligonucleotide / l - valine / 2 - mercaptoethylamine / mpeg - nh2 conjugate was covalently labeled with fluorecein isothiocyanate ( fitc ). this label was , however , introduced after conjugation of mpeg - nh 2 to pmla - nhs esters indicated above . the solution of n -( fluorescein - 5 ′- thiocarbamoyl ) diamino - hexane was prepared in a mixture of dmf and pbs ( 1 : 1 ) to a final concentration of 25 mm . to the solution of mpeg - nh 2 / pmla conjugate ( 1 mmol with regard to malyl units of pmla - nhs ester , preparation p3 : 85 % nhs ester ) 25 μmol of n - fluorescein - 5 ′- thiocarbamoyl ) diamino - hexane ( n = 2 . 5 % in fig7 ) and 100 μmol of n - ethylmorpholine were added , and the mixture was incubated at room temperature for 30 min . the reaction was followed by tlc . after completion of the reaction , fluorescence was detected only at the origin . the construction of the fitc to pmla / mab ox - 26 / morpholino antisense oligonucleotide / l - valine / 2 - mercaptoethylamine / mpeg - nh 2 conjugate then followed the same route as described above in the absence of the dye . the content of fitc in the conjugates was measured by absorption of the fitc - moiety at 490 nm . fitc - carrying conjugates were also detected by a merek - hitach fluorescence detector with the excitation wavelength set to 447 nm and the emission wavelength set to 514 nm . the content of fitc was calculated by comparing the absorbance or fluorescence of samples with that of standard samples generated by quantitative conjugation of varying amount of fitc to carrier polymer as described above . the conjugate was used directly for cell culture experiments . this synthesis is shown in fig8 . hemolysis assay . fig9 shows the membrane disruptive activity of the polymers as measured using a red blood cell ( rbc ) hemolysis assay . the fresh human rbcs were isolated by centrifugation of whole human blood at 2000 g for 5 min . the rbcs were washed three times with cold 100 mm sodium phosphate buffer of the desired ph ( ph 5 . 85 or ph 5 . 5 ). the final pellet was resuspended in the same buffer to give a solution with 108 rbcs per 1 ml . the polymers were dissolved in 100 mm dibasic sodium phosphate buffer at the desired ph at a concentration of 10 mg / ml . the polymer concentration was 2 . 5 nmol / 10 8 rbcs . hemolysis in distilled water was used to produce 100 % lysis . rbcs in buffer with no polymer was used as reference controls . the hemolysis assay was performed by adding the polymer solution to the suspended rbcs in 1 ml of the appropriate buffer . the rbcs were mixed by inverting the tube several times , and incubated for 1 h in a 37 ° c . water bath . after incubation , the rbcs were centrifuged for 10 nm in at 13 , 500 × g to sediment intact cells and the lysis was determined by measuring the absorbance of the supernatants at 541 nm which reflects the amount of hemoglobin released by the rbcs . the relative increase 100 ( a - a o )/ a total in absorbance at 541 nm wavelength of the cell - free supernatant was measured as an indicator of membrane rupture . the results show that pmla - peg - valine , pmla - peg - valine - as , and pmla - peg - valine - as - mab infer membrane destabilization in contrast to pmla - peg which stabilizes rbc membranes . comparison shows that destabilization is due to the presence of pmla - conjugated valine . at decreasing ph ( simulating maturation of endosomes to become lysosomes ), the carboxyl groups of valine become protonated , and destabilization increases due to an increased lipophilicity of the charge - neutralized valine moieties . release of the morpholino oligos . fig1 a and 10 b shows the release of morpholino antisense oligonucleotides from the drug carrier due to the cleavage of the disulfide bond by glutathion ( glutathion - sh ). the cleavage of the disulfide bond is a two - step reaction . in the first step , one equivalent of glutathion - sh reacts with the disulfide forming a mixed disulfide antisense oligonucleotide — s — s - glutathion ( striped columns ) ( fig1 a ) and one equivalent of free antisense oligonucleotide - sh ( solid columns ). over time the mixed disulfide decreases and the free antisense increases . this reaction is rapid as is seen in fig1 b . in the second step , the mixed disulfide reacts with a second equivalent of glutathion to yield the disulfide glutathion - s — s - glutathion and free antisense oligonucleotide - sh . this second reaction is slow . the two - step mechanism and the relative rates of the reactions are typical for this so called disulfide exchange reaction . the results show that the oligonucleotides are very efficiently cleaved from the drug carrier in the cytoplasm , which contains glutathion at this given concentration . to mimic cytoplasmic release of antisense morpholino oligonucleotides from the drug vehicle as shown in the figures , 5 mm gsh ( γ - l - glutamyl - l - cysteinylglycine , mw 307 . 33 ) was added to the reaction mixture at room temperature . the mixture contained 0 . 25 mm of the drug vehicle in water . at various times , the reaction was stopped by the addition of an excess of n - ethylmaleimide ( 20 mm final concentration ) over total sulfhydryl moieties . the reduced antisense was detected as n - ethylmaleimidyl antisense . the reaction products were separated by hplc and the released antisense morpholinos were detected by their uv absorbance at 260 nm . the results are shown in fig1 b . a complete ( 100 %) release is referenced to the reduction in the presence of 50 mm dtt at 37 ° c . for 1 h . hplc analysis was performed with a merck - hitach analytical hplc unit using a gel filtration column . separation was carried out on a ( 300 × 7 . 7 mm ) macherey & amp ; nagel 125 - 5 gfc - hplc column using sodium phosphate buffer ( 50 mm , ph 7 . 4 ) with a flow rate of 0 . 75 ml / min . treatment of human glioblastoma grown in brain of nude rat with laminin - 8 antisense oligonucleotides conjugated to poly - l - malic acid specific drug delivery is crucial for treating tumors and reducing side effects for normal cells . simultaneous inhibition of several molecular targets at the level of protein synthesis may be highly effective in preventing tumor growth and progression . laminin - 8 chains overexpression is associated with glioma progression , and laminin - 8 blocking inhibits glioma invasion in vitro [ 34 ]. polymalic acid ( pmla ). a multifunctional drug delivery construct consists of modules attached to the pendant carboxyl groups of polymalic acid ( pmla ). the polymer is a natural product of physarum polycephalum [ 27 ]. the modules are ( 1 ) morpholino antisense oligonucleotides conjugated to the scaffold by disulfide bonds , which bonds are cleaved in the cytoplasm to release the free drug , ( 2 ) antibodies against transferrin receptor for cancer cell targeting and receptor - mediated endocytosis , ( 3 ) short chain peg - conjugated l - leucine and directly coupled l - valine , both linked through amide bonds , to provide ph - dependent lipophilicity to disrupt endosomal membranes , ( 4 ) long chain peg for increasing time in circulation , and ( 5 ) fluorescent reporter molecules ( fluorescein , cy5 or similar fluorophores ) to detect the construct molecule within the tissue / cell . drug 1 : antisense oligo to laminin α4 + antisense oligo to laminin β1 ( α4 : β1 = 1 : 1 ); drug 2 : antisense oligo to laminin α4 + antisense oligo to laminin β1 ( α4 : β1 = 1 : 1 )+ monoclonal anti - transferrin receptor antibody ( antibody ox - 26 to rat cd71 from chemicon international ) as vehicle for delivery to the fast dividing cells [ 35 , 36 , 37 , and 38 ]; drug 3 : antisense oligo to laminin α4 + antisense oligo to laminin β1 + antisense oligo to egfr ( α4 : β1 : egfr = 1 : 1 : 1 ); drug 4 : antisense oligo to laminin α4 + antisense oligo to laminin β1 + antisense oligo to egfr ( α4 : β1 : egfr = 1 : 1 : 1 )+ anti - transferrin receptor antibody . drugs 1a , 2a , 3a and 4a were identical to the drugs of the corresponding number ( i . e ., drug 1 was identical to drug 1a ) except that the corresponding sense oligos were used in place of the antisense oligos . drug 1 : antisense oligo nucleotide to laminin α4 chain and antisense oligo nucleotide to laminin β1 chain conjugated to pmla ; drug 2 : antisense oligo nucleotide to laminin α4 , antisense oligo nucleotide to laminin β1 , and monoclonal anti - transferrin receptor antibody ( antibody ox - 26 from chemicon international ) conjugated to pmla . controls ( drugs 1a and 2a ) were the same carrier conjugates with the antisense oligos replaced by corresponding sense oligos . the human u - 87mg glioblastoma cell line was used for in vitro experiments and injected intracranially into nihrnu - m nih nude outbred homozygous rats ( taconic inc .). nih nude outbred rats ( tac : n : nih - whn , taconic ) were used for these tests . for antisense treatment , we used morpholino oligos ( gene tools , llc ) as the most specific , stable and effective both in vitro and in vivo . morpholinos have been used in the past successfully for in vitro studies , but in vivo , their delivery has been less successful [ 6 , 7 ]. poly - l - malic acid ( pmla ) was used as a delivery carrier for getting the morpholinos into the cells . the principle of the method for purification of pmla has been described [ 25 ]. a modern scaled - up pmla production method [ 27 ] was used . the chemistry of pmla functional groups has been investigated [ 28 , 29 ], showing that the chemical derivatization and purification of the products in both organic and aqueous solvents is readily achievable . for our experiments , pmla was chemically conjugated to a monoclonal antibody against transferrin receptor , to make the drug most specific for fast dividing cells [ 35 , 36 , 37 , and 38 ], in addition to targeting tumor - specific laminin - 8 chains . preliminary toxicity studies were performed for morpholino oligonucleotides , pmla and their conjugate after complete synthesis . 30 days after injection of each chemical , gross and micro - pathological analysis were performed , and no abnormal changes were noted . animals did not develop neurological abnormalities and their appetites were also normal . animal test subjects were created by injecting human glioblastoma u - 87mg cells intracranially using a stereotactic device . the drug treatments started three days after the injection of tumor cells . for intracranial treatment , rats were injected with antisense oligos on days 3 , 7 , 10 and 14 ( four treatments total ) as diagrammed below . groups of 12 rats each were injected with oligos to laminin - 8 α4 + β1 chains at doses of 0 . 5 mg / kg or 2 . 5 mg / kg . control groups of 11 rats each were injected with sense oligos to α4 chain + β1 chain at 0 . 5 mg / kg or at 2 . 5 mg / kg . all surgical and non - surgical procedures were performed according iacuc protocol 001118 , dated august of 2003 . for intracarotid treatment , a group of rats had a catheter implanted into the carotid artery right after the tumor implantation . the catheter was connected to an implantable subcutaneous injection port . the rats were given infusion of 900 μl of antisense and sense oligos solution ( 0 . 06 ml per minute for 15 minutes with a peristaltic pump ) into the right carotid artery via the subcutaneous port chamber followed by heparin flush . rats were euthanized in 30 minutes after the end of infusion . the control consisted of : ( a ) 3 rats that were euthanized on day without any kind of treatment to obtain normal control tissue , and ( b ) 4 rats with tumors that were sham - injected intracranially with pbs on days 1 , 3 , 7 , 10 and 14 , and euthanized for tissue harvest as soon as they developed neurological symptoms caused by tumor progression . intracranial tumor treatment . drug 2 doses of 0 . 5 and 2 . 5 mg / kg were equal for the treatment in the survival study . after intracranial administration of four doses of drug 2 , the animal survival time was increased by 30 %, p & lt ; 0 . 008 ( fig1 ), compared to rats treated with pbs ( mock ) or sense oligos ( drug 2a ). two treatments , however , only produced a marginal effect . drug 1 without transferrin receptor antibody did not affect survival . therefore , the mechanism of drug cell delivery is probably transferrin receptor - mediated endocytosis . interestingly , addition of antisense to egfr to drug 2 ( drug 4 ) resulted in loss of activity , possibly due to increased glioma cell survival in hypoxic conditions with egfr inhibited [ 39 ]. the mechanism of drug internalization was investigated in cultured glioma cells . when cells were treated with fluorescein - labeled drug 2 and rhodamine - labeled endosomal marker fm 4 - 64 ( molecular probes , eugene , oreg .) the staining for both compounds showed co - localization . in 10 minutes , stains co - localized near cell membrane and in 30 minutes both labels were found in the endosomes ( fig1 ). if cells were pretreated with transferrin receptor antibody and then treated with drug 2 in ten minutes , the drug was not seen in the cytoplasm ( data not shown ). these results suggest that transferrin receptor antibody is required as part of the active drug because it allows drug penetration into cells by receptor - mediated endocytosis , after which the antisense oligos can be released within the target cells . if the cells are pretreated with free antibody to transferrin , the receptors are blocked and the antibody on the drug is unable to bind . we found that drug 2 decreases vessel density and specific laminin chain expression in human gliomas xenotransplanted to nude rats . we demonstrated that drug 2 designed to inhibit laminin - 8 expression reduces vessel density in tumors . these vessels were visualized by immunostaining for von willebrand factor . the number of vessels was counted in both drug - treated and untreated animals , in five microscopic fields on three serial sections ( 15 fields per tumor ) under × 200 magnification , using a zeiss axioscop microscope connected to an image capturing system ( hamamatsu , japan ). the data were input into nih imagej software to quantify the vessels . statistical significance was determined by anova . angiogenesis . as shown on fig1 , microvascular density in the u87mg human tumors without treatment was significantly higher than in normal brain . after four intracranial treatments with drug 2 tumor vessel density was reduced by 55 %. data are presented for control brains of three sham - operated ( normal ) rats ( 45 microscopic fields ), five rats ( 75 microscopic fields ) with untreated tumors , and five rats with drug 2 - treated tumors ( 75 microscopic fields ). the results confirm the antiangiogenic mechanism of action of drug 2 designed to inhibit laminin - 8 expression . laminin chain immunostaining . it was important to show that drug 2 in fact inhibited the expression of targeted laminin - 8 chains . to this end , experiments were conducted both in vivo and in vitro . for tumor immunostaining , an antibody to human laminin - 8 β1 chain was used that does not recognize rat laminin but reacts with tumor - derived laminin . fig1 shows the effect in cell culture where the antisense effectively eliminates the immunostaining . as shown in fig1 , drug 2 also effectively reduced immunostaining for laminin β1 chain in xenotransplanted human tumors . inhibition of laminin - 8 expression in vitro was assessed in conditioned media of two cultured human gliomas , u87mg and t98g , treated for 3 days with drug 2 western blot analysis on fig1 shows marked reduction of laminin α4 chain ( three - fold decrease by densitometry ) and disappearance of laminin β1 chain . therefore , drug 2 efficiently inhibits the expression of target laminin chains both in vivo and in vitro . fourteen days after human u87 - mg glioma cells inoculation into rat brain for intracarotid treatment , group of 3 rats had a catheter implanted into the carotid artery right after the tumor implantation . the catheter was connected to an implantable subcutaneous injection port . the rats were given infusion of 900 pt of antisense and sense oligos solution ( 0 . 06 ml per minute for 15 minutes with a peristaltic pump ) into the right carotid artery via the subcutaneous port chamber followed by heparin flush . drug 2 was injected at a concentration of 2 . 5 μg / kg for intracarotid treatment or via the tail vein at a concentration of 5 μg / kg ( 3 rats as well ). the drug distribution was examined at 1 , 3 , 12 and 24 hours after injection . using the fluorescence unit , we detected the drug in transplanted tumor cells ( heavy staining ) and vascular cells ( lighter staining ) of the brain ( fig1 ). drug 2 was visualized by means of a rhodamine stained antibody that labels ( in red ) the transferrin antibody carried by drug 2 . the cell nuclei are counterstained with dapi ( blue ). rat brain ( right panel ) shows limited , mainly vascular , staining while the transplanted u87mg tumor cells ( left panel ) are heavily labeled . maximum concentration in these locations was achieved in 3 and 12 hours time - point after drug injection . these results confirm that drug 2 penetrates the blood - brain barrier ( bbb ), possibly by means of receptor - mediated endocytosis . conclusions . an in vivo model has been developed that is suitable for studying laminin - 8 expression and its inhibition in human tumors . the combination of antisense oligos to laminin - 8 α4 and βchains ( blockage of laminin - 8 ) combined with a novel drug delivery vehicle , pmla , efficiently inhibited laminin - 8 expression in a xenografted intracranial human glioma in rats . after a preliminary four - times antisense treatment , the survival of treated animals with glioma was significantly increased , with p & lt ; 0 . 008 . these data indicate that pmla - based antisense drugs using laminin - 8 as a therapeutic target are effective in inhibiting human brain tumors . the following claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above , what is conceptually equivalent ; what can be obviously substituted and also what essentially incorporates the essential idea of the invention . those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope of the invention . the illustrated embodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and that should not be taken as limiting the invention . therefore , it is to be understood that ; within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein . 1 . astriab - 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( 6 - maleimidocaproyl ) hydrazone of doxorubicin — a new derivative for the preparation of immunoconjugates of doxorubicin . bioconjugate chem . 1993 : 521 - 527 . 73 . fournié ph , domurado d , guérin ph , braud c , vert m , pontikis r . in vivo fate of repeat - unit - radiolabelled poly ( β - malic acid ), a potential drug carrier . j bioactive compatible polymers 7 : 113 - 129 , 1992 . 74 . roufai m b , midoux p . histidylated polylysine as dna vector : elevation of the imidazole protonation and reduced cellular uptake without change in the polyfection efficiency of serum stabilized negative polyplexes . bioconjugate chem , 12 : 92 - 99 , 2001 . 75 . benns j m , choi j s , mahato r i , park j s , kim s w . ph - sensitive cationic polymer gene delivery vehicle : n - ac - poly ( l - hitidine )- graft - poly ( l - lysine ) comb shaped polymer . bioconjugate chem , 11 : 637 - 645 , 2000 . 76 . ulbrich k , subr v , strohalm j , plocova d , jelinkova m , rihova b . polymeric drugs based on conjugates of synthetic and natural macromolecules : i . synthesis and physico - chemical characterisation . j control release , 64 : 63 - 79 , 2000 . 77 . bartus r t , elliott p j . dean r l , hayward n j , nagle t l , huff m r , snodgrass p a , blunt d g . controlled modulation of bbb permeability using the bradykinin agonist rmp - 7 . exp neurol , 142 : 14 - 28 , 1996 . 78 . howl j . fluorescent and biotinylated probes for b2 bradykinin receptors : agonist and antagonists . peptides , 20 : 515 - 518 , 1999 . 79 . campa m j , kuan c t , o &# 39 ; connor - mccourt m d , bigner d d , patz . jr e f . design of a novel small peptide targeted against a tumor - specific receptor . biochem biophys res commun , 275 : 631 - 636 , 2000 . | 0 |
fig2 is a block diagram showing two test instruments or modules 220 a , 220 b of a test apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention . the test instrument 220 a represents the test instrument that is generating a sync message and the test instrument 220 b represents the test instrument that is receiving a sync message . each of the test instruments 220 a , 220 b includes a bus interface fpga 260 and a sequencer fpga 270 . the sequencer fpga 270 of the test instrument 220 a generates a request to generate a sync message and passes it onto the bus interface fpga 260 . the bus interface fpga 260 generates the sync message in response to this request and passes it onto the ring bus 230 . the sync message generated by the bus interface fgpa 260 is in the following format : type = the sync type number ; clock = global clock number ( gcn ); gcn represents the clock number of the global clock to which the test instruments 220 a , 220 b are synchronized ; rescount = a counter that is incremented each time the sync message passes through a test instrument and counts to a maximum of n , which is equal to the number corresponding to the number of test instruments that are connected together over the ring bus 230 ; when the counter returns to zero , the sync message is no longer passed onto the ring bus 230 ; and fine = a time offset value indicating a time offset between the clock period of the dut 250 and the clock period of the global clock at the time the sync generation is requested by the sequencer fpga 270 . the bus interface fpga 260 of the test instrument 220 b receives the sync message from the ring bus 230 and passes it to the sequencer fpga 270 when its gcn increments up to a number equal to the gcn specified in the sync message plus a fixed ring bus latency value . the sequencer fgpa 270 checks the sync type number specified in the sync message and if that number matches the sync type number that it is looking for , it accepts the sync message as its trigger . in the process described above , it takes the hardware ( the sequencer fpga 270 and the bus interface fpga 260 of 220 a ) a certain amount of time to generate the sync message , and the hardware ( the bus interface fpga 260 and the sequencer fpga 270 of 220 b ) a certain amount of time to receive the sync message . this hardware overhead , however , differs from instrument to instrument . to account for this difference on the sync generation side , a delay ( reqcsyncoffset ) 265 is introduced so that all test instruments require the same amount of time to generate the sync message . to account for this difference on the sync reception side , a delay ( csyncoffset ) 266 is introduced so that all test instruments require the same amount of time to receive the sync message . the delay on the sync generation side is calculated based on the following formula : reqcsyncoffset =( maximum delay on the sync generation side for all instruments − delay on the sync generation side for current instrument ). the delay on the sync reception side is calculated based on the following formula : csyncoffset =( maximum delay on the sync reception side for all instruments − delay on the sync reception side for current instrument )+ fixed ring bus latency value . fig3 is a block diagram showing a representative test instrument or module 320 of a test apparatus according to another embodiment of the invention . in this embodiment , a global sync message is issued by the test head interface module to initiate the testing of the dut 350 ( e . g ., type = 0 ). the global sync message is passed around the ring bus 330 to each test instrument including the representative test instrument 320 . the bus interface fpga 360 of the test instrument 320 receives the sync message from the ring bus 330 and passes it to the sequencer fpga 370 when its gcn increments up to a number equal to the gcn specified in the sync message plus a fixed system latency value . the sequencer fgpa 370 checks the sync type number specified in the sync message , recognizes it as a global sync message for initiating the testing of the dut 350 , and initiates the testing of the dut 350 . the time it takes for the sequencer fpga 370 to initialize testing of the dut 350 differs from instrument to instrument . to account for this difference , a delay ( fteststartoffset ) is introduced so that all test instruments begin testing of the dut at the same time . this delay is calculated based on the following formula : fteststartoffset =( maximum initialization time for all instruments − initialization time for current instrument ). the delays that are introduced in the embodiments described above , reqcsyncoffset , csyncoffset and fteststartoffset , are delays that are clocked using the global clock . when these delays are used , sync messages appear at sequencer pipeline inputs of all instruments at the same time . according to additional embodiments of the invention , additional delays are introduced to account for differences in the sequencer pipeline delays among the instruments after the sequencer fpga of the different instruments begin supplying data to the dut at the dut clock rate . fig4 illustrate timing diagrams for a sync message generated by instrument a that appears at two different instruments , instrument b and instrument c . each of the instruments a , b , c includes a bus interface fpga 560 and a sequencer fpga 570 as shown in fig5 . the sequencer fpga 570 executes a sequence of instructions , one instruction per test period ( tz ). the test period corresponds to the test period of the dut pin or pins on which the instrument is performing tests . this test period may differ from instrument to instrument and are referred to below as tza , tzb and tzc . the test instructions executed by the sequencer fpga 570 are stored in a dual inline memory module ( dimm ) 575 . the sequencer fpga 570 executes the test instructions in sequence , one test pattern per test period , until it goes into a loop known as a wait until sync ( wus ) loop or a call until sync ( cus ) loop . the wus or cus loop is exited when the sequencer fpga 570 receives a sync message of a certain type that it is looking for . when the sequencer fpga 570 is in the wus loop , it does not execute instructions and looks for the sync message of the certain type . when the sequencer fpga 570 is in the cus loop , it calls and executes a series of instructions until it receives a sync message of the certain type . the timing diagrams shown in fig4 indicate a sync message issued at t = t 0 . the test program specifies when this sync message is to be generated , what instrument is to generate this sync message , and what and when instrument or instruments are to use this sync message ( e . g ., for triggering a sequence of instructions to be executed ). in the example corresponding to the timing diagrams of fig4 , instrument a is to issue the sync message at t = t 0 and at some time ( i_dap ) later , instruments b and c are to execute a series of instructions concurrently when this sync message is received . to accomplish this , the sequencer fpga 570 of instrument b and c is instructed to execute a wus loop ( or cus loop ) some time after t = t 0 until it receives the sync message issued by instrument a . the delays shown in fig4 include actual delays from processing and transmission and adjustable ( offset ) delays that are applied to the sync message as it travels from instrument a to each of the instruments b and c . the delay , tzpipeline ( a ), is an actual delay . it represents the pipeline delay of the sequencer fpga 570 of instrument a . the delay , fike / is a overhead , is also an actual delay . it represents the actual delay in the signal traveling from the sequencer pipeline output of instrument a to the sequencer pipeline input of instrument b or c . the delays , reqcsyncoffset and csyncoffset , are offset delays that are introduced to ensure that the sync message arrives at the sequencer pipeline inputs of instruments b and c at the same time . in order for instruments b and c to exit their respective wus loops at t = t 6 , the delay , dap , needs to be introduced , where dap = i_dap −( tzpipeline ( a )+ reqcsyncoffset + fike / isa overhead + csyncoffset ). the dap delay is applied to the sync message as a number of additional tz periods ( n_dap ). therefore , the n_dap value will be different in the example of fig4 if instruments b and c have different tz periods . the dap delay ensures that instruments b and c exit their respective wus loops at the same time ( t = t 6 ), but this does not ensure that test data generated by instruments b and c upon their execution of the instructions appearing after the wus loop arrive at the dut at the same time . the reason for this is the sequencer pipeline delay differences between the two instruments . to account for this difference , an additional offset delay , tzoffset , is introduced . this delay is calculated based on the following equation : tzoffset =( maximum sequencer pipeline delay for all instruments − sequencer pipeline delay for current instrument ). even with the dap delay and the tzoffset delay , when the tz period for instruments b and c are different , data might still arrive at the dut from instruments b and c at different times . this would happen when data from instrument b arrives at the dut during the middle of a tz period for c . to ensure that data from instruments b and c arrive at the dut at the beginning of their respective tz periods , an additional delay , rc , is introduced . the rc delays for the two instruments , defined in terms of their respective periods , tzb and tzc , are calculated in the following manner : if counter ( b )& gt ; 0 , rc for b =( lcm / tzc − counter ( b ))* lcm ; otherwise rc for b = 0 ; if counter ( c )& gt ; 0 , rc for c =( lcm / tzb − counter ( c ))* lcm ; otherwise rc for c = 0 ; lcm = lowest common multiple of tzb and tzc ; counter ( b ) is a 0 to ( lcm / tzc − 1 ) counter that increments at each tzb period ; and counter ( c ) is a 0 to ( lcm / tzb − 1 ) counter that increments at each tzc period . when the tz periods for instruments b and c are different , the tzoffset delay is calculated in a different manner : lcm = lowest common multiple of tzb and tzc ; sync_exec_dly = max_pipeline_dly modulo lcm ; and max_pipeline_dly = maximum sequencer pipeline delay for all instruments . the test program may condition a triggering of a sequence of instructions at an instrument based on an event detected at the dut by another instrument . fig6 illustrates timing diagrams for a sync message generated by test instrument a , in response to an event detected at the dut by instrument a , that appears at two different instruments , instrument b and instrument c . these timing diagrams are identical to the timing diagrams of fig4 for t = t 1 through t = t 7 . between t = t 0 and t = t 1 , the delays , stzpipeline ( a ) and stzoffset , are shown . they represent the amount of time taken for an event detected at the dut pin that is being tested by instrument a to reach the output of the sequencer pipeline of instrument a . the number of pipe stages for signals traveling from the sequencer fpga 570 to the dut ( tz pipeline ) can be different from the number of pipe stages for signals traveling from the dut to the sequencer fpga 570 ( stz pipeline ). the delay , stzpipeline ( a ), represents the sequencer pipeline delay for signals traveling from the dut to the instrument a . this delay differs from instrument to instrument . to ensure that all instruments exhibit the same sequencer pipeline delay for signals traveling from the dut to the instrument , an offset delay , stzoffset , is provided . the offset delay , stzoffset , is calculated based on the following formula : stzoffset =( maximum stz pipeline delay for all instruments − stz pipeline delay for current instrument ). when the stz period for instruments b and c are different , the stzoffset delay is calculated in a different manner : lcm = lowest common multiple of stzb and stzc ; sync_rec_dly = max_pipeline_dly modulo lcm ; and max_pipeline_dly = maximum stz pipeline delay for all instruments . the delays , stz 2 tz — dly and stz 2 tzoffset , are also shown in fig6 between t = t 0 and t = t 1 . they represent the output response delay of the dut to test signals that are applied to the dut input , and are necessary for the conversion from the dut output time domain ( with respect to which the event is detected ) to the dut input time domain . the delay , stz 2 tz — dly , represents the actual dut output response delay . since this delay differs from instrument to instrument , an offset delay , stz 2 tzoffset , is provided . the offset delay , stz 2 tzoffset , is calculated based on the following formula : stz 2 tzoffset =( maximum stz 2 tz — dly delay for all instruments − stz 2 tz — dly delay for current instrument ). fig7 is a block diagram of a sequencer fpga of a test instrument that illustrates the delays that are added to a request to generate a sync message in response to a programmed event . the thick arrows indicate the flow of signals that result in a request to generate a sync message . the request is made pursuant to certain events specified in the test program and is initiated from an instruction decode ( instr_decode ) section 705 . the request includes a sync message type ( sync_type ) that is retrieved from a table and added in block 710 . the delay , reqcsyncoffset , is introduced in block 720 . fig8 is a block diagram of a sequencer fpga of a test instrument that illustrates the delays that are added to a request to generate a sync message in response to a detected event . the thick arrows indicate the flow of signals that result in a request to generate a sync message . the request is made pursuant to a certain event detected at the dut output and is initiated when a match flag ( match_seq_true ) 820 is true . the delays , stzoffset and stz 2 tzoffset , are introduced in blocks 830 and 840 , respectively . when the match flag = true signal arrives at block 845 , the sync message type ( csync_type ) retrieved from a table in block 810 is included in the request . the delay , reqcsyncoffset , is introduced in block 850 . fig9 is a block diagram of a sequencer fpga of a test instrument that illustrates the delays that are added to a sync message received by the sequencer fpga . the thick arrows indicate the flow of the sync message . in block 910 , the sync message is received and compared with a sync message type ( csync_type ) that the sequencer fpga is waiting for . the sync message type is retrieved from a table in block 920 based on the test program . if there is a match , the sync message is delayed in series by a dap delay value 941 , an rc delay value 942 , and a tzoffset delay value 943 retrieved from table 930 . the dap delay value 941 , the rc delay value 942 , and the tzoffset delay value 943 are calculated based on the formulas given above and stored in the table 930 . while the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention , other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof , and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow . | 6 |
the fluid filter element shown in fig1 comprises an annulus 10 of filtering material which here takes the form of pleated paper . the filtering material 10 is surrounded by a thin - mesh stainless steel cylindrical screen 12 which not only protects the filtering material but also serves as a spark arrester . the filtering material 10 and the surrounding screen 12 are both sealed at one end in a flange or ring 14 of polyurethane resin or a polyester or epoxy resin which is moulded on to the filtering material 10 and the screen 12 . the flange 12 of the filter element is adapted to be received by a wall 16 serving as a holder for the filter element . the wall 16 has an opening 18 and a shoulder portion 20 forming a recess 22 . the outer diameter of the flange 14 is slightly less than the diameter of the recess 22 so that an annular gap 24 is formed between them . this gap is sealed by an annular seal 26 of neoprene the inner peripheral portion of which is received and held by bonding in an annular slot 28 in the flange 14 while the outer peripheral portion of the seal projects radially from the flange . the annular seal 26 is of rectangular cross - section with a width greater than its thickness and has an outer peripheral portion which is sufficiently flexible that the amount of force necessary to insert the flange 14 into the wall 16 is very low when compared with filter means having o - ring seals . it will be appreciated that the outer diameter of the annular seal 26 will be slightly greater than the diameter of the recess 22 in the wall 16 so that the seal is flexed when the filter element is inserted in the wall . once inserted , the pressure of fluid passing through the filter element will cause the annular seal 26 to make even tighter sealing engagement with the wall 16 . fig2 shows an alternative form of filter element in which the casing 14 is of tubular form so that the filter element can be received in a tubular holder 30 . in order to provide a good seal between the casing 14 and the case 30 while allowing the filter element to be slid along the filter without the expenditure of great force , flexible annular seals 26 of the same construction as the seal 26 shown in fig1 are held in corresponding annular slots in the external surface of the casing 14 adjacent the ends of the latter . fig3 shows a third form of filter element having a flange or ring 32 of polyurethane resin or a polyester or epoxy resin from which a cylindrical screen 34 depends . the screen 34 is made of metal and serves to contain an annulus 36 of pleated filtering paper in the same way as the filter element shown in fig1 . the lower end of the screen 34 is closed by an end wall 38 , while the upper end of the screen , together with the upper end of the annulus 36 of pleated filtering paper , is embedded in the material of the flange or ring 32 . the filter element shown in fig3 is adapted to be inserted into an annular spigot or sleeve 40 fixed to a wall 42 which is provided with a circular opening 44 having a diameter which is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the screen 34 while being of slightly smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the flange or ring 32 . in normal operation of the filter element , the lower edge portion 46 of the flange or ring 32 rests on the shoulder 48 bounding the hole 44 in the wall 42 . in order to seal the flange or ring 32 within the spigot or sleeve 40 , the outer cylindrical surface of the flange or ring 32 is provided with two spaced - apart annular seals 50 of neoprene having the same function and being of the same construction as the seals 26 shown in fig1 and 2 . here , as in fig1 and 2 , the seals 50 provide a good seal between the flange or ring 32 and the annular spigot or sleeve 40 while allowing the filter element to be moved into and out of its operating position in the wall without the expenditure of great force axially of the filter element . the filter element shown in fig4 is adapted to be inserted in a cylindrical holder or tube 52 . for this purpose , it comprises a cylindrical casing 54 which is provided at one end with a flexible annular seal 56 of neoprene or equivalent material which abuts against an annular shelf or flange 58 formed internally on the cylindrical holder or tube 52 . adjacent each end of the cylindrical casing 54 of the filter element is a screen 60 , 62 , and between these screens are plies of cellular material containing activated carbon particles for filtering air which passes axially through the filter element . the construction and arrangement of these plies of cellular material has been described in other patents applications and patents in my name and will not therefore be described in detail here . in order to permit the filter element to be slid into and out of the cylindrical holder or tube 52 without the expenditure of great force while ensuring a good fluid - tight seal between them , the outer surface of the casing 54 is provided with a pair of annular seals 64 of the same construction as those shown at 26 and 50 in fig1 to 3 , respectively . preferably , the casing 54 in the filter element shown in fig4 is of spun - moulded construction to permit the peripheral portions of the plies of cellular material to be incorporated into the material of the casing 54 while the latter is still in a liquid condition during the moulding process . the casing 54 is accordingly made of a mouldable synthetic plastics material . the present invention finds particular application in those installations where mechanical hands are used to insert fluid filter elements into a wall or other holder and to remove the elements therefrom . | 1 |
fig1 is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of multiple detector rings 50 of a pet system 100 ( shown in fig2 ). pet system 100 may include several detector rings 50 , with each detector ring 50 being formed of a plurality of detectors . in one embodiment of the invention , the pet system includes 24 co - axial detector rings . detectors 102 and 104 are positioned on a detector ring 50 on opposite sides of detector ring 50 . detectors 106 and 108 are positioned on different detector rings 50 . in one embodiment of the invention , each detector ring is separated by a septum 110 . septa 110 are annular disks shaped in the form of a ring or toroid . in another embodiment , septa 110 are present after every alternate detector ring 50 . septa 110 may be spaced after any number of detector rings 50 . septa 110 allow photons or gamma rays to travel only in the plane of a particular detector ring 50 , and partially shield cross - plane photons . in one exemplary embodiment each of the septa 110 are 0 . 8 mm thick and 20 mm high . a 3d pet system 100 operating with such septa 110 will be referred to herein as operating in a 2 . 5 - dimensional ( 2 . 5d ) mode of operation . it should be noted that the various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in connection with pet systems having septa 110 with different dimensions or different types of septa , such as , for example , sparse septa or focused septa ( e . g ., septa of varying length defined by distance from an axial center ). further , the various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in connection with pet systems operating in different modes . the lines along which the photons or gamma rays travel may or may not fall in the plane of a single detector ring 50 . for example , a photon may encounter an electron and gets annihilated at point 112 . the resulting pair of photons may travel in the plane of a single detector ring 50 along line of response ( lor ) 114 , or in a cross - plane along lor 116 . photons moving in cross - plane lor 116 are not shielded by septa 110 because of the height of septa 110 ( e . g ., their shorter height ). in operation , lor 114 is detected by a single ring of detectors 50 , whereas lor 116 is detected by two different detector rings 50 . fig2 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a pet system 100 . pet system 100 includes a pet scanner 202 and a controller 203 for controlling normalization and image reconstruction . controller 203 for controlling normalization and image reconstruction , further includes an operator workstation 204 , a data acquisition processor 206 and an image reconstruction processor 208 . pet scanner 202 , operator workstation 204 , data acquisition processor 206 and image reconstruction processor 208 are interconnected via a communication link 210 ( e . g ., serial communication or wireless link ). pet scanner 202 also referred to as a gantry , acquires scan data and transmits the scan data to data acquisition processor 206 . the operation of the pet scanner 202 is controlled from operator workstation 204 . the data acquired by data acquisition processor 206 is reconstructed into an image by image reconstruction processor 208 . pet scanner 202 supports a plurality of detector rings . one such detector ring , detector ring 212 , is illustrated in the fig2 . detector ring 212 includes a central opening , in which a patient 214 may be positioned using , for example , a motorized table , that is aligned with the central axis of detector ring 212 . the motorized table moves patient 214 into the central opening of detector ring 212 in response to one or more commands received from operator workstation 204 . a pet scanner controller 216 , also referred to as gantry controller , is provided ( e . g ., mounted ) within pet scanner 202 . pet scanner controller 216 responds to the commands received from operator workstation 204 through communication link 210 . thus , the operation of pet scanner 202 is controlled from operator workstation 204 through pet scanner controller 216 . detector ring 212 includes a plurality of detector units . in one exemplary embodiment , each detector ring comprises 70 detectors . for example , detector ring 212 includes detector 102 ( shown in fig1 ), detector 104 ( shown in fig1 ), and several other detectors . detector 102 , like the other detectors , includes a set of scintillator crystals arranged in a matrix that is disposed in front of a plurality of photomultiplier tubes ( e . g ., four tubes ). in an exemplary embodiment , each detector comprises 6 crystals . when a photon collides with a crystal on a detector , it produces a scintilla on the crystal . each photomultiplier tube produces an analog signal on line 218 when a scintillation event occurs . a set of acquisition circuits 220 is provided within pet scanner 202 to receive these analog signals . acquisition circuits 220 produce digital signals indicating the 3d location of the event and the total energy of the event . acquisition circuits 220 also produce an event detection pulse , which indicates the time or moment that the scintillation event occurred . these digital signals are transmitted through a communication link , such as , for example , a cable to an event locator circuit 222 in data acquisition processor 206 . data acquisition processor 206 includes event locator 222 , an acquisition cpu 224 , and a coincidence detector 226 . data acquisition processor 206 periodically samples the signals produced by acquisition circuits 220 . acquisition cpu 224 controls communications on a back - plane bus 228 and on communication link 210 . event locator circuit 222 processes the information regarding each valid event and provides a set of digital numbers indicative of the detected event . specifically , this information indicates when the event took place and the position of the scintillation crystal that detected the event . an event data packet is communicated to coincidence detector 226 through back - plane bus 228 . coincidence detector 226 receives the event data packets from event locator circuit 222 and determines if any two of the detected events are in coincidence . coincidence is determined by a number of factors . first , the time markers in each event data packet must be within a predetermined time period ( e . g ., 6 . 25 nanoseconds ) of each other . second , the lor formed by a straight line joining the two detectors that detect the coincidence event , should pass through the field of view in the pet scanner 202 . events that cannot be paired are discarded . coincidence event pairs are located and recorded as a coincidence data packet that is conveyed through a communication link to a sorter 230 in image reconstruction processor 208 . image reconstruction processor 208 includes sorter 230 , a memory module 232 , an image cpu 234 , an image processor 236 , and a back - plane bus 238 . sorter 230 counts all events occurring along each projection ray and organizes the events into 3d data . this 3d data or sinograms are organized in one exemplary embodiment as a data array 240 . data array 240 is stored in memory module 232 . back - plane bus 238 is linked to communication link 210 through image cpu 234 . image cpu 234 controls communication through back - plane bus 238 . array processor 236 is also connected to back - plane bus 238 . array processor 236 receives data array 240 as an input and reconstructs images in the form of image arrays 242 . resulting image arrays 242 are stored in memory module 232 . the images stored in image array 242 are communicated by image cpu 234 to operator workstation 204 . operator workstation 204 includes a cpu 244 , a display device 246 and an input device 248 . cpu 244 connects to communication link 210 and receives inputs ( e . g ., user commands ) from input device 248 . input device 248 may be , for example , a keyboard , mouse or a touch - screen panel . through input device 248 and associated control panel switches , the operator can control the calibration and configuration of the pet scanner 202 , and the positioning of the patient 214 for a scan . similarly , the operator can control the display of the resulting image on display device 246 and perform image enhancement functions using programs executed by workstation cpu 244 . fig3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining normalization factors for image reconstruction in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention . the method may be performed , for example , by processor 236 on data arrays 240 as a part of the image reconstruction process . specifically , at 302 , 3d normalization scans data s ( r , θ , φ , z ) is obtained , where ‘ r ’, ‘ θ ’, ‘ φ ’ and ‘ z ’ are dimensions as shown in fig1 and fig2 . ‘ r ’ is the perpendicular distance of an lor from the central axis of detector ring 50 ; ‘ θ ’ is the angle that an lor makes with a vertical passing through the central axis of the pet scanner , on a plane defined by the vertical and the central axis ; ‘ φ ’ is angle that an lor makes with the vertical ; ‘ z ’ is the distance between the two detectors detecting an event in the direction of the axis of detector ring 50 . this data may be obtained by performing a normalization scan using a rod source . the rod source is rotated along an orbit co - axial to the scanner and readings from different detectors are measured . this data also may be obtained by direct calculation using an analytic model . further , this data may be predicted through monte carlo simulation of a scan , or through a combination of an analytic model and simulations . at 304 , the normalization scan data is down - sampled and a geometric factor g ( r , θ , φ , z ) is calculated . normalization scan data is down - sampled to a { r , θ , φ , z } data set , wherein ‘ r ’ is the radial dimension of the data sinogram . for example , r is equal to 249 for a ge discovery st ™ scanner manufactured by ge medical systems , which is a 3d image acquisition pet scanner . the total number of angles that are acquired by the scanner is 210 . down - sampling of normalization scan data is performed to take advantage of the symmetry in the detector geometry . in an exemplary embodiment of the invention , there are 420 crystals per ring , formed into 70 blocks of 6 crystals each . the crystals are arranged in the ring such that there exists a 70 - fold symmetry around the detector ring . the geometric factors are expected to behave in a similar manner over this symmetry . therefore , the value of the angular dimension of the down - sampled sinograms would be 6 . the down - sampled geometric scan data may also be represented in a { r , m , φ } data set . ‘ m ’ is the total number of sinograms . for example , if a particular scanner includes 24 detector rings , the total number of combinations of detector ring pairs would be 576 ( 24 × 24 ). in one embodiment , ‘ m ’ excludes combinations accounted for twice in the case of the neighboring or adjacent rings , in which case , the value of parameter m in this case is equal to 553 ( 576 − 23 ). parameter ‘ m ’ therefore accounts for the parameter ‘ z ’ and parameter ‘ θ ’ in the { r , θ , φ , z } data set . ‘ φ ’. is a down - sample integral factor of a total number of acquired views . therefore , a down - sampled set of { 249 , 553 , 6 } is obtained in this example . this data set is then used to calculate a geometric factor g ( r , θ , φ , z ). in one embodiment of the invention , the average of normalization scan data s ( r , θ , φ , z ) over every six values of 4 is calculated to obtain the geometric factor g ( r , θ , φ , z ). other methods may also be used to calculate the values of geometric factor g ( r , θ , φ , z ) from the normalization scan data s ( r , θ , φ , z ). at 306 , a 3d normalization data array is determined using the geometric factor g ( r , θ , φ , z ) and a crystal efficiency factor . a 3d phantom acquisition scan data is acquired to calculate the crystal efficiency factor . in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention , a phantom scan is performed , by limiting the range of the projection plane width , to cover the phantom only . phantom scan data s ( u , v , φ , θ ) is obtained from the phantom scan . here , ‘ φ ’ and ‘ θ ’ define a projection plane for a particular lor ; ‘ u ’ and ‘ v ’ define cartesian coordinates in the projection plane . the ‘ u ’ and ‘ v ’ coordinates of the phantom scan data are related to the ‘ r ’ and ‘ z ’ coordinates , respectively , of the geometric factor according to the geometry of the particular pet scanner . the phantom scan s ( u , v , φ , θ ) data is then divided by the geometric factor g ( r , θ , φ , z ) to produce a sinogram s ′( u , v , φ , θ ). a mean sinogram row s ′( u ) is determined from the arithmetic or geometric mean of the rows of sinogram s ′( u , v , φ , θ ). further , sinogram s ′( u , v , φ , θ ) is divided by the mean sinogram s ′( u ) to produce a sinogram s ″( u , v , φ , θ ). a crystal - averaging scheme can then be performed on s ″( u , v , φ , θ ) to produce a crystal efficiency array e ( x , z ), which represents the number of events each crystal ( x , z ) participated in . the efficiency array e ( x , z ) is scaled such that its average value over all e ( x , z ) is 1 . 0 . crystal - averaging schemes are well known and described , for example , by chesler and stearns , ieee trans . nucl . sci ., vol . 37 ( 2 ), pgs . 768 - 772 . thereafter , a 3d normalization data array is created . the normalization data array n ( u , v , θ , φ ) is defined as 1 [ g ( r , θ , φ , z ) e ( x 1 z 1 ) e ( x 2 z 2 )]. the normalized data array n ( u , v , θ , φ ) is used , for example , after performing a patient scan to normalize the data obtained in the scan . in particular , the measured scan data is multiplied by the normalization data array n ( u , v , θ , φ ) to normalize the measured scan data . other correction methods may also be performed as a part of the 3d image reconstruction process . these correction methods include methods for the correction of the dead time factor that arises because a single detector cannot process two simultaneous coincidences . also , methods for artifact correction are performed , which account for scattered and random coincidences and attenuation of photons within a patient &# 39 ; s body . the various embodiments of the normalization data array methods described herein for use in creating the normalization array take into account that the septa and crystals may not be exactly located in their desired positions . also the various embodiments disclosed compensate for sensitivity variations within a single detector ring as well as for relative cross - planar sensitivities across different detector rings . the various embodiments also take into account effects such as fishnet artifacts and variations in module - to - module spacing . as a result , the created normalization data array n ( u , v , θ , φ ), facilitates the reconstruction of an improved image . moreover , the geometric factor arising in the axial or ‘ z ’ dimension may be significant in pet scanners containing septa between the detector rings . the various embodiments of the present invention compensate for this geometric factor , which also facilitates reconstruction of improved images . fig4 and fig5 show the effect of performing the 3d normalization in accordance with an embodiment of the invention on reconstruction of a pet image . image 402 is an exemplary phantom image , reconstructed without using the 3d normalization . image 502 , on the other hand , is reconstructed using the 3d normalization in accordance with the disclosed method . images 402 and 502 were obtained using a twenty centimeter ( cm ) diameter , twenty cm long uniform phantom flood in a pet scanner . it should be noted that because the geometric factors do not change significantly over time , the 2d normalization scan to determine the geometric factors can be performed relatively infrequently . for example , the normalization scan may be performed once in every three months , or only once for a particular scanner or even for a particular scanner design . the 3d phantom acquisition scan and creation of an updated 3d normalization data array n ( u , v , θ , φ ) based on the phantom acquisition scan is typically performed more often to estimate faster - changing single crystal efficiencies . while the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments , those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims . | 6 |
there are two types of shopping experiences : the first is shopping for yourself and the second is shopping for another person . we term the first type of shopping - &# 34 ; personal shopping &# 34 ; and the second type of shopping &# 34 ; proxy shopping &# 34 ;. these two types of shopping are shown in fig1 ( a ) & amp ; fig1 ( b ). fig1 ( a ) depicts the actual shopping experience between a sales representative 110 and a shopper who is shopping for themselves and is considered the customer 130 . thus the shopper and the sales representative interact , where the customer provides data 100 on their needs and their personality and the sales representative responds with several kinds of advice 120 such as , navigation advice that locates the products in the store , advice on product features , function and application advice such as how the product functions and applications for which it is suitable and ranking advice based on the customer &# 39 ; s purchasing criteria data such as low cost and durability . fig1 b depicts the actual shopping experience when the shopper is shopping for another person or entity , perhaps for a gift , here the shopper 180 and the sales representative 150 collaborate to form a common &# 34 ; customer personality &# 34 ; 160 . this personality is formed by both the sales representative &# 39 ; s experience with similar customers and in conjunction with the shopper &# 39 ; s own knowledge 140 of the customer based on their association with that person or entity . in this experience , we see the sales representative attempting to satisfy the customer &# 39 ; s needs 140 and the shopper simply making the purchase decision based on product sort / ranking advice 170 and their purchasing criteria e . g . low price . the purchasing criteria , may originate from the shopper if the purchase is a gift or it may be based on instructions from the other person or gift recipient . the central dilemma faced by merchants , when using electronic catalogs for target - selling , lies in the loss of direct , one - on - one customer selling . shoppers also feel the loss of personal , appropriate advice especially when doing gift or proxy shopping . this dilemma is ameliorated by the provisions of a virtual shopping experience for the sales representative and the shopper as shown in fig2 and represents the basis for this invention . in this scenario , the person who is the electronic catalog administrator , reference numeral 201 , creates product descriptions reference numeral 202 , while the person who is the sales representative 203 collaborates to produce typical &# 34 ; personas &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; persona affinities &# 34 ; for products that would be associated with these types of personas 204 . the sales representative creates specific &# 34 ; customer personas &# 34 ; based on their experience the customers in general . a customer persona is a &# 34 ; icon &# 34 ; that captures the personality traits of customers . these icons may be based on real psychological personality traits such as loud or quite personality traits , or may be based on fictitious characters such as those found in for example personas in cartoons of soap operas . the characterizing traits of the personas will vary depending on the product that the merchant is selling and the demographics of the target customer market . some products for example appeal more to men than woman , some appeal more to a younger generation than to an older one . another example is selling products across international borders to customers who do not identify with the same characterizing personas . the sales representative also assigns affinities between these customer personas and the content in the catalog 204 . an affinity is a numerical strength that represents the strength of an association between the customer persona and the catalog content . for example , in a catalog containing both office products and computer products , there is a strong affinity between a secretary persona and office products than there is between a programer &# 39 ; s persona and computer products . providing these &# 34 ; customer personas &# 34 ; to an electronic &# 34 ; catalog shopper &# 34 ; 205 enables them to configure a customer actor 206 that behaves like a customer to whom the catalog will target its advice . the customer actor may be configured to have the user &# 39 ; s own personality traits , someone else &# 39 ; s traits or even some image personality traits to which they aspire to , such as for example a rock idol . this enables a degree of shopping flexibility beyond that encountered in the actual world . usually , people are too shy to project an alter - personality to a strange sales representative . the computer , however , provides a degree of anonymity allowing shoppers to experiment to a far greater degree . the shopper then configures a customer - actor by persona association 206 . this is a numeric strength specifying the degree of similarity ( association ) between the customer agent and the customer personas . for example , the agent can behave 60 % like the star trek ( tm )&# 39 ; s captain picard ( tm ) persona , 20 % like captain kirk ( tm ) persona and 20 % like mr . spock ( tm ) persona . this will configure a customer actor 206 that is sophisticated enough to drink earl gray ( tm ) tea , has a fairly strong attraction for members of the opposite sex and is pretty rational and logical enough when making shopping decisions . continuing in fig2 the shopper 205 , provides his or her inputs regarding the personal characteristics of the potential recipient of the intended purchase , which interacts with the persona and persona - catalog content affinities 204 , to create a imaginary &# 34 ; customer - actor &# 34 ; 206 . the shopper further commissions a specific computer based &# 34 ; sales agent &# 34 ; 206a . the shopper 205 then in the virtual shopping experience scenario commissions a selective and particular sales agent 206a , to provide advise to the customer - actor 206 based on their specific needs and shopping personality . there may be more than one sales agent with differing sales characteristics . selecting the sales agent of your choice is similar to being able to choose sales agent when entering a store . each one may have a different area of specialization or expertise . once a specific computer based sales agent is selected by the shopper , in the electronic catalog system 207 , the agent provides the specific advise to the shopper who can then shop based on this advise 208 , check out 209 and pay for the items purchased 210 . the components , participants and operations of the &# 34 ; virtual shopping experience &# 34 ; system are seen in fig3 through fig6 flow charts . fig3 defines the &# 34 ; administrator &# 39 ; s &# 34 ; responsibilities for the electronic catalog . the administrator , block 300 creates product descriptions and also creates product attributes block 301 , creates product objects block 302 and then assigns values to the attributes to complete the product description block 303 for the electronic catalog . the content of block 303 , is then passed to the &# 34 ; sales representative &# 34 ; in fig4 block 404 , for a joint cooperative effort to create personas fig4 . block 405 and subsequently create &# 34 ; persona affinities &# 34 ; block 406 . this completes the tasks of the sales representative 406 . the content of both block 405 and block 406 are then passed on to fig5 the electronic catalog block 507 . the &# 34 ; shopper &# 34 ; then configures the &# 34 ; customer actor &# 34 ; block 508 by specifying affinities between the customer actor and persona and subsequently selects computer designated &# 34 ; sales agents &# 34 ; block 509 to provide sales advice to the customer while they are shopping . the &# 34 ; shopper &# 34 ; browses the electronic catalog fig5 block 510 and selects the category , attributes , value products in the catalog , block 511 . the computer driven electronic catalog system then retrieves relevant sub - categories , attributes , values and products from the database , fig6 . block 612 . the &# 34 ; sales agent &# 34 ; then uses persona - content and sales agent - persona affinities to calculate initial ordering of content in the browser block 613 . the computer controlled sales agent fig6 block 614 then applies shopping criteria to order sub - categories , attributes , values , product lists in order of preference and subsequently displays the content in browser block 615 . the sales agent then awaits the shoppers &# 39 ; s selection block 616 for ordering . the question is then raised at the next decision point block 617 as to whether the shopper wishes to exit after completing the ordering and payment procedure . if the answer is yes , then the shopper exits the system block 618 . if the answer to the decision is no , then the process returns back to fig5 block 510 where the shopper again has another opportunity to browse the catalog for additional purchases . | 6 |
fig1 shows a main input voltage v e applied to input terminals e1 and e2 of a d - c voltage converter . a smoothing coil l3 is connected at one end to input terminal e1 , and its other terminal to a filter capacitor c3 . filter capacitor c3 is connected at another end to input terminal e2 , and is shunted by the series combination of thyristors d1 and d2 , a step coil l2 and a primary winding t1 of a pulse transformer t . a first secondary winding t2 of pulse transformer t is connected to the anode of a diode d3 . diode d3 is connected at its cathode to the cathode of a diode d4 which is in series with a further step coil l4 . step coil l4 and first secondary winding t2 are connected at respective ends to an output terminal a2 . the junction of the cathodes of diodes d3 and d4 are connected to output terminal a1 by means of a filter coil l1 . a load r l is connected across output terminals a1 and a2 . the load is shunted by a smoothing capacitor c1 which is charged by the first secondary winding t2 . a second secondary winding t3 is connected in series with a diode d5 and a resistor r5 to output terminal a1 . this series circuit passes a pulse magnetizing current i u from the pulse transformer so as to further charge filter capacitor c1 . output terminal a1 is connected by a diode d6 to the collector of a transistor t1 . transistor t1 may be bank of parallel connected power transistors which are connected at their collective emitters to a tap z of first secondary winding t2 . winding tap z is provided at approximately 1 / 3 of the total number of turns of the first secondary winding t2 , and conducts a pulse current i t which induces a voltage across primary winding t1 which quenches thyristors d1 and d2 . the current i t flows from transistor bank p1 and through portion t2 &# 39 ; of first secondary winding t2 , and has a magnitude which corresponds approximately to three times the load current in the primary circuit t1 . during such time as pulse current i t flows , thyristors d1 and d2 are reverse biased and thereby extinguished . upon termination of the conduction of pulse current i t , the load current , which was previously flowing through diode d3 , is conducted through step coil l4 and bypass diode d4 . after the current i u has decayed , the converter is immediately ready to be switched on once again by thyristor firing circuitry ( not shown ) at the control terminals of thyristors d1 and d2 . an alternative of the embodiment of the invention which permits an advantageous reduction in the pulse current i t which flows through transistor bank p1 is shown in fig2 . the embodiment of fig2 is provided with a third secondary winding t4 which is connected at one end to the first secondary winding t2 , and at its other end to a series circuit consisting of a resistor r1 and a diode d7 . the cathode of diode d7 is connected to output terminal a1 by a resistor r2 . transistor bank p1 , as indicated above with respect to fig1 is provided with diode d6 which is conncted at its cathode to the collector terminals of the power transistors in the transistor bank . diode d6 is connected at its anode to the junction of the cathode of diode d7 and resistor r2 . the collective emitters of the transistors in the transistor bank p1 are connected to the junction of secondary windings t2 and t4 . in this embodient , diode d5 which is connected at its anode to second secondary winding t3 is connected at its cathode to the cathode of diode d7 . a pulse current storage capacitor c2 is connected across output terminal a2 and the junction of the cathode of diode d7 and resistor r2 . thyristors d1 and d2 are quenched by a pulse current of the magnitude of the secondary load current , as described above with respect to the embodiment of fig1 . quenching current i t is taken from pulse current storage capacitor c2 , which is charged to about 1 . 1 times the magnitude of voltage v b across first secondary winding t2 . pulse current storage capacitor c2 is charged when the converter circuit is switched on for the first time , by operation of secondary windings t2 and t4 , resistor r1 and diode d7 . in addition , pulse current storage capacitor c2 is rapidly pre - charged by diode d8 which is shunted across transistor bank p1 and blocking diode d6 . during normal pulse operation , the charge on pulse current storage capacitor c2 is replenished by current i u from second secondary winding t3 . in view of the plurality of charging paths available for pulse current storage current capacitor c2 , the possibility of undesirable overcharging of pulse current storage capacitor c2 during the times that the output currents are relatively small is reduced by providing resistor r2 which draws some of the overcharging current to output terminal a1 . in one practical embodiment of the circuit of fig2 a load current i l can be produced in the range of 30 to 100 amps so as to provide an output power p a of 3 to 10 kw at an output voltage v a of 117 volts . a minimum secondary voltage across secondary winding t2 has been achieved at v b = 238 v , with a current i u between 1 . 8 and 6 amps . in such an embodiment , capacitor c2 is chosen between 40 and 125 μf , the resistance of resistor r1 at between 8 and 1 . 6 ohm , and the resistance of resistor r2 at between 3 . 3 and 1 . 04 ohms . thus , in the practical embodiment , the following relationships apply : for an input voltage u e = 600 v ., the turns ratios of pulse trnsformer t should be : although the inventive concept disclosed herein has been described of specific embodiments and applications , other applications and embodiments will be obvious to persons skilled in the pertinent art without departing from the scope of the invention . the drawings and descriptions , and practical embodiments of the invention in this disclosure are illustrated of applications of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof . | 7 |
the invention provides an apparatus and method for smart editing of speech recognition output , which offers the most likely choice , or hypothesis , given the user &# 39 ; s input . the speech recognition engine scores alternate hypotheses which add value to information provided to the user . for example , if the speech recognition offers the user the wrong first - choice hypothesis , then the user may want to access the other n - best hypotheses to correct what was returned by the recognizer . in a multi - modal environment , the n - best list of hypotheses from the speech recognition output is available . specifically , the n - best list is incorporated into the current word choice list for easy editing . one embodiment of the invention makes use of both acoustic information and word context in offering the n - best hypotheses . this could be syntax - dependent or independent . that is , the language model may provide syntactic information that affects the probability of a given word or it may simply provide some type of n - gram model which indicates the probabilities of a particular word following a word or words . acoustically similar utterances appear in the n - best list . the information is facilitated by a confusability matrix that informs n - best hypothesis formulation about the frequency of specific phonemic errors . for example , if / p / is confused with / b / in word final position by the speech recognition engine , the resulting n - best hypotheses with these phonemes would take this into account . information may also be available to indicate how frequently each phoneme in a given language is confused with every other phoneme , including positional context , e . g . whether it occurs at the beginning , middle , or end of a word . information on when phonemes are deleted or inserted may be provided in addition to the confusability information . in the invention , a user &# 39 ; s text input created in this multi - modal environment is also used to update any ambiguous or recognition system language databases . ideally , databases that can be applied to any modality are updated in every modality . if a word offered by the speech recognition engine is not in , for example , the t9 dictionary , it may be added . in addition , word and phrase frequency and n - gram information can also be updated with use . the invention provides a smart edit feature . for example , a user dictates into the mobile device . the resulting text output from the recognizer is returned to the user wherever the cursor is in the text entry screen . the output is rich in that it is tagged with the n - best information for the purpose of editing and correction . one embodiment of the invention also provides a client - server feature , whereby the utterances are preprocessed on the device , recognized on a server connected e . g . via an available wireless data channel and returned as n - best lists to the device for text display and editing . hypotheses are more dynamic and relevant given any changes that the user is making to the text . for example , if the speech recognition engine proposed the word “ winner ” and the user corrects it with “ winter ”, this action will increase the likelihood that the following word “ storm ” is accurately recognized if the user &# 39 ; s correction is also passed back to the server . server - side language models provide a more comprehensive morpho - syntactic analysis of the input to improve recognition performance . the models have more power to predict the user &# 39 ; s next word , enhancing both word prediction and word completion algorithms . additionally , language - specific features such as subject - verb agreement , case , gender , and number agreements , etc ., can be implemented more easily on a powerful server to increase recognition accuracy . the system may allow the user to control the flow of corrections and updates to the server through client - side configuration or prompting . the invention also provides “ smart ” punctuation . speech recognition systems may have difficulty detecting when a user intends to insert a symbol rather than the word , e . g ., “.” instead of “ period ”, or “:-)” instead of “ smiley ”. ambiguous text input systems have a limited number of keys or gestures to select a symbol rather than a letter . but correcting speech with an ambiguous “ smart ” punctuation feature informs the system that the proper interpretation of the utterance is a symbol . the invention allows a temporary mode for “ push - to - dictate ,” which is similar to the “ push - to - talk ” feature except that the speech is converted into text instead of being transmitted as an audio signal to another phone or kept as an audio attachment to an email . in addition , the invention allows for vector quantization , which can be performed on the device , with the matching / hypothesis lists generated on either the device or the server . fig1 is a diagram that illustrates a system for recognizing user input on a data processing system according to the invention . the user 101 begins by dictating a word , phrase , sentence , or paragraph . the digitizer 105 and decoder 109 convert the acoustic input , using an acoustic model ( not shown ), to phonetic data . that data is analyzed by the recognition engine 111 , based on the lexicon and / or language model in the linguistic databases 119 , optimally including frequency or recency of use , and optionally based on the surrounding context in the text buffer 113 . the best interpretation is added to the text buffer 113 and shown to the user 101 via the text and list display 103 . alternately , the n - best list of interpretations is stored in the text buffer 113 for later reference and / or presented to the user 101 for confirmation via the text and list display 103 . at some point afterwards , the user 101 selects a word or phrase for correction via the text and list display 103 . depending on the input capabilities of the alternate modality , the user presses keys or taps or writes on a touch - screen , which is converted to an input sequence by an appropriate digitizer 107 . the disambiguation engine 115 determines possible interpretations based on the lexicon and / or language model in the linguistic databases 119 , optimally including frequency or recency of use , and optionally based on the surrounding context in the text buffer 113 . the multimodal disambiguation engine 117 compares the ambiguous input sequence and / or interpretations against the best or n - best interpretations of the speech recognition and presents revised interpretations to the user 101 for confirmation via the text and list display 103 . in an alternate embodiment , the disambiguation engines 115 and 117 are combined , and mutual disambiguation occurs as an inherent part of processing the input from the alternate modality . in another embodiment , the multimodal disambiguation engine 117 directs the ambiguous interpretations back to the recognition engine 111 for reinterpretation along with the best or n - best list of speech interpretations . in one such embodiment , the original vectors or phoneme tags are stored in the text buffer 113 ; in another , the multimodal disambiguation engine 117 or recognition engine 111 maps the characters ( graphs ) of the words in the best or n - best and / or ambiguous interpretations back to vectors or phonemes for reinterpretation by the recognition engine 111 . the recognition and disambiguation engines 111 , 115 , 117 may update one or more of the linguistic databases 119 to add novel words or phrases that the user 101 has explicitly spelled or compounded , and to reflect the frequency or recency of use of words and phrases entered or corrected by the user 101 . in another embodiment of the invention , the system recognizes handwriting , ( whether block , cursive , or even shorthand ) instead of speech . the system components 105 , 109 , 111 serve similar functions for handwriting as they do for speech . the alternate modality may be ambiguous input from a keypad or touch - screen keyboard , or speech recognition ( whether continuous , discrete , or by letter ), depending on the input capabilities and processing power of the equipment . fig2 is block diagram of a data processing system for recognizing user input according to the invention . although fig2 illustrates various components of an example data processing system , it is understood that a data processing system according to the invention in general may include other components than those illustrated in fig2 . for example , some systems may have communication circuitry on a cellular phone embodiment . fig2 illustrates various components closely related to at least some features of the invention . for this description , a person skilled in the art would understand that the arrangements of a data processing system according to the invention are not limited to the particular architecture illustrated in fig2 . the display 203 is coupled to the processor 201 through appropriate interfacing circuitry . a handwriting input device 202 , such as a touch screen , a mouse , or a digitizing pen , is coupled to the processor 201 to receive user input for handwriting recognition and / or for other user input . a voice input device 204 , such as a microphone , is coupled to the processor 201 to receive user input for voice recognition , and / or for other sound input . a key input device 206 , such as a phone keypad , a set of dedicated or configurable buttons , or a small keyboard displayed on a touch screen , is coupled to the processor 201 to receive user input for typing and / or for other user input . optionally , a sound output device 205 , such as a speaker , is also coupled to the processor . the processor 201 receives input from the input devices , e . g . the handwriting input device 202 or the voice input device 204 or the key input device 206 , and manages output to the display and speaker . the processor 201 is coupled to a memory 210 . the memory comprises a combination of temporary storage media , such as random access memory ( ram ), and permanent storage media , such as read - only memory ( rom ), floppy disks , hard disks , or cd - roms . the memory 210 contains all software routines and data necessary to govern system operation . the memory typically contains an operating system 211 and application programs 220 . examples of application programs include word processors , messaging clients , and foreign language translators . speech synthesis software may also be provided as part of the data processing system . in one embodiment of the invention , the memory 210 includes separate modules for each part of the recognition and / or disambiguation process , which may include one or more of a word - based disambiguating engine 216 , a phrase - based recognition or disambiguating engine 217 , a context - based recognition or disambiguating engine 218 , a selection module 219 , and others , such as a word list 214 and a phrase list 215 . in this embodiment , the context based disambiguating engine applies contextual aspects of the user &# 39 ; s actions toward input disambiguation . for example , a vocabulary may be selected based upon selected user location , e . g . whether the user is at work or at home ; the time of day , e . g . working hours vs . leisure time ; recipient ; etc . in one embodiment of the invention , the majority of the components for recognition and disambiguation are shared among different input modalities , e . g . for speech recognition and for reduced keypad input . the word list 214 comprises a list of known words in a language for all modalities , so that there are no differences in vocabulary between input modalities . the word list 214 may further comprise the information of usage frequencies for the corresponding words in the language . in one embodiment , a word not in the word list 214 for the language is considered to have a zero frequency . alternatively , an unknown word may be assigned a very small frequency of usage . using the assumed frequency of usage for the unknown words , the known and unknown words can be processed in a substantially similar fashion . the word list 214 can be used with the word based recognition or disambiguating engine 216 to rank , eliminate , and / or select word candidates determined based on the result of the pattern recognition engine , e . g . the stroke / character recognition engine 212 or the phoneme recognition engine 213 , and to predict words for word completion based on a portion of user inputs . similarly , the phrase list 215 may comprise a list of phrases that includes two or more words , and the usage frequency information , which can be used by the phrase - based recognition or disambiguation engine 217 and can be used to predict words for phrase completion . fig3 is a flow diagram of a method for processing language input in a data processing system according to the invention . the method starts with the step of receiving first input comprising voice input 300 . the method proceeds to determine a first plurality of word candidates according to the first input 302 . the method continues to the step of receiving second input comprising non - voice input 304 . finally , the method determines one or more word candidates according to the first input and the second input 306 . the speech recognition system converts the acoustic signal into a digital sequence of vectors which are matched to potential phones given their context . further , the phonetic forms are matched against a lexicon and language model to create an n - best list of words for each discrete utterance . in continuous speech recognition there may not be clear pauses between words , so the recognition output may be one or more likely phrase or sentence interpretations . by default the most likely interpretation is shown in the application &# 39 ; s current input field at the text insertion point . following the steps of the method , the user then determines that some of the previously recognized words are incorrect . using a stylus , arrow keys , or voice command , the user selects one or more words for correction . the input system may display a list of most likely interpretations at this point , but it will not always show the desired word or words especially if there are display constraints . using the available or preferred alternate modality , such as t9 text input on a phone keypad , the user begins to retype the first highlighted word . because the letters mapped to each key , such as a b c on the 2 key , are typically not acoustically similar , the system is able to immediately determine that the first phoneme , such as a plosive / b / or / p /, is in fact a b rather than a p because the 2 key was pressed rather than the 7 key containing p q r s . similarly , tapping the auto - correcting qwerty keyboard in the v b n neighborhood rather than in the i o p neighborhood increases the likelihood that the b was desired . similarly , making a pen gesture that a handwriting recognition engine interprets as closer to a b or 3 than a p or r mutually resolves the ambiguity in both recognizers . as the user continues to rewrite the incorrect word or words , a system implementing one embodiment of the method will immediately offer better interpretations of the original recognizer output given each ambiguous correction . as indicated in the examples above , re - entering only the first letter or two may be sufficient for the system to mutually disambiguate the entire word and offer the desired word as the best choice . the context and grammar of the preceding and / or following words in the input field , which were not selected for correction and thus may be presumed to be correct , may further prioritize and refine the interpretations of the utterance being corrected by the user . given the most likely word reinterpretation of the current utterance , subsequent utterances , associated e . g . by phoneme tag with other words selected for correction , may be reinterpreted as other more likely words . in another embodiment , the other selected words are mapped back to phonemes , using the lexicon or using language - specific rules that that specify a pronunciation for each letter , before reinterpretation as other more likely words . in one embodiment , the method has the vectors or phoneme tags and the ambiguous correction input directed back to the speech recognition system for a refined hypothesis search . in another embodiment , the method requires the disambiguation system to use the vectors or phoneme tags to refine and filter the correction so that only ambiguous interpretations with characters compatible with the vectors or phonemes are considered . as the user corrects the words , the speech recognition system may determine that its segmentation of continuous speech was in error and reinterprets the boundaries between words in light of the user &# 39 ; s corrections ; or that a pause is less likely to have represented a delimiter between words and so reinterprets the utterance and displays it as a single word . if the input options are limited on the device , the user may be able to select only one word at a time for correction . in that case , after the user selects the corrected word the method may include the step of reconsidering the following word in light of the corrected word context and / or how the original vectors map to the end of the corrected word and the beginning of the following word . the system may indicate that the following word has a lower confidence score or may automatically display the list of interpretations for the associated utterance . in one embodiment of the invention , the system automatically interprets ambiguous input following a recognized utterance as a correction of the preceding word or phrase . in another embodiment , the system simultaneously interprets the input as a correction to a preceding word and as the start of a new word to be added to the text ; by the time the user completes entry of the word , few valid corrections or new word interpretations may remain and the most likely will be offered . in an alternate embodiment of the invention , the first and second inputs are nearly simultaneous or overlapping ; in effect , the user is voicing what he or she is typing . the system automatically interprets both inputs and mutually disambiguates them to produce the best interpretation of both . the user doesn &# 39 ; t need to go back and correct words or phrases very often since combining the two inputs increases the likelihood that the system chooses the correct interpretation . entering only a few ambiguous inputs representing the beginning of each word may be sufficient in many cases . in another embodiment of the invention , the two inputs are concurrently entered , recognized , and mutually disambiguated only after a word or phrase is selected for correction . for instance , a user can press the 2 key for ‘ a ’ and speak a word that starts with ‘ a ’. in one embodiment , the key press could be taken to represent the first letter of the intended word . thus , when both forms of input seem to agree , one form of input could reinforce the other and increase the system &# 39 ; s confidence of the words that it presents . however , the two forms of input could disagree . in that case , words matching both forms of input could be presented in the word candidate list . the user would then be able to further clarify using either mode or both . in addition , one form of input could be used to “ build around ” words from the other . for example , the user can speak the word “ home ” then press the 9 key shortly thereafter . since these seem to conflict , the list of word possibilities should include words that are phonetically like “ home ” but also start with the letters ‘ w ’, ‘ x ’, ‘ y ’, or ‘ z ’, which appear on the 9 key . the press of the 9 key could also be considered as the start of the next part of the compound word so that when the user says ‘ work ’ the press of the 9 key can be used to help disambiguate the next spoken input . fig4 is a block diagram illustrating an example where a user has dictated a word according to one embodiment of the invention . the speech engine recognizes an utterance 400 . the word is displayed to the user 402 . if the user reselects the word or words in the application &# 39 ; s input field , the word choice list provides the alternate hypotheses from the speech recognition output 404 . the user may then select the correct interpretation from the word choice list and continue with speech recognition input 406 . if the user presses one or more ambiguous keys when a word is active , the word choice list reflects only words from the n - best list that fit the key sequence 408 . fig5 a - 5c are diagrams and sample displays illustrating an example where a user has dictated the words “ the top ” according to one embodiment of the invention . the speech engine recognizes the utterance as “ the stop ” which is returned to the user &# 39 ; s mobile device ( fig5 a ). if the user makes the word “ stop ” active in multi - modal t9 , the word choice list provides the alternate hypotheses from the speech recognition output ( fig5 b ). the user may then select his utterance from the word choice list and continue with t9 input or speech recognition input . if the user enters a key press the word choice list displays words from the n - best list that are constrained by this key press ( fig5 c ). when a word is active , an additional key press extends the letter sequence . thus , a soft key “ edit ” option may invoke the correction method . it quickly becomes evident that the invention works as well with reduced keyboards or recognizers for languages written with ideographic characters . for example , correcting the utterance “ bing ”, incorrectly recognized as “ ping ”, with pinyin letters mapped to each key , such as a b c on the 2 key ; after pressing the 2 key , the system is able to immediately determine that the first phoneme is in fact a b rather than a p . similarly , with a stroke - order input system , after the user presses a correcting key representing the first stroke category for the desired character , the speech recognition engine would be able to consider characters beginning with a stroke in another category and would be able to offer a better interpretation of the utterance . similarly , beginning to draw the first character using a handwritten ideographic character recognition engine can correct the speech interpretation . though an ambiguous stroke - order entry system or a handwriting recognition engine may not be able to determine definitively which handwritten stroke was intended , the combination of the acoustic interpretation and the stroke interpretation sufficiently disambiguates the two modalities of input to offer the user the intended character . and as noted previously for alphabetic language speech input correction , after the user selects the corrected ideographic character the method may include the step of reconsidering the following character in light of the corrected context and / or how the original acoustic vectors map to the end of the corrected character and the beginning of the following character . due to the corrections , the speech recognition system may also determine that a momentary pause is less likely to have represented a delimiter between words or phrases , and so reinterprets the utterance and displays it as a series of characters representing a single word or phrase instead of two separate words or phrases ; or vice - versa . the combination of speech recognition and ambiguous entry has other benefits . in a noisy environment , such as on a city sidewalk , in a busy cafeteria , or on a construction site , for example , the speech recognition accuracy may fall below a level acceptable to the user . or , in a quiet environment , such as in a library or during a meeting , or when the subject matter is private or sensitive , it may be unacceptable to use speech dictation . the user then has the ambiguous input system as a fallback for free text entry . in addition , it is challenging to recognize or spell out a word that the speech recognition system doesn &# 39 ; t have in its vocabulary , whereas the ambiguous input system typically offers a reliable means to type any character sequence and add it to its vocabulary . in addition , the speech recognition engine may be used to select a word from the list of candidates displayed by the ambiguous input system . in one embodiment of the invention , the word or phrase interpretations are ordered relative to the frequency of those words or phrases in common use of the language . in one embodiment of the invention , the ordering is adapted , continuously or on occasion , to the user &# 39 ; s frequency and / or recency of use of each word or phrase relative to the others . in one embodiment of the invention , word completions or predictions that match the keystrokes or stylus taps entered thus far are offered along with the other word interpretations , to make retyping of corrections and additional words faster and easier . in one embodiment of the invention , diacritics such as vowel accents are placed on the proper characters of the word being spoken or corrected without the user indicating that a diacritic mark is needed . in one embodiment of the invention , some or all of the inputs from the alternative modality are not ambiguous . this may reduce or remove the need for the disambiguation engine 115 in fig1 but still requires the multimodal disambiguation engine 117 to reinterpret the vectors or phoneme tags of the word or phrase being corrected in light of the new input sequence entered thus far . in one embodiment of the invention , such as when the ambiguous input system is an auto - correcting keyboard displayed on a touch - screen device , each character that is the best interpretation of the user &# 39 ; s input during correction or retyping , such as the closest character to each stylus tap , forms a sequence that the system displays as an unambiguous interpretation , which the user may select if the desired word is not in the vocabulary . in one embodiment of the invention , such as when the ambiguous input system is utilizing a reduced keyboard such as a standard phone keypad , the unambiguous interpretation is a two - key or multi - tap interpretation of the key sequence . in one embodiment of the invention , the unambiguous interpretation is added to the vocabulary if the user selects it for correction or output . in one embodiment of the invention , the recognized or corrected word or unambiguous interpretation identifies a replacement word or phrase for output , such as an abbreviation for a longer phrase or an acceptable substitute for a term of profanity . in one embodiment of the invention , the system adapts to systematic differences between the user &# 39 ; s input , e . g . tap location or slant of the handwritten shape , and the intended characters or words , based on the subsequent word or phrase interpretations actually selected by the user . in one embodiment of the invention , the user invokes a mode in which the utterances are recognized as discrete characters , e . g ., a letter , digit , or punctuation symbol . the character sequence may be added to the vocabulary if it is novel . in one embodiment of the invention , alternate words for spelling , e . g . “ alpha tango charlie ” or “ a as in andy , p as in paul ”, are recognized as discrete characters . in one embodiment of the invention , the system may choose to disregard the vectors or phonetic tags when they no longer provide useful guidance for reinterpretation or disambiguation . in one embodiment of the invention , the system provides a means , e . g . a key or gesture , for the user to dismiss some or all of the acoustic data associated with the recognized words . in another embodiment , during the installation phase , or continuously upon the receipt of text messages or other data , information files are scanned for words to be added to the lexicon . methods for scanning such information files are known in the art . as new words are found during scanning , they are added to a vocabulary module as low frequency words and , as such , are placed at the end of the word lists with which the words are associated . depending on the number of times that a given new word is detected during a scan , it is assigned a higher priority , by promoting it within its associated list , thus increasing the likelihood of the word appearing in the word selection list during information entry . standard pronunciation rules for the current or determined language may be applied to novel words in order to arrive at their phonetic form for future recognition . those skilled in the art will also recognize that additional vocabulary modules ( whether by rule or specified in a lexicon ) can be enabled within the computer , for example vocabulary modules containing legal terms , medical terms , and other languages . further , in some languages , such as indic languages , the vocabulary module may employ templates of valid sub - word sequences to determine which word component candidates are possible or likely given the preceding inputs and the word candidates being considered . via a system menu , the user can configure the system to cause the additional vocabulary words to appear first or last in the list of possible words , e . g . with special coloration or highlighting , or the system may automatically switch the order of the words based on which vocabulary module supplied the immediately preceding selected word ( s ). consequently , within the scope of the appended claims , it will be appreciated that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein . although the invention is described herein with reference to the preferred embodiment , one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that other applications may be substituted for those set forth herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . accordingly , the invention should only be limited by the claims included below . | 6 |
now referring to the drawings and first to fig1 a portion of a borehole 10 is shown in which an instrument package 12 including an acoustical tool is shown lowered therein by way of a logging cable 14 . the acoustic tool is lowered and raised within the borehole by way of a drive system 16 . logging cable 14 includes power transmission and communication lines as well as support lines for the acoustical tool . in the production of an acoustical well log using the acoustic tool , power and control signalling are provided by way of the logging cable to excite the transmitting transducer 18 in the top part of the tool , which signals are received or detected by the transducer receiver 20 portion in the tool at a position vertically spaced apart from and below the transmitter . the environment of the casing , adjacent borehole and the formation cause effects in the receive signal which are eventually recorded in accordance with the description presented hereinafter to produce the well logs in accordance with the present invention . the received impulses following conversion to electronic signals are communicated up the logging cable to a line take - off circuit 22 . such circuit is conventional and includes means for reproducing the electronic signal at the detector only as modified by the characteristics of the communication line between the receiver and circuit 22 . for example , circuit 22 may include detectors , demultiplexers and the like and may also include filters for removing power and control frequencies . the output of circuit 22 is connected to spectrum analyzer 24 , which may be of any conventional type suitable for separating the wide band frequency spectrum supplied thereto into component parts . typically , such an analyzer discriminates and produces an output for each window or channel which is viewed indicative of the component content of the frequency within the window . typically , a spectrum analyzer useful in the present invention would include on the order of 400 channels in a frequency range of d . c . to 25 khz . the rms amplitude value of a window or channel frequency is the most conventional measure of frequency content , although average amplitude or other measures of frequency content can also be employed , if desired . the window outputs from the spectrum analyzer are corrected for attenuation caused by the length of the logging cable to the location of signal development . the correction information is supplied by correction circuit 26 and is developed in a manner explained hereinafter . the output of the correction circuit is supplied via inputter 28 with the output of spectrum analyzer 24 , which produces a corrected output to display and / or recorder 30 . a trigger input is applied from take - off circuit 22 in conventional fashion to synchronize recorder 30 . a signal from drive system 16 to recorder 30 provides the depth indication marks for the recorder . now turning to fig3 a graph is shown of typical cable attenuation effects on cable - transmitted signals over a broad frequency spectrum . it may be seen that over the frequency band of operation , the cable loss for the higher frequencies as charted on the graph are greater than for the lower frequencies . therefore , the correction circuit is designed to amplify or otherwise compensate by augmentation or otherwise , the higher frequency signals to a greater extent than the lower frequency signals so as to produce a flat , true response curve as shown on the top line in fig3 . the correction circuit can achieve its operation in one of several ways . one convenient way is by use of a frequency compensating amplifier for boosting the outputs from the spectrum analyzer . such amplifier amplifies the higher frequencies more than the lower frequencies in accordance with a curve dependent on the attentuation characteristics of the communication line and the length thereof . that is , for a shorter length , the amplifier curve would tend to be flatter than for a longer length . a connection to cable drive system 16 via line take - off circuit 22 is used to control the amplification correction applied from correction circuit 26 to inputter 28 with the output of spectrum analyzer 24 to achieve the flat true response results discussed above . obviously , for shorter cable lengths , less correction is required . another , and preferred , correction circuit merely produces a signal that is non - uniform in amplitude or intensity over the frequency spectrum of operation . such signal would have a higher amplitude level at higher frequencies than at lower frequencies . the exact amount of amplitude level is determined by an internal memory correction circuit as previously determined to be required for the characteristics of the particular cable and the length of such cable . the length control mechanism again is derived from cable drive system 16 , which operates a shift register and other electronic memory components in conventional fashion . although the correction circuit is shown following the spectrum analyzer it can be located either immediately before the spectrum analyzer or even before the line take - off circuit , if desired . in any event , for each window , the corrected signal above a predetermined threshold produces a displayable and / or recordable series of logs . now referring to fig2 an illustration of a typical log in accordance with the present invention is shown . this log is referred to as a variable density log and is similar in appearance to amplitude acoustical logs in the prior art . to produce such a log , a beam of an oscilloscope moves across the face in swept fashion , a left - hand position representing the lowest frequency and a right - hand position representing the highest frequency . as the beam is swept , the consecutive outputs from the 400 or so channels of the spectrum analyzer are applied as bias voltage for modulating the intensity of the beam . a high frequency content for a particular channel is represented by a relatively large voltage above a predetermined threshold and results in a darker intensity on the face of the oscilloscope . a camera scanned past the face of the oscilloscope produces a permanent record of the type shown in fig2 . note that the signals from the spectrum analyzer continuously vary the beam output and therefore one channel actually overlaps the next and one channel also becomes virtually indistinguishable from its neighbors . as the acoustic tool is raised and the transmitting transducer is excited , typically by pulsing the transducer at 20 pps with a complex pulse including a plurality of frequencies , the receiver results in a recorded signal in the fashion shown . please note that the log which is developed in fig2 is logged with respect to specific locations within the well bore as indicated by the divisions given along the left - hand margin . these divisions may be developed by mechanical or electromechanical means connected to the drive system . that is , for each incremental raising of the logging cable , a signal is produced by a cam or otherwise to provide a bench mark indicative of a borehole location as provided for recording . it is a result of this same cam operation that produces a signal to correction circuit 26 for selecting its electronic operation as discussed above . the means for creating a logging division indication or creating a log as a function of depth in the manner described is old in the art and therefore is not further specifically described herein . it may be noted that at some locations , the content of the traces practically fades into nonexistence , which means that for a particular frequency window the signal may not be above the selected predetermined threshold . it is also quite apparent that the frequency content for the different channels or windows may be quite different from one another , indicating that there is much information in the frequency content of the signal which may not be apparent from only recording the overall amplitude of the signal in the prior art fashion . furthermore , the overall appearance of the traces when viewed together in close proximity with one another gives variable density information which is not apparent from any of the individual channel traces , were they produced singly . although many electrical , electro - mechanical and mechanical components are conventionally available and can be used for the various component elements of the system just described , gen rad 2515 spectrum analyzer is suited for use as spectrum analyzer 24 and raytheon sar - 097a spectrum analysis recorder can be used as recorder 30 . now referring to fig4 an alternate or second embodiment of the invention is shown , like numbers being used for like components to the embodiment shown in fig1 . the acoustical tool shown is this embodiment includes a transmitter 18 and a first transducer receiver 40 vertically spaced apart and below the transmitter and a second transducer receiver 42 vertically spaced apart and below receiver 40 . both receivers 40 and 42 are similar to receiver 20 discussed above . although there may be formation a and formation b in the vicinity of the tool between the transmitter and receiver 40 which differs from formation c located between receivers 40 and 42 , the technique employed in the second embodiment provides information with respect to this formation c , and therefore is more discriminating in viewing a narrower formation than the embodiment of the invention shown in fig1 . the received impulses , following conversion to electronic signals are communicated up logging cable 14 to a line take - off circuit 22 , as before . actually , there are two sections of this circuit for reproducing a first electronic signal representative of the acoustic signal detected by receiver 40 , as modified by cable attenuation , and for reproducing a separate second electronic signal representative of the acoustic signal detected by receiver 42 , again as modified by cable attenuation . these first and second signal are then respectively applied to spectrum analyzers 44 and 46 , to produce two plurality of frequency channel outputs , as described above for the spectrum analyzer shown in fig1 . each respective channel from spectrum analyzer 46 is then subtracted from its counterpart from spectrum analyzer 44 in difference circuit 48 to produce amplitude difference voltages at a plurality of frequencies , one for each spectrum analyzer pair of channels . the output from difference circuit 48 is applied through inputter 28 to display and / or recorder 30 with position input data derived from drive 16 , as for the previous embodiment , to be displayed and / or recorded in device 30 , again as discussed for the previous embodiment . a synchronizing trigger is applied from take - off circuit 22 to display and / or recorder 30 . it should be noted that the appearance of the log is similar to that shown in fig2 but actually is an amplitude difference log at a plurality of frequencies rather than a direct frequency log . however , both logs are useful in showing the frequency content , howbeit different aspects thereof , of the received and detected signals . fig5 shows an alternative to the fig4 embodiment . in this arrangement , the two outputs respectively representing receivers 40 and 42 from take - off circuit 22 are time shared through a first set of contacts of cyclically operating electronic switch 50 to spectrum analyzer 45 . this permits the use of only a single spectrum analyzer in the place of the two employed in fig4 . a second set of contacts of electronic switch 50 alternately directs the corresponding outputs from spectrum analyzer 45 respectively corresponding to the respective inputs to averaging circuits a ( 52 ) and b ( 54 ). these averaging or integrating circuits each produce an average value for each channel output applied thereto over a period of time assuring a smoother result than operating without such averaging circuits . these respective plurality of output channels are applied to a difference circuit 48 , which is similar in operation to the indentical circuit shown in fig4 . from there , the development and production of the output on display and / or recorder 30 is identical with the fig4 embodiment . while particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described , it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto , since many modifications may be made and will become apparent to those skilled in the art . | 6 |
referring to the drawings , the illustrated emulsion treater 10 has an elongate emulsion treater tank 12 to be disposed in a normal position with its longitudinal axis generally horizontal . within the tank are baffle means 14 defining an emulsion heating chamber 16 at one end of the tank having an emulsion inlet 18 , an emulsion settling chamber 20 at the other end of the tank , and an emulsion flow path 22 for conducting emulsion from the inlet to an oil recovery zone 24 in the settling chamber . emulsion flow path 22 includes a horizontally folded , generally sinuous portion 26 within the heating chamber 16 . this folded portion of the path comprises successive normally generally horizontal segments of the path forming emulsion preheating , direct heating , and post heating zones 28 , 30 , 32 , respectively . heating zones 28 , 30 , 32 are disposed in parallel horizontally side by side heat transfer relation with each direct heating zone 30 located between a preheating zone 28 and a post heating zone 32 . emulsion inlet 18 opens to and is located adjacent the upstream ends of preheating zones 28 . the upstream end of each direct heating zone 30 communicates with the downstream end of the adjacent preheating zone . the downstream end of each direct heating zone communicates with the upstream end of the post heating zone . each direct heating zone 30 contains an emulsion heating means 34 . emulsion flow path 22 includes a second horizontally folded , sinuous portion 36 in the settling chamber 20 forming an emulsion settling zone . settling zone 36 comprises successive , normally generally horizontal segments 38 , 40 , 42 of the flow path disposed in parallel horizontally side by side relation with segment 40 between segments 38 , 42 . the upstream end of segment 38 opens to the downstream end of post heating zone 32 through an opening 44 in the baffle means 14 . the downstream end of segment 42 opens to the oil recovery zone 24 . vapor and water removal means 46 , 48 are provided for removing vapor from the top and water and solid impurities from the bottom of the heating zones 28 , 30 , 32 , the settling zone 36 , and the oil recovery zone 24 . oil removal means 50 are provided by extracting oil from an intermediate level of the oil recovery zone . within the oil recovery zone is an overflow 54 . briefly , in operation of the emulsion treater 10 , emulsion entering through the inlet 18 flows , in sinuous fashion , through the preheating , direct heating , and post heating zones 28 , 30 , 32 in succession , then through the opening 44 and the settling zone 36 , to the oil recovery zone 24 . heating of the emulsion in the heating zones reduces the oil viscosity , effects release of gas from the emulsion , and initiates separation or stratification of the oil and water as well as settling out of solid impurities . the emulsion then flows through opening 44 into the settling zone 36 . final stratification of the oil and water and settling out of solid impurities occurs during flow of the emulsion through the settling zone to the oil recovery zone 24 . evolved gas and vapor are exhausted from the top of the several zones through the vapor removal means 46 . water and solid impurities are drained from the bottom of the zones through the water removal means 48 . oil is extracted from the oil - rich stratum within the oil recovery zone through the oil removal means 50 . referring now in more detail to the illustrated emulsion treater , the treater tank 12 is a cylindrical tank with dome - shaped end walls 56 , 58 . secured to the bottom of the tank are legs 60 for supporting the tank in its normal , generally horizontal position . baffle means 14 includes a transverse partition 62 fixed within the tank 12 between and defining with the tank end walls 56 , 58 , the heating chamber 16 and settling chamber 20 . extending between and joined at their ends to the partition 62 and end wall 56 are generally parallel and upright longitudinal baffles 64 , 66 . the two inner baffles 64 are flat and located at opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the tank . the two outer baffles 66 are located between and in spaced relation to the inner baffles and the sides of the tank . the lower portions of these outer baffles incline inwardly toward their adjacent inner baffles , as shown , to conform generally to the lower side wall curvature of the tank . the upper edges of the inner baffles 64 are located in a common horizontal plane a distance below the top of the tank 12 . the upper edges of the outer baffles 66 are located in a common horizontal plane a distance below the upper edges of the inner baffles . the lower edges of all the baffles are located in a common horizontal plane a distance above the bottom of the tank . the two inner baffles 64 define therebetween the post heating zone 32 . the two outer baffles 66 and their adjacent inner baffles define therebetween the direct heating zone 30 . the side walls of the tank 12 and the adjacent outer baffles define therebetween the preheating zones 28 . the tops of the direct and post heating zones 30 , 32 are closed by a peaked top baffle top 68 which is secured to the upper edges of the longitudinal baffles 64 , 66 , and extends between and is joined at its ends to the tank partition 62 and end wall 56 . the inner end of each preheating zone 28 , that is the end adjacent partition 62 , communicates to the inner end of the adjacent direct heating zone 30 through vertical slot - like openings 70 in the intervening outer baffle 66 . the opposite , or outer end of each direct heating zone communicates to the outer end of the post heating zone 32 through vertical slot - like openings 72 in the intervening inner baffle 64 . the emulsion inlet 18 is a longitudinally slotted tube extending transversely across the interior of tank 12 over the top baffle 68 and adjacent the outer ends of the preheating zones 28 . emulsion heating means 34 comprise heating tubes having generally u - shaped folded portions 74 which extend through the tank end wall 56 and longitudinally through the full length of the direct heating zones 30 . combustible gas is supplied to the heating tubes through nozzles 76 projecting into open ends of the tubes , as shown , and is burned in the tubes to generate heat . the heating tubes have upwardly directed exhaust ends 78 through which the burned gas is exhausted . baffle means 14 also comprises a transverse wall 80 in the settling chamber 20 adjacent but spaced from the tank end wall 58 and generally parallel and upright longitudinal baffles 82 , 84 extending endwise of the tank 12 between the latter wall and partition 62 . wall 80 is joined along one edge to one side of the tank ( the upper side in fig3 ) and has an opposite vertical edge spaced from the opposite tank side ( the lower side of fig3 ). the outer end of baffle 82 is joined to wall 80 along this latter wall edge and extends inwardly toward the partition 62 . the inner end of baffle 82 is spaced from the partition . longitudinal baffle 84 is located between baffle 82 and the upper tank side in fig3 and is joined at its inner end to partition 62 . the outer end of baffle 84 is spaced from wall 80 . the inner end portion of baffle 84 inclines laterally of the tank 12 and is joined to the partition 62 . longitudinal baffles 82 , 84 , and the sides of the tank 12 define the three segments 38 , 40 , 42 , of the settling zone 36 . the inner upstream end of segment 38 is spanned by horizontally disposed vertically spaced apart spreader bars 88 and opens to the inner downstream end of the post heating zone 32 through the opening 44 which is located in the partition 62 . spreader bars 88 span the emulsion flow path from below the oil / water interface to above this interface and induce a pressure drop to insure continued circulation without any stagnant pools . the outer ends of segments 38 , 40 communicate through the gap between wall 80 and the outer end of longitudinal baffle 84 . the inner ends of segments 40 , 42 communicate through the gap between longitudinal baffle 82 and partition 62 . the outer end of segment 42 opens to the space between tank end wall 58 and wall 80 which forms the oil recovery zone 24 . the three segments together form the settling zone 36 . the upper edges of wall 80 and baffles 82 , 84 are located in a common horizontal plane with the upper edge of partition 62 a distance below the top of tank 12 . the lower edges of the wall and baffles are located in a common horizontal path with the lower edges of partition 62 and baffles 64 , 66 a distance above the bottom of the tank . the vapor removal means 46 of the emulsion treater comprises a vapor collection region 89 extending along the top of tank 12 from heating chamber 16 to the settling chamber 20 through an opening 91 at the top of partition 62 and a vapor outlet 92 from this region . preheating zones 28 , settling zone 36 , and oil recovery zone 24 open directly upward to this collection region . the direct heating and post heating zones 30 , 32 open upwardly to the region through vents 94 on the top baffle 68 . vapor outlet 92 comprises a pipe extending upwardly through the oil recovery zone 24 into the vapor collection region 89 . water removal means 48 comprises a water collection region 96 extending along the bottom of tank 12 from the heating chamber 16 to the settling chamber 20 through an opening 90 at the bottom of partition 62 and a plurality of water outlets 100 from and spaced along the region . in these outlets are valves 102 , such as solenoid valves , adapted to be opened periodically and sequentially . all of the zones 28 , 30 , 32 , 36 , and 24 open downwardly directly to the water collection region . oil removal means 50 comprises a horizontal , troughlike oil outlet 104 mounted on the tank end wall 58 . this oil outlet is located at an intermediate level of the oil recovery zone 24 and connects to an oil outlet pipe 106 extending to the outside of the tank 12 . overflow 54 comprises a pipe extending upwardly through the oil recovery zone to the normal surface level of liquid in the tank . in the event the emulsion is oil well production , the incoming crude will have been previously processed to knock out virtually all of its free water and add the usual finishing additives . in operation of the emulsion treater , emulsion enters the heating chamber 16 through inlet 18 and flows inwardly and downwardly through the preheating zones 28 , then outwardly through the direct heating zones 30 , and finally again inwardly through the post heating zone 32 to the partition opening 44 . indirect heating of the emulsion within the preheating zones 28 , by heat transfer from the direct heating zone 30 , reduces the viscosity of the emulsion , releases entrapped gas in the emulsion , and initiates separation or stratification of the oil and water . the vapor evolved rises into the vapor collection region 89 and is removed . water gravitates downwardly into the water collection region 96 and is removed as explained below . the emulsion thus enters the direct heating zones 30 with a reduced gas and water content . this results in reduced heat loss by removal of heat with the water and reduced fouling of the heating tubes 34 by the water during subsequent emulsion flow through the direct heating zones 30 . during its passage through the direct heating zones 30 , the emulsion is further heated by direct contact with the heating tubes 34 . this effects additional release of gas from the emulsion and stratification of the oil and water . further release of gas and stratification of the oil and water occurs within the post heating zone 32 . the gas and vapor evolved in these zones passes upwardly through the vents 94 into the vapor collection region 89 and is removed . water released in the zones gravitates downwardly into the water collection region 96 and is removed . the oil - rich emulsion flows from the post heating zone 32 , through the partition opening 44 , past the spreader bars , and into the settling zone 36 where final stratification of the oil and water occurs by a gravity settling action . evolved gas and vapor and water are removed from this zone through the vapor and water collection regions 89 , 96 , as before . accordingly , the emulsion entering the oil recovery zone 24 has an upper oil - rich stratum of oil from which oil is extracted through the oil outlet 104 . this outlet is located at the proper level in the oil recovery zone to extract the oil . because of the sinuous folded configuration of the heating zones 28 , 30 , 32 and the settling zone 36 , the effective lengths of these zones for given tank size , and hence residence time of the emulsion in the zones are maximized . accordingly , the oil extracted from the emulsion treater is relatively high quality oil , relatively free of impurities . the water drain valves 102 are connected to a control circuit ( not shown ) for a periodic opening . this control circuit is programmed to periodically open the valves in sequence to drain water from the water collection region 96 in such a way as to maintain the proper emulsion level in the tank . | 1 |
fig1 is a schematic diagram showing an arrangement of an abnormality detection apparatus . in fig1 a bathroom is indicated at 1 , a changing room at 2 , a corridor at 3 and a kitchen at 4 . a door 5 is openably installed in a wall between the bathroom 1 and the changing room 2 . the door 5 may be opened to allow a person into the bathroom 1 from the changing room 2 or vice versa . on a changing - room 2 side surface of the wall between the bathroom 1 and the changing room 2 , a light switch 6 is disposed adjacent the door 5 for turning on a light 7 in the bathroom 1 . before entering the bathroom 1 , a person may manipulate the light switch 6 to turn on the light 7 . the person may manipulate the light switch 6 to turn off the light 7 after leaving the bathroom 2 . a reference character 8 represents a ccd ( image pickup means ) for picking up an image of a scene in the bathroom 1 . a reference character 9 represents an abnormality detection apparatus for detecting an abnormality based on the image picked up by the ccd 9 . a reference character 10 represents a first alarm device disposed in the bathroom 1 for giving an alarm to the person in the bathroom 1 ( bath user ). a reference character 11 represents a second alarm device disposed at , for example , the kitchen 4 for informing an abnormal state of the bath user to a person at place other than the bathroom 1 . fig2 shows a configuration of the abnormality detection apparatus 9 . a reference character 91 represents pre - processing means wherein the image picked up by the ccd 8 is a / d converted through a cds and agc . a reference character 92 represents y / c separation means wherein the image processed by the pre - processing means is subjected to y / c separation . a reference character 93 represents region integration means for integrating luminance ( y ) signals of each of plural feature - quantity calculation regions defined in one screen , the luminance signals separated by the y / c separation means 92 . a reference character 94 represents a microcomputer with an internal timer 94 a ( hereinafter referred to as “ microcomputer ”). as shown in fig3 for example , the region integration means 93 calculates an integration value ( hereinafter referred to as “ luminance integration value ”) of luminance ( y ) signals of each of regions e 1 to e 12 ( feature - quantity calculation regions ) defined in one screen , the luminance signals separated by the y / c separation means 92 . it is noted that the number of feature - quantity calculation regions is not limited to 12 . the accuracy of the abnormality detection will be further increased if the screen is divided into the larger number of feature - quantity calculation regions decreased in size to a degree that the detection is not affected by the shower water or the wavering surface of the hot water in the bath - tub . the microcomputer 94 senses time - variations of the luminance integration values of the respective feature - quantity calculation regions thus calculated by the region integration means 93 , thereby determining that the bath user is in motion if not less than a predetermined number of feature - quantity calculation regions are time - varied in the luminance integration values , or that the bath user is motionless if not less than the predetermined number of regions are not time - varied in the luminance integration values . a state with no motion of the bath user is monitored by means of the internal timer 94 a in the microcomputer 94 . after the lapse of a first time period such as of 5 minutes during which the state with no motion of the bath user has continued , the microcomputer 94 outputs a first alarm signal for triggering the first alarm device 10 . after the lapse of a second time period such as of 15 minutes during which the state with no motion of the bath user has continued , the microcomputer 94 outputs a second alarm signal for triggering the second alarm device 11 . fig4 represents steps of an abnormality detection procedure taken by the abnormality detection apparatus 9 . the microcomputer 94 keeps the abnormality detection apparatus 9 performing the operations during the time between turning on and turning off of the light 7 in the bathroom 1 by way of the light switch 6 . first , an image of a scene in the room is captured by the pre - processing means 91 through the ccd 8 ( step s 1 ). the image captured into the pre - processing means 91 is sent to the y / c separation means 92 where y - signal is separated from c - signal ( step s 2 ). the region integration means 93 integrates the luminance ( y ) signals of each of the feature - quantity calculation regions ( step s 3 ). the microcomputer 94 determines whether the bath user is in motion or not based on the time - variations of the respective luminance integration values of the feature - quantity calculation regions so calculated by the region integration means 93 ( step s 4 ). specifically , it is determined that the bath user is in motion if , out of the feature - quantity calculation regions , not less than a predetermined number , say three , of regions are determined to be time - varied in the luminance integration values . if less than three regions are time - varied in the luminance integration values , it is determined that the bath user is motionless . instead of calculating the luminance - signal integration value of each of the feature - quantity calculation regions , a color - difference - signal integration value may be calculated on a region - by - region basis . alternatively , each of the feature - quantity calculation regions may be calculated for both the luminance - signal integration value and the color - difference - signal integration value such that whether the bath user is in motion or not may be determined based on either of the integration values presenting the time - variations . if the microcomputer 94 determines that the bath user is in motion ( step s 5 ), the microcomputer 94 resets a time - counting operation of the internal timer 94 a ( if it is performing the time - counting operation ) ( step s 12 ) and then returns the control to step s 1 . if it is determined at step s 5 that the bath user is motionless , then judgment is made as to whether the internal timer 94 a is performing the time - counting operation or not ( step s 6 ). if the time - counting operation is underway , the control proceeds to step s 8 . if the time - counting operation is not being performed , the internal timer 94 a is caused to start the time - counting operation ( step s 7 ) and then the control proceeds to step s 8 . in steps subsequent to step s 8 ( inclusive ), the microcomputer 94 makes determinations as to whether a time counted by the internal timer 94 a exceeds the first predetermined time period or not ( step s 8 ) and as to whether or not a time counted by the internal timer 94 a exceeds the second predetermined time period which is longer than the first predetermined time period ( step s 9 ). if the time counted by the internal timer 94 a exceeds the first predetermined time period , the microcomputer 94 outputs the first alarm signal so as to trigger the first alarm device 10 in the bathroom 1 for alerting the bath user in the bathroom 1 ( step s 10 ). if the time counted by the internal timer 94 a exceeds the second predetermined time period , the microcomputer 94 determines that the bath user has lapsed into an abnormal state in the bathroom 1 , outputting the second alarm signal for triggering the second alarm device 11 installed at place other than the bathroom , such as the kitchen 4 , thereby informing an emergency situation to a person at place outside the bathroom ( step s 11 ). the alarm at step s 10 is given for the purpose of awakening the bath user who may have fallen asleep in the bathroom 1 . the alarm at step s 11 is given to inform the emergency situation to someone outside the bathroom because it is determined that the bath user has lapsed into the abnormal state , such as loss of consciousness . the abnormal state of the bath user can be detected by repeating the above steps in cycles . fig5 a and 5 b illustrate specific examples of detected situations . fig5 a illustrates a case where the bath user has fallen asleep in the bathroom 1 whereas fig5 b illustrates a case where the bath user has lapsed into the abnormal state . it is noted that the term “ motion judgment threshold ” in the figures is defined as a threshold for determining whether the number of regions time - varied in the luminance integration values is not less than three or less than three . referring to fig5 a , the bath user turns on the light switch 6 at time t 1 . at this time , the microcomputer 94 causes the abnormality detection apparatus 9 to start the operations . when the bath user turns on the light switch 6 , the luminance is varied due to the illuminated light 7 . accordingly , almost all the feature - quantity regions are temporarily determined to be time - varied in the luminance integration values . subsequently , it is determined that there is no motion of the bath user because the luminance integration values are not time - varied until the bath user enters the bathroom 1 . at time t 2 when the door 5 is opened to allow in the bath user and closed , an increased number of regions are determined to be time - varied in the luminance integration values and hence , it is determined that the bath user is in motion . after entering the bathroom , the bath user takes motions such as dashing hot water over his / her body and the like . thus , for some time thereafter , a state continues wherein the bath user is determined to be in motion . subsequently , at time t 3 when the bath user sits in the bath - tub , the motion of the bath user decreases so that the number of regions time - varied in the luminance integration values is correspondingly decreased . therefore , it is determined that the bath user is motionless . accordingly , the internal timer 94 a of the microcomputer 94 starts a time counting operation at time t 3 . at time t 4 or after the lapse of the first predetermined time period , say 5 minutes , from time t 3 , the microcomputer 94 outputs the first alarm signal to the first alarm device 10 for giving an alarm to the bath user in the bathroom 1 in order that the bath user may be awakened if he / she has fallen asleep . in response to the alarm given by the first alarm device 10 , the bath user starts moving . at time t 5 , the number of regions time - varied in the luminance integration values exceeds the motion judgment threshold so that it is determined that the bath user is in motion . at time t 6 , the bath user leaves the bathroom 1 , opening and closing the door 5 . subsequently at time t 7 , the light 7 is turned off by means of the light switch 7 . at this time , the microcomputer 94 terminates the operations of the abnormality detection apparatus 9 . next , operations shown in fig5 b will be described . it is noted that the same operations as in fig5 a are done during the period between time t 1 and time t 4 and therefore , the description thereof is dispensed with . if the bath user becomes unconscious after time t 3 , the bath user cannot respond to the alarm given in the bathroom 1 at time t 4 . therefore , at time t 8 or after the lapse of the second predetermined time period from time t 3 , the microcomputer 94 outputs the second alarm signal for giving an alarm through the second alarm device 11 installed at the kitchen 4 . at the alarm of the second alarm device 11 , a person at place other than the bathroom 1 recognizes an abnormal state , going to the bathroom 1 to check what situation the bath user is in . this results in an early detection of the abnormal state of the bath user . in a second embodiment , an abnormality detection apparatus is arranged the same way as in fig1 and is configured the same way as in fig2 . first , an image of a scene of the room is captured into the pre - processing means 91 via the ccd 8 ( step s 20 ). as described hereinlater , this embodiment is adapted to capture images at intervals of one minute . the image captured at step s 20 is sent to the y / c separation means 92 for y / c separation ( step s 21 ). the region integration means 93 integrates the luminance signals of each of the feature - quantity calculation regions ( step s 22 ). the microcomputer 94 determines whether the bath user is in motion or not based on the time variations of the respective luminance integration values of the feature - quantity calculation regions so calculated by the region integration means 93 ( step s 23 ). the latest results and a predetermined number of results precedent thereto are stored . at step s 24 , the microcomputer 94 determines whether or not judgments made at step s 23 in the first predetermined time period from the present point of time , say in the last 10 minutes , include not more than a predetermined number , say three , of determinations that the bath user is in motion . if the judgments made in the last 10 minutes include not more than three determinations that the bath user is in motion , the microcomputer 94 determines that a first abnormal state is present , outputting the first alarm signal for triggering the first alarm device 10 ( step s 25 ). at step s 26 , the microcomputer 94 determines whether or not , judgments made at step s 23 in the second predetermined time period from the present point of time , say in the last 15 minutes , include not more than a second predetermined number , say three , of determinations that the bath user is in motion . if the judgments made in the last 15 minutes include not more than three determinations that the bath user is in motion , the microcomputer 94 determines that a second abnormal state is present , outputting the second alarm signal for triggering the second alarm device 11 ( step s 27 ). step s 28 places the operations in a standby state until the internal timer 94 a of the microcomputer 94 counts up to one minute so that the image may be captured at intervals of one minute . malfunctions caused by noises of the captured image or in the abnormality detection apparatus 9 can be reduced by repeating the operations of steps s 20 to s 28 in cycles . thus is accomplished the early detection of the abnormal state of the bath user in the bathroom 1 . the first and second embodiments have been described by way of examples where the abnormal state of the person in the bathroom ( bath user ) is detected . however , the invention is also applicable to the detection of an abnormal state of a person in a room of a house , such as a toilet , living room and the like . according to the above embodiments , it is determined that the bath user has lapsed into the abnormal state when the bath user has continued to be motionless for a predetermined period of time . however , it is conceivable that the bath user may writhe in distress on the bathroom floor when some abnormality occurs to him / her . as an approach to deal with this situation , the abnormal state of the bath user may be detected in the following manner . the feature - quantity calculation regions in fig3 are divided into an upper group and lower group . even if the number of regions time - varied in the integration values exceeds the motion judgment threshold , it is further determined whether the time - variations of the integration values are limited to the lower region group or not . if the time - variations of the integration values are observed only in the lower region group , it is determined that the bath user may be writhing in distress on the bathroom floor . that is , the bath user is determined to be motionless . since the time during which a person uses the bathroom may often vary from family to family , it is desirable that a user is permitted to set the first and second predetermined time periods of steps s 8 and s 9 as well as the first and second predetermined time periods of steps s 24 and s 26 . in a third embodiment , an abnormality detection apparatus is arranged the same way as in fig1 and is configured the same way as in fig2 . fig7 shows functions of the microcomputer 94 . a reference character 101 represents 3 - field adder means for adding up luminance integration values over three fields with respect to each of the feature - quantity calculation regions . a reference character 102 represents averaging means which calculates a per - field average ( hereinafter referred to as “ luminance average ”) of each of the feature - quantity calculation regions based on the 3 - field luminance integration value for each feature - quantity calculation region thus obtained by the 3 - field adder means 101 . the averaging means 102 records the calculation results in an average register 103 . where the light operates on the utility power at 50 hz , there is a difference of about 10 hz between the utility power and a frame period of the image pickup . this results in the flickering of the light , which causes the variations of luminance . this involves a possibility of an erroneous determination that the bath user is in motion . as a preventive measure against such an erroneous determination , the 3 - field adder means adds up the luminance integration values over three fields on a region - by - region basis and the averaging means calculates the per - field luminance average for each feature - quantity calculation region . although this embodiment obtains the per - field luminance average from the 3 - field luminance integration value , the calculation of per - field luminance average may not necessarily be based on the 3 - field luminance integration value . the per - field luminance average may be obtained from a luminance integration value over three or more fields , say six fields , nine fields and such . a reference character 104 represents reference - value setting means which sets the luminance average per feature - quantity calculation region as a reference value for abnormality detection , the luminance average per calculation region recorded in the average register 103 . then , the reference - value setting means records the established reference value in a reference - value register 105 . a reference character 106 represents abnormality detecting means for detecting an abnormal state based on the respective luminance averages of the feature - quantity calculation regions given by the averaging means 102 and on the respective reference values of the feature - quantity calculation regions recorded in the reference - value register 105 . the abnormality detecting means 106 includes a flag register 107 , an abnormality register 108 and a number - of - time register 109 . a reference character 110 represents alarm means for outputting the first or second alarm signal when the abnormality detecting means 106 successively detects an abnormal state not less than a predetermined number of times . fig9 and 10 show operations of the abnormality detection apparatus . first , the apparatus is initialized ( step s 30 ). specifically , an initial reference value is established in the reference - value register 105 . on the other hand , the flag register 107 and the abnormality register 108 are set to “ 0 ”. further , the number - of - time register 109 is set to “ 4 ” as the number of times k . next , an image of a scene in the room is captured into the pre - processing means 91 via the ccd 8 ( step s 31 ). the image captured in the pre - processing means 91 is sent to the y / c separation means 92 for y / c separation ( step s 32 ). the region integration means 93 integrates luminance signals of each of the feature - quantity calculation regions ( step s 33 ). next , the adder means 101 of the microcomputer 94 adds up the luminance integration values over three fields with respect to each of the feature - quantity calculation regions ( step s 34 ). when three fields of images have been captured ( step s 35 ), the control proceeds to step s 36 . if three fields of images have not been captured ( step s 35 ), the control returns to step s 31 . when the processings at steps s 31 to s 35 have been repeated in three cycles or the adder means 101 has added up the luminance integration values over three fields on region - by - region basis , the control proceeds to step s 36 . at step s 36 , judgment is made as to whether or not one second has elapsed from the previous execution of step s 38 which will be described hereinlater . if it is determined that one second has not elapsed from the previous execution of step s 38 , the control proceeds to step s 37 to reset the added value given by the adder means 101 . subsequently , the control returns to step s 31 to restart the image capturing operation . if it is determined that one second has elapsed from the previous execution of step s 38 , the control proceeds to step s 38 . it is noted that when step s 35 gives a first “ yes ” after the start of the operations of the abnormality detection apparatus , the control proceeds from step s 36 to step s 38 . at step s 38 , the averaging means 102 calculates a per - field luminance average for each of the feature - quantity calculation regions based on the 3 - field luminance integration value per region given by the adder means 101 . the averaging means records the calculation results in the average register 103 . specifically , as shown in fig8 a per - field luminance average d 1 is calculated from integration values for three fields of luminance signals 1 , 2 , 3 . after the lapse of one second , a per - field luminance average d 2 is calculated from integration values for three fields of luminance signals 4 , 5 , 6 . subsequently , the same step is repeated at intervals of one second thereby obtaining the per - field luminance average from the integration values for three fields of luminance signals . next , the abnormality detecting means 106 compares the respective reference values of the feature - quantity calculation regions recorded in the reference - value register 105 with the respective luminance averages of the feature - quantity calculation regions recorded in the average register 103 so as to determine whether each of the feature - quantity calculation regions is varied in luminance or not . based on the judgment results for the respective feature - quantity calculation regions , the detecting means determines whether the bath user is in motion or not ( step s 39 ). for instance , if three or more regions are varied in luminance , it is determined that the bath user is in motion . if the luminance variations are observed in less than three regions , the bath user is determined to be motionless . if it is determined that the bath user is motionless , the control proceeds to step s 41 . if the bath user is determined to be in motion , the abnormality detecting means 106 sets the flag register 107 to “ 1 ” ( f = 1 ). then , the control proceeds to step s 41 . at step s 41 , the abnormality detecting means 106 decrements by one the number of times k recorded in the number - of - time register 109 . then , the abnormality detecting means 106 determines whether the number of times k is equal to “ 1 ” or not ( step s 42 ). if not k = 1 , the abnormality detecting means 106 returns the control to step s 31 to restart the image capturing operation . if k = 1 , the abnormality detecting means 106 sets the number - of - time register 109 to “ 4 ” as the number of times k ( step s 43 ), and then determines whether “ 1 ” is recorded in the flag register 107 or not ( step s 44 ). specifically , it is determined whether or not four judgment results as to the motion of the bath user include at least one determination that the bath user is in motion , the four motion judgments individually based on the comparison between an initial reference value d 0 and each of the four luminance averages d 1 , d 2 , d 3 and d 4 , as shown in fig8 . when determining at step s 44 that “ 1 ” is recorded in the flag register 107 , the abnormality detecting means 106 clears the content of the abnormality register 108 ( step s 45 ). subsequently , the reference value is updated ( step s 51 ). specifically , a current average value recorded in the average register 103 is recorded , as the new reference value , in the reference - value register 105 by means of the reference - value setting means 104 . subsequently , the control returns to step 331 to restart the image capturing operation . assume that the four motion judgments as to the bath user have been done based on the averages d 1 , d 2 , d 3 and d 4 at step s 39 , the average d 4 currently recorded in the average register 103 is recorded , as the new reference value , in the reference - value register 105 , as shown in fig8 . when determining at step s 44 that “ 1 ” is not recorded in the flag register 107 or that all the four motion judgments determines the bath user to be motionless , the abnormality detecting means 106 increments the abnormality register 108 by “ 1 ”, for the number of times x of abnormality detection ( step s 46 ). then , the abnormality detecting means determines whether the content x of the abnormality register 108 is “ 2 ” or not ( step s 47 ). if x = 2 , the abnormality detecting means 106 causes the alarm means 110 to output the first alarm signal ( step s 48 ). this triggers the first alarm device 10 for alerting the person in the bathroom . after updating the reference value ( step s 51 ), the control returns to step s 31 to restart the image capturing operation . if not x = 2 , the abnormality detecting means 106 determines whether the content x of the abnormality register 108 is “ 4 ” or not ( step s 49 ). if x = 4 , the abnormality detecting means 106 causes the alarm means 110 to output the second alarm signal ( step s 50 ). this triggers the second alarm device 11 for informing a person at place other than the bathroom ( room ), such as a kitchen , that the person in the bathroom has lapsed into the abnormal state . after updating the reference value ( step s 51 ), the control returns to step s 31 to restart the image capturing operation . if not x = 4 , the reference value is updated ( step s 51 ) and then the control returns to step s 31 to restart the image capturing operation . the abnormality of the person in the bathroom is detected by repeating steps s 30 to s 51 in cycles . particularly , this embodiment is adapted to capture the reference image data at intervals of one second such that even a slow motion of an elderly person can be adequately detected . thus is accomplished the detection of the abnormal state of such a person . in a fourth embodiment , an abnormality detection apparatus is arranged the same way as in fig1 and is configured the same way as in fig2 . a reference character 201 represents 3 - field adder means for adding up luminance integration values over three fields with respect to each of the feature - quantity calculation regions . a reference character 202 represents averaging means which calculates a per - field luminance average for each of the feature - quantity calculation regions ( hereinafter referred to as “ luminance average ”) based on the 3 - field luminance integration value for each of the feature - quantity calculation regions thus obtained by the 3 - field adder means 101 . the averaging means records the calculation results in an average register 203 . a reference character 204 represents reference - value setting means which sets the luminance average per feature - quantity calculation region as a reference value for abnormality detection , the luminance average per calculation region recorded in the average register 203 . the reference - value setting means records the established reference value in a reference - value register 205 . a reference character 206 represents abnormality detecting means for detecting an abnormal state based on the luminance average given by the averaging means 202 and on the reference value per feature - quantity calculation region recorded in the reference - value register 205 . the abnormality detecting means 106 includes an abnormality register 207 . a reference character 208 represents alarm means for outputting the first alarm signal as an in - room alarm signal or the second alarm signal as an exo - room alarm signal when an abnormal state is detected by the abnormality detecting means 206 . fig1 and 14 show operations of the abnormality detection apparatus . first , the apparatus is initialized ( step s 60 ). specifically , an initial reference value is established in the reference - value register 205 . on the other hand , the abnormality register 207 is set to “ 0 ”. next , an image of a scene in the room is captured into the pre - processing means 91 via the ccd 8 ( step s 61 ). the image captured into the pre - processing means 91 is sent to the y / c separation means 92 for y / c separation ( step s 62 ). the region integration means 93 integrates luminance signals of each of the feature - quantity calculation regions ( step s 63 ). next , the 3 - field adder means 201 of the microcomputer 94 performs the adding operation , retrieving the luminance integration values per feature - quantity calculation region from the region integration means 93 ( step s 64 ). when three fields of images have been captured ( step s 65 ), the control proceeds to step s 66 . if three fields of images have not been captured ( step s 65 ), the control returns to step s 61 . when the processings at steps s 61 to s 65 have been cycled three times or the 3 - field adder means 101 has added up the luminance integration values over three fields with respect to each of the feature - quantity calculation regions , the control proceeds to step s 66 . at step s 66 , judgment is made as to whether or not one second has elapsed from the previous execution of step s 68 which will be described hereinlater . if it is determined that one second has not elapsed from the previous execution of step s 38 , step s 67 is executed to reset the added value given by the adder means 201 and the control returns to step s 61 to restart the image capturing operation . if it is determined that one second has elapsed from the previous execution of step s 68 , the control proceeds to step s 68 . it is noted that when step s 65 gives a first “ yes ” after the start of the operations of the abnormality detection apparatus , the control proceeds from step s 66 to step s 68 . at step s 68 , the averaging means 202 calculates a per - field luminance average for each of the feature - quantity calculation regions based on the 3 - field luminance integration value per feature - quantity calculation region given by the adder means 201 . the averaging means records the calculation results in the average register 203 . specifically , as shown in fig1 , a per - field luminance average d 1 is calculated from integration values for three fields of luminance signals 1 , 2 , 3 . after the lapse of one second , a per - field luminance average d 2 is calculated from integration values for three fields of luminance signals 4 , 5 , 6 . subsequently , the same step is repeated at intervals of one second , thereby obtaining the per - field luminance average from the integration values for three fields of luminance signals . next , the abnormality detecting means 206 compares the reference value per feature - quantity calculation region recorded in the reference - value register 205 with the luminance average per feature - quantity calculation region recorded in the average register 203 so as to determine whether each of the feature - quantity calculation regions is varied in luminance or not . based on the judgment results of the respective feature - quantity calculation regions , the detecting means determines whether the bath user is in motion or not ( step s 69 ). for instance , if three or more regions are varied in luminance , it is determined that the bath user is in motion . if the luminance variations are observed in less than three regions , the bath user is determined to be motionless . as shown in fig1 , whether the bath user is in motion or not is determined based on the reference value d 0 and the average d 1 . if the bath user is determined to be in motion , the abnormality detecting means clears the abnormality register 207 , setting the content x of the abnormality register 207 to “ 0 ” ( step s 70 ). subsequently , the reference value is updated ( step s 76 ). specifically , a current average value in the average register 103 is recorded , as the new reference value , in the reference - value register 105 by the reference - value setting means 104 . subsequently , the control returns to step s 61 to restart the image capturing operation . if the bath user is determined to be motionless , the abnormality detecting means increments the abnormality register 207 by “ 1 ” for the number of times x of abnormality detection ( step s 71 ). then , the abnormality detecting means 206 determines whether the content x of the abnormality register 207 is “ 4 ” or not ( step s 72 ). if x = 4 , the abnormality detecting means 206 causes the alarm means 208 to output the first alarm signal ( step s 73 ). this triggers the first alarm device 10 for alerting the bath user . then after updating the reference value ( step s 76 ), the control returns to step s 61 to restart the image capturing operation . if not x = 4 , the abnormality detecting means 206 determines whether the content x of the abnormality register 207 is “ 8 ” or not ( step s 74 ). if x = 8 , the abnormality detecting means 206 causes the alarm means 208 to output the second alarm signal ( step s 75 ) this triggers the second alarm device 11 for informing a person at place other than the bathroom ( room ), such as a kitchen , that the person in the bathroom has lapsed into the abnormal state . then , after updating the reference value ( step s 76 ), the control returns to step s 61 to restart the image capturing operation . if not x = 8 , the control omits step s 76 for updating the reference value , returning to step s 61 to restart the image capturing operation . as shown in fig1 , the luminance average d 1 is first calculated and then compared with the reference value d 0 so as to determine whether the bath user is in motion or not . if the bath user is determined to be in motion , the abnormality register 207 is cleared while the luminance average d 1 is recorded as the reference value in the reference - value register 205 . subsequently , if the comparison between the luminance average d 2 and the reference value d 1 determines that the bath user is motionless , the content of the abnormality register 207 is incremented by “ 1 ”. if the bath user is determined to be motionless , the reference value is not updated so that the reference value stays at d 1 . subsequently , the luminance average d 3 is compared with the reference value d 1 . thus , the reference value is updated when the bath user is determined to be in motion . on the other hand , the reference value is not updated when the bath user is determined to be motionless , provided that the reference value is updated if four successive motion judgments determine that the bath user is motionless . the abnormal state of the person in the bathroom is detected by repeating steps s 60 to s 76 in cycles . particularly , this embodiment is adapted for adequate detection of even a slow motion of an elderly person , thereby accomplishing the detection of the abnormal state of such a person . although the foregoing second , third and fourth embodiments are adapted to detect the abnormality based on the time - variations of the luminance signal , the detection may be based on the time - variations of color difference signal . as mentioned supra , it is also possible to detect the abnormality based on the time - variations of both the luminance signal and the color difference signal . | 6 |
the present invention is of a method for capturing screen events , and processing these events to form data in a data format which is susceptible to analysis . preferably , the method also comprises analyzing the data in order to extract useful information about the user of the screen and computational device which generated these screen events . more preferably , the method of the present invention is able to assess the quality of the performance of the user whose interaction with the computational device caused the screen events to be generated . capturing of the screen events may optionally and preferably be performed real - time . analysis of the captured events may be performed either on - line or off - line . by “ on - line ”, it is meant that the process of analyzing is performed while a connection is maintained the computational device of the user . by “ off - line ” it is meant that the process of analysis is performed after the data have been collected . the present invention is preferably operative in either mode , as the computational device of the user preferably operates a screen agent , which is capable of retaining data from the activities performed with regard to the environment of the computational device , and particularly those activities which are associated with at least one action occurring on the screen of the computational device . thus , the act of analyzing screen events is not necessarily limited to a particular session with a customer service representative or other user of the computational device , but instead may optionally be performed on the captured data at any time . according to preferred embodiments of the present invention , the method is operative according to a number of different stages . the screen events are preferably first captured . it should be noted that the screen events may optionally be retained before capture , as previously described . the process of capturing the screen events preferably includes decomposing these events into one or more components , such that the captured screen events are preferably in a data format structure which is susceptible to further analysis . this process of decomposing the events may also optionally be described as parsing the captured events to form raw data . next , one or more triggers may optionally be activated , preferably according to one or more rules as determined by a rule engine . next , the captured information is more preferably filtered . the filtered information is then most preferably logged ( stored ). this information may optionally and preferably be analyzed . according to further preferred embodiments of the present invention , an event , or a pattern of events , may optionally serve as a trigger for the active extraction of data from a plurality of different locations on the screen and / or on the computational device , and / or the active extraction of data of a plurality of different types . for example , if a particular gui ( graphical user interface ) gadget is activated , such as a particular gui button being “ clicked on ” or otherwise selected by the user with a mouse or other pointing device , this preferred embodiment of the present invention enables data to be captured from multiple data sources , such as two separate windows on the screen , one window and an e - mail message , or any other combination of data from multiple sources . thus , the present invention is optionally and preferably not limited to capturing one type and / or one source of data upon being triggered by a trigger . according to preferred embodiments of the present invention , there is preferably provided a method for obtaining information about a plurality of applications being operated by a computational device , comprising : detecting at least one screen event of the computational device ; determining if the at least one screen event is a triggering event ; and if the at least one screen event is a triggering event , capturing data about the plurality of applications according to a plurality of different portions of a display of a screen of the computational device . the principles and operation of the method according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description . it should be noted that the present invention is described with regard to the operation of a contact center for a plurality of customer service representatives for the purposes of clarity only and without any intention of being limiting . in fact , the present invention is operative for capturing screen events and related information from any type of computational device which is being operated by a user . as previously described , the present invention preferable features a number of stages for processing the screen events . these stages are described in greater detail below with regard to fig1 , which is a flow diagram of an exemplary method according to the present invention . as shown , in stage 1 , data is captured by observing at least one computational device environment event , and then retrieving at least a portion of the data generated by that event . the system of the present invention can optionally capture events related to activities performed in the computational device environment , including but not limited to , screen , keyboard and mouse type events , as previously described . more preferably , these events are captured through a component ( screen agent software module ) installed on the computational device of the user , as described in greater detail below with regard to fig2 . preferred embodiments of the capturing process are described with regard to fig3 a and 3b , below . optionally and more preferably , the system enables one or more selective criteria to be predefined for determining which activities to capture . the system is therefore able to reduce the actions being performed to a pattern of parameters , by analyzing these activities according to the one or more selective criteria for capturing data . this ability more preferably supports other preferred embodiments of the present invention , such as the creation of selective criteria for recording the screen activities for example . also optionally and more preferably , the system supports parsing of the raw data from the captured activities , and hence about the actions of the user , according to one or more specific criteria for each computational device and / or user , depending upon whether the criteria are determined according to hardware identifiers or user - related identifiers . most preferably , each user has a profile of criteria for capturing data . such a profile is preferably used as a pre - filtering process , in order to focus the collection of data on those screen events which are actually of interest . the raw data ( from the captured screen events ) optionally and preferably passes to a rule engine for processing in stage 2 of fig1 as shown . this stage may optionally be referred to as the “ triggering ” stage , as one or more specific events may optionally be predefined for generating real time triggering . such triggers may optionally result in data capture for any type of event , and / or any other type of data capture . for example , the trigger could optionally be used to start recording the events occurring on the screen of the computational device of the user if the user performed a specific action , such as generating a new e - mail message or any other specific action . such a recording would preferably effectively provide a complete chronological record of the alterations to the display of the screen of the computational device , which could optionally be played back like a “ movie ” of the screen display . the identification of a particular trigger , and the invocation of a particular response , such as recording data related to activities performed by an agent , is preferably performed according to a rule engine . this engine preferably receives a plurality of rules , which may optionally be defined according to the operator of the system according to the present invention , and examines the incoming raw data in order to determine whether the data fits one or more of the rules . if a rule is found to fit the data , then preferably one or more actions are executed according to the rule , such that the data comprises a trigger . the rule engine is more preferably operated as part of the screen event agent on each user computational device , but could alternatively be operated by a separate server ( not shown ; see fig2 ). in any case , the rule engine could optionally be implemented as any type of rule processor , which could be easily implemented by one of ordinary skill in the art , as the operation of the rule engine is more preferably deterministic . one exemplary implementation of the triggering process is described with regard to fig4 below . according to the exemplary but preferred implementation shown , the triggering process preferably includes the analysis of one or more parameters which characterize the screen event . more preferably , the triggering process includes comparing a pattern of parameters which characterize the event to one or more rules by the rule engine , such that the event is determined to be a triggering event for one or more actions by the system of the present invention according to the pattern of parameters . once an action has been selected by the rule engine , the process preferably passes to the logging stage . more preferably , the event itself ( as determined by the rule engine ) and the content or data which triggered that event are both passed to the logging stage . in the logging stage , the captured content or data is preferably at least stored . more preferably , the logging stage also includes a filtering process , for filtering the captured content or data . this filtering process may optionally and preferably be used in order to determine which information is saved and / or passed to a further stage in the process , and which is to be discarded . however , more preferably the captured content and / or data is parsed into a data format which is susceptible to further analysis . by “ susceptible to analysis ” it is meant that the data format provides a plurality of components or fields , each of which holds a particular value or type of data , such that the data structure of the format permits an automatic analysis to be performed on the data . most preferably , each component or field represents a particular type of event which may occur in the computational environment of the user . optionally and more preferably , the parsed content and / or data forms parsed data which is maintained as a database of events such as mouse click , keyboard strokes , opened and closed windows , specific values in predefined locations / fields etc . any type of event which occurs in the computational environment of the user may optionally be included in the database . broadly , these events may be divided into two categories : active events , which are those induced or caused by the user , such as mouse clicks , the operation of the keyboard , voice activated commands and so forth ; and passive events , such as windows opening and closing , information or data received from an interaction with a customer ( such as chat text , or an e - mail or instant messaging system message , for example ) and changes to the screen display which are not directly caused by an action of the user . next , the processed data is passed to an analysis stage . in this stage , the previously captured events , optionally with any associated data , are analyzed in order to determine one or more different types of information about the captured events . these different types of information preferably characterize the captured events according to one or more characteristics , such that the events are preferably characterized according to a pattern of parameters , although the analysis may optionally be performed according to an analysis of at least one value of at least one parameter . the system can preferably perform analysis of the events captured and logged to establish various goals , more preferably regarding the performance of the user of this computational device . for example , the efficiency of interactions with the customer may optionally be ascertained . efficiency may optionally be defined according to such parameters as the ability to operate the customer support software , amount of “ backtracking ” or repetitive actions required to accomplish a particular task , number of contacts handled and their length , relative complexity of the interaction with the customer which is required , and so forth . these goals may optionally be used to evaluate the user of the computational device . other types of analyses may also optionally be performed , alternatively or additionally . in any case , the process of analysis preferably includes sending an automatic notification of one or more analyzed features of the performance of the user of the computational device to a supervisor , for example . this type of selective notification is preferred , as it may assist the supervisor to better manage the performance of the individual users . since this method of capture requires fewer resources for network management and storage , the system optionally and preferably supports continuous recording of events and data . the continuous recording generates chronological information about the user as an individual and about the group of users . the availability of chronological information enables the system to base its recommendations for evaluation from a wider point of view in addition to unusual situations or other criteria . another optional goal is to perform a more complex analysis , for example on the collective information gathered from all user activities or certain groups ( e . g . new users , trainees etc .) to improve the overall performance of the contact center or other group of users . for example , certain processes required from the user may create unnecessary complexity in the operation of the systems , which may be alleviated by redesign of the screens or the process . this type of recommendation may further increase the efficiency of the interaction of the user with the computational environment . yet another optional goal is content analysis , which in this example is analysis of the content associated with a particular event . non - limiting examples of contact data include e - mail content , user remarks , user summaries or reports of an interaction and so forth . based on this information , the system can optionally perform content analysis for any purposes e . g . detect market trends or special needs / problems , which corresponds to the market sector . fig2 shows an exemplary system according to the present invention for performing the screen event capturing method , with optional further processes such as analysis for example , as previously described with regard to fig1 . as shown , a system 100 features a computational device 102 for being operated by a user ( not shown ). computational device 102 preferably operates a capture agent 104 , which may optionally be implemented as an agent which operates according to the http ( hypertext transfer protocol ) protocol , although of course alternatively any other type of suitable communication protocol could optionally be used . computational device 102 also preferably operates the software system of the organization ( not shown ), for which the performance of the user of computational device 102 is being measured . capture agent 104 preferably captures the screen events performed by computational device 102 . as previously described , the process of capturing screen events is optionally and more preferably divided into two processes : retaining the data of the screen events as performed by computational device 102 ; and capturing the screen events . the process of analysis may optionally be performed “ off - line ”, after the event has occurred or even after the session with the user of computational device 102 has ended , for example in order to avoid degradation of the performance of computational device 102 . capture agent 104 optionally and most preferably features a rule engine 105 , which is most preferably also operated by computational device 102 . rule engine 105 , as previously described , preferably determines whether one or more captured screen events fulfill a predefined trigger , such that one or more further actions should preferably be performed with the captured screen event . capture agent 104 preferably detects user actions ( passive and active ), while rule engine 105 preferably filters the user actions according to predefined events . the filter event file may optionally be defined by another application , such as a screen events configuration wizard 132 , shown at a supervisor computational device 129 and described in greater detail below . the operation of capturing event 104 and rule engine 105 are described in further detail with regard to fig3 a , 3 b and 4 , below . it should be noted that optionally , one or both of capturing event 104 and rule engine 105 could optionally be located at , and operated by , a server located remotely to computational device 102 ( not shown ). optionally and preferably , rule engine 105 is a deterministic software program which operates according to a set of pre - defined rules , which may optionally be business rules for example . computational device 102 may optionally be connected to a network such as internet 106 or alternatively may be connected to any other type of network . in any case , computational device 102 is preferably in communication with an organizational lan ( local area network ) 108 , but optionally and more preferably is outside a firewall 110 as shown . firewall 110 protects organizational lan 108 and hence the other elements connected to organizational lan 108 . computational device 102 preferably communicates with a logging platform 112 through organizational lan 108 . logging platform 112 may optionally be implemented from one or more “ off the shelf ” products . logging platform 112 preferably includes a screen data module 114 , such as the screenlogger ™ product ( nice systems ltd ., ra &# 39 ; anana , israel ) for example ; a voice logging module 116 , such as the nicelog ™ product ( nice systems ltd ., ra &# 39 ; anana , israel ) for example ; and a cls scheduler 118 . screen data module 114 preferably receives a chronological series of displays of the screen of computational device 102 from capture agent 104 , for example as the previously described optional “ movie ” of screen displays as shown by computational device 102 . cls scheduler 118 optionally provides an interface for call management , for example in order to be able to analyze a call for one or more parameters . cls scheduler 118 also optionally and more preferably provides a user interface ( not shown ) for a supervisor or other user to be able to retrieve information from database 120 . captured data is preferably stored in a database 120 , associated with logging platform 112 as shown . database 120 preferably stores the entire data , more preferably including both content and events . the structure of database 120 preferably enables third party applications as well as local applications ( such as cls scheduler 118 for example ) to access the data and process it . according to optional but preferred embodiments of the present invention , a screen events server 128 is preferably located in the dmz , for performing the filtering and / or logging processes according to the present invention , as described for example with regard to stage 3 of fig2 . screen events server 128 more preferably has one or more of the following functions : centralizing all connections from capture agents 104 ; storing the received information in a database and / or sending it to logging platform 112 ; performing some logic rules on the data ; and also optionally for receiving data in a firewall environment , in order to prevent direct access to organizational lan 108 . according to preferred embodiments of the present invention , screen events server 128 performs a type of pre - analysis through the performance of the filtering processes . more preferably , screen events server 128 may optionally determine which screen events and / or associated content should be logged , or stored in database 120 . for example , a particular trigger may be performed at computational device 102 , such as activating a software program for playing a game , and / or causing the web browser ( not shown ) to download a web page which is not specified as being part of an approved list of such pages or sites , which in turn is measured by screen events server 128 for such metadata as the number of times the trigger is performed , length of time between performances , and length of time each action related to the trigger is performed ( for example , playing a game through a game software program ). the metadata may optionally be gathered by screen events server 128 for one event , or a pattern of such events . for example , the user of computational device 102 may optionally be required to perform a series of actions after a session with a customer ( for customer - related applications ), in a process known as “ closure ”. screen events server 128 could optionally measure the period of time required for closure , and / or also collect other information related to closure , according to the pattern of events . the analysis of the collected information and / or metadata is preferably driven by an analyzer engine 122 , which is one example of a local application that may access the data from database 120 . analyzer engine 122 is more preferably a stand - alone application , which reads the data , most preferably including both events and content , and performs logic actions on this data . preferred functions of analyzer engine 122 include but are not limited to , performing data mining on the user event data in order to assess the behavior of the user at computational device 102 . such an analysis may optionally and more preferably support an evaluation of the user as an individual and / or enable conclusions about the organization to be made , for example . analyzer engine 122 also preferably enables content analysis to be performed on the content data in order to detect common problems , market trends , new ideas etc . the operation of analyzer engine 122 performs the process described with regard to stage 4 of fig1 . analyzer engine 122 can also optionally generate reports or communicate with other components of logging platform 112 in order to change the recording schedule according to predefined criteria . according to optional but preferred embodiments of the present invention , a local computational device 124 for a local user ( local customer service representative ) may optionally reside on organizational lan 108 , within firewall 110 . local computational device 124 also preferably operates capture agent 104 and rule engine 105 , as previously described ( not shown ). an application web server 126 is optionally and preferably located in a dmz ( demilitarized zone ) between internet 106 and organizational lan 108 . application web server 126 may optionally be implemented as any web server over internet 106 and / or or organizational lan 108 , and more preferably provides a gui ( graphical user interface ) for retrieving and displaying data from database 120 , for example by a supervisor computational device 129 . screen events configuration wizard 132 is an application that enables the user to define which events are to be captured by capture agent 104 . screen events configuration wizard 132 assists the user of supervisor computational device 129 to create a filter on the massive amount of events that capture agent 104 can optionally provide . the user preferably operates screen events configuration wizard 132 by operating the organization software system , which should preferably be at least similar to the system operated by computational device 104 , more preferably such that one or more function calls and / or other functions are similar or identical . while operating the organization software system , screen events configuration wizard 132 preferably enables the user to select “ objects ” on the screen of supervisor computational device 129 , for example by pointing at each object . the user may then optionally and more preferably attach an action or a value to each object , thereby defining the events to be collected by capture agent 104 ( more preferably through filtering by rule engine 105 ). according to optional but preferred embodiments of the present invention , the user can first define events to capture . the user preferably defines a set of events to capture through screen events configuration wizard 132 . for example , a rule could optionally state : “ detect if the user searched for the word nice in nasdaq . com site ; trigger start screen recording if the event is detected ; trigger stop recording if the user exits the nasdaq . com site ”. as an example of actual event capturing , the user of computational device 102 preferably operates the software system of the organization . capture agent 104 preferably captures all predefined events and sends them to screen events server 128 , which optionally sends them to database 120 , preferably after performing a filtering process . while the user is working , assume that the web browser of computational device 102 ( not shown ) is being operated , and that the user enters the word nice while the web browser is displaying the nasdaq . com web site . capture agent 104 preferably detects this event , more preferably according to rule engine 105 , and sends a trigger to screen events server 128 . for triggering by an event , screen events server 128 preferably sends a screen - recording request to logging platform 112 to record the behavior of the user according to the trigger source . the recording request is sent in real time after the event is detected . analyzer engine 122 preferably retrieves all of the screen events and associated content ( if any ), which screen events server 128 stores in database 120 . these events represent the actions of the user while the user is working with the organization software system . analyzer engine 122 is able to assess the performance of the user . the controlling operator of analyzer engine 122 , such as a supervisor for example , can optionally predefine reports to see the results . according to further preferred embodiments of the present invention , the analysis performed by analyzer engine 122 and / or some other component of the system according to the present invention enables automatic quality management and assessment to be performed . the automatic qm ( quality management ) system of analyzer engine 122 according to the present invention should help the supervisor to do more than simply enter information into forms , but rather should actually perform at least part of the evaluation automatically . optionally , a manual score from the supervisor may also optionally be added to the automatic score . there may also optionally be a weighting configured , in order to assign different weights to the automatic and manual assessments . when the accuracy of the automatic qm scores reaches a relatively high level , for example after the analysis application has been adjustably configured for a particular business , the new system may optionally at least reduce significantly the human resources for quality management . therefore , analyzer engine 122 more preferably automatically analyzes the quality of the performance of the user of computational device 102 , optionally and most preferably according to one or more business rules . as previously described , such analysis may optionally include statistical analyses , such as the number of times a “ backspace ” key is pressed for example ; the period of time required to perform a particular business process and / or other software system related process , such as closure for example ; and any other type of analysis of the screen events and / or associated content . statistical analysis may also optionally be performed with regard to the raw data . fig3 a and 3b show an exemplary method for capturing screen events according to one or more messages ( fig3 a ) or a characterized system event ( fig3 b ). screen events are preferably captured according to messages for keyboard - related events and mouse or other pointing device - related events , particularly for operating systems which rely on messages for communication between these types of peripheral user input devices and the cpu . it should be noted that for the purposes of the present invention , a touch - sensitive screen may optionally be regarded as a pointing or user input device . as shown with regard to fig3 a , a method for capturing events according to messages from a mouse is described as a nonlimiting , illustrative example only . in stage 1 of fig3 a , the operating system sends a message as a result of an action by a mouse . the parameters of this message are preferably fed to a call back function according to the present invention in stage 2 , which in this illustrative example is constructed according to the win32 api ( application programming interface ) for the windows ™ operating system ( microsoft corp ., usa ) as follows : this function receives parameters whose values are constants for the windows ™ operating system . this function is located at the capture agent , for example , as previously described . the values of the parameters are preferably used to determine whether the screen event should be captured . if the value of one or more parameters matches at least one rule for capturing the event , as determined in stage 3 , then the event is preferably captured . otherwise , the event is preferably discarded . it should be noted that one preferred feature of message - driven capture of screen events is that the messages are preferably sent continuously by the operating system , and are then optionally and more preferably filtered by the present invention , in order to determine which screen events related to these messages should be captured . fig3 b , on the other hand , shows an exemplary , illustrative method for capturing screen events which is event driven , according to one or more operating system events . one example of an event - driven screen event is an event which occurs in a window of the windows ™ operating system , as displayed by the computational device of the user . as shown , in stage 1 , the present invention registers for at least one operating system event with the operating system . for example , preferably the capture agent being operated by the user computational device registers for the operating system event . in stage 2 , the operating system generates an event , which is preferably associated with one or more parameters . in stage 3 , the capture agent ( or other capturing function according to the present invention ) preferably determines whether the event is to be captured , more preferably according to the one or more parameters . for example , for an event which is related to a window , optionally and preferably the parameters include creating a new window , changing the focus from one window to another ( ie , changing the active window on the screen ), destroying a window , changing the location of a window , and so forth . for this example , events may optionally be regarded as the combination of a set of messages . in stage 4 , once an event has been selected for capture , it is preferably pushed onto an event queue . the operation of the present invention with regard to events on this queue is described with regard to fig5 . of course , these examples could optionally be constructed and performed according to any operating system for a computational device by one of ordinary skill in the art . fig4 is a flowchart for describing an exemplary method for detecting a trigger according to the present invention , as preferably performed by the capture agent and rule engine of the system according to the present invention ( shown in fig2 ) and also preferably for performing stage 2 of fig1 . as shown , in stage 1 , a screen event is received , which is preferably characterized by a set of one or more parameters . these parameters more preferably uniquely characterize the screen event , which is the reason that a plurality of parameters is preferred . the screen event is preferably received from the queue of such events , previously described with regard to fig3 b . in stage 2 , these parameters are compared to one or more rules , preferably by a rule engine as previously described . the comparison is therefore more preferably of a pattern of parameters , such that each event is characterized by the pattern . in stage 3 , if one or more rules are found to be applicable to the event , then it preferably triggers the further processing of the captured data , optionally with associated content , as previously described . fig5 shows an exemplary but preferred flow of operations for the capture agent and rule engine of the present invention . as shown , the user computational device performs a plurality of processes 150 , for example in order to permit the user to operate the organizational software system . a sniffer module 152 optionally and preferably monitors processes 150 ; more preferably , sniffer module 152 is operated by the computational device of the user ( not shown ). as previously described with regard to fig3 a and 3b , sniffer module 152 monitors messages and / or events generated by the operating system . screen events are then preferably sent to an event queue 154 as shown . rule engine 156 preferably removes each screen event in its turn from event queue 154 , and compares the screen event to one or more rules . optionally and more preferably , the rule ( s ) are obtained from a predefined events file 158 . if rule engine 156 detects one or more triggers , then the event is preferably sent out from the user computational device , for example through an external driver 160 while the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments , it will be appreciated that many variations , modifications and other applications of the invention may be made . | 6 |
the following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure or the application and uses of the present disclosure . furthermore , there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background or the following detailed description . fig1 a to 1f show various states of the movable carrier arm device 100 in combination with a carrier arm cover 203 . in fig1 a , the movable carrier arm device 100 is in the retracted position so that only the covering flap 101 of the carrier arm device can be seen . in this state , the covering flap 101 may protrude slightly from the surface of the carrier arm cover 203 . there may also be provision for the surface of the covering flap 101 of the movable carrier arm device 100 to be arranged substantially in the same plane as the surface of the corresponding region of the carrier arm cover 203 , in which region the covering flap 101 is embedded . the carrier arm cover 203 may be a standard component which has a recess for receiving the movable carrier arm device 100 . by applying a compression force to the covering flap 101 from below , that is to say , from inside the carrier arm arrangement ( see arrow 103 ), the opening operation of the carrier arm device can be triggered ( see fig1 b ). this compression force may be brought about , for example , by an actuation pin or an actuation hook , which presses from the inner side against the rear side of the covering flap 101 when the door is opened . the covering flap may also be mechanically pretensioned so that it automatically springs open by a lock being released when the door is opened . fig1 c shows the extended position of the movable carrier arm device . this position is achieved by the lower edge 112 of a plate - like support element 104 being moved in the direction of the arrow 113 along the rails 107 , 108 . in this instance , the rails 107 , 108 extend parallel to the surface of the covering flap 101 in the folded - in state ( see fig1 a ). in the folded - out state , the angle between the two rails 107 , 108 and the upper side of the covering flap 101 is , for example , between about 30 and about 60 degrees , for example , approximately 40 degrees . however , the angle may also be up to about 90 degrees or more . in order to enable the pivot movement of the covering flap 101 , this element is rotatably mounted by means of an axial suspension 109 . the axial suspension 109 is located in this instance at the side of the covering flap 101 which is , for example , rectangular , which side faces the carrier arm in the folded - open state , whereas the securing of the support element 104 to the flap 101 is at the opposing side . the opening operation can be supported by means of corresponding resilient elements which extend along the rails 107 , 108 ( see reference numeral 510 in fig5 b ). the supporting force begins , for example , after a minimum opening angle is exceeded . in this manner , it is possible , by applying a minimum compression force to the inner side of the covering flap 101 when the minimum opening angle is exceeded , for automatic additional opening of the covering flap 101 to be carried out so that it moves into the extended position . fig1 d to 1f show the reverse operation , in which the movable carrier arm device 100 is moved from the extended position ( see fig1 d ) by applying a compression force to the plate - like support element 104 ( see arrow 110 ) into an intermediate position ( see fig1 e ) and subsequently by applying a compression force to the outer side of the covering flap 101 ( see arrow 111 in fig1 e ) into the retracted position ( see fig1 f ). this operation can be carried out manually by a crew member when the door is opened . the movement of the carrier arm device from the folded - in position into the folded - out extended position can be actuated , depending on the embodiment , by means of a corresponding mechanism either in a semi - automated manner , that is to say , each time the door is opened , or in a fully automated manner , that is to say , only when the emergency slide has been “ armed ” beforehand . in the event of evacuation , the aperture width of the door in an equipment variant with a single - track emergency slide can be limited to the type “ c ” ( about 34 inches , that is to say , approximately 86 cm ). however , during normal operation of this door , the movable carrier arm device allows a door aperture width (“ clear passageway ”) of approximately 104 cm ( about 41 inches ). in this instance , substantially the entire width of a so - called type “ a ” exit is accordingly available ( with the exception of a projection of the carrier arm device beyond the carrier arm cover ). this provides additional comfort for the air passenger when embarking and disembarking . an increase in comfort for the cabin crew can also thereby be achieved since , even when the door is closed , more space is available in the door region during flight operation . consequently , the catering section can also benefit from the increased door aperture width . fig2 is a view of a door aperture of a transport means , with an open door , when viewed from inside the cabin of the transport means , and a view of this arrangement from above . when the door is open , the movable carrier arm device 100 is folded out , and is thus in the extended position . this is necessary , for example , in the case of evacuation , when a type “ c ” exit must be provided . this may be the case , for example , when a single - track emergency slide is used , in order to prevent an excessive number of passengers from using the emergency slide at the same time . in this instance , the effectively usable door aperture width is approximately 86 cm ( about 34 inches ) in the region of the carrier arm arrangement ( see arrow 201 ). in the regions below and above ( see arrow 202 ), the door aperture width corresponds to the width of a so - called type “ a ” exit . as can be seen from the plan view of fig2 , the lateral surface 205 of the carrier arm cover 203 extends in the region of the carrier arm device 100 perpendicularly to the surface of the outer wall of the transport means so that , when the door is open , there is thereby no narrowing , or at least no substantial narrowing , of the door aperture width . however , the covering flap 101 of the movable carrier arm device 100 has an angle of about 60 or about 70 degrees with respect to the surface 205 of the carrier arm cover so that it protrudes into the aperture . the carrier arm cover 203 is constructed to partially cover the carrier arm 206 of the carrier arm arrangement 200 and can be replaced , if necessary . this may be advantageous , for example , in the case of converting from a single - track emergency slide to a dual - track emergency slide . fig3 shows two illustrations of the arrangement of fig2 with the movable carrier arm device 100 in a retracted position . the movable carrier arm device is located in the folded - in state . consequently , substantially the entire door width is available for passengers to embark and disembark . with the door open , the surface of the carrier arm device 100 protrudes only insignificantly , for example , by approximately 2 . 5 cm from the plane of the carrier arm cover 203 so that an effective door aperture width 301 of about 104 cm ( about 41 inches ) is produced at the height of the carrier arm arrangement . fig4 a shows the door region when viewed from inside the passenger cabin with the door 401 closed . for example , it can be seen that the carrier arm arrangement protrudes into the cabin by a relatively small extent . with the customer option of a type “ c ” exit , the standard component carrier arm cover ( so - called “ hinge arm cover ”) can be slightly adapted , for example , by a recess being provided . in addition , the movable carrier arm device ( also referred to as a “ foldable hinge arm device ”) is mounted on the carrier arm of this door . the basic position is the folded - in state ( see fig1 a ). fig5 a shows a door frame structure 505 having a door 401 and a carrier arm arrangement which is fitted thereto . fig5 b is a sectional illustration through the carrier arm arrangement of the door 401 , which is shown in fig5 a . either each time the door is opened or only when the emergency slide is actuated , for example , by means of a coupling with the actuation lever for arming the emergency slide ( so - called slide arming lever ), the covering flap 101 , which is constructed in the form of a front element , is raised by means of a frame - side , optionally telescopic pressure pin 501 . this operation can also be seen in fig1 b . the pressure pin 501 is independently actuated by the door moving closer when it is pivoted open and during its associated movement in the direction of the door frame structure since it strikes the door frame structure 505 when the door pivots open ( see fig5 b ). the pressure pin 501 lifts the covering flap of the carrier arm device so far that the self - closing dead centre position is exceeded and the flap is automatically further deployed into the opened end position ( see fig1 c ), for example , by means of clamping or torsional spring force . alternatively or in addition to the pressure pin 501 , there may also be provided , for example , an actuation hook which releases the covering flap 101 by means of a rotational movement when the door is opened and optionally presses it over the dead centre position . there may also be provision for the covering flap 101 to be pretensioned from the start in such a manner that a release of the front element is sufficient to enable automatic opening . in the extended position , the carrier arm device can absorb loads , for example , of about 2250 newton , which may occur in the event of an emergency evacuation , and direct them into the structure . the rotational movement of the covering flap 101 is indicated by the arrow 502 in fig5 b . an advantage of the carrier arm arrangement is that , in the fully automated embodiment , the covering flap 101 springs open only in the very rare case of an emergency opening of the door and , in the semi - automated variant , there is the possibility of manually folding in again the flap 101 which is deployed after a “ normal ” door opening in order to expand the aperture region from about 34 inches , for example , to about 41 inches . in spite of a type “ c ” exit , almost the entire width of the type “ a ” door cutout can consequently be used . for example , there may also be provision for the covering flap 101 of the carrier arm device to finish flush with the surface of the carrier arm cover 203 so that in this portion the entire width can be used by the passengers when the carrier arm arrangement is folded in . consequently , the provision of a constant structural cutout dimension for each door in the aircraft is possible , regardless of whether a single - track or a dual - track emergency slide is intended to be used , or whether a type “ a ” exit or a type “ c ” exit is provided . the carrier arm arrangement 200 is , for example , used only with the customer - specific equipment option type “ c ” ( single - track emergency slide ). there may be provision for the folding open of the carrier arm device 100 always to be carried out independently and not manually , either in a fully automated manner only with an armed emergency slide or in a semi - automated manner each time the door opens normally . the folding - in occurs manually in the semi - automated variant . in the fully automated variant , folding - in of the covering flap 101 is not necessary since the flap 101 remains closed other than in the rare case of an evacuation . the foldable carrier arm device can be produced with a slightly modified ( cutout ) standard cover for the type “ a ” exit . as an “ attachment solution ”, the foldable carrier arm device can be placed on the cover and can be screwed to the carrier arm . fig6 shows an aircraft 600 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure which has a plurality of doors 401 with the above - described carrier arm arrangements . while at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description , it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist . it should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples , and are not intended to limit the scope , applicability , or configuration of the present disclosure in any way . rather , the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment , it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents . | 1 |
referring to fig1 and 2 , the identification means of the present invention 10 is shown . it consists of a first body 10a adapted to receive one end of rolled - up articles , such as drawings and the like . the first body 10a should preferably be cylindrical in shape although the first body may also be in the form of other shapes as well for use with the present invention . at one end 10a1 of the first body 10a , a second body 10b is secured to the external periphery of the one end 10a1 of the first body 10a . the second body 10b is secured to the first body 10a at the one end 10a1 thereon by various means , such as an adhesive material placed between the internal surface of the second body 10b and the outer peripheral surface of the first body 10a . the second body 10b should take the shape of the first body 10a . a plurality of tip portions 10b6 are placed internally if the second body 10b , around the periphery thereof . the tip portions 10b6 are pointed in shape , and point toward the longitudinal axis of the identification means 10 . the tip portions 10b6 are formed integrally with the second body 10b and assist in gripping the rolled - up articles placed therein when the second body 10b is gripped from an external portion thereof . an identification cap 10c is secured to the outer peripheral surface of one end 10b1 of the second body 10b . the identification cap should also take the shape of the first and second bodies , respectively . a label 10c1 is preferably placed at the end surface 10c2 of the identification cap 10c . the label 10c1 identifies the contents of the rolled - up article 12 placed within the identification means 10 of the present invention . note , however that the label 10c1 may be placed anywhere on the external surface of the identification means 10 . referring to fig2 a section of fig1 is shown , taken along section lines 2 -- 2 &# 39 ; of fig1 . the diameter of the first body 10a is less than the diameter of the second body 10b , the diameter of the second body 10b being less than the diameter of the identification cap 10c . this is necessary in order to allow the rolled - up article 12 to be placed within the identification means 10 of the present invention without engaging with the opposite ends 10a2 , or 10b2 of the second body 10b , or the identification cap 10c , respectively . the second body 10b is make of the resilient material , such as rubber , having a high coefficient of friction when placed in contact with a solid surface . the first body 10a and the identification cap 10c may be made of any solid material , such as a rigid paper product , rigid cardboard , or a metallic material . referring to fig3 the identification means 10 of the present invention is shown , taken in section along lines 2 -- 2 &# 39 ; of fig1 . however , in this embodiment the second body 10b is concave is shape , and points internally of the first body 10a for engaging with the outer peripheral surface of the rolled - up articles 12 when the articles 12 are placed therein . note the manner by which the central point 10b3 of the second body 10b , representing the apex position of the concave second body 10b , engages with the outer peripheral surface 12a of the rolled - up drawings 12 placed therein . since the rolled - up article is very flexible , it will tend to bend at the portion engaged by the central point 10b3 of the second body 10b . the concave shape of the second body 10b in conjunction with the gripping actions of the pointed tip portions 10b6 a friction grip by which the rolled - up article 12 will tend to maintain its position within the identification means 10 of the present invention . when the rolled - up articles 12 are placed in a stack , the central point 10b3 and the tip portions 10b6 will bend the article 12 at a plurality of points and still prevent the identification means 10 of the present invention from slipping off the end of the rolled - up article 12 . also , in referring to the present invention shown in fig3 note that the outer diameter of the first body 10a is less than the outer diameter of the identification cap 10c . also note that the diameter of one end 10b4 of the second body 10b is approximately equal to the diameter of the other end 10b5 of the second body 10b . due to this configuration , an unnecessary degree of pressure will not be exerted by the central point 10b3 of the concave second body 10b on an external surface of article 12 . therefore , it will be easier to slip the identification means 10 of the present invention off the end of the rolled - up article 12 when removal is required . however , if a greater degree of pressure is required to be exerted by the central point 10b3 on the outer peripheral surface 12a of rolled - up articles 12 , the diametrical configuration of the first body , the second body and the identification cap , shown in fig4 will allow provision of this degree of additional pressure . referring to fig4 the identification means 10 of the present invention is again shown in sections , taken along lines 2 -- 2 &# 39 ; of fig1 except for the fact that the identification means 10 shown in fig4 has a first body 10a having a diameter which is approximately equal to the diameter of the identification cap 10c . therefore , the outer diameter of one end 10b4 of the second body 10b will be slightly less than the outer diameter of the other end 10b5 of the second body 10b . in this manner , the additional pressure will be exerted by the central point 10b3 on the outer peripheral surface of the rolled - up article 12 when placed therein . an identification cap 10c is secured to an outer peripheral surface of second body 10b . a label 10c1 may be secured to the identification cap 10c for identifying the rolled - up articles placed therein . referring again to fig4 a coating of pebble grain material 14 is shown disposed around the internal portion of the second body 10b , formed centrally of the second body 10b , in the form of a ring encompassing the central point 10b3 . the pebble grain coating 14 may be used in lieu of tip portions 10b6 . the coating 14 coats the internal surface of the second body 10b in the vicinity of the central point 10b3 . the pebble grain coating will increase the coefficient of friction of the second body 10b when in contact with the external surface of the rolled - up article 12 thereby ensuring that the identification means 10 of the present invention will not slip off one end of the rolled - up drawings 12 placed therein . it also ensures that the user will more easily be able to grip the external portion of the drawing , via second body 10b , when the rolled - up drawing 12 is pulled away from a stack of other drawings . the pebble grain coating 14 is comprised of packed sand material disposed within an adhesive coating , coating the internal portion of the second body 10b . referring to fig5 a section of fig4 along lines 5 -- 5 &# 39 ; of fig4 is shown . the pebble grain coating 14 is shown in the form of a ring coating the inside surface of the second body 10b . note the position of the central point 10b3 of the second body 10b shown in fig5 . the pebble grain coating 14 increases the coefficient of friction when in contact with the outer peripheral surface 12b of the rolled - up article 12 when the article is placed therein . in operation , the identification means of the present invention provides a means for identifying the rolled - up article placed therein , and also provides a means for gripping the rolled - up article 12 externally thereof by gripping the identification means 10 around the outer peripheral surface of the second body 10b . since the second body 10b is a resilient material , having a high coefficient of friction when in contact with a solid surface , the second body will flex until it comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface 12a of the rolled - up article 12 . once the second body 10b comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rolled - up article 12 , the tip portions 10b6 will provide a firm frictional contact between article 12 and the second body 10b . this , in turn , will permit the user to pull the rolled - up article 12 out from a stack of other articles , the identification means 10 will not slip off the end of the rolled - up articles 12 while the article 12 is being pulled out from the stack . the diameter of the first body 10a is made less than the diameter of the second body 10b , the diameter of the second body 10b being less than the diameter of the identification cap 10c in order to permit the rolled - up article 12 to be inserted within the identification means 10 of the present invention without butting against the side surfaces 10a2 and 10b2 of the second body 10b and the identification cap 10c , respectively . in order to firmly hold the identification means 10 of the present invention onto the end of the rolled - up article 12 , the second body 10b is formed into a concave configuration , wherein the second body 10b points internally of the first body 10a . in this way , the central point 10b3 of the second body 10b will contact and bend the outer peripheral surface 12a of the rolled - up article 12 , causing a protrusion therein . this holds the identification means 10 of the present invention firmly onto the end of the rolled - up article 12 . the second body 10b varies in thickness from the two ends 10b4 and 10b5 toward the central point 10b3 . the thickness of the second body 10b at the two outer points 10b4 and 10b5 may be greater than the thickness of the second body 10b at the central point 10b3 . this maintains the second body 10b in its concave configuration , dispite the existence of internal outward pressures exerted thereon . in order to lessen somewhat the amount of pressure exerted by the central point 10b3 around the outer peripheral surface 12a of the rolled - up article 12 , the diameter of the first body 10a is made less than the diameter of the identification cap 10c . the two outer end diameters of the second body 10b , at the first end 10b4 and the second end 10b5 , are approximately equal to one another in this embodiment . consequently , the central point 10b3 will exert a pressure around the outer peripheral portion 12a of the rolled - up article 12 , however , this pressure will not be as great as the pressure exerted by the central point 10b3 in the embodiment of invention shown in fig4 . in this embodiment , the outer diameter of the first body 10a and the identification cap 10c are approximately equal . the diameter of the one end 10b4 of the second body 10b is less than the diameter of the other end 10b5 of the second body 10b . consequently , when the rolled - up article 12 is placed within the identification means 10 of the present invention , a greater degree of force is exerted by the central point 10b3 around the outer peripheral surface 12a of the rolled - up article 12 . in order to further increase the coefficient of friction exerted by the second body 10b , around the outer peripheral surface 12a of article 12 . the tip portions 10b6 may be used , or , a pebble grain coating may be deposited on the internal surface of the second body 10b such that the coating will straddle the central point 10b3 . this pebble grain coating is made of a packed sandtype material disposed in an adhesive coating . therefore , when the rolled - up article 12 comes into contact with the pebble grain coating 14 , a greater degree of friction will be exerted by the second body 10b in this embodiment than will be exerted by the second body in the other alternative embodiments of invention present in this application . in addition , when the user grips the second body 10b around the outer peripheral portion thereof , the coating 14 will more firmly grip the outer peripheral surface 12a of the rolled - up article 12 thereby more easily extracting the rolled - up article 12 from a stack of other articles . consequently , with the present invention , the identification means 10 of the present invention may be slipped onto one end of the rolled - up article 12 , and maintained at this position due to the configuration of the second body 10b . since the second body 10b with the tip portions 10b6 provide a high coefficient of friction when placed against a solid surface , the second body 10b provides a gripping means for gripping the identification means 10 around the rolled - up drawing 12 , and further providing the necessary frictional contact therebetween to remove the rolled - up article 12 from a stack of other articles . 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 modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims . | 8 |
fig1 a and 1b show one example embodiment of a vibration reduction device 10 having six o - rings 20 , an upper assembly 22 , and a lower assembly 24 . the upper assembly 22 is configured to attach to a mount frame via hex nuts 70 , and the lower assembly 24 is configured to attach to a structure via bolts 78 a ( fig3 a and 3b ). the upper assembly 22 includes an upper retainer member 26 and an upper spacer member 28 attached to one another between the hex nuts 70 and bolts 78 b . the lower assembly 24 includes a lower retainer member 32 and a lower spacer member 34 attached to one another between the bolt 78 a and another hex nut ( not shown ) of the structure 14 . hex nuts 70 include threaded bores 39 for receiving bolts 78 c from the mount frame to firmly secure thereto ( fig3 a and 3b ). slots 50 in the lower retainer member 32 closely receive lower portions of the o - rings 20 . similarly , slots 48 of the upper retainer member 26 closely receive upper portions of the o - rings 20 . it will be appreciated that slots 48 and slots 50 may instead be biased against recessed portions in the upper and lower retainer members , thereby hiding the upper and lower portions of the o - rings 20 from view . corresponding stop apertures 56 are provided through the lower assembly 24 to allow passage of hex nuts 70 and to act as a transverse travel limit . this is one of the “ stop ” configurations discussed above . in this embodiment , the o - rings 20 are annularly aligned in a row and positioned vertically and perpendicularly relative to horizontal surface 74 of the upper assembly 22 and horizontal surface 76 of the lower assembly 24 ( see fig3 a ). fig2 a shows the vibration reduction device 10 having o - rings 20 encircling central portions of the upper spacer member 28 and the lower spacer member 34 . the upper spacer member 28 and the lower spacer member 34 , therefore , can be “ dog - bone ” shaped to allow passage through the o - ring apertures . holes 66 a and 66 b receive bolts 78 a , which can be threaded into holes in the structure frame 14 to firmly attach thereto ( fig3 a and 3b ). likewise , holes 64 a and 64 b can receive bolts 78 b , which are received by hex nuts 70 , at one end , and bolts 78 c at the opposing end , through holes in the mount frame 12 ( fig3 a and 3b ). slots 48 and 50 can be formed in an oval - shape to closely hold a pair of o - rings 20 pressed thereto . as shown in fig2 b , a number of o - rings 20 may be included into the vibration reduction device 10 before installation to provide desired damping properties to the vehicle or system . lower retainer member apertures 40 and lower spacer member apertures 42 comprise the corresponding apertures 56 , as discussed above , through which to spatially receive the hex nuts 70 . when the vibration reduction device 10 is constructed ( fig1 a ), the holes 64 a , 64 b , bolts 78 b , hex nuts 70 , and stop transverse apertures 56 are aligned about their respective , common axes , as shown in fig2 a and 2b . the same alignment is true at the opposing side of the illustrated embodiment . fig3 a shows the vibration reduction device 10 , cut along its central longitudinal and vertical axes . this view shows o - rings 20 closely held in the upper assembly 22 between the upper spacer member 28 and the upper retainer member 26 at the upper portion 44 c of the o - rings 20 . similarly , the lower portion 44 d of the o - rings 20 are closely held in the lower assembly 24 between the lower spacer member 34 and the lower retainer member 32 ( fig3 b ). the upper assembly 22 is attached to the mount frame 12 via bolts 78 b , threaded into hex nuts 70 on one end , and via bolts 78 c received through mount frame 12 and into threaded bore 39 of the other end of hex nuts 70 . the lower assembly 24 is attached to the structure frame 14 via bolts 78 a , through holes 66 a and 66 b of the upper spacer member 28 and the upper retainer member 26 , respectively , and threaded into holes in the structure frame 14 . it will be appreciated that various types of fasteners and connections may be used to couple the upper and lower assemblies to the mount and structure frames while maintaining the elastically coupled configuration between the upper and lower assemblies . fig3 b shows the o - rings 20 as closely held to the upper assembly 22 at the upper portion 44 c of the o - ring and to the lower assembly 24 . this view shows o - rings 20 having an inner area 44 b and an outer area 44 a . the inner area 44 b of the upper portion 44 c rests against an upper surface 82 of the upper spacer member 28 , while the outer area 44 a of the upper portion 44 c rests against a lower surface 84 of the upper retainer member 26 . the inner area 44 b of the lower portion 44 d rests against a lower surface 86 of the lower spacer member 34 , while the outer area 44 a of the lower portion 44 d rests against a lower surface 88 of the lower retainer member 32 . it is shown in fig3 a and 3b that , in the illustrated embodiment , the upper assembly 22 and the lower assembly 24 are only attached to one another by respective portions of the o - rings 20 . thus , the mount frame 12 and structure frame 14 are elastically coupled and “ float ” relative to one another about the o - rings 20 while a plurality of vibration reduction devices are installed , for example . fig4 shows another embodiment of a vibration reduction device 10 ′ having a pair of hex nuts 70 ′ that extend through corresponding apertures 56 a of the lower retainer member 32 ′. corresponding apertures 56 a , therefore , act as a transverse travel limit , similar to the descriptions above . a pair of resisters 90 can be attached to hex nuts 70 ′ by bolts 78 a to act as a longitudinal stop to prevent the hex nuts from over extending through the corresponding stop apertures 56 a during extraordinary displacement . four pairs of o - rings 20 ′ are positioned between the upper assembly 22 ′ and the lower assembly 24 ′. the four pairs of o - rings 20 ′ are each positioned at a 90 degree angle relative to the adjacent pairs of o - rings . the lower retainer member 32 ′ and lower spacer member 34 ′ are attached to a mount frame ( not shown ) via bolts 78 a . the upper assembly 22 ′ is attached to a structure frame via fasteners into threaded holes ( not shown ) in the upper retainer member 32 ′. upper spacer member 28 ′ and lower spacer member 34 ′ are formed in a particular configuration having a variety of apertures and cross members ( hidden ) to closely receive the four pairs of o - rings 20 , similar to the manner described above related to fig1 a - 3b . slots 50 are also provided in the lower retainer member 32 ′, as with slots 48 ( hidden ) in the upper retainer member 26 ′, to closely hold the o - rings in place . fig5 shows another embodiment of a vibration reduction device 10 ″ having six pairs of o - rings 20 ″ arranged radially in a circular configuration and having a plurality of hex nuts 71 a ′ and 71 b ′ disposed through corresponding stop apertures 56 b ′ and 56 a ′ , respectively . similar to the description of fig4 , the vibration reduction device 10 ″ includes a set of three hex nuts 71 a ′ secured to the upper assembly 22 ″ via bolts ( not shown ) and extending through corresponding apertures 56 b ′ . a supplemental set of three hex nuts 71 b ′ are provided , as secured to the lower assembly 24 ″ via bolts 78 d , and extending through stop apertures 56 a ′ . upper spacer member 28 ″ and lower spacer member 34 ″ are formed having a particular configuration having a variety of apertures and cross members ( not shown ) to closely receive the six pairs of o - rings 20 ″, in a similar to manner as described above related to fig1 a - 3b . slots 50 are also provided in the lower retainer member 32 ″, as with slots 48 in the upper retainer member 26 ″, to closely hold o - rings 20 ″ in place . fig6 shows a plurality of the vibration reduction devices 110 , similar to those shown in fig1 a - 3b , secured to mount frame 112 and structure frame 114 . in this example , eight vibration reduction devices 110 are included into vibration isolation system 111 . as previously discussed , the upper assembly 122 is attached to the mount frame 112 via hex nuts 171 and bolts 178 b and bolts ( not shown ) through the backside of mount frame 112 . the lower assembly 124 is attached to the structure frame 114 via hex nuts 173 and bolts 178 e . in this embodiment , the vibration reduction devices 110 are arranged at slight angles relative to one another , thereby providing multiple o - rings 120 in varying angular configurations relative to one another . this configuration , as with the configurations of fig4 and 5 , provide vibration reduction devices and systems having multi - axial control means for optimal vibrational and directional control while the system is in use . it will be appreciated that any particular system may include a combination of a plurality vibration reduction devices described above , including varying types of o - rings and configurations to provide a desired vibration damping effect when operating the system while it experiences vibration . fig7 shows the vibration reduction device 210 installed on a remote controlled vehicle 218 . the vehicle 218 includes a mount frame 212 ( mostly hidden ) having a camera 216 a attached thereto , and a structure frame 214 . attached to the structure frame 214 is a global positioning satellite device 216 b , six booms 213 , and landing gear 219 . attached to the booms 213 are motors 215 having propellers 217 for flying the vehicle 218 . in this vehicle , three vibration reduction devices 210 are provided and positioned equidistant from one another , resulting in approximately 110 degree angles between each vibration reduction device 210 . as described above , each vibration reduction device 210 is attached to the structure frame 214 via bolts 78 a coupled to the lower assembly 24 , and attached to the mount frame 212 via hex nuts 70 and bolts 78 b coupled to the upper assembly 22 ( fig1 a - 3b ). a method of reducing vibration between two or more structures of a vehicle may also be provided in which any of the above embodiments of the vibration reduction devices may be installed . a method of tuning such vibration reduction devices may also be provided by selectively including particular o - rings , as discussed above . a further method of limiting travel between the upper and lower assembly may also be provided by incorporating the stop features discussed above . these and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above - detailed description . in general , in the following claims , the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims , but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled . accordingly , the claims are not limited by the disclosure . | 5 |
the terms : “ step - wise ” or “ step function ”, as used herein to indicate the manner in which the percent by weight of a particular elastomer composition in an extruded article comprised of two or more elastomer compositions changes along the length of the article means that the variation in the weight percent of the particular elastomer composition in the article along the length l of the article varies in accordance with fig1 . the term “ unitary ”, as used herein to describe the construction of an article comprised of two or more elastomer compositions , means that no portions of the article are joined to one another by adhesive means to form a joint between the portions of the article . turning now to fig1 a hybrid extruded tubing in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown in elevational view at numeral 10 . the tubing 10 has an axial length l and an axial lumen ( not visible in fig1 but indicated at 70 in fig7 ) coextensive with the length l . the tubing 10 is comprised of alternating amounts of two different elastomeric compositions : a first composition 11 and a second composition 12 , coextruded from an extruder die as indicated at numeral 20 in fig2 a - 3 b . the relative quantities of compositions 11 and 12 within a cross - sectional area of the tubing 10 vary in their distribution along the axial length l of the tubing 10 . for example , if the tubing 10 is a catheter with a leading end or tip 13 and a trailing end 14 , the composition 11 may be selected to have a durometer , when cured , that is less than the durometer of composition 12 which may form the remaining length of the catheter . in another embodiment , the composition 11 may be radiopaque while the composition 12 is radiolucent . if the percentage of composition 11 varies between 0 - 100 % in discrete incremental distances along the length l , the segments comprised of 100 % of composition 11 may be used as markers to determine the position of the tube with respect to tissues within the body . an extrusion die 20 adapted for making a unitary extruded tubing in accordance with fig1 is shown in fig2 a - 3 c . turning first to fig2 a and 3 a , a die 20 adapted to extrude the hybrid tubing of fig1 is shown in front view . the die 20 comprises a slidably mounted bridge die plate 25 having an aperture 27 therein . first and second extrudable materials 11 and 12 are contained , under pressure , in reservoirs 21 and 22 having reservoir output nozzles 23 and 24 respectively . the slidably mounted bridge die plate 25 is mechanically or electromagnetically connected to an actuator 26 that controls the position of the aperture 27 with respect to the extrudate reservoir output nozzles 23 and 24 . the actuator , which is preferably programmable , forces the aperture 27 to commute reciprocally between the reservoir nozzles 23 and 24 alternately forcing extrudable materials 11 and 12 past the mandrel 33 ( fig3 c ) and through the die aperture 27 . fig2 a and 3 a illustrate the position of the die aperture 27 when first and second extrudable materials 11 and 12 are respectively forced through the aperture 27 . surprisingly , even though the commutation of the die aperture 27 between the output nozzles 23 and 24 causes periodic angular displacement of the die aperture 27 with respect to the direction of extrusion of the tubing 10 during the extrusion process , the structural integrity of the extruded tubing is not compromised . structural irregularity of the extruded tubing due to mechanical displacement of the die aperture during extrusion is minimized by increasing the distance between the die aperture 27 and the vulcanizer ( not shown ) that receives the extruded tubing 10 . a distance of 10 - 20 inches is adequate . for an extrusion speed of 2 - 6 in ./ sec ., and a transition ( commutation ) speed of 12 in ./ sec ., the extrudate would travel 2 ″/ sec x 0 . 02 sec = 0 . 04 ″ during the switching operation . because the flow of either extrudable material 11 or 12 is completely interrupted for part of that time period , the portion of the extruded elastomeric tubing between the die aperture and the downstream vulcanizer probably stretches during the switching time interval , thereby compensating for the interruption in the flow of extrudable material to the die aperture . with reference now to fig3 c , a portion of the bridge die plate 25 is shown in greater detail positioned to receive second extrudable material 12 as indicated in fig3 b . the bridge die plate 25 includes a bridge 30 having a mandrel 33 affixed to the bridge 30 . a die 32 having an aperture 27 therein is press - fitted into the bridge die plate 25 to complete the assembly of the bridge die plate . the bridge die plate 25 has a receiving chamber 34 that is in material flow communication with nozzle 24 ( not shown in fig3 c ). second extrudable 12 is forced under pressure into receiving chamber 34 and exits the die aperture 27 . after the desired amount of second extrudable material 12 exits the die aperture 27 , the actuator repositions the bridge die plate 25 in order to establish material flow communication between the receiving chamber 34 and nozzle 23 , permitting the first extrudable material 11 to exit the die aperture 27 . cross - sectional views of tubing 10 taken along section lines 7 and 8 are presented in fig7 and 8 illustrating the composition of the tubing 10 formed when the bridge die plate is disposed as indicated in fig3 a and 3 b respectively . the “ blake ” drain , disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 465 , 481 , has been a mainstay of general surgery since its introduction nearly 20 years ago ; providing an efficient , low profile percutaneous drain . the blake drain normally includes an invasive collection segment having a radiopaque marker integral therewith which enables non - invasive radiographic positioning or re - positioning of the drain segment within the body . a wound drain suitable for insertion into the body and having unitary construction is disclosed by batdorf et al . in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 549 , 579 . the batdorf drain has a smooth exterior surface and is extruded in a single step to provide a unitary drain having substatially homogeneous elastomeric composition . the batdorf drain may further comprise a radiopaque marker . other drains such as , for example , the jackson - pratt wound drain are not unitary ; comprising a composite structure fabricated by joining separate parts by suitable adhesive means . such composite drains may disintegrate within the body requiring surgical intervention . while the prior art drains may include a radiopaque marker thereon , it is desirable to provide a drain wherein the radiopaque marker indicates , inter alia , the position of the transition between the collection and the drainage portion of the drain within the body . [ 0037 ] fig4 is a perspective view of segmented portions of a unitary hybrid article comprising a length of drainage tubing 40 in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein the distribution and / or amount of a first extrudable material 41 , which is preferably radiopaque , varies in a continuous manner along the length of the drainage tubing . the drain 40 includes a collection segment 42 , a transition segment 43 and a extension segment 44 . the collection segment 42 is adapted to be inserted within a wound or body cavity thereby providing a fluid - conducting drainage port through which bodily fluids accumulating within a wound or body cavity readily enter and pass for removal from the body . the body fluids ( not shown ) enter the drain 40 through the lateral grooves 45 which are coextensive with the collection segment ; beginning at the distal end of the transition segment 43 and terminating at the distal end 46 of the drain . the body fluids pass through the collection segment 42 , into the transition segment 43 and into the extension segment 44 where the fluids are collected by means of gentle suction applied to the proximal end 47 of the drain . the entire drain 40 is a hybrid elastomeric article comprising a radiopaque elastomer 41 and a structural elastomer 48 and having unitary construction . the radiopaque elastomer 41 is present as a single stripe coextensive with the extension portion 44 , bifurcating at the distal end of the transition portion 43 , the bifurcated stripes of radiopaque elastomer 41 thereafter being coextensive with the collection portion 42 of the drain 40 . the drain 40 is made by extrusion from an extruder die as shown in fig5 a - 6 b . fig5 a is a top plan view of an extruder die 50 operable for the extrusion of a drainage tubing as shown in fig4 showing the flow channel that conducts the radiopaque extrudable material 41 to the extrusion chamber adjacent to the die aperture partially obstructed to restrict the flow of radiopaque extrudable material from the extrusion die . fig5 b is a front plan view of the extruder die 50 , the structural elements comprising the extrusion die 50 positioned in accordance with fig5 a . the radiopaque elastomer 41 is housed within a first pressurized reservoir 51 having a nozzle 52 in material flow communication with an extrusion chamber 53 by means of a valve 54 . a second , structural elastomer 48 is housed within a second reservoir 55 and is forced into extrusion chamber 53 , under pressure , as indicated by the broad arrow . since the radiopaque elastomer is injected into the extrusion chamber 53 adjacent to the mandrel 56 and die aperture 57 , it is confined to a narrow region around the circumference of the extruded article and forms a stripe thereon . the operation of the valve 52 is illustrated in fig5 b and 6 b . with reference to fig5 a , which shows the valve positioned to form a narrow stripe of radiopaque elastomer 41 on the extruded drain 40 , the valve 52 comprises a slidably mounted rod 60 having a hole 61 bored transversely therethrough . the rod 60 is in mechanical or electromagnetic connection with an actuator 62 . when the rod 60 is retracted in the direction of the actuator , as shown in fig5 b , the hole 61 is in misalignment with the lumen 63 of the valve 52 , thereby partially obstructing the lumen 63 and restricting the flow of radiopaque elastomer 41 from the reservoir 51 . the mandrel 56 is comprised of two coaxially counted members , only the outermost member being shown in fig5 a - 6 b . the outermost member is a cylindrical tubing having an axial bore and four prongs on an end thereof adjacent the die aperture 57 . a cylindrical rod having a blunt end is slidable mounted therewithin . both members of the mandrel are connected to actuators such that when the extension portion 44 of the drain 40 is being extruded , the outer , pronged member is retracted and the blunt - ended inner member projects into the die aperture 57 . when the transition portion 43 of the drain 40 is formed , the outer , pronged member comprising the mandrel 56 is advanced into the die aperture 57 and the blunt - ended inner rod retracted . only the pronged end of the outermost member of the mandrel 56 partially occludes the die aperture 57 during extrusion of the collection portion 42 of the drain 40 . cross - sectional views of the extension portion 44 and collection portion 42 of the drain 40 are shown in fig9 and 10 respectively . while particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described , it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . it is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention . | 8 |
the present invention resides in a needle assembly that do not utilize a compressible spring device for moving or locking a sleeve that covers the sharp distal tip of the needle . this needle assembly includes a needle holder 1 , a needle sleeve 2 and an interlocking member 3 as shown in fig1 . in this invention , the distal end is the point away from the operator while the proximal end is the point close to the operator during the use of this device . the shape of the needle assembly is preferably rectangular for ease of handling . the needle holder 1 is shaped like an open trough with a horizontal extension or a scoop as shown in fig2 . it has an open lateral distal end 4 and a closed walled proximal end 5 , a walled first 6 and second 7 longitudinal sides , a solid base 8 , a hollow top surface 9 and a protrusion 10 . the needle holder may be made of glass , metal or plastic but is preferably made of plastic polymeric material such as polyvinyl chloride , polyethylene , polypropylene , nylon , polycarbon , polysulfone , and the like . the protrusion 10 at the distal end of the needle holder extends radially outward from the outer surface of the longitudinal walls along the longitudinal sides 6 and 7 at the distal end of the needle holder . the protrusion 10 is preferably slanted , with the thicker end towards the proximal end and is also preferably made of the same polymeric material as the body of the needle holder . the solid base 8 is approximately half of the depth of the needle holder as shown in fig2 . the walls along the longitudinal sides 6 and 7 has an overhang 12 bordering the entire length of the longitudinal walls and extending internally , that is , inwardly towards the interior of the needle body . the wall that borders the proximal lateral end 5 , extends slightly pass the longitudinal walls 6 and 7 to cause a protruding fence 13 which can be either on one side or on both sides of the proximal lateral end 5 . the distal lateral end 4 is left open . embedded on the upper portion of the solid base 8 close to the hollow top surface 9 is a metallic needle 14 with the distal end protruding from the needle holder 1 as shown in fig2 . the needle has a hollow interior , lumen 17 and could vary in sizes and gauge . the proximal end of the needle 14 is permanently mounted to one end of a connector 15 which is preferably made of the same polymeric material as the needle holder . a connector with a luer lock tip 18 at the other end not connected to the needle is preferred . the walls of the connector may be in line with the longitudinal sides of the needle holder or may be recessed as shown in fig1 . the connector 15 has a hollow conical interior , a cone shaped cavity , that tapers and converge with the proximal base of the hollow metallic needle 14 so as to communicate with the lumen 17 of the needle , through which materials , preferably liquids or suspensions , may be introduced . the needle assembly is commonly mounted into a hypodermic syringe or other fluid delivery source or reservoirs used and known in the medical field . the needle assembly is preferably mounted on a syringe body with a luer lock adapter . the protrusion 10 that extends radially outward from the outer surface of the walls covering longitudinal sides 6 and 7 at its distal end functions both as a locking device and an engagement device with the needle sleeve 2 . an interlocking member 3 as shown in fig3 slips or snaps into the hollow top surface of the needle holder and is held inside the hollow top surface 9 by the overhang 12 along the longitudinal walls 6 and 7 as shown in fig4 . the interlocking member is solid . it can be made of metal or hard rubber but is preferably made of the same preferred polymeric material used for the needle holder 1 but is of a kind that is non - brittle , durable and resilient with memory . with memory means the material will return to its original configuration when the restraining means which keeps the material stationary at a strained position , is released . the proximal portion 19 of the interlocking member is planar with a recess 20 along its longitudinal edges 21 as shown in fig3 . the recess 20 abuts and fits underneath the overhang 12 of the needle holder 1 . the outer surfaces of the recess 20 and the overhang 12 are shaped to match each other and are of the same dimensions to allow a good fit . they are preferably planar . the distal portion of the interlocking member 3 extends upwardly at an angle , hereinafter referred to as angular end 22 , from its planar proximal end 19 . the angular end 22 has a width narrower than the planar end 19 . the angular end has no recess along its longitudinal edges 23 . the angular end is also of such width that its longitudinal edges 23 just freely rub on the longitudinal inside tip of the overhang 12 , allowing unimpeded up and down motion of the angular end 22 . at the distal portion of the angular end 22 is a second stepped recess which look like a fore and middle finger projection , hence will be referred to as finger hook 24 . the finger hook has a notch 16 . the needle sleeve 2 is shaped to conform with the outer contour and surface of the needle holder 1 . it is preferably shaped like a hollow rectangular box , as shown in fig5 with an open proximal 25 and distal 26 lateral ends to allow the needle sleeve 2 to slide over the needle holder 1 in a telescopic manner relative to the needle holder . the closed sides of the needle sleeve are the longitudinal side walls 28 and 29 and the top and bottom surfaces 30 and 31 . the top surface 30 has a cutout area 32 , preferably rectangular in shape as shown in fig5 . the cutout area has three sides , two horizontal sides 34 and 35 and a frontal side 36 . all three sides may be blunt ended but it is preferable for the frontal side 36 to have a slant edge as shown in fig4 . the cut out area leaves a horizontal overhang 33 which rests over the overhang 12 of the needle holder 1 , the overhang 12 functions like a track over which the sleeve traverses to and from . at a calculated or measured distance , starting approximately a third of the full length of the needle sleeve 2 from the proximal end 25 , are grooves 27 along the inner surface of the longitudinal walls . these grooves engage with the protrusion 10 and function as a track ( shown in broken line ) through which the protrusion 10 can traverse to and from horizontally as shown in fig6 . the outer surface of the longitudinal walls 28 and 29 of the needle sleeve may be smooth or gridded . however , it is preferable to grid all the outer sides of the walls to provide a better grip for the user as shown in fig7 . the needle sleeve can also be made of metal or glass but is preferably made of the same polymeric material as those used for the needle holder and interlocking member . when the sliding needle sleeve 2 is slid over the top surface of the needle holder from a position covering the needle holder as shown in fig8 to a direction towards the tip of the needle 14 , the leafspring action of the angular end 22 allows the finger hook to rest on the inside wall of the top surface 30 of the sliding needle sleeve and the notch 16 to rest on its frontal side 36 as shown in fig1 . at this position , the entire needle is shielded and the sleeve is temporarily locked . leafspring effect is the counter effect produced when the upward distal end of the interlock member is pressed downward while the planar proximal end 19 is kept stationary in one position . the needle assembly with the needle sleeve 2 in this forward position , shielding the needle 14 , is temporarily locked in this position by the finger hook 24 abutting on the frontal side 36 of the cutout area afforded by its leafspring effect . the finger hook 24 protrudes over the top surface 30 thereby preventing the needle sleeve 2 from moving away from the direction of the needle , as shown in fig1 . on the other hand , the forward motion of the needle sleeve 2 towards the direction of the needle is checked when the protrusion 10 abuts at the end 37 of the groove 27 as shown in fig6 . the grooves 27 prevent the needle sleeve 2 from disengaging with the protrusion 10 of the needle holder . the procedure for exposing the distal tip of the needle 14 from a position where the needle sleeve 2 shields the entire needle body is accomplished by pressing on the top surface of the finger hook 24 downward , towards the hollow top surface 9 of the needle holder , to release its engagement from the frontal side 36 . once the finger hook 24 no longer abuts on the frontal side 36 , the needle sleeve can be manually moved rearward or slid rearward in a direction away from the needle , thereby exposing its distal end as shown in fig8 . at this position , the needle is free for usage for any purpose such as injection , infusion , pricking and the like . the needle sleeve 2 is kept from moving forward or rearward during its use by the slightly flaired edge 11 at the outside junction between the longitudinal walls 6 and 7 and the fence 13 . further , since the inside surface dimensions of the needle sleeve is barely larger than the outer surface dimensions of the needle holder , only enough to allow it to slide over the needle holder , there is also provided a frictional resistance to unassisted motion . the protruding fence 13 on one or both sides of the proximal end 5 of the needle holder also stops any further rearward motion of the needle sleeve 2 . after use , the needle sleeve 2 is merely pushed forward to a position wherein the finger hook 24 reengages automatically with the frontal side 36 because of the angular design and leafspring effect of the distal portion of the interlock member . this process allows one to manually slide with ease , the needle sleeve 2 , forward and rearward in relation to the needle holder 1 , to cover and uncover the sharp distal end of the needle 14 without the use of a spring device and complex mechanisms . for packaging , shipping or when discarding the needle assembly after use , it is preferable to incorporate a capping component 38 for covering the distal and the proximal end of the needle assembly to further prevent accidental puncture or scratching with the tip of the needle . the cap can be made of metal or glass but is preferably made the same polymeric material as those used for the other components of the needle assembly . as shown in fig1 it is sufficient to have only one cap covering the open distal end of the needle assembly if the entire assembly , for example , will be packaged inside a pouch or container . if only one cap is used , the cap 38 extends preferably from the distal tip of the needle sleeve to a position in front of the finger hook 24 which protrudes over the needle sleeve 2 when the needle assembly is stored or discarded as shown in fig1 . the inner wall of the cap 38 is thicker at its distal end than at its proximal end to cause the cap to receive and fit snugly into the needle assembly thereby preventing the cap 38 from unassisted slippage as shown in fig8 . due to the simplicity in design of the needle assembly and the availability of needles and suitable plastic materials at rather reasonable prices , this device can be made available as a disposable product for one time or limited time usage . while the embodiment of the present invention has been described , it should be understood that various changes , adaptations , and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims . | 0 |
referring now to the drawings and more specifically to fig1 it will be seen that the basic information processing mechanism of the invention is arranged to operate relative to a document or record carrier 7 which may , for example , be a bank book or similar record keeping medium . the document 7 comprises side edges 17 and 18 which are arranged between document guide means 15 and 16 . the information processing mechanism of the invention basically comprises a combined printing and reading head 4 which is arranged for lateral movement relative to the document 7 on a guide rod 3 . the head 4 is adapted for movement between two lateral stops 1 and 2 which may for example be in the form of plates . the combined printing and reading head 4 consists essentially of a slide 5 which is adapted for sliding engagement relative to the guide rod 3 transversely , i . e ., in the line direction , relative to the record carrier or document 7 . a needle printing head 6 and a reading head 8 are both arranged on the common carrier or slide 5 with the needle printing head consisting of a relatively large magnet carrier 9 and a needle guide tip 10 having a printing needle which emerges therefrom at a printing area 11 . the reading head 8 is located in the space adjacent the needle guide tip 10 and in front of the magnet carrier 9 between the magnet carrier and the document . particularly , the optical and photoelectric elements in the reading head 10 are arranged in such a manner that a reading area 12 is located directly adjacent the printing area 11 . the reading head 8 which is shown in greater detail in fig3 and 4 consists essentially of a reading window 13 which defines the reading area 12 and through which light reflected from the document 7 enters the reading head 8 . a line 14 indicates or represents the printing base or line along which the document 7 is imprinted and upon which also the reading area 12 of the reading head 8 is located . the document 7 is held and guided by means of the guide means 15 , 16 in a position in front of the printing base 14 so that a defined position of the document 7 results . the document 7 rests with its two lateral edges 17 and 18 at the guides 15 and 16 . the guides 15 , 16 are usually movable but in the present case they are arranged in such a way that the slide 5 , when it is limited by the lateral stop 1 at its leftmost position , will be arranged with its printing area 11 located at the initial portion of the document or record carrier 7 . the distance between the printing area 11 and the reading area 12 is indicated in fig1 as a . due to the special construction of the reading head which is shown in greater detail in fig3 and 4 , the mechanism of the invention ensures that the distance a will be maintained to a minimum or as small as possible . no data which also must be read can be printed within the distance or space a by the printing head 6 . of course , the smaller the distance a , the less organizational limitations that will be imposed upon the information processing mechanism . referring to fig1 when the slide 5 is at its rightmost position , it will strike against the lateral stop 2 . at this position , a distance b will exist across which reading of characters would be possible , but through which no printing can be effected due to the fact that the needle guide tip 10 cannot move into the space b after the slide 5 has engaged against the stop 2 . however , it will be evident that the distance b as well as the distance a will be reduced to a minimum if the needle printing head or tip 10 and the reading head 8 are maintained as close to one another as possible . in accordance with the present invention , by enabling close proximity between these members the spaces or distances a and b are reduced to a minimum . the special construction of the reading head in accordance with the present invention whereby the margins a and b may be reduced to a minimum is shown in fig3 and 4 . in fig3 it will be seen that the reading head 8 is formed with a channel 42 which is defined between a wall 40 and a wall 41 and that within the channel 42 an optical focusing element 23 which consists of several lenses is arranged . a channel 43 is provided behind the reading window 13 through which light entering the window 13 passes . light sources in the form of lamps 21 and 22 are arranged on both sides of the reading window 13 with the lamps being located in a lamp support 44 which is constructed with a reflector 45 located behind the two lamps 21 and 22 . light from the lamps 21 , 22 is focused by the reflectors 45 and impinges the document 7 at the print line 14 in the reading area 12 . the light is then reflected by the document and enters the reading window 13 and passes through the channel 43 and impinges a mirror 46 . from the mirror 46 the light is deflected through the optical focusing element 23 until an image of the reading area 12 on the printing line 14 forms on an image plane 47 . the image plane 47 is a component of a photodiode arrangement 24 . the lamps 21 , 22 , the mirror 46 , the optical focusing element 23 , and the photodiode arrangement 24 form the optical and photoelectric means of the reading head 8 which are located in a space adjacent the needle guide tip 10 and in front of the magnetic carrier 9 of the needle printer 6 . fig2 shows , in block diagram form , the overall circuit arrangement of the system . the photodiode arrangement 24 is a component of a circuit board 19 which carries the structural elements which represent a reading signal transducer 58 shown in fig2 . fig4 shows in exploded view in perspective how the reading window 13 and the lamp support 44 are constructed . since the lamps 21 and 22 relate to parts which are subject to wear , the lamp support 44 is exchangeably fastened to the reading head 8 . for this purpose , the reading head 8 is provided at the wall 40 with a bracket 48 and a projection 49 . the lamp support 44 has a detent 50 which engages into the bracket 48 and a bracket 51 into which the projection 49 engages . power supply to the lamps 21 and 22 is provided by means of conductors 52 and conductors 53 and 54 . as will be seen from fig2 the circuit arrangement of the invention consists on the one hand of the reading head 8 and on the other hand of the reading signal transducer 58 formed on a printed circuit board 19 and also of the printing and reading control 59 and of the character recognition means 60 . the printing and reading control 59 operates to control the combined printing and reading head 4 in relation to printing and reading . the circuit for the character recognition means 60 operates to recognize printed characters from serially entering light - dark patterns which are compared with prototype patterns representing characters in order thereby to determine which character has been presented . inside of the reading head 8 , the photodiode arrangement 24 and the photoelectric scanning element comprise a 16 × 64 matrix of photoelectric scanning elements or photodiodes wherein 16 photodiodes are always arranged in one row and 64 photodiodes are arranged in one column . scanning of the photodiode arrangement 24 occurs in cadence by the character recognition means 60 under interposition of the reading signal transducer 58 . within the arrangement 24 , the 16 diodes of one row are simultaneously scanned and all 16 information bits are conducted via a carrier 25 to a group of comparators 26 . these 16 information bits are also conducted to a reference formation means 27 by a branch of the carrier 25 . the reference formation means 27 operates to continuously perform a median value of the degree of reflection in that a measurement of the degree of reflection occurs by means of all 16 × 64 photodiodes and from these values a median value is developed . this median value is transferred by carriers 28 to the additional inputs of a group of comparators 26 in order there to be compared with input values of individual diodes which are fed in by means of the carrier 25 . during a comparison with the median value , an analog - digital value transformation occurs by means of the comparator 26 in that only information of contrast values of the diodes is conducted further in which a dark area has been scanned . this digital information is fed through the carrier 29 to a parallel serial transducer 30 which consists of two eight - bit shift registers . in other words , the yes - no statements of the photodiodes which are scanned in parallel are stored in parallel in the shift register 30 and they are read out in series . consequently , a parallel serial transformation takes place in the shift register 30 and the information is fed through the carrier 31 to the character recognition means 60 where individual information bits are again combined and are compared with prototype characters . the recognized information bits are then fed through a carrier line 32 to the printing and reading control 59 which makes the characters available for printing by the printing head 6 . a character on the document 7 will not have a width as the photodiode arrangement which covers 64 scanning elements in one column . rather , a character covers only between 16 and 35 photoelectric scanning elements in the diode arrangement 24 . therefore , a selection must be made as to which signals are to be released by the photodiode arrangement for evaluation in the character recognition means 60 and then fed after completed identification to the printing and reading control . this occurs in a manner whereby through the character recognition means 60 a pulse generator 63 in the reading signal transducer 58 is controlled through a line 62 . the pulse generator in turn applies clock pulses by means of an additional line 64 to the photodiode arrangement 24 in such a manner that the first row of 16 photodiodes is always scanned and then the second row , etc ., up to the 64th row . the pulse signals of the pulse generator 63 are counted in a four - bit binary counter 74 which always after 16 pulses generates an output signal through the line 65 to the counter 66 . the counter 66 will then always count from one to 64 , i . e ., it is switched in the cadence of the scanning of the individual rows of photodiodes in the arrangment 24 . the counter 66 is activated by the printing and reading control 59 through a line 67 , i . e ., a signal is given by the printing and reading control 59 to the counter 66 when a reading process is to occur . the individual binary outputs of the counter 66 are connected with a prom 68 . a level converter 70 is controlled by the prom by means of a line 69 . in the prom , the reading window for the photodiode arrangement 24 is programmed , that is , a closing or opening signal is given by the prom through the line 69 to the level converter 70 . when the level converter 70 generates a closing signal to the photodiode arrangement 24 by means of the line 71 , then corresponding signals which are read in these rows of the photodiode arrangement are not further processed in the reading signal transducer 58 and there is always no forwarding of the character recognition means 60 . however , when the prom 68 gives an opening signal by means of the line 69 to the level converter 70 , then the corresponding signals representing dark areas are processed in the comparators 26 and they are serialized in the shift registers 30 and forwarded to the character recognition means 60 . since the reading signal transducer 58 is to be constructed in such a manner that it can recognize under certain circumstances two different character widths , the prom 68 is also controlled by an additional signal from the printing and reading control 59 through a line 72 in such a manner that different reading windows are made available at the prom 68 , for example in one case the rows 18 to 25 and in another case the rows 16 to 30 of the photodiode arrangement are masked . by exchanging the prom , it is of course also possible to adapt the reading signal transducer 59 to any desired scanning width in the arrangement 24 . during specific work processes , the printing and reading control 59 provides a preparedness signal to the line finder logic means 81 by means of the line 80 . the line finder logic means 81 is connected on one side with the carrier line 25 and on the other side with the line 28 which supplies the median value from the reference formation means 27 . it should be noted that on the document 7 , and particularly if it is a bank book , a line finder marking 82 is produced during each printing . when a new document is drawn in , a corresponding signal to the line finder logic means 81 is generated by the printing and reading control 59 as previously mentioned . during drawing in of a document , as soon as a marking 82 passes the reading head 8 , a signal is generated in the line finder logic means 81 which again imparts a return signal through the line 80 to the printing and reading control 59 whereby the document may be stopped in the correct position , i . e ., at the correct line , with the next line to be printed . accordingly , from the foregoing disclosure it will be seen that the present invention relates to an information processing device having a combined printing and reading head 4 operable to print on documents and for intermittent reading of the entries on such documents . the reading head 8 is arranged on a carrier 5 next to the needle printing head 6 in such a manner that the reading window 13 lies as close as possible to the needle guide tip 10 . thus , the reading window 13 is , in accordance with the present invention , capable of being located in the space directly in front of the magnet carrier 9 of the printing head 6 . during use of the printing and reading head 4 this results in organizational advantages in that unusable space between the printing area 11 and the reading area 12 is reduced to a minimum and consequently also the space in which either printing or reading can occur is also reduced to a minimum . by means of a programmable unit 66 , 68 , it is possible to mask certain lines at the photodiode arrangement 24 which is a component of the reading head 8 and to only forward desired information . the reading head 8 can also be used to recognize a line finding symbol or other similar mark 82 and during the process of entering the document 7 into the information processing mechanism , this can operate to stop the feed control of the entry process in such a manner that it will stop on the next available free line for printing . while a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles , it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles . | 6 |
the invention will be described in terms of coating materials and processes for powdered metal materials , and particularly ferromagnetic materials that are molded under pressure to form magnetic articles , such as ac magnetic cores used in the automotive industry . however , the teachings of this invention can also be applied to the molding of other types of articles . according to the present invention , ferromagnetic particles are provided with a ceramic encapsulating layer that provides electrical insulation between the particles when coalesced to form a magnetic article . ferromagnetic particulate materials that can be used with this invention include iron , nickel and cobalt alloys , iron - silicon alloys , iron - phosphorus alloys , fe — si — al alloys such as sendust alloys ( nominally fe - 5 . 6al - 9 . 7si ), and magnetic stainless steels . a suitable average particle size range is about 5 micrometers to about 1000 micrometers , with a preferred average size being about 100 to 200 micrometers . the ceramic material is preferably present on the particles as a substantially uniform encapsulating layer that constitutes about 0 . 001 % to about 2 % weight percent of each particle . as will be described in greater detail below , the encapsulating layer consists entirely of the ceramic material , but may initially include a polymeric material that , during subsequent heating of the particles ( e . g ., annealing ), degrades to leave a ceramic material as the sole constituent of the encapsulating layer within the magnetic article formed from the particles . the ceramic encapsulating material provides electrical insulation between the particles , thereby reducing core losses in the magnetic article . more particularly , the ceramic encapsulating material provides stable mechanical properties and dielectric characteristics over a temperature range which exceeds the temperatures necessary to fully anneal the ferromagnetic particles after compaction . consequently , a magnetic core formed from ferromagnetic particles coated with a ceramic material in accordance with this invention will not suffer significant degradation of the adhesive strength between the metal particles or experience detrimental flow of the coating that would degrade the insulating properties of the coating when exposed to elevated temperatures . in a first embodiment of the invention , a ceramic encapsulating layer is formed by depositing the ceramic material directly on the ferromagnetic particles , such as by slurry coating , mechanical blending , vapor deposition or chemical reaction . in this embodiment , a preferred technique is to apply the ceramic material in powder form using a slurry coating technique . a suitable slurry composition contains about 5 . 0 % weight percent ceramic powder , with the balance being an organic solvent such as acetone , methylene chloride , methanol , etc . suitable ceramic materials include silicates ( sodium silicate , potassium silicate , silica , etc . ), metal oxides ( alumina , zirconia , steatite , calcia , beryllia , etc . ), nitrides ( silicon nitride , boron nitride , titanium nitride , etc . ), carbides ( silicon carbide , boron carbide , zirconium carbide , titanium carbide ), ferrites ( nafeo 2 , mgfe 2 o 4 , k 3 feo 6 , srfe 12 o , 19 ), and phosphates ( fep , fe 2 p , fe 3 p ), with preferred ceramics being relatively low temperature materials such as silicates and silicon - base compounds . ceramic particle size must be limited to appropriately coat the ferromagnetic particles . acceptable particle sizes for the ceramic material are on the order of at least one - half to one order of magnitude smaller than the ferromagnetic particles . a generally suitable size range for the ceramic particles is about one to fifty micrometers , with a preferred particle size being about five to fifteen micrometers . the slurry is then applied to the ferromagnetic particles so that the ceramic material constitutes about 0 . 05 % to about 2 % weight percent of the ferromagnetic particles , more preferably about 0 . 1 % to about 0 . 5 % weight percent . an optional constituent of the slurry is a polymer that will promote adhesion of the ceramic powder particles to each other and to the ferromagnetic particles . the inclusion of a polymer in the encapsulating layer also promotes the lubricity of the coated particles , so that magnetic articles can be produced from the coated particles with higher densities and green strengths . to be acceptable for the process and magnetic articles of this invention , the polymer must be capable of cleanly burning out during subsequent processing of the article . for this reason , preferred polymers include polyphenylene oxide ( ppo ) and poly ( alkylene ) carbonate . the polymer is dissolved in a solvent such as acetone or toluene , and then combined with the ceramic slurry in amounts sufficient to achieve a polymer content on the ferromagnetic particles of about 0 . 05 to about 2 weight percent , more preferably about 0 . 1 to 0 . 5 weight percent . lower polymer contents result in inadequate green strength and poor moldability , while higher amounts are difficult to adequately burn out , yielding poorer magnetic properties and reduced strength . another optional constituent of the ceramic slurry is a lubricant , such as stearates , fluorocarbons , waxes , low - melting polymers and synthetic waxes such as acrawax available from lonza , inc . if the ceramic slurry contains the polymer and / or lubricant , the particles are first dried to remove the solvent , leaving an encapsulating layer of ceramic particles within a polymer matrix . an optional overcoat of polymer and / or lubricant may then be applied over the encapsulating layer to further promote packing density , green strength and moldability . the overcoat layer is a particularly desirable addition if the ceramic encapsulating layer does not contain a polymer constituent . suitable polymers and lubricants for the overcoat layer can be the same as those noted above for the polymer / lubricant constituent of the encapsulating layer . if used , the overcoat layer is present in amounts of about 0 . 1 to about 1 weight percent of the ferromagnetic particles , more preferably about 0 . 05 to 0 . 5 weight percent . suitable methods for depositing the optional overcoat layer include known solution blending , wet blending and mechanical mixing techniques , and the use of a wurster - type batch coating apparatus , such as those described in u . s . pat . nos . 2 , 648 , 609 and 3 , 253 , 944 . once coated , the ferromagnetic particles are compacted to form the desired magnetic article by such known methods as uniaxial compaction , isostatic compaction , dynamic magnetic compaction , extruding and metal injection molding . each of these techniques work - hardens the particles to some degree , reducing desirable magnetic properties such as permeability and increases hysteresis loses . accordingly , the article is then annealed by heating to an appropriate temperature for the ferromagnetic material , followed by slow cooling . during annealing , any polymer and / or lubricant on the ferromagnetic particles is volatilized . alternatively , the polymer and / or lubricant can be removed by heating the article to an intermediate temperature , generally in the range of about 800 ° f . to about 1200 ° f . ( about 425 ° c . to about 650 ° c . ), prior to annealing . if the ferromagnetic particles are formed of an iron , nickel , cobalt , iron - silicon , iron - phosphorus , or fe — si — al alloy , annealing can typically be performed within a temperature range of about 900 ° f . to about 1800 ° f . ( about 480 ° c . to about 980 ° c .). a preferred annealing treatment is carried out at about 1300 ° f . to about 1400 ° f . ( about 700 ° c . to about 760 ° c . ), for about 30 to 60 minutes , depending on the mass of the article . this treatment is sufficient to liquid phase sinter the ceramic particles , by which the ceramic particles melt and flow between and around the ferromagnetic particles to promote intraparticle insulation and strength . after annealing , the article can be used as - is or further compacted , machined , and / or vacuum impregnated with a reactive liquid polymer ( e . g ., an epoxy ) that can then be cured to increase the corrosion resistance and strength of the article . the impregnated polymer may constitute about 0 . 001 to about 0 . 2 weight percent of the total mass of the article . in a second embodiment of the invention , the ceramic encapsulating layer is formed by a controlled reaction of the ferromagnetic particles to produce a layer of one or more oxide compounds . for example , iron - based particles are oxidized to form an encapsulating layer of iron oxides , typically feo , feo 3 , fe 3 o 4 , or a combination thereof . iron oxide encapsulating layers can be formed by oxidizing iron - based particles at a temperature of about 300 ° f . to about 600 ° f . ( about 150 ° c . to about 315 ° c .) in air , though it is foreseeable that oxidation could be performed in a controlled environment with a suitable humidity level . other suitable methods for producing the oxide encapsulating layer are by substitution ( chemical exchange ) reaction or partial reduction ( anodic reaction ). the reaction process preferably proceeds for a duration sufficient to yield an oxide content on the particles of about 0 . 001 to about 1 weight percent , preferably about 0 . 05 to about 0 . 2 weight percent . as with the first embodiment of the invention , the ferromagnetic particles can be overcoated with a polymer or lubricant using the same techniques and parameters described before . thereafter , the particles are compacted to form the desired article , optionally heated to an intermediate temperature if any overcoat polymer or lubricant was used , but then otherwise annealed , all of which can be performed in accordance with the first embodiment . in a third embodiment of the invention , the ceramic encapsulating layer is formed by first depositing a layer of an organometallic compound on the ferromagnetic particles , after which the organometallic compound is reacted to form a metal oxide encapsulating layer . a preferred organometallic compound is magnesium methylate , which is soluble in alcohol and can be applied to the ferromagnetic particles using a wurster - type batch coating apparatus , such as those described in u . s . pat . nos . 2 , 648 , 609 and 3 , 253 , 944 . magnesium methylate can be reacted to form magnesia ( magnesium oxide ) by heating in air to a temperature of about 500 ° f . to about 700 ° f . ( about 260 ° c . to about 316 ° c . ), preferably about 600 ° f . ( about 370 ° c .). magnesium methylate is preferably applied on the ferromagnetic particles in an amount of about 0 . 05 % to about 0 . 20 % weight percent of the total mass of the particles , yielding a magnesia content on the particles of about 0 . 025 % to about 0 . 10 % weight percent . it is possible that greater magnesia contents could be used , though flaking and lower density are potential negative effects . as with the first and second embodiments of the invention , the ferromagnetic particles can subsequently be overcoated with a polymer or lubricant using the techniques and parameters noted above , and then compacted and annealed as before . while the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment , it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art . for example , other polymer materials could be substituted for those noted , and a variety of powdered magnetic or magnetizable materials could be used . accordingly , the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims . | 7 |
as described above , the problems associated with conventional file transfer methods stems from the fact that the transfer is initiated from the client . as a result , too little information is available to efficiently place the files in storage media managed by the server system . another problem with conventional file transfer methods is that too little information is available to make proper use of the so - called “ third - party copy ” feature of storage area networks . in the third - party copy scenario , the client and server need to identify the data blocks to be transferred from one system to the other . this information must then be provided to a third party , which issues the corresponding storage are network i / o operations effect the movement data . in order to write data from the client to the server , the party initiating the third - party copy must be aware of the locations ( block addresses ) of data on both the client and server . when write operations are performed piecemeal , initiated by the client , the server has not yet had an opportunity to allocate space for the anticipated data . accordingly , the third - party copy feature cannot be used . according a first embodiment of the present invention , a new method for writing data to one or more files from a first computer to a second computer is disclosed whereby information describing the one or more files is first sent from the first computer system to the second computer system before the data is transferred . based upon this information , the second computer system requests file data from the client in a manner optimized according to the second computer &# 39 ; s needs . that is , the second computer may dictate the order , time , and the communication medium for completing the data transfer . as a result , the server is enabled to optimize the placement and transfer of data . [ 0036 ] fig4 illustrates a new method for transferring one or more files from one system to another according to an embodiment of the present invention . in fig4 a user of client 400 desires to transfer three files to server 401 , designated file1 , file2 , and file3 . the client proposal to transfer all three files is sent to the server , along with such attributes for each file as to best facilitate the transfer . these attributes may include , for example , the file length and the location on a network storage device of each of the data blocks that compose the file . in the example , server 401 processes the request to transfer these three files , and determines that an optimal performance could be obtained by transferring the files in the order of file2 , followed by file1 and file3 , respectively . the order that is determined will optimize the data transfer by reducing the disk head seeking . accordingly , in step 403 , server 401 instructs client 400 to send the contents of file2 . in step 404 , client 400 sends the contents as requested . in steps 405 and 406 , data for file1 is requested and sent , as shown in fig4 . similarly , in steps 407 and 408 , data for file3 is requested and transferred . the file transfer request may include allocation data to further improve the file transfer process . allocation data may be comprised of , for example , the addresses on a storage area network device to which the data are to be transferred , at maximum data transfer rate . allocating data may also include a scatter gather list of the block as they are allocated on the disk . a first improvement resulting from the invention is an ability of the second computer , which in this example is server 401 , to prepare for a transfer size of its choosing . using conventional methods , the first computer , in this case , client 400 , must assume that the other computer can accept a data transfer of a particular size . the need to make this assumption typically means that the sending system must make a conservative choice so as not to exhaust memory resources on the recipient system . in contrast , using methods of the present invention , the recipient system receives , in advance , the size of the data to be transferred ( because of the file attributes sent by client 400 ), an so server 401 can prepare for as large a transfer as possible and inform the sending system ( via the allocation data ). in this way , it is possible to affect the transfer of a single file with a minimum number of data transfers and without exhausting the resources of the server . this maximizes the data transfer rate from client to server within the server &# 39 ; s resource constraints . a second improvement accomplished by the invention results because the server controls the sequence of files to be transferred . in removable media systems , such as those involving storage libraries , it is typical to optimize performance by placing particular files on particular pieces of media . further , it is often the case that at any particular time , some pieces of media can be accessed more quickly than others . continuing the example of fig4 at the time that the transfer of file1 , file2 , and file3 is requested , it may be that the piece of media that is to hold file2 can be accessed most quickly . in this case , it would be advantageous to transfer file2 before either of the other files . the method embodied by the invention renders this possible by presenting all choices to the server at once and allowing it to determine the sequence that optimizes performance . a third improvement results because the client and server can exchange information needed to perform third - party copy operations . such operations are widely recognized for performance optimization because a data transfer can take place through a third - party agent without expending any resources by either client or server in the data transfer . fig5 and 6 illustrate how the present invention facilitates third - party copy operations . as shown in fig5 and 6 , the present invention provides for a significantly simplified interaction between the client , server , and storage area network . according to the present invention , data need not be transferred out of storage area network 100 to complete the file transfer . instead , router 130 is instructed to carry out the file transfer operation within the storage area network . [ 0040 ] fig5 illustrates the interaction between client 102 , server 104 , and storage devices 128 according to an embodiment of the present invention to perform third party copy operations . in this embodiment , no acknowledgment messages are passed between the systems . in step 501 , client 102 sends a message to server 104 to initiate a file transfer . the initial message includes attributes of the file that is to be transferred , which is also referred to herein as “ the source file .” as described above , attributes may include information such as the size and location of the source file . in this embodiment , the location of the source file further includes identification of actual data sectors on the storage medium indicating every component of data comprising the file . this information is commonly referred to in the art as “ scatter - gather ” data because it identifies the physical locations in which data is scattered across the storage medium and is needed to retrieve the data . the information is sent to the client in a copy request , and is stored in the request packet . in step 502 , server 104 instructs router 130 to create a new empty file and to carry - out the data transfer from the source file to the new empty file , which then becomes the destination file . a message created in step 502 includes one or more of the file attributes received from client 102 . in step 503 , router 130 transfers the data from the source location to the destination location . that is , router 130 retrieves data from the sectors identified in the scatter - gather list and places them in available sectors on the destination storage medium . the sectors making up the new file are included in the destination file &# 39 ; s header block for future reference as scatter - gather data . [ 0042 ] fig6 shows another example implementing the present invention to facilitate third - party transfers of data . this example includes all of the steps shown in fig5 in additional steps 601 - 603 . in step 601 , server 104 sends a confirmation message back to client 102 . the confirmation informs client 102 that the new file has been created . in step 602 , which is performed after the data transfer has been completed by router 130 , router 130 sends a message to server 104 . message 602 informs server 104 that the data transfer has been successfully completed . in step 603 , server 104 informs client 102 of the successful completion of the data transfer . the foregoing disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure . the scope of the invention is to be defined only by the claims appended hereto , and by their equivalents . further , in describing representative embodiments of the present invention , the specification may have presented the method and / or process of the present invention as a particular sequence of steps . however , to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the particular order of steps set forth herein , the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described . as one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate , other sequences of steps may be possible . therefore , the particular order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be construed as limitations on the claims . in addition , the claims directed to the method and / or process of the present invention should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written , and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention . | 7 |
the present invention is characterized by a direct drive means which is driven by a first drive sprocket , or gear , or pulley , or similar rotational device , which , in turn , drives a second drive sprocket , or gear , or pulley , or a similar rotational device . the direct drive means then transfers torque from a first rotating member to a second , or perhaps subsequent , rotating member . referring now to the drawing figures , fig1 shows the device with one half of the housing 36 removed . each alternating link 2 of the direct drive means 6 receives the teeth 10 of a drive sprocket 8 as the direct drive means rotates through the drive sprocket . the continuous direct drive means may be formed by a series of alternating links 2 which are connected to one of each of the remaining links 4 at each end , until a continuous loop of the required length is formed . the links are pivotally connected , so that the links pivot relative to each other . the connecting member may be a pin 18 which is inserted to join the links . the pin may be fixed in the two arms of the alternating link , with the remaining link allowed to rotate about the pin . each of the links is preferred to have an arcuate shape of constant radius as shown in the drawing figures . each of the links will usually have the same radius , and be of approximately the same length and width . the links have a bottom surface 20 of constant radius and a top surface 22 of constant radius , which makes up the generally arcuate shape of the links . for the purpose of this disclosure , the bottom surface of the link is defined as the surface of the link which adjoins the drive sprocket , while the top surface of the link is opposite the drive sprocket . the links may be formed of generally parallel plates . as shown in the drawing figures , each alternating link has four plates , and the remaining links have three parallel plates . the links are pivotally joined end to end to form a continuous loop . the end of the link is defined as the part of the link which is attached to or joins with the next , or adjoining , link . the continuous loop direct drive means rotates through a first drive sprocket and a second drive sprocket . the relationship between a drive sprocket and the direct drive means is shown with particularity in fig5 , and 7 . the drive sprocket has an outer circumference 26 . this outer circumference is of a radius which is generally the same as the radius of the bottom surface 20 of the links . the outer circumference forms a circle . a plurality of teeth 10 extends radially from the drive sprocket , and more specifically , from the surface which forms the outer circumference of the drive sprocket . each of the teeth may be comprised of a plurality of generally parallel plates . typically , the drive sprockets will have a void 32 in the center which provides a means by which the drive sprocket may be driven , and power may be taken from the drive sprocket . the void may be provided in the drive sprocket for insertion of a drive means to drive the drive sprocket , and a void may be provided on the remaining drive sprocket for insertion of a driven means , or power takeoff means . commonly , the present invention will be used with hand tools or power tools . hand tools and power tools in use commonly use six point , or hexagonal , engagement means , or twelve point engagement means . accordingly , the device as shown has three teeth extending from the drive sprockets . in use , a sprocket is rotated by application of torque from another rotating device , or drive means . the rotating device could be any known tool , including a wrench , ratchet , screwdriver , or a power tool , a motor , or a transmission , or other device which will apply a rotational force to the sprocket . the rotation of the direct drive means by the first sprocket causes rotation of the second sprocket . in this manner , torque is transferred to the second sprocket . power take off means may be supplied , and application means , such as a tool , a generator , a pump , or other device which is actuated by the application of torque could be used . for the purpose of increasing or decreasing torque , or increasing or decreasing rotational speed , sprockets of different effective diameters could be employed , if space permits . the direct drive means rotates through each sprocket , either driving , or being driven by , the sprocket . each of the alternating links engages one of the teeth of the drive sprocket as the direct drive means rotates through the sprocket . the bottom arcuate surface of the links contact the outer circumference of the drive sprocket . the bottom arcuate surface of the links is approximately the same radius as the radius of the surface of outer circumference of the drive sprocket . the device may be contained within a housing 36 . the housing may be elongated . the arcuate shape of the top surface of the links facilitates the rotation of the device within the housing , which will usually have an enlarged sprocket housing of constant radius on each end , as shown in fig2 and 5 . the length of the direct drive means is critical . due to the large number of links , small deviations add up . an adjustment means may be included . the adjustment means allows one or both of the sprockets to be selectively positioned toward either end of the device to take up slack in the direct drive means as needed . fig2 shows an exploded view of the device . the housing 36 is shown in two parts , with the housing split in half for access . also shown are the direct drive means 6 , and the sprockets 8 , with one sprocket having a void for a rectangular drive , and the remaining sprocket having a hexagonal void for power take off . sprocket caps 12 are also provided . the remaining details of fig2 relate to the adjustment apparatus . in the preferred embodiment , four series of channels 14 , or adjuster seats , are formed in the housing . two adjuster seats correspond to each sprocket , with one series of channels formed in the upper portion of the housing , and one series of channels formed in the lower portion of the housing for each sprocket . two adjusters 16 are provided for each sprocket . one adjuster is positioned above , and one adjuster is positioned below , each sprocket , or more particularly , each sprocket cap . in the preferred embodiment , the adjuster has an annular void 24 on one end which engages the sprocket cap . a pawl 28 extends from the adjuster toward the opposite sprocket . the pawl engages one of the channels of the series of channels in the adjuster seat . each of the series of channels correspond to one of the adjusters , as shown in the drawing figures . rollers 30 , which may be mounted on roller sleeves 34 , are used to facilitate the movement of the direct drive means through the housing and the gears . a rivet 38 is used to hold the assembly together , and spring biasing 40 means located between the adjusters is provided to keep each pawl position within the selected channel . as the direct drive means begins to lengthen due to normal use and wear , the accompanying slack which is experienced may be removed from the direct drive means by the adjustment device . the housing is separated , and the pawl is moved to a channel which is further away from the opposite sprocket . since the adjusters communicate with the sprocket , the sprocket is thereby moved further away from the opposite sprocket , effectively tightening the direct drive means . the use of the adjustment device on each end , which is optional , allows for substantial adjustment and tightening of the drive means . by periodically removing slack from the direct drive means , the efficiency of the operation of the device is maintained . the housing may have various shapes , although the dog bone shape shown is best for most applications . an object of the present invention is to provide a device which will transfer torque to a point where there is difficulty in positioning a drive . the use of various shapes , including straight lines and arcs for the housing furthers this object of the invention . a primary goal of the present invention is to provide a torque transfer device which may be used in applications where a great amount of torque is to be transferred , but operational space is limited . accordingly , the configuration of the direct drive means is critical to the invention , and the use of the arcuate shaped individual links of constant radius accomplishes a goal of the invention . the arcuate shaped links form a partially circular shape as they rotate through the sprockets , thereby minimizing the space occupied when compared to other possible configurations . the arcuate top surfaces of the links have no extensions or protrusions , and the shape of the top surface minimizes friction in the event of contact of the links with a housing or other environment in which the device is used . while the device is very space efficient , the structure of the links provides a direct drive means which is extremely strong and capable of carrying high torque loads , with minimal loss of energy due to friction . the best mode for using the device is as extension for tools . a drive , such as the drive of a ratchet or air wrench is inserted into the first drive sprocket 23 . the direct drive means transfers torque to the second drive sprocket 24 , and a socket or other tool can be used to tighten or loosen a threaded fastener at a location which is remote from the wrench . the device is particularly suited to such an application since tools for torquing threaded fasteners must be able to handle high torque , while the space in which such tools are used is frequently limited , meaning that the tool must be as small as possible . other uses for the device are apparent from the disclosure of the device herein . it is not necessary that the drive sprockets rotate within the same plane . the application of torque may be directed to position the device to rotate on a plane which is perpendicular to , or otherwise different than , the plane within which the first sprocket rotates . one or more idler sprockets could be used to facilitate such directional change . | 1 |
turning to fig3 an flash memory cell 301 formed in accordance with the present invention is shown . the cell 301 includes a p + drain 303 formed in a n - well 307 that is formed in a p - type substrate 309 . formed atop of the n - well , but separated by a tunnel oxide , is a floating gate 311 . the floating gate 311 is adjacent to the p + drain 303 . formed atop of the floating gate 311 , but separated by an interpoly dielectric 315 , is a control gate 313 . thus , many of the features are the same as in a conventional etox - cell . for example , for a 0 . 25 micron design rule , the tunnel oxide is ˜ 85 - 105 angstroms thick , the interpoly dielectric 315 between the control gate 313 and the floating gate 311 is preferably a stack of oxide / nitride / oxide with about 100 - 180 angstroms ( oxide equivalent ) thickness . the control gate 313 has a coupling ratio to the floating gate 311 of about 0 . 7 to 0 . 9 . for large gate induced drain leakage ( gidl ) current generation , not only the overlap between the floating gate 311 and the p + drain 303 should be enough ( e . g . about 0 . 1 micron ), but also the p - type doping level at the surface of the p + drain 303 should be high enough ( e . g . & gt ; 20 dopants / cm 3 ). the operation of the cell 301 is described below . the cell 301 is programmed primarily by band - to - band induced hot electron ( bbhe ) injection . as seen in fig4 the p + drain 303 bias ( v d ) is v cc or higher ( e . g . 3 to 5 volts ), the control gate 313 bias ( v cg ) is v cc , the n - well ( v dnw ) is biased to v cc , and the p - substrate 309 is grounded . electrons are generated on the surface of the p + drain 303 by band - to - band tunneling . these electrons are accelerated ( gaining energy to become “ hot ”) by the p +/ n - well junction bias . these hot electrons can overcome the energy barrier and become injected onto the floating gate 311 . the injection is also helped by the positive bias on the control gate 313 . furthermore , the initial electrons appearing on the surface p + drain 303 can also be injected directly to the floating gate by fn tunneling if the electrical field across the oxide is large enough (˜ 10mv / cm ). in short , the total drain current during programming has three components : ( 1 ) hot electron injection to the floating gate 311 , ( 2 ) electrons fn tunneling to the floating gate 311 , and ( 3 ) gate induced drain leakage ( gidl ) current to the n - well 307 . note that the bbhe mechanism can only be implemented on a p - channel cell . in a practical design , programming is dominantly contributed by hot electron injection , with negligible contribution from fn tunneling . next , turning to fig5 the read operation of the cell 301 is next described . the read operation is based on the fact that the gate induced drain leakage ( gidl ) current at the p + drain 303 is strongly ( exponentially ) dependent on the electrical field between the p + drain 303 and the floating gate 311 . as a result , it is sensitive to the net electron charge on the floating gate . the preferred bias for the read operation is as follows : v cg is 2v cc ( 6 . 6 volts ); v d is 0 volts ; v pw is 0 volts ; and v nw is v cc ( about 3 . 3 volts ). the gidl current of a programmed cell ( i . e . with net electron charge on the floating gate ) will be at least 3 orders of magnitude smaller than that of a non - programmed cell ( i . e . no net electron charge on the floating gate ). turning to fig6 the erase action of the cell 301 can be seen . it is similar to conventional fowler - nordheim tunneling through the channel . there is a high enough field (& gt ; 10 mv / cm ) established between the p + drain 303 and the floating - gate 311 so that electrons on the floating - gate 311 can tunnel by fn tunneling into the channel / drain / source area and be removed away . preferably , the control gate v cg is at − 2v cc to − 3 v cc , the n - well v nw is at 2v cc , and v d is at v cc or floating . there are several advantages of the cell 301 of the present invention and its operation . first , compared to an etox cell , there is no source and thus no need for a source interconnection . the cell 301 is therefore significantly smaller than a conventional p - channel etox cell . second , the p + drain 303 does not carry a large current during all operations . therefore , a buried p + line ( i . e . diffusion area used as n + drain ) is suitable for cell operations . this will eliminate the contact and metal interconnect of n + drains and further reduce the cell size . third , as will be seen below , the array architecture with separate column n - wells can implement single - bit erase for full function eeprom . finally , the gidl read operation is insensitive to temperature due to the nature of the gidl mechanism . the cells 301 disclosed herein can be advantageously configured into a nor array as shown in fig7 with the following features . the p + drains of cells in a common column are connected to a column bitline 701 through a buried p + region ( contactless array ) or by a conventional contact and metal line . the n - wells of cells in a column are fabricated in one n - well 705 . the n - well of each column is isolated from adjacent n - wells . note that if single - bit erase is not needed , then only one large n - well underneath the entire array is needed . the control gate of cells in a common row are connected to the row wordlines 703 . there is no need for a source connection . this results in a simpler array architecture and wordline decoder design . during programming of a single cell , the bias of the selected column bitline 701 ( v d ) is − v cc ( e . g . − 3 . 3 volts ) and the selected row wordline 703 is bias ( v cg ) to high ( v cc ). the n - well ( v nw ) is biased to v cc and the p - substrate is biased to 0 volts during all operations . all non - selected column bitlines 701 are biased to 0 volts and the non - selected wordlines 703 are biased to 0 volts . to program cells in an entire row , all column bitlines 701 are selected and biased according to the input digital information ( e . g . bitline bias to − 3 . 3 volts as a “ 1 ” and 0 volts as a “ 0 ”). all column n - well lines are biased to v cc and the p - substrate is biased to 0 volts . the selected row wordline is biased to high ( v cc ); all non - selected wordlines are biased to 0 volts . to program all cells in a column , then all row wordlines 703 are selected and biased according to the input digital information ( e . g . v cc for a logical “ 1 ” and 0 volts for a logical “ 0 ”). the selected column n - well 705 is biased to v cc . the selected column bitline 701 is biased to − v cc or − 3 . 3 volts , and all non - selected bit - lines are biased to 0 volts . in short , either single bit programming , column programming , or row programming can be implemented in this array with high efficiency . during the read operation , the selected row wordline 703 is biased to high ( e . g . 2v cc ), and selected column bitlines 701 is biased to 0 volts . all non - selected row wordlines 703 and all non - selected bitlines 701 are biased to low ( i . e . 0 volts ) to avoid disturb . the n - wells 705 are biased to v cc and the p - substrate is biased to 0 volts . the magnitude of the gidl current measured in a column bitline represents the digital information stored in the cell . those cells programmed with ( negative ) electron charge on the floating - gate will have about 3 orders of magnitude less gidl current than those without electrons on the floating - gate . during the erase operation , cells in a selected row wordline 703 can be erased by biasing the wordline to low ( e . g . − 2v cc to − v cc ), while biasing the column n - well line 705 to high ( 2v cc ). further , the column bitline 701 is either left floating or biased to v cc during erase . non - selected rows ( wordlines ) are biased to 0 volts and all non - selected n - wells are biased to v cc . certainly , more than one row or even all rows can be selected and erased efficiently . while the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described , it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
aspects and embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail . in one aspect , the present invention provides a thienopyrimidinone derivative represented by formula 1 : wherein r1 is phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted with one to five substituents selected from halogen , substituted or unsubstituted stannyl , phenyl , alkylphenyl , alkoxyphenyl , benzodioxolyl , and naphthalenyl groups , r2 is selected from substituted or unsubstituted phenyl , substituted or unsubstituted c 1 - c 7 alkyl , substituted or unsubstituted c 3 - c 10 cycloalkyl , pyranyl , hydropyranyl , naphthalenyl , hydronaphthalenyl , substituted or unsubstituted piperidinyl , acetyloxy , allyl , and vinyl , and r3 is selected from hydrogen , c 1 - c 7 alkyl , substituted or unsubstituted amino , and hydroxy ; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . in the case where r3 is a hydroxyl group , tautomeric isomerism ( tautomerism ) may occur . in this case , the thienopyrimidinone derivative of formula 1 may also exist in a tautomeric form represented by formula 2 : wherein r1 and r2 are as defined in formula 1 , and r3 ′ is oxygen . it is therefore to be understood that the tautomeric form of formula 2 is within the scope of the present invention . in one embodiment , r1 is selected from substituted or unsubstituted phenyl , substituted or unsubstituted naphthalenyl , and substituted or unsubstituted benzodioxolyl . the substituted phenyl may be phenyl in which some or all of the hydrogen atoms are replaced by substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 7 alkyl , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkyl , c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , substituted or unsubstituted stannyl , and phenyl . the substituted stannyl may be alkylstannyl substituted with one to three c 1 - c 7 alkyl groups . the substituted naphthalenyl may be naphthalenyl in which some or all of the hydrogen atoms are replaced by substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 7 alkyl , c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , unsubstituted stannyl , c 1 - c 7 alkylstannyl , c 1 - c 7 dialkylstannyl , c 1 - c 7 trialkylstannyl , and phenyl . the substituted benzodioxolyl may be benzodioxolyl in which some or all of the hydrogen atoms are replaced by substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 7 alkyl , c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , unsubstituted stannyl , c 1 - c 7 alkylstannyl , c 1 - c 7 dialkylstannyl , c 1 - c 7 trialkylstannyl , and phenyl . in a further embodiment , ( i ) r2 may be selected from substituted or unsubstituted phenyl , substituted or unsubstituted benzonitrile , substituted or unsubstituted c 1 - c 7 alkyl , allyl , vinyl , substituted or unsubstituted c 3 - c 10 cycloalkyl , substituted or unsubstituted pyranyl , substituted or unsubstituted hydropyranyl , substituted or unsubstituted naphthalenyl , substituted or unsubstituted hydronaphthalenyl , substituted or unsubstituted furanyl , substituted or unsubstituted hydrofuranyl , substituted or unsubstituted piperidinyl , and substituted or unsubstituted c 3 - c 10 heterocycloalkyl ; or ( ii ) r2 may have a c 1 - c 7 alkyl group through which a group selected from substituted or unsubstituted phenyl , substituted or unsubstituted benzonitrile , substituted or unsubstituted c 1 - c 7 alkyl , allyl , vinyl , substituted or unsubstituted c 3 - c 10 cycloalkyl , substituted or unsubstituted pyranyl , substituted or unsubstituted hydropyranyl , substituted or unsubstituted naphthalenyl , substituted or unsubstituted hydronaphthalenyl , substituted or unsubstituted furanyl , substituted or unsubstituted hydrofuranyl , substituted or unsubstituted piperidinyl , and substituted or unsubstituted c 3 - c 10 heterocycloalkyl is linked to the corresponding nitrogen atom of the thienopyrimidinone ring . the substituted phenyl may be phenyl in which some or all of the hydrogen atoms are replaced by substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 7 alkyl , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkyl , c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , hydroxy , nitro , vinyl , and allyl . the substituted benzonitrile may be benzonitrile in which some or all of the hydrogen atoms are replaced by substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 7 alkyl , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkyl , c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , hydroxy , nitro , vinyl , and allyl . the substituted c 1 - c 7 alkyl may be c 1 - c 7 alkyl in which one to three hydrogen atoms of the alkyl are replaced by substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 7 alkyl , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkyl , c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , hydroxy , nitro , vinyl , allyl , c 3 - c 10 cycloalkyl , furanyl , and hydrofuranyl . the substituted c 3 - c 10 cycloalkyl may be c 3 - c 10 cycloalkyl substituted with substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 7 alkyl , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkyl , c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , hydroxy , nitro , vinyl , allyl , and c 1 - c 7 alkyl . the substituted pyranyl may be pyranyl in which some or all of the hydrogen atoms are replaced by substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 7 alkyl , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkyl , c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , hydroxy , nitro , vinyl , and allyl . the hydropyranyl may be dihydropyranyl or tetrahydropyranyl , and the substituted hydropyranyl may be hydropyranyl in which some or all of the hydrogen atoms are replaced by substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 7 alkyl , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkyl , c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , hydroxy , nitro , vinyl , and allyl . the substituted naphthalenyl may be naphthalenyl in which some or all of the hydrogen atoms are replaced by substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 7 alkyl , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkyl , c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , hydroxy , nitro , vinyl , and allyl . the hydronaphthalenyl may be selected from dihydronaphthalenyl , tetrahydronaphthalenyl , hexahydronaphthalenyl , and heptahydronaphthalenyl , and the substituted hydronaphthalenyl may be hydronaphthalenyl in which some or all of the hydrogen atoms are replaced by substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 7 alkyl , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkyl , c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , hydroxy , nitro , vinyl , and allyl . the substituted furanyl may be furanyl in which some or all of the hydrogen atoms are replaced by substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 7 alkyl , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkyl , c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , hydroxy , nitro , vinyl , and allyl . the hydrofuranyl may be dihydrofuranyl or tetrahydrofuranyl , and the substituted hydrofuranyl may be hydrofuranyl in which some or all of the hydrogen atoms are replaced by substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 7 alkyl , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkyl , c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , hydroxy , nitro , vinyl , and allyl . the substituted piperidinyl may be ( i ) piperidinyl in which some or all of the hydrogen atoms are replaced by substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 7 alkyl , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkyl , c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , hydroxy , nitro , vinyl , and allyl , or ( ii ) piperidinyl in which a substituent selected from c 1 - c 7 alkyl , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkyl , c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , vinyl , and allyl is bonded to the nitrogen atom of the piperidine ring . the c 3 - c 10 heterocycloalkyl may be heterocycloalkyl in which one or two heteroatoms selected from n , o and s , and three to ten carbon atoms are bonded together to form a ring ; and the substituted c 3 - c 10 heterocycloalkyl may be heterocycloalkyl in which some or all of the hydrogen atoms are replaced by substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 7 alkyl , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkyl , c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , hydroxy , nitro , vinyl , and allyl . in one embodiment , the substituted phenyl in r1 is phenyl substituted with one to five substituents selected from halogen , substituted or unsubstituted stannyl , phenyl , alkylphenyl , alkoxyphenyl , benzodioxolyl , and naphthalenyl ; the substituted stannyl in r1 is stannyl substituted with one to three c 1 - c 7 alkyl groups ; the alkylphenyl in r1 is phenyl substituted with c 1 - c 7 alkyl ; the alkoxyphenyl in r1 is phenyl substituted with c 1 - c 7 alkoxy ; and the substituted phenyl in r2 is phenyl substituted with one to five substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 7 alkyl , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkyl , c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , halogenated c 1 - c 7 alkoxy , hydroxy , nitro , vinyl , allyl , and benzonitrile . in a further embodiment , the substituted c 1 - c 7 alkyl in r2 is c 1 - c 7 alkyl substituted with at least one substituent selected from c 3 - c 10 cycloalkyl , furanyl , and hydrofuranyl ; the hydrofuranyl is dihydrofuranyl or tetrahydrofuranyl ; the substituted c 3 - c 10 cycloalkyl in r2 is c 3 - c 10 cycloalkyl substituted with c 1 - c 7 alkyl ; the hydropyranyl in r2 is dihydropyranyl or tetrahydropyranyl ; the hydronaphthalenyl in r2 is selected from dihydronaphthalenyl , tetrahydronaphthalenyl , hexahydronaphthalenyl , and heptahydronaphthalenyl ; and the substituted piperidinyl in r2 is piperidinyl substituted with at least one c 1 - c 7 alkyl group . the phenyl substituted with benzonitrile is phenyl substituted with a substituent having any one of the structures of formulae 3 to 5 : wherein each asterisk (*) indicates a position where phenyl is bonded . the substituted amino in r3 is amino substituted with one or two c 1 - c 7 alkyl groups . in another embodiment , r1 is selected from phenyl , 2 - fluorophenyl , 3 - fluorophenyl , 4 - fluorophenyl , 2 - chlorophenyl , 3 - chlorophenyl , 4 - chlorophenyl , 2 - bromophenyl , 3 - bromophenyl , 4 - bromophenyl , 2 - iodophenyl , 3 - iodophenyl , 4 - iodophenyl , 2 - trimethylstannylphenyl , 3 - trimethylstannylphenyl , 4 - trimethylstannylphenyl , 2 - methylphenyl , 3 - methylphenyl , 4 - methylphenyl , 2 - methoxyphenyl , 3 - methoxyphenyl , 4 - methoxyphenyl , 3 , 4 - dimethoxyphenyl , 4 - benzodioxolyl , 5 - benzodioxolyl , 1 - naphthalenyl , and 2 - naphthalenyl . in another embodiment , r2 is selected from phenyl , 2 - fluorophenyl , 3 - fluorophenyl , 4 - fluorophenyl , 2 - chlorophenyl , 3 - chlorophenyl , 4 - chlorophenyl , 2 - bromophenyl , 3 - bromophenyl , 4 - bromophenyl , 2 - iodophenyl , 3 - iodophenyl , 4 - iodophenyl , 2 - methoxyphenyl , 3 - methoxyphenyl , 4 - methoxyphenyl , 3 , 4 - dimethoxyphenyl , 3 , 5 - dimethoxyphenyl , 2 - hydroxyphenyl , 3 - hydroxyphenyl , 4 - hydroxyphenyl , 2 - methylphenyl , 3 - methylphenyl , 4 - methylphenyl , 2 , 5 - dimethylphenyl , 2 , 6 - dimethylphenyl , 3 , 4 - dimethylphenyl , benzonitrile , 2 - trifluoromethylphenyl , 3 - trifluoromethylphenyl , 4 - trifluoromethylphenyl , 2 - trifluoromethoxyphenyl , 3 - trifluoromethoxyphenyl , 4 - trifluoromethoxyphenyl , 2 - nitrophenyl , 3 - nitrophenyl , 4 - nitrophenyl , 2 - vinylphenyl , 3 - vinylphenyl , 4 - vinylphenyl , butyl , allyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl , cyclohexyl , cyclooctyl , cyclopropylmethyl , cyclohexylmethyl , 4 - methylcyclohexyl , tetrahydropyran - 4 - yl , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalen - 1 - yl , tetrahydrofuran - 2 - ylmethyl , 1 - methylpiperidin - 4 - yl , isobutyl , neopentyl , 2 - methylcyclohexyl , 3 - methylcyclohexyl , 4 - ethylcyclohexyl , and acetyloxy . in another embodiment , r3 is selected from hydrogen , methyl , and dimethylamino . in another embodiment , the thienopyrimidinone derivative is any one of the following compounds : 3 , 7 - diphenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 2 - fluorophenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 3 - fluorophenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 2 - chlorophenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 3 - chlorophenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 3 - bromophenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - bromophenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 3 - methoxyphenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 3 , 4 - dimethoxyphenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 3 , 5 - dimethoxyphenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 - phenyl - 3 -( o - tolyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 - phenyl - 3 -( m - tolyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 - phenyl - 3 - p - tolylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - ethylphenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 2 , 6 - dimethylphenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 2 , 5 - dimethylphenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 3 , 4 - dimethylphenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - oxo - 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 3 ( 4h )- yl ) benzonitrile ; 4 -( 4 - oxo - 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 3 ( 4h )- yl ) benzonitrile ; 7 - phenyl - 3 -( 3 - trifluoromethyl ) phenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 - phenyl - 3 -( 4 -( trifluoromethyl ) phenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 - phenyl - 3 -( 4 - trifluoromethoxy ) phenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - nitrophenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 - phenyl - 3 -( 3 - vinylphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ]- pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 - phenyl - 3 -( 4 - vinylphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl )- 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl )- 3 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl )- 3 -( 3 - hydroxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl )- 3 -( m - tolyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 3 - chlorophenyl )- 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl )- 3 -( 3 - vinylphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl )- 4 - oxothieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 3 ( 4h )- yl ) benzonitrile ; 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 7 -( 3 - fluorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 3 - fluorophenyl )- 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 7 -( 4 - fluorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 2 - chlorophenyl )- 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 2 - chlorophenyl )- 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 3 - chlorophenyl )- 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 3 - chlorophenyl )- 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 , 7 - bis ( 4 - chlorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 2 - bromophenyl )- 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 2 - bromophenyl )- 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 2 - iodophenyl )- 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 7 -( 2 -( trimethylstannyl ) phenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 7 -( o - tolyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 7 -( o - tolyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 7 -( m - tolyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 7 -( m - tolyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 7 -( p - tolyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 7 -( p - tolyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 7 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl )- 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 7 -( 3 - methoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 3 - methoxyphenyl )- 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 7 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 , 7 - bis ( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 7 -( 3 , 4 - dimethoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 3 , 4 - dimethoxyphenyl )- 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( benzo [ d ][ 1 , 3 ] dioxol - 5 - yl )- 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( benzo [ d ][ 1 , 3 ] dioxol - 5 - yl )- 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 7 -( naphthalen - 1 - yl )- 3 , 4 - dihydrothieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 7 -( naphthalen - 1 - yl )- 3 , 4 - dihydrothieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 7 -( naphthalen - 2 - yl )- 3 , 4 - dihydrothieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 7 -( naphthalen - 2 - yl )- 3 , 4 - dihydrothieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 2 - methyl - 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 2 , 4 ( 1h , 3h )- dione ; 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 2 -( dimethylamino )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 - butyl - 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 - allyl - 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 - cyclobutyl - 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 - cyclopentyl - 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 - cyclohexyl - 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 - cyclooctyl - 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( cyclopropylmethyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( cyclohexylmethyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -(( 1r , 4r )- 4 - methylcyclohexyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 - phenyl - 3 -( tetrahydro - 2h - pyran - 4 - yl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; ( r )- 7 - phenyl - 3 -( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalen - 1 - yl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; ( s )- 7 - phenyl - 3 -( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalen - 1 - yl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; ( s )- 7 - phenyl - 3 -(( tetrahydrofuran - 2 - yl ) methyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; ( r )- 7 - phenyl - 3 -(( tetrahydrofuran - 2 - yl ) methyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 1 - methylpiperidin - 4 - yl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 - isobutyl - 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 - neopentyl - 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 2 - methylcyclohexyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 3 - methylcyclohexyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - ethylcyclohexyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; ( 1r , 4r )- 4 -( 4 - oxo - 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 3 ( 4h )- yl ) cyclohexyl acetate ; 3 - butyl - 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 - allyl - 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 - cyclobutyl - 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 - cyclopentyl - 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 - cyclohexyl - 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 - cyclooctyl - 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( cyclopropylmethyl )- 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( cyclohexanemethyl )- 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl )- 3 -(( 1r , 4r )- 4 - methylcyclohexyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 - cycloheptyl - 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 - cycloheptyl - 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - inden - 2 - yl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 - isopropylcyclohexyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 - phenyl - 3 -( 4 - propylcyclohexyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 -( 4 -( tert - butyl ) cyclohexyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; ( 1r , 4r )- 4 -( 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl )- 4 - oxothieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 3 ( 4h )- yl ) cyclohexyl acetate ; 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl )- 3 - isobutylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 7 -( 2 - fluorophenyl )- 3 - neopentylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; 3 - cyclooctyl - 7 -( o - tolyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ; and 3 - cycloheptyl - 7 -( o - tolyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one . in another aspect , the present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition for treating a brain disease , including at least one of the thienopyrimidinone derivatives according to the embodiments of the present invention or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof as an active ingredient . in one embodiment , the brain disease is selected from pain , a psychiatric disease , urinary incontinence , parkinson &# 39 ; s disease , and alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease . in a further embodiment , the pain is neuropathic pain or migraine , and the psychiatric disease is anxiety disorder or schizophrenia . the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention may be formulated into a dosage form suitable for oral or parenteral administration by compounding the thienopyrimidinone compound of formula 1 or 2 or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof with one or more suitable additives selected from carriers , auxiliaries and diluents . the formulation may be carried out by a suitable technique known in the art . for oral administration , the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention may be in the form of tablets , capsules , solutions , syrups , etc . for parenteral administration , the pharmaceutical composition of the present invention may be in the form of intraperitoneal , subcutaneous , intramuscular , transdermal injectables , etc . the daily effective dose of the pharmaceutical composition according to the present invention as an mglur1 modulator is in the range of 0 . 01 to 1000 mg / day for an adult patient depending on the age , body weight , sex , mode of administration , general health , and severity of disease . the daily dose of the pharmaceutical composition may be administered in a single dose or in divided doses at regular time intervals according to the judgment of the physician or pharmacist . in another aspect , the present invention provides a method for preparing the thienopyrimidinone derivative of formula 1 or 2 . specifically , the method of the present invention includes ( a ) formylating an aryl acetonitrile 2 to afford an aryl hydroxyacrylonitrile 3 , ( b ) methylating the compound 3 to afford an aryl methoxyacrylonitrile 4 , ( c ) forming a thiophene ring from the aryl methoxyacrylonitrile to synthesize a thiophene derivative 5 , and ( d ) synthesizing the thienopyrimidinone derivative 1 from the thiophene derivative , as depicted in reaction scheme 1 : in one embodiment , in step ( d ), ( i ) the thienopyrimidinone derivative 1 is directly synthesized from the thiophene derivative , ( ii ) the thiophene derivative is amidated to synthesize a compound 6 and a pyrimidinone ring is formed to synthesize the thienopyrimidinone derivative 1 , or ( iii ) the thiophene derivative is reacted with an isocyanate to synthesize a thienopyrimidinedione derivative 7 and an amine is introduced to prepare the thienopyrimidinone derivative 1 . specifically , the aryl acetonitrile 2 is formylated to afford the aryl hydroxyacrylonitrile 3 . the formylation may be carried out using a base . examples of suitable bases include nah and nan ( sime 3 ) 2 . the formyl group may be introduced using an alkyl formate . examples of suitable alkyl formates include ethyl formate and methyl formate . general organic solvents may be used in the formylation , and specific examples thereof include tetrahydrofuran , dioxane , n , n - dimethylformamide , acetonitrile , and dichloromethane . the formylation is preferably carried out at a temperature of − 20 ° c . to 80 ° c . for 1 to 24 hours . the aryl hydroxyacrylonitrile 3 is methylated to afford the aryl methoxyacrylonitrile 4 . the methylation may be carried out using a base . examples of suitable bases include nah and nan ( sime 3 ) 2 . the methyl group may be introduced using various methylation reagents , such as methyl iodide and dimethyl sulfate . general organic solvents may be used in the methylation , and specific examples thereof include tetrahydrofuran , dioxane , n , n - dimethylformamide , acetonitrile , and dichloromethane . the methylation is preferably carried out at a temperature of 0 ° c . to 100 ° c . for 1 to 24 hours . the thiophene derivative 5 including a thiophene ring is synthesized from the aryl methoxyacrylonitrile 4 . the thiophene derivative 5 may be synthesized using various bases , such as naome , maoet and kotobu . specifically , the aryl methoxyacrylonitrile 4 is reacted with an alkyl thioglycolate , such as methyl thioglycolate , at 50 to 150 ° c . with stirring for 12 to 36 hours . after completion of the reaction , the reaction mixture is extracted with an organic solvent and purified by column chromatography to obtain the thiophene compound 5 . general organic solvents may be used in the reaction , and specific examples thereof include methanol , ethanol , tetrahydrofuran , dioxane , n , n - dimethylformamide , acetonitrile , and dichloromethane . the target compound 1 can be prepared from the thiophene compound 5 by the following three methods . according to the first method , the compound 5 is mixed with a triethyl orthocarboxylate , such as triethyl orthoformate or triethyl orthoacetate , an amine , and acetic acid , and the mixture is heated with stirring to obtain the thienopyrimidinone compound 1 . the reaction is desirably carried out at about 1 to about 5 atm and a temperature of 50 to 200 ° c . for 12 to 36 hours . according to the second method , the compound 5 is amidated to synthesize the compound 6 and a pyrimidinone ring is formed to synthesize the thienopyrimidinone derivative 1 . the amide compound 6 is prepared by reacting the thiophene compound 5 with an amine in the presence of a lewis acid , such as trimethylaluminum . starting from − 20 to 15 ° c ., the reaction temperature is raised with stirring . the compound 6 is then mixed with a triethyl orthocarboxylate , such as triethyl orthoformate or triethyl orthoacetate , and acetic acid . the mixture is heated with stirring to afford the thienopyrimidinone compound 1 . according to the third method , the thiophene compound 5 is reacted with an isocyanate to prepare the thienopyrimidinedione 7 , which is then aminated by a suitable method known in the art to synthesize the thienopyrimidinone compound 1 having r3 including the amine . specifically , the thienopyrimidinone compound 7 is chlorinated with n , n - diethylaniline and phosphoryl chloride ( phosphorus oxychloride ) by a method known in the art to obtain an intermediate . the intermediate is reacted with an amine in the presence of a base to obtain the thienopyrimidinone compound 1 as the target compound . the amine is included in the thienopyrimidinone compound 1 . in yet another aspect , the present invention provides a method for treating or preventing a brain disease . specifically , the method includes administering to a mammal in need of such treatment at least one of the target compounds according to the embodiments of the present invention or the pharmaceutical composition including at least one of the target compounds . that is , the present invention provides the medical use of the thienopyrimidinone compound of formula 1 or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof or the pharmaceutical composition for the prevention and treatment of diseases . specifically , the present invention includes the medical use of the thienopyrimidinone compound as an mglur1 modulator for the prevention and treatment of pain , such as neuropathic pain and migraine , psychiatric diseases , such as anxiety disorder and schizophrenia , urinary incontinence , and neurodegenerative diseases , such as parkinson &# 39 ; s disease and alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease . the pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the thienopyrimidinone derivative of formula 1 or 2 according to the present invention may be formed by any suitable method known in the art . for example , suitable pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts may also be formed through the addition of a non - toxic inorganic acid or organic acid . examples of suitable non - toxic inorganic acids include hydrochloric acid , hydrobromic acid , sulfonic acid , amidosulfuric acid , phosphoric acid , and nitric acid . examples of suitable non - toxic organic acids include acetic acid , propionic acid , succinic acid , glycolic acid , stearic acid , lactic acid , tartaric acid , citric acid , para - toluenesulfonic acid , and methanesulfonic acid . a more detailed explanation of the substituents used to define the thienopyrimidinone derivative of formula 1 or 2 according to the present invention will be provided below . the term “ aryl ” is intended to include phenyl , substituted phenyl , naphthyl , and benzodioxazole groups . the term “ alkyl ” is intended to include straight , branched and cyclic carbon chains having 1 to 12 carbon atoms . preferred alkyl groups are , for example , methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , isopropyl , allyl , n - butyl , isobutyl , tert - butyl , neopentyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl , cyclohexyl , cycloheptyl , cyclooctyl , cyclopropylmethyl , cyclohexylmethyl , methylcyclohexyl , ethylcyclohexyl , propylcyclohexyl , isopropylcyclohexyl , tert - butylcyclohexyl , tetrahydronaphthyl , heteroalkyl ( e . g ., tetrahydrofurfuryl and n - methylpiperidinyl ), hydroxycyclohexyl , oxocyclohexyl , and tetrahydropyranyl groups . the term “ alkoxy ” refers to an alkyl group attached to oxygen wherein the alkyl is as defined above . the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following examples , including formulation examples and experimental example . however , these examples are not to be construed as limiting or restricting the scope and spirit of the invention . it is to be understood that based on the teachings of the present invention including the following examples , those skilled in the art can readily practice other embodiments of the present invention whose specific experimental data are not available . although there are differences in the structures and physical properties of the substituents depending on the kind of the substituents , the reaction principles and conditions of the examples section can also be applied to compounds including substituents that are not described in the examples section . therefore , it is obvious that those skilled in the art can easily prepare the compounds including substituents based on the disclosure of the examples section and the common knowledge in the art . phenylacetonitrile ( 10 g , 85 . 4 mmol ) and methyl formate ( 67 ml ) were dissolved in tiif ( 250 ml ) in a reaction vessel , and then nah ( 2 . 6 g , 106 . 7 mmol ) was added thereto at 0 ° c . the solution was stirred at room temperature for 12 hr . after completion of the reaction , the reaction mixture was washed with distilled water and acidified with 1 n hcl to adjust the ph to 5 or less . thereafter , the resulting solution was extracted with dichloromethane . the organic layer was dried over anhydrous na 2 so 4 , followed by filtration . the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure to give 12 . 3 g ( 84 . 7 mmol , quant .) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 44 - 7 . 32 ( m , 5h ) 3 - hydroxy - 2 - phenylacrylonitrile ( 12 . 3 g , 84 . 7 mmol ) was dissolved in dry thf ( 100 ml ) in a reaction vessel , and then nah ( 4 . 1 g , 169 . 4 mmol ) was slowly added thereto . the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 hr . thereafter , dimethyl sulfate ( 13 . 7 ml , 144 . 0 mmol ) was added , followed by stirring at 40 ° c . for 12 hr . after completion of the reaction , the reaction mixture was washed with distilled water and concentrated under reduced pressure . the concentrate was diluted with etoac and extracted with etoac together with distilled water . the organic layer was dried over anhydrous mgso 4 and filtered . the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure to give 17 . 9 g ( 112 . 5 mmol , quant .) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 40 - 7 . 28 ( m , 5h ), 4 . 00 ( s , 3h ) 3 - methoxy - 2 - phenylacrylonitrile ( 17 . 9 g , 112 . 5 mmol ) was dissolved in naome ( 5 m in meoh , 31 . 5 ml , 157 . 5 mmol ), and then methyl thioglycolate ( 16 ml , 180 . 0 mmol ) was added thereto . the mixture was heated with stirring at 65 ° c . for 24 hr . after the completion of the reaction was confirmed by thin layer chromatography ( tlc ), the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and filtered through celite . the filtrate was washed with distilled water and extracted with dichloromethane . the organic layer was dried over anhydrous mgso 4 and filtered . the filtrate was distilled under reduced pressure , and the concentrate was purified by silica gel column chromatography ( etoac : hex = 1 : 5 ) to give 5 . 1 g ( 21 . 9 mmol , 26 % yield in three steps ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 49 - 7 . 39 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 25 ( s , 1h ), 5 . 64 ( br , 2h ), 3 . 88 ( s , 3h ) p - anisidine ( 29 mg , 0 . 24 mmol ) was dissolved in toluene ( 2 ml ) in a reaction vessel , and trimethylaluminum ( 2 m in tiif , 0 . 12 ml ) was added thereto at 0 ° c . after stirring for 10 min , to the mixture was added methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 50 mg , 0 . 21 mmol ). the resulting mixture was heated to reflux at 120 ° c . for 16 hr . the completion of the reaction was confirmed by tlc . the reaction mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature , extracted with etoac , dried over anhydrous mgso 4 , and concentrated under reduced pressure . the concentrate was purified by silica gel column chromatography ( hexane : etoac = 5 : 1 ) to give ( 57 mg , 0 . 18 mmol , 84 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 47 - 7 . 37 ( m , 7h ), 7 . 16 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 07 ( brs , 1h ), 6 . 93 - 6 . 89 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 86 ( brs , 2h ), 3 . 81 ( s , 3h ) methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 ml ), aniline ( 76 mg , 0 . 81 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were placed in a pressure bottle . the mixture was heated with stirring at 160 ° c . for 18 hr . after the completion of the reaction was confirmed by tlc , the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and solidified with diethyl ether and etoac to give 42 mg ( 0 . 14 mmol , 33 % yield ) of the title compound as a final product . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 53 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 51 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 01 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h ), 7 . 63 - 7 . 55 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 52 ( t , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 42 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 1h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), 2 - fluoroaniline ( 88 . 6 mg , 0 . 8 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 12 ml ) were used to give 36 mg ( 0 . 11 mmol , 26 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 12 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 91 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 84 ( d , j = 1 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 53 - 7 . 30 ( m , 7h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 50 mg , 0 . 21 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 47 ml ), 3 - fluoroaniline ( 44 . 3 mg , 0 . 4 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 06 ml ) were used to give 8 . 1 mg ( 0 . 025 mmol , 12 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 17 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 91 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 85 - 7 . 82 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 60 - 7 . 38 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 42 - 7 . 21 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 76 mg , 0 . 33 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 66 ml ), 4 - fluoroaniline ( 0 . 058 mg , 0 . 61 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 08 ml ) were used to give 68 . 5 mg ( 0 . 021 mmol , 64 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 18 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 92 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 90 - 7 . 83 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 54 - 7 . 40 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 31 - 7 . 24 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), 2 - chlorophenyl ( 102 . 1 mg , 0 . 8 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 06 ml ) were used to give 19 . 2 mg ( 0 . 057 mmol , 13 . 2 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 04 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 91 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 87 - 7 . 83 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 64 - 7 . 62 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 53 - 7 . 41 ( m , 6h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 50 mg , 0 . 21 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 47 ml ), 3 - chlorophenyl ( 50 . 9 mg , 0 . 21 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 06 ml ) were used to give 16 mg ( 0 . 047 mmol , 22 . 5 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 13 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 89 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 85 - 7 . 81 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 54 - 7 . 45 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 42 - 7 . 30 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 60 mg , 0 . 26 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 5 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 61 mg , 0 . 48 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 06 ml ) were used to give 31 . 6 mg ( 0 . 093 mmol , 36 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 19 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 93 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 86 ( d , j = 1 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 58 - 7 . 50 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 46 - 7 . 40 ( m , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 200 mg , 0 . 86 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 2 ml ), 3 - bromoaniline ( 280 mg , 1 . 63 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 2 ml ) were used to give 40 mg ( 0 . 10 mmol , 12 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 19 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 94 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 88 - 7 . 86 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 70 - 7 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 56 - 7 . 42 ( m , 5h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 200 mg , 0 . 86 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 2 ml ), 4 - bromoaniline ( 280 mg , 1 . 63 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 2 ml ) were used to give 13 mg ( 0 . 034 mmol , 4 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 18 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 93 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 87 - 7 . 85 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 74 - 7 . 70 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 51 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 46 - 7 . 42 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 38 - 7 . 35 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 200 mg , 0 . 86 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 2 ml ), o - anisidine ( 201 mg , 1 . 63 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 2 ml ) were used to give 204 mg ( 0 . 61 mmol , 71 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 09 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 91 - 7 . 88 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 54 - 7 . 38 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 14 ( t , j = 8 . 2 hz , 2h ), 3 . 85 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 70 mg , 0 . 30 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 57 ml ), m - anisidine ( 0 . 063 ml , 0 . 56 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 07 ml ) were used to give 83 mg ( 0 . 25 mmol , 83 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 22 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 93 - 7 . 81 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 41 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 12 - 7 . 04 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 88 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 58 mg , 0 . 25 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 5 ml ), p - anisidine ( 58 mg , 0 . 47 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 06 ml ) were used to give 26 mg ( 0 . 078 mmol , 31 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 20 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 90 - 7 . 85 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 54 - 7 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 45 - 7 . 36 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 06 ( d , j = 6 . 8 hz , 2h ), 3 . 89 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 52 mg , 0 . 22 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 45 ml ), 3 , 4 - dimethoxyaniline ( 62 . 8 mg , 0 . 41 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 06 ml ) were used to give 48 mg ( 0 . 13 mmol , 59 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 22 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 90 - 7 . 86 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 54 - 7 . 40 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 03 - 6 . 94 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 97 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 93 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 72 . 3 mg , 0 . 31 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 62 ml ), 3 , 5 - dimethoxyaniline ( 88 . 8 mg , 0 . 58 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 07 ml ) were used to give 75 . 7 mg ( 0 . 21 mmol , 68 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 24 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 91 - 7 . 86 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 41 ( m , 3h ), 6 . 61 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 85 ( s , 6h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 500 mg , 2 . 14 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 5 ml ), 4 - aminophenol ( 444 mg , 4 . 07 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 5 ml ) were used to give 283 mg ( 0 . 88 mmol , 41 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso ) δ 9 . 89 ( brs , 1h ), 8 . 47 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 44 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 98 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 32 ( m , 5h ), 6 . 94 - 6 . 89 ( m , 2h )] in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 200 mg , 0 . 86 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 2 ml ), o - toluidine ( 175 mg , 1 . 63 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 2 ml ) were used to give 62 mg ( 0 . 19 mmol , 23 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 11 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 94 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 91 - 7 . 89 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 39 ( m , 6h ), 7 . 30 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 2 . 26 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 200 mg , 0 . 86 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 2 ml ), m - toluidine ( 175 mg , 1 . 63 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 2 ml ) were used to give 40 mg ( 0 . 13 mmol , 15 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 21 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 91 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 88 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 54 - 7 . 25 ( m , 7h ), 2 . 48 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 34 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 65 ml ), p - toluidine ( 67 . 5 mg , 0 . 63 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 08 ml ) were used to give 73 . 8 mg ( 0 . 23 mmol , 68 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 21 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 91 - 7 . 88 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 34 ( m , 7h ), 2 . 48 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 50 mg , 0 . 21 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 42 ml ), 4 - ethylaniline ( 0 . 05 ml , 0 . 39 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 05 ml ) were used to give 59 . 5 mg ( 0 . 18 mmol , 60 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 23 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 92 - 7 . 87 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 37 ( m , 7h ), 2 . 78 ( q , j = 7 . 8 hz , 2h ), 1 . 34 ( t , j = 7 . 8 hz , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 43 mg , 0 . 18 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 34 ml ), 2 , 6 - dimethylaniline ( 0 . 04 ml , 0 . 33 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 042 ml ) were used to give 34 . 8 mg ( 0 . 10 mmol , 56 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 00 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 96 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 94 - 7 . 90 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 58 - 7 . 19 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 20 ( s , 6h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 45 . 6 mg , 0 . 20 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 40 ml ), 2 , 5 - dimethylaniline ( 44 . 8 mg , 0 . 37 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 05 ml ) were used to give 28 . 8 mg ( 0 . 087 mmol , 44 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 11 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 95 - 7 . 87 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 57 - 7 . 26 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 12 ( s , 1h ), 2 . 34 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 21 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 70 mg , 0 . 30 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 57 ml ), 3 , 4 - dimethylaniline ( 67 . 8 mg , 0 . 56 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 07 ml ) were used to give 49 . 2 mg ( 0 . 15 mmol , 50 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 21 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 92 - 7 . 88 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 56 - 7 . 18 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 38 ( s , 6h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 ml ), 3 - aminobenzonitrile ( 96 mg , 0 . 81 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 20 mg ( 0 . 061 mmol , 14 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 58 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 54 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 19 ( t , j = 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 8 . 05 ( d , j = 6 . 0 hz , 1h ), 8 . 00 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h ), 7 . 82 ( t , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 52 ( t , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 43 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 1h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 ml ), 4 - aminobenzonitrile ( 96 mg , 0 . 81 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 38 mg ( 0 . 12 mmol , 27 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 56 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 53 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 11 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 99 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 2h ), 7 . 85 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 52 ( t , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 45 - 7 . 41 ( m , 1h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 200 mg , 0 . 86 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 2 ml ), 3 - trifluoromethylaniline ( 263 mg , 1 . 63 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 2 ml ) were used to give 12 mg ( 0 . 032 mmol , 4 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 21 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 95 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 87 ( d , j = 6 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 83 - 7 . 69 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 53 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 45 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 1h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 50 mg , 0 . 21 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 40 ml ), p - trifluoromethaneaniline ( 0 . 05 ml , 0 . 39 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 06 ml ) were used to give 12 . 2 mg ( 0 . 033 mmol , 16 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 22 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 97 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 90 - 7 . 86 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 65 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 54 ( t , j = 7 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 48 - 7 . 30 ( m , 1h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 200 mg , 0 . 86 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 2 ml ), 4 - trifluoromethoxyaniline ( 289 mg , 1 . 63 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 2 ml ) were used to give 70 mg ( 0 . 18 mmol , 21 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 27 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 92 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 87 - 7 . 85 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 54 - 7 . 50 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 46 - 7 . 42 ( m , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 200 mg , 0 . 86 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 2 ml ), 4 - nitroaniline ( 225 mg , 1 . 63 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 2 ml ) were used to give 31 mg ( 0 . 089 mmol , 10 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 46 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 1h ), 8 . 22 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 97 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 86 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 72 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 54 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 47 - 7 . 45 ( m , 1h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 50 mg , 0 . 21 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 47 ml ), 4 - vinylaniline ( 47 . 5 mg , 0 . 39 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 06 ml ) were used to give 8 mg ( 0 . 024 mmol , 11 . 5 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 22 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 9 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 86 - 7 . 83 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 61 - 7 . 48 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 44 - 7 . 38 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 36 - 7 . 31 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 76 ( dd , j = 23 . 6 , 14 . 4 hz , 1h ), 5 . 82 ( d , j = 23 . 6 hz , 1h ), 5 . 37 ( d , j = 14 . 4 hz , 1h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 ml ), 4 - aminostyrene ( 97 mg , 0 . 81 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 10 mg ( 0 . 030 mmol , 7 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 53 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 52 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 01 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 69 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 58 - 7 . 40 ( m , 5h ), 6 . 89 - 6 . 82 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 98 ( d , j = 17 . 6 hz , 1h ), 5 . 40 ( d , j = 10 . 8 hz , 1h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 88 mg , 0 . 35 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 77 ml ), 4 - fluoroaniline ( 63 ml , 0 . 46 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 09 ml ) were used to give 32 mg ( 0 . 095 mmol , 27 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 2 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 07 ( d , j = 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 6 ( td , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 40 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 35 - 7 . 23 ( m , 4h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 2 . 0 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 94 . 43 mg , 0 . 74 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 38 mg ( 0 . 11 mmol , 27 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 15 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 03 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 85 - 7 . 84 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 58 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 44 ( d , j = 11 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 26 ( m , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 2 . 0 ml ), p - anisidine ( 91 . 17 mg , 0 . 74 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 22 mg ( 0 . 062 mmol , 16 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 20 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 05 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 04 - 7 . 89 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 28 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 10 - 7 . 07 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 91 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 500 mg , 1 . 99 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 5 ml ), 4 - aminophenol ( 412 mg , 3 . 78 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 5 ml ) were used to give 328 mg ( 0 . 97 mmol , 49 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso ) δ 9 . 90 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 40 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 81 ( td , j = 7 . 7 hz , j = 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 44 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 38 - 7 . 30 ( m , 4h ), 6 . 93 - 6 . 90 ( m , 1h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 3 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 72 ml ), 3 - aminophenol ( 64 . 6 mg , 0 . 59 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 09 ml ) were used to give 41 . 5 mg ( 0 . 12 mmol , 38 . 3 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso ) δ 9 . 96 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 42 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 83 - 7 . 78 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 51 - 7 . 45 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 39 - 7 . 31 ( m , 3h ), 6 . 95 - 6 . 91 ( m , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 3 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 79 ml ), m - toluidine ( 63 . 8 mg , 0 . 59 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 09 ml ) were used to give 70 mg ( 0 . 21 mmol , 65 . 0 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso ) δ 8 . 45 - 8 . 43 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 85 - 7 . 80 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 53 - 7 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 33 ( m , 5h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 3 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 79 ml ), 3 - chloroaniline ( 75 . 5 mg , 0 . 59 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 09 ml ) were used to give 84 mg ( 0 . 24 mmol , 73 . 6 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso ) δ 8 . 49 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 45 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 83 - 7 . 78 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 64 - 7 . 52 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 50 - 7 . 48 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 42 - 7 . 34 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 3 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 79 ml ), 3 - vinylaniline ( 70 . 6 mg , 0 . 59 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 09 ml ) were used to give 64 mg ( 0 . 18 mmol , 57 . 4 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso ) δ 8 . 49 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 44 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 44 - 7 . 80 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 72 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 64 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz ), 7 . 59 - 7 . 34 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 34 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 83 ( dd , j = 17 . 6 , 10 . 8 hz , 1h ), 5 . 97 ( d , j = 17 . 6 hz , 1h ), 5 . 39 ( d , j = 10 . 8 hz , 1h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 3 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 79 ml ), 3 - aminobenzonitrile ( 70 mg , 0 . 59 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 09 ml ) were used to give 20 mg ( 0 . 06 mmol , 18 . 0 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 13 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 06 - 8 . 05 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 85 - 7 . 80 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 73 - 7 . 70 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 42 - 7 . 38 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 31 - 7 . 27 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 25 - 7 . 23 ( m , 1h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 50 mg , 0 . 2 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 45 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 47 . 2 mg , 0 . 37 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 05 ml ) were used to give 52 . 1 mg ( 0 . 15 mmol , 73 . 0 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso ) δ 8 . 65 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 56 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 96 - 7 . 88 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 69 - 7 . 63 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 59 - 7 . 53 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 29 - 7 . 24 ( m , 1h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 3 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 56 . 2 mg , 0 . 22 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 42 ml ), p - anisidine ( 50 . 5 mg , 0 . 41 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 05 ml ) were used to give 30 . 3 mg ( 0 . 086 mmol , 39 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 22 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 95 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 68 - 7 . 10 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 84 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 4 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 32 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 2 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 74 . 45 mg , 0 . 59 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 08 ml ) were used to give 46 mg ( 0 . 13 mmol , 40 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 52 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 45 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 08 - 8 . 03 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 66 - 7 . 61 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 61 - 7 . 32 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 4 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 32 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 2 ml ), p - anisidine ( 72 . 9 mg , 0 . 59 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 08 ml ) were used to give 57 mg ( 0 . 16 mmol , 51 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 5 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 48 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 08 - 8 . 04 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 48 ( d , j = 8 . 70 , 2h ), 7 . 35 ( dd , j = 8 . 70 , 9 . 00 hz , 2h ), 7 . 13 ( d , j = 2 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 84 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - chlorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 373 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 2 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 88 . 5 mg , 0 . 70 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 31 . 3 mg ( 0 . 084 mmol , 23 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 15 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 97 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 58 - 7 . 44 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 44 - 7 . 40 ( m , 4h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - chlorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 373 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 2 ml ), p - anisidine ( 85 . 56 mg , 0 . 70 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 48 . 7 mg ( 0 . 13 mmol , 35 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 18 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 96 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 65 - 7 . 54 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 45 - 7 . 36 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 11 - 7 . 07 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 91 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 3 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 66 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 71 . 2 mg , 0 . 56 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 09 ml ) were used to give 78 . 3 mg ( 0 . 21 mmol , 70 . 8 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 17 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 94 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 89 - 7 . 88 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 75 - 7 . 72 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 56 - 7 . 54 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 41 - 7 . 39 ( m , 4h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 3 - chlorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 3 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 66 ml ), p - anisidine ( 68 . 5 mg , 0 . 56 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 09 ml ) were used to give 84 mg ( 0 . 23 mmol , 76 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 19 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 92 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 90 - 7 . 89 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 76 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 44 - 7 . 33 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 08 - 7 . 04 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 88 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 373 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 2 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 88 . 5 mg , 0 . 70 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 15 mg ( 0 . 04 mmol , 11 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 15 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 90 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 81 - 7 . 79 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 54 ( d , j = 6 . 3 hz , 2h ), 7 . 46 ( d , j = 6 . 3 hz , 2h ), 7 . 39 ( d , j = 6 . 9 hz , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 373 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 2 ml ), p - anisidine ( 85 . 56 mg , 0 . 70 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 97 mg ( 0 . 26 mmol , 70 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 22 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 93 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 87 - 7 . 83 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 48 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 41 - 7 . 36 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 12 - 7 . 07 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 92 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - bromophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 150 mg , 0 . 48 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 64 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 75 mg , 0 . 59 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 08 ml ) were used to give 148 . 2 mg ( 0 . 35 mmol , 73 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 13 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 93 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 45 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 24 - 7 . 04 ( m , 7h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - bromophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 1 . 4 g , 4 . 48 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 12 ml ), p - anisidine ( 930 mg , 8 . 52 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 1 . 2 ml ) were used to give 422 mg ( 1 . 02 mmol , 23 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso ) δ 8 . 37 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 33 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 79 ( d , j = 5 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 53 - 7 . 46 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 42 - 7 . 38 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 13 - 7 . 09 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 84 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - iodophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 700 mg , 1 . 95 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 3 ml ), p - anisidine ( 231 mg , 2 . 12 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 3 ml ) were used to give 460 mg ( 1 . 00 mmol , 51 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 37 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 28 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 02 ( dd , j = 8 . 0 , 1 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 54 - 7 . 46 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 42 ( dd , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 21 ( td , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 13 - 7 . 093 ( m , 2h ) 7 -( 2 - iodophenyl )- 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) thieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 3h )- one ( 300 mg , 0 . 65 mmol ), hexamethylditin ( 427 mg , 1 . 30 mmol ), pd ( pph 3 ) 4 ( 150 mg , 0 . 13 mmol ), and ag 2 o ( 302 mg , 1 . 30 mmol ) were dissolved in dry toluene ( 4 ml ) in a reaction vessel . the oxygen content of the mixture was maximized using argon gas and an aspirator . thereafter , the mixture was stirred at 100 ° c . for 16 hr . after completion of the reaction , the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and purified by silica gel column chromatography ( etoac : hex = 1 : 3 ) to give 200 mg ( 0 . 40 mmol , 62 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 38 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 13 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 61 - 7 . 59 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 48 - 7 . 38 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 13 - 7 . 11 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 85 ( s , 3h ), 0 . 00 ( quint , j = 27 . 6 hz , 9h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( o - tolyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 32 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 7 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 76 . 8 mg , 0 . 6 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 33 . 5 mg ( 0 . 09 mmol , 28 . 4 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 09 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 73 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 54 - 7 . 52 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 38 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 35 - 7 . 31 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 28 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( o - tolyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 4 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 88 ml ), p - anisidine ( 92 . 6 mg , 0 . 75 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 13 ml ) were used to give 83 . 2 mg ( 0 . 24 mmol , 60 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 11 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 70 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 36 - 7 . 30 ( m , 6h ), 7 . 04 ( d , j = 2 hz , 2h ), 3 . 87 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 28 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( m - tolyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 32 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 7 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 76 . 8 mg , 0 . 6 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 85 . 1 mg ( 0 . 23 mmol , 72 . 1 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 15 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 88 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 63 - 7 . 61 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 51 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 41 - 7 . 35 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 44 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( m - tolyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 32 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 7 ml ), p - anisidine ( 74 . 1 mg , 0 . 6 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 36 . 5 mg ( 0 . 11 mmol , 32 . 7 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 17 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 86 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 63 - 7 . 62 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 37 - 7 . 33 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 22 - 7 . 20 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 06 - 7 . 03 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 87 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 44 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( p - tolyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 94 . 4 mg , 0 . 74 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 48 mg ( 0 . 14 mmol , 35 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 19 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 90 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 78 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 2h ), 7 . 59 - 7 . 56 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 46 - 7 . 42 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 35 - 7 . 30 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 46 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( p - tolyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 ml ), p - anisidine ( 91 . 63 mg , 0 . 74 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 98 . 3 mg ( 0 . 28 mmol , 70 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 21 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 88 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 78 - 7 . 75 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 41 - 7 . 33 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 11 - 7 . 08 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 92 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 45 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 50 mg , 0 . 21 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 41 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 45 . 05 mg , 0 . 35 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 05 ml ) were used to give 49 . 4 mg ( 0 . 13 mmol , 70 . 5 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 12 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 01 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 65 - 7 . 62 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 51 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 43 - 7 . 37 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 12 - 7 . 04 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 85 ( s , 1h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 40 mg , 0 . 15 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 33 ml ), p - anisidine ( 34 . 8 mg , 0 . 28 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 04 ml ) were used to give 31 mg ( 0 . 09 mmol , 56 . 7 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 14 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 99 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 65 ( dd , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 6 hz , 1h ) 7 . 41 - 7 . 33 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 11 - 7 . 03 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 87 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 85 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 3 - methoxyphenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 3 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 66 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 72 . 1 mg , 0 . 57 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 08 ml ) were used to give 13 . 2 mg ( 0 . 04 mmol , 11 . 9 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 16 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 92 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 54 ( dd , j = 6 . 8 , 2 hz , 2h ), 7 . 43 - 7 . 39 ( m , 3h ), 6 . 96 - 6 . 94 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 88 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 3 - methoxyphenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 3 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 66 ml ), p - anisidine ( 70 . 2 mg , 0 . 57 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 08 ml ) were used to give 56 mg ( 0 . 15 mmol , 51 . 2 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 18 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 89 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 44 - 7 . 40 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 36 - 7 . 34 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 06 - 7 . 04 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 98 - 6 . 93 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 88 ( s , 6h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 3 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 66 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 71 . 2 mg , 0 . 56 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 08 ml ) were used to give 96 . 2 mg ( 0 . 26 mmol , 86 . 9 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 15 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 82 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 77 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 54 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 39 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 02 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 3 . 86 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 3 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 66 ml ), p - anisidine ( 70 . 2 mg , 0 . 57 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 08 ml ) were used to give 95 . 7 mg ( 0 . 26 mmol , 87 . 5 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 47 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 39 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 97 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 5 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 13 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 07 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 3 . 85 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 83 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 3 , 4 - dimethoxyphenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 30 mg , 0 . 13 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 31 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 29 . 7 mg , 0 . 23 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 04 ml ) were used to give 14 . 5 mg ( 0 . 04 mmol , 28 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 16 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 85 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 53 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 47 ( d , j = 8 hz , 4h ), 7 . 00 ( d , j = 8 hz , 2h ), 3 . 95 ( d , j = 8 hz , 6h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 3 , 4 - dimethoxyphenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 27 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 6 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 62 . 5 mg , 0 . 51 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 09 ml ) were used to give 14 . 5 mg ( 0 . 04 mmol , 28 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 18 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 82 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 43 - 7 . 39 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 35 ( dd , j = 6 . 8 , 2 hz , 2h ), 7 . 05 ( dd , j = 6 . 8 , 2 hz , 2h ), 6 . 99 ( d , j = 8 hz , 1h ), 3 . 97 ( d , j = 9 . 6 hz , 6h ), 3 . 88 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( benzo [ d ][ 1 , 3 ] dioxol - 5 - yl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 60 mg , 0 . 21 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 48 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 51 . 0 mg , 0 . 4 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 06 ml ) were used to give 47 . 3 mg ( 0 . 17 mmol , 79 . 5 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 14 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 13 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 52 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 41 - 7 . 35 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 03 ( d , j = 10 . 4 hz , 1h ), 6 . 93 ( d , j = 10 . 8 hz , 1h ), 6 . 02 ( s , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( benzo [ d ][ 1 , 3 ] dioxol - 5 - yl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 60 mg , 0 . 21 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 46 ml ), p - anisidine ( 49 . 6 mg , 0 . 4 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 06 ml ) were used to give 52 . 4 mg ( 0 . 14 mmol , 65 . 2 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso ) δ 8 . 47 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 42 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 60 - 7 . 56 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 30 ( dd , j = 146 . 6 , 8 . 86 hz , 4h ), 7 . 05 ( d , j = 8 . 08 hz , 1h ), 6 . 09 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 84 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( naphthalen - 1 - yl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 43 . 8 mg , 0 . 15 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 32 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 44 . 3 mg , 0 . 4 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 04 ml ) were used to give 27 mg ( 0 . 07 mmol , 46 . 3 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 05 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 95 - 7 . 91 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 74 ( d , j = 12 hz , 1h ), 7 . 61 - 7 . 38 ( m , 8h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( naphthalen - 1 - yl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 60 mg , 0 . 21 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 46 ml ), p - anisidine ( 48 . 5 mg , 0 . 39 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 06 ml ) were used to give 42 . 8 mg ( 0 . 12 mmol , 58 . 5 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 01 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 96 - 7 . 92 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 89 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 76 ( d , j = 8 hz , 1h ) 7 . 62 - 7 . 37 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 35 - 7 . 33 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 07 - 7 . 02 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 87 ( s , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( naphthalen - 2 - yl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 43 . 8 mg , 0 . 15 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 32 ml ), 4 - chloroaniline ( 36 . 7 mg , 0 . 28 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 04 ml ) were used to give 100 mg ( 0 . 26 mmol , 92 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 37 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 13 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 96 - 7 . 85 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 48 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 38 - 7 . 35 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( naphthalen - 2 - yl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 28 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 62 ml ), p - anisidine ( 64 . 7 mg , 0 . 53 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 08 ml ) were used to give 36 . 5 mg ( 0 . 1 mmol , 33 . 9 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 40 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 23 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 01 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 95 - 7 . 87 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 53 - 7 . 51 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 37 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 01 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 3 . 89 ( s , 3h ) 3 - amino - n -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxamide ( 57 mg , 0 . 18 mmol ), triethyl orthoacetate ( 1 ml ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were placed in a pressure bottle . the mixture was heated with stiffing at 160 ° c . for 18 hr . after the completion of the reaction was confirmed by tlc , the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and solidified with diethyl ether and etoac to give 13 mg ( 0 . 037 mmol , 21 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso ) δ 8 . 43 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 01 ( d , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 37 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 11 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ) 3 . 84 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 19 ( s , 3h ) methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 400 mg , 1 . 71 mmol ), triethylamine ( 0 . 04 ml , 0 . 43 mmol ), and 4 - chlorophenyl isocyanate ( 0 . 39 ml , 3 . 16 mmol ) were dissolved in 1 , 4 - dioxane ( 10 ml ) in a reaction vessel . the mixture was heated with stirring at 90 ° c . for 3 days . after the completion of the reaction was confirmed by tlc , the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and filtered . the filtered solid was dissolved in a 10 % sodium hydroxide / methanol ( 3 ml / 12 ml ) solution and refluxed with stirring at 100 ° c . overnight . after completion of the reaction , the reaction solution was cooled to room temperature , acidified with 3 n hydrochloric acid , and filtered to give 548 mg ( 1 . 54 mmol , 90 % yield ) of the title compound as a solid . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 74 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 65 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 45 - 7 . 61 ( m , 7h ), 7 . 27 - 7 . 30 ( m , 2h ) 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 7 - phenylthieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 2 , 4 ( 1h , 3h )- dione ( 100 mg , 0 . 3 mmol ), n , n - diethylaniline ( 0 . 014 ml , 0 . 09 mmol ), and phosphoryl chloride ( 0 . 34 ml , 3 . 6 mmol ) were placed in a reaction vessel . the mixture was heated with stirring at 130 ° c . overnight . after the completion of the reaction was confirmed by tlc , the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and separated with nahco 3 and dichloromethane . the extracted organic layer was washed with brine , dried over anhydrous mgso 4 , and filtered . the filtrate was distilled under reduced pressure . the concentrate was purified by silica gel column chromatography ( etoac : hex = 1 : 5 ) to give 2 - chloro - 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 7 - phenyl - 2 , 3 - dihydrothieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 1h )- one ( 22 . 7 mg , 0 . 06 mmol , 20 % yield ). the thus synthesized compound 2 - chloro - 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 7 - phenyl - 2 , 3 - dihydrothieno [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 ( 1h )- one ( 22 . 7 mg , 0 . 06 mmol ) was mixed with a solution of n , n - dimethylamine ( 3 ml ) and diisopropylethylamine ( 0 . 01 ml , 0 . 06 mmol ) in thf . the mixture was heated with stirring at 65 ° c . overnight . after the completion of the reaction was confirmed by tlc , the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and separated with water and dichloromethane . the extracted organic layer was washed with brine , dried over anhydrous mgso 4 , and filtered . the filtrate was distilled under reduced pressure . the concentrate was purified by silica gel column chromatography ( etoac : hex = 1 : 5 ) to give 14 . 1 mg ( 0 . 037 mmol , 62 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 00 - 7 . 97 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 84 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 30 ( m , 8h ), 2 . 69 ( s , 6h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), n - butylamine ( 0 . 097 ml , 0 . 99 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 92 mg ( 0 . 32 mmol , 75 . 2 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 10 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 82 - 7 . 79 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 56 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 07 ( t , j = 7 . 3 hz , 2h ), 1 . 84 - 1 . 76 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 42 ( sextet , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h ), 0 . 97 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), allylamine hydrochloride ( 92 . 6 mg , 0 . 99 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 66 . 4 mg ( 0 . 25 mmol , 57 . 5 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 11 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 84 - 7 . 79 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 50 - 7 . 44 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 41 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 08 - 5 . 95 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 34 - 5 . 24 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 72 - 4 . 67 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), cyclobutylamine ( 0 . 084 ml , 0 . 99 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 83 . 9 mg ( 0 . 30 mmol , 69 . 1 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 27 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 82 - 7 . 79 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 17 - 5 . 09 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 63 - 2 . 56 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 44 - 2 . 32 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 99 - 1 . 91 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), cyclopentylamine ( 0 . 080 ml , 0 . 81 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 108 . 3 mg ( 0 . 37 mmol , 85 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 21 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 82 - 7 . 79 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 30 - 5 . 23 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 31 - 2 . 22 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 99 - 1 . 75 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 57 - 1 . 54 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), cyclohexylamine ( 0 . 113 ml , 0 . 99 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 109 . 7 mg ( 0 . 35 mmol , 82 . 2 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 20 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 82 - 7 . 79 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 44 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 91 - 4 . 84 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 05 ( d , j = 12 . 0 hz , 2h ), 1 . 95 ( d , j = 13 . 2 hz , 2h ), 1 . 81 - 1 . 78 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 68 - 1 . 48 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 32 - 1 . 21 ( m , 1h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), cyclooctylamine ( 0 . 113 ml , 0 . 81 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 82 . 9 mg ( 0 . 24 mmol , 57 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 19 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 82 - 7 . 79 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 44 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 17 - 5 . 10 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 04 - 1 . 94 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 87 - 1 . 83 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 60 ( m , 8h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), cyclopropanemethylamine ( 0 . 086 ml , 0 . 99 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 76 mg ( 0 . 27 mmol , 62 . 6 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 19 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 83 - 7 . 79 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 93 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h ), 1 . 37 - 1 . 25 ( m , 1h ), 0 . 71 - 0 . 59 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 50 - 0 . 39 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), cyclohexanemethylamine ( 0 . 129 ml , 0 . 99 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 102 . 3 mg ( 0 . 32 mmol , 73 . 3 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 04 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 82 - 7 . 79 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 77 ( d , j = 7 . 3 hz , 2h ), 1 . 95 - 1 . 84 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 67 ( m , 5h ), 1 . 29 - 1 . 12 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 07 - 0 . 98 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 76 mg , 0 . 33 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), trans - 4 - methylcyclohexylamine ( 0 . 1 ml , 0 . 76 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 53 . 9 mg ( 0 . 17 mmol , 50 . 3 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 20 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 84 - 7 . 79 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 90 - 4 . 82 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 05 - 2 . 01 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 92 - 1 . 88 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 64 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 55 - 1 . 44 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 31 - 1 . 21 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 98 ( d , j = 6 . 5 hz , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), 4 - aminotetrahydropyrane ( 0 . 102 ml , 0 . 99 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 76 . 7 mg ( 0 . 25 mmol , 57 . 1 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 22 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 85 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 82 - 7 . 79 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 50 - 7 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 41 - 7 . 37 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 21 - 5 . 13 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 18 - 4 . 14 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 63 ( td , j = 11 . 4 , 2 . 7 hz , 2h ), 2 . 08 - 1 . 96 ( m , 4h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), ( r )- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalen - 1 - amine ( 0 . 141 ml , 0 . 99 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 73 . 3 mg ( 0 . 20 mmol , 47 . 6 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 86 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 81 - 7 . 77 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 46 - 7 . 41 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 37 - 7 . 33 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 24 - 7 . 20 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 17 - 7 . 13 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 99 - 6 . 97 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 29 ( t , j = 6 . 0 hz , 1h ), 3 . 01 - 2 . 84 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 37 - 2 . 28 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 13 - 2 . 05 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 98 - 1 . 85 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), ( s )- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalen - 1 - amine ( 0 . 141 ml , 0 . 99 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 82 . 1 mg ( 0 . 23 mmol , 53 . 3 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 87 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 81 - 7 . 77 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 46 - 7 . 41 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 37 - 7 . 33 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 26 - 7 . 20 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 17 - 7 . 13 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 98 - 6 . 97 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 29 ( t , j = 6 . 0 hz , 1h ), 3 . 01 - 2 . 84 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 36 - 2 . 28 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 13 - 2 . 04 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 97 - 1 . 85 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), ( s )-( tetrahydrofuran - 2 - yl ) methanamine ( 0 . 102 ml , 0 . 99 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 90 . 1 mg ( 0 . 29 mmol , 67 . 1 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 25 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 83 - 7 . 80 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 42 ( dd , j = 10 . 3 , 2 . 8 hz , 1h ), 4 . 27 - 4 . 21 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 96 - 3 . 73 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 17 - 2 . 07 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 97 - 1 . 83 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 67 - 1 . 58 ( m , 1h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), ( r )-( tetrahydrofuran - 2 - yl ) methanamine ( 0 . 102 ml , 0 . 99 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 97 . 3 mg ( 0 . 31 mmol , 72 . 4 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 25 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 83 - 7 . 80 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 42 ( dd , j = 10 . 4 , 2 . 8 hz , 1h ), 4 . 27 - 4 . 21 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 96 - 3 . 73 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 17 - 2 . 07 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 97 - 1 . 82 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 67 - 1 . 58 ( m , 1h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), 1 - methylpiperidin - 4 - amine ( 0 . 124 ml , 0 . 99 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 47 . 3 mg ( 0 . 15 mmol , 33 . 8 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 24 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 83 - 7 . 78 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 98 - 4 . 90 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 03 ( d , j = 12 . 2 hz , 2h ), 2 . 36 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 27 - 2 . 20 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 03 - 1 . 98 ( m , 4h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), isobutylamine ( 0 . 099 ml , 0 . 99 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 69 . 7 mg ( 0 . 25 mmol , 57 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 06 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 83 - 7 . 80 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 50 - 7 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 41 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 87 ( d , j = 7 . 3 hz , 2h ), 2 . 31 - 2 . 17 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 00 ( d , j = 6 . 7 hz , 6h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), neopentylamine ( 0 . 117 ml , 0 . 99 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 45 . 8 mg ( 0 . 15 mmol , 35 . 7 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 09 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 83 - 7 . 80 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 50 - 7 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 94 ( s , 2h ), 1 . 04 ( s , 9h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), 2 - methylcyclohexanamine ( 0 . 120 ml , 0 . 90 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 65 . 9 mg ( 0 . 20 mmol , 47 . 2 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 14 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 83 - 7 . 81 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 00 ( dt , j = 13 . 2 , 3 . 8 hz , 0 . 4h ), 4 . 67 ( brs , 0 . 6h ), 2 . 49 - 1 . 23 ( m , 9h ), 0 . 88 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 1h ), 0 . 83 ( d , j = 6 . 4 hz , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), 3 - methylcyclohexanamine ( 0 . 120 ml , 0 . 90 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 98 . 4 mg ( 0 . 30 mmol , 70 . 5 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 23 ( s , 0 . 3h ), 8 . 20 ( s , 0 . 7h ), 7 . 83 - 7 . 80 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 41 - 7 . 35 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 19 - 5 . 11 ( m , 0 . 3h ), 4 . 95 - 4 . 87 ( m , 0 . 7h ), 2 . 28 - 1 . 50 ( m , 8h ), 1 . 34 - 1 . 16 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 02 - 0 . 92 ( m , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), 4 - ethylcyclohexanamine ( 0 . 133 ml , 0 . 90 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 6 . 8 mg ( 0 . 02 mmol , 4 . 7 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 22 ( s , 0 . 6h ), 8 . 19 ( s , 0 . 4h ), 7 . 82 - 7 . 79 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 48 - 7 . 44 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 39 - 7 . 35 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 90 - 4 . 79 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 07 - 1 . 62 ( m , 8h ), 1 . 51 - 1 . 43 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 33 - 1 . 16 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 95 - 0 . 90 ( m , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), ( 1r , 4r )- 4 - aminocyclohexyl acetate hydrochloride ( 174 mg , 0 . 90 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 73 . 4 mg ( 0 . 20 mmol , 46 . 3 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 16 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 84 - 7 . 79 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 37 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 95 - 4 . 89 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 84 - 4 . 76 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 21 - 2 . 07 ( m , 7h ), 1 . 91 - 1 . 62 ( m , 4h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), n - butylamine ( 0 . 076 ml , 0 . 76 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 113 . 2 mg ( 0 . 37 mmol , 93 . 6 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 09 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 96 ( d , j = 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( td , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 35 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 18 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 07 ( t , j = 7 . 3 hz , 2h ), 1 . 84 - 1 . 77 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 51 - 1 . 37 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 98 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), allylamine ( 86 mg , 0 . 92 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 11 . 7 mg ( 0 . 04 mmol , 10 . 2 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 09 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 97 ( d , j = 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( td , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 35 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 17 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 06 - 5 . 97 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 34 - 5 . 26 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 71 - 4 . 69 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), cyclobutylamine ( 0 . 065 ml , 0 . 76 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 110 . 2 mg ( 0 . 37 mmol , 91 . 7 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 26 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 95 ( d , j = 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( td , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 35 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 18 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 17 - 5 . 08 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 64 - 2 . 56 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 43 - 2 . 32 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 99 - 1 . 91 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), cyclopentylamine ( 0 . 09 ml , 0 . 92 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 75 mg ( 0 . 24 mmol , 59 . 7 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 20 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 95 ( d , j = 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 82 ( td , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 34 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 17 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 30 - 5 . 22 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 30 - 2 . 22 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 98 - 1 . 75 ( m , 6h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), cyclohexylamine ( 0 . 128 ml , 0 . 92 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 76 mg ( 0 . 23 mmol , 57 . 9 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 19 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 95 ( d , j = 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( td , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 34 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 17 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 91 - 4 . 84 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 06 - 2 . 03 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 96 - 1 . 93 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 80 ( d , j = 13 . 5 hz , 1h ), 1 . 67 - 1 . 48 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 32 - 1 . 19 ( m , 1h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), cyclooctylamine ( 0 . 128 ml , 0 . 92 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 90 . 4 mg ( 0 . 25 mmol , 63 . 4 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 18 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 95 ( d , j = 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( td , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 41 - 7 . 34 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 17 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 17 - 5 . 10 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 05 - 1 . 60 ( m , 14h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), cyclopropanemethylamine ( 0 . 066 ml , 0 . 76 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 57 . 1 mg ( 0 . 17 mmol , 43 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 17 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 94 ( d , j = 1 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 82 ( td , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 38 - 7 . 32 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 26 - 7 . 16 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 91 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h ), 1 . 34 - 1 . 22 ( m , 1h ), 0 . 69 - 0 . 57 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 48 - 0 . 37 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), cyclohexanemethylamine ( 0 . 099 ml , 0 . 76 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 102 . 1 mg ( 0 . 31 mmol , 78 . 7 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 04 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 96 ( d , j = 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 84 ( td , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 34 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 17 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 88 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h ), 1 . 95 - 1 . 84 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 64 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 28 - 0 . 98 ( m , 6h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 . 0 ml ), trans - 4 - methylcyclohexylamine ( 0 . 1 ml , 0 . 76 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 87 . 1 mg ( 0 . 25 mmol , 63 . 6 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 18 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 94 ( d , j = 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( td , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 39 - 7 . 33 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 27 - 7 . 16 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 89 - 4 . 81 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 05 - 2 . 01 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 91 - 1 . 87 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 73 - 1 . 63 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 55 - 1 . 43 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 30 - 1 . 20 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 97 ( d , j = 6 . 5 hz , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 80 mg , 0 . 34 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 65 ml ), cycloheptylamine ( 0 . 08 ml , 0 . 63 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 08 ml ) were used to give 103 mg ( 0 . 32 mmol , 93 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 22 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 86 - 7 . 83 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 51 - 7 . 36 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 38 - 7 . 25 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 06 - 4 . 97 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 11 - 1 . 65 ( m , 12h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 70 mg , 0 . 28 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 2 ml ), cycloheptylamine ( 0 . 066 ml , 0 . 52 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 45 mg ( 0 . 13 mmol , 47 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 22 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 98 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 84 - 7 . 98 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 38 - 7 . 41 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 19 - 7 . 31 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 03 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 66 - 2 . 13 ( m , 12h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 55 . 8 mg , 0 . 24 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 0 . 53 ml ), 2 - aminoindene ( 59 . 25 mg , 0 . 45 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 06 ml ) were used to give 48 mg ( 0 . 14 mmol , 58 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 02 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 80 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 75 - 7 . 72 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 43 ( t , j = 10 hz , 2h ), 7 . 37 - 7 . 22 ( m , 5h ), 5 . 90 - 5 . 82 ( m , 1h ) 3 . 67 ( d , j = 10 . 4 hz , 1h ), 3 . 60 ( d , j = 10 . 4 hz , 1h ), 3 . 18 ( dd , j = 22 . 8 , 4 . 4 hz , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 ml ), 4 - isopropylcyclohexylamine ( 0 . 148 ml , 0 . 90 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 88 . 5 mg ( 0 . 25 mmol , 58 . 4 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 22 ( s , 0 . 5h ), 8 . 18 ( s , 0 . 5h ), 7 . 81 - 7 . 77 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 47 - 7 . 43 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 38 - 7 . 34 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 88 - 4 . 79 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 08 - 1 . 12 ( m , 10h ) 0 . 93 ( d , j = 6 . 6 hz , 3h ), 0 . 89 ( d , j = 6 . 8 hz , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 ml ), 4 - propylcyclohexylamine ( 0 . 148 ml , 0 . 90 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 105 . 7 mg ( 0 . 30 mmol , 69 . 7 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 22 ( s , 0 . 5h ), 8 . 18 ( s , 0 . 5h ), 7 . 80 - 7 . 78 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 49 - 7 . 43 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 38 - 7 . 34 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 88 - 4 . 78 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 05 - 1 . 60 ( m , 7h ) 1 . 43 - 1 . 14 ( m , 6h ), 0 . 94 - 0 . 87 ( m , 3h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 - phenylthiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 ml ), 4 - t - butylcyclohexylamine ( 0 . 161 ml , 0 . 90 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 103 . 1 mg ( 0 . 28 mmol , 65 . 4 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 51 ( s , 0 . 5h ), 8 . 20 ( s , 0 . 5h ), 7 . 82 - 7 . 80 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 50 - 7 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 41 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 05 - 5 . 01 ( m , 0 . 5h ), 4 . 88 - 4 . 80 ( m , 0 . 5h ), 2 . 22 - 1 . 94 ( m , 4h ) 1 . 80 - 1 . 60 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 41 - 1 . 10 ( m , 3h ), 0 . 90 ( d , j = 10 hz , 9h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 ml ), ( 1r , 4r )- 4 - aminocyclohexyl acetate hydrochloride ( 147 mg , 0 . 76 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 83 . 6 mg ( 0 . 22 mmol , 56 . 7 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 14 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 95 ( brd , j = 1 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 81 ( td , j = 1 . 7 , 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 39 - 7 . 33 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 27 - 7 . 16 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 94 - 4 . 86 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 82 - 4 . 74 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 20 - 2 . 06 ( m , 7h ) 1 . 86 - 1 . 76 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 71 - 1 . 61 ( m , 2h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 ml ), isobutylamine ( 0 . 076 ml , 0 . 76 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 101 mg ( 0 . 33 mmol , 83 . 5 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 05 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 96 ( brd , j = 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 85 ( td , j = 1 . 8 , 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 34 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 17 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 87 ( d , j = 7 . 4 hz , 2h ), 2 . 30 - 2 . 16 ( m , 1h ), 0 . 99 ( d , j = 6 . 7 hz , 6h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( 2 - fluorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 ml ), neopentylamine ( 0 . 090 ml , 0 . 76 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 96 . 5 mg ( 0 . 31 mmol , 76 . 3 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 08 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 97 ( brd , j = 1 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 86 ( td , j = 1 . 8 , 7 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 34 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 29 - 7 . 18 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 94 ( s , 2h ), 1 . 04 ( s , 9h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( o - tolyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 ml ), cyclooctylamine ( 0 . 107 ml , 0 . 77 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 85 . 4 mg ( 0 . 24 mmol , 60 . 6 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 11 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 63 ( brd , j = 0 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 30 - 7 . 23 ( m , 4h ), 5 . 16 - 5 . 07 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 24 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 04 - 1 . 59 ( m , 14h ) in the same manner as the synthesis of compound 1 , methyl 3 - amino - 4 -( o - tolyl ) thiophene - 2 - carboxylate ( 100 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), triethyl orthoformate ( 1 ml ), cycloheptylamine ( 0 . 098 ml , 0 . 77 mmol ), and acetic acid ( 0 . 1 ml ) were used to give 44 mg ( 0 . 13 mmol , 32 . 5 % yield ) of the title compound . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 12 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 63 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 34 - 7 . 24 ( m , 4h ), 5 . 01 - 4 . 96 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 24 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 11 - 2 . 06 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 90 - 1 . 59 ( m , 10h ) the novel compounds of formula 1 according to the present invention can be formulated into various dosage forms depending on the intended purpose . some methods for preparing dosage forms containing the compounds of formula 1 as active ingredients are exemplified below , but the present invention is not limited thereto . 5 . 0 mg of each of the active ingredients was sieved , mixed with 14 . 1 mg of lactose , 0 . 8 mg of crospovidone usnf and 0 . 1 mg of magnesium stearate , and compressed into tablets . 5 . 0 mg of each of the active ingredients was sieved and mixed with 16 . 0 mg of lactose and 4 . 0 mg of starch . to the mixture was added an appropriate amount of a solution of 0 . 3 mg of polysolvate 80 in pure water , followed by atomization . after drying , the atomized mixture was sieved and mixed with 2 . 7 mg of colloidal silicon dioxide and 2 . 0 mg of magnesium stearate . the finely divided powder was compressed into tablets . 5 . 0 mg of each of the active ingredients was sieved and mixed with 14 . 8 g of lactose , 10 . 0 mg of polyvinyl pyrrolidone and 0 . 2 mg of magnesium stearate . the mixture was filled in a hard no . 5 gelatin capsule using a suitable device . 100 mg of each of the active ingredients , 180 mg of mannitol , 26 mg of na 2 hpo 4 . 12h 2 o and 2974 mg of distilled water were mixed to prepare an injectable preparation . the ic 50 values ( nm ) of the novel compounds of formula 1 according to the present invention against mglur1 were measured by the method described in the following experimental example . cells of chem3 cell line ( hts145c : millipore ) in which mglur1 was stably expressed were adjusted to a density of 2 × 10 6 / ml . 50 μl of the cells were plated in each well of a 96 - well plate , and stabilized at 5 % co 2 and 37 ° c . for 1 hr . the cells were allowed to react with an hbss buffer containing a ca 2 + fluorescent dye ( flipr calcium 5 assay kit : molecular devices ) under the conditions of 5 % co 2 and 37 ° c . for 30 min . as a result of the reaction , the cells were labeled with the fluorescent dye . separately from the 96 - well plate containing the fluorescently labeled cells , another 96 - well plate was prepared that contained l - glutamate ( final concentration = 30 μm ) activating mglur1 and a blocking drug to be screened . most cell - based hts systems have liquid application systems necessary for drug injection but no liquid inhalation systems . for this reason , 25 μl of each of the blocking drug and l - glutamate was prepared at a 6 - fold higher concentration in an hbss buffer and diluted 6 - fold in the final volume ( 150 μl ) of the cell plate before measurement . specifically , after drug pretreatment for 75 sec following recording the reference value at 20 sec , a change in intracellular calcium concentration caused by l - glutamate administration was measured using fdss6000 . the inhibitory effect of the test substance was expressed as a percent (%) relative to the area of the 480 nm / 520 nm ratio in a control group untreated with the test substance . 10 μm pctc20001 was always used as the control drug . for detailed imaging of calcium , the cells were selectively exposed to an excitation wavelength ( 480 nm ) from four xenon light sources mounted in fdss6000 through a computer - controlled filter wheel . data were recorded at 1 . 23 - sec intervals . emitter fluorescence light entering through a 520 nm long - pass filter was allowed to pass through a cooled ccd camera mounted in the system . an average 480 nm / 520 nm ratio was obtained in each well of the 96 - well plate using a digital fluorescence analyzer . all imaging data were collected and analyzed with the help of a dedicated program for fdss6000 ( hamamatsu photonics ). the ic 50 values ( nm ) of the novel compounds of formula 1 according to the present invention against mglur1 are shown in table 1 . | 2 |
referring to the drawing and , in particular , first to fig1 the method aid apparatus according to the present invention may be explained in greater detail . vane material is provided as a continuous strip material from supply roll 12 . vane material 10 first passes around idler roller 13 mounted on frame 14 . the vane material then enters adhesive applicator assembly 20 , where adhesive nozzles 21 apply a thin line 16 of hot - melt adhesive to each side of the vane material 10 ( see fig4 ). while the apparatus is explained below in connection with hot - melt adhesive , it should be readily appreciated that the same principles are generally applicable to other types of liquid adhesives . in assembly 20 vane material 10 first passes around alignment roller 22 which is provided with raised edges in order to ensure proper alignment of the material . vane material 10 next passes around backup roller 23 over which nozzle 21 is disposed . backup roller 23 is mounted on arm 24 and shaft 26 which pivots in bearing 25 to allow for adjustment of the spacing between the glue nozzle 21 and vane material 10 on backup roller 23 . preferably , the spacing is adjusted to provide a flat glue line as shown in fig4 . the flat profile of the adhesive lines provides greater control of the amount of adhesive applied and the degree of flow when subsequently squeezed between two materials . with a two inch wide vane material 10 , the dimensions of the adhesive lines are preferably about a height of 0 . 003 inches and a width of 0 . 060 inches . driven roller 27 is provided to assist in feeding the vane material and is positioned to ensure that vane material 10 has sufficient contact with backup roller 23 . by passing vane material 10 under stationary nozzle 21 , the adhesive lines are applied due to the linear motion of the vane material 10 in its longitudinal direction . in this manner great precision can be achieved in the application of the adhesive lines . as illustrated in fig4 adhesive line 16 a is disposed on vane material 10 adjacent one edge and on one side of the material . a second adhesive line 16 b is disposed adjacent the opposite edge on the opposite side of the material . the second adhesive line 16 b is placed on vane material 10 by utilizing the same components as just described arranged in a mirror image configuration and by doubling vane material 10 back over itself around the second backup roller 23 . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the adhesive used is a copolyester hot - melt adhesive . this adhesive melts and flows at about 350 ° f . and provides excellent strength over the temperature range to which the window covering will be exposed in use . it also provides a tack bond at slightly lower temperatures around 220 ° f . which is useful in subsequent steps as described below . this type of adhesive however does have the undesirable characteristic of yellowing when heated and maintained in a melted state for extended periods of time . in order to prevent yellowing , it is necessary to heat only a small amount of adhesive at a time . the present invention provides a novel system of adhesive application which eliminates this problem . hot - melt adhesive in the form of pellets is placed in hopper 30 . the pellets drop into caulking cartridge 32 which is provided with a pneumatic piston 34 that forces the pellets into heating block 35 . electric heating elements 36 heat heating block 35 to melt a small amount of adhesive just before it is forced into a metering gear pump which pumps the adhesive into nozzles 21 . with this arrangement as little as four ounces of adhesive is melted at one time . a gear pump , preferably a positive displacement pump , is disposed within heating block 35 to pump the melted adhesive to nozzles 21 . the gear pump is powered proportionally to the vane material 10 feed speed such that the amount of glue deposited on the vane material 10 remains constant at whatever speed the vane material is fed . after leaving the adhesive applicator assembly 20 vane material 10 , with applied adhesive lines 16 a , 16 b , passes around idler rollers 33 and 37 . the vane material then travels around alignment roller 38 which has raised edges to align the vane material and a further idler roller 39 . vane material 10 then travels into cutter assembly 40 . cutter assembly 40 is shown schematically in greater detail in fig8 . in the cutter assembly , vane material 10 first passes around an alignment roller 41 . alignment roller 41 has raised edges similar to the other alignment rollers in order to guarantee the side - to - side alignment of vane material 10 . the vane material then passes between backup roller 42 and nip roller 44 . nip roller 44 is mounted on a pivotable spring biased arm 43 in order to maintain a constant pressure against the backup roller 42 and prevent slippage of vane material 10 . backup roller 42 is also a driven roller which pulls the vane material through the apparatus . adjacent to backup roller 42 is cutting roller 49 . blade 50 is disposed on the circumference of cutting roller 49 parallel to the roller axis . cutting roller 49 and backup roller 42 are spaced apart a distance sufficient to prevent blade 50 from cutting vane material 10 on each rotation of the rollers . cutting roller 49 is rotatably mounted on bracket 48 which pivots on shaft 51 . after the desired length of fabric is fed around backup roller 42 , pneumatic cylinder 46 , mounted on bracket 47 and acting through linkage 45 , causes bracket 48 to pivot to the left so that blade 50 contacts and cuts material 10 to form individual vane strips 10 a . linkage 45 comprises a clevis 52 attached to the end of the cylinder piston . three connecting rods 53 , 54 and 58 are joined at pivot point 56 and are pivotably connected at clevis 52 , cutter assembly frame 57 and bracket 48 , respectively . the downward motion exerted by cylinder 46 causes pivot point 56 to move down and thus pivots bracket 48 to the left around shaft 51 . pneumatic cylinder 46 is controlled by a pneumatic valve ( not shown ) cooperating with the backup roller shaft . after the number of rotations of backup roller 42 corresponding to the desired length of vane material 10 , the pneumatic valve opens to actuate pneumatic cylinder 46 and thus move blade 50 to the cutting position . backup roller 42 and cutting roller 49 are both driven rollers travelling at the same speed in order to prevent a scraping action of blade 50 along backup roller 42 . in an alternate embodiment , nip roller 44 and biased arm 43 are eliminated . instead , cutting roller 49 is surrounded by a squishable rubber liner having an outer diameter slightly greater than the radial extension of blade 50 and contacting backup roller 42 . the contact between the cutting roller rubber liner and backup roller 42 creates a nip for pulling fabric through the apparatus . when air cylinder 46 causes bracket 48 to move slightly to the left to cut the vane material , the rubber liner is compressed against backup roller 42 to expose cutting blade 50 and thus cut vane material 10 . after vane material 10 passes around backup roller 42 it falls onto vacuum belt 62 which is part of vacuum separator assembly 60 . in fig8 vane material 10 is shown slightly above belt 62 in order to clearly distinguish the two parts , in practice material 10 is pulled against belt 62 . vacuum separator assembly 60 separates the cut strips 10 a of vane material in order to provide a sufficient distance between the strips to allow time for subsequent processing steps performed on the individual strips 10 a . vacuum belt 62 is provided with holes which are best seen in fig2 and 3 . vacuum belt 62 travels around drive wheel 61 , idler wheel 63 and idler wheel 70 which is mounted on screw tension adjustment 67 . screw tension adjustment 67 allows the tension in vacuum belt 62 to be adjusted by turning screws 67 a . vacuum belt 62 is supported along its top run 62 a by hollow frame 64 . the space within hollow frame 64 is evacuated by vacuum hoses 69 , thus causing a suction through the holes of vacuum belt 62 . this suction pulls the vane material against vacuum belt 62 as it comes off backup roller 42 . in order to provide the spacing between the cut strips 10 a of vane material , vacuum belt 62 travels approximately twice as fast as the linear feed speed of vane material 10 . thus , as the uncut vane material 10 passes backup roller 42 , it is pulled against vacuum belt 62 by the suction action . however , because it is moving at a slower speed , uncut vane material 10 slides along vacuum belt 62 . as soon as vane material 10 is cut by blade 50 , it is separated from the uncut vane material 10 due to the increased speed of the vacuum belt 62 . nip roller 65 presses against vacuum belt 62 and is located a distance from the point of contact between blade 50 and backup roller 42 slightly less than the desired length of individual cut strips 10 a . pneumatic cylinder 66 acts on arm 68 on which nip roller 65 is mounted in order to press nip roller 65 against vacuum belt 62 . the actuation of air cylinder 65 is timed to correspond to that of pneumatic cylinder 46 such that at the precise moment vane material 10 is cut , nip roller 65 presses cut strip 10 a against vacuum belt 62 to ensure its separation from the uncut vane material . vacuum belt 62 moves the cut vane strips 10 a to a position directly under first sheer fabric 72 . the cutting assembly 40 and separator assembly 60 allow for successful handling of relatively soft fabrics for the vanes 10 a . this is a significant advantage over the prior art because soft fabrics provide a more pleasing appearance in the final product . referring to fig3 first sheer fabric 72 is provided from supply roller 74 and fed around idler 75 , dancer roller 76 and preheat shoe 78 . the cut vane 10 a is carried beneath a portion of first sheer fabric 72 which is resting against preheat shoe 78 . preheat shoe 78 heats first sheer fabric 72 to approximately 220 ° f . first sheer fabric 72 is fed with its longitudinal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vane 10 a . the width of first sheer fabric 72 corresponds substantially to the cut length of vane 10 a . when vane 10 a reaches alignment with the opposite edge of first sheer fabric 72 , photo eye 80 senses the end of vane 10 a and activates kicker bar 82 . kicker bar 82 is located on one side of vacuum belt 62 and directly below adhesive line 16 a . kicker bar 82 pushes the front edge of vane 10 a upwards and presses adhesive line 16 a between vane boa and the preheated first sheer fabric 72 . the combination of heat and pressure creates a tack bond between vane 10 a and first sheer fabric 72 , thus holding vane 10 a in place on first sheer fabric 72 . kicker bar 82 then retracts downwards and out of the way of the next vane . kicker bar 82 is mounted on a number of pneumatic cylinders 83 which provide the pressing force and accomplish the tack bond cycle within a span of about one - tenth of a second . first sheer fabric 72 with tack bonded vanes 10 a , as shown in fig5 then moves around dancer roller 84 and idler roller 86 into heat setting assembly 100 . in the window covering according to the present invention it is preferred to have the vanes slightly overlapping in the closed position in order to fully block the passage of light . this overlap requirement somewhat complicates the production of the window covering in order to prevent the subsequently attached vane from being adhered to the previous vane instead of the sheer fabric . in the present invention , dancer rollers 76 and 84 continuously reposition first sheer fabric 72 to solve this problem . the sheer fabric in the present invention is fed at a continuous rate and pulled through the apparatus by the heat setting assembly 100 . in order to facilitate understanding of the method and apparatus for positioning first sheer fabric 72 , the description is made with reference to a two inch wide vane material 10 . it should be readily appreciated that this is intended to in no way limit the present invention . other vane material widths may be used with simple adjustments , apparent to those skilled in the art based on the disclosure contained herein . with a two inch vane material , the overlap of the vanes is preferably about ¼ inch . therefore , the first sheer fabric 72 is advanced a total of 1 - ¾ inches for each vane 10 a applied . in order to control and position first sheer fabric 72 , the first sheer fabric 72 runs around dancer rollers 76 and 84 . after a vane 10 a has been applied , dancer roller 76 moves downward and dancer roller 84 moves to the left as shown in fig3 . this causes first sheer fabric 72 to be moved forward a total of 2 - ¾ inches at a rate faster than that at which first sheer fabric 72 is actually being fed . the forward movement of 2 - ¾ inches allows the tack bonded vane 10 a l to move completely out of the way of the next vane to be applied . from this point , first sheer fabric 72 is moved backward one inch by the dancer rollers in order to assume the proper position of a total of 1 - ¾ inches advancement . this positions the first sheer fabric 72 in place for the next vane 10 a to be applied . as the backward motion occurs , air jets 79 blow a jet of air through first sheer fabric 72 on to applied vane 10 a to force it out of the way of kicker bar 82 . a number of air jets 79 may be positioned along the width of first sheer fabric 72 just after kicker bar 82 . air jets 79 may provide a continuing airflow or may be timed to blow only during the backward motion of the dancers . in order to maintain first sheer fabric 72 in a stationary position while the next vane 10 a is applied , dancer rollers 84 and 76 continue to move back slowly so as to exactly counter the effect of the forward pull of heat setting assembly 100 . thus , first sheer fabric 72 between dancer rollers 76 and 84 remains briefly stationary . this prevents adhesive line 16 a from being smeared when vane 10 a is applied to first sheer fabric 72 and also allows first sheer fabric 72 to become sufficiently preheated by remaining stationary on the preheat shoe 78 . once kicker bar 82 tack bonds the next vane 10 a to first sheer fabric 72 the positioning process repeats . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention a single motor drive system is utilized to power adhesive applicator assembly 20 , cutter assembly 40 , vacuum separator assembly 60 and heat setting assembly 100 . dancer rollers 84 and 76 are also powered by this drive system . dancer roller 76 is mounted on arms 89 which in turn are mounted on shaft 88 . similarly , dancer roller 84 is mounted on arms 85 which in turn are mounted on shaft 87 . shafts 87 and 88 extend through frame 14 as shown in fig1 and 2 . shafts 87 and 88 are linked together by arms 90 and 91 and connecting rod 92 which , together with frame 14 form a linkage . arm 91 rides on can 93 which is rotated by a shaft linked to the single motor drive system . arm 91 is maintained in contact with cam 93 by extension spring 94 . cam 93 is shaped to provide the motion of dancer rollers 6 and 84 just described . as can be seen in fig1 vacuum belt 62 extends beyond frame 14 at the left end of the apparatus . this allows for fast and easy changes of the vane material 10 . when a new vane material is placed on a supply roller 12 , its leading edge may be simply taped to the trailing edge of the last vane material . then , when the cut strip containing the taped splice approaches first sheer fabric 72 , kicker bar 82 and the sheer fabric feed may be temporarily deactivated to allow the spliced portion of vane material to exit at the left side of the apparatus . when clean cut strips 10 a of vane material begin to exit at the left side , the sheer fabric feed and kicker bar 82 are reactivated . this allows quick changes of vane material without introducing flaws into the final product or requiring lengthy set up times . referring again to fig3 the remaining steps of the process may he explained . first sheer fabric 72 which passes around idler roller 86 has vanes 10 a tack bonded thereto in their final spaced relationship . second sheer fabric 96 is fed from supply roller 97 around idler roller 98 and laid up against first sheer fabric 72 with tack bonded vanes 10 a . the three - layer sandwich of first sheer fabric 72 , vanes 10 a and second sheer fabric 96 travels over idler 101 , around heating roller 102 to cooling roller 104 and from there exits the apparatus as a finished fabric 103 . heating roller 102 is maintained at a temperature of approximately 350 ° f . at this temperature hot melt adhesive lines 16 a , 16 b are melted to form a permanent bond between the sheer fabrics 72 , 96 and vanes 10 a . cooling roller 104 is maintained at a temperature of approximately 120 ° f . and sets the hot - melt adhesive bonds . in addition to providing an almost instant bond of high strength , the heat setting assembly provides a second function of equal importance . by running the three layers together around heating roller 102 at a temperature of 350 ° f ., the sheer fabrics and vane material are actually heat set to their new size and configuration at a uniform temperature - size relationship . the fabrics will thus hold this new size relationship with respect to one another unless subjected again to a temperature of 350 ° f . or greater . the temperatures which normally would be experienced by this type of window covering in use generally do not exceed a 180 ° f . thus , the window covering according to the present invention will remain wrinkle - free at any normal use temperatures . additionally , the heat setting procedure allows for the use of fabrics which have not previously been heat set . most fabrics are run through a heat setting process which sets the fibers and locks them to size in order to prevent shrinkage when subjected to heat in their normal applications . the heat setting apparatus of the present invention allows this preheat setting of individual fabrics to be eliminated , thus saving time and money in the fabric processing . the present invention provides a further novel feature in order to ensure that a wrinkle - free final product emerges from heat setting assembly 100 . this feature is the use of endless tension belts 106 and 108 , respectively . first belt 106 travels around heating roller 102 and idler 110 mounted on shaft 111 . second belt 108 travels around cooling roller 104 , idler 112 , mounted on shaft 114 , and idler 101 . second belt 108 also travels around heating roller 102 outside of first belt 106 . similarly , first belt 106 travels for a short distance around cooling roller 104 outside of second belt 108 . the three - layer fabric sandwich is pressed between the first and second belts 106 , 108 as it passes around heating and cooling rollers 102 , 104 . the first and second belts 106 , 108 are maintained at a much greater tension than the sandwich of sheer fabrics 72 , 96 and vanes 10 a as it passes therebetween . the tension in the belts has the effect of pressing together the belts around heating and cooling rollers 102 , 104 . this uniformly presses the finished fabric 103 as it is heat set and cooled , thus further eliminating the possibility for a wrinkled or warped final product . in a preferred embodiment , first and second belts 106 , 108 are polytetrafluoroethylene ( teflon ) coated fiberglass belts which have the required strength and exhibit the release characteristics of polytetrafluoroethylene . referring to fig2 the tensioning of belts 106 and 108 is controlled by pneumatic cylinders 120 and 122 , provided in pairs on both sides of frame 14 . pneumatic cylinders 120 act on shaft 114 which carries idler 112 and thus control the tension in cooling belt 108 . pneumatic cylinders 122 act on shaft 111 on which idler 110 is mounted and thus control the tension in hearing belt 106 . both of cylinders 120 can be seen in fig1 . slotted arms 121 and 123 ensure alignment of shafts 114 and 111 , respectively . air supply to the cylinders is controlled by regulators 128 and 129 . the unwind tension of sheer fabric supply rollers 74 and 97 is controlled by pneumatic brakes 124 and 125 , which are regulated by regulators 126 and 127 , respectively . the pneumatic brakes and regulators allow the tension in the sheer fabrics to be precisely controlled during the steps of bonding the vanes and heat setting the layers together . the rotation of heating and cooling rollers 102 , 104 is linked together by geared wheels 132 and 134 which are in turn driven by gears 136 and 138 linked to the drive system . heating roller 102 may be heated by electric heating elements disposed around the internal diameter of the roller which is preferably formed as a hollow aluminum cylinder . cooling roller 104 , also preferably formed as a hollow aluminum cylinder , may be cooled by forced air convection or in larger rollers by liquid cooling passages formed in the roller . [ 0071 ] fig9 and 14 illustrate alternative embodiments of the heat setting apparatus according to the present invention . in fig9 first and second belts 106 a and 108 a are carried by rollers 115 a and 110 a and rollers 113 a and 114 a , respectively . tension in belts 106 a and 108 a may be adjusted by the moving shafts 111 a and 114 a in the same manner as shafts 111 and 114 , explained above . second sheer fabric 96 is again sandwiched with first sheer fabric 72 having tack bonded vanes 10 a . the sandwiched layers then run between belts 106 a and 108 a . heating is provided by hot plates 102 a and cooling by cool plates 104 a disposed inside each of the belts . the plates are biased against the belts and sandwiched layers by springs 116 to ensure a uniform pressure on the sandwiched layers . in the embodiment of fig1 belts 106 a and 108 a are arranged generally as shown in fig9 . however , instead of hot plates 102 a a plurality of hot rollers 102 b are employed . hot rollers 102 b are disposed inside each belt 106 a with the axes of the upper set of rollers offset between the axes of the lower set of rollers . the axes of the upper and lower sets are also located slightly closer together than the diameter of the rollers thus providing a slight wrap of the belts around each roller . the wrap around each roller creates a uniform pressure on the sandwiched layers between belts 106 a and 108 a when tension is applied to the belts . in a preferred embodiment the rollers are positioned such that the belts wrap around an arc of approximately 20 °. rollers arranged in the same manner as hot rollers 102 b may be used as cooling rollers or cooling plates 104 a may be employed . in the embodiment of fig1 , first and second belts 106 a and 108 a are arranged generally as shown in fig9 . however , instead of two hot plates 102 a and two cool plates 104 a , only one hot plate 102 c and one cool plate 104 c disposed within endless belt 108 a are employed . the hot plate 102 c includes an air chamber 180 and a plurality of air bleed holes 182 are formed through hot plate 102 c . the air bleed holes 132 provide fluid communication through the hot plate 102 c between the air chamber 180 and the upper surface of hot plate 102 c . similarly , cool plate 104 c includes an air chamber 184 and a plurality of air bleed holes ; 166 . air plenums 188 , 190 are disposed within endless belt 106 a and are positioned opposite the hot plate 102 c and the cool plate 104 c , respectively . each of the air plenums 188 , 190 is provided with flexible seals 198 around the lower edge thereof adjacent endless belt 106 a . preferably , the hot plate 102 c and the cool plate 104 c are wider than the belts 106 a , 10 a and the air plenums 188 , 190 are narrower than the plates and the belts . air is supplied to air plenum 188 and air chamber 180 of the hot plate 102 a by hot air blower 192 . more particularly , hot air blower 192 supplies air at a pressure of about 3 to 4 psi and a temperature of about 350 to 400 ° f . to air plenum 188 through conduit 193 and to air chamber 180 through conduit 194 . hot plate 102 c is also heated to a temperature of about 350 ° by suitable means . air is supplied to air plenum 190 and air chamber 184 of cool plate 104 c by cool air blower 195 . air at a pressure of about 3 to 4 psi and ambient temperature is supplied by cool air blower 195 through conduit 196 to air chamber 184 and through conduit 197 to air plenum 190 . cool plate 104 c is cooled to a temperature of about 120 ° f . or lower , by suitable means such as water cooling . the air pressure in the air plenums 188 , 190 pushes or biases the belts 106 a , 108 a , and the fabric sandwich 103 therebetween , toward the hot plate 102 c and the cool plate 104 c . in contrast to the embodiments of fig3 and 10 , in the embodiment of fig1 the tension in the belts 106 a , 108 a is not critical . in this embodiment , the pressure applied to the fabric sandwich 103 between the belts 106 a , 108 a is created by air pressure instead of tension . the 3 to 4 psi of air introduced into the air plenums 188 , 190 pushes the belts 106 a , 108 a and the fabric sandwich 103 against the hot plate 102 c and the cool plate 104 c , respectively . this uniformly presses the finished fabric 103 as it is heat set and cooled . pressurized air flowing through the air bleed holes provided in the hot plate 102 c and the cool plate 104 c lifts the belt 108 a off the hot and cool plates , preferably a few thousandths of an inch , to minimize friction between the belt 108 a and the plates to ensure uniform heating and cooling of the fabric sandwich 103 . after the finished fabric 103 exits the apparatus as shown in fig3 the finished fabric 103 can be wound up in a roll for storage and subsequent processing into a finished window covering , or the finished fabric 103 can be immediately transported to trim the lateral edges of the finished fabric 103 and / or to cut the finished fabric 103 into desired lateral widths . a suitable hot knife cutting assembly is shown in fig1 . the hot knife cutting assembly 300 comprises a moving carriage 302 slidably or movably mounted on carriage rails 304 . a hot wheel knife cutter 306 is rotatably mounted on the moving carriage 302 and rotates in the direction indicated by arrow 308 . a shoe 312 carried by the moving carriage 302 holds the finished fabric 103 flat on the table or support 314 until the fabric 103 is cut by the rotating hot wheel knife 306 . depending upon the material of the first sheer fabric , the second sheer fabric and vanes of the finished fabric 103 , it may be possible to carefully control the temperature of the hot wheel knife 306 to prevent sealing of the lateral , cut edges of the three layers of the finished fabric 103 to one another due to the heat of the hot wheel knife 306 . however , preferably , an air jet 310 connected to an air supply ( not illustrated ) is mounted on the moving carriage 302 . air supplied through the air jet 310 blows onto the edge of the cut fabric 103 immediately after the cutting , and air from the air jet 310 lifts and opens the lateral edges of the fabric 103 to prevent tile edges of the fabric from sealing together . instead of the air jet 310 , other suitable means for lifting and opening the finished fabric 103 along the cut edge thereof may be carried by the moving carriage 202 to immediately effect opening of the finished fabric immediately after it is cut by the hot wheel knife 316 . for example , mechanical opening means could be carried by the moving carriage to effect this opening . the not knife cutting assembly 300 may be employed to cut to the finished fabric 103 immediately after the finished fabric 103 has been produced , and prior to winding the finished fabric 103 into a roll for storage . alternatively , the finished fabric 103 may be wound for storage and then , at a subsequent time or a different physical location , the finished fabric 103 from the storage roll can be cut using the hot knife cutting assembly 300 . [ 0079 ] fig6 and 7 illustrate a fabric light control window covering according to the present invention . fig6 illustrates the window covering in a fully open , light admitting position . in this position , each vane 10 a has a central portion 140 which is substantially perpendicular to first and second sheer fabrics 72 , 96 . edge portions 142 of the vine 10 a , which are bonded to the sheer fabrics are connected to central portion 140 by a portion 141 having a smoothly curving shape . the adhesive bonding process of the present invention allows portion 141 to be formed without creases or sharp folds . the smoothly curved nature of this portion , in the fully open position , allows the vane to retain its resiliency and thus tends to bias the sheer fabrics into a closed or drawn together position . this ensures that the window covering does not lose its shape over time from repeated opening and closing . furthermore , creases along vanes 10 a can develop into failure points due to repeated bending inherent in the opening and closing of the window covering . [ 0080 ] fig7 illustrates a possible method of deployment of a light control window covering according to the present invention . the window covering 150 is mount ( ed on a head roller 152 . the bottom of the first sheer fabric 72 may be provided with decorative stiffener 154 . second sheer fabric 96 is weighted by weight 153 . rotation of head roller 152 causes relative movement between first and second sheer fabrics 72 , 96 in a vertical direction and thus an angular chance in the orientation of vanes 10 a to let in or block out light as desired . first sheer fabric 72 need not be weighted because of the tendency to close imparted by the biasing effect of vanes 10 a . [ 0081 ] fig6 and 7 also illustrate the novel technique employed in the present invention for avoiding the appearance of a moire effect in window coverings of this type . with such window coverings , sheer woven fabrics having small interstices between the fibers provide a pleasant and desirable appearance for the first and second sheer fabrics 72 , 96 . however , when the same or very similar material of this type is used for the first and second sheer fabrics , a moire pattern is created by the fabrics when viewed in overlaying relationship . this moire effect is eliminated in the present invention by providing first and second sheer woven or knit fabrics of materials having differently sized , shaped and / or oriented interstices . according to the present invention , the moire effect is also avoided by using a nonwoven sheer material as one or both of the first and second fabrics or by using a transparent plastic material as one or both of the first and second fabrics . to avoid the undesirable moire effect when the first and second sheer fabrics of woven or knit material are viewed in overlaying relation in the window covering of the present invention , the first and second sheer fabrics must have different appearances when the sheer panels are viewed along an axis perpendicular to the plane of the first sheer fabric 72 and perpendicular to the plane of the second sheer fabric 96 . the required difference in appearance between the first sheer fabric 72 and the second sheer fabric 96 can be achieved in several different ways . the first sheer fabric 72 can be a woven or knit fabric having interstices of one shape and the second sheer fabric can be a woven or knit material having interstices of a second shape . in one such embodiment shown in fig7 a woven fabric employing fibers forming small square interstices is used as the second sheer fabric 96 . a material used for the first sheer fabric 72 may have fibers forming interstices which are smaller , the same size or larger than those of the second sheer fabric 96 . however , the fibers of the first sheer fabric 72 form interstices which are positioned as diamonds with respect to the second sheer fabric 96 . with this relationship between first and second sheer fabrics , the appearance of a moire pattern can be avoided . in another embodiment , the first sheer fabric 72 can be a woven or knit fabric having interstices of one shape and size and the second sheer fabric 96 can be a woven or knit fabric having interstices of the same shape as the first sheer fabric but of a different size . in this second embodiment , shown in fig6 the moire pattern may be avoided by providing a second sheer fabric 96 which has interstices which are smaller than those of first sheer fabric 72 without regard to the relative orientation or shape of the interstices . this also prevents the occurrence of interference leading to a moire effect . in practice , the first and second fabrics are selected so that the width of the interstices of the first fabric is far greater than the width of the interstices of the second fabric , thereby avoiding the moire effect . it is also possible to use the same woven fabric for both the first and second sheer fabrics 72 , 96 , provided that the woven fabric is oriented differently in the taco sheer fabrics 72 , 96 in order to provide the required difference in appearance . for example , with reference to fig7 the woven fabric of second sheer fabric 96 has square interstices . the same woven fabric having square interstices can be used as the woven fabric of the first sheer fabric 72 by clanging the orientation of the woven fabric by 45 ° to provide the diamond shaped interstices of the first sheer fabric 72 . when the same woven fabric is used for both the first and second sheer fabrics 72 , 96 , the fabric for one of the sheer fabrics is cut on the bias so that the orientation of the interstices of that fabric is changed by an angular amount , e . g . roughly 45 ° or 90 °, sufficient to provide the required difference in appearance when the first and second sheer fabrics 72 , 96 are viewed along an axis perpendicular to the plane of both . it is also possible to avoid the moire effect and provide the required difference in appearance by using a nonwoven sheer material , such as a plastic material , for one of the sheer fabrics and a woven sheer material for the other of the sheer fabrics of the window covering . alternatively , nonwoven sheer materials , such as the same or different plastic materials , can be used for both the first and second sheer fabrics . a transparent plastic material can also be used as the first and / or second fabric . the use of a transparent material as at least one of the first and second fabrics also avoids the moire effect . in another embodiment of the present invention , the second sheer fabric 96 is replaced by a series of sheer fabric strips or a series of strings . a window covering of this embodiment can be made by the same process and apparatus as described above , however a series of parallel sheer fabric strip or parallel strings are fed to the apparatus from an appropriate supply roll instead of the second sheer fabric 96 . the use of a series of strings or sheer fabric strips in place of the second sheer fabric 96 provides a more “ see - through ” effect when the window covering is in the open position . however , because the overlapping configuration of the vanes is the same as that of a window covering having a second sheer fabric 96 , in the closed position a window covering comprising a plurality of strings or sheer fabric strips provides the same light blocking effect . to achieve the gently curved structure of the vanes 10 a shown in fig6 the vane material must have a certain decree of softness . as a general principle , the wider the vanes 10 a , the stiffer the vane material can be . however , since a broad range of vane widths may be employed in window coverings in accordance with the present invention , it is difficult to precisely define an acceptable softness or stiffness range for the vane material . a simple and effective physical test has been devised to determine whether a particular fabric is suitable for vanes having a specific vane width . the fabric being tested is allowed to hang over the edge of a table such that the distance from the edge of the fabric to the table top equals the desired vane width . if this length of fabric hangs substantially vertically , then it has sufficient softness for a vane of that vane width . for example , if a fabric is being tested for use as a 2 ″ wide vane , the edge of the fabric is extended 2 ″ beyond the edge of the table . if the extended 2 ″ of the fabric hangs substantially vertically from the table edge , it is suitable for use as a 2 ″ wide vane material in the structure shown in fig6 . if the extended 2 ″ of the fabric does not hang substantially vertically , the fabric is too stiff to produce 2 ″ wide vanes having the gently curved appearance of fig6 . stiffer fabrics , i . e ., those which do not hang substantially vertically over a table edge at the length of the desired vane width , can also be used as the vane material . however , if a stiffer fabric is used for the vanes , longitudinally extending hinge or flex points must be provided along the edges of the vanes . the use of a stiffer fabric provided with hinge points produces a window covering having a somewhat different appearance that the window covering shown in fig6 . this second embodiment of a window covering is shown in fig1 and 13 . as seen in fig1 , vanes 210 a have a straighter appearance and have a sharp bend at the hinge points 212 and 214 , rather than a gently curving portion 141 as shown in fig6 . the hinge points 212 , 214 are provided by score - compressing a stiff vane material , parallel to the longitudinal edges of the vane material . the score - compressed lines formed in the stiff vane material are spaced apart from the longitudinal edge of the vane material a distance sufficient to allow the adhesive lines 16 a , 16 b to be applied to the vane material between the longitudinal edge of the vane material and the score - compressed line . a structure similar to that shown in fig1 can also be produced using a relatively soft vane material , if desired . in this embodiment , a stiffening agent is printed onto the vane material in the central portion thereof to provide flatter vanes . the longitudinal edges of the vane material are left free of stiffening agent and the required hinge points are formed at the longitudinally extending edges of the printed on stiffening agent . the adhesive lines are applied to the longitudinal edges of the vane material , which longitudinal edges have been left free of stiffening agent . according to another embodiment of the present invention , the vanes are formed of a black - out laminate material to maximize the room darkening effect of the window covering when the vanes are oriented in the closed position . a suitable black - out laminate material is a three ply laminate comprising a polyester film such as mylar sandwiched between two layers of a spun bonded or spun laced polyester nonwoven material . black - out laminates of this type are generally known in the art and have previously been used in other types of window coverings . such a three ply laminate has , by virtue of its construction , a greater stiffness than most single ply materials . accordingly , score - compressed hinge points , such as those shown in fig1 , could be provided in the black - out laminate vane material if necessary . alternatively , to produce a window covering of the present invention having a maximized room darkening effect , only a stiffened central portion of the vanes is formed from a black - out laminate material . the longitudinal edges of the vanes are left free of the black - out laminate to provide the required hinge points and flexibility along the edges of the vanes . when the black - out laminate is provided only on the central portion of the vanes , it is desirable to space the vanes closer together than described above in order to ensure that the black - out laminated central portions overlap when the window covering is closed , for maximum room darkening effect . for example , for a 25 inch wide vane with a 1½ inch wide black - out laminated central portion , the overlap of the vanes is preferably about 1¼ inch . another possible vane material is vinyl or a laminate of a nonwoven material and a vinyl material . generally , vinyl materials and laminates of nonwoven material and a vinyl material provide an increased room darkening effect but are soft enough that score - compressed hinge points are not required . of course , score - compressed hinge points could be provided if necessary . as discussed with respect to the first and second sheer fabrics of the window covering , when two woven fabrics are viewed in an overlaying relationship , an interference pattern or moire effect can result . when a non - woven fabric is used for the vane material , the problem of a moire effect in the window covering when it is closed is avoided . in some instances , however , it may be desirable to use a woven or knit material for the vane material . a basic woven material will give a moire effect because this type of material has a very ordered orthogonal surface structure . to avoid a moire effect when the window covering having a woven or knit vane material is in the closed position , a crepe woven material can be used as the vane material because crepe woven materials have a much more randomly oriented surface structure . alternatively , the surface of the woven or knit material can be altered to randomize the surface fibers , for example , by sanding , napping or calendarizing . window coverings having first and second sheer fabrics and vanes of various colors , and combinations of colors are contemplated within the scope of the present invention . for example , to provide a more transparent window covering in the open position , dark sheer material can be used for the first and second sheer fabrics because dark colors reflect less light than lighter colors . similarly , white or light colored sheer materials provide a more translucent effect when the window covering is open . the vanes may be the same color or a different color than the first and second sheer fabrics . a problem of glue line show - through has been experienced , however , when the vane material is a dark color and the first and second sheer fabrics are of a considerably lighter color or white . to overcome the problem of a dark glue line showing through a light colored sheer material when the vane is adhesively bonded to the first or second sheer fabric of the inventive window covering , a small amount of whitener , about 0 . 5 to 1 . 0 % by weight , is added to the adhesive before it is applied to the vane material . a particularly suitable whitener is titanium dioxide . the addition of this whitening pigment to the adhesive eliminates the problem of dark colored glue lines being visible in a window covering wherein a dark colored vane is adhesively bonded to a lighter colored sheer fabric . the description of the preferred embodiments contained herein is intended in no way to limit the scope of the invention . as will be apparent to a person skilled in the art , modifications and adaptations of the structure , method and apparatus of the above - described invention will become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention , the scope of which is defined in the appended claims . | 1 |
fig2 and 4 arranged as shown in fig5 of show the major circuit elements of digital interface di - 1 and of digital port dp - 1 for transporting the pbx user &# 39 ; s digital data and the end - to - end control information for recovering timing signals and for maintaining synchronization on the data links . timing on the data links is derived by locking frequency synthesizer 240 to crystal oscillator 250 in fig2 . synthesizer 240 includes a programmable divider ( not shown ) controlled by microprocessor 223 via ddl control usart 227 . frequency synthesizer 240 may operate in the asynchronous mode when switch 241 is thrown to the &# 34 ; no connection &# 34 ; ( asynch / int . sync ) position or in the synchronous mode when switch 241 is thrown to the &# 34 ; external - synchronous &# 34 ; ( ext . synch ) position . in the external sync mode synthesizer 240 produces a clock which is that multiple of the actual data rate employed by the pbx user &# 39 ; s data terminal equipment as will cause it to generate a clock at the nominal bit rate of 14 , 400 bits per second . when the pbx user places data terminal equipment dte - 1 in the calling state preparatory to &# 34 ; dialing up &# 34 ; a pbx connection , a &# 34 ; data terminal ready - on &# 34 ; condition will be exhibited at its parallel - lead eia interface to buffer 221 . digital interface unit di - 1 will respond at buffer 221 with the expected &# 34 ; clear - to - send &# 34 ; ( cb ), &# 34 ; data - set - ready &# 34 ; ( cc ), and &# 34 ; receive line signal detect &# 34 ; ( cf ) conditions in the &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; state . digital interface di - 1 is now in the call set - up mode . the data terminal equipment user may then press either the break key or the originate / disconnect function key at terminal dte - 1 . the break - initiated calling condition is detected by buffer 221 which is connected to universal , synchronous / asynchronous , receiver - transmitter ( eia usart ) 224 . eia usart 224 detects the break condition exhibited to buffer 221 and , in response thereto , signals end - to - end microprocessor 223 advantageously via a microprocessor &# 34 ; port &# 34 ; pin ( not shown ). end - to - end microprocessor 223 , polling these lines then activates simplex loop supervision circuit 260 to close the loop that applies simplex loop current over links ddl - a1 and ddl - b1 via the center taps of transformers t1a and t1b . before proceeding further with call set - up it would be well briefly to describe the functions performed by microprocessors 225 and 223 . in general , data handling microprocessor 225 acts as the input / output processor for end - to - end microprocessor 223 , controls eia usart 224 , and sends three types of messages over interprocessor path 226 to microprocessor 223 : ( a ) the dialed digits ( ascii or bcd ); ( b ) an acknowledgement of a message received from microprocessor 223 , and ( c ) a data error message during loop - back or self - test operations . end - to - end microprocessor 223 sends the following types of messages to microprocessor 225 : ( i ) the ascii character ( user - prompt ) to be displayed at the pbx user &# 39 ; s data terminal equipment &# 39 ; s crt ; ( ii ) the status of option switches 222 so microprocessor 225 can properly program eia usart 224 ; ( iii ) bcd line control information such as defined in eia standard rs - 366 which includes data line occupied ( dlo ), call origination status ( cos ) and abandon call and retry ( acr ). dlo is turned on when in the call set - up mode ; cos is turned on when the calling equipment has completed its call origination functions and control has been transferred from the rs - 366 lines to the rs - 232 lines ; acr is turned on when a busy , reorder , or intercept tone is detected ; in addition , microprocessor 223 also sends to microprocessor 225 ( iv ) a command to get a bcd digit ; ( v ) a command to &# 34 ; slip &# 34 ; a bit position in order to attempt to acquire character synchronization on the data link control channel ; ( vi ) a forced break command to be executed by eia usart 224 ; and ( vii ) a remove break command . end - to - end microprocessor 223 performs seven minor routines in addition to eia handling routines . the eia handling routines are divided into two categories determined by whether option switches 222 have been set to instruct the digital interface to serve a pbx user &# 39 ; s data communications equipment or data terminal equipment , dce - 1 and dte - 1 , respectively . there will be a routine for monitoring the eia interface presented to buffer 221 in the idle state , in the call set - up state , to perform handshaking across the eia interface and to either transport the pbx user &# 39 ; s digital data in the transparent mode or to perform a modem emulation . in addition to the eia handling routines , end - to - end microprocessor 223 will include a routine for monitoring the break contact of the pbx user &# 39 ; s data terminal equipment (&# 34 ; polbrk &# 34 ;); a routine for monitoring the originate / disconnect button of the pbx user &# 39 ; s data terminal equipment for on / off - hook control (&# 34 ; polod &# 34 ;); a routine to control out - pulsing (&# 34 ; outpls &# 34 ;); a routine to control rs366 dialing if an automatic calling unit type of data terminal equipment is connected by the pbx user to buffer 221 (&# 34 ; bldctl &# 34 ;); a routine to establish synchronization of the data link control channel with the associated data port (&# 34 ; polsyn &# 34 ;); a routine to maintain the current mode of operation such as the handshaking over the control channel of the data link with the associated digital port (&# 34 ; eectl &# 34 ;); and lastly , a routine which monitors for control channel codes indicating the appearance of tone or ringing by the pbx (&# 34 ; ddlctl &# 34 ;). routines which will control testing of the board and loopback functions may also be included . in addition to the normal , cyclicly - performed routines mentioned above , end - to - end microprocessor 223 is capable of responding to four types of interrupt : an interrupt from ddl control channel usart 227 (&# 34 ; rcvint &# 34 ;); an interrupt to send out one of the end - to - end messages of fig7 . 2 through 7 . 6 (&# 34 ; xmtint &# 34 ;); an interrupt to permit communication between microprocessors 223 and 225 (&# 34 ; dhtoee &# 34 ;); and a timer controlled interrupt for controlling various timers (&# 34 ; timcnt &# 34 ;). for convenience , the entry conditions and actions of the foregoing programs will now briefly be summarized : digital interface unit and data port unit are in synchronism (&# 34 ; synced &# 34 ;), ascii dialing is enabled , asynchronous operation set . if in data mode , &# 34 ; disable break &# 34 ; option is not set . 4 . when break released after being pushed send &# 34 ; disconnected &# 34 ; prompt for on - hooks . 5 . offhooks are allowed only after 3 sec . idletimer has timed - out unless there is an incoming call . 2 . increment &# 34 ; real time &# 34 ; counter word th2 / tl2 used with end - to - end microprocessor internal timers th1 / tl1 to provide a relative sense of time . these 4 byes of information cycle every 35 minutes . 2 . if timed - out , send &# 34 ; slip bit &# 34 ; message to data handling microprocessor 225 . 1 . maintain synchronization . ( if 3 consecutive syncing errors go to resync ; if 3 consecutive valid frames detected &# 34 ; synced &# 34 ; is established .) a byte has been stored in data link buffer for data link control channel ddl message . see fig7 . 7 - 7 . 8 ) 4 . check for ringback removal and initiate flash if option switch set . a byte has been stored in buffer for end - to - end control channel messages ( see fig7 . 2 - 7 . 6 ) serial port receive interrupt and in call set - up / ascii , idle / bcd , or self - test mode . 1 . parity of character checked ; if parity bad , ( bell ) sent to cpt . 3 . character stored in outpulsing buffer if possible ; if buffer & gt ; 20 , send ( bell ) to cpt = increment overflow byte . 1 . if a character is currently to be outpulsed ( i . e . a number & gt ; 0 in current digit byte curdig ), handle outpulsing . 5 . if digit = 1 - 13 , outpulse . if digit =`-`, set for long interdigital time . if digit = dial2 , wait for dial tone . if digit = control f , flash . handling of asynchronous data - 300 , 1200 , 2400 , 4800 & amp ; 9600 baud ( refer to fig1 ) during the data mode , the rcvint routine previously mentioned handles the usart &# 34 ; receiver ready &# 34 ; interrupt . if the usart has detected an error in the data ( i . e . parity , framing , etc . ), rcvint ignores the data . if a break condition is detected by the usart , the rcvint routine stores a &# 34 ; break character &# 34 ; in the ddlxmtbuf register , sets the vlddta bit for invalid data (= 1 ), and sets the ddlxmtsts bit to indicate data for the ddlxmt routine . it also sets bit eiabrk for use by the poll1 routine ; this bit indicates that a break has been detected . if no break or errors are detected , the rcvint routine simply stores the received character in ddlxmtbuf , sets the vlddta bit for valid data (= 0 ) and sets the ddlxmtsts bit to indicate data for the ddlxmt routine . the ddlxmt routine ( see fig1 ) handles the &# 34 ; buffer empty &# 34 ; interrupt generated by the parallel in / serial out shift register ( piso ). this interrupt occurs after 9 bits have been shifted out of the piso . if there is no data to transmit ( ddlxmtsts = 0 ), the ddlxmt routine writes a sync character to the piso with the 9th data valid bit set to 1 for invalid data . if there is data to be sent , ddlxmt writes the character in ddlxmtbuf appended with the vlddta bit to the piso . the poll1 routine ( see fig1 ) is executed only if a break has been detected ( eiabrk = 1 ). this routine is responsible for maintaining the ddlxmtbuf register and filling it with break characters for the duration of the break condition . if ddlxmtsts = 0 , meaning that the ddlxmtbuf is empty , poll1 looks at the usart status register to see if a break is still active . if there is a break , ddlxmtbuf and vlddta are loaded with the break character and ddlxmtsts is set to a 1 . if there is no break , the eiabrk bit is cleared to a 0 . the ddlrcv routine ( see fig1 ) handles the &# 34 ; buffer full &# 34 ; interrupt generated by the serial in / parallel out shift register ( sipo ). this interrupt will occur after 9 bits have been shifted into the sipo during normal operation ; it will occur after 1 bit has been shifted into the sipo during the syncing operation . if the data handling processor is in the &# 34 ; syncing &# 34 ; state ( i . e . looking for a sync character ), the &# 34 ; buffer full &# 34 ; interrupt will occur as every bit is received by the sipo . the ddlrcv routine looks at the data in the sipo . if the data is not a sync character , nothing is done . if the data is a sync character , the &# 34 ; syncing &# 34 ; state is exited and the &# 34 ; buffer full &# 34 ; interrupt is adjusted to cause an interrupt for every 9 bits input by the sipo . if the dh processor is handling asynchronous data or synchronous data less than 9 . 6 baud , interrupts will occur after the reception of a 9 bit data character . this character is stored in ddlrcvbuf and vldinbit and the ddlrcvsts bit is set to indicate data for the poll2 routine . the poll2 routine ( see fig1 ) handles the queue for asynchronous data and synchronous data less than 9 . 6 baud , and the output of asynchronous data to the usart . if there is data in ddlrcvbuf ( ddlrcvsts = 1 ), poll2 checks that data . if it is valid data ( vldinbit = 0 ), that data is stored in the ddlinbuf circular queue . poll2 also will check to see if a sync has been seen in the last 20 characters input . if it hasn &# 39 ; t , poll2 realizes that the dh processor is out of data sync and will enter the &# 34 ; syncing &# 34 ; state . if the data is a sync character , the counter counting characters between syncs is zeroed . if the data is a break character and there is no data to be sent to the usart , a break is forced . this break will be removed when either a sync or a valid character is received over the ddl data channel . except in the case of overrun then , the length of a sent break is maintained on the receiving end within the margins specified by the ddl9 . 6 kbit rate . if the usart &# 34 ; buffer empty &# 34 ; flag is active and there is data in the queue , a data byte is sent out to the usart . if the queue has more bytes than the number stored in register overrun , the transmit clock rate is increased by 0 . 4 % and the number in register overrun is incremented by 1 . overrun is initially set to 3 bytes by data handling processor 225 . so if eia usart 224 is outputting characters to dte - 1 at 2400 baud and the queue contains more than 3 bytes , the baud rate is increased to 2400 + 2400 . ( 0 . 004 ) by increasing the oscillation rate of oscillator 250 and overrun is incremented by processor 225 to 4 bytes . if the queue contains less than overrun - 2 bytes and the baud rate is operating above the nominal , the transmit clock rate is decreased by 0 . 4 % and overrun is decreased by 1 . the above servo arrangement scheme acts to throttle data and can handle a temporary overrun condition easily . handling of synchronous data - 300 , 1200 , 2400 , & amp ; 4800 baud ( refer to fig1 ) the rcvint routine ( fig1 ) handles the usart &# 34 ; receiver ready &# 34 ; interrupt . the rcvint routine stores the received character in ddlxmtbuf , sets the vlddta bit for valid data (= 0 ), and sets the ddlxmtsts bit to indicate data for the ddlxmt routine . the ddlxmt and ddlrcv routines operate in basically the same fashion as described above in connection with fig1 . the poll2 routine of fig1 handles the queue for asynchronous data and synchronous data less than 9 . 6 baud . if there is data in ddlrcvbuf ( ddlrcvsts = 1 ), poll2 checks that data . if it is valid data ( vldinbit = 0 ), that data is stored in the ddlinbuf circular queue . poll2 also will check to see if a sync has been seen in the last 20 characters input . if it hasn &# 39 ; t , poll2 realizes that the dh processor is out of data sync and will enter the &# 34 ; syncing &# 34 ; state . if the data is a sync character , the counter counting characters between syncs is zeroed . the xmtint routine ( fig1 ) handles the usart &# 34 ; transmitter empty &# 34 ; interrupt . data in the queue is output to the usart . handling of synchronous data - 9600 baud ( refer to fig1 ) the rcvint routine ( fig1 ) stores the received character in ddlxmtbuf and sets ddlxmtsts to 1 . for synchronous 9 . 6 kbit operation , the ddlxmt routine will be invoked after 8 bits of data have been sent over the ddl data channel . this routine simply transfers the data from ddlxmtbuf to the piso . the ddlrcv routine is invoked after 8 bits have been received by the sipo . ddlrcv inputs the data and stores it directly in the ddlinbuf queue . the xmtint routine takes data from the queue and outputs it to the usart . it should be noted that for synchronous 9 . 6 kbit data is passed totally transparently through the dh processor . the digital port appears in a &# 34 ; port carrier &# 34 ; ( not shown ) in the pbx switching equipment and serves to provide the digital data link ddl - with two types of interfaces to pbx switching network 201 . one interface , provided by pbx voice sampling pam bus receiver / transmitter 303 in fig3 works with the three level pbx user &# 39 ; s data signal ( five level for full duplex operation ) on the sum and dist bus leads 201s - 1 , 201d - 1 of the pbx voice sampling bus and the other interface , provided by time slot memory control 302 , provides the various time - slot control and scan signals that provide port control and status information . in addition , various power and ground connections ( not shown ) are provided to the digital port by the pbx . the details of pbx voice sampling pam bus transmitter / receiver 303 are shown in fig1 . transmitter / receiver 303 operates basically as described in the above - mentioned copending application of d . a . spencer , now u . s . pat . no . 4 , 398 , 287 . briefly , however , receiver / transmitter 303 herein corresponds to data port 208 of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 398 , 287 , time slot switches 1152 and 1154 herein correspond to time slot switches 116 &# 39 ; and 117 &# 39 ;; and differential amplifiers 1101 and 1102 herein correspond to differential amplifiers 212 and 213 . transmitter 1101 , together with switch 1151 , translates the logic levels of the data to the appropriate bus level (+ 1 . 58v ( odbm ) for a logical one , - 1 . 58v for a logical zero , and 0 . 0v for a &# 34 ; stuff &# 34 ; indication .) at its &# 34 ;+&# 34 ; input amplifier 1102 samples and holds the sum of the pbx - user &# 39 ; s digital signals from the near and far end that appear on the dist bus . at its &# 34 ;-&# 34 ; input the pbx user &# 39 ; s digital signal from the sum bus ( near end ) and the dc offset of the pbx voice sampling bus ( ascertained during the preamble portion of the time slot ) are subtracted - out so that the output of amplifier 1102 contains just the signal from the far end . since the round trip gain through the pbx varies depending on whether the digital port &# 34 ; board &# 34 ; is in a line or trunk carrier , the hybrid balance ( the amount subtracted off ) has to change depending on which carrier in which the board is located . this is achieved by setting the line / trunk option switches 1153 , 1155 to the desired state to reconfigure the circuit as required . since pbx gain is different for line to line and line to trunk connections the gain of stage 1104 is controlled by the output of peak detector 1106 which detects the peak value of the signal taken from the pbx bus and sets the gain for the existing case . in addition to the elements described above as corresponding to certain elements of the port of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 398 , 287 , receiver / transmitter 303 hereof includes comparators 1108 , 1109 , exclusive - or de - stuff gate 1110 , positive and negative reference voltage sources , (± 1 . 5v ) and clock blanking gate 1113 . comparators 1108 , 1109 and gate 1110 cooperate to distinguish the zero - level ( stuff ) signal when it appears on bus dist during a time slot . a general description of circuit 302 in fig3 and of scanner bus 201sb may be found in d . g . medill , u . s . pat . no . 3 , 789 , 154 issued jan . 29 , 1974 and in j . m . elder u . s . pat . no . 3 , 934 , 099 issued jan . 20 , 1976 . the main functions of circuit 302 are to provide time slot control signals and provide scan information to and from the pbx . the active time slot is defined by the placement of a bit in a recirculating 64 bit shift register ( not shown ) that generates a shift register output ( sro ) signal approximately 1 microsecond long every 64 microseconds . this signal controls the time slot switches 1151 , 1152 , 1154 and 1156 ( fig1 ) which gate outgoing signals onto the sum bus and incoming signals from the dist bus during the assigned time slot . the bit in the shift register is set by signals from the network control board in the pbx , and is read back via the selected busy / idle port ( sbip *) and busy / idle port ( bip *) leads shown in fig3 for auditing purposes , and for controlling the pam bus routine switches , respectively . the port is alerted to an incoming call ( ring state ) when the pbx common control 201cc activates the ring bit set ( rbs ) lead . the ring state is cleared by the 201cc activating the ring bit clear ( rbs ) lead . the information provided by the digital port to pbx bus 201sb includes switch - hook status bits ss0 *, ss1 *, ss2 * and ss3 *. for digital port boards appearing in line carriers , bits ss0 * and ss1 * provide an on / off hook state condition for each port on the board , leads ss2 * and ss3 * being tied high . for port boards appearing in trunk carriers , lead ss0 * provides on / off hook information and lead ss1 * provides ring state information for port &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; of the board . similarly , leads ss2 * and ss3 *, respectively , provide on / off hook and ring state information for port &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; of the board . the switching of these modes is done by one of the line / trunk option switches ( not shown ) on the digital port board . the digital port includes a bipolar line driver 308 and a bipolar line receiver 310 , associated with outgoing digital data link ddl - a1 and incoming digital data link ddl - b1 , respectively . bipolar line driver 308 may advantageously be the western electric type 604bw device that was developed for d4 channel banks . this device takes positive ( p ) and negative ( n ) logic signals and converts them into positive and negative pulses that are appropriately shaped for transmission . bipolar line receiver 310 transforms the pulses arriving over data link ddl - to p and n logical signals and may advantageously be a western electric type 605cy device which automatically compensates for transmission line losses to 31 db at half the transmission bit rate in digital data link ddl -. coder / decoder 311 , 312 in fig3 converts the data and clock to p and n signals using a bipolar 3 - zero suppression ( b3zs ) coding which provides a minimum of at least one logical one for every two zeros on digital data link ddl - . in order to avoid burdening the control channel with the need to carry ascii terminal dialing information , off - hook and on - hook dialing states are represented by dc loop current controlled by switching of the applied battery across the center taps of transformers tia , tib ( fig2 ) by digital interface di - and detecting the resultant loop current at the center taps of transformers t3a , t3b , fig3 in loop status circuit 318 ( detailed in fig1 ) in the digital port dp -. the resulting on / off hook status is used to signal pbx bus 201sb via time slot memory / control 302 , and microprocessor 1008 . data received from the pbx distribution , bus 201d must be processed by the digital port dp before it is transmitted over digital data link ddl - to data interface di -. this processing includes the operation of data sync and mux , processor and pam timing recovery circuit 305 ( detailed in fig1 ), which recovers the 14 . 4 khz timing on the de - stuffed data , and extracts a synchronizing signal for multiplexing the incoming digital data and digital port - to - digital interface information ( fig7 . 7 ) onto digital link ddl -. data sync and mux , processor and pam timing recovery circuit 305 recovers the 14 . 4 khz data clock by suppressing the 16 . 2 khz time slot clock during the stuffed time slots . as shown in detailed block diagram fig1 , the gapped 16 . 2 khz pbx voice sampling clock is received and applied to phase locked loop timing recovery circuit 1003 which generates a smoothed 14 . 4 khz clock for use in sending the data to the ddl . the timing recovery circuit is implemented so that it will &# 34 ; free run &# 34 ; at 14 . 4 khz with no input signal . this clock maintains the digital data link control channel in synchronism before a connection through the pbx is established . fig1 also includes circuitry for extracting a synchronization signal from , and multiplexing data port - to - data interface ( dp - to di -) information into , the digital data link stream . microprocessor 1008 controls data manipulation . the data is buffered on the input side of the processor by six bit shift register 1004 which is controlled by the de - stuffed ( gapped ) 16 . 2 khz clock . on the output side , data is buffered by six bit shift register 1007 which is clocked by the smoothed 14 . 4 khz clock from the pam bus timing recovery circuit . the data is read from input 6 - bit shift register 1004 by read interrupt routine 1409 ( fig1 ). the interrupt routine , generated by the divide - by - 6 counter 1001 , is entered after every six bits are loaded into 6 - bit shift register 1004 . output shift register 1007 is written to by the write interrupt routine 1408 in a similar manner . since the read and write interrupt signals are the two phase inputs to phase lock loop 1003 , they are held nominally 180 degrees out of phase , thus preventing an overrun of the output data by the input data . registers 1004 , 1007 and processor 1008 form an elastic store for the data coming from the pam bus . the six bit register size was chosen as an advantageous compromise between hardware and software using the given modulo - 3 format on digital data link ddl . the six bit register size was chosen for two reasons ; first it had to be a multiple of three because of the module - 3 ddl format , i . e . the control channel bit appears as every third bit on data link ddl -, and second the largest possible size is desired to reduce the percentage of overhead involved in handling the data . since the microprocessor data bus 1008 in the illustrative embodiment is limited to 8 - bits , there is no point in providing more than a 6 - bit register . microprocessor 1008 also gathers port status information ( ring state and tones ) to multiplex into the data stream , and operates to establish sync with the far end digital interface once the cross - pbx connection has been established . a flow chart showing the relationship of the principal programs executed by microprocessor 1008 is shown in fig1 . after the reset state ( fig1 , 1401 ) microprocessor 1008 of fig1 enters the state - select phase 1404 in fig1 to decide what state to enter . this decision is based on whether the port is receiving data ( rdtime = number of read interrupts per write interrupt is greater than zero ). if either of these conditions if false , the processor at phase 1404 enters state 0 block 1405 in which the digital port processor provides the sync character and port status information to the digital data interface . once a call has been established ( detected by an off - hook and continuous read interrupts ) processor 1008 enters state 1 , block 1406 in which it examines the input bit stream for a sync character , and continues multiplexing into the bit stream the port - to interface information . the sync character is contained in the control channel information which is multiplexed into the data stream by the far end di . the sync character consists of an eight bit pattern ( fig7 . 9 ) contained in the first byte of the control channel frame , ( fig7 . 1 ). once this sync character has been found , the dh microprocessor 225 increments a counter every frame a sync character is found , and clears the counter every frame that sync is missed . when the counter reaches a certain threshold , the processor enters state 2 , block 1407 in which it just passes the data transparently , and monitors the port state for any changes . buffer / stuffer circuit 307 in fig3 comprises the elements detailed in fig8 . the buffer and stuffer circuit provides the elastic store and pulse stuffing necessary to transmit 14 . 4 khz data on the 16 . 2 khz pam bus . the buffer is written into from the b3zs decoder at a 14 . 4 khz rate , and read out by the pam bus at a 16 . 2 khz rate . when the read clock overtakes the write clock , the time slot is stuffed until the write clock advances . thus , the data is transmitted at a 16 . 2 khz peak rate and a 14 . 4 khz average rate , with pulse stuffing making up the difference . the buffer and stuffer is implemented by the circuit shown in fig8 . this circuit consists of a four cell buffer ( 803 - 806 ) which is written into under the control of a modulo four write clock ( 801 - 802 ), generated from the 14 . 4 khz clock recovered from the ddl link , and read out of by a modulo four read clock ( 811 - 812 ) generated from the pbx time slot clock . gate 813 acts as a phase detector , whose output is latched in flip flop 814 at the beginning of a time slot to generate a stuff signal , and to inhibit the write clock until the next time slot . to allow for long pam bus data setup , the data is changed at the end of the current time slot , and held until the end of the next time slot . tone detector 304 in fig3 detects and identifies various call progress tones . the tones that are to be detected are : dial tone , busy tone , audible ring tone , reorder tone , and intercept tone . these tones are detected in order to provide feedback to a user who is terminal dialing , and does not have an audio connection . the details of tone detector 304 are shown in block diagram fig1 . the analog tone data is sampled and held by 1301 so that the tone sampling can be independent of the pbx &# 39 ; s sampling rate . this sampled - and - held signal is then low pass filtered by 1303 to remove high frequency components due to data and the pbx &# 39 ; s sampling rate . the output of the low pass filter is then further filtered to a 4 khz bandwidth and then resampled at 8 khz by codec 1305 . the codec converts an analog input to mu - 255 coded digital data for digital signal processor 1306 . digital signal processor 1306 is a special - purpose , programmable processor that can execute various signal processing functions . the output of digital signal processor 1306 is a four bit code representing the various tones that can be detected . this output is then sent to microprocessor 1008 in synchronizing and multiplexing circuit 305 ( see fig1 ) for multiplexing into the data stream via the serial control channel ( see fig7 . 7 ). the source of the tones to be detected can either be the local pbx , a far end central office , or a far end pbx . most central office tones in the nationwide direct distance dialing network are not precisely defined . however , the interruption rate of the tones ( busy , ringback ) is well - defined , as is dial tone which has been precisely defined since the introduction of dual tone signaling . tones are detected by prefiltering out all but the call progress tone band ( 300 - 800 hz ), and by digital signal processor 1306 then measuring the interruption rate of the tones . in addition , in order to distinguish between tones having the same interruption rate , processor 1306 includes a zero - cross counter routine which determines the tones basic frequency . to allow for longer detection time required by this program , the signal input to processor 1306 is first subjected to a programmed process which decimates ( down samples ) the input signal by a factor of four . this reduces the effective sampling rate to 2 khz and allows a fourfold increase in the time available for processing between samples . in transporting the data from the ddl to the pbx , the 14 . 4 khz ddl clock must be recovered , the ddl data must be decoded , and the data must be pulse stuffed to a 16 . 2 khz rate for transmission through the pbx . the outgoing data stream requires no bit manipulation as does the incoming stream , since it contains no digital interface to digital data port information . ddl timing recovery circuit 309 reconstructs the 14 . 4 khz clock from the ddl data stream , which requires reconstruction of missing pulses during the transmission of zeros on the digital data link . since b3zs coding is used , there will never be more than two zeros in succession on the link . details of the ddl timing recovery circuit are shown in fig9 . the circuit consists of an edge detector 905 , a counter 906 , a phase lock loop 901 , and its associated divide by n counter 902 . the edge detector detects the negative transition at the output of logical or gate 907 whose inputs are the p and n signals from ddl receiver of fig1 . edge detector 905 resets divide by q counter 906 . counter 906 then free - runs and generates a pulse every ( q / 2f ) seconds if not reset by a pulse from the ddl receiver . counter 906 outputs a pulse stream that duplicates the actual ddl pulse stream with no pulses missing . this pulse stream is then fed via gate 908 to the phase a input of digital phase lock loop circuit 901 in order to generate a smoothed version of the clock . the value of n and q are chosen so that n / 2f = q / 2f = 14 . 4 khz . returning now to the description of call set - up , the loop current is detected in digital port dp - 1 , fig3 by simplex loop detector circuit 318 in fig3 . circuit 318 controls time slot memory and control circuit 302 to exhibit an off - hook state to scanner bus 201sb of switching equipment 201 . pbx 201 responds to the off - hook condition of digital port dp - 1 by assigning a time slot to an originating register and a dial tone source ( not shown , but connected to summing bus 201s - 1 and to distribution bus 201d - 1 ) causing dial tone to be applied to pam bus receiver / transmitter 303 of port dp - 1 during the assigned time slot . this dial tone is detected by the tone detector 304 and a message is sent to the di - via the ddl - by processor 1008 . responsive to the terminal dialing information received by microprocessor 223 via buffer 221 , simplex loop supervision circuit 260 in fig2 will be controlled to make and break simplex loop current to links ddl - a1 and ddl - b1 to reflect conventional dial pulsing . at data port dp - 1 simplex loop status circuit 318 relays the changes in dial pulsing loop current to time slot memory / control interface 302 which reflects the dial pulsing to pbx scan bus 201sb . common control 201cc responds to the dial pulsing applied to bus 201sb and proceeds to set up an intra - module pbx connection from port dp - 1 to port dp - 2 . common control 201cc thereafter causes a ringing control signal to be applied over one of leads rbs of bus 201sb to port dp - 2 . port dp - 2 detects the ringing control signal and formulates a &# 34 ; ringing &# 34 ; message ( see fig7 . 7 ) for transmission over link ddl - b2 to its associated digital interface unit di - 2 . digital port dp - 2 and digital interface di - 2 are interconnected by bipolar synchronous links ddl - a2 and ddl - b2 in similar fashion to the data link connections heretofore described between digital port dp - 1 , fig2 and digital interface di - 1 of fig3 . digital interface di - 2 will formulate an appropriate alerting message to data terminal equipment dte - 2 in response to which equipment dte - 2 will exhibit at its eia interface a data terminal ready - on condition . timing on the inter - module voice / data link circuit when in the data mode is shown in the waveforms of fig4 . three information states must be transferred between modules : logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; and stuff state . since the pbx voice clocks in each module are independent of each other , the data transferred across the link must be buffered at the receiving module and then resynchronized with the pam bus . actual data is preceded with a start interval followed by an interval of equal duration which is either in a high state or a low state depending on the polarity of the data bit actually transferred . during time slots which were stuffed in the sending module , the start character is not sent . note that the peak data transfer rate is at the nominal 16 , 200 bits per second rate of the pam bus , while the average data transfer rate is a nominal 14 , 400 bits per second . the length of the start and data intervals will be a multiple of the basic network clock interval of approximately 1 microsecond . a multiple of 4 should be adequate for proper reception in the receiving module when sampled with the 1 microsecond clock in the receiving module . note that the frequency accuracy of the individual module clocks is plus or minus 0 . 05 %. the method for encoding the three state signal on the pam bus into a three state signal over a link between modules is shown in fig1 . the three level signal received from the pbx by pam bus receiver / transmitter 422 distribution bus is compared in differential amplifier 1820 of link port encoder 405 fig4 with reference voltage + vr , and in amplifier 1821 with reference voltage - vr . the outputs of the comparators 1820 and 1821 representing logic signals p and n respectively are fed to load pulse generator 1825 . a third input to the load pulse generator is a load window signal applied on lead 1826 which is a 1 microsecond wide pulse that occurs once every time slot ( approximately every 64 microseconds ). as shown in waveform 1851 through 1853 , load pulse generator 1825 applies a shift / load pulse at its output lead 1827 when a load window pulse appears on lead 1826 if the input from 1820 , 1821 indicates the presence of either a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; or a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; state on the pbx bus . no s / l pulse is generated if the input from 1820 , 1821 indicates the &# 34 ; stuff &# 34 ; state . eight bit parallel - in , serial - out shift register 1830 is continually clocked by a 1 mhz clock applied to lead 1840 . on the occurrence of a s / l pulse a logic zero level signal is loaded into the last four stages 1828 of shift register 1830 and the output of positive comparator 1820 , is loaded into the first four stages 1822 of the shift register . the resultant output signal , on lead 1835 is as as shown in waveforms 1851 - 1853 . if the input state was &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, the output will be a four microsecond low active pulse . if the input state was &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, the output will be an eight microsecond low active pulse . if the input state was stuff , no pulse will be sent . fig1 shows the operation of the link decoder and elastic store . the input signal , 1902 , represented by 1903 is fed to an edge detector in order to detect the high to low transition represented by 1904 . the edge detector is clocked by 1 mhz clock , 1901 , in order to &# 34 ; blindly &# 34 ; sample the input , 1902 , which is not related in phase or frequency to the 1 mhz clock , 1840 , in the encoder circuit . on the occurrence of transition 1904 a strobe pulse 1907 is generated to clock divide by four counter 1910 . during time slots which were stuffed in the sending module signal 1902 will always be high and no strobe will be generated . the edge detector , 1906 , also provides sufficient delay such that the strobe signal , 1907 , occurs at approximately 6 microseconds after transition 1904 in order to strobe input signal 1903 at the point as shown by 1908 . thus , when the strobe pulse is generated the state of the input signal will be clocked into one of the four flipflops 1911 , 1912 , 1913 , or 1914 . by generating the strobe pulse , 1907 , at point 1908 either a high or a low logic level is clocked into one of the flipflops representing the &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; state , respectively , received from the pam during time slots which were not stuffed . the four flipflops , 1911 - 1914 , are written at an average rate of 14 , 400 writes per second and at a peak rate of 16 , 200 writes per second . a 16 , 200 hz clock , 1940 is used to increment a divide by four read counter , 1930 . a stuff generator , 1960 , monitors the relative phasing of the two divide by four counters by means of inputs 1951 and 1952 . whenever the state of the read divide by four counter 1930 is the same as the state of the write divide by four counter , 1910 , the stuff generator , 1960 , generates a stuff signal , 1965 . the stuff signal , 1965 , is gated with the 16 , 200 hz clock , 1940 , by and gate 1935 . this causes the divide by four read counter to be inhibited ( i . e . not incremented ) whenever the stuff generator generates a stuff signal . the data signal , 1925 , is the result of the wired or of the outputs of gates 1921 , 1922 , 1923 , and 1924 . the four phases from the read divide by four counter , 1930 are high active and are mutually exclusive with respect to the high active state . thus , the data signal , 1925 , represents the output of one of the four flipflops , 1911 - 1914 , at any given instant of time . | 7 |
referring now to fig1 there is shown an embodiment of the coping apparatus of the present invention , generally designated by the reference numeral 10 . coping apparatus 10 includes a base 100 . base 100 includes holes 101 to allow a user to affix the base to a floor or a substrate . the base 100 can be fastened to an existing concrete floor by using anchored or fixed bolts . in addition , the base 100 can be fastened to a metal plate . in this configuration , the apparatus 10 is moved to the work location where the base is temporarily affixed to a plate using a bolt or other similar fastener . a riser 200 is centrally mounted perpendicular to the base 100 . the riser 200 is designed to raise a workpiece 20 off of the floor or substrate to create a more comfortable and safer working height for the user . a table 300 is mounted to perpendicular to the riser 200 and opposite the base 100 . the table 300 has a first end 303 , second end 304 , and a clamp 301 . the clamp 301 is adjustable in the vertical direction relative to the table 300 to tightly secure the workpiece 20 from movement during use of the apparatus 10 . the clamp 301 may include a knob 302 to allow the user to easily adjust the tension applied to the workpiece 20 . the first end 303 receives the workpiece 20 . the second end 304 allows for the pivotal attachment of a housing 400 . the housing 400 is cylindrical shaped and provides protection for the user of the apparatus 10 . the housing 400 includes a workpiece aperture 407 . the workpiece aperture 407 is aligned with the table second end 304 and sized to receive the workpiece 20 . the housing 400 is pivotally attached to second end 304 using two brackets 401 . brackets 401 are mirror images of each other and fixed to the second end 304 using a first fastener 403 ( seen in fig6 ) and fixed to the housing a second fastener 404 ( seen in fig6 ). the bracket 401 includes a arcuate aperture 405 allowing housing 400 to pivot from a range of 45 ° to 135 ° relative to the table 300 . a third fastener 402 extends through the arcuate aperture 405 and into the housing 400 . the manipulation of the third fastener 402 allows the user to adjust the angle of the housing 400 . a tightening of the third fastener 402 will secure the housing at the desired angle while a loosening of the fastener 402 will allow the user to pivot the housing 400 to the desired angle . the bracket 401 includes a first indicator 406 to show the user the angle of the housing 400 , as shown in fig4 . a yoke assembly 500 is in communication with the housing 400 and allows a tool 700 to move in an arc and move in a direction radial to this arc , wherein the radius of the arc is adjustable . the yoke assembly includes a upper disc 511 , a lower disc 519 , a upper arm 501 , a lower arm 502 , a connector 518 , and a handle 503 . the upper disc 511 is cylindrical and sized to be rotatably received in the top of the housing 400 , wherein the upper disc 511 will seat in the housing 400 and rotate through an arc . the upper disc 511 includes a first channel 512 and a second adjustment block 515 adjacent to the first channel 512 . the upper arm 501 is slidably received in the first channel 512 . the upper arm includes a first adjustment block 504 and a stop aperture 516 ( shown in fig8 ). the first adjustment block 504 is fixed to the upper arm 501 and in alignment with the second adjustment block 515 . a rod 508 ( as shown in fig8 ) connects the first adjustment block 504 and the second adjustment block 515 . manipulation of the rod 508 will slidably move the upper arm 501 within the first channel 512 thereby moving the yoke assembly 500 and the tool 700 in a direction radial to the rotation of the upper disc 511 and the lower disc 519 within the housing 400 . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the rod 508 is a threaded rod . the lower arm 502 is connected to the upper arm by the connector 518 . the lower arm 502 is seated in a second channel 520 ( fig1 ) of the lower disc 519 . the lower disc 519 is cylindrical and sized to be rotatably received in the bottom of the housing 400 , wherein the disc will seat in the housing 400 and rotate through an arc . a motor bracket 506 is fixed to the lower arm 502 and lower disc 519 . the handle 503 extends outward from the connector 518 opposite the housing 400 . the handle 503 allows the user to push or pull the yoke assembly 500 through an arc engaging the tool 700 in the workpiece 20 . a motor 600 is connected to the motor bracket 506 . the connection of the motor 600 to the motor bracket 506 allows the motor 600 to move with the yoke assembly 500 . the motor 600 is an electric fixed speed motor that operates on a standard household current of 120 volts . the tool 700 is rotated by a connection to the motor 600 and is composed of cutting teeth to remove material from the workpiece 20 as the tool 700 is engaged in the workpiece 20 . the tool 700 extends the length of the housing 400 . the tool 700 is preferably a modified milling cutter with a diameter of one inch ( 1 in .). the tool 700 may be a left cutting mill or right cutting mill . referring now to fig1 a , a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention , there is shown motor 600 . the motor 600 is mounted to the motor bracket 506 and positioned parallel to the handle 503 . to facilitate proper rotation of the tool 700 , a gearbox 602 is required . the gearbox 602 is in communication with a spindle ( not pictured ) rotated by the motor 600 and translates this rotation to the tool 700 via intermeshed gears ( not pictured ). this pictured embodiment does not alter the working mechanics or functionality of the apparatus 10 . referring now to fig2 , a top view of the apparatus with the upper disc 511 removed , there is shown the workpiece 20 engaged by the tool 700 . workpiece 20 is secured to the table 300 using the clamp 301 . the clamp 301 is adjustable by tightening or loosening the knob 302 . the table 300 may include two clamps 301 to ensure that the workpiece 20 is tightly secured to the table 300 . when two clamps 301 are used , a clamp bridge 307 may be used to further secure the workpiece 20 to the table 300 . preferably the clamp bridge 307 is constructed out of angle iron to accommodate pipe or tubing or varying diameters . the housing 400 is pivotally secured to the table second end 304 using the bracket 401 . the bracket 401 includes a first indicator 406 ( seen in fig4 ) to show the angle of the housing 400 relative to the table 300 as the housing 400 is pivotally moved . a tool aperture 505 is present in the lower disc 519 . the tool aperture 505 is aligned with the tool 700 and shaped to accommodate the movement of the tool 700 within the housing 400 . the yoke upper arm 501 is in communication with the handle 503 . the handle 503 extends outward from the yoke assembly 500 ( seen in fig1 ) opposite the housing 400 and allows a user to rotate the yoke assembly 500 within the housing 400 and engage the tool 700 in the workpiece 20 . the yoke assembly 500 moves the tool 700 within an arc as the user manipulates the handle 503 by pulling or pushing . the yoke assembly 500 will swing through an arc of 114 ° from a position parallel to the table 300 and a through a total arc of 228 °. to make a 90 ° cope cut , as shown in fig3 , a user will first secure the workpiece 20 to the table 300 using the clamp 301 . the user will then use the first indicator 406 ( seen in fig4 ) to ensure that the housing 400 is positioned perpendicular to the workpiece 20 at an angle of 90 °. the user will then turn on the motor 600 to begin the rotation of the tool 700 . the user will then push or pull the handle 503 in an arc moving the yoke assembly 500 and engaging the tool 700 in the workpiece 20 . referring now to fig6 , a side view of the apparatus with the housing 400 pivoted to cut a 45 ° cope as shown in fig7 . the table 300 is connected perpendicular to the riser 200 . the first end 303 , the second end 304 , the clamp 301 , a second clamp 306 , the knob 302 , and a second knob 305 are shown . the clamp 301 and the second clamp 306 secure the workpiece 20 to the table 300 . the housing 400 is mounted to the table 300 by the bracket 401 . the bracket 401 is mounted to the table 300 using the first fastener 403 . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the first fastener 403 is a threaded bolt . the bracket 401 includes the arcuate aperture 405 . the third fastener 402 extends through the arcuate aperture 405 and is secured to the housing 400 . the third fastener 402 is adjustable and applies frictional tension to the connection of the bracket 401 and the housing 400 , whereby adjustment of the third fastener 402 will allow the user to secure the angle of the housing 400 relative to the table 300 . the location of the third fastener 402 within the arcuate aperture 405 will correspond to the angle of the housing 400 relative to the table 300 and be displayed on the first indicator 406 , as shown in fig5 . the motor bracket 506 is mounted to the lower arm 502 seated in the second channel 520 of the lower disc 519 . the motor 600 is fixed to the motor bracket 506 using fourth fastener 509 . the motor 600 turns a spindle 601 . the tool 700 is removably affixed to the spindle 601 . the connection of the motor 600 to the motor bracket 506 allows the motor 600 to move with the yoke assembly 500 as the yoke assembly 500 is rotated through its arc and into the workpiece 20 . to make a 45 ° cope cut , as shown in fig7 , a user will first secure the workpiece 20 to the table 300 using the clamp 301 . the user will then use the first indicator 406 ( seen in fig4 ) to ensure that the housing 400 is positioned at a 45 ° angle relative to the workpiece 20 . to pivot the housing 400 , the user will loosen the third fastener 402 and pivot the housing 400 to the proper angle . the user will then turn on the motor 600 to begin the rotation of the tool 700 . the user will then push or pull the handle 503 in an arc moving the yoke assembly 500 and engaging the tool 700 in the workpiece 20 . referring now to fig8 , a top view of the housing 400 and yoke assembly 500 , according to the present invention there is shown the housing 400 and the upper disc 511 . the upper disc 511 is rotatably received within the housing 400 . the upper disc 511 includes the first channel 512 . the first channel 512 is sized to tightly receive the upper yoke arm 501 . the first channel 512 provides lateral support for the upper yoke arm 501 as the tool 700 is moved through the workpiece 20 . a first channel aperture 513 is located central to the first channel 512 to allow the tool 700 to be received in the yoke upper arm 501 . the first channel aperture 513 is aligned with the second channel aperture 521 ( seen in fig2 ) and allows the tool 700 space to move . the radius of the tool cutting arc is adjustable by moving the upper yoke arm 501 within the first channel 512 . the first adjustment block 504 is fixed to the yoke upper arm 501 and the second adjustment block 515 is fixed to the upper disc 511 . the radius of the cutting arc of the tool is adjusted by pulling apart or pushing together the first adjustment block 504 and the second adjustment block 515 . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , a threaded rod 508 is used to adjust the distance between the first adjustment block 504 and the second adjustment block 515 . a threaded rod is preferred for its strength and multiple radii of adjustment , but other forms of adjustment may be used , such as a notched rod and securing pin . a second indicator 510 is placed on the upper disc 511 . the second indicator 510 displays the diameter of the radius the apparatus will cope . this second indicator 510 will correspond to the outer diameter of the material to be joined by the cope cut . the upper arm 501 includes the stop aperture 516 . the stop aperture 516 is sized to correspond to the maximum and minimum cutting radius of the apparatus . the stop 514 is fixed to the upper disc 511 in the stop aperture 516 . the stop 514 ensures the tool 700 remains in the working radii of the apparatus . referring now to fig9 , a cross - section view of the housing and yoke assembly along plane 9 - 9 in fig8 , there is shown the housing 400 and the upper disc 511 . the upper disc 511 is rotatably received in the housing 400 . the yoke upper arm 501 is fixed to the upper disc 511 by the connection of the first adjustment block 504 to the second adjustment block 515 using the threaded rod 508 . adjustment of the threaded rod 508 will adjust the radius of the arc of the cut . the stop 514 will prevent the tool 700 from exceeding its upper or lower cutting limits . the upper arm contains a recess 507 aligned with the first channel aperture 513 . the recess 507 includes a bearing 517 . the tool 700 has a upper end 701 with a diameter corresponding to the diameter of recess 507 . the tool upper end 701 is received in the recess 507 . the receipt of tool upper end 701 in the recess 507 allows the tool 700 to move along with the radial movement of the upper arm 501 . additionally , the receipt of the tool upper end 701 in the recess 507 provides added support for the tool from shearing forces as the tool 700 is advanced through the workpiece 20 . referring now to fig1 , a bottom view of the device in fig1 taken at the sectioning plane in the direction indicated by the section line 10 - 10 , there is shown the housing 400 and the lower disc 519 . the lower disc 519 is rotatably received within the housing 400 and includes the second channel 520 . the second channel 520 is centrally located on the lower disc 519 and is sized to tightly receive the lower arm 502 . the second channel 520 includes the second channel aperture 521 . the second channel aperture 521 is located central to the second channel 520 to allow the tool 700 entry to the interior of the housing 400 . the second channel aperture 521 is aligned with the first channel aperture 513 ( seen in fig8 ) and allows the tool 700 space to move within the housing 400 . the motor bracket 506 is fixed to the lower arm 502 . a tool aperture 505 is located through the motor bracket 506 and lower arm 502 . the tool aperture 505 is aligned with the second channel aperture 521 and allows the tool 700 affixed to the spindle 601 access to the interior of the housing 400 . a lower stop aperture 524 through the motor bracket 506 and lower arm 502 is sized to correspond to the cutting radius of the device . a second stop 523 is received in the lower stop aperture 524 and affixed to the lower disc 519 . the second stop 523 secures the lower arm 502 and motor bracket 506 to the disc 519 and allows the motor 600 and tool 700 to rotate with the discs and move with the yoke . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the motor bracket 506 is fixed to the lower arm 502 using a removable fastener 522 . | 8 |
each of the alternative embodiments described herein relates to surface mounted electrical connectors having strain relief features . preferably , fusible elements , such as solder balls , secure the contacts to conductive elements on the substrate using ball grid array ( bga ) technology . because during reflow bga connectors tend to precisely align relative to the conductive pads on the substrate ( known as “ self - centering ”), the strain relief features discussed herein preferably do not interfere with this desirable characteristic . each alternative embodiment will now be described in more detail . fig1 a and 2 b display electrical connector 100 . receptacle backplane connector 100 uses many of the features described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 116 , 926 , herein incorporated by reference . because a detailed discussion of the interior features of connector 100 are unnecessary for an understanding of the invention , only a brief summary of the interior features follows . connector 100 is modular , formed by a series of sub - assemblies 101 . rear insulative housing 103 and front insulative housing 105 can latch together and surround sub - assemblies 101 to form connector 100 . front housing 105 includes lead - in openings 107 that accept conductive pins from a mating connector ( as shown in fig3 a and 4 b ). openings 107 form a differential pair arrangement , with two rows of openings 107 s that receive signal pins flanked by a row of openings 107 g that receive ground pins . an external shield 109 can surround at least rear housing 103 . shield 109 is preferably made from a suitable solderable material such as a copper alloy . shield 109 preferably extends along at least three sides of connector 100 , the rear wall and the two side walls . for retention on connector 100 , shield 109 also includes bent tabs 111 that extend along portions of the bottom wall of connector 100 ( i . e ., the wall that faces substrate s ). sub - assemblies 101 contain the ground contacts 113 and signal contacts 115 of connector 100 . ground and signal contacts 113 , 115 mate with corresponding ground and signal pins of the mating connector . differently than shown in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 116 , 926 , the signal and ground contacts of connector 100 surface mount to a substrate s , typically a multi - layer circuit board ( mlb ). the preferred method of surface mounting connector 100 utilizes bga technology . international publication number wo 98 / 15991 ( international patent application number pct / us97 / 18354 ), herein incorporated by reference , describes various connectors and methods of making connectors using bga technology . fusible elements 117 secure to a distal region of contacts 113 , 115 . preferably , fusible elements 117 are solder balls fused to contacts 113 , 115 during a reflow process . contacts 113 , 115 can have a tab at a distal end region to which solder balls 117 fuse . however , any other manner of securing flusible elements 117 to contacts 113 , 115 could be used , such as placing the distal ends of contacts 113 , 115 within a pocket ( in fig4 b ) of the connector housing . as shown in fig1 substrate s has an array of conductive pads c connected to suitable traces ( not shown ) to transmit signals or for grounding purposes , for example . pads c correspond to the array of fusible elements 117 secured to contacts 113 , 115 on connector 100 . a reflow process , typically subsequent to the reflow process that fused solder balls 117 to contacts 113 , 115 , fuses solder balls 117 to pads c . typically , pads c have solder paste ( not shown ) thereon to accept and to temporarily secure solder balls 117 to substrate s . typically a squeegee drawn across a stencil ( not shown ) placed on substrate s provides suitable amounts of solder paste at desired locations . the reflow process fuses solder ball 117 to pad c on substrate s , thus creating an electrical path between contacts 113 , 115 and substrate s . due to the mechanical loading requirements and the durability of these types of connectors , backplane connectors such as right angle connector 100 may require strain relief features to protect the solder joints formed by solder balls 117 . accordingly , substrate s includes additional conductive pads h at suitable locations , such as surrounding conductive pads c . conductive pads h preferably match the locations of tabs 111 of external shield 109 . in this way , tabs 111 act as hold downs to secure housing 109 to the surface of substrate s . the reflow process used to secure solder balls 117 to substrate s preferably also secures conductive shield 109 to substrate s . as with conductive pads c , conductive pads h receive solder paste during the squeegee operation . the reflow process fuses shield 109 to substrate s . securing conductive shield 109 to substrate s serves as the strain relief for connector 100 . because shield 109 surface mounts to substrate s , the strain relief feature of connector 100 does not interfere with the self - centering characteristic of fusible elements 117 during reflow . the invention may protect the solder balls from being flattened during reflow because of the weight of the connector . such flattening may cause unwanted bridging between adjacent solder balls . this may be accomplished through a number of techniques . for example , the connector may include a standoff . the standoff limits the ability of the connector to approach the substrate when the solder balls liquefy . in other words , the standoff prevents the solder balls from being flattened by the weight of the connector and from possibly bridging with adjacent solder balls . the standoffs may be made from any suitable material . alternatively , as shown in fig2 b , shield 109 acts as the standoff . shield 109 allows only a portion of solder balls 117 to extend a distance d beyond shield 109 . distance d is selected so as to limit the flattening of solder balls during the reflow process . as an example , the stand - off could allow up to 40 percent , preferably 30 percent , flattening of the solder balls . distance d also is selected to limit the bridging of adjacent solder balls during the reflow process . in this way , shield 209 acts like a standoff by preventing connector 100 from skewing on the pcb during reflow . fig3 a and 4 b display electrical connector 200 . backplane header connector 200 preferably mates with backplane receptacle connector 100 . clearly , connectors 100 , 200 are used in a backplane system , for example , to connect a daughtercard to a motherboard . connector 200 uses many of the features described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 302 , 027 , herein incorporated by reference . because a detailed discussion of certain features of connector 200 are unnecessary for an understanding of the invention , only a brief summary of these features follows . connector 200 includes an insulative housing 201 with apertures therethrough that accept signal pins 203 , ground pins 205 and ground shields 207 . signal and ground pins 203 , 205 extend from housing 201 and correspond to the arrangement of lead - in apertures 107 in connector 100 for mating with signal and ground contacts 113 , 115 ( as shown in fig1 a and 2 b ). ground shields 207 remain within housing 201 , engage ground pins 205 and act to surround signal pins 203 . an external shield 209 can surround housing 201 . shield 209 preferably is made from a suitable solderable material such as a copper alloy . as shown in fig3 a , and 4 b , shield 209 can extend along the side walls of connector 200 . for retention on connector 200 , shield 209 also includes bent tabs 211 that extend along portions of the bottom wall of connector 200 ( i . e ., the wall that faces substrate s ). as with connector 100 ( as shown in fig1 a and 2 b ), connector 200 surface mounts to substrate s , preferably using the bga technology discussed in international publication number wo 98 / 15991 . fusible elements 213 secure to a distal region of contacts 203 , 205 . preferably , fusible elements 213 are solder balls fused to contacts 203 , 205 during a reflow process . contacts 203 , 205 can have a tab at the distal region to which solder balls 213 fuse . however , any other manner of securing fusible elements 213 to contacts 203 , 205 may be used , such as a pocket 215 in the bottom surface of connector housing 201 ( as shown in fig4 b ). as shown in fig3 substrate s has an array of conductive pads c connected to suitable traces ( not shown ) to transmit signals or for grounding purposes , for example . pads c correspond to the array of fusible elements 213 secured to contacts 203 , 205 on connector 200 . a reflow process , typically subsequent to the reflow process that fused solder balls 213 to contacts 203 , 205 , fuses solder balls 213 to pads c . typically , pads c have solder paste ( not shown ) thereon to accept and to temporarily secure solder balls 213 to substrate s . typically a squeegee drawn across a stencil ( not shown ) placed on substrate s provides suitable amounts of solder paste at desired locations . the reflow process fuses solder ball 213 to pad c on substrate s , thus creating an electrical path between contacts 203 , 205 and substrate s . as with connector 100 ( as shown in fig1 a and 2 b ), connector 200 may require strain relief features to protect the solder joints formed by solder balls 213 . accordingly , substrate s includes additional conductive pads h at suitable locations , such as surrounding conductive pads c . conductive pads h preferably match the locations of tabs 211 of external shield 209 . in this way , tabs 211 act as hold downs to secure housing 209 to the surface of substrate s . the reflow process used to secure solder balls 213 to substrate s preferably also secures conductive shield 209 to substrate s . as with conductive pads c , conductive pads h receive solder paste during the squeegee operation . the reflow process fuses shield 209 to substrate s . securing conductive shield 209 to substrate s serves as the strain relief for connector 200 . because shield 209 surface mounts to substrate s , the strain relief feature of connector 200 does not interfere with the self - centering characteristic of fusible elements 213 during reflow . fig4 b shows connector 200 with an alternative housing embodiment . in particular , fig4 b shows connector 200 with a one - piece continuous housing structure 216 . in addition , housing 216 includes ball pockets 215 for receiving solder paste and solder balls 213 . the pockets also receive the mounting portion of contacts 203 , 205 . as previously discussed with reference to connector 100 ( as shown in fig1 a , and 2 b ), the invention may protect the solder balls from being flattened during reflow because of the weight of the connector . such flattening may cause unwanted bridging between adjacent solder balls . this may be accomplished through a number of techniques . for example , the connector may include a standoff . the standoff limits the ability of the connector to approach the substrate when the solder balls liquefy . in other words , the standoff prevents the solder balls from being flattened by the weight of the connector and from bridging with adjacent solder balls . the standoffs may be made from any other suitable material . as shown in fig2 b , shield 209 allows only a portion of the solder balls to extend a distance beyond shield 209 . the distance is selected so as to limit the flattening of solder balls during the reflow process . the distance also is selected to limit the bridging of adjacent solder balls during the reflow process . in this way , shield 209 acts like a standoff by preventing connector 200 from skewing on the pcb during reflow . fig5 is another example of how the invention ensures that the bga connector remains substantially parallel to the substrate during reflow . as discussed with reference to connectors 100 and 200 , the bga connector is attached to the substrate by heating the solder balls until the solder melts and becomes fused to the conductive pads on the substrate . the surface tension of the solder centers the connector on the traces of the substrate . however , in applications where the connector must be manufactured in an unbalanced state ( i . e ., the connector has more mass on one side of the solder then the other side ), the connector may become skewed with respect to the substrate during the reflow process . as a result , certain of the solder joints may fail under a less than nominal mechanical force . also , the skew may cause undesired bridging of adjacent solder balls . the invention ensures that the bga connector remains substantially parallel to the substrate during reflow . as shown in fig5 portions of housing 201 on connector 200 ( shown dashed for purposes of clarity ) may be added and / or removed to allow the mass of connector 200 to be balanced evenly over the ball grid array . in particular , portions 502 and 505 may be removed from heavier sections of housing 201 . portions 503 and 504 may be added to lighter sections of housing 201 . although fig5 shows portions 502 - 505 in certain locations , it should be appreciated that the location , as well as the size and weight of portions 502 - 505 will vary depending upon the physical characteristics of connector 200 . although fig5 illustrates balancing connector 200 on the substrate by modifying the physical characteristics of the connector , it should be appreciated that the invention is not so limited . the invention may accomplish such balancing using a number of techniques . for example , an external force may be applied to certain areas of connector 200 during the reflow process . the magnitude of such a force would be determined so as to overcome the skewed relation of connector 200 and substrate s , caused by the imbalance of the housing over the ball grid array . in another embodiment , a similar force may be applied to substrate s , in addition to or instead of the connector . therefore , the invention includes any technique that overcomes the inherent imbalance of the connector over its ball grid array , and allows the connector to be substantially parallel with the attached substrate after reflow . although the balancing aspect of the invention was discussed with reference to connector 200 , it should be appreciated that such balancing may be applied to any connector , including receptacle connector 100 ( as shown in fig1 a and 2 b ), for example . while the invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures , it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function of the invention without deviating therefrom . therefore , the invention should not be limited to any single embodiment , but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitation of the appended claims . | 8 |
the present invention is one in which composite inorganic - organic materials , prepared by a sol - gel process to produce sol - gel derived sorbents , are designed with nonpolar moieties which are capable of efficiently binding organic materials . sol - gels are thermally stable to high temperatures and therefore provide a suitable substrate for thermal desorption and analysis of a wide range of organics . one embodiment of the present invention is a sol - gel material with or without surface treatment by chemical modification , such as methylation . the material of the present invention provides a useful sampling medium . the sorbent is unusually unique because of the material &# 39 ; s high surface area , narrow pore size distribution , thermal stability and purity . another embodiment of the present invention is a particular sol - gel ( sg ) derived material , a copolymerized sg material which is highly useful as an air - sampling sorbent for volatile organics including explosives , depending on the pore structure and surface area . applicant &# 39 ; s present invention also includes a method for producing the copolymerized sg material wherein the method controls the pore size and surface area by a hot solvent processing sol - gel method . the sol - gel acts as a sorbent material capable of sampling , retaining , concentrating , and releasing organics ranging from highly volatile to semivolatile species . the present invention is valuable because it is a single material that can replace multi - bed sorbent traps in active sampling systems , or can function as a passive sampler where multi - bed sorbent traps cannot . the methylated sol - gel sorbent and the copolymerized sol - gel sorbent of the present invention also tolerates much higher operating temperatures than conventional carbon - based traps , up to about 600 ° c ., thereby permitting desorption of less volatile organics . other chemically modified sol - gel materials containing organic moieties directly attached to silicon exhibit thermal stabilities up to about 325 ° c . the sol - gel sorbent material made by the polymerization method of example 2 of the present invention has a high surface area , typically 800 - 950 m 2 / g ( n 2 - bet ), up to about 1100 m 2 / g , 10 - 20 å average pore radius . the present invention includes a method for producing sol - gel sorbents by polymerizing metal alkoxide molecules m ( or ) n by base catalysis ( see example 2 ), where m is a metal atom such as si , ti , zr , na or ba , r is an alkyl or aryl group such as ch 3 , c 2 h 5 , c 3 h 7 , c 4 h 9 , c 6 h 5 , etc ., and n is the oxidation state of the metal . for example , an aqueous alcoholic mixture of tetraalkylorthosilicate , typically tetramethylorthosilicate or tetraethylorthosilicate , is polymerized by base catalysis with rapid stirring in warm nonmiscible , nonpolar solvent , such as benzene or cyclohexane , to produce a high surface area and a uniform solid . the resulting material having a polar surface is then dried and ready for use as a sorbent . alternatively , the material may further undergo surface treatment in which the surface hydroxyls are alkylated by refluxing in alcohol such as methanol , ethanol , 2 - propanol , etc , or in the case of methylation , by reacting the surface hydroxyls with diazomethane . the nonpolar derivatized material is partially conditioned by heating under vacuum at about 300 ° c ., 5 μm hg for approximately 24 hours . the modification of the surface hydroxyls by alkylation produce sorbent materials with nonpolar surfaces . surface hydroxyls on the material may be partially alkylated by refluxing the sample in an alcohol such as methanol , ethanol , 2 - propanol , etc . for three hours . the material is placed in a round bottom flask charged with the alcohol ( approximately three times the volume of the solid ) and heated to reflux . after one hour , the reflux is stopped and the alcohol is changed by decanting and replacing with fresh solvent . after three cycles , the alcohol is decanted off the sample and the sample is subsequently dried under vacuum . the sol - gel material may be methylated by reaction of surface hydroxyls with diazomethane ( ch 2 n 2 ) in diethyl ether . the solution of diazomethane in ether is prepared by addition of diazald ™ ( aldrich chemical co ., n - methyl - n - nitroso - p - toluene - sulfonamide ), typically 2 g to about 20 ml of diethyl ether in a side - arm flask containing ethanol ( 4 ml ) and about 3 ml of 5 normal aqueous sodium hydroxide . the side - arm flask is stoppered with cork and heated gently with warm tap water . the diazomethane is distilled with the diethyl ether , condensed into a receiving flask and subsequently added to the sol - gel sample . the sample is allowed to sit until all of the yellow color associated with the presence of diazomethane has dissipated , indicating that the reaction is complete . the surface of the material may also be chemically modified by reaction with an organometalhalide r ′ z m ( x ) n − z or organohalide r ′ x , where m is a metal atom such as silicon , titanium , zirconium or barium , and r ′ is an organic moiety such as ch 3 , c 2 h 5 , c 6 h 5 , etc ., x is a halide or an alkoxide and n is the oxidation state of the metal . for example , the sol - gel material ( 2 g ) is heated to 100 ° c . for 24 hours and cooled to room temperature in a desiccator charged with dry magnesium sulfate . the sol - gel material is then placed in a pear - shaped 50 ml flask and 30 ml of dry tetrahydrofuran ( thf ) is added . the flask is stoppered with a septum and placed under an atmosphere of argon gas . the surface derivatizing reagent ( such as chlorodimethylphenylsilane , 2 g ) is added by syringe through the septum and the mixture is allowed to react overnight . the surface modified material is isolated by filtration , washed with additional thf , followed by oven drying at 100 ° c . another embodiment for producing copolymerized sol - gel sorbents is one in which metal alkoxide molecules m ( or ) n and r ′ z m ( or ) n − z are copolymerized by base catalysis ( see example 1 ), where m is a metal atom such as si , ti , zr or ba , r and r ′ are alkyl and aryl groups such as ch 3 , c 2 h 5 , c 3 h 7 , c 4 h 9 , c 6 h 5 , etc ., and n is the oxidation state of the metal . these materials have organic moieties throughout and are substantially different from surface derivatized materials . an example is one in which an aqueous alcoholic tetraalkylorthosilicate and alkyltrialkoxysilane mixture , typically tetramethylorthosilicate ( tmos ) and methyltrimethoxysilane ( mtms ), are mixed in a given ratio to give a homogeneous solution , such as one weight part tetraalkylorthosilicate to three weight parts alkyltrialkoxysilane , and then copolymerized by base catalysis as described above . the resulting sorbent has a less polar surface than those polar sorbents formed by polymerization of m ( or ) n alone . the copolymerized material is ready for use as a sorbent after activation to remove any thermally - labile residue . activation of the copolymerized sol - gel sorbent material is achieved by heating the copolymerized solid formed up to 550 ° c . (& lt ; 600 ° c .) under the flow of an inert gas such as argon . the utility of the copolymerized sol - gel sorbent material as an air - sampling sorbent for volatile organics including explosives depends on the pore structure and surface area . the pore size distribution and the surface area can be controlled by the described hot - solvent processing step , see example 1 . tmos ( aldrich , lot # 2829au ) and mtms ( aldrich , lot # 05026to ) were mixed in a 1 to 3 weight ratio . an amount of methanol ( j t baker lot j31262 ) was added to the tmos - mtms mixture which is equivalent in weight to sum of the tmos and mtms weights . an amount of water ( b & amp ; j lot # bj309 ) was added to the mixture which was equal to 60 % of the methanol weight . ammonium hydroxide solution ( nh 4 oh ( aq ), ph = 11 ), ( ammonium hydroxide solution was prepared with deionized water , using 30 % ammonium hydroxide ( baker lot # d15053 )) was added dropwise to the mixture such that the ph of the mixture following addition did not exceed 8 . a small fraction of the mixture was withdrawn and set aside to allow calculation of the gel - time . the gel - time ( t g ) is defined as the time required for the mixture to reach the gel point after addition of the nh 4 oh catalyst . the remainder of the mixture was allowed to proceed for a given period of time ( t ) and then added to hot ( about 60 ° c . to about 80 ° c .) cyclohexane ( j t baker lot # h08608 ) with stirring . the resulting solid was collected by filtration and air - dried . the sample was heated to 350 - 550 ° c . (& lt ; 600 ° c .) under a flow of inert gas ( ar ) for a period of several hours for activation to remove thermally - labile residue . the resulting powder was ready for use as an air - sampling sorbent . the material prepared in example 1 was further characterized by n 2 - bet ( brunauer , emmett , and teller ) surface area measurements and drift ( infra - red ) spectroscopy . n 2 - bet results are depicted in fig1 . the data show that surface area for the powders produced by the described procedure decreases as the percent of gel - time ( defined as t / t g × 100 ) increases . a linear model ( slope =− 5 . 12 , intercept = 830 , n = 10 , r = 0 . 896 ), shown in fig1 accounts for 80 % of the variance in the data . samples allowed to react greater than or equal to 50 % of gel - time contained no 17 å radius pores . samples reacted between 16 and 36 % of gel - time contained 17 å radius meso - pores as the defining structural feature . samples reacted to less than or equal to 20 % gel - time also possessed 25 å radius pores . the drift spectra , fig2 show comparable amounts of methyl incorporation for samples processed in hot cyclohexane at variable percent gel - times . the methyl incorporation is judged on the basis of the c — h stretch at 3000 cm − 1 . in a 100 ml beaker , approximately 20 g of tetramethylorthosilicate ( tmos ) ( aldrich , lot # 01428pg ), was weighed out , then equivalent weight portions of methanol ( j t baker lot j31262 ) and water ( b & amp ; j lot # bj309 ) were added to the beaker . then a 250 ml round bottom glass flask with a stir bar was filled with approximately 125 ml of cyclohexane ( j t baker lot # h08608 ). the cyclohexane was rapidly stirred and heated in the range of 60 ° c . to 80 ° c . an ammonium hydroxide solution was prepared with deionized water , using 30 % ammonium hydroxide ( baker lot # d15053 ) to a ph of 11 . then , approximately 8 drops of the ammonium hydroxide solution ( ph 11 ) was added to the tmos - methanol - water solution using a standard pasteur pipette . the mixture was allowed to react at room temperature , stirring occasionally , until a noticeable increase in viscosity had occurred ( approximately 7 minutes ). at this point , a sol was formed . the partially reacted mixture of tmos - methanol - water was added to the rapidly stirred warm cyclohexane at such a rate as to maintain the temperature above 50 ° c . addition to the cyclohexane was done through a wire mesh , approximately 1 mm square , to break up any particles . within 2 minutes of adding the tmos - methanol - water mixture to the warm cyclohexane , a solid was formed . reaction was continued for 5 minutes at approximately 60 ° c . then , the solid was removed from the cyclohexane by filtration and then air dried at room temperature . the sample was then outgassed at 100 ° c . under vacuum ( 5 μm hg ) for a period of 3 hours , followed by n 2 - bet ( brunauer , emmett , and teller ) characterization . surface hydroxyls on the material were partially methylated by refluxing the sample in methanol for three hours . the material was placed in a round bottom flask having a stir bar , the flask charged with methanol ( approximately three times the volume of the solid ) and heated to reflux ( approximately 60 ° c .). after one hour , the reflux was stopped and the methanol was changed by decanting off the used methanol and replacing it with fresh solvent . after three cycles , the methanol was decanted off the sample and the sample dried under vacuum in a rotary evaporator at temperatures less than 40 ° c . the sample was then placed under high vacuum ( 5 μm hg ) and heated at 300 ° c . for an additional 24 hours . further characterization of the material was accomplished by n 2 - bet and ir spectral measurements . the resulting material has a high surface area , typically 800 - 950 m 2 / g ( n 2 - bet ), 10 - 20 å average pore radius . strong c — h stretching absorptions in the ir were exhibited at 2854 cm − 1 and 2992 cm − 1 . isolated o — h stretching absorption was observed at 3735 cm − 1 , and hydrogen - bonded o — h stretching absorptions were observed in a broad band from 3700 cm − 1 to 3100 cm − 1 . the sorbent thus prepared from example 2 was packed ( approximately 0 . 22 g ) in a stainless steel tube ( 6 mm q . d ., 4 mm i . d ., 76 mm length ) and plugged with silane - treated glass wool to form an active sampling trap . the material was further conditioned by heating the trap to about 350 ° c . under a flow of helium gas ( 100 ml / min .). complete removal of residual methanol required conditioning for 140 hours . fig3 demonstrates how organics vapors were sorbed onto the trap by passing a volume of gas containing the analytes through the trap at a rate of 200 ml / min . ( the trap may be desorbed immediately for analysis or stored at 4 ± 2 ° c . for analysis at a later time .) analytes were thermally desorbed from the trap under a reversed flow of helium gas at 350 ° c . and focused using a cryogenic loop for subsequent gas chromatographic analysis . fig3 shows an active sampling trap 1 in which the sol - gel sorbent particles 5 are packed in a stainless steel tube 4 and plugged with silanized glass wool 3 . the arrows indicate the opposite directions of sorption and desorption . the material was successfully tested for retention and release of organics , which include benzene - d 6 , acetonitrile , acetone , vinylidine chloride , methylene chloride , propane nitrile , butanol , hexane , hexafluorobenzene , benzene , 1 - butanol , butane nitrile , 2 - pentanone , heptane , ethylbenzene - d 10 , toluene - d 8 , toluene , pentane nitrile , 2 - hexanone , octane , hexane nitrile , 2 - heptanone , nonane , bromobenzene - d 5 , heptane nitrile , 2 - octanone , dodecane - d26 , decane , undecane , dodecane , tridecane , method to14 analyte mix ( see usepa compendium of methods for the determination of toxic organic compounds in ambient air ,) 2 , 4 , 6 - trinitrotoluene , dinitrotoluene ( all isomers thereof ), diisopropyl methyl phosphonate , dimethyl methyl phosphonate , and tributyl phosphate . fig4 is a total ion chromatogram of a set of volatile and semivolatile hydrocarbons listed in table 1 , thermally desorbed from a methylated sol - gel trap and analyzed by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry ( electron impact ). the recovery of the analytes from the trap charged with a single methylated sol - gel sorbent compares favorably with the analyte recovery from a trap of the same proportions charged with three leading brand commercial sorbents ( see table 1 for a numerical comparison ). the first peak is residual methanol from sorbent preparation which was removed by further conditioning . table 1 is a comparison of sol - gel derived sorbent performance with carbon triple sorbent trap loaded with three leading brands of carbon sorbents having differing adsorptive properties . the table entries reflect the analyte recovery from the sol - gel trap as a percentage of the amount of analyte recovered from the carbon triple sorbent trap . the sol - gel trap used for the comparison study was conditioned by purging at 350 ° c . under a 100 ml / min helium gas flow . another embodiment of the present invention is a method for the analysis of organic explosives by thermal desorption from sorption tubes filled with a copolymerized sol - gel ( sg ) derived sorbent made by the process of example 1 . explosives analysis is done by gas chromatography with negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometric detection , gc / ms ( nici ). gc / ms ( nici ) has previously been shown to exhibit nanogram sensitivity levels for explosives when scanning a range of ions . it has also been shown in the literature that picogram detection levels could be obtained with selected ion monitoring . ion scanning techniques are employed in the present invention . the advantage of scanning a range of ions is that it allows for the identification of a suite of explosives without a - priori knowledge of the sample composition . thermal desorption is conducted in the injection port of a gas chromatograph . the method of the present invention is validated for a set of 15 analytes comprised of nitroesters , nitramines and nitroaromatics . instrumentation : a hewlett - packard 5989a gas chromatograph / mass spectrometer with dual ionization source was used for analysis . the instrument was equipped with a ht - 5 column ( 5 % phenyl polycarborane siloxane , 0 . 22 mm i . d ., 12 m in length , 0 . 1 μm film thickness , scientific gas engineering , inc ., austin , texas ). the analysis was performed in electron capture negative ion chemical ionization ( nici ) mode . the source pressure was optimized at 1 . 2 torr for maximum sensitivity employing methane as the reagent gas . the instrument was tuned using the manufacturer &# 39 ; s procedure . source temperature was set at 150 ° c ., and the quadrapole temperature at 100 ° c . with the electron energy set at 230 ev and emission current at 300 μa , full scan ( 50 - 550 amu ) spectral data were acquired at a scan rate of 0 . 8 scan / sec . to check the instrument performance , 320 pg of decachlorobiphenyl and 92 pg of hexachlorobenzene were injected and analyzed with a column temperature program as follows : 100 ° c . held for 3 min ., raised to 280 ° c . at 20 ° c . min − 1 . the resulting spectra were then compared with reference spectra : for decachlorobiphenyl m / z 498 ( 100 %), 464 (& gt ; 27 %), and 430 (& gt ; 5 %); for hexachlorobenzene m / z 284 ( 100 %), 286 (& gt ; 70 %), 250 (& gt ; 10 %). if the ion relative abundances were out of range , the instrument was retuned . in addition , the gc peak heights for both compounds acquired over the full scan mass range were required to be at least three times greater than the noise . the gas chromatograph was modified by attaching an on / off valve to the split - vent on the front of the instrument . the flow rate of carrier gas ( helium ) was held at 1 . 00 ml min − 1 throughout the gc run by an electronic pressure controller with vacuum compensation . the split vent flow was adjusted to about 30 ml min − 1 in order to obtain a flow rate of 13 . 1 ml min − 1 during thermal desorption process , when the split - vent was closed . two column oven temperature programs were employed , as described in example 4 . reagents : all explosives and explosives - related compounds were used as received . diethyleneglycol dinitrate ( degn [ 602 - 38 - 0 ]) was obtained from trojan corporation ( spanish fork , utah ). ; 2 , 6 - dinitrotoluene ( 2 , 6 - dnt [ 606 - 20 - 2 ]), 2 , 4 - dinitrotoluene ( 2 , 4 - dnt [ 121 - 14 - 2 ]), 2 , 3 - dinitrotoluene ( 2 , 3 - dnt [ 602 - 01 - 7 ]), 3 , 4 - dinitrotoluene ( 3 , 4 - dnt [ 610 - 39 - 9 ]), 1 , 8 - dinitronaphthalene ( dnn [ 602 - 38 - 0 ]), 4 - amino - 2 , 6 - dinitrotoluene ( 4 - a - 2 , 6 - dnt [ 1946 - 51 - 0 ]), and 2 - amino4 , 6 - dinitrotoluene ( 2 - a - 4 , 6 - dnt [ 35572 - 78 - 2 ]) were purchased from aldrich chemical co . ( milwaukee , wis .). 2 , 5 - dinitrotoluene ( 2 , 5 - dnt [ 619 - 15 - 8 ]) and benzene were obtained from fisher scientific co . ( pittsburgh , pa .). 2 , 4 , 6 - trinitrotoluene ( tnt [ 118 - 96 - 7 ]) and hexahydro - 1 , 3 , 5 - trinitro - 1 , 3 , 5 - triazine ( rdx [ 121 - 824 ]) were supplied by the naval explosive ordnance disposal technical division at the naval surface warfare center ( indian head , md .). pentaerythritol tetranitrate ( petn [ 78 - 11 - 5 ]) was obtained from the us army standard analytical reference material repository , us army environmental center ( aberdeen proving ground , md .). stock solutions ( 1 mg ml − 1 in acetonitrile ) of 1 , 3 - dinitrobenzene ( 1 , 3 - dnb [ 99 - 65 - 0 ], 1 , 3 , 5 - trinitrobenzene ( 1 , 3 , 5 - tnb [ 99 - 354 ]), trinitroglycerin ( ng [ 55 - 63 - 0 ]) and methyl - 2 , 4 , 6 - trinitrophenylnitramine ( tetryl [ 47945 - 8 ]) were obtained from radian international llc ( austin , tex .). acetonitrile was obtained from em science ( gibbstown , n . j .). stock solutions containing degn ( 0 . 85 mg ml − 1 ), ng ( 1 . 00 mg ml − 1 ), 2 , 6 - dnt ( 9 . 00 mg ml − 1 ), 1 , 3 - dnb ( 1 . 00 mg ml − 1 ), 2 , 5 - dnt ( 3 . 00 mg ml − 1 ), 2 , 4 - dnt ( 4 . 50 mg ml − 1 ), 2 , 3 - dnt ( 8 . 30 mg ml − 1 ), 3 , 4 - dnt ( 7 . 70 mg ml − 1 ), tnt ( 8 . 90 mg ml − 1 ), 1 , 3 , 5 - tnb ( 1 . 00 mg ml − 1 ), petn ( 3 . 00 mg ml − 1 ), 4 - a - 2 , 6 - dnt ( 2 . 70 mg ml − 1 ), rdx ( 4 . 80 mg ml − 1 ), 2 - a - 4 , 6 - dnt ( 2 . 50 mg ml − 1 ), tetryl ( 1 . 00 mg ml − 1 ), and 1 , 8 - dnn ( 5 . 00 mg ml − 1 ) were prepared in either acetonitrile or benzene . the stock solutions were used to prepare mixtures of known concentrations in benzene for method development . sorbent trap preparation : the sol - gel sorbent used in the present invention was prepared by the method in example 1 , the co - polymerization of tetramethylorthosilicate and methyltrimethoxysilane . sol - gel sorbent traps were prepared in a batch of 10 by loading approximately 70 mg per trap of sg sorbent material into stainless steel tubes ( 6 mm o . d ., 76 mm × 4 mm i . d .). sg traps were conditioned at 400 ° c . overnight at a flow rate of 50 to 100 ml min − 1 helium ( high purity 99 . 9999 %) per trap . helium was flowing in the thermal desorption direction . explosive vapor sample collection : dynamic sample collection of the headspace over a smokeless powder was performed in order to demonstrate the validated methodology for the quantitation of explosive components collected by vapor sampling . the arrangement for sample collection involved loading a 4 cm length of 6 mm od u - shaped glass tubing with scot solo 1251 smokeless powder ( scot powder co .). the tube was placed in an open top metal container which was , in turn , packed with sand . cartridge heaters were placed inside the sand bed to warm the enclosure to a controlled temperature ( near 40 ° c .). the entire assembly was placed in a 2 . 5 cm thick explosion retarding cast acrylic plastic enclosure for safety purposes . the carrier gas ( helium ) was , flowing through the bed of powder at ca . 200 ml min − 1 . the total collection volume of carrier gas passed through the bed of smokeless powder was 21 . 0 l . experiments were conducted at temperature of 40 ° c . the sg traps were analyzed by td / gc / ms ( nici ) as described above in instrumentation . method validation procedure : the following procedure was performed to validate the methodology for analyzing trace explosive vapor collected and concentrated on the sg sorbent traps . in order to establish a calibration curve for td / gc / ms ( nici ), sg traps were spiked in triplicate with calibration standards that included internal standard and 15 explosives ( see above ) at six concentrations ranging from 0 . 5 to 150 ng / trap . after spiking the sg trap with 2 μl sample of calibration solution , the trap was fitted with a viton o - ring ( 6 . 3 mm id ) at the upstream end ( opposite to the sampling direction ) of the trap . all trap handling was performed while wearing cotton gloves to prevent transfer of skin oils and other contaminants to the outside of the trap . in a typical calibration analysis , the injection port temperature was reduced to less than 50 ° c . to allow the sg trap to be placed into the injection port without loss of volatile components . the trap was placed inside the injection port and the port was then closed and heated to 170 ° c . with the split purge turned off . the exit port was blocked by closing the on / off valve . the helium flow during thermal desorption increased to 13 . 1 ml min − 1 , forcing analytes onto the analytical column . thermal desorption was allowed to proceed for 7 min ., including the 3 . 5 - 4 min injector heating time . the gas chromatograph oven was held at ambient temperature during thermal desorption to allow the analytes to condense and focus at the head of the column . the oven temperature program was initiated immediately after the split vent was turned to the “ on ” position , and the carrier flow rate was reduced to 1 ml min − 1 . the column oven temperature was programmed linearly from 70 ° c . ( hold 5 min ) to 185 ° c . at 7 ° c . min − 1 and then to 280 ° c . ( hold for 10 min ) at 20 ° c . min − 1 . prior to td / gc / ms ( nici ) analysis of trace explosives collected from smokeless powder on the sample traps , a 2 μl sample of internal standard solution ( 1 , 8 - dinitronaphthalene at concentration of 50 ng / μl ) was spiked onto the sample trap in the sampling direction . the sample traps were thermally desorbed in the injection port , followed by gc / ms ( nici ) analysis using the procedure described above . however , a slightly faster gc oven program was employed . the column oven temperature was programmed linearly from 70 ° c . ( hold 5 min ) to 185 ° c . at 10 ° c . min − 1 and then to 280 ° c . ( hold for 10 min ) at 30 ° c . min − 1 . the integrated area of a selected ion was obtained for each component for data analysis ( m / z 62 for degn and ng , m / z 182 for all dnt isomers , m / z 168 for 1 , 3 - dnb , m / z 227 for tnt , m / z 213 for tbn , m / z 62 for petn , m / z 102 for rdx , m / z 197 for 4 - a - 2 , 6 - dnt and 2 - a - 4 , 6 - dnt , m / z 242 for tetryl , and m / z 218 for 1 , 8 - dnn ). sorbent characterization : the sorbent , sg , had a n 2 - bet surface area of 406 m 2 g − 1 and exhibited a type ii isotherm , as shown in fig5 . type ii isotherms are common for n 2 adsorption on powdered samples and reflect physical adsorption with multilayer formation . the hysteresis observed on the desorption curve ( top curve in fig5 ) is of the form generally associated with cylindrical or capillary shaped pores . the pore size distribution ( fig6 ), determined from the desorption curve , reveals a set of micropores with radii of less than 10 å , a set of 17 å radius : pores ( borderline micro - mesopores ), and a lesser amount of true mesopores with broadly distributed radii ranging from 20 - 150 å . further analysis of the sorbent micropores is obtained from the v - t plot in fig7 . the two linear regions of the plot indicate the presence of micropores having a radius greater than 3 . 5 å . from the slope of line a in fig7 an estimated total pore area of 304 m 2 g − 1 is obtained . the difference between the n 2 - bet surface area and the total pore area gives an estimated micropore surface area of 102 m 2 g − 1 . the intersection of curves a and b in fig7 gives an estimate of the micropore radius as slightly less than 5 å . reproducibility of sorbent tube preparation : three sorption tubes were randomly selected from the batch of ten tubes , described above , and tested . each tube to be tested was spiked with an analyte mixture and thermally desorbed . recoveries were determined by gc / ms ( nici ). the analysis was repeated in triplicate for each tube and the average analyte recovery was determined for each tube . the average analyte recoveries were used to determine the % rsd for the three tube set . the results , listed in table 2 , show that the average analyte recoveries from the three tubes have % rsd that ranges from 1 % for tnb up to 28 % for ng . the low % rsd values suggest good tube - to - tube reproducibility . the data in table 2 reveals that the % rsd is generally greater for the more volatile analytes . to further test the tube - to - tube reproducibility , an assessment was made of the normality of the data for explosives recoveries from the three tubes . the standardized recoveries ( z i , j ) were determined for the explosives recovery ( j = 1 to 15 ) from each of the tubes ( j = 1 to 3 ), as given by eq . 1 . z i , j =( y i , j −{ overscore ( y )} j )/ s j j = 1 . . . 3i = 1 , 2 . . . 15 ( 1 ) in eq . 1 , { overscore ( y )} j and s j are respectively the arithmetic mean and standard deviation of the jth set of observations . the cumulative frequency distribution of the z values was determined and a normal probability plot is shown in fig8 . the linearity of the plot in fig8 ( r = 0 . 987 ) confirms that the recoveries on each tube are normally distributed about the arithmetic mean and that all of the normalized recoveries lie within the same normal distribution . this result further substantiates tube - to - tube reproducibility and suggest an alternative , analyte specific , source of the larger observed % rsd for the more volatile analytes . thermal desorption efficiency : because all the explosive standards used for the method validation have fairly , low vapor pressures and an inherent thermal instability , each explosive standards mix was prepared as a solution in benzene and then spiked onto sg traps using a validated method as previously discussed . the trap was attached to the base of a pre - heated ( 170 ° c .) injection port with the split vent closed . a two microliter sample of the standard solution was injected , through a glass injector liner and purged with 200 ml of helium carrier gas ( 2 min at 100 ml min − 1 ) to ensure all the analytes were concentrated on the upstream end of the trap . a solvent delay at the beginning of each analysis allowed residual benzene to pass through the mass spectrometer . traces of benzene contribute to the background when this method is run with electron impact ( ei ) detection ; however , the residual benzene does not interfere with nici detection . for each explosive in the standard solution , the desorption efficiency ( measured , as % recovery ) was calculated relative to recovery from a liquid injection . the integrated area for a selected ion generated from thermal desorption was compared with the integrated area for the same ion generated from direct injection of the same standard solution followed by gc / ms ( nici ) analysis . the comparison provides a measure of the accuracy of the methodology . the values reported in table 3 are the result of at least three successive sets of thermal desorptions and liquid injections at the analyte levels of approximately 30 ng per component . desorption efficiency for analytes ranged from 44 % to 177 %. it was observed that explosives with more than three polar functional groups on the molecule such as ng , tnt , rdx , 4 - a - 2 , 6 - dnt , 2 - a - 4 , 6 - dnt , and tetryl seemed to exhibit lower desorption efficiencies . the higher than 100 % recovery rates for degn and dnt isomers are due to decomposition and loss of analytes through the split / splitless vent during a liquid injection . during the injection operation , although the injector was set in “ splitless ” mode for 2 minutes , and a fraction of analytes with low boiling points , such as degn and dnt isomers , may possibly have vented through the split vent , thus , resulting in lower nici responses for those analytes . therefore , the resulting desorption efficiencies for those analytes would be artificially higher than 100 %. in a separate experiment , a sg trap was connected to the split vent and collected the effluent from the injection port during the liquid injection process . the trap was then analyzed by td / gc / ms ( nici ). trace amount of degn and dnt isomers were detected in the effluent . this finding further confirmed that low boiling components indeed have a tendency to escape through the split vent from the heated injection port , even with the purge valve set in the “ off ” mode for two minutes during the initial injection process . the average recovery for 1 , 8 - dnn , the internal standard used , was 88 . 73 % with a relative standard deviation of 6 . 73 %. precision : sg traps were spiked in triplicate with explosive standard solution that included 15 target analytes at six concentrations ranging from 0 . 5 to 154 ng / trap and internal standard ( is ) at 85 ng / trap . the sg traps were spiked at a given concentration and analyzed by td / gc / ms ( nici ) in random order over a period of two weeks . the integrated area of a selected ion from each analyte and from is were used to calculate the area ratio . table 3 summarized the percent standard deviation (% rsd ) of the area ratios that were observed at the six concentrations . the observed ranges in % rsd served as a measure of the precision of the method . the majority of % rsds for the entire procedure , including trap spiking and thermal desorption , are less than 30 % for the sg traps spiked at concentration greater than 0 . 5 ng / trap . as expected , the precision decreases as the concentrations of target analytes approach the limit of detection . linearity and range : the linearity of the method was determined from the same data used for the precision determination . the ratios of the integrated area for each analyte relative to the integrated area for the internal standard were averaged ( y ). the average area ratios were plotted against the analyte to internal standard concentration ratios ( x ). the plots were linear for some analytes and decidedly nonlinear for others . the nonlinear plots were all concave to the concentration ratio ( x ) axis . the curvature of the plots indicates a decreasing recovery for the analyte at higher concentrations . the dnt isomers and degn gave nonlinear plots with a quadratic dependence on the concentration ratio , while the plots for all other isomers were linear . no explanation is offered for this difference in observed behavior . the area and concentration ratios were used to obtain calibration curves by fitting the data to one of two models ( either y = ax ½ + b , or y = ax + b ), and estimating the coefficients by regression analysis . the coefficients of determination ( r 2 ) resulting from regressions are given in table 3 along with the fitted a and b parameters . the models accounted for greater than 88 . 0 percent of the variance in all cases and greater than 95 percent in most cases . limit of detection : determination of the method limit of detection ( lod ) for each analyte was based on data used for the precision and linearity . the method lods , given in table 3 , follow the definition of the lowest analyte concentration in a sample that can be quantified . two definitions of limit of detection for each analyte were adopted for the determination of lods . as listed in table 3 , the first lods were defined as equal to three times of standard deviation of the intercept obtained from the regression analysis . the second lods were defined as three times of standard deviation of regression residuals . the values in table 3 represent validated limits of detection for the thermal desorption method . in general , the lods based on the first definition ( 0 . 23 to 16 . 05 ng ) are lower than those based on the second definition ( 1 . 42 to 39 . 31 ng ). because of the thermal instability , petn , rdx , and tetryl exhibited the highest lods . specificity : the ability to measure explosives - related analytes accurately and specifically in the presence of other components was not rigorously determined for the method using nici detection . however , the peak broadening and tailing from thermal desorption is not significant , as shown for a gc / ms ( nici ) chromatogram in fig9 . the analytes ( quantity given in parenthesis ) elute in the following order , starting at 10 min : degn ( 13 . 7 ng ), ng ( 16 . 1 ng ), 2 , 6 - dnt ( 14 . 5 ng ), 1 , 3 - dnb ( 16 . 1 ng ), 2 , 5 - dnt ( 14 . 5 ng ), 2 , 4 - dnt ( 21 . 7 ng ), 2 , 3 - dnt ( 13 . 4 ng ), 3 , 4 - dnt ( 12 . 4 ng ), tnt ( 14 . 3 ng ), 1 , 3 , 5 - tnb ( 16 . 1 ng ), petn ( 48 . 3 ng ), 4 - a - 2 , 6 - dnt ( 17 . 4 ng ), rdx ( 77 . 3 ng ), 2 - a - 4 , 6 - dnt ( 16 . 0 ng ), tetryl ( 16 . 1 ng ), and 1 , 8 - dnn ( is , 85 . 0 ng ). analysis of smokeless powder headspace : a sg trap ( made as described in example 1 ) was used to collect and concentrate vapor sample present in a vapor chamber that contained a bed of smokeless gunpowder . carrier gas ( helium ) was constantly sweeping through the chamber at a flow rate of 200 ml min − 1 . a total of 21 . 0 l of carrier gas was collected at the chamber temperature of 40 ° c . the sample trap was analyzed by td / gc / ms ( nici ). the resulting total ion chromatograph is shown in fig1 , curve a . this chromatogram demonstrates the complexity of a real sample and the necessity of mass spectral assisted peak identification . the components eluted at 9 . 4 and 11 . 3 min were identified as ng and 2 , 3 - dnt respectively . the criteria of identification and quantitation were based on ( 1 ) a match of retention time (± 0 . 2 min ) for an unknown component with that obtained from an authentic standard ( fig1 , curve b ), ( 2 ) a match of nici spectrum for an unknown component with that obtained from an authentic standard , i . e . for ng [ m / z 62 ( 100 %), 59 ( 15 %), 58 ( 12 %) and 57 ( 5 %)] and for 2 , 3 - dnt [ m / z 182 ( 100 %), 166 ( 2 %), and 152 ( 5 %)]. and ( 3 ) signal to noise ratio greater than 3 ( s / n & gt ; 3 ) for an unknown component . the present invention &# 39 ; s use of an in - injection port thermal desorption method for explosives analysis has been demonstrated and validated for a set of 15 analytes . the method has also been applied to the analysis of a headspace sample collected from a smokeless powder . this method of the present invention utilizes a copolymerized sol - gel derived solid sorbent . the sorbent gives a very low background , is reusable and performs well for the collection and thermal release of explosives and explosives - related compounds . the in - injection port thermal desorption method of the present invention is also applicable to commercial sorbent tubes . while there has been shown and described what are at present considered the preferred embodiments of the invention , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein , without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims . | 1 |
various terms used herein are intended to have particular meanings . some of these terms are defined below for the purpose of clarity . the definitions given below are meant to cover all forms of the words being defined ( e . g ., singular , plural , present tense , past tense ). if the definition of any term below diverges from the common understood and / or dictionary definition of such term , the definitions below control . attach : any form of the term “ attach ” as stated in this disclosure is to be interpreted broadly as encompassing permanent attachment or removable attachment capability unless otherwise expressly limited herein . attachment apparatus : any apparatus used to attach a first object to a second object , such apparatus becoming a part of the compound structure formed by the attachment of the first object to the second object . beam : an elongate and sturdy object that , optionally , may be at least partially hollow and which , optionally , may have a substantially continuous curved elongate surface ( e . g ., like a pole ) and / or a plurality of elongate surfaces , one or more of which , optionally , may be substantially planar . extension ( noun ): a sub - part of a larger structure , the subpart attached to other sub - parts of such larger structure by attachment means known to persons having ordinary skill in the art including without limitation welding or an attachment apparatus . permanent means of attachment : a solid object , semi - solid object ( e . g ., a gel ), liquid substance , or portion of a structure resulting from a method of attaching a plurality of solid objects to one another , such object , substance , and / or method usable to create a compound structure by attaching at least two previously physically separated solid objects ( e . g ., a first object and a second object ), wherein the attachment between the first object and the second object is such that significant undesirable damage to the first object and / or the second object is likely to occur if the compound structure is forced to be physically re - separated . removable : a quality or capability of a first object being separable from a second object after the first object and the second object have been attached together to form a compound structure . a first object is removable from a second object if the first object has been attached to the second object via a non - permanent means of attachment . selectively attached : a quality of a first object being removably attachable to a second object at a plurality of preferably incrementally separated locations along the second object . sturdy : an object having an average young &# 39 ; s modulus ( e ) of about 10 gigapascals ( gpa ), and , preferably , greater than 40 gpa . fig1 depicts a preferred embodiment of a portable anchoring apparatus 100 including a plurality of elongate , preferably l - shaped , base members 102 including a first base member 102 a and a second base member 102 b , each base member 102 including a vertical extension 104 ( including a first vertical extension 104 a and a second vertical extension 104 b ), a primary horizontal base member 105 ( including a first primary horizontal base member 105 a and a second primary horizontal base member 105 b ), and a secondary horizontal base member 106 ( including a first secondary horizontal base member 106 a and a second secondary horizontal base member 106 b ); an anchoring platform 107 removably and selectively attachable to the elongate base members 102 substantially along the length axes of the secondary horizontal base members 106 ; a plurality of elongate support members 108 including a first support member 108 a removably attachable to the first vertical extension 104 a at or near a first end 110 a of the first base member 102 a , and a second support member 108 b removably attachable to the second vertical extension 104 b at or near a first end 112 a of the second base member 102 b ; and a rail apparatus 114 removably attached to the first support member 108 a at or near a first end 116 a of the first support member 108 a , and to the second support member 108 b at or near a first end 118 a of the second support member 108 b . as shown in fig2 and 3 , the horizontal base members 105 and 106 are preferably in the form of wholly or partially hollow beams having a substantially polygonal cross sectional shape ( e . g ., square ). the cross section of the primary horizontal base members 105 are preferably slightly larger than a preferably similarly shaped cross section of the secondary horizontal base members 106 . although polygonal cross - sectional shapes are shown and described here and elsewhere with respect to the horizontal base members and other elements , non - polygonal cross sectional shapes ( e . g ., circles , ovals , or other non - polygonal shapes ) are also contemplated by this disclosure and are preferably used for the cross sections of the vertical extensions 104 . similarly , where curved cross sectional shapes are said to be preferred , non - curved cross sectional shapes ( e . g ., polygons ) are also contemplated by this disclosure in various embodiments . the secondary horizontal base members 106 preferably have a length ( lb ) ranging from about 100 cm to about 150 cm , more preferably from about 115 cm to about 130 cm , and most preferably about 122 cm . for example , the secondary horizontal base members 106 , if in a circular cross sectional configuration , preferably have an average cross - sectional outside diameter ranging from about 2 . 54 cm to about 7 . 62 cm , more preferably from about 4 . 45 cm to about 5 . 72 cm , and most preferably about 5 . 08 cm . if , for example , the secondary horizontal base members 106 have a square cross sectional configuration as shown in fig1 - 3 , the length of one side preferably ranges from about 2 . 54 cm to about 7 . 62 cm , more preferably from about 4 . 5 cm to about 5 . 75 cm , and most preferably about 5 cm . the secondary horizontal base members 106 also preferably include first apertures 120 as shown in fig2 for removable attachment to additional structures . the primary horizontal base members 105 preferably have a length ( lt ) ranging from about 75 cm to about 115 cm , more preferably from about 85 cm to about 100 cm , and most preferably about 92 cm . the primary horizontal base members 105 , if in a circular cross sectional configuration , preferably have an average cross - sectional outside diameter ( or side length in the case of , for example , a square cross sectional configuration ) ranging from about 5 cm to about 10 cm , more preferably from about 5 . 75 cm to about 7 cm , and most preferably about 6 . 35 cm . the support members 108 preferably have a length ranging from about 80 cm to about 140 cm , more preferably from about 95 cm to about 125 cm , and most preferably about 109 cm . the support members 108 , if having a circular cross sectional configuration for example , preferably have an average cross - sectional outside diameter ranging from about 2 . 5 cm to about 7 . 6 cm , more preferably from about 4 . 5 cm to about 5 . 75 cm , and most preferably about 5 cm . if , for example , the support members 108 have a square cross sectional configuration , the length of one side preferably ranges from about 2 . 54 cm to about 7 . 6 cm , more preferably from about 4 . 5 cm to about 5 . 75 cm , and most preferably about 5 cm . with reference to fig1 - 4 , the anchoring platform 107 preferably further includes a mass receiving platform 122 and a plurality of guide members 124 including a first guide member 124 a and a second guide member 124 b . the guide members 124 are preferably shaped so as to be capable of sliding or otherwise being movable along the respective secondary horizontal base members 106 . the guide members 124 also preferably include second apertures 126 for removably attaching the secondary horizontal base members 106 in a substantially fixed position relative to the anchoring platform 107 using a pin or other means of non - permanent attachment through the first apertures 120 and the second apertures 126 . the mass receiving platform 122 preferably is in the form of a channel for receiving a vehicle tire or tires . the mass receiving platform 122 preferably has a length ranging from about 1 . 25 meters ( m ) to about 1 . 85 m , more preferably from about 1 . 45 m to about 1 . 65 m , and most preferably about 1 . 55 m . the mass receiving platform 122 preferably has a width ranging from about 25 cm to about 35 cm , more preferably from about 28 cm to about 32 cm , and most preferably about 30 cm . the mass receiving platform 122 preferably has a material thickness ranging from about 7 . 2 millimeters ( mm ) to about 8 . 0 mm , more preferably from about 7 . 5 mm to about 7 . 7 mm , and most preferably about 7 . 6 mm . in a preferred embodiment , the mass receiving platform 122 further includes side walls 123 to form a channel - like shape , the side walls having an average height preferably ranging from about 3 cm to about 12 cm , more preferably from about 5 cm to about 10 cm , and most preferably about 7 . 5 cm . the guide members 124 preferably have a length ranging from about 40 cm to about 50 cm , more preferably from about 44 cm to about 48 cm , and most preferably about 45 . 7 cm . the guide members 124 , if having a circular cross sectional configuration , preferably have an average cross - sectional outside diameter ( or side length in the case of , for example , a square cross sectional configuration ) ranging from about 5 cm to about 10 cm , more preferably from about 5 . 75 cm to about 7 cm , and most preferably about 6 . 35 cm . the vertical extensions 104 of the base members 102 are preferably oriented for removable attachment to second ends 116 b and 118 b of the support members 108 , respectively . persons having ordinary skill in the art , however , appreciate that any attachment apparatus capable of sufficiently attaching a transition member to a support member will suffice . the rail apparatus 114 preferably further includes a primary rail 132 , a secondary rail 134 , and a plurality of cross rails 136 , at least two of such cross rails 136 being oriented substantially orthogonal to the primary rail 132 and secondary rail 134 . as shown in fig1 and 6 , the support members 108 are preferably in the form of wholly or partially hollow beams having a substantially curved cross sectional shape ( e . g ., circular ) that is slightly smaller ( or , alternatively , larger ) than similarly shaped cross sections of the vertical extensions 104 and the cross bars 136 so that the support members 108 may be slid within ( or , alternatively , along ) and attached to the vertical extensions 104 and the cross bars 136 . more specifically , in the embodiment shown in fig1 , 5 , and 9 , a portion of the cross rails 136 are also used to removably attach the first ends 116 a and 118 a of the support members 108 to the rail apparatus 114 . the cross rails 136 preferably include hollow receiving ends 138 a and 138 b to enable the first ends 116 a and 118 a of the support members 108 to fit and attach in the receiving ends 138 a and 138 b by use of an attachment apparatus ( e . g ., apertures and pins as described above ). the vertical extensions 104 of the base members 102 preferably offer similar hollow receiving ends 110 a and 112 a to enable the second ends 116 b and 118 b of the support members 108 to fit and attach therein by use of an attachment apparatus . in an alternative embodiment , the ends 138 of the cross rails 136 may fit and be attachable within the first ends 116 a and 118 a of the support members 108 . similarly , the ends 110 a and 112 a of the vertical extensions 104 may fit and be attachable within the second ends 116 b and 118 b of the support member 108 . various other attachment apparatuses and configurations are contemplated in this disclosure . with reference back to the embodiment shown in fig1 - 3 and 5 , primary rail 132 , if having a circular cross sectional configuration , preferably has an average cross - sectional outside diameter ( or side length in the case of , for example , a square cross sectional configuration ) ranging from about 5 cm to about 10 cm , more preferably from about 5 . 75 cm to about 7 cm , and most preferably about 6 . 35 cm . the primary rail 132 preferably has a length ranging from about 1 . 90 m to about 2 . 90 m , more preferably from about 2 . 20 m to about 2 . 60 m , and most preferably about 2 . 40 m . the vertical extensions 104 , if having a circular cross sectional configuration , preferably have an average cross - sectional outside diameter ( or side length in the case of , for example , a square cross sectional configuration ) ranging from about 5 cm to about 10 cm , more preferably from about 5 . 75 cm to about 7 cm , and most preferably about 6 . 35 cm . the vertical extensions 104 preferably each have a length ranging from about 25 cm to about 37 cm , more preferably from about 28 cm to about 34 cm , and most preferably about 31 cm . the receiving ends 138 , if having a circular cross sectional configuration , preferably have an average cross - sectional outside diameter ( or side length in the case of , for example , a square cross sectional configuration ) ranging from about 5 cm to about 10 cm , more preferably from about 5 . 75 cm to about 7 cm , and most preferably about 6 . 35 cm . fig6 - 7 show a preferred embodiment of the portable anchoring apparatus 100 including a first extension member 142 a and a second extension member 142 b . the view in fig7 is oriented toward the space between the anchoring mass ( e . g ., a horse trailer , a truck , a car ) and the support members 108 and the rail apparatus 114 . the first extension member 142 a , for example , further includes a first end 144 a and a second end 144 b wherein the first end 144 a is removably attached to a first end 146 a of the rail apparatus 114 ( e . g ., the primary rail 132 ). the first extension member 142 a is further supported by a first side support 148 a that is adjacent the ground , oriented substantially orthogonal to the first extension member 142 a , and removably attached to the first extension member 142 a at or near the second end 144 b of the first extension member 142 a . the first side support 148 a , for example , preferably extends beyond the second end 144 b of the extension member 142 as shown in fig6 , 7 , and 9 . as shown in fig6 - 10 , a side support extension member 150 may be removably attached to a first end 152 of the first side support 148 a , the side support extension member 150 including features allowing a user to hang materials on the side of the anchoring apparatus 100 . such features may include , for example , a bridle holder 153 and / or a solar powered light for use at night . the first side support 148 a itself may include an attachment structure for attaching a specifically designed item such as , for example , a saddle rest 154 . the distal side of the portable anchoring apparatus 100 preferably includes a second extension member 142 b , a second side support 148 b , and a second side support extension member 150 b as shown in fig6 - 7 . as shown in fig6 - 7 , the extension member 142 is preferably in the form of a wholly or partially hollow beam having a substantially curved cross sectional shape ( e . g ., circular ). the extension member 142 preferably has a length ranging from about 2 . 1 m to about 2 . 6 m , more preferably from about 2 . 3 m to about 2 . 4 m , and most preferably about 2 . 35 m . the extension member 142 is preferably attached to the rail apparatus 114 and the side support 148 by locking pin attachment apparatuses as shown , for example , in fig1 - 19 . the extension member 142 , if having a circular cross sectional configuration , preferably has an average cross - sectional outside diameter ( or side length in the case of , for example , a square cross sectional configuration ) ranging from about 2 . 54 cm to about 7 . 62 cm , more preferably from about 4 . 45 cm to about 5 . 72 cm , and most preferably about 5 . 08 cm . the side support 148 is preferably in the form of a wholly or partially hollow beam having a substantially polygonal cross sectional shape ( e . g ., square ) and preferably has a length ranging from about 1 . 45 m to about 1 . 90 m , more preferably from about 1 . 60 m to about 1 . 70 m , and most preferably about 1 . 65 m . the side support 148 , if having a circular cross sectional configuration , preferably has an average cross - sectional outside diameter ( or side length in the case of , for example , a square cross sectional configuration ) ranging from about 2 . 54 cm to about 7 . 62 cm , more preferably from about 4 . 45 cm to about 5 . 72 cm , and most preferably about 5 . 08 cm . as shown in fig6 , 7 , and 9 , the side support extension member 150 is preferably in the form of a wholly or partially hollow beam having a substantially polygonal cross sectional shape ( e . g ., square ) and preferably has a length ranging from about 20 . 5 cm to about 40 . 5 cm , more preferably from about 25 . 5 cm to about 35 . 5 cm , and most preferably about 30 . 5 cm . the side support extension member 150 , if having a circular cross sectional configuration , preferably has an average cross - sectional outside diameter ( or side length in the case of , for example , a square cross sectional configuration ) ranging from about 2 . 0 cm to about 6 . 9 cm , more preferably from about 4 . 0 cm to about 4 . 9 cm , and most preferably about 4 . 45 cm . in an alternative embodiment , the rail apparatus 114 is permanently attached to the support members 108 as , for example , by welding or manufacturing as a single piece . in a related embodiment , there is no secondary rail 134 . in yet another embodiment , the base members 102 may each further include a support member 108 permanently attached thereto as , for example , by welding or manufacturing as a single piece . in another embodiment , the base members 102 are permanently attached to the anchoring platform 107 as , for example , by welding or manufacturing as a single piece . in one particular embodiment , all of the pieces of the apparatus shown in fig1 may be permanently attached together as , for example , by welding or other permanent means of attachment . another preferred embodiment of the disclosure is shown in fig1 and 12 , showing a portable anchoring apparatus 156 including the base members 102 , the anchoring platform 107 , and the transition members 106 . the portable anchoring apparatus 156 further includes at least two modified support members 158 a and 158 b and a support platform 160 . the support platform 160 is preferably removably attached to attachment surfaces 162 a and 162 b along the modified support members 158 by , for example , bolts , screws , or other non - permanent attachment devices . alternatively , the support platform 160 may be permanently attached to the modified support members 158 as , for example , by welding or other permanent means of attachment . fig1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the portable anchoring apparatus 156 wherein the support platform 160 is substantially parallel with the horizontal base members 105 and 106 , thereby providing , for example , a large table surface . other embodiments are contemplated wherein the attachment surfaces 162 of the modified support members 158 are angled away from or , alternatively , toward the anchoring platform 107 so that the support platform 160 , when attached to the attachment surfaces 162 , is angled in the same manner as the attachment surfaces 162 . the upper surface 164 of the support platform 160 preferably has an area ranging from about 1 . 5 m 2 to about 3 . 0 m 2 , more preferably from about 1 . 7 m 2 to about 2 . 8 m 2 , and most preferably about 2 . 23 m 2 . in a related embodiment shown in fig1 - 14 , the portable anchoring apparatus 156 further includes a sign apparatus 166 , the sign apparatus 166 including a display structure 168 attached ( removably or permanently ) to or near a first end 170 a of a first post member 172 a and a first end 174 a of a second post member 172 b . fig1 shows how the post members 172 may be attached to the display structure 168 using , for example , u - bolts . a second end 170 b of the first post member is configured for removable attachment to a first end 176 a of the first modified support member 158 a . similarly , a second end 174 b of the second post member 172 b is configured for removable attachment to a first end 178 a of the second modified support member 158 b . in this way , the portable anchoring apparatus provides , for example , both a large table surface as well as a large sign surface 180 . the sign surface 180 preferably ranges from about 2 . 4 m 2 to about 3 . 6 m 2 , more preferably from about 2 . 7 m 2 to about 3 . 3 m 2 , and most preferably about 3 . 0 m 2 . the post members 172 are preferably in the form of wholly or partially hollow beams having a substantially polygonal cross sectional shape ( e . g ., square ). in an alternative embodiment shown in fig1 , instead of using the modified support members 158 , the support members 108 in the prior embodiments may be used so as to provide a large area to provide signage without a support platform 160 . the length of the post members 172 preferably ranges from about 1 . 0 m to about 2 . 5 m , more preferably from about 1 . 78 m to about 1 . 88 m , and most preferably about 1 . 83 m . the post members 172 , if having a circular cross sectional configuration , preferably have an average cross - sectional outside diameter ( or side length in the case of , for example , a square cross sectional configuration ) ranging from about 2 . 0 cm to about 6 . 9 cm , more preferably from about 4 . 0 cm to about 4 . 9 cm , and most preferably about 4 . 45 cm . the various embodiments of the portable anchoring apparatuses described above are preferably made from a sturdy material such as , for example , aluminum , steel , titanium , and mixtures thereof . the most preferred material is aluminum or an aluminum alloy . the portable anchoring apparatuses may also be made from a sturdy composite material , a sturdy solidified polymer , wood , or other sturdy non - brittle material . the thickness of the various elements described above ( excluding attachment apparatuses and other basic materials of construction known to a person having ordinary skill in the art ) preferably ranges from about 2 . 5 mm to about 4 . 0 mm , more preferably from about 3 . 0 mm to about 3 . 4 mm , and most preferably about 3 . 2 mm . various parts of the embodiments described above may be removably attached together using various attachment apparatuses known to persons having ordinary skill in the art . other examples include a modified support member 108 ′ removably attached to a modified post member 172 ′ by a twist - lock male / female configuration . fig1 shows a removable attachment apparatus — a pin 180 — wherein one narrower portion 182 of a first object 184 slides into a wider portion 186 of a receiving object 188 , and the two objects are pinned together by inserting the pin 180 through a plurality of apertures 190 . in a preferred embodiment , the pin 180 may be further stabilized by inserting , for example , a locking clip 192 through a pin aperture 194 . fig1 and 19 show yet another attachment apparatus including a locking pin 196 wherein such locking pin 196 may be inserted , preferably along grooves such as found on a screw , through an aperture 198 along a first object , wherein the aperture 198 is also preferably grooved to engage the locking pin 196 . a first end 200 of the locking pin 196 is further engageable with a second object locatable within the first object ( e . g ., a secondary horizontal base member 106 and a guide member 124 as shown in fig4 ). there are a variety of uses for the embodiments described herein , one of which is use as a portable horse hitching apparatus as shown in fig1 - 10 . the embodiments shown in fig1 - 10 may also be used to tie up one or more animals other than horses . alternatively , the embodiment shown in fig1 - 14 may be used as a portable table or other similar support structure that may be used , for example , as a display and / or selling booth , kiosk , and / or stand at a market or other event requiring a booth - like structure . the use as a booth - like structure may be enhanced by the addition of the sign apparatus 166 for attracting potential customers , visitors , or other on - lookers . fig1 shows yet another use as a large sign ( without a booth - like structure ) which may be assembled quickly to attract , warn , or otherwise provide information or expression of a concept to an on - looker . the previously described embodiments of the present disclosure have many advantages . for example , the portable anchoring apparatus 100 and variations thereof shown in fig1 - 10 is structured so as to keep hitched animals a certain minimal distance away from the anchoring object ( e . g ., a trailer or other expensive vehicle ). additionally , the use of one or more extension members 142 prevents an animal ( e . g ., a horse ) from getting close enough to the anchoring object to paw , chew , kick , gore , and / or rub such anchoring object . in so doing , both the anchoring object is protected from damage caused by the hitched animal and the animal is protected from sharp objects or other hazards that may be present on the anchoring object . unlike many prior disclosed devices , the various parts of the embodiments shown in fig1 - 10 are not directly or otherwise permanently attached to an anchoring object . rather , the anchoring object provides substantial mass only on the mass receiving platform 122 to prevent the portable anchoring apparatus from moving , but will not cause direct damage to the anchoring object if , for example , a horse pulls suddenly and / or violently away from the portable anchoring apparatus , causing the apparatus to break or otherwise fail . the embodiments shown in fig1 - 15 are advantageous because a sturdy and robust support platform may be transported to / from remote locations and used effectively in many different ways , such as , for example , a table . the spacing between an anchoring object and the support platform is ideal for a person to stand or sit as in a booth , kiosk , stand or other similar booth - like structure . large signage may also be employed and supported on the booth - like structure ( i . e ., the sign apparatus 166 ), attracting attention to the location where the particular apparatus is assembled and deployed . the signage may be used with or without the use of a support platform . therefore , the majority of parts of various embodiments are usable in various configurations , resulting in significant flexibility for a user who may have a need to use a remote hitching rail at a first event , a remote booth at a second event , and a large sign with no booth at a third event or location . the portable nature of the various embodiments is particularly useful in hard terrain and / or the winter months in northern zones ( or southern zones as the case may be below the equator ) where the ground is too hard to anchor a large sign or other structure by digging into the ground . another significant advantage of all of the various embodiments described herein is the general portable nature of the embodiments . each embodiment may be quickly and easily assembled and / or disassembled with few tools , if any , depending on the particular embodiment used . in summary the embodiments described herein provide a convenient , robust , relatively lightweight , rapid assemble / disassemble structure for performing activities in remote locations including hitching strong animals at a desired distance from an anchoring object , providing a booth - like site with or without relatively large signage , and providing relatively large signage for attracting the attention of on - lookers . the foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . the described preferred embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the disclosure to the precise form ( s ) disclosed . obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings . the embodiments are chosen and described in an effort to provide the best illustrations of the principles of the disclosure and its practical application , and to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the concepts revealed in the disclosure in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . all such modifications and variations are within the scope of the disclosure as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly , legally , and equitably entitled . any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “ means for ” performing a specified function , or “ step for ” performing a specific function , is not to be interpreted as a “ means ” or “ step ” clause as specified in 35 u . s . c . § 112 , ¶ 6 . in particular , the use of “ step of ” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 u . s . c . § 112 , ¶ 6 . | 0 |
referring to fig1 through 8 , a power tool driver 1 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention includes a housing for accommodating a driving mechanism 10 and a tool magazine 20 , and a chuck 30 connected thereto and disposed outside the housing . the driving mechanism 10 serves to operably power the power tool driver 1 . in this embodiment , the driving mechanism 10 includes a motor 1 and a shaft 111 extended therefrom to connect to a gear 12 . the motor 11 may be an electric motor . alternatively , the motor 11 may be a pneumatic motor . the driving mechanism 10 may further include a lubricated support 112 for facilitating movement of the shaft 111 . the tool magazine 20 is disposed adjacent to a side of the driving mechanism 10 and includes a tube 21 being supported by lubricated supports 211 and 212 and coupled to a gear reduction mechanism . in this embodiment , the gear reduction configuration includes a gear 24 disposed on the outer periphery thereof circumferentially , and with the gear 24 being passively driven by the gear 12 . however , the gear reduction mechanism is not limited to such a configuration . the tool magazine 20 further includes a preferably disc - shaped cap 22 having a first hole 221 disposed in the center thereof and a second hole 222 eccentrically disposed . the tool magazine 20 further has a cartridge 23 having a first protrusion 231 centrally disposed and pivotally received in the hole 221 of the cap 22 and a second protrusion 232 centrally disposed and pivotally fitted in the housing . in this embodiment , the second protrusion 232 has a diameter larger than that of the first protrusion 231 so that the second protrusion 232 will not be mistakenly disposed in the hole 221 . the cartridge 23 further includes a plurality of slots 233 that are eccentrically disposed and that partially receive a plurality of tools 25 , respectively . specifically , the shank of the tool 25 is received in the slot 233 and the head of the tool 25 is disposed outward of the slot 233 and the head can be viewable through a void 234 and since the cartridge 23 is not completely disposed in the housing the void 234 can allow the head of the tool to be viewable outside the housing . figures also show that the cartridge 23 includes a plurality of indentations 235 corresponds to the plurality of slots 233 with respect to quantity as well as position and a detent 26 that can selectively dispose in one of the plurality of slots 233 . in this embodiment , the detent 26 is comprised of a steel ball 261 and a spring 262 . however , the detent 26 is not limited to such a configuration . when the detents 26 are received in one of the indentations 235 , the corresponding slot 233 is in communication with the second hole 222 of the cap 22 and the inside of the tube 21 . the chuck 30 includes a body 36 connected to and moved by the tube 21 . the body 36 has passageways that can accommodate jaws 35 . each jaw 35 is equally separated . the axes of the passageway and the jaws 35 are angled with respect to the chuck axis and can intersect the chuck axis at a common point ahead of the body 36 . each jaw 35 has a tool engaging portion ( not numbered ), which is substantially parallel to the axis of the body , and threads on its opposite or outer surface . further , the engaging portion of each jaw 35 may include a magnet 351 that can cooperate with a magnet 251 included in the tool 25 and that provides the jaw 35 enhanced grips on the tool 25 . the chuck 30 further includes a nut 33 in the shape of a ring and the nut 33 includes threads for mating with threads on the jaws 35 . therefore , as the body 36 is rotated by the tube 21 , the jaws 35 will be caused to advance or retract with respect to the body 36 . the chuck 30 further includes a bearing 34 in the shape of a ring , a sleeve 32 and an outer shell 31 to house the sleeve 32 , the nut 33 , the bearing 34 , jaws 35 and the body 36 . in addition , a forward seal cap 37 and a rearward seal cap 38 are provided at the forward end and the rearward end of the outer shell 31 . in use of the power tool driver 1 , the power tool driver 1 is tilted downward ( as shown in fig4 , 7 and 8 ) to allow the selected tool 25 to move out of the associated slot 233 , pass the second hole 222 , and through the tube 21 automatically and be held by the engaging portions of the jaws 35 magnetically . the jaws 35 would then be gradually advanced ( as shown in fig4 and 5 ) to securely clamp the tool 25 between the jaws 35 . the advance of the jaws 35 are advanced by pressing a trigger 2 of the power tool driver 1 . when finish using the tool 25 , the jaws 35 could then be gradually retracted to allow the tool 25 to be released from the jaws 35 . then , the tool 25 could be pushed into the tube 21 and by tilting the power tool driver 1 upward , the tool 25 can be automatically moved into its originally allocated slot 233 . when using another tool 25 , the cartridge 23 is rotated , and the above procedure is repeated . further , although not shown but it should be appreciated that one of ordinary skill would understand that the power tool driver 1 of the present invention is adapted to receive the tool 25 externally . fig9 through 13 show a power tool driver 1 in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment is similar to the prior embodiment except that it includes a clutch mechanism 40 that is adapted to selectively engage with the chuck 30 such that the chuck 30 can be prevented from rotation when the clutch mechanism 40 is engaged with the chuck 30 . the clutch mechanism 40 includes a magnet winding 41 , a switch 42 electrically connected between the magnet winding 41 and the motor 11 , a piston 43 axially movable by the magnet winding 41 and a current sensor 44 electrically connected to the motor 11 . further , the embodiment includes a rearward seal cap 38 ′ that has a plurality of recesses . preferably , the plurality of recesses are equally spaced and the axes of the recesses are parallel with rearward seal cap axis . switch 42 could not only be used to control the magnet winding 41 but to actuate the motor 11 and to cause the motor 11 to change direction of rotation . piston 43 includes a plurality of protrusions that can engage with the recesses of the rearward seal cap 38 ′, respectively , when the clutch mechanism 40 is engaged with the chuck 30 . alternatively , the piston 43 may includes a plurality of recesses while the rearward seal cap 38 ′ may include a plurality of protrusions . current sensor 44 could cause the cutoff of the current if the sensor 44 detects an instant build up of the current , which is likely to occur when the tool 25 is securely clamped between the jaws 35 and an instant decrease of the current , which is likely to occur when the tool 25 is released from the jaws 35 . while the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described , numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of invention and the scope of invention is only limited by the scope of accompanying claims . | 8 |
an image display system , which displays images in a three dimensional scene to a user , uses subtle camera motions that change the perspective of a user in the scene to indicate the curvature or type of the image being displayed , such whether the image is a panorama , a spherical scene , or a flat photograph , to enable a user to easily determine the navigation options available for the image . the image display system that uses subtle camera motions , such as panning , rotating , zooming , or flipping the image using the image display system , intuitively indicates to the user that an image contains or lacks curvature by slightly changing the perspective of the user without obscuring the image with a label or requiring the user to read a written label . the subtle camera motions also provide the benefit of demonstrating the navigational options available to the user without obscuring the image with icons or requiring the user to read cumbersome navigation instructions . thus , the image display system that uses subtle camera motions to indicate image type provides the distinct advantage of indicating curvature in an image and instructing the user of the available navigation options without requiring the user to observe anything other than the image itself and the subtle camera motions thereof . turning to fig1 , an image display system 100 , which uses subtle camera motions to enable a user to easily determine the navigational options available for the image , includes an image rendering unit 110 that generally stores and displays images on a display 120 , and that accepts user inputs from a keyboard 130 and pointing device 140 . the image rendering unit 110 stores images of differing curvatures in a database 150 that a processor 160 retrieves and renders on the display 120 by executing instructions stored in a memory 170 . generally speaking , the processor 160 determines the curvature of the image retrieved from the database 150 and renders subtle camera motions on the display 120 to both indicate the curvature of the image and instruct the user of the system 100 how to navigate the image . the user of the system 100 , having observed the subtle camera motions on the display 120 , and aware of the curvature of the image and available navigational options , may navigate the image more effectively using the keyboard 130 and pointing device 140 . in another embodiment , for example , the system 200 illustrated in fig2 , the database containing the imagery of differing types resides within a back - end server 202 , instead of a singular image rendering unit 110 in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 . in the system 200 of fig4 , front - end client 204 , connected to the back - end server 202 through a network 206 , renders subtle camera motions similar to the image rendering unit 110 , to enable a user to easily determine the navigational options available for a particular image retrieved from the back - end server 202 . generally , fig2 illustrates the system 200 as a system that renders two - dimensional and three - dimensional images on a display for a user and that indicates the image type and available navigational options with subtle camera motions . the system 200 generally includes a back - end server 202 and a front - end client 204 interconnected by a communication network 206 . the front - end client 204 includes executable instructions 208 contained in a memory 210 , a processor 212 , a display 214 , a keyboard 218 , a pointing device 220 , and a client network interface 222 communicatively coupled together with a front - end client bus 224 . the client network interface 222 communicatively couples the front - end client 204 to the network 206 . the back - end server 202 includes instructions 222 contained in a memory 224 , a processor 226 , a database containing scenes 230 , a database containing two - dimensional and three - dimensional photographs 232 , and a back - end network interface 140 communicatively coupled together with a back - end server bus 242 . generally , the front - end client 204 , executing instructions 208 in the processor 212 , renders photographs retrieved from the photograph database 232 onto a three dimensional scene retrieved from the scenes database 230 and renders the photographs and the scene together on the display 214 . the user generally interacts with the front - end client 204 by using the pointing device 220 and the keyboard 218 to select two - dimensional and three - dimensional photographs in a three - dimensional scene rendered on a display 214 . selecting a two - dimensional or three dimensional photograph from a three - dimensional scene causes the processor 212 to send a request to the back - end server 202 to execute instructions 222 to retrieve the selected photograph from to the back - end server 202 and to transmit the selected photograph back to the front - end client 204 . the front - end client 204 , executing instructions 208 , indicates the type of imagery retrieved , for example , whether the image is two - dimensional or three - dimensional , by automatically rendering subtle camera motions on the display 214 , thereby instructing the user how to navigate the image more effectively . the display 206 in the front - end client 205 may render an application window 300 as illustrated in fig3 . the user navigates a three dimensional scene rendered in the mapping application window 300 containing , for example , a ground - level streetscape depicting the eiffel tower in paris , france using the keyboard 215 and pointing device 220 . the mapping application window 300 includes a search box 305 to enter a destination , a cursor 306 controlled by the pointing device 220 that the user uses to navigate and select items within the application window 300 , and a viewport 310 . the three - dimensional scene depicted within the viewport 310 may contain a two - dimensional flat photograph 320 rendered into the three - dimensional scene within the viewport 310 with outlining indicating the boundaries of the two - dimensional flat photograph 320 . the outlining of the two - dimensional flat photograph 320 becomes more distinctive when the cursor 306 hovers over the two - dimensional flat photograph 320 . the distinctive highlighting of the two - dimensional flat photograph 320 indicates that the two - dimensional photograph 320 may expand with options to navigate the two - dimensional photograph 320 independent of the three - dimensional scene within the viewport 210 . the user may select the two - dimensional flat photograph 320 for example with a click of the pointing device 220 in order to navigate the two - dimensional flat photograph 320 independent of the three - dimensional scene . in a similar manner , the three dimensional scene within the viewport 310 contains a three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 that is rendered onto part of the three - dimensional scene with outlining indicating the boundaries of the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 . again , the outlining of the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 may become more distinctive when the cursor 306 hovers over the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 . the distinctive highlighting of the three dimensional cylindrical photograph 230 indicates that the three dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 may expand with options to navigate the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 independent of the three dimensional scene . the user may select the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 for example with a click of the pointing device 220 in order to navigate the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 independent of the three - dimensional scene . likewise , the three - dimensional scene within the viewport 310 may contain a three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 that is rendered onto part of the three - dimensional scene with outlining indicating the boundaries of the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 . again , the outlining of the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 may become more distinctive when the cursor 306 hovers over the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 . the distinctive highlighting of the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 indicates that the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 may expand with options to navigate the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 independent of the three dimensional scene . the user may select the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 for example with a click of the pointing device 220 in order to navigate the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 independent of the three - dimensional scene . a user may interact with the application window 300 rendered in the display 214 using the method 400 illustrated in fig4 . the flowchart illustrated in fig4 illustrates a method 400 that uses the system 200 to render mixed two - dimensional and three - dimensional photographs in a three - dimensional scene and allow the user to select an individual photograph for rendering and navigation independent from the three - dimensional scene . the user , following the process 400 , selects among the two - dimensional flat photograph 320 , the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 , or the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 illustrated in fig3 . more particularly , the method 400 begins at step 410 by executing instructions 208 in the processor 212 to send a request from the front - end client 204 to the back - end server 202 via the network 206 for retrieval of a three dimensional scene in the scenes database 230 . the system 200 specifies a particular three - dimensional scene to retrieve from the scenes database 230 for example using the search box 305 in fig3 . the back - end server 202 , executing instructions 222 , retrieves the indicated three - dimensional scene from the scenes database 230 and transmits the three - dimensional scene back to the front - end client 204 via the network 206 . the front - end client 204 , executing instructions 208 in the processor 212 , stores the three - dimensional scene in the memory 210 , and renders the three - dimensional scene in the display 214 . the method 400 continues with step 420 that retrieves the two - dimensional and three - dimensional photographs that may exist within the boundaries of the viewport 310 of the three - dimensional scene from the back - end server 202 and renders the two - dimensional and three - dimensional photographs on the display 214 together with the three - dimensional scene . the processor 212 , executing instructions 208 , transmits identifying information about the currently displayed three - dimensional scene to the back - end server 202 via the network 206 . the back - end server 202 , executing instructions 222 in the processor 226 , retrieves the two - dimensional and three - dimensional photographs within the three - dimensional scene from the photographs database 232 and transmits the photographs back to the front - end client 204 via the network 206 . the front - end client 204 , executing instructions 208 in the processor 212 , stores the photographs in the memory 210 and renders the photographs into the three - dimensional scene on the display 214 . in one case , the rendered photographs 320 , 330 , and 340 appear as continuous illustrations of the three - dimensional scene in the viewport 310 . the method 400 continues to step 430 where a user interacting with the system 200 using the pointing device 220 and the keyboard 218 selects a particular photograph in the three - dimensional scene rendered on the display 214 . the user selects a particular two - dimensional or three - dimensional photograph in the three - dimensional scene for example with the click of the pointing device 220 within the outlined boundaries of a photograph . selecting a particular photograph causes the processor 212 to execute instructions 208 that determine if the selected photograph stored in the memory 210 contains or lacks curvature , and is two - dimensional , three - dimensional cylindrical , or three - dimensional spherical . if the processor 212 , executing instructions 208 determines at step 430 that the pointing device 220 was within the boundaries of a two - dimensional photograph , for example the two - dimensional photograph 320 in fig3 , then the processor executes the instructions 208 in the processor 212 at a step 440 . at the step 440 the processor 212 executes the instructions 208 to begin the process 670 , illustrated in fig6 , that displays the two - dimensional photograph 320 independent of the three - dimensional scene and subtly indicates with an automatic camera motion that the two - dimensional photograph 220 lacks curvature and is in fact two - dimensional and can be navigated in a two - dimensional manner . turning to fig5 , the user navigates the selected two - dimensional flat photograph 320 using an application window 501 rendered on the display 214 . the application window 501 contains similar features as the application window 300 in fig3 , for example a search box 505 , and a viewport 510 . however , the user may navigate the two - dimensional flat photograph 320 using the application window 501 independent from the three - dimensional scene in the viewport 310 in fig3 . the user may navigate the flat two - dimensional photograph 320 in the vertical direction 520 or horizontal direction 530 from the perspective of a user represented by a virtual camera 540 . the viewport 510 may include a portion of the two - dimensional flat photograph 320 as illustrated , or include the entire two - dimensional flat photograph 320 . the viewport 510 may be restricted from navigating outside of the boundaries of the flat photograph 320 . in order to indicate to the user the available vertical 520 and horizontal 530 navigation capabilities , and to illustrate the that the two - dimensional flat photograph 320 lacks curvature , the viewport 510 moves along the vertical 520 and horizontal 530 directions of the two - dimensional photograph 320 automatically prior to allowing the user to navigate of the two - dimensional flat photograph 320 within the viewport 510 . the automatic movement of the viewport 510 may include a circular or strictly up and down motion and continues for a short duration prior to ceasing . the automatic movement of the viewport 510 in the vertical 520 and horizontal 530 directions along the two - dimensional flat photograph 320 illustrates a two - dimensional perspective for the virtual camera 540 and indicates the available navigation options for the user . thus , when the automatic movement of the viewport 510 ceases , the user is aware of the available navigation options and that the two - dimensional photograph 320 lacks curvature prior to any user directed navigation . a method 670 illustrated in fig6 , continuing from step 440 in fig4 , generally illustrates how the system 200 renders a subtle camera motion to indicate the lack of curvature of a two - dimensional flat photograph and demonstrate the available navigation options . the processor 212 , executing instructions 208 at a step 672 renders part or all of the two - dimensional photograph 320 in a viewport of an application window , similar to the viewport 510 of the application window 501 illustrated in fig5 . the system 200 indicates that the photograph is in fact two - dimensional , lacks curvature , and may demonstrate the available vertical range of motion of the viewport within the photograph to the user by executing instructions 208 in the processor 212 at step 674 to render the viewport 510 in the application window 501 on the display 214 moving vertically up the two - dimensional photograph 320 a short distance . the processor 212 continues to render the viewport 510 within the application window 501 moving vertically down the two - dimensional photograph 320 a short distance , returning to the original rendered position on the photograph 320 . likewise to further indicate to the user that the photograph is in fact two - dimensional , lacks curvature , and to possibly demonstrate the available horizontal range of motion of the viewport within the photograph , the processor 212 executing instructions 208 at step 676 renders the viewport 510 in the application window 501 on the display 214 moving horizontally left along the two - dimensional photograph 320 a short distance . the processor 212 continues to render the viewport 510 within the application window 501 moving horizontally right along the two - dimensional photograph 320 a short distance , returning to the original rendered position on the photograph 320 . the vertical and horizontal motion of the viewport within the two - dimensional photograph 320 subtly indicates to the user that the photograph is in fact two dimensional , lacks curvature , and demonstrates the available navigation options without obscuring the photograph with indicators or printed instructions . while the steps 674 and 676 recite embodiments including vertical and horizontal subtle motions of the viewport 510 along the photograph 320 to indicate image type , additional movements such as spiral , circular , or diagonal movements may be used to provide additional subtle indications of the two - dimensional nature of the photograph and demonstrate the available navigation options . continuing to step 678 , the processor 212 , executing instructions 208 holds the photograph 320 stationary and awaits user manipulation of the photograph 320 with the pointing device 220 or keyboard 218 within the viewport 520 in the two - dimensional horizontal and vertical direction , as demonstrated with the automatic subtle vertical and horizontal motions in steps 674 and 676 . returning to the method 400 illustrated in fig4 , if the processor 212 , executing instructions 208 determines at the step 430 that the pointing device 220 was within the boundaries of a three - dimensional cylindrical photograph , for example , the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 in fig3 , then the processor executes instructions 208 in the processor 212 at step 450 . at the step 450 the processor 212 executes instructions 208 to begin a process 880 , illustrated in fig8 , that displays the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 independent from the three - dimensional scene and subtly indicates with an automatic camera motion that the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 is in fact three - dimensional , contains curvature in one axis , and can be navigated in a three - dimensional cylindrical manner . turning to fig7 , the user navigates the selected three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 in an application window 701 rendered on the display 214 . the application window 701 contains similar features as the application window 300 in fig3 and the application window 501 in fig5 . for example , the application window 701 contains a search box 705 and a viewport 710 . however , the user navigates the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 230 independent from the three - dimensional scene in the viewport 210 in fig2 . the user navigates the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 by rotating horizontally along a vertical axis 720 of the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 and panning the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 vertically along the vertical axis 720 from the perspective of a user represented by a virtual camera 730 . the viewport 710 may include a portion of the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 as illustrated , or include the entire three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 . the viewport 710 may be restricted from navigating outside the boundaries of the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 . in order to indicate the available horizontal rotation and vertical panning navigation capabilities of the viewport 710 along the horizontal axis 720 of the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 and to illustrate the three - dimensional nature of the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 , the viewport 710 automatically moves prior to allowing navigation . the automatic movement of the viewport 710 may include a circular or strictly vertical and horizontal movement and the movement may continue for a short duration prior to ceasing . the automatic movement of the viewport 710 in the vertical and horizontal directions along the vertical axis 720 of the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 illustrates a three - dimensional perspective for the virtual camera 730 , demonstrates the curvature in one axis of the photograph 330 , and indicates the available navigational options for the user . when the automatic movement of the viewport 710 ceases , the available navigational options for the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 are apparent to the user prior to any user directed navigation . thus , when a user begins navigation of the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 after the automatic movement of the viewport 710 ceases , the user understands the available navigations options of the three - dimensional photograph 330 . turning to the method 880 illustrated in fig8 , continuing from step 450 in fig4 , the processor 212 , executing instructions 208 at step 882 renders the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 independent of the three - dimensional scene on the display 214 . the processor 212 , executing instructions 208 at step 882 may render part or all of the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 in a viewport of an application window , similar to the viewport 710 of the application window 701 illustrated in fig7 . in order to indicate to the user that the photograph is three - dimensional cylindrical containing curvature in one axis but lacking curvature in another axis , and to demonstrate the available vertical range of motion of the viewport within the photograph , the processor 212 executing instructions 208 at step 884 renders the viewport 710 in the application window 701 on the display 214 panning vertically up the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 a short distance . the processor 212 continues to render the viewport 710 within the application window 701 panning vertically down the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 a short distance , returning to the original rendered position on the photograph 330 . likewise , to further indicate to the user that the photograph is three - dimensional cylindrical , lacking curvature in one axis but containing curvature in another axis , and to demonstrate the available horizontal rotation of the viewport within the photograph , the processor 212 executing instructions 208 at step 886 renders the viewport 710 in the application window 701 on the display 214 rotating horizontally left along the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 a short distance . the processor 212 continues to render the viewport 710 within the application window 701 rotating horizontally right along the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 330 a short distance , returning to the original rendered position on the photograph 330 . the vertical panning and horizontal rotation of the viewport within the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph subtly indicates to the user that the photograph is in fact three - dimensional cylindrical containing curvature in one axis and lacking curvature in another axis , and demonstrates the navigation options without obscuring the photograph with indicators or printed instructions . while steps 884 and 886 recite embodiments comprising vertical and horizontal subtle motion of the viewport 710 along the photograph 330 , additional movements such as spiral , circular , or diagonal movements may provide additional subtle indications of the three - dimensional cylindrical nature of the photograph and the curvature of the axes of the photograph , and the navigation options available to the user along each axis . continuing to a step 888 , the processor 212 , executing instructions 208 holds the photograph 330 stationary and awaits user manipulation of the photograph 330 with the pointing device 220 or keyboard 218 within the viewport 710 in the two - dimensional horizontal and vertical direction , as demonstrated with the automatic subtle vertical and horizontal motion in steps 884 and 886 . returning again to method 400 illustrated in fig4 , if the processor 212 , executing instructions 208 determines at the step 430 that the pointing device 220 was within the boundaries of a three - dimensional spherical photograph , for example the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 in fig3 , then the processor 212 may execute instructions 208 in the processor 212 at step 460 . at step 460 the processor 212 may execute instructions 208 to begin the process 1090 , illustrated in fig1 , that displays the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 independent from the three - dimensional scene and subtly indicates with an automatic camera motion that the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 is in fact three - dimensional and contains curvature in more than one axis , and can be navigated in a three - dimensional spherical manner . turning to fig9 , the user navigates the selected three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 using an application window 901 rendered on the display 214 . the application window 901 may contain similar features as the application window 300 in fig3 , the application window 501 in fig5 , and the application window 701 in fig7 . for example , the application window 901 contains a search box 905 and a viewport 910 . however , the user navigates the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 independent from the three - dimensional scene in the viewport 310 in fig3 . the user navigates the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 by vertically and horizontally rotating the viewport 910 from the perspective of a virtual camera 920 representing a user at the center 930 of a virtual sphere . the viewport 910 may include a portion of the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 as illustrated , or include the entire three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 . the viewport 910 may be restricted from navigating outside the boundaries of the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 . in order to indicate to the user the available horizontal and vertical rotation navigation capabilities of the viewport 910 from the perspective of the virtual camera 920 and illustrate the three - dimensional nature of the spherical photograph 340 containing curvature in more than one axis , the viewport 910 automatically moves prior to allowing navigation . the automatic movement of the viewport 910 includes a circular or strictly vertical and horizontal movement and may continue for a short duration prior to ceasing . the automatic movement of the viewport 910 in the vertical and horizontal directions from the center 930 of a virtual sphere illustrates a three - dimensional perspective for the virtual camera 920 and indicates the available navigation options for the user . when the automatic movement of the viewport 910 ceases , the available navigation options are apparent prior to any user directed navigation . thus , when a user begins navigation of the viewport 910 , the user understands the available navigation options of the three - dimensional photograph 340 under navigation . turning to the method 1090 illustrated in fig1 , continuing from step 460 in fig4 , the processor 212 , executing instructions 208 at a step 892 renders the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 independent of the three - dimensional scene rendered on the display 214 . the processor 212 , executing instructions 208 at a step 1092 may render part or all of the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 in a viewport of an application window , similar to the viewport 910 of the application window 901 illustrated in fig9 . to indicate to the user that the photograph is three - dimensional spherical containing curvature in more than one axis , and to demonstrate the available vertical range of motion of the viewport within the photograph , the processor 212 executing instructions 208 at a step 1094 renders the viewport 910 in the application window 901 on the display 214 rotating vertically up the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 a short distance . the processor 212 continues to render the viewport 910 within the application window 901 rotating vertically down the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 a short distance , returning to the original rendered position on the photograph 340 . likewise , to further indicate to the user that the photograph is three - dimensional spherical containing curvature in more than one axis , and to demonstrate the available horizontal rotation of the viewport within the photograph , the processor 212 executing instructions 208 at step 1096 renders the viewport 910 in the application window 901 on the display 214 rotating horizontally left along the three - dimensional spherical photograph 340 a short distance . the processor 212 continues to render the viewport 910 within the application window 901 rotating horizontally right along the three - dimensional cylindrical photograph 340 a short distance , returning to the original rendered position on the photograph 340 . the vertical and horizontal rotation of the viewport within the three - dimensional spherical photograph subtly indicates to the user that the photograph is in fact three - dimensional spherical containing curvature in more than one axis , and demonstrate the available navigation options without obscuring the photograph with indicators or printed instructions . while steps 1094 and 1096 recite embodiments including vertical and horizontal subtle motions of the viewport 910 along the photograph 340 , additional movements such as spiral , circular , or diagonal movements may provide subtle indications of the three - dimensional spherical nature of the photograph containing curvature in more than one axis , and the available navigation options in each axis . continuing to step 1098 , the processor 212 , executing instructions 208 holds the photograph 340 stationary and awaits user manipulation of the photograph 330 with the pointing device 220 or keyboard 218 within the viewport 910 in the three - dimensional horizontal and vertical directions , as demonstrated with the automatic subtle vertical and horizontal motion in steps 1094 and 1096 . fig1 illustrates a generic computing system 1101 that the system 200 may use to implement the front - end client 204 in fig2 , and / or the back - end server 202 . the generic computing system 1101 comprises a processor 1105 for executing instructions that may be stored in volatile memory 1110 . the memory and graphics controller hub 1120 connects the volatile memory 1110 , processor 1105 , and graphics controller 1115 together . the graphics controller 1115 may interface with a display 1125 to provide output to a user . a clock generator 1130 drives the 1105 processor and memory and graphics controller hub 1120 that may provide synchronized control of the system 1101 . the i / o controller hub 1135 connects to the memory and graphics controller hub 1120 to comprise an overall system bus 1137 . the hub 1135 may connect the lower speed devices , such as the network controller 1140 , non - volatile memory 1145 , and serial and parallel interfaces 1150 , to the overall system 1101 . the serial and parallel interfaces may 1150 include a keyboard 1155 and pointing device 1160 for interfacing with a user . fig1 - 11 illustrate a system and method for indicating imagery type with subtle camera motions . the system comprises a front - end client that receives user interactions and displays three - dimensional scenes and two - dimensional and three - dimensional photographs . the back - end server retrieves three - dimensional scenes and two and three - dimensional photographs from databases . the method provides an automatic subtle camera movement based on imagery type to indicate whether a photograph is two or three dimensional and provides exemplary available movements of a viewport along the two and three - dimensional photographs . additionally , certain embodiments are described herein as including logic or a number of components , modules , or mechanisms . modules may constitute either software modules ( e . g ., code or instructions embodied on a machine - readable medium or in a transmission signal , wherein a processor executes the code ) or hardware modules . a hardware module is tangible unit capable of performing certain operations and may be configured or arranged in a certain manner . in example embodiments , software ( e . g ., an application or application portion ) may configure one or more computer systems ( e . g ., a standalone , client or server computer system ) or one or more hardware modules of a computer system ( e . g ., a processor or a group of processors ) as a hardware module that operates to perform certain operations as described herein . in various embodiments , a hardware module may be implemented mechanically or electronically . for example , a hardware module may comprise dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured ( e . g ., as a special - purpose processor , such as a field programmable gate array ( fpga ) or an application - specific integrated circuit ( asic )) to perform certain operations . a hardware module may also comprise programmable logic or circuitry ( e . g ., as encompassed within a general - purpose processor or other programmable processor ) that is temporarily configured by software to perform certain operations . it will be appreciated that the decision to implement a hardware module mechanically , in dedicated and permanently configured circuitry , or in temporarily configured circuitry ( e . g ., configured by software ) may be driven by cost and time considerations . accordingly , the term “ hardware module ” should be understood to encompass a tangible entity , be that an entity that is physically constructed , permanently configured ( e . g ., hardwired ), or temporarily configured ( e . g ., programmed ) to operate in a certain manner or to perform certain operations described herein . as used herein , “ hardware - implemented module ” refers to a hardware module . considering embodiments in which hardware modules are temporarily configured ( e . g ., programmed ), each of the hardware modules need not be configured or instantiated at any one instance in time . for example , where the hardware modules comprise a general - purpose processor configured using software , the general - purpose processor may be configured as respective different hardware modules at different times . software may accordingly configure a processor , for example , to constitute a particular hardware module at one instance of time and to constitute a different hardware module at a different instance of time . hardware modules can provide information to , and receive information from , other hardware modules . accordingly , the described hardware modules may be regarded as being communicatively coupled . where multiple of such hardware modules exist contemporaneously , communications may be achieved through signal transmission ( e . g ., over appropriate circuits and buses ) that connect the hardware modules . in embodiments in which multiple hardware modules are configured or instantiated at different times , communications between such hardware modules may be achieved , for example , through the storage and retrieval of information in memory structures to which the multiple hardware modules have access . for example , one hardware module may perform an operation and store the output of that operation in a memory device to which it is communicatively coupled . a further hardware module may then , at a later time , access the memory device to retrieve and process the stored output . hardware modules may also initiate communications with input or output devices , and can operate on a resource ( e . g ., a collection of information ). the various operations of example methods described herein may be performed , at least partially , by one or more processors that are temporarily configured ( e . g ., by software ) or permanently configured to perform the relevant operations . whether temporarily or permanently configured , such processors may constitute processor - implemented modules that operate to perform one or more operations or functions . the modules referred to herein may , in some example embodiments , comprise processor - implemented modules . similarly , the methods , processes , or routines described herein may be at least partially processor - implemented . for example , at least some of the operations of a method may be performed by one or processors or processor - implemented hardware modules . the performance of certain of the operations may be distributed among the one or more processors , not only residing within a single machine , but deployed across a number of machines . in some example embodiments , the processor or processors may be located in a single location ( e . g ., within a home environment , an office environment or as a server farm ), while in other embodiments the processors may be distributed across a number of locations . the one or more processors may also operate to support performance of the relevant operations in a “ cloud computing ” environment or as a “ software as a service ” ( saas ). for example , at least some of the operations may be performed by a group of computers ( as examples of machines including processors ), these operations being accessible via a network ( e . g ., the internet ) and via one or more appropriate interfaces ( e . g ., application program interfaces ( apis ).) the performance of certain of the operations may be distributed among the one or more processors , not only residing within a single machine , but also deployed across a number of machines . in some example embodiments , the one or more processors or processor - implemented modules may be located in a single geographic location ( e . g ., within a home environment , an office environment , or a server farm ). in other example embodiments , the one or more processors or processor - implemented modules may be distributed across a number of geographic locations . some portions of this specification are presented in terms of algorithms or symbolic representations of operations on data stored as bits or binary digital signals within a machine memory ( e . g ., a computer memory ). these algorithms or symbolic representations are examples of techniques used by those of ordinary skill in the data processing arts to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . as used herein , an “ algorithm ” is a self - consistent sequence of operations or similar processing leading to a desired result . in this context , algorithms and operations involve physical manipulation of physical quantities . typically , but not necessarily , such quantities may take the form of electrical , magnetic , or optical signals capable of being stored , accessed , transferred , combined , compared , or otherwise manipulated by a machine . it is convenient at times , principally for reasons of common usage , to refer to such signals using words such as “ data ,” “ content ,” “ bits ,” “ values ,” “ elements ,” “ symbols ,” “ characters ,” “ terms ,” “ numbers ,” “ numerals ,” or the like . these words , however , are merely convenient labels and are to be associated with appropriate physical quantities . unless specifically stated otherwise , discussions herein using words such as “ processing ,” “ computing ,” “ calculating ,” “ determining ,” “ presenting ,” “ displaying ,” or the like may refer to actions or processes of a machine ( e . g ., a computer ) that manipulates or transforms data represented as physical ( e . g ., electronic , magnetic , or optical ) quantities within one or more memories ( e . g ., volatile memory , non - volatile memory , or a combination thereof ), registers , or other machine components that receive , store , transmit , or display information . as used herein any reference to “ some embodiments ” or “ an embodiment ” means that a particular element , feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment . the appearances of the phrase “ in some embodiments ” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment . some embodiments may be described using the expression “ coupled ” and “ connected ” along with their derivatives . for example , some embodiments may be described using the term “ coupled ” to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact . the term “ coupled ,” however , may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other , but yet still co - operate or interact with each other . the embodiments are not limited in this context . further , the figures depict preferred embodiments of a system for providing subtle camera motions to indicate imagery type . one skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles described herein upon reading this disclosure , those of skill in the art will appreciate still additional alternative structural and functional designs for a system for providing subtle camera motions to indicate imagery type through the disclosed principles herein . thus , while particular embodiments and applications have been illustrated and described , it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are not limited to the precise construction and components disclosed herein . various modifications , changes and variations , which will be apparent to those skilled in the art , may be made in the arrangement , operation and details of the method and apparatus disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope defined in the appended claims . | 6 |
a measuring meter with an error detection and flow direction determination protocol has been developed . the measuring meter measures and records volumetric usage of a material as it passes through the meter . the meter could be used in utility applications to measure water , gas or electricity usage . additionally , such meters are commonly used in industrial applications to measure the flowrates of various components . in this section , a self - powered water meter in a utility application will be used to describe various embodiments of the present invention . however , it should be understood that the invention as described , can be applied to many different types of measuring meters in a wide variety of applications . [ 0041 ] fig1 shows a diagram of an electronic water meter monitoring system 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the system 10 includes an electronic water meter 12 a or 12 b for an individual customer . the meter is typically located at a point on the customer &# 39 ; s individual supply line between the customer and utility &# 39 ; s main supply line . a meter interface unit ( miu ) 14 a or 14 b is connected to the respective meter 12 a or 12 b . the miu 14 a or 14 b is an electronic device that collects meter usage data from an electronic register on its respective meter and transmits the data to a local transmitter / receiver 16 a or 16 b via radio signals . in alternative embodiments , other external devices could be used such as a laptop computer , a data logger , or other suitable device known in the art . two alternative embodiments of the electronic water meters are shown . the first embodiment includes a meter 12 a and miu 14 a that are located underground or a “ pit ” unit . the other embodiment includes a meter 12 b and miu 14 b that are located above ground . two alternative types of transmitter / receivers 16 a and 16 b are also shown . the first transmitter / receiver 16 a is mounted in a vehicle while the other transmitter / receiver is a handheld unit 16 b . an additional type of transmitter / receiver may be permanently mounted at a location central to multiple meters and mius . each of these transmitter / receivers allows utility personnel to receive usage data without manually reading each individual meter . instead , when each transmitter / receiver 16 a and 16 b is within range of a miu 14 a or 14 b , the data from the meter is transmitted to the transmitter / receiver that in turn transmits it to the computer system of the utility 18 . the computer system 18 then calculates the usage of each customer based on the data . appropriate billing for each customer is then generated by the utility . the electronic water meters of the system are self - powered by an internal “ wiegand wire ”. the wiegand wire is a device that generates electrical signals when it is exposed to a magnetic field with changing flux polarity . the wire may also be used to induce voltage across a coil located near the wire . the polarity of the magnetic field is changed by relying on the kinetic energy of the fluid moving through the meter . in some embodiments , the fluid turns an internal water wheel that in turn rotates an attached shaft as it moves through the meter . multiple magnets are arranged on a circular disc that is attached to the rotating shaft . as the circular disc rotates along with the shaft , the movement of the magnets induces alternating fields of magnetic flux within the wiegand wire that is located in close proximity to the disc . the signals generated by the wire due to the changes in the magnetic flux are used to power the electronic circuits that monitor the meter . the rate , volume , and direction of fluid flow through the meter may also be determined by analyzing the number and rate of signals generated by the wire . [ 0043 ] fig2 shows a cut - away diagram of a self - powered electronic water meter 20 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , the electronic water meter 20 is connected to a water supply line at the meter &# 39 ; s inflow connector 22 . water flows from the supply line through the connector 22 into the meter body 26 and out through the outflow connector 24 to the customer . as the water flows through the meter body 26 , it forces an internal flow wheel 28 to rotate . the rotating flow wheel 28 in turn rotates a circular magnetic disc 30 that is connected to the flow wheel 28 by a shaft ( not shown ). the disc 30 in this embodiment is shown with four separate magnetic zones ( labeled “ n ” and “ s ” for the polar orientation of each zone ) that make up a four - pole magnet . in other embodiments , different configurations of magnets could be used . as the magnetic disc 30 rotates , it changes the magnetic flux polarity for the wiegand wire sensor 32 that is located adjacent to the disc 30 . as described previously , the changes in polarity induce signals that are generated by the sensor 32 . these signals represent data concerning the water flow through the meter 20 and also provide power to the electronic circuits of the meter . specifically , the stream of signals corresponds to the rate and direction of the water flow through the meter . the flow rate of the water through the meter 20 is calibrated to the rate of rotation of the flow wheel 28 , the magnetic disc 30 , and the signal stream generated by the sensor 32 . in fig2 only one wiegand wire sensor 32 is shown in use with the meter 20 . it should be understood that multiple sensors could be used in a meter for alternative embodiments of the present invention . the data is processed and stored in an electronic data recorder 34 that is attached to the meter 20 . the recorder 34 contains an asic ( application specific integrated circuit ) chip that processes the data . in some embodiments , non - volatile memory , which serves to store the data , is located within the asic . in this example , the memory is non - volatile which is memory that will not lose its stored data when power is removed . examples of non - volatile memory include : core memory ; rom ; eprom ; flash memory ; bubble memory ; battery - backed cmos - ram ; etc . in this example , the non - volatile memory is a ferro - electric ram (“ feram ”). this type of memory is typically used in mobile applications . it is also may be used in applications that are very demanding in terms of minimizing power usage while maximizing performance . in still other embodiments , non - volatile logic or other non - volatile structures could be used . fig3 shows a view of the display of the top of the electronic data recorder 34 . the recorder 34 has a cover 36 ( shown in the open position ) that protects the display 38 from dirt , debris , etc . the display 38 itself is an lcd ( liquid crystal display ) that shows data . in the present embodiment , nine digits may be shown by the lcd . in alternative embodiments , other types and numbers of display schemes could be used . the display is power by bank of solar cells 40 that are exposed to sunlight when the cover 36 is opened . the display is convenient to use in case a manual reading of the meter is necessary due to failure of an miu or other system component . [ 0046 ] fig4 shows a block diagram of the asic circuitry of the electronic data recorder . in this embodiment , two wiegand wire sensors 32 are used to supply two separate data streams to the asic 41 . each sensor 32 produces a separate positive (“+”) and a negative (“−”) data stream . other connections to the asic include a power supply ( ext power ) that is external to the asic and a ground ( gnd ) connection . in this embodiment , the two wiegand wire sensors 32 generate the external power supply . other connections for the asic include : an enable signal ( enable ); a data signal ( data ); a clock signal ( clock ); a read / write signal ( r / w ); a output signal ( pulse output ); and a signal direction signal ( pulse direction ). each of these signals connections passes through a host interface ( not shown ) to rest of the data recorder . [ 0047 ] fig5 a and 5 b show views of one embodiment of a four - pole magnet with two wiegand wire sensors 42 . the magnet 44 is a circular - shaped disc with a surface divided into four sections . the sections represent the two polarities of the magnet : either north (“ n ”) or south (“ s ”). the surface of each magnet 44 has two alternating n sections and two alternating s sections . the two sensors are labeled sensor a 46 and sensor b 48 . in this example , the sensors 46 and 48 are placed apart at a 135 ° angle . each sensor has a positive terminal 50 and 54 and a negative terminal 52 and 56 . each sensor terminal 50 , 52 , 54 , and 56 has an attached lead 57 that in turn may be connected to a monitor such as an oscilloscope to determine the value the sensor output . [ 0048 ] fig6 a , 6 b , and 6 c show an alternative configuration of a four - pole magnet with two wiegand wire sensors 59 . in this embodiment , the magnet 58 is cylindrical - shaped . the magnet 58 has two sensors 60 and 62 located parallel to the length of the cylinder . the sensors are labeled sensor a 60 and sensor b 62 and are placed apart at a 135 ° angle . each sensor has a positive terminal and a negative terminal that is connected to an external monitor with leads 64 . the cylindrical surface of the magnet 58 is divided into upper and lower segments which each have four sections of alternating polarity for a total eight magnetized polarity zones . the values of the sensor outputs in this embodiment 59 will be the same as the disc - shaped magnet embodiment 42 shown in fig5 a and 5 b . referring back to fig5 b , if the magnet 44 rotates in a counter - clockwise direction , the n polar section under sensor a 46 will transition to sensor b 48 . as the n polar section of the magnet 44 transitions to the following s polar section , a positive signal is generated as shown in fig7 (“ n → s ”). the magnet 44 will rotate approximately 45 ° between a positive signal of sensor a 46 and a positive signal of sensor b 48 . as the magnet 44 continues to rotate counter clockwise , the s polar section will transition to the other n polar section . this transition (“ s → n ”) will generate a negative signal as shown in fig7 . once again , the magnet 44 will rotate approximately 45 ° between a negative signal of sensor a 46 and a negative signal of sensor b 48 . fig8 shows a graph of the outputs of sensor a and sensor b in relation to the amount of angular rotation of the magnet . as the magnet rotates 180 °, a total of four signals will have been generated : one positive and one negative for each of the two sensors . after the magnet has completed a full revolution of 360 °, a total of eight signals will have been generated : two positive and two negative for each of the two sensors . in order to better determine how the magnet is moving , the outputs of sensor a and sensor b may be broken up into four separate channels . each sensor is divided into a positive and a negative output ( le ., a +, a −, b +, and b −). fig9 shows a graph of the separation of the outputs of sensor a and sensor b into four separate channels in comparison with the original signals . splitting the signals is done with an electronic circuit that divides the signals into positive and negative channels . the negative signals are then rectified or changed into positive signals in their respective channel . once the signals of sensor a and sensor b are broken up into four channels , these channels may be converted into a state indicator for each sensor as shown in fig1 . the state of each sensor is indicated by an output ( i . e ., either high or low ), with the state being high after a positive signal and low after a negative signal . the state of both sensors may be indicated by the value of a two bit binary value ( i . e ., either “ 1 ” or “ 0 ”) with 1 corresponding to high and 0 corresponding to low . in the two digit number that indicates the state of both sensors , the first or most significant digit represents the state of sensor a while the second or least significant digit represents the state of sensor b . as shown the fig1 , the a bit value is leading while the b bit value is trailing when the magnet is rotating in a counter - clockwise direction . however , fig1 shows a set of corresponding values when the magnet is turning in a clockwise direction . in this example , the b bit value is leading while the a bit value is trailing . the specific sequence of the binary state indicators are unique for the specific direction of flow through the meter . in this example , the states shown in fig1 are indicative of forward flow through the meter and the states shown in fig1 are indicative of a reversal of flow direction through the meter . fig1 shows an example of a set of values where the direction of flow is reversed from counter - clockwise to clockwise after an initial rotation of 180 ° by the magnet . [ 0053 ] fig1 shows a block diagram 66 of the components used for processing the data generated by the sensors . in order to determine the direction of flow of the meter and the presence of a missing signal , data must be collected from the occurring signal and the previous signal . the calculation of the direction of flow is dependent on data from the occurring signal (“ n ”) that is provided by the four sensor outputs 68 and the data from the previous signal (“ n − 1 ”) that is stored in the status register memory 72 . in this example , the status register memory 72 is a ferro - electric random access memory (“ feram ”). this type of memory is typically used in mobile applications . the data of the n − 1 signal is stored in the memory at a previous address that is indicated by a 2 - bit binary value (“ pa0 and pa1 ”). the data of the n signal is stored at a new address (“ na ”) that is indicated by a 2 - bit binary value shown as shown in fig1 b . a 1 - bit binary value that indicates the last valid direction (“ lvd ”) of the meter flow is also stored in the status register memory 72 . the lvd is calculated with the data of the n − 1 signal according to the sequence of state indicators . data is received from the four channels of the sensor outputs 68 and input into the binary encoder as flow direction inputs as shown in fig1 a . when the meter flow is running forward , the repeating sequence of binary address values is shown in fig1 a . when the meter is running in reverse , the repeating sequence of binary address values is shown in fig1 b . it is possible for a sensor to miss a signal or simply generate a signal with insufficient energy to be detected by the asic . an error in the form of a missing data bit is detected by calculating a temporary 2 - bit binary variable called “ subadd ”. subadd is calculated by subtracting the value of pa from na . in this embodiment , subtraction is accomplished by two &# 39 ; s complement addition . this is a technique that simulates subtraction for binary numbers by adding a negative binary number ( i . e ., 4 +(− 2 ) instead of 4 − 2 ). the negative binary number is generated taking the one &# 39 ; s complement of the number to be subtracted ( i . e ., the subtrahend ) and adding one to its value to obtain the two &# 39 ; s complement of the number . the one &# 39 ; s complement is simply the inverted value of the number where all “ 0 ” s are changed to “ 1 ” s and all “ 1 ” s are changed to “ 0 ” s . once the two &# 39 ; s complement is obtained , it is added back into the number to be subtracted from ( i . e ., the minuend ) to obtain subadd . as shown in fig1 a , when the meter flow is continually running forward , the subadd value is always “ 01 ”. fig1 b shows that when the meter flow is running in reverse , the subadd value is always “ 11 ”. when the subadd value is “ 00 ”, there is no change in the values of na and pa . this indicates the receipt of two consecutive signals on the same input . this is an illegal signal which is ignored by the system . however , if a signal from one of the sensors is missed for any reason , the subadd value is always “ 10 ”. fig1 a shows the calculation of the subadd values for a missing signal when the meter flow is running forward . fig1 b shows the calculation of the subadd values for a missing signal when the meter flow is running in reverse . once a missed signal is detected , measures to compensate for the error are taken by the system . in the example shown in fig1 , a signal is missed on channel a − without a change in the direction of meter flow . as mentioned previously , the lvd ( last valid direction ) bit is a 1 - bit binary value that indicates the direction the magnet rotated during the previous signal . in this example , an lvd value of “ 1 ” indicates a forward or up flow and an lvd value of “ 0 ” indicates a reverse or down flow . the “ action ” indicates the action to be taken with various counters . an action of “+ n ” means that n will be added to a counter called reg up that counts up while an action of “− n ” means that n will be added to a counter called reg dn that counts down . each counter will be incremented once for each signal received . the reg dn value will be subtracted from reg up to determine the value of the net counter called net . in fig1 , six signals are detected before the seventh signal is missed in the a − channel . the next detected signal comes from the b − channel and causes the state to change from 11 to 10 ( a state , b state ). at this point , the state change appears ( incorrectly ) to the system as a change in flow direction . the lvd changes in value from 1 to 0 because of the supposed change of flow direction . the next signal is received from the a + channel . however , the present state is 10 with its most significant bit value set to 1 , so it cannot change . this results in the current state having the same value as the previous state . the indication of a current state and a previous state having the same value is an alternative way of detecting a missed signal . when this happens , the system will realize a signal has been missed and compensate . since the lvd has a value of 0 and the system realizes that every time a signal is missed the flow direction appears to change , the system compensates by adding 4 to the reg up counter and changes the lvd value back to 1 . if the lvd had a value of 1 after the signal had been missed , the system would compensate by adding 4 to the reg up counter and changes the lvd value back to 0 . in the example shown in fig1 , a signal is missed on channel a − with a change in the direction of meter flow . when a change in flow direction occurs , the angle the magnet travels after the last signal may vary considerably . a signal on the a + channel that is followed by a change in direction should theoretically yield a signal on the a − channel . the same basic algorithm described previously for detecting and compensating for a missing signal without a change in direction will also work for detecting and compensating for a missing signal with a change in direction . specifically , the system will compensate for the missed signal by adding 4 to the reg dn counter . however , since there was a true change of direction the lvd value will not be changed . fig2 shows a flow chart that summarizes these operations related to processing signal information . advantages of the present invention include the ability to determine flow direction and detect missing or improper signal sequences in sensor output regardless of the cause of the error . another advantage of the system includes the ability of the system to compensate for an error in signal detection in both instances of a change in flow direction and no change in flow direction . while the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments , those skilled in the art , having benefit of this disclosure , will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed here . accordingly , the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims . | 6 |
referring to the drawings , as shown in fig1 and 2 , the inventive fur sewing machine comprises a needle bar 1 which is mounted in a housing ( not shown ) for reciprocating motion in the horizontal direction , and carries a thread guiding needle 2 . needle bar 1 is driven by an eccentric 3 secured to a shaft 4 which , during operation of the machine , rotates continually . eccentric 3 is straddled by a fork 5 which is firmly clamped to needle bar 1 , so that the horizontal components of motion of the eccentric are transmitted to needle bar 1 . needle 2 cooperates with an oscillating hook 6 to form single - thread overcast stitches . hook 6 is secured to an oscillating bar 7 which is mounted for rotation in a supporting cross member 8 . oscillating bar 7 carries an arm 9 in which it is rotatable and which is hinged to a crank 10 oscillating about a fixed axis . another crank 11 is secured to the end of oscillating bar 7 . the axial position of oscillating bar 7 relative to supporting member 8 is fixed by crank 11 and a shoulder 12 provided on the bar . the free end of crank 11 engages a cam groove 13 provided in a cam disc 14 which is secured to shaft 4 . by means of two hinge pins 15 , supporting member 8 is mounted for pivoting motion on the upper ends of two cranks 16 which are secured to a shaft 17 . the lower end of left - hand crank 16 ( as viewed in fig . 1 ) is hinged to an eccentric arm 18 embracing an eccentric 19 which is secured to shaft 4 . a first feed disc 21 is carried on a vertical shaft 20 mounted in the housing . shaft 20 is connected to a ratchet indexing mechanism ( not shown ) by which feed disc 21 is intermittently driven in conjunction with the motion of needle bar 1 . a substantially u - shaped . carrier bracket 23 having a horizontally projecting arm 24 is secured to a supporting rod 22 which is not - rotatably mounted in the housing for axial , i . e . horizontal displacement . a screw bolt 25 is screwed into the end portion of arm 24 and secured in position by a nut 26 . bolt 25 has a shoulder portion 27 and a bearing portion 28 . bearing portion 28 carries two ball bearings 29 which support a second feed disc 30 . a screw 31 engaging a taphole in bearing portion 28 of the bolt clamps ball bearings 29 downwardly against shoulder portion 27 , through a needle plate 32 , a blade holder 33 , and a washer 34 . blade holder 33 is received in a shallow recess 35 of feed disc 30 . an angle bar 36 secured to the housing extends above carrier bracket 23 . bar 36 supports a holding fixture 37 for a pivot 40 which is mounted therein for rotation in two bushings 38 , 39 , and is provided at its lower end with a flange 41 . pivot 40 is secured axially in its position by flange 41 and , on its other end , by means of a nut 42 and a bearing plate 44 applied against a shoulder 43 of the pivot . by means of a horizontal pin 45 , a swivel arm 46 having a u - shape cross section is hinged to flange 41 . in a blind bore 47 of pivot 40 , a compression spring 48 is accommodated urging swivel arm 46 downwardly . one end of swivel arm 46 is connected through a spherical joint 49 to a connecting rod 50 which in turn is connected through a spherical joint 51 to a crank 52 which is secured to shaft 17 . the other end of swivel arm 46 carries a trimming blade 53 comprising a substantially horizontally extending blade portion 54 and a cutting finger 56 which is formed at one side of a v - shape notch 55 . cutting finger 56 has its cutting edge 57 on the inner longitudinal side . trimming blade 53 is associated with a counterblade 58 which is secured to a blade holder 33 . the underside of counterblade 58 extends close to the upper edge of feed disc 30 and the end of the counterblade formed as a cutting edge 59 projects beyond feed disc 30 . secured to blade holder 33 is one end of an angle strip 60 whose other end is secured to carrier bracket 23 . trimming blade 53 , counterblade 58 , blade holder 33 , and the component parts 36 to 52 form together a trimming mechanism 61 . a duct 65 of an exhaust device 66 is secured by means of a screw bolt 63 and a nut 64 to a supporting strip 62 which is carried by angle bar 36 . one end portion of duct 65 is positioned above , but spaced from , blade portion 54 , close to cutting finger 56 , and has an aperture 67 in its underside . the other end of duct 65 is connected through a flexible tube to a refuse tank ( not shown ). near aperture 67 , the end piece 68 of a compressed - air line 69 is introduced into duct 65 . end piece 68 has an aperture 70 through which compressed air can flow into duct 65 so that air is taken in through aperture 67 to flow through the duct in the direction of refuse removal . the duct end provided with aperture 67 and the end piece 68 with aperture 70 form an injector nozzle 71 ( see fig3 ). spaced from feed disc 21 , an arcuate guide plate 72 is secured to the housing . the upper edge of guide plate 72 extends below the plane of the underside of counterblade 58 up to close to the location where the two feed discs 21 , 30 come together . to introduce two furskin parts f ( fig4 ) to be sewn together between feed discs 21 , 30 , carrier bracket 23 supporting feed disc 30 is displaced from its operating position shown in fig1 to the right . this increases the spacing not only between feed disc 30 and feed disc 21 but also between cutting edge 59 of counterblade 58 and cutting edge 57 of cutting finger 56 . the two furskin parts f are now introduced below cutting edges 57 , 59 through the gap between the two feed discs 21 , 30 , with their triangular end portions a having a straight longitudinal edge , ahead . the two mutually aligned longitudinal edges l are introduced at the level of the cutting plane of the two blades 53 , 58 . while positioning furskin parts f , the hair thereof is at the same time smoothed downwardly , either manually by the operator or by means of a mechanical device , substantially at right angles to longitudinal edges l , to keep it away from the cutting plane of blades 53 , 58 and from the following stitch forming area . then , carrier bracket 23 is returned into its operating position and the fur sewing machine is set in operation . by a conjoint operation of needle 2 and oscillating hook 6 , longitudinal edges l of furskin parts f are connected to each other by single - thread overcast stitches . through shaft 17 , by which oscillating bar 7 is moved axially , connecting rod 50 and swivel arm 46 are moved concurrently with the stitch forming tools , i . e . with needle 2 and hook 6 . the various movements are so timed that trimming blade 53 executes a cutting motion relative to counterblade 58 at the instant at which needle 2 is stuck in furskin parts f . since drive feed disc 21 executes an advance step only within periods in which needle 2 is retracted , so that no feed takes place while needle 2 is stuck in furksin parts f , the oscillatory motion of trimming blade 53 cannot obstruct the advance of furksin parts f . simultaneously with the setting of fur sewing machine in operation , the exhaust device 66 is started , i . e . compressed air is supplied through line 69 and aperture 70 into duct 65 , whereby underpressure is produced at aperture 67 of the duct . as long as end portions a move past the cutting area of trimming mechanism 61 , trimming blade 53 slides over the longitudinal edges l of these portions , and no cutting takes place . however , as the zig zag edges k of furskin parts f , formed by the mutually offset furskin strips b , reach the cutting area of trimming mechanism 61 , the triangular portions c are cut away one after the other . the individual cut - off portions c are immediately taken off by suction and are conveyed to the refuse tank ( not shown ), so that the cutting area and the adjacent stitch forming area remain free from cuttings and loose hair . guide plate 72 facilitates the guidance and alignment of furskin parts f , since it serves as a contact face , and its upper edge is at the same time a reference level for aligning the furskin parts f in height . since the distance between the cutting area of the trimming mechanism 61 and the stitch forming area is very small and virtually no risk is run that furskin parts f on their way from the cutting area to the stitch forming area would deviate from their aligned positions , furskin parts need to be fitted to each other and aligned in height only once , namely upstream of trimming mechanism 61 . downstream of trimming mechanism 61 , both the uncut longitudinal edges l of end portions a and the edges of the individual furskin strips b made straight by cutting off portions c , are in a position ready for sewing , and no new alignment is necessary . trimming blade 53 , i . e ., swivel arm 46 , might also be driven by a separate motor , through an eccentric provided on the ouput shaft of the motor , and a connecting rod . in such a case , however , a very much higher cutting frequency must be provided , to prevent the furskin parts from obstructing the feed motion , because then the oscillatory motion of trimming blade 53 is not synchronized with the movements of oscillating bar 7 and , consequently , cutting motions might take place during the advance movement of furskin parts f . while a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention , it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles . | 3 |
the use of biodegradable materials in plastic packing continues to increase due to environmental and waste disposal concerns . biodegradable fitments can be manufactured using injection thermoplastics and resin and molded objects . multi - layer flexible films can also be manufactured using biodegradable polymers and can provide short - term liquid and gas - phase barrier properties while also preserving long term biodegradation ability . however , currently available biodegradable components of plastic containers are not fully compatible for integrated use . both flexible film and molded object technologies can create packaging with similar biodegradability attributes . however , the properties and formulations of the materials used in flexible films and in bulkier molded objects such as fitments differ substantially in their chemical , mechanical , and thermal properties . these differences have a substantial negative impact on the economics and reproducibility of processes to create long term hermetic seals on containers in which the two types of materials must be sealed to one another . a typical workaround to this issue is to manufacture packaging products in which only some of the packaging components are biodegradable . properties of amorphous laminate polymer films typically differ quite significantly from the properties of melt - crystallized laminate polymer films . in semi - crystalline biopolymers , defects at particle interfaces can manifest during deformation of a polymer film as cracks at macroscopic strains below the strain to failure of the polymer . a different interface structure can result from different heat treatments . additionally , unmodified biopolymers used for packaging applications can suffer from disadvantages such as brittleness resulting in poor impact and tear resistance , low melt strength , and low heat deflection temperature . unmodified starch - based polymers have relatively good melt strength , but can be brittle . additives can be used to modified the biopolymer to overcome these difficulties , for instance by improving impact toughness of amorphous and semi - crystalline biopolymers like pla . reducing brittleness can also be important both for end - use and for manufacturing , for example because brittleness - induced breaks during thermoforming can potentially lead to for small , shattered pieces of a formed sheet structure contaminating the packaging . while the use of additives can improve the bulk properties of the biopolymer , they can also create differing chemistries at additive and biopolymer interfaces . ordering of polymer chains near additive particles in the biopolymer can result in a reduction of the bonding sites between the polymer chains and any added particles , causing a weakening of the polymer to particle reinforcement . this can be a significant cause of delamination of films and seals made with biodegradable nanocomposites in uniaxial tensile tests with melt - crystallized laminate films . furthermore , an interface with differing chemistry between the two parts being joined or welded generally is more likely to delaminate ( for example peel apart ) or fail to produce a good seal . in short , prior uses of additives in biopolymer packaging have encountered problems with either or both of increased brittleness and delamination across welded or sealed interfaces . the current subject matter addresses this problem using additives that reduce brittleness in conjunction with techniques that provide good seals across a weld or join interface between two biopolymer elements . manufacturing techniques , articles of manufacture , methods of using , and the like are disclosed pertaining to biodegradable disposable containers . currently employed biodegradable materials are employed . however , the sealing process is improved relative to conventional joining and sealing methods by the use of microwave sealing , either alone or in conjunction with one or more conventional sealing methods , for example by desirably limiting the premature breakdown of biopolymers during processing , shaping , welding , or sealing operations in two ways . first , microwaves can limit melt - flow to target dipolar regions or absorbing regions of the molecular structure , thereby avoiding exposure to excess heat and limiting subsequent thermal degradation to other parts of the biopolymer by not heating those regions that do not require heat to allow processing . secondly , microwaves can act to substantially limit the overall melt - flow process time at elevated temperature in a concerted manner when the microwave irradiation ceases , thereby avoiding thermal degradation which is the undesirable breakdown of the biopolymer during processing . additives embedded in the polymer matrix of one or more of the pieces that are joined to form the container cause heterogeneous absorption of the microwave energy at a joining site to create a hermetic seal . fig1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of one type of packaging container 100 that can be assembled using the currently disclosed subject matter . fig2 shows an exploded view of a similar packaging container 100 prior to assembly . the assembled packaging container 100 includes a pouch 102 with an internal volume 106 that can contain a product , such as for example water ; a beverage ; condiments ; other liquid or dry foodstuffs ; liquid , gas - phase , or solid consumer products ; and the like . a fitment 104 is also included to allow removal of the product without tearing the walls of the pouch 102 . the pouch 102 can be formed from one or more pieces of polymer film 108 . in the example of fig1 and fig2 , two facing pieces of polymer film 108 are aligned and fused together via polymer welds 110 around the periphery of the internal volume 106 . the fitment 104 can be formed by a number of processes such as injection molding or the like and can include an opening or port 112 via which the product can pass from the internal volume 106 . the fitment can also include a neck area 114 that is adhered or fused to the polymer film material forming the pouch via a weld 116 around the circumference of the neck 114 so as to provide a strong , hermetic seal that prevents leaks and , if applicable , preserves freshness of the product within the internal volume 106 . as described in greater detail below , the welds 110 can be formed in pre - defined areas 120 , which in some implementations can be selectively embedded with micron - or nano - scale particles or other additives that can enhance absorption of microwave energy at the weld sites . the embedded particles or additives can also be specifically selected and / or treated to affect microwave energy absorption by the two polymer components being welded to provide substantially similar compatible melt - flow conditions on both sides of the weld . this approach can generate substantial improvements over existing polymer welding techniques in speed of processing , strength and reproducibility of the weld , and / or in reduced materials demand . while the subject matter disclosed herein will generally be described in reference to a pouch and fitment type packaging container such as is shown in fig1 and fig2 , it should be understood that the disclosed techniques , processes , article of manufacture , systems , and apparatus that are described are generally applicable to any kind of packaging material in which one or more polymer components , be they biodegradable or non - biodegradable , are welded together . in other non - limiting examples , a pouch having more than two sides can be formed of flexible polymer films welded together along their edges and can have more than one fitment or other molded polymer component . additionally , a packaging container could have a wall or walls formed of flexible polymer film supported on a rigid framework of molded polymer . the current subject matter can be used in creating strong , reproducible , hermetically sealed welds between a wide variety of polymer material . in addition to a valve - type fitment such as is shown in fig1 and fig2 , other types of parts can be included in the packaging containers or structures according to the current subject matter , such as for example fixtures , handles , interlocks , caps , spouts , seams , and the like . a variety of biodegradable materials can be used in the construction of a packaging container 100 consistent with the current subject matter . one example is polylactic acid or polylactide ( pla ), a biodegradable , thermoplastic , aliphatic polyester derived from renewable resources , for example corn starch , sugarcane , and the like . while some of the illustrative examples discussed below are presented using pla as the biodegradable polymer , it should be understood that any other commercial biodegradable material can be used as the substrate for flexible films used in the disclosed containers . pla and other biodegradable polymers experience a degradation in strain properties due to crystallite formation that occurs when these materials are subjected to radiation . under such conditions , natural crystals form from the melt , or by the introduction of any particle that acts as a “ seed ” surface from which crystals can grow . with crystalline properties , the biodegradable polymer tends to lack the ability to be drawn , deformed , and effectively worked to create a desired shape with the necessary physical and chemical characteristics . defects at particle interfaces can manifest as cracks or as macroscopic strains even below the failure point of the polymer material . some implementations of the current subject matter employ microwave radiation to process the flexible film and create welds , for example hermetic seals 110 and 116 , both in the making of a pouch 102 , if one is included in the packaging , and , if applicable , in fusing , welding , or otherwise fixable coupling one or more molded biodegradable plastic pieces 104 in place to the flexible film so that a hermetic seal is achieved . use of microwaves allows the package 100 and contents to remain aseptic during any and all steps of the packaging operation from filming and forming , to hermetically sealing and filling . the current subject matter purposefully employs heterogeneous absorption of microwave energy by biodegradable polymer packaging to selectively target locations on the packaging where heat welding of component parts of the packaging is desired . efficient and effective thin film processing , hermetic sealing , and fitment welding are possible with this approach which also allows local and customized transformation of materials and substrates . this approach is beneficial in particular to polymer near to the surface of embedded nanoparticles which have a high surface area and high microwave absorption cross - section . at least some advantages of the current subject matter can be realized using the method shown in the process flow chart 300 of fig3 . at 302 , a first weld location on a first piece of polymer material is optionally prepared for welding by adding one or more first additives . also optionally , at 304 , a second weld location on a second piece of polymer material is prepared for welding by adding one or more second additives . the first weld region has first dielectric properties , and the second weld region has second dielectric properties . if the first or second additives are added to the first or second weld regions , these additives can selectively affect the first and / or second dielectric properties . the first and the second additives can be the same or different . the first weld location is brought into contact with the second weld location on a second polymer piece and pressure is applied at 306 . at 310 , microwave energy is applied to the first and second weld locations in a controlled manner to promote a first microwave absorbance in the first weld location that is governed by the first dielectric properties and a second microwave absorbance in the second weld location that is governed by the second dielectric properties . the first microwave absorbance generates a first melt - flow condition in the first weld location that is compatible with a second melt - flow condition generated in the second weld location by the second microwave absorbance . at 312 a welded seam joining the first weld region to the second weld region is created . in some implementations of the current subject matter , the first and / or the second additives can be micron - or nano - scale particles . the particles can , in some non - limiting examples , include hematite , iron carbide or other carbides . addition of small particles can increase the strain modulus of a biodegradable polymer after and during processing with microwave energy . the particles typically have substantially larger microwave cross - sections than the polymer material itself . thus , the particles absorb radiation during microwave sealing to thereby selectively heat the biodegradable polymer at or near the weld regions , which are the regions on each of the polymer pieces being welded that are brought into abutment with one another and fixably coupled according to the current subject matter . additionally , crystals of the biodegradable polymer that lie in contact with or closely adjacent to the embedded particles can be melted locally . this local melting allows the material at the newly formed seam to rapidly form in a substantially solid state , which leads to better sealing characteristics . similarly , use of such particles in a molded bulk piece such as a fitment can quickly and efficiently promote high melt - flow conditions at the joining interface . embedded particles as described above can absorb much of the microwave irradiation cross - section . this absorption focuses the microwave field and therefore the creation of heat into a small reaction volume near to the surface of those particles , so that significantly enhanced chemical cross - linking takes place around and on the in situ particle surfaces . at the same time , significantly high melt - flow is achieved in very short times and on molecular scales . these material and processes advancements translate into faster mass production speeds , finer and better reaction sealing control , and economic savings from energy conservation due to the ability to heat or activate only those regions desired inside the material without waiting for heat transmission through typical polymeric materials of otherwise notably poor direct contact thermal conduction . in implementations where two similar pieces of polymer material are welded , the first and the second additives can be similar or even identical . when a weld is to be formed between polymer pieces with different properties , such as for example between a piece of polymer film and a molded piece having substantial mass and thermal bulk , such as a molded plastic fitment , the first and the second additives can differ . the size , composition , and / or density of the additives in the to - be - welded piece having greater thermal mass can be chosen to have a greater microwave cross - section and / or to increase overall microwave energy absorption . in this manner , the localized heating in both the first weld region and the second weld region can be more closely matched so that similar levels of melt - flow occur on either side of the formed weld or seam . a stronger , more reliable and durable seam is thereby produced . in optional implementations , an ionomer or a class of ionomeric materials may be added to the biodegradable polymer prior to creating a seam or weld . ionomer molecules , such as for example those of the surlyn ™ family of ionomers ( dupont ) are naturally compatible with nanoparticles due to their ability to reorient themselves with electrostatic charges that are either fixed or generated by microwaves at the particle surfaces . this can result in a self - healing polymer in cases in which the biodegradable polymer is co - polymerized with the ionomer . additional benefits can include but are not limited to improvements in biodegradability as well as improved microwave heat sealing ability . in addition , punctures and rips in the film / sheet can become self - healing . this can also facilitate the manufacturing process as defects in the hermetic seal can self - correct . moreover , ionic liquids are outstanding microwave - absorbing agents owing to their high ionic conductivity and polarizability , thus leading to a high heating rate and a considerably shortened melt - flow process and reaction time . in some optional variations , the embedded micron scale or nanoparticles can include material that is either not inert or not classified as fda accepted inert . such particles can be coated with an inert coating , such as for example a commercial food grade surfactant . a possible added benefit of reacting small particles with one or more surfactants is the formation of a chemically activated surface that improves dispersion into the polymer matrix . in another possible variation , a heterogeneous microwave field can be applied to selectively deliver energy to the first weld region and the second weld region to create the aforementioned balancing of the melt - flow conditions on either side of the to - be - formed weld . the microwave field can be heterogeneous in either space or time . an example of the use of heterogeneous microwave fields to achieve targeted heat welding by delivering microwave energy only to or close to a desired weld location is shown in fig4 which is a schematic diagram of a microwave energy delivery system 400 that illustrates the transmission of microwave energy along a rod 402 . microwaves are emitted from the tip 404 of the rod 402 as shown in the presence of the magnetic energy field vector as represented by the dotted ellipses ( b ). the direction of the electric field energy vector is shown by the dotted curved lines ( e ). taken together , both of these electric and magnetic components constitute microwave energy . the focusing effect of the rod 402 and tip 404 geometry of the rod 402 causes the preferential microwave induced heating and chemical activation of only the polymer materials or solutions that are in the immediate vicinity of the metal rod 402 . some polymer films include a deposited metal foil layer as a moisture and / or gas barrier . because this metal foil can reflect microwave energy it can be advantageous to place such a film on the side of a flexible polymer film that opposes the side exposed to the tip end of a heterogeneous microwave emission rod 402 such as is shown in fig4 . the microwave energy emitted from the rod 402 or other microwave emitter is then absorbed by magnetic , ferromagnetic , and / or diamagnetic nanometer or micron - sized particles embedded as part of the chemical composition of the polymer in the structure of the film layer . the parts of the film layer that are not masked by a metal foil deposition preferentially receive and absorb the microwave energy . the embedded particle sizes and distributions can be chosen to absorb a desired balance of electric field and magnetic fields directed into the polymer packaging film . the thickness of the film , or alternatively the geometry of a molded component such as a fitment can require different combinations of electric and magnetic field vectors to achieve the desired effect , which can be a chemical polymerization reaction , a melt - flow , or the like . both the chemical process and the physical process may be used to produce a hermetic heat seal . the balance of electric and magnetic fields as well as the particle orientation and distribution can be modified to achieve desired effects when applying heterogeneous microwave activation to the substrate system . the frequency of microwave radiation can be varied to activate different sized particles and to activate ( chemically or thermally or both ) a desired process in a targeted part of the packaging assembly by proper selection of embedded particles and / or ionomer additives and by controlled variation of the delivered microwave energy . particle size , composition , and / or orientation of the particles as well as the density of particles embedded within the polymer matrix can affect the rate at which microwave radiation at a given frequency is absorbed to deliver localized heating to the polymer component . targeted heating can be achieved depending on the particle locations within the various components that are assembled to form the packaging . the introduction of undesirable materials or solvents has been a limiting factor in the use of flexible packaging due to the restrictive requirements imposed by the us food and drug administration ( fda ) for substances approved for food contact . the current subject matter allows microwaves to act on dispersed micron or nano - sized particles to reduce polymer matrix viscosity and allow these packaging material components to flow and knit that polymer together to achieve hermetic seals . in some implementations , these types of seals can be printed into complex curvatures and in very reduced dimensions in a very short time using a process known as calendaring . a calender is a series of hard pressure rollers that smooth out the polymer into a thin film that can be printed and written on , and to increase the gloss on the surface . the polymer material can be dosed with the additives that act to improve weld performance in selected regions prior to the polymer material being formed into the thin film . in one example , a device 500 as shown in fig5 can be used to apply additives arranged in a desired pattern within a film 502 of polymer that is formed by calendaring two starting film layers 504 506 into the final film 502 . the additives 510 are delivered between the two starting film layers 504 506 from a dispenser apparatus 512 than can include an inlet 514 , a storage volume 516 , and a delivery nozzle 520 that directs the additives 510 to a desired location between the two starting film layers 504 506 . to facilitate creation of a specific pattern of additives within the final film 502 , one or more features for delivering additives at a chosen position along the width of the film normal to the plane of fig5 can be included . for example , the delivery nozzle 520 can be movable along an axis normal to the plane of fig5 , can have a controllable outlet that starts and stops delivery of the additives 510 , and / or can include one or more delivery outlets that are either fixed or movable along the axis normal to the plane of fig5 the two starting film layers 504 506 can be delivered from film rolls 522 524 as shown in fig5 or alternatively directly from a drawing or other manufacturing process that creates the two starting film layers 504 , 506 to a calender apparatus that includes two or more rollers 526 that press the two starting film layers 504 506 into the final film 502 after the delivery nozzle 520 delivers the additives 510 . an advantage of this patterning of the seal is to enable facile opening under mechanical shear by the end user , while maintaining the desired physical and chemical structures needed to maintain both barrier properties and biodegradability or ability to compost while also meeting the requirements for food contact and hermetic aseptic storage with significant economic advantages due to the speed of seal processing and the multifunctional and self - sterilizing application of microwaves . in another example , plasma polymerization can be used to deposit high quality permeation barrier coatings on polymer substrates . several polymer film layers can be “ stacked ” to form multilayer coatings . the arrangement of the layers can be manipulated to create desired permeation properties . fig6 shows a system 600 that can be used for the coating of a flat sample substrate 602 according to some implementations of the current subject matter . a vacuum chamber 604 contains the sample 602 and can be evacuated to a pressure of approximately 2 - 10 pa . one or more valves 606 , pumps 608 , and a pressure controller unit 610 can be included to facilitate gas movement and maintain vacuum conditions within the chamber 604 . flow of one or more gas mixtures from gas reservoirs 612 to a plasma reactor 614 is controlled by a flow controller 616 and one or more flow controller valves 620 . the gas molecules cross an area of high microwave intensity created by a microwave generator 622 and a wave guide 624 and are enhanced to a plasma state , in which the gas molecules are fragmented and activated . particles from the plasma start to react and cross - link on the surface of the sample substrate 602 to form a thin layer . the layer formed in this way can display marked differences from conventional polymers due to the high energy plasma reactions and can exhibit unique surface properties . the coatings can have fundamental properties , such as a high degree of cross - linking , high density , good thermal and chemical resistance , freedom from micropores , and good adhesion to the bulk substrate of the sample substrate 602 , even if the sample substrate 602 has a non - polar surface . these typical properties can make plasma polymerized coatings very useful as permeation barriers on plastic substrates . pla and other bio - polymers can have nanoparticle additives for reinforcement and as a catalyst for biodegradation . pla alone is brittle and does not and can not maintain amorphous character when nanoparticles are added , because the high surface area of small solid particles causes significant crystallization and subsequent reduction of the ability to draw , deform , and work the material before failure . to compensate , more layers are produced to yield usable product for flexible film applications . the current subject matter can address this issue and provide substantial reductions in materials consumption . the amorphous state of a polymer film or molded component , which has fewer crystalline characteristics that can create points of mechanical weakness , can be used , and desired sealing properties can be achieved with the use of fewer material layers during the manufacturing process due to the type of nanoparticles embedded and the microwave irradiation of these nanoparticles . in one variation , a fixed microwave frequency can be used to heat large micron - sized particles near the surface of a large or massive plastic fitment that naturally conducts away much of that heat through its thickness . at the same time , smaller sized particles absorbing less of that same frequency are heated in a packaging film placed in abutment to that same fitment . the thin film heats rapidly due to the relatively smaller thickness of a film , as the thermal energy emitted by activated particles has less material into which to transfer that heat . thus , a thermal balance can be achieved to target the different mass balances in the geometry of the flexible foil and the fitment , therefore allowing facile and rapid knitting of the interface in contact between the foil and the fitment . in another variation , a variable microwave frequency can be used to activate particles , possibly including but not limited to nanoparticles , dispersed within the surface of the further of two films placed in compression under the tip end of a microwave emission rod device 400 , such as for example that shown in fig4 . at this same time , smaller sized particles absorbing less of that same frequency are being heated less in some areas of both packaging films placed in abutment . the frequency of the applied microwave irradiation is then varied in a continuous , cyclic manner such that differently sized particles in the polymer matrix materials become activated by the device . in this manner , unequally sized particles each in their turn contribute to the thermal or chemical activation of the polymer matrix under the heterogeneous microwave irradiation device . a thermal balance can be achieved to target the different particle distributions or orientations which are present in the geometry of the two films , and therefore allow facile and rapid hermetic knitting of the interfaces placed in abutting contact . in another variation , differences in microwave heating that depend on the dielectric properties of the polymer matrix materials can be exploited using a variable microwave frequency to preferentially activate the polymeric material of the further of two films placed in compression under the tip end of the microwave emission rod device . at this same time , a polymer matrix material of different chemical composition and therefore dielectric properties can absorb less of that same frequency , even though both packaging films are placed in abutment with each other . the frequency of the applied microwave irradiation is then varied in a continuous , cyclic manner such that the first film is preferentially activated . in this manner , two materials of unequal dielectric properties may each in their turn contribute to the thermal or chemical activation of the polymer matrices at their interface while under irradiation from the heterogeneous microwave irradiation device . a thermal balance can be achieved to target the different thermal responses which are present in the two films , and therefore allow facile and rapid hermetic knitting of the unlike interfaces placed in abutting contact . in another variation , particles , including but not limited to nanoparticles , can be added to the composition of a first piece of polymer matrix material and not to a second piece to which the first piece is to be welded of different dielectric property , such that the two chemically dissimilar materials are better matched in their dielectric properties . this better match allows both dissimilar materials to be joined or formed in abutment to create seams , welds , or other continuous interfaces . this synergy between the joining process and the composition of the polymer matrix materials readily allow otherwise incompatible materials to be joined using the currently disclosed subject matter . in another variation , particles , including but not limited to nanoparticles , with a size distribution that favors at least one size ( diameter ) or range of sizes are added to a first polymer film or part . these particles are selected to interact best with the microwave device of this invention by impedance - matching . a second polymeric material of different chemical composition has added to it some of the same kind of particles , but in a different concentration to achieve the same impedance matching . this approach allows two polymer materials having different dielectric , thermal , and / or chemical properties to be joined or formed in abutment to create seams , welds , or other sealed , continuous interfaces . the synergy between the joining process and the composition of polymer matrix materials again allow otherwise incompatible materials to be joined . in another variation , particles , including but not limited to nanoparticles , of high aspect ratio can be oriented in a film by a melt - flow process , a drawing process , and / or a chemical process that creates a non - random or otherwise ordered orientation of particles in the polymer matrix . this distribution by orientation allows microwaves of one polarization to favor impedance matching with the irradiating microwave field . a first film can be created to preserve this favorable particle orientation to the applied microwave field . a second such film can be placed in planar abutment but with the particles oriented at an approximately 90 ° angle to those in the first film . the polarization of the irradiating microwave fields can be oriented first to align with the particles in the first film and then with the particles in the second film , thereby causing sequential activation of the two films that are welded . the re - orientation of the microwave field can optionally be achieved by turning the films , turning the microwave emitter device , or by a combination of these two techniques . in addition , different angles can be used , and different numbers of films or fitments can be incorporated , depending on the amount of activation desired , the timing or duration of that activation , and the physical location of the desired activation in the assembly of the film or packaging structure to be welded , joined , formed , or deformed on the application of force required to cause the assembly to achieve a desirable shape or configuration . in another variation , particles , including but not limited to nanoparticles , can be added and well dispersed in a liquid or semisolid mixture of polymer . in one example , the polymer can poly lactic acid ( pla ), and the nanoparticles can be commercially available organic - substituted ( ion - exchanged ) montmorillonite nanoclay additives . this example can be particularly environmentally and ecologically beneficial . a slurry of the mixture that includes monomeric or viscous , partly cross - linked , lactic acid material can then be roll - coated onto a previously prepared film of pla which already has a very high cross - link density to achieve excellent barrier properties and good tensile strength . the microwave cross - section in the slurry can be selected to be greater than that normally achieved in the same amount of pla sheet , so that activation more favorably happens in the slurry region rather than in the pla films , even after accounting for attenuation effects as the microwaves pass through the pla films . delivery of focused heterogeneous microwaves allows activation of the slurry to cross - link it to both itself and to one or more abutting pla sheets onto which it is physically compressed . the irradiating microwave field generated by the device of the present invention then glues the adjoining pla layers together to establish a hermetic seal between sandwiched pla sheets . in one example of a manufacturing process according to the current subject matter , a template is made with a ring of exposed ends of wires normal to the plane of the ring . the template is made to approach two sheets of flexible film having that are prepared according to one of the examples described above or otherwise according to the current subject matter . pressure is applied between the sheets of flexible film . microwave energy is inducted into the wires such that the substrate flexible film is heated at or near the tips of the wires which are close to but not into direct contact with the films . the template is spun about its axis so that microwave energy is distributed all along the circumference of the region of the template where a join is desired . the template is removed , and the circular weld or join is allowed to cool and form a hermetic seal . the surface on the far side of the two films supports those films and the template . this support surface can in some variations be ultrasonically activated to assist the weld operation . nanoparticles or other additives within the finished packaging materials can also act as nucleation sites to make bio - compostable polymers degrade more efficiently . polymers in accordance with the current subject matter can be made into a film by web casting , extrusion , rolling and calendering , or other sheet - forming process . layers of other polymeric materials , or alternatively of aluminum vapor can be added or deposited upon the polymer films to enhance liquid or gas barrier properties . it can be advantageous to minimize or eliminate non - biocompostable alternatives . packages such as those described herein can be designed to be foldable or substantially flat and stackable when empty of desired contents . the implementations set forth in the foregoing description do not represent all implementations consistent with the subject matter described herein . instead , they are merely non - limiting examples consistent with aspects related to the described subject matter . although a few variations have been described in detail above , other modifications or additions are possible . in particular , further features and / or variations may be provided in addition to those described . for example , the implementations described above may be directed to various combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed features and / or combinations and subcombinations of several further features disclosed above . in addition , the logic flow depicted in the accompanying figures and / or described herein do not require the particular order shown , or sequential order , to achieve desirable results . other examples , variations , and implementations may be within the scope of the following claims . | 1 |
referring to fig1 , there is shown a schematic view of a display device 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig1 , the display device 100 comprises a display panel 200 . for example , the display panel 200 is a touch panel . for example , the touch panel is an infrared touch panel . in practice , the touch panel comes in different forms , including a resistive touch panel , a capacitive touch panel , and a surface acoustic wave ( saw ) touch panel , but the present invention is not limited thereto . the display device 100 comprises the infrared touch panel 200 , a computation device 110 , and a device casing 120 . as shown in fig1 , the lid of the device casing 120 of the display device 100 is removed , and thus a user can watch the elements , such as an infrared emitter 220 and an infrared receiver 224 , beneath the lid which is otherwise in place . the infrared touch panel 200 of the display device 100 comprises a rectangular liquid crystal display device module 228 and a rectangular infrared frame 230 disposed on the liquid crystal display device module 228 . a rectangular position - detecting surface 232 is defined on the liquid crystal display device module 228 . the position - detecting surface 232 is substantially aligned with an internal region defined by the infrared frame 230 . two said infrared emitters 220 are disposed on two adjoined sides ( such as the lower side and the left side ) of the infrared frame 230 , respectively . two said infrared receivers 224 are disposed on two other adjoined sides ( such as the upper side and the right side ) of the infrared frame 230 , respectively . the infrared touch panel 200 further comprises a first control circuit 236 . the purpose of the first control circuit 236 is to allow the infrared emitters 220 to emit light beams in sequence , that is , from left to right , and from top to bottom , and allow the infrared receivers 224 to receive the light beams , respectively . due to the aforesaid arrangement , the infrared emitters 220 scan the position - detecting surface 232 in sequence , thereby forming thereon a latticed infrared light beam matrix . the aforesaid elements constitute part of the conventional infrared touch panel and are not described in detail herein for the sake of brevity . when an object is placed at a position of the position - detecting surface 232 , the object blocks a light path corresponding in position to the position . as a result , the light beams emitted from the infrared emitters 220 are prevented from being received by the infrared receivers 224 . hence , the first control circuit 236 determines the x - coordinate of the object along x - axis 240 and the y - coordinate of the object along y - axis 244 according to whether the infrared receivers 224 detect the light beams . referring to fig2 , there is shown a block diagram of the display device 100 of fig1 . the display device 100 comprises the computation device 110 , the infrared touch panel 200 , and the first control circuit 236 . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the computation device 110 is a computer . the computation device 110 comprises a central processing unit ( cpu ) 304 , a system memory 308 , and one or more i / o data ports 316 . in a preferred embodiment , the first control circuit 236 comprises a microprocessor 324 , a volatile memory ( such as sram ) 328 , and a non - volatile memory ( such as flash memory ) 332 . the display device 100 further comprises an input device 318 ( such as a keyboard ) and a loudspeaker ( not shown ). the central processing unit ( cpu ) 304 communicates with the system memory 308 through an address / data bus ( not shown ). the microprocessor 324 can be any commercially available or custom - made microprocessor . the system memory 308 includes , but is not limited to , one of sram , dram , rom , prom , eprom , eeprom , and flash memory . the aforesaid components can be conventional components , like the components of a conventional data processing system , and are configured to operate in a way described herein according to the present invention . the system memory 308 further comprises a plurality of software and data for use in the computation device 110 , namely an operating system ( not shown ); an application ( not shown ); an input / output ( i / o ) device driver ( not shown ); and data ( not shown ). the i / o device driver typically comprises a software routine whereby the i / o device driver communicates with the i / o data ports 316 , a data storage device ( not shown ), and the system memory 308 . the application executes programs for performing various functions of the computation device 110 . the data include dynamic and static data for use in displaying the application , operating system , i / o device driver and other software programs stored in memory , and a portion of the data can be displayed by the liquid crystal display device module 228 . the aforesaid components / programs can be conventional components / programs , like plenty of conventional components / programs used in a data processing system , and can be configured to operate in a manner described herein according to the present invention . the infrared touch panel 200 is a conventional infrared touch panel . since its liquid crystal screen does not generate light , it is necessary to display the liquid crystal screen by means of a backlight source . the liquid crystal display device module 228 of the infrared touch panel 200 comprises a backlight source , a light - guiding plate , a polarizing plate , liquid crystal , color film , and a polarizing plate . after the backlight source has emitted light , the light is dispersed evenly by the light - guiding plate before passing through the polarizing plate , the liquid crystal , the color film , and the polarizing plate to fall on the liquid crystal screen . the aforesaid components are part of a conventional panel and thus are not described in detail herein for the sake of brevity . a point to note is that the display panel 200 is not limited to the infrared touch panel shown in fig1 and fig2 . in practice , the display panel 200 can come in different forms , such as a touch panel , a non - touch panel , a monitor , and a television , but the present invention is not limited thereto . the infrared touch panel 200 further comprises a transparency adjusting apparatus 620 ( see fig3 ) for adjusting the display transparency of the infrared touch panel 200 , and providing a solution for solving problems facing the prior art , such as reflection and glare . referring to fig3 , there is shown a cross - sectional view of the display device 100 of fig1 , the infrared touch panel 200 , the transparency adjusting apparatus 620 , and the device casing 120 . referring to fig1 through fig3 , the infrared touch panel 200 comprises the liquid crystal display device module 228 , the infrared emitters 220 , and the infrared receivers 224 . the infrared emitters 220 emit infrared light . the infrared receivers 224 receive the infrared light and undergo light communication with the infrared receivers 224 . the infrared emitters 220 and the infrared receivers 224 form an infrared matrix in a conventional manner , so as to perform touch sensing , wherein its infrared emission direction and infrared reception direction are substantially parallel to the position - detecting surface 232 of the infrared touch panel 200 . the first control circuit 236 ( see fig1 ) receives and controls signals of the infrared emitters 220 and the infrared receivers 224 by means of a conventional circuit . a circuit board 560 is disposed at the bottom of a rear surface of the liquid crystal display device module 228 and adapted to carry the first control circuit 236 . the infrared touch panel 200 comprises a connection circuit ( not shown ) for connecting the infrared emitters 220 , the infrared receivers 224 , and the first control circuit 236 according to related prior art . the connection circuit is similar to a connection circuit and is formed by an indium tin oxide ( ito ) process in wide use . the ito process typically comprises the steps of : forming an indium tin oxide layer on the touch screen panel 228 ; and patterning the indium tin oxide layer to form the connection circuit . however , the connection circuit can also be formed by any other conventional techniques , and thus the present invention is not restrictive thereof . fig3 also shows how the liquid crystal display device module 228 and the transparency adjusting apparatus 620 are arranged inside the device casing 120 . in an embodiment , the transparency adjusting apparatus 620 is a vapor chamber which has vapor received therein and confined thereto and is disposed above the liquid crystal display device module 228 . the transparency adjusting apparatus 620 is substantially rectangular and corresponds in shape to the liquid crystal display device module 228 . the vapor chamber 620 comprises a first transparent shell 628 and a second transparent shell 624 disposed on and covering the first transparent shell 628 . the first transparent shell 628 and the second transparent shell 624 together define a sealed space 636 . the second transparent shell 624 and the first transparent shell 628 are made of a transparent material , such as glass , transparent thermosetting resins , and plastics . the first transparent shell 628 and the second transparent shell 624 are panel - shaped with a thickness of 0 . 5 mm to 2 mm , but the present invention is not limited thereto . a means of coupling the second transparent shell 624 and the first transparent shell 628 together includes , but is not limited to , adhesion , fastening , and heat sealing . the second transparent shell 624 and the first transparent shell 628 can also be integrally formed as a unitary structure to form a transparent vapor chamber body , but the present invention is not limited thereto . the vapor chamber 620 further comprises a heater 632 that includes , but is not limited to , a coil heater and a resistive heater . the heater 632 and the first transparent shell 628 are fixed to each other by being coupled together with a fastener or glued together . the details and purposes of the aforesaid components are described and explained in detail later . in an embodiment , the heater 632 is formed on the first transparent shell 628 , whereas the first transparent shell 628 and the second transparent shell 624 are arranged in a manner to face each other and sealed hermetically to form the sealed space 636 . afterward , the sealed space 636 is vacuumed to an absolute pressure approximating zero , and then a liquid ( that includes , but is not limited to , water , alcohol , ammonia , and cryogen ) is contained in the sealed space 636 of the vapor chamber 620 in a vacuum state . by controlling the quantity of the liquid , it is feasible that the boiling point of the liquid is kept in a specific range . in an embodiment where the liquid is water , the boiling point of water ranges between − 50 ° c . and 40 ° c ., and preferably between − 30 ° c . and 20 ° c . fig3 also shows that a light emitter 640 ( such as an emitting led ) and a light receiver 644 ( such as an receiving led ) are disposed on the two sides of the transparency adjusting apparatus 620 , electrically connected in the form of a closed loop , and are electrically connected to a second control circuit 536 . the second control circuit 536 can be a conventional circuit and is manufactured in the same way as the first control circuit 236 , but the present invention is not limited thereto . the second control circuit 536 receives signals from the emitting led 640 and the receiving led 644 and controls the signals thus received . the second control circuit 536 is disposed on the circuit board 560 ( disposed at the bottom of the rear surface of the liquid crystal display device module 228 ). the details and purposes of the aforesaid components are described in detail later . the first control circuit 236 and the second control circuit 536 are separate . alternatively , the first control circuit 236 and the second control circuit 536 are integrated to form a single circuit . referring to fig4 , there is shown a cross - sectional view of the display device 100 according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig4 , the display panel 200 of the display device 100 is a non - touch panel . for example , the non - touch panel comes in various forms , but the present invention is not limited thereto . referring to fig5 , there is shown a schematic view of the operation of the transparency adjusting apparatus 620 of the display device 100 ( see fig3 ), such as the operation of a vapor chamber , according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig3 and fig5 , the display panel 200 of the display device 100 is an infrared touch panel . the vapor chamber 620 is manufactured in the way described above . the boiling point of the water in the vapor chamber 620 ranges between − 50 ° c . and 40 ° c ., preferably between − 30 ° c . and 20 ° c ., or is − 10 ° c ., for example . at room temperature , such as 25 ° c ., the vapor chamber 620 is filled with transparent water vapor , and thus the vapor chamber 620 is transparent , thereby permitting the free passage of light . after the vapor chamber 620 manufactured in the way described above has been installed on the display device 100 , adjustment of the transparency of the vapor chamber 620 requires starting the heater 632 to heat the sealed space 636 defined by the vapor chamber 620 ; as a result , not only does the saturation pressure of the water vapor in the vapor chamber 620 increase , but the boiling point of water at room temperature also increases ( such as 40 ° c . ), and in consequence vapor condenses on the second transparent shell 624 to form a condensed layer 700 . the condensed layer 700 reduces the transparency of the second transparent shell 624 in a variable manner . referring to fig5 , a light emitter 640 , a light receiver 644 , and the second control circuit 536 operate in conjunction with each other by a common conventional technique so as to measure the transparency of the vapor chamber 620 and send transparency - related data to the first control circuit 236 . the first control circuit 236 gives feedback to the heater 632 and thereby controls the saturation pressure of the vapor chamber 620 . therefore , the transparency of the vapor chamber 620 is controlled effectively and precisely . referring to fig6 , there is shown a schematic view of the operation of the transparency adjusting apparatus 620 for the display device 100 ( see fig4 ), such as the operation of a vapor chamber , according to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig4 and fig6 , the display panel 200 of the display device 100 is a non - touch panel , wherein vapor condenses on the second transparent shell 624 to form a condensed layer 710 . the condensed layer 710 reduces the transparency of the second transparent shell 624 in a variable manner . referring to fig7 , there is shown a schematic view of the transparency adjusting apparatus 620 provided in the form of a self - contained device according to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig7 , the transparency adjusting apparatus 620 is directly coupled to the screen of a display device 720 . alternatively , the top end of the transparency adjusting apparatus 620 is coupled to a strip ( not shown ) with a hook ( not shown ), wherein the hook is fastened to a hole ( not shown ) behind the screen . alternatively , the transparency adjusting apparatus 620 is coupled to , and is confined to , the screen of the display device 720 by a frame ( not shown ), thereby effectuating transparency adjustment . the transparency adjusting apparatus 620 further comprises a universal serial bus ( usb ). the transparency adjusting apparatus 620 is connected to the display device 720 via the universal serial bus ( usb ) by a conventional technique , so as to achieve transparency adjustment . the universal serial bus ( usb ) is part of the related prior art and thus is not described in detail herein for the sake of brevity . due to its aforesaid design , the present invention achieves an anti - reflection anti - glare effect , features a simple manufacturing process , adjusts the transparency of a display device surface precisely , and reduces its etching / coating process significantly , thereby providing an environmentally friendly solution . the foregoing preferred embodiments are provided to illustrate and disclose the technical features of the present invention , and are not intended to be restrictive of the scope of the present invention . hence , all equivalent variations or modifications made to the foregoing embodiments without departing from the spirit embodied in the disclosure of the present invention should fall within the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims . | 6 |
the movable clamping member used in the present invention is a simple , easy - to - manufacture roller , which on the one hand functions as deflector surface for the belt band , and on the other hand effects a safe lock for the latter by its special , i . e . eccentric support provided in the event of load acceleration . with an increased pullback force acting on the belt band when using the clamping device with a deflector fitting or on actuating an automatic locking system when using the clamping device with an automatic roll - up device , the roller is pressed with great force against the stationary clamping surface , dependent on the roller eccentric support and resultant leverage conditions , so that any further belt pull - off is impossible . on slackening the increased load , or on releasing the automatic roll - up device the roller under spring load is automatically swiveled back to the released position for belt pull - out or reel - in without restriction from the clamping device . a considerably simplified design is produced by mounting a stop pin on the roller , which to a limited extent is swivelable in the side walls of a u - fitting and simultaneously serves as an abutment for the spring , which latter keeps the roller away from the stationary clamping surface . the invention is explained with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings and described below . fig1 - 4 a belt band clamping device is shown in conjunction with a deflector fitting which , e . g . can be mounted to swivel on a motor vehicular vertical member . the deflector fitting is u - shaped with a base plate 1 having two side walls 2 and 3 . the substantially triangular base plate 1 is mounted to swivel at its center on the motor vehicular frame . a cylindrical roller 5 has an external surface friction coefficient lower than that of the textile - web belt band 6 . roller 5 is supported in openings 8 of sidewalls 2 and 3 by means of bearing pins 7 , which are pressed eccentrically to the roller axis into the ends of roller 5 . a stop pin 9 eccentric to the roller axis is pressed into an end of roller 5 . stop pin 9 extends into a slot 10 in sidewall 2 , to be guided there to a limited swiveling extent . thereby , the roller 5 can carry out only a preset limited swiveling motion around the swivel axis , i . e . around bearing pins 7 . sidewalls 2 and 3 are provided with rounded edges designated as 11 and 12 to prevent any damaging engagement of belt band 6 with the edges . a brake pin 13 is mounted on sidewall 2 and projects , as does bearing pin 7 , from the outer boundaries of sidewall 2 and serves as an abutment for a leaf type spring 14 . spring 14 is prestressed against the roller stop pin 9 , which also projects from the outer boundary surface of sidewall 2 , and pushes roller 5 against the edge of slot 10 furthest from base plate 1 into a released position . a gap remains between roller 5 and base plate 1 permitting belt band 6 to run freely without touching the base plate or touching a clamping surface 15 of clamping piece 16 . as shown in fig2 the belt 6 loops around roller 5 at an angle a . belt band section 6 &# 39 ; vertically runs to an automatic roll - up device mounted adjacent to the motor vehicular floor while belt band section 6 &# 34 ; runs outward at a slant to protect the seat occupant , and then is fixed at its free end to a belt lock . when the belt band is in normal use , i . e . putting on the belt band 6 around the occupant , and with a normal motion associated therewith , the belt runs freely on roller 5 , which -- as shown in fig2 -- is kept in a released position by spring 14 . with a suddenly produced load acceleration , e . g . in case of a crash , the belt section 6 &# 34 ; is forcefully pulled in the direction of the arrow shown in fig2 . dependent on the load acting on belt , 6 the roller 5 is swiveled against clamping surface 15 . as a result , belt 6 is locked and braked between roller 5 or its rounded deflector surface 5 &# 39 ; and clamping surface 15 . the swiveling motion of roller 5 may follow after the automatic lock in the roll - up automatic device has been actuated . in the exemplified embodiment the clamping piece 16 has a rectangular shape and is made of an elastic material with nonskid characteristics exceeding that of belt 6 . a slot 17 is molded or engraved into a fitting base plate 1 to mount clamping piece 16 . the clamping piece 16 is friction locked , vulcanized or glued into slot 17 . on slackening of the suddenly produced load on belt section 6 &# 39 ; and upon release of belt 6 in the automatic roll - up device , the roller 5 automatically reswivels into the release position as shown in fig2 . in the embodiment according to fig5 a deflector surface for belt band 6 is formed by using a smoothed - down roller 5 &# 39 ; with a radius r . bearing pins 7 in roller 5 &# 39 ; are arranged eccentrically to the roller axis . the round surface of roller 5 &# 39 ; forms a deflector surface as well as swivelable clamping surface for belt band 6 . in the embodiment according to fig6 - 10 , e . g . a deflector device 19 is mounted on the vehicular frame beneath belt drum 18 of ( not shown ) automatic roll - up device . deflector device 19 has a base plate 20 and two u - shaped sidewalls 21 on which a roller 23 is eccentrically mounted by means of bearing pin 22 . the roller 23 is pushed into the release position by a spring 26 against a stop pin 24 . spring 26 is supported by bearing pin 22 and the extended end of a transverse bar 25 . the stop pin 24 is guided in an oblong , circular - cambered limit slot 27 in one of the sidewalls 21 , which limits the swiveling motion of roller 23 . the transverse spar 25 carried in rectangular supporting recesses 28 of sidewalls 21 serves as carrier for a clamping piece 29 , which preferably , too , consists of an elastic , nonskid strong material , and is glued on , clipped on or vulcanized onto transverse bar 25 . in this embodiment a sleeve 30 is slidingly slipped onto roller 23 . the above - described device works in similar fashion to that of the first exemplified embodiment . following the lock - up of belt drum 18 of the ( not shown ) automatic roll - up device , an increased load is put on the belt band , which is partially looped around roller 23 in the direction of the arrow as shown in fig6 and 7 . this increased load is transmitted to roller 23 which counters or overcomes the load of spring 26 and because roller 23 has an eccentric support , is swiveled from a release position according to fig6 back into a clamping position according to fig7 with immediate interlocking of belt 6 with the surface of clamping piece 29 . the embodiment according to fig1 and 12 exemplifies of lightweight construction an automatic roll - up device generally designated as 32 plus a clamping device generally designated as 33 . the u - shaped fittings 32 &# 39 ; and 33 &# 39 ; of both automatic roll - up and clamping devices can be in one piece or comprise separate fitting components , which are interconnected . clamping device 33 is similar to the clamping device shown with reference to fig6 - 10 and described above , and is equipped with a roller 23 , which is eccentrically supported on the sidewalls , and with a transverse bar 25 having a clamping piece 29 , a stop pin 24 and spring 26 . belt drum 18 is rotatably supported between u - shape bent - down sidewalls of fitting 32 &# 39 ; of automatic roll - up device 32 , and is coupled with a reel - back spring 34 , which is fitted into a housing ( not shown in any detail ). on the other side of fitting 32 &# 39 ;, i . e . the opposite sidewall , the belt drum 18 is rotatably connected to ratchet wheel 35 with fine indentations 36 . ratchet wheel 35 , in operational connection with a release system generally designated as 37 , has a solid ball 38 and a catch lever 39 . with a torque increase at belt 6 in the direction of the arrow , as shown in fig1 , the catch lever 39 is lifted upward by the shifted solid ball 38 and moves its point into ratchet lock 36 , which locks up belt drum 18 . as a result , roller 23 with its deflector - and clamping surfaces is swiveled against clamping piece 29 , which effects an immediate lock - up and complete braking of belt band 6 . increased loads boost the compression force effective between movable and stationary clamping surfaces . with the clamping device assuming the load , the belt drum 18 of automatic roll - up device 32 and , indeed , the entire roll - up - and lock - up system is relieved of the load . eccentric roller power - and work arm leverages can be adapted to any given magnitude by the eccentric support of roller 23 with reference to roller center or roller axis . in fig1 the power and work leverages effective on system actuation are indicated . in this case coercive force w equates the product of μ times normal force n , whereby torque f times the lever arm d of a force equals the product of normal force n and lever arm e , and torque f is lower than the product of μ times normal force n . in fig1 a simple solution of an interconnection between automatic roll - up device 40 and clamping device 41 is shown . therein the center lines of belt drum 42 and eccentrically supported roller 43 are supported by a single fitting component 44 inclined at an angle f with reference to the vertical . a clamping piece 45 in a punched - in type manufactured slot is mounted on the base plate of a fitting part 44 . on loadings , the belt band 6 can be pulled out through an inclination of this system at an angle f without exercising any notable force on belt drum 42 . with this arrangement a transverse bar used as a carrier for a clamping piece can be omitted . on loadings the roller 43 can be pressed against clamping piece 45 or directly against the surface of the fitting 44 . fig1 shows the low - friction support of a belt band deflector surface forming sleeve 46 of a roller 47 , which is eccentrically supported on a bearing shaft 48 . bearing shaft 48 is solidly pressed into the fitting sidewalls 2 and 3 and , e . g . protected by safety disks . the roller 47 at its opposing front ends has ring groove for forming tracks for roller bearings , e . g . balls 49 , which are guided in cages . at its opposing front ends the sleeve 46 is equipped with matching profile channels . the described arrangement is axially protected by lateral cover disks 51 and 52 and externally capped against dirt penetration . | 1 |
the invention provides a unique system for providing a post tension system resistant to corrosion . each tendon typically comprises an exterior sheath surrounding at least two strands formed with a material such as carbon steel . fig1 illustrates a sectional view wherein a mono - strand wire tendon 10 , formed with individual wire strands 12 about center wire 14 , is positioned within first sheath 16 . one or more wire strands 12 are helically wrapped about center wire strand 14 and form helical grooves on the exterior surface of cable 10 . such helical grooves are cumulatively identified as shaped annulus 18 defining the space between tendon 10 and the interior cylindrical surface of first sheath 16 . because wire strands 12 are circular in cross - section , spaces between adjacent wire strands 12 and center wire 14 are cumulatively identified as cable interior interstices 20 . as shown in fig1 , annulus 18 and interstices 20 are filled with corrosion resistant material 22 . grease or another suitable material can be used for corrosion resistant material 22 to eliminate air pockets and to resist water intrusion into contact with wire strands 22 . by filling annulus 18 with a lubricant or corrosion resistant material 22 , the interior surface of first sheath 16 can be substantially cylindrical in one embodiment of the invention . fig2 and 3 illustrate second sheath 26 formed about first sheath 16 . annulus 28 is formed between second sheath 26 and first sheath 16 and is filled with a lubricant 30 to facilitate sliding movement therebetween . lubricant 30 can comprise a corrosion resistant material similar to material 22 . grease or another lubricant is place on the outer surface of the seven strand wire tendon adjacent to the elastromeric sheath to resist corrosion created by air and water infiltration between the tendon and the sheath . in fig2 annulus 28 is substantially cylindrical . in fig3 first sheath 16 is tightly formed about the exterior surface of tendon 10 and helical grooves , filled with corrosion resistant material , are formed in the exterior surface of the first sheath 16 . this feature preferably uses a material for first sheath 16 having a thickness less than then ten mils . conventional membranes are typically twenty - five mils thick for regular systems and forty mils thick for high corrosion resistant , encapsulated systems . by providing a slim first sheath 16 about tendon 10 to create grooves in the exterior surface of first sheath 16 , corrosion resistant material 30 can be stored in annulus 28 to resist intrusion by water of other contamination into contact with first sheath 16 or tendon 10 . fig4 illustrates post - tension anchor comprising base 30 having shaped aperture 32 . base 30 is formed with a cast metal material suitable for handling large compressive loads . sheath 34 can be attached to base 30 in one embodiment of the invention and includes cylindrical extension 36 having a contact end 38 distal from base 30 . contact end 38 is preferably at least four inches distal from base 32 , however shorter or longer lengths are possible within the usable scope of the invention . the inner surface of contact end 38 is preferably circular in cross - section for contacting the exterior surface of tendon 10 as tendon 10 is inserted through cylindrical extension 36 and base aperture 32 . seal 40 can be positioned between contact end 38 and tendon 10 to restrict liquid intrusion into the inside of the cylindrical extension 36 . cap 42 has threads 44 engaged with threadform 46 on sheath 34 . cap 42 includes shaped end 48 configured to facilitate rotatable engagement and disengagement of cap 42 relative to sheath 34 . as illustrated , shaped end 48 can be a polygonal configuration such as a hexagonal or other shaped form suitable for engagement with a socket wrench . in other embodiments of the invention shaped end can be configured to be engagable with different drive mechanisms such as screwdrivers , wrenches , pliers and other devices . grease 50 can be positioned within cap 42 to seal the end of tendon 10 placed therein . in one embodiment of the invention threads 44 can include a double start lead to facilitate attachment of cap 42 to sheath 34 . the double start lead can comprise threads having different sizes and pitches to provide different make - up characteristics . fig5 illustrates cap 42 and base 30 in expanded position and displays cap 42 having different threadforms 52 and 54 for selective engagement with correlating threadforms on sheath 34 . as shown in fig6 , cap 42 can also have indicator tab 56 which flares upwardly when cap 42 is fully engaged with base 30 . such feature provides a visual indication of full engagement and an effective watertight seal between cap 42 and base 30 . as also can be seen in fig5 , the extension 36 , having seal 40 therein at the distal end 38 is formed integrally with the sheath 34 . fig4 illustrates the installation of wedges 58 in contact with tendon 10 and base 30 . wedges 58 are installed into such position after cap 42 has been removed from engagement with sheath 34 and base 30 . the invention permits wedges 58 to be installed directly against first sheath 16 or second sheath 26 of cable 10 so that wedges 58 contact wire strands 12 with minimal disruption to sheaths 16 or 26 . this feature of the invention reduces the amount of wire strands 12 requiring field repair and sealant and significantly reduces installation time and possibility of corrosion base upon failure of such field repairs . because cap 42 is reusable , cap 42 can be reinstalled with base 30 to seal the interior of base 30 . alternatively , another structure such as ring cap 60 can be positioned over tendon 10 to seal the interior of base 30 as shown in fig6 . fig7 illustrates in exploded detail cap extension 62 integrated within cap 42 . cap extension 62 can also comprise a separate component attached to cap 42 with snap connections , tape , threadforms , or other techniques . cap extension 62 provides the function of extending the useful length of cap 42 , thereby permitting a longer length of tendon ( not shown ) to extend beyond wedges 58 within base 30 as illustrated in fig8 . extension end 64 can be open as illustrated to permit the passage of tendon 10 therethrough or can be closed . lock nut 66 having threadform 68 can be engaged with threadform 70 on cap extension 62 to retail a pocketformer or other apparatus or to provide a closure for the open end of extension end 64 . an example of a cap extension 62 is shown in fig1 as a separate element coupled to the cap by means of threads 73 such that the extension may be selectively engaged with the cap 42 . fig9 illustrates another embodiment of cap extension 72 wherein extension tube 74 has threadform 76 and seal 78 . lock ring 80 has threadform 82 for engagement with base 30 and for retaining extension tube 74 in a fixed position relative to base 30 . the combination of lock ring 80 and extension tube 74 significantly facilitates manufacture of extension 72 . the invention provides superior anti - corrosion protection through the entire tendon length and especially near the point of engagement with post - tension anchors . the sheath materials for tendon 10 can be selected from material classes such as nylon , polymers , metals , or other organic or inorganic or mineral or synthetic materials . an outer second sheath can be formed with a tough material resistant to punctures and stretching damage , while an interior first sheath can be formed with another material for retaining the corrosion resistant material . the configuration of base 30 permits installation and tensioning of tendon 10 without removal of sheath 16 from tendon 10 at the location of base 30 . by avoiding the disturbance of the manufactured sheath 16 , the most sensitive point of corrosion is completely eliminated . the configuration of the caps and pocket formers described in cooperation with base 30 significantly reduces labor time and cost and provides superior reliability during installation . such reliability reduces field damage to post tension components and the possibility of corrosion resulting from such damage , and eliminates the need for costly and unreliable field repairs . although the invention has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments , it will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that modifications and improvements can be made to the inventive concepts herein without departing from the scope of the invention . the embodiments shown herein are merely illustrative of the inventive concepts and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention | 8 |
as discussed above , this invention relates to removing particulate from product matter . a typical example of such is removing particulate from grain in an elevator . fig1 illustrates schematically the movement of product in an elevator . typically , at a receiving and shipping facility , product will be poured in a dump pit with gravity discharge to bucket elevator 12 . the bucket elevator 12 lifts the product to elevator head 18 where the grain is gravity spouted through swivel chute 26 or stationary spouting to tracking shoe 16 where it is discharged onto belt conveyor 10 . the belt conveyor conveys the product to its proper storage bin . the chute 14 from the elevator head 18 will terminate in the tracking shoe 16 . the tracking shoe causes the grain or product to move along the same direction as conveyor belt 10 . chute 14 is a conveyor . tracking shoe 16 is a discharge transition upon the product conveyor or chute 14 . the bucket elevator 12 ( fig2 and 3 ) is also a conveyor which lifts the product to the elevator head 18 which has discharge transition 24 known as a horse head . the product is discharged from individual buckets 20 into the discharge transition 24 ( fig2 ). the structure of the discharge transition 24 is also known as a transitional housing . often , in an elevator , the product will move from the discharge transition 24 into gravity distributing chute ( turn head ) 26 . the turn head 26 is a product conveyor which is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis which is coaxial with discharge transition 24 . the lower , terminal of the turn head will be at down spout 28 which is a discharge chute . from down spout 28 , the product will be feed into pipes 30 which are set into the floor of the head house structure . some of the pipes 30 will lead into bins 22 for storage and some of the pipes 30 will lead into transport means such as railroad cars . as the discharge chutes or transitions have been described above , i . e ., the tracking shoe , the horse head , or the down spout , it will be noted that they are all enclosed spouts or closed conveyors and that they will all have a cross section normal to the flow of product . analysis will show that if the pipe 30 leads to bin 22 , that as the product is fed into the bin that it will discharge air from the bin . therefore , there will be a flow of air upward from the bin which flow will be through the down spout 28 ( the down spout forms a close fit to the pipe 30 .) therefore , if the particulate is sucked off at this point , there will be a flow of air from the bin which aids the sucking of the air , and again , it is not necessary for a fan to move the air in the opposite direction from what is otherwise the normal flow of air . those with ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the structure described to this point is old , well known , and thousands of examples of such are in operation in the united states . according to this invention , a power vent or particulate pipe 32 is attached to the discharge transition for removing particulate from the product . the particulate pipe has two principle part or sections , intake section 34 and fan section 40 ( fig2 , 6 , and 7 ). intake section 34 is attached as by welding to the discharge transition . intake section 34 is connected to side 36 of the elevator head 18 at discharge transition 24 ( fig2 and 3 ). i . e ., it is attached to a vertical surface . it is desirable that the intake section angle at a 60 ° angle to horizontal and to product flow . thus , analysis shows that heavier material which might be sucked into the intake section by the suction will tend to fall by gravity back into the discharge transition while lighter particulate will be sucked up by aluminum ( spark proof ) fan 38 . the fan 38 is in the fan section 40 . rectangular flange 42 is attached to the discharge end of the intake section 34 . mating rectangular flange 44 is attached to the intake end of the fan section 40 . these two flanges , 42 and 44 , are connected together by pin 46 located through hinges 48 on each side of each of the rectangular flanges . therefore , it may be seen that for service that a workman can readily pull one pin 46 and rotate the fan section 40 about the other pin 46 onto walkway 49 ( fig3 and 7 ). it will be understood that the two hinges 48 are identical so that the fan section may be rotated either to the right or left , whichever is more convenient for the workman . also , it will be understood that both pins 46 could be pulled and the fan section removed completely . the axial vane fan 38 with electric one horse power explosion proof motor 50 are located within the fan section 40 . the motor 50 is mounted upon platform 52 inside the fan section . the motor 50 is upstream from the fan 38 . the electrical wiring for the motor extends outward to run through conduit 54 to junction box 56 mounted outside the section 40 . from there , the wiring extends to a stop - start disconnect box 58 . from there , the wiring extends to a source of electrical power . inspection plate 60 is attached to the fan section 40 . for minor maintenance or routine inspection , the inspection plate 60 may be removed . the fan 38 is directly connected to the output shaft of motor 50 . the fan 38 is coaxial with fan section 40 which is also coaxial with the intake section 34 . both the fan section and intake section are circular cross section pipes . the intake section 34 is fluidly connected to the discharge transition by intake port 62 . the intake port will be the size of the intersection of the particulate pipe 32 and the discharge transition . i . e ., the cross sectional area of the air from the discharge transition to the motor 50 is constant . it neither increases nor decreases . as explained above , it is necessary for the velocity of the air within the particulate pipe 32 to be about 2 , 000 feet per minute for the particulate to remain in suspension . it the intake port is to remove any particulate from the stream of product that pass through the discharge transition , it is necessary the intake port 62 be in proximity to the stream or flow of the product . it has been determined that it is necessary for the cross sectional area of particulate pipe 32 to be at least 1 / 4 of the cross sectional area of the discharge transition . when the term &# 34 ; cross sectional area of the discharge transition &# 34 ; is used herein , it is meant the cross sectional area normal to the flow or stream of product through the discharge transition . for manufacturing procedures , it is desirable that standard fan sections be made with standard one horse power explosion proof motors ( 3 , 600 rpm ) and aluminum ( spark proof ) axial fans . in some instances , they will produce suction at the intake port which picks up the product . this is particularly true if the product being handled is oats , the oat kernel being particularly light . therefore , it is desired to be able to reduce the suction at the intake port 62 . this could be done by using a slower motor or a fan with shorter blades . to make the adjustment to meet the desires of any operator and so that it may be readily adjustable in the field , i prefer to place bleed vent or excess air gate 64 into the fan section 40 . the bleed vent 64 is a pipe which connects into the particulate pipe 32 upstream of the fan 38 . it is desirable that it connect into the fan section 40 at a 30 ° angle to minimize turbulence . bleed vent 64 has pivoted gate 66 therein . the pivot of the gate is parallel to the axis of bleed vent 64 near the periphery thereof . the pivot is in the form of a simple threaded bolt 68 so that when gate 66 is opened a desired amount to permit sufficient bleed air to enter , it may be clamped to position by tightening the bolt 68 . it will be understood that the fan blows a certain amount of air . all the air coming through the bleed vent will be diverted from the air entering from the intake port , thereby reducing the suction at the intake port . reducing the suction will limit the material picked up to particulate and avoid picking up whole kernels of product . the preferred embodiment of this invention does not include any straightening vane within either the intake section 34 or the fan section 40 . therefore , the fan not only forms a means for moving air through the particulate pipe 32 at about 2 , 000 feet per minute , but also forms means for causing a helical or cycloning flow of air through the pipes . helical or cycloning flow is desired in this usage to prevent the particulate from sticking to the walls of the dust particulate pipe 32 . also , the helical flow will aid in separating heavier product from the lighter particulate . it is preferred to move the air under positive pressure whenever possible and to avoid moving the air by suction . therefore , the fan is placed as close as possible to the intake port 62 , yet leaving sufficient room for whatever separation and the like might occur before the fan . through experience , it has been determined that it is desirable to have the fan more than four pipe diameters from the intake port 62 and less than 20 pipe diameters from the intake port 62 . the pipe diameter in this case means the diameter of the particulate tube 34 . it will be noted that the two sections of the particulate pipe 34 are the same diameter . the preferred distance of the fan from the port is eight diameters . from the fan section 40 , the particulate entrained in the air stream is moved to particulate separation or dust bin 70 . it is desirable that the particulate separation bin 70 be located at a lower elevation than the elevator head 18 . therefore , the pipe leading from the fan section to the particulate separation bin 70 is angled downward as soon as possible . to decrease friction to a minimum and thereby conserve power , as long a radius of piping as possible is used . therefore , large radius elbow 72 is connected to the end of the fan section . of course , the physical limitations within each head house of each elevator will require different connections . as soon as the long radius elbow 72 is complete then discharge spout 74 extends onto the tail pipe 75 . it will be understood that normally the exhaust from a plurality of fan sections would be gathered into a single tail pipe 75 . these transitions would often deviate from a standard transition by being tangential transition to induce helical flow into the tail pipe . the tail pipe diameter would increase so that the tail pipe cross sectional area would be at least the sum of the cross sectional areas of all the discharge spouts 74 which joined into it . i . e ., that the velocity in the tail pipe 75 would be no greater than the velocity of the air in the discharge spout 74 and no greater than the particulate pipe 32 . those with skill in the art will recognize that the fan section 40 pipe connected to the long radius elbow 72 upon turn head 26 must move relative to the other piping . those with ordinary skill in the art will understand that a rotational or movably joints such as a section of flexible sock 76 could be used to provide this flexibility . the flexible sock 76 would connect to long radius elbow 72 . the particulate separation bin 70 has tangential entry transition 78 ( fig9 ). the entry transition 78 would have an elongated rectangular opening into the bin . the entry transition 78 would have at least the cross sectional area of the tail pipe 75 leading into it and perhaps even more ; e . g ., 20 % greater area than the tail pipe . the particulate separation bin would have a circular cross sectional area which was equal to about 30 times the cross sectional area of the tail pipe 75 . the particulate separation bin 70 would include three sections ; a cylindrical section 80 , a roof section 82 , and a tapered section 84 . the cylindrical section 80 would preferably have a cross sectional area no greater than 36 times the cross sectional area of the tail pipe . roof section 82 would have an apex 83 coaxial with the cylindrical section 80 . air exhaust stack 86 would extend through the apex of the roof . the stack would have a cross sectional area at least four times the cross sectional area of the tail pipe 75 . analysis will show that the velocity in the stack will be less than 500 feet per minute . the tail pipe and the stack would both have a circular cross section . the stack 86 would extend below the apex 83 of the roof 82 at least two times the stack diameter . the stack height above the roof apex 83 is at least five times the stack diameter . the top of the stack would have a standard rain cap 88 and exhaust diffuser 90 . the stack from a particulate bin as described above will discharge air which is sufficient in most areas to meet environmental requirements . however , a slight amount of particulate will still be present in the air . if it is desired to further reduce the particulate discharged from the stack , a particulate bag 92 may be placed inside the stack . in such cases , an inspection door 94 is placed in the stack so that repairmen may have access to the particulate bag . it is desired that a shaker mechanism 98 be attached to the top of this particulate bag 92 to shake the bag so that the thicker particles may be shaken loose from the bag to fall within the particulate bin 70 . the tapered bottom section 84 of the particulate bin 70 will be tapered at an angle of 60 ° to horizontal so that particulate will slide to the bottom to be collected by auger conveyor 96 to be disposed of . the particulate is collected within the particulate bin and stored within the particulate bin 70 until it is removed by operation of the auger conveyor 96 . the particulate from the particulate bin may be disposed of by conventional means . one commercial use for particulate from grain is to be pelleted and used as animal feed . in some areas it is considered ecologically permissible that the fan section outlet of the particulate pipe 32 be vented to the atmosphere . therefore , although it is preferred that the discharge from the fan section be piped to a particulate bin 70 to separate the particulate from the air , this is not a commercial requirement in all cases . the embodiment shown and described above is only exemplary . i do not claim to have invented all the parts , elements or steps described . various modifications can be made in the construction , material , arrangement , and operation , and still be within the scope of my invention . the restrictive description and drawings of the specific examples above do not point out what an infringement of this patent would be , but are to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention . the limits of the invention and the bounds of the patent protection are measured by and defined in the following claims . | 1 |
fig1 and 2 illustrate the form of the horseshoe blank 10 prior to being bent into the conventional c shape shown in fig7 and 8 . typically , horseshoe blanks are forged while in a linear configuration on die sets such as described in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 679 , 906 , and it is appreciated that the particular method for forming a horseshoe in accord with the invention should not be construed to limit the inventive concepts . a horseshoe utilizing the inventive concepts may be made by casting techniques as well as forging , swaging , or by other conventional metalworking processes . the blank 10 is of an elongated linear configuration usually formed of steel , or an aluminum alloy , having excellent wear characteristics . the blank 10 comprises the body 12 which includes a hoof engaging face 14 which is of a generally planar configuration , and remains planar after forming the blank into the finished c shaped configuration . the ground engaging face 16 of the body 12 is oppositely disposed to the face 14 , and the body 12 also includes an outer side 18 which becomes the convex front side of the finished horseshoe , and an inner side 20 which becomes the inner or rear side of the finished shoe . the ends 22 of the body 12 are preferably radiused as illustrated . a front central portion of the blank 10 is defined at 24 , and a rear central portion is formed at 26 . a line substantially bisecting the portions 24 and 26 defines the horseshoe longitudinal axis 28 represented in fig7 . the primary frictional engagement between the horseshoe and the earth is due to the presence of four ribs 30 , 32 , 34 and 36 , fig3 . these ribs extend the length of the body 12 , fig1 and are spaced across the width of the ground engaging face 16 between sides 18 and 20 . the rib 30 is of the greatest vertical or height dimension and constitutes a &# 34 ; grab &# 34 ; defined at the periphery of the shaped horseshoe . the apices of the ribs 30 , 32 , 34 and 36 are indicated by numerals 38 , 40 , 42 and 44 , respectively , and as will be appreciated from the drawings the rib apices are sharp for ease of ground and earth penetration . with particular reference to fig3 - 6 , the grab rib 30 is defined by the body outer side 18 which intersects the surface 46 at the apex 38 . rib 32 is formed by intersecting converging surfaces 48 and 50 , while rib 34 is defined by converging surfaces 52 and 54 and rib 36 is formed by converging and intersecting surfaces 56 and 58 . the surfaces 46 and 48 , and 54 and 56 , intersect to define a valley , and the included angle defined by these intersecting surfaces is , preferably , greater than 50 ° to facilitate self - cleaning of dirt entering these valleys . a flat dividing surface 60 is centrally formed between the body sides 18 and 20 , and is of a planar configuration parallel to the hoof engaging face 14 . the dividing surface 60 separates the ribs 32 and 34 , is not prone to trap dirt between these spaced ribs , and a plurality of nail holes 61 extend through the dividing surface 60 for receiving the nails for attaching the horseshoe to the horse &# 39 ; s hoof in the known manner . in order to reduce the weight of the blank 10 the spacing between the faces 14 and 16 is relatively small , and this reduction in mass of the body 12 weakens the strength of the horseshoe body 12 with respect to lateral forces . as the horseshoe body 12 is primarily subjected to the compressive forces resulting from the weight of the horse and rider such compressive forces perpendicular to the plane of the hoof engaging face 14 are not inclined to deform the shoe . however , lateral forces imposed upon the shoe during rapid and tight turns by the horse during barrel racing , for instance , impose such forces as to &# 34 ; open &# 34 ; the c shaped configuration of the horseshoe nailed upon the hoof . to resist such lateral deformation the horseshoe of the invention includes homogeneous reinforcing bars 62 and 64 defined upon the ground engaging face 16 . as will be apparent from fig7 the reinforcing bars 62 and 64 are located upon opposite sides of the longitudinal axis 28 , and define the termination of the front central portion 24 and the rear central portion 26 . the bars 62 and 64 are obliquely related to each other when the horseshoe is in the form of the blank 10 , fig1 in order that the reinforcing bars will be properly related to each other in the finished horseshoe c shaped configuration of fig7 . each reinforcing bar includes a front end 66 which intersects the body outer or front side 18 , and each reinforcing bar includes a rear end 68 which intersects the blank rear or inner side 20 . the free or lowermost surface 70 of the reinforcing bars is parallel to the face 14 and the surfaces 70 define the vertical dimension or height of the reinforcing bars . as will be appreciated from fig2 and 6 , the height of the reinforcing bars 62 and 64 is less than the height of the outer sides 18 as defined by the face 18 and the apex 38 . the lateral sides of the reinforcing bars are represented at 71 . the oblique angles of the reinforcing bars 62 and 64 as defined upon the blank 10 , fig1 are such that when the blank 10 is formed into the c configuration of fig7 the bars 62 and 64 are almost parallel to each other and the longitudinal axis 28 . this locating of the mass of the bars 62 and 64 upon opposite sides of the axis 28 , and at the region of the horseshoe wherein lateral bending and deformation are most likely to occur , reinforces the formed horseshoe at the most critical locations to prevent the &# 34 ; spreading &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; opening &# 34 ; of the horseshoe and prevents damage from being inflicted upon the horse , s hoof without adding significant mass and weight to the horseshoe . as the dirt and soil will be forced against the reinforcing bar lateral sides 71 during turning there is a tendency for the dirt to pack against the reinforcing bars . however , it has been discovered that by slotting the front outer side 18 as will be appreciated from fig2 and 8 , wherein a major slot 72 is formed on the outside of the associated reinforcing bar , and a minor slot 74 is located inside of the reinforcing bar that the presence of these slots permits the soil trapped against the reinforcing bars to fall free and render the horseshoe configuration self - cleaning adjacent the bars . the slot surfaces 76 have a height from the hoof engaging face 14 less than the height of the reinforcing bars 62 and 64 as defined by the surfaces 70 , and the slots 72 are outwardly defined by the slot ends 78 while the inner slots 74 are inwardly defined by the terminating slot ends 80 . by way of example , the relationships of the various components described above , dimensionally , may be appreciated . for instance , when forging the blank 10 to form a size 2 horseshoe the overall length of the blank 10 will be approximately 13 inches , while the width of the body 12 is approximately 3 / 4 of an inch . the height dimension of the grab rib 30 as defined between the apex 38 and the face 14 is 3 / 8 of an inch , and this is the maximum height dimension of the shoe . the apices 40 , 42 and 44 lie within a common plane which is 1 / 4 of an inch from the face 14 , and the surface 70 of the reinforcing bars 62 and 64 is 5 / 16 of an inch from the face 14 . the dividing surface 60 is located 1 / 8 of an inch from the face 14 as is the intersection of the surfaces 46 and 48 , and 54 and 56 . accordingly , it will be appreciated from the above dimensions that the vertical height of the grab rib 38 is 50 % greater than the vertical height of the ribs 32 , 34 and 36 . as will be appreciated from fig3 and 6 , the surface 58 which forms the apex 44 of rib 36 also intersects the body inner side 20 , and the dimensions of the body 12 are such that the surface 58 provides additional mass &# 34 ; behind &# 34 ; the rib 36 to support the rib and strengthen the same against deformation . forming the blank 10 from its elongated configuration to the c shaped configuration of fig7 is readily accomplished within bending dies , and it will be understood that various sizes of horseshoes will use longer or shorter blanks depending on the desired final configuration . by making the shoe 3 / 4 of an inch wide between sides 18 and 20 the shoe tends to float on soft sandy surfaces , and by using sharp apices on the ribs excellent traction is provided on harder ground . as the reinforcing bars 62 and 64 divide the ground engaging face 16 into three portions , and as the presence of the slots 72 and 74 discourages accumulation of soil adjacent the reinforcing bars , the self - cleaning aspects of the horseshoe assure reduced weight at the horse &# 39 ; s hoof , and by maintaining at least a 50 ° included angle between the ribs the tendency for soil to accumulate between the ribs is reduced . of course , the spacing provided by the dividing surface 60 is also helpful in this respect . as described above , locating the reinforcing bars 62 and 64 at those locations most likely to deform the horseshoe under lateral forces permits the horseshoe to be strengthened at the most efficient locations without adding significant weight to the shoe . it is appreciated that various modifications to the inventive concepts may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 0 |
referring now to fig1 an apparatus for converting a supplied dc voltage to a plurality of regulated dc voltages v1 - v5 will be described . a dc to ac converter 11 supplies a variable frequency ac voltage to a transformer 20 . converter 11 may have any configuration known in the art , a half - bridge converter being shown in the drawing . converter 11 comprises a pair of semiconductor switching devices 16 and 17 , connected in series . switching devices 16 and 17 are shown as field - effect transistors ( fets ), although other devices such as insulated gate transistors ( igts ) or gate turn - off thyristors ( gtos ) may be used . converter 11 is connected to a supplied dc voltage . in this case , the dc voltage is obtained by rectifying an ac source 10 with a voltage doubler 9 comprised of diodes 12 and 13 and capacitors 14 and 15 . a voltage dobler is used to allow the half - bridge converter to provide an ac voltage with a magnitude equal to that of source 10 . on every other half cycle of source 10 , capacitor 14 is charged through diode 12 . capacitor 15 is charged through diode 13 on the other half cycles . a primary winding 21 of transformer 20 is connected between the junction of fets 16 and 17 and the junction of capacitors 14 and 15 . by alternately switching on fets 16 and 17 , an ac voltage having a variable frequency and an rms magnitude equal to the rms magnitude of supply 10 is supplied to primary winding 21 . the gates of fets 16 and 17 are connected to a control circuit which will be described below with reference to fig3 . converter 11 also includes a current sensor 18 for supplying a current signal to the control circuit . transformer 20 has a single secondary winding comprised of an even plurality of secondary winding segments 30 - 39 connected in series . the transformer secondary includes a center tap 40 which serves as ground for the dc outputs . preferably , secondary winding segments 30 - 39 are symmetrical about center tap 40 as to number of turns and wire gauge . as an alternate , electrically equivalent form of transformer 20 secondary , a plurality of separate , series - connected windings may be employed , with taps between adjacent separate windings 30 - 39 as shown in fig1 a . as used herein , the term &# 34 ; multiple secondary windings &# 34 ; is intended to encompass transformer secondaries of the type shown in both fig1 and fig1 a . a preferred construction for transformer 20 is shown in fig2 . primary winding 21 is would on one leg of core 25 multiple . secondary windings 30 - 39 are wound on another leg . to maintain tight coupling between the secondary windings multiple . secondary windings 30 - 39 are layered on top of each other separated by thin sheets of insulator 26 . returning to fig1 a pair of capacitors 41 and 42 are connected across the transformer secondary . the junction of cpacitors 41 and 42 is connected to center tap 40 . the leakage inductance resulting from the relatively loose coupling between primary winding 21 and multiple secondary windings 30 - 39 ( as a result of winding primary and secondaries on different legs of the core ) serves as a resonant inductor which resonates with capacitors 41 and 42 . an optional capacitor 43 may be included in the resonant circuit , directly across the transformer secondary to assist in tuning the resonant circuit . rectifying diodes 50 - 59 rectify the currents from secondary windings 30 - 39 , respectively , providing five dc voltages . the cathodes of diodes 50 - 59 are connected in pairs , the diode anodes in each pair being connected to opposite sides of center tap 40 . preferably , diodes 50 - 59 are connected in a symmetric configuration as in fig1 . the cathodes of each pair of diodes are connected to a separate filter , respectively . thus , a dc output voltage v1 is filtered by an inductor 60 and a capacitor 70 . each of inductors 60 - 64 provides a continuous current with minimum ripple to the load respectively connected thereto , thereby eliminating transient currents in transformer 20 and output capcitors 70 - 74 . inductors 60 - 64 are all wound on a single core and are tightly coupled magnetically . the number of turns of each inductor is proportional to each respective output voltage v1 - v5 . this winding arrangement improves the cross - regulation ( i . e . indirect regulation ) of the output voltages v1 - v5 which are not coupled to the control circuit , as described below . since multiple secondary windings 30 - 39 are layered , they are less closely coupled than bifilar windings . this loss in coupling tends to introduce transient voltage spikes across the rectifying diodes as current commutates from one half of the transformer secondary ( e . g . multiple secondary windings 30 - 34 ) to the other half ( e . g . multiple secondary windings 35 - 39 ). however , the placement of capacitors 41 and 42 from line to center tap ( common ) smoothes the current commutations . thus , resonant capacitors 41 and 42 act as lossless snubbers , reducing the voltage stresses and switching losses of diodes 50 - 59 . turning now to fig3 a control circuit is shown which regulates dc output voltages v1 - v5 ( fig1 ) by varying the output frequency of dc to ac converter 11 ( fig1 ). one of the dc output voltages , v2 for example , is provided to a voltage divider / attenuator 82 to provide a measured voltage which may be directly regulated by the control . the measured voltage is compared to a voltage reference 80 in a summer 83 , producing an error signal . the error signal is processed in a proportional - integral ( p - i ) controller 84 which in turn controls a voltage controlled oscillator ( vco ) 85 . preferably , the output of vco 85 is limited to frequencies above resonance of the resonant circuit . a driver circuit 86 is connected to vco 85 and to the gates of fets 16 and 17 . such driver circuits are known in the art . by way of example , driver circuit 86 may include a flip - flop for toggling by the output signal of vco 85 to provide two complementary signals . in addition , a lock - out circuit ( not shown ) in driver 86 may provide a minimum dead time between successive switchings to prevent shoot through of converter 11 . the control circuit also provides overcurrent protection . a current signal from current sensor 18 ( fig1 ) is provided to voltage divider / attenuator 87 to provide a measured current signal . the measured current signal is provided to the noninverting input of a comparator 88 . a current reference signal 81 is provided to the inverting input of comparator 88 . the output of comparator 88 is coupled to vco 85 . thus , if the measured current signal exceeds the current reference signal , vco 85 is set to its maximum . this increases the frequency of converter 11 and reduces the total current therein . by providing a substantial amount of hysteresis in comparator 88 , the output frequency of vco 85 will be lowered only gradually . the foregoing discloses a resonant power supply with multiple dc outputs but only a single power converter and a single transformer . by winding the output filter inductors on a sngle core , the multiple output voltages more nearly track one another . by layering the secondary windings , savings in size , weight and cost are achieved over bifilar windings . by placing a pair of resonant capacitors from each line to center tap , voltage transients across the rectifier diodes are reduced . a control circuit provides direct regulation of one of the output voltages and indirect regulation of the others by virtue of the close coupling of the transformer secondary windings and the close coupling of the output filter inductors . when desired , local series regulators may be used to improve the regulation of the indirectly regulated output voltages . while preferred 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 will occur to those skilled in the art 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 . | 7 |
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